Miranda didn't say anything, and neither did anyone else, as Udina stood grinning gleefully at them.
"Traitor." Ashley seethed, breaking the silence. Her hands gripping her gun so tightly Miranda feared she may accidentally fire it.
Udina just shook his head, an obvious air of disappointment about him.
"I am doing more for humanity than you know. Soon I will have eliminated two of our largest obstacle to advancement: Commander Shepard, and that obnoxious turian whoose hostility I born far too long."
His face contorted in a sneer as he spoke the last part. Miranda was finally starting to follow, and her thoughts were horrifying.
"You know we have the turian councilor aboard the Normandy."
Udina's disturbing grin flashed again.
He was reveling in this.
"Of course, I do. There are three cloaked mercenary ships on the other side of the planet. Not even the Normandy can withstand that. And with the turian dead, there will be a hole to fill on the council," Joram paused and held up his mask, "a hole ready to be filled by the hero Joram Talid: the turian who killed the traitor Udina, his accomplice Commander Shepard, and destroyed their secret base before they and their geth allies could mount an assault against the citadel itself."
Udina adopted a mock frown.
"Of course, I feign my own death with some sadness. My career had great promise, and it will be with some difficulty that I watch a different human represent humanity on the council. Still, I will be glad for the company."
Miranda was speechless, both in shock and some small degree of admiration's at the plan's boldness.
The councilor laughed at her. "Yes, the 'dead' Councilor Udina will be replaced as well, and then we shall have two humans on council and leave the turians with none!"
Ashley spat at him.
"You'll be found out eventually. You won't be able to play the turian forever."
Udina raised his eyebrows and smiled. "Won't I? Well, it seems unlikely either of you will ever know for sure, unless..."
He paused dramatically.
"Unless you change sides of course."
Miranda fingered her SMG; she looked over at Ashley, but could not catch her eye as her comrade continued to hurl verbal insults at the aggressor. Udina was unaffected by them.
"Come now, you have to admit some attraction to the notion. Miss Lawson was once in Cerberus, and you, Ashley Williams, have long been skeptical of non-humans. I just had the courage, and the power, to do what neither of you ever could. Now, is your chance to join me; together, we can begin to correct Shepard's foolish error of saving the Destiny Ascension. Instead of destroying the council though, we will take it over. And that begins right now."
Miranda was stunned, outraged at this man. Yet, there was a part, just the smallest part, that was sympathetic. There was a passion beneath his words that she still shared: a passion to see humanity not only survive, but also thrive! That had been the goal of Cerberus and she still believed in it. The turians had always been the largest barrier to humanity's advancement, and denying them a seat on the council would solidify humanity as the per-eminent race in the galaxy. The problem remained the same though: the means were immoral. Miranda could be hard at times, she recognized that, but she was through with tolerating every act for evil for an eventual so-called greater good. There was always Cerberus if she was looking for that.
Udina looked from one to the other.
"What say you, then? Will you fight for your race?"
Finally, Miranda and Ashley's gaze met. It was only for a moment, but it was long enough. Their odds were slim, but it was all they had.
3, 2, 1
Just as they both reached for their guns, there was a shout from one of the mercs; then, bullets pelted the ground around them, and biotic fields flung mercenaries in all directions. Miranda looked up. Admiral Anderson and Liara T'Soni looked out at them from their respective ships; one held an assault rifle, and the other glowed a bright blue as the pulse of the biotics ran through her and out towards their enemies
Biotic Charge! No one saw it coming, least of all her, but he somehow managed it. Closing the gap instantly to a nearby merc, Shepard grabbed the particle beam cannon and let loose on nearby foes. Miranda, surging with new-found energy, followed his lead and opened up with both guns on her now-confused enemies. Two in the leg, five bullets to the chest, a head shot, they were dropping like flies. The scene before her quickly became awash with gunfire and biotic fields as mercs went flying in all directions. Unsure of where to focus their attacks, the tide turned against them quickly, and their numbers dwindled. Miranda cut through a final line, and then she saw Udina again.
The councilor looked scared as he tried to scramble back to a transport. He tripped on a stray rock and Miranda almost pitied him in his terror.
Almost.
Slam! One flick of her wrist and the councilor went up and then crashed to the ground. Miranda grabbed him by his collar and hauled him the rest of the way to the ship. She thrust him in front of the communications.
"Call them off. The mercs, the mechs, your ships. Everyone. Tell them to stand down."
"Or what," Udina was bleeding, blood flowing freely from a gash in his forehead, "you'll kill me. Aren't you too righteous for that now Miranda? Just another self-righteous alien-lover."
Miranda removed her pistol and thrust the tip between Udina's lips, just far enough so he could taste it. She wondered if this politician had ever even handled a gun before, much less come this close to death. She wondered how much he believed his own words, if he really was as courageous as he espoused. For just a moment she wondered these things.
"Wait," Udina sputtered on the pistol, his eyes beginning to glisten. "Please, wait. I'll do what you ask."
Miranda smirked as he issued the orders to his men and grinned at her captive as he finished. Grabbing his head, she yanked it back to her mouth.
"You were right," she whispered, her voice almost friendly, "I'm not that kind of person anymore."
Miranda gave him one swift push, and Udina lurched to the side, hitting his head hard against the wall of the craft. He was knocked out, and Miranda left him there until they were all picked up by Anderson and Liara.