It was an unusual drink for her; a sharp turian spirit Garrus had introduced her to the day after she had arrived on the Normandy SR2 from Haestrom. Knowing she was still dosed up with antibiotics from the previous day, she had connected the flask straight up to her helmet and drained it swiftly - the alcohol was far stronger than she had expected, and despite the terrible cold she had been struck down with the next day, the remainder of the night she had found immensely enjoyable. Fortunately, Eternity delivered dextro-amino drinks in sterilixed cans rather than Garrus' flask. She wasn't suggesting Garus was unhygenic, but... well, he wasn't a Quarian.
She sipped slowly at the spirit in the can, enjoying the slightly acidic aftertaste as it washed through her mouth.
"Tali'Sorah? Keelah, it really is you, isn't it?"
When the voice spoke up to the left of her, it suprised her so much she almost choked. Spluttering, she turned around to find another Quarian leaning against the far end of the bar. She disconnected the drink from her mask, exaggerating her coughing as she struggled to remember why the Quarian was so familiar to her.
"Yes, Mael, it's me," she replied. Mael'Doran nar Rayya was a childhood friend - or, she liked to think he had been a childhood friend. They had been on amicable terms a few months before she had left for her pilgrimage, but just before she was due to leave he was struck with an illness which had kept him in quarantine for months. So embittered had he been with the fact that she had not come to see him that, when she had returned to the Rayya, he had ignored her completely.
"So, what happened with the trial? You a vas Nedas yet?"
Tali bristled. She had not been exiled by the Admiralty Board - Shepard had seen to that - but to call a Quarian vas Nedas or nar Tasi - meaning "crew of nowhere" or "child of no-one" respectively in the Quarian tongue - was considered a terrible insult.
"Tali'Zorah vas Normandy," she replied, deciding not to rise to Mael's bait no matter how much she would like to. "Still nar Rayya?"
She could tell from the sound of the breath Mael drew in that discussing their ship names had backfired on him. "vas Idenna," he said. "Or at least, I will be once I get back from Pilgrimage."
Even through the solid black viros, Tali could tell he was glaring at her. She took another sip of her drink.
"Hold on," he said, confused. "vas Normandy? I didn't know we had a Normandy?"
She laughed briefly. "You've not been watching the news vids lately then, Mael?"
He shook his head.
"I've been given leave by the Neema. I'm on Commander Shepard's crew," she said, pausing for effect. "It was the least I could do after he saved me on Haestrom." She paused agian. "I spend so much time on the Normandy I've taken it as my ship name for now."