My dear Tali is thrilled to be back home. Whenever she is excited, she slightly balances on her toes. On an anniversary date, I surprised her with a reservation to a sushi restaurant she told me about during her pilgrimage. She dreamt of one day being able to sit down and watch the fish swim back and forth while she drinked the finest turian wine they had. Well, that cost me more than what Shepard gave me, thankfully she was happy with a more reasonable option. In line, she slightly bobbed up and down. It is so cute. I don't think Tali is aware she does it. If I desire it to continue, I'm keeping my lips shut.
Her daddy on the other hand is as stiff as a board. The troubled admiral is sending off huge waves of shame. The compassionate part of me wants to say something to ease his burden while the vengeful part reminds me what he did to the geth and how he treated his only daughter. Is it bad I want to be there when the other admirals chew his boney hiney off? The doors hiss open, and we are met with a crowd of cheering quarains. A rainbow of three fingered people carrying rusty metal buckets. Tap tap taps on my visor like hail on a car windshield.
"Tha ha ah HEY stop pelting me with whatever that is" I swat away the barrage of… I look down and pick up… what is that? Is it a ribbon? It is a piece of fabric with a simple knot.
Tali shoulders go up and down with each chuckle "When quarians return home, we celebrate with confetti made from suit scraps."
"Huh. I prefer being surrounded with doggies when I come home but you do you" I said.
Rael thinks the crowd of quarians before sending them off. A red suited quarian with a yellow visor stays to sweep the ground. Tali rushes forwards towards a female quarian with a black and white suit with spider web like lines and the same color purple visor. She hugs my Tali. I'm feeling jealous. Tali never hugs me like that. Tali looks back towards me and introduces me to her aunt.
"********* this is my aunt Rann. She isn't technically my aunt. Quarians are normally only allowed one child, but she is family."
Rann bows "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. Tali has told me so much about you. She spent many nights messaging me how impressed you've made her. I should forward you my favorite messages."
"AUNTIE!" Tali blushing hard. I can feel it. My feet nearly trip themselves as I run up to auntie Rann. My thin noodles arms find my way around her torso, lifting her up in the air like I did Wrex. OW! OW! OW! Good lord how much does this woman weigh? AH! Back sprain. Back sprain. Forgot how much weaker my quarian body is.
"Rannie… you raised the BEST woman I have ever met. I'm something of a ladies' man. I met alot of girls during my very weird life, but Tali blows every one of them out of the water. Tali is so lucky to have had you as a parent. Thank you for SINGLE HANDEDLY bringing up my sweetie. Since good things take work, it must have been hard raising her, but so lucky to have the most special woman in the galaxy, universe, omniverse, the weird planes above it all, and it is all thanks to you."
Rael says "I am standing right here."
"I know. I didn't forget." Rann glances back to Rael. I know she can sense the tension between us.
"Tali mentioned you won't be familiar with our ways. Some advice, be mindful of the wording you use" Rann warned.
Rael says "He's going rather easy today. He does it when he is happy."
"When Tali is happy, I am happy. I synchronize to those vibes and it froms a positive feedback loop. But I am not afraid to put my foot down if she crosses the line. Thankfully she never does it. Tali is so great. Did she get it from you?" I ask.
"Umm… Tali has always been such a wonderful child. Rael, you approve of her pairing?" Rann asks.
"There is nothing I can do to stop that man. I even designed a containment system, and it only stunned him" Rael's words angered me.
My nimble body swivels right back around him "YOU DICK! I thought Mordin designed it."
"Don't hurt me. I won't ever build another one. Ancestors I promise" Rael said showing me his disgusting traitorous palms! How did Tali sprout from his wedding vegetables?
"You should be showing an Admiral more respect if you wish to remain on this fleet" Rann said. I see who the disciplinarian was.
Rael looks away "Don't Shala. I can't fight him, and he saved my life. Besides, not everything he said is wrong and after what I did, I won't be an admiral for long, but that is the least of our worries." Yes, listen to that guilt. It tells you what you did was wrong. Feel the shame of your actions.
Rann says "The other admirals are very displeased with your sudden disappearance and working with Cerberus. I argued in your place that it was to protect your daughter, however you will have to explain yourself."
"Auntie, we have something very important to show you" Tali said. Time to swing the bat.
"I am an energy manipulating being escaped from another universe who came here to get away from the mess my predecessors tried to dump on my generation and long story short Tali stole my heart, so I am living here now for the foreseeable future" I said.
"Are you insane?" Rann asked. Tali and Rael are so shocked they didn't hear her.
"You're telling her?" Tali asked.
"Are you sure you want to show her?"
"She's basically family. What isn't that what we are doing?" I asked.
"I meant the photos of the quarians on Rannoch!" Tali said.
"What did you just say child!?" Rann turns to her.
"Oops. My bad. I interpreted the vibes wrong. It happens" I said.
"Back up. Please explain" Rann said.
"Are our comms private?" I asked.
Tali takes my omnitool and presses several buttons "They are now. I put her into your contacts."
Ok time to go into the deets "So I was born in another universe as a human… well I had chronic health problems which lead me to a dark place, which forced me to find spirituality as a way to cope, then I started to work on myself and I got better, but my world got way worse, then one day my brain cracked or something and realized the energy wishywoohoo wasn't all a crock and was determined to continuously improve as a way to past the time. Eventually I somehow learned to dematerialize into pure energy which allowed me to explore other universes. So, I did that for a few thousand years, came here because I was bored, long story short I fell in love with Tali and now we are here." I hate talking so much. How do others talk for hours and not feel drained?
"Not that. Tali… did you say quarians on Rannoch?" Rann asked.
I throw my arms to the side "Did you not hear what I just said?"
Tali explains "Yes. Legion explained what happened to our past and permitted us to return to Rannoch. I walked on our homeworld. We stayed with a family who was raised there. It was like those human movies."
Rann asks "Surely you are joking."
Rael says "She isn't. We have pictures. Commander Shepard tried to negotiate deals with the quarian governments and geth collective. Himself and Legion were unable to convince them to join the fight against the Reapers."
"So the Reapers are real. That is disconcerting. Who is Legion? It is a strange name." Rann rubs her mouth piece.
Tali said "It was a friendly geth I worked with."
"WHA-WHAT!" Rann's voice was so loud, it escaped through her visor.
Tali pulls out the photos on her omnitool. Showing us at Family dinner. Legion stares at the camera while scoping the food of his plate to the adorable little boy's plate to his left. In the middle is me, with my non-traditional Hollywood looking but just as attractive face and my happy as can be girlfriend tied in my right arm. Karla and Roan stand behind us.
Rann asks "how can this be?"
"I can shapeshift into other races. Just need to think about it and walla!" I said.
"The other admirals will want to see this. How did they beat the geth into submission?" Rann asked.
"What am I? Chopped liver?" My rhetorical question gets Rael's attention.
He says "Don't turn into that. I don't know what that is, but it doesn't sound pleasant."
"I am not going to do that!" my annoyed voice sent him back.
Tali explains "That is the crazy thing. They didn't. What we were taught was wrong. The geth rebelled with other quarians to drive our ancestors off Rannoch and they are the ones who keep attacking the scouts if they get too close. Auntie, the geth are not our enemy."
"I don't believe what I am hearing" Rann said.
"The crazy thing is it isn't even a big secret. The asari councilor said the asari have known all this time" I said.
"You lie" Rann stated.
I scroll through my contacts and find her, click the call button, don't want her seeing my face.
Ring.
Ring.
Ring.
Ring.
She must be busy.
"Hello ********* you called at a bad time" Tevos said.
"Hi Tevy. Good to hear your voice. I hope you are having a fantastic day because you deserve it. Listen… I am with two quarain admirals at the moment and one doesn't believe me that there are survivors on Rannoch. Be the sweetest blue lamb and take a brief moment to call her and tell her yourself please. I just sent you her address."
"Fine.. but only because you helped out Valern. Are you sick? You sound different" Tevos asked.
"I am in a suit at the moment on their fleet that is why I sound odd" hehe she thinks I am in a space suit. If only she knew.
"That makes sense. I have a few minutes. Take care *********" Tevos said.
"BYE TEVY" I said. The call ends.
…
"Tevy?" Tali's hand is on her hip and judging me.
"If I am cute, I get away with stuff and you hate being called Talialy" Not the greatest defense but it is true.
Rann's omnitool blinks. The admiral looks at me before answering. Sure, enough through the holographic screen is the asari counclior. Rann is taken aback it is actually her.
"OH! Greetings Councilor Tevos. My name is-"
"Shala'Raan of the Tonbay. I know. I'm making this quick. Yes, there are quarians living on Rannoch. Your ancestors made the geth as a slave workforce to replace quarians working for the corporatocracy. They rebelled for decades until the awakening of the geth turned the tides in their favor and mercifully kicked your narcissistic ancestors off world" Tevos said.
"I can't believe this. If you knew, why weren't we informed? Are you not afraid of the geth?" Rann asked.
"Asari are not the record keepers for other races. It is not our fault you short lived races forget so easily. And no, apart from Saren's attack which was the only confirmed violent incident the geth have ever displayed, we are not worried about them. The council has more important matters to focus on" Tevos said with an exhausted tone. I feel bad for her. I know what it is like watching how people forget what happened in two decades. I get living in the present, but ignoring the past is not an answer. Now imagine being in charge of races that forget what happened a couple of centuries ago. It must be annoying.
"The geth are one of the greatest dangers to this galaxy!" Rann snapped back.
"Watch your tone carefully. You are sounding exactly like those who created the mess you are in right now. On the geth matter, they are a synthetic race made from the formerly greatest technologically advanced race in this galaxy who are not limited by the needs of food, sleep, credits, needing a planet, or allowing politics to get in the way of progress. If they truly desired it, they could have built up a massive military force and taken over the galaxy over a century ago. They are more interested in learning and expanding their consciousness. Your people's continuous verbal and physical attacks on a peaceful race invented solely to justify your anger in order to shadow your incompetence and well-deserved quality of life is pathetic at best. I have other more important matters to attend to. Good day Admiral" Tevos hangs up. I see why she is the asari councilor. Even I feel guilty, and I didn't do anything that she knows of.
"This changes everything" Rann happiness is about to be crushed. I'll let Rael do it, I don't respect him. A little energy in his expression center to get things going.
"It does not. They hate and fear us. They believe if we return, we'll try to wrestle for control back and steal everything they fought and worked hard to build" Rael said.
"We'd never do that!" Rann said.
"They won't take the risk nor believe a word we say. It is a miracle Legion was able to convince them to let Tali step foot on Rannoch and even then, she was attacked" Rael said.
"WHAT!" Rann screams could shatter a visor.
"I'm fine. ********* saved me. I'll tell you all about it later. Rann, I know we are throwing alot at you, but did you hear what my cherished said earlier?" Tali asked.
"I'm sorry child, I was so focused on our people living on Rannoch I wasn't paying attention. What did you say *********?" Rann asked.
"Is there somewhere private I can show you something? You'll have to keep this secret. Not that anyone will believe you" I said.
Rael suggests "We can go to the admiralty office. We have a room for discussing our most sensitive matters and I'll need to have a meeting with the other admirals afterwards."
"Wait, I thought we would use those special blacked out rooms for private couple time Tali told me about. I was hoping to make a reservation" I said.
"Excuse you? Why would you need that?" Rann asked.
"You know why" I'd like her to be the first one to see my quarain face. I don't even know what I look like.
Rann asks Tali "Is your relationship that serious?"
Tali asks "It's hard to put a word on it since human and quarian dating customs are different. I can tell you I love him as deep as the air vents run through the ship."
I say to myself "I'm clearly the romantic poet in the relationship."
Rann gasps "I had no idea you care for him that much. My bondmate said those words to me when I was a budding young woman."
I ask "You like that baloney?"
Rael explains "Air is precious to quarians. It is produced from the few living plants we have from our world. The source of our life and connection to Rannoch."
"Oh. I didn't realize air was so special to you guys. Thanks Tali… I'd like to… share the air with you?" I really need to learn how to flirt as a quarian.
Tali adorably giggles "Don't worry love, you'll learn like I did with you. Like humans say the shoe is on the other foot."
Rann says "those rooms you referred to are reserved months in advance and are expected for bonded mates only."
"MONTHS! I can't wait that long to be with my sweetheart!" I shouted.
Tali says "There's a secret one behind the walls I helped build as a teenager. We'll stop by when I give you the tour."
Rann says "WHAT?"
Rael says "WHAT!"
I scream "WHAT!?"