To Survive: Terminus Coalition

Chapter 25 : Goodbyes

Tali's alarm bleeped with an annoying and repetitive noise. She preferred to be woken up with something that was guaranteed to work, even if it might be more pleasant to wake to a gentle sound instead. Their honeymoon was now long in the past, so she had reverted entirely to the life of a working girl, and that included her harsh alarm. Shepard usually found the device terribly annoying, especially on days where he had no real schedule. It seemed that he wasn't completely military, if someone dreading to wake up at the equivalent of four thirty in the morning was an indicator.

That particular morning, neither of them responded to the alarm, but stayed lying in bed. Tali was lower down in the bed, under Shepard's arm and laying on her side. She snuggled in tight with her arm snug around his chest. John brushed Tali's arm up and down gently, with his eyes still closed as he lied on his back.

They mutually ignored the alarm until it reverted to snooze. EDI would notify them when the shuttle would arrive, but until then, there was nothing that needed their attention. Shepard could contact Garrus and see how things were working out, and he likely would do that in a little while. Tali could go and help in engineering, but her presence wasn't needed; and the engineering team had been preparing to service the ship without her for some time. Ken and Gabby did, in fact, run the SR2 before Tali arrived, even if it was at a fraction of the ship's current efficiency.

Tali was the first to open her mouth to speak, and her voice carried a heavy accent due to her tiredness. "You wanna know what I dreamed about?" Tali asked, not letting herself think about the day ahead.

"I'll take my chances when I say this…" He replied with his eyes still closed and facing the window above them that lead to a view of the stars. EDI had lit the room with an ambient morning-like lighting. "How about you show me." Shepard answered.

That was the answer that Tali had been hoping to hear. She slid from her position beside him, onto his waist. She glided her suited form over John's only clothed area, and she passionately met his lips with a deep kiss, as her tongue invaded his mouth. Stimulating the response she desired, she continued her rhythms gently.

Shepard knew that his calculated risk had paid off, but Tali's suit would just get in the way as they continued. He imagined that Tali was capable of dreaming of being outside of her suit, and he would do his best to replicate whatever perfect dream had riled her up. Besides, taking off the suit was an act of foreplay that was always just long enough to heighten Tali's desire to its fullest. Shepard would have been insane if he didn't like when Tali's desire was at its fullest, so that was perfectly okay with him.

Tali welcomed Shepard's hands as he reached for certain clasps and seals that he now knew by feel. Tali continued her sensual dance on Shepard, making sure to assist him with the clamps that were too difficult to manage from his lying position. She really enjoyed the way the muscles on his core flexed when he stretched to reach further, as he performed his duties.

When the time came, Tali stood up to remove the rest of her suit. Her lips and eyes worked together to invoke pleasurable yearnings in Shepard, as if the foreplay that had lasted several minutes already wasn't enough.

Shepard stood with her, and took a position behind her so that he could move his palms against her uncovering midriff. His fingers worked to give Tali as much feeling as he could possibly impart. Tali swayed her hips as she removed the final articles of her suit. The brightness of the room was a refreshing change for love-making that reminded them of their relaxing time on Illium. Despite being only months away, the amiable nostalgia felt like a remnant of a time long past. Their lives were so filled with troubling events, that it was precious times like these that accented the crowning memories that they held dear.

With Shepard's arms wrapped about her waist, Tali turned around to look into his eyes. The sensation caused from turning within his arms, while her whole body was exposed, peaked her cravings.

With Shepard's eyes gazing lovingly into hers, she ventured to remove the last piece of clothing that separated them. She reached down, and her fingers inched their way beneath the elastic strap of her lover's briefs.

Shepard's arms rippled as he gripped his wife tighter, maintaining the eye contact they both cherished so dearly. He leaned forward and tapped his forehead against hers, and Tali's smile grew into that of a mischievous girl.

She yanked down on his briefs, and launched herself back up, and into his readied arms. She immediately moaned as his lips came to find a home on her neck. The contact they now felt together felt wholesome, and wonderful. The grinding she once did felt like a shadow of the glorious ecstasy that raced across her skin as she felt Shepard as close as he could ever be.

She continued to try and push herself deeper into his capable hold as her two fingers dug into the hard muscles that coursed his back. Her legs were wrapped around his waist, and she used them to incite more pleasure by means of her own waist.

Shepard could only bear so much weight on him without becoming increasingly exhausted, especially with his elevated heart rate. He moved himself, and Tali by extension, towards the bed where they could continue in beautiful relation.

Tali admitted to herself the night before, that if she thought for a moment that this was goodbye, she'd breakdown and wouldn't be able to enjoy the time together for what it was worth. So now, she kept the thought far from her mind. She focused on John's eyes instead, and the way he could love her with a simple stare. She felt secure in knowing that she was precious and loved.

Shepard did hold her precious, and he did far more than that. Together they shared their hearts once more, before the coming of a long drought. But they lived the next hour in complete obliviousness to that.

"Hey you. Human kid." Moorg called to a thin male mercenary that stood on the ship's landing pad. It was a dull morning on Uma, and thus darkness still lingered in the crevice where they found themselves.

"Me, sir?" The young man answered timidly.

"Yes, you. But now that I see you closer I gotta say: goddamn are you ugly!" Moorg insulted, "Anyway, I need you find out which one of these ladies kisses the best for ol' Santiago." Moorg demanded casually.

The kid stopped for a second, a little bewildered at his fantastic luck. "Oh, uh… yes, sir– right away, sir." He answered clumsily.

"Relax, boy. I was only kidding, so you can wipe that cum from your leg." Moorg joked with a deep jovial voice, embarrassing the kid, despite the lack of any semen on him. The batarian laughed heartily, and then roughly patted the thin boy on the shoulder, causing the kid to tumble to the side a few steps. Moorg only laughed more, "Just make sure everyone on this list is present when they pass to board the ship. Can you do that, son?" He asked, handing the kid a simplistic datapad with a list of mostly women on it.

"I can do that, sir." The kid answered in a small voice.

"Good, but keep your head up. You'll never get anywhere if you can't man up and take a little bit of a thrashing." Moorg answered in good spirit. In a way, Moorg was a leader. He rose through the ranks quickly within the Suns, because of his consistent aura of confidence. Whenever he was in the presence of Vido, however, he found himself consistently belittled. Perhaps it was all because he was a batarian, or maybe it was that Vido was just a self-important asshole. Either way, Moorg hated him, and honestly believed that he would do a finer job in command. A line was already beginning to form behind the two of them, and Miranda wasn't anywhere near the front of it.

It took nearly an hour, but eventually Miranda was talking to the kid so he could record her entry. He was the first to speak, "Could I get your name and former captain, please?"

"My name is Jill, and I served with Captain Gonnos." Miranda answered with a bored expression, lifting her pack higher onto her shoulder, to balance the weight of the blue armour that it held. She had maintained her cover long enough that the whole experience was left without challenge. Miranda liked to accomplish things, even if they were simple things like filing mission reports. It gave her a sense of purpose, and yet her job on Uma didn't anymore. She recognized the need she fulfilled, but it didn't stop the long dull times from boring her.

The kid's eyes widened when he looked up from his clipboard-like pad to see Miranda. Apparently, the other female mercenaries didn't quite measure up. It was understandable, considering her genetic modification, and the fact that the Blue Suns' line of work didn't exactly attract girls that could do well off of their looks.

Miranda let a small smirk raise one side of her mouth, and wondered to herself how old the kid was. He was probably a young adult, maybe in his early twenties, but he held himself like a teenager. She hypothesized that he felt intimidated by all of the more capable soldiers, and it really didn't seem like this was the best place for him to be. How down on your luck can you be at that age that you need to become a mercenary, especially when you're clearly not cut out for it? Whatever the answer was to that inquiry, Miranda just hoped he wasn't a slave. Seeing humans enslaved by a group of other races, even if their leader was human, was not something she thought lightly of.

The kid gulped down a bit of his uneasiness and said, "You're good to go…."

Miranda stepped to pass him, and as she did, the kid got the gumption to blurt out, "I can see why they picked you."

Miranda spun on her heel and looked the boy straight in the eye. "And why's that?" She asked coolly.

He looked down at his dusty feet. Taking a moment to answer her, "Do I really need to say why?"

"You better learn to if you're ever going to have a chance with a girl like me." She advised, turning again to finish walking into the shuttle. She left the kid to continue his duties, and mull over her words, which seemed shallow in the grand scheme that she was part of.

Entering the transport shuttle, she saw that it was full of a variety of different types of people, besides the vast majority of women. The place was cramped, and didn't give anyone the room they would need to live comfortably. She wondered how difficult it would be to get somewhere to lie down and rest. The trip was of an unknown duration, and with quarters like these, she hoped that she'd arrive sooner than later. At the very least, it seemed that the shuttle was of a higher quality than the shuttle they used to get to Uma. It took them several days to get there, and they'd likely have to trek all the way back to the Mass Relay once again, making this a day long trip at the very least. More likely, the trip would take several days if she was lucky.

She made her way deeper into the loading bay.

Along the way she could see the faces of the other women. They had a range of looks from scared to excited, but most looked as if they dreaded the coming trip. She pitied them, but was grateful that she knew that this wasn't where her life was going. She was part of something greater, and she'd work to her greatest potential, in order to get out of this mess with a triumphant return to her crew.

She sat in a corner, and got out her Suns armour to polish. The place was getting hot with the body heat compounded with the heat of the air outside. Hopefully there'd be someway to stay cool while in space. By the amount of people in there with her, she couldn't imagine that there'd be much time before departure. The place was what she'd classify as full.

Garrus walked into the long tent where the overseer of the camp was housed. It was the same tent where Unmar had taken his last stand, but now it was in the possession of Gonnos, and his assistant, Michael.

Garrus walked in on a conversation between the two, with Gonnos saying, "We're going to need to make the change a little more gradual than that, don't you think? I mean, of course we need to set the stage for changes, by putting an end to the beatings and other misconduct, but we can't just go and outright free the people."

Michael retorted, "I wasn't exactly thinking of anything so rash, but I meant that we should start letting some go. We'll switch up some of the guards' shifts so that they don't know who is going missing. It'll give the other mistreated locals some hope, as they see their friends being liberated." He clarified, and Garrus decided to listen while he waited for Gonnos' attention.

"We can't give them a hope in something that we can't assuredly give them in full. I understand your intent, but we can't let them believe that they will be fully free of us. We need to treat the situation as if we are going to staying here indefinitely, and that means that we still have to make Mr. Santiago's assigned quota." Gonnos explained. "I suggest that we gradually lessen our grip on them all, and ease our way into a trade agreement. I'll let the local settlement leader know of our plans, so that he can agree that it is in his best interests. When we begin, we will gradually give them back certain freedoms, until we can revert entirely to contract work in exchange for protection or something. We can even put some of our men to work by gathering resources that the colony needs, in exchange for their service to us. They've all been just lounging about for far too long, anyway." He devised.

"And that's why you're in charge. It sounds like a worthy plan to try, and I'll be behind you every step of the way." Michael responded. Drowning out the end of his sentence, the blast of the heavy transport shuttle's engines could be heard blasting at the heart of the camp, and rising into the skies above. Apparently the beast of a ship was ready for take off, and Moorg had taken his leave. The flaps of the tent rippled as wind and dust ripped beneath them. Together they held down any loose material that could have blown about the makeshift room.

When the wind died down, and the roar of the shuttle was a distant sound resonating from the upper atmosphere, Garrus began to speak, "You know, I was surprised when you walked out of that meeting alive. You could have at least told me you weren't destined for the Fraxturos." Garrus bantered.

Gonnos sighed, and looked up towards his friend. "I've been busy since my talk with Moorg. He was a real piece of work, but I'm glad it turned out the way it did. Agiapos, meet Michael." Gonnos introduced.

Garrus eyed up the human, as Michael stepped forward and extended his hand in the common human custom. Garrus met the hand, and shook it with a firm grip. "Nice to meet you, son." He said.

Gonnos interjected as the two let go of one another's hands. "Michael was tested by Moorg, like myself, to see if we could handle standing up for the colonists while under pressure from command. We couldn't have asked for a more honourable Captain to assist us."

Garrus' mandibles twitched with a bout of pride in Gonnos' words, particularly the referral to 'us'. He was glad to be recognized by a traditional turian like Gonnos. He seemed to emulate many aspects that Garrus attributed to his father, even if his father would never even consider working for mercenaries. It was the integrity, and principles that Gonnos had that reminded Garrus of his father, and perhaps that's why he felt fulfilled in standing by him. Garrus had no doubt in his mind of where his responsibilities lied. All of his loyalty was to his best friend, Captain Shepard. It was just a new and revitalizing feeling that Gonnos seemed to invoke in him.

Garrus gave Michael his turian equivalent to a smile, and said, "I'm glad we could have you aboard. If my captain says you're a good man, than I think I'll take his word on it. It hasn't failed yet, from what I've been around to see." Garrus encouraged.

"It's good to have all the support we can get, Agiapos." Michael replied in mutual respect. He then changed his stance to face Gonnos, "When would you want to address the people? Or would you rather speak with the local leader first?" He questioned.

Gonnos responded immediately, as if he had already formulated the plan in his mind, "We'll talk to the local leader first. I want him to know that we're making efforts to help his people, and it's all because of our new leadership. No sense in letting him think that we're stopping the beatings for some arbitrarily beneficial reason to ourselves. Spirits know what he could muster up, but it's best to be upfront."

"That's exactly what I was thinking," Michael confirmed, and Garrus felt no need to add more. The plan was solid enough, and he was just glad everything was finally turning around in everyone's favour. As far as he knew, nothing had changed aboard the Normandy. He thought about how glad he was that things had changed, and they weren't just sitting around while innocent people were tortured. As things were working out for the better concerning their grand mission, they were also helping in the smaller details that needed attention.

Soon, Uma wouldn't be a colony of slaves, but a colony of profitable miners. If everything went according to Gonnos' plan, that change should happen within the week. Until then, Garrus didn't really know. He couldn't risk leaving the colony to rendezvous with Shepard because of the suspicion it would raise, but with Miranda gone he really had no primary purpose.

Maybe Gonnos could handle the truth of my involvement here. Garrus thought, he's more loyal to me than he is to the Suns, at this point. The only question is whether or not he'll see my lie as a breach of his trust.

Joker, Tali, and Shepard were arguing around the cockpit, with Joker lounging back in his chair comfortably. Tali and Shepard stood opposite him, and Shepard held a stance that had his arms crossing his chest, and his body leaning to one side.

Joker was antsy, and wanted to regain control of the Normandy. No one believed he'd break the trust of Dr. Chakwas, and they were present to enjoy each other's company and not to keep an eye on him.

Joker still complained, "If I was okay to get up to the cockpit with minimal support, don't you think I can fly the ship? Chakwas might act like my mother, but you don't want to do that, Shepard. Let me take control for a little."

Shepard rolled his eyes and smirked over at Tali, "She told you to try out your legs and give them a stretch, and that's the only reason you're even allowed walking around. Piloting this thing can't be good for your ankles, when they're as weak as the doctor seems to think they are." Shepard responded.

"So maybe you do love to mimic my mom, but you're really slipping Captain. I don't press down an accelerator on a frigate like this. You've seen too many aircar movie chase scenes, or something. If anything would have stress put on it, it would be my neck from twisting around to check if EDI's looking over my shoulder." Joker said, earning a small giggle from Tali.

"Mr. Moreau." EDI's voice called from a speaker behind Joker, as he faced towards the rest of the ship. Joker turned to face the voice, by first turning his neck, and then swiveling his chair to follow.

"What?" He asked, sounding annoyed.

EDI's voice than changed its origin and called from a console near Tali, "I may not have physical form, but I can highlight the flat comicality of your joke to enhance the humour." she stated.

Shepard and Tali both burst into laughter as Joker once again turned his neck to face EDI's console. The blank and confused expression on his face was too much for them to handle, as they clutched their guts with expressive amusement.

Joker's countenance changed after he turned his chair all the way around, "Ha ha," he laughed sarcastically, "Real funny, EDI."

"Captain Shepard and Tali'Shepard do appear to have found my attempt at humour satisfactory, Mr. Moreau." EDI replied in order to validate herself in front of Joker's embarrassment-fueled contempt.

Shepard added, "Lighten up, Joker. You've clearly rubbed off on her a bit, for better or worse. Think of the joke as a compliment."

"And if she started hitting on Tali, I suppose that'd be a compliment too." He answered snidely.

"Don't be a sour ass." Shepard replied.

"Don't be a sour ass." Joker mimicked with a scrunched face, mocking Shepard's demeanour.

"I apologize to interrupt this discourse, but it is imperative that I inform you that Aria's shuttle will arrive in twenty minutes time," EDI updated.

Tali felt jitters fill her stomach, and a shiver run through her. She was beginning to feel the burden of the present time like a weight on her shoulders. She managed to speak without revealing the gloom that had overtaken her. She responded flatly, "I think we should go get ready. You know, say our goodbyes and double check on everything before he arrives."

Shepard answered with a confused look, thinking that Tali would sound differently, "Sure thing, Tali. EDI, can you tell everyone that's leaving to meet down in the cargo hold? Also, make an announcement that people can say their goodbyes, if they want, in about ten minutes." Shepard requested.

"Yes, Captain."

Tali walked over, and intertwined her fingers with John's as she took his hand in hers. She looked to Joker, who sat in his chair, nodding his head. "Goodbye, Joker. Stay out of trouble when I'm gone, and if you do get to fly the Normandy, make sure you don't burn out the core." She said.

"Come on Tali, I'd never do that. If I'm given the chance to fly this girl anytime soon, I'm… well, I'm gonna fly her! I don't know what I'm saying– have I ever messed her up before?" He asked rhetorically.

Tali gave him an unimpressed look with a tilted head. Shepard didn't wait for Joker to notice, and squeezed Tali's hand to let her know that he was ready to proceed down. Tali glanced over, and nodded her head. She once more said goodbye to Joker and then turned to leave together, waving and acknowledging crewman that wished her luck as they passed through the CIC.

Once in the elevator, Shepard and Tali spent what was their last moment alone before Tali left. No words were spoken, but they touched visor to forehead in silence. Shepard rubbed her back gently and affectionately, and tears filled Tali's eyes. The trip down the elevator was slow, and Shepard made note to thank EDI later, who was most definitely slowing their descent.

When the elevator came to a halt, and the doors opened with a whoosh, they still stood in each other's embrace. Samara and Kasumi were already down in the hold, and doing a final check through their gear. They stopped to smile and appreciate Tali and Shepard for who they were. Kasumi was excited to be able to spend more time with Tali, knowing that her time with Shepard had reduced the amount of time they had spent together in confidence. It was only natural, but she did miss sharing secrets with Tali, and giving her advice on human men.

Samara felt strengthened by the bond between the human and quarian, in a way. Captain Shepard was one of her only true friends, and to know that he had found someone to help him carry the burdens, which she foresaw would only grow heavier, was comforting. She saw the galaxy at its darkest, and didn't wish that Shepard would venture through even darker times alone.

Shepard and Tali broke their hug, and lifted their foreheads from contact, but didn't separate their hands from one another. Palm-in-palm, they walked towards Kasumi and Samara.

Shepard began to address each of them, "Samara, do you think you can keep both these girls safe if something happens?"

"Indeed, Shepard. I will guard them with my life, and will do all that is in my power to protect them both, at all times." Samara answered formally.

Shepard nodded his head, "I can't thank you enough. I want you coming back from this too, so don't do anything, um, unnecessary. If all goes well, this will be a rather dull trip for you." He replied gratefully.

"I appreciate the times of quiet more than those of action, for it reminds me of the peace we fight for when we must take up arms." Samara answered him.

Shepard simply nodded with an appreciative smile, and then spoke to Kasumi, "Do you think you can make Tali smile for a while?" He asked softly, trying not to show emotions that were rising to the surface, He did remarkably well at hiding them most of the time.

"I think I can do that, Shep." She responded with an assuring tone, sensitive to all of the emotions that Shepard was likely going through.

"Good. And you," He said turning to take Tali's shoulders in his hands. "I want you to promise me that you'll track me down if you need me. I may not always be able to hook up to the comms, but I don't want you letting that stop you."

Tali brought a finger up to touch John's chin as she answered him, "There are comm buoys over Aeia now, and I've set my internal communications unit to directly interface with the buoys, so long as we're both in range of one, I should always be able to contact you." She reassured. "And you can contact me too."

"I don't think the Suns' base of operations will be in range of a buoy, so my request still stands. Please don't ever hesitate to connect, even if you just want to talk about something, or just hear my voice. You know I'll be doing the same." He smiled sullenly.

Tali choked back what may have been tears, and answered him, "Of course I will," leaning forward for another hug. She basked in Shepard's strength, and pressed the feeling firm into her memory.

The elevator doors opened behind them, and they could hear other members of the crew enter the large room to say their own goodbyes. One by one, they came and said varying wishes of luck, and farewells. Shepard watched as his bondmate interacted with the rest of the crew, before Jacob interrupted him.

"Hey there, Shepard. I just wanted to say goodbye too, you know? One last goodbye before embarking on something new, and all that. I wanted to say thanks for everything."

"You'll make a great soldier in the Alliance, Jacob. I wish you the best, and you really don't need to thank me." Shepard replied, making sure he raised his voice so that Jacob could hear over the white noise caused by the crowd of people.

"Like hell, I don't. I'm not just thanking you for what you've done for me, but what you've done for the human race as a whole. The collectors were a real threat, and even though Cerberus turned out to be the extremists that we all feared they were, I'm glad you saw what needed to be done." Jacob thanked.

"Like you said, Jacob: It's what needed to be done. Thanks for going to Hell along with me. Who knows how things would have changed if the crew were any different." Shepard replied, and crossed his arms.

"Whatever you say, Captain. However you want to put it, I'm still damn glad I met you." Jacob said, raising his arm to salute.

Shepard nodded, then let his hand out to shake Jacob's. Jacob gripped it firmly, before Shepard pulled him in for a backslapping hug.

Jacob said just above a whisper, "And take care of Miranda, alright?" And Shepard just made it out over the crowd.

"I'll do my best." He answered before noticing that Tali had returned and snaked her arm around his.

Tali stood on her toes to say into Shepard's ear, "EDI updated me, and the shuttle should be arriving any minute. We'll have to go up to the windows to let this place release the airlock."

"You're right," He replied, and then said aloud to the group. "Thanks for coming everyone, you can now return to your duties, or come with us to the windows overhanging the bay. Just don't stay here as we're about to break the airlock." He informed with a clear voice.

Everyone listened to his instruction, and began filing into the elevator. They had to take many trips in order to get everyone up, and by the time everyone was up, the shuttle had arrived and was waiting outside.

After the airlock had cleared, the five of them including Shepard and the four voyageurs, made it down to meet with the pilot. The pilot was an asari with a very light skin tone. By the time they made it down, she had opened up the cargo door of the shuttle, and was out to welcome them.

"Are you the Commander Shepard?" The pilot asked.

"I am," He replied, not bothering to correct her.

Tali did chime in, however, "It's Captain now, actually."

"Oh, I'm sorry Captain. This is, uh, your partner I take it?" She asked concerning Tali.

"Yes she is, and I hope you'll treat her with as much respect as you can manage." He replied, curious of why she asked the way she did.

"Oh, of course… Well, if you've all said goodbye and crap, we should really get moving." The pilot suggested.

"Before you go, could I ask you your name?"

"People call me Eleina." She answered.

"Very good, Eleina. Everyone's ready to go." He responded. With that, he helped everyone load up the shuttle with their gear. In truth, the ship wasn't that small. It was roughly six times the square footage of a Kodiak, stretching about twice the width, and three times the length. It would be more than roomy enough to accommodate them all, and that was nice to see.

With one last kiss to the forehead, he said his goodbye to Tali, and waved to the others as they closed the hatch. Shepard had to go up the elevator for them to depart. All the while he hoped and prayed for Tali's safety above everything else. It never crossed his mind, at that moment, to think of the quarian and geth difficulties. Despite it all, he knew what was worth living for. After all is said and done, he believed there existed a line between his duty, and his love. No matter how much he wanted to save the galaxy, he wouldn't let it consume what mattered to him.

Glossary

Fraxturos: A turian execution device that puts pressure on a spit behind the crest on the back of one's head. This spot is sensitive to long durations of pressure, and will knock out and eventually kill. The device is relatively painless and was a common way to execute. The human's more brutal equivalent, the chopping block, is often referred to in a similar context.