Tali does not realize just how much she missed the calm of the Normandy's main engineering room until she is finally back in it. The silence that was once an unnerving change for the young Quarian fresh out of her home on her Pilgrimage is now a welcome relief from the constant commotion aboard the Migrant Fleet.
She is alone. She cannot think of the last time this has happened. Ever since she became an Admiral…she can hardly even remember the last time she slept.
She flexes her fingers and types a few simple commands into the Normandy computer. It whirrs to life reassuringly. Tali can think of nothing more she needs right now than a few hours of peace and quiet on the Net.
"So, did you want to explain how your Flotilla got some upgrades that are stunningly similar to the Normandy's or…?"
"Keelah!"
Tali starts at the intrusion into her rare downtime. She whirls around to glare the Turian standing just behind her, her heart thudding painfully against her enviro-suit.
"You scared me, Garrus!"
"Sorry."
It is clear from his tone that he is not sorry at all. He is grinning in an infuriating sort of way that reminds Tali of all the times he had ever teased her about her immune system (or lack thereof). Her face flushes. She is glad he cannot see this.
"So, were you going to explain that?" he presses on.
"I don't have any idea what you're talking about," she insists more forcefully than she means to. So what if she'd forwarded a few of the non-classified security upgrades of the Normandy to her Fleet? Her people are always in serious need of a few technological advantages.
Garrus laughs, and she wants to punch him in the face for how smug his laughter sounds.
"Because it's not like you ever broke a few rules or anything!" she mutters, crossing her arms and doing her best to appear resolute in her decision to help her Fleet out without the explicit approval of Shepard.
"You missed my point," Garrus says, the grin falling from his face. "I'm glad to see you breaking a few rules. The 'saintly Quarian' act was getting old."
"Whatever," Tali hisses, turning back to the computer. "I'm not going to sit here and let you make fun of me."
"Well, then I guess I won't tell you how to take calibrations from the Normandy's main gun and use them to upgrade your Fleet's accuracy by two percent. Good to see you again, Tali."
"Wait!"
She whirls around, still wanting to punch his stupid face inward. He's grinning obnoxiously again.
"Can you really do that?" she asks.
"I don't have any idea what you're talking about."
"Watch the tone, Vakarian. I'm an Admiral now."
They smile at each other, and he sidles over to her side in front of the computer screen.
"Glad to see you haven't changed a bit, Garrus," she says after a few moments of watching him concentrate heavily on the task at hand.
He glances at her out of the corner of his eye.
"How's that immune system of yours again?"
"I'll kill you."
She's still glad the war against the Reapers hasn't changed him.
