Chapter 16
Former Councilor David Anderson stepped out of what used to be his office at the Citadel's human embassy feeling like a tremendous weight had just been lifted from his shoulders.
As the door slid shut behind him, he exhaled emphatically and immediately reached up to loosen his collar. After working toward this moment for the last several months, the official transfer of authority ceremony to Anderson's successor, Donnell Udina, had finally been completed.
Striding down the short flight of steps and into the lobby below, he imagined he probably shouldn't feel quite so relieved to be free of the responsibility the Systems Alliance had entrusted him with several years ago. But he couldn't help it. In truth, Anderson was thrilled to be leaving the office behind, regardless of the dark circumstances that had prompted his abrupt resignation. Try as he might, he was no politician.
Still, he was proud of what he'd accomplished during his short tenure as humanity's representative to the galaxy, even if he was often viewed simply as a figurehead atop the office that consisted of more than a dozen skilled diplomats and advisors. But he and his staff had made great strides in advancing humanity's place among the other major races of the galaxy. They had secured lucrative trade agreements, solidified mutual defense treaties, and had enhanced human influence on the Citadel to levels no one would have imagined possible a few years ago.
But he couldn't deny that he had never truly felt comfortable in the role. First and foremost, he would always be a military man. Feeling far more at ease on a desolate battlefield than he did navigating the tumultuous waters of the council chambers, Anderson knew he had taken the post as far as his modest diplomatic abilities could manage. It was never going to be a sustainable position for him and now it was time to hand over the responsibility to someone more suitable to the role.
He was only fifty, but the tedium and stress of bureaucratic service had aged him in ways that active military duty never had. His place was on the bridge of a starship or hunkered down in a ditch somewhere, shoulder to shoulder with other N7 Marines. And though he had grown fond of the staff he'd come to rely on so much during his tenure as Councilor, Anderson longed to once again be surrounded by men and women of military pedigrees and to be free of the slick manipulators and politicians he'd been forced to endure over the last three years. He would gladly trade in his ceremonial uniforms and formal suits for a good set of battle armor or BDUs.
And he might have the chance to do just that sometime soon.
The Bahak system was gone—just gone. It was a stunning galactic event to fathom and part of him was still reeling from implications and the massive loss of life on Aratoht.
Cerberus had claimed official responsibility for the destruction of the Alpha Relay and had held up Anderson's one-time protégée, John Shepard, as the leader of the operation that claimed to have saved billions at the cost of more than three hundred thousand batarian colonists. And after Shepard's recent success battling the Collectors while operating under the Cerberus banner, successfully halting the attacks and abductions perpetrated by the mysterious alien species, their story about an imminent invasion that would have sprung from Bahak was gaining significant traction within the Terminus System.
Disturbingly, the fact that the mission to ostensibly prevent a catastrophe of epic scale had resulted in such severe collateral damage didn't seem to be causing undue consternation among the human populations of the galaxy. In fact, it was steadily becoming clear that many humans were privately rejoicing at the destruction of Aratoht and the blow the Hegemony had sustained.
The batarians were a reviled species to most humans, especially among the colonials carving out a hard life on the outer fringes of civilized space and who had endured frequent aggression by the militant aliens. It was a barely concealed racial hatred the two civilizations shared for each other that Cerberus had been more than happy to stoke the flames of. And now, the hostility was growing to the point that a large segment of the population back at home in the Sol System was looking indifferently upon the horrific loss of life in Bahak and beginning to view the extremist, humanity-first organization with greater favor.
The Systems Alliance had vigorously condemned the Illusive Man's organization for the heinous action in batarian space and was busy trying to distance itself from Cerberus. But regardless of the illegitimacy of the radical group, to the batarians, the incident was simply an act of unprecedented human aggression against their colonial holdings. It was a war crime of epic proportions.
What a mess, he Anderson was a student of history and he knew that this sort of thing was typical in the days leading up to an imminent conflict. The fact that the age-old cycle was playing out on the galactic stage only made the scale all the more massive to behold.
Anderson was gladly leaving the diplomatic wrangling to Udina as he was urgently needed by Hackett to help craft a restrained and measured response to the batarian reprisals that had already begun across the frontier. Both Admirals knew that they could afford to waste precious few resources against the Hegemony when the greater threat was steadily, irresistibly approaching the galaxy. The ever-mounting evidence Commander Shepard and his allies had collected pointed to a threat that was almost unimaginable in scope.
Shepard.
Despite Anderson's strenuous objections, the Council had revoked the Commander's Spectre status as soon as his unauthorized infiltration of the Aratoht prison had leaked and the news of the Bahak relay's subsequent destruction became known.
And Shepard's illegal arrest by the very same rogue Alliance Intelligence Service he'd been tracking for months had caught him completely off guard. He had been furious when he learned of the interception and scrambled to respond. But his attempts to press the SAIS for information had been met with a unified front of stonewalling. Still, their brazen seizure of Shepard and the Normandy had shown their hand. Anderson was now certain that the primary elements seeking to destabilize the Alliance from within were lurking within the upper echelons of the well-shuttered clandestine service.
They'd managed to force the SAIS to hand over the Normandy and the former Alliance crewmembers to Naval Central Command, but the bulk of the Cerberus crew—and Shepard—were nowhere to be found.
Fortunately, Anderson had been holding an ace up his sleeve.
When word arrived from Jill late last night that they'd safely extracted Shepard and Williams, he had breathed a tremendous sigh of relief. And the fact that Dah's task force had met Liara T'Soni, Garrus Vakarian, and Miranda Lawson on Noveria during the frantic engagement was intriguing, if not necessarily all that startling.
They were treading on some interesting territory, to say the least.
Stepping into the elevator to begin the long descent down to the lower levels, a soft chirp sounded from Anderson's Omni-tool alerting him to an incoming communication. He was unsurprised to see the message was from Dr. T'Soni.
Dark Star lounge, Zakera Ward, one hour.
The message was brusque compared to the correspondences he typically received from T'Soni, but he didn't take offense. It was understandable, he supposed. Clearly, things on Noveria had become… complicated.
Anderson had already read through Dah's detailed after-action report: More than two dozen Alliance Marines attached to the SAIS killed in Port Hanshan and the Leyte Gulf destroyed in orbit as the frigate attempted to intercept the ground assault teams. These are indeed dark days for the Alliance, he thought bitterly.
An hour, huh? Well at least I've got time to change out of this monkey suit and put on something a little more appropriate for a former diplomat.
Stepping from the sky car he'd taken to the building located in the Mid-Ward District of Zakera, Anderson quickly trotted up another level to the 28th floor and found the Dark Star Lounge.
The Dark Star was a fairly classy spot in an affluent neighborhood of Zakera Ward that attracted upscale clientele and was generally free of the seedier elements that frequented some of the other nightclubs closer to the Factory District. It was a popular after work hangout for this area of Zakera and also a prime spot to conduct discrete meetings and solidify under-the-table agreements.
Anderson walked through the doors at the front of the club and paused just inside the entryway. He'd changed from his formal Systems Alliance diplomatic uniform into a much more comfortable pair of jeans, simple black t-shirt, and leather jacket. Even at fifty, he was a fit and powerfully built man and not someone to be taken lightly. And though he had no real reason to expect trouble in a place like Dark Star, the Admiral retained the wary nature of the N7 Marine he still prided himself as.
It was late evening on the Citadel and the club was teaming with all manner of men and women—asari, turian, human, salarian, volus, and even a few hanar were crowded into the space, looking to relax and enjoy themselves after a long day's work. The house music being pumped through the club's speakers was loud, but not blaring at an uncomfortable volume.
Striding through the foyer, Anderson maneuvered his way through the crowds as he scanned the area for Liara.
She hadn't told him exactly where in the club he'd find her, but he imagined she'd look for a discrete spot to wait for him, careful not to draw too much attention to her presence. The timid asari scientist he'd first met years ago had changed dramatically since she'd taken on the profession of Information Broker and he was beginning to grow accustomed to the cagey habits she'd developed.
He passed the large central bar where all manner of guests were crowded around and made his way past the dance floor. Finally, gazing across the room, he noticed T'Soni sitting just where he would have suspected—a circular booth in a dark corner at the very back of the club.
He walked up to the booth and gave the asari a cordial smile and nodded. "Dr. T'Soni, it's good to see you again."
"Admiral," Liara nodded and returned a brief smile. "Please, sit down and join me."
Anderson took a seat directly across from Liara and folded his hands upon the table between them. "I imagine you have a few questions for me."
"I do," Liara said and glanced up and to her left. "And so does my friend."
He followed Liara's gaze and found Miranda Lawson, having suddenly materialized out of nowhere, standing directly above him,
As strikingly attractive as she was, Lawson was a hard woman to miss—unless she wanted to go unnoticed, apparently. He noted she was sporting a fresh scar on her cheek, just below her right eye. And while she was wearing a considerably more conservative outfit than when he'd last encountered her in his office several weeks back, he couldn't help his gaze drifting below her neckline as he spotted the front strap of her tactical shoulder harness cinched tightly under her shapely breasts and concealed beneath the light jacket she wore.
Catching Anderson's brief glance at her chest, Miranda raised an eyebrow and shot the Admiral the kind of disapproving expression a teacher might give a misbehaving schoolboy. He felt himself flush slightly and was immediately thankful for his naturally dark complexion that concealed the adolescent response. But Anderson recovered quickly and brushed off the awkward exchange. "Miss Lawson," he said in his gruff voice and frowned.
"Pardon me, Admiral," Miranda said as she made to sit down next to Anderson, causing him to hastily scoot over to accommodate her. He felt the telltale bulge of a sidearm concealed under her jacket as she pressed against his side and nudged him over in the booth.
Anderson continued to give the woman a critical look and then turned back to the asari.
"We're something of a package deal today," Liara said and shrugged.
"I see," he said cautiously. Across the room, he then noted a group of three drell men standing near the end of the bar. He was exceedingly good at recalling faces—even alien ones—and instantly recognized one of them as the drell that had been among Shepard's entourage when they'd visited his office in the human embassy several weeks ago. They were being discrete about it, but Anderson had no doubt their purpose there was to provide an extra layer of muscle for the two women he was currently seated with. He glanced back at Miranda, who was staring daggers at him. "What can I do for you, ladies?"
"Did Hackett set us up in Bahak?" Miranda snapped.
He stared back at her with an incredulous look. "What? No," he said and shook his head. "What the hell are you talking about?"
Miranda smacked her hand down on the table. "He sent us there—outside of official Alliance channels."
"I'm aware of the Admiral's request to extract Amanda Kenson," he replied evenly and paused. "And yes, it was a fully deniable operation, which is why he approached Shepard with it. But I've known Steven Hackett for the better part of my entire career and I can tell you with certainty he was as shocked as anyone to learn Kenson was a Cerberus double agent. I trust the man implicitly."
"Shepard trusted Hackett and it cost him his freedom," she said and chewed her lip. "And mine. Not to mention the lives of men and women that served under our command."
Anderson sighed heavily and considered her words. T'Soni had contacted him soon after she and a group of mercenaries had extracted Lawson from an SAIS black site on Akuze. As Liara had told it, the woman had been subjected to brutal treatment while in custody and they'd found several of the Normandy SR-2 crewmen dead within the facility. Worse, more than a dozen other people were still unaccounted for and feared to have been executed by the rogue Alliance outfit. It was shameful. He didn't know these people, but as someone who had lost men and women serving under his command, he could appreciate the toll it took on a leader. "I understand. But we had precious little intel on what was really brewing in the Bahak system. Kenson's operation was entirely off the grid and Alliance Intelligence acted unilaterally when they seized the Normandy and arrested you, Shepard and the rest of the crew. The SAIS was tipped off by someone that knew exactly where and when you'd arrive back in system from Bahak."
Miranda stared at him, offering no reaction. "It was the Illusive Man," she finally said. "He had no intention of letting Shepard break ties with Cerberus without suffering the consequences. He orchestrated Kenson's arrest by the batarians knowing Hackett would turn to Shepard for help. But let me assure you, Admiral, the evidence suggesting an imminent Reaper arrival in Bahak was authentic and the need to disable that relay was urgent." She paused for a moment and her eyes grew sad. "Still, we likely had time to fashion a scenario that would prompt the colony's evacuation if it hadn't been for Kenson's rash actions. John would never have allowed those lives to be sacrificed if there had been any alternative."
He nodded slowly. "You don't need to convince me of that, Miss Lawson. I'm well aware of the kind of man Commander Shepard is and I understand the impossible situation he was placed in." He motioned to Liara across the table. "Dr. T'Soni relayed detailed accounts of the incident."
"Admiral," Liara interjected. "What was Ashley Williams' mission? She wouldn't tell us much about how she'd ended up on Noveria with Shepard."
Anderson paused for a long moment as his eyes moved between the two women and he considered just how much he was willing to share with them. He felt confident the asari could be trusted but Lawson was still an unknown quantity. Still, after what she'd endured during her recent captivity, her disavowal by Cerberus, and the unwavering loyalty she obviously had to Shepard, he was beginning to come around to the idea of giving the enigmatic woman the benefit of the doubt.
"Lieutenant Williams was acting under my direct orders," he said. "Hackett and I came to realize the greatest threat to the Alliance's stability was coming from the intelligence community, specifically the SAIS. We took steps to put Williams in a position to infiltrate the rogue organization and gather information from the inside. We crafted a believable cover for her, painting the Lieutenant as a sympathetic believer in their cause, and made her an attractive recruit."
"That was a dangerous gamble to take with her life," Liara said. "She wasn't an experienced covert agent."
"I'll admit the mission was risky, but she was up for the challenge," he said and shrugged. "And frankly, I needed someone I knew I could trust and who was an outsider to the Intelligence Service. She did a fine job and managed to get assigned to Major Richter's command on the Farragut."
Miranda's expression grew stern. "Wait. She was with the party that boarded the Normandy?"
Anderson gave her a grim look and nodded slowly. "Yes. But she was under strict orders to only break cover in the event of grave and imminent threats."
"Half of my crew was likely murdered by those bastards," Miranda scoffed, her voice rising above the din of the club's music. "I'd call that bloody grave and imminent threats."
The Admiral shifted uncomfortably, understanding how it appeared to Lawson. "Williams had no knowledge of that," he said and shook his head. "She stayed with the group dedicated to Shepard's guard. You and the rest of the Cerberus crew were transported on other frigates in their squadron."
"Former Cerberus crew," Miranda corrected him.
"Listen, I understand what you were put through and I'm sorry, I really am. But there was nothing Williams could have done at the time to stop it. It was a minor miracle she was able to remain with Shepard when they transferred him to that freighter. Her mission was to infiltrate the SAIS and find out where the orders were really coming from. The interception of the Normandy was entirely unanticipated, but she rolled with it, and in the end was there to help pull Shepard out of the fire."
"We were there to pull Shepard out of the fire!" Miranda said as her muscles tensed.
"Miranda," Liara said and reached across the table to place a restraining hand on the human woman's arm. "Please…"
Miranda yanked her arm away from the asari's touch. "No, damn it! We were right there—right bloody there—and your Alliance Captain took Shepard without even allowing him to be revived from stasis."
"Look," Anderson began in a far more firm voice. "Captain Dah's task force was under orders to support the Op and provide a safety net for Williams and Shepard. The Lieutenant stepped in and called for extraction as soon as she assessed the risk to Shepard had become too great—risking her own life in the process, I might add. We had no idea you people were operating in the area."
The response was reasonable but Miranda was still growing livid. "You had no right to take Shepard!"
"I had every right," Anderson barked back. "He's been implicated in the destruction of an entire goddamn star system for Christ's sake. We're on the brink of war with the batarians while the Illusive Man has been busy telling the entire galaxy Shepard's his golden boy."
Miranda shot to her feet and glared down at the Admiral. "That's all bullshit and you know it! He cut ties with Cerberus—we cut ties with Cerberus!"
"Damn it, you two!" Liara now raised her voice, shouting across the table. "We're on the same side here!" She then looked up toward her companion and scowled. "Miranda, sit down. Please."
Miranda remained defiant for a moment before finally retaking her seat and checking her emotions. "I apologize for my outburst, Admiral," she said in a much more measured tone. "But what I need you to understand is Shepard had every intention of coming in after what happened in Bahak. I saw what he went through when the star system blinked out of existence on our galaxy maps. He'd ordered the Normandy to stand down when the Alliance task force intercepted us. And he would have come in voluntarily on Noveria, as well. He didn't need to be carted off planet in that stasis pod like a piece of goddamn luggage."
Anderson softened his expression and sighed. "I'm sure you're right, Miss Lawson," he said. "And you don't have to convince me of the Commander's loyalties. But Captain Dah was under orders to take no risks when she was presented with the opportunity to collect Shepard. She made a call and I'm not going to fault her for that now. Regardless, it was imperative we get him back to Earth as soon as possible—for his own protection. His list of supporters within the Alliance is getting shorter by the minute and I need to start repairing the damage before it's too late." This time the Admiral reached over and grasped Miranda's arm—but gently. "I'm going to clear his name and get this mess sorted out. I promise you."
A tense silence settled between the group as the club's house music continued to pump out a rhythmic, pulsating beat.
Liara cleared her throat. "Admiral," she ventured. "This Major Richter, have you learned anything further from him?"
"Nothing groundbreaking," he said, shaking his head. "Richter's not a significant player in this—just a deranged xenophobe and believer in the need for human dominance in the galaxy. We now know he was behind the attempted hit on Shepard back on Illium, but he's not talking. In fact, I'm fairly certain even he doesn't know where his orders were coming from. Still, we were hoping he'd lead us up the food chain before things got too dicey and Williams had to pull the plug." He looked at Miranda and shrugged. "Frankly, I'm a little surprised a man like that wasn't on the Cerberus payroll."
"We didn't make a habit of recruiting sociopaths," Miranda said sourly. "At least, we didn't used to… And what about the other vessels that intercepted us?"
"The Leyte Gulf was destroyed over Noveria, as you already know," Anderson said. "But the Farragut, William Wallace, and Beowulf are all still unaccounted for. They've likely fled into the Terminus to stay clear of legitimate Alliance Naval patrols."
Liara and Miranda exchanged a look before the asari spoke again. "Admiral, whoever ordered Shepard's capture and interrogation was after something specific."
"Yes," he nodded slowly. "Williams detailed in her reports that they were trying to extract some additional information about the Prothean Cipher he received back on Feros. I'll admit I'm a little puzzled by that."
"So were we at first," Liara said. "But we now feel strongly that it has something to do with the Reapers' imminent arrival—something that's viewed as a threat of some kind." Her expression turned grave. "Admiral, we believe it's likely that we're dealing with an indoctrinated element within the SAIS, working on behalf of the Reapers, just as the Collectors, Saren and geth were."
Anderson swallowed and fixed his gaze on Liara. "Indoctrinated?" he said and slowly shook his head. "I don't want to believe it, but it does help explain some of this chaos. But I thought we exhausted the information the Cipher had to offer when we stopped Sovereign from taking the Citadel?"
"It would seem not," Liara said. "Before his arrest, I took steps to secure the data imprinted on Shepard's mind, which is why Richter found it impossible to extract, but I'm at a loss as to how to decipher the information and understand what it means."
Miranda shot the Admiral an imploring look. "Anderson, we need to see him."
He frowned as he stared back at the woman. He was beginning to sympathize with her as it gradually dawned on him just how powerful her feelings were for Shepard. But his priority was the Alliance and preventing things from falling apart any more than they already had. "I'm sorry, Miss Lawson. I might be able to arrange a discreet meeting for Liara, but I'm afraid I can't let you anywhere near him."
Miranda stiffened. "Because you believe I'm still with Cerberus."
Anderson shook his head. "No," he said softly. "After what you've been through recently and how vigorously Shepard insisted you could be trusted, I believe your days with them are over. But your former boss has burned you. He's made a sizable dossier on you available to Alliance Command, illustrating your previous status in Cerberus and exposing some pretty ugly details about your past missions. It's only a matter of time before it leaks to the civilian news outlets. If I have any chance of getting him back into the Alliance's good graces, I have to take steps to distance Shepard from you and his other former Cerberus associates."
Miranda grimaced. She was well aware of her outing by the Illusive Man but she hadn't had time to worry about it until now. Still, she remained defiant as part of her felt the irrational urge to be with Shepard again, whatever the cost. "Perhaps you should give him the opportunity to make that decision," Miranda said bitterly.
"Look, I can appreciate your loyalty to Shepard, but I'm telling you, if you truly care about the man you'll keep your distance and let me try and get this mess sorted." He then leaned in a little closer and gave Miranda an earnest look. "You can't help him right now, Miss Lawson. You're practically radioactive. Half the Alliance Navy brass and nearly the entire Parliament feels he's still working for Cerberus and wants to toss him to the batarians. If he's caught associating with you it will jeopardize all our attempts to rehabilitate his image."
Miranda pursed her lips as she mulled over what Anderson was telling her. She knew it was true, of course. As much as she wanted to feel his arms around her again, she knew it was a selfish emotion and she had no illusions about what her presence would mean to his future. It was a precious dream, they're brief life together. But it was over now. She felt deflated and suddenly weary.
Anderson studied the raven-haired beauty for a long moment, staring into her piercing blue eyes. There was despair in those eyes and for some reason it made him think of Kahlee. "But, perhaps there's a way we can help each other out."
Miranda gave him curious look. "Are you offering me a job, Admiral?"
"I'm offering you an opportunity," he said. "But yes, I think I have something that fits your particular skill set. It would go a long way toward building some bridges with the Alliance."
"And what if I don't care about building any bloody bridges?"
Liara shot her a scolding look. "Miranda."
Miranda rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Oh fine. What is it?"
Anderson stifled a laugh at the woman's bullheadedness. He was beginning to see why Shepard had been drawn to this one—that is, other than the fact she was drop-dead gorgeous. "Richter and his toadies were just the tip of the iceberg. After the Bahak incident the hardliners went on the offensive and the SAIS got bold. Obviously, seizing the Normandy was part of that. But they overreached when they took Shepard and we punched back on Noveria and have made some raids on a few of their offices at home. Now they've gone to ground and are no doubt looking to plan their next moves against the legitimate Alliance power structure."
"You want me to help flush these people out," Miranda said.
"Yes," Anderson said nodded. "Hackett and I will need to devote the bulk of our time to preparing for the numerous external threats facing us and on keeping Shepard from the gallows. I'll get you setup with someone here on the Citadel. You'll coordinate with her. They'll be expecting a threat from someone like me but I don't imagine they'll easily see you coming."
Miranda exhaled heavily and stared down at her hands, wringing them together on the table in front of her. She caught Liara staring at her expectantly and then turned back to Anderson. "Can you protect him?"
"I've already set things into motion to do just that," he said with confidence. "I'm leaving the Citadel tomorrow. After a quick detour, I'll be back on Earth in a day or two." He then reached into his jacket and produced a small, credit chit sized plastic card and handed it over to Miranda. "Be at this address in the Tayseri Ward tomorrow at 0900 sharp. You'll meet your contact there."
Anderson extended his hand over to Miranda, holding the card in front of her. "What do you say, Miss Lawson? Can I count you as a friend?"
Miranda was silent, deep in thought, as she eyed the card Anderson held out in front of her. She then cocked her head to the side and gave him a patronizing smile as she took the card and pocketed it in her jacket.
Without another word, she abruptly stood up from the booth and strode away, hips rocking side to side and disappeared into the crowd.
Anderson started to open his mouth to say something, his expression caught somewhere between bewilderment and amusement, but then just shook his head and turned to look over at Liara.
The asari shrugged and gave him an ironic smile. "She does that."
The address Anderson provided Miranda the night before was located in the upscale Gaeron district of Tayseri Ward, near the Botanical Gardens, within the Sterisayne high-rise.
Stepping out of the sky car she'd taken there, Miranda briefly stood at the curb and gazed skyward at the towering building before her. Taking the elevator to the fifty-fourth floor, she strode down a long, tastefully decorated hallway until she came to apartment number 5423 and hit the call button. A moment later the door slid open.
Miranda remained just outside the entryway, a quizzical look upon her face, as she cautiously peered into the apartment and finally took a tentative step over the threshold.
There was music playing softly throughout the apartment and she could hear activity and running water in a nearby room. The pungent, but generally pleasant aroma of Jasmine incense permeated the air.
"Please come in, dear," a female voice called out to her from around the corner. "Don't worry. You won't find any Cerberus assassins lurking in my living room," the voice said and chuckled softly.
Miranda furrowed her brow as she stepped further into the apartment and turned the corner to find a spacious kitchen.
Standing over the sink, as she rinsed off some brightly colored fruit, stood a slender, elderly human woman with long, silver hair tied into a ponytail. The woman then shut off the water, reached over for a dishtowel, and turned to face Miranda as she dried her hands.
"Have you had breakfast?" the woman asked.
Miranda studied the woman's vaguely familiar face for a long moment before recognition dawned on her. "You're Anita Goyle," she said with a hint of awe in her voice.
Goyle gave Miranda a formal, but kind smile and nodded slightly. "Yes," she said. "And you're the infamous Miranda Lawson."
Former ambassador Anita Goyle was in her eighties, but she still appeared to move with the fluidity and grace of someone much younger. Her penetrating emerald green eyes radiated both confidence and wisdom. In fact, Miranda felt strangely intimidated under the woman's intense gaze.
"I am," Miranda said.
"Admiral Anderson had many interesting things to tell about you."
"Did he?" Miranda said warily.
"Oh don't worry, child. We're not here to air each other's dirty laundry," she said and winked. "I'd suspect we'd be here a very long time if that were the case."
Miranda smiled hesitantly. "Okay… But what exactly are we here to do, Miss Goyle?"
Goyle gave Miranda a patient smile and crossed her arms in front of her. "Well, to save the Alliance, of course."
Author's note:
I'll be looking to start knocking out shorter chapters like this one more frequently moving forward. Hopefully that will improve the pace of content updates and keep things flowing a bit better.
As for Miranda, I'm sure most of you would agree that the ME3 canon world that portrays her as essentially doing nothing during the period of Shepard's incarceration—other than allow Oriana to be kidnapped and spend a lot of time hand wringing over it—was a real injustice to her previously strong character from ME2. This chapter continues her journey to affect some meaningful impact on the plot and allow for the possibility of some new alliances. And still no reunion for her and Shepard yet, but I promise, we'll get there.
And here again, as the Alliance remains in a somewhat precarious state, we see Anderson circling the wagons and falling back on people he knows he can trust. Just like Dah, I think Anita Goyle is an interesting character from the Drew Karpyshyn novels that provides some fun opportunities. We'll see.
On a side note—and though most of you probably are already aware of his work given you're likely fans of the Miranda-Shepard match—I'd like to offer a quick plug to commandocucumber's fantastic work with his current story, Perspective. There's some wonderful scene craft and character depth to be found there and his previous ME epic, The Fourth Option, was a primary inspiration for me to get this particular story moving. If you haven't read them already, I highly encourage you to check them out.
And as always, thanks for reading my stuff too!