Three Little Lovebirds
Chapter 13 – The Pretender
Admiral Rael Zorah vas Penthanar was no less regal than Lucy had imagined. Judging by the golden wings that rose a good foot from both sides of his head, or the burgundy cloak that lay draped across his broad shoulders, the Admiral was one of the few Quarians who could afford such frivolous, impractical decoration. That thought however seemed somewhat irrelevant to Lucy, placed as she was a mere inch from the tip of his rapier. The sword embodied the more traditional Quarian view of beauty mixed with functionality. The blade was made of a simple alloy, polished to scintillating perfection. Balance was achieved by a multi-hued crystal of pearlescent appearance, set firmly into the pommel.
The spectre swallowed but otherwise remained unfazed. This was what she was trained to deal with: direct confrontation. Disregarding the emotional stigma of this man's relation to Tali, the situation was simple. An intruder was on board her vessel, threatening her life...or so it appeared.
"Admiral," she said, careful to remain respectful and polite "I wasn't expecting this pleasure quite so soon."
"I know," he said simply.
Lucy was momentarily derailed by the lack of explanation offered to her. This wasn't exactly the kind of first impression she'd anticipated from Tali's sole remaining family member. Of course, it was never going to be as simple as 'meeting the parents', but the last thing she expected was to have a sword drawn on her.
"You know," she said carefully, "a conversation is generally more enjoyable for everyone involved if nobody is being threatened while it takes place."
"I'm well aware of that," the Admiral said, backing off slightly but still keeping his sword levelled "but there will be no 'conversation' until I see my daughter and know exactly what she's doing on board this ship."
Shepard looked over Rael's shoulder. Pretty much the entire crew was crammed into the navigation deck, arranged in a loose ring around the face-off. Some looked scared, others confused; but all were ready to step in at the slightest hint from the spectre. Lucy could see all of her squad, bar Tali and of course Liara standing at the forefront of the group. Garrus was having a hard time keeping his hand off the grip of his pistol, hovering it nearby and ready to draw at a moment's notice. It reminded Lucy of how he'd been when he first joined the crew; all fire and rashness, willing to shoot first and hang the regulations. That Garrus would already have the gun pointed at Rael's head.
Lucy was glad of the change in the young Turian. Open hostility would just result in a massive stalemate and no doubt anger the Admiral further. This more restrained approach left the possibility of a civil resolution, whilst still reminding the Quarian just whose ship he was on.
"Someone inform Tali of the situation," Lucy said, her voice brooking no objection. It was pointless feigning ignorance; if Rael had somehow tracked her to the Normandy as opposed to the billions of other places she could be, he wasn't going to be put off by out-right denial.
"In the mean time Admiral," she continued, "why don't you lower that sword? I assure you that your daughter is absolutely fine. She's here of her own volition and has actually been a great asset to my team. I don't think I've ever come across someone as naturally gifted at engineering."
"I..." Rael's speech was cut off as he heard a sharp intake of breath behind him. Lucy was the first to realise who it was. Their resident Quarian had forced her way through the knot of nervous onlookers and now stood stock still, stunned to silence upon seeing the faceoff before her.
"Tali?" the Admiral's voice had lost its steely tone, now sounding softer and choked with suppressed emotion.
The young engineer didn't move, her eyes fixed on the blade hovering millimetres from Lucy's throat. When she spoke, it was with a voice filled with the same note of betrayal that Shepard had heard earlier.
"Father? What are you doing?!"
"What I must," Rael said, circling the spectre until Tali entered his field of view. "My child, what of your Pilgrimage? Why are you here; on this ship instead of fulfilling your destiny?"
Tali glanced towards Lucy, and the Commander saw her defiant posture waver. Whether it was from second thoughts or simply from fear, Lucy couldn't tell.
"Father...is the Pilgrimage not meant to be a rite of passage...a trial that all Quarians must vanquish to prove themselves worthy...to prove they can be trusted to fend for themselves and make their own decisions?"
"And what exactly are you deciding by being here?" Rael's voice was still gentle, but now laced with authority.
"That I...I..." Tali's eyes were barely visible, darting between her father and her lover. Lucy's heart ached for the young girl; having an impossible decision thrust on her right after the emotional turmoil the spectre had put her through. Burning anger flared in her chest, hatred towards the man who threatened to take away the woman she loved. For a second, it was overwhelming, clouding her brain with a red mist that threatened to spill over into physical violence.
Fortunately, years of military training allowed her to exert some measure of control. Enough for her to recognise that the rage she felt was actually another manifestation of the bone-deep guilt that filled her heart whenever she thought about Tali. Guilt that she had misled the young Quarian and even now continued to betray her by loving another.
"That I have finished my Pilgrimage."
Tali's voice brought Lucy crashing back to reality with a sickening crunch.
"The gift that I have is information..." the young girl's voice was strong and determined, and Lucy was pretty certain she was the only one who could detect the tiny tremor as she spoke, or see the shivers coursing through her body.
"Information about the Geth; about how they have evolved and changed since they fled behind the veil. With it, we should be able to better understand our enemy."
Tali withdrew the OSD Lucy had given to her...a token of the spectre's promise to never conceal anything from the Quarian. Shepard felt her chest constrict painfully. It hadn't been enough...
"With your blessing father, I seek permission to present this gift to the captain of the vessel I wish to join and in so doing secure my place as a Quarian citizen."
She'd failed...and now the woman who carried half her heart was about to leave forever, irreparably tearing it in two.
Rael seemed genuinely stunned by the sudden declaration, although not half as much as Lucy. No one saw his hesitation however, as the assembled crowd held their collective breath in anticipation of what would happen next.
"Daughter, Tali...this day makes me proud to be your father. You have my blessing and my respect. Come, we can leave at once..."
The admiral moved to place his hand on her shoulder, but Tali turned away, clutching the data stick to her chest like the most precious of jewels.
"I-I'm s-sorry father," the young girl's voice was thick with sorrow and pain. Lucy could see the damp streaks on the inside of her visor as tears leaked unchecked from gorgeous hazel eyes.
Turning away completely from her only parent, Tali took the few steps needed to stand herself before the woman who meant more to her than a place amongst the Quarian people. Gingerly, she sank to her knees, head tilted upwards to gaze at the face of her lover...her captain.
"Lucy'Shepard vas Normandy, I am Tali'Zorah nar Rayya, daughter of Rael'Zorah vas Penthanar. For over 30 cycles I have wandered amongst the stars, searching for something of value that I might offer in return for the honour of joining your crew and your ship. I give it freely to you now, in the hope that you will give to me freely, a place which I might call home. It is my solemn promise to give more than I receive...to take less than I offer. What's mine is yours and with your acceptance, all that is yours will be mine also, to respect and honour until my passing day. Will you take me?"
The words may have been dictated by Quarian ritual, rehearsed and repeated countless times...yet to Lucy it was the most deeply personal and heartfelt confession of love that she had ever heard. One that left her feeling shamefully inadequate and totally speechless. Looking down at Tali, Lucy realised that she was offering so much more than a simple OSD, or promise of loyalty. She was giving the spectre a permanent place in her heart.
Words that the young Quarian had once told her came flooding back...words that were needed to complete the ritual. With just one sentence, she had the power to forever change the course of Tali's life and by extension, her own.
'My god...' Lucy thought, everything suddenly snapping into place 'I'm being proposed to!'
The parallels were blindingly obvious. Tali on her knees, offering up a symbol of the trust and they shared...seeking to formally solidify their bond in the eyes of her father. Whilst it wasn't quite a recognition of love, at least not officially, Lucy's acceptance would show that she was prepared for Tali to become a permanent fixture in her life. For the Quarian, it showed a willingness to leave everything that she was behind for the sake of a single woman.
'And that woman is me...'
A sudden urge to panic gripped the spectre. This was all too soon! Was she ready for such commitment?
'Isn't this what you wanted all along? You knew ever since she came to your quarters that night that this wasn't some cheap fling. Conflicting emotions about Liara aside, it's clear that you love her and that she loves you at least as much. If she's prepared to sacrifice so much for that, the least you could do is accept her love in some official capacity. For god's sake, it's not like she's actually asking you to marry her!'
'And so what if she was...you may only have shared a relationship for a short space of time but you were friends before that...'
Lucy clamped down on that train of thought. What mattered at this moment was reality...there'd be time for speculation once Tali was safely at her side.
"Of course," and suddenly, the spectre was laughing "Of course I will my love!"
Remembering that she still hadn't said her part, Lucy hastened to add.
"Arise Tali'Zorah vas Normandy; you walk amongst family now."
For the briefest of seconds, silence ruled supreme. None of the spectators seemed to know where to look, and their expressions ranged from smiles for the happy couple to barely concealed nervousness whilst looking at a certain Quarian admiral. Eventually, a voice as soft as a serrated dagger broke the quiet.
"What is the meaning of this?"
Rael's presence seemed to fill the room, shutting out everyone but himself and the two women he faced. There was no way to read his facial expression, but the anger in his voice would have been unmistakable to a deaf man. He exhaled with such force, that his rebreather hissed from the strain and several secondary vents opened up, emitting copious billows of the foggy gas that filled all Quarian helmets.
"I taught you, Tali'Zorah nar Rayya, I raised you! You are my only child! I gave everything to you...everything!"
Rael's voice was harsh and panicked. Whereas before, Lucy had seen an untouchable admiral, she now saw a desperate man...terrified at the thought of losing his daughter. Try as she might, she couldn't feel angry at him. After what Tali had told her of how he'd lost his wife to a pandemic, his sorrow was understandable. Quarians were a very close knit society, and even once a child left 'home' they were always within contacting distance...just a few ships away. Lucy couldn't imagine what it must feel like to lose your daughter in the vastness of a whole galaxy; never knowing where she was or if she was safe.
Despite this however, the fact remained that it was Tali's decision, not his. Lucy hated that her involvement had turned parent against child like this, but she would not hand her partner over just because Rael could not handle the fact that she was old enough to choose her own path.
"I will not allow this, I forbid it! You're coming with me right now!"
"That's not going to happen Admiral." Lucy's voice had taken on a dangerous tone. She may not be able to hate Rael, but if he tried to take Tali by force then god help her, she'd break both his arms and to hell with the political fallout.
"If you have a problem, I suggest you take it up with me."
The elder Quarian was still for a moment, as if considering the possible options. The only movement was the exaggerated rise and fall of his muscular chest as he struggled to control his breathing.
"Very well spectre." To his credit, there was only the faintest hint of venom in his voice "I accept your offer."
His hand reached under his cape, unfastening something from the ornamental belt around his waist. Instantly, several pistols were raised, aiming directly at several vital points across Rael's body. Lucy couldn't fault the training or the loyalty of her crew, but now was not the time for such bravado.
"Lower your weapons people, I've got this." There were several murmurs of discontent, and it was at least ten seconds before everyone had complied. Their weapons remained drawn however, and several fingers twitched nervously against triggers.
Rael seemed not to notice that he could be shot dead at any moment. Perhaps he did not care. He finished unclasping the item and withdrew a sword of identical make to his own, still sheathed in its gold-trimmed scabbard. He held it out to the bemused spectre, offering her the hilt.
"Since you are so familiar with our rituals, perhaps you already know what I'm proposing. If not, I'd say it's pretty self-explanatory."
Lucy eyed the rapier being offered to her with a familiar sinking feeling. Fencing was a mandatory part of Alliance training; more for the improvement of hand-eye coordination and reflex's than actual preparation for a sword fight. Whilst she'd been at the top of her class back then, Lucy was pretty certain that it would do her little good in a proper duel. Besides...that had been years ago and she'd never practiced it since.
"I won't fight you Rael."
"Then by the same rights you have just performed, your position as captain of this vessel is forfeit. Like it or not, you accepted our ways when you accepted one of our own as yours. You have two options...a duel to the death, or return my daughter."
"Papa this is crazy!" Tali shoved aside the offered blade, placing herself between the two adversaries "I choose to stay with Shepard because I love her! If you want her dead, you'd better be prepared to kill me as well!"
For the briefest second, the Admiral's resolve wavered.
"I do not want her dead child...but I will do what I must, for your sake not mine. This 'love' has blinded you to your responsibilities. Please...stand aside."
Tali squared her shoulders, and faced her only living relative.
"I will not."
Rael tilted his head ever so slightly...a silent acknowledgement of what was to come. Lucy felt a familiar tingle in the air, akin to a low level electric current. She knew the feeling like the back of her of hand. Biotic energy...
Rael raised his free hand, palm open towards his only daughter.
"Then I shall make you."