milliways_bar | The Pilgrim's Return

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The Pilgrim's Return

The quarian who comes through the door is walking a little taller than she did the last time she was here, and more confidently as well. In fact, she's very nearly swaggering. She's also in a much better mood than she was on her previous visit - although she's not as happy as she might otherwise have been.

Still, she's in enough of a celebratory mood that the unexpected appearance of Milliways doesn't ruffle her one bit. She is also feeling generous enough that she might buy drinks for friendly strangers, in the interests of spreading her good mood around.

[Tiny space tag: Tali'Zorah]

[OOC: Slowtimes are inevitable, but I promise I will respond to all tags when I can. Also, until next Saturday, I'm on mountain time, not the usual Eastern Standard Time.]

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"I don't think we're doomed. There are trillions of people out in the galaxy and at least a few of them are bound to see what's really going on and do something about it," Tali says. "But I doubt any of them will be politicians. Except perhaps Anderson."

"I hate to sound pessimistic, but I hope you're right Tali."

Garrus blinks. "Why does every conversation we have turn into some weighty discussion?" He wonders aloud. "I haven't talked... casually... to anyone for a while, not even here. It always turns into something 'meaningful'. Why can't it be like it used to, where I'd ask you about your Pilgrimage, or you'd ask me about my face paint?"

Both of them know why it's not so easy to do that anymore, but pointing that out would just be cruel.

"I think we've wrung out those subjects, Garrus," Tali says gently, "but there are other things. The Conclave appointed a new Admiral while I was away. His name is Zaal'Koris vas Qwib Qwib."

Garrus cocks an eye-ridge. "What's with the name?"

"Well, almost all our ships are secondhand, and from other species. Depending on how they were acquired, it may be difficult or even impossible to change registry information. And the Qwib Qwib is one of the few ships that frequently separates from the flotilla in order to trade with outsiders, so...it sort of had to keep the name." Tali does not quite manage to repress a snicker.

"That reminds me of a certain little planet in the Hierarchy," Garrus grins. "Their origin markings are a sickening sun-yellow color, and the pattern is a solid block above their eyes and on their mandibles. They have my respect, though, of course," he deadpans. "I'm not that brave. I'd sooner go barefaced."

"Did they choose that marking? The unfortunate crew of the Qwib Qwib had no choice in the matter; they're not to blame."

"Well... not really," he replies. "I suppose someone had to have made them up, but that was a long time ago. They represent that world. It is a rather bright and sunny place, I guess. If you were born there, you'd use those markings--kind of like whoever decided to live on the Qwib Qwib. They could have seen the name and turned away. Even if that's your ship, you could change your name, maybe pretend that's not where you're from. It's the same with the markings. You could change your markings, pretend it's not your home, but it wouldn't change the truth."

Garrus pauses. "Am I rambling again? I'm rambling again."

"Garrus, no quarian would ever deny his ship name - no matter how embarassing it might be. It would be a grave insult to his captain and crewmates. I suspect that if a turian wore false colony markings for some reason, it would not go over well either.

"As for ships like the Qwib Qwib, a vessel that is actually on the registries is very valuable, even if the name is stupid. Since we are not recognized as a legitimate polity by the Council, we can't get our ships registered in Citadel space. That's also why we have problems changing registry names."

"I know, I understand. But it's not really the same, though. If you could register your own ships, you wouldn't have to be stuck with embarrassing ship names," Garrus says. "It's not fair for the Council to ignore millions of people because of something that happened hundreds of years ago. But yet, there they go. Sometimes, I... never mind."

"If they decided not to ignore us, they'd have to do something about us. And given the possibilities, I think we're better off being treated as an annoyance than a problem to be solved." Not that the current state of affairs is so comfortable, but Tali's not sure that the Council's solution to 'the quarian problem' would be benevolent.

It doesn't look as if Garrus completely agrees with that sentiment, but just he shrugs. "If you say so."

He glances over his shoulder at the bar. "Soooo... you come here to get a drink? Or to just stand around and talk to bitter turians?"

"I came here by accident, but now that you mention it, a drink seems in order. You were sitting over there, right?" Tali points to the table where Garrus left his drink ~~many tags ago~~.

"Not that I have a special attachment to it, but yeah," Garrus says, walking over to the table near the bar. "It seems like any time I walk into a bar I wind up in this one. Mind you that's not a bad thing. Good food, good people. Good place, really."

"I know what you mean," Tali says, taking the chair across from Garrus. "Now that I'm back home and not likely to leave the flotilla much - at least, not like I did when I was on Pilgrimage - it's nice to know I can come back here. Especially now that I'm likely to run into old friends." She leans out of her chair to flag down a waitrat.

Garrus smiles at that. "I'm glad that not everyone's gone," he adds. "But... I'm not sure if I'd be so enthusiastic about Milliways if it was Wrex that I kept running into here."

It takes a beat or two for Tali to realize that she's been complimented. She may be blushing under that helmet. "I'm...I'm glad you consider me good company. In spite of all those arguments about the right way to fix a Mako or balance the power draw from the shields."

"No, it's... I said a lot of really stupid things after I got on board the Normandy," Garrus says. "Remember when I told you that I hoped that the Quarians felt sorry for making the Geth? I just looked at what was bad about other people without thinking about it from their point of view. I'd see the good in the people I knew, but I didn't understand it on a bigger scale until a lot later. The others, Wrex especially, I think, made up their mind about me pretty quick. I don't blame them, really."

"So did I," Tali says, "at least at first. But living on the flotilla in close quarters with so many others teaches you to be patient with people. And to read them pretty well."

The waitrat Tali flagged down - which has been waiting at the table for about half a minute - squeaks to remind her of its presence. "Oh! Sorry," Tali says. "I'd like purified okrachi juice, please. In something I can attach to a feeding tube."

"But," Garrus drawls, "fighting about the Mako's tire pressure wasn't all bad. I, for one, found it excellent exercise in logical debate strategies, such as when to compliment one's argument with well placed musings as to whether or not the opposition's environmental suit is supplying enough oxygen to the brain."

"Countered with assertions that you had taken one too many hits to the head, I remember," Tali says. "At least we got past that stage before I seriously considered hacking your omni-tool. Chief Williams yelling at both of us to shut up probably helped keep the peace."

"She always had a way with shouting to stop shouting," remembers Garrus. "She had real fight in her, Chief Williams."

Tali nods thoughtfully. "Am I misremembering, or did the two of you have a competition over how many Geth you'd each shot with sniper rifles?"

"That would be no deal," Garrus says. "I'm a better shot--it was number of Geth put out of commission by anything. There was that once when we were both using rifles at the same time, but Williams got most of her number with her assault rifle. It was damn close. She won, in the end."

"I was actually talking to someone about Williams earlier today," Tali says. "To someone on the Neema. A marine named Kal'Reegar. He spent most of his Pilgrimage on a small Alliance colony. He says he keeps collecting new information about humans as a sort of hobby."

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