Makuta POV

I was pleasantly surprised that the Councilors minds had been weak enough to influence enough that I was nearly assured that I would be offered a place as a Spectre.

Anyways, Spectre Nasari and I, came to a small rackety and rickety little ship. I stared at the rust covered ship trying to hide my growing disappointment. The whole ship was a piece of junk, whole chunks of the thing was just connected by metal cables. The engines looked really bad.

(…is that slime running off the engines?)

~I'm afraid so~ Came Krika's mock horrified voice.

"Is this your ship?" I asked disappointment leaching into my voice, "I expected something, well, sleeker."

Nasari looked confused for a second then said with a laugh, "Of course not! The pilot of this thing is supposed to be one of the best."

I grimaced and said, "He doesn't look like the best."

"Looks can be deceiving, that said my research indicates that he is a horrible gambler."

"Hmm, the idiot must have gambled away everything remotely valuable,"

"And who might…what are you?" I heard plainly behind me. I almost wondered who the person behind me was talking about but since I was the only non-Council species 'alien' in sight it must be me.

I turned around with a wide artificial grin. My mandibles spread wide and I willed the poison glands on the sides to produce just enough to make the surface shine.

"Uh, heh, actually never-mind," The human stammered, a little disturbed by my hellish appearance.

I grinned wider, and said, "I am a Makuta."

"Never heard of those before," The human replied noticeably nervous. He was slightly overweight and had a ruddy face with a balding head.

"Are you Bert Fallow?" Nasari said easily. She was still slightly wary of me but that was to be expected when confronted with a seven foot tall armored and monstrous looking creature.

"Yeah," the human, Bert Fallow, said.

"I am looking for a pilot," Nasari said with a smile.

"Why?" The pilot said suspiciously.

"I am a SpecTRe," Nasari said as the man's eyes widened, "And my previous pilot retired."

"Well I need to be paid," The ruddy man said rudely.

A little while later, after recruiting the pilot, we came to a sleek blue and red ship. I easily could see the influence of an Asari in the design with the flowing graceful curves. It was a little under the size of the Normandy but looked like it could fit a sizable crew.

I stepped into the spaceship and followed the decontamination protocols. Afterwards we continued on into the CIC. Along the way I observed that the ship most be operating with a skeleton crew because I only saw three crew members, two Asari and a Salarian. Each of them saluted Nasari then immediately carried on with their duties. I was inwardly surprised that they possessed enough discipline to not comment on my appearance.

"These are the other members of the ground team," SpecTRe Nasari said entering the CIC. Upon entering I noticed the only other members of the room were two Turians and an Asari sitting around the room.

One of the Turians in faded blue armor stood, "Deso Atir, Standard Soldier."

"Lari U'ini," The Asari said standing, "Biotic and Tech specialist."

The other Turian stood as the Asari finished speaking and said, "Lnar Torias, Sniper and…Biotic."

I stepped forward and watched the Asari soldier's mouth go open in semi surprise at my appearance, "Makuta Pridak, I guess I would be classified as a Biotic."

The Turians nodded and a second later the Asari did as well.

"So squad," Nasari said with a genuine smile, "This is the new squad member; the council requested that I look him over for induction into the SpecTRes."

The Turians and the Asari nodded, getting the drift. Seeing they understood Nasari continued.

"We are on a top secret mission to the planet Eden Prime. They have been rumors that a 'terrorist group' is going to attempt to sneak a nuke onto the Citadel. The rumors originated on Eden Prime. Therefore we start our investigation there."

(Eden Prime, huh, only a month before Mass Effect starts. Interesting.)

()

I was shown to my quarters by one of the Turians, Lnar.

I did not attempt to intiate conversation with him and instead just closed my door. Once I heard his footsteps receding I reached into a shapeshifted chest cavity and withdrew my little Kraata. They hissed evidently due to the bright light in my cabin and I tossed them under the covers of my bed.

Stay. I mentally commanded them and fed just a little of my essence to them for their nourishment.

Then I walked out of my room and back towards the bridge.

The next Chapter will be longer!