Location: Briefing room—Cerberus Frigate SSV Albatross—Docked in Citadel Bay B56
Trust is earned. That is what the Alliance instilled in the heart of every soldier. But the very concept somehow circumvented the Officer class. That mixed bag of ladder climbers and bureaucrats who put gain before galactic safety made him sick. Yet as he trembled with rage before the Illusive Man's holo-projection, he wished badly to be arguing with the pathetic bureaucrats instead. He was ready to become the next Judas if it meant she would be okay.
"You told me that Banes was under her control!" Petrovsky bellowed, annoyed when the Illusive Man took another languid puff from his cigarette. "My daughter is in the hospital because of Banes."
"General, I assure you that Sasha will receive the best care—
"If I see Cerberus staff anywhere near my daughter I will dispose of them personally and surrender my uniform," Petrovsky said, clenching and unclenching his fists, the tights knots in his finger muscles protested. "I have seen exactly what your assurances are worth."
The Illusive Man stubbed his cigarette into the custom holder at his chair. Bioluminescent blue eyes bored intensely into his. Petrovsky had stared down terrorists, mercenaries and the worst war criminal the galaxy had to offer with ease, yet it was The Illusive Man's eyes that made him keenly aware of the painful pressure building in his chest. Something about their unnatural glow spoke of a familiarity, but retinal modifications in this day and age never seemed human to begin with.
The silence spoke louder than he intended, but Petrovsky forced himself to ride it out. There was more to this story. There bloody well had to be. And the universe was joking if it thought he did not deserve an explanation for this turn of events.
Thankfully the Illusive Man seemed to sense the same as he clasped his hands and regarded him. "Oleg, my friend, you know as well as I that everything we do has risks."
"The only risk I'm seeing here is a madman you have unleashed on this crew," Petrovsky barked. "She failed to control him and now my daughter is paying the price."
"Do not underestimate Miranda." The Illusive Man tilted his head to the side as his eyes flickered with the briefest hint of disappointment. "I won't defend her course of action, but we have results. The entire Enhanced Defence project is in our hands and I'm sure that without her presence we would be having a different conversation."
He couldn't deny that assessment. But operative Lawson had one directive and she breached it for the sake of the Mission. He didn't blame her, not as much as he wanted to. Yet it unsettled him to know that her primary trust lay with the organization and not with his orders. He felt powerless. Suddenly exhausted Petrovsky broke thirty years of strict military training and took a seat, regarding his so-called friend with a fierce irony. "You truly see something in her."
"I do," the Illusive Man replied as the corner of his lip lifted upwards.
"She cannot control him. Not for long anyways," Petrovsky said, raising his leg to rest atop his other knee. "I won't deny that she is talented, especially for keeping the body count this low. But Banes grows stronger every day."
"I am aware of that. She has kept me updated on his condition as requested," the Illusive Man confirmed. Yet another thing Petrovsky hated, people superseding his authority on his own ship. "You and I both know what Banes means for Cerberus."
"A runaway science project is what he is, comrade. I don't doubt you have valuable insight from what is happening to him, but it cannot go on." Not one to count a win before the end of a battle, he swallowed his own principle in favor of the undeniable truth. "We have two of the five projects, practically three when they start mass producing York's thermal weapons. I have no doubt that we will find Elena and Kassel. We do not need the added liability of Armistan Banes."
"He is too great an asset to burn at this time." The Illusive Man raised a hand to the side of his head tapped on the arm with his other. "I know I'm placing a heavy burden on you, my friend. But it is not for nothing. Humanity will benefit greatly from his research. I just need you to hold out until he is no longer crucial."
This was a bad idea. He knew it and he was sure as hell the Illusive Man knew that too. Perhaps it was old age or just the drain of emotions after spending the entire day at his daughter's bedside as she lay semi-conscious. But his will to fight died as he rose. "Do what you have to do. Just know that I will not allow a second chance for my family to come in harms way."
"Agreed." As Petrovsky began to walk away, The Illusive Man called him back. "Have a look at what is on the table. I think it suits you."
His image dissolved before Petrovsky could ask what he was talking about. On the table he spotted a square wooden box. It looked too familiar to be a surprise. He opened the lid and found the rank of a full general. The gold stars gleamed with his reflection on their tiny surface. While the black, orange and white lapels called out to him.
Petrovsky clamped the box shut and hung his head in resigned frustration.
o~O~o
Location: Med-Bay—Cerberus Frigate SSV Albatross—Docked in Citadel Bay B56
Steady beeps filled her ears like a lullaby. Or at least what she imagined one to sound like. Keeping her eyes closed and feigning sleep, Miranda tried her best to determine her company. She could sense someone's prescence, but in her drugged state she felt way too weak and vulnerable to crack an eyelid. If this was an Alliance hospital the gig was up.
That cold realization forced her to peek between the slit of her eyelids, careful to maintain her breathing she regulated her heart beat and kept the monitor attached to her from announcing her consciousness. She recognized Cerberus' unhurried and neat aesthetic as she surveyed her room. It was med-bay number two, fully stocked with sterilization equipment and monitoring post-surgical machinery. Most of which she could feel attached to her arm.
A lone figure had his back turned, but she didn't need to see his face to know who it was. The torn sleeves and shock of sharp blonde hair was enough of a giveaway.
"Sleeping on the job isn't like you, Lawson."
She wasn't going to guess how he knew. Licking her parched lips and taking a steadying breath to sound confident, Miranda spoke, "status report?"
"One broken rib from where the bullet entered. It was embedded in your apex and—
"I meant the mission!" she cut him off, knowing full well the impact of her injuries. "Do we have the content of Jin Xiang's grey box?"
Banes waved a small box in his hand, still focused on whatever he was doing on the other side. "Contents extracted and being deciphered while you sleep dear Lawson. Needless to say, another one bites the dust."
Mission accomplished. She smiled wearily, but knew it came at a great cost. Her mind's eye recalled the standoff. The terrified pleas from the general's daughter, but more so the arresting green eyes of the man she killed. He was meant to be left unharmed, but with that much at stake there was no other choice and her reflexes took over. The sight of a disappointed Petrovsky somehow moved her greatly, but she wasn't sorry for what she did.
Miranda started to sit up. Alarmed by the groggy response in her limbs, as if she had been force fed horse tranquilizer. Her hand hovered over the mix of IV and sedatives still attached to her right arm. She switched off the heart monitoring machines before disconnecting the drip and extracting her arm from the jumble of wires, trusting her genetics to take care of the rest.
"I wouldn't do that," Banes replied. Miranda had to stop at the resigned tone of his voice. Gone was his usual exuberance tinged with a hint of prophetic madness.
She listened intently for him to continue, knowing that speech pattern was essential to understanding the changes within him but he remained silent. Normally silence was golden, but as tendrils of pain gripped her chest she slowly began to panic. Her eyes swept the surgical implements, reminding her of the day Banes performed surgery on Nikolai. His coal black eyes in inhuman screams lived in her memory.
It was not in her nature to show fear, but her eyes needed confirmation as she frantically looked for a mirror. Her white catsuit was folded neatly on a nearby chair, out of her reach.
Using her biotics she nearly cried out from the sudden flash of pain as blue surrounded her. At least the color was right.
At her cry, Banes finally turned around and that's when she saw his face. Her fear died at the most unusual expression to ever grace his features. He tried to keep that feral grin but his red rimmed eyes betrayed him. Sandy blonde hair that looked neat and tidy from the back was actually a disheveled spiky mess at the front from multiple hands running through it.
Catsuit forgotten she sat stock still as his gaze took her in. His concern was evident and left her at a loss. For as long as they worked together she had never seen him like this.
He came around and took a seat at her bedside before wordlessly fishing the compact mirror from her suit pocket and opening it up to her.
Miranda frowned at her own reflection. No corrupted veins. No experiments. 100% perfect.
"You didn't think I would tamper with perfection, did you?" He asked, some of the jovial quality returning to his voice. But those eyes remained sad.
"You performed the surgery?" she asked, not sure if she should be terrified or reassured with the answer.
"Ivan wouldn't let me anywhere near you." Banes shook his head. "Not that he had anything to worry about. One must be ready to accept the gift of the gods, not be a passive recipient of them. I learned that from the last guy."
"His name was Nikolai," she reminded, more out of respect to the general than anything else, "and you tortured him."
That made the sting of breaking Petrovsky's one order not to hurt Shepard even worse. Yet those emotions were irrelevant. The mission was nearing completion now, the effort would refocus on finding Flores and Kassel. She would make it up to the general somehow.
The glee returned in full force as the matrix of biotics beneath his flesh pulsed in reminder. "We resumed research on EDI, though I think A.I research is a waste of time. We should be improving ourselves, not the machines we build."
"They're key to improving us." She swung her legs over the side of the bed and winced at the motion.
Banes reached out to support her but thankfully didn't try and force her back into bed. She couldn't remember the last time an injury hurt so much, but the throb in her chest didn't feel life threatening. She still took the moment to take a breath, under the guise of removing all the remaining tubes and IV's.
Banes was the perfect accomplice as he helped her unplug. "I have to say, I thought your aim would be better."
She grimaced as she pulled the last needle from her forearm and shot him a questioning glare.
"Shepard survived. I considered making the reverse true, but knew you wouldn't like that," he summarized, dumping the tubes onto a tray and shutting off the squealing machines.
"Nevermind Shepard," she dismissed, though the air seemed to sit better in her lungs at the revelation. "The Alliance has prototypes for the new heat sink weaponry." She couldn't just gloss over that failure.
Banes shrugged. "They will merely mass produce it for us. It's only a matter of time before our assets steal it back and improve it even more. Another useless piece of the pie."
Miranda feet made contact with the cold steel floor and she rose. Banes held her steady, but once she could stand there was no stopping her as she grabbed her suit and strode for the bathroom, thankful for the full body hospital gown. "Any luck on Flores?"
"We have a lead," Banes replied, "change first and I will fill you in."
"Good." Miranda sped up, feeling her body adjust with each step, already mitigating the pain in her chest as her genes took over.
"And Lawson," he called.
She stopped and looked to him.
"I'm glad you're okay."
She smiled despite herself before disappearing into the private bathroom.
o~O~o
Location: Recovery Unit—Huerta Memorial Hospital—Citadel
"Sir, please!" The human nurse shrieked, as she chased Liam down the hall while simultaneously radioing for security. "You need to lie down and recover."
"Not until I see my wife," Liam yelled back, stumbling to each room and peeking in the window. "Where is she?"
"You need bed rest. You'll rip your stitches!" She cried, trying to tie the back of his open gown.
"What's your name?" Liam asked, peeking through another window and moving on.
"Marie," she stuttered, coming to a halt beside him, yanking hard on the strings. "Please, let's get you back to—"
"Marie," he rounded on the poor girl and took her by the shoulders, "help me find Sasha Shep—Ackerman...Sasha Ackerman's room and I'll do everything you ask after that." She hesitated, but he shook her shoulders lightly. "Please. She's pregnant."
That Shepard charm seemed to do the trick as she helped him hobble to the right door. Liam rushed as fast as he could, each step sending a throb of agony through his chest and hip, but he didn't care. Sasha came first, always would.
He was about to grasp the door panel when he caught a glimpse of her through the window. There was Sahsha, sitting up in bed and holding Dillon's hand as the doctor showed them images. Mikey sat on the other end, hoisting a silver trophy. They couldn't see him, but judging by the smiles, everything was okay. He felt guilty for missing Michael's race, but just seeing the kid make Dillon and Sasha laugh convinced him to take a step back.
The nurse took his hesitation as an opportunity. "We should get you back to your room, Commander Shepard."
As Sasha wrapped her arms around Dillon and laughed, Shepard felt his own hand fall to his side. She was so happy, everything would be okay. The nurse repeated her question, he only nodded but kept his eyes on the warm scene before him.
"There!" A familiar male voice shouted.
Liam's head whipped around to the angry eyes of his brother and sister. "John, Fi..."
"Save it!" Fiona reprimanded, sidestepping the nurse and putting his left arm over her shoulder, while John did the same to his right. "What the hell were you thinking?"
"That's two hospital trips in one day," John added, slapping a hand to the door panel. "We looked everywhere for you the first time. Did you run off?"
As they started down the hallway, supported by both angry siblings, a realization swept over him. Hunter was dead and he had nothing to show for it. "I had sensitive intel," Liam replied, still feeling the throbbing pit in his hip where Jin expertly stuck a data chip. "I couldn't risk it being taken away. So I took it home to decrypt. They stormed the place and got it back."
"I don't give a flying fuck if you were protecting the holy grail, brother," Fiona chided, "you don't leave the hospital when you're wounded."
Between the three of them they were able to follow Marie to his room. Something he was thankful for as the pain near his heart had intensified. Maybe walking wasn't the best idea, but as they kicked open the door the woman within fixed her gaze on them.
"Captain!" All three siblings said in unison, struggling to fight off the impulse to salute as they supported Liam.
"At ease, just get him back to bed," Dana replied, he could see the flicker of concern beneath the professional mask. But even if it was totally lost on John, Fiona seemed to pick it up as she glanced between them several times.
They helped him into bed, but he only sat on the edge refusing to lie down like some invalid. Seeing they were getting nowhere on that front, his sister was first to step away. "We'll be right outside if he decides to book it, ma'am."
"I appreciate it," Dana spoke, watching with some amusement as Fiona grabbed John and yanked him out of the room behind her. The nurse thought better of asking her to leave and followed them out.
As soon as the door closed, Dana took a seat at his bedside, lips slightly parted as her eyes swept over his injuries, battling the questions in her head. Liam saw the internal struggle but couldn't make a sound. There was nothing he could do to make Hunter come back and now he lost the only thing the young chief died fighting for.
When Liam reached out to grasp her hand, she didn't fight him. She only held on tightly, as her eyes took on a glossy sheen.
Liam tugged her close until she was standing between his legs and cradled his head to her chest. He wrapped his arms around her waist in return and let the grief wash over them.
"I'm sorry about, Hunter," Liam whispered, feeling her tighten her grip. "I wanted to tell you but—"
"Traynor filled me in," Dana said, voice heavy with a stifled crack. "Cerberus has the intel you recovered?"
Liam nodded, not willing to point out how fast the change of subject came about. They would need time to grieve Hunter's death, but it wasn't now and they knew it. "I'm going to help Traynor decrypt the rest of Elena's matrix. We'll jump on anything we pull and hopefully secure the last piece of research in play."
"Good, get on it," Dana said, pushing away from him but still keeping her hands on his shoulders. Her eyes were red, but not a single tear spilled from them. "I'm going to brief the crew and deliver the news to Hunter's mother. Preston will take charge."
Liam frowned. She was in no position to go anywhere and they both knew it. Cupping her face in both his hands he forced her to meet his eyes. "Before you go, speak with Chakwas."
She clasped her hands around both of his and nudged them down. "I'm in control, Shepard."
"We're talking about biotics here that are the result of some psychopath's experiment," he reminded her, hating how she was slowly shutting him out. "I want to make sure you're okay before you leave."
"Don't worry about me, just do as I ask." It sounded cold, but her eyes told him a different story. She leaned in to kiss him briefly. "Don't get yourself killed."
"Right back at ya." He tugged her arm back before she could take another step. "We're not done with this, just let me know when you're ready to talk okay?"
She nodded and left him alone.