The Citadel.
It was two hours before the Haven was allowed to dock. After waiting in line for nearly another hour at an undermanned customs counter, Talos was finally allowed to approach the terminal and the turian C-Sec officer behind it. She noticed the officer look her up and down and twitch her nose in a particularly turian expression of disdain.
Talos tossed her ID card down onto the customs counter with a roll of her eyes and watched her look it over and scan it in the terminal.
"Captain Tallum'Hae," the officer pulled her arm back just as Talos reached for her ID. "What brings you here, so far from the Flotilla?" Her ship's register should still have listed a number of quarians as its crew, as opposed to the galactic patchwork it actually was, allowing her to pass for a captain of the Migrant Fleet.
"You don't really expect me to answer that," Talos asked.
A level stare said "yes."
"We needed refueling and to restock our food supplies," she grudgingly elaborated. A quarian traveling apart from the Migrant Fleet often meant a classified mission of national importance. This woman had to be green, to be asking her such stupid questions.
The officer nodded, but didn't appear placated. Instead she continued almost smugly, "Captain, your ship, the Haven? Its registration is nearly five years expired, and… not even registered in your name."
Shit. She'd forgotten about that little problem, and the officer was ready to sink her teeth into this – Talos had to mitigate the situation, and fast.
"Th- the Migrant Fleet had some difficulties changing its registration when we acquired it," A claim that was not wholly a lie, "It happens more often than you'd think."
"Right," the officer said humorlessly and turned back to the terminal in front of her. "That may be true, Captain, but I'm sure you understand we need to clear this up before we let you go. Many people have problems with ship registration when they first acquire one."
Talos glared at her from behind her mask. Was this good for nothing C-Sec bosh'tet actually accusing her of stealing this ship? She had, of course, but there was no reason for that to be the first conclusion drawn from this situation. And if this was going where she thought it was, she really didn't have time for this nonsense.
"Could you please follow me to the back room, Captain?"
"Wait–," she momentarily considered making a run for the exit, but she knew very well she wouldn't make it far.
"Captain," The turian gestured towards the door that apparently led to the back room, but Talos had spied a group of senior officers just beyond, one a sergeant and most likely in charge. With once last glance at the rookie in front of her, she slammed her hands down on the counter.
"How dare you treat me in such a disgraceful manner!" she shouted as loud as she could, her voice crackling a little through her mask's breather. "I have been a captain of the Migrant Fleet for over fifteen years," she glanced around – good, people were looking, including the turian's superiors. "I refuse to be treated like a common criminal!"
The officer appeared baffled. "But – but this is standard procedure for any discrepancies."
"I don't care – I'd die before stealing a ship!"
She was rattled and ready to say something stupid, Talos could tell, and the sergeant was closing in.
"Officer Dara," the older turian interjected, "What seems to be the problem?"
"I'm sorry sir, there were some problems with this quarian's ship registration–,"
"She implied that I stole it," Talos said darkly.
"Y-yes, well you can imagine how I could come to that conclusion," Officer Dara replied with venom.
"What is that supposed to mean, Officer?" Suddenly, Talos wasn't acting.
"Captain, Officer Dara –," the C-Sec officer physically placed himself between the two. "I'm sorry for this misunderstanding, Captain Hae. I assure you that on your next visit to the Citadel you will be treated with more respect," he stressed the last word. He looked over the terminal screen. "Although you really should get your ship registration renewed properly. We will gladly assist you during your layover, at your convenience of course."
Talos took a deep breath. "Thank you, Sergeant."
"Of course, simply stop by one of our offices in Zakera. I'll be happy to finish your processing. Officer Dara you are dismissed."
Officer Dara seemed floored. She narrowed her red eyes at Talos, but said nothing else. She saluted the Sergeant, turned and stalked away.
Turians. Talos shook her head.
Already exhausted and now a little frazzled, Meer'Talos made it through the remainder of customs and hailed a cab, making her way down through the lower levels of Zakera Ward. Arms of Caelax was her destination, a pretty damn good restaurant run by an old friend. Given their history, she supposed he would say "friend" was a strong word but she was going to work him over whether he liked it or not.
Under normal circumstances she might have found some temporary housing and planned this meeting a little better, eased him into it, not possibly beat down his door while he was sleeping, but there wasn't any time for that sort of courtesy. Even if she owed him at least that much. She just had to be as charming as she could possibly manage and hope that it was enough.
The cab dropped her at the main hub of level eleven and she was left to wander the cramped corridors of the 300 block, an older and more heavily populated area of the ward, on her own.
It was around here somewhere, she thought and double checked her omnitool to be sure.
A quarter of an hour later she found Arms of Caelax in a winding alley, wedged between a salvage shop and ramshackle hostel around which a small group of quarians were loitering. The little dive could have fit in the storage capsule she and her family used to call home back on the Flotilla, and the interior space was maximized almost as efficiently. There was a sign outside advertising food for turians, and human food once every three days.
It was open for business, thankfully, and very, very busy.
As she pushed her way into Arms of Caelax, she passed another sign indicating specially purified food available for her people, including a special discount for young quarians on pilgrimage. Talos shook her head and laughed. Not quite what she had expected from the crusty old bird, everything considered.
And there was he was now, behind the counter – time for the performance of her life.
"Rallus," Talos said with a smile plastered on beneath her mask, because otherwise the turian would be sure to hear it in her voice, "It's been too long."
For those of you on Tumblr, I will probably update more frequently there!
http:/ erinraesometimeswrites . tumblr . com
(just remove the spaces)