[Help] Freeing slaves on Zheng-Shi

[avalonlead]

All the info on this on the forums that I can find is a few years old. I've completed the main quest on Zheng Shi and gotten Maike's keycard, but when attempting to free the slaves they won't leave.

"The slaves just stare sadly at you. One of them, a particularly curvaceous dzaan, fidgets with the shock collar around her neck... the one each and every slave in the pen is wearing. Nobody makes a move; not a soul takes advantage of the opportunity you’ve presented.

Maybe they can’t?

You sigh and turn away. Nothing you can do for them right now."

I'm hoping to recruit Ardia, but it looks like I can't recruit her until freeing the slaves. Have I missed a part of the quest, or done something incorrectly? The text seems to imply I need the collars off, but how would I do that?

 

[Theron]

You have to use Maike's remote to Release Slaves first. It's where you met her. Then you can Free Slaves at the Slave Pen.

 

[avalonlead]

I thought I had tried that after removing the slave collar and automatically gotten a bad end after having bluffed earlier, but as I was typing a response I realised I had still been wearing the slave uniform when I did that. Went back with different clothes and kicked her ass. Thanks!