1So as mentioned in the summary I always wondered what if the SR2 squad did more than stand in one place or give occasional dialogue. What if they interacted much as a genuine crew of a ship, even if they all really do not get along with each other. This is going to cover both lighter moments, and some of the tenser and serious subjects between the crew, so this fic can go to some dramatic and possibly dark places. This is something of a companion to An Interrupted Winter, but only with one specific part, and some bits of the backstory it's generally not required at.
Normandy SR 2, 2185
In the Port Observation Deck sat Jacob, with Kasumi behind the bar serving as an impromptu bartender.
"My skills aren't the best, but it should be good enough to make a Full Biotic Kick, or at least won't put you in the hospital." Kasumi mentioned with a small smile on her face.
"If you do, chances are the Doc would probably chew us both out. Me for doing something stupid, and you because chances are Doctor Chakwas would think you could have found better drinks to try and kill me with." Jacob said as the two gave a chuckle.
"I'm glad to see you are smiling, I heard some of the news about your father. I'm sorry." Kasumi hooded appearance could not conceal the concern on her face.
Jacob's face quickly had become sour.
"I looked up to that man once. Even though we did not have the best of relationships, he at least encouraged me to be the man I am now. He hoped I would have the same kind of comrades that he had on Gernsback. Hmph, look on how that turned out. I really wish I only had the memories of him, when I just wrote him off as dead." Jacob remarked as Kasumi shook her head.
"Trust me, it's better to move on. My ex-partner Keiji was close to me. I could have lived through and experienced all those good times I had with him. But I can't keep thinking about the past, even if it feels better than the present." Kasumi had a rare frown on her face.
"I guess you're right." Jacob remarked before a thought had started to cross his mind. "When you say all of those good terms, well I don't mean to imply-." Kasumi raised her hand to stop Jacob from speaking, all while she had a mischievous smile on her face.
"It's fine. I could have experienced that too, although I am looking for new experiences myself." Kasumi said slyly.
"Well I hope you find them." Jacob remarked. As he turned to the sound of footsteps, Kasumi just put her hand to head shaking it while Jacob was looking away.
Into the room stepped the familiar appearance of Tali'Zorah vas Neema. Jacob found it strange she would even want to be in the same room as him, given Cerberus actions against the Quarians. She walked up toward the bar, taking a momentary pause. Giving a hesitant look as Tali sat on one of the nearby stools. [1]
"Well Bartender, Does this ship have Turian Brandy?" Tali asked with a hint of amusement in her voice.
"That it does." .
"I'm surprised a human ship and a Cerberus one at that would have dextro-drinks." Tali said as she reached for a straw.
"The Illusive Man spared no expense in stocking the ship with all the essentials needed for this mission." Kasumi gave an impression of an officer gesturing towards the various alcohols behind the bar, as Jacob and Tali laugh.
"Is ruining our livers really all that essential Tali'Zorah?" Jacob asked question half-seriously.
"Considering I'm fighting for Shepard while she's aboard a Cerberus vessel with an A.I, yes."
"That's a fair point." A look of concern appeared on Jacob's face. "After what we saw on Aeia, how are you holding up?"
"Actually I wanted to ask you the same thing." Before Jacob could respond Kasumi had got up to leave.
"Don't mind me, this might be a bit too personal, I don't want to eavesdrop."
"But Kasumi, don't you usually eavesdrop on everything?" Tali was incredulously at the master thief's comment.
"Mostly, but even I have things that I don't want from other people." Kasumi said before walking out of the room.
Jacob had turned back to face Tali as her eyes seemed to shimmer behind her suit.
"I don't know why you would ask that given the unfortunate incident that came up between Cerberus and the Migrant fleet."
"You might be Cerberus, but to have to face that your father did horrible things, no one should have to deal with that." Tali's voice had concern that seemed almost unusual for Jacob to hear.
"I don't know what to feel, I was ready to believe he was dead. But there was a part of me hoping he was alive, I could have told him about my Alliance service, me being a corsair, saving the Council from Batarian terrorists. Anything really would been worth talking about if I could see him again." Jacob tensed up, his face twisted a mix of anger and sadness, and he tried to fight back both shouting or crying. "I could have even just told him the simple fact I wanted to become a better man to make him proud. In his last letter to me he said that a man cannot hide behind pressure. What did he do when I saw him? He hid behind the excuse of pressure to justify what he did!" Jacob felt out of breath [2]
Jacob felt a hand on his shoulder, as he saw Tali's sorrowful expression. He started to calm down.
"You are better than him, I'd probably say Cerberus too." Jacob looked surprised at the quarian's words. "Sometimes it might be good to exceed our parents, I too admire my father, but I want to be my own person too. You already are your own person from him. You're always willing to take action but be rational and calm enough to be unwilling to let fights break out. I don't know how you've been able to deal with Jack, without her turning you into paste when Shepard isn't present, and make sure Grunt and Zaeed don't get too stupid."
"You're right about two things. I am better than my father, and now that you mention it, ruining our livers must be essential to get through this mission." Tali laughed at Jacob's last remark.
"As for those three, Jack seems to have something of a friendship with Grunt and Zaeed. Zaeed at least says that Jack isn't that bad, if you just 'shoot straight' with her." Jacob gave a look of disgust.
"Is she really that bad?" Tali asked, before Jacob gave an apologetic look.
"No. Jack's just rough around the edges, mostly. Zaeed's I feel dirty just having to talk with the man when it comes to his stories. I'd take back anything I've ever thought about Thane, at least he's willing to avoid collateral damage and only takes contracts on bad people. Zaeed, he's almost as bad as the Batarians he claims to be repulsed by, all he seems to care for revenge or his next paycheck. Grunt I don't know what to make he's young but seems to know more things than he should.
"Hmm, How do you 'shoot straight' with Jack?" Tali asked both confused at the phrase, and unwilling to talk about the human Merc.
"Oh that's a phrase, it just means be honest with her, don't try to suck up to or put on airs." Jacob explained but Tali seemed more confused.
"Don't lie and put on some act." The Quarian nodded.
"It's nice to know, I kind of like those designs on her skin look." Tali said with a hint of admiration as she began to drink the brandy in front of her.
"It takes a certain kind of dedication to get that many tattoos. I have to admit she makes them look quite. I take it the Quarians don't have anything similar?" Jacob asked.
"No, exposing one's skin to needles would be quite risky. But Jack does make me want to get one." Tali mentioned as she took another sip of her drink.
"Interesting, please stay safe if you do that."
"'It's interesting', here I thought you would say she could be a bad influence on me, and that I should watch myself around her.
"I would watch yourself given her mood, but I really don't have room to talk about anyone being a bad influence." Jacob grimaced as he began to remember a conversation he had with a certain Turian.
'Damn it Vakarian, why did you introduce him to Vaenia?' Jacob angrily whispered to the battle-scared Turian.
"He wanted to know if I listened to music in combat, and I let him listen to my top five tracks. It's not my fault he chose my fifth track, Blue Azure and explored from there." Garrus's blue eyes narrowed. "What about you watching Asari Confessions 26: True Blue, Grunt mentioned it when he observed your workout routine. Do you experiment with having more pressure down there, when you work out?" There was a self-satisfied smile on the Turian's face, or at least as one Jacob could make out.
"Do you do the same when you enter into a firefight with music from Vaenia on?" This time Jacob wore a smile.
"You have a point there, Taylor." Garrus said, trying not to laugh, before a look of horror quickly spread across his face. "If Shepard finds out about this we are dead, and I'm sure Samara or Thane could join in."
"They are bad enough, but if Miranda finds out.' Jacob shuddered.
"Is there something wrong?" Tali's voice had snapped Jacob out of his thoughts.
"Yes, it was nothing serious." Jacob said, hoping Tali would not press more about it.
"Right, sure you are." Tali did not buy Jacob's excuse at all. "You owe me a story if we are doing this again Taylor."
"You'd like to do this again? I don't see how I'm that interesting compared to the others, I'm nothing more than your average biotic, and I'm Cerberus." Truth be told Jacob felt even a small friendship with the Quarian would be odd to him. She had no reason to like anyone hear, she said she was only here because she trusted Shepard and Garrus.
"Yes, but as far as Cerberus goes you're in the middle of the five I interact with, and you're easier to talk with than the others."
"Only in the middle? Jacob was curious to know more "Who do you interact with and how do you rank them?"
"Well Kelly is on top, Gabby is Second, You're in the middle and Kenneth is beneath you, and beneath him is that bosh'tet Miranda." Tali said that last name with irritation.
"Lovely. Kenneth hasn't given you any flack has he?" Jacob hoped he wasn't a pest. Kenneth could be a bit dirty minded, but Jacob had faith he knew to keep his comments between himself, still he had to be sure.
"No, he knows his stuff, and respects me. But he and Gabby need to go, for lack of a better word, 'link their suits." Jacob swore he could see Tali rolling her eyes, or something close to it.
"You don't mean." Jacob could not even finish what he was going to say without laughing at the thought of the two engineers as a couple.
"Yes, I do." Tali said herself trying not to laugh. "Well I do hope you are feeling better, but I have an engine core to go look after. I'll see you later." Tali got up, finishing what was left of her glass of brandy.
"I'll see you later too." Jacob said as he saw Tali walk out of the quarters.
Jacob quickly finished up his drink and left to return to the armory. Not long after Kasumi had decloaked with a wide smile on face.
"Jack is going to love this when I tell her about this."
I've always felt that the crew of ME 2 really have a lot of nice contrasts and intersections both in their background and personal lives, even some of the 'boring' squadmates. So I want to work off as much synergy as possible and some headcanon's here and there.
[2] It's not really touched on that much, but in ME Ascension, conflict breaks out between Cerberus and the Quarian Migrant Fleet. It's why Tali has such strong distrust of Cerberus, even if you never recruit her in ME 1.
[1] This is a reference to parts of Jacob's own backstory and Mass Effect Galaxy, an old now defunct tie-in game that takes place before ME 2, namely the part with the Batarian terrorists eventually taking the Council hostage.