Scavengers

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Clean up was slow in the weeks after the battle for Earth had concluded. The rubble that remained of the citadel was still being picked over by many. Not all of them were the good guys. Commander Shepard's people had already come through and collected the body, leaving everything else as it was. They wanted no part of it. Not even to make it a memorial. 
At that moment a group of Salarians were poking through the rubble, scowling deeply. "No." One them said to the other. "This is not the area. It wouldn't have been here." 
"Quiet, fool." The other hissed. He was looking in the other direction, frowning deeply. "The Quarians are here. We don't want to tip them off. We can't afford to lose this to them. It's too much. Do you hear me?!"

"Not to me. It was broken and scarred. No one wanted it. The car and I connect I guess." Orinia shrugged. 

"Look at the way you're holding that scrap metal, little one. It doesn't scream I dont know anything about the sex slaver."

"I find the connection hard to believe." Victus replied, casting a glance at Orinia. "You are beautiful, I don't see a single scar."

A part of the circuit board suddenly snapped off with the extra force Ceres put in her grip. "You think it fills me with warm fuzzies to talk to a stranger about how I was sold into sex slavery?!" She finally roared. "Or that the man I loved didn't care enough to do a damn thing about it?!" Silver eyes finally looked up at Brutal, tears sliding down the young woman's amethyst cheeks.

Orinia didn't look at him this time. "Count yourself lucky you can't see it." She whispered. All at on e she grabbed his arm. "If you're going to drive then do it! My brother is looking for me!" The electricity was there. Again she had felt it but this time she didn't let go so quickly. 

Brutal shook his head. "Tell me you shot the bastard." He said softly. "Is that why you're shooting all the others? Because they remind you of him?"

Victims had to take in a deep breath to concentrate of driving, rather than grabbing Orinia and begging her to disappear with him. "Are you afraid of your brother?"

"I thought he had come for me, come to rescue me... He was only there because Mimic brought him." Ceres whispered, again staring down at the broken core in her hands. "Mimic made me wear fancy clothes, and didn't sell me to anyone. Jared, he... He thought I was happy there. If he had just looked... Just one look..." She was trying so hard to hold everything together, but finally she snapped, screaming as she tossed the computer core out into the darkness.

"No. Not really. He's just so protective since I got hurt. Sometimes I feel...trapped." Orinia admitted. "He would never hurt me, primarch. I just feel like he's...keeping me from something..." She stopped talking and gave a sheepish laugh. "Does everybody find you so easy to talk to? It must get annoying never to be left alone..."

Brutal let her rage. He knew better than most it was exactly what she needed. It was part of the process and the only way she would ever get past it all. Perhaps this way she would not shoot people. Humans or otherwise. "Go on, little one. Throw more stuff." He said gently. "That's not nearly enough."

"Oh yes, I am noses gangly surrounded by wonderful people." Victus snorted. "Perhaps we met in another life, that is why you believe me easy to talk to?" He suggested gently.

Ceres was staring down into the darkness, considering throwing herself. "It won't change anything." She whispered."I will still be wrong, and people will still look at me that way."

Orinia nodded at this, thinking he had to be right. It was as she tried to delve deeper into this that the first twinge of pain in her head hit. She grimaced, pressing her talons to a tiny scar in her temple. "You remind me of my...captain..." She whispered, not sure why she'd said it. 

Brutal reached out for her, surprising himself with his gentleness. He turned her to face him, taking an extremely long moment looking her over. "I'll admit it, you are a strange, little one." He told her. His large thumbs rubbed her shoulders in a reassuring way. "I mean who's ever seen a quarian without a suit? But that doesn't mean anything is wrong with you. It means that you are special. And if people can't see that, whatever race they are, they don't deserve you."

"I'm sure your captain wad a good man, that was all." Victus breathed, trying his est not to reach out and touch Orinia. "Are you okay, do you need a doctor?"

"I do t think anyone will ever see it." Ceres whispered, her shoulders shaking a little as she looked up at Brutal, confused by the gentle way he was treati her. "I don't think mimic even realised what I was!"

Thoughts of who her Captain was only made the headache worse. It took her a minute to respond to him. "No. No more doctors." Orinia breathed. "Just drive, primarch. Show me what this car can do. I'll never get to see it for myself otherwise."

"Mimic didn't see anyone but himself. I'm not surprised." Brutal told her softly, his thumbs still rubbing at her shoulders. "You need to breathe, little one." He added. "Stop thinking about that monster for a minute and take a deep breath."

Victus increased the speed past the safe driving point. He wanted to see that grin Orinia had worn the night he had first rented them this car back on Illium.

"How can I?" Ceres whispered. "He stole me from what my life would have been. I just wanted to get to Iilos, I wanted to study the ruins, that was all!" She sobbed. "I didn't think anyone would look twice at a suit rat, I was supposed to be invisible!"

It was there in an instant. Orinia was all but pressing her face to the window, watching the new Citadel speed by beneath them. "Are you seeing this, Victus?" She breathed. "It's amazing! It's almost like Iilum! All we need is a..." She paused, trying to figure out what it was they needed. 

"If that's the case then how did you end up on a slave ship with elcor?" Brutal asked. "And why is it you still live and those females, and their offspring are dead?"

The Primarch was grinning when Orinia called him by his name without even thinking about it. "We can probably go faster..." He purred, the scenery suddenly whizzing faster.

"Our ship needed repairs, that ship was so huge I didn't think anyone would even notice we were there!" Ceres insisted. "But... It was weird, it made everyone crazy!"

Orinia forgot what she was trying to say and was busy watching the scenery now. Her heart was pounding in her chest. "This is awesome!" She cried, resting her hand over his. "Was I right about this car or was I right?!"

"You met Lolly? She was on the ship then ?" Brutal asked, wishing he could wrap his head around all this information.

Victus dared to glance at Orinia for a moment, and that was all it took. Something in the car suddenly began to rattle and they flipped over several times before coming to a crashing halt.

Ceres took a step back, her silver eyes filling with fear as they looked up at Brutal. "How do you know that name?" She whispered.

Vivica patted the shoulder of her sharpshooter, grinning widely. "That should do it." She purred, leaning over to kiss the Turian on the cheek. "Such a shame. Yet another primarch gone before his time. Good thing he is so easy to replace, hum?"

"Lolly is a failed experiment that never should have left the original Citadel. There are several specters hunting her. Did you meet her then? Are you telling me the ship deaths were here fault?" Brutal asked. "That begs the question of how you got away and no one else did then."

"All Primarchs are." The shooter replied gruffly, grinning up at Bibica from where he was still crouched on the ground. "What about the girl? Need me to make sure they're both dead?"

Ceres was feeling threatened again when a brutal started firing questions and accusations at her. The young woman had begun to back away, though was a little closer to the edge than she had realised, and soon lost her footing.

"If you don't mind, darling." Vivica purred, waving a hand of dismissal in the direction of the burning sky car. "Though I seriously doubt a tiny thing like that girl could ever have survived that nasty mess. Just make it quick and come to bed. I hate getting cold."

Brutal didn't hesitate. He jumped over with her, making a grab for her in the few seconds before they were to hit the chasam floor below. Whether he caught her or not, it was going to her like hell.

The Turian grinned and shouldered his rifle as he got to his feet, slapping Vivica's behind as he went. "Try telling me that the next time you beg for sex in a parking garage." He snorted.

Ceres threw up a barrier at the last moment, and while it wouldn't stop the fall, she hoped it would at least take some of the force when she inevitably hit the ground. In the end it did save her life, though the young woman was thrown around the junk hard like a rag doll. When she came to a halt Ceres would wind up with a dislocated shoulder, several fractured ribs and a metal rod poking through the edge of her abdomen.

Orinia's eyes snapped open and she took in a gasping breath, coughing when all she got was a lung full of smoke. "P-primarch?" She called, trying to focus her eyes on anything but the surging, crackling red in front of her. "Vic...Victus?" She shouted, now trying to free herself from the restraints that held her to the seat.

Brutal hit the ground moments later, held back even further by the field that had popped up out of nowhere. He'd used it to his advantage, vaulting off it and using the momentum to land him in a much softer spot than the little quarian. His twisted ankle would argue that point.

Victus groaned softly when he heard Orinia's voice. He didn't even realise what had happened. One minute everything was fine, the next everything was ringing and he was hanging upside down in his seat. "Ori..." The Primarch started coughing as the smoke filled the flipped car.

Ceres always seemed to have the desire to prove she was stronger than she looked. Even with all her injuries, the small woma tried to pick herself up, which only resulted in a whimper of pain.

"Spirits..." Orinia was trying not to panic but she was having trouble with her restraints. She could feel the heat on her belt and knew it had melted closed. There was nothing else she could do. She managed to slip one arm out, reaching across to try and get Victus out of his. It was the least she could do. "Get out..." She gasped. "You're a primarch...you go..."

"Stay still..." Brutal grunted. He pushed to his feet, limping toward her. "I told you not to run...I just wanted to talk...now look. You're lucky we're near the clinic." He knelt beside her, frowning at the angry wound. "This is going to hurt like hell when I pull you off that." He ground out.

"No... I won't do this again!" Victus insisted, coughing as the smoke stared getting thicker. "Just keep your eyes on me, Orinia, I'll fix this." The Primarch was stretching down to his boot, reaching for a blade. "My father always told me not to put all of my faith in pure technology." He wheezed, beginning to slice at Orinia's restraint.

"No... Just leave it!" Ceres grunted. "I don't need your help!" She insisted, though a scream escaped her when she tried to remove herself from the metal poking through her.

Orinia managed to unlatch the last buckle of his restraint before she began to lose concioisness. She could no longer breathe. "Vic...love...you..." She gasped out, her fingers grasping his leg. She saw something through the flames. Another Turian and her hope soared. Victus was saved. 

"Lay still, hard head." Brutal growled, already calling for the Doc on his omni tool. "I swear you are the most unlucky creature I have ever met. I wanted to talk. And I wanted nachos. Why was that so bad?"

There was no such thing as lucky for good people like Victus and Orinia. The figure that approached them seemed conflicted about finding them alive. Both of handm would fall unconscious, only to wake with each of them tied to a chair in a very dimly lit and rather dank looking room.

"Because I told you I didn't want to!" Ceres roared, making it difficult for Brutal to be heard over the voice channel. "This is your fault! You should have let me go!"

Orinia felt like she had been run over by a sky car. She lifted her head, moaning softly. "Primarch?" She breathed. "Are you...okay?" She asked, trying to move. "Where are we?"

"Doc?" Brutal placed a hand over the Quarians mouth. "I'm in the junkyard. I need help. Can you send an intern or come yourself?"

Victus could barely see, all he knew was that Orinia was somewhere behind him and he couldn't see more than a few inches in front of his nose. "Did anyone hurt you?" He asked, though his voice sounded a little gravelly from the smoke inhalation.

Ceres seemed rather unwilling to cooperate, and was still growling away against Brutal's hand.
"What kind of help? What's happened?" Dr. Chakwas asked, a little suspicious of the muffled voice she could hear.

"I don't know." Orinia admitted, her chest aching terribly. "Are you?" Her talons managed to brush his own and she found a little comfort in this. "What happened?"

"Spectre stuff. If I told you I'd have to kill you and all that." Brutal said, his tone rather cheerful even if he didn't feel like it. "Just come. I'll tell you when you get here."

"I don't think the car was in an accident." Victus confirmed, trying his best to squeeze the talons offered out to him. "Whoever found us... They weren't a friendly. I think they shot the car."

The doctor sighed heavily, clearly rather irritated. By the time she had arrived, Ceres had lost quite a lot of blood. "How in the world did she end up like this?"

"Why would they do that?" Orinia asked, resting her head back until it lay against his shoulder blade. Her chest was really aching then. "And to such a beautiful car..." She moaned. "I loved that car and I thought everyone loved the primarch..."

"She fell." Brutal muttered, gritting his teeth as he continued to try and hold her wound closed. He was covered in the tiny quarian's blood. By that point he was even shirtless. He'd used it to try and stop the bleeding on some of her smaller wounds and the rest on the worst one.

Victus laughed bitterly, he could think of one person right away who wished him dead. "It's easy to believe that when you're so far away from Palavan." He told her gently, turning his face slightly to kiss the top of Orinia's head where it leaned back against his shoulder. He hadn't even thought about what he had done, it was a natural reaction.

"And you just happened to be here?" The doctor remarked as she kneeled beside Ceres. "We're going to have to either pull her off the debris, of cut the metal and take it with us. Either way, if I don't get her back to the clinic soon, this girl will simply die of blood loss. Even then, I don't have Quarian blood, we will need a donor."