Alternate Universe. It's been years since the First Contact War and the tensions between the Turians and the Humans have only gotten worse. War is possible between the two species.

The Council has been trying to stay out of it, letting them work out their differences. Lies, rumors, and false prophets have made both sides untrustworthy.

Human colonies and ships have been raided with humans being taken for "slavery." Commander Jane Shepard does her job in hunting down these "Batarian Slavers", who the Council said was involved with the missing humans. Yet the Humans believe the Turians are truly the ones that are responsible.

Garrus Vakarian is an undercover agent working for Spectre Saren Arterius trying to get enough evidence to revoke his Spectre status. Saren is the reason alone why humans have been disappearing and Garrus needs the hard evidence to prove that to the Council.

*Mature Content for dark themes such as rape, drugs, violence (gore), and sex. Bioware owns everything but the quotes used at the beginning of each chapter which will be referenced.

P.S. Since this is an Alternate Universe obviously the characters will be way different than that of the videogame, this is a fanfiction after all. It is super dark, not meant to have a happy ending. I have been working on this piece for about a year and half now, i have reread it a hundred times and edited it as best I could but there are obviously going to be some errors. It isn't meant to be perfect grammar and structured sentences. This is the darkest piece I have ever written and I also happen to think it is the best.

*****Do not continue reading if you are faint of the heart. Spoiler alert: This is a really dark fanfiction. Shepard is tortured and raped (not by Garrus) in these next few chapters so read with caution. Don't say I didn't warn you.*****

"Streets stank of fire. The void breathed hard on my heart, turning its illusions to ice, shattering them. Was reborn then, free to scrawl own design on this morally blank world." -Rorschach, Watchmen Graphic Novel

There are circumstances that happen in everyone's life that change them into the person they are today. For Shepard each terrible moment that has ever happened in her life slowly chipped away the soft petals of a beautiful rose only to leave the thorns on a withered, burnt stem. She learned from a young age that she would never give up. Shepard must do everything in her will power to never give up. She made a vow long before signing up for the military that she wouldn't let anyone beat her down again. She wouldn't let anyone break her, again.

So she wasn't going to give up now just because it seemed like she was in a hopeless situation.

"Are you even listening?" The Turian asked breaking Shepard from her dark thoughts. She opened her eyes to find the alien standing in front of her.

Shepard was currently naked. Her wrist were cuffed tightly together while being chained to the ceiling. Her shoulders ached from being held vertical. The lack of blood in her finger tips were making them tingle. Her toes barely touched the cold floor only slightly giving her the relief she so desperately needed.

The Turian, with green clan markings, was holding a leather whip in his left hand, it had an electric blue shock on the tip of it. Every time it was used it would light up blue. She narrowed her eyes with so much hate, she could barely focus. She vowed that one day he would die.

Shepard shook her head admittedly and mockingly; her short dark red hair spilling over her face, it felt like silk compared to the whip. She had a small angry smile which only antagonized the Turian even more. She was trying to piss him off. She felt a lot of pain but she has tolerated worse in her life, she wasn't going to give into this cocksucker.

He growled. "A slave doesn't mock their Masters. You will OBEY!" He moved around to her back side. She tensed when she heard him bring the whip up, a loud crack went through the air, a second later the pain came. The sting went all the way through her body, the shock made her heart beat rapidly and her nerves twitch uncontrollably. She clenched her jaw, teeth grinding together, as she tried to ignore it as best as she could. She tried to block it out, tried to think of something other than being whipped by this fucking asshole, but nothing worked. No amount of training was going to make this go away. He was still there and she was still in this fucked up nightmare.

"If you would just give up already we can be done with this, it will show your submission." He sighed like he was tired, or bored, she didn't know which was worse. Then he shrugged when she wouldn't say anything. "You shall submit eventually." His voice was condescending filled with arrogance. She absolutely fucking hated it.

"Fuck you." She said for the fiftieth time while turning her head to look at him from over her shoulder. Her back was starting to bleed, she could feel the warm liquid drip down her legs. The bullet wound on her shoulder reopened causing her arm to feel numb.

Just as she turned her head, he punched her directly in the face. She felt the pain immediately and her vision got blurry. She started laughing because of it, she wanted to get him mad, she wanted to get him pissed off, that's when they make mistakes. She spat on the floor, blood in her white teeth when she smiled, her face hurt so bad but she didn't show it. She couldn't show the weakness.

Don't give up. Never. Give. Up.

Another crack through the air then the shock of the electricity on the end hit her upper back, it almost made her pass out. She tensed up and fought against the pain, the convulsions happening in her chest. Her back hurt worse now and it stung like he was starting to whip at opened flesh. As if to prove a point she feels her own warm blood drip down again. She almost whimpered but instead she bit her tongue. The taste of copper filled her mouth.

Don't show the weakness. Don't be a coward. Her father's voice was in her head now. A comfort that she didn't expect to find.

She looked at the Turian when he came walking around to her front. She hated him. She took a full mental image of him just then to remember everything about this fucktard. He had an unusual emerald green looking clan markings with darker green eyes, she would never forget his face, never. "I'll kill you. One day I will fucking kill all of you." He smacked her across the face again this time with an opened palm not a closed fist. Her head flipped to the side. Her hair falling, covering her face again, blood mingling in the strands. The sting was worst this time. Her eyelids felt super heavy. She spit more blood on the floor and then looked back at him. She said breathing heavily, "Is that the best you got?" Blood mixed with her teeth and gums, slightly dripping down her chin. The Turian growled at her and then grabbed the back of her head with her hair and pulled down hard. Shepard grunted. She gritted her teeth together letting the anger over throw her pain.

"We can do this all day." He growled merely inches from her face. The smell of his foreign turian scent made her nauseous. She started to feel woozy like the loss of blood was finally weighing in on her. She let her head fall forward, suddenly it felt to heavy to lift up.

At that moment, Shepard knew there would be no end to this. This is just one of moments that will change her forever. She stood there chained and naked, like a fucking animal with her head hung glaring at the alien in front of her. In her mind she was visioning his death and multiple others who had forced her there. She was going to kill them all. She made that promise to herself, even if it was the last promise she'd ever make.

I will kill them all or die trying.

12 Hours Earlier Uncharted Planet:

A squadron of Batarian slavers was hiding out in a small building. Two men were guarding the perimeter. Shepard was posted out of sight. She was laying prone with her sniper rifle, looking through the crosshairs on a Batarians ugly fucking face. Two of her best operatives were watching her back, Miller and Jenkins.

"Commander, we've got a problem here." XO Kaidan Alenkos voice came through the Commander's ear piece. She inwardly cringed but still remained professional. Kaidan gave her the fucking creeps, and not the good kind.

"What is it Alenko? Handle it. I'm busy." She responded then squeezed the trigger to her sniper rifle. In the distance the Batarian's head exploded. Shepard smiled, she loved the feeling of getting a headshot, especially on a fucker like that. She then aimed quickly at the other Batarian, firing a perfect headshot before the guy had time to notice his buddy's head just exploded.

"There's an unmarked ship approaching the Normandy. They look like they are trying to board." His voice sounded agitated. There was an unmistakable tightness to it. Jane didn't like it.

Her instincts went on high alert. The familiar feeling of adrenaline rushing through her veins overpowered her. "Lock up the ship do not give them access. I repeat do not give them access. I'm taking the shuttle to you now." Her voice was strong, demanding.

"It's too late Commander, I already gave them the okay. They looked harmless. They said they came in peace." His voice sounded so strange to her ears she almost didn't recognize him.

"Fuck off Alenko, then why did you even radio me? I didn't authorize you to do that. Do not let them on board. I'm telling you right now if you do I will get your ass discharged." She wasn't lying. After they finished what was going on here she'd get his ass fired.

"But... Commander-" He stuttered like a little child who is disagreeing with their parents.

"Don't listen to what they say they are not here to talk to us about making a deal they are here to kill us or worse, take us!" Shepard practically screamed in her helmet. Her heart was racing, her stomach dropped with dread, something bad was going to happen. Reports have been coming in all month in this area, a lot of human crews, alliance and merchant ships, were being taken by someone and they were luring people in by boarding their ships with authorization. It's why Shepard was there now, the Batarian outpost was just a cover. Everything about this situation screamed horrible and Alenko was a fucking naive moron.

"Their Captain just wants to talk. He's a Spectre, Shepard. I have to listen…I'll wait for you to get here." Alenko says then disconnects the communications abruptly. He pretty much gave her an order and that pissed her off. Anger flowed into her veins like she was being dipped in ice cold water. She started to shake because of it. What was a Spectre doing all the way out here? IS the Council finally doing their fucking jobs?

"Fuck!" Shepard yelled and then ran as fast as she could to the shuttle. The two squad members that were originally with her, Miller and Jenkins, followed behind with worried glances, but she ignored them and they knew better than to say anything.

They boarded the shuttle right when they got to it. Shepard barely giving time for the doors to close. She punched a few commands on the touch screen and the shuttle took off instantly. She tossed her helmet off somewhere in her anger and threw it against the wall. She opened and closed her hands trying so desperately not to punch the metal wall and break her hand. She calmed herself down quickly. She needed to focus. Anger was the worst thing to have in a situation like this. She needed to be smart, calm, and collected.

They got to the Normandy within minutes. The hatch automatically opening when they arrived to the cargo bay.

She ran hard to the top floor with Jenkins and Miller both on her heels. When they got in the room she nearly tumbled from stopping to a full halt before bringing up her pistol.

She saw the Turians, only 5 of them, and Kadian standing next to each other like they were old friends simply having a chat. They all noticed her and turned.

The leader, which was obvious because he walked forward first, came up to her. He had a bare face, no clan markings which Jane understood as untrustworthy, his eyes glowed blue, like an unnatural blue that didn't seem logically possible. Shepard recognized him almost immediately. She got a bad feeling looking at him. His face was sharp and angular all over, in person he looked even more deadly. Her instincts told her to get the fuck away from him. He eyed her obsessively and it made her skin crawl with disgust. She seriously felt sick to her stomach. Saren Arterius. He was the Sepctre that the Council sent? It didn't sit right with Shepard and she knew she should trust her instincts which were screaming at her not to put her gun down.

"What do you want?" Jane demanded while aiming her pistol at his face. Her finger rested gently on the trigger. Her voice was tough and strong. She didn't show any emotion.

"What? No introductions?" He motioned to the four men standing behind him. All Turians. All from different clans. He didn't look worried that she had a gun pointed right at his face. In fact he looked as calm as ever, like this was an everyday thing for him, that she is merely an inconvenience. That angered her more. He eyes the gun being pointed at him. "You know it is a criminal offense to point a gun at a Spectre. I could kill you right now and I'd be called a hero for it."

"Then why haven't you yet?" She narrowed her eyes at him. She has heard of his ruthless 'Spectre' reputation. She realized right there that he was the reason why she was out here. She was looking for the person responsible for taking humans and he was standing directly in front of her.

"That's a good question. You'll know the answer soon enough. Commander Jane Shepard. Sister of Captain John Shepard." He laughed in a mocking tone like her title was a joke, her brother always overshadowing her. His loud voice echoing off the metal walls. All this talk was futile and pointless. She should have pulled the trigger just then to be done with it. She should have just killed him right there, but she didn't. For some illogical reason she didn't pull the trigger and she would regret this decision for the rest of her god forsaken life.

"They want to discuss a possible alliance." Kaidan blurted out on que. Both Shepard and Saren narrowed their eyes at him. Even Saren didn't like Kaidan, that much was obvious. He was just a tool, a toy to be played with.

"Shut the fuck up Kaidan!" She yelled and gave Kaidan the death stare, one she only gave to people she truly wanted dead.

Kaidan snapped his mouth shut and Saren laughed. It was hollow and had no humor in it. Completely fake, emotionless. "Funny since he is the one that gave you up to us." He spoke while looking at Shepard.

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Shepard glanced back at Kaidan who had this guilty sour look on his face. He wouldn't meet her eyes.

Fucking coward.

"To keep the Humans and the Turians from going to war we have agreed on terms." Kaidan muttered like a fucking varen.

"This is fucking bullshit Kaidan I can't believe you would listen to this prick. He is lying!" She said getting angrier and angrier with each breath. She still had her gun pointed at Saren her finger itched to pull the trigger. The four other Turians that was with Saren moved closer towards her with assault rifles pointed at her.

"It doesn't matter anymore. What's done is done. Kaidan will take your place and work for me. That is the deal." Saren said as a matter of fact, like he was bored and this was simply wasting his precious time.

She glared at Kaidan accusingly. "What kind of deal is that Kaidan? You should have never signed up for to Alliance, coward." Honestly if she had a choice she would have killed him right then and there. Her finger twitched on her trigger. She glanced at the four men and they stepped closer towards her. Still having their rifles pointed at her. She was fucked. She glared back at Kaidan.

He doesn't even have the balls to look at her in the eyes when he says it. "They want you Commander. They said they will stop killing us if you go with them. I will take over after you are gone and help Saren with intel, it is.. it is the only way, or they will kill us all." He stuttered again. Shepard wanted so badly to put a bullet in his head.

"You coward. They are using you! Can't you see that? You have no fucking dignity." She felt so much anger and hate she had a hard time controlling it.

Jenkins and Miller both brought up their weapons. Jenkins was loyal to Kaidan because they were friends. Shepard thought they may even have a sexual relationship but she never cared. Miller was one of her most loyal operative and she trusted him the most. He had the experience and he always followed orders without question. Shepard could see out of the corner of her eye that they were eyeballing each other.

The four Turians then put away their rifles, bringing out these electric rods. They were super long, about 5-6 feet and it had an electric blue shock on the end. They moved even closer to her. Close enough that they can get her with the rods.

"Touch me and I will kill you." Shepard said at the same time pointing her pistol at the closest Turian walking toward her. He stopped instantly. Miller aimed at the 2nd Turian that was closer to him. She looked around the CIC and there wasn't any staff then out of the corner of her eye she saw a Geth connected to one of the Normandy's console. It caught her off guard. She only seen photos and vids of Geth she has never seen one in person and she couldn't help but let her eyes drift a little longer than she meant too.

The Turian that was in front of her moved a step closer. She pulled the trigger back slightly but not enough to make the gun go off. She glanced back at Miller who gives her a firm nod knowing this is it. "You take one more step and I'll fucking shoot you." She said. Her voice deep. She barely recognized herself.

The Turian took a step and went to stab the rod at her. She pulled the trigger. He dropped to the floor instantly with a bullet in his head. Kaidan dropped to the ground covering his ears, Jenkins aims to shoot but before he does Miller already pointed his gun at him and shot him in the chest. Jenkins was still young. Naive. Never seen real death; he died almost instantly.

Shepard then shot a few rounds off at the 3rd Turian next to her. He fell to the floor dead. Two Turians down. Two more too go, plus Saren and the Geth that hasn't moved from the console. The other two Turians came rushing forward so fast Shepard barely had time to react. One Turian went for Shepard and the other went for Miller.

She moved her gun to point at him but they were already too close. She managed to get two shots off, one pierced the guys foot. The wounded Turian screamed in pain and then she heard a few more gunshots behind her, Miller was shooting the other Turian. She was taken down to the ground by the Turian she shot. They rolled while she fought to get to her pistol she aimed it at the fucker that was trying to pin her down. She fired a few rounds that missed. Or maybe they grazed him she wasn't sure.

Then in the mist of all the chaos she heard one single gunshot and then nothing but silence. She turned her head, being distracted by the noise, and saw Miller drop to his knees then to the floor with a bullet wound in his head, dead. Saren stood behind him. His face completely calmed and relaxed like he didn't have a care in the world. Even for a Turian his face remained completely impassive his eyes were so robotic, it would have scared a lesser mind.

He pointed the gun at Shepard's face, his finger on the trigger. "Drop it." He ordered. His voice calm. Not a hint of worry. Two Geth came out of no-where. Guns pointed at her.

Shepard glanced around the room and sees that everyone is pretty much dead, except for the guy still on top of her holding her down and Kaidan. The Geth that was at the console wasn't there anymore, she assumed it is one of the Geth approaching her. She glanced back at Kaidan and glared.

She sees him curled up in a ball on the floor sucking his thumb rocking back and forth, not really but she imagined that's what he looked like. He was really sitting besides Jenkins body looking down at it with a blank stare. His hands were covered in Jenkins blood.

She ignored him and kept her focus on Saren. Who still held the gun from point blank range at her face. The two Geth on his sides. She was what they say royally fucked. "I'll kill everyone on this ship if you don't comply. Including your pilot, your doctor, your Captain, everyone you know and love will be killed." He was serious too. He wasn't the type to make threats and not follow up on them. Shepard has lost her whole team before. They called her the Butcher of Torphan and they were right. She wasn't going to let her entire team die again. She saw Millers dead body and thought of his sister, Karli. She should be in the drive core with Adams. Shepard hoped they were safe. She hoped that Presley and Joker had the sense to get everyone hidden to a safe place.

She aimed her gun slightly toward the Turian that was pinning her down and fired. The shot made her ears ring. Blue blood sprayed everywhere on her face and armor. Her hearing felt clouded but she was used to it, then she felt pain in her right shoulder. She looked down and saw a gunshot wound. "Next one will be in your face." Saren said while aiming the weapon at her face. She winced then everything became blurry. She dropped the gun. The dead Turian on top of her was getting heavier. His blood pouring on her. The Geth moved in super-fast then.

"Send more men. I have retrieved the merchandise." Saren said in his com. Then applied medigel to her wound to make it stop bleeding. The pain was slowly easing.

The two machines take the dead Turian off her easily and then dragged her forcing her to stand. Shepard winced and then they let her go. Then she went for the knife that was attached to her belt.

Saren was standing behind her and obviously saw this coming so he simply dug his talon into her gunshot wound as hard as he could. Her right shoulder screamed with agony. She gasped out loud in pain she ended up dropping the knife. "There will be none of that pet." Then four other Turians she didn't recognize came in with those same rods plus two more Geth. So now there are four Geth and four Turians plus Saren. One of the Turians brought out a pair of cuffs that looked super high tech and pretty painful. He tried to latch them onto her wrist but she pulled away. That's when they electrocuted her. Her whole body convulsed as she dropped to the floor. Saren made a growling noise that sounded like an angry animal. "Corbius you turned it on too high now we have to drag her out of here." He didn't sound happy about it either.

Shepard refused to be dragged out like an animal so she forced her body to stand. Her legs were shaky, her body was still shaking. "Well look at that, looks like she's a fighter. This will be fun, Boss." Corbius, Saren had called him, spoke. Shepard almost threw up.

"Just remember she is MINE to take not yours. You are just breaking her in." Saren told him.

"Fuck you." She tried to elbow him but he was faster and dodged it easily. Their conversation was so surreal, she almost didn't believe they were having it. With words like merchandise and mine to take was a whole other level that Shepard wasn't prepared for. She knew that humans were being taken, but for what exactly? That was a question she hadn't wanted to find the answer too.

"You are going to make this difficult aren't you?" Corbius said while bringing this black carbon fiber chain thing that looked impossible to break. It had a matching thick collar attached to it. She has seen similar things in BSDM clubs, she never participated. He clamped it tight around her neck then clicked the connecting chain to her cuffs. The chain then extended a few feet like a leash for a dog. It was meant to make some submit.

She stayed put till they started walking forward yanking on the chain to make her walk. She vowed she would kill Kaidan for this. Vowed she would kill everyone that was involved with this. On the way towards the airlock. She looked for Joker in the pilots chair but he wasn't there. She felt relieved by that actually. He was able to hide before the Turians could do anything else to her crew. She just wanted her crew safe. She has seen so many people die through-out her life. She tried to keep herself emotionally detached from her crew but she as the commanding officer had to make a choice. And at this point this is was the choice she could make that wouldn't lead to everyone dying.

She glanced back at Saren briefly while walking and glaring. He was mean looking. Then again all Turians are mean looking. His mandibles are sharp and angular making him look even more dangerous. Even being in his presence, Shepard felt this knawing on the back of her skull. Something dark pulling her in. It was his eyes. They were so unnatural.

"Stop." He said right when they got to a random door once they entered his ship. He walked by it and it opened for him automatically. It was a medium sized room, a perfect looking square. There were those same black "chains" hanging from the ceiling. Another pair was on the floor for feet.

The room itself was made out of some metal material, only it wasn't. It was shiny but grey at the same time. There was a drain in the center of it, but no water faucet, no toilet, no sink, completely bare other than the chains.

"Strip your armor." He ordered still pointing the gun at her.

"What for?" She asked stupidly, she knew what for but she was stalling. Her shoulder throbbed feeling shattered she didn't even know if she could take her armor off at this point

"Do it." He growled that time when he spoke.

"Fuck you." She said. She looked around the room for something to use. There was nothing. No escape. She had no where else to go. The only thing she could do was wait, be patient and hopefully she could find a way out of this. A smarter way out of this that will end up her alive and not dead.

"Such a nasty mouth on you." He clicked his mandibles against his face in irritation. "You'll be punished for disobeying. Slave." He growled out the word slave. That's when she realized how truly fucked she was. They weren't just taking her as a prisoner of war. They were taking her to be their fucking slave. She knew that's what Saren had in mind when he called her his merchandise but the reality of the situation hit hard. This was a much more worse of an outcome than Shepard had originally thought. She felt a panic attack rising in her chest. She forced it down. She still held firm. They were going to have to rip her armor off her body. She wasn't going to give in on this one.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Fuck off."

"Suit yourself." Saren said stepping out of the room. The door closed and part of the wall moves away to reveal a large window. He keyed a couple commands outside and then everything turned a bright electric blue.

The ground began to electrify. Shepard barely had time to think before the whole world spun and then everything went black. Her body convulsed with so much pain she hoped for death to be quick.

Shepard woke up some time later. Her head hung low, throbbing making everything blurry. She was looking at her naked body when she opened her eyes. She groaned when she tried to move, only to realize her wrists are cuffed to the ceiling and her ankles chained to the floor. She was dangling by her arms. Toes barley touching the floor.

The doors opened revealing the Turian, Corbius. His face was darker than most Turians and he had light green clan markings with darker green eyes. He was holding a whip when he walked in. His eyes get darker when they land on her.

"You have an attitude, pet. Let's see if we can't fix that." He cracks the whip in the air making a loud noise that almost caused Shepard to jump.

"Fuck you." She practically growled.

For the third time in Shepard's life, she was going to be tortured.

He cracked the whip and a few seconds later the pain came on her lower back. She bit down and closed her eyes, trying so desperately not to scream. The shock was a minor one compared to the one before but it still left her muscles tightening up in pain.

"You will speak when I allow you too and you will address me as Master." Another lash on her back, her knees dropped to the floor. She still has her eyes closed and her teeth clenched. Her mind trying to block out what is happening but nothing is working. For some reason she is trying not to laugh. Could this really be happening? And not just some fucked up nightmare?

"Fuck you." She said again gripping the chains with her hands and helping herself stand up. Her legs felt like jello. Her breathing is hard now. She coughed trying to catch her breath, her heart beating fast in her throat.

"I'm going to ask you some questions. Each time you don't answer I will give you one lash." He walked around to her front side. She glared at him with all her hate. "If you continue to disobey me I will give more lashes. Understand?" His Turian mandibles opened wide, so she imagined that was a grin, or something like it. She wanted to kill him. She imagined slicing his throat with her favorite sword. It actually made her feel slightly better even in her current situation. She imagined his blue blood pouring out of his neck, and the life in his precious green eyes fade away. She realized then that she would enjoy it. Does that make her a monster? Maybe. But at this point it doesn't fucking matter.

"What are the humans planning? And where are they striking next?" He demanded.

Shepard laughed then narrowed her eyes and spit in his face. "Fuck you." She said again while laughing. This guy is a fucking idiot.

He growled then sighed like he was tired. "Wrong answer." He walked behind her and lashed out his whip again hitting her on the upper back this time. She falls to her knees again but still doesn't scream. She bit her tongue, she can taste the metallic flavor of blood in her mouth.

He asked her a bunch more useless questions about the humans and stupid things that only made sense if someone was brain washing him. Each time he'd ask a question, she responded with the same answer. He cranked up the voltage on the whip and started giving her two lashes instead of one.

After a while she started ignoring him. It was the only thing she had left and that was to fight or die trying.

Don't ever give up. Don't ever give up. Once again her father's words come back to haunt her.

"Present"

Shepard hung from the ceiling. Blood was dripping down her back.

"We can do this all day."

Shepard didn't know if she could lose any more blood and as if to prove a point she coughed up some more. Spitting it out on the floor in front of her. She wanted so badly to cry but she still wouldn't let herself. Not now, not ever. Her eyes welled up with tears but she didn't let them fall. She didn't allow the weakness. It would kill her if she let it. So instead she laughed to mask the tears that wanted to fall. Her shoulders ached from her arms hanging by the chains. Her wrists were stinging from the cuffs that were digging into them. She has felt all this before but reliving it again was a fucking nightmare. She felt so weak now like it was hard to stay awake. How many times does one have to get tortured in their life before it breaks them?

She looked down at the ground and saw the red liquid pool beneath her feet. She was going to die here, in this place. She couldn't believe this would happen, that this did happen. She thought back to the person who did this to her and saw red. She wanted to kill him before she died and now she couldn't do that. It was too late. It always has and always will be too late.

The Turian allowed one more whip to her wounded back and then he let her knees give out. The chains were too tight on her wrists so she wasn't able to lay on the floor. Only her knees were slightly bent. "You are wasting your time fighting. He will win. He always does." The Turian said in a small whisper. She swore she heard a hint of empathy in his voice but she chose to ignore it. This man was capable of feeling such a thing.

Then he walked away from her. Sighing in exhaustion he walked over to the door. As soon as he left. She felt herself cry. Warm tears streaking down her face. The salt on her lips.

She just wanted this to be over. Then the chains dropped from the ceiling. She fell to the floor exhausted. Her arms hurt so bad but the relief was enough to make her whimper.

Just when she was about to faint she heard the doors swish back open. She tried to lift her head up to see a figure walking through but couldn't make it out cause her vision was getting blurry. Everything was slowly getting dark now. She was going to pass out soon.

When the figure got closer they crouched down slightly so she could see their face. It was an Asari. She was holding a very human looking black bag and her arm was lighting up with a holographic orange showing her omni tool.

Shepard wanted only one person right then and that was her brother John. She whispered his named before Jane lost consciousness. This time she welcomed the darkness, because that meant there will be no more pain. The darkness was a friend to her. It wrapped her up in a warm blanket and kept her safe and for the second time in Jane Shepard's life she actually wanted to die.

She wanted to die.

That was the realization Shepard had just before her mind went to the dark abyss.