Tali Lifting Competition

There was a section of the Normandy SR-2, an area in the hangar bay that got partially converted into a gym/combat simulation training area. Viable squadmates and even crew members were given routine weekly retraining per protocol. However, the protocols for an N7 Specialist were different.

In his spec-ops days, namely when he was a Nav-Soc CCT, operations weren't breakthrough or 'be ready'. They were strictly planned, simulated with trial and error, and executed with multiple backup plans. Training for an operation would take months, sometimes even going up to 9 of them, all for a planned two week operation, only to find out that it was uneventful since it was common for intel to be off. When he became an N7, the missions became far more demanding and high risk, but J-SOC was still thorough in utilizing intelligence and a lot of pre-planning.

Nonetheless, this is what Commander Shepard had committed resources to, especially considering the end goal. This whole operation was…eccentric. A lack of forward intel doesn't even begin to cover it. The Collectors? Given no one has been back through the Omega-4 relay, there's no intel of the layout of the collector homeworld if there even was one. Terrain analysis would be lacking, and thus the combat simulations would have to take an all-possibility approach from mountainous terrain to the flat floors of a shuttle station.

I mean, what is the Illusive Man Planning? I know destroying the Omega 4 relay could cause unparalleled destruction in the whole system, but if the Collectors were coming through there, why not just set an ambush for them? Even then If their origin is indeed a planet, how the hell are we supposed to deal with that? Destroy it? With what? They're an intelligent species…I think. Don't they have free will? Even if they are abducting humans, it kind've just sounds like the Illusive Man is asking us to commit genocide on a whole species.

Sigh.

In fact, all the action they have seen has been reactive. Never any proactive planning; break-through protocol doesn't even begin to cover it. When on recruitment missions, they don't find out the situation until they are there, to which the Commander only then would create a plan of approach, strutting that adaptive-initiative that was trained into him. Shepard figured that if he wasn't an N7, this entire operation would've gone up shit's creek since the mission to acquire Mordin Solus. The lack of forward intel had been concerning to say the least.

So Shepard prepared his crew for anything; with his Yeoman's help, there was a weekly schedule for combat training with EDI's reconstruction of Collector enemy tags and environmental simulation all based on biological samples gathered by various ground teams. From here, EDI could reconstruct the image of various Collector biological units into the simulator arena, coupled with predicted movement algorithms that are based on video and auditory evidence captured on previous missions, and thus combat training was tailored to fighting this enemy for the entire crew.

Couple that with routine physical conditioning to maintain top shape, and Shepard has essentially laid the groundwork for creating a special ops team out of a bunch of misfits. Most skilled in his approach were his Recon Specialist and unofficial XO, Garrus and his Chief Engineer, Tali, his two most trusted team members.

The fight against Saren two years ago was considered by the Alliance to be a sort of joint Alliance-Council Operation justified by the attack on an Alliance world, and Shepard's instatement into the Spectres. It was seen as an opportunity to advance intergalactic relations through military cooperation, the Turians to mend any bridges that might've been damaged because of the first contact war, and the Quarians, though not a council race, the Alliance sought friendly terms with them due to their shared Geth enemy.

This very reason was why J-SOC didn't object to Shepard greenlighting several aliens on board the Normandy SR-1. Shepard himself, though at the time not entirely ecstatic, still saw it as an opportunity to learn more about who he'd be dealing with in the future without having to fight them, so he gladly accepted their help. But really, he was afraid he would become attached to them. Like Elysium. He would've carried on TF-40 by himself if he could, because he didn't want to lose anyone. And yet here he was…attached.

Tali'Zorah's expertise in Geth systems, weapons and tactics made her an invaluable advisor to the team and had an energy that captured the liking of everyone on board, even the xenophobes. She was an excellent CQB specialist, enough to make Alliance Navy Seals blush given Quarian Marines specialized in fighting in the tight corridors of ships. Shepard himself at the time found her great, he stated once he could 'honestly use the moral support.'

Garrus was an excellent Marksman, an expert in multiple weapons and their use, high skill in tactical input and technics that made him incredibly vital against their synthetic enemies on top of an occupational specialty in weapon systems maintenance. In time, the two became his most valuable squadmates, utilizing them for almost every mission. Due to this time spent on the battlefield, arguing, problem-solving, fighting, watching each other's backs, pulling each other out of dire circumstances, sacrificing, learning, healing, the bond they grew was unlike any other, that translated from on the battlefield to off the battlefield. The crew of the original SR-1 had unofficially given them a moniker, 'the Geth-Slayers'. Lofty.

That's why he sought them back out for this mission, that's why they made time for him despite their circumstances. That's why he went off record to help them in their circumstances, because he knew they would do the same. He knew they would not fail him, and neither would he.

That's why he must agonizingly do this to them.

The three ran constant training simulations against the collectors tags each week, mimicking different scenarios; assault, defense, mountainous terrain, flat, wounded party, etc. He was not going to risk their lives to chance; they had to be ready for anything. He was not going to lose another one of his squad, never again, not since Elysium, not since Ash, not since Jane; especially not Garrus and ESPECIALLY not Tali. As much as they groaned, they knew the importance of it.

Back during TF-40, the two alien friends of his had been retrained in Alliance squad tactical protocol, a form of 'outreach' to alien cooperation, showing good intent and trust; and Shepard absolutely wanted to leave nothing to the imagination; he wanted to ensure that he was dealing with team members that could keep up with his abilities and know-how. Weapon handling, covering sectors, formation, stacking, room clearing, all of it they had become versed in. Couple that with an N7 fire team lead, and they were brutally efficient.

On that day, Garrus and Tali ran a simulation without Shepard's direct involvement; he wanted to see how well they could work without him; not a comfortable thought, but nothing in war was. With his trust in their abilities, he left them to their devices and moved himself on to the physical training portion. He was on the bench press working a lighter load than he was used to, allowing for a more explosive upward movement. Such an approach would help his punching power, after his sets he would utilize the potentiation of his muscular activation on the heavy bag to deliver about 10 sets of active 1 minute boxing combinations for anaerobic cardiovascular conditioning, as well as developing situation specific power of anterior chain motions.

Garrus and Tali had both stepped off the simulation platform, giving each other feedback.

"Surviving is enough," Tali said.

"I know, but we could've kept up the pressure and reached the end goal," Garrus said. "Imagine if we retreated and left Shepard behind…"

"You mean like Antibaar?" Tali said.

"You insisted we advance forward and rescue the Commander," Garrus said.

"And we did, but we had a Mako, we knew the Geth, and most importantly, we had a commander to save. These are Collectors, we don't know much about them. Living to fight another day…It's a Quarian motto, maybe you should learn it."

"It still means we failed the objective," Garrus said.

"We lived, technically," Tali said. "Don't let your Turian ego get yourself killed." Garrus shook his head.

"So turn tail and run like a Quarian?" Garrus shot back. "That'll help us win."

"Bosh'tet," Tali cursed at him. "It was a tactical retreat." Garrus just shook his head once more in defeat.

"Fair enough, I suppose you're right. As a positive, your combat drone is quite useful for drawing enemy fire to cover our retreat."

"As was your covering fire," Tali said. "Thanks."

"No harsh feelings?"

"We'll see," she said, giving a light playful punch to his torso plate. They still messed with each other all these years later. The two split to different parts of the training area to strip down their equipment; Tali, however, saw Shepard perform one of his bench press sets, and when he finished, the loud bang of the barbell being re-racked drew her curiosity. Just how heavy was that? She stroked the mandibles of her mask with her thumb and finger, a sign of Quarian curiosity.

She duly approached as Shepard shot out of lying on the bench into a seated position, only to find Tali leaning toward him, intently analyzing him.

"Tali?" he let off, confused between breaths.

"Hmm…" She went, as she strode off to one side, peering his form up and down, and then at the weight on the rack.

"Anything to report, Chief Engineer?"

"Negative, Captain," she then placed her hands on her hips. "Permission to speak freely?" Shepard's curiosity spiked; she sounded a bit playful, she had to have been given how unnatural it was for her, a Quarian, to resort to Alliance speech protocols. A smile went across his face; he decided to humor her.

"Granted."

"How strong are you, really?"

"In what way, Miss vas Normandy?"

"I mean physically," she said. "You are definitely strong mentally."

"Well…in what exercise?"

"Well, what's this called?" She asked, pointing to the racked bar.

"It's called a barbell bench press." Shepard replied. "Open kinetic anterior chain motion."

"Fancy words," Tali said, inspecting the mass on the bar. "How heavy is it?"

"In human western hemisphere units," Shepard said. "It's 330 pounds, my one rep max is 445 pounds."

"Is that considered heavy?" Tali asked

"Well…not bragging, but yes," Shepard said.

"Why not just do 445 then?"

"Physical training is a bit more complicated than that," Shepard explained. "I'm working at a 10-RM percentage to allow an explosive concentric and potentiate unweighted movement in my punches."

"That is a confused jarble of human words," Garrus joked as he approached them. "In Palaven-standard please." Shepard chuckled, wondering what 'Palaven-standard' actually sounded like, or what his Turian language voice sounded like through the neural-translator when talking to him.

"It means I'm doing less to get more." Shepard explained. "Humans are rather…squishy as Grunt would say. Not really born with the same natural strength as other species. We have to work by pushing weight against gravity. Our systems adapt to become stronger to it. Strength, power; but you must train exactly as you want to adapt."

"Can't say that Turians train like that, it seems too complicated," Garrus said. "We mainly just focus on combat training and environmental conditioning."

"And Quarians have environmental manipulation chambers to add to the effect of gravity to be heavier or lighter. Time spent doing activities allows us physically to adapt to different environments." Tali explained.

"So you're saying that Humans do…gravity training on different parts of their bodies?" Garrus said.

"Well, in a manner of speaking, yes."

"Interesting," Garrus stroked his mandible. "I figured humans were soft but didn't think they were THAT soft."

"Excuse me, Recon specialist?" Shepard let out a sly smile at the remark. It was hard to stay mad at Garrus, after all he was hardly ever serious with him and always tried to get a good tease in.

"I'm just saying," Garrus shrugged. "Turians are born with natural strength; gives us an edge. Humans have to work for it and can only ever get halfway."

"Keelah…" Tali let out, putting her fingers over her visor in annoyance. "What an ego."

"Are you challenging your CO?" Shepard said.

"Well, I wouldn't challenge you if I knew you couldn't win. No fun in that is there?"

"Try me."

"Alright then…" Garrus looked around, but then his eyes met Tali whom was observing them amusedly.

"Tali," Garrus called. The Quarian's glowing eyes behind her mask widened and shot his way. "I bet you're pretty heavy…why don't we try to lift you around?"

"Who're you calling heavy, mister Vakarian?" Tali curled her fists and placed them on her hips, leaning in his direction.

"I mean no offense," Garrus said. "Just saying gravity training must've done wonders for you. I bet you pack a surprising amount of mass." Shepard wanted to interject, but honestly looking at Tali in certain areas (particularly her hips) he couldn't help but agree.

"You know, you're right…" Shepard said under his breath, a sly smile coming to him and rubbing his chin.

"Bosh'tets, the both of you," Tali crossed her arms and hanged her head.

"Oh, come on, think of it as combat training," Garrus said. "You go down, we must carry you out. It's just a matter of being prepared. Just we're using it to settle a score."

"That I get, but you just called me fat," Tali said.

"Spirits, no. I didn't say that; Shepard did I say that?"

"No…but you implied it," Shepard teased.

"You're not innocent either, Commander!" Tali said. Shepard fake coughed and looked away.

"So hard feelings it is then?"

"Never promised it wouldn't."

"So…combat training?" Garrus pressed on. Tali just shook her head, but Shepard came to Garrus' rescue.

"You were the one who wanted to know how strong I was, Miss vas Normandy."

"Alright. But just so you can kick Garrus' Turian ass."

"We'll see about that. Shepard?" Garrus said. Shepard stood from the bench press.

"Alright, Fireman's carry. It's a matter of speed. Bench press and Squat, that will be a matter of how many repetitions we do. Deal?"

"You're on."

Miranda and Jacob were on the elevator to the cargo bay where the Commander had commissioned a small gym, which was surely something they needed; calisthenics can only get you so far to physically prepare for combat. It's nice to have the equipment necessary.

Miranda had changed from her usual one piece and heels into more appropriate exercise tights and tied her hair back into a pony tail. Jacob, in long sweatpants and a muscle shirt, eyed her briefly.

"Forgot to say," He went. "You look quite different."

Miranda hardly acknowledged him, just glaring ahead, with her foundation hiding a minor blush. "Still menacing…but different."

"I just need help with pull-ups."

"I thought you could do 40?"

"I can," she said. "But I'm plateauing. Advanced physiology can only give me so much of an advantage."

"So what do you need my help with?"

Miranda crossed her arms. "I need motivation."

Jacob smirked at the implication. "Ah, I see." Though he didn't see it, she also formed a sly smile at the corner of her mouth.

The elevator pinged and the doors opened up and they began making their way out.

"Either way," she said. "It's nice to finally-" as they turned a corner from around a console, she cut her words when they found the most…unusual sight.

Their Commander was laying back on the bench, and he was…pushing their Quarian Chief Engineer, who was straightened out like a plank facing upwards, in a bench press motion up off him, performing reps. Meanwhile their Turian recon specialist was barking out the rep count: "ELEVEN…TWELVE…"

After their dumbfounded stare, Jacob went:

"We should…do this some other time."

"Yeah."