A/N: This is my contest piece for the Aria's Afterlife March contest.

The prompt is to do a "day in the life" piece featuring any character in the ME universe. That is, follow the character as he or she goes about his or her day.

This piece will feature Shala'Raan vas Tonbay. The setting is about 2-3 weeks after the defeat of the Collectors, but before the Alpha Relay incident.

I hope you all Enjoy!

0800 Tonbay - Admiral's Quarters

Shala slammed the holographic projection of the alarm clock and proceeded to rub the sleep from her eyes. She turned her head and spotted the sleeping form of her husband.

She pondered with amusement as her husband wasn't awoken by the alarm. He was known to be a heavy sleeper, after all.

Smiling, Shala took a few moments to gaze at the unmasked visage of Garu'Raan her lifemate. Even though she was privileged with a personal clean room (one of the perks of being an admiral), she still savored every moment of unsuited freedom. As did her husband, of course.

Deciding that it was time to arise, she laboriously sat up – her aging bones creaking in protest.

She was starting to feel her age, and morosely considered her own mortality as she rubbed her back.

Finally, the admiral summoned the will to swing her legs over the side of the bed and propel herself upward. After walking to her closet, she began the lengthy process of dressing in her envirosuit.

Twenty minutes later, having ensured all of the seals were properly checked, she entered the "kitchen" area for breakfast. Just as she inserted the tube, Shala could hear her husband yawn loudly and get out of bed.

"Good morning, darling!" Shala called to him and grinned widely when he replied with a sleepy grunt.

A while later, with her tasteless nutrient paste consumed, she flipped on her omnitool and began checking messages. To her dismay, she noticed 34 new messages.

Naturally, Admiral Zaal'Koris was responsible for approximately three-fourths of the messages. The man seemed to think of nothing but work. Shala simply archived them, resolving not to do any work on her day off.

"What's that dear?" Garu asked as he approached the table, fully clad in his envirosuit.

"Hmm? Oh, just work following me home again."

He nodded and grabbed a breakfast tube from the cupboard. Sitting down across from her, Garu started twirling the tube on the table's surface.

"Koris?" He asked, though he already knew the answer.

"Yep. Almost every half-hour he's trying some new tactic for me to side him on the upcoming vote. I guess he figures if he can pelt me with enough 'convincing testimony' then I'll side with him."

"For the new admiral? Or what to do about the geth?"

She sighed. "Both. The admiral vote is up first, however. Tali'Zorah is a strong contender, but Koris doesn't trust her because of her father. Honestly, I think she's in his camp politically. That human captain really has influenced her..."

Garu barked a hearty laugh. "Influenced? Is that what they call it now?" Had he not been wearing his visor, a smug grin would be seen plastered on his face.

Shala glared at him. "Those rumors are just that, Garu - rumors! And I don't need you helping to spread them."

At this, he threw his hands up in a gesture of surrender. "Alright, alright!" He pleaded. "No more jokes about Tali's little Xeno-fling."

"Garu! I'm serious! If word got out that Tali was mixed up with some alien, even the Savior of the Citadel, it could jeopardize her political position!"

He looked down and shook his head. "Politics... it ruins everything," he murmured. Looking back up at his wife, he continued: "You know, shouldn't we be concerned about what makes her happy?"

"You're assuming the rumors are true," she said defensively.

He rolled his eyes, though the gesture was partly obfuscated by his mask. "Come on dear! Did you see the way he talked about her at the trial? It went beyond the mere duties of a captain! Or the way they leaned into each other when one spoke? It was all over their body language. Plain as the day-cycle!"

Now it was Shala's turn to roll her eyes. "You can't project quarian body language and speech inflections on a human. Who knows what's lost in translation anyway?"

"Hmph. Human's aren't all that different from us. Aside from their dull eyes, oddly bent legs, extra fingers, and reverse chirality, they're practically quarian. They even have hair like us! Seems logical to me that their body language would be similar too."

"Too much speculation for my taste," she huffed.

"Fine! Don't believe me... but don't be surprised when our 'niece' asks you to be part of their bonding ceremony." With that final dig, he inserted his nutrient tube and began 'enjoying' his breakfast.

"I suppose we'll see. Just keep your vocalizer muted, will you? I don't want Tali's career ruined because of these allegations."

Garu simply nodded once, enough to satisfy Shala for the present. She looked down at her omnitool to check the time.

"Well, I best be off. I have a meeting with the clan Elder in about an hour. See you tonight."

"Love you," he mumbled with paste in his mouth.

Shala chuckled at his garbled speech. Then, she touched her vocalizer light with her hand, made a smooch sound, and extended her hand in his direction. A quarian blow-kiss.

With that, she exited their quarters.

1000 Tonbay - Office of the Elder

Shala stepped into the Elder's office and sat across from the old man. She noticed his antiquated suit - bulky and metallic. These models were quickly replaced by the sleek form-fitting style, once they were developed about 65 years ago. Indeed, the newer model was far more comfortable, customizable, and a lot easier on the eyes. Nerve-stimulation programs (which give the user the ability to feel through the suit) are one of the many improvements the new suits offered. Still, some orthodox quarians chose the older models for the sake of tradition.

"Blessings of the Ancestors be upon you!" The Elder intoned. His voice raspy - whether it was from age or his antique vocalizer, Shala was uncertain.

"And may they rest upon your spirit," she replied, finishing the formula.

Nodding, the Elder opened his hands and gestured broadly. "Now, to what do I owe this pleasure, admiral?" He asked with a kindly tone.

"I seek your wisdom, Elder."

"And it shall be granted, for whatever it's worth," he replied with a wink (though the gesture was barely discernible through his foggy visor).

"Well, I'd like your advice on the geth. The board is voting on how to handle the situation, in light of new information submitted by... a trusted third party. I'm not sure whether we should engage in dialogue with them."

"Why not?"

"I don't trust them. They took our homeworld, after all. The fleet barely escaped with their lives!"

"Indeed. We've been in exile for three centuries as a result of our Ancestor's Sins. If I may ask, why now?"

"I... don't follow, Elder."

"I mean, why after all this time is the board discussing this?"

"The specific details are... confidential. Suffice it to say, we've recently discovered that the geth are willing to dialogue. But it's complicated. Admiral Xen is developing a means to... deal with them. Permanently."

"I see. So you wonder whether it is wise to talk, or strike while you have the element of surprise?"

"Correct."

The older man thought a moment. Finally, he replied: "What does your heart tell you?"

"I'm not sure. Of course, the fleet's safety is my top priority."

"As it should be."

"Right, but I was hoping you could offer insight?"

"Our Ancestors would've seen peace as an impossibility. But, perhaps this generation can find a path that was hidden to them. Succeed where they failed."

"Where is this path?"

The Elder chuckled softly. "My child, I am no admiral. The correct path is for you and your colleagues to discern. Have faith in the Ancestors and they will lead you aright."

Shala nodded. "Thank you, Elder. We still have time to make a decision. May the Ancestors guide us down the right path when the time comes."

"Keelah se'lai," he replied with conviction. "Now, is there anything else you'd like to dicuss?"

"Well..." Shala pondered for a minute or two. She sighed and decided that she might as well get everything off her chest, since she had the time. "Yes, actually. What do you know about human and quarian bonding?"

1342 Tonbay - Cargo Area 2B

After her meeting with the Elder, Shala enjoyed a rather uneventful lunch. She chatted over nutrient paste for a good long while, enjoying the company of her fellows. Once she finished, Shala decided to buy a new tapestry for her home. The old one was torn and needed replacing. Besides, browsing through the various colorful cloths and chatting with locals wasn't a bad way to spend an afternoon.

The market itself was a re-purposed Cargo Bay. Once used to carry freight, it now held rows upon rows of stalls and booths. Stacked on top of these were the living quarters of the owners and their families. The bazaar always alive with the hustle and bustle of the citizenry. Indeed, hundreds of quarians milling about caused quite a din, and Shala decided to turn down her audio receptors.

Without any real economy (and therefore currency), quarians often bartered services in exchange for goods and vice versa. As an admiral, her service to the Fleet as a whole was highly valued. Thus, she could request almost anything for nothing in return. Obviously, she could not abuse this privilege; else, the citizenry would file a complaint to their Conclave representative. The political backlash of being labeled a 'drain on resources' was difficult to reverse, and (in serious cases) could disbar an admiral from his or her position on the board.

After several hours looking at various designs and colors, she finally spotted one that struck her fancy.

"That's an excellent choice, admiral!" Said the seamstress. "It took me 9 day-cycles to complete. Definitely one of my best."

"It's absolutely lovely. You do fine work... Miss?"

"Yelta. Yelta'Tano vas Tonbay."

"Well, it's beautiful Yelta."

"Thank you. I would be honored knowing that it adorned your home. I'm sure Garu'Raan will approve as well."

"If he even notices it. You know how men are."

Yelta and Shala shared a laugh at this. After chatting about miscellaneous topics for about 20 minutes, Shala rolled the tapestry up and walked back to her quarters.

1802 Tonbay - Admiral's Quarters

Shala replaced the new tapestry and put the old one in the 'Recycling' zone. While the old torn cloth's days as a wall decoration were over, it could be stripped down and used in other capacities. Many pilgrims used these to adorn their suits before setting off into the stars.

At about this time, Garu returned home. Despite her jest at his expense earlier, he did in fact notice the new decor.

"That's a nice piece, dear. You always did have good taste."

"It was made by a very talented woman. I just hope it lasts longer than the last one."

He walked over and examined the cloth. "Very talented indeed. "

They enjoyed a romantic tube of paste together and then decided to watch a vid. Blasto was Garu's choice, but Shala really wasn't in the mood for that sort of genre. There was no way Shala could sell Garu on Fleet and Flotilla, so they both agreed to watch Citadel. While the movie featured the exploits of the human Commander Shepard, their adopted niece played a key role in the film. Despite the galactic racism against quarians, the movie producers couldn't deny Tali's role in saving the Citadel as well as the fact that she always accompanied the human Spectre throughout his campaign. Also, she was the one to put the final bullet in Saren's head.

'Auntie' Raan, as Tali affectionately called Shala, was beaming with pride as Tali's heroism was portrayed on the vid screen. She wondered when the next film would be made, featuring her contribution to the defeat of the Collectors. Immediately, she pondered whether or not the producers would play off of the rumors surrounding her relationship with the human. Realizing that Illium Entertainment will just do whatever they want anyway, she figured that there was no point worrying about it.

As the credits were rolling, Garu stood up and stretched. "Well, it's about that time."

"Right, have to get up early tomorrow."

They both stripped off their envirosuits and crawled into bed. After kissing each other 'goodnight', they were soon fast asleep. The cares of the galaxy were mercifully forgotten as slumber enveloped their minds and bodies.