Mass Effect - A Hero Rises Ch. 41

Book 2, Chapter 22 -- Favour

*****

Miranda Lawson would admit that she didn't like asking for help at the best of times. She preferred to solve problems her own way. And if the problem was personal, she definitely did not want to involve others. But the problem she now faced necessitated asking Shepard to take her somewhere, and knowing who might be involved in the problem she now faced, she knew asking for help would be the best course of action. It still didn't sit easily, though. She thought Shepard and herself now had a friendship, at least. They'd only been intimate once or twice at most, but she appreciated how things had changed between them since that first meeting. She'd warmed to him completely and had helped her form relationships with other members of the crew.

She finally put a finger to her console. "Shepard, it's Miranda. Do you have a minute to talk?"

"I'll be down in a second, Miranda."

Thanking him, she walked out to the mess, grabbed two mugs of coffee, sitting down just in time for him to come strolling through the door. She gestured to the seat opposite, and his face lit up when he noticed a hot mug of brown waiting for him. She watched him sit down and relax, taking a sip and making an appreciative noise, before he met her eyes. "What's up?"

"I need your help, Shepard."

Get it done quickly, like taking off a band aid. "My help? What with?"

She wasn't surprised by his. She never asked for help, even from Shepard. While she was more open about what she did daily, as there was little point keeping secrets from each other, she still just went about her role as she saw fit, and he never really interfered. Sure, he'd give suggestions or tips on what to do, but it was always offered, never asked. But in addition to surprise, there was definitely curiosity. And she knew he'd want to help once she'd explained.

She sipped her own drink before leaning forward, crossing her arms on the desk. No cleavage on show for something so important, and his eyes never left hers, so he could sense this was a serious matter. "I'm about to tell you something very few know, Shepard. Only... the Illusive Man, and the few people who were involved at the time." She took a deep breath. "I have a sister, Shepard."

The grin was immediate. "That's your secret? The fact you have a sister?"

"No, it's not just that." When she started to fidget unconsciously, he noticed the immediate change, the smile disappearing as he leaned forward as well, waiting for her to continue. "When I escaped my father, I took someone with me, Shepard. She's my twin sister."

"Wow, okay. That might change things a bit. But why take her?"

"She's like me. Created in a lab by my father. And I didn't want her to suffer at the hands of him like I did."

He nodded, no doubt remembering everything she had told him about life under her father. She remembered the videos of what happened to Jack. She was left thinking at the end the only difference between the pair was that she wasn't fucked and sodomised by her father. But the regime she had lived under was just as brutal. Constant tests, physical and mental. And the punishment for failure was severe. It explained her strength of character. If she could withstand that, and also escape, then she could take on anything the galaxy would throw at her.

"Okay, what's gone wrong?"

"My father stopped looking for me not long after I escaped, no doubt put off the scent by the Illusive Man, or he warned my father off. Perhaps the latter, considering my father cut links with Cerberus soon after I joined. Whoever, whatever I was created for, my sister was to be my replacement. I think she was meant to be... perfect." She didn't miss the slight smirk on his face. She knew the subtle jokes about her 'perfection'. She also never missed when he checked her out. "I've done everything I can think of to keep her very existence a secret. But I think something has gone wrong. I think my father knows where she is."

"Who does your sister live with?"

"An ordinary family. That is all I ever wanted for her. To grow up as normally as possible, without the ridiculous expectations I had heaped on me for years. My father didn't want children. He wanted a legacy."

"Okay, what do you need me to do?"

"I have a contact on Illium. We'll just have to go from there."

"And the plan?"

"Relocate my sister. Only I will know her location going forward." He raised an eyebrow in obvious surprise at that. "My father had links with Cerberus prior to me joining the organisation. He must have found that information from someone within."

"Okay. We'll head straight for Illium. I take it this is urgent?"

"I only recently received the message regarding the issue. If we could solve it quickly, I would be forever thankful, Shepard."

"What's her name?"

"Who?"

"Your sister?"

"Oh, her name is Oriana, Shepard."

He disappeared out the door, and must have headed straight to the galaxy map, as he reported that the Normandy would make it to Illium by the next day. She messaged her contact, letting her know that she would be on Illium the next day, and to expect herself and companions to ensure a smooth operation. Her contact replied quickly, stating she would meet her in the Eternity Lounge, a bar that was close to the docks.

Shepard appeared a few hours later, obviously going over in his mind the operation that might be required. Asking if she thought they would need assistance, she would have been stupid to knock back help. But it was a case of who she could trust. Getting Oriana safe was all that mattered, and in the end, no-one but her would know the final destination. "I'm really not sure if we'll end up in a fight or not. I'm hoping it'll be easy but..."

"It never is, Miranda. You should know that enough by now."

"Okay, small team, and encompassing all the skills we might need. Kasumi, Thane... Samara... Garrus..."

"Really?"

"Come on, Shepard, is there anyone else you'd want watching your back?"

"I know, I'm just surprised. That's six of us then. Anyone else?"

"No. Small team, hopefully none of us will be required. In and out, nice and easy. But plan for the best, expect the worst, that kind of thing."

She found sleeping difficult that night, her mind going over a million and one permutations of what this was all about. She hoped against hope that her contact was simply over-reacting, but she knew her father would never have given up the search for Oriana. Herself? She could understand giving up eventually, particularly if warned off by the Illusive Man. But Oriana had always been the prize he had craved, the years of researched, the legacy he had always wanted.

Still pre-occupied the next morning, the Normandy was getting ready to dock when she finally dragged herself out of the office, heading straight upstairs to the armoury. She attached the shield pack to her hips, confident as always that her shields and biotic barriers would keep her safe. Only rarely did both fail. A pistol and an SMG were all she would carry. Shotguns were too bulky, assault and sniper rifles were too heavy. Those she had requested walked in as she was getting ready, Shepard in his armour, tooling up as if ready to go to war, Thane selecting a pistol and sniper rifle, Garrus his usual weapons of war, Samara the same outload as herself, but she usually relied on her biotics. Kasumi also carried the same as her, but relied on her cloaking and other tech abilities.

Heading out onto Illium, Shepard had issues noticed that this was not a relaxation stop. The ship would be stopping only for the mission and the evening. She knew during the evening he would be visiting Gianna, or he might even bring her to the Normandy, though wasn't how sure that would work with Kelly.

The lounge where she was meeting the contact was only a short walk away from the docks. The place was full of asari, as she expected, but her contact was already sat at the bar, nursing a drink, though she immediately rose as they walked in. "Lanteia!"

"Miss Lawson," she replied, immediately business like.

"What's going on? Your message sounded urgent so I came as quickly as possible."

The asari looked around before gesturing with her head. "Follow me into the other room. I don't want anyone eavesdropping." That didn't exactly calm her nerves but she followed the asari, taking a seat at a small table across from her, the others forming around Miranda. "Firstly, before asking anything else, Oriana is fine."

She would have sighed with relief, but that still didn't explain the message. "So what's going on then?"

"Your external source, Niket, has sent warning that your father has recruited Eclipse mercenaries to track down your sister. Figuring that these mercenaries would no doubt be waiting for you to arrive, he's suggested escorting Oriana and her family to the terminal instead."

"As in off-world?" Lanteia nodded. "And where would they go?"

"That would be your choice, Miss Lawson."

She had already considered the possibility of having to move Oriana and her family, but it appeared that would now be the best option. If her father had managed to track her to Illium, then she wouldn't be safe much longer. "We'll discuss and decide that once these mercenaries are dealt with."

"Who's Niket?" Shepard asked.

"A friend. An old friend. I don't have many of those left from... that time. He was the one who helped me "

"Time is short, Miranda. What's your plan?" Lanteia asked, "Do you want anyone else brought in to help?"

She shook her head. "No, Shepard and I can handle anything from here. Since these mercs are no doubt waiting for us, we'll go and draw their attention. That will give Niket and Oriana time to get away."

"Anything else?" Lanteia asked.

"That's it for now. Just get the message to Niket to keep Oriana and her family safe. That's all I ask."

"Understood," the asari replied, before nodding and disappearing out the door.

Rising to her feet, she felt all five pairs of eyes fall on her, even Shepard, let assuming that this was her mission, so she would at least be offering her own ideas. If he liked the sound of them, he would no doubt agree. "Eclipse can be a pain in the arse, Shepard."

"Indeed. Think we have the right team here?"

"Yes. But one more. I'll message Jacob, ask him to come too. He'll be in the armoury, no doubt, so it shouldn't take him long to get ready."

He turned up ready for a fight fifteen minutes later, so the seven of them headed out into Illium. Securing transportation, two skycars due to their number, they were soon approaching the area provided by Lanteia where they could approach Eclipse. Unfortunately, their approach was noticed, and once they were under fire, the two skycars quickly descended and landed. To her surprise, the mercenaries didn't converge on them and open fire. They hung back, allowing them to get out and walk towards them in return.

Striding forward, she sensed Shepard to her side, though her eyes didn't move from the mercenaries ahead. One or two rather well armed, many with tech armour. A mixture of different species, and definitely different abilities. Coming to a halt around a dozen paces away, she counted them all. She had seven in total. They had more. But they'd faced far worse odds than that before.

"You know who I am?" she shouted.

The mercenary leader held up his hand, his five colleagues lining up behind him, though no weapons were on display. Yet. "Yeah, I know who you are. You're the bitch that kidnapped my boss's little girl."

"Oriana wasn't kidnapped. And this has nothing to do with any of you. Now I suggest you take your men and leave."

"How about I put this in terms I'm sure you'll understand. Fuck off. Now," Shepard added in a tone that really should have brooked no argument. She almost smirked, knowing he was itching for a good fight.

"And who are you?" the mercenary asked.

"Shepard. Maybe you've heard of me? Trust me, you don't want to fuck with us, you certainly don't want to get in her way, and you definitely don't want to fuck with someone like me. So, either fuck off now, I'll even be polite and add please, or... well, I'm sure I don't have to mention the outcome."

The mercenary ignored the threat and looked back at her. "I bet you think you're really smart. Everything under control. That's where you're wrong. Captain Enyala is currently moving in on the kid. And Niket won't be helping you. "If you don't do anything stupid, we'll all get out of this alive," the mercenary stated, folding his arms across his chest, a slight smirk appearing, "Walk away now, the kid goes back to her father, and everyone wins."

"Miranda, how old is your sister? You said you were a twin?" Shepard asked, clearly confused.

The mercenary leader laughed. "That's what this bitch told you?! No, that isn't what happened. She kidnapped a baby. He's been looking for her for over a decade."

She felt his eyes land on her. She didn't look away, now glaring daggers at the mercenary. She had wanted to explain, but after, once the dust had settled down. "Shepard, I've been nothing but honest with you about all of this. Oriana is my sister. Biologically, she is an almost identical twin."

She finally chanced a glance in his direction. Their eyes met. He nodded once, and shotgun from his back. "Look, I've already asked politely, now I'm demanding. Fuck off now."

The mercenary leader stepped forward until still standing eyeball to eyeball with Shepard. He was confident. Too confident. "We've given you one chance to walk away. Shame you didn't take it. Now..."

His first and last mistake. Shepard launched a ferocious headbutt into the face of the mercenary before putting the shotgun to his throat and pulling the trigger. As that happened, gunfire erupted, Miranda aiming for a nearby barrel, which exploded upon the second impact. After that, it was nothing but chaos, mercenaries flooded forward as Shepard yelled for them to fire at will, no prisoners.

So standard operating procedure.

Being a warehouse area, crates and boxes towered over them, necessitating caution as they moved forward. Garrus found elevation as usual, as did Thane, the sound of two cracks soon echoing around as they found easy pickings in the distance. Shepard led at the front as always, and whenever they made contact, he disappeared a ball of blue light, the sound of his shotgun firing a second or two later. The rest followed at a distance, gunfire, biotics and tech attacks raining down on the enemy. Kasumi would disappear, reappearing in the distance behind a mercenary, a quick, clean kill, before she disappeared again. Miranda simply smirked, thinking she really should invest in something similar.

As they moved on, she heard a radio cackle from a nearby dead mercenary. Picking it up, she attached it and could now listen into Eclipse orders. Shepard noticed and gave a thumbs up. Boarding an elevator, knowing they would need to head up to make it to the terminal in time, it was the first moment of peace they had so she could explain as much as she could.

"She's my twin, Shepard, as I said. Blood. DNA. Genetically, we are identical. But... My father 'grew' her when I was already a teenager."

"Why not just say that originally?"

"It sounds easy now, but it's a rather complicated matter. She's the only family I have, Shepard. And I am very protective of her. And I will protect her from anyone who dares threaten her."

"So all this to take her from your father?" Jacob asked.

"I wasn't the first one my father made, Jacob. I was just the first one he kept. Oriana was my replacement. You can guess what my fate was going to be."

"No shit?"

"It wasn't the only reason I ran away, but once I figured out what he had planned, it gave my escape a sense of urgency. I wasn't going to be another one of his sacrifices."

Mercenaries were waiting for them, Shepard charging as soon as the doors opened, a perfect distraction as the rest of the team filtered out and opened fire. She found herself working in tandem with Samara more often than not, the biotic power of the asari outmatching anything she could do, but they could pull of some rather spectacular combinations. Thane showed he had a grasp of biotics as well, though he was superior with a weapon in hand.

It was chaos, and perhaps everyone was glad they were not in a civilian area. There were plenty of explosions as crates being carried overhead were dropped to the ground, more than one mercenary squashed into paste. Other barrels contained enough explosives to cause piles of crates to topple over, lucky that Garrus didn't call one of them home when perching himself up high.

"Keep the bitch back! Niket is nearing the transport terminal."

That brought her to a halt. She immediately thought she'd heard wrong, but couldn't very well ask a question. Shepard noticed and asked what was wrong. "They just said Niket..." She shook her head. "No, I must have heard wrong. He wouldn't sell me out."

"Sure about that?"

She heard the tone. Who could she really trust from that life? Meeting his eyes, she nodded. "The only way to find out is getting up there."

They moved on, mowing down mercenaries, and when they were met with mechs, nearly all of them laughed at the desperation at sending such fodder in their direction. Sure, it slowed them down, but even someone with minimum training shouldn't really be shot and killed by a mech of all things. The last few mercenaries provided minimal assistance before they made it to what she hoped was the final elevator. Boarding it, EDI quickly reported that Eclipse had tried sabotaging it, but she'd managed to prevent it. Then she heard something that made her stomach drop.

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

Shepard heard it too. And his eyes suggested that he believed her worse fears. She shook her head in disbelief. "No, they must know we're listening, feeding us false information..."

"You still sure about him?" he asked. He was no longer convinced. But he didn't know him. Surely Niket wouldn't sell her out too?

Looking up, watching the numbers, she steeled herself for what was to come. As long as Oriana lived, that was all that mattered. Lived and escaped her father's clutches. "Shepard, if this goes wrong, and I..."

"Don't even finish that fucking sentence, Miranda," he growled, his eyes watching the numbers, "We're all walking out of this together."

"Thank you," she whispered.

"Spirits, you two are going to fuck again, aren't you?" Garrus muttered.

"Haven't actually given it a thought, Garrus," Shepard stated with amusement, "Mention it again, and I will be distracted."

The doors opened and she strode forward, feeling the rest spread out to either side, everyone with weapon in hand. But what she could see ahead broke her heart. It was really true. Her oldest, dearest friend had sold her out. When his eyes met hers, there was no surprise that she was there. There was guilt, but also... defiance. Almost accusation. He probably knew the absolute truth.

"You sold me out," she spat bitterly, "Why? You helped me get away from him. Why are you handing her back to him?"

"Asari with shotgun," Shepard murmured. She took the information in but her eyes were only for Niket.

Niket tried lowering his hands, five weapons raised and pointed at him forcing them back up immediately. "Yes! Of course I helped you because you wanted to leave. But if I'd known that you had kidnapped a baby..."

"I didn't kidnap her! I rescued her!" she replied indignantly.

"You weren't rescuing her, Miri. You were getting back at your father!"

"How did he manage to turn you? How did he manage to turn my only friend?"