Chapter 1: After the Collectors
Thane walks in front of you as you first enter the cargo bay, he gives a salute then continues past. The repairs are underway, EDI has sealed many of the breaches in the cargo bay with kinetic barriers and the squad is just down the ramp waiting. It seems everything and everyone are always waiting on you these days. A heavy sigh escapes your lips as you start down the ramp, towards the waiting crew and the inevitable confrontation. The hard click of your boots seems to echo in the empty cargo bay, and then the click of weapons being checked and loaded reaches your ears.
As you step onto the floor of the cargo bay and move past the generators you look to your left. There they are, your friends, your comrades, your love. Each and everyone of them looks up as you walk past, each of them nods or salutes you in their own fashion. Each of them is ready to die for you. It is a very humbling experience, to know that you have inspired such loyalty in so many species, across a galaxy, and found love in the process. For just a brief moment Harbinger and the Reapers seem so very far away. Then Joker comes up to you and hands you a data pad with the newest scans from the borders of the Terminus systems. The Reapers have been spotted.
Nodding to Joker you take the pad and stare at the data. All of the vessels look like Sovereign, ah if only the Council had been more complete in their work on the Citadel. Perhaps if they had you would possess some knowledge of how to get through the Reapers defenses, how to destroy them more effectively. With a quick turn you head back towards the cargo bay ramp and the elevator to head up to your private cabin. Things are about to get much more complicated, and you need to think, to plan.
As you step into your cabin for the first time since the suicide mission through the Omega 4 relay you turn towards your desk and have to pause. There is the holo of Liara staring back at you like an accusation. "How could you do this to me?" you hear Liara say in the depths of your mind. Moving forward you drop the data pad with the Reaper information onto your desk and scoop up the picture of Liara. A single tear runs down your cheek, traveling along the jaw to fall onto the face in the holo.
"Ah Liara... where did we go so wrong? You have changed so much from the innocent young scientist I met back then, and I have changed to. Goodbye Liara" you whisper softly as you kiss the holo before placing it face down on the desk. Slowly you slip into your padded chair and rest your head in your hands, so much has happened, so many lives have been lost but how many more have you managed to save? Don't you deserve a little happiness? Such thoughts ramble through your head for at least half an hour before you finally reach over to tap the intercom "Tali report to the Captain's Cabin please"
A minute creeps by and the butterflies in your stomach suddenly lurch as you hear the elevator powering up. Your palms grow damp and clammy in anticipation as you turn your chair to face the cabins doorway. Then she walks into the room and you just can't help yourself, the tears start to fall as you push yourself up from the chair and move towards Tali. "Shepard? What's wrong?" Tali asks in that soft voice you have come to love so dearly.
Taking her into your arms you hold her tightly for a long, long moment before whispering softly where her ear should be "Nothing is wrong now. Do you remember when we talked on the Alarai? About your father...".
Very gently Tali pushes against your shoulders to lean back so she can look into your face. "Yes Shepard I remember, you spoke on my behalf with a passion no one has ever used, you protected my father when I asked. You were the only shelter I had against the Admirals. How could I ever forget?" she says.
"No not that Tali... about your father and the work he did. Do you remember? I said you deserved better...." your voice trembles softly as you speak and you feel your knees growing weak.
"Yes Shepard, I remember" she says softly.
"Well Tali'Zorah vas Normandy you aren't the only one who got better that day Tali, I did too. You remember Liara don't you?"
Suddenly Tali interrupts you by placing a single finger over your lips as she says "Shepard, that is in the past. We both saw Liara on Illium and she has changed a great deal. If you wish to end things and be with Liara I understand, but don't apologize to me. What we have shared is worth to much to cheapen it like a single night encounter."
Very gently you take Tali's hand in yours and kiss her hand, staring up at her helmet where you know here eyes to be "I don't want to go back to Liara, Tali. I want to thank you for what you have given me, Your father did horrible things for you and you deserved better, Liara did horrible things and I deserved better. Thank you so much Tali'Zorah vas Normandy, you have been my only shelter against so many pains. Thank you."
Tali's body language is unmistakable, after having spent so much time in her company over the last few weeks you have come to read those subtle shifts in her stance, the sound of her respirator, you even think you can hear her heart racing. Embracing her close once more you hear her whisper so softly her suits audio almost doesn't pick it up and amplify the sound "Oh Shepard, I never thought this could happen, that we could love each other so strongly, to have come so far together. Promise me you won't die Shepard. I don't think I could handle losing you a second time, especially now."
Gently you lean back and smile as you see her faceplate, the glow of her eyes softly penetrating the purple veil that hides her beauty from the outside world "I promise Tali'Zorah vas Normandy, thank you for coming up here. I really needed to get that off my chest." You know it isn't her lips but you lean in all the same and softly kiss her suit right where the light always comes on when she speaks.
Tali chuckles softly and slaps your chest "Shepard! Stop teasing me like that! I'm going to go down and talk with Mordin... perhaps he can help with our problem. Did you need anything else Shepard?"
Smiling like there wasn't a care in the world you gently caress the hood on the right side of her helmet and shake your head. "Nothing at all Miss vas Normandy." As Tali turns and slips away you feel almost light again, but as the door to the cabin slides shut you feel the galaxy bearing down on you once more and you turn back to the data pad with the Reaper information.
Just as you sit down to begin working EDI pipes in over the com lines "Shepard, Legion is trying to access the FTL comm system. Should I allow it?"
Shaking your head you chuckle and sigh "A hero's work is never done is it? Tell Legion to come up here and speak with me would you EDI? I want to lay some ground rules with him about using the comm system so we don't have to have this conversation all the time."