At the Edge of Heaven
folder
+M through R › Mass Effect
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
22
Views:
33,714
Reviews:
12
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
+M through R › Mass Effect
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
22
Views:
33,714
Reviews:
12
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
I do now own the copyright for Mass Effect or its associated characters. This story is simply for fun and I do not make any money from this work.
Things at First Unseen
NOTE: Due to personal circumstances, I am unsure when new chapters will be finished. I hope that new chapters are more consistent and timely, but I cannot promise that at the moment. Thank you for your patience.
* * *
Miranda was in her new quarters aboard the Normandy, sitting at her desk, chin in her hands as she leaned on her elbows. She was staring at the finished report on her terminal. Despite the mission being a success, and one with some unexpected benefits, something didn’t feel right. Yes, Shepard had allowed the quarians to take Veetor back, but that it seemed to have built a small bond between the Migrant Fleet and Cerberus. And he even had succeeded in discovering the cause for the disappearance of human colonies. But something was wrong.
Something happened on Freedom’s Colony but she wasn’t entirely sure what…
* * *
Shepard lowered the barrel of his pistol, his face impassive as the mech tumbled to the ground in a heap. She was impressed. Two years of rebuilding, two years of being dead, and Shepard was still as quick and efficient when he eliminated Saren and Sovereign. She wasn’t entirely certain he was completely combat ready, but seeing him bolt into cover and bark orders before the first mech had even fully initialised had proven her wrong. He was good, damn good. She hadn’t even known anything was wrong until the mechs had raised their weapons.
Even in close combat he had shown himself fit and ready: the quick jump to clear the stairs, a clean and swift boot to the FENRIR mech as he spun and fired point blank at the LOKI mech. Jacob and she hadn’t even had time to raise a pistol and take aim. She was completely impressed. She followed his lead up the stairs, gaining a new appreciation for the sheer ability of Shepard. And quite proud that there seemed to be no ill effects from the project.
At his slight glance and nod, she pressed up against the wall of the next module. She could now hear the faint murmur of voices through the metal structure and nodded in return as she stood ready on one side of the door while Shepard raised his pistol and gave her one last glance. With a quick flick he opened the door and steadied his pistol in both hands. They quickly swept inside. A small group of quarians quickly leapt from their kneeling positions and raised their own weapons.
“Stop right there!” one quarian advanced towards Shepard, rifle aimed squarely at Shepard’s chest. Miranda tensed and readied her pistol.
“Prazza,” another quarian, female and vaguely familiar to Miranda, rushed in between the two groups, pushing the rifle aimed at Shepard’s chest to the floor. “you said you’d let me handle this.” The familiar quarian turned and her arm dropped slowly” Wait… Shepard?”
It clicked in Miranda’s head and the familiar quarian suddenly had a name. Shepard briefly turned to her and waved his hand while lowering his own pistol. Miranda hesitated before she reluctantly followed suit.
“I’m not taking any chances with Cerberus operatives!” the first quarian, Prazza, argued. He pressed forward but was blocked.
“Put those weapons down!” the female quarian, Tali’Zorah nar Rayya… no, Miranda remembered vague intel on her… Tali’Zorah vas Neema now, faced Prazza and shouted before turning back to Shepard. “Shepard?” her voice grew faint, disbelief and hope both ringing clear with her words. “Is that… you’re alive?”
Long moments passed, a din of silence as Shepard simply stood there and stared at Tali. Miranda squinted in slight confusion at the pause and gazed at the still back of Shepard.
“Remember when I gave you that Geth data, Tali?” Shepard spoke calmly, but an eerie and distant tone echoed in his voice. It was as if something snapped, shattered… dispelled…
* * *
Miranda closed her eyes and sighed. Everything had changed after that moment, after meeting Tali, an old crewmate. A friend. Shepard had retreated, his words and actions almost lifeless. Although he still pushed forward, fighting mechs and even deftly dealing with the crazed Veetor, he hadn’t been the same. Shepard wasn’t all there, his mind preoccupied with the dawning realisation that she should have seen coming. She should have been prepared. He hadn’t believed it was real.
“Damn it.” She cursed herself. She should have known that that very scenario might have popped up. It was her bloody job. But instead she had smugly basked in the apparent success of her project, revelling in doing the impossible yet again. She had completely missed all the signs. His body might have been repaired, his abilities in perfect condition… but Shepard’s mental wellbeing was entirely different. “Damn it!”
Miranda stared at the terminal, the report’s status flashing on the screen, waiting to be delivered to the Illusive Man. The report was no longer complete. Shepard had performed perfectly, the mission a complete success, but his fractured emotional state posed a dilemma. It was entirely possible that he would cope, grieve and rage and heal. Everything would be perfectly fine. But it was also entirely possible that the revelation could crush him; leave him the tattered remains of what he once was. It threatened the whole mission.
“Damn it.” She really should have seen it coming. She was better than this. But it somehow had slipped past her. She was too smug in her own success. He had been right in front of her the entire time, the pain and confusion etched on his face. And she had missed it… or worse ignored it. Guilt briefly flooded her before quickly dissipating under her calm, driven attitude. It happened and she had to deal with it. It was her job.
She understood her duty. It was vital information. The Illusive Man needed to know. But she only stared. The blinking alert barely registering as a distant and faint pang echoed in her mind at the memory of the dull gaze of Shepard’s tired eyes.
She understood her duty, but that didn’t give her an answer. So she sat there, her chin still resting on her thumbs as her face pressed into her clasped hands, and stared at the blinking status message for her report.
* * *
Miranda was in her new quarters aboard the Normandy, sitting at her desk, chin in her hands as she leaned on her elbows. She was staring at the finished report on her terminal. Despite the mission being a success, and one with some unexpected benefits, something didn’t feel right. Yes, Shepard had allowed the quarians to take Veetor back, but that it seemed to have built a small bond between the Migrant Fleet and Cerberus. And he even had succeeded in discovering the cause for the disappearance of human colonies. But something was wrong.
Something happened on Freedom’s Colony but she wasn’t entirely sure what…
* * *
Shepard lowered the barrel of his pistol, his face impassive as the mech tumbled to the ground in a heap. She was impressed. Two years of rebuilding, two years of being dead, and Shepard was still as quick and efficient when he eliminated Saren and Sovereign. She wasn’t entirely certain he was completely combat ready, but seeing him bolt into cover and bark orders before the first mech had even fully initialised had proven her wrong. He was good, damn good. She hadn’t even known anything was wrong until the mechs had raised their weapons.
Even in close combat he had shown himself fit and ready: the quick jump to clear the stairs, a clean and swift boot to the FENRIR mech as he spun and fired point blank at the LOKI mech. Jacob and she hadn’t even had time to raise a pistol and take aim. She was completely impressed. She followed his lead up the stairs, gaining a new appreciation for the sheer ability of Shepard. And quite proud that there seemed to be no ill effects from the project.
At his slight glance and nod, she pressed up against the wall of the next module. She could now hear the faint murmur of voices through the metal structure and nodded in return as she stood ready on one side of the door while Shepard raised his pistol and gave her one last glance. With a quick flick he opened the door and steadied his pistol in both hands. They quickly swept inside. A small group of quarians quickly leapt from their kneeling positions and raised their own weapons.
“Stop right there!” one quarian advanced towards Shepard, rifle aimed squarely at Shepard’s chest. Miranda tensed and readied her pistol.
“Prazza,” another quarian, female and vaguely familiar to Miranda, rushed in between the two groups, pushing the rifle aimed at Shepard’s chest to the floor. “you said you’d let me handle this.” The familiar quarian turned and her arm dropped slowly” Wait… Shepard?”
It clicked in Miranda’s head and the familiar quarian suddenly had a name. Shepard briefly turned to her and waved his hand while lowering his own pistol. Miranda hesitated before she reluctantly followed suit.
“I’m not taking any chances with Cerberus operatives!” the first quarian, Prazza, argued. He pressed forward but was blocked.
“Put those weapons down!” the female quarian, Tali’Zorah nar Rayya… no, Miranda remembered vague intel on her… Tali’Zorah vas Neema now, faced Prazza and shouted before turning back to Shepard. “Shepard?” her voice grew faint, disbelief and hope both ringing clear with her words. “Is that… you’re alive?”
Long moments passed, a din of silence as Shepard simply stood there and stared at Tali. Miranda squinted in slight confusion at the pause and gazed at the still back of Shepard.
“Remember when I gave you that Geth data, Tali?” Shepard spoke calmly, but an eerie and distant tone echoed in his voice. It was as if something snapped, shattered… dispelled…
* * *
Miranda closed her eyes and sighed. Everything had changed after that moment, after meeting Tali, an old crewmate. A friend. Shepard had retreated, his words and actions almost lifeless. Although he still pushed forward, fighting mechs and even deftly dealing with the crazed Veetor, he hadn’t been the same. Shepard wasn’t all there, his mind preoccupied with the dawning realisation that she should have seen coming. She should have been prepared. He hadn’t believed it was real.
“Damn it.” She cursed herself. She should have known that that very scenario might have popped up. It was her bloody job. But instead she had smugly basked in the apparent success of her project, revelling in doing the impossible yet again. She had completely missed all the signs. His body might have been repaired, his abilities in perfect condition… but Shepard’s mental wellbeing was entirely different. “Damn it!”
Miranda stared at the terminal, the report’s status flashing on the screen, waiting to be delivered to the Illusive Man. The report was no longer complete. Shepard had performed perfectly, the mission a complete success, but his fractured emotional state posed a dilemma. It was entirely possible that he would cope, grieve and rage and heal. Everything would be perfectly fine. But it was also entirely possible that the revelation could crush him; leave him the tattered remains of what he once was. It threatened the whole mission.
“Damn it.” She really should have seen it coming. She was better than this. But it somehow had slipped past her. She was too smug in her own success. He had been right in front of her the entire time, the pain and confusion etched on his face. And she had missed it… or worse ignored it. Guilt briefly flooded her before quickly dissipating under her calm, driven attitude. It happened and she had to deal with it. It was her job.
She understood her duty. It was vital information. The Illusive Man needed to know. But she only stared. The blinking alert barely registering as a distant and faint pang echoed in her mind at the memory of the dull gaze of Shepard’s tired eyes.
She understood her duty, but that didn’t give her an answer. So she sat there, her chin still resting on her thumbs as her face pressed into her clasped hands, and stared at the blinking status message for her report.