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Miranda stopped short of pressing the matter a third time to the Illusive Man. "She's stabilized now, sir."
"Are you certain?"
"No, sir….but we've run the scans over and over, compared the imagings of her brain to those pre- and immediately post-op following her reconstruction."
"Nothing presented as odd to you and Doctor Chakwas or Mordin?"
"Nothing, sir."
"And suggesting the chip…Did Thane push the matter?"
"She declined, sir."
"What are your recommendations going forward, Officer Lawson…"
"She's rescued the colonists and recruited the help of a Collector," Miranda said in the Q.E.C., "…I think in light of those results, we should continue operations—no chip unless there is real cause to worry."
"Could it have had something to do with Morinth's force-meld on the commander?"
"I…doubt it, sir."
"Why?"
"Many have been taken by Ardat-Yakshi…most die, but the survivors do not have anything to say about voices and possessions of other aliens through psychic ability or….phantasms."
"Shepard may have been the only one to survive her meld, Officer Lawson, with a new capability…similar to wreaving."
"I don't see a connection between an Ardat-Yakshi and what Braith has encountered in her head…and armor," she added, hesitantly intertwining the geth, Legion's feedback and E.D.I.'s own input.
"Maybe her mind was opened somehow to something else."
"Like the power to dominate a Collector and make it help us in that ship?" Miranda looked skeptical.
"The mind is still a massive mystery to humans, Officer Lawson…." The Illusive Man wisped away a tendril of smoke, "….and Ardat-Yakshi are very rare—having only been discovered to exist recently. The Asari Republic chooses not to disclose information about these unique creatures….given the embarrassment facing them for hiding such a stain upon their reputation as the perfect race."
"What would you like me to do, sir?"
"Monitor Shepard and don't let her out of your sights."
"She will notice that, sir."
"At any future sign of instability," the Illusive Man warned, "…you will need to be proactive and implant her with the chip, Officer Lawson…We cannot afford failure in this mission." Miranda nodded.
And despite her feelings about the Illusive Man's betraying them, she had to face facts—Shepard was a concern. Even Garrus had voiced his anxiety over her behavior since the Collector rescue.
"I will do what's necessary, sir."
"Make sure to, Miranda…" He considered her, "…I realize how invested you are in the commander as your personal project…Make sure you protect what you have worked so hard to create—stop her before she implodes and hurts our cause…or your crewmates."
"Whatever happens," Miranda assured him, "…I will be ready to make the proper decisions for us all, sir…And to see our mission be a success." He nodded, and the room darkened as his simulation disappeared.
Shepard greeted her on the other side of the doors from the Q.E.C. center. They nodded to each other in confidence.
"So now what—Officer Lawson?" Miranda chuckled and rubbed her brow.
"You want to go to the Alliance and re-enlist, don't you."
"I don't think I have a choice, Miranda."
"Well," she sighed, "…at least we won't go empty-handed."
"You want to do this with me?"
"Commander….The Illusive Man was right about one thing."
"And what was that?"
"I've invested a lot of time in you and I'll be damned if I let my work go to pieces." Braith smiled.
"Joker." She raised her voice and eyes to the ceiling…Braith's pilot replied:
"Back to the Alliance, Shepard?"
"Let's go see if we can plead our case with a few colonies' worth of the rescued."
"You're the commander," he sang back to her, "….Should be arriving at Arcturus Station in twelve hours."
She sighed and nodded, then took Miranda by the shoulders and walked her into Mordin's lab. "Let's talk about Morinth."