It's a late lunch for many on the Normandy's crew deck, and the place echoes with conversation and footfalls. At 1500 hours HST (Human Standard Time), Garrus Vakarian makes his way from the Main Battery to the Mess Hall, and leans over the Mess Sergeant Gardner's table. The man's back is to him, his elbows moving in circular motions as they rub down dishes.
"Hey, Sergeant," The human male turns his head, typical bitterness in his gaze and Garrus continues, unabashed. "I know it's late, but got any Dextro food you can whip up for me real quick?"
Gardner scoffs, turning away, saying, "If you hadn't noticed, I'm busy. There's some old turian paste in the fridge if you feel daring enough."
The turian grunted his thanks, and took Gardner's suggestion, taking from the nearby cooling unit a long, packed tube of turian paste. Atop it was a note written in, he recognized with approval, Tali's swirling manuscript.
"Due date expired yesterday. I left it for you."
Garrus smirks to himself, placing the package into the heating unit. He leans back against the counter, arms crossing as he waits for the food to run its cycle. Avian eyes scan the room, resting for a moment on Tali'Zorah. Her lunch alone is occasionally interrupted by crew member passerby, all grins and humor. The quarian always seemed to blend right in to whatever environment she was shoved into and affect it with this sort of glow. Garrus shifted his weight, suddenly uncomfortable alone.
His eyes continued their scan, watching Miranda walking briskly towards her office, omni-tool out and glowing as she fills out a report to the Illusive Man. Continuing his scan of the Mess Hall, Garrus saw Jacob flex to himself on his way towards the Armory. A cloaked feminine figure was following as a sheen of air rippled behind Jacob, unnoticed by much of the crew. Over near the lounge, the voices of Grunt and Zaeed are heard, vigorously sharing war stories.
Just at the edge of Garrus' vision, a silhouette of green slipped by. Garrus held out a hand, and his eyes met the new member, the drell, who returned the turian's gaze in with a confused look of his own.
"Thane. Right?" Garrus asked.
Thane nodded politely before replying, "Why, yes. You are Garrus, I assume."
"Yeah," Garrus says, recalling briefly Shepard's dossier for the assassin. "Good to finally meet you." The two shake hands, Garrus squeezing a little tightly, unable to resist sizing the man up. With a little excitement in his voice, Garrus says, "I've heard you're quite the marksman." Thane chuckles, and Garrus finds himself liking the drell.
Thane says, "Most would call me killer. I prefer 'weapon.' Though for the kindness, you have my thanks." Garrus nods with a smile. He turns and glaces at the heating unit. He growls to himself however, as the food is not quite ready.
Turning back to Thane, Garrus says with a glint in his eye, "Shepard tells me you've got a good shooting arm. Says you could be one of the best in the crew."
"I've been trained for combat from a very young age." Thane quips.
Garrus grins cockily, "Let's test exactly how far that takes you. Shooting range later, you interested?"
Thane smiles and says, "A shooting competition with Archangel of Omega?" Garrus winces at the nickname, and Thane's smile widens, "I'd be honored."
The two shake hands and Thane begins to depart, saying with a bow, "It was a pleasure to meet you, Garrus."
"Likewise," Garrus remarks. As the drell begins to walk away, Garrus thinks to himself, realizing the incredible team Shepard has put together. With a sense of pride, Garrus smiles at the thought when all of a sudden, a quick buzzing sound can be heard. The food was ready.
Garrus carefully reaches in and pulls the piping hot tube of turian paste out. Immediately his eyes turn to where Tali sits, absently playing with her food. He walks over and pulls up the chair beside her, the screech of the movement snapping her from her thoughts. She glances at Garrus, and sighs.
"What?" Garrus says.
"Nothing..." She murmers, squeezing paste from the tube and poking at it.
Garrus leans towards her, nerves bouncing butterflies in his stomach.
Clearing his throat, he begins as smoothly as possible. "Joker told me we were setting a course for the Migrant Fleet. Did someone get on your nerves too much and you had to use your shotgun on them?"
"What? No!" She spins to face him, eyes wide behind obscuring helmet. She leans in close, voice wild. "What did Shepard tell you?"
"N-nothing!" Garrus says as he raises his arms in a sincere gesture, "I was just kidding around." Tali sighs and turns back to poking her food. "A... Are you in trouble or something?" The turian asks hesitantly, trying to be nonchalant as possible as he jerkily unscrews the paste's cap.
"I... I'd rather not talk about it." Tali says. Her voice is soft, strained, "There's... already enough on everyone's minds."
"You'd be surprised at how much I can handle." Garrus says, "It's rather impressive, really." Tali laughs, a delightful noise which dies all too soon. When her voice comes out again, it's weak and scared.
"The Admiralty Board accused me of treason. Shepard's taking me there to support me in the trial." The slightest bit of warmth creeps into her voice at his name. She goes on, saying, "It's very serious."
Garrus asks, "Do you have an idea why, or...?"
The quarian interrupts, saying, "No... no. I don't. I don't know why they'd-" Her voice cuts off abruptly, and her fist squeezes the tube. Garrus realizes with a start she hasn't eaten any of it.
The turian puts a hand on Tali's shoulder, "Hey...listen to me. Everything's going to be okay. I'm always here for you if you ever need to talk." His eyes glisten with a deep feeling of emotion. Tali turns to him, looks into his eyes and feels something...different.
She says with a soft voice, "I know...but how do you know everything will be alright?"
Shrugging, Garrus jokes, saying, "Well...I don't, but if you like, I can go with you and Shepard to the trial."
Tali smiles at the turian and says, "Sure. I'd like that." They look into each other's eyes for a moment until a sharp voice can be heard behind them.
"Hey you two. How are you?"
Tali and Garrus realize who it is, and turn to see Shepard.
Garrus jerks his hand off of Tali's shoulder, saying nervously, "I-uh...We were talking about the trial Tali's going to tomorrow."
"Oh okay. Yeah, we're going in the morning," Shepard simply states.
Garrus looks over at Tali then turns back to Shepard, asking, "Hey, Shepard. I'd like to join you two for the trial, just to be there as a moral support. Would that be alright?"
Shepard and Tali look at each other, then Shepard looks back at Garrus, saying with a smile, "Sure. I don't see why not. We'll arrive there at 0600 hours. Be ready." Garrus nods, then smiles at Tali, who quickly looks away and pokes at her food again. Shepard pulls up a chair and the three delve into reminiscent conversation, of old pranks that sported laughter and moments of battle which augmented gregariousness.