The next morning, Miranda awoke early and got to work straightaway. Donning her black leather uniform for the day, she planned to keep herself exceedingly busy tending to countless administrative tasks, overseeing system repairs, monitoring the ongoing resupply, and continuing to work with EDI on siphoning Cerberus funds out of accounts previously dedicated to the Lazarus Cell. The work was all important and legitimate uses for the XO's time, but she harbored a thinly veiled ulterior motive—distancing herself from Shepard and avoiding being caught alone with him.
Starting off in her office, Miranda made herself some strong tea from her in-room beverage center and grabbed one of the numerous energy bars she had stashed away for a quick breakfast before sitting down behind her desk.
A couple hours later, she emerged from the XO's quarters and proceeded quickly up to the CIC, careful to check with EDI on Shepard's location prior to making her way up. The ship's AI advised her that he had just arrived in the CIC. Good, she thought. There will be plenty of crew around starting their shifts and providing cover for her. Understanding that while she hoped to avoid being caught alone with him, she knew she still had to report in with the Commander and go over ship's business for the day.
When Miranda arrived, she found the Commander at his terminal near the galaxy map. Approaching, she noticed that he looked like he hadn't had a very restful night's sleep, appearing a little haggard and unshaven. He probably has a substantial hangover after yesterday's long stay at Afterlife, she thought to herself.
She greeted him with a pleasantly neutral smile and began to lay out the tasks the ship's crew would attend to, the progress from the previous day's work, and her own schedule for the day. She kept their conversation as brief as possible while trying not to appear in a rush to break away. As was her custom when the crew was around, she kept their conversation strictly professional. However, as she finished her report, she noticed that the Commander appeared distant and his eyes unfocused, as if distracted by something.
Despite her desire to get to work and avoid having to discuss anything personal, Miranda couldn't help but be a little concerned. "John, are you alright?" she asked in a hushed voice.
Shepard nodded absentmindedly in response and said, "Yeah, I'm fine. Thank you for the report, Miss Lawson. That will be all."
Miranda stared back at him with an inquisitive expression, but didn't reject her opportunity to leave. "Very well, Commander," she said with a curt nod, turning on her heel to leave and march back into the ship's elevator.
After leaving the bridge, Miranda first made her rounds through the Engineering deck, grateful that the risk of running into Jack in that area was no longer a concern. However, after going over a number of items with Engineers Daniels and Donnelly, she found herself standing in the deck's sub-level, near Jack's cot, looking around as if in a trance. Eventually, she snapped out of it and made her way back up to her office for more admin work.
For much of the rest of the day, she conducted an elaborately choreographed dance of making sure she was always on a different level of the ship from where Shepard was at any given time. She took her lunch meal in her office, careful not to meet the Commander in the mess area while she retrieved her tray, and made sure she was busy in another part of the ship when he eventually sat down with Garrus, Jacob and Tali for his own afternoon meal.
Eventually, she made her way to the Shuttle Bay to check on the ongoing repair work in that area of the ship. Stopping to chat with several crew members busy finishing patching a breached section of the hull, halfway down the deck, Miranda turned at the sound of the elevator and saw Zaeed emerge, dragging behind him a large, wheeled footlocker.
Miranda wasn't surprised to see him. EDI had advised her earlier that the mercenary was taking his leave from the ship and the XO had arranged for his payment to be delivered to the accounts he specified. She also already learned that he had taken a contract from Aria—though she didn't know the details of the job—and would be departing via a private transport shortly.
Following him out of the elevator was Garrus, Jacob and Shepard. Damn, she thought. She had lost track of the Commander's location and was now essentially stuck. Zaeed stopped just outside the lift and spoke with both Jacob and Garrus, saying his farewells to the men he'd formed a strong bond of camaraderie with, and then shook their hands. The turian and Taylor took the lift back up, but Shepard walked alongside Zaeed down toward the Normandy's lowered cargo ramp—and Miranda.
Though she acquired a certain respect for the Massani, Miranda still found him a little dodgy with his brash behavior and sordid personality. Nevertheless, he had brought a certain ruthless quality to Shepard's team that proved critical on several occasions over the last few months. His relationship with the Commander had started off rocky and they enjoyed a tenuous partnership at best, but eventually the mercenary and Shepard found a common ground and respect. Shepard grew to trust the older man and greatly valued his vast experience. Losing a man so skilled in killing, despite the unorthodox methods he often employed, was a blow to the Normandy's squad.
As they approached, Miranda attempted to look busy, glancing down at the data pad she held while keeping a discrete eye on the pair. As they came abreast of her, she looked up and offered the grizzled veteran a respectful nod and said, "Good luck, Massani."
Zaeed returned the nod and said, "Same to you, darl'n," winking his good eye as he passed her, making Miranda's skin crawl. He had at least learned to refrain from gawking at her so overtly since it had become known that the operative and Shepard had become an item. The Commander simply smiled vaguely at their exchange and continued walking the length of the cargo bay alongside the mercenary.
Miranda watched the pair trudge down the Normandy's ramp, Zaeed dragging the heavy footlocker behind him. At the base of the ramp the two men stopped and spoke for several minutes before they shook hands and finally parted ways. Shepard then walked back up the ramp into the ship's cargo bay, making his way back toward the elevator and Miranda's location at the opposite end of the deck.
Miranda quickly looked back down at the data pad she was holding and then approached several crewmen working on a nearby systems overhaul of Shuttle 2, using the excuse of requesting a status report in order to avoid speaking with Shepard as he came back her way. But it was unnecessary. As he walked by, his gaze remained fixed ahead, a subtle frown on his face and seemingly lost in thought as he strode by.
Shepard woke that morning with his head throbbing. After leaving Miranda's office the night before, he had stumbled straight back to the elevator and up to his quarters. Once there, he had collapsed onto the bed, not bothering to shed his clothes, and allowed himself to pass out.
Now, after a little over six and a half hours of dreamless sleep, he was stirred awake by EDI's voice over the in-room comm. "Commander, I have an encrypted priority message inbound marked for your eyes only."
Sitting up on the edge of the bed while fighting the acute dizziness that assaulted him as he righted himself, Shepard rubbed his blurry eyes with both palms. "Thank you, EDI. I'll take it here."
"Very well, Shepard. Message delivered to your private terminal. Logging you off."
Struggling to his feet, he walked up the short set of stairs to the terminal as his headache intensified with every small step. Leaning over the desk to activate the screen, he found the new message and decrypted it.
Shepard,
Word has it that you and the Normandy made it back in one piece from beyond the Omega 4 Relay. I'm relieved to hear it.
I'm stepping down as Councilor soon and there's a lot we need to discuss. Don't contact anyone in the Alliance or the Council until you speak with me first. Get here as soon as you can.
-Anderson
Shepard frowned as he squinted down through his bloodshot eyes at the brief message, reading it again. Why was Anderson giving up the Council seat? He knew the old man had never been thrilled to take up the diplomatic post in the first place, and the Admiral had reiterated that point when the two met several months earlier, but this felt sudden.
With a sigh, Shepard retrieved an analgesic for his head, finally kicked off his boots, stripped out of his slept-in clothes and jumped in the shower. Twenty minutes later he was out the door and on his way down to the crew deck for a quick breakfast.
Emerging from the elevator he turned the corner and glanced toward Miranda's quarters. The door was closed as usual and he suspected she was barricaded inside, working away at her terminal. Deciding not to bother her yet, he made a beeline for the kitchen and retrieved some coffee and a tray of some unrecognizable substance from Mess Sergeant Gardner.
Shepard nodded to the few crewmen that were sitting in the mess area and grabbed a seat at an empty table. Scratching at the stubble on his face after deciding to skip the shave this morning, the Commander sipped his coffee in quiet contemplation for a few minutes. His mind drifted back to the previous evening at Afterlife when he briefly met with Aria. She didn't want anything in return for the use of her dry dock facilities—not yet at least—but he would owe her, alluding to some future service she might call upon in order to square the debt.
"My advice, Shepard," she had told him, "don't trust anyone. You survived your little fieldtrip to the Collector's world, but in doing so I think you'll find you've made even more enemies. The Illusive Man is obvious, but there are other forces that may align and work against you, despite all your successes."
Aria had kept it vague and he knew there wasn't much use on pressing her on specifics. Besides, he was well aware that with success breeds animosity. Hell, an ancient race of world destroying starships was after him—what are a few more ass holes joining the party going to hurt, he had thought cynically.
But Jack had echoed Aria's warning to stay vigilant. And now Anderson was telling him virtually the same thing. On top of it all, Miranda's suddenly giving him the cold shoulder.
Crap, this day's going to suck.
Looking down gloomily at the tray in front of him, he thought better of it and left the meal untouched. Getting up from the table he deposited the contents of his tray in the trash, refilled his coffee, and made his way back toward the elevator. Eyeing the door to Miranda's office as he passed, he again decided to leave her be.
A few moments later he emerged in the CIC and made his way to his terminal and began going over the ship's business for the day. As he stood there reading through duty reports from the previous day, he caught a glimpse of tousled red hair in the corner of his eye. Looking to his right, he saw Kelly arriving at her typical workstation on the opposite side of the galaxy map. He noted she was a little late to her station and that she too looked like she hadn't had a very restful night's sleep. She looked a little jumpy as she logged onto her terminal and looked up nervously as a pair of crewmen walked by.
The poor girl must still be pretty shook up after her abduction and imprisonment on the Collector base, Shepard thought to himself. As he made a mental note to check up on her again soon, he heard the elevator open behind him and a moment later Miranda was at his side, keeping her typical formal distance while on duty.
He turned slightly toward her as she greeted him with a forced smile and a sorry attempt to pretend nothing was bothering her. She was wearing the black outfit that he found her particularly fetching in. But the XO was all business this morning. And as he allowed her to dictate her briefing, he found his mind wandering. He kept turning back to the message from Anderson, pondering the meaning behind it.
Miranda seemed to notice his lack of attention and asked if he was alright. Snapping out of his trance, he nodded and said "Yeah, I'm fine. Thank you for the report, Miss Lawson. That will be all."
She gave him a curious look and paused for a moment, but didn't argue with the curt dismissal. He then watched her turn around and head back into the elevator, allowing the doors to close behind her while she kept her back to him.
Definitely going to be a crap day.
Several hours later, Shepard met up with Garrus, Tali and Jacob in the mess area to share an early afternoon meal. By then his mood was improving somewhat and his hangover dissipating. He still hadn't mentioned anything about the message he'd received from Anderson, but wasn't entirely sure why he was keeping it to himself. Perhaps it was his desire to share it with his XO first, he thought.
Thinking of Miranda, he still hadn't seen or talked to her since early that morning. At first, he accepted the behavior as typical, as she often kept herself busy with one thing or another. But as the day went on he was becoming wise to her efforts to avoid him. As he and the rest of the group were finishing up lunch, he decided that he'd allowed her enough space for the time being and would go find the woman.
However, as he made to get up from the table, EDI's voice came across the comm. "Commander, Mr. Massani asked that I inform you of his impending departure. He is finishing gathering his belongings now on the Engineering level."
The quartet all looked at each other, none surprised by the news, and Shepard replied, "Thank you, EDI. Tell him I'm on my way down."
Garrus and Jacob tagged along to say their goodbyes to the gruff, elder statesman of the squad. It had been a rough start to their partnership with the mercenary, but the four men eventually all developed a common respect for one another and even a genuine friendship.
After intercepting Zaeed, the four descended in the elevator together to the Shuttle Bay where Garrus and Jacob said their farewells and then allowed Shepard alone to accompany the mercenary the rest of the way off-ship.
As he walked the length of the cargo bay alongside Zaeed, Shepard noticed Miranda standing up ahead, apparently supervising some of the hull repairs. So this is where you've been hiding, he thought.
As they passed his XO, she gave Zaeed a nod of respect and wished him luck. In reply, the mercenary veteran said in his gravelly voice, "Same to you, darl'n," and gave her a wink. Shepard couldn't help but smile a bit at that, knowing it was harmless but that Miranda was likely repulsed by the gesture.
Continuing down the ramp and stopping at nearly the exact spot Shepard had said goodbye to Jack the night before, the two men talked for another couple of minutes. Zaeed told the Commander a little about his new contract with Aria, which Shepard thought was a little dicey. His gruff friend then urged the Commander to be vigilant as they prepared to get underway from Omega and not to trust anyone other than the remainder of the squad. Good god, this pattern is getting ridiculous, Shepard thought to himself.
Shaking hands with Zaeed, Shepard turned and walked back up the Normandy's ramp and through the cargo hold. As he passed Miranda's location, he saw out of the corner of his eye as she hastily approached several crewmen and requested a progress report. However, he didn't break stride, momentarily forgetting about his earlier plan to confront her. He was again lost in his own thoughts, Anderson's words floating in his head: Don't contact anyone in the Alliance or the Council until you speak with me first. Get here as soon as you can.
Later that day, Samara advised Shepard that she too would be saying farewell before the ship departed Omega. After speaking with her for nearly twenty minutes, Shepard felt deflated as he walked out of the Starboard Observation deck. He knew this was coming, but seeing Jack, Zaeed, and now Samara all leave the Normandy in the span of less than twenty-four hours troubled him. Since waking up all those months ago on Lazarus station, and throughout this mission, he had grown to think of this group of people as his family. And now, much to his dismay, they were scattering.
At nearly a thousand years old, the asari's experience was unrivaled among the crew and losing her presence on the ground team would be a blow. But more than anything, Shepard would miss her counsel. Beside the budding relationship he enjoyed with Miranda, and his longtime friendship with Garrus, Tali, and Joker, Shepard had become closest with the Samara and the drell assassin, Thane. The Commander and the Justicar had formed a strong mutual respect and he valued her advice above nearly anyone else's on board.
A little later that evening, Shepard returned to the CIC and prepared to see Samara off. She had been making her way through the ship and was now finishing up her goodbyes on the main deck before departing. Unlike Zaeed, the Justicar had no baggage to carry off the ship with her. She was literally leaving with only her weapons and the clothes on her back.
Standing atop the short flight of stairs that led toward the bridge at the bow of the ship, Shepard watched as the asari said her farewells to the crew on deck, including Thane, Garrus, and Tali, who had all gathered to wish her well before she left.
As he stood and waited patiently for Samara to finish her goodbyes, Shepard caught sight of a sudden flash of raven-black hair emerge from the elevator. Miranda rushed forward and looked around anxiously. The XO then appeared to discover Samara still present on deck, exhaled in relief, and then carefully moved to a quiet corner of the deck, near the entrance to the ship's lab.
After she finished speaking with Thane, Samara recognized Miranda standing off to the side and immediately walked over to meet her, a palm extended in friendship. Miranda smiled and shook her hand and the two proceeded to talk for several minutes, out of earshot from the rest of the crew.
Like himself, Shepard knew that Miranda had formed a unique relationship with Samara. Over the months, his XO had earned a grudging respect from Garrus, Tali, and even Joker—though he felt certain his pilot was still a little afraid of her. Their diminutive Japanese thief, Kasumi Goto, enjoyed something close to an actual friendship with the former Cerberus operative, even occasionally speaking with her about topics outside the scope of their mission. But it was the venerable asari Justicar that truly commanded Miranda's respect. As confident and independent Miranda surely was, Shepard couldn't help but see that she admired Samara—and possibly even looked up to her. And now the Commander watched with keen interest as the two remained locked in conversation, speaking in hushed voices and further solidifying a strong bond that had evolved over the months.
Finally concluding their conversation, Shepard watched as Miranda smiled softly and closed her eyes, nodding slightly at some apparent words of comfort or encouragement from the asari. Samara then placed both arms around Miranda's shoulders and pulled her into a warm hug. As he watched the touching scene unfold, knowing Miranda's unhappy family history, it seemed to him almost like the comforting embrace a child might receive from her mother.
After the two women parted, Samara made her way back toward Shepard but his gaze remained fixed on Miranda. His XO lingered in the corner, apparently deep in thought, and then exhaled noticeably. She then raised her head and met Shepard's eyes from across the room. Even from that distance, he could see that tears were welling up in her deep blue eyes. In that moment, it was all he could do to restrain himself from rushing over to her, feeling a sudden urge to take hold of the woman he'd fallen for and pull her in close. Instead, he gave her a tender smile and nod of approval.
Miranda returned the smile hesitantly, but then suddenly turned and rushed through the door behind her, disappearing into the ship's lab.
And then Samara was at his side. "I am now ready, Commander," she said.
Standing just inside the Normandy's lab, Miranda looked around and found the room was mercifully empty. Mordin Solus could usually be found here around the clock, but the salarian doctor must have been off somewhere else on the ship.
Saying goodbye to Samara had been more heart wrenching than she could have anticipated. Miranda would miss her terribly. But after speaking with the asari, she had found the resolve to finally go and speak with Jacob about the topic she'd been dreading for so long.
Crossing the short breezeway between the Lab and Armory, Miranda paused for a moment just outside the door to compose herself before entering. She took a deep, steeling breath, wiped the moisture from her eyes and proceeded in.
She found Jacob busy working on weapon modifications at the bench opposite the doorway, his back remaining facing toward her as she walked in.
Miranda cleared her throat and spoke far more timidly than she intended. "Jacob, may I have a word?"
"Help yourself to the treadmill Miranda. No need to ask," he said without turning around, continuing to work on his project.
She hesitated for a moment, fighting the urge to turn around and bolt from the uncomfortable situation, but then gathered her determination. "No, thank you. I actually needed to talk to you about something."
Finally turning to face her, Jacob gave Miranda a look of curiosity mixed with mild annoyance. "Alright. What's on your mind, Miranda?" he asked as he crossed his arms and leaned back against the workbench.
She looked at him uncertainly for a moment, and then approached to stand a little closer. "I need to apologize to you," she began abruptly.
Jacob furrowed his brow and cocked his head to the side slightly. "I'm listening."
Miranda inhaled deeply and pressed on. "I've treated you poorly. Not just lately, but for years, really. I've been terribly selfish and neglected your feelings, never bothering to show you the respect you deserved. You saved my life on more than one occasion and put up with the dreadful bitch I've been for a very long time."
His jaw hung agape slightly as she spoke. "Wow, Miranda, this is… unexpected, but—"
Miranda held up a hand to silence him and said, "Please, Jacob, I need to finish."
She awkwardly pushed ahead like a nervous student presenting to a classroom full of judgmental peers, trying her best to get through it as quickly as possible. "I never bothered to give you any real explanation for why I ended our relationship so suddenly. I know you think I was merely incentivizing you further to join Cerberus, and… well, yes, I guess that was why it began. But the truth is there was more to it for me. I need you to know that I truly did care for you—and still do. I allowed myself a very brief moment then to think I could have something normal—something personal—in my life. But it couldn't last. You understand that, right? The work we had ahead of us was too important—far too critical to allow emotions to cloud and distract from the trials we faced. I just couldn't let it continue."
"But you allowed Shepard to distract you while we planned one of the most critical missions in the history of mankind," Jacob said without bothering to hide his disdain.
Miranda blanched and briefly averted her eyes from Jacob's piercing gaze, suddenly feeling embarrassed. "It's true," she continued in a quieter voice. "I allowed that to happen despite my better judgment—the judgment I didn't waver from when it came to you years before. I was horribly insensitive to your feelings back then and even more so when my relationship with the Commander strayed beyond appropriate professionalism. I ignored you and I was cruel. I'm sorry, Jacob. I'm so sorry."
Jacob took a deep breath and seemed to relax his stance somewhat. There was an awkwardly long silence as the two stood before each other. "I appreciate that, Miranda. But you don't have to pretend what you and I had back then is the same as what's going on between you and Shepard. I see how you look at him when you don't think anyone else is paying attention. And I get it. Hell, that' Commander freaking Shepard. My ego's solid, but I know that man has an edge I can't top."
Miranda closed her eyes in a pained expression. "I won't lie to you Jacob. The feelings I have for Shepard are different than when we were together. But it's not because of his fame or his accomplishments or any of that!" She sighed and bowed her head. "I honestly can't tell you exactly what it is. He helped me out of a tight spot and then something just clicked for me. I'm still trying to sort it all out. But don't sell yourself short. You're a good man. And one that deserved far better than how I treated you. The fact is I don't deserve you or Shepard. I'm not a good person, Jacob. I'm poisonous."
Jacob sighed and then suddenly seized both her shoulders in a firm grip. "Stop it, Miranda. You've been burying yourself underneath all this coldness and cutting yourself off from other people for so long you can't find which way is up. For the first time in years I'm seeing you allow glimpses of someone authentic— someone real— to break through. That's Shepard and whatever you two have started together. It looks genuine to me so quit finding excuses to run away. My advice; you should embrace it and go all-in. You know damn well there's no turning back to the Illusive Man or going back to that old life."
Looking like a deer in the headlights, Miranda exhaled and allowed a meek smile to appear on her face. "Thank you, Jacob. I appreciate you saying that… And I really am very sorry."
Jacob gave her a look of silent understanding, smiled kindly and then suddenly pulled her into a gentle, but firm hug.
Standing there in Jacob's powerful arms, she allowed her shoulders to slump, the weight she'd been carrying around finally dissolving away.
After seeing Samara off, Shepard walked back through the CIC, again pondering their next move. At least she didn't tell me not to trust anyone. That's something, I guess, he thought.
Heading back toward his private terminal, he caught sight of the Armory door opening. It was Miranda again. Without pausing, she made straight for the elevator.
Deciding he'd had enough of her vanishing act for one day, Shepard pursued Miranda into the lift. Just as the doors closed behind him he hit the stop, preventing the elevator from moving or opening.
"Miranda, what the hell is going on?" he demanded.
Miranda looked up at him, momentarily startled by his sudden appearance. With a great exhale of breath and an apprehensive look, she knew she couldn't play dumb or avoid him any longer. "I'm sorry, John… I've just had a lot on my mind today and needed to focus on work for a while. I can't explain it yet and I'm sorry I've been distant. I'm just working through some things and need a little space. Please don't think that I'm angry with you."
Shepard studied her a moment and continued, softening his tone. "Come on, Miranda. I know we've been through a lot the last few weeks but I thought you and I were in a good place."
"We are," she said in pained exasperation. "It's not us. Well, it's not you—it's me. I'm just wrapping my head around some things."
"Did Jack say something to upset you before she left?" he asked.
Miranda averted her eyes unconsciously at the pointed question, unable to conceal her discomfort before responding wholly unconvincingly. "No… well, yes. But it was nothing."
"Listen, Miranda. We've got to trust each other here. I think we have something pretty special going and I don't want to see you shut down and crawl back into your shell anytime something upsets you. Can't we talk about whatever this is?"
"John, I do trust you! And we do have something special—I think so too," she smiled despite the uneasiness she was feeling. She fidgeted a little the data pad she was handling and continued. "And we will talk soon—I promise. But I'm just not ready right now."
Shepard sighed, clearly unsatisfied with Miranda's responses, but could also tell she genuinely felt she needed some alone time. "Ok. I'll give you your space—for now."
"Thank you… for understanding," she said gratefully.
"So, do you want to come up tonight?"
Miranda looked anxious again. "I think I'm going to stay in my quarters again tonight, John. I'm sorry."
"Okay. No problem," he said, not bothering to conceal his disappointment, and then extended a hand to reengage the elevator.
Miranda reached out and grabbed hold of his arm, holding him back from restarting the lift. "John, I want to go and see Oriana—soon."
Shepard looked back at her and flashed an understanding smile. "Of course. We have to the head to the Citadel next, but once we're through with some quick business there I'll get you to her. Okay?"
She nodded and smiled back at him, allowing her grip on his forearm to relax and slide down to hold his hand instead, squeezing it lovingly. "Thank you."
That small gesture did wonders for Shepard's spirit, feeling the rock that had been forming in his gut throughout the day instantly dissolve. "You know you're beautiful even when you're going out of your way to avoid me," he said, smiling a little easier now.
Miranda then reached up to caress his face in her hands, kissing him full on the lips. "I'll make this up to you. I promise," she whispered.
"I'll hold you to that, Miss Lawson," he said and pulled her into a closer embrace.
The next morning, the Normandy set out from the Omega Nebula bound for Citadel space. Shepard had announced his decision on their next destination several hours before the ship was set to depart Omega. With Anderson's message still bothering him, the Commander was eager to get underway.
With their destination locked in, Joker eased the frigate gently from its berth within the Omega dry dock and maneuvered her through the massive airlock doors that opened up to the nebula beyond.
The most critical repairs to the Normandy were complete. And though much of the work wasn't pretty, with several ugly hull patches the best they could manage with the resources available on Omega, the ship was sound and again ready for combat should they run into trouble.
The Normandy SR2 designation remained, but Shepard had all Cerberus insignias removed, painted over and replaced with the emblem of the Citadel Council. The Commander knew his status as a Spectre was nominal at best and his authority little more than ceremonial at this point, but he felt that in the absence of an Alliance charter they needed to legitimize their status as they set out from the Terminus. And it never hurt to suck up a little to the Council as they made their way back into civilized space.
Standing behind his pilot and staring out through the forward facing windows of the bridge, Shepard steeled himself for what would lay ahead.
Thanks to information EDI extracted from the Collector's base, the leadership of the Normandy now knew just how imminent the threat was. Though they had been successful so far in deciphering only a small fraction of the data, what they had found was startling—The Reapers were still coming and they would be here soon.
It was time for the Normandy to get back in the game.
Author's note:
Ok, so I know I promised a bit of action after last chapter but I got a little carried away with all the Shepard-Miranda interactions and squad member farewells. And I'd rather churn out a smaller chapter every week or so rather than construct larger ones that take much longer to polish. I've got a lot of story to tell and expect this fiction to go on for quite a few months. But the pace will be picking up a bit in the chapters ahead—I promise. ; )
The two parallel stories at beginning tracking first Miranda's and then Shepard's day wasn't something I originally planned, it just kind of came together on its own. Let me know how it worked for you or if you found it confusing or awkward.
The mystery contract Zaeed has with Aria will become known later on down the line (I hope—I've got to remember to come back to that).
I hope I'm not portraying Miranda as too soft here. I think she's maneuvering her way through a major transition at this point, so there's some internal conflict to deal with. But she's still the hard-edged operative we've all come to know and love. And that edge is going to come to the forefront again soon as she'll figure prominently in our re-telling of the Reaper war.
I don't think we'll ever learn exactly what Samara said to Miranda, but it certainly seemed like something she needed to hear.
And Samara's going to have something more significant to do later in the story too, but for now I wanted to give a glimpse of the understated relationship between her and Miranda. Given Miranda's lack of a mother and her only parental experience being that of having a distant, cold, and driven father, it makes sense to me that she might look at Samara as something of a motherly figure. That might open up some more fun interactions in the future.
I originally wasn't going to write the bit about Miranda's talk with Jacob, but I came around to the idea as something that could help further demonstrate the process she's going through at this point. Miranda's going to struggle with the person she's been in the past and the woman she's trying to become in the future. It's going to be a process and no easy transition for her.
As always, thanks for reading and I love to hear your feedback.