Chapter 3

"Hang on!", Miranda cried out. She could pick out at least a dozen lifeless Reaper corpses floating in the space between the relay and the planet's surface and in-between the fallen giants, the area was littered with the wreckage of dozens of ships belonging to Typhon's long-dead defenders. The shredded starships formed a tight web of debris that Miranda and Jack now found themselves barreling towards, with the broken shell of an Alliance frigate presenting the most obvious threat. Miranda pitched the ship as far to the left as she could but, she was sure that even Joker couldn't have entirely avoided the massive wreck.

"Shit!" Jack screamed as their ship collided with the frigate. The impact tore into their hull and a dozen different alerts began to blare on the flight console, the ship's lights blinking on and off while the its VI calmly listed off the damage.

"Hull integrity compromised."

"Inertial Dampeners compromised."

"Shields offline."

"What does that mean?" Even over the blaring emergency siren, the terror in Jack's voice was clear.

"It means we're crashing!", Miranda snapped back as she struggled to keep the engines online by diverting power from the environmental systems.

"What can I do?"

"Find us breather masks. There should be some EVA suits by the airlock that you can disassemble."

Jack quickly unbuckled her harness and sprang up from her seat. No sooner had she found her balance though than the ship bucked and Jack was tossed to the deck. Miranda didn't spare a look behind her as her companion was sent crashing about, too focused on the Reaper their ship was now spinning towards. The controls were rapidly growing more unresponsive and even while Miranda steered the dying vessel, two of the interface screens were flickering, a sign that the ship's power levels were dropping.

"Dammit!" Miranda pulled the ship back as far as she could but the Reaper still was drawing closer and closer in the viewport. Her heart was racing but her hands were perfectly calm. She recognized all of her piloting skill wouldn't mean anything if Jack couldn't find their oxygen masks. Her life, she realized, was in the convict's hands.

Bloody perfect.

The Reaper corpse was only a few hundred yards away now and Miranda's usual calm was beginning to fail her. Fear gripped her as she put everything the thrusters had into a hard break to the left. Mercifully, the transport skated past without making contact but her victory was short lived. Beyond the Reaper, Miranda was confronted with even more debris that had been caught in Typhon's orbit, creating a dense wall of wreckage. With their engines and power failing, she saw no way past the obstruction, which meant their only chance was to smash through it.

"Jack!", she screamed as she eyed the falling oxygen levels on the regulator display, "I need you now!" Her head was already growing light and try as she might to fight it, tunnel vision was beginning to take hold. Miranda sucked in a deep breath and held it in.

Where in hell is Jack with those masks?

The ship lurched, and from behind her, she could hear the sound of Jack rattling around in the confined space of the airlock. Hopefully, her barriers would shield her from the worst of the impacts, but the only thing she seemed to be accomplishing was running off a string of increasingly foul curses as she was tossed to and fro.

Miranda wrestled with the controls, and at last, she was able to force the wounded ship to level out somewhat. From the airlock, Jack snarled, "About damn time," but Miranda was too busy regulating her breathing to reply. Indeed, it was taking all of her concentration to do that and keep the transport from throwing her partner off her feet again, and it wasn't until she heard, "Catch, bitch!", yelled from behind her that she realized Jack had made it back.

Too relieved to be angry at the insult, she spun around and snatched the helmet that was being tossed at her out of the air. She wasted no time in securing it over her head. The oxygen seal tightened around her neck and she took a long breath while Jack strapped herself in. Once the helmet was firmly in place and her breathing had returned to normal, Miranda re-routed all remaining power from the air recycling systems, diverting it into the shields and thrusters.

"What the fuck are you doing now?!", Jack snapped while she stared at the wall of wreckage they were fast approaching.

"We're going through it."

"If we die, I'm gonna kill you, cheerleader."

"Shut up and hold on!"

The two women were pushed back into their seats as the ship rocketed forward. Miranda kept her grip on the controls, her eyes glued to the relatively thin point in the wreckage field she had decided on as her entry point. The cockpit's lights flickered, Jack let out a string of obscenities, and the entire vessel churned violently, yet Miranda's hands stayed steady. The ship smashed into the debris like a meteor and the two women shook in their seats, only the safety harnesses tethering them in place preventing their bones from being smashed to powder.

A piece of metal smashed into the viewport, cracking the window. Seconds later, the lights in the cabin finally gave out, a final, weak flash signaling their death. And yet, she'd succeeded. The ship had passed through the wreckage and into the upper reaches of Typhon's atmosphere. Miranda spared a glance over at the navigations console. Their LZ's coordinates were still programmed in and with what little control she had remaining, Miranda attempted to course correct and hit their landing site.

With the added boost Typhon's gravity granted, their ship was hurtling towards the surface faster with each passing second. Miranda had to hope the ship's shields had enough life left to get them to the planet without everyone on board dying. Soon enough, outer space gave way to clouds and then sky. In the distance, Miranda could see their destination, a large city with towering skyscrapers. However, it was miles north of the lake they were speeding towards, which might have been for the best considering how quickly they were approaching. Crashing into an urban center at full speed wasn't exactly a good idea.

"Pull up!", Jack screamed.

Miranda didn't need the other woman's advice to even the ship out, but Lawson knew there was no avoiding it even if she'd wanted to; they were going into the water. It would create some new problems, but it was also their best chance to survive the crash.

"I hope you're a strong swimmer, Jack."

"Don't you fucking say that!"

The bottom of the hull scraped along the surface of the water before the sudden friction flipped the ship forward. The water engulfed it starting from the bow and the cracked viewport filled with bubbles. A massive splash erupted from the lake as their ship was sucked into it's depths. Miranda and Jack were thrown forward, the force of the harnesses pulling on them hard enough to knock the air out of their lungs.

Miranda bit back the pain, fairly sure she had just cracked a rib. She unbuckled her harness. "We have to go."

The two women climbed through the wreckage of the ship until they found themselves in the airlock. "I thought you were supposed to be smart or something." Jack snarled, clearly unnerved by their predicament.

"We should be all right. We do have the oxygen masks. Now, do you want to complain or do you want to get out of here?"

Jack only nodded and without another word, Miranda pushed her up against the wall and went to work on the airlock's seal. She overrode the lock with her omni-tool and the door popped open, letting in a flood of water. The women were swept off their feet and tossed around like dirty clothes in a washing machine. Soon enough, the airlock was filled with water and it was time for their escape.

Miranda and Jack swam out through the airlock, leaving their ship to its watery grave. The surface was high above them and the water was freezing, but their helmets still supplied much-needed oxygen. At least Miranda's did.

Behind her, Jack was kicking her feet wildly. Miranda wasn't surprised she wasn't the strongest swimmer; the Teltin facility probably didn't have a swim team like the expensive prep schools she'd attended. Still, the biotic seemed to know the basic concept, but it wasn't the girl's swimming that had Miranda concerned at the moment. The seal in her helmet must have been damaged, either by the crash or the pressure, because water was beginning to fill up inside her mask, and the surface was still a good sixty feet away.

Miranda carved through the water with frantic speed, but with only a few strokes left before she reached the surface, she spared a look over her shoulder and all at once her ascent was halted. Twenty feet below her, Jack floated. The convict was motionless, and Lawson realized that Jack's helmet must have been filling with water even before her own. Miranda looked back up to the surface she had almost reached.

Dammit, you better thank me for this.

Miranda turned back down towards her partner, and reached out with a biotic field, wrapping it around Jack and pulling her closer. She took her last breath as the water filled her mask, as Jack still sat suspended and lifeless when she reached her.

Why am I doing this? What do I really owe her?

Miranda wrapped an arm around the other woman and began the journey to the surface once more. The convict's deadweight threatened to pull them both down to the depths permanently. Her vision started to darken, and her lungs burned, but Miranda had made her choice, and she never quit. The surface of the lake was just a few feet away now, and she could see the sun reflecting off it from below.

Almost there.

Her kicks started to lose their strength. Her throat tightened as she struggled to hold her breath. Jack seemed twice as heavy as she had before, and it would be so easy to just let her go and save herself. Without Jack, there would be nobody to stop Miranda from escaping custody. Her companion's death was her ticket to freedom and yet Miranda's grip never loosened.

At last they broke the surface. Miranda quickly pulled the mask from her face and took a deep breath of air before she pulled Jack's head above water as well. She stripped the helmet from the convict and a flood of water came pouring out but the woman was still limp in her arms.

Thankfully, the lake's shore was nearby and Miranda dragged Jack there without too much more trouble. She laid her down on the sands and, kneeling before her, she began CPR immediately. She opened Jack's airway by tilting her head back before she pinched the woman's nose closed. Miranda took a deep breath before she bent down and brought their lips together.

Two one second breaths, watch for the chest to rise.

When Jack still didn't move, she started compressions. As she pressed down on the woman's chest, Miranda was shocked to realize she actually cared if Jack died. As Miranda counted off her chest compressions, she recalled the horrors they had found on Pragia, the nightmare Cerberus had put Jack through. She remembered too the hurtful words she herself had spat at Jack when the woman simply wanted Miranda to admit that what Cerberus had done to her was wrong.

"Dammit, Jack. Come on. Don't you dare die. For once in your miserable life, just listen to me and wake the hell up," she demanded before bringing their lips together once more.

Please.

Suddenly, a sharp push sent Miranda rolling onto the sand. She looked up and saw Jack gasping for air as she coughed up water and rubbed her lips with the back of her hand.

Jack spat in the sand next to Miranda. "Next time let me die, cheerleader."

Miranda couldn't help but smirk at her discomfort. "You're welcome."

The tattooed woman fell back to the sand and shoved her wet hair out of her face. "Shit, that was messed up. So much for an escape plan."

"It does seem we're trapped on the planet now. Not that it matters. As you said, this is likely a suicide mission."

"Then why the hell did you bother saving me?"

Lawson shrugged and offered her hand to the woman. "Misery loves company."

Jack slapped it away and dragged herself to her feet. "Course, I wouldn't have needed saving if you knew how to fly a damn ship."

Miranda narrowed her eyes. "Are you so immature that you can't simply thank me?"

Jack rolled her eyes and shoved past her but Miranda wanted more. "We can't continue on like this. If we're at each other's throats-"

"I already told you. There's no fresh start for us, cheerleader."

"Why are you really here, Jack?"

"I'm here to end Cerberus for good. That's the whole fucking story."

"Bullshit," Miranda objected. "There has to be more to it than that."

Jack spun around on her heels. "Why the hell do I need another reason? You have any idea what your little organization has cost me? What Cerberus did to me? What they took from me?!"

Her own eyes hardened. "I remember Pragia."

"Yeah, well, I can't forget it." Miranda fell silent when she heard the rage in Jack's voice as she continued. "How the hell do you live with it, cheerleader? Being a part of something like that. I might have done my share of fucked up shit but I never tortured a little girl, raped her, made her into… this."

"Neither of us had a choice, Jack."

Jack stared her down before she shook her head and turned away, seemingly uninterested in continuing their fight. "Fuck it. We're not gonna find Ford out here in the middle of nowhere. Let's move."

At least I tried.

Miranda's wet catsuit clung uncomfortably to her skin as the pair of women trekked through the woods. Her cracked rib still ached, her legs were sore, and beside her, Jack had fallen into a sullen silence. All of it should have left Miranda in a foul mood, and yet, there was something about the pristine terrain they were passing through that raised her spirits. Birds sang, huge trees grew wild and lush, and sunlight trickled through the leafy canopy above them. It was a contrast common to colony worlds; the settlements would be constructed using the most modern technology, but only a few miles away waited wilderness no human being had ever set foot in.

I wish you could see this, Oriana.

Her mood soured somewhat when she realized she'd probably never have the chance to visit places like this with her sister. In all likelihood, she'd probably never see her again at all. Miranda looked to her partner as Jack hiked beside her in silence. She might have not been the ideal companion but at least Miranda had someone to share the sights with.

"It's rather refreshing, isn't it?"

"What?" Jack still sounded unfriendly, but her anger wasn't burning quite so hot anymore.

"Being out here, away from it all. No war. No destruction." No crowds jeering at me. "After everything we've been through, it's nice to remember that some things endured."

"Yeah, it's real peaceful and all that good shit. Now, let's find a place with medi-gel and something to eat before I take a bite out of you instead."

"Always the poet, Jack."

"Screw you."

Miranda simply laughed at that, but a spike of pain came from her side when she did, making her clutch at the rib. Jack was right; medi-gel and food would go a long way right then. She didn't feel like admitting it however, so instead she just resumed walking. Halfway up the hill they were climbing, though, she pulled up short in front of a concealing stand of trees.

"Hold up," she whispered. "I think I hear footsteps."

For once, Jack did as she was told. The two women halted and Miranda strained her ears to get a better listen. It was indeed several sets of booted feet she'd heard, and as they approached, they were joined by the sound of human voices.

"...Can't wait to see what was on that wreck." A younger man, brash and heedless.

"Why? You think it was filled with supermodels and caviar? Don't be such a fucking idiot." An older man, his voice heavy with the cynicism of age and long hardship.

"Just as long as it's not another batch of those fucking alien refugees. I'm sick of dealing with that trash." A woman now, her tone harsh and bitter.

"Hey, they are good for a few things." The younger man again. "That turian looked pretty damn funny, scampering around on his hands and knees. And that asari with the purple skin…"

"Maybe it's the Alliance," the female voice suggested with a chuckle.

"Don't get me too excited," the younger man replied, "I'd kill for a chance to carve up a few of those traitorous bastards."

"Doesn't really matter," the older man pointed out. "They probably died in the crash anyway, and even if not, we'll just put them down and see what kinda shit they brought us in that ship of theirs. Don't need anymore mouths to feed."

"Can't we at least have some fun with them first?", the younger man whined.

Miranda ground her teeth at their disgusting words, but when she looked over at Jack to see her reaction, she wasn't there. Looking around, Miranda saw only the back of her nominal partner as she stormed off in the direction of the voices.

God damn it. Here we go.

Notes- Thanks for reading! I hope you'll share your thoughts with us in the reviews. Have a great day!