Miranda looked up from her screen as she heard the door open, the Commander walking in, accompanied by both Tali and Garrus. She couldn't help but be surprised by that. Shepard making an appearance wasn't, but apart from outside meals and missions, she barely swapped words with the other two. Not being able to read their expressions made her almost wonder aloud what they were doing in her office. She leaned back slightly in her chair, gesturing to the two empty chairs in front of her. Tali and Garrus took the chairs, Shepard stood behind them, arms folded across his chest. She had to resist a sigh. Okay, what have I or we done now?

"How can I help?" she asked in as friendly a tone she could muster.

"Give her the information, Tali."

Tali opened her omni-tool and started keying. A few seconds later, her own omni-tool beeped, opening it to see torrents of information flowing from the quarian. She arched an eyebrow at the trio. "What's all this?"

"Information about what we saw two years ago. I'm sure it will make for some very interesting reading." She remembered their conversation on Horizon. Shepard always delivered it seemed. "I am intrigued though, Miranda. Have you managed to find anything with the name Nodacrux?" She shook her head. "Why?"

She looked at him. He already knows why. He just wants to hear it from me. "Access denied," She replied, "And trust me, I tried every trick in the book to get around it. The files are locked down tight. I don't get it. I have top-level clearance. Pretty much everything is available to me."

She looked at Shepard again, who appeared to have what you'd called a knowing grin. He knows. He knows I'm been played well and truly by the Illusive Man. But… I'm sure he has his reasons… "Do you mind trying another couple for me?"

She sighed in defeat. "Sure. What do I have to lose now anyway?"

"Chasca."

She typed it in and pressed search. Two words appeared on the screen. She sighed again. "Another one?"

"Edolus."

The same again.

"I wonder why the Illusive Man doesn't want Miranda to have access," Garrus wondered aloud.

"Yes, it appears to be very secretive. Not surprising, I guess, for such a secretive organisation. But considering Ms. Lawson here is meant to be one of their top operatives, for her to be denied access to such files does make one wonder," Tali added, sarcasm dripping from her tone.

"I know what you're all getting at," Miranda stated, still defiant, though only to a point.

"I just want you to open your eyes and see the truth for this organisation as it truly is, Miranda. Doesn't the fact Tim doesn't want you to see what we have seen speak volumes?"

"I'm sure he has his reasons."

Tali just scoffed while Garrus just gave a short laugh. Shepard shook his head in exasperation. "That's going to be your argument? 'I'm sure he has his reasons'. So we three could sit here until we're blue in the face telling you everything that we saw, what your organisation is capable of, with evidence to back up everything we are accusing your organisation of, and you will still bury your head in the sand and deny it all?"

"While I won't deny that we have perhaps made mistakes in the past, it's also clear you have a personal agenda against Cerberus, Shepard."

"Of course I fucking do!" he shouted, "I've been witness to some of the most heinous crimes carried out on civilians in generations. Do not lecture me about having a fucking agenda."

"Well what do you want me to do then?" she shouted back, standing up out of her chair, slamming her palms onto her desk. I will not be shouted at in my own office, Shepard!

"Open your fucking eyes and see what's in front of you. Jesus Christ, Miranda, you're meant to be a smart woman. I know you are. We all know you are. But by God you have made a seriously dumb fucking choice in regards to your current employer. How on earth you can even trust Tim is beyond me? He'd sell his fucking first born without a second thought."

"You're here too, Shepard. And so are these two." She tired to resist adding a heavily sarcastic tone to her voice. She failed miserably.

"Not through any real choice, believe me. And they're only here to support me. Not you. And not them. It's the mission, and that's it."

"Yet you are still here. As are they. You could still have walked away at any time."

"Bullshit, Miranda! You and they would have hunted me down. There is no way Tim would have spent billions on my resurrection just to watch me walk out the door. No, I would have been chased across the galaxy. I knew who held all the cards when I woke up. And I know I can't leave now. Not because of him. Only the mission. That's all there is." The office went silent for a moment as he just glared at her. She could see he was seething. She just glared back. She enjoyed these little battle of wills they occasionally had. For once, he relented first. "Okay, okay," he stated, holding up his hands, taking a deep breath as he calmed down, "You may have a point. But my point still stands."

"Miranda, why don't you just read everything I've sent you? Make your own choices from those reports," Tali suggested, her tone still friendly. That left Miranda surprised.

"How do you even have access to these?"

She couldn't read quarian body language, but she figured Tali looked slightly uncomfortable at the question. "Well, I may have kept some of the reports Shepard wrote while back on the old Normandy. Particularly anything to do with Cerberus. Before Shepard died, I always thought we'd end up at war with Cerberus so thought I should back up everything we had found."

"So you have saved absolutely everything from the old Normandy?" Shepard asked.

Tali nodded. "Only important files, such as mission reports, that I figured you would have wanted saving in the event anything happened."

"And you kept it all this time?"

"I couldn't bring myself to delete them. Plus, I knew the information was also important. Or it could end up being important, one way or another."

"Good thinking, Tali."

"But why the secrecy?" Garrus asked.

"Because I thought that holding this information would make me a target. Some of this information would be invaluable to certain interested parties."

The room was silent for a moment as each wondered who would be interested. Who would want to take on Cerberus? Who would benefit from knowing some of our secrets? Miranda smirked ever so slightly, gaining the attention of the other three. Shepard raised an eyebrow in expectation. "Like the Shadow Broker," she said.

"Exactly," Tali stated, "I don't know if Cerberus has ever dealt with him, but I have. Nearly cost me my life."

Miranda nodded. "We have had dealings with at least some of his representatives. And I'm also aware of your brief association, Tali."

The quarian was quiet for a moment before she actually chuckled. "Should have known."

"Miranda, none of us are in here to have an argument." He smirked. "Well, not much of one anyway. But we also know that we're probably not going to change your mind. At least in the short term. We just want you to open your eyes and see the truth. Eventually. That's it. Make your own judgements from what Tali has sent you. Everything is there, in black and white. And also completely objective. They have to be, after all, being official reports."

"If I promise to read these, do you promise to finally drop the subject, at least for a while? I know how you feel, Shepard. Everyone knows how you feel. I also know how these two feel. But enough is enough," she stated, looking directly at the Commander. His two companions turned to look at him as well. He was silent for a few moments before he finally nodded.

"Fair enough, Miranda. You have my word. If you at least read the files Tali has sent you, I'll leave you alone regarding Cerberus." She couldn't help but raise her eyebrows in surprise at what was almost a victory. Shepard just smirked but shrugged at the same time. "Even the two in front of me have learned to trust you in some way, Miranda. And these are the two people on whose advice I rely most of all."

"Thanks. That's actually nice to know."

Shepard tapped his two companions on the shoulder and gestured towards the door. Once they were gone, he returned his attention to Miranda. "Kelly said you have something for me?"

Miranda opened her desk drawer and retrieved a trio of datapads, handing them across her desk to Shepard. "Three more recruits."

"You've read over the dossiers?"

"Of course I have, Shepard."

"Any suggestion on who to approach first?"

"The krogan would probably be the best to pick up first as we can then pick up the assassin and justicar together on Illium. It would be a perfect place to pick up some supplies as well."

"Illium? Where's that?"

"It's an asari-run planet in the Crescent Nebula. In some ways it is similar to Noveria. Though nowhere near as cold."

"So it's full of corrupt officials and illegal enterprises?"

"It's certainly a place you'd want to go well armed."

"I'll keep that in mind for when we eventually get there." He was then quiet for a moment, apparently in thought. "You may also want to ask Kelly to speak to the crew. As you know, there's a good chance we're on a one way trip here." She nodded, completely aware of the risks any journey through the Omega Four posed. "Guess I can only suggest that the crew sort anything they want out before we go. If you know what I mean."

She nodded. "I do. I'll talk to Kelly." With that, he gave a slight salute, like he always did, and disappeared, the door closing behind him. She sat in silence at her desk for a few moments in thought before she keyed her omni-tool, transferring the data Tali had sent, sending that to her own private terminal. She then encrypted all the data, placing every block and protection possible on the data. Satisfied that no-one else other than her could now view it, she perused the menu and clicked on a file.

Nodacrux.

She strode into the armoury on a mission. She'd read every single report Shepard had given her, taking in every single word. Reading and re-reading each report. Soaking it all up. Not just those to do with Cerberus. He'd passed on nearly everything non-classified regarding his operations about Saren. Open book, he had stated when they had chatted later. He had nothing to hide, unlike the Illusive Man, he had added. She swallowed down the self-doubt once again as she approached her colleague. He looked up as he heard her enter, leaning back against the bench and folding his arms across his chest.

"Miranda," he stated with a nod of the head.

"Jacob, have you read those files I sent you?"

He sighed, shaking his head. "You know he's been right all along, Miranda. That's what I take from what I've read so far. Some of the things he witnessed…" He shook his head again, "That's not what I signed up for. I've never trusted old Illusive. And I've never been comfortable with some of the things I know Cerberus have done. And I've told him as much as well. But I thought we were better than that…"

"What if the files are doctored? What if they've been changed?"

"Who would change them? Shepard? Unlikely. He's far too honest to do something as shady as that. The only other possibility would be Tali, and I genuinely don't believe she'd do that for her own gain."

"Well, she does have an axe to grind regarding Cerberus."

"And, quite frankly Miranda, I have no problem that she does so. I can't believe that you could even begin to justify our attack on the fleet." He shook his head slightly. "I hate having to say 'our' attack, when I had nothing to do with it and whoever was responsible should have been shot for attempting it." Then he looked right in her eyes. "And are you even privy to all the information about it?"

She just sighed in response. It keeps adding up. Why don't I have access? "No, I'm not."

"And let's not forget Shepard's opinion about us. I think he's made that more than clear, pretty much from day one when we woke him up, and every day he's on this ship. I'm still amazed he's even come to trust us one little bit. I think that's the measure of the man he is. That he manages to look past that symbol and see us as the people we are. And, in the end, he trusted you to read these files objectively. To form your own opinion. The one thing Shepard had always been with us is honest."

She sighed again. "I know we sometimes push the boundaries, but what I've read? It's… It's unbelievable. The reports make us look like… monsters. I care about humanity, Jacob. I want to see our advancement. But if those reports are completely accurate…" Then what the hell have I signed up for?

"Perhaps that is why the Illusive Man blocked your access? He probably figured that Shepard would tell all about what he saw before. And he knew that would perk your interests and that you'd go digging for information."

"Maybe I should try and talk to him about it. Ask him about these planets and colonies. Maybe some of them went rogue? Maybe…," she sighed again, "I'm making excuses, aren't I?"

He shrugged again. "I can understand why you are. Your faith in what you believe is being tested. As for talking to old Illusive, I'm not sure that would be entirely wise. There's obviously a reason why he won't let you read those files."

"What should I or we do, then?" I hate feeling so unsure about this. Damn Shepard…

Jacob shrugged. "Honestly, Miranda, I don't have a clue. I've always had doubts, but chose to believe that what we were doing was for the common good of humanity as a whole. Now I'm not so sure. But I can tell just by looking at you that doubt is starting to creep in."

Am I that easy to read? "Of course it is! How could I not start to doubt everything I stand for when I read of some of the things we may have done as an organisation…" She sighed again. "I need to talk to someone about this. Someone who was there. Shepard is out of the question. That'll just dissolve into an argument. And I know Tali wants little to do with me."

"Then try Garrus. He's a pretty cool guy," Jacob suggested.

"You reckon?"

"Have you really sat down and spoken with him before?"

"Outside of a mission, no, not so much," she replied with a shrug.

"Then you have nothing to lose. He's your only real option. Go talk to him, Miranda."

She stood in thought for a moment. What do I really have to lose? He'll either talk to me or tell me to bugger off. She nodded at her colleague. "Thanks, Jacob. I'll talk to you later."

"Any time, Miranda."

Once downstairs, she walked through the mess, nodding hello at Gardner, who seemed busy preparing the evening meal before she opened the door to the batteries. The turian was down the side of one of the guns, busy working away doing… something. She wasn't exactly sure, but he looked up as she approached. He appeared startled to see her, standing and wiping his hands on a nearby cloth.

"Miranda, surprised to see you in here." He lay the cloth to his side. "Help you with something?"

"Can we talk, Garrus?"

She could see he was immediately intrigued, though also suspicious. "Er, sure… What about?"

"Those files Tali gave me a couple of days ago."

"Why do you want to talk to me about them?"

"Just want your objective opinion on what happened two years ago."

"Why don't you speak to Shepard or Tali about it?"

"Because Shepard and I will just argue, and I know Tali just won't want to talk to me about it." She shrugged. "I figured you'd be the best bet."

The turian was silent for a moment before he nodded. "Mess? I wouldn't mind a beer while we did this."

"Sure," she replied, the pair walking out together, Garrus heading to the fridge to grab a beer.

"You want a drink?" he called out.

"Bottle of water will be fine, Garrus."

He walked back with the requested bottle as he popped the top from his beer, taking a long swig before he stared at her. "Okay, what do you want to know?"

"How much do you remember from your time with Shepard on the old Normandy?"

The turian was silent, gazing off to her side for a moment, obviously deep in thought. He then nodded slightly. "I remember enough, I guess. Bits and pieces." He then looked back at her. "Probably nothing you'd want to hear, though."

"I just want your honest opinion, Garrus. Nothing more."

The turian chuckled. "I would have thought I'd been honest enough about what I think of Cerberus since I joined up, Miranda. Don't get me wrong, my opinion of yourself and Jacob is different, along with most of the crew on here. Despite that symbol, you're not a bad bunch. But you still represent that symbol."

"Fair enough. At least you're honest." She stopped and though for a second, thinking of where to start. "What can you tell me about ExoGeni?"

She noticed the mention of that name surprised him. "Why do you want to know about them?"

"Their name is mentioned in a few reports. Apparently they had links to us." She shrugged. "I wasn't aware we had any link to them. I did some research on what they are or were. From what I found, they were involved in colony development. I found one or two news articles about them but they were vague at best."

"Ever heard of the Thorian?"

She shook her head. "Only know of the name because it was mentioned in the report about your mission on Feros."

"It was an ancient plant… thing. It was one of the strangest things I've ever been witness to. Anyway, ExoGeni were using that thing to test its effectiveness in regards to mind control. Bastards… We went in and took it down. Rescued the colonists from its control. ExoGeni pulled out of the colony completely not long afterwards."

"What about their connection to Nodacrux?"

She noticed his mood darken immediately at the mention of the name. He took a drink from his beer bottle as he appeared to think of how to proceed. Eventually he leaned forward, elbows on the table, lacing his talons together. He spoke quietly. "Nodacrux was a fucking atrocity, Miranda. Committed by yourselves and ExoGeni together. Advancement of humanity? Complete and utter bullshit, from what I remember, from what I saw. From what we all saw. I wonder if the report you've read even begins to scratch the surface of what really happened there. Inhumane wouldn't even begin to describe it. And I really wouldn't mention that name to Shepard. At all. That was the first and only time I've ever seen the man completely snap. I think if you even attempted to try and ask him about that, given who you represent… Trust me, I'm thinking of your safety with that suggestion."

She must have looked surprised at the revelation. "What happened?"

Garrus shook his head. "You really want to know, try and ask him. I'm not responsible for the consequences, though. And it's really not my place to explain. All I will say is that I think he was justified in what he did. I'd have killed the man myself. But I know he felt immense guilt afterwards."

"What about Admiral Kahoku? What is his connection to Shepard?"

He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. "Your people murdered him."

"Why would Cerberus murder an Alliance Admiral?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. Something about the Admiral doing some digging into your organisation, and I can only guess the good old Illusive Man thought he was getting too close so had him taken out. That lit the fire, as far as Shepard's war against your organisation. He was obsessed with wiping you out after that. He knew you were a multi-headed beast. more than likely impossible to take out alone. You're probably aware, but you'd know he has an interest in mythology. He knows why your organisation is called Cerberus. But he would have quite happily kept on taking out any operation he could find."

Miranda just sighed. "No wonder he hates us."

"You tried to kill Chloe as well. Although my distaste for your organisation doesn't match that of either Shepard, Tali, even Jack, I still remember that one."

She knew her jaw dropped open at that one. "What?" she asked incredulously.

"I'm still not aware of all the details. I haven't asked her. I think Shepard may remember, but I haven't asked him either. I didn't really care, I just wanted to make sure she was safe. She was left traumatised beyond belief by what happened. But Cerberus went after her. So Shepard and I just tracked down and killed anyone who was."

"So we have Shepard, Tali, Jack and now yourself who have a less than fantastic history with the organisation I represent." She shook her head. "Honestly, I had no idea about most of this."

The turian shrugged. "Is it really that surprising the Illusive Man wouldn't inform you about all of this?"

She shook her head. "The more I think about it…" She trailed off. He would have noticed the bitterness in her tone. "If everything he's given me to read is true. If everything he, you, Tali and Jack tell me is true. Then everything I believe in is a lie."

"The one thing Shepard had always told me is that he always thought that, at the very least, your heart was in the right place, Miranda. Jacob, too. And all the crew. Your idealists, in your own way. Not the way we agree with, but idealists nonetheless. But putting your faith in the Illusive Man?" The turian chuckled. "Yeah, not the brightest move."

"I can't just… abandon everything I've stood for at the click of a finger. He's done a lot for me. He's given me every opportunity. He rescued me from…" She trailed off. Her past wasn't for sharing. "I just don't get the lies. Why not just be honest with me?"

The turian shrugged. "I would suggest that you ask him about that." She looked at the turian, who stared back at her. "What do you have to lose?"

"My job… My life."

She knew that stunned the turian. "Really?"

She grinned slightly. "Oh, absolutely. He would have no problem eliminating me if I even contemplated leaving. He hasn't spent the money on me that he spent rebuilding Shepard, but I'm still an investment. But I'm also expendable. I'm one of many, Garrus."

The turian drained the last of his bottle. "Listen, Miranda. I'm not going to sit here and give you advice. Frankly, that's not my job but there is only one thing I could suggest. Do a Shepard. Flip the Illusive Man the bird and just get on with your own life. You're on a ship full of good people, led by a good man. A man who all of us here, I think, would follow over nearly anyone else. I think the one thing you need to do is readjust who to put your faith in. The one question you should be asking yourself is… After everything you have read and witnessed so far, who or what do you now really believe?" With those words and that last question hanging in air, the turian stood up, gave her a brief nod and walked away back to the front batteries.

Miranda picked up her water bottle and walked back into her quarters. She sat down, placing the half-empty bottle next to her terminal. She stared at the screen for a moment before she leaned forward, elbows on the desk and simply placed her head in her hands.

"Dammit," she said quietly to herself.