Chapter 14: To love a Daedric Lord:

After what must have felt like hours Shepard and the others e brought with him returned to the Normandy with the 2 new recruits, Thane and Samara. Shepard thought that it was about time to get started on some loyalty missions and decided to ask Malen if he wanted to join him.

Shepard: "Malen, we are going to start to help some of the crew with their problems that they need sort out. Want to join?"

Malen and Tali were still hugging when Shepard called through the intercom.

Malen:" No thank you Shepard. There is something I need to show Tali."

Shepard:" All right then. Btw Tali, it's good to have you aboard."

Tali:" it's good to be aboard Shepard." She says as she removes her face from Malen's chest.

Tali looks up at Malen and wonders what it is that he wants to show her. Malen can already guess that Tali is wondering this and releases his arms from Tali and looks at her with a little bit of worry and sadness in his face.

Tali:" What is it that you wanted to show me Malen?"

Malen:" Do you recall on Haestrom that you asked me what I was?"

Tali is slightly embarrassed by this since it seemed like she was accusing him of something when he was just helping, but she is also intrigued by what Malen is implying also.

Tali:" is he going to tell me what he is?" she thought to herself.

Tali:" Yes I do, but I was just baffled by what you managed to do with mean I still don't understand. What are you getting at anyway if you don't mind me asking?"

Malen:" What I am Tali, can only truly be understood if I were to show you and put it into perspective for you. Though before I can show you, I need to tell you something first so that you will understand why I chose to become this." He says in a slight despaired voice.

Tali:" Ok. Take your time to explain it. I will not judge you." She says in a reassuring voice.

Malen:" I was once a salve to a being called Hermaeus Mora. He tempted me with an offer of knowledge and power, but without telling the drawbacks and catches to it. I was a bit of a headstrong adventurer back then and thought I could complete whatever task he had for me and claim his reward with no negative repercussions. What a fool I was. When I completed his task, he gave me the reward in the form of the Ogma Infinium ( Malen pulls out the book " Ogma Infinium", shows it to Tali and then places it back somewhere on his person). It increased my knowledge of a certain field of understanding significantly, and he also called me his "Champion". This was a trick for being a Champion of Hermaeus Mora meant that you would serve him for all eternity. I did not know this and foolishly accepted the title. Sometime later, after I entered his realm of Apocrypha, I discovered what it meant to be a "champion" of Hermaeus Mora. It was when I defeated Miraak, the first dragon born, that I saw Hermaeus kill him without mercy and gave me Miraak's title just because I was stronger than he was. I was no more than a mortal vanguard/trophy to him for him to flaunt to others. I was no one's slave Tali, and I was damn sure no one's trophy. I fought for my freedom, but was cast out of my dimension and into yours when Hermaeus feared for his body since he was never defeated before. I asked Shepard if he could distract him while I sneak from behind for the "killing blow", but alas, Hermaeus Mora was an immortal being whose body could be temporarily destroyed, but whose spirit could never be destroyed. If I only destroyed his body Tali then he would have just eventually reconstituted himself and be back in full to torment me forever. So I did the only thing I could do to free myself from him, I ate his very soul, fought and destroyed his personality and will, attached his soul to mine so his personality and will would never regenerate, and in a sense became him. I'm still the man who was hatched from a mortal egg 36 years ago Tali. The who is still the same Tali, but the what has indeed changed. Now that I have explained that to you Tali, I must now warn you that the place I'm about to take you is terrifying to say the least. Are you ready?"

Tali was a bit unsettled by Malen's story and felt sympathy towards him.

Tali:" I'm ready."

Malen:" Very well."

Malen extends his right index finger and starts lowering his hand with his finger still extended. The area where the finger was became a part of a black portal until the portal was fully made. Malen motions with his right hand for Tali to follow him through the portal. Tali follows Malen into the portal. When they got to the other side, Tali is alarmed by the black and dark green scenery and background around her. Towers and buildings of books far too old and ruined to read or decipher could be seen in the distance all around her. The sky was a plague green with black portals that had black and dark green tenticles pouring out of them.

Malen stepped forward and looked like he was going to fall off the edge of the tower of books they were on. Tali was about to scream at Malen to stop but stopped herself when she noticed that a narrow floor of books formed under him whenever he took another step. About 4 broad steps in, 4 steps formed in front of Malen. Malen walked up the steps and was preparing to sit down on what first appeared to be nothing, but as soon as he was about to take a seating position a large throne chair made from black and dark green tenticles formed itself and was finished forming just as Malen sat on it. Ruined books and a sickly green light soon began to slowly spin around the chair, but not enough to obscure Tali's view of Malen. Malen rested the right side of his face on his right fist as his right elbow rested on the right arm of the chair, while his left arm rested, from the elbow down to his hand, on the left arm of the chair.

Malen: "Welcome Tali to Apocrypha. My realm of Oblivion, the place I would have stayed in for all eternity if I did not free myself from my former self. I was not always him, but when I freed myself from him I became him and he became me. What I am trying to say Tali is that I am Hermaeus Mora: Daedric Prince of knowledge and fate. You are currently standing within the heart of my power and influence: the place of limitless secrets, lost and forbidden knowledge. This is an entire dimension in of itself Tali: A universe as expansive as my own mind and I rule it in absolution." He said in a serious voice and with a worried look in his face.

Tali was at first frightened by what Malen was implying: that she was absolutely hopeless against Malen in this place, but she remembered how Malen has acted selflessly so far and has helped her immensely in such a short time. Tali also saw the worried look on his face that implied that he was worried that she would reject him because of what he was and what he could do, and that would be unfair considering that he has done nothing wrong so far.

Tali looked all around her to get a perspective of the place she was in. She told herself that this was all Malen's and he had absolute control over it. She wanted to know what Malen means by "absolute".

Tali:" What do you mean by "absolute control"?" She asked curiously.

Malen softly sighs and snaps with his left hand. The dimension began to change immediately and in a matter of moments it had changed into what looked like Haestrom. Tali is startled to say the least by sudden change and begins to walk around and pick things up, like rocks and other things, to see if this place was actually what it seemed to be. After picking up a dozen rocks and other things, Tali confirmed that this was indeed an exact replication of Haestrom. Tali now had a much better understanding as to what Malen really was, but she wanted to know one more thing about Malen's "absolute control" in this realm.

Tali:" Can you even control other people's actions, thoughts, and feelings against their will?"

Malen took a heavy sigh and looked down as if in shame, but he was not the one to answer the question. Tali suddenly started to feel overwhelmed with shame that seemed like it was not hers but was feeling it as if it was hers. Her mind was suddenly brought into Malen's perspective along with the guilt as if she was trying to walk in Malen's shoes to try to sympathize with him, but this was not her will's doing. Tali then began to speak in a shamed filled voice that was not her voice at all and against her will.

Tali:" Yes." She said in the shame filled voice of Malen.

As soon as Tali said "yes" in Malen's voice, she was released and felt normal and in control of herself again.

Malen snapped his fingers again and a black portal with purple outlining enveloped both him and Tali. They both reappeared back on the Normandy in Malen's room on the 5th floor. Malen turned around and looked away from Tali. He did not want to overwhelm her or scare her with any persistence in his presence with the knowledge of what he actually was. Tali could guess that Malen was feeling worried that she would reject him out of fear, but she knew better than that since Malen has been truthful and selfless to her so far. Tali approaches Malen, turns him around and hugs him in a comforting and reassuring manner.

Tali: It's ok Malen. I'm not afraid of you. Thank you for telling me the truth even though you were afraid of what I might think of you because of it. We all have our trails: my father and the Quarian people are mine while you had to get the freedom of your own soul by becoming the monster that enslaved you. I'm sorry if I worried you. It was just a lot to take in all at once."

Malen hugged her back and whispered into the left side of her head.

Malen: "Thank you!" He said in a soft, relieved voice.

Malen thought of repaying Tali for her benevolence and understanding. It didn't take Malen long to think of what to repay Tali with.

Malen:" I can tell that you are a person who loves to learn. Would like to learn how to use magic?"

Tali lets go of Malen and looks at him confused and curiously.

Tali:" You want to teach me magic? What is magic? Is it like the things I've seen you do?"

Tali has only known the kind of magic that is based on optical illusions that humans often use to entertain others as well as themselves, but Tali thinks that Malen is referring to something else entirely.

Malen: "Yes for the most part, but most of the impossible feats you have seen me do was based on the powers I have as Hermaeus Mora."

Tali was getting unimaginably excited. She could hardly believe that Malen was going to teach her how to use the kinds of powers that he wielded that could help the Quarian people retake Rannoch far easier than they could have every hoped for. Tali was so excited that she jumped on Malen in a joy filled glee and rapped both her arms and legs around Malen and began moving around without a care in the galaxy while still rapped around Malen.

Malen was not prepared for this and fell to the ground backwards with Tali still holding onto him. Malen didn't want to interrupt her reactions of joy and kill the joyful mood, but his body was starting to react in the same way any male of reproductive age would react to have such a beautiful and sexy (mostly in the ass and hips reign in this case) jump on top of him, rap her arms around them and then move around( does not have to be sexually to cause a certain reaction in males), so he decided to try and call this happy expression off before he did something embarrassing.

Malen:" Tali?"

Tali:" Yes?" she answers in a giggling voice.

Malen:" You can get off me now please." He says as he turns his head to the right and blushes deeply.

Tali notices her position of her body on top of Malen. Her waist and Gluteus Maximus was just above Malen's waist. Looking at how close it was to a certain area on Malen and that she was on top of him while they were on the ground and looking at Malen's deeply blushing face she recognized what Malen was getting at. Tali started blushing an even deeper red than Malen was and quickly let go and stood up while offering a hand up to Malen. Malen took her hand and stood up.

Tali:" Shall we get started? I hope this won't take too long to be honest." She says and she starts fidgeting with her hands.

Malen starts blushing again, but quickly shakes his head to try to get rid of the perverted thoughts his Id (Id is a psychology term that stands for that little devil on one of your shoulders. Malen respected and care for Tali deeply and did not want to think such thoughts towards her since it felt like he was disrespecting her and under valuing her a little) was making him think.

Malen:" Yes we can Tali. Before we get started though, a word of warning. Magic is, by its very nature, volatile and dangerous. Unless you can control it, it can and will destroy you. I have seen the kind of damage magic can cause in the wrong hands of those who do not respect the nature of magic. Ancano was a power hungry fool who wanted enough power to do whatever his heart desired. If I was not there to stop him when he tried to use the eye of Magnus, perhaps the most powerful source of magic in Nirn and maybe even Mundus, the Universe I was born in, then Nirn would have been completely and utterly destroyed by his greed and arrogance. I don't want you to bare any guilt because you hurt or, heaven forbid, killed anyone by accident because you rushed your lessons. Do you understand?"

Tali:" Yes I Understand Malen. I'm sorry for rushing you about it."

Malen:" you did not know Tali so don't apologize, that and how could I ever stay mad at you when you look so cute when you're embarrassed or flustered." He said as he started to lightly tickle Tali underneath her chin.

Tali started having warm feelings all over, but quickly snapped out of it since she really wanted to learn magic, though she heeded Malen's advice. She would be utterly broken inside if she hurt anyone because she was being too impatient (such things come with being a Quarian that has lived in the flotilla).

Malen walked over to his workbench and motioned for Tali to join him. After Tali was standing next to him, Malen pulled out the Ogma Infinium again, turned it to a certain page without looking ( the beginning of the Path of Magic) and handed the open book to Tali and told her to look at the pages the book was opened to. Tali did as Malen told her without question.

At first Tali did not understand what she was looking at, but her mind was suddenly assaulted with knowledge as soon as she starting looking at the second page shown to her. Her head at first felt like splitting in two, but once she got over the pain and when the pain started to diminish, she actually started to feel really good (the kind of feeling you get when you accomplished something that pushed you to your limits). After her mind was finished categorizing all the new information she just received, she closed the book and handed it to Malen. Malen took back the book and put it into an unknown pocket (Seriously, where does he keep it all?).

Malen:" How are you feeling?"

Tali:" Ok I guess… nooo… more than ok! I'm feeling great Malen! Do you have anything else like that? Please!" She asked with enthusiasm.

Malen:" That is kind of the plan with this, but it's best to not make such things an addiction since creating the reason why it happens can get harder over time. I'm going to lay down a series of books that I would like for you to look over (Malen lays down one book for every novice spell he knows in all 5 schools of magic on the work bench). Each of these books are spell books. After you have learned the spells from all these books, I want for you to disenchant all of items I lay down for you and learn all the enchantments from them, then create a powerful enchanted item using a grand soul gem and a fortify enchanting potion. Drink this potion (Malen hands her a pink potion bottle that is labeled "Fortify enchanting") before you start enchanting. Got all of that Tali?"

Tali:" Yes I do Malen. I'll get started right away." She says with enthusiasm.

Tali begins to read the spell books that Malen had placed on the work bench for her. Malen is pleasantly surprised at how quickly Tali is learning each of the spells from the books. It only took Tali about 5 minutes to learn all the novice spells that Malen knew. Malen is starting to hope that something interrupts their session before he has to tell her that in order for her to increase her skills in the 5 schools of magic quickly and effectively that she would have to use Malen as a target. Fortunately for Malen, Tali moved straight into disenchanting the items Malen gives her. After she was done disenchanting, Malen gave Tali a gold/diamond ring and a grand soul gem filled with a grand soul and told her to make a ring of poison and disease immunity after she drank the potion he gave her. Tali removes her visor for the first time and drank the potion. Malen felt like he should not see her uncovered face yet and temporarily looks away. After Tali drinks the potion, which actually had a pleasant taste to her (She could only taste the berries that were used to make it. No way in hell was Malen going to tell her that claws from a hideous amalgamation of bird and woman were also used to make it.), she crafted the ring that Malen had specified.

Malen:" Give this ring to another of your kind so that they may know what it means to be free."

Tali's skill with enchanting shot up instantly to its max since the potion that Malen gave her to drink was very powerful. Tali was also tearing up a little that Malen would help her create a means for another of her kind to be able to know what it's like to feel another person's skin on theirs ( like feeling another person's hand as they hold it). Tali puts the ring in one of her many pockets (I think her and Amy from Sonic the hedgehog put the stuff on their person in the same unknown place. I mean really where the hell are there pockets on her?). Before Tali could ask Malen on how to improve her skills with the 5 schools of magic, she receives a summons from the flotilla. She turns around and steps a couple feet away from Malen and starts reading the message on her Omni Tool.

The sounds of disbelief, fear, and sadness were evident on Tali's voice as she continues to read the summons in disbelief. Malen approaches Tali after she is done reading the summons and hugs her for a little while. Malen eventually release his hold of Tali.

Malen:" What's wrong Tali."

Tali:" The Admiralty Board has accused me of treason. I'm scared Malen."

Malen's rage started to rise to the surface as it did on Horizon, but he quickly got a hold of himself when he reminded himself where he was and who he was standing next to.

Malen:" Why would they accuse you of such an act?" he said with worry.

In Tamriel, The Imperial Empire executed traitors on the spot and Malen feared that Tali might face a similar sentence.

Tali:" I don't know why. When it comes to sensitive and important matters like this, we do not transmit vital information over extranet. The information about why a person is charged with treason is done in the flotilla."

Malen:" What is the punishment if a Quarian is found guilty of treason?"

Tali:" They are exiled. The children of exiles are welcomed back onto the flotilla. We choose exile over executed since we do not have the population numbers for such a punishment to be a viable option and we do not have enough extra space and resources for long term incarceration."

Malen knew how important the people as a whole are to each Quarian and so Malen decided to use all of his knowledge and power to clear Tali and her family's name of this crime.

Malen:" How do you propose we get there? I may or may not be clean enough to enter the flotilla, but the other Quarians won't know that so I can't just teleport us to them."

Malen brought up a good point. He can't just teleport her into the flotilla without alarming every single Quarian in the fleet for multiple reasons. Tali surmised that the only viable solution was to get a shuttle to take the two of them there.

Tali:" I'll call in a shuttle to pick us up."

Malen:" I can do better than that. Money has a funny way of motivating people in this galaxy."

Tali is slightly confused by this.

Tali:" How much money is he referring to?" she thought to herself.

Malen pulled up his Omni tool and looked for the Shuttle service with the best reputation for fastest destination times. Malen found one that looked impressive in about 3 minutes. He called and established a communications link with the companies fastest driver they have on record (which funny enough happens to be a Krogan. Hmm I wonder why?)

Krogan Driver:" Yea?! What do you want?"

Malen:" Yes I need a Shuttle pick up at my location to bring us to.."

Malen looks at Tali.

Tali:" Raheel-Leyya in the Vallhallan Threshold."

Malen:" To Raheel-Leyya in the Vallhallan Threshold."

Krogan:" all right I have your location. It should be a couple of hours before I can get to you. I got other customers waiting."

Malen:" What if I could persuade you to forget you're other customers and have you here and to Raheel with speeds like you had a thresher maw on your ass?"

Krogan:" No one has ever been in that much in a hurry you bullshitting asshat."

Malen pulls up a screen and presses 9 keys and sends the contents of the delivery to the krogan. When the krogan driver looked over the delivery that Malen sent, his reaction could be compared to that of Bender from Futurama whenever he sees a very large stack of cash. The krogan almost immediately responded.

Krogan:" YES SIR RIGHT AWAY SIR." He said in an obedient military fashion.

He did not want to just steal this man's money for if he would give him 200,000,000 credits just to drive them, then he must have a hell of a lot more money to spend on someone who pisses him off, which he would if he stole this man's money.

Malen:" How long until you get here?"

Krogan:" 10 minutes"

Malen:" Damn! Breaking the petal there much?!"

Krogan:" With the amount of money you just paid me I would drive through hell and back if you told me to."

Malen:" See you soon then."

Malen ends the call.

Tali:" How many credits did you pay him?" She says with extreme curiosity.

Malen:" I had to get him to drive us as quickly here and to our destination as possible and I had pay him enough for him to forget his other customers. And since he is a company's fastest driver and a krogan, that meant I had to pay him even more. So I gave him a generous 200,000,000 credits."

Tali:" whwhwhwhwHAT! 200,000,000 credits!? HHHOW?! WWHERE? WHY!?" she said dumbfounded in amazement for multiple reasons.

Malen:" I had a lot of gold that I traded for credits. Omega station from Aria T'loak and because I know that money motivates in this galaxy as it probably does in most others. We should be able to get there in no time."

Tali could not find an answer or rebuttal for this and just decided to go with it.

Malen:" EDI!"

EDI:" Yes Malen?"

Malen:" Tell Shepard when he gets back that I'm taking a shuttle with Tali to the Migrant Fleet."

EDI:" Will do Malen."

Malen:" Thank you EDI."

EDI:" It's my pleasure to help."

Tali and Malen went up to the 2ed floor and waited for the krogan driver to arrive at the airlock. The krogan driver arrived earlier than he said he would with 2 minutes to spare. The krogan motioned to Tali and Malen to climb aboard his shuttle. Once Tali and Malen were seated next to each and the shuttle departed from the Normandy, the krogan driver came over the shuttle intercom.

Krogan:" This is your driver Raxus speaking. This ride has been paid for by the rich fucker on the left for both him and the hot piece of ass on the right. Hold in your piss because I ain't stopping for no one's shit. Buckle up your harnesses because I'm not going to be responsible for your asses getting killed. ETA: 4 minutes of you kissing your sweet asses' goodbye." He said as he took off as fast as the shuttle would take them to the appropriate relays to reach their destination.

Tali face palmed her visor while Malen had no reaction to the krogan's speech since he was used to krogan's talking like that. The Krogan driver did indeed take just 4 minutes to reach the destination. After they entered Raheel, Tali directed the driver towards the migrant fleet. As they neared the fleet Tali sent out a hail to the fleet.

Tali:" This is Tali vas Nemma nar Rayya requesting permission to dock with the Rayya."

Traffic Controller:" Please verify."

Tali:" After time adrift among open stars, along tides of light and shoals of dust, I will return to where I began."

Traffic Controller:" Permission granted. Welcome Home, Tali Zorah."

Tali:" We'd like a security and quarantine team to meet us. Our shuttle is not clean."

Krogan:" Fuck you to hot ass princess."

Tali and Malen ignore the krogan's response.

Traffic Controller:" Understood. Approach exterior docking cradle 17."

Tali and Malen exit the shuttle and into Rayya. Before the shuttle doors closed behind him Malen could hear the krogan that drove them shout out in excitement.

Krogan:" WOHO BLACK JACK AND HOOKERS HERE I COME!" he shouts as the shuttle doors close and leaves.

(I decided to add that part since I mentioned Bender from Futurama before as a comparison to this krogan.)

Once Tali and Malen entered the sip they were approached by Captain Kar'Danna.

Kar'Danna:" It's good to see you back Tali. And this must be a friend of yours."

Malen:" My name is Malen Katarn. I helped save Tali and her whole team on Haestrom."

Kar'Danna:" Tali told me a lot about what you did for her. I wish we could be meeting under more pleasant circumstances."

Malen:" Tali has been a true friend to me in such a short time we have known each other. I'm here to offer my benevolence in turn."

Kar'Danna:" I understand. Your respect as a warrior and dominator of the battle has been well earned for the lives you saved on Haestrom and they praise you still. I wish I could do more to help Tali. The trial requires that I be officially neutral, but… I'm here, if you need to talk. They're charging you with bringing active geth into the fleet as part of a secret project."

Tali:" That's Insane! I never brought active geth aboard. I only sent parts and pieces."

Malen:" What were you doing that for?"

Tali:" My father was working on a project. He needed the materials."

Malen did not like where this was going. On Haestrom he sensed what seemed like to be the beginnings of a soul in the geth that he destroyed. The only way to actually have something viable against a being with a soul was to face it when it was present in a "living" body. This entailed that Tali's father is the one most likely responsible for what has transpired in the fleet and why Tali was summoned to answer for accusations of treason. Malen felt horrible for Tali, but resolved to get her and her father out of this with their honor and respect intact, unless her father truly did commit a terrible sin, in which case he will see Tali through it.

Tali:" If I sent something that was only damaged, not permanently inactive… No. No, I checked everything. I was careful."

Malen stood in front of Tali, stared straight into her eyes and placed his right index finger over her visor's speaker.

Malen:" Do not beat yourself up Tali. I will get you and your father through this I promise."

Tali could feel a strength flow from him and into her. She was feeling better about herself, but was still not optimistic about the trail that will soon take place.

Kar'Danna:" Technically, I'm under orders to place Tali Zorah under arrest pending the hearing. So, Tali…. You're confined to this ship until this trail is over."

Tali:" Thank you Captain."

Captain Kar'Danna:" Preparations got underway as soon as you arrived. The hearing is being held in the garden plaza. Good Luck."

Tali and Malen proceeded to the garden plaza. On the way to the first door, Malen hears two different conversations about Tali and her trial. The first conversation he agrees with, this was unbelievable. The second conversation he had infuriated him. He really wanted to punch this quarian in the face and rip his balls off, but he had to calm himself and just let it go, he had more important things to do after all. After they went through the door and down a short hall way, they met Admiral Shala'Raan.

Shala'Raan:" Tali Zorah vas Normandy. I am glad you came. I could delay them only so long."

Tali:" Auntie Raan! Malen Katarn vas Nirn, this is Admiral Shala'Raan vas Tonbay. She's a friend of my father's. Wait. Raan, you called me "vas Normandy.""

Raan:" I'm afraid I did, Tali. The Admiralty Board moved to have you tried under that name, given your departure from the Neema."

Malen thought that was a bunch of bullshit

Malen:" They didn't change her name because she "left". They changed her name because they don't believe in her innocence and yet they act all like "we're sorry Tali, wish I could help more, and I believe in you" and yet they start trying her and judging her before she even enters the fucking trial?! This is reminding me of that horrible time with that bitch captain that was going to have me executed on the spot for no damn reason at all. This is starting to look like a "guilty until proven innocent" case here. I'm sorry that you're going through this Tali. I promise you that I will get you through this." He thought to himself.

Malen:" We should get started. Does Tali have someone to defend her?"

Raan:" I wish there was more than what she has, but since you saved her and her team on Haestrom it entitles you to the right to defend her in the trail since you have already done so for her life."

Tali:" So, er.. you would actually speak for my defense."

Malen:" I would have it no other way Tali. Someone else might have gotten it wrong."

Raan:" Our legal rules are simple. There are no legal tricks or political loopholes for you to worry about."

Malen:" Except for the one you tied around Tali's neck." He thought to himself with anger.

Raan:" Present the truth as best you can. It will have to be enough. Now come. I promised that I would not delay you."

As Raan brought them to the trial, Malen whispers something to Tali.

Malen:" The truth always wins Tali. Believe in it and you will get through this."

Tali is slightly comforted by this, but still has some anxiety and fear. Malen and Tali reach the area where the trial is being held and Raan begins it when everyone is in their proper places.

Raan:" This Conclave is brought to order. Blessed are the ancestors who kept us alive, sustained us, and enabled us to reach this season. Keelah se'lai. The accused, Tali Zorah vas Normandy, Has come with her protector to defend herself against the charge of treason.

Admiral Koris was about to object for Tali not being defended by a captain, but Malen shot him a death glare that froze his mouth shut.

Raan:" Malen Katarn vas Nirn, Tali Zorah stands accused stands accused of treason. Will you speak for her?"

Malen:" I will see her through this no matter what, as I promised her. But I will not call her by a name that labels her as an exile by Quarians for she is still loyal to her people. I'm the only one who can defend her since anyone that has any desire to see her innocent in this trial can't speak on her behalf, like her actual captain for instance."

Admiral Koris:" Nobody has been silenced from anything! It is a simple—"

Admiral Gerrel:" Lie to them if you must, Zaal'Koris, but don't lie to me and expect me to stay silent! Malen is right!"

Raan:" Admirals, please. Malen's willingness to represent Tali Zorah in this hearing is appreciated. Tali, you are accused of bringing active geth to the Migrant Fleet. What say you?"

Malen:" Tali pleads innocent. If any of you know Tali at all or have any sympathy for one of your own people, one of your own young adults that has gone through many hardships for the sake of her own people then you will stop staring at her with judging eyes, or looking upon her with pity that she is the innocent lamp that you have led to the slaughter to pay for your impatience and mistakes." He said with a full and lively sound of strength and truth.

All the Quarians in the room, especially the admirals, were stunned into silence by what Malen said. This was just the opening arguments, but Malen already put them and all the quarians in the room who did not believe Tali innocent on the spot. Eventually Koris tried to regain his foot hold in the trial.

Koris:" Then explain how geth seized the lab ship where her father was working!"

Every quarian in the audience was shocked to hear this, but Tali was the most shocked and confused of them all.

Tali:" What are you talking about? What happened?"

Malen could guess as to what happened and why it happened, but he decided to remain silent about it for now.

Gerrel: "As far as we can tell, Tali, the geth killed everyone on the Alarei… Your father included."

Tali:" What?! Oh, Keelah.."

Tali's eyes slowly begin to fill with tears as the gravity of the situation begins to weigh down on her.

Malen:" If you truly care about the safety of the Migrant Fleet, then you will let me and Tali go to the Alarei to undo this travesty and clear her name of these ridiculous and false charges. Tali also needs to see her father, no matter what has happened to him."

Raan:" Thank you. Quarian strike teams have attempted to retake the ship, so far without success."

Koris:" The safest course would be to destroy the ship. But if you are looking for an honorable death instead of exile.."

Tali was about to protest against this but Malen beat her to it.

Malen:" She is looking for her father you little shit! And what about the possibility of survivors hmm? Are you going to damn them to? Or will you whisper bitter remarks to your dead who are thankfully away from your cold heart that you would condemn both the innocent and the departed?" he said with a strong and angry voice meant to pin those who it targets against the wall.

Once again, Malen has managed to silence everyone else in the room into silence and put the admirals who are judging Tali and the spot. Raan was the one to regain her voice.

Raan:" Then it is decided. You will attempt to retake the Alarei. You are hereby given leave to depart the Rayya. A shuttle will be waiting at the secondary docking hangar. Be safe, Tali. This hearing will resume upon your return, or upon the determination that you have been killed in action."

Malen immediately turned his gaze on Koris and gave him a look that said

"Don't you dare say another fucking word before we leave."

The trial was then disbanded and Tali and Malen then proceeded to the shuttle that would take them to the Alarei.

Tali:" Thank you for agreeing to take back the Alarei, Malen. The admirals sound sure that my father is already dead, but.. I don't know. We won't know anything until we get there."

Malen placed both hands on her shoulders.

Malen:" There is always hope Tali. Watch it, believe in it and I will help you make it bloom into life." He said with a reassuring smile.

Tali was perplexed by Malen. At one moment he is more dangerous than a fleet of geth dreadnaughts, but then the next moment he is as gentle and comforting as the mid summer's breeze. Tali stares blankly into Malen's left eye as if she was trying to see past his flesh to see the man underneath. She quickly turned away and proceeded to the shuttle, Malen did nothing wrong it's just that she really wanted to see if her father was all right.

Malen and Tali reached the shuttle door that had a guard in front of it.

Shuttle Guard:" Tali Zorah vas Neema… Oh, sorry, I mean "vas Normandy."

Malen:" why couldn't he have been on the admiralty board, at least he understands honor and fellowship better than they do." He thought to himself.

Tali:" No offense taken. The change in name was not my choice."

Guard:" Per Admiral Raan's orders, the shuttle is prepared for you and Malen Katarn vas Nirn. Good luck with those geth, Tali Zorah. Keelah se'lai."

Malen and Tali entered the shuttle and boarded the Alarei. When they entered the first room, Malen saw the body of a quarian woman on the right side of the hallway floor. Malen picked up her body and tied rope around her and strapped her to his back so that he could freely use his hands.

Tali:" I thank you for trying to bring those who have died here back for proper burial, but we need to retake the Alarei."

Malen:" Who said anything about needing a burial? I also plan to bring hope to the dead as well." He said as he winked his left eye at her, though she could not tell if he was winking or blinking since his right was patched.

Tali also could not understand what he meant by " bring hope to the dead as well.". (But you and I do).

Malen and Tali enter the next room where they in counter geth units. Malen does not want the body that is strapped behind him to suffer any more damage so he decides to end this quickly. Malen places both hands on his sides and begins to glow with light blue light. He then cups his hands behind his right side then brings them both forward and spreads his hands out. A brilliant and all most blinding light shots instantly out of his hands and to the other side of the room. Deafening sounds of crackles and booms filled the room as the geth were reduced to nothing but glowing blue dust.

Tali:" wwhat was that just now?!"

Malen:" That Tali was magic. The lightning storm spell to be precise, it is a master level spell and highly destructive."

Tali:" No kidding?! And loud to!"

Malen:" Never thought you were capable of sarcasm." He said with a laugh.

Malen found and played a recording he found on a computer in the top right of the room. The recording seemed to prove Malen's suspicions that it was Tali's father that was behind this and is most likely, like the woman on his back, dead. Malen was not that distraught by the death, since he had a remedy of sorts for that, but still he was saddened that they suffered so.

Malen and Tali went into the next room and found another dead female on a box. Malen undid the rope around him and tied both of them to his back. Malen was starting to look like a pack mule, but was unaffected by the now two bodies that were on his back. Tali was getting more and more curious as to what Malen plans to do with them. They were going to enter the room on the far left when Malen discovered a male quarian body next to two box with a recording on one of them. Malen straps him onto his back as well, though this time he needs the help of his telekinesis to keep him on his back so that he didn't have to tie the rope so hard that their bodies would snap in half. They encountered more geth when they entered the room. The geth were coming down the stairs on the other side of the room. Malen summoned fire into his hands and released flames that melted the geth into molten slag, but the room around the remained untouched. After the geth were dealt with, Malen found another body under a desk and telekinetically lift him to. Before Malen went up the stairs he watches the recording on the desk just before the stairs and is saddened by what he sees. They go up the stairs and into the next room. In the next room there are even more geth.

Instead of standing and attacking, Malen charges them and shouts

"Fus Ro Dah"

All of the geth were slammed and smashed into pieces against the wall by the invisible force that hit them. When Malen entered the next room on the far left side of the room he was in, he found another quarian female body on top of a box. Malen telekinetically lifted her to. When Tali caught up with Malen, she could hear him tell the dead woman

"You will be with your children again soon. Keelah se'lai."

Malen and Tali then proceeded into the next room straight ahead. They were at the top of a small flight of stairs that led to a lower room with a door on the other side of the room. Before they could go down the stairs, geth started to pour out of the door at the bottom and from the room perpendicular from the floor they were on. Malen simply incased his left hand in a cold frost and swung his hand out: releasing a massive wave of cold in front of him that froze all of the geth in the area into place. The geth that were not frozen onto walls fell to the floor and shattered on impact. Tali and Malen then proceeded down the stairs and into the next room.

Only a few steps into the next room and Tali saw something she had been praying to not see ever since they boarded the Alarei, The dead body of her father.

Tali:" Father!" She said in sadness and slight disbelief.

Tali bent down and tried to find a possibility that her father was not dead. She became extremely panic, despaired, and in denial. Malen could tell this and knelt down with her and placed his right hand on her left shoulder. Malen knew he could do something for him, but still he wished he didn't have to suffer.

Tali:" No, no, no! You always had a plan. Masked life signs, or, or an onboard medical stasis program, maybe. You! you wouldn't… They're wrong! You wouldn't just die like this! You wouldn't leave me to clean up your mess! You can't."

Malen turned her around and held her closely to him and pressed gently on her head onto his left shoulder.

Malen:" do not erode the dead with bitter tears. They cannot hold anything anymore. Your tears would crush and erode your father, just as they would in life. Let me hold on to your tears. Do not worry, I am strong enough to hold them for you. Cry…cry all that you can. Do not hold in any of it back. Once I have the tears of your despair, I shall cast them away, never to be felt again. In return, I shall give you my joy, hope, and love so that the waters of new happiness and life may stream from the orbs of your belief and heal the wounds that despair has inflicted on your face." He whispers caringly and lovingly to her.

Tali griped Malen as tightly as she could and buried her visor into his shoulder.

Tali:" Damn it! Damn it. I'm sorry."

Malen places his right index finger over her speaker.

Malen: "I would be more worried if you did not cry. " It is hard to get tears from stone." Is it not? It shows me that your heart is alive and still beating with the energy of your living spirit. Do not apologize Tali: you have nothing to be sorry to me about. I told you that I'm here for you. But not all is lost for your father Tali. Watch and you will see soon." He said with closed eyes and a reassuring smile.

Malen picks up her father's body and holds it bridal style (The style you see a lot when a person is caring a dead body of someone they care for deeply) and begins to walk up the small flight of stairs in front of them.

Tali:" Where are you going?" she said in a still despaired voice.

Malen:" To end the last of the killers here and to undo what they have wrought." He said in a serious tone of voice.

Tali slowly stood up and began to follow Malen up the steps and into the last room. Malen entered the moderate sized room where a glass screen was between him and the last of the geth on the ship. When Malen moved around the corner and to the other side the glass, the geth started to turn around and were preparing to fire on him, but before the first shot was fired, Malen shouted:

"Yol Toor Shul"

Fire erupted and spread out in front of Malen. The geth stood no chance against this and were soon turned into slag. The geth; however, were not the only things destroyed by Malen's fire breath shout. The console that they were apparently standing in front of was also destroyed. Malen eventually concluded that the geth must have been using it so his dragon shout must have also targeted it.

When Tali entered the room and went around the glass, she saw that the remaining geth had been reduced to slag, apparently from Malen speaking that strange language she never heard before, and the console in the front of the room was melted beyond use or repair. Tali also saw Malen start to lay the bodies down in a row.

Once Malen had finished laying down all of the bodies, he went back down stairs and soon came back up with two more bodies; one slung on each shoulder, and laid them down in the row of bodies he had made. Tali was very confused as to what Malen intended to do with them. And was going to ask Malen what his plan was, but Malen simply place his index finger over his mouth and motioned to Tali to step back a little.

Malen:" Watch and you will see." He said in a monotone voice.

Malen took a few steps back from the row of bodies. When Malen was sure that he was a good enough distance away for all the bodies to be affected, he shouted aloud:

"Slen Tiid Vo"

For the first few moments: nothing happened, but sure enough, the bodies of all the dead quarians, including Tali's father, began to slowly rise off the ground. The wounds of the shots that were fired into them by the geth were disappearing into nothing. Malen and Tali could hear them drawing breath as they were slowly lowered to the ground standing.

The now resurrected quarians at first were not sure if they were even alive. They touched their bodies with their hands and took in deep breaths. Sure enough they were alive and well. Tali was speechless and no thoughts ran through her head. The first thing that the resurrected quarians thought was "How am I alive?!"

They looked around the room for an answer to their new life. They found it when they stared at Malen, all except Rael Zorah: He rested his sight upon his daughter.

Rael Zorah:" Tali? Is that you?!"

Tali recognized her father's voice and knew it was him. She ran over to him and hugged him tightly while crying with joy.

Tali:" Father! You're alive! Thank goodness!"

Rael Zorah:" It is you Tali. I thought that you might come looking for me, but I knew I was going to die so I left you a message, did you read it?"

Tali:" No I didn't. Malen carried you up here and brought you back to life."

If it was not for the fact that they knew that they were killed and that Malen was the thing that stood out the most in the room then the quarians would not have believed her, but know they all knew it was Malen that brought them back to life, something they all thought was impossible to happen to them. All eyes, including Tali and Rael's, were now on Malen.

Malen was feeling uncomfortable and was worried that they would start treating him like a god ( he maybe in terms of what he was, but Malen did not want to be treated like one since it would socially isolate him, that and Malen just wanted to be treated as who he was, Malen). Sure enough, all of the quarians in the room began to bow to him. Malen started to panic a little.

Malen:" Please don't bow! I do not wish to be treated as such. I know what I am and what I can do and I use my powers to help those in need. I don't want to be treated so highly that you cast my throne that you have built into a lonely sea. I wish to be treated and seen as who I am, not what I am. Please do this for me." He pleaded.

Every quarian in the room was amazed by Malen's humbleness and decided to accept Malen's plea. Tali saw more of Malen that what the others did. In the tone that he said it in and what he did for them and her. Tali began to see the man underneath the flesh: Malen was a strong, humble, kind, intuitive, motivating man who has probably been alone for most of his life (which he was). Tali eventually snapped out of her sympathetic state.

Tali:" Malen, we need to get back to the trial. If we take too long then they will judge that we are already dead."

Malen nodded his head and motioned to the others to follow him to the shuttle.

Rael:" What trial?"

Malen explains to Rael about the trial about Tali being charged with treason for bringing active geth into the migrant fleet. This information causes Rael to be overwhelmed with guilt and grief.

Rael:" No! Tali!? No! I did this for her. I wanted her to have the home she never had. I wanted to give her everything she ever wanted, but in my attempt to give her a home all I gave her was pain and reticule. A father's sins should have to be paid for by his own daughter. No! I must make this right." He thought to himself.

They boarded the shuttle and entered the Alarei. A couple of quarians were having conversations that Tali probably did not make it back. When Malen, Tali, and the other quarians walked past them, they turned to see if it was Tali and Malen. When they saw that everyone that was in and sent to the Alarei was alive and walking right past them, they were stunned into silence as they watched them enter the trial room.

Malen, Tali, Rael, and the others overheard the admirals talking about starting the trial anyway and that they thought Tali and Malen were dead. When Rael heard that they were going to resume the trial he ran forward as fast as he could to get to the trial before they reached the verdict. Malen was impressed that a quarian could run that fast, though given the circumstances, if Malen were in his place then he would probably be running forward to. Malen, Tali, and the others followed closely behind.

Rael was the first to approach the trial room and stand before the admiralty board: followed soon after by Malen and the others. Raan was in mid-sentence, asking the admiralty board if they were ready to render a judgment. Everyone in the room fell silent when they saw Rael Zorah, Tali Zorah, Malen Katarn, and all of the other quarians they presumed dead. Admiral Koris remembered what Malen said before he left for the Alarei and felt a sort of "I told you so" moment coming on: he decided to remain silent for now.

Tali:" Sorry we're late."

Rael:" I know that because I'm her father that I must excuse myself from this trial, but please listen to what I have to say. You must find my daughter innocent of treason. I am the guilty one of this treason, not Tali. I asked her to send me geth materials so I could do research on how to create a viable system of attack against the geth. After days and weeks of failures, I decided to bypass safety protocols in order to find a solution faster, but alas, my impatience was my sin: I desired a quick resolution over careful procedure and ended up getting my entire crew slaughtered. I just wanted a home for my daughter. Please find her innocent. Convict me instead." He pleaded to the other admirals.

Tali:" No! Father!" she tried to yell.

Malen placed his right hand over Tali's chest to stop her from running up to her father.

Malen:" Let him have this Tali. He needs to do this for his daughter. He needs to show her that he loves her so very much."

Tali stops her advance, but looks on worriedly at her father. Raan looks to Malen.

Raan:" Is this true Malen?"

Malen pulls of the records he viewed on the Alarei on to his Omni tool and showed it to the Admiralty Board. After they all viewed the recordings, the admirals had reached a decision.

Raan:" Tali Zorah vas Neema. The Admiralty Board finds you not guilty of treason. Has the Board reached a verdict on Rael Zorah?'

The other admirals answered yes.

Tali:" No! Father!"

Rael simply lowered his head, knowing what the verdict was, but he chose this path and he will not regret it.

Malen:" You are all a bunch of damn Hypocrites!" He shouted at the Admiralty Board.

Most people would have been offended by this outburst, but Raan saw that perhaps this was Malen trying to defend Rael Zorah's actions and decided to let him speak.

Raan:" Do you speak in the defense of Rael Zorah as well Malen Katarn vas Nirn?"

Malen:" Not just him, but for compassion, fellowship, and for Rannoch.. Keelah se'lai. The quarians talk about how much they want to go back to their home world. They state to those who are none quarians how much they are willing to give to live on Rannoch, where they would finally feel the touch of grass between their feet, the gentle breeze on their sun touched faces, To feel the warmth of a lover on a cold winter's night. Every quarian in this room and in this fleet has stated such things in their life time, Am I right!?" he demands with authority, strength and truth.

Every quarian in the room nods yes.

Malen:" How many of you have a family or family members?!"

Everyone raised their hand.

Malen:" Then look at them. LOOK AT THEM!" he demanded

Everyone looked at the family members they had in the room.

Malen:" What would you be willing to do to give them a home where they can be free from the confinement of their livelihoods? Where they don't have to be scared to want to touch another, where they can love one another to the extent that their hearts desire and not be sealed inside a prison where they must always stare at what their hearts most desire but can never have it, never hold it, never kiss it?"

The quarians stare deeply into the eyes of their loved ones. Tali looks intensely at Malen, her heart pounding like a drum in her chest.

Malen:" Rael Zorah and his crew were brave enough to risk their own lives to try and find a way to make a home on Rannoch. THEY WERE WILLING TO DIE FOR IT! To die for the ones they cherished so deeply in their very soul and for their people as a whole so they may live on in freedom. They were willing to make the ultimate sacrifice so that their children AND YOU can have the home that you always knew but never stepped foot in, the fields you were meant to mow but cannot till, and the fresh water that ebbs through rivers and streams that calls to those who thirst and freely gives it but that you cannot drink."

Tali's heart starts to beat even harder and her breathing became heavier (not labored, but a sense more significant).

Malen:" If YOU, YOU who are "willing to give anything to have Rannoch back." But would condemn this man to exile because he was one of the few quarians to go the distance for his daughter and his people then YOU ARE A BUNCH OF WEAK WILLED HYPOCRITS! I want you to look into the eyes of your fathers, your mothers, your brothers, your sisters, your aunts, uncles, and cousins, your nieces, your nephews, your sons, your daughters, your husbands and wives. I want you to look at them into their very heart and soul and tell them " You cannot have a home to live, you cannot live on Rannoch.". If you are so willing to condemn this man for trying so hard then I want you to look at your loved ones and tell them that they can never have a home. TELL THEM!" He screamed at them as he was pointing at the quarians in the audience as if he was pointing at the quarian people as a whole.

Everyone was silent and did not move. All eyes were first on Malen, then to their loved ones, then back to Malen. Never in their known recordings or history have they ever heard someone so passionately and furiously defend one of their own kind, not even their own people have defended one of their own like this. Some of the quarians in the audience lowered their heads and began to softly cry to themselves in guilt and disgust. Rael never took his eyes off of Malen and after Malen was done, he stared wide eyed and in awe.

Rael:" He defended me? With that much heart and soul in his words? I 'm… not worthy of this benevolence." He thought to himself solemnly.

Tali had almost stopped breathing and her heart felt like beating out of her chest.

After what seemed like hours of time passed by, Raan was the one to regain her voice, though it sounded a bit horse.

Raan:" It is a sad day for us when someone who is none quarian knows more about us than even we do. We have become short sighted in our desire for a home that we do not see the inherit dangers in our attempts to take it back yet we speak of what we are willing to give for our home back and when one of us tries to actually give everything he has for us, what do we do? We ridicule and banish him for not seeing the dangers that we ourselves cannot see. We are indeed hypocrites Malen Katarn vas Nirn. Thank you for showing us our error. Rael Zorah."

Rael:" Yes Raan?"

Raan:" Due to Malen's greater wisdom in even our own matters and has shown us the error in our judgment and perhaps even view of our situation we have lived in for so long: I think I speak for everyone when I say that the Admiralty Board finds you not guilty of treason."

The other admirals nod their heads in agreement.

Raan:" Malen, please accept these gifts for defending one of our own people and showing us the error in our own judgments."

Malen:" I have one more thing to say your honor. I know that many of you won't believe what I'm about to say, but I know it to be true and it's what I think is best for the quarian people. Do not go to war with the geth. I have seen that each geth possess their own life force, not yet fully actualized, but a life force none the less. Don't throw your children into this war when another, even larger, war is soon to come. Look at what it has done to you anyway. You are turning on your own selves. Ridiculing and banishing those who tried to win the very same war you claim that you so desire to fight and win. Patience, maybe there does not have to be a war between the geth and quarians at all. "The enemy of my enemy is my friend." Ring any bells to you? Are they not your children as well?"

Koris was greatly surprised that Malen would take his side of the war.

Koris:" wise words indeed Malen. I hope our people heed them."

Raan:" This hearing is concluded. Go in peace, Tali Zorah vas Nemma. Keelah se'lai."

Tali approaches Malen as the trial disbands and embraces him.

Malen:" I kept my promise like I said I would Tali. When I said that I would see you and your father through this."

Tali:" You did it. I.. can't thank you enough for what you have given back to me Malen. Words can't describe it, not by a long shot." She says as she starts shedding tears of joy.

After a while of hugging, Malen and Tali talked to the admirals, her father, Veetor, and Kal'Reegar. After they were done talking to them, Malen and Tali went back and called in a quarian shuttle to pick them up. On the way to the shuttle and back to the Normandy Tali held Malen's hand tightly and rubbed his chest and looked up at him when they were on the shuttle.

When Malen and Tali got back onto the Normandy, Tali led Malen with both hands, walking backwards, into the elevator and rode it down to the 5th floor. Tali then led Malen to an open area in the cargo bay.

Tali:" Can you make a bed appear right there (she points to an open area up against a wall) for me please?" she asks in a sweet yet seductive voice.

Malen has had no experience in what Tali was trying to imply to Malen, so he did not see that this was going to get "really interesting".

Malen:" a guard on my home planet once asked me to do something very similar, but yes I actually can." He said with a laugh.

A black portal appears exactly where Tali wants the bed to be. Moments later a bed (the same kind that Malen has in his archmages's room in the college of Winterhold) appears out of the portal and is placed where Tali wanted it.

Tali:" Good, now then."

Tali looks at her Omni tool and cycles through some songs until she picks the one she likes (In this case it is a slow love song. I will let you pick the song that you think that is most appropriate for this situation.) Tali also asks EDI to dim the lights, which EDI does.

Malen is getting very nervous and is starting to sweat.

Malen:" Is she really wanting to do what I think she wants to do?!" he thought to himself nervously.

Tali looks directly at Malen as if she was seeing into his very soul. Tali takes her visor off and simply lets it hit the ground. She then takes off the rest of her mask/helmet.

Malen:" She would make even the fairest of elves from my world jealous." He thought to himself, awed by her untouched beauty.

Tali then started to take off her gloves and then the chest piece. She slowly began to undo the fastens and straps that held the suit to her body. When Malen could see her chest, he gulped down hard and was blushing a deep red all over his face.

Malen:" Oh shit! She really wants to do this. For the love of Mara Malen don't do anything stupid." He nervously thought to himself.

It wasn't long before Tali's full uncovered beauty was exposed to Malen. Malen took a deep breath and tried to relax. Tali then went over to Malen and started undressing him. She first started with his gauntlets, then shoulder pads, then chest piece, leggings, and finally boots. Tali was amazed by the weight of the armor that Malen wore, just the gauntlets were almost too heavy for her. Now Malen was as naked as Tali is. She looks over Malen and is very impressed by his build. She ran her hands down his chest, feeling another person's skin for the first time. Malen's scales were sometimes rough, like on top of his shoulders, but then got very smooth to Tali when she got down to his abs and belly.

After having her fill of feeling Malen's scales while standing up, she gently led him to the bed, turned him around and gently pushed on his back onto the bed. Malen had no experience when it came to courtship or "making love" and was praying that he did not screw this up.

Malen turned his head to the left to see what Tali was going to do. He saw her climb onto the bed and sit on his back. He could feel her rear end siting on the backside of his waste. Tali slowly began to message Malen's tail. She started from the tip of his tail: caressing it between her thumb and pointer finger. She slowly began to work her fingers down, massaging each part of his tail along the way, until she got to the base of the tail that connected it to his body. After Tali was done massaging Malen's tail, she turned around and laid down on his back with her mouth next to his left ear.

Tali:" Please Malen, let me have this. I can tell that you have been fight for so long by yourself against things I can hardly imagine. You gave back to me what I thought was lost forever and defended my father when no one else would. Please Malen: let me give back to you the love and joy you gave me." She said with love.

Malen calmed down and his body became less tense and was ready to receive whatever it was that Tali wanted to give him. Tali noticed this.

Tali:" Thank you Malen." She said in the same love filled voice.

Tali sat up a bit and began to massage Malen's back the best that she could, going from gentle brushes of her hands to rougher presses.

Tali:" You have not only carried your own burdens but have carried a great deal of mine as well Malen. It's not fair that you would have to carry so much. Let me carry some of your burdens for you Malen, I want this."

Malen's left eye was concentrated on Tali's face. Never has he heard the words in life spoken to him that he has only dreamed of in his greatest of dreams. Single tear of joy rolled down Malen's face as his body relaxed even more in peace. Tali continued to massage Malen's back for a good hour or so. Tali then flipped Malen over to his front side, laid on top of him and looked him in the eyes, even though one of them was patched. Tali placed her right hand over Malen's right eye and pulled off his eye patch.

Malen was afraid that she would call him a monster and run, but when she saw his right eye, she didn't even twitch at all, or change anything about her expression at all. She looked into both of Malen's eyes with longing (not desire so much as it is to give what Malen had given her back to him).

Tali:" I want to know you Malen. I want to be with you so that you are never alone. I want you to stay with me. Be my strength Malen and I will be your shelter."

Malen looked into Tali's eyes with the same kind of longing she has for him. Malen places both hands on her back and embraces her tightly to himself. He raps his legs around hers and raps his tail around her right leg. He places his head next to hers. Malen concentrates on the presence of her body on top of his. Her heart beating on top of his own. He wanted to have their hearts beat as one, for him to feel whole. To know that he is not alone. He listened to her breathing, He let her breath fill his mind and body for the breath was a conduit into one's very soul for it represented life and living. He felt the subtle movements of Tali's body on his: he used this feeling to let him know that this was not an extension of himself, but another living soul wanting to be with his.

When this expression of love was almost over, Tali and Malen leaned their faces really close to each other.

:" I love you". They both whispered in love into each other's ears.

Not long after that, Tali fell asleep on top of Malen. Malen gently patted her on the top of her head. He lifted her head so that her face was in front of his. Malen kissed Tali on the lips as tenderly as an argonian can and laid her head down in between his pectorals. Malen decided to go to sleep as well, not that he needed it. Maybe he could enjoy the sweetest dreams with her, or defend her against her nightmares he thought to himself. And with that Malen fell asleep as well.

Author's notes: Hope you enjoyed that chapter. Sorry if it was a bit too long for you. I also want to apologize for taking so long to make this. Please PM me and tell me what you think of the story so far and leave reviews, telling others what you think of this incredible story.