Chapter Text
Chapter One
It was late and the evening sun was already going down as the rest of the family, including the children, could hear the horses coming back.
Irimsaya smiled to herself when she heard the horses returning and, leaving the babies in Joker's care, rushed out to see her brother and husband. She stopped in her tracks when she saw only Jase returning and she stared at him in shock.
"Where's Kaidan..??"
The call back home hadn't been working. Jase had realized it when there hadn't been any answer. The omni-tool had been badly damaged as well, producing only static and garbled crap.
No one else was there to tend the horses after the ride, but at the moment they weren't on his mind, body hurting too much, nerves in his head burning, his mind still foggy.
Saya's high pitched voice penetrated his jumbled thoughts in a sharp way and Jase knew he had to give her the message. Jase fingered the first button open, flexed and shook his hands, they were still feeling numb. Then the other ones were opened, showing her his chest. Signs of battle, but the most outstanding were the knifed and bloody carvings.
We have him.
They had spared him to deliver this message verbally. There was no denying though, he would have to tell the tale on how he had lost Kaidan.
Irimsaya's breathing quickened in almost a panic as she helped Jase to the house, asking one of the children to help the horses.
"Jase what happened?? Who has him??"
Jase saw Jeremy eying him from afar and at Saya's kind of order he took the horses, leading them away. Good boy he was and he was proud of him.
Somehow, he had no idea how or when they had made it there, they were in Chakwas' little medbay area with him sitting on one of the beds, piercing lights blinding their way inside his head. Jase pushed the hand a little away, he needed to tell Saya. Answer her question. Monsters, slavers? No. Pirates, terrorists. Batarians, he wanted to say, including a few other races. But what came out of his mouth made him question if she understood it or not.
All Saya really caught was the word 'Batarian' and she sank down into the nearest chair in shock. She just stared at Jase. Everyone knew Kaidan was her husband. It was no doubt because of her that he had been taken from their family. She bowed her head and covered her face with her hands.
Luckily, at least for now, Jase felt his head starting to clear and he understood Chakwas was working on getting the darn drug out of his system. 'We'll get him back,' he tried to say. Together they would find him.
Irimsaya started weeping quietly. She had thought everything had been over. That they were safe. But now she wondered if she would ever see her husband again.
It was in the middle of the night when Jase woke up again in the med bay bed. For a moment he thought it had just been a bad dream, but the figure sitting at his bedside told him otherwise. The cold hole in his stomach was still there as he sat up with a soft groan.
"Easy there Shep." Kasumi's voice came from the shadows. "I kind of promised Joker that you would be a good boy for a change."
"Always am," Jase quietly protested, surprised to find Kasumi here. She always seemed to show up when something or someone was missing. Like Kaidan's dad. Or now Kaidan himself. Jase's head was pounding mercilessly for about a minute before it calmed down. He needed to find Kaidan.
"Any news?"
Kasumi came out of the shadows and shook her head.
"Nothing. No demands yet, no communication, nothing. The Captain called me to see if I could help with some tracking but whoever these people are they're good at hiding. Almost as good as me."
'The Captain?' Jase wanted to ask but bit his tongue. Saya. Promotion. Right. Jase nodded.
"Good to have you around, Kasumi." Jase nodded carefully and thought about the attack and who it had been. "Batarians, two vorcha. A krogan."
Kasumi narrowed her eyes a bit at the list. That combination of species was never good news for anyone.
"Did they know who it was they were taking? Do you think the whole thing was planned?"
'Like hell it was,' Jase mused, wondering why they had left him behind. They surely had known who he was, too. Having him act as the sole messenger was just.. a waste. Which just told him whatever quarrel they had wasn't with him per se, but letting such a chance slip by and not taking him either?
The attack had been sudden, without any warning signs, no feelings of being watched. Gas had been thrown, causing them to go down.
"Yes," Jase stated it more than answering it, "it was. They wanted Kaidan."
Kasumi shook her head a bit then rubbed her eyes.
"What is it with you two Sheps huh? You always seem to draw in trouble like magnets or something."
Jase got off the bed, wanting to find out who the batarians were and maybe he could narrow down intel on the krogan. Growling softly to himself, he wondered if this was part of a thank you for curing the genophage. At least they should be a little bit more grateful towards him and his family. Jase blinked once as he stopped and knew why he hadn't been taken. No one wanted to mess with the saviour. Everyone knew if something happened to him, there would be hell to pay by the galaxy. But taking Kaidan was okay suddenly? Messing with his sister, too? Jase snarled something in rage. They were his family, anyone messing with his family was messing with him as well.
"Has the Alliance been contacted?"
"Yep. Shep called them as soon as she was sure you were okay. They... They told her that they won't negotiate with terrorists."
Jase wanted to ask, 'They what...?!' But the words didn't come, instead he stared at her, waiting for her to tell him it was a joke. But he knew it wasn't. And Anderson? What good was he for them now? The rage in him was increasing and Jase knew he needed to save it for those responsible. Jase left Kasumi without saying another word and went to their schooling area.
'Lucky,' he thought while setting them up for a conference, 'having all those terminals is paying off.' As soon as this was done he sent Garrus, Liara, Tali and Wrex a message, marking it urgent. And then he sat down, looking at tribal markings from the batarians.
Saya slowly came into the room where Jase was, her eyes red and puffy from crying but she had been working through the night to try and find her husband.
"Jase?" She winced as her voice cracked with emotion.
Jase winced a little, afraid of seeing her somehow, of having to admit he had failed. Again, like that time after Thessia.
"Saya." His voice was rough, more than he had thought, loaded with his own emotions. "I," he started, hesitating, "I'm sorry."
Irimsaya narrowed her eyes a little at those words then went and enveloped him in a hug.
"For what? You have nothing to be sorry for. I know you would have done your damnedest - you still are. You should still be in bed."
Jase slowly relaxed. Her hugs him always set him at ease.
"Been through worse."
The headache and nausea would pass, he knew. Kaidan was more important.
"Sent a message to our friends." Jase slowly let go and sat down then at one of the terminals he'd been using. "One of the batarians had something like a tribal marking on his head. Looked like a bee."
Irimsaya frowned a little.
"A bee? That sounds familiar for some reason.."
Jase nodded, he had seen a few back in the war days on the Citadel. But those had been refugees, non violent batarians. And Jase himself had no quarrel at all with any of the batarians. Only Saya had. Jase was watching her now.
"There was also a krogan and two vorcha."
She cocked her head to one side.
"Krogan, Vorcha and Batarians working together??"
"Yeah. Surprised they haven't recruited a salarian either," Jase snarked. "Like back on Omega."
Irimsaya glanced at him then rubbed her eyes.
"Right now I don't care what species are involved. I just want Kaidan back."
"Sorry. I'm pissed off. I want to get him back, too." Jase rubbed his eyes and typed something into the terminal. "Would be a hell of a lot faster if we had Edi. Well, we have Liam," he muttered, wondering if the Geth had stored knowledge about batarians.
The bee sign was driving him crazy, knowing he had seen it somewhere, but not where. He had lent his help for those on the Citadel, but none had been wearing anything. There had been Balak, of course, but he had barely seen the batarian and years before Saya had been dealing with him.
"Had any of those batarians on Aratoht a bee like tribal mark on their head?"
Irimsaya closed her eyes for a moment while she tried to recall.
"It's.... possible. In fact very possible.."
Jase knew he was fishing for leads. The galaxy was a big place and he was the only one right now who knew something. He punched in a search for Balak, following his uneasy feeling of hardly remembering the look of the batarian. Jase narrowed his eyes at the short vid sequence on the screen. It was the same sign but it hadn't been Balak. But clearly they seemed to be connected.
"Look. Same sign." Jase told her and added quietly, "But not the same person."
"Same tribe then. I wonder... Remember when we were on the Citadel trying to gain allies? There were Vorcha there who tried to kidnap me."
Jase didn't look at her when she said this. At first he was trying to remember, hard. And yet it all was blur.
"I... am having trouble remembering.. things from that time," Jase sighed, knowing he had told their mother but not anyone else. "I don't even remember marrying Jeff. But. Don't tell him that. Just, don't tell him that. Vorcha?" Jase asked, finally looking at her. But chances were most of those on the Citadel were dead.
He should check flights, or reports on any non-scheduled flights from anywhere. Small ships, perhaps disguised as something else. Probably a transport for heaven knows what to where. And who knew, maybe they even used Kaidan's clearance, but then he doubted it, because otherwise the Alliance would have done or known something.
Meanwhile
Kaidan's world slowly came back into a dark focus. Something hard and cold was piercing into his lower back, making the bed he was laying on uncomfortable. He briefly wondered if it was a toy from the twins, forgotten on their bed. The tiredness was still hard to fight and the heavy eyelids refused to open.
Kaidan moved around a little, trying to find Saya's presence and comforting warmth feeling freezing cold and sick, but the space next to him was empty. The fog in his brain was persistent, burning any real clear thoughts away, not allowing him to think coherent, let alone to say something aloud.
How much time had passed before he finally pried open an eye, he couldn't say. His stomach was rolling in an extremely unpleasant way and he turned onto his side with a groan, trying not to be sick. There was no light in this room. For moments Kaidan focused on his breathing and the extreme throbbing of his head, the feeling of having gone all out with his biotics. Yeah... he had done it again. He knew it, felt it. And then he remembered.
Batarians, Vorcha, a Krogan. Jase inbetween. Their horses, running scared. Jase screaming murder, not knowing what they had done to his omni-tool, no weapons, absolutely surprised. The Krogan charging in after they had given a few batarians a good fight. Gas bombs and clouds, smoke, coughing, retching. Dizziness. Pain and darkness.
Kaidan hissed softly when he tried to sit up.
Saya.
Something else, cold and heavy, settled into his stomach, increasing the uneasiness he felt. He needed to find a way, get out of this darkness, find a way to contact Saya. Or Jase. The Alliance. Anyone. Kaidan touched the wall close by. Metal. Vibrating ever so slightly. He probably was on a ship. On the way to heaven knows where. Just then the door opened, bathing the room in incredibly white light.
"The human is awake," a gruff batarian voice said, striding towards him. Kaidan wanted to get up, overpower him, throw a stasis around the alien. But nothing worked. Instead he felt himself going limp in his mind, not a single skill working.
"Bring him to me," another voice ordered over the comm and two guards joined the first batarian, pushing Kaidan onto his feet, guns drawn, pointing at him.
He could have said something. Like, 'I'm not your enemy.' Or, 'You don't have to do this. You're committing a crime.' Or something else. But these criminals had a plan. And it wasn't anything good as they marched him out of his cell, down the corridor towards another room.
Jase looked at Saya once more, wondering if she had found anything. She didn't need to tell him how she felt and Jase didn't have to ask how she was doing. He saw it, knew it himself from experience.
Irimsaya was startled with Jase's confession of memory loss.
"Don't worry Jase - I would never tell him that. But you might want to at some point. He's smart enough to figure it out on his own and if he does he's gonna be really pissed."
She sat down at one of the terminals and started trying to find her husband, the love of her life. One of the few people she would gladly die to protect or save.
"Yeah. I will. I remember the vow, spending the night at the pool," he told her, while typing away on the terminal, "but. It doesn't feel right. I want the whole thing. Not just half of it in my memory."
Jase paused and looked at her. "We'll find him. We will, Saya." One Shepard having lost Kaidan was already enough. Jase wouldn't allow it a second time.
"Kasumi told me the Alliance refuses to help?"
Irimsaya snorted a little at those words.
"Yeah they refuse. They say it's against what they stand for. Lucky for them I wasn't standing in front of them when they said that."
"There was a time when I was proud to serve. Not anymore. They make it even harder now." Just then the terminal announced an incoming call.
"Shepard! What can I do for you, old friend?"
Jase snorted softly, a small grin playing on his face. And then Wrex saw Saya. "And there's your sister," Wrex nodded at her in greeting.
"You still on Earth, Wrex?" Jase asked, they could exchange pleasantries later. Right now there were more pressing matters to deal with.
"No. You've been a bit out of loop. Getting senile with age, huh? We're back on Tuchanka." Wrex said, clearly teasing him.
Jase snorted, shaking his head before he grew serious. "We could use your help Wrex. Batarians have kidnapped Kaidan today. Here on earth. No ransom yet."
"Batarians, you say?" Wrex sounded thoughtful, ignoring the rest of the news.
"Yeah. Including a krogan and two vorcha. Heard anything?" Jase rubbed his aching forehead, sensing the was some information to be had. And it probably wasn't something he'd like.
"There have been rumours of batarians trying to cause trouble. Seeking revenge."
Irimsaya almost fell out of her chair. She knew it. As soon as Jase told her they took him. She knew it.
"Damn it," Jase snarled, "that's not something we need."
"That's all I know, Shepard. Need help to knock some heads, let me know. I owe you more than one. If I hear more, I'll let you know."
"Thanks Wrex. Appreciate it." Jase answered before the screen went black.
Irimsaya bit her lip hard.
"Why haven't they made any demands then. Why keep us in the dark."
"I don't know," Jase answered softly. "Might be part of their plan. The way this has been set up tells me there is more to come. If they wanted him, me, dead, they could have killed us." Jase typed on his omni-tool, checking to see if it was working again.
"Damn it," Jase swore with a sigh, "they really fried it. I need a new one. I want Liam to check the flight plans around earth. Every single ship there is, flying in and out."
"I already have him working on that." Saya responded quietly. "I did more than you think when you were unconscious Jase. I had to. I needed to."
"That's... good. I'm sorry. Didn't mean to imply you've been sitting by idly. What else were you doing?"
"Well I got Kasumi here. She boarded the first shuttle when I called her, that's why she was here when you first woke up. I thought if anyone might be able to get us a lead it's her."
"Agreed," Jase answered softly, slowly sitting down again. He had a bad feeling about all of this. Even more with the Alliance leaving them alone in this.
"We might need a ship, a team. Wherever he is, we'll get him out of there and back home. Alive."
Irimsaya nodded.
"I already cancelled the Normandy's upgrades and put Edi on alert. Nobody will know we're leaving until she comes to get us."
Jase grinned a tiny bit at this. "Your pilot's on vacation too?"
"Tell me you have someone who can run this place if I steal you and Joker for this."
Jase scratched his neck. "Kelly and Terry know what they're doing. Mary and Kevin are a good addition, the kids love them. They're living in the first house, watching over the kids there."
Irimsaya smiled a bit.
"Good, hope they won't mind caring for the twins then too. I don't want to take them on this in case they become targets too."
Jase matched the smile of Saya's. "They won't. They love children."
"Good. Then I know they're in good hands. Though if we could get in touch with James maybe a little firepower here wouldn't hurt either.."
"Let's ask him." And yet it had been a thought of his, too. It was nice to see they were still thinking alike.
Irimsaya nodded and followed Jase from the room. She didn't dare tell him the panic she was beginning to feel for Kaidan's safety.
"Not sure if he agrees. He might be undergoing his N7 training." Jase mentioned. Before he was calling up James, he needed a painkiller for the murderous headache he was having. And he knew they were kind of stealing the Normandy again, just like years ago.
Just as he had swallowed down the painkiller dawn was breaking and the terminal announced another call. Liara. Jase informed her again and he saw Javik hovering around in the background.
"I will see what I can find. There have been some rumours lately but none of those hinted at something like this."
"Yeah, Wrex said about the same. Revenge."
"Wrex?" Liara smiled a little. "I have an agent in batarian space. Well, what is left of it anyway. It is quite sad actually, their population has been diminished dramatically. It does not look like their race will survive."
Jase bit down the comment on his tongue, that he wasn't interested in their problems right now, they were causing them problems.
"Well. If they want help, they have to stop kidnapping people. Or enslaving them." He pointed out.
"I agree," Liara replied softly. "I will get back to you once I have found out more."
"Thanks .... Liara," Jase replied to a black screen. People had to stop doing this. Hanging up on him when he was still talking.
Irimsaya sat down on the closest chair. Enslavement. Or worse. What could those bastards be doing to Kaidan right now.
"We have to find him Jase. We have to." Her voice was barely above that of a whisper.
"We will," Jase replied as he walked over to her, rubbing her shoulder gently. "I'll go and pack."
The Batarian captain watched as the guards escorted their prisoner to the chair in front of him and sat him down.
"Commander Alenko. Welcome. That pain in your back you're feeling? It's a device we implanted so you cannot use your biotics so there's no point in trying. You have a choice to make now and here are your options:
"1) make a recording for your wife and tell her you're our prisoner until she arrives and then we make an exchange.
"2) we remove your biotic implant rendering you with brain damage or dead - and I understand it's a very painful way to go.
"Or 3) you become our permanent "guest" and never see your friends or family again. The choice is yours right now and I urge you to choose wisely."
Kaidan sat stone like on his chair, not moving an inch or showing any expression. From experience he knew batarians considered any species with less than four eyes less intelligent. And slavery was such a highly integrated part of their society, it never would be an option to talk them out of it.
The offered options made it clear how serious this was and what they actually seemed to have in mind: Saya. Getting her here.
Option two wasn't something he would go for and it also baffled him why this captain was even suggesting it. Which told Kaidan this batarian was kind of losing it, or already insane. Maybe the latter, considering he was sitting here on this chair. Asking for option one was the most favourite part, emotionally, but Kaidan understood if he did this, they would get his family.
"Option Three."
Making the recording and hinting at the upcoming trap was not a real option, as the recording itself would already state it. There was no chance to protect her then. Kaidan knew she would come. In a heartbeat and walk right into her possible death. And then their children wouldn't have their mother. Better to have a mother than a father. But from what he could tell, they wanted her and not him. Deciding for option three might buy them time. Kaidan knew it was dangerous for him, they wanted her and maybe he could get them to make some mistakes.
The batarian captain smiled at this.
"Now why am I not surprised. I hope you realize how painful this will be for you. I can't wait to hear your screams."
He motioned to one of the guards who came over and strapped Kaidan's wrists tightly to the arms of the chair he was in.
"Can't have you trying to pry out the chip after we put it in." The captain chuckled. "You will never be found - you might as well give up any hope you might have now before we take away your free will."
Kaidan now fully understood what they were going to do. Something he was going to experience first hand now and after this, they would force him to do things as they saw it fit. Rage filled his chest, he wouldn't let them allow it without a fight. If he could take out one or two batarians before they took control of him....
Jase sat on his side of their bed in their bedroom, hanging his head. Next to him was a simple suitcase, packed with a few clothes for their "trip". The armor was packed, including weapons. The new omni-tool was waiting for him, but on the Normandy.
Mitzi, Jeff's cat, hopped onto the bed and meowed, rubbing herself against his side, purring slightly. Jase only sighed quietly, closed his eyes and ignored the animal. Not even Pepper had succeeded to lighten his mood by making puppy dog eyes at him. For a moment Jase considered cutting off his hair out of sheer frustration, but decided against it. It had grown nicely and he actually liked it. For now.
Saya needed him, he knew. Needed his strength to lean onto, his presence and confidence. But Jase needed to be alone for a moment too. Where he could stop pretending and just be. Once again. Jase shook his head.
He had lost Kaidan.
And now the man was paying for it. They should have taken him instead, Jase mused. He was already damaged goods, but Kaidan? Kaidan was pure, hardly any scars. Kaidan was the light in the shadow for all of them, like Jeff was too. But what would happen to him now? How would this change the man?
Irimsaya finished packing what few things she hadn't left on the Normandy then went to find Jase but was stopped when Kasumi stepped out from the shadows.
"Kasumi."
"Shep. Listen - I'm coming with you. I think when we find this ship we're looking for you'll need someone who's good at hiding to help you. And I'm that person."
"I can't let you risk yourself."
"Why not? You did it for me once, now it's time for payback. Let me help you."
"Kasumi..."
"Say no all you want. I think you'll find me on the ship no matter what words you say now."
"In that case... welcome aboard." Saya allowed herself a small smile as she shook the other woman's hand.
Jase stood up, listening for a few seconds to the running water coming from their bathroom, knowing Jeff just took his shower. The thought of his handsome husband sitting under the stream of water made him smile a little before he turned to leave their bedroom.
There was no time to lose, they had to get Kaidan back. Fast. The more time their biotic was in the hand of the batarians the worse it could only become.
Jase left the bedroom, bumping into Saya and Kasumi and he nodded at the two women. There had to be some news from Liam by now. The geth was more than capable of tracking down anything.
"Give me some good news. Has Liam found something?"
Kasumi turned to him and nodded a bit.
"I was just about to tell the Captain here. He thinks he's located the only vessel that might have the Commander. Apparently they were cleared for launch but as they boarded their ship they told the spaceport guards that their human crewman was very drunk and partied too much. Of course the authorities did not know at that point that there had been a kidnapping."
Jase wanted to reply that those guard were dumb, not considering to check up on the human, especially when he'd been surrounded by batarians. They should have realized something was up. Instead he swallowed it down, needing facts.
"Destination?" They sure as hell would be heading towards Batarian space. About the only place where they could do as they please.
"According to Liam, they're heading right for Batarian space. Which means it will be even harder to find him." Kasumi said softly, keeping an eye on Saya in case this news distressed the other woman too much.
"Many died during the Reaper invasion. We might find many deserted planets. If we let Edi trace any energy signatures it could narrow it down." Jase said, thinking even more about it now. "What's left of their infra structure. Cities. Spaceports."
Irimsaya nodded a bit.
"If they're taking him there..." She bowed her head. "They'll make him a slave."
Jase laid his arm around her, despite feeling not like it at all. But she needed it.
"Slaves can be freed. Kelly was becoming one too. The Illusive Man seemed to have a heart several years ago. Freed her among others from the batarians, gave her a future. Doesn't mean Kaidan's one," he softly pointed out.
But when Saya looked at Jase again there was a fire in her eyes.
"Damn right it doesn't. We leave now."
Jase nodded, patting her back gently, "Let's bring Kaidan back home."
Several hours later, in the Terminus System
At some point in his life Kaidan had believed there was no greater pain for a head than a really bad migraine. Unless of course you knocked your head open. And yet, those unfortunate people had been treated with Medi-Gel or any other kind of anesthetics. Or simply had died.
Kaidan laid on the cold bed in the complete dark, feeling grateful for the darkness as it made the pain more bearable. Short and quick gasps of breath were coming out of his mouth, in the vain hope to control the blinding white pain of a fire. The panting barely helped, if only to focus on something else aside of the knifes cutting apart his skull.
How they had managed not to damage his implant was a miracle, but something he barely acknowledged, since the rest of his head felt aflame. Moving ever so slightly meant only more pain. The wet sticky spot below his head which felt hot and cold at the same time. The already dried blood on his hair was causing more needle like pains, the hairs acting like antennas, drilling any subtle movement into his skull like a hammer hitting a nail. Hundreds of nails.
Kaidan tried to still his hands, they were shaking so badly. If only the room would be warmer, or Saya would be there, righting his body to lessen the pain, providing him with comfort and warmth. Eyes closed, he now thought of Saya, letting her face appear in front of his closed eyes. Even as much as blinking had caused him more pain. And then there were Hilary and David, their little smiles, bright eyes. Their house and his garden. His mom and dad. The Normandy. Thoughts and pictures were jumping wildly around, back and forth, up and down, like in a wild fever dream.
'Should have chosen the first option,' Kaidan thought, starting to argue with himself.
'No. You did right. They would have done this to her instead. Get to live to see the consequences. Jase's words. Was it right? Just tell me I did right, what if it was wrong? Focus. Saya. S. A. Y. A. Irimsaya. I. R. I. M. S. A. Y. A. Miri. Miranda. Darian. Inara. What? Who's that?'
A soft chuckle erupted from Kaidan, causing a terrible low groan, fingers were suddenly curling tightly around the edge of his newly acquired bed and then he went still, allowing the blackness to swallow his thoughts again.
Liam strode over to them.
"Shepard-Captain. There is an incoming transmission for you."
"I'll take it right here Liam, put it up for me." Saya replied, a sick feeling forming in her stomach as she turned to the nearest terminal.
Liam went to it and pulled up the broadcast.
"It is a recording, one you cannot respond to." Liam explained as he started the playback.
Saya went pale as male screams of agony emanated from the speaker then cut off.
"Kaidan..."
"Mute it!" Jase yelled at their geth. "Trace the signal."
Irimsaya fell onto her knees on the floor as Liam began working on a trace.
"Kaidan..." Her voice cracked with emotion. "What are they doing to you..."
Jase scrubbed his head before he got Saya up and took her to the couch, making her sit down on it. The soft purring sound of Liam could be heard as he was tracing it, his lights flashing ever so slightly. Jase wanted to call up Wrex again, now really pissed off and was snarling at his broken omni-tool.
"Shepard-Commander," Liam announced, "origin detected. Warning: the transmission implies a 50% chance of disguising its origin. Addendum: 65% chance. Do you wish me to forward you the results?"
"Send everything to Edi. Origin?" Jase ordered.
"The data implies the Omega Nebula."
"The other possible origin?"
"Kite's Nest."
Jase looked at Saya. Would they really go back to their homeworld?
Irimsaya frowned, trying to concentrate, but hearing Kaidan's screams had really shaken her.
"Think it through. They would expect us to think they wouldn't go home. Which means they're going home."
"Omega Nebula, back up by the mercs. Omega itself. Aria would know something," Jase said, thinking of Aria. The asari was creepy, always undressing him. Sometimes he wondered if she was asking him to have sex with her or just pulling his leg. If she was pulling his leg only she really did it well.
"I can ask her," he offered.
Irimsaya rubbed her eyes.
"We can't go to both places. I can't think... "
Jase nodded and disappeared. If she was being creepy he didn't want Saya or anyone else to know.
About fifteen minutes later Jase came back. "Well. Two weeks ago a few batarians left Omega under the lead of a Captain Ten'kha. They haven't returned since. Got a picture of him, he's our man."
"Then that's who we're going after. But the question is what direction to take."
Irimsaya rubbed her eyes, Kaidan's screams still echoing in her ears.
Jase nodded, knowing she had been right. "The homeworld system. Aria's got the Omega system covered for us. Any news, she lets us know."
"Then let's go. I... I can't get his screams out of my head. I need to find him."
"Agreed." He held out his hand for her to take it, knowing it will haunt her, including in her dreams. "Liam," Jase turned to their geth, "I want you and Miranda watching over the house, protecting the people living here. Anything unsual, inform me."
Jase let Kasumi take over and he went back to Jeff, giving him a hand. "Ready to fly your baby?"
Joker turned and looked at him.
"Damn right I am if it means getting our family back together."
"Yeah. Kaidan's the world for her. And I... Well. I know what she's going through." Jase paused, pulling an angry face. "Bastards! If I get my hands on them....!"
"Oh trust me there's a line-up forming for that. I think Saya's first, then Kasumi wanted a go, Liam showed some interest, I want to but I might break something, Edi plans to rip them limb from limb..." Joker counted on his fingers as he said the names.
Jase turned his head slightly, watching him. With every finger the small grin grew and he shook his head eventually.
"I get it," he chuckled a little, "I'm the last one." Jase sighed then, long and deep, relaxing, and gave Jeff a quick kiss before helping him downstairs. "Lucky to have you."
"I feel the same way." Joker looked around. "Let's get to our ship and get our boy back."
Jase gave him a sharp nod.