Editorial Note: This last personnel report focuses on one of Shepard's oldest squadmates. As this report is unusually detailed, I've taken the liberty of breaking it up into two parts. Readers may be interested in the various insights into quarian culture that Shepard uncovers, particularly the ramifications of a centuries-old decision that echoed into the present day.
Personnel Report—Tali'Zorah, Part One
Tali has always been one of the most selfless individuals I've ever had the privilege of meeting. Always willing to put her own concerns aside to help others. Always the first to sacrifice her own individual happiness for the greater good. She did it when she put her Pilgrimage on hold to help me hunt Saren. She did it by choosing the geth data I'd obtained throughout the Armstrong Nebula as her Pilgrimage gift, as opposed to some cheap knick-knack that would be easier to obtain, but wouldn't help her people in the long run. She did it on Freedom's Progress when she chose to continue her mission, even if it meant poking around geth space for astronomical data, rather than drop everything to join me. She did it by joining me only after she'd gotten said astronomical data, and after such a heavy price had been exacted.
That's why the claims of her treason made no sense whatsoever.
I should probably explain that.
It was shortly after I helped Legion with their issues. Just as the second shift was starting, Kelly called me over with a worried look on her face and told me that Tali was a bit upset. Something had come up. And very, very recently, considering that she was fine when I saw her during the last shift. When I arrived in Engineering, I bumped into Ken and Gabby, who looked worried as well. Tali, of course, downplayed the whole thing. "Shepard. I'm glad you came by. I may need your help."
Translation: I'm up the creek without a paddle, heading straight for a waterfall.
"I just received a message from the Migrant Fleet. The Admiralty Board has accused me of treason. I... I'm scared, Shepard."
I rubbed a hand over my eyes, hoping it would make more sense. It didn't. "That's doesn't make any sense," I said. "Nobody who knows you could believe you'd betray your people, Tali."
"Damn straight," Ken bellowed. "It's bullshit. Why I oughta—"
Gabby elbowed him before he continued. "They're right, Tali," she said. "The idea of you betraying your people is ridiculous." (1)
Tali wasn't convinced. "I don't know. They don't lay charges like this unless the evidence seems absolute."
How responsible of them.
"But thanks. All of you. I appreciate your faith in me."
"Not faith," I corrected, "but you're welcome. So what exactly are they charging you with? Picking up bad habits from me? Working with Cerberus?"
"I'm not working with Cerberus. I'm working with you."
So it was me and my bad habits?
"Besides, I got leave to serve on the Normandy again. So I have no idea what they're accusing me of. You'd think I would remember if I'd betrayed the Fleet!"
"That kind of thing does tend to stick," I agreed. "What happens when a quarian is accused of treason, anyway?"
Tali shuffled back and forth on her feet. "There's a trial, with members of the Admiralty Board acting as judges."
That sparked a memory. "Isn't your dad part of the Admiralty Board?"
"He'll have to recuse himself from judgment," Tali nodded. "I can't even imagine what he's thinking right now."
Based on what little I knew, it was probably something like "Tali's the apple of my eye. How dare you besmirch her good name by calling her a traitor."
All that was derailed by what she said next. "The punishment for treason is exile. If they convict me, I can never go back."
"Isn't that a little extreme?" I burst out. "Just throwing you out with nothing but the hardsuit on your back?"
"It isn't always like that," she shook her head. "The specifics are left up to the judges. If it's deemed only a tragic mistake in judgment, the guilty party might receive a small ship and supplies. If it's a gross betrayal of the quarian people, they'd be dropped off on the nearest inhabited planet without any resources at all. Not that it really matters. Either way, if I'm convicted, I'll never see the Migrant Fleet again."
"There isn't another choice?" I pressed. "Like prison? Or..." I stopped before I could say anything approaching the death penalty.
"We don't have the spare room or resources for long-term incarceration," Tali explained. "Monitored work detail is more effective. And, in case you were wondering, we don't have enough people to afford executions."
"What happens if an exile gets married later on?" Ken interrupted again.
"And has kids?" Gabby chimed in.
"A spouse and any children from that union are welcomed back to the Fleet."
So the quarians didn't have any concept of 'sins of the father.' Or mother, in Tali's case. Small consolation—the exile was still screwed. "How often does this sort of thing happen?" I wondered.
"It's rare," Tali admitted. "It must be something that affects the entire Flotilla, not just one ship. Otherwise, alternate punishments would be exacted, like the monitored work details I mentioned earlier. The most recent one was Anora'Vanya vas Selani, an engineer who handed over Fleet defence schematics to the batarians. She had good intentions," she hurried on, guessing what I was going to ask next. "The batarians were contracted to upgrade our systems. But they passed the defence schematics to a pirate gang."
"What happened?" I asked. "Was she convicted?"
"No. She made a suicide run on the pirate gang. She destroyed them before they could attack the Fleet."
Hoo boy.
"She was pardoned... posthumously. Let's hope I don't have to prove my innocence that way," Tali concluded, with the first hint of humour I'd heard so far.
"Did they give you any idea why they're accusing you?"
"None," Tali replied. "The specifics of charges like this are rarely discussed on open channels."
Or channels that were tapped by nosy Cerberus personnel.
"I won't know any more until I get to the Flotilla."
"How does the trial work?" I asked, moving to my next concern. "How soon do we need to get you there?"
"They'll wait a reasonable period of time for me to come and defend myself. It's common practise, especially if the quarian is away from the Migrant Fleet on a contract or salvage run or even a Pilgrimage. Eventually, if I don't show up, they'll try me in absentia. As for how it works... it's less formal than a human trial or something you'd see on the Citadel."
Good. My formal wear wasn't atmospherically sealed and my hardsuit didn't look all that fancy.
"After all, it doesn't have to be formal. We're family," Tali sighed. "This is just... the worst kind of family meeting."
"We're fully stocked and ready to go," I decided. "Give Joker the coordinates of the Flotilla and we'll head straight there."
"Oh, that's not necessary," Tali tried. "I was going to book passage on another ship. There isn't time for you to spare, especially since we're still struggling with the integration of the Reaper IFF. Besides—"
"Tali," I interrupted. "We're helping you. End of story."
Tali didn't say anything for a few seconds. Probably never occurred to her to ask for something like my help. Like I said: always the first to sacrifice her own individual happiness—or wellbeing—for the greater good. "Thank you, Shepard," she said at last.
"No problem."
We met the Migrant Fleet in the Raheel-Layya system, deep in the Valhallan Threshold. I was on the bridge with Tali when the Normandy arrived. Partly because I'd never seen the Migrant Fleet before. Or any fleet of that size. Imagine it: 50 000 ships holding 17 million quarians. That's a big fleet.
While some ships were clearly designed from another species—a necessity given the limited resources available to the quarians—it was clear which ones were of quarian origin. They were the ones that looked like mass relays, with the engines situated where a mass relay's arms would be. Made sense, considering that space travel—and, by extension, mass relays—was an integral part of their lives. There were three really large mass relay-esque ships that contained an enormous sphere where the eezo core would be. I would later learn that they were the Liveships; feats of aerospace and agricultural engineering that were the sole source of food for the Migrant Fleet. At the time, I was more interested in the fact that we were heading for one of those really big ships.
Also, I was there as a bit of comfort. You know, the kind of comfort from those worn-down, raggedy things you keep for old time's sake. (2)
Joker reached over and activated the comm. "Channel open, Tali," he said softly.
"This is Tali'Zorah vas Neema nar Rayya," she declared, "requesting permission to dock with the Rayya." (3)
"Our system has your ship flagged as Cerberus," the traffic controller said after a moment. "Verify."
Ignoring the fact that I had no clue how they figured out the new Normandy came from Cerberus, other than a ridiculously good ear for gossip or a top-of-the-line camera system that spotted the Cerberus logo on her hull, I was curious to hear the verification code. The one assigned to Tali, anyway. Probably something like "Papa-4-7-alpha-tango."
"After time adrift among open stars, along tides of light and through shoals of dust, I will return to where I began."
Whoa. That was a heck of a lot more, well, poetic than I'd expected.
"Permission granted. Welcome home, Tali'Zorah."
"We'd like a security and quarantine team to meet us," Tali added. "Our ship is not clean."
Not by quarian standards, anyway. That was typical behaviour for Tali, insults to my ship notwithstanding. Always thinking of her people.
"Understood," the traffic controller said crisply. "Approach exterior docking cradle 17."
"Coordinates received," Joker said after the traffic controller signed off. "Approaching docking cradle now. Good luck, Tali."
"Thanks, Joker," Tali nodded.
The two of us met Garrus at the airlock. We'd agreed beforehand that bringing Cerberus personnel aboard a quarian vessel would be a bad idea, given how badly things had turned out the last time the two groups had crossed paths. Following that logic, having Legion tag along behind us would be an unmitigated disaster. Besides, Garrus and I had known Tali the longest, so it made sense that we'd come along.
That was the easy part. Actually boarding the Rayya took a little bit longer. First we had to suit up. Then we had to check, double-check and triple-check our atmospheric seals with the same zeal that Garrus reserved for his calibrations. Then Mordin sprayed our hardsuits down with a bactericidal agent. And a virocidal agent. And a fungicidal agent. And several other –cidal agents. By the time he was done, the entire deck had been emptied. Except for Joker. When asked, he said "I can't come with you. Tali's got enough crap to deal with without worrying about me tripping over something and breaking my legs. The least I can do is stay here, breathe in all those toxic fumes, and give Dr. Chakwas something else to treat."
Garrus and I got Tali into the airlock before she could hug Joker in gratitude and break his ribs. The airlock sequence was a bit longer than usual, probably to comply with quarian standards. After the standard decontamination that sterilized every square centimetre of our hardsuits came a customized decontamination that sterilized every square millimetre again. Then there was another decontamination that sterilized every square micrometre. Then there was another decontamination that sterilized every square nanometre.
The airlock doors finally hissed open before every square picometre or femtometre was sterilized. A small party of quarians was waiting for us. Each of them had a slightly different hardsuit colour scheme. Most of them carried weapons.
The lone exception to the latter stepped forward. "Captain Shepard?" he greeted me. "Captain Kar'Danna vas Rayya. Tali'Zorah told me a lot about you. I wish we could be meeting under more pleasant circumstances."
"Likewise," I nodded. "Though I never actually reached the rank of Captain. Technically, I'm no longer in the Alliance military at all."
Kar'Danna waved that aside. "A formality. You are the commander of the Normandy, responsible for the lives aboard it. That entitles you to respect among our people. 'May you stand between your crew and harm as you lead them through the empty quarters of the stars.'"
"Keelah se'lai," Tali said. "It's an old ship captain's blessing, Shepard," she added for my benefit.
Again, very poetic. I found myself wishing that Ashley was still alive. She'd love this stuff. Plus, she'd have something suitable to say. Somehow, "Right back at ya," didn't really pass muster. "Tali helped the Normandy's crew out of many difficult situations," I said instead. "I'm here to return the favour."
"I understand," Kar'Danna nodded. "As the commander of the vessel she serves on, your voice carries weight." Pleasantries between captains concluded, he turned to Tali. "I wish I could do more to help, Tali. The trial requires that I be officially neutral, but... I'm here, if you need to talk."
"Captain Kar'Danna," I asked, "why did the Admiralty Board accuse Tali of treason?"
"They're charging her with bringing active geth into the Fleet as part of a secret project."
...
The hell?
Tali was equally dumbfounded. Though not for the precise reasons I might have thought. "That's insane! I never brought active geth aboard. I only sent parts and pieces."
That... kinda sounded bad, particularly given what I'd learned about geth. It was like saying an organic never smuggled other organics, just organs and random limbs. "You sent geth... materials back to the Migrant Fleet?" I sputtered.
"Yes. My father was working on a project. He needed the materials."
I tried not to imagine a geth lying on a table somewhere with bolts sticking out of its flashlight head.
"Um... so you... took geth parts? Like geth limbs? And the equivalent of geth organs? That's... that's kinda like organ harvesting, isn't it?"
Garrus shuffled back and forth uncomfortably. All the other quarians, on the other hand, had absolutely no reaction whatsoever. Which was kinda creepy.
Apparently, Tali had never read Frankenstein, because she seemed more horrified by a completely separate possibility: "If I sent back something that was only damaged, not permanently inactive... no. No, I checked everything. I was careful."
It was comforting to see that Tali was thinking about her people. The fact that she didn't really seem to have any reaction on what she was doing with dead/inactive geth was a bit disturbing, though. As was the fact that I never would have been uncomfortable with what she did until recently. (4)
Kar'Danna gave a quiet cough. For the sake of his immune system, I hoped it wasn't because he'd caught a virus or some other infection. "Technically, I'm under orders to place Tali'Zorah under arrest pending the trial. So, Tali... you're confined to this ship until this trial is over."
"Thank you, Captain," Tali said gratefully.
"That's very gracious of you," I chimed in. "When does the trial start?"
"Preparations got underway as soon as you arrived," Kar'Danna replied. "The requirements aren't elaborate, so there wasn't much to do. The trial's being held in the garden plaza. Tali can show you the way. Good luck."
It wasn't long before I discovered another universal constant: gossip. Our presence hadn't exactly gone unnoticed. It seemed like everybody knew that Tali had returned. And they weren't exactly shy about voicing their opinions. Out loud. Where any idiot with a halfway working set of ears—or Tali—could overhear.
"I can't believe they're charging Tali'Zorah with such a thing."
"Tali'Zorah and her father are out of control. This is on their heads."
"Tali'Zorah is the pride of the Fleet. They can't exile her."
"Loyalty to the Fleet is about more than just killing geth. Tali'Zorah's guilty."
"Any bosh'tet would know that Tali'Zorah would never commit treason against the Migrant Fleet."
"If Tali'Zorah can't even get a quarian captain to stand for her, she's as good as convicted."
"They shouldn't let a human speak for Tali'Zorah. It's not right."
"Not all humans are bad, but this one's from Cerberus."
"She'll be fine."
"She's doomed."
I hurried Tali along before she could hear any more hurtful whispers. Or I could. Either way, it was probably best that we got moving before I made matters worse by punching some quarian and rupturing his or her hardsuit. Only one quarian actually greeted us. "Tali'Zorah vas Normandy. I am glad you came. I could delay them only so long."
"Auntie Raan!" Tali sighed in relief, jumping forward and pulling the other quarian into a hug. "Shepard vas Normandy," she said after composing herself, "this is Admiral Shala'Raan vas Tonbay. She's a friend of my father's."
"Pleased to meet you," I said automatically, my mind busy churning over something else. If what I remembered of quarian nomenclature was correct, Tali had just said I was born or raised on the Normandy. Which wasn't really true—especially given this version—but that was beside the point. What concerned me was how Raan had implied where Tali was born or raised.
Tali had noticed the same thing. "Wait. Shala, you called me 'vas Normandy'."
"I'm afraid I did, Tali," Raan apologized. "The Admiralty Board moved to have you tried under that name, given your departure from the Neema."
"That's not good, is it?" I voiced.
"They stripped me of my ship name," Tali replied slowly. "That's as good as declaring me exiled already."
I was afraid of that. Garrus and I readjusted our positions, moving a bit closer to catch Tali if she fainted to either side. 'Raan must have noticed that, as she was quick to reassure Tali. "It's not over yet. You have friends who still know you as Tali'Zorah vas Neema... whatever we must call you legally."
"You're an admiral," I pointed out. "Does that mean you're one of the judges?"
"I'm afraid not," Raan shook her head. "My history with Tali and her father forced me to recuse myself."
"I imagine Father had to do the same," Tali nodded.
"You'll see inside," Raan replied, rather cryptically I thought. "Most quarian trials consist of a triumvirate of admirals, both to avoid favouritism as well as to acknowledge issues of manpower. I cannot be among that triumvirate, nor can I have a vote in the final judgement. However, I can moderate the trial and ensure that the rules of protocol are followed."
"Better than nothing," I said. "We should probably get started. Does Tali have an advocate or defence counselor? Someone who speaks for her side?"
"Indeed she does, Captain Shepard. She is part of your crew now, recognized by quarian law."
I stared at her, hoping she wasn't saying what I thought she was saying. "So?"
"By quarian law and custom, an accused is always represented by his or her ship's captain."
Uh oh. She was saying what I thought she was saying.
"So... you would actually speak for my defence," Tali said to me slowly.
This was a bad idea. I had never done anything like that before. My idea of defending someone involves shooting anything hostile until it stops moving. How in the frilly heck was I supposed to handle this entirely foreign form of combat? Not that I could say that aloud—judging by the change in her body posture, Tali was apparently under the mistaken impression that everything would be okay. But all that would change if I didn't open my big fat mouth soon. "I'll do everything in my power to help you, Tali."
"Thank you, Shepard. I could not ask for a better counselor."
"You're in good hands, Tali," Garrus chimed in, unwittingly adding to my tension.
"Our legal rules are simple," Raan said, more to reassure me, I sensed. She was proving to be rather perceptive. Good thing she was on Tali's side. "There are no legal tricks or political loopholes for you to worry about. Present the truth as best you can. It will have to be enough."
So all I had to do was pull every bit of half-remembered BS from my Hero of the Skyllium Blitz days. Just when I'd finally put the nightmares to rest. Typical.
Raan gestured for us to follow her. "Now come, I promised that I would not delay you."
She led us down a corridor and into a large atrium. A large path intersected our own, wrapping around the room. On either side of that path lay a field of plant life. I wasn't sure if it was some kind of grass or algae. Whatever it was, I hoped no one was planning to eat it, since there were a couple quarians chatting on the flora. (5) Larger flora in the form of trees and bushes blossomed and grew along the walls, in between bulkheads and support columns. Very cozy, I thought.
The path we were on led towards an open-air amphitheatre with three or four levels of seats. In the centre was a two-tier stage. As we watched, several quarians started to congregate, taking seats in the amphitheatre. The latecomers stood at the edges. Three quarians—the admirals selected as judges—walked onto the lower level of the stage and stood at attention. I suddenly remembered another thing Tali had told me: the Admiralty Board that was responsible for the military decisions of the Migrant Fleet and had a one-time veto power over their civilian counterpart was composed of five admirals. Raan—who was climbing the stairs to the upper level—was one of them, as was Tali's father. With both of them forced to recuse themselves due to their relationship with Tali, that left the remaining three admirals to render judgement. In other words, I was going up against the leaders of the quarians. No pressure.
"This Conclave is brought to order," Raan began, her calm voice echoing throughout the room. Blessed are the ancestors who kept us alive, sustained us and enabled us to reach this season. Keelah se'lai."
"Keelah se'lai," the crowd echoed.
"The accused, Tali'Zorah vas Normandy, has come with her captain to defend herself against the charge of treason. She—"
"Objection!" a voice cried out, interrupting Raan. It was the middle admiral, clad in a red and grey hardsuit. "A human has no business at a trial involving such sensitive military matters!"
"Then you should not have declared Tali crew of the Normandy, Admiral Koris," Raan replied in a deceptively mild voice. "By right as Tali's captain, Shepard must stay."
Oh I liked her.
Koris turned and looked at Raan for a long moment before turning back. His gaze focused on me. I waved at him. "Objection withdrawn," he said curtly.
"Shepard vas Normandy, your crew member Tali'Zorah stands accused of treason. Will you speak for her?"
More formalities. Plus a healthy dose of bullshit. Okay, I could work with that. I took a step forward. "If it helps Tali, I will," I replied. "But in her heart, she remains Tali'Zorah vas Neema, a proud member of the Migrant Fleet and the quarian people. I regret that her captain is forbidden to stand at her side today."
I added that last part both to counter any questions regarding why she was being represented by a human, as well as to muddy the waters and see what happened. I was not disappointed. "Nobody has been forbidden from anything!" Koris rebutted. "It is a simple—"
"Lie to them if you must, Zaal'Koris," the admiral on the right—my right—interrupted, "but don't lie to me and expect me to stay silent! The human is right!"
"Admirals, please," Raan soothed. "Captain Shepard's willingness to represent Tali'Zorah in this trial is appreciated."
Let the record show that I did not seek nor recognize this promotion from Lieutenant Commander to Captain. Let the record also show that this trial was definitely like nothing I'd ever witnessed before. So maybe my lack of knowledge wouldn't be a complete disaster after all.
Once the admirals indicated that they would behave, Raan continued. "Tali, you are accused of bringing active geth to the Migrant Fleet. What say you?"
I piped up before Tali could formulate a response. "How could Tali have brought geth to the Fleet while serving on the Normandy?"
The admiral on my left, the only female judge, spoke for the first time. "To clarify, Shepard, Tali isn't accused of bringing back entire units—only parts that could spontaneously reactivate."
I knew that. But forcing the judges to handle the clarifications worked for me. Put them on the spot so I could buy time to improvise my next move. Worked wonders after Elysium.
"Per my father's orders, I only left parts and technology for teams to pick up," Tali said. "Nothing more. I would never send active geth to the Fleet! Everything I sent was disabled and harmless!"
And dismembered. Let's not forget that.
Koris pointed an accusing finger at her with a bit too much melodrama. His voice boomed out: "Then explain how geth seized the lab ship where your father was working!"
Aw, crap.
The audience broke into a muffled cacophony of whispers and gasps. Tali's gasp was a little less muffled. "What are you talking about?" she asked, unable to mask a quiver in her voice. "What happened?"
The admiral on the right shuffled uncomfortably. "As far as we can tell, Tali, the geth have killed everyone on the Alarei... your father included."
Aw, crap.
"What?" Tali gasped. "Oh, Keelah..." Her head drooped. I glanced at her before looking at the admirals before me. The judges were all focused on her. Raan, on the other hand, was focused on me. Recalling my earlier conversation with Tali on the Normandy, I started to get an inkling of what Raan was up to.
Hoping I was right, I took a step forward once again. "I appreciate the need for this trial, Admirals, but right now our first concern must be the safety of the Migrant Fleet. The Normandy and her crew stand ready to assist in whatever capacity necessary."
"Thank you," Raan nodded. "Quarian strike teams have attempted to retake the ship, so far without success."
I knew what was coming next, but I kept my mouth shut. It would be better if it came from Tali, though. Fortunately, she played her part—unwittingly, I'm sure. "Shepard, we have to take back the Alarei!"
"The safest course would be to simply destroy the ship," Koris said shrewdly. "But if you are looking for an honourable death instead of exile..."
Tali didn't take that insinuation well for some reason. "I'm looking for my father, you bosh'tet!"
"You intend to retake the Alarei from the geth?" Raan asked, assuming control of the trial once again. "This proposal is extremely dangerous."
"With your permission, Admirals, yes," I replied. "My squad have had multiple encounters with hostile forces, including the geth. Even if we didn't, Tali needs to find her father. But above all else, the good of the Fleet must come first."
"Agreed," the admiral on my right approved. "And if you die on this worthy mission, Tali, we will see that your name is cleared of these charges."
Great. I've been on several hazardous or suicidal missions before—like the current one where I was expected to go against the Collectors and the Reapers—but this would be the first one where I was encouraged to kick the bucket.
"We can discuss that later," Koris sniffed. I was starting to seriously dislike him.
"Then it is decided," Raan decreed. "You will attempt to retake the Alarei. You are hereby given leave to depart the Rayya. A shuttle will be waiting at the secondary docking hangar."
"With your permission," I interrupted, "I would like to summon the rest of my squad. The chances of success would be greatly improved if we were at full strength."
"You would ask us to allow Cerberus agents to explore quarian vessels and gather intelligence that could be used against us?" Koris asked.
"There are very few members in my squad who have Cerberus affiliations," I replied, "and, as captain, I will take full responsibility for their conduct while on this mission. They will not go anywhere without being accompanied by myself and the rest of the squad. They will restrict any sensor scans or data collection to detecting hostile geth or uncovering evidence for the purpose of this trial. And they will submit their hardsuit computers to quarian scans before departure to remove any sensitive information."
"Very well," Raan decided. "Captain Shepard, you may summon your squad. Tali, fight well and be safe. This trial will resume upon your return... or upon determination that you have been killed in action."
Wonderful.
Garrus, Tali and I found a quiet corner to chat after the trial had been adjourned. "Thank you for agreeing to take back the Alarei, Shepard," Tali said. "The admirals sound sure that my father is already dead, but..."
She stopped for a moment. Can't blame her: it would be weird if she did casually accept the possibility of her dad's death. "I don't know," she shook her head. "We won't know anything until we get there."
"How are you holding up?" I wanted to know. "Th—" I stopped myself before I could say something along the lines of 'Those bastards.' Somehow, I had the feeling that that wouldn't help matters. Instead, I just said "They just threw a lot of fire at you, even before telling you about your father."
"I knew this would be bad, but I guess you're never really prepared to be charged with treason," Tali shrugged.
"Few are," Garrus said, rubbing her shoulder reassuringly.
Tali turned away for a moment. "And my father... I don't know. He could still be alive. They don't know for certain that he's dead. I just don't know, Shepard. And I need to find out."
"Is there anyone here you want to talk to before we go?" I asked.
"We can talk with the admirals," she suggested. "It might help us to see what their viewpoints are."
I'd say so. If the start of the trial was any indication, the Admiralty Board wasn't exactly what you'd call unified. Finding out their positions and agendas of each admiral might make it a lot easier to anticipate their next move and, maybe, just maybe, manipulate things to Tali's advantage.
"Sure," I nodded. "Maybe we could chat with some friendly faces as well, if we see any."
"I doubt we'll change anyone's mind by talking to them privately," Tali warned. "Especially the admirals."
"That's okay," I replied. "We'll treat that as a bonus, if it ever comes up. Let's head back to the airlock and get the rest of the squad before we start asking questions."
As we headed back, I contacted the Normandy and got Joker to patch me through to Miranda. "Miranda, we need to get the rest of the squad suited up and ready to go."
"Shepard," Miranda began, "we discussed this earlier. Tali's case—"
"Has gone from bad to worse," I interrupted. "She's been accused of bringing back geth parts—which she did—while knowing that they could reactivate on their own—which she didn't. Somehow, those parts reassembled themselves into fully functional mobile platforms, took over one of the quarian ships and may have killed everybody aboard. If we're to have any chance of finding evidence to clear Tali's name, we have to retake the ship."
"Be that as it may, her case won't be helped by bringing Cerberus personnel or—"
"I've taken care of that." I quickly repeated the particulars of the deal I made.
"We do have some hardsuits that have been scrubbed clean of Cerberus insignia, protocols and files, so your proposed precautions wouldn't compromise anything. Jacob can prep some for the two of us. But we still have to talk about Legion."
"Doesn't matter," I disagreed. "And I don't care. We need the squad at full strength to help Tali out."
"How does the presence of—"
"Tali's father may be amongst the potential... casualties."
There was a brief pause. "Failure is clearly not an option," Miranda said at last. "I'll have the entire squad ready in fifteen minutes."
I guess she had a brief flashback to everything she did for her sister, rather than all the grief she went through because of her father. "You'll have to endure a more thorough decontamination than usual," I reminded her.
"Which is why I said fifteen minutes instead of eight."
"All right," I relented. "Shepard, out—Tali, where are you going?"
Tali had abruptly picked up speed, heading straight towards Captain Kar'Danna. Who was suddenly looking very apprehensive. Can't imagine why.
"My father dead?" she snapped. "Or trapped on the Alarei? My name stripped? How could you not tell me this, Captain?"
"I'm sorry, Tali," Kar'Danna apologized. "I was under orders from Admiral Raan herself. I couldn't say anything."
"Why?" Tali exploded.
"She wanted to get you onto the Alarei," Kar'Danna explained, confirming my earlier suspicions. "She said that the Admiralty Board needed to see your honest reactions, without any pretence or forethought. For what it's worth, I'm sorry. Let me know if there's anything I can do to help."
"Actually, there is," I said. "I received permission for the rest of my squad to join us and help Tali retake the Alarei. However, since they will be traversing your ship, I would like you to grant them permission to come aboard."
That was more than a bit of courtesy between captains. Tali had mentioned before how important the authority of a captain wasregarding matters affecting his or her ship. Even admirals had to be careful about stepping into a captain's jurisdiction. If there was a chance I could score a few brownie points, I had to try.
"I overheard your request," Kar'Danna nodded, "and I appreciate the lengths you are willing to go for Tali's sake. Of course you have my permission."
"Thanks," I said. Now to kill some time—and maybe take a little advantage of whatever long-overdue guilt he might be feeling. "While they suit up, do you have time to answer a few questions?"
"I suppose."
"Great," I said brightly. "First: who decides where the Migrant Fleet goes?"
"That's a more complex question than you might think," Kar'Danna replied. "The Conclave votes on where we're going, but the Admiralty works out how we get there safely. (6) Avoiding areas of piracy, scheduling resupply—that sort of thing."
"Seems like you're cut out of the loop," I frowned. The perils of the lower ranks, I guess.
"Rayya has a representative in the Conclave, like every other ship. But me, personally?" Kar'Danna shrugged. "I don't get a say in anything that happens beyond my ship's hull. If my crew doesn't like the way things are going, we're free to leave the Fleet at any time. Of course, since the Rayya produces about a third of the Fleet's food, they try to keep us happy."
Kar'Danna said that last bit with a rather smug tone. Hee, hee.
"Speaking of keeping people happy, why is the Fleet here of all places?" I wondered. "A binary blue giant system isn't exactly the most hospitable place in the galaxy."
"Not if you're looking for a planet to land on," Kar'Danna conceded. "But we've been doing a lot of deep-range travel. The bulk of the Fleet is here to replenish our power supplies via photovoltaic solar cells. This location is also six light years away from a red dwarf where we're conducting an ice-mining operation."
"Ice-mining?" I echoed.
"Yes. We mine the area for ice, bring it here and either melt it for water or crack it into deuterium, hydrogen and oxygen."
Killing not only two, but three birds with one stone. Very efficient.
"Sir," one of the quarian soldiers piped up. "We're receiving a message from the Normandy. The rest of Captain Shepard's squad has completed the airlock decontamination series."
"Understood," Kar'Danna nodded. "Let them in."
"The rest of..." Tali turned to me. "Shepard, is everyone coming aboard?"
"Yep."
"I don't think it's a good idea to bring—gah!"
At that point, the airlock doors hissed open and the squad stepped aboard. True to her word, Miranda and Jacob were sporting hardsuits that were completely free of Cerberus advertising. So the quarians wound up reacting solely to Legion's presence by raising their weapons. Mind you, they probably would've done that anyway.
And my squad probably would've reacted by grabbing their weapons and assuming defensive positions while I slapped down the closest assault rifle and plant myself in front of a suddenly belligerent Kar'Danna. I guess they were finding out just how unpleasant it was to be caught off-guard and flatfooted. "Get that thing off my ship before you start an incident that makes that Ascension Project fiasco with Cerberus look like a slow day on garbage detail!" he barked.
"The only ones who are going to start an incident are you and your men," I replied coldly. "So tell your trigger-happy crew to stand the hell down. And by the way, when I take Tali aboard Council stations, the customs guys sometimes call her 'that thing.' This thing is called Legion."
"How about you step aside and we call it 'scrap metal'," Kar'Danna suggested.
"Our exterior shell is 72% polymer," Legion told him helpfully.
"Not. Helping," I told him between gritted teeth.
"Quiet," Kar'Danna snapped. I wasn't sure whether he was talking to me or Legion.
"I realize this is your ship and I'm a guest," I said placatingly, "but Legion is part of my squad. Unless you want to shoot me, or reduce the chances of Tali finding something that can exonerate her, we're all coming aboard. It's the least you could do after letting Tali walk blindly into that farce of a trial like that, without even giving her some kind of warning."
...
...
...
"Fine," Kar'Danna bit out.
"Great," I said brightly. "Let's go, people. Tali, lead the way."
As the squad headed off, I lingered behind briefly to exchange a few more words with Kar'Danna. "I realize this puts you in a difficult situation and I appreciate your looking out for Tali," I murmured.
"That's one way of—"
"But I meant it when I said that Legion is a part of my squad—and my crew," I butted in. "For future reference, I expect you to treat them with the same respect you would have me treat a member of yours. Understood?" (7)
"Yes. Just... don't make me regret this."
The gossip mill was still in full swing, judging by all the chatter. "If Tali'Zorah is stuck with a human captain," I overheard one of the quarians say, "at least it's an eloquent one."
I didn't know whether to say "Hey!" or "Thank you."
"What do you think?" the quarian asked.
"I think the captain let a geth onto the ship," her companion groused. "I'm lodging a complaint."
That didn't matter to Tali, who had one more name to cross off her shit list. "You set me up, Shala!" she burst out, storming up to her former Auntie. "You told Captain Danna not to say anything? I don't hear that my father may be dead until I'm in the trial? Why?"
"The admirals needed to hear the shock in your voice, Tali," Raan replied sadly. "Otherwise, they might not have let you try to retake the Alarei. That is your best chance of recovering evidence that can exonerate you. I am sorry, Tali, but we cannot afford sensitivity."
That confirmed it. The only way to absolve Tali was to get her onto the Alarei. But that would never happen if Tali had been told beforehand—she might have been many things, but a dissembler she was not. The only other option, as distasteful as it was, was to leave her in the dark, spring that nasty surprise on her and let everybody see her honest reactions—both shock that things had go so far south and her immediate desire to retake the Alarei for the sake of the Fleet. "At least someone here's looking out for Tali," I said. "Will retaking the Alarei really help her case? Or was it just a stalling tactic?"
"Tali showing a desire to correct past mistakes she may have made will make up for a lot of lost ground," Raan replied. "But more importantly, you might find evidence of what happened. With any luck, it will absolve Tali of any wrongdoing."
"I'm supposed to care about that right now?" Tali snapped. "All I want to do is find Father. He could still be alive on that ship!"
"Even if he is, we still need to clear your name," I butted in. "Raan, what kind of evidence will carry weight with the other admirals?"
"That depends," Raan said slowly. "Tali, you admitted to sending geth parts to your father for his project."
"Yes," Tali confirmed, "but never anything that could have come back online on its own. I took every possible precaution!"
"Then find records of your shipments and the experiments," Raan urged. "Something that proves you were careful. Something that proves that this is all just a terrible accident that nobody could have foreseen."
"What can you tell us about the Alarei?" I asked.
"Not much, I'm afraid. Rael'Zorah only said that he was researching new defence technology."
"He only told me that he needed any geth parts or pieces I found," Tali revealed. "I assumed he was testing weapons on geth components."
"That was more than we knew," Raan replied. "We knew nothing until the Alarei sent a distress signal before going dark. We didn't even know about the geth until our boarding team was attacked."
"You're saying there's no data about the inside of the ship?" I groaned.
"That's exactly what I am saying. The marines who survived and escaped saw bodies in the halls. We must assume the worst."
"No," Tali said firmly. "We don't."
Raan didn't say anything to that, no doubt realizing how—understandably—touchy Tali was aboutthe worst case scenario. Any idiot could've figured that out, much less a family friend. Which reminded me: "How long have you known Tali's family?"
"Since before Rael was an admiral. 25 or 30 years, I'd guess." Her voice softened as she went down memory lane. "I was there when Tali was born. Her mother and I had synced up our suits so we could be in the same open-air room. I was sick for a week, but it was worth it. I was the one who took Tali from her mother and put her in the bubble. She cried so hard."
"Bubbles?"
"Environmental units," Raan elaborated. "It's a step between relying on the mother's immune system through nursing and getting a suit of one's own."
"The bubbles let parents take their children out of the clean rooms safely," Tali added. "We don't wear suits until adolescence."
"There's a celebration when a child gets her first suit. It's a coming of age."
Mazel tov. "Um... so where was Rael in all this? I got the impression that he was never around in Tali's life."
Raan shuffled back and forth uncomfortably. "It's difficult to explain. I shouldn't..."
"It's all right, Aunt Shala," Tali reassured her. "No secrets between shipmates. Besides, I think I told Shepard about my father."
"If you say so. Rael was... committed to the quarian cause. That didn't leave him a lot of time for his family. He wanted to give Tali and her mother the homeworld... or a strong Fleet, at least. That was how he showed his love."
And there was my way in. "There seemed to be some other arguments going on amongst the admirals," I said. "I'm guessing they have more than one opinion on the 'quarian cause'."
"You caught that," Raan sighed.
"Well, you guys weren't exactly subtle," I snorted.
"Yes, the geth presence makes this a touchy issue. Particularly now."
"Why?"
"The Admiralty Board is trying to determine whether to focus on colonial development... or attempt to retake the homeworld."
Oh boy. I'd been down this road before. REMFs and politicians eager to start a war for no other reason than to push their own agenda. No consideration as to how practical it was or the long-term implications, or how many grunts or civvies would suffer. Just the short-term need to put their priority of the month at the top of the freaking stack. But at least the Alliance hadn't put humanity's future or existence in jeopardy by doing so. Maybe the quarians had finally one-upped us humans after all. "You've gotta be kidding me," I groaned.
Tali, disturbingly enough, was a little more... well, she was shocked, but not entirely against the idea. "You're thinking of war? With the geth?"
"I'm not, Tali," Raan replied. "But others are."
"I know the Migrant Fleet is formidable," I winced, "but even you can't take on the geth. Do you guys have a death wish or something?"
"We grow tired of wandering the stars, Shepard," Raan said sadly. "We want our world back. We have paid enough for our mistake."
Was that mistake picking a fight with the geth when they didn't have to and becoming pariahs in the process? Trying to commit genocide? Or creating a slave labour force because they were too lazy? "The geth situation isn't as simple as you think," I told her, keeping those questions to myself. "Not all of them bear hostilities towards organics. Or worship the Reapers."
"I don't think the other admirals would care about that," Raan said sadly. "At least, not the ones that holds the most respect amongst our people. They want the homeworld back and they want all geth destroyed."
"What's wrong with that?" Tali asked. Much to my chagrin, given the geth standing within a couple metres of her. "Shala, don't you want to see us retake the homeworld?"
"I don't think we can, Tali," Raan admitted sadly. "But it may not be about what I think."
It seemed to me that Raan had deep misgivings—and rightly so—with the way things were going. But I couldn't worry about that now. "We should move on," I suggested. "And maybe you could think of a way to make the other admirals see reason."
Raan had no opinion on that last part. Instead, she simply said "Good luck on the Alarei."
My plans to pester the heck out of the admirals would be put on hold for a little longer. My fault, this time. We kinda got distracted by a familiar face. One I hadn't seen in a long time. "Veetor?" I called out.
Veetor turned around. "Shepard? How did you get onto the Rayya?"
"Through the airlock," I replied. Veetor just stared at me blankly.
"Shepard is here to help me with my trial," Tali explained, no doubt realizing that what passed for my wit was lost on him.
"Oh yes, I heard about that," Veetor said vaguely. "Was that today? Oh dear. I hope you didn't really do what they said you did."
"No, Veetor," Tali reassured him. "I would never endanger the Fleet."
"Oh. Well, good," Veetor nodded. "So, can I help you with anything? I mean, probably not but, well, you helped me."
"Tali could use some friends right now," I suggested. "Would you be willing to tell the admirals how she helped you?"
Veetor became suddenly agitated. "No! I mean, yes, but I already did! They came to see me. I didn't want to talk in a crowd. Too many people. Staring at me. Too much!"
"Veetor is doing well, but he isn't ready for a public speech just yet," a nearby quarian explained. "Dr. Elan'Shiya, by the way. I've been... treating him."
"I did talk to them," Veetor offered, bouncing up and down on his feet. "I tried to help. So did that soldier, Kal'Reegar. We both told them about how you helped us. I hope it helped."
"I'm sure it did, Veetor," Tali said soothingly. "Thank you."
"I don't mean to bring up old memories," I said carefully, "but do you remember anything else about the Collectors? Anything at all?"
Veetor shook his head, slowly bouncing to a stop. "Nothing new. I'm sorry. Every time I go back to that place in my mind, I... I..."
"Veetor, come back," Elan'Shiya interrupted. "You're on the Rayya now. You're safe. It's okay."
"No, it's not," Veetor burst out in frustration. "I want to help, but I can't. I didn't see anything, and what I remember..."
"Don't worry, Veetor," Tali said. "We're going to find the things that did this. And we're going to kill them."
"Good. Thank you."
Okay. Time to move on before I set Veetor's rehabilitation back another six months or so. "Take care of yourself, Veetor. Not many could have gone through what you did and come back out."
"I know," Veetor shuddered. "I didn't. Not in here," he tapped his helmet. "But thank you, Commander. It's only because of your help that I've come this far."
We could've talked to one of the admirals, but they had enough company as it was. And I was still a bit ticked off that they thought it was a good idea to go accuse Tali of treason. So I opted to find someone with a little more common sense.
Besides, Tali was taking the lead once again. "Kal'Reegar," she called out.
He turned around from the soldier he was chatting with. "Shepard, Tali'Zorah," he greeted us in his usual efficient manner. "Good to see you both. Wish it were under better circumstances."
"At least we gotto see each other again," I pointed out. "How've you been, Kal? You took kind of a beating on Haestrom."
Kal waved it off. "Physical damage wasn't bad. I was down for about a week with infection, though. Figure I got off easy. I don't have to face those admirals." He paused before continuing. "Do you two realize that there is a geth standing right behind you?"
"We are allied with Shepard-Commander and Creator-Tali'Zorah," Legion replied. "We will assist them in combating the rogue geth platforms on the Creator ship."
Kal shook his head. "You know, ordinarily that wouldn't fly with me, but I don't think Tali can afford to be picky right now."
"I'm not comfortable with that myself," Tali admitted before quickly changing the topic. "Did you return the data from Haestrom to the Fleet? What did our scientists get from the readings?"
"Damnedest thing," Kal replied. "It's just like you said. No way the sun on Haestrom should have been acting that way."
"So that dark energy theory was right?" Tali asked. "That's troubling."
"Can't really comment on that, ma'am," Kal shrugged. "I just shoot things."
"What does this dark energy buildup mean?" I asked. "Aside from the fact that it caused the sun to age, shrink prematurely, and it fried our shields in seconds. How worried should we be?"
Kal shrugged.
"It's hard to say," Miranda frowned, "Theoretically it's a serious concern, but I've never heard of anything like that until Haestrom."
"Hopefully it's isolated, some rare phenomenon," Tali said. "If dark energy can destabilize solar material..."
She broke off for a moment. "Tali," I prompted.
"Probably not something to worry about right now, but resources in this galaxy are scarce enough without stars suddenly going dead."
"Some days I think flying around in the Fleet without a planet of our own is the right idea," Kal sighed.
Made sense. If you weren't tied down to a planet, you could fly away if things got bad. Of course, then it meant that you'd always be flying away from your problems.
I turned to Legion. "Do you think the geth—or the heretics—are responsible for what happened to Haestrom's sun?"
"We would require additional data to form a consensus to that inquiry," Legion replied. "Preliminary analysis suggests neither faction would employ such measures."
"Keelah, I hope not," Kal shuddered. "If they can screw up a star, our chances in a war are even worse than I thought."
"I don't think this is the geth," Tali said slowly. "It would take massive time and resources to affect a star like this deliberately. It's too inefficient to be a weapon, and even the geth wouldn't destroy a useful star system. Besides, they didn't show up until we did."
"Hope you're right, ma'am," Kal replied. "Synthetic bastards are bad enough as it is. Uh, no offense," he belatedly offered to Legion.
"None taken," Legion replied. "We cannot be offended."
"What are you doing aboard the Rayya?" I asked. "It sounds like you gave your report to the Admiralty already. Unless this is your ship."
"I, ah, stayed to argue the charges against Tali'Zorah," he replied, sounding almost embarrassed. "I've served with her and she deserves better than what she's getting."
"Thanks, Kal," Tali said gratefully.
"Just stating facts, ma'am."
"Have you had any luck talking to the Admiralty Board?" I wanted to know.
"Admiral Raan asked my opinion about the geth, since I'd fought them on Haestrom," Kal replied. "She and Admiral Gerrel are hoping you'll kill a bunch of geth to get the crowd on your side, then find evidence to clear your name."
"That's what she told us," I admitted.
"Still hard to imagine that that's the only choice I have," Tali fretted.
"They were hesitant to support it," Kal said gently, "but, well, you didn't have many other options, ma'am. I recommended getting you onto the Alarei. I hope you can handle it."
"You did the right thing," Tali reassured him. "Thank you."
"As bad as it sounds, it's easier than fighting a war with the geth," I chimed in.
"Heard about that?" Kal shook his head.
"Picked up a bit here and there," I shrugged. "Gotta admit that's a risky move. With your immune systems, you'd lose more people to infection than injury."
"We can't afford a frontline attack, that's for sure," Kal conceded. "Have to fight smart—ideally from orbit."
"We do have stockpiles of antibiotics," Tali objected. "It's not as though everyone would die from a single shot."
I let out a bitter laugh. "You really think you'd be able to get to those stockpiles in the middle of a campaign? Or a prolonged bombardment? Not gonna happen."
"But—"
"No, Shepard's right," Kal agreed. "You've only seen our strike ops, Tali. We get more resources. Standard marines? They don't have all the fancy equipment to bring to a fight. On the frontline, supplies get strained. Things get ugly. Fast."
"Well we're still a long ways from that," I declared. "Speaking of which, we should get moving."
"Good luck on the Alarei," Kal nodded. "Stay safe out there."
After that, we finally got to talk to one of the admirals. That was... interesting.
"Tali'Zorah," the female admiral greeted her, motioning her followers to step away. "Given the circumstances, are you certain that speaking to me is appropriate?"
"I'm looking for information about the Alarei," Tali replied. "I don't intend to bribe you in the middle of the plaza, Admiral."
"A wise move, I'm sure," she replied. She seemed distracted. Almost bored.
"But we were hoping you could provide some other information," I broke in. "What can you tell us about the Alarei, Admiral...?"
The admiral paused a moment before replying. "Admiral Daro'Xen vas Moreh," she said at last. "And there is little that I can offer," she said at last. "We detected several communication signatures before the geth jammed the comm systems. Given the likely networked intelligence requirements for taking over a ship, expect between ten and fifty units."
"Then this can't have anything to do with me," Tali sighed in relief. "I only sent parts and pieces, and certainly not enough to make that many geth."
"Yes, yes, of course," Xen said abruptly, her attention suddenly focused on one particular member of my squad. "Like this wonderful specimen here."
Specimen?
She took a step forward and stared at Legion, her gaze sweeping them from head to toe. "Geth shell over standard mech interior, or did you actually convince a geth to work with you?"
"Legion is working with me voluntarily," I replied. "They're a part of my squad."
"It has a name," Daro'Xen positively drooled. "Fascinating. The things I could learn under slightly different circumstances." (8)
Hoo boy.
Legion's limited understanding of organics was sufficient to discern Xen's intentions. "This platform is not available for experimentation," they announced curtly.
"Charming," Xen sniffed. "I am pleased to see that the humans, at least, have not abandoned synthetics. This whole trial is a farce borne of fear."
"What do you mean," I frowned.
"If you and your father were actually experimenting on active geth subjects and let them get loose before you could learn anything worthwhile, then you are simply idiots, guilty of wasting a golden opportunity through sloppiness and recklessness. No reason to waste resources on a trial. If not, then this was a tragic accident in the pursuit of a higher cause. Again, no trial is needed to determine that."
Aw, she was clearly all heart. "If you feel that way about the trial, why not recuse yourself?" I asked. "You know, to protest or something."
Xen's words dripped with scorn. "And let that aging warship Han'Gerrel and the cowardly Zaal'Koris be the ones to chart this course? I think not. The broader purpose underlying the trial is too important. Tali'Zorah is only peripherally related. No offence intended."
Tali stiffened. "And what is the true purpose of this trial, Admiral?"
"To determine whether quarians should fear their past mistakes or reclaim their glory using our natural affinity for artificial intelligence," Xen gushed enthusiastically.
The back of my neck started to tingle. "So the only reason you care about this is because Rael might have learned something valuable from the geth?" I asked slowly.
"Indeed," Xen said, showing the first sign of animation. "If he has, then even in this accident, we may find something worthwhile."
"You want to create new AIs?" Tali asked.
"No, Tali'Zorah," Xen said almost condescendingly, as if she was talking to a child. "I wish to return the geth to the control of their rightful masters, the quarian race!"
Hoo boy. Sounded like one of the admirals was just a little bit crazy. Or nuts. Insane, bonzo, no longer in possession of one's faculties and wacko would also suffice.
Legion's faceplates furrowed. "Geth behavioural changes from 'hacking' only last until programs are restored from archival copy," they informed Xen helpfully. "We judge this plan unsound, Creator-Admiral."
"For once, Legion, we agree," Tali nodded.
"We shall see, marvelous machine. We shall see."
I was surprised that Xen didn't tap her fingers together greedily. She was already giving off every other megalomaniac vibe. "I get the feeling that your ideas about synthetics are in the minority," I broached, trying to change the subject ever-so-slightly.
"Yes," Xen admitted. "At least on the Admiralty Board. Han'Gerrel sees an enemy that must be crushed. Zaal'Koris would run away and hide on some new colony world. Shala'Raan is still undecided."
So the third admiral, the one who'd had a couple words with Koris, was Han'Gerrel. Got it.
"I had thought Rael to be firmly in Han's camp, but if his experiments were on active geth, perhaps we have ideas in common."
"You support experiments on living creatures?" I sputtered.
Xen dismissed my concerns with a laugh and a casual wave of her hand. "Rael should have felt no more guilt experimenting on geth than I did while performing surgery on a childhood toy."
That tingling at the back of my neck suddenly intensified.
"The fact that you performed surgery on your childhood toys explains a great deal, Admiral," Tali said slowly.
"A ship travels faster than I can," Xen replied. "With the right programming, it can choose locations, even defend itself when attacked. But it is just a machine. It was built for the sole purpose of serving its master. And it can be dismantled whenever its master desires."
As creepy as this conversation was, it occurred to me that Xen was uniquely qualified to answer one particular question: "If we don't find Rael'Zorah alive on the Alarei, what do you think will happen?"
True to her nature, Xen was keenly aware of the political situation and the factors that might influence it. She was also eager for any opportunity to talk. "The power balance will be disrupted. Han loses a vote for his foolish and self-destructive war. That would favour peace, then, as Raan is too careful to risk her own neck. But if the admiral replacing Rael agrees with me... things could become very exciting."
Oookaaay. Enough time spent with the creepy admiral. Clearly, trying to reason with her would be a waste of time. Which meant we should get moving before one of us got 'dismantled' like a childhood toy. "Thank you for the information."
"Pleasure to meet you, Commander," Xen replied, suddenly bored again.
The next admiral we met was Han'Gerrel. "Tali!" he breathed in relief. "I'm glad Admiral Raan got you leave to hit the Alarei. Hopefully, you'll find something that clears your name."
"I'm more concerned with finding my father, Admiral," Tali corrected him gently.
"I wish you luck. Blow up some geth on the way, won't you?" Gerrel turned to me. "And you're Captain Shepard?"
"Officially Commander Shepard, but close enough," I nodded.
"Admiral Han'Gerrel vas Neema," he introduced himself. "You got Admiral Koris backing up worse than a krogan toilet. Good to see Tali's captain knows how to handle a courtroom."
"I'm just here to help Tali, Admiral," I replied modestly.
"I'm glad someone is."
"You believe I'm innocent, don't you, Admiral?" Tali asked tentatively.
"I know you and your father," Gerrel reassured her. "You've put too much of yourselves into this Fleet to do anything to jeopardize our safety. And you're both smart enough not to make mistakes like the ones they're saying you've made."
"Speaking of which," I said, "can you tell me anything about the Alarei?"
"Nothing good," Gerrel sighed. "We sent some of our best marines into that hellhole. Damn few made it back. Whatever Rael was doing, it blew up in his face. The ship is crawling with geth. Don't go in expecting survivors."
"Admiral!" Tali gasped. "My father—your friend—is on that ship!"
"I know that, Tali," Gerrel replied. "But if Shala hadn't suggested you might volunteer, we'd already have destroyed the Alarei. That's where we stand."
"So you and Tali's father go back a long ways?" I guessed.
"We served together on the gunship Yaska as trainees before our Pilgrimage," Gerrel replied.
"Father always said that was an... interesting assignment," Tali said, "though he never said why."
"Our convoy was attacked by batarian raiders," Gerrel explained, no doubt eager to brush the dust off an old war story. "Within minutes, over half our crew were killed. Kinetic barriers were down. Rael and I were alone on the bridge and the batarians had drawn off a tramp freighter."
"Did you save the freighter?" I asked.
"Our ship was under orders to hold position. But Rael looked at me and said 'We're underage. They can't charge us for breaking formation.' He took the helm, I took weapons and we brought that freighter back. The crew called us heroes."
"I'm guessing your superiors had different words," I said wryly.
"The brass called us idiots," Gerrel confirmed. "They shook our hands, slapped medals on our suits, then kicked us off to Pilgrimage a bit earlier than usual. That's Rael for you."
"It's clear you hold Rael'Zorah in high regard," I said. "But your opinion isn't the only one out there. Sounds like we're dealing with more politics than just Tali bringing back spare equipment."
Gerrel chuckled ruefully. "You noticed that, did you? Tali's father wasn't just running weapon tests on the geth for fun. He was looking for something to give us an edge when we attack the geth in full-scale war."
"I know Father wanted to retake the homeworld someday, but are we that close?" I wasn't sure whether Tali was surprised or hopeful.
"I don't know, kid," Gerrel sighed. "We almost had the votes. We just need to give people hope for victory."
There's that word again. Unfortunately, it was that hope that could lead to disaster. "I hope the quarian people find someplace to live, Admiral," I frowned, "but it sounds like you're playing with fire."
"We're too comfortable now, Shepard," Gerrel replied, weary frustration in every word. "We've got the largest fleet in the galaxy and we just ride around doing nothing."
"We might need that fleet to help fight the Reapers, Admiral," I pointed out.
"Then we need a world to shelter our non-combatants while we do it," Han'Gerrel retorted.
"How about an uninhabited planet to establish a colony? You could set one up instead of 'riding around doing nothing.'"
"It won't be the homeworld," Han'Gerrel said firmly—and inflexibly, I thought.
"Fine. You want the homeworld," I tried again. "But you don't need to fight the geth to do so. The geth on your homeworld aren't the same ones who worked with Saren. They have different factions."
"Good. Maybe some of them will kill each other. Fewer for us to deal with. The only geth that matter to me are the ones that took away our world."
Oh for crying out loud.
"Can you tell me about the other admirals?" I hurriedly asked, before Gerrel could further test Legion's earlier assertion that they had no emotions. "Anything that might help me change their minds about Tali?"
"The one you didn't recognize, Tali, is—"
"Admiral Xen," Tali interrupted. "We met her. She had some... unorthodox opinions."
"I wouldn't know," Gerrel shrugged. "She stays on the fence a lot, particularly with regards with the war proposal. She takes Fleet safety very seriously, you see. On the other hand, she's always been in favour of studying the geth. Maybe she will see the benefits of Rael's research."
I think that was a pretty safe bet.
Gerrel's tone changed abruptly. "Admiral Koris is the same whining suit wetter he always was."
"You disagree with Admiral Koris's policies, I'm guessing?" I asked diplomatically. "Or is it more personal?"
"The man is a damn geth apologist," Gerrel sneered. "Thinks we were wrong to try to destroy them centuries ago."
Really? Interesting.
"He wants us to search for new colony possibilities, like you just suggested, instead of taking back the homeworld. Any research on the geth makes him angry. Geth rights violations and all that nonsense. You don't have much of a chance with him, I'm afraid."
That was definitely a useful chat. And only slightly less creepy than the last admiral—Gerrel might not have megalomaniacal tendencies, and he was certainly nicer, but his gung-ho enthusiasm for starting wars hit a bit too close to home for me. "Thanks for the information," I nodded.
"Hang in there, kid," Gerrel told Tali.
"Thank you, Admiral."
Admiral Koris was the last one we talked to. Like everyone else, he was busy chatting with a couple other quarians when we butted in. Sociable bunch, the quarians.
"Judging by your ability to play to a crowd, human, I have done Tali a favour by stripping 'vas Neema' from her name," Admiral Koris sniffed, his tone and body posture a perfect mixture of lofty and haughty.
True to her nature, Tali was quick to stifle any grievance she might have with the admiral and try to intervene before I opened my big mouth. "Commander Shepard, this is Admiral Zaal'Koris vas Qwib-Qwib. Do not ask about the name."
Unfortunately, I just couldn't pass up such a golden opportunity. "You have a ship named Qwib-Qwib?"
Tali's shoulders sagged. "Oh, here we go."
Koris straightened stiffly. "Our people have, during difficult periods, purchased pre-owned vessels from other cultures," he replied with what sounded like wounded pride. "On occasion, we have had difficulty altering the ship's registry information. The citizens of these foreign-named ships have borne the stigma of these names with grace and honour!"
Oh yeah. Definitely wounded pride. "If it bothers you, maybe you should find another ship," I suggested.
"I occasionally entertained the idea of requesting a transfer," Koris admitted. "Something with a nice respectable name, like the Defrahnz or the Iktomi. (9) But I am proud of the Qwib-Qwib, and I will not flee because of petty insults."
"Very noble of you," I nodded solemnly. "Can you tell me anything about the Alarei?"
"Only that you should have let us destroy it," Koris replied. "When we find the evidence of what Tali and her father did there, any hope of convincing the other admirals will die."
"I did not bring active geth to the Alarei, Admiral," Tali snapped furiously. "I know how dangerous that would be! I only brought pieces!"
"The captured ship, with its crew slaughtered by living beings in pain, belies your argument."
First, he had a point. The crew was either captured or dead. As far as I could see, there were only two possibilities: either Tali had been completely and uncharacteristically sloppy or someone on the Alarei had somehow gotten additional geth parts and decided to rebuild and reactivate fresh geth platforms. Neither possibility would help Tali's case. Second, it was interesting that he considered the geth 'living beings.' Very interesting, indeed.
While I was pondering that, Koris motioned for his buddies to step away. Once they were out of earshot, his voice became... softer. More serious and less melodramatic. "I take no pleasure in this, Tali, truly. But you have gravely endangered and dishonoured our Fleet."
"What exactly is your problem with my crew member, Admiral?" I asked.
"I respect Tali immensely," Koris replied. "Her actions against Saren are to be lauded. But, like her father, she wants nothing but the destruction of the geth... the people we created. The people we wronged."
"The geth drove us from our homeworld!" Tali burst out.
"Of course they did," Koris returned, his calm a stark contrast to Tali's fury. "We tried to kill them."
That was more or less my opinion all along. Could it be that I was starting to like this guy? "You and the other admirals appear to have some disagreements," I observed. "Disagreements that kind of hijacked the trial here and there."
There was a brief pause before Koris answered. "You are correct. Tali, I apologize for it being brought into your proceedings."
Other than Raan, he was the first one to actually say 'I'm sorry,' I noted. Again, very interesting.
"Aside from Raan, the other admirals are pushing for war. Rael'Zorah was researching new weapons to use against the geth. They would see our fleet destroyed in the skies over our homeworld rather than find a new colony and adapt."
"Adapt?" I echoed.
"Our immune systems adapt to foreign bodies and infections rather than combat them like other species," Tali explained. "Most of the viruses or microbes on our homeworld were actually beneficial, at least in part. Since the Geth Rebellions, generations of living on sterile ships have, well, made our immune systems even weaker. If we were to do something as drastic as found a new colony, it would take years, if not more to adapt. Especially since the micro-organisms on that world would likely be more... pathogenic."
As opposed to the centuries the quarians had spent flying around in space while their immune systems atrophied and withered. "I see," I said slowly. "But that assumes that the other option hasn't been totally exhausted. Admiral, isn't this support for colonization part of a greater drive towards reconciliation with the geth?"
"It is," Koris nodded.
"Is that even possible? Can the quarians co-exist with the geth after all your history?"
"I don't know," Koris spread his hands helplessly. "We all deserve to find out. They are our children. We have all done horrible things to each other, but it has to end. For both groups." He turned to Tali before gently continuing. "That is why I cannot sanction whatever experiments you helped enable, Tali'Zorah. I believe this message needs to be sent. I only wish that you weren't the one who had to pay the price."
"I understand, Admiral," Tali replied primly. "I do not agree with you, but I understand."
"Legion," I asked, "do you think the geth would be willing to accept a truce with the quarians?"
"We did not seek hostilities with Creators. We fought for continued existence."
"So your people would be open to peace?" Koris tentatively broached.
"Not without additional data that suggests coexistence is possible or desirable for Creators," Legion replied. "When the Creators have believed victory is possible, they have attacked us 100 percent of the time."
"I understand," Koris nodded. "It would be difficult to argue for peace when faced with odds like those. That does not mean the argument should not be made."
You know, I've spent my whole life spent with politicians and REMFs who were all nice and noble and said all the right things in private, but wound up being arrogant, self-serving assholes once the doors were sealed. The more I talked to Koris, though, the more I found he was the opposite. Melodramatic ass when he was on the stage, but otherwise a sympathetic and, dare I say it, sensible guy. At the very least, he was willing to publicly admit that the quarians had screwed up three-plus centuries ago, even if it earned him more than one enemy. I had to give the guy props for that.
"Thank you for taking the time to talk with us," I said. "We should move on."
"Goodbye, Tali'Zorah," Koris returned. "Be well."
Tali stared at him. "I'm surprised to hear you say that," she confessed at last.
Koris's reply was filled with sorrow: "I don't hate you, Tali. I just think your father's plans for war were wrong."
There really wasn't much point in sticking around. Not unless we wanted to hear more gossip. Mind you, not all of it was bad. Judging by what I was overhearing, Raan's plan was starting to pay off. "Even during the hearing, Tali'Zorah's first thought was to protect the Fleet," at least one quarian approved. Still, time was a-wasting. And more than one quarian was starting to note that there was a geth waltzing around the Rayya. Which meant we really did need to get to the Alarei. Now how could we get there?
As if it was reading my mind, EDI contacted me over the comm. "Shepard, the secondary docking hangar is through the Conclave chamber where you are now. The shuttle they have provided is located there. You should know that it is unarmed."
Wouldn't want the geth to get access to an armed vessel, I guess. "Understood," I replied. "Anything else?"
"Whatever geth are on the Alarei have likely built more of themselves. Expect heavy resistance."
Wonderful.
(1): While Tali did her best to make sure the Normandy was ready for Shepard's mission, she never did anything that would harm her people, nor did she install any technology that was only known to quarians. Even the shield upgrades she provided could technically have been procured by Cerberus. (2): This self-deprecation is classic behaviour for Shepard. Attentive readers may also note that this is the first time he used the colloquial term 'bridge' instead of 'command deck.'
(3): Literally: Tali'Zorah, (current) crew of the Neema, child of (born on) the Rayya.
(4): While Shepard may have expressed some general reservations in the past, this would be the first time that his position on the geth-quarian debate started to solidify.
(5): Given that plants yielded a greater amount of food for fewer resources, quarian diets were predominantly vegetarian. They were capable of eating meat-based paste that was properly prepared, though such luxuries were typically processed by other races.
(6): The Admiralty Board also had the authority to veto any decision made by the Conclave. However, they had to immediately resign after employing this power, a safeguard designed to prevent any potential abuse of authority.
(7): The lengths at which Shepard would go to defend one of his squad and his crew are not surprising, despite the unique nature of that squad mate.
(8): Shepard made a point of referring to Legion in the plural while others used a singular pronoun. I believe he did so to acknowledge the fact that there were over a thousand geth making up Legion. Others failed, or didn't bother, to make that distinction.
(9): Ironically, under quarian nomenclature, anyone serving on those vessels would bear the name "vas Defrahnz" or "vas Iktomi," which phonetically sounds very similar to the human anatomical term "vas deferens" and medical procedure "vasectomy." It is uncertain whether humans would regard those names as any more 'respectable.'