When Shepard returned as per EDI's call she was pleasantly surprised that Miranda had chosen to take her advice in regards to wearing something that wasn't emblazoned with Cerberus logos. She was slightly shocked that Miranda owned something that wasn't emblazoned with Cerberus logos but thought it would be best to refrain from mentioning that little thought.
Miranda waited for a smug smile or comment but none came, instead Shepard simply nodded.
"So how will this work?" Shepard asked from the other side of her console.
"I'll speak with Anderson and explain in short that you're alive and would like to speak with him. Say anything you shouldn't and I'll hit you with a biotic warp." she growled meaning to intimidate the woman.
Shepard had the option of getting real pissed off at the threat or to gloss over it, take the Krogan perspective that the greatest insult was to ignore a supposed threat. She actually grinned, "You know that could be fun." she returned lightly.
Miranda groaned and shook her head but before she could respond her screen came alive and Councillor Anderson was looking at her curiously. "Councillor Anderson." her entire demeanour changed to completely professional with a touch of seductiveness that she used to put all men in power at ease without appearing to.
Shepard, however, knew it was an old trick, one she'd been the recipient of many, many times.
Anderson looked her over and merely nodded, "Miss Lawson is it. I must say I'm intrigued, you mentioned in your message you had some classified information concerning a certain lost Alliance operative that I'd be interested in and your communication is more highly encrypted than even the Council uses." he got straight to business. He figured he knew what this was about, he'd received a message from Tali'Zorah only an hour ago telling him everything that had happened on Freedom's Progress. They'd also been getting reports about Shepard being with Cerberus for several months now.
Miranda smiled, "Indeed, this information pertains to Commander Shepard and as such we deemed it crucial that certain security measures took place." she responded smoothly.
He didn't look surprised at all and again merely nodded, "And what information do you have on her?"
"As you're well aware of her body was never found by the Alliance or Council and as such it was assumed she burned up in the atmosphere of Alchera. It was not." she paused to let those words sink in.
Anderson listened, not saying anything just yet, his deep brown eyes taking in what he was seeing and he carefully considered what she said and did not say.
"Her body was retrieved by operatives of the Shadow Broker to be sold to the Collectors." she continued calmly.
"What!" Anderson exclaimed in shock, that was news to him, Tali hadn't mentioned that.
"Her body was recovered and since then we have been working on restoring her." she maintained her calm approach.
"And now I take it you've been successful?" He pre-empted what she was going to say.
"With great difficulty and a vast amount of resources. It took two years, three months and eighteen days but the project was successful. Commander Shepard is alive and would like to speak with you." Miranda stood and motioned for Shepard to approach.
Anderson finally smiled when Shepard herself came into view.
"Hey Anderson." she smiled, her voice soft and tender as she waited for him to respond.
"Shepard." he greeted her, his voice soft with affection for the woman who was like the daughter he'd never had, he smiled to her as he hoped it really was her. Tali had been convinced but she'd always had a bad case of hero worship when it came to Shepard. "You do realize this is a call I'd never thought I'd get."
"I know, believe me, I know. But I really was dead, Miranda and her team really did resurrect me and no I'm no clone. Certainly upgraded and not quite finished," she gestured to her face, "but alive and conscious as of yesterday and believe me, yesterday was a hell of a day." she groused.
"Talk to me Shepard, what's happened?" Anderson asked her back in his business mode a little more.
"Miranda has some files that show different aspects of the reconstruction process to prove that I am Commander Shepard and show a little of what they did to restore me." she assured him.
He leaned forward, "If you're really Shepard then you'll be able to tell me your real name." he challenged.
Shepard smirked and glanced at Miranda for him pointedly, "I won't say it in present company, she's gotta figure it out herself. But I will say that my name was changed after a certain powerful man decided he didn't want me interfering with his little girl, loving me was not a part of his master plan for her life and I wasn't letting go like he'd planned. So he sent an assassin after me, turned out to be a young man we both knew and thought was a friend but apparently he was on daddy's payroll. I'm sure he was quite eager for the assignment as with me out of the way the daughter would be available again and needing comfort for her broken heart. Only instead of me he killed my father, he had no idea I was a biotic." she hoped it was enough.
Anderson nodded he mentally recalled the reports detailing different resources Cerberus had been pulling the last two years. Resources in cybernetics, tissue regeneration and other sensitive technologies that indicated they were up to something along the lines of building a biological weapon of some kind. And indeed they were, for Shepard was the greatest biological weapon humanity had. "I believe you. It was Cerberus wasn't it."
Shepard gravely nodded.
"Miss Lawson is a Cerberus Operative?" he was going to be filing that name away for a deep investigation.
"Lazarus Project Director. Meet Lazarus." she tapped her chest, her tone rueful.
Anderson was absolutely fuming as what Tali had told him was confirmed, "You said you'd been upgraded."
"No control chip." she asserted quickly, "Much to Miss Lawson's dismay of course." she quirked her lips slightly feeling the woman roll her eyes behind her but her slight smile was hardly amused. "But Cerberus did invest over four billion credits into me for a reason. One I can't deny or refuse to act upon because of their... dealings, one we need to talk about in person."
Anderson took a deep breath, "Look Shepard, I know you, what's this about? What could Cerberus possibly have on you?"
Shepard gave him a long, hard look, "Miranda will slap my arse with a warp if I say too much right now but what is the biggest thing I would ruin my reputation for?"
Anderson and Miranda both picked up on the way Shepard had said her name. Miranda frowned, wondering at Shepard meant by it. Anderson's eyes widened slightly at both things Shepard had said without saying.
"Is she... who I think she is?" Anderson asked slowly, aware that the woman was still in the room with Shepard even if he couldn't see her.
"Yes." Shepard answered simply.
"And she doesn't know your real name?"
Shepard just looked at him with a withering glare that made it very clear that he should drop the subject right now.
Anderson looked at her sympathetically. He and Hackett were the ones responsible for erasing her past, they knew just about all there was to know about that time. "Do you trust her?" he asked softly.
Shepard took a deep breath, "Trust is earned. Threatening to kill me is not an endearing quality in that regard." It wasn't an outright no, but simply a not yet.
"Don't let the past hold you, time changes everything." Anderson advised her.
"Indeed. I go from Saviour to Deranged in less than a year of being gone." Her expression was now cold and closed as she changed the subject blatantly.
Anderson grimaced, "Shepard..."
"Save it." she waved her hand at him, "I realize the Council really don't give a shit that the Reapers are coming to wipe out all sentient life. But there is a credible threat out there abducting human colonies. I just led a team to Freedom's Progress."
Anderson nodded, "I got a message from Tali." he informed her.
Miranda hissed, "Damnit Shepard!" she should have anticipated that.
Shepard looked up at her with brilliant red eyes, "Want to put a bullet in me already Lawson, go ahead. I figured it'd be better coming from Tali than from Cerberus rumour mills."
"We'll discuss this later." Miranda growled, her tone laced with a menacing warning.
Anderson was both pleased and concerned at the hostility between the two women. It meant Shepard really wasn't Cerberus but she was walking a razors edge with the woman she'd loved as a teenager.
"Did Tali tell you about what Veetor found?" Shepard returned her attention to Anderson.
He nodded, "Collectors you think might be working for Reapers."
"Indeed. I want to present this evidence to the Council, I also want to be reinstated as a Spectre so I can investigate it without interference from the Council or the Alliance. And between you and me find the evidence connecting these abductions to the Reapers and therefore that the Reapers are real." She put in hoping that Anderson had not completely lost faith in her.
"Shepard, you know I'll do everything in my power to help you. How soon can you get here?" He nodded resolutely. Shepard was secretly brilliant and he knew not to doubt her, he also knew that she wouldn't be doing anything willingly with Cerberus if there wasn't another way.
Shepard smiled, "See if you can schedule an appointment in for tomorrow morning. And no I don't want word of my return getting out. We'll be coming in low key and hoping to stay that way for as long as possible, hence how super encrypted this communication is."
"Understood and probably for the best." Anderson acknowledged with a nod. "I'll send a message through this com line when I've confirmed a meeting time."
"I'm looking forward to seeing you in person sir, and congratulations on becoming Councillor." she winked.
He grunted, "Thanks. It's peachy. I blame you by the way."
Shepard chuckled, "See you tomorrow sir." she saluted out of habit.
"Tomorrow." he agreed and returned the salute ruefully before ending the communication.
Shepard stood and turned to Miranda, bracing herself for a fight and she wasn't let down as Miranda did indeed hit her with a warp. She countered it quickly enough and it wasn't particularly strong, just enough to cause a significant amount of pain. When Miranda released her she merely looked at her, her expression cold, "For someone who knows everything there is to know about me, do you truly have no idea what motivates me? I can only assume you lash out like you do as an outlet to your anger and frustration at not being able to control me as you assumed you could because you can control and manipulate everyone else through your looks, intelligence and position."
Miranda hissed through her teeth and took a step toward her.
Shepard met her head on, "Go on and prove it."
Miranda clenched her fists and backed down as she in no way wanted to prove Shepard right.
"Lawson if you truly want to turn this into a pissing match, I'll win every time because I am in command of this mission. You are my XO and if you can't handle taking orders from me take it up with your Illusive Man." Shepard growled, her voice was still husky and it was annoying the hell out of her as it made her sound far more sultry than she was intending.
Miranda glared at her, "You may be in command of the mission. But this is a Cerberus vessel, a Cerberus crew and you would do well to remember that." she snapped in return.
It was totally the wrong thing to say as until now Shepard had been calm but now her body clenched and her cybernetics raged, "Oh I remember that every fucking second Miss Lawson. You have your bloody stamp on every fucking thing. Tell me, is there anything left in that head of yours other than Cerberus jargon? Is that logo all that you are?" she snarled, grabbing the collar of her catsuit where the logo was normally situated, careful not to touch her skin or move her from her position.
Miranda waited to be shoved and was slightly surprised when she wasn't, "I believe in the goals of Cerberus, ensuring humanities future..."
Shepard cut her off in frustration, "Everything Cerberus does puts humanities in further jeopardy. Don't you fucking understand that? We are one race of many. We are a part of a galactic community now. That doesn't mean we let the Council races walk all over it but it does mean we need to try and play nice with the other kids or we'll turn into outcasts like the fucking Batarians. Why the FUCK do you think I became a Spectre?" she shouted at the woman, releasing her and storming over to the window that showed the stars streaking past them, oblivious to what was going on in the insignificant little ship.
"Enlighten me." Miranda growled, letting Shepard do the talking as perhaps it would help her understand the woman more so she could get a better read on her and be able to manipulate her more.
"These races have been living together for thousands of years, they've entered a balance that's more like a rut, a golden age of unity that has long since passed yet they don't realize it. Then we come along. Brash, impetuous, stubborn, violent, that is what they see. We stood up to the Turians in the First Contact War like no other race has. We showed them we have teeth and could have put a serious dent in their 'peaceful and stable universe' which is why the Council stepped in. But until I came along they treated humans like a caged wild animal just waiting to lash out at them. I joined the Spectres to prove that we are far more than their impressions of us." Shepard declared passionately.
Miranda listened, picking apart everything that Shepard was saying and analysing it quickly.
"To show them that we are honourable, have courage, are intelligent and are capable of being an active and beneficial part of the galactic community. That we can not only work together but that our intelligence and innovations can bring about a new era of change that can benefit us all." She turned back to Miranda, "Yet for every step I took, every decision I made to put humanity on that path I had to fight against the backdraw of Cerberus. For every step forward I earned humanity we've been dragged back three by the actions of your precious Cerberus." she stalked back to Miranda, "So yes I fucking remember this is a Cerberus ship, yes I fucking remember it's a Cerberus crew and your goals of ensuring humanities future are so fucked up you with all your intelligence and genetically enhanced brain cells can't even see just how badly you're screwing our future."
Miranda was not about to let that slide, no way in hell, "Everything Cerberus does is for the betterment of our race. You think you're the only one who can shape our place in the galaxy? What bloody arrogance. Since you died the Council has slandered your name, everything you tried to do. Your precious path to a new golden age has crumbled yet it was us who brought you back."
Shepard flared, "I never said I was the only one!" she yelled, "Bloody hell Lawson, I'm not a fucking saint or some egotistical superstar but I was put in a position where everyone was watching every little thing I did. They were looking to me to see what humans are really made of. They've slandered me because like Hitler the lies are easier to believe than the truth especially with the likes of Cerberus to compare me to."
"They had a Reaper rip off their front doors and they still didn't believe it." Miranda scoffed.
"Because organizations like Cerberus took all the evidence before they could examine it. EDI's told me Reaper tech's been used in the makeup of her hardware. How can the Council believe evidence they're denied?" Shepard shot back immediately.
"You told them everything they needed to know and they still denied it because you're human." Miranda seethed, her voice stone cold, this was so not going to plan.
"I fucking know that Lawson. Why do you think I worked my goddamn arse off proving myself to them? Yet nothing I did could work past the damage you people did with your Thresher Maw experiments, the Rachni, the Thorian Creepers, the Husks, Kahoku and whatever other fucked up things you do. They looked at me and saw not what I could do but the potential for me to fall into what you do and now look were we fucking are." She shook her head in disgust. "Cerberus is a disgrace, nothing you've done is for the advancement of humanity, only the advancement of power for a single man. Tell me, is there anything Cerberus has done that has not been of a militant or manipulative nature?" she threw the ball in Miranda's court now and waited for a response.
"Cerberus has made many medical advances, hell we brought you back to life Shepard." Miranda snapped her wrist towards her.
"A militant project. All of your advances were to bring me back for the singular purpose of fighting an enemy no one else will." Shepard instantly dismissed it, "Try again."
Miranda mentally swore, "We were the ones to advance biotics in humans and make amps safer and more powerful..."
"Again a fucking militant project. Human's aren't naturally biotic, you know that. Hell all those eezo explosions over populations centres were probably caused by Cerberus. There were definitely too many people ready to snap up the kids who actually survived." Shepard snapped angrily.
"That's a hell of an accusation." Miranda flared now, outraged by it.
Shepard, already glowing with both her biotics and cybernetics scoffed, "But plausible given your track record and the lengths you go to, to advance humanity."
"The Husks and Creepers were mindless and when we discovered the Rachni were sentient we abandoned the project. They were to be expendable shock troops, how many would have survived Eden Prime if we'd had even a dozen Rachni troopers?" Miranda defended heatedly. Shepard's biotics pulsed wildly and Miranda wavered, if Shepard lost control they were both dead.
"HOW THE FUCK DO YOU THINK THEY'RE MADE?" Shepard's voice resonated, her biotics shifting like waves around her with every syllable. "Did you think the Thorian just spat the creepers out its arse? That the husks were simply produced on an assembly line in a factory? They were living, breathing, sentient HUMAN BEINGS! Until your precious scientists shoved those innocent colonists on Dragon's Teeth, purposefully. ExoGeni, working with your people, deliberately placed a colony over the fucking Thorian just watching as it turned humans into fucking Creepers. Your mindless shock troops were once people, people Cerberus turned into monsters, you ripped away their humanity, you defiled and dishonoured them." The rage that was pouring from Shepard was threatening to overwhelm her and she deliberately stepped back from Miranda, shoving her hands under her armpits and clenching down on her body.
Miranda had never been truly afraid in her life, until now, her heart was racing in fear as she knew her biotic shields wouldn't hold against Shepard. But Shepard's words were sinking in. She couldn't be right, it couldn't... Cerberus couldn't have purposefully...
Shepard was nowhere near calm but she was no longer murderous as she looked to Miranda, she could taste her fear through her biotics and the thought of Miri being so terrified of her broke her heart. Her biotic storm drained away and her shoulders slumped, when she spoke again her voice was soft and filled with agonizing pain, "How can you defend that? How can you so wholeheartedly promote that Cerberus has humanities best interests at heart, when so many of your projects torture humans, massacre good marines, or turn humans into monsters and call them mindless shock troops?"
Miranda didn't get the chance to even formulate a response as Shepard left, her entire demeanour not that of victory at having bested Miranda in an argument but rather crushing defeat. How could she respond to that? Firstly it was clear she had a lot of research to do about her own organization. The only way she could respond was through facts, facts she could work with.
Chakwas had to treat Shepard for two broken hands a few hours later.