The Perfect Pedigree (Melchik)

[Syri]

councilor leethe

The salarian councilor dwelled within her chambers (as she liked to call them) - they weren't much, really, more like an office, but she was a vain creature who liked to think herself better than she actually was. There was a small desk in the center of the room, a few banners with the Council emblem embroidered on them behind the desk, and a few plants native to Sur'Kesh helped embellish her "chambers". Two STG guards stood ever vigilantly at her sides at all times, since not only was she vain, but also paranoid.

At the moment, she was busy staring at some records she'd had some of her top informants pull up. It had taken a lot of work, plenty of tracking and tracing back, but they had managed to identify a handful of the original League of One members. From there she had followed the genetic data of their clans, and had been surprisingly pleased to make a huge discovery: one of the original members had been given a breeding contract. That meant that there were direct descendants of one of the original members of the League, that they carried the same genetic information and had passed it down for centuries.

Of course, to find the purest of the offspring one had to focus on the males of the clan. This is where it became complicated - breeding contracts with other clans would pollute the gene pool. There were several factors to take into account, but Leethe had been sure to put her best experts on the job, and they had managed to point her in the direction of a handful of salarians from the Parthen clan. For now, she had decided to meet with one while he was still on the Citadel. Usually she took the precaution of communicating via hologram with everyone she had to speak with, but for this, she wanted the live person in the flesh.

"You've sent him a message, correct?"

[/color] the stern salarian female glanced over her shoulder at one of her guards, who gave her a nod. "Good. He should be here any moment, then. Dismissed."[/color] She shooed the guards away with a hand gesture, but the two guards knew better. By dismissed, she simply meant 'wait in the shadows with a tactical cloak and only come out if trouble arises'. Within moments, they had vanished from her sight, and so now she waited for Melchik Parthen to arrive.[/blockquote][/blockquote][/size]

[Melchik Parthen]

Melchik Parthen

If there was one thing Melchik disliked, it was being kept in the dark, especially when it came to his job. Even at the rank of captain, the salarian felt worked like a dog, waking up at ridiculous hours of the night for clandestine encounters with enemies of the salarian people. Worse still was his own leadership: while he was in no position of power to do anything about it, the people in charge were usually so quiet and hesitant to share anything with the individuals who carry out their orders. Were they not aware that the more information the STG knew, the more secure they will be? Perhaps it was an alien concept among the salarians to actually be open with each other.

How entertaining, Melchik mused. Pot meet kettle, as the humans say. The message he received said little more than a time and place, with the place being a mere pick-up point where the STG captain met with fellow STG agents. Good, Melchik thought. This wasn't a trap. But then why all the secrecy? He had kept all his League of One lineages tied up and none of his siblings were aware of their true heritage; his mother informed him as such. So as though he were on a mission, the salarian flipped through potential candidates for whoever he might have been meeting while his driver took him to the true destination.

Old Horn? While it would have been a shoe-in, he was currently dealing with bureaucracy on Sur'Kesh. Estimated time of return was two months at least. It couldn't have been any of Melchik's siblings since he essentially cut off contact from them; while he recalled their names, he didn't know them personally. C-Sec? Possible, but then he'd be escorted by actual C-Sec agents, not STG. The dalatrass wasn't on the Citadel- Melchik would have heard of such an event- and there weren't any flash updates regarding her safety. Only a few options remained, but Melchik reduced that number to one. Councilor Leethe may be impressed by his deductions or disturbed. Perhaps it'd be best to hide that away and feign surprise.

Or not. Melchik's ride approached the embassies as the STG captain stepped out of the transport escorted by two other agents. It wasn't as busy as Melchik would figure: then again, the embassies weren't usually busy unless there was some sort of political turmoil going on. Perhaps that's why Councilor Leethe called Melchik to her chambers? There was an event dangerous enough that the salarian representative for the rest of the galaxy to directly debrief Melchik Parthen? The possibility excited the captain but he dared not show it: he prided himself on his seeming inability to express any sort of emotion. As he climbed the stairs to the major embassies, he noticed that none of the usual guards for Councilor Leethe were standing outside her door. And when the captain looked behind him, he noticed the accompanying STG agents were gone. Feeling a twinge of nervousness, Melchik stepped forward into the Councilor's chambers. Melchik saw the Councilor situated behind a desk and introduced himself, "Melchik Parthen, STG rank Captain. Honor to meet you in person, Councilor."

[Syri]

councilor leethe

The councilor did not have to wait long for Melchik to arrive, much to her delight. Salarians lived short lives, and there was not enough time to simply wait around. She did not enjoy the prospect of loitering and loved it when jobs were done on time. The Councilor smiled when Melchik gave his respects, as it showed he was a trained, obedient soldier. The STG's sole purpose was to carry out orders with efficiency and to complete their missions as assigned, not to question or to fail. Perhaps she was a bit of a control freak. No, 'perhaps' wasn't adequate enough - she was a control freak. Too much so, though she would never admit that.

"Captain Parthen, a pleasure to meet you also. Have a seat."

[/color] she invited, though her voice was far from welcoming. She was cold, calculating, and every movement she made she made with a purpose, though rarely anyone knew exactly what that purpose was. "I am hardly one for friendly platitudes, and as an STG officer you must understand that time is of the essence. So I shall avoid the unneeded questions of how your work has been going, or what you have accomplished lately."[/color] They weren't friends, after all. She had never met him before, and he was only here to sate her curiosity.

"As you are likely unaware of, I have had my top agents working on a special... project, of sorts."[/color] She paused for dramatic effect. As much as she hated it when others wasted her time, she had no problem wasting the time of others. "They have helped trace the lineage of one very prominent figure in salarian history."[/color] She paused again, her gaze tracing his features as if she were searching for any signs of hesitation, any clues that would point to whether or not he knew more than he was letting on.

When she was done with her quick inspection, she did not leave room for him to talk, "I am speaking of the League of One. Now, were you aware that you and your siblings are the descendants of one of the original members?"[/color] Leethe shook her head, "I am not here to chastise you or remove you from service. In fact, what I am seeking is quite the opposite."[/color] The salarian councilor stated, again leaving her true intentions in the dark. "You may speak freely. There are no recording devices, nothing that can incriminate you. Nothing spoken here shall escape this room."[/color] That was probably about the most reassuring she could get.[/blockquote][/blockquote][/size]

[Melchik Parthen]

"Captain Parthen, a pleasure to meet you also. Have a seat." If she seemed anything to Melchik, the Councilor could at least attest to being polite to her guests. Heeding her request, Melchik pulled out a chair on the other side of the desk facing the Councilor and sat down. Odd, the captain thought: nobody in the room to protect the Councilor. Leaving her unprotected like this wasn't an ideal scenario unless she truly didn't think Melchik would prove much of a threat. Perhaps she's recording the conversation as well, or has someone waiting outside the door? As someone who has managed to successfully hide his lineage- learning from the best does that- Melchik has learned to quickly eliminate possibilities from a given situation. Now if only it didn't distract him from what was in front of him.

The Councilor continued with her introduction, "I am hardly one for friendly platitudes, and as an STG officer you must understand that time is of the essence. So I shall avoid the unneeded questions of how your work has been going, or what you have accomplished lately." She read his files. Good: he made sure to remove any trace of League of One from his bio. He also felt rather honored that the salarian galactic representative would bother checking his personal files. Melchik did not respond with words, only nodding in response to her urgency. "As you are likely unaware of, I have had my top agents working on a special... project, of sorts." Not such a surprise, considering salarian interests and war theory. The question is what sort of project, considering Old Horn would keep Melchik out of the dark for the most part. But for something serious enough for the Councilor to come directly to Melchik?

"They have helped trace the lineage of one very prominent figure in salarian history." Ah. It was bound to happen some day, but at least it wasn't discovered by one of the Parthen's enemies. Perhaps this project she previously spoke of involved the League of One or perhaps finding them? Maybe they've collected some more LoO-related artifacts they want Melchik to confirm? All these possibilities, it nearly overwhelmed Melchik. However, his face remained as though he were listening for further instructions. "I am speaking of the League of One. Now, were you aware that you and your siblings are the descendants of one of the original members?" Melchik feigned surprise, widening his bug-eyes and replying, "I had no idea, Councilor. But, my curiosity is piqued as to why you'd require my services? You have several teams working on this project, I imagine."

[Syri]

councilor leethe

Interesting. Was the councilor's only thought as she noticed that Melchik seemed genuinely surprised by the fact she'd managed to track down his origins. Though it was hardly surprising. Either he knew more than he was letting on (salarians were good at hiding what they knew), or his family had completely wiped the memory of the League of One blood in them for good, which was also a possibility. After all, the League of One had earned itself several enemies after they were exposed and killed a large portion of the government officials responsible... why the salarians had ever decided to let one of their strongest organizations that kept them at the height of power be brought into the open and exposed for the sake of the Council was beyond her. Salarians needed the superior power; intelligence was their greatest weapon.

"I have plans in motion, Captain."

[/color] she stated, pretty bluntly considering her usually clandestine manner of speaking. "The League of One was one of our greatest weapons. The reason the Council had us expose them was because they made us more powerful than our allies. Why should we throw away what makes us stronger? Intelligence, knowledge... these have always been our greatest weapons. The ability to strike down an enemy before he makes a move, to end a war before it begins, these have kept our people safe for centuries."[/color] She paused, tenting her fingers before she continued, "Especially with these humans trying to encroach upon galactic politics, it is our duty to keep the salarian people safe, and I have decided that the first measure is to re-establish that ancient organization that kept us protected for years... and was so unfairly dismantled for the sake of the asari and turians being able to rest peaceably at night."[/color] Leethe sneered. She really did think that was an injustice to the salarian people.

"As to why I require you in particular, let me say it plainly. I do have the full intentions of one day re-establishing the League. When that time comes, I want the leader to be strong, influential, able to command and do the job right. Not only that, but they must be a symbol of sorts to the others. As one of the living descendants of one of those members, you are a symbol of how the League will endure, and as I have seen from your service record you possess the traits that were aforementioned."[/color]

"You will have time to think about it, unless you have an answer now. Not everything is set in stone yet, but I will tell you this offer is an immense honor. Great things will come for both yourself and your family should this... "project" succeed."[/color] Of course she had to add in a bit of bribery. If that didn't work, though, she always liked to add in a subtle threat, "But if word of this gets out, your family's standing will be compromised, as will yours."[/color] Ah, yes, she loved the control she had over this situation. If he accepted, then she'd have helped re-establish an important organization that would benefit the interests of the salarian people. If not, word of her plans would never get out - she could blackmail him at any moment, if he tried anything.[/blockquote][/blockquote][/size]

[Melchik Parthen]

"I have set plans in motion, Captain." This was a bureaucrat who liked hearing herself talked, Melchik mused. It would have brought a smile to her face if it wouldn't get him blacklisted in salarian society. "The League of One was one of our greatest weapons. The reason the Council had us expose them was because they made us more powerful than our allies. Why should we throw away what makes us stronger? Intelligence, knowledge... these have always been our greatest weapons. The ability to strike down an enemy before he makes a move, to end a war before it begins, these have kept our people safe for centuries." All true: the League was sold out by its own people to appease the more advanced, at the time, asari to ensure their alliance.

"All true. However, "win a war before it's won" has always been our war theory, if I am correct. Some, like humans, claim there's no honor in such tactics. It's worked well for us for the past hundred years, I'd say." He wasn't about to disagree to what he thinks she was about to offer. However, he was wary of ulterior motives: secretly building up your own League of One could prove very useful. Almost like the batarian's Special Interventions Unit, except with far more tech and intelligence. The Councilor continued with her overarching explanation for Melchik's presence, "Especially with these humans trying to encroach upon galactic politics, it is our duty to keep the salarian people safe, and I have decided that the first measure is to re-establish that ancient organization that kept us protected for years... and was so unfairly dismantled for the sake of the asari and turians being able to rest peaceably at night."

She got her information wrong, Melchik mentally pointed out. The League disbanded before the turians were even involved. Careful not to point it out, he replied, "We are guilty of shortsightedness as much as anyone else, Councilor. We weren't there to make the decisions, but I appreciate someone remembering the League." He really did mean it, even if he never outright mentioned his true lineage. What he did mention heavily implied it, though she probably did want him to actually mention it aloud. Melchik was more than cautious of anyone, even the salarian councilor, knowing his real ascendants. Finally, she came to explain why Melchik was here: she wanted him to lead the new League when it rose from the ashes.

Putting serious thought into the offer, Melchik tilt his head down with a hand under his chin. This would be a large responsibility, he thought. Being in charge of the "new" League would entail tremendous expectations: they were the STG before the STG even existed. To be a symbol for the League's revival after over one thousand years of abandonment. But he was still happy at STG: with his men and Old Horn, his old CO. The councilor provided further insight to make his decision, claiming the honor it would bring his family nearly infinite. The only issue is his family managed to scrape by due to not being noticed: one of his great grandmothers tried replacing the name entirely by starting her own omni-tool manufacturer, but it didn't work.

He doubted he could get away with simply saying no, unless the councilor was more forgiving than she let on. "But if word of this gets out, your family's standing will be compromised, as will yours." Centuries of hiding his family line only to be revealed by this supposed exemplar of salarian society? Well, he supposed she was a pretty good example of what was wrong with it: first impressions weren't everything after all. Regardless of her position in his people's civilization, Melchik was not one to be simply threatened. "I'll lead them. But I won't be wronged. I won't be insulted. I won't be laid a hand on, especially by whoever you have hiding here. Really, a councilor on her lonesome? Not even an amateur assassin would fall for that." He leaned back in his chair, taking this small victory with a grain of salt. "I won't do these things to my own people and I require the same from them."

[Syri]

councilor leethe

Leethe nodded, "The humans are far too concerned with 'honor'. At least a portion of their population is. Tactics are tactics, war is war, and we will secure the future no matter what the cost."

[/color] That was probably the most inspiring speech she'd ever given. Granted it was only a sentence of her going on about the tactics of the salarian people, but really, she wasn't one for big speeches, just dirty politics and manipulation. Pretty typical for a salarian female, especially one involved in such important areas of politics.

Leethe hardly enjoyed having her mistakes pointed out. She was vain, proud, and wanted to be practically perfect and precise with everything. Calling the salarian people out for shortsightedness did not earn Melchik any brownie points with the haughty councilor, who simply replied, "Perhaps. But remembering our mistakes is not what I called you to do here today."[/color] Even if she did view disbanding the League as one of the biggest mistakes in all of salarian history, so she was being a bit of a hypocrite right there. But it hardly mattered to her, since she was the almighty Leethe who never made mistakes or contradicted herself... even if she did that. A lot.

However, when it came to him expressing appreciation for her remembering the League, Leethe was pleased. Probably because she enjoyed the rare positive attention that she received, since most of the time she was painted in a bad light because of her overall attitude about everything. She did not mind that others could not understand her goals, could not understand the importance of salarian dominance to her, but she was still a person who appreciated praise whenever it came her way. It also helped add to her superiority complex, which was always a plus in her book. His appreciation also led her to believe that he had indeed known all along, but if he wanted to play stupid, that was his own business.

Now, when Melchik refused to be intimidated by her petty threats, Leethe was a little shocked. She rarely dealt with people who actually stood up to her, and she always hated it when that happened. It completely ruined her belief that she was an all-power god in control of every aspect of life. Her guards, her agents... all of them would bow to her will and understood she wasn't to be crossed, but Melchik? He saw right through her (given, it wasn't a very hard thing to do but she was pretty convinced it was) and she just absolutely hated it when she wasn't completely in control, the one with all the cards and all of the power. For a moment she gave him what seemed to be a cold glare before she reverted back to her normal stare.

"I'm glad you understood the importance of my offer, Captain."[/color] she replied venomously. "I had little intention of wronging you, insulting you, or having you dragged off to a remote STG prison or outright killed should you refuse. But I am glad your resolve is proving to be very commendable."[/color] She may have hated his attitude, but she was convinced if he was immune to her threats he would be immune to interrogation and other means of subjugation... which was something she would need if he were ever caught. "I assure you, your status will be protected, a secret kept only by the highest salarian government officials, unreleased to anyone else."[/color] Even if she was technically the only salarian government official who knew what was going on here...

"Now on to another matter of business. Before I make this new League a legitimate organization, there is something I need you to do for me. For all of our people."[/color] A trial, test run, whatever it could be called... that was pretty much what she was going for. Even if it still was important, at least to her. "As you are likely aware, the humans the turians have been working on a project with funding from the Council. A new prototype stealth ship. Almost ready to be launched."[/color] She brought up the files on her computer, staring at them with a calculating gaze, "This is important. The missions this ship will be involved in will be vital to keeping Council space secure. Top officials from every race will be involved, and I want you to keep an eye on them for me."[/color] Leethe glanced over at Melchik, having a feeling he'd want to say something before she continued on.[/blockquote][/blockquote][/size]

[Melchik Parthen]

"The humans are far too concerned with 'honor'. At least a portion of their population is. Tactics are tactics, war is war, and we will secure the future no matter what the cost." Melchik knew she had never gotten her hands dirty with the people she ordered around. Yes, the end result is usually worth the means to achieve it, but that didn't stop him from reflecting on what he had lost. Too many good men fell in the line of duty to protect some unappreciative diplomat who couldn't keep her security in check. He ignored his inner voice telling him to kick the councilor in the cloaca and instead reflected on how he should respond to the rest of Councilor Leethe's subject matter.

While his training in the STG involved physical and mental duress that became incredibly straining over time, Melchik was taught some lessons from Old Horn in privacy. You could always bend someone's horn or digit the wrong way to make them talk, but a real sneaky bastard can learn more from someone's face than their words. And right now, learning as much as he could from Councilor Leethe would be most helpful. Needless to say, she enjoyed having her ego stroked- showing appreciation for her desire to revive the league probably sent it skyrocketing. Leethe also disliked when someone challenged her authority: she was no doubt used to it due to her position in galactic society. Such a benefit would no doubt translate to most under her control to remain obedient. Melchik was not so willing to act as a lap dog for some councilor he had only just met.

"I'm glad you understood the importance of my offer, Captain." she replied venomously. "I had little intention of wronging you, insulting you, or having you dragged off to a remote STG prison or outright killed should you refuse. But I am glad your resolve is proving to be very commendable." Goodness, she really did not like it when someone resisted her attempts to control. Melchik mentally kept this fact stored in the back of his head in case he ever needed it: weaknesses should never be squandered so easily.

"I'm overjoyed that we've come to an agreement. I hope it's reassuring that I'm as adamant against anyone else as I am to my own councilor?" Melchik knew what sort of reaction it would evoke, but he also figured that there wouldn't be a lot of League descendants lying around like discarded pocket change. Cue the promises of protection were he found- he was used to being deniable, so it was a good change of pace even if she was lying between her gums- and his lineage a secret. He didn't like having his two thousand year old skeleton being relatively public knowledge, but at this point he didn't have much of a choice. Perhaps it was best not to push back, Melchik thought to himself.


"Now on to another matter of business. Before I make this new League a legitimate organization, there is something I need you to do for me. For all of our people." Of course, he thought. Something to prove your worth, your mettle, your loyalty. How far you're willing to go to protect your people. Familiar platitudes from the STG oath he knew by heart, but this wasn't STG. "As you are likely aware, the humans the turians have been working on a project with funding from the Council. A new prototype stealth ship. Almost ready to be launched." Melchik knew about the human-turian vessel, yes, as well as its Council funding. But he wasn't aware that the ship was so close to its due date. Something of this caliber could prove very useful to the Council. That's no doubt where Melchik came in- Councilor Leethe, if Melchik was any judge of character, was someone who disliked having control wrested from her. Perhaps she wanted someone on the inside to inform her of the ship's inner workings?

"This is important. The missions this ship will be involved in will be vital to keeping Council space secure. Top officials from every race will be involved, and I want you to keep an eye on them for me." Right on the money. The only issue is what would Melchik be stationed as? He didn't know as much about tech as your typical stealth fighter engineer, he figured some gearhead turian would be the gunnery officer, and he knew as much science as a pyjak. Getting on wouldn't be an issue- Old Horn could recommend him as whatever Melchik would decide upon. Staying on would be more difficult, as some out-of-nowhere STG agent with little background would draw attention. Then again, Melchik always was trained to spot weaknesses: no doubt would his crew have them, though he hoped to avoid using them.

"I've a thought," the captain spoke aloud. "The crew on-board will no doubt wonder what a salarian with no apparent background outside of STG experience will be doing on the ship." He tented his fingers just as Leethe did not too long ago. "I have STG Tech Lab connections as well as a very good friend in the agency who's willing to recommend me a spot aboard the prototype." He leaned closer to Leethe. "I can masquerade as a requisitions officer. After all, why would anyone want to bother accusing me when I'm obtaining shiny new weapons for them?" He hoped it was as good of an explanation as any.

[Syri]

councilor leethe

"Slightly."

[/color] Was the only word that came from Leethe's mouth as Melchik commented that he hoped it was reassuring to her that he could stand up even to her. Part of her felt he was just trying to coax her into another aggressive response, and she was far from reassured by his words. People who did not bow down to her will made her feel uncomfortable... weak, even. The fact that Melchik was unphased by her threats meant she was unsure of the future. He could turn against her, exploit her weaknesses, reveal this whole little plot she'd set up (even though she had been sure to try and avoid that possibility by selecting a salarian with their own deep, dark secret). There were so many things he could do to get to her, and as far as she was concerned, if you were not intimidated by her threats, you were as good as an enemy to her... though in this case Melchik was more like a tool than an enemy.

Leethe listened to Melchik's plan, somewhat impressed by his brilliance. She was hard to impress in the first place, especially if she disliked someone or felt they were a threat who could easily expose her. She felt both of the latter emotions when it came to Melchik, but he was essential to her little idea, and she could not just throw him aside because of the hard time she had when it came to trusting others. The future of the salarian people was far too important for that petty little grudge of hers to get in the way. Even she knew that much... even if the whole League of One being important for the future of her people was just an idea that she had come up with in her twisted little salarian mind.

"A solid plan."[/color] Again, she had few words, since someone like Melchik receiving praise from her was virtually unheard of. She was only willing to compliment those who were her obedient followers. The ones with the minds of their own were not people who she relied on and trusted with her most important of tasks, though Melchik was proving to be an exception to this golden rule of hers. "You could even deny involvement in the STG. With a few adjustments all official records would point toward Melchik Parthen being a simple weapon salesperson, nothing more."[/color] She smirked. Oh yes, she just loved messing with the official records, erasing information from history completely... or at least simply hiding it from the rest of the Council races. Nothing was more satisfying than knowing any potential enemies would never be able to produce sufficient evidence against her or one of her agents should they ever be able to trace activities back to her. It was her own, twisted form of diplomatic immunity.

"Shipment manifests could also be fabricated. The Salarian Union can provide you with whatever requisitions you may require, and make it look as though nothing is out of the ordinary. Even you would hardly suspect something was off, if you were not already aware of my plans."[/color] Everything needed to be covered. Melchik could be sloppy and leave one of his datapds lying around, leave the information floating around... if this could be traced back to the salarian government, the crew would become suspicious of Melchik, and even simple superstitions could be enough to ruin her plans completely. Proper steps and precautions had to be taken in order to hide everything, put forth the illusion that all was well, when in fact more clandestine things were going on right under their noses. There was almost nothing Leethe loved more than being able to deceive people and get away with it... which she did, mostly.

"So, what say you? Are these plans to your liking? Or do you have something else to contribute?"[/color] Again she decided to try the flattery route since the whole intimidation thing wasn't working out for her. Usually she just told her agents to get something done her way, but to ask for input from another was one of the highest honors the councilor ever gave out. Hell, even asking whether or not he liked the plans was a big step for her. But at this rate, she just needed to get on his good side. It was always that way with politics... if you could not crush an enemy, you tried to cement an alliance with them. That was how she had managed to rise to power in the first place: careful calculations involving cementing alliances with rival clans, and occasionally eliminating the threat that others presented.[/blockquote][/blockquote][/size]

[Melchik Parthen]

"Perhaps." Ooh, the amount of contempt dripping from the one word could coat an elcor head to toe. Unfortunately, this wasn't someone Melchik wanted- or could, for that matter- toy with as much as he can. She had actual power on her side, unlike any other opponent or victim the captain had come across; for goodness' sake, the woman was the salarian councilor! She had connections to C-Sec, the Spectres, STG, and, most likely, the League of One. Even with his defiance, Melchik knew outright mocking the woman, let alone double-crossing her, would result in his swift "disappearance". At the moment, though, she wanted Melchik at her service and given the circumstances, he was willing to use her to bring back the League to its former glory.

"A solid plan." It was technically their only plan, but neither bothered to comment as such. Melchik figured the suggestion would not only draw upon the councilor's apparent superiority complex toward other races, but further cement his worth to her. By appealing to her "quirks", as Melchik would put it, he could further gain her approval. "You could even deny involvement in the STG. With a few adjustments all official records would point toward Melchik Parthen being a simple weapon salesperson, nothing more." She smirked. Melchik merely nodded in response. She likely already knew this, but he had worked at the Citadel branch of Aeoghr Munitions as a salesman. Part of the trade involved being personable, so Melchik figured that whatever he picked up there could come in handy on the prototype.

"That would work. I used to be employed with the Aeoghr Munitions Citadel branch before I joined the STG. Perhaps I still do, who knows?" The humored approach would hopefully suppress any ill will toward the captain from his councilor, as he truly didn't want to leave the meeting off on a sour note. She assured Melchik that munitions and requisitions would be provided at his leisure. Quite a boon, he thought, getting support from not only Old Horn, but the bloody councilor. He wondered what other technology was being hidden away from the public. While Melchik was interested in utilizing his privileges to their full extent, he didn't want to come of as somewhat of a leech. That would look bad for him. "This is a good arrangement. I've a contact in the STG who can make the transfers happen with official authority. Not to make you look bad or anything but it might seem odd that our prototype vessel is getting shipments from either an unknown source or a councilor." He let the point hang between them like a five ton weight suspended by a string.

"So, what say you? Are these plans to your liking? Or do you have something else to contribute?" She was surprisingly civil now. That unsubtle veil of a threat seemed like so long ago, Melchik sardonically thought to himself. Was there anything else he could ask of the councilor? The only person who seemed to be doing anything risky was Melchik himself, since the councilor no doubt wanted Old Horn to be the scapegoat in all of this. Ah, there's the exception.

"There's a request I'd like to make. This contact I mentioned earlier? I would appreciate it if his involvement was made to look like a set-up. More that he looks like he's the victim, in case anyone investigated further. Were his rank to open up, I worry there'd be immense infighting for who would replace him." The captain didn't want to mention that they had a mentor-student relationship because that would give Leethe something to use against him. Since he mentioned that Old Horn could authorize shipments without the councilor's involvement, he hoped that it would give Leethe some idea of Old Horn's rank. "Otherwise, I've nothing to ask of you."

[Syri]

councilor leethe

"Perhaps you still do."

[/color] Leethe repeated. Judging by her tone of voice the joke would have seemed completely lost upon her, but if Melchik looked closely enough he could probably see there was a twinkle of amusement in her round bug-eyes. Very faint, but given how observant he was he would probably notice that the councilor was much more regaled by his joke than she was letting on. She wasn't usually one with a sense of humor, being the uptight dalatrasshole that she was, but from time to time she allowed herself to indulge in such emotions, if only temporarily.

The effects of his humor would only last so long, and after a short while Leethe was back to business, as usually. "Excellent."[/color] She tented her fingers, obviously pleased by the fact he was concerned enough to make sure she wouldn't be caught in the midst of everything. She'd had her concerns before about him, that perhaps he would be more than willing to make her involvement in his place on the Normandy quite obvious, or that he would be reckless enough to somehow get caught, but now that he'd been kind enough to cover both of their tracks, she felt a little more confident in his ability to act in a subtle manner. She was, after all, already paranoid about everything going on around her, and trust was definitely not her strong point. But now the STG Captain had gained a small bit of that oh so rare trust of hers.

Leethe listened in to Melchik's request to avoid having his old STG contact be the scapegoat of their plot. She found the request interesting. Of course, he was a member of the STG, always prepared for trouble, always with backup plans in case the first few ideas failed. Though it did raise some questions as to how sure he was of his ability to keep this their little secret, she could understand why. Even if he was asking for personal reasons, there were other reasons to keep the contact from having the blame put upon him. By the sound of it, this mysterious figure was a rather high-ranking official in the STG, otherwise he wouldn't be able to set all of the transfers up without authorization from a dalatrass, or Leethe herself. If any high-ranking salarian official could be linked to the scandal, that would be some pretty bad PR for her people... she could easily frame it upon some insignificant lackey who wouldn't be linked to the salarian government. Even if Melchik had other reasons for his concerns, to Leethe it was just a lesson in damage control.

She nodded, "Your contact will be kept safe in the case of exposure."[/color] The councilor kept her fingers tented, and her voice now took on that more threatening, malicious tone it had earlier, "Though I see no reason for his involvement to ever come to light. We are keeping this well-hidden."[/color] Even if she had come to like Melchik a little (he was daring enough to call her out, loyal enough to come up with measures to hide her involvement in this little plot... good traits to have in someone who knew quite a few of her secrets already), she wasn't afraid to still be the two-faced liar that everyone had come to know and hate. One moment she was praising him for his finesse, the next moment she was threatening him to not allow the mission to fail.

Now, she returned to the more pleasant, level-headed tone of voice she used when she wasn't trying to flatter or intimidate, "Aside from that, I do not think there is anything further we have to discuss."[/color] She untented her fingers, glancing around the room before nodding at Melchik, "If there is nothing else to add, then you are dismissed."[/color][/blockquote][/blockquote][/size]

[Melchik Parthen]

Well, at least the Councilor had a sense of humor. Or maybe she didn't, Leethe was making it incredibly difficult to figure out her reactions. Whatever the case, the Councilor seemed very pleased by the addition of someone who would further implicate blame away from herself. "Your contact will be kept safe in the case of exposure." Her reassurance had a pause toward the end of it, meaning she probably had more to add than just that. "Though I see no reason for his involvement to ever come to light. We are keeping this well-hidden."

The STG captain nodded in agreement, explaining, "Of course, Councilor. This plan has virtually no chance of failure. However, humans have this 'theory' called Murphy's Law. I won't bother you with the specifics but the theory is as follows: 'anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.'" He looked to the side of the room, not wanting to see the Councilor's reaction the the implication of such a theory before finishing, "Fortunately, we're salarians. So Murphy's Law doesn't apply to us." Thank goodness for Leethe's pro-salarian ideals.

"Aside from that, I do not think there is anything further we have to discuss." She untented her fingers, glancing around the room before nodding at Melchik, "If there is nothing else to add, then you are dismissed." He looked down at the desk, noticing the absence of anything that would infer emotional attachment. Sure, there was the foliage imported directly from Sur'Kesh, but that just implied vanity. Damn, perhaps this woman had no attachments to anything but her position of power and the salarian people? Melchik couldn't help but admire one and despise the other, giving him mixed feelings about the galactic representative of his race. All he hoped was that Leethe wouldn't connect the dots regarding Old Horn.

"I have nothing else to add." When she dismissed him, he pushed his seat back from the table and picked himself up, turning to face the door. Before he took a single step, however, a shimmer caught his eye- the unmistakable flash of a tactical cloak. Leethe might have figured that using tech that's not exactly up to date- at least, not officially anyway- would be enough to ensure her protection. Unfortunately for her, one of Melchik's first training sessions involved spotting a cloaked individual in multiple scenarios. Nevertheless, Melchik walked himself toward the door and exited through, but not before remarking, "The STG have recently developed a new cloak that reduces shimmer by 75%. I'd recommend it to your two bodyguards."