Zaal

Zaal knocked on the door, crossing his arms and dropping his weight to one hip. The two Alliance guards stationed outside watched him, and he swore he felt the bigotry rolling off of them. He sniffed, holding his head high. Well, whether they liked it or not, Zaal was cleared to visit Shepard.

The door opened, and he dropped his arms, righting himself and nodding his head. "Lieutenant Vega."

"Admiral, come on in." Vega stepped back out of the way, holding his arm out to usher Zaal inside. "Good timing, she seems to be in a pretty decent mood right now."

"Wonderful." Zaal stepped inside, spotting Shepard sitting on a couch watching a vidscreen, some human programming playing with the volume turned down low. She turned her head to look at him, blinked once, and then turned her attention back to the vidscreen. Admittedly, it stung a little for her to be so dismissive of his presence, but he'd been warned of just such a possibility.

Vega crossed the room to crouch down in front of Shepard, his hand resting on the couch next to her. He kept his voice too low for Zaal to hear, but it was obvious he'd said something to the woman. She reached over, putting her palm against the marine's face for a moment and nodded her head. Zaal blinked, surprised by the act of familiarity.

The lieutenant stood again, moving to turn off the vidscreen before walking back over to Zaal. "Do you want me to stick around or give you two some privacy?"

Zaal cleared his throat, clasping his hands behind his back. "I would prefer to have a moment alone with her if that is acceptable."

"Alright, but fair warning, if she gets upset, she might lash out. And, she seems to want to touch everyone she sees, the doc said it helps anchor her." Vega glanced over his shoulder again. "I'll be in my room, right over there." He pointed at a closed door. "Holler if you need anything." Turning, he retreated to his room, the door closing again behind him.

Zaal turned his attention back to Shepard who watched him, curiosity, perhaps, on her face. "Shepard, it's good to see you again." Gesturing at the couch, he asked, "May I sit with you?"

Her gaze shifted, looking down at the couch next to her before looking at him again and blinking once. "Okay."

Smiling, he moved to take a seat next to her, sitting at an angle to better face her. "How are you?"

She shrugged but then said, "We don't like being on the Citadel."

We. Ah, yes. Lieutenant Vega told Zaal of the odd development in the way Shepard started referring to herself after the death of her pilot. Such a dreadful thing, the loss of a loved one. He couldn't say he held it together much better than Shepard after he lost his wife and child. Those were dark times, indeed. With her service record and what little he'd learned of her personal history, she'd lost far more.

"I'm sorry to hear that." He hummed, turning a little more toward her. "I thought you might like to hear the latest news of Rannoch."

She blinked again and then narrowed her eyes, studying his mask, "We saw your face on Rannoch."

Heat crept over his face, and he let out a soft chuckle. "Yes, I remember. You watched as I experimented with the ha'thana—ah, the musical instrument we found in the ruins. I've brought it with me," he said, gesturing to the bag slung over his shoulder. "I've been practicing."

She seemed confused for a moment. "We never saw your face before."

"Well, no …. Do you …" he said and then cleared his throat, "… would it help if you were to see my face now?" He let out a nervous titter, surprising himself with the offer. "Lieutenant Vega mentioned that you've been struggling with—that is to say, you might find it more—"

"Yes." She blinked, voice carrying no indication she understood the weight of the matter or at least no sign she cared.

Taking a deep breath, he activated his antibiotic dispenser. Geth programs stayed uploaded to his suit around the clock, and they did wonders to boost his immune system, but the antibiotics were still necessary, particularly while away from Rannoch. He gave himself a moment to let the antibiotics circulate before settling his hand on his mask and popped the seals. Slipping the mask away, he brought it down to his lap before lifting his gaze to hers. She smiled, something in her eyes seeming to solidify for a moment, reminding him of the spirited woman he'd first met. He grinned, finding it odd how pleased he felt to see that spark in her eyes, but then it faded, leaving behind the almost passive look of vague, general curiosity. Her hand reached for his face, and he pulled back, eyes widening with the flash of horror sweeping through him.

She winced, retracting her hand and shoving it down into her lap. "We're sorry." Agitation and confusion contorted her face into a grimace. "We weren't trying to hurt you."

He cleared his throat, pulling in a deep breath to steady his nerves. "No, Shepard. I'm sorry. Lieutenant Vega did warn me you might want to touch me, I just didn't consider …." He pulled his shoulders back, putting steel in his spine and tilted his head a little in acquiescence. "If you would like, if it makes things easier for you, I believe between the geth programs and the antibiotics, my immune system can handle a few moments of contact without too much complaint."

She lifted her hand again, and he held his breath, staying very, very still. Her palm pressed to his cheek, soft skin hot as fire, and a flood of emotions slammed into him. It'd been so long since he'd felt the touch of another unhindered by his suit. He closed his eyes, swallowing against the pain and grief, against the hope and euphoria. Tears welled up, squeezing past his closed lids, sliding down his face to meet her hand.

"You're crying," she said, her voice barely more than a whisper.

He forced a smile on his face and opened his eyes, meeting her gaze. "I'm afraid it's a bit overwhelming. This isn't something a quarian experiences all too often. In my case, not since my wife died twenty cycles ago."

He felt … safer, for countless reasons, with his mask firmly back in place, and thankfully, Shepard remained complacent. He'd spent a few minutes playing the ha'thana for her since his mask was off anyway, and even though his skill with the instrument still demanded far more practice, it seemed to please her to hear. Currently, she sat next to him, hands pinned between her knees as she leaned over, looking at the pictures of Rannoch on his omni-tool.

"What is this?" She brought a hand up to point at the lower, left corner of the image.

Zooming in on the construct, he said, "It's a soil purification system of geth design." He chuckled and shook his head. "Regrettably, I don't entirely understand how it works myself—other than to say it attracts harmful chemical compounds, pulling them directly from the soil." He glanced at her. "It seems to be working quite well. Do you remember Ket'yah?"

It took her a bit longer to answer than expected, but when she did, she simply said, "We remember."

Zaal smiled, changing the image on his omni-tool's screen. "This is Ket'yah now." He watched her as she looked over the settlement, letting her reach across him to move the composite image on the screen of his omni-tool. "It's nearly completely rebuilt, and it's already being resettled. We have quarian and geth reconstruction teams moving on to other nearby settlements which are still near enough to water sources to be worth rebuilding."

Seeming to lose interest in the pictures, Shepard brought her hand back to her lap, gaze drifting off, staring at a shelf across the room. After a few seconds of silence, she looked back at him. "What about the other admirals?"

He sat back, lifting a leg to rest an ankle on the opposite knee. "Shala'Raan has been spending more time on Rannoch, but she continues to move back and forth between the planet and the Migrant Fleet. She has been slowly winning over more of the civilians, however, Han'Gerrel and Daro'Xen remain … recalcitrant." He sighed. "I'm afraid without a fifth admiral to help tip the balance, there is only so much Shala'Raan and I can do to convince them working with the geth is the best choice."

"Tali," she said, turning sideways and pulling her legs up on the couch, resting her back on the arm.

"Tali?" He shook his head a little. "What about Tali?"

Shepard blinked at him a few times before saying, "You're supposed to make her an admiral."

He caught himself before he laughed, not wishing to be rude. It wasn't that he thought Tali'Zorah to be incompetent, but she was truthfully barely more than a child; Rael'Zorah's child at that. "I … I agree that Tali'Zorah has made a significant contribution to our people by helping to forge an alliance with the geth and get our people home, but I'm not sure—"

"The reapers are coming." She pressed her lips into a grim, thin line and shook her head. "Tali needs to be made an admiral."

"I suppose she does know more about the reapers than the rest of us thanks to her time spent with you." He drummed his fingers on his knee, pondering the implications for a moment. "However, I don't have the authority to make such a call on my own, Shepard."

"Thank you for meeting with me, Councilors." Zaal dipped his head, tucking his hands behind his back. "And for giving me the courtesy of a private audience."

Anderson straightened, lifting his chin. "The Council is happy to hear the quarians have found a way to reclaim Rannoch without provoking a war, Admiral."

"However, it doesn't change the fact that the geth's creation and existence go against Council law, which as you well know is why the quarian people no longer have an embassy on the Citadel." Valern shifted, shoving his hands into the arms of his robe. "I fail to see how the quarians returning to Rannoch—and forging an alliance with illegal AIs—should change anything about the quarians' relationship with the Council."

Quentius flared his mandibles and turned his head to look at the salarian councilor. "We don't even know why he's here, yet, Valern."

"Quentius is right," Tevos said, threading her fingers together in front of her, "we should at least hear what he has to say before making any judgments."

Anderson brought a fist to his mouth and cleared his throat. "What can we do for you, Admiral?"

"You can tell me what it is you're keeping from the public about the reapers." Zaal shifted his weight back and crossed his arms. "And don't bother telling me the reapers are geth constructs. We all know that they are not, and Commander Shepard remains quite adamant that they are, indeed, still coming."

"You've been to see Shepard?" Tevos' brows raised.

"I have, and what of it?" He raised his brows, too, though he doubted the asari knew enough to read a quarian behind their mask.

Tevos gave him a patronizing smile. "Then you well know that Shepard isn't exactly of a sound mind right now, Admiral."

Scoffing, he waved a hand. "She was of perfectly sound mind when she saved the Council from Saren and Sovereign, despite your constant insistence that Saren wasn't a traitor and your attempts to downplay Sovereign's significance in the matter." He shifted his weight, tucking his hands behind his back again. "The quarians may no longer be welcomed as a part of the galactic community, Councilor," he said with a sniff, "but it hardly means we are oblivious to what is going on in the galaxy around us."

"Of course," Tevos said, giving him another one of those smiles. "The Council hasn't forgotten the service of our Spectre nor the countless lives she saved that day, including our own."

Anderson scoffed, drawing raised brows and shocked looks from the other members of the Council. "Can we stop with this nonsense, please?" He glanced down at his feet and shook his head. "The Council has done nothing but stand in Shepard's way at every turn. For God's sake, you've only just stopped hunting her down for charges of treason!"

"Councilor Anderson, I hardly think—" Valern said, cutting off when Anderson sliced his hand through the air.

"No!" Anderson took a deep breath. "Enough of this." He turned to Zaal. "Yes, Admiral, the reapers are real and they are coming. For the love of God, do whatever you can to prepare your people for an invasion, because I'm done standing here pretending like we have a handle on things when we don't." He turned back to the rest of the Council. "We don't. We don't have a handle on any of this, and we all know it. The clock is running out, and we still don't have a solid plan on how to face this threat. Meanwhile, you're too busy trying to run interference on the one person who does know what we're about to face when we should be listening to everything she has to tell us—whether or not she's 'of sound mind' right now."

Tevos shifted around, clearly uncomfortable as she looked everywhere but at Anderson or Zaal.

"Thank you, Councilor." Zaal took a deep breath. "What do we know?"

Quentius fluttered his mandibles, glancing at Tevos and Valern before looking at Anderson and nodding. He turned his attention to Zaal and said, "We know that the reapers are a race of sentient AIs."

"According to Shepard … and the evidence she's brought in, the reapers have been acting on a fifty thousand years long cycle in which they harvest the most advanced of the species, leaving more primitive races alone." Valern took a deep breath, holding it a moment before he let it back out. "She discovered a species we have never encountered before hidden beneath the ocean's depths of 2181 Despoina, a species she claims is responsible for the creation of the reapers."

"Apparently," Tevos said, finally meeting Zaal's gaze again, "they were an apex race, ruling over all others by force. They didn't identify themselves, but Shepard's reports refer to them as 'leviathans.' The reapers were made in their image."

"An apt name." Finally getting answers, Zaal relaxed a little. "If they were such an imposing species, why have we never encountered them before?"

"The leviathan's created an AI, they referred to it as 'the Intelligence', because they thought it could provide them with a way to keep other species from creating AIs … it seems they saw a pattern of AIs turning on their creators …." Anderson trailed off, glancing down at the floor for a moment. "Anyway, the AI ended up turning on them, slaughtering most of the leviathans to create the first reapers." He waved his hand in a small circle. "They implement the DNA of the host race into the body of the reaper somehow. Shepard and her team witnessed part of this process on the collector base, they were in the process of using humans to build a new reaper before the base was destroyed. The few leviathans who managed to escape remained hidden, kept their numbers low."

"They have refused Shepard's request for assistance in defeating their own creations, preferring to remain hidden as a means of self-preservation." Quentius flared his mandibles. "There is, of course, some concern that if we win the war, the leviathans will seize the opportunity to assert themselves as galactic rulers once more. They appear quite formidable, possessing mind-control capabilities and somehow are able to achieve space-flight without ships."

"I suggest we send the admiral a full report," Anderson said, looking at the other councilors, "as well as the leaders of every other species. It's time we warn the galaxy."

"I don't care about your petty squabbles!" Zaal slapped his hands down on the table in the boardroom of the Tonbay, glaring at Han'Gerrel and Daro'Xen. "Join us on Rannoch or not, the choice is yours, but I'll not hear any more about the geth as enemies or as mere tools. We have far bigger things to worry about. You've read the Council's reports, and quite frankly, I for one am terrified."

"Admiral Koris is right," Shala'Raan said, leaning her hip against the table, "we need to be concerned with how to defend our people and help the rest of the galaxy." She shook her head. "We've all heard Tali'Zorah talk about the things she has seen and heard about the reapers while working with Shepard. If the Council is finally willing to admit to these truths, then we, too, should take this seriously."

"Which brings me to my next point." Zaal took a deep breath, preparing himself for the inevitable backlash and bickering. "We have gone too long without a fifth admiral, and we are too divided as we stand. I want to put forth Tali'Zorah for consideration as a replacement for her father."

Han'Gerrel sniffed. "Of course you do, she's every bit as sympathetic to the geth now as you are. Rael'Zorah might have used insane methods, but at least he understood the geth are not our allies."

Zaal sighed and shook his head. "Han'Gerrel, this isn't about the geth. The simple fact of the matter is, of the quarians, Tali'Zorah knows the reapers best. She has dealt with them and worked closely with Commander Shepard. She can help us to better prepare for the invasion."

"It's a fair point," Daro'Xen said, surprising him. "She's a bright young woman, and her familiarity with the geth very well may work in our favor, too. Clearly, our differences of opinion on how the geth should be handled remains a point of contention, but more access to the geth's technological advances, at the very least, can only help the quarians. Perhaps I can learn to work with the geth, for the time being at least, to develop weaponry and defenses."

Zaal held his breath for a moment, wondering if perhaps he'd misheard or even hallucinated Daro'Xen's response. Clearing his throat a little, he seized the moment. "I'm sure between Tali'Zorah and myself, something could be negotiated with the geth. The geth have been fighting the reapers as well, they also have knowledge we can use … if we work together."

Daro'Xen smiled and it felt like an infection slithering through his system. "Don't get too excited, Zaal'Koris. My opinion on the geth themselves hasn't changed, but I can see now is not the time to push for our rightful control over the geth." She shrugged. "I have no problem with making Tali'Zorah an admiral."

When everyone in the room turned to look at Han'Gerrel, the admiral let out a frustrated growl and threw his hands up in the air. "Fine, make Tali'Zorah an admiral. We'll focus on the reapers and pray to our ancestors that while we're all busy with our backs turned the geth don't take the chance to rise up against us once again!"

"Tali'Zorah, please, come inside." Zaal gestured into the boardroom. He felt bad, Tali'Zorah had only just returned to Rannoch and there he was calling her back aboard the Tonbay. "Thank you for joining us."

Tali'Zorah looked around the room, wringing her hands for a moment before shoving them down to her sides. "Of course, but what's this about? Why have you called me here?"

Zaal chuckled, putting his hand on her back and guiding her further inside the room so the door would close behind them, affording the Admiralty Board a modicum of privacy. "Relax, Tali'Zorah, I assure you this is a good thing."

She glanced over her shoulder at him, skepticism clear in the narrowing of her eyes. "If you say so."

"I do." Zaal let her go, stepping away to join the other admirals on the other side of the table. "Tali'Zorah vas Neema, the Admiralty Board has unanimously voted to offer you a position among our ranks, should you choose to accept."

"You want to make me an admiral?" she asked, eyes widening.

"Yes, Tali," Shala'Raan said. "And with good reason. The Council has provided us with a full report on the reapers, and if our people are to survive this war, we need you to help lead us. You've worked with Shepard, you know more about the reapers than any other quarian."

"You have a working relationship with the geth as well." Daro'Xen crossed her arms. "You can help to forge further agreements between the quarians and the geth, and if I am to work on developing technology to help us fight these reapers, then I need access to geth technology."

"Will you join us?" Zaal asked, leaning forward to press his palms into the table.

"Keelah, how did you convince the Council to admit the reapers are real?" Tali moved closer to the table, her voice taking on an excited edge. "Those bosh'tets have been denying it since the beginning! Shepard said they really did believe her but didn't want the rest of the galaxy to know, they said it'd cause too much panic." She looked at Zaal. "Does Shepard know about this?"

"I met with the Council after seeing her, so no, not unless someone else has already told her." Zaal shook his head. "I'm sure she'll learn of it soon enough, however. The Council didn't just give me a full report but are sending one to leaders across the galaxy."

"This … this changes everything. I need to call James." Tali'Zorah started to turn as if to leave but then stopped and turned back, embarrassment filling her voice when she said, "Oh, sorry. Yes, Admiral. If all of you think I will be able to help, then yes, I will join the Admiralty Board."

"The geth were given the opportunity to upgrade themselves with superior coding from the AI on the Normandy." Lia'Vael slid her arm through Legion's, and Zaal could tell it was something she did without thought, something she'd simply habituated to with the platform. She took a deep breath. "They have put off integrating this code because they fear such an action will jeopardize the peace they have made with us. I think it's only fair that if we're going to ask them to make further agreements with the Admiralty Board, they should be able to use this code without fear of reprisal. And, it will benefit both of our peoples."

"The geth do not fear, Creator Vael." The plates surrounding Legion's optics fluttered. "Although, we are now aware the originator of the new code has begun to develop emotions and we anticipate the probability the geth will as well once the new code has been fully integrated."

Zaal knew of the Normandy's AI, though he wasn't told about EDI until after the return to Rannoch. It was regrettable, he would've liked the opportunity to converse with EDI, but he understood Shepard's desire to keep the AIs existence a secret while dealing with the Admiralty Board. Had things not gone as she'd hoped, he couldn't deny the possibility that his fellow admirals would've felt insulted or worse, threatened by EDI, and quite possibly acted rashly with the Normandy in the midst of the Flotilla.

"What precisely will this new code do for the geth?" Shala'Raan crossed her arms, wariness creeping into her voice.

"The geth will achieve true intelligence," Legion said.

"As well as independence and unique personalities, they will become individuals, no longer merely part of a consensus," Tali'Zorah cleared her throat. "Shepard and I have discussed this before, though I wasn't aware EDI provided the geth with access to her coding."

"EDI temporarily established a connection with the Geth Consensus while the Normandy was on Rannoch. The geth believed an exchange of information and ideas between the Enhanced Defense Intelligence and the geth would be beneficial to both the geth and EDI." Legion shifted, the iris of his optics opening and closing as he looked at each of the admirals. "Shepard-Commander allowed for such transactions aboard the Normandy between the programs within this platform and EDI in the past and approved of an exchange of information within designated parameters when EDI arrived on Rannoch."

"What were the parameters?" Zaal raised an eyebrow, his curiosity piqued by the human's behavior once again.

Legion's head swung around to look at Zaal, optic plates fluttering. "Priority was given to the protection of the privacy of the Normandy's crew, the safety of the Normandy, and any classified information of the Systems Alliance and the Council."

"So, the geth want our word that upgrading yourselves won't spark quarian aggression, and in exchange, the geth will work with Admiral Daro'Xen to develop weapons and defense for use against the reapers?" Shala'Raan asked.

Legion turned his head to look at her. "Yes."

"Thank you, Legion," Tali'Zorah smiled at the geth. "Will you give us a moment to speak alone?"

"Yes." Legion turned and walked away, Lia right beside him.

Zaal sucked in a deep, satisfying breath and said, "Han'Gerrel will have a fit."

"Daro'Xen won't like it much either," Tali'Zorah muttered. "It'll make it harder for her to dominate the geth later."

"Which is precisely why we should encourage them to use the code, among other reasons, of course." Zaal dropped his weight back, crossing his arms.

"It will also make it easier for them to win should another war break out between quarians and geth." Shala'Raan shook her head, holding up a hand. "I'm not saying I want a war between us, Keelah, I pray there is never any need for such actions, but we mustn't overlook the possibility of future aggression."

"Maybe," Tali said and looked down at the ground for a moment. "But you asked me to join the Admiralty Board because I have a better understanding of the reapers … and I think, if we hope to stand a chance against the reapers, this galaxy needs every advantage we can possibly get. Upgrading the geth will make them a stronger force against the reapers. If we lose the war against the reapers, there will be no one left alive—geth or quarian—for there to be a war between our people ever again."

"A sobering thought, indeed, Tali." Shala'Raan sucked in a deep breath. "Okay, we will work together to convince Daro'Xen and Han'Gerrel. Agreed?"

"Agreed," Zaal said with a nod.

"Agreed," said Tali'Zorah.