Shiv

Yep. This is happening right now. It started as an exercise to eliminate wrter's block and... well... this happened.

Once again, the father was too absorbed in his experiments to pay attention to his daughter. Even at the young age of sixteen, she had practically raised herself, since her mother died. She had a strong sense of independence, despite her people's communal nature. Due to this independent nature, she disliked the fact that an unofficial law kept her practically leashed to the father that didn't care about her.

Quarian society loathes neglect, and it is generally deemed unacceptable for them to leave their children alone for long periods of time, even under the care of a friend. Thus, her beloved, yet unrelated, Auntie Raan, was unable to take care of her for the duration of this experiment.

For three months, she would be alone practically all the time. She had no friends on the Alarei, and was not the best at making new ones. Social anxiety was a curse

And this ship was so boring! It was a research ship, which would have interest her, but children, even teenagers, were not allowed in the labs. Military testing was too dangerous for young ones. So, she decided to spend her day poking around the cargo hold. Not exactly something she was supposed to be doing, but she was only a "child." People had gotten away with worse at her age, including her father

As she walked around the bay, examining the steel crates and occasional loose object, she could not shake the feeling that she was being watched. No one worked in the cargo bay, though. Only the occasional VI drone, and they couldn't see her, due to a handy cloaking system she had whipped up. It didn't make her physically invisible, but simple VI's couldn't see her at all

So, she continued her walk, cautiously. After a few minutes, she became aware of a bright blue light out of the corner of her eye. Stopping suddenly and whipping around, she saw a tiny drone. It was only a few centimeters in diameter, with the same design of other spherical drones. However, it seemed to have much deeper programming, due to its almost startled response to her action. It backed away, before shooting behind a nearby crate. It could see past her cloak, meaning that it was far more complex than most drones.

"You scared him," explained a voice. The young quarian girl jumped at the sudden break of silence, turning towards its source

To her surprise, a young boy was sitting atop one of the larger crates. He had a pitch black envirosuit on with red fabric and a crimson visor. He looked to be somewhere around seventeen or eighteen, due to his height and build.

He leapt down from his position, and the girl was astonished by how he seemed to almost float to the ground. He had been twenty feet up, and during his fall, a blue glow appeared that seemed to carry him gently to the metal floor below

"I'm Shiv'Shenta nar Alarei. What's your name?" Well, he seemed quite chipper, for someone who spent their time in a cargo hold. Oh, wait, that was where she was.

"I'm Tali. Tali'Zorah nar Rayya." She eyes the boy suspiciously. "What are you doing in the cargo hold?

"This is my home," he answered, spreading his arms, gesturing to the whole room. "Me, little Ash over there," the VI flew over to hover by Shiv's shoulder, "and a whole lotta technology." Tali was taken slightly aback. This child lived in the cargo bay? And..

"You steal technology from the crates?" she gasped. "How dare you!" She hated thieves, as all quarians do, and would not hesitate to report one to the authorities. In fact, she was about to, before Shiv raised his hands in defense

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" exclaimed the boy. "I'm no thief!" Tali was still suspicious, but would at least allow him to explain. "I'm sort of like a scavenger, but the military officers here pay me to do it." That made no sense

"That makes no sense," stated Tali. "Why would you receive payment for scavenging what we already have?

"Those drones working around the bay? Most of the MFM's shields? Hell, half of their better weapons? All designed and custom-built by me." Impossible

"That's impossible. You're..."

"Just a kid?" finished Shiv. He shook his head, chuckling. "Follow me." He began to walk towards the massive crate he had been sitting atop. She followed cautiously, watching as he performed a few hand gestures. Suddenly, a holographic keypad appeared on the side of the otherwise utterly flat wall. Tali watched in surprise as he inputted an impressively long number, before pushing on the wall. A door, impossible to see unless one knew where to look, pushed into the crate, sliding to the left

That's when it was revealed. One of - no - the strangest living space she had ever laid eyes on. The walls were lined with weapon parts, bits of electronics, scrap metal, and various pieces of junk. In one corner was his small, disheveled bed that was covered in what appeared to be pieces of a sniper rifle. The strangest part of the room, however, was the staggering amount of element zero.

It was everywhere! On the shelves, on the walls, scattered across the floor. Tali had no idea what the boy could need this all for. "Why all the element zero?" she asked.

"Helps me focus," answered Shiv. "I'm a biotic. We become much better at pretty much everything when around eezo."

"A biotic?" She had read a little bit about biotics on the extranet, but had never seen one in the fleet. As far as she knew, there were no quarian biotics.

"You're probably thinking that there are no quarian biotics, right?" She nodded, bringing another chuckle from the boy. "Well, let's just say I'm no normal quarian." She could practically see him grin through his visor, but didn't bother inquiring further. She wouldn't get anything out of him anyway.

"So it seems," she commented. "So, you say you design weapons?" She found this boy interesting, if a bit odd

"Indeed. In fact, I've been recently working for one quarian in particular to develop an advanced EMP cannon." He gestured to a pile of eezo. "It runs on that beautiful mineral. Strong enough to theoretically take down an entire army of Geth if used effectively." Amazing

"What type of weapon could do that? Is it a vehicle weapon? Or a ship?

"Neither. Handheld." No handgun could be that powerful. It was impossible. The sheer amount of power required would be immense

"How?" she asked, simply. She had always been quite interested in weaponry, and this strange, young man seemed to know more than most about it

"Well, I'm not actually supposed to tell anyone. Direct orders from Rael'Zorah hims-" he caught himself immediately. "What did you say your name was?

"Tali." She shuffled slightly. Great, one person who didn't seem to care about her father had just put two and two together.

"Your family name, I mean."

"Zorah. Yes, I am Rael'Zorah's daughter!" she practically shouted the last words, the anger over her father's legacy finally letting itself out. Shiv just stood, stunned, while Tali backed away. Upon hitting the wall, she slid to the floor, putting her head in her hand. Small sniffles made their way through her audio output, but she didn't care to disable it.

She sat there for what felt like several minutes, until she felt a hand on her shoulder. Confused, she looked up to see Shiv's visor in her face. The red tint faded slightly, and she saw a more detailed, though still shrouded, face through it. She realized that his eyes did not glow like most quarians. Now, however, he noticed a strange gentleness in his eyes that she had never seen in anyone else's.

"I imagine people expect a lot from you, being an admiral's daughter." She nodded sadly, saying nothing. Shiv sighed, looking down. He gestured for her to do the same, bringing his legs to her attention. They were bent the wrong way, and he had too many toes. Five on each foot.

"I was brought here by my father sixteen years ago. Well, he wasn't really my father, but he sure as hell acted like one. He was an ambassador of sorts, trying to set up a trade agreement with Earth. They turned him away immediately, and he began the 'walk of shame' back to his ship.

"Apparently, some xenophobic 'activists' had transcended into terrorists and firebombed the pan-species school I went to. My father, ever the altruist, ran into the burning building and started to bring people out. He found me..." he trailed off, and Tali noticed the tears running down his face through his visor.

"He found me with my biological parents. My mother was a teacher and my father a janitor. They were both dead. My quarian father pulled me, a screaming two-year-old, from the corpse of my mother, and saved me from her fate.

"Naturally, the bosh'tets on Earth spun the story in the most poisonous light, damn near making my father out to be the terrorists, despite several eye-witness accounts of him saving us." His fist clenched as he spoke of the injustices his father faced on Earth.

"I had no next of kin. No one wanted me, so my father took me in. He brought me back to the Alarei and persuaded the Conclave to allow me to stay. He got me a suit and quarian citizenship." A light smile came across his face along with a fond memory, but quickly faded.

"He died from a suit rupture five years ago, and with him, most of my rights as a quarian. Two of the Admirals were quick go want me kicked out of the fleet." She could guess who they were. "However, before they could do anything, I showed them I was worth keeping." His holodrone, Ash, popped up, flying circles around the room.

"Ash, my pride and joy. Originally manufactured from a scrap of eezo and a circuit board, I created a drone more advanced than anything else in the fleet, without transcending into artificial intelligence. He proved that, despite my young age, I could prove invaluable to an R&D ship like the Alarei.

"Once I started making guns and shields at thirteen, the Migrant Fleet Marines got behind me. They're good men and women, and would not let the kid making their equipment get kicked out. So, now I invent and develop extremely potent shields for the MFM, and most of their weaponry. Hell, I've not even gone on my pilgrimage yet!

Tali was shocked. A human living amongst quarians. A brilliant human, at that. And one who had yet to go on his pilgrimage. This was truly an extraordinary individual.

"But enough life stories," stated Shiv. "I was just about to start up a vid before I noticed you wandering into my cargo hold. You seem a bit bored, care to watch with me?" She was slightly surprised by his sudden change in attitude, but it was still quite welcome. She nodded, looking around for somewhere to sit. Once they were both comfortable, Tali looked over to Shiv.

"What vid is this?" she asked.

"It's a classic. Ever heard of Fleet and Flotilla?"

Three months had passed. The next day, Tali'Zorah would be returning to the Rayya. To her slight surprise, she was actually saddened by this. She had become close friends with Shiv'Shenta, another outlier of quarian society.

She was actually currently returning to his living space to say goodbye. Upon finding his cargo container, she knocked on the side. Strangely, it did not open. She tried again, a bit more forcefully. This time, the door slid open, and she entered. It closed suddenly, behind her, as usual.

Unlike usual, however, was the fact that Shiv was nowhere to be seen. Ash was still hovering around, but he could not speak of his creator's whereabouts. He did, however, acknowledge her entrance with a series of happy chirps and whistles. She smiled at the drone, and watches as he flew across the room, circling around Shiv's desk. She followed, finding a note on the metal surface. She picked up the datapad, reading her friend's words slowly and deliberately.

My dearest friend, Tali'Zorah

I regret that I could not be there to say goodbye. Indeed, I am aware that you must leave tomorrow. If I could, I would have been there to wish you farewell. Alas, I am also to leave. Admiral Rael'Zorah has decided to send me on my Pilgrimage today, and I have no choice but to agree.

Tali's heart seized as she read the last two sentences. Her father had just happened to send her best friend on his pilgrimage thr day before she returned to the Alarei? Her father, who was known to detest non-quarians, had sent Shiv, a human, out of the fleet early. She had not known that he was aware of their friendship. Angry and sad, she continued reading.

I do not know when I will be back, if at all. So, I have left you a few things. Some as gifts, and some that I know you will take care of. First of all, I leave you my special edition copy of 'Fleet and Flotilla,' since I know you love that vid more than anyone in the galaxy. Probably even the producers.

Second, I leave you Ash. He needs periodic tune-ups that I might not be able to perform on my Pilgrimage. He also requires a monthly supply of eezo to maintain his systems. You can find that all over my living space, as you are aware.

Finally, I leave you something that you might not want to take until it is time for your Pilgrimage: a shotgun. Not just any shotgun, mind you, but a shotgun specifically designed to be nearly weightless and pack more punch than a raging Thresher Maw.

You've been an amazing friend since we met three months ago. I can't wait to see you again.

P.S. I have no damn idea of where to transfer to. I was thinking about the Neema, but I'm not sure.

Tali was shocked. He had left her Ash? That little drone had been his only companion for years. And the shotgun? One of his personal weapon projects? That would certainly give her an advantage come her own Pilgrimage.

She was still pissed at her father, but felt better after reading the letter from her friend. It caused her to think about how close they had grown since meeting.

It was childish, but part of her was alway fantasizing about being bonded with him. He was the single, most intelligent person she had ever met, and was quite handsome, to boot. Unlike most, he seemed to care more about her than who her father was.

Suddenly, her romantic thoughts were cut short by one noise a quarian dreaded above all else: an explosion. It sounded like it came from across the ship, near the...

Oh no. The hangar.

Without a second thought, Tali immediately sprinted through the door, which had interior motion sensors. Bounding down the halls, past crowds of bystanders and emergency personnel, the time it took to arrive at the hangar felt agonizingly slow.

When she was almost there, her father stopped her from reaching her destination. It was as if he had been expecting her. He held a single hand out to stop his daughter and would not move.

"You are not entering the hangar, Tali," he stated, no emotion in his words. "It is far too dangerous." The bosh'tet was serious.

"You are not keeping me out, father. My best friend is in there!" She attempted to push her father's hand aside, but he refused go budge.

"He is a human! He does not belong in the Fleet, let alone in your heart!" So, that was what he was afraid of. Romantic attachment between his daughter and a human. Selfish bastard.

"I don't give a damn what you think!" screamed Tali, tears trailing down her cheeks. "I am in-" she was cut off by the large hangar door suddenly opening. The smell of death was strong, but one survivor could be saved. The body of Shiv'Shenta was being wheeled down the hall. He was gasping for breath, his suit punctured and his vitals erratic.

"Shiv!" Tali exclaimed, running to the human. At her voice, he seemed to calm, looking to her. She followed the medics who were frantically shouting for people to move.

"We need to get him to a sterilized location!" ordered one of the doctors. "Do we have any human blood?"

"No," responded one of the others. "We don't have any levo blood at all. How the hell are we going to operate?" At this, Shiv finally spoke.

"U-under my bed. A secret compartment. Blood bags, prosthetics, medicine. T-Tali can show you." He, once again, faded into unconsciousness. One of the doctors who knew Tali immediately looked to the young quarian.

"This way!" she shouted, sprinting down the hall.

It had been two weeks since the accident. Tali had hardly left the room adjacent to Shiv's. Se had barely slept or eaten. She refused to abandon her friend, and would not even take orders from her father.

Today, however, it would all pay off. She had been waiting for some news, and this would be the first time he had gotten anything beyond "he is still alive."

Several of the doctors had been exiting the room throughout the day. Only one more remained, and once he exited, her heart seized. Would he have bad news?

"Tali'Zorah..." he began. "Shiv'Shenta is in a stable condition, and has asked for you by name. He refuses to speak to us before you, and asks that your meeting be private. We would ask you to be brief, for his sake." Without another word, the doctor left.

Within moments, Tali was in the room. For a moment, she suddenly wished that she wasn't. Shiv was hooked up to several machines, and his arm... his arm had been totally replaced with a robotic prosthetic. The sight was almost terrible, but one, undeniable fact kept her joyous:

Shiv was alive.

He turned his head, smiling at her. He was completely nude, aside from the gown and bandages. She had never really seen his face, and was taken aback by his handsomeness. He was thin, yet muscular, with short hair and clean-shaven face. He looked to be in a lot of pain, but would try his hardest not show it to her. He really was selfless. She approached the bed, smiling back at her friend

"Hey, Tali," he greeted, weakly. "How long were you out there?

"Since you got here," she croaked. She was so happy to see him alive, but also saddened by his terrible situation. She unconsciously reached for his organic hand, breathing a sigh of relief as his five, smaller fingers wrapped around hers. They stared into each others' eyes for a long time, both wishing that there wasn't so much keeping them apart.

At that moment, Tali didn't care about the things that separated them. She had come too close to losing him to hold herself back. Her free hand slowly rose, reaching for her mask. Shiv was too absorbed in her eyes to notice until her fingers reached the release buttons. His eyes widened in surprise and fear.

"Wait!" he exclaimed. "This room is too full of germs. You could get si-

"I don't care," she stated. "I almost lost you. I can't risk that happening again without seeing you in a vision unclouded by this damn visor." Before he could argue, she pressed down on the release, and a quiet hissing emanated from the mask. She felt it loosen, and slowly began to remove it. She was afraid of what might happen to her, but not nearly as afraid as she was of never seeing him with her natural eyes.

They were young. Eighteen and sixteen. It was unheard of for quarians to reveal their faces to each other at such young ages. However, he had not been given much of a choice, and she was too possessed by desire to care. After several moments, she set her mask on the bed, taking in the vibrance of uncovered vision. Shiv looked even more attractive now, but it may just have been his face upon seeing her

Neither knew what the galactic standards for beauty were at the time, but at that moment, Shiv believed she would be considered the most beautiful woman in existence. She had smooth, alabaster skin and purple-tinted hair that matched her eyes. Shiv was utterly stunned.

"Ancestors ," he whispered. "Tali, you are..." He reached up to her face with his organic arm, reluctantly untangling his fingers from hers, and caressed her face. He was extremely gentle, as if she were too precious to touch. "You're beautiful.

The mixture of emotions, from happiness to sadness to love, was too intense for them to handle. In unspoken agreement, they began to move towards each other. Shiv leaned up as far as he could, and Tali bridged the gap. When their lips touched, it felt as if everything else in the universe disappeared. All that remained was them, and the intense joy they felt at being together. Most adults would laugh at them having such 'romantic' feelings. After all, they were only children.

But this was so much more than childish love. This was real. Shiv moved his hand to rest on the back of her neck, pulling himself further into the kiss. Tali did much the same, moving her hands to either side of his head. Their kiss began to grow in passion, their mouths moving against each other sloppily. They had no finesse, but couldn't care less.

It just felt too amazing to care.

With no shortage of threats to join Shiv on his Pilgrimage, Tali managed to persuade her father to avoid sending him off early. quarians generally left at twenty to twenty-one, and Tali would only allow her boyfriend to leave then

Their relationship remained a secret, only surviving through frequent vid-calls and rare physical visits. The only person she confided in was her Auntie Raan. The older quarian was not generally a trustworthy woman when it came to politics, but she would never betray Tali's confidence. She had been to close to her mother to do such a thing.

She took the news surprisingly well, showing great happiness for her honorary niece. She did, however, feel compelled to warn her of the dangers such a relationship possessed. Aside from the obvious health dangers of being romantically involved with a human, there were also the inevitable social consequences. Her father would almost certainly not accept the idea, nor would most quarians. This was not exactly an attractive prospect, but Tali refused to take social standing over Shiv.

All of this and more was going through Tali's head as she stood aboard the Alarei, waiting in the hangar. She had become much more independent throughout the last two years. She had not even asked permission from her father to take a shuttel to the Alarei this time. Twenty-four Quarians were being sent on their Pilgrimages today, and she would be there to wish them farewell.

The moment she saw Shiv, she ran up to him and leapt into his arms. They embraced for several moments, before pulling away to look at each other. Today, neither cared about appearances. If they could, they would have removed their masks and kissed in front of everyone.

"You had better come back to me soon, bosh'tet," she ordered, eliciting a small chuckle from the taller man.

"But of course," he responded. "The Neema, we agreed?" They had even chosen a ship they would both move to upon their returns. Tali prayed their relationship would survive their Pilgrimages. By law, they would not be able to contact each other in any way.

"Indeed." She pressed herself into his arms once more, holding back tears. "I love you, Shiv'Shenta nar Alarei."

"And I love you, Tali'Zorah nar Rayya." The last two years had gone by so quickly. Tali wanted more time. She only clung to the knowledge that they would always be together when this was all over.

"Alright!" shouted the pilot of the transport they were leaving on. "You've had time to day your goodbyes, so let's go. It's a long way to your destinations." Tali, along with several friends and families of the other passengers, regretfully stepped away, watching as they entered the freighter. Ash, which had been activated the entire time, let out a series of sad whistles before returning to Tali's side.

She stood there, watching as the freighter flew away. She was sad, but also hopeful. She wondered what he would bring back. She had looked through the destination list. Pilgrimage destinations were randomized, but his still seemed oddly convenient. Shiv'Shenta nar Alarei, a human raised in the Migrant Fleet, would be returning to his birthplace.

He was going to Earth.

So, yeah. Let me know what you think.