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?"
