Chapter 29
Gellix, Arrae System
Miranda crossed the distance feeling almost in a state of lucid dreaming, skeptical and euphoric at once.
She had spoken to him—seen him even—through the vid comm less than an hour ago. But it had barely seemed real earlier. The reality hadn't sunk in until he appeared there before her, standing just a short distance away.
For months she had been telling herself to let go, to abandon what she felt for Shepard. To bury those inconvenient emotions, to focus on her job and Oriana's training, to allow the man she'd fallen in love with to move on and do what he was made to do. She allowed Anderson and the others to convince her that he was better off without the complications her presence in his life created.
After all, with the terror that had gripped the galaxy, what she felt for him was surely a trivial matter. It was something for children, a foolish extravagance. Though she was no longer Cerberus, she was still an operative of the highest order. Elite. She was the rock that served Ambassador Goyle and protected the lives of her sister and her friends. She was a soldier. She was a killer.
But when she saw him, all of those rational precautions, along with her disciplined, meticulously crafted persona simply melted away.
She fought the wave crashing over her for barely a second before giving herself over to the sensation, willingly, completely. She was drawn to him as if caught in some sort of gravitational force.
Then her arms were draped over his shoulders and she was kissing him as if her life depended on it. Passion, sorrow, elation, anxiety. It all flowed out of her as she felt his hand on the small of her back, pulling her closer. She lost herself in the feeling, casting aside old, entrenched doubts and inhibitions. For Miranda, in that moment, nothing else in the galaxy mattered except for the two of them.
Then she released his lips, feeling dizzy, and nestled her forehead to his, struggling to reign in her racing pulse, sensing the others' eyes upon her, but not caring.
"Found you," he whispered to her softly, wiping away a tear she'd failed to hold back.
She breathed in and lifted her head to meet his eyes. "Found you first," she said. "I just wasn't allowed to keep you."
Shepard gave an understanding smile. "I heard about what happened on Noveria," he said, still holding her close. "Thanks for coming for me."
"You were beginning to make a habit of needing rescue, Shepard," Miranda said playfully. "But I don't mind."
Garrus cleared his throat. "I don't want to step on your moment over there, but that Cerberus cruiser that's on the way…"
Miranda glanced over at the turian and then back at Shepard. "What?" She said, taking a half step back but leaving her hands on his shoulders.
"We picked it up on long range scans just before dropping to the surface," Shepard said. "We don't have much time."
"How much is not much?"
"Less than two hours to break orbit and jump out of the system or we're in some serious trouble. Whoever you have here, the Illusive Man wants them back. Badly."
"Damn it," Miranda said under her breath, furrowing her brow and finally pulling her hands off his shoulders. "We can get them ready to move quickly, but transportation is the problem. There's an older Kodiak in the auxiliary hanger, but it has mechanical issues and isn't safe for orbit. The only other transport is an old Columbia class commercial shuttle, hidden a hundred meters to the south."
"How many people are we talking about, Miranda?"
"Thirty-seven, including some children," she said, smoothing out her outfit with her hands.
"What?"
"I know. When we arrived, we thought we'd find a dozen people here at the most. But Doctor Cole was busy. She's been organizing the defection of her peers from Cerberus for the better part of the last three months. Many of them, rightfully so, feared for the safety of their families and couldn't leave them behind. Still, a few were forced to anyway." Miranda frowned. "She was doing well. They just remained here a little too long."
"Who exactly are they?"
"Some of the brightest, most gifted human minds in the galaxy, Shepard. From geneticists to theoretical physicists, they made up a sizable fraction of the Illusive Man's brain trust. Make no mistake, the loss of these men and women is a serious blow to Cerberus. We have to keep them out of his hands."
Shepard blew out a breath. "Okay, we better get to this then. Your team and my squad can squeeze into the shuttle we dropped in," he said. "How many will that Columbia carry?"
"Twenty-four. Maybe one or two more if we really cram them in. We'll need another functional orbiter to evacuate everyone in one shot."
Shepard nodded and tapped his comm. "Viking One-One, this is Shepard. You copy?"
"Affirmative, Captain," Cortez's voice came back. "Reading you five-by-five."
"How's it looking up there?"
"Clear, sir. I have command of the skies and a full view of the compound. Negative on any additional tangos on your perimeter. The rest of the Cerberus troops must have already made it inside."
Shepard looked over at the dead Phantom. "Copy that. We're still mopping up in here. Cortez, can we get a Columbia class commercial shuttle into the Normandy's bay?"
There was a pause on the open channel. "That's a roger, Captain. It'll be a tight fit with our other shuttles and the ordnance stores, but shouldn't be a problem. I'd recommend a solid pilot to maneuver her in, though."
Shepard glanced at Miranda. "Got that covered, Lieutenant. We have a good number of people down here we need to evacuate and I'd rather not take the time for multiple trips with that cruiser breathing down our necks. Relay to Normandy to have Ensign Rhodes prep Kodiak One and drop to our location, have him set it down just south of the structure. The other shuttle should be there. Cover his approach and remain on overwatch until we're ready for pickup."
"Copy that, Captain. I spotted the Columbia on the ground a little while ago. Sending instructions now and remaining on station. Viking One-One out."
Shepard looked over at the Phantom's corpse again and then back to Miranda. "Nice moves over there, by the way."
Miranda smirked. "I've had some experience with Cerberus assassins lately."
Oriana cleared her throat loudly. She had casually walked over to the pair while Shepard was talking on the radio and was standing next to Miranda.
"As has my sister," Miranda said deliberately, flicking her eyes to Oriana. "As you can see, she's no longer the delicate flower I found on Illium." She jabbed her elbow softly into the younger girl's ribs.
"Yeah, I'm getting that."
"She's a regular baby Ice Queen now, Shepard," Zaeed Massani growled. "Kill ya with that same bloody glare if that rifle of hers doesn't get you first."
The Lawson women turned in unison, almost comically, and scowled at the man as he stomped through the doorway Miranda had emerged from a few minutes before.
Garrus and the gruff mercenary clasped hands in greeting before Zaeed made his way over to where Shepard, Miranda and the others were standing.
"Good to see you're still in one piece, Zaeed," Shepard said, shaking his hand. "I had my doubts after you went to work for Aria."
Zaeed grunted, ignoring the death-stare Miranda was directing his way. "Wasn't so sure you'd make it off Earth, Shepard. You're a hard man to kill."
"Yes, this is a lovely reunion," Miranda said impatiently. "But we're on something of a tight schedule, it would seem."
Then Kolyat's voice was then in her ear, broadcasting over the secure comm channel Oriana had setup. She raised a hand, signaling to Shepard and the others to wait while she listened to the message. "Miranda, Doctor Archer has restored internal surveillance and sensors. We have a location on the remaining Cerberus infiltrators. They're on Level Three, advancing toward the primary mechanical room." She activated her Omni-tool and keyed in a few quick commands. "Understood. We'll secure the area and fall back to the main hall. Tell Doctor Cole to start getting everyone ready to move. We'll be leaving soon."
"Copy, Miranda," Kolyat said, closing the channel.
Miranda glanced at Shepard, still working on the holo interface projected from her left arm. "We have eyes on the remaining hostiles inside the building. I'm sharing our tactical data with your network now."
With a soft tap to his temple, Shepard reinitiated his combat visor and accepted the connection. "Garrus, why don't you take Zaeed and go deal with them," he said, eying the new situational data. "I'll head back with the others and assess the refugee situation." He looked at Miranda. "Good?"
She nodded and smiled. "Yes, thank you," she said and turned to look over her shoulder. "Kasumi, go with them, please. Make sure they don't get lost."
"Yep, I'm game," Kasumi said cheerfully. "Come on fellas. Let's go do some pest control."
"And me?" Oriana asked eagerly.
"No. I want you to come with us. I'll need your help to organize the scientists and get them ready for transport."
Garrus gave a check of his Phaeston and nodded toward Shepard and Miranda. "Stay safe, kids. We'll check in once we're finished."
Miranda watched the turian, Zaeed and Kasumi leave and turned back to Shepard. "Come on. There's someone I'd like you to meet."
Shepard walked along, Miranda at his side, still feeling euphoric over being close to her again. He could smell her familiar perfume, subtle and sweet, and was continually sending her admiring, sideways glances. He had to make a real effort to focus and keep his head in the game.
She led him through a series of long corridors and past half a dozen vacant storage rooms, making their way back to where the refugees were grouped. Oriana walked several paces ahead of them, holding her Raptor battle rifle close in to the front of her body, and granting the couple a small measure of privacy.
Miranda caught him gazing up ahead at her sister, an entertained look on his face, before flicking his eyes back to her. "I know what you're thinking," she said. "I never could have imagined putting her in this position six months ago."
"She certainly takes after you, Miranda. And, for what it's worth, I think you're doing the right thing."
Miranda smiled at him. "Thanks," she said. "I wasn't so sure at first. And it hasn't always been easy, but I've had help and encouragement. She's come so far so fast. Maybe too fast."
He shook his head, waving off her concern. "None of us have the time we'd like to anymore. We've got to deal with the hand we've been dealt. She looks like she's doing just fine to me."
"Truthfully, I suspect the others and I would be dead if it hadn't become known that she was traveling with us. If they'd wanted to, that frigate could have finished us off from orbit before we reached this place. The bounty to capture her alive, and deliver her to our father, is substantial."
He looked at her, nodding slowly, not knowing what to say.
"How did you find us anyway, John? I thought you'd gone to Palaven. Did Goyle reach out to you after we missed our comm check?"
He nodded. "She told us you'd made it off Sanctum okay, had stopped at Nos Astra and were heading straight out again, but couldn't say exactly where to. Liara managed to get enough details from Anaya to piece it together and the rest was just a matter of following the trail of Cerberus assault ships."
"Sanctum was a trap. They used Kenson as bait so they could secure Oriana for my father and eliminate the rest of us." She smiled maliciously. "But we turned the tables on them, managed to raid the lab Cerberus was running there and extract the doctor. Thanks in large part to Zaeed, it pains me to say."
They reached an elevator at the end of a long hallway. Oriana keyed in a code on the control panel, activating the doors, and they all stepped in.
"You found something there that led you here?"
"In a sense, yes. It was actually intel that Zaeed provided." She gave a little shrug. "It's a long story. But the lab was authenticate and producing something very real and very dangerous. Kenson confirmed it was some sort of serum, likely derived from Collector technology, intended to modify and enhance Cerberus soldiers at the cellular level." She shivered almost imperceptibly. "It was a frightening substance, but unfortunately the sample we recovered was destroyed in the crash before I could have it properly examined."
Shepard grimaced, remembering the modified soldiers he and Ashley had encountered on Mars. "Yeah, I think we ran into some of those guys," he said. "What else did you learn from her?"
"Something that Liara and I had already guessed at. That the SAIS had been searching for something of significance. A piece of Prothean technology or some sort of intel that poses a threat to the Reapers." She looked more intently at Shepard. "And whatever Richter's people discovered, Cerberus has it now. Or, they at least have an understanding of the information. After interrogating Kenson, I came away with the distinct impression that the Illusive Man is completely unconcerned with acquiring the Cipher from your mind, John. They must have another way to access the data."
He was nodding, taking it all in. Liara had touched on what she and Miranda believed the SAIS had been up to and the motives behind the attempt to wrench the Cipher from his mind. But things were beginning to fall into place a little more easily. "And now Cerberus has a copy of the Prothean archive Liara found on Mars."
Miranda sighed. "I'm becoming more than a little annoyed at always being a half a step behind them."
Oriana gave a quick look back at Miranda after the doors slid shut and the lift began to ascend.
Miranda understood the cue. "It would seem our father has become more actively involved with Cerberus now as well. And I don't believe he's simply filling the void left by Doctor Cole and the other researchers that fled to this place. Henry Lawson is definitely heading up a major effort for the Illusive Man."
Shepard looked at her. He knew she wasn't inclined to exaggerate when her estranged father was involved. He decided to leave it alone for now though.
The elevator came to a halt a few seconds later, a soft chime announcing their arrival. Oriana walked out after the doors slid open, but Shepard took hold of Miranda's arm, holding her up.
"Miranda, what happened to Kenson?"
She looked up at him for a long moment, her expression unreadable. "I threw her out of the airlock," she said evenly. "It had to be done."
Shepard stared back into her eyes, trying to penetrate what was hidden behind them. He already had guessed that she had been forced to kill the Cerberus double-agent, but he was still caught a little off guard by the bluntness of her confession. But he knew her. He knew there was more to it that she wasn't telling him. But at that moment, he was more concerned about her state. "Miranda, about what happened with the SAIS. Your biotics…"
"Not now, John," she said, touching his arm and guiding him out of the elevator. "We can talk about it later."
They stepped out into a lobby landing, immediately turned a corner and entered a large, open room buzzing with activity. Shepard observed more than two dozen men and women rushing around, working at consoles or gathering up equipment. In the far corner, a small group of children were huddled around a low table, working at something likely intended to keep them occupied while the adults prepared to abandon the facility.
Miranda brought him around the perimeter of the commotion to the opposite side of the room. Control consoles lined the wall and a series of tall windows offered a dramatic view of the outside and the deep ravine the structure overlooked. Oriana was already there, speaking with another woman who looked to be an authority figure.
"Shepard, this is Doctor Brynn Cole," Miranda said as the woman Oriana had been speaking with turned to face them. "The Illusive Man's former head of Quantum Mechanics and Special Engineering Projects."
"It's a pleasure, Captain Shepard," Cole said, speaking with a distinctive accent, offering her hand.
Like most of the others in the room, Cole was wearing a Cerberus utility uniform, but with the emblems conspicuously removed. Her jet-black hair was cropped stylishly above the shoulders, her complexion dark with faint freckles visible upon her high cheekbones. Standing several inches shorter than the two nearby Lawson women, she looked at him with brown eyes, curious and confident. A naturally pretty woman, she couldn't have been much older than thirty.
"Doctor Cole," Shepard said, taking her hand. "I understand you've brought an impressive group of people together here."
"I'm afraid it was necessity arising from a stroke of good fortune. Several of us had been carefully planning our departure from Cerberus for some time when Mr. Massani and his mercenaries boarded the vessel we were working on. His arrival presented a convenient opportunity to escape without raising immediate suspicion."
"The Illusive Man assumed you'd been kidnapped during the raid."
"For a time, yes," she said. "But the deception only lasted for a few weeks before we began to identify coded communications that suggested they had come to realize we had actually left voluntarily. Still, it was a valuable head start and allowed us to setup our presence here and to assist others in discreetly leaving the organization." She glanced at Miranda. "Unfortunately, we stayed here too long, as Miss Lawson was keen to point out when she arrived."
"Why leave? From what Miranda's told me, you and your people were sitting at the top of the food chain. After working with Cerberus on the Normandy and seeing the resources they had available, doesn't seem like the kind of environment an ambitious scientist would want to abandon."
Cole gave him an odd look. "Shortly after you and Miss Lawson broke ties with Cerberus and took possession of the Normandy, I was tasked with leading the effort to exploit and reverse engineer technology recovered from beyond the Omega 4 Relay. Specifically, I was focused on deconstructing the process by which the Reapers communicated to and controlled their Collector thralls.
"We were making excellent progress in understanding how the signals traversed such immense distances, but then the Illusive Man began to compartmentalize our work, separating groups of researchers who had previously been collaborating and strictly controlling the flow of information. Eventually, we were directed to move on to more practical applications of the Collectors' technology."
"What kind of practical applications?"
"Human implants aimed at leveraging the signal types and enhancing Cerberus soldiers' abilities in the field."
"And you didn't have any reservations about working with that tech after what my team witnessed on the Collector's base? "
"I certainly do now, Captain," she said, sounding not quite ashamed but definitely uneasy. "But you have to understand, the technology we were working with was revolutionary. We had access to any tools or resources we required. It was an environment that stimulated creativity and innovation. No goal was too ambitious and funding deficits were unheard of. It was exhilarating. Intoxicating, even." She let out a breath, her voice suddenly beseeching. "We were there for the science. We were all there for the science. But we lost sight of where our work was leading."
He glanced at Miranda, remembering the conversations they'd had about her commitment to Cerberus and the satisfaction she took from her work. She gave him a knowing look and nodded slightly.
Shepard stared back at Cole, offering no reaction. He was resisting the urge to judge her too harshly while reminding himself it was because of people exactly like her—Cerberus scientists and doctors—that he was standing there, breathing, and feeling his heart beat out a strong, steady rhythm. "Okay. But you still haven't explained what finally made you run."
Cole frowned. "As the work became more segmented, and at the same time, more focused, some of my colleagues began to abruptly leave the organization, right after they had completed a major portion of the greater project."
"Only, they weren't really leaving Cerberus," Shepard said.
Cole's expression darkened. "No, they were not. The explanations were convincing at first, but we're a curious bunch. Some of the others and I took it upon ourselves to scrutinize the circumstances more carefully. I'm sure you can guess at what we discovered."
"Yeah," he said slowly. "You don't have to spell that one out for me."
"I have regrets, Captain. We all do. After what we experienced and with what Miranda has shared with me, I understand now just how unstable and dangerous Cerberus has become. But there's much I can tell you about their efforts within Collector space. And we're all eager to help lend our expertise to combating the Reapers."
"That can wait, Doctor Cole." Miranda interjected. "Right now, we need to get these people moving. Shepard eliminated the frigate that shot down my ship, but there's another, more powerful Cerberus warship approaching."
Cole looked between Miranda and Shepard, her fear palpable.
"We'll be fine," he said reassuringly. "But we need to move quickly. I have another shuttle coming in now to supplement the Columbia. We'll get everyone up into orbit before Cerberus gets here."
"I understand," Cole said, nodding. "But where will we go from here, Captain?"
"First we get your people up the Normandy, out of the system, and then we'll figure out what comes next."
"And only the essentials, Brynn" Miranda added. "Space will be at a premium, so we're packing light. We'll have to destroy any sensitive data or equipment that's left behind."
Cole gave a curt nod and then waded off into the crowd to help get the other scientists and their families organized and ready to evacuate. She moved with purpose, needing no further motivation than the knowledge that a Cerberus cruiser was rapidly making its way to the planet.
Kolyat appeared a second later and approached Shepard and the women. "Captain Shepard," he said. His right arm was in a sling, but he looked strong and healthy otherwise. "It's good to see you again."
"It's good to see you, Kolyat. I hear you've been busy since I saw you last."
"And getting busier by the minute."
Miranda looked to him and Oriana. "I need you two to backup whatever data we can preserve from the systems and then purge the drives. Cerberus gets nothing from this site. Do you understand?"
They both offered a confident nod. "We're on it," Oriana said before grabbing Kolyat by his good arm and rushing over to a bank of consoles.
Shepard watched them for a moment, a subtle smile playing across his lips. It was clear they were both committed to Miranda and that she had earned that trust through her encouraging, confident leadership. It was a big thing for her.
Then his Dragonfly pilot was in his ear again. "Captain, Viking One-One. Kodiak One is inbound to the LZ. ETA five minutes."
"Copy, Viking One-One. Cover his approach and maintain a defensive orbit over the site. We'll be moving the first group of people outside shortly." He closed the channel and looked at Miranda. "We're on."
The evacuation from the surface went smoothly and quickly. After Garrus, Zaeed, and Kasumi eliminated the last of the Cerberus infiltrators that had made it inside the facility, Shepard and Miranda organized a final sweep of the compound to confirm they wouldn't encounter any surprises while they escorted the scientists and their families out of the structure.
Between Lawson's small team and the squad Shepard had brought with him, the group was suddenly comprised of an exceedingly skilled group of fighters with enough veterans mixed in to counter the relative inexperience of Kolyat and Oriana. Not that Miranda felt any qualms about her sister or Thane's son. The two of them had proven themselves time and time again and she couldn't help but feel proud seeing how far they'd come.
Other than Garrus, she didn't know any of the Marines Shepard had brought down to the surface. But they all took their cue from him, following his lead without hesitation, melding seamlessly with her people and the turian that had been at his side for so many difficult, dangerous missions before. It was one of his gifts, she knew. His uncanny ability to bring disparate groups of people together, merge them into a cohesive team with a clear goal, and get the mission done, getting everyone out alive in the process. It was also why Cerberus had spared no expense in reviving the man from the brink of death.
Miranda watched him, rarely straying far from his side during the seventy minutes it took for them to complete the operation. All the while, she could feel the burden she'd been carrying for months begin to lift from her shoulders.
She climbed into the pilot's seat of the Columbia and fastened her harness, beginning her preflight checks. The shuttle had to have been at least thirty years old and had seen considerable wear, the synthetic leather seats torn along the seams and some of the instrument clusters cracked, but it appeared spaceworthy nonetheless. Shepard joined her a few minutes later after he made his way up through the passenger compartment, ensuring everyone was strapped in and ready for orbit.
Shepard and Miranda had prioritized sending the children and a few of the others up to the Normandy first in the Alliance Kodiak. The rest of the adults and what little possessions they were allowed to bring were crammed into the bigger, more rudimentary commercial shuttlecraft with them. The combat team, including Oriana and Kasumi, were already in the Dragonfly with Lieutenant Cortez, orbiting high above, vigilantly covering their escape.
"We good to go?" Shepard asked, dropping into the co-pilot's seat next to Miranda. He was all business, but still displaying the faintest of smiles when he looked over at her.
"Affirmative," Miranda said, her eyes on the gauges. "Dusting off now." She engaged the primary thrusters, kicking up a storm of sand and debris outside the ship, and eased back on the old-style stick. They were soaring up through the planet's atmosphere a few moments later, the far more maneuverable Dragonfly buzzing around them, tracking their ascent.
"I'm sorry about your ship, Miranda," Shepard said.
Miranda gave a sad little smile and flicked her eyes to her left where a thin column of smoke could still be seen in the distance, rising from the Cassandra's broken hull. "She served us well for a time. But I'm afraid Oriana had allowed herself to become a little too familiar with the onboard VI, projecting a personality onto it."
"Wait until she meets EDI."
"Tell me about it," she said, glancing over at him, a searching look on her face. "John, what are you intentions with these people?"
"Why do you ask?"
"I'd rather not hand them over to the Systems Alliance or the military just yet."
"You're concerned they can't be trusted with them?"
"The Alliance has its hands full. And if you've heard what took place on Arcturus a few months ago, you'd know that their internal security doesn't exactly inspire confidence. I want to keep these refugees out of the official channels for the time being. Besides, if my own wanted status is any indication of their tolerance for former Cerberus personnel, I don't imagine a group of researches responsible for advancing the Illusive Man's weapons and technologies would be very well received. I think we need to wait for the right time to frame their potential usefulness."
"I did hear what happened on Arcturus and I saw the security notice through the Alliance and Spectre channels. And I want you to know, I plan to take it up with Command as soon as possible."
"That's kind of you, but it's not necessary. In fact, it's probably best you stay out of that situation. You have to be careful with your image now that you've been reinstated."
"We'll see. What did you have in mind for the scientists?"
"I'm not certain yet. My own resources and contacts have been badly compromised since the Alliance Security bulletin was released. But I'd prefer to take some time and speak with you and Liara about it before deciding."
"That's fine with me, Miranda. Once we're back underway and out of the system, we'll have some time to arrange things."
She smiled at him. "Thank you," she said and made some minor course adjustments. She looked over at him a few moments later, her expression solemn. "I saw the footage of the invasion, Shepard. I don't know what to say."
"It was bad," he said, shaking his head. "Pretty much the worst case scenario we talked about. Refugees were already arriving on the Citadel by the time we arrived. There was a massive fleet of civilian ships that managed to get away though. They were being escorted out of the system by what was left of the Ninth and a few other FTL capable ships from the remnants of the other fleets. But we lost track of them after Mars." He looked over at her. "They were the lucky ones. I don't want to even think about what the people that were left behind are dealing with. And Anderson still hasn't made contact."
She just looked at him. There just wasn't anything to be said that could adequately describe the calamity that had befallen humanity. She wanted to tell him something comforting, to say that she was certain Anderson and the others he cared for, that he'd been forced to leave behind, were still alive. But it would have been a lie. She knew they were all very likely dead, or worse, and their homeworld had been lost.
They were silent for a time afterward, attentive to the shuttle's instruments as they emerged from the planet's atmosphere and rocketed out into the blackness of space. The soft, rumbling hum of the engines and the occasional chirp of the sensors were the only sounds heard within the small cockpit.
Miranda noted the Normandy's transponder coming in stronger on her screens and began to ease the craft into a gentle port side turn, moving to an intercept trajectory. At the same time, she was aware of her elevated pulse as a long, difficult journey was finally coming to an end.
I've made it back. It was at the same time a blissful feeling and a terrifying one.
Watching his ship grow larger in the forward display, Shepard reached across the center console, placing his hand on her thigh. "Miranda," he said softly.
"I know," she said, shooting him a sideways glance, her focus on the approach and the effort to conceal her suddenly trembling lip. "Let's get this bus parked first, shall we?"
SSV Normandy
A few minutes later, Miranda steered the Columbia into the big frigate's cargo bay, overriding the Normandy's automated recovery and guidance systems and threading the needle with her own skillful piloting. She expertly guided the ship forward and touched down toward the end of the deck, allowing sufficient space behind for the Dragonfly to follow, and powered down the propulsion systems.
Navy personnel rushed forward and immediately began to escort the former Cerberus scientists from the shuttle, organizing them into a line as they filed out of the passenger compartment and onto the flight deck. The people that had come up on the Kodiak, including the handful of children, were still in the shuttle bay, corralled over in a corner by another group of servicemen, waiting for their colleagues and family to arrive. Miranda and Shepard stepped off the short set of steps last, hands clasped in an almost unconsciously affectionate gesture, and dropped down onto the suddenly crowded and noisy deck.
Miranda glanced around and quickly noticed Liara standing a short distance away, near the central lift and behind a collection of consoles and lockers she didn't recognize. The asari was watching the couple emerge from the craft, a datapad in one hand, and a taut expression on her face.
Doctor Chakwas and another Med Tech, presumably her assistant, were also already present on the flight deck, circulating among the crowd, checking to see if anyone had been injured after the Cerberus raid or during the trip up to orbit.
A flight deck officer in a brightly colored vest then jogged up to Shepard, prompting him to release Miranda's hand and take a few steps away, listening as the other man shouted over the noise and pointed off toward the open shuttle bay door beyond.
"Miranda," Liara said, walking up to her, "I'm so relieved to see you."
Miranda smiled at her and accepted the asari's awkward hug. "It's good to see you, Liara," she said, glancing around at the Normandy's retrofitted Flight Deck.
Liara looked at her more gravely. "I'm so sorry about Sanctum, Miranda. I should have anticipated Kenson's presence there might have been a ruse to draw you and Oriana out into the open."
Miranda waved her off, deciding to ignore the subtle implication that she required Liara's expertise to recognize the trap that Sanctum was meant to be. Who does this asari think she is? She thought to herself. She spends a few months masquerading as the Shadow Broker and she thinks that somehow equates to my fifteen years of clandestine experience. It was insulting. "Don't give it another thought," she said out loud. "Everything worked out in the end."
Part of her felt badly for thinking of Liara so disparagingly. After all, she had been kind to her, even helped to save her life. But Miranda still battled an odd degree of insecurity when she was around the asari that was completely counter to her distinctive, extreme self-confidence. With Shepard standing just a few feet away, the sensation was only intensified.
It was foolish, she knew. Maybe my emotions are just still raw.
Liara smiled amiably and nodded. "You've gathered quite a crowd," she said, casting her eyes around the busy deck. "How did you know they had come here?"
"Former Cerberus base," Miranda said, raising her voice to be heard over the din of increasing activity around them. "After the prison systems all ceased operations on the planet in the late '70s, a handful of interstellar corporations leased the various installations that were left behind and repurposed them as research labs or deep-space logistical outposts. New Dawn Pharmaceuticals, one of our old front bio-tech firms, took up residence within this particular facility. However, the endeavor soon proved too expensive to maintain and the base was decommissioned a few years later. It was a fringe operation even at the outset and most of our people never knew of its existence."
"But you did."
"Yes. After Detective Anaya helped us track their original vessel to the Arrae system, I made the connection. Unfortunately, Cerberus had a significant head start and beat us here."
A series of rotating strobe lights along the walls then flashed to life and a warning klaxon rang out across the flight deck. Miranda looked over her shoulder and watched as the aggressive-looking Dragonfly assault shuttle slipped through the hanger's force field and settled onto the flight deck. She breathed a subtle sigh of relief, immediately feeling more at ease knowing Oriana had safely arrived.
Miranda looked back and saw the Alliance personnel were busy forming up a perimeter around the big group of evacuees, beginning to herd them toward the primary lift, working to keep them organized and out of the way. She noticed that the Navy men and women were all wearing sidearms.
"Miss Lawson, it's wonderful to see you again."
Miranda turned toward the voice and saw Doctor Chakwas walking toward her. She embraced the older woman, much more enthusiastically and naturally than she had Liara. "Karin, how are you?"
"I'm well, dear," Chakwas said and then eyed the cut above Miranda's eye. "But let me have a look at that."
"It's only superficial, Doctor. I just haven't had time to attend to it properly."
"Yes, well, you'll let me take care of it now then," she said, gently touching the area around Miranda's eye with a latex-gloved hand. "We don't want to risk spoiling those dazzling good looks." Chakwas smiled warmly and gave a motherly wink.
Miranda smiled back at her, trying not to blush. She glanced back toward where the last shuttle had touched down and watched Kasumi and Oriana drop down onto the deck, followed by the others, while the doctor applied a light, topical dose of Medi-Gel to her wound.
"There," Chakwas said. "That will do for now, but I want you to come by Medical so I can complete the dermal regeneration and prevent any risk of scarring."
"Thank you, Doctor. I'll come and see you as soon as I'm able," she said and then nodded toward the group emerging from the Dragonfly. "Kolyat Krios sustained several fractures to his arm. Amid all the chaos, we didn't have the opportunity to properly set the bones."
Chakwas looked over to where the young drell man was gingerly stepping out of the shuttle, narrowed her gaze and gave a resolute nod. "Not to worry. I'll see to him straightaway," she said, pulling off her gloves and retrieving the small case she had been carrying from the floor before turning to walk away. "Remember, Miranda. Come and see me soon."
Miranda smiled again at the Doctor as she strode off to meet Kolyat. Shepard joined her and Liara a moment later.
"Where are you moving them?" Miranda asked.
"Engineering Deck. Both the Starboard and Port Cargo Bays are nearly empty right now, so we're rigging up some temporary sleeping berths and other comforts."
"You're keeping them under guard?"
"Yes. I want to trust Cole, but I have half a mind to leave Gavin Archer behind, adrift in that Columbia. I don't know the others."
Miranda nodded, knowing if it had been her in command, she would be just as cautious with the new arrivals. But perhaps not as forgiving to the man who had conducted the reprehensible Overlord experiments. After she and the others had made their way to the facility after the Cassandra went down and found him there, she had to resist the urge to shoot him on sight. Only her fear of appearing even more coldblooded to Oriana and Kasumi had saved the scientist's life.
"Everything all right up here, Liara?" he asked.
"Yes," she said, bringing the datapad she was holding up so they could see. "Specialist Traynor was able to replicate the Cerberus frigate's transponder signal and falsify a challenge response, buying us some extra time."
Miranda raised an eyebrow, looking at Navy woman's work and the tactical plots depicted on the small screen. "Impressive."
"Yes, but we just observed a reduction in the cruiser's rate of deceleration. They've definitely realized something's wrong and are attempting to close the distance more rapidly. We're still fine though. Joker's already has us moving out of orbit, on a course back to the Fortis system and the relay."
Shepard scrutinized the information and nodded his approval.
Liara cleared her throat softly. "There's something else, Shepard. Hackett made contact a short while ago. He confirmed that the salarians will attend the summit, but that they want us to come to them. They've sent coordinates within their home system. However, the asari still appear doubtful to participate."
Shepard exhaled. "That's fine," he said. "I don't think the Primarch or Wrex will oppose it. And I'll work on Tevos after we get out here."
"I'll do what I can as well," she said. "But the Admiral was also a little miffed about our presence in Arrae."
"What did you tell him?"
"That I couldn't elaborate on our mission parameters over a potentially unsecure vid comm line and that you would update him as soon as possible," she said, giving him tentative smile.
"I imagine he didn't like that too much."
"No, John, he did not."
"It'll be fine. I'll deal with it once we're out of danger and back underway."
At the other end of the deck, the Normandy's heavy Shuttle Bay door sealed shut with a muffled thud and the persistent hum of the force field that had been sealing in the atmosphere faded away. Oriana, Kasumi, and Garrus joined them a moment later. Vega, Westmoreland, and Zaeed made a beeline to the Armory, the mercenary carrying on an animated conversation with the Marine Lieutenant while trying, and failing, to disguise his regular glances at the Private's backside.
"It's so clean and shiny in here," Oriana said, gazing around the newly renovated flight deck. "And big."
"Yeah, Shep," Kasumi said. "It's nice. They even gave it a new coat of paint and covered up all those nasty Cerberus decals."
Shepard smiled at the women and then looked to his turian friend. "Garrus, why don't you help Oriana and Kasumi stow their gear," he said as he handed his assault rifle to the Petty Officer that had rushed up to attend to the Captain. "Meet us up in the CIC once you're done."
"You got it," Garrus said.
"Actually… The kid and I are kind of starving," Kasumi said. "After we drop off our guns, I thought I'd take her up to the kitchen for a quick bite. They didn't move it did they?"
Shepard gave a soft laugh. "Still on Deck Three," he said. "Lunch is on me."
"You're so generous, Shepard," Kasumi said and winked.
"Behave yourself, Ori," Miranda said.
Oriana rolled her eyes. "Yes, Miranda," she said sarcastically. She then joined the others over at the Armory, reluctantly handing over her Raptor battle rifle to the Gunnery Chief stationed there.
Miranda cast a mildly scolding look toward her sister, half listening to the conversation Shepard was carrying on with the turian, before noticing him glancing up at the mission clock on the wall. He gave a firm, brotherly handshake to Garrus and gestured for her and Liara to follow him to the lift.
She strode onto the elevator at Shepard's side, opting to keep the pair of modified M-6 Carnifex pistols strapped on her hips rather than check the weapons in with the Armorer. No one challenged her.
"EDI, tell me about that cruiser," Shepard said, marching into the CIC, Miranda and Liara close at his sides.
"The Cerberus vessel has closed to within two point three AU, Captain," EDI said, her holographic orb instantly springing to life at the nearby terminal. "However, we are still well outside of their maximum effective weapons range and are nearing our FTL jump point. We will be out of danger shortly." The AI paused for a moment. "Welcome back, Operative Lawson. It is very good to see you again."
Miranda gave a taut smile and nodded toward EDI's holographic representation. "Thank you, EDI. It's good to be back."
She gazed around at the partially overhauled deck, a little surprised to see that there still appeared to be a significant amount of work left incomplete. The gaps in the bulkheads along the port and starboard sides she'd seen on Arcturus, leading to where the Cerberus-designed Armory and Bio-Tech Labs had previously stood, were now sealed and replaced with new hatchways. But there was still a good deal of exposed electrical conduit and data cabling hanging from below Deck One. The lighting in the CIC was also significantly lower than when she served as the ship's executive officer. She wasn't sure if that was an indication of more unfinished renovations or that the Alliance Navy simply preferred a more subdued atmosphere.
Miranda was also acutely aware of the inquisitive looks she was receiving from the Alliance crew members as she stood just a few short paces from their Captain.
"Traynor, alert the colonial starport authorities that we're leaving the system," Shepard said. "Tell them the contact approaching their world will likely depart once we're gone, but that we're also alerting the Hierarchy High Command and Alliance Navy about the Cerberus presence in-system."
"Aye, aye, Captain."
"And, Traynor. Good work with spoofing the Cerberus transponder and signals."
"Uh, thank you, sir."
Miranda noticed the young, attractive Alliance Specialist immediately went flush in response to her Captain's compliment, nodding rapidly before eagerly turning her attention back to her station. She obviously wasn't someone accustomed to receiving praise.
The girl glanced up from her work again and caught the stunning, dark-haired woman studying her. She quickly averted her eyes, the redness in her cheeks intensifying, and returned her focus to the comm and operational screens arrayed around where Kelly Chambers had once often been stationed.
Several minutes passed while the Normandy accelerated away from the planet. Miranda, Liara, and Shepard remained in the CIC, eyeing the tactical and navigational displays, watching the lone hostile contact portrayed in dispassionate, digital detail.
"Five seconds to FTL jump," Jeff Moreau's familiar voice sounded through the nearby speakers. "Three, two, one…"
Miranda was still, her arms crossed under her breasts, standing close to Shepard when she felt the fine hairs on the back of her neck stand up at the precise moment the integrity of the mass effect field intensified. Her stomach then clenched, ever so slightly, an instant before the ship blinked out of the visual spectrum and shot away at faster than light velocity.
She had always felt the initial effects of FTL travel more intensely than most other humans, her equilibrium seemingly more sensitive to the sensation. Perhaps it was another product of my unique genetic makeup, she wondered. Maybe I'll ask Oriana if she experiences the same sort of feeling.
She heard Liara blow out a short breath. "Well, it looks like we're clear," the asari said.
Shepard nodded before trotting up the galaxy map dais and leaning over the railing, peering into the vivid, holographical interface. "EDI, secure from general quarters. Traynor, signal to the crew to resume regular watch schedules. Let's make sure everybody has a chance to unwind a bit, get some rest."
"Acknowledged, Captain," EDI said. "Standing down from general quarters."
"Aye, sir," Traynor added. "Relaying to all department heads to resume standard watches."
Miranda and Liara lingered there for another few minutes, both merely observers to the activities of the well-drilled Alliance crew as they ran diagnostics and other systems checks, many preparing to take a much needed break from their shifts. After a while, Shepard appeared satisfied with the ship's status, walked back down and gestured for them both to follow him.
He led them toward the back of the CIC and through a door to the right of the elevator. Stepping in behind him, Miranda looked around with interest at the redesigned space. There was a small desk toward the back of the compartment with a single chair behind it and another in front. A small sofa was situated along one wall and a bank of displays on the other. The Alliance designers had taken the forward third of the old Cerberus Armory, where the weapons lockers had once been located, and turned it into a more conventional Captain's Ready Room.
Shepard crossed his arms and leaned back against the front of the desk which was covered with several datapads, a dirty coffee cup and a half-eaten nutritional bar. "Let's talk about our new guests. What do we do with them?"
"You don't want to turn them over to the Alliance?" Liara asked.
"We can't," Miranda said. "After what happened on Mars, the Alliance will likely view them as fugitives at best, war criminals at worst.'
Liara gave her a frank look. "Should they be treated any different?"
"These are exceptionally gifted people, experts in a number of fields and possessing skills vital to developing ways to combat the Reapers," Miranda said. "And they're motivated to help.
"I'm not suggesting they be blindly trusted. We'll certainly have to take precautions and vet each of them further before granting access to any sort of sensitive data, but we cannot afford to waste their talents, not when we've lost millions in the first wave of this war. And to put it bluntly, the Alliance doesn't possess sufficient vision to effectively utilize them. Not now at least. Not while they're struggling to regroup."
"She's right," Shepard said after a moment's thought, glancing at Liara. "We're already on the ropes and don't have the luxury of being picky about the backgrounds of the people left standing. If they're straight with us, we'll give them a fair shot at doing some good." He looked to Miranda. "I'd like you to evaluate each of them. You'll decide who can be trusted, who's most useful, and I'll go to bat for them."
She nodded slightly. "Of course."
"Okay," Liara said slowly. "But we obviously can't keep them on this ship long term. Admiral Hackett will learn about them sooner or later. And now that the Alliance has made it known that former Cerberus associates are fair game, we'll need to be careful with where we relocate them to. The SAIS may be effectively extinct, but I'm beginning to see reports that indicate the Alliance Navy Internal Security office is operating with a renewed zeal when it comes to chasing any perceived intelligence threats." She glanced at Miranda. "The human term, 'witch-hunt,' comes to mind."
"I'll brief Hackett on their recovery but he doesn't need to know where we take them," Shepard said. "We have to play it carefully, but I want them off the ship before we reach the summit coordinates. That gives us a little more than two days to come up with a solution."
"Is that really wise, John?" Miranda said. "You're in a unique position with your Spectre authority, but the Admiral still wields a lot of power and influence. I'm not so sure you should test his personal loyalty to you by openly withholding information."
"I know you don't trust him, Miranda. But I have to report something up the chain. As far as the Alliance is concerned, their extraction and relocation will be treated as a classified Spectre operation."
She frowned, feeling he was treading on dangerous ground, playing both sides. After more than a decade of clandestine operations, that sort of thing came naturally to her. But Shepard, for all his skills and gifts, wasn't a secret agent. She was worried where this deception might lead for him.
They were quiet for a few seconds, deep in thought, before Miranda spoke up again. "We should send them to the Citadel," she said firmly. "From what you've said, there's already a flood of human refugees spilling into the station. We can provide cover identities and conceal them within that chaos. Goyle and I already have the infrastructure in place to accomplish this. The challenge will be transporting them there discreetly."
Shepard was nodding his head slowly. "Okay. We'll pass through Serpent on our way to the salarian home system. Ideas on how to off-load them?"
"I'll go check on my assets in the region," Liara said. "I may be able to arrange something." She gave a curt nod, turned on her heel and fled the office.
"You don't think Ambassador Goyle will have an issue with keeping the scientist out of Alliance hands?" Shepard said after the door slid shut again, leaving him alone with Miranda.
"I think she'll understand the need to be cautious with how this is handled," she said. "Ever since I began working with Anita, we've operated on the fringes of the Alliance, well outside of any official controls. Admiral Hackett was aware of my association with her, but never fully approved of the partnership. Which is why I wasn't particularly surprised to find my face plastered over the wanted vids after Cerberus attacked the Mars Archives. I've always had the sense that the Ambassador trusts Anderson, but has sought to keep the rest of the Admiralty at arm's length."
He was smiling at her. She couldn't decide if it was out of wonder over the fact she had been working to support the Alliance, because he found the whole thing ironically amusing, or simply out of admiration. But for her own part, Miranda was beginning to feel that same warm sensation stirring within her and an intense desire to feel his arms around her again.
She cleared her throat instead. "I should really try to contact Ambassador Goyle, let her know we're all safe."
"Of course. You can get her on the QEC in the Comm Room. It's private. I'll take you there now."
After Shepard escorted Miranda through the Normandy's new Strategic Ops Command Center, leading her to the alcove where the Quantum Entanglement Communicator terminal was situated, he allowed her and Ambassador Goyle some privacy while he met with the Primarch and discussed issues around the upcoming summit.
As he had guessed, Victus raised no objections to holding the negotiations deep within salarian space, providing they were conducted on a neutral ship. It was then decided that the Normandy would serve just that purpose. However, both men shared a strong degree of pessimism over the prospects of asari participation.
The asari hadn't yet felt the sting of Reaper aggression and, oddly, seemed more stridently opposed to including the krogan in the summit than even the salarians. Nevertheless, the turian Primarch and Alliance Captain agreed to apply as much diplomatic pressure as possible in order to deliver all the Citadel Council species to the talks.
Twenty-five minutes later, he and Miranda stepped out of the elevator onto the Crew Deck. They found Oriana and Kasumi sitting together in the Mess, a pair of trays and half a dozen mostly empty plates strewn across their table. Shepard smiled, noticing the women appeared to have sampled every dessert available from the ship's stores.
Oriana had stripped off the light combat armor from her upper torso, revealing the tight-fitting red tank top she had on underneath. The discarded pieces of her suit were piled haphazardly upon a nearby chair while the girl leaned back, eyes closed, looking relaxed and pleasantly full. Shepard tried not to laugh when he caught the horrified look Miranda was giving her sister. He was also well aware of the frequent curious looks the other crew members present in the Mess were directing toward the table.
Miranda cleared her throat loudly, getting her sister's attention.
"Oh, hey, Randa," Oriana said, opening her eyes and doing her best to ignore the withering glare her sister had fixed upon her. "Did you talk to Anita?"
"Yes," Miranda said, crossing her arms and shaking her head slightly. "She was very relieved to learn we were all safe. She also wanted me to remind you to be on your best behavior while onboard an Alliance Navy warship and to always observe a certain standard of decorum." She glanced at the clutter of half empty plates strewn upon the table.
Oriana grimaced, looking almost like a guilty child, glancing at the table. "Right…" she said, giving a meek smile. "Sorry."
Miranda looked across the deck toward the Medical Bay. "How is Kolyat?"
"He's good," Oriana said. "I popped in on them a few minutes ago. Doctor Chakwas told me the fractures were all pretty clean and that he'll heal up good as new. She said it would be another forty-five minutes to complete the bone grafting and tendon regeneration, and then he'll be discharged."
"Glad to hear it," Shepard said before pulling a chair out for Miranda and then throwing himself down heavily in another across the table from the other two women. "What a day," he sighed, giving a wink to Oriana.
Miranda hesitated for a moment, maintaining her rigid posture and looking down at them, and then finally took the seat next to him. She sat closely to Shepard, but not overtly so. He smiled inwardly at that. The woman measured everything, left nothing to chance, and considered every angle and appearance.
The four of them then spent the next few minutes chatting and catching up, deliberately avoiding the heavier topics around the war, indulging in a brief respite from that grim reality. Miranda was quiet for the most part, choosing to sit and listen as Kasumi and Oriana detailed their adventures and told jokes. But Shepard also caught the frequent looks she was sending him out of the corner of her eye. It was all he could do to keep from seizing her where she sat and carrying her up to his quarters.
Meanwhile, much of the crew had just been relieved from their extended combat shifts by the second watch and began to gradually file into the Mess Hall for long overdue meals. Shepard glanced up from the conversation and noticed Samantha Traynor and his primary tactical officer, Ensign Riley, among them. The Specialist was making an effort to avoid gawking at him and the women sitting around the table, but not doing a particularly good job of it. She was casting steady, inquisitive sideways glances in their direction, her mouth slightly agape, as she made her way up to the kitchen.
Vega and Westmoreland emerged from around the corner a few seconds later. The Private went directly for the chow line, but the Lieutenant saw Shepard and the women at the table, abruptly changed direction and strode toward them.
Both of his Marines had changed out of their heavy combat armor and donned fresh BDUs, but Vega had skipped the standard issue smock in favor of a tight fitting gray t-shirt that overly emphasized his muscular physique and tattooed arms. Shepard was almost tempted to reprimand the junior officer for the breach of protocol, but then decided he was too exhausted to make the effort.
In fact, he was well aware that the Lieutenant wasn't alone in his lackadaisical appearance. Strict Alliance Naval regulations were being loosely followed and, in some cases, blatantly shunned in a number of ways onboard the Normandy since he'd resumed command of the ship. Enforcing that sort of discipline had never come very naturally to him. He was starting to feel the vacant Executive Officer post, no doubt about it. Nevertheless, he knew he'd need to find a way to balance out the casual habits the crew was adopting before things were allowed to get too out of hand. How to do that while operating with a growing number of unconventional specialists onboard was a mystery. But at least it was a familiar challenge.
"How are our guests settling in, James?"
"So far, so good, Cap," he said. "Petty Officer Sun and her people have some decent-looking temporary beds setup for them in Port and Starboard Cargo. Actually looks a little cozy in there." He shrugged. "Maybe a bit cramped, but they'll survive."
Shepard nodded. "I'm sure it will do just fine. We're not exactly equipped to be ferrying a few dozen civilians around the galaxy, but it should only be for a few days." He put his elbows on the table and leaned slightly forward toward the Marine. "James, I want a sentry posted down there at all times. They're authorized for access to the Mess, Med Bay, and the heads, but that's it. Everywhere else is off limits without my direct approval."
The Lieutenant gave a curt nod. "Consider it done, Loco," he said and then glanced at the women sitting around Shepard, smiling awkwardly, or, perhaps, more like a wolf.
"That will be all, Lieutenant," Shepard said, catching the man's eyes linger a second too long on Oriana's chest. To his right, he could see Miranda staring daggers at him. He smiled inwardly, knowing the Marine had no idea just how much his life was in danger at that moment.
Vega snapped to attention and saluted. "Yes, Captain," he said before turning on his heel and marching off back toward the elevator to see to his orders.
"Loco?" Miranda said, raising an eyebrow.
Shepard laughed softly and waved his hand.
"He's kind of cute," Oriana said and shrugged. "You know, in a beefcake sort of way."
Miranda rolled her eyes. "Shepard, we had to abandon the Cassandra rather quickly back on Gellix and didn't exactly have time to pack a bag. We have nothing with us except for our guns and the clothes on our backs."
"Right," Shepard said, "of course. I'll have the Requisitions Chief get you set up with some fresh clothes and whatever else you need from the ship's stores. EDI can show you what's available onboard and have a Serviceman bring it to you." He looked at Miranda with a wry grin. "I'm afraid we won't have much in the way of fashion available."
"We'll manage," she said, giving him a sarcastic smirk before gazing wistfully at her old quarters and office. "I suppose I'll have no better choice given that the Alliance seized all of my old belongings."
"Kasumi?" Shepard said, glancing at his old squad mate. She was wearing same black and gray hooded outfit he'd always seen her in.
"I'm good," she said. "I'll just sneak down to the laundry later while I'm cloaked." She leaned across the table and gave a mischievous look. "No one will ever know I'm snooping around the ship naked."
Oriana giggled.
Shepard smiled. The atmosphere onboard the Normandy had been pretty grim since they'd fled Sol and Kasumi's effortless charm was a much needed break in the tension. "Why don't you three take the Captain's Cabin and I'll stay down on this level. It'll be more comfortable for you."
Oriana and Kasumi exchanged an amused, knowing look.
"That's a very gracious offer, Captain," Oriana said. "But I think we'll pass."
Kasumi snorted a laugh. "Jeez, Shep," she said. "You think all us girls are going to have slumber party or something? Maybe we should invite that cute Specialist over there." Both she and Oriana laughed and craned their necks to glance over at Traynor holding her tray in the chow line.
Even Miranda sniggered a little.
"Alright, alright," Shepard said, his hands up in mock surrender. "I was just trying to be gallant."
"It's very sweet," Oriana said, beaming.
"Well, you can at least take advantage of the private bathroom to get cleaned up and change. I'd offer you the XO's Quarters, but I'm afraid I had to put the turian Primarch up in there."
"I would die for a hot shower," Oriana said.
"Oh boy, yes, please," Kasumi said, leaning over toward the younger Lawson and sniffing her before getting a soft elbow from Oriana in return.
"We're still operating a minimal crew level, so there's an open berth for you in the new Starboard Officers' Quarters. The rack's a double occupancy bunk."
"We'll figure it out," Kasumi said.
Miranda glanced over to where the Starboard Observation deck had been before turning back to look at Shepard. "Where is your Executive Officer?"
Shepard's expression went flat. "Lieutenant Commander Williams was hurt on Mars. She's recovering on the Citadel now, at Huerta Memorial."
"Ashley Williams is the XO?"
"Admiral Anderson appointed her last month. He'd intended for her to serve under him while he commanded the Normandy himself. Obviously, that didn't end up working out."
"I see," Miranda said.
Shepard gave a pained smile and pushed away from the table. "Head on up whenever you like," he said, standing and gently placing his hand on Miranda's shoulder. "EDI's already granted you all full access to the ship. I'll be down in the lower decks for a while. I want to speak more with Doctor Cole, make sure her people are taken care of, and then track down Zaeed to hear his story."
Miranda groaned softly. "Enjoy that," she said, reaching up and placing her hand on top of his, returning a tender smile. "I'll see you a little later then."
He smiled back down at her, wanting to say something more, but deciding against it.
"I'm ready," Oriana said, making a scene of pushing herself and her full belly up from the table. "You coming Kasumi?"
"Nah, I'm going to go bug Joker up on the bridge for a while and see how he's been. I'll catch up with you later."
"Tell him I said he's long overdue for a break and that Ensign Rhodes will be up shortly to relieve him," Shepard said. "Drag him to the crew lounge if you have to."
"Aye, aye, Captain," Kasumi said and snapped a two-finger salute. "See ya, ladies."
A short while later, Miranda sat at the desk inside Shepard's quarters, legs crossed, dressed in only her black panties and bra. The other clothes she'd been wearing for the better part of the last three days—the outfit she'd fled the wreck of the Cassandra in—were folded neatly upon the bed on the lower level of the cabin. Her boots rested on the floor nearby. Her gun belt, holsters and weapons sitting on top of the low coffee table.
She was holding a datapad in one hand while she propped her head up with the other, thumbing through schematics and technical specifications of the Normandy's recent upgrades. She'd been staring at the same page, re-reading the same paragraph of dry, monotonous material for the last minute, struggling to focus.
Giving a weary sigh, she finally abandoned the effort, set the tablet down and closed her eyes, rubbing them with her hands. She'd barely slept over the last few days, but she was keenly aware that the exhaustion she felt was more than physical. She remained still for a long moment, eyes shut, and focused on her breathing as she listened to the steady rhythm of running water in the next room.
Opening her eyes again, she glanced at the framed photo sitting nearby on the desk. The still image was of her and Shepard, his arms wrapped around her waist as he held her from behind. Her head was leaned back slightly, resting on his shoulder, the hint of smile on her lips. She remembered when it had been taken, not long after their return from beyond the Omega 4 Relay. She'd been reasonably drunk when he had snapped it, explaining her consent. They looked happy and unburdened.
It seemed like a lifetime ago.
The memory of how she'd felt during that brief, blissful time seemed like it belonged to someone else. But when she stared back at their images in the frame, her pulse gradually began to quicken and the same emotions that were always awoken inside her when she thought of Shepard began to rise to the surface. Respect, love, pride, fear.
She'd fought so hard to get back to this place, to get back to him. Why am I so afraid again?
The door to the bathroom then slid open and Miranda quickly composed herself.
Oriana stepped out a moment later, a light gray towel wrapped around her slim body, her hair still dripping, and gave a satisfied moan. "That was really nice."
Miranda swiveled her chair around to face her sister. "Uh huh… You were in there long enough. Did you leave me any hot water?"
Oriana smiled back, making a face, but not looking at all guilty. She then strolled down the short set of steps to the lower level, glancing around at the generously sized cabin. "So… This where you guys used to do it, huh?"
"Ori," Miranda chided.
"I'm just saying," she said, giving her sister a wicked smile. "I thought warships were designed with a little more space consideration. This compartment seems a little extravagant for a Navy ship."
"The Normandy is based on Alliance Navy schematics, but was built by Cerberus engineers," Miranda explained. "Back then, we didn't adhere to the same sort of rigid, utilitarian standards. Comfortable officers' quarters and leisure areas in particular were given more priority. The designs were often times geared toward impressing new recruits that came from military backgrounds, providing a stark and clear representation of the comforts of private sector work compared the more austere conditions they were accustomed to."
Oriana made non-committal noise, nodding her head as she walked over to the empty fish tank, peering inside and biting her lip slightly.
"Something else on you mind, Ori?"
She turned and faced Miranda, giving her a look that revealed a clear agenda. "You're going to stay up her tonight, right?"
Miranda was taken aback and hesitated. "What? I… I don't think so. Why?"
"Miranda."
"What?"
Oriana gave the impatient sigh. "You've been obsessing over him for half a year. And now you're here—with him! And you're totally going to blow it if you don't loosen up and give in to what I know you want." She shook her head. "Sheesh, you two were about to rip each other's clothes off back on Gellix before you went all serious again."
"I have not been obsessing."
"Please."
"It's complicated."
"It's not," Oriana said firmly.
"Some truths came to light the last time we were together. Things were left unsaid."
"Then say them," Oriana said, her tone beseeching. "I know the world's turned upside down now. But that's why you should take every chance you can get to do something that makes you happy. Randa, that man is crazy about you. And I don't need to be around you guys any longer than I already have to see that the feeling's mutual. I mean, it's pretty obvious. I know that you love him and I know that that scares you. But it's okay to be scared. Just let yourself go for a while, be alone with him, just the two of you. It's okay."
Miranda gazed back at her younger sister with a stunned sort of pride and gratitude. "I'll think about it."
A chime announcing someone outside the cabin door sounded. Oriana raced past Miranda, a hand on the knot of her towel, beating her to the door, and hit the access button.
The hatchway slid open to reveal a young, freckle-faced Navy serviceman carrying a bundle of clothes in his arms. The man looked startled, clearly not expecting to be met by a beautiful young woman wearing nothing more than a towel. He immediately went beet red. "Ma'am, I… Uh," he stammered. "I have, uh… The uniforms and other garments that were ordered, ma'am."
"Thanks!" Oriana beamed and gave a sly wink.
Then Miranda appeared at her side. "Thank you, Serviceman," she said sternly, unconcerned to be standing before him in nothing other than her underwear, as confident and intimidating as ever. She snatched the stack of clothes from him as his jaw dropped even lower and he struggled to keep his eyes above her neckline. He failed miserably.
"That will be all, Serviceman," she said, striking the hatchway access panel.
Oriana was giggling uncontrollably, having thoroughly enjoyed the little encounter, as the door slid closed in the sailor's face. "He seemed nice," she said through her girlish laughter.
Miranda gave her a look.
"What?"
"How long exactly do you think it will take until some absurd rumor is started about Shepard? Two women in his quarters? Both nearly naked? It's a small ship, Oriana."
Oriana winced. "Right…"
Miranda shook her head and thrust the bundle of clothes into her sister's arms. "It's my turn to shower. Get dressed and for god's sake, dry your hair. You're dripping water everywhere."
When Miranda emerged from the bathroom fifteen minutes later, feeling clean and refreshed, she saw the note upon the model case glass, written with a bold, erasable black ink and in Oriana's flamboyant script.
'Went back downstairs to claim my bunk! Have a good night, sis. And think about what I said! xoxo'
Miranda gave a tired smile as she looked at the message, standing with a towel wrapped around her while pulling her long, black hair through another. She then walked down the short flight of steps to the bed where Oriana had placed the fresh clothes the serviceman had brought them.
There was a full set of dark blue and gray standard Navy BDUs as well as the female officer's-style uniform she'd requested. The slightly more formal outfit consisted of a pair of technical trousers and a long, slim fitting zip-up smock in a different, somewhat more flattering shade of blue. Remembering the woman's build and appearance, Miranda guessed it was tailored to fit Lieutenant Commander Williams. Not exactly a match, she thought. But she could make it work. There was also a basic pair of Alliance issue women's athletic sweat pants, white tank top, boots, sandals, and underwear.
She frowned at the selection before settling on the sweats and tank. There was no need for anything more formal. Not at this late hour or with her lacking any proper role onboard the ship.
"EDI?"
"Yes, Miss Lawson?"
"Some music, please."
"Anything in particular, Miranda?"
"Mmm… How about some Tchaikovsky? Serenade for Strings in C Major."
"Of course, Miss Lawson. A lovely selection."
"Thank you, EDI."
As the delicate first movement of the string orchestra began, Miranda breathed in a deep, cleansing breath, soaking in the ancient, beautiful music. She then pulled off the towel from around her body, laying it on the bed, leaving her naked except for the chain around her neck and the well-worn N7 dog tags attached to the end of it.
Glancing down at the stack of clothes again, Miranda gave a dismayed look at what she could only assume was meant to pass as a basic, Alliance issue brassiere. "The military," she sighed to herself. Deciding she could manage just fine without it tonight, she promptly tossed it aside. She then, somewhat reluctantly, pulled on the accompanying women's briefs before stepping into the synthetic cotton sweatpants and pulling the snug-fitting tank top over her head.
Miranda was looking around the cabin for something to put the rest of her new wardrobe in when she again heard the soft chime of the entryway. She turned and watched Shepard walk through a second later.
He paused at the upper landing after he entered, the door sliding closed behind him. "You're looking comfortable," he said, a wry grin on his face, taking in her appearance. It was undoubtedly the most slouchy outfit he'd ever witnessed her in.
Miranda smirked. "Not another word," she said, the warning in her voice more playful than severe.
He held his hands up, showing her his palms, but kept grinning. He looked refreshed, apparently having showered on the Crew Deck while he allowed her and Oriana ample time to unwind in his quarters. He was wearing comfortable-looking training pants and an N7 sweatshirt over his t-shirt.
She softened her expression, smiling back at him from the lower level of the cabin. "I'm surprised they didn't remove the aquarium," she said, glancing at the empty tank and the cool, blue light he was bathed in.
He chuckled softly and shrugged. "Yeah, but I'll never see my fish again," he said, walking down the steps, coming closer to her.
"We'll have to get you some new ones," she said. "But I do have something for you." She reached up, bowing her head slightly, and removed the chain she had been wearing around her neck every day since she'd first discovered it, only a few feet from where she stood in his cabin. "I found your hidey-hole."
Shepard looked down and took hold of the chain, studying the battered N7 dog tags he'd received the day he'd graduated the program. The same ones he'd worn the day he died over Alchera. The one's he'd been wearing the day he woke up on Lazarus Station, with Miranda's voice in his ear. "Thought these were gone for good this time," he said, looking up to meet her gaze and throwing her a questioning look. "There was something else…"
"The micro holo-vid recorder?" She said, shaking her head. "It's my job to watch you sleep, remember? Not the other way around."
He smiled affectionately. "I couldn't resist. You looked so… peaceful that morning. Content."
"I still have the pendant," she said, sounding adrift. "It's in my apartment on the Citadel."
"What is it, Miranda? I can see there's something on your mind. That there has been since the trip up from the planet."
After a moment's thought, Miranda glanced up toward the cabin's upper level, spotting Oriana's scrawled message again, reading it in reverse. She was chewing on her lip, and then inhaled deeply. "John, I kept things from you before. Things I shouldn't have," her eyes drifted to the floor. "I was afraid."
Shepard took her hands gently within his own. "I've had some time to think about this," he said, giving a patient smile. "I thought I'd lost you, Miranda. I believed you were gone. Something like that helps to put things in perspective." He took a breath. "I don't care about the orders you believe you were operating under. I never did. I know what we had together was real. There's not a damn thing you need to say to convince me of that."
When she looked up, her eyes were moist with tears. "Had?"
He pulled her closer. "Nothing's changed for me, Miranda. I love you."
Her heart was in her throat and she felt herself trembling. But she wasn't cold. Not in the least. A soothing warmth began to spread throughout her, thawing the numbness she had felt earlier. "I love you, John," she said, her voice quiet but resolute, as if it was the only truth that mattered.
They kissed, deep and passionate, the pain they'd endured, the exhilaration, the anxiety, all of it surging between them, fueling their desire.
He lifted her up, carrying her to the bed, their hands on each other's bodies, urgently tearing at the other's clothes, hearts pounding with lust, anticipation, and love.
Miranda surrendered to the moment, surrendered to him. Her flesh was burning. Where before there was ice, there was fire.
Oriana was right. She had to seize this opportunity and stop denying herself the joy she felt when she was near him. Time was precious now. And she was free, more so than she had ever felt before.
It was time to stop running. It was time to stop holding back.
It was time to get her bloody pants off.
Author's note:
Definitely some much needed downtime for our characters here, allowing the new arrivals to get integrated back onto the Normandy and dial back a notch from the frantic pace of recent events. I also wanted to simply take a breath and lighten the mood a bit after so much grim business of late.
I just can't resist keeping Liara and Miranda's relationship a little icy. Neither of them is overtly in the wrong or anything like that, but that doesn't mean they're best buds. Their friction is understandable, no matter how much they've helped each other out of tight spots in the past. It's just fun.
Some more minor head canon changes to the Normandy here as well. The Captain's Ready Room is carved out of the seemingly unused space on Deck 2, opposite side of the Security Checkpoint that Westmoreland and Campbell are parked in, and taking up roughly the forward third of the old Cerberus Armory compartment from ME2. It's a minor addition, but one that seemed reasonable and useful as more time's spent onboard.
You also might note that I'm not dedicating an entire cargo compartment for Allers to lurk about in. She's bunking down in the crew quarters and doesn't need a full-on video production studio. I'm treating her more like a conventional war correspondent rather than a talk show host.
And by the way, I've started to go back to some of the earlier chapters to do some much needed clean-up. There won't be any sort of retcon with the story, it's merely to tighten up flow, correct grammatical errors, stuff like that. So far, I've only made some revisions to the first two chapters but will gradually work my way through most of the rest. It's a balance, I don't want to devote too much time to the task and delay getting new content out there.
As always, thanks for reading and reviewing! I really do enjoy all the great feedback.