Tali'Zorah vas Normandy
Profile
Gender:
Female
Race:
Quarian
Year of Birth:
2161
Place of Birth:
Migrating Fleet
Home Ship:
Raya
Occupation:
Quarian Technician
Pilgrimage proves our readiness to serve the greater good. Who would I be if I turned away from this?
Tali'Zora vas Normandy is a Quarian and a loyal ally in Captain Shepard's team. She is the daughter of Rael'Zora, a respected member of the Admiralty Board. Despite her young age, Tali is a genius in mechanics and technical expertise. During the events of the first game, she undertakes the Pilgrimage, a rite of passage that proves her dedication to her people, during which she must bring something valuable and useful to the Quarians aboard the Migrating Fleet. Before the start of the second game, due to her brilliant completion of the Pilgrimage, Tali was entrusted with leading an important research mission for the Admiralty Board.
**Voiced by Tali - Liz Sroka:**
**Voice in the Russian version - Ekaterina Sakharova:**
Searching
Tali was born in 2161 aboard her mother ship Raya. Upon reaching maturity, like all Quarians, she set out on her Pilgrimage. In her travels, the Quarian began to encounter warnings about the Geth, who had not left the Veil of Perseus since the Quarians were expelled from there, which greatly piqued Tali's interest. She followed a Geth ship to an uncharted planet, waited until one of them lagged behind the squad, then disabled and extracted its memory core. Tali then recorded an audio file on her instrumentron proving that the attack on Eden Prime was the work of Saren Arterius, but possessing this file put her in very dangerous circumstances. She was pursued by Saren's forces, and Tali decided to flee to the Citadel.
Deception
During the escape, Tali was shot and had to go to the Medical Clinic for help. She told Doctor Michelle that she wanted to sell information to the Shadow Broker in exchange for safe haven. The doctor introduced her to a local Broker agent – Fist, but unfortunately, he had already been bought by Saren. She arrived at the meeting location provided by Fist, hoping to meet the Shadow Broker in person, but instead, Tali encountered a group of assassins. Quickly realizing what was happening, the Quarian threw a technical mine at the enemies and was rescued just in time by Captain Shepard and his squad.
Gratitude
To thank Shepard for saving her life, Tali presented evidence to Ambassador Udina and Captain Anderson, necessary to strip Saren of his Spectre status. In the data, Tali also mentions an ancient race of machines known as the Reapers, who completely annihilated the Protheans, and the mythical “Channel.” Wanting to fight the Geth and prove herself, Tali joins Shepard's squad.
Unusual
Most of her time on the ship is spent in the engineering bay. Engineer Adams is extremely impressed by her technical knowledge, wishing that his people were at least half as smart as she is. They often work together to analyze found technologies, such as the old research probes discovered by Normandy's sensors on various planets. Shepard can hear Tali's excitement about the technological sophistication and unique design of Normandy, especially about the massive core of the new “Tantal” system.
Tales of Home
Tali speaks about the life of the Quarian nomads, her Pilgrimage, and the decrepit three-century-old ships of the Migrating Fleet. Her mother died about five years ago from an atmospheric virus. Tali feels sad about this and notes that such losses are unfortunately very common aboard the Fleet ships. She also reveals that her father is the head of the Admiralty Board – the highest tier of Quarian authority. This in turn places higher expectations on her Pilgrimage.
Progenitors
Tali also offers insights into some information about the Geth: why the Quarians created them, why they rebelled, and how their neural network is structured. The Geth were created for the most difficult, tedious, and monotonous work. In truth, they created slaves for themselves. When one of the Geth became self-aware and asked its master: “Am I alive? Do I exist?” it caused a real shock in Quarian society. Sooner or later, as they believed, the Geth would revolt and unleash a war. Tali explains that her people struck first to try to prevent even the beginning of war, but they underestimated how far the Geth had evolved. Shepard can discuss this with her, arguing that the Quarians are to blame for their aspirations to commit genocide against another intelligent race.
Nostalgia
At first, Tali is very happy to be aboard the most advanced ship in the Alliance, but soon she begins to experience some problems. She can't sleep because she is unaccustomed to such quiet ship operation (for Quarians, this means that either the engine has broken down or, even worse - the air filter has failed). She also says that comparing the fullness of the Migrating Fleet's vessel and Normandy: “it's as if there's half the crew missing.” Over time, Tali manages to adjust and feels much better. The Quarian enjoys visiting the noisy and crowded residential levels of the Citadel, as they feel almost like her home. Tali loves the music from the “Supernova” club, saying she wants to bring a copy back to the Migrating Fleet.
Respect
If Shepard treats Tali with respect, she is very grateful, explaining that most people regard her people as third-class citizens. On the planet Virmire, at the salarian scout camp, Tali is anxious about the impending siege of Saren's base but promises she will fight with all her strength for the Captain. After a rebellion against the Citadel's bureaucracy, when Shepard steals the Normandy and flies to Ilos, Tali enjoys the sense of adventure but also reflects on what the Citadel will do if they must face her fleet. Shepard is confident that her father will save his daughter from imprisonment, but Tali dispels his assumptions: stealing a ship is a crime punishable by death among Quarians, saying her father would want to try them personally.
Losses
If Tali is in the Captain's squad during the operation on Ilos, she considers the planet eerie and feels as though she is upsetting the quiet of this lifeless place. She points out that the Quarians once tried to find Ilos to make it their new homeworld, but she never thought it would be so inhospitable. After talking with the Guardian, Tali is saddened by the similar fate of the Protheans and her people - they attempted to fight the machines but lost everything.
Personal Request
When Captain Shepard undertakes a mission in the Armstrong Nebula, clearing the cluster of Geth, he discovers some important facts about the early days of Geth existence.
Upon returning to the Normandy, Tali asks Shepard to give her a copy of this data. Despite the fact that they are heavily encrypted and decrypting them could take years, it would be the best gift to complete her Pilgrimage. Shepard can refuse this request – since it's encrypted Alliance information, or help her, hoping that the Alliance will never find out. Clearly, upon receiving a copy, Tali would be very pleased (as it would allow her to return to the Fleet). If Shepard denies her, the Quarian says she will help defeat Saren but will leave the ship right after the mission to continue her search for valuable items for the Pilgrimage.
Mass Effect 2
Shepard? You... alive?
After the destruction of Normandy and completing her Pilgrimage, Tali joined the crew of the ship Nima and received her adult name – Tali'Zora vas Nima. For her actions in Shepard's squad, she became a highly respected figure in Quarian society. She also earned a new protective suit that reflects her maturity. In 2185, she led a mission in the human colony “Path to Freedom,” which involved searching for a missing Quarian named Vitor'Nara who chose to aid the settlers to complete his Pilgrimage. Tali and her team discovered the colony completely deserted, yet with active defense robots. Tali speculated that it was Vitor who activated them. While searching for him, Tali runs into Captain Shepard, who arrived to investigate the strange disappearance of colonists with Miranda Lawson and Jacob Taylor, and as Tali believed – a long-dead man.
Meeting
Tali was initially pleasantly excited about the unexpected meeting, but her enthusiasm quickly waned when she saw that Shepard was now working with “Cerberus,” alluding to the organization's anti-alien reputation and a recent attempt to sabotage one of the Quarian ships. Tali convinced herself that the Captain was undercover to destroy “Cerberus” from the inside. If Shepard had given her a copy of the Geth data 2 years ago, he could ask if it helped her complete her Pilgrimage. Tali replies that it did, noting that despite working for “Cerberus,” he is still the same Shepard. After finding Vitor and the evidence he provided about the abduction of colonists by the Collectors, Shepard has to decide whether to hand the injured Vitor over to Tali or deliver him to “Cerberus” for complete interrogation (Tali would be very displeased if Shepard chose the latter). Regardless of the Captain's choice, Tali returns to the Fleet: she has a very important mission in a Geth-controlled part of space that she cannot disclose.
The Team
Throughout the game, Shepard receives a dossier from the Ghost that mentions Tali. Her mission took place on the planet Haystrom, which involved searching for data about an abnormally quickly dying sun in the system. Since Haystrom lies deep within Geth territory, Tali set out with Quarian commandos, including Kal'Reegar, for her protection against possible attacks. Unfortunately, the Geth scout ship detected the Quarians and began sending troops against them. The Quarian commandos were killed by the Geth, and Tali found herself trapped, locked in a building with the data she had been asked to find. But she was fortunate to encounter Captain Shepard, who arrived on the planet wishing to recruit her for his suicide mission.
Aboard the Normandy
Blasting her way through Geth, saving and preserving Kal'Reegar's life, and destroying a massive, powerful Geth Colossus, Shepard's squad rescued Tali, who immediately agreed to join him. She explained that the data gathered about Haystrom's sun indicated that it may be dying so quickly due to Dark Matter affecting the star's core. Mournful of her friends lost during the mission, Tali hopes that the Admiralty Board will find this information a proper application worthy of such a terrible price.
Aboard “Normandy,” Jacob warmly greets Tali, saluting her high technical and combat skills. Nevertheless, the Quarian rejects his welcome, explaining her attitude based on the treacherous acts that “Cerberus” recently carried out against the Migrating Fleet. She makes it very clear that she joined only to Shepard and not to any pro-human factions. Tali reminds Shepard that “Cerberus” intended to seize control over the Torian Sliders and Rachni, using them as cannon fodder in their military operations. But most of all, Tali was disappointed by EDI, the ship’s Artificial Intelligence – as one of them had expelled them from their homeworld over three centuries ago.
Loyalty
After spending some time aboard the Normandy, Tali receives a troubling message from the Migrating Fleet. She informs Shepard that the Admiralty Board has charged her with Treason – the most heinous crime in Quarian society. Tali asks Shepard to take her to the trial that is supposed to take place on the Fleet to prove her innocence. Before the trial begins, Tali learns that the Admiralty Board had already changed her name to Tali'Zora vas Normandy. The charge was that Tali delivered functioning Geth to the Migrating Fleet to her father – Rael'Zora. She denies this, stating that she would never betray the Fleet and only sent parts that were completely shut down and safe. In response, she is informed that the Quarian research ship Alarai, which had her father aboard, has been completely seized by the Geth and the Board has no other opinion but to destroy the ship. None of the boarding parties sent to Alarai returned, indicating a critical situation and possibly that all researchers were already dead. Tali refuses to believe her father's death and asks the Board to allow her to go to Alarai herself to find answers and prove her innocence regarding the Geth attack. Aboard Alarai, she finds the parts she sent to her father and realizes that he has assembled fully functioning synthetics to experiment on. With noble intentions, wishing to develop special weapons against the Geth and reclaim their homeworld, Rael'Zora would be labeled a traitor if this were to come to light. After finding her father’s body, Tali begs Shepard to ensure that this is never mentioned at the trial, as it would forever shroud her father in disgrace; she is prepared to choose exile but not this. At the hearing, Shepard reminds the Admirals that Tali helped him defeat Saren and is the last person one would expect betrayal from, accusing the Board of being indifferent to her and only wanting her father’s research. Heeding his words, the Admiralty Board removes all charges against Tali'Zora vas Normandy.
Romance
“What can I really offer? I mean, a young girl gets rescued by a dashing Captain who lets her join his crew, and then they go off together to save the galaxy? How could she spark his interest...”
Tali is a potential romantic interest for male players. When Tali joins the Normandy crew, secretary Kelly Chambers informs Shepard that Tali would not mind being more than “just friends,” judging by her feelings towards the Captain and how she flinches every time Shepard appears. Kasumi Goto also notes these signs, telling Shepard that he is her ideal man and that he needs to be very gentle with Tali. After completing her loyalty mission, Tali takes damage to her protective suit and due to her, like all Quarians, weak immune system contracts a fever. She shares her feelings about living her entire life in a suit, without the ability to take it off and enjoy the surrounding benefits, like flowers, the scent of which could kill her. Tali explains that Quarians do not take off their suits even on the Fleet, and the most intimate act in their lives is to connect their suit systems together. This is very dangerous and requires complete trust. Tali says that the only person she would want to connect her suit with is Shepard. Tali starts to get nervous, mixing up words and becoming shy, attributing it all to the fever. Nevertheless, she confirms the secretary Chambers’ speculations, revealing that she started developing feelings for the Captain back when they were chasing Saren. But she was afraid to say so, fearing rejection. She is very happy to hear from Shepard that she was wrong and that he feels similarly towards her. However, then due to her extreme modesty she apologizes for putting Shepard in such a predicament, asserting that she was unprofessional and selfish, and believes he deserves someone better than her. She feels bad about her vulnerable state, but Shepard reassures her that he doesn’t need another woman and will do everything he can to be with her.
Beside herself with joy after hearing this, Tali wants their relationship to be real, feeling his body with her body. Unfortunately, the weakened Quarian immune system and the nature of their bodies make any potential closeness very dangerous, even deadly. She asks Shepard to give her some time until she is ready. Shepard can certainly seek advice from Doctor Mordin Solus.
Before Normandy passes through the Omega-4 Relay, Tali nervously enters Shepard's private quarters, informing him that she has taken some antibiotics to temporarily boost her immune system. Constantly and incoherently talking (a defensive mechanism, a side effect of her modesty), she is very nervous before their first intimacy. Shepard eases her worries and gently removes her mask, seeing her face for the first time (however, it is not shown to the player). Her fears dissipate, Tali kisses Shepard...
If Tali survives the suicide mission, later aboard the Normandy, she tells him that despite the new fever, some diseases, and general malaise - their love was worth it.
Interesting Facts:
• Tali carries a knife strapped to her leg, but never uses it in combat.
• Tali's combat drone is called Chiktiika vas Paus, a reference to the BioWare game Baldur’s Gate II. Chiktiika Fastpaus is the animal companion of Berwyn Wildwonderer, the deity that Aerie worshiped, one of the crew members.
• When Chiktiika is summoned, Tali sometimes shouts, “Go for the optics, Chiktiika! Go for the optics!”, a reference to Baldur’s Gate II and Minsk with his miniature Space Hamster when he shouted “Go for the eyes, Boo! Go for the eyes!”.
• Sometimes Aerie responds to instructions saying: “Faster than Chiktiika Fastpaus!”, and Tali can say “No one can be as fast as Chiktiika vas Paus!”.
• Tali and Aerie have several similarities. Both are young, non-human race girls, companions with soft voices, both potential romantic interests for male players, and play support roles in battle. Relying more on spells and abilities than firepower.
• **It turns out >>>** that Tali, like Legion, was available for recruitment much earlier than in the final version of the game.
• Like all squad members, Tali has unique dialogues that can be heard in many locations during missions or assignments, or if a special squad member is chosen alongside her.