"Captain, You might want to get up here."
"What is it, Joker?" Darryl Shepherd asked.
"That's the thing, Cap'n. I don't know."
"Alright, I'll be right up."
Shepherd rolled out of his bed, one of the few perks to his job as it turned out. Few people who hadn't served on a starship understood how much one started to miss the little things. One of those little things being the ability to sleep in a bed as opposed to a cramped, cold and stuffy sleeper pod. He quickly donned his gear and headed up to the bridge where Joker was assuredly waiting with a wisecrack or two.
"Glad you could join us, sunshine!"
Yep, there it was, Shepherd thought.
"That's funny, so funny that I'll be sure to remember it while I'm making a few tweaks to the air flow to your pod tonight." Shepherd shot back.
"Man, you're mean when you haven't had your coffee." Joker replied.
"So, I've been told. What are we looking at?" Shepherd asked.
"That's the thing, I don't rightly know. Some state of the art vessel, huh? We can stalk a butterfly through a botanical garden but when it comes to telling us exactly who's coming at us we get squat. I bet there's a Turian somewhere getting a hoot out of this." Joker growled.
"Well, are they friendly?" Shepherd asked.
"That is the million dollar question, isn't it? But who are we kidding? We're in Geth space light-years from the nearest friendly forces and we've got a blip coming at us full tear and they don't even bother to send us a ping or a hail." Joker replied.
"Well, looks like we better give them a reason to remember this visit, shouldn't we? Battle Stations, Joker." Shepherd ordered.
"Aye, sir. All hands at full alert. This is not a drill! I repeat this is NOT a drill! You know where you have to be, so get there! Double time!" Joker spoke into the intercom.
"That's goo-" Shepherd started as a large explosion rocked the ship.
"What the hell was that?"
"I don't know but I'm reading red lines on all our major systems." Joker replied.
"What have we got?" Shepherd.
"Almost nothing. Comms are up and so is Life Support for now but that's it. We've lost sensors, weapons, propulsion. Captain, we're dead in the water!" Joker stammered, letting panic seep in for once.
At that exact moment another explosion rocked the ship.
"Captain, I'm reading breaches all over the ship. Captain, we're running out of time."
"How much time, Joker?"
"We've got maybe five minutes tops before we lose compression completely." Joker answered.
"Call it, Joker. Party's over, we're leaving." Shepherd ordered.
"All hands abandon ship! I repeat, all hands abandon ship." Joker announced over the ship's PA.
"It's done. I'm diverting every ounce of juice I can to the comms. I hope it'll be enough to make sure someone hears us."
"Good, you've done enough. You're officially relieved of duty, find yourself an escape pod and get out of here." Shepherd informed Joker.
"You're kidding, right? Even on the best of days getting around is a challenge in and of itself. With the ship falling apart even attempting to make it to the pods is an exercise in futility." Joker shot back.
"Lieutenant, I don't recall ever mentioning that was a request. I am not going to let you just give up because of some perceived need to go down with this ship. I am ordering you to get your ass into one of those escape pods and live. I will stuff you in there myself if I have to, even if it means I have to break every bone in your body." Shepherd ordered.
"Aye, aye, captain. Hey, where are you going?" Joker replied.
"I'm going to save my crew, lieutenant."
"She's going critical."
"And we're out of time. We had a good run. Time to go." Chief Adams ordered.
"But Sir, if left unchecked the core will go critical and explode, we won't stand a chance unless someone stays behind to keep the core in check."
"But that's a death sentence. There's no way anyone could do it and make it off in time."
"I can do it, I can make the necessary adjustments it'll only take me a few minutes and I'll have enough time to make it off the ship." Tali offered.
"You can? I can't order you to do this. You're free to just walk away and no one will blame you." Adams asked incredulous.
"I can do it, just go and I'll take care of it." Tali confirmed.
Adams just nodded and motioned for everyone that it was time for them to leave.
Tali ignored them as she got to work patching up the core. After a few minutes of feverously manipulating her omni-tool she was finally satisfied that the core would hold and that it was time to leave. She made for the door when suddenly she felt herself crushed to the floor by a sudden weight falling from above. She made a few attempt to move and wiggle out from her new prison and found that she was stuck. She made a few more attempts to free herself before the crack to her head began to rear its ugly head.
"I guess this is it. Oh well." Tali thought resignedly.
At this exact moment Shepherd was sweeping the ship getting everyone he could out before the ship lost compression. He had only one last place to check before he could leave: the engine room. Making his way to the familiar door he keyed the door and… nothing. He tried again… no response.
"Bugger! Guess I have to do this the hard way." Shepherd cursed out loud.
Spying a piece of metal that would serve as a makeshift crowbar he picked it up and jammed it into the door to the engine room. He strained and grunted against the door and the servos in his armor screamed in protest. Just as he became certain he was fighting the impossible the door popped open sending flying to the floor. Pulling himself back up he made his way through the now open door. Looking around he saw nothing and was about to leave when his eye was caught by…
"Tali!"
"Oh, there you are. I was wondering if I was going to be able to see you one last time before… before… I never got to tell you… I may never get a chance now but before I… I go…"
"That's quite enough of that. You'll have plenty of time to tell me later after we're out of this mess." Shepherd cut her off, digging her out and picking her up.
"I… I love you." Tali whispered.
"I know and I look forward to you telling me exactly how much and why after we get out of here." Shepherd shot back.
Despite his burden Shepherd made his way to the remaining pods and found Doctor Chakwas loading the last of her medical supplies into it.
"I believe the order was abandon ship, not grab everything that isn't nailed down, Doc." Shepherd noted.
"Oh, and I suppose your years in medical school have given you the ability to cure injuries by simply wishing it were so?" Doctor Chakwas retorted.
"Point taken, I believe I have your first patient. Here." Shepherd said as he lay Tali down in the pod.
"Oh, she'll pull right through. Looks like a concussion, this is nothing compared to some of your escapades."
"Doc, more with the healing and less with the talking. Joker, where are you?"
"Sorry, Captain. Looks like I'm not going to make it. Can you make sure I get a nice shiny medal or maybe even a nice plaque."
"Oh no you don't, they only give plaques to nice well behaved soldiers. Not insubordinate pilots with more mouth than brains." Shepherd shot back as he made it to the elevator where Joker had collapsed.
"Wow, Captain. It's almost as if you actually care." Joker snarked.
"Are you kidding? Do you know how hard it is to find a decent pilot these days?" Shepherd shot back as he lifted Joker over his shoulder.
"Fuck! Did you really have to break every bone in body?" Joker quipped as Shepherd set him down next to Chakwas.
"Another one for you, Doc."
Chakwas said nothing and Shepherd made his way to the entrance of the pod in order to get them on their way when a explosion sent him flying into the bulkhead across the room from him. At this exact moment Tali had more or less recovered from her earlier concussion.
"Where's Shepherd?" Tali asked.
Chakwas simply nodded over in his direction.
"Shepherd, hurry, we don't have much time." Tali said.
"I know but I'm not coming."
"Not coming? But there's plenty of room if you just…"
"Tali, I can't. I'm done for and there isn't time."
"What do you mean? What are you doing!?" Tali panicked.
"Making sure you live. Goodbye."
Shepherd opened his omni-tool and brought up the ship's computer.
Ship Decompression ImminentStrongly Recommend Evacuation
Shepherd pressed a few buttons and the screen changed.
Warning: The ship reports that there is a significant loss of hull integrity and it is strongly recommend that you evacuate by way of escape pod. This command will jettison all unlaunched escape pods and you will be no longer able to leave the ship. Are you sure you want to do this? Y/N
Yes
Warning: You are strongly urged to enter an escape pod before activating this command. Are you absolutely sure you want to do this? Y/N
Yes
With that the pods sealed shut and rocketed away from the doomed ship. Tali shut her eyes wishing she were somewhere else when she heard the comm link in her suit turn on.
"Tali, you're the only one who can hear me right now. I just wanted to say goodbye. I know you probably hate me for leaving you like this. I can live with that just so long as you live to be able to hate me. I also wanted to say that I don't regret a single moment we had, even the awkward ones. I love you. I guess this is good-bye. Be happy."
At that was the last thing Shepherd ever saw, heard or knew.
"Today we come to honor a great man. Generous in deed and spirit. Today we honor a hero. Today we have lost one of our own. Remember him."
With that the Council departed leaving the assembled mass alone with Shepherd's statue. One by one the crowd left until only a suited figure was left.
"How long ahs she been there?" Ashley Williams asked.
"I don't think she's moved from that spot since the funeral." Joker said.
"You mean she's been standing there for over three days?" Williams asked in shock.
"Sure looks like it. I bet they could save a fortune if they attached a hose to her suit and just used her tears for drinking water." Joker joked.
"Must you make a joke out of everything? Poor thing." Ashley cringed.
"You do realize who you're talking to, right? They don't call me Joker for nothing."
"Why do I ask you these things?" Ashley replied.
"I don't know but we can't just leave her there. Come on."
They walked up to Tali who was sobbing uncontrollably in her suit.
"You know as far as deaths go drowning in your own tears is one of the lamer ones." Joker quipped.
"What do you care? Besides what have I got left anyway? It's not like there's a single soul who cares what happens to me anymore." Tali sobbed.
"That's not true, you're still got us and the rest of the crew." Joker replied sinking into nice mode.
"Oh, they'll be real supportive what with Shepherd dead and it all being my fault. If it weren't for me he'd be here instead of me like it should be. They probably hate me and I don't blame them." Tali sobbed.
"I know one person who doesn't blame you." Joker responded.
"Who?" Tali sniffed.
"He doesn't. You want to know how I know that?" Joker said.
"You couldn't possibly know that." Tali cried.
"I do and I know because he asked me to look after you." Joker retorted.
"He said that?" Tali asked hopefully.
"Well, he didn't say it outright but he didn't have to. I probably don't need to tell you that he was quite fond of you." Joker replied, "Come on, let's get you somewhere you can get some sleep. You look exhausted."
The three of them turned towards the transit terminal where they got a taxi to where Joker had a rental apartment.
Setting her down to sleep Ashley turned to Joker.
"I don't know why but seeing you be all nice to someone scares me. I'm afraid that I'm going to wake up and be in a foxhole in the middle of nowhere." Ashley quipped.
"Well, I can be nice if I need to be besides I wasn't lying when I said what I did. I'd be lying if I said I didn't have some idea what she was going through." Joker responded.
In the other room Tali had just drifted off to sleep and began to dream back to the man she now sorely missed.