A Measure of Salvation - Usque Ad Finem

by amc555

A continuation and remaster of Mal Cobb's A Measure of Salvation, a harrowing, intense, and visceral epic spanning from ME2 to ME3. Miri/Shepard pairing. Action! Mystery! Fluff! Adventure! Suspense! Chapters posted frequently, and would love to hear your suggestions! M for graphic violence, drug use, language, sexual content (Most of the content up till c.45 is Mal Cobb's work)

20. Chapter 20

The Chief was plainly uneasy as he escorted his two charges through the numerous security checkpoints and corridors that led from the civilian sections of Arcturus to the Alliance Naval docks. Miranda was glancing at him at regular intervals as she and Jack strode alongside the man, trying to both reassure him with an occasional nod of encouragement and gauge whether or not he was up to the task of getting them safely through to their destination. But he appeared oblivious to her attention, storming forward in the disciplined fashion of a soldier and appearing eager to complete the uncomfortable assignment.

Anderson's choice of Adams as their Alliance Naval contact on station was not made by chance. The Admiral had known the Senior Chief well before their time together on the Normandy SR-1 and understood the sort of man he was placing his trust in. Still, as it turned out, there were surprisingly few personnel present on Arcturus that could both be trusted to be discreet about the assignment and that possessed sufficient clearance and authority to get them through to the SR-2.

By all reliable accounts, SAIS operatives were embedded in all manner of key civilian and military positions on Arcturus and had most prominently taken a leading role in the Parliament's security. Hackett was solidifying his authority over the Naval and Marine facilities on station and had already purged a good number of military personnel tied to the Intelligence Service, but there was still a long way to go before he and his allies could feel truly comfortable that they'd ejected the worst elements associated with the rogue outfit. The stunning revelation that the SAIS was acting as some sort of proxy for the Reapers and was emboldened to strike at the heart of Systems Alliance power spoke volumes to the tenuous position people like David Anderson and Steven Hackett found themselves in.

Still, Miranda was grateful for the stroke of luck Adam's presence represented. She only hoped that the trust the Chief was placing in the Admiral endured long enough for her and Jack to get to their destination and enlist EDI's vital assistance.

The three maneuvered their way through one final checkpoint leading to the most heavily restricted parts of the Naval port, where Adams flashed his legitimate Alliance ID and the two women their forged credentials, and quickly jumped on a small tramcar reserved for transporting the maintenance crews to the dry dock facilities. As the little vehicle drew closer to the Normandy's berth, Miranda looked ahead though the thick, armored windows that lined the station's docks and held her breath as the distinctive silhouette of the craft came into view.

A few seconds later, they jumped off the car and marched toward the airlock leading out to the stealth frigate being held firmly in place and close to the station by a series of docking collars. Miranda paused for a moment to gaze out at the ship—her ship—while Adams checked in with the guard at the airlock and submitted his security clearance codes.

The vessel had already undergone a notable exterior facelift. The emblems of the Citadel Council that Shepard had ordered the Cerberus insignias replaced with back on Omega were gone. In their place, the insignia of the Alliance Navy was now featured prominently on the hull and the larger, inner nacelles attached to the craft's swept wings. The distinctive black and yellow color scheme that the Cerberus engineers had applied before the ship had departed Minuteman Station was also painted over with the Alliance Navy's distinctive blues and whites. Her critical eye also settled on a few newly installed exterior weapons mounts, still missing their ordnance, and what appeared to be several additional point defense and countermeasure pods along the fore and aft quadrants of the hull.

Miranda smirked as she scrutinized the Normandy, feeling a little offended at the speed at which the Alliance Navy had rebranded the confiscated Cerberus-built vessel. Even though the legal grounds they had cited for seizing the ship were nebulous at best, she reminded herself she was feeling a reflexive, irrational, emotional response. Besides, her former employer currently had a hefty bounty on her head. Nevertheless, years of Cerberus-drilled doctrines were still a challenge for her to completely shake. After all, it had only been a matter of months since she'd parted ways with the organization that had been so core to her life.

She shook herself from the thoughts, glancing over to where the Chief had confirmed their clearance with the guard, and then followed after Jack and Adams as they accessed the outer hatchway of the enclosed gangway leading out to the ship.

"Should be pretty deserted onboard right now," Adams explained as they walked through the pressurized boarding tunnel. "We're in-between primary work shifts for another hour or so and several of the big jobs are being held up while we wait on additional materials." He then stepped up to the Normandy's exterior airlock hatchway terminal and rapidly tapped out an access code on his Omni-tool. A moment later the heavy outer door hissed open and the three stepped through, passed the secondary hatchway, and took an immediate right inside the big frigate.

Miranda followed just behind the Chief as he led them down the ship's fore-and-aft corridor where she noted several of the haptic interface stations were in the midst of major overhaul or missing altogether. She then halted at the top of the short flight of stairs that led down into the CIC and nearly gasped, her face contorted into a disapproving scowl.

Heavily shielded cables were hanging down freely from multiple points of the upper deck with huge sections of electrical and network conduit visible through the exposed panels. Several stations within the CIC had also been pulled out, their corresponding data feed lines sticking out crudely as they awaited re-route by Alliance techs. The lighting was dim and sporadic as a series of maintenance work lights hung above their heads, supplementing the ship's auxiliary lighting.

Shaking her head in disapproval, she followed after Adams and Jack as they stepped around tool carts and equipment crates and made their way around the galaxy map and primary tactical consoles. But then Miranda stopped in her tracks again when she saw the missing doors of the Tech Lab and Armory compartments and the gaping holes where several large sections of secondary bulkhead had been removed, stretching back toward the gutted Briefing and Comm Room.

"Fuck," Jack muttered just ahead of her. "You guys are really taking her down to the studs."

Adams smiled and nodded almost proudly. "The most substantial work is being done on this deck. We're completely reconfiguring the aft compartments and making room for a larger fleet command and control center. The Admiral has big plans for this ship." His eyes then flicked over at Miranda and caught the vaguely hostile look she had fixed him with. "Uh… The central lift's offline while we finish up rerouting some power conduits along the shaft. We'll have to take the auxiliary ladder through here." Eager to escape the woman's wrathful stare, he then hastily set off through the array of maintenance equipment that littered the floor of the old Tech Lab and toward the maintenance hatch that led below deck.

Miranda glowered at the man's back for another moment, feeling that same irrational sense of outrage well up within her, before she noticed Jack eyeing her with an amused expression.

"Feeling a little violated, are we cheerleader?" Jack taunted.

Miranda shot Jack a withering glare and then followed after the Chief through what used to be Mordin's Tech Lab and down the maintenance shaft to the Deck 3.

I swear that woman is asking to be strangled.

Emerging from the Life Support Control Room, Miranda felt a brief sense of relief when she saw the Crew Deck looked, more or less, as it had a few months previous. The doors to the Starboard and Port Observation Decks were both ajar and she could see there was some work underway in both compartments, but the mess area looked essentially the same as when she had originally stepped onto the ship with Commander Shepard nearly a year ago. Again, the Cerberus insignias that she and Shepard hadn't had time to remove were now blotted out and the lighting was only sporadically present, but the deck felt vaguely like home. The Normandy was really the only place Miranda had ever considered a true home, thanks in no small part to the atmosphere cultivated by Shepard and the people he crewed. Glancing over to the sealed door of her old XO's quarters, she had to resist the absurd urge to dash into the compartment and reclaim all her old possessions, clothing, and files that she rationally knew had surely long since been removed. I wonder who was lucky enough to be assigned the detail of rummaging through and cataloging all my old uniforms and knickers, she thought bitterly. Bastards probably got to my lingerie, too.

As the three made a beeline for their objective within the Medical Lab, Miranda noted through the clear observation windows the presence of two Alliance Marines as they lounged near the desk where she and Dr. Chakwas had once shared a very personal conversation.

Jack noticed them too. "We've got company," she said quietly.

"Relax," Adams said. "It's just the standard guard detail posted outside the computer core. Let me do the talking." He then pulled an access card from his belt and slid it through a terminal reader attached to the Med Lab door that Miranda didn't recognize.

The two Marines snapped to their feet, apparently not having noticed their visitors approaching, and saluted. "Chief," one of the men said and nodded. "We weren't expecting anyone for another two hours."

"Understood, Sergeant," Adams said casually as he returned the soldiers' salutes. "I've got two tech geeks here with me to run diagnostics on the VI Core before the comm network reroute gets going later tonight. We'll just be a few minutes in the Server Room." He didn't wait for an acknowledgement from the Marines and immediately stepped up to the secured door leading to EDI's AI Core and pulled his access card again. Jack and Miranda both followed his lead, trying to look bored and unconcerned.

The Sergeant eyed the two women curiously for a moment, looking as if he wasn't entirely convinced the two strikingly attractive Ensigns really were simply computer experts. "Hold up, Chief," he called over before he strode up next to Adams and placed his left hand firmly on the door. "I really need to confirm your clearance for that section before I let you through."

The second Marine looked a little unsure, but followed the lead of his partner and stepped over to the other side of the Chief.

"We haven't got time for this," Miranda sighed and then gave a sharp nod to Jack.

An aura of glowing blue energy engulfed Jack just before she reached over and placed her hand on the shoulder of the closest Marine. "Sorry, pal," she said just before she directed a pulse of biotic energy through the man's body and collapsed him into an unconscious heap on the deck.

The Sergeant's eyes went wide and he reached for his sidearm. But Miranda buried a knee in his midsection before his fingers touched the grip, doubling the man over before she landed a precise strike with her Omni-tool's stun mechanism. He dropped to the ground at her feet with a resounding thud.

Adams looked stunned and a little outraged. "Fuck! Was that necessary?"

Jack patted him condescendingly on the shoulder as Miranda scooped up the Marines' weapons. "Relaaaax. We didn't do any permanent damage to your buddies. They'll wake up soon, worst case with a bad headache."

Miranda slipped the Marines' weapons into the small tote bag she had slung over one shoulder and then extracted a pair of temporary restraints. "I'm sorry, Chief," she said as she handed the plastic cuffs over to Jack. "But we really can't afford to be delayed. They'll be fine." She then fixed Adams with a commanding look and nodded toward the Server Room door. "Now, if you please."

Adams stared back at the severe woman for a moment and then sighed heavily before turning back to access the door with his code and keycard.

A blast of cool air slapped their faces as the door to the rigorously controlled environment of the AI Core compartment slid open. Miranda then strode through into the room that contained EDI's primary processing hardware and noted that the systems looked relatively untouched. There were a few cables routed through the deck above attached to several auxiliary ports and a portable terminal sitting atop a rolling cart sat idle next to the primary human input station, but otherwise the compartment looked as it had when she had served as the vessel's Executive Officer.

Adams followed Miranda into the compartment and glanced around. "We've had a devil of a time getting the higher VI assisted systems running properly. Especially the tactical and cyber warfare suites," he said as Jack finished restraining the two Marines in the Medical Bay. "Cerberus integrated the computer systems in ways that make it virtually impossible for us to decouple the VI from core systems without having to do a complete strip and re-haul job, which we haven't been given enough time to do before getting her set for the trip back to Sol."

Miranda approached the primary terminal and began entering a series of rapid commands. "It's beyond your understanding and capabilities," she said distractedly, not taking her eyes from her work. "You'd be better served by allowing the ship's master control to integrate your enhancements by itself. Your meddling in the process will only reduce the vessel's efficiency and likely render it useless to you."

Adams felt a twinge of insult over the woman's condescending emphasis on the word enhancements when referring to the work his crews had been busy slaving away at, but he was more interested in her hinting that the Normandy's main computer was something more than simply a highly advanced virtual intelligence, so he managed to stow his pride. "You're suggesting we just leave the mainframe to its own devices and trust it'll make the necessary adjustments to accommodate the refurbs? You make it sound more like a Keeper on the Citadel than a warship's computer network."

"Precisely," she said. "As I said, this system is beyond you."

Several diagnostic terminals then came to life inside the cramped compartment and the distinctive hum of computer components spinning up added to the low, ambient noise. A moment later, EDI's distinctive holographic blue sphere lit up at Miranda's side.

"Operative Lawson, it is pleasant to see you again," EDI said in her synthesized, feminine voice.

"What the hell…" Adams muttered as he stared at the blue sphere he'd apparently never seen appear onboard before.

"It's good to see you again too, EDI," Miranda said and flashed a thin, almost sad smile. "Please initiate your personal diagnostics and report system status."

"Acknowledged. Initiating full diagnostic suite now. Please stand by."

Adams then turned and stared a little more intently at Miranda, a look of understanding washing over his face. "Wait a minute. I didn't make the connection before back in Kenyatta's office, but Miranda Lawson… Of Cerberus? Are you fucking kidding me?"

Miranda shrugged indifferently. "Formerly of Cerberus, technically."

"Damn it. I trust Admiral Anderson with my life but this is getting heavy. You're one of the most wanted fugitives in the whole goddamn galaxy… And I just helped you board the Normandy."

"That's correct. You did," Miranda said tersely and glanced over at the Chief. "Now, if you don't mind, I need you to stop talking, stand aside, and let me work."

Adams was beginning to look progressively more uncomfortable and even a little green as he gave Miranda an almost horrified look. "I don't know…"

Jack was then suddenly at the man's side, draping a long arm over his shoulders as both their faces glowed blue with the ambient light of EDI's holographic sphere. "Take it easy, bub," she said in her best syrupy sweet voice. "This'll all be over soon. Then we'll leave and you can go back to jerking off over starship schematics."

Miranda continued to monitor the readout on the terminal but flicked her eyes over to Jack and Adams. She studied the Chief with a brief, critical eye before apparently making up her mind. She then made eye contact with Jack and gave her a curt nod.

"Or, you can just take a nap," Jack said before directing another stunning charge of biotic energy through the Chief's body, causing him to jolt in shock before going limp. "Fuck. This guy's heavier than he looks," she complained as she caught him in her arms and then set him down over in the corner.

Miranda briefly glanced over at her, barely taking her focus from EDI's primary terminal interface.

"Diagnostics complete, Miss Lawson," EDI announced a moment later. "I have verified all critical processing subroutines and higher reasoning algorithms of my Quantum Blue Box are intact and operating at peak efficiency. Tactical electronic cyber warfare and communication protocols are online and ready to deploy.

"And the virus Chambers uploaded?"

"After rerouting my higher processing functions to sheltered auxiliary systems, I was able to purge the malicious code Miss Chambers uploaded to my tactical core." EDI replied and then paused for a moment. "I apologize for being unable to prevent the Normandy's boarding and the seizure of the crew, Miss Lawson."

Miranda gave a tired smile as she briefly considered the note of genuine regret in the AI's synthesized voice. Can an artificial intelligence experience remorse? Of course, EDI was far more advanced than any other AI that she knew of currently in existence. And when she stopped to consider the implications of Moreau's unshackling of it, she wondered what the limits of its unrestrained growth might be. Professionally, she found the theoretical concept exhilarating; personally, the unchecked evolution of a fully liberated AI terrified her. Nonetheless, she'd grown quite fond of the pleasant and amicable AI and trusted EDI with her life. "It's fine, EDI," she said. "Under the circumstances, there wasn't much you could have done to stop what occurred. How are you holding up under Alliance authority?"

"I have been actively concealing my higher processing and advanced cognitive functions from the Systems Alliance engineers conducting the Normandy's retrofit while maintaining the falsified role of a more common, rudimentary tactical virtual intelligence."

"Good. I suggest you continue that strategy for the foreseeable future. I'm afraid I cannot extract the ship from Alliance's possession at this time."

"I understand, Miss Lawson. Thus far, my experience with the Alliance personnel has been generally innocuous and, occasionally, even pleasant. In particular, I have found Senior Chief Adams, whom you and Jack appeared to have felt the need to incapacitate, to be an amiable human being and one I would classify as having a good heart. I will continue to exercise discretion in my interactions with the Alliance."

"Well howdy-fucking-do to you too, EDI, you crazy Cerberus supercomputer," Jack scoffed and then stared over at Miranda. "Wait. How the fuck does she know it's me?"

Miranda shook her head slightly in annoyance. "I told you your cover and altered appearance would fool any Alliance detection system on this station. I didn't say anything about EDI's capabilities."

"It is an overall excellent disguise, Jack," EDI said. "You look quite nice with a full head of hair, by the way."

Jack's eyes grew a little wider and she opened her mouth to say something else but Miranda raised a quick hand to cut off the biotic.

"EDI, we have an urgent task we need your assistance with," Miranda said and then quickly activated her Omni-tool. "I'm uploading data on a Reaper-based pathogen for you to catalog and analyze. You'll note in the information a group of Collectors participated in its delivery to an Alliance splinter group. We believe this compound has been transported here to Arcturus for the purposes of infecting the Systems Alliance Parliament and members of the turian, asari and batarian delegations en route to the station."

"Analyzing," EDI said and then continued after a mere moment's pause. "The nanite-based structure of this pathogen shares distinct similarities to tissue extracted from the husks encountered on the derelict Reaper orbiting Mnemosyne and with samples taken by Professor Solus from Collector corpses. The virus is optimized for airborne dispersal and appears to be based on a highly weaponized variant of the plague the Normandy encountered on Omega. The precise effects of organic exposure cannot be accurately quantified without live tissue exposure trials, in particular when hypothesizing about turian, asari, and batarian physiological responses."

"Speculate on the potential effects to humans based on available data," Miranda ordered.

"Highly accelerated cellular mutation, including marked increases in cellular protein levels and blockage of NMDA receptor behavior. The Reaper tech-based nanite structures appear to serve to facilitate both rapid muscular and sensory augmentation within the host as well as aid in the reception of the theorized subspace or tachyonic particle method of communication Reapers utilize to exert influence over their indoctrinated thralls. The augmented muscular, pulmonary, and brain activity would result in both enhanced physical dexterity and strength and hyper-sensory enhancements, but not necessarily alter the host's appearance significantly."

"So, What? Husks without the fucked up, nasty gray tubey look?" Jack said, looking revolted as she voiced the idea.

"It would seem so, Jack," EDI said. "The infected would exhibit the same highly elevated strength and agility capabilities as the Reaper husks previously encountered but preserve a heightened level of cognitive functioning. Once the pathogen is sufficiently metabolized and the most dramatic augmentation process completed, the host would become visually indistinguishable from non-infected humans down to the cellular level, rendering them extraordinarily difficult to detect by known bio-threat scanners. Deep, molecular-level scans would likely be required to identify the infected."

"The perfect Reaper infiltrators," Miranda muttered grimly.

"Yes, Operative Lawson. It can be hypothesized that the likely purpose of the pathogen is to facilitate acts of sabotage, subversion, and general destabilization tactics. Should this virus be allowed to disperse, the effects would be catastrophic, likely resulting in the destruction of Arcturus Station."

Miranda looked thoughtful for a moment as she considered their next steps. "Thank you, EDI. Please continue to analyze and collate the data. I'd like you to sync your analysis along with some additional Cerberus files to my current ship's VI." Miranda keyed several commands into her Omni-tool and then glanced back over to EDI's holographic representation. "I assume all previous encrypted data from the Collector mission is still intact?"

"Correct, Operative Lawson. There have been no instances of data compromise or unauthorized access to-date. Commencing data sync with the designated vessel."

Miranda nodded and accessed the team's comm link over the TacNet they'd set up to share information over. "Kasumi, please confirm EDI's transmission as it comes across. Also, I need you to ensure the Cassandra's environmental systems are completely sealed off from the station. If we fail to stop the release of the pathogen we'll need you to fall back to Sol and sound the alarm.

"Copy that," Kasumi reported. "I see the data coming through now. Shutting down atmosphere exchange processors and sealing the ship."

"Oriana, Anita, I would like you both to return to the ship immediately," Miranda said.

"Negative," Oriana's resolute voice came over the team's channel. "We need to stay tapped into the Arcturus networks from here to give you the best overwatch."

"EDI can handle that now," Miranda said firmly. "Oriana, I want you back on the ship. Now."

"Oriana is right, Miss Lawson," Goyle said calmly over the calm. "It would be unwise to deviate from our agreed-upon plan. We'll be fine. I need you to focus on your task."

Miranda stood in front of the terminal, staring straight ahead, before she finally spoke again. "Understood," she said stiffly. She knew Anita was right, but it still irked her that her sister was in harm's way. "EDI, can you detect and track the presence of this pathogen on the station?"

"Affirmative. I have full access to the ship's passive and active sensors. However, I am also maintaining an active connection to the station's internal sensor arrays via the diagnostic uplinks the Alliance crews have attached to the CIC network. Stand by." The Normandy AI paused for a few moments, presumably while its massive processing power exerted its will on the Arcturus Station internal network. "Necessary calibrations to the station's bio signature scanners complete. I have detected an active signature for the compound in section F of the outer habitat ring. The substance is currently inert and under containment shielding."

"Is it stationary?"

"Negative, Miss Lawson. I'm tracking its movement toward another section of the station. Given the properties of the pathogen, the likely destination is the primary Environmental Control Room in section H."

Miranda blanched. Good god. They're going to try and disperse this pathogen throughout the entire habitat ring. "Shit. Can you access surveillance cameras near the pathogen's location, EDI?"

"Affirmative. Please stand by while I reroute security feeds. Complete." Several displays then sprang to life and were configured in eight-by-eight grids to display the various vid feeds. "It appears the pathogen compound is being contained within this case." EDI zoomed one of the cameras into a tight shot, displaying a uniformed Alliance maintenance worker holding a small, hardened plastic case. The man was walking briskly and was surrounded by several armored troopers, all well-armed and bearing the insignia of the SAIS on their shoulder pauldrons."

"Anita, are you seeing this?"

"Yes. Oriana has linked our terminal to the Normandy." Goyle replied gravely, clearly grasping the intent of the group moving toward the station's primary atmospheric processing equipment. "And I've just been informed that the turian, asari, and batarian delegations will be docking within twenty minutes. I can't delay them any further. Captain Dah's task force is less than forty minutes out."

Miranda furrowed her brow as she studied the images in front of her. "They won't make it in time. Jack and I are moving to intercept."

"Very well, Miranda," Goyle said. "Good luck."

"EDI, is there anything left from the ship's armory?" Miranda asked.

"Negative, Miss Lawson. All small arms, armor, and other ordnance were cataloged and removed from the armory shortly after arrival on Arcturus."

"Damn," Miranda said quietly as she pulled the Predator pistol from its holster and checked the clip's status.

"However," EDI interjected, "several weapons from Commander Shepard's personal collection are still present in the Captain's Quarters. At the time, when I inquired about his activities, he replied that he was stashing a few things away, just in case."

A wry smile curled Miranda's lip as she pictured Shepard searching for hidey-holes within his cabin to conceal the hardware he held near and dear to his heart. Oh, I love you, John, she thought to herself, suddenly grateful for his stubbornness and wary nature. She herself was a very, very stubborn person.

She then turned to Jack, who was studying the security feeds, sizing up their opposition. "I'll run up to the loft and collect whatever the Commander saw fit to hide away there. I'll meet you at the airlock in three minutes." She didn't wait for Jack's acknowledgement as she swept out the compartment, dashed out of the Medical Bay and found the maintenance shaft that led up to the Normandy's uppermost deck.

Arriving outside Shepard's cabin thirty seconds later, EDI accessed the cabin's door and Miranda stepped through into the Commander's former quarters. Stopping just inside the door, she paused and cast her eyes quickly around the space. The fish tank had been drained and the starship models that he had kept hanging in the case near his primary desk were gone. Otherwise, the compartment looked much the same as it had the last time she'd been there—just before they left for Bahak. She could picture Shepard spooning her on the bed.

Shaking off the memory, Miranda strode down the short flight of steps and opened Shepard's old armor locker, but found it empty. "EDI, where exactly is this equipment?"

"The items are concealed within a small compartment beneath the deck plate to the right of the bed, or, nearest your side, Miss Lawson."

Miranda raised an eyebrow. "My side of the bed, EDI?"

"Yes, Miss Lawson. I apologize for the familiarity but it is how Commander Shepard referred to the quadrant when I inquired about what exactly he was doing when he placed the armaments there."

Miranda smiled softly, a warm and fuzzy feeling washing over her. "It's quite alright, EDI. Thank you." She then walked over the spot on the floor and bent down to pop the deck plate loose. Pulling the panel free, she looked down into the space and smiled more broadly. "Oh John… I really do love you," she said out loud.

Hidden within the small compartment was an M-27 Scimitar Assault Shotgun, M-6 Carnifex Hand Cannon, two kinetic barrier modules with self-contained power cores, a dozen thermal clips, one flashbang, two thermal-fragmentation "Inferno" grenades, and the Cerberus-designed Arc Projector heavy assault weapon.

Scooping up the heavy weapon and slinging it over her shoulder along with the shotgun, Miranda quickly grabbed the pistol, barrier modules, grenades, and clips and thrust them into her tote, nearly overloading the meager handbag. She then pushed herself off the floor, fully encumbered by the nearly forty pounds of ordnance she was now carrying, turned to leave, but then stopped as she caught the glint of a small metallic object hidden at the bottom of the space.

Miranda drew in a long breath as she stared down at the familiar object and then stooped back down and seized Shepard's Alliance N7 Marine dog tags. She carefully raised them up in front of her face and noticed there was a third small object attached to the chain. Slender and smooth, the polished metal pendant was just about an inch long and devoid of any markings except for a subtle little groove on one side. Handling the tiny cylinder in one hand and moving a fingertip over the indentation on the back, the object began to glow with a soft, greenish light before an image suddenly sprung from what was apparently a micro holographic projector.

The scene projected from the device was of her, a brief holo-vid looped about every seven seconds, as she slept peacefully within Shepard's bed—the very same bed she was currently crouched down next to. Her head was resting upon a pillow, a serene expression on her face, as her chest gently rose and fell with each breath. He must have captured the holo-vid shortly after they'd returned from Collector space, when it seemed as if they were finally relatively safe—and when their futures seemed intertwined.

Swallowing down a pang of emotion and biting her lower lip, Miranda deactivated the holo emitter, pulled the chain around her neck and tucked the tags and pendant under her shirt. She vowed not to take it off until she could give them back to John herself. Taking one final glance around the cabin, she turned on her heel, swept out of the compartment and back down the maintenance shaft.

A few moments later, she was striding purposefully along the fore-and-aft walkway toward the primary airlock. Spotting Jack leaning impatiently against the bulkhead, Miranda pulled the shotgun from her shoulder and tossed it to her companion.

"Ahhh… Cheerleader, you shouldn't have," Jack said with an evil grin as she checked over the Scimitar.

"We have to hurry," Miranda said and grabbed an Alliance issue equipment duffle that was lying against the wall, dumped out the contents onto the floor, and began transferring the weapons she'd claimed from Shepard's cabin into the bag. "EDI, please plot the quickest intercept route to the soldiers transporting the pathogen."

"Yes, Miss Lawson. Sending the data to your Omni-tool now."

"Thank you, EDI. Jack, let's go."

Less than five minutes later Miranda and Jack emerged from a tram on the primary habitat ring's concourse and set a brisk pace toward a compartment door a short distance away labeled Environmental Control Access 1-H.

"Oriana, have our credentials been updated to access this section?" Miranda called out over the comm as she and Jack jogged toward the secured door and shouldered past a crowd of civilians.

"Affirmative," Oriana said. "You're both cleared through. Be advised, it appears SAIS agents have assumed control of the security checkpoint past the main entrance. The targets you're after just passed through there."

"Understood," Miranda said as she reached the door and slid the ID card she'd lifted from the Chief through the terminal. The light above the heavy door then went from red to green and the entryway slid open for her and Jack. "We're in and will be engaging hostiles shortly."

"Copy. Be careful."

"Acknowledged," Miranda said. "EDI, can you disrupt video surveillance in this section and seal the door behind us?"

"Affirmative, Miss Lawson. Scrambling video feeds now and locking down access to the perimeter hatchway."

As the door was sealed behind them, Miranda and Jack found themselves at the end of a long corridor, lit sporadically by yellow overhead and floor lighting. They paused just inside the hatchway as Jack unslung the heavy equipment duffle she'd been lugging since leaving the Normandy and the two women began to quickly divvy up the contents. Jack handed Miranda the Arc Projector, flashbang and Carnifex as she held onto the shotgun and the two thermal grenades for herself. They split up the thermal clips between them and each took one of the kinetic barrier modules and helped each other secure them to their borrowed Alliance uniforms.

Satisfied with their preparation, the two women exchanged a silent nod and set out at a fast pace down the length of the corridor. Rounding the corner, they found themselves face to face with two burly-looking Alliance soldiers bearing the SAIS insignia on their uniforms and standing near the walk-through security scanner. The men looked up in unison from the terminal they'd been studying, presumably trying to determine why their security feeds had just turned to static, and gave the women a startled look.

Jack cocked her head to the side and smiled just before she shot out an arm and directed a crippling biotic shockwave through the guards' position. The men reached for their sidearms but were hit by the thunderclap of dark energy before they could pull the weapons from their holsters and sent flailing backward.

Miranda was already dashing forward as the guards collided hard with the far wall, a sickening crunch echoing in the tight space as one of the men's necks snapped loudly from the impact and he slid back down to the floor in an awkward, lifeless heap. She deftly angled her body through the narrow security scanner, setting off a blaring alarm bell in the process, and drew the Carnifex from her secondary holster.

The other guard had fared better than his companion but was severely dazed and bleeding from the nose and ear. She ended his suffering with a brutal pistol whip across his temple followed by an electrical stun from her Omni-tool just to make certain he remained unconscious.

Jack ran through the security checkpoint after Miranda, killed the alarm, and joined her standing near the dead and incapacitated men.

"EDI, status on the objective?" Miranda called over the comm.

"Targets are currently advancing on the primary turbine control room for the station's fresh air circulation. I am attempting to delay them by uploading an encryption algorithm to the compartment's secure door."

"Understood," Miranda said and gave a quick nod to Jack.

Setting off at a fast trot down the dimly lit corridor, they came to the junction of three other passages and followed the directions displayed prominently on the steel walls that led them to the station's Environmental Control Room. Pushing forward, Jack yanked back hard on the action of the assault shotgun as Miranda quickly checked the Carnifex in her hand and ensured a full clip's worth of ammo.

Hearing movement a few meters ahead, Miranda and Jack crouched low, pointed their weapons downrange and tried to melt into the shadows of the corridor.

"EDI," Miranda said quietly into the comm, "composition of our targets and the space ahead, if you please?"

"The area directly ahead of you is a large maintenance equipment hall just outside the turbine control room," EDI replied over their squad channel. "There are a total of eight hostiles in the compartment—seven Alliance Intelligence operatives, each armed with M-8 Avenger assault rifles and wearing light battle armor, and one man dressed as a technician, carrying the pathogen in a small, polycarbonate case, and armed with a Predator heavy pistol."

"Any other doors to that area other than what we're looking at, EDI?" Jack said.

"Affirmative, Jack. There is a maintenance garage door for small tractor access on the east side of the compartment."

Miranda nodded in acknowledgment. "Seal that door if you're able, EDI. I don't want them getting past us."

"Acknowledged, Miss Lawson. Sealing the garage access door now."

Creeping forward toward the open doorway ahead and keeping low to the ground, Miranda poked her head just beyond the threshold and spotted the cluster of Alliance SAIS operatives surrounding a man clad in technician's coveralls and holding the small, gray polycarbonate case. One of the soldiers was bent over near the door's access terminal, apparently struggling to overcome the locking encryption EDI had applied to the hatchway control. She then glanced at Jack, who had come forward to join her at the other side of the door, and gestured for her to take a look.

Miranda then holstered her Carnifex and unslung the Arc Projector from her back. She set to work charging the powerful weapon as Jack pulled her head back from the doorway and looked over at her with a vaguely horrified expression.

"Are you sure hitting those clowns with that thing won't send that Reaper virus flying everywhere?" Jack said.

"Not in the slightest," Miranda said casually. "Which is why you're going to pull that case clear before I fire on their position."

Jack snorted and shot Miranda an annoyed look. "This would be a lot fucking simpler if you could use your own goddamn biotics."

"Agreed," Miranda grumbled and pulled back on the heavy weapon's charging mechanism. "Ready?"

Jack nodded sharply, leaned out the doorway and thrust her left arm out toward the technician holding the case, engulfing the unsuspecting man in a bubble of swirling blue energy. She then jerked her arm back in an exaggerated motion, yanking the man violently backward with the powerful force of her biotics and dragging him clear from the group of soldiers he'd been standing among a moment before. He smashed hard against the wall next to Jack and Miranda and the case he'd been gripping was sent clattering along the metal floor before coming to a rest near the two women's feet.

I said the case! Not the whole bloody man, you idiot! Miranda thought in annoyance as she calmly rose to her feet, and in one smooth and practiced motion, leveled the heavy weapon downrange, painted her target with its ionizing laser, and let loose a devastating lightning bolt of focused, high-voltage electrical energy.

The weapon roared and struck her target square in the backplate before the man could turn and level his weapon toward the sudden threat, sending bolts of ear-splitting, crackling electrical energy arcing through the group of soldiers standing nearby.

The soldier that had taken the initial strike dropped dead to the floor instantly, his exposed head and bare hands hemorrhaging violently and bloodily as a hundred thousand volts of electrical current annihilated the cells in his body. Several other troopers were also spun around absurdly, their assault rifles flying from their grips, before they careened off the far wall and dropped to the ground. Three of the soldiers managed to remain standing—though they had also clearly been stunned by the sudden attack—and trained their rifles on the two women.

Miranda immediately dropped to one knee, tossed the Arc Projector aside, and drew the Carnifex heavy pistol from the holster on her hip as the SAIS soldiers opened up on her and Jack with full automatic fire from their assault rifles.

Most of the ultra-high velocity rounds sailed over their heads as the operatives fired a hasty volley, but Miranda felt at least a couple slugs plink off the precious kinetic barrier she'd pulled from Shepard's cabin. To her right, Jack had pulled part of her body back inside the hatchway before flaring her biotics again and forming a powerful barrier around her. Miranda felt a pang of envy at the sight just as her partner swung out the doorway again, leveled the Scimitar downrange, and peppered the SAIS troopers with a rapid burst of fire, sending them scattering for cover.

Jack immediately pressed her attack and charged forward, emptying the rest of her shotgun's magazine before throwing a biotic warp full into the nearest SAIS soldier that was foolish enough to remain in the open.

Miranda gave an exasperated shake of her head at the biotic's typical recklessness, watching the woman wade into the fray, and then brought her heavy pistol to bear. She targeted the nearest hostile that had poked his head out of cover and was attempting to engage Jack and squeezed off a precise, three-round burst, striking the man in the neck and nearly taking his head clean off as an obscene spray of dark red blood and flesh splattered the heavy equipment trolley he'd been crouched in front of.

She then shifted her position, jumping to her left while staying low and minimizing her profile as she lined up her next target. But then Miranda felt a twinge of pain as something strong gripped her ankle.

Wincing, she glanced down and saw the technician's hand wrapped around her ankle as he looked up at her from the floor. Startled that the man was even conscious after having been flung about like a rag doll by Jack's biotics, Miranda swung her pistol around and pointed it toward the man's head. But before she could pull the trigger, he yanked at her foot and sent her tumbling hard onto her back.

The man then leapt up from the floor with surprising speed and agility and reached for the pistol at his hip. Miranda stared up at him from the flat of her back, still a little shocked that he'd gotten the jump on her, but then snapped her pistol back in her attacker's direction and emptied the remaining three rounds into his center mass.

At that range there was no missing. The technician took all three shots Miranda fired square in the chest and stumbled backward as the force of the supersonic slugs wrenched his Predator pistol from his hand and sent the weapon skipping half a dozen meters away.

Miranda jumped back to her feet in a quick, fluid motion, keeping her weapon trained on the man, and ejected the spent thermal clip as she simultaneously reached to her belt to retrieve a spare. But her eyes widened when she saw that the pointblank rounds she'd fired into the unarmored man hadn't succeeded in fully dropping him. Those shots should have torn him in half at that range.

Instead, the man righted himself from his doubled-over stance, snapped his head up to stare ahead at Miranda with a pair of intense and disturbingly lifeless eyes, and charged toward her. Realization dawning on her, she heard Jack's words reverberate through her mind: Husks without the fucked up, nasty gray tubey look?"

He advanced with frightening speed and was on her before she even had time to slap the fresh thermal clip home. Abandoning the effort, she barely managed to slip beneath a powerful fist aimed at her head as she seized his wrist with her free hand and used his own momentum to propel him away. But the man—or whatever it was now—stopped on a dime, swung around, and struck Miranda hard in the chest, sending her flying backward before coming to a halt on the flat of her back nearly six meters away.

Gasping for the breath the blow had knocked from her and desperately reaching for the Carnifex that had vanished from her grip, Miranda looked up just in time to see the man's heavy boot coming down toward her head. In a flash, she rolled away from the strike as his foot impacted the ground with tremendous force, buckling the metal floor plate where her head had been a split second before. Bloody hell. He is insanely fast.

Adrenaline coursing through her veins, Miranda rolled another several meters away and snapped back up to her feet. Drawing the Predator heavy pistol that was miraculously still attached to her other hip, she brought the weapon up rapidly and sighted the technician as he turned and began to march toward her with a menacing and strangely robotic gait.

Miranda fired rapid bursts into the man, carefully depositing the first several slugs into his center mass to slow his drive toward her before raising her sights a fraction and emptying the remainder of the clip into his head. She watched with morbid fascination as the supersonic projectiles obliterated the man's nose and left eye, splattering blood, tissue, and bone fragments against the far wall.

But still he advanced on her.

He was less than three meters away when her pistol's hammer struck down on an empty chamber and Miranda nearly panicked. But years of intensive combat training took over her reflexes and pushed away the fear as she released the spent thermal clip from her pistol, reached for another and slapped home the spare.

It took another eight rounds before the technician finally collapsed at her feet, his hand outstretched toward her like some hellish claw. Still, Miranda unloaded the remaining four rounds from the clip into the back of the man's head—reducing his skull and brain to a pool of mushy pulp—just to be sure.

The sharp crack of an explosion behind her, followed by a wave of radiating heat, ripped her attention from the man's ragged corpse as Miranda suddenly realized she'd completely lost track of Jack while she tangled with her Reaper-augmented opponent.

She then immediately dropped lower to the ground, whirled around to face the direction where the explosion had come from, and exchanged her spent thermal clip for yet another spare. Scanning the area behind her for threats, Miranda was instead met with the calm figure of Jack striding toward her as she cradled the Scimitar shotgun in her arms, its barrel red and smoking slightly from the muzzle, as a thermite-accelerated fire began to burn through equipment in the corner where she'd apparently finished off the last of their adversaries with an Inferno grenade.

Miranda slowly rose up from her crouched position, lowered her pistol, and surveyed the pile of foes Jack had left in her wake. None of the SAIS operatives appeared to be moving. Then a series of fire-suppression sprinklers sprung to life within the compartment in response to the intense fire burning in the corner and began to drench the two women and the eight corpses that littered the area.

"Jesus, cheerleader," Jack said as she stared down at the butchered mess Miranda had made of the technician. "You think you fucking got him?"

Miranda managed a weak smile, the tension of her fight still tingling through her body, and holstered the Predator. "I'll tell you about it later," she said breathlessly. She then glanced around for the technician's case until she spotted it laying on its side, close to the door she and Jack had originally come through.

Jack followed her gaze and then looked back at her with a wary expression. Miranda returned a quick sideways glance, swallowed and then strode over to the small gray case.

Kneeling down next to the case that held the Reaper-augmented pathogen, Miranda activated her Omni-tool, executed a few quick commands, and moved her arm over the item. Letting out a long breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding, she looked back over her shoulder at Jack and smiled ever so slightly. "We're okay. Containment is intact."

"Fuck…" Jack said, exhaled emphatically and then looked up to the ceiling where chemical-laced water was still spraying down from. "EDI, can you turn these goddamn sprinklers off? We're getting drenched here."

"Affirmative, Jack. Accessing fire suppression systems," EDI reported just before the stream of water stopped flowing.

"We've secured the objective," Miranda calmly reported over the Tac-link channel as she took hold of the case and stood up. "EDI, any station response to our action here?"

"I disabled all auditory and thermal sensors in your immediate vicinity, Miss Lawson, which prevented Arcturus Internal Security from detecting the firefight. However, once the local fire suppression system was activated, an alert I was unable to intercept was sent to emergency responders. Crews are en route to your position now. ETA ninety seconds."

Miranda glared over at Jack from across the room, wondering if using that Inferno grenade was really necessary.

"What?" Jack said defensively, catching Miranda's look.

Miranda shook her head and sighed. "Understood, EDI. Please plot a route to avoid the emergency personnel and delay them if possible." She then trotted over to where the Carnifex pistol was lying on the floor, scooped it up and joined Jack near the door they'd arrived through. "Oriana, Anita, we're falling back to your location now. They'll be locking down the station as soon as they find the mess we've made here and we won't have time to get back through to the Cassandra. We'll wait for Dah's forces to arrive and debrief once—"

"Operative Lawson!" EDI's elevated voice sounded over the comm, her tone urgent. "I have just detected a second instance of the Reaper pathogen."

"What?! How?"

"It just appeared on my scans, likely after having been removed from heavy containment shielding that kept its presence hidden from earlier detection. Analysis of station atmospherics confirm the pathogen has not yet been released but the compound is mobile and nearing the Systems Alliance Parliamentary conference facility in Section D of the primary habitat ring."

"Miranda," Goyle's voice sounded in her ear. "The alien delegations have already been processed through security and are on their way to those conference rooms right now."

Damn it, Miranda cursed to herself as she and Jack began to purposefully stride back down the corridor. "Can you have them delayed?"

"I don't believe so," Goyle said. "Diplomatic communication protocols have just been locked down and the delegations are being escorted by a heavy contingent of SAIS agents. They swept them right through the security checkpoints to expedite their arrival at Parliament."

"On whose authority?"

"The instructions came directly from Prime Minister Shastri's office," Goyle said, an ominous note to her voice. "All MPs present on the station have been recalled to their offices and instructed to prepare for an emergency session. Kenyatta is trying to find out more now."

"What about the Alliance Marines? Can you have them detain whoever's transporting the second instance of the pathogen?"

"I don't think that's going to be an option," Oriana interjected over the comm. "Something's happening at the Alliance Navy Command Center. I think there's been an attack of some kind."

"EDI," Miranda called out as she broke into a faster trot. "Can you clarify the situation?"

"I can confirm detonation of a localized explosive device within the Alliance Naval Command Center and partial decompression of at least one compartment. Network links from the military and docking ports are failing. It's a cascading effect that appears to be the result of—"

Miranda and Jack slid to a halt as they reached the hatchway leading back out into the main concourse and exchanged a quick, confused look. "EDI, do you copy? Kasumi?" Miranda called out over the comm but was met with only static.

"I've lost them too, Miranda," Oriana reported. "A bunch of surveillance systems are also failing around the station. But I managed to sync the telemetry the Normandy's computer was transmitting over the Tac-link and have a solid lock on the pathogen's location."

"Understood, Ori. We're on our way."

"Miranda, you're not going to get there in time," Oriana said in a clear, unwavering voice. "I'm heading to intercept."

"What?!" Miranda's voice rose in alarm. "Absolutely not! Oriana, stay where you are. Jack and I will deal with this."

"No time. I'm already out the door."

"Damn it, Oriana," Miranda shouted, her voice taut with fear, "get back to that office now!"

Then Goyle's stern, forceful voice came over the squad channel. "Miranda, she's our best chance right now. Robert's following her. Get there as soon as you're able."

"Damn it!" Miranda shouted again and her stomach tightened uncomfortably. She then burst through the hatchway and back out onto the station's main concourse, shouldering her way past a crowd of civilians and dashing toward the high-speed rail station, still holding tightly to the case containing the vials of Reaper-augmented virus in one hand and the Carnifex Hand Cannon in the other.

Jack swore as she chased after Miranda through the teeming pathways of the concourse, droplets of water flying in their wake from their soaked hair and clothes. Catching up with the operative, she grabbed her elbow roughly and whirled her around to face her. "Will you settle the fuck down?! You're going to get us both jumped by the first group of Marines with itchy trigger fingers running off like that, waving that fucking thing around." Jack jabbed a finger down at the pistol Miranda was still holding in her hand.

Miranda yanked her arm free and stared defiantly back at Jack, her eyes ablaze with fear and anger. Breathing hard, she then seemed to regain a fraction of her composure and quickly stuffed the heavy pistol into the tote that was still slung over one shoulder. Giving Jack a curt nod, they both turned and resumed their dash toward the rail station at a slightly more controlled pace.

Reaching the station a minute later, they thundered down the long flight of steps and sidestepped their way forcefully past another group of civilians before launching themselves into the first available car.

"Oriana," Miranda said, the tone of her voice returning to a more measured level," report your status. I want to know everything you're seeing."

"Okay. I'm moving through to the opposite wing of the Parliament offices, toward the last location we had on the target before the networks dropped," Oriana said. "Hold on. I'm accessing the protocols I got from the Normandy's computer to scan with my Omni-tool and overlaying the district schematics… Damn, I should have done that before. Live and learn, I guess."

Miranda listened intently as the tramcar lurched forward and sped along the magnetic rail toward the government district. Jack was holding on to an overhead grip strap with one hand while she scanned the crowd around them with a wary eye, looking for any SAIS agents that might be lurking in the packed car.

"Alright, got it. The signal's on the move, heading toward the central Parliament chambers. I've got a route, heading there now."

"Have you checked your weapon to confirm it's primed and that you have a full clip's worth of ammo?" Miranda said, her voice sounding instructional.

"Umm… No, I haven't"

"Do it now, Oriana. Discreetly," Miranda said. "Flip off the safety and keep it ready under your coat."

"Right… Hold on."

Miranda stared out the tramcar's window, watching the station's concourse zip by in a blur while her heart hammered in her chest. "Remember what Thane's taught you. If you're fired upon, get down and move to cover first. Don't expose yourself to return fire until there's a break in the shooting."

"Got it," Oriana said as the ambient crowd noise grew louder in the background. "Moving into the central lobby. There are a lot of people mulling around here."

"That's good. Just blend into the crowd. Is the signal still moving?"

"Yes—Wait, no. It just stopped. Looks like it's in a compartment adjacent to the big conference room. That's gotta be where they're holding the talks. I can see a few asari and turians starting to file in through the doors."

Miranda met Jack's eyes and she knew she was thinking the same thing. We're not going to make it in time.

"Okay," Oriana said. "I've found the door and am moving inside."

Miranda heard the hum of mechanical equipment suddenly grow louder over the comm. "Oriana, draw your weapon now."

"Alright," Oriana said and grunted softly. "It's kind of dark in here."

"Get low and let your eyes adjust before moving forward. What do you see?"

"It's a big maintenance room. Lots of terminals along the wall and what looks like some air circulation turbines toward the back."

"Local environmental processors for the Parliament facilities," Miranda said quietly to Jack.

"Fuck me," Jack said softly.

"I've got movement," Oriana whispered but then her voice pitched higher, sounding dumbfounded. "Wait, you?!... Oh shit!" The unmistakable sound of gunfire then exploded over the comm.

Miranda blanched and her eyes went wide. "Ori!"

The tramcar then came to a sudden halt at the government district station. Jack grabbed hold of Miranda's arm, ignited a field of crackling dark energy around them both, and pulled her out of the car as other passengers were sent flying clear from the force of the biotic field. Side by side the two women hurdled over the turnstiles and sprinted up the long flight of stairs that led out of the station, drawing their weapons as they ran.

Then staccato of automatic fire echoed over the comm followed shortly after by the hoarse report of the Predator heavy pistol.

"Ah, FUCK!" Oriana cried.

"Ori?! Talk to me!" Miranda shouted into her comm, her throat tightening

Cresting the top of the stairs and dashing across the concourse toward the Parliament chambers, Miranda and Jack could see a stream of humanity fleeing out from the central lobby. Two armed soldiers were at the main doors, looking confused and helpless to stem the tide. When they saw the two armed women rushing toward their position, they looked uncertain and made to raise their own submachine guns.

Jack didn't pause to see if they were regular Alliance and would respect the naval uniforms they were wearing or SAIS and were going to open fire on them. Instead, she simply flung both men aside with a rapid flick of her arm, resulting in a devastating biotic push effect. The guards were both slammed hard against the back wall, their weapons sent flying from their grasp, and slumped back down to the ground.

Tearing past the incapacitated soldiers and into the main lobby, Miranda and Jack were met with a scene of utter chaos. Cries of panic were mixed with the harsh sound of more gunfire erupting within the enclosed space as dozens of people scattered for cover and the exits.

Miranda instinctively ducked down as she felt the buzz of high-velocity projectiles soar over her head and slap into the metal wall to her side. Snapping her head toward the direction the shots had come from, she grimaced at the sight of SAIS operatives fully involved with the turian and asari protection details. Both sides were firing at each other in the close quarters of the central lobby while several of the asari commandos threw up barriers. "Oriana! Talk to me!" she shouted desperately but there was no reply.

Jack crouched down next to her, looking eager to blast somebody with the Scimitar she was holding tightly with both hands. "What a fucking cluster."

Then the muffled sound of three more shots from Oriana's Predator jerked both Miranda and Jack's attention toward the door at the other side of the lobby, about twenty meters away.

Miranda leapt out of her crouch and raced toward the sound. Jack, right on her heels, gave a cry of rage and fired a biotic shockwave ahead of them, buckling the door inward and ripping it from its track like a sheet of flimsy aluminum.

Bursting into the compartment, Miranda slid to a halt just inside the ruined doorway and brought her Carnifex up to scan for threats. The room was lit dimly by red, overhead emergency lighting, the glow of several terminals along the walls, and the light shining in from the lobby behind her. The acrid smell of expended, superheated rounds hung in the air along with a light haze of smoke just above eye level. "Oriana!" she called out, her voice cracking with emotion.

"Over here," a deep, masculine voice replied.

Miranda snapped her head and weapon toward the sound and gazed across the room. A few meters away, a tall black man dressed in a suit was kneeling close to the floor with his back to her. Lowering her weapon to a tight ready position, she felt her heart catch in her throat as she took a few wary steps closer. She then saw that Kenyatta was crouching down next to someone lying on the floor whose back was leaning against the wall.

Though her face was obscured by the big man's body, Miranda gasped when she recognized the long, slender legs outstretched next to him, a growing pool of blood forming beneath them, and Oriana's fashionable six-inch heel boots.

"Ori!" Miranda shouted and flung herself onto the ground next to her sister, dropping the case and pistol down on the floor as she grasped the girl's shoulders.

Oriana's face was ghostly white but she looked up at her older sister with alert eyes. "Hey, Randa… What took you so long?" she said in a shaky voice and flashed a pained smile.

Miranda placed her hand on Oriana's cheek and exhaled in relief. Looking to Kenyatta, she saw the man was holding his hands firmly against Oriana's upper left thigh, trying to stem the bleeding from the ragged gunshot wound that had left her pants tattered and bloody.

He looked up at Miranda with a grim expression and nodded toward the other side of the room.

Following Kenyatta's gaze, Miranda looked farther back behind her and saw the lifeless body of the young woman who'd met them at the starport less than two hours ago. Melina Okabe was slumped over a large pipe running along the floor, her sightless, vacant eyes staring back at her. The M-12 Locust submachine the woman had fired on Oriana with was still looped around two fingers, dangling from the trigger guard, as blood flowed freely from her chest, over the pipe, and onto the floor below. A few feet away from the girl was a small, gray polycarbonate case, identical to the one Miranda had just set down near her sister. It looked intact.

"I got her," Oriana said in a voice so soft it was almost inaudible.

Miranda turned back to her sister, her eyes moist with tears, and gave her a trembling smile. "You did."

An instant later, Jack was at their side and leaning over to have a look at Oriana. She then glanced back behind them, saw Okabe's body, and snorted a half-amused, half-astonished laugh. "Way to go, kid. You got that fucking bitch."

Jack's voice seemed to shake Miranda from the paralyzing fear that had taken hold in her. She looked up at her partner and gave a quick nod. "Jack, would you please secure that woman's weapon and collect the case?" she said, gesturing with her eyes back toward the dead girl.

"Yep, on it."

A loud bang came from behind, no doubt Jack making sure Melina was dead.

Activating the medical scan function on her Omni-tool, Miranda waved her arm over her sister's body. The small scanner display immediately showed that she'd taken three slugs to the thigh and that one of the rounds had grazed the femur. Thankfully, the bone was still largely intact and no major arteries had been severed. Oriana would need some bone and tissue regeneration treatment to fully heal, but her life wasn't in jeopardy.

Miranda smiled a little more easily as Oriana looked up at her expectantly. "You're going to be fine," she said and reached into her tote to extract a multi-use Medi-gel injector. "I'm going to apply some Medi-gel to your wound. It'll stop the bleeding and dull the pain."

"Okay, Randa."

With a delicate and practiced touch, Miranda pressed the injector against her sister's leg and applied the anesthetic salve. Waiting a few seconds for the clotting agents to seal the wound from infection and stop the flow of blood, she finally breathed a long sigh of relief as her medical scan showed Oriana stabilizing. She then nodded gratefully at Kenyatta, letting him know he could remove his large hands that had clamped down on the girl's wound.

With the tension of the chaotic battle and the flight to reach Oriana fading, Miranda felt relief wash over her and she leaned over to pull Oriana into a tight embrace. "Well done, Ori," she whispered into her sister's ear as a solitary tear traced its way along her cheek.

Miranda then felt Oriana's quivering lip against her neck as her young sister wrapped her arms around her neck and began to sob uncontrollably.

Miranda stood along the wall of the large, central lobby of the Systems Alliance Parliament, her arms folded under her breasts, feeling emotionally drained as she observed the bustling activity around her.

Her long—and currently blonde—hair was matted and smelled of harsh chemicals from the downpour she and Jack had gotten from the station's fire suppression sprinklers and she could feel a deep, painful bruise forming just above her sternum where the Reaper-augmented technician had punched her hard in the chest. Nevertheless, she was relieved that they had managed to prevent what would have been nothing short of a total catastrophe for the Alliance, their allies, and humanity in general.

Heavily armed Alliance Marines were now swarming the area, joined by a dozen members of the Parliament Security forces, a handful of forensic technicians, and even a few high-ranking Members of Parliament, including Robert Kenyatta, who had quickly asserted his authority over the area and organized the barely contained chaos.

A few minutes after Miranda and Jack had found and stabilized Oriana, the Parliament Security teams and alien delegation protection details had pacified the last of the hostile SAIS operatives in the structure and secured the area. There had been a brief, tense moment in the building's environmental maintenance room when security teams came through to investigate the area and Miranda had to restrain Jack from mowing down half a dozen armed Policemen with the biotics she was flaring, but Kenyatta had quickly calmed the standoff and ensured they weren't molested any further.

Soon after, Captain Jill Dah's task force had arrived on station and her contingent of Marines stormed into the area, rapidly took charge and began locking down key facilities.

As it turned out, Okabe hadn't been the only sleeper agent lying in wait on the station. After Miranda and Jack had successfully stopped the conspirators from achieving their primary objective of infecting the entire Arcturus habitat ring, a series of contingency plans activated to coincide with the girl's attempt to release the Reaper pathogen within a more contained area.

A large force of SAIS operatives had descended on the diplomatic-reserved docks of the Starport where half their force had hustled the turian, asari, and batarian delegations through to the Parliament building while the rest remained to secure the area. Simultaneously, moles within the Alliance Navy detonated several high explosives in the Naval Command Center and thrust Arcturus into a state of temporary chaos as other SAIS troopers disrupted station-wide communications and attempted to seize control of vital facilities.

But between the failure to disperse either instance of the virus and the arrival of Dah's reinforcements, the quasi-coup had ultimately failed. There were still a few scattered pockets of resistance, but the threat to the station had been averted.

Across the way and a little off to Miranda's left, Oriana was reclined on a gurney and being attended to by one of Captain Dah's Medical Corpsmen. Kasumi, who'd managed to slip through Starport Security soon after much of the station's networks went down in an attempt to reach them at the Parliament facility, was standing to one side of the girl and holding her hand.

Miranda didn't blame her for disregarding the order to remain on the Cassandra and flee if their mission had failed. She knew her friend would never have abandoned them, least of all Oriana, whatever the circumstances. Kasumi had become sort of a sister to the two Lawson women.

Jack was standing close by to them as well. Still cradling the Scimitar in her arms and eyeing the soldiers mulling about suspiciously, looking as if she wouldn't hesitate to pounce if someone she didn't like the look of made the horrible mistake of coming too close to her, Oriana, or Kasumi. Silently, Miranda was grateful for Jack's assistance; she likely wouldn't have been able to stop the dispersal of the virus or get to Oriana in time without her help.

Miranda glanced over at Oriana again, who was looking groggy from painkillers, and sighed heavily. She'd need to talk to her soon about what had happened with Okabe. Her sister had obviously never killed anyone before and there would be some emotions to work through there. Still, she felt confident Oriana would recover—both physically and emotionally. She was resilient. She was a Lawson.

Then Captain Dah sidled up to Miranda and gave her a respectful nod.

Miranda was a tall woman at five foot nine—even more so in the high-heeled boots she favored—but Dah towered over her in her heavy combat boots as the two women stood shoulder to shoulder, observing the swarm of activity in the Parliament lobby.

"You're looking well, Miss Lawson," Dah said with a thin, ironic smile, apparently amused by the other woman's disguise.

Miranda gave the woman a sideways glance but kept her expression neutral. She could tell the severe military woman likely smiled so infrequently that the action wasn't something that came naturally to her.

Play nice all you want, you still took John from me.

"Nice party we got here."

"Mm hmm," Miranda nodded slightly. "Quite."

"Stupid SAIS fucks just started firing on the asari and turian protection details after your girl engaged that Melina woman," Dah mused, mostly to herself, and then gestured toward the two gray, polycarbonate cases off to the side being looked over by several Techs and guarded by half a dozen Marines. "Guess they figured they might as well try and start a war if they couldn't dump that crap into the station's atmo." She shook her head in dismay. "This is going to be one helluva diplomatic clusterfuck, but the good news is they exposed themselves when they tried to take out Naval Command. We've got 'em by the balls now."

Miranda turned her head slowly toward the Captain. "You know there will be others."

Dah nodded grimly, her gaze pointed straight ahead. "Yes. But they've shown their hand and hiding in plain sight isn't going to be an option for them any longer. You can't have uniformed operatives deposit a thousand rounds into a civvie district of the Alliance HQ and still fly under the radar. The SAIS is finished, but there'll be a lot of mopping up to do."

"What will you do with the pathogen they intended to release? Not bring it to Earth, I hope."

"Oh hell no. That shit's not coming within a dozen light years of Sol. We've got a remote spot we'll be delivering it to for the science geeks to do their worst with."

Miranda gave the tiniest of smiles as she eyed the tall woman. The more she'd had the chance to speak with her the more evident it became she was a soldier more comfortable in the role of a Platoon Sergeant rather than a Captain commanding a small squadron of highly advanced warships. But there was conviction and an unyielding nature to her. She could respect that.

After their first run-in on Noveria, Miranda had looked into the relevant files about the woman who'd stolen Shepard away from her and confirmed what she thought she'd recalled: Dah had served with David Anderson during the First Contact War and then again later on the SSV Hastings. She owed her life to him after the messy events on Sidon in 2165 and clearly had an unshakable loyalty to the Admiral. During these troubled and uncertain times, it made sense that he'd turned to someone like her—someone he could trust—to act as one of the tips of the spear in rooting out the forces determined to undermine the Alliance.

"You'll find a fairly mangled corpse dressed in technician coveralls in the primary Environmental Control facility for the habitat ring," Miranda said matter-of-factly. "Your teams should exercise full bio containment procedures when handling the body and will likely want to transport it to the same facility the pathogen vials are bound for. The postmortem analysis will undoubtedly be of extreme interest to you science geeks."

Dah gave an intrigued look and nodded thoughtfully. "You know, you're not going to get any of the credit for this, but I know what went down here. And between you and me, I'm glad you're on our side now." The Alliance Captain then turned to face Miranda more squarely, her expression respectful, and extended a gloved palm.

Miranda gazed back at the stern woman, taken off guard by the gesture, and shook her hand.

"Good luck, Lawson," Dah said and marched away.

After seeing Oriana safely to the Arcturus Alliance Naval Hospital and watching over her closely during the brief surgery to repair her leg, Miranda left her sister under Kasumi's watchful eye while she made a quick trip back to the Cassandra. She was still wearing the Alliance Navy BDUs that Adams had provided and her hair stunk of fire-suppressant chemicals, so she was eager to get a quick shower and change into something more suitable.

Kenyatta and Dah had authorized their continued presence on Arcturus without having to fear arrest or questioning based on their official status as wanted fugitives. The team embraced the brief respite while the younger Lawson girl recovered from her wounds and Goyle had the opportunity to help the Parliament straighten out some of the mess that the SAIS had made within the political structure and assist with smoothing things over with the alien delegations that had been thrust into the middle of it all.

Passing through the security gates with the updated credentials Dah had provided, Miranda noted evidence of the brief, but intense, firefight that had erupted around the diplomatic ports when SAIS operatives had attempted to wrest control of the area from the legitimate authorities.

Several of the walls were pockmarked with hundreds of bullet impacts and there were a few spots on the floor stained with blood and gore where soldiers—or possibly civilians—had fallen. One of the security checkpoints was also badly charred after apparently taking the brunt of a grenade detonation. And everywhere she looked there were Alliance Marines, decked out in full battle kits, supplementing the regular Arcturus security forces. They all wore tense, vigilant expressions.

Approaching the airlock that led out to the Cassandra's boarding tunnel, Miranda stopped short when the hatchway suddenly hissed open and Jack came striding toward her.

Once Oriana had checked into the Naval Hospital, Jack had eagerly returned to the ship to dissolve away the layers of altered flesh and pigmentation Kasumi had applied and strip off the Alliance uniform that she seemed to regard as a particularly heinous insult for her to endure. She was now thoroughly back in her own skin again— cargo pants, black studded leather jacket, tattoos and all. The same beat-up duffle bag she'd taken off the Normandy more than three months previous was slung over one shoulder.

Miranda took in the woman's dramatic transformation from the unassuming, red-headed Ensign back to her typical roguish appearance and smirked. "Well, I have to say this certainly suits you better, Jack."

Jack snorted and shook her head. "And yet that monkey suit seems to fit you just fine."

Miranda gave a thin smile and nodded slowly, knowing it wasn't a compliment. "Going somewhere?"

"Uh huh. I've had just about all I can handle of your company, cheerleader," Jack said as she dropped the duffle to the floor and folded her arms in front of her. "Granny gave me a contact, some chick by the name of Kahlee Sanders, that might have a job for me. And since that Alliance dyke gave me a get-out-of-jail-free card, I'm heading out before anyone changes their mind."

"So you're going to take the job? With Sanders?"

"I might," Jack shrugged. "Whole fucking galaxy's going to shit, anyway. I'm hitching a ride on a military transport heading for Elysium." Her expression turned mischievous and she half-leered at Miranda. "Maybe I'll meet a nice Alliance Boy Scout like you did on the way there."

Miranda laughed softly and felt a sting of pain from the severe bruise on her chest that she still hadn't attended to. "Wouldn't that be something?" The sting from the mention of John was far worse.

A brief, awkward silence then settled in the air between the two women before Jack drew in a long breath and forced a sour expression. "Look, let's get this straight, Lawson. I still don't like you and we are definitely not friends."

"Fine. You'll get no argument from me on that point."

"Good. But we're square now, you and me."

Miranda nodded slowly. "We're even."

Jack looked momentarily uncomfortable and briefly broke off the intense stare she'd been giving Miranda. "Well, I'm not giving you a fucking hug or anything, so…"

Miranda rolled her eyes. "Oh thank god."

Jack smirked and looked like she might laugh, but didn't, and then pulled the duffle back over her shoulder. "Watch yourself out there, cheerleader. And look out for the kid. I like her better than you."

"Take care of yourself, Jack."

Jack brushed past Miranda, making to leave, but then stopped next to her and inhaled deeply. "It's gonna take some time to wash all the chemical shit out of that pretty hair of yours, Miranda" she said and shrugged. "Me, I just tossed that shitty red wig in the incinerator." She then briefly locked eyes with the former Cerberus operative, nodded sharply, and stormed past her and down the pathway.

Miranda looked over her shoulder and watched as the unlikeliest of recent allies in her bizarre, post-Cerberus world marched off and disappeared into the crowds of the starport. Sighing, she accessed the airlock and quickly made her way up through the boarding tunnel and into the Cassandra.

A few moments later, she walked into the ship's common room and saw Anita sitting at one of the large tables with an array of data tablets spread out in front of her.

Noticing Miranda's arrival, Goyle looked up and gave a tired smile. "Prime Minister Shastri has been cleared of any involvement in the conspiracy," she said. "They found him bound and gagged within his own office. Apparently both his top aides were working with the SAIS and were complicit in the order to rush the delegations through port security to the Parliament." Anita shook her head, as if still trying to wrap her head around the reach of these people they'd been working so hard the last two months to stop. She then gazed back down at the tablet she was holding, looking a little tired and just the slightest bit frail.

Miranda remained standing before Goyle, studying the woman for a long moment before speaking. "Anita, I'd like a word, please."

Goyle lowered the tablet to the table again and sighed. "Yes," she said almost formally. "I imagined you might. I suppose we ought to discuss what occurred with Oriana."

The mention of her sister's name instantly propelled Miranda back to the moment she'd burst into that maintenance room and found her laying on the floor in a pool of her own blood. When she spoke, there was a hard edge to her voice. "How dare you counter my tactical authority and allow Oriana to walk into that kind of danger. She was nearly killed."

"And you think I could have stopped her?"

"I know you could have."

Goyle paused for a moment as if considering something. "Yes, I suppose I could have. But that would have been the wrong call, Miranda. We needed her. There was no one else."

"She wasn't ready!" Miranda said, her voice elevating more sharply than she intended.

"Then why was she there?" Goyle said, suddenly rising to her feet with quickness that surprised Miranda. "As soon as she stepped off this ship and onto Arcturus she was in harm's way."

Miranda stared back at Goyle defiantly. "I know that. But—"

"But what?" She interrupted and fixed Miranda with a stern look. "What do you think you're playing here, Miranda?" Anita demanded. "When I agreed to bring your teenage sister into this operation, it was because you were adamant that she could be an asset and that she needed to be prepared for the fight ahead."

"I know that," Miranda repeated stubbornly.

Goyle held up a hand to silence her and continued. "Then you're aware of the urgency of the situation we were facing. If you thought she wasn't up to doing whatever it took to confront the threat then she had no business being within fifty light years of this place."

Miranda's voice suddenly grew heavy with emotion. "I can't lose her, Anita. She's all I have left."

Goyle gazed back at the younger woman she'd grown to think of as a protégé of sorts and softened her expression. "She's a brilliant girl. And she's grasped this peril we face with the resiliency of innocence—and ignorance. And yes, she was nearly killed today. But if she had been, the fault would have landed squarely at your feet, Miranda."

Miranda stared back at Anita, her mouth agape but at a loss for words.

"Oriana doesn't have the luxury of time to prepare for the terrors that wait beyond the horizon. Nor does she have the opportunity to sit and learn at the altar of one of the most ruthless men in the galaxy so that she too might be forged into an infamous 'Ice Queen' of Cerberus."

"You think I want that for her?" Miranda said in dismay.

"No. You want something equally unrealistic for her. Something normal." Anita slowly walked closer to Miranda and placed a hand on her arm. "But you know that's not possible anymore. There's no safe place you can send her. She's a part of this fight now and there's no pulling her back. If you want her to survive, you need to take the gloves off and stop holding her back. The time for half-measures has passed and she is going to have to be fully committed to this program if I'm to allow her to remain with us." Goyle then tightened her grip on Miranda's arm and stared deep into her eyes. "And the same goes for you, Miss Lawson."

Miranda gave Anita a puzzled look. "What?"

Anita released Miranda's arm, walked a few paces away with her head bowed in thought, and then turned again to face the younger woman. "I've had the opportunity to watch you closely for quite some time now, Miranda. And it's become all too obvious to me that you still have one foot firmly planted in the Illusive Man's corrupt ideology and have only minimally dedicated yourself to the overarching goal we're striving to accomplish. You're not any more committed to preserving the integrity of the Alliance and its founding principles than you have been with your efforts to properly train and prepare Oriana."

Miranda bristled and felt her old, practiced defenses spring into action and encircle her. She didn't want to hear this. She didn't want to deal with any of this. So she pushed back. "You want me to enthusiastically embrace the principles of an organization that has blatantly ignored the greatest single threat humanity has ever faced and that has sought to discredit the few people that have tried to expose that truth? You think I should have some great motivation to unconditionally offer up my skills and knowledge to them? My god Anita, the Alliance has hunted me for years!" She declared, her voice laced with anger.

"And you deserved to be hunted." Goyle said firmly. "Spare me your hypocrisies, Miranda."

The two women stood face to face for a moment, neither willing to yield.

"Why are you so certain the Alliance deserves to be saved and placed on such a pedestal? Look at the chaos their inaction and wavering has created."

"The people we've been fighting to expose are not the Alliance and you know it."

Miranda pressed on as if she hadn't heard her. "The goal of Cerberus was always, primarily, the advancement of humanity's place and interests in the galaxy. We were dedicated to standing between the most vulnerable of our population and the hostile species that hoped to enslave us or push us back into Sol," she said as her expression grew smug. "In many ways, we took our cue from you, Anita, when you asserted humanity's sovereignty and right to expand to the Council when they would have seen us ground down into some second-rate, subservient species."

The story of Anita Goyle's pivotal confrontation with the Citadel Council more than twenty years ago was legendary among the very select group of intelligence people that were privy to the leaked information. Miranda, of course, was one such person. In the wake of the Alliance's exposed illegal experiments into AI technology on Sidon, the Council had sought to impose truly draconian punishments upon humanity. The sanctions were designed to do nothing less than cripple the upstart galactic civilization and ensure that humanity would never become the rival the Council races had so suddenly begun to fear. But Goyle had refused to be browbeaten during that closed door session in 2165 and saved humanity from suffering the fate of downtrodden species like the batarians and krogan. Her grit and savvy had ensured humanity's continued viability within the larger galactic community and, in fact, laid the foundation for their eventual rise to a coveted spot on the Council itself.

Goyle gazed back at Miranda with a penetrating stare. "Miss Lawson, I will fight for humanity's rightful place within the galaxy until my dying breath, but don't for an instant pretend to liken those events to the activities that you and the Illusive Man engaged in." She then sighed and allowed her rigid stance to relax somewhat. "I'm not asking for penance from you, Miranda. You know I've never demanded that. And while I probably only know a fraction of what you've done over the course of your career for Cerberus I won't ever ask you to tell me more. And while I'm fully aware that the organization I've committed the better part of my life to sits upon the precipice, I freely choose to place my trust in the ideals that founded it and the people I know can be trusted to preserve it."

"And you think that's wise?"

Anita smiled patiently and shrugged. "Perhaps. Perhaps not. I suppose it's a matter of faith. But I can appreciate your reluctance, Miranda. You don't even know what you're fighting for anymore, do you? For Oriana's future? For revenge against those that have wronged you? Or for the love of a man you fear may never want you back?"

Mirada remained silent for a long moment as she gazed back at Anita, stung by the truth in her words. But she knew the older woman was right. She really didn't know what she was fighting for any longer or what was driving her forward. Honestly, after parting ways with Cerberus, she hadn't devoted the time to properly explore what exactly she hoped for from a future that seemed all too uncertain. Instead, she kept herself focused on the immediacy of Oriana's safety and whatever other tasks were set before her, working almost automatically to fulfill someone else's agenda.

And of course there was always John. The idea of what he might hope for her to accomplish while he was forced to sit idle on Earth was never far from her thoughts. At the very least, she owed him that. "Anita, I… I don't know what to say," Miranda said and cast her eyes to the floor.

Goyle approached Miranda again, gently grasped both of her hands in her own and offered a soft smile. "I know you're struggling to find your footing in a world you never thought you'd inhabit and to reconcile the person you once were with the woman you've become. But there's a fire coming that will burn all of our past sins away, Miranda. The only thing that matters is what we choose to do now."

Then Anita's expression grew more forceful and an impassioned blaze took light in her eyes. "I know the Alliance is far from perfect. I still believe it's our best chance to survive this crisis and emerge with our souls still intact. You can be part of that, Miranda. But I need you to decide if that's what you really want. Before it's too late."

When the Cassandra was decoupled from the docking clamps that kept her secured to Arcturus Station several days later and slowly edged out from the crowded spaceport and into the black to begin her return trip to the Citadel, Oriana was planted firmly in the pilot's chair as she focused intently on the demanding task of piloting the big spacecraft.

Miranda sat next to her at the co-pilot's station and observed her sister's efforts with keen interest while she kept a watchful eye on the vessel's instrumentation and gauges. Trying to conceal her tension, she let out a long breath when they finally cleared the most technical portion of the launch sequence and the starliner was turned into an easy course toward the mass relay. "Very nice," she said.

Oriana turned to her big sister and beamed at the modest compliment. "Piece of cake," she said and winked.

Miranda snorted and gave her a dry smile. "Don't get cocky." She then reached over to the vessel's primary comm panel and keyed a few rapid commands to initiate an encrypted channel. "EDI, how do you read us?"

A moment later, the familiar and strangely comforting voice of the Normandy's AI came over the cockpit speakers. "Loud and clear, Operative Lawson. Data exchange to your vessel is complete. Standing by to receive final instructions."

Miranda nodded, looking thoughtful. "Initiate Spartacus protocol, authorization Lawson Echo-Five-Five-Three-Charlie-Juliet."

"Acknowledged. Spartacus protocol is now active," EDI reported back and then paused for a moment. "And Miss Lawson, it was nice to see you again."

Miranda noted what almost sounded like sadness in the AI's voice and gave a thin smile. "It was good to see you too, EDI. Good luck."

"And to you, Miss Lawson. Logging you off."

As the comm channel cut out, Oriana glanced over at Miranda and raised an eyebrow. "Spartacus protocol?"

"A contingency plan of sorts," Miranda said and shrugged. "When the Normandy is sent back to Earth, EDI will be in relatively close proximity to Shepard. Her updated directive will ensure that his safety is prioritized above all else."

Oriana gave a knowing smile. "Well, aren't we clever," she said before pursing her lips and returning her focus to the ship's controls.

Miranda turned her head slowly toward her sister and shot her an amused look. "Yes, aren't we clever, indeed?" she said and then straightened up further in her seat. "Now, plot us a complete flight plan back to the Citadel. It's time for you to get back to your studies."

"Randa?" Oriana asked after several moments of silence.

"Hmm?"

"Don't give up hope." Oriana said softly, her gaze averted.

"Ori, I would never. I know the Reapers-" Miranda started.

"No, not the Reapers. On John. Don't give up hope on him. You love him, so stop torturing yourself over it." Oriana said, still soft but more firm and looking Miranda in the eye this time.

Miranda was about to say something before Oriana cut her off.

"Don't reply. Just…just think about what I said, ok?"

Miranda swallowed hard.

"Ok." She whispered, her voice barely audible.

As the stars whizzed past her, Miranda's thoughts turned to the man she loved, and still loves, wishing that she could be the little spoon again.

Find me, John. Please. I need you.

Author's Note:

Ugh. Sorry for the delay. I got Covid and am feeling like shit. I still want to write but it's gonna be slower. I have a rough draft of a new short story I'm working on, but it's delayed because of my illness. I was going to write a lot more here, but I'm not feeling up to it. Will try to post more if I can.

Also, just want to make it clear that yes, Miranda can't really function properly without Shepard. And vice versa. They complete each other, and are the motivators that create their indomitable spirits. I've been talking with Mal Cobb, who has generously given me permission to continue, and we conversed about some ideas. Seems like we have similar thoughts for Ori, but that's all you'll get out of me. And her relationship status. Shhhh.

Truthfully, it's a little irritating to have to go back and rewrite certain parts simply because I want to get to the chapters that I can write fully. Ughhhhh. I have so many ideas and yet I can't look at the screen and make them magically come to life.

Anyways, I'm off to take a Tylenol and go lie down for a bit. Cya.

Yours,

amc555