"Six more missiles in the air!" Riley called out from Tactical. "That makes sixteen inbound and hot, sir."
"Joker, evasive!" Shepard shouted over the intercom. He was leaning over the tactical and galaxy map dais, his feet planted in a wide stance while he gripped the railing. "EDI, deploy countermeasures, ready all point defense systems."
The Normandy was accelerating steadily away from Elysium and Grissom Academy, drawing the Cerberus fighters that had given chase far from the station and clearing a path for Miranda's shuttle to approach and deliver her team.
The Cerberus Tridents had closed the distance rapidly, firing a volley of anti-ship missiles that EDI's ridiculously powerful cyber warfare jamming suite had quickly defeated. But subsequent attempts to swat the attacks away with her electronic countermeasures had proven ineffective. The enemy's weapons systems had adapted quickly.
After just a few minutes of combat, it had become clear that the Normandy was facing a squadron of highly modified Tridents—significantly more advanced than the F-61s the Alliance Navy operated—wielding some extremely powerful ordnance. The first wave of disruptor torpedoes they'd fired appeared to be of similar yield to the Alliance variants, but the energy signatures and acceleration curves diverged significantly. They hadn't had time yet to properly analyze the data, but Shepard already felt certain they were facing more reverse-engineered Collector tech.
Moreau pushed the throttle into the red, sending the Normandy into a tight corkscrew maneuver, shooting away from the incoming missiles. Simultaneously, hundreds of advanced decoys and white-hot, radioactive flares ripple-fired from the hull, lighting up the local vacuum in a dramatic, blossoming fireworks display.
Half the missiles chased after the decoys and detonated dozens of kilometers away from the big frigate. The rest ignored the countermeasures, adjusted course, and closed to within the effective envelope of the Normandy's point defense systems. All along the hull, fire erupted from the Goalkeeper cannons, silent in the vacuum of space, and destroyed most of the remaining missiles. The GARDIAN laser emitters finished the job, superheating the final projectiles until their warheads detonated a mere few hundred meters from the ship.
A violent jolt rocked the ship when the torpedoes' mass effect energy payload hammered the Normandy's cyclonic barriers, rattling the people and equipment protected within the hull. Alarms went off in the CIC and the lighting fluctuated for a few seconds before stabilizing.
"Damage report," Shepard ordered.
"No loss to hull integrity, Captain," EDI announced. "Silaris armor holding at one hundred percent. However, our barriers absorbed a significant amount of energy and have been reduced to sixty-one percent effectiveness."
"Hostile contacts are swinging back around for another attack run," Riley called out from Tactical. "We've been painted again. Detecting imminent launch."
"Joker! Bring us about, maximum combat acceleration. It's time to deal out some pain of our own on these assholes."
"With pleasure, Shepard. Hang on."
The Normandy's four massive antiproton thrusters flared and Joker urged the agile frigate into an impossibly tight port-side turn, swinging the nose back toward the swarm of small fighters.
"Weapons! Stand by all Stiletto batteries. Full spread."
"Aye, sir. Stilettos armed and hot."
"Weapons free, Ensign. Fire at will."
Along the underside of the Normandy's hull, muzzle doors slid back and revealed the recessed tubes of the Stiletto close-range anti-ship missile magazines. An instant later, all twelve of the hyper velocity missiles blasted out into the local vacuum in rapid fire succession before cleaving through space at nearly 60 percent the speed of light.
"Splash three!" Riley shouted excitedly before he slumped his shoulders a fraction. "The other five evaded the missiles, sir." He shook his head, frustrated. "I can't believe the acceleration these guys are pulling. We killed their formation but they're regrouping for another attack run."
Shepard nodded. "It's fine, Ensign. Just get those tubes reloaded and keep the Goalkeeper guns warm."
"Shepard, the batarian Akula has altered course and is moving to intercept us," EDI reported. "I am actively jamming all frequencies and attempting to infiltrate their offensive weapons control systems. However, their mass accelerator gun control mechanisms operate on fully redundant and isolated circuits. I will be unable to interfere with them."
"Joker…"
"I see it!"
"Akula is lining up a shot," Riley said. "Forward guns firing."
The Normandy rumbled and complained for a split second as the main thrusters flared again, Joker pitching the ship hard to starboard and sending them into another high speed roll.
"Shots missed wide to port. Akula is maneuvering to attempt another shot. Remaining fighters have split into two groups, closing on multiple vectors."
"Enough of this," Shepard said and hit the intercom to the bridge again. "Joker, turn back toward that cruiser and get us in close. Let's mix it up."
"'Bout time," Joker replied over the open channel, sounding giddy.
"Riley, I want the forward Thanix guns charged to maximum. Get me a targeting solution on that Akula."
"Aye, aye, sir. Readying main battery, acquiring target solution."
Liara was standing a little off to Shepard's left, her knuckles white from the death grip she was applying to the CIC dais railing in front of her. "You're going to get closer to them?" she said, shooting him a semi-horrified look.
"Frigates aren't designed to duke it out with cruisers at these distances, Liara," he explained calmly. "Even an old tub like that can get lucky with a shot from their long guns. But they can't bank worth a damn. Once we're in knife range, it's a whole new ballgame."
Liara still looked incredulous but said nothing more.
"Thanix batteries are fully charged and ready to fire, Shepard," EDI said. "I have multiple targeting solutions queued and ready to deploy on your order."
"New contact!" Riley barked. "Big new contact. Closing hard on the Akula's position, approaching from their flank."
"I need something more descriptive than that, Ensign."
"Understood, sir. Stand by. There's still a lot of volatile radioactive energy interference in the area after those warhead detonations. Whatever Cerberus is packing in their anti-ship missiles, it's nasty." Riley's fingers flew over his console's interface, the young ensign struggling to decipher the information on his scopes, beads of sweat popping on his forehead. "Got it!" he shouted. "Reading a valid Alliance transponder, loud and proud, Captain. It's the Jon Grissom."
"Where did they come from?" Liara said, nearly laughing the words with palpable, nervous relief.
"Whoa," Riley said, his eyes going wider, still glued to his scope. "Flight of six Alliance F-17s swinging up from our starboard side. They're really cooking, launching on the hostile fighters! Twenty-four missiles in the air and tracking on the enemy, straight and true."
Shepard's gaze snapped from his tactical officer to the plots on the big screen. The Alliance Navy space-superiority fighters were now clearly marked in cool, friendly blue, streaking toward the angry red plots of the Cerberus Tridents. The two dozen HVMs that rapid fired from Tomahawks' sleek fuselages were a storm of inverted v symbols, crossing the distance and overwhelming their targets in less than three seconds.
"Splash five!" Riley shouted again and whistled softly. "They got 'em all. Man, I'd heard those Tomahawks were something, but that was fucking incredible." He caught himself immediately and glanced up at Shepard, looking mortified and turning red. "Uh, sorry, sir. I got carried away."
Shepard gave the young man a thin smile. "Focus, Ensign. And get me an updated status on that Akula. We're not done yet."
"Aye, sir."
"I'm picking up a wide spectrum comm broadcast from the Grissom, Captain," Traynor said. "It's directed at the batarian vessel."
"Put it on speaker, Traynor."
"Aye, sir," she said and tapped out another quick command. The voice of the Jon Grissom's commanding officerrang out over the CIC speakers a moment later.
"Batarian vessel, this is Captain Adrianna Navarro, commanding the SSV Jon Grissom. You are in violation of Systems Alliance space. Stand down all weapons systems and propulsion or you will be destroyed. I say again, we have you locked up. Stand down or we will blow you out of the sky."
"The Jon Grissom has acquired an optimal firing solution on the batarian cruiser," EDI announced. "Their Thanix cannon turrets are locked-on and tracking."
Shepard cracked a lopsided smile. "Not one to mince her words, is she?" he said to no one in particular.
"The ultimatum appears to have achieved the desired effect," EDI said. "I'm reading a significant drop in reactor output from the batarian vessel. They have disengaged all active targeting systems, powered down kinetic barriers and slaved their weapons mounts. Main engine thrust from the cruiser has ceased. They're drifting and making no attempt to alter course."
"Confirmed, sir," Traynor said. "The Akula just signaled her compliance to the Grissom."
Liara let out a breath she'd probably been holding for a full minute. "Thank the Goddess."
"I'm seeing Kodiaks and Dragonflies launching from the Grissom, sir," Riley said. "It looks like they intend to board and secure the Akula."
"The Grissom is hailing us, Captain," Traynor said. "They're requesting a secure comm link."
"Send it to my terminal, Traynor."
"Aye, sir."
Shepard stepped quickly over to his private terminal and leaned forward, watching as the vid link established, revealing Captain Adrianna Navarro's face looking back at him from her command chair.
"Welcome to the party, Captain," Shepard said. "You're a damn good sight to see in this neighborhood."
Navarro's face registered her surprise. "Shepard?" she said, leaning forward, gazing back through the shared vid link. "Well, this day just keeps getting more and more interesting. I didn't know you'd made it out of Vancouver, Commander. I guess it was foolish to ever doubt that you of all people would find a way to survive the invasion."
"It was touch and go for a while, but the Normandy was able to pick us up. To tell you the truth, I wasn't exactly thrilled to leave. Anderson ordered me to extract personnel and sensitive intel from the Mars Archives before running the blockade at Charon and rallying support on the Citadel. It's been a bit of a rollercoaster since then."
"I understand how you feel and imagine we'll have a few stories to swap. But did I hear you correct there? You spoke with Admiral Anderson before leaving Sol?"
Shepard nodded. "And since. He has what's left of the Alliance military on Earth organized into a growing resistance force. We've had some sporadic contact with him using the QEC node in London."
Navarro gave a visible sigh of relief. "That is some of the best news I've heard in a month. I'd thought we'd lost the Admiral when the Reapers hit the Vancouver compound. I'm afraid we've been a little out of the loop for a while now."
"We'll get you caught up soon enough, Captain. Anderson mentioned you'd been ordered out of the system with a group of refugees. How many others do you have with you?"
"I have almost two hundred ships and well over two hundred thousand civilians in my charge, Shepard. They're all waiting on the other side of the relay at Arcturus Delta," Navarro said. "We came through first to scout the region."
Shepard's jaw nearly dropped. "Two hundred thousand," he repeated her softly. "My god, Captain."
She nodded solemnly. "It's been a long haul, Shepard. And I have a lot of people in need of a friendly port of call. But it looks like we've got some work to do before Elysium fits that bill. My tactical people identified the other batarian ships in orbit over the colony."
"It gets better. As you just saw, the batarians aren't alone on this. It looks like Cerberus took out the colony's defense network and all the local comm assets. They've launched a raid on Grissom Academy, which is what got our attention." He signaled to Traynor to establish a new secure data link with the Alliance dreadnought. "We're transmitting all the relevant tactical assessments we've collected in-system so far."
Navarro could be seen glancing down at a nearby screen, her eyes narrowing as she reviewed the new data the Normandy was transmitting. "Those are some more antiques the batarians have in place over Elysium. They won't be a problem for us. That Cerberus destroyer is interesting though. Still not a serious threat to the Grissom, but certainly some potent firepower to send to raid an R&D facility. What are they after?"
"Primarily, the students, we think. The Illusive Man is obsessed with collecting gifted and exceptional humans. I can only guess at what he intends for them, but it won't be good for anyone he manages to extract from the Academy. My XO and a team of Marines are on the station now, trying to disrupt the Cerberus operation."
Navarro nodded, understanding. "It sounds like we need to hurry then. I'm leaving a pair of Tomahawks to fly overwatch for the Marines we've sent to secure the Akula, but the Grissom and the other F-17s are game for more of a fight. You have a better tactical understanding of what's happening in-system. We'll follow your lead to Elysium, Shepard."
"Thank you, Captain. I'll have you linked into our tactical hub right away. Normandy Actual out."
Grissom Academy
Miranda darted forward, firing her Locust one-handed while she pressed her free hand to the small of Ensign Prangley's back, urging the young man forward. A salvo of armor-piercing gunfire was erupting from a Cerberus automated turret a few dozen meters away, tracking them and kicking up chunks of poly-ceramic tile near their feet. She could feel the heat of the rounds just as she gave a final shove and sent them diving behind a massive planter.
Miranda, Jack and the others were running the gauntlet through Grissom Academy's central Atrium. It was a sweeping gardenscape, designed to mimic the parks and water features of the Citadel's Presidium, but on a much smaller scale. But at the moment, the lush environment was anything but peaceful.
They were leapfrogging through the exposed Atrium, moving from cover to cover while Jack and her students supplemented the Normandy's team of soldiers with biotic barriers and the occasional show of offensive force. But with control of the station's operations center and all the internal surveillance systems within, Cerberus troops had rapidly converged on the small group, looking to corral them in the wide, open space.
The path Miranda's combined team was scrambling along led almost directly to the secondary shuttle bay, where a few of the Academy's orbiters were still parked. But their movement toward the bay was a ruse. She and Garrus were counting on the Cerberus invaders assuming they were making a desperate attempt to escape the station and move most of their forces into a blocking formation. In fact, the Normandy's team was determined to veer off toward the Operations Tower and take back control over the station's vital systems and networks.
Prangley looked over his shoulder at Miranda, who was practically sitting on top of him while they crouched behind the big planter. "That was close," he shouted, out of breath. "I think I can manage a barrier."
"Just stay down," Miranda barked. "We're waiting right here for a second."
On cue, Vega popped up a few meters behind Miranda and peppered the Cerberus turret with fully automatic fire from his M-76 Revenant light machine gun, systematically stripping the deadly machine of its local kinetic shielding. Garrus swung out of cover an instant later and sent another incredibly accurate shot from his sniper rifle directly through the turret's primary sensor. The steady barrage of fire from the turret ceased as it shuddered and then exploded, sending armored, fiery debris in all directions.
Feeling the deck rumble beneath her feet from the explosion, Miranda jumped up and sent a biotic strike toward a Cerberus Engineer dashing away from his ruined turret. The lash of energy hit him mid-stride, directly in the abdomen, and halted his momentum completely. She flicked her wrist, tossing the man ten meters into the air before slamming him back to the floor with tremendous force. The vicious impact sent gear and weapons flying away from the man's broken form. He didn't move again.
Miranda paused to observe her handiwork for another second, looking across the Atrium with satisfaction while trying to ignore the steadily increasing ache in her temples.
All through the running battle, she'd been employing her regained biotic powers with a wildly varying mix of results. Some of her attacks had been nearly as powerful as what she was capable of before the SAIS tampered with her abilities while others fizzled pathetically and ineffectually. But regardless of the effectiveness of her biotics, the shooting pain in her head was a constant reminder that she was being rapidly drained by the effort.
"Clear right!" Westmoreland yelled over the squad channel. "Moving!"
The team had nearly reached their objective. As planned, Wrex, Garrus, Westmoreland and Jack all surged toward the shuttle bay, attracting the bulk of Cerberus's attention. It was a convincing deception, the four warriors ripping more than a dozen of the hostile soldiers to shreds. In fact, Wrex and Jack alone likely could have punched through the hasty defensive perimeter, but they would have had nowhere to go from there. The Trident Starfighters were still circling outside the station, ready to pounce on any slow moving shuttlecraft that might try to flee.
Hanging back, Miranda and Vega herded the Alliance recruits toward the short corridor that led to the Operations Tower. They paused behind a large column, firing several more bursts back at their pursuers.
Miranda dropped a Cerberus trooper who was foolishly running directly toward their position, catching him in the face with a dozen rounds from her Locust. His head jerked back, the front of his helmet disintegrating in an explosion of blood and bone before his body fell heavily to the ground. She ejected the spent thermal clip and slapped in a fresh one with a rapid, fluid motion.
To her right, Vega was stamping out a steady rhythm with the M-76, disintegrating a short wall two other hostile soldiers were crouching behind. Their cover ruined, they scampered off in two different directions. The Lieutenant tracked the one that had run left, cutting him down with a final burst while Miranda chased the other away with more automatic fire from her SMG.
She looked over her shoulder and spotted the stairwell and nearby elevator that led to the Operations Tower, just about a dozen meters away. Miranda glanced at Vega and gave a curt nod. "Let's move."
Vega slapped home a fresh thermal clip and swung out from cover, throwing down a barrage of suppressing fire while Miranda and the students dashed off in the opposite direction.
The group had nearly reached the stairwell when Miranda heard someone yelp and felt one of the students stumble to the deck beside her. She jerked her head to the left and saw Ensign Rodriguez splayed out on the floor, already trying to scramble back up to her feet. But the girl was a mess of uncoordinated limbs, consumed with panic as a renewed salvo of gunfire peppered the walls around her.
Miranda slid to a halt, spun her body around and summoned up as much dark energy as she could muster. The warp attack she fired hit the group of advancing Cerberus troopers with a thunderclap, the rapidly shifting mass effect fields shredding two of them in a gruesome display of power and sending the others scattering for safety. She fought back the wave of nausea that her effort had earned her and took hold of Rodriquez's arm, yanking the girl back to her feet and pushing her toward the stairwell.
The hammer blow Miranda felt strike her left arm nearly sent her to the ground herself, spinning her body around awkwardly. She glimpsed the cloak of the Cerberus sniper on the upper level fluctuate for a quick second just before Vega shifted his fire and sent the assassin leaping away.
Miranda reached the relative safety of the stairwell a moment later, the dull throbbing in her head forgotten thanks to the searing agony she now felt in her upper left arm. "Are you hit?" she said, finding Rodriquez panting next to her.
"No," Rodriguez said, turning to face her. "I just tripped. Thank you." Her eyes went wide when they found the ugly wound to Miranda's arm. "Are you okay?"
"Back with the others!" Miranda said through clenched teeth, jerking her head toward the other five Alliance recruits that had formed up at the base of the stairs.
Miranda looked down at her arm hanging limp at her side and saw the dark stain of blood soaking through her jacket. She could see an entry and exit hole through the sleeve, still smoking from the super-heated round that had pierced the meat of her bicep.
It had been a killing shot. She could tell by her personal barrier's readout on her combat visor that the round had been deflected just enough to keep it from penetrating her upper back and chest, altering its trajectory just enough to send it a few inches to the left.
She leaned on the wall, her injured arm leaving a dark red stain on the station's white corridor, and raised her Locust. She fired wildly and in a wide arc, covering Vega as he backpedaled to join them.
He slammed himself heavily behind the wall next to her and looked at Miranda's arm. "You okay, XO?"
"It's fine. Just a scratch," she said, engaging her comm with a gesture. "We're at the base of the stairs. Fall back to our location."
"Copy!" Garrus shouted back over the cacophony of gunfire. "Wait ten seconds and then head up. We'll be right behind you."
"Copy that."
Vega pulled a fragmentation grenade from the front of his harness and handed it to Miranda. "Make a hole!" he shouted, moving up the stairs and through the students to take the lead. They pressed themselves against the walls of the stairwell, allowing the big Marine to pass amongst them, his weapon's muzzle pointed up and his battered combat armor rattling and smoking.
A few seconds later, Miranda thumbed off the fuse on the grenade, tossed it out beyond the corridor and herded the students up after the lieutenant. Three flights up, they arrived at the landing outside the Ops Center. Vega was already there, keeping his weapon trained on the nearby elevator. She quickly counted off the students, ensuring they'd all made the ascent, and then moved them away from the stairs before dashing over to the Ops Center door, ripping off the security panel cover.
Miranda heard the rest of the team thundering up the stairwell behind her a moment later. She spared a quick glance over her shoulder to see Westmoreland and Jack cresting the stairs first, followed by Garrus and then Wrex.
"How's it going?" Garrus asked, thumbing the safety off another fragmentation grenade and dropping it down the way they'd just come.
She waited for the deafening roar of the detonation to subside before answering. "Almost got it," Miranda said. "Standby."
She worked the door's security console for another few seconds, ignoring the pain radiating down her arm as best she could while struggling to keep her Omni-tool steady, cycling through a series of complex bypass algorithms. To her left, she noted Vega swapping his light machine gun for the far more accurate M-66 Valkyrie assault rifle, preparing to breach and clear the operations room. Westmoreland and Garrus both came forward, their own assault rifles at the ready. Wrex hung back, guarding the top of the stairs behind them, his Claymore in hand, waiting to plug any Cerberus troopers foolish enough to try and follow them up.
The electronic latch disengaged a second later and Miranda heard the heavy internal bolts release. She plucked the last two flashbang grenades from her harness with one hand and pulled the detonator pins with her teeth. "Flashbang out!" she yelled, hurling them through the opening just as the doors began to part.
The grenades detonated simultaneously and just before Garrus, Vega and Westmoreland swept through the open doors, firing in rapid, controlled bursts, their hearing and vision protected by the advanced filters in their helmets.
Miranda simply pressed her back against the wall, sliding down into a half crouch. The Marines and Garrus were more than capable of storming the compartment by themselves and she didn't want to get in their way when her arm was gradually going numb.
Jack inched up alongside her and glanced at the blood dripping down Miranda's hand and onto the floor plates. "You okay, Princess?"
Miranda nodded rapidly but said nothing, her eyes locked on the area around the top of the stairs where Wrex was still standing vigilant and listening to the gunfire in the compartment behind her.
The shooting came to abrupt halt a few seconds later. "Clear," Garrus announced over the squad channel.
Miranda pushed herself back upright, the movement taking much more effort than it should thanks to the amount of blood she was losing, and then swept into the Ops compartment. Jack gathered up the students, following right behind her, while Wrex finally abandoned his post and came stomping through the hatchway behind them.
Accessing one of EDI's incredibly complex locking programs, Miranda sealed the hatchway after the others had entered and then turned back around to survey the control room.
It was a relatively large space, roughly the size of the Normandy's CIC deck. There were consoles and workstations clustered throughout the compartment, several banks of monitors along the walls, and two wide, floor-to-ceiling viewing ports situated at the far side of the room. The windows offered a stunning view of Elysium's mostly cloud-covered surface more than a thousand kilometers below the station.
There was still a light haze in the air from the flashbang grenades and subsequent gunfire, but the room's ventilation system was rapidly sucking the smoke out through a series of vents along the ceiling. Four Cerberus operatives in light combat armor were lying dead in the room, slumped over consoles or upon the floor. Three Cerberus technicians, two men and a woman, clad in utility uniforms were assembled in the corner, their hands raised high in surrender. Along the opposite wall were the bodies of the Grissom Academy station operators. It looked like they'd been dragged to the spot after being executed, each displaying an obvious single gunshot wound to their foreheads.
Miranda frowned at the sight and then glared over at the Cerberus techs who had thrown up their hands during the brief firefight. "Lieutenant, secure the prisoners," she hissed.
"Gladly," Vega said, pushing them roughly to the floor before securing their hands behind their backs with zip cuffs he plucked from his belt.
Miranda exhaled and glanced around at her combined team. The Alliance recruits were clustered together again, some bent over with their hands on their knees, gasping for breath after the frantic passage through the Atrium. The young men and women had been pushed well past their biotic thresholds and looked dangerously sapped. They desperately needed time to cool down and take on calories but were also largely unscathed, thanks to the experienced fighters that had escorted and shielded them throughout the running battle.
Both Garrus and Vega's heavy battle armor was badly dented and scarred from a multitude of bullet and energy weapon impacts. Westmoreland's kit wasn't much better off, plus she'd taken a glancing round off her helmet's visor and ended up with a deep gash along her forehead. Jack was bleeding from several lacerations she'd sustained when a Cerberus Phantom had nearly gotten the drop on her, but still looked ornery as ever as she inspected the state of her students.
All in all, Miranda was a little shocked that none of them had lost their lives after fighting their way through the station and facing such a numerically superior force. She knew that that was in no small thanks to Wrex's presence.
The krogan Battlemaster's proficiency in the art of extreme violence was even more impressive in-person than what Miranda had gleaned from the extensive dossiers Cerberus had kept on him. He was just shy of an armored Mako tank, capable of absorbing tremendous punishment while dishing out a truly frightening amount of pain on his advisories. Witnessing him in action for herself made her immeasurably grateful that Shepard had avoided going toe-to-toe with the Urdnot clan leader years ago on Virmire.
Taking a seat at the primary operations station, Miranda began to work on bringing up the station's security systems and feeds. Westmoreland was at her side a moment later, injecting her with a healthy dose of Medi-gel through the fabric of her coat. She felt an instant wave of relief as the stabbing pain began to subside, morphing into more of a dull throbbing.
"I'll need to get that jacket off you to get a better look at the wound, ma'am."
"It's fine, Private. The round went clean through. There's just a lot of blood. The Medi-gel will suffice for now." She glanced up at the Marine who'd turned out to be far more capable than she would have ever expected. The right side of the dark-skinned woman's face was covered with blood from her head wound, but her eyes were calm and focused. "Go tend to that gash above your eye. That's an order."
Westmoreland hesitated for a moment but then gave a curt nod, sitting down heavily in a nearby chair. The private unsnapped the strap under her chin and pulled her helmet off her head, setting it down on the desk in front of her before going to work on her forehead.
Miranda returned her focus to the console, feeling sharper now that the pain in her arm had become more manageable. She accessed the station's internal security systems, taking control of the processes and working to reestablish long-range comms and localized external sensors. A quick glance at the security vid feeds showed a group of Cerberus troops moving carefully up the stairs her team had just ascended and another piling into the elevator that would take them directly up to the landing outside the Ops center. With several quick keystrokes, she locked out the lift and dropped the heavy, emergency blast door outside the compartment.
"How we looking, Miranda?" Garrus asked, appearing at her right.
"Security doors should hold them for a while and I've stalled the elevator," she said, keeping her eyes glued to the console, her fingers flying over the haptic interface. A quick swipe of her right hand sent the dozens of internal vid feeds to the array of monitors along the walls. "See if you can spot any other friendlies still alive. I'm searching through the archived footage for the missing students."
Garrus nodded, gazing up at the bank of monitors. "There," he said, pointing to one of the real-time feeds. "Looks like some of the staff are hiding in the kitchens."
Miranda glanced up to see where Garrus was indicating. "I see them. I'm sealing all the access points around that section. They should be fine. Cerberus isn't after them." She refocused on the recorded footage from the docks, rolling the vid back rapidly, watching the flow of activity to and from the destroyer. "Damn it," she said after another twenty seconds and pointed to a window on her display. "Here they are. They've already been transferred to the ship."
Garrus looked at the images of six Grissom Academy students being led into a boarding tunnel that connected to the docked destroyer, all of them heavily restrained and escorted by Cerberus troopers. "Shit. What can we do?"
"Nothing at the moment. They're beyond our reach but perhaps we can delay them. I'm securing the auxiliary clamps around the ship and locking out the docking collars. It might hold them for a bit longer than they'd like." She sifted through another dozen screens, accessing more segments of the station's networks. "It looks like they've copied all the student records as well. They'll be after the ones that were already sent home. At least the ones they deem valuable. We'll need help following up on this."
"Alright. What about comms?"
"They've locked out the system, but I'm familiar with the encryption protocol. It's old code. I'm bringing the primary array back online now." She rolled her chair over to the next console, forcing Garrus to take a quick step to the side, and tapped out another rapid series of commands, reversing the damage Cerberus had done. "Normandy, Electra One. Do you read?"
There was nothing but static on the secure channel for a few seconds before Traynor's familiar voice came back through the speakers. "Electra One, Normandy. We have you five-by-five. What's your status?"
"We've encountered heavy resistance, Normandy. Ten Academy students are accounted for but our team is split. Lieutenant Mallory and the base commander are sheltering with a group of friendlies in our shuttle at the original entry point. I have more students with my team. We've retaken the station's operations center and are working to delay the destroyer from leaving. They've already moved six students to the ship. Tell Shepard Jack's here too."
"Understood, Electra One. We're on priority approach to your location now. And we're bringing the cavalry with us."
Miranda's eyes went immediately to the station's long-range sensor display. The system recognized the Normandy's IFF beacon first, showing her streaking toward the space station. Four other, much smaller contacts, were in formation nearby, outpacing the frigate and racing ahead. A sixth contact appeared a moment later, trailing a short distance behind the others and veering off slightly, steering a course directly for the cluster of batarian ships in orbit above Elysium. The computer tagged it as the SSV Jon Grissom.
A relieved smile began to creep over Miranda's face before a harsh warbling alarm sounded in the operations center followed by a steadily increasing vibration throughout the room's walls and floor.
"What do we got?" Garrus said.
"The destroyer is firing its main engines. It's trying to break free of the restraints." Miranda brought up the feed for the docking port, a dozen troops jogging down the corridor visible in the shuddering image. "They've spotted the Alliance ships on approach."
"They're not even waiting for their troops?" Vega said, appearing next to Garrus.
"Not with an Alliance dreadnought two minutes out," Miranda said, tapping her finger on the Grissom's icon on the screen, pointing out the big warship accelerating toward the planet's outer orbit.
"Hot damn, that is a beautiful sight."
A powerful shudder ran through the station's superstructure. More alarms sounded in the control room and the vid feed from the docks went black. "The destroyer just tore free of the clamps," Miranda said. "They're moving away from the station, taking out half the docking bay in the process. It's ruined."
"Son of a bitch!" Vega said. "They really don't give a shit about the guys they left behind."
"It's worse than that," Miranda said as more tremors ran through the station. "We have multiple sections decompressing and venting atmosphere." She was frantically cycling through exterior sensor feeds. "The fighters are trying to take out the station while that destroyer flees." She engaged her comm unit, switching to the squad channel. "Mallory, Sanders, Cerberus is firing on the station. Take the Kodiak and get clear. Keep the superstructure between you and the hostiles as best you can. The Normandy is inbound."
"We read you, Lawson," Kahee's voice came back. "What about your group?"
"There's no time to get back to you. We'll make our own way. Get out now."
"Copy that. Good luck, Lawson."
Another, more violent shock rocked the station, nearly throwing Miranda out of her chair.
"Doesn't this place have point defensives?" Vega said.
"Only light duty laser arrays meant to take out stray meteorites or maybe a low yield missile. They're useless against fighters strafing us with mass accelerator cannons."
"They just blew the fuck out of the auxiliary shuttle bay," Jack said. She'd joined the others near Miranda's console and was leaning over another display. "They're slicing this place to pieces." She looked over at Miranda. "I think it's time to bail, Cheerleader."
Miranda shook her head. "The shuttle bay explosion took out half the corridor leading from here to the station escape pods. We're stuck," she said and engaged the station's transmitter. "Normandy, Electra One. We could really use some help here. The Cerberus destroyer is making a run for it but not before those fighters slice up the station. We are immobile and cutoff."
Then everything went dark and half the consoles blinked out before dull, red emergency lighting illuminated the compartment.
"Shit. Main reactor is offline. The comm array's gone."
"They're coming around for another pass!" Garrus called out, pointing toward the big viewing ports on the opposite wall.
Miranda's heart sank, recognizing the two Cerberus Trident fighters in the distance. They were banking hard, visible against the starry backdrop, aligning their forward cannons with the operations tower.
Jack rounded on her students who'd been steadily creeping closer to the consoles with the others. "Alright gang, time for some serious team barrier work. Form up around me and dig deep for this one, guys."
Miranda shot to her feet and met Jack's eyes, exchanging a knowing, fatalistic look. Even with the combined effort of the biotics in the room, both women knew there was almost no chance of surviving a focused starfighter cannon attack, especially when they were collectively exhausted from the effort to reach the control room in the first place.
But there was also grim determination in Miranda's eyes. She wasn't about to go down without a fight. She took hold of Garrus with her good arm and pulled his bulk closer to her. With her other hand, still wet with her own blood, she clasped Jack's palm and squeezed. She focused on drawling every last kilowatt of dark energy she could manage, every muscle in her body tensing and her head feeling like it might split open as the biotic barrier slowly expanded around the battered group.
Then a blinding flash lit up the space outside the station beyond the viewing ports, forcing her eyes shut to preserve her vision. It must be the cannon muzzle flashes, she thought to herself, bracing for the impact.
But then there was a tone in her ear, signaling a new connection on their local squad channel. Her eyes shot open just in time to see one of Cerberus Trident fighters careening past one of the station's massive arms, the small craft breaking apart into hundreds of pieces as it tumbled away. The other fighter was nothing more than an expanding cloud of debris and gasses seventy-five meters directly ahead of the control room, the pieces continuing forward with their previous inertia until impacting harmlessly against the Academy's outer hull, like pebbles striking a metal wall.
"Electra One, this is Valkyrie Six-One, Lieutenant Commander Edgerton. We've taken care of those unwelcome guests out here. You folks alright inside?"
Miranda let out a ragged breath, sharing a quick glance with Garrus and Jack, before joining the other biotics in dropping their combined barrier sphere. "Valkyrie Six-One, Electra One, that's affirmative," she replied. "We're all in one piece. You have impeccable timing, Commander. Thank you."
"It was our genuine pleasure, ma'am. Standby for extraction. Shuttles are on the way."
SSV Normandy, high orbit over Elysium
A little more than thirty-six hours later, the traffic in Elysium's orbit had increased exponentially as the ships of Captain Navarro's mixed civilian and military fleet took up positions over the planet.
In addition to Grissom Academy, several other well-equipped commercial and research stations orbited the planet. Fortunately, during the failed invasion, the small batarian fleet had entirely bypassed those civilian installations in favor of a concentrated attempt to seize the major industrial and commerce centers on the surface. Dozens of ships that had made the long trek from Earth were now clogging the docking ports of those stations while many of the smaller trans-atmospheric starliners had descended to the planet's largest terrestrial spaceport located at the edge of Elysium's capital, Illyria. The rest of the civilian vessels were situated along varying orbital trajectories, mingled among the Alliance warships and steering well clear of the debris fields that had once been Hegemony cruisers and light carriers.
While the first batarian ship the Jon Grissom had encountered upon entering the system had wisely and rapidly surrendered, the remaining Hegemony warships had apparently decided that their numbers advantage would somehow make a difference against the advanced Alliance dreadnought. It had been a foolish, deadly mistake.
Only minutes after the Grissom fell upon the batarian formation, the two cruisers, planetary assault carrier and attendant ships that formed the would-be invasion force had been utterly destroyed, the dreadnought's terrifyingly powerful Thanix guns making short work of the obsolete enemy vessels.
Simultaneously, and while Lieutenant Commander Edgerton's flight of Tomahawks were clearing the skies of the remaining hostile Trident starfighters, the Normandy had pursued the Cerberus destroyer as it fled from Grissom Academy. But there was little that Shepard could do to prevent the swift vessel from escaping, not when it was carrying half a dozen hostages taken from the station.
EDI had directed the full might of her cyber warfare suite against the ship, feverishly attempting to penetrate its local networks and somehow disrupt its propulsion systems, but the destroyer was well protected against such attacks. The Illusive Man was keenly aware of the capabilities of the AI and had obviously taken steps to shield Cerberus's advanced warships from her intrusions.
Ultimately, Shepard had to resort to firing several shots across the ship's bow with the Normandy's Thanix battery. But with the captured students on board and serving as human shields, the destroyer had ignored the threat and whipped around Elysium, skirting the high atmosphere and using the planet's gravity to help slingshot itself away before escaping to FTL.
They had saved most of the students at the Academy, but after Cerberus had killed so many others, severely damaged the station and escaped with six gifted and undoubtedly terrified teenagers, it felt very much like a hollow victory. After it was all over, Miranda wondered if disabling the fleeing destroyer, even at the risk of killing the hostages on board, might not have been more prudent. Fearing what might be in store for the captured students, it likely could have been a more merciful fate for them. She didn't' share the thought with Shepard. She didn't need to. He was thinking exactly the same thing.
The last hurdle the Alliance military had faced in the system was the remaining Hegemony troop presence on the surface of Elysium. By the time the Normandy had first arrived in-system, the batarians had landed an estimated two thousand troops on the planet, mainly in and around the capital. But with their orbital and air support gone, the Marines embarked on the supercarriers Pegasus and Enterprise had quickly liberated the spaceport and other key strategic targets. However, the colony's multispecies nature was making things tricky when attempting to root out the enemy troops from the commercial and residential centers. After the Hegemony soldiers realized their ships in orbit had been obliterated, many had fled off into the countryside or simply discarded their official uniforms to blend in with the local batarian enclaves.
It would be a significant problem for the colonial administrators moving forward and require a robust military presence on the ground to deter an insurgency forming among the minority communities that had already long felt marginalized and discriminated against on the Alliance-held world. But that was an issue for another day.
For her own part, Miranda was simply thankful to still be alive. Had the Jon Grissom and the ultra-advanced Tomahawk starfighters not arrived when they did, there was a very real possibility that she and the others would have met their end on the battered space station.
Shortly after Lieutenant Commander Edgerton and the other Tomahawk pilots had eliminated the Cerberus Tridents, Kodiak search and rescue shuttles deployed from the Grissom had arrived and begun the delicate process of extracting Miranda's team and the other survivors from a space station with few viable airlocks remaining.
Eventually, they'd all been transported to the Jon Grissom, where they reunited with Mallory, Kahlee Sanders and the others. It was a tense couple of hours for Miranda, knowing that her unique status on the Normandy afforded her no semblance of privilege or protection aboard other Alliance Navy vessels. Fortunately, with all the activity going on in-system, no one on the massive dreadnought seemed to have the time to question the identity of Shepard's mysterious Executive Officer.
Nevertheless, she had breathed quite a bit easier after the Normandy returned from pursuing the Cerberus destroyer and she was able to transition back over to her own ship.
Doctor Chakwas was waiting for them in the Shuttle Bay and upon taking stock of Miranda's arm hanging in an emergency sling, she'd wasted no time in taking her directly up to Medical for treatment.
After they'd regrouped on the Grissom's flight deck, Miranda had allowed Lieutenant Mallory to tend to her wound more thoroughly. She'd nearly vomited after they'd gingerly removed her jacket and he'd cut away the sleeve of her shirt, revealing the ravaged flesh beneath. The sniper's bullet had missed the humerus, but there was significant muscle and tissue damage. It wasn't anything beyond the advanced medical care available on Alliance Navy ships, but she'd definitely be limited with her arm's movement for at least a week.
The Grissom's medical techs who'd been tending to Westmoreland, Jack and some of the others had urged her to head up to the big ship's well-equipped Med Bay for the surgery she'd need to fully repair the arm, but Miranda had flatly refused, opting to wait the additional time for the Normandy and Doctor Chakwas to return. She preferred the care she could receive from Karin but was also keenly aware that the longer she remained on board the dreadnought the more likely the comm buoy network would be repaired, giving the officers onboard an opportunity to figure out exactly who she was and stumble upon the bulletin Alliance Naval Security had issued for her arrest.
Ultimately, it had only taken a few hours for Doctor Chakwas to perform the reconstructive surgery on Miranda's arm and fit her with a much more comfortable sling meant to keep the limb relatively immobilized. But while she was there, she'd also decided to finally allow Karin to fully regenerate the damaged tissue clustered at the base of her neck, letting go of the last tangible reminder of what the SAIS had done to her in that Akuze black site. The demons that lurked below the surface were still there, but she was tired of running from them.
Shepard was right. She didn't have to face them alone any more.
Late on the second day after Grissom Academy had been liberated, Miranda sat in her office off the Crew Deck, busily editing and appending Shepard's typically underdeveloped mission report on the action around Elysium. The mundane task offered a welcome respite after the bloody affair on the station, distracting her from the image of the young, red-haired girl she'd found on the station who was the latest figure to haunt her subconscious.
Moving on from the after-action reports, Miranda shifted her focus to the mountains of personnel files that Navarro's officers had sent over, starting the process of integrating a group of new crewmen who could offer some relief to the Normandy's depleted staff.
In the wake of the Reaper invasion of Earth, the so-called Exodus Fleet had recovered numerous orphaned Alliance Navy sailors, mostly men and women who'd survived the destruction of their original ships during the fight and had been pulled from their escape pods. As it turned out, there had even been a shuttle full of crewmen originally assigned to the Normandy that had been forced to divert to the Enterprise, unable to reach the frigate amid the chaos unfolding in Earth's orbit.
Now, a full month later, Miranda was able to finally organize the arrival of these displaced crewmembers, adding some sorely needed depth to vital posts on board the Normandy. Along with a few other hand-picked specialists from the list of candidates Navarro's people had sent over, the ship would nearly be at its intended crew complement.
The chime at her office door sounded. "Enter," Miranda said absentmindedly, her vision staying glued to her console's display.
The doors swooshed open followed by the clatter of boots purposefully striking the deck plates. The sound of the woman's gait was unmistakable. Miranda looked up from her work and watched as Jack approached.
"Just like déjà vu, isn't it, Cheerleader?"
Miranda raised an eyebrow. "Yes, only you actually rang the chime before barging in. I'm a little shocked, Jack."
Jack shrugged. "Well, apparently I've picked up some bad habits on Grissom," she said and threw herself into the chair opposite of Miranda.
Jack was still wearing the punk rock throwback outfit she'd been clad in on the station, complete with leather jacket, combat boots and an ultra-tight tank top. Still, Miranda was relieved the woman had given up wearing that bizarre belt ensemble across her chest. She'd grown her hair out as well, with the obvious aid of a follicle accelerator. The look softened her aggressive features and made her more attractive.
"Clearly," Miranda said. "When did you arrive?"
"A couple of hours ago. Kahlee and I stole a shuttle so she could meet the man himself and I wanted to pop in and see the doc."
"Why did you need to see Doctor Chakwas? What's the matter?"
Jack gave her an irritated look. "None of your fucking business, Cheerleader. Sheesh. You're still so goddamn nosey." She leaned back in the chair and propped her feet up on the edge of Miranda's desk. "I mainly just came over to catch up with Shepard and Joker. I found those two geeks in Engineering too. Still total fucking oddballs. Even ran into your sis, the mini-Miranda herself."
"Really," Miranda said, glowering at Jack's boots on her desk.
"You say that like I might contaminate her or something."
Miranda made a noncommittal noise and shrugged. "I understand there's an Alliance engineering team already working to repair Grissom Academy."
"Yeah, but it'll be a while before the place is ready to support students again—especially when most of the staff is either dead or in the wind. A few dozen ships that Navarro brought in are getting ready to head out for the Citadel in the next day or two. My guys and I are going to hitch a ride on one of them. Kahlee's arranging for temporary facilities there so I can ramp up their training. That little surprise party Cerberus threw popped their cherries, but I'm not ready to sign off on putting them in front of Reaper troops."
"Yes, I agree," Miranda said thoughtfully, leaning back in her chair. "They're a very talented group, but facing the Reapers is a whole other level of awfulness… Wait. Did you come by to say goodbye to me?"
Jack snorted. "Don't get your hopes up, Princess. I'm not going to try and seduce your or anything, if that's what you're thinking. This is just a little courtesy visit."
"Courtesy, Jack? Really?"
"Shut up," Jack said and eyed Miranda's arm hanging in its sling. "You took a bullet for one of my girls. It didn't go unnoticed."
Miranda looked down at her arm and then back to Jack, feeling strangely awkward in the moment. Her relationship with the abrasive woman had come a long way from the hatred they once shared for each other. What had transpired on the Collector base and then later on the Citadel and Arcturus Station had served to thaw that hostility and reduce the typical venom they exchanged. They were still worlds apart, but had they formed some sort of reluctant, mutual respect?
She cleared her throat and shifted in her seat. "Is Sanders going with you?"
"Nah. I think she's actually going to talk to Shepard about latching on with you guys on the Normandy. I think Kahlee's gotten tired of sitting on the sidelines. She's ready for a bit more action."
"Really? I see. Well, I'm sure he'd welcome her. I took the liberty of going through her personnel records a little more thoroughly. She certainly has an interesting background."
"See, I told you were still a snoop. Anyway, I let her know that Shepard's into older chicks, so it shouldn't be a problem."
Miranda rolled her eyes. "I believe she has some history with Admiral Anderson."
"Whatever," Jack said, yanking her legs off the edge of the desk before pushing up from the chair. "You guys go ahead and work out your love triangle however you like. I've got to get back over to the little pukes before they break something on that shiny new warship."
"You know, Jack, Anita is still operating our group on the Citadel. Kasumi and Thane are with her there. Zaeed too now. You could be of help to them."
"Massani? Ugh. We'll see. Right now, the kids are my priority."
"Of course," Miranda said, leaning forward and tipping her head slightly.
Jack walked toward the door and then paused, glancing back at Miranda. "I still can't believe Shepard's got you back at that desk," she said. "The night before Cerberus showed up at Grissom, I was lying in my bunk, watching Alliance's Most Wanted, and there was your smug face, plastered all over the screen." She shook her head. "And now you're running an Alliance Navy ship. I told him he'd end up a fucking pirate. See you around, Lawson."
Miranda gave a thin smile as she watched Jack walk out the door. The woman wasn't wrong, she thought. It was rather ludicrous for her to be sitting where she was, to have the responsibility and authority on board the Normandy that was sanctioned by no one other than Shepard himself.
She let out a long sigh, the beginning of an idea forming in her mind.
"Excuse me, Miss Lawson," EDI said through the overhead speakers. "Ambassador Goyle has requested a conference with you and Captain Shepard via the QEC. She's standing by now. Would you like me to transfer it to your console?"
"No, thank you, EDI. Tell her I'm on my up now."
Anita Goyle's holographic avatar was just materializing within the QEC interface when Miranda strode into the Comm Room. Shepard was already there and glanced over his shoulder as she entered, giving her a quick smile.
"Ambassador Goyle," Shepard said, returning his gaze forward. "It's good to see you again."
"You as well, Captain," Anita said and then looked at Miranda. "Miss Lawson, you've been injured again."
"It's nothing," Miranda said and gave the woman a taut smile. "Good as new in a few days."
"How's the political climate on the Citadel, Ambassador?" Shepard said. "Any news on the salarian front?"
"It's certainly becoming interesting. The situation on Sur'Kesh seems to have reached a stalemate. But both the Narra and Linron factions are determined to make gains on the key colony worlds. Specifically, Mannovai and Senoquol are being highly contested. Dalatrass Linron still hasn't surfaced, but her supporters are insisting that she's still alive and directing the loyalist government."
"How's Valern handling that?"
"Not well," Goyle said. "Open warfare on this level isn't something he's comfortable with. But I'm sure you're already well aware of that, Captain, given his willful ignorance about the Reapers. He's ordered all salarian warships serving within the Citadel Fleet back to Pranas. He's hoping to stem the tide of Narra aggression there before it spills over to the rest of their settled worlds."
"That can't sit well with the rest of the Council."
"Indeed. But he's panicked and completely out of his element. He's just not mentally equipped to deal with a situation like this. Even still, the rest of the Councilors understand the implications of the crisis. If Narra consolidates power over the Salarian Union, the other civilizations will lose a major trade partner. Those are resources they can't afford to go without in a time of war.
"Anyway, the salarians aren't alone in reducing their military presence in the nebula. The turians and asari have also been quietly thinning out their forces assigned to Council Fleet duty, redirecting ships back to their home systems and key colonial holdings. Kaneda is promising additional Alliance ships to help fill the void, but it's unclear exactly where these assets will come from. I'm looking into that. But perhaps he intends to draw from the Ninth Fleet you've just met at Elysium."
Shepard frowned. "Captain Navarro hasn't mentioned anything like that to me. And I'm still counting on taking a third of her mission capable ships along to Tuchanka."
Goyle nodded sagely. "However he plans to accomplish the buildup, it follows a pattern we've been watching for the last two weeks. With the other council offices distracted, the Admiral and Councilor Udina have been discretely increasing human dominance within C-Sec, even beyond the already significant numbers our people realized after Saren's attack. And with the Spectre ranks dominated by salarians, asari and turians, Udina has created a special operations group that reports directly to him. The group is primarily comprised of former Special Forces and Alliance intelligence operatives, but it's still not clear what their role on the station is. The atmosphere is tense and I fear there's something taking shape that we haven't yet fully grasped."
Miranda shared an uneasy look with Shepard. "Are our guests still secured?" she said. "Do we need to consider moving them?"
"No," Anita said. "Brynn and the others are well protected, thanks to Mr. Krios and Mr. Massani. However, I do feel they're becoming restless with their lack of purpose."
"I'm sure we'll find something useful for them to do soon," Miranda said. "In fact, once we've finished our task on Tuchanka, I have a feeling a lot of new possibilities are going to arise. But right now, it's more important they keep a low profile. The attack on Grissom Academy has illustrated just how bold the Illusive Man has become. We need to be extremely vigilant."
"I assure you, it's well in hand, Miss Lawson," Anita said. "However, I'm afraid I have some potentially disconcerting news. Word of your position aboard the Normandy has reached Admiral Kaneda's office. And I'm afraid he hasn't abandoned his crusade to have you brought to justice." She glanced at Shepard. "He's aware of the measures you undertook to extract Miranda from Gellix, Captain, and seems quite determined to see you removed from command."
Shepard shrugged. "Well, he's not my biggest fan," he deadpanned.
"No," Anita said and gave a wry smile. "Clearly not. Unfortunately, the man's fixation with you two is greatly hindering my ability to influence Miss Lawson's status with the Alliance. With the Parliament destroyed, the Admiral and Udina are amassing tremendous influence both here and with the colonial governments still intact. It's a bit of a mine field at the moment."
Miranda remained silent for a moment, deep in thought. "Don't take any unnecessary risks on my account, Anita. We don't want you to attract any additional scrutiny from the Councilor's Office. Knowing Udina's history, he'll already see you as a threat."
Goyle gave a dry smile. "Oh, I'm well acquainted with Donnel. He was on my staff for a time during my tenure as Ambassador. Not the most gifted of those who served with me, but certainly clever and ambitious." She glanced briefly to her left and gave a quick nod to someone beyond the holo field. "By the way, I delivered your message, Captain. And I'm happy to report Lieutenant Commander Williams was receptive to my offer."
"That's great news, Ambassador. Tell her I'm glad to hear it."
"You can tell her yourself, Captain."
Ashley's image materialized next to Goyle's as she stepped into the QEC's holographic projection radius. "Sorry I'm late," she said to Anita before glancing at Shepard and Miranda, giving a nod to them each in turn. "Hey, Skipper. Lawson."
Shepard gave a warm smile. "Ash, it's great to see you up and about. How are you feeling?"
"Good as new, Shepard," she said and flicked her eyes toward Miranda. "And ready to get back to work on the Normandy as soon as possible."
A brief silence settled among the group where only the gentle hum of the equipment in the Comm Room was heard.
"Well, this isn't awkward at all," Miranda said. "I think I'll return to my office and continue the preparations for our departure. Anita, Commander Williams," she nodded to the women before turning on her heel and leaving the Comm Room.
Miranda was leaning against the conference room glass wall, waiting for Shepard when he emerged from the War Room a few minutes later.
"Enjoy your little chat, Captain?" Miranda said, her tone falling somewhere between icy and teasing.
"Feeling a little territorial about your post, XO?" Shepard said, smiling good-naturedly.
Miranda glowered back at him. "Don't be ridiculous. I'm not threatened by that woman."
"I know you're not. But what's on your mind?"
She sighed. "I have an idea I need to share with you that you're not going to like."
He narrowed his gaze and crossed his arms. "I'm listening."
"I want to turn myself over to Captain Navarro," she said. "Given her responsibilities looking over the fleet, I'm certain she hasn't yet come across the bulletin describing my status or become aware of my identity. But, just as well, I'd rather get ahead of it before she does realize I'm a former Cerberus operative with a sizable bounty hanging over her head."
"You're right. I don't like this idea at all."
She put up a hand, prompting him to hold his objection. "Just hear me out, Shepard," she said. "Spending those few hours on the Grissom reminded me just how much of a bubble we've been living in here on the Normandy. Thanks largely to your influence, the crew has accepted me—"
"That has a lot more to do with you, Miranda," he interrupted. "They don't follow your lead simply because I've ordered it. You've earned their respect."
She gave him a thin, affectionate smile. "You're right, I have earned my place among them. But we're talking about forty-three men and woman aboard a rather confined ship. It won't be the same with the rest of the Alliance military, not after the carefully selected mission briefs the Illusive Man released. You may be a Spectre and are capable of operating outside of the typical chain of command, but you're still, first and foremost, an Alliance officer. You said it yourself, after Tuchanka it will be well past time we return to the Citadel and prepare for the next phase of this war. I can't hide on the Normandy indefinitely and I'm not going to ask Anita to stick her neck out any further on my account. Nobody should risk themselves to cover for my past sins."
He let out a long breath. "I understand all that, Miranda. But I don't get what you hope to accomplish by turning yourself over to Navarro. You'd be taking yourself out of the fight."
"If I'm right, only temporarily," she said. "I've reviewed Captain Navarro's history and operational records. She's stern, but fair, and seems to possess a high level of integrity. She's also comfortable dealing with the nuance and complexities involved in clandestine work. My past with Cerberus won't earn me any sympathy with her, but I believe she's capable of weighing that history against my more recent activities on behalf of the Alliance, especially when viewed against the backdrop of this war.
"And we're not without allies, John. I know you're still angry with Anderson over withholding the truth about me for so long, but he's still your greatest supporter. And I believe I've earned a degree of respect with the man. I was a good soldier for him, working for Anita and staying clear of you. By now, I have to believe I've alleviated most of his fears that I secretly remain a Cerberus loyalist who's still taking direction from the Illusive Man. By surrendering myself to a respected Alliance officer like Navarro, it provides both you and the Admiral political cover."
"I don't think Anderson's all that concerned with political cover at the moment, Miranda."
"Of course he isn't, but his position in the Alliance hierarchy is still dependent on colleagues and allies that aren't currently fighting for their lives on Earth. He and Anita have a vision of where they'd like to see humanity go after this horrible war. You're a part of that vision. But the more it becomes known that you're sheltering someone like me, the more damage is done to your credibility. Your place in this conflict is too vital, Shepard. You need to be out in front. I don't. And I'm getting tired of looking over my shoulder."
Shepard looked her in the eye for a long moment before speaking again. "You're right about Navarro. She's one of the good ones. But I want to speak with her first. Give me a couple of hours to put some things together before you do anything, okay?
She nodded. "Yes, that's fair."
"Good," he said and smiled a little easier. "On a related note, any ideas on how your status leaked so soon?"
"Yes," Miranda said and frowned. "In fact, I believe I know exactly how."
He looked at her expectantly. "Care to share that with me?"
She took a step closer to him and touched his arm, comfortable that no one else was present in the corridor. "I want you to let me deal with it for now, John. You know I'm better at this sort of thing than you. Once I've confirmed my suspicions, I'll come to you and we can decide how to proceed. Until then, you need to stay focused on the mission."
He exhaled and nodded. He trusted her like no one else. She'd earned that too. "Okay."
A few hours later, Miranda was standing next to Shepard in the Captain's Ready Room off the CIC, vid conferenced with Captain Adrianna Navarro on the Jon Grissom, which was parked in a slightly higher orbit above Elysium, some two thousand kilometers from where the Normandy was moored at one of the larger corporate-run space stations orbiting the colony.
"This is well beyond unorthodox, Captain Shepard," Navarro said, exasperated. "She's a former Cerberus operative for God's sake. And not your average one either. I'm looking at the files attached to Lawson's arrest warrant as we speak. Do you realize she's been implicated in the Hyperion-Alsace plot? I can absolutely understand why Admiral Kaneda is pushing for her capture and removal. Spectre or not, the Normandy is a commissioned Alliance Navy vessel and her presence on board is a blatant violation of the Admiralty's authority. The fact that you've elevated her to a position of command is simply mind boggling."
Miranda was a rock, refusing to be shaken or appear uncomfortable under the other woman's intense scrutiny. She understood perfectly well why a career officer like Navarro would find the details of her Cerberus history disturbing. The carefully selected information the Illusive Man had released on her tenure was meant to provoke exactly that sort of response. His goal had been to damage her ability to work effectively with Shepard. Divide and conquer. That was exactly why she was determined to finally get in front of the issue before her former employer succeeded in marginalizing her completely.
But despite the initial hostility Navarro was displaying, Miranda was still confident she'd judged the woman's character correctly. Once she'd been provided with all the information, not just what the Illusive Man had delivered to the various intelligence outlets, she was certain the Alliance officer would evaluate the situation thoughtfully and fairly.
"I fully understand your concerns, Captain," Shepard said, calm and unfazed by the senior captain's skepticism. "And I know how strange this must look to you. But I assure you, Miss Lawson is in the XO's seat for good reason." He leaned over his desk and tapped out a quick command on his console. "You've only gotten a very small fraction of the story. I'm transmitting a data package over to you now, marked top secret and for your eyes only.
"You'll find a complete record of the recent clandestine work Miranda undertook on behalf of the Alliance and while operating under Admiral Anderson's direct authority. I also included all the Normandy's unfiltered mission logs from the time the ship was first deployed by Cerberus up until the present day, most of them written by Lawson herself. And that's just the tip of the iceberg, Captain. I'd be more than happy to come over to the Grissom personally, sit down with you, and explain exactly why it was vital she be extracted from Gellix and how highly qualified she is to serve as my interim Executive Officer."
Miranda's eyes flicked over to Shepard, biting her tongue. She felt he was beginning to lay it on a little thick, but that was what she'd agreed to. That, and to largely remain silent while he drove the discussion.
Navarro glanced down as the secure data stream reached her where she sat within her own office. "You were working with Ambassador Goyle," she said, glancing up at Miranda after a few moments. It wasn't really a question. The information was right in front of her, complete with Admiral Anderson's personal encryption code and authentication seal.
"Yes," Miranda said and nodded deferentially. "In fact, I still speak with Ambassador Goyle frequently, aiding her in any way I can."
"I'm not even going to bother pointing out the irony of that relationship," Navarro said, returning her attention to the information on her screen.
Shepard and Miranda remained still, standing together in front of the camera and allowing Navarro to digest the high-level details of the brief.
After more than a minute, the Jon Grissom's captain looked up from her screen and let out a long sigh. "Just skimming the files I can see there are some pretty extraordinary events detailed here. I'm guessing you've decided to bring this to me because of my affinity and respect for Admiral Anderson. I'm well versed in the risks he's taken on your behalf, Captain Shepard. From your early claims about the Reapers all the way to his effort to shield you from prosecution after the Bahak incident, he's been a man firmly in your corner."
"You'll find the fully declassified brief on Bahak within those files as well, Captain," Miranda said. "I think you'll see exactly why the Admiral went to the lengths he did to aid Shepard."
Navarro looked at her appraisingly. "I'll look forward to reading about it," she finally said, her expression unreadable. "You're obviously looking for an ally with me, Shepard. But I'm not exactly sure what you expect me to do with all this information."
"We're only asking that you evaluate all the details objectively, Captain," Shepard said. "Once you've done that, and if you judge Miranda's presence on board the Normandy poses no threat to the Alliance, I'll ask you to join me in taking her case directly to Admiral Hackett. He won't see my evaluation as objective and Anderson's not in a place where he can stand up for her. But you're in an entirely different position. You don't have a history with her. You'll simply be dealing with the facts."
"So you want me to help legitimize Lawson's position and then… What? Support some kind of amnesty for her?"
"I want your help with winning this war, Captain. After you get a closer look at what's contained within those files, I think you'll see that Miranda is one of few people alive who's uniquely equipped with the knowledge and experience to fight this enemy. We can't let the politics of the past get in the way. She's one of the most capable people I know. And after the beating we've been taking so far, we can't afford to turn her away or toss her into another cell. She's earned my trust. I'm asking you to give her a chance to earn yours."
"And what if after reviewing this material I find I don't agree with your assessment?"
"I'll surrender myself into your custody and agree to be extradited back to the Citadel for formal prosecution," Miranda said without hesitation. "Either way, after our work on Tuchanka is concluded, we'll be returning to the Citadel where I'll be stepping down as Executive Officer. At that time, Lieutenant Commander Williams will resume the role on board the Normandy."
Navarro gazed back a Miranda for a long time, sizing the other woman up through the vid link. "Very well," she said. "Give me some time to review what you've sent. I'll contact you once I reach a decision, Captain Shepard."
"Thank you, Captain," Shepard said. "That's all we ask. Normandy out."
By the time the captains of the Pegasus and Enterprise along with a handful of other officers and aides had filed into the Normandy's conference room the following day, Shepard and Captain Navarro had largely settled upon their plan to deploy Mordin's genophage cure on Tuchanka.
The STG scientist was just finishing his presentation on how he planned to utilize the Shroud facility to disperse the cure throughout the krogan homeworld's atmosphere, detailing the complex modifications he'd need to complete in order for the giant processing tower to get the job done.
But there was a problem. Less than twelve hours earlier, word had come from Tuchanka stating that the advance Reaper scouts already present on the world had been reinforced by a small but formidable expeditionary force. They'd seized control of the Shroud facility for themselves and had altered the composition of the particles and chemicals it dispersed, resulting in a gradual poisoning of the atmosphere.
Wrex stepped closer to the conference table once Mordin finished and brought up a strategic map of Tuchanka's surface on the main holo display. "My men have spotted four destroyer-class Reapers on the surface," he said, pointing to several highlighted points on map. "They're accompanied by at least five thousand ground troops with major concentrations here, here and here. They've established a perimeter around the Shroud tower but haven't conducted any significant offensive actions against other targets."
"The CDEM battlestations in orbit were able to transmit a good deal of data before they were taken out," Shepard said, stepping next to the big krogan. "In addition to the four destroyers Wrex's people have accounted for on the surface, we're looking at a small fleet of three Reaper capital ships in orbit along with half a dozen attendant troop carriers."
"So, their play is to dig in and wait for the planet's atmosphere to be sufficiently poisoned rather than commit an all-out invasion force," Captain Joyner, commander of the Pegasus, observed.
"That's correct, Captain," Shepard said. "The Reapers know how difficult pacifying the krogan in a head-to-head matchup on the ground would be. It would take a massive commitment of troops and ships to get the job done. And with most of Tuchanka's population located below the surface and with access to hardened facilities, a major orbital bombardment wouldn't be effective. But this enemy is patient. Once they've established a beachhead on a planet, nobody's been able to knock them off. This is an efficient plan for them. Waiting while the Shroud does its thing keeps the bulk of their forces free to press the Alliance and the turians."
"They won't have to wait long," Miranda said from the other end of the table. "A salarian STG scientific mission has been in-place on the surface for the last several weeks. The readings they're collecting suggest the lower atmosphere will be completely ruined within twenty-five days. Any organic life left on the planet without access to extensive biohazard environmental gear after that will be dead or dying."
The Jon Grissom's captain placed her hands on the table. "And with the krogan lacking anything heavier than basic interplanetary shuttles and patrollers, a small number of enemy warships can keep the population bottled up while they wait for the conditions on the surface to deteriorate," Navarro added. "At Earth, we saw that each Reaper capital ship is capable of fielding at least a hundred of those Oculi drones. That's more than enough to get the job done.
"Which means we need to deal with the enemy ships in orbit, draw them away, if we're going to succeed. If they figure out what we're trying to accomplish, it's likely they'll just destroy the Shroud facility from orbit and come back later with a more powerful invasion force."
"I take it that's where we come in," Joyner said.
"Exactly," Navarro said. "The Grissom will lead the charge into the system at our maximum combat effective speed, hit the Reaper heavies with everything we have, and then swing away from the planet before accelerating to the designated rally point where the rest of our offensive-tasked assets will be waiting."
"Your ship's going to take some series punishment, Adrianna," the captain of the Buenos Aires said over the vid comm. Most of the other Navy commanders present near Elysium were joining the conference remotely. "We can't lose the Grissom, even if it means bringing the krogan into the fight."
"We'll be fine, Jack. I don't intend to allow them to pin us down. We'll be engaging at high speed and won't be waiting around any longer than it takes to get them interested. It's a feint, really. The Grissom's a big prize and we expect the enemy to chase once we announce our presence. Then we'll be bringing the fight to where the rest of the battlegroup will be lying in wait."
"My Tomahawks will be ready, ma'am," Lieutenant Commander Edgerton said with a confident, feral grin. "We've been waiting a long time for another crack at the Reapers."
"You'll have that chance, Commander," Navarro said. "Your pilots along with the Marathon and Ticonderoga will be tasked with getting in close, dealing with the drones and dishing out whatever else you can against those motherships. The Buenos Aires and the Cairo will remain farther back and engage from distance, staying between the enemy and the Pegasus. The turians are promising three heavy battle cruisers for the maneuver as well. Even for those monsters, we'll have them in a bad spot once they're drawn into the kill box."
"Providing those turian ships arrive on time," Captain Ellison said. The commanding officer of the other supercarrier, Enterprise, was standing at the other end of the table, looking decidedly unhappy with the battle plan. "Even with the Grissom's impressive firepower, taking on three Reaper capital ships with a depleted carrier task group is one tall order."
"Our cruisers will be there," Garrus said. He was standing next to Miranda, his arms crossed in front of his bulky armor. "I spoke with the Primarch less than an hour ago. Our ships are already underway and will likely beat us to Aralakh. They've been instructed to wait at the edge of the system until Captain Navarro relays final orders."
"Thank you, Major Vakarian," Navarro said. "And be sure to send our thanks to General Victus."
"I'll do that, Captain."
"The turians are also supplying close-air support on the surface," Shepard said. "They're bringing along one of their new stealth assault carriers, which will link up with the Normandy while the Grissom draws the big boys away." He updated the holo display with wider shot of the orbit around Tuchanka, the individual allied ships highlighted along with the known hostile elements in the region. "The carrier will deploy its complement of fighters and gunships at the same time I lead the strike team carrying the cure materials. We'll link up with Wrex's forces on the ground and make our run to the Shroud facility."
"I have over two thousand troops with armored ground support set to move on the Reaper positions at three different points along their perimeter," Wrex said. "They'll keep most of their forces busy and engage the destroyers closest to the Shroud while Shepard and I run it up the gut."
"And the Normandy will remain on station above the planet, supplying fire support from orbit," Miranda said.
"Can the Normandy's weapons systems hurt one of those monsters on the surface," One of the other captains on vid link asked. "Their shielding and point defenses are practically impenetrable."
"Using Javelins with a modified yield, this ship gave a destroyer one helluva a headache back in Vancouver," Shepard said. "My people have been working up a few scenarios and we think a concentrated Thanix strike from orbit paired with other ordnance might just do the trick, especially if we're receiving precision targeting solutions from troops on the ground. We'll bring that equipment with us and distribute it to a few select pathfinder teams. Their missile defenses and jamming capabilities are tough, but the early data seems to suggest their barrier integrity is diminished in atmosphere. That makes them more vulnerable on the surface and explains why they don't normally risk touching down until they've secured total dominance in orbit."
"I'm hearing an uncomfortable amount of assumptions here," Captain Ellison said. "We're risking a lot of irreplaceable Alliance hardware and people on what looks like a long shot. I don't see how I can throw my support behind this plan with so many unknown variables."
"Excuse me, but I don't believe your approval is necessary, Captain," Miranda said. "Admiral Hackett has already approved the mission framework and has authorized the joint operation with krogan and turian forces."
"It's my understanding that he approved the mission grudgingly," Ellison said, not bothering to hide the edge of hostility in his voice." He glanced at the other officers in the room. "And does someone want to tell me why this woman is even here? A known Cerberus operative who's actively wanted by Naval Security? I have half a mind to bring my master-at-arms over to slap cuffs on her wrists and toss her into my brig."
"That wouldn't end well for your master-at-arms or for you, Captain," Shepard said, the warning in his voice clear to everyone in the room. "You're speaking about my Executive Officer. I'll have you extend her the respect her position is entitled."
"Gentlemen, please," Navarro said sternly and looked at Ellison. "This is a non-issue, Captain. If you'd bothered to read my addendum to today's fleet status report, you'd be aware of that. By order of Admiral Hackett, the warrant for Lawson's arrest has been rescinded and she's been granted complete amnesty for her previous activities while a member of Cerberus. Her positon as Normandy's interim XO has also been formally recognized and approved. She's even been granted provisional status within the Alliance military, appointed to the rank of Major." She glanced at Miranda and gave a subtle nod.
"Furthermore, she also happens to be right. This plan is a go. You won't be joining use anyway, Frank. The Enterprise will remain here at Elysium where you'll assume command over the remainder of the fleet, providing security for the colony and civilian vessels until we return or you're otherwise relieved by Admiral Hackett."
Ellison looked mildly shell-shocked and more than a bit embarrassed. But to his credit, he didn't protest any further and offered Navarro a taut, deferential nod.
Navarro inhaled deeply and surveyed the faces in the room. "Now listen up, people. It is absolutely vital that we deliver the cure and cement this krogan-human-turian alliance. We've all seen what this enemy is capable of and we all know there's no chance of holding them back without a unified, cooperative effort. We cannot afford to fail at Tuchanka. We will not fail at Tuchanka. Is that clear?"
A chorus of "yes ma'am's" from the people in the room and those on vid conference answered her enthusiastically.
"Good. Shepard will have operational authority of all Alliance and turian assets on the surface. I'll be directing our efforts beyond Tuchanka's orbit. If you have any questions about your role, see one of us before we move out for the relay. Dismissed."
The room slowly began to empty out as the assembled captains, their aides, and the Normandy's command staff gathered their things and made their way out.
Captain Joyner, Shepard, and Garrus immediately huddled in one corner of the room and engaged in a warm conversation while Navarro lingered at the end of the table, shaking a few hands while Wrex, Liara and most of the other Alliance officers exited.
Miranda regarded the senior captain from across the table for a moment. Navarro looked younger than her forty-one years and possessed a simple, natural beauty. Her uniform was immaculate and her auburn hair was done up in a tight bun under her cap. The pride and reverence she held for her position was unmistakable.
"Thank you for speaking on my behalf, Captain Navarro," she said, approaching the officer.
"You're welcome, Major," Navarro said. "But as I said before the meeting, Admiral Hackett was not easily convinced to take this course of action with you. In fact, I'm more than a little suspicious that he's primarily interested in keeping your captain happy. He knows how valuable Shepard's influence with the turians and krogan is and how effective he's been in sealing alliances. Your status is still entirely provisional and can be rescinded at any time."
"I understand," Miranda said. "And I promise you, you won't regret being an advocate for me."
Navarro offered a thin smile and her hand. "No, I don't expect I will, Miss Lawson," she said. "You know, I was pleasantly surprised when I found that Shepard wasn't exaggerating your record. You've accomplished some extraordinary things over the last year, fighting at the point of the spear while most of us have been sitting on the sidelines. And you've paid a price for that audacity. I don't know you, Miss Lawson, but you have my respect—and my thanks."
Miranda accepted Navarro's extended hand and gave a grateful nod, uncharacteristically at a loss for words.
"Shepard, the Grissom will be ready to depart by nineteen hundred hours," Navarro said as he walked over to the two women. "We'll be awaiting your cue to break orbit before making for the relay."
"Thank you, Captain. I'll have my team link your ship into all the Normandy's strategic combat networks and have our Comm teams provide a dedicated channel for you to access our QEC nodes remotely."
"I appreciate that, Captain. I'll be in touch."
Navarro gathered up the last of her things and walked out with the aide who'd accompanied her to the Normandy, passing another officer who'd been waiting in the corner. He gave a nod to the Grissom's captain as she left and approached Shepard.
"Captain Shepard," he said, extending his hand. "I'm Lieutenant Commander Edgerton, acting CAG on board the Pegasus."
Miranda stepped slightly off to the side, collecting a few datapads that had been left on the table, happy to eavesdrop discreetly while she observed the interaction.
Edgerton was just a hair taller than Shepard, wore a flight jacket over his BDUs and carried himself with the unmistakable swagger of a fighter pilot. When he spoke, Miranda noted the hint of a southern creole accent that signaled he was Earth-born, likely from somewhere near the New Orleans metroplex. It was the same distinctive voice she'd heard over the comm on Grissom Academy when the man and his fellow Tomahawk pilots had saved the lives of everyone in that control room.
"I know who you are, Commander," Shepard said, gripping the other man's hand firmly and giving a respectful nod. "It's good to meet you face-to-face. Your squad did a helluva job out there. Saved our asses."
"Thank you, sir," Edgerton said. "It was good to finally be on the winning side of a fight again after the beating we took on Earth."
"Yeah. I know what you mean."
Edgerton cleared his throat and shifted his feet. "Sir, when we transitioned through the relay and saw that the Normandy was in-system, I was hoping I'd find Commander Williams on board."
"Right, of course," Shepard said, recognition dawning. "You're Edge. Ash mentioned you were seeing each other back on Earth."
Edgerton looked momentarily uncomfortable but rebounded quickly. "Yes, sir. Can you tell what happened to her?"
"She's safe, Commander. We ran into some trouble on Mars, on our way out of Sol after the invasion. She was injured pretty badly but we got her to the Citadel straightway. She's made a full recovery and waiting on the station to rejoin the Normandy just as soon as we make it back that way."
Edgerton blew out a long breath, the consternation on his face morphing into a look of relief. "I'm damn glad to hear that, sir. Thank you."
"Listen, I know all the comm buoy bandwidth is highly restricted right now and personal messages are blacked out, but let me see about carving out a window for you to send a message using our priority channel. I owe you at least that much."
"Thank you, Captain. That would be much appreciated."
"It's nothing. Look for a secure message from my ship's Comm Specialist with the necessary instructions. Shouldn't take long to arrange it."
Edgerton thanked the Captain again, came to attention and saluted before turning to leave. He tipped his head toward Miranda on his way out. "Ma'am," he said, exiting the conference room and rushing down the corridor to catch up with the rest of the Pegasus entourage, leaving Miranda and Shepard alone.
Miranda watched him leave and then glanced at Shepard, raising an eyebrow. "Doing your part for interstellar love, Shepard?"
Shepard laughed. "Ash is going to be glad to hear from him," he said. "I always figured they were more serious than she was letting on back on Earth. Meeting the guy face-to-face confirms it. She could probably use some good news right about now."
"Hmph. Yes, well it's a pity she couldn't have done the same for you back on Earth," she said sourly.
Shepard sighed and nodded. He knew she still harbored a good deal of resentment for Ashley. Williams had been on Earth with him for weeks ahead the invasion, with full knowledge of Miranda's survival, but had failed to share that simple truth with him. He still felt a twinge of anger over the whole charade, but he didn't really blame Ash for it. He knew she'd been ordered to keep quiet about it.
He decided to change the subject, sidling up next to Miranda. "So, how's it feel to go legit, Major?"
Miranda rolled her eyes but then exhaled heavily. She turned and leaned back on the conference table, looking out through the wide observation windows along the bulkhead. "It's more than a little surreal, Shepard," she said. "But I hope you know this isn't exactly a long-term career goal of mine. And I think we can agree that I'm not exactly the model the Alliance military is striving for. And it's not what I want. Not really."
"Doesn't mean you're not damn good at it though," he said, leaning on the table next to her. "But I know what you mean. Once this war's over, I think we'll both be ready to move on from this life."
She looked at him but said nothing, returning her gaze to the stars twinkling outside the ship. She rested her head on his shoulder and tried to soak in the last few quiet moments they were liable to have for a good long while.
A few hours before the Normandy was set to get underway, Miranda stepped through the doors to Port Observation.
She noted a few crew members in-between shifts sitting together at the gaming table at the back of the compartment. Chief Greg Adams was sitting alone at the other end of the lounge, cradling a mug that no doubt contained some form of technically prohibited, but always readily available, alcohol.
Miranda took one of the chairs opposite of Adams and crossed her legs. She was silent for a long moment, letting the man squirm uncomfortably under her intense glare.
"Something I can do for you, Major?" Adams said. Vocalizing her newly assigned rank sounded almost physically painful for the man.
"I thought we had an arrangement, Chief," she said after another few seconds of silence. "We agreed to put our history aside until this war is finished. You said you'd be a good soldier."
The Chief narrowed his gaze. "I… I don't know what you're talking about."
"Don't play dumb with me, Chief. The Admiralty learned of my presence and the circumstances around my arrival on board before Shepard could provide a more graceful report. It put him in an awkward position and could have severely damaged my ability to help him mange the ship. I know it was you, Chief."
"What? No—"
"You're the only one with motive, Chief. You're grudge is understandable, and I'm sure you thought I'd be the only one to be hurt by this, but you've put others at risk. I can't have that."
"Damn it," Adams pounded his fist on the table that separated them, his voice raised in frustration. "I'm telling you, Lawson, I haven't said squat." He tried to match Miranda's penetrating gaze for a moment, but failed, instead glancing nervously over to where the other crewmen were sitting across the room. He then seemed to reign in his anger before continuing in a hushed voice. "Look, I can't forgive you for your part in my brother's death, but I'm a big enough man to see that this boat is stronger with you on it than without. And I'm not about to violate the Captain's trust. He told us to follow your orders, to accept you as XO, and I have. Hell, I've barely sent a single comm message through the networks. And that was just to make sure my ex-wife was still alive. I know you would have checked up on that."
"Of course I have. And I don't take you for an idiot, Chief. You're not passing information over the open comms. Tell me about the salarian you were meeting with on Noveria."
Adams sighed heavily, his shoulders slumping.
"Listen to me, Greg," Miranda said, adopting a softer tone. "I've said nothing yet to Shepard about this. I'm giving you a chance to explain it to me first. Maybe we can fix it."
He scowled back at her, bitter at the suggestion he'd either want or need her help. But then a look of resignation washed over him. "His name's Lulyat," he said. "He's a mid-level black market tech dealer who works as a broker for a group operating in the Terminus. I don't know how he got wind that I'd be showing up on Noveria. Maybe just dumb luck that he was doing business there at the same time."
"Go on."
Adams gripped his cup tighter for a few moments before getting the words out. "I've been moving end-of-life equipment and older military tech from Alliance depots to this outfit on and off for about a year." He shrugged. "I have some debts. With the major retrofits going on back in Sol, I had promised them a big haul of military-spec goods. But with so much activity in-system, I was getting hesitant to move it. So they advanced me a third of my fee to grease the wheels."
"But then you failed to deliver," Miranda said.
"Yeah," Adams said. "A friend of mine on Yeager had the shipment ready to go, but then the Reapers showed up, blew the station all to hell. But they don't care about an act of God like that. They want me to make good or pay back their creds—with interest."
"Which you don't have any longer."
Adams shook his head and looked at his drink.
"Drugs? Gambling? Girls? How did they get their hooks in you?"
"Cards," Adams said, looking back up at Miranda. "My luck is shit, but I can't help it. It's what ruined my marriage. I'd hoped that after the war broke out, I'd get lost in the shuffle." He gave a joyless laugh at his unintended pun. "But like I said, my luck is shit."
Miranda remained still, her expression neutral as she listened to the story Adams told. Every ounce of her considerable skill and experience in the art of deception was trained on the man, evaluating every word, every involuntary tick, every bead of sweat on his forehead.
"I think I should go to the Captain with this now, Miss Lawson," Adams said in a shaky voice.
"Don't be ridiculous. Do you think you're the only one on this ship with secrets? Granted, selling tech and arms to Terminus System gangs…"
"I never sold them weapons. It was always decommissioned tech that was heading to the scrap yard or recycling centers. No ordnance of any kind."
"I don't care how you justified it. Obviously, this little underworld business relationship of yours is over. But I told you before, Chief, this ship needs your considerable skill and experience if she's to be at her best. You feel guilty? Fine. Deal with it after this war is won." She pushed up from her seat and stood. "I'll find a way for you to repay your debt to these people and then I'll tell them myself that you're arrangement is finished. Good enough?"
He looked up at her incredulously, his mouth agape. "Y—yes, ma'am."
"Good," she said and started to leave. "Oh, and by the way. I'd steer clear of Lieutenant Vega during off duty hours. He'll do nothing positive for that gambling vice of yours." She then strode out of the lounge without another word.
With still thirty minutes before she was due to begin her shift in the CIC, Miranda walked across the Crew Deck to the XO's Office and slid gracefully into her desk chair. She immediately accessed the secure extranet nodes and Alliance networks the Normandy was tethered to, her fingers flying over the interface. She thought the name Lulyat sounded familiar and it didn't take long for her to confirm her vague recollection of the salarian. He'd been associated with a number of underworld groups in the Terminus over the last decade, acting as a mid-level black market trafficker, but had more recently been linked exclusively to an up-and-coming gang operating out of Omega. They called themselves the Talons.
Miranda grimaced. Omega. Damn. She hated Omega. But helping Adams navigate out of the mess he'd created for himself would have to wait. The massive Terminus space station was still under Cerberus occupation, keeping Lulyat's handlers out of reach. However, it did pique her interest that the Talons were still somehow managing to sustain their operations. The salarian's continued activity on their behalf certainly suggested the gang was still viable and intact.
"Excuse me, Miss Lawson, but I failed to detect any signs of deception from Chief Adams during your conversation," EDI said through the overhead speaker. "Heartrate, body temperature, facial EMG, and voice stress analysis all were within tolerable levels."
"Thank you, EDI. Yes, I know. He was telling the truth. He's not who we're looking for."
"Should I begin a closer evaluation of the crew's personal files and communications?"
"No. I don't believe that will yield anything useful, EDI. Whoever's passing information, they're utilizing some kind of method we're unable to detect." She frowned, glancing back down at the dossier on the Talons. "However, I'd like you to increase chemical, radioactive and electromagnetic sensitivity in all the ship's access point scanners, particularly the primary airlock, Shuttle Bay ramp, and War Room checkpoint. Let's see if anything unusual turns up."
"Of course, Miss Lawson. I will see to the adjustments immediately. Is there anything else I can do for you at the moment?"
"No, thank you, EDI. That will be all."
"Very well. Signing you out, Miss Lawson."
Miranda cycled through another few pages worth of intel on the Talons, studying their recent known history and activity in the Terminus before finally closing out her terminal. She stretched her uninjured arm high over her head, trying to loosen up the tension in her shoulders and neck.
Glancing down and to her left, her eyes settled on the small open box that contained her newly awarded Alliance rank insignia. A thin, satisfied smile began to curl her lip before gradually changing into a frown.
Where the bloody hell am I going to pin that thing?
Author's Note:
FOR NOW THE CHAPTERS UP TO 45 WILL BE 100% MAL COBB'S WORK. I DO NOT TAKE CREDIT FOR IT IN ANY WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM.
I will edit these later.
