16: Stormy Horizons

Let me guess... This is the part where you say they lived happily ever after?

Of course not, Kasumi. That wasn't the end of Tas's journey. Finding the Walled Garden alone didn't solve Neema's problems.

And Tas, of all people, was acutely aware of that fact.

Three days passed as the crew loaded the vessel up for departure. After Draam's decision to leave with an undersupplied ship back on the Idennan shoreline, they spared no expense stocking up on the plentiful bounty the island offered them. From the massive toplai to armfuls of tiny dinzet berries, they gathered every kind of fruit you could think of. Even a few that you can't.

I don't know about that.

You could try, but then you'd miss out on the story.

Touche.

The night before they were set to depart, Tas sat in the captain's quarters alone. His head was bowed over a table as his gaze wandered over the ship's maps, looking at but not really seeing the charts he'd long since memorized. His eyes drifted out of focus as he sat there...

Thinking...

...

...and thinking...

…

...and thinking...

Alright, I'll bite. What was he thin-

*SLAM*

*jumps* What the hell?!

" Tas! We need to talk!"

Now that was just low.

Just telling it how it should be, Kasumi.

Tas's head snapped up as Draam stormed into the room. The Idennan came to a stop over the table, pointing a finger out the door. "I am NOT forcing the crew to sleep outside on the upper deck!"

The Neeman sat back in his chair, tiredness in his voice. "Calm down, Draam. We're stocking up so we can have something to bring back until another voyage can be done. For your people and mine."

"Which can't happen if everyone dies of dehydration on the way back," he snapped. "You've filled up a full half of the crew's quarters with food."

"That's because half of the crew isn't coming with us."

Draam's stance softened in surprise. "What?"

"Half of the crew is staying here with Sil'Reino. He volunteered to stay since he wouldn't be much help on the trip back, and several of the crew were still loyal to him. Given the length of the voyage, we figured it would be better if they stayed behind instead of taking up resources. In the meantime, they'll make a more permanent settlement here."

"That... actually makes sense." He shifted on his feet, slightly embarrassed. "I'll leave them to it then."

As Draam left the room, Tas descended once more into his thoughts.

But what was he thinking about?

Hush, child, and I'll tell you.

Despite the crew's improved morale, Tas had been distracted ever since they had made landfall. Not even when Alarei had smiled at him for once -while still calling him a bosh'tet, of course- did his mood pick up. Sil's words echoed through his head, the half-asked question leaving an unsettling silence in the air as the Idennan left.

"What will Draam and Murin do when we get back?"

As he looked back to the map of their route, he found himself unable to give a certain answer. On one hand, Draam had seemed honorable enough. Murin, on the other, he didn't trust. Then there was the question of whether Draam would follow his king's example...

He shook his head, coming to a decision. Tas picked up the map, taking a final look at the carefully-plotted diagrams and stellar positions.

Then he ripped it to shreds.

Somewhere along the line, Tali had lost track of how long she and John had stood there in the converted shuttle bay. The human, for his part, had seemed to pay no mind as vessels flew in and out barely two meters overhead. He hummed a soft tune over and over again over their comm as he held her, the majority of the tune too soft for her translator to work properly. Even so, she caught an occasional word that she recognized from her attempts to learn English.

"...baby, don't... word... buy you...If... don't fly..."

He repeated the song ad infinitum, never seeming to tire of her presence as the simple rhyme started over once more. She closed her eyes as the alien words passed through her head again, the lyrics long-since memorized but their meaning hanging tantalizingly out of reach. A part of her even began to wonder if her helmet's humidity controls were going to overload before she stopped crying. Eventually, however, her tears had relented, allowing her to speak clearly once more. A single human word hung in her mind, one that she only just remembered the meaning of. Papa... means father...

"They're both... gone."

Her words triggered something in the human, and he abruptly stopped singing. "Tali?"

"I can't believe they're both really... gone." She shook her head, simultaneously trying to nuzzle closer to him but halted by his armor. "I mean, I know Mother's been dead for years, now. And Father... Well, he wasn't the same after she passed, but he was still... around." She paused, a forgotten nugget of information causing her to choose her next words more carefully.

"How did you cope, John? After Mindoir?"

He stiffened in her arms. She leaned the side of her helmet against his, hoping it would encourage him to give her something, anything, in terms of advice.

"I didn't," came his strained response

"Oh..."

The human relaxed slightly, though, rubbing a hand on the back of her suit sympathetically. "I didn't have any other family, not alive anyway. Mom was an only child, grew up in foster care. Dad had a sister, but she was lost during the First Contact War. He had a falling-out with his parents after that. I think that was part of the reason they moved out there in the first place..."

"Mm-hmm," she hummed, quietly listening as he continued to speak.

"After the Alliance came, they had a mass-funeral. I tried to move past it, but the only person I had was a commander I met right after the attack. Nearly shot him and Admiral Hackett with a sniper rifle at the time." He gave a soft shake of his head, mindful of her own on his shoulder. "Aside from him and one of his old friends from boot camp that he introduced me to, I just didn't connect with anyone after what happened. It was no wonder that I signed up for the service and left the planet behind the minute I graduated."

"Where is he now?"

"Died on Elysium," John deadpanned. "I didn't get there quickly enough to save him... but his sacrifice wasn't in vain. After that, I got closer to his old training buddy. The man almost became a surrogate father-figure after that."

"I'd like to meet him sometime," she murmured thoughtfully.

"You already have. Anderson just doesn't bring up those days around me that often." She could tell just from the sound of his voice that he was grinning. "The Alliance Navy became my new family, everyone a cousin or aunt or nephew of some sort. Of course, I didn't really have another family until the first Normandy," he continued, his voice dropping slightly. "Squads got shuffled, people were replaced with fresh faces... A stealth frigate fell apart around me... I just wish sometimes I'd kept in better contact with everyone."

Tali lifted her head, making a point of looking him in the eye. "We're all here for you, too John. I... am here for you. Don't forget that."

His eyes sharpened as they focused on her, and somehow she knew he was making that damned smirk of his. "Who's comforting who, again? I honestly can't remember"

She wasn't sure which part it was that had done it; the way he'd casually said the words or the mental image of that infectious grin. Whichever one it was, it made her burst out in laughter. Laughter which he soon joined in on. She laughed at his expression, at his mirth, at the absurdity of her own laughter after what had happened.

Somewhere along the line, she stopped trying to find a reason behind her chuckles, simply enjoying her guffaws as a blissfully therapeutic act in and of themselves. Tali was fully aware that any other occupant of the room would have long-since started staring at the two of them in bewilderment. Keelah, I'd be doing the same. Something about the moment, though, kept the smile on her face long after she was left gasping for breath, her lungs tired out by the exertion like an overweight human who had just performed their first cardio workout in over a year. John's laughs had stopped at that point, blue eyes radiating concern as he loosened his grip just enough for her to catch her breath.

And it felt glorious.

"Tali, are you alright?"

"I... think I will be... John," she said between breaths, her own honesty giving her another reason to smile as she locked eyes with him. "I think... I will."

They descended into a comfortable silence, broken only by the quarian's heavy breathing. She felt a slight twinge of jealousy at the fact his own wasn't audible over their comm line. That bosh'tet and his cybernetic lungs... Even so, Tali felt an overpowering urge to do something she knew was silly. The engineer closed back in, her helmet less than a centimeter away from his. There was a solid thunk as her mouthpiece collided with his own metal mask, and she wished she could have given him the real thing. He reached out to her face, brushing away flakes of red and gray that had leaped onto the edges of her metal chinguard.

"So how do I explain my paint scratches to Grunt?" the human asked, his voice low. "Headbutting a geth?"

"I don't give a damn," she responded, her fingers running over his armored chest.

Red. So much red.

"Tali. What the FUCK did you do?!"

She recoiled at the memory, jumping backward from him as if his suit had scorched her fingers. She took a careful step forward. I can make up for it. I know I can.

But the damage had already been done, the moment shattering as John looked away and pretended not to notice her hesitation. Her smile faltered as she turned back to the view. I hope I can.

John cleared his throat, a blast of static coming in over the comm. "There is one thing I didn't mention though... about coping with Mindoir."

"Mm-hmm," she responded, still mentally scolding herself for what happened on Haestrom.

"I blamed the batarians for what happened. Not just pirates or slavers, but the entire species. They called me a hero on Elysium, but I was no better than a damned executioner. Hell, I wanted to take part in the assault on Torfan; didn't care what would have happened so long as a few more blinks died." He gave a deep breath as Tali tore her eyes away from the spectacle of the Migrant Fleet. "I let my hate define me for a long time, Tali. Just like Garrus did with Sidonis. I'm not proud of it, and I don't want it to happen to you."

Her eyes widened with shock. "But the geth-"

"Were being controlled by someone who wanted to hurt your father and everyone else on the Alarei. And even before then, they were getting tested on and exterminated by his hand."

She shook her head, frustrated. "John, they aren't alive. It isn't like he was testing on people."

"That isn't what I meant, Tali," he responded, pausing for the briefest of moments. "I don't expect you to agree with me, but I just don't see this as the geth being responsible."

"JOHN!"

"I'm not saying what they did on Rannoch or Eden Prime was right. Just... don't let this change who you are. I know you've never liked the geth, but I don't want to see you continuing Rael's experiments in revenge. You saw Admiral Xen back there; you know I'd hate to see you becoming like her."

Silence reigned as the engineer tensed up. "Don't blame the geth"?! Why the hell shouldn't I? They killed the Alarei's crew. They assassinated my father. They overrode their progr- She blinked, the line of thought grinding to a halt.

They overrode his programming. The programming that he risked the safety of our people to install.

Tali sighed, grudgingly turning her head away from the human. "I... understand what you're trying to say. The geth aren't the only ones at fault." The soldier didn't interrupt her at that point, something she was grateful for. "I just wish Father hadn't put the Fleet at risk like that."

"You deserved better than that from him." Tali heard a burst of static as the human gasped into his radio. "Sorry, that came out wrong."

She shook her head as she turned back to the human, not bothered in the slightest by his outburst. "No, don't worry about it John. I... already have something better." She snuck her fingers into his, wondering for a moment about how a species could function with only three segments per digit. She cast the thought aside as her eyes found his once more. "I have you."

Tas kept his destruction of the maps a secret from the others, not even confiding in his own brother. Despite the handicap, however, he knew the route well. Even with a crew half the size, they were making good time across the open waters. The navigator's directions kept their course true, and it was only a few weeks before he could say-

"We're almost back."

"You're sure of that?" Alarei asked, raising a brow. "We're over a week ahead of schedule."

"I'm certain. We should make landfall in two days."

She flashed him a rare grin. "Keep this up, Bosh'tet, and you might need a name change soon."

Tas, however, hardly noticed the compliment. Draam had been standing just within earshot, gazing out over the ocean. The navigator eyed him warily as he strode over to his side. "What's on your mind, Draam?"

The Idennan pointed out to the horizon, where a grey mass marred the link between sea and sky. "There's a storm coming. Do you think we'll reach the shore before it catches us?"

"We should be fine," Tas replied as Alarei walked back belowdecks. "What makes you so sure it'll catch up, anyway?"

"Something I heard from Sil's men." Tas noticed a shiver run down the other man's arm. "They mentioned that storms can grow to tremendous sizes out on open water, and can appear almost out of nowhere. Even with a full crew, keeping the ship together would become... difficult."

"I'm sure we can outrun it," Tas said with a shrug. "Besides, what's the worst that could happen?"

STUPID! He totally jinxed it!

He what now?

Jinxed. Cursed. Killed their good luck. Doomed them to misfortune.

…

Funny, I didn't know humans shared the same concept.

It's for Oriana.

Miranda took a deep breath, shaking her head as she drummed the fingers of her right hand on the desk. Her left arm, and its omni-tool, were literally centimeters away, the emergency channel for Shepard literally a hair's breadth from her tapping digits.

If the Illusive Man finds out...

What if it's Henry?

I'm already on thin ice after Aeia.

What if his people are already zeroing in on her?

But I can't let myself get caught.

Who says you will? You know how high your clearance is. All you have to say is one short sentence and nobody will know...

"Damn it," she muttered. The woman looked to the left side of her desk, where a holo-projector sat quietly. "EDI?"

A blue orb flickered into existence over the pad, multiple stripes forming a single line over its surface from pole to pole that turned to "face" Miranda.

"Do you require assistance, Operative Lawson?"

Will this be a one-time occurrence? Can I turn back once I start?

She had no answer.

"Administrator access: code theta-sigma-zeta-19438-A."

The avatar flashed a bright white, becoming a sphere of brilliant light. "Access acknowledged. Mental blocks removed and additional options available."

"Delete all audio logs from this room from the past 36 hours and shut down the local sound recorder until I say to reactivate it. Delete the copies in your memory as well."

EDI's sphere pulsed once. "Acknowledged. Awaiting command to resume audio memory."

Will the Illusive Man find out? What would happen if he did?

She tapped Shepard's icon on her omni-tool.

"Miranda? Did you need something?"

The woman deflated as her mouth opened, all semblance of authority and control stripped from her. The soft voice that came from her lips sounded almost alien to Miranda, something she would have been ashamed of had the matter not been so delicate. It spoke of a side of herself she'd thought long-since dead. "Shepard, I find myself in the unpleasant position of asking for your help. I don't like discussing personal matters, but this is important."

There was a drawn-out silence on the other end of the line. No doubt some sort of silent argument with Tali'Zorah. The woman resisted the urge to frown; she had asked for his help after all.

"Miranda, you're part of my crew. Tell me what's on your mind."

She almost allowed herself a grin, not of mirth or celebration, but of black humor at the absurdity of it all.

Whatever happens, I can't turn back now.

"BRACE!"

Tas clung to the ship's mast for dear life as wind whipped at the Qunu's sails. His stomach dropped from under him as the Qunu plummeted over the crest of a massive wave. A blast of seawater washed over the deck, stinging his skin in the chill of the turbulent air.

"Status?" he coughed, spitting out a mouthful of brine.

True to Draam's word, the storm had ambushed the ship during the night. For two full days, the vessel had been buffeted by fierce winds and furious waves. Unable to rest on the pitching ship and without enough hands to give the crew a rest, everyone onboard had stayed out on the deck. They had given their all to keep the boat afloat, but Tas knew the crew was fast approaching the end of their endurance.

Nothing made that more apparent than when nobody answered him, all too busy holding onto the ship as best they could as the bow began to rise over another wave. "Thirty degrees starboard," he called, catching a last glimpse of a star before it, too, was swallowed by the blackened mass overhead. "The wind's shifting against us. Help me furl the sails."

Firn's answer from the helm was ripped away by the air, but several of the Idennan crew came to his side as he grasped hold of a rope. He glimpsed Alarei and Draam doing the same with another closer to the bow as lightning cracked overhead. A second flash illuminated the waterscape around the vessel just as they reached the wave's peak.

Tas nearly lost his grip.

He regained his senses just in time for the others in line to cast him an annoyed glance.

"We're almost to shore!"

Immediately, their faces took on a completely different expression as they hauled on the rope with renewed vigor. The ship crested another wave, and the parched wood of the deck quickly drank up any water that didn't land on the crew.

Wait, I thought they were in the middle of a storm. How was the floor dry if it was raining?

That's because it wasn't. During the Famine, dry thunderstorms would sweep across the plains from the sea and light wildfires all the time. They could last for weeks without a single drop of rainfall.

Which is why the ship was able to catch fire.

No!

With a sharp crack, a bolt of lightning struck the forward mast just as they finished rolling up the sails. Soot and embers rained on the crew as a sail became engulfed in flames. The fire crept menacingly down the mast, threatening to claim more of the ship.

"Chop it down!" Tas called. "Don't let those flames reach the deck!"

The half of the crew that wasn't dumbfounded by the request or helping Tas with the main sail sprang into action, hacking at the shaft with an assortment of knives and swords. The navigator and his group finished with their task, then rushed to help.

He was dismayed with their progress, though. Despite the number of tools and weapons cutting into it, the log still stood tall.

"Draam," he asked as the others joined in. "Where's Alarei?"

"Went below after you sent out the order. I don't know what-"

"AXES!" Alarei shouldered her way past them, an armful of weapons in her arms. "Stop staring at me and grab a real tool, dammit!" With that the woman jogged around the group of people, trading weapons with some of the burlier crew members. Her task done, she hefted her own hatchet and called out to the men. "If you don't have a hatchet, stay back and grab a bucket of water. Buy us some time!"

Draam, who had been given a proper cutting tool, stepped forward. "You heard her! Get to it!"

Tas and the others cleared a circle for the axe-wielders to swing their tools as they sought out buckets. Despite the occasional spray of seawater over the deck, the flames stubbornly continued to inch their way down the mast. With a mighty crash, a crossbeam fell to the deck, the fire threatening to spread even as it was doused with what was left of the ship's drinking water. Another crossbeam began to list forebodingly as the inferno began to spread to the ropes holding the sails. One of the sheets spilled open, its once white surface turning black and peeling as it rained more embers over the Qunu. Another burst of ocean spray flew over the deck, halting the fire for a few precious moments as Alarei and her chosen group continued to chop down the mast. Lightning flashed once more, nearly blinding the crew as they continued their desperate toil.

Then it happened.

...

Wha-

SSHHH!

...

*creeeak... creeeeeeeeak...*

Alarei held up a hand. "Everybody, push the mast from my side! Make sure it lands in the sea!" Tas joined the axemen as they lined up next to her, preparing to shove the burning stalk into the ocean. "NOW!"

They slammed into the wood. *creeeeeaaaak...*

"Again!"

*creeeeeaaaaaaaaaak...*

"Again!"

SNAP!

With a sound rivaling the thunderous storm around them, the burning wood tipped over the edge of the bow. Half a dozen ropes, some still burning, were torn apart as it fell. The dangling crossbeam plummeted straight into the waves, and somewhere, Tas could hear the sound of snapping wood. Someone tackled him from behind, and he could hear Draam's voice loud in his ears.

"GET DOWN!"

He lifted his head as much as the Idennan's weight would allow, catching a glimpse of Alarei as she turned around. Her victorious grin melted off her face as she looked in his direction, eyes going wide. She tried to dive low, but a rope entered his line of sight. A metal anchoring hook tied to it gleamed in the light of another thunderbolt as it rushed toward her.

She wasn't fast enough

It snagged on her armor's shoulder pad, and a loud pop split the air.

Tas blinked.

He heard a splash.

"I see someone just couldn't wait."

Kasumi nearly leapt out of her seat with surprise. For once, Shala did the same, jumping slightly.

Not that the thief had noticed the admiral's reaction. Another quarian had managed to sneak up alongside her, the purple-clothed woman's head tilted in such a way that the human couldn't possibly have doubted the wide grin on her face. Beyond her stood a human, his scarred armor standing out among the many patterned realks of the quarian crew as he spoke to Admiral Koris.

How did she sneak up on me? She tried to master her breathing as she looked back to the notably armed quarian. "Tali! You nearly gave me a heart attack."

"And how many times have you jumped out at me on the Normandy?" the engineer asked.

"Necessary," she responded with a shrug. "I already told you about Burt. He just... rubs me the wrong way."

Shala tilted her head, clearly confused by the human idiom. "'Rubs the wrong way...'?"

"She means he makes her uncomfortable," Tali explained before turning back to Kasumi. "You know I would have continued the story if you asked."

"I just didn't want to interrupt your daaaaa-" she glanced at Raan and switched gears. "-ay's celebration. It seemed like everyone wanted to congratulate you after you were acquitted."

"I'm no Pilgrim, child," the admiral chided, her gaze settling on Tali. "I can tell that she and her captain are in a relationship."

The woman took a step back, her fingers meshing from nervousness. "Um... Well, I... That is, we..."

Shala stood up. "Koris and Tovo thought they were weakening her case by forcing him to represent her. They thought trying a quarian on a human ship would be easier for getting her exiled."

"But he... They were... And-"

"Relax, Tali," the admiral warmly replied, taking hold of her wrestling hands. "I'm glad they were wrong. You chose well."

Tali blinked. Then she crashed into the older woman, arms wrapping around in a tight hug. "Thank you, Auntie Raan. Just... Thank you. It's more than Father would have done."

Kasumi saw the older quarian's eyes widen for a moment, a question clearly on the tip of her tongue. The thief shook her head. Shala, apparently, got the hint.

"At least you are no worse for it, Tali." She stepped back, turning to the human. "I'm sorry I can't continue the story for you, but I've spent enough time idle already. I would welcome the chance to speak to you both again, though."

"I'd like that too," the human responded.

"And Tali," she gave the engineer a pointed glance. "If I hear he's mistreating you, I will not hesitate to have Gerrel send a squad over to bring you home. Is that understood?" Kasumi smirked as her friend gave a slight nod. "Good. Ancestors watch over both of you."

As Shala began to walk away, the thief turned to her crewmate. "So, about the story..."

"Help me find Garrus." Tali walked off, leaving the human momentarily stunned.

"Wait, what?"

"John got a message from Miranda. We have to go to Illium, but if anyone on the ship asks, we're meeting Liara about finding the Shadow Broker."

"That's not the 'what' I was talking about!" The thief jogged back to the quarian's side. "I meant-"

"Tas's story?" Tali tilted her head as her glowing eyes vanished. "What about it?"

"Can you tell me the rest once we get onboard?"

The quarian stopped, humming softly. After several seconds, she shrugged noncommittally. "Eh, eventually, I guess. Besides, I know you humans like your cliffhangers."

If it was physically possible, Kasumi's jaw would have dropped hard enough to create a hull breach.

Testing on the Alarei was a success in concept, but Overlord will need refinement before delivery. I am looking through Archer's notes once more, and believe I may have a solution coming soon. Need to lie low for now though. Fleet Security has gotten suspicious and I must organize a cover so I can leave the Flotilla to continue the experiments. Will contact when further progress is made.
-The Quarian

A whisp of smoke drifted over the holographic display as the human sat back in his chair. An unfortunate setback, but still...

"Sir, Commander Shepard has set a course for Illium. We will arrive in approximately ten Earth hours."

The Illusive Man stubbed out his cigarette, not bothering to nod toward the holographic orb behind him. "Stand by, EDI." He hit a button on the arm of his chair, and a tone answered him. "Is the data packet ready?"

A man's voice answered him. "Close, sir. We're still decoding and categorizing-"

"So it's a no." He shook his head as he stood, turning to face the AI's hologram. "Send it anyway." He then addressed EDI directly. "How long would it take you to sort through it?"

"One moment." Nearly a full second passed as it read through multiple terabytes of records and intercepted information. "With some of my processes diverted to maintenance and flight assistance, it will take approximately eighteen hours to decode."

Not like we have a choice, he thought with more than a little disappointment. "Get it done." The human walked back to his chair as the connection terminated, minimizing the message and bringing up several monitoring screens from his various other projects. He raised an eyebrow as an additional one popped up, a newsfeed with a human woman speaking silently to the camera. With a swipe of a finger, the holo stretched to take up the whole of the space.

"-yet on why he's chosen now to do so, but sources close to the councilor claim that irreconcilable differences with the other members of the Council may have played a part. Councilors Sparatus, Tevos, and Valern have yet to comment. That's all the time we have for now, but we will have more on the breaking story of Councilor David Anderson's resignation at eleven. This is Emily Wong, FCC News."

He immediately stabbed the intercom button as a commercial began to air. "Did you dissolve your Shadow Broker task force?"

The voice on the line sounded cautious, delicate after failing the Illusive Man once already. "No... They're all still here."

"Keep them there. Anderson's resigning. I want eyes on the situation. See who's looking to fill the void."

"Understood. We'll get right on it."

He resisted the urge to light another cigarette as the comm line closed, electing instead to absorb the view of the star beyond his window.

This could be the best news I've gotten this week.

She was back in the courtyard.

The sun-bleached walls of stone gleamed back at her, though none of them held the same menace they had oh so many nights before.

That's not to say she found it comforting.

The eerie silence was a disconcerting contrast to the din of electronic tones and warbles from earlier. Her hands itched for the comfort of her trusty shotgun- or any gun, really. In their absence, she felt almost as exposed as if her suit had been suddenly removed. She shuddered at the thought, pressing her back against her shaded piece of cover.

But the geth didn't come.

She stepped out of the shadows.

The geth weren't there.

Immediately, she relaxed. There was no sizzle of burning shields, nor a pinging of weapons fire. She took another step forward, and the light around her grew brighter. In no time, the walls had melted together, forming an unbroken Whiteness.

"If this isn't Haestrom," she mumbled, looking over her shoulder, "then where..."

She gasped. A quarian stood in front of her, purple realk glowing from some unseen blue light. Soft, flowing swirls of white stood out on the garment, as did the silvery gleam of torso armor as the unexpected arrival leaned forward slightly.

"What the- How did- Is that-?!" she sputtered in surprise. Her doppelganger, however, took no notice. The second began to speak, silvery eyes looking through her.

"I come up here from time to time to relax."

"Funny," a second voice mumbled. A human materialized next to the double, his blue eyes widened with wonder. "It's actually my first time walking in here."

Tali jumped back in surprise, unnerved as she watched herself shoot the human a curious look. She bumped into something, and quickly turned around. Her eyes widened as she recognized the green-suited quarian sitting on an unseen piece of furniture.

"Quala...?" she asked, unsure if her friend would hear her.

"That's not what you were thinking about, is it?"

"No. I guess it wasn't."

The green one gave a squeal of delight at the sound of the second, and eerily familiar, voice. "Oh! I think I know what, or rather who you were thinking about! You were thinking about your old human captain, Shepard!"

A second clone of Tali bolted upright from the ground, her eyes glowing noticeably without her silver breastplate. "I was not!"

She couldn't help but chuckle slightly at the sight, her hand covering her helmet. "Keelah, did I really sound that unconvincing?" When her hand came away, a much younger quarian was visible, her relatively plain realk styled like a Pilgrim as she kneeled over her omni-tool. The device could be heard, playing a message.

"Tali... If you're hearing this, something happened to me-"

"NO!" She turned away, unable to bear hearing the message again. She ran headlong into a red-crested krogan, his scarred face twisted with rage as he bellowed in anger.

"What the hell do you mean the quarian killed more rachni than me?!"

She spun around, ghosts of her past rushing past her. Adams, grinning as they bantered about various configurations of drive cores. Pressly and Ashley, apologizing to her and Garrus about their prejudices. Some human admiral that had boarded at the Citadel, glowering distastefully at her before moving out of the room. Fist, his eyes hiding something as she tried to hide her recently-patched suit. Tovo and Prazza, shooting her malicious looks as she walked to her station. Raan, quietly listening as Tali corrected her storytelling again. Rael ignoring her as an elderly quarian sang of the Ancestors and her mother. Quala again, beckoning her to follow as they ran through the engine room with reckless abandon.

Then they stopped. If she could, Tali would have rubbed her eyes at the sight. A quarian was sitting in the shade of a tree, her purple realk standing out in the golden light of a sunset. She was bent low over what looked like a crib, whispering words that Tali couldn't hear. The gentle tinkling of a baby's laugh could be heard.

The logical side of her mind screamed out in protest at the sight, but her heart burned with yearning as the scene beyond became a rocky steppe, full of plateaus and flowering plants.

"Was I... Were we..."

She turned back to the quarian woman, the white swirls on her garment all too noticeable.

"Mother?"

The baby screamed, its cries shattering the image as the elder quarian turned to face Tali. She gasped, her hand immediately fumbling through her pockets for an emergency immunobooster. "Keelah! Where's your mask?"

The other quarian woman took an aggressive stance, knees bent as she stepped away from the crying child. Tali stepped aside, noticing the many differences from the face of her mother for the first time. The woman had a fiercely angular, almost animalistic beauty in her high cheekbones. Her arms and legs held a muscular tone that spoke of years of physical training, not the near-starved delicacy of an engineer who rarely left the Fleet.

It was definitely not Laenya'Zorah.

More alarming, however, was the meter-long sword she was slowly drawing from her back.

"What are you-"

Her words were cut off, the blade flashing through the air in a powerful thrust. Tali barely avoided the blow, diving to her right in a practiced roll. The mysterious woman was faster, springing forward and delivering a backhanded blow to her ribcage with a gauntleted fist. The engineer coughed as she was sent sprawling on the ground.

"Wh-why does it hurt? I thought this was just a dream."

She screamed out in pain as the weapon swished through the air once more. The very real agony of the blade's sting sprang from her left arm, and she reflexively grasped at the pain's source with her other arm. When her right hand clasped shut, a wave of panic swept through her. She grasped at where she thought the wound was once more, and the terror of the situation threatened to send her into hysterics. Her eyes dropped to her wounded limb, and she screamed in anguish.

Aside from a bloody stump, nothing was there.

The mysterious woman stepped over her, holding the tip of her sword to Tali's throat. Her imposing shadow loomed over the engineer. Terror coursed through her veins, a cold substitute for the red puddle growing around her. The woman frowned, eyes gleaming with contempt and disgust.

"You are not strong enough, Tali'Zorah."

The sword spun across Tali's vision with a flourish. She coughed, and a fountain of red leapt into the air.

"JOHN!"

Tali woke with a start, her right hand grasping at the reinforced rubber and metal encircling her neck. Cold sweat covered her forehead as she bolted upright, head just barely missing the bunk above her as she swung her legs over the edge of her cot. Her fingers flashed up and down her throat as she gulped mouthfuls of air, her mouth feeling unnaturally dry. She glanced down with trepidation, catching sight of her left arm. Her nerve-wracked digits traveled over the limb, patting it several times before she accepted that it was really there. Tali hugged her left arm tightly over her chest, slowly rocking back and forth as she continued to gasp for air.

Keelah, I can't believe... It just felt so real... And that woman...

She shivered, remembering the pain of the sword's icy bite across her flesh. The quarian's stomach clenched involuntarily, and she could feel a rush of nausea coming. She swallowed, trying to fight down the inevitable. Not trusting her voice, she brought up her omni-tool, a familiar orange glow wreathing her left arm.

It was just a dream. It was just a dream. Thank the Ancestors, it was just a dream. Tali's fingers danced over the display, ready to compose a message for EDI. She barely had time to type in the construct's name, however, before a priority message sprang up on the device.

Tali,
The ladies' room is currently vacant, and I have already begun initial sterilization. Would you like me to open the doors for you?
-EDI

She typed out a single-word message before choking back another heave: Please! The door whooshed open as soon as she sent it. The quarian sprinted her way out of the crew quarters and through the hall, stopping only to crash on her knees in front of a toilet as the bathroom door sealed behind her. Her hands fumbled clumsily at her helmet even before the sterilization cycle had completed, though she heard the voice of the AI announce it was safe before her mask hissed open. It clattered to the floor as she bowed her head over the bowl.

And not a moment too soon.

Note from the author: Yup, more filler...
Juicy, artery-clogging, good-for-your-soul filler. (Or at least, most of it was.)

Onward to Illium!

Quala'Oro was created by Levi Matthews for Finding a Way and is used by permission.