Chapter 14: LawBringer
Miranda awoke on a table, hands, feet, and head restrained, a gag in her mouth. She cursed her carelessness in leaving the hideout; when she was active in the field, she never would have fallen into such a trap. On the other hand, she thought, perhaps it's time to bring the trap to the bad guys.
"Bout time you woke up, traitorous bitch."
She recognized Ray Kristancic from the data extracted from her father's computer files. Five years had done little to change him. Pathetic, she thought. Everyone knew that the Illusive Man was an indoctrinated pawn once it was over, and that only the uniting of the disparate races by Shepard had saved the galaxy; continuing to try to preserve Cerberus and carry out their anti-alien agenda was like desperately holding on to the notion that the Sun orbited the Earth. Kristancic jammed a stun baton into her ribs, causing her to flinch.
"You killed your father for trying to find a way to stop the Reapers," he continued. "You sold us out to the aliens. Now, you're going to pay for your crimes."
Another man held up a very robust looking syringe filled with what she knew were nanides. This was what had happened to their other victims. She surmised that they were going to inject her with nanides and use her to do something terrible. Kristancic's next words confirmed her suspicions.
"Once we put these into you, you'll go and murder Liara T'soni, that brat she adopted, and her pregnant wife."
She wondered why they had waited until now to put them in. Apparently, they wanted her to suffer; that and to make this doom and gloom speech. These idiots must know that I'm a powerful biotic, she thought. They must think I'm not fully recovered yet. Big mistake. She decided to act woozy, moaning a little to feign grogginess.
Kristancic dutifully continued. "You'll shoot the bitch in the stomach first, so that she can savor the death of her unborn child. Then you'll kill her. Then you'll go home and kill your son and your traitorous sister. Finally, you'll place the gun into your mouth and kill yourself."
Have to act fast, she thought, for she knew that she had only a short time to act. The needle was being placed against her head; she could feel its point penetrating the flesh behind her eye. She quickly tensed her abdominal muscles, then sharply arched her back, releasing the full power of her biotics in a violently expanding barrier, hurling her captors against the wall. She used her biotics to free her right hand, and then pulled the gag from her mouth and undid the head restraints.
Kristancic slowly stood, but by then it was too late. Miranda stood over him, the air around her crackling with biotic power, a look of supreme confidence on her face. He could not help but admire her. Nor could he quell the terror rising inside of him. He went for his pistol, but she quickly closed on him and grabbed his trigger hand, forcing the gun back into the holster. Then she squeezed the trigger of the gun, causing it to discharge, shooting his lower leg. She took the gun from him as he fell.
"This is for those Asari children, you bastard." She then blew his kneecaps out. "Don't go anywhere," she said in a musical, charming voice, a smile on her face. "Garrus, this is Miranda," she said, radioing the C-Sec Executor. "They made the mistake of capturing me and bringing me to their lair."
"Good work, Miranda," said Garrus enthusiastically. " Turns out they had a mole here in C-Sec; they must have activated him after they caught you. Don't worry; we took care of him. Tell us where you are, and I'll be there asap with a battalion of C-Sec officers."
"Sending you the signal now, Garrus," she replied. "It's the same one I sent Shepard, so you might meet him en-route. Make it quick; I've taken out the ringleaders, but they've probably got fifty people in here. It's the old Sirta Foundation building."
"I know the place, Miranda. I'm on my way."
#
Garrus had actually made more headway than Miranda knew; with the knowledge that the victims were being controlled via nanides, he had the station's scanners keyed to detect them and then set up additional security checkpoints and had set several squads to work scouring the station to find anyone who might be compromised. They had stopped several would-be shooters, but lacked the knowledge of the source. With Miranda's communication, he had that now.
Now, the race was on to get there before Miranda killed all fifty of the remaining Cerberus forces. No need to let her have all the fun, he thought. He marshaled a large battalion of C-Sec officers and gave them a quick rundown of the mission.
"We've got a group of Cerberus scientists and sympathizers," he explained. "They're armed, dangerous, and they've been using reverse engineered Reaper nanides to program people to kill non-Humans for them. They're behind the recent shootings. Miranda Shepard tracked them down and provided us with the location of their hideout; it's the old Sirta Foundation building. As you know, these shootings have been causing a lot of dissension and mistrust. I've put this group together to be fifty percent human with fifty percent Turian, Asari, and Salarian. I want to present a united front on this; show these bastards that we are a united people, not separate cliques delineated by race. Now, let's roll out!"
"I'm right here with you Garrus," said Shepard, joining the assembly.
"Shepard," exclaimed Garrus. "Just like old times, eh?"
"Better," laughed the Admiral. "No Reapers. I came as soon as I heard from Miranda. Punched it hard to get here from Arcturus; you won't mind my joining you, will you?"
"A C-Sec operation with Shepard? I'd never pass that up," said Garrus.
"On another mission together, eh, Shepard?" Gianna Parasini had joined the group for this.
"Small galaxy," laughed Shepard. "Good to see you, Gianna. Now let's move out!"
#
Miranda had managed to bind up the ringleaders, but now she was pinned down in the Serta lobby behind a receptionist desk. Every so often, one of the attackers would make it around the desk and she had to shoot him before getting killed. She estimated that she had killed roughly fifteen. She thought that there were about fifty, but in truth, that was just a guess. There could be more.
She saw that her fears were justified as more poured in. These wore Cerberus armor and some were guardians, whose shields made them very difficult for a lone woman with a pistol. She cut loose with biotics, sending shockwaves to punctuate her return fire, but there were too many, and they were closing in.
Suddenly, their attention was focused on an enemy that had come in behind them; Garrus and his force had arrived, with Shepard at the front. Unlike their honeymoon, Shepard was outfitted for battle, his new MK-6 N-7 armor providing him with the protection he needed to wade into battle. With Garrus' forces and Shepard, it was over quickly; which was a good thing too, as Miranda had just used up her last thermal clip.
She was just about to breathe a sigh of relief when a lone remaining trooper managed to get to her from behind. She thought she was dead until three shots sounded from behind the trooper. He fell to the ground, revealing Gianna Parasini, pistol in hand.
"Hey, Lawson," she said. "Or should I say, 'Shepard' now?"
"Thanks," said Miranda, standing and shaking her rescuer's hand. "And yes, you should," she added as Shepard joined her, putting his arm around her.
"Thanks, Gianna," he said. "I guess I owe you a beer now."
"Hey, I'll take a six pack for saving Miranda," Gianna laughed. "But man, I've never actually seen you in action. You're pretty scary. Though I suppose that, given what you've fought, that shouldn't surprise me. Take care, Shepards. We'll have to get together for drinks sometime."
Gianna left as Garrus joined them. "Looks like we got them all, the ones on the station at least. A group like this, there are probably more back on Earth."
"Gianna will be good at rooting that sort of crap out here on the station, at least," observed Shepard. "I'm just glad we got here in time to extract you, Miranda. I couldn't imagine losing you."
"I know, John," she replied as he enfolded her in his arms. "As I said on the old Citadel, I've become quite attached. The only difference is that, unlike the start of the Reaper War, I am quite good at attachment now."
He kissed her deeply, dipping her slightly. Miranda savored the moment, not caring about the onlookers, cheers, or anything outside of the embrace of her husband. It was finally over and she was reunited with her soulmate.
#
Garrus rounded up the surviving members of what was hopefully the last Cerberus cell and had the Reaper tech confiscated, to be destroyed under supervision of representatives of each of the species living in the Sol System. Shepard and Miranda made a graceful exit once Miranda had given her statement, eager to be home.
#
The Shepards, Zack and Alyna, and Liara and Shiala had gathered in the living room of the Shepard home. They had just turned off the news vids, and were celebrating the defeat of the Cerberus cell. The news reports had praised the quick action of C-Sec and made sure to include every available detail of the Shepards' involvement. Miranda's pivotal role in shutting down a Cerberus cell went a long way towards elevating public opinion of her. Before, she was seen as a misguided woman whom Shepard had shown the light. Now, she was seen in a more heroic light. Her loyalties were no longer a question in the minds of even the most ardent skeptics. The news now portrayed her thusly:
"One of the valiant heroes of the Reaper War, Miranda Lawson resuscitated then Commander Shepard so that they could both stop the Collectors and take down Cerberus from within. This opposition to Cerberus came at a cost; with her own father was one of the Illusive Man's top scientists and financial benefactors, she was forced to fight against her own family, and ultimately killed Doctor Lawson to save a hostage when she and Shepard dismantled Lawson's operation on Horizon. Miranda provided valuable intel on Cerberus, allowing Commander Shepard to lead an assault on Cerberus' base. Had it not been for her efforts to provide key intel, the war likely would have been lost."
Everyone looked at Miranda after the video was turned off. She looked a bit embarrassed, as Shiala, Zack, and Alyna looked at her very admiringly. Even Liara seemed to be experiencing a bit of the 'wow' factor. Shepard simply looked at her proudly, knowing the enormity of her efforts first hand. Maybe now, the Alliance military will finally give her the honors she deserves, he thought.
"If they only knew what Liara here did," said Miranda, "They wouldn't be talking so much about me. If not for her efforts, the Crucible would never have been built and galactic society would have been extinguished entirely."
"You seem uncomfortable with the attention, Miranda," Liara observed. "I for one am glad not to have it. Attention makes life harder to live, especially in the profession I've had for the past few years."
"I'm very uncomfortable with it," Miranda confessed. "I was a covert operative; hearing my name on the news makes me feel as though my cover was just blown. And people will have all kinds of expectations of me now."
"Ha! Now you know how I feel," said Shepard with a laugh.
\"I suppose I do," Miranda conceded. "But that was part of the appeal of marrying you; you can have all that unwanted attention. Me? I just want to be a school teacher and leave that life behind. I've earned my normal life, and I plan to enjoy it."
"Normalcy," mused Liara. "It seems we have all found it. What a bunch of misfits we are."
"This just gives me more reason to go to the academy," said Zack excitedly. "With my father a solder and my new parents both war heroes, I feel like destiny has just called out to me."
"You'll make a fine soldier, Zack," assured Liara. "But don't get caught up with destiny; just be the good man you were raised by your parents to be. That will honor their sacrifice. John and Miranda are inspiring, but don't try to be them."
"That's right, Zack," said Miranda, beaming with pride in him. "I knew what a fine young man you are the moment I saw you. And Alyna, I knew what a bright, beautiful girl you were. I'm just glad to be a part of your lives."
"And speaking of bright, beautiful girls," said Shepard, "When are you due, Shiala?"
"Anytime," she laughed. "I'm surprised the stress of the past week hadn't put me into labor, but this little one just isn't ready yet."
"Do you know what you're going to name her?" asked Zack.
"Yes," said Shiala. "Its origin is in Human myth, but as we're in the Sol system, we thought it appropriate. And the name practically sounds like it originates on Thessia. We're going to name her, Athena."
"She'll be my little sis," exclaimed Alyna.
"She'll have the best big sister ever," said Zack. Alyna smiled at him, though her smile was touched with sadness.
"When are you going away, Zack?"
"You mean the Academy? Not for two more years," he said. "But I won't be far and I'll visit as often as I can."
Alyna became teary eyed and ran across to where Zack was sitting and hugged him. "I'll miss you!" He looked completely flabbergasted, though he regained his composure and hugged her back.
"Don't worry, Alyna," he said. "I'll keep in contact with you. I'll miss you too, you know."
Alyna released Zack, but stayed seated next to him. Shepard raised his glass and said, "To the future of the galaxy, and to Zack and Alyna, who embody all our hopes and dreams for that future."
"To the future!" They cheered, raising their classes and clinking them together in a toast.
#
It was not long before Garrus contacted Miranda about the massive amount of data retrieved from the drives of the Cerberus cell's computers. Being ex-Cerberus, he hoped that she could offer some insight. He was not wrong.
"We're lucky, Garrus," she said excitedly. "They really screwed up; in fact, they practically gave us the farm."
"How so?" asked the Turian war hero.
"For starters, the location of a Cerberus installation; the one that 'Maya Brooks' used to rehab the clone prior to the Reaper invasion. Seems that they're keeping salvaged Cerberus tech, along with any Reaper tech, at this installation in the Balkans. Looks like the Reapers left it untouched. Knowing what we know now, it's little wonder."
"Indeed." Garrus rubbed his right mandible as he considered their options. "Miranda, we need to stop this. And we need to get in and destroy it before any of those damned political idiots gets any ideas about military value. You know that they're already arguing about the destruction of the nanides; damned Salarian ambassador is pushing to keep it for study rather than destroy it. And I know how militaries think; anything they can reverse engineer to give them an edge, they'll keep."
"Are they insane?" Miranda became tense, pacing anxiously. "We have no idea how dangerous that tech is, and we've already seen what can happen when it falls into the wrong hands. And I'm sorry, Garrus, but the Alliance military isn't exactly the right hands. And the Salarians are even worse."
"I know," he agreed. "I wouldn't trust it to the Turian military either. I can only hope that Shepard can reign them in and force the issue. But this? Miranda, we need to destroy it. You, Shepard, and I. And with Shepard's rank as an admiral and head of the Rangers, we can do it without the Council getting involved."
"Alright, Garrus; I'm in. But remember, I'm a schoolteacher now. I can't be gone for weeks at a time on covert missions. It's got to be a quick in, surgically strike, and then leave."
"I know," he said. "As the C-Sec executor, I can't be missing for long periods either. I'll talk to Shepard and see what we can figure out."
"You are talking to Shepard," she chided.
"I know," he conceded. "Sorry, Miranda; still not used that."
Miranda just laughed. Garrus took everything so seriously that it was impossible for her not to have fun with it once in a while. And as the data was extremely disturbing, she felt that a bit of levity was in order.
#
"The scientific and military benefits are far too valuable to just destroy it!" Milgran Qex, the Salarian ambassador was adamant that the recovered Reaper tech be studied rather than destroyed. Shepard was glad to be present at the meeting, but could hardly believe the shortsighted stupidity of the politicians.
"Our own military agrees, though I am not entirely comfortable with the idea of keeping it around," commented Prime Minister Osoba.
The Turian ambassador nodded, though he was much more comfortable than Osoba was. The Asari ambassador remained silent, but the Krogan ambassador, Urdnot Dagg, was not having it.
"Salarians and Turians pulling for another weapon that comes out of a needle," he observed belligerently. "That is not surprising, but do the Humans have to support this? And what of the Asari? Do you not remember the war we just fought? Do you not remember the example of your own savior, Admiral Shepard? He destroyed the Collector base rather than try to win a war with tainted tech."
"It figures that a Krogan would not trust Salarians and Turians," scoffed Qex. "If you're people had the means to study it, you wouldn't be advocating it's destruction!"
"Indeed," added the Quarian ambassador, Admiral Han'Gerrel vas Rannoch. "Those of us with the means of studying this tech scientifically can see the obvious benefits."
"Means of study are irrelevant," bellowed the Krogan, now standing. "No race, not even my own, can be entrusted with this! The temptation to use it against our own citizens and allies is far too great! This is Reaper tech; it may even be able influence the very minds of those in close proximity to it now that it's active."
"That's absurd …" the Turian ambassador began, but Shepard cut him off.
"No, it isn't," declared Shepard. "Corporations and politics are dirty by design. And militaries all have a win at any cost attitude. I get it; I'm an admiral. This is far too dangerous to be playing with, and you all damn well know it. I was on Sur'kesh; I saw the Yahg specimen you had there against Council law, Qex, so you can drop the pretense of moral high ground." Then he turned to Han'Gerrel. "And you, Han'Gerrel; you replaced Tali as ambassador, and after fighting that war against your own tech run amok, you'd advocate this? Obvious benefits? The only obvious benefits are reprehensible subversions of science; tainted and abominable. You couldn't even control the Geth, and you made them. Now you think you can control Reaper tech? Pathetic."
Shepard stood and looked at the assembled politicians. Kinney was present, which bugged Shepard; it meant that he was being moved up the ladder and groomed for something bigger. "If you idiots play around this crap, it's going to get loose, no matter how hard you try to keep it under wraps. And when it gets loose, I'll be the one brought in to deal with it. And when I deal with it, I'll make sure to take down every last one of you who instigated this … abomination. I already beat the Reapers. I united the Galaxy. I got the Genophage cured so that Krogan boots could bring relief to Palaven so that Earth could get reinforcements. I forged peace with Quarians and the Geth. I was on the ground on Rannoch fighting a Reaper. I was the one who went to Thesia's aid. I was in that Cerberus base that was filled with Reaper tech, fighting indoctrinated forces who were loaded with reverse engineered Reaper tech.
"You want to know where this will all go, you take a long look at my report on Cerberus. You take a long look at my reports on their base and on Horizon. Because that's what it will turn into. And if you go that route, then you will become my avowed enemy. Is that what you want? Because that's what it's gonna be. And before you dismiss my words, keep in mind that not a single one of my avowed enemies lives."
The assembly went silent. They knew that Shepard's threats were not idle, and they knew that Admiral Hackett was behind him. And the galaxy already knew what the Krogan were capable of, and trapped in the Sol System, the rapidly reproducing Krogan were already as populous as the native humans. And more Krogan had survived the Battle for Earth than any other alien species. And they were fiercely loyal to Shepard, a man whom they considered one of their own; a man whose very name meant 'hero' in the Krogan tongue.
The last time the Krogan rebelled, the genophage was deployed to quell them. There would be no silver bullet this time. The human soldiers would gladly cast aside the politicians' and top brass decisions and follow Shepard, and the Krogan would support him to the last. And the humans still had a bad taste in their mouths over the treatment of their plight by the Salarians early in the war.
Finally, the Asari ambassador, Timandra, spoke. "I came to Earth to fight the Reapers after Thessia was invested. I saw what those things did to the Asari. It was a nightmare that I never wish to have again. The Asari stand with Admiral Shepard, and with the Krogan."
Prime Minister Osoba breathed a sigh of relief, glad to have the leverage he needed to buck the various corporate heads and unscrupulous generals. "In light of such overwhelming opposition to keeping it, I move for its destruction. The Alliance Parliament has submitted their votes, and the overwhelming majority favors destruction as well."
"But the Salarian Union …" began Qex, but Osoba held up a hand to silence him.
"I will not jeopardize the safety of the Alliance to satisfy the scientific curiosity of the Salarians, or the profiteering motivations of military industrial complex. I trust that our efforts in sending scientists to repair the Horsehead Nebula relay using our own resources and personnel are a sufficient incentive for you to, say, vote with me? Or should I order those ships home?"
"The Salarian Union stands with Humanity," Qex declared disappointedly.
"As does the Turian Hierarchy," said the Turian Ambasador. "Though I do not agree with the decision personally, we were brothers in arms and have become staunch allies. I'll not sacrifice that for Reaper tech. The benefits of alliance far outweigh the benefits of Reaper tech."
"In light of Shepard's statements," said Han'Gerrel, "The Quarians also stand by the decision made by the Human Prime Minister."
#
Shepard and Garrus personally oversaw the destruction of the Reaper tech, members of each of the species stuck in the Sol System present. Shepard looked at Garrus and shook his head.
"Next time, we destroy it post haste."
"Agreed," said Garrus. "I can't believe it was even up for debate."
"Weeds of the galaxy," said Shepard.
"You've got that right," agreed Garrus.