Hound Akragth: Maybe Miranda just doesn't want to tell her anything. Maybe she thinks she doesn't even deserve to know the inner workings of her oh-so-perfect mind. You never know 'till it happens, right? I don't even know what she's planning- I mean, if she is, that is… *nervous laugh*

Hopelessly Blue: Well SORRY for not updating after getting into a car crash! Sheesh, you'd think I could catch a break… Naw, but I'm glad you reminded me and all that jazz- it made me feel better. And even though I'm getting my older brother (Corey) to type for me I promise I would still come to your rescue were anything to happen! That includes getting paper cuts! (If you do, know that I would kiss them to make them feel better) As it is now though, I doubt I… Nevermind. Anyway, I love your pervyness! Who else is going to make me blush with their all-too-charming suggestive-yet-adorable references? I mean seriously, my inner loneliness was both soothed and humored by that poem! Ahem… Anyway, before this gets too long a review and I forget to update from telling you how much I love you and appreciate you I'll ''till next time' for now! XP

Liege Lord: Well, yeah, I mean… she is really smart and all, so… Well you know, she'd know that stuff! I hope. I mean… what if she loses her temper on accident and loses it on someone in the company of someone of consequence and something terrible happens and she's attacked later by that person of consequence's evil lackeys? Not that that'll ever happen though, right? … Right?

A/N: Um…

"Hey!" Adel called, reaching out and gripping Miranda's wrist to keep her from disappearing into the crowd. After all, she got the sense that the woman was quite capable of doing so. Especially when one was unaware, surrounded by so much… flesh.

Before she could say anything to the now-glaring woman a man slammed into her, pushing her into Miranda. Surprised, Adel breathed in quickly. A mistake she would regret.

…

"Guh!" Adel grunted as she was slammed in the back by a rough-looking Vertoakan. Miranda caught her when she fell into her, also surprised by both the woman suddenly grabbing her and getting pushed into by said woman two instants later.

Miranda could hear the gasp that originated from Adel once she lost her balance, confused as to how it had happened exactly. Almost instantly, the woman went slack in Miranda's grip, half falling. She kept her grip on the Vertoakan woman though and managed to hoist her up for a better grip before she even thought of what she was doing.

"My apologies, irah...! Please, grant my assistance." The Vertoakan male stated, going to take Adel from her.

At his sudden move though, she felt a spike of offence take her. Before she knew it she squeezed Adel harder and stepped back in defense. Why she did so she had little idea. But at the moment she needed to find the exit so she could get back to her work that was waiting for her on the Normandy. But even still, what was she to do about Adel? Why did she fall into unconsciousness so suddenly like that? It couldn't have been that she was sensitive. If she was a supposed to be a Vertoakan Lord then she must be stronger than that. So what was it…?

Miranda shook her head, trying to clear it. She needed to focus.

"Where is Commander Shepard's room?" she demanded, glaring right at the Vertoakan male who had continued to stand there through her inner deliberations. His expression told her he was concerned but his eyes said he recognized the place.

"… Allow me to brighten your path, then." He said, moments later, bowing his head slightly. What strange things these aliens said, thought Miranda.

And what was an irah?

…

Vetrali walked into the bay belonging to the Normandy breathing a small sigh of relief. How long it had taken her to find her way through the impossible crowds. After all, there was much fussing going on with the Vertoakan people and their sudden appearance. It seemed many were saying they were too dangerous while others (who had been to the Grey Star) were choosing to support the new arrivals. Even the Viera seemed to be a fascination amongst these aliens called 'Asari'.

"And yet the level of Vertoakan AI technology has not been revealed…" she muttered, finding herself 'feeling' conflicted. Just how had Raega been the one to give her emotion so easily? When did she, a synthetic being, begin to understand what it was to be 'alive'? Or, more simply, to 'be'?

Even so, she had an errand to run and it could not wait. After all, her princess requested one specific thing that morning. Vetrali would retrieve it if it meant the end of her existence as Raega's caretaker and best friend.

"And yet… I have no idea what a 'cookie' is…!" she sighed, completely put-off. Why would such a thing be so important to the princess' mental integrity? She may have said these things called 'cookies' were to die for and yet she asked for a very specific brand.
"I also seem to find myself unknowing of what a 'chakwas brand' is, as well…" she added, knocking on the door of the Normandy's hull. A sudden beep was heard, jolting the green-haired woman from her contemplation.

"… Welcome aboard, Ms. Vetrali." The voice greeted as the doors opened, causing Vetrali to frown, furrowing her brows.

"How strange…" she entered the Normandy without questions though, and soon found herself in a decontamination routine. How odd. The Vertoak only ever used these routines when necessary, such as times after mission drops or some such where lethal matter may have accompanied the warriors back to their ship. Not after they only went shopping or sight-seeing. Perhaps humans were fragile on the inside after all.

Scanning her gaze across the entryway as the door finally opened (how inefficient, she thought), Vetrali allowed her feet to bring her across the threshold. Somehow… the ship felt more… full… alive… than other human ships. Granted those ships were either full of wounded or abandoned. But this ship seemed almost alive, in a way.

"Oh, so you're the one Shepard said would be coming." Her wandering gaze then settled on a human male in the 'cockpit'. He looked to be quite the smart one to understand one person the Commander said to be arriving shortly did in fact do so. Wonderful.

As the male looked her over, Vetrali found herself drawn to a beautiful spherical interface that rested next to him. Was this interface the energy Vetrali sensed? If so, it had to be a type of synthetic being. They each had their own frequency type to be better categorized, but this one seemed to have a unique signature. Something that worked differently from the simple human VIs she had studied after hearing of them from Raega.

Bending down, she ran her hand along the smooth surface of the base of the interface. She could feel the pulse of energy flowing through the ship from its core but another stream accompanied it. Closing her eyes, she concentrated, finding herself almost obligated to understand. As the second stream grew larger in her mind, an image of chains made itself known as well. The pulsing energy wasn't as free as it flowed, it seemed.

Opening her eyes once more, she said, "A shackled AI."

"Wha-! No. There's no way you could know that just by looking!" the human pilot argued, looking almost offended. Perhaps he disliked the AI?

And yet… this being… is shackled. Not in a body as I am… but in a primal and paranoid ridden way.

Looking back up at the blue sphere, she found herself feeling…

Sad…

"What do you want here anyway?" the pilot asked, breaking her from her contemplation. She stood and regarded him with a new light, already irritated of his presence.

"I would like to know how you are aware of me." the voice from outside the ship announced, sounding much more organic than before. Vetrali shook her head, not wanting to declare her own synthetic nature. After all, she was the only one of her kind with the influence equal to a noble.

"I am on business for Raega. May I have your assistance on this matter, miss…?" Vetrali asked, completely ignoring the pilot's red-faced expression.

"… My designation is referred to as EDI. What matter do you require assistance with?" Vetrali blinked, taken off-guard by the neutral way in which EDI spoke. The shackles must've been most thorough if they did not even allow growth…

"I must find a 'chakwas'. Commander Shepard pointed me to the Normandy and told me this 'chakwas' has an item I am to retrieve." She replied, shaking herself out of the momentary distraction.

"Very well. Please make your way to the elevator; it is straight, down the hallway and past the CIC. DR. Chakwas will be waiting on deck three." EDI answered, surprising Vetrali. So this Chakwas that was spoken of is truly a human doctor? Such an err in initial information was not anticipated.

Even so, she made her way to the back of the ship, utilizing EDI's directions.

…

"We have arrived. Wait one moment." Ettas, the Vertoakan that slammed Adel, requested. Miranda huffed, getting tired out from lugging around the unconscious woman for so long. Who'd have thought Shepard's room was on the other side of the ship from where they had been? That just meant they were further from their, or rather her, destination: the exit.

The door opened and Ettas poked his head in hesitantly, seemingly afraid. He did seem like a private person. He talked quietly with someone on the other side of the door for a few moments then, growing more and more agitated as time drew on. Miranda had to pull Adel up again just to keep her grip. She was getting more tired as time drew on as well, and, perhaps in proportion, her irritation buzzed.

"Thank you." Ettas said, as the door fully opened to reveal a confused and concerned Commander Shepard.

"Here, let's get her to the couch." She said, joining Miranda to help her hold up the unconscious woman.

Once they got her to the couch and set her down, Miranda went to leave. She was far past being finished with this and she wanted to get back to the Normandy as fast as possible. The only issue was that Ettas ran away as soon as they heard Raega was coming back in a few minutes. So her guide was now gone since her initial one was passed out.

"Whoa, hold it there, Miranda." Shepard drawled, setting a hand on the officer's shoulder to stop her. "You don't know where you're going. At least stay and help explain things to Rae when she gets back."

Great. Was she ever going to get out of this damned monolith of a ship?

A/N: I know I could've added more but my brother's tired and I'm getting grouchy so… yeah. Oh, and HB? Those parties had too many people for my taste. I tried to have fun but seeing as you weren't actually there, I settled for the mediocre feel. But then, there was that car crash. So it was at least a little exciting. XD