Jack didn't actually vomit. It was probably because Jack hadn't had enough to eat over the last few days.

The child looked so proud that the others were scared of her. Like she was basking in their fear. And it was that pride, more than anything else, that pissed Jack off. Jack stared into those proud eyes, and Jack didn't move. The fear of the other children was radiant around her. She focused on that fear, and in those eyes, and, without having to move a muscle, lashed out with her biotics.

The girl catapulted through the air and crashed into the ship's wall with a startled cry. Only then did Jack move, standing over the stunned child with her fists glowing with biotic energy. "If you really want someone to fear you, you have to prove you're stronger than them." She bored into the girl's black eyes. "If you put blood in the water, you have to expect the sharks to come taste it. Are you ready for that? Are you ready for me?" Jack smiled, showing her teeth, like a predator.

There was silence for a moment. Then the droid started speaking in that other language, translating Jack's words. She looked around her at the other rescues. There was horror in their faces. They weren't scared of their fellow... student... anymore, Jack had fixed that. They were now terrified of her, and that wasn't what she wanted. What would Shepard say?

"That's about causing fear in others. Look at yourselves... what do you do when you're afraid? What do you do when others are afraid? Taking joy in that makes you a bully, and I hate bullies." She paused to let the translator catch up, and gave a hard look to the shocked near-human, still lying near the wall, staring back at Jack. "It's when you step up to protect yourself, that's courage. Feeling bad for others, that's compassion. When you protect others because you see their fear? That's passion, and through passion one gains strength."

Shepard had rubbed of on her more than she had thought, she considered wryly, as the droid communicated her thoughts. "So, unless you threaten each other, you don't need to be afraid of me," Jack told them. "I'm going to make sure you stay safe, that you get home."

Like I was never able to, she told herself. She would not let these Sith create more Zeroes. Two of them had started to cry. The one she'd thrown to the wall had quietly gotten back to the group, her eyes unreadable.

"You're stronger than that," she told them. Shepard had gotten Jack to trust her by talking about herself. It seemed like a good strategy. Jack sat back down on the floor. "So. Let me tell you about myself, then I want you to tell me about yourself."

There were ten, all told, six girls and four boys. She was hoping the droid would recognize some of the planetary names that were being given to her, since she certainly didn't. She also hoped they didn't realize how uncomfortable Jack was doing this, she was way out of her comfort zone.

After about an hour of discussion, she noted the children beginning to yawn. There was only one bed, Darth had clearly expected to be the only one on this ship. Ugh. "I want you to get any spare clothing on this ship, droid. Anything that can be used as blankets or pillows, you bring them in here."

The droid simpered its assent and left the room, Jack moved to follow, but was interrupted by the grey eyed girl, the one that had gotten her attention in the first place. "How did you do that?" she asked.

"Do what?" Jack asked, nonplussed.

"Throw the bully across the room without moving?"

That's when Jack realized she had utilized her biotics without activating her amp. "How did I do that?" she asked herself.

"I think I'm falling in love with this planet, Shep, " Kasumi told her, looking out the windows. "It's so much nicer than most of the places you take us."

"Glad to hear it," their pilot, Derek, said. "What kind of places does your commander normally take you?"

"Oh, war torn death worlds, planets run by criminal cartels, seats of galaxy wide governments, station sized prisons," Kasumi replied.

"I go where the action is," Shepard agreed. "Any sign of husks yet?"

"Plenty of action here with the civil war," the pilot began. "But I know you're not here for that," he continued. Shepard was about to respond angrily, and merely nodded. "No, haven't seen any. What are husks anyway?"

"You're happier not knowing," Miranda said fervently. "Think zombies. Do you have zombies in this universe?"

"Yeah. Rakghouls. Husks are like that, then? Some kind of sentient plague?"

"Well, I wouldn't describe being taken over by a malicious AI that wants to destroy our universe as a sentient plague personally," Miranda said dryly. "Actually, it's got a certain ring to it."

Shepard looked at her map, and ticked off another spot on her grid. "Nothing. No geth, no husks, I'm hoping this isn't a waste of time." She went back to looking out the window. "Though I agree with Kasumi, I've not been to a world this beautiful since Eden Prime, where it all started."

Kasumi's hood looked up at the commander. "You'll have to tell me about that some time," she said. "Stopping Saren sounds spectacularly fun."

"Splendid," Miranda said.

"Ah! You're right!" Kasumi agreed.

"Just keep your eyes out," Shepard said, fighting back an unprofessional grin.

It was another few minutes before a loud obnoxious beeping from the pilot's seat got their attention. "Huh?" Derek asked. "Oh come on... this isn't a combat vessel! Hang on!" He pulled at the controls, and Shepard could feel the shuttle turning in the air. Large bolts of red energy passed by the window, one or two connecting with the ship's energy shields. The smell of ozone clearly detectable.

"Who's shooting at us?" Shepard asked.

"I've no idea!" Derek told them. "House Thul gave us clearance and pledged to leave us alone. They're really the only other major player, unless it's that madman Ulgo." He pushed forward on the flight stick in front of him, sending the shuttle into a dive. Another couple of blaster shots hit the shuttle, one of them over loading the shield, causing their pilot to engage in Joker like swearing. Clearly, another few clean hits would not bode well.

"Level out, level out!" cried Kasumi.

"Trying..." Derek said through clenched teeth. "This is a shuttle, not a starfighter! Maneuvers like a rock on a good day!" He was pulling back on the controls, and while their descent was slowing, it was clearly not stopping. That farmland was looking awfully close, now. "Better make sure your shields are charged!"

Another patter of blaster fire found its mark, hitting the roof of the shuttle, causing debris to rain into the cabin. The shuttle once more began to veer downward. "Brace yourselves!" The ship crashed into some sort of field, and Drax was thrown into the passengers as they all went unconscious.

"Mr. Vakarian," Edi's voice came to him from over the comm.

"Can it wait, EDI?" Garrus asked. "I'm in the middle of calibrating my new rifle. Trying to make Mordin's retrofits as efficient as possible. I think he's right about it being more effective at long range to stick with mass effect driven weapons."

"I'm afraid it can't, Mr. Vakarian. Commander Shepard's shuttle has been shot down and I cannot reach her on the comms. "

That brought Garrus up short. "When?" he demanded softly. "And where's Miranda? I thought she was officially XO on this ship?"

"Miranda was with Shepard investigating the Reaper threat," EDI started, filling him on the details. It wasn't much. The last communication was that they were under attack by unknowns. Then it went dark. After five minutes, I called you.

"Well... crap," Garrus said. "Right. We need a squad to go find her. I'll probably need some biotic support. Have Jacob meet me at the Then ask Legion if he's willing to sift the local extranet for us, see if there's any chatter about Shepard. Then... hm. Then we'll need some pure muscle... and who do you recommend as a diplomat?"

Garrus had worked on the citadel for a long time as a member of C-Sec, but he still had seen nothing quite like a Wookie before. There weren't many races that were taller than Turians, the Hanar notwithstanding, but he still found himself looking up at the tall mountain of fur that called itself... not quite accurate, asked to be called Krosurra.

"You are Garrus?" it rumbled at him.

"Garrus Vakarian," he said, nodding. "I'm one of Commander Shepard's specialists, and we're going to need your help." He nodded at Jacob as the human met him and the wookie in the briefing room. "Jacob? Did EDI brief you?" Jacob nodded, a serious look in his eyes. "And Ms. Chambers is right behind me."

Kelly had walked in, looking uncomfortable. Whether that was to the fact she wasn't used to wearing combat armor, even light armor, or whether that armor was Phoenix, with its white base and pink highlights, he wasn't sure. Garrus supposed it wasn't supposed to look intimidating, but when Korosurra burst out laughing, he thought she might have a tough time being taken seriously.

"Here I am," Kelly acknowledged. "I feel kind of ridiculous, but it was the only light armor in my size, and Garrus said he wanted a diplomat. EDI said I was the best available."

"It's true," Garrus said. "The rest of us are troubleshooters. When trouble comes, we shoot it. That said, Chambers, it's your first time in the field. You stay with Jacob. Understood?"

Kelly nodded.

Kurossura rumbled in amusement. "Where's Grunt? I owe him my life debt, not you."

"We need someone to watch the ship, we can't leave the noncombat crew alone," Garrus said, glancing at Kelly, who was clearly trying not to shudder. "We tried that once. It didn't turn out well... and I'm pretty sure you owe Shepard to, if she wasn't trying to resist entanglements."

Kurossura nodded at the Turian. "That's correct. I owe your Commander for getting away from that miserable Hutt. And you were very polite about requesting my help. How could I refuse?" He paused. "Though that droid you have running the ship is very odd."

Garrus cleared his throat. "EDI's been with us for a while, and she's been allowed to develop some personality quirks."

"You probably ought to wipe her memory."

"You know you're still on the ship, right, Garrus?" EDI's voice asked him through his communicator. He saw Kelly flash him a quick sweet smile.

"The Commander is very fond of that droid, and so am I. I trust her, quirks or no quirks," Garrus told the wookie. "If there's any other questions, now's the time to ask, otherwise it's time to see what House Organa... and the crash site, has to say for itself."

The wookie merely growled its impatience, adjusted its weapon on his back, and headed toward the airlock. "Wookie after my own heart," Garrus said, following after.

Kelly had suggested making an impression, so they took the hammerhead. Nothing like a military vehicle to make a military impression. Also, they didn't have speeders waiting for them..

"I've always liked the hammerhead," Garrus said. "Excellent speed, maneuverability, no chance of rolling over. Sure, the gun could use some calibrating, But it's such a smooth ride."

"Pfft, and that frame couldn't take a shot from a Geth Colossus the way the Mako could," Jacob countered. "And the Hammerhead's engine seizes up the moment you get anywhere hostile. There was a reason you guys couldn't take it to Hoth."

"Well, another reason other than it'd have been confiscated by the Republic," Garrus admitted. "But at least I can't jog faster than the Hammerhead."

"I can't say I ever saw the Mako, Garrus, but I do see that oncoming vehicle. Watch where you're driving," Kelly told him.

"Backseat driver," Garrus complained, but focus on the pathway ahead. They were following EDI's directions to the last known coordinates of Shepard's shuttle. It had crashed in a farm area, toward the outskirts of the city they'd docked in.

They were nearly there when they were intercepted by men pointing guns at them. "That's the House Organa logo," Kelly told them. "They got here first."

"Go talk to them, please, Kelly" Garrus instructed, as they all got out of the Mako. He handed the yeoman EDI's speaker. Kelly was game, but clearly nervous. She walked toward the Alderaanian troops. They lowered their guns, seeing that she wasn't currently armed. The presence of the towering wookie behind her probably didn't help. The sight of Garrus caused one or two of them to murmur.

"That is Commander Shepard's shuttle," Kelly told them. "Where is she?"

The directness got their attention. "How do you know that? Who are you?"

Kelly was clearly searching for something. "I'm Lt. Chambers," she said, introducing herself. Ah, a suitably impressive title, Garrus realized. He supposed it wouldn't have done much good to introduce herself as a personal assistant. She nodded at the specialists in turn, introducing them. "When Shepard went down, we assembled immediately."

"This is a private matter..." the soldier began...

Kelly gave a grim smile and put her hand up. "I want you to look at the three of them. Garrus in particular. That Turian and Commander Shepard have been through so many life and death situations together, that Shepard put her own body between his sniper rifle and a traitor, counting on that trust to keep him from shooting."

"How did you know that?" Garrus asked her.

"Because he's still alive," Kelly whispered. "Figured that was the only way he didn't get carried out in a body bag. Besides, I'm the ship's counselor. Shepard had asked me to keep an eye on you. " She turned back to the soldiers. "Do you think that we're going to leave her safety to people we don't know? Would you leave someone behind to someone, even another military, you've never met?"

The two troops looked at each other, talking in low voices. "Go on then," they said, finally.

"Oh good," Kelly said, waiting until they were back in the Hammerhead before wiping her brow. "The next thing I could think of to say was, do you really think that they were all going to take no for an answer?"

"Funny, that's where I would have started," Garrus told her, straight faced. "Good job, Kelly." He started the Hammerhead up again and continued past the soldiers.

The shuttle, which wasn't much further away, was a mostly intact burning wreck, a scorched mark in otherwise tall grain fields A few people were milling around, studying the wreckage. The team clambered out a second time. They were approached by a robed Cathar. Her green almond eyes focused on each of the specialists in turn, before resting on Yeoman Chambers.

"Lieutenant," she said, formally. "Lord Organa's men told me you were coming. Pleasure to meet you." She gave a slight bow. Kelly, momentarily off guard, bowed herself. Then, catching herself, she reached out to shake the woman's hand, her eyes taking in the cathar's form. "Lady Jedi," she said. "I'm afraid you have me at a disadvantage."

Garrus thought he saw Kelly stumble slightly as the Jedi shook her hand, and he was sure he saw the Cathar frown just a moment. "Are you OK, Kelly?"

"Yes..." She shook her head. "Yes. I'm fine."

"I said I'm Jedi Jasora Lhim. Lhim is fine, Lieutenant."

"Oh," Kelly apologized, introducing her team again.

"So what can you tell us about the shuttle?" Garrus asked impatiently.

She waved them over. "Looks like it was taken down with a high concentration of blaster power. I suppose we should be grateful it wasn't some sort of missile. Looks like three people were dragged away from the wreckage."

"Shepard's a lot of things, but she's not a pilot, or a dancer, so what happened to the fourth?" Kelly asked. Then she clutched at her head, leaning against the Hammerhead. "The pain... the pain, they hate it!" She looked up, her eyes wild. "They are coming. They are coming!"

Jacob walked over, putting his hand on the yeoman's shoulder. "Kelly? Are you alright?"

"I feel it too. Something hostile is coming this way," Lhim said, activating her lightsaber, "But it's nothing like I've ever felt before, and I can just barely touch it. What is it?"

"Can't you feel it? They're angry, they're all angry..." she stared at Jacob and Garrus, "Can't you hear it? They're coming! They want to die..."

Garrus did hear that. It was the unmistakable sound of multiple things running towards where they were standing. "Defensive positions, team. Chambers, stay with Jacob! And vice versa."

A moment later, a squad of husks burst through the grain field, coming after the squad with claws, hands, and teeth. "Prioritize any red ones!" Garrus ordered immediately. Edi's voice echoed through the speaker around Kelly's neck. "They can explode!"

"Kelly! Focus! Just like we trained... center of mass!" Jacob advised her, but her shots were wild, uncontrolled. She was clearly fighting through some kind of pain, or perhaps madness, that the presence of the husks were inflicting on her. "Tune it out, Kelly, you're stronger than that!"

A loud explosion, caused by the wookie's bowcaster, sent a few targets flying. Garrus looked at it admiringly. Where could he get one of those?

The husks were ignoring the Jedi, focusing on the crew of the Normandy, and their close ranged nature meant Garrus was having to rely on his newly calibrated blaster rifle. The Jedi wasn't ignoring the husks, though, and her lightsaber was making short work of the foes that came within her reach.

Jacob gave a cry of pain, a husk had pierced the line. There were just that many. Kelly turned and fired at the thing. At this close range, even she didn't miss. The husk gave a cry and slumped down to the ground.

It was then that Garrus realized that this husk wasn't – hadn't been human, He could see the veins of blue energy swirling around the lekkus of a former Twi-lek. In fact, now that he looked, he could see the head horns and facial tattoos of Zabraks, the large bibulous eyes of Rodians, and some scaly reptilian thing with a lizard like nose he didn't recognize. There might have been a majority of human husks, but there were a good deal of others. He'd heard Gormak husks had been seen on Voss... but this many had bad implications.

Another husk, this one a human lined with red volatile energy had tried to run past the Jedi, and Jacob's shouted warning had come to late. She swung her lightsaber cleanly through the husks neck. It fell to its knees, and it exploded. Jedi may have supernatural reflexes, but once caught in a explosion, physics took over and she was sent flying. Her lightsaber went out, but she landed in a perfect combat roll.

One last wave. That made some thirty or more of these ugly things. As their numbers thinned, the anxiousness faded. Jacob finished the last few with blasts with his heavy pistol.

"All right, those are new to me," Lhim told them. "What were those?"

Shepard woke up first, her emergency medi-gel supply forcing itself into her system. She had been thrown from the wreckage, though not far. She could hear more blaster fire in the distance, but she'd been forced to her feet, her hands cuffed behind her. She'd been stripped of her weapons, her precious Black Widow, her new blaster pistol were both missing. Really? This was the second mission in a row she'd been taken captive, even if the first was a bit of a Trojan gambit.

"Oh, good, you're awake," came the gruff voice behind her. She could feel the jab of something heavy at her back. It was just enough that she felt it through her armor. "You're surrounded, get moving."

She twisted her head, just enough to see Kasumi and Miranda being picked up alongside her, and to earn herself another poke in the back. "I said move!" said the gruff voice. She analyzed the tactical position as she walked. It wasn't great. She couldn't see any of the troops that had taken them, but from the sound of boots on ground, it sounded like a small squad. She tested her bonds, and felt three different cuffs cutting into her. Someone had warned them about her cybernetic implants. The Hutt, probably.

They marched for a good twenty minutes. At some point, her companions had regained consciousness and been forced to walk as well, ducks in a row.

The camp they were led to had the air of impermanence. She could see symbols of House Organa here and there, and that didn't make any sense. House Organa had given them the shuttle in the first place.

Apparently, this wasn't actually lost on the troops at the camp. "Lieutenant... that's Commander Shepard. Wasn't she working for our house?"

"Change of plans. Have you seen the bounty the Hutts are offering for her since the destruction of Ko'Pa's slave arena? It could..." the gruff voice stopped. "It could change the direction of the war. We're waiting for her to get picked up." The Lieutenant turned Shepard around to face him. He was a twenty something human who's most notable feature was a thick bushy mustache.

"People aren't going to like the change of plans," the unseen voice to Shepard's side said. The lieutenant silenced him with a very clear glare.

Shepard's eyes burned holes into him. "We were here to investigate reports of the reapers... and you're supporting slavers."

"Don't know what you're saying, and I don't care. Cash is king, Shepard. Lock her down," he ordered. "They'll be here soon."

After about another half an hour passed, the other men in the encampment began to get visibly anxious. "You said soon... it's going to be dark soon," one of the men complained to the Lieutenant. "There was a delay," he told them. "Shepard, Lawson, and Gato will be picked up soon.."

Shepard thought she saw something in the shrub that surrounded the base, a reflection of light on what was clearly a blaster, and it was aimed at their captors.