Wherever You Go, There You Are

[Tali’Zorha]

"If that's what she called herself. Your father and I were madly in love, but society being what it was... I was the 'crazy' one. The desert rat. The freak." Tali said as she sat on a boulder. "It didn't bother me what others thought of me, I had him. Eventually I had you. That should have been enough. But his family and her family... it wasn't." she ran her hand through her hair and sighed heavily. "They shunned me, I came to the caves and... found myself pulled into the Pit, woke up in a different time, or so I thought. For years I kept trying to get back. Although in so many of those realities I was in... things got so bad. For all of us."

[Kinsey Calhoun]

"They've been bad here and I have a feeling they'll get worse the long Dominus is around." Kinsey said as she sat down on the ground next to Tali. "I know he can be defeated I just haven't figured out how yet."

[Tali’Zorha]

"Dominus... he's an egotistical asshole nihilist and I have killed at least three of them but they pop back up like cockroaches." Tali said with a grimace. "I've only met two decent Nick Ryders, the rest... all Dominus. And they somehow work together." she ran her hand through her hair. "I spent six weeks in the nude getting shocked every hour on the hour by electrodes until Jackson managed to get me freed... so he could screw me." she closed her eyes. "This whole dream of his to have more like me, like I had you. Oh they cloned the hell out of K'n'zy, but most were just mindless things, couldn't even manipulate a fart to blow over an ant hill."

"That's... kind of funny." Jack chuckled lightly. "I ran into a few of those."

"But if there's a Dominus here, I'll help you. I didn't have anything like you two in any other reality. Not with the support network you have. I may have read your minds without your permission. Telepath no no but fuck it, I'm a survivor and if that means reading a mind to stay alive, I will." Tali said closed her eyes. "It was you that gave me the will to survive K'n'zy. To fight. If you could survive all you have, I sure as hell could as well. I am curious though... before I agree to anything.. your Jack. He's never hurt you intentionally because he could? Because I cannot abide by another Jackson abusing another K'n'zy."

"If anything it's Kinsey that abuses him." Noella teased.

"She just trains a lot rougher than I do, I can't bring myself to hit her too hard in training, but she doesn't seem to have the same problem." Jack said with a wink.

"Xenexian women do tend to be like that." Tali said with a grin. "Good... so... Kinsey. Sounds so Terran but I'll get used to it."

[Kinsey Calhoun]

“I found people have a hard time pronouncing Xenexian names. Kinsey was easier and I wouldn’t mind it you called me K’n’zy. Just don’t be surprised if people instinctively reach for a weapon. My counterpart was an Empress for awhile and then ended up sharing a body with me. It’s a really long story.” Kinsey explained and shrugged. “You named me so if anyone has the right to use my proper name it’s you.”

[Tali’Zorha]

"Well there is a K'n'zy that ruled the Imperium with an iron fist, then locked me up for being me." Tali said with a shake of her head. "Whatever makes life a bit easier for you. I am looking forward to finding our more about your world. And how I can fit in. I really need to get off Xenex for a while. Now... this Kiera... Ker'ken's daughter? And she's actually a non-bitch?"

"We raised her as our a daughter." Jack replied. "Of course she married my nephew as a teenager... which didn't make me super happy."

"Oh please, I could have been married off at 10 if I wasn't already manifesting my powers." Tali said with a wave of her hand. "Not that it's right."

[Kinsey Calhoun]

“At some point I’m going to have to tell both of them about you.” Kinsey said with a frown. “The adult version will probably take it better but the younger one...I don’t know. She knew them differently then I did.”

[Tali’Zorha]

"I just feel bad that you were both raised by someone other than me." Tali said softly. "I could have saved you from having to be with Ker'ken. But his clan was always far too powerful. They covered up so much."

[Kinsey Calhoun]

“You’re here now.” Kinsey said as she gently touched Tali’s hand. “And looks like we’ll be here for awhile. The storm is bad. Zeke won’t be able to fly until it passes. Time to make up for lost time.”

[Tali’Zorha]

"I'm not complaining, spent a loooong time hiding in these caves." Tali said as she held onto Kinsey's hand. "So talk to me girl... tell me things. I wasn't even pregnant last time we met... but I think that was the day you were conceived. The following week I was told I was carrying you. Your father was so cute when I was carrying you, as if I was some fragile city girl. I had you in the desert, like mine had me. That... didn't go over well with his family. They wanted him married to someone more... high class. I was good enough to protect them, make their home brew but Grozit! I can't even find a little bit of happiness with someone."

[Kinsey Calhoun]

“I know it doesn’t seem like much and it may not be the same kind of happiness but I have four children who would love having another grandmother.” Kinsey said with a smile as she squeezed Tali’s hand. “They can be a handful but I feel like you’d be up to the challenge.”