Chapter 45: Meeting Jeebus

Tali'Zorah: It wasn't until John and I first became intimate that I finally took the step that would determine my ultimate fate. I would like to say I did it out of love, but like a lot of people I was more than a little motivated by fear.

Unna'Koris: What step was that?

Tali'Zorah: Finally choosing to follow God. To put my fate in another's hands. Even with all the proof I had seen, it was still a challenge.

Tali and John sat on the presidium, leaning against each other and enjoying the sights. A few passersby started to give Tali dirty looks, but once they noticed that the brightly wrapped gift she had just opened was a Paladin heavy pistol, they kept the dirty looks to themselves.

"That was so sweet of you John!" Tali cooed, examining the pistol as she loaded it with her custom mods, "I've been wanting one of these ever since Thane let me try his on the Normandy's range."

He kissed the side of her mask gently. "Glad you like it, I was considering getting you something girly, but then I realized I had no idea what sort of things a quarian qualified as girly for a quarian. So I stuck with the Paladin and a new set of tools."

"It's perfect." Tali assured him, "I don't have any use for lacy undergarments, make up, or perfume and I can't see myself with one of those ridiculous hand bags human women and asari find so popular. I'll stick with guns and tools. As far as I'm concerned, your gift was terribly romantic."

"What about the show? Better then Elcor Hamlet?"

Giggling, Tali nodded. "Somehow, I think asari traditional dance is more inspiring then listening to Elcor for hours and hours."

"I enjoyed it, it made me want to see something else though."

"Oh?"

"A quarian dance. I've never really heard any of your people's music aside from your song, and I have definitely never seen one dance."

"I'll have to arrange it for you. I'm sure between the two of us Gola and I can think of something." Tali teased.

John pooched out his lip and did his best to look mournful. "But I wanted to see YOU dance."

"Oh, well in that case..."

John's omnitool beeped, and he made a face as he answered, "Shepard here."

"Mission successful." Garrus's voice declared, "Thane and his son are reunited. Samara is with them, Captain Bailey and I cut a deal. Kolyat is being given community service under his supervision."

"Great, we still meeting up with you and Kelly at the bar?"

"Absolutely. How was the dancing?"

"Enriching. Talk to you later Garrus." John cut the transmission and turned to Tali. "So, what should we do until then? We're not meeting Garrus and Kelly for a few hours."

"What about nothing?" Tali asked, stretching luxuriously, "Just sitting here and doing nothing for a few hours."

"That actually sounds pretty good." John agreed, and Tali rested her head on his shoulder.

Fifteen minutes later, she was tapping her foot, and John was flicking invisible lint off his pants.

"Bored?" she asked.

"Oh God yes."

"Me too, let's do something. I don't think either of us are used to peace and quiet."

They wandered for a while before coming upon a sign that read, "Christ the King Parish," over a store front. Sounds of loud, fast paced music were emanated from the building.

"What's this?" Tali asked, coming forward to look at a sign with smaller print on it. "'Hour of Power concert, with the Roaring Judah rock band'. Why would you have a band that plays with rocks?"

"They're playing rock, not playing with rocks. It's a type of music. It isn't terribly popular anymore, even with humans. Looks like a praise and worship service."

"Should we try it?" Tali asked, starting to move with the beat and snap her fingers. "I sort of like it."

"Beats walking around randomly," John agreed. "Besides, it sounds like they're having fun."

They entered and found themselves in a party. Multi-colored lights flashed onto a stage where several humans in dark leather were singing and playing music with a pulsing, heavy beat.

When the toast has burned

And all the milk has turned

Captain Crunch is waving farewell!

When the Big One finds you

May this song remind you that

THEY DON'T SERVE BREAKFAST IN HELL!

"Hey, welcome!" A woman with spiky green hair, a bright pink tank top low hanging denim trousers shouted over the music. "I'm Father Penelope! Call me Daddy P!"

"Commander Shepard. This is my girlfriend, Tali'Zorah."

"Rock on!" The eccentric priest shouted, making a strange sign that looked vaguely like horns with both her hands. "Enjoy the service, it's free!"

Soon Tali found herself dancing to the beat with John and watching the crowd. It was mostly humans, but Tali saw more than a few aliens, including asari, turians, salarains, a single volus and to her surprise, a vorcha. The diminutive humanoid had a feral grin on its face and was wildly dancing to the music. A large golden chain with a cross on it hung around his next, flailing wildly with it's owner.

"Look at that." Tali commed Shepard, "I didn't think they let vorcha on the citadel."

"They don't, but I'm off duty. And I don't feel like making an issue of it, no one else is."

Sure enough, there were two humans dancing near the vorcha, and no one seemed to mind his presence.

The current song finished, and the leader of the band stepped up the microphone. "Alright, who's in the house of the Lord tonight!" she shouted, holding up one hand in the same gesture Daddy P had made. The crowd roared in response, cheering and returning the gesture.

"I said who is in the house of the LORD tonight!" The crowd yelled again, even louder this time.

"Woo! Alright, for this next song I'm going to need my good friend Brother Ylgre to come up on stage, come on down Ylgre!"

To Tali's shock, this was the chain-wearing vorcha, who made his way through the crowd and scrambled up on stage. "Thank you Sister Mevish," he hissed, taking a microphone and waving. "It is good to be in the house of Jessuss."

This brought cheers and clapping from the crowd, some of them chanting, "Ylgre! Ylgre!"

The vorcha waited a moment for the crowd to quiet, then continued. "As you all know, this concert is free, but we will be taking an offering at the end so that I may go to Heshtok, the home of my people to bring the light of Jesus. But right now, I'm going to be taking over on the drums for this next song!"

"A vorcha playing music?" Tali whispered over the private channel.

"Hey, I've seen a krogan recite Shakespeare. Nothing surprises me anymore."

After a moment, the vorcha took up the drum sticks and starting pounding out a steady beat. BUM BUM BOOM! BUM BUM BOOM! In time with the beat, the audience started clapping and stomping their feet. Tali joined in, caught up in the heat of the moment. Then, the singing started.

When He rolls up His sleeves
He ain't just puttin' on the ritz
our God is an awesome God
There is thunder in His footsteps
And lightning in His fist
our God is an awesome God
Well, the Lord wasn't joking
When He kicked 'em out of Eden
It wasn't for no reason that He shed his blood
His return is very close and so you better be believing
that EVERYBODY

The building shook as the assembly shouted OUR GOD IS AN AWESOME GOD

The words to the song shocked Tali. Before now, everything she had heard about Jeebus had been about how loving, kind and gentle he was. This song sounded like it was about a God of war, who cast down demons and destroyed the wicked. She glanced over at John, who seemed to be enjoying himself. He was stomping and clapping with everyone else, roaring along with the crowd during the "Our God is an Awesome God" bits. Tali found herself joining in, caught up in the furor of the crowd.

And when the sky was starless in the void of the night
our God is an awesome God
He spoke into the darkness and created the light
our God is an awesome God
Judgment and wrath he poured out on Sodom
Mercy and grace He gave us at the cross
I hope that we have not too quickly forgotten that
our God is an awesome God

When the song ended, the vorcha stood up and took the mike again.

"Thank you, I want to remind all of you that our God really is-"

The crowd responded "AN AWESOME GOD!"

"Yes, too many think he was a soft, weak human, but I know better. He was strong, is strong, and will be strong! For my species, that is just as important as being full of mercy! The humans and especially the Christians were the only species to see mine as something other than vermin. I also see a quarian in the house tonight, and she too is accepted!"

The crowd turned and clapped and cheered for Tali, and she felt herself blushing and stammering at the attention. She didn't know any of these people, yet they were obviously happy to see her and willing to accept her as one of them.

Motioning for Tali to come up, Ylgre said, "Come up quarian, and share you testimony! What is it about Jessuss that attracted you?"

Tali glanced at John who smiled and led her up to the stage.

Taking the mike, Tali froze up for a moment, wondering how she could speak to this many people, especially when she wasn't really a Christian. But John was smiling at her, and she focused on him, trying to block out all the rest of the crowd.

"Well, I haven't actually become a Christian," Tali began, "But what I like about Jeebus is that he loves me even if I'm a quarian. And that he taught my boyfriend, John, how to love even the worst of people. Jeebus brings out the best in John, and maybe if more people were Christians people would be more accepting."

At that point, Tali started to become more and more nervous, and found herself speaking faster and faster, "And if people were Christians they would be safe from the Reapers! They're coming, I don't know how soon but the Collectors are kidnapping human colonies and I just helped rescue a bunch of them and then Harbinger which is a Reaper attacked me and my father couldn't save me again and then he attacked Samara who doesn't believe in Jeebus but does believe in the Goddess which I think is like Jeebus and the Goddess saved Samara and then she saved Jack when she got Indoctrinated and I am really scared because there's a geth and he also believes in a god but I don't know if he believes in Jeebus and Gola's a Christian and she's so nice I wish I could be like her and..."

Tali finally took a deep breath, and glanced around. The crowd had gone dead silent, and several people were staring at her open mouthed. John was still smiling though, and nodding approvingly like she had done something right.

"You... You are Tali'Zorah? The quarian that helped Commander Shepard?" One of the band members asked.

"Oh my God!" The lead singer gasped, "That's Commander Shepard right there!"

Before pandemonium could break loose, John jumped up on the stage and raised a hand for silence. "I am Commander Shepard. And this is my favorite church on the Citadel."

That got more than a few chuckles from the crowd. John's ill-fated advertisements for Citadel shops and eateries had become something of a meme on the station.

"And this," he said, putting an arm around Tali, "is my favorite girl on the Citadel."

Several people applauded and whistled. Tali snuggled into John, grateful that someone else was there to do the speaking for her.

"What Tali said is true. The Reapers are coming, and the only thing that can save you IS God. I have watched people without faith be tortured until they begged for mercy, nearly losing their minds. But those who believe were spared, God kept them from the clutches of the Reapers. I don't know if the Reapers really are Satan, but they are the closest thing to a devil this side of eternity. I charge each and every one of you to spread the Good News of Christ. This is no longer a matter of salvation, it is the difference between galactic extinction and life being preserved. So I hold all of you to the Great Commission: Go to every people, every nation and spread the Word. The dark gods are coming, but our Savior is already here!"

The crowd stared at John in stunned silence, completely blown away by his revelation that the Apocalypse was nigh.

Suddenly, the green haired priest stepped forward. "I will go. When the roll is called up yonder, none shall find me wanting! Father Itcho, you're in charge of the parish."

"I'll spread the word here on the citadel." A dark skinned salarian said, stepping forward.

"I will go! When the Reapers come, the vorcha will stand ready!" Ylgre declared, stepping up and raising a balled fist.

"The krogan will fight!"

"Thessia will not be found wanting!"

"The Heirarchy will not lack for a shield."

"Though they will imprison me, I will return to Khar'Shan. The batarians MUST hear of this!"

"I will hold the line on Sur'Kesh!"

"Earth needs us!"

"This one will spread the light of the True Enkindler."

"Humbly: I shall serve on Dekuuna."

"The vol-clan will not stand idle."

By ones and twos, then by threes and fours, and finally by the dozen the entire assembly stepped forward. Tali felt as if the air was alive, every hair on her body stood on end as she felt a mighty, airless wind sweep through the assembly.

Shepard activated his omnitool and waved it over the offering bucket at Ylgre's feet. "I just transferred 1.5 billion credits to the church's account. Someone's going to have to manage it."

"I cannot go, shhhhhh, but I will ensure those who do will be taken care of," a volus said, stepping forward. "Remember me commander? Hssssss. Barla Von. I was at the meeting on Arcturus. Kssshhh. I don't know why I came here tonight, but you've converted me. Hsssss. I'll see to it your missionaries are funded."

A sense of wonder filled Tali as she gazed out at the assemblage. Batarians, turians, asari, salarians, vorcha, a krogan, a quarian and more than a few humans. Shepard had just recruited an army, and Tali had a feeling that it was going to play a more vital role then all the ships that could be built between now and the time the Reapers arrived.

The band struck up again and played a few more songs, ending with a promise that they would tour anywhere they could and spread two messages. The Reapers were coming. And Jesus could save you.

Everyone filtered out, and Tali and John made their way to the bar they were meeting Garrus and Kelly. For old time's sake, they had picked Flux, which had been a favorite of Tali's during their first tour on the Normandy. Garrus and Kelly had beat them there, and waved them over to their seats.

"Just so we're clear, this isn't a double date." Garrus declared as Tali seated herself.

Kelly stuck her tongue out at the turian. "Oh come on Garrus, I think you're a handsome fellow. For a turian."

"Yeah, human females just aren't my thing," Garrus chuckled. "Now if Shepard here was a woman..."

"Garrus, as much as I love you, I think that's taking our relationship to far." John told him deadpan.

Putting a talon over his chest, Garrus fained shock. "Are you breaking up with me?"

"Stuff it Garrus, I already called him." Tali interrupted, putting her arms around John's left elbow.

"But, we're best friends! What's that human saying?"

"Women and children first?" Kelly guessed, winking at Tali.

"No, the other one."

"No turian like a dead turian?" John laughed.

"No, the OTHER, other one.

"Only fools and turians?" Kelly offered

"Oh come on, you're making that one up. The one about male companionship before lifemates."

"I honestly have no idea what you're talking about," John admitted. "Where did you hear it?"

Garrus shrugged. "Some extranet video Joker showed me."

"Oh keelah, you don't mean that bosh'tet bros before hoes video."

Garrus clicked his talons. "That's the one!"

"Never heard of it. Where I come from, we say 'treat your women right, and she'll treat you the same.'"

Kelly grinned mischievously. "That's right Commander, besides, you can't do half the fun thing with Garrus you can with Tali."

"Kelly!" Tali gasped, flushing a deep shade of red behind her mask. John's ears turned a similar color, though he managed to maintain his composure.

"Oh come on you two!" Garrus hooted, twitching his mandibles. "It's not like we don't know what you're doing when you lock yourselves in that clean room for hours!"

The conversation and laughter lasted for several hours, and Tali enjoyed the barbs Garrus and John exchanged. But throughout it, she couldn't help feel like something was missing. She was having fun, but back at the church the very air had felt alive. Like she had felt the touch of something much more then she could ever be.

After several hours, a mostly sober Tali and John had to assist the rather inebriated Kelly and Garrus back to the ship. Once they had stowed their friends in the crew deck, Tali rode the elevator up to John's cabin with him.

"John, do you remember when you said you would help me when I was ready to find Jeebus?"

"Yes."

"I think I'm ready now. What do I have to do?"

"Just this: Jesus, I recognize that I need your Grace. I can never do anything to make myself right with God. I need the sacrifice that you gave on the cross. I know that you were dead and buried, but on the third day you rose again. I accept you as my Lord and Savior; I now belong to you."

Tali repeated the words, and felt as if chains that constricted her heart were suddenly loosed, dropping away like a tree sheds its leaves.

"That's all?"

"Well, we should get you baptized at some point, but for now read the Bible and talk to me and Gola. Pray and ask God what he would have you do, that's all that really matters."

"Alright, I'll do that."

The next hour or so, Tali talked to John about what it meant to be a Christian. There were more than a few details that confused her still, but with John and Gola she was certain she could work it out. Finally, she left to be by herself in the hold. As she worked, she said her first real prayer as a Christian.

"Jeebus, what would you have me do?"

The answer was clear and immediate, like the voice of a strong, gentle quarian in her head.

Forgive the geth.

Tali dropped her tools and slumped to the floor, weeping uncontrollably. She had just been told to confront her worst nightmare.

Unna'Koris: So I guess even after choosing Jeebus life wasn't easy.

Tali'Zorah: No, that's one thing a lot of people don't understand. Following a deity, even if it is the Deity, doesn't make your life easier. It makes it harder.

Unna'Koris: I think the vorcha would argue with that.

Tali'Zorah: Would they? Would it not have been easier for them to lay down and accept the Reapers as their god instead of following Ylgre? Without them, we could not have won the war, but remember that billions of vorcha died for that victory, and are still dying. They may be the most fanatical and zealous followers of Jeebus I have ever met, but they pay a price in blood and suffering for their fervor.

Authors Note:

New interim poll up in my profile! Vote now for your favorite character!