Tali couldn't believe what had just happened. In all likelihood, she had been the first quarian to stand in the Council Chamber since the Morning War three hundred years ago. Not only that, but it had been her evidence which allowed Shepard to prove that Saren had gone rogue, earning him the honor of being named the first human spectre.
This was a historical event of immense importance, Tali realized, and it had been able to occur due in large part to her. Hell, the Councilors, Udina, Anderson, Shepard, and everyone else involved had treated her with the utmost respect, as if she wasn't even quarian. Up until that point, she had never believed such a thing was possible. It was also an experience that starkly contrasted with the events of the past few days. Even so, it did little to dull the sting from watching her shipmates die, being treated like dirt, hunted, and subsequently nearly killed herself.
Still, the events of the past few hours put her in a pleasant and optimistic mood. Tali greatly enjoyed feeling useful and helping people. Moreover, if the universe decided to be kind (which she honestly did not expect at this point), her assistance might even cause the rest of the galaxy to look more favorably upon her people. It was an unrealistically wishful dream, but it was still a pleasant one to indulge herself in.
At the moment, Tali was flowing Shepard out of the Council Chambers. She could hear him conversing with Anderson, Garrus, Wrex, and two other humans as they walked. Feeling excluded from the group, Tali drifted off into an inner realm of self-reflection.
She was awakened from her reverie several minutes later when Shepard addressed her.
"…and to think, we owe it all to Miss Zorah," he said, turning to face her.
Being the modest person that she was, Tali wasn't quite sure what to say. Eventually, she went with: "Please, you can call me Tali. And you're very welcome; I was happy to help."
"Okay then, Tali," Shepard said, flashing her a charming smile and putting a hand on her shoulder.
Tali felt her skin instantly flush with heat at the dual gesture. As such, she was extremely grateful for the fact that her suit and mask concealed everything but her bioluminescent eyes. If they didn't, Tali was sure that she would have died of embarrassment, especially considering that the person who had evoked this inappropriate response in her was an alien.
Could she really be having a crush on this human she barely knew? Tali had always known she was open to the idea of having relationship with an alien, which was an unsurprising fact considering her obsession with Fleet and Flotilla. However, she had always imagined that it would be a turian, if it ever happened at all (which was a decidedly low chance to begin with). She had, of course, done research on humans before leaving on her pilgrimage out of both curiosity and practicality, but until she had actually seen one in person, she hadn't fully grasped just how similar their species were biologically. In that case, perhaps it wasn't so weird for her to feel this way after all.
Tali was brought back to reality when Shepard removed his hand, frowning.
"Sorry. I just wanted you to know that I really appreciate what you did for me. I didn't mean to offend."
"Oh! No, it's fine. I just…um…well," she stammered, wringing her hands in front of her waist. Great. Now the handsome human thought she was pissed off at him. Good going, Tali, she mentally chastised herself. Wait. Did I just call him 'handsome'? Keelah…
Luckily, Tali was saved from having to finish her sentence and further embarrassing herself by three approaching C-sec officers. Not so luckily, one of them appeared to be the same turian who'd given her trouble upon first arriving at the Citadel. He and his cronies were all armed and walked with a threatening swagger. Whatever they wanted, she knew it couldn't be good.
"Can I help you, officers?" Shepard greeted suspiciously.
"Sorry for the intrusion, but this suit rat accompanying you is under arrest," the man explained, gesturing at Tali.
Tali's heart dropped, her pleasant mood shattered in an instant. Did the universe just hate her for some arbitrary reason? The rest of the galaxy seemed to.
Shepard frowned. "On what charges?" he demanded angrily.
The turian sighed, clearly annoyed at having his authority questioned. Shepard guessed he was someone used to having his word taken as law, especially when abusing his power over the helpless.
"If you must know, the suit rat murdered a turian in cold blood shortly after arriving on the station. It lured him into an incinerator, hacked the controls, and locked him in there while the flames seared him to a crisp," he explained. "Damn cowardly and sadistic way to kill someone too, if you ask me," he commented spitefully, staring daggers at Tali.
Shepard was practically seeing red. He'd heard Tali's story both from Dr. Michel and from Tali herself.
"First of all," Shepard began, leaning in aggressively and practically yelling already, "*she* has a name; Tali'Zorah. Secondly, it was self-defense. Last time I checked, that's not illegal."
The turian officer snarled, showing the teeth-like ridges inside his mandibles. "If you know what's good for you, human, you'll back right off."
Shepard curled his fists, a gesture that he knew the officers had noticed. Deciding it best not to antagonize the authorities, he decided to wait and see what the man's justification for the arrest could possibly be before getting up in his face. Shepard settled into a more relaxed pose.
"Now, as I was trying to say…it's station policy to place all involved in violent incidents under arrest while the evidence is examined. Furthermore, we are legally able to charge her with tampering with citadel technology and vagrancy."
Shepard was back to an enraged state again. Anderson listened with rapt attention, proud of his former XO for standing up for what's right and curious about what the man would do. Not like he could get into any real trouble anyway, recently being named a spectre and all.
Kaiden merely shook his head. Wrex and Garrus glanced at each other, the former chuckling under his breath.
Ashley was the only one who decided to speak up. "Makes sense to me. What's the big deal anyway, Shepard? Let them take her."
Shepard wheeled on her. "Shut up, Williams, and never let me hear you question me again," he spat with such vitriol that the woman positively blanched. The woman was so taken aback that it was obvious she had no idea what to say.
Shepard turned back to the officer. "I assume you were watching the Council proceedings, then, if you were waiting until we were done so that you could arrest her."
"Yes, that is correct. But I'm not sure-"
"Then you just saw that she presented evidence which incriminates Saren Arterius and proves that he is working with the Geth; critical intel that could save untold lives," Shepard interrupted. "This woman is a damn hero, and you want to bring her in for defending herself from an assassin that was trying to kill her? What a fucking joke."
All three officers tensed, hands twitching for their guns. "Sir, I'm warning you…" the lead turian began.
"You don't care about protecting the innocent or doing what's right," Shepard plunged ahead, shoving a finger accusingly in the man's face. "You're just a racist bully abusing policy to bring in some quarian on bullshit charges so that you can legally make her life miserable for killing someone of your own race in self-defense!"
All three officers stepped back and drew their guns, pointing them at the brash human. Shepard's retinue stepped back, not wanting to get involved in case their hothead Commander decided to foolishly cross the law.
"How about I bring you in for obstruction of justice, threatening an officer, and harboring a fugitive?" the turian shot back. "That's if I'm feeling generous today *and* judge your apology to be sincere enough."
Tali stepped between Shepard and the turian. "Look, I don't want you to get in trouble for my sake," she began. "Maybe I had better just go with him."
"No, Tali, it's alright," Shepard answered, gently brushing her back behind him again. "I'm not going to let these bastards take you."
"You're pushing it, human. Listen to the suit rat," the turian chimed in.
"Or what?" Shepard asked, crossing his arms and striking a casual pose. "You going to arrest a council spectre? I'd like to see you try."
The turians glanced at one another. He had a point. They put their guns away in unison.
"You might be above the law, but she's not," the lead turian pointed out.
Shepard smirked. "That's where you're wrong. Tali joined my crew as a combat engineer. She's one of my people now, a critical asset on the mission to stop Saren. That means that she is under my protection, and by detaining her, you're interfering with that mission. And I'll have you know that I'm authorized to apprehend Saren by any means necessary. Are we clear?"
Shepard wasn't quite used to reading turians, but he could tell that the officer knew he had made a huge mistake. After several moments of awkward silence and twitching his mandibles back and forth, he finally spoke. "Very well. I'll officially strike these charges from the records," he said, activating his omni-tool and typing a few buttons on the haptic interface. "I'm sorry for the trouble, sir. Have a wonderful day." It was obvious that he didn't really mean it, though. His eyes revealed a simmering and impotent hatred.
Shepard briefly toyed with the idea of forcing the man to apologize directly to Tali, but he didn't want to push the envelope any more. Instead, he simply took a deep breath and pinched the bridge of his nose to cool down.
Wrex chuckled. It was deep, rumbling sound. "Damn, Shepard. I didn't know humans could have a quad that big," he said, clapping Shepard on the back.
He shrugged, not knowing what to say in response.
"Shepard, that was…" Tali began, clearly exasperated and extremely thankful. "That was amazing. No one has ever…I mean I didn't expect…thank you."
Shepard smiled back at her. It was amazing how expressive she could be with that suit obscuring her entire body. Her body language and tone of voice were practically radiating gratitude and immense relief.
"No thanks are necessary. I couldn't let them take you away like that. You didn't deserve it."
"Well, I appreciate it all the same," she answered, wringing her hands nervously again.
Garrus strode over to Shepard. "That guy you just told off was a crooked crop. Everyone knows he hates aliens, quarians most of all. Even more than usual, I mean. Bastard used to make my life miserable. I would've reported him, but I couldn't prove his illegal dealings. That, and people who cross him tend to wind up framed for a crime they didn't commit. Or dead."
"I hope he gets what's coming to him," Shepard responded. "Come on, we have a mission to plan. We can discuss it on the way to the ship."
"About that…" Anderson said as they started walking away.
Tali had never seen a more beautiful example of technological triumph in her entire life. Even from looking at merely the exterior of the ship, she could easily calculate how complex and advanced the Normandy's interior systems were. Why, the size of the drive core alone…not to diminish its physical beauty, of course, which was impressive in and of itself. The thing had to be the most massive and powerful frigate ever built, if not best ship in the galaxy. Tali would have killed to serve on a ship like this, or even just study it for a few hours. To someone like her, such an opportunity would be a dream come true.
As much as the Normandy fascinated her, it also left her feeling a bit depressed. This ship was light years ahead of anything her people had back in the migrant fleet. The drive cores, internal mechanisms, sensors, and computers of the Rayya that she had so adored studying in her childhood seemed primitive and pathetic next to the machines that must surely lie inside this marvel of spaceflight. It just seemed so unfair that her people were condemned to drift through the void of space in a ramshackle flotilla of barely-functional, obsolete ships for a crime that their ancestors had committed centuries ago. The fact that humans, a species far younger than the glorious civilization of the ancient quarians, were held in higher standing, had a spectre, and were able to possess something like the Normandy…it almost made her want to weep at the injustice of it all.
At least she could be content in knowing that she'd had a chance to see it, even if only from the outside. It was a slight pleasure that she savored for the moment. Soon, she would have to get back to her pilgrimage…whatever she could make of it on this godforsaken station where she didn't have a home, barely any credits, no weapon, no friends, no crew, and no ship, that is.
Tali didn't want to think about what she would do next, but at the same time, she realized that her time was running out. Shepard had just finished speaking with the rest of the crew, Anderson, and Hackett about the mission.
"Admiring the ship?" Shepard asked, striding over to her and leaning on a rail.
"Yes. It's magnificent," Tali responded with undisguised awe in her voice. "We don't have anything like it at home."
Shepard stared off into the distance, unsure how to take her comment. He knew only the bare, essential facts about quarians, and didn't want to make her feel more jealous by asking what she meant. Instead, he simply stared at Anderson's…his…ship. Just thinking about the fact that the Normandy belonged to him now, that he was a spectre charged with the all-important task of tracking down Saren and stopping a war…it was an honor he felt he didn't deserve. And a burden.
Regardless, Shepard was committed to and outwardly confidant about getting the job done, even if he privately questioned his worthiness. Leading N7 troops and serving as an XO was one thing, but this…this was something else entirely.
As troubled as he was feeling, Shepard could only imagine how much worse the woman next to him felt at the moment. She was lost, traumatized, and all alone on a station full of bigots who thought of her as trash. It was a shame, really; Tali was a mechanical savant if her achievement of being the first person in all of history to retrieve an intact geth memory core was any indication.
Shepard almost grinned, a delightful thought coming to mind.
"Where will you go? What will you do now?" he asked Tali cautiously, curious if she already had plans for her future.
Tali delayed answering for a brief time. She could hear the concern in Shepard's voice, and it really touched her. She wanted to give him an answer, even if it was to simply say that she didn't have one.
"I don't know. My crew…my ship…they're gone, Shepard. I guess I'll try to finish my pilgrimage here, but…I don't…" Tali trailed off, uncertainty evident in her tone. She knew she sounded like a person who was utterly lost and broken. It wasn't far from the truth. She still felt a faint urge to cry.
"You know, I do need a tech expert and combat engineer. I'd be happy to have you aboard, if you're willing," Shepard offered.
Tali practically jumped as if electrocuted. The first thing that ran across her mind was that this human was taking pity on her. "Oh no, I couldn't impose. I appreciate the offer, Shepard, but you don't need to-"
"It's not an imposition at all. You're clearly a gifted technician, especially when it comes to geth. Someone who knows that much about them would be invaluable on this mission; I'll more than likely be fighting them quite a bit, especially if they're working for Saren."
Tali blushed at his compliment, once more thankful that the suit concealed her reaction. She'd be lying if she said that she hadn't fantasized about joining up with Shepard's crew. He was embarking upon an extremely dangerous mission, sure, but her recent brushes with death had somewhat desensitized her to the risk. Besides, after seeing how efficiently Shepard had dispatched those thugs in the alley, Tali wondered if she'd still be safer with him anyway, especially if all humans were just as formidable as he was. Moreover, the mission would likely present plenty of opportunities for her to find a pilgrimage gift. And it wasn't like she had anywhere else to go, anyway. Better a highly-advanced warship crewed by battle-hardened warriors that served under a fiercely anti-racist captain than a crowded station that hated quarians.
On the other hand, she would be the only quarian on board. It would be a confined and unfamiliar territory. With her social anxiety, she'd probably make a fool of herself and get kicked off the ship.
You're supposed to grow from your pilgrimage, Tali thought, reminding herself of the words her father had spoken to her before she left. You're supposed to prove that you can be an adult. Time to stop being so damn nervous and suck it up.
Sure, it would likely be a very strange and scary experience at first. However, her trepidation at being stuck on an alien ship was tempered by her trust in Shepard, who had proven himself to be a friend to her in a very short amount of time.
And if she was being honest with herself…a big part of it was that she thought the dashing Commander was very attractive. She couldn't imagine just walking away from him. Not that she actually expected anything to come of her admiration, of course. The whole thing was quite ridiculous when she really thought about it. That didn't mean she couldn't take pleasure in fantasy, though, especially if no one was the wiser to her private thoughts.
"No pressure, take your time to think," Shepard said. "We're not leaving for Therum for at least several more hours while we re-supply. Alien crew members have different needs after all, heh."
"I think I've already made up my mind," Tali said, standing up straight and turning to face him.
Shepard tensed, hoping she'd say 'yes'.
"I'd be more than happy to join your crew, Shepard. It's a noble cause, and will give me a sense of purpose, at least," Tali explained.
Shepard was deeply impressed by her bravery and decisiveness. It couldn't have been an easy decision to come to. He was also more than a little relieved at her answer, to his puzzlement.
"Wonderful. Welcome aboard, Tali," Shepard said, holding out his hand.
Tali tilted her head, glancing curiously at his outstretched appendage.
"Sorry," Shepard said, retracting his hand and rubbing the back of his neck with it instead. "It's a human gesture. It's meant to signify partnership or…familiarity, I guess."
"Oh. That's…interesting," Tali remarked, tentatively holding out a three-fingered hand.
Shepard clasped her hand in his for a moment, shaking and squeezing it lightly. Tali thought it was a bizarre gesture, but it made a certain kind of sense. She could certainly see the appeal. Humans were odd but…relatable, in an abstract way. Probably had something to do with their similar appearances.
"Thank you for this opportunity," Tali said. "I'll do my best to repay my debt."
"I should be the one thanking you for letting me use that data," Shepard said, shaking his head in exasperation. "If one of us owes the other a debt, Tali, it's me. Offering you a position on my crew was the least that I could do. But that wasn't why I did it. I genuinely want you aboard. If you're going to be on my crew, I need you to understand that. You and I…we're even. You don't owe me anything more. I'll expect you to follow orders, of course, but you'll be free to go at any time."
Tali felt herself flushing again, but was also confused. She didn't understand the human idiom of being 'even'; it translated oddly inside of her helmet. It was only after her poorly-coded language program brought up an overly lengthy explanation of the phrase on the inside of her visor that she finally understood.
"Tali?"
"Sorry. That last thing you said didn't translate right. It took me a second to get it, but I understand, Shepard."
"Good," the human man replied with a handsome smile. "It would probably be a smart idea for you to upgrade your translation software and do some research on human customs. I'll do the same for quarians, and order the crew to do it as well."
"Can do," Tali said, nodding enthusiastically.
"Now come along," Shepard said, waving her in the direction of the Normandy's airlock. I'll show you around the ship and get you settled in. You're going to need to report to Dr. Chakwas for a physical, and to make sure she'll be able to treat you. We're also going to need to have a conversation about your special needs aboard the ship…"
As Shepard began giving her the rundown and leading her into the Normandy, Tali couldn't help but feel optimistic. It felt as if she was walking into the sunrise of a better, happier day ahead.
For the first time in nearly 72 hours, Tali smiled.