Unbroken

A Mass Effect story

Summary: Shepard's been tasked with infiltrating a Turian slave ship. Shepard hardly has the disposition of a slave and Garrus has no idea how to command his commander.

Author's note: I don't really know what one woman can do to change the world or slavery. But I believe it is a start. It makes me wonder why Bioware put it there. To remind us of human nature? Of how we can be selfish? Self-absorbed? Cruel? I'm confused about what message they wanted to give. Or even if there was one.

CHAPTER 8

The slave ship was in shambles. Shepard stood in the cargo hold and the body bags kept coming. Where moments ago she'd found some remnant of comfort in her Turian's arms, she now felt furious. All this, for what? Where was the logic in all this?

"Shepard?"

Shaken out of her downward sinking spiral she blinked at Garrus. His eyes were cautious again. Like he knew where she was headed. It felt pointless to smile at him, so she turned back to the bodies. All the same. She wondered which held the Quarian girl. "There are so many."

"If we hadn't been here, there would have been thousands more. This was Maximus' largest ship."

Head snapping up, she stared at him. "There are more?"

Her Turian tilted his head, his smile sad, the mandibles restless as he reached up and tucked a stray hair behind her ear. An open gesture of affection that didn't care who saw. "General Rustam is already rounding up the rest." Then he shook his head. "There will always be more Shepard."

A muscle hardened in her jaw. "Then it was all for nothing."

"Was Freedom's progress all for nothing? Feros?" His hands landed on her shoulders and she suddenly felt grounded as he bent down to meet her eyes. "It is everything Shepard." Slowly he turned her towards the docking bay entrance where a group of freed slaves were being escorted into away shuttles. Her breath stilled in her chest. The four year old boy stood there at the threshold.

"Even if you couldn't save them all."

A muscle tightened in her jaw before she turned away and started walking. "I need a word with our Warlord friend."

"Are we still calling her that?" The Turian drawled as they headed towards the command center of their newly freed ship. Cerberus had set up shop there under her command and were aiding in finding new homes for the lost. It was a slow and tedious process, but one the Commander had insisted on. The Turian hierarchy had already agreed to relocate their people, Tali had sent word to the Migrant fleet. The Batarian Hegemony had yet to respond, but Liara had been indispensable.

"I'm debating the friend bit, but I have a feeling the Warlord will have lots to say." Soon the Agrippa would be a husk of its former self. Shepard still felt a tick in her temple at the prospect that there was still a room with bloody manacles on board. She'd ordered the ship to be stripped, repurposed and handed over to the alliance. Illusive man be damned; the Agrippa would do some good for a change.

Garrus stood beside her as Shepard asked her tech engineers to give her to room. The last thing she needed was The Illusive man listening to her tearing into her Warlord 'friend.'

"Commander Shepard." The Asari Warlord flickered into view, resplendent on her couch as always "Found my stray?"

A muscle worked in her jaw, but Shepard merely met her eyes. "Ramulus Maximus? Really T'Loak? Should I be flattered that you thought I could take him down, or furious that you expected him to smudge me out?"

"You assume I felt you were important enough to plot against to such lengths. I merely wanted something retrieved. What you chose to do with the rest, is your business."

Smacking her hands against the console, Shepard glared at Aria's complacency. "You knew what you were doing when you sent me that request."

"Yes." The Warlord's mouth twisted into a happy little smirk. "I did. And I am somewhat gratified you are not 'smudged'."

Biting back the need to rage at the complacent Asari, Shepard sighed and crossed her arms, eyes narrowed. "Let's hear it then. Why me? Why here?"

The Warlord took a few dramatic and agonizing moments to respond. And when she did, it was as catastrophic as her usual punch lines. "Kunis is the Asari Councilor's daughter."

The ground shifted underneath Shepard's feet. Even Garrus let out a startled breath.

Leaning back in her couch Aria happily lifted up a flute of shimmering liquid in a toast. "Never say I never gave you anything Shepard." A wink and then the screens were dark.

"Sarah?"

Her knees wobbled and Shepard braced on hand on the console as the gravity of it sunk in. Was it possible? Could one woman tip the balance?

"Give me a minute big guy."

Coming to stand beside her, Garrus put one steadying hand on her elbow as she finally found her equilibrium. "Quite the sucker punch."

"For the council? Yes." She looked up into his blue eyes, a flicker of hope and a slash of satisfaction in her honey eyes. "Aria could have used this against them for anything."

The Turian groaned. "We're going to owe her for this, aren't we?"

"Everyone eventually owes Aria T'Loak." The Commander grinned as she headed out of the command center. "Where's Janika?"

Falling into step with his Commander, Garrus cleared his throat on a half laugh, half snort. "Glued to Krios' side I'm afraid. We've tried to pry her off, but…ahem…nothing seems to be working."

"He is rather irresistible."

They'd just turned a corner towards the heart of the ship when Garrus realized where they were. Casting a glance around, he snagged his Commander's elbow and proceeded to drag her.

"Hey! Garrus! Wha…"

The maintenance closet door snapped shut as Shepard stumbled in the semi-darkness, her Turian suddenly wrapped around her.

"If I'm going to be accused of accosting my commander in a maintenance closet, I might as well give them something worthwhile."

"It's because I called Thane irresistible right?"

"I'm about to prove otherwise." He was all teeth and sexy rumbles.

Her laugh melted into a sweet moan.

The world was a dark place. There would always be more helpless out there who would need a helping hand. Shepard might not be seeing out of a rose colored window, but she was looking with friends like Garrus and Liara, even Aria by her side.

The reality of the tragedies that plague our world are so much more potent and real when they happen to your child. To your sibling. To someone you love.

Maybe there was a chance one woman could stir change. And no one could wield it quite like Shepard.

THE END