Migrant Fleet

Also known as the Migrant Fleet, the Flotilla is the massive fleet that became home to the quarians after they were driven from their home world by the geth. The Flotilla consists of roughly fifty thousand starships that house 17 million quarians. Some of the vessels date from the original flight from the geth, three hundred years ago. The Flotilla is so large it can take days for all the ships to pass through a mass relay. Though the Flotilla is one unified Fleet, ships sometimes leave on an individual basis to pursue their own goals, on missions that can last days or years.

Each individual ship has long been retrofitted to house as large a crew as possible. Over time the quarians thin out the vessels they can't use or are too damaged to repair, pooling the credits to buy and convert new ships. There are few warships. The cargo holds of freighters have been converted into small compartments for individuals to live in, often lined with colourful fabrics to make it an individual space and reduce noise in the cramped quarters. Space is at a premium aboard the Migrant Fleet because of the numbers of quarians living aboard and the space needed to grow enough food to feed everyone.

The Flotilla is broken up into various clans, sometimes spread over several ships. In theory the Flotilla is still under martial law, meaning the captain of a ship has the final say on disputes, but in practice the quarians are quite democratic. Each ship has an elected civilian council and the captain often defers to their judgment. Overruling the council without a good reason is grounds for the captain to be removed.

Representatives from each ship serve on the Conclave, the civilian government. The Conclave makes the day-to-day decisions about Fleet business: collection of resources, the current course of the Flotilla, policing and so on. The Conclave is overseen by the Admiralty Board, five quarians who can override the Conclave's decisions. Once they have chosen to override the decision, the entire Admiralty Board must resign their posts or be arrested by the quarian military. Tali'Zorah nar Rayya admits that her father serves on the Admiralty Board, but it is unlikely she will ever serve on it herself because the post is not hereditary.

Everything the quarians do must help to ensure the continued survival of the Flotilla. The quarian Pilgrimage forms a large part of this. The quarian policy of strip-mining systems for resources, and often being hired 'under the table' due to their specialised skills, replacing existing workers, makes the approach of the Migrant Fleet very unpopular. Some species will make a 'gift' of fuel, food or ships if they know the Flotilla is approaching, to discourage the quarians from entering their system.