This is the first fan fiction I've ever written. Do the internet a favor and provide some kind of feedback. I might make more you see. So helping make it less terrible is in the best interests of everyone.

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Tali'Zorah vas Neema hadn't been the same since her pilgrimage.

Normally that was the point. It was as much about a coming of age, seeing the galaxy and shedding naivete as it was about maintaining genetic diversity. But a quarian was supposed to come home with a very specific outlook. Out in the galaxy quarians were looked down on by all the other species. Even vorcha gave them less respect than they gave other races, not that it was saying much. After being shunned, rejected, ostracized and mistreated by the trillions of aliens who didn't even try to see past their visors, a quarian was supposed to be eager to return to the fleet. Back to a community that didn't despise them simply because of their race.

At first that's how it had been for Tali'Zorah nar Rayya. She'd had the usual hard time finding work, forced to scavenge and scrounge for anything she could get her hands on to get by. The added pressure to find an excellent gift due to her fathers position, mixed with a bit of curiosity, had even driven her to investigate the geth once word reached her that they had left the Veil. Stalking them until she could pick off a straggler and hack its memory core. This seemed like a change in luck at first, as while the information she gathered wouldn't be enough for a gift, she had learned enough of galactic society to realize that it would be worth a lot of credits to someone.

Her new found luck evaporated fast however as she realized she was being hunted. Not by geth but by mercs. Somehow Saren must have known about her. The Spectres were dangerous enough when they were following council orders. Stories of their power and influence had reached even the introverted Migrant Fleet. The idea of being on the bad side of a rouge Spectre was positively terrifying for the young woman.

C-Sec was no help of course. They were more interested in persecuting her for being a quarian than in her fearing for her life. This complete disinterest on the part of law enforcement pushed her into the less reputable areas of the Citadels wards. She hoped to be able to throw off pursuit in the crowds

Keelah, don't let them see me... Tali thought desperately, pressing herself into a shallow alcove. A couple of turians were sweeping the market, hands hovering by their pistols. As quietly as possible she triggered the mute function on her mouthpiece. The last thing she needed was to be caught because of a stubbed toe making her gasp.

The crowds of shoppers continued right by the frightened girl as though she were as unimportant as the ubiquitous Keepers. The only signs of anyone noticing her were cursory checks on their credit chits and jewelry. Because of course, quarians were all shameless thieves to them. If they'd let us get real jobs I wouldn't be hiding from assassins right now. Racist bosh'tets.

The turians seemed to be moving on. As soon as they were out of sight she made her move. Walking quickly along the wall she darted past the crowd of shoppers and out of the market. Immediately she realized this was a bad idea. The hall was empty, no cover of any sort in reach. Tali you idiot! The whole point was to hide in the crowds, get out of here now!

Tali made a dash for the stairs, making it up two flights before coming face to face with a salarian. An armed salarian. A smirk spread over his narrow face as he reached for a shotgun. Tali ducked on reflex, forcing the salarian to re-aim his shot. She reached for her own shotgun but grasped only air. It took her half a second to remember that C-Sec had taken her weapons at customs, providing only halfhearted promises to return them when she left. Panicking as the weapon leveled with her chest, she grabbed at the salarians arm and pulled. They both fell to the floor, rolling down the stairs to the closest landing. She'd managed to keep her grip and began slamming her attackers gun hand into the floor repeatedly. A satisfying snap and pained yelp resulted, followed by the shotgun skidding across the floor.

"You little bitch! I'll make you-"

Tali dove for the weapon, snatching it up and twisting on the floor to level it at the assassins face. The salarian froze, halfway to his feet. In another time and place the awkward position might have been funny. Tali slowly got to her feet, backing away warily, her head flicking back and forth between the stairs and the assassin. Once she was near the top she turned and ran for it. Rounding the top of the stairwell, slipping slightly on the smooth deck plates.

The salarian bounded up the stairs 4 at a time, drawing a pistol with his uninjured hand and spinning to train it on the retreating quarians back. Waiting those agonizing milliseconds for the weapons smart targeting to calibrate the next shot before pulling the trigger.

It was lucky for Tali that he didn't usually shoot left handed.

The modded ammo was hindered by her low-end shields, but not enough to stop it or deflect it entirely. Instead of hitting her in the back it struck her arm.

Tali cried out at the impact, her voice just audible even with the mute on. Her pace faltered as the pain shot through her arm. The envriosuit automatically clamping down the adjacent section seals in an effort to contain surface contamination, a breach alarm sounding in her ears. Regaining her footing she slipped around the corner before the salarian could get another hit.

Grimacing in frustration the salarian charged after her, rounding the corner only to run straight into the side of a passing elcor.

"Shocked and annoyed: Watch where you are going salarian," the massive being rumbled in the characteristic monotone of it's species. Cursing, the salarian scrambled to his feet and stepped around the elcor staring out into a crowd of human, volus and elcor shoppers. The quarian was nowhere in sight.

I need to get this treated fast! It's only a matter of time until an infection sets in. If I'm too far from a clinic I'm in serious trouble. If these bosh'tets would let me earn some money I wouldn't be out of medigel. This whole thing is turning into a nightmare... Tali looked back, seeing no sign of any of the assassins that had been hounding her. She hurriedly holstered the shotgun and powered her omnitool, wincing at the pain that flared up with even the slightest movement. There has to be a clinic around here somewhere, she thought frantically, punching the search request into the tools local network linkup. A map of the district popped into existence, a flashing indicator pointing out a clinic just a few doors down. Tali closed the display and made for the clinic as fast as she could without drawing too much attention, gripping her arm in an attempt to slow the bleeding.

There it is, thank the ancestors! I just hope the doctor isn't going to refuse treatment to a quarian.. It seems to be a way of life on this damn station, she thought bitterly as the door came into sight. It opened promptly at her approach and she stepped inside nervously, deactivating the mute function.

"E-excuse me? Is this the medical clinic?" She asked, clenching her teeth to hold back a groan of pain. She saw the alien doctor look up from a computer terminal. Tali hadn't met this species yet beyond glimpses while fleeing from assassins. So, is that a human? They didn't really tell me much about them before my pilgrimage started. A female I think from her appearance.

"Yes, I'm Doctor Michel, is something, my god..." the doctor said at once her eyes falling on the blood seeping from between the quarians fingers. "Come over here, sit down." she said her tone all business, "Let me take a look at that before it gets infected."

Tali let out a sigh of relief moving to the indicated medical bed, "Thank you." she said gratefully, dropping onto the bed.

Doctor Michel wasted no time in activating her diagnostic and treatment apparatus. She let a full scan run as she set to cleaning and sterilizing the area. The scan results correlated the data into a diagnosis, a graze from a mass accelerator round.

"This is a gun shot wound, what happened to you?" she asked incredulously. The idea of a quarian risking a fight with their atrophied immune systems was crazy.

"I-I can't say." Tali stammered, "I'm not going to drag anyone else into my problems"

Tali remained tight-lipped as the doctor treated and bandaged the injury as quickly and cleanly as possible. After checking the quarians section seals she cleaned up the ragged edges of the breach and started working on patching the suit.

"You're lucky I've treated quarians before. Always keep some patches around just in case. As well as extra strength antibiotics." Doctor Michel commented. "Once this patch is done I'll give you a couple doses and some spares for the road along with a little medigel, alright?"

"Thank you doctor." Tali was surprised at this humans kindness towards a quarian. I guess humans are new comers. Maybe they're more tolerant of my people. For now at least. Maybe I should have gone to human space. "You're the first person I've met willing to help a quarian."

"I set up this clinic to help people." the doctor replied in a friendly tone, "it doesn't matter to me what race you are." she finished, prepping an injection. "I dare say you already know about the side effects?" the doctor asked holding the injector out. Tali nodded her confirmation and opened her suits injection port. As the antibiotics flooded her system Tali was finally able to relax a little. She glanced at the doctor, weighing the risks of asking for further help. What the hell, she thought ruefully, it's going to get worse eventually. May as well be while I'm still full of medication.

"Doctor....You wouldn't happen to know where I could make a trade, would you?"