Unbroken

A Mass Effect story

Summary: Shepard's been tasked with infiltrating a Turian slave ship. Shepard hardly has the disposition of a slave and Garrus has no idea how to command his commander.

Author's note: Things are finally moving. This is Mass Effect. There's no way to keep Shepard down for very long.

CHAPTER 4

Despair sings its own melody. It is haunting and bleeding and above all – alluring. Spindly fingers twine about your spirit and whisper such delicious words of futility that it is near impossible to tell the difference between what is real… and what is lying. Shepard's mind was lying.

A trickle of sweat blurred her vision and she swiped at it as if it was a tangible thing she could beat down. The knife was shaking from where she'd wedged it between a panel. Move, damn you, she growled silently. The edge shifted and then chipped and fell away. Again. Snapping her head against the wall she willed herself to remember.

Hours, weeks, days? She knew it had to been minutes. Forty maybe. She knew her Turian wouldn't be far. Thane was still aboard. She wasn't helpless. Nothing was written in stone. She would fix this.

But despair just kept on singing and she sounded suspiciously like Morinth. She tapped her forehead twice against the wall and let out a slow breath. Get it together Sarah.

Thunk. Thunk.

Her eyes snapped open, mouth parting in shock as she stared at the metal structure before her: She was also hearing things.

"Hello?"

Shoving away from the wall, Shepard stared up at the ceiling, darting her eyes around her holding cell and frowned. "Who's there?"

"Oh thank god! I thought I was imagining it."

Of course. Shepard let out a huff of breath. There was no way she was the only prisoner in this block. She shook her head to clear it. Dammit Morinth, stop singing! "Who are you?"

"Are you a biotic?"

Mouth twisting into an unhappy curl at the lack of compliance from her mystery voice, Shepard walked to the shimmering force field and tried to peer through it as best she could. There was someone in the cell next to her. "Would it matter if I was?"

The female voice huffed impatiently. "Ye-ah! I'm definitely not strong enough to work my way out alone. So it would help if you were a biotic, even a bad one."

"If you're in here with me, you must be important," Shepard mused. "I'm Commander Shepard with the Al…well self employed at the moment. Sort of."

"You're not sure?"

"About my name, I am. It would be helpful if I had a name for you as well, or would floating mysterious voice from the beyond suit you better?"

Silence.

Shepard wondered if she had to beg to get her to speak again.

"Janika."

Shock rocked through her system as Morinth's voice screeched to a halt in Shepard's head. "Aria's Janika?" Could she really be that lucky? Did Garrus know!? He was good, she reasoned a little crazily in her head, but he's not that good! Is he?

There was a gasp. "Please tell me this isn't another hallucination. Please tell me she really did send you to get me. Hey, can you hear me? Please say something. I can't be crazy again. Oh god, what if it's the drugs talking! What if you're really not here! I should have fought harder when they gave me those chemicals! Dammit Jani get a hold of yourself!"

Shepard blinked when there was a resounding thwack followed by a yelp. "Did you just slap yourself?"

"You're there! My god why didn't you say something! Are you sadistic or something!"

Shepard took a deep breath before raising her voice in her best Commander Shepard doesn't want any shit volume. "I would say SOMETHING, if you would shut up long enough for me to do so in the FIRST place!" When greeted with silence she sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "Look Ms. Kunis. We did come to save you, but we've hit a snag."

"Pfffft! Duh. No kidding, you're in here with me. What the hell kind of rescue is that?"

Shepard rubbed the headache in her temples she knew would be permanent in the Asari medic's presence. "Now I know why they put me in here. She'll eat my brain before I can think of escaping."

"Hey! I'm right here you know!"

"It's getting harder to forget," Shepard quipped before she felt the air shift around her. The hair at the back of her neck stood on end. Someone else was here. Jumping away from the force field she plastered herself against the back wall and stared up at the ventilation duct. The ceramic knife shifted in her palm, her muscles coiled for action when she felt a familiar voice speak the word.

"Siha."

She was not alone. Her crew was still with her. She was still Commander Shepard and there was always a way out.

"Please tell me you have a gun for me Thane."

"Oh my god, is someone with you!?"

The scorpion cluttered to the floor at her feet and her mouth widened into a feral grin. "I think I could love you Krios."

There was a snort of laughter muffled by a laugh. "Think fast. There's a guard at the door."

"Commander, can you hear me? Hello? Stop ignoring me dammit!"

Shepard slid the pistol into the strap inside her leather jacket and thanked her mother again for it. If no one frisked her, no one would know she was armed. And now, if someone touched her, she would blast their head off. "Janika, I promise I will get you out of here, but if you speak another word, it could be in a body bag."

She almost heard the squeak and clamping of her mouth as it snapped shut.

Taking a deep breath, Sarah stowed away her knife and stood patiently as the cell block door opened and the armed guard stepped in. "Prisoner Shepard. Captain Maximus would like to see you."

I very much want to see the Captain myself, she growled inwardly as she was escorted out of her cell.

TO BE CONTINUED…