Chapter 32
X57 Main Facility
"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" said Kate Bowman, who was practically sobbing as she fell to her knees in front of Shepard.
The spectre reached up and pulled her helmet off, letting out a huge sigh as she looked down at the woman. "The Alliance should be here in about an hour. They'll take care of the dead batarians and the casualties."
Simon, who had gotten the call from Shepard while she was still out in space, approached tentatively and stared at the woman curiously. "He left. Is... Is that okay?"
Nodding, Shepard smiled tiredly at the man. "The Alliance has never seen his face before. Now that I've seen him, I can make a reconstruction and give it to them for their watch list. He won't be able to get far," she said as she looked down at Kate, who was holding her face in grief and repose. "Besides, I wouldn't sacrifice all of your lives to catch him. That would make me as bad as he is."
"W-Well, thank you," he said as he stared at the ground solemnly. "Let a terrorist go or save innocent lives. I'm... glad that's not a choice I had to make."
"He's on the run now more than he's ever been before. He'll slip up, and when he does, I'll be there with the noose to catch him," she said, reassuring the man.
The engineer's eyes widened slightly at the remark. "I'm glad you're not after me," he said as he smiled nervously. But his nervousness vanished, and he held out his hand to shake. "Thank you again, Spectre. For our lives, the lives of my grandchildren, and the lives of everyone on Terra Nova." Reaching out, she shook his hand with a nod. "Speaking of lives…"
She shook her head before he finished his question. "I'm sorry, Simon. We tracked their positions from the comm center. And unfortunately, the batarians got to all of them."
Shepard could tell that the man tried to hide the hurt in his expression but failed. "I... I see. Thank you again. I'll need to inform their families," he said as he nodded to her and stepped away. She watched him go, knowing that he now had a scar that would take a long time to heal. Moving her gaze to the kneeling Kate Bowman, she knelt down and gently began rubbing her back.
The woman was crying silently into her hands. It took another ten minutes before she was able to speak again. Looking up to Shepard with tear-stained eyes, she did her best to scrub the wetness away. "I-I'm sorry, Spectre."
"It's fine. You've been through a lot," replied Shepard as she sat next to her.
"They... they killed my brother. When I refused to tell them who you were, they gunned him down," said Kate with her teeth gnashed together angrily.
The realization hit Shepard fairly quickly. The gunshot she heard over the comm wasn't for Kate, it was the batarians executing her brother for not cooperating. Sighing heavily, she pulled the girl over and rested the engineer's brunette head on her armored shoulder. "You saved their lives," she said as the woman looked up at her in surprise. "If it weren't for you hiding and calling for help, if it weren't for you staying quiet, then your life and millions more would have been lost."
"B-But I-" she started to say but ended up breaking down again.
"Your brother would be proud of you," said the spectre, and the girl hugged her tightly as she began sobbing again. Shepard sighed and reached up, gently rubbing the woman's back to ease her pain.
Captain's Quarters - SSV Normandy SR1
"I'm sorry, Commander," said Kaidan as he stood in the doorway of the captain's quarters.
"For what, Kaidan?" asked Shepard in surprise as she sat in her chair, flexing her sore back.
"You instructed me not to let him leave, and I failed," said the lieutenant stoically. But his face changed from serious to curious when Shepard started to chuckle.
After her laughing fit, the commander sighed and leaned back in her chair to stare at him. "Lieutenant, you and the others fought off two dozen armed batarian terrorists in a facility where a bomb was about to go off. You didn't fail anything."
"But-" he tried to cut in, but she raised her hand and silenced him.
"I'm glad you made it out of there in one piece. That's all that matters to me," she said with a grin. "Anything else?"
"That's all, Commander. And... thanks," he said, returning her smile before leaving the door. She watched him go, knowing that if she were forced to pick a human partner, she would have no issues with it being the handsome lieutenant. Brushing those thoughts aside, she lifted her left wrist and spoke again. "Did you get a picture of his face?"
[Affirmative, Spectre. Would you like a recreation?] said the AI.
"Yes," Shepard responded, and within seconds, she was staring at the face of the shadow she had been chasing for years. Using her own omni-tool, she took a still photo of it and immediately sent it to the Alliance. "Let's see how good he is at hiding when his face is on every bounty board in the Terminus Systems."
[Not far, I imagine. On another note, your program has pulled up several matches from the Krogan Rebellion vids.] Shepard looked up at her terminal that she had turned on earlier and noticed that the program was pinging her. As the AI said, there were a few videos marked as matches. Opening them, she cracked a smile as she saw a much younger Wrex charging the lines in battle. His three lancing scars were fresh on his face, but she could immediately tell it was him. Then her eyes drifted down to his armor.
"So, this is his armor?" she asked as she eyed the battle suit he was wearing.
[It appears much older than he is, though this isn't at all conclusive.] replied the helper as Shepard scrolled through the other videos.
"He's wearing it in every video he has been recorded in," she said as she opened another tab and began a quick search on Krogan Rebellion era museums. "Let's see if we can't find a match." It took only minutes to start the next step in their search. But soon, there was knocking on her door, and she minimized both windows on her terminal. Spinning in her chair, she deactivated the communicator on the AI's omni-tool. "Hello?"
The door slid open and Liara stared at her worriedly. "Hello, Jane," she said in a shy tone.
"Hey, Liara. Is there something I can help you with?" asked the spectre curiously as she stared the asari up and down.
Nodding, the doctor stepped inside. "I... saw what happened outside of the facility on X57. I wanted you to know that I'm relieved you are alright."
Smiling lightly, Shepard nodded. "I'm glad to hear that you're relieved," she responded teasingly.
Liara crossed her arms as she glared playfully at Shepard. "Well, I'm happy to hear that you're glad I'm relieved," she said, making Shepard chuckle. The asari smiled slightly at the laughter and released her rigid pose. "Truly though. You had to know that you could have gotten caught in the blast if your plan didn't work, or if you didn't make it on time. It was very risky."
Shepard eyed the asari's worried expression. "Does it upset you?"
Sighing, Liara plopped onto the foot of Shepard's bed and closed her eyes. "It does, and it doesn't. I'm bound to be worried to exhaustion whenever you are in danger. But were you not the kind to put yourself at risk for the safety of others, I would be enjoying a magma bath instead of being here with you," she said, her eyes snapping open as if realizing what she had just said. "I mean, as a part of your crew, of course."
"I know, Liara," said Shepard with a smile as she sat up again, groaning lightly at the ache in her back.
"It would also be unreasonable of me to ask you to stop taking risks because of my anxiousness," she said as she formed her hands into fists in her lap. "I suppose all I'd like to say is that I worry about your safety when you're gone and am very happy that you are still alive."
Smirking playfully, the spectre leaned forward in her chair. "Is that all you have to say to me, T'Soni?"
Liara's eyes widened at the question. "W-What do you mean?"
Shrugging, Jane stared directly at her. "Being worried for me and being happy that I'm alive are feelings you share with many, if not all of the people aboard this ship. Not to mention my mother or Captain Anderson."
"Oh... I see," said the asari as she blushed, her eyes turning down again. "I understand what you mean now." Sitting straight, Liara cleared her throat nervously. "While I'm sure your crew do have genuine feelings of affection for you, and would mourn at your loss, I promise that my feelings are more intense."
The doctor's body went rigid as Shepard stood up, almost towering over her sitting form. "And why is that Liara?"
Wide-eyed and blushing madly, the asari began stammering. "B-Because Shepard. I... I…" she started to say, but immediately, her eyes narrowed. "You're teasing me again, aren't you?"
Shepard's grin cracked, and she began chuckling again. "Maybe a little."
Snorting, the doctor crossed her arms over her chest again and donned her adorable pouting face. "I see." As she stood up, Shepard eyed her, wondering if she had taken offense. But her words nearly made Shepard blush herself. "On the bed, Jane."
"The bed?" asked the spectre, curious about what the asari had planned.
"You were hit with the explosive device when the cord it was attached to recoiled. And I know from seeing you that it has caused you some discomfort. So, lie prostrate on your bed so that I can relieve you of your aches," she ordered with a serious face.
"Yes ma'am," said Shepard as she crawled onto the bed and plopped face down. Despite knowing what was about to happen, she couldn't help but feel her face begin to burn as she felt the asari's weight press on. Her knees planted themselves on either side of her hips, and she gently began to slide her fingers underneath the black cloth shirt that she wore. Within seconds, the asari's fingertips had found her sore spot and began gently working the muscles around her spine, causing her to groan as the tension released under her gentle care. "Where did you learn this from?"
"I've always been good with my hands, Jane," said the asari, her voice now containing its own hint of playfulness. As the tension was finally worked out, her hands moved higher up her back and began to work their magic around her shoulders. Shepard's groaning grew in volume as the unassuming asari hit her weak points. "Asari are natural at this kind of therapy. Through contact with the skin, we can sense what you are feeling, which is an amazing indicator of how we are doing."
"I can see that," said Shepard, whose eyes suddenly opened as she realized something. "So, I know that asari can feel other beings' emotions through touch. But do you feel every emotion?"
Smiling brightly, Liara nodded. "I can. While I cannot read your thoughts, your emotions are as open as a book," she said as she pressed her thumb into another spot that caused Shepard to groan again. "And the feeling is mutual, Jane, I assure you."
"Well, that's a relief," said the spectre as her cheeks darkened in embarrassment.
"Jane?" said Liara, causing Shepard to open her eyes. "May I touch your hair?"
Shepard raised her eyebrow at the odd question. "I mean, you're already giving me a massage beneath my shirt. I don't see the problem with you touching my head."
"It's just that asari are very shy of other races touching our crests. They are somewhat sensitive, and can sometimes trigger pain if mishandled, or inappropriate pleasure. I was unsure of the protocol for humans, so I thought I'd ask," she said as she slid her hands free from the spectre's shirt.
"Humans have issues with personal space in general. And some are very conservative about others touching something on their body, even if they've allowed you to touch it before. So, it was very respectful of you to ask," she said as she flipped onto her back underneath the asari. Liara's cheeks began to glow lightly at the new position. "Human hair has no feeling in it, so feel free to touch it any time we're alone. Just try not to pull on it." Reaching up, she took the asari's bare hands and pulled them up, placing them both on her head.
Liara's eyes widened slightly as she touched her hair, staying frozen for a moment before her fingers started to move around. Gently, she slid her blue digits through the contrasting red hair. She smiled slightly at the feeling. "It's very soft. Softer than I imagined."
"That's thanks to the conditioner. Humans often clean their head hair separately from the rest of the body," said the spectre as she closed her eyes and relaxed at the feeling of her skull being rubbed. She had never actually had a cranial massage before, and the feeling was magnificent. She kept her eyes closed to prevent any wild thoughts while the asari was on top of her.
"I see. You…" she started, adopting her shy expression again. "You may touch my crest as well. Though, I do not believe it will feel as soft as human hair."
"Thank you for trusting me, Liara," said Shepard with a smile.
Finally, Liara released the woman's head and climbed off of her. Standing straight, she gave a lovely smile before bowing her head. "And thank you, Jane. I... hope we can do this again in the future."
"No complaints from me," said the spectre as she sat up and stretched herself. Her back felt much better after the asari's massage. Giving her one last longing look, Liara left the room. Shepard got up and opened her terminal again before a message popped up on her omni-tool. Opening it, she groaned and smacked her face as she saw a quick message from Joker. It had no personal message and was simply an extranet link to a guide for soundproofing a barracks room. "Goddammit, Joker."
Deleting the message, she just shook her head and opened the terminal to find that her search had already pulled up a result. She smirked slightly as she saw what was on display.
Tonn Actus Armory - Tantau
As the group stepped inside the facility, Shepard reached up and removed her helmet. There to greet her was a turian with a less than pleased look on his face.
"I must say, Spectre, that this is rather unorthodox. This armory is a personal collection of my own, and one such as yourself has little purpose in-" started the turian.
But Shepard cut him off before he finished his statement. "Save me the whining. And you'd do well to keep any snide remarks to yourself," she responded with a threatening glare.
Ash and Wrex marched up behind her in their own armor, and the turian's glare darkened. "Are they spectres as well?"
"Sarcasm is unbecoming of a man of your stature, Major Actus. This will all go as smoothly as possible with more of your cooperation and less of your hostile demeanor," said Shepard as she hooked her helmet to her side. "Now, if you wouldn't mind, please take us to the piece we discussed."
Tonn let out a long, irritated breath through his nostrils before nodding. "As you wish, Spectre." Turning around, the dark-carapaced turian walked towards the door. Shepard and the others followed as the door slid open.
"What are we even doing here? We didn't get a briefing on the way in," asked Wrex as he trundled behind her.
Ash turned to the krogan and shrugged lightly. "Dunno, the Commander just said it was important."
Wrex grunted, and they all walked into the new room. It was a massive warehouse with shelves and shelves of everything, from ancient-looking weapons, to sculptures, to paintings from many different races. There was even a fairly aged ship that was hanging from the roof of the facility as if on display. "Pretty neat collection you got here, turian."
"That's Major Actus to you, krogan," responded the collector bitterly.
"Respect is given where it's due, turian. I have enough respect for Shepard not to make trouble for you, but don't for a second think that I'm going to be a docile little whelp that you can walk over like your ancestors did to mine," responded Wrex in a mocking tone.
The major said nothing and continued to lead them through the warehouse until finally, he stepped in front of one specific piece. Wrex had slowed down to take a look at other pieces along the way, leaving Ash and Shepard alone with the turian. "Here is the piece you requested to see."
"Thank you," said the commander as she looked up at the armor encased in protective glass. "Looks just the same."
"Is there a way to be sure?" asked Ash as she crossed her armored arms and stared up at the armor as well. It was grey with age, no doubt fading from the original black. The emblem on its chest was of Clan Urdnot, but that could have been from any number of the clan back then.
"There is one," said Shepard as she leaned back and looked over at the krogan. "Hey Wrex, what do you think of this one?"
The krogan looked over at the spectre and made his way over. But he stopped in his tracks as he saw the armor inside the case. He stood for nearly a full minute, just silent as Ash stepped up to him. "How about it, big guy? Does it look familiar?" Wrex pulled one hand up, then knocked the chief flat on her behind with a punch to her helmet without even taking his eyes off the armor. "Ow! What the hell was that for?"
Ignoring her, Wrex stepped up to the glass case and placed his hand on it as if trying to reach for it. Immediately, the turian stepped forward. "Take your filthy hands off of my collection!" he snapped angrily.
"Oh, don't worry, Major. We'll be taking it off your hands shortly," said Shepard with a smile.
"Excuse me?" asked the enraged turian as he turned towards the spectre.
Ignoring him, she turned to Wrex. "Is that it? I need an answer."
"Yeah... that's it," he said as he turned to her, his hands flexing as he stared at the turian through his thick helmet.
Smiling, she faced the major again. "So, do you want to open it up? Or shall I?"
"This is my property! You cannot take-" he started, but she interrupted him again.
"This armor was appropriated from the krogan after the rebellions. It wasn't the turians, to begin with, and it's not yours now," she said as she stepped into the turian's face. Admittedly, she had no clue if she were intimidating or not given that he was at least a head taller than she was. "Now, if you have an issue with my confiscation of this armor, then please file a report with Citadel Security. I'm sure they'd be more than interested in everything else you've hoarded here."
He saw her threat for what it was. There was little doubt that a lot of the stuff in this armory was obtained by less than honest means. And one word from her meant that he'd be losing a lot more than just the armor. Snorting in fury, the turian merely turned around and walked off. "I guess that means you have to open it yourself," said Ash as she recovered from the hit.
"Not an issue," she said as she opened her omni-tool. Within seconds, she had cracked the sealed case open and the lights within the case went out. Wrex reached up into the case and grabbed the ancient helmet, staring at it silently for a long moment.
Cargo Bay - SSV Normandy SR1
It had been a long, silent ride back to the ship with the armor packed into a storage case sitting next to Wrex. When they finally landed again in their brand-new shuttle, all three of them exited the craft with Wrex dragging the case back to his corner of the bay.
When he had it stored away safely, he returned without his helmet on. Ash had taken her armor off as well and was surprised when the krogan confronted her. "This was your doing."
She placed her hands on her hips and glared at him. "Yeah. And?"
"I…" he started as he pointed at her, huffing angrily. Finally, he let out a sigh and dropped his hand. "Thank you."
Both Ash and Shepard's eyes widened at the words. "Uhhh... you're welcome."
"I'm sorry for punching you too," he said without changing his expression or tone, making him sound incredibly insincere.
Smirking lightly, the chief nodded. "Don't worry, you didn't hurt me."
"Only because I didn't want to," he said in a challenging tone.
Ash chuckled to herself before staring at him again. "Why did you punch me anyway?"
He looked away as he answered. "Two reasons. First, because you took something I told you in a private conversation and brought it to someone else," he said as he finally looked at her again. "And because a krogan showing appreciation to other races is hard."
Ash snorted in amusement and nodded. "Well, I guess I should take it as a compliment considering how frequently you've punched Shepard," she said as she looked at the spectre.
"Hey, don't bring me into this," said the commander with a grin as she quickly exited from the scene.
Wrex watched her go before turning back to the chief. "I never expected to see that armor again. So, I appreciate you helping me find it. You're an alright human, Ashley."
"And you're an alright krogan, Wrex," she said as she opened her arms wide, a playful smile now gracing her face. "So, want to hug?"
His gaze darkened. "Want to see how hard I can really punch?" he asked, causing the chief to crack up laughing.
Training Bay - SSV Normandy SR1
Shepard wiped the sweat from her brow as she sat down on the weight machine again. She had been going through her routines as usual when the turian fire team entered and joined her. She nodded to them all, including Nilissus. Despite his dressing down, he seemed in higher spirits than before as he nodded back to her. Perhaps she and the praetor blowing his leaks wide open freed his spirit from the burden of secrecy.
As she laid back on the weight bench, Zannia stepped up to her head and helped her lift the bar free from the catch. Smiling, Shepard began lifting the weight, grunting with each thrust of the heavy bar. Zannia watched silently with only a sosk protecting her private areas from being seen. When she had finally done her set, the turian reached down and helped her secure the bar again.
"Thanks for the assist," said Shepard as she sat up and wiped her face clean with a towel.
"Any time, Spectre," said the turian charmingly as she took Shepard's place. "So, apologies for not sending a memo. But our team talk with Nilissus resulted in him confessing everything. Afterward, he gave up his right to send messages from anywhere but the Citadel and said he would repair the damage he did to the team's spirit."
Shepard stood over the turian with a smile. "I'm glad to hear that he's so eager to make up for his indiscretions." Reaching down, she helped the turian lift as Garrus approached as well, dressed in the same revealing attire.
"Hey, Shepard. Would you mind if I had a moment?" he asked cautiously. Shepard stared at him curiously, as she had rarely ever seen him this timid before.
Turning to Zannia, she watched as the turian lifted the weight with some effort. "You gonna be alright on your own?"
"I'll be fine. Our convexed chests are natural safeties for this kind of workout," said the praetor as she continued to exert her strength.
Nodding, the spectre waved the former C-Sec detective over to an empty corner. "What can I help you with, Garrus?"
He approached and gently tapped his talons together nervously. "I... really didn't know how to go about asking this. So, I hope you don't take offense to my questions."
She shrugged lightly as she eyed the nearly naked turian curiously. "I doubt I'll be offended. Why, what's bugging you?"
Letting out a heavy sigh, the turian straightened up and stared straight into her eyes. "How... what... what parts of a human woman should I be cautious touching?"
Her eyes widened at the question. "I... Is there a reason for this question?" she asked, slightly bewildered.
"Yes. I've grown more acquainted with a human on the Citadel and didn't want to cross the line. In turian culture, we touch each other pretty much anywhere except... well, you know. But I know that humans have more boundaries, and I don't want to appear as if I'm trying to push her," he said as he looked away, slightly embarrassed at having to ask.
She grinned and nodded to him. "I see. I'm sure she'll appreciate your efforts," she said as she stood straight in front of him. "As for your question, most human females have boundaries all over. It really depends on what your standing is with her."
He reached up and scratched his neck gently. "Uh, well, she kissed my head last time we went out. So, what does that mean?"
Cocking an eyebrow, the spectre placed her hands on her hips. "Well, I'd say you're on the inside. If you want to be affectionate without seeming pushy, you can place your hand on her back or shoulder. Like this," she said as she stepped up beside him and took his hand.
He stood silently as the commander placed his hand on her far shoulder. He just stared at her for a moment. "And... and this is friendly?"
The spectre nodded as she smiled at him. "Yep. If you want to get more sensual, you can place it lower on her hip."
"Uhhh... that's…" he said as he looked away nervously. "Hips are erogenous to turians."
"Oh, I see. So yeah, no hip unless you're preparing for something more," she said as she scratched her chin gently. "Well, other than that, most of the body should be free game. Anywhere in the pelvic area besides the hips themselves, and the breast area are erogenous for female humans. So don't touch there unless you're headed to home base." Garrus looked at her oddly, and she shook her head. "Sorry, sports term. It means don't touch those unless you're sure there's going to be sexual activity."
"Oh, right," he said as he took the information in.
"Basically, you have to read her and see what she is comfortable with. Put your detective skills to work," she said as she tapped his hand on her shoulder. "If you do this, and she looks uncomfortable, back off. It's fairly easy to tell."
"Right, I'll just take it slow and read what she likes," he said as he squeezed her shoulder gently. "Thanks, Shepard. I don't really know many humans who I can ask questions like this. It's good to know you'll help me out."
She raised her fist and gently tapped it to his chest. "No problem, Garrus. I'll be your wingman anytime," she said, smiling at his confused look.
"Wingman?" he asked, and she chuckled to herself.
"I really need to stop using human phrases so frequently," said the spectre as she patted him on the back.
Zakera Wards Marketplace - Zakera Ward - Citadel
Tali was slightly curious about her new close friend. Kaidan was usually very reserved, but he opened up more and more as they did stuff together. They would be at an arcade, and all the sudden the silent, stoic, and handsome lieutenant turned into an excited, smiling, outgoer. It was a strange transformation to be sure.
On top of that, she wasn't exactly sure where they stood together. The biggest admission of their relationship was a vague comment about him potentially seeking her attention. But ever since, it hadn't been brought up again. Through her study of human culture, she knew that the male was typically obligated to ask to take things further. But he seemed to enjoy the way things are.
It was like she was caught between two singularities. On one side, she adored that he was being open with her without asking the usual questions that came from other races. Oftentimes, members of other races talked about how the physical aspect of the relationship could progress, and the discussion of such things made her uncomfortable. But he never asked to see her face, he never discussed how humans and quarians could copulate. He never asked anything of her that could potentially make her uncomfortable. He simply took her along to experience things she never would have had she not boarded the Normandy. And she loved it.
And on the other side, she almost bubbled up with joy when she heard that he was disappointed from missing the chance to see her outside of her suit. She was thrilled to know that he was that interested in her. And slightly disappointed herself that he hadn't asked more of her. He seemed to hold her at arms distance with a friendly face, and it left her wondering if he was truly interested in her as a person, or if he felt obligated to help her out because he felt sorry for her. More than once, he had gotten into a quarrel with people who had made snide remarks towards her, and she sometimes thought that maybe this detached relationship with society was his reason for being so courteous towards her. And that left her feeling slightly disheartened.
Currently, the lieutenant was walking her through the markets, with his usual open smile on his face. She was always curious as to where he would take her next. But the sites of the vendors yelling at customers to come buy their product and the babble of crowds almost drifted by as her thoughts clouded her mind. Suddenly, he stopped.
Looking up, she noticed that they were outside of the entrance to C-Sec. The lieutenant was now staring over the edge of the walkway out the plasteel shield that protected their atmosphere. "This is my favorite place on the Citadel."
She turned and looked out with him, and immediately she understood why. The view was incredible. The arm of the ward stretched out before them, showing the life growing on the space station. She leaned against the railing and smiled to herself as she witnessed the violet nebula that surrounded the arm of the station and the stars created by reflections off offlying traffic. "It's beautiful."
Smirking, the man nodded. "Yeah, it is. But I can think of a few things that are more beautiful than that."
Her eyes widened as she looked down slightly. Luckily, her helmet was hiding her expression. "I... I…" she started to say, almost knowing for sure that he was talking about her. Finally, she sighed and turned away from the beautiful view and leaned back against the railing. "How can I be beautiful? You've never even seen me."
He looked at her curiously, then turned and crossed his arms over his chest. "Tali, you are beautiful even with your suit."
She looked up at him oddly as she began to fidget with her hands. "H-How do you mean?"
Smiling again, he took a step closer. "Your suit is a part of you, I understand that. But it doesn't hinder you. In fact, I actually think your suit looks great. And it looks amazing on you."
She immediately looked away and began fidgeting harder. "Oh... I... uh... thank you." She had no idea how to respond to the compliment, she returned fire with the same one. "A-And your clothes look good on you as well," she said, before reaching up and slapping her helmet.
The lieutenant chuckled as he shrugged. "Well, you're not wrong," he said with a smug grin.
Narrowing her eyes at him, the quarian stood straight and resolved to ask him straight to his face. "Kaidan... I have to know…" she said, her timidness immediately returning. "Where is this whole thing going?" She exerted her will power to keep herself from looking away in embarrassment.
He cocked an eyebrow at her curiously. "You mean us, right?"
She nodded nervously. "You seem interested, but distant at the same time. As you humans say, I'm getting mixed signals, and would like a straight answer so that I don't get the wrong idea. With quarians stuck inside suits all the time, we've kind of lost our ability to read body language, especially across species."
He just smiled and shrugged. "Well, according to the laws of the Citadel and Earth, you are an adult, Tali. But I've studied quarian culture, and according to them you aren't technically an adult until your pilgrimage is finished, regardless of your actual age."
"Oh... I see," she said, her nervousness dissolving. "S-So, the only reason you haven't-"
"Is because I've seen how closely you follow your people's rules, even outside the Fleet. I didn't want to press the issue if you were uncomfortable with the idea of being with someone before you completed your pilgrimage." He sighed and rubbed his head gently. "That also created another issue, as once your pilgrimage is over, you have to return to the Fleet. So, I didn't really want to... you know, chain you down. I'm sure there will be many quarians on your new ship that would make you happy as well, and I don't want you to be alone simply because I had some form of feelings-"
He stopped immediately as the young woman rushed forward and wrapped him in a hug. Tentatively, he wrapped his arms around her and hugged back. "You're very kind, Kaidan," she said, almost sniffling. She looked up at him through the helmet, her eyes curved in a way that betrayed her glowing smile. "It has been a slow transition since I joined the Normandy crew. I've gotten used to how much space there is out here, I've gotten used to being in places where I normally would be thrown out of, and thanks to you and Shepard, I've gotten used to being treated fairly." She pulled away from him slightly as she looked down. "You don't have to worry about protocol, Kaidan'Alenko."
He smiled at the statement and reached forward, lifting her helmet so that she looked directly into his eyes. "Well then, Tali'Zora nar Rayya, would you like to go on a date with me?"
She inhaled sharply, hoping that her suit was hiding her body language. "O-Of course!"
"Well then, let's go somewhere nice," he said as he reached out and took her hand in his own.
She felt her heart leap as he held her hand tightly and pulled her along. "Y-Yes! Whatever you like!" she said excitedly as she practically skipped along behind him.
C-Sec Holding Area - Citadel Security Station 3 - Citadel
She was stunned when she got the call. She had been invited by both Liara and B'Nalia to a seminar on their discoveries from the prothean devices. Many were in attendance and were excited to learn of the zoological studies that Liara had made through the use of the cipher. But as she watched with a smile on her face as the excited asari began going over all the data, her omni-tool pinged her. Opening it, she was surprised to find a report from Inspector Chellick.
Growling, she got to her feet so that Liara could see her. Then she pointed to herself, and the door. The doctor merely nodded, and the spectre had left the theater scratching her short red hair, wondering what exactly had happened to cause C-Sec to grab members of her crew.
As she entered the station, she noticed that she still had a few stares, but most of the people now let her be as they continued their work. She was slightly relieved that her presence was becoming normalized. She nodded to the executor, who only grumbled as she walked past. Finally, she made her way into the holding area. There were many cells that lined the wall of potential inmates who had just been arrested and were waiting for booking.
She approached the desk and saw the turian writing on a datapad. "Excuse me," she said, getting the female's attention.
The officer looked up and said in a genuinely tired voice. "Can I help you?"
"I'm here for Kaidan Alenko and Tali'Zorah nar Rayya," she said, still trying to wrap her head around the fact that two of her most well-behaved crew members were now sitting in a cell.
"One moment please," said the turian woman as she looked through her logs. "Ah yes, that'll be cell 4 section B." Looking up at the human, the officer eyed her. "May I ask who's visiting?"
Sighing, the spectre leaned onto the counter. "I'm not visiting, I'm here to pick them up. Council Spectre Jane Shepard."
The turian scooted back in her chair as if she had just been knocked backward. "Spectre? Oh... right! I'm sorry I didn't recognize you!" she said as she got to her feet and pulled her access card off her side. "Right this way!"
The turian led her down a long hall of plasteel protected cells, most of them empty, but some with people sleeping inside. Her curiosity got the better of her as they traveled. "So, what are they in for?"
The turian stopped a moment and opened her datapad. "It looks like they were bagged by C-Sec for assault and property damage inside a diner on the Presidium." Shepard snorted at the report, wondering exactly how the two ended up with such charges.
Finally, they reached their destination. Shepard stared inside the containment unit and her eyebrows immediately shot up to her forehead as she saw Kaidan sitting on one of the benches, leaning against the wall. And next to him, Tali was fiercely holding his arm with her eyes closed, her legs sprawled across the bench, and her helmet resting on his shoulder affectionately. The officer opened the cell, which got both of her crew's attention.
"So…" said Shepard as she stepped inside the unit. "Does someone want to explain this?"
Kaidan was the first to speak up. "We went to a fancy diner on the Presidium. You know that new place with the chandeliers?" he asked, getting a nod from the spectre. "Well, we went in to get a table and the host said that Tali was not allowed. I asked him why, and he told me that I had to take my pet quarian somewhere else."
"Ahhh…" said Shepard with a grin.
"So, I very politely dragged him across the counter by his throat and explained to him why he was a xenophobic ass who didn't deserve his job," said the lieutenant with a smile. "He took exception to that."
"And the property damage?" she asked curiously.
"After I spoke very civilly with him, he called Tali a junkrat. So, I decided that he needed a nap to sleep off his cranky attitude, and ended up putting him through a table," said the lieutenant with a shrug, causing Shepard to laugh.
The officer looked from the spectre to the two inmates curiously. "Will you be checking them out, Spectre?"
"Yeah, let's go you two. I'll take care of the diner issues myself," she said as she waved to them.
Both stood up, but immediately Tali hooked to his arm again as they exited the cell. Shepard grinned as she noticed, even through her faceplate, that Tali was smiling brightly.
CODEX ENTRIES
Sosk | Culture | Turian
Turians have little regard for bodily modesty. Most of their private parts are internal, leaving very little to cover when in public. As a result, turians mostly wear what appears to be a loincloth during workouts, as turian clothing often tears or stretches due to their anatomy.
Junkrat | Derogatory Linguistics | Galactic Common
A common insult used to refer to vorcha and quarians. The term comes from the stereotypical and inaccurate idea that all quarians will pilfer through trash looking for electronics to either use for themselves or disassemble them for parts to sell. It's used for vorcha due to their unique ability to eat almost anything, even foods deemed inedible by other species.