98 – Migrant Fleet (2)

When Samael arrived in the middle of Phoenix, everyone was already there. It was shore leave for everyone, as very few people had the privilege of visiting the Migrant Fleet, so Samael wanted everyone to enjoy themselves.

It took some convincing $, but the Quarians higher-ups ultimately agreed.

Samael noticed that everyone seemed a little tense, especially Tali and Liara, so he decided to tease the Asari. "So, have you thought about what to say to her father?"

"Huh?" Liara looked extremely shocked by Samael's comment, as it hadn't crossed her mind to say anything special other than a greeting.

"Well, think about it. We're both in a relationship with Tali, so it makes sense for you to introduce yourself as her girlfriend."

Liara felt a rush of emotions as she imagined the scene.

Before she could spiral out of control, she heard Samael chuckle and Shepard say, "Stop bullying the poor girl."

Samael nodded as Liara lightly hit him to hide her embarrassment. "Okay, okay. We'll just do what we did with Benezia—avoid telling him for now. Later, when everything is settled, we can tackle this issue."

Liara felt relieved but still glared at Samael. "We will."

Samael knew he was in trouble, but it was worth it.

Tali, who observed the interaction, was sweating bullets inside her suit, which she didn't need to wear anymore. She would never admit it, but she also hadn't thought about that situation.

'Good thing it's something for the future and not now.'

PANG.

A sound echoed, followed by RR's voice. "We have docked. We will go through a decontamination process once we leave the ship, but that's it. Enjoy your shore leave."

She had landed the ship because Veronica was getting dressed to leave too.

Samael seized the opportunity and grabbed Tali's hand. "Ready to make history?"

Tali nodded. "I am."

Soon, the hangar door opened, and before anyone could take a step, dozens of Quarians carrying what resembled flamethrowers started to "shoot" it at the crew.

It was the decontamination process. The 'flamethrowers' were modified to do this job. After all, unlike Tali, who could now live without her suit thanks to her fully functioning immune system, the other Quarians weren't as fortunate.

One simple germ could be fatal if they were exposed. So, it made sense for them to be so thorough.

"DONE."

After two minutes, the decontamination process ended, and the Quarians said, "Welcome to the Migrant Fleet."

Their voices had an edge, showing they weren't exactly pleased with the situation. It made sense, as the Quarians didn't have a great reputation in the galaxy, which led to a sense of protectiveness regarding other species. The fact that they rarely had visitors only reinforced this feeling.

But when they looked at Tali, one of their own, their tone softened a bit. "Welcome back, Tali'Zorah vas Phoenix. It's great to have you back."

Tali was somewhat of a celebrity here—not only was she the daughter of an admiral, but she had also managed to join an elite crew. That alone made her popular.

It also helped that she was 'cute' and sympathetic.

Tali nodded at the Quarians. "Thanks. It's nice to see you all healthy."

Truth be told, ever since she joined the crew, she hadn't had many opportunities to check on her family and friends in the Fleet, so seeing her people being so welcoming was heartwarming.

"You too! I hope your return brings nothing but good news. Keelah se'lai!"

"Keelah se'lai."

After that, the group left, allowing the crew to disembark finally. The ship they stepped their foot on was the main one, used as a place for meetings and gatherings—it was the best the Quarians/Migrant Fleet had.

"Everyone, have fun in moderation. Don't do anything I wouldn't do, and remember the Quarians' predicament!"

At what Samael said, everyone nodded, understanding the seriousness of the situation.

"Well, if everyone is on the same page, go have fun!"

With that, the crew separated to explore various places. Tali had made them a map showcasing specific locations to visit.

Wrex, Javik, Grunt, and John went together, as did EDI and Joker. Kasumi, Keiji, Thane, and Kaidan also went as a group.

For obvious reasons, Legion was forced to stay on the Phoenix.

After everyone departed, leaving Samael, Veronica, Tali, RR, Shepard, and Liara, they were faced with a particularly notable Quarian.

Tali's expression inside the suit turned emotional when she saw him. "Father."

"Daughter." Emotion colored Admiral Rael'Zorah's voice. "Welcome home."

They hugged for about a minute before Admiral Rael'Zorah broke the embrace.

While everyone could see and feel that Tali was glad to see her father, they also noticed a certain awkwardness in their gestures of affection, almost as if there was a barrier between them.

They loved each other, but something wasn't right.

Liara recognized this because her relationship with her mother was similar. She and her mother were in the process of fixing it, but it was slow. She then looked at Samael and saw that he was neither intrigued nor surprised by the scene, meaning he knew something she didn't about the situation.

'I will ask Tali about this later.'

That thought was on everyone else's mind, minus Samael, because he understood Tali's complicated relationship with her father.

 Rael'Zorah then asked, "Now, how about you tell me the reason you came back?"

While he was happy to see his daughter again, curiosity was eating away at him ever since they talked.

Tali understood her father's eagerness. "Can we go to your place? I'll show you there."

The Admiral Rael'Zorah nodded and began to lead the way, with the rest following. Soon, however, he slowed down until he was beside Samael. "So... I see the way you and my daughter look at each other and may have heard some rumors. Let me ask this: What are your intentions with my daughter?"

Samael was impressed by how perceptive her father was and replied sincerely, "The best possible."

"Marriage?"

"Marriage."

"Ha! Good, good!" The Admiral Rael'Zorah laughed out loud. "I was a little worried since she never showed interest in anyone else. So, even though you are from another species, I will allow it."

"Thanks."

The Admiral's tone suddenly shifted, '' But, if you ever hurt her ...''

The implication was clear and Samael didn't mind, '' I won't.''

Admiral Rael'Zorah nodded and then rushed his pace towards his home. Samael was approached by Liara and Shepard, '' He seems a nice person.''

They were impressed by how he basically threatened LD itself.

'' He is.''

They chatted some more until they arrived at the Admiral's place. Upon entering, Samael asked, '' Do you perhaps have some photos of Tali as a baby? I want to see them if possible.''

At that, Tali started to panic. She looked at her father in hopes he didn't have but -

'' Sure, I can show you.''

Tali sighed in defeat.

'' But, before that. Tali,'' Admiral Rael'Zorah looked at her, '' What is the gift?''

Tali looked at her Samael, then at the others. She felt the encouragement from their gazes and took a deep breath. Under the shocked gaze of her father, she removed her helmet.

The admiral quickly tried to stop her, but when he realized he couldn't, he attempted to give her medicine. "What are you doing!? Quick, take this!"

"Father."

The admiral ignored her and continued to grab the medicine. Sure, the Migrant Fleet was cleaned every day, to ensure no germs were around, but even then, it could still make the Quarians sick. Every second counted when it comes to this so-

"FATHER!"

That shout made him stop. He calmed down and realized the situation wasn't as simple as it seemed.

A bold assumption hit him. He knew how his daughter was with her health, so for her to take off her helmet meant she had found something that helped her immune system.

Tali could see her father figuring it out, so she nodded. "Yes, father. It's exactly as you think. LD has figured something out. The Quarians can now live outside the suit."

The admiral was stunned. This was the biggest gift ever.

---

It took some time for him to recover, but when he did, he was ecstatic. "HOW, WHEN, WHY, WHO?"

He started to bombard Tali with questions, and she did her best to answer them.

She retold the story, but making sure to high up Samael actions. Of course, they were noble to begin with, but she wanted to make sure her father knew that.

''Even before meeting me, LD was already working on something to help the Quarians. When I joined the crew, it only accelerated the process. I even helped develop the Quarian Pill, which is the name of the pill that helps our immune system.''

Rael'Zorah was trying his best to comprehend what that meant, but he was struggling. He never would have thought he would live to see the Quarians without their suits, but reality proved him wrong.

Tali finished telling him everything that happened, and he looked at Samael. "Why?"

Samael tilted his head, not really understanding the meaning of the question.

"Why help us, the Quarians, with this? I'm sure LD has other priorities, like making weapons and such, so there is no good reason to focus on this."

This was what was on his mind. He was happy, yes, but his cynical nature didn't allow him to celebrate before getting to the bottom of this.

Sure, he loved his daughter and had given her the pill, but what about the rest? What would they have to give in return to receive the pill?

Samael finally realized the situation. He was doubting him, 'Understandable, but unnecessary. Not with me, and not against the Quarians.'

Samael had a soft spot for endangered species, and the Quarians were in that situation, even though they still had good numbers. If their health continued to decline, they would face extinction sooner or later.

'Not only do I owe them a great debt, but Tali is Quarian. That alone is enough.'

The Quarians had helped Samael in past cycles, allowing him to learn from them and even live in the Migrant Fleet. He had already repaid them in other cycles, but he didn't mind helping them again.

Still, he needed to give Rael'Zorah a reason, and he had a good one. 'Time to use the lies others told to my advantage.'

"I'm sure you've heard about me from others, but let me tell you personally. When I was a kid, I came across a Prothean Beacon. It showed me death and destruction caused by large machines."

"The Reapers." Rael'Zorah and the Quarians were already aware of them and were making preparations to flee or face them.

Samael nodded and continued, "Somehow, I gained part of their knowledge. With that, combined with my own mind, I made improvements in almost all fields, with the intent to confront the upcoming threat."

"The Pill is also created with that in mind." Samael looked into Rael'Zorah's eyes, making sure to convey his intent. "The upcoming fight is not one where you can run or hide. The Reapers exterminate all intelligent life in the galaxy, so even if you run for years, they will eventually find you and wipe you out."

Rael'Zorah already knew that, but hearing it from Samael, who was known for his expertise on the Reapers, wasn't comforting. It only highlighted that they were truly doomed.

"So, we can only fight. The Quarians had the weakness of their immune system, so their help was limited. But now—"

"We can help in the upcoming fight." It started to make sense, but there was a problem with that. "But I doubt the other Admirals would help your cause."

Rael'Zorah knew that the other Admirals, even he, wanted to retake Rannoch, the Quarian homeworld that was taken from them by the Geth, and live there once more. So, even though they knew it was ridiculous, their focus remained on that goal, even with the Reapers' threat on the horizon.

Samael nodded. "You guys want to retake Rannoch, right?"

It wasn't exactly a secret, so Rael'Zorah nodded. "Yes. So even if you gave us the Pill, we would focus our attention on that and not help that much."

He knew it was extremely foolish, but feelings tend to cloud judgments.

"I can help with that."

Rael'Zorah looked at Samael. "What do you mean?"

"I can help you guys take Rannoch without the need for a fight." Samael then held out a Quarian Pill in his hand and placed it in front of Rael'Zorah. "But only after the war with the Reapers. I will supply the Pills to ALL Quarians in the galaxy right now. AND, if you want, I can provide a planet where you guys can temporarily settle. But you will have to help against the Reapers, and you will have to comply with two of my requests in the future, no questions asked. That is my offer."

Those two requests were to resolve the Quarian vs. Geth conflict, and the other was a secret.

Rael'Zorah didn't hesitate for long. He grabbed the Pill, examined it, and then placed it in the compartment of his mask. Soon, he took it.

Of course, the effect wasn't instantaneous, so he asked, "What do you need me to do now?"

Samael smiled, seeing his future father-in-law take the first steps to be healthy. "Have you already called the meeting with the others?"

Rael'Zorah nodded. "It will happen in 12 hours. All Admirals will be there, even a crowd. I made sure to tell them that Tali's gift was revolutionary... thought, even I never would've thought she would bring this."

The Pill would change the fate of the Quarians. It filled him with great pride knowing it was his little girl that made it possible.

'We will still have four days and a few hours to get to the Citadel... Well, I have one more stop in mind. It's cutting it close, but we will manage.'

Samael then said, ''We will make history in this meeting, showing two Quarians without their suits and my promise to help after the war, along with the temporary planet. That should be enough to warrant their full support, don't you think?"

Rael'Zorah nodded. "It should." He was also happy to know that in a few hours, he could take his suit off without fear, after many years.

"Then that's what we are going to do," Samael said in a light tone. "It's time for the Quarians to enter a new age."

Rael'Zorah could see that happening and felt a little emotional. After a few seconds, he asked, "What are you guys going to do for the next 12 hours until the meeting starts?"

"No idea. We'll leave that up to you... But before that, please show us Tali's photos."

At what Samael said, everyone chimed in, "Yes, we want to see them too."

"Do you guys have suits for babies as well?"

"Show us, please."

Rael'Zorah didn't hold back. "Sure, let me show you." He grabbed a few things from his house. "This is when she was one year old."

"HOW CUTE!"

"So they do have suits for babies..."

"More!"

Rael'Zorah started to show everything.

Meanwhile, Tali wished she could bury herself right then to avoid the embarrassing scene.