99 – Migrant Fleet (3)

After showing Samael and the others all his photos of Tali, Rael'Zorah finally sighed, "Done. I wish I had more, but unfortunately, I traveled a lot in the past and didn't take many."

Everyone could hear the regret in his voice. Samael knew that Tali had a few complexes because of her absent father, and was still in the process of healing.

In the games, she didn't have the opportunity to change things, as her father dies in the near future. Thankfully, Samael was determined to prevent that from happening in this cycle and would support her in whatever decision she made, whether she chose to forgive her father or not.

Veronica chimed in, feeling the atmosphere changing, "Don't be too down. This much is good enough."

She was sincere, a sentiment echoed by the others. It was nice to see glimpses of the past of the person they were in a relationship with. Some of them, like Shepard, didn't really have photos of her as a child because she was an orphan before Anderson took her in.

' Wait, he must have some. I will ask for him to delete them.' That was Shepard's thought until she realized the others were genuinely happy upon seeing Talis's photos. ' ... Maybe it's best not to delete them.'

The Admiral shook off his past regret. "Well, only two hours have passed and ten hours remain until the Assembly with the Conclave and the Admirals. Can I recommend some places while I go to sleep?"

Tali had already marked the place she wanted to go to, but Samael was still polite to his father-in-law. "Sure."

The Admiral highlighted a few good spots and places they should avoid. After that, everyone left, and he stayed behind to rest.

What had happened was exhausting both physically and mentally. Still, he was more than happy, not only because of the Pill but because his daughter was happy.

"I notice the looks the others gave her... she must be in some kind of arrangement with them." He wasn't dumb, he knew there was something strange about the whole group. Still, "If she's happy and not in danger, I accept it."

He had failed her in the past, leaving her with emotional scars that didn't heal easily. He understood that and expected her to have negative feelings towards him, even feelings of rejection.

But seeing her now, he noticed that her new friend had somehow filled the emotional void he had left in her life. This gave him hope that they could not only rebuild their relationship but also improve it to a higher degree than before.

He knew the road ahead would be difficult, but he was determined to face it. He had failed her once, and he would not do it again.

With the photos still in his hand, he looked at one that featured Tali's mother, his wife. She had died when Tali was just 17, making her feel even more neglected. He recognized that other Quarians had helped Tali grow after that, as he had been too cowardly to confront the reality of the situation and had instead focused on his job.

He touched the photo. "She's good. No, more than that, she's thriving... And now, thanks to her, the whole Quarian race will thrive too. If only the Pill had been developed before you went away..."

He shook his head. "No, I can't think that way. Focus on now and the future."

A dangerous light flashed across his mask. "But for that, the Reapers have to go."

The Quarians knew the truth but weren't focused on that. Now, with the Pill and Samael/LD's promise of help, he was determined to ensure they began to act decisively against the machines.

He would make sure the other Quarians followed suit, no matter what.

"Well, for now, let's rest."

He was tired and needed to rest. His daughter was in good hands, and now he would focus on being at 100%.

"Crazy to think that when I wake up, I can take the suit off for good..."

With that thought, Rael'Zorah lay in his bed and slept, holding the photo of his deceased wife in his hand.

---

" He seems like a good person," Veronica said as soon as they left the Admiral's apartment. She didn't know exactly Tali's relationship with her father, but from what Quarian had told them, he was absent.

So seeing him show affection like that was something they didn't expect, not even Tali, who appeared lost in thought even now.

''He is, but let's talk about the photos,'' Liara said, clearly enjoying seeing Tali fidget. ''I loved the ones where she was a baby. I mean, the Quarian in a suit is bad, but the babies do look cute on it.''

Shepard nodded. ''I concur.''

RR chimed in, '' I also agree.''

Samael then said, ''Come on, guys. Tali is suffering here.''

The Quarian looked grateful, but before she could express it, he continued, ''Besides, we all know the photos of babies are the best anyway.''

Tali sighed. ''I'll give you all the silent treatment for a minute.''

They all giggled and walked in silence, following Tali as she moved through the ship. Everyone who passed greeted her, and she greeted them back.

Then, they looked at RR with a sense of aggression, but Tali quickly reassured them, saying, "She's with me. She's a VI, so don't worry too much."

The Quarians had to set aside their aggression, but their caution remained. After all, the Geth had destroyed them centuries ago, and they had never fully recovered.

The only reason they were somewhat at ease was because of Tali. She was well-known and liked, after all.

More than a minute passed, so Samael asked, ''Where are we going?''

He knew the ship, but asked for the sake of the others who were just following Tali. They were looking curiously around the ship, and RR had already infiltrated their network.

You would think they would have better security against cybernetic attacks, thanks to the Geth and all, but you have to keep in mind, that RR was way more advanced than their security system. The only machines more advanced than her were the Reapers, and even then, by a very small margin and still up to debate.

Tali had already recovered from their teasing. ''Well, 10 hours is too long, so I thought: why not enjoy ourselves a bit?''

She then stopped in front of one of the doors, indicating they had arrived at their location. Tali said, ''It's a bar, by the way. And yes, we still get drunk. We call it The Bar.''

''Pfttt.''

Someone in the group laughed at the name, but Tali ignored it. She pressed a button on the side of the door, and it opened. ''Welcome to—''

POW!

What was happening inside was a brawl. The strange thing was that the Quarians weren't involved, it was Krogan versus Krogan. Also, it seemed one of the Krogan had a Prothean as a coach, as it screamed instructions as the fight progressed, and an Asari was acting like the referee.

Everyone knew those Krogan.

Samael held his hand on his forehead. ''Someone please explain to me why the hell Wrex and Grunt are fighting?''

He could also 'see' Kasumi and Thane cloaked nearby. It must have been in case of an emergency, but based on what he knew about the human, she must have stolen from everyone in the bar by now.

Keiji and Kaidan were seated too, looking at the fight happening.

By the way, Samara was the referee of the match.

Tali was the most shocked of the group. ''I have no idea that we even had a fighting ring. I mean, we literally can have a paper cut in our suit, let alone a hole the size of a fist.''

''Maybe they built it in a hurry?'' Veronica said after she noticed the 'ring' was literally just four metal stakes glued to the ground, with some kind of rope to delimit the perimeter.

Shepard also noticed that. ''Yup, whoever did it made it in a hurry and with scrap.''

RR said nothing and looked at EDI, who was nearby. The AI was clearly receiving some serious side-eye from the other Quarians, who didn't like machines at all, but for some reason, there was no hatred in their eyes.

''She did something.''

Samael also noticed EDI and nodded at what RR said. ''Our baby is getting naughty.'' Joker was beside her, counting the credits they received as a betting pool. ''I wonder who influenced her.''

The group said nothing more and just went to sit at one of the free tables around The Bar, with Tali still shocked by all this. I mean, she came here to relax, and the atmosphere inside the bar was far from relaxing.

The usually reserved Quarians were all enjoying the fight, some even shouting and mimicking the fighters. That's why they were tolerant of EDI, and only then.

They ordered some drinks, then Shepard asked, ''Will we stop them?''

Samael shook his head. ''Nah, let them have their fun.''

Veronica sheepishly rubbed her hair. ''Yeah, it's best to let them enjoy themselves.''

Samael immediately knew something happened. ''... You better not have gambled on this, right?''

''HEHEHE.''

''Don't be influenced by Wrex's laughter! It's contagious!''

Liara also raised her hand. ''I might have also placed a bet on this. I mean, it is fun.''

Tali did an almost full 360 and looked at Liara, her body language saying, "Et tu?"

It didn't end there, as Shepard also raised her hand, saying, "I also joined in the fun."

Tali could only sigh and order another drink. "What the hell is happening around here?"

Samael approached Shepard and whispered, "You didn't do it, right?"

Shepard chuckled, "Nope. It's just funny seeing Tali like that. I mean, she, just like Liara, can be too reserved around us. Maybe these harmless jokes will help her become more assertive."

Samael nodded at her reasoning. He knew Tali very well, and she actually enjoyed those jokes.

He then whispered some more, "Do you want to know something funny?"

"What?"

"I joined in the fun."

Shepard looked shocked but soon laughed. She tried her best to conceal it, but it was failing.

"In who?"

"Secret."

After talking with Shepard, Samael noticed that Tali seemed off. He approached her and asked, "Is the teasing taking a toll on you?"

"Huh? Oh…" Tali looked confused for a brief moment before shaking her head. "It's not that… it's my father."

Samael took her hand and said, "I know the gist of your relationship with him, but hearing it directly from you would be best. I'm all ears… besides, talking about it might help you heal."

Tali wasn't surprised that Samael knew about her situation with her father, as she hadn't exactly tried to hide it. While she tried her best to hide it, their interaction had underlying tension to it, and her 'family' noticed it.

"… Where should I start?" Tali resolved to open up to her boyfriend. If she felt comfortable, she would share with the others as well.

"You decide." Samael understood that this was an important step for Tali's personal growth, so he let her take control of the conversation.

"… Well, it's a normal situation. I was born into a loving family, yada yada. The problem was that, even with all that love, my father decided to spend more time working and traveling than with me and my mom."

"I get it. The Migrant Fleet is more important than us, but—"

"Don't say that. Just don't."

Tali could see sincerity in Samael's eyes and knew that if the roles were reversed, he would probably not act the same way her father did. 'Well, that makes sense. He is all about family, after all.'

She shook off that train of thought and continued, "That alone was bad enough. I was raised by my mom and a friend on the ship named Rayya, hence my old name, Tali'Zorah nar Rayya. I know you know this tradition."

Samael nodded, and Tali continued, "But my father's position put a weight on my shoulders. I thought that because I was the admiral's daughter, I had to be better than the others or at least measure up to his level."

"That damaged me, as I lost too much time trying to catch up to a shadow. Of course, I made sure to be there for my mom, as she was suffering too, but I wasn't my father."

"Then, tragedy struck. Mom died due to an infection, and Father... he didn't even participate in the funeral, as he was on a mission.''

''I despised him for a long time because of it. Honestly, I still do. After Mom died, I was still a teenager, not a fully grown adult, and others helped me with a lot of things. I did what I could to help them in return. Father, as always, was more focused on work than on me.''

''That's why I'm known by everyone. I helped the Fleet and not just the Rayya. Anyway, after I left for my Pilgrimage, I was forced to grow up after seeing how we were treated by the rest of the galaxy. It changed my perspective on my father, as I realized he wanted the Quarians to be respected again, which is why he spent so much time away.''

''I started to forgive him after that. Then, I met you guys, and the process accelerated a bit. Still, I can't fully forgive him. Part of me still feels resentment. I mean, who doesn't participate in their significant other's funeral?"

Tali was getting emotional. "So, this is where we are at. Father is trying to somehow make up for lost time and his many mistakes, while I'm trying to forgive him. And let me tell you, it's not easy."

Samael knew that well. He had not forgiven or forgotten the actions of some people in past cycles. But he had to move forward even then.

Tali stopped talking after that, probably emotionally exhausted. It made sense, as she had just opened up about one of her biggest secrets.

Samael started to speak. "You don't need to forgive him."

Tali looked at him, waiting for him to continue.

"Sometimes, people close to us do something so horrible that we can't forgive them. But our feelings for them can still remain strong."

"We have to live with that and understand that they weren't perfect. You don't need to forgive your father; you just have to accept reality. He is trying to fix his mistakes, but only you can answer this: Is now enough? Is what he is doing enough?"

"And if you do try to forgive him, never forget what he did to you. Fool me once, that's on him; fool me twice, that's on me."

"Just remember, whatever you decide to do, I—We will have your back."

Tali absorbed what Samael said. It would take time for her to heal, but she already felt a little lighter about the situation. She had thought that in order to move forward, she had to forgive her father for what he did, but Samael showed her a new alternative.

She can love her father, but still be alert around him.

"Thank you for this." Tali expressed her gratitude from the bottom of her heart.

"Don't mention it. Now, how about you open up to them?" Samael pointed at Liara, Shepard, and Veronica, who clearly were curious about the conversation the duo was having but didn't want to be pushy about it.

Tali giggled as she watched the trio trying to scramble when they noticed she was looking at them, "Maybe later."

Samael nodded, '' Your call.''

After that, things returned to normal. The group relaxed and talked about the fight. Tali even joined in, already recovering from her confusion and the talk with Samael.

"I think Grunt will win."

"Why?"

"He's younger and stronger."

"But to a Krogan, that means nothing. We don't even know if those dinosaurs have a lifespan, as not a single one of them has died of old age. They could be immortal for all we know."

No one reached an agreement, and the fight continued.

Grunt had the upper hand because he had superior strength compared to Wrex, but sometimes, experience matters. This was one of those times, as Wrex won thanks to that.

Grunt was on the ground, defeated. Wrex extended his hand, saying, "Nice fight, kiddo. But you still need to train for a few more years."

Grunt took his hand and got up. "Good job, old man."

The fight ended, and the victor basked in glory, with the Quarians shouting their names. This would be the start of their legend, as they would fight again- not. Samael was waiting for both of them outside the ring.

"Who came up with the idea?" he asked.

Wrex pointed at Grunt, who pointed at Javik, who pointed back at Wrex.

Samael could only sigh. "Come on, let's get you all fixed up. The assembly will happen in ten hours, and I want you all in your best shape."

"How about a drink first?" Wrex suggested, and Javik and Grunt didn't seem to be against the idea.

Samael sighed, "Only one."

It didn't end with just one drink.

HOURS LATER

Wrex was on the ceiling, with Grunt close by. For some reason, Javik was almost naked and on top of a table.

The rest of the crew was ok-ish. They were a little drunk, but nothing compared with those 3.

The Admiral had to pull some strings so they wouldn't get in trouble, but he was a little annoyed. "You managed to clean out the stock of the bar... how?"

Samael simply pointed at those who were more wasted. "Them. Also, I paid."

The Admiral sighed. "Only three hours left until the assembly with the Conclave and the Admirals. Are you all good to participate?"

While the Admirals oversee the military aspects of the Migrant Fleet, the Conclave is the civilian equivalent, looking over the cultural/civil aspect of the Fleet. It was formed by selected representatives from Quarians ship that surpassed a threshold in numbers.

The Assembly called Rael'Zorah includes both the Admirals and the Conclave.

Tali nodded, "Yes."

"How about a secret reunion with all the Admirals right now?" While the Conclave was important, Rael'Zorah knew they had to win over the Admirals first.

The group was taken aback; they hadn't expected this. It seemed Rael'Zorah had taken their words seriously. By the way, he was still wearing his suit.

"Sounds good." Samael replied. He hadn't drunk much, knowing this possibility was on the horizon. After all, all the Admirals were secretive, so a reunion to discuss matters before presenting them to the public was a normal step to take.

"Good. So those who are sober, follow me. Also, please have someone take care of them." Rael'Zorah gestured toward Wrex, Grunt, and Javik.

Samael tapped his omni-tool a few times and sent a message to John, knowing he was with Mordin, Dr. Chakwas, and Claire. "Come pick up Wrex, Javik, and Grunt. They're at this location and wasted. Tell the doctors to make them presentable in a few hours."

He sent the message along with the bar's location and quickly received confirmation.

"Leave it to us."

Samael then looked at an empty space, '' Keep an eye on them and make sure they were ok.''

He was talking to Thane and Kasumi. By the way, EDI and Joker got some credits out of this fight and decided to return to the Phoenix for now.

With that, the group consisting of Tali, Liara, Shepard, RR, Veronica, and Samael followed Admiral Rael'Zorah toward the secret meeting.