AN: Thank you for reviewing and reading. I really wish I could update more often but sometimes I just get too busy; however, I will work on getting updates up regularly. Mass effect doesn't belong to me.
Miranda starred in shock at the message she just got from the Illusive Man. It said for her to try and get the Council assigned people off the Normandy so they didn't have to worry about the Council and Alliance getting their hands on Cerberus information. 'Some things wrong here. The Illusive Man should be encouraging the support we are getting from the government. I doubt that they would put people on the ship to try and get information on Cerberus when they have bigger things to worry about. However, an order is an order.' Miranda thought as she headed to the elevator thinking that it would be best to do it while the commander was debriefing Mordin.
Down in the starboard cargo bay, Aegis felt that she should have a talk with her partner.
"You really shouldn't risk your life like that." The Spectre stated seriously. "The Council brought you on this mission to help figure out Shepard's moves. You can't do that dead."
"Well, the Council still doesn't get how he thinks while I've only gone on two missions with him and I get what he does. If it comes down to letting people die or saving them even if it costs him, he'll choose to save lives. That's who he is now not the Butcher of Torfan as people like to still call him." Thalia informed with a smirk.
"You are really making it difficult for me to trust you will focus on the real mission and not revenge for something that hasn't happened yet." Aegis warned narrowing her eyes.
"And, why shouldn't I? I could save them and get rid of the nightmares of them being shot down. Did you know that? I watched as my parents were killed right in front of me. I saw my home destroyed by gangs and slavers. You don't get to order me around like what I see EVERY DAMN TIME I close my eyes isn't important. I will focus on the mission at hand right now but if I get an opening then I will do what I want. Damned the consequences." The soldier snarled glaring at the Asari. "Now leave."
Aegis opened her mouth to respond but closed it when they heard the door opening. Miranda was surprised to see both women down there as she wanted to focus on the soldier first, thinking she would be easier.
"I'm sorry I didn't mean to intrude." The Cerberus operative turned to head back out but was stopped.
"No, it's cool. She was just leaving." Thalia glared at the Spectre until she was out the door before turning back to her snarky self. "What can I do for you, Princess?"
"You can start by calling me Miranda or Operative Lawson. Next, you can tell me why exactly did the Alliance choose you for this mission?" Miranda inquired with contempt.
"Okay, Miranda, I think they chose me 'cause I'm good at reading people. See, I know when I'm being set up for something or when someone wants to make sure we all get killed." The dark haired woman informed.
"Really? That's why? We are forming a squad of specialist and masters at what they do, even your Spectre partner must be great at what she does, but you have no powers or are even intelligent enough to rank with the group we are picking up." The genetically modified woman said with disgust.
"Ah, I see what's going on. The Illusive Man is scared we'll ruin his chance at seeing this mission fail." This caused the Cerberus loyalist to look questionably at Thalia. "What you haven't noticed? We are flying around in a ship with the Cerberus logo on it and I've seen the dossiers for the people we are picking up. A Krogan warlord who is more likely to try and take over than work with you. A convict that's more likely to kill us all in our sleep. I don't think he knew Archangel was Garus but I mean, come on, a vigilante against gangs and the like, yeah, okay, tell me that would work. Mordin, a professor that has run across Cerberus a couple of times would distrust you. See, the team was doomed from the beginning. The Illusive Man is trying to make this fail or why would he object so strongly against our help. He wants the galaxy to think that the government doesn't care but Cerberus does; however, what he doesn't get is that this tea could stand together and succeed due to one man. Commander Shepard has a way of making people believe in a cause no matter the consequences."
"You're wrong… You have to be." Miranda flew out of the room.
"Wish I was but you're the one that tells me this." Thalia sighed under her breath.
Miranda was in bed that night but couldn't stop thinking. 'She can't be right about the Illusive Man. He wouldn't risk the entire galaxy with some stupid agenda. He knows the Reaper threat is real and he wants to stop them. I can't let her get to me but she does make sense. No, I can't start doubting Cerberus when they have done so much for me. That bitch is just trying to get in my head.' Unfortunately for her, the seed had already been planted.
Garus found himself unable to sleep so he stepped into the kitchen area to find himself something to drink. There he saw the man that held so much respect for sitting at a table.
"Hello, Commander. What are you doing up?" The scared Turian wondered.
"Hey, Garus, I just couldn't sleep. It's been hard to do since I was brought back to life. Everything has changed and to me it seems like I can't catch up." Shepard confided in his longtime friend.
"It was hard on all of us, especially Williams, but to us it was two years. I guess for you it seemed shorter." Garus said.
"I remember it so vividly. I can feel the oxygen leaving my lungs and struggling as I fall towards the planet below then I wake up like it was some dream. All I thought of as I died was how I didn't want to leave Ashley. Now, I can't bring myself to send her a message. I don't want to hurt her." Alex could feel his eyes tear.
"I don't want to tell you what you should do, Commander, but maybe you should message her and let her decide what she wants." He suggested softly.
"Yeah, maybe I'll do that. Thanks, Garus." The commander stated as he stood to leave.
"Anytime, Commander." Garus remarked as he watched his leader walk away.
AN: Please review and tell me what you think. I know I got a review that wanted more crew interaction so I'm wonder if maybe you would like for me to skip over or summarize the missions and focus on the after. Please let me know and thanks for reading.