Chapter 22: Set in Motion
Henry Lawson was standing at the large bay window of his office, looking broodingly out at the lights of his estate shimmering through the low hanging mists of the Australian spring. His man Niket had failed him.
Steps will have to be taken…I have tolerated too much…
The door to his office opened soundlessly, booted footfalls stepped hesitantly into the office. "Sir?" a young man ventured as he stepped further into the office.
"Tell me why I don't have my daughter, Niket."
"The Eclipse mercs we hired to handle the extraction were completely wiped out. Taken out by a Spectre and her team—Miranda was with her. Oriana was gone before we even arrived. The Spectre is well connected, sir. She may have gotten word the Eclipse were making a move. Word has it that she and an asari Justicar eradicated a whole platoon near the docks. Anther platoon at the Dantius towers were decimated as well when the group hooked up with a drell assassin."
"It was your recommendation to use the Eclipse."
"Illium is their territory, sir. If we used any other merc group the Eclipse would have acted against them, it was the only viable option. Using our own men—that many humans on an asari dominated world and it would have gotten complicated. As it was the opposition was very well organized."
"I shouldn't be surprised. I created Miranda to be the pinnacle of human perfection, after all. Each gene carefully selected. I modified my own genome to have daughters. My daughters are pure Lawson DNA. My DNA." Henry Lawson's voice dropped to low narrative level, as if he was telling a bedtime story to his little girl. Something, of course, he had never done, there were nannies to carry out that odious duty.
"My daughters were genetically engineered to be specimens of human perfection. Each gene meticulously tailored and designed. During the whole process their genes were infused with eezo to generate the perfect biotic potential. "I designed Miranda to be perfect and I made sure she understood that, but something went wrong in her training when she was a teenager. I knew I had to make a fresh start. The formula for creating the perfect legacy was flawless and her education first-rate. No…no it was the indoctrination that went wrong; her training that was defective. I see that now."
Niket shifted uneasily on his feet, his boss's monologue making him increasingly uneasy. He didn't know where he was going with his speech but it was making him believe the call to let Miranda take Oriana had been the right one. He wanted to believe Miri had it wrong. He had grown up impoverished; his education had been though more computerized tutorials than there had been humans. Niket understood why Miri had fled her father and it had been her choice. But it should not have been one made for her little sister who could have had so much more.
But then he had learned the awful truth. The night Miri escaped the compound she had stolen her baby sister, passed into the care of an asari to trade to another middle-class family. Oriana had lost a father who cared for her. Or so he thought.
'I didn't kidnap her, I saved her.' Miranda snarled at him.
She had convinced him to turn around, to leave. He made a promise to tell Lawson that Oriana had gone just before the Eclipse were on site. He had given the loading dock where the mercs were holed up. It was there Shepard and her team had completely neutralized the hit squad. A lieutenant had his neck snapped; another was shot point blank in the face, several of them taken out all at once by felling a shipping crate on them. Captain Enyala had been crushed by a biotic singularity.
Niket had tuned into the police bandwidth and discovered that one of the dock workers had been killed presumably by Enyala. Niket wondered what would become of him had he been on that dock instead of taken by Shepard and her forces. The asari Lanteia had given his name to Miranda.
She had made contact with him, and the stage was set, the play as it were to capture the conscious of the king. Shepard had asked him to retract the contract but it was already done and besides, they wouldn't pull back anyway, not without Henry Lawson's say-so. It was his money. The Eclipse wouldn't give up the hunt; Niket knew that, the money was too good.
Miri you had it right to run. You're ol' man is crazy-mad.
"I keep playing your story over and over in my head. And there is one thing I still do not understand. If the Eclipse were all slaughtered by this undefeatable, unstoppable seemingly superhuman Spectre how is it you escaped?"
"Sir, I…"
Lawson held up a finger placing a figurative mute to his hireling. "Who let you go? Shepard or that Jezebel daughter of mine?"
Once more Niket opened his mouth ready to answer but faster than he could utter a syllable Lawson lifted a hidden M-6 Carnifax heavy pistol and fired it. A dull sickening pop of an over-ripe pumpkin being dropped from a two-story window echoed in the office. A pink-red mist spray painted the floors.
"I just remembered. I don't care," Lawson said to the corpse. Placing his gun on top of the desk the patriarch of the Lawson legacy made a reach for the comm-system. With Oriana whisked away not by Cerberus, as Miranda was, but by Shepard, perhaps it was time to play another hand. He had two people on a very short list he loathed dealing with: The Shadow Broker and the Illusive Man.
The Illusive Man once made him an offer to return to service and if he should by the end of Shepard's mission to stop these so called Collectors, he would have access to Miranda, served up to Lawson on a silver platter by Mr. Illusive himself it would seem. Vengeance on the tainted traitor of a daughter and the reclaiming of Oriana was now his price tag.
Vorschslagg had replaced Lawson after he had defected. Henry considered him second-rate compared to himself. The creepy little scouse speaking krout had been his assistant when Lawson was with Cerberus. No junior's work could ever compare to the master's. The results proved it. Why else was Mr. Illusive so anxious to get Henry back?
Perhaps it was time to find out.
MEMEMEMEMEMEME
Liara straddled her bondmate's naked body, their breasts brushing against one another. A very smug smile was on her lips. "Last night was incredible."
Sam smiled back, her hands reaching to hold either side of her wife's waist just above the hips, her thumbs rubbing small circles against the velvet soft scaled flesh. "You said that the first night we had together."
Liara nodded and bent down to take Samantha's lips with hers once more. "I remember," another kiss and another. "And it was as true…" a soft moan of pleasure escaped the asari's pale blue lips at the touch of her beloved's hands upon her. The human's very touch made her tremble. It had since the first time she had felt them. "Then as it is now." Liara began the slow gyroscopic twists of her hips against Sam's center. "I also recall you asking me if I was ready for round two." Sultry sapphire eyes fell onto the human's blue orbs, almost finishing her with only a look. "Just after you told me I was incredible." Their bodies swirled in the cyan of entwined dark energy. Sam's breath came in labored gasps. She felt warmth pooling between her legs. With only a look and the soft movements of rocking hips, Liara had caused her to cum. She felt her wife's biotics fill her, entwining their souls and bodies into one.
Sam's fingers traced the undersides of Liara's breasts, enjoying the weight of them against her palms. The tips of her fingers trailed upwards following the natural curves and swells of her breast, avoiding touching the tips of the nipples. Her eyes remained fixed on Liara's. Her hands continued their slow administrations along Liara's breasts and hips. Ripples of pleasure vibrated within the asari's core fueling the fires into white-hot flames. Liara cried out in ecstasy. With but a look and a soft touch Sam had brought her bondmate to great heights and release.
Liara collapsed upon her wife, her breath deep and heavy. Sam's hand caressed the eloquent curves of the asari's crest. She loved the texture, the velvet softness, the gentle ridges of the crests. She loved trailing her fingers along the unique anatomy as much as Liara loved to feel it. A lightly tanned hand trailed under the curves to trace the tiny, extremely sensitive creases just under them.
"I may forgive you, you know." Liara muttered nuzzling into the embrace. "For running after another woman last night to play her hero."
"Li…" a guilt-ridden Sam groaned. "It was defiantly not something I wanted, I assure you."
"Hmm…so you said often last night." Liara tweaked the sensitive ear lobe of her human.
"The kid was in trouble and Miranda is now a part of my crew, you know I had to help. It was my fault Oriana and her family were put at risk in the first-place. I knew-we knew that using the kid as bait there would be a comeuppance. Helping them escape Illium was my obligation."
"Yes. I know," Liara whispered. "And you wouldn't be the woman I fell in love with if you allowed the call of help from one of your crew to go unanswered. It's who you are." the asari shook her sapphire head. "I've always known your first love is the Normandy."
"Li that's not true," Samantha protested. "You are first in my heart, you know that." Shepard shifted so she could meet her wife's gaze. "You do know that right?"
Liara took pity on her bondmate. "Samantha, I know I am first in your heart. I and our daughter, but I am not your first love. And I have long since accepted that. There will always be a first love and then there is the deeper love. Truth-be-told I'd rather be the deeper love than the first. I know that with the Normandy I have to share your attention with her crew. You will always come to their aid. It's one of the reasons I fell in love with you and one of the very few things that is exasperating about you. But..." Liara placed a blue finger upon protesting ruby lips. "Marriage is filled with little idiosyncrasies that live in a partner's life that is tolerated by the other because of love. I know have my quirks that exasperate you."
"Yeah that's true," Sam nodded. "Like you working into the wee-small hours and falling asleep at your desk. You know you can't do that now. You're sleeping for two."
Liara smiled. "Yes I know." She leaned down and took her wife's lips with her own. "I would tell you not to worry so, but that is a futile request."
"Pretty much." The words were followed by a crooked half-smile. "As futile as it would be to issue the same request."
"Pretty much," echoed the asari as she traced the lines Sam's face with the pad of her thumb. She adored the bow shaped lips, the arch of dark eyebrows, the faint splash of freckles that blended into the tanned flesh. The line of her nose and high cheekbones. The softness of her dark mane and the way it naturally fell over her right eye. "It's getting longer," Liara remarked still fingering the fringe. "Soon your hair will kiss these beautiful shoulders," She commented as she did just that.
"Human hair doesn't grow as swiftly as all that, Love. Maybe in another six months it might be that long but just barely."
Liara let her fingers feather the tresses. While she liked it short as it was now, due in no small part or her own design (after all it was she who cut it), she rather fancied it just a tad longer. And she loved how the forelock naturally hung over the right side of Samantha's face.
Their little blue children of course would not have the dark locks but no doubt their pink ones would. Liara hoped they would also share the similar trait of a dusting of freckles that spread across Samantha's nose and cheeks. Though her beloved human's were fainter due to her Salish blood, there were still there. They were more prominent whenever Sam gained a bit of natural sunlight. It would be a feature shared by all the daughters Liara would give birth too. A 'family' trait linking them all together.
"As much as I love lounging with you, Melethril, we both have a busy morning before you take off this afternoon."
Sam groaned. There were days when she wanted to tell the galaxy to fuck-off and today was one of them. "I suppose you're right," she murmured, placing a warm kiss on her wife's lips. With a heavy sigh she rose off the bed and started for the bathroom very conscience that Liara's eyes were lingering on her backside. Apparently it was something she had in common with her sire: They both loved asses. "Join me in a shower?" Sam tossed over her shoulder.
A coy grin slipped across the asari's mouth. "My pleasure."
"That's the idea." A cocky crooked smile answered the coy.
MEMEMEMEMEMEME
The night before:
Garrus took the hand of the young woman he loved and pulled her from the confines of the Normandy's cargo bay. She had been brooding for the last half-a-day and he knew the reason.
Shepard.
Garrus brought the small gloved hand up to his cheek but not before he kissed the palm. "She didn't even look," Tali pouted. "I put a lot of hours in listening to that damned AI as I replaced its holographic interface and Shepard didn't even look at the end results."
"Tali think for a moment. This is her and Liara's last night together. Of course they'll want to spend every waking moment together and might not be bothered with other things. But you know that when our Commander returns sans her Prothean expert she'll be in a foul mood and dive right into work. Show her then."
Tali blustered out a heavy sigh. "I suppose so."
The tall turian grinned. Getting Tali to work on the holo-matrix was a two-fold endeavor. One was obvious; to make EDI's interface to look less like a cycloptic sex-toy and more like a traditional humanoid interface and the second was to distract her so that he and Gabby, on Shepard's orders, were able to install a very special surprise for Tali.
"Come on, I want to show you something," Vakarian urged taking the hand he still held hostage and pulled his quarian lover towards the lift. There was some reluctance on the engineer's part for a beat before she relented and tagged along.
"What?" the dejected tone was still clouding Tali's voice but it was not as thick as it had been a moment ago.
"You'll have follow me to see," he said playfully.
"Vaaa-karionnnn!" Tali drew out his name which only served to make the former C-Sec officer snicker.
"Come and see. You won't get me to talk, Miss vas Normandy."
The elevator deposited them to the crew deck were still in hand-in-hand Garrus guided his love to their shared XO quarters.
"What is it?" Tali insisted like a petulant child on Feast Day wanting to open her presents.
But Garrus was having none of it. He turned shook his head and placed a forefinger on the mouthpiece of her helmet. "Now close those beautiful silver eyes of yours."
"Gar-"
"You want the surprise or not?"
"Fine," she obeyed, "see they're closed."
"I'll have to take your word for it," he commented dryly and proceeded to guide his lover into their quarters. He moved her around their desks to the tiny alcove that served as their common area. It was a small section but the partial bulkhead had served as a perfect arch between 'office' and 'bedroom'
Once within there was a pneumonic hissing of a seal locking into place not unlike the sound in the decontamination port between a dock's umbilical gangplank and a starship. And there was a very distinctive humming of a forcefield.
"What the hell?" Tali frowned and opened her eyes after losing the battle to keep them closed. "What?"
Garrus laughed. "Surprise!"
Behind them, one forcefield sealed off the office from the alcove they were standing in and another cut them off from the bedroom. The mist of decontamination cleared and the forcefield behind them remained intact while the one separating them from the bedroom unlocked.
"What is this?" Tali whirled around on her lover; delight flavored her tone of voice.
"Shepard's idea. With the Victory reclaimed by the Council we're minus the clean rooms. And I never liked the idea of the portable one in the cargo deck. It's like we'd be doing it in public. Shepard didn't either. She needed that space for a brig. So she told me and Gabby to install one here. It's not a true one but…"
"It will prevent me from getting too sick!" Tali was practically bouncing in wonder. "But how did you pull it off without me knowing about it."
"You had your head stuffed in an AI's guts," Garrus shrugged. "It wasn't too difficult. And your boyfriend isn't too bad with a wrench I'll have you know. And I have a knack for delicate calibrations."
"I'll say you do." Tali dropped a loaded innuendo which caused Garrus's mandibles to flex in a turian's 'blush.' "You know I think my suit needs some calibrating, Mr. Vakarian," she purred.
"I could see to that." He fingered the hood that covered her helmet. "Let's see... what do we have here? Oh yes…it appears one of the seals has come undone. Shoddy suit maintenance, Miss vas Normandy. Very shoddy indeed."
"Then I'm very lucky to have you here to see to it," Tali cooed.
With well practiced hands it was not long before the helmet was lifted from the face he loved so. In anticipation for this moment he had left the gloves off his normal civvies-attire so he could have skin-to-skin contact. Adoringly he gazed at the pale purple skin and her silver, almond shaped eyes. She was so beautiful. His fingers touched the dark curly locks of hair that poled about her slender shoulders now free of the confines of the helmet. He traced the points of her tapered ears loving the delicate texture of her flesh. He leaned in and in the first time in what felt like years he kissed his woman.
Tali practically jumped into his arms like a saber-cat taking down her prey which caused them both to stumble backwards onto the bed. Her lips hungrily assaulted his. The engineer's previous vexation with her Commander all but forgotten and forgiven. Non-quarians never knew how truly fortunate they were to be able to take a simple touch, a kiss or making love for granted. Every kiss she shared with Garrus, every time they made love, was a gift. One that could have killed her though now her body was adapting to her lover's. Being both dextro at the very least took those dangers of intimate moments away. With her being mammalian and he avian there was no chance of pregnancy so they never bothered with preventative precautions. The two could enjoy their coveted hours of joy as freely as Shepard and Liara did.
Garrus stopped his touches and softly pulled his body from his lover's as soon as he saw tears welling in the corners of her eyes. "What's wrong?" He took her naked body onto his. "Tali? Are you in pain? We can stop…"
"No…No." Tali shook her head. "Nothing is wrong. I was thinking back to a day on Thessia," Tali murmured burying her face into his bare chest. "I…was just remembering…Ash and I were watching Liara and Shepard. And I said I wanted to love like that, to be loved like that." Tali's voice grew softer. "And now…now I do and I am!"
Garrus signed in relief letting out a breath he hadn't been fully aware he had been holding. "Yes you are." He kissed her. "I got lucky." He sat up a little taking the weight on one elbow as he pulled the nude body of his luscious lover so she was now straddling him. "I…I…" he coughed as he did whenever he slid into shy-mode. "I had something a little more romantic in mind but…How's about we make it official? You and me. Married?"
Tali squealed and resumed her assault on his lips with hers.
"Is," kiss, "that," kiss, "a yes?"
"Yes it's a yes you big oaf." Tali gently slapped the caprice of his chest. She bit his lower lip in turian fashion. "Let's do it first thing tomorrow when Shepard gets back. Let her do it. We'll have her marry us!"
"Tomorrow?" Garrus sat up bolt right. He moved so swiftly that Tali had no time to move away so they ended up clashing foreheads.
"Ow!" she protested rubbing the sore spot. "What? You don't want that?"
"No. I mean yes. I mean, I don't know anything about quarian rituals. I don't have a ring or bonding bracelet or anything…"
Tali laughed. "Is that all? So what, you don't have to. Quarians are married by their ship's captain and I'm pretty sure humans have the same rule; a ship's captain can marry. And who better than the woman who got us together? I wouldn't want anyone else marrying us."
Garrus nodded. Truth-be-told he didn't either and he said so. "Why the rush?"
"Why not? Holding off until the 'time is right' is never a sure thing, and then we'd probably never find the right time. Collectors, Reapers, different ideology. Making sure our fathers in lou of our mothers agree to the union. Pft. Why bother? And besides, this way I can have Liara as my handmaiden…or as she says her Trusted."
"With Shepard officiating she can't be my Trusted," the turian pouted.
"Who says?" Tali shrugged. "She's standing witness to it. And there is no one I trust more with your safety and life than her. She's your best friend as you are hers. And you should have been her Trusted not Williams. The only reason you weren't is because I think Shepard felt obligated to the other human like you do with family. Anyway, we can have her stand for you as well as marry us."
Garrus's mandibles twitched in a very large turian smile. "Tomorrow then. So… does this mean I became Mr. vas Normandy?"
Tali scoffed. "Have you not learned anything about quarians? All crewmembers on the Normandy are vas Normandy. That's what 'vas' means crewmember. I think you're asking if you'll become 'Zorah. Only if you want to. Or we can do like Shepard and Liara have and simply keep our family names."
"Garrus 'Zorah…" He tasted the sound on his tongue and winced. "Tali Vakarian?" This time he shrugged. That at least didn't sound like some sort of dinosaur. "Nah," he shook his head. "Neither option sounds right. You're right, we should keep our own family names."
Tali shifted a little on Garrus's thighs and reached between them to take his member in hand. It did not take long before he was hard once more and ready to enter her depths. She guided him in as she took control of their union until they both reached their breaking points of release. In both their opinions it was a far better way to celebrate their upcoming nuptials then tempting infidelity by going to some strip-joint or getting completely drunk and playing games no sane person would whilst sober. More marriages started out rocky because one or both parties turned up to say their vows with a hangover.
MEMEMEMEMEMEME
They met because of Shepard. They were brought together because of the mission. They were united because of the Normandy. The idea was novel to say the least but filled with meaning for the both of them. With no rings and no bonding bracelets, there was no outward symbol of their impending marriage. Tali'Zorah vas Normandy returned to the cargo deck to the new quartermaster Peeks, since after Merkson's imprisonment the task of requisitions was sifted to Peeks who was also the security chief.
After explaining why Tali wanted two sets of dog-tags made each with the embossment of the Normandy on one side and the words 'Love' in old Keelish and 'Eternal' in ancient turian Sanskrit on the other, Peeks agreed even if it was highly irregular.
It only took a moment to program the omni-engraving computer with the desired designs and they were finished. Peeks placed rubber silencers on both sets and handed them over. "There you go, Tali, and may I say congratulations?" the blonde woman smiled.
"Thanks," Tali's voice smiled. "But please don't say anything until we've spoken with the Commander."
"Not a problem. So is the crew invited?"
The engineer nodded. "Of course. Everyone is. We'll have to hold it on this deck if we want to fit everyone."
"I can make it happen, just give the word. Oh and if you want a certain couple of Cerberus spies to be kept out I can make that happen to."
Tali was silent for a moment, considering the tempting offer. "No. Let them come. Let them know Cerberus doesn't control us. They may have built this ship but they're not calling the shots. Shepard is. Besides, alienating them will only serve to divide the crew Shepard is trying hard to forge." Holding up the tags the quarian nodded. "And thanks again."
Leaving the cargo deck Tali was practically floating on air as she headed for the CIC. Shepard should be returning any moment now. Garrus was already up there no doubt pacing near the airlock anxiously awaiting their Commander's arrival.
Liara's appearance was another matter. The asari may have either remained home after a tearful farewell or returned with her human to see the Normandy off. If it was the former, Tali would need to contact her and tell her exactly why Liara's presence was needed.
"Dude, you're acting like some teenage boy trying to buck up the courage to ask his girl out to prom. What's the deal? You're wearing a hole in the deck-plating," Joker complained from the cockpit. For the past half-hour he had been trying to go over the pre-flight check but each time he tired to concentrate Garrus's pacing distracted him.
Garrus paused his moments. "Sorry about that," he grumbled, though a few moments later he sighed and resumed his pacing. Even as Tali joined him on deck it did little to settle his nerves.
"Mr. Vakarian is nervous because he has asked Tali'Zorah to marry him," EDI piped up. "Now he must inform Commander Shepard."
"Wait!? What?" screeched Joker, he spun around in this pilots chair his face alight with awe and a hint if mischievousness
"Mr. Vak…"
"Thanks a lot EDI. Ever hear of privacy?" Garrus growled. "Keep out of it!"
"Married? Dude you and Tali gett'en hitched?" Joker all but yelped. "That's great."
Garrus wasn't minding the human as he turned angrily to the AI's interface port. There, standing in fluctuating blue and white light, was a slender looking 'human' female with a modern pixy style 'hair cut'. Her face had a hard, angular beauty to it. Like the Citadel's Avina, VI lines of code flickered up and down her luminous body.
"How in the hell did you know about that anyway? You've been watching us in our quarters!" Garrus accused. "Fracking voyeuristic machine! Spirits, you're as bad as Joker spying over the security cams."
"Hey! I'm no peeping-tom!" Joker protested. "Well not anymore…"
"You should keep out of things that don't concern you," Tali scolded the pair of them AI and pilot.
"Mr. Vakarian, Miss Zorah, I was not spying within your quarters. As you may recall, Commander Shepard had the interfaces stripped from both the Loft and the XO quarters. However I was able to hear the news from your fiancé when she was on the cargo deck talking with Security Chief Peeks about dog tags," EDI interjected.
"You're not helping," Joker said to the photonic representation.
"I was merely attempting to clarify matters."
"Bosh'tet Cerberus busybody. Why not just announce it to the whole ship and spoil the surprise while you're at it?"
"Mind telling me what all the noise is about?" a new voice interrupted causing all heads to turn towards the airlock to the raven haired Commander step onto her ship.
"Garrus is gett'en hitched to our little Tali."
"That thing can't keep its damned mouth shut."
"Apparently I have offended Mr. Vakarian and Miss Zorah."
"…EDI is a bosh'tet blabber-mouth. I keep telling you we should pull her core."
Four voices explained all at once causing a cacophonous word salad All Shepard could make out was the word 'hitched.'
"SILENCE!" she boomed.
…and there was silence.
"What's this about marriage?" Shepard turned to her XO. There was a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. Garrus was such an easy mark to tease. In truth she couldn't be happier for two of her favorite people in the universe.
"Now from the top, one at a time. Tali, Garrus, what's this about you two getting married?"
Garrus held the expression of a man torn between frustration, embarrassment and being deflated. "I wanted to tell you in private. Well ask you, actually, if you do the honors of marrying Tali and I."
Sam dropped her mouth. Of all the things asked of her this was one she had not expected. "You want me to officiate?"
"It is a Captain's privilege, isn't it?" Tali asked "Just like quarians. Human Captains can marry people."
"Well yes…." Shepard nodded. "Technically I'm ranked as a Commander with the Council. Though come-to-think of it, I guess it's equal to Captain in their line of ranking." She was trying to recall the list. Commander was just under Admiral, and Captain fell under Major as in old air force or regular army ranks.
"You are our Commander, our leader, and you captain the Normandy. You are our Captain." Tali stepped up holding the human's tanned hands in hers. "Please, Shepard, will you do it?"
Sam's answer came in the form of a hug. "Yeah of course I will!" A megawatt smile appeared on her face. "When?"
"Before we leave port," Garrus said. "And we want Liara to bear witness as Tali's handmaiden. I want you to stand for me, but you're officiating so…"
"So technically I can't bear witness… Well really you only need one for legal reasons but hell yeah I'll be your unofficial best woman… Trusted, whatever." She narrowed her eyes thinking. "What do turians call their best man anyway?"
"Second-Brother," Garrus answered.
"Ah, right so… that makes me…a Second-Sister?"
He nodded. "Sounds just about right."
"Can I just say this is so awesome!" Joke broke in the smultzy warm-fuzzies. "Want me to contact the doc for you, Commander? Let her know the good news?"
"No need." Shepard shook her head. "Already done." She tapped her head. "We're always connected, remember?" With a more serious look to her face the Commander turned her attention back to the soon to be newlyweds. "Um, so not knowing anything about turian or quarian ceremonies you're going to have to give me a very quick lesson on what you want me to say."
Tali looked to the man she adored then to the Commander she loved. "Actually, if you would do it with a Salish blessing, we'd like that. Please."
Shepard blinked several times looking from one face to the other. "You want a Salish blessing? But why?"
"Because if it wasn't for you we'd never have met," Garrus explained as if to a particularly dull-witted child. "In both our cultures it's the mothers we seek blessings from in the time of marriage, not our fathers as with humans."
"For they give life," Tali added. "Blessings of life must come from she who gave it. To quarians, getting it from the father is bad luck. Instead, he gives his name to wife and child. And before we lost our home world he built a new home for the couple, I suppose humans may have called it a dowry. Now he sets up a new cubical for them on whatever ship his child and their spouse live on."
"Kind of the same with turians. Well the blessings part, anyway. But both of our mother's are dead," Garrus said with reverence for the departed. "Tali and I are not very good terms with either of our fathers, anyway, and we have enough bad luck in our lives as it is. Don't want more of it."
"That leaves you," Tali finished his sentence, "and your mother's side. Please. It'd mean a lot to both of us."
Sam nodded understanding the gravity of the request. "I'll have to get my hands on some sage for the blessings but if this is what you want, then I'll be happy to do it." She touched the shoulders of the couple. "Joker we'll delay departure until 0300 hundred tomorrow morning. We have a lot of work and not a lot of time to do it in."
"You got it, Commander." The pilot flipped a lazy salute. "I'm on it."
"Oh!" Tali nearly forgot. "And these…" she handed over the dog tags "they're what we're going to use."
The Commander arched a dark eyebrow. "Okay…"
Garrus picked one of them up and saw the Normandy etching then flipped the small piece of metal over in his hand and grinned as he read the inscription. "Perfect," he approved.
"I'm a fair hand at reading and writing Asarian but not Keelish. What's it say?"
Tali translated the meaning. "Love Eternal. It's half Keelish and half turian Sanskrit."
Shepard chuckled warmly. "Not your traditional tokens of love but like you guy said, perfect."
MEMEMEMEMEMEME
Acquiring a sage smudge stick was not as difficult as Shepard first thought. Liara managed to pick two up for her at a natural food store along with a bowl made from the shell of abalone. The bowl was to be filled with water to extinguish the burning sage once the blessing had commenced.
Liara handed the smudge to her bondmate and was curious about the ritual she was about to see. She wished to bear more knowledge of this side of her bondmate's heritage. It was important to her and important to her daughter yet born.
"This blessing…it cleanses that which was touched by darkness?"
"So say the ancestors of my mother," Sam answered "And before I do the wedding blessings I need to be ritually cleansed. It's all a bit symbolic."
"Teach me this blessing. I wish our Illium home so blessed. I want these quarters blessed. I want the darkness abated so our daughter be not touched by it."
Shepard nodded. "First you shed your cloths and basically wash your body in the smoke of the sage." As she explained she cupped her hands over the smoke and brought it up over her face as if splashing water upon it. She then waved about her body as though it were droplets of that same water within a shower.
"As you do this, you're supposed to visualize any residual negativity sailing out of your body, out of your home, and into oblivion. My grandmother told me the action is simple but the belief is not. I've forsaken that part of me too long I think. I was never the religious type. Lukewarm at best. Maybe it's time to renew old vows as much as it is to create new ones. Blessings and cleansings are related though not exactly the same. For a cleansing it's a little more involved.
"According to Grandmother, the sage is set to smolder. Its smoke must drift into the corners, along the walls and around windows and along ceiling lines. As they do, the smoke absorbs the negativity, toxicity, and anything else you want to go away from those who are in the space before you. As the smoke dissipates and floats out the windows, it takes the bad energy with it, making room for positive, fresh energy. After the blessing the stick is extinguished in the bowl of water. The ashes and murky water are then buried.
"For the wedding ceremony the sage smoke is wafted into the four cardinal directions and over the couple then left to smolder as the blessing and vows are made. The ashes are blown into the wind to take so that the blessings may descend upon the tribe or in our case the crew."
"Considering everything we've been through and going to face we need those blessings," Liara said softly. "This marriage is a wonderful way to start gaining them or rather counting them." She was beaming. "I am so happy for them. They deserve this happiness."
"They do, don't they?" Sam extinguished the sage and as soon as the Normandy left port, she'd have the ashes and murky water spaced. It was as good as burying it. As for the smoke, EDI had vented it out of the ship thus equalizing the ritualistic idea of airing out the house.
Going to her closet the Commander began to take out her dress uniform. "Like I said before, I wouldn't trust their hearts to anyone else but each other."
"Me either. I'd help you, my love, but I think I had better see to the blushing bride. It's my duty as her Trusted and an honor as her friend."
"Go." Sam nodded and planted a swift kiss on her bondmate's cheek.. "I should probably make sure Garrus isn't having a panic attack. After I put on my uniform during our own wedding I was a nervous wreck. Then I saw you… and I was in another world. There was only you. Only ever you. When Garrus sees Tali that will be him—standing mesmerized. She will be his other world. And there will only be her."
Liara placed a kiss upon Sam's lips. "I felt the same when I saw you standing proud in your uniform, the light glinting off your medals. There was only you. I had to concentrate so hard to remember the vows, I was so bewitched." A soft caress. "I still am."
"Me too. Always." Sam's hand went to Liara's abdomen. "Their marriage isn't the only resent blessing we have in our favor."
Liara placed her hand over that of her wife's. "Indeed it is not."
MEMEMEMEMEMEME
Garrus had been sequestered by Joker back into the main gun batteries to help the turian with preparations, leaving Tali the XO quarters with Liara and Dr. Chakwas. Along with picking up the sage for the ritual blessings, Liara insisted Tali accompany her to an impromptu shopping trip (at Liara's expense, also quite insistently) to accent the environmental suit with new silken clothes. They may not be the beautiful stitch and embroidery work of traditional quarian tailoring but the asari people were quite adept at creating equally beautiful designs. Some were quite close to quarian styles.
Tali had chosen soft pale blues and whites—the traditional colors of a quarian wedding garments. Humans may have called it in the like of Chantilly lacework, so delicate and intricate were the zoomorphic flowery designs.
"Are you sure you don't want to wait for your father? I'm sure Shepard wouldn't mind a layover with the Flotilla…" Chakwas started but stopped when she saw the younger woman shake her head.
"No. All the family I want is already here. Well, except for Adams; it would have been nice for him to attend. Besides, I doubt my father would approve of his daughter marrying an alien. He'd want me to be with a quarian, probably some renowned officer in the military. I think he always imagined me with Kal'Reegar. We sorta dated before I left for the Pilgrimage. He's a real nice guy, sexy and I really like him and he's a good friend but…"
"He is not Garrus," Liara smirked knowingly as she was fastening the new hood onto Tali's helmet.
"Exactly." Tali bobbed her head. A slight blush rose to her pale lilac cheeks, which could be seen through the transparent glass of her visor. She wanted Garrus to be able to see her face as they took the vows. Liara somehow finagled one of her contacts to place a rush job on a replacement visor for the helmet. By the time the shopping trip was over the visor was waiting for them back at the Normandy. Because the young engineer wanted to surprise Garrus with it, her hood was slightly larger than strictly necessary so it might 'veil' her faceplate.
Like their weakened immune systems due to life aboard starships, quarian eyes changed, they had become slightly photosensitive. This explained why they tended to use polarized faceplates on their suit's helmets. The colored plates did more than shield sensitive eyes however; it was a form of privacy. With so many people living together there was no true privacy to be had save for the inner-self. To be able to shield one's face gave a sense of that missing solitude. Tali couldn't help but feel a bit of queer agoraphobia descend over her for being so exposed. However the overly large hood would help shield Tali's eyes from the brightness of the ships lighting allowing her face to be seen as well as grant her a small token of privacy.
"It will be okay," Liara cooed softly in a sisters' love. She had misinterpreted Tali's shivering for premarital jitters. "As soon as you see him, you'll see it will be okay. Just keep your eyes on him." She chuckled just as softly. "It is what helped me when I was so nervous. I looked into my Samantha's gorgeous eyes and I knew everything was fine. And I also knew she was just as nervous as I was and that was pretty reassuring to know I wasn't the only one feeling that way."
Instead of trying to explain her irrational fears Tali only bobbed her head once more.
"You know this will be quite a treat to see a quarian / turian wedding. That leaves ol' Wrexy to tie the knot then I can say I have seen nearly all the races wedding traditions," Chakwas said in order to distract the young woman from her nerves. "Salarians don't do marriage unless they hook up with someone outside their race. That leaves drell and the hanar. I attended a volus wedding a couple of years back though it was more like attending a convention of accountants from the IRS than a wedding." The aging woman shuddered. "That was the most bored I'd been in a very, very long time. Not even when I went to an elcor wedding, which mind you took fourteen very long hours to commence, was I that bored. To top it off, the volus do not believe in open bars…Apparently the bar tab is money to go into the wedding purse for the happy couple."
The others laughed as they heard this admission. It was widely known amongst the crew of the Normandy that Dr. Chakwas had quite a fondness for her brandy, preferably the iced sort from Serrice. "If you ever get invited to a volus wedding take my advice and RSVP out of it. Jury duty is better and far more entertaining." The white haired doctor shuddered as if tasting something foul upon the tongue.
"Sorry to disappoint you again, Doc, but Garrus and I won't be having the traditional wedding of our either of our peoples." Tali shook her head. As the other females frowned at the news she explained why she and Garrus had chosen a human wedding or rather more specifically a Salish one.
"As long as it's what you two want then that is what you should have," Chakwas commented. "I've never seen a Salish wedding either so…it works out." She placed a motherly hand on the younger woman's shoulder. "Oh just so you know, I've stockpiled antihistamines, vitamin supplements and immunity boosters."
"Thank you," Tali grinned. Despite the fact her body was adapting to Garrus, the added medications were always welcomed. Being with her lover was so worth it though. She didn't mind the two week cold she had after the first time they made love, or the bit of sniffles she now got after every time they made love.
Chakwas nodded. "By the way, how do you like the 'clean room' set up?" she said looking around. Both she and Liara were wearing ventilator masks within the bedroom area of the quarters as to minimize contamination.
"You know about that?"
"Of course I do," Chakwas chided the girl. "Who do you think your boyfriend and Gabby consulted during its construction? And who do you think served as their early warning system when you poked your head out of the AI core? Someone had to run interference so you wouldn't find out what was going on."
Tali threw her arms around the physician. "I love it. Thank you!" she turned her body so she could look at the other occupant in the room. "Liara did you know about this too?"
"What do you think?" the asari teased.
"I think what Shepard knows you know."
"Indeed." Liara looked to the clock near the bed. "And I think we best hurry or we'll be late for your own wedding."
"Oh Keelah," Tali moaned feeling suddenly faint. "It's really happening isn't it?"
"Not until you walk out that elevator, young lady." Chakwas said gently. "You can still back out or postpone."
Tali shook her head fervently. "Postpone for what? No! I want this."
"Then yes. It is happening." Liara placed a kind hand upon the small of Tali's back. "Come. It is time."
MEMEMEMEMEMEME
The wedding may not have been the one celebrated by quarians or turians, but the music was. Tali had opted for Fleet and Flotilla's main theme song as her 'wedding march'.
- Let the moon's shining light hide two lovers with its rays. Thought I know that dawn will set us on course for separate ways... I will hold this night in memory for all my living days. Now unmasked, I feel your skin on miiiiiiine -
The young engineer scarcely heard its melody as she locked eyes with her husband to be. She noticed the entire assembled crew and their smiling faces, grateful for the overly large hood that helped keep her face mostly hidden from their gaze. She felt exposed and vulnerable and wished for her rose colored faceplate to hide behind. But when she saw the wonder in her lover's face the fears she contained no longer held her prisoner. She was able to walk forward and meet his waiting arms.
She kept her eyes on his, her body trembled and as Liara said she was relieved to see he was as equally nervous and yet seemed to find courage in her gaze.
Shepard was ginning like a fool when she saw Tali approach. She couldn't help but gasp when she saw the true beauty of the younger woman that had always been hidden. Drawing on her professionalism, the Commander drew her staring eyes away from Tali and took up the sage bundle and set it alight. As she had explained to Liara earlier she wafted the smoldering smudge in the four cardinal directions as a means to beseech the Sprits of those directions to bless the wedding. The Commander then laid the smoldering sage down upon its abalone bowl which was serving as a sort of ashtray.
"Today is a very special day. Our two friends and crewmates stand before us wishing us to bear witness to their nuptials. They desired not quarian nor turian ceremony but Salish, the linage of my mother's people and I have agreed. It's a fairly simple ceremony compared to others, for the hard part comes after the vows are made."
There were a few snickers in the gathered crowd.
Shepard was still grinning. "As this ship's Captain I get this rare privilege to be able to marry these two. And I'm more than happy to do it."
The crew cheered, whispered and clapped. Shepard allowed if for a half a minute before silencing them. As per a prearranged agreement from her best friend she addressed the newlyweds.
"Tali'Zorah vas Normandy, Garrus Vakarian vas Normandy, you come before your peers so they might bear witness to the blessings and take joy in it.
"Now for you there is no rain, for one is shelter to the other.
Now for you the sun shall not burn, for one is shelter to the other.
Now for you nothing is hard or bad, for the hardness and badness is taken by one for the other.
Now for you there is no night, for one is light to the other,
Now for you the snow has ended always, for one is protection for the other.
It is that way, from now on, from now on. And now there is comfort.
Now there is no loneliness. Now forever, forever, there is no loneliness."
Shepard took Garrus's face between her hands and said "Garrus you must swear to the Ancestor Spirits you want to marry this woman."
"I so swear." He made a gleeful sound and placed the dog tags around Tali's neck.
Shepard smiled broadly then took Tail's helmeted face between her hands. "Tali you must swear to the Ancestor Spirits you want to marry this man."
"I so swear." As her new husband had previously done Tali slipped the tags over his head around his fringe to rest around his neck.
"Then, as my power as Captain of the Normandy, I pronounce you married!"
That was it. The ceremonial part was over. Now the celebrations started. Drink, dance and merriment. The shuttles had been hoisted up into the conveyer belts above allowing the maximum amount of space for the crew to enjoy the revelry of the festivities. It was decided then that Normandy would remain docked until the next morn. As Shepard said the real work would begin after the vows were made.