A/N: First of all, thank you so much to everyone who sent well wishes. I'm quite pleased to report that though mum is a bit banged up, she is otherwise once again in tiptop shape.
Another huge thank you to people who review in general because I feel like I don't say it enough. I really truly mean it from the bottom of my heart. Though I'm riddled with enough social anxiety that I don't respond to each one individually, I don't want you to think that you taking the time out of your day to leave a kind word isn't appreciated, because it most certainly is.
I guess I know where I get my nervousness from. Apparently when my mom was wheeled out on the stretcher she asked them to drape a blanket over her head as they do with corpses so nobody could identify her on the way out. Yep, we're a smooth family alright.
Lana led the way confidently, marching down the hall with purpose. "There are two entrances," she explained quietly, Shepard having told her earlier to keep her voice down.
They had been travelling for only a few minutes, but every second their journey took quickened Shepard's pulse. She trusted Miranda to lead any opposition far from their intended location, but that did little to calm her troubled thoughts. The lights of the halls had been turned on all throughout the mansion since their presence had been noted, leaving little room for escape should they be discovered. If someone managed to catch sight of them, the odds of a safe getaway were slim to none. They needed to get to the basement fast.
"Whatever's closer," Shepard replied in a similar tone, "you're in charge."
Lana seemed tremendously pleased by that statement, and Shepard had to remind herself that it wasn't the time to be charmed by the antics of adorable children. They marched ever onward, turning this way and that along the halls until finally they came to a full stop.
"There," Lana whispered proudly, pointing at a simple wooden door.
Shepard studied it quickly, looking for some sort of lock or alarm system attached. When her search came up empty she placed a hesitant hand on the knob, holding her breath as she twisted it cautiously. Knowing her luck she would trigger a security function that would lead all of their pursuers right to her.
Nothing happened.
The doorway opened into darkness, the lights of the hall only penetrating so far. Steep stairs led down into unfamiliar territory, obscured halfway down by the dark. Shepard let out a heavy sigh of relief before glancing down at her guide.
"Okay," Shepard spoke quietly, "Do you have any idea what's waiting for me?"
"No," Lana replied dutifully.
In the distance they could hear more gunfire, and Shepard's stomach tightened once more in her anxiety. Nothing drove her crazier than being out of the loop in a situation like this. She shook her head, refocusing on the task before her.
"Well, I have a bit of a reputation for braving the unknown." Shepard moved forward confidently, taking the first few steps down before turning back to the child. "Let's go."
Lana hesitated in the doorway, her face twisting up with apprehension as she watched Shepard with a guarded gaze.
"Lana," Shepard pressed softly, "come on, I'm not going to leave you up here alone. Not with everything that's going on." Another shot rang out, punctuating her point. "I don't want you to get hurt."
Lana shifted from one leg to the other, tugging at the hem of her nightshirt with fidgeting fingers. "We're not supposed to go down there," she explained quietly, "it's against the rules."
Shepard took a deep breath, trying to keep her patience. They didn't have time for delays like this. "Okay but I'm here," she informed the girl quickly, "I'm making new rules. I promise you won't get in trouble."
"I don't want to," Lana whined pitifully.
"Don't be scared," Shepard soothed, holding out a hand, "I'll be right beside you the whole time."
The words apparently had no effect however, as Lana actually took a step back. "I don't want to go down," she repeated softly, hands now clenching her shirt tightly. "He took Trinity down."
Shepard blinked, thinking back to the files they had sorted through earlier. The name seemed familiar. "Your sister?"
"She never came back up." Again Lana was stepping back into the hall. If someone came now, she would be in plain sight.
Shepard's heart dropped. "What?"
"No one comes back up," the girl continued.
It didn't happen often where Shepard was faced with a situation where she had no idea how to proceed, but this was one of those instances. She didn't want to force the child down, especially when the girl was providing such valid fears. Shepard didn't even want to think about the implications of Lana's ominous statements.
At the same time, it wouldn't be right to cut the girl loose now. Even still she could hear the commotion in the distance, resounding through the long and dim halls. It would be easy for one so small to get unknowingly lost in the fray. Not to mention, although she seemed to be growing fond of Shepard, Lana could easily tell someone of her location and get Shepard killed in a moment of childish naiveté.
Neither option really called to Shepard, but eventually her resolve settled as she realized that more than anything, she wanted this child safe. "Lana, we're going to come back up together, okay?" she assured her quietly. "Just take my hand, and don't let go."
There was clear reluctance in Lana's movements, but after a moment's hesitation, she did as requested.
Relief swam through Shepard as she pulled the girl along beside her, being sure to close the door behind them. As she activated the light on her omnitool, Shepard willed her mind to clear.
She couldn't afford to worry about Lana's fear of this place, or what they would find regarding the disappearance of her sister. She couldn't afford to wonder about the other girls, or to worry over Miranda. Focus, that was all she could do. Complete the task they had been given as quickly and efficiently as possible.
"So," Shepard whispered conversationally to the girl at her side as they carefully took one step at a time, "see any good movies lately?"
Miranda moved with purpose through the halls, retracing their earlier steps. She had a clear destination, and was close to reaching it. Necessity drove her forward with quick and sure steps. If she failed here, Shepard wouldn't last long.
It hadn't taken her long to lose the attentions of the first crowd she had run into since their split. It had been a group of young men, obvious employees who had proven surprisingly inept at keeping on her tail as she darted through the many rooms of the house.
Everyone appeared embarrassingly unorganized. It led her to believe that no true authority figure had yet to arrive on the estate grounds. If her father had been present, it was likely her and Shepard would have already been cornered or in custody. Not for the first time that night she gave silent thanks for his absence. For now, all she had to truly worry about were his other creations.
Free from her tail for the time being, Miranda zeroed in on her target, pulling herself up tightly along the wall just outside of the room she intended to enter. The door was open, and she could hear a man and a woman conversing loudly.
They stood inside the surveillance room Miranda and Shepard had first used as their entry point, clearly searching for the intruders on the many screens.
"Look here," the man was saying, almost excitedly. "I told you. This one is with that little brat. They're in the east wing by the study." He seemed proud of catching the obvious information, letting Miranda know he was likely quite young and very green.
"But where's the other one?" The woman questioned earnestly, and Miranda couldn't help but smirk. "Why don't they run? These are no common thieves," she reasoned, "they have to be after something in particular."
"It doesn't matter," the man shot back stupidly, letting his ego get the best of him. "I'm going to connect to Gwen, give her their location."
Well she couldn't have that.
Miranda moved with the deadly precision she had not needed to execute in months. She emptied her silenced rounds into the backs of their skulls before they had even grasped a third person had entered the room, stepping up to the monitors without hesitation.
She watched the screen on the bottom far right with interest as the fuzzy image of Lana reached out a tiny hand to point at a door in the middle of the hallway. Shepard seemed to hesitate for a moment before opening it and moving through out of sight.
Miranda looked on with curiosity as Lana loitered in the hall for a bit, shuffling over the carpet. And then Shepard's hand extended from the doorway, and the girl accepted it cautiously before following the woman through.
Well, it was one issue out of the way, though they were far from being out of the woods yet. Now she needed to cut off the video feeds and find herself a safe place to lay low and wait for Shepard to contact her. If all went well, they would be long gone before Henry Lawson arrived.
Shepard held her arm out in front of her, the light emitting from her omnitool paving the way through the darkness. In her other hand, she firmly kept a hold of Lana, tugging the girl gently along.
The basement was massive, the room expanding further than her flashlight would allow her to see, and Shepard reluctantly accepted the fact it would be quite some time before they discovered anything of value.
Luckily, Henry Lawson wasn't the hoarding type, so at least they weren't forced to maneuver through much clutter. There were merely rows and rows of shelves lined neatly across the length of the room, piled from floor to ceiling with boxes and other containers Shepard couldn't quite make out in the dim light. She imagined each filled with untold secrets and misdeeds the public would never hear about, but never stopped to glance through any despite her curiosity.
They had a mission, and she refused to let Miranda down.
"Keep a look out for some kind of door, okay?" Shepard whispered quietly to her tiny companion, scanning the wall and scrutinizing it carefully as they passed around the edge of the room. "A big passageway or something."
Miranda's feet pounded along the carpet as she sprinted through the unfamiliar halls, cursing herself for getting too carried away. She had been so focused on her opponent's movements, their battle had lead them deeper and deeper into the massive estate without her properly keeping track of her location. It was an amateurish mistake, one she hadn't made in many years.
It was all because of that damn kid. Another 'daughter' had shown up, one Miranda hadn't been able to identify in the skirmish that she had been forced into. This one appeared to be one of the older creations, hardly much younger than Oriana she reckoned, and the girl was good. Incredibly good. Unreasonably good. Not to mention the pack of armed men at her back.
And it wasn't helping that she had promised Shepard she would be pulling her punches. It left her severely handicapped in a firefight. It was bad, and between her frustration and unease she was getting too worked up. She needed to keep her head. In a situation like this, it was her only dependable asset.
Deftly she sidestepped into an unlocked door along the hall, praying it would be a recognizable room. If it was, she would quickly be able to regain her bearings.
The room was identifiable in function with its high ceiling and wide open space, and she had little trouble placing it in the map of her mind. It was a colossal addition to the home, likely used for when entertaining a multitude of guests on special occasions and benefits. There had been a similar one in her own residence growing up, and she had been paraded around it often in the finest attire, welcoming each visitor her father led her by with practiced charm.
Although she had slammed the door behind her, locking it swiftly, Miranda knew it would not bide her enough time to concentrate properly. Her pursuers would be able to force their way in in a matter of seconds, and they had been close enough to watch where she had fled.
The far wall of the room was lined with windows, and she was forced to make a snap decision. She would blast her way through, letting her pursuers witness her escape into the night before losing them in the dark grounds once more and circling back to regroup with Shepard. It was a messy plan, but it would serve its purpose in keeping everyone that mattered alive.
She took off towards the windows, her boots clacking against the beautifully polished hardwood floors of the room, echoing loudly around her as the locked door was blasted off its hinges. She cursed again, though aloud this time, and hoped Shepard wasn't having as much trouble as she was running into.
Shepard frowned as she led her young charge through the darkened basement. She could feel Lana's hand trembling in her own as the girl quivered with absolute fear. Whether it was due to the dark or to disobeying her father's orders Shepard would never know.
"So, what do you do for fun?" Shepard asked suddenly, hoping to distract the child and lighten the atmosphere.
Lana seemed hesitant to answer for a moment, but eventually replied in a quiet voice. "On weekends father lets us read whatever we like from the library."
"Hmm," Shepard hummed in an overly impressed voice, "and you're so young. What's your favorite book?"
"Revelations," Lana responded without pause.
Shepard blinked. That was one she had actually downloaded off the extranet some time ago when she had a spare moment before chasing down Saren. It was definitely not material appropriate for the mind of a six year old. "Isn't that a bit, uh, adult?"
Lana took a deep breath, and began to speak as though she were explaining her reasoning to someone far younger than herself, "I enjoy Mr. Karpyshyn's dramatizations, even though sometimes they may become farfetched."
"If that's what you read for fun I'd hate to see the required material," Shepard mused softly, not intending the girl to hear.
"Most recently father requested I complete Kurt Riven's writings on our contact with extra terrestrial species, and how the inevitable homogenization of cultures will eventually become detrimental to the progress of the human race," Lana informed her in a hollow tone.
"Wow," Shepard drawled out, fairly unsettled. "That's heavy," she blanched, "and a bit racist."
She couldn't believe how there were these two completely different sides to Lana. One, the emotional side, was so like the average child. Her curiosity, honesty, and eagerness to be considered one of the adults, were all common traits of human children her age.
And then there was this, this shell of a child who spewed off facts and figures as though she was three times her own age. The contrast was jarring, and most disturbing. If after only six years Lana was this peculiar, Shepard fretted what the others may be like. Liberating them may prove to be the easy part, integrating them into society could very likely be the true issue.
Then again, Miranda had done it. She shouldn't count them out just yet.
"Okay," she pressed on quietly, still wanting to distract the child, "so what else do you like about Revelations?"
Lana's tone lightened a bit at that. "I enjoy the sections on the discovery of the relay on Pluto." She hesitated then, spirits appearing to fade. "Father doesn't allow me to read much of the material concerning other planets outside the sol system within our library."
He probably didn't want her getting too interested in alien cultures and beliefs, Shepard reasoned. Though it was an odd attitude to take, as she imagined it would be beneficial for his heirs to be well versed in the ways of the universe if they were expected to run a successful enterprise. That didn't quite add up. She was missing an important piece of information.
Again, she reminded herself to focus on one task at a time. "So, you're interested in outer space, huh?"
"An appropriate amount." The girl sounded rehearsed in her answer, and it left Shepard wondering if this was a line Lana was used to reciting frequently in front of her father's guests.
"So," Shepard pressed playfully as she guided the girl forward, "are you going to be a famous space explorer when you grow up?"
"Yes," Lana replied excitedly, and suddenly she was a child again, her spirit and innocence shinning through each word she spoke. "Half of me," she informed sagely with all the confidence of one who had yet to be disheartened by the realities of the world.
"Half of you?" Shepard chuckled warmly, glancing back at her young companion through the dim light. "Well, what's the other half going to be?"
"A princess," Lana replied quite seriously, not a hint of irony to be found in her voice.
"A space princess, huh?" Shepard was laughing heartily at that, and she shook her head as soon as she sobered. "Well, your big sister can teach you a thing or two about that."
Miranda's legs ached as they pounded along the ground and spurred her forward. She worked them mercilessly, ignoring the hammering of her heart and the burning in her lungs. The only thing that kept her going was how the voices behind her were slowly fading away as she managed to put more and more distance between herself and those that hunted her. She just needed her moment, her chance to slip into the dark, and then she could return for Shepard.
"Wow," Shepard drawled out, peering into the open entryway. They had finally stumbled along the object of their search, a wide archway built into the far wall of the room, leading down into a sloped tunnel that seemed to run forever.
Curiously, Shepard held up her arm, shinning her light down into the darkness, searching for any sign of an exit on the other side. There was nothing however, as the passageway stretched further than her light could expose.
"That is dark," she whispered unnecessarily. "Like really dark."
Lana moved in closely beside her, pressing her body up against Shepard's leg. "You're not afraid of the dark are you?" she asked with a quivering voice that betrayed her unease.
Shepard let out a humorless chuckle. "Not until this very moment."
"Me neither," Lana squeaked.
Shepard considered the passage for a moment before glancing down at her companion. "Well, a little fear is healthy now and then, that's what they say."
Lana peered up at her, face scrunched up in skepticism. "Who are 'they'?"
"People who don't have to go down that tunnel, evidently," Shepard returned before braving a small step forward. "Come on," she urged the girl softly, "I've made a career out of going places I don't want to."
Miranda closed her eyes, fighting to regain control of her breathing as she rested, pinned down behind a bookshelf in what she knew to be the Lawson family's personal library. She had miscalculated, had turned back too soon. It was stupid of her.
What was it about this place that made her so stupid?
There were only five on her at the moment, but more would come if she didn't find a way to break away immediately.
It would be a cinch if only she were allowed to do some damage.
She bitterly thought of Shepard, of how much she hated the woman for putting that restriction upon her. She hated how she felt as though she had no choice but to follow another's moral code. She hated how a girl, a child, might very well get the best of her. She hated that she was there, that she had come back to Earth at all.
And then she heard the door open on the other side of the room as yet another opponent stepped through, and she hated that a heck of a lot too.
As Shepard led the way into the nothing that stretched out before her, apprehension swept through her. She had chosen to avoid turning on or even searching for any sort of light as that could very well alert someone as to her location, but now as she had only her meager light to guide her, she found herself regretting the decision.
At least the trail was a straight path, only sloping downward for a time before eventually leveling off. Remembering Miranda's explanations earlier, she could only assume they were travelling under the river that flowed beside the estate. While they moved forward, Shepard fought hard to keep her mind from wandering. She still felt uneasy in dark and confined spaces, especially without Miranda around.
That familiar panic was rising in her chest, and she now found that the distraction idle conversation provided was proving to be just as much for her sake as it was for Lana's.
Lana had been quiet for a time as she thought hard about her next topic. She was quite enjoying the almost-game Shepard and her had devised while talking, and was taking it rather seriously.
Finally, she decided on her next location. "Edolus?"
Shepard's brow furrowed as she remember that little diversion. Certainly not her most celebrated trip. "Gloomy sky and lots of rocks," she informed the girl. That was true, though her true issue with the planet had been the giant Thresher Maw attempting to crush the Mako. "Wouldn't go back anytime soon."
"Hmm," Lana hummed thoughtfully as they pressed onwards. "Tuchanka?"
"Interesting place. Lots of crumbly walls and angry glares. Wouldn't set up a vacation home there." Lana giggled at that, and Shepard glanced back at her with a smile. "I think a good place for you to start would be the Citadel. I know," she cut in when the girl's faced soured, "it's not a planet, but it's human enough that visiting isn't overwhelming and alien enough that it still feels new. And," she added sagely, "it's a good way to get acclimated before heading anywhere too foreign." She paused. "Do you know what that means? Acclimated?"
She glanced back to find Lana shooting her a patronizing look that even in the dark looked remarkably like the ones Miranda often sent her way. "Okay, okay," Shepard laughed out, "I was just checking."
"I would like to visit Thessia," Lana said after a few moments of silence.
Shepard nodded, noting that the path they were on was slopping slightly upwards now. That was a good sign; it meant they were drawing nearer to their destination. "Me too," she replied truthfully. "You know, for someone who is not supposed to read that much about alien planets you sure know your stuff."
Lana made a triumphant noise in the back of her throat, and Shepard imagined her tiny friend stealing through the halls in the early hours of the morning, hiding in the back of the library and soaking up every bit of information she could before whatever schedule her father likely had structured for her kicked in.
The path beneath them became steeper, and excitement rose up within Shepard's chest. She couldn't wait to get out from the stale air and suffocating darkness. Her steps became hurried, and Lana began to trot to keep pace.
"Look at this," Shepard informed the girl excitedly as they approached another door, "Looks like we made it."
They came to a halt just in front of it, and a frown formed along Shepard's lips as she studied it. The door was more modern in nature than the others she had come across thus far. It was reminiscent of those on the Normandy, the red holographic image informing her that it was indeed locked. A keypad was mounted on the wall beside the door, but she couldn't very well take a guess. Who knew how many tries she would be allowed before an alarm sounded.
"Shepard?" Lana called softly from behind her.
"Just wait," Shepard replied distractedly, focused on the problem before her. "I need a few minutes."
She scowled. Though she knew it was inevitable that she would run into such a barrier, she had held up the foolish belief that perhaps she would get lucky. Bitterly she held up her arm, praying that she would be able to bypass the lock. If not, they would have to figure out another option. Hopefully she wouldn't have to resort to force. That could get loud, and rather messy.
"I don't like it down here," Lana continued, and stepped forward, taking a firm grip on the loose material of Shepard's pants.
"Just give me some time," Shepard reiterated as she gritted her teeth, working as swiftly as possible. She needed to get this over and done with. Miranda was probably waiting on her by this point.
"I think I hear something."
Shepard pressed her open palm against the door, cursing under her breath. It was taking too long, something was wrong. She felt Lana's grip slacken, and then completely release, the girl wandering away behind her. The light flashed green for a moment, and then was red once more. She groaned in frustration and let her hand fall. Time for plan B.
And then Lana's words registered in her mind.
Shepard spun around, accessing her light once more and raising her arm towards the darkness in a panic. "Lana?" she called out loudly, rushing forward. "Where are you?"
She heard a scream from further down the hall and immediately reached with her free hand for the pistol at her hip, remembering that should the need arise Gwen's was still tucked securely in the back of her waistband. With sure steps she moved forward, gun raised, prepared for anything that may want to harm her young charge.
And then the scream came again, except it wasn't a scream at all, it was a squeal, a shriek. Shepard froze, face twisting up in confusion. It was a shriek of delight. Lana's giggles bounced off of the walls around her, distorted and echoing in the long empty space.
"Lana?" she called again, unsure of what to make of the situation.
"Come with me to Shepard," she heard faintly, and then she heard the soft padding of Lana's tiny footsteps approaching, slightly heavier ones moving just a few paces behind.
Shepard held her gun ready, her light shinning down the corridor, though her resolve wavered. Lana was proving quite intelligent, far less naïve than any other her age. She couldn't believe the girl would knowingly lead a threat right to her.
Lana finally stepped into view, throwing a hand up over her face as the light hit her eyes. Shepard dropped it lower to the ground quickly, studying the second figure that had approached.
Yet another clone had made her presence known. She carried the same brilliant blonde hair and piercing blue eyes, though that was where her similarities with the child at her side ended.
Childhood still clung to every curve of Lana. Her face was chubby and pink, all soft and thick edges. This new girl was more angular. Besides the difference in height, her every feature showed her age over Lana. She was still young, definitely younger than Gwen in fact, but well on her way to becoming a woman.
"Brianna," Lana announced proudly by way of introduction.
Shepard blinked, lowering her gun as she studied the way this newcomer protectively held her sister's tiny hand in her own. "Uh," she let out awkwardly, unsure of where she stood, "hi?"
Brianna smiled at her warmly, and Shepard was taken aback by the sudden show of relief that swam through the girl's eyes. "Shepard," she breathed, "it's wonderful to meet you."
A/N:Nothing makes a girl feel sillier than researching fakes works by imaginary authors in a fictional universe, let me tell you.
Anywho, a bunch of people have been asking where this story is going up to in the game timeline. It will go until the end of mass effect 3 technically, but the game events will be mostly referred to and described sparingly. It's kinda awkward to explain, but just imagine it as 'all the bits inbetween'-ish, but not really haha. That stuff will actually go by fairly quickly.
I dunno, I feel kinda dumb saying it like that. Hopefully it will be enjoyable. Anyway, thank you so much for your support and patience. The kindness and enthusiasm shown by everyone has made this a fantastic experience. Thank you.