Chapter 8
It had been decided that Tali should accompany them, not only because she had vital information, but also for her protection. The bullet wound she was nursing had been inflicted by employees of The Shadow Broker. Harry, Shepard and a limping Tali slowly made their way up the gang plank into the Normandy and were met by Engineer Adams helping to unload a crate of replacement parts into the cargo section. He looked up and saw they were approaching so he dusted his hands off and approached.
"LC, Admiral Potter, who's this?" Adams asked.
"This is Tali'Zorah Nar Rayya of the Quarian Migrant Fleet. She's currently here on pilgrimage. Ms. Zorah, this is Chief Engineer Adams." Shepard explained.
"I've wanted to meet one of you folks for a while now, I'd love to grill you about improvised repairs when you get the chance! For now though LC there's an issue with the thermal couplers down in engineering. We need Captain Anderson to sign off on the requisition for new couplers." Adams said.
"I can do that." Harry said.
"Right!" Adams said handing a data pad over to Harry. Tali couldn't help herself when she saw the parts listed on the pad.
"Excuse me, Admiral Potter, Chief Adams, those couplers are not adequate for heat sinks like the ones I saw coming in. You're going to need the J-7 series at least, I'd go with Talana engineering, they're inexpensive and are more than enough to handle that much heat." Tali said. Adams stared at her, and she became suddenly very self-conscious.
"Admiral, can we keep her?" Adams asked with a grin. Tali sighed with relief.
"We'll worry about that later, right now I think she could use some rest." Harry said. Tali was about to object, when a sharp pain shot through her abdomen, causing her to jerk and hold the area where she'd been shot.
"I think that would be best." Tali said.
"I'll ask later. In the meantime I'll get together all of the tech documentation that isn't classified together for you, if you're anything like me if you can't work, then you want to learn." Adams said.
"That would be amazing!" Tali said. They made their way to the infirmary, along the way they passed Ashley and Kaidan who were in the middle of a conversation.
"Great they're bringing on another one." Ashley muttered under her breath. Harry froze.
"Shepard could you bring Tali down to see Dr. Chakwas? I need to have a conversation with Chief Williams." Harry said. Tali's slumped shoulders told him he wasn't the only one that heard.
"Of course, Admiral." Jane said, glaring at Ashley who was now pale and sweating. When they were out of earshot, Harry walked over and looked Ashley in the eyes.
"Lieutenant Alenko, I need a word with Chief Williams in private." Harry said.
"Understood, Admiral." Kaidan said, sparing Ashley a worried glance before walking off.
"Admiral Potter, I-" Ashley started saying but was cut off.
"Williams, how close were you with your grandfather?" Harry asked. Ashley's terror turned into rage, but she was smart enough not to clap back.
"Very, sir." Ashley said.
"And did he tell you a lot about the first contact war?" Harry asked. She frowned.
"He didn't like to talk about it." Ashley admitted.
"I'd imagine not. He is unfairly known as the weak general that surrendered to the Turians. I take it that's the source of your hostility?" Harry asked.
"Sir, that stigma has followed me my whole life." Ashley said.
"The stigma that your grandfather was a worthless cowardly traitor that bent over and took it from the Turians?" Harry said.
"FUCK YOU POTTER!" Ashley shouted. Harry's expression remained neutral. He pointed his finger at her.
"That, Williams. That is is the problem. I knew your grandfather. He was a great man, and a fucking hero. I know more than you do how many lives he saved, not just Human but Turian. I was there. People make the wrong assumption because they don't know any better. They just see that a Human surrendered to a Turian, and that makes them angry. That makes them hate. They're just civilians though, they don't know what we know, they haven't seen what we've seen. That's why I'm even more disappointed to hear this filth coming out of your mouth." Harry said. Ashley stared in shock at Harry.
"I don't expect you to jump into bed with Liara, Tali or Garrus, Williams. What I do expect is for you to take a good long look at this attitude of yours and think hard about whether or not General Williams would agree with and be proud of you for having this viewpoint. I'm going to forget that little outburst, I'm hoping this will serve as a learning experience for you, but you'd better shape up. I can and will boot you off this ship and out of the military altogether, have I made myself clear?" Harry said.
"Yes, Sir. I'm sorry, sir." Williams said. Harry put his hand on her shoulder.
"I know it must be hard. When I was a kid half of my people hated me for something I had no control of. We don't get to choose how the world sees us, but we can choose the kind of person we become." Harry said, squeezing her shoulder and heading towards the Infirmary. Kaidan came back and gave her a minute before speaking.
"Alright there, Ash?" Kaidan said. She looked at him with tears in her eyes.
"Yeah, I just... Admiral Potter just put something into perspective for me." Ashley said. Kaidan smiled.
"I'm glad. Now.. about ammunition storage.." Kaidan said, picking up where they had left off. Harry walked through the door of the infirmary to see Tali sitting up on an exam table and Shepard looking worried, sitting in a chair off to the side.
"I'm sorry about that, Ms. Zorah. I've spoken to Ash. She's grown up blaming non-humans for the stigma her family carries due to her grandfather's heroics during the first contact war." Harry said.
"It's fine, I'm used to it, to be honest." Tali said. Shepard frowned.
"Well let us know if anyone treats you poorly for any reason here."Shepard said. Dr. Chakwas walked through the door and into the room carrying a medical scanner.
"Good afternoon Admiral. Tali whenever you're ready we can begin.
"Come on Jane, we'll wait outside." Harry said.
"Wait, why are you leaving?" Tali asked, sounding nervous.
"Medical confidentiality is important to us. Unless you pose a threat to the crew, your health status is none of our business." Shepard explained.
"Could you stay? Please? I don't mind." Tali said. Harry and Shepard looked at each other and shrugged and looked at Dr. Chakwas.
"Patient has given consent to the presence of Lieutenant Commander Jane Shepard and Admiral Harry Potter during her medical examination." Chakwas said into her recorder and began the examination.
"I'm going to talk to Steven about addressing that shit during training." Harry said.
"I'm surprised they don't already." Shepard said.
"We've only been aware of extra-terrestrial life, barring the Protheans, for 26 years. The advances we've made in inter-species relations in that short time is nothing less than astounding but we clearly have some room for improvement." Harry said.
"Tali, how long has it been since you've eaten?" Dr. Chakwas asked.
"Two days, I think." Tali said meekly.
"I'm on it." Harry said walking over to a cabinet on the wall. When he opened it Tali looked inside and was shocked to see the storage space inside the relatively small cabinet was enormous. He pulled out a box and withdrew two nutrient paste tubes.
"Keelah, how is there so much in that cabinet?" Tali asked.
"A fair amount of the crew aboard the Normandy are magic users. Admiral Potter here expanded the cabinet for me when he first visited it." Chakwas said.
"Christ, look, everyone in this room is welcome to call me Harry unless we're in the presence of foreign dignitaries, or performing official military or ceremonial duties." Harry said. Jane laughed.
"Yes Sir, Admiral Potter." Jane said with a sharp salute.
"Very well Ensign Shepard, you may spend the remainder of your military service washing dishes for Gardner." Harry said, playfully glaring at Shepard.
"Eep!" Shepard said. Tali laughed.
"You two seem to be close." Tali said.
"He basically helped raise me." Shepard said.
"But.. you both look about the same age..." Tali said. Harry grinned
"I have a hard time aging." Harry said.
"Oh! There were rumors amongst the fleet that Humans had an immortal admiral..." Tali said.
"That'd be me. I wouldn't say immortal though, at least I don't want to rely on it. Janey gets mad if I stop dodging bullets." Harry said.
"That's amazing. We know so little about you." Tali said.
"Why?" Shepard asked.
"Fucking council restricts extranet access to the fleet. I have no idea why they have such a hard-on for keeping the Quarians so isolated. That reminds me, Tali do you have a way of getting a hold of other people on their pilgrimage on the citadel?" Harry asked.
"I can relay a message through my auntie Raan, er Admiral Shala'Raan vas Tonbay." Tali said.
"Good, please ask her to tell pilgrims that if they're on the Citadel and they're having trouble finding food, go to the Human Embassy. I've left ungodly amounts of nutrient paste there. That poor girl we helped earlier is definitely not the first starving Quarian I've found on the citadel." Harry said.
"She really didn't look well." Tali said. Harry grimaced.
"She can't have weighed more than 32kg. I'm still tempted to track those Turians down and gut them." Harry said.
"Good lord, 32kg? Even for Quarians that's dangerously underweight!" Chakwas said.
"Think your auntie would meet with me some time? I'm not overly fond of the way your people are treated." Harry said. Tali shrugged
"I'll ask her, but, well, we did make a terrible mistake." Tali said.
"I'd agree but for different reasons however that's a conversation for another time. From my perspective the lack of intervention by the council is criminal." Harry said.
"Outside of the citadel it's much easier to get help. Turian ships are constantly responding to Quarian distress calls, whereas the CDF once stood by while the crew of a cargo freighter suffocated a million km from the citadel thanks to a hull breach." Tali said.
"Bastards!" Chakwas said. Harry and Shepard stared at her in shock.
"Karin I think that's the first swear I've ever heard you say." Harry said.
"Some of us reserve foul language for when it is appropriate, Admiral." Dr. Chakwas said. Harry grinned.
"Not fuckin' me." Harry said. The examination concluded, Chakwas had determined that Tali was underweight, but not severely so, and severely dehydrated. Otherwise she was healthy and her suit was in good working order, as far as Chakwas could tell. Not only did the council restrict Quarian access to the extranet, information available to the other races on the Quarians was suspiciously limited.
Jane excused herself to go assist with getting the ship ready, so Harry volunteered to give her a more comprehensive tour. Tali was surprised with the size of the locker they issued her, thanks to more of Harry's magic each locker could easily contain ten time what Tali's footlocker back on the Rayya contained.
"The sleeper pods are here by the main battery, though I think Karin will want you in the infirmary overnight." Harry said.
"They look amazing!" Tali said. Harry shrugged.
"I'm unfamiliar with the sleeping arrangements on Quarian ships, but I'm hoping we can familiarize ourselves with your people soon." Harry said with a grin. Harry kept a slow pace to make sure she didn't overexert herself.
"Traditionally on an Alliance ship, barring diplomats and the injured, if you're on the ship you have a job, I hope that won't be a problem." Harry said
"Not at all, I was going to volunteer anyway." Tali said.
"Have you had any combat training?" Harry asked. Tali nodded.
"We all undergo military training before we undertake the pilgrimage." Tali asked. Harry opened the door to the combined cargo hold/armory, leading her in.
"What was your specialty?" Harry asked.
"Hacking and close quarters combat, I'm no infiltrator, but I'm capable of getting around without being noticed when I need to." Tali said.
"Close quarters.. so submachine gun, or shotgun?" Harry asked.
"I prefer a shotgun, but mine was on the shuttle when it was destroyed." Tali said.
"Not a problem." Harry said, walking up to a locker and entering a pass code. He turned to Tali and took a few mental measurements before turning back and withdrawing an Elanus Risk Control Services Hurricane Mk 10, handing it to Tali.
"How does this one feel?" Harry asked. Tali took it, flipping it around and expertly checking the bolt and inspecting it.
"Perfect!" Tali said. Harry grinned and also handed her an M-3 Predator sidearm.
"Make sure to try those out at the range once Dr. Chakwas gives you the all clear. And now for the main event!" Harry said, leading her towards the exit.
"What do you mean?" Tali asked.
"Engineering!" Harry said. Tali squealed in delight and hurriedly followed him.