Miranda

"Slow down, Miranda." Shepard pulled on her arm to stop her fast pace. "I'm having a hard time following you."

She took a deep breath, willing her muscles to relax. It helped a little, but her mind was still racing.

Her emotional state unnerved her. She was always the cool, calm, collected person with the plan. She had never been so frantic before. It was not a state she enjoyed.

"I'm sorry, Shepard. There's so much to tell. I just don't know where to start."

"I find the beginning to be as good of a place as any."

He had the remarkable talent of asking the obvious questions that were deceptively complicated. This would require some explanation, and she would need to tell him the truth almost in its entirety.

"The beginning." Miranda exhaled. "My father did more than genetically modify me. He created me. He used his genes as a basis for my genome, altering them to make me perfect. I was made in a test tube."

Shepard appeared to be only mildly surprised. "That explains a lot."

"You suspected I was a product of genetic manipulation?"

"Definitely not. That would be crazy specific. But I knew you weren't telling me something. Something big. I think this classifies as big."

"Yes, well, there's more. I have a sister, Oriana. She's my twin. I took her from our father. I found her a home, someplace she could be safe and grow up with a normal life.

"But now my father is closing in on her. So I'm moving the family. I want your help to make sure the transfer goes smoothly. I can't let him take her, Shepard. I need to keep her safe."

"Then we have no time to lose," he answered without hesitation. "Lead the way."

Miranda felt relieved that he was there to help her as she led him to her contact. She didn't need a man to fight her battles for her but having Shepard as backup was reassuring.

She found Lanteia in a reserved room in Eternity. The asari did not have good news to share.

"Ms. Lawson. I'm glad you made it. We've had a complication."

"What happened? Is Oriana all right?"

"She's fine, but… you've listed a man named Niket as your trusted source? He's contacted me, warning that your father has sent Eclipse mercenaries to make a sweep. He suggested that the mercs might be watching for you personally. He's offered to escort Oriana's family to the terminal instead."

"Who's Niket?" Shepard asked her.

"He's a friend. He and I go back a long way…"

"Do you want to bring in any of your other Illium contacts, Ms. Lawson?" Lanteia asked.

"No. I only trust the people in this room and Niket with this."

Shepard watched her. "It's your sister, Miranda. What do you want to do?"

She trusted Niket completely. If the Eclipse were looking for her, Oriana could be smuggled without incident.

"We'll do as Niket suggested. Shepard and I will take a car and draw off the mercenaries. Have Niket escort the family to the shuttle. Give him full access to the family's itinerary, just to be safe."

"Understood, Ms. Lawson."

The asari left, leaving the two humans alone.

"So, the plan is for us to get shot at by Eclipse while your sister gets to safety? Sounds like a good time." His smile seemed oddly out of place.

"The Eclipse will be under orders to take my sister alive. They won't risk anything that could kill us."

"Less exciting, but we'll make do." He grew serious. "I'm sure Eclipse won't send everyone to stop us. Do you want me to get some of our crew to protect Niket?"

"Niket can take care of himself. Besides, any armed backup would just draw attention to him. Are you ready?"

He nodded. "Ready when you are."

As they walked to the nearest skycar, Miranda said, "Thank you for being here, Shepard. I appreciate this. I hadn't planned on Eclipse, but they never planned on you."

The ride there was silent. She was too involved in her own thoughts, and Shepard seemed to understand her mood. It wasn't until they neared their destination when trouble appeared.

"Damn it! Eclipse mercenary gunships. They'll be dropping troops in the cargo areas," she said.

"I'll aim for that cover behind them."

"Let's just hope they really do want to take us alive."

Shepard maneuvered the skycar as best he could to keep them out of the line of fire, but he was only marginally successful. Bullets pinged off the metal exterior before they suddenly stopped. But the damage was done, and they slammed into the ground just beyond the group.

The two got out and approached the leader of the small band of Eclipse.

"Since you're not firing yet, I trust you know who I am," Miranda called to him.

"Yeah, they said you'd be in the car. You're the bitch that kidnapped our boss's little girl."

Shepard looked at her questioningly but didn't ask the question she knew he had. She would have to explain further later.

"Kidnapped? This doesn't involve you. I suggest you take your men and go."

He was smug with his answer. "You got it all lined up, huh? Captain Enyala's already moving on the kid. She knows about Niket. He won't be helping you."

"What do you mean Niket won't be helping us?" Shepard asked.

"Nothing you need to be worried about. Nobody's going to get killed unless you do something stupid. You walk away now, the girl goes back to her father, and everyone's happy."

"Everybody but my sister… and me."

She fired at the Eclipse leader, exhausting an entire thermal clip. Miranda knew she didn't have to worry about Shepard's response. She trusted him to have her back.

The two made quick work of the mercenaries. Even with their combat drones and rockets, they were no match for Shepard and Miranda. They cut through the cargo area, eliminating any enemies they encountered until they got to an elevator. Along the way, Miranda found one of their radios.

"I'll patch us in, see if I can get an idea of what we're up against."

They entered the elevator, and it started to ascend. After a pregnant minute, Miranda turned to Shepard.

"Shepard, I owe you an explanation."

"I wasn't going to pry."

"I know, and I appreciate that. But you deserve one. Oriana is my twin, an exact genetic copy. But my father grew her when I was a teenager. She was meant to replace me. I couldn't let my father do to her what he did to me. So I rescued her."

"How old is Oriana?"

"She'll be nineteen this year. I'm sorry I didn't tell you. It just didn't seem relevant at the time, I suppose. There are people who would use her against me. I'm very protective when it comes to Oriana. I'm sorry I didn't trust you sooner. You deserved to know."

Shepard nodded. "I do wish you trusted me with this sooner, but I understand why you didn't. And I'm confident that you took her away from your father for the right reasons."

"I couldn't let her go through what I had to. I was brought up with no friends, pushed to meet impossible demands. I wasn't a daughter to him. I was… I don't know what I was. Oriana deserves a normal life, the kind I didn't get."

Shepard put a hand on her shoulder. His touch was comforting, making her relax despite the situation.

"We'll keep her safe, Miranda."

They rode the elevator to as high as it would go. As the car ascended, Miranda couldn't help but worry about Niket. If the mercenaries truly got to him, keeping Oriana safe would be much more difficult.

The doors to the elevator opened, and the duo made their way through the cargo line. Eclipse mercenaries came in waves, trying to slow them down, but they were only able to hold them for a few moments before falling as Shepard and Miranda headed toward the next elevator.

Miranda kept an ear focused on the Eclipse radio frequency. Captain Enyala was very vocal, giving her important information about the mercenaries coming and Niket's status. But it wasn't until they were within sight of the next elevator when the Eclipse captain dropped a bombshell.

"Niket has reached the terminal. He'll switch the family over to our transport."

"What?!" Miranda exclaimed as they entered the elevator.

"What happened?" Shepard asked.

"They – they are saying Niket is giving the Eclipse Oriana and her family. But – but that's impossible."

"How much do you trust Niket? I think he's betrayed you."

"No." She shook her head. "Niket is my oldest friend. He is the only one I didn't leave behind when I left my father. He's the only one I've ever trusted."

"Did your father know about him? Did he get to Niket somehow?"

"I'm sure he's tried in the past, but Niket has never betrayed me. He wouldn't start now. Maybe they know we're listening. Maybe they're feeding us disinformation. Or maybe it means something else."

The elevator was riding torturously slow for her. "Damn it. Why isn't this thing going faster?" She jammed her omnitool into the controls, willing it to move quicker.

"Did Niket know about Oriana?"

She shook her head. "No, he just found out about that recently. It was too personal to involve someone else." Maybe that was her mistake. Maybe she overlooked how he would react to the news. "I never really thought about it, but maybe… no. He'd have to understand why I did it. He knows what I went through."

She couldn't even manage to convince herself.

Shepard was definitely not convinced. "There is no way to know either way until we get there. We'll deal with it when we cross that bridge."

Unfortunately, that bridge came sooner rather than later. The elevator door opened, and Niket was standing in front of them, talking with an asari in Eclipse gear. Miranda guessed it was Captain Enyala.

"Miri."

The asari hopped off the crate. "This should be interesting."

She drew her weapon, forcing Miranda and Shepard to draw theirs.

"Niket." Her voice was surprisingly sad. "You sold me out."

Shepard said something, but her mind was too muddled to focus.

"Why, Niket? You were my friend. You helped me get away from my father."

"Yes! Because you wanted to leave. That was your choice! But if I'd known you'd stolen a baby…"

"I didn't steal her! I rescued her!"

"From a life of wealth and happiness? You weren't saving her! You're using her to get back at your father, Miri!"

"How did Miranda's father turn you?" Shepard asked.

"They told me you'd kidnapped your baby sister all those years ago. I told them to go to hell, that you wouldn't do that. When you told me what you'd done… I called them back that night."

"Why didn't you call me, Niket!" Miranda nearly pleaded. "We've been through a lot. You could've at least let me explained."

"I deserved to know you've stolen your sister, Miri. I deserved to know you were working for Cerberus. But I had to hear it from your father first."

"And I'm sure you were just doing this out of the goodness of your heart. Tell me, Niket. How much is Miranda's father paying you?"

"A great deal," he answered almost shamefully.

"Damn it, Niket! You were the only one I trusted from that life."

He nodded. "He knew you felt that way. That's why he bought me."

The utter betrayal stung deeply. She should have done the safe thing. She should have removed every trace of what her father gave to her when she left. Now, that weakness was now coming back to haunt her. But she wouldn't let her mistakes affect Oriana.

"If your father knows about Oriana, we need a new solution," Shepard said to her.

"He doesn't know about Oriana. I knew you had spy programs in your father's system so I kept this quiet. I'm the only one who knows," Niket explained.

That left her no option. "Which means you're the only loose end. This isn't the way I wanted this to end. Niket, I'm going to miss you…"

However, just as she pulled the trigger, Shepard grabbed her arm and wrenched away her aim. It was another betrayal added to today.

"What the hell are you doing, Shepard?"

"You don't want to do this," he whispered to her. "Trust me."

"This has to end here. My father will keep following Oriana if it doesn't."

"Maybe Niket can help… talk to your father. Tell him you got to her first."

"I'll – I'll tell him you hid her. That I don't know where she is."

Anything he tried to reconcile wouldn't be enough. It would never be enough.

"We're done, Niket. I never want to see you a-"

A shotgun blast sound, ripping into Niket's back. Enyala's weapon was smoking from the shot.

"Done. Now can we move on?"

Rage erupted in Miranda. He may have betrayed her, but he didn't deserve to die that way. She lifted the asari with her biotics.

"You'll die for that, bitch!" she yelled and viciously threw her.

The room flooded with Eclipse mercenaries, and the air buzzed with weapons fire. Her anger made Miranda reckless. She stayed out of cover much longer than she should. She overtaxed her biotics by lifting targets and slamming them to the ground with such force that she could hear bones crack from where she stood. Lawson was a fury of biotic power and bullets.

Eventually, there were no more enemies to fight, no more targets to take her rage out on. So when Shepard put his hand on her shoulder, she spun on him and lifted him off the ground.

"Miranda! It's me! It's over. We saved her. We saved Oriana."

She gently lowered him, ashamed that she let her emotions get the better of her. She took one last look at Niket before heading to the elevator that would take them to Oriana and her family.

"We need to get to Oriana. We need to make sure she's safe."

The ride was eerily quiet. There were too many emotions running through Miranda. Everything was a blur, and an insistent buzzing kept her from focusing. It was only the ding of the elevator that snapped her back.

"No sign of Eclipse. Looks like we're clear," Shepard said as they stepped out.

Miranda scanned the crowd, looking for the young woman she had been watching her entire life.

"There she is. She's safe… with her family."

A war was waging inside of her. She desperately craved for that sisterly connection with her, something she knew would never fade regardless of their origins. Yet, after Niket's betrayal, it would be safer if Oriana never knew she had a sister. It would be safer if Miranda watched her from afar, an ever present guardian angel.

The caution won.

"Come on. We should go."

Shepard had other ideas.

"Don't you even want to say hello?"

Yes. "It's not about what I want. It's about what's best for Oriana. The less she knows about me, the better. She's got a family, a life. I would just complicate that."

"You don't honestly believe that. She doesn't need any details, but she should know that she has a sister who loves her and looks out for her."

He was making this difficult. Why was he making this difficult? She wished he had just let her leave without saying anything. Now her rational side was losing the fight.

Miranda let out a small, weak laugh. "I guess not…"

"Go on… I'll wait here for you."

She took a deep breath and slowly began to walk forward. Each step was difficult, and she nearly turned around a few times. She knew that, if she tried, Shepard would be there to push her right back into the fray. So Lawson stoically strode on, or as stoic as she could muster.

Oriana caught sight of her early. It wasn't every day you see someone in a crowd that had such a striking resemblance to your face. Miranda was two steps away when she realized she had nothing to say. She thought about this moment a thousands of times: what she would say, what she would do, potential reactions from her sister and her family. All those musings and scenarios abandoned her. So when she finally arrived in front of Oriana and her family, she said the first thing that came to mind.

"My name is Miranda. And I'm your sister."

Miranda entered Shepard's cabin and found him dozing at his desk. He had a half written report on his console. He must have fallen asleep with his finger on a key because there was a long line of d's.

"Wake up, Shepard," Miranda whispered into his ear as she gently shook him.

He snapped up straight and wiped the corner of his mouth where a small bit of drool had accumulated.

"I'm up. I'm up." His eyes took a moment to focus on who had woken him. "Miranda. What can I do for you?"

"I was just hoping we could talk about what happened with Niket. But if you're too tired, I completely understand. I'll leave you alone to-"

"No, no. Stay. This is important." He looked around his messy desk. "Umm. Let's move this convo to the couch."

Once they got themselves situated, Shepard asked, "So what did you want to talk about?"

"I want to know why you stopped me from shooting Niket. I could have handled it."

He didn't answer immediately, taking his time to carefully construct what he was going to say. Or it could have been him trying to get his brain to work after the nap. She couldn't quite tell.

"I know you could've handled it, but you would've regretted it too. You still cared for him deeply, regardless of what he had done."

He was right, and she knew it. Miranda just didn't want to admit it to herself. "You're right. And my father used that. I just can't believe Niket sold me out. I didn't even see it coming."

"You're only human, Miranda."

"But I let it get personal… I screwed up. Hell, I nearly hurt you."

He waved it off. "I've suffered through more destructive biotic fields than that. Honestly, I like the weightlessness."

"I'm serious, Shepard. I lost myself there. That's never happened to me before."

"I'm being serious too. You aren't perfect, Miranda. You're human, just like the rest of us. You're allowed to make mistakes. You're allowed to get emotional. Your father isn't looking over your shoulder anymore. You don't need to live by his standards."

Shepard's answer shocked her. Had Miranda been forcing herself to accomplish the same level of achievement her father had been? Did she hold herself up to impossible standards that no human, or any species for that matter, could reach?

"But that's enough of that. How did your conversation with Oriana go? You never said what you talked about."

A genuine smile forced its way onto her face. "I introduced myself. Her parents were shocked, but she adjusted quickly, of course. She's as smart as I am. She plays the violin. Loves the adagio movement of Nielsen's Fifth, just like I do. She wants to work in colony development. Made a joke about it. She's really funny. Something we don't share."

"Are you going to talk to her again?"

"I honestly don't know. For once, I didn't plan that far ahead. For now, it's good enough that she knows she has a big sister looking out for her. Thank you for making me go and talk to her."

She looked at Shepard. He had a wide smile on his face that reflected her own.

"What?" she asked.

"Oh nothing. It's just nice to see the person behind the tough exterior. Honestly, I thought you were an advanced AI in a mech's body."

Miranda leaned over and punched him lightly in the chest. Shepard was quick to catch her wrist. Instead of letting go, he held it, and his thumb broke into the fist and began lightly massaging her palm while his fingers worked the back of her hand. The simple act sent tingles up her arm and into her shoulders. Before she realized it, Miranda was leaning towards him, closing the distance between them.

Then, the realization of what was occurring hit, and she pulled her hand away gently.

"I should go. Let you get back to typing your reports."

He smiled at her as he nodded. "Yea. Still got a long way to go on Thane's recruitment. Then, Samara's. And finally-"

"How many missions have you been on today?" Miranda interrupted. "And when was the last time you got a full night's sleep?"

"Ummmm. I'm not sure," he said as he stifled a yawn. "EDI, can you answer Lawson's questions?"

"Yes, Shepard," the AI started. "You have been awake for forty hours and have been on three missions during that time frame. May I suggest getting some rest?"

"I concur," Miranda added.

"Thanks for the concern, but I really need to get these reports done. Or my slave driver of an XO will come for my spirit."

"Not today. Today, you get an official pardon. You need to sleep."

"Miranda! Did you just say… Did you just give me a day off? Who are you, and what have you done with Operative Lawson? But in all seriousness, I don't need a day-" A large yawn interrupted him. "Okay, maybe you're right."

"I know I am. Get some sleep, Shepard. And thank you again for helping me. My sister is safe in large part thanks to you. I won't forget that."

He flopped down on the bed. "Any time," he mumbled into the sheets.

She was about to say more but heard small snores almost immediately. Miranda left his cabin to let her commander get some well-deserved rest.

Author's Note:

Man, that got away from me again. It helps that Miranda is only second to Liara when LI's are concerned. It makes it easier to write her. I haven't proofread it at all yet, so there may be some glaring mistakes. I won't be able to get back on this site for while so I decided to give you a super rough draft instead of my normal rough draft. (Edit: Now I have. Still might be some mistakes, but I hope they aren't as glaring.)

Thanks for reading and please review.