John raised an eyebrow at the latecomers. Javik arrived mere seconds after them, having spent the past hours bogged down in a crowd of journalists and scholars. 'We've got debriefing to do aboard Vancouver Station. Admiral Hackett told me our last mission was too sensitive to discuss here. Not enough security.'<br/><br/>The next few hours were spent performing the usual post-operation discussions that followed Alliance special forces actions. Paperwork, tactical analysis, an extra round of decontamination just to be safe, and the study and allocation of the resources procured during the mission. Nothing out of the ordinary, really. What came next, however, was quite new.<br/><br/>The<span style="font-style: italic">Midway</span>Exalted stood in a briefing room, dimly lit to account for the bright blue glow of the hololith in the center. Hackett pulled up a number of messages on the terminal, addressed from the Citadel. All of them bore the personal heraldry of the salarian, asari, and turian councilors. And Councilor Udina's signature, but nobody liked Udina anyway. John read the first one and let out a low whistle when he realized what the contents signified.<br/><br/>'These just came in now, ladies and gentlemen,' Hackett said. 'The Citadel Council has approved Shepard's Spectre recommendations following Bau's favorable feedback regarding your field work. Since you were all unavailable during the deliberation process, the Council decided to forego the usual ceremonies. However, you'll be considered full-badge Spectres with all the perks that implies. You'll need them for the action you'll be seeing in the future.'<br/><br/>Tapping a few buttons on the console, Hackett altered the image, displaying squads of various races across the galaxy. Some of the humans present were N7 operatives.<br/><br/>'Bau has put me in contact with a number of other special forces groups and Spectres around the galaxy. This is all very hush-hush, but Alliance SpecFor is collaborating with groups like the Asari Commandos, Salarian STG, Turian Blackwatch, and several private military contractors. While the bigwigs mess around with politicking and buying votes, we have strike teams scouting Mass Relay lanes, stockpiling supplies, and launching attacks on groups like Cerberus.'<br/><br/>John crossed his arms, furrowing his brow. 'So how does this work, sir? Are we at liberty to pursue our own missions?'<br/><br/>Hackett nodded. 'That's affirmative, Commander, though I and our contacts may drop in on occasion if we feel there's a situation that really needs your attention. In return, we'll provide you with the necessary materiel you need to wage your own wars off the Alliance's black budget. There is one thing, however, that I need you to do above all--gather the Exalted. Shepard can inspire the masses, but the Exalted won't bow to just anyone, especially a lone Terrestrial.'<br/><br/>'That's an awful lot of trust you're putting in a bunch of Spectres, sir.'<br/><br/>'I know, but you wouldn't be here today if I didn't trust you to do the right thing, Commander. You, Esone, and Czevak will be transferred to the Alliance's black ops division, effective immediately. Bau, 042, Javik, your goals are aligned with ours. Can I consider you three on board?'<br/><br/>John didn't need to think twice. He shook Hackett's hand. 'You don't even need to ask, sir. Count me in.'<br/><br/>042 stepped forward, its optic glowing with a warm light. 'Though we cannot speak for all of the Code-Blessed, this Child of Autochthon supports any cause against the Old Machines.'<br/><br/>Bau smirked slightly. 'This team will need an intel officer, and I'm the best in the business. I'm here to stay.'<br/><br/>Javik grunted. 'If it is an opportunity to strike back at the Reapers, you have my sword, Warmaster.'<br/><br/>Hackett nodded again and replied, 'Good. As of today, you'll be working under the callsign of Saber Team. Javik, I'm afraid you'll have to leave your new friends. One of my other team leaders is short on Exalted firepower, so I'm going to have to transfer you to her ship. I'll fill you in on the details later. For now, the Admiralty Board insists on speaking with you all in person to discuss the matter of hostile Exalted. A shuttle down to the surface is ready and waiting for you back in the hangar.'