Shepard's team returned to the police station, data in tow. As they entered the building, Shepard spotted Detective Anaya sitting at her desk, her leg bouncing anxiously.
Once the Asari spotted the party, Shepard saw a wave of relief wash over her face. "Tell me you have the name of that ship."
Shepard raised the datapad in her hand. "Right here."
Anaya sighed. "Thank the goddess. I'll go get your Justicar."
As Shepard gazed around the precinct, she noticed that the atmosphere there was noticeably more relaxed. It seemed that Anaya wasn't the only one nervous about detaining Samara.
A minute passed, and the detective reappeared, Samara close behind. Samara's dispassionate eyes settled on Shepard. "Commander. I'm told you have fulfilled your promise."
Shepard nodded, and extended the datapad to Samara.
The Justicar gently took the datapad, and read and re-read the information contained on it, before turning her gaze back to Shepard. "Thank you Commander. Now I shall fulfill my end of the bargain."
Samara dropped to one knee, bowing before Shepard, then spoke solemnly. "I pledge myself to you and your cause Commander Shepard. Your enemies are my enemies, your will, my will. I shall serve you until my oath is fulfilled." The air around Samara shuddered as Biotic energy swirled around her, and Samara stood.
"I'm glad to have you aboard Samara." Shepard said as she extended her hand.
Samara gazed at it for a moment, before extending her own. "As am I, Commander. But a word of warning. If you order me to do anything dishonorable, I will have to kill you after my oath is complete."
Shepard thought back to when Kara threatened Shepard to stay on the straight and narrow when she became a Spectre. "If that ever happens, you'll have to get in line." Shepard said, looking at Kara, who simply grunted.
Shepard informed Anaya that she should send some officers to scoop up what was left of the Eclipse, and her team made their way back to the Normandy, their business on Illium concluded.
The Illusive Man brought a glass full of whiskey to his lips, allowing the liquid to slowly seep past his lips as he kept his gaze on the holographic projection of Shepard. "I've heard that your mission to recruit Samara was a success. Good."
"Yeah, so what now?"
"That depends on Kara. The only way we're going to be able to hit them, is by finding out where they're operating from. The ship she captured is our only lead."
"I've already asked her once, but I'll see if she has something now."
"For all our sakes, I hope she does."
Shepard deactivated the com-link to Jack Harper, and called Kara. "Hey, can you and Rocket come up to the conference room?"
"We're on our way. Call the rest of the team while you're at it."
"Got something to share with the class?" Shepard asked, intrigued.
"A few things, actually."
Kara entered the conference room, and walked to the table, standing between Garrus and Tali. The latter of whom seemed incredibly anxious for some reason. Kara pushed the observation aside, and focused on the briefing. "As most of you already know, my battlegroup engaged a Collector vessel on Horizon some time ago. Since then, my team has been able to learn a few things that will prove invaluable." Kara tapped a command into the holographic display built into the conference table, and connected it to her Ancilla before continuing her briefing.
"Firstly, we conducted numerous tests on the Collector weapons we recovered, and have found a way to increase our shields' efficacy against their weaponry." The table whirred, and it displayed a hologram of the arthropod-like creature they'd encountered on Horizon. "A glancing shot from that creature nearly depleted my shields, and likely would have killed the rest of you if it had fired upon you. But thanks to our research, Rocket and my shields will be significantly more effective against Collector weaponry. We've also tested ways to improve the rest of your shields, and were successful. With Mordin's help, Serina and I should be able to apply these improvements to your equipment within the hour." Mordin nodded, eager to have more work to do.
"How effective are these upgrades?" Jacob asked.
"Your shields will be able to withstand half a dozen more rounds from standard Collector weapons. And they are now capable of surviving a glancing shot from their heavier weapons as well. But standard rules still apply. Stick to cover, or hide behind me."
Samara looked at Kara, bemused. "Is it common for your comrades to use you as cover?"
Garrus leaned forward. "More often than you think."
Serina picked up where Kara left off. "We couldn't get any intel from the Collector ship itself, because the crew had already wiped all useful data. But after performing autopsies and dissections on deceased crew members we made a few interesting discoveries. The Collectors are genetically and cybernetically altered Protheans, who-"
"Wait!" Miranda barked. "Did you just say the Collectors are Prothean?"
Serina glared at Miranda, annoyed. "Who cares? As I was saying-"
"What do you mean "who cares"? What the Reapers have done to the Protheans-" Garrus interrupted.
"Isn't any different than what they've done to Humans." Serina said, growing increasingly irritated. "It's already been established by now that Reapers alter captured species to use as infantry. Now back to the important part, the Collectors have been cybernetically augmented, including portions of their brains. We couldn't get any intel from their ship, but they didn't, or couldn't erase the crew's memories, which means we were able to sift through said memories to find out where the Collector base is."
Serina snapped her fingers, and a holographic map of the Milky Way appeared. It showed the Omega relay, then zoomed out to show the destination. The Galactic core.
Miranda scoffed. "That can't be right."
"There's nothing there but black holes and exploding suns." Jacob added.
"And, a Collector base." Serina said authoritatively.
"I believe her." Shepard said. "But how do we get there?"
Rocket spoke up. "They use an IFF on approach to the Omega relay. It probably dumps anybody else way off course."
Mordin nodded. "Would explain why no-one has ever returned through Omega relay."
"Alright. Do you have their IFF?" Shepard asked.
Kara shook her head. "The Collectors destroyed theirs. If we want through the relay, we need to find another Reaper IFF."
"Couldn't your battlegroup just hit them?"
Kara shook her head. "We don't know where the safe zone is, or how large it is. I don't want to risk a blind jump. Besides, I wouldn't want the rest of you to feel like you don't contribute anything useful." Kara said sarcastically.
Garrus gave Kara a playful punch on her knee, and immediately regretted it, feeling like he'd just punched a steel wall. With Kara's briefing over, Shepard dismissed everyone, watching in amusement as Garrus muttered curses as he shook his hand.
Everyone filed out, except for Kara, Rocket and Tali. Shepard looked at them curiously. "Anything else?"
"I've nothing to add. But Tali looked like she had something to say." Kara said, looking at the Quarian expectantly.
"Tali?" Shepard asked.
Tali looked at Kara, then Shepard, and sighed, rubbing her hands anxiously. "Um… yeah. I… got a message from the Admiralty Board, and…" Tali trailed off.
"What is it?" Shepard asked warmly.
"I've been accused of treason." Tali said, her voice trembling with anxiety.
Shepard shook her head. "Bullshit. Nobody who knows you would ever accuse you of that Tali."
"Maybe, but they don't make accusations like this lightly, Shepard. I've been summoned to stand before the Admiralty Board… What is my father going to think?" Tali muttered.
"Well, let's go set them straight." Shepard growled.
"You mean- you're going to take me there?"
"Of course, you're my friend Tali. And I want to hear those assholes try to justify this."
Kara raised a hand. "Perhaps we should take my ship instead. The Normandy might raise some… concerns."
Shepard looked at Kara. "You really think the Quarians are going to be less frightened by one of your ships."
"My ships aren't flying Cerberus colors." Kara said matter of factly.
"Good point." Shepard muttered. "Alright, we'll take your ship."
After a few minutes, enough time for Tali, Shepard and Samara to get ready, the Dreadnought appeared before the Normandy. Joker shuddered. "I really don't like how that thing can just pop up anywhere."
"Just be grateful they're on our side."
"You be grateful. I'm gonna tremble in mortal terror." Joker muttered as Shepard made her way to the elevator.
As the shuttle approached one of the Dreadnought's hangar bays, Shepard couldn't shake the feeling of insignificance as the ship blotted out everything else. She could see gun batteries larger than the Normandy on the ship's hull. She could only hope the Reapers would feel that same sense of dread as the monster of a ship bore down on them.
The shuttle settled into a landing in the hangar, and Shepard slid the door open.
"Why is it so dark?" Tali asked as Shepard activated her helmet's lights.
"My species is blind, so having lights on a ship is unnecessary, and wasteful I had it refitted when Rocket joined the crew. The lights are built to suit his nocturnal nature."
Shepard huffed. "Your species isn't very accommodating for other species, is it?"
Kara snorted. "This is a military vessel that was initially intended to carry exclusively augmented Hunters. I didn't have a reason to make it accommodating for any other species. Outside of a few areas, of course. Follow me to the crew quarters, it will be better suited to your inferiority." Kara joked.
Shepard simply shook her head, and followed.
Once they arrived, Shepard was relieved to see that the crew quarters were indeed bright enough for her eyes not to strain themselves. "It will be a few minutes before we can jump again. Until then, make yourselves at home."
"Any areas off limits?" Shepard asked.
"If they're off limits, the door won't open."
"Fair enough." Shepard muttered. She angled towards the door directly in front of her. Tali and Samara both following close behind her.
After taking in the room, Shepard realized she had stepped into one of Artemis's quarters. Unlike Shepard's quarters, this room looked more like it belonged to a log cabin than the galaxy's most advanced warship. The floor, walls and ceiling were a comfortable, dark brown. The only light came from a warm, crackling fireplace to Shepard's left. In front of her was a massive bed, with neatly folded sheets, covered in patterns resembling flowers and animals, and tucked into the right corner of the room, was a slick black piano.
To Shepard's right, bathed in the fire's warm glow, was a display rack, resting upon which was a line of framed photos. They were all well above Shepard's head, intended to meet a Hunter's "eye-line", but Shepard could still make the pictures out well enough.
The center-most photo showed a short Hunter with fur as white as snow, and to her left, was a black man dressed in clothing reminiscent of the 19th century. Beneath the two of them were two young girls in dresses.
The three of them didn't hear Kara approaching, and the sudden, unexpected sound of her voice caused Shepard to flinch. "Wondering who's in the picture?"
Shepard's head snapped backwards. "Sorry for scaring you."
Shepard sighed. "I have no idea how you can manage to sneak up on anyone. But… yeah, who are they?" She asked, looking back at the photograph.
"The Hunter is me, before my augmentation. The handsome young man next to me was my first husband, Frederick. The child in front of me was my son, Samuel, and the other one is my daughter, Grace."
"Son? Oh… I thought they were both girls." Shepard said, slightly embarrassed.
"Because of the dress? At the time, boys and girls would wear dresses until they were about eight years old."
"This is your room?" Tali asked.
"It is. Cozy, isn't it?"
Samara gazed at Kara apologetically. "I apologize for intruding."
Kara shook her head. "You're not intruding. Like I said, if my room were off limits, you wouldn't have gotten inside."
Shepard tore her gaze away from the photograph. "You were married before?"
"A long time ago, before I enlisted. Frederick was the first man I married, Rocket was the second. I met Fred towards the end of 1818. He was a slave then, and me and my pack were roaming around the United States in a real John Brown fashion. After he was free, he insisted on staying with me and my pack to help free more slaves, and in 1821, we married."
"I wouldn't have thought of you as being so short Kara." Tali joked.
"What's that? You'll have to speak up, I can't hear you from down there." Kara retorted.
Shepard smirked, and her gaze shifted over the other photos. One showed Kara and her pack prior to their augmentation. They were holding what looked like 21st century Human firearms, and were posing in front of an armored vehicle.
Kara followed Shepard's gaze. "We took that sometime in 2028. We were deployed to dismantle Cartel's in South America."
Shepard turned her head, gazing at another photo. In this one, Kara was standing tall, her hands folded at the small of her back, her armor shiny and new, unlike the charred, battle-scarred suit she wore now. "I'd just finished training and taken my oath. When they handed me my armor, it was the most proud of myself I've ever felt."
Kara described the remainder of the photos in detail. One was a picture of her son Samuel, wearing a blue uniform, and holding a musket. According to Kara, he'd enlisted when the Union army allowed colored men into the army during the American Civil War.
The next was a photo of Grace, surrounded by her children and grandchildren, all smiling straight into the camera.
"What happened to them?" Shepard asked after a moment of trepidation.
"Samuel was killed in action during the civil war. I hadn't seen him in years by then. Frederick was the next to go. Old age, and the complications it brings with it. Grace was the last."
Tali was silent for a moment, then and then: "What about your grandchildren?"
"After Grace died, I… couldn't play Human any more. I said my goodbyes to all my remaining family, told them I loved them and was proud to call them family, then I left. I couldn't stand to watch anymore of them just... fade away. Some Hunters do that, they watch over every generation of their progeny, guiding them and whatnot, but I couldn't survive that."
Kara turned, and walked towards a door nestled in the back left corner of the room. She gestured for the others to follow, and they did.
They entered a room that looked like an art gallery. The walls were decorated with paintings that ranged from breathtaking landscape paintings, portraying glistening waterfalls amidst lush green valleys, and damp forests so lifelike Shepard could almost feel the cold mountain air on her skin, to portraits of abominations.
Shepard felt the hair on the back of her neck stand as her eyes settled on one such painting. The man, or what looked like a hellish, twisted caricature of a man, stared into her soul. Shepard could feel the anger radiating from the creature's cold, lifeless eyes. His face was mutilated so severely, it was barely recognizable as having belonged to a human. His jaw was horrifically disfigured, the flesh of his cheeks stretched beyond its breaking point, blood leaked from his open maw, and Shepard could hear the scream that was surely coming from the ghouls throat. The longer Shepard looked at the creature, the more her initial terror morphed into pure disgust.
She could almost smell the rotten stench of its skin, the sound of misshapen bones and muscle grinding and shifting as it stumbled towards her.
She shuddered, and looked away, before her eyes settled on another painting.
This one portrayed a crowd of indistinct, humanoid shapes. Shepard could make out arms, torsos and legs, but their faces were blurry, and indistinct.
Standing in the middle of this sea of blandness, was Rocket.
He looked different to Shepard. Younger. Angrier, lonely. As she observed him, she saw that he was looking back at her. Shepard found herself enraptured by his gaze. There was a spark of familiarity in his eyes as he looked at her, a feeling that he too, recognized her amidst a sea of strangers. She couldn't help but feel an overwhelming sense that he knew her.
"Penny for my thoughts?" Kara asked.
"What?" Shepard asked, escaping Rocket's gaze.
"I mean, would you like to know my inspiration for these?" Kara clarified.
"Sure." Shepard said, interested.
"All my paintings are of things that I've experienced over the course of my life. Places I've been, people I've met, monsters I've hunted. When I paint landscapes, I try to capture the sense of awe I feel, the feeling of serenity that washes over you as you stare across the valley. When I paint a person, I try to capture what I find fascinating about them. Take that painting of Rocket for example. Look at the painting as a whole, and tell me what you think I was feeling at the moment." Kara said enthusiastically.
Shepard took a step back, and looked again. The amorphous blobs were clearly people, but as Shepard looked at each individual blob, the more she saw that they were the same. Some were slightly different shades of gray, some where taller and some where shorter, but they were all dull. All except for Rocket. "It's about how you see Rocket. About how you couldn't really see anybody but him." Shepard said after several moments of contemplative silence.
Kara nodded. "People say not to judge books by their covers, and I understand why. But the truth is, you can tell a lot about people from just looking at them, if you know what to look for. The way they carry themselves, the way they stand, the way they look at the people around them, the way they walk, and talk. Most people can blend into a crowd effortlessly. They wear clothes and accessories they like. they all look and sound unique, to a degree, but in the end, they all just blend in. But not me. It doesn't matter what I do, or how hard I try, I can't hide the fact that I'm not one of them. I will always be the other. And so will Rocket. From the moment I saw him, I knew that on some level, we knew each other."
Samara looked at Kara. "But this is a portrait of the first time you saw him?"
"It is, but as I said, you can tell a lot about people from their appearances. Shepard, you were a Marine before you were a Spectre, but if you put on civilian clothes, it wouldn't change the way you carry yourself, and another soldier could spot that from a mile away. They wouldn't know your name, your history, they might not even be able to speak the same language, but they'd recognize you. That's what I saw in Rocket. Another person who was born into an alien world. Someone who was mocked, insulted and hated, not because of who he was, but because of what he was. I hadn't even spoken to him, but I already knew what so much of his life was like, because he couldn't blend in. Everyone else was just a faceless body in the crowd, but him? Him, I could see."
"Sounds like love at first sight." Tali said.
Kara grunted. "There's no such thing. Love is made up of so many emotions you can't get just from looking at someone. Trust, respect, admiration, devotion… I didn't love Rocket when I first met him, but I knew I wanted to know more about him."
Shepard thought back to Frederick. A black man in 1800s America. "So that's your type then? People society hates?"
"I don't know if a sample size of two is enough to establish a "type" but yes. I'm demi-sexual, so I didn't feel any sexual or romantic attraction to Frederick or Rocket when I first met them. I just wanted to know them. To understand them, and when I finally did, I loved them for it."
Samara gazed across the gallery. "Is artistic expression common among your kind?"
"Yes, but especially among members of the military. Art, regardless of medium, is a direct connection to the creator's mind. Everything you draw, write or sing is a manifestation of your thoughts and feelings. By encouraging soldiers to pursue artistic expression, it can help them with processing their experiences."
"So you can paint, and that piano in there is yours. Can you do anything else?"
"Singing and dancing too. But Rocket's the only person who'll ever hear that, and I don't dance without a partner. But it's fairly difficult to do the waltz with someone who's a third of your size, so I haven't done that in… centuries."
"You can really do all that?" Tali asked, somewhat in disbelief.
"I'm over 700 years old, that gives me plenty of time to learn new things." Kara responded.
Samara dipped her head in thought as Serina appeared. "The ship's charged, we're about to jump. You ladies want to see this?"
Tali followed behind Kara as they left her room, and approached a large arch.
"What's that?" Tali asked, intrigued.
"It's a gateway, a miniature version of the wormholes we use to travel." Kara answered as she pressed her hand against the wall on her right. The wall seemed to shudder at her touch.
A moment later, the air between the arches shuddered and distorted, and Shepard felt her skin tingle in response as a wormhole opened before her eyes. She stared at it in fascination, and realized she could see a faint image within the swirling energy, their destination.
Kara stepped through, followed shortly by Rocket. Shepard braced herself, sure that stepping through a hole in space and time would be uncomfortable, and walked through. She felt energy tickling her flesh, and her blonde hair felt as though it were being gently pulled by invisible fingers, but fell back into place as she reached the other side.
Satisfied that she didn't feel as though she were going to explode, Shepard turned around. "Come on through, it only feels a little weird." Samara and Tali stepped through, and Tali felt her hood pulled back as she stepped through. She took a moment to pull it back over her head, and joined everyone else.
"There won't be any lingering issues we'll have to worry about from that, are there?" Tali asked.
Rocket glanced at them out of the corner of his eye. "Nothin' too serious. Just some bowel issues, migraines, feelings of weakness, cancer, y'know."
Shepard stared at him. "Seriously?"
Rocket looked deadly serious for several moments, before a smirk broke out on his snout, and he started laughing. "Don't be horrible." Kara admonished lightly. "You'll be fine, we've had millions of years to work out the kinks."
"So where are we now?" Shepard asked.
"We've boarded a destroyer that was part of the escort fleet. We'll use this vessel to approach the Migrant Fleet. We'll arrive in the Valhallan Threshold system in a few seconds."
Kara placed a hand on one of the consoles in front of her after several seconds passed by. A sound reminiscent of a chime rang out, indicating the jump had been completed, and Shepard heard the voice of a Quarian comms officer over the ship's intercom. "Unknown vessel, identify yourself."
Kara turned to look at Tali. "This is Tali'Zorah Vas Neema requesting permission to board the Rayya."
Several moments passed, then: "Permission granted, Tali'Zorah. That's a fancy ship you're riding in on."
"You have no idea. I'd like a security and quarantine team to meet us, this ship isn't clean."
"Acknowledged. Welcome home, Tali'Zorah."
The team suited up, and stepped through another gateway, bringing them to the destroyers docking umbilical. Rocket spared a glance at Tali, and was amused by how poorly she hid her anxiety. It was easy to forget that in spite of the fact she'd been given command over a Quarian marine detachment, she was still incredibly young. As evidenced by the fact that even though she wore a full body suit, and was wearing a visor that hid her face, she couldn't stop fidgeting. It almost made him laugh, imagining her trying to play poker, or lie in general.
They walked through the umbilical, and reached the airlock, where they heard the voice of a Quarian over an intercom. "We'll have to perform a quick decontamination routine before you can come aboard, please stand by."
The hissing of the decontamination jets filled the air as thousands of droplets were sprayed onto the room's occupants, and it went on for nearly a full minute before they finally stopped.
"Decontamination complete, welcome aboard the Rayya."
Tali took point, and the rest of the team followed as she stepped through the doors that unlocked in front of them. On the other side was a single Quarian. One whom Tali immediately recognized. "Reegar!" She said excitedly, before remembering that she was supposed to be his commanding officer, and she took a moment to compose herself. "How are you doing?"
"Pretty well. Caught a minor infection, but that's almost cleared up entirely by now…" Reegar hesitated, before he continued. "I heard about the Admiralty Boards accusation ma'am. For what it's worth, I know you're innocent."
"Thanks, Reegar. It's good to know I've still got people on my side."
"Anyway, I probably shouldn't keep you any longer than I already have." Reegar said as he made way for Tali and her companions.
As they made their way to the hearing, Rocket could hear the hushed whispers of Quarian bystanders as they walked past them. Their reactions ranged from disbelief over the accusations, to others who wondered why they bothered having a trial in the first place. They came to a stop as another Quarian approached them, specifically Shepard. "Captain Shepard? I'm Captain Kar'Danna, and I'd like to welcome you aboard my ship. Tali told me a great deal about you. I'm grateful to you for your help, as the Captain of the vessel she serves on, your voice will carry weight."
Shepard nodded. "She's a good friend, I'm glad I could be there for her."
The Captain nodded, and continued. "Tali, you are accused of bringing active Geth to the fleet."
"That's impossible! I checked everything I sent!" Tali said in disbelief.
"I believe you Tali, I know you wouldn't make a mistake like that. I'm technically supposed to arrest you, so you'll be confined to this ship until after the trial; it's being held in the garden plaza. Good luck."
Rocket cleared his throat, catching everybody's attention before speaking. "What kind of parts were you sending?"
"Nothing that could reactivate on its own. My father needed Geth parts for some project he was working on. I passed plenty of valuable finds because the risk was too high they'd repair themselves."
They came to a stop when Tali saw another familiar "face" who was conversing with another Quarian in the hallway leading to the garden. "Auntie Raan!"
The Quarian turned to face Tali, only to be caught in a hug she evidently wasn't expecting. Once the surprise wore off, she gave Tali a pat on the back in greeting. "Tali'Zorah vas Normandy, I'm glad you came. I could only hold them off for so long."
Tali turned to face Shepard. "Shepard vas Normandy, this is Admiral Shala'Raan vas Tonbay. She's a friend of my father's… Wait, Raan, you called me "vas Normandy"".
"I'm afraid I did. The Admiralty Board moved to try you on that name, due to your departure from the Neema."
"Why does her name matter?" Kara asked.
Tali turned to face the larger woman. "They've stripped me of my ship name. They're treating me like I'm already an exile." Tali turned back to face Raan. "Where's my father?"
The Admiral hesitated for a fraction of a second. "Your father had to recuse himself due to the trial, just as I did. You'll learn more inside."
Shala'Raan gestured for them to follow, and she spoke to Shepard as they entered the plaza. "As Tali'Zorah's Captain, you will represent her during the hearing, Shepard."
Shepard nodded in acknowledgement. They entered the garden, and Shepard saw three Quarians standing on a podium in the center of the room, as well as a gathered audience to the trial.
Tali and Shepard approached the podium, while Samara, Kara and Rocket watched from a distance. "Ah, Captain Shepard. Now that you're finally here, we can begin." One of the Admirals stated.
Admiral Shala'Raan stood behind and above the three Admirals, and her voice silenced everyone gathered in the plaza. "Tali'Zorah, you stand accused of treason, by means of bringing active Geth to the fleet, and endangering the safety of its people. Captain Shepard, will you speak in her defense?"
Tali glanced at Shepard, and Shepard nodded to her, a small smile on her face. Don't worry, I've got this. "I will. Tali is a decorated soldier, and devoted servant of the Migrant Fleet, and she would never do anything to endanger the Quarian people. I'm honored to represent her, but I regret that her true Captain has been forbidden to stand by her side."
"No-one has been forbidden from-" The Admiral in the center started, before he was cut off by the man to his left.
"Lie to them if you must Zaal'Koris, but you can't lie to me and expect me to stay silent, Shepard is right."
"Admirals!" Shala'Raan barked, silencing the discord. "Shepard, your willingness to represent Tali'Zorah is appreciated. Tali, how do you respond to these charges?"
"Not guilty. I only sent parts and pieces of Geth technology to the Fleet, on my father's orders." Tali said. Her voice was calm, but she began fidgeting with her hands as she spoke. "Everything I sent was deactivated or inert."
"Then perhaps you can explain how the Geth seized the lab ship your father was working on?" Zaal'Koris asked. The room was filled by barely hushed voices muttering between themselves at the revelation.
"What?" Tali asked in disbelief. "What happened?"
"The Geth have seized the Alarei, and as far as we are aware, they've killed everyone onboard. Including your father, Tali." Shala'Raan stated.
Before Shepard could respond, Kara's voice whispered through her helmet. "We have to secure that ship." Shepard nodded solemnly in response.
"Admirals, I would like to request that we postpone this trial. Securing the Alarei should be our top priority." Shepard stated.
The Admirals gazed at each other, before the Admiral to Zaal'Korris's left, a Quarian woman who'd remained silent so far, spoke up. "We intended to simply destroy the ship, but if you are willing to risk your lives to secure the vessel, I see no reason to stop you."
"I agree." Responded the other Admiral, leaving Zaal'Korris to shake his head.
"The motion to postpone is granted. Tali'Zorah, you are now charged with the recapture of the Alarei. This trial is adjourned."
The people in the plaza began to disperse, and Kara watched as Shala'Raan, joined by one of the other Admirals, angled towards the plaza's exit, and she could see Tali storming after them, Shepard and Samara close behind. Kara moved to follow, but stopped as a young Quarian woman stepped in front of her. "Um… hi. You probably don't recognize me but-"
"You're the young woman I met on the Citadel. You were being harassed by a Volus and C-sec officer." Kara said in a friendly voice.
The Quarian was visibly surprised that Kara remembered her, but she quickly recovered. "I… uh, just wanted to thank you. Y'know, for those anti-biotics you gave me. Our doctors say those are going to really help the fleet."
A shout caught the attention of everyone in the plaza as Tali began to confront Shala'Raan. Kara looked back down at the young Quarian. "I'm glad I could help. If you'll excuse me." She said politely as she moved to join Shepard.
"Why didn't you tell me! I had to find out in the middle of the trial!?" Tali yelled as Kara finally reached the group. Shepard was allowing Tali to vent, and she turned to face Kara as she felt her approach.
"That's Admiral Han'Gerrel. He was a friend of Tali's father." Shepard whispered, gesturing to the male Quarian standing next to Shala'Raan.
"I was hoping that seeing your surprise would strengthen your defense." Shala said remorsefully.
"You kept her fathers death from her, it doesn't matter what you meant to do." Kara said sternly, hoping that interjecting would prevent another attention gathering outburst from Tali.
Shala's head dropped in shame. Shepard turned to look at Kara again. "Why don't you go talk to the other two Admirals before we leave, see where their heads are at?"
Kara nodded, and decided to speak to Zaal'Koris first. She began to speak to Serina as she looked for him amongst the crowd. "What's the status of the Alarei?"
"The Geth are trying to keep me out, but I've managed to take control of some of the cameras."
"Have you spotted any Quarian survivors?"
"Negative."
Kara sighed as she spotted Zaal'Koris, and she moved towards him. "Just try to take over as many systems as you can."
"Yes Ma'am."
The Admiral turned his head as he felt her approach, and Kara heard him sigh. "I saw you come in with Captain Shepard and Tali'Zorah. Are they friends of yours?"
"They are. During the trial, I got the impression that you aren't too fond of Tali."
Zaal shook his head. "I don't hate Tali'Zorah, or her father. I just disagree with their actions against the Geth."
The fur on Kara's neck twitched in surprise, and Rocket spoke up from next to her. "You don't like attacking the Geth. Are you even a Quarian?"
Zaal'Koris nodded sadly. "It's true, my opinions about the Geth are… unpopular amongst the admiralty board. Rael'Zorah and Han'Gerrel are fanatic in their war fervor, and Daro'xen thinks the Geth are little more than machines."
"And what do you think?" Kara asked.
Zaal'Koris thought for several moments before answering. "We created the Geth. They are our children, in a way. And when they began to ask why we created them, we tried to kill them. And we lost our home because of that."
"But don't you want to reclaim Rannoch?" Kara was growing increasingly interested in Zaal'Koris's point of view.
"I've heard of you, over the Extranet. You're a General, aren't you?"
"I am."
"Would you be willing to start a war, if avoiding it were an option?"
Kara responded almost instantly. "Of course not. A warrior, above all others, prays for peace."
"Because only we know what war truly costs." Zaal added. "I don't want more of my people to die, not if I can prevent it."
Kara nodded, then continued. "Do you think Tali is guilty of treason?"
Zaal sighed. "What she and her father want to do will result in the deaths of countless Geth, and Quarians."
"I didn't ask if you agreed with Tali or her beliefs. I asked if she was guilty of treason."
Zaal stared at Kara in silence for several moments, before finally responding. "If you'll excuse me." He said, before walking away.
Kara grunted, then approached the other Admiral, Daro'xen. The woman saw Kara approach, and held up a hand. "I heard you talking to that suit-wetter and your attempts to manipulate him were nakedly transparent." She said dryly.
"Then I won't worry about being subtle. I suspect you want to reclaim Rannoch?"
Daro snorted. "Of course."
"And do you think Tali is guilty?"
"Whether she's guilty or not is irrelevant. If she did send active Geth parts to Rael'Zorah, then the only thing she's guilty of is being an idiot. If she's not, then this trial is a waste of time."
"Tali is a decorated and capable soldier. If you don't care if she's guilty, why deprive yourself of a valuable asset in the invasion by voting to convict her?"
Daro'xen brought a hand to her chin. "You make a good point. Very well, I'll vote not guilty. If Tali'Zorah is an idiot, then she'll simply die doing whatever it is Shepard has her doing. You got what you wanted, you can go secure that ship now." Daro waved a hand dismissively, and Kara moved to rejoin Shepard.
The gathered Quarian Admirals, and Shepard's team looked at her expectantly. "So, what'd they say?" Shepard asked.
"Daro'Xen told me she would vote not guilty."
Kara saw a wave of relief wash over the people before her. "Well, at least we have some good news." Shala'Raan stated.
"We should move to secure the Alarei. We've lost too much time already." Kara said flatly.
"Agreed." Shepard said.
"We'll have someone give you weapons, and escort you to a shuttle." Han'Gerrel said.
Shepard's team filed into a shuttle, and strapped into their seats, save Kara, who knelt and held onto one of the rails above them to stay steady, while Rocket gripped her fur.
"Did you get any intel on the Alarei?" Kara asked Shepard, wondering if Shepard had managed to speak to the Admirals at all, considering Tali's anger.
"It's a science vessel, lightly armed and armored. It's not too big either, securing it shouldn't take too long."
Kara hummed in response, and gazed at Tali. "Your people didn't seem to mind that I brought an AI with me to the Flotilla." Kara asked, curious.
"Oh. I… I didn't tell anybody about Serina." Tali said slowly.
"Why not?" The AI asked, intrigued.
"Maybe I just didn't think you were worth mentioning." Tali replied sarcastically.
"Me? Not worth mentioning? I don't know if I should be flattered, or insulted." Serina responded indignantly.
Kara smirked, amused at the exchange as the shuttle came within spitting distance of the Alarei. "Alright, we're almost there, so lock it down people." Shepard said as she unholstered her rifle. Kara shifted slightly as the shuttle landed, and she slid the door open. She stretched almost to her full height, grateful to step out of the cramped shuttle, and into a slightly less cramped ship.
She surveyed the bay as the rest of the team climbed out of the shuttle. It was filled with open crates, and there were mountains of parts stacked and organized neatly throughout the bay. There were two doors, one on her left, leading to the engines, the other on her right, leading deeper into the ship.
There was a pair of corpses belonging to some of the crew but it didn't look like either of them were armed. Judging from the position of their bodies, and the lack of blood on the door behind them, Kara suspected they'd been shot as they left the engine room, before the door even closed. They had likely tried to sabotage the propulsion systems. Rocket opened the door, and checked the engine room. There were signs of recent sabotage, but it looked like the Geth had begun repairs when they detected the incoming shuttle.
Rocket backed out of the engine room, and climbed onto Kara's shoulder as she plucked her plasma spear from her belt, and activated it, taking care to keep the blade pointing away from her squadmates at all times.
"Kara, you take point." Shepard said.
"Affirmative." The Hunter replied as she moved towards the door on the other end of the bay.
As the doors slid apart, she was greeted by what looked like the ship's mess hall. The center of the room was occupied by several stoves and counters, while the room's perimeter was filled with tables.
The team moved further into the room, when Kara's head swung towards the door across from them. "Hostiles inbound. 11 o'clock. Get to cover."
Shepard, Tali and Samara took cover behind the closest stove, while Kara maneuvered to the right side of the room, and went nearly prone behind the stove, putting herself and Rocket in position to flank the Geth once they entered the room.
The door slid open, and seven Geth entered the kitchen. Shepard's group waited for several seconds, waiting to see if any more were coming, then opened fire. As the Geth moved to take cover behind the stove Kara was hiding behind, she pushed herself up, rising around the corner of the stove, swinging her weapon.
She managed to kill two Geth troopers, and a burst from Rocket's weapon killed three more.
The remaining two Geth began to fall back, opening themselves up to fire from the rest of Shepard's team. There was a moment of silence as Kara relaxed, and everyone else remained on alert, waiting for more hostiles.
Shepard rose from cover, and she moved to join Kara, her eyes and weapon never leaving the doorway the Geth came from. "Any more?
Kara shook her head. "They're concentrating their forces near the bridge."
"They know we're here, and they know we have to get to the bridge to regain control of the Alarei. They're setting a trap." Samara stated.
Rocket snorted. "They'll need a pretty flarkin' big trap if they hope to catch us."
"Rocket's right. "Shepard stated. "They've just made our job easier for us."
As the team moved through the hallway the Geth had occupied, Shepard spotted a lap-top resting atop a work-station. The body of a Quarian woman was lying in a pool of dried blood nearby. Shepard carefully stepped around the corpse, and activated the lap-top, presumably belonging to the deceased Quarian. The display flickered, and showed three Quarians speaking to each other. "We've done what we can with the parts Tali'Zorah has been sending us, but there's only so much we can do with inactive parts." The woman said.
"Perhaps you could have Tali send us more working parts?" Another Quarian asked.
The third Quarian, who Shepard now realized was Rael'Zorah, shut that idea down. "No! I don't want Tali exposed to any political blowback from our work here. Just use the parts to reassemble what Geth you can."
The woman shifted uneasily. "I'm not sure about that. It just feels too risky."
"I know why you feel that way, but we've taken precautions. This work will put us back on the homeworld someday. Trust me." Rael'Zorah said.
"That sounded pretty bad." Rocket muttered.
Shepard played the next entry. It showed the same two Quarians before, sans Rael'Zorah. "Is this thing recording? Okay, good. Progress has been greater than we expected, but less than we hoped. We've added three more Geth to the network, so that should-"
The man behind her interrupted. "Hey, take a look at this data for me will you? Something looks off."
The woman snatched the datapad her co-worker was holding. She stared at the pad for several seconds, her body language quickly changing from calm, to panicked. "This is… Sound the alarm! Contact Rael'Zorah!" She moved to stop the recording. "We need to-"
Shepard swallowed past the lump in her throat, and noticed a third, final entry, dated nearly an hour ago. "I'm so sorry… I didn't mean to endanger the fleet, I just wanted our family to have a home… Jona, If this reaches you, be strong for your father." Anything else she might have said was cut off by the sound of an explosion, followed by gunfire. Shepard sighed, and stepped back from the terminal, joining the rest of her team as they moved to secure the bridge.
They traveled in silence for what felt like an eternity, passing through bloodstained hallways, stepping over lifeless corpses that lay in their path, until they reached a small staircase leading to the bridge, and in front of it, was another Quarian corpse.
As soon as Tali saw the body, she shoved past Shepard and Samara, falling to her knees as she began to shake the corpse. "No, no, no, you- you wouldn't just die like this, you'd have a plan in place, some trick to get out of here…" Tali said, her voice trembling.
Shepard winced as she realized it was Tali's father. She was quick to comfort Tali. Shepard placed a hand on her shoulder, and as the young woman turned to look at her, Shepard pulled her into a hug. Tali hugged Shepard back as tightly as she could, as if she were trying to squeeze out all of her grief.
The rest of the team waited in solemn silence, until Tali stepped back. "Sorry…" She muttered weakly.
"There's nothing to be sorry about." Kara said softly, as she gently placed a hand on Tali's shoulder.
Rocket nodded. "If ya need anything kid, we've got your back."
Tali sniffled, then nodded. "Thanks." She turned back to look at Rael'Zorah's corpse. "My father would have left me a message…" Tali kneeled, and activated her father's omni-tool.
A moment later, a recording began to play. "The data we've gained from these experiments will be invaluable. Whoever finds this, you must deliver this data to Shala'Raan and Han'Gerrel. And Tali, if you hear this, I'm sorry I couldn't give you that house on the homeworld." Tali stood slowly, and shook her head.
She breathed deeply, collecting herself. "Come on, the bridge is just up those stairs."
Shepard shot Kara a concerned look, and she responded with a slight dip of her head, then followed Tali.
The team stacked up by the door to the bridge, and a hologram of Serina appeared. "There are nearly twenty Geth on the other side of the door. I'll hack their weapons heat sinks so they won't be able to fire."
"Good job Serina. Kara, you breach first, Samara, you're next." They both confirmed the order. Kara readied her weapon, and Rocket tightened his grip on her fur, while biotic energy swirled around Samara as the door opened.
Kara dashed through, swinging her weapon, bisecting two Geth that had been standing on the other side of the door. As Samara stepped through, the other Geth tried to open fire, only for their weapons to jam as Serina tricked their systems into thinking they'd overheated.
Samara unleashed a biotic assault that sent six Geth troopers crashing into a nearby bulkhead, crushing them.
The three Geth Primes in the room advanced on Kara. The first Prime swung its fist, and Kara ducked under the blow, and slashed at the back of its legs, cutting through them effortlessly. As it began to fall, she followed up with an upward strike, decapitating it.
When the second Prime moved to attack, Kara lashed out with the spear, impaling the machine's torso. She yanked the weapon upwards, bisecting the Primes head and neck.
The Third Prime had barely begun to advance, when Rocket unloaded several super-heated rounds into the Primes torso, blowing it apart.
As Shepard and Tali entered the room, they saw there were only two Geth left. Rocket shot the second to last target, leaving the final Geth to Tali.
The Quarian charged the Geth, blowing apart its legs with her shotgun. As it fell, she furiously pulled the trigger again and again, firing into its torso, and shredding its head.
Tali glared through her helmet at the lifeless corpse as Kara burned the Geth hub. "That's the last of them." She said, shooting a concerned glance at Tali.
"Alright, let's let the fleet know we've secured the Alarei." Shepard said as she turned to leave. Tali stood still for a moment, before following. While the rest of the team left, Kara remained behind, moving to the one of the bridge's computers.
Rocket gazed at her curiously. "What're you doing?"
"I'm reading the Alarei's diagnostics report. The Engine and Weapons systems were sabotaged, but according to this report, only the engines were being repaired."
"Why wouldn't they repair the weapons?" Rocket asked.
"Why indeed." Kara muttered. "Come, let's get back to the shuttle."
As the shuttle sailed towards the Rayya, Rocket glanced at Tali shifting in her seat. The atmosphere inside the shuttle was stiflingly uneasy. He glanced around, gazing at Shepard, then Kara, hoping one of them would break the silence so he wouldn't have to. Kara noticed him looking at her, and when she looked down at him, he flicked his eyes towards Tali. Kara got the hint, and cleared her throat, catching everyone's attention. "What are we going to do with the data we recovered?"
"We aren't going to tell anyone." Tali said bitterly.
"Tali?" Shepard asked, concerned.
"My father activated Geth, and got the entire crew of a ship killed, as well as endangering the safety of the fleet. I will not stand in front of the court and say my father was the worst war criminal in my people's history. I cannot."
"But that data could-" Shepard started to say, before she was interrupted by Kara.
"The data is irrelevant. As I said before, Daro'Xen has stated she will vote not guilty, and Han'Gerrel will support Tali regardless."
"Do you think Daro will keep her word?" Samara asked.
"She came off as a pragmatist to me during our conversation, and she stated she didn't really care if Tali was guilty of what she's accused of. Yes, I believe her."
"Alright then." Shepard said. "I won't bring up the data."
"Thank you Shepard." Tali said, trying to sound grateful in spite of her exhaustion.
Shepard walked as fast as she could towards the garden plaza, almost running past Quarians going about their business aboard the Rayya.
They reached the trial, and the Admiralty Board looked visibly surprised at their return. They took their positions at the stands, and Shepard and Tali approached them. "Sorry we're late." Tali said bitterly.
"You have our thanks for recapturing the Alarei. Did you find any evidence as to what caused the Geth outbreak aboard the ship?"
Shepard stepped forward. "No. We didn't find anything."
"A pity." Daro'Xen stated.
"Very well. Captain Shepard, do you have any final statements before we render our verdict?"
"Yes." Shepard cleared her throat before continuing. "Tali'Zorah served with distinction during the battles against Saren and his Geth. She showed the galaxy what the Quarians capable of, and we wouldn't have been able to do anything about them without her help. It's clear from her service record that everything Tali has done, was done to serve the Quarian people."
"Thank you, Captain Shepard. Admirals, give your verdicts."
Daro'Xen and Han'Gerrel voted immediately, while Zaal'Korris hesitated for several moments, gazing at Kara, then Tali, before finally voting.
Shala'Raan read, and re-read the verdict several times before looking at the crowd before her. "On the charge of treason, Tali'Zorah has been found by a unanimous vote, not guilty."
Shepard felt a wave of relief wash over her, and she gazed at Tali out of the corner of her eyes. Tali stood surprisingly still after the announcement. "Captain Shepard, thank you for taking the time to attend this trial, and your defense of one of our own. This trial is adjourned."