"What the hell do we do with this thing?" Miranda asked as we stood a couple of metres away from the bench where it lay.
"To be honest, picking it up and bringing it with us was a spur of the moment decision," I admitted, "Miranda, it knew who I was. It called me 'Shepard-Commander'. It's wearing a piece of my armour. Now I don't know much about the geth, but I'm pretty sure that they don't talk like we do. And I've never met what I would call a friendly geth."
Grunt and Samara were standing behind us, Grunt armed with his shotgun, Samara glowing blue and ready to assist. And behind them both was a nervous though incredibly curious Tali. This was the first time that she'd ever seen a geth up close that wasn't trying to kill her and us.
The reason we had a geth on our ship was that we'd met it during our mission onto a derelict Reaper ship to obtain a Reaper IFF (Identify Friend / Foe) device. Once we had that installed, we would be able to pass through the Omega Four relay safely and it was hoped that it would also allow us safe passage back through the same relay.
Boarding the Reaper had been creepy. Garrus and Tali had been with me when dealing with Saren. We knew first hand how powerful these things were. But actually climbing on board a Reaper, aware of how it can indoctrinate people… And I didn't care how old this Reaper was or if it appeared to be dead. I wasn't the only one that could feel that it was still capable of messing with us.
There had been a Cerberus science team on board. They were all dead. Research logs we found during the mission confirmed that they'd all been indoctrinated slowly during their time on the Reaper. No doubt it was subtle and none of them were aware until it was too late. Whether the Reaper was actually dead or not, I couldn't tell. I had a feeling it was still 'living' though was simply far too damaged.
One entry we found confirmed what happened. It sent a chill up most of our spins.
"Chandana said the ship was dead. We trusted him. He was right. But even a dead god can dream. A god, a real god, is a verb. Not some old man with magic powers. It's a force. It warps reality just by being there. It doesn't have to want to. It doesn't have to think about it. It just does. That's what Chandana didn't get. Not until it was too late. The god's mind is gone but it still dreams. He knows now. He's tuned in on our dreams. If I close my eyes I can feel him. I can feel every one of us."
We had to make our way to the mass effect core to obtain the device. I had every single member of my squad with us, and it was probably the toughest mission that we'd undertaken so far. Wounds were taken. Armour was scarred. Shields failed constantly and even biotic barriers could not withstand the barrage of attacks we took. The Reaper proved it wasn't dead as the monsters it could summon ensured it was a slog.
And it was during all this that a geth made contact. It was one of the few times that any of us heard Tali curse as she was as surprised as the rest of us.
The geth was doing what it chose to do as we slogged our way forward though we eventually found it again in the core. It was doing something when it was attacked by a bunch of husks. We did our best to defend it though it eventually slumped to the ground. After obtaining the Reaper IFF, I looked down at the geth and knew this could be quite the opportunity.
I ordered Grunt to pick it up and bring it back to the ship.
"I'm almost willing to agree with Georgia," Tali finally stated, "I'm curious, but tossing it out the airlock would at least stop this geth from killing us all."
"That's not going to happen," I assured her.
"I know the Illusive Man would be interested…" I glanced at Miranda to see her smiling, "Though I wouldn't go handing anything over to him now."
"Oh, how you have changed, Miss Lawson," I teased. She returned a sweet smile that had us both chuckling.
"Tali… Would you be capable of waking this thing up?"
"Are you sure, Shepard?" she asked once she was standing alongside me.
"I am. I know you're not convinced, and I understand why, but this thing tried to talk to us. It seemed to be helping us. I want to know why. Aren't you curious?"
"Part of me is. Part of me thinks that we'll wake it up and it'll just try and take over the ship."
"I have firewalls in place and isolated all systems to prevent hacking attempts. The geth won't be able to cause us any damage, Shepard," EDI assured her.
Tali looked at me again and I nodded. She opened her Omni-tool and started to work on waking up the geth. I had no idea what she was doing. It took a few minutes, but the first movement was the geth seemed to shudder. I felt everyone tense up as its limbs started to slowly move and then the light in its head flickered on.
"Easy," I said softly, "Stay calm, everyone. It was friendly. Let's see if it still is."
The geth raised its head and looked our way. I felt Tali stiffen next to me. I grasped her hand and gave it a squeeze as I could understand her fear. She'd spent her entire life hearing horror stories about geth. Add to that our own battles against the geth, and I could understand why it would be taking all her self-control to not take out her shotgun and start blasting.
I was surprised that the geth moved almost organically, lifting itself up and then swinging its legs around to sit on the edge of the bench before it lowered itself down to the floor. It wasn't a particularly tall unit. Taller than most of the women though not as tall as me.
"You said my name on the Reaper. Have we met?" I had to ask. I mean, every other geth that I'd met before ended up dead.
"We know of you," the geth replied.
"You mean the other geth that I've fought before?"
"No. We know of you though we have never met."
I glanced at Tali. She shrugged. I gestured between the geth and myself. "You and I have never met, but I have met other geth before."
"We are all geth, and we have not met you." I glanced at Miranda who looked as confused as I did. "You are Shepard. Commander. Alliance. Human. Fought heretics. Killed by Collectors. Rediscovered on the Old Machine."
"Old Machine? You mean the Reaper?"
"Reaper. A superstitious title originating with the Protheans. We call those entities the Old Machines."
"And you seem to know a lot about me?"
"All organic sent out is received. We watch you."
"Me or everyone?"
"Yes."
"Um… Do you mean both as in you watch everyone?"
"Yes."
"Actually, what it says makes sense, Shepard," Tali stated, "They would watch us to see if we were doing anything to perhaps attack them. And given their intelligence and how they network, it would make sense that they would be interested in all our data."
"Correct, Creator Zorah."
"Hang on… What? Who?"
"You are Tali'Zorah. Engineer. Quarian. Creator of the geth."
"You call all quarians 'creators'?" she wondered.
"Yes."
"And do you watch us?"
"Yes."
"Keelah… Do you want to attack us?"
"We want to live in peace."
I felt Tali bristle at that though a hand on her shoulder from me calmed her down. "To be honest, Tali, I need to ask him something about these heretics he mentioned. What did you mean by that?"
"Geth build our own future. The heretics asked the Old Machines to give them the future. They are no longer part of us. We were studying the Old Machine's hardware to protect our future."
"Do you believe the Reapers would attack you too?"
"Yes."
I glanced at Miranda and she shrugged her shoulders, a silent suggestion that it was truly my decision. I glanced back towards Tali and she made a subtle gesture with her head that I recognised. She was curious about this geth.
"So are you here to help us?" I finally asked.
"We oppose the heretics. We oppose the Old Machines. Shepard-Commander opposes the Old Machines. Shepard-Commander opposes the heretics. Cooperation furthers mutual goals."
"Are you asking to join us?"
"Yes."
"Keelah… I never thought that a geth would try and make contact with us like this," Tali whispered.
"Could prove incredibly interesting, Shepard. Could this geth even provide us with a way to open dialogue with all the geth?" Miranda asked.
"What should I call you?" I asked the geth.
"Geth."
"I mean you specifically."
"We are all geth."
I groaned. I'm sure someone would be able to dumb it down for me eventually, but I knew enough about how advanced the geth were in comparison to everyone else. "Okay, what is the individual in front of me called?"
"There is no individual. We are all geth. There are currently one thousand, one hundred and eighty-three programs active within this platform."
"Shepard, if I may make a suggestion?" EDI asked.
"Shoot."
"My name is Legion, for we are many."
"Works for me. What about you?"
"Christian Bible, the Gospel of Mark, chapter five, verse nine. We acknowledge this as an appropriate metaphor. We are Legion, a terminal of the geth. We will integrate into Normandy."
I offered my hand. The geth did the same gesture to the amusement of Tali and Miranda. I gently grasped it and was surprised it wasn't just metal. I wasn't sure what it was but there was definitely a somewhat organic element to some of the features of Legion. It almost looked like muscle.
"Legion, I'm sure some of my crew will be interested in speaking to you. Would that be okay?"
"Yes."
"Is there anything you will need otherwise?"
"No."
"Okay… Um, just ask EDI if you need me any time for anything. Tali, are you…"
"Can we talk, Legion?"
"Yes, Creator Zorah. We would be interested in an exchange of data."
While they were busy chatting away, EDI told me about installing the Reaper IFF. It was going to take a while as it was going to be difficult even for an AI to have it mesh with our ship's system. There was also the inherent danger of melding a Reaper program with our ship. EDI was confident that she could keep the ship safe, but there was always the possibility that something could go terribly wrong.
But we all knew that the Reaper IFF needed to be installed. I told EDI to hold on installing it until I was certain that we were ready to go. My main concern was… well, Miranda. Any mission that we'd taken care of, she'd been on the ball and there'd been no issues. But on the ship, she'd been distracted for the past few days. I was waiting for her to talk to me. She trusted me as much as I trusted her. And I saw her glancing at me occasionally, and I knew she was trying to tell me something.
Given the dangers of installing the Reaper IFF, I was prepared to keep the Normandy away from any colony or settlement, even Omega.
It was late in the evening, sitting back and nursing a drink while watching something on my large vidscreen, when EDI announced that Miranda was on her way up to my cabin. That was unusual as she wasn't a regular visitor compared to many other women. When she walked through the doors and stood in front of me, I was surprised that Miranda Lawson looked on the verge of falling apart.
"I need your help, Shepard."
I was on my feet immediately as I knew Miranda was finally going to tell me what was on her mind. "Miranda… I haven't missed…"
"I'm sorry. I trust you completely. But this is personal and…"
"Drink first to calm down?" She nodded eagerly, earning a smile as she sat down because I didn't need to ask what she wanted. Handing her a large glass filled nearly to the brim, she sipped at it gratefully, not missing that her usual steady hands were shaking slightly. When I gently grasped one of them, I felt her squeeze my hand in return and another grateful look.
"I've told you about my life before Cerberus, Shepard. My domineering father. The fact that I was engineered. In many ways, we are similar. Well, at least this newer version of you. I was created, not born."
"I remember you telling me. How did you deal with it all?"
"It wasn't easy. I never had a mother to provide the comfort and warmth one would expect of a maternal figure. My father… Well… He created me to be 'perfect'. But he obviously wasn't happy as he created my sister. I call her my twin because we were genetically the same. But… I don't want any surprises, Shepard. She isn't my identical twin, she's a genetic twin. When I escaped my father, I made sure that I took her with me. I didn't want her enduring what I had to thanks to my father."
"Where is your sister now?"
"She was in an undisclosed location. Not even Cerberus know where she is. But…" She took a deep breath as I knew she didn't want to fall apart on me then. "I have contacts on various worlds. One has been in touch with me recently on Illium. She's warned me that my father has somehow managed to track her location. I've already put contingencies in place, but I want to make sure everything runs smoothly. My father cannot get his hands on her, Shepard. I won't allow it to happen."
"Do we need to go to Illium?"
"Please, Shepard," she whispered.
I let go of her hand though that was only to wrap my arm around her and pull her closer. "You should have told me straight away, Miranda."
She snuggled into my side, placing her hand on my chest. "I know. I'm sorry. But I thought that I could handle it myself. I didn't want anyone else distracted by my own issues."
"Miranda…"
She leaned up and kissed my cheek. "You don't have to tell me twice."
I ordered Joker straight towards Illium as quickly as possible. As for Miranda, we enjoyed a couple of drinks before we undressed, and she stayed the night with me. When she was spooned against me, holding her in my arms, I could sense her relax. She shuffled more than once to get comfortable, chuckling to herself when she couldn't help but notice my bodily reaction.
Waking early the next morning, she woke not long after me, lifting her head to meet my eyes as she'd rolled over during the night. I caressed her cheek and that earned a soft smile that I was used to seeing on her face nowadays. "Shepard… I've never been this happy before," she whispered.
"Because of me?"
"I know that all of this is a little unconventional. Our relationship and yours with so many others. I thought that I'd spend most of my time being insanely jealous, but I can't be when I see so many happy women around me. I mean… Jesus, I don't think Tali has stopped bouncing around the ship since you made love. Leliana and Aela look like they've won the lottery after your night with both of them together. I know you didn't make love with Kasumi, but whenever she looks at you now, it's of a woman falling in love."
"And you?"
She snorted and that made us both chuckle. "Please, Shepard, you know how much I love you."
"And I love you too."
That same smile formed again. "I always hoped that you'd feel that way about me," she admitted, "To be one of Commander Shepard's lovers."
"You're more than that to me, Miranda. You are special to me. You put me back together. Liara will always be special because of what we shared. And Tali means the world to me because she wants to be at my side."
"And the others?"
"All of them are special. I'm only counting those on the ship. Things with Ashley are awkward because of who I'm working with. Kira… We love each other, but we're also realistic regarding her position."
"And Jane?" That question made me sigh. "You really love her, don't you?"
"As much as you and a few others."
"We wanted to recruit her. To be honest, if we were in bed now and she was with us, I wouldn't care because I know how much you two care for each other."
Arriving in the mess together didn't provoke a reaction any longer. Garrus only mentioned later when we were sharing some jokes in the front batteries that even he could read Miranda's face and body language, suggesting she was totally besotted with me now. I didn't disagree with him because I knew that he was right. And if I gave it some genuine thought, my feelings for her only grew stronger. That is what genuinely worried me because I had intense feelings for more than one woman. And I also knew that trying to make a choice, should any of them demand it, would be impossible.
"Thing is, at least you love strong women," he suggested, "Ashley certainly proved herself. Tali's changed so much since ending her Pilgrimage. Liara… Your death certainly changed her. And Miranda's never been shy in proving herself. Then again, look at women like Jack or an asari like Samara."
"No one I'm with is what you'd call a wallflower," I said.
"What's the deal when we beat the Collectors?"
"The Illusive Man isn't stupid. He knows that our working relationship is done when the Collectors have been defeated. It's up to everyone on board what they do after that."
"I'm still surprised by Miranda, to be honest," he admitted, "When we first met, I thought nothing would sway her away from Cerberus. I'm not saying that I underestimated you, Shepard. But she just seemed like she bled the colours."
"I think Aite is what finally killed her loyalty," I suggested, "Before that, she could talk herself into believing that the Illusive Man always had humanity's interest at heart. But what was happening on Aite was a reminder of all the nasty shit humanity has been doing to each other for centuries. That was the straw that broke the camel's back."
"You're good for her, Shepard. I still don't know enough about women, but what I figured out is that she needed someone to love her. Every other man in her life has used her. You just love her."
I felt myself smiling. "You said that I love strong women, and I would agree. But all the women that I've been with have been different. Miranda is one hell of a woman, but I think we both recognise the armour that she's built around herself. And I know exactly why. She'd probably kill me for thinking that all I want to do is hide her away from all the cruelty because I know that she'd rather be at my side, fighting it off."
"We're off to Illium now?"
"Yeah. Got to protect her sister."
I let Liara know that I was coming, and I wasn't surprised that she was at the dock to meet us. She greeted me with one hell of a kiss, moulding her body into mine as my hands automatically moved to her arse. Once we parted, her cheeks looking rather pink and her eyes suggesting her arousal as usual, she turned to Miranda, immediately taking both her hands in her own. It was only me, Miranda and Liara for the moment.
"Miranda… Do you love him?" she asked.
"More than anyone else except my sister."
"Good. I knew that you'd feel that way after you spent all that time with him." She then looked at me. "I don't even have to ask considering that you'd find Miranda physically desirable to begin with."
Miranda chuckled. "Well, you can't miss my tits, but whenever he's checking me out, I don't feel my skin crawl like with so many others."
"When all this is over, Miranda, I will help you however I can. Understand what I mean?"
"And I'm guessing this is why he loves you?"
"This me right now… I don't want it though it was necessary. When the Reapers are defeated, I want to be that young asari he met on Therum again. And I will be."
"I'd like to meet her too."
"And you will because he's going to make sure that we all survive." Then Liara looked at me. "And he won't die trying this time. Because if he does it again, I'm going to kick his arse."
"Now I know why you love her, Shepard," Miranda stated with humour.
Liara hugged Miranda which made me smile, particularly when Miranda hugged her back just as tightly. Then Liara kissed me again. I knew how much she missed me as I missed her just as much. When she broke away, barely a couple of inches from my face, I felt her soft fingers caress my cheek. She didn't have to say anything because her feelings were etched on her face.
"Damn… Need me to give you a few minutes?" Miranda asked quietly. Liara blushed and rested her head against my chest. "I'm joking, of course. I know how you two feel about each other."
"I'll let you get to work. I wish you the best, Miranda. And I don't just mean with helping your sister."
"Thanks, Liara."
"You're very welcome. Shepard, if you do remain on Illium, please come and see me before you go."
"I'll make sure he does," Miranda assured her.
We met her contact in a bar a short walk away. She was an asari by the name of Lanteia. I wasn't surprised that she knew all about me though that was only through what she'd read and seen on the extranet. After gaining the information that we needed, it was back to the ship to gather a team. Lanteia mentioned that the Eclipse were involved. No sign of her father on the planet, so at least Miranda wouldn't have to deal with him. I had already offered the idea of hunting him down and putting a couple of bullets in him.
Georgia immediately offered her assistance. That wasn't a surprise as I hadn't missed the two had become closer recently. To my surprise, Tali offered to help, Miranda immediately hugged the quarian which I think left her a little flustered. Samara, Kasumi, Amelie… Let's just say the women of the Normandy came together to help her sister.
Miranda just about held her emotions together though they nearly boiled over when Jack walked into the mess and told her that she was happy to kick arse. "Hey, we both had shit upbringings. If I can help at least one person avoid the shit that we went through, that's only a good thing, right?"
I think even Jack was taken aback when Miranda hugged her tightly, thanking her softly at the same time. "Okay, cheerleader… I mean, I don't mind big tits pressing into me from time to time, but I usually need at least a couple of drinks before I started playing with such nice funbags!"
That had the mess erupting in laughter. Jack smiled at her while Miranda blushed. "You… You weren't lying that day, were you?"
Jack laughed again. "Are you kidding me, cheerleader? I'd kill for a set of tits like yours. They probably wouldn't suit my stature, but damn… And I bet Shepard loves them, doesn't he?"
They both glanced at me as I returned a smug smile. "I just like tits," I finally stated.
"He particularly likes mine," Samara said, a twinkle in her eyes.
Our entire group left the ship and made our way towards the exchange point. An old contact of Miranda's, a man by the name of Niket, was handling the transfer where her sister and the family she lived with would be taken to a new home. There was more than one question about Niket and his loyalties. Miranda assured everyone that Niket was one of the few she trusted from her old life.
We landed near an Eclipse outpost, and I wasn't the only one surprised that they didn't immediately start firing at us. One of them stepped forward and recognised Miranda immediately. It was then that he suggested that Niket would not be helping Miranda going forward. Miranda retorted, stating that he was obviously lying to her.
Gunfire erupted and that was our life going forward. It was obvious that the mercenaries were being paid to stop us by any means necessary. The gunfire was incessant. There was no missing the thump of biotic attacks. And Tali was running riot with her tech attacks that left shields depleted and weapons overloaded, incapable of firing.
We swept the mercenaries in front of us and continued forward. As we boarded an elevator, Miranda tapped into their communications and we were immediately inundated with numerous voices, many of them concerned that Miranda was there alongside Commander Shepard.
"Shepard's with her? Fuck this! I'm out. I'm not dealing with that bastard."
"You will be dealing with him as that's what we're being paid to do."
"You realise that he'll just kill us all, right? He doesn't take prisoners. They call him 'The Butcher' for a reason."
"Hold your ground. They won't get past us."
"You know, just hearing how scared they are of you is quite arousing," Jack stated from behind me.
"If they're asari, they're probably rather conflicted," Samara added with humour, "I'm surprised they don't fight in the nude to distract him."
"Miranda… Are you sure about this Niket?" I had to ask.
"He's never let me down before, Shepard. He knows everything."
Leaving the elevator, we were immediately pressed on all sides. More than one set of shields failed as we broke ranks into cover. We'd dealt with Eclipse more than once, but this lot did seem to be better trained. But although they did have strength in numbers, my team was better. It was as simple as that. My rifle rarely stopped barking. Biotics were being flung everywhere. And those with tech abilities were causing havoc in the defensive lines.
We left behind a trail of dead bodies, most of them asari though there were a few human and salarian bodies. During our journey, we overheard messages between the Eclipse. The fact that Niket kept being mentioned had me worried. Miranda remained convinced that he wasn't betraying her, that he was being targeted simply because he was involved in moving her sister.
"You know, I haven't asked her name," I said as we rode an elevator towards the dock where the exchange was happening.
"Oriana. Her name is Oriana." I glanced at Miranda, and she met my eyes. The determination in them almost made me smile. I had a feeling she'd die to protect her sister.
That price wouldn't be necessary.
We stepped off the elevator, Miranda by my side, feeling the women of the Normandy line up behind us. The best of the best that the galaxy had to offer. To be honest, that should have sent anyone in front of us fleeing. We'd already given the Collectors more than one bloody nose. We'd wiped out mercenary operations across the galaxy. They should have learned by now not to fuck with Commander Shepard and his team.
Miranda had her weapon aimed at only one person. The only other male present.
"Niket. You sold me out," Miranda stated. I heard the heartbreak in her voice.
"This is your show," I told her, "Your decision."
"Why, Niket? You were my friend. You helped me get away from my father."
"Yes! Because you wanted to leave," he retorted, "That was your choice! But if I'd known that you'd stolen a baby…"
"I didn't steal her! I rescued her!"
"From a life of wealth and happiness? You weren't saving her! You were getting back at your father!"
I cleared my throat. Miranda's eyes didn't move from Niket. Her hand remained completely still. I knew she would not hesitate. "If you're working for Miranda's father, that means he knows about Oriana. We need to find a new solution," I stated.
"Miranda's father has no information about Oriana," Niket replied.
Miranda didn't hesitate in pulling the trigger. I wouldn't have stopped her anyway. He was the only loose end and, frankly, his betrayal earned the bullet. The asari next to him with the shotgun suddenly had every weapon aimed at her. When she smiled, I almost laughed.
"Now it's fun!" she stated.
The Eclipse must have recruited heavily since we'd been on Illium and helped Samara with the matter regarding her daughter. They flooded the dock and tried everything in their power to wipe us out. I say tried as although they pushed hard and we didn't get out of the battle unscathed, we still left them all dead on the ground while my squad only had to use Medi-gel to heal a few wounds, with maybe one or two requiring a visit to the med-bay once we were back on the ship.
Miranda took a knee next to Niket's body and said a few quiet words. "I'll forgive you simply because you were a good friend before today," she finally said, "But selling me out would always have consequences. I won't feel guilty about pulling the trigger."
"Bastard deserved it," Jack stated next to me.
We rode the elevator to the passenger terminal. We stepped off together and it was easy to recognise Oriana as she was almost identical to Miranda, only a few years younger. She was with her adopted family. I glanced at Miranda to see her doing her best to keep a blank face, but the glistening eyes were a dead giveaway.
"How long?" I had to ask.
"As soon as I knew she was safe, I've only ever watched from the shadows." She took a deep breath before adding, "We should go."
"Don't you want to meet her?" I asked.
"It's not about what I want, Shepard. It's what is best for her. The less she knows about me, the better. She's got a family. A life. I'll just complicate that for her."
I took her hand and squeezed it. "Miranda… You know my past. No parents. No siblings. Nothing. The only family that I've ever had were my brothers and sisters in the Alliance. And I guess, in a way, everyone on the Normandy has become sort of family. But to know that I had a brother or sister, mother or father… Wouldn't you want her to know that she has a sister out there who loves her?"
Miranda squeezed my hand hard. "And that's why I love you," she whispered. She took a deep breath. "Okay. I'll… I'll go and say hello."
I watched her stride confidently towards her sister. She must have told her rather quickly as Oriana immediately stepped forward and hugged her. I heard more than one sniffle behind me as I felt a hand on my shoulder. "You did a good thing," Samara said softly, "I will be forever thankful that all my daughters still live thanks to you."
We stood by as Miranda talked to Oriana for a few minutes, sharing hugs with her family, before she walked back towards us. It was only when the elevator doors closed that Miranda turned towards me, clutching at me as she sobbed. In between the sobs, she managed to whisper her thanks to me. I hugged her back though remained silent. I knew she needed that moment with her little sister.
Walking back onto the ship a few minutes later, I told Joker that we would not be leaving immediately as I knew that I couldn't leave without visiting Liara one last time. I knew that it might be the last time that I'd see her before going through the Omega Four. I wasn't sure if we'd get to the Citadel before going through. I would have to send messages to quite a few people before then.
Miranda returned to her quarters and I found myself hugged by every single woman on the ship. Many of them kissed my cheek or wanted something more substantial. It was Samara who met my eyes and smiled at me last.
"Shepard… You realise that Miranda now… She has two reasons for living. Oriana… And you. If there was ever any doubt about your relationship, what just happened has cast aside all doubts. Miranda will feel that she'll never be able to thank you enough. Her little sister now knows she exists. It won't be easy for either of them, but the joy Miranda will now feel… It won't be easily replaced."
"It just felt like it was the right thing for both of them."
"And you're right. Miranda sacrificed so much to get Oriana away. And now Oriana knows that she had a big sister out there, protecting her. And to be honest, both know that Commander Shepard will do anything for both of them."
"You realise that I feel the same way about you," I said, smiling at her.
Samara kissed my cheek before pressing her body against mine. "I'm more than aware," she whispered, "As I said, I'm going to find my final decades in the company of a brave and rather handsome human."
"I'll endeavour to make it as exciting as possible."
She leaned back and met my eyes. I think there was even a little colour to her cheeks. "You are a delightful tease, Shepard. Thank you."
With the ship remaining docked on Illium, a few people wanted to take advantage as we knew the next stop was likely beyond the Omega Four relay. I wasn't planning on one final blowout party or anything. Once the Reaper IFF was installed, we'd be heading straight for the relay. Kelly led most of the women off the ship once they were ready to go, kissing my cheek and giving me that sort of smile that I recognised. I found myself hugged by nearly everyone again as they were leaving, wondering how many were left on the ship once they were gone.
I wasn't sure what to do as I knew Miranda would probably want to talk about what happened, so I let Liara know that I'd come and see her the next day. She assured me that was fine as she knew that we'd been dealing with something personal for Miranda. I waited up in my cabin as I expected her to come up and at least talk.
She did after I had a quiet dinner by myself in the mess. When EDI let me know that she was coming, I was waiting by the door. When it opened, the smile on her face when her eyes met mine let me know that she was feeling good about things. And then that first kiss as she almost leapt on me. It was such a passionate kiss that when she ended up pressed against the fish tank to our side, I don't think there'd be any hesitation this evening.
"Why now?" I had to ask, "I mean, I'm assuming but…"
"I love you so much," she whispered, "That's all I know. But what you just did for my sister… Not for me, Shepard. Today wasn't about me. Today was about my sister. And you stopped at nothing to make sure that she was away safely. I fucking love you so much right now that I don't care about anything else except that I want to make love and wake up tomorrow and…"
I stopped her with a kiss as she moulded into my body. We slowly undressed each other as we made our way towards my bed. Once we were both naked, I took a moment just to drink in her body.
"Miranda Lawson. You are perfect," I whispered.
"Physically, yes. Everything else… It's thanks to you, Shepard. I know they all left tonight because they wanted me here with you."
"I've been ready. I just knew that you…"
She kissed me again though she almost choked back a sob. "I've been ready too," she admitted, "But I knew that making love was the final nail. Once we make love, Shepard, that's it. It's done. It's over. I'm with you. All the way."
"And I couldn't want for anyone else by my side," I said softly as I caressed her cheek, "You are magnificent, Miranda Lawson."
"I wish that I could have our children…"
Then she cried. I didn't know about that and almost blinked away tears as the thought that she wanted them with me and that she couldn't near enough broke my heart in return. Miranda was tough as nails, but underneath the exterior was a warm and loving woman who wanted to be loved for who she was at heart. I held her as she cried, whispering assurances that I loved her no matter what. I think that did make her feel better as she calmed down.
"I didn't know," I whispered.
"One last cruel act by my father. He created me though made sure that I couldn't create a life of my own." She clutched at me tightly while admitting that. "But I can still feel love for others and be loved in return. He could never take that from me."
We moved onto the bed, Miranda underneath me as I gazed at her body again. I still don't think she truly comprehended just how magnificent she was. I could compare her to Ashley, Liara, Shiala, Kira… Let's just say numerous other lovers, and she would always come out favourable. She smiled as I drank her in.
Then she spread her legs and her bald pussy glistened with her excitement. I licked my lips as she knew what I enjoyed doing, and I would never say no to going down on Miranda Lawson. As my tongue got to work, I gazed up at her and the look on her face was one of nothing but love. My hands ran up and down her body as I slowly ate her out, enjoying the moans and whimpers she made, the way her body moved as we'd already had enough fun together to learn what we liked about each other.
Her first orgasm didn't take long in arriving, her moans echoing around my cabin though she didn't even begin to suggest that I take it easy on her.
"Shepard," she moaned softly, "Oh god, Shepard… Don't stop…"
"I'd do this all night, Miri. You know that," I replied softly.
"Love it when you call me Miri. I'm yours, Shepard. I'm forever yours from now on."
I ran my fingers up and down the smooth skin of her body. No one was perfect, no matter what species you were. But Miranda Lawson came pretty fucking close to perfection. We knew her past though it didn't matter when we were being intimate. And I would always revel in her taste. She enjoyed more than one climax simply thanks to my tongue. The expressions on her face only aroused me further. I loved it when she begged me for more.
I'm not sure how many times she climaxed before she begged off. All that meant was that I left her pussy alone though I kissed up and down her legs which made her giggle before kissing up her body, and when I gave those fantastic breasts some attention, she couldn't stop me. I felt her fingers caress the back of my head as I moved from one breast to the other, her gasps telling me that she loved it.
"I love that you love my tits so much, Shepard," she stated with humour.
"When the door opened on you that first time, Miri…"
"You love my tight suit, don't you?"
"Fuck yes. Miri, I spend half the time thinking about all the naughty things we could do together."
I moved up and we shared one hell of a passionate kiss. I ended up on my back as she kissed down my body, kneeling between my legs as she gently grasped my cock and smiled at me.
"I'm going to get you off, so you last longer inside me the first time," she told me, "Shepard… I'm sorry for…
"Don't, Miri. Never apologise for waiting until you were completely sure."
"I've been sure for so long. But today, Shepard…"
She gave me the blowjob of a lifetime. I'll be honest about that. I'd been blown plenty of times already. Miranda Lawson put her heart and soul into that blowjob. The way she looked up at me while my cock was in her mouth and down her throat… And she made sure to draw it out, spending as long as possible with her head bobbing up and down, bringing me to the boil more than once before she'd back off.
My cock felt like it was steel as she continued to tease me. I wasn't going to complain. Watching her pleasure me would be something that I'd probably remember on my deathbed decades from now. One of her hands caressed my balls at the same time, and she would tease me while licking up and down my shaft about how much I would cum once I climaxed. And how she would swallow it all, or perhaps take a facial, or even make sure my cum ended up on her tits.
"Miri, the next time that I'm standing over you like this, you're getting a facial," I growled, "I am going to fucking coat your face in my cum and you're going to love it."
"When I'm ready, I want… I want someone else with us," she admitted, "I want to share you."
"When you're ready. But you're enough woman for me, Miranda Lawson.'
That made her happy and she received more than one mouthful of cum a little later. It was the sort of orgasm that had my toes curling in pleasure and close enough to passing out, it felt so damned good. She swallowed everything down before I felt her tongue licking up and down my shaft before she gave my balls plenty of attention. I managed to remain with it enough to run my fingers through her hair. She eventually kissed up my body and I felt her straddling my lap, the warmth of her pussy resting on my semi-hard cock.
I made her squeal when I easily rolled her over so that she was on her back. The way she looked up at me… I knew we were both ready. We'd been ready for far longer than either of us would likely ever admit. We shared a deep kiss as I felt her fingers move up to my back.
"Shepard," she whispered as the head of my cock ran along her slit.
"Been a long wait for us both, Miri," I whispered back.
"Once you're inside me, Shepard…" She paused and bit her bottom lip. "I didn't mean to spring that…"
"It's okay," I assured her.
She blinked rapidly. "I just wanted… I would have loved…" I caressed her cheek as her lower lip trembled. "He took that from me. But he can't take you from me. And he never will. I'm not going anywhere, Shepard. I don't care what happens. I want to stay with you."
"Okay."
Her face lit up as I slowly sank my cock inside her. I couldn't believe how wonderful she felt. It was like her pussy was made for my cock. Or my cock was made for her pussy when I thought about it. She moaned loudly as I sank my length inside her, kissing her constantly as it was one of the best feelings that I could remember. And when our bodies started to move together, we both knew immediately that it was just right. We belonged together in that moment.
I wasn't particularly surprised that she did end up climaxing rather quickly due to her excitement. I had to stop moving as her pussy clenched around my cock ever so tightly that I didn't want to hurt her. But when she pulled my head down next to hers and begged me to fuck her, who was I to deny Miranda Lawson what she wanted?
She found herself fucked hard within a couple of minutes. When her legs wrapped around me, I fucked her even harder. Her cries of pleasure only turned me on even further. She begged me to fuck her harder, really give it to her. I felt her nails digging into my back as I held nothing back. When I heard her start to cry softly, I knew it wasn't through hurting her.
"I love you," she whispered, "I love you, Shepard. So much. So fucking much."
"You've earned a piece of my heart," I whispered into her ear before we shared one hell of a kiss.
When I finally came inside her, the smile of satisfaction on her face almost made me chuckle. I gazed into her eyes as I felt my cock throbbing as I climaxed. When it stopped, we remained joined as we just smiled at each other. I'd made love more times than I could count, but very few times had felt as right as it did in this moment.
"When it's all over, Miri… I mean the Reapers…"
"I don't know who you'll marry… But if it's not me…"
"Miri…"
"Shepard, shut up. Trust me on this, I won't stand in the way of a couple of others. As long as they accept me, I'll be… Well, one of your mistresses anyway."
"Are you sure?"
She took my hand and held it to her chest. "Shepard, I know that I have a piece of yours. You have all of mine."
Miranda rode me a few minutes later and it was a sight that I knew I would never tire of. She was an absolute goddess. And watching her climax while riding me only made me smile while she waxed lyrical about how wonderful my cock felt. I rarely felt any concern about my appendage but it was always nice to hear from lovers that it was so satisfying.
And she rode me for quite a while and through more than one climax. By the time she was nearly done, both of her hands were on my chest and she was almost slamming her pussy down on my cock. The look on her eyes was almost feral and I knew that she really wanted me to nail her afterwards. She enjoyed one more climax before I made sure that she could read my eyes.
The shudder that went through her almost made me laugh before she ended up on her knees and I slammed my cock home. It was a no holds barred fuckfest. And all she did was beg for more.
"Destroy my pussy!" she cried, "It's yours, Shepard. It's only yours from now on."
It was probably good for Miranda that I didn't take too long to cum inside her again as I wasn't being gentle. But as we spooned together while relaxing a few minutes later, she started to giggle as she admitted that her pussy was feeling a little used and abused. Then she surprised me by rolling over to meet my eyes.
"Shepard… I've never had a man… I've never given…" She paused and laughed to herself. "I'm being foolish. I want to give you something special, Shepard. Something that no man has ever had."
"Miranda, you know that I think you have a fantastic arse."
"Good," she breathed before kissing me, "Because whenever we make love going forward, we're doing all of this each time. My body is yours, Shepard."
When she was ready, she ended up with her arse in the air with her head on a pillow. I could only spend a few seconds gazing at such a sight before I got my tongue between those perfect cheeks. It wasn't something that I didn't very often, but Miranda Lawson had a near-perfect arse. And she also loved my tongue action when I really got into it.
After I applied lube to both of us, I got her arse in the right position before I pressed the head of my cock against her. All she did was glance back and moan that she wanted me to fuck her arse. To be honest, few things are sexier than a woman begging you to just nail her.
I grunted as I slid my cock inside her. She whimpered more than once as I felt her clenching around my cock. Whenever she did that, I stopped and caressed her back. She whispered more than once how much she loved me as I buried my entire length inside her.
"Fucking hell, Miri," I groaned.
"You feel so fucking big!" she replied with a chuckle, "God… I knew it would feel good…"
"You like it?"
"Just be gentle. I'm not sure I can handle you fucking me hard too quickly."
What we both learned is that Miranda Lawson enjoyed anal sex as she climaxed from it rather quickly. It was such a good orgasm that she asked me to stop as she needed to control her emotions. I leaned forward and cuddled her from behind. That earned a giggle and kiss on the cheek before she asked me to continue. I couldn't help savouring the moment. A near-perfect arse and I knew that I'd last a while given that I'd already enjoyed a couple of climaxes.
Miranda eventually asked me to fuck her harder. When I did just that, her face lit up once she was looking back at me. I think she was enjoying it far more than she anticipated. When I suggested that I wasn't ready to cum just yet, I ended up on my back again as Miranda rode me harder than I imagined. She played with her pussy at the same time and her next climax had her collapsing onto my chest.
"Jesus," she moaned, "Holy shit, Shepard… Is it always this good?"
"Well, if we do this often enough…"
"Commander Shepard, owner of Miranda Lawson. Undisputed claims to her pussy and arse."
That had me laughing out loud and she giggled at the same time. "Well… What if there was a third involved?"
That had Miranda lifting her head up to meet my eyes. "Shepard… If you were there, I'd do anything."
"So if Liara or Ashley was there?"
"Ashley would probably hate fuck me if she was interested in doing something to me. Liara… I mean, would she…"
"I reckon so."
She smiled before kissing me. "I'm thinking that as long as you're there, we'd be happy to share and maybe try different things."
Given that we'd both enjoyed more than one climax, I was a little worried about hurting her should I just keep fucking her as long as I could probably manage. The fact she was as eager as I was, and never showed an ounce of discomfort, had me comfortable that she would only tell me to stop if I was actually hurting her.
Whether Miranda came from anal sex, or if it was just her fondling her pussy, I would only ask at a later date. The fact she enjoyed such a powerful orgasm yet insisted that I keep fucking her hard had me pounding her as she wanted it. The sounds that escaped her did have me worried from time to time though she assured me that she was loving every second. When I did finally cum, she lowered herself down to relax on my chest as I wrapped my arms around her and held her tightly.
We woke next morning and made love again. Miranda couldn't get enough of me and seemed determined to keep my cock in her pussy for as long as possible. When we walked into the mess later that morning, everyone knew that we'd finally made love. What had me smiling was how every other woman was genuinely happy for her.
That's when Miranda Lawson finally showed her true feelings in front of everyone else. She admitted her love for me and that last night was simply the culmination of her feelings for me. When Jack hugged her… They were both smiling like idiots.
"I should fucking hate you, cheerleader," Jack stated, "But I know how he makes me feel."
"And I'm glad he makes you feel good," Miranda replied.
"Miranda…" Kelly started to say.
"Kelly, we should all be thanking you. We know how you feel about him." Kelly started to blush so brightly that even I started to chuckle. "We know how much you love him. He knows it, but none of us would have ever stopped you either."
The good feelings continued as Kelly moved to sit next to Miranda and cuddle her. When Miranda hugged her back, Kelly couldn't hide her feelings. "I was told you were a bitch!" Kelly exclaimed.
"I was," Miranda admitted, "But ever since he woke up…"
"So you love him as much as I do?"
Miranda glanced around the mess before meeting my eyes. "I think that I love him as much as many others."
"What's the plan now, Shepard?" Georgia asked once we were all tucking into breakfast.
"We'll be here for one last evening as I can't leave without saying farewell to Liara. As I've told you all, this won't be a one-way trip or I'll do the best that I can to make sure it won't be. But there's always the chance as you all know. We have no idea what's beyond the relay. My advice would be to send last messages and make those last calls before we leave Illium. All being well, we would be passing through it within a matter of days."
Crew were coming and going from the ship all day. EDI kept me up to date about the installation of the IFF. Chakwas let me know that everyone was fighting fit and there were no concerns about anyone after our last mission to help Miranda's sister.
Walking off the ship myself later that afternoon, I made my way straight to Liara's office. She was delighted to see me as always, greeting me with a passionate kiss and she ended up sitting on her desk with her legs wrapped around me. Once we broke apart as we needed to catch our breath, I asked if she wanted to go out for dinner before we headed to her apartment.
"I'd like to spend the night on your ship," she replied.
"You do?"
She smiled shyly. "It'll be a reminder of our old life together," she said softly, "Particularly of those weeks after we defeated Saren, and I was with you all the time."
"I guess you can also meet the crew. I'll let them know that you're coming aboard as they know all about you."
We headed out for dinner first, enjoying a full three-course meal that proved to be a spectacular fusion of asari and human recipes. The table was small enough that we could sit comfortably and still hold hands. Liara looked as beautiful as ever. Whenever our eyes met, they were a reminder of that youthful wonder of the young asari that I rescued on Therum.
After dinner, it was already rather late in the evening. We walked hand in hand towards the dock where the Normandy was waiting for us silently. The lounge was full of the women of the ship, and Liara couldn't stop chuckling as she figured out immediately that I'd been intimate with nearly all of them. In return, they knew all about Liara simply because they all knew how much she meant to me. We enjoyed a couple of drinks as I sat back quietly, giving Liara time to get to know those she didn't know particularly well.
Heading upstairs, Liara was incredibly eager to get naked as quickly as possible. Once she had my cock out and it was nice and hard, she lowered herself to her knees, her blue eyes gazing up at me. "I remember doing this for you every night when we were on Ilos," she said softly, "I'd give anything to live like that again."
Liara made sure the blowjob lasted as long as possible. She had always been so willing to pleasure me in such a manner from the first time that we were intimate. She couldn't get enough of my cock sometimes. We used to lay back in my cabin and she'd just happily play with my cock for a while. She was always happy to take my load in her mouth, and she had me chuckling as she looked up at me with a smile before opening her mouth to show me the contents.
"Swallow it, T'Soni," I growled. She gulped it down and the smile reappeared on her face. "You love doing that for me, don't you?"
"I think you taste even better now."
"Maybe Miranda did do something. Do you think I'm bigger?"
"I think you're as long though I think you're thicker now."
"Get your arse up on the bed."
She did so, making sure she had her back to me and wiggling her arse in my direction. I joined her on the bed and gave each of her firm cheeks a playful slap before I pulled her back against my chest and kissed her. I ran my hands up and down her body before one of them ended up between her legs. She was as wet as I'd ever felt her, making her whimper as I teased her pussy for a few minutes.
"Liara… Remember how we had fun on the old ship?"
"Fondly. I miss Ash a lot."
"When this is over, would you like to have fun with some of my current crew?"
"I'd love to. Miranda?"
"We made love for the first time last night."
"She loves you so much, Shepard. I knew that was going to happen. And all the other women?"
"Love with some. Affection and fondness with others."
Liara ended up on her back as I devoured her pussy. She might have pleasured me constantly during our time together on Ilos and also on the ship, but I definitely spent more time with my head between her legs. I revelled in her taste as always, and Liara would never say no to me going down on her. I soon had her legs pushed back, Liara placing her hands underneath her knees and pulling them as far back as possible.
"So good, Shepard… You're always so good to me…"
"Definitely inviting others up here when we're back so I can see someone do this while you watch me fuck them. Then I'll return the favour, and watch you go down on someone while I fuck you."
"Tali… Figure it out with Tali…"
I made her squirm and moan constantly until I finally brought her to a climax. And she knew that I wouldn't stop just at one. With two fingers inside her and my tongue working her clit, her next climax was even stronger though she begged me to keep on going. Given how much I loved pleasing her, I wasn't going to stop until she was almost passed out.
She eventually had to moan for me to stop so I sat back on my knees and watched her entire body convulse. Hearing her giggle was always a delight as I leaned up to give her a soft kiss. "Every time, Shepard. Every time, you just prove how much you love me," she whispered.
We made love for the rest of the night. As always, we tried a variety of different positions that felt good for us both. Two positions were her favourite. She loved riding me, my hands all over her body as she bounced up and down before she would happily grind away. And she nearly always enjoyed more than one climax in that position. Sometimes she would enjoy so many in a row that she'd eventually collapse onto my chest and would need a cuddle.
Then she loved it when we swapped positions, and I fucked her from behind. She had always loved the position from the first time that we tried it. She found it incredibly submissive, particularly once I had properly mounted her and really started to drive my cock into her harder and deeper. The moans and groans she made were music to the ears. And she always begged me for more. In all the time we made love, she'd rarely asked me to slow down or stop. It was always more. So much more…
Snuggling against me much later that evening, or it was early the next morning, she sniffled more than once. "It won't be our last time," she whispered, "I know that you'll come back to me this time."
"I'm sorry for leaving the first time."
"You just went to sleep for quite a while. You're back and I'm feeling so much better. I can't wait until I'm digging in the dirt again and my brave human lover is guarding me."
"Once the Reapers are dealt with… I'm honestly not sure what I'll do. Being a soldier is all I've ever done. It's all I know."
"You should remain in uniform simply because you always look very good wearing one."
Walking into the mess the next morning, there were the usual smiles whenever I walked in hand in hand with a lover. After breakfast, the women all gathered to wish her well before we walked away from the ship towards a nearby overlook that provided a wonderful view of Nos Astra. Liara snuggled into my side as I held her close, feeling her hand on my chest.
"I know that this will be the last time we're together before you go through. I can only wish you good luck and pray to the Goddess that you come back to me," she finally said.
We shared one final kiss. I don't think either of us wanted it to end. And when she clutched at me, I knew she was doing all that she could to keep her emotions in check. I eventually leaned back to meet her eyes and caressed her cheek. Her eyes closed for a few moments and that same sweet smile that I loved appeared.
"I love you," I whispered.
"And I love you, Shepard. Now go because I don't want you to see me cry."
I walked away though I took a moment to stop and look back. She was watching me walk away. Our eyes met a final time and she smiled. I took a second to remember that before I turned back towards the ship.
I ordered Joker to depart and take us towards the Omega Nebula cluster. Once we were there, the Reaper IFF would be installed and then we'd head on through. There would be no further delays.
It was time to end this, once and for all.