Lazarus Project: Mass Effect 2 (Shenko)

Chapter 65

Milky Way/Vallhallan Threshold/Migrant Fleet/Raheel-Leyya

Earth year: 2185 –- October

Callie was in her cabin getting ready to dock with the Raheel-Leyya, a quarian ship that was part of the Migrant Fleet. She was arguing with herself and losing. Frowning, she yanked on a clean pair of socks over her BDU's. She was still pissed by what she suspected Liara had done and why, yet she still hadn't made an effort to confront her. She was stalling, arguing that keeping Tali from getting exiled was more important.

It didn't matter of it were true, but if she were being honest with herself, she was also using it as an excuse not to go to Hagalaz. Muttering to herself, she hit the button for the cargo bay, willing the elevator to move faster. She'd hoped that by completing a few missions, her anger with Liara would lessen. So far, it hadn't worked. If anything, it was making it worse.

"You okay Shepard?" Garrus asked seeing the look on her face.

"Fine Garrus." She lied. "Just thinking too much."

Garrus grunted in response making it clear he didn't believe her, but wasn't going to press her on it. Once aboard the Leyya and after hearing the charges against Tali, it was all Callie could do to not lose it right there.

Breathing deep, she reigned in her anger. Snapping at the quarians for being angry with someone else wasn't going to help Tali. She cringed when Tali's aunt, Shala'Raan called Tali "vas Normandy" and that Shepard, as Tali's Captain, would be expected to defend her.

"I'm guessing being called vas Normandy is a bad thing?" Callie asked.

"They've stripped me of my ship name!" Tali cried. "It's as good as declaring me already exiled."

"Are you sure you want me to defend you Tali? I'm not a lawyer and I never officially reached the rank of Captain."

"You are the Commander of the ship Tali serves on." Shala'Raan explained. "Among the quarian people, there's no distinction of rank."

"So you would do this Shepard?" Tali wondered.

"If you're sure."

"I can't think of anyone else I'd rather have for my defense."

"Okay, so how does this work? Do I need to present evidence or witnesses?"

"Just tell the truth as best you can Commander." Shala'Raan said. "We should hurry. I promised I wouldn't delay you."

Nervous, but determined to do her best, Callie followed Tali into a large crowd of quarians where the trial was to take place.

Admiral Koris railed at her, insisting that a quarian trial was no place for a human.

"Then you shouldn't have declared Tali part of her crew. As her captain, Shepard has a right to be here." Shala'Raan retorted.

"Very well. Objection withdrawn."

"Tali'Zorah vas Normandy, you have been accused of bringing active geth into our midst. What say you?" Shala'Raan asked.

"Tali would never do that!" Callie objected.

"I did no such thing!" Tali protested. "I sent inactive geth parts to my father at his request."

"Then tell us how geth took control of your father's ship and killed everyone on board!" Koris demanded.

"What are you talking about?" Tali croaked. "What's happened?"

"The lab ship, the Alarei, where your father was conducting his research has been taken over by active geth units." Shala'Raan clarified.