Standard disclaimers: I don't own Mass Effect or any of these characters

The Normandy had always been a beautiful ship. Tali'Zorah vas Neema had been impressed by it, eager to explore, from the moment she first saw it in docking bay. She considered herself very lucky that she'd been allowed to do just that. Shepard had been under no obligation to allow a stranger, a civilian, such access or to extend such trust.

Commander Shepard had trusted her, though, and had earned Tali's trust in turn a hundred times over.

There was a certain practicality interwoven into a quarian's love for her ship. After all, a ship was not just a home but an entire world to the wandering race. They were great metal protectors who, in turn, needed to be constantly protected by way of daily maintenance and vigilant watches. It was a rather lovely partnership in its own fashion.

Compared to the ships in the Fleet, the Normandy had not been very needy. She was so much newer than what Tali was used to that she seemed to require nothing but the occasional guiding hand from her crew. Even when she was attacked by an enemy more advanced than anyone could have expected, she remained strong and held together long enough to save most of the crew.

It was foolish but sometimes Tali thought that she had failed the great ship in those last moments. Perhaps if she'd just been faster, or smarter, she could have done something, gotten more power to the thrusters or bolstered the shields, to save the Normandy.

To save the Commander.

But, then, no, there hadn't been anything that anyone could do. That so many of them survived was a miracle in of itself.

Still, even though common sense told her that guilt was unnecessary, when the young quarian stepped aboard the Normandy SR-2 for the first time she'd caressed the bulkhead surreptitiously. The quick but fervent gesture sealed the promise to both the ship and herself that neither of them would go down without a fight again.

Now, squeezed underneath a console as she reconnected the secondary exchanges, she was grimly satisfied to know that she'd helped keep that promise. The new Normandy had gone through the Omega 4 relay only a few weeks ago and destroyed the Collector ship which had been stealing entire colonies of humans for a horrible purpose. The ship had suffered, as had her crew, but no matter how bloody, bruised and battered they all were, they'd all survived.

Though, Donnelly hardly joked at all now.

And all of Kelly's smiles were forced.

Miranda had even, somewhat ironically, become even colder and more focused now that her ties with the Illusive Man had been shattered.

Tali sighed. No, no one was unaffected. The Normandy had limped back to the Citadel for the repairs that were not possible in space. It was there that, once docked, many of the crew had gone separate ways. Miranda and Jacob had gone off to secure new resources for the money that they needed to operate, and Thane to spend some time with his son aboard the station. Shepard, Garrus and Samara had gone to talk to the Council, while Zaeed had simply bid them all goodbye.

Tali wasn't sure that Samara would stay with them once they departed the Citadel.

In fact, Tali was certain that Zaeed wouldn't be the last to leave the Normandy for good. They'd saved thousands of lives and defeated a threat to the entire universe, but the fact of the matter was that the mission was over now. For the time being at least, there was no overt goal except to get stronger and be ready. To go from such a high calling to marking time was a hard thing. Surviving such a monumental and dire experience could make a person feel very … empty… afterwards. The lack of purpose could be devastating.

Tali wasn't immune to such feelings but she was more familiar with them than some of the others. While Saren's death and the defeat of Sovereign had been a great thing, she'd still felt at somewhat loose ends afterwards. She'd only been on the verge of getting used to a life lived a bit less urgently when Shepard had died.

By comparison, this situation now was much easier to handle.

Besides, she already knew she would be staying. Aboard the Normandy she could best serve her fleet, the universe, and her friends. It was where she belonged and where she intended to always return.

Tali Zorah vas Normandy.

"The console was very hungry today, I see," the interjection was smooth as Asari silk and full of teasing smiles. Tali gave a connecter a last tug and began wiggling her way out of the cramped space.

"Yes, very hungry indeed," she returned, "though it will take more than a malfunctioning console to do me in."

Kasumi Goto was leaning against the bulkhead across the way, arms crossed over her chest and posture casual. Beneath the shadow of her hood, her dark marked lips were curved and her eyes danced. The thief seemed to delight in popping up here and there on the ship, never spending too much time with anyone, but touching them all in methodical turns as if to reassure herself of one thing or another. Tali could never tell whether her habit had to do keeping tabs on the people, the relationships, or the ship itself.

"I don't doubt it for a second," Kasumi assured, "Though, you do realize you've worked completely through your own dinner, right?"

Tali winced, "Ah, yes. I just wanted to get this one last thing finished. The screen had been surging and it was becoming impossible to read without a headache."

"Ouch," Kasumi straightened up, "Well, if it's fixed now, Gardener set aside something for you." There was a lilt there as the thief interjected a question into the words.

Or, perhaps, Kasumi's delicate checking was simply the gesture of a woman looking for company?

Tali nodded, "Alright. The rest can wait." She fell into line beside the other woman as they headed for the elevator, still wondering about t he rest of the crew.

Grunt would probably stay, Tali mused, given his desire to fight. Or, maybe not if Shepard couldn't give him enemies right away. And Jack? With her temper, it was only a matter of time before there would be some sort of conflict. When it happened, it'd be easier than ever for the tattooed convict to just walk. "Kasumi?"

"Yes?" Dark eyes flicked to her.

"I was wondering," Tali began, "now that we are docked at the citadel, do you intend to stay with the crew?"

"Goodness, that is the question of the hour, isn't it?" Kasumi pressed the button on the panel and the elevator began to hum as it carried them up. "I imagine that I'll leave eventually, of course. I do have a career to tend to, after all. But I don't see much of a rush."

"A career," Tali said doubtfully.

Kasumi flashed her smile, "We all have our places, Tali. Besides, you shouldn't knock it. I'd bet, if given half a chance, you'd love the thrill of a good heist."

"Be that as it may," Tali chuckled, not without a hint of wryness. "I think I'll leave the stealing to you."

The elevator slowed and opened. Tali's suit filters purified the air she breathed before ever delivering it to her lungs so she couldn't smell the scorch marks that she could plainly see on the walls, even here. The complaints from other crew members had made it clear, however, that the scent was still in nearly everything on the ship.

"Tali Zorah vas Normandy," EDI's voice came from a nearby console. The ship's artificial intelligence was very polite, perhaps because it was aware of Tali's distrust of all things AI.

Tali stiffened slightly but replied, "Yes, EDI?"

"You have an incoming message from the Migrant Fleet. I have uploaded it to your omni-tool." It was said matter-of-factly enough but Tali still felt her stomach twist a little. Lately, news from the Fleet had not meant good things for her. Kasumi had paused, giving Tali a neutral but curious look.

"Thank you EDI," Tali said mechanically, "Kasumi, I should hear what they have to say. Thank you for coming to get me. I will talk to you later."

"Of course," the woman said easily and left Tali standing in the elevator. The quarian debated disembarking; perhaps reading the message while grabbing what Gardener had saved for her. Instead she simply pressed the button to return to the engineering deck. Privacy seemed a prudent measure.

As a result, Tali didn't bring up the message until she was in an out-of-the-way alcove and sitting down.

The message took two minutes to read.

The jumble of emotions it caused, fear, denial, panic, took five minutes to control.

Her decision about what she needed to do once she could think properly, took almost no time at all.

Tali surged to her feet and strode down the hall, heading to her rack and her things. She'd get EDI to patch a message through to Shepard or leave one with someone on the crew.

The Normandy was her home. Her ship. She would always, always return back to it.

But right now, she needed to hire a ship that could take her to Odua in the Serpent Nebula.

I don't know if you are still alive, Reeger. But I won't let you be abandoned all alone on a world like that. Hold on. I'm coming.

Review Note:

Thanks Cynderfire! ;)