Book 2, Chapter 24 - Treason

Walking out into the mess with Kasumi the next morning didn't provoke much of a reaction. People glanced, took notice, then carried on with their conversations. Good, I didn't want a scene anyway, though knew someone was bound to have a crack at us eventually. Taking a seat next to Kelly, she kissed my cheek and leaned into my side, and I made sure Kasumi was sitting to my other side, and I eventually wrapped an arm around them both, sitting back, making sure I looked smug. Garrus just lowered his fork and chuckled.

"Spirits, Shepard…"

"What?"

"I honestly don't know how you do it."

"He has a great cock," Kasumi said bluntly.

That caused a moment of silence before Kelly added, "God yes, Kasumi. How many times did he make you cum?"

"I think four but I honestly stopped counting. It was just far too enjoyable."

I would have laughed otherwise, but the fact they were so willing to talk about it, hell, I wanted to hear. "He go down on you?" Kelly asked.

"He did. The attention he gave my body before we even started anything… I was so wet, Kelly. No, I was flowing by the time he finally started. I didn't let him finish as I needed him inside me. Once he buried himself, my god, no wonder you're smiling nearly every morning."

Garrus was gone by this time, laughing away. The looks I was receiving from other women suggested I could have had every single one right then and there and they would have loved it. "Well, I'm glad you had fun, Kasumi. And you are more than welcome to enjoy him again. I can't deny women his cock, not when I know how good it is. When he buries himself completely…"

"You know, I don't know if my ego will get upstairs now," I said.

"Oh, hush, Shepard, you know for a fact I cum hard with you every time," Kelly retorted, "So I'm getting you tonight, as not only are you going to spend time eating my pussy, but I'm thinking I need a nice hard fuck afterwards."

Okay, rock hard instantly. She knew as well and her hand soon disappeared under the table as I leaned into her. "We're not fucking in the mess, Kelly, but you keep doing that…" She turned and I kissed her immediately. Her fork dropped to the ground as she turned and wrapped her arms around me. I'm not sure how long we kissed, but once we broke apart, her creeks were bright red and her eyes were alive with desire. "Finish your breakfast."

She smiled. "You did that on purpose."

"Of course I did." Then I turned to Kasumi and did exactly the same thing before I leaned down to her ear. "Next time, I'm going to fuck you senseless," I whispered, "And I want you to speak Japanese when I do so."

"Anata ga watashi o isshōkenmei ni sa seru kagiri, Shepard," she replied. No idea what she said, but it sounded promising.

Normality was somewhat restored after breakfast as everyone headed back to their quarters or workstations. I headed up the CIC with Kelly, where I stayed with her at her desk for a little while, holding her as she tried to get on with work. She said I was distracting her on purpose, which was true. But I eventually kissed her cheek and headed off.

Must have been an hour at most when EDI asked me to head down to engineering. Not often I was requested to head down there. Didn't think Jack would be causing trouble. She'd mellowed completely over the past few weeks. We hadn't been intimate in a long time now, but we spent a lot of time talking. So I guessed it could only mean Tali, wondering what would be on her mind.

When I arrived, she was terribly upset about something. Tali was always cheerful, confident, stiff upper lip, so for her to be so obviously upset was a real surprise. She wasn't breaking down in tears, though she did seem to be on the verge. It was only when she tried to tell me what was wrong that she couldn't find the words. There was only one cure. She needed a stiff drink.

So I took her by the hand and led her up to the lounge. As soon as we walked in, Kasumi was up on her feet, a million questions as to what was wrong. They took a stool each, I played bartender as I poured Tali a tall brandy, while I poured Kasumi and I a glass of whiskey. Japanese, which she'd bought specifically during our last visit on the Citadel.

"Okay, Tali. Get that down your neck, then you can tell us what's wrong."

She drank it down so fast, I thought she'd hurl it back up. But it seemed to calm her down, hearing her take a few deep breaths. "I received a message from the Migrant Fleet, Shepard. They're charging me with treason."

I shared a glance with Kasumi. "What? You?"

She shrugged almost helplessly. "I haven't been told on what grounds, obviously. Just informed I've been formally charged and must return to the Migrant Fleet within a standard galactic week. Failure to appear will lead to automatic exile."

"Fucking hell," I muttered, "Okay, we'll go immediately. Where are they?"

"Oh… Are you sure you have time?"

"Tali, you're part of my crew. I'm not throwing you to the wolves."

Kasumi just grinned at me. "Okay… Thanks, Shepard. I'll find out their location and send it to you as soon as I'm told."

"Utterly ridiculous, Tali. I can't think of anyone else who cares for the Fleet more."

"True. But they must be confident to charge me so now I'm just thinking what they could possibly have against me."

"Okay, we'll discuss this further on the way, Tali, but I'm not having any of this. I know it's bullshit. You know it's bullshit. So, rest assured, I'll do whatever I can to make sure these charges piss off."

"Thanks, Shepard. I think you being angry might even be a help."

"If I need to knock some head together for you, just say the word."

Heading upstairs, Tali had the information I needed to me within ten minutes, inputting that in the galaxy map. Joker obviously noticed the destination and clarified it. I didn't tell him why, I just ordered him get us there as soon as possible. He said a couple of days, as there were a few ways to get there.

Kelly could see I wasn't particularly happy so grabbed my hand and pulled me towards her desk, holding her as I was before. She didn't ask what was wrong, not yet. I'd tell her later that night in privacy. "Want to play with my pussy?" she whispered.

"What?"

"Well, it might put a smile on your face instead of a frown."

Her hands moved from her keyboard and I heard at least the sound of her fly going down before she grabbed one of his hands and I soon felt the short hair above her sex. Lowering my hand further, I soon found what she had offered, hearing her gasp when I started to slowly fondle her. Pressing myself against her a little tighter, she tried to feign working but I noticed her fingers weren't actually moving.

Looking around, no-one was looking in their direction, at least yet. "Shepard," Kelly whispered.

"I'm going to make you cum right here."

Leaning back, I moved a hand under her shirt, unclasped her bra one-handed, and I could soon move my other hand up her front and gently caress one of her breasts. She didn't stand a chance now, turning to kiss me, one hell of a good one as she tried to cover the sounds of her moans and whimpers. Pulling back, she gazed into my eyes and I think we could have started fucking and she wouldn't have cared. I just watched her face, cheeks slowly getting redder, her mouth parting, her eyes wild with desire, as my hand started to move quicker, stating to tease her clit at the same time.

As I said, she didn't stand a chance.

"Oh god," she cried quietly, feeling her shudder against me.

"Told you I was going to make you cum, Miss Chambers."

She kissed me hard again, her tongue exploring as always, before she pulled back. "I love you," she breathed.

"I know," I retorted with a smirk.

She eventually just gave up and relaxed against my body, feeling her move to the movements of my hand. Covering her mouth, she was definitely getting closed, rubbing herself against my erection, my fingers now inside her, finding that special spot she had. I knew where it was, so once I could focus on that, it was game over.

Her orgasm arrived a couple of minutes later, feeling her squeeze my fingers as I brought it home. She covered her mouth to muffle her cries, eventually giving up and just kissing me deeply once again until she finally calmed down. I didn't move my hands until she seemed to be done, slowly removing my fingers and lifting them up. I was about to suck on my fingers when I had a thought and offered them to her. When she swallowed them and moaned, I nearly just bent her over and went to town.

Turning around, I looked her up and down. Button and fly open, her shirt a mess and clearly her bra wasn't on now, as her hard nipples poked through. And she looked ready for a lot more.

"Upstairs?" I asked.

"You'd better otherwise I will fuck you right here, Shepard."

We went upstairs, I was naked within thirty seconds, and my cock was in her mouth five seconds after that, leaning back against the fish tank. To be honest, I lasted all of five minutes before leaving a load in her mouth. I was far too turned on after our shenanigans downstairs. As soon as she swallowed my load, she stood up, finished undressing herself, but we didn't make the bed, as I picked up her, took her over the couch, then spent at least an hour eating her out. By the time I was done, my jaw ached and she could barely move nor put a sentence together.

Picking her up, I carried her over to the bed and lay her down, then just held her in my arms as she enjoyed a short nap. Waking half an hour later, she turned around and the smile on her face lit up the room, before leaning forward to give me a soft kiss, cuddling into me.

"Are we going downstairs?"

"Nope. Let's just stay here all day. I think we can mix some lovemaking, some napping, and just some relaxing. It's two days to the Migrant Fleet at least. Honestly, I've got fuck all to do except read endless reports."

And that's exactly what we did. Surprisingly, while we did make love at various points, and it was as fantastic as it always was, we spent more time just relaxing together, either cuddling on the couch or bed, chatting about anything except work. It was one of those times on the ship when we could simply be Shepard and Kelly, two ordinary people that didn't have the prospect of a suicide mission looming over the horizon. If it wasn't for the fact we were on a warship, I would have called it normality.

I guess, in the back of my mind, was the idea to make the most of such times, as I doubt I'd have them very often once the Reapers arrived.

*****

Any other time, Tali'Zorah vas Neema nar Rayya would have been delighted to be returning home to the Migrant Fleet. Although she had loved travelling the galaxy with Shepard on the Normandy, making friends and lovers along the way, the fleet has always been home. Surrounded by her own people, she had always felt safe.

But this time, she felt almost physically sick as the Normandy passed through the relay and there home sat in the distance, but this time, it was not a happy homecoming. She heard more than one whistle at the sheer size. Fifty thousand ships took up a lot of space. The three liveships were the biggest, of course, while thousands of the ships would have been considered not space worthy by other species. Quarians could make old wrecks worthy of sailing for decades. Sure, it took a lot of tinkering or just brunt force engineering, but quarians were resourceful. They had to be.

She was also not surprised that the fleet immediately sent a welcoming committee. The fleet would monitor any traffic approaching from the nearest relay, most concerned about geth, but considering the fleet were not welcome in most systems, they were always on the defensive.

"Approaching unidentified vessel. State your intentions regarding the Migrant Fleet. Non-compliance with this request will be seen as a hostile act and you will be fired upon."

Shepard looked at her. "You're up, Tali."

"This is Tali'Zorah vas Neema nar Rayya requesting permission to dock with the Rayya."

There was silence, no doubt surprise that it was her, and she was on a ship painted in the colours of Cerberus. The hatred for the organisation was high after events in the recent past. "Our systems has your ship flagged as a Cerberus vessel, Tali'Zorah. Please verify."

"After time adrift among open stars, along tides of light and through shoals of dust, I will return to where I began."

The reply was almost immediate. "Permission to approach the Fleet approved. Welcome home, Tali'Zorah."

"Thank you. We also require a security and quarantine team to meet us. Our ship is not clean."

Gathering new the airlock, only Shepard would be invited to board with her. Although her arrival had been accepted, the fact it was a Cerberus vessel would still cause her problems. Still, most of the others were gathered around, even the likes of Miranda and Jacob, offering their support as Joker brought the ship into dock, feeling the ship shudder as a docking arm was attached. Once Shepard was ready, not requiring a helmet as the air was perfectly breathable, the pair of them stepped onto the docking arm and walked side by side.

Ahead, she saw a welcoming committee, which wasn't a surprise either. "Home sweet home?" Shepard asked.

"Every other time, I was overjoyed to return to my people, Shepard. This time? I dread to think what lies in store for me."

"I'll kick their arses if I need to."

For some reason, that made her feel better, allowing herself a light laugh before they met with the welcoming committee. Captain Kar'Danna, the CO of the Rayya, had been sent to meet her. She didn't know if that was good news or not. That's when she learned two things. One, that Shepard would be representing her at the trial. She knew that was bullshit immediately, not as disrespect to Shepard, but the fact an outsider was having to do it. Two, she learned the charges. Bringing active geth onto the Fleet.

"Okay, I know for a fact that's bullshit," Shepard stated, "Tali would never do such a thing."

Captain Kar'Danna simply shrugged, almost helpless. That's what he'd been told. She was polite enough to thank him for the information before they walked on. Major ships had an area, almost a small 'village square', where people could congregate, as each ship had a real sense of community. It was just on the edge that she met Shala'Raan, who she called 'Auntie' being a long time close friend of the family. After introductions, it was only then that she realised what Shala had called her.

"Did you just call me 'vas Normandy?"

Being an expert in body language, she read the disappointment easily. And a little bit of anger. "I'm afraid I did, Tali. The Admiralty Board moved to have you tried under that name, given your departure from the Neema."

"What's the problem, Tali?" Shepard asked.

"They stripped me of my ship name, Shepard. That's as good as declaring me exiled already." He looked ready to raise a question, then seemed to think better of it, likely understanding it was politics and something he really didn't want to get involved in. She didn't blame him considering he was going to be dragged into the spotlight eventually. "This is bullshit," she whispered under her breath.

Entering the plaza, or village green, as there was enough habitat around to draw comments from Shepard, she noticed the crowds gathering to watch her trial, and she also noticed someone special who had made the shuttle ride over. He approached the pair of them.

"Captain Shepard," he stated, before looking at her, "Ma'am."

"Captain?" Shepard asked.

"You're the Commanding Officer, Shepard. According to quarian law, that makes you 'captain'," Tali replied, "Are you okay, Kal?"

"I'm fine, ma'am. I'm more concerned about you."

"Kal, my name is Tali."

"Official business, ma'am. Can call you all the pet names you want, but only when this is done." Then Reegar looked at Shepard. "I assume Miss Zorah is being taken care of, Captain?"

"Of course, though this is obviously all bullshit."

"Yep, this is why I hate politics and glad I spend half my time actually away from the Fleet."

"Kal, if I'm exiled…"

"Well, let's not be too hasty, ma'am. I don't think Shepard will let that happen without a lot of shouting, threatening and swearing. But if that's the case, then Shepard might have another crew member."

That answer rocked her. She knew it was semi-serious, and that she hoped for more. But actually leaving with her? "You're… you're serious?"

"Yes, ma'am," he replied simply, "You go, I go. Simple as that."

"But this is your home."

"Yours too, ma'am. And part of that home involves you."

She couldn't help smile behind her mask. He was all armour on the outside but he had a soft heart. "Shit, sounds pretty serious," Shepard stated.

"Serious enough I'm willing to walk away from the Fleet, Shepard," Reegar stated.

Before she could add anything, the Admiralty Board walked in, though she was surprised at the fact there was no sign of her father, left believing he would have recused himself as there was no way he could have remained unbiased. But she thought he still would have taken a shuttle over to see his daughter. But, then again, it's not as if they were particularly close.

Taking a central position on a platform that loomed over everyone else, Raan raised her arms, everyone immediately quietening down. "This conclave is brought to order. Blessed are the ancestors who kept us alive, sustained us and enabled us to reach this season. Keelah se'lai."

"Keelah se'lai," she echoed, the entire crowd uttering the same phrase as one.

"The accused, Tali'Zorah vas Normandy, has come with her captain to defend herself against the charge of treason."

"Objection!" yelled the admiral in the middle, raising a hand.

She could hear Raan sigh from where she was standing. "Yes, Admiral Koris?"

"A human has no business at a hearing involving such sensitive military matters."

"Then you should not have declared Tali as crew of the Normandy, Admiral Koris. By right as Tali's captain, Shepard must stay."

"How's that working out for you now, big guy?" Shepard asked, to the amusement of some in the crowd.

"Objection withdrawn," Koris said quietly.

"Shepard vas Normandy, your crew member Tali'Zorah stands accuse of treason. Will you speak for her?"

Shepard stepped forward and Tali knew, just knew, he was immediately going to go in both barrels. "Oh, you bet your arse I'll speak for her. Because we have things back on Earth called kangaroo courts. This is nothing but bullshit. No fucking idea why you are choosing to bring charges against her, but clearly someone had an axe to grind here. Quite frankly, I already know this is a fucking sham and a waste of our time, as we should be focusing on the Collectors, not dealing with whatever bullshit this is."

Having got some of his opinion off his chest, he then happily stepped back. Tali didn't know whether to laugh or call him a bosh'tet for riling up the Board. It was then that Shepard entered her plea, not guilty of course, before the Board explained the nature of the charges. And that's when she learned about active geth and the fate of her father, where it appeared he may have been lost with many other quarians aboard the Alarei. Tali had taken another couple of knocks within the space of a couple of minutes, even Shepard looking concerned, though she waved him away.

Shepard, being a man of action, immediately offered to take back the Alarei. Tali agreed and, to her surprise, the Admiralty Board also agreed. She thought, somewhat bitterly, that if she died during the mission, they'd just sweep the whole affair under the rug. As for Shepard, she figured he wouldn't mind fighting more geth. Few hated geth more than the quarians, and Shepard really hated the geth.

Storming a ship wasn't easy, and what they needed were people with tech, or who could fight in small places. So Shepard went with small people, Kasumi, Jack and Miranda, as Jack could cause havoc with her biotics, and Miranda was tech capable. Garrus offered to come along as soon as the mission was offered, as did Jacob and Samara. With her and Shepard as well, they had a large team, but she figured there could be hundreds of geth to take down.

Just before they were ready to take a shuttle to the Alarei, Reegar approached her, already armed and she could read his body language. Shepard took one look at him and nodded. "I'm not saying no, Reegar."

"Just doing my job, Captain."

She held his hand on the short journey to the ship. Knowing her father was likely dead… She was already regretting the distance in their relationship. She'd always been close to her mother, while her father had doted on her, but once her mother died, he withdrew into himself and his work, and over the years, the distance grew. And she grew resentful.

"Ideas?" Shepard asked, looking at the her and Reegar.

"Do your thing, Shepard. That's all I can suggest. Ever fought on a ship?"

"Once or twice, but never against geth."

"Those of us with tech skills will certainly assist."

Reegar already had his shotgun on his lap, his left hand holding that, his right hand holding her left. Shepard did glance more than once and, when he met her eyes, he simply grinned, almost as if in approval. It caused her to blush, as he was still the only man she'd been intimate with. Reegar had made his attraction known, but… they still hadn't gone through with it yet. She was already thinking that, before she left, whether exiled or not, she'd give herself to him.

Taking back the ship took longer than any of them expected. There were far more geth than anticipated, and many of the units were of the larger kind, left thinking they must have planning on an attack on part of the Fleet. Those with tech abilities did run riot, however, and Shepard was insane as always, charging around left and right, his shotgun blasting away. It even led to Jack complaining she wasn't getting a chance to kill her own geth.

When they weren't shooting, she was investigating just what had been happening, and the more she discovered, the worse it was. Her father was doing some very bad things. But she wasn't prepared to find his body, and it was obvious that he'd been dead for at least a couple of days, the blood around his body having already dried. She checked his body and omni-tool for information, and his last act was one to protect her. She would have cried but it was proof that, despite the distance, she'd always been his little girl.

But the geth had killed her father, and now she went and sought vengeance. She linked up with Shepard whenever she could, their shotguns blasting away, and when Reegar joined in, the geth wilted under their attacks, with the rest providing assistance. The geth slowed them down, but Shepard led the way, stepping over the parts of geth as they moved forward towards the central chamber. It was there that the geth made their final stand…

And it was there that the geth died. Not a single unit 'lived' after that. Tali made sure of it, walking away, blasting geth to pieces. Shepard let her go for a few minutes as he searched the systems for evidence that would exonerate her.

He did, but it was worse than she imagined. Her father had been committing crimes that even she couldn't believe. Tests on geth were one thing. But what he'd been doing… Even she shuddered at what he'd been doing. It had all been for an advantage, of course, the chance of a return to the homeworld. But if anyone else found out, the quarians would be chased out of the galaxy itself.

She told Shepard that he couldn't use the evidence about her father. If he did, his name would be ruined, her clan name would be ruined. She would rather be exiled than see her father's legacy destroyed. Through it all, Reegar remained silent. Typical marine, really. He'd only offer an opinion if asked, and even then, he'd keep it to as few words as possible.

Returning to the Rayya, she could only hold her heads in her hands, elbows on her knees, feeling Reegar rub her back. She still couldn't believe the experiments being done. She hated the geth as much as anyone, but what he'd been doing… it was monstrous. It gave the geth just cause for their continued attacks. There were experiments, of course, but that was simply to understand. What her father had been doing… if it had been an organic, it would have been considered a war crime.

Docking on what had once been the home she grew up, she and Shepard strode forward. She heard comments, and it seemed they were surprised they'd all managed to survive. Sure, there'd been a few wounds taken along the way, but Shepard had managed to keep nearly everyone alive through two missions. Only he and Alenko had paid the ultimate price, and at least he'd managed to return. She still couldn't believe it sometimes, turning to see him standing there whenever he wanted a chat.

And it was no surprise that the Board were preparing to write her off as dead as well, Raan getting ready to wrap up proceedings when they walked in. Shepard, already pissed off about everything, looked ready to start shooting. Before anyone could say anything, he just said, "The geth are all dead. Go get your fucking ship."

"Didn't waste a lot of time declaring us dead. You clearly don't know Shepard. Perhaps you wanted to save the embarrassment?" She knew her voice dripped with sarcasm, letting some of her own anger flow.

"We apologise, Captain Shepard. And to you, Tali'Zorah. Your success in taking back the Alarei is simply unexpected," stated Gerrel.

"But also very welcome," Raan added warming, "Captain Shepard, did you find anything on the Alarei that could clarify what happened? Have you found any new evidence to submit?"

"Fuck your evidence," Shepard replied.

"Pardon?" Koris asked, clearly unhappy at the attitude.

"I said fuck your evidence, Admiral. This whole trial is a fucking charade. I know exactly what this is about. There are four of you, because unfortunately her father is dead. Oh, by the way, found him there, noticed you've barely given a shit about his condition, nor offered any condolences to Tali in regards to the fact she just lost her fucking father." They tried to interject, but Shepard held up a hand. "I'm talking, shut the fuck up."

"You dare…" Koris stated.

"You fucking dare, Admiral. Tali'Zorah has done nothing but work her damned arse off for the Fleet ever since she left on her Pilgrimage. She brought back the best gift you could possibly imagine. She's been on the front line against geth since she returned. She's brought back so many advantages in regards to your knowledge of your enemy. She has done nothing but ensure the success of the Migrant Fleet and the continued prosperity of her people. Yet you people want to throw her to the fucking wolves? You should all be fucking ashamed of yourselves. Call yourself the Admiralty Board? I wouldn't even spit in your general direction.

It's obvious this trial is political because it's about geth, and I've already got at least three of you picked. Koris, you're a sympathiser. Gerrel, you want war. And Xen, I think you just want further understanding and maybe a return to how things were. Raan, not sure about you, but you're neutral anyway.

So, basically, Tali's future is your hands. But you exile her, you throw away one of the few bright lights of your people. And, to be honest, you throw her away, I'll gladly take her off your hands. Because it will be a monumentally fucking stupid decision by yourselves, and I'll make sure Tali is looked after, whether it be on my ship, or by friends I have around the galaxy."

He eventually stopped talking and took a deep breath. As for her, she was already in tears. No-one had ever spoken so passionately in defence of her. It was obvious how much he still cared for her.

And it worked. The anger. The bluster. The accusations. It worked.

She was not guilty.

She hugged him tightly. She had to. "Thank you," she sobbed quietly as his arms wrapped around her.

"I wasn't having an example made of you because of those idiots, Tali. You're better than they are."

She didn't let go of him for a little while, as it was the only way she could think of to thank him. She certainly wasn't going to abandon the mission. His support for him simple resolved her support for him. Letting him go, she had to hug Reegar as well. He was awkward, of course, but once he hugged her, she rested her head against his chest, and all was right in the world again.

"You want to stay here, Tali? For a little while, at least?"

"Do you mind?"

"No. You should have some time with your boyfriend."

"Thank you, Shepard," she said quietly.

"No worries. Just come back to the ship whenever you're ready."

Shepard and the rest of his crew wandered off as she looked up at Reegar. She tried to judge his eyes behind the mask but he was an expert at hiding his thoughts. Well trained. But she felt the strength in his arms as he held her, and the desire that she already felt for him had only heightened. She'd also felt a renewed desire for Shepard at the same time, but she'd made her choice while he was gone. And she was happy with Reegar.

"Can we get a private room?"

He couldn't hide his thoughts then, watching his eyes behind the mask. "We'll need to take…"

"Kal, we have done it before."

"I know but it's still rather new to me, Tali."

But, still, he grabbed her hand and led her away from the crowds. Grabbing what they needed, they soon found a small room they could use. There was a bed for a couple, a small bathroom, and that was it. Most people had less privacy, but being a squad commander had some small perks. They'd already been through the decontamination process boarding the Rayya again, but exposure without the suit always carried risk for quarians.

They both flooded their bodies with everything they needed before there was the ritual of removing their masks. Only two non-quarians had ever seen her face. Ashley and Shepard. Only her parents and her doctor had seen her face on the Fleet.

Reegar removed his first and she'd thought immediately that he was rather handsome. Pale, of course. All quarians were what Shepard had called 'deathly' pale. Same skin colour as hers. Most quarians were vaguely pinkish purple. Bright eyes though the iris in the middle was visible. As he removed the suit covering his head, it was clear that he'd at least removed it before as his hair was short. He had a defined nose, slightly thin lips, but a prominent chin. Pure masculine.

Then came her moment, feeling a bundle of nerves as she slowly removed it before also taking the top of the suit off. This was perhaps only the third or fourth time they'd had the chance. When she finally looked up and met his eyes for the first time without the mask, his face lit up with a large grin. Their first kiss was always a little awkward, as he knew the theory but didn't get a lot of practice, but it didn't take long until he had the basics down, at least.

Next came removing their suits, which was a long process. After a few minutes, they were both naked. Again, very pale, no body hair, faint lines across their body as quarians were given various operations to keep them healthy. Both had scars galore from fights against geth and other enemies. He was muscular, not to the same degree as Shepard, but he had definition.

And he was rock hard, and generous in that department as well. His eyes were on stalks as he looked her up and down, noticing his cock throb more than once. She knew he wasn't going to last long at all.

"Wow," he finally said.

"I said the same thing first time, Kal. I knew you were strong."

She stepped into his arms and that first kiss was so much better, feeling his skin against hers for the first time. Many quarians simply linked suits, but she'd always desired the feel of someone else. Though she preferred men, she'd had one or two female friends she would have happily fooled around with, if they'd been interested in return.

But once Kal'Reegar showed his interest in her, she was hooked. Sitting him down on the bed, he was slightly curious as she got down on her knees between his legs. Again, he might know the theory, but this was definitely going to happen. Running her tongue along his shaft, the moan he made suggested he wouldn't long at all. But she wanted to give him a blowjob. A cock like his deserved such attention.

"Now, Kal, one thing. I have done this before, but I couldn't swallow before. With you, I can. So, when you cum, just cum in my mouth."

"Seriously?"

"Yes, Kal. I love you." That made him look down at her, wide-eyed. She simply looked up at him and smiled. "I wanted to wait until I could see your face."

She'd never actually seen him smile, of course. When he did, her heart fluttered and she felt herself get a little excited. He was gorgeous when he smiled. "I love you too, ma'am."

That made her laugh as she leaned up to kiss him again. "Good to hear, soldier. Now, I'm going to suck your cock. If you don't last long, it doesn't matter. Because you can eat my pussy next."

"I'm still not sure…"

"You'll learn, and I can be a little bossy."

"You know, I'm kind of glad you have experience, otherwise this would be very awkward. I'll thank Shepard afterwards."

That made her laugh again, giving him a final kiss, before she got back down on her knees and simply swallowed his cock. She wasted no time bobbing her head up and down. All he could do was collapse back on the bed, groaning loudly, and she knew it definitely wasn't going to last long. "Tali," he groaned.

He lifted his head, at least, watching her head bounce up and down. She definitely liked the taste of his cock and wanted to taste his cum. He lasted a couple of minutes, not that she minded, knowing he was about to cum when she felt him throb, and she eagerly swallowed down his cum, finally getting the chance to do it, having seen Ashley blow Shepard and eagerly swallow down his load when they'd enjoyed threesomes together.

"Fucking hell," Reegar groaned as he relaxed back. She continued to suck him until he started to soften, allowing his cock to fall from her mouth before she kissed up his body before she was lying over him. "Hope I last longer next time."

She kissed him again before she moved over to the pillows, laying down on her back and spreading her legs. He immediately got between them and she let him simply look and touch, as he was still completely inexperienced. Just his touch sent shivers up her spine, eventually feeling one of his fingers slide inside her. "Kal," she whispered.

"Just tell me what to do. I don't mind."

She couldn't help smile at how understanding he was, and over the next half an hour, she gave him plenty of guidance, particularly when it came to using his mouth on her. But he was a quick learner, eager to find her g-spot, and he seemed to really enjoy just eating her out, complimenting that she tasted really good, which simply made her blush quite brightly, as he chuckled when she did.

When he made her cum, and he made her cum hard, she burst into tears. That surprised him for a moment before he moved up to hug her. "Big moment," she finally murmured.

"Glad I could make you orgasm," he whispered, which made her giggle, "Maybe next time I could do it without all the instruction."

"If you want to spend time between my legs, Kal, I'm not going to complain."

She lifted her face to look at him, feeling his soft fingers stroke her face. That alone made her bottom lip tremble, just being able to feel him touch her. Leaning down to kiss her, it was soft at first before it slowly grew more passionate and intense, moulding her body into him, feeling his cock bump into her as she eventually ended up on her back. For this, he didn't need instruction, he knew what to do, it seems.

Feeling him poke her a few times, he eventually gained his bearings, both of them groaning as he ever so slowly slid his cock inside her. "Bury it completely," she whispered, and that's exactly what he did. When he was, she looked down and couldn't help grin. "I've been waiting to see that."

"I… Tali, it feels… wonderful."

"It's a little addictive."

"So… how long will you be gone?"

She couldn't help laugh, kissing him again before he again just figured out what to do as she got comfortable, urging him on. He was never going to last long during his first time, though he lasted longer than she imagined. And he had a nice thick cock, forcing more than a few loud moans from her as he buried himself again and again. But she knew he was getting close as he started to go a little faster, though it grew more erratic. Wrapping her arms around him, she wrapped her legs loosely at his hips, adjusting her body, groaning loudly as the angle changed. "Fuck yes," she moaned.

"Tali," he whispered.

"Cum in me, Kal. I want to feel all of you."

She told him to do that and it's exactly what happened, the groan he released more than likely heard around the entire ship. Feeling him bury his cock inside her again and again, he finally stopped and practically collapsed on top of her, wrapping her legs tighter as she heard him breathing deeply, giving her cheek a kiss as he was clearly out of it for a couple of minutes.

He eventually lifted himself up and met her eyes. "I'll last longer next time… hopefully…"

"Kal, we've just been intimate for maybe the third time in all the time we've been together. I don't care how long it lasted. What mattered was that we are like this. You are inside me. So many quarians don't do this and I can't understand why."

"Wish we'd done this ages ago now!"

"Worth the wait?"

"Absolutely. Um… I might need a few minutes though…"

He pulled out and lay beside her, immediately rolling onto her side and cuddling into him. "I can think of a way to help in a few minutes. Just relax for now, Kal. We have all night."

They eventually made love twice more, Kal loving it when she rode him, and she managed to cum while doing so, which delighted both of them. Then she got on her hands and knees, giving him the pleasure of fucking her from behind. He definitely loved that, as she knew she had a great arse, and she giggled when she suggested he spank her. When he did, she reacted positively, so he did it a few more times.

It made her wetter and helped make her cum again. When Kal came for the fourth time, that was it for him. He was absolutely spent, so they cleaned up and lay together in bed afterwards.

"At least you're not exiled," he said as she wrapped an arm over his chest, resting her head on his shoulder, feeling his arm around her.

"Could never thank Shepard enough for that."

"Can I asked a question?" She nodded. "Has he ever asked about being intimate with you again?"

"Not at all because I made it clear I was with you."

"Okay. I trust the man. I trust you. But I know you share a history."

"Shepard doesn't sleep with women who are in relationships. He makes it clear he has a few rules. And any woman who chooses to be with him goes into it with eyes open. He isn't monogamous."

"Well, at least he's honest. I don't really understand it. I thought humans were that word, monogamous."

"They are if in serious relationships, but some like to enjoy numerous partners. He'll settle down eventually, though I have no idea who with. I think maybe Kelly. He's absolutely smitten with her, well, in love, but she is head over heels for him. And there is much more to their relationship than just sex." She paused, then thought of others. "Though maybe Gianna. She was the first one he fell in love with, but being apart so often makes it difficult. Or he could choose an asari because Shiala is devoted to him."

Reegar laughed. "So the man has choice."

"I think he'll settle down once the threat is over."

Waking the next morning, they had to get back in their suits and it was awful. She'd been out of it plenty of times before, but having just been intimate with the man she now loved, she just wanted to be with him again and again. They hugged and kissed a final time before they were sealed again, taking her by the hand and leading her back towards the Normandy. At the airlock, they embraced a final time, holding each other until she finally let him go.

"Be safe, ma'am."

She couldn't help chuckle as he was doing it on purpose. "Shepard will keep me safe, Kal."

"I know he will. Will you come home straight afterwards?"

"Definitely. I owe Shepard but, once the Collectors are defeated, I'm returning to you."

"Something to look forward to then. Keep in contact, Tali. Let me know you're safe."

"I will."

"I love you."

"I already love hearing that from you, Kal."

"I know."

"Well, I love you too."

They hugged briefly before she walked through the airlock, turning and waving before the door closed. Walking back onto the ship, Shepard was at his place by the galaxy map, looking up from his screen and grinning. "Ready to go, Tali?"

"I am, Shepard. I'll be down in engineering if you need me."

"Have fun?"

"The best." She stopped to give him a quick hug. "But I'm now completely focused on the mission again. Let's go kick Collector arse."

"That's the plan, Tali. And you'll definitely see the Fleet again."

"I know, Shepard. I have a feeling we'll all be coming home in the end."

"I'll do my best."

Heading down to engineering, she settled into getting the engines fired, ready to depart. And, of course, she just had to listen into Ken and his comments about… everything. Poor Gabby, she did wonder how he tolerated him at times.

But at least she wasn't an exile. At heart, she'd never be able to thank Shepard enough.