"Tali was nervous about the trial. She was worried about being exiled, and what her father would think. She didn't know why she was being accused of treason; she would never do anything to harm the flotilla. So, the only way to figure out what was going on was to go to The Migrant Fleet and find out for ourselves. Garrus offered to come with us, to be there for Tali."
Joker flew the Normandy carefully towards the flotilla, with Tali standing behind him. She was nervously bouncing up and down while Kacey and Garrus fixed their helmets on. There was no oxygen within the ships of the flotilla, a thought that made Kacey nervous for some reason. She made sure to check the latches on her helmet but one suspicious look from Garrus caused her to leave the secure latches alone.
"This is Tali'Zorah vas Neema nar Rayya requesting permission to dock with the Rayya." Tali stated as the Normandy approached the fleet.
"Our system has your ship flagged as Cerberus. Verify." The traffic controller replied, causing Kacey to roll her eyes.
"After time adrift among open stars, along tides of light and through shoals of dust, I will return to where I began." Tali recited.
"Permission granted. Welcome home, Tali'Zorah."
"We'd like a security and quarantine team to meet us." Tali added, "Our ship is not clean."
"Understood. Approach exterior docking cradle 17."
As Joker moved the ship into position by the docking tube, Tali nervously moved towards the airlock. Kacey placed a hand on her shoulder as reassurance before the trio entered the Rayya.
The first thing they were greeted with was a group of armed quarians, with their leader walking towards them. He looked at each of them before turning his attention back to Kacey.
"Captain Shepard. Tali'Zorah told me a lot about you." The quarian said, "I am Captain Kar'Danna. I wish we could be meeting under more pleasant circumstances."
"I never actually reached the rank of Captain." Kacey replied, "It's just Commander."
"Well, Lieutenant Commander if you want to get technical." Garrus mused to which Kacey shot him a look.
"You're the commander of the Normandy, responsible for the lives aboard it." Kar'Danna replied, "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 added, "It's an old ship-captain's blessing, Shepard."
"I mean, he's not wrong." Kaidan said, "That is what you do."
"To a fault, I'm sure." Kacey replied.
"I owe Tali a lot." Kacey replied, "Tali helped the Normandy's crew out of many difficult situations. I'm here to return the favour."
"And the turian?" Another quarian asked.
"I'm here for moral support." Garrus replied plainly.
"Our crew looks out for each other." Kacey added.
"I understand completely." Kar'Danna said, "As the commander of the vessel she serves on, your voice carries weight. I wish I could do more, Tali. The trial requires that I be officially neutral, but…I'm here, if you need to talk. They're charging you with bringing active geth into the Fleet as part of a secret project. "
"That's insane!" Tali replied, shocked, "I never brought active geth aboard. I only sent parts and pieces."
"You sent geth materials back to the Migrant Fleet?" Kacey asked.
"Yes." Tali replied, "My father was working on a project. He needed the materials. If I sent back something that was only damaged, not permanently inactive…No, no, I checked everything. I was careful."
"Technically, I'm under orders to place Tali'Zorah under arrest pending the hearing." Kar'Danna said, "So, Tali…you're confined to this ship until this trial is over."
"Thank you, Captain."
"Preparations got underway as soon as you arrived. The hearing's being held in the garden plaza. Good luck."
As the Captain stepped aside to let the trio past. As they moved through the docking bay, Kacey could hear a few of the quarians discussing Tali's trial; the quarian machinist was clearly bothered by the hushed voices, whispering about her while she walked past. Kacey looked at Tali with concern; she herself was used to the gossiping masses and the hushed tones as she walked past.
"Best thing to do is ignore it." Kacey mused as she caught Tali and Garrus' attention, "I know that's hard, but if you give that gossip attention it'll just get worse."
"It sounds easier when you say it." Tali mused.
"I guess I'm just used to it." Kacey mused, "But listening to it and letting it get to you won't help."
"You're right." Tali replied. "Hopefully, it will all be–"
"If Tali'Zorah can't even get a quarian captain to stand for her, she's as good as convicted." One quarian scoffed.
"Let's go." Kacey mused as she guided Tali away from the small group. The young quarian had frozen on the spot after hearing that. Garrus shook his head as he followed them through the ship.
"It gets to you. If you let the gossip, the rumours eat away at you, it can be difficult to cope. It was eating away at Tali, even though she was innocent."
As they reached the end of the hallway, another quarian was waiting patiently at the end near the entrance of the plaza.
"Tali'Zorah vas Normandy." The quarian said, "I am glad you came. I could delay them only so long."
"Auntie Raan!" Tali said happily as she hugged Raan, "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, Tali." Raan replied, "The Admiralty Board moved to have you tried under that name, given your departure from the Neema."
"I take it being associated with a human ship is a bad sign." Kacey mused.
"They stripped me of my ship name." Tali said, sounding a little upset, "That's as good as declaring me exiled already."
"It's not over yet, Tali." Raan replied, "You have friends who still know you as Tali'Zorah vas Neema…whatever we must call you legally."
"You're an admiral." Garrus said, "Does that mean you're one of the judges?"
"I'm afraid not. My history with Tali and her father forced me to recuse myself."
"I imagine father had to do the same." Tali mused.
"You'll see inside, Tali." Raan said, "For my part, I moderate and ensure that the rules of protocol are followed, but I have no vote in the judgement."
"I guess we should get started." Kacey said, "Does Tali have a defence counsellor, someone who speaks for her side?"
"Indeed she does…Captain Shepard." Raan answered, "She is part of your crew now, recognised by quarian law. And remember, an accused is always represented by his or her ship's captain."
"So, er…" Tali mused, "You would actually speak for my defence."
"What?!" Kacey said as Garrus snickered. The scarlet haired commander nudged the turian in the gut as he tried to keep his snickering to himself.
"Oh God." Kaidan snickered, "You had to speak for her defence?"
"Yeah and to tell you the truth, I had my…concerns." Kacey mused, "You know what I'm like, I can't restrain myself sometimes."
"Sometimes?"
"Most of the time."
Kacey looked at Tali, "I'll do everything in my power to help you, Tali."
"Thank you, Shepard." Tali replied, "I could not ask for a better counsellor."
"Our legal rules are simple." Raan explained, "There are no legal tricks or political loopholes for you to worry about. Present the truth as best as you can. It will have to be enough. Now come, I promised that I would not delay you."
Kacey followed the Admiral into the plaza, a beautiful green space tucked away in the vessel. Kacey was a little concerned about having to defend Tali; her mouth had gotten herself into plenty of trouble in the past, and she didn't want to land Tali in anymore trouble.
"Oh, this is going to be good." Garrus mused.
"Laugh it up, Garrus." Kacey mused, "Are you sure this is a good idea, Tali?"
"It's not like we have much of a choice." Tali replied, "And besides, I trust you Shepard."
"Let's just hope this is as straightforward as Raan says it is." Kacey mused.
They reached the centre of the plaza; Garrus took a seat at the top of the stairs, while Kacey and Tali headed to the front, opposite the panel of three admirals, all of whom stood still as stone.
"If you think human trials are stressful and dramatic, this trial was something else entirely."
"This Conclave is brought to order." Raan said, silencing the noise of the bystanders, "Blessed are the ancestors who kept us alive, sustained us and enabled us to reach this season. Keelah se'lai."
"Keelah se'lai." The audience murmured in chorus.
"The accused, Tali'Zorah vas Normandy, has come with her captain to defend herself against the charge of treason." Raan stated.
"Objection!" The quarian in the middle shouted, "A human has no business at a hearing involving such sensitive military matters!"
"Then you should not have declared Tali crew of the Normandy, Admiral Koris." Raan replied as Kacey put her hand on her hip, "By right as Tali's captain, Shepard must stay."
"Objection withdrawn." Krois sighed with a shake of his head.
"Shepard vas Normandy, your crew member, Tali'Zorah stands accused of treason." Raan said, "Will you speak for her?"
Kacey took a step forward, "If it helps Tali, I will. But in her heart, she remains Tali'Zorah vas Neema, proud member of the Migrant Fleet. I regret that her captain is forbidden to stand at her side today."
"Nobody has been forbidden from anything!" Koris exclaimed, "It is a simple—"
"Lie to them if you must, Zaal'Koris, but don't lie to me and expect me to stay silent!" The quarian on Koris' left snapped, "The human is right!"
"Admirals please!" Raan interrupted, "Shepard's willingness to represent Tali'Zorah in this hearing is appreciated. Tali, you are accused of bringing active geth to the Migrant Fleet. What say you?"
"How could Tali have brought geth to the Fleet while serving on the Normandy?" Kacey asked.
"To clarify Shepard, Tali isn't accused of bringing back entire units." The quarian on Koris' right said in a condescending tone, "Only parts that could spontaneously reactivate."
"But I would never send active geth to the Fleet!" Tali replied, "Everything I sent was disabled and harmless!"
"Then explain how geth seized the lab ship where your father was working!" Koris snapped.
The crowd dispersed into deep conversation. Tali gasped as she looked at all three admirals, her tone panicked.
"What are you talking about?" Tali asked, "What happened?"
"As far as we can tell, Tali, the geth have killed everyone on the Alarei…" The first quarian said, "Your father included."
"What?" Tali gasped, "Oh, Keelah…"
"I appreciate the need for this trial, Admirals, but right now our first concern must be the safety of the Migrant Fleet." Kacey said, "The Normandy stands ready to assist in whatever capacity necessary."
"Thank you." Raan replied, "Quarian strike teams have attempted to retake the ship, so far without success."
"Shepard, we have to take back the Alarei!" Tali pleaded.
Koris scoffed, "The safest course would be to simply destroy the ship. But if you are looking for an honourable death instead of exile…"
"I'm looking for my father, you bosh'tet!" Tali snapped.
"You intend to retake the Alarei from the geth?" Raan mused, "This proposal is extremely dangerous."
"With your permission, Admirals, yes." Kacey replied, "The good of the Fleet must come first…and Tali needs to find her father."
"Agreed," The first admiral said, "And if you die on this worthy mission, Tali, we will see that your name is cleared of these charges."
"We can discuss that later." Koris mused.
"Then it is decided." Raan said, "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 hanger. Be safe, Tali. This hearing will resume upon your return, or upon determination that you have been killed in action."
As the crowd dispersed and the trio headed up the stairs, Kacey looked at Tali with worry; even Garrus seemed concerned.
"Thank you for agreeing to take back the Alarei, Shepard." Tali mused anxiously as reached the top of the stairs, "The admirals sound sure that my father is already dead, but…I don't know. We won't know anything until we get there."
"How are you holding up?" Kacey asked, her tone laced with concern, "They just threw a lot of fire at you, even before telling you about your father."
Tali sighed, "I knew this would be bad, but I guess you're never really prepared to be charged with treason. And my father…I don't know. He could still be don't know for certain that he's dead. I just don't know, Shepard. And I need to find out."
"Is there anyone you want to talk to before we go?"
"We can talk to the admirals. It might help us to see what their viewpoints are." Tali mused, "Though I doubt we'll change their minds."
"Still worth talking to them." Garrus mused, "If only to give Shepard some ammunition."
"I agree with Garrus." Kacey said in agreement, "I can shout all you like, but I'd at least like some idea on who I'm dealing with."
"Let's go." Tali mused, "We should start with Koris."
…
Admiral Koris was found chatting in the far right hand side of the plaza. Kacey had a plan, a simple one at that; talk to the admirals and find out exactly what their motives were. It was going to be a little difficult, but Kacey believed it was possible. If it would help Tali, she was doing it.
"Judging by your ability to play a crowd, human, I have done Tali a favour by stripping 'vas Neema' from her name." Koris spat.
"Commander Shepard," Tali said in a firm tone, "This is Admiral Zaal'Koris vas Qwib-Qwib. Do not ask about the name."
"I take no pleasure in this, Tali, truly." Koris said, "But you have gravely endangered and dishonoured our fleet."
"And yet you and the other admirals appear to have some disagreements beyond Tali's trial." Kacey mused.
"You are correct." Koris admitted, "Tali, I apologise for it being brought into your proceedings. 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."
"Is that even possible?" Garrus mused.
"Can the quarians coexist with the geth after all your history?" Kacey added.
"I don't know. We all deserve to find out." Koris answered, "They are our children, Shepard. We have all done horrible things to each other, but it has to end. For both groups. That is why I cannot sanction whatever experiments you helped enable, Tali'Zorah. I believe this message needs to be sent."
"I understand, Admiral." Tali replied, "I do not agree with you, but I understand."
"What exactly is your problem with my crew member, Admiral?" Kacey asked.
"I respect Tali immensely. Her actions against Saren are to be lauded." Koris replied, "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 countered.
"Of course they did. We tried to kill them."
"We should probably go." Kacey mused.
"Goodbye, Tali'Zorah." Koris said, "Be well."
As Koris walked away to a small group on the far side of the plaza, another one of the admirals approached the trio. Kacey eyed him carefully as he addressed Tali.
"Tali!" He said, "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 about finding my father, Admiral." Tali replied curtly.
"I wish you luck. Blow up some geth on the way." He replied before turning his attention to Kacey, "And you're Captain Shepard? Admiral Han'Gerrel vas Neema. You got Admiral Koris backing up worse than a krogan toilet. Glad to see Tali's captain knows how to handle a courtroom."
"If by that, you mean I know how to handle people's nonsense, then yeah." Kacey mused, "I'm just here to help Tali."
"I'm glad someone is." Gerrel replied.
"You believe I'm innocent, don't you, Admiral?" Tali asked.
"I know you and your father." Gerrel mused, "You've put too much of yourselves into this fleet to do anything to jeopardise our safety. And you're both smart enough not to make mistakes like the ones they're saying you made."
"It sounds like we're dealing with more politics than just Tali bringing back equipment." Kacey said.
"You noticed that, did you?" Gerrel replied, "Tali's father wasn't just running weapons 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?" Tali asked.
"I don't know, kid." Gerrel sighed, "We almost had the votes. We just need to give people hope for victory."
"That's a risky proposition." Kacey mused, "I hope the quarian people find someplace to live, Admiral, but it sounds like you're playing with fire."
"We're too comfortable now, Shepard. 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." Tali pointed out.
"Then we need a world to shelter our noncombatants while we do it."
"Nice to know that the quarians didn't dismiss the Reapers." Kaidan mused
"Honestly, it was refreshing to hear that." Kacey added, "Not everyone dismissed the Reapers and I think that is why they are more prepared."
"You and Tali's father go back a long way?" Kacey asked.
"We served together on the gunship Yaska during a bad batarian raid." Gerrel reminisced, "We were kids, serving pre-Pligrimage as trainees. A crew of ten, and six were dead. Kinetic barriers were down. Rael and I were alone on the bridge, and batarians had drawn off a tramp freighter."
"Did you save the freighter?" Garrus 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.' Heh, he took the helm, I took weapons, and we brought that freighter back." Gerrel explained, "The crew called us heroes. The brass called us idiots. They slapped medals on our suits, then kicked us off to Pilgrimage a bit earlier than usual. That's Rael for you."
"Sounds familiar." Tali mused, looking at Kacey.
"Hah hah." Kacey replied, "Do you know how we can convince the other admirals that Tali is innocent?"
"The one you didn't recognise, Tali, is Admiral Xen. She's on the fence. She takes Fleet safety very seriously." Gerrel answered, "On the other hand, she's always been in favour of studying the geth. I hope she sees the benefits of Rael's research. Admiral Koris is the same whining suit-wetter he always was."
"You disagree with his policies or is it personal?" Kacey asked.
"The man is a damn geth apologist." Gerrel scoffed, "Thinks we were wrong to try to destroy them centuries ago. He wants us to search for a new colony possibilities instead of taking back the homeworld. Any research on the geth makes him angry. You don't have much of a chance with him, I'm afraid."
"So where do we find Xen?" Tali asked.
"On the other side of plaza, as far away from us as possible." Gerrel said.
"We best be on our way. Admiral." Kacey said calmly.
"Goodbye, Tali. Goodbye, Captain Shepard." Gerrel said as the trio walked away.
They then found Admiral Xen exactly where Gerrel said she would be; on the left hand side of the plaza in the corner. As they approached, Xan looked in Tali's direction, her posture shifting to a defensive one.
"Tali'Zorah. Given the circumstances, are you certain speaking to me is appropriate?" Xen said in a condescending tone.
"I'm looking for information about the Alarei." Tali said, "I don't intend to bribe you in the middle of the plaza, Admiral."
"A pleasure to meet you, Commander Shepard." Xen said, dismissing Tali, "We owe you a debt of gratitude for your actions against the geth."
"Is that right?" Kacey mused, "You do know Tali was with me and I'm pretty sure she also blew up a lot of geth."
"Your political machinations are painfully transparent, Commander. They are also unnecessary." Xen replied bluntly before turning her attention to Tali, "If you and your father were actually experimenting on active geth subjects, then you are simply idiots. 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."
"You don't seem very interested in this trial at all." Kacey mused, "Why not recuse yourself?"
"And let that ageing warship Han'Gerrel and the cowardly Zaal'Koris be the ones to chart this course?" I think not." Xen scoffed, "The broader purpose underlying the trial is too important. Tali'Zorah is only peripherally related. No offence intended."
"And what is the true purpose of this trial?" Tali asked.
"To determine whether quarians should fear their past mistakes, or reclaim their glory using our natural affinity for artificial intelligence."
"So the only reason you care about this is because Rael might have learned something valuable from the geth?" Kacey asked.
"Indeed." Xen replied, "If he has, then even in this accident, we may find something worthwhile."
"You want to make new AIs?" Tali gasped.
"No, Tali'Zorah. I wish to return the geth to the control of their rightful masters, the quarian race."
"You're insane." Tali mused.
"Thanks for chatting." Kacey mused.
"It was a pleasure to meet you, Commander." Xen replied.
As they walked away towards the docking bay, Kacey could see Tali playing with her hands anxiously. She understood that the young quarian was nervous; they had put her through the wringer quickly. Kacey could see Raan by the entrance to the docking bay, and it seemed that Tali's anxiety turned to anger upon seeing the Admiral.
"You set me up, Shala!" Tali snapped as Raan turned to face her, "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 calmly, "Otherwise, they might not have let you try to retake the Alarei. That is your best chance at recovering evidence that can exonerate you. I'm sorry. We cannot afford sensitivity, Tali."
"I know you're trying to help her, Admiral." Kacey said sternly, "But that was over the line."
"She has nobody else to speak for her, Shepard." Raan countered, "I'm doing everything in my power. That's what her father would have wanted."
"Don't say it like that!" Tali snapped, "He could still be alive on that ship!"
"You should get to the Alarei soon." Raan said, "Good luck."
…
The shuttle ride was quiet; far too quiet. Tali was anxiously tapping her foot against the floor as Garrus checked the specs on his sniper rifle. Kacey didn't know what to expect on the ship aside from the geth; the admirals seemed sure that any quarians on the ship were dead long before they stepped foot on the Rayya.
As the shuttle arrived at the Alarei, Kacey pulled out her assault rifle and entered the airlock of the quarian ship. The ship was derelict, quiet. Abandoned. A single body left in the hall, long deceased. Tali sighed as Kacey moved towards the entrance to the ship. Kacey cautiously opened the door into a wide room where a few geth troopers were stationed, their backs to the squad.
They shot the geth from behind, getting the jump on the synthetics. The disruptor ammo tore through them like tissue paper. Tali's combat drone weaved in and out of the geth, taking them from behind. After they were taken out, Kacey took a quick look around the area, making sure it was clear. Tali, however, wandered over to the computers on the desk, and began to look through the files on them.
"I guess you could say she was in denial; she didn't want to believe that father could be dead. That he would go this far for her."
Tali tapped the keyboard; an audio file played through the computer, with Tali leaning in closer as she hung on every word.
"Something's slowing down the system. We're taking down the firewalls to rebalance load distribution. Rael'Zorah ordered us to bypass standard safeties. Following security protocols will take too long."
Kacey could see Tali shake her head as the audio file finished. She crossed into the other room, leaving Kacey and Garrus in her wake. Kacey could understand Tali's determination to find her father, but she was worried about the quarian. Worried about what she might find on the desolate ship.
"This is one of the storage units I sent to Father." Tali mused, "Looks like parts from a disabled repair drone, plus a reflex algorithm that I didn't recognise. I got this on Haestrom."
"Haestrom was a war zone." Kacey replied, "How did you salvage gear in the middle of all that?"
"These suits have more pockets than you'd think." Tali replied, "Quarians have learned how to salvage whatever we can wherever we can. Within reason. We're not vorcha. But we repair what most people would've thrown away. Hundreds of the ships in our Fleet were salvage wrecks, either found dead in space or purchased for next to nothing."
"So does that storage unit tell us anything about what happened here?"
"No. I don't know, Shepard." Tali sighed, "I checked everything I sent here. I passed up great finds because they might be too dangerous, prone to uncontrolled reactivation or self-repair. I don't know which possibility is worse; that I got sloppy and sent something dangerous, or that Father actually did all this."
They continued deeper into the ship; Kacey was getting worried for Tali. something about all of this felt off. It was clear that it was slowly eating away at Tali, the reality was beginning to sink in for her.
"A part of me wondered if Tali just wanted to bury her head in the sand, and just pretend that what was happening wasn't happening. Sound familiar? I assumed that she didn't want to face what her father did. What was becoming harder for her to ignore."
Garrus shot Kacey a concerned look, one that screamed at her to talk to Tali. it was clear that she wasn't coping as well as she pretended to be. As they walked down a darkened hallway, another terminal was sitting open, and Tali hesitantly played the recording on it.
"Who's running this system diagnostic? I didn't authorise…oh, Keelah. How many geth are networked?"
"All of them. Rael'Zorah—"
"Shut it down! Shut everything down! They're in the system!"
Kacey could hear Tali mumble 'No' as she walked into the next room. A handful of geth units were waiting for them. Tali had drawn her shotgun and was blasting through them ruthlessly. It was clear to Kacey that Tali was affected by all of this. Kacey fired a concussive shot at a geth infiltrator; she didn't know how to approach the situation.
The geth were dealt with pretty quickly; and Tali went round the corner and Kacey could hear another audio log being played from behind the partition.
"We locked down navigation. Weapons are offline. Our mistake won't endanger the Fleet. They're burning through the door! I don't have much time. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Jona, if you get this, be strong for Daddy. Mommy loves you very much!"
It cut out with a fiery blast. Tali sighed; and Kacey placed a hand on Tali's shoulder.
"You okay?" Kacey asked concerned.
"I'll be fine." Tali replied, "Let's go."
They headed upstairs and into a large room; a dozen of geth flooded the room, including a handful of infiltrators. Kacey focused on the infiltrators; she liked the challenge and wanted something else to focus on, even for a moment. Tali blasted the geth apart as they ploughed their way through; compared to everyone else she had fought recently, the geth seemed easy to handle, even the infiltrators. After Garrus blasted the head off the final geth unit in the room, Kacey led the pair into the hallway, just as Tali ran past towards a massive computer terminal and began typing away.
"This console might have something." Tali mused, "Most of the data is corrupted, but a few bits are left. They were performing experiments on geth systems, looking for new ways to overcome geth resistance to reprogramming."
"You think testing weapons on the geth was okay?" Kacey asked.
"It's not testing weapons on prisoners, Shepard. I only sent Father parts." Tali insisted, "Even if he assembled them, they wouldn't be sapient. You saw what Saren and Sovereign did with the geth. Any research that gives us an advantage is important."
"Did you know about these tests, Tali?" Garrus asked.
"No. Father just told me to send back any geth technology I could find that wasn't a direct danger to the Fleet." Tali replied, "I suspected he might be testing weapons, but I thought he was just working on new ways to bypass shields or armour."
"Right. But is any of this data useful in clearing your name?" Kacey asked.
"I doubt it. This is mostly results data. Effects of different disruptive hacking techniques. I don't understand all of it." Tali explained, her voice hesitant, "But…they may have been activating the geth deliberately. I don't know. Nothing here says specifically. But if they were…then Father was doing something terrible. What was all this, Father? You promised to build me a house on the homeworld. Was this going to bring us back home?"
"Maybe its time for people to let go of reclaiming your world from the geth." Kacey mused.
"You have no idea what it's like!" Tali snapped, "You have a planet to go back to! My home is one hull breech away from extinction!"
"It's still a home." Kacey replied calmly, "You've got a place here, Tali. Don't throw it away in a war you don't need."
"Don't need?! Shepard, if I don't wear a helmet in my own home, I die!" Tali replied defensively, "A single kiss could put me in the hospital! Every time you touch a flower with bare fingers, inhale its fragrance without air filters, you're doing something I can't! Damn the Pilgrimage! Without it, I might never have known what I was missing. What we had lost when we lost our homeworld."
"But is war really the answer?" Kacey replied, "You'd risk extinction to try and get your homeworld back? Is it really worth the risk?"
"I know that we can't stay in this fleet forever!" Tali replied, "Do you know what it's like living in a ship? Confined to a starship, always travelling? No real home of your own?"
"Tali." Garrus interrupted but Tali ignored him.
"You think risking your species' existence in a war against the geth is preferable?" Kacey replied, "You know the Reapers are coming; a war with the geth with lessen the quarians chances of making it out of that alive!"
"You don't get it, do you?" Tali replied, "We can save our homeworld, or at the very least, one ship. Let's go."
Kacey nodded and walked off; stopping by the doorframe when she realised that neither Garrus nor Tali were following.
"Tali, you don't know…do you?" She heard Garrus say in a quiet voice.
"Know what?"
"Shepard was raised on starships. She's never been to Earth." Garrus explained.
"She's never been? Wait. How do you—?"
"Kaidan let it slip while the three of us were drinking." Garrus mused, "Shepard told me after that."
"Right."
Kacey sighed, "Guys? You there?"
"Coming!" Garrus shouted as the pair caught up to Kacey; she simply pretended not to have heard any of their conversation. She didn't want to talk about it; at least not right now.
…
They had stumbled upon what Kacey believed to be the bulk of the geth forces on the Alarei. They flooded the room from either side of the upper catwalk and the lower floor. It was hard to keep the geth from surrounding them; the big staircase was a double edge sword as it funnelled them in, but also gave the geth a flanking position on the trio. Kacey fired of as many concussive shots as possible down the staircase to stop the geth from flanking them while Tali used her combat drone to out flank the enemy from behind. Garrus just kept firing, not letting up on the synthetics.
By the time the trio were finished, the bodies of the geth littered the floor, in heaps of scrap headed downstairs, and by the time they reached the next hallway, Kacey saw a dead quarian at the bottom of the stairs.
"You're never ready to hear the news, to see it with your own eyes. I consider myself somewhat lucky that I never had to face my father's dead body, to see him lying on the ground, deceased. Tali may have been warned it was a possibility, but nothing prepares you to face it. For the hypothetical to become reality."
"Father!" Tali screamed as she ran over to the body of Rael'Zorah, "No, no, no! You always had a plan. Masked life signs, or, or an onboard medical stasis program, maybe. You! You wouldn't…"
Her voice was cracking as she continued, "They're wrong! You wouldn't just die like this! You wouldn't leave me to clean up your mess! You can't!"
"She was in pieces. Her world was turned upside down."
"Hey. Hey, come here." Kacey said empathetic as she reached for Tali's hand. She gave Tali a comforting hug as the young quarian cried into her arms. Garrus checked over the body while Kacey comforted Tali.
"Damn it! Damn it! I'm sorry." Tali cried.
"You've got nothing to be sorry about, Tali." Kacey replied, empathetic.
"Maybe…*sniff* He would have known I'd come. Maybe he left a message." Tali said as she checked her father's omni-tool. She tapped a button as a recording began to play, and as a holographic image of Rael'Zorah appeared.
"Tali, if you are listening, then I am dead. The geth have gone active. I don't have much time. Their main hub will be on the bridge. You'll need to destroy it to stop their VI processes from forming new neural links. Make sure Han'Gerrel and Daro'Xen see the data. They must—"
"Thanks, Dad." Tali sniffled.
"He knew you'd come for him." Kacey said, "He was trying to help you. It's not perfect. It's not what you wanted. But it's the best he could do."
"I don't know what's worse; thinking he never really cared or thinking that he did, and that this was the only way he could show it. It doesn't matter. One way or the other, I cared. And I'm here. And we're ending this." Tali replied.
…
Geth Primes always complicated things; they were bigger, tougher and had more firepower than the standard geth unit. The cramped layout of the bridge didn't help matters; geth primes fight well in close quarters. Kacey checked her ammo count, it was low, too low. She would have to time her shots and pick her targets carefully.
But that was the paramount issue; geth primes had armour and shields that used up far too many bullets. She couldn't afford to be wasteful.
"Tali! Unleash your drone on the prime!" Kacey ordered, "Garrus! Take out that infiltrator on your left!"
"Got it!" Tali shouted as she unleashed her drone.
Garrus already ploughed through the infiltrator while Kacey and Tali tag teamed the prime. It was hard to avoid the shots of the prime's gun, but the pair managed to blow up the large geth unit. Tali ran towards the main console, and began to quickly type on the keypad.
"You could say that they were desperate; they wanted their homeworld back, and Rael'Zorah was determined to make it happen, at any cost."
"This console is linked to the main hub Father mentioned." Tali mused, "Disabling it will shut down any geth we missed. It looks like some of the recordings remained intact. They'll tell us how this happened, what Father did."
"You sound like you really don't wanna hear it." Kacey said.
"No. We have to, I know." Tali replied, "I just…this is terrible, Shepard. I don't want to know that he was part of this."
Tali played the recording, tapping the play button reluctantly.
"Do we have enough parts to bring more online?"
"Yes. The new shipment from your daughter will let us add two more geth to the network."
"We're nearing a breakthrough on systemic viral attacks. Perhaps we should inform the Admiralty Board just in case."
"No. We're too close. I promised to build my daughter a house on the homeworld. I'm not going to sit and wait while the politicians argue."
"We'd have an easier time of it if Tali'Zorah could send back more working material."
"Absolutely not! I don't want Tali exposed to any political blowback. Leave Tali out of this. Assemble new geth with what we have. Bypass security protocols if need be."
"He wanted to keep his promise." Kacey said as the recording ended, "He was doing this for you."
"I never wanted this, Shepard." Tali replied, "Keelah, I never wanted this. Everything here is his fault! I tried to pretend it didn't point to him, but this…When this comes up in the trial, they'll…"
She trailed off before turning to face Kacey, "We can't tell them, not the admirals, not anyone."
"Even if it meant being exiled from the Fleet?" Kaidan mused.
"Yeah. She wanted to protect his memory, his legacy." Kacey replied.
"Tali, without this evidence, you're looking at exile!" Kacey countered.
"You think I don't know that?" Tali argued, "You think I want to live knowing that I can never see the Fleet again? But I can't go back into that room and say that my father was the worst war criminal in our people's history. I cannot."
"We're not going to decide anything here." Kacey replied, "Let's see what the admirals say once we get back."
"You're my captain in this hearing, Shepard. It's your decision. But please. Don't destroy what my father was. Come on, if we wait too long, they'll decide we're already dead, and none of this will matter."
…
"I was torn; that evidence could have exonerated Tali. But I didn't want to throw her dad under the bus to save her either. So, I did what I always do; turn up the charm and rally the crowd."
Kacey, Tali and Garrus raced back to the plaza as quickly as they could; Kacey wasn't going to miss the chance to exonerate Tali. As the trio approached the plaza, Kacey could hear the admirals arguing in the plaza.
"We need to face the facts." Koris said, "There has been no word. There is no reason to think Tali'Zorah survived."
"It sounds like the hearing is already underway." Tali said.
"We must trust Shepard's offer to assistance!" Raan argued, "It has only been a few hours!"
"The quarian marines lasted less than five minutes!" Gerrel countered, "Admiral, call it."
"Very well." Raan said as the trio arrived, "Is the Admiralty Board prepared to render judgement?"
"Sorry we're late." Tali said as both she and Kacey cut through the crowd.
"Tali'Zorah vas Normandy saved the Alarei." Kacey said, "I hope this proves her loyalty to the quarian people."
"Her loyalty was never in doubt." Koris replied, "Only her judgement."
"Perhaps Tali'Zorah can offer something to encourage more trust in her judgement." Raan inquired.
"Did you find anything on the Alarei that could clarify what happened there?" Gerrel added.
Kacey stepped forward, with Tali seeming more nervous by the minute, "Shepard…please…"
"Does Captain Shepard have any new evidence to submit to this hearing?" Raan pushed further.
"I don't need evidence." Kacey replied with confidence, "Tali helped me defeat Saren and the geth at the Citadel. That should be all the evidence you need."
Koris scoffed, "I fail to see what relevance—"
"You're not really interested in Tali, are you?" Kacey continued, interrupting Koris, "This trial isn't about her. It's about the geth."
"This has nothing to do with the geth!" Koris snapped.
Kacey slammed her fist on the table, "You want people to sympathise with them! Han'Gerrel wants to go to war! None of you care about Tali! She knows more about the geth than any other quarian alive. You should be listening to her, not putting her on trial! Tali'Zorah saved the Citadel! She saved the Alarei! She showed the galaxy the value of the quarian people. I can't think of stronger evidence than that."
"You are really damn persuasive, you know that?" Kaidan mused.
"I know. It's one of my many charms." Kacey replied with a laugh.
A long pause followed before Raan finally spoke up, "Are the admirals prepared to render judgement?"
The admirals quickly voted, and Raan was quick to address the crowd, "Tali'Zorah, in light of your history of service, we do not find sufficient evidence to convict. You are cleared of all charges. Thank you, Captain Shepard, for representing one of our people during this trial. This hearing is concluded. Go in peace, Tali'Zorah vas Normandy. Keelah se'lai."
…
"Hey Tali, how are you holding up?" Kacey asked as she entered Engineering.
"Doing better." Tali replied, "I can't believe you pulled that off. What you said…I've never had anyone speak like that on my behalf. Thank you."
"Hey, we can still go back in and get you exiled if you want." Kacey joked.
"Thanks, but I'm fine with things like this. It's fun watching you shout." Tali laughed before her tone grew more serious.
"You okay?" Kacey asked.
"I…I just miss him." Tali replied, "I miss him, even if he didn't care about me as much as I did him."
"He did care about you." Kacey reassured her, "In his own way.".
"Maybe." Tali mused, "I'm sorry by the way."
"What for?"
"For what I said about you not understanding the situation." Tali mused, "Garrus told me…he said you were raised in a ship, and that you've never been to Earth."
"Yeah it's true." Kacey replied, "I lived on different ships as my parents moved around. They were both in the Alliance and none of their tours were in the Sol system. So, I've never been."
"Don't you want to?" Tali asked.
"Kind of." Kacey deflected, "Honestly, I used to think about going there all the time as a kid, running through a green forest, feeling the wind brush up against my skin. Nowadays, I…don't even think about it."
"I used to think the same about Rannoch." Tali replied, "I always dreamed of what life would be like on the homeworld, what life would be like without these suits."
"Guess we both had big dreams."
"I guess we do." Tali replied, "You know, I don't think I've ever heard you talk about your parents before."
"Yeah, I don't really talk about family." Kacey replied, "My mother's still with the Alliance, she's a Rear Admiral."
"And your father?"
"Dead." Kacey replied.
"Kacey, I'm sorry." Tali replied, "I didn't mean—"
"It's fine." Kacey replied.
"If you don't mind me asking." Tali asked, "Your father, was he…?"
"Distant? Important?" Kacey questioned, to which Tali nodded, "He fought in the First Contact War, and he was promoted to Captain shortly after. He was labelled a hero, and he was a good soldier. But we didn't always see eye to eye. He was distant, I spent most of my time with my mother, hell I lived with her most of the time. As I got older, we fought and argued. I still remember the last thing I said to him before he died."
"Which was?"
"I told him I never wanted to see him again." Kacey replied, "It's…one of my very few regrets."
"I wonder why our fathers were so distant." Tali mused, "Do you think it's because of their jobs?"
"Maybe." Kacey shrugged, "Who knows for sure?"
"True."
"But we still have good memories of them, and that's the most important thing." Kacey replied, "I still remember the day my dad looked me in the eye and said and I quote, 'Kacey, you are the most talented yet the most reckless person I have ever known.' Hmph."
"He really said that?"
"Yep."
"Well, he's not wrong." Tali mused, "But, hold on. Your name…"
"Is Kacey Shepard." Kacey replied, "I'm afraid to say that Kaidan, Garrus, Joker and Liara have already beaten you to that revelation."
"Figures Kaidan knew before everyone else." Tali laughed, "I'm happy you came by, Kacey. I appreciate it."
"Anytime, Tali." Kacey replied, waving before leaving the Engineering deck.
A/N: Very long chapter, I know. But worth the wait, I hope.
Thank you candel06 for the fave and follow.