Flesh and Metal:

Book One:

The Saren Incident:

Interlude 2

She was going to die today, she had come to terms with awhile ago but it was still an odd thing to come to grips with, the knowledge that the galaxy would keep on spinning in the void of the endless dark without you. But she was fine with that, she had done what she needed to do and whatever happened after this was out of her control. There was something comforting in that.

With a heavy sigh Shala'Raan turned away from the window in her office and walked back over to her desk, unnecessary luxuries were not tolerated on the migrant fleet but rank did have it's privileges and thus, being an admiral, Shala'Raan had an office that many of her own people would consider to the height of luxery even though she was certain, say, an Asari admiral would consider it to be little more than a storage closet.

There was a large flask of Turian brandy on her desk, it hadn't been sterilized and she had no intention of doing so as it affected the taste and she was certain that she would not live long enough to have to worry about any side effects on her systems. Next to it was a dagger, it was a weapon that came from their homeworld and it was part of a pair and sadly she doubted it would ever be reunited with it's twin, but it needed to be done. A last gift.

Her personal comm link pinged and the voice of her personal assisant came over it. "Ma'am, Admiral Zorah is here to see you and he says that he won't take no for an answer."

"That is all right Doza, send him in and why don't you take the rest of the day shift off." She did her best to keep her voice level so Doza would not think anything was wrong, he had only just become a Father to a little girl and there had been far to many little girls growing up without Fathers on the fleet so if she could stop that from happening again then she would do it.

"As you say Admiral." There was a soft chime that told her that Doze had shut off the link on his side and then Shala'Raan was alone with her thoughts once again and she poured herself a second glass and swirled it around for a few moments and downed it just in time as the door to her office slid open and in walked a man that, once, she would have trusted more than any other.

Rael'Zorah was tall for a Quarian, he was a head taller than most but even if he was a similar height to the rest of them he would still command attention, he simply had that sort of presence to him and he had it for as long as Shala had known him, since they were children, they had always followed him as children and it was hardly a surprise that he had become a hero at such a young age when he defended the fleet from those Batarian raiders.

She once thought that she would have followed him anywhere, into any sort of hell but now she could barely see the man she had known any more, he always knew that the death of his wife had changed him, he had become even more determined to reclaim their homeworld from the Geth, he had wanted his daughter to have a home on the homeworld.

When the Geth had allied with the newcomers in the galaxy Rael had taken it hard, when the Geth had been welcome on to the citadel while the Quarians were still in exile he had taken it even harder. It had been a dark time for all of them, in truth. As best the Quarians had been tolerated and nothing more, but now the Geth were allied with a Citadel associate race, attacking them could have them thrown into a war that they would have no chance of winning.

But the things that Rael had done, allying with that Specter...it could end with their entire species suffering for it, it could end with Tali suffering for it and that was not something that Shala was about to let happen, not if there was anything that she could do to stop it. So, she stood up as tall as her could, head up and shoulders back and folded her hands behind her back. "Rael, can I help you with something?"

"Where is my daughter Shala?"

"She is on her pilgrimage Rael, it was long past time that she went on it."

"Did I not make it clear when I ordered that all pilgrimages were to be suspended that included Tali? There are hard days coming for our people Shala, possibly the hardest we have seen since we were forced to flee from the homeworld and every quarian must be here to see it through to the other side, but you've cast my daughter away from any sort of protection."

"She is no longer a little girl Rael, and you have no right to suspend the pilgrimages. Tali must under go it, it is both her right and her duty to the fleet and our people." She turned her back on Rael and walked over to the window, starting out as the stars. "And perhaps sending her away was the best thing that I could do her protection, I doubt she's safe here."

She didn't have to turn around, she could feel Rael looming over her. "You had better be very careful what you are about to say next Shala, we're old friend you and I. You've been a sister to me, but I won't tolerate treason from anyone and I won't tolerate it from you."

"Ancestors Rael! Do you hear yourself!?" Rann shouted as she turned around to face him, starting past the face plate of his mask and deep into his eyes. "It is not treason to question! It is not treason to see what is happening to our home and call it what it is, have you seen the experiments that Xen has been working on? Koris is this close to taking the civilian fleet and making a run for the nearest Mass Relay and I can not blame him for that, you must turn away from this brother, before it's too late."

Her friend seem to shrink before her eyes, bringing his hand up to cradle his helmet. "I honestly thought that you would be able to understand Shala, this is about more than the homeworld. It's about more than being outcastes while the machines that drove us out are welcome on Thessia and Sur'Kesh, this is about the survival of our race and I can not allow you to threaten that."

Rael moved, if to draw a weapon to kill her or to call his guards in to arrest her she was not sure but it didn't matter in the end, but Shala was faster. She slammed a control on the console at her desk and the door to her quarters slammed shut and locked and she lunged at him, scooping up the dagger from the desk and bringing it down on to Rael's shoulder.

He hadn't been expecting it and while their suits were designed to not puncture easily she had been spending some time lately trying to find the best spot for it, besides they were mainly designed to withstand gun shots and not blades and so the knife went in easily enough and Rael let out a cry of pain as the blade went in, but Shala would not let up the attack.

She pulled the knife free and tried to stab him again but Rael was ready for her, taking hold of her wrist and squeezing until she had no choice but to drop the knife with a cry of pain, it clattered against the ground and Rael wrapped his other hand around her throat and lifted her up into the air, holding her up with a strength she did not know that he had.

The blood flowing from the wound on his shoulder was black and his eyes seemed to change colour, just for a moment, to a brilliant blue but she was certain that it was just the lack of air to her brain that was making her see that.

As the world went black, Shala'Rann has just one final thought.

Keelah Se'lai, Tali.

End of Interlude 2