A sudden bright glow of light almost blinded Ashley when she opened her dazed eyes, forcing her to shield them with her hand until they adapted to the change from pitch black to an incredibly harsh white. Waiting for her vision to return, the marine tried to feel her way around, trying to assess just where exactly she was.

The room appeared basic enough, with a glossy white ascetic that gave it an incredibly clinical appearance, lacking anything that would make it look homely. A retractable shutter prevented her from seeing out of the window, but she felt the unmistakable sensation that came with space travel, with the hum of the engines only solidifying that fact. On the wall opposite,she noticed what appeared to be a wide glass panel, pitch black in colour.

It was only when Ashley began to stir that she realised that she had been placed upon a plain, reasonably comfortable bed, one wide enough to almost stretch from one wall to the other. Just like the room, the bed completely white, devoid of any kind of personality or colour, made from a soft vinyl material that stretched across a thin cushioned layer. Leaning up, she noticed that she was wearing a skin tight grey and black latex dress, with a mini-skirt that just barely made it hallway across her thighs. A pair of tall black heels cradled her feet.

Seeing the clothing that covered her body, Ashley squeezed her eyes shut, trying to put together the events leading up to her predicament. It took only a few moments for her to begin to piece things back together, making sense of her choice of clothing.

The Alliance had decided to hold a day of celebration, commemorating the first anniversary of the Battle of the Citadel, marking the victory over Saren and the Reaper known as Sovereign. The occasion had been a lively affair, remembering those who made the ultimate sacrifice in the name of safeguarding the Citadel, as well as acknowledging the importance the event had played in enabling humanity’s ascension to the highest seat of galactic power, solidifying the relative newcomers amongst the upper echelons of the council races.

Ashley and the former members of the Normandy crew had been in attendance, though the occasion was a far more sombre one. It didn’t feel right to Ashley, to be in a celebratory mood when the man who had been an integral part of Saren’s downfall couldn’t be there to distribute in the glory, having perished after the ambush and destruction of the SR-1. The surviving members of the SR-1’s crew became a focal point of the anniversary celebration, commended for the individual roles they played in uncovering the mystery of Saren’s intentions, as well as their part in preventing his scheme from becoming a success.

It burned Ashley to accept her medal, knowing she was doing so in the name of supporting the council’s cover up of the Reaper threat. Without Vigil, and without Shepard’s renowned determination, it was easy for the council to push through their own concocted explanation for Sovereign’s advanced technology, shoving the whole blame solely on the shoulders of the disgraced Turian Spectre. For the sake of the Alliance, and thus humanity, Ashley became an unwilling accessory to the cover up, saluting for the cameras as a gleaming medal was pinned to her crisp dress uniform.

It was a sense of self loathing that drove Ashley to one of the many night clubs London had to offer, somewhere loud enough and alcohol laden that could drown out her feelings. For one night at least. Military fatigues were tossed apart in favour of salacious club wear, her strictly pinned ponytail was loosened, allowing her raven tresses to flow free, cascading over her pale shoulders. In a move that would have surprised her sisters, Ashley applied a healthy layer of make-up, bringing out the natural beauty she tried so hard to obscure.

Ashley lost herself to a night of dancing with strangers, freeing herself from the constant need to adhere to duty and responsibility. She knew it was very unlike her to be so casual, to drop the rigid demeanour that helped her to excel as a marine. But she needed the freedom, just one night away from the bureaucracy that had undermined all of Shepard’s hard work.

As the night progressed, Ashley got herself just drunk enough to be able to block out the thoughts that had been dogging her for a while. As much as she was aware that it wasn’t the most healthy remedy to the issue, it was one she was eager to utilise in the short term, until she could be transferred away to some secluded colony where she could actually be of some help. But despite being cautious when it came to her consumption, at some point towards the end of the evening Ashley felt herself losing control of her body, unable to fight off the daze that overpowered her. The very last thing she could recall was an incredibly blurred face, followed by a blanket of utter darkness when the world finally fell from under her.

Once she felt her strength return, Ashley pushed her legs over the edge of the bed, planting her heels down on the brushed steel floor. It took a few attempts at stabilising herself before she felt comfortable enough to further explore the small space. As the blur in his eyes dissipated, she started to recognise certain areas of the room, enough for her to know it was one of the modules that could be found on a Kowloon class light cruiser, a ship that could act as both a medical unit and a research lab, depending on the needs of the crew piloting it.

“Just how drunk did I get?” Ashley laughed nervously as she rubbed her forehead, wondering if she had been picked up by a medical crew after stumbling out of the club.

“Not so much drunk, more sedated,” a voice rang out, causing Ashley to snap around to discover its source.

“Who’s there?” Ashley demanded, narrowing her eyes on the black glass panel. “What do you mean, ‘sedated’?”

“It’s just how it sounds, Ms Williams,” the voice replied, laced with a cocky undertone that sounded a little too familiar to Ashley. “A few well timed drops of rapid dissolve capsules into your drinks was all that was needed. All I had to do after that was wait for them to kick in, then I could drag you away before anyone noticed.”

“You’re going to regret that when I get my hands around your throat, you bastard!” Ashley seethed, quickly searching for any exit she could discover, but could discover none. It became evident just how much work her captor had put into keeping her locked up for his own sick reason. “Open the door now, and I might go easy on you.”

“Why would I do that?” the voice inquired, enjoying the frustration of the marine. “We haven’t even started the experiment yet.”

“Alright, so you clearly have a death wish. And you also seem to be aware of who I am,” Ashley walked towards the glass, shooting a glare harsh enough to burn through it. Looking closely, she noticed a thin black metal collar hugging her throat, with ‘TS-1’ illuminated along the front. “So why don’t you stop all the cloak and dagger and reveal yourself?”

“With pleasure,” the voice said in delight.

Suddenly, the opaque glass faded from sight, revealing the room on the other side in its entirety. But it wasn’t the room that Ashley was focused on, it was the sickeningly familiar Salarian stood directly in front of her that possessed her full attention.

“Dr. Saleon!” Ashley grimaced, frowning as she stared at the supposedly deceased organ cloner. “I thought we finished you off back on the MSV Fedele?”

“Appearances can be deceiving, especially when you’re dealing with a scientist that has a healthy supply of replacement organs on ice at all times,” Dr. Saleon countered, more than happy to explain how he had outfoxed Alliance intelligence. “After your ship undocked from mine, I dragged myself to the medical bay to repair the damage, well, enough to get back to the cockpit and survive the journey so I could get to a medical outpost in the Terminus Systems.”

“I’m sure that Garrus won’t be too happy to find out that you’re still kicking,” Ashley smirked, hoping the threat of a visit from the Turian would be enough to rattle him. “And next time, I think he might just bring back your head, just to be sure.”

“Vakarian is of no concern to me at the moment,” Saleon shot back, unnerving Ashley immensely with his scrutinizing eyes, looking at her as though she had been tucked beneath a microscope. “But you, Ms Williams, have my complete attention.”

“And what’s that supposed to mean?” Ashley replied forcefully, unwilling to allow him to make her wilt under his gaze. “Do you intend to turn me into another one of your sick experiments?”

“No, of course not, that would be disgustingly wasteful,” Saleon answered, still keeping his eyes firmly fixed on Ashley’s body, gazing along her toned legs, examining her hips and waist. “No, I knew from the moment I laid eyes on you on the Fedele that you would be just perfect for my latest endeavour, a far more worthy purpose than being a mere Alliance soldier. I had to obtain you, regardless of the risk and planning that was needed.”

“Then what is your little plan?” Ashley still maintained her even demeanour, but it was a difficult thing to do when she was being sized up like a prize animal. “What mad scheme have you managed to form in that twisted head of yours?”

“As you might recall from our previous encounter, one of my most profitable schemes was the growth and sale of Krogan reproductive organs,” Saleon reminded her.

“Yeah, I also remember that you had damn near half the male population of Tuchanka after you because they didn’t work,” Ashley’s smirk fell a little when the barb failed to earn a rise out of him. “If there’s one thing you don’t want to do, it’s tricking a Krogan into thinking you can cure his infertility.”

“Precisely, a dangerous business to be in, and beneath my vast talents,” Saleon agreed pompously, “I couldn’t get any real work done without having an enraged Krogan storming my laboratories. I’ve been forced to flee to the farthest reaches of the galaxy for my own safety. Growing organs is a highly risky business, with little profit to show from it. I concluded that curing individual Krogan of the genophage was still a lucrative credit making venture, but it was my methodology that needed to change.”

“Change how?” Ashley folded her arms, feeling a cold chill tickle her spine when Saleon grinned broadly.

“Testicular transplants for Krogans very rarely work. In fact, they tend to do more damage than good, which is why I’ve been working on ways of circumventing the genophage. An outright cure is simply out of the question, I don’t want to run the risk of having the STG sent after me. But an alternative for successful impregnation for my potential customers might just be my ticket to a fortune. Which is where you come in.”

“If you lay one finger on me- “

“I wouldn’t be too concerned, Ms Williams, it won’t be me who will have the pleasure of touching you,” Saleon tapped his omni-tool, bringing up an image of a Krogan on the monitor behind him, which went into detail about its vitals and physical attributes, all of which only made Ashley’s growing dread all the more suffocating. “This is Korax. Now, this is the creature you will become more than acquainted with, and what a specimen he is.”

“It looks like any other Krogan to me, nothing special,” Ashley said, which only seemed to trigger the Salarian’s need to set her straight.

“Externally, yes,” Saleon highlighted the Krogan’s more unique attributes, “but this particular Krogan was grown, cultivated. He’s the creation of Turik, a prodigy who used to work under Dr. Okeer. Just like Okeer, Turik was ostracized by his people because of his work, they couldn’t appreciate the craft of developing Krogan using test tubes and advanced biological engineering. I acquired this specimen from Turik not too long ago, he gifted it to me knowing that I would do everything in my power to develop a Krogan capable of breeding, one that would be unaffected by the genophage.”

“Again, what does that have to do with me?” Ashley exclaimed, barely able to restrain her anger.

“Unfortunately, Turik couldn’t replicate the process for female Krogans, every attempt ended with unavoidable mutations,” Saleon then added a second image to the monitor, one showing the outline of a human female — her outline — which had been labelled as ‘TS-1’, “so a solution was needed. And after an extensive amount of research, I found one, an ingenious one if I can be a little self congratulatory for a moment. If the male couldn’t breed with females of his own species, then all I had to do was rewrite his genetic code ever so slightly, allowing him to successfully inseminate and impregnate a human female, one that happened to be the ideal mate. Just like the Asari, the Krogan’s genetic material would be dominant in the fertilisation process, producing a pure Krogan offspring.”

“You’d better not be suggesting what I think you are!” Ashley warned him, more desperate than ever to discover a way of breaking out of the room.

“I’m afraid I am,” Saleon tried to appear contrite, but Ashley could practically feel the glee rolling off him, “you were utterly perfect for this project. From the structure of your body, down to your completely clean bill of health, I just couldn’t resist getting my hands on you. If you’re wondering about that delightful collar adorning your neck, it’s function is to keep a detailed account of your body, both internally and externally, it keeps me up to date on every little inch of you. Now that you’re awake, I think it’s about time that I introduce you to your soon-to-be mate.”

“Wait!”

Ashley tried to get the Salarian to change his mind, making a futile attempt at reasoning with an alien that saw her as nothing more than a means to an end. Any hope she had of salvation drifted away when the sound of the door’s locking cycle reached her ears. Backing away slowly, Ashley watched the holographic display on the door turn from red to green, with the door itself separating as it admitted entry to its next occupant.

The marine’s breathing hitched when she finally caught sight of the Krogan, all seven feet of him. His body was covered in a layer of thick scales, which made up a large chunk of his natural armour plating, with a rigid shell running across his cranium. Coarse red skin appeared vibrant beneath the harsh glow of the laboratory lights, bulging as his pronounced muscles bulged with even the smallest of movements. Most striking of all was the fact that he didn’t have a shred of clothing on his body, leaving his burgeoning member completely bare, along with all four of its swollen testicles.

Korax didn’t move a fraction of an inch, instead holding his ground within the frame of the door, letting his orange eyes scour the room. It wasn’t long before they inevitably landed on Ashley, taking on a look of unfettered hunger, staring at her as though she were a gazelle just seconds away from being pounced on by an apex predator. Only then did the behemoth take his first few steps inside, far enough for Saleon to slam the door shut behind him.

“That door has a biometric seal on it, Ms Williams, it can’t be overridden without a scan of my fingerprint,” Saleon informed her, catching her eyes flicking over to the sealed door. “I apologise for the circumstances that have led to you being here, but I can’t afford to lose you, you’re just too integral to my plans.”

“You really think that I’m about to go down without a fight?” Ashley hissed, matching Korax by taking a step back with every one he took towards her. “Do you expect be to spread my legs willingly for this thing?”

“Not in the least. I’ve already told you, Ms Williams, I’ve been watching you for some time now, adding to my dossier over that period. Sealed records, training regiments, even your sexual partners, they’ve all been catalogued and taken into account. I dare say that I know more about you than you know yourself,” Saleon said, proving just how much effort he went through to corner her. “I fully expect you to put up resistance, but it will fail. Only in succinct defeat will you fully understand Korax’s might. Also, it will provide Korax with a chance to dominate his mate, like a true Krogan.”

“You’ll pay for this!” Ashley promised, taking another step back. “As soon as I get out, I’ll break every bone in your skinny body.”

“If this venture proves successful, then I think the authorities will find it difficult to locate me, not when I’ll have enough wealth to disappear completely. And you won’t be escaping, you’re the basis of my research, the perfect lock to Korax’s key,” Saleon replied, leaning in to watch the display. “But I think I shouldn’t be your main concern right now, Ms Williams.”

Ashley continued her retreat, until her calves struck the edge of the bed frame. Korax persisted in his approach, never once allowing his eyes to leave Ashley. There was nowhere left for Ashley to turn, no form of cover she could use to buy herself some time, if she wanted to stop Saleon’s creation from doing the deed, she had to fight.

Remaining in place, Ashley waited for the right time, hoping to draw the Krogan in close enough to take him by surprise. It disgusted her to project such an air of vulnerability, especially when Korax’s pulsating cock began to leak its twisted desire for her, it went against her nature as a rough and ready marine, but there was little else she could do. Once Korax came within a few feet of her, Ashley finally lunged forth, sweeping her knee up high enough to slam it into his stomach, sending him stumbling back.

Ashley didn’t hesitate when it came to sending her next strike, launching towards him with yet another kick to the stomach, then a punch to the chest. She attempted to destabilise Korax, trying to take his legs out from under him, but his muscular frame made it difficult to topple him over. Every blow sent the Krogan stumbling back, as far as bringing him back towards the sealed door. A victorious smile graced Ashley’s cherry-red lips, which promptly faltered when she caught Saleon with a side-eyed glance, noticing the unconcerned expression on his face.

The reason for his calmness become all too clear when a final swing of her leg was caught in the iron grip of Korax. Ashley used her strength to try and wrench herself free from his grip, which only served to provide the Krogan with enough time to regain his bearings and adapt, raising up to his full height. Without even having a chance to mount a counter attack, Ashley was hoisted up when Korax grabbed her other leg, holding her tightly against his body, enabling his swaying cock to slot through the gap of her miniskirt, bumping the tip against her black lace thong.

The sensation of the Krogan’s member coming so close to penetrating her renewed Ashley’s need to break free. She used her fists to hammer away at his chest, using her full force to do any kind of damage she could. But her fists bounced off of his skin, not even leaving behind a trace of a bruise. With slow, meaningful steps, the Krogan moved back across the room, carrying a desperate Ashley along with him, unmoved by her protests. Noticing how close they were to the bed, Ashley tried to jostle around, pulling her legs as hard as she could, but the hands wrapped around her thighs showed no sign of budging.

Korax came to a stop at the foot of the bed, taking a sharp leap onto the mattress, toppling over so Ashley became pinned beneath his sizeable bulk. With her legs locked on either side of his waist, Ashley found her chances at escape dwindling by the second, especially when he reached up to her dress. Ashley pressed her palms flat against Korax’s maw, pushing his head away, something that did little to deter his fervent exploration of her body.

“Get off!” Ashley grunted, but only found the Krogan burying himself further between her legs, until his intensely hot manhood came to a rest against her perfectly flat stomach, smearing his transparent pre-cum across the material of her dress.