Rebirth
The starlight winked off the hairlike strands that crisscrossed Moria's form. Light dancing across them with each of her sleeping breaths. He knew they made her uncomfortable, but Garrus thought they were beautiful. He thought they were like a new scar. Just another line that told the story of the bravery of the young woman who slept next to him.
Her breathing quickened and he saw her brow, lit by the gentle starlight, crease. Her body tensed and she rolled away from him. Shit. It was happening again. He leaned towards her, gently stroking her hair and back. "Moria." he whispered. "Shh… Moria, it's ok."
She rolled over again, face twisted as if in pain. He shook her gently by the shoulder this time.
"Moria, it's just a dream. You need to wake up." She let out a soft moan. "Moria." His heart was pounding now too. "Moria, it's ok, wake up." He called gently, but she was already beyond his reach.
She was everywhere at once. It was as if she was the sunlight cast across the vastness of the ocean: each ripple, wave, undulation of the currents shining in her light - their change part of her. She could feel every hydraulic shift of the geth's frames, each bit of code in communication with their hardware, and the software of the others across the galaxy. But there was more... she could feel the rapid firing of synapses in every organic tissue and the electrical impulses answering in the synthetic structures woven through them. Feel the nanobots within a quarian bloodstream detect an infection, feel it relaying with the organic cells to create a response. She could feel the effortless breathing of that quarian, feel her joy as she braided her daughter's hair. Feel the whisper of the fingers through the little girl's scalp as if it were her own. She was part of every life form, felt them shift, grow, change, felt the constant exchange of knowledge and compassion as if it was an all-encompassing, sparkling network that consisted of her very being.
She heard the Conduit's voice in her head. "The chain reaction will combine all synthetic and organic life into a new framework. A new… DNA." There was no way to tell if it was a memory or truly there. When everything was connected, everything in perfect balance, memory and present blurred. The past had no meaning, no power, when all information was available, shared at any given point. "Synthesis is the final evolution of life, but we need each other to make it happen."
There was a light her awareness had always been particularly drawn to…. Blue armor flowed seamlessly into a once-scarred carapace. The areas that had once been scored with scar tissue now shone with synthetic chitin that gradually dissipated into the natural growth of exoskeleton like a trail of stars. Wires and hydraulics were braided through the creature's musculature, lending it power beyond its already imposing biology. Thin strands of green light wove in and out of his skin and the other synthetic structures and a green light shone in his eyes.
The voice she could hear shifted. Now it was cold, calculating, with a familiar spine chilling rasp. A name came to her mind… Saren. "The relationship is symbiotic, organic and machine intertwined, a union of flesh and steel…"
She was in the blue armored turian now; every thought, every heartbeat, part of her. He stared at his reflection in the mirror. She saw Garrus' brow furrow. Frustration filled his body. He had seen Joker and EDI laughing earlier. As he thought their names, their faces flashed in the tissue and wire monstrosity that was now his brain. He could feel their heartbeats. Suddenly, a part of his subconscious, the warrior mind always on alert, instantly picked out four places where a simple blow to the human's genetically weakened bones would result in a terminal injury. He felt something in his mind run a secondary scan and confirmed that three of the blows would still result in a terminal injury despite the synthetics lending the human new skeletal support. He shook his head, trying to clear it. He moved out into the hall. He could see Liara ahead. Good, he needed her- maybe she could help him learn to control the lightning fast interplay of his thoughts and his mechanically enhanced body.
His vision changed, unbidden: crosshairs appeared before him, locked on the back of the asari's head. The measurable distance between the two of them flashed before his eyes, as well as statistics for when he, or a bullet, would reach her at his current speed and trajectory. No, he thought, panic filling him. In response, the armor woven in and out of his skin opened up and a rifle began to unfold from the twisting wires and chitin. His panic grew: no, no!
The turian's distress filled Shepard. She heard that voice again… "The strengths of both, the weaknesses of neither…"
Shepard watched as Garrus cursed and turned down a different hall, but this thing he had once called his brain and body did not stop. It tracked Liara's heat signal and began calibrating the firepower necessary to punch through the walls between them. No! He hated this. He had to stop it. Anger and pain rose within him.
Shepard. Shepard had done this to him. To all of them. He felt his left eye begin to move of its own accord, tracking Liara - a hollow display flashing into his sight before it. NO! He slammed a hand over his eye, trying to block it, to control it…
"The strengths of both, the weaknesses of neither…"
Garrus groaned in effort as his form continued to prepare to terminate Liara. Shepard. It was all her fault. She... how could she have let this happen to him? To all of them?
"…a vision of the future…"
She had betrayed them. Every single living thing. Betrayed him, and made him this monster webbed all over with these green strands, with eyes that gleamed with an ever-present mechanical light.
"... the evolution of all organic life…."
A countdown flashed before his eyes and the monstrosity on his arm swiveled to point to the wall behind him.
"...this is our destiny…"
NO! He began tearing at his face, the small talons on the end of his fingers digging painfully into the wiring and flesh. If he could stop it… tear that countdown away; tear that traitorous eye from its socket. He roared in pain, his hands wet, blue blood spilling down his face…
"A true rebirth…"
"MORIA!" Her face stung. Her wrists were trapped within his hands. That screaming? It was back again. The cabin was full of a strange green light. A turian face full of concern was before her, bearing familiar tattoos, eyes glinting with green light.
"No!" She cried out, the screams going silent as soon as she said the word. She pushed the turian away, tumbling to the floor.
"Fuck, Moria!" the turian cried. Her head spun; she tried to get up. Suddenly the room filled with light. There was a bed, a desk, a couch. Her cabin. Garrus crossed slowly to her from the lightswitch. She was shaking but the screaming was gone. He took her face gently in his hands; it stung at his delicate touch. She stared into his eyes. They were full of worry, but blessedly empty of that green light. She looked down at herself. The light had been coming from her. The strands all across her were glowing softly. In the dark, the light must have been reflected in his eyes. Her hands were covered in blood-
A wave of nausea hit her and she dashed to the bathroom, throwing up the toilet seat and heaving. She was shaking and the vomiting continued. She felt Garrus come crouch behind her, his hands gently pulled back her hair and he began murmuring softly. As she slowly came out of the haze of the nightmare, she heard him mutter something about a barette. Her face still stung.
She pushed him away, heaved herself to standing at the sink and saw her reflection. The left side of her face was red with blood and scratched skin. She looked at her hands: they were bloody and she could see small bits of her own flesh under her nails. The threads and her eyes were still glowing softly and she could see some of the deeper strands in the gouges of her face gleaming too.
"What…" she croaked, turning to Garrus.
She had never seen him looking so worried.
"You… you were having a nightmare… and… and then you started tearing at your face." He whispered. "I tried to stop you but you kept fighting me." He took a ragged breath. "Moria, what were you seeing?"
Moria opened her mouth but couldn't find the words.
"Is it what happened on the Citadel?"
She tried to take a deep breath. "I… not… not this time."
He frowned. "Are… are you having nightmares about your choice?"
She nodded.
"Moria, you can't regret your decision. You sacrificed everything-"
"It wasn't that…" she stammered. "I don't … I don't regret it, but… I keep seeing what would have happened if I'd made a different choice." She was crying now, the salt of her tears making her face sting. "I hate this. This…" she felt supid saying it. "This is so unfair, Garrus."
"I know," he whispered, stroking her hair. "It's going to be ok. We'll be on Rannoch in a few hours. You'll be able to see the people you saved. The geth that have a home - have a real life - because of your choice."
The geth… she remembered the feeling of being connected to them from the nightmare. Was that what was haunting her? That without EDI she would have chosen to save them and the Reapers - forcing all the people she loved - forcing Garrus to-
The door to her cabin slid open and a tired looking Dr. Chakwas stepped inside, sparing her from reliving Garrus' monstrous transformation. Chakwas let out a low whistle when her eyes fell on Shepard.
"Shit Vakarian. You weren't joking." she grumbled.
"Hey," croaked Shepard, "I thought doctors were supposed to control their reactions."
"And I thought patients were supposed to stay dead." Chakwas returned, and added, while checking Shepard's left eye with a small light, "you're dragging us all into new territory Shepard, and we're just trying to keep up as best we can."
"So he called you?" Shepard said, nodding to Garrus.
"I took the liberty while you were emptying your stomach," he said. She scowled at him. "Listen Shepard, you're supposed to be meeting my family in a few days. I can't let you show up there with more scars than me. My sister will never let me hear the end of it."
"That ship has sailed, my turian friend." Chakwas said with a chuckle. "I have attended extensively to both of you self-preservation-less idiots, and this one has more scars than you... and in places you would never imagine."
"Ha, I win." Shepard winced as Chakwas applied a salve to her raw face.
"That is not something to be proud of, Shepard." Chakwas chided.
Garrus mouthed "show off" behind Chakwas' back.
"Well that ought to do it." Chakwas said, stepping back and looking Shepard's face over. "Those should actually be cleared up in a few days. Since your transformation you've been recovering from superficial damage faster than normal."
"I have?" Shepard asked with a frown. She winced as her face stung again.
"Yes you have. I'm not sure yet if your transformation only has the strength to repair minor damage or if it hasn't yet had the time to develop the full extent of its capabilities."
"You keep saying 'transformation.'" Garrus murmured.
"Yes," Chakwa said mildly. "Well, we don't have any idea what exactly happened to her and certainly don't have a scientific term for it." She looked at Shepard with a soft smile. "But she is completely changed."
"Not completely." Shepard said softly. She felt a little panicked at Chakwas' words. "I'm still just me." As if on cue, the green light in her eyes and the strands finally faded, leaving only their faint silver trace behind.
Chakwas gave her a commiserating smile. "Yes… and so much more."
Rannoch's sands crunched beneath Shepard's boots. It felt good to move, to get off the Normandy, to leave her cabin and the nightmares behind. It was hard for the dark to cling to her here in the bright sun and warm wind. They neared a tent at the edge of the quarian settlement that had sprung up in the months since Rannoch had been reclaimed. They had flown to the southern continent, the area the quarians had chosen as the birthplace of their new civilization because of its rich farmland. The Normandy had landed on a beach where the sparkling waters mirrored the gleaming towers of the growing quarian capital. Shepard could see that the large bay where it sat would be a strong defensive position, the waters making it nearly impossible for them to be flanked by ground troops from at least one side. The bay would doubtless be an excellent food resource, and the quarians could easily fish for… whatever Rannoch's version of fish was. She hoped desperately that in the coming years the bay's primary value would prove to be the latter and not the former.
"Shepard!" A familiar hooded figure dashed towards them from the shadows of the tent and thudded into her with a hug. Shepard hugged the quarian back, cautious of the tubes and wires of her suit. "Keelah Se'lai, it is good to see you in-" she leaned back and cocked her head to the side upon seeing Shepard's now scabbed and slightly red face. "Well, I was going to say 'in one piece,' But I guess I'll have to settle for… mostly one piece."
Shepard cringed mentally. Fuck, she was going to get no end of questions about this. She should have put off their landing for a few days, said they had other things to do or made up something about not wanting an infection to spread… she cursed herself. Normally she would never have cared if she had a visible injury. Sometimes she preferred it. Especially with politicians and civilians. Sometimes it seemed like they needed to see a little dried blood to remember what was actually important and what most of her job entailed. But after the war, after being in the hospital for so long, the idea of someone, especially the heads of the other races thinking she was… soft… still recovering… weak… that terrified her.
"Shepard got bored on the way here." Garrus rumbled from behind her, "It's been too long since she had an opportunity to bang some heads together. So when we heard a distress signal from a refugee ship she jumped on the chance to put some pirates on the business end of her fists." Garrus lied smoothly as he stood next to her, arms crossed. "I'd say you should see the other guys but they don't have faces anymore because I…" He bumped Shepard purposefully with his hip, "got the kill shots." Shepard scowled at him and he grinned back, clearly pleased at how thoroughly he had her trapped on this one.
Tali snorted. "I should have known." she grumbled. "Liara," she said, hugging the asari and then EDI who had both caught up with them, "I would have thought that after everything you would be keeping these two idiots out of trouble."
"Oh, I'm trying," Liara said dryly. "But Goddess knows Shepard does what she wants." She shot a pointed look at Garrus, "And this one doesn't listen to anyone. At least Grunt, Wrex, Javik and Zaeed weren't with them."
Tali shook her head as she began walking with the visitors back towards the tent. "I'm thinking about adding a special line in our charters specifying that only three of you troublemakers are allowed on my planet at a time. Otherwise we will never finish rebuilding with the mess you lot always find a way to make."
"I for one promise to behave so long as you feed me." Garrus said. "Please tell me you've had enough time to get something going rather than nutripaste? If I have to eat another prepackaged dextrose meal…"
"You're in luck, my friend." she said, her voice full of joy. "Agrotec domes were the first structures we established. You can't very well create a new home if you have hungry workers. And…" she added mischievously. "...some of the Admirals thought it was not a priority, but I brought a few of them around…." She paused for effect and Garrus raised his brow expectantly. "...we have vineyards my friend…."
Garrus' eyes gleamed. "Isn't that something. Well, it's understandably too early for there to be a harvest, but you can be sure that before we head to Palaven I'll be leaving behind plenty of credits for some bottles of your first vintage. This turian is very interested in helping Rannoch wine find it's foothold in the galactic marketplace. With the Migrant fleet declaring that distilling non-medicinal alcohol as illegal, the dextros options are pretty limited, and I'm sick of only being able to order turian hard stuff."
"What, too strong for you, Garrus?" Tali teased.
He grinned, "I'm not going to answer that directly, but even turians like to drink for pleasure rather than just a painful next morning."
"Well…" Tali said, "If you can spare the time... maybe I can see if Auntie Raan has some old bottles of contraband quarian cordial somewhere." She lowered her voice a little, "Don't tell the other Admirals, but my Mother always told me that she was a bit of a party krogan before and even during her pilgrimage. Speaking of which…."
They had reached the tent by now and could see the other quarians who had been working with Tali in its shade.
"Shepard vas Normandy," Tali said, extending a three fingered hand towards the others. "I believe you have all met before, actually, during my… trial…" Shepard could tell by the tone in her voice that the time Tali had been accused of treason was still a sore spot for the young quarian.
"Admiral Shala'Raan vas Rannoch, Admiral Daro'Xen vas Moreh." Shepard recognized Tali's aunt and the female Admiral she and Legion had once met. " and Admiral Zaal'Koris vas Qwib-Qwib."
Shepard heard Garrus snort at the last name and she swiftly elbowed him in the ribs. She felt smug as she heard him take a rather sharp inhalation. During the less… intimate… "physical therapy" Garrus had insisted he oversee as part of her recovery, she had actually found a spot in turian armor where you could get some results from the application of well directed kinetic energy. After the first time she had succeeded in landing a blow there (and he had recovered from having the wind knocked out of him) he had sworn at her and said he would be scheduling a meeting with the turian Advanced Research Projects Agency about this ridiculous oversight in their design. He said she also needed to make herself even more impressive by coming back from the dead again so that the whole turian species didn't die from the shame of learning that a human had found a flaw in their armor.
Shepard thought she saw Admiral Qwib-Qwib's spine straighten and she was briefly very glad that so little of quarian facial expressions were visible through their masks.
"It is good to see you again Shepard." Admiral Raan said, coming forward to shake Shepard's hand. Shepard was touched by the quarian instigating the very human custom. The other Admirals merely nodded.
"I see salarian medicine isn't all it's cracked up to be," scoffed Admiral Xen upon seeing Shepard's face. "It has been months since Tali returned from escorting you to their hospitals. I would have thought they would have fixed up the cosmetic damage by now."
"You are mistaken, Admiral Xen," Tali cut in before Shepard could say anything. "The salarians' medicine worked so well that Shepard had already been able to help save refugees." She nodded to Shepard. "The Commander does us a great honor by taking the time to come here when there are still those out there who need her."
Shepard tried not to blush. Great. Between Garrus and Tali, the "Savior Shepard" persona was really going to get out of hand. She shrugged, feigning disinterest in the praise.
"If the 'Great Shepard'..."
Please spirits let that not be a thing
"...has so much work to do, she should be leaving the other races to their own matters rather than flying all over just to back up her friends." Admiral Xen sneered pointedly at Tali.
Excellent, Shepard was getting to stumble into the middle of a political mess. That was her favorite thing. Maybe she should have just stayed on the ship with her nightmares.
"Actually," cut in Admiral Qwib-Qwib, "I am the one who requested Tali contact Shepard so that she could weigh in on these matters, seeing as she is the one we owe for the privilege of walking our homeworld again."
Admiral Xen shifted contemptuously. "Of course you were."
"Are you two done dishonoring the fleet in front of our visitors?" asked Admiral Raan dryly. The others quieted begrudgingly, "Welcome, Liara T'soni. We are eager for your opinion in the matters at hand as well."
"Yes," Liara said, "Tali's message said as much. Although, I am a bit perplexed myself. I was not heavily versed in geth technologies and know little that would assist in your rebuilding."
"But your expertise in ancient life forms as an archaeologist is now invaluable," Admiral Raan said gently, "Especially as we are now in a world where we have the minds of the ancients living within the Reapers' powerful forms."
"Oh, I suppose you are correct." Liara said, "I actually did not see any Reapers upon our descent."
"The ones that have chosen to inhabit these areas and work with us are probably around the far east side of the bay" Tali said. She laughed softly, "The surf is rough there and they seem to enjoy playing in the water."
"Playing in the water?" Garrus asked incredulously.
"I know," Tali said. "It was a shock to us as well when we first saw it, but I don't know how else to describe it. They drag their arms in the water as if they are kicking at the waves like our children do." She shook her head incredulously.
"It is possible," said EDI, "That the Reapers showing this behavior house the consciousnesses of aquatic or aquatic-proximal species. If I was such a species but no longer had my original form I could imagine such sentimental behavior being of great comfort."
"I thought you had just brought a VI assistant," Admiral Xen said, stepping towards EDI as if to give her a thorough examination, "but….is this the illegal Cerberus AI?"
There was a hunger in her voice that Shepard didn't trust. Shepard stepped between EDI and the far too curious quarian, staring down at the shorter female, and said coldly. "No. This is EDI and she is a member of my crew." Through the quarian's fogged mask Shepard could see the Admiral's brows raise.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, EDI." she said mildly, taking a step back. "I hope we can become… more acquainted." Shepard still didn't like her tone.
"I would be happy to come to know other quarian personally. From my work with Admiral vas Normandy I have developed deep interest in your rich culture." EDI said brightly. Shepard sighed mentally. For all her surprisingly human behaviours, EDI clearly had more to learn about knowing when to trust someone and when to stay very far away from people who likely wanted to open you up to see how you worked.
"If you have an AI as part of your crew you clearly believe them to have opinions that are of value." Admiral Qwib-Qwib said with a pointed look at Admiral Xen.
"Zaal'Korvis." Admiral Raan said disapprovingly. "Are you really going to bend Shepard's words to your argument when our guests landed only minutes ago? Before she has had a chance to see our progress here or, Ancestors forbid, have a refreshment?"
"No, no" Admiral Qwib-Qwib said, then added too eagerly, "But if she understands the matter at hand, her evaluation of the progress we have made and how the geth and Reapers have been working with us will be much more informed."
"I thank you for your respect and concern, Admiral Raan," Shepard said, "But our journey to Palaven was being made with some haste, and your issue here is clearly of great concern to all involved. I never mind being brought into the loop sooner rather than later. However," she added, "If the geth are involved and you have not…" she chose the next words carefully "abandoned your aim to coexist here with them and wasted their pledge to honor Legion's sacrifice, shouldn't the geth be part of this conversation?"
"They have been, Shepard." Tali assured her firmly. "We actually wanted your input on two issues the geth's leader and the Reapers brought to us. Issues they are hoping we will assist them with."
"Oh," said Shepard, hoping her relief was not too evident. She didn't need to be asleep to be haunted by one of the things the Crucible had said to her. The thing that worried and exhausted her everywhere she went. She could almost hear its eerie young voice now…
"...the peace will not hold…"
"And those are?" Shepard asked, shaking the doubt from her mind.
"The Reapers have requested that we begin calling them something else." Admiral Qwib-Quib answered. "The geth have told us that the consciousnesses within them are uncomfortable with being called by the same names as the creatures that slaughtered them."
Reapers. With feelings. Would things ever stop getting stranger, Shepard wondered?
Admiral Xan snorted. "I can't believe we are talking about this. Consciousness is just another type of programming. Would you stop calling a computer a computer just because you changed the software you were using?"
"Yes, I would." said EDI. The quarians all froze. They had forgotten that she was listening, Shepard observed. They had talked about things that related to her as if she was not there, something Shepard had seen happen frequently in her time with the AI. It was something she and the rest of the crew were trying to curtail in their behavior. "Especially if it expressed the request for a new name."
"Well -" spluttered Admiral Xen. Shepard had a smug suspicion that EDI's words had made the quarian's jaw hit the floor of her mask. "They are still Reapers. The whole galaxy knows them as such. We watched them attack all forms of life for months. Organic life isn't just going to be able to forget that and start cheerily calling them by a new name."
"Isn't that exactly why the Reapers would want to be called something else?" Tali pressed. "So that they can begin to build their own legacy and associations? So they are freed from at least one piece of baggage?"
"Names are powerful things," added Admiral Raan. "Admiral vas Normady speaks wisely. She, who was once stripped of vas Neema, and has brought great pride to quarians as Vas Normandy, would know this well."
"Not that I disagree with the Reapers being called something new, but a name is also what you make of it." added Admiral Qwib-Qwib. Of course you would say that, Shepard thought. They looked to Shepard.
She sighed. "I can honestly see both sides," she said. "That's something I have to think about." Admiral Xen let out an impatient sigh but the others nodded respectfully. "It's obviously something that would have to be shared with the Council and the other races."
"As would the other issue." Tali said tensely.
"Which is?" Shepard asked.
"The geth are eager to make strides to maintain peace with the quarians, and all organic life." Admiral Qwib-Qwib said. "They are one of our primary assets for communication with the Reapers here, and have said that the consciousnesses within them have no desire for conflict either. They want to exist in peace with all of us as equals."
"Well that's a relief." Shepard said, something inside her unclenching a fraction. When she had heard that Tali wanted to see her and Liara about the Reapers, she… she had been so sure the news would be bad. "I don't see how that's something that would have to go to the Council."
"To them," Admiral Raan said, "the idea of synthetic beings being treated as equals is paramount. And so..." she said softly "...they have requested that one of them be added to the Council."
Shepherd's heart sank. She stood there with her mouth open and had no idea what to say. She needn't have worried, it turned out, as Garrus, her extremely eloquent partner, summed up her feelings perfectly.
"Shit."
"Sothaaa ents er tuherary" Garrus remarked through a mouthful of food. Tali and Shepard both stared at him in confusion. "Tharr tuh-her-er-eee." He clarified, his mouth just as full as it had been before.
"Swallow your damn food. Then talk." Shepard ordered the turian, taking his chewing silence as an opportunity to shake her head at Tali and add, "And he's worried about me meeting his family on Palaven."
Garrus finally swallowed his mouthful of flatbread and marinated vegetation and, understandable at long last, said, "I was asking if the tents were temporary."
"Most likely." Tali said as they continued down one of the tent-in-question lined streets of the settlement. "We are still sleeping in the ships that have landed or in the large dormitories we have erected. It is just more secure for our suits. It's a lot easier to notice a problem with them when you are awake. Eventually we will have permanent storefronts in most places, but for now it's helpful for morale and our economies for people to have a place to wander and trade freely.
"Many of us find it sentimentally powerful as well." Tali continued. "The 'migrant' aspect of our fleets' name has always been a source of pride and historical value for us. Centuries before we established space flight and long before we were exiled from Rannoch, many quarians thrived in nomadic settlements. We have beautiful carvings and tapestries that depict the tent cities that would spring up overnight and then disappear as if they had never been there."
She smiled as they continued their way through the bustling lane, quarians carrying everything from food, to scraps of metal, to bolts of intricately woven cloth past them. "A lot of us find it fitting as the first stage of reclaiming our home."
"I'm surprised how much art and other cultural wares I'm seeing." Garrus muttered through a mouth that was still scandalously full of food.
Tali laughed. "Of course you are." She nudged him gently with an elbow. "Turians might be voluntarily focused on duty, necessity and sacrifice, but quarians haven't had a choice about prioritizing those values in generations. There's not time for much else when you have to carry everything necessary for life with you and constantly replenish supplies. Having a chance to re-learn a more free way of life, to be creative for creativity's sake, is essential."
"But is it really that essential this early in rebuilding?" he pushed back.
"Of course. The strongest civilizations have thriving arts and sciences. Look at the salarians and asari."
"Are you suggesting that turians aren't a strong civilization?" Shepard asked, genuinely curious.
"Their military might is undeniable," Tali said, "but apart from the human appointment, which, let's be honest, would never have happened this soon if it wasn't for you, Shepard, turians are the most recent race to be admitted to the Council. And that says something."
Garrus was quiet for a moment but as she took in the throng of life around her she could swear she heard him mutter "...not our fault it took so long…"
The thriving quarian culture around her was remarkable, especially when she thought back to her time on their austere, worn, and in some places scraped together ships. But here they were making art, music and even, to Garrus' delight, food. Tali had explained that while they still needed to be cautious about infections and that it would take years for their immune systems to adjust, incorporating unprocessed Rannoch-grown food was actually an important part of that process.
Most of the food stalls they passed were stewing different soups or ramen-like dishes. These, any quarian could ingest easily through their suits, and the high cooking temperatures made the chance of carrying an infection minimal. However, several stalls offered flatbreads, sandwiches, wraps and other vegetarian dishes.
"I do wish there was meat somewhere…" Garrus had whispered to Shepard, his mouth watering as he literally stood on tiptoe (completely unnecessarily as he was a good foot taller than any of the quarian around them) watching as the quarian vendor prepared his street food. "But that would be really surprising. Their ships don't leave much space for livestock, and fresh meat doesn't make for very efficient food supplies." He had been delighted with the flavors of his flatbread and he'd wished Shepard could try it, but Shepard hadn't gotten the necessary antihistamines to safely eat dextro-based food before disembarking the Normandy. But she was regretting that oversight as the aroma of the flatbread and the other foods around her filled her nose, and Garrus gobbled away the last morsel of flatbread and began licking his fingers like a goddamn animal. Seriously, how was she the one who was supposed to be nervous about looking uncultured when they got to Palaven? She wished she had prepared so she could eat something here too.
She honestly hadn't thought it would have been a possibility. Hadn't thought any of this would have been possible. When it had taken her so long to heal, to walk, to be independent, she felt a little left behind by the metropolis that was growing before her eyes.
"How have you been able to build so much so fast?" she marveled, gazing at the multistory steel towers that punctuated the tent canopy. There were at least a dozen, and although they were simple and efficient in design they certainly weren't crude.
"This will sound crazy, and I still have trouble processing it," Tali said, "But we have the Reapers and the geth to thank for that. The geth… Shepard, they took what Legion did seriously. They have been helping us every day since you and I were here and we killed that Reaper. Then, shortly after the war had ended, Auntie Raan said that a geth came to her and said that a freed Reaper had communicated to it from the atmosphere. That the geth had told them about the "Shepard Commander" and the "Legion Unit". Apparently a group of them sought other synthetic lifeforms like themselves, looking for a way that they could fit into the world… and Auntie Raan, keelah se'lai, she said 'we currently aren't lacking in space but could use strong hands,' so if they would assist us peacefully in rebuilding they were welcome here."
"She said that?" Shepard had asked incredulously.
Tali nodded emphatically. "She has become… friendly with the geth, and despite being one of our Elders... she's always been a risk taker. The other Admirals were furious and started a vote to strip her of her Admiralty but - you see that spire, Shepard?" She pointed to the tallest spire which stood at the very edge of the water, in the center of the other permanent constructions. "She marched with some of the geth there to the center of the bay. One of the Reapers came down from orbit, and they built that spire in a week."
"Really?" asked Garrus. staring at the tower's shining surface.
"Really. Apparently she marched back to the rest of the Admirals and said that it was named The Harvest Memorial Tower, and if they were smart it would be the first in our new capital, and if they weren't then they could continue to enjoy cleaning sand and dust out of their suits all the time and she, the geth and the Reapers would have a ball living in sand-free buildings all on their own."
Shepard laughed. She had heard the quarians earlier mention rebuilding with the Reapers and the geth but she never would have imagined it meant this. It seemed impossible. Garrus took a moment while Tali explained something to Liara and EDI, whispering in her ear: "I hope you're looking around Moria. This is because of you."
The children and the geth amazed her the most. She had rarely thought about quarian children, she certainly hadn't seen them, yet here… there were hundreds of them. She had never thought it was possible that there were so many. Although, she supposed, until her visits to the Migrant Fleet, most of the quarians she had come across were traders, marines or old enough to be on their Pilgrimage. But here, children were running everywhere. Playing games in the streets, assisting parents and riding on the shoulders of some of the robed geth that punctuated the quarian settlement.
She had asked Tali about that when she first saw it. They had approached what seemed like an impossibly tall, hooded quarian (it had several inches on Garrus, even) and as she turned to look when they passed it, she saw the lights of a geth gleaming from beneath the hood.
"Um... have I hit my head or is that geth wearing clothes?" Shepard had asked.
"I would say that there is nothing wrong with your head, Shepard," Tali snorted, "but somehow I think I would be lying. But yes, that geth is wearing a ta'hal like I am. Many of them are now." And sure enough, as Shepard began to look for them, she saw geth throughout the crowds around them with hooded ta'hal like Tali wore. Some simply had swaths of the cloth draped scarf-like around their necks, draped across their chests, or tied as sashes at their waists.
"Didn't think the geth would need covering from the elements." Shepard mused.
"Oh, they don't need them Shepard. They like them." Tali said.
In the days after Legion's sacrifice, many of the civilian-heavy quarian ships had chosen to land or take shuttles of settlers down to this part of Rannoch's southern continent. The Admirals were eager to have as many children on the ground as possible, partially to give them the gift of a childhood with space to actually run around, and also so that the younger generation's immune system could begin adapting to their ancient homeworld.
A geth had been assisting in constructing a shelter for one of the quarian cloth merchants. The geth and quarian couple had struggled in the sun for many hours while their child watched and played by one of the ships. As the sun was setting, the sturdy shelter had finally been completed. The couple thanked the geth and walked back to begin settling in. Moments after entering their new abode, they had heard their son shout, "Wait!"
In understandable terror they had rushed back outside and across the sands to find the geth they had been working with kneeling in front of the little boy. The child had taken a length of cloth from one of their stores and was clumsily draping it over the geth's head and wrapping it around its neck, the geth gently bending to accommodate the quarian's small frame. When it finished it had stared up at the geth and said, "Thank you for my house."
"I understand the Creators need additional shelter. I am happy to assist."
"I can't build a house. But my Father taught me to weave," said the child. "This is for you; a thank you. If it rips I can fix it for you."
The geth stared at the fabric. "Thank you. I will remember your offer."
A few days later, a different geth had wandered to the merchant family's shelter and asked if it could assist with a task in exchange for a ta'hal, and the new relationship between the quarian and geth had grown from there.
Tali explained that some had been given as gifts, as the first one was, and others had been bartered for in exchange for additional help. She said that some geth now had multiple as she had seen the same geth wearing different colored ta'hal.
"Historically speaking," said Liara, "shared commerce and customs is a strong keeper of peace. It's a remarkable development."
"They are visually pleasing." EDI remarked.
"We can get you one if you like, EDI," Shepard said. "Just do me a favor and don't take one from Admiral Xen for any reason."
"Your offer is kind, Shepard," EDI said, "However, I do not understand the second aspect of your comment." Tali gave Shepard a wary and knowing look.
The party eventually exited the bustling settlement and Tali led them up a sloped hill to the east with breathtaking views of the bay, the growing spires and the fields and agro-domes sprawling behind them. Tali was explaining the quarian settlement plans; how they were being cautious to not overtax the nearly perfect ecosystem, and avoid pollutants.
Shepard was fascinated by the tall, twisting spires of rock that dotted the coast, and could even be found out towards the sea and even stretching inland. According to Tali, these formations were rich in metals and therefore weathered much more slowly than the surrounding rocks. Hundreds of thousands of years of wind and water erosion left them standing distinctly against the sky. Mining resources from these spires was extremely efficient and was contributing greatly to the speed of the settlement's growth. Apparently, the quarians planned to use the taller and larger spires as docking sights for ships or observation bases.
Tali was torn personally between an eventual home on top of one of these spires with the amazing views and something right on the water. Garrus thought that a coastal home would be better for drinking their wine.
"Our wine?" Tali asked.
"Oh, did I not mention earlier that I plan on investing as a full partner?" He said with a grin. "I think Archangel Vineyards… or Archangel Coast would be a great name."
Tali laughed. "I wouldn't trust you with a partnership in a million years, Garrus." she said. "You'd drink all our product."
"Oh come on! That's not fair!" the turian groaned, "You were the one who got completely hammered at Shepard's house party."
They could just make out her scowl through the quarian's mask. "Fine," she grumbled. "I'll consider putting you in charge of colonial distribution, but that's it. And all that calibrating you're so famous for better result in some fat profits."
"Oh don't you worry, Admiral Tali'Zhora vas Normandy," he said, "I never miscalculate."
"Speaking of which," Shepard cut in, "I see you're still going by vas Normandy?"
"Yes, Shepard," Tali answered. "Many of us are shifting our names. Auntie Raan has chosen to forgo her ship name and be referred to as vas Rannoch. It was a powerful gesture to many."
"But you've kept vas Normandy?"
"For the time being." She sighed, staring out at the bay, so full of hope, of promise for her people. "Things are so new still and they are changing constantly. It ...gives me a sense of security. And ..." she said in a surprisingly shrewd manner, "it is helpful for my very formal and sometimes forgetful people to have to repeatedly say the Normandy's name. It gives me certain clout and helps them remember the work and sacrifices you and many others made to get us here."
Shepard raised her eyebrows at her friend. "Wow. Well aren't you becoming quite the politician."
"Hardly, Shepard, I am still a scientist," she said, waving Moria off. "Although," she added, "politics and coding are not so dissimilar. It takes forever to build anything and one small mistake can break the whole thing."
They gazed in silence for a moment out at the new world that was unfolding before them. Shepard could smell the salt off the sea air and hear children's laughter carried up to them on the wind. She could feel the smallest bits of spray from the water kissing her face and it was almost as if each droplet washed a shadow of her nightmares away.
"So what are you calling this place?" she asked at last.
"Oh," she said, "Auntie Raan came up with it. But I like it," she grinned at Shepard. "It's something that hopefully will make people remember what this all cost." she said softly, lifting her chin and gazing down upon the shining spires. "Welcome, Commander, to our new home ... Legion."
