Zul'Naer stepped into Daro's office without even bothering to knock first. "Ma'am. We have a situation."
Daro'Xen took a moment to look up from her notepad. "What is it?"
"Iwia's dead."
That was not what Daro wanted to hear today. As a matter of fact, Daro never wanted to hear something as bad as that. Iwia'Vara was one of Daro's most trusted deep undercover agents. Hearing this kind of news was going to be a tremendous setback to her investigation. And above that, Daro even considered Iwia a friend. A professional one of course, but one nonetheless. It was damn near impossible, but for some reason, Daro suddenly felt responsible personally. Did she overlook something that could've compromised Iwia from the get go? Was the woman Iwia pretended to be not convincing enough for the people who'd killed her?
Daro collected her suddenly very scrambled thoughts and pieced together a sentence that barely passed as composed. "When did this happen?"
"Not thirty minutes ago."
She set down her papers and took a breath. "Was her cover blown?"
"No. We don't believe so. We're collecting what data we can from her omni-tool."
Daro bit her lip and concentrated on the bare surface of her desk before standing up. "Let's go. I want to know exactly what happened as we get it."
Zul stepped aside so Daro could pass. "Right away, ma'am."
They walked in a hurried pace and stepped down a flight of stairs before entering Daro's personal study. There she retrieved her laptop and binder of notes before heading down to the data lab. As soon as she entered through the doors, Daro immediately started issuing orders.
"Jahtia, Maer, Folo: I want a back log of everything Iwia was doing the last five days. Everything she did down to what she ate."
"Right away."
"Leah, what have you got?"
"Right in the middle of getting some video. About thirty or so minutes before she was killed. I'll have it; give me five minutes tops."
Daro faced another one of her operatives. "Garah, anything?"
"Still triangulating her location. Just making sure she was at where she was supposed to be before she went dark."
"Does anyone have an inkling suspicion that maybe her cover was blown? Zul thinks otherwise."
"No ma'am." Garah answered for her again, "Insofar, nothing would suggest that."
Daro crossed her arms and nodded. "Very well. Report in when you see something."
Turning on her heel, she finally set her laptop and binder down and started sifting through all the data related to Iwia and her cover as Reena'Wahl. A long list of hand jotted notes describing who Iwia was supposed to be, how she was supposed to act, and even what to say.
Iwia'Vara was, in every way, an embodiment of Reena'Wahl: a stale cog in a capitalist venture with a masters in physics and ballistics.
Five minutes pass before Leah finally rose her hand to grab everyone's attention.
"Admiral, I've got footage."
Daro stood up and shadowed over the woman so they could stare at the screen together. Soon enough, everyone leaned over to get an eye of what was going on.
The first thing everyone heard was a voice.
"—ake contracts seriously," it said, "We're up and coming. Have to make a name for ourselves."
Daro rose her brow at the inclination. That was Tali'Zorah's voice. What was she doing at Donovan Hock's cornerstone of weapons research contracting?
Daro's grim look turned foul. Daro didn't have to put two and two together. Iwia was recording this because she believed they'd found their culprit: the one who'd been illegally providing top end quarian arms through the black market. Who else could acquire stuff that didn't even exist outside a quarian lab? Certainly Tali.
"Your turn." Tali said in the recording.
"My work isn't as exciting as yours, obviously." Came Iwia's reply.
"Fast forward." Daro ordered.
"Yes ma'am."
The recording was pushed until a new face appeared.
John Shepard.
"What in god's name is going on here." Daro uttered with a dark and tooth bearing frown, "Play at normal speed."
"—Don't think I didn't see the gift you bestowed to our esteemed Hock. That's a group on a mission to make a sale." Iwia said excitedly.
"We're keeping it all on the hush hush," John replied, "Figured we'd give our pitch directly to Mr. Hock first. Interested in it maybe?"
Daro was graced with a wave of anger. Shepard was using Tali. And Tali was using the fleet. Daro knew there were a few screws loose in Rael's daughter, but never had she once considered her a traitor. Never once had she considered her an enemy. But with this? Daro could hardly come to terms with what she was witnessing. How far down did this rabbit hole go? How much did Rael know?
"Well, as Faye so aptly knows now, Koreveh is looking to acquire. If not acquire, to invest." Iwia said to make the two spill more of their beans, "You have to make your rounds with your kind. Never know what they might have to offer."
"Seeking to catch some secret tech from the flotilla, have you?" Tali wondered.
"Ah, see? Now you know where I'm getting at with this. Fay, I knew I liked you."
"Pause it." Daro ordered.
The screen paused and the room was silent.
Leah looked up at the admiral expectantly. "...Ma'am?"
Daro exhaled. "...fast forward to right before Iwia was killed."
Leah brought the video near to end of the timeline and pressed play.
Iwia was simply walking across the foyer when the camera shattered and fell. Speckles of blood spotted the floor as the screams started. The recording ended shortly after.
The group silently stared at Daro awaiting their orders. With a mixed look of anger, horror, and sorrow, Daro swallowed and nodded to her team. "We have a lot of work to do."
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1 day later.
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"Hey," John greeted when he stepped down until he was at the foot of their bed, "what's up?"
Tali had her legs crossed on their bed with her laptop typing away.
"Just sending a letter to my dad."
"Finally giving him an update?"
"Yeah."
"Leaving out any details?"
Tali finally looked up at the screen to him. "...Should I?"
"Send him with whatever you're comfortable with."
She stared at the three sentences she'd wrote and finally nodded. "Okay."
He sat down at the side of the bed and reached over to kiss her cheek.
"What do you think so far?" She said, tilting the screen a little toward him, "Think this is good enough?"
John rubbed his chin and nodded thoughtfully at the text. "I think it's pretty good."
"Yeah? I know it isn't much yet."
"Well," John said, clearing his throat, "I can't read khelish so..."
She laughed. "Ah. That's right. Oops."
He kissed her cheek again when she got back to typing.
"You should tell your dad about what happened at Hock's place. Tell him about Reena. Maybe you can find out who she was."
"That probably wasn't even her real name." Tali shrugged, "She wasn't a part of the fleet. Probably changed it to keep her old identity intact."
"You really think Reena would care about that? She was a crook with just as bad a record as Nassana."
Tali shrugged again. "I don't know."
"Wouldn't hurt to tell him. She was after unreleased quarian arms after all. Could be a lead in the right direction for your dad or someone else."
Tali bit her tongue and agreed. "Yeah. That probably wouldn't hurt."
"I'd stay longer, but Wilson and Chakwas need to do a physical on me."
"Alright," Tali said, keeping her focus on the screen, "I'll be here."
When John left, she took a steady breath and resumed typing.
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ʜɪ ᴅᴀᴅ,
ꜰɪɴᴀʟʟʏ ᴡʀɪᴛɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ɢɪᴠᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀɴ ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ. sᴏʀʀʏ ɪᴛ ᴛᴏᴏᴋ sᴏ ʟᴏɴɢ.
ᴡᴇ'ᴠᴇ ʙᴇᴇɴ ᴇxᴛʀᴀᴏʀᴅɪɴᴀʀɪʟʏ ʙᴜsʏ ʀᴇᴄʀᴜɪᴛɪɴɢ ᴍᴇᴍʙᴇʀs ᴏꜰ ᴊᴏʜɴ's ᴛᴇᴀᴍ ᴀɴᴅ ɪ'ᴍ sᴜʀᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ʜᴏᴡ ɪᴛ ɢᴏᴇs. ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴇᴏᴘʟᴇ ᴡᴇ'ᴠᴇ ʙᴇᴇɴ ᴘɪᴄᴋɪɴɢ ᴜᴘ ᴀʟᴏɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴀʏ ᴀʀᴇ ᴄʀᴀᴢʏ. sᴏᴍᴇ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ sᴛᴜꜰꜰ ᴡᴇ'ᴠᴇ sᴇᴇɴ ᴀʟʀᴇᴀᴅʏ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅɴ'ᴛ ʙᴇʟɪᴇᴠᴇ. ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ's ᴛʜɪs ᴋʀᴏɢᴀɴ ᴡᴇ ʀᴇᴄʀᴜɪᴛᴇᴅ. ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴏᴏʀ ꜰᴇʟʟᴏᴡ ᴡᴀs ᴍᴀᴅᴇ ɪɴ ᴀ ᴛᴇsᴛ ᴛᴜʙᴇ.
ᴊᴜsᴛ ʟᴀsᴛ ᴡᴇᴇᴋ ᴡᴇ ᴡᴇʀᴇ ᴏɴ ɪʟʟɪᴜᴍ ᴛᴏ ꜰɪɴᴅ ᴀ ᴅʀᴇʟʟ ᴀssᴀssɪɴ. sᴏᴍᴇᴡʜᴇʀᴇ ᴀʟᴏɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʀᴏᴄᴇss ᴡᴇ ᴋɪʟʟᴇᴅ ɴᴀssᴀɴᴀ ᴅᴀɴᴛɪᴜs. ʟᴏᴏᴋ ʜᴇʀ ᴜᴘ sᴏᴍᴇᴛɪᴍᴇ. ᴡʜɪʟᴇ ᴡᴇ ᴡᴇʀᴇ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ, ɢᴀʀʀᴜs ꜰᴏᴜɴᴅ ᴀɴ ᴀsᴀʀɪ ᴊᴜsᴛɪᴄᴀʀ. ʏᴏᴜ sʜᴏᴜʟᴅ ʟᴏᴏᴋ ᴛʜᴏsᴇ ᴜᴘ ᴛᴏᴏ.
ᴀɴᴅ ᴊᴜsᴛ ʏᴇsᴛᴇʀᴅᴀʏ ᴡᴇ ᴡᴇʀᴇ ᴅᴏɪɴɢ ᴀ ᴍɪssɪᴏɴ ɪɴ ʙᴇᴋᴇɴsᴛᴇɪɴ. ᴀ ʜᴜᴍᴀɴ ᴠᴇʀsɪᴏɴ ᴏꜰ ɪʟʟɪᴜᴍ. ᴡᴇ ᴡᴇʀᴇ ʜᴇʟᴘɪɴɢ ᴏɴᴇ ᴏꜰ ᴏᴜʀ ᴄʀᴇᴡ ɢᴇᴛ sᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ ꜰʀᴏᴍ ᴀ ᴍᴀɴ ɴᴀᴍᴇᴅ ʜᴏᴄᴋ (ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ɴᴇᴡs, ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴏɴ'ᴛ ᴍɪss ɪᴛ). ɪ'ʟʟ sᴘᴀʀᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴇᴛᴀɪʟs, ʙᴜᴛ ᴡᴇ ʜᴀᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴋɪʟʟ ᴏɴᴇ ᴏꜰ ᴏᴜʀ ᴏᴡɴ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴅᴀʏ. sᴏᴍᴇ ǫᴜᴀʀɪᴀɴ ᴡᴏᴍᴀɴ ɴᴀᴍᴇᴅ ʀᴇᴇɴᴀ'ᴡᴀʜʟ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴀɴ ᴀᴛʀᴏᴄɪᴏᴜs ʜɪsᴛᴏʀʏ ᴏꜰ ᴡʀᴏɴɢᴅᴏɪɴɢs. sʜᴇ'ᴅ ʙᴇᴇɴ ᴀsᴋɪɴɢ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ɪʟʟᴇɢᴀʟ sᴍᴜɢɢʟɪɴɢ ᴏꜰ ǫᴜᴀʀɪᴀɴ ᴀʀᴍs ᴀɴᴅ ɪᴛ sᴏᴜɴᴅᴇᴅ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴀ sᴇʀɪᴏᴜs ɪssᴜᴇ, sᴏ ɪ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛ ɪ'ᴅ ᴘᴀss ɪᴛ ᴀʟᴏɴɢ ᴛᴏ ʏᴏᴜ. ᴡᴇ ᴇɴᴅᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ʟɪᴠᴇs ᴏꜰ ᴇɪɢʜᴛᴇᴇɴ ᴛᴇʀʀɪʙʟᴇ ᴘᴇᴏᴘʟᴇ ɪɴᴄʟᴜᴅɪɴɢ ʜᴏᴄᴋ ᴀɴᴅ ʀᴇᴇɴᴀ. ɪᴛ ᴡᴀs ᴠɪɢɪʟᴀɴᴛᴇ ᴊᴜsᴛɪᴄᴇ ᴀᴛ ɪᴛ's ʙᴇsᴛ, ᴀɴᴅ ɪ ᴅɪᴅɴ'ᴛ ᴘᴀʀᴛɪᴄᴜʟᴀʀʟʏ ᴀɢʀᴇᴇ ᴡɪᴛʜ ɢᴀʀʀᴜs' ᴅᴇᴄɪsɪᴏɴ, ʙᴜᴛ ɪᴛ ᴡᴀs ᴄᴀʀʀɪᴇᴅ ᴏᴜᴛ ʙʏ ᴘᴏᴘᴜʟᴀʀ ᴠᴏᴛᴇ.
ᴀsɪᴅᴇ ꜰʀᴏᴍ ᴛʜᴀᴛ, ᴏʟᴀsɪᴇ's ᴛᴇᴀᴍ ɪs ᴅᴏɪɴɢ ɢʀᴇᴀᴛ ʜᴇʀᴇ, sᴏ ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅ ᴘᴀss ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴀʟᴏɴɢ ᴛᴏ ɢᴇʀʀᴇʟ, ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ʙᴇ ɢʀᴇᴀᴛ ᴛᴏᴏ. ɪ ʜᴀᴠᴇɴ'ᴛ ꜰᴏʀɢᴏᴛᴛᴇɴ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ sᴛᴀʏ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ʟᴏᴏᴘ, ʙᴜᴛ ɪ'ᴠᴇ ʙᴇᴇɴ sᴏ ʙᴜsʏ. ᴛʜᴇ ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇs ᴡɪʟʟ ʙᴇ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ꜰʀᴇǫᴜᴇɴᴛ ɴᴏᴡ, ɪ ᴘʀᴏᴍɪsᴇ.
-ᴛᴀʟɪ
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She read over her letter, and satisfied that it looked okay enough, sent it. Stretching and setting aside her laptop, she stood up and made her way to the bathroom to wash her face.
Past the droplets streaking down her cheeks, she gave herself a good look in the mirror and smiled.
It wasn't something she took for granted, living like this. John was back here in this living world with her. You didn't ever hear about people getting a second chance like that.
"I'm the luckiest woman alive." She murmured with her small grin. She scoffed a little, having to remind herself that it wasn't too lucky. Instead of worrying about a mortgage and car insurance like most people, they had to worry about bullets, reapers, and Cerberus. A pretty okay trade-off for having someone you loved come back to life.
After brushing her teeth, she took a quick shower before slipping on her exosuit and getting the day started.
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Kylie'Pass and her squad leader, Olasie'Venn stood shoulder to shoulder cleaning their gear in the hangar. Aside from the occasional fluctuating sound coming from somewhere deep inside the Normandy, it was silent.
That is until Grunt decided to lumber right up next to the two soldiers and drop his claymore shotgun next to them.
"Uhm, hello." Kylie squeaked when she saw the sheer size of the krogan, "...How're you?"
Grunt didn't bother answering and started to disassemble his firearm.
Olasie gave Grunt a cursory glance and shoved a rod down her disassembled barrel.
"It's nice to meet you Grunt." Olasie said, keeping her focus on the gun she was cleaning, "You've got a mighty nice shotgun there."
"A gun more powerful than you could even handle, quarian." Grunt said, falling into Olasie's play. Olasie knew to get someone to open up was to talk about what they liked most. In this case it was a krogan and his favorite gun.
"And that's why you're on the team. To do something no one else can." Olasie replied in kind, "The name's Sergeant Olasie'Venn. This is my subordinate, Corporol Kylie'Pass."
"Okeer spoke a lot about quarians." Grunt said as he separated the ammo block from his gun, "He hated them."
"For what reasons?" Olasie asked evenly.
"For losing to the geth."
Olasie just took a breath. "We were weak for that."
"But he respects your kind." Grunt mollified without even knowing it, "You created a mighty foe that Okeer believed the krogan would eventually get to fight."
Kylie felt like pointing out the obvious flaw in logic, but held her breath. There wasn't a point in arguing logical fallacies with a krogan that wasn't even a year old.
"My kind are going to beat you to that."
"Big words for a small alien." Grunt stated, finally giving Olasie the respect of looking at her.
"Small but smart." Olasie retorted.
"You may be smart, but the tank taught me the weaknesses of all aliens."
"And what are ours?"
"Weak immune system being among the easiest to exploit."
Olasie wanted to smack herself for how obvious that was. "Very true," She said instead, "Would you like to know what we're taught when engaging krogan?"
Grunt simply nodded.
"Krogan leadership seldom wear helmets in combat. Best tactic is to utilize conventional cartridge rifles at subsonic speeds. Most of the time that's enough to keep kinetic barriers from going off. Any time we're on a world that might have krogan, the unit's issued at least three for our designated marksmen. After that it's easy pickings."
"Cowardly. There's no honor in that."
"Honor doesn't matter," Olasie stated, "Winning does. You don't get to exercise the luxury of honor against the geth. Okeer, the guy I've heard so much about, would know that."
Grunt would forevermore start using a helmet from that day on.
They three kept cleaning. Unbeknownst to them, Juel and Jacob walked past them to the elevator.
"Give it to me straight, Juel." Jacob said after they'd laughed at a small joke, "I know your opinion on Cerberus. But what about your opinion on me."
Juel pressed the button on the elevator and waited for it to come down.
"Jacob? You're a good man. But I really think your opinion of Cerberus is skewed."
Jacob nodded. "Maybe. But they're the only group of people that walks the talk."
"Lack of immediate action is the consequence of republic leadership." Juel pointed out.
"There aren't very many checks and balances in Cerberus, no." Jacob said admittedly, "But know that I will never back up or defend their wrongdoings either. They've done terrible things that I'm not proud of knowing."
"And that's why your association with Cerberus has to be temporary. Integrity to what's right is paramount."
"Would you say the same thing for your people?"
The elevator doors opened and they both stepped in.
"How do you mean?" Juel asked genuinely.
"The quarians are still at war with the geth. Your people are amping up for a retake of your home planet everyday. There will be compromises in integrity. It always happens."
"EDI, crew deck please." Juel asked.
"Yes Mr. Kaan."
"I see what you're saying." Juel said timidly as the lift began rising, "And it always happens in the passion of the moment. But with TIM, your boss? It's all calculated. Cold, hard, objectivism. The ends truly justify the means. And it shows, Jacob. He killed innocent quarian civilians just to send a message to those two humans our government granted asylum. That is the very definition of atrocity."
Jacob just looked at the counter above the elevator doors and stuffed his hands into his cargo pants. "Yeah. I see what you're saying."
When they arrived at the crew deck, Juel and Jacob stepped out, exchanged pleasantries with John and Tali, and headed to the battery to help Garrus with whatever it was he wanted them for.
Tali and John closed the elevator door.
"CIC, EDI."
"Yes, Commander."
When the doors closed, John crossed his arms. "Not that I was doubting Mordin, but I can't believe he's done it."
Tali nodded when they began their ascent. "I know. So what does it mean?"
"Well," John breathed, "It means we can take the fight to the collectors. I think."
"Keelah."
The elevator arrived at CIC and they stepped out. They wasted no time in entering Mordin's lab.
"Ah, Shepard. Tali. Good to see you."
"Morning to you too, doc."
"Wanted to tell: Paralytic protein and polypeptide study complete. Compiled breakdown of all substances. Been analyzing through night."
"That sounds like good news." John nodded, staring at Mordin's sample, "What were your findings?"
All Mordin did was smile and sip his tea.
"While first to admit that toxicology study less important, am happy to say study of seeker ganglia critical to success of anti-measure."
Tali began wringing her hands at what Mordin was implying. "What does that mean?"
"Found, on periphery of protein study, connection between 'brain' and 'poison'. Will spare you details. But finding big. Will upgrade all gear accordingly."
"What will it do?"
"Still conjecture. But intention to mask detection. Make us invisible to collector swarm."
"Will it work?"
"Certainty impossible." Mordin stated with a shrug, "Intensive study still hypothetical. As laymen would say, 'still just theory.'"
"That isn't going to sit well with anyone on the ground team."
"Technology experimental. Only test is contact with seeker. Have to test in person. Should be exciting."
Tali knelt down to eye level to stare at the bug. She flinched when the seeker smashed up against the glass to try and stab her.
"Keelah."
"Should have been here earlier," Mordin smiled between a sip of tea, "Coco escaped. Stung some of crew."
John suddenly looked mortified. "Jesus Mordin, you named the damn thing?"
"Yeoman Chambers insisted on personifying."
"You're worried about the name?" Tali said with a stuck up brow, "What about the people who got stung? Are they alright?"
"Are fine." Mordin said to relieve them of their concern, "Paralytic effects temporary when given antidote."
"Why don't I hear about this stuff as it's happening?" John said as he scratched the back of his head.
"Have enough to worry as is. No need to report incidents uncritical to mission success."
"He has a good point," Tali remarked, keeping a careful but close eye on Coco, "You've got enough on your mind."
The worried look on John's face didn't go away, but he nodded all the same to the salarian. "Thank you Mordin. We'd be dead in the water if it weren't for your work."
"Am here to serve."
As the couple walked out, Tali got a message from her dad.
"What is it?" John asked as they walked back out to CIC.
"I..." She opened up the message and felt the blood drain from her face.
ᴛᴀʟɪ,
ʀᴇᴇɴᴀ'ᴡᴀʜʟ ᴡᴀs ᴀɴ ᴜɴᴅᴇʀᴄᴏᴠᴇʀ ᴏᴘᴇʀᴀᴛɪᴠᴇ ᴡᴏʀᴋɪɴɢ ꜰᴏʀ ᴅᴀʀᴏ'xᴇɴ.
ᴛʜɪs ɪs ɴᴏᴛ ɢᴏᴏᴅ.
"Tali?"
"...Oh my god."
The way she said that made John immediately face her full on. "What's going on?"
"It's a text from my dad... We murdered someone, John."
"What are you talking about?"
"Reena," Tali murmured distantly, "She was a good guy."
John held his breath and bit his tongue before staring at the floor.
Tali shook her head and stormed off toward the elevator.
"Tali. Wait."
For the first time ever, she defied him by closing the lift before he could follow.
She made it to the crew deck, stepped out, and made her way to the forward battery.
When the doors to the main gun opened, she put an arm on Garrus' shoulder and twisted him around.
"Garrus, you son of a bitch."
Garrus was taken aback by Tali's croaking voice.
"Tali?"
"We murdered someone."
"What are you talking about?" Garrus demanded with an angry grimace.
"Reena'Wahl, formerly an undercover agent for the flotilla, you idiot. This is what fucking happens when we throw due process out the door."
"Tali, where are you getting this from?"
"My dad."
"But EDI checked." Garrus argued with a face that was a little less angry, "You heard it. I told you."
Tali let out a throaty laugh that wasn't happy in the slightest.
"EDI checked a fabricated background. A background made by someone I can't help but think was Daro'Xen. And knowing that crazy bitch, there wouldn't have been enough time in the universe for EDI to know the difference."
Garrus leaned in close and crossed his arms defiantly. "What do you want me to do, Tali?"
"To realize that your neurotic obsession of vigilante justice is going to fuck me!" She hollered with her closed fists. Garrus remained silent, so Tali lowered her voice and kept her stare leveled at him.
"It may have worked on Omega, but it can't work here, Garrus."
"Reena, if she is what you say she is, would acknowledge the risks associated with her job."
"I sure as hell would make a bet she wasn't vetting against the risk of having her life ended by a fellow man working on the same side. I told you Garrus I disagreed with this. I told you. I can't believe we even brought this sick idea up to vote."
"Now hold on. This is not the old Normandy anymore Tali. We're not under the legal wing of the Alliance or Citadel anymore. We're sitting on a privately funded military ship with the loosest interpretation of ROE anyone's ever seen outside of being a Spectre. Don't patronize me for being as democratic as possible with this."
Tali felt a single tear welling in her eye.
"Oh my god, Garrus. You've changed."
His stare stayed cold. "...Omega opened my eyes."
"It opened a lot more than that, Garrus." Tali said with a choked sigh, "It opened up a hole in your heart, and it's costing the relationship you have with the people closest to you."
She turned away from him, closed the battery door, and walked away. And when those doors closed on him, Garrus stared on for a full minute at the place Tali was at just moments ago to absorb what she had said to him. Eventually, he returned to his work sluggishly.
Unbeknownst to Tali, Juel and Jacob were there when the argument went down. The two men stepped out from the furthest part of the room and slowly came up to Garrus.
"Reena was undercover?" Juel muttered with a wide eyed look on his face, "Oh god."
Jacob stared between Juel and Garrus and held his breath.
"Yeah. Apparently." Garrus intoned quietly between his typing.
"Olasie needs to know about this."
The turian stopped typing and grasped the corners of his standing desk.
"You heard me tell it to Tali, and I'm going to say it to you. Reena knew the risks associated to being undercover. One good person died, but seventeen bad ones did too. If that's the price to make the galaxy a better place, then so be it."
"Garrus," Juel murmured, "You can't be serious."
Garrus looked the quarian in the eye. "I'm dead serious."
There was a long moment of silence between the three men. Enough for the air to stiffen.
Juel tossed his pliers on Garrus' workspace. "Finish the upgrade yourself. I'm done."
Juel exited the battery and Jacob crossed his arms.
"Tell me you understand where I'm coming from Jacob." Garrus said with a frown.
"I do. But that kind of thinking is what got The Illusive Man to where he is today."
Jacob walked out himself and left Garrus alone.
With the sudden plague of thoughts running through the turian's mind, he found himself staring at the floor over Jacob's words.