Miranda stood in the hologram, in full view of the Illusive Man.
He snuffed his cigarette in the ash tray by his seat, looking up at Miranda with his artificially enhanced blue eyes.
"She betrayed Tali's father, let Koylat kill his target, and ignored practically everyone else's desires to find closure knowing full well they'd be in poor form for the suicide mission. She may be succeeding in the mission, but she's destroying everything else."
"Shepard's role is to find a way to defeat the Reapers. We're not asking her to do anything else." The Illusive Man responded. "I do not doubt you, Miranda. But I believe you've taken this on too personally. You're dwelling on past intentions. Just be glad that you did survive."
Miranda's face went tense and emotionless, like she always did when she felt someone was disagreeing with her.
"But she could do it again. Shepard doesn't like her plans going wrong. She's the type of person who fixates on something until she does get it right." Miranda spoke. "She won't stop until she's exactly where she wants to be, with me dead."
The Illusive Man studied her calmly.
"So you're suggesting I take you off the team and reassign you to another project?"
Miranda nodded.
"That's what I'm asking."
"I believe in your skills, Ms. Lawson. I have full faith that you can deal with this outside problem while focusing on your actual goal. You'll stay with Shepard until the job is done."
"But…" Miranda feared the Illusive Man would cut her off, but she still had one more angle to press. "If I stay, Shepard's integrity will suffer as she tries to deal with me. The mission might be at stake." She tried, although her anxiety had become apparent in her voice.
The Illusive Man nodded. "That's a risk we're going to have to take. I chose you for the team because you have abilities which would be of use to Shepard. They are still more valuable than any integrity Shepard might lose from her mission to put on you."
Miranda held back a sigh as she instead searched the Illusive Man's face. She frowned a little.
"Fine. But if things get really bad, I'm going to defend myself." She admitted.
The Illusive Man nodded, but spoke:
"Just try not to jeopardize the mission with this. Otherwise it probably would have been better if you'd died."
The hologram went dead and Miranda found herself alone in the projector room. She stared at the floor, feeling agitated. The Illusive Man was willing to expend her for preserving Shepard's mission. She knew the Illusive Man always looked at the bigger picture, but she'd never thought he'd choose Shepard over her. Miranda would have to bring her to justice herself.
Shepard had asked EDI to track the whole voice audio to her private terminal. She'd had the authority to do so, ever since Joker had given her complete powers over the ship. However, Shepard could only hear the audio on Miranda's end. What the Illusive Man had said to her was behind a carefully constructed and impenetrable firewall. But from Miranda's reactions and statements, Shepard could tell the Illusive Man had told her to stay and help with the mission.
"That bitch ratted on me." She thought with the hint of amusement.
She turned off the recorder before Miranda caught on and recognized the Illusive Man's conversation hadn't been as secure as she'd trusted it would be.
Personally, Shepard didn't give a damn if Miranda left - all she wanted was for her to be off her ship, or at the very least to accept Shepard as her superior. But Miranda was stubborn and insubordinate; she'd never surrender to her. Shepard sat back in her seat and closed her eyes. She really did hate that bitch.