Tali's Trial Part 1: Indictment

[paragonsoldier]

Yeoman Chambers has informed Shepard that Tali wants to talk to her about an urgent matter. Shepard wonders if she found some kind of sabotage device in the engines. This is a Cerberus vessel, after all.

She walks into the engine control room, Tali's favorite haunt. The quarian turns from the console she's working on. "Shepard. I'm glad you came by. I may need your help." She looks away. "I just received a message from the Migrant Fleet. The Admiralty Board has accused me of treason." Her calm demeanor develops hairline cracks. "I'm scared, Shepard."

Shepard can hardly believe what she's hearing. "Nobody who knows you could believe you'd betray your people, Tali."

Tali, wringing her three-fingered hands, sounds doubtful. "I don't know. They don't lay charges like this unless the evidence seems absolute." She brightens a little. "But thanks. I appreciate your faith in me, Shepard."

"Is it because you're working with Cerberus?" That's the only thing Shepard can think of - and it's especially bad, because it means that Tali's troubles are partly her fault.

"I'm not working with Cerberus," Tali insists. "I'm working with you. And I got leave to serve on the Normandy again, after Haestrom." She throws up her hands in frustration. "I have no idea what they're accusing me of. You'd think I would remember if I'd betrayed the Fleet!"

Tali's raised voice gets the attention of Donnelly and Daniels, the two human engineers working at the other end of the room. The words "shocked" and "distressed" are both good ways to describe their expressions.

Shepard gives them a significant look and inclines her head ever-so-slightly towards the door. Daniels nods, takes the somewhat bewildered Donnelly by the arm, and leads him out. Shepard feels bad about kicking them out of their own engine room, but she'd feel worse about making Tali move right now.

"So you have no idea why they're accusing you?" she asks the quarian, as if the interlude had never taken place.

Tali shrugs. "None. The specifics of charges like this are rarely discussed on open channels." She starts pacing back and forth restlessly. "I won't know any more until I get to the flotilla."

"What happens when a quarian is accused of treason?" Because if long-term imprisonment or capital punishment is involved, she doesn't want to take Tali anywhere near the Migrant Fleet.

Tali looks down at her feet. "There's a hearing, with members of the Admiralty Board acting as judges. My father is an admiral on the board. He'll have to recuse himself from judgement. I can't even imagine what he's thinking right now." There's a short but very uncomfortable pause before Tali continues, "The punishment for treason is exile. If they convict me, I can never go back."

Shepard knows just how serious that is for Tali, or any quarian. "How often is someone from the Fleet charged with treason?"

"It's rare," Tali says. "It must be something that affects the entire flotilla, not just one ship. The most recent one was Anora'Vanya vas Selani, an engineer who handed over Fleet defense schematics to the batarians. She had good intentions," Tali explains, and Shepard detects more than a note of sympathy in her voice. "The batarians were contracted to upgrade our systems. But they passed the defense schematics to a pirate gang."

"Was she convicted?" Shepard asks.

Tali's answer is hesitant, and she gives it while wringing her hands. "No. She made a suicide run on the pirate gang. She destroyed them before they could attack the Fleet. She was pardoned...posthumously." She takes a deep, nervous breath. "Let's hope I don't have to prove my innocence that way."

Let's hope, Shepard silently agrees. "What exactly happens if you're convicted?" Shepard asks. "They drop you on the nearest habitable planet?"

"The specifics are up to the judges," Tali says. "If it's deemed only a tragic mistake in judgment, the guilty party might receive a small ship and supplies. Not that it really matters." Shepard can vividly picture Tali tearing up behind her mask. "Either way, if I'm convicted, I'll never see the Migrant Fleet again."

Exile is harsh - but less so than the obvious alternatives. "So no prison, and no death penalty?"

Tali shakes her head. "We don't have the spare resources for long-term incarceration. Monitored work detail is more effective." Which makes sense. "And we don't have enough people to afford executions. An exile can still have children, and those children are welcomed back to the Fleet."

That's not much consolation, though. As far as Shepard's concerned, the only viable option is to prove Tali's innocence. "So how does the trial work? How soon do we need to get you there?"

"They'll wait a reasonable period of time for me to come and defend myself," Tali responds, now more businesslike. "Eventually, if I don't show up, they'll try me in absentia. As for how it works...it's less formal than an Earth trial, or something you'd see on the Citadel." She concludes, heartbreakingly, "We're family." She turns away. "This is just the worst kind of family meeting."

"Tali." Shepard reaches out and puts her hands on the quarian's shoulders, turning her around. "You're part of my family too. I'll take you back to the Fleet. We'll sort this out, one way or another."

Tali's faintly glowing eyes widen behind the tinted glass of her mask. "I was going to book passage on another ship. I didn't think there would be time for you to help. Thank you, Shepard." She hugs the Commander, surprisingly tightly for someone so small. After she breaks it off, she goes to the engineering console and calls up a navigation display. "I'll program the Normandy with the flotilla's current location," she says as she starts typing. "The Admirals will be waiting for us."

* * *

The Normandy drops out of FTL on the edge of the Valhallan Threshold cluster, in the planetless, binary Raheel-Leyya system. Shepard, in the cockpit with Tali and Joker, stares in amazement at the collection of ships before her. She's never seen so many at once, even at Arcturus Station or the Citadel.

As the Normandy approaches closer to the quarian Migrant Fleet, Shepard can appreciate not only the sheer number but the variety of ships in the flotilla. Some look to be of human manufacture, while others are turian or salarian. Some are too heavily modified to be easily recognizable, and a few very old-looking ones are of a totally alien design. Maybe they're some of the vessels Tali told her about that date all the way back to the quarians' exile from their homeworld.

The console in front of Joker beeps and flashes red, indicating that at least some of those nearby ships have weapons trained on the Normandy. Joker reduces speed, following Tali's earlier instructions, and opens a communications channel. He turns in his seat to nod at the quarian, who is pacing nervously in the confined space of the cockpit.

"This is Tali'Zorah vas Neema nar Rayya," Tali announces herself, "requesting permission to dock with the Rayya."

"Our system has your ship flagged as Cerberus." says a suspicious traffic controller on the other end. "Verify."

Tali didn't say anything about that part. For a moment Shepard is very, very nervous, before Tali recites, "After time adrift among open stars, along tides of light and through shoals of dust, I will return to where I began."

"Permision granted," the traffic controller says. Shepard breathes a little easier. "Welcome home, Tali'Zorah."

"We'd like a security and quarantine team to meet us," Tali says firmly. "Our ship is not clean."

"Understood," the traffic controller says. "Approach exterior docking cradle 17."

"The Rayya doesn't have a ship ident broadcast," Tali informs Joker as she leans over his shoulder, "but we can find it. The configuration of the core ships in the flotilla is always the same." She directs him past this gunship, starboard at that freighter, to port at the science ship over there. Weaving its way into the heart of the Migrant Fleet, the Normandy comes upon a truly massive ship: most of its body is a huge sphere, but it has a long docking and engine assembly sticking out to stern, giving it the look of a tadpole with an outsized head.

"That's the Rayya," Tali says, both joy and anxiety in her voice.

* * *

When they get out of a very lengthy decontamination process in the airlock, they find half a dozen quarian marines - or at least Shepard supposes they're marines, as they're all armed and wearing nearly-identical environment suits - on the other side. The security team Tali requested, probably. They're lounging around for the first half-second or so as the airlock inner door opens, but snap to attention quickly.

A male quarian in a dark environment suit approaches the group. Tali whispers, "That's Captain Kar'Danna vas Rayya." The captain of this ship, the ship Tali grew up on.

Much to Shepard's surprise, it isn't Tali Kar'Danna addresses first, but Shepard herself. "Captain Shepard. Tali'Zorah told me a lot about you. I wish we could be meeting under more pleasant circumstances."

Shepard feels like there's been a misunderstanding here. "I never actually reached the rank of Captain," she says apologetically. "Technically, I'm no longer in the Alliance military at all." (It's surprising to her, how just saying it so matter-of-factly makes her feel sad.)

"You're the commander of the Normandy, responsible for the lives aboard it," Danna explains. "That entitles you to respect among our people. 'May you stand between your crew and harm as you lead them through the empty quadrants of the stars.'" Out of the corner of her eye, Shepard notices Tali looking very directly at her; Shepard turns to her friend.

"Keelah se'lai." Shepard's starting to think that's the quarian equivalent of "amen." "It's an old ship captain's blessing, Shepard."

Turning back to Danna, Shepard says, "Tali helped the Normandy's crew out of many difficult situations I'm here to return the favor."

"I understand." Shepard detects a note of approval in his voice as well. "As the commander of the vessel she serves on, your voice carries weight." He turns back to Tali. "I wish I could do more to help, Tali. The trial requires that I be officially neutral, but...I'm here, if you need to talk." After an uncomfortable pause, he says, "They are charging you with bringing active Geth into the fleet as part of a secret project."

Shepard feels an icy spike hit her right in the heart.

"That's insane!" Tali insists, stepping toward Danna as if she feels the urge to grab him and shake him. "I never brought active Geth aboard. I only sent parts and pieces!"

Even that much is news to Shepard. "You sent geth materials back to the Migrant Fleet?"

"Yes, my father was working on a project," Tali says. "He needed the materials." Her indignation turns to doubt. "If I sent back something that was only damaged, not permanently inactive...No. No, no." She shakes her head vigorously. "I checked everything. I was careful."

Danna interjects. "Technically I'm under orders to place Tali'Zorah under arrest pending the hearing. So, Tali...you're confined to this ship until this trial is over." He sounds a little embarrassed to be saying even that.

"Thank you, Captain," Tali replies, clearly relieved.

"Preparations got underway as soon as you arrived," Danna says. Shepard notices the marines behind him turning and leaving. "The hearing's being held in the garden plaza. Good luck."

Shepard looks at Tali. Are you ready? Tali nods, a bit shakily.

Just before Danna turns to walk away himself, he informs Tali: "You should speak with Admiral Raan. She's waiting for you up ahead."

"I know where to find the garden plaza," Tali says, gesturing for Shepard to follow. They head for the other end of the long docking area, which is filled with quarians. Shepard wonders if it's normally this crowded, or if people are just here to rubberneck. Some go to Tali with words of support and encouragement: others keep their distance. Many stare at Shepard. A human on a flotilla ship is almost certainly not a common sight. Shepard ignores the looks. They pass through a door at the other end of the docking bay, into a more isolated corridor.

Shepard follows Tali down the corridor and a few others at various intersections, often passing by crates stacked against bulkheads. There are painted symbols on the walls that Shepard assumes are quarian writing: her translator can't make sense of them. She considers asking Tali what they mean, but figures Tali's got enough on her mind right now.

At last they come to a wide hallway: through the open doorway at the end Shepard can see a garden that reminds her of the green spaces on the Citadel's Presidium ring. Standing between the group and the green chamber is a female quarian in a mahogany-colored environmental suit.

The woman turns toward them as they approach. "Tali'Zorah vas Normandy. I am glad you came. I could delay them only so long."

Shepard's a bit surprised by what happens next: Tali steps forward and hugs the other woman fondly. "Auntie Raan!" She disengages and turns back to Shepard. "Shepard vas Normandy, this is Admiral Shala'Raan vas Tonbay. She's a friend of my father's." Then Tali seems to register something - something not good - and turns back to Admiral Raan, concerned. "Wait...Raan, you called me 'vas Normandy.'"

"I'm afraid I did, Tali." Raan sounds pained. "The Admiralty Board moved to try you under that name, given your departure from the Neema."

This is not encouraging. "I take it being associated with a human ship is a bad sign," Shepard guesses.

"They stripped me of my ship name," Tali says despondently. "That's as good as declaring me exiled already."

"It's not over yet, Tali," Raan insists. "You have friends who still know you as Tali'Zorah vas Neema...whatever we must call you legally."

Well, that might even the odds a bit. "You're an admiral," Shepard says. "Does that mean you're one of the judges?"

Raan shakes her head. "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 remarks, in a way that suggests she resigned herself to that fact a while ago.

"You'll see inside, Tali," Raan says.

Shepard can't help but note the vagueness of Raan's response, and suspects that the situation may be even worse than she came in thinking it was.

"For my part, I moderate and ensure that the rules of protocol are followed," Raan continues, "but I have no vote in the judgment."

So the moderator isn't going to let anyone play the system against Tal. "I guess we should get started," Shepard says. And speaking of the system... "Does Tali have a defense counselor, someone who speaks for her side?"

"Indeed she does...Captain Shepard."

Wait, Shepard thinks. Does that mean what I think it means?

Raan elaborates. "She is part of your crew, now, recognized by quarian law. And remember, an accused is always represented by his or her ship's captain."

Shepard looks to Tali, at something of a loss. Tali, for her part, seems not only surprised but embarrassed. "So, er...you would actually speak for my defense."

It would have been nice to know that earlier, Shepard thinks, a bit sourly. That's not really fair, though: Tali was no less blindsided by this than Shepard herself. And forewarned or no... "I'll do everything in my power to help you, Tali," Shepard says.

"Thank you, Shepard," Tali replies, touched. "I could not ask for a better counselor."

Unfortunately, Shepard doesn't share Tali's confidence in her abilities as an advocate for the defense; she has only a very general idea about how this procedure works, and she doubts that her being a non-quarian will win Tali any points with the admirals.

Raan, as if reading Shepard's mind, attempts to reassure her: "Our legal rules are simple. There are no legal tricks or political loopholes for you to worry about. Present the truth as best you can. It will have to be enough."

It's difficult to tell whether or not Shala'Raan actually believes her own reassurances - that if they just tell the truth, everything will be okay. In Shepard's experience, that's not usually how things work, even if they should.

"Now come," Raan says. "I promised that I would not delay you." She turns and walks into the great garden chamber at the end of the corridor.

Shepard, giving what she hopes is a reassuring nod to Tali, follows.