An: Alright, I apologize for taking so long to update another chapter (as I did have it written), but I'm going to start updating this story differently. Instead of doing it whenever I get around to writing the chapter, I'm going to update this every Saturday. Once again, sorry for the wait, but at least this will give me time to finish up the chapters throughout this Cerberus section, and start getting into the ME2 timeline, and into the ME2 romance. :D
Secondly, I will be able to write a lot more now, as yesterday was my official last day of school. Other then scheduling for my classes and playing at graduation, I never have to set foot into my high school for a good couple months.
Other then that, just enjoy the new chapter, and fuel my muse with reviews. :D
The feel of the wind on her face was extremely peaceful as the energy within her pulsed with every breath she took. Her eyes were closed, and all of her focus was directed inwards; towards her core, where the center of her biotics were located. From there, she manipulated the pulse of her energy through every node in her body and timed it with her breathing, to lull her into a calming meditation. An orb of blue surrounded her entire form, that dimmed and brightened in correspondence with the expulsion of her biotics, and the heat of her internal energy calmed her even further, as the wind constantly licked against her skin in an attempt to cool her.
Beside her, Lillian sat, silent and calm as her student meditated. Her eyes stared out into the grassy world, and her ears perked at the sound of wildlife running about around the Cerberus facility. Bird-like creatures flew around, and the beautiful blue sky overhead hung without a single cloud to block the warming rays of the sun. Everything about this place proved peaceful, and as Miranda's biotics fell she could visibly see the stress had lifted from her student's shoulders.
"Meditation is a wonderful thing," Lily said in a voice quiet enough not to disturb the world around them. "It can be used to strengthen your biotics, and help you in battle, but it also helps you clear your mind and relieve you of any stress you have. I would recommend doing it whenever you start to get in over your head."
"I will," Miranda answered, with a voice that was as thick, and as sweet as honey. "I find it extremely calming. Enough to where I want to fall asleep. I felt like I was in a bubble, floating above the world where no one could see me, touch me, or hear me. I was solely by myself, where I could be calm, and be sure that nothing would sneak up to attack me. It was perfect."
"I know the feeling," the Aussie's mentor said, smiling as the bird-like creatures flew closer and swooped around them. "When I first managed to leave colony life, I had the same problems you did. I was running, and didn't know how to stop, or who to trust. I couldn't find peace, even when I slept, and it was driving me mad. I stumbled across Illium, and had a run in with an Asari Justicar. I was under suspicion for theft in the area, but by the time she realized I was innocent, she realized that I was extremely troubled as well. She gave me coordinates for a place she didn't explain, and told me to meet her there when the sun was about to set. When I showed up, she taught me how to meditate. From then on, I used it to strengthen my biotics to where they are today, as well as give myself a level head."
"You've never told me anything about your past," Miranda said, closing her eyes and straightening her back as her biotics circled around her once more. "I'm curious."
"Well, whenever the relay schematics were founded, I left my life on Earth, and found myself on a small farming colony in the Attican Traverse. Mindoir, a beautiful place full of hard working people. I had enlisted with Alliance military long ago, but requested that I do more civilian work, than front line fighting. I got my wish, and worked security on the growing colony."
"Security? What do you mean security?"
"I guarded the roads and the Space Ports when farmers brought there crops in for export. It was a cushy job, and didn't have much action, safe for an accident here or there. One night, at a Space Port far away from any civilian villages, a cargo ship blew up and exposed me to eezo. I was sick for weeks, but came out of the sickness with my biotics. At first I was scared to use them, and every time I tried I ended up hurting myself. It wasn't until after Mindoir that the Justicar taught me how to use them properly.
"Were you one of the first human biotics?"
"I suppose so," Lily said, casting her eyes to the side to see Miranda still entranced by her meditations. "My accident happened in the year 2154. I was only 22, and frankly, I thought the world was caving in on me when it happened. Little did I know that my weeks of sickness, and years of fear actually yielded to powers that save my life time and time again."
"I gained my biotics through transplant surgery," Miranda said, with a smooth, accepting tone. "When I was seven, my father took me into his facility's hospital wing, and I was put under anesthesia before I knew what was going on. Nodes from an Asari where placed around my heart, and in my extremities. I didn't accept the nodes at first, and almost died two hours after the surgery was complete, but my father's expert medical team saved me, and later exposed me to eezo so my nodes would grow."
"Well, I'm glad you can speak so freely about your past now."
"Meditating while doing so helps, as well as being with you. You are accepting, and I have learned my lesson...but enough about me. What exactly happened on Mindoir that caused you to leave?" Miranda asked, breaking her concentration enough for her to look at her trainer out of the corner of her eye.
"It was a personal matter, I suppose," Lily explained, looking down to the building's roof they sat on, before she directed her eyes towards the sky. "I fancied another soldier I worked with, but I was relatively new to any sort of romantic relationship and naturally, I was scared. One night, he grew a little too impatient, and tried to force himself onto me. Not the smartest idea if your victim has a gun..."
"That's horrible," her student muttered, stopping her meditation and turning her head. "I'm sorry you had to go through that."
"It made me stronger," she responded, reaching over and settling her hand on Miranda's wrist. "Just as your struggles have made you stronger. He never actually hurt me. I shot him a few times in the leg before anything scarring happened, but even still, I trusted him above everyone, and it was confusing that he cared so little that he would have resorted to hurting me to satisfy his urges. After that, I couldn't stand to be on the same planet with him, so I caught the next ship to Illium and tried to find work there. After having a run in with that Justicar, I met a Cerberus scientist, Dr. Chandana, who swayed me into the organization. To this day, he is still my best friend, but he is off in a scientific cell that I know nothing about."
"Do you two still manage to keep in touch?" Miranda asked, mind automatically floating to her memories of Niket, and the image she had formulated of him lying in a hospital bed.
"Oh yeah," Lily laughed. "We talk every night, but comm networks will never be the same as being in person. Hopefully one day, possibly after training you, I'll be directed towards a cell of his and we can be reunited, but if not, I'm content speaking to his hologram, knowing that he's out there somewhere."
Sighing, the teenager pushed herself to her feet and walked closer to the building's edge, looking out at the mountains that circled around the facility. Closing her eyes, she remembered almost identical mountains circling her father's facility, and remembered the many days she spent with Niket on the roof; escaping from the world downstairs. "I left my best friend behind in Australia. He helped me escape from my father, and almost died trying to hold off the soldiers that were sent for me. The Illusive Man forwarded me a correspondence, saying he located Niket in St. Vincent's Hospital, and that he donated money in my name to help him recover."
"That was awfully kind of him."
"Yes, it was. I couldn't explain to you in words how happy I felt knowing that Niket was alive, and that...at least someone close to me managed to help him," she said, reaching a hand up to rub at the back of her neck. "But...I miss seeing him every day...talking to him, being with him in general. He was always there for me when I needed him, and now...well...it's hard not having that solid person there."
"I completely understand," Lily said, rising to her feet and moving to Miranda's side. "I felt that way when Chandana was transferred to another cell, and I was ordered to start teaching here. I was barely out of training myself, and the whole time I had Chandana to lean onto whenever I needed him. You learn to stand on your own eventually, but that place in your heart solely for them will never be replaced."
"I know," the Aussie smiled, crossing her arms over her chest. "One day I'll talk to him again, but I have to worry about my training, and he has to worry about getting better. When the time comes, one of us will find the other."
"That's a positive way to look at it, Miranda," the Englishwoman said, smirking and turning to take her seat on the roof once more. "Come on, let's meditate for just a little bit more, then we can raid the cafeteria. We'll be starving after all the use of our biotics."
Chuckling, Miranda shook her head and took her seat next to Lily. She closed her eyes, and let her hands rest on her crossed legs before she focused on her core, and took a deep breath that flared her biotics. Letting herself fall into the abyss, her breathing and biotics easily fell into synchronization, and the two sat in their own little worlds, as all of their demons were washed away, and were replaced by the pure energy pulsing from within them.
Driven to find Skye after leaving their last conversation with a sour note, and not seeing him at all the day before, Miranda took part of her lunch break to go find the infiltrator. As usual, she found him in the library, but instead of reading, he simply stood in front of the windows and looked out into the grassy world. Bottom lip pouted out, she could clearly see the thoughts rolling through his head, but she had absolutely no idea as to what they were about.
Clearing her throat to get his attention, he turned his head to look at her, and smiled briefly as the tension between the two returned in full force. Nodding to her, he faced her, and crossed his arms comfortably over his chest. "Hi," he ventured, unwilling to say much else.
"Hey," she responded, running her fingers through her hair and stepping closer to her friend. "I've had a rough couple of days, and I came to say that I'm sorry. I overreacted for no reason whatsoever, and I have no right to treat those around me as terrible as I have been. I'm sorry and...I hope that you accept my apology."
"I do," Skye said, with a soft smile touching his lips. "I could tell you had a lot of things weighing down on you, but I see that some of your training has taken that away. What's your secret?"
"Lillian took me up to the roof, and she taught me how to meditate with my biotics," Miranda answered, walking to his side and relishing in the heat of the sunlight that streamed through the windows. "It strengthens your biotics, and proves to be very helpful if you're trying to clear your thoughts. Lily has been such a help over the past couple of days, but...I'm ashamed to say that I treated her the same way I did you. I'm sorry."
"You already said that," he shrugged, walking to her side and casually slinging his arm around her shoulders. "I know everyone has their problems, Miranda, and I know not to assume that everyone I speak to has dealt with those. I apologize for troubling you, if I ever do it again, just tell me to shut up."
"I think I'll be okay from now on," she said, as she slipped her own arm around her friend's waist. "My head is clear, and I'm ready to continue my training without any hindrances to slow me. I have things to prove, and a galaxy to better."
"Aiming a little high aren't we?"
"Eh, why the hell not? The more you dream, and the more you strive, the better you'll do, right?"
"I suppose so," Skye nodded, smiling and looking down at the beautiful girl leaning into his side. "So, now that we've cleared all that up, what are you doing after your evening training session on Saturday?"
"Probably what I usually do...getting a shower, and heading to bed," Miranda answered, an unexpected flush appearing on her porcelain cheeks. "Why? Have something planned."
"Possibly," he laughed. "But only if you would be willing to accompany me. Since no one has training on Sunday, Saturday is usually the night to stay up and have some fun. How about spending the night with me, and we can find something entertaining to do around this facility?"
"Okay," she agreed, gently biting her lower lip. "I suppose spending the time with you will be more entertaining then sitting in my room and staring at the wall."
"That it will be. We usually don't get time to go out into the courtyard throughout the week, but it's a wonderful place to wind down after all of our sessions. I'm sure you'll appreciate it," he said, nodding towards the building that stuck out and blocked the courtyard's view. "It's behind there. It has a huge fountain in the middle, and whenever there is a full moon, it makes the water look like flowing silver."
"It sounds gorgeous."
"Just wait until you see it," he muttered with a squeeze to her shoulder before he stepped away from her and went to grab the two folders that he had set on a nearby desk. "I wish I could tell you more about it but, as usual, our meetings have to be cut short. I have to get back for my evening session, sadly. Will I see you at dinner?"
"As long as you show up," Miranda smirked, crossing her arms and quirking an eyebrow as if to pose a challenge.
"Well, who would I be to stand up such a beautiful woman?" Skye asked, smiling brilliantly while she offered only a simple eye roll in return. "I'll see you later Miranda."
"See ya Skye," she called after him, waving as he left the library and turned down the hall towards a wing on the opposite side of the facility. Sighing, she let the heat from the sun warm her skin further, before she walked deeper into the library and skimmed for something that would catch her interest. Stumbling on a cluttered desk towards the back, her attention caught a file that was resting on top of a stack of books. Nearing it, she saw a small note printed on the file cover that ordered that the information be delivered to Skye Turnick as soon as possible. Shrugging her shoulder nonchalantly, she picked the file up, and traced his name with her fingers before she opened the file and was met with a picture of a blue sphere and information on the planet that was aptly named 'Trident'.
"Hmm," she hummed as she looked through the plethora of papers that were clipped to the file. "Nothing here seems important...just basic geological profiles and some vague history on the Cerberus cell that was set up there not too long ago. Why would Skye need this?"
Deciding it did not interest her, she closed the file and placed it back where it was, before she left the library and decided to walk the long way back to the place where she was supposed to meet Lily after lunch.
