Nearly a week has passed. I was not present when Shepard gave his report to the council in person. The normandy is waiting for any clue on Saren's next move. Until then, we all occupied our time. I had to spend more time on the ship to align myself to the universe. My control is getting better as I need less time to accomplish my meditation and do so not as frequently.
Shepard, Kaiden, and Ashely are looking at Spectre grade weapons and armor. They have made some money doing the side quests. I think they scanned all the keepers. I overheard Ashley talking about it. We are also supposed to keep an eye out for any information to find the MSV Majesty. If I remember correctly the ship was taken over and the man who tasked us with this brother was killed. It wasn't that memorable of a side quest.
Thankfully, there was extra human food at Zeus hope. They had a variety of noodles, tomatoes, cooking oil, and other assorted things. I made this cheesy pasta dish with leftover pyjak meat in place of ground beef, one of my favorites, and now the entire crew's. The dinners I make seem to be helping everyone get comfortable with each other. Discussions about how it was like growing up on alien worlds or ships. Why they chose their careers. Small talk. Wrex mentioned his homeworld had too many predators to realistically domesticate animals, so milk was unknown to him, as well as its fermented product. He loved cheese. I probably would love anything so delicious I never had before, especially after living so long. He was mildly lactose intolerant. A couple of side-splitting gulps escapes his mouth. A Krogan burping is unexpectedly hilarious.
Things are really well at the moment, that was until I heard news about the thorian. An asari volunteer melded with the plant. The council thought it was an invaluable way to discover lost prothean knowledge. They failed. It is full of fear and worry. I accidentally traumatized her. When I heard the news, I clenched my jaw. The thorian is receiving therapy. I don't know how that works, but they are trying.
When not on the ship I would explore the citadel with someone in case either of us got lost. I went with Garrus to chat with volus and elcor ambassadors. The volus was upset how his race had very little power despite setting up a galactic economy. I almost revealed some secrets to slowly take down an economy, I bit my tongue. The elcor was intriguing. He feels like a gentle giant. I asked him how his race was able to invent spaceflight given their morphology. He claimed they were uplifted by the council in exchange for their planet's unique resources. The high gravity on his homeworld caused trees to produce a very strong wood. It is a popular resource.
Garrus found some clues about a case he was working on in the past. A salarian doctor was growing organs in subjects for money. Garrus found a pool of blood that no one could survive losing that much, however DNA evidence showed the victim was alive and not harmed. He began to tell me how he slowly discovered how the salarian was the primary suspect. He is a really good detective. I thought of Garrus as this amazing soldier with the coolest personality. He is very intelligent as well. What concerns me is how blood thirsty he is. Garrus wanted to shoot down the doctor with subjects on his ship when he fled the citadel. The doctor never killed anyone, taking advantage of people, yes. I asked him if he would have blown up a restaurant where a murderer was keeping hostages. He said of course not. I pointed out he wasn't willing to kill a murderer, however a scummy doctor was fine. Garrus saw the point I made. I think he had become so focused on finding the salarain doctor, it became a hunt. I wonder if it is a leftover of his species evolution. I'd advise him to cool his bloodlust and we can't afford a mistake with Saren.
On a different day, Wrex and Tali needed to run errands. Wrex has "personal business" and Tali is shopping around for a pilgrimage gift. I told them I would be meditating under a large tree. I do not think my words translated into their languages.
I sat under the tree. I observed the calm presidium lake. This time, my goal will be to enjoy myself. My peace. I slowly close my eyes. Erect my spine straight. I enjoy the feeling of the air entering my lungs. As my body slows, the air feels cooler and pleasurable. I scan my body and look for what is tense. I watch the tension dissolve as I breathe. Next, I focus on the spot where the back of my skull meets the top vertebrae. If I tense my ears upwards and focus all my attention there, a cool electric wave travels down my spine. I get goosebumps as I do this. The muscles around my eyes and jaw softens and a slight smile spontaneously forms.
"What are you doing? I have never seen a face like that before" Tali asked.
"Oh hi Tali. I was feeling at peace" I explained.
"That. I heard about it but never seen it before. I had to study faces before I embarked on my pilgrimage. I had never seen that face before. It looked… happy but different. What does it feel like?" Tali asked.
"It is wonderful. It feels like everything is how it is supposed to be. That the world works how it should and a joy like any other is felt. You do not need to do anything. No fighting, no tension, just being" I explain.
"But the world sucks. There is pain and suffering" Tali said.
"Perhaps. I said how it feels, not how it is. Any luck finding a gift?" I ask.
"No. I want to find something important to bring back to the fleet. I do not know where to look" Tali said.
"I'll walk with you" I slowly rise from the ground. We walk around the presidium and gaze at any shops we pass.
"They are staring" Tali said.
"I am tall. I do not even realize it anymore" I said.
"Not that. It is because I am a quarian" Tali said.
"How do you know they are looking at you and not the charming one?" I asked. She paused for a bit then continued walking. We make small talk. She vents to me about problems with the ship's core. I pretend to understand. I encourage venting. I used to bottle everything up until I realized how much I was carrying within me and decided to empty everything. She makes out something about recoil and angles of support.
"That must be a pain" I have no idea what this conversation is about.
"YES! I tried everything. The specifications of the metal bars are more than adequate. I tried realigning the core. I tried every quarian technique I know, and it has gotten me nowhere" Tali says as she lets out her frustrations.
"The engine is just being a jerk" I said.
"It is just tech. No one's fault. We deal a lot with this on ships back home" Tali said.
"Why is this dusty suitrat scaring away my customers" a pale yellow salarian comes out of the store and screams at us.
"I am a what?" I ask in bewilderment.
"He means me. It is a bad name for quarians. A very bad one" Tali quietly said as she looked down. Her hands are held together. She is just going to take it. Not on my watch.
"Sir, you should apologize to her. I can vouch for her. Tali is one of the kindest, hardest working individuals I know. She does not deserve this" I calmly said.
"I don't care. Humans aren't that welcome here either. Leave now before I call c-sec. Disgusting thieves are not welcome here" He angrily says. Talis shoulders bob up and down. Her chest contracts inward a bit. Is she crying?
I step closer, lean over and look him in his eyes. "You need to apologize now."
"I do not give a STG's cloaca. These disgusting walking shopping bags need to be thrown out into the void"
"HEY! THAT IS ENOUGH! You will apologize to her now or I am throwing you into that lake!" I scream.
"I won't do wha…" I pounce down and grab one of his ankles, I pull, and he falls to the ground. I walk over to the ledge of the sidewalk and lift the salarian over my head. He is surprisingly light.
"Put me down!" he yells.
"********* you do not need to do this" Tali grabs at my shirt.
"Are you going to apologize?" I ask.
"I am doing anything you tell me to do" he is a feisty one.
"I am a man of my word" down he goes. The water is ten feet down. He makes a small splash. When he comes up, a mask of disbelief is worn.
It was not long until I was arrested. Tali pleaded with the turian officer to punish her in my place. How I was protecting her, and it was her fault. I was the one who threw the salarian overboard. The officer didn't know if I should be charged with littering or assault. I told Tali to contact Shepard and Garrus.
The temporary holding is an 8x6 white room with a glass wall and a small bench to sit in. The cuffs on my hands were very thick. Probably enough to prevent a krogan from breaking out. Tali arrived as soon as she could and would not leave the viewing area. She is nervous. I am calm. I can phase out of the cuffs whenever I wish. I want to have some fun.
"What the HELL *********?! Why were you arrested?" Shepard said. A turian c-sec officer is standing nearby taking note.
"Hey, I was meditating on peace. Tali found me and I went with her to a few stores. A prick made her upset so I threw the guy into a lake. I was arrested for noise compliance. The splash was epic" I said.
"You violently threw a man into a lake after meditating?" Garrus asked.
"I like to feel both ends of the emotional spectrum" I said.
"This isn't a joke" Shepard said. Garrus is to his left.
"Shepard, it is my fault. Someone called me a suitrat and ********* tried to make him apologize" Garrus perks up and whispers into Shepard's ear. A look of understanding flashes across his face then quickly dissipates.
"Even so. You can't assault people" Shepard said.
"Come on Sartan. Is there anything you can do?" Garrus asks his former colleague.
"We are not sure how to proceed. The shop owner wasn't injured and he has a few complaints on his record. Some of us are sympathetic to antiquarian prejudice. We need to follow the law" he said.
"I am a spectre. Could I use my status to take him into custody?" Shepard asked.
"Does he have any information to aid your mission?" Sartan asked.
"IKNOWWHERESARENKEEPSHISEMBARASSINGSECRETS" I yell.
"Good enough. He is all yours. You are being released into Shepard's care" Sartan said.
"I can leave?" I ask. A smile forms.
"Yes"
I phase out of the cuffs. I twirl them around my right pointer finger in a clockwise direction. This catches everyone's attention.
"How did you do that? Those were designed to withstand Krogan battle master feats of strength and prevent even the finest biotic lockpicking" Garrus asked.
"Trade secret. I can leave whenever I want. I pretended to be arrested to see your funny faces. Priceless" I chuckle.
"You are going to be the death of me. Is there anything you can't do?" Shepard pinches the bridge of his nose.
I think for a moment.
"I can't make a square circle or a married bachelor. YET!"