Justified Means

by Spectre-058

Restored to life by Cerberus, Commander Shepard attempts to salvage his plans to stop the Reapers, survive whatever Cerberus has planned for him, and build a harem of beautiful lovers. Takes place during Mass Effect 2 and is the first in a three book series that will conclude with the Reaper War.

10. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Miranda had been right. The message had indeed contained details. Details she didn't fucking need. They hadn't told her how, or when her father had found out about Oriana, they had just said that he did. Repeatedly, in several fucking different ways. It was great to know that he was coming, and she really was thankful for the forewarning, but she hated the fact that nobody seemed to be able to tell her how he had found out. Only a few people had known that Oriana was even on Illium; herself, Lanteia, Niket, and the Illusive Man. Miranda knew she hadn't let anything slip. Lanteia was the head of Miranda's personal network on Illium and had a standing contract for double any bribe she was offered. She'd known Niket since she was a child, and she highly doubted that her father had been able to get to the Illusive Man. So she'd followed up on the contacts included with the warning hoping for any clue but no-one she'd been able to get through to had known anything new.

After an hour of fruitless calls to Cerberus contacts she'd finally reached out to Lanteia. The Asari still didn't know how her father had found out about her sister, but had been able to fill her in on the updated plan for moving Oriana. Niket had contacted Lanteia with a warning that Miranda's father had contracted Eclipse mercenaries to recover Oriana and that they were likely on the lookout for Miranda as well. To help get around this he'd suggested that he be the one to escort Oriana and her family to the shuttle terminal while Miranda distracted them. She was grateful that Niket was involved in this. If she couldn't be there overseeing things personally, there was nobody she would rather have had. Which led to her current problem.

She needed to find a team to help her deal the mercenaries while Oriana was extracted. Illium had been one of the major conduits for supplies for the Lazarus project and over the last couple of years she had cultivated quite the collection of contacts and sources. Problem was, with the exception of Lanteia - who was explicitly paid to watch Oriana- she didn't trust any of them. Most were smugglers, or gangster, or even worse, business executives. They were highly useful as informants or go-fors, but not for anything nearly as sensitive as this. She had reached out to the actual Cerberus cell on Illium, but Operator Cardonis had informed her all of his field operatives were currently on assignment and that it would take him a few days to call a team together. Since the exchange was going down tonight, that left her with no choice but to recruit from within. And that meant Shepard.

She hated having to ask him for help with his. Hated every bloody thing about it. She could just imagine his smug, superior face as she came begging for his help. She couldn't even make up a lie about it being some kind of Cerberus operation because she couldn't afford the possibility that he would be stubborn about agreeing to it. No, she would have to tell him everything, and that was the last thing she wanted to do. But it wasn't like she had a lot of choice was it? Scowling, she reached out and tapped a combination into the intercom on her desk.

Several seconds later a perky voice answered. "Yeoman Chambers, what can I do for you Operator Lawson?"

Miranda ran a hand over her forehead and through her hair, let out a sigh, then took the plunge. "Is the Commander in, Yeoman?"

"I'm afraid not ma'am. He stopped by the ship about an hour ago to collect Grunt and Mr. Massani then left again. I can try to call him if you would like?"

Damn. "No, Ms. Chambers, that is fine. When he returns please inform him that I'd like to speak with him."

"Of course ma'am."

Miranda disconnected, put her elbows on the desk, and rested her head in hands. Ok, if Shepard wasn't back yet she would just have to set the mission up without him. There was one other person aboard who she knew would help her. She took a moment to collect herself, then pushed away from her desk and headed for the ship's armory.

The airlock beeped as it finished its decontamination process and the doors slid open to reveal the smiling face of Kelly Chambers. The perpetually chipper redhead held a data pad, and was very clearly waiting for me.

"Welcome back aboard, Commander!"

I gave her an answering smile. Kelly had jumped out as an obvious plant from almost the first moment I had met her, but despite that I'd grown fond of her. She was just so obviously happy that it was impossible not to like her. Even Jack had expressed her expletive filled appreciation for the upbeat Yeoman.

"Thank you, Kelly. Please allow me to introduce Justicar Samara." I turned and indicated the Asari woman standing behind my left shoulder. "Samara, this is Kelly Chambers. She is my personal aid as well as the ship's Yeoman. She'll show you around and help you get situated."

"Yeoman Chambers." Samara's voice was silky smooth and carried a weight of experience and serenity that I found fascinating. There was also a pain hidden beneath that control, but that was hardly surprising. I'd found her killing criminals for little more reason then that they were criminals, and if half of what Liara's files had said was true, casual vengeful justice was just the tip of the iceberg. With time I hoped to be able to get to know the woman better, that experience would be incredibly useful. And, I sneered to myself, she is incredibly attractive.

I returned my attention to Kelly. "Before you show Samara around, Kelly, was there a reason you were waiting for me?"

She pulled her eyes away from Samara, and I idly wondered if she'd been looking at the woman's face or her armor's plunging neckline. "Oh, yes, Commander. XO Lawson asked to speak with you when you got back aboard. And you have several new messages waiting for you at your private terminal."

The messages could wait, but Miranda's request sparked some interest. We'd been doing a bit of an awkward dance she and I. It was obvious she still didn't trust me, and I was pretty sure she'd realized I didn't really trust her. However, recently we'd both made an effort to change that, and it was possible that this request was the next step along that path. I hoped it was. Despite our antagonism, or hell maybe because of it, I respected Miranda more than I had expected to. She was an intensely attractive woman and if hadn't been for that little matter of her ranking within Cerberus I would have pursued her more actively already. However, Miranda was dangerous beyond her combat skills. My lovers were the people that I was most open and honest with, and I couldn't risk spilling something that she could bring back to the Illusive Man. That was the reason I hadn't taken Kelly up on her less than subtle offers too, actually. But where it was fairly easy with her, Miranda could have been designed not only for general perfection but to attract me personally. She was one of the most highly skilled operators I had ever met, even among the other N7 graduates. She was smart, stunningly beautiful, and capable of standing up to me. She pushed each and every button I had, and I just knew that was why the Illusive Man had put her in charge of me. So until I could establish a mutual trust, any potential relationship was completely stalled.

I refocused on Kelly, who was still standing expectantly. "I guess I better see what Miranda wants then. Kelly, please help Samara settle in." I turned to face the Justicar. "Once you have had a chance to settle in we will make time to sit down and go over the details of the mission and you can tell me a bit more about your code so I can make sure not to step on it."

She inclined her head gracefully. "I look forward to it Commander. Ms. Chambers, I am ready when you are."

Kelly led Samara deeper into the ship, chatting pleasantly. Grunt and Zaeed, who'd been standing a little awkwardly behind us, took the opportunity to also enter the ship; the mercenary quietly wishing me luck as he passed. As I headed for Miranda's office I wondered faintly if he knew something I didn't.

When Cerberus had designed the new Normandy they put the executive officer's suite in the same location as the old captain's quarters. The engineers had expanded the size of the room in proportion to the rest of the ship's build out and it now featured an office in addition to the sleeping area. A pair of picture windows offered breathtaking views of space. I mean, they were no fish tanks, but were nice enough I guessed. Miranda herself sat at her usual spot behind the desk. She looked up as the doors slide closed behind me, and I thought I caught a glimpse of worry in her face before her usual mask asserted itself. She quickly tapped a few keys, blanking her terminal screens before resting her hands on the desk. I considered giving her a hard time about that, then discarded the idea. The goal was to build trust, not antagonize her.

"Kelly said you wanted to see me?"

"Shepard, I find myself in the unpleasant position of asking for your help." Her voice had an odd tempo to it and I got the feeling she had actually rehearsed this. I started to speak but she held up a hand and I stopped. "I don't like discussing personal matters… but this is important."

I leaned back on a hip and motioned for her to continue.

"You know my father designed me to be perfect. Well, when I found out he was more interested in a dynasty than a daughter I left."

Her voice made it sound like she did a little more than that. "I assume he didn't take it well?"

She gave me a grin that blended pride and sadness. "Several of his men were… injured… during my escape. He knows not to come after me at this point, but I'm afraid that's the problem."

Well that wasn't cryptic or anything. "Then what is the problem?"

The cocktail of emotions that passed over her face was too complex for me to figure out, but it was certainly hard to miss. That was extremely unusual for the normally confident woman and I found myself standing up a little straighter and paying more attention. Whatever it was that was bothering her, it was important.

"I have a sister. A twin. And he is still hunting her. Cerberus has kept her safe. Until now. She had been living a normal life on Illium, but my sources say my father has found her. I've tried to keep her hidden without impacting her life, but I am out of options."

Oh. Well ok then. That answered a couple of questions, raised about a hundred more, but answered a few. I didn't press those questions right now though.

"How can I help?" If there had been a situation more tailor made to help build trust between us I couldn't figure out what it was. Of course, there was always the possibility that this was a setup, some ploy on her and Cerberus's end to try to more fully gain my trust. For some reason though, I doubted it. There was something about Miranda that made me think this was real. Maybe it was the uncharacteristic hesitance, or how tightly she held herself. Whatever it was, I felt sure that this was real.

"Just like that?" She sounded skeptical.

I sighed. "Look, we might not have the best working relationship Miranda, but you're still part of my crew. You need help, I help. It's that simple. If your sister really is in trouble then we don't have time to waste playing games. If you want, we can go right back to not trusting each other once she is safe."

She eyed me for several seconds, as if she didn't quite believe me, then something broke and she smiled minutely. "Fair enough, Shepard."

Her attitude and behavior became businesslike as she delivered a concise mission briefing. "A trusted associate of mine, Niket, is moving Oriana and her family tonight. Unfortunately, my father's hired Eclipse mercenaries to intercept him. Niket knows about the mercs and is taking the family on an alternate route. Our job is to take the original air car and draw their attention so he can make a clean getaway."

That sounded good, though I was surprised she wasn't going to oversee the transfer herself. "When?"

She smiled a little sheepishly at me. "2100 hours local."

The clock on her desk read: 1934 local, 2218 shipboard. "Cutting it a little close aren't we?"

The smile thinned. "I was getting ready to go without you actually." I raised an eyebrow and she scowled at me. "Like you said, we're cutting it close. I didn't know when you were getting back."

Ok, that was fair. "Give me 5 minutes to rearm, then I am ready to go. Do you want me to grab anyone else?"

She shook her head. "I already talked to Jacob. He's prepping the air car."

I should have seen that coming. Of course Miranda would ask Jacob for help with this, he was the only person aboard that she really trusted after all. "Alright. One last thing though, Miranda."

She stiffened, probably expecting me to ask for some kind of price or concession on her part. Well, she was in for a surprise, because I had something a little different in mind.

"This is your mission and your sister on the line." Her eyes narrowed but she didn't interrupt. "In my mind, that means you are in command. I will follow your lead on this."

The glare lasted for a moment longer, then she bowed her head. "Thank you Shepard." She said very quietly.

I nodded and left to collect more thermal clips. I had a feeling I would probably end up needing them.

Miranda sat in the plush leather seat of the air car and watched Shepard out of the corner of her eye. He was being surprisingly accommodating and she didn't trust it. She'd expected him to put up more of a fight about helping her. Not to say no, but to try to get something from it. She certainly hadn't expected him to straight up give her command. It was just possible, she admitted, that she'd misjudged the commander. But it was at least equally possible that he was playing some kind of game here, being as accommodating as possible so he could lure her into trusting him. Well, if that was what he was doing, it was working. Miranda honestly believed him when he said that she was in command and he was just there to support her. Who knew, maybe Jacob was right. Maybe after this she should just sit down with the commander and hash things out. She shook her head. Now wasn't the time to be worrying about this. There would be plenty of time once Oriana was safe to figure out what she was going to do about Shepard.

Her shaking head brought something into view and she stiffened. "Shepard."

"I see them," he said from the pilot's seat. "They are trying to force us down."

Miranda swiveled in her seat until she found the other gunships. Along with the first one she'd noticed they had them pretty well boxed in. A third ship would have made this intercept ideal, but two was unfortunately enough to do the job. Their car was unarmed and unprotected so there was no way they could fight their way out. They probably had better acceleration than the gunships but running would just get them shot down a little further away. No, it looked like their best chance would be…

"Put us down ahead, Shepard. We might as well see what they want."

"Aye aye, ma'am." He said in his best impersonation of Lt. Moreau. She glared at him. Was he actually enjoying this?

"On the bright side." He continued in his own voice. "You can stop looking for a place to steal a gunship from, Miranda. I think these lovely people just volunteered."

"Steal a gunship?" Jacob asked from the backseat.

She sighed. "Shepard wants a gunship for tactical flexibility. Since it's a bit outside our budget, he is suggesting we steal one."

There was a thoughtful silence for a moment then: "Yeah, ok, I could see that. You think we should sick Kasumi on them? Or just ask Garrus and Zaeed to pay a visit?"

Next to her Shepard grinned and Miranda rolled her eyes. She knew what they were doing, deflecting the concerns of being boxed in by a pair of heavily armed hostile gunships with humor, but that didn't make them any less irritating. Shepard brought the air car in for a landing and their escorts shot ahead of them before descending to deploy their own occupants. They lifted off a few moments later and rocketed away.

"Not staying for the party?" Jacob asked as he followed Shepard out of the car. The commander rolled his shoulder as he watched the departing gunships.

"Probably don't want to hang around here longer than they have to. I'm sure they paid off somebody, but still probably better for them not to hang around where somebody might report them. Besides," he pointed at the group of armored figures headed towards them. "probably figure their buddies over there are more than we can handle anyway."

His grin faded and he turned to face her squarely. "How do you want to handle this?"

Looked like he was sticking to letting her call the shots. Good. "Let me talk to them. Don't start anything but we aren't going to take any shit either."

Both of the men flanking her nodded and as one they set out to meet the approaching mercenaries. The man leading the other group wore stylized yellow combat armor with the Eclipse insignia stenciled on the chest. Her resolve firmed up a little at the sight and she sneered at him. These were the people her father had hired to kidnap her sister. If they'd expected to get her that easily then they were going to be sorely disappointed. By now Niket had to have Oriana halfway to the extraction site.

"Since you're not firing I trust you know who I am?" Maybe he would buy it and think she was his target. It was worth a try anyway.

"Yeah, they said you would be in the car. You're the bitch who kidnapped our boss's baby girl."

Her heart sank. If they'd known she was in the car, then that meant they probably knew about Niket. Well, if that was the case then she just needed to get to them as soon as possible. If that meant going through these assholes then fine.

"This doesn't concern you. Take your men and go." She said, in one last attempt to end this quickly.

The man sneered at her. "You think you got this all lined up, huh? Captain Enyala is already moving in on the kid. She knows about Niket. He won't be helping you."

That lit a fire inside her. This fucking prick was standing between her and her sister and she wasn't going to sit here and let him waste any more of her time. The man was spouting something about how amazing his captain was but she wasn't listening. Her hand came up, and her submachine gun spat fire into the man's companion. Even as he staggered and fell her hand was tracking towards the man himself. Jacob beat her to it though, his shotgun shattering the man's armor and turning his chest into a ragged red mess. Shepard ignored the remaining mercenary, his fire instead lancing past him and into something down range. She didn't stop to see what. Instead she slammed her free hand out, concentrated, and wrapped the final goon in a biotic warp. The unstable and competing gravities and mass conversions wrenched at the unlucky son of a bitch and she distinctly heard several bones snap. Jacob's follow up shotgun blast was a mercy more than anything else. Whatever Shepard had been shooting out down range exploded and she jerked her face towards the noise. The shattered remains of the second Eclipse squad lay intermixed with pieces of what looked like an industrial fuel tank.

Miranda looked around, weapon up and scanning for new targets, but there were none. She, Shepard, and Jacob had eliminated more than twice their number in under ten seconds. Unconsciously she ejected the half spent thermal clip and slotted in a fresh one, they were only just getting started.

The gunships had forced them down several levels below, and on the wrong side of the dock, from where Niket was leading Oriana and her family. Taking point, Miranda led them towards the closest elevator. It turned out the mercs had left a rear guard to cover that route. Eclipse soldiers weren't bad as far as guns for hire went, they just weren't good enough. The first one to poke his head around a crate took a burst from her Locust square in the face. His shields were up to the task of stopping the rounds but the spray of sparks blinded him to Shepard's follow up concussive shot. It smashed into him, the impact picking him up and throwing him against the far wall. His buddies whirled around from behind their own crates, both of them concentrating their fire on Shepard who staggered a little under the multiple impacts. Miranda overloaded one guy's shields then gunned him down in withering hail of fire. Jacob took the other one, using his biotics to drag the merc into shotgun range then blowing a bloody hole in him.

The first guard was starting to recover from being smashed into the wall, his hand twitching towards his dropped rifle. She stalked forward and stomped on his wrist. Combat armor was great for sudden impacts, but it didn't do a whole lot of good against sustained pressure, especially not at the joints. Bones broke and the man screamed.

"How many more?" She demanded, grinding her foot down on his shattered arm.

"Fuck... You..." He growled through the pain.

She shot him. Oriana didn't have time for her to play games with these fucking idiots. Crouching down she fiddled with his helmet until she could remove the integrated radio, then straightened. Somebody had called the elevator while she worked and both Shepard and Jacob were already inside waiting for her.

"I got his radio," she explained in response to their quizzical looks. "I'll patch us in, see if we can't get an idea what we are up against."

Jacob nodded and turned to the elevator's controls. Shepard continued to look at her though and she grew a little uncomfortable. Had he put together what that Eclipse leader was saying earlier? Did he realize that Oriana wasn't the same age as her? Fuck, she didn't need this right now. Need it or not though she should probably deal with the questions now instead of later.

"Shepard…" She started hesitantly. "I think I owe you an explanation. Oriana is my twin, genetically. But my father…"

He put a hand up to stop her. "Miranda, I don't need to know the story right now. You can tell me all about it later. I agreed to help you protect your sister, that is all that matters right now."

That shut her up and it took her a moment or two to find her voice. When she did she could hear the relief in it. "Thank you, Shepard."

He gave her a rakish smile and set about prepping his gear. She turned back to working on the radio, obstinately patching its signal into their shared circuit. Inside her mind was racing though. Shepard wasn't pushing this. He really was trusting her to lead this mission. Well, of course he was. He had nothing on the line here, it was her sister after all. This was a golden opportunity for him to indebt her to him without really risking anything. Hell, none of his trusted allies were even here. Which, she had to admit, also meant that he was trusting her to some degree. He had followed her and her most loyal ally on a private secret mission that they hadn't told any other member of the crew about without blinking. If she'd been in his place, and he had asked her to accompany him and Garrus or Jack on something like this, she would have said no. Well, no, she would have gone along; she just would have set up several contingency plans in case they decided to pull something. Which all evidence suggested he hadn't done. It was actually entirely possible he was simply trusting her. Or he was playing her, trying to get into her good graces just so he could…

She forced herself to stop. She was thinking herself in circles here. Either Shepard was here to help because he honestly wanted to help, or because he was working an angle; either way he was here and she needed him. What she didn't need was to be so caught up in worrying about his motivations that she failed Oriana. With a mental shake she refocused on the task at hand.

"Ok," she said, and the other two turned to look at her. "This will drop us off on the far side of the docks from the elevator that leads to the extraction point. Niket is going to bring Oriana and her family to that point in a little under twenty minutes. If what that asshole back there said is true, then they know about him. They obviously already know about us. Normally I would say we should try to work our way around them, but there isn't time for that. We are going straight through. Shepard, you're on point, make us a hole."

He nodded and the hard little smile he wore mirrored her own. They did a final weapons check as the elevator slowed. There was a soft ping as it came to a halt and they all tensed. Over the hijacked radio they heard somebody giving orders to the effect of: 'stop them at all costs'. Well, they could bloody try. The doors slid open and they charged out.

Eclipse did bloody try. They did their level best to stop her, but it wasn't nearly good enough. Every obstacle Eclipse threw up Shepard smashed down. Mechs, techs, biotics, it didn't fucking matter, he tore a hole in all of them, sometimes literally. Miranda was well aware of her own skills, and over the last few weeks she thought she had gotten an appreciation of his. Either he had been holding something back, or he was extra motivated this time, because he was a fucking beast. She guided them through, over, and around the docks towards the far elevator; and everywhere they went, they left destruction in their wake. It honestly felt pretty fucking good. These mercs thought they could take Oriana back to that monster, they deserved everything they got. She took a vindictive pleasure in the way the orders they were intercepting shifted from cocky to worried to downright terrified. Everything was going perfectly, there was only one last group between her and her destination. Then a message came through that hit it like a physical blow.

"Niket has reached the terminal. He's going to switch the family to our transport. Hold the bitch a little longer."

The words came just as she was lining up a shot and her burst left a line of glowing holes in the crate next to her target instead of in him. She didn't notice though as everything seemed to stop for a second. The radio had said Niket, but that couldn't be right. Niket was her friend, he was the man who'd helped her escape. There was no way he would be helping her father. None. It had to be some kind of…

She was pulled out of her head when Shepard slammed into her, dragging her to the ground half a second before a rocket roared its way through the spot she'd been standing in. They crashed to the ground and the impact pulled her fully back to her senses. She was instantly aware of Shepard pressed against her, face just inches from hers. It was an intensely intimate position, and for a heartbeat neither of them said anything. Then the rocket hit a box behind them and the concussive wave buffeted them. Her hair whipped up into his face and the moment was shattered. They rolled apart before any of the mercs could get a bead on them and Miranda scrambled to her feet behind another of the omnipresent crates. She'd lost her Locust in the fall, so she pulled her Carnifex. The heavy pistol was of limited use against the heavily shielded Eclipse troops, but she had a solution for that. Gritting her teeth she leaned out around the corner of her box, found the guy with the rocket launcher, and overloaded his shields. He should have dropped back behind cover to let his shields recover; instead he wasted precious seconds bringing his launcher around and Miranda shot him in the face.

A shotgun roared somewhere off to her left and the fight was over. She stalked forward and scooped her Locust up from where it had fallen and inspected it while she walked to the elevator. There was a long scuff along one side and she fired a burst into the body of the rocketeer as she passed to make sure it still worked. Jacob was the first one to the elevator and he turned to cover them as she and Shepard entered. She hit the button for the upper dock's and the doors slide closed.

"So..." Jacob's sounded like he wasn't sure he should be asking this, but he continued on anyway. "How well do you know this Niket, Miranda?"

"Niket is my oldest friend."

"And you trust him?" There was no judgement in his voice, and she knew that Jacob was just trying to establish the tactical situation, but the question hurt anyway. It hurt because up until today she would have said yes without a hesitation. Now though. "He's going to switch the family to our transport." Now she wasn't as sure as she wanted to be. She didn't want to think about Niket as a traitor, but the incredible intellect her bastard father had "gifted" her with - and that she had spent her entire professional life refining - mercilessly pointed out that her father had found out about Oriana somehow. Aside from herself or the Illusive Man, Niket was the one most well positioned to sell her out. He'd known about Miranda's role as decoy - he'd planned the bloody operation. If he'd wanted to keep her as far away from the exchange as possible… She shook her head. Again, she just didn't have enough information.

"I don't know who to trust right now," she admitted, shoulders slumping. Somebody put a hand on her shoulder and she looked up expecting to see Shepard standing next to her. Instead it was Jacob and he smiled at her.

"You can trust me." It was very possibly the cheesiest and most cliché thing he possibly could have said, and yet it was still good to hear. She returned his smile and straightened her back.

"Maybe the captain knows we are listening in and she is feeding us misinformation about Niket making the switch," Shepard suggested. She looked at him and he shrugged. "He's our only ally. If I knew my opponents were supposed to meet somebody, I'd try to drive a wedge between them."

It was a good point. She wasn't sure how they could have figured out they were tapping their comms but if they had it would be the smart move. Her anger flared, driving out the emptiness that logic had instilled. She just didn't have enough bloody information and they were running out of time.

"We need to find out," she snarled. Slamming her omni-tool into the elevator's controls she overrode the systems safety locks and their acceleration doubled. As they rose she retreated inward, shaving off just a fraction of her attention to keep an eye on the level indicator. Shepard and Jacob had questions she was sure, but they respected her need to center herself. She appreciated that, because she really did need this time.

Niket was her oldest friend. While it was possible he had betrayed her, she doubted it. At the very least she doubted he'd have done it voluntarily. Nonetheless she had to be prepared for the possibility that he had been the one to tell her father where Oriana was. If he was, he was dead. Miranda did not trust easily, and she didn't extend second chances if that trust was broken. If Niket had betrayed her, she would kill him. It was just that simple. The elevator's level indicator approached their destination and she returned her full attention to the matter at hand.

"Any special instructions, Miranda?" Shepard's tone was curious not confrontational and she marveled again at how willing he was to take a back seat.

"Niket is mine. Whatever happens, he is my responsibility." Her voice had regained its cold edge. Both men nodded their understanding. They moved to stand behind her as the elevator slowed. With a final tremor it came to a stop and the doors slid open, revealing Niket less than ten meters away.

Her oldest friend, the man she trusted above all other people in the known galaxy, was talking to an Asari in a space port official's uniform; and sitting on a crate next to him was another Asari in the by now all too familiar yellow armor of the Eclipse. All three turned as the elevator's doors opened and Niket's face went from irritated to dismayed as he recognized her.

"Miri." He breathed, dismay turning to chagrin and finally fear. The Eclipse Asari muttered something Miranda didn't quite catch and hopped off the box to level a shotgun at them. Behind her she heard Shepard and Jacob level their own weapons. That was apparently too much for the spaceport official because she took off running. The mercenary gunned her down before she made it three meters. Miranda registered all of it from inside the eye of a storm of rage. Niket's presence confirmed his complicity, and his betrayal.

"Niket. You sold me out." She marveled at how level her voice was. "Why Niket? You were my friend. You helped me get away from my father!"

He flinched as if her words had been a physical assault. "Yes!" he half yelped. "Because you wanted to leave. That was your choice! But if I'd know that you'd stolen a baby-"

"I didn't steal her! I rescued her!" The calm was gone from her voice now. What right did he have to judge her? He was the one here with mercenary troops trying to take a girl away from her family.

"From a life of wealth and happiness?" He shot back, anger replacing his shame. "You weren't saving her! You were getting back at your father!" He gesticulated angrily at her. "When your father contacted me and asked me to help get Oriana back I told him to go to hell because I knew there was no way that you would do something like that; at least not without telling me. But then you did tell me." His face grew rigid and his voice took on a defiant air. "I called your father back that night."

He did what? He'd been the one set this whole thing up? The storm in her stomach became a maelstrom and it was all she could do not to shout her response. "Why didn't you contact me, Niket? We've been through a lot. You could have at least let me explain."

"I deserved to know that you'd stolen your sister in the first place, Miri!" He spat back. "I deserved to know you were with Cerberus! But I had to hear that from your father too."

His words bit deep, because on some level she knew he was right. She should have talked to him about taking Oriana years before she did, but it was safer for everybody if he didn't know. Damn it. Even if she had told him, what would that have changed? He knew what her father was like, he should have understood her choice. The roiling, conflicting emotions within her froze as she realized something important. It didn't matter. Regardless of what or when she should have told him, the fact was that she had told him, and he had taken that information and sold her out. That was really all there was to it. Now the only question was whether or not she let him live.

"How much?" She asked quietly, dreading the answer that might come. "How much did my father pay you."

"A great deal." The bastard smirked when he said it, and that admission shattered her self-control. For just a moment the frozen storm thawed and her fury manifested itself in single trigger pull. The shot tore its way through her oldest friend's face and whatever excuse or justification he'd been planning to give her died with him. The corpse tumbled backwards to collide with the cargo crate behind it. Smoothly she shifted her muzzle to point at the mercenary captain.

The Asari glanced disdainfully at the almost headless body then smirked at her. "Yeah, he probably deserved that. Now, if you don't mind, I have a shipment to deliver."

"Try it and die." Miranda's tone was so cold that the words should have left vapor trails and the captain flinched involuntarily. For half a moment there was fear in her eyes, then she recovered herself and her smirk became a sneer.

"Big words for a jumped up Cerberus slut. My men are ready to…"

She didn't get to finish the threat. Miranda's biotic lift wrenched the captain off her feet. She rose to float a few meters off the ground hovered there writhing in place. If she gave her time, she was sure the captain would be able to break out with her own biotics, but Miranda didn't give her the chance. Instead, she let the tempest of betrayal roiling within her infuse her will and she slammed the Asari with another biotic strike. The mercenary leader was jolted even higher, then the strike detonated and she slammed back into the heavy metal of the dock at an incredible speed. The collision was, messy. Miranda looked dispassionately at the shattered body for a moment then reached up to key her earbud.

"Your captain is dead," she said over the hijacked frequency. "Leave. Now."

Without waiting for a reply she started walking towards the elevator to the surface. Ahead of her the remaining mercenaries exchanged glances, then threw down their weapons and fled. She let them run, they weren't worth her time. The elevator opened as she neared it and she stepped silently into it. Shepard and Jacob followed her a moment later. Neither said anything as the car began to rise, letting her process it herself. Anger still roiled in her guts and the fingers on her gun's grip popped as she clenched them. She looked down at them in surprise and the anger soured into revolution. She'd just killed her oldest friend. Gunned him down like that piece of trash Wilson. Disgusted, she tossed the weapon aside. There might be more Eclipse waiting, but she would never use that weapon again.

"What next?" Shepard's voice cut through the storm and the question gave her something to latch onto. She centered herself, forcing order on her chaotic thoughts. Next. Focus on what was next.

"We make sure Oriana gets to her shuttle. And we kill anybody who gets in our way."

"Do you want to talk about-"

"No!" she cut Jacob off. "Not right now. I can deal with this later but right now we need to make sure that Oriana is safe."

They rode the rest of the way in silence. When the doors opened they fanned out through the loading area in a classic sweep and clear. They needn't have bothered. The room was empty, as was the next one and the one after that. Apparently Eclipse had taken her warning seriously and called off their remaining men. That, or they'd figured the cost wasn't worth the payout at this point and stopped throwing good soldiers after bad. Whatever their reasoning she didn't particularly care if it meant that Oriana was finally safe. She put away her pistol as the final door cycled open and they walked out onto one of Nos Astra's passenger docks. Crowds of people milled about, and here and there she could see the distinctive pattern of a security guard uniform. One group in particular grabbed at her attention. A raven haired young woman stood with her back to them, appearing to be deep in conversation with an older couple. The young woman turned to look at something on a billboard, presenting her face in profile. Despite the years it had been since she had seen that face in person she knew it instantly, and Miranda felt the tension in her back drain away. Oriana was safe. The storm inside her slowed its frantic churning, and she let out a relieved sigh.

"You going to go over to her?"

Shepard's question took her by surprise. Of course she wasn't going to go over there. Oriana had no idea who she was, and it was safer for her if it stayed that way. She turned to face Shepard, not bothering to hide how sad that fact made her.

"No. She has a family. It's better if she doesn't know who I am." She thought about Niket, bitterness creeping into her voice. "Or what I am."

"That's bullshit." His tone wasn't harsh but it was resolute. "She deserves to know that she has a sister who loves her. And you deserve the chance to know the sister you sacrificed so much for."

"He is right, Miranda." Jacob chimed in. "You helped me resolve things with my family. Now it's my turn to help you. Go talk to her."

She looked back and forth between them, then turned to look back at Oriana. The younger woman had turned away again and she noted with surprise that her sister wore her hair the same way she did. It was a stupid, trivial thing to notice but it broke something inside her. She realized suddenly that they were right, she needed to talk to Oriana, to explain things, maybe not everything but at least some of it. She looked back at Shepard and Jacob and they both gave her encouraging smiles. These two had both risked their lives for her and her family, and she knew with certainty that this was debt she could never repay.

"Go." Shepard said. "We'll wait here."

Miranda still wasn't sure she was ready to trust Shepard, but at that moment she didn't care. She nodded to him, took a deep breath and squared her shoulders. Then, with a brisk purposeful stride she started walking towards one of the most difficult and important conversations she would ever have; and as she walked she looked back over her shoulder at Shepard, realizing that it was probably just the first of two for the day.

The doors slid apart and I stepped into the executive officer's suite. Miranda sat behind her desk, she looked up as I entered the room, and a mix of emotions I couldn't quite make out crossed her face. Whatever they were she got ahold of herself quickly, hiding whatever it had been behind her usual professional mask. She leaned forward a bit, resting her elbows on the desk, and I took the opportunity to admire the view down her jumpsuit.

"Thanks again, Shepard. Taking the time to help me with my sister…" Her voice trailed off as a shadow crossed her face. She shook it off a moment later and continued as if nothing had happened. "Without your help I couldn't have made it in time."

"I am happy we were able to make it in time to do something. How are you doing?"I asked, leaning my shoulder against the bulkhead and crossing my arms.

She shifted in her seat, obviously uncomfortable. I let her be. It wouldn't mean the same thing if I pushed her into opening up, it had to be her choice. Her strong features shifted through several emotions, the only evidence of whatever struggle was happening inside her. Restlessly she shoved herself up out of her seat, crossing to sit in one of the reclining chairs set in front of the expansive viewport. For several seconds she just sat there facing away from me, looking at the stars beyond the window. When she spoke, she sounded unsure and more open than I had ever heard her before.

"I still can't quite believe what Niket did. He was one of my closest allies, with me even before I joined Cerberus." Her voice grew hard. "I'm glad the bastard's dead."

I left my position by the wall, moving to stand next to the window and looked out as well. I could see her face in the reflection and took note of the rage she was doing her best to hold in. It was a feeling that I understood. Trust was something sacred, and it shouldn't be given or discarded lightly. Niket had betrayed Miranda in a way no one else possibly could have. When I spoke, my contempt for the man was obvious.

"He knew what he was doing, and he got what he deserved." I let my voice soften. "I'm glad I was able to help you with this, Miranda."

She turned to face fully me then, hard eyes probing. "Are you really, Shepard?"

I raised an eyebrow. "What does that mean?"

Her voice took on a bit of a sardonic edge. "Oh, nothing." She moved her hand in a negligent tossing away gesture. "I just wasn't sure the great Commander Shepard would want to spend his time helping a Cerberus operative rescue her sister out of the goodness of his heart."

I smirked at that. "You're right actually. I wouldn't help a Cerberus operative mount any kind of operation without something in it for me." The mocking smile that had been working its way onto her lips abruptly froze. Her eyes flashed with suspicion but she didn't interrupt. "But I would do it for a member of my team."

The hardness in her expression remained for several seconds and I wondered if I'd been too honest. Then the ice melted a little and she gave me the hint of a smile. It wasn't a friendly or flirtatious smile, it held too much sadness and personal regret for that, but it was a smile. She slumped back into her seat.

"But am I a member of your team, Shepard?" The naked honesty in that question surprised both of us I think. We had played the trust and verify game for so long that actually straight up asking that question was new territory for us. I certainly hadn't expected her to put it that bluntly; but she had, and now the question hung in the air between us.

A half dozen lies or platitudes flashed through my mind and I discarded all of them. Miranda was showing a lot of nerve asking the question, she deserved an honest answer. Besides I wasn't very likely to get another chance to to be this open with her. If I wanted her to join me, really give me her loyalty then this would be the best place to start.

"I would like you to be."

She nodded slightly in recognition of my words then turned to look out the window again. "I'm not sure it's that simple." There was an implied follow up to that and I forced myself to wait patiently for her to continue. "I resented and envied you, Shepard. The Illusive man was obsessed with you, even before you made Spectre. You were one of maybe three people he fixated on. After you stopped Saren and the Geth he fixated on you even more. He assigned your recruitment to me and it made sense. You were a big deal, hero of the Alliance, savior of the galaxy. Bringing you to our side made sense. And then you went and died. I expected to be reassigned after that but no, the Illusive Man had a way to bring you back. The whole time I spent watching over your resurrection I was thinking to myself: why go to all the effort to bring back one man? I spent days going over your records. I studied every detail of your fights, read every line of your psych evaluations, poured over any scrap of data I could get my hands in an effort to understand what made you, you."

She looked at me again. "And do you know what I found?" I shook my head, not totally sure where she was going with this or how to respond.

"I found nothing. Nothing to tell me what made you special. It was obvious that you were, anybody could see that. But there was nothing to indicate why… and so there I was, one of Cerberus's top operatives babysitting the corpse of a hero. The Illusive Man was pouring astronomical amounts of money into saving somebody who had actively derailed several operations and I had no idea why."

I started to say something but she held up a hand. "No. Let me get this out." I nodded and returned to leaning on the window frame.

She picked up the thread where she had left off. "But even if I didn't know why, I did know my duty. I had been instructed to bring you back, so that's what I did. Admittedly, it would have gone a bit smoother if that prick Wilson hadn't tried to kill you, but by god I did my bloody job. Then you were alive again, and given every resource Cerberus had to spare and then some, this ship, a crew, money. And me."

There was a slight hesitation when she mentioned herself and I got the distinct impression that there was more to that than she was letting on, for some reason though now didn't seem like the time to push it.

"Like I said," she continued. "I resented how many resources you were given without actually joining Cerberus. I told myself that there was no possible way you could live up to the expectations. Bloody hell! Nobody could live up to those expectations. I kept waiting for you to fuck up somehow. But you didn't. You kept overcoming every obstacle thrown up in your way, without really needing my help, and that made it even worse. Then Horizon happened. I am sure you remember our little - disagreement - about the tactics? Well, I was wrong, and I realized that as soon as I watched you in action. You're incredible, Shepard. I wouldn't have been able to drive off Collectors the way you did, and my resentment changed. Now I was jealous too. To make matters even more fun, with you alive again, my old mission was back too. In addition to supporting you against the Collector's I was - am - supposed to bring you into Cerberus."

Her face took on an interesting expression, somewhere between regret and resigned amusement. "But we both know that isn't going to happen, is it?"

I shook my head and gave her a sad little smile. "No, Miranda, it isn't."

She returned the smile regretfully. "And so I failed. Again. Would you mind if I asked you why, Shepard?"

It was my turn to pause. This was dangerous territory. I wanted Miranda, wanted her more than I was really comfortable with. As I'd observed many times before, she was a truly exceptional woman; brilliant, strong, resourceful, and absolutely stunning. But she was still Cerberus. Even if we were finally breaking down some of the walls we'd put up, I wasn't prepared to trust her just yet. Still, I didn't want to lie to her either. That meant that there was very narrow path I could walk. I choose my words carefully.

"I don't trust Cerberus. Too many of its operations are too shady, even for me. Experiments on the Rachni, Thorian Creepers," I raised my eyebrows, "Jack. The Illusive Man has given me a lot, it's true. But I never asked for any of it, Miranda. I appreciate what you did, but I still don't know why. That bothers me. I don't think I would ever be willing to join an organization like Cerberus, but I am willing to work with it." I softened my voice, turning to lock eyes with her. "With you."

Her eyes were a pair of beautiful blue ice chips; clear, deep, enchanting, and they gave nothing away. She held my gaze intently, as though she was trying to was trying to see through my eyes to the truth inside of me. I willed my sincerity to the surface, pleading silently for her to believe me. After seconds that seemed like hours she let out an explosive breath, shoving up out of the recliner. Brushing past me, she stalked over to her desk and rested both palms on it, looking away from me. She was obviously processing my words so I gave her time.

"If this is going to work," she sighed, still not looking at me, "Then we need to be honest with each other." She turned back to face me. "Niket was right about one thing, Shepard. I wasn't totally honest with him. It doesn't excuse what he did, but it does mean that I am somewhat responsible. I am not going to let that happen again. If I am going to do my job right, then I need to trust you, and you need to trust me." Those beautiful blue eyes flashed and she smiled fiercely. "Right here, right now, we come clean."

Oh… Fuck…

There had been several ways I thought she'd react, that had not been one of them. None of the arguments against telling her anything had changed. She was still the single largest security leak that I could possibly even consider bringing into my budding organization. There were literally dozens of reasons to lie to her, but one really good reason not to: she was right. If we were ever actually going to get over the mistrust between us, it would eventually mean being honest with her. If I lied to her now she'd find out about it later, and I got the feeling that would be bad. No, if I wanted Miranda, I would have to make the call now.

"Alright," I held up a finger. "one condition." That got me a raised eyebrow. I spun the finger in a small circle, indicating the whole room. "Cameras and recorders off. I will talk to you, Miranda, not Cerberus."

It was mostly a formality at this point. Our conversation up to now had given the Illusive Man more than enough reason to mistrust me, assuming he didn't already. Still, I was determined to make him work for anything else. She considered me silently, no doubt waging her own internal debate; then rounded her desk to the terminal. Her fingers were steady as she input commands. She had to bend over the desk to work, offering me an enticing view of her amazing figure and I had to wonder if it was a deliberate ploy, or simple expedience. Before I could make up my mind she straightened and turned to face me squarely.

"Done." She gave an akward smile. "Whatever we say now is between us."

Well that was that. I had no way of actually verifying that the surveillance devices were off, but I had to start trusting her at some point. If I didn't why the fuck was I still here. So I crossed my arms and leaned back against the window.

"Ok, would you like to ask the first question?"

That got a small smile out of her. "Sure. Let's start with something easy." Her smile turned fierce. "Are you still in contact with the Alliance?"

That almost made me laugh. "Not really. I met with both Anderson and Udina while we were on the Citadel. They made it clear that as long as I am with Cerberus, the Alliance will have nothing to do with me." I didn't tell her that Anderson had agreed to feed me any information that might come up on the Reapers. So far nothing had come of it and we hadn't spoken since.

Miranda grunted in disgust. "Is that why you don't trust us? Because you are still loyal them?"

I did laugh at that. The sound was sharp, more disdain than humor, and it broke the tension just a little bit. "Fuck no!" My expression grew serious again. "The Alliance failed me, Miranda. They ignored my warnings about the Reapers, disbanded my crew and tried to sweep me under the rug. So, no, my hesitance to join Cerberus has nothing to do with that deluded bunch of bureaucrats."

I could see that she wanted to ask more, but it was my turn for a question and I wanted to make sure I built the rhythm. "How did you get involved with Cerberus?"

"My father actually. He was a big time financier of a few of Cerberus's predecessor organizations. I met the Illusive Man when I was fifteen. He was introduced as one of my father's business friends. I must have impressed him though because later my father told me he'd help find me some of my main tutors. At this point I was finishing up my first couple of bachelor's degrees and my father was starting me in on helping him run some of his business assets. I put together enough information to figure out who and what Cerberus was and so, when I ran, I knew they'd have the resources to hide me." There was a touch of melancholy pride in her voice as she told the story.

"How did your father react to you joining them?"

"He actually didn't know for a while. One of my first assignments was actually helping to make sure his funds went where they would do the most good." She smiled in memory for a moment, then it faded. "Eventually one of his friends on the inside told him about me and his donations stopped. By then though I'd made my mark and the Illusive Man was fast tracking me through several intensive training programs. I even spent some time with the Alliance Special Forces."

That was interesting, if not particularly surprising. I'd already noted her high degree of skill and the Alliance Special Forces were certainly some of the best out there. They were also part of the Alliance military so it wasn't all that hard to believe that the Illusive Man could slip his own people in and out. For a few minutes we traded questions like that, getting to know one and other a little better. It was starting to get fairly routine when out of the blue she asked. "If you don't care about the Alliance, then why were you so upset when Chief Williams was almost taken on Horizon?"

How the hell did she know about that? I'd hidden my feelings until I was in my room. Did she have that bugged too? I mentally slapped myself. Of course she did. If she'd heard that, then what else had she heard? Hell, what had she seen? Everything. It would probably be best to assume she'd seen and heard everything. I was suddenly very glad that I'd made sure that all of my conversations with Garrus had occurred off ship. But if that was the case, she already knew why seeing Ashley had upset me. Was this a test to see if I changed my answer? I wouldn't, but now I watched her expression very carefully as I answered.

"I wasn't upset because Ashley was Alliance. I was upset because she was one of my people."

"You mean because you used to sleep together?" Miranda's tone wasn't exactly accusatory, but it did hold a hint of something that I couldn't quite place.

"No." She looked skeptical and I elaborated. "I wasn't upset because she was one of my lovers. I was upset because she'd given me her trust, and that trust had been damaged by somebody else in an effort to manipulate both of us. I confronted the Illusive Man about it, Miranda. He didn't even try to deny it! Ashley was on Horizon because he wanted to draw the Collector's attention to the planet. That is unacceptable to me. He used my people, somebody who had put their trust in me. She was put in danger because of me, without my permission or involvement. That's why I was upset!"

A possibility occurred to me, and before I'd really considered it I said it. "Fuck. If I didn't know that Niket wasn't Cerberus, I'd be willing to bet that the Illusive Man organized tonight's little outing too."

That hit her hard, and she rocked back a little. "Why?" She demanded, an icy chill in her tone. "He knows what Oriana means to me. What does he possibly gain from risking her like that?"

I hadn't really thought the idea through much, it had mostly just come to me; but as I considered it more pieces started to fall into place.

"Because," I said slowly, still feeling the idea out. "it led to us having this conversation."

That earned me another glare but I was on a roll now. "No, really. We both know that we weren't working very well as a team before tonight." She nodded reluctantly. "And you already admitted that part of your job was to bring me over to Cerberus's side. He has to have known how well that was going, and this mission was the perfect emotional catalyst to force you to trust me. Only problem is, Niket isn't Cerberus. The Illusive Man wouldn't have been able to order him to give up your sister's location, or even have known about him for that matter."

I could see her work through the logic chains I'd just followed, until she shook her head angrily. "Your right. Niket wasn't Cerberus. The Illusive Man would never do something like that to me."

It sounded more like she was trying to convince herself than me but I held up my hands in surrender anyway. I'd planted the seed, no need to over sell it.

"You know him better than I do," I conceded. "And it is possible I am a bit paranoid where he is concerned."

She accepted the admission with a nod and for several seconds we sat in silence.

"Why don't you trust him?" Her question came out softer than I would have expected it to, a genuine question as opposed to an accusation. I arched an eyebrow at her and she continued. "I know you don't like him, and that he risked Williams, but he did it for good reasons. Don't forget Shepard, I've read your files. You would do exactly the same thing if you thought it was necessary."

"Not exactly," I said, perhaps a bit too quickly. "I'll risk my people, Miranda, but I won't lie to them about it, and I won't trick them into something just for some minor advantage. The Illusive Man and I share many qualities. Unlike him though, I do not discard or abuse my people."

"And what does that entail?" She asked. "Being one of your people? What does that mean to you?" I thought I detected more than idle curiosity in her question. Anticipation maybe? Or excitement? She was doing a good job suppressing it, but it was there. I grinned internally.

"It means trust, Miranda. It means that you trust me, and I trust you. With that trust comes loyalty. As I think I might have said, I don't betray my people. They have my complete loyalty, and in return I expect the same." I could see the way my words affected her, and decided it was time to play my final card. "My mission is important Miranda, and I need your help with it. The Reapers are coming, and the galaxy is nowhere near ready to deal with them. It will take more than stopping the Collectors to fix that." I started walking towards where she sat at her desk as I spoke, stopping to lean on the edge less than a half meter away from her. "The Alliance can't do it. They're too mired in bureaucracy to get anything done, and the Council is even worse. Cerberus is helping, but they aren't enough. On top of that they are too focused on bettering Humanity. I have no issue with improving our species place in the galaxy, but it has to take a backseat to surviving."

"Then join us." She was almost pleading. "The Illusive Man agrees with you. Why else would he have spent so much time and money bringing you back?"

I shook my head sadly. "I can't, Miranda. The Illusive Man and I are too similar in too many ways, and too different in the ones that really matter. We would never be able to fully trust one another, and that would lead to problems. Why do you think he has this ship bugged so thoroughly?"

She didn't have an answer to that so I continued. "This arrangement works for now, and in the future we will see what happens. Who knows what might happen, but I know this now. I could certainly use you, Miranda. You are an incredible woman. One of the strongest, bravest, and most intelligent people I have ever known. I know you think that it's all because of your father's designs but you are wrong. There are plenty of people who are born with incredible gifts, it's what you do with those gifts that matter. You have made yourself into the person you are, and that's why I want you. Dark days are coming. I'll need your talents to help the galaxy survive them. Will you help me, Miranda?"

It was one of the most heartfelt and sincere pleas I had ever given, and I surprised myself with just how much I meant it. Miranda really would be an incredible asset in the organization that was taking form in my mind. On top of that, being this close to her and being this open was doing insane things to my sex drive. I could almost feel the touch of her skin on mine and it was almost all I could do not to lean over the desk and kiss her.

She averted her eyes from mine, looking down at her hands and shifting uncomfortably in her seat. Without looking at me she brushed past and rested her forehead against the window on the far wall. She stayed there for several seconds, looking out on the vastness of space. I let her work it out, knowing that this was a decision that I could not force if I wanted it to matter. Finally, she let out a sigh. Slowly, she turned back towards me, arms crossed under her breasts. Her customary confident expression had returned and her face gave me no indication of what she was thinking. It was clear she had made some kind of decision. I held my breath as I waited to hear what it was.

"If I do this Shepard, there are a few things you will have to understand." Her voice was steady, confident.

"Of course, tell me." I had to work to keep the anticipation and satisfaction out of my voice.

"I am willing to help you Shepard, but know this: I am my own person. You will have my loyalty, and I will do everything in my power to help you succeed, but I am not going to be your servant. If I ever get the feeling that you are lying to me, holding something back, or double crossing me it is over and I will do my very best to destroy you and everything you have built. I'll join you but on my terms. If you cannot accept that, then get the fuck out of my office."

"Miranda," I said with complete honesty, "I wouldn't have it any other way. Your greatest strength is your wealth of personal power; I would never want to diminish that. Or you. I truly appreciate your willingness to trust me, and I promise I will return that trust in kind."

She nodded her head decisively. "Alright. Then I'm in."

As she said the words her stony expression softened. The ice in her eyes melted into cool glacial pools and she favored me with a smile. It was possibly the first real smile I'd seen from her since we got back aboard and it sent a flush of anticipatory excitement to surge through me, a flush that settled in my crotch. I had to actively rein my libido in as I took a few steps towards her and held out my hand.

"It's good to have you with us, Ms. Lawson." The words were stupid, overly formal, and a little stilted, but I said them with a touch of self-mockery that made her smile widen.

She took my hand. Instead of shaking it though, she pulled on it dragging me closer, and taking a step to meet me. Her other arm snaked around my hip and her lips captured mine. It was such as unexpected response that for a few heartbeats I didn't react. Then my body bypassed my brain and I pressed up against her, hungrily returning the kiss. My free arm wrapped around her waist, holding her against me in case she suddenly changed her mind. For a second I thought she had because she broke the kiss and pulled back to look me in the eyes.

"You haven't had me yet, Commander." My title came out as a purr and those full lips curled up into a smirk that promised wicked and delightful things. We kissed again. She was a fucking amazing kisser. There was a quality of intention and intensity to the way she kissed that I'd never experienced before. Our tongues toyed with each other between slightly parted lips. She drew her hand down my spine, fingers sending tingles up and down it before grabbing my ass. I reciprocated by sliding my free hand along the small of her back and up, pulling her deeper into the kiss. A moan was smothered between our lips. The hand on my ass rose, tugging insistently at my shirt. We broke the kiss long enough for me to pull it off. As it came off she let out sound of hungry approval and pressed herself against me again. I moved with her, drawing us down onto the recliner she'd recently vacated.

This time it was my hands doing the exploring and I ran them over her back, her hips, her ass. I wanted to feel her, wanted to map every curve and bend in her incredible body. I'd admired her figure for so long that I wanted to know every inch of it right now. There was a problem though; hexagons of some kind of armor were muting my touch and I began to grow frustrated. I longed to press her warm naked skin against mine, feel every little bit of her body and this goddamn jumpsuit was getting in my fucking way.

Just when I was ready to start ripping holes in the fucking thing Miranda broke the kiss, leaning back away from me. She shifted her position until she was straddling me and gave me a wicked little smile. Laying one hand flat against my chest she began to move, grinding her hips in slow little circles. Her hips grinding against my cock was maddeningly arousing. Her eyes lit, her grin became a smile and she raised an eyebrow.

"Excited, Shepard?" She asked as she moved. She was mocking me, but I could hear her own need in the words.

"Yes." It was more a growl than a word, and that infuriatingly intoxicating smile only got wider.

"Mmm… I can tell." There was a hungry tone to her reply, but her hips kept up their slow grind. Without changing pace, she moved her free hand, bringing it to rest on her right breast. Slowly, never taking her eyes from mine, she started to unzipped her jumpsuit. The armored fabric fell away slowly, revealing hints of black lace beneath until finally the zipper reached her waist. With a fluid motion she shrugged, the remainder of her jumpsuit falling away. Underneath, an elegant black lace bra struggled to contain her magnificence. Enraptured, my hand on her hip started moving up to get a feel; and she slapped it down with an arch look.

"I told you Shepard. My terms." The rebuke was mild and she was grinning as she leaned down and kissed me. I smiled internally and let my hand to join the other on her hip. Her breasts were a delightful pressure on my chest, separated from my skin by a thin layer of fabric and lace. For a while we stayed like that, just kissing and grinding. Eventually she broke the kiss and her hips stopped moving. Before I could protest though she started to move again, sliding down my body until her she was sitting at the foot of the chair. Her hands worked as she moved and she tugged my pants down just as her face came level with my cock. Raising an eyebrow, she looked up at me and planted a delicate kiss on the tip. "Ready?"

My voice abandoned me, and I simply nodded.

Her eyes flashed with pleasure at my reaction, then she took me into her mouth. I lost track of whatever response I'd been preparing. She started slow, mouth moving barely past the head as her hand caressed the shaft. After a moment she started taking more, moving deliberately. Her hand and mouth worked in a steady cadence, fingers hovering millimeters from her lips and moving together. The slow, steady pressure was as incredible as it was maddening. It was all I could do to restrain myself from thrusting deeper and couldn't stop a slight rolling motion of my hips. She took my movements in stride, incorporating them into her rhythm. As she moved deeper her hand moved from my shaft to my balls, rolling them gently between her fingers. Soon she was taking all of me and she began to pick up speed, her tempo set by the involuntary and insistent movements of my hips.

After what felt like only seconds she pulled up off me. Her lips were a little swollen and gleaming and the smile she gave me was absolutely sinful. With a final kiss on the tip she pushed herself away. Still moving deliberately, she began to strip away the rest of her jumpsuit. She put a foot on my chest and gave me a wink when I tried to sit up and help. Every movement, every zipper and buckle undone was like a little show and my already rock hard dick started to get painfully erect. Finally, there was only one buckle left and she stopped. Still wearing that seductive little smile, she slid one arm behind herself and unhooked her bra. She held her other arm across her chest keeping it from falling as she pulled her arms out. Then with a little flourish she released the final clasp on her jumpsuit and let both it and the bra fall to the floor. Miranda Lawson, director of Project Lazarus, top tier agent of Cerberus stood before me naked, and the first thing that I thought was: Finally!

Full round breasts swayed seductively as she shifted her weight to better display herself. Her stomach was toned, and smooth, and I hungrily anticipated the way it would feel against my own skin. Long, exquisitely muscled legs ended in wide full hips that even that tight ass jumpsuit hadn't done justice. She apparently waxed because her pussy was smooth and I desperately wanted to burry my face against it and taste her. Miranda stood there, smirking, knowing the effect her body was having on me for almost five seconds. Then she stalked forward, hips swaying, until she was once against straddling me. This time I didn't even try to rise to meet her.

She put one hand lightly on my chest, fingers tracing over a scar from the one of the surgeries that put me back together, and her eyes smoldered as she lowered herself onto me. Her free hand slid behind herself to guide me inside her. The expectant silence that had filled the room was broken by simultaneous gasps as my cock slid effortlessly into her slick pussy.

Her hips stopped with barely an inch inside, then reversed, pulling back off of me until just the very tip was inside. I gave her quizzical look, wondering if she'd changed her mind or something, but she only continued to smirk. She started again, only to stop and pull back maddeningly early. I got it then. She was using my own fucking trick on me. She was doing to me exactly what I'd done to Jack that first time. Was she doing it intentionally? Was this her way of telling me that she knew all about that? Or was it just that she and I had similar techniques? She slid down again, this time just a little deeper, and I abruptly decided that it didn't matter. Who cared what she did or didn't know; what mattered right now was that she was trying to prove that she was in charge here. That was fine, I knew how this game worked too. If she wanted to tease and see who broke first, then the least I could do was make it a challenge.

So, as her pussy teased my cock, I started to run my hands over her body. There was no jumpsuit to get in my way this time and I let my fingers play lightly along her breasts and back. She didn't try to stop me this time, she was too focused on controlling her hip movements. Keeping my touch light, I moved further down her back. I had to actively stop myself from grabbing a handful of her ass when I got to it, and the struggle to refrain from pushing her all the way down on my dick was one of the hardest things I'd ever done, but I was determined not to let her win. My teasing was doing something too, because as my fingers danced over her lower hips I saw her eyelids flutter.

I tightened the fingers of one hand into claws, racking them back over her ass. At the same time, I used my hand on her back to pull her down to me, capturing her mouth in another kiss. I'd miscalculated though. The warmth of her naked skin pressed against me, the taste of her lips, still flushed and swollen from sucking my cock, and the feel of that amazing ass in my hand pushed me over the edge. I suddenly didn't care if she came out of this thinking she'd won. I needed to fuck Miranda and I needed it right now.

On her next stroke, I thrust hard against her, burying my cock to the hilt in her wet pussy. She must have been just at the edge too, because a moan that I felt more than heard rushed into my mouth and she melted against me. Our kiss grew even more passionate, tongues twisting together, and I swore I felt her nipples grow hard against me. That was more like it!

With no further encouragement from me she picked up the pace. She still didn't go straight for an overly aggressive fuck, instead opting for a slower pattern that let both of us savor the feeling of her tight walls wrapping hungrily around my cock. Miranda broke the kiss by leaning back, settling her weight more fully on my lap, which coincidently let my dick go just little bit deeper. We locked eyes as she road me in slow, sensuous pleasure; and the naked need in her eyes was a mirror to my own. I moved my hands to hips while she wrapped her arms around my neck. Her hips started a counterclockwise rotation that coaxed another moan out of me.

Pleasure built as the waves of sensation from my cock grew in intensity. Each rotation and thrust was exquisite, a luxuriously erotic pressure that was enticing an orgasm out of me faster than I'd anticipated. I slid my hands further down her hips and over her flawless ass cheeks, positioning them so I could add my own thrusts to her rhythm. The additional motion caused her gorgeous breasts to bounce against my chest.

"I'm about to…" I moaned, voice rough.

"Do it, Shepard!" Her sultry voice almost dripped need. She leaned even further back, hips grinding harder and faster.

That did it. A climax built of weeks of flirtatious mistrust, of frustrated desire, of covert glances, and of lust finally consummated, hammered its way through me. I shuddered and quivered, straining muscles clutching her hips against mine as my throbbing cock shot cum deep inside her pussy. That drove her over the edge, and her answering orgasm was as intense as mine. She collapsed onto me, body spasming and pussy contracting ferociously.

For several seconds, we both just lay there, panting. That had been one of the strongest orgasms I'd ever experienced, and I needed a moment or three to recover from it. I had just enough control of my body to wrap my arms around Miranda, holding her against me.

"Fuck…" I breathed between pants.

"Bloody hell…" She agreed, voice hoarse.

We lay there a couple of seconds longer, then she pushed away from me. Moving a little gingerly, she pulled off me. I watched a thin rivulet of cum slide down her leg as she stood. The sight sent a renewed jolt of desire through me, and my cock tingled as it tried to harden again. Her first couple of steps were unsteady, but she recovered quickly. I rose on one elbow to watch as she half walked, half swayed towards the back half of the suite, the bedroom portion of it. Pausing, she rested one hand on the bulkhead and half turned to look back over her shoulder at me, one perfect eyebrow raised.

"You coming?"

I shoved myself out of the recliner, and swaying a little myself, followed her to her bed.