Who's telling the truth? Saadia or Kematu?
Kematu might be telling the truth
- The first time you talk to Saadia, she pulls a knife on you. While this may seem like an act of desperate defiance, it may hint at a violent and unpredictable personality.
- Saadia seems hesitant to explain the full situation, while Kematu elaborates on it fully. Is Saadia's reticence due to her guilt?
- The man you can free from jail seems strangely honourable, saying he has shamed his companions and wants to begin anew.
- If Kematu really was an assassin, why paralyse her at the end of the quest - why not just stab her and be done with it? He also mentions justice, and taking her into custody, and implies that Saadia will face a trial back in Hammerfell rather than swift execution. All this points to him and his warriors being enforcers rather than assassins.
- Kematu's opening line - "We can avoid any more bloodshed." And his closing lines which imply that Saadia is known for her manipulation of people.
- The in game book The Great War refers to Alik'r warriors harassing the Aldermi Dominion forces as they retreated. This would make the dominion hiring them most strange. It is then important to consider this: Is hiring Redgaurd assassins the style of the Dominion? They have a certain level of free reign within the Empire. Why would they need to hire human assassins to kill someone? They have the Justiciars doing that for the Thalmor.
- Saadia specifically wants you go and kill Kematu. Why does she want that? The Alik'r are not allowed in the city, so for now she is perfectly safe.
For these reasons I almost always end up siding with Kematu.
The purpose of this quest I think is to make you question which is the right option to take.
It is intentionally unclear.
My logic was this:
- The Alik'r were shunned by Whiterun, that's saying something. Perhaps they have a bad reputation for being dirty mercenaries.
- It is more likely that an individual spoke out against an organization rather than one individual causing the fall of Taneth.
- The Aldmeri have always been able to win fights without the assistance of individuals, especially noble women, who may or may not have access to military secrets.
- If she had caused the downfall of Taneth, why would she hide outside of Aldmeri territory? She could be easily protected elsewhere.
I did see this though:
If you accept Kematu's request and help him capture Saadia, you may encounter a group of Thalmor Justiciars in the wild that carry a Justiciar Execution Order with your race and name. This may indicate that Kematu might have been telling the truth and that Saadia truly was a traitor (source needed, Justiciar Execution Orders are normally issued because of the assault on the Thalmor Embassy in the main questline).
Source: http://elderscrolls.wikia.com/wiki/In_My_Time_of_Need
I've done this quest both ways.. and I am now convinced the Alik'r are lying.. I just happened to visit the hall of the dead in white run, after helping the Alik'r and what do I find Saadia's burial Urn. She was supposed to be taken alive back to Hammerfell.