Chapter 28
Miranda had never anticipated for the negotiations to go well.
This was never a mission that would've had an easy outcome. In her initial negotiations with Everett, he had been too eager to do business with them. Too happy to accommodate them. She had expected him to have an ace up his sleeve, either in the form of some favour or an over exaggerated amount of money. His request, although bold, hadn't even surprised her, because it was in line with what she expected from him.
His last play was surprising.
And foolish.
When it came to Mindoir, Katelyn could not be reasonable. It was why it had been such a good topic to exploit. It was her pacifier, but – in the wrong hands – the topic was also her aggressor.
And, these days, Katelyn didn't require a lot to be angry.
Miranda tried to remember when it started. She guessed that it could have been Horizon, when the commander was truly rejected for the first time. It wasn't just because of her alliance with Cerberus. It was simply because she was alive. Ashley Williams had started a fire that raged within Shepard on that very day that they had won and lost their first strike against the Collectors. Things didn't get any easier from there on and now, looking at Shepard's face, Miranda realised that Eckardt was about to experience the full force of all Katelyn's built up frustrations.
As much as she wanted to, Miranda couldn't really do anything to stop her.
Because here, in this moment, she was Katelyn's subordinate. And, this was Katelyn's call. Standing among these people, Miranda knew she couldn't openly cross her. She wanted to, she wanted to drag Shepard out of that office and tell her to settle as she should've done before the woman hit Kalisha. But, she hadn't then because she hadn't thought that Katelyn would lose her temper, and she didn't interfere now because the commander had asked her to.
This was Shepard's call.
Looking at the door as it closed between them, Miranda was acutely aware of every person around her. The slave, the muscle, the cleaner down the hall that looked as if he had a shield belt and a gun. She took it all in and breathed slowly and deeply, mapping out her biotics in her mind, mentally preparing herself for whatever attack she might have to launch, preparing herself to protect Ryan at all costs. Because if he died after all of this, there would be hell to pay. The slave didn't look at her, but stood in silence, almost disappearing in the background. Miranda had flashbacks to her childhood prison and remembered her father's servants, all who stood with the same demeanour.
Slaves themselves? She wondered and ignored the train of thought immediately, realising that she had to focus.
She didn't have to wait long for Shepard, who strode out of the room only a few minutes after entering it. Her stomach turned at the commander's expression. At the calm, cold fury that radiated from her body language. Everett followed a few seconds later, his collar stained with sweat. He didn't look amused anymore.
In fact, he didn't look as if he wanted to be in Shepard's company anymore either. Miranda tried to meet the commander's gaze, but the woman had no eyes for her. Her emerald gaze was focused on Ryan as she strode towards him. Some instinct must've made him look up and it was only at his look of utter fear that Shepard stopped her approach. Her features softened slightly as she produced a key and showed it to him. His expression changed, but he didn't relax as she reached out again and removed the collar around his neck.
With it in her hands, Shepard turned back to Everett and flung it to him. "Here," she said coldly. "Remember that this can look good on you too."
So, Miranda thought. Threats were exchanged.
She sent a pre-prepared message to the shuttle pilot that they would be leaving very soon. She wanted to start walking, not wishing to linger, but her commander didn't move immediately, her attention still focused on Ryan.
"Do you have anything of value?" She asked the slave. "Anything you would like to take with you if you leave here?"
Miranda didn't think that a slave would and, sure enough, with a strange look of regret, he shook his head. Shepard studied his features for a moment then simply nodded. Without looking at Everett again, she turned on her heel and, with one hand behind Ryan without touching him, she guided them back to the shuttle.
The strange thing was that Chakwas was just a little nervous and she couldn't quite tell herself why. The man in her infirmary was perfectly timid, docile even as she examined him, taking note of a lifetime of scars left by the abuse of his past owners and captives. He was perfectly co-operative, a model patient – just like Rinn had been.
Shaking her head, wishing that she could stop associating the attack with Rinn and telling herself that it really wasn't the hybrid's fault, she noticed that her patient was giving her an uncertain look. She smiled at him, kindly and put down the notes that she was making in her file.
"There are no immediate matters that require any attention," she said gently. "You are in good health. Were you told what was going to happen once you reach Mindoir?"
The man's haunted eyes turned to her, uncertain at the name. The doctor wasn't surprised as the planet had probably been the source of most of his nightmares.
"Well," she continued when he said nothing else. "They have a very good rehabilitation program there. They will be able to assist you in your recovery."
Ryan shifted and gave her an uncertain look. "I thought you said that I am fine," he pointed out and touched the base of his skull. "When will they take this out?"
Chakwas made sure that her voice remained very level. "Not immediately," she said. "Your cranial implant has been deactivated, but removing it is… a very specialised procedure. Very few people are equipped to do so without causing severe damage. I certainly can't."
She was surprised by the intensity in the young man's gaze suddenly.
"Is that why you won't look me in the eye?" he asked, his voice still quiet. "Were you afraid to tell me?"
Of course a slave would be able to sense fear.
"No," Chakwas replied. "I am just… nervous. I was hurt by a patient a few weeks ago." She gave him a brave smile and dared to meet his gaze when he looked up to meet hers. "I am still scared sometimes. Illogical, I know. But I can't always overrule my heart with my mind."
Haunted eyes met hers. "Do you think you will be able to, one day?"
She had to nod, because the young man needed hope. Not that she had any these days when she found herself lying awake in the middle of the night, staring at the ceiling while listening to the muffled nightmares of her fellow crew members.
"Yes, with help," she smiled at him. "Time heals most things, Benjamin. I am a physician, and a good one at that, you can trust me on this."
He smiled at her arrogance, briefly – a look that made him appear younger and just a little bit more innocent. Hearing the door open behind her, Dr Chakwas smiled at him and took a step away from the examination bed. "You can get dressed in those clothes," she said motioning to a pair of Cerberus slacks that they had managed to procure for him. "Commander Shepard will take you to your room. You'll have some privacy on the journey, you don't have to sleep with the rest of us."
The look in his eyes was heart breaking, because it was almost afraid.
"I don't…" he began and bit down hard, stopping himself from objecting. She gave him a curious look and took a step closer to the bed again.
"You don't?" She queried. "You can say."
He didn't but sat there in silence, staring dully at the space between her feet. Sighing softly, telling herself that Rome wasn't built in a day, Chakwas briefly touched his knee and stepped out from behind the screen, moving to join her new companion. As expected, Katelyn had arrived exactly on time.
Her transformation was acute. Before she had left, Shepard had been tense and mostly silent. Now however, Chakwas could see how her shoulders had relaxed. Her eyes were bright, victorious even. She smiled at Karin and motioned to the screen between her and Benjamin Ryan.
"Is everything alright?" She queried. "Am I too early?"
Chakwas smiled at her and shook her head. "No," she said and stood beside her. "All is as can be expected. He wasn't abused recently." Katelyn nodded at this, but her eyes were a little bit sharper as she dropped her voice.
"And his implant? Have you deactivated it?"
Chakwas shook her head, but carried on quickly at Katelyn's look. "It was already deactivated," she pointed out. "If they required him for his… mental capabilities, disabling it was the best way of preserving his mind. I don't think that the centre will be able to remove it, but…" She shrugged. "Sometimes it's better that way." She turned back to Katelyn to study her.
"Did everything go according to plan?"
Katelyn nodded, slipping her one hand into her pocket as she studied the screen. "He is here," she said simply. "That was the plan. Did anything happen while we were gone?" Her tone was calm, idle as they were making conversation simply to pass the time till Benjamin finished. If he thought that they had something to talk about, he could come out at his own leisure.
When was the last time that you could do things at your own pace? Chakwas thought and blinked, realising something else. When was the last time you had any privacy? She made a mental note to ask EDI to monitor the man closely whenever he was alone.
"Liara called," Chakwas spoke in a conversational tone. "She wanted to find out who we were doing."
Katelyn's gaze met hers. "Anything new happening in Illium?"
Actually…
Chakwas shrugged. "They are all well," she replied. "Helena in particular wants to start doing some self-defence classes." She smiled and winked at Katelyn. "I told her that I shudder at the thought."
Katelyn chuckled, but crossed her arms immediately. "Don't we all," she replied, then hesitated. "Will she agree?"
Shrugging, Chakwas smiled at Benjamin as he stepped out from behind the screen. He was looking at Katelyn until she turned to smile at him. He dropped his head immediately, but joined them slowly.
"The physical activity might do her some good," the doctor pointed out. "Focus her energy. Liara said that she has no reason to deny her."
Katelyn nodded and relaxed her arms, turning her attention to Ryan instead.
"Let's go," she said. "I can show you to you room. Would you like something to eat?" The kindness in her tone soothed Karin, because it was an echo of the XO that she had served with under Anderson. The man didn't respond immediately, but Karin had no doubt that he would eventually and that he would recover in time.
Allowing the two to go, smiling at Katelyn, Karin hoped that the trip to Mindoir would be just as successful.
Jack and Garner had their customary glaring session as she walked into the mess hall. He watched her as she walked to the drinks counter. She gave him a chin flick, then turned her eyes to the coffee decanter. She poured coffee into two mugs, added some milk and, after a second's thought, put those, tea spoons, and a sugar bowl onto a tray. Garner choked out a protest as she walked with her tray to the snacks, but she ignored him and piled two packets of chips, a packet of cookies and a bowl of peanuts onto it. She turned her eyes back to the cook-slash-janitor-slash-jackass and they had their equally customary farewell glare.
Those who were in her vicinity made way for her as she walked to the port observation deck. She lifted her foot to poke the door panel with it, but EDI opened it before she could move further.
"Thanks," Jack mumbled, walking into the room beyond.
The port observation room was lit. By the open viewport sat a guy who was probably close to her age. He was tall, scrawny with dark eyes that gave her a look she had seen many times before. Especially in the mirror.
She strode in deeper, ignoring how his eyes followed her. He didn't shirk back when she reached him. That far gone, huh? Shit. Then she put her load down on the ground, her biotics flaring around the tray to steady it. This made him shift, but the movement was slight. He was clearly not used to biotics, but then he wouldn't be. The fucking collars they slapped onto us had dampeners. Sorry for them that mine broke.
He was wearing a loose-fitting tshirt, its left sleeve barely hiding an old scar on his bicep. Jack's eyes swept down the arm to his wrist, finding the mark's companion as she knew she would. No one was broken enough not to raise their arms in hopeless defence as a whip came down upon them.
"The coffee might be shit," she said, adding some sugar to her cup and stirring it. "I don't know whether Gardner made it. If he did, it'll be fucking disgusting."
Jack took a seat, locking eyes with the man. "Figured you've never had any. You might like it. You might not. You might want it. You might not. Can't say I fucking care about that," she shrugged and took a sip. "Hm, Gardner didn't make it." She took a moment to appreciate that.
"Anyway," she shrugged at the man. "Getting over the lack of choices takes time if you've been a slave. It'll probably take longer with you. My stint was barely a couple of years. Fuckers didn't last long when I broke free," Jack gave the man a vicious smile. His eyes perked up when he realised what they had in common. "So," she stood up with her cup. "I figure choosing for yourself whether you want coffee and how much sugar you want is a good start. Added milk though. So fuck you if you didn't want that. Life doesn't always give you choices."
Jack gave him a small toast then headed to the door. Just as it slipped open, a barely audible voice reached her.
"Thank you," the man said.
She looked at him, noting how his eyes held almost a sense of wonder. She shrugged, feeling uncomfortable by the look.
"Welcome to freedom," she replied. "It can be a fucking bitch sometimes, but beats being someone else's."
Of course, returning home was never quite was it was supposed to be. Miranda knew this better than anyone. She had seen her meeting with Niket a little as touching base with the past. Her old childhood friend had embodied everything she had valued from her past. His company had been her security; his presence her home. His betrayal had been a hard one to accept and she still found herself wondering sometimes whether she would've made a mistake had she had let him live if the asari had not killed him. He had shaken her core belief in trust and she mused sometimes that it might be part of the reason she and Katelyn were more at odds these days.
Of course, that's not quite true.
Miranda and Katelyn had actually seen eye-to-eye after the commander helped her relocate Oriana. Although Katelyn had not said it in as many words, Miranda believed that the commander had learned to see her through different eyes. Her sister had emphasised her humanity, her weakness. Other commanders would've glanced over it, wouldn't even have considered humouring her, but Katelyn had and that in turn had taught Miranda a lot about the commander.
It had taught Miranda that to Katelyn, everybody mattered – especially those she felt connected to.
It was what had saved Rinn and it was what had saved this young man, Benjamin Ryan.
Miranda couldn't tell whether he was grateful for his liberation. After Chakwas had cleared him, he had spent most of his time in the Portside Observation room, huddled in himself and listless. It was probably the first time in his life that he found himself with time to spare.
With time that was his own.
Katelyn had been surprisingly patient with him, spending just enough time with him to make sure he understood that she was there if he needed to talk, but backing off before he got too uncomfortable. He did not speak of the day that he was taken and she didn't pressure him for any further connection. Her mission was partially complete, the rest to be fulfilled when she handed him to those who knew how to rehabilitate broken souls.
Mindoir had certainly become good at that. Given its proximity to the Illium trade route, the colony's location made it an ideal trading station. Humans had thrived there before the infamous batarian attack and had thrived again after it. It remembered those it lost and, like Katelyn, fought tooth and nail for those that it could save. Mindoir-born politicians had teamed up with parties from Elysium to launch a constant and insistent tirade of anti-slavery campaigning on the Citadel. It had been met with quite a lot of resistance, especially from the batarian community who considered it a part of their culture.
The humans had then changed their tune and began a campaign against a culture of violence. They never mentioned the batarian race by name, but they hadn't needed to. It had always been quite clear what race had harmed both colonies.
For the slaves that were rescued or who managed to escape their toil, Mindoir offered a haven of sanctuary. All who came to their space, both human and alien alike, were granted asylum and protection. Even indentured servants were welcome – for Illium wasn't spared Mindoir's scrutiny. Miranda had found it… admirable. These were humans who were trying to make a difference, to show the galaxy what humanity was all about, and what it meant to be human and humane.
It was probably because of this attitude that Mindoir had always proven itself to be quite a fertile recruitment ground for Cerberus. Katelyn Shepard might've been surprised by the colony's welcome, not just of the Normandy, but of Cerberus as well. Hailed as heroes when they dropped off Benjamin Ryan at the rehabilitation centre, it didn't take long for Katelyn to be shuttled off to meet old friends and companions. If she had been worried that they might deny her legitimacy as the rest of the galaxy did, she needed have bothered.
Mindoir was proud of her and believed in her, because she had made a difference not only to them but to the countless lives that she had saved. Miranda wasn't even surprised to find that they had extended their rehabilitation to those who had been rescued from the collectors or the colonists who had survived the Horizon and New Canton attack.
She didn't accompany Katelyn when she was herded away, but took the time to walk through the streets of the colony, drinking in the atmosphere of the planet that had given humanity its finest hero. Her feet took her to the Shepard Memorial, a monument that was now rendered obsolete by Katelyn's revival. However, the colony had even addressed that and had changed the memorial's base inscription.
To the woman who came back to fight for us again. Let us all do the same and protect that which we value most in the galaxy. Let our humanity never be the price for our freedom.
Intrigued, Miranda continued to read the history of the Shepards, the family who was also honoured by the memorial by association. They had been among the first colonists to arrive, Katelyn one of the first in her generation born on Mindoir. Born from it. The Shepards had been pillars in their community, cultivating not only food and substance for the colony, but integrating them in the creation of a way of life that was focused on the sanctity of home and family.
The way that it was phrased, it made it almost sound as if all of those values were destroyed when the batarians wiped out their community. The memorial listed those who had been killed during the raid and the few names of those who had been taken.
There were some who had survived with Katelyn, a few who had managed to flee the massacre and a few who had not been on the colony to begin with. Some of those remained, some left – not willing to stay and rebuild despite all the resources the Alliance and the galaxy put at their disposal. Katelyn had chosen to do so for reasons only she could explain to Miranda. She had been adopted by those who remained and became the child of Mindoir.
The survivor.
And the first one to pick up the good fight again when she enlisted in the Alliance. She was a legend, their hope and their proof that life prevailed. That there was always a reason to fight and carry on.
"It's a bit much, isn't it?"
Miranda, who had lost track of time, found herself whirling around embarrassed. Katelyn was behind her, alone in the memorial, but with a small crowd of curious onlookers still gawking at her beyond the door. Miranda looked at them and then turned her attention back to the commander.
"Did you know about it?" She queried, her eye catching a family portrait of Katelyn and her family.
Katelyn's gaze followed hers and she looked at the picture with a great sense of sadness. "I had heard of it on the news," she said quietly. "As you know, this is the first time I've been back." She took a deep breath and ran her hand through her hair. "A lot of it has changed. Mindoir has changed."
Has it? Miranda wondered. Or are you just seeing it for the first time.
"Does it bother you?" she asked instead.
Frowning, Katelyn didn't appear to have an answer. "They are doing what they think they should to be prepared…" She began slowly. "For anything. That includes the reapers. I should be grateful for that. Am grateful," she corrected herself. "I'm just… surprised." She looked embarrassed to say the next. "Did you know they have a Cerberus office here? For recruitment? Right next to the Alliance enlistment. I…" She closed her mouth quickly, but gave Miranda an accusing look as if she personally had been responsible for the decision.
Luckily, she hadn't.
"I didn't," she said honestly. "Such drives are not unheard of. Colonies such as this…" She sighed. "More people are willing to fight for humanity and the freedom of its development if it has somehow been affected." She paused for a moment. "What do you think about it?"
Katelyn's reply took even longer than the first one.
"I don't know," she said finally, her hand reaching out on its own accord to touch the picture of her family. "I guess… I'm relieved." She looked ashamed suddenly. "I mean, I don't want people to join a terrorist organisation. But… I'm glad they're doing something." Her finger traced over the picture. "It's… what my father had taught me to do."
Realising that they were on incredibly precarious ground, Miranda wasn't sure what to say, but Katelyn obviously wasn't finished.
"Or," she said suddenly. "He didn't teach me that per se. But, he taught me to be…" She struggled because here, in this place, where her family had been taken from her, it had to have been difficult to speak of them. "He showed me that we were a part of something more than just a family. That we were making a difference. That what we did, even if it was just looking after sheep or making sure that one lamb made, was important. That one life changed many." She sighed.
"I don't know whether I approve of this memorial."
The last she said quietly and with honesty which made Miranda want to respond in kind. She looked at the history around her and the woman who stood at the centre of it. Would Mindoir have been remembered if you had not made it memorable?
"I think it shows others were you came from," she pointed out quietly. "It shows others your history. Your family. I never considered these things to be important, but…" She shrugged. "I might be inclined to change my mind. Not everybody has this, even if some of it is terrible." She snorted suddenly. "I came from a test tube, born from one man's ego. That doesn't say as much as this does." She motioned to the memorial around them.
And Katelyn, the Katelyn that she had learned to respect, looked at her through the commander's eyes and smiled.
"Your life says as much as this does, Miranda," the commander said honestly. "Don't think for one moment that you are less than I am because of this." She too motioned around the memorial. "Thank you for what you did for me, for allowing me to save Benjamin and to bring him back here."
She sighed deeply and looked at the picture of her family. Slowly, Katelyn brought her fingers to her lips, kissed it, and then placed them over the picture of her brother.
"I think… I can go back to the Citadel now and face whatever it is that the Alliance decides," she shrugged. "They can't take this away from me."
Miranda, still reeling from the commander's words and the absolute, undeniable impact that they had on her, nodded quietly and put her hand over Katelyn's.
"Nor me, Commander," she spoke quietly. "The Alliance can't take me away from you either." She looked at the wall. "I will be here with you, regardless of what the future brings."
