-Shepard-

Every labored step down the halls of the volus ship sent bolts of pain shooting up from the heels of her feet to the tops of her shoulders, but Shepard kept quiet. She had too: there was work to do. Now and then, she'd feel her stomach lurch and her vision blur, and gravity became her biggest enemy; threatening to drag her to the floor and send her off into the darkness with every step. Miranda was there, though, beside her and ready to offer her shoulder as a crutch whenever she needed. Shepard was thankful for that. She was thankful for a lot of things about Miranda Lawson.

"Do you need a break?" Miranda asked as the two of them reached the end of a hall and Shepard leaned up beside it to catch her breath.

Shepard shook her head. "No... no. I can go on. Come on."

"Are you sure, commander?"

Shepard smiled then. Miranda had, almost subconsciously, started calling her 'commander' again - though this time it was of her own accord. Shepard supposed this was like the old days, the two of them working together to stop a common foe. She nodded. "Yeah. Let's go."

After another arduous trek down a long hall, they came to the curved glass doors of an elevator. The two of them had just made it to the control panel beside the lift when the hummmm of an approaching platform filled the air. Shepard met Miranda's apprehensive look, but by then the platform had reached their level, the glass doors splitting apart.

Within, a volus stood. The glowing rims of his hood landed on them as he gasped and reached for the baton at his side. Miranda darted forward, shouting, and drove the alien into the back wall, wrestling his grip away from his weapon. A second volus had been in the shadowy corner at the front of the lift, and Miranda hadn't seen him. He stalked out, his gloved hand wrapped around his own baton, and made to strike her. Shepard stepped inside, flipped the carnifex pistol around in her hand and drove the butt of it down onto his head just as he was ready to jab at Miranda. At least, she'd tried for his head, but her vision was still blurry and she caught his shoulder instead. The volus yelped, turned back towards her, and pointed the baton her way. It came alive with a blue crack of electricity.

Shepard took a step back to avoid it and her foot caught in the lip of the elevators doorway. She tumbled back to her ass, pain flaring up her scarred and bruised back as she landed. The volus stepped in to stick her with the baton-

-and Miranda stuck him first. She jabbed into the side of his suit with her own weapon, and the alien's body shook violently as he unleashed a shrill screech into his breather. Miranda killed the juice and he dropped to the floor unconscious. She was on her knees beside Shepard in an instant. "Are you okay?"

Shepard sighed. "I'm no good to you, Miri. Shit, I just... just almost got us both killed." Her stomach was lurching and painfully cramping again, and she had to grit her teeth til it passed. "My fault... this is my fault and I can't even... fix it."

"Shhh, it's alright, commander. You're getting better."

Shepard, despite her pain, laughed then. "You're a shit liar, Miranda. Always have been." Miranda swallowed and averted her eyes. Shepard put a hand on hers and smiled. "But I appreciate it. Come on. I think victim number one is still conscious in there." Miranda helped her to her feet, and Shepard went to the downed volus in the hall. Checking him, she found a baton and a pair of black handcuffs. She took them both before joining Miranda in the elevator.

The other volus, in fact, was still conscious. He was lying on the floor of the elevator, his back propped up against the far wall, and taking labored breaths through his breather. Shepard limped beside him and took a seat herself to catch her breath as Miranda crouched before him and forced his chin up with the end of her baton.

"You," he hissed, the contempt in his voice seeping out. He turned to Shepard. "A-and Commander S-Shepard!?"

Shepard raised a hand to wave before grabbing at her stomach again.

"H-how could this-"

"Shut up," Miranda commanded. "Where's Jack and the rest? What level?"

The volus grunted a laugh. "You think I'd just help you? Betray my clan? Lower myself to the-"

Miranda stood, leaned back to lift her leg, and pushed the heel of her boot up against the volus' neck. She leaned back in, applying pressure, and he began choking into his breather. "You want to try again? I asked where they are. Answer me."

She alleviated just enough of the pressure for the volus to speak. "Damn you, Earth-clan! I-"

Her foot cut his speech short again. "Still not the answer."

This time, she let the pressure linger for a bit before allowing him to speak again. "Three levels down!" He barked, gasping for air. "Damn you! Three levels down - throne room!"

Miranda nodded, satisfied, and removed her foot just long enough to take a step back and drive the heel of it across his temple.

Shepard looked up at her, wide-eyed and impressed. "Remind me to stay on your good side, Miri. Geez.. I can't believe I kidnapped you."

Miranda's smile gave way to laughter. "Yeah, me either."

Shepard smiled herself, but the remembrance that all this was her fault stung like an old wound being opened. "I know I said it already, but I am sorry Miranda. I-"

Miranda held up a hand. "You've apologized enough, Shepard. I told you, this isn't your fault. The volus were drugging you. Liara too."

Shepard's brow lifted. "Liara? You mean... you mean she's not insane?"

"Oh, I think she's likely insane by now," Miranda admitted as she dragged the unconscious volus out of the elevator by his heels. "But if she is, it's because the volus drove her insane. The one I interrogated admitted they'd dosed her far too high with whatever drug they were using. They were giving her your amount."

"My amount?"

Miranda returned to her side, offered a hand, and helped her to her feet. "Yes, Shepard. Apparently you've got quite the willpower. You resisted them... well, the best you could, I imagine."

Standing again, Shepard shook her head. "I can fix this, Miri. I know I can. I just... just get me to the krogan."

Miranda raised her brow. "And what, exactly, do you plan on doing against a krogan in your condition?"

Shepard smiled wanly. She thought she knew the answer, but telling Miranda would do neither of them any good. "I'll figure something out, Miri. Always do."

Three levels lower, the lift came to a slow halt, and the glass doors split apart. Outside were hallways stretching to their left, right, and front sides. Without any lead, Miranda arbitrarily chose the left path and the two headed down it. They came across several doorways, storage rooms, med centers, and rest quarters, but no volus, no krogan, and no Sam, Ashley, or the rest of them. Shepard had a new bad feeling join her lurching stomach. "This ship is far too big for the few volus that stayed at my mansion," she said, surveying the walls. "It's huge."

Miranda nodded. "True. It's enough to hold hundreds."

"Do you think they have hundreds back... back wherever these bastards come from?"

"I think they have more clan members. That's almost certain. But... Shepard, I think they intend to fill this ship with new recruits as well. The volus I interrogated earlier spoke of their clan's ambitious plans for expansion."

"New recruits..." the words tasted bitter on Shepard's tongue; a whole army dedicated to wiping out humanity. "You can't let it go that far, Miranda. You have to stop them."

"We have to stop them."

"Yes, right. I'm just saying... in the future, if they ever gather those numbers they hope for, I'm counting on you to lead the fight against them before... before it gets out of control."

Miranda frowned and opened her mouth to say something, but apparently thought better of it when she stared at Shepard's face; she must have seen the severity of her look. "Alright, Shepard. I will."

Shepard nodded, satisfied, and they were off again.

The hall wrapped around in a semi-circle before spilling them back out to the elevator. Only the right path remained uncharted, and so they went. Just as Shepard was about to admit they'd been lied to by the volus, she heard voices. Miranda's eyes snapped to her; clearly, she's heard it too. They rushed, as fast as Shepard could, to a wide set of glass doors at the end of the hall. Miranda pressed herself to one side, Shepard moved to the other, and they peeked in.

It was too dark inside to make out anything more than blurry figures, but perhaps, Shepard thought, that was just her own damaged vision. "See anything?" She whispered across the gap to Miranda.

Miranda's eyes were wide and a flush of color had come into her cheeks. "Yes. It's them, Shepard. It's them! I can see Jack and Ashley... Sam too."

Shepard smiled. "And the krogan?"

"Yes, him too. He's got them kneeling down at the back of the room. They're in shackles it looks like." She squinted into the dark. "I think we can get in there without being noticed. The front of the room is on a lower tier than the back, and there's two pillars near these doors."

Shepard nodded. "After you, then."

The doors parted quietly, and they crept onto the carpeted floor with carefully placed footsteps. The air inside was cool, the lighting dim and a blueish hue, and now the voices came audible and clear at the back. Miranda stalked to the nearby pillar, and Shepard moved beside her. She poked her head around the corner just enough to spy into the rear of the room.

"-isn't enough for me," the krogan was saying. The massive, dark, figure of his body was pacing back and forth between his kneeling, captive, audience. "You will serve my every need. You will obey, without question. You will entertain my guests, smile at my recruits, and submit to their every whim."

Shepard made out the dim outline of Sam. The sight of her, despite everything, brought a smile to her face. She was okay. She glanced over and Saw Miranda had that same smile on her face as she stared at Jack. Ashley... poor Ashley was there too, but Liara was missing. Instead a woman with a ponytail and-

"Kasumi?" Shepard whispered. "Is that Kasumi Goto?"

Miranda shrugged. "I don't know. I don't see Liara, do you?"

"No."

A side panel at the rear of the room dropped away and a volus rushed in. He looked comical standing beside the massive krogan, but when he spoke, the krogan listened. "Master, there's a situation."

"Shit," Miranda hissed, reaching for her baton.

Shepard surveyed the situation. It was as she figured it would be; the odds stacked highly against them. The towering krogan was physically beyond any of them, and his volus army was stealthy and ubiquitous aboard the ship. Shepard's shoulders slumped as she turned to Miranda. "Miri... do you really think there's any chance we could do this without anyone getting injured? Could this carnifex really stop the krogan before he reached forward and snapped Sam's neck or Ashley's or Jack's?"

Miranda turned to her, a look of horror frozen on her face, but then she considered it and shook her head. "I... I don't know, Shepard. We have to try. That's all we can do, right?"

"-she must have come in through the mansion," the volus was explaining, and the krogan's posture was growing increasingly more menacing as he listened. "We've got everyone left on high alert."

Shepard bit her lip, shaking her head as she watched. "Would you risk their lives?" She whispered. "Risk it all? Yourself?"

Miranda swallowed, a look of dismay brushing across her face. "I... We... Yes. We have to. I know it doesn't look good, commander, but I will fight to my last breath to save them." Her looked narrowed on Jack and determination flared in her eyes. "To save Jack."

Shepard smiled; it was the answer she was looking for. "You're a good woman, Miranda... and I'm sorry."

"Sorry for wha-"

Shepard snapped one of the cuffs she'd taken from the volus around Miranda's wrist and locked the other to the pillar.

"Shepard!?" Miranda whisper-shouted, yanking at her handcuffed arm. "What the hell!?"

"If their numbers grow, you have to stop them. Remember that," Shepard told her, leaned in to kiss her forehead, and stood.

"Shepard, no!"

She'd never said the words before. They felt foreign and strange coming off her tongue as she stepped around the side of the pillar. "I surrender!" Shepard declared and stuck her hands in the air; the carnifex dangling from her finger. "I surrender!"

"Lights!" The krogan roared, ripped a blade from a sheath within his robe, and grabbed Ashley Williams to use as cover.

Bright lights filled the room. Shepard squinted, but kept her hands high.

"Commander!" Sam's voice wailed. Shepard looked to her and smiled. "Oh, commander!" She was crying. "I knew it! I knew you would come!"

Four volus made their way around her in a circle as she walked forward, giving her a wide and cautious berth. The krogan was peering down at her with incredulity from behind Ashley's shoulder. "What game is this, Shepard?" Then to the volus, "Stay alert!"

"No game," Shepard said, tossing the carnifex to the ground. She lowered to her knees and laced her fingers atop her head. "Only an offer."

Before she could go any further, one of the volus stepped in and struck her across the temple with his baton. A black cloud of pain flared where the blow had hit, and then the others were on her, grabbing at her arms and wrenching them behind her to handcuff. They twisted her arm and grabbed fistfuls of her hair to still her as she felt the cuffs lock down over her wrists. They dragged her back up to her knees and kept the crackling batons at their hips and ready to strike. At the back of the room, she could hear Sam crying and pleading with them to show her mercy.

"Where's the other one?" The krogan demanded.

Shepard coughed, shook her head to orient herself after the blow she'd received, and gestured behind her. "She's cuffed to the pillar. She's unarmed. There is no reason to hurt her. You hear that? She's restrained, don't hurt her."

One of the volus stepped cautiously around the pillar. He looked, nodded, and faced the krogan. "She tells the truth."

With the two of them in restraints, some of the tension dropped from the krogan's posture. He sheathed his blade, shoved Ashley aside, and stepped forward. "What is this?"

"An offer," Shepard told him again. She could feel her temple beginning to swell already and hoped she could stay conscious long enough to make her offer. Sam was watching her, tears rolling down her cheeks. Ashley too. Jack and Kasumi. They were all watching her. "There's a lot of things I can live with, krogan. A lot of things I can endure. But I can't, won't, stand for knowing I'm the one responsible for these girl's misery. It's my fault they're here... let me make it right."

The krogan stroked at his chin. "Go on."

"I want a trade," Shepard told him. She glanced at Sam. "My life for theirs."

"No!" Sam wailed.

The krogan's massive head tilted. "You will-"

"Yes. I'll take your Oath. I'll take it in front of the whole god damn galaxy if that's what you want. You can parade me around, whip me til I'm covered in welts, kick me, beat me, I don't care. I can take it. And I will... you have my word on that, krogan. But you let them go. All of them. Sam, Ashley, Jack, Kasumi, Miranda. ...Liara too. Every one of them goes free."

As the krogan stared at her, thinking, only the quiet sound of Sam's sobs filled the emptiness of the room.

"That's the only way you'll ever get me to bend my knee," Shepard explained. "I'll never, ever, accept anything else."

Serj stepped beside the krogan then, his red and pink suit clean and neat around his chubby body. "We would lose a lot of credits, Master. A lot of funding for our cause. I can't say this is entirely-"

"Silence," the krogan commanded, holding up a hand. "Credits... they're insignificant beneath the weight of Shepard's name." He fixed the white pits of his eyes down on her. "You say you will take the oath, woman? Publicly?"

She nodded. "Once I have confirmation that all six of them are safe and far away from this damn ship... I'll do whatever the hell you want me to."

The krogan stared at her, glanced at Serj, looked back to Sam and the rest kneeling on the platform, and returned his eyes to her own. "Then I say deal, human. Deal."

"No!" Sam screamed.

"Shepard..." Ashley said, shaking her head.

Two volus rounded the pillar with Miranda in cuffs between them. They marched her past, and Shepard looked up at her. There was profound sympathy on Miranda's face as their eyes locked, but she said nothing.

Shepard lowered her head. "I'm sorry everyone. I'm sorry about everything."

"P-Please... n-no..." Sam was whispering.

The krogan laughed. "Let the girl loose. Let her have her goodbye. She'll never see this woman again."

The volus hesitantly removed the shackles around Sam's wrists and ankles, and she immediately stood and sprinted forward. Shepard braced for impact as Sam collapsed to her knees before her, wrapped her up in her arms, and squeezed. The wounds on her back screamed, but Shepard remained silent. Sam began crying and kissing at her cheek. "Commander... please... I'll stay with you... I can't... can't leave you..."

"No, Sam. This time you have to," Shepard told her, and found holding back her own tears was hurting her more than the physical wounds on her back. "You have to. Only misery and pain await you here. You have to go, and you have to be strong. I'll be okay."

"N-noooo," Sam moaned and buried her face in Shepard's shoulder, squeezing tighter.

"Enough," the krogan interjected. "This human is making me ill. Drag her away, I tire of her sobbing."

Shepard leaned in and kissed Sam's cheek before whispering. "I'll see you again."

The volus dragged her off then, kicking and screaming, and Shepard watched her go through rheumy eyes. She'd told Sam she'd see her again, but somehow she knew she likely never would.

But they'd be okay. They'd be free.

And for Shepard... it was enough.

-Jack-

As the volus marched them through the hall-their feet moving in short, brief, strides locked in the shackles-Jack kept glancing back over her shoulder for Miranda. The krogan had pulled her aside as they were leading the rest outside and taken her off into a separate hall, alone.

"I'm sure she's fine, Jack," Kasumi told her. The thief walked beside her and laid a shackled hand down on her arm. "The krogan is likely just asking questions about how she made her way into the ship, what she sabotaged, who she attacked. If you're going to worry for someone, worry for Shepard."

Jack would have told her she was worried for Shepard, she was worried for both of them, but the volus had wrapped her mouth up in a leather muzzle to keep her from angering the krogan, and so she simply nodded her head.

"What will they do to her?" Sam asked from over her shoulder. "They won't hurt her anymore, right? W-why would they? If she is giving up... there's no reason to hurt her anymore!"

"Shhh," Ashley said beside the girl. "It's alright, Sam. No, they won't hurt her anymore."

Jack saw the conflict on Ashley's face; the pain and worry as she told her lie. They were going to hurt Shepard, alright, and probably a lot worse before it was all over. It didn't matter, though: Jack wasn't intending to let that happen. She needed Miranda though. Needed to see her, speak with her.

Further down the hall, Liara T'Soni rounded the corner dressed in fresh clothing. She looked much better and healthier than she'd had only a few hours earlier; the color had returned to her cheeks and her eyes were awake and alert. Jack's fists balled upon sight of the asari.

"Liara," the red and pink volus-Serj, is what she'd heard him called-spoke, "I need to speak with you. Here. To me."

Liara's face crinkled up like a frightened child's and she scurried forward obediently. "I-I didn't do anything, Serj. I swear. I just showered like you told me to. I can do it again if I'm not clean enough. I'm sorry, I don't know-"

"Silence." He cut her rambling with a raise of his hand. "Your Commander Shepard has struck a deal with my Master. You are to be freed."

"F-Freed?" Liara echoed. Her eyes flitted nervously from Serj to Jack, the rest, and back to the volus. "I... I have nowhere to go. I... they'll hurt me, Serj," Liara whimpered, taking his gloved hand in her own. "Don't make me go. Please. They'll hurt me. They hate me."

"Calm yourself, Thessia-clan. You can stay as my slave, but you'll have to make it clear to Shepard that you are choosing that path. Can you do that?"

"Y-Yes!" Liara cried out, desperate.

Serj studied her a moment before nodding his head, apparently satisfied. "Good. Then come and help me with these... humans." He spoke the word with dripping contempt as his eyes landed back on Jack. "We're moving them to the docking bay. Master wants this done as quickly as possible. Shepard is taking our Oath of Servitude to him."

"Oh?" Liara questioned. "I... see. She traded for their freedom?" The asari's brow crinkled. "And... my own? After all I did to her, why-"

"Do not question the motives of a mad woman," Serj cut her off. "Who knows why she does what she does. Now, walk with these Earth-clan's and make sure they stay in line. We don't want any heroics in attempt to save their precious commander."

Liara swallowed, nodded, and stepped meekly to Jack's side. Jack glared at the asari, her anger growing her skin hot. Liara lifted her head and met her gaze, but immediately averted it and trembled a bit as she ran her hands along the blue skin of her arms.

"Move," Serj commanded, and they did.

The docking bay was an enormous chamber at the lowest level of the ship. Its ceiling was dozens of feet high, providing enough overhead for both shuttles and cruisers alike to come and go through the dock's dual entrance ports at the far end of the hull. A huge, brown and black, transport ship was docked before one of the ports, and beyond Jack could see the pal blue of the sky. We've never left the planet, she realized.

Serj, Liara, and three other volus led them down a flight of steel stairs that wrapped and twisted all the way to the ground floor. Once there, they were marched through the docking bay and led to the open hatch of the transport ship. Standing at the foot of its ramp, Jack could see seats lined the walls on either side, and large crates were shoved back further and strapped down with cords. She could smell oil and gas, and the air grew warmer.

Serj gestured for Liara to lead them in. Liara bowed her head and put a cautious hand on Jack's elbow. Jack ripped it away and glared at the asari once again. Liara flinched, took a step back, and nearly tripped off the loading ramp before catching her balance. Jack held her look as she marched her shackled feet up and into the ship. The volus sat them down in the bucket seats lining the walls; Jack and Kasumi on the left, Ashley and Sam on the right. Liara went around pulling the heavy-duty belts over their chests and buckling them down, as Serj scribbled onto a datapad.

Movement back the way they'd come caught her eye, and Jack snapped her head around to see Miranda being marched toward them. Her wrists were cuffed at her back, but she was not in shackles, and she didn't look hurt. Jack's shoulder slumped in relief and beneath her muzzle she smiled. A volus led her all the way through the massive room and up the ramp of the transport ship. Miranda's eyes fell on Jack's and she managed a smile herself. They sat her beside Kasumi and strapped her in.

"Mmm," Jack hummed into her gag as the volus departed.

"Jack says she's happy to see you and she's glad you're safe," Kasumi translated with a grin.

Miranda leaned forward to see Jack and smiled again. "Are you okay?"

Jack nodded.

"Are you?" Ashley called from across the ship. "What did they do with you?"

"Miranda, is the Commander alright?" Sam pleaded.

"I didn't see Shepard anymore," Miranda admitted with a sigh. "I... I had no idea that she was going to do what she did, but... I understand it. We didn't have much of a chance, I suppose, trying to spring a rescue against that krogan."

"She's... brave..." Sam whispered, staring into the distance. "So brave."

"Yes, she is," Miranda agreed.

"Why did the krogan pull you aside?" Kasumi asked.

"It was strange," Miranda admitted with a shake of her head. "He didn't ask me any questions, didn't even speak with me, really. He only marched me before a camera, made me stand there for awhile, and then had the volus lead me here."

"Camera?" Ashley questioned. "That's unusual."

Miranda tugged at her cuffs and glanced around the ship. "Where's Liara?"

"There," Kasumi said, gesturing to the bottom of the ramp.

"I need her. She's our last hope of getting out of here with Shepard."

"Mmph!" Jack grunted with an angry shake of her head.

"Jack doesn't agree," Kasumi said.

"Liara!" Miranda whispered down to the asari. "Liara!"

Liara had looked like she was in a trance before Miranda's voice caught her attention. She turned slowly to face her and stared into the ship with confusion and fear.

"Come here!"

Liara put a hand to her chest and swallowed. She glanced to Serj, who was pacing around at the other end of the ramp with his datapad. She turned back and shook her head.

"Please!" Miranda pleaded.

With one final glance at Serj, Liara finally made her way cautiously up the ramp. "W-What do you want? I didn't do anything to them," she defended, nodding at Jack. "I didn't put the gag on her or anything! I just-"

"I know, Liara. I know," Miranda assured her. "Listen to me: I know what you did wasn't entirely your fault."

Jack frowned and turned to Miranda with her brow raised. Miranda gave her a 'hold on a minute' look before turning back to Liara. "Liara, the volus have been keeping both you and Commander Shepard under sedation since we arrived on this planet. They've been drugging you, trying to control your mind, trying to make you do the things they wanted you to do so they could get to this point!" Miranda explained, nodding to Serj. "This was all set up to enslave Shepard and grow wealthy off selling us as slaves. This clan is an anti-human organization. Liara... they want to enslave or destroy our people and they used you and Shepard as a means to further their progress."

Liara's face was frozen in confusion, and Jack didn't blame her. She was trying to wrap her head around everything Miranda was saying as well.

"I knew something was wrong with Shepard," Ashley muttered, shaking her head.

"There's nothing wrong with her!" Sam protested. "She didn't do anything wrong... she was lonely is all... she... she's a good woman."

Liara finally swallowed and managed a word. "Lying."

"No, I'm not, Liara," Miranda pressed on. "You're sick, aren't you?"

Liara's eye widened.

Miranda nodded. "You are. It's withdrawal. You're detoxing off the drug."

"No," Liara said with a shake of her head. "No, you're... you're trying to make me do bad things again... make me betray again... against me... all against me!"

"Liara, please!" Miranda pleaded. "Get me out of these handcuffs. You can still make this right!"

Liara's eyes flicked to Jack. "No. They'll hurt me. You'll all hurt me because I hurt you."

"We won't. I promise you. Please. Get me loose, Liara."

"Liara," Serj's voice called from the foot of the ramp.

The asari held one last lingering stare on Miranda before turning and rushing back outside the ship.

"Liara!" Miranda pleaded, but then she was gone.

"Is that really true?" Kasumi questioned when they were alone again. "Everything you just said? The volus, the krogan, the drugs, Shepard... it's all been one big anti-human scheme?"

Miranda nodded. "Yes."

"The Master found the prisoner's things in the mansion," Serj explained to Liara at the foot of the ramp. "Clothing and various items they carried with them when they were abducted. They're in a storage room just outside that door there. Fetch their clothes and shoes and bring them down."

"Yes," Liara said with a nod. She was moving to obey his command, but halted and turned back to stare at him. "Also, Serj, if it isn't too much of a bother. I'm feeling sick again, are you sure there's nothing you can give me to make me feel better?"

"It will pass soon," he told her, nose buried in his datapad once more.

Liara continued staring. "H-How... how do you know, though?"

Serj looked up and cocked his head sideways; the volus version of a smile. "Trust me. Now go."

Liara's look lingered. She nodded, turned, and left.

A siren blared, filling the entire docking bay with a shrill wail before dying down. Outside the transport, Jack could hear another ship entering the bay. It's engine were quiet enough, likely a small shuttle, and the familiar thump of the landing gear setting down followed as the engine cut off.

"Lok!" Serj greeted with a wave. "Here."

A bad feeling filled Jack's stomach. She thought she recognized the name, and when the ugly face of the batarian rounded the corner of the ramp, it was confirmed: he was the disgusting slave-buyer she'd encountered in the holding cell. He exchanged words with the volus, shook, and then his four, black and beady, eyes landed inside the ship. He threw his head back and bellowed a hearty laugh. "I see you took my advice about gagging the mouthy one. Smart move, my friend! Ha!"

Serj led him up the ramp and scribbled on his datapad. "We see your credit line is secure and ready to be transferred, Lok. You have made a very intelligent purchase today."

Lok's quad-pair of eyes looked at Jack and she felt her breath catch in her chest-

-but then they moved over to Miranda and he smiled. "Yes. She is as beautiful in person as the video your Master sent me. Lucky for me I hadn't left orbit yet."

"So you will purchase Miranda Lawson, then?"

"Oh yes," Lok said, licking his thin lips as he gawked at her. "Best million and a half credits I'll likely ever spend, old pal. Ha!"

"MMMPH!" Jack wailed into her gag with a shake of her head.

"Silence!" Serj commanded, threatening the back of his hand.

"Shepard traded for our freedom!" Ashley pleaded. "For all of our freedom! This isn't right!"

"You'll get your freedom, Miss Williams. As will the rest of you," Serj told them. "But we will not walk away from this many credits. Miss Lawson, unfortunately for you that means no such freedom can be afforded. I'll need you to speak into this recording device and say 'I'm fine, Shepard.'."

"MMF!" Jack grunted and trying jerking free from the seat's belt that held her down.

"Jack, stop," Miranda whispered. Jack met her eyes and Miranda's pleading look stilled her. "It's okay." She turned to Serj and nodded before leaning into the recording device. "I'm fine, Shepard."

"See? Obedient, too. One-point-five is a bargain, my friend."

"Yes, well, we'll see how obedient she remains when my men are pulling off her clothing and poking at every orifice on that perfect body of her's! Ha!" The batarain joked, grabbed her by the elbow, and lifted her from the seat. "Come, woman. We have a long ride ahead of us."

Jack roared into the gag furiously and twisted at her shackles trying to snap them. Miranda moved beside her, leaned forward, and whispered in her ear, "You'll find me. I know it."

Jack lifted her head to stare at Miranda through tear-streaked eyes. Miranda smiled, kissed her forehead, and was jerked away by the batarian. Jack could only watch in silence as Serj, Lok, and Miranda walked down the ramp, took the corner, and were gone. It had been a long time since she cried. Tears felt like intruders on her cheeks.

"She's right, Jack. We'll find her. Together," Kasumi told her, laying a hand on her knee.

Liara came back carrying bundles of clothing. Jack heard the shuttle engines start and take off outside the transport, and then Serj was back as well. He met her at the foot of the ramp, nodded his approval, and the two walked up and inside.

"This is where we party ways, Earth-clans," he told them. "You are being taken to a far, far, away planet and being released once you've made video contact with Shepard, informing her of your safety. You will not speak of Miranda Lawson or what you just saw or we'll execute every one of you, including Shepard herself. Understood?"

"Where exactly are you taking us?" Ashley asked.

"Well... seeing as you're safely locked up in shackles and belts, I feel there's no need for immature secrecy now. You're being dropped off in a isolated section... of Irune."

"The volus homeworld," Kasumi said bitterly. "You're leaving us with your people. That's no 'freedom'. We'll be captured and held prisoner almost immediately."

Serj shrugged and cocked his head sideways. "What you do with your freedom once we've handed it to you is your problem." He made a disgusting series of grunts into his breather that must have been the creature's laughter. "Farewell, humans. I'm sure we'll... meet again someday."

Liara had been tucking their bundles of clothing in the overheads while the volus spoke, but now he tugged at her elbow and gestured for her to follow him out. She nodded but held up a hand. "Can I have one last word with this human," she asked, nodding at Jack. "We became quite fearsome enemies during our time at the mansion, and now seeing as my own fate is much, much, greater than her own, I'd like to gloat a bit if it's alright. It might make me feel better even."

Serj made that gross laughing sound again. "Yes, Liara. It is wise to cherish and celebrate our victories sometimes as much as mourn our losses. Be quick, though. Master wants them gone."

Liara nodded, Serj headed down the ramp, and her eyes fell on Jack.

Jack glared up at the asari and chewed the piece of leather that was wedged between her teeth.

Liara stepped forward.

"MMMMRRRRRM!" Jack growled, yanking her shackled wrists as high as they would go, wishing her hands could wrap the asari's neck.

Liara quickly reached forward and grabbed the sides of her head, shoving her back against the seat. Jack's nostrils flared as she felt the asari's thumbs dig into her temples and press. Her fingers entered her ears and Jack's hearing dimmed.

Then Liara pulled away. She stared at them, all of them, and whispered one hushed word before hurrying after Serj, "Sorry."

The pilot started the engines of the transport as the ramp hissed and lifted to seal them in the darkness of the ship.

Jack shook her head, trying to understand what Liara had done to her hearing.

Her hands took on a blue, glowing, trim.

"What the hell?" Kasumi said beside her, Jack's hands had lit her stunned face in their soft glow.

Amps. The biotic amp earpieces she'd been wearing when Shepard abducted her.

Liara had given Jack back her powers.

-Miranda-

The batarian's shuttle was a small and cramped thing. It didn't help that their leader, Lok, had crammed four other batarain inside of it, each armed and armored and bulky as they sat shoulder to shoulder on benches lining the walls. He had popped the rear hatch and shoved Miranda inside on the floor between them. The batarian squad immediately began whistling and hollering and clapping their hands together. She glared up at them from the floor, her hands cuffed and useless to defend herself behind her back.

"Look at her fucking tits!" One cheered.

"Oh, we're going to have our fun with you, woman!" Another added.

"I'm taking her right here now."

"Like hell you are, it should be me that has the first run at her. Seniority and all."

"Exactly! You're too damn old, Baran. By the time you finish, we'll all have seniority!"

The four of them laughed at that.

One leaned forward and batted all four of his eyes at her. "You want to give me a kiss, woman?"

Miranda grimaced and turned away.

"The lot of ya settle down," Lok commanded as he sat in the passenger's seat beside the pilot at the front of the shuttle. "You'll take her after I've had my fill. And that won't be until we get back to the ship at least, so go in the bathroom and rub any urges you got into the toilet and flush, 'cuz none of ya are touching her."

The batarians groaned and grumbled their disappointment.

The shuttle lifted, lurched, and dipped. Miranda watched out the rear window as the docking bay shrunk away, and the enormity of the volus ship finally came into view as they crossed the port line. It was a massive hulk of gray steal and palladium shielding and domed fiberglass. As the shuttle sped further and further away, it grew and grew until the whole thing was a towering, floating, island in the sky. At the very top, somehow, someway, the mansion was still standing; like an ant latched to the back of some great, soaring, beast. The other docking port split apart, and Miranda saw the transport ship with her friends depart as well. She sighed, rested her head back on the floor, and closed her eyes, hoping with everything in her for their safety. And for Shepard's.

It was a few minutes later when the shuttle was thumped.

"The hell was that?" Lok demanded; every one of his eyes widening in apprehension. "Did we just get rammed? I-"

The whole shuttle was flung sideways as another THUMP exploded into it. The batarians gathered around her stumbled and some fell out of their seats.

"The fuck is this?"

"It's that transport!"

"What transport!?"

"THAT one ya dumb fuck!"

Beyond the port side window, the transport ship was speeding beside the shuttle; its bulky brown hull lurching forward and slamming the ship's side again.

"Betrayed!"

"What? The volus!?"

"Yes, the fucking volus! They want their cargo back!"

One of them reached down and wrapped his hand around her neck. "What is this you bitch!?"

"Set it down!" Lok cried out. "Set it down before they ram us out of the fucking sky!"

The pilot took the ship down towards a clearing on a hilltop. Miranda tried lifting her head to see what was happening, but one of the batarian's booted feet landed on her chest and pinned her to the shuttle's floor.

"Stay down, bitch!"

"Baran, go deal with this," Lok commanded.

"Me? What!? Why-"

"They're volus, Baran," Lok explained. "And Serj and I are very dear friends. This isn't a betrayal. Maybe the comm systems is out or... hell, I don't know. Serj wouldn't betray me, trust me. But his clan members better have a damn good reason for this. So go. And find that reason out."

"Shit. Fine."

The batarian's foot lifted from her chest as the rear hatch of the shuttle popped. He climbed out, his sub-machine gun at the ready, and the hatch closed behind him. Miranda wrestled to her elbows and craned her neck to look out the window, her heart thundering in her chest. The transport had set down a few few feet away, and its own ramp was lowering. She held her breath as sunlight hit the shadowy top of the ramp of the ship's interior. "Please... please... please," she whispered to herself.

Her pleading was answered.

Jack strode out, dressed in her own clothing and completely free of any shackles. Her hands were down at her sides and had a glow blue to them. Biotics! Miranda thought, her heart soaring. She's got her biotic powers back!

"That skinny bitch!?" Lok snapped. "Damn it! Can't Serj even keep his own slaves in line!"

"Uh, boss... this is bad."

Lok's brow furrowed. "What are you babbling about?"

"You don't know who that is?"

"Some skinny loud-mouth cunt. So what?"

"T-That's th-the psychotic b-biotic," the batarian said, beginning to tremble.

"Psychotic biotic? What the hell should that mean to m-"

The batarian they'd sent outside screamed then. His shrill, horrified, shouting sounded bright and loud, but then faded away as if he'd been taken somewhere far away and extremely fast. The whole shuttle collectively held their breath, and then the screaming starting coming back. From above.

The batarian's body landed on the hood of the shuttle with a CRASH and every one of them, to Miranda's delight, screamed.

"Oh fuck," Lok whispered.

The sound of metal tearing apart from metal screeched into the shuttle's hull, and then the rear hatch tore away with a violent pull; bolts and hinges spraying into the air along with the sparks. Sunlight streamed in through the gaping hole at the back of the shuttle, and the rear hatch hung suspended outside, tinged with a blue lining.

The batarians all lifted their guns and took aim, but Jack was keeping the torn hatch between them and herself. Her voice came angry and fierce from behind it. "Send Miranda out. Now."

Miranda swallowed and peered up at the four batarians hovering over her. They exchanged fearful glances before turning to their leader.

"Shit... shit," Lok muttered. Every one of his eyes looked terrified. "Damn it! Let her go! Go on! Get her out of here!"

One of them grabbed her by the arm and shoved until she went tumbling out of the shuttle's hole. Miranda hit the ground, clambered to her feet with her hands still cuffed behind her, and rushed around the floating hatch.

When she came to Jack, Jack was smiling.

Miranda could barely find any words. "I... Jack... how-?"

"Give me a second?" Jack asked.

Miranda nodded.

The hatch exploded forward as Jack thrust her hands. It crashed into the shuttle with the shrill sound of metal scraping metal, and then both the hatch and the shuttle itself were spiraling through the air, the batarian's screams coming faintly from within. It launched nearly as high as the tree tops before sailing back down and vanishing beneath the hillside's edge.

Jack immediately killed her powers, rushed forward, and took Miranda in her arms.

"Is this really happening?" Miranda asked, her eyes closing as she pressed her head against Jack's.

Jack's mouth found her's and kissed. She pulled away and grinned. "That real enough for you, cheerleader?"

Miranda managed a shaky laugh. She took a breath and let Jack's arms hold her again. "Now what?"

"Now we get back aboard that transport ship," Jack told her.

"And we save Shepard."

-To Be Concluded-