Agent Valephion

[remnantsofakyriakos-blog]

A new path...

[niviousv]

The security check marked them for clearance and  light flooded through the security doors as it shifted to the side with a hiss. The massive chamber room had a domed shape and archs of old Prothean architechture above. Arranged like a smaller courtroom, one single stretch of a curved table and chairs stood some steps infront of a slightly raised podium with three separate seats each behind another curved, massive desk. Only one of the seats were occupied, the one on the left. Councilor Sparatus has his fringe tipped forward while reading Nivious’s report, leaning back with crossed legs. He didn’t look up to greet them, yet. A massive, dark navy blue banner of the Council emblem hung behind the turian Councilor and seemed to sway slightly by a  faint draft in the room. The two turian guards closest to the gate noted the groups arrival with a slight turn of their heads, then resumed to stand on guard with their rifles tucked to their chests.  “I apologize on behalf of Councilors Valern and Tevos, they will join us shortly.” Sparatus said, his voice its usual sharp and raised slightly in volume. He set the datapad down and stood up to greet the group, but walked down from the podium first. Standing slightly taller than an average turian of imeprial blood and with a perfectly straightened back and his claws interlocked behind it, he eyed his agents and first gave Zylar a nod. “Agent Modalius,” then Nivious “Agent Valephion.” Sparatus’ sharp, green eyes looked directly down at the young woman. His claws remained behind his back, but he gave her a small nod. “Miss Kyriakos. I apologize if I mispronounce your name. I haven’t had as much time to study your peoples standardized languages as I would’ve liked.” Nivious smiled and had straightened his posture as well. Sparatus was at least in a good mood today, that was a positive. 

[remnantsofakyriakos-blog]

The redhead let out a quiet sigh of relief; the scans did not detect anything unusual from her, or her drone’s, and it set her mind at ease tossing the worries aside. Once further inside, Anya gape in awe seeing upon the interior. It was something very much different than she originally predicted. Never did she expect the architechture to be this beautiful. Merikh, on the other hand, impressed with the interior and never expected to see Old Prothean architechture after so long ago. He held back his commentary without sparking suspicions to anyone but Anya. He couldn’t risk exposing his identity; deciding to express his thoughts privately later. Archon’s words still lingers like an echo. Anything relating to the Prothean saddened the drone. Anya steps closer beside the two Spectres and bows her head politely with a warm smile. Sparatus is rather intimidating in appearance, and his tone were professional and polite. And, holy shit, she feels like a dwarf compared to the turian’s heights. Why would she grow nervous in front of the Councillor? “Hola, Councillor.” Anya’s voice were heavy on her accent, and she hoped the Councillor understood her, “It’s ok if you misprounce my name, I totally understand. Call me Anya if it helps?”

[thelightanditsshadow]

Anya always manages to get people in their cordial mood, Zylar mused to himself. He said nothing, but nodded to the councilor as he was called by name. As he glanced to his escort, he noticed Anya’s eyes going wide with excitement. She really was in awe; he imagined that she had little experience of life in the Presidium of the Citadel, having never needed to travel there outside of such an occasion.

The drone, he noted, stayed remarkably silent. It wasn’t like him, and he grew suspicious, but again said nothing to disrupt the pleasantries.

“You’ve probably got her file already,” the Modalius spectre stated with a nod to the datapad. “She’s the daughter of one of your C-Sec officers, Silas.”

[niviousv]

"Naturally." Sparatus merely replied both to the pleasantries and Zylar's question. He gave the young woman a brief look before turning back to his desk as the two other Councilors joined them.

"If you are to be an agent in service, Kyriakos is how you will be addressed." The turian added while giving the asari and salarian a sharper look.

Nivious chuckled inwardly and smiled as he strode forward to take a seat on the adjacent row of tables to present his testimony for Anya's recruitment.

"Apologies for keeping you all, let us begin." Councilor Tevos began as she took her seat next to Sparatus.

---

As the hearing adjourned and the group exited the Council chambers, Nivious rolled his stiff and slightly aching shoulders with a sigh, looking at Anya with a reassuring smile.

"That went very well! You did good, Anastasia. Very good. Now all that remains is the long and tense wait for their decision."

[remnantsofakyriakos-blog]

A new path...

[niviousv]

The security check marked them for clearance and  light flooded through the security doors as it shifted to the side with a hiss. The massive chamber room had a domed shape and archs of old Prothean architechture above. Arranged like a smaller courtroom, one single stretch of a curved table and chairs stood some steps infront of a slightly raised podium with three separate seats each behind another curved, massive desk. Only one of the seats were occupied, the one on the left. Councilor Sparatus has his fringe tipped forward while reading Nivious’s report, leaning back with crossed legs. He didn’t look up to greet them, yet. A massive, dark navy blue banner of the Council emblem hung behind the turian Councilor and seemed to sway slightly by a  faint draft in the room. The two turian guards closest to the gate noted the groups arrival with a slight turn of their heads, then resumed to stand on guard with their rifles tucked to their chests.  “I apologize on behalf of Councilors Valern and Tevos, they will join us shortly.” Sparatus said, his voice its usual sharp and raised slightly in volume. He set the datapad down and stood up to greet the group, but walked down from the podium first. Standing slightly taller than an average turian of imeprial blood and with a perfectly straightened back and his claws interlocked behind it, he eyed his agents and first gave Zylar a nod. “Agent Modalius,” then Nivious “Agent Valephion.” Sparatus’ sharp, green eyes looked directly down at the young woman. His claws remained behind his back, but he gave her a small nod. “Miss Kyriakos. I apologize if I mispronounce your name. I haven’t had as much time to study your peoples standardized languages as I would’ve liked.” Nivious smiled and had straightened his posture as well. Sparatus was at least in a good mood today, that was a positive. 

[remnantsofakyriakos-blog]

A new path...

[niviousv]

“Trust me, Councilor Sparatus is like a cuddly pet compared to your father. No disrespect.” Nivious chuckled as they walked. “You’re used to stiff, old turians, I’m sure. He’s a progressive man, however! Much to the ire of the Primarchs at times. I’ve never gotten a long too well with Valern, myself. Probably because salarians are impervious to my charm. Well, most of them.” Nivious hummed as he spoke while the group walked up the several flights of stairs to meet in the council chambers, away from the public for this small, private interview. Better that way, as Nivious had figured, to not put more pressure on the young woman than necessary. Not that he told the Councilors that, of course.

“Tevos is a diplomat at heart. She spearheaded some of the legendary among our numbers, yours truly included. You’ll like her, I’m sure!” Nivious added with an obvious warmth and affection for the asari councilor that he reported to most of the time.

[remnantsofakyriakos-blog]

The inside of the Council chambers were impressive and huge; it were nothing like how she envisioned it to be nor from the holorecordings on Shepard’s Spectre Induction. There’s no time to stay and appreciate the sceney; she followed Nivious and Zylar away from the public sector and into a more, quiet office space. “None taken. I know what you’re implying here.” the redhead gives a small smile, nausea creepying at the back of her throat, “I‘ll be honest here; I’m afraid the Councillors do intimidate me in a way similiar to professors. Nothing like I’ve seen of my father’s wrath. I’m not sure what Councillor Valern nor Counillor Tevos would expect of me.” She realises she was babbling nervously. The meeting starting to test her. What if she’s really not what they expect? “Dios mios, I am so unprepared for this occassion.”

[thelightanditsshadow]

“I myself prefer Sparatus,” Zylar muttered. “Straightforward, to the point, sensible. No need for all that formality or subterfuge.”

Even as he spoke he grew quieter. Despite his size and his sometimes brash behavior, he too held his own silent awe of the place, full of blossoming trees and high level officials about their business on the ground floor and the upraised hallways flanking them.

Again Anya began to hesitate, and Zylar flashed another smile and a soft chuckle. “Professors, at least, are there to help you learn. But as for the Council, they’re simply expecting you. Nothing more, nothing less. Show them who you are. The rest will come to you as it all goes along.”

[niviousv]

"But the formality and subterfuge and the masks we all wear is just part of this high stakes dance at the grand ball, Starbird!" Nivious chuckled as he did an elegant spin and bow at the hip, mid-stride. He headed toward the private chamber gates and waved his omnitool before the scanner. "But Sparatus's bluntness has its charm, no doubt. I just think he'd make better decisions for his people if he relaxed more in his spare time, if he ever allows himself such a thing." He looked over his shoulder to Anya with a wry smile as they were let into the private chambers.

"Worry not. You'll be fine. I'm sure they'll be very interested to hear more about Merikh as well, anything to favor the edge of Council agents against outside threats is a positive."

Nivious lead the group through a wide corridor full of busy traffic from Council staff and a few Spectre agents. Nivious greeted several staff members and gave polite nods to his fellow agents. One asari shot him a dark glare before resuming her duties.

"I see Hima isn't over our friendly race to bring in the new assets from Invictus. Asari don't know how to handle colonial turian politics, and she'll make a terrible matriarch with that explosive temper. Nearly had my head lopped off by her sword for merely suggesting it." Nivious snickered as he walked and held one final door open for Anya and Zylar, leading them into a small separate space for security scanning before they'd be let inside to meet the Council.

[remnantsofakyriakos-blog]

A new path...

[niviousv]

"Trust me, Councilor Sparatus is like a cuddly pet compared to your father. No disrespect." Nivious chuckled as they walked. "You're used to stiff, old turians, I'm sure. He's a progressive man, however! Much to the ire of the Primarchs at times. I've never gotten a long too well with Valern, myself. Probably because salarians are impervious to my charm. Well, most of them." Nivious hummed as he spoke while the group walked up the several flights of stairs to meet in the council chambers, away from the public for this small, private interview. Better that way, as Nivious had figured, to not put more pressure on the young woman than necessary. Not that he told the Councilors that, of course.

"Tevos is a diplomat at heart. She spearheaded some of the legendary among our numbers, yours truly included. You'll like her, I'm sure!" Nivious added with an obvious warmth and affection for the asari councilor that he reported to most of the time.

[remnantsofakyriakos-blog]

A new path...

Side arc for Anastasia and Merikh in World Without Law. Sets post-Omega. — The journey from Omega to the Citadel had been exhausting after a tense mission with Aeos’ crew and run-ins with the Disciples; first impression from her abilities and assistance sparks the interest from certain Spectre agents. The next thing she knew, they talked to her privately with an annoucement that her name were put forward to Spectre candidates. The news left her both shocked and speechless; never did she expect it all coming. She kept quiet about this for a few hours since the return to the Citadel and part ways from the crews. The drone urges her to hurry home for quick shower and change of clothes; she remembered she’s due for meeting appointment with the Councillor arranged by Nivious recently. Knowing there’s barely any time to reunite her family; she did as what Merikh advise her, to grab a shower, which she dearly miss the hot water, and make herself look more presentable with change of clothes with a vain attempt to hide the cybernetic implants. Nausea swelling at the back of her throat threatening to puke as anxiety strikes upon her, fretting about the meeting with the Councillor, of all people. The walk from the apartment to the Presidium were relaxing, if not feeling like hours had pass, the scent of air and the views of the lake were a sight for sore eyes sets a nicer change of pace than the doom and gloom Omega’s atmosphere. She stops within the park with hestiation as her eyes roams over to the Citadel Council’s embassies on the outside with anxiety mounting as her cybernetics burning hotly and the drone assures her calmly and took several breaths. What if she’s not what they expect? What if she lets them down?

[thelightanditsshadow]

“Red?” Zylar asked.

The journey back was a silent one, but not without much to do and to think about. After leaving Omega, Zylar took Deether to one of the dreadnoughts in the Modalius private fleets, and he hoped the mechanic might find the transition more suitable than his life in the Terminus. Soon after he had to think of what to do with Anastasia.

It was clear to him that her biotics were as powerful as any commandos he had worked with, certainly on par with the Spectres. It was also clear to him that Aeos was ill-suited towards mentoring her. He was too cold and unforgiving, and if not for his shadowy partner, he would have let everything fall apart. For all of the shadow operative’s capability, he seemed remarkably paralyzed when encountering threats to his closest relationships. He cared enough about Anastasia that he would not let her pay for Aeos’s mistake. With both of those thoughts in mind, he put forward her name for consideration in the Spectres.

It was not an easy life, but if she could be a diplomat like Telos or Nivious, she would be spared the seedier elements of life, and help her father on the Citadel, and it was safer for her than anything Aeos could provide. He stood and looked down to her, nodding once to make his confidence in her known.

“They’re waiting for you in the Senate chambers,” he said to her gently.

[niviousv]

"There you two are!" Nivious announced himself as he almost cascaded down the flight of stairs with every sign of their last mission wiped from his pristine self. The Spectre came dressed in what people only would read as a rich, influential politician and not an agent of peacekeeping. He greeted both of them with a wry smile under perfectly applied markings.

"Come along, Councilor Valern is pressed for time." He hummed and offered a claw to help Anya up.

The readings of her biotics made the meters on his Omni-tool spike, feeding the data to the agent through a hidden device behind his fringe.

"How are you, Anastasia? I'm sorry I've been too busy to heck in on you since we arrived, I had to tend to my hand and general miserable condition before it grew much worse."