Jarred, Tristan and Grunt sat down in the shuttle, with Jose piloting it. Jarred felt like cracking his knuckles, and was still praying to be able to save Meiou.

With Amira and Nicholas injured and Liara still slightly sluggish from her hit, Thanikah decided to stay behind in the Normandy to prepare the med bay in case of emergencies. Edison hovered the Normandy several feet away from the cruiser, getting ready to strike if anything happens.

"Directly above the airlock, Captain." Jose said, and Tristan nodded as he contacted Kasumi. "We're here, Kasumi."

"Hold on. I'm hacking the system now." Kasumi said, and soon an airlock opened near them. But at the same time, ship wide alert sounded on the cruiser. "Damn… these Cerberus ships have way too paranoid engineers. I'll draw them for a bit, but you'd better hurry."

Jose landed the shuttle near the airlock, and the three of them stepped out. Even Jose took an assault rifle and headed out to defend the shuttle as the three of them charged. Tristan nodded at the yeoman, "Cruz, you stay and guard the shuttle while we head in."

"Yes, captain." Jose said, and hunkered down near the airlock heading to the shuttle as the three of them charged.

Shots were ringing a few meters from them, and the three ran ahead to see the Cerberus guards shooting at a crate. One of the soldiers came closer to investigate, but as he did, a woman uncloaked from behind him and stabbed him with her OmniTool, before disappearing again. The three of them brought out their guns and started shooting at the guards, as the woman re-appeared near Tristan. She was wearing a black and grey suit, with a hood covering her features, so that her nose and lips were the only thing visible about her. Two strips of violet markings were on her lower lip and chin, and she smirked as she crouched beside him.

"You must be Tristan Alenko." She said, "Kasumi Goto."

"This is Jarred Vancair, my LC." Tristan said as Jarred shot another Cerberus agent, "And of course, you know Grunt."

"Pleasure." She said as she aimed her pistol at another soldier and shot, "I wish we had time for pleasantries, but we're going to have to move. They have taken the girl to the Operating Room."

"Her name is Meiou Seishiro." Jarred said as they cleared out the soldiers and jogged toward the doors. "She was a Cerberus experiment, but we got her out. They took her after she saved Earth from the solar flare."

"I see. That explains everything." Kasumi said, as she took out her OmniTool and hacked the door, "I expect there would be a lot of soldier when we come in through this door. Grunt and I will cover you. You must get into that room as soon as possible if you won't want to save just pieces of her."

Jarred and Tristan nodded, and as soon as they doors opened, they dived for cover, and Kasumi disappeared again as Grunt started shooting. They headed for another door just to the side of the room, as Grunt shouted, "Ha! Just like old times, Kasumi!"

"This would've been fun if Shep was still around." Kasumi said as she reappeared behind one soldier, stabbed him and fired her pistol at another. "I do miss the old gang. Chat me up while we work, will you, Grunt?"

Tristan shook his head as they entered the door, but he could still hear Grunt laughing as he chatted with Kasumi while shooting. "I don't know about you, but it seems like your mother recruited the most insane people in her time."

Jarred grinned, "Yeah, she did." But as they headed for the door, his grin faded, "Come on, let's get going."

Jarred and Tristan headed for the door, but as it turns out, it was the cargo hold, with lots of Cerberus soldiers. They dived for cover as the soldiers started shooting.

"Tristan!" Edison shouted from his earpiece, "Guess what? I got reinforcements!"

"Don't even think about sending Amira or Nicholas here, Edison!"

"Don't worry, he won't." A familiar voice sounded on their earpieces.

"Mr. Moreau?!" Jarred said, "What are you doing here?"

"Edison told me you guys are in for a shit storm!" Joker said, "He relayed your coordinates to me, and I was able to pick some friends up with me. We can't have you kids have all the fun!"

"Yeah! Time to kick some Cerberus cajones!"

"Instructor Vega?!" Jarred said as they hunkered down a crate, and shot more Cerberus blocking their way. "Who else is with you?!"

"I am!" A feminine voice said, and Jarred immediately recognized her as Jack, Meiou's instructor. "I will destroy you Cerberus fuckers!"

"I am here as well!" Councilor Samara's voice sounded, "It has been a while since I done battle. I shall be as relentless as I once was."

"We're directly at the room behind of you, chico!" James said from their earpieces, "The OR is at the door to the left. We'll make sure no more of these pendejos get to you. Get to Meiou!"

The door they just came through opened, and Samara, James and Jack came out, firing pistols. Samara raised a barrier to shield them, and Jack's form became enveloped in blue biotic energy, and she released it on a group of soldiers, which started floating. James took aim and shot at them, and his gaze met with Jarred's. "What are you two estupidos staring at?! Get going!"

"Yes, sir!" Jarred and Tristan cried out as they exited the room using the door to the left, which turned out to be a corridor. They stood by the door as Jarred hacked it open, and the moment it opened, they heard a voice.

"KILL THEM, YOU IDIOTS!"

They dived for cover at the consoles near them as the Cerberus troops shot at them, and Jarred flinched as one of the bullets almost caught the top of his fringe. He raised his assault rifle and shot, noticing the bound form strapped on a vertical gurney several feet from them. Jarred could tell it was Meiou, even though she was strapped down to the gurney. A sort of jacket with buckles encased her arm, and tied her down, and a metal helmet covered her head. She was struggling against the confines. He ducked down again.

"Meiou's bound behind them. We have to kill them all before we could get to her…"

But Jarred flinched as a bullet narrowly missed his head, and he had to crouch lower against the crate.

"YOU WILL NOT SHOOT AT MY SON!"

"Mom?!" Jarred cried out as the doors behind them opened again, and Jane Vakarian, Councilor Alenko and Councilor Tali came out with guns blazing. Like a possessed berserker, Jane ran ahead and shot at the soldiers, and opened her OmniBlade as she stabbed one of the soldiers. "Sweetheart, are you alright?"

"Yeah! I'm fine!" Jarred said as Tristan laughed, "Damn! This is one hell of a reunion!"

"Shep?! You're alive?!" Kasumi's voice said from the Comm channel, "Well, I'll be… you owe me a drink and an explanation when this is over!"

"These bosh'tets hurt my daughter!" Councilor Tali cried out as she fired her pistol, "You NEVER mess with the Quarian Councilor's daughter!"

"This brings back memories, eh, Garrus?!" Kaidan said, and a soldier near them dropped dead, a bullet hole in his head.

"Scoped and dropped!" Garrus' voice came through their communicators, and Tristan looked up at the rafters above them to see him crouched down, sniper rifle in hand "Damn, pressing the trigger feels so damn good!"

"Dad?!" Jarred cried out again, "What are you guys doing here?!"

"These Cerberus idiots bombed up our island!" Jane said as she kept shooting, "Luckily, your dad's calibrations of the family car were useful. He got us out quick as a flash and got out of there. Joker picked up our distress signal and he asked permission from Kaidan to use the SSV Valkyrie to pick us up."

"And then we heard they kidnapped Meiou." Garrus said as he aimed at another soldier's head and shot, "And nobody kidnaps my future daughter-in-law!"

Jarred's eyes widened, and he looked down at Tristan, whose cheeks were puffed up in an effort of not bursting into laughter. He thumped his friend on the head, "Quit laughing!"

Tristan chuckled instead and looked up at Garrus, "Where's Radley?"

Garrus peered through his sniper scope, "They've lowered the vertical gurney… and Radley and some soldiers are wheeling it to another room…"

"Tristan!" Edison's voice broke through their exchange, "We've got Cerberus ships coming in! Looks like Radley called for back up! One of them is headed for the cargo bay in front of you!"

"We can take them, son!" Joker said, "Come on, show me what you've got, kid!"

Edison laughed, "I was trained by the best damned pilot in the history of the Alliance, dad! But fine, I'll show you!"

The father and-son banter stopped as the two pilots made work of the Cerberus ships outside, and Jane's voice filled their earpieces again. "I think Radley's going to run. We'll cover you, Jarred and Tristan! Get to the door!"

"Be careful down there, honey!" Garrus said from his perch, "You're not as young as you used to be… you're already at retirement age!"

"This old lady can still kick ass!" Jane said, "Besides, anyone who fucks up with my family deserves a bullet in the head!"

"Same goes for us!" Kaidan said and Tali nodded beside him, "Let's kick these bosh'tets out the airlock!"

Jarred and Tristan ran ahead as the others provided them with cover fire, and Jarred pressed open the door, only to see that a shuttle had started rising, and he could see Radley scrambling inside it. "NO! NOT AGAIN!"

"GGGRAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Something heavy hit the shuttle from the rafters, and it fell down to floor in a crash, causing Radley to get flung back. Jarred and Tristan watched as Urdnot Shepard jumped down, "And THAT'S how you do a krogan airdrop, shit-slinging pyjaks!"

He went into the shuttle, and they watched as Cerberus soldiers started flying out of the doors, before falling unconscious to the floor. After a few moments, Shepard came out, holding the bound figure out of the shuttle. Jarred and Tristan ran to him as he grinned, but suddenly the krogan got flung back as he got shot in the shoulder, making him drop Meiou in the process.

Radley had regained his consciousness and picked up Meiou's bound form. Jarred and Tristan raised their pistols but Radley raised his pistol to Meiou's unprotected chin.

"Ah! No." Radley said as the pressed the barrel of his pistol, "Put it down, or her brain will get splattered to shit inside this helmet."

Jarred and Tristan scowled at him and slowly, Jarred brought down his assault rifle, and Tristan did the same. Urdnot Shepard grunted, and stood up. "You, krogan. Stand beside them. NOW!" Radley shouted, and Shepard walked and stood beside Tristan.

"Let her go." Jarred said, but Radley merely laughed, "She's Cerberus, Vancair. She is ours. Our experiment. Our technology."

"You're wrong. You kidnapped her. You killed her adopted father, and then tortured her to see how far her abilities go. You froze her and kept her in the dark for years." Jarred said again, seething.

"The crash of the Cerberus base on Lesuss was… unexpected." Radley said, "We did do all the rest of the things you said, but within reason…"

"And what sort of stupid reason is that?" Jarred nearly shouted, but he shut up as Radley pressed the pistol harder to Meiou's chin. He heard her whimper in pain against her constraints.

"Careful, Vancair." He smirked, "You don't want this woman's blood in your hands now do you?"

Jarred grit his teeth as Radley spoke again. "This… 'Meiou Seishiro'… will be a new kind of human. A human with telepathic abilities and biotic powers. With proper genetic experimentation, we could reproduce more like her… super humans with the ability to rival Asaris in biotic powers. Or we could also do cloning." He laughed, "We cloned your mother, and we cloned Kai Leng. I think we can clone her as well. Although…" His laughter faded and he brought his face closer to her neck, "With something as beautiful as this… I prefer the reproduction…"

Radley grinned lecherously as he stuck out her tongue and licked Meiou's neck, and Jarred saw red. He let out a growl, intending to charge the human, but a choking sound stopped him.

Radley's face registered a look of surprise as something seem to crush his throat, and he let go of Meiou as he raised his hand up to his neck. Meiou fell down to her knees on the floor, but she shifted her feet as she stood, and Radley continued to choke as he got lifted through the air.

Meiou stood up, blue biotic energy flaring all around her, and soon her abilities shredded her constraints. They saw her biotics flare again, and her helmet seemed to fall into pieces at her feet, her silver hair coming down. Her face was wet with tears, but her eyes were filled with anger and hatred as she looked up at Radley. Her biotics flared again as she took a step towards the floating human.

"No more." She whispered vehemently, "I have had enough. I am done with your experiments. I am done with your torture. I am done with your inhumanity. I… am… DONE!"

She raised her hand and flung Radley away, and the human hit the metal wall. He collapsed on the floor, and raised his pistol at her. He shot at her, but she merely deflected it with her biotics as she walked menacingly towards him.

She enclosed a hand on Radley's neck, and lifted him up, using both her physical prowess and biotics. She gripped his neck hard as she seethed, "As Samara once said… 'May you find peace in the arms of the Goddess.'"

But Radley merely laughed, "And you… find torture in Hell, bitch!"

Radley raised his pistol to her stomach and pulled the trigger, and Meiou was unable to catch it. Blood sprayed behind her as the bullet went through her, and she gasped at the pain. She growled, and her biotics flared, as she slowly crushed his head with her powers. She let him go, his body falling down the floor with a thud.

"MEIOU!" Jarred screamed, and she turned to him. He stared at her, and she smiled lovingly at him, before she leaned back. He ran and caught her before she hit the floor, and he placed a hand on her wound to stop the bleeding. He looked behind him to see Tristan and Shepard, blinking in shock at what just happened. "HELP ME!"

Tristan and Urdnot Shepard ran forward, bringing out packets of MediGel for her as she lay in Jarred's arms. Tristan put a finger in his ear, "Normandy, we need an evac right now! Tell Thanikah to prepare the Med Bay!"

"Understood." Thanikah said, "The Med Bay is prepped. Who's injured?"

"Meiou." Tristan said as he scanned her with his OmniTool, "Gunshot to the abdomen."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line, before Thanikah spoke again, "Then what the hell are you waiting for?! GET HER IN HERE!"

Tristan blinked in surprised at Thanikah's genuine concern for the girl. And he looked at Jarred, "Come on, man. We have to get her out of here."

Jarred looked around, and remembered the gurney in the shuttle, "Get the gurney from that shuttle they came from. We have to keep her still. Tell Edison to open up the Normandy's cargo bay from here."

"Edison, did you hear that?" Tristan said to his earpiece and the pilot answered, "Yes, Captain. Bringing it around now."

The door to the cargo area opened, and the rest of the gang piled in. Jane Vakarian had an arm around her husband and Kasumi Goto, but when she saw the look on her son's face, she ran forward.

"Jarred, what happened?" She asked as she bent down beside her son, and saw Meiou's pale face smiling up at her, her blood pooling at her feet. "Oh my God…"

Jarred looked up helpless at his mother, his eyes watering, "Mom… save her… please…"

Jane nodded as she helped Tristan get the gurney from inside the shuttle.

"Hang on, Meiou!" Jarred said as he held her, using his OmniTool to try and seal the bleeding with medigel. "Just… hang on. We're getting out of here."

Meiou pulled on his armor. He looked at her to see her staring at him, her eyelids fluttering as if she was trying to force them open. She pulled him down, and when he did, she touched her forehead to his, clinging to his shoulders. She smiled as blood dripped down her lip again.

"No…" Jarred whispered as he hugged her closer, "No. Stay awake. Please…"

She smiled peacefully again, "I… am not afraid of… the dark anymore… not afraid… of being locked…"

He nodded, "Yes. You were so brave…"

She grinned, her teeth red with blood, "I came back… to you…" but she coughed, and blood bubbled down the side of her lip.

His teeth ground as he touched her face, "Then come back from this. Don't leave me in the dark. You are my light. Do not leave me."

Meiou's eyes watered with tears and they fell down to her white hair. "My light…" She said, but her eyes widened and she gasped in pain, before she grew quiet and still in his arms.

"No! No! NO! NO! NO!" Jarred shouted as he shook her, "Wake up… wake up please…"

The rest of the crew stood back, watching the scene unfold before them. Tristan and Jane were bringing the gurney out from the shuttle when they saw Jarred holding on to Meiou's limp body. Garrus came forward and kneeled beside his son, as Jarred sobbed. "Let go for a minute, son. Come on… we got to load her up…"

Jarred stepped back as Tristan and Jane brought the gurney over and lifted her body into it. The Normandy hovered behind them, it's cargo doors open as Garrus and Tristan lifted the gurney and headed into it. Jarred ran beside them, still holding Meiou's limp hand, praying to all the spirits and gods he knew that she would still be alive.