For the first time that I could remember, most of my squad was staying out of my way. The only one who seemed confident enough to come close to me was Garrus. We were a few hours out of Aite with a young man being cared for in the med-bay by Doctor Chakwas and Mordin. Everyone on the ship was now aware of what we'd found on Aite.
Georgia stated in the shuttle on the way back to the Normandy that she was done with Cerberus after what we'd found. She would see out the mission and that would be it. She'd pack her things Jack was left as upset as I'd ever seen her. No anger. No fury. Genuine tears at the sight of the young man effectively being tortured by his own brother.
As for Miranda, I hadn't seen her since we had returned to the ship. I'd managed to rein in my anger when it came to talking to the Illusive Man about what we found. But as much as Georgia stated that she was done with Cerberus once we had defeated the Collectors, I'd now learned more than enough to know that Cerberus were as bad as Ashley had suggested on Horizon what felt like eons ago.
I'd already been in touch with Major Anderson on the Citadel. He patched me through to Admiral Hackett, and after explaining everything that we'd found, it was suggested that we take David Archer to Jon Grissom Academy. He would get the best of care there as his brother, Doctor Gavin Archer, had suggested that his younger brother was positively brilliant.
Garrus sat opposite me in the mess, looking up from a datapad to see the bottle of liquor. "Notice how absolutely no one is around you right now, Shepard?"
"Yeah, I know."
"If you'd shot him in the head, no one would have blamed you either."
"I wanted to. Trust me, I wanted to. But I wanted him to spend the rest of his life living with the guilt… While looking in the mirror and seeing the scars that I left on his face."
He poured two generous pours and handed me a glass. "Georgia was rather vocal about it. You know what though? I don't think it's going to take much more for Miranda to follow you out the door, Shepard. There was absolutely no way that she could justify what happened, and Archer… Well, he pretty much confirmed that his boss was aware of everything going on."
"I'll talk to Miranda later though I'm not sure there's much I could say."
We sipped at a couple of drinks, just shooting the shit, and I'll admit that spending time with a good friend did have me feeling better. He had me chuckling with a couple of old stories from his time at C-Sec on the Citadel and even managed to remember one or two from when he was on Omega. I think dealing with Sidonis had helped him remember the good work that he'd been doing there.
It was late in the evening by the time we agreed that it was probably best to head to bed. We'd both enjoyed quite a few drinks. Given that I wasn't much of a drinker, I was certainly feeling it. Garrus stumbled towards the front batteries as that's when he slept. I staggered towards Miranda's bedroom, the door open and I walked inside.
Her room was dark except for the lamps providing faint illumination to either side of her bed. I could see the outline of her body under the sheets.
"Miranda?"
"I'm awake, Shepard. I can't sleep," she replied.
Sitting down next to her, I could see the pile of tissues on the nightstand. In that moment, I knew it would only take a nudge for Miranda to walk away. She'd seen too much. Learned too much. And despite the fact that the Illusive Man had hired her because of her brilliance, she understood that he simply didn't care about anyone except himself and his goals.
"Guessing it's been a bad day for most of us," I whispered, running my hand up and down her bare upper arm.
"I wanted to shoot him, Shepard. I stood there, watching you bash his face in, and I was happy that you were doing it. Because I wanted to put him against the wall and shoot him. Who does that to their own brother?"
"That's why we're taking him to Grissom Academy. Anderson has already been in touch with the woman who runs it. Someone by the name of Kahlee Sanders is in charge. Hopefully she won't freak out when a Cerberus vessel appears on their systems."
"I sometimes don't know how you still do it, Shepard."
"What do you mean?"
"Working for… him… After everything that I've learned, I can only thank you even more that you didn't just wake up and start blasting."
"If I'd done that, I would have missed out on a wonderful woman in Georgia, and a simply incredibly woman in you, Miss Lawson." I leaned down and kissed her cheek. "And remember, you are nothing like them. You are better. I've seen it in you."
I heard her sniff, and she chuckled. "Have you been drinking, Shepard?"
"Garrus was trying to cheer me up. It worked. We had a good laugh." I kissed her cheek again and asked, "Want me to stay?"
"Please," she whispered.
Snuggling up against her once I was undressed, I felt her shuffle to get comfortable and I was pleased to hear her lightly snoring within a few minutes. I didn't wake as early as always and my mouth felt dry. Miranda woke up as I was getting dressed, giving me a crooked smile before she got up and joined me out in the mess. We checked on David, thankful that he was sleeping. Chakwas sensed that we were there and woke up. She gave us a quiet update.
"Physically, he seems to be fine. But psychologically… Shepard, he's already autistic, but what his brother has put him through… We've certainly made breakthroughs in understanding the human brain in recent decades, but the torture that he's been put through… I simply can't even begin to list the long-term effects of what's happened to him."
"We'll be at Grissom Academy by the afternoon. Hopefully they'll be able to give him the right treatment."
After breakfast, most of the crew disappeared to one of the lounges to discuss things. I knew they were not all going to pack up and go, but I knew they were now only remaining out of loyalty to me. I had a feeling that most of them wouldn't even take the money that each contract would give them. It was tainted money.
Chakwas was still monitoring David, Mordin now back in his lab as there was little assistance he could now provide. She looked up as I walked through the door, standing on the other side of the bed upon which the young man was unconscious. Chakwas made sure he was kept asleep during the journey from Aite to Grissom Academy.
"We need something nice to remember after all of this, Karin," I stated, "So after we make sure David is safe and sound on Grissom, I'm having the ship head towards the Citadel. I've got a promise to keep." I met her eyes to see her smiling somewhat shyly at me. "Do you have a dress?"
"Maybe I should go shopping for one?"
"I've already made reservations for the night after tomorrow. You'll have plenty of time once we've docked on the Citadel. Take some of the girls."
"Oh… Won't they be jealous?" I gave her a look that had her smiling again. "Well… I mean… Yes, of course!"
"Good. Lucky that I still have that tuxedo that Kasumi had me wear the other week."
What pleased me was that nearly everyone was waiting by the airlock as David was led towards us by Chakwas. Thankfully, Grissom had been informed about our arrival on a Cerberus ship. Once the docking arm was in place, the pressure was equalised, and the door opened to reveal a small group of people waiting for us.
"Lieutenant Sanders?" I asked.
A blonde woman immediately smiled at me. "Commander Shepard," she replied, stepping forward and offering her hand, "Anderson has told me so much about you."
She joined us on the flight deck with a couple of physicians. After a conversation with Chakwas about his condition, the physicians escorted David off the ship while I followed Sanders alongside Chakwas to stand off the ship. I explained in brief detail how we'd found him on Aite and an overview of the experiments that his brother had been doing to him. Sanders couldn't hide her disgust.
"Anderson told me that you're with them to defeat these Collectors that I keep hearing about. After that?"
"Trust me, once we've defeated them, I'm gone. And so is everyone else. I think Aite is the straw that broke the camel's back for a lot of people."
"Thank you for bringing him here, Shepard," she stated, "We'll look after him and make sure that he gets the care that he deserves."
"Thanks. It was either here or the restarted Jump Zero. Anderson suggested this place."
"And he was right. Where are you going next?"
"Citadel. Then… I don't know, to be honest. I have to rely on someone for information. It's a slow process sometimes."
"Good luck, Shepard. I'm sure that I echo the thoughts of billions of humans."
Joker had the Normandy heading towards the Citadel once we had pulled away from Grissom Academy. I wasn't expecting Anderson or Sanders to keep me up to date with David's treatment and recovery, but if they were able to give me some good news in the future, it would certainly help me feel better about things.
The mood was better on the ship once we docked on the Citadel a couple of days later. I'd taken time to speak to everyone who had been on the ground during our mission to Aite. Jack was pleased that David was going to be receiving the care and attention that she never had. Georgia was wracked with guilt though even Jack was assuring her that she shouldn't be feeling that way. Amelie was ready to go to war with Cerberus. Others like Leliana were regretting accepting the contract though nearly all the recruits were now pledging their loyalty to me above anything else.
As for Chakwas, there was no missing her excitement about our date. As soon as the ship docked on the Citadel, she was at the airlock with Samara, Miranda, Kasumi and Kelly.
"Reservations are for eight," I told them.
"We'll be back in plenty of time," Miranda assured me, "Although are you coming back to the cabin, or have you booked elsewhere for the night?"
"We're heading to his cabin," Chakwas stated, "No need for us to stay anywhere else. We're both adults and I know that there will probably be gossip tomorrow morning."
"I'll meet you here by the airlock at half seven. We'll go for a drink before dinner."
I had told the crew that they were free to come and go as they pleased as I had nothing from the Illusive Man, and I wasn't aware of any requests from other crew members. I did receive a message from Sanders with a brief update on David's condition. It echoed what Chakwas had told me. Physically, he was okay. But she told me that it was going to take intense therapy for him to even slowly begin to recover from his ordeal.
The ship was almost deserted though it gave me time to do some work. Garrus walked past me while I was busy typing away at my terminal, joking that I shouldn't wait up as he had a hot date organised. I told him to have fun and that I'd let him know if we would be leaving in a hurry. Noticing Tali hadn't been one of the many to walk on by, I eventually found her down in engineering. She was delighted to see me as always, and I wondered why she hadn't gone with Chakwas and the girls.
"Gabby, Ken and I want to make sure this ship is absolutely perfect for when we go through the Omega Four," she explained, "We don't want it to be a one-way trip as much as you do. Therefore, there are protections we can put in place to make sure that the drive core will be ready to go, no matter what happens to the ship otherwise."
"Are you going to get off the ship while we're here?"
"Probably not. I've never felt particularly welcome when I'm on the Citadel, even when I'm in the company of others."
"Need me to go kick someone's arse?"
She chuckled at the offer. "No, Shepard. And I doubt you'd need to kick them. Just give them that stare of yours and they'd slink off."
I headed upstairs to my cabin with plenty of time to spare. Shaved. Showered. Dressed. EDI did let me know when Chakwas and the girls arrived back though I didn't want to see what she was wearing until we would meet. I was downstairs on the flight deck with a few minutes to spare. Joker had swung his chair around so we could talk to each other though I knew someone was approaching when his eyes widened.
There was a cleared throat, turning around to see Doctor Karin Chakwas looking… I'd never seen her in such a dress before. She smiled at me as I'm sure my jaw dropped wide. Her shoulders were bare though the hem was down past her knees, and she was wearing heels of the same colour. And from what I could see of her legs, she was wearing stockings as well. Faint make-up included some eye shadow to really bring out her eyes.
"Wow," I finally whispered.
"She scrubs up well, doesn't she?" Kelly asked. It was only then that I realised every woman of my squad was behind her. The fact that I hadn't noticed anyone except Chakwas quickly had them all laughing at me.
I kissed Chakwas on each cheek and felt her pressing her firm body against mine. "Now we expect you to bring her back nice and early, Shepard," Miranda stated with humour.
"And definitely control how much you choose to drink," Georgia added.
"I won't want too much to drink anyway," Chakwas stated.
We walked hand in hand away from the ship towards the Presidium as I knew Chakwas would want something quiet and intimate for our date. Conversation continued to flow easily as we ended up in a bar frequented by the numerous species of council space. Although we talked about our careers, we focused on stories before we started working together. Even though I had been rather well-known before joining up with the Normandy originally, she only knew the myth, not the man.
But much of our conversation through dinner focused on my 'death' and then my 'resurrection'. She was interested in how I had dealt with it all given that I had been gone for two years, everyone had moved on with their lives, and I woke up to find humanity under attack yet again.
"Having the mission to focus on straight away has probably helped me deal with it," I admitted, "I think if I'd been woken up and then just had to deal with it, knowing that I was with Cerberus, knowing that everyone thought me dead. What about you, Karin? We've talked a hell of a lot though… How did you deal with it?"
Chakwas sipped at her glass of wine as we were waiting for our main meals to arrive. "Your funeral was incredibly difficult, Shepard. The only thing that provided some amusement was the long line of women seated at the front. But I just remember that I was sad to have lost such a good friend. I remember our times chasing Saren fondly to this day."
"Any regrets?"
She reached forward to take my hand in hers. "I had only one. That I had been so worried about admitting an attraction to you and I knew that I had missed a chance at perhaps sharing something unique and special. I was never jealous of Ashley, Liara or anyone else you were with. Part of me knew that I would have thoroughly enjoyed joining in. But I'm still older than all of you by a margin. Liara might be older than me though certainly doesn't look it."
"No regrets now?"
"None at all. Shepard, I would have always been happy to just remain a good friend, like Samara or Kasumi. But… Well, I'm here now and I can't think of a single place that I'd rather be right now."
"And do you want it to end how I think we both want it to end?"
"Absolutely."
Dinner was fantastic and filling enough that Chakwas knocked back the offer of a dessert, choosing to finish with a hot drink before I paid the bill and we wandered out, again holding hands though Chakwas was soon leaning into my side, wrapping my arm around her. I'd chosen another bar for us to spend a few hours, buying her more than one glass of her favourite liquor and dancing to the music that allowed her to mould her body into mine. It was easy enough to just sway, numerous other couples surrounding us though our eyes were only for each other.
The first proper kiss we shared was a special moment. I made her smile when one of my hands immediately moved down her back to her firm arse. We kept things sensible while we were dancing although I didn't miss the fact that she did press her body even closer when it was obvious that she was exciting me. The way her eyes lit up made me chuckle. She gave me the sort of smile that suggested she liked what she could feel.
"Shepard… We should return to the ship," she said after yet another slow dance. We shared another kiss before she added, "I'm going to be blunt. I plan on waking up with you tomorrow morning. And I know you get up early, so the only request I have is that you stay with me."
"Of course."
The ship was quiet when we walked aboard a few minutes later. Taking the elevator up to my cabin, there was no sign of any nerves from Chakwas. I led her inside and down the steps towards the lounge.
"Drink?"
"I'm not here to have another drink, Shepard," she replied, turning to see her reaching behind to unzip her dress, "Though I think I do need help with this…"
She turned around so I could lower her zip from where it was on her upped back to just above her arse. The dress carefully slid down her body to reveal the fact that she hadn't worn a bra, dropping down over her firm arse to show that her panties didn't amount to much, and she was wearing thigh-high stockings and suspenders.
After carefully placing the dress on one of the lounges, she turned to face me, and I drank in her body. Breasts were probably just larger than a handful. Toned body otherwise. She was fit for a woman of her age. Stepping towards me, I felt her press against me again as we shared a steamy kiss. Dinner and dancing had been pre-foreplay. Her hands were quickly moving to get me as nearly naked as she was, making me chuckle when she was very careful when placing down my tuxedo and shirt next to her dress.
We were both completely naked once we ended up in bed together, her eyes continuing to gaze into mine as our hands explored each other. I knew how old she was, and although there were a few signs that she was mature, it was obvious that she had looked after herself. She spent a lot of time on her feet each day, and I knew she exercised and kept to a good diet.
Her nipples were darker than most of my other lovers though they were just as sensitive when it came to getting my lips wrapped around one. She was on her back, and as I pleasured her upper body, one of my hands was between her legs which were now spread wide, feeling the heat of her pussy. The moans she made only aroused me further.
"Shepard," she whimpered, glancing up to see her gazing at me, "I know what you want to do. All your girls…"
"Trust me, Karin… I've thought about this for a long time."
That made her smile. "Me too," she whispered.
Kissing down her body, I savoured her scent before I slowly ran my tongue up and down her slit. I could have teased her, but I wanted to taste her. She moaned as my tongue got to work, noticing that she grabbed a pillow to ensure that her head was lifted enough to watch me. Her hips slowly moved in time with my tongue.
"Yes!" she groaned softly, "Just like that, Shepard. Clit… Not too much… I'm very sensitive…"
"I'll do as the doctor ordered," I stated with humour. It earned a chuckle.
Chakwas enjoyed her first orgasm a few minutes later, her cries of pleasure music to my ears. Once she'd crested the wave, the smile on her face spoke volumes though she quickly realised that I wasn't done with her yet.
"They told me…" She paused and chuckled again. "They warned me that you'd… Oh God, Shepard…"
I lifted my mouth away though only so I could slide fingers inside her. "You were saying, Karin?" I teased, feeling her pussy immediately grip around my fingers, "What did they warn you about, Karin?"
She whimpered before there was a look in her eyes that I couldn't ignore, leaning up as I slowly fingered her so we could share another kiss. She moaned into my mouth as I managed to not only finger her but palm her clit at the same time. When I broke the kiss, she gazed at me intensely before I moved down to resume what I was doing.
"One more, Shepard… Then I want to make love…"
I was watching her eyes again a few minutes later when I pressed the head of my cock against her. We kissed softly as I ever so slowly slid inside her. She was hot and tight, and I felt her pussy immediately gripping me tightly. Her fingers moved up my upper arms to my back, feeling her legs bend at the knee and immediately rest against either side of my torso. Sinking my entire length inside her had me groaning before we kissed again.
It was amazing how quickly we fell into a rhythm we clearly enjoyed. She wrapped her legs around me as our coupling picked up in tempo. We maintained eye contact as her eyes were ever so expressive. And she was also very eager to keep kissing me, moaning and whimpering into my mouth as I upped the pace of my thrusts with each passing minute.
Given how aroused, I was warning her rather quickly that I was ready to cum. She moved her lips to my ear and whispered, "I'm not on birth control, Shepard."
Now I knew she was probably old enough to have gone through the change women do once they were middle age. But it was still hot as hell to hear, that primitive, carnal instinct deep within any male, and there was that small part in the back of my mind that thought about things like a family and kids in the future. My life was the service though I knew some of my lovers would want something more.
I felt her legs tighten around me when she felt my cock throbbing as I started to cum. Her eyes simply sparkled as I grunted a few times before we shared a soft kiss as I left my cock buried inside her.
"Far too long since I felt that," she whispered, her fingers caressing my cheek, "I feel so foolish, Shepard."
"Why?"
"Because I could have had this two years ago!"
"Better late than never?"
She asked me to pull out and we lay on our sides, facing each other, pulling her close to me. "I don't want to interfere in what you have with others…"
"I don't think they'd mind."
"I know. We're already good friends, Shepard. I respect you like almost no other. And now being intimate…" She shuffled closer until her head was resting against my chest as I stroked her back, "I know that I'll want this again. But I just want to be with and around you. Know what I mean?"
"I'd love it if you remained by my side until the end, Karin."
"Good, because that's where I'm going to be."
I ended up on my back as I think Chakwas likely heard from my other lovers that I enjoyed watching a lover riding me. And Chakwas enjoyed herself, my hands roaming her body as she came hard while riding me. That caused some sniffles as I moved a hand to caress her cheek. She smiled at me before a determined look crossed her face and she started to ride me harder and faster. The way her breasts jiggled was certainly mesmerising.
"Best cock that I can remember," she moaned, "No wonder any lover always looks happy after a night with you."
"You'll look the same in the morning."
She came again while riding me more than once before I came again. And then we made love again with Chakwas on her back. It was slow and sensual, making sure that it lasted as long as possible. When I came inside her a third time, she giggled and said that although I hadn't fucked her hard, her pussy was starting to feel a little sore.
"My dildo isn't as big as your cock, and most of the time it's just fingers," she whispered when spooned against me after we had a quick cleanup.
"I'd totally watch you… Kelly would put on shows for me…"
"Did you end up fooling around afterwards?"
I snorted which made her giggle again. "That's why she did it."
We made love again when she woke up, keeping my word and staying in bed with her until she woke up with her personal alarm. Heading downstairs for breakfast, the mess was full and it fell silent when I walked in hand in hand with Chakwas. We grabbed some food and a coffee before sitting down.
"Shepard… Can we ask? Please?" Kelly asked.
Chakwas met my eyes and smiled. "Go on then," I replied.
When she said that it was the best night of her life, that made me smile. And I didn't miss the glances from every other woman around the table. It was obvious that our good doctor was now completely smitten with me. I had no idea how often we would be intimate in the future, but now that we'd opened the door to the possibility, I would hope that she would not be a stranger to my cabin upstairs.
After breakfast, I escorted her to the med-bay, and we shared a final kiss. The way she gazed at me as I had my arms around her had me smiling again. Pulling her to my chest, she rested her head against me as I stroked her back. She sighed and I could just sense that she was content. I knew it wouldn't change our central relationship. We'd simply confirmed feelings for each other. Mutual respect, but I think there was definitely love as well.
I knew we couldn't stay on the Citadel forever. I had lunch with Jane and a meeting with Kira before I ordered everyone back to the Normandy. I had no real idea of a destination. If I received no word from the Illusive Man, docking on Illium might be a good idea. It would give me time to spend with Liara. Or Omega as at least it was close to the Omega Four.
Deciding that we might as well just head to Illium, Joker had the ship underway, and I was working under the assumption that we'd end up docking there. I was down in the gym with Grunt and Garrus, chewing the fat while lifting weights or working a bag, when Kelly wandered up to us. I was busy punching a heavy bag, Grunt holding it while Garrus was cheerleader. Given that I was in the zone, it took Garrus to yell my name before I knew Kelly had joined us.
"Shepard… Tali is very upset right now… I think she's received a message from home though I'm not sure what it's about."
"Shit. If she's that upset, it mustn't be good. I'll go talk to her after I've cleaned up."
I didn't want to speak to her sweating and smelly, heading to my cabin for a quick shower before I returned to engineering. I entered through the other door and asked Ken and Gabby to give us some privacy. Gabby smiled and whispered that she could sense that Tali was upset. She wasn't crying and there were no sniffles, but she was already friendly with her and could read some of her body language.
Tali glanced my way once we were alone. When her head lowered and she sighed, I placed my hand on her back, and she turned to hug me. I knew just a hug sometimes made her feel better. When she let me go and stepped back, she did something that I recognised when she was nervous. She started to fidget. Taking her hands in mine immediately calmed her down.
"They're accusing me of treason, Shepard," she finally said after taking a deep breath.
"What? That's crazy!"
She lowered her head for a moment. "I'm really scared, Shepard. They don't usually accuse someone without a lot of evidence."
"Have they told you any specifics?"
"No. The message only told me that I was being charged and that there would be a trial. Before you ask, I'll explain. I'll need to organise transport to get to…" She trailed off and I knew she was smiling. "I just thought… The Collectors and…"
"I'm not letting you face them alone, Tali. So, what happens?"
"There's a trial. The Admiralty Board are the judges. My father is an admiral. He'll have to recuse himself." She stepped closer and rested her head against my chest. "Shepard… If I'm found guilty, it's exile. I would never be allowed to return."
"Well, let's make sure that doesn't happen. Do you know where the flotilla is?"
"I can program it into the ship's systems and Joker can find the way there."
"Good. We'll get this sorted out immediately. Have they requested you arrive soon?"
"Yes. Given the nature of my position with you, they will give me time to get there."
"Okay. I'll speak to Joker and make sure that we get there as quickly as possible."
"Thank you, Shepard."
"Don't worry about a thing, Tali."
Getting to the Migrant Fleet took a couple of days as they were on the opposite side of the galaxy, and it took a series of mass relay jumps. On the way, all the girls made sure that Tali had plenty of support. To be honest, each night the entire group ended up in the lounge and made sure Tali got drunk. It was rather amusing, particularly when I would wander in to join them, stone-cold sober while many of them were at different stages of inebriation.
And each night on the way towards the flotilla, the girls made sure that Tali was snuggled against me at the end of the night. She woke each morning nursing a hangover though she appreciated the girls trying to make her feel better.
Tali was with me near the cockpit when we passed through the nearest relay to the flotilla. She explained that the flotilla always monitored the nearest relay depending on where they were simply due to concerns about the geth. We were hailed by the Migrant Fleet upon our approach, Tali calling in a phrase which meant they would recognise a quarian was returning. When the Fleet called back, stating that we were flagged as a Cerberus vessel, even Joker gave me a glance. He probably thought the quarians would shoot first and ask questions later.
"After time adrift among open stars, along tides of light and through shoals of dust, I will return to where I began," Tali stated.
"Permission granted. Welcome home, Tali'Zorah."
Although she was a member of the Neema, we would be docking alongside her birth ship, the Rayya. It was only when we both turned around towards the airlock that we noticed every single member of the squad was waiting.
"I can't take all of you," Tali stated, "Though it would make one hell of an impression if we did. Ummm… Kasumi and Garrus. Would you like to come aboard to start? If they allow it, more of you can join us later."
"Tali, if I may… After everything we discovered on Aite… I want to know more about what happened between the Fleet and Cerberus…"
Tali glanced between me and Miranda a couple of times before she nodded. "Very well. Just don't expect a particularly warm welcome. I have noticed the lack of symbols on your clothing lately, but…" She trailed off with a shrug. "I'm sure there are plenty who would like to speak to you."
We were met on the Rayya by the captain of the vessel. He was far politer than I would have imagined given that I commanded a Cerberus vessel. He also called me 'Captain', Tali quickly explaining that in the Migrant Fleet, any person who commanded a vessel earned the rank of 'Captain'.
Captain Kar'Danna then dropped the bombshell. "The Admiralty Board is charging you with bringing active geth back to the Fleet as part of a secret project."
"That's insane!" Tali exclaimed, "I never brought active geth aboard. I only brought bits and pieces."
"Hang on. I didn't know that. Tali?"
"My father was working on a project. He needed the materials."
"Technically, I'm under orders to place Tali'Zorah under arrest pending the hearing." He took one look at me, and given the glare he would see being returned, he quickly added, "Um… Tali, you're confined to this ship until this trial is over."
"Anyone we should speak to before all this starts?" I asked.
"Admiral Raan is ahead waiting to speak to Tali. The trial will take place in the garden plaza."
The affection Admiral Raan had for Tali was immediately obvious to everyone when they greeted each other. But the second bombshell to drop on Tali within the space of a few minutes was when Admiral Raan called Tali 'Tali'Zorah vas Normandy'. Admiral Raan admitted that it was a decision taken by the Admiralty Board given she was currently serving on my ship and not the Neema.
"They stripped me of my ship name. I'm as good as exiled already," Tali stated bitterly.
That wasn't all. Admiral Raan then explained that given Tali was now part of my crew, I would be the one representing her. "Well, I'm not a lawyer, and know nothing about quarian law… But given that this whole thing stinks, I'll gladly represent Tali," I stated.
"Thank you, Shepard," Tali stated happily. I wasn't sure she should have been that happy…
I knew within minutes that the trial was a sham. It had nothing to do with Tali at all. The three admirals who were overseeing the trial quite obviously had their own agendas. I could see it. Tali could see it. Raan had to recuse herself, and even she would have seen it. She was overseeing the trial though would have no vote when it came to whether Tali was found guilty or not.
"Shepard vas Normandy, your crew member Tali'Zorah stands accused of treason. Will you speak for her?"
I glanced at Tali and her eyes spoke volumes. She had immense trust in me. I stepped forward and glared. Gave them the sort of glare that made even a krogan take a step backwards. The three admirals shuffled awkwardly.
"I'll speak to Tali'Zorah vas Normandy. Though we have things back on Earth called kangaroo courts. This whole charade already stinks. Tali'Zorah is a proud quarian and would do nothing that would bring harm to the Fleet. Strip her of your name if that's the sort of game you want to play, but everyone around us will still know her as Tali'Zorah vas Neema."
The admirals then argued between themselves. Well, two of them did. The third, an obvious female dressed in a mostly black environmental suit, was watching me with curiosity.
Admiral Raan finally cleared her throat. "Tali'Zorah, you are accused of bringing active geth to the Migrant Fleet. What say you?"
"I don't see how that's possible given that she's been a member of my crew for quite a while now."
"Captain Shepard, Admiral Xen. Just to clarify, she isn't accused of bringing back full units, only parts that could spontaneously reactivate."
"But I would never send active geth to the Fleet! Everything I sent was disabled and harmless!" Tali exclaimed. I believed her. We'd discussed at length the bitter struggle between the quarians and the geth.
"Then explain how geth seized the lab ship where your father was working!" Admiral Koris stated.
Tali was stunned into silence and looked at me. "Shepard… Father…"
"Explain. Now," I growled, "You don't get to just dump that on her without facts. Out with it."
"Captain Shepard, Admiral Gerrel. Apologies that Tali'Zorah had to learn in that manner, but it is still a fluid situation. As far as we know, the geth have killed everyone on the Alarei… Her father included."
I grabbed Tali's hand and felt her squeeze mine hard. I took a deep breath and thought about a way forward. I knew continuing the trial as it was wouldn't be a good idea. Anything to do the geth would always be negative. I glanced back at Garrus, and he met my eyes, nodding immediately as he knew what I would be thinking. Miranda did the same thing.
"If you think that I'm giving this a miss, Shepard," Kasumi added.
"Admirals, I propose a solution. We pause the trial now and allow me and at least some of my crew the opportunity to retake the Alarei and gain an understanding of what transpired."
"The safest course would be to simply destroy the ship," Koris countered, "But if you're looking for an honourable death instead of exile…"
"I'm looking for my father, you bosh'tet!" Tali exclaimed.
Admiral Raan called for calm. "Captain Shepard, you propose to retake the Alarei from the geth?"
"You bet your sweet arse I do. The geth cannot remain within the Fleet, and Tali has to find her father."
I'll admit that I was a little surprised that the admirals agreed to the plan to retake the Alarei, the trial paused while we were given leave to sort it all out. The crowd dissipated while I gathered with Tali nearby. She was a strong girl, but she'd just had a lot heaped on her shoulders. She assured me that she was okay, but she wanted to get over to the Alarei as soon as possible.
We did have private conversations with a few people before leaving. Tali was furious with Shala'Raan about the fact she only learned of her father's possible death during the trial. Shala also had more information about her father, Rael'Zorah, and what happened with the Alarei and why they were convinced that the geth had taken control of the ship.
Admiral Han'Gerrel was all soldier. Reminded me of Kal'Reegar. No nonsense. Tough as nails. Committed to the cause. I'm not going to say that I liked him given the circumstances, but he was pleased that we were going to hit the Alarei. He was sure that Tali would have done nothing to put the Fleet in danger, so all he wanted from our mission was evidence to exonerate her. As for her father, he wasn't confident though still hoped for the best.
As for Admiral Zaal'Koris… I thought he was a pompous arsehole. Tali didn't like him either. As for Admiral Daro'Xen… She was a lunatic. Totally fucking nuts. I immediately wondered what she looked like under the suit. Tali could read me well as she burst into laughter when we were walking away.
"Well, you certainly know how to make me laugh," she stated.
"What?" I asked innocently.
"You were thinking things when talking to her. I'm not surprised as even I know that human phrase about crazy females."
"Don't stick your dick in them? Well, it's true, but fuck it's fun while the going is good."
We walked back to the airlock of the Normandy, and we quickly gathered the crew on the flight deck. I asked Tali about her idea for a team to head towards the Alarei. It was going to be close-quarters fighting, and we needed those with tech abilities. Although they were susceptible to biotics, the main weakness of the geth was the fact they were machines. Someone like Tali could run riot with all manner of attacks.
Garrus wasn't going to sit this one out, and Tali suggested Grunt as a battering ram, remembering Wrex throwing geth about with ease during many of our battles over two years ago. Mordin's tech abilities were known and would prove to be a perfect foil for Tali. Miranda volunteered to help, and I didn't miss Tali's positive reaction considering they had steered clear of each other most of the time. Leliana offered her assistance as well, suggesting that someone armed with two SMG's would certainly have the geth thinking twice. And Kasumi… Not a chance that she wasn't going to help her good friend.
"Tight confines. We won't need anyone else," I said, glancing over my squad, "Though I know you would all raise your hand should I ask."
The rest of the squad wished us good luck as we assembled near the quarian shuttle that would take us towards the Alarei. Tali didn't show any nerves. She just wanted answers. The rest of us were armoured and armed up, reading to fight geth. When I thought about it, we hadn't fought geth yet since I'd woken up.
We tried to communicate with the Alarei on approach though we heard nothing back. Tali tried not to let that get to her though I knew she was worried about her father. No one asked her what she thought. It was best getting into the action, taking back the ship, and then we'd worry about finding her father and gathering any evidence that would exonerate her.
Stepping off the shuttle onto the Alarei, the fact we were greeted with silence was a concern. Tali talked often about life on the Migrant Fleet and the fact that you had to adapt to noise. Many of the thousands of ships were incredibly old and did not run silently at all. Running into geth rather quickly at least proved the Admiralty Board was right about one thing. Tali might have been sending back deactivated parts, but someone was putting the geth back together.
Taking out geth was fun. Finding evidence of what Tali sent back and then what her father might have been up to wasn't as fun. We found video evidence that they were carrying out research on the geth, the geth reactivated and slaughtered the quarians on the Alarei. Thankfully, they had shut the ship down entirely so the geth couldn't attack the rest of the Migrant Fleet.
Although we did take out the geth, I had a feeling creeping up my spine that her father was up to no good. I could understand why. Quarian bitterness against the geth was obvious. Tali hated them. We did have a minor argument about the idea of taking back the quarian home world. She knew it was likely that her father was doing experiments to give the quarians any advantage against the geth. When I suggested that the quarians colonise another world, the look she gave me would have made most other people wilt. She then explained through gritted teeth a brief history of the quarians trying to find a new place to call home.
Let's just say the quarians don't particularly like the Council either.
Then we found her father's body. And Tali nearly enough fell apart. She babbled as she crouched down over his body and opened his Omni-tool, looking for any signs of life, hoping that perhaps he was in stasis or something.
We all knew he was dead and that he'd likely been dead for a while. The blood underneath his body had long dried. As she continued to babble and I knew she was about to start crying, I lifted her up and hugged her. She clutched me ever so tightly as I heard her take more than one deep breath.
"I'm sorry, Tali," I said softly.
I glanced at my team and saw the smiles. I gave Tali as long as she needed before I felt her calm down and relax. When she let me go, she explained that while she wasn't particularly close to her father, but she still loved him. And she was starting to understand what he was trying to do. He'd never shown her much love in the usual sense, but she was thinking that perhaps finding a way to get the quarians home was his way of proving his love.
"It doesn't matter," she finally said, "One way or the other, I cared. And I'm here. And we're ending this."
We'd found her father's body in a room where a console was still active. Tali checked it over and knew this was where they would find evidence that would exonerate her. But she also knew that we would find evidence that would likely implicate her father in something terrible.
The video recordings proved what she thought. Her father had promised her a house on their home world. He was doing everything he could to keep that promise. But Rael'Zorah was responsible for everything. Reactivating geth. The slaughter of his research team. The loss of a quarian ship. Tali knew that if I used this evidence in her trial, her father's name and legacy would be destroyed. In death, he would become worse than an exile. It would be as if he didn't exist.
"We can't use this, Shepard," Tali finally pleaded, "Please think of another way. I can't have my father's legacy ruined. I know what he's done is wrong, but I'm his daughter. I can't be the one responsible for destroying him."
I assured her that I'd find another way.
It was a quiet shuttle ride back as Tali held my hand for comfort the entire time. Stepping off the shuttle back onto the Rayya, we were not greeted by anyone, and Tali immediately gripped my hand tighter and had us hurrying back to the garden plaza. We walked into the area to find the crowd already assembled and the Admiralty Board in position. Admiral Raan was in the middle of speaking to the audience about rendering judgement.
"Couldn't wait to condemn her, eh?" I asked, "You really think a few geth would stop us?"
"Did you find anything on the Alarei that would help clear her name?" Admiral Raan asked.
"What happened over there?" Admiral Gerrel added.
"We have never questioned her loyalty, only her judgement," Admiral Koris stated.
I glanced at Tali and winked. I knew she smiled behind the glass as I stepped forward and glared. I stood in silence for at least a minute and just glared at them. Daro'Xen looked away first. Zaal'Koris fidgeted before he found a space on the wall behind me that was more interesting. Only Han'Gerrel met my eyes, and I eventually nodded.
"This is nothing but bullshit!" I finally exclaimed, "You people have been obsessed with one thing for hundreds of years now. The geth. All you worry about is two things. Survival, which I completely understand, and the geth. I don't know all about your history. I don't know everything about the war between you and the geth. But what I do know is that it's an obsession. And because of your obsession, innocent people like Tali'Zorah are dragging into bullshit proceedings like this, accused of heinous crimes that she hasn't committed, and people like you can stand there and believe you have the right to render judgement.
But you made one mistake. You made her Tali'Zorah vas Normandy. You made her one of my crew. And Tali is more than aware of what I do to people who threaten one of my crew. I'm a Council Spectre. I'm known in Alliance space as the Defender of Elysium. I will spill blood to defend my own. And if you don't know who I am… I am the Butcher of fucking Torfan. You fuck with Tali. You fuck with my crew. You fuck with me. I'll ask you a very simple question, Admirals. Do you really want me as an enemy? I'm sure Tali has told you about how I dealt with Saren and his geth. Instead of worrying about Tali, you should be getting people like me on your side to deal with the geth.
But if you find her guilty, you will be making a monumental fucking mistake. People like Tali will be responsible for getting your people home to the promised land. Admiral Gerrel, you want to fight the geth. I certainly understand why given your history. Admiral Koris, I understand why you want peace and to simply give your people any sort of hope of finding a home. Admiral Xen… I'm not sure the geth want to be slaves again, but you do you.
Tali has only ever given everything for two things. First and foremost, her people. She has sacrificed everything to help you people. And then there is me. I am fully aware of the sacrifices she has made to help me. To be honest, I'm monumentally fucking glad you made sure that she'd be called Tali'Zorah vas Normandy. She has a home here with your people. But she certainly has a home with me and my crew. She will always be welcome. She is accepted. She is respected. And she is loved.
Make your decision. But I'll warn you. Exile her, and you will pay the price. Not from me. I won't be bringing war to your doorstep. But you throw away people like Tali due to your own political bullshit, and your people will eventually see through it. And who knows… Maybe they'll tire of putting up with these sorts of political shenanigans and find there is a better way.
You made me her captain. I'm telling you that she's innocent. Take that as you will."
I stepped back and I was immediately hugged by an emotional quarian, hearing her sobbing as I wrapped an arm around her. I heard comments from the crowd around us. And from my crew.
"Spirits, Shepard," Garrus murmured, "I think they'd expect you to go to war if they exile her."
"Anyone else turned on right now?" Miranda asked, and I don't think she was joking.
I turned to see Tali gazing up at me from behind her purple face plate. I was used to reading how her eyes looked, and I knew she was delighted with everything that I'd just said. She rested her head against me as I waited for the three in front of us to make their decision.
"You have heard the statements. It is time to render judgement," Admiral Raan stated.
Admiral Gerrel didn't waste time making his decision. I glanced at Admiral Xen. She met my eyes and quickly made her decision. Only Admiral Koris delayed. He looked at me. I looked at him. Didn't give him my 'Don't fuck with me' glare. I gave him my 'Do the right thing' glare. He eventually made his decision.
Admiral Raan raised her hands for silence. Once she had it, she looked in my direction first and made a subtle gesture with her head before she turned her attention to Tali.
"Tali'Zorah… You have chosen well in working for Captain Shepard… Given the evidence, we find that there is not enough to convict. Therefore, you are cleared of all charges. Captain Shepard, you have the thanks of the quarian people for taking time to represent one of our people."
"With all due respect, Admiral, I didn't represent one of your people. I represented one of mine."
"So you did, Shepard," Admiral Gerrel stated.
Proceedings finished, Tali hugging me even tighter before she was congratulated by everyone else. When the hugs finished, she turned towards me and I could read her body language. "Shepard… I don't… I mean… No one has ever… What you said…"
I took her hands in mine, meeting her eyes behind the face plate. "I meant every word, Tali. We've all made sacrifices to be where we are today. You are no different."
She hugged me tightly. "It's fun watching you shout," she whispered, "It's… rather arousing, to be honest."
"Want to talk to anyone? We don't have to rush off anywhere."
"Actually, yes… There are a few people that I'd like to speak to here and on the Neema. Is that okay?"
"Take your time. I know everyone else will probably be stuck on the Normandy now. I might have a chat with the admirals while you're busy."
She leaned up to my ear and whispered, "I'm going to ask about, you know, fooling around…" When I met her eyes, I knew she was serious. "Do what you need to do. I'll have a chat with a few people as well."
Tali wandered off as I tracked down the four admirals as they were still hanging around. Admiral Gerrel commended me for my words and asked if I'd enjoyed wiping out the geth. I briefly told him about some of our exploits against Saren and his geth. Admiral Koris was conciliatory, stating that I spoke well, and he said my words had extra weight given Tali's record. Admiral Xen… I wasn't sure what to make of her. But she didn't hide her interest in me in return. She was very interested. When I suggested that Tali was interested as well, she cocked her head and then stunned me.
"Well, who knows what you could do with me and not with her, Shepard?"
I walked away shaking my head. Admiral Raan had been watching me and eventually beckoned me closer. She rested a hand on my forearm and thanked me for defending Tali so passionately. Then she asked me a question that I expected.
"Do you love her, Shepard?"
"I think she loves me more than… It's difficult to explain, Shala."
"Keep it simple then."
I met her eyes and she beckoned me on with a gesture. "Okay… I know Tali has talked about me at length. Did she explain my situation regarding women?"
That made Shala laugh. "Shepard, Tali is old enough and wise enough to make these decisions. She is more than aware of your lifestyle. She still wants to be with you."
"Oh… She's talked to you about it?"
"Of course. She came back to the Fleet talking about you incessantly, and she let it be known that she wanted to be with you… Well, I could get vulgar…"
"Please do. I don't mind vulgar."
Shala gave me another look before chuckling lightly to herself. "Shepard, she was very blunt. She wants to f… She wants to…"
"She wants to fuck, Shala?" Admiral Raan nodded quickly, and it made us both chuckle. "I think she's talking to some people now about making it happen."
"I'm aware that you've seen what she looks like…"
"She's beautiful. I can only imagine what the rest of you look like."
"I didn't miss Daro'Xen looking at you. She's still looking at you now. I've heard rumours that she's a bit… Well, quarians can't exactly get kinky because of our limitations, but I've heard rumours about what she gets up to on her ship."
"Is she as nuts as she sounds?"
That made Shala snort. "She's eccentric, Shepard. But she's an admiral and a member of the board. And she's absolutely brilliant. Even Tali respects her intelligence."
I enjoyed a conversation with Kal'Reegar as he'd been present during the trial. He agreed with me that it was a political sideshow and that his people were obsessed with the geth. However, he explained why, giving me pointers about what they still knew about the war that saw them driven from their home world and the vast majority of their population annihilated.
Tali eventually sent me a message, letting me know that she was in a room nearby. As I didn't know where anything was, it was one of her friends that came to grab me. Introducing herself as Mila, she led me towards a different area of the ship, we stopped before a door and her friend turned to me.
"You were cleaned before you boarded our vessel so hopefully she won't get too sick doing this," Mila said, "Tali is a good friend, and I've heard all about you, Commander Shepard. What you are about to do is something that most quarians are too afraid to do. Even here on our ships, we remain in our suits constantly."
The door opened and there was what could only be described as a decontamination chamber. "Undress in here and once the process is complete, the next door will open," Mila explained.
Doing as she requested, the door behind me closed and I undressed myself. There was a sound and I felt mist descend from above me before there was a buzzer and the door in front of me unlocked. Walking through the opening, I was greeted by a very naked and smiling Tali'Zorah vas Normandy. Her eyes immediately moved down my body as I drank in hers in return. And when she smiled, it was due to a rather obvious reaction.
"I'm guessing the idea of waiting any longer wasn't in the cards," I suggested.
She stepped toward me, her two large fingers on each hand immediately touching my chest. The smile faded as her lower lip started to tremble. "I can touch you," she whispered as I raised a hand to caress her cheek.
That's when she cried. "Everything you hoped for?" I asked quietly.
We embraced and I felt her hands on my back, immediately moving up and down. She felt warmer than I expected. I think it was probably due to her excitement. Her skin was as she described. An incredibly pale version of purple. And there were signs of the modifications that quarians had to undergo to keep them healthy. I could feel them on her skin. As I caressed her body, she couldn't hold her emotions in.
She was rather slim though had great hips and her arse was fantastic. When I moved my hands down to squeeze that, the sniffles turned into giggles. Her breasts weren't particularly large, probably a B-cup at most though they suited her perfectly.
We'd kissed before so that was nothing new for either of us. She'd also seen me naked and given me a handjob before though that was while she was still in her suit. This time when she gently grasped my cock, she felt it for real.
"You're so warm, Shepard," she whispered, "And you feel so hard."
"Well, I have a beautiful and very naked quarian in my arms right now."
"This very naked quarian doesn't want to wait any longer, Shepard," she said softly, gesturing with her head, "There's a bed over there for us to have some fun."
I could sense how eager she was as we made out while moving over towards the bed. When I laid her down and she spread her legs, I could see her pussy looked similar to any that I'd seen before. And it glistened with her excitement, leaning down to inhale her scent. Again, nothing too different to what I'd experienced before.
"Shepard… We have time… I want everything… Can you touch my entire body?"
That was my plan regardless. The sounds she made as I lightly kissed her everywhere had her giggling, sighing and sniffling from time to time. I knew that she would have been incredibly sensitive, and I hadn't even touched her erogenous zones yet. Her nipples were a far darker shade of purple, and when I finally got my mouth around one, she moaned so loudly that I stopped, meeting her eyes and she smiled.
"I nearly had an orgasm just from that," she whispered.
After giving her breasts some attention, I kissed down her body and stopped just above her pussy. "Tali… Your scent is delightful…"
"This is so totally going to be worth being sick for the next few days."
Tasting her for the first time made me growl. Her eyes immediately gazed down at me as my tongue got to work. And it was no surprise to either of us that her first orgasm arrived as quickly as imagined. She learned that I loved going down on a woman as I wasn't going to stop anytime soon. Her hips were soon bucking wildly, and when she climaxed again, I felt her hand rest on the back of my head to keep it in place.
"Keelah," she moaned softly, "Shepard… So good… But I want more…"
I made her climax again before I lifted my head. "More as in you want to make love?"
"More than anything. I've waited too long already."
Kissing up her body, we shared an intense and passionate kiss before she felt the head of my cock against her. That made her gasp as I waited for her eyes to meet mine, her hands running up to rest on my back as I felt her shuffle underneath me to get comfortable. We moaned together when I ever so slowly slid inside her. She was unbelievably hot and tight. I knew she was a virgin, but she was also something else entirely.
Her lower lip trembled again as I sank my length slowly inside her, feeling her fingers digging into my back at the same time. "Shepard," she whimpered.
"Okay? Not hurting?"
"No. Best feeling ever." She paused as I kissed her softly. "I love you so much…"
"I love you too…"
The smile returned warmed my heart as we made love. And it didn't take her long to figure things out, her hips moving in time to my very gentle thrusts. She constantly gasped and moaned in between needing to kiss me. And when she wrapped her legs around me, and leaned up to whisper into my ear, that's when I started to up the rhythm. She was desperate to feel me cum inside her.
I started to move faster and that's when she really started to cry out.
"Oh… Oh yes! Fuck me, Shepard!" she cried out.
"Glad to hear you're enjoying it so much."
"Want this… More than anything…"
She wrapped her arms and legs around me as I buried my cock and felt cum surge out of it. Tali whimpered a couple of times before I kissed her, and I could feel her smiling even while we were doing that. I kept moving until I had nothing left to give her for the time being though she didn't release her legs, and I wasn't surprised that I remained quite hard inside her.
I made her squeal when I rolled over with her now on top. She placed a hand down on my chest and smiled at me. Her eyes were as gorgeous as I remembered. As I caressed her face, her eyes closed and the smile that formed spoke of only one emotion.
When she started to slowly ride me, her eyes opened and they grew wider as she realised how good it felt and how much fun she was going to have. What I didn't expect was that within a few minutes, she was riding me even faster, and although I wouldn't say she was slamming her pussy down on my cock, she was going harder than I would have thought.
"Keelah… Shepard… This is everything I imagined…"
"Glad you're enjoying yourself, Tali."
"We'll have to figure it out on the Normandy. I need to do this again. And I need some of your other lovers around."
"Want to taste some pussy?" I teased as I pulled her down, grabbed her arse, and started to thrust.
"Kasumi… We both admit that we want to fool around."
"Can I join in?"
"You can fuck me while I go down on her." She paused and moaned before I felt her pussy clutch at my cock. She moaned even louder before releasing a whimper and she collapsed onto my chest. "She'll give in eventually too," she whispered, "Particularly after she watches your big cock slide inside my tight quarian pussy."
"Are you the first to be with a human?"
"No. I've asked and apparently a few young quarians have met humans on their travels."
What Tali really wanted to try next was from behind. And seeing her arse on display in front of me had my cock even harder. She moaned as I slid inside her, raising her arse while lowering her head to the bed. Grabbing her hips, she turned to face me, her luminous eyes telling me exactly what she wanted. My groin was soon slapping against her arse. I gave each of her firm cheeks more than one playful slap. And when she almost begged me to fuck her, I did just that.
By the time I came inside her, she'd enjoyed at least one more climax and it took all my self-control not to collapse on top of her. She lowered herself down to lie flat and I went with her, feeling her clenching her pussy around my cock to keep it inside her. I kissed her lightly on the cheek as I kept slowly moving, loving the soft moans that she made.
"Keelah… Is it like that every time, Shepard?"
"I'll certainly do my best to make sure it is."
I finally pulled out and laid on my back, Tali turning onto her side and cuddling into my side. We shared a soft kiss before she gazed at me. The smile on her face probably wouldn't disappear for quite a while. She rested her head against me and we laid in silence for a few minutes.
"Just a warning. I'm probably going to be feeling a little sick for the next few days. Nothing major. Mostly just sniffles and a cough," she told me.
"But you'll be okay otherwise?"
"Shepard, we've just made love. I'm finally naked with you. I can feel your cum dripping out of me. I've never been better. I just know that I'll want to do this again soon."
"There are a couple of places where it's possible on the ship. I'll ask EDI."
She lifted her head and gazed into my eyes. "Next time, I'm sucking your dick, Shepard." Her blunt remark made me chuckle. "I just don't know if I should swallow. So just cum on my face."
"You are a naughty little minx, aren't you?"
"It's because I love you, Shepard. And I know you love me. That's all I want."
I pulled her close and ran my fingers up and down her body. Given how sensitive she still was, how happy she was, just feeling my fingers running up and down her skin had her calm down before I heard her sniffling again. "Happy?" I asked softly.
"Best way to end what's been a difficult day."
I wasn't surprised that we were seen off by quite a few people when we had to depart a few hours later. That was after we'd made love a final time after we'd napped for an hour or so. Tali was on her back, gazing at me lovingly the entire time, begging me quietly to fill her pussy again, to send my cum straight to her womb. The idea of knocking her up was rather arousing. Impossible given how different we were, but very arousing. And I knew that part of her would have loved nothing more as well.
Her old captain was the first to wish her well and I could read the affection he still had for his former charge. Admiral Gerrel was her former commander before me and there was no missing the esteem he held for her. Kal'Reegar saluted her before Tali managed to hug him. And then Shala…
They embraced for a while. Tali no longer had any bloody family. 'Auntie' Shala was the last family she had. Well, except for me and the crew of the Normandy. In a way, they were now her true family.
"Good luck, Tali," Shala stated before she looked at me, "And good luck to you, Captain Shepard. Please keep Tali safe. And we'll understand if she wishes to stay with you in the future."
"Even if she does, I'll make sure that we come back and visit."
Returning to the Normandy, the entire crew was there to meet her, and the cheer that went up had Tali stopping in her tracks. Chakwas and Kasumi were the first to break ranks and give her a hug. I knew Tali had been holding in her emotions while we were intimate. She couldn't hold them in any longer when she was embraced by all her friends.
When Miranda hugged her, my XO glanced at me and smiled. They all knew that we'd been intimate, but Miranda seemed genuinely happy for Tali.
"Was it everything you hoped for?" Miranda asked her.
"That and more. And when you finally give into temptation…"
"He knows how much I love him. And I'm in no rush. I'm glad that you finally got your chance with him."
Tali leaned back and I knew she would have had a rather curious look in her eye before she replied, "Thank you, Miranda. I appreciate that."
I ordered Joker to take us back to Illium. After dinner that evening, I caught up with some work before returning to my cabin. I wasn't surprised that Tali wandered in as I was lying back on my bed. I knew she wouldn't be able to get out of her suit for a while now, but as she snuggled into my side, we talked for a little bit before she started to cough.
"Well… I was expecting that. I'll just dose up on some drugs for the next few days. Totally worth it though."