This chapter is the lead into Joanna's stay at West Point, short obviously but I intend for there to be a series of introductory chapters similar to this one for several of the Normandy's future crew members. I'm thinking next will probably be Miranda or Garrus, although since Garrus is my Shep's Turian homeboy I might just hold off till later to do him justice. Anyhow, enjoy and all my readers be content knowing that I'm finally over my ex and intend to start working on my "abandoned" stories again, anyway, REVIEW!
Edit-You know what I find mildly irritating? Reviewers who hide behind guest accounts to bitch about things so they can't be marked for it. Yes I bring my personal life up in a couple of my fics but it's not for attention, rather I get an inbox flooded with PM's asking why I haven't updated in months. So I simply nip it in the bud by making it clear WHY I've been AWOL, not to dig for sympathy, so to you mister guest reviewer I've had to delete multiple comments from please piss off.
*Eyeroll* Honestly shit like that is why I walked away from this story to begin with, I mean really I the author am not even taking this fic that seriously yet I'm getting hounded by fanboys telling me how much I suck for diverting from canon and making this human wank. News flash, I. Do. Not. Fucking. Care. What. You. Think. Ergo if you insist on writing reviews longer then some of my chapters bitching about how I'm a terrible author that's your prerogative, I quit reading it on the first line so enjoy the wasted effort.
Ah...that was cathartic, anyway I said my piece, tata.
August 5, 2232 A.T.B. Location Unknown
Jacqueline hurt all over, in fact she'd never actually lived with pain before the past week, she'd been traveling with her family for biker month between Earth and Harvest when the slaver's hit their ship killing everyone who stood in their way. Not everyone though, oh no, the young and beautiful were kept as prizes and she herself looked too much like some members of the Royal Family to waste and the sex trade on Khar'shan had a massive demand for such exotic goods.
So that's how Jacqueline found herself naked and bound in a near freezing prison cell on a Batarian slaver ship, violated more times then she'd like to think of and the castrater of more then a dozen would be assailants. That she had no issue remembering, mulling over how her fifteen years of life hadn't prepared her for being the fuck toy of an entire race of slavers she glanced up as the cell door opened.
Neerag was watching her with apprehension, the man's four eyes staring at her with horror and sadness, she liked Neerag, he was a pleb, that is one minor step above a slave that did his best to make her comfortable. Well, as comfortable as a repeated rape victim could be anyway, he was terrified of retribution on his family but her personality apparently reminded him of his own daughters too much to not do something.
"Hello Jacqueline, I'm...we're approaching Chattel, it's a colony meant to erm..." he trailed off as the now shaven headed beauty laughed between split blood crusted lips,
"Sell illegal slaves? I figured...Neerag, when the Emperor drops his wrath on your people I'll make sure to put a good word in for you, I promise the extra food and medicine won't be forgotten." His cheeks darkened a bit before he sighed out,
"I'm so sorry Jacqueline but...but I don't think there's any chance for your freedom...I have...I have to go do my rounds, be strong young one." With that the Batarian serf turned and left her to her own devices, she didn't know how long she hung there in silence before she felt the ships frame shudder. Glancing up at the ceiling through blackened eyes she felt her brows raise in curiosity, "That's not a normal entry into realspace..."
Less then a minute later the room began shaking violently and the weak lights overhead started flickering and then went dark, "Trapped on a slaver ship naked, violated, hanging from the ceiling and now in the dark...yay..." she managed to drawl out. A short time later the door slammed open letting the subdued orange emergency lights of the corridor flood into the dark cell. Neerag was standing in the entryway blood dripping from his right side, a large crude knife hanging limply from his left hand, stumbling into the room he cut Jacqueline's bonds and let the nude girl fall into his arms.
"Sorry about this dear, no time for a shower but I think your Emperor got your memo so you should try to look your best," grimacing as the man placed her on the cold deck he reached over to her neck and snapped the biotic repressing collar in half. She immediately felt her birthright as a daughter of Britannia flood into her system, the wonderful power and wild energy of her Emperor blessed heritage filled her with the will to live and the lust of conquest.
Neerag unslung a bag off his shoulder and handed her a pair of combat pants and boots, as she pulled the garments on he pulled off his own woolen jumper and threw it over her head, the red garment was massive on her slim shoulders but it was warm and that's all that counted. "I'll help you try to get to one of the escape pods but if we get separated-" as he said this he pulled out a heavy pistol and shoved it into her hands, "kill anyone who gets in your way."
Jacqueline stared down at the slab of stainless steel in her hands and nodded grimly, tears began making their way through her bruised eyelids as she calmly said,
"If we don't make it Neerag...just...I just want you to know that I appreciate what you've done here," the Batarian grinned displaying his serrated teeth as he chuckled humorlessly,
"If I didn't help you welp I'd never be able to look my daughters in their eyes again, now come on your Empire is making short work of this tubs of slavers and I know you want your fair share of the glory," grinning Jacqueline nodded as she followed him through the flickering corridors of the dying slaver ship.
They heard the occasional scream and burst of gunfire but no more then that until they came to a 'T' junction hallway, a group of slavers had set up a barrier and were trying to hold off the boarders. She couldn't help it, her blood was raging at the abuse she'd been forced to endure, at the humiliation that she, one of the Emperor's chosen was forced to endure, not even thinking about her actions she biotically charged at the group of men screaming,
"ALL HAIL BRITANNIA!" Slamming into the groups center she pounded her fist into the deck plate sending a pulse of biotic energy forth causing the slavers to either fly down the hall towards their attackers or shatter their bodies bonelessly against the walls. Grinning wolfishly she whipped the pistol into a biotically powered cross job snapping a mans neck in one quick movement, spinning about she snapped off five quick shots killing all the survivors. A second later she heard a woman call out,
"Well good god damn Little Miss Badass just wiped out the last group of fighters, hands up kid no offense but I'm not tak'in any chances," turning towards the approaching figures Jacqueline's abused eyes made out a quartet of figures, the woman who spoke before had deep violet hair and was wearing a skin tight compression armor suit. Glancing to the other members of her group she saw a grizzled man with a scarred face and a synthetic eye and an asian man, both wore heavy armor and all three were holding heavy particle rifles.
In the center was a slight figure in a dark purple opera suit and cape topped off with an incredibly familiar helmet with a large opaque visor in the center,
"Who are you?" Jacqueline asked hesitantly, the masked figure tilted its head and then spoke out with an amused feminine voice,
"Who? Who is but the form following the function of what and what I am is a woman in a mask." Tightening her grip around her pistols handle she ground out,
"Well I can see that," still sounding incredibly amused the masked woman replied,
"Of course you can. I'm not questioning your powers of observation; I'm merely remarking upon the paradox of asking a masked woman who she is," feeling a bit chagrined Jacqueline nodded quickly,
"Right right, err, I'm Jacquline Noir, formerly of Pendragon, Britannia, I'd like to request asylum for my friend and myself." The unmasked members of the group turned to the caped woman who nodded slowly,
"Whose your friend?" Motioning to the shadows Neerag approached looking terrified, the group tensed but Jacqueline quickly stated,
"Don't hurt him, please, he...he's the only reason I'm still alive, he's been giving me medicine and extra food so the slavers...so the slavers "lessons" wouldn't break me..." The violet haired woman looked like she wanted to stab something to death while both men tensed up realizing what the girl before them had been through, the masked figure was silent for a moment before she nodded slowly.
"We're on our way to collect our new base of operations, we just happened upon this wreck on the way, if you want to come along you're welcome." Both Jacqueline and Neerag nodded quickly and fell in behind the group, the violet haired woman turned back to address the pair of refugees,
"I'm Rebecca but everyone calls me Revvy, this is Kai Lang but he usually goes by Shade or if you ask Zero up their Sergeant McNinja, he hates that one so use it at your own risk, this model of manliness is Zaheed Masani." At that the older man snorted while the asian man frowned mumbling about stereotypes, still smirking Revvy turned back to her, "What's your preference on names kiddo?" Frowning she glanced down at her blood stained clothes before replying.
"Jacqueline is what my mum called me but... but...just call me Jaq, ok?" Nodding in understanding Revvy took the crappy Batarian pistol from her and handed Jaq her Britannian particle rifle without a word, tossing the slaver pistol to the ground the older woman pulled out a large pair of pistols twirling them expertly.
"Got ya kiddo, when we get back to our ship Rock's gonna wanna take a look at you, he's our ships medic and operations chief, after he clears you Timeo will figure out what to do with you, any family we should get in contact with?" Grimacing she shook her head quickly trying to hold back the tears,
"No the Batarians they..." Neerag placed a comforting hand on her shoulder as Revvy's frown deepened, fuck did she hate slavers. After freeing a few more slaves the group found themselves at the ships bridge, the masked woman stepped forward and turned to face the group,
"I've got this, you all stay out here no matter what you hear, be back in a few," with that the door cycled open and just as quickly closed behind the woman, Jaq looked to the rest of the group with obvious concern,
"Is...is she going to be all right?" Shade smirked while Zaheed let out an amused chuckle, Revvy gave her a lopsided grin as she replied,
"Don't worry about Zero, she has a way of making people regret their actions," confused the pair of survivors exchanged a quick glance and simply shrugged, after a time the door opened with a blood spattered Zero standing before them.
"Ick, group of squirters, come on lets steal their shit and blow this thing up before a patrol finds us." Less then a half hour later Jaq and Neerag were escorted to the bridge of their rescue ship, a long haired blond man in a brown trench coat and rakish Aussie style hat turned to face them. He gave them a formal bow as he stated,
"Lord General Timeo LeBeau at your service, I'm the Captain of His Imperial Majesty's ship Fortune in Chaos, we're official unofficial profiteers tasked with screwing with the Squints slave trade," his melodious French accent carried a hint of amusment as he glanced to Neerag, "No offense mon amei." Neerag shrugged in response, the slur and mission statement didn't bother him at all, Jaq then realized why the man seemed so familiar,
"You're her Imperial Highness Nunnally vi Britannia's husband aren't you? No one has heard from either of you in nearly a decade," he grinned at her as the bridge door silently slid open and Zero prowled in, she removed her mask letting her brown hair fall loose as she stood on her tip toes to kiss the General. Turning to face the stunned teen the said Princess grinned widely as her violet eyes sparkled with amusment,
"Glad to know that Mariebelle's disinformation campaign is so effective, so we're totes about to take over Omega and overthrow Aria, always wanted my own night club. You've got no home and you obviously have no issue killing people and I distinctly heard you charge into battle in the name of the Empire, so I have a question for you little lady, would you like to form a contract?" As she said this she pulled her gloves off and extended a hand to Jaq with a wide grin across her face, for the first time she noticed everyone in the room's eyes began glowing a demonic red with some odd symbol glowing in the center. Throwing caution to the wind Jaq stepped forward and grasped the Princesses hand,
"Fuck it, why not your highness."