A/N – I'll be honest with myself and my readers. I think the prologue and first chapter were quite good, but I was never really happy with my last chapter, but as I said, I only included it to save Jenkins. I may even re-write it and put up a different version (but that will be later). However, I think my standard picks up again going forward. Hopefully you enjoy the next few chapters, as they focus on other characters, before resuming the Shepard POV.
The darkness was impenetrable. The cold chilled to the bone as the cargo bay had next to no heat. The only sounds, apart from the heartbeat echoing in her ears, the steady breathing as she tried to keep calm, were the dull roar of the engines of the turian cruiser on which she was currently stowed away. The lights had been switched off not long after departure from Illium. She was glad she was not claustrophobic; otherwise she would have been driven mad. The dark thoughts currently flowing through her mind were bad enough. The thoughts of friends and allies already lost, of being found where she was currently sat, hidden away in the confines of the ship, of dying, afraid and alone, far away from home.
Tali'Zorah nar Rayya had to admit that she was slightly frightened. She did not frighten easily, she thought was she was brave, but her Pilgrimage had been one disaster after another since she had departed the Rayya just over a month ago. Months of preparation and training for her journey – weapons training and first-aid being the most important - verged on being all for nothing. She knew she could not return empty-handed. It would be embarrassing for herself. But that would compare nothing of the embarrassment it would bring her father. The expectation on her shoulders, of returning with a grand prize for the fleet, was almost overwhelming.
Like most quarians, Tali had been excited prior to her departure of Pilgrimage. It was a rite of passage for all young quarians and was an event she had been looking forward to for years. She had grown up almost exclusively on the Rayya. It was where she had first shown signs of near-genius regarding anything mechanical. From an early age, she was down in the bowels of the ship, helping repair the creaking vessel, crawling through vents to get to the inaccessible areas that others could not reach. She had enjoyed working on ships from an early age, of proving herself to her ship-mates. Mostly she spent nearly every day trying to make her father proud.
Tali grimaced in the darkness at the thought of her father. Her father, one of five Admirals of the Migrant Fleet, was a distant man. Tali had lost her mother a few years previously to an accident, leaving her alone with her father, who had no idea how to raise a child. Since her mother's death, her father became more distant, throwing himself into his work while heaping more and more pressure on her shoulders. Nothing ever seemed to make him happy. Tali could pass every test during her education with flying colours and it never seemed to be enough. She loved her father deeply, as any child does, and she did everything she could to make him happy, to at least gain his respect as a member of the fleet, but the constant veiled criticism and lack of appreciation for everything she did for him, and the fleet, left her almost glad to depart the Rayya.
I still miss him, though, despite everything. I'll make him proud in the end.
The thought concerning Tali most, though, was of being alone. Quarians were not solitary people. Even on Pilgrimage, quarians would usually depart together before eventually splitting once they had arrived at a city to start working. Ships back in the Migrant Fleet were usually full to bursting with people. 17 million spread across at least 50,000 ships. The Rayya was one of the larger ships of the fleet, thousands of quarians spread across the numerous decks. Tali always thought this was how a city must feel, the constant stream of people coming and going, the roar of conversation usually louder than the engines that powered the fleet across the galaxy. There was next to no privacy on a quarian vessel. Everything was shared as space was at a premium.
Her train of thoughts in the darkness were broken as she could feel the vessel starting to slow and the lights suddenly flicked on, blinding her momentarily as she blinked her eyes rapidly, adjusting to the light. She had no idea where the vessel had been heading. She had stowed away on the first vessel she could find as she tried to escape the mercenaries who had been chasing her across Illium. She knew why they were chasing her. The information currently sat on her omni-tool was of immense value. Any information regarding the geth was a sought after commodity. She had listened to the information she had found and was disturbed by its contents.
I wonder where we are. Hopefully somewhere safe…
The vessel shuddered slightly as Tali figured the vessel had finally come to a stop, the usual sounds of clamps attaching to the vessel suggesting the vessel had docked. Tali sat up slightly and peered over the crates behind which she was currently hidden. She noticed a couple of turians make their way down a steel ladder and towards the back of the vessel, chatting quietly between them. She couldn't quite make out what they were saying. Further light started to filter into the cargo hold as the bay door started up, lowering slowly, and the sounds of the docking bay filtering through the ever-increasing gap. Tali continued to peer over the crate, trying to figure out where she was.
Footsteps echoed off the steel ladders behind her, Tali ducking her head again as more of the crew started to make their way off the vessel. She could hear conversation and laughter fading into the distance, Tali chancing another peek as the crew manoeuvred their way through the stacks of crates, down the ramp and onto the docking bay itself. The cargo hold was once again silent.
Tali sat and waited for a few more minutes before peeking once again. There appeared to be no-one around. With a deep breath, Tali stood, stretching as she did, having been sat in the same position for hours on end. Slowly she started to walk past the high stacks of crates in the cargo bay, stopping at the edge of each section, peeking round corners to ensure the coast was clear. Soon the crates stopped and there was clear space between herself and the docking bay ahead. Just as she was about to step out and run for it, a hand grabbed her by a shoulder.
"And just who the hell are you?" asked the voice, while turning her around.
Tali looked up to see a turian face looking back down at her. He looked angry, eyes burrowing into the glowing eyes looking back at him. Tali knew she was done for.
"Nobody. I'm nobody," answered Tali.
"Suit-rat more like it. So, come on, be honest, what have you stolen?"
Tali sighed. She was already used to the name. She had been warned prior to leaving the fleet that quarians were looked down upon as nothing more than thieves and vagrants by most others races in the galaxy.
"I haven't stolen anything. I stowed away to escape Illium. Where are we?" she asked the turian.
"The Citadel. Now, you're going to come with me. I'm handing your troublesome ass over to C-Sec."
The Citadel? Maybe I could take this to the Council.
Tali didn't bother fighting or trying to get away. She was alone and had nowhere to go. The turian turned her around and pushed her away and out of the back of the ship. The bay was busy, Tali looking left and right as she could see a number of ships docked, workers walking to and from each ship, dragging crates of goods onto the bay floor. The turian continued to push Tali in the back as they walked towards the exit, Tali contemplating running for it, until she saw two security officers guarding the door.
"Who have we here, Theris?" asked one of the guards.
"Stowaway," replied Theris, "I'm taking her to C-Sec. They can deal with her."
The two guards nodded, one of them turning around and keying a number into the keypad. The door opened in front of the pair, Theris pushing Tali in the back again, urging her to move forward.
"Perhaps we can work out a deal?" asked Tali as they walked down the hallway.
Theris laughed. "And what do you have to offer me, suit-rat?"
Tali stayed silent. There was nothing she could offer. It was an offer of desperation. The pair eventually came to an elevator, the door opening immediately and the two stepped on.
"You should count yourself lucky, suit-rat. If I'd found you en route, I'd have thrown you out the airlock. If there is one thing we ship captains hate, it is a stowaway," stated Theris. Tali gulped at the thought.
The elevator soon stopped its ascent, the doors opening Theris once again pushing Tali forward and out into the office Citadel Security. The pair ascended another set of stairs before turning into a corner office, where another turian was sat behind a desk, looking up at the pair entered the room.
"Theris. Surprised to see you here." The turian then looked at Tali. "And who do we have here?"
"Stowaway, Chellick. Found her just a few minutes ago trying to get off my ship. As far as I'm concerned, now that she's on the Citadel, she's your problem now."
Chellick nodded his head. "Fair enough, Theris. We'll sort it out from here."
Tali turned around to see Theris nod, turn and walk out of the room, before returning her attention to the officer in front of her.
"So, suit-rat, a stowaway and likely a vagrant. I should run you in right now and kick you off the station."
Tali thought quickly. "Listen, I have vital information that I need to present to the Council. I need to gain an audience with them as soon as possible. The reason I stowed away on that ship is because people were trying to kill me back on Illium."
Chellick sat quiet for a moment before bursting into laughter. "You suit-rats, you really can't help yourselves, can you? You'll tell us anything to avoid getting into trouble."
"I'm telling the truth!"
Chellick waved a hand in dismissal while still chuckling. "Oh, I'm sure you are." Chellick then took a deep breath, stopped laughing and leant forward, resting his elbows on his desk, looking directly into Tali's eyes. "Now listen well, suit-rat. We don't like the fact your kind is welcome on the Citadel, but we have to put up with you coming here and messing up the place. So, here's the deal. You have 24 hours to get off the Citadel. If any of my men find you on the Citadel after that time, you will be dealt with. Understand?"
Tali sighed and nodded her head. Her options were thinning already.
"Good, now get the hell out of here before I change my mind and throw you off the Citadel now."
Tali stood up and walked out of the office and back down the stairs into the foyer. She approached the information board to ascertain where on the Citadel she was. She ran her finger up and down the board until she found what she was looking for. Tali walked and boarded another elevator and descended into the wards. It was an area she had been told about, prior to leaving on her Pilgrimage, by others who had completed theirs. Chellick's words about quarians not being welcomed settled in her mind, but she had been told that there were still plenty of quarians living and working on the Citadel. But, like anywhere in the galaxy, apart from the fleet, their lives were made incredibly difficult by authorities.
Tali stepped out of the elevator into a large open area and walked towards a viewing platform. She stood there for a few moments, collecting her thoughts but also taking in the view.
There must be millions of people living here.
A wave of sadness enveloped her. She wished nothing more than to be back on the Rayya. She had no idea where she would go now. Illium was meant to be start of an exciting journey in regards to her Pilgrimage. She had no idea what she was going to take back to the fleet but knew she would have eventually find something worthwhile. Now she was worried about even returning home alive. With a sigh, Tali tore her eyes from the view and walked off deeper into the wards.
Until a shot was fired.
Tali cried out as the bullet hit her in the side. It didn't go in, but she knew, straight away, that her suit was compromised, and she could feel the blood immediately start to flow. She turned to see a turian running towards her, gun raised, aiming to fire again.
That's the same mercenary from Illium!
Tali ran. She didn't know where she was going but Tali ran as fast as her legs would take her. She found a set of stairs and jumped down them, two or three steps at a time. Around and round the sets of stairs she ran. She could hear the turian yelling out at her to stop, the occasional shot being fired, but nothing came close to hitting her. Eventually the set of stairs ended, and Tali ran down a long, dark corridor, barely lit by emergency lighting. She tried to open doors to the side as she ran, with no luck. Every single one was locked. She turned and continued to run, her footsteps echoing in the gloom, breathing heavily, looking back every so often to see where the turian was. She had opened quite a gap, as she could barely see him at the end of the corridor.
Tali rounded a corner. And came to a dead end. A long corridor, a steel wall at the end and no way out.
Keelah, what now?
Tali searched for refuge. She looked up and saw a small spot where she could hide, above the pipes that appeared to line the corridor. She leapt and grabbed the ledge, dragging herself up and kneeling in the darkness. She took the shotgun from the small of her back, focusing her breath to stop her hands from shaking, as she listened out for the sound of the turians footsteps. Seconds later, she could hear the turian close on her position.
The turian walked past her position with gun raised. Tali observed as he slowly walked past where she was hidden, thanking the ancestors that he did not look up at where she was hidden, figuring the darkness helped her remain unseen. Once he was past, Tali took a deep, silent breath and lowered herself slowly down to the ground, and with gun raised, walked quietly up behind the turian.
"Looking for me?" she asked as she pressed her shotgun into his back.
The turian stopped in his tracks but stayed silent.
"Why are you chasing me? What do you want? You killed my friends on Illium!"
The turian shrugged his shoulders. "You have information my boss wants. What my boss wants, my boss gets."
"What will it take for you to leave me alone?"
"Give me the information you have, and I'll let you go."
Tali scoffed. "Unlikely. You know I've probably already listened to this. You know you can't let me live knowing what I know."
"I give you my word as a turian."
"You're a mercenary!"
The turian stayed silent but appeared to tense for action. Tali kept her finger on the trigger, realising what was about to happen. She almost smirked at the situation, the turian clearly not understanding that quarians read body language better than anyone else.
He must be crazy!
Keelah, I'm going to have to kill him.
To her complete and utter lack of surprise, the turian tried to turn quickly with gun raised while taking a step backwards. Tali, seeing what was about to happen, ducked the swing, the shot fired missing her, embedding itself in a pipe behind her, which started to blow out steam. Tali aimed her shotgun slightly upwards and fired, the closeness of the shot negating the shields of the turian and leaving his armour worthless. The turian flew backwards and onto the ground, his chest and stomach a mess of blood and guts.
Tali, shotgun still raised, took a step forward over the body of the turian. She watched as he took his last breaths before he died. She felt absolutely no guilt, knowing he would have killed her with no compunction whatsoever. But, still, this was the first person she had ever killed. She was unsure how she should really feel, taking another life. With her hands slightly shaking, she stowed the shotgun on the small of her back again. The adrenaline she had been running on was starting to wear off, and the pain from her own bullet wound started to kick in. Holding her side, Tali staggered back up the long corridor and up the numerous flights of stairs.
After what seemed like a hundred flight of stairs, Tali climbed out into one of the wards, dozens of people walking past between the shopping areas. The pain in her side was increasing with every step, Tali knew she needed help. And quickly. She was walking along another corridor when a VI programme started up as she walked by.
"My name is Avina. How can I be your guide?"
Tali stopped in her tracks, looking back at the VI programme. "I need a doctor. The nearest, if possible."
"Dr. Chloe Michel's Medical Clinic is located on Level 10."
"Thank you."
"You're welcome. Have a nice day."
Yeah, thanks.
With a groan of pain, Tali staggered back up the stairs, counting each floor as she climbed each step. She was starting to feel awful. She wondered if the bullet she had been hit with had not been coated in something, as she shouldn't be feeling this bad, bullet wound or not. Soon she arrived at level 10 and followed the signs to the medical clinic.
Surprisingly, the clinic was empty as Tail walked through the door. Dr. Michel looked up from her datapad as Tali walked through the door, looking down at her side and the hand covering the bullet wound. Dr. Michel put down her datapad and walked quickly over to Tali, grabbing her by the other hand.
"Come with me, child. We'll get you into a clean room right away."
Tali just nodded as the doctor led her into a small decontamination room. Tali stood there wincing as the doctor dressed herself.
"Don't worry, I know how to treat quarians and their injuries. I've dealt with a number of quarians before so there'll be no surprises. What's your name?"
"Tali'Zorah."
"I'm Doctor Michel. Or Chloe, if you'd like."
Tali just looked at the doctor and nodded. With each second she was feeling worse. She just wanted to lie down and go to sleep. Soon the cycle ended, and the doctor led Tali to a gurney, helping her up and lay her down on her back. The doctor walked across to the other side of the room and grabbed a medical kit, before returning to Tali's side. She moved Tali's hand and inspected the wound.
"Ah, very good. It's just a deep graze. Nothing life threatening, though it's clear the bullet was a polonium round. How do you feel?"
Tali didn't say anything and just shook her head.
"Right. I'll get started right away."
Tali went to sleep.
Tali woke up with a jump, momentarily forgetting where she was. The pain that shot up her side reminded her of recent events. She let out a sigh and she checked over her suit. The doctor had patched up the hole with black tape. It would do for now, she guessed. After a good stretch, Tali swung her legs out of the gurney and stood up, wobbling slightly as her feet hit the floor. Once the wooziness subsided, she walked back towards the decontamination chamber, and, cycle completed, walked into the clinic. Chloe looked up from her desk as Tali walked in.
"I'm glad you're awake, Tali," Chloe stated with a smile.
Tali sat in the chair opposite the doctor. "Thank you for your help, Chloe."
"While the bullet used was toxic, it was only ever going to make you sick. You may have fallen more ill without treatment though. How do you feel now, Tali?"
"Much better, actually. Still a bit of pain in my side."
"I've given you a heavy dose of anti-biotics that should fight off any effects from the toxin. I also made sure your suit was no longer compromised by patching one or two holes. I've researched most of the races who travel through the Citadel, so I'm aware of quarians certain needs when it comes to medical treatment."
"I must say, that is unusual, Chloe. Once again, you have my thanks."
"One thing that does concern me, Tali, is how a young woman such as yourself ends up in my clinic with a bullet wound, and more to the point, a bullet wound from a polonium round. If you don't mind me asking, just what have you got yourself mixed up in?"
Tali explained, mostly in vague detail, about what had happened on Illium and since her arrival on the Citadel. Chloe listened quietly as Tali spoke, nodding every so often, asking a question occasionally, but mostly just leaving Tali to tell her tale. Once Tali had finished, Chloe sat back in her chair.
"If you would like, Tali, I know of someone who may be able to help you."
"Who is this person?"
"He's a volus who works down in the Presidium. He's a financial advisor, an information broker and also an agent of the Shadow Broker. He's completely trustworthy, as far as I'm concerned. He may be able to help you."
Tali thought for a moment before answering. "Yes, please, contact this broker. It's clear I need to get off the Citadel as soon as possible and quite possibly go into hiding."
What a great Pilgrimage this has turned out to be.
Chloe walked to the other side of the room to make the call in privacy while Tali simply sat there, a million thoughts rushing through her head. Chloe, her call finished, walked back over and sat down. "He'll be here in a few minutes. Would you like a drink, Tali? I have bottles of purified water available."
"Yes, thank you, Chloe." Tali then had a thought. "Chloe, I have no credits to pay you."
Chloe just grinned back at Tali as she walked over a nearby fridge and grabbed a bottle of water, walking back and handing it Tali before responding, "I run a free clinic, Tali. No problems."
"Oh… Oh, that's great."
The pair made idle chit-chat for a few minutes, Tali polishing off the entire bottle as the thirst took hold, before the door to the clinic opened and a volus walked in. "That's the information broker, Tali."
Tali raised her eyebrows in surprise behind her face-plate. She hadn't expected a volus, though they were known for their financial dealings throughout the galaxy.
"Doctor Michel… a pleasure to see you… and this must be… the young woman you told me about."
Chloe nodded.
"Allow me to… introduce myself. My name is… Barla Von. I am an agent for… the Shadow Broker."
"Pleasure to meet you. My name is Tali'Zorah nar Rayya."
"Pleasure is mine… Tali'Zorah. Now… why don't you tell me… of this information that you have."
"I can do even better than that," replied Tali, who keyed buttons on her omni-tool and two voices were heard. Once that was finished, silence descended upon the room. Tali looked at Chloe, whose eyes were wide, almost in fear.
"Well, well… that is very interesting. I believe… the Shadow Broker… will be very interested in this. What do you require… from the Shadow Broker in return?"
"It's clear someone wants me dead for this information. I need a safe place to hide. I need to get off the Citadel as soon as possible."
"I believe we can… come to some form of agreement. For… the moment, I suggest the best place… to go would be… Chora's Den. The proprietor… of that establishment is… also an agent for the… Shadow Broker."
"Thank you, Barla Von."
"You're welcome… Tali'Zorah." He turned to Chloe. "Doctor Michel… always a pleasure." And with that, the volus turned and walked out of the clinic. Once he had left, Tali turned to Chloe.
"What do you think, Chloe? Can I trust him?"
Chloe nodded. "I've known Barla Von for a while now. He's never steered me wrong, and helped me with finances when I set up this clinic. I don't know much about the Shadow Broker, who or what he or she is, but I know Barla Von. You can trust him, Tali."
"What about the owner of Chora's Den?"
"That I don't know, Tali. I can only assume that if Barla Von vouches for him, he must be reliable. Just be careful around him."
Tali stood there, folding her arms across her chest and thought. She knew her choices were limited. She made up her mind with a single nod.
"Okay, Chloe. I'm in. Where is Chora's Den?"
