Chapter: 50

One (hshk) Full (hshk) Day

Commercial spaceport.

The only Volus Shepard saw in the port commons, was flanked by 2 male Turian bodyguards. With a third Asari guard trailing behind them, while the Volus oversaw the loading of cargo onboard a private shuttle.

Garrus nod toward the cargo loading operation. "That's a lot of security for a dockworker." His voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Agreed, I say we go ask Mr. Pitne For. If he knows anything." Miranda turned around to face Shepard, while she fussed with her hair.

"Your plan?" Shepard asked, silently studying the guards disposition over Miranda's shoulder as she preened.

She gave him a devious grin. "My plan is to use my skills to get what we want, without having a shootout in the port." Miranda winked at him. "You boys got to show off earlier." She unzipped the top of her jumpsuit, far enough to show off her ample cleavage. "It's only fair to let me showcase my talents. Besides, how often does a women get to use her wiles to get her way." Miranda held her hand out to Shepard. "Jacket..."

Trying not to stare at her lace bra, and ignoring the silent laughter from Garrus. Shepard took off his leather jacket, and helped her into it. "I like this plan, it has... potential." He zipped up the jacket to just under her breasts.

Miranda gave Shepard a seductive smile. With a raised eyebrow she leaned in close to his ear. "You have no idea how talented I can be Shepard. Now be a good boy, and play along." She leaned back and kissed him. Raising her voice so she was heard at the far end of the port. "Ooh! You think that's him over there? I want my Revenant!"

Garrus put his hand over his face to hide his smile, as Shepard grabbed her by the shoulders. "You can't handle a Revenant, sweetcheeks."

Miranda slapped him on the face. Stomped her foot, and with her best pout. "But you promised!"

Bo winked at her. "That was just pillow talk baby."

She stomped her foot again. "It's either the Revenant, or a ring! You decide which promise you want to honor!"

Watching the bodyguards, making sure all eyes in the port were on them. Shepard pulled his credit chit out of his pocket. "Revenant it is. But just remember when it knocks you on your sweet ass, that I told you it's too big a gun for you."

Miranda took the chit. "I can handle the both of you at the same time." She winked. "What makes you think I can't handle one little bitty ol Revenant?" Her voice drawling out what would surely bring numerous fantasy's to life in the bodyguards mind. She bounced forward on the balls of her feet, pecking Bo on the cheek. Then turned, puting extra sway in her hips as she swaggered toward the Volus, causing his bodyguards to stare at her distracting attire.

Putting on her best 'breathless bimbo' act. "Excuse me, are you Mr. Pitne For?" Between Miranda's twirling of her hair, and chewing on her lip. The bodyguards weren't able to look anywhere but her, for the moment.

The Volus looked up at Miranda, as the Asari bodyguard put her hand on her weapon. "Who (hshk) wants to know? (hshk) Earth clan." The Volus panted inbetween the breaths of his resperator.

"I want a Revenant, and everywhere else I asked said that you sold them." Miranda leaned toward Pitne. Squeezing her breasts together with her arms as she did. Amplifying her cleavage. "Now what do I have to do to get me, one little bitty ol Revenant? Hmm?"

Shepard silently watched the flirtation. Garrus nudged him. "Those boys don't stand a chance." His subharmonics causing Bo to smile.

"Doomed are they?" The fake smile he wore, almost reaching his eyes through the long ago memory Shepard was re-living.

Miranda came back over to them. Waving something and practically bouncing. When she got close enough she kissed Bo on the ckeek again. "All we have to do is help him with a little problem, and I get my Revenant."

He crossed his arms over his chest. "What do we have to do?" Shaking his head no, for the rest of the port to see.

Miranda stomped her foot and pouted. "We take care of the Eclipse group that murdered his business partner, and wants him dead. Then he can go back to selling his weapons." She winked at Bo. "I get the Revenant as payment." She turned toward a freight elevator in the back of the port. "He gave me the access card for their base."

Shepard smacked her on the ass, getting a yelp when she jumped. "Then lead the way."

Miranda turned around and stomped her foot, pouting. Garrus nudged Bo on the arm, then leaned in and whispered. "You do know we will probably have to fight most of the men in this port now. To defend her honor."

"Possibly..." Bo reached down and scooped Miranda up in his right arm. She clung to the tac-harness to balance herself as they walked toward the elevator. "...but only if they're suicidal."

Garrus was swiping the access card. While Shepard stood there perfectly still, holding her up with the one arm. "You would look nice in long hair." Miranda absentmindedly told Bo.

"Been told that before." He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. "But it always got burned off when I used my biotics. Maybe if I ever retire, I can let it grow."

"You really think you'll ever retire Shepard?" The doubt in her voice obvious.

He gave her a smile, but it was a sad pitiful thing. "Don't have a reason to, anymore."

Miranda shared a worried look with Garrus. "Thats not true. She may have had a valid reason for turning you away Shepard. You won't know unless you ask her." She offered pleadingly.

Garrus turned from the access panel. "Illium is worse than Omega. It might not be safe for her to speak freely. She could be under surveilance or..."

The elevator doors opened before they could finish arguing their case.

Shepard stepped into the lift, still balancing Miranda on his arm. "I don't know what I was expecting... but that wasn't it." He looked down, defeated. After a heavy sigh he looked at his Turian brother. "I died Garrus. She moved on with her life. I can't expect her to have waited around for the three years I've been dead. Missing me and hoping for some miracle resurrection."

Garrus flared his face plates at Miranda causing her to mouth. (I know) over Shepards shoulder.

She started squirming around. "Does anyone else feel like they just got doused in Vorcha piss?"

"Don't know. Does it make your skin itch? Like bootcamp Haz-Gas training?" Shepard asked, looking down at his free hand. Watching his aura flare curiously.

"Put her down Shepard... ...slowly." Garrus' tone getting the attention of both of them.

Shepard gently set Miranda down, static dancing from her hip to his elbow. "Okaaay... this is new." He was watching the sparks wistfully playing across his fingers.

"We must be reacting to..." Miranda was running scans with her omnitool.

EDI's voice cut in. "The increase in biotic power is a listed side effect of Minagen X3. An illegal weapons-grade compound, that Pitne For has alledgedly been smuggling for Eclipse." She paused letting them process the information. "It appears the allegations are true. It would also seem that this lift has been used to transport Minagen X3 recently."

Bo scratched his chin. "Is there some way we can use this to our advantage EDI?"

"I thought you would never ask Shepard." EDI sounded like she was supressing a smile. "There is a limit to how much exposure is safe, even for you. Your upgrades will give you a longer duration before lethal toxicity is reached. I would be able to keep you safe by monitoring your biometrics. However, to do so I must reactivate your HUD."

Miranda turned toward Shepard, a look of disbelief on her face. "Reactivate your HUD?!" Crossing her arms over her chest, and tapping her foot like a scolding mother.

He looked at her blankly. "Yeah..."

EDI broke in. "John requested that I disable it. He stated that he found the display distracting."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Miranda sounded offended.

Shepard's head snapped over, his eyes searching for something just above Garrus' head. "It's a small matter." His eyes slowly followed the unseen target as the lift slowly ascended past his ability to track it. "EDI, turn the HUD on. Just show me how long before it kills me."

Turning toward Miranda, Bo caught the worried look in her eyes. "That will be a problem."

She nod, just ever so slightly. "Agreed."

"If you two are done giving me the creeps. It apears we have arrived." Garrus chuckled as he tapped the door control.

Shepard stepped forward. "Wait!.." Putting his hand out to stop Garrus. His other hand clamping over his eyes as he doubled over.

"Threat detected, activating security pro..." The warbling voice of a Fenris security mech died out with the sound of crunching metal.

Miranda opened her fist, then shut down her biotic field. Rushing to him. "Shepard!" Stopping herself before she touched him. "What's wrong?"

Tombstone opened his eyes again to see two mechs crushed into useless hunks of scrap. "I had to wait until the HUD reset. Couldn't see for a few seconds." He blinked a few times, the automatic response trying to clear his augmented vision.

Garrus looked down. "Sorry about that Shepard."

"Remind me not to creep you out again." Bo smiled, then glanced toward the outer door of the security station the door had opened to. Turning to Miranda. "Can you?"

She gave him a nod. "Yes... the boost to my biotics has increased the distance I can... feel?" Miranda locked eyes with Bo, searching for confirmation of the right word.

"Feel is more accurate than any other word I have found." Shepard gave her a reasurring smile.

Garrus pulled his assault rifle from its maglock. Acivating it he took aim at the door. "What is it? Or do I even want to know?"

Shepard and Miranda quickly glanced at each other. Some unspoken agreement passing between them. Miranda pulled her pistol. "Sniper's a better choice. Three targets far off. Almost outside the range I can feel, all with a heavy biotic field. Two more targets twenty meters out, medium biotic field."

Taking her advice, Garrus swapped rifles. "What's the difference between the fields?" Pointing at Miranda, then Shepard. "Medium, heavy?"

Shepard laughed, pointing at Miranda. "Heavy..." Then he pointed at himself. "... and what the fuck is that!" After the three of them finished chuckling he continued. "Heavy is an Adept biotic user. Medium is usually a Vanguard."

Shepard let Garrus get into position, before tapping the door control. Opening the security room to the shipping floor, along with dozens of Minagen cannisters. Halfhazardly stacked everywhere.

Garrus opened up with his rifle, while Miranda focused on the Vanguards close to them. Shepard finished typing something into his omnitool, then shaking his head to clear it. He joined his team outside in a battle that was almost over.

He was constantly watching them. Several of the Minagen cannisters were ruptured during the fight. As soon as the toxicity level on his HUD showed them in danger, Bo would order them to move position.

"I don't remember you ever being this pushy during combat Shepard." Garrus mused as he reloaded his rifle.

"I had EDI patch your biometrics into my HUD." Tombstone casually offered, as he poked through the shipping manifests for any useful intel.

Garrus glanced from Miranda's thoughtful smile to Shepard. "I'm not a biotic, or did you forget."

Shepard pat him on the arm. "Don't have to be for that shit to kill you."

"He is correct Officer Vakarian." EDI defensively told her friends Turian squadmate. "There were four instances where staying in your location would have proven lethal."

Garrus started fussing with his omnitool. "EDI, could you patch that data to my visor? I'd hate to see what happens if he's too busy to yell at me."

"Same here EDI." Miranda said as she activated her holographic visor.

After they got their respective upgrades from EDI. The team moved cautiously into the next room. Shepard went down the left wall toward the stairs, while Miranda and Garrus checked the only other door in the room. With a quick motion from Garrus, he came over to the door. As he got near he was able to make out the soft voice of a light biotic. "...please don't let them find me. If they do find me, please don't let them kill me. Goddess, what am I doing here?"

There was a soft shuffling sound as Miranda tapped the door control. The three of them entered what appeared to be an empty room. Shepard looked over at Miranda, noting that her eyes were fixed on the same location he felt the biotic was located. Motioning for Garrus to watch the room, but taking no chances with the abilities of this unknown. He and Miranda turned to leave. Before they had crossed the doors threshold. Garrus had brought his weapon to bear on a young Asari

The maiden had popped out of cover, then quickly thrown her hands up in surrender. "Wait! Don't shoot! I'm not with them, I'm new here. I only pretended to fire my gun because the other Eclipse Sisters were watching." She relaxed slightly, putting her hands down. "My name is Elnora. I thought joining a Mercenary band would be different. You know cruising around the Galaxy in a ship, fighting for people who need our help. I didn't realize what they were really like. I just want to go home."

Miranda started to get uncomfortable shortly before the lighting started to flicker. She thought to herself. (Mercenary... that was the magic word sweetheart. Goodbye.) The biotic pressure was building up enough to make her slowly back away from Shepard less she be the center of a detonation.

"You don't get to go home, you are going to report to Detective Anaya. Where you will turn yourself in, and help her with her investigation into your merry little band of murderous pshycopaths." Shepard's tone had gone dark. The muscles in his jaw taut from grinding his teeth.

Elnora's eyes filled with hate. She reached back and pulled her submachine pistol. "Screw that you bastard, and screw you!" She yanked the trigger and one shot fired, but it went wide. Then {Click} Proving her a lier when the spent heatsink ejected. Garrus fired a round into her chest, followed shortly by Miranda putting a second hole through her heart. As her lifeless body fell back, Garrus shot her in the head for good measure.

"Check it for intel" Shepard growled, then he left his team there. Taking one of the flights of stairs in 2 large steps, he cleared the second flight in a single biotic leap.

Miranda was checking the computer for usable files while Garrus searched Elnora's omnitool data. "Operative Lawson?" EDI's voice carried hints of stress within its modulation.

Miranda absentmindedly scratched at the old scar tissue just below her left collarbone. "Yes EDI?"

"Shepard has changed." EDI paused, as if considering her next words carefully. "John is not in control, yet his actions seem more brutal than if he were. Bo does not seem to be in control either, but his tactical decisions are more precise. It is as if they are one mind, one whole pe..." (BOOM!)

The room shook from a loud biotic explosion one floor up. (boom!) (boom!) (boom!) followed by several smaller explosions.

Joker's voice cut in, practically screaming. "Hey! I don't know if you care. But Tombstone's upstairs... umm. Killing... everything!."

Garrus was familiar with Shepard enough to read between the not so subtle lines. (Mercenaries... ..Tombstone... ..killing) With a panicked sound, he grabbed on to Miranda's arm as she tried to run after Shepard. "Wait! Just hang back." Scoffing at the death glare she gave him. He tried to explain himself. "You may cause a detonation... with the boost from the Minagen. It could kill you, or him, or all of us."

She yanked free of his grip. "I can't just let him fight them alone. We have to help him Garrus, before he gets hurt, or worse."

"Tombstone in a base full of Mercenaries? Mercenaries who tried to kill a Justicar after helping an Ardat Yakshi escape capture." Garrus reminded her with a laugh. He looked down into Miranda's eyes. "Trust me, we don't have to worry about him. Just stay out of his way. Worry more about us Miranda, we are the only ones who can reason with him. And right now we just need to close the back door. Make sure no one sneaks up from behind him."

Miranda tilted her face upward, eyes closed. "He's two floors above us, but I lost him. Enough distance to satisfy your delicate sensibilities now?

Giving her the Turian equivalent of a smirk. Garrus gave in. "Yeah... let's go."