Mass Effect: Knight of the Old Republic

Shepard felt a headache starting to form. "So let me get this straight. Revan, Tali, and Legion not only managed to sit in one room together and not blow up the ship, but actually decided to work together to bring the Migrant Fleet back to Rannoch. But before they could send the Admiralty Board the good news, Tali was summoned to trial for sending back active Geth and endangering the Fleet."

"I was careful! I made sure to never send back any active parts." Tali protested.

"But you did send Geth materials back to the Fleet, right?"

"My father had a project. He needed the materials." The quarian argued. "I checked every part or piece I sent back myself. All of it was permanently inactive!"

"But the Board is accusing you anyway. How bad is this really?"

"...bad. Anyone convicted of treason is considered dead by the rest of the Flotilla. Any record of the individual will be erased and purged. It would be like they never existed at all." Tali explained. "I- Shepard…I'd never be able to go home again…"

Shepard wanted to rub her eyes, but held off. "Okay, we'll set course for the Migrant Fleet and get this straightened out. Have you been able to talk to your father about this?"

"This isn't a secured or trusted ship. They wouldn't accept a message in case it was a possible attack."

"Which means you need to go there before we can convince anyone you didn't send an active Geth or endanger the fleet." Shepard sighed. "Don't worry Tali. We'll get this sorted out…hopefully they don't take offense to the active Geth and several members of the team that could endanger the fleet."

-o-

Revan found herself understandably annoyed after the sudden development with Tali'Zorah.

Successfully negotiating an end to the Geth/Quarian hostilities would have advanced several goals all at once. But barely an hour after she had proposed the plan, one of the critical individuals to bringing it into reality was about to be wrapped up in politics that would make anything to do with Geth relations unfavorable at best.

If Revan was alone, this might have been an irrecoverable setback.

Fortunately for her, Revan was never truly alone.

Settling into a meditative position, Revan opened herself up to the waves of the Force and attempted to peer into the future. While not a discipline she was particularly skilled at, she was still capable of getting bits and pieces when she focused her considerable power on a specific event she knew was coming.

Such as the trail of a certain Quarian in a few days.

Revan felt the world dissolve into a whirl of sound and color before shapes began to emerge from the chaos. The scenes presented were out of focus and fragmented, but Revan managed to make some things out.

"This isn't about Tali or her father! This is about…" Shepard screamed at a few blurry figures.

"Tali'Zorah vas Normandy. I am glad you came. I could delay them only so long." A Quarian Revan did not know greeted the Normandy team as they arrived.

"Shepard, two more incoming!" Jacob shouted as he laid down covering fire.

The Quarian from earlier stood on a pedestal above three others. "Tali'Zorah, you are hereby found guilty of treason against the quarian people and sentenced to exile."

"As far as we can tell, Tali, the Geth have killed everyone on the Alarei…your father included."

"...to return the geth to the control of their rightful masters…"

"...the only geth that matter to me are the ones who took away our world…"

"...they are our children. That is why I cannot sanction whatever experiments you helped enable. A message needs to be sent…"

Revan groaned and hunched over as she released her hold on the visions. Then she groaned again as she organized the information she had seen.

"Politics." She spat in distaste. "It just had to be politics."

She needed to speak with Legion.

-o-

"This is Tali'Zorah vas Neema nar Rayya requesting permission to dock with the Rayya." Tali'Zorah transmitted as the Normandy approached the Migrant Fleet.

"Our system has you flagged as Cerberus. Verify."

Tali'Zorah provided the answer to the challenge and the ship was approved for docking. Though the young quarian did request for a security and quarantine team to meet them at the docking bay since the Normandy did not follow the strict sterilization requirements a Quarian ship would need on account of their incredibly weak immune systems.

While the ship was docking, Revan took the opportunity to sense what emotions were most prevalent on the ship. Unsurprisingly, the main ones were anger and fear. Fairly normal reactions when a popular well known figure was suddenly accused of treason out of nowhere. The quarians felt betrayed and they were looking for answers. Answers Tali'Zorah didn't have if what Revan had heard for the past few days was true.

"You are up to something, Sith."

Revan was actually a bit surprised the Justicar initiated a conversation with her. Ever since the confrontation in the hangar bay Samara preferred to speak as little as possible with the Sith. She would communicate during any squad training Shepard insisted on, but the instant it was over it was back to silence and judgemental looks.

"Of course I am." Revan said dismissively. "Apparently we are going to have to drag the galaxy kicking and screaming to prepare for the eventual arrival of the Reapers. Sitting around doing nothing would hardly be appropriate."

Samara briefly gave the Sith a look before returning her gaze to where Tali'Zorah was doing her best to prepare Shepard on what was expected of her as ship captain during the trial.

"When powerful Asari meditate they can sometimes feel the flow of mass effects shifting around the galaxy through their biotics," the Justicar said as if Revan did not speak. "Those with the skill and experience to read the fluctuations can occasionally get a sense for events around them or even predict the future." Revan held back an amused huff. It was likely the latent Force potential she had noticed in many Asari. They had simply misunderstood the source of the predictions due to their existing abilities. "Whatever you have planned has the potential to send shockwaves throughout the galaxy."

"Very good." Revan replied. "You are right. I plan to shake up the status quo a bit. We have the largest fleet in your galaxy wandering aimlessly doing nothing. A bit of a waste if you ask me."

"You risk causing chaos that will leave us weakened if the Reapers attack."

"Because the Council and their governments are seriously preparing for an attack? A bit of chaos might be just what we need."

Samara said nothing for a bit.

"My oaths prevent me from acting against you until the mission is complete. But if you go too far I will not hesitate to kill you once it is finished."

Revan smiled, though the Asari couldn't see. "You will try."

The Justicar simply nodded.

The short conversation ended when the Normandy finished docking with the Rayya. Revan moved to join Shepard and Tali'Zorah at the airlock. Neither one said anything to the Sith until Legion walked up and stood behind her.

"Er, I don't think bringing a Geth onto the ship is a good idea." Tali'Zorah said as the first decontamination cycle started up.

Revan just gave her a look. "It will be fine."

The airlock door opened up allowing all of them into the Rayya where a security team was waiting. Said team took one look at Legion and the Normandy crew members immediately had a rifle shoved into their faces.

"You were saying?"

Per usual Shepard didn't take people pointing weapons at her people very well and shoved her way so she was staring down the apparent leader of the group. "We going to have a problem?"

"Not if you get that damn thing off my ship before you start an incident that makes that Ascension Project fiasco with Cerberus look like a slow day on garbage detail!" The Quarian captain snapped back.

"You're worried about your ship. I get that." Shepard took a metaphorical step back. "But don't try and intimidate me."

"Or what?"

"Or I let her loose." Shepard pointed at Revan.

While Revan wasn't the type to allow someone to use her as a threat, she didn't mind backing up the Commander. A flex of the Force ripped the guns from the security team and had them all float in a lazy circle behind the Sith. Stunned by the casual display of power and at being so easily disarmed the quarians quickly backed down.

The captain looked between Revan, Shepard, and then lingered on Tali'Zorah.

"Fine. Not like we can stop you without this becoming a battle." He eventually relented. "Technically, I'm under orders to place Tali'Zorah under arrest pending the hearing. So, Tali…you're confined to this ship until the trial is over."

"Thank you, Captain."

"You better get going. Preparations got underway as soon as you arrived. The hearing is being held in the Garden Plaza. Just make sure you keep that thing under control." The captain shot one last look at Legion. "And Tali…good luck."

As the four of them walked through the Rayya, Revan took care to pay attention to the conversations surrounding them as they walked to Tali's trial. The good news for the quarian was that many simply didn't believe Tali'Zorah could do something damaging to the fleet. The bad news for Revan was most of the bystanders that spotted Legion reacted poorly. They were either scared or hostile even if none of them dared to confront the group of four.

The small silver lining was that there were several individuals scattered among the crowd that were either neutral or even positive towards the lone Geth unit, reassuring Revan that there was a possibility of ending the cold war between the two groups.

While Revan was distracted with her plans, the group arrived at the garden plaza and were greeted by Admiral Shala'Raan, a friend of Tali's family and the one who managed to hold the trial long enough for them to actually arrive even if she was forced to recuse herself from the trial because of her relationship with Tali'Zorah.

But that came as a small consolidation when it was revealed that the rest of the Admiralty Board moved to have Tali'Zorah stripped of her ship name and tried as 'vas Normandy'. A move that in accordance with Revan's visions basically declared Tali exiled already.

"This sounds like the decision has already been made." Shepard crossed her arms and looked at the Admiral. "Is anything we say even going to make a difference?"

"Don't worry about that. Tali still has friends that remember her as vas Neema, no matter what we must call her legally. Just present the truth as best you can. It will have to be enough. Your teammate and…the Geth…can watch from the side."

"Will we be given the opportunity to speak as well?"

Shala'Raan hesitated.

"Normally I would say so. As her shipmates you would be witnesses to her character. But neither of you are Quarians and the other Admirals are pushing for this to be resolved quickly. I do not know."

"Maybe I could add whatever you need to say?" Shepard offered, but Revan shook her head. She couldn't leave what needed to be done to the human. Not if things were going to play out like she planned.

"If that's all, come with me." Admiral Raan stated. "I promised I would not delay you."

-o-

The trial began with an almost prayerlike speech as the various people in the plaza settled in. While Shala'Raan led the proceedings, Revan was busy matching the figures before her with the information she had requested from EDI and matching them to the snippets she had foreseen.

On the left was Admiral Daro'Xen, a scientist that held a certain fascination with the Geth and other AI. According to the files, Xen was very vocal about not only studying the Geth but also going on to create new forms of AI. Another thing EDI had highlighted was the Admiral's cold, almost psychopathic disregard towards others and the Geth in particular and her desire to return the Geth to Quarian control. She was probably the most neutral of the Board regarding the trial itself, but her desire to enslave the Geth meant she would be a nuisance should Revan actually secure an alliance between the Quarians and Geth.

On the right was Admiral Han'Gerrel. At first glance, he was solidly in Tali'Zorah's corner as a long time friend of her father. But the fact that he allowed her to be stripped of her ship name, failed to recuse himself like Raan had done, and (if Revan's visions were accurate) failed to inform her of her father's death? No, Admiral Gerrel might be friendly on the surface, but whatever friendship existed between him and Tali's father wasn't enough to prevent him from using the latest incident to push for a more aggressive stance against the Geth.

The final Admiral, Admiral Zaal'Koris, had the opposite outlook. He was vehemently opposed to renewing hostilities with the Geth in favor of finding a new world to colonize. A noble goal if that was his focus. Unfortunately, process of elimination meant he was the one looking to make an example out of the trial for anyone involved in experiments on the mechanical race. Something he proved as soon as he spotted Legion.

"Security! A Geth is present in the courtroom. Does Tali'Zorah think to affect this hearing with threats?"

Overall, Revan thought it was a clever move. Koris did not actually call for Legion to be removed from the trial or to be attacked. He simply drew attention to Legion and made an insinuation about why Tali had it brought here.

Either Legion was removed and Tali'Zorah lost some of her support or the Quarians needed to allow a Geth to sit among them peacefully. Even if they didn't like it.

Going by the wave of unease and shouts, the general population really didn't like it.

"Captain Danna allowed the Geth aboard. Do you intend to second-guess the Rayya's captain, Admiral Koris?" Shala'Raan demanded, silencing many of the voices.

Koris looked around at the gathered crowd and Revan could feel his contentment at Raan's stance. "Objection withdrawn."

"...Shepard vas Normandy, your crewmember Tali'Zorah stands accused of treason. Will you speak for her?" Raan continued, but Revan did not miss the flash of dislike for her fellow Admiral. It seems Koris's play had not gone unnoticed.

"I'd be glad to. But in her heart, she remains Tali'Zorah vas Neema. A proud member of the Migrant Fleet." Shepard said before glaring at the Board. "I just regret that her captain was forbidden to stand at her side today."

It was statements like those that honestly made Revan question if Shepard was as politically ignorant as she claimed.

In one statement she had highlighted the Admiralty Board practically announcing their decision before Tali'Zorah could even defend herself, insinuated that she was speaking for Tali not because she felt a human could represent Tali better but because she was all Tali had, and thrown the legitimacy of the whole trial into question.

Koris tried to deny it but Gerrel supported Tali against his political rival. Once again the crowd was thrown into a frenzy and it looked like the two Admirals were going to end up fighting each other before Shala'Raan managed to calm everyone down and proceed with the trial.

There was nothing shocking at first. Just some retreading over the same information Tali had received about bringing active Geth back to the Fleet, which was then clarified as parts that could spontaneously reactivate by Admiral Xen when Shepard sarcastically asked how Tali could ship something the size of Legion with no one noticing.

Tali confirmed that while she had sent parts back to the Fleet, she had made sure they were inactive. That was when Koris pounced.

"Then explain how Geth seized the lab ship where your father was working!"

If Tali'Zorah had been fully aware of whatever experiments her father was running and they had been on active Geth, this would have been the final nail Koris needed to paint this entire situation as the result of experimenting on the Geth. If Tali and her father had just left them alone, the whole thing could have been prevented.

Unfortunately for him, Tali had no idea what project her father was running. In many ways she was less informed than many of the bystanders here. And her shock and fear about her father were very obvious to the crowd, possibly half convincing many of them that she had nothing to do with any active Geth.

"What are you talking about? What happened?"

"As far as we can tell, Tali, the Geth have killed everyone on the Alarei…your father included." Admiral Gerrel said solemnly, but Revan could feel the spark of guilt. Had he had a hand in the project and was using Tali to cover his tracks? Was it because he knew this was the first time the girl had heard that her father was probably dead? Some other reason? The Sith didn't know, but she made sure to remember it.

Shepard instantly offered the Normandy to assist in retaking the Alarei in another of her unconsciously brilliant political moves.

"The safest course of action would be to simply destroy the ship," Koris remarked to a great deal of negative reactions from the crowd. The Quarians were always short on ships. None of them were eager to simply destroy one even if it had been taken over. "But if you are looking for an…honorable death, instead of exile…"

"I'm looking for my FATHER, you bosh'tet!" Tali raged back.

"This course of action is incredibly dangerous." Shala'Raan spoke up. "Are you sure you wish to attempt to retake the Alarei?"

"The good of the fleet has to come first," Anyone not familiar with Shepard would have thought she was being sincere. "...and Tali needs to find her father."

Revan noticed the flicker of guilt Gerrel felt only increased when it was confirmed that Tali would take on the mission, prompting him to offer her name being cleared of the treason charge if she died in the attempt, though Koris noted that would be discussed later.

"Revan, you coming?" Shepard asked when she noticed that neither Legion or the Sith had moved to follow her.

"Go on and deal with the Alarei, Commander. I will stay here and make sure the Admirals don't try anything until you get back." Revan replied.

"Damn, didn't think of that. Kinda was hoping for your help but that sounds like a better use of your skills." Shepard cursed and triggered her comms. "Hey Jacob? We've got a mission. Grab a hardsuit and anything you think will be effective against some Geth…"

Not long after the Normandy team left for the Alarei, maybe half an hour at most, the Admiralty Board pushed for a continuation of the trial in absentia, thanks to both Admirals Koris and Xen not wanting to spend more time waiting for a group when several teams of quarian marines had failed already.

"While it is unfortunate that Tali'Zorah seemed ignorant to the details of her father's actions," Zaal'Koris began, "it does not change the fact that she must have sent Geth materials. This is an undoubtable fact that we have detailed records of."

"And do those records tell you what parts and the condition of those, Admiral?" Revan called loudly, stepping forward to where Shepard and Tali had stood before.

"They do not. The files we have are simple manifests. The more detailed records would have been stored on the Alarei." Daro'Xen replied.

"Records you conveniently cannot present while determining the guilt of the daughter of a fellow admiral. One you have already left for dead." Revan pointed out.

"We did not abandon the Alarei!" Han'Gerrel snapped. "We sent in some of our best marines to search for survivors and they were torn apart! As much as we may wish otherwise the Geth are too dangerous to keep throwing our people away for crew that are already dead and have endangered the Fleet in the process of their secret experiments!"

Revan smiled even if no one could see it. "Secret experiments, secret experiments. For something so secretive it certainly sounds like all three of you admirals were aware that Rael'Zorah was experimenting with something and were content to leave it be until it blew up in his face."

"Rael'Zorah was one of our foremost scientists as well as a fellow Admiral." Daro'Xen said coldly. "We do not hold each other's hand every moment of the day to make sure the correct decisions are made. We allowed him his privacy, and this was the result."

"But you don't deny knowing about the experiment." Revan wasn't about to let them hide that fact with some clever wordplay.

"We are not the ones on trial here today, human." Han'Gerrel interjected.

"You might as well be. You see, while you have been taking advantage of this incident to advance your own goals at the expense of Tali'Zorah, she was busy laying the foundations to end the conflict with the Geth."

"Taking advantage?!" Several of the Admirals seemed offended by the statement but Koris was the one to speak. "How dare you insinuate that we care more about personal plans than the safety of this fleet! You…you…who even are you!?"

Revan let her next words reverberate in the Force. Letting everyone who listened know what she said was the truth.

"I am Darth Revan, Empress of the Geth."