Chapter 2: Zann'Raas nar Ridin

"Speech"

'Thoughts'

Location change

Disclaimer: I do not own Mass Effect or anything in it except for my OC Zann'Raas

The Migrant Fleet/The Ridin

I was born in the 2159 CE (Common Era). So I was born two years after the Relay 314 Incident (First Contact War).

My parents named me Zann, My full name (currently) being Zann'Raas nar Ridin. Which translates as I'm Zann, my clan name is Raas, my birthship is the Ridin. I always liked Quarian naming conventions.

Luckily I wasn't aware whilst I was in the womb. I also wasn't fully aware during the first few months of my new life. I'd probably go crazy with boredom if I was.

I was born a biotic, which is extremely rare among Quarians since the Envirosuits protect against exposure to element zero. Of course I got biotics because my mother Mela'Raas vas Ridin nar Qwib-Qwib (Formerly Mela'Visar vas Tiwan nar Qwib-Qwib) got heavily exposed to element zero in an accident on the Tiwan, which resulted in the Tiwan getting scrapped since they were unable to get it back in working order. My mother was one of the eight total that survived both the accident and didn't die of infection afterwards. The survivors, my mother included were heavily injured so they were sent to the Ridin.

The Ridin is the best medical ship in the Migrant Fleet. Every ship has a medicine stockpile, but the Ridin had its medical stockpile plus a large portion of the surplus medicine, the best surgery/clean rooms and best medical equipment in the fleet. It was here where she met, fell in love with, and eventually married my Father Zaeto'Raas vas Ridin nar Rayya. Which of course lead to my creation. Since she was heavily exposed to element zero it wasn't entirely out of her system when I was conceived. So I absorbed the leftover element zero in her system as I was growing. Most of my infancy was spent in what was basically a high tech bubble. I didn't get my first envirosuit till I was six.

I drew a lot of attention when I was younger because of my appearance. My pale blue skin and white hair/feathers both being rare recessive traits along with my silvery blue eyes which immediately let everyone know I was biotic. Since I was biotic I had several marines assigned to watch me and 'deal' with me should I prove to be detrimental to the safety of the fleet. Whilst getting to experience life in the Migrant Fleet was interesting, having to walk on eggshells about my biotics wasn't the best experience. Despite the marines assigned to watch me I had a relatively normal childhood in the fleet.

My parents were both great and loved me even with the biotics. After becoming a member of the Ridin my mother Mela ended up being one of the head engineers, there had to be several (per ship) due to how much they had to manage and check on.

Mela was very open and very much an extrovert. It was a bit weird having such a kind and attentive mother. In my past life I wasn't that close to my mother.

Since the accident on the Tiwan, Mela developed a weird sixth sense about maintaining the Ridin. She would randomly feel the need to check something, after doing so she ALWAYS found something wrong with it and fixed it. At first some on the Ridin just thought she was paranoid after what happened to the Tiwan but after the third time they just let her check anything she wanted.

My father Zaeto was one of the doctors on-board the Ridin. He cared in his own way, He was very logical and straightforward. He was much like a Salarian in that respect minus the hyperactivity. He also lacked any form of subtlety, in my mother's own words "He's as subtle as a Krogan headbutt.". He was also somewhat socially inept. I never understood how they ended up together.

I still got to go to 'public school' which was basically meeting in the common area and learning different things from different adults. They would switch out who taught us based on what we were learning.

The most embarrassing being when my father was teaching us sex ed. Keelah I'll never live that down. Subtle as a Krogan headbutt indeed. Not only was I and the other children extremely embarrassed, but many of the adults that were around could be heard quietly laughing. They did it on purpose.

I wasn't allowed to play with other children since they were worried that if I got upset I'd end up hurting the other children with my biotics. So when all the other kids got to play I got private lessons, which ranged from helping me control my biotics to my parents teaching me more about their jobs.

Due to how quickly I absorbed any information given to me I was recognized as a prodigy. I was the first of my 'class' to graduate, if you could even really call it that. The way the schooling worked was a lot more on an individual basis. The faster you absorbed and could use information, the faster you could graduate. I graduated at age ten. Most of the other kids in my 'class' didn't graduate till they were fourteen.

I met a nine year old Tali'Zorah nar Rayya when I was eleven. She had been brought over to the Ridin to treat a nasty infection she got. I had basically become my father's assistant/nurse and got to help treat her. Whilst treating her we became friends, despite the many embarrassing moments both of us had thanks to my father. While we didn't get to interact physically too much since she went back to the Rayya after being treated, we regularly played all manner of video games together since our ships were always close enough for us to do so. Tali's Father Rael'Zorah hated me. He didn't trust my biotics and felt I was a bad influence on Tali since I'd introduced her to video games, which were "Distracting her from her lessons." according to him.

"Don't let my father scare you off, he has already scared off all the boys on the Rayya and not many of the girls here like video games." Tali said over the mic as we were playing.

"He's not scaring me off Tali. You're much to fun for that to happen." I replied.

"Hahaha" Tali Laughed. "Thanks Zann."

"No problem." There was a few minutes of silence as we continued playing.

"Hey… Zann?" Tali asked.

"What's going on Tali? Is everything okay?" I asked worried about the pause.

"No, everything is great… I was just wondering… If you'd like to be best friends?" She asked sounding nervous.

"Sure thing Tali!" I said "We'll be best friends forever, right?"

"Yeah! Forever!" She replied.

I didn't expect to become best friends with Tali but I didn't see a reason not to. If I'd understood what I saw when selecting this reality Tali is supposed to end up with Shepard. I always felt that Shepard and Tali made the cutest couple.

I continued working as my father's assistant/nurse till I was fourteen where I was recognized as a doctor by the Migrant Fleet. I was the youngest doctor in the history of the fleet. My parents were so proud.

"That's my boy!" My father exclaimed patting me on the back. I'd just been recognized as a doctor by the fleet. "I always knew you'd be a doctor like me."

"He could have easily been an engineer or any other job in the fleet if he wanted it." My mother said. They had always jokingly argued about which of them I'd end up being more like. "Besides I don't think the fleet could handle another doctor like you, totally lacking in subtlety." My mother continued jokingly.

"Are you still going on about when I taught them sex ed? That was years ago. I don't see why you can't let it go." My father replied.

"You're the only one on the Ridin that has been able to let it go." I said, embarrassed just thinking about that day.

"Oh please! Everyone else is just to easily embarrassed. And being subtle just wastes time, better to just say what needs to be said." My father went to his usual defense.

"Sometimes being subtle and less direct can be romantic. Totally unlike how you asked me out." Mother said jokingly.

"You said yes, didn't you?" My father replied, entirely missing the joking tone she was using.

"You may be a socially inept, overly blunt bosh'tet. But at least you're my socially inept, overly blunt bosh'tet." My mother said lovingly.

And so life in the fleet continued as normal. I was able to treat patients on my own, my parents continued doing their jobs, me and Tali would play video games and chat during our free time. It continued like this till I turned fifteen, I was then informed that I'd be taking my pilgrimage early.

Normally a Quarian wouldn't leave for their pilgrimage till they were in their twenties, for example Tali wouldn't leave for her pilgrimage till she was twenty two. However I ended up leaving for my pilgrimage shortly after becoming fifteen, the only stated reason for this was that I was a prodigy. The two unstated reasons were that Rael'Zorah hated me and many others distrusted my biotics. My parents and Tali were VERY upset about it but they couldn't really do anything about it.

All my parents could do was teach me what I'd need to know about living outside the fleet. Tali was begging her father to intervene but he didn't, he was the one that pushed for it in the first place. I still don't entirely understand why he hates me so much. I wasn't that worried about my early pilgrimage with the Essences I have I should be fine. What I was worried about was that me being sent on an early pilgrimage was straining Tali's relationship with her father. I didn't want to ruin their relationship, since I knew Rael was going to die and even if their relationship was ruined Tali would feel guilty about the last words she'd say to him.

"I don't understand how my father can be such a bosh'tet!" Tali yelled. She'd been venting to me about her father for the past hour. "How can he and the other admirals just send you on an early pilgrimage?! You aren't ready for that!" She continued.

"Tali, I'll be fine. I-" before I could continue she interrupts me.

"No, you won't be fine! You're too young to go on a pilgrimage and they know it! Just because you're a prodigy doesn't mean you're ready to survive outside the fleet!"

"Tali." I said my voice stern. "I'll be fine. I'm perfectly capable of handling my pilgrimage."

"How can you be so relaxed about this?!" She asks.

"Because I've always found it's better to not worry too much over something you can't change. If you do you'll only make it worse."

Tali seemed to calm down a little. "Fine just… just promise me you'll be safe… And that I'll see you again."

"I promise Tali. I'll be safe and we'll see each other again." I spent another hour convincing Tali not to hate her father.

A few weeks later everything was set. I said my goodbyes and got on a shuttle to start my pilgrimage.