KIRA SHEPARD.          ^{choseparagon‌}

the  original.  the  idea  is  a  startling  one  for  her,  to  be  wanted.  she  doesn’t  doubt  that  cerberus,  and  in  turn  miranda,  has  read  every  line  within  her  file.  do  they  know  that  no  one  had  wanted  her  for  years  on  earth?  that  it  was  only  when  the  alliance  put  a  gun  in  her  hands  and  slapped  private  before  her  name  that  she  became  something  of  value ?  shepard  wonders  when  the  switch  happened, when  the  original  became  something  of worth. 

she  blinks  as  miranda  lifts  her  omni-tool,  visibly  surprised  at  the  swiftness  of  the  action. “i’ll  admit,”  she  glances  down  to  her  own  tool,  confirms  the  data  transmission. “i may  not  miss  working  with  diplomats  all  that  much.  the  wheels  of  bureacracy  grind slowly  and,”  one  quick  flick  of  her  finger  and  the  download  is  completed,  “half  the  time you  don’t  even  get  what  they  promised.”  how  many  times  had  she  begged  the  alliance for  additional  resources,  how  many  times  had  the  council  claimed  to  offer  more  troops  or  support  and  been  silent  when  she’d  needed  it  most?  cerberus  is  alluring,  shepard thinks,  and  that  in  itself  should  serve  as  a  warning. 

gaze  flicks  upwards  once  more  as  miranda  shifts  into  her  chair  across  from  her,  the picture  of  ease.  “thanks  for  the  head’s  up.”  she  rests  her  arm  by  her  side  once  more, omni-tool  shut  off  for  the  time  being.  “were  you  in  one  of  the  programs  they  started, then?  for kids?  one  of  my  old  crew  had  the  l2  implants,  told  me  about  what  it  was  like for him.” 

MIRANDA ISN’T A STRANGER     ^{to manipulation ,    of herself and of others     —     it’s an inevitability in this line of work ,    plying with promises and threats :    a handgun as fast as a smile ,    both operated by a woman not quite perfect ,     but as close as god would allow .    and she knows it ,    too ,    the breadth of her capabilities .    she’s been handcrafted for success ,   sharp and slender as a knife to the gut .     false modesty has never been a virtue in her eyes    –    it slows things down ,    denying one’s strengths in an attempt to look properly ,     acceptably humble .   there’s only the goal ,    and what it will take to reach it .   miranda is under no illusions about the commander’s capabilities ,    either    –    kira’s results ,    her potential ,   it’s all data ,   all hard fact .     and miranda ,    she’s uncovered everything there is to know ,    at least on paper .   kira’s loyalty to cerberus isn’t necessary for the success of this mission ,     but it wouldn’t be such a terrible thing to have .}

^{miranda tilts her head to the side ,    evaluating and carefully deciding her next action ,     her next words .    no ,    there’s no denying that she’d make an excellent cerberus agent .    but first ,    she’d have to be won over .    no promises can be made ,    no words exchanged ,   that will turn kira from her rooted beliefs of cerberus .    she’d have to be fed on proof of cerberus’ aims and values     —     she’s got enough faith in the illusive man for the both of them ,    but the whole operation will run smoother if shepard isn’t questioning his every word and action .    miranda smiles ,    this small victory sharpening the curve of it ,    a wry chuckle springing forth .          ❝              no doubt you understand that better than anyone .    i can only imagine how frustrating it is ,    getting bogged down by bureaucracy while the real problems get worse and worse .          ❞         the choice of words is intentional :     she can only imagine ,    but not with cerberus .}     

^{she props her arm atop the side of her chair ,    leaning her chin onto her fist .    a display of openness ,    the lines of her form casual and stolid .        ❝         no ,   actually .    i’ve never spent any time in any official programs ,     alliance or otherwise .    i received private tutoring as a child ,    and that included training with my biotics .     after i joined cerberus ,    i did receive more training ,    but by that time i already quite capable .          ❞         she received nothing but the best ,    always ,    and there’s no point in hiding that ,    either .     even if it cuts at a part of her ,    low and tucked away .          ❝          you’re talking about alenko ,    right ?     were you two close ?            ❞          she poses the question tentatively ,    in the shape of harmless curiosity .}

KIRA SHEPARD .       ^{choseparagon‌}

“if i was exactly the same as before the project,” shepard states simply, almost icily, “i’d still be dead. if you all were expecting a thank you for that, by the way, i hope you’ll understand that i’m still a bit hesitant.” everything about miranda, the polite curve of her lips and careful words, makes her think about the diplomats back on the citadel, save for one key difference. the politicians seemed to her to always be eager to grasp at power, gild themselves in any illusion of it they could muster, but miranda? one look at her and kira knows her power isn’t an illusion. miranda lawson is powerful and dangerous and beneath that courteous power lies no small amount of ruthlessness. if the situation were different, shepard might have even been impressed by it. 

glancing towards the chair, shepard settles into a moment later, scarred visage impassive. “i would like to see the files. no offense, but the last thing i want is any surprises in the middle of a firefight, something i didn’t have before clicking on.” 

the thought of it sends a sharp shiver down her spine that she immediately suppresses, one lean leg folding over the other. “what about you? any fancy new upgrades courtesy of cerberus?” 

KIRA’S HOSTILITY IS HARDLY UNEXPECTED .     ^{it’d be quite a shock if she were completely accepting of all that happened ,    of cerberus and the ways it had crawled into every crevice of her life .    if their roles were reversed ,    miranda would revolt from such an invasion      —     as she already had once before .    leaning forward on the desk ,    palms upward ,    face softened ,    she begets an air of careful ease ,    unstirred by the edge in the commander’s tone .     she is nothing if not impeccable in her work ,    and ensuring kira’s cooperation is paramount .          ❝             yes ,    you would still be dead if not for cerberus .    but we didn’t want some facsimile of you ,    shepard .    we wanted the original .           ❞}

^{not waiting for a response ,     she raises her omni - tool ,    smearing soft light across her visage .    fingers dance quickly over the holographic buttons ,    instinctively finding the lazarus project’s data ,    harbored and secured .    miranda sends them unceremoniously ,    nodding to kira .          ❝         there .    that’s all the data ,   reports ,    and files i have on the lazarus project .    my own private notes included .    some of the older files contain photos ,    and they’re quite graphic    –    just in case you want to avoid them .          ❞           a warning ,    nothing more .}    

^{truthfully ,    miranda can’t tell if the commander is trying to bait her ,    drawing her in with a question like that .    hoping for a strong reaction :    anger ,    disgust ,    shame ?    or ,    perhaps a sympathetic ear ?    no ,    likely not that .    it could simply be curiosity .    she mimics kira ,    pressing the length of her spine into the chair ,     crossing her leg over the other .    mimicry of body language is frequently unrealized ,    unintentional .    she does it on purpose .        ❝         that’s a fair question .     but no ,    i haven’t received any upgrades from cerberus .    my genetics have been heavily altered and modified ,   but that was before i joined .          ❞}

GARRUS VAKARIAN .      ^{turianrebel‌}

❝  i’m  certainly  not  opposed  to  our  mission  .  no  one  else  seems  to  be  doing  anything  to  stop  these  strange  attacks                     the  collectors  are  walking  around  freely  and  taking  colonists  ,  and  not  even  the  alliance  will  act  .  ❞  garrus  keeps  his  tone  as  even  and  as  calm  as  he  can  ,  avoiding  any  subvocal  sounds  that  might  startle  her  .  ❝  that  doesn’t  mean  i’m  aligned  with  cerberus  .  i  trust  shepard  .  i  trust  her  judgement                    i’m  here  for  her  .  if  she  says  cerberus  is  the  only  one  taking  this  seriously  ,  i  believe  her  .  ❞  a  minute  scoff  at  her  question  .  ❝  couldn’t  stand  all  the  bureaucratic  crap  .  i  outgrew  c-sec  and  all  the  restrictions  that  came  with  it  .  seems  shepard’s  ability  to  take  things  into  her  own  hands  rubbed  off  on  me  .  ❞

miranda  admits  to  failing  in  her  initial  search  ,  and  garrus  can’t  help  but  stand  up  a  little  taller  .  ❝  the  only  one  miranda  couldn’t  find  ,  ❞  he  marvels  outloud  ,  breaking  this  even-toned  appearance  to  chuckle  and  duck  his  head  momentarily  .  ❝  i  think  that  might  be  the  greatest  compliment  anyone’s  ever  given  me  .  i’ll  be  holding  onto  that  for  quite  a  while  .  ❞  he  realizes  he’s  trying  to  joke  and  play  around  a  little               with  miranda  of  all  people                                       and  it  startles  him  quite  a  bit  .  ❝  i’ll  pretend  you  just  said  archangel  was  THE  first  consideration  for  the  team  ,  and  that’ll  just  about  round  out  my  day  .  ❞  another  chuckle  .  ❝  be  careful  .  if  you  bring  on  any  more  turians  to  do  cerberus’s  work  ,  we  might  think  you  like  us  .  ❞

❝         HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF COLONISTS GONE ,      ^{one would think the alliance might step in .     as it turns out ,     they’re more concerned about appearances than human lives .              ❞           a sneer cuts at the corner of her mouth ,     laden with a healthy disrespect for humanity’s representatives .    they would rather bend over backwards for the council than truly investigate the extent of innocent human lives lost to the collectors .    his distrust is evident ,    and expected .    the ranks of cerberus are padded with those who join out of simple xenophobia ,     rather than a genuine desire to see humanity succeed .     nodding slowly ,    miranda folds her hands atop her stomach ,    leaning backward into the wall .          ❝        yes ,     i do understand ,    and i appreciate your cooperation with us nonetheless .    there aren’t enough people who sign up with cerberus for the right reasons ,   and some who take the     …      flexibility cerberus offers too far .    i hope that your time here will show you that our true aim is simply the protection and advancement of humanity .    it isn’t really any different than ,    say ,    the salarian STG units    –    or even the spectres .          ❞          she won’t downplay or revoke her loyalties for the sake of good conversation :      but ,     offering a different side of cerberus to for him to see ,    that she can do .}

^{❝          so it seems .    but it works in your favor .          ❞             his distaste for c - sec and all of its many ,    many strings is near tangible .   her knowledge of garrus vakarian before their hasty ,    blood - bathed introduction at archangel’s base on omega was CLINICAL ,    absent details on his personality ,    his life ,     but the information seems consistent with the man before her now ,    puzzle pieces slowly snapping into place with each word out of his mouth .     his father was a c - sec officer ,    but given his frustration with it ,    was it forced upon him ?     must have been good at his job ,    or else why wouldn’t he have been replaced with someone more amenable ,     compliant with the rules ?     but his superiors likely didn’t appreciate that fast to act attitude .     he’s  interesting ,     and she finds herself far more curious about him than she intended .    his pride at her minor failure shocks a laugh out of her ,     short and fast .     her shortcomings are rarely treated with such      …      levity .          ❝           well ,     i’m glad you’re happy about it .    it was quite frustrating at the time .     but     —     i suppose it all worked out in the end .   though i’m afraid you were behind myself ,    obviously ,    and dr .  solus .     but we did come to get you first ,   didn’t we ?           ❞}

^{she’s surprised by the ease of their banter .     miranda is hardly someone who cloys for the approval and trust of others    –     she doesn’t need it to do her job correctly ,    which is what comes first .     still ,    it’s pleasant ,    and the carefully held tension in her shoulders slowly relaxes .    teasing ,    her tone takes on a lighter ,    easier lilt .          ❝           like i said ,     i    –    and cerberus   –   have nothing against turians .    and if i remember correctly ,    you’re the one who chose to stay ,     no questions asked .     you might like it here more than you anticipated .             ❞}

GARRUS VAKARIAN.       ^{turianrebel‌}

he’ll  be  respectful  and  play  nice  ,  despite  miranda’s  deeply  ingrained  cerberus  ties  .  he’ll  do  it  for  shepard’s  sake  ,  for  the  sake  of  the  mission  and  for  the  sake  of  all  the  colonist  lives  in  jeopardy  .  still  ,  garrus  finds  himself  suspicious  of  her  .  other  humans  aboard  continue  to  mention  miranda’s  PERFECTION                    and  he’s  curious  .  she  is  ,  in  human  terms  ,  very  nice  to  look  at  .  ❝  yes  ,  when  udina  suggested  saren  had  attacked  a  human  colony  ,  i  was  put  in  charge  of  the  initial  investigation  .  through  my  work  ,  i  ran  into  shepard  ,  joined  the  crew  .  executor  pallin  tried  to  put  a  stop  to  my  digging  around                       working  with  shepard  gave  me  more  reach  than  i’d  ever  had  at  c-sec  .  ❞  mandibles  flicker  ,  and  he  tilts  his  head  a  little  ,  watching  her  from  behind  his  visor  .  a  low  little  sound  ,  rumbling  .  ❝  omega  offered  me  a  chance  to  make  an  impact  without  any  red  tape  holding  me  back         not  at  all  like  c-sec  .  i  felt  i  was  doing  good  on  omega  with  my  team  .  sticking  up  for  people  without  a  bunch  of  politicians  getting  in  my  way  .  ❞  another  little  sound  .  ❝  cerberus  couldn’t  make  the  archangel  connection  ,  then  ?  guess  my  plan  to  disappear  really  worked  after  all  .  ❞

❝         YES    …    IN MY EXPERIENCE ,      ^{official channels are more concerned with appearances than the real problem at hand .    once they’ve arrived ,   the damage is already done .    hence our mission     —      it seems like you understand that better than most .     i don’t think there are many people who would take on the task of cleaning up the most hellish corner of the galaxy .   couldn’t go back to c - sec after your time on the SR - 1 ?            ❞          his motives seem clean - cut ,    genuine to boot ,    and that is strange on its own .   an intrinsic desire to see justice done ,   and the collectors stopped ,     seems paramount     —     is it simply because of his history with saren and the geth ?   or does this lie within his character ?}     

^{most wouldn’t throw themselves into almost certain death for next to nothing .    they are easy to decipher ,    and their drives are often far less admirable :    money ,    favors ,    a debt .    these are frequent and reliable ,    understandable ,    and miranda knows how to ply each one with a steady hand .     a few ,    like shepard and herself ,    know the stakes and what cannot come to pass .    but such a thing is rare ,   and there isn’t enough information to make a proper judgement on him yet .    tilting her head to the side ,   miranda hmm’s lowly ,    her smile becoming slender and wry .        ❝           actually ,    no .     we’d made efforts to track down the whereabouts of all the old crew .     you were the only one i couldn’t find .          ❞          an admission she begets with a soft laugh ,     maintaining her friendly demeanor .          ❝         perhaps i should’ve been more thorough in my search     —     ex c - sec officer to formidable vigilante on omega is quite a leap .   i’d never thought of it .    impressive ,   though .    archangel was one of our first considerations when it came to compiling possible members for the team .         ❞}