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Their Finest Hour	By : draygon Category: +M through R > Mass Effect Views: 8648 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: Disclaimer: I do not own Mass Effect or EA, and I do not make any money from these writings.

Chapter List
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Title: Their Finest Hour, Chapter 17

Author: Braigwen (Formerly Draygon)

Game: Mass Effect

characters/pairing: F!Shep/Garrus

Disclaimer: Bioware owns it all. I am just playing with their toys. U No SU. Also, SPOILERS for all the things!

"What is she doing here?"

The turian behind the counter directed his eyes to where an especially irritated volus was pointing. The turian flicked his mandibles in slight irritation at both the volus and the lone quarian finishing a bowl of pureed vegetable soup.

"She's a paying customer."

The volus bristled, or at least the turian thought he did. It was so hard to tell with a species entirely encased in a pressure suit.

"Paying? She probably picked someone's pocket to get that food." The volus put his hands on his rotund waist, regarding the now uncomfortable quarian with a disdainful stare.

"Isn't that the quarian who traveled with Commander Shepard?" Both the turian and volus whipped their heads around as a young human woman spoke up behind them. "She fought with Shepard when the Geth attacked the Citadel."

The turian behind the counter narrowed his eyes as he looked at the now fidgeting quarian again. "Yea... I think I remember her from the vids."

"But..." The volus nearly stamped his feet. "That's not the point!"

"I would think that someone who defended the Citadel could eat where ever she wanted."

The volus made a rude sound as he waved the young woman's statement away with his hand. "That's not the point. Either she leaves, or I take my money with me."

The turian flicked his mandibles, regarding the volus with a dead-pan stare. "Then go. You're disturbing my customers."

The volus blinked his eyes in shock. "... what?"

"It's simple. She hasn't caused me any trouble the last few weeks she's come in. But the first time you step foot in my cafe, you raise hell like you own the place."

The volus inhaled as though to speak, looking toward the other customers in the cafe for support. Instead, he found nothing but irritation directed at him. "Bah! I have better places to spend my money."

"Then you'd better take your credit chit with you." The volus stopped cold at the turian's words, patting his belt pockets.

"You!" The volus was about to accuse the store clerk of stealing from him when he followed the direction his talon was pointing, and found the chit lying on the floor. "Oh... " Quickly, the volus swiped his chit from the floor and hurried out of the cafe as fast as his legs would carry him.

Tali fidgeted at the table she occupied in the far corner of the cafe on the 27th level of Zakera Ward. She had barely eaten the thin soup she had ordered, her nerves already frayed before the volus had caused his little scene. Her throat was dry with nerves as her eyes darted to the entrance to the cafe then back down to her drink, surprised when more liquid poured into the cup.

"Sorry about that. Citadel's got all kinds." The turian who owned the cafe gave her a reassuring smile, which Tali returned as best she could.

"Thank you." With that, the turian slowly made his way back to his counter, leaning on it as he watched the throng of people walk by.

Three weeks ago, Tali had contacted Liara through Barla Von and requested that she pass along a message to every quarian on pilgrimage. The volus had looked at her askance when she had put in the request, but she knew Liara would pull through. Tali glanced up at the entrance again as a pair of humans came through and sat at a table as far away from her as possible. Tali sighed, perhaps she had asked for too much when she had requested that every quarian on pilgrimage meet her on the Citadel in this cafe. There were only around fifty or so, so how could she expect everyone of them to drop what they were doing, or even to scrape up the funds for the shuttle to the Citadel?

Tali was fast losing her nerve, withering by the moment under the new customer's cold stares, shoulders slumping as she sighed in resignation. As she stood up to leave, a flash of bright orange caught her eyes and she glanced up toward the entrance. Tali stood motionless as a group of ten or so quarians, representing as many ships came in to the cafe and sat down at her table. She almost fell where she stood as she waved at the turian proprietor to bring more soup and drinks to her table. The patrons already eating looked visibly alarmed at the large group of quarians sitting at the far end, and several nearly left without paying when a group of twenty more joined them.

The group was not loud, speaking instead in hushed tones as each greeted the others, exchanging names and even a few hugs from close relations. The turian had thought her insane when she had requested space enough for a group of 50 or more. He agreed since it was slow and she had paid for their meals in advance. He had almost expected the group to fight over the soup like rabid varren. Instead, they each passed the bowls down until each had one in front of them. Only when the last one had their meal, did they begin to eat, using modified spoons each carried to ladle small amounts of the purred vegetable soup into their induction ports.

The turian proprietor stood in stunned silence as he watched the group quietly eat. The quarian in the purple and white merely sat patiently, trying to hide her nervousness as she fought to keep her hands from fidgeting. Tali took a deep breath as the group finished eating, each taking the dishes near them and stacking them five high before handing them back to the turian to clean. The whole affair lasted no more than ten minutes, leaving the group pleasantly full, relaxing as they focused on the woman who had called them all to her.

Tali began with introductions, a standard practice among a gathering of unfamiliar quarians. The group at the table was representative of dozens of ships. Some were new pilgrims, fresh from the Flotilla. Others had been struggling for months or even years to find a gift suitable to present to the captains of their new ships. Tali knew what she had asked of them to bring them all here. It was as necessary as it was unprecedented.

Tali opened her omni-tool, loading up the data she had saved in the OSD attached to her wrist. She began to speak quietly to the quarians assembled. She supposed it was her time with Shepard that had steeled her nerves when speaking to large crowds. "You don't have to convince them all, Tali," Shepard had said. "Just give them all the facts and let them decide for themselves."

For three years, Tali had watched Shepard bulldoze her way through any situation with either tact or force to get just what she needed. It had been amazing to watch. And now, as Tali explained what she had brought them all here for, she wondered just how much had sunk into her helmet over the years. As their time stretched past the two hour mark, her evidence mounting on their omni-tools and their minds, Tali had to admit that she might have a shot of convincing the Admiralty Board.

As she finished, Tali took a deep breath, waiting for the others to process it all. Some had begun discussing among themselves in small groups, others thought in solitude. In the end, they had only one question. "Where's your ship?"

Tali almost couldn't believe her ears. They wanted aboard her ship? She took another deep breath. If this is what the Flotilla needed, so be it. "The Rael. It's not pretty, but it has what we need. And I've stocked it with enough supplies and spare parts to see to everyone's needs." Tali knew that the significance of the name of her ship was not lost on those gathered around her. Her father had been part of the Admiralty Board until his death several months ago. Part of naming the ship had to do with honoring her father, the other part, was to ensure that he would never be far from her wherever she went.

As one, the quarians got up from their seats, setting down credit chits with varying amounts as a tip to the turian who had served them. Slowly they filed out of the cafe and into the elevators to the docks. Tali turned back to the turian who's mandibles were limp next to his face, utterly dumbfounded. "Thank you." She smiled and left the cafe to her ship. Hopefully, she might get her first good night's sleep in almost a month.
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Their Finest Hour