[ @little-miss-gumshoe liked for a starter ]

“Someone is coming.”

The tinny whisper caused Laika to lift his head. From where he was hunched over in the shadows he could see what Searchman was talking about. A solitary figure, who’s true size was cloaked by a billowing coat. 

He snarled as he stood, letting a bloody canine briefly reveal itself. Damn, he was just getting started with this meal too. And he truly needed it. Laika could feel his body growing, aging.

Luckily he had a good cover, thanks to what he was wearing. A similar billowing coat, though far less pristine than the actual soldier’s that kept walking closer. 

“You have evidence on your face.”

“Tch--” A shove of his collar into his face solved that problem. He put on an act, faking nausea as the soldier came closer. He could rub it off and it be concealed this way.

Laika looked up, noting their blond hair as he clenched his collar to his mouth.

It was worth it. The video was worth every single credit he was going to spend to free Haru from her debts. Kiba could absolutely not believe his luck. He could kiss the woman in front of him. Her mask would get in the way and he was certain she would shoot him, at least, but the sentiment was there. 

“You are officially my favorite Quarian--no--my favorite sentient being in the universe. I could kiss you, I could marry--”

“Hate to break up this scandalizing proposal and everything, but we have a job to do, Commander,” Garrus cut in smoothly and Kiba let out a dramatic sigh. 

“I am so grateful I have you on my crew now Haru, do you see how they treat me? They never let me have any fun, they don’t enjoy my entrancing good looks or my hilarious jokes or my charming personality--”

“I’ll shoot you, I swear I will.” 

“Who said I enjoy any of those things?” 

Kiba glared at Wrex  and Haru both but nodded his assent to actually get the mission at hand started. They didn’t get very far. Chora’s Den was utterly crowded, and though Kiba was sure not everyone in here was an upstanding citizens, he wasn’t about to fire off into a crowd of people. 

“We could come back during business hours,” he offers but he is reluctant. This is a prime opportunity to get this nasty business out of the way and move onto more important matters. Like finding Saren. Like figuring out what that thing was on Eden Prime. 

Thankfully, Haru had a perfectly well-executed plan. She had been right in telling him she was valuable. Garrus was good at planning and tactics but he had no sense of spontaneity and Wrex was more of a battering ram than a soldier. Haru though...she was crafty. Intelligent. Downright scrappy. She balanced them out nicely. 

 “Handsome, eh? I knew you appreciated my charms!” 

Kiba immediately dove into action, his team a cohesive unit behind him. He spared no thoughts or bullets for Fist’s henchmen but interrogated Fist fully before pulling the trigger on him as well. As a soldier, he was perfectly used to killing. He wasn’t even a stranger to assassination, but he really didn’t have the stomach for it. 

He would be drinking about this later. 

“One obstacle down, and we got some useful information out of it. Haru, I’ll meet you bright and early tomorrow morning at the docking station and we can,” he paused and glanced to his squad mates. Kiba really didn’t want them knowing that she was essentially a labor slave to debt. He wasn’t sure why but he had a nagging feeling that they would maybe respect her less and he couldn’t have that. Besides, it was her information to tell. He clears his throat, “we can take care of the other thing I owe you.” 

--------------------

True to his word, Kiba was right on time the next morning--alone. “The boys are on standby if we encounter any...trouble, but I don’t think their presence will be necessary.” 

It didn’t go over exactly as he had hoped--the party in question was happy to be paid but Haru was incredibly valuable and they kept trying to wriggle their way out of their contract. Kiba wasn’t having it. 

“If you don’t honor the deal you signed I will have every lawyer at my considerable disposable breathing down your neck within the hour, if I’m feeling generous. If not, I’ll just shoot you and the contract will be void anyway. Or you can just cooperate. Up to you, really.”

It went better after that.