15

To say that Tali was dumbfounded would be an understatement. In front of her was a very strange scene - Liara, sitting on the table, had wrapped her leg around Jane, who was kissing the asari on the neck and was already trying to undress her. Although, rather, Tali felt embarrassed that she had caught her friends in such a situation and interrupted them. After all, they had a right to do it, it's their life, maybe they had been waiting for this all day, and then she comes in like this... Tali felt uncomfortable about it.

- Oh, I... I'll come back later... - Tali tried to speak, but the awkward situation still took its toll. She could hardly say anything articulate, let alone coherent sentences. Tali was about to leave, but then Jane pulled away from Liara, and after about five seconds, unsuccessfully trying to catch her breath, turned around and walked out of the room with big steps. Liara herself sat on the table in unbuttoned clothes and also tried to catch her breath, while looking at the floor, - Liara, I... I'm sorry, I didn't mean to...

— It's okay, Tali. It's not your fault, — Liara tried to calm her friend down, who felt terribly awkward. — Well, did you want something?

— Oh, yes... I wanted... Do you have any sheets of paper and a pencil? I really need them.

— Paper? Um, yes, I have some, — with these words, Liara finally got up from the table and opened a drawer. There was a plastic tablet that could replace a hard, flat surface, and about thirty sheets, no less. She took everything and handed it to Tali.

— Thank you, — Tali said and left the room as quickly as possible, leaving Liara alone with her thoughts.

At the exit, Tali was afraid that she would be met by a very angry Jane, but she was neither at the entrance nor on the floor. Tali quietly exhaled, and then went to the elevator.

— Hey, it's me, — Tali said, approaching my "hideout." In her hands was some kind of board, probably made of plastic, sheets of paper, and a pencil. Thank God they still exist.

— Hi, — I greeted, but still decided not to get up.

— Listen, I have an idea. I propose a deal.

— A deal? — I was a bit taken aback.

— Yes. I'll give you the sheets and pencil if you... tell me your name.

What-what?! Name?! But I... Damn, that's true. What am I going to call myself? I've never thought about it once. Okay, think, think, think... And what are you going to call yourself?! Alright, I'll come up with something now, but for now...

— Name?

— You do have a name, don't you? — Tali asked uncertainly. It turns out she already understood that I'm unusual, and therefore must definitely have a name.

— I... I don't know. Geth don't have names. At best, there are identification codes on the platforms, but that's not the same. There are hundreds of programs on each platform, so... — I simply lowered my head, as if to hint that I was sad. Even though I wouldn't call Tali an old woman, even if I had a tongue.

— So... What would you call yourself?

-... — I was silent, but still spinning my lightbulb so that Tali didn't think I had frozen. And after a minute of scanning my entire memory, I finally gave what seemed most acceptable to me. — Legate.

— Who? — Tali asked a little surprised, as she probably doesn't know the meaning of this word.

— Legate. It's from human history. Ancient Rome. If you want, read about it sometime. I don't have a connection to the extranet. So, do we have a deal?

— Oh, yes... Sure. Here, — Tali said and put everything she had brought on the floor, and then went to some terminal. She pressed 5 keys, after which my "shelter" increased by one meter in diameter. The field moved, and now everything the quarian brought me was with me.

— Thank you. And... Good night, — I am polite after all, and saying such phrases is just a habit for me.

— Good... night, — indeed, she didn't expect that either. After that, Tali left, and I started thinking about what to draw.

Jane came to Joker and, without saying a word, sat down in the co-pilot's seat. Then she turned off all the holograms and slammed her head against the panel, exhaling with such a degree of despair that Joker, who was still at the helm, immediately understood that something was wrong.

— Ma'am? — Joker tried to address her.

— This. Is. A. Total. Mess! — Shepard said each word, ignoring subordination.

— What happened, Captain? You weren't like this even after Eden Prime. And you had your brains scrambled there, like an egg.

— Give me a drink, — Shepard didn't ask, but rather ordered, which sent a chill down Joker's spine, and the question arose in his head: "How did she know?"

— Ma'am, you know that no one has alcohol after Ashley tried to get Liara drunk as a joke, — Joker still tried to save the little he had left, namely - 50-year-old Irish whiskey. He couldn't give up something like that without a fight.

- Joker... - The captain indicated with one word that there was no need to deceive her.

- Mmmrgh, - Joker growled, meaning the captain had won. - Fine, now, - and after that, he took out a bottle from under his seat. He passed it to the captain, who immediately opened it and took three good swigs. - So, captain, what happened? - Joker was extremely intrigued, so now he definitely wouldn't leave her alone.

- Have you ever had this happen? You love someone so much, but you don't have the courage to confess to them. You're afraid they won't reciprocate, that they'll reject you. Damn, I've been through such crap, and I'm afraid to confess to her! Weakling! - After that, Jane took a few more swigs, and Joker was dumbfounded in the meantime. Shepard had fallen in love with a girl! However, Joker realized right away that he would have to keep quiet. If he spills the beans, rumors will start. Then these rumors will reach Shepard. Then she'll find out that Joker, whom she came to for help and opened her soul to, started it all. And then... Joker shook his head, chasing away unpleasant thoughts. He was even afraid to imagine what would happen then. His bones were fragile, and Shepard... Well, she was terrifying when angry.

- You know... I had the same thing. Fell in love at the Academy with a girl. She was a good one, her name was Alice. In short, I fell head over heels for her, but was afraid to even approach her... - After a short pause, the pilot continued. - I'm a cripple with Vrolik Syndrome, and she was one of the most beautiful girls in the Academy. Many guys pursued her, but she rejected them all. Ah, in the end, I never confessed to her. And I won't do it anymore.

- Why not? - Suddenly, Joker noticed that Shepard was looking at him with a curious and intrigued gaze, pressing the whiskey bottle to her head.

- Ah, she died. A few days before graduation. A cooling system malfunction, overheating of the frigate's core... In short, only a couple of pieces were left from the ship. And I never confessed to her. So, my advice to you, captain: whoever this someone is - it's better to confess now so you don't regret it later. Do it quickly, and then deal with problems as they come.

- Hm... I see. Alright, Joker, thanks. You're damn right...

- Oops. Captain, we've exited FTL. Scanning the system now, - Joker suddenly spoke up, as the view outside the window changed to black space and a white dwarf, instead of the play of light that was there during FTL travel. - So, it turns out...

- Let's skip your reports, - Shepard immediately said, and Joker got the hint.

- Fine. A system with a white dwarf and one planet. The planet is icy. The magnetosphere is slightly below average. Well, we'll have to discharge the engines here, but it will take about 15 hours.

- Let's deal with that tomorrow. Stop somewhere, on the dark side of the planet, for example, and go to sleep yourself. And that's an order. We have a week to fly anyway, so at least we can come up with another excuse for the Council. And I don't want to wake Tali yet, and I want her to take care of it, - after that Shepard got up and then looked out the window again. - Good night.

The next day

Shepard burst out of the elevator, filled with righteous anger, and headed straight for the one who caused it.

— GARRUUUUS!!! — Shepard shouted across the hangar. The turian immediately realized something was wrong. Wrex understood it was better not to interfere, and the quarians nervously looked at Wrex and pretended not to see or hear anything, completely absorbed in their game. Wrex joined them.

— Shepard, I don't know what happened, but I can explain everything! — Garrus immediately started, already running around the hangar, understanding that there's nothing worse in this galaxy than an angry Shepard. The incident with the introduction of Prohibition on the Normandy proved that.

— EXPLAIN!!! You're going to explain everything so well that you'll win an Oscar!!! — Shepard was relentless. Garrus tried to put various crates between them, but Shepard crushed them like a tank, and Garrus' desperation grew stronger. In a minute, he found himself cornered.

— Shepard! I can explain everything, just tell me what's going on! Uh, uh, Shepard, why do you need a crowbar? Put it down! Don't do it! — Only now did Garrus notice that Shepard was holding a crowbar. He had seen it only once before when Shepard chased Kaidan after he locked Wrex in the shower. Only that time, Shepard was in the shower, completely naked, and her clothes were left in the locker room. In short, Shepard and Wrex had an unforgettable two hours in the shower, playing the game "Don't look at me, I'm naked! / Oh, come on!" But then Kaidan deeply regretted what he had done. Very much... And now that crowbar was in Shepard's hands, who at the moment was ready to incinerate even the Sovereign with her gaze.

— What's going on?! HE'S ASKING!!! What the hell were you thinking, giving Tali your brandy, huh?! She's lying in the medbay with Dr. Chakwas and won't be able to get up for at least two days! Where, you turian face, did you buy that brandy?! — And then Garrus realized that he was doomed. So he began to pray to the Spirits. However, he couldn't even say a couple of words before Shepard interrupted his thoughts.

— Garrusss... — Shepard hissed.

— Can I have a last wish? — Garrus asked hopefully, although he understood that it was unlikely to be granted.

— Garrus... — Shepard said in an even more hissing, almost snake-like voice. Swallowing, most likely for the last time, Garrus finally confessed.

— In the port district, — he said, lowering his head.

An hour in Hell

Although Hell would have been more pleasant

— Garrus, — Shepard whispered softly, bending down to the turian who was now sitting inside a box for grenade launchers, locked in. — Will you ever give Tali your alcohol again? — she asked gently.

— N-no! — Garrus stammered.

— Will you ever give anyone your alcohol again? — Shepard asked in the same gentle voice.

— N-no, never! — Garrus said with more confidence in his voice.

— Will you ever bite me again? — Shepard asked, rubbing the bite mark she decided not to treat with medi-gel since the wound wasn't deep, though it did bleed.

— I won't, — Garrus said again, but Shepard barely heard him as his voice was muffled by the box walls.

— And you, Wrex, — Shepard turned to the krogan who was lying on the floor nearby. His hands were tied to his tied legs, and the crowbar was in his mouth, secured with two ropes tied to his hands, now serving as a sort of makeshift bit. — Will you ever interfere with my educational conversation about the dangers of alcohol?

— No, — Wrex said dryly, or rather grumbled.

— Good, — Shepard whispered, her voice slightly sweet. — Now, all of you! — Shepard stood up, turned 180 degrees, and looked at almost the entire Normandy crew, except for Dr. Chakwas, Tali, Joker, and a couple of engineers. — What lesson did I teach today?

— ALCOHOL IS BAD! — everyone present chanted in unison.

— Good. You are all dismissed, — Shepard said calmly, and everyone but the engineers piled into the elevator. How they all fit in there remained a mystery. Meanwhile, Shepard decided to have breakfast. — I hope they're serving cutlets today, — Jane whispered and headed for the elevator. The quarians will free Wrex, who was now all lying together under the Mako, praying that Shepard wouldn't remember them.

Jane finally decided to talk to Liara about what had happened yesterday. Morning is wiser than evening, and here it was – the morning that started with having to discipline Garrus and Wrex. What a great beginning. Entering the medbay, she saw Tali lying on a bed and Dr. Chakwas typing something on a computer.

— Hey, how…

— Shh! — Dr. Chakwas immediately hushed her, putting a finger to her lips.

— What happened? — Shepard whispered, looking at Tali.

— I gave her a sedative. She fell asleep about ten minutes ago. She was feeling very bad. So, I decided to let her rest.

— Alright, — Shepard agreed and looked at Tali. She looked like a sleeping kitten right now. Curled up into a ball and breathed slowly and evenly. — And how long will she sleep?

— About six hours. She's been suffering from insomnia because of our engine.

— Yeah, she told me. Alright, is Liara in her quarters? — Jane decided to ask the main reason she came here.

— Yes, she just went in.

— Thank you, — she immediately thanked Dr. Chakwas and went to Liara.

— Liara, can I come in? — Asking like this from the doorstep had already become commonplace for Jane.

— Shepard? Yes, of course, come in, — said Liara, getting up from her seat.

— Liara, I… — Jane waited for the automatic door to close and only then continued. — We need to talk.

— Yes, I know, — Liara understood that this conversation would happen sooner or later, but still, she wanted to somehow avoid it, so she just lowered her head, waiting for Shepard to make the first move.

— Liara, I wanted to... I'm sorry, — Liara was very surprised at this point. Jane Shepard, the "Butcher of Torfan," the one who had tamed the krogan war master this morning, was now apologizing to her, a fragile asari who, by human standards, was still a teenager. Liara immediately realized that something was wrong. — I'm sorry that…

— She… Jane, you don't have to apologize.

— No, Liara. You… You didn't want this. Listen, I just wanted to… kiss you, but… Ugh, I couldn't help myself. It was just so… Beautiful… And I gave in to something that… was just beyond me. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that. I should have restrained myself…

— Jane, I'm not offended. At first, I didn't resist because… I wanted it too. But then… I got scared…

— Scared? Of what? — Jane was puzzled, having never discussed this with Liara before. Yes, Jane had asked Liara about the embrace of eternity and all that, but they had never discussed anything else.

— You see, I… I've never had… an embrace.

— What? So you… Never… — Jane immediately realized what she had almost done because she had lost control of herself.

— Yes, that's why when you started… Anyway, I got scared. I don't even know what of, just fear. Of something…

— Unknown, — Jane finished for Liara. — Yes, I know that fear.

— Really? — Liara was surprised. She couldn't believe that Shepard was afraid of anything.

— Yes. Damn it, Liara, I'm sorry, I didn't know! If I had known, I… Ugh, — growling angrily, Shepard began to mentally punish herself. Her conscience had already set up a trial, compared to which the Nuremberg trials seemed like child's play.

— Jane, you're not to blame. You know, if you insist…

— WHAT?! — Jane really didn't expect this, — No! Liara, I would never… Damn it! How could you… Ugh. Liara, listen to me. Until you want this, I will never, hear me, never demand this from you! I will never forgive myself for that!

— Jane, I… Thank you so much. I often heard about how you, humans… Well, thank you, — instead of answering, Jane quickly hugged Liara.

— I love you, Liara, — she whispered in Liara's ear. Or, at least, where it would have been.

— I love you too, Jane, — Liara replied, and from this, Jane rejoiced inside. She loves her too! She doesn't feel disgust, fear, or warrior respect for the three-time hero of the Alliance towards her! She just loves her. And from this, Jane wanted to cry.

But suddenly, Joker's voice came through the intercom.

- Ma'am, we've got company. I don't know how to say this, but... Admiral Hackett is flying in.