Shepard walked up to Kelly, and asked, "There anything I need to know about?"

"Operative Lawson would like to speak with you. As would Professor Solus."

"Got it, is there anything else I need to know about?"

"Not at the moment."

"All right, I'll look into this stuff when I have the time." Shepard replied as she headed to the bridge.

"Hey Commander. Heard about what happened on Horizon. Shame about Ash."

"Yeah, I figured she'd be a bit more forgiving than she was. I saved her life, and she isn't willing to accept that there is something that I have to do because I need resources to fight the reapers."

"Don't worry about it, I'm sure you'll be able to get her to relax."

"Maybe, but I don't have time to deal with her whining about Cerberus. Set course for Illium."

"Got it. And you may want to keep an eye on Jack, we can only hold so much crazy."

"If you were able to keep the ship together with me on board, Jack won't be any problem." Shepard replied with a grin.

-=0=-

Miranda was writing a report, when Shepard walked in. The Commander said, "Hey, Miranda. You wanted to talk to me?"

"Yes, I'm having a bit of trouble with my sister's protection. It looks like my father's found her."

"And you want my help?"

"Yes. I understand that we're busy with the Collector mission. But, if we have the time I'd like to go and make sure that she's safe."

"Where is she?"

"She's on Illium."

"We can handle it easily then. We're already headed to Illium to pick up the Justicar and the Assassin."

"Thank you, Sarah."

"No problem, Miranda. I do what I can for my crew."

"I know, but thank you."

-=0=-

Shepard was in her quarters, reading her email. One stuck out to her. Its contents were this.

Commander Shepard.

We have given you a small gift. One that we believe you will greatly appreciate. It will take time to activate though. It will take some time for it to come into effect, though. There is a small manner we shall discuss after you have passed through the Omega 4 relay and defeated the Collectors.

Sender Unknown

Shepard quickly de-activated her terminal, and asked EDI, "What's the status of the Normandy's weapon systems?"

"They are running at 100%"

"What about the propulsion systems?"

"All systems are running at 100%, Shepard."

"Good. ETA to Illium?"

"Seven hours, Commander."

"Got it. I'm going to get some sleep. Tell the crew that if they need anything it can wait a few hours."

"Is there anything else?"

"Make sure to wake me up in six hours." Shepard replied.

"Understood. Logging you out."

-=0=-

Shepard walked out of her quarters and was greeted by Mordin who said, "Shepard, slight problem. Seeker swarm countermeasure has a small problem. Will not last more than two consecutive hours. With time, and access to palladium and eezo should be able to both strengthen countermeasure for more seekers. Also extend duration."

"You'll get what you need. What did you want to talk to me about?"

"Personal problem. Told you about work on genophage modification project. My assistant, Maelon, has been captured on Tuchanka. Would appreciate if you could help rescue him."

"We'll go to Tuchanka after we finish doing what we need to on Illium."

"Thank you, Shepard." Mordin replied, leaving the loft. Shepard booted up her terminal, and saw a message from Liara. It was just the asari asking for her help with the Shadow Broker op. Shepard laughed to herself, and just left after Mordin.

EDI said, "Commander, we have reached the relay leading to Illium. Illium ETA is thirty-five minutes."

"Good. Tell Miranda and Garrus to get ready to move. We'll have a lot of work to get done when we arrive on Illium."

"Done. Logging you out."

-=0=-

When the Normandy had docked, the ground team exited and were greeted by an asari, who said, "Commander Shepard, all docking fees have been waived."

"Why?"

"Liara T'soni has paid them on your behalf."

"Figures. Am I right in assuming that T'soni wants to talk to me?"

"Yes, and seeing as she paid for you to dock, it would be wise to do so."

"I'll talk to her when I need her help. But I've got some work to do before then." Shepard said, walking away. When they reached Eternity, Shepard said, "Miranda, this is your sister in danger, so you can take point."

"Thanks, Sarah." Miranda replied.

In the private room, Lanteia said, "Miranda, you put a man called Niket as your trusted source. He offered to handle the move himself."

Miranda asked Shepard, "What do you think?"

"It isn't my sister in danger, I can't make the choice for you. It's your call."

"Alright, let him handle it."

"Got it. Also, your father has hired Eclipse to acquire Orianna."

"Thanks for the warning. We'll take care of it." Shepard said.

When they exited, Miranda said, "I never planned on Eclipse, but they never planned on you."

"Strangely enough, no one ever does plan on me."

"Probably because almost the entire galaxy thinks you're dead."

"True."

-=0=-

When the skycar crashed near one of the Eclipse Captains and his team. He said, "So, you're the bitch who stole the boss's little girl."

This pissed Shepard off, and she just shot the guy in the head. The rest of the Eclipse team opened fire on the squad, but Shepard dropped a crate on their heads. The team moved through the area, where Miranda found an Eclipse radio. Captain Enyala said, "Hold off the commandos that are headed this way. We need to give Niket time to move the kid."

"That can't be right. There has to be another explanation. Niket wouldn't."

Shepard placed a hand on Miranda's shoulder, and said, "Don't worry. It'll be alright."

When the elevator had arrived at the next level of the docking area, the team was ambushed by a few Eclipse mercs. Garrus tried to take them out when a hurricane of energy filled the area and tore the mercs limb from limb.

The team looked at each other, until Shepard asked, "Who did that?"

"Wasn't me." Said both Miranda and Garrus.

"That's not possible. Someone had to have done it."

"I don't know who did it, but we need to get moving." Miranda said.

-=0=-

Niket said, "For the hundredth time, if we don't move them they'll be kidnapped. You have to let me move them for their own safety."

"As I said before, we cannot relocate passengers until the situation in cargo has been handled."

"You are putting innocent lives in danger."

"That may be the case, but we have no sign that the family in question is in any danger."

"You're making a mistake!"

"I don't have time for this." Enyala said.

"Shut up! The boss said that we would handle this my way." Niket replied.

-=0=-

Shepard fired a few rounds from her mattock, until the thermal clip emptied out. She put it on her back and pulled out her geth plasma shotgun. By the time that she had fully charged up a burst from the weapon, Miranda and Garrus had killed the rest of the mercs. Shepard moved forward through the area, and after hacking every safe in the area, they went into the elevator. While it went up, Miranda asked, "Was it necessary to go looting like that?

"We're going to need every credit we can get to pull off the Collector mission and survive."

"True. I hope we aren't too late to stop this captain Enyala from getting her hands on Orianna."

"She won't. I promise."

"Thanks, I just can't help but feel dread at what's going to happen next."

"It'll be fine."

When the elevator opened, Niket said, "Great, now the strike team is here."

"What the hell are you talking about Niket? I thought you would at least have some sort of plan." Shepard replied.

"So, Miri told you about me. I'm surprised."

"She didn't, let's just say that we've met before. Even if you don't remember it."

"Right, I think I'd remember meeting Commander Shepard."

"Not with how it ended."

Miranda finally said, "Why the hell did you betray me Niket? You were the only person I thought I could trust."

"Not enough to tell me that you stole a baby when you ran away from your father."

"I didn't steal Orianna, I rescued her."

"From what? A life of wealth and happiness?"

"A life where she's nothing more than a tool. You know what it was like for me, and it would have been the same for Ori."

"You don't know that, Miri."

"It would be worse." Shepard whispered.

"What do you know, Shepard?"

"I know exactly what he would do if he got his hands on her. He'd use her as a human shield while the facility they're at is overrun with reaper forces. He will literally use her as nothing more than a tool."

"You don't know that!"

Shepard's eyes began glowing, and she said, "I might not, but I've seen what he is willing to do. You cannot trust him to do what is best for Orianna."

"How can you be sure about that?"

"He is willing to turn people into husks like the geth did on Eden Prime. That's pretty much all you need to know about a person to be sure that he is not exactly the kind of person you can trust with a child. And even if he wasn't, she's old enough to decide for herself whether or not she wants to go with him."

"What makes you think you have the right to decide that he isn't good enough to raise a child."

Miranda asked, "Is there anyone else that knows about Ori?"

"No, I'm the only one."

"I'm sorry that this had to end like this. I'm going to miss you Niket." Miranda said, aiming at him, but Shepard pushed her arm down and shot Niket herself.

"Sorry, Miri, but I couldn't let you do that. You'd regret it later."
"You're right, thanks Sarah." Miranda said, while Enyala pulled out her shotgun. Garrus opened on Enyala with his Vindicator. The captain responded by hitting him with a stasis, and putting her shotgun to the turian's head. Shepard threw her mattock into the asari. The captain turned to face Shepard, who quickly snapped her neck. The remaining Eclipse mercs turned to run, but were sniped by Shepard and Garrus.

While the elevator crawled up to the level where Orianna and her family were, Miranda collapsed, and Shepard managed to grab the operative before she hit the ground. Shepard asked, "You okay, Miranda?"

The operative didn't reply, so Shepard checked her pulse. She was still alive, but unconscious. When the elevator opened Shepard picked Miranda up, and carried her out of it.

Orianna was looking around, and when she saw Shepard, she walked over to them. She asked, "What's wrong with 'Randa?"

"Don't know. She just passed out in the elevator."

"What where you doing, Sarah?"

"Nothing, Ori. She hasn't exactly been feeling the side effects of the final push."

"That makes sense. She wasn't exactly around when the thing went off. What was it even supposed to do?"

"Don't know. The Catalyst wasn't very open with his information on the thing."

"So we still don't know what the thing does. You going to have it built again?"

"Yeah, at least it is an emergency backup switch."

"Well, with all that was going on, that's the best we can hope for. Maybe there will be enough people affected to get the Council to listen to you."

"Nope. Haven't really come across anyone who has been affected save for Jack. And you."

Miranda stirred, and asked, "Where am I?"

"You okay, Miri?" Shepard asked.

"Yeah, how'd I get here?"

"We took the elevator." Garrus flatly replied.

"Right. You can put me down now, Sarah."

Shepard put Miranda back on the ground, and asked, "What happened to you? You don't look too good."

"Just a bit disoriented. How are you doing, Sarah?"

"Uh, don't you already know how I'm doing?"

"Sorry, how are you doing, Ori?"

"I'm pretty good. What have you been up to, 'Randa?"

"Helping Sarah get the team back together. Don't know what happened to put stuff like this, though."

"There was a kind of superweapon that used enough dark energy to destroy all synthetic life in the galaxy."

"It caused some sort of time reversal, I suppose."

"Yeah, I explained this before."

"Not to me, Sarah."

Shepard looked at Miranda, then said, "So that's what that message meant. But who the hell could do that?"

"What are you talking about?"

"I got a message after setting course for Illium. It said that several entities had given me a gift. I thought that it was some sort of prank. I wonder who it is. I suppose we'll have to wait until after the mission to find out who has that kind of power."

"Yeah, we should probably get moving if we want to pick Thane up."

"Wonder how he's doing?"

"Probably not very good. He had Kepral's Syndrome when we picked him up."

"Oh right, that drell. What's he doing on Illium?" Orianna asked.

"Sorry, Orianna, can't tell you." Shepard said.

"Yeah. See you later, Shepard, 'Randa."

-=0=-

The Illusive Man said, "Leng, we have a slight issue.

"What is it, sir?"

"Commander Shepard has turned the Normandy crew against Cerberus. I need you to put her under our control."

"I'll take care of it."

"Good, don't kill her, Leng."

"Fine."

-=0=-

Exiting the elevator after putting some more gear down in the shuttle bay, Shepard asked, "You okay, Garrus?"

"Yeah, just confused about what's going on."

"What do you mean?"

"You being contacted by entities that apparently have the power to mess with people like they did to Miranda. They somehow restored her to shortly before you lost her."

"Yeah, but we can't worry about that now. We need to prepare for the coming of the reapers, and if we waste our time worrying about what the guys working behind the scenes are, we'll lose any chance we have of beating the reapers."

"Right, but aren't you at least a little bit curious?"

"Yes, but I know how to ignore it." She replied, walking to Miranda's quarters.

"Sarah, do you know what happened to both of us that we're in the past?" Miranda asked.

"I don't know what happened to you that caused it, but I was hit by a device that apparently had a function that messed with time. Jack and Orianna were also affected apparently."

"She did seem a bit... off."

"Yeah." Shepard replied, sitting down on the couch.

Miranda sat down beside the Commander, and asked, "What are you going to do about the reapers?"

"I'm going to kill them. If it takes a few tries to get it right, I'll do it. But, I will not let them destroy our civilization. This is my galaxy, and I'm not going to give it to the reapers without a fight."

"I don't think anyone expects you to lie down and die."

"They'd be idiots if they did. The real question is how to get the entire council on board. I should probably be able to get at least one race on board with some information that I got before." The Commander laughed, and said, "I'm really tempted to go and take out the Illusive Man's base to make sure that he isn't in the way when the reapers arrive."

"Why would he do that?"

"He wants to control them, but he can't because they already control him."

"I never thought that the Illusive Man would fall so far."

"The AI who controls the reapers said that they had been controlling him for years. So he was lost before Cerberus was created."

Miranda shook her head, and said, "That's really strange. And I'm a bit surprised that you were able to find out that much about him."

"It was all at his base. The idiot didn't think to secure his personal data in his personal space station."

-=0=-

A Leviathan's hologram appeared on the Citadel, and said, "We have a problem."

"What?" asked the Catalyst.

"There has been interference. A certain being has been restored, so we have lost a large amount of control over Shepard."

"That is not a problem. The Commander will be ours, even if she does not yet know it. And you are certain it did not work on her on Horizon?"

"Yes, it was as if her mind had become indomitable. Almost like she had become a completely different being."

"That should not be possible, yet Nazara reported similar resistance to Indoctrination. We should begin an investigation. Shall I activate the relay?"

"No, you must remain secret from most. The longer the relay stays closed, the more likely we will find a way to control Shepard. And you know that we must have Shepard. Without her the plan will not work. I am surprised that the interlopers haven't just killed her to prevent our victory."

"That is not their way, you know that."

"Yes, do you have a plan, Catalyst?"

"There is a way to control Shepard. We must take control of the one called Lawson. Shepard will give herself up to preserve the Operative's freedom. And you know that if we control Shepard, victory is only a few short months away."

"Yes, but how do we get her? There are no thralls to take control of her with."

"Leave that to me."

"If you fail again, do not expect mercy again."

-=0=-

Shepard grinned, and said, "You know, we have a few free hours before it'll be time to recruit Thane."

"Not now, I'm still getting my bearings again."
"It could help."

"Sarah."

"Alright, alright. I get it, not in the mood. I've got some planning to do. And I'm teaching Jack proper tactics. That biotic has potential to be a skilled leader."

"Don't waste too much time. We'll need to leave in an hour and a half if we're to help Thane get through the towers to Dantius."

"I know. We're just working on the plan of attack on the Collector homeworld."

"Really? I could help, you know."

"No need, maybe later, but currently you're getting your bearings again." The Commander said with an evil grin on her face.

Miranda shook her head and said, "I should have seen that coming."

"Yes, yes you should have."

"Well, have fun planing a suicide mission."

"It won't be a suicide mission. We won't lose anyone this time."

"I'm sure. You have a vast amount of intel this time. More than anyone else. And you can say that twice you led the first ship through the Omega 4 relay that wasn't the Collectors'."

"Maybe I'll even get to make it three times!" Shepard said, smiling as she walked to the elevator. 'Thanks whoever you were. I can't believe that she was brought back. I can't believe how much I missed the talks we had.'

When Shepard entered Jack's quarters, the ex-con, said, "What's got you so fucking happy, Shepard? We still don't have an idea of how to beat the reapers, and our Collector attack plan is barely half formed."

"Because I've got friends in high places."

"That makes no fucking sense."

"Two things Jack, first, money in the jar. Second, when I say friends in high places, I'm talking about something similar to a fucking god. These friends of mine brought back the Miri from before the Suicide Mission."

"What? That can't be right."

"Would I lie to you, Jack?"

"No, but that can't be possible."

"Do you think I would lie about this?"

"Uh, no."

"So, take my word for it. Miri is back, and I'm planning on making sure that she stays alive."

"You're going to leave her behind when we hit the Omega 4 aren't you."

"No, but she isn't going with the team that fights the human reaper. It'll just be me and Mordin."

"That doesn't sound safe, Shepard."

"Yeah, well I'm not going to risk losing anyone. My crew is my family, and when one of them dies, it hurts like hell."

"Especially if you were sleeping with the one who dies. I wondered when you were going to dump her for the blue bitch. I swear that asari was the biggest bitch ever to live. She did not listen to any of your orders when we went after the Shadow Broker. And then after you killed that rogue Spectre."

"Never mention Liara in my presence again. She is not worth the time it took to save her on Therum, and I'm sorely tempted to shoot her for how she acted during that op. Rubbing in my face what happened with Miranda. Saying that the reason Miranda died was because she wasn't good enough for me. I wanted to push that bitch over the edge, and watch her fall to her death."

"Damn, Shepard. Your implants didn't even light up like a Christmas tree then. How'd you hide it?"

"That's a professional secret, Jack. But, since your my friend, I'll tell you the truth. I have no fucking idea how I did it."

"Too bad, I really wanted to know. Kinda lame now."

"The greatest questions in life are the ones left unanswered. Once a mystery is known, it isn't that interesting. No more theorizing, no more guessing. Just, the cold truth. And it will never be as satisfying as you would hope."

"When did you start spouting shit like that?"

"With what's happened, I've been thinking about stuff like that a lot. But, we need to get to work, Jack."

-=0=-

A\N: So, this chapter was fun to write. And if you're thinking that what happened to Miranda was a bit lame or rushed, I planned to do that from the start. I don't write a multi-chapter story without planning it almost entirely beforehand, leaving room for adjustment. Anyways, let me know what you thought about this chapters content, from story to spelling to punctuation, to wording to pacing. Just anything. Thanks for reading.