Author's Note: The Mass Effect franchise is both the property of Electronic Arts and Bioware. Additionally, this is an alternate timeline and reality of the Mass Effect universe borrowing from the original canon of the established franchise.
Mass Effect - Secret Admirer 2
By
stan4us
The omni-tool of the Quarian named Tali'Zora nar Rayya beeped to get her attention. She was comfortably sitting on her bed in her tiny living space, like all other Quarians, aboard her home ship amongst the Quarian Migrant Fleet named the 'Rayya' while she was eating. Stopping her meal of dextro-protein paste in a ration tube she had connected to the emergency induction port through her mouthpiece of her masked helmet, Tali put away her food and lifted up her arm that held her omni-tool. Once illuminated, she began typing away commands on its keyboard made of light opening the browser window to see what calling for her. What she found made her smile if only her face could be seen through the tinted visor that other her silvery glowing eyes.
It has been years since she was sent on her Pilgrimage from the Quarian Migrant Fleet to prove her rite of passage in adulthood and worth as a true member of her people. Years that she lived and wandered on her own looking for something of enough importance or use to benefit her people as a way to allow them to accept her back and look upon her with respect. Initially, she tried hunting Geth recon scouts to uncover any new information or technology. The Quarian people could learn something about them or the activities, utilize it in improving the Flotilla's struggling way of life, or gain an advantage to fight against the robot race her people made that rebelled and took away their home world of Rannoch centuries ago. However, Tali sadly soon discovered nothing worth while from her captured Geth parts and data as they were not new or different, yet, from what past Quarians found on them.
Doing much else was harder and riskier, sometimes even absolutely impossible or utterly too dangerous, as they involve the other organic races of the galaxy. Not many Quarians succeed or even come back, dead or alive, when interacting with aliens. They would cheat on paying any Quarian they hire for work if they ever hire one, use us as scapegoats for police forces and hate mobs to bully or lynch for fun, rob and sell those who set foot on Omega or Illium into slavery, attempt to exterminate our entire kind at random or when we try to settle upon an unclaimed planet with their militaries, or most often simply shun Quarians from galactic society. It was even Citadel law that the Quarian race were to be forever exiled as pariahs! Why? They claim that because our self-inflicted mistake in creating the Geth made them supposedly fear that one day they will wage war on all the alien races as the Krogan once did against those of the Citadel.
So far, that day never came, but the aliens seem happy to continue keeping Quarians down and out like they always secretly resented us while we were one of their Citadel members, and our defeat by the Geth gave them the very excuse needed to get rid of us. Bosh'tets! If there are anyone who remotely favor the Quarian people in this galaxy, it is just a few horny Turians. The Drell and Hanar could possibly like us, but we have so little contact with them that is was not worth considering. Otherwise, that is it. Funny how the Vorcha get treated a little better even though they are regarded even lower than Quarians only because they are good for being living target practice or as lethal canon fodder for pirate and mercenary bands. As the ultimate result, some Quarians have been made to do what the other races sought to make us: beggars and thieves. We hate doing it and generally resist supporting that label, but still Quarians are regarded as such, if not worse. It only furthers the excuse for the galaxy to wish us harm and our extinction.
Luckily, that is all about to change...
After giving up on hunting Geth, Tali went to the Citadel considering to try her lucky if any. Chances were slim, but at least they were better than Illium, and a vast improvement over deadly and brutal Omega. Besides, if she can evade and stalk Geth, she can easily handle C-Sec police officers looking to pick on her. Once there, she began hacking the entire Citadel internet database to learn of the place where she can eat, sleep, and hide while discovering any information or goods that were new to the Quarians. That is when she accidentally found a vast secret cache of compiled communiqués flowing in on a daily basis to S-Sec and the secret Council Specter Archives from the Salarian Task Group before later being transmitted to the home worlds of the dominant Citadel races, the Asari, Turians, and Salarians. Decrypting the data, Tali had revealed their observation of a new alien race and their planet. They were the 'Humans' of 'Earth.'
The information had everything about these Humans and their Earth the leading Citadel races have found and gathered for years keeping it secret for themselves to explore. The planet Earth is possibly one of the most, if not thee most, vibrant and evolving garden worlds yet found in the entire galaxy. Despite the overpopulation of Human civilization and the planet's organic bio-chemical nature is made of levo-proteins, there are plenty of open, untouched regions on Earth that Humans have not settled or cultivated which resemble the conditions of Rannoch. Quarian horticulture and air-tight construction would easily allow for colonization in those places. In addition, some of the nation-states, including most advanced and powerful ones, of the Human race seem culturally mature enough to happily welcome the discovery and interaction of an alien race especially since we Quarians look rather similar to them in physiology just as they almost do with the Asari. Tali had found the ultimate gift that she can return to the Flotilla with and show the Admiralty Board. The Humans and Earth could be the promise for the future of the Quarian race to start over new!
However, this was not the only reason that makes Tali smile every time she checks in on frequent incoming new communication data feeds studying Earth. Since her return to the Flotilla with all the information with the tapped communications link to it, she has succeed in her Pilgrimage like no other before her and regarded both a hero to all Quarians and vital advisor to the Admiralty Board about the Human race on Earth. Tali continues to receive information every time the Citadel does from their recon flybys and transmission eavesdropping on Earth allowing her to always learn something more about the Humans and their civilization. In turn, her leaders are able to begin planning a way to make first contact with this new race and peacefully coexist with them soon. They just need to find out how and do so without the Citadel races stopping them. Once more, Tali has found her people's opportunity, as well something more.
Recent news reports from Earth claimed they are planning their first space mission ever to another planet neighboring them called 'Mars' within the decade. The recently chosen Human space travelers for Mars are currently undergoing training both on their home world as well aboard this 'International Space Station' orbiting above it. On the Humans' space station right now is a 'astronaut' from the nation-state called 'America' named 'John Shepard.' Designated as the instructor to train these new astronauts and lead them on Mars as their commander, it is this Human with the authority placed upon him to travel onto another planet that Tali saw as the potential representative the Quarian people can greet Humanity through. Most of all, in her opinion, he was the most handsome male Human she ever saw from all of the countless other individuals she has observed since her discovery of the Human species.
Although being a leader requires being selfless, John particularly was so to the point it even rivaled that of all Quarians in personality in addition to being charismatic. He was even quite skilled as a engineer like Tali's race was by nature. If this Human were a Quarian, he would easily be of top admiral material leading one of the sub groups of the Migrant Fleet, but Tali did not want nor care for that. John was already perfect the way he is being Human, and Tali preferred that about him being unique yet similar to her species, and being even fun and lively like herself beyond duty and responsibility as a space traveler and pioneer. This very Human and all about him was the true reason why she smiles. In turn, her mind races with her heart with interest and curiosity than it does for anything else. She is in love and it grew each time for John.
Tali watched the newest video material showing John's daily efforts in preparation to make history for his people, and just fondly wished she could be with him right now. However soon enough, her own people will be making history both Quarians and Humans soon enough when the Migrant Fleet makes contact with Humanity. When that finally happens, Tali will see to it she gets to meet John Shepard in person and tell him that she was his secret admirer amongst the stars.
"Keelah se'lai, John'Shepard nar Earth," muttered Tali softly with affection.