A Heart without a Home
Chapter 1
Madeline stood in line at the customs station like countless other people, the fact that she was human did not make her as conspicuous as one would normally think. Since the war had ended, there tended to be a much higher level of race inter mingling on homeworlds throughout the galaxy. This was all thanks to a man that she never met and events that she only heard in stories and even the stories were not widely shared.
"Name please." The officer at customs asked, a male turian in blue uniform.
"Madeline Shepard," the woman in question replied with a smile. "No relation," the turian had looked up with shock in his expression. That was a perk of her upbringing, she could read turian expressions like a book.
"Of course, Miss Shepard. May I inquire as to the reason for your visit to Cipritine?" The officer questioned as he typed out on his console.
"Just a little vacation, visiting a family friend." Madeline replied, knowing that this would satisfy the officer's question.
"Length of visit?" Another question she knew was coming.
"Only three days. Can't violate the three day rule." Madeline said with a smile.
"Three day rule?" The turian inquired with a puzzled expression.
"You can stay with relatives for a maximum of three days before you wear out your welcome. It is a law of the cosmos." Madeline joked with the customs officer as he finished filling out the form.
"Well, enjoy your time on Palaven. I trust you have taken precautions in regards to our sun?" The officer said as he handed back Madeline's identification.
"Yeah, I've got some Alliance gear waiting for me on the far side of customs." Madeline said as she was motioned through.
The Fedoran Memorial Spaceport was a large facility, with countless transports coming and going. The main arrivals area was particularly crowded, most of the crowd was turian but that didn't bother her even if her smaller size made it difficult to make it through the crush of people. As she passed through the large doors that lead to where families were waiting for loved ones, she spotted her family in the distance, they having spotted her as well. The people in question was a turian male in black and white casual garb and a quarian female standing beside him along with a male and female quarian adolescent and a pair of young turian boys and a turian female who was clearly no older than eight.
"Uncle Garrus, aunt Tali. It's good to see you again." Madeline said with a smile, first giving her uncle a big bear hug.
"Spirits your grip has sure improved." The turian grunted, "I see Alliance PT has paid off."
"It was a lot of work, uncle but worth it." Madeline said with a smile, she wasn't sure how it would be coming back home but her heart melted at the affection she was shown.
"Garrus would you let her go, I want to take a good look at my favorite niece." Tali said, and while Madeline was taller, she bowed her head to the quarian woman in respect.
"Good to see you too, aunt Tali." Madeline said, giving her a slightly less firm hug.
"Well, you've sure grown up into a beautiful woman," Tali said, causing Madeline to blush. "You have your father's eyes, and your mother's good looks."
"Please, not here." Madeline said, her face now beet red.
"Oh and your father's modesty. So, I guess we should get your bags." Tali said as they approached one of the baggage carousels. It was funny that in spite of all the technological achievements how some things stayed the same, it seemed that spaceports had inherited the same 'charm' as their airport predecessors.
"Those are mine right there." Madeline said, referring to a blue and white case as well as a green duffel bag came around the conveyor.
"Here I thought you got tough, Maddie but you're still…ooff." One of the older turian children began, standing next to Madeline.
"I may not be able to handle the turian sun without turning into an Atlantic lobster, but I can still take you down, Rexus." Madeline said with a slight laugh when she saw her quarian cousins trying to pick up the case.
"Keelah Shepard, we have a damn kitchen sink, you didn't need to pack your own." The quarian male gritted.
"Marsil, what did we tell you about embarrassing your cousin like that?" Tali said, putting her right hand on her hip.
"It's okay." Madeline said, using her biotics to lift the case of the carousel and place it on the ground before popping it open. Inside the case was her Alliance armor and her Wraith shotgun, along with a health supply of thermal clips.
"Damn Maddie, are you planning an invasion?" The quarian boy named Marsil said, looking inside the crate.
"Never hurts to be prepared." Madeline said as she began gearing up right there in the terminal. "Someone want to grab my duffel bag?" She said casually as she put on the pieces of her gear with little to no effort or time wasted. When it was all said and done, she put the shotgun on her low metallic clip in the small of her back and stowed the thermal clips in her waist ammo packs and then donned the helmet with a hiss and taking up her duffel bag on her shoulder.
"Impressive, you sure you didn't take a wrong turn and accidentally enlist in the wrong navy?" Garrus asked, "Because I know you would make even turian regulars look amateur in comparison."
"You sure know how to say the right things to a girl, uncle." Madeline said as their group headed for the exit, Marsil having no problem now that the case that held her armor was empty.
As they headed out into the bright sun, Madeline reminded herself why she had moved off the planet, her armor's cooling system kicked in immediately to compensate and her visor tinted almost immediately, forcing her to pause until her eyes adjusted to the low light. She was once again reminded why the only species that lived on the turian homeworld were turians and few others as the radiation on the planet forced any other species living here to 'do it quarian-style' or adapt a very nocturnal lifestyle.
The group arrived at their transport where Madeline's duffel bag and empty case were secured inside the rear hatch and they piled into the two skycars. "Madeline, would you mind driving the second car?"
"Sure uncle Garrus." Madeline said as she sat down in the driver's seat, Rexus having piled into the front right seat with her two other turian cousins behind her. In the other car, Garrus was driving with Tali beside him and the two quarian children in the back seat.
As the hatch of the skycar closed, Rexus looked at Madeline with concern. "Hey Maddie, can I drive?"
"You got your license yet?" Madeline said with a grin.
"No but I've been practicing with dad in the front seat and frankly, you driving scares us to death." Rexus said, his tone very serious.
"What? Come on, it's not that bad." Madeline dismissed as she started up the car.
"It is 'that bad'." Rexus said with air quotes. "I swear it has to be genetic with what the stories that dad told us, I've never seen anyone get so close to totaling a skycar."
"Well, T. You better make sure that five point harness is secure." Madeline smiled as the car lifted off and tore into traffic.
"Spirits, I'm going to kill you." Was the last thing Rexus said as the two cars joined the steam of craft streaking into the city.