Chapter 29.5
These readings can't be right, Tali thought. "Kenneth, what is the power draw for the main gun?"
"There's a 115% increase. I had to re-calibrate the capacitors to handle the new load."
She opened a comm channel to the forward battery. "Keelah, Garrus. What did you do to the main guns?"
"I upgraded them. We need something that hit harder than what we had if we want to survive another encounter with the Collectors. Don't tell me engineering can't handle the enhancements," he challenged with a smirk.
"I can handle anything you throw at me, Vakarian. You should remember that."
Garrus chuckled.
Tali was different from before. Not changed, per se. She was still the easy going and easily flustered quarian he knew from their first adventure, but now there was an air of self-assurance around her. The woman was more confident about her decision and actions and more willing to take on more responsibility.
Garrus found the new attitude to be remarkably attractive. Of course, the way she fit into her new suit didn't hurt either.
"Speaking of improvements," Tali continued, "I have some ideas about how to improve our kinetic barriers. I want to see what Shepard thinks of them. Have you seen him?"
"Not recently. I think he's holed up in his cabin. He doesn't leave it much except for a meal or a mission."
"Can't really blame him. We both know about what Cerberus did to him on Akuze. And then Admiral Kahoku…"
"It's more than that. He used to come down a lot more before. Spent most of the time with me or the other non-Cerberus crew, but at least he wasn't hiding in his cabin like now."
"What changed?"
"I think it was Liara."
Tali didn't let him continue the thought. "Wait, he saw Liara? Why isn't she on the ship?"
"Don't know. Whatever the reason, I'm willing to bet it's the cause for Shepard became a recluse."
Nothing came back over the channel. He thought she would have some words to say or questions to ask about the situation, so it surprised him when she was silent.
"Tali?" he probed.
"I'm writing her."
"What?"
"I'm writing Liara a message. I'm going to find out what's going on."
"Tali-" he started with a warning tone.
"No, Garrus. Don't tell me not to get in the middle of this. Shepard has enough on his plate with the Collectors in his face and Cerberus breathing down his neck. He doesn't need someone he cares about turning their back on him. It's bad enough Kaidan already did, but at least he had a half way decent reason to, even if he was a bosh'et about it.
"And Liara is different. He really cares about her, more so than the rest of us. So she better have the best damned excuse I've ever heard, or, Keelah, I will drag her kicking and screaming onto this ship if I have to."
Garrus couldn't stop the smile. There was the confident Tali he was growing to adore.