Shepard gives him a long, pointed look. She knows why he'd sweep it under the rug; the same reason he hadn't said anything about Ash's grumbling, back in the day. No point in rocking the boat, kicking up a fuss where simply knuckling under and doing the work would suffice. Don't complain. Don't make a scene. And in the end, no point in insisting on lipservice when real respect would either come, or not, based on the merits.

Still, it makes her want to hit something, imagining Garrus in those dark days, wounds still fresh— literally, as well as metaphorically. And then someone, some memeber of her crew putting a little more weight on him, even by accident.

"If any member of my crew ever says anything like that to you again, Garrus, I want you to tell me. People here on Abraxas have an excuse; most of them have never even heard of Turians before. But I—" I love you isn't appropriate here, even if it's true. Emotional attachment isn't all, or even most, of the reason why it is so absolutely vital that her people show respect to her Turian, "—You're important to me, dammit."