Saadia The Mystery of who is Right ....Solved?

[woodsman30]

This Mystery is complicated as any in TES series and worthy of note as evidence, lore, twists, turns, and facts come together to finally bring this story to light and a conclusion. This story starts when you find out dragons are attacking Whiterun during the quest  Dragon Rising and starts the quest In My Time of Need. You are asked by the Alik'r about a Red-guard woman who may be in the city and if you find her report her to them the Red-guard... so they ask. Of note here they are being kick out of the city for some unknown reason and you soon find out one is in jail...why? Here is where you will meet Saadia  and is a Redgaurd woman who works the Bannered-Mare When confronted she will give her side of the story the Thalmor are after her due to her speaking out against them in it is believed to happened in Taneth.....however, it is also of note this is where Kematu says she sold out the city and gave secrets to the Thalmor and that led to the fall of the city.

So the Great-war happened between 4th era 171-175 in that time the Empire all but fell and entered into the White-Gold- Concordat

and the Red-guards fought on alone finally a deal was reached with the Second Treaty of Stros M'Kai and the Thalmor retreated out of Hammerfell.

Enter present time 4th era 201.

The evidence:

First is Saadia's age by game standards is would be assumed she is around 40ish. So she would be very young when all of this took place late teens how much would she have known to really give away secrets to the Thalmor? We know that by Kematu's dialog they want to bring her to justice so they been hunting her for 20 plus years really? That and in the middle of a war she somehow met with the Thalmor without being killed trying ....suspect at best there.

Second the Alik'r or so they say.... Why did they get kicked out of Whiterun and one was jailed what exactly did they do?.... Or, did they get booted by association? We know that Talos worship is alive and well in Whiterun so did the guards believe they are in fact part of the Thalmor? This makes the most sense as in game guards are not know for tolerance and crimes are met by sword if resistance is given was one jailed when he spoke a little too much?

Now comes the question of the bandits at Swinders Den we know that bandits are extremely hostile towards anything not considered their own so how did they get in there? Again by association it can be assumed they are in part bandits or at least friendly towards them.... more against Kematu's credibility he claims to be honorable but what honorable man would stand with bloodthirsty bandits when he would know the are killers ...answer : no honorable man would.

The Thalmor are known for underhanded dealings, hate Talos worship, and all around not nice to any who are not them.

So Saadia's story makes the most sense and here is why?

The Thalmor many have claimed would have just sent their own assassins into Whiterun to kill Saadia but that is not true.

The Thalmor could not send their own into Whiterun how many high-elves you see there?..none. Second they could not be associated with it directly as killing a noble from Hammerfell would more than likely break the treaty they have with Hammerfell. The Thalmor could not do it directly again because an assault on a citizen of Whiterun would have sealed the fate as Whiterun is neutral at this point in the war and that could lead them to join the Stormcloaks.

So why then and why now?

Saadia is a Noble but fled Hammerfell when her city fell and she sought refuge and a new life. Saadia found one... sort of until now.

The Thalmor are trying to wrap up loose ends in Skyrim and are actively searching for any who do not stand with them and/or spoke out against them as you will find out later when Esbern comes into play. Saadia is one of them as she actively spoke against them even at the fall of her city. The Thalmor will go to any lengths to get what they desires including hiring mercenaries and traitors as in game evidence shows. So the Alik'r lied to you and need to face your justice .....as only you can save Saadia.

 

This is the most logical conclusion that can be made if one really looks at in game evidence and lore.