Chapter II

Persuading Miranda

Shepard entered the comm room and stepped toward the control panel. A red button was flashing, indicating that there was an incoming call. Shepard pressed the button and looked up as the vid comm hummed to life. A blue, holographic figure of Admiral Hackett began to materialize, but the figure was unstable and distorted. Shepard tweaked with the controls and soon the figure took on a proper form of Hackett. Shepard clasped his hands behind his back and gave a slight nod to the Admiral, signaling that the connection had been successfully established.

"I wasn't in favor of your diversion to Sanctuary, Commander," rang Hackett's low, raspy voice. "Too many unknowns. But I was wrong. The Cerberus lab you raided hinted at something big, but we never expected this. All those refugees, all that... slaughter. Just to study indoctrination."

"Sanctuary did need to be shut down, sir. What they learned about the Reapers wasn't worth all those lives."

"It's useful intel, Commander... but you're right. The cost was too high. Do we have a location on the Illusive Man?"

"Yes." Shepard typed in a few commands on the control panel and sent Hackett the coordinates. "We had a tracer on Kai Leng when he reported back."

Hackett's figure glanced down to it's right, presumably looking at a computer on his end. He nodded and looked back up at Shepard. "Good. That gives us a fighting chance to take Cerberus out of this war."

"Agreed. We need to end Cerberus and focus on the Reapers."

"My thoughts exactly. But Commander-"

Great. Now what? Whatever was about to follow usually involved bad news or a political diversion that Shepard would have to deal with before getting back to the task at hand.

"-what is this I hear about bringing the former Cerberus second-in-command aboard? Do you realize the risks that are involved?"

Shepard felt his shoulders relax as a wave of relief rushed over him; it wasn't another request to play politician. He could remain focused on wiping out Cerberus once and for all, and retrieving the Prothean VI.

"We can count on her. She helped me destroy the Collector base instead of handing it over to the Illusive Man. That was her way of resigning. She's been on the run from them ever since."

Hackett shook his head. "I'm not going to lie, Commander, I don't like this."

Shepard wasn't surprised that Hackett had some reservations. Hackett often questioned various choices Shepard made that he didn't fully agree with, but he was quick to accept them once Shepard pointed out how they were necessary to get the job done.

"She's the one who placed the tracer on Kai Leng, giving us this chance. Without her, we'd be wasting time analyzing countless files, hoping they point to the Illusive Man's location. By the time we find him, he'd be long gone. She'll be a vital addition to my team." If I can get her to stay.

Hackett raised a hand and thoughtfully stroked his chin as he mulled over the situation. Finally, he shook his head and clasped his hands behind his back.

"I may not like this, Commander, but I trust you. If you believe she will help us, then I'll support your decision. Just be aware of the dangers. There's too much at stake if this goes south."

"Understood, sir."

"You have done a helluva job thus far. Keep it up. Hackett, out."

Hackett's figure fizzled out and the humming softened as the vid comm powered down. The only sound left was the constant drone of the Normandy's drive core as they traveled at FTL speed toward the nearest Mass Relay.

Shepard turned around and made his way out of the comm room. He descended the steps that led to the center of the War Room and walked up to the large, circular war terminal. It had a large holographic image of the Crucible projected over it. Shepard leaned forward and placed his hands on the terminal, watching the Crucible slowly rotate as he figured out how he would confront Miranda.

The door to the War Room opened, interrupting Shepard's thoughts. Shepard looked up to see who it was and saw Kaiden quickly entering the room with a stern, inquisitive look on his face, meaning something was bothering him.

"Kaiden. Something the matter?" Shepard asked, standing up straight and cocking an eyebrow.

Kaiden stood still at the other end of the war terminal. He looked nervous. Whatever he had to say, Shepard wasn't going to like it. "Hey Commander. Do you mind explaining what's going on?"

"What do you mean?"

"About bringing Cerberus on board."

Shepard shrugged. "They're refugees."

It was somewhat true. Oriana could definitely be classified as a refugee, and since Miranda was not with Cerberus or the Alliance, it could be said that she too was a refugee.

Kaiden didn't seem to buy it. He made his way around the terminal and closer to Shepard.

"Maybe one of them is, but the other is definitely Cerberus. I know it. I saw her with you on Horizon when the Collectors attacked."

Shepard narrowed his eyes. He didn't like where this was going. It took him long enough to get the Major off his back about his time with Cerberus. How much more grief would he have to endure about Miranda?

"Trust me. She isn't Cerberus, not anymore."

"How do you know?"

"Just like me, she left Cerberus after we destroyed the Collector base. I was there when she told the Illusive Man to go to hell."

"But unlike you when you returned to Earth, she wasn't kept under constant surveillance. For all we know, she's still Cerberus."

"If she's still Cerberus, then why did Kai Leng try to kill her at Sanctuary? Believe me, she isn't Cerberus."

"How can you be so sure?"

Damn it! Why does everyone still question me? Shepard was sick and tired of people not believing him. First there was the Council not believing him about the Reapers, even after one attacked the Citadel. Then on Horizon, Kaiden didn't believe he was really himself, simply because he was working with Cerberus. Now that the Reapers were here, proving the he had been right all along, people still doubted him and questioned his decisions. What more do I need to do before people just accept my word and fall in line?

Shepard curled his hands into fists, trying to keep his rising anger under control.

"Why is it so difficult for you to believe me? If I say she's not Cerberus, then that should be damn plenty for you to..."

"Don't you think it's a little too convenient that she was able to place a tracer on Kai Leng? Hell, we ran into him twice and weren't able to do that. But she's able to do that on her first run-in? Something's not right."

Shepard's knuckles were whitening as his fists grew tighter, his fingernails digging into the palms of his hands. "Probably because she's far more capable than you'll ever be," he growled through clenched teeth, but Kaiden didn't seem to hear him.

"And what about her sister? She could be a Cerberus spy as well. For all we know, she could be indoctrinated from spending so much time at that facility!"

"That's enough!" roared Shepard, slamming his fists down on the terminal. This pointless conversation was over and Shepard was going to make sure it ended now. "I've had enough of your..."

"Commander, allow me," interjected a cool female voice.

Shepard snapped his head up at the intruding figure and opened his mouth to let loose a sea of obscenities, but stopped immediately once he realized it was Miranda standing in the doorway. Her arms were crossed and she had a calm, yet furious, gaze focused on Kaiden, who had spun around to face the intruder. She made her way toward them, making each step slow and deliberate so that her footsteps echoed loudly throughout the room, like a countdown to the unpleasantries that were about to follow. With each one of her steps, Shepard's anger simmered down, while Kaiden's face grew whiter.

"Ah, Kaiden," she said, using the same 'Ice Queen' tone she used with Shepard when they first met. "Seems like nothing has changed since I saw you on Horizon. Still having trust issues with the Commander?"

Kaiden seemed frozen, unable to move under Miranda's frigid gaze. His face was whiter than snow, but something seemed to be feeding him confidence as he stood up straighter.

"It's not Shepard I don't trust, it's you."

"Yet here you are, not trusting the Commander."

"You came up out of nowhere and gave us exactly what we needed at the exact moment we needed it. It's too perfect."

Miranda remained silent, allowing Kaiden to continue.

"Cerberus has been hell-bent on stopping us, on killing Shepard. How do we know this isn't a trap?"

"I'll put this gently for you so you can understand. First, Cerberus is an idea - to advance the human race. The group known as Cerberus is now nothing more than the terrorist organization you think it is. If they were truly Cerberus, they would have been the first to rally behind Shepard. Whatever happened to change them must have taken place after we stopped the Collectors. Second..."

Kaiden opened his mouth to speak, but Miranda shot him a fierce look that immediately froze him up.

"I devoted two years to bringing Shepard back from the dead as the same man he was before the Normandy was destroyed - the same mind, the same morales, the same personality. I would not have devoted that much time and energy to then destroy the greatest man humanity has to offer. I intend for humanity to survive this war, but for that to happen we need Shepard. He's the only one who can lead us to victory, and I'll do everything that I can to make sure he doesn't fail. If he does, then I would have failed, and I never fail.

"And third." Her tone became even colder as she lowered her voice to a whisper and leaned in toward Kaiden. "If you ever say or think ill of my sister again, I'll kill you. Do I make myself clear?"

Short, simple, yet soul chilling. Shepard heard plenty of death threats throughout his career, but Miranda's ranked up there with Sovereign's. Whatever courage Kaiden had left, it failed him.

"N-No, I didn't mean... I-I'm sorry. It won't happen again."

"Good." Miranda stood up straight. "Now, is there anything else you have to say to the Commander?"

Kaiden turned toward Shepard, but avoided his gaze. "I'm sorry, Commander. I just..."

"Don't let it happen again," warned Shepard.

"I... Yes, sir." Kaiden snapped a sharp salute. "Let's just hurry up and end this war."

Shepard nodded as Kaiden faced Miranda, thanked her for her help, and then left as quickly as he came. When the door slid shut behind him, Shepard let out an exasperated sigh. He hoped that these Kaiden-Cerberus confrontations would end once they took out the Illusive Man. Shepard looked over at Miranda. She had her hands on her hips and was eyeing him with a concerned look.

"I've never seen you lash out at a team member before," she said. "You usually have more self-control."

"I've been under a lot of stress," he admitted.

"I don't doubt it." Miranda moved closer to Shepard and placed her hands on his chest. "Look at all that you've accomplished to unite the galaxy. A lesser man would have been crushed under that kind of pressure."

A smug smile spread across Shepard's lips. "What did you expect from the greatest man humanity has to offer?"

Miranda shoved him away. "Oh, shut up."

"You weren't just saying that, you actually meant it." His smile was growing larger.

"You ass," but she couldn't stop smiling. She tried looking away, but she knew he was still looking at her with that stupid smile. "Stop smiling, damn it!"

Shepard chuckled as Miranda took a few steps away from him, trying to compose herself. After a brief moment, she turned back around. "Oriana would like to see you."

"Everything all right?"

"Everything's fine. She'd just like to thank you in person. This is the second time you've helped her in a tremendous way."

"Sure."

Shepard made his way around the war terminal and, as he was passing by Miranda, gave her a teasing wink, which she shook her head at, trying not to smile. Shepard led the way out of the War Room as Miranda followed at his side, scrutinizing all the Normandy's retrofits.

"The Normandy has certainly changed. Can't say I agree with it all." They entered what had once been Mordin's lab, but was now a conference room. Miranda looked around the room disapprovingly.

"This lab played a vital role in our success against the Collectors. Now it's just some pointless conference room. You could just as easily conduct your meetings back there." She jabbed her thumb in the direction of the War Room. "The lab could have remained and been used to counteract Reaper technology, similar to what we did to resist the Seeker swarms." Miranda paused for a moment. "How is Mordin? Have you met up with him?"

"He's gone. Died a hero to cure the genophage."

"I'm sorry to hear that... He was a damn good scientist, one of the best."

"That's why he had to go. Someone else might have gotten it wrong."

Those were the last words Mordin said to him before the elevator doors closed and his friend ascended to the top of the tower, but as the doors were closing, there was something Shepard thought he heard. "I could have sworn he was humming."

"Humming?"

"It sounded like the song he sang to me."

Miranda gaped at Shepard. "Wait. He sang to you?"

"Yeah. You didn't know he once performed Gilbert and Sullivan?"

A grin tugged at the corners of Miranda's lips. "I... I had no idea."

Shepard chuckled as he recalled the singing incident that took place in this very room. "It was a sight to behold."

Shepard began retelling how he got Mordin to sing for him as they went through the security checkpoint, which Miranda found utterly pointless, and toward the elevator. The monitor on the door showed that the lift was currently on their level. Shepard waved his hand over the control panel and the door slid open. He led the way in and selected for the crew deck. The door slid shut and the elevator began its descent.

Miranda stepped forward and hit the emergency switch, stopping the elevator. Shepard gave her an inquisitive look, but was immediately shoved up against the wall, where he found himself locked in a deep, passionate kiss. After everything he had been through, Shepard decided to give in to the kiss. It had always been a game between them to be the one in control, but Shepard earned a break. He'd allow her to have control of this situation. He wrapped his arms around her waist and she wrapped her's around his neck, both pulling each other closer.

Whether they kissed for a few seconds or a couple of minutes, it felt too soon when Miranda pulled away. Her hot breath on his face and her lips being mere inches away from his aroused a hunger that he hadn't felt in a long time. Shepard leaned in for another kiss, but she held him back. He gave her an annoyed look as he moved a hand to the back of her head to pull her toward him, but she had a devious grin on her face, which made him stop.

Shepard remained still for a moment, trying to figure out what game she was playing at. Then he realized it. The elevator's moving. He glanced down at the control panel behind him and saw that she had started the lift back up by hitting the emergency switch with her knee.

Miranda stepped away from Shepard and gave him a playful wink. Shepard groaned and gave her a look that promised she would pay for this tease. Miranda matched him with a look of her own, daring him to try.

The elevator slowed to a stop. Shepard straightened his uniform and took a deep breath to calm his hungering lust. The door slid open and the two stepped off as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

Miranda led the way to the medical bay at a brisk pace. She opened the door and they were greeted with laughter. Dr. Chakwas was leaning against her desk, trying to finish her story to Oriana, who had a blanket wrapped around her and was sitting in Dr. Chakwas' chair, but the two were so choked up with laughter that they were having trouble speaking.

"Oh, hello Commander," Dr. Chakwas managed to blurt out. She took a few deep breaths to try to stifle her laughter so she could speak clearly. "I was just telling her about... Oh, you wouldn't know. You were off exploring some world in the Mako."

"I need to speak with Oriana and Miranda in private," Shepard said.

"Of course, Commander. I'll be in the mess if you need me."

Shepard stepped aside as Dr. Chakwas walked past him. Once the door closed he locked it. He knew Miranda was giving him a questioning look, but he didn't bother explaining. Instead, he turned to Oriana.

"How are you holding up?" he asked.

Oriana swiveled around to face him and smiled. "I'm feeling a lot better now. Thanks for asking, Commander."

"You wanted to see me?"

"I need to thank you, for everything. You saved me twice. You also brought me and my sister together. Everything seems to be so much better knowing I have someone like her watching over me."

"You certainly have an amazing sister."

"But none of this would have happened without you, Commander. I can't thank you enough. So if there's anything I can do to ever begin repaying you, please let me know."

Shepard knew that this was as good of a time as any to try to persuade Miranda to stay and to let Oriana find safety without her.

"There is something I need from both of you."

"Yes! What is it?"

Oriana was eagerly leaning forward in her chair, but Shepard could see that Miranda had her arms crossed. He knew that she had been wary of him from the moment he locked the door. Miranda was very attached to her sister, so he was going to have to keep this as gentle as possible.

"I need you to find refuge on your own. I'll need Miranda's help for my upcoming mission."

"What?" exclaimed Miranda. "Shepard, no! I will not allow my sister to go alone. It's too dangerous!"

"She won't be alone," said Shepard, turning his head toward Miranda. "We can request a pickup from an Alliance vessel and they can transport her to..."

"To another refugee facility? After what she witnessed on Horizon? I don't think so!"

Miranda's voice was already rising. He would have to take extra precautions to keep his tone down and maintain control of the situation.

"Then where do you plan to take her?"

"I-I don't know." Miranda turned her back to Shepard. He was surprised that Miranda didn't already know. Knowing her, she usually had everything figured out.

"I have a few ideas, but I need to make sure they're safe," she quickly added, sensing his surprise.

"Nowhere is safe, Miranda. The only way you can keep your sister safe is if you stay here and help me defeat the Reapers."

"I want to stay, Shepard. Believe me. But I can't think straight until Oriana is safe."

"What happened to that little speech you gave Kaiden? The part where you said you would do everything to make sure I don't fail."

"Shepard." EDI's voice echoed through the room's speakers.

"Not now, EDI," warned Shepard.

"If you allow Miss Lawson to leave with her sister, I will be able..."

"I said not now!"

"Very well."

Shepard returned his focus to Miranda, continuing as if that interruption never happened. "This war requires sacrifice. If we are to succeed, we need to be willing to let go of everything - friends and family, loved ones, even our own lives. Anything less and the Reapers have won."

Miranda just stood there, shaking her head and keeping her back facing Shepard.

"I'm sorry, Miranda. But if you want to keep you sister safe, you have to stay with me. No matter where you try to hide her, the Reapers will eventually find her."

Shepard moved closer to Miranda so that he was right behind her. It was very slight, but he could tell her shoulders were shaking. He placed a calming hand on them, trying to reassure her through his touch.

"There are billions of people counting on you. Don't sacrifice all their lives just to save one."

"DAMN IT, SHEPARD!"

There was a blinding flash of purple before something heavy slammed into Shepard's chest, throwing him back against the door. His head crashed into the door and he saw stars as he dropped to one knee, clutching his chest as he tried to breathe. It felt like a krogan had just head-butted him in the chest.

"This is my sister we're talking about!"

Shepard expected that there would be some yelling and arguing, but definitely not a response like that. He thought he had calculated out every variation the conversation could have gone, but he never expected that.

He struggling to breathe, but was finally able to get some deeper, though painful, breaths, enough to talk. "For someone who claims they're not good at being attached..."

Shepard's chest was painfully protesting; talking was too much for it. Suddenly, Shepard felt like the room's artificial gravity shut off as he found himself suspended in the air, calmly floating above the ground. Shit. I went too far...

"Miri, no!" shrieked Oriana.

Shepard felt a rush of wind as he was sent hurtling across the room, slamming into the wall, and falling heavily onto his back. His head was throbbing loudly. He groaned as he rolled over onto his stomach, his chest shrieking from the exertion. He laid there for a moment, trying to grasp what just happened, where the conversation went wrong. He was perplexed by Miranda's actions, they were very uncharacteristic of her. What happened to her?

Shepard got up onto his knees and slowly pushed himself to his feet. His head was throbbing so much that it was difficult for him to hear. He could barely make out Miranda's and EDI's voices. Miranda did not sound pleased.

"Damn it, EDI!" she roared. "What do you mean you can't override the lock? Shepard!" Miranda spun around on her heels and stormed toward him. "Open this door!"

Her face was distorted with rage and her eyes were flashing wildly. She didn't look like this when she faced her father. She was like a vicious, caged in animal trying to escape. Shepard tensed up as Miranda became enveloped in biotic energy. Not again...

"Miri, stop!" shrieked Oriana.

Shepard flinched as he heard the sound of biotic energy being unleashed, and again was sent crashing to the floor. His head felt like it was going to split open. He tried to lift his hands to his head so he could make sure it didn't fall apart, but they couldn't move, something was on top of him. Shepard opened his eyes and tried to make out whatever was on top of him, but all that he could see were stars.

Despite all the pain he was in, part of him began to feel strangely relaxed. He didn't have to think about it much before he realized exactly what it was: a very distinct and soothing aroma. He'd recognize it anywhere. Miranda? How the hell...?

Miranda groaned and pushed herself off of Shepard. His vision was quickly becoming clearer and, as he looked over at Miranda, he could see that her face was no longer twisted with rage, but rather was filled with shock and confusion. Shepard propped himself up on his elbows, groaning in the process, and looked at what she was gaping at. He only saw it for a brief moment, but Oriana had been enveloped with biotic energy. She's a biotic too? Well, she is Miranda's twin.

"I'm sorry Miri, but the Commander's right," Oriana apologized.

Miranda could only blink. She just gave her sister a perplexed look.

"He needs you more than I do. Besides..." Oriana held up a small datapad.

Quickly coming to her senses, Miranda pushed herself up off the floor. "What is that?"

"Father's personal datapad."

Miranda stared at the datapad, baffled. Seeing her sister's expression, Oriana began explaining.

"After Father captured me and took me to Sanctuary, he kept me very close, making sure I didn't try to escape or be snatched away by you. During all that time around him, I noticed that he always had this with him. He never parted with it. I figured it was invaluable to him. So, while I was his... hostage, I picked it off him."

"What kind of information is on it?" Miranda asked, rubbing her head as she started walking toward Oriana.

Oriana looked down at the datapad and began scrolling through various files. "I've barely been able to look at it, but I think I found something interesting. Here. This one. An underground bunker, like a safe house." She began skimming through the file. "It seems that he had it constructed to live through the Reaper invasion. After completion he... oh my god!"

"What is it?"

"He had everyone involved... killed! Even erased every file that contained any information about this..."

"Sounds like him. Bastard. He wanted to make sure he was the only one in the galaxy who knew of its existence."

"Then, if that's the case, I should be safe there, right?" Oriana looked up at Miranda.

"Safer than most places," Shepard interjected as he slowly got to his feet. Speaking was still painful, but he ignored it. "The Reapers use several methods to find colonies and facilities. They can either hack into and sift through every file out there, or send indoctrinated servants, disguised as refugees."

"How do you know that?" Oriana asked. Miranda didn't look at him, but seeing how she slightly inclined an ear toward him, he knew she was thinking the same thing.

"I ran into an old Prothean VI named Vigil on Ilos," he began explaining as he made his way toward the two, still clutching his chest. "It told me what methods the Reapers used to track down the remnants of their civilization. If every file except that datapad was deleted and you're now the only person who knows of its existence, that may be safest place in the galaxy. Will you be able to gain access?"

Oriana dove her nose into the datapad and begin searching through the file. She nodded and looked up. "Every password and security clearance is listed here. I should have no a problem getting in."

"As long as she's the only one who knows where this place is, she'll be safe?" asked Miranda, turning her head toward Shepard, but avoiding his gaze.

"Should be, yes."

Shepard studied Miranda carefully, trying to figure out what she was thinking. He was relieved to see that her body language indicated that she was planning to let Oriana go. Did that hit really knock some sense back into her?

"Good," Miranda replied with a heavy sigh. "Then all that's left is making sure you get there safely."

"She can take whatever you've been flying," Shepard suggested. "If it's good enough to help you break into a fortified Cerberus base, while it's being attack by Reapers, taking Oriana to where she needs to go should be easy enough."

"That's just what I was thinking."

It was remarkable how quickly Miranda could recompose herself, no matter the incident. Except for a few strands of hair, Miranda seemed like she never lost control of herself. Shepard made his way to the medical bay door and unlocked it.

"Be sure you get some food and rest before you decide to leave," he said, turning to Oriana. "It'll be a long journey."

"Thank you, Commander," she replied.

Immediately, the door flew open and a very concerned Dr. Chakwas was staring at Shepard.

"What is going on in here?"

"Everything is fine," he assured her. "We just had a little disagreement."

Shepard tried to squeeze by her, but she put a hand up to his chest and pushed him back in. He winced under the pressure.

"Stay, Commander. Everyone in the mess, including myself, just saw you get flung around like a rag doll. I'm going to need to examine you."

Without putting up a fight, Shepard headed for the nearest examination table and hopped up on it. Dr. Chakwas followed him, pulled up her Omni-tool, and began scanning him. Miranda and Oriana were talking quietly to themselves. After a moment, they made their way to the door. Miranda turned around and looked at Shepard.

"Oriana has had a long day. We'll be in your room."

"Sure, go ahead."

"Good, because I wasn't asking for permission."

With that, she turned around and left. Dr. Chakwas glanced up at Shepard and cocked an eyebrow.

"I must say, Commander. You two have the strangest relationship, but it works."

Shepard hadn't noticed that he was smiling. He stared at the door for another moment before turning to Dr. Chakwas.

"You think so, huh?"

Dr. Chakwas only answered him with a smile.