Event Horizon || Garrus Vakarian x FemShep

Chapter Five: Nebula

"Do we really have to do this, Miranda? I saw her fighting back there; I can vouch for her physical state."

Commander Shepard leaned back in her flight harness, hair clinging with sweat and static to the headrest of her seat on the Cerberus shuttle. Across from her, a man named Jacob Taylor spoke on her behalf, trying to defend her against probing questions that a second woman was trying to ask. This woman narrowed her eyes at him, then shook her head, pulling up a log on her omni-tool, "Any soldier can hold a gun, Taylor, but I have to know where her mind is at. We have to make sure that her conscience is intact."

Shepard breathed deeply through her nose, ears ringing with tension: "Just ask the questions, Miranda; please. I'm sure I'm fine."

Jacob still looked uneasy, but backed off as the commander agreed, sitting up in her seat to listen to Lawson more attentively. Miranda quirked a smile.

"Thank you for your cooperation. First, your childhood: Can you tell me where you grew up?"

"I was the second child born to the farming colony of Mindoir, in the Attican Traverse. I lived there with my mother, father, brother, and countless other settling families until I was sixteen."

The black-haired woman nodded to herself, seeming to scroll through information on her data display: "Good. What happened when you were sixteen?"

Shepard felt her jaw clench for a moment - nightmares from her 'coma' were fresh in her mind - but she still responded, looking out towards the stars passing by in the shuttle window.

"The colony was raided by batarian slavers not too long after my birthday. They killed most of the colonists, including my family, but I made it out thanks to a passing Alliance patrol."

"See? She's all there, Miranda. Leave her be."

The soldier shot Shepard a sympathetic smile from across the way, and she offered a ghost of one in return; Miranda wasn't done, though.

"I promise, just a few more; I need to see what her most recent memories are like. Commander, during your pursuit of Saren, you had to make a difficult decision on the planet Virmire regarding your squad. Why did you save Lieutenant Alenko?"

The woman's blood ran cold, and she stiffened in her seat, leaning forward and folding her hands. She chose her words as carefully as she could.

"It... Was a hard decision. Things like that are impossible to fully explain, especially when having to be made with seconds to spare; Lieutenant Alenko was a great soldier, and great friend. I couldn't see myself leaving without him."

Shepard closed her eyes for a second, then looked at Miranda, expression severe: "I will always regret having to leave Williams behind."

The Cerberus agent pursed her lips before glancing away, clearing her throat.

"I understand. One last question: Who did you recommend to the Council as humanity's first representative?"

She waved her hand in response, relaxing her shoulders a bit with the change of topic, "Admiral Anderson, of course. He has humanity's best interests at heart, but won't bend his morals along the path to success. A good-natured soldier is what we needed."

Miranda hummed and nodded her head, seemingly content as she shut off her omni-tool, "I'm satisfied for now. We'll see what the Illusive Man's impression of her is once we arrive at the station."

The commander lifted her eyebrows at the name, and Jacob noticed, interjecting to provide an answer: "The Illusive Man is the head of the Cerberus organization. He's the one who ordered Project Lazarus."

Miranda shot her co-worker a pointed look, "Exactly. He poured endless resources into it to ensure your survival, Commander Shepard; let's hope that he isn't disappointed."

Shepard felt her skin crawl: Miranda didn't especially care for her, and the feeling was mutual. Somehow she imagined it would be no different with the 'illusive man'.

***

"Truthfully, I disagree with his decision to leave you unshackled. I advocated for placing a control chip in your brain in the event you went rogue, but the Illusive Man insisted on ensuring you remained uninfluenced, despite the risks."

Shepard's mind was reeling after her holo-meeting with the Illusive Man. He had debriefed her on the current state of the galaxy - one of confusion, distrust, and selfish desire unchanged after Sovereign's attack - and had confirmed that she had indeed been dead for two years. Now, human colonies were disappearing, and the Alliance and Council were doing nothing about it.

She was doubting whether or not she was even her, despite Miranda's odd way of reassuring her that she hadn't been tampered with.

"I think I can understand that, to a point... I was an unknown. Objectively, having a fail safe on a risky project would be common sense, but I'm sure you can see why I'd be glad you didn't get your way."

The woman smirked, folding her arms across her chest, "Be grateful, Shepard. It's not often that I don't. For now, though, finish up whatever preparations you need; we'll be heading to investigate our lead on Freedom's Progress once you're ready."

The commander mirrored Lawson's stance, folding her arms and taking on a serious tone, "Is there going to be a problem between us, Miranda? Despite my being your project, the Illusive Man has given me full authority on the field. I don't intend to handle things any differently than I would have with the old SR-1 crew."

Miranda sighed.

"Commander, rest assured that I will not be challenging your authority. Everyone knows that you are an expert tactician and charismatic leader; I'll just be acting as your second-in-command behind the scenes. Do as you would have with 'the old crew'... Actually, speaking of, we have a few surprises for you once we get back."

Shepard stared at the Cerberus operative with a deadpan expression, "I think I've had enough surprises to last a lifetime; make that two."

Behind her, Jacob choked back a laugh, and Miranda rolled her eyes.

"It's good to see your sense of humor is also intact. If you're feeling well enough to joke, then I see no reason why we shouldn't leave right away. Chop-chop."