301 réponses à ce sujet

[celuloid]

The problem with "no combat expert" line of thought is this:
You are pretending that Spectres are awesome individuals able to control every possible aspect of situation they get into. Maybe players are fooled by Shepard's talk-jutsu, but in fact things turn bad more often than not. Shepard is most of the time forced to fight. Bad guys simply start shooting and there is no time to shout: "Hey, aint we gonna sit 'round the table and discuss this peacefully?"

Secondly, you cannot quantify amount of skill that an individual has by percentage, such as requirement of Spectre should be at least 5% combat. It is irrelevant if he spent a while on shooting range or was forced to snipe a deer to feed himself when he was six. That is not how it works in reality. In special forces, no amount of training will get you in. They seek special aptitude for doing real stuff. Coincidentally, this is exactly what Council looks for: Spectres are born, not trained. They are already required to be proficient in all tools of business, just as any special forces candidate.

I wanted CGG to define term "expert" so that we can work from there. People usually have some misconceptions, like expertise in combat means being able to reload in midair and score five headshots before landing. My opinion is that firearms expert is someone who scored good at shooting range and can assemble and disassemble his rifle while being blinded. But this does not constitute combat expert yet. That would be the guy who does not stay frozen under fire and can move himself around battlefield without undue exposition to enemy fire. Is that so much to ask from someone whose job description implies he will be shot at?

Let me quote Codex so that we can look at possible situations Spectres solve:
"Assignment of a Spectre is less contentious than military deployment, but makes it clear that the Council is concerned about a situation."
And also:
"Spectres ... are elite military operatives ..."

From where I come, conventional military is used either to help in case of natural disaster or to set bad guys straight. Although I doubt one man would make a difference in evacuating a city, I am positively sure if there is a bad guy hiding in hostile/disputed territory, we should find some discreet way to take care of him. Like sending 1-3 member squad of people able to manage many different types of situations.

Codex again:
"They operate independently or in groups of two or three. Some are empathetic peacekeepers, resolving disputes through diplomacy. Others are cold-blooded assassins, ruthlessly dispatching problem individuals. All get the job done, one way or another, often operating outside of the bounds of galactic law."

As you see, they are not hackers hired by FBI to sit and hack, nor are they parkour runners who flee when security shows up. Those were unfortunate comparisons. (And FBI is three rungs below Spectre level
Now lets focus on peacekeeper definition, since it confuses people and therefore is used to separate Spectres from combat.
Peacekeeper is someone who wants to keep peace. That means there is a risk of war. War means armed conflict. Peacekeeper steps in between two opposing sides and tries to make them friends. Like peacekeeping force KFOR did in Kosovo. It is expected negotiations might fail despite best efforts. What are you going to do when you have only 2 other people with you? You better learn how to stay alive in a fight.

And lastly, here are some examples from Star Wars universe, where the closest equivalent of Spectres are Jedi Knights. As you are about to see, combat expertise comes in handy even during diplomatic negotiations.

1. SW Ep1: Phantom Menace (I detest the new trilogy btw)
Obi-Wan and Gin come aboard trade federation ship as ambassadors of Council, men of words. Their mission is to settle some tax disputes. It starts harmlessly, but as they are drinking their unpoisoned tea, someone locks them in room trying to gas them. Fortunately, they use their weaponry firstly to cut themselves out and secondly to dispatch dozen combat droids. Their extremely proficient combat skill just saved their life.

2. Darth Bane: Dynasty of Evil
Medd Tandar, skilled Jedi negotiator, tries to settle disputes between miners and royal court. Right in the middle of debate with miners, camp is attacked by mysterious assassin. Attack is brutal and miners are slaughtered in seconds. Confused Medd does not know what to do. Finally confronted with assassin, he tries to put up a fight. But being no expert in fighting he barely holds his own. In the end, assassin simply leaves him in room with makeshift bomb, which he stares at curiously until it explodes. His lack of combat proficiency just costed him his life.

Modifié par celuloid, 16 mai 2011 - 04:02 .

[Dean_the_Young]

celuloid wrote...

If you are on the ground unable to do basic tasks everyone physically okay should be able to do,

Whose incapble of basic tasks? A Volus can use an omnitool, can hold a pistol, can use tools.

it begs the question: Why are you Spectre operative? Why aren't you criminal mastermind controlling everything from behind your desk?


Like TIM for example.
There sure must be better candidates for your position.

Because you, the person, can ensure that things get done with your particular skill set... and as a Spectre you are both on-call for the Council, and have the legal immunity to solve their problems. If you specialize in espionage, that doesn't mean you're useless to the Council simply because there are professional espionage agencies: there are professional special forces as well that do the N7 missions and hostage raids and special police actions.

[Dean_the_Young]

corporal doody wrote...

my BA is in Asian Studies. concentration on Japan and history...fyi. and if you are attempting to illustrate your intellectual superiority based on personal interpretations of a video game....then you sir are win.<_<

If your BA is in foreign studies, you should be the first to remember cultural differences and the last to site english-language wiki articles as authoritative and objective universalisms of cross-culture organizations. I'd soon be out of a job if I tried to apply that sort of thinking with other cultures, and that job doesn't even require a BA.

[Darkhour]

Spectre have to be  combat experts.

Kasumi is the best infiltrator around, but if caught she is dead.  That's why she brought Shepard.

A spectre getting killed in a gun fight against some random Blue Sun's schmucks would look bad. 

[Dean_the_Young]

celuloid wrote...

The problem with "no combat expert" line of thought is this:
You are pretending that Spectres are awesome individuals able to control every possible aspect of situation they get into. Maybe players are fooled by Shepard's talk-jutsu, but in fact things turn bad more often than not. Shepard is most of the time forced to fight. Bad guys simply start shooting and there is no time to shout: "Hey, aint we gonna sit 'round the table and discuss this peacefully?"

Shepard most of the time is pathetically unprepared for the very missions Shepard sets out on. This is especially true in ME2, in which Shepard is still going around going 'what's a Justicar'? or 'what's a drell' to the very people he's recruited.

A person who's capable of preparing better than Shepard is also capable of avoiding more trouble than Shepard. A person who's better at gathering allies will have to do less personal direct action than Shepard. That's what the Shadow Broker network was built off of, and that's why the Spectres exist: to do someone else's work.

Secondly, you cannot quantify amount of skill that an individual has by percentage, such as requirement of Spectre should be at least 5% combat. It is irrelevant if he spent a while on shooting range or was forced to snipe a deer to feed himself when he was six. That is not how it works in reality. In special forces, no amount of training will get you in. They seek special aptitude for doing real stuff. Coincidentally, this is exactly what Council looks for: Spectres are born, not trained. They are already required to be proficient in all tools of business, just as any special forces candidate.

CGG's point, and one that is reflected by 'elite' agents in this day and time, is that allocation of skillsets varies, and it doesn't always varry by the evaluations of military special forces. She wasn't quantifying, but rather giving demonstrations that there are cases where martial excellence is neither a requisite or a qualifying factor for success.

Let me quote Codex so that we can look at possible situations Spectres solve:
"Assignment of a Spectre is less contentious than military deployment, but makes it clear that the Council is concerned about a situation."
And also:
"Spectres ... are elite military operatives ..."

From where I come, conventional military is used either to help in case of natural disaster or to set bad guys straight. Although I doubt one man would make a difference in evacuating a city, I am positively sure if there is a bad guy hiding in hostile/disputed territory, we should find some discreet way to take care of him. Like sending 1-3 member squad of people able to manage many different types of situations.

Where you come from, militaries don't do domestic investigations, police work, and are generally barred from comitting crimes. Moreover, militaries where you're from, and do correct me if I'm mistaken, are integrated systems of chain of command, and aren't individually tasked by the highest executive leadership for any task of relevance.

Clearly, direct military analogies are implausible for a number of reasons.

And lastly, here are some examples from Star Wars universe, where the closest equivalent of Spectres are Jedi Knights. As you are about to see, combat expertise comes in handy even during diplomatic negotiations.

Jedi Knights aren't equivalent to Spectres in authority, role, composition, or nature. We can start with the fact that Jedi are trained for the start on the basis of exceptional powers regardless of personal character, and go on with the lack of equivalent legal role.

[Dean_the_Young]

Darkhour wrote...

Spectre have to be  combat experts.

Kasumi is the best infiltrator around, but if caught she is dead.  That's why she brought Shepard.

A spectre getting killed in a gun fight against some random Blue Sun's schmucks would look bad. 

So... bring a Shepard-fighter. Like you said.

[Darkhour]

Dean_the_Young wrote...

Darkhour wrote...

Spectre have to be  combat experts.

Kasumi is the best infiltrator around, but if caught she is dead.  That's why she brought Shepard.

A spectre getting killed in a gun fight against some random Blue Sun's schmucks would look bad. 

So... bring a Shepard-fighter. Like you said.

A spectre shouldn't need to bring someone else to feel safe. Spectres need to be able to work alone.

[celuloid]

Dean_the_Young wrote...

celuloid wrote...

If you are on the ground unable to do basic tasks everyone physically okay should be able to do,

Whose incapble of basic tasks? A Volus can use an omnitool, can hold a pistol, can use tools.

If he can intimidate me with that pistol and outrun me while I flee from him, sure, lets have volus Spectres.
But I seriously doubt he will be able to gasp out "Freeze" before I am behind corner.

it begs the question: Why are you Spectre operative? Why aren't you criminal mastermind controlling everything from behind your desk?


Like TIM for example.
There sure must be better candidates for your position.

Because you, the person, can ensure that things get done with your particular skill set... and as a Spectre you are both on-call for the Council, and have the legal immunity to solve their problems. If you specialize in espionage, that doesn't mean you're useless to the Council simply because there are professional espionage agencies: there are professional special forces as well that do the N7 missions and hostage raids and special police actions.

I underlined word operative for a reason. If you think Council Spectres don't have to set a foot in terrain, that is your prerogative.

Modifié par celuloid, 16 mai 2011 - 05:33 .

[celuloid]

Dean_the_Young wrote...
    Shepard most of the time is pathetically unprepared for the very missions Shepard sets out on. This is especially true in ME2, in which Shepard is still going around going 'what's a Justicar'? or 'what's a drell' to the very people he's recruited.

    A person who's capable of preparing better than Shepard is also capable of avoiding more trouble than Shepard. A person who's better at gathering allies will have to do less personal direct action than Shepard. That's what the Shadow Broker network was built off of, and that's why the Spectres exist: to do someone else's work.

You completely dodged argument that Spectres cannot precalculate every possible course of action. Therefore they need to be as versatile as possible. Therefore combat expertise is necessary.

    CGG's point, and one that is reflected by 'elite' agents in this day and time, is that allocation of skillsets varies, and it doesn't always vary by the evaluations of military special forces. She wasn't quantifying, but rather giving demonstrations that there are cases where martial excellence is neither a requisite or a qualifying factor for success.

I am arguing Spectre must be all-rounder. I do not think combat expertise is such a cool unattainable trait that we should not demand it given amount of candidates we have. Especially if they are elite military operatives.

    Clearly, direct military analogies are implausible for a number of reasons.

Spectres are elite military operatives. What did you say again?

    

        And lastly, here are some examples from Star Wars universe, where the closest equivalent of Spectres are Jedi Knights. As you are about to see, combat expertise comes in handy even during diplomatic negotiations.
    

    Jedi Knights aren't equivalent to Spectres in authority, role, composition, or nature. We can start with the fact that Jedi are trained for the start on the basis of exceptional powers regardless of personal character, and go on with the lack of equivalent legal role.

Sure, name me some other Star Wars equivalent of Spectre. If "entities" are considered the most proficient fighters in their respective universes, then we can proceed to compare them. As I have shown, no matter how elite you are, no matter what assignments you get, being elite means you are target. Without proper combat training, you are colossal waste of resources of your employers.

Modifié par celuloid, 16 mai 2011 - 05:54 .

[corporal doody]

You seriously need to change the title of this thread from: "Do Spectres need to be combat experts?" to "Tell me im wrong when i say Spectres dont need to be". cuz this isnt a open exchange of ideas but you telling everyone that doesnt agree with you that they are wrong in a "eloquent" underhanded way. you should have omitted any notion of a request in regards to other individuals' feelings or personal perspectives from your original post...cuz you have made a effort to penalize anyone that has expressed them.. Opinions need not apply apparently.

and i never said wiki were articles that blah blah authoritative and objective universalisms of cross-culture organizations. Im still under the impression SpecTRe actually means what it stands for. Why keep the name if it didnt? For old time's sake? cuz it sounds cool? i didnt have a dictionary available..the definitions on wiki were good enuff for a debate on the internet...if i was writing a paper it wouldnt be... I think it is rather pretentious of you to assume that anyone addressing YOUR question (that is not a question but a veiled statement), has to present empirical data with citations from credible sources to support that data. if i wanted to get all **** crazy with it i'd write a essay.

this thread is you pushing an agenda.....chest beating...cuz someone disagreed with you in another topic that you didnt create.

i thought you had some decent ideas...but the constant neener neener stuff just eroded that. and you can assume what you will with that...

[Dean_the_Young]

Darkhour wrote...

Dean_the_Young wrote...

Darkhour wrote...

Spectre have to be  combat experts.

Kasumi is the best infiltrator around, but if caught she is dead.  That's why she brought Shepard.

A spectre getting killed in a gun fight against some random Blue Sun's schmucks would look bad. 

So... bring a Shepard-fighter. Like you said.

A spectre shouldn't need to bring someone else to feel safe. Spectres need to be able to work alone.

Shepard couldn't work alone. Saren didn't. Tela Vasir wouldn't.

Now, are these people invalid Spectres because they made and relied on others? 

[Dean_the_Young]

celuloid wrote...

You completely dodged argument that Spectres cannot precalculate every possible course of action. Therefore they need to be as versatile as possible. Therefore combat expertise is necessary.

No, therefore handling combat is a necessity. But there are other ways of handling combat than you, yourself, being the biggest of the battlefield badasses.

I am arguing Spectre must be all-rounder. I do not think combat expertise is such a cool unattainable trait that we should not demand it given amount of candidates we have. Especially if they are elite military operatives.

Then Shepard isn't: Shepard has critical weaknesses in weapons training, biotics, or tech savy, or even two of the three.

Spectres must be able to make up for weaknesses as necessary. All Spectres to date have done so by soliciting allies.

Spectres are elite military operatives. What did you say again?

Exactly what I said: compare any professional military force in the world to the Spectres and you'll see more differences than similarities in terms of missions, structure, procedure, and conduct.

Sure, name me some other Star Wars equivalent of Spectre. If "entities" are considered the most proficient fighters in their respective universes, then we can proceed to compare them. As I have shown, no matter how elite you are, no matter what assignments you get, being elite means you are target. Without proper combat training, you are colossal waste of resources of your employers.

Star Wars has no equivalent to the Spectres. No modern nation, and no modern military force in the world, has equivalents to the Spectres.


Comparing something to something significantly difference doesn't make a point.

[Dean_the_Young]

celuloid wrote...

If he can intimidate me with that pistol and outrun me while I flee from him, sure, lets have volus Spectres.
But I seriously doubt he will be able to gasp out "Freeze" before I am behind corner.

What sort of idiot Spectre would confront you in person without having already blocked off escape routes?

If your argument rests that he's an idiot who can't account for something a normal person like you or I could throw out without even half a thought, then no idiot, however potent, would get on the Spectres in the first place.

I underlined word operative for a reason. If you think Council Spectres don't have to set a foot in terrain, that is your prerogative.

Any operative only has to set foot in as much terrain as the job requires. That varies by the operative, and by the requirements that Operative has to work within. The Council sets no such requirements.

[Dean_the_Young]

corporal doody wrote...

You seriously need to change the title of this thread from: "Do Spectres need to be combat experts?" to "Tell me im wrong when i say Spectres dont need to be". cuz this isnt a open exchange of ideas but you telling everyone that doesnt agree with you that they are wrong in a "eloquent" underhanded way. you should have omitted any notion of a request in regards to other individuals' feelings or personal perspectives from your original post...cuz you have made a effort to penalize anyone that has expressed them.. Opinions need not apply apparently.

and i never said wiki were articles that blah blah authoritative and objective universalisms of cross-culture organizations. Im still under the impression SpecTRe actually means what it stands for. Why keep the name if it didnt? For old time's sake? cuz it sounds cool? i didnt have a dictionary available..the definitions on wiki were good enuff for a debate on the internet...if i was writing a paper it wouldnt be... I think it is rather pretentious of you to assume that anyone addressing YOUR question (that is not a question but a veiled statement), has to present empirical data with citations from credible sources to support that data. if i wanted to get all **** crazy with it i'd write a essay.

this thread is you pushing an agenda.....chest beating...cuz someone disagreed with you in another topic that you didnt create.

i thought you had some decent ideas...but the constant neener neener stuff just eroded that. and you can assume what you will with that...

If you're not going to continue the argument but resort to insults, why are you still in this thread? You said you were going to stick to your strengths and quit.

Shoo. Shoo. Personal insults have no place on these boards. Keep it civil or keep it in.

[celuloid]

Dean_the_Young wrote...

celuloid wrote...

If he can intimidate me with that pistol and outrun me while I flee from him, sure, lets have volus Spectres.
But I seriously doubt he will be able to gasp out "Freeze" before I am behind corner.

What sort of idiot Spectre would confront you in person without having already blocked off escape routes?

If your argument rests that he's an idiot who can't account for something a normal person like you or I could throw out without even half a thought, then no idiot, however potent, would get on the Spectres in the first place.

Sooo... that is a no. Alright, then we cannot have volus Spectre.

And we were arguing about volus' physical ability in the first place. Which he does not possess.

I underlined word operative for a reason. If you think Council Spectres don't have to set a foot in terrain, that is your prerogative.

Any operative only has to set foot in as much terrain as the job requires. That varies by the operative, and by the requirements that Operative has to work within. The Council sets no such requirements.

Alright, you are right. In your fanfic universe. I am right in my canon universe which is backed by codex and information I can infer from computer screen.

Modifié par celuloid, 16 mai 2011 - 06:54 .

[Dean_the_Young]

celuloid wrote...

Dean_the_Young wrote...

celuloid wrote...

If he can intimidate me with that pistol and outrun me while I flee from him, sure, lets have volus Spectres.
But I seriously doubt he will be able to gasp out "Freeze" before I am behind corner.

What sort of idiot Spectre would confront you in person without having already blocked off escape routes?

If your argument rests that he's an idiot who can't account for something a normal person like you or I could throw out without even half a thought, then no idiot, however potent, would get on the Spectres in the first place.

Sooo... that is a no. Alright, then we cannot have volus Spectre.

Because he would have already blocked off those exits beforehand?

We can't have Shepard as a Spectre, then: after all, had Garrus not gone around and cut off Fade then Harkin could have gotten away.

And we were arguing about volus' physical ability in the first place. Which he does not possess.

And yet in your own example his physical ability is irrelevant to the requirement to have you detained and interrogated.

Alright, you are right. In your fanfic universe. I am right in my canon universe which is backed by codex and information I can infer from computer screen.

In real life operatives vary by context and requirement: that's not fanfic, that's reality.

[CulturalGeekGirl]

Ok, here's the thing.

Spectres are based on Salarian Special Tasks Group, not the Human military. This is vitally important to remember, because the Salarians are not like us, militarily. The Salarian military might perform an action using nothing but combat drones, or sabotage.

Say you're sending someone to do some sabotage. If they're spotted at any point, even if they kill the people who spot them, your cover is blown. Your enemies will know that you're around, and will be much more likely to be able to find the sabotage. Whether or not the agent dies is irrelevant. If they are observed in any way, your mission has already failed. So while you'd like the agent to have some basic combat proficiency, it's more important that they not be caught.  Sending in someone who is a stealth expert and a tech expert but only barely proficient in combat is better than sending someone who is a combat expert, and a tech expert, but only barely proficient in stealth.

Point two: Maelon was in Special Tasks. Maelon is not a combat expert, from anything we see. He is pretty much the opposite of one. Now, I'm not arguing that Maelon was Spectre material, clearly. But Special Tasks pulls from a huge number of disciplines, many of which are not combat oriented. Mordin just happened to be good at combat, but combat makes up a relatively small portion of his skills. I'm guessing that when they recruited Mordin, he was just a professor. They probably gave him six months or so of basic combat training, and started sending him on operations.

I guess the biggest question is what everyone thinks constitutes a combat expert. If you agree that a quick crash course of six months or a year is enough to make someone a "combat expert," I agree that all Spectres probably get at least that much combat training,

It's like I said before: basic combat proficiency, basic omnitool use, basic negotiation. All need to exist at some relatively low level to make Spectre. But combat proficiency is not more important than either of those other skills. And it can be a relatively minor aspect of someone's skillset.

[celuloid]

Dean wrote... something

I am really tired of your game. If you feel Spectres could be unable to catch fleeing suspect by their own physical ability, good life to you.

If you inferred from computer screen that Spectres could be nearly immobile, breathing with respirators, enjoy your universe.

Modifié par celuloid, 16 mai 2011 - 07:27 .

[CroGamer002]

^Spectres attract a lot of attention( Noveria and Omega).

I think they need little more then basic weapon training.

Don't ignore me @CulturalGeekGir.

Modifié par Mesina2, 16 mai 2011 - 08:14 .

[celuloid]

CulturalGeekGirl wrote...
Spectres are based on Salarian Special Tasks Group, not the Human military.

Source please. Preemptive warning: Coincidence that they were created when Salarians and Asari formed Council makes them based on STG just as much as on "asari huntresses", who are predecessors to commandos probably.

I guess the biggest question is what everyone thinks constitutes a combat expert. If you agree that a quick crash course of six months or a year is enough to make someone a "combat expert," I agree that all Spectres probably get at least that much combat training.

Proven record of surviving in hostile envirorment would do. How long do you expect to train to become expert in combat? This is not PhD study. Thousands of soldiers were funnelled into battle of Stalingrad. There were some natural talents.
Spectres want individuals who prove themselves otherwise than by being good at reading manuals. Given tasks they are routinely given, they are expected to survive in hostile environment. I would agree Mordin would make fine Spectre, considering the fight he got into on Tuchanka (during his STG time).

Modifié par celuloid, 16 mai 2011 - 07:44 .

[CulturalGeekGirl]

celuloid wrote...

Dean wrote... something

I am really tired of your game. If you feel Spectres could be unable to catch fleeing suspect by their own physical ability, good life to you.

If you inferred from computer screen that Spectres could be nearly immobile, breathing with respirators, enjoy your universe.

What if they used a combat drone? Or a gas system? Or let them escape, secure in the knowledge that the tracking device they embedded under their skin while they slept would allow them to be caught again.

I like my Volus industrial espionage Spectre, who sits in on meetings, gasses people, and embeds them with tracking devices when he shakes their hands. He's only been revelaed as a spy once, and when he did he triggered his suit to release knockout gas, cuffed the guy, and sent him off to a secret prison. If you count the knockout gass and the combat drone as "being a combat expert" then we can agree to agree.

Until then, Setna Yan will be breaking up lysine price-fixing cabals and infiltrating human organ futures markets. And you will never know, because he's a good undercover Spectre, and never gets uncovered or makes the news.

[celuloid]

CulturalGeekGirl wrote...

celuloid wrote...

Dean wrote... something

I am really tired of your game. If you feel Spectres could be unable to catch fleeing suspect by their own physical ability, good life to you.

If you inferred from computer screen that Spectres could be nearly immobile, breathing with respirators, enjoy your universe.

What if they used a combat drone? Or a gas system? Or let them escape, secure in the knowledge that the tracking device they embedded under their skin while they slept would allow them to be caught again.

I like my Volus industrial espionage Spectre, who sits in on meetings, gasses people, and embeds them with tracking devices when he shakes their hands. He's only been revelaed as a spy once, and when he did he triggered his suit to release knockout gas, cuffed the guy, and sent him off to a secret prison. If you count the knockout gass and the combat drone as "being a combat expert" then we can agree to agree.

Until then, Setna Yan will be breaking up lysine price-fixing cabals and infiltrating human organ futures markets. And you will never know, because he's a good undercover Spectre, and never gets uncovered or makes the news.

And what did he do that Council took interest in him?

[Konfined]

celuloid wrote...


And what did he do that Council took interest in him?

And who was the Spectre who was assigned to him to assess his worth?

[celuloid]

Why Council needs to do industrial espionage?
Isn't it difficult to create a cover of industrial tycoon each time he infiltrates new company? Spectres aren't usually at the same place too long, because they are few and crime is abound.
Why is he above the law when he rarely needs to transgress it? Why they don't just send a spy dedicated to infiltration (like Gianna Parasini)?

Modifié par celuloid, 16 mai 2011 - 07:57 .

[CulturalGeekGirl]

celuloid wrote...

CulturalGeekGirl wrote...

celuloid wrote...

Dean wrote... something

I am really tired of your game. If you feel Spectres could be unable to catch fleeing suspect by their own physical ability, good life to you.

If you inferred from computer screen that Spectres could be nearly immobile, breathing with respirators, enjoy your universe.

What if they used a combat drone? Or a gas system? Or let them escape, secure in the knowledge that the tracking device they embedded under their skin while they slept would allow them to be caught again.

I like my Volus industrial espionage Spectre, who sits in on meetings, gasses people, and embeds them with tracking devices when he shakes their hands. He's only been revelaed as a spy once, and when he did he triggered his suit to release knockout gas, cuffed the guy, and sent him off to a secret prison. If you count the knockout gass and the combat drone as "being a combat expert" then we can agree to agree.

Until then, Setna Yan will be breaking up lysine price-fixing cabals and infiltrating human organ futures markets. And you will never know, because he's a good undercover Spectre, and never gets uncovered or makes the news.

And what did he do that Council took interest in him?

He infiltrated a Batarian slaving concern that was attacking asari colonies. Working as an accountant, he falsified several extranet transactions on behalf of the concern's leaders, and took out several ourageous loans from the Blue Suns and the Blood pack. Then he drained the concern's bank accounts. The next time they docked on Omega, they found their ships "reposessed" by the Blue Suns and Blood Pack. Unable to pay back their loans, the leaders of the slaver ring were stripped of their Caste and disappeared, never to run such a successful busisness again. People only found out that Setna Yan was behind their downfall when he went out of his way to ensure that the current cargo of asari maidens were not "impounded" by the blood pack and blue suns when the ships were reposessed. He did this by posing as an unrelated wealthy Volus looking to start up his own strip club in the Terminus systems, and meeting with the Batarians to make the trade before they made the final jump to Omega. When the asari were all freed, news of his endeavors made it back to the Asari counselor, who put him forward for consideration for the Spectres. They had some difficulty tracking him down initially, but one of the asari who had befriended him managed to convince him to come forward.

Known as the "man with no face." he takes advantage of the fact that non-Volus recognize Volus by their exo-suits, and changes his quite often. It has been rumored that during some of his operations, he has assumed the roles of over six different characters, by changing his suit and voice filters.