"The comm room is ready for you, Commander," A Quarian captain said, stepping out of a room Shepard had been waiting outside of. They were inside an old ship parked for the time being in the center of the city. It was one of the larger ships in the Quarian fleet, and now it acted as a center for government activities. It was the only place Shepard could find to get in contact with Earth and the Alliance.
"Just Shepard, Captain. I'm not military anymore."
"I apologize. I'd say it's a shame, not having someone like you anymore. But you've seen your share of war for too many lifetimes to count."
"You're right about that. Thank you, Captain."
"Of course." The Captain turned and walked off down the corridor. Shepard entered the room and began to punch some numbers into the console in front of the Vid Comm. After a few moments, an image of Admiral Hackett appeared in front of him.
"Shepard. So, Rannoch is where you've been hiding."
"I told you what I planned to do while I was in the hospital, Admiral."
"Yes, I suppose you did. But I never thought it would be so… sudden. I didn't expect you to literally drop off the face of the earth after you resigned."
"Sorry. I just wanted to get away from it all," Shepard said, diverting his eyes.
"I know. And you know I don't blame you. But I don't want to know that you called just to have this discussion again."
"No, I didn't, actually. I wanted to see if you had resources you could spare to assist the Quarians in their rebuilding effort."
"I see. Is this a favor, or are you looking to set up a formal supply line?"
"A supply line would be ideal, but Rannoch doesn't have much to offer in return."
"Hm. Favor, then."
"Is that a problem?"
"Well, as you can imagine, resources are pretty stretched here as well. It's that way for everyone. I can't say no, though. Half the fleets are still functional because of the Quarians' expertise. They took off almost the second the relays were repaired, which I can't blame them for, but while they were here, they were invaluable assets to forming infrastructure for our own operations. So I suppose we do owe it to them."
"They would appreciate anything you can spare, Admiral."
"I'll back the operations. Contact Major Alenko. He's the one coordinating the movement of ships and supplies for the efforts. He can get you what you need."
"Thank you."
"Keep me updated on their progress. We need to keep interspecies relationships together the best we can. Right now, you're our best link to the Quarians, Shepard."
"I'll stay in contact."
"Glad to hear it. Hackett out." The image faded to static, then disappeared entirely. Shepard punched another set of information into the console. After a few minutes, an image of Kaidan appeared on the vid comm.
"Shepard. Wasn't sure if we were ever going to see you again. Sorry for the delay- Hackett sent a transmission. He told me you were going to call."
"Don't worry about it. Did he tell you why?"
"Yeah. The Quarians need some help. I'll do everything I can, but it'll take some time."
"That's fine. I'm still waiting to see if they're even willing to accept the help, but I wanted to have a strategic plan in place before I tried to have a serious discussion with them about it."
"The admirals still in charge? How's all that working?"
"You remember Koris? Right now he's pretty much running a makeshift civilian government. Raan and Gerrel are coordinating the rest of the fleet."
"What about Tali? She was in pretty bad shape the last time I saw her."
"She's doing great. The damage she took fried most of her implants and did some pretty substantial nerve damage, so she couldn't keep wearing the suit. She's been going through a therapy program designed to help her adjust to the environment. They're actually planning to release her today."
"That's great news. I'll let everyone know. They were all pretty worried about her, especially Chakwas. She hated having to let Tali go."
"I'm sure. I'll see if she wants to talk with you guys soon. I think she actually mentioned something about getting you to take a look at her old omni tool. It took some damage and she's had a hard time salvaging some things."
"Ah, well, tell her I'd be happy to. About these resources, though. It'd be great if I had some specifics as to what you need."
"Anything, Kaidan. Planetary based equipment. Mining lasers, building supplies, workers. Anything you can spare."
"Alright. I'll go through my lists and see what I can put together for you. Give me a few days and I'll get back to you."
"Thanks. I appreciate this."
"Anytime, Shepard. Just let us know." The image of Kaidan faded away into static.
The distance from Shepard's apartment in Raylin to the makeshift hospital was about twenty blocks- a little more than he wanted to walk with his knee issues, but he did so anyway. Shepard figured he'd spent enough of his life inside the metal walls of a ship and enjoyed the open air. There was something about Rannoch that simply made him feel better than he ever felt on Earth. Often times, he'd speculate that it was the proverbial state of twilight that the planet always seemed to be in during the daytime hours, but he wasn't fully prepared to pin it on that alone. It was a nice touch, however, like constantly looking into a sunset, even when Tikkun was directly overhead in the middle of the day.
Traffic in the city was limited mostly to Geth and Quarian foot traffic with shuttles passing by every now and then. It got crowded at times, but was different than a crowd on Earth or on the citadel. The two races on Rannoch frequently and openly communicated with each other, using omni-tools, data pads, and other electronic devices only as supplemental means, as opposed to Earth, where one might talk to another for months, living only down the street, but never actually seeing each other face to face. Shepard enjoyed watching the people of Rannoch interact. Many of those on the surface were working some kind of construction, so they'd discuss their day-to-day lives, both with friends and with total strangers. Shepard would hear scare stories of a structure collapsing and almost hurting a Quarian, but suddenly, a geth rushed in and saved the day. Complaints about the tiring nature of the work. Joy as a worker would flip a switch and see his electrical handiwork function 100% correctly the first time. He'd overhear plans early in the morning of some big hangout planned for the evening. He would sit in a café and listen to a Quarian electrician discuss efficient use of circuitry with a geth engineer. Everyone was open and social, and even though things were still in chaos, Quarian society was thriving. These people were happier than ever before.
"And it was all because of you!" a drunk Quarian had proclaimed to Shepard one night as he walked home.
"I apologize," replied a geth unit, supporting her as she tried to walk. "Her alcohol toxicity level has exceeded the limit of social cohesion. I was informed that she had never ingested Turian Brandy before."
"That's alright," Shepard replied, laughing behind the whole incident. "First time for everything."
"Indeed," the geth replied. "I appreciate your patience." The unit continued to drag the Quarian down the road. "Please, creator Nalah. I must get you to a place you can rest."
"B-but… but it's still so early…" The Quarian replied, the two now off in the distance behind Shepard.
Most of them didn't recognize him, but they knew of him. With all the pain Shepard felt from the war, it made him happy to know that he gave these people this chance. The chance to rebuild. Start over. Get drunk, throw up in the street, go home, and pass out.
Maybe that's why I like it here, Shepard thought.
He arrived to the hospital earlier than he thought Tali would be awake, but to his surprise, the Quarian was already out of bed and sitting on the couch. Her black hair was messy and she only wore an oversized tank top with a pair of white pants. She messed with her omni-tool. Shepard couldn't see what it was before she shut it off.
I gave her this chance, he thought to himself.
"Hey," She said somberly as he walked in.
"Hey, Tali. I didn't think you'd be awake."
"Keelah, I don't want to be, but I couldn't sleep. I tried. For five hours. Then I started getting stir crazy and had to get up. I haven't deleted the built-in games from my new omni-tool yet, so that's what I've been doing." She finished her sentence behind a yawn.
"Tali, I could have sent a request for sleep medication to the hospital staff. You should not have stayed awake all night the day before your final tests," Cypher interjected.
"Cypher, you worry too much," Tali said. "I can take care of myself."
"Your presence in this hospital indicates otherwise," The geth shot back. Tali's mouth dropped open and her eyebrows cringed.
"That hurt," She said.
"I am merely stating facts," Cypher replied, calm and collected as always. It turned and walked back to its spot in the hallway.
"I think you were just one-upped by a geth," Shepard said. Tali pressed herself back into the couch and crossed her arms. Shepard couldn't help but to laugh.
"It's not funny," she said, with much pout in her tone.
"It's… kinda funny." Shepard sat on the couch beside her and pulled her into his side. "Relax. It's not that big of a deal. The same thing you've been going through, one more time, and then you can leave. Take a breath of fresh Rannoch air."
"It's not stress. I'll be fine, I know it. It's the excitement. The fresh air? Exactly why I couldn't sleep."
"Take that excitement and use it for your tests. Blow them out of the water. Give them a reason to stay off your back."
"I will. But you have to do something for me."
"Anything, Tali."
"Anything," she said behind a soft laugh. She pulled Shepard's arm off her shoulder and locked her arms around it, leaning her head on his shoulder. "Some girls don't get the pleasure of knowing that you'll literally do anything for them."
"Well, no girl ever stood by my side while I had a staring contest with a reaper." She laughed hard this time, hard enough that she had to place a hand over her ribs. They seemed to still give her trouble, and the doctors said they likely would for a while.
"That's true. I suppose I deserve something for all the heart attacks."
"What is it you wanted?"
"Right. I suppose… by now, you kinda know the city?"
"I've gotten my bearings."
"Show it to me. All of it," She said, her voice rich with wonder and desire.
"Of course." With his arm held captive, all he could do was caress her leg where his hand sat. He enjoyed feeling the smooth cotton of the pants she wore and not the rough, hardened rubber of her suit skin. Likewise, Tali enjoyed the stimulation from his fingertips. True stimulation, not a simulation run by sketchy software in her suit. It sent a shiver through her spine, and she pulled herself closer to Shepard.
"I guess we'll start at my apartment," he said. "Might as well get the worst part done first."
"Ha. Raan told me it was an earlier structure, before they realized they could expand a little. They were still building like it was a room in a ship."
"Yeah, I've heard that. It's about half the size of what my cabin on the Normandy was."
"Well, she also told me that they had an apartment prepped for me. An 'admiralty suite.' Master bedroom, a large bathroom with a tub and shower, kitchen, living area… All separate spaces."
"Thought about color schemes at all?" The girl giggled at the question.
"No. I was never one for interior design. I never had much space to work with. Your cabin on the Normandy at least seemed to have a pleasing aesthetic."
"Well, that was the Alliance, not me."
"Perhaps we should ask for some assistance from their best interior designers, then."
"Right. Let me call Hackett right up." Shepard went as far as opening his omni-tool before the girl pulled his arm down, laughing.
"No, no, stop it," she said. Somewhere in there, she started coughing hard and wrapped her arms around her ribs, obviously in pain, desperately trying to stop the fit. She leaned over onto her knees, and after a couple seconds, it ended, but she remained in the position.
"Oww…" She moaned. Shepard placed a hand on her back.
"Are you alright?"
"Yeah. I'll be fine," She grunted. "I'm going to take a shower. I feel… greasy."
"Greasy?"
"Yes. I've felt this way almost my entire life. But I just recently discovered that a shower instantly alleviates that feeling."
"I see. When are your tests?"
"Like, five hours from now."
"Perhaps we should see if Cypher can persuade them to bump it up…?"
"I'm all for it. The more daylight, the better. Though, you were always better at yelling."
"I like to give others a chance." Cypher had returned to them during the exchange.
"Shepard, Tali, do you require assistance?" Tali shook her head, laughing, and pushed past the geth unit toward the bathroom.
"Best time yet, Tali," A doctor called over the intercom into the therapy room. Shepard, Raan, and a handful of doctors sat in a small room filled with computers, medical equipment, and all sorts of other displays and readouts, watching into an open space about as big as a basketball gym. They were separated by a one-way mirror, which Shepard didn't fully understand. The girl gave a thumbs up towards the mirror, then walked over to a bench to pick up her water bottle. There was one other doctor in the room with her.
"Alright, Tali, that's the strength test and the agility test. Endurance is all that remains," The doctor said.
"Well, let's get to it, then," she said behind a few heavy breaths. Her skin glistened with sweat. She had tied her hair up in a ponytail long ago. Shepard wondered every now and then how she dealt with it inside her suit. There were no elastic bands or anything of that nature around, so she had actually used a piece of string. Shepard was beyond impressed when she successfully restrained it the first time she tried.
"You may take a break if you like. The test allows for fifteen minutes between agility and endurance."
"I don't want it." She set her water bottle down and walked over to a small weight rack. She was required to wear light arm and ankle weights- nothing too heavy, but a factor that increased the difficulty, nonetheless.
"Very well. Come to the treadmill when you're ready." By the time the doctor finished his sentence, Tali was already halfway there.
The door behind Shepard and Raan in the observation room opened, and a Quarian in a dark grey suit entered the room.
"Koris. I am glad you were able to make it," Raan said.
"Yes. Well, it wasn't easy, but I felt bad having not been here at all through the process. Shepard, I regret also having not been able to see you since you've been here."
"Don't worry, admiral. I'm sure you've been busy."
"That is an understatement, Commander. Still, though, it has been months, and I have not been able to make the time. That is inexcusable of me."
"Well, in that case, give us a week or so, and I'll let you make it up."
"Absolutely, Shepard. And thank you. Now, how is our girl doing?"
"She's about five minutes into her endurance run," Raan said. "She's been setting new personal bests the whole day, and we fully expect her to pass. We'll have her to her apartment by nightfall."
"She'll want to be there sooner than that," Shepard said.
"Yes, I know. But the doctors will want to go over her antibiotics regimen and make sure they lay down some guidelines about activities for the next few months."
"It's still early. I'm sure they can get through it quickly if we push them."
"If I may," a doctor sitting in front of a display said. "I recommend you let us work. We tried to push things once, and Tali passed out. Almost hurt herself real bad. As Admiral Raan said, we want to be as thorough as possible. We have to come up with a plan tailored specifically to her."
"You should have all the data you need to do that by now," Shepard replied. "How's an hour sound?"
"We will need-"
"Good, and hour, then. After that, you'll be making a house call." The doctor looked to Raan, who looked away, then to Koris, who also looked away. He shook his head, then returned his focus to the display.
"At any rate," Koris started. "The arrangements for housing have been made. The unit even has a custom sanitation system installed for precaution, thanks to the equipment you had delivered from Earth. It was greatly appreciated, by the way. It will help many Quarians once we move Tali out of here."
"Which reminds me, Admiral Koris. I need to speak with you about some things when you have a chance," Shepard said.
"Well, if she still has 25 minutes left of this run, we might as well discuss it now. We aren't doing anything else, after all."
"Alright. I wanted to see if you were interested in setting up a supply line from Earth, facilitated by the Alliance. I understand your people are having trouble getting resources together, and they're willing to provide machinery, building materials, labor, and anything else they can."
"Well, that sounds great, Shepard, but I don't have much to offer in return. It will be a while before we have any kind of governmental funds of that nature."
"It's a favor, Admiral. You won't have to pay anything for it."
"Well, I…" Koris trailed off and began to pace. "It's fantastic that they're willing to do this. I will need to discuss it with some people first, namely governors—former captains—and see how their people may feel about that."
"Yeah. Tali said some may want to retain independence."
"Which is total rubbish," Koris replied, almost violently. He took a deep breath. "But, unfortunately, true." He thought for a moment. "If Earth is truly willing to provide that kind of aid, no strings attached, then I may have to make an executive decision. I will talk with some people and get back to you, Shepard."
"Sounds like a plan. I have some friends from the Alliance putting things together. You give the word, and they can be here the next day."
"I do appreciate it, as do the Quarian people… Even if some of them don't know it, yet."
They all returned their attention to Tali, now down to ten minutes on her run.
"Ancestors," Koris started. "Last time I saw her, she was blood and scars. I'd be lying if I said I had the hope she would make it this far. But now… The people will look to her. She's the model of the future. They will see hope in her, even more than in the home world."
"We… had been talking about what Tali will do… when she leaves," Raan started. "An idea was politics. Perhaps heading a committee. She wants to help our people, Koris, and I told her you would likely be able to find a place for her."
"I don't see her as the kind to sit at a desk and listen to others argue. You know how restless that made her," Koris replied. "Xen might have more use for her. Keelah, she may even be willing to give up her position, you know she hates what she's doing. I'll talk to her and see what she thinks."
"You think Xen and Tali working together would be a good idea? You know Xen was for dominance over the geth while Tali supported the idea of peace. Do you really want to pit that kind of tension against each other while your people are in such a fragile state?" Shepard asked.
"You do have a point, Commander. I'll talk to her, nevertheless, but it probably is not the best idea."
"If I may, admiral. I've actually resigned from the Alliance. I'm no longer a Commander."
"Ah. My apologies, Shepard. Perhaps you may be headed towards a life of politics as well?"
"Right now, I know exactly what I want," Shepard said, watching Tali as she ran, tired but determined. Her pace was almost a full sprint with only five minutes to go. Koris took up Shepard's stare.
"I see," he replied. "I believe I speak for the Quarian people when I say that you are welcome here as long as you like."
"I appreciate it, Admiral."
"Of course."
The three watched as Tali finished her run. She came off the treadmill dripping sweat and gasping for air, but she had a smile on her face as she walked it off.
"Best performance yet, Tali. Great work today. I don't think I need to keep you in any suspense: we'll be sending you home."
"Thank you, doctor," Tali said. After a few minutes, they allowed her to leave and return to her room. She sat on the couch, still breathing heavy. Shepard sat beside her, Raan leaned on the bed, and Koris stood.
"Tali, I'm so sorry that I haven't been to see you," he said.
"It's no problem, Admiral. I know you've been busy."
"As I said to Shepard, there's been plenty of time. I have no excuse."
"I told him we'd let him make it up," Shepard said.
"Sounds good," Tali replied.
"You look good, and I am very proud of your progress. Your appearance will give the people hope. They have a home world, and now they can see that they will be able to live without depending on their suits," Koris said.
"I just want to return to the world, Admiral. That's been my goal."
"Well, you met that goal today, and again, I am very proud of you."
"As am I, Tali. I look forward to the impact you will have. I know you will do great things. Now, Koris and I must be going, but we will see you two soon. We hope you settle in nicely, and if you need anything, please, do not hesitate to ask," Raan said. The two of them left, leaving just Shepard and Tali. Cypher was with the doctors, discussing Tali's medical plan.
"In case it needs to be said a third time, I'm proud of you," Shepard said.
"Doesn't take much to impress, does it?" Tali replied behind deep, controlled breaths.
"Tali, if anyone had seen the condition you were in, you likely would have been considered a casualty of war. KIA. Finished. But you have proved the resilience of your people. Of yourself. They will see that, and, as Koris said, it will give them hope. I would say that's a lot." She sat silently for a moment.
"Yeah. You're right. Hey, Shepard?"
"Yeah?"
"Perhaps show me the city… tomorrow." He laughed to himself as the girl continued to catch her breath.
Tali took a shower, and by the time she was out, the doctors had arrived with Cypher.
"We're giving you three different antibiotics that we want you to take twice a day. We want you to limit your exposure to the outdoors to no more than an hour for a few weeks. From there, we will gradually work you off the antibiotics and increase your exposure to other environments."
"Great," Tali replied. "I can at least go stir crazy in a nice apartment, I guess."
"Cypher has all the information you should need on your medical and nutritional programs. If you have any questions, you can ask it, and it will send us any inquiries, if necessary."
"Thank you, doctors." With that, they left Tali, Shepard, and Cypher alone.
"Tali, my instructions are to take you straight home for the rest of the day," Cypher said.
"I have no problem with that," she replied behind a yawn. "Let's get going, then. The sooner, the better."
For the first time, Tali walked through the sanitizers, thinking it was probably a bit unnecessary when leaving rather than entering. Nevertheless, she let the antibiotic vaporizers do their job without question. The three proceeded to exit the hospital, where they found a shuttle waiting to take them across town to the apartment set up for them. Tali gazed with wonder out the window at the society that had popped up while she had been sleeping. There was so much of it to see, but at the moment, the overwhelming amount of progress only exhausted her further.
They soon arrived at one of the taller buildings in Raylin. Shepard helped Tali out of the car, and Cypher led them in the door and up the elevator to the top floor. They proceeded about halfway down the hall, where Cypher opened a door on the right side.
"This is your suite, Tali," it said, stepping to the side to let them in. Tali entered first, followed by Shepard, then the Geth. The girl quickly picked out the door to the bedroom. She looked around long enough to get a feel, then laid down on the bed without even pulling the sheets over her. Shepard followed, laying down next to her. He assumed the Quarian would go right to sleep, but after a few moments, she spoke.
"I never thought I'd get this chance," she said. "After the party… after you said, 'probably the last…'"
"The circumstances were… extenuating…" Shepard replied.
"I know. But… I actually went to talk to Garrus a few days after…"
"Tali. Taking a break from the engines?" Garrus asked.
"They can only get so clean. Just as your guns can only get so calibrated."
"Oh, I beg to differ. And if I could take on Legion, I could take you on, too." Tali laughed, then looked away. "Something else is on your mind, though."
"Yeah," she said softly. "You remember… the party? When Shepard jumped in the middle of the circle and started dancing?"
"Yes. A truly god awful moment." Tali had felt sorrow entering the conversation, but she couldn't help but laugh.
"It was… fun," She said, leaning against the console in the main battery.
"Yes… yes, it was," Garrus replied. For a while, the two stayed silent.
"What about it?" The Turian asked. Tali sighed heavily before she replied.
"We went in to our mission with the collectors constantly talking about how it was a 'suicide mission.' Every day, in some conversation, someone would say it. We were constantly reminded. The thing is, we didn't know it was suicide. We knew there was a lot we didn't know. We knew the risk was very high. We had hope, though. We knew just little enough to hold on to the hope that we would walk away from that mission and hold our victory high above everyone's heads."
"A fair point," Garrus said, a hint of confusion as to the jump in topic.
"No one is touting this, Garrus. We all know we probably won't walk away from this one."
"Just when I thought everyone had forgotten. Let me write that down somewhere," Garrus said. Tali laughed softly. He walked up to the console and leaned over next to her. "Are you afraid?"
"Yes," she said. "But that's not what's bothering me. I keep having these thoughts. Whatever you might call a combination of a day dream and a nightmare. If I make it? If I'm on the other side of this, and Shepard isn't…" She hung her head as her words trailed off. "I know how important this fight is. I know how important he is to the effort. But I can't help feeling selfish. I don't want him gone. I want him to walk out of this… to come back to Rannoch with me… to build a real life. But this stupid war is in the way."
"I understand," Garrus said after a moment. "You can't help how you feel, Tali. It's not selfish at all. We all feel it. For Shepard, for each other… Some of us may walk away from it; most of us probably won't. Things will change after this war, that's all we know for sure. But right now, we can't let these thoughts cloud our judgement. We have to stay strong, help each other out. And you… You're right there beside the man at the head of the largest fleet in galactic history. You are right there beside the man that has a better chance at winning this fight—and saving millions of lives in the process—than anyone else in the galaxy. I know it's hard. This fight has put more stress on each of us individually than an entire race should have to bear in a generation. But you have to be strong—for him. For Shepard. I don't know if you realize the influence you have on him, but he needs you to keep him in this fight." Tali nodded, but said nothing. For a few minutes, they stood in silence.
"Thank you, Garrus," she said, pushing herself off the console.
"It gets lonely in here. I've had that one saved up for a while." The girl laughed, and then hugged the Turian.
"You're a good friend."
"It's been an honor, Tali," he replied. She pulled away, thankful that her helmet hid the tears in her eyes.
"And now…" She said, pulling herself closer to Shepard. "Now, here we are. With each other. Happy. In our home."
"I wouldn't have it any other way," Shepard said, tightening his arm around the snuggled Quarian.
I gave us this chance.