Captain's Quarters

"Tali?"

"I'm sorry..." Tali muttered while her head rested on Shepard's chest and the quarian wept bitter tears upon his jacket, "I'm so sorry..."

"There's nothing to be sorry for Tali-"

"YES THERE IS!" Tali shouted while the elevator opened into the Captain's quarters. Shepard carefully picked up the mourning quarian and carried her over to the sofa before setting her there, "I was wrong...I never should have...I shouldn't have jumped..."

"Hey...it's alright Tali..." Damian brushed away a tear on Tali's face, his gaze momentarily moving to the seam where Legion's arm connected to Tali's flesh, "No one blames you for what happened."

"But I do...I was scared...I..." She needed to get this off of her chest, Damian could see it. Tali was attempting to be strong while still carrying the scars that were gained from watching her people die all at once, "My whole life has been dedicated to my people...right or wrong...my entire life. I did everything that I could to help them...and in one moment, everything that I had worked for...everything that so many friends and family have died for...was all brought to nothing...My father...Kal'Reeger...Koris' Crew...Legion...they all died in vain. And I'm the only one who will remember them."

"No you won't. I know that it won't help but...the geth will remember...they always have."

"You know the saddest part? I want to blame the geth...the geth...the reapers...Cerberus...even you...anyone but my people...but that can't happen." Tali admitted and held her head into her lap, "The truth is that...my people destroyed themselves. Everything that you said to me when I woke up...you were right and I was wrong."

"Tali I-"

"Don't you apologize to me. You didn't apologize to Udina when you broke out of the Citadel to stop Sovereign...you didn't apologize to the Council for working with Cerberus to stop the Collectors...you never apologized for turning some of the galaxy's notorious outcasts into your most loyal friends...you didn't apologize when you placed a much needed ally into the best possible position to fight against the reapers...you never apologized for doing what had to be done for everyone...don't apologize for telling me the truth."

"There's nothing I can do..." Shepard said to her, his own eyes watering from looking upon how his failure had hurt her, "I failed you. I promised to save your people and I failed. They were idiots, but that doesn't change how I couldn't save them."

"You saved us from the reapers and the geth...no one asked you to save us from ourselves."

"But what was the point in saving the quarians just for them to kill themselves?"

"Like I tried to do?"

"I stopped you...but I couldn't do the same for the others...I did everything that I could and it wasn't enough." Just like with Mordin, Kaiden, Jacob and everyone else who had died in Damian's command. Just like that damned kid on Earth. Shepard felt himself crack as he and Tali embraced each other, "And even now...there's nothing I can do for you..."

"There is one thing..." Tali started to suggest as her arms reached under his and soothed upon his back...right on that spot that only she and Ashley would know about. He gasped and felt his whole body relax as he fell back onto the sofa with Tali lying on top of him, "I don't...I don't want to be alone..."

"You were never alone."

"Then tap my ass." Tali cried out when Shepard's hand smacked her jiggly ass-check and moaned when Shepard began to firmly massage it, "Not that literally..."

"Sorry Miss Vas Normandy..." Tali smashed her lips onto Damians, her arms slipping off her jacket as her tongue found his. He picked her up and threw her onto his bed, quickly tearing off her top and skirt without protest. She used her flexible feet to help him pull down his pants and he quickly relieved his shirt and jacket from his muscled body.

He could feel his dick already harden.

He hadn't seen her like this for over a year...not since that last time they shared a bed before he turned himself in to the Alliance. He still remembered their first time together before going through the Omega Relay, the first time he saw her face, touched his skin against hers, entered inside of her and devoured her lucious lips.

Her thighs opened wider inviting him to join with her and he obliged.

After he plunged into her, she cried out and gripped her arms and legs onto his back to keep him from leaving. He grunted, overwhelmed by how much tighter she felt from the last time they had made love. He focused and pulled his large sword partially out of her pussy and quickly slammed it back in. From there, his lower body became an unending piston as Tali moaned and tightened her grip.

"You...grew..." Tali managed while she gestured for Shepard to continue, allowing themselves to forget about all else for the time being and just enjoy each other in this moment. He hungrily grabbed her breast with his mouth and licked her hardening nipple without losing pace. It was driving Tali crazy and she wanted more even as Shepard felt that he was losing more of himself in the woman he loved. Then she tightened her inner walls around him and Damian couldn't help it, both lovers cried out when they arced and Shepard felt himself release a gate that decorated the inside of Tali's moist flower.

"More." Tali demanded and Shepard obliged without pulling out. He picked Tali and turned so that she was on top of him and he was fully within her. It didn't take long for Shepard's member to harden thanks to Tali's lap dance and she rode him as he grabbed her bouncing ass. She'd felt even tighter than before and it took all of his effort not to climax to soon, but her bouncing breasts, jiggly ass and riding his member didn't do anything to help. Thankfully, he managed to hold himself enough for her to arc at least twice before he finally unloaded inside of her.

"Damian..." She collapsed on top of Shepard and held onto him. Their lips found each other as Tali began to cry, "You can't die...If you die...there's nothing for me."

"What about the others?"

"You know what I mean...none of them could ever fill the hole that would be left if you died." Tali sobbed as Shepard ran his hand through her dark hair, soothing her while both recovered from their sporadic love-making, "I feel like I'm looking down at a gaping pit and you're the only one keeping me from falling..."

"I'll just have to pull you back like I did before."

"You can start by not dying-"

"I plan to live through this war...then retire and live off the royalties from the history vids."

"You and Garrus are so much alike..."

"Yeah...and you're going to be with me." Shepard looked into her eyes, his hand upon her smooth face and his other hand holding her synthetic hand, "I love you Tali...when this war is over, we're going to build our new home."

"I am home." Shepard kissed her lips and then her forehead and allowed her to rest on top of him, "And I won't lose this one..."

"I'll make sure of that." Rannoch would be the last time that Shepard ever failed the quarian woman in his arms.

The Last Time.

Life Support Station

"Hello Lieutenant Commander."

"Ashley is fine."

"Apologies. An old habit from STG."

"Shepard has always been loose regarding salutes and rank." So long as it was clear as to who was in command, "Have a minute to talk?"

"About what? The upcoming mission? A war story from STG? Or something else? Even a theory regarding the mating practices of the krogan-"

"I just wanted to get to know you." Ashley really didn't want to think about krogan mating practices. She recalled asking Wrex about it during the Saren Chase and his answer...let's just say that she still cringed to think about the subject, "What brings an STG commando aboard the Normandy?"

"The same as your's I would assume."

"And what are my reasons for coming aboard?"

"Redemption." Padok stated while meeting Ashley's neutral stare, "In my career, I have been involved in the uplifting of several undeveloped species...interfering with their natural evolution for the sake of curiosity and damning them when they grew to destroy themselves. I will spare you most of the details, but one of my missions involved a race that named themselves the Poleepkwa. We referred to them as Prawns for short and unfortunately, the latter name stuck."

"Wait...I think I know who you're talking about-"

"In classified accounts, your people had encountered a crashed Prawn mothership and the resultant incident is known as the 'District 9 Conflict'." Padok read off for Williams, "The Poleepkwa are a species with a social structure similar to earth insects such as ants. The majority of the species were worker drones of average intelligence lead by a smaller but far more intelligent minority that served as their leaders and guides. When salarian scientists encountered the Poleepkwa, their leaders were quick to ascertain that we were visitors from another world whereas the drones saw us as dieties."

"When we "uplifted" the species, the Poleepkwa leaders treated us with suspicion, believing that we wished to use them as warriors against another enemy. But with advancements in medical and military technology, many drones fell into conflict with one another and with their leaders. A short, but devastating civil war occurred that left the Poleepkwa homeworld in ruins. Fearing that we would cause more harm by staying, my team left the planet."

"But the Poleepkwa rebuilt and created prototype motherships intent on finding "heaven" or a new home. Instead, the only ship that managed to find a suitable replacement world was the one that had escaped human custody...two flew into black holes and were crushed, most others ran out of fuel, food or crashed on inhospitable worlds and the rest have never been found. Now the Poleepkwa have kept out of galactic affairs, refusing multiple invitations for an embassy to the council and currently undergoing technological silence in the face of the reaper invasion."

"Wish these guys were a little braver."

"Courage is one thing, but their tactic is fairly intelligent. The Poleepkwa have interplanetary capabilities, but have yet to master FTL travel. There is a strong chance that they could avoid extinction and become the leaders of the next cycle alongside the Yahg and the Sagheilli if the Reapers prevail."

"Who are the Sagheilli?"

"Another underdeveloped quad-jawed warrior species that have been observed for potential. Like the Poleepkwa, Yahg and Raloi, the Sagheilli are apparently staying upon their own world in relative galactic silence. Agents on the planet reported that they saw the reapers as a purging force of their gods sent to punish the stars that deviated from their gods decrees."

"You said that they were a warrior species?"

"Yes. But they are superstitious. They believe that the shedding of blood makes a warrior weak and this will quickly compromise their discipline in battle. They also frequently engage in honor wars between tribes, a feature that will stagnate their potential until one clan dominates another."

"Your scientists didn't try to intervene with them?"

"The Sagheilli were recently discovered only within two decades, their existence is not even made known beyond a few STG agents such as myself. Furthermore, intervention would be problematic...likely along the same lines as what occurred when we intervened with the Krogan."

"You don't want to start another Krogan war." Ashley finished, now recalling that the genophage had been cured, "Speaking of the krogan, how do you feel about the genophage being cured?"

"I am glad...though saddened that Mordin died to accomplish the deed." Padok answered, "If I had known about STG's sabotage earlier, I could have reversed it before Mordin got to the Shroud Tower and he wouldn't have needed to sacrifice himself. If there was no other way, I would have gladly died in his place..."

"Shepard feels the same way." Ashley had never met Dr. Solus except for a glace on Horizon, but he was a name held highly by the rest of the crew, "But he said that someone else would have gotten it wrong..."

"Typical arrogance that one can expect from Mordin. But no...I would have corrected the sabotage and allowed the flames to send me to my creator."

"You mean God?" A surprised Ashley asked, "You believe in God?"

"Originator. God. They both refer to a grander power beyond organic thought." Padok replied, "But, yes...I suppose you could equate my viewpoints to a respect and belief in the plans and mechanisms of a deity."

"I'm...surprised..."

"The belief in a higher power does not necessarily equate to religion, despite popular notions." Padok explained, "I came to the conclusion of my beliefs through experience with observations. Evolution is fascinating...some species are placed in environments where they are almost guaranteed to fail, yet they thrive. While others are given all of the tools they need to become the dominant species and are supplanted by the designs of fate."

"Kind of like how dinosaurs were killed?" Ashley remarked, though a meteor had sealed the fate of the giant lizards, further evidence suggested that the prehistoric world was changing in ways that would have suffocated and starved the dinosaurs anyway, "Makes you wonder about the reapers..."

"Whether the reapers are a natural force of destruction? A reasonable theory." Padok conceded, "But unacceptable. The Reapers manipulate and destroy life for their own purposes. Entire species are wiped out with barely a trace of their existence. Whole planets left barren without any ability to recover and support life. The mass relays and the citadel were deliberately designed to trap organic civilizations upon a pre-determined route of advancement...as humans would put it...Fattening the pigs for the slaughter."

"Why do they need a harvest?" It was a question that prodded as Ashley's mind for three years since talking to Vigil. Why did the Reapers uplift entire cycles of civilizations only to destroy them? "But in the end what does it matter? Your survival depends on destroying them, not in understanding them."

"Unknown. The Commander asserts that their motivations are beyond human comprehension and gave up long ago."

"Sounds just like him."

"Though the Assault on the Collector Base revealed that whatever their intentions, they are connected with their reproductive needs." Padok added, "They brought the colonists to the base and tested them for genetic viability. Those that were shown to have what the reapers were looking for were converted into the genetic paste of a new reaper. Millions more would have been required to complete the newborn reaper, but now some aspect of reaper intentions can be seen."

"They use their victims to build their numbers."

"Exactly. I believe this should suffice for a satisfactory motivation to stop them." Padok concluded, "What other intentions could they have? Conversion of all organic life into reaper form...but why? Perhaps it is best that we let the reapers take their intentions to their grave."

"Couldn't agree more."

"Good. On Thessia, we shall find the Catalyst and with it the key to our redemption. Then when we pass, God can look upon our deeds and judge if they are worthy of earning his forgiveness."

"I'm really surprised. Most salarians I've met don't believe in heaven or hell."

"To be frank, my beliefs in God are based on objective observation supplemented with a personal desire to make amends for my past trespasses and those of my people's. I do not know for certain if there is a heaven and may not know until I die." Padok admitted, "But there is a hell Lieutenant Commander...I am convinced that is where the reapers came from. If there is a hell, then there is most certainly a heaven."

Main Battery Quarters

"XO?"

"Miranda?" Of the few people who came down to this section, Garrus never expected to see Miranda come visit him, "Think you took a wrong turn somewhere."

"I know my way about this ship, Garrus." Miranda said while she strolled through Garrus' work station and leaned on a railing to gaze upon the large barrel of the Thanax cannon, "Do you have a quick moment to chat?"

"Can it wait? I'm in the middle of some calibrations-" Garrus started and found his gaze unadvertedly drawn to Miranda's legendary bum, "Alright..."

"How many calibrations could this ship need?" Miranda asked as she looked at the turian who had abruptly turned back to his work, "Keep staring if you want. If I had a problem, you would be dead by now."

"Staring...at what?"

"My ass...accentuated by my tight suit."

"You're not even subtle...I would've thought that you preferred human males."

"I've broadened my horizons on occasion though not often...even with my own species."

"Lack of opportunity?"

"Lack of interest. I was a Cerberus operative remember?" Miranda reminded Garrus, "Between the Illusive Man's commands, my father's control and other personal projects, I had little to no time for anything serious beyond an occasional one night stand."

"Kind of the same on my end...I don't think I've had a date in a few years...and the most I can remember is that I had reach, but she had flexibility."

"Flexibility tends to be...helpful..." Miranda agreed while stretching her arms over her head and caused Garrus to nervously grumble, "Sorry...am I that attractive to you?"

"Of course you are...now only naturally, but you wear outfits that accentuate that feature...pretty efficient when distracting enemies." Garrus complimented as Miranda waited for him to continue, "When I first met you, I thought it was pretty stupid for you to go into battle in your underwear...but on further thought, you do it on purpose. For example, are you wearing a bra under that suit?"

"Why the hell would I?"

"Exactly, but your suit's thin enough to bring up the question. Distracting someone with a clear shot long enough for you to pull them out of cover with your biotics." Garrus figured, "But I doubt it would be as effective against synthetics or reaper husks."

"Don't worry, this is only my casual outfit. In the open field, I wear armor plating when I'm entering a heavy combat zone." Miranda assured the snickering turian, "What's so funny?"

"Just that you took a lesson from the Omega Run."

"You're never going to let it down?"

"That you were half-naked by the time the mission was over?"

"Hope you enjoyed the view..."

"I would've enjoyed it more if we weren't fighting for our lives."

"Glad I didn't distract you then." Both laughed though beneath the laughter was a shared recollection of the terror that they had felt when facing down the collector horde all around them, "Now to the point...how does it feel to be the XO?"

"If you want the job then you can have it."

"If I didn't think you were properly qualified-"

"I don't trust myself in command." Garrus wearingly admitted as the Palaven news holovid showed a Destroyer Reaper tear through a Turian evacuation vessel, "Shepard makes a call and nearly everyone's happy. I call the shots and someone suffers..."

"This doesn't sound like the Archangel, what is really wrong?"

"I just had to make a tough call on Palaven." Garrus said as he brought up an image of Palaven still afflicted by the reaper invasion, "Our fleet was being decimated, so I advised the Primarch to withdraw all forces from the system and regroup with Hackett until the Crucible is finished."

"What did he say?" Garrus said nothing as Miranda realized that Palaven's skies were empty of turian ships, "Palaven's been cut-off from the rest of the turian systems. Withdrawing is the best thing he could do-"

"The right decision is often the hardest." Garrus agreed though heavily, "I just left millions of families and troops stranded in the middle of Reaper territory. How do I know that Palaven will even be there when we're done?"

"You don't. The only thing we can do now is get the Catalyst and complete the Crucible." Miranda assured Garrus though her attempt seemed to fail, "Still not convinced?"

"It's not that, I've just always had my doubts on the Crucible." Garrus admitted to the listening Miranda, "Or its just convenient that humans have had the thing stored in the Mars Archive and only now did they find it."

"Much like how Shepard arrived just in time to save you on Omega?" Miranda asked, "Coincidences happen from time to time Garrus, no need to dwell on them. I say accept and use them."

"But we can't rely on them...I don't want to lose Palaven like we lost Rannoch." There it was, the true reason for Garrus' meloncholy as it was for the rest of the crew, "Not that we can really be held accountable for that dumbass Gerrel..."

"His people followed him willingly..."

"Like my team followed me...he'll be immortalized as an example of terrible leadership...he's already one now."

"But that won't be you." Miranda told the turian, smoothing her hand over the part of his face where a missile had left it's mark, "Besides, no one's perfect."

"All passengers, we are now approaching the Parnitha Relay ETA 1 hour."

"We better get to the lounge area, I enjoyed our chat."

"After Thessia, we should have another one...if you're interested."

"Would I come here if I weren't interested?"

"Point taken."

Author's Notes:

Shepard and Tali reconcile their union while Padok Wiks and Ashley chat about God and galactic intervention as Garrus and Miranda discuss tightsuits and leadership calls. Now arriving towards their destination, will the crew's strengthened bonds enable them to accomplish their mission?

Stay tuned to find out.

I put this story at an M-rating for a reason and I'm glad the precaution paid off. I tried to make it clear that it was a lemon scene without being too graphic.

Hope you're enjoying the story so far and next time, there will be more action and not quite as much talking. (Unless you like talky-talky fics. I personally prefer a balance.)