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Mass Effect: A Hero Rises

Chapter 14: Book 1, Chapter 14 - The Chief and the Quarian

Chapter Text

We hadn’t been on the Citadel in quite some time. I’d been in contact with Anderson regarding our next move, and he suggested that I return to the Citadel so I could sit down with him to go through what we’d discovered. I had a feeling he knew more than he could share in his messages, and to be honest, I didn’t mind the idea of returning to the Citadel for a proper break. Sure, the crew had down time between planets, but they generally remained hard at work, and most rarely had the chance to leave the vessel. Whenever we were on the Citadel, the entire crew was given a chance to spend some time off the ship.

Once the ship had docked and we started to power down the main systems, the crew were eager to get off the ship. I didn’t blame them as anyone was bound to go a little crazy after so long on a ship. Even Joker, who I knew found difficulty moving at the best of times due to the brittle bones in his legs, was eager for some freedom.

I happily watched the entire crew depart as, once they all left, I’d simply lock the ship up until Alliance crew turned up to stock up our supplies and give the ship a good once over. We looked after it as best we could, but after weeks flying around space, the Normandy was in desperate need of some TLC. As the crew wandered towards the nearby stairs and elevators, I pulled Ash and Tali aside, waiting until we had privacy before talking to them.

Handing over a datapad, I explained. “I’ve booked you three nights at a hotel on the Presidium. Four star. Breakfast and dinner included, and this includes food that you can eat, Tali. Bedroom overlooking the lake. Enormous bathroom, probably the size of my cabin. And, most importantly, the hotel will include a portable decontamination unit so you girls can have some fun.”

Tali couldn’t say anything. All she did was hug me tightly. Glancing at Ashley, it was the first time I’d ever seen her close to tears, eventually needing to hug me too. “Shepard, you need to join us,” Tali murmured.

I couldn’t help the sigh. “Trust me, Tali. Part of me wants to but…”

“Shepard, neither of us will treat you any differently nor expect anything different,” Ashley added.

I shook my head. “It’s not how you will change, Ash. It’s me.”

She took a chance, and the soft kiss on my lips spoke volumes. After opening my eyes to meet hers, her eyes spoke even more. “Shepard, it’s time to stop denying what you want. We’re no longer on the ship. I can understand why you want to keep the barrier up while we’re flying around space. Tali does too.” She hadn’t let me go yet, though I wasn’t going to complain. “Shepard, I’m going to put this simply. You are more than welcome to join us the entire time…”

“Definitely,” Tali added quietly, looking up at me, noticing her eyes change behind the mask.

“Why don’t you two enjoy tonight alone first? I know you’ve wanted something like this for a while.”

Tali let me go and turned to Ashley, taking one of her hands. “I do want to be with you too, Ashley,” she said quietly, I think either nervous or perhaps even embarrassed admitting it in front of me.

“I’ve never been with a woman before,” Ashley confessed.

“Then it’s your first time together in more ways than one,” I stated, both of them looking at me. “Look, enjoy your time tonight together. If you still want to invite me along, send me a message tomorrow and I’ll join you then.”

That earned a hug from both of them. “I want you to fuck me so hard, Shepard,” Ashley whispered.

“I just want…” Ashley let me go to let Tali just hug me alone. “Ashley will be my first woman. You will definitely be my first man, Shepard.”

“Okay, it’s a date.” That made Ashley smile, and judging by her eyes, Tali smiled too. “I’ll make sure we do it properly. We’ll have dinner first, perhaps a few drinks, then we’ll have some fun together.”

I received one last hug and then they wandered off, hand in hand. I couldn’t help stand there and smile as it was clear they really liked each other. Once I was alone, I headed off in another direction, eventually ending up on one of the Wards, walking towards a building I remembered rather well. It was late enough where I figured she might be home, riding the lift to her floor and knocking on the door. When she opened it, she nearly dropped the glass she was holding, dragging me inside with her other hand, kicking the door shut with her foot before she hugged me.

“Holy shit!” she exclaimed quietly.

“Thought I’d pop by and see you, Emily.” She didn’t say anything, placing her glass on the nearby bar before wrapping both arms around me. I did the same, eventually lifting her up, feeling her legs wrap around me. “Missed me?” I asked. She leaned back to meet my eyes. I couldn’t help smile at the depth of feeling that greeted me. “I’ll take that as a yes then,” I stated before I kissed her.

“First we fuck. Had dinner?” I shook my head. “Okay, you’re definitely fucking me right now, Shepard. Then we can head out for dinner. Then… Head back here?”

“Why don’t we just order in?”

She laughed. “Even better. Barely have to leave the bedroom then.”

Carrying her into her bedroom wasn’t a problem. She definitely enjoyed taking her time undressing me. Her clothes may have disappeared slightly faster before we lay down on the bed. I spent plenty of time worshipping her body, not an inch of skin going untouched somehow. I think she almost enjoyed an orgasm just from the attention I showed to her breasts. Once I moved down to her pussy, she couldn’t hold it back any longer. If it had been later at night, the neighbours would have complained about the noise.

I ate her out until she simply had to ask me to stop, kissing back up her body until my eyes met hers, and I couldn’t help the smug smile that would have appeared. That just made her giggle. “Been a while, Shepard? You seemed to enjoy that.”

“I made a close friend on Noveria. Since then, I’ve been rather well behaved.”

“And your first thought when returning here was to see me?”

“Of course. We’ve kept in contact, we’re clearly attracted to each other, and I wanted to see you.”

“Okay, now we’re changing plans. Once you’ve fucked me, we’re definitely heading out. I want to be seen on a date with Commander Shepard… Do you mind?”

I couldn’t help chuckle again. “Not at all.” I leaned down to kiss her as I gently slid inside her, enjoying the gasp she made as I slowly buried my length. “But you did mention something about getting fucked, right?”

“Should I hold on tight, Shepard?” she asked, wrapping her arms around the back of my neck, feeling her move her legs so they were spread nice and wide.

“Can I admit I won’t last long? It’s been a few days.”

“Last time you remained hard after you came in me. I’m sure you’ll do it again.”

So that’s what happened. Emily Wong got seriously fucked over the next few minutes. She held on for dear life but seemed to love every second, even begging for more, harder, faster, deeper, with each passing minute. I was never going to last long doing that, especially when her eyes met mine. I loved it when women did that. Eye contact will always be sexy as fuck. And the way they breathe your name when you’re fucking. Add that to eye contact, and how it feels to be buried inside them, and an orgasm is guaranteed.

I came hard within a few minutes. There’s no shame in not lasting long. Sex doesn’t have to be a marathon. Plus, I was young enough where I could remain relatively hard, and what I’d learned over time is that women loved to ride my cock, or at least women that I’d been intimate with. Emily had no problem pushing me so I lay on my back, happily mounting me and quickly establishing a rhythm that made her rather happy.

“Jesus, Shepard, I don’t know what it is…” She trailed off and shuddered, “But it makes me want to cum.”

“Then cum a few times then we’ll head out for dinner.”

“I’ll be worn out by then!”

But she rode me hard and fast, definitely wanting to enjoy at least one orgasm. Her first one took a little time in arriving, but once she came once, the next two arrived rather quickly. After the third, I thought she might keep going until she simply collapsed, instead resting on my chest as she sucked in some deep breaths, simply running my fingers down her spine. Neither of us said anything, there wasn’t really any point. We’d definitely enjoyed what just occurred.

Getting up off me, she grabbed my hand and led me to her shower, where I particularly enjoyed washing every part of her body as we made out. She then surprised me by washing me down then getting down on her knees to blow me. “You didn’t cum again, Shepard,” she said. Those were the only words she said before swallowing my length and taking a load in the mouth a few minutes later. I could only lean back against the tiled wall as she stood up, a satisfied look on her face. “Should we get ready to head out?” she wondered, turning off the shower. I’m sure I stepped out with a goofy grin on my face.

Emily wanted nothing more than to hold my hand and perhaps lean into my body as we walked from her apartment. I had no idea what she planned, I’m not sure she had planned anything either. We eventually found a little corner restaurant, no more than half a dozen tables, that only had a few things on the menu. But it wasn’t the food or drink, or even the privacy as to why we ended up there. Sitting in the corner, the lighting low, she was utterly gorgeous, and I know I stared at her at times, enough that she was probably self-conscious from time to time. We made small talk the entire time, Emily understanding I couldn’t go into great detail about what I was up to, but I threw her a bone or two, simply as a favour.

After dinner, we continued to walk arm in arm, ending up at some sort of fancy bar, where the drinks were overpriced, the people behind the bar trained in the art of mixing drinks, and the clientele probably making more money in a month then I made in a year. We had one drink each before Emily was whispering in my ear about going home. I certainly wasn’t going to refuse that request.

Compared to the urgency of how we ended up in bed the first time, when we entered her apartment later, I think we wanted each other even more second time around but we definitely took our time. Once we ended up in her bedroom again, I can honestly say that we made love this time. It was so similar to my time with Gianna, it almost scared me at times. Emily certainly seemed to look at me differently this time, and when she was riding me, my hands caressing her body, and definitely her face or through her hair, I could see the depth of feeling in her eyes, or the way she kissed me. You can easily sense how one feels just through a kiss.

Though we could have made love all night, we eventually just lay together, Emily in my arms, simply enjoying the feeling of our bodies pressed together. She definitely seemed rather content with how things had developed. I’ll admit I liked being with her too. “Haven’t even asked you for a favour this time,” she joked.

“Well, when I’ve dealt with Saren, how about an exclusive interview?”

“You’re serious?”

“Sure.”

“God, networks will be falling over themselves to get an interview with you.”

“So? I don’t owe them anything. I’m willing to help you out for no other reason than you’ve always been fair, not only to me, but to all of us.”

“If we hadn’t done what we’d just done, I’d think you were just trying to get into my pants, Shepard.”

That made me laugh. “Well, if I can get into your pants after the interview…”

“I’ll be lucky to make it all the way through without wanting you to just pin me down and fuck me on camera.”

That was quite the thought, both of us chuckling away, before I felt her snuggle and relax against me, eventually falling asleep together. Though it would have been nice to spend the next couple of days together, she still had a job to do, but I promised we would spend each night I was on the Citadel together, so after we had breakfast, she headed out to her office, giving me the code to her front door so I could come and go as I pleased.

Remembering the invite I had from Ashley and Tali, I sent them a message, letting them know I would only be with Emily during my time on the Citadel. I was expecting them to be angry or upset with me, but surprisingly, Ashley replied quickly, stating she understood, but they would both be forever thankful to me for organising and making sure everything was paid for. I decided I should at least give them a call.

“Was the room okay?”

“Wonderful, Shepard. The views of the Presidium…”

“And did they treat you okay, Tali?”

“You must have given them warning, Shepard. I’ve never been treated so kindly.”

“And you girls had fun last night?”

“We recorded some of it for you, Shepard,” Ashley replied, “Let me tell you one thing. Tali is beautiful. I mean, like you wouldn’t believe.”

“And Ashley is already very good at eating my pussy, Shepard.”

I couldn’t help chuckle. “I’m glad you girls enjoyed yourself.”

“We both still want you to fuck us, Shepard. But we understand if you’re busy at the moment,” Ashley said.

“Though I wouldn’t mind two more nights with you, Ash. Still have more exploration to do.”

“I just want those fingers inside me again, Tali. God, it felt good.”  

I heard a kiss before Tali whispered, “Well, I think we should hang up as my pussy needs your attention again, and I’ve definitely got to have another taste of you.”

“I’ll see you later, girls.”

Bye, Shepard,” their voices stated in unison before the line disconnected.

It was late by the time Emily returned. As exhausted as she appeared, I barely gave her a chance to sit down before I told her we should head out for dinner. It was better than either of trying to cook, as I was the type of guy who could burn cereal, so we headed out into one of the Wards, finding a restaurant that sold food that was supposed to be similar from her homeland. It was simple, fun and rather relaxing, sitting for a good few hours, eating and drinking, chatting about ourselves, our work, our past, our hopes and dreams. I think that surprised her, the fact I thought about the future, though I admitted that, most of the time, you just hope to see the next sunrise.

Returning to her apartment, we were both in a good mood, and although we probably desired more than ever, we certainly took our time undressing each other in her bedroom. She had me naked while she still had on her underwear, kissing down my chest before she sat on her knees, looking up as she grabbed my cock and proceeded to make love to it with her mouth.

“I have one question, Shepard.”

“Uh-huh…”

“Where?”

“I really don’t care, Emily. Just keep doing what you’re doing.”

I didn’t stop looking into her eyes, running a hand through her thick hair. Her eyes suggested she would be smiling if her mouth wasn’t full of my cock. I would have loved to return the favour at the same time, but to be honest, it was so good, I wouldn’t have been able to concentrate on her. So I simply enjoyed the attention, letting her know how good it felt, and how good it was. I think that would have made her smile even more… if her mouth wasn’t full of my cock.

“God, haven’t been blown like this in a while…”

She removed it for just a moment, resting it against her cheek. “I want your cum, Shepard.” I couldn’t help raise my eyebrows at the tone she used. “Once I’ve swallowed what you give me, I hope you’ll return the favour.”

“Definitely. Like I wouldn’t?”

Her mouth resumed pleasuring me and it wasn’t long before I had to warn her I was close. That just made her head bob up and down even faster, near enough gasping for air at the attention. My hold on her head tightened, feeling her free hand grab mine as I could feel the inevitable.

“Close, Emily…. So close…”

She squealed when the first blast filled her mouth, though she kept on bobbing away, feeling my balls empty themselves completely, my mind emptying of any and all thoughts as I felt nothing but a sense of relief. Even though I’d just cum hard, my cock remained rather erect, though Emily finally removed her mouth, quite happily remaining on her knees, looking up at me, now able to see her smile. She was beautiful…

“So you enjoyed it?” I couldn’t help chuckle as I helped her up and gave her a kiss. “I only do that for guys I really like, Shepard. Not the blowjob, I mean the swallowing. You must have a good diet.”

“Have to eat healthy,” I replied softly, caressing her cheek, “I think we should get you naked now.”

“And then what will you do?” she asked softly.

“What I really want to do, Ms. Wong, is eat your pussy all night.”

The smile those words earned made my heart flutter. “Nothing else? You don’t want…”

I leaned down close to her ear. “I love eating your pussy, Emily. All night, if you want.”

“God yes,” she breathed, “Though I think I’ll definitely have to suck your cock again for that.”

I chuckled as I agreed.

Laying her back on her bed, I took off her bra first and focused my attention on her upper body, complimenting her breasts by giving those plenty of attention. Kissing down her body, over her stomach and down to her panties, I inhaled her scent, and once I removed the thin piece of cloth, she immediately spread her legs to show how turned on she was. “That’s what you do to me,” she whispered.

I have no long how long I ate her out for. Didn’t count her orgasms, though I took my time to start off with, just enjoying the sounds she made, the movements of her body, the desire and lust in her eyes as she looked down at me. I teased her relentlessly, nearly bringing her to orgasm before frustrating her. She soon realised what I was doing, knowing I wanted to hear her beg for release. I didn’t make her wait too long, and once she had her first one…

She did end up sitting on my face later, simply grinding her pussy into my mouth, both her hands running through my hair. “How the hell are you single?” she wondered, before her face fell. “Shit, sorry…”

I lifted her up for a moment. “Nothing to apologise for. Being single means I can do this though.”

Once she had another orgasm riding my face, she flipped around and she blew me as I continued to eat her out. We didn’t quite cum together. I’ll admit I lasted all of five minutes before she swallowed another load, eating her out to another orgasm before she simply had to cry enough, flipping back around and lying down on my chest so I could hold her.

“Never had a night like this,” she said.

“How do you mean?”

“I mean being with a guy who wanted little in return. Most guys I’ve been with eat me out begrudgingly yet expect me to blow them then have them fuck me. Don’t get me started on guys who expect me to take it in the arse.”

“What about me?”

She lifted her head up and giggled. “You want to fuck me in the arse?”

“No, I’m merely asking if you would want it though. It would be your decision.”

“Oh… Then god yes, Shepard. Trust me on this, we can do whatever you want together.”

I gave her a squeeze. “I’ll be honest, it’s generally overrated.” Running a hand down her back, I did give one of her cheeks a gentle squeeze. “Though being deep in your arse, Emily… That’s an exciting thought.”

She leaned up to give me soft kiss. “Play your cards right, Mister, and you can have it tomorrow night. Long as you’re gentle with me.”

I shook my head. “Emily, trust me on this, I don’t need it. Want it? Yeah, sometimes, but tomorrow night is our last night together for a while. We’re only doing one thing.”“And what’s that?”

I caressed her cheek before leaning towards her ear. “Making love, that’s what.”

Leaning back against the pillow, the smile on her face… Again, there was a flutter of the heart. She slid off my body, grabbed my hand, and led me to her shower, where all we did was wash each other down with a lot of making out. She definitely loved running her hands all over my body, so different to her soft, lithe body. After drying off, we headed back to bed, lying on my back with Emily curled up into me, feeling her hand run up and down my chest, mine running down her side, trying not to tickle her.

“You getting feelings, Shepard?”

It was a question I was expecting. “You’re the second one, Emily.”

“Ah, the woman on Noveria. Gianna?”

I nodded. “Really liked her. Really like you.” I met her eyes. “But I can’t…” I trailed off and sighed, feeling slightly pathetic.

She just kissed my cheek. “I’m glad you told me about her.”

“About who?”

“Annie. I feel like I know her from how you talked about her. You must have really loved her.”

“Only told her those three words once. I’ve lived with that regret every day since.” I cleared my throat. “I don’t compare anyone I’m with now to her or anything. It’s not like that. It’s just… With everything going on, though I could perhaps pursue romance, it just isn’t feasible. I’m off around the galaxy most of the time. Dating within Alliance ranks is against the rules, and since I’m still technically Alliance even though I’m a Spectre, I think it’s best I keep that distance. Dating civilians is… can be tricky. Read and heard too many horror stories there. I’m not wanting a different girl in every port or anything like that, but we’re living in today’s society. People are more accepting of certain things. So, the question is Emily, can you put up with it?”

“If it means more nights like this with you, Shepard, sign me up.” She grabbed my chin so I met her eyes. “Long as I’m your only girl on the Citadel!”

“Well, haven’t been to see Sha’ira lately. But, okay, I can agree to that. When I’m on the Citadel, I’ll make sure I see you.”

That earned me a kiss before she suggested sleep, as she did have to work in the morning. Still, she seemed to put her alarm on earlier as she woke up the next morning with one single intent, and that was to straddle my crotch, slide my cock into her, and ride herself to orgasm before she popped into the shower. “You know, a man can feel used after something like that!” I called out as she walked into the bathroom.

Sticking her head around doorframe, she simply asked, “Coming to join me or what?” Emily Wong got fucked in the shower two minutes later, pressed up against the glass as I pounded her. “Just what I wanted,” she moaned as I leaned down, kissing her neck though she’d asked me not to leave a mark.

I was still in just a towel as she dressed for work, standing at the bar as she enjoyed some coffee and toast, before I walked her to the door. We kissed again, her hand sliding under my towel. “Damn work sometimes,” she whispered, resting her head against my chest.

“I’ll be here when you get home.”

“Meet me at a bar near my office. I’ll send you the details later. We’ll have dinner out again before coming back here.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

I kept myself amused during the day, receiving a call from Ashley and Tali. If I didn’t know them any better, I would have said they were completely loved up with each other. They didn’t go into any great detail of what they’d been up to, just thankful again for the fact I’d organised so much for them. Knowing I didn’t want to get involved with them physically, they did ask if I at least wanted to meet for lunch. That sounded fine to me, so we agreed a place and time.

I arrived first, and was amused when the pair walked into the restaurant hand in hand. Taking a seat opposite, I could see from their body language that they were now rather close, leaning into each other, whispering things to each other, and Tali’s left arm certainly spent a lot of time under the table, though I don’t think doing anything except resting on Ashley’s leg.

“Sure we can’t convince you to join us tonight, Shepard? You could bring Emily if you wanted,” Ashley asked once lunch was finished.

“Though part of me likes the idea, tonight is just about Emily and I.”

“Really like her, do you?” I couldn’t help smile and nod. “More than Gianna?”

“The same. Exactly the same. Sometimes you just connect with someone. Looks like I’m lucky to have experienced that twice.”

“Three times,” Tali interjected, “Because I have no doubt Shiala feels the same way about you too.”

“Hmmm. When you look at it like that…”

“We like you a lot too, Shepard,” Ashley said softly, “But we also understand the space you put between us and yourself. It took me a while to understand, and I helped explain it to Tali. I still think Liara doesn’t quite understand either. Might need to sit down with her back on the ship.”

“Offer is always open though,” Tali added, “You’ll like what’s under the suit.”

“Definitely,” Ashley said in such a tone, I couldn’t help smirk.

“Approve do you, Ashley?”

“Are you kidding? I would send you photo’s, but I think you should see Tali in the flesh, not in a photo.”

We enjoyed a final drink before I left the pair of them to it, watching them walk hand in hand back to the hotel. I had a feeling they were going to have a lot more fun that evening. Good for them. I headed in the direction of Emily’s office, eventually finding a pub nearby, ordering a pint and watching one of the screens. Little news about the potential crisis on the horizon. I had a feeling a lot of it was being kept secret.

Emily wandered in after I’d had a couple of drinks, joining me at the bar and we had one together before heading off to eat. It wasn’t fine dining in the slightest, more interested in each other than the food, heading out afterwards into the heart of the Wards, where she suggested we head to somewhere that played music. I think she wanted to dance, warning her that I wasn’t particularly good. “Shepard, all you need do is sway and hold me tight to your body,” she breathed into my ear, “And all I want to feel is your body react to mine.”

She got what she wanted within a few minutes of hitting the dance floor, as the way she moved against my body, there was only ever going to be one reaction. That’s when I thought I’d have fun, her back against mine as she basically grinded her arse against my crotch, so I slid my hand down her front and eventually started to fondle her. She turned her head back to kiss me. “Keep going,” she said.

“You sure?”

“Make me cum right here, right now.”

Honestly, it was probably one of the hottest things I’d ever done in my life. And I made Ms. Wong cum hard on the dance floor. Once she’d enjoyed her orgasm, and I had no doubt some around us knew what was going on, she grabbed my hand and dragged me out and towards the nearest taxi rank. Thankfully they were driverless, as she had my fly undone and cock out before I’d even closed the door, leaning over to swallow my length. I swear she was trying to make me cum before we arrived at her place.

Let’s just say she won…

Heading upstairs, we didn’t even make it to her bedroom, bending her over the arm of her couch and I just fucked her hard. It was hot, sweaty, passionate, incredible fucking, eventually flipping her onto her back so I could at least kiss her as I pounded her.

It wasn’t particularly comfortable though, so while still inside her, I managed to pick her up, undress at the same time, before we ended up on her bed, where things did settle down a little bit, though she still wanted it hard and fast until we both enjoyed what was almost a mutual orgasm, first time we’d managed that.

Lying together, breathing deeply, we shared a glance and started to laugh. “I can’t believe we did that in the club,” she whispered, giggling away, “I hope no-one recorded that.”

“Hey, you were getting fondled by Commander Shepard. I think that’s a worthy news item.”

Most of it was out of our system by then. We needed a shower, and after that, we simply lay together and talked. Despite sharing so much about myself, and learning plenty about her, we always found something to discuss, but even the silences were comfortable, just enjoying the feeling of her body against mine. Slept like a log that night.

Knowing I would be leaving that day, we made love for the final time that morning, her arms and legs wrapped around mine, our lips barely parting and I think the only reason she didn’t share any deeper feelings with me is that she probably thought it would scare me off. It was a great way to start the day, though once we’d showered and dressed, I could see she was growing upset, though not distant.

I stayed with her all the way to her office, now resplendent in my Alliance uniform, noticing one or two glances from her colleagues as they wandered into the building. No doubt they all recognised me and wondered what I was doing with Emily. I’m sure tongues were set wagging when we shared a last kiss, and Emily definitely did not want to let me go, holding her head to my chest as I think she was doing all she could to not start crying. “See you soon?” she asked hopefully.

“Next time I’m on the Citadel.”

“I’m going to hold you to that, Shepard. If I find out you’re on here and you’re not in my bed, I will come looking for you!”

That made us both laugh, so at least we could smile, sharing a last kiss, before she finally let me go and walked into the building, turning to smile one final time. I waved before turning and heading to where I needed to be.

Anderson was waiting by the Normandy, most of the crew already on board and simply waiting for me to arrive. “Word from Admiral Hackett, Shepard. Something you might want to look into considering your run ins with the geth.”

“What’s the word?”

“Geth presence in the Armstrong Nebula. Initial indications consider this a prelude to full scale invasion.”

“Seriously?”

“Whether it’s serious or not, it’s definitely a concern. Us with the Council could no doubt fight them off, but we’ll be hit first and on the front lines, and considering the Council consider the Traverse to not be their problem, we’ll be on our own until the geth hit Council space.”

“Any idea of their numbers? Or at least base of operations?”

“No idea about numbers, but sensors indicate they have established a primary outpost on one planet in four systems. I’ll be honest, Shepard. This assignment will be a real test of your abilities, and putting it honestly, an absolute pain in the arse. But we simply can’t send a fleet in to deal with the problem.”

“We’ve had enough dealings with geth. I’m sure we can handle it, sir.”

“I’m sure you will but be careful. While you’re doing that, we will hopefully send word regarding where Saren is located. We’re coming the galaxy for him. There are one or two leads, nothing concrete as yet, but as soon as we locate the bastard, you’ll be given that information.”

Swapping salutes, he seemed happier with life at least, which was a good thing. No doubt being stripped of the ship he’d most wanted to command still rankled, but he still sent me messages often, letting me know the inside gossip of both the Council and the Alliance. Once Saren was dealt with, I was tempted to relinquish command of the Normandy simply so he could have his ship back. I don’t know if I could return to being an XO though. Having now tasted command, I knew I’d want my very own vessel in my role as a Spectre.

I was the last to board the Normandy, heading straight to the galaxy map and inputting in the data required. Joker didn’t raise any questions, simply stating he had a flight path ready and the time it would take to get there. It would be a long journey and I would have to explain to the team what we were doing. Tali would definitely be interested in our operations, so I’d have a sit down with her and see what she could tell me about geth intentions. No doubt it was their alliance with Saren that was leading to this attempt at invasion.


Tali loved the idea of going on the front foot against the geth. Three hundred years since her people had been exiled, and unable to really go to battle against them, allying with Shepard had been the best decision she’d made in her short life. They’d already fought the geth a couple of times, and she’d let her shotgun sing each time.

In the back of her mind each time they fought geth was the fact she was still on her Pilgrimage. And the one thing her people needed above all was an advantage against them. Any sort of advantage that could possibly lead to a return to the homeworld would be such a great gift, well, she didn’t know how her people would reward her.

Did she want the geth wiped out? Part of her would admit she did. Every quarian detested the geth. No tears would be shed if the quarians had to wipe them out to take back the homeworld, considering what the geth had done to them before their exodus. Neither side was willing to negotiate. A state of war still existed between the two sides, only the Council prevented the quarians from approaching one of the other species in regards to a possible reliance to take battle to the geth and end it, once and for all.

The only other thing on her mind was her burgeoning relationship with, of all people, Ashley. She’d never given being with a woman any real thought, simply because she never believed being with either a man or woman in such a way would be possible. Even back on the Fleet, the only time a quarian removed their suit, other than to wash and decontaminate, was for procreation. Yes, quarians fell in love, married and had children, but it was a rather clinical process.

Those three days with Ashley had allowed her to explore her sexuality, Ashley doing the same, considering neither had been with a woman before. Once out her suit, Ashley immediately called her beautiful, and that first kiss was memorable. She thought she would be awkward but, as soon as their lips met, it had felt natural, and the next thing she learned was that her skin was incredibly sensitive.

Apart from heading out for breakfast or to meet with Shepard, they spent most of their time naked. Tali loved being out of the suit, and the longer time passed, the more Ashley definitely liked it. Even now, back on the Normandy, she found her mind wandering, remembering her mouth on her breasts, kissing down her body, then doing what she did to her pussy. Tali had experienced orgasms before but they were entirely different when a woman was using her tongue and or fingers. But it was when she made Ashley orgasm in return that made her feel exuberant.

Tali didn’t know if she was falling in love, but that last night before returning to the Normandy, the look in Ashley’s eyes as they made love a final time…

“You with us, Tali?” she heard Adams ask.

“Huh?”

“I’ve told you twice that Shepard’s been asking after you. I don’t think you’ve heard a word.”

She felt herself blush behind the mask. “Oh, sorry. I was… um…”

“Enjoy yourself on the Citadel?”

“W-w-what?"

Adams walked over and leaned in. “Nothing to be embarrassed about, Tali. But your body language is obvious. Good for you.”

“Huh?”

Adams chuckled away. “Please, Tali. Give me at least a little credit. I’ve seen the way you look at her. And I’ve seen the way she smiles at you. You love her?” Tali didn’t know how to respond, instead making do with a silent shrug. “Well, I think it’s obvious you really like each other at least. Hold onto that, Tali. Life is hard as it is, harder when serving in the Alliance. And I can only assume life is difficult for a quarian.”

“It can be.”

Adams nodded. “Anyway, as I said, Shepard was calling for you earlier. Better head out.”

“Thanks, Adams.”

“For the last time, Tali,” he replied with a smile, “Only Shepard is known by his last name. Call me Greg.”

“Of course, Adams. I’ll do that eventually.”

He met her eyes behind the mask and simply burst into laughter as she wandered out, giggling herself. He’d been nothing but friendly since the day she’d walked onto the Normandy and loved the rapport they’d established. She’d always felt respected, her opinion on any engineering matters listened to. More than once, he’d taken hers over anyone else’s and was certainly pleased to be proven correct more often than not.

Shepard had the team by the Mako, obviously waiting for her arrival. She apologised for being late, though he waved it away, before explaining. “So we’ve hit three of their outposts and we’ve done well so far. Caught them with their pants down, figuratively speaking, the first two times, but they were waiting for us on Antibaar. The fourth and last planet is Rayingri. There used to be a research outpost here, but that went silent a couple of months back. No doubt everyone is dead and the geth have turned it over into doing whatever the fuck it is they do. As usual, everyone is on the ground for this one. Hopefully by taking out this base, we stop the geth in their tracks, and with any luck, we’ll have word from the Alliance in regards to where Saren is, so we can deal with that prick, once and for all.”

The geth knew they were coming. Just the Normandy flying in low to drop the Mako gained enough attention that missiles were fired, the vessel dropping the Mako from a higher distance than normal, surprised it didn’t just turn into a flaming pile of metal upon crashing into the ground. Joker apologised over the radio, sounding rather stressed. Shepard told him not to worry.

Geth numbers were beyond what they’d seen before. Within a few minutes, Shepard was ordering everyone except Garrus and herself out of the Mako to provide ground support. Shepard did what he could to stop the Mako taking hits, but as the Mako was the largest thing on the battlefield, it was simply a magnet for the rockets and missiles being fired. She was soon reporting that shields were failing and there was little she could do to re-route power to them.

“Fuck it, we’ll just have to abandon it for now,” Shepard finally said, “I’ll find something I can at least hide it behind then we’ll join the others.” He paused as he opened the comm. “Alenko, it’s Shepard. Garrus, Tali and I will be joining you on foot. The Mako is fucked.”

“We hear you, Commander. We are spread across a line to your right. Trying to join fire but the geth are focused on your for now.”

“We’ll abandon in thirty seconds and join your line.”

Once let off the leash, she joined in with Alenko, tech attacks soon raining down on the geth lines. They’d spent a lot of time going over how they could more effectively cause chaos within the geth. Not only could they do things like overloading shields, overheating weapons, and just being general nuisances, but they’d even found ways where she could practically shut down geth. Not completely, they were at least smart enough to prevent that, but enough that one of their colleagues could kill them.

With Shepard now leading the line, he was a battering ram, forcing his way forward, the rest now standing out of cover with confidence. She was amazed how fearless he would move forward, drawing fire away from the rest of them, providing targets for them to attack. More than once Shepard wold slide into cover, banging his shield pack due to the fact they’d failed, swearing away to himself before his shield recharged, he checked his weapon, and moved onward. Tali just thought he was completely mad, but she also recognised that he looked at home on the battlefield.

The geth wilted in front of them, leaving plenty of dead units in their wake. Once they made it into the underground facility, the geth were rats in a trap and they stood no chance against Shepard and his team. In such close confines, Tali relied on her trusty shotgun, blasting away any geth that got within her sights. In cover as they battle the last geth that were dug in, she felt a presence beside her. “Watching you like this is a real turn on.” She glanced to see Ashley wink at her from behind her helmet.

“Shame we don’t have a clean room on the Normandy, Ash. A good fuck after battle would be quite nice.”

“God, Tali… We need a clean room on the Normandy!”

That made her giggle before she leapt out of cover, blasting away a geth that thought it could sneak up on them. Ashley joined in alongside, her assault rifle wiping out two more what she called ‘flashlight-headed fuckwits.’ It was the sort of language Shepard definitely approved of, considering his language was rather colourful in the heat of battle.

The research facility was clear but they were left confused as it was obvious this wasn’t their main base either. Shepard called her and Alenko forward, asking if there should be some sort of enormous data bank or at least something that could provide an idea of what the geth were up to. Alenko shrugged while Tali remained quiet, deep in thought. “We’ll have to search to see if there is still a signal back on the Normandy, Shepard,” she suggested.

“Damn it, I was hoping this was it,” he muttered, “Fine, we’ll have the Normandy pick us up then go from there.”

Back on the Normandy a couple of hours later, it didn’t take much searching to realise there was a stronger geth signal. It was in another system, Shepard stating they would keep tracking it, but they would only head groundside the next day at the earliest. After sharing a meal with her colleagues, she was ready to just head to bed when Ashley grabbed her by the hand and led her to the bathroom. Leading her into a stall, she found herself backed against the closed door, Ashley’s hand between her legs. “Ashley,” she breathed.

“I know I can’t kiss you right now but I need to touch you…”

Tali could only nod, needing her touch. During their time on the Citadel, they’d looked at ways of being able to be intimate without needing to be completely without a suit. It took some experimentation, but considering her suit was all compartmentalised, she could remove the lower portion of her suit for intimacy. If only she’d learned that long ago…

Feeling the cool air of the ship on her pussy caused her to shudder, and when Ashley’s fingers toucher her, she nearly yelped. Instead, her hands went to the belt and trousers of Ashley, and once she soon had her two fingers fondling her in return.

“God, I need to kiss you so bad,” Ashley murmured.

“I know the feeling, but if we can make each other cum…”

“Then I’ll want to kiss you even more, Tali.”

She gasped as she felt two of her fingers slide inside her, and she gave up pleasuring Ashley for now, particularly when she got down on her knees to start pleasing her. “Ashley,” she breathed, running a hand through her hair.

“I need you to cum, Tali,” Ashley breathed before returning her mouth to her pussy.

“Oh keelah…” Waves of pleasure rippled through her body as Ashely used her tongue expertly, getting her hot, bothered and completely turned on. “Ashley…”

When she felt her tongue move to her clit, and a couple of fingers slide inside to find her spot, she knew this was a hard, fast fuck. She grabbed the back of Ashley’s head, holding her in place, feeling her entire body shudder, her legs starting to feel weak, as waves of pleasure flowed from her toes to her fingers. “Oh keelah… Ashley…”

“Cum for me, Tali,” Ashley whispered, looking down into her eyes.

Tali tried to stifle her moans and cries as Ashley made her cum. The look of satisfaction in her human lover’s face would have been amusing if Tali hadn’t been so desperate in wanting to kiss her that she could only groan in frustration. Instead, all she could do was get down on her knees and hug her tightly. “I love you,” she whispered, only gasping when she realised what she’d said.

“And I love you,” Ashley whispered in return, hearing the catch in her throat. Tali couldn’t control her emotions any longer, feeling the tears start to flow, her body shake as she needed to have a little cry. All Ashley did was hug her tightly. “How could I not after everything we’ve shared?”

“I need to find a way to be out of this suit as often as possible. Not just for the sex, but just so we can be… So I can kiss you whenever I want. So I can feel your hands on my body.” She leaned back to look into her eyes. “All I know is that, when I’m here with you like this, no-one else matters.”

The smile Ashley returned was shy. “I know who you mean, and I feel the same way.” She rested a hand against her mask, Tali only wishing that she could feel it against her face. “All I know is that I’m in love with the most beautiful woman in the galaxy.”

Tali could only hug her tightly again. “Keep this up, Ashley…”

Shepard definitely knew what they’d been up to the next morning, though he said nothing to begin with. Only when the mess emptied did he sit with them at their table. “So it’s serious, is it?”

They could only share a glance before Ashley asked, “How the hell do you know?”

“I just know, okay. And, trust me, I’m happy for you both. Surprised, but happy for you. And, now that you know how you feel, you’ll definitely find a way to make it work.”

“Thanks, Shepard,” Tali stated, leaning over to give him a hug.

“We both still want to fuck you though, Shepard,” Ashley added, Tali nodding along once she let him go. “Just thought you should know.”

He leaned forward. “And those feelings are still returned, Ashley. I am finding it very difficult turning you down constantly.”

Tali grabbed his hand. “Then just be with us,” she said softly. She usually left it to Ashley to say what they both wanted. “I love Ashley, Shepard.” He noticed his eyes briefly move to Ashley before returning to her. “But I really like you too, and I’m speaking for us both when I say we both want to be with you. If I were to add desperately, I’m not sure if that sound good or bad.”

“Trust me on this, Shepard, you have a guaranteed threesome with Tali and I. Just think of this, lying down on the bed with one of us on your cock, the other on your face. Tali and I will just have to agree who gets your cock first…”

Shepard leaned back, running a hand down his face. “You’re making this very difficult, girls.” He remained silent before leaning forward again. “Let’s see how the next mission goes. After that… We’ll see…” He paused again. “Should have just joined you on the Citadel,” he muttered.

“You were with Emily, Shepard. We understood,” Tali said quietly, “But maybe it’s time to stop denying what you want, just like I did. I thought being intimate like I was would kill me. But with the right steps, it was the best experience of my life. When Ashley made me orgasm the first time, I cried like… Well, I cried more than I’d done before.” She grabbed his hand. “I know when I’m with you the first time, and you do things to make me feel just like her, I’m sure I’ll sob like anything again.”

She noticed the smile just appeared on his face, squeezing her hand. “Okay, Tali. As I said, we’ll see what happens. Let’s focus on the geth first, get rid of them, then we’ll focus on other things.”

The major geth base was found on a planet by the name of Solcrum. They knew that Shepard and his crew was coming as they’d dug in. So entrenched they were, Shepard ordered the Normandy to perform a bombing run, something he rarely did. Tali wasn’t sure of the situation on the ground when they boarded the Mako ready to drop, but she hoped the bastards had burned.

Approaching their base, there were flames and plenty of destruction but the geth were still up for a fight. Shepard immediately ordered the Mako abandoned, choosing to go in on foot, issuing instructions as they closed the gap. Biotics would do their thing. Tali and Alenko would do their thing. The rest would just fuck shit up. “And Wrex, this time, you are off the leash, my friend. Get that blood rage going. We’ll get you calmed down in time.”

Her shotgun was singing again soon enough, though she remained thankful her shields were as strong as ever, as she took some heavy fire supporting Shepard and his fellow soldiers. The fire coming in front geth positions boggled the mind, but she realised this was their last stand. No doubt the geth were aware their other bases had been wiped out. Take out this base and the geth would have no choice but to piss off back behind the Veil. At least she could claim as least some part of the victory.

Making it to the entrance, geth units littering the ground behind them, Shepard gathered them together. “Same rules as always. But there must be information somewhere below us that we could use. So Tali and Alenko, any workstation or database we find, hack the shit out of it and grab whatever you can.” She could only giggle at how he ordered them but she still replied that wouldn’t be a problem.

The geth had pulled back for what seemed like a last stand. To say they slaughtered them wouldn’t be an understatement. She released three hundred years of hate and rage. Shepard had hated geth since Eden Prime, taking joy in practically dismantling each geth unit he found. Even those without any real feelings one way or the other seemed to enjoy it, Wrex grabbing the occasional unit and smashing it into the ground, to the amusement of whoever saw it.

As they cleared each room, she got to work alongside Alenko, downloading anything they could find, sending it straight back to the Normandy for analysis later. She took the occasional peek at the streams of data, but even she was overwhelmed by the sheer volume. She was certain the geth had planned an enormous invasion, though it did seem that it was still in the planning stages. Good thing Shepard had been sent to stop them in their tracks.

A final room and there were few geth let, noticing they seemed to take cover by one particular databank. It was easy to figure out why. Ashley, Garrus and Shepard worked methodically with their sniper rifles, making sure there was no damage to the databank behind them. Once all the geth were dead, she got to work again, and it was only then that the room was filled with… singing. She came to a stop and listened. It wasn’t long until her body was being wracked by sobs.

Feeling an arm around her waist, Ashley asked, “Who is it?”

“I don’t know,” she whispered, “But she’s singing of Rannoch.”

“Rannoch?”

She nodded. “Our homeworld.”

The song was hauntingly beautiful, glancing to see everyone listening in silence. They wouldn’t have understood the words but the depth in meaning in the vocals was clear. She managed to get back to work, saving as much data as she could by the time the song finished. Once it did, the geth had made sure the data was immediately erased.

“That was beautiful,” Shepard stated.

“Keelah se’lai,” she whispered, “By the homeworld I hope to see one day.”

The team returned to the Normandy, everyone exhausted after the long battle against the geth. They gathered together for dinner as always, the conversation somewhat muted. It sometimes was after a long day in the field, everyone eating simply due to hunger before everyone would disappear to bed for the evening.

She popped down to engineering for a few minutes when Shepard asked her to come to his quarters over the comm. Heading upstairs, she walked in to see Shepard at his desk, Ashley sitting beside him, a large smile on her face. She sat day opposite them both, Shepard looking rather serious.

“Tali’Zorah nar Rayya, you are currently on your Pilgrimage, correct?”

“Yes, Shepard. You know that.”

“And the purpose of your Pilgrimage is in regards to the assistance of your people. You are to find something out in the galaxy that will help your people.”

“Yes, Shepard,” she replied carefully.

“Three hundred years ago, the geth drove your people from your homeworld. Since that day, you’ve been looking for any advantage that might just allow you to return. Would that be correct?” She could only nod. “I have already discussed this with Chief Williams alongside me, and it’s why she’s sitting here with me now. Your assistance during our battle against Saren and his geth has been invaluable. It was your evidence that saw me promoted to Spectre, and in our battles against the geth since, you’ve certainly shown your courage and intelligence. Chief Engineer Adams speaks in glowing terms of your service. Chief Williams has confessed her feelings for you are incredibly strong.” She could only look at Ashley, feeling tears run down her cheeks. Ashley usually kept her emotions in check while on the ship, but she needed to wipe her cheeks as Shepard spoke. He stood up before taking a knee in front of her chair, reaching into his coat pocket, showing her an OSD. “On this is all the information we took in regards to the geth, Tali. I’m not sure what a lot of it is, I simply don’t understand the geth like you do. But what I do know is that this will be a magnificent Pilgrimage gift. Please, take it with my blessing, and I hope it helps your people in the future.”

Her hand was shaking as she carefully took the OSD, placing it into a pocket on her suit. Then she burst into tears and hugged Shepard, feeling him hug her tightly back. “I can never thank you enough,” she managed to choke out.

“You’ve been by my side since the day we met, Tali. That is thanks enough.”

She rested her head on his shoulder until the sobs subsided, leaning back to meet his eyes. “Then all I can do is promise to remain by your side until the end, Shepard.”

That earned one of those smiles she liked to see on his face. “Good. Because Anderson has sent me a message. They’ve found where Saren is. Right now, I have Joker flying us to a planet by the name of Virmire. It is there that I hope we catch the bastard and finally put an end to the madness.”

“I’m with you all the way, Shepard. Let’s get the bastard!”