Mass Effect

Death of a Shepard
Tali's Story

Tali was down in the engine room the Normandy SR1 twiddling her fingers. She had the Geth Data in her omni tool, and she was preparing to leave for the Flotilla after the check up on this supposed Geth activity in the Terminus system. Garrus and Wrex had already left the Normandy shortly after Sovereign's defeat. She missed them, missed having other aliens on board this ship; now there was only her and Liara. She liked Liara but, between her and Ashley flirting with Shepard, there was no way for herself to flirt, and was worried that Shepard didn't even see her.
"Tali," said a male voice, "you seem distracted, anything wrong?"
It was Engineer Adams, he was a kind human, and was something of a kind father figure to her, "Nothing Engineer Adams," Tali lied, "just worried that this Geth data won't be good enough to complete my pilgrimage."
"I'm sure it will be enough," Adams said, "besides, you were there with Shepard when Saren was defeated, and you even delivered the shot to make sure he was dead, before Sovereign took over the body. There's more than just being worried about how your pilgrimage will end, isn't there?"
"Um…well…you see," Tali stammered, "It's about Shepard, when I leave, I'll miss him…and you as well, Engineer Adams and the Normandy."
"Tali, do you like the Commander?" Adams asked, "Because if you do, you'd better tell him before Ashley or Liara steal him from you."
Before Tali could say anything more, the ship suddenly banked sideways sending Tali and everyone else in the engine room flying to one side. The red lights went on and sirens started to blare.
A few seconds later, there was a sound of a large explosion somewhere on the ship and a few small fires and explosions ignited in the engine room. The alarm sound was changed from red alert to the evacuate sound.
"Tali," Tali heard Adams shout, "We have to get out of here."
"What about Shepard?" Tali asked.
"I'm sure he'll be alright," Adams shouted, "We have to get out of here."
Adams and Tali ran with the rest of the crew to the escape pods and ejected in time to see a few beams from a massive ship shoot the Normandy and destroy it. The last pod that escaped was the pod near the bridge of the ship.
Tali pressed the comm. button and contacted the just released pod, "Joker, did the commander escape?" Tali asked.
"Tali, that you," Joker said, "I'm sorry the Commander did not escape. He was spaced."
"Joker, if this is some sort of joke," Adams began.
"A joke, are you fucking kidding me?" Joker said, "I wouldn't joke about the commander being spaced. He gave his life to save me."
The pod went eerily silent, 'Shepard,' Tali thought as she and the rest of the engineering crew floated through space, 'I wish I could have told you how I felt about you before…before this.'


It had been a couple of months after the attack of the SR1 and Shepard's death before she left the citadel to return to the flotilla. Shepard's mother never gave a funeral for Shepard, instead she sent an email to every surviving crewmember of the Normandy explaining this, and she had decided not to have a funeral until the Alliance found the body of her son.
Tali activated her omni tool and brought up the letter, and read a part that had been directed directly at her from Shepard's mother.
…Tali, I have heard a lot about you from my son. At first I was a bit concerned that he was infatuated with a member of his crew, particularly when he told me it was with the Quarian crew member.
I loved my son, and he had sent photo's of all of his crew to me. I must say, you do leave a lot to the imagination, and I do believe he truly did love you and I would have been honoured if you had become part of the Shepard family…
Tali re-read the last paragraph many times over as she traveled to the Flotilla, before finally closing it as the Flotilla came into view.

It had been several days since she had given the geth data to the admiralty board, and the decision as to whether or not she had completed her pilgrimage had yet to be given. This gave Tali time to think about what she was going to do, but mostly about her former captain, Commander Shepard and what she was going to do now that he was dead.
Someone knocked on her door and then came a voice, "Tali, its Arcee," said Arcee, "Can I come in?"
"It's open," Tali said as she sat up in her bed. The door opened and Arcee walked in, she was in a black and red Quarian enviro-suit modified to fit a human.
"Tali, I heard about what happened to Shepard," Arcee said as she sat down on Tali's bed beside her, "he has an aura about him that's quite compelling isn't it?"
"He did," Tali said looking downwards to the floor, "and don't you mean he had?"
"Until I see a body of Shepard," Arcee said, "I'm willing to believe he is still alive."
"I wish I had your optimism," Tali said, "Joker saw Shepard get spaced, and he also said that he looked like he was having trouble with his suits oxygen supply."
"If anyone can survive getting spaced, it's Shepard." Arcee said, "Tali, did you have feelings for Shepard?"
"What," Tali said startled, "why would I have feelings for him, and even if I did I doubt he would reciprocate those feelings."
Arcee giggled lightly to herself and said as she got up to leave, "Well, if you say so. But for someone who didn't love him, his death really is putting you out. And how many times have you read that email from Shepard's mother?"
"Arcee wait," Tali said just as she reached the door, "you're right I did love him, I loved him like no one I ever have before, and now…" Tali choked up, "I just can't believe that…he's…he's dead."
Arcee went back over to Tali and hugged her as she cried, "I know Tali. I miss him too." Arcee said, and thought, 'Shepard, if you are still alive at all. Come back to us, come back to her.'