Chapter 44
Patrolling the border between Alliance and Batarian space was boring. Like really boring. Running practice drills, PT and even cross-training, a tradition which the Alliance had adopted from the Quarians could only kill so much time. One of the Krogan, Targ, had a natural affinity for engineering, and though she was not formally educated Tali had taken her under her wing. It was strange for a female to leave Tuchanka, especially now that Krogan were fertile, but she had requested to join and Wrex and Shepard had granted it. She had been eager to prove her worth, and had thus far not disappointed. Shepard was quite pleasantly surprised with the adolescent Krogan, none ever complained despite the lack of activity, and their own restless nature. Their "Shift" a month-long tour going back and forth across the border space was nearing its end, and the crew were anxious for their upcoming Shore leave.
Shepard had just sat down with a coffee to finish the day's log entry when her doorbell sounded.
"Come on in." She said. The door opened, and her two favorite Krogan entered, Grak and Kurg. Grak had honed his fast, precise fighting style on board sparring with human marines, whereas Kurg was still overwhelmingly large and strong. Both had grown much stronger under Shepard's command.
"Battlemaster Shepard, we wish to ask a favor." Kurg said.
"Kurg and I are due to take the rite when we return to Tuchanka." Kurg explained.
"Yes, so I've heard. You'll be considered adult Krogan after that, right?" She asked.
"Yes. To take the rite, one must choose a Krantt, traditional two warriors will accompany the Krogan undergoing the rite. Kurg and I will act as Krantt for each other, we wanted to ask if you would be our third?" Kurg asked. Shepard was shocked, and also deeply proud to have been asked.
"Is it allowed for a non-Krogan to join in on the rite?" She asked.
"There are no rules against it. It may ruffle the feathers of some of our elders, but times are changing and so too must we." Grak said.
"Then I would be honored to be your Krantt. I'll study what information we have on it in the meantime." Shepard said.
"Thank you Battlemaster." They both said at the same time, then bowed and left. Shepard called up a few texts pertaining to the rite. Ten minutes into her reading she was beginning to regret agreeing to it. She wasn't going to back down now though, when she made a promise to her crew she kept it. Her study of the texts was interrupted again, this time not by a knock but a kiss to the top of her head.
"Hey Tali, what's up?" She said
"Nothing, just stopping by. What you reading?" She asked.
"Ok, you can't get mad at me though..." She said ominously.
"Jane..." Tali said a warning tone to her voice.
"I miiiiiight have agreed to help Kurg and Grak with the rite." She said.
"Ok, what's involved in that?" Tali asked.
On the Bridge, Joker was explaining the haptic display to Williams, this was her week to cross-train on cockpit controls.
"So this here is the thrust adjustment, they used to call this a throttle. Forward speed is usually controlled automatically when docking but in some cases manual adjustments should be made, like if an unauthorized shuttle darts out in front of you." Joker explained, pointing to one of the controls.
"Right, and the computer can't compensate for that?" Ashley asked.
"Rothschild could, easily, but the onboard VI there's no way it's fast enough. Even with our best quantum computers we still can't approach the reaction times of a human pilot, otherwise I'd be out of a job." Joker explained. Ashley was about to ask another question when Shepard's office door slid open an she burst out of it at full sprint, barely dodging a flying data pad.
"JANE SHEPARD YOU GET BACK HERE THIS INSTANT!" She yelled
"Shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit!" Shepard said as she frantically pressed the close button on the elevator door. Tali came running out but was too slow and banged frustratedly on the closed elevator.
"Ok... So where is attitude control?" Williams asked.
"That's right here next to the emergency elevator open switch." Joker said with a grin, then hit it. The Elevator door burst open.
"Eep!" Shepard yelled.
"Thanks Joker!" Tali yelled over her shoulder, before walking into the elevator and closing it again.
"You're gonna pay for that you know." Ashley said.
"Aww crap." Joker said as the implications of having just betrayed his captain to her girlfriend set in.
Meanwhile in the medbay, Shepard was sitting on a hospital bed with a bag of ice pressed up against her broken, bleeding nose, while Tali stood off to the side with her arms crossed as they waited for medical assistance. Vil D'inan walked in adjusting her uniform and looked at the two, immediately placing herself between Shepard and Tali
"You can leave now." She said in a stern voice to Tali.
"What?" Tali asked, genuinely confused.
"I don't know how you do things in the Alliance, but I take domestic violence extremely seriously." She growled at the confused Quarian.
"Um. Ms. D'inan?" Shepard said, putting a hand on her shoulder.
"Yes, Commander?" she asked, not taking her eyes off Tali.
"She didn't hit me. I was running from her and I ran face first into a half-closed door." Shepard said.
"Why were you running from her?" D'inan asked.
She was mad that I agreed to join two Krogan on their rite." Shepard said. At this, Vil turned to look at Shepard like she had two heads.
"Why would you agree to that? Krogan routinely die taking the rite!" She said.
"My point exactly!" Tali said.
"They are valued members of my crew, they asked for my help and I agreed, like I would for anyone on this crew!" Shepard yelled, remembering she was the commanding officer here.
"Look, I understand why you're upset, but I don't regret agreeing to help them. Yes, this is dangerous, but so is my line of work on a daily basis, and so is yours! We serve aboard a warship! And before you say it, this is not as reckless as it sounds. It is a time honored tradition, I will be armed, wearing armor and have multiple medical professionals in attendance. It's safer for me to take the rite than it is to take a leak behind a bush during a mission." She said. Tali sighed, and looked away, defeated.
"I just don't like thinking about you getting hurt or killed. I love you Jane, and I can't live without you any more." Tali said.
"Tali, I promise you I will take every reasonable precaution, and if any more Krogan ask me to engage in any religious or cultural rite I will research it and let you know first." Shepard said.
"You'd better... or I'll kick your ass. With my foot. It will hurt. Probably" She said, smiling. Shepard leaned in for a chaste kiss.
"Ok, Well, Lieutenant Zorah, I apologize for jumping to conclusions there. Commander Shepard, up on the bed please I need to check that eye." Vil said.
"Not at all Dr. D'inan, thank you for trying to protect her." Tali said.
"I never did get my doctorate, call me Vil." she said.
"Ok, I'm going back to the engine room. Try not to commit to any more suicide missions in the meantime?" Tali said.
"No promises." Shepard said grinning. Tali playfully punched her in the arm.
"Ok that one was domestic violence!" Shepard yelled pointing at Tali.
"I think I can let that one slide, now hold still!" Vil said, shining a light into Shepard's eye as Tali left.
"So why didn't you get your doctorate? You are a natural at this." Shepard asked.
"Well part of the course work was to learn to use bio scanners, and we had to do that on each other. That's when I found out..." she trailed off.
"Ouch. Well what about an Earth university? A lot of people do correspondence courses." Shepard asked.
"Well, I don't exactly have a bank account back on Thessia." She said.
"You know as crew on an alliance vessel you are entitled to free education right? Plus we can ask Dr. Chakwas to supervise your education, give exams etc." Shepard said.
"Really? That's... I didn't even consider it an option. I'd love to finish my education." Vil said.
"It'd be a shame to let your talent go to waste. I'll ask Dr. Chakwas when I see her if she reach out to her contacts back on Earth and get you in a medical program." Shepard said.
"No need, Commander, I already have." Chakwas said, walking into the room smiling.
"You what?" Vil said.
"Dear, it would be criminal to let someone with your talent and passion do anything but. I know the head of Harvard Medical back on Earth, he's already sent the first month's coursework." Karin said, allowing herself a smug smile.
"Goddess, I.. You.. Thank you." Vil said, at a loss for words.
"It's my pleasure. Besides, I'm going to need all the help I can get if our commanding officer is running face first into doors." Karin said, glaring at Shepard.
"IT WAS HALFWAY OPENED!" Shepard said in her own defense.
"Commander, Admiral Hackett on comms for you." Joker's voice was heard over the intercom.
"I'll pick it up in my office." She responded, and bid the two medical officers goodbye. On the way to her office she had to stop a few times to explain the black eye, and then glare at her subordinates as they mocked her for her clumsiness, but it was a quick walk to her office. She pressed a button to bring up the connection.
"Admiral Hackett, sir." Shepard said
"Commander Shepard. I'm going to get straight to business given the severity of the situation. We've received a distress signal from an old Quarian ship, one of the few that decided to break with the flotilla when they joined the Alliance. Their ship is in rough shape." He said.
"Acknowledged, sir, we'll set a course immediately." Shepard said.
"Sorry to delay shore leave, Commander." Hackett said
"Not at all, sir. If we can help I want to." She said.
"That's what I like to hear. Hackett out." He said, disconnecting. It was not that far, thankfully. The ship was well within Alliance space, with Alliance FTL technology it would only be a fifteen minute diversion. Shepard ordered Joker to make the course change and went to go suit up. She wasn't expecting resistance, but these Quarians did separate themselves from the flotilla for a reason, and she had no idea what reason it was. She Met Tali in the armory.
"I want you to take the lead on this Tali. They may not have a functioning translator, and they might be scared and confused." Shepard said.
"Understood, Jane. I'd also recommend we take Reegar, there's not a lot of room in the ship to merit a sniper, but he's good with people and seeing another Quarian might make things easier." Tali suggested.
"Agreed, I'll ask him along." Shepard said, then paged the young Quarian who arrived momentarily. He arrived and began undressing while Shepard apprised him of the situation. Quarians tended to be reserved, and rather prudish compared to humans, which came naturally to them after 300 years of living in environmental suits, however Reegar and Tali had adapted to co-ed nudity rather quickly, there wasn't enough space in a Frigate to get hung up on modesty. Even bathrooms were co-ed on a Frigate.
"So Reegar, you're up to date? We're going to see if they will let us help them. We have no idea what's going on over there." Shepard said.
"Understood, Commander. What's the name of the ship?" Reegar asked.
"I believe it's the Nanveck." Tali said.
"Keelah, my uncle Kal serves on the Nanveck." Reegar said.
"Well we'll get them flying again soon." Shepard assured him. He nodded. Minutes later they arrived in the system to a sight that had Shepard's blood boiling. The Quarian ship, obviously a passenger carrier, was listing to port having lost attitude control, there were several visible hull breaches and it was being fired on by two small Batarian pirate ships.
"Joker, fire on the Batarians. Disable if possible, destroy if necessary." She ordered.
"Aye Commander." Joker said, bringing up the rarely used weapons control on his haptic display and preparing a firing solution. There was a bright flash on the display and suddenly a gaping wound had been carved the whole length of the underbelly of one of the Batarian vessels. Two more flashes and the weapons had been blown off the other. The second turned towards the Quarian vessel and accelerated toward it.
"Joker, destroy that one now!" Shepard said pointing at the Batarian ship. Without acknowledgment, he targeted and annihilated the ship. The one with the belly wound was floating uselessly adrift.
"See if we can contact the Quarians." Shepard ordered, one of the officers adjacent to the cockpit began hailing them.
"On Screen, Commander." The officer said, and the view screen sprang to life. A suited Quarian with numerous cracks in his visor, clutching his abdomen answered the hail.
"This is acting captain Kal'Reegar, of the Migrant Fleet and we're damned happy to see you guys." The Quarian said.
"This is Commander Shepard of the Alliance Navy. Your Nephew Tuuv is aboard, one of my marine detachment." She said.
"Hah! I knew he'd take after his old uncle Kal. Listen Commander, we're in a bad way here, I got three survivors and myself and all of us have suit punctures. I'm not too bad, but our captain looks like she isn't going to make it." He said.
"We have an advanced medbay with a fully equipped clean room aboard, with your permission Captain, I'd like to send my people over there to evacuate yours. Our readings suggest your life support is about to give up." Shepard said.
"Acknowledged. We only have one working docking port at this stage, we'll meet you there. Thank you, commander." He said.
"Happy to help. Shepard out." She said. She ordered Karin and Vil to suit up and prep the clean room, while she, Kal and Tali met the Quarians at the docking bay. All three had mass-effect field equipped stretchers to help carry the wounded. The door opened with a hiss, and the two mobile Quarians who had been armed and pointing their weapons forward in anticipation of a fight immediately lowered them when they saw the humans holding their hands up, equipped with stretchers instead of weapons.
"I told you guys not to do that" Reegar said
"Sorry Captain. We were just attacked by Batarians and we don't know these humans at all." one of them said. Kal was carrying the captain and carefully laid her down on one of the stretchers. Her left leg was gone below the mid-thigh, a makeshift seal had been placed over the wound, but she had lost enough blood and been exposed that her condition was critical.
"Let's not waste time, our med staff is in the clean room now prepping it, Captain, what is your name?" Shepard asked the dying Quarian.
"Marn'Vorel Vas Nanveck. Please, Captain, Save my crew." She said weakly.
"If I have anything to say about it, we'll save you all." Shepard said, pulling the stretcher behind her all the way to the medbay. Kal'Reegar and his two subordinates recovered quickly. Medigel temporarily boosted Quarian immunity to a point way beyond their body's normal levels, and even an established infection was no match for it. Tali was able to fabricate new suits for them, which fit better and were more advanced and comfortable than what they'd been equipped with before. They were too worried about their captain to enjoy the suits however, as they were seated nervously outside the medbay. After several hours, Karin came out, still in surgical garb to speak with them.
"It was touch and go for a while, but she's going to make a full recovery. Luckily there were enough Quarians aboard with her blood type, and medigel took care of the potential immunity issues with the transfusion. She is resting, in an induced coma and I'd like to keep her under for at least another day." She explained.
"Keelah'selai, thank you so much Dr. Chakwas." Reegar said.
"No problem my dear. You three should go get some rest. If you're interested tomorrow we can talk about whether you'd like to get out of those suits or not." She said, wiping sweat from her forehead.
"I wish they'd listened to me from the beginning." Reegar said, earning him a nudge in the side from one of his cohorts.
"What? This last year has been awful, we've barely survived, we're all starving to death and our ship was in awful condition, and now it's gone." Reegar said.
"Not quite, uncle Kal." Tuuv said, approaching from the mess hall.
"Tuuv! You've grown so much!" Kal said. It was true, Tuuv was one of the tallest Quarians known to the Alliance, possibly due to the vastly improved nutrition they've had access to.
"Thank you uncle. You are still short." He said, grinning.
"Yeah everyone's short compared to you, ya giant lummox! Hey, what did you mean though?" Kal said.
"While you were getting patched up, Tali'Zorah Vas Normandy lead a team of engineers over to the Nanveck, they stabilized the major systems already and are now working on patching the hull. It'll be space worthy in a few days." Tuuv said.
"We cannot pay for those repairs Tuuv!" Kal said, worried. Tuuv raised a hand to pause him.
"The Alliance renders aid where it is needed, no compensation is required." Tuuv said.
"Nobody does anything for free." Kal said in disbelief. Tuuv shrugged.
"Let me get you guys up to speed." Tuuv said, smiling.