Horizon, 2185
The Sealion sped across the open planes of the Dissenter world of Horizon. Commander Shepard sat in the back of the IVF, inhaling and exhaling slowly, preparing himself for the coming storm. At last, he was going to get a chance to go head-to-head with the Collector menace. While he felt little sympathy for the White Guardists and malcontents who made up the population of the colony, they were still human and deserved to be defended as such. He just hoped all his Commission penchant for skull-cracking would be expended on the mysterious xenos instead of loudmouthed settlers. In truth there was little to worry about: most of the Dissenters would be learning their lessons as they sat in suspended animation. Following Jack's recruitment, Shepard had made a full, if cautious, report to the Ghost Writer about his team and their relative preparedness. The Writer, pleased at his progress, had then sent him to reach this world dubbed Horizon as soon as possible because his shady intel providers had indicated it would be where the Collectors would strike next. Once again, Chariot had been right: as soon as the Dzerzhinsky entered the system, it had picked up the signal of a Collector dreadnought in the vicinity. Enabling stealth systems, Shepard had ordered Joker to close with the enemy and deploy him and his team to investigate the attack on the ground.
For this mission he wanted all hands on deck. He would need the additional firepower, and felt it necessary that each team member observe the efforts of their dreaded enemy up close and personal. He looked around him, and his eyes at once fell on Jack. The biotic bitch had been nothing but trouble since she had arrived – and was even worse than the eternal pessimist Garrus had imagined. She had at first demanded the turnover of documents; and after leafing through them less than twenty minutes demanded more. When Shepard had refused, she began using her biotics to cause havoc before being restrained by Zaeed and Garrus. After that she had slunk to the lower levels of the ship and refused to interact unless spoken to, except if she felt like hollering abuse at Jacob and in particular Miranda. The Commander suspected the biotic ex-con was jealous of the Chariot woman's superior looks and felt threatened by her ideological convictions but had decided to for the moment let Jack throw her tantrum. He needed her on Horizon and would tolerate some major mischief. The biotic now sat sullenly in the furthest of the IFV, and nobody bothered giving her attention.
Turning his eyes to the rest of the squad, Shepard felt confidence surge through him. Jack might be an issue, but the rest of his team grew stronger everyday. Garrus as always was solid as a rock, just as willing to plunge headlong into the fray as listen to his friend's deepest concerns. The two old comrades shared a smile before the Commander turned his attention to his other troops. Jacob had had a cloud over his head since recovering Jack – no doubt worried about his brother who was rumoured missing on Omega. Shepard had promised to help him as soon as possible. Miranda had been warming up even more to him since they had taken Jack, even shown him gratitude for taking her side against the unstable biotic. Miranda might be a revisionist, but she was still a communist, and a stable personality besides and so Shepard kept chipping away at the woman's wall of ice. She had even confided in him her source of pride in gymnastics, which had been her one escape in youth from her father's domination, and her admiration for ballet, in particular those by the great Russians, even though she lacked the grace to perform them. No, Miranda would be good he felt, even if she seemed to share Jacob's sibling trouble in the form of her missing sister. He had vowed to help her on that as well. As always, Jacob drove while Miranda sat in an unnaturally straight position, trying to control the inevitable chaos of battle with her aura of imperiousness.
As for the rest of the team, what ill could Shepard think of them? Zaeed was his usual brash self, but Shepard suspected the old merc was growing as a person. Despite his sneering sarcasm, the red was beginning to rub into him, if in no form other than nostalgia. Already Massani was beginning to lament leaving the beautiful Brotherhood lands of his upbringing. Sharing in this wistfulness, albeit for a different home, was Okeer, who had at once taken a liking to the veteran. The mad scientist and trained killer sat together and traded banter on the best creative uses of Collector entrails while Mordin quiety hummed. The little salarian sat next to Shepard, and it was to him the Commander turned his attention.
"You sure your countermeasure is gonna work, comrade doctor?" he asked.
The words broke the xenos' concentration, and he stared at Shepard a moment before saying,
"Oh yes. Solution injected into armour. Should work on person. Vehicle, too. In theory."
"In theory?" demanded Shepard incredulously.
"Well, of course cannot be certain of success. As humans say 'I am doctor; Marat; not miracle worker."
"Did you just quote an old TV show to justify a problem that could risk all our lives?" gasped Garrus.
"Of course, Mr. Vakarian. Star Trek is human classic."
For a second the entire squad was silent. Then, despite their fear and heavy armour and readiness to kill, they broke into laughter as one. Mordin grinned through the whole of their mirth, while Garrus tried to at natural. He had gotten close to admitting to watching human television. His Communist Party aide, a lovely young thing with auburn hair named Emily, had taken an unorthodox approach to teaching him the basics of Marxism-Leninism and advised him to immerse himself in popular depictions of socialist society. As far as the turian was concerned, communism had to be the superior system if it entailed zipping around the galaxy with an endless stream of miniskirt-clad beautiful women. He really identified with Kirk, even if he lacked the man's bravado. Still, he was worried for his friend. He didn't want to tell Shepard that he was actually Lt. Col. Vakarian of the Democratic Officers' League until he was sure his old friend was free of Chariot influence. He was brought back to the present by his friend's irritated tone.
"Well, I hope 'in theory' doesn't doom us all to our deaths," snapped Shepard, "We're going to be fighting this bastards while they do what they know best. And by the size of their ship, there'll be us eight – a section – against, what, a company? Battalion? Bloody brigade? We have to get in here, kill some of them, find out what they want, maybe slap a tracker on their ship, and get out alive. If were going to doom ourselves to death it'll have to be later. You ready, comrades?"
Garrus nodded, as did Miranda. Zaeed just grunted his assent while Okeer and Mordin readied their weapons. Jack, as always, decided to be difficult.
"I don't give a fuck about the puny idiots who decided to ship their asses to this rock. I'm coming, but you better take me to my goddamn rock soon as you promised, Shepard."
"Yes, yes" said Shepard, waving his hands dismissively, " But are you ready to kill whatever we find if and when we disembark."
She gave a bitter smile and responded exactly as the Commander had expected.
"It'll be my pleasure."
Shepard hoped his visor concealed how he rolled his eyes. For someone so powerful, Jack wasn't as much of a special snowflake as she believed. Back in his Navy days, an age and life past, he had seen this behaviour in frustrated young sailors. As a Commission member working for File: N7, he had seen similar actions amongst the countless enemies of the state he had had to confront. They all acted and talked tough, but as soon as you offered them a scrap of what they wanted they came running. Whatever, he thought, at least she'll do some damage.
"We're getting close, comrade Commander!" shouted Jacob.
"No unnecessary risks, comrades!" shouted Shepard as last minute advice, "Warn of all enemy contacts, don't be a hero. We're not leaving this tin pot until we have to. Jacob?"
"Yes, Shepard?"
"Do you have a visual on the enemy?"
"No, comr- wait. Yes I do. Collectors spotted, four hundred meters! Marx, Commander, they're fucking terrible. Worse than in the vids, just disgusting and terrifying! Permission to fire?"
"Denied, Captain! Have they made to engage us or act in a hostile manner?"
"No, comrade Commander, but I don't think standard rules of engagement apply to ruthless xenos-"
"Belay your attitude!" shouted Shepard, "We don't want them paying attention to us until they have to! Our job is to close with and destroy, but we can't take all of the bastards out. We need to get as many as possible on our way to their ship to slap that tracker on it! So get us in close!"
At the wheel, Jacob grimaced. The Commander was demanding a miracle, but from what he could see it was what they were going to need. The disgusting aliens mingled everywhere, slime oozing from their unnatural bodies and their fingers clutching incomprehensible weapons. He wanted nothing more than to launch a missile at them, but if they were going to take the fight to the aliens and destroy them he was going to have to listen to Shepard once more. Speeding forward, he jumped the vehicle into the air and behind a large building, probably a silo. Ignoring the gasps of surprise behind him he said,
"Comrade Commander, this is as close as we're gonna get mounted. We could go in their guns blazing on this thing but there's at least a platoon in there. And what they're doing... it's sickening, Shepard."
"What did you see?" asked Miranda, her voice laced with concern.
Jacob tried to fight back tears, an emotion he hadn't felt since leaving the Brotherhood.
"Miri, they- they're taking people. I knew they take folks, but a briefing and seeing are two different things. They have those people just frozen, and are loading them with ruthless efficiency. I know they're Dissenters but nobody deserves this. They just do it like they're not even living forms, just automatons or something."
Turning to Shepard he said,
"We have to stop them. We have to. What they're doing... it's gonna give me nightmares."
The Commander walked to Jacob's seat in the front and put his hand on the man's shoulder, then spoke,
"No they're not, Jacob. Because now we're here. We can't save everyone, but we will find a way to save others. And on the way, you will blast as many of these living nightmares as possible into the blackness of the abyss. Who's with me?"
It wasn't his best speech, and it didn't get the cheers it would have amongst his old band of misfits, but it did garner a round of nods and smiles from his new comrades. Hefting his rifle, Shepard hit the ramp control and ran out the Sealion. His fellows followed behind him as he sprinted toward the settlement some fifty meters before going prone. Having formed the extended line in preparation for an attack, the Commander activated the rangefinder optics on his helmet and tried to observe the enemy. His eyes fell upon the silhouettes of a team of Collectors busy in their grisly task of hauling inanimate humans into sarcophagi. His focus was interrupted by movement on the left, and when he swung around he saw that Jack had sprung to her feet and was running toward the aliens, shouting abuse at the top of her lungs.
"Dammit, Jack, get the fuck down!" screamed Shepard, but the biotic paid no attention. He swore before considering his next action. She was charging at who knew how many xenos over flat terrain, and it was three hundred meters to the foe and a full two hundred to any kind of cover. He didn't want to lose his squad but neither did he want to lose his most powerful biotic. Cursing himself for a fool he shouted,
"Give her cover, comrades! Section attack, moving in fireteams!"
He hoped his troop's fire would be enough to prevent the Collectors rupturing Jack's kinetic barriers long enough for her formidable biotics to get in range. Why couldn't the foes just be idiots who engaged in gunfights at forty meters? Well, Shepard's specialty in urban combat had another couple hundred meters of field to traverse and he opened up with abandon as he and Jacob sprinted forward. A second later, the Collectors were aware of their presence and started returning fire with their terrifying beam weapons. Hitting the ground, he again kept firing as Miranda and Zaeed advanced together. To his right he saw Okeer doing the same thing with a less-experienced Mordin, but the little doctor did not lack for bravery running into Collector fire. On the far left, Garrus, who had been paired with Jack, advanced on his own; and Shepard grinned knowing his buddy had the wiles and strength of an entire fireteam. Up and down they ran at the enemy and after Jack, who miraculously hadn't been scathed yet. The biotic ran with reckless abandon, much faster than her pursuers, rounds glancing off her barrier. When Shepard and his comrades were halfway across the field, the alien fire became too much to keep charging through and so his line stopped, firing from the prone. However Jack had gotten in range; and the Commander looked on in awe as she executed a biotic lift that smeared the juices of two dozen Collectors all over the walls of the settlement.
"The enemy in your immediate sector is clear, comrade Shepard," intoned EDI's mechanical voice into his helmet, "the path to your objective should be clear for the next several minutes."
Shepard didn't respond. Everyone else had heard it, and he was too furious to repeat the message. Instead, he stood up and stalked with purpose toward the figure of Jack who stood in the centre of the field with an arrogant smirk. As he approached she laughed and said,
"Oh spare it, you red bastard. I just killed more of them than all your guns and fancy toys combined. You should be thanking me."
When Shepard spoke, it was with cold fury.
"I thought you, Jack, were stupid. Now I know you're beyond retarded. You think your power makes you invincible. It doesn't. Neither does it make any of us – the squadmates watching your back – immortal. Banner of Lenin, what the hell compelled you to abandon your fireteam partner and risk our lives to prove your power?"
"Well, I just killed them" sneered Jack, "And I didn't die, so what's it matter? I don't need your comie baby sitter trying to tell me what to do!"
"It matters because your recklessness could get all of us killed, including the people of this colony and the organic life of this galaxy!" stormed Shepard, "You stick with the people I tell you because they know to keep you alive to use your talents at other times!"
"Goddamn, Shepard, we's should be moving!" shouted Zaeed, "Who knows'en other'll be comin'!"
"One second, Massani," snarled Shepard, "I need to deal with this hothead first. Comrade Garrus?"
"Yes, Marat?"
"Next time Jack leaves her post at your side, you have my express orders to shoot her. Anti-biotic rounds."
"Understood."
With that, Shepard gestured they return to their order of march to advance further into Horizon. They still needed answers as to what was going on, and he was in no mood for a debate with Jack. Jacob fell in beside the Commander, and they were followed by Okeer with Mordin, behind whom Garrus lead the recalcitrant Jack. Bringing up the rear were Major Lawson and Zaeed, who whispered darkly about what had just happened. The group advanced through the settlement, which was eerily silent, its buildings empty. In the sky loomed the imposing figure of the Collector dreadnought.
"You sure that was the right call, comrade Commander?" whispered Jacob as the group moved.
Okeer answered the question for Shepard, "People like that respect strength and ruthlessness, Captain Taylor. You humans can act fine and nice about your principles, but backs to the wall you understand the need to be more deadly than a starving varren. Given where we are, I would call that attitude most appropriate."
Shepard wasn't in any mood to debate. The entire mission had already devolved into a shitshow, and EDI wasn't feeding him anymore intel on Collector positions. For all he knew, he was leading them into a brigade of the disgusting aliens without so much as an escape vehicle. And there was nothing he could do about the people being loaded onto the enemy ship. He felt helpless, which only added to his agitation. At last he spoke,
"Comrades, this is crap. We haven't learned anything. We go into the heart of the colony, grab some dead enemies and tech, then get outta here to write a manifest of disappeared persons safe aboard the Dzerzhinsky. Waste of damn time, the Writer's gonna answer for this."
"Ah, not fruitless," said Mordin, "Cure verified effective. Had it not been, all of us wind up like colonists. Frozen, shoved aboard ship. Nasty."
Shepard forced a smile, trying to shove his pessimism aside and said "Well, comrade doctor, at least you have some good news."
At that Okeer slapped his friend on the back with enough force that Mordin staggered a little. The two began laughing, and Shepard join them. Why not laugh when walking through hell? His respite was broken a second later when he heard whimpering some distance ahead of his group. It sounded human and full of grief, but he wanted to be sure.
"Get me eyes on, Jacob," he ordered. With a nod, the black man departed and wound his way up the path while the party took cover. He returned a moment later, leading a wretched-looking man wearing clothing in the turian style.
"Found this one, comrade Commander, said Jacob, "Looks like the seekers didn't get him and he was left behind."
"Who are you?" enquired Shepard.
The man blubbed a bit before saying, "I'm not telling you red bastards anything! We came here to have a peaceful life, and you destroyed it. I might be a mechanic, but I ain't one of your proles. I'm a free man. You wanna end what those aliens did, I'll die like one."
"We destroyed it," snorted Shepard, "I find that hard to believe. No matter. Tell us what happened, we're going to do everything we can to stop it. You want a lift to another Dissenter world, we can even arrange that." This last part he added with distaste.
"Screw you," spat the mechanic, "You Brotherhood types are always stepping on the rights of the individual. This is my home and I'm stayin'. You couldn't just leave us in peace, could you? That's why you're here now, just like that Williams was. Bitch stuck her nose everywhere, and that's what brought these aliens here. Leave me alone."
"Wait," shouted Shepard, "Ash – I mean Williams – is here?"
"Yeah," added the mechanic reproachfully, "Been here awhile, dropped off by some secret Brotherhood vessel. Like I said, you reds don't know about people's personal business. I'd rather be dead than one of you."
Shepard had had quite enough of being whined at, and hit the man quite hard.
"Where's she now?"
"You always wanna use violence, you reds. I dunno and wouldn't tell you if I did. Those aliens took plenty of good people, I hope she was one of 'em."
Shepard made to speak again, but when he opened his mouth his words were drowned out in a sea of noise. Looking up, he could see the Collector dreadnought had fired up its engines. It was meaning to leave!
"EDI, sitrep, now!" shouted Shepard into his comms.
"Comrade commander, the xenos appear to be leaving. You might be able to stop them, but you'll have to disable their engines. I have detected some light anti-aircraft ordnance in your vicinity. If you can get it online, it might be enough to strand them."
"Roger EDI, hand me over to Joker."
A second later the pilot's sarcastic voice crackled on the radio.
"Whaddya need, Shepard?"
"Get the Dzerzhinsky in full gear with all stealth systems. With all luck, you'll have to do a ground extraction ASAP while we strand the Collector vessel here. Then we'll leave and alert the Brotherhood."
"Understood, Commander."
Turning to the mechanic again, Shepard gave a sly grin.
"Well, mechanic, looks like the survival of all your friends just became dependent on joining my red army of labour. You do want them back, right."
The man paused a moment before nodding his head. Probably smarter that way, avoided the chances of getting hit again.
"Right, you know how to fix artillery? I have a guy who can calibrate it like no other if you can help repair it. With any luck, we'll save your friends, too."
And Ash, Shepard hoped. The mechanic nodded again and Shepard called for Garrus, to whom he outlined his plan, while assigning the tender Zaeed and his fireteam partner Miranda to babysit Jack in case she decided to misbehave. With everything in order, he gave the word to move out. EDI spoke to him once more.
"Comrade commander, this is the best action but I must warn you it might attract the attention of Collector forces that haven't left yet. You will need to fight hard until we can give you an evac."
"Oh, I knew that," said Shepard, "If we didn't get attacked again, what would be the point of doing it?"
Despite his outward air of confidence, the Commander was feeling tense. Everything needed to go off without a hitch for this to work and come out alive on the other side. He knew he had to come out the other side to go face the Collectors at the end of wherever the Omega-4 Relay went... but he couldn't bear to give the order to leave now. Not if Ash might be gone and he might save her. Garrus hadn't said anything and he appreciated the trust this team now had in him; that they didn't begrudge risking their lives to help him. It was a blood price; and one which he would honour in the future.
Leading his team on, it was only a few moments before they found the AA guns. So much for peace-loving Dissenters, thought Shepard. No doubt the weapons had been provided by Udina and his clique, too. At once Garrus and the mechanic set about working on the weapon, while Shepard ordered the rest of his team into cover. It wasn't long before EDI's suspicions were proven correct. The Collectors must have thought him easy to destroy, or most of their forces must have been unable to detect their presence because only a single foe came buzzing down from the skies a moment later. Not that it looked easy; the xeno was a massive flying thing that reminded Shepard of a giant cicada, if cicadas came from the depths of Dante's inferno. Still, it should not prove too hard to despatch... he hoped.
Raising an arm, he observed the actions of his other teammates. The guns wouldn't be up in time to deal with this threat, but the squad was making due. Mordin helped Okeer unsling the missile launcher he insisted on carrying into battle with him and mount it on the krogan's giant shoulders. Meanwhile Jacob began overcharging his weapon while Miranda prepared her biotics. Zaeed held a gun to Jack's head, despite the biotic's cursing, trying to keep her in line so she would release only when necessary. At last the bug came into range. Shepard lower his arm, and at once his team sprung into action. Jack's biotics hit the bug first, rending the wings from its back. Next Jacob's rounds hit it in the eyes, blinding it as it fell to earth. When at last the beast hit the ground, it began flailing around only to be hit by Miranda's powers and a stream of missiles that Mordin helped Okeer load and fire. In a few seconds, it was all over. Their first encounter with a mighty Collector weapon, and it was dead. An impromptu cheer leaped from the throats of the defenders and Shepard couldn't help but grin.
"Cannons are up, Marat!" shouted Garrus, and Shepard acknowledged before talking into his helmet again.
"You read that, EDI? Take control of the guns and fire it at that SOB!"
"I'm afraid I can't do that, comrade Commander."
"Engels' nutsack, EDI, don't go 2001 on me now!"
"As glib as that would be, Shepard," EDI said reproachfully, "I can't get a lock because the Collector vessel will be jumping to light in... four... three... two... one."
The AI had scarce finished speaking when the dreadnought's engines fired, and it disappeared into the vastness of space. Shepard felt a stone dropping in his stomach and began shouting all his rage and anger at the open sky.
"Fuck you, you slimey bastards! I will end all of you, I swear it, I swear it upon the Brotherhood! Dammit you won't take my people – my people! You won't get Ash! God, oh God, you can't be real. Nothing would take her from me, not like this."
"Well then, perhaps He does exist, after all," said a familiar voice to the squad's right. All heads turned as one and saw the advancing Ashley Williams, Company Commander of the Brotherhood. Despite her wounds and a new facial scar, and dirty, bloody armour, she looked as beautiful as ever to Shepard.
"Oh great, the bitch is alive," grumbled the mechanic. Garrus slapped him.
Shepard shouldered his rifle and ran out to meet his love, arms wide open. He wanted to embrace her, to kiss her, to tell her how relieved he was to see her well. He was stopped by her fist, which connected with his face and made an awful cracking noise. When he regained his wits, he looked down into her face and saw tears there; tears and a look of unfathomable hatred.
"Get away from me, you traitor" hissed Ashley, "Whoever – whatever – you are, you're not my Marat Shepard. The man I loved would never turn his back on his people, on his commitment to our ideals. He would never begin working for terrorists, or showing up after a crisis to pick up the pieces."
Shepard stood, too stunned to speak. The woman who he loved stood here in front of him, mocking him to his face. Her eyes he could see had hardened since he left. He realized with remorse that she was turning into something he didn't want...
"Ash," he pleaded, "You're better than this. You always were. I'll do anything – anything – to protect or people. You know that. But don't you turn into me. You can call me traitor, liar, whatever. That doesn't matter. Believe what you want. But don't stop being Ash, my Ash. The woman with compassion, who read Homer and Coleridge with equal pleasure. Who cared about communism for all the peoples of the galaxy."
Now she laughed at him, the sound devoid of mirth. "Oh," she said, "Now the teacher begs the student to be different. You even sound like he did, so full of yourself. Ever out on the holy red crusade to save our people. We don't need one hero to act as our sword and shield, Shepard. We need thousands. People who will stop at nothing to defend our interests and our way of life. There is no time for 'Ash.' There is no room for the magical outstanding Shepard. There is a need for the ruthless Ashley Williams. I would rather those Collectors found and killed me than you be my rescuer. At least then I would have died defending us, rather than saved by the mercy of a Chariot traitor. Get out of my sight."
"Listen to yourself, Ash! How can the revolution succeed without some individualism, some care? I'm a warrior, that was my calling. But never was I as brutal as you sound now. Don't obliterate yourself just because you think it's what's needed!" he cried, "My team and I are not terrorists. We work with, not for, the revisionists. If you want to help serve the people, come with us. We can stop this from happening. How can you speak like this? Is there any of the woman I loved left underneath his facade, this mask you now present?"
She looked at him long and hard, and he saw deep behind the bitterness, the anger, and the zealotry a sliver, a speck of the empathy she had once held, that he had so cared for. She didn't let him see it long. Spinning on her heel, she walked away without looking back, speaking into her radio,
"Stalingrad? It's ComC Williams. I'm alive. Team didn't make it. Arrange for transport at my location, and get Commander Petrovsky and Kepic into the briefing room. I have some... things to report."
Forcing the tears down, Shepard turned to his own squad.
"Come on comrades," he said, "We did what we must. Grab what we came for; I'm sick of this place."
The ride back to the Dzerzhinsky was one of silence for the whole crew. Everyone felt that they had failed to do more, and even aliens as merciless as Okeer an mercs as vicious as Zaeed felt empathy for those being taken away by the Collectors. Death in battle was one thing... but to be shipped away like that was a fate so awful none wanted to consider it. The crew too felt Shepard's loss. One of his closest loved ones had turned on him, and in Ashley Williams new being he saw a darker reflection of himself. Garrus patted him on the shoulder the whole way back, and even Jack had had enough sense to stay silent.
When they at last made it back, Shepard only went through the motions of his after action report. After dismissing the crew, he gave his report to the Ghost Writer, who had been more than sympathetic about the situation and vowed to give Shepard more resources to smash the Collectors. He had also forwarded him documents on potential recruits on Ilium, where the Commander had already been intending to go to help Miranda. The Writer had indicated there might even be a relation between them and the Major's sister.
As if summoned, Miranda was waiting outside the vid-comm room when Shepard stepped out.
"Waiting to give him your notes on me, Miss Lawson" he asked in an exhausted, defeated tone. She looked at him a second, and her pale eyes shone with genuine sympathy. Shepard was... relieved to see it, but it also awoke more complex emotions in him.
"No, Shepard. I was here to say, to say. Well that I'm sorry"
"Sorry for what?"
"For your loss. Losing a loved one is awful. I have no idea how I'd react if one of my only ones was turned on me. It must have hurt to see what she's become. I haven't always been perfect as I like, and I want to get along with you better. And to say that I-"
She was silenced when he grabbed her and shoved his mouth on her own. He kissed her with force and anger and lust for the next few seconds, and she let him. He needed to work it all out and, well... a part of her enjoyed it. When he was finished she looked at Shepard again, the same cool compassion in her eyes.
"What was that?" she asked.
"Noth- just, ach," the Commander didn't finish his statement, just made to walk off, his mind filled with old loves and new attachments and worry for the future.
"Be well, Marat," she said as he left, using his first name for the first time. He paused a second as if considering her words, before stalking off.
Miranda stood there a moment, rubbing her mouth. She wished Marat Shepard the peace he was denied. For herself... she liked him, or at least she thought she did. She swore that whatever happened to them, whatever came up, she would remember her beliefs. But she would never turn into an Ashley Williams.
And with that thought, a little more of her ice melted away.
