Things went back to normal the following morning. The Neema returned to its position at the heart of the Migrant Fleet, watching over their precious liveships. And Tali escorted Jane to her workstation on the lowest level. When she wasn't making repairs, maintaining vital systems, or running combat-shielding sims, her attention was directed to a personal project – redesigning the drive core to recycle static buildup, converting it to kinetic energy and eliminating the need to discharge. If she could just get it to work, minus the explosions, the invention would be revolutionary. She could kiss deck-living good bye and possibly earn a permanent room of her own – an extremely rare gesture. That wasn't her only motivation of course, her people needed every advantage in order to survive. But it certainly sweetened the pot.
Currently, Tali laid on a creeper beneath the drive core, that hummed with a thousand years of wear, as she repaired the shorted circuits. Jane was helpfully handing her tools, keeping them ahead of schedule. At this rate, she'd be off the clock early and would be able to give Jane a taste of night life aboard the Fleet.
Of course, that was before her omni-tool began chiming – informing her of an emergency aboard the Rayya. Although, 'emergency' held a vastly different definition when it came to the safety and maintenance of a live ship. Any mechanical issue was addressed immediately, with utmost aggression. If they lost a single live ship, the results would be catastrophic. Millions would starve. "Friggin bosh'tets. I told them venting energy like that would damage the hull. But do they listen? No! Bosh'tet gardeners overstepping their bounds." Tali sighed. "Well, looks like we're heading to the Rayya and I'll have to do a spacewalk as the outer shielding needs repairs. Which means you'll need an escort… Heaven forbid a hu-" She stopped herself from cursing the overly-cautious rules her people were forcing on Jane, the last thing she wanted was to scare the girl further. "Anyway, did you like Reegar?"
A nod.
"I'll see if he can accompany you aboard the Rayya. Well, at least it's interesting. Hope you like fish… and plants. I'm pretty much banned from aquaponics engineering. Apparently, I'm a 'plant killer.'" The last bit was enriched with a bitter pair of air quotes.
And that was how Jane wound up touring the heart of the Fleet, reverently strolling down endless corridors whose walls were completely sheathed by green, yellow, and purple leaves – their sizes and shapes as numerous as the stars. Vines encumbered with bulbous fruits, or perhaps vegetables, swayed as she passed. The thick vegetation was interrupted only by an occasional glass window, a rectangular glimpse into the submerged world. Jane pressed her face against the cool glass, drinking in every detail. Striped fish – even more colorful than the plants – darted in and out of thousands of tendrils. It took her a moment to realize these were roots, and marveled at the lack of soil. The sight was unlike anything she'd ever seen, and it made her feel even smaller and a bit more lost.
"Perhaps you'd like to understand how it works? I had an interest in aquaponics before enlisting. Strangely enough I have no issues shooting people, but the idea of butchering fish, even if it's for food, was too much." She almost forgot about Reegar, taken in by the sights. And jumped at the sound of his voice.
"Anyhow," he continued unconcerned, "it's a completely closed system. The fish produce waste and good bacteria, which feeds the plants. The roots sort of suck it all up, like the Ancestors' magical vacuum, and convert it into fertilizer. That's fancy talk for 'plant food.' And the fish eat the plant-waste. We only have to replace a bit of water here and there, y'know, whatever evaporates. It's a marvel of engineering when you think about it. Feeds the whole damn fleet."
His non-nonchalant attitude put Jane at ease. And they continued their strolls through the aquaponics department for the next three days, burning time while Tali worked to repair the hull. They'd meet up in the Rayya's cafeteria for lunch, more out of social obligation than necessity, as the trio survived on nutrient paste during their displacement aboard the Rayya.
On the third day, after finishing patching up her native ship, Tali found herself turning to Kal for insight about Jane. And, just like a man, he summarized the experience in as few words as possible. "I think she's a bit like me, or any quarian really. Eager to know how things work. Loves to draw the fish."
"So helpful." Tali retorted.
"Hey! I'm just here to make sure she doesn't blow the ship up or anything nefarious. I'm not exactly an expert on human psychology."
So, on the fourth day, after her regular shift, Tali changed her over-wrappings from rich purple to a lighter shade of the same hue and opted for a new belt. "Garrus tells me you like music."
Jane peeked up from her omni-tool. Ever since she witnessed Jane spending fifteen minutes typing out a simple search query, Tali installed an educational app. And the woman now spent hours glued to the screen, eager to improve. It was meant to teach quarian children how to type, yet it seemed to be helping, despite being designed for three fingers.
Tali continued, undeterred by the silence. "I thought I'd show you some dance clubs. Us quarians work like crazy but the saying 'all work and no play' applies to us as well. We missed the musician rotation, but there's an interesting company performing tonight. Plus, they have levo-alcohol there. We err… use it to sanitize but the toxicity meter on your suit will tell us if it's safe to consume."
"How much does it cost?"
"Don't worry about it. Credits are no good aboard the fleet anyhow. We have work vouchers that can be exchanged for certain luxuries, like a night out. And… I rarely use mine. Okay, never in all honesty. So, I have loads stored up."
Jane acquiesced, closing her omni-screen. "Sounds like fun."
Tali lead her towards the shuttle bay and they boarded a modest transport bound for the Shaawib, a party ship according to her quarian companion. Apparently, they were all suit-wetting idiots but they knew how to run a club.
Jane was unaccustomed to crowds. And the sight that greeted them aboard the Shaawib, was intimidating to say the least. Swarms of quarians of all shapes and sizes chattered amiably among one another. A group of females spread their arms in unison and called out to their newly arrived friend, cheering her on as she closed the distance. Another lot consisted of Migrant Fleet Marines, all male, all imbibing before setting foot inside the club. They drunkenly staggered about, roaring with laughter. It was new, perhaps even a bit frightening, but also warm. There was an undertone of acceptance, of family here. And Jane relaxed in the hospitable atmosphere.
When a cluster of quarians wearing long, flowing over-wrappings (sheer white and stunning) passed through, a reverent silence fell over the crowd. Tali elbowed her and pressed her helmet against her own, conducting the sound and keeping their conversation private. "That's the Yeelu'Sill company. Very famous dancers. About as famous as it gets really."
Jane watched them disappear behind the deck's double doors with a sense of anticipation. Quarian dancers. Now that had to be interesting. In the time she'd been aboard, she witnessed all sorts of extremely flexible feats by the species. For one, they seemed to have a second knee. Or, at the very least, something that enabled them to bend their calves backwards. It explained the need for such long boots. Protection for that extra joint was necessary, especially in a fight. She could only imagine how wicked an injury they'd be prone to. That's the sort of thing she'd exploit with her knife. A quick slice through the ligament and they'd be fumbling on the ground.
She also learned that patience was not Tali's strong suit. After twenty minutes of inching forward, Tali loosed several creative curses, some unfamiliar even to her batarain-accustomed ears, and purchased VIP tickets – which moved them to the front of the line. And granted them a rather luxurious, private booth overseeing the stage.
"You only live once." Tali laughed. "You know, Shepard told me that. Pretty sure it was right before he lost a drinking bet with Wrex. Chakwas nearly tanned his hide, said he was lucky not to get alcohol poisoning."
"What was he like?" Jane's interest was clearly peaked. And Tali felt a stab of guilt. She'd been so preoccupied with her own grief that she never spoke of Shepard. Did the girl even remember her brother? She'd never forget that night with Shepard on the engineering deck, her failure to comfort him, the pain in his voice as he roared. Tali had no idea how old nine was to a human child. Yet, in quarian years, that was very young. They lived in the leikskóli until age fourteen, when they were given their first suit. She couldn't even fathom being ripped away from everything and everyone she ever knew, being sealed up in a suit was traumatic enough.
"Tell you what, the show's about to start. But I'll fill you in on every detail, whatever you want to know. You can ask questions to your hearts content afterwards."
Jane eagerly agreed and they sat back as the curtain parted.
Eleven dancers stood in a straight line. Disciplined. Rigid. Ordered from shortest to tallest. As the music began, a horizon dawned behind them, illuminating the stage, and their faces turned towards the emerging sun, palms pressed against their helmets. Their bodies changed instantaneously, melding to the music. They flowed like a vertical wave, first right then left, then parted, seamlessly forming a second line, while the smallest dancer bound forward. Jane gasped at the sight. The woman's mask was clear, revealing humanoid features – a blur of purple, and eyes like a crescent moon, all contorted to tell a tale of sorrow, pain and loss. Great loss. There were no words, but Jane felt a howl in her soul. The dancer reached the forefront of the stage, arms and legs wildly flailing, then spun on her toes and returned to the line, embraced instantaneously by another.
They fell gracefully to the floor, parting once more. Only this time it was the tallest among them that was revealed. A willowy woman, whose eyes glowed like lavender jewels, strode forward hands bent beneath her heart reverently, a prayer on her lips. All around her, the other dancers rushed forward. The smallest remaining on the ground. Four hoisted her towards the heavens while six split like scissors on pointed toe.
It was hopeful. Agonizing. And inwardly violent.
The homeworld. Jane wasn't familiar with quarian culture, but she read of their tragic loss. This dance was about reclaiming Rannoch, a dream within a dream, and she nearly choked on the raw emotion displayed all around her.
When the smallest dancer, launched herself back into the line, caught by her comrades and embraced, the music died off, signaling the end of the piece. Jane leaped to her feet and clapped with abandon, cursing how the suit muffled the response. It was only then that she realized Tali had been watching her and not the stage. "Totally worth it." She snickered. "I've seen this many times as a child, the benefit of being an Admiral's daughter I suppose. You know, you're the first human to see this dance?"
"That was.." Tali could see she had finally broken through that immutable wall between Jane and the world. Now she babbled, uncontrolled and giddy. "One of the most amazing things I've ever seen. They must spend their whole lives learning."
"You're correct." A smile in her voice. "As you can see, dancers are highly regarded among my people. They begin training as children, usually spending two or three decades perfecting their art."
"By the four, it shows! Is there more? I mean, that could be the whole shebang and I'd be satisfied but pleeeeeeeeease tell me there's more."
"Oh, there's more. And after, the floor is opened to everyone. We can get drinks and even dance a bit ourselves if you like."
Jane whooped, and nearly slammed her hand to her mouth, alarmed by her boldness.
What a fun night this is going to be, Tali mused.
An hour later, the curtain closed, and Jane was once more on her feet – futilely trying to clap. Tali was almost certain, that were she unmasked, she'd see tears in those eyes. It was the one trait she shared with Shepard, and had been a bit jarring to look at while they occupied the airlock. She had his eyes. And apparently, good taste. Garrus would've spend the entire time grumbling about a lack of shooting or some nonsense.
With a press of a button, the staff literally flipped the floor. Hundreds of seats vanished, replaced by tables, chairs, and a bar that spanned the entire theater. Jane gawked at the sight, much to Tali's amusement. They waited for the crowd to disperse a bit before heading to the floor. Jane talking her ear off the entire way.
"That spin mid AIR was amazing. I mean amazing. And how the others caught her. Holy crap. I thought, oh gods, here it comes. She's gonna eat polished metal or whatever crap they make the floor out of but NOPE."
Not waiting for a reply, she barreled onward. Talking a mile a minute. "And Okanna's ass, did I mention how they moved with the music that… was… was…. There are no words. You know, I never enjoyed dancing before…But that? I could watch that all DAY."
They settled into a petite table in the center of the dais and flagged down a server. The man nearly had a conniption fit when Tali asked for something called Everclear. "Did the Ancestors forget the gift of a brain when molding you child? That'll kill you. We use it to sterilize!"
Tali waved him off. "See her five fingers? She's human. And I've personally watched her brother drink that exact brand. Plus, we're going to run it through the tox-screen just to be safe."
"I'm going to get my manager." The harried server called back while storming off.
Thirty minutes and a liability waver later, they had their drinks. Tali opted for sura, a concoction of quarian invention that involved mixing turian brandy with liquor distilled from yanna. They tapped their vacuseal compartments together, Tali having explained the human toasting ritual as best she could. But when Jane moved to click the container into her suit, a three-fingered hand stopped her. "Trust me, these are way better when it comes to alcohol." She said while handing her a hollowed out rod-thing. "It's an emergency induction port. You stick it through the helmet slot, don't worry – well I suppose it's not a concern for you – but it'll form a seal to keep out airborne contaminants. Anyhow, you can drink at your own pace. The food-delivery system in the suit tends to transport liquid all at once.
Jane popped the contraption through the small hole, sucking up the liquor. Of course, when it reached her throat, a coughing fit immediately ensued.
"Keelah! Are you okay?"
"Yeah that stuff's just reaallllyy strong. Good call on the induction port. Doubt I could've handled that all at once."
A nervous edge entered Tali's voice as she replied. "Perhaps… well… be careful… I um.. have no idea about humans and alcohol. I mean, other than your brother."
"Think this one will take a long time to go down anyhow. But you promised me stories."
"Ask away."
"I… don't even know what to ask."
Silence fell between them as Tali chewed over her response. How to describe Shepard? The man she had fallen head over heels for while he was none the wiser. The mask proved both a gift and a curse on her pilgrimage, how would he have reacted had he known? That answer was lost to the cold vacuum of space, and her remorse was palpable at times. "Well…. He was honest. Brutally honest. A lot of people disliked him for it. But you always knew where you stood with him. Any sort of threat to his team was put down with the utmost severity, as if he was protective of us all. He specialized in infiltration and ambush tactics and really didn't take kindly to people who shot at us. Generally, he accepted surrenders, unless they fired a weapon or were slavers, then…" She stopped short, shaking her head. "Ugh. I'm talking about him like a commander, not a person. This is harder than I thought."
"I was enjoying it. He … kind of sounds like Garrus though."
"Where do you think that turian bosh'tet got it from? Shepard mentored him."
Jane snorted. "You're joking. I mean, I knew they were good friends but not that."
"Yeah. Garrus really looked up to him, hung on his every word. We all did, I suppose, but Garrus more than anyone. Plus he helped him with that whole Saleon business."
"Who or what is a saleon?"
"Doctor Saleon." Tali spat the words out as if the mere sound offended her. "Real nutbag piece-of-shit. He was cloning body parts inside of people then selling them on the black market. I don't know the whole story, but he escaped the citadel when Garrus was there. He said it was C-Sec's fault and was super pissed."
"I bet."
"Yeah, well, Shepard helped him find the guy. The place was filled with mindless, husks of people. It was crazy. We had to fight through the ship to reach him. And when we did, I thought Shepard was going to arrest him, send him back to the citadel or something. But he looked around at what the doc did, turned to Garrus, and told him to get on with it he's a busy man. They really hit it off after that. Practically finished each others sentences." Tali swallowed another mouthful, alcohol fueling her forward. "What does Garrus even do on Omega? He claims to be a free-lance mercenary that doesn't accept jobs for creds. It makes no sense."
"Mostly he shoots law breakers, interrupted by bouts of beating them."
Tali snorted. "Sounds about right. Wait, I thought there were no laws on Omega."
"He invented some, then broadcasted what him and the team dubbed 'The New World Order.' Krul had to wire up several districts just to do it. They concocted a whole list of laws. I never could keep track of them all." Jane laughed at the memory, Garrus, Mierin, and Weaver hammering out their 'rules' into the wee hours of the morning. It was all very turian. She never understood their mission on Omega, regardless how amusing. They left C-Sec because of rules only to invent their own. "How did Wrex and my brother get on?"
"Keelah, they were tied at the hip. It was a bit annoying honestly. Wrex was on every mission!" Tali's fist hit the table. "I was so jealous. But I don't punch like a krogan. So, I was the squad's geth expert, hacker, and decyrpter. Mostly I stayed in the back ranks, or behind Wrex, out of fear of suit punctures. He does make a nice shield. Him and Shepard had this whole angry krogan bit that they used to get idiots to stand down. John usually had mercy for dumb kids playing gangsta. It essentially consisted of Wrex threatening to eat people while Shepard glowered next to them, calmly checking his shotgun."
"Wait," Jane leaned forward rather abruptly. "A shotgun? My brother used a shotgun? I thought they were supposed to be terrible."
For a moment, her only answer was a fit of giggles, and it was several minutes before Tali managed to regain control. "Let me guess, Garrus told you that?"
"Well, yeah."
"I see he still has a stick up his ass about precision weapons. Personally, I prefer the shotgun. They don't require a high amount of accuracy and they get the job done. Who has time for rigorous weapons training when they're learning how to hack geth?"
"Shit I need to learn that. Could… could you show me? I tend to fight in melee range anyhow..."
"I wish I could. I really wish I could. But the powers-that-be made me promise you'd be unarmed while on the Fleet." Tali hesitated, before throwing caution to the wind. "Jane, I don't mean to be rude, but… are you sure about going to Tuchanaka?"
"The chance to learn under a battlemaster? Hell yeah I'm sure." She hiccuped while puncturing a second shot with the emergency induction port. Tali was on her third. Mourning Shepard had significantly increased her alcohol tolerance. Certainly, she had been busy blowing up geth at her father's behest. But there had been too much time between missions, too many opportunities to relive his inhumane death.
"It's just…."
"I'm small." Jane finished. Her tone was light, playful even.
"Well, yeah..."
"You haven't seen me use bi-hic-otics."
Tali sighed. "This is true. But it's just… I'm worried. I don't want to deliver the last of Clan Shepard to her doom." Another shot quickly followed this proclamation.
Jane was quiet for awhile, mulling over her response. "I… know about the reapers."
Tali's head whipped up.
"Garrus told me. Look, all I can say, is that I didn't survive…" Jane cut herself off sighing. Beneath the mask, she could feel her cheeks flush from the liquor, her nerves emboldened. "The shit I did… I'm not a good person. But it was to survive." There was emphasis on that word, an edge to her voice. "And there's no way I did all that only to be enslaved by mind-controlling machines or to let that happen to Sciffy. No way in hell. And if Wrex can help me achieve my most lethal self, I'll damn well fight back. When the reapers come, I'll be ready. One thing I won't do is sit around wringing my hands."
"You," Tali's voice had grown tentative, solemn. "You… sound so much like him."
"Who?"
"Shepard."
Jane snorted. "I sound like Jimmy? Really?"
"May I ask why you call him that? I've never heard anyone else… not even Anderson refer to him as 'Jimmy.'"
There was no small amount of hesitation there, and Tali felt a pang of guilt for broaching the subject. "I'm… not sure honestly. I always have. He's always been Jimmy to me." Her voiced dropped, quivering as she added, "I… don't remember why, and I don't remember why I don't remember."
"Sorry. I probably shouldn't have asked."
"I'd rather people ask than not."
"Oh?"
Jane shrugged. "It's just my life. It'd be terribly lonely if no one ever asked me about it."
"In that case, who's Sciffy?"
"Remember that little girl you rescued from the Rotund? The one who knew me, and apparently, kept my tooth?"
"ALICE?! Oh keelah, that's right. I almost forgot about her having a molar of yours."
"Yeah.. I gave it to her before… before…" She trailed off, throat thick with emotion. "Well, it worked out in the end."
"Alright," Tali stood, swaying a bit. "This conversation is getting dangerously close to morose. We are hitting the dance floor!"
Tali eased her way through the crowd in a way that spoke of experience, her hand clenched around Jane's wrist – something she was eternally grateful for. They wormed their way to the VIP section, their bracelets whirred to life before allowing them to pass onto the dais. Only a couple dozen, versus a few hundred, quarians occupied the area. Meaning there was actually room to dance.
Jane merely observed for awhile, watching Tali bend to the rhythm. She suspected that the woman once dreamed of being a dancer herself. Tali moved beneath the neon lights as if she'd been born to it. Certainly better than her. Although, the only dancing she knew was overshadowed by how little clothes she wore. Dancing hadn't been her selling point.
After about thirty minutes, Tali managed to coax her onto the floor. And Jane wiggled to the music. A jab here. A leg kick there. She was actually getting into it, gradually losing her reticent nature to the thrum of the bass. Her head swam to the rhythm.
Only a vaguely suppressed laughing fit pulled her back. "Oh keelah, it's genetic." Tali was bent over, hands pressed against her midriff as if she were hold her guts in.
"What?" Jane watched as Tali sucked in several steadying breaths, gradually regaining control of herself.
"Don't worry about it. There's something comforting in knowing that the Dance of Clan Shepard is alive and well."
A/N I forgot to mention in the last chapter that cinches are those belts Tali is wearing in ME1. I always figured she no longer needed them in ME2/3 as she filled out a bit more. Jane, on the other hand, is rail-thin.
Also, since I can't link on FFN. I highly suggest googling 'discus fish' they're absolutely gorgeous and a fascinating species.
I've been nursing an interest in aquaponics for years and have always wanted to start a tank using discus as the fish. Unfortunately, this is not possible as discus don't take to the high nitrogen levels required in aquaponics. Plus, they need a lot of space, steady temperatures, and other features I can't accommodate in my cabin. But I thought it'd be fun to incorporate into the Migrant Fleet. Bending the rules is sort of the point of fantasy-writing and Rannoch is filled with colorful wildlife. And the discus species fit the bill. It's also a lot more efficient than hydroponics as the fish provide another food source and after a month or so it becomes a closed system. I'm no expert or anything, and when I finally do start my aquaponics project, I'll probably use something extra-hardy like goldfish. But it's a really cool thing to learn about.