Kal'Reegar – present.
The gunship lands without complaint and I make a note to praise Gabi on her work later. She's damn good at fixing ships like this, when she pays attention and doesn't drift off into one of her fantasy worlds, that is.
"Sir," the turian that was co-piloting for me prompts.
I glance over at him and realise he's holding the door open for me and has already left the ship. I'm not sure exactly why the turian soldiers under General Kineka's command insist on calling me sir, but I've figured it's because I'm the commanding officer of the quarians here so they feel they should give me some kind indication of my authority. I don't mind, but it's taken some getting used to.
I nod at him in thanks as I climb out of the gunship. We walk together to the edge of the landing field and I can see my squad waiting for, besides Squishy. I'm vaguely disappointed he's the only one missing but he's probably got better things to do than wait around for me to return from playing recon.
"Reegar!" Lirin shouts. "How's it look? We gonna storm the tower or what?"
"It's surrounded but I need to talk to the Gen-" I stop mid-speech as there's a gunshot behind me and a searing pain through my right shoulder. I glance down and realise I'm bleeding. I hear myself mumble a disorientated, "ow," before more shots fire behind me and I hurl myself into cover behind one of the empty kodiak's parked on the landing field.
"Reapers in the landing field!" I hear someone shout but I can't pinpoint where exactly and much less want too. My body's already flooding with antibiotics and it's making me a bit dizzy, but I can shake it off.
I glance out from behind the shuttle that's covering me, drawing my assault rifle and biting down into my lip at the pain that's stabbing through my shoulder and arm.
Kal'Reegar – Haestrom.
For all the hype they worked up about this mission, it's been pretty much quiet since we arrived. We're deep within geth space, but as far as I'm concerned, we might as well be back with the fleet. Actually, they probably get more action there. But Tali'Zorah's important and she needs a small squadron to protect her, just in case.
Unfortunately for her, we can't protect her from Haestrom's sun, and I'm not an engineer either so I can't exactly help her at all really.
"Fucking bosh'tet bastard piece of shit."
I wonder if she always swears like this or if she picked up a few new words while she was chasing Saren down all over the galaxy with Shepard. I'm fairly certain some of the words she's said in the last few days are things I heard some of the human colonists say when I was working with them on my pilgrimage.
"Ma'am," I start from where I'm sitting at a table fiddling with my assault rifle, "if I might, perhaps leaving that until you're less agitated might help."
She startles, too consumed in her own tech-blabble to notice I'm there at first, then turns to me. She fidgets and laughs nervously.
"Oh, Kal, I, uh... didn't realise you were there. Sorry for my outburst it's just... bosh'tet, I give up!" She slams the pad she was trying to work with down on the table, then cringes and returns to being awkward.
"In all honesty, ma'am, I have heard far worse." I don't add that it's particularly amusing seeing her curse her head off, given how innocent she usually seems the rest of the time.
"You haven't heard half the crew on the Normandy," she mutters. I chuckle at her comment briefly.
There's a moment of silence between us but I don't particularly mind it. Tali seems to though, because she's fidgeting and looking around before eventually speaking up again.
"So, umm, Kal... is there anyone-"
"Ma'am, may I speak freely?" Her eyes look like they might have lightened up at my interruption and I frown momentarily, then shrug it off.
"Of course."
"Why do you keep calling me Kal? Nobody does any more and it's... odd."
Her mood deflates and she shrugs, muttering a half irritable, "same reason you keep calling me 'ma'am' I guess."
Tali'Zorah – Haestrom.
You'd probably be hard pressed to find someone worse at flirting than I am. Maybe a geth would be worse at it. Which makes me only marginally better than a machine. I groan and press my mask into the table before me.
Kal has been nothing but polite to me since he was assigned in charge of the marines protecting me. I figure it's only because I'm technically his superior, because he's not like this around his subordinates. Or, not as much. Then again you have to treat them differently when you have people under you like Siri and Jen.
But, it also makes Kal virtually impossible to talk to. You try and have a conversation and he politely replies and speaks with you, but never has an opinion unless you give him permission, never says anything that might by any small chance offend you. It's frustrating and sometimes I just want to shake him by his shoulders and shout at him.
I'm not sure he even notices me, not in that way at least. Maybe there's something wrong with me? He looks strong and well built from what I can tell with the suit, so he's probably already got a girlfriend waiting back for him at the fleet-
"Ah! Miss Tali, ma'am, great conqueror of Sovereign and the geth, right hand quarian to the almighty not-quite-dead-yet Commander Shepard."
I roll my eyes as Jen plomps himself down in a seat beside me. Sure enough, Siri takes up position on the other side. "What have I told you about the ridiculous names," I mutter but they ignore me.
"Miss Tali, ma'am, great conque-"
"Enough!" I cut Siri off before he goes on with that stupid title again. I feel Jen's hand on my left shoulder and Siri's on my right and frown.
"Ma'am, there is something important we must speak with you about," Jen starts.
"You see," Siri continues, like they can predict what the other says or something, "we have noticed a certain interest of yours in one squad leader of ours."
They grab my head and turn it until I'm forced to stare at Kal. He's speaking with another one of his squad about something and leaning against a wall. They let go of my head and I quickly glance back down at my hands.
"Now, we do not wish you to be offended by this, ma'am," Jen says.
"But we feel it is our duty to inform you that one sir Kal'Reegar is not..." Siri pauses.
"How shall we put this?" Jen continues.
"Not inclined in such a way that is favourable to your womanly hips," Siri finishes.
I freeze for a few seconds, and then curse under my breath. How could I be that stupid for not realising-
"In fact we are to believe that he does have one certain special other in which-"
"Wait," I interrupt whichever one of them was talking, because after a while they kind of just morph into one person. "He's that Reegar?"
Ugh! Stupid, stupid, stupid!
