AN: I messed up and originally forgot Chapter 6. Discovered it while I was nearly delirious with fever, probably should have waited to fix it. Either way it's all good for now. Also, don't be alarmed that they haven't met Wrex yet. He's coming soon. Also I accidentally had Harry issue Tali an SMG when she asked for a shotgun. Whoops lol. Went back and fixed it

Chapter 9

Tali awoke the next day, and slowly sat up, happy that she felt so much better. The Alliance had high quality medigel, not the watered down garbage they had on the fleet or the slightly better stuff they'd give to Quarians on the citadel. She stood and stretched, testing her range of motion, jumping when she heard a knock on the door.

"May I come in?" Harry asked.

"Go ahead." Tali said. Harry stepped into the room.

"I hope you're feeling better." Harry said.

"Very much so, thank you." Tali said.

"Got some time to go over some paperwork?" Harry asked.

"Uh, paperwork?" Tali asked. Harry nodded.

"Translated into Khelish. Standard independent contractor affair. Goes over expectations, liability, health coverage, pay.." Harry said. Tali rapidly scrolled through the document and her eyes widened.

"Keelah... That's a lot of money." Tali said. Harry grinned.

"If you'd like I could have them cut your pay." Harry said

"No! It's fine I just... You're joking." Tali said. Harry laughed.

"Your skill set is one that is in very high demand. Qualified engineers on a ship like this bring a lot of value to the table." Harry said. Tali finished reading and shrugged, scrawling her signature at the bottom.

"Brilliant! Hang on a sec." Harry said, fiddling with his omnitool. The tablet Adams had left her with all of the unclassified specs lit up as a data dump commenced.

"There you go. That's all of the documentation there is on the Normandy. A lot of it is general alliance frigate stuff, but there's a whole bunch of dubiously translated Turian notes as well since they worked with us on it. Garrus might be able to help if there are any questions, and I'm sure he'll be able to point out where the Turian engineers hid all the human jokes." Harry said with a grin.

"You're joking right?" Tali asked. Harry picked up the tablet and scrolled down to the section on escape pods. She looked as he highlighted a paragraph that went over how to convert the seating to accommodate either 'normal legs' or 'backwards ape legs.' Tali giggled after reading it.

"Figured you'd like that one." Harry said with a laugh. They went over the details, how for the purpose of maintaining the chain of command she'd have the rank of Junior Operations Chief and was answerable directly to Adams while aboard, and Shepard while on ground operations. She was also expected to attend and participate in PT regularly along with the Normandy crew and Liara and Garrus, mostly to help in team building and cooperation. None of this was objectionable to Tali, she'd have stricter expectations on the fleet.

"One last thing, Tali. I spoke to Admiral Raan, she told me it was mostly a formality but she requested a meeting with yourself, me and the Quarian Admiralty. This will constitute the first instance of a Quarian working in an official capacity on an Alliance vessel, they have a few questions they'd prefer to ask in person. We're meeting them before we make the jump to our next destination." Harry said.

"Of course, I sort of expected something like this. I hope they will behave themselves.." Tali said. Harry laughed.

"I hope not! That would be no fun at all." Harry said, shaking her hand and walking off. He walked to Shepard's quarters, returning the occasional salute thrown his way and knocked on her door.

"Come in!" Shepard said. Harry walked across the threshold and closed the door behind him.

"Janey, you got a minute?" Harry asked.

"Of course, what's up?" Jane asked sitting on her bed, patting the space next to her to invite him to join her, which he did.

"So I'm 90% sure the council is going to make you a specter today, but we should talk contingency." Harry said.

"Should we have Captain Anderson in here for this?" Shepard asked. Harry sighed.

"I'm excluding him for a specific reason that will be clear momentarily. I've been informed by the Prime Minister herself, should you not be made a specter, and if we don't have specter authority with which to pursue Saren, there is a plan in place." Harry said.

"What would that plan be?" Shepard asked warily.

"On the way back from the council chambers, I'll stop into the Alliance embassy and resign my commission." Harry said.

"WHAT?!" Shepard asked incredulously.

"Hear me out..." Harry insisted. She nodded.

"I'll turn in my bars, and after Steve accepts it... I'll return to the Normandy, steal it and press gang the crew." Harry said.

"They'll hang you for that! You can't possibly.. wait you said the Prime Minister is in on this?" Shepard asked. Harry beamed at her.

"That's my girl! It'll all be a front. Shaky as they are, we do have diplomatic relations with the citadel council, and as such are bound by treaty to not operate with impunity outside of Alliance space. With specter authority, we'll be able to get away with anything, and failing that, the Alliance's diplomatic status won't be tarnished if a rogue agent steals a ship." Harry said.

"I can see why we can't tell Captain Anderson then. He'd be duty bound to report it as the commander of an alliance ship." Shepard said. Harry nodded.

"So be ready to run. Don't worry about supplies, I have a rendezvous with the Quarian admiralty scheduled for after we leave either way, if need be we can purchase whatever we need from them." Harry said. Shepard nodded.

"Saren has to be stopped, along with whomever is pulling his strings." Shepard said. Harry nodded.

"One last thing, Jane, and this is completely your call. The garbled vision you saw from the beacon.." Harry said, trailing off.

"What about it?" Shepard asked.

"I wondered if you'd be willing to let me see it." Harry said. Jane hesitated.

"Like I said, completely optional. Dr. T'soni might be able to help with a meld too, Either way if we can unravel that mystery it may help us get one step ahead of Saren. I don't need an answer now..." Harry said but she cut him off.

"No, It's fine. Do it. Just... you know..." Shepard said

"I'll try my best." Harry said withdrawing the elder wand. She nodded and braced herself.

"Legillimens." Harry said, before carefully and gently entering her mind. He saw that her mind was clouded by vague, indecipherable images. He smiled internally, she'd been working on her occlumency.

"Good girl. Show me the beacon vision." Harry said, suddenly the images shifted around and he saw Shepard's perspective of the beacon vision. He watched through it a few times and then withdrew from her mind.

"I'm proud, Janey. Your shields are strong." Harry said. Shepard blushed and smiled.

"Thanks, I've been working whenever I can on it." Shepard said.

"Always remember, deflect when you can, block if you must. Keeping everything vague and fuzzy like that makes them have to work harder, gives you more time to push them out." Harry said. He sat for a few minutes replaying the vision in his own mind before he gasped and his eyes shot wide open.

"Merlin..." Harry said.

"What?" Shepard asked.

"The vision, part of the problem is that it was experienced by a being with four eyes and a very strange way of storing and processing sensory memory... It was confusing as hell. I was able to rearrange it in my head though... It was showing you the last moments of the Prothean empire." Harry said.

"Jesus!" Shepard said.

"Let's get Liara she'll be able to fill in the gaps." Harry said. Shepard nodded and followed him to a room behind the medbay that Liara had set up as a miniature laboratory.

"Liara, do you have a moment?" Shepard asked.

"I do, have you decided on letting me meld to help with the vision?" Liara asked.

"I was able to get it using legillemency. I was able to rearrange it, it's about the fall of the Prothean empire. I don't know nearly as much about them as you." Harry said.

"Oh! That's amazing!" Liara said. Harry nodded.

"We were hoping you could take a look at my version." Harry said. She nodded and gave Harry a few instructions, before diving into his mind with the obligatory 'Embrace Eternity.' A few moments later she staggered backwards and fell to the ground.

"Dr. T'soni!" Harry said, rushing over to her.

"It's ok.. I just need a moment..." Liara said. Harry lifted her, far more easily than she thought he should have been able to and guided her to a chair. After centering herself for a few moments she started speaking.

"You are correct, that is the end of the Protheans but it is far worse than I could have imagined. We always thought the Protheans fell to civil war, or a pandemic or something similar, but they were exterminated!" Liara explained. Harry nodded.

"I was able to catch some of what people were screaming... Those ships that look like the one at Eden Prime, the Protheans called them 'Reapers.' Admiral, we have much bigger problems than a rogue specter." Liara said.

"I'll go get Captain Anderson." Shepard said. Harry nodded, and walked over to a sink getting Liara a glass of water while she left.

"Thank you, Admiral." Liara said.

"You're welcome, Doctor." Harry said.

"You can call me Liara." Liara said

"Only if you call me Harry." Harry said, grinning at her. She smirked.

"So how much else did you see?" Harry asked. Liara looked concerned.

"Well I know about your contingency plan." Liara said. Harry nodded.

"I figured since that was fresh it would be more apparent. I should see if I can adapt occlumency to Asari melding." Harry said with a grin.

"Are you going to obliviate me?" Liara asked, nervously.

"God, no. I do ask that you keep it quiet though." Harry said. Liara sighed with relief, but then grinned at him.

"You know she feels the same way about you." Liara said. Harry blushed, but nodded.

"I know. We talked about it a while back. I kind of hope they don't make her a specter, there are no alliance regs on fraternization with the Dread Pirate Potter." Harry said, grinning mischievously.