Tali'Zorah, Present. (Normandy)
"You take care of her."
I hear what Shepard's saying, but when you're into your I-don't-remember-what-number glass of triple filtered turian brandy (introduced via an emergency induction port, thank you Shepard, bosh'tet wouldn't know a straw if it came up and hit him), you hear what people say, but only if you're really really lucky does it even halfway register in your brain.
"Thanks." I think that's Garrus. He sounds a mixture of unimpressed and something I'll think about later when I'm not hiccuping brandy flavoured hiccups every few seconds. "Tali," he starts, "I think it's time you went to bed."
"No-... ooo." I frown because the words that leave my mouth aren't what I meant them to be. "I think... I'll stay here, thank you very much Mister Space Cat."
"Mister Space Cat?" Garrus chuckles and he's leaning over the other side of the bar and staring at me, but bosh'tet I wish he would stop swaying like this it's making me dizzy.
"Yes, your mouth is like..." I pause for a few seconds. "A cat, and you're from space so... so..." I can't finish the sentence and instead use my hands to demonstrate cat paws, but it makes my strained balance falter and I almost topple off my chair. If not for my space cat steadying me. "Ahh, bosh'tet," is the best response I can think of.
"Time for bed," Garrus chides, but I don't resist when he helps me to my feet and starts escorting me out of the room.
"You're all bastards." I hiccup to finish the sentence.
"Thank you," Garrus says and he can't hide his amusement.
"Like Kal and that Squishy." I wave my hand around in the air to make myself seem important. "They should just hurry up and fuck already. Bastards!"
"Mhmm."
"I'm sorry I flirted with him," I bawl suddenly, and a mixture of regret and other emotions I've kept suppressed bubble up in me. "I didn't forget about you, I just didn't think I'd see you again after the Normandy..."
Garrus stills and coughs awkwardly. I wail something incomprehensible and he pats my back. "I think you should, ah, sleep this off, Tali. Then..." He leaves it hanging but never continues, and I'm too dizzy right now to protest.
Kal'Reegar – Preparation for taking back Rannoch.
After Tali's trial, they tried to separate us. They stuck me on patrol and garrisoning of one of our bigger ships of the military sector, gave me some excuse of we need all our soldiers ready for when we take back the homeworld. So then it was official, we are going to do this. I'm not sure how to feel about it really.
Admiral Gerrel kept Squishy locked away, refusing to let him do anything useful in the war effort out of spite.
But I think he forgets the time his son hacked into his emails when he was 19, or he thinks what petty upgrades they've made since then will keep Squishy out. It doesn't, of course, and it's only a matter of hours before he's sending me messages that not even the admirals themselves realise are being sent.
I can only smile when I reply to them, but then quickly wipe the look off my face before just in case someone might suspect under my mask I'm happy.
o0o
They tell me I'm supposed to be flying a mantis gunship when we push to take back the homeworld, supporting the ground troops. I'm a bit annoyed, because I figure most of this battle will be fought in space surrounding Rannoch, instead. Getting a foothold on the homeworlds soil seems unlikely. But either way, I get a new ship this time. Hopefully this one won't get blown to smithereens. When they give me my assignment, the first thing I ask, no, demand of my officer, is who my co-pilot will be.
Squishy, of course. I wouldn't trust anyone else at my back like him. He's not the best, he's definitely not brilliant at it, but he knows me better than I know myself, and I need someone who I can guarantee won't second guess me, someone who I barely need to communicate to verbally to get my message across. We work like we're the same person. Like we've known each other all our lives.
Which, in retrospect, we have.
Of course, my officer sternly says that wouldn't be appropriate, that I need to find someone more qualified to be my co-pilot. And he tries, for a few days, to introduce me to people in the hopes I'll pick them instead.
I'm dismissive each time, just giving him a cool, calm no, and a look which speaks more volumes than I could ever voice.
If you want me to have two flying fucks chance of doing this, you'll give me the co-pilot I need.
And eventually, a sneaky newly appointed Admiral steps in, and they cave.
Squishy/Beir – Preparation for taking back Rannoch.
My father has done a surprisingly good job of stopping me from learning anything about what's going on in regards to our preparations for assaulting the geth. All that I do know has mostly come from his emails and what contact I've made with Reegar. The rest of the time, my father just keeps me locked up in his rooms and leaves me to waste my time away alone.
He's not so careful today, though, and I noticed how on edge and excited he's seemed ever since he got up this morning. Something big is happening soon, and he's so worked up over it he doesn't care enough to have a conversation with Admiral Raan inside his quarters. He's speaking frantically and I slip into a corner in the room and listen.
"The arming of the liveships is complete, Raan, as soon as Xen is ready-"
"You armed the liveships?" My own disbelief at what he's said completely outweighs better reason at revealing I'm eavesdropping.
My father stills, mutters and annoyed farewell to Raan, and turns to face me. "Yes, Beir. Sacrifices must be made-"
"No!" I interrupt. "What good is taking back the homeworld if our civilians die doing it? We fight for them, not to use them as cannon fodder!"
"You do not know the first thing about war, far less what sacrifices must be made during them!" He snarls at me and at that moment, I've had enough.
I don't even reply, instead I give him an incredulous look, sadly shake my head and turn on my heel.
"Beir," he warns, but I ignore him and force the door to his quarters open with my omni-tool.
As I leave, I mutter to him that I will have no part in his massacre, before almost running over the marine outside who seems rather surprised to see me, but then ushers me away quickly.
o0o
"Remind me again why I'm your co-pilot," I mutter offhandedly, because apparently now I know how to fly mantis gunships.
Reegar doesn't even respond, he just turns towards me, probably gives me a hard stare, and I cave in. Somewhat cave in, at least.
"This is different from flying shuttles," I mumble to myself.
"Just think of it as a shuttle and you'll be fine," Reegar assures me. "A shuttle with a giant gun on it."
"I tell you what," I reply as my fingers dance over the ships control panel before me, "you deal with the guns, I'll deal with keeping us flying and-" I pause, glare at the panel and then send an accusing look at Reegar. "When was this thing last booked into maintenance?"
"I don't know, she flies fine, there's nothing wrong with her," Reegar says defensively.
"Fuck me, the things that would happen to this fleet without engineers."
I think I hear Reegar 'mmmm' to himself as I climb out of my seat and head to the back of the ship. So help me, if I'm not going to be doing anything useful as a co-pilot, then I might as well make sure this damn thing doesn't fall out of the sky because someone forgot to check the drive core's functionality beforehand.