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Description
Red – the first thing that caught his eye. If he had known, he would have memorized every detail of that encounter - the smell, the ambient noise, but most of all, her face. Yes, he would have memorized every detail of that face from the start. Only her red hair stands firm in his memory.

* * *

"Your investigation is over, Garrus" Executor Pallin barely finished the sentence before walking away, waving his hand in dismissal.
The words stung; abject failure over damned classified documents. A thin growl escaped his throat at the realization. He'd be demoted. Not only for failing to find evidence but also for butting heads too often with Executor Pallin. Hot blood flushed under his plating, making them slightly swell and push against his armor. The heat pointed his thoughts into sharp accusations. How dare he! Executor or not, no one should forbid access to critical evidence. No way in hell was he going to let Pallin step over him on the largest case he had ever received. Footsteps interrupted his retort for the Executor.

Three armored humans walked up the steps toward him; Alliance soldiers by guess of their armor. His visor did a quick facial recognition scan to confirm his suspicions. What were Alliance officers doing in the Tower? The scan stopped abruptly on the last human.  Information flooded the small screen with the heading: Commander Alliera Shepard. The human from Eden Prime! She could help the investigation with her witness statements.

"Commander Shepard? Garrus Vakarian," he said, disturbing Shepard from her determined march to see the Council.
A mixture of confusion and aggravation flashed across her face as she stopped to in front of him. Her head tilted slightly at the information, as if the different angle would make what he said relevant.  Bright red hair fell from its place, slightly obscuring her face. The glossy lock gleamed in the dim light. It was like a veil of crimson silk.

"I, uh…" Spirits the color and texture were distracting. He'd never seen any other human with hair even remotely like it. He wanted to reach out and stroke the alien substance, feel it slip between his talons. Wonder if it would be cool to the touch… Touch? A human? His conversation with Pallin must have shaken him more than he realized if he was wondering such outrageous things. Garrus scrambled to collect his thoughts. "I was the C-Sec officer in charge of the investigation into Saren."

"What do you mean 'was'?"  Shepard asked, a dark eyebrow arching quizzically. Her vibrant blue eyes bored into him, commanding an answer. They reminded him of those sapphires from Earth he'd seen some woman wearing, every crystal saturated with a rich blue no being could replicate.

"The Executor and I had a minor difference of opinion over the importance of this case," he snorted.

"I heard. Look, doesn't matter to me if you're still on the case or not. All I need to know if there's any information you've found. I'd really like to use it to shove up the Council's ass."

A quick mental smack from discipline training stopped his mandibles from flaring into a smile at the remark. Unfortunately, he had never been that great with discipline and they opened enough for a sort of half grin.

"Wish I could say yes," he stopped grinning and crossed his arms, "but Saren's a Spectre. Most of his activities are classified. Couldn't find any hard evidence."

"Well they can't classify my mouth," Shepard smirked.

"I think the Council's ready for us, Commander," the male human to the side of Shepard stepped forward. "We shouldn't keep them waiting."

"Good luck, Shepard," Garrus stood there as she politely nodded goodbye to him and started to walk away with her entourage. "Maybe they'll listen to you."

* * *

"What? The human petition was denied?" Garrus squeezed his arm into submission, willing it not to slam his fist into the executor's desk.

"Did you really believe they'd be able to disbar a Spectre based on a drunken dockworker's accusations and some imaginary visions?" Pallin knit his fingers together into a steeple. He looked like a man praying rather than an officer arguing with his subordinate. "I thought better of you, Garrus. You used to have such good judgment of situations, just like your father."

"No, I won't let this be over. Saren's hiding something! I know it." the mention of his father prodded at the angry coals deep in his chest.

"No? Did you not hear me, Officer Vakarian? The Council rejected the humans' wild claims. There is nothing left to discuss."

"Please, just give me more time!" He leaned forward onto the desk. Spirits, now he was going so far as to plead with the man.

"I said there was nothing left to discuss."  His tongue sharply enunciated each word and pause. He glanced up at Garrus, eyes hard and threatening.

Garrus removed his hands from the desk and clasped them behind his back. It was the only thing preventing him from ripping something, preferably the executor's throat.

"Yes, sir," Garrus replied curtly and turned to leave the office.

Garrus stood in the hall, office door closing behind him with a swoosh.  Shepard's testimony had done nothing to assuage the Council's defense of Saren. The Executor was right about one thing; he could pass judgment with ease and precision. Saren was dirty, rouge even for a Spectre. He knew it. Shepard knew it. But to prove it? He'd have to pry some evidence from the shadows of the Citadel, one shadowy agent in particular. With a new resolve, Garrus strode down the hall toward confronting the man that C-Sec had yet to touch. He had to find Fist.

Description
Red – the first thing that caught his eye. If he had known, he would have memorized every detail of that encounter - the smell, the ambient noise, but most of all, her face. Yes, he would have memorized every detail of that face from the start. Only her red hair stands firm in his memory.

* * *

"Your investigation is over, Garrus" Executor Pallin barely finished the sentence before walking away, waving his hand in dismissal.
The words stung; abject failure over damned classified documents. A thin growl escaped his throat at the realization. He'd be demoted. Not only for failing to find evidence but also for butting heads too often with Executor Pallin. Hot blood flushed under his plating, making them slightly swell and push against his armor. The heat pointed his thoughts into sharp accusations. How dare he! Executor or not, no one should forbid access to critical evidence. No way in hell was he going to let Pallin step over him on the largest case he had ever received. Footsteps interrupted his retort for the Executor.

Three armored humans walked up the steps toward him; Alliance soldiers by guess of their armor. His visor did a quick facial recognition scan to confirm his suspicions. What were Alliance officers doing in the Tower? The scan stopped abruptly on the last human.  Information flooded the small screen with the heading: Commander Alliera Shepard. The human from Eden Prime! She could help the investigation with her witness statements.

"Commander Shepard? Garrus Vakarian," he said, disturbing Shepard from her determined march to see the Council.
A mixture of confusion and aggravation flashed across her face as she stopped to in front of him. Her head tilted slightly at the information, as if the different angle would make what he said relevant.  Bright red hair fell from its place, slightly obscuring her face. The glossy lock gleamed in the dim light. It was like a veil of crimson silk.

"I, uh…" Spirits the color and texture were distracting. He'd never seen any other human with hair even remotely like it. He wanted to reach out and stroke the alien substance, feel it slip between his talons. Wonder if it would be cool to the touch… Touch? A human? His conversation with Pallin must have shaken him more than he realized if he was wondering such outrageous things. Garrus scrambled to collect his thoughts. "I was the C-Sec officer in charge of the investigation into Saren."

"What do you mean 'was'?"  Shepard asked, a dark eyebrow arching quizzically. Her vibrant blue eyes bored into him, commanding an answer. They reminded him of those sapphires from Earth he'd seen some woman wearing, every crystal saturated with a rich blue no being could replicate.

"The Executor and I had a minor difference of opinion over the importance of this case," he snorted.

"I heard. Look, doesn't matter to me if you're still on the case or not. All I need to know if there's any information you've found. I'd really like to use it to shove up the Council's ass."

A quick mental smack from discipline training stopped his mandibles from flaring into a smile at the remark. Unfortunately, he had never been that great with discipline and they opened enough for a sort of half grin.

"Wish I could say yes," he stopped grinning and crossed his arms, "but Saren's a Spectre. Most of his activities are classified. Couldn't find any hard evidence."

"Well they can't classify my mouth," Shepard smirked.

"I think the Council's ready for us, Commander," the male human to the side of Shepard stepped forward. "We shouldn't keep them waiting."

"Good luck, Shepard," Garrus stood there as she politely nodded goodbye to him and started to walk away with her entourage. "Maybe they'll listen to you."

* * *

"What? The human petition was denied?" Garrus squeezed his arm into submission, willing it not to slam his fist into the executor's desk.

"Did you really believe they'd be able to disbar a Spectre based on a drunken dockworker's accusations and some imaginary visions?" Pallin knit his fingers together into a steeple. He looked like a man praying rather than an officer arguing with his subordinate. "I thought better of you, Garrus. You used to have such good judgment of situations, just like your father."

"No, I won't let this be over. Saren's hiding something! I know it." the mention of his father prodded at the angry coals deep in his chest.

"No? Did you not hear me, Officer Vakarian? The Council rejected the humans' wild claims. There is nothing left to discuss."

"Please, just give me more time!" He leaned forward onto the desk. Spirits, now he was going so far as to plead with the man.

"I said there was nothing left to discuss."  His tongue sharply enunciated each word and pause. He glanced up at Garrus, eyes hard and threatening.

Garrus removed his hands from the desk and clasped them behind his back. It was the only thing preventing him from ripping something, preferably the executor's throat.

"Yes, sir," Garrus replied curtly and turned to leave the office.

Garrus stood in the hall, office door closing behind him with a swoosh.  Shepard's testimony had done nothing to assuage the Council's defense of Saren. The Executor was right about one thing; he could pass judgment with ease and precision. Saren was dirty, rouge even for a Spectre. He knew it. Shepard knew it. But to prove it? He'd have to pry some evidence from the shadows of the Citadel, one shadowy agent in particular. With a new resolve, Garrus strode down the hall toward confronting the man that C-Sec had yet to touch. He had to find Fist.