After completing a mission in Mass Effect 1 involving eliminating some Geth outposts, Tali will request that Commander Shepard give her the Geth data they recovered. Giving Tali the data will appease her but goes against protocol.
Tali is on her pilgrimage during the events of Mass Effect 1. After meeting with Shepard, she informs the Commander that this customary trip is an important right of passage for all Quarians. At the end of their journey, they're expected to bring back a gift, which is expected to be something of value that would aid the Quarians or their own crew.
The mission titled Tali and the Geth follows UNC: Geth Incursions, which can be easily picked up by traveling to the Armstrong Nebula or by hacking into a Geth terminal on Feros or Virmire. But to complete the quest Tali and the Geth, Shepard will need to stay behind on Solcrum after combat is finished. When combat is over, a message will appear explaining that a recording of a Quarian lament has been transmitted to the Geth homeworlds. Straight ahead from the entrance to the underground bunker is a door hiding a locked data terminal with easy decryption. This is how Shepard gets the data in question.
Should You Give Tali the Geth Data?
Even if Tali is in Shepard's squad, she won't mention anything about the Geth data during the mission. Instead, Shepard should speak with her following the mission aboard the Normandy when she will request a copy of the Geth data to offer as her pilgrimage gift. In short, this is a moral choice. While giving Tali classified data is against Alliance protocols, the data would be a valuable gift that would certainly aid the Quarians. It's up to players if they would rather gain 1 Paragon point by giving Tali a copy of the data or 1 Renegade point by withholding the data.
It's important to note that, while this information will carry over into Mass Effect 2, the consequences aren't very severe. It will be mentioned in the sequel, but no negative outcomes, including anything relating to Tali's romance, will come of it.
Instead, when Shepard first meets Tali in Mass Effect 2 on Freedom's Progress, Shepard can verify their identity to their old crewmate by mentioning this Geth data. However, if Shepard did not give Tali the data, this dialogue option will not appear, but Tali still won't be very suspicious of Shepard. It's never mentioned what Tali uses as a pilgrimage gift in place of the Geth data.
Mass Effect: Legendary Edition is out now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
