Chapter 1: The Cook

Miranda hated the fact that her boss the Illusive Man did not give her outright command of the Normandy. In fact, she hated Shepard questioning her motive and authority right from the get-go. When that bastard traitor at the Lazarus Project tried to kill her with mechs it took all that she had to get away. Enduring that ordeal only to have her motives questioned after she gave two years to bring that smug bitch back to life was beyond foul. She wanted to put a slug into her right there.

The very first mission they went on together Shepard had embarrassed her in front of the Quarian. She even sided with her over Miranda and Jacob AFTER the Quarians doubled crossed them. Miranda tried to steel herself as she listened to Shepard speak condescending to the man she held in high esteem. Did that bitch not know that he risked everything to bring her back? Major investors of Cerberus were on the verge of pulling out on the account of that glorified Girl Scout and she has the nerve to play the holier than though card.

Miranda punched the display in front of her hard when she heard Shepard spout back to the Illusive Man in the quantum communication room, “He had to earn the right to be her friend.” The Illusive man took Miranda in when she had nowhere to go. He was the one that stood up to her father. He is the one that did not give up on Shepard when everyone else in the entire universe had, including her lover, that fucking tentacle-head Liara T’soni. She wanted to throw a biotic bolt at Shepard so badly, but all she could do was just sit there and act like nothing was going on.

“Come on Miri, you must give her time, she had just had a lot laid on her at one time. Jacob tried to assuage Miranda’s mood.

“What did you just call me?” Miranda flatly asked.

“Um sorry Ma’am, was trying to say something to calm you down” Jacob stammered back.

“When I need someone to calm me down, I will just ask you to my room and we can replay the events from last year, got it?” Miranda seductively answered back to Jacob before ending the conversation with a glare. Jacob bit his lip and blushed as he went back to what he was doing.

Miranda did not say a word to Shepard as she walked past her to her friend Joker. Miranda was skeptical of letting an Alliance pilot on the premier Cerberus ship. However, when she saw his pilot scores, she was happy the Illusive man chose him to pilot their new ship. Miranda sat in the shadows and stewed as she listened to the conversation between Shepard and her pilot. She closed her eyes and tried to calm herself down as she thought about Shepard’s uppity speech she gave to her earlier before they made their way to Freedom’s Progress. Miranda had never been insulted in her entire life. Miranda slid back down and made her way to the quantum communicator device.

“What is it, Miranda?” The Illusive man asked.

Miranda looked surprise as the Illusive man was sitting in his chair drinking a glass.

“Sir, are you sure this is going to be a good idea? I mean I understand the need to have her, but putting her in charge of everything? She sided with aliens who doubled crossed us on the last mission. She is openly looking to leave us high and dry.” Miranda pleaded.

“Well worst-case scenario she is back on the board with a much better ship than the last time she went out. However, I think once she sees that the Reapers are the real threat and sees our commitment to humanity, she will see the righteousness of our cause.” The Illusive man uttered out.

“Which would be a lot easier if you let us show her, and not cow-tow to her every whim like she is some entitled brat.” Miranda spat back.

“She earned that entitlement when she led all of humanity forward. If it was not for her, humanity would not have a seat on the council. She represents the best of humanity. You will listen to her Miranda, if you do not serve her then I will find someone who will. Can you work with ‘her Miranda?” The Illusive man ominously asked.

“Yes Sir, I can work with her. I will make sure we have her back.” Miranda said in a disappointed tone.

Miranda decided she would go to the new Normandy to begin shakedown preparations before they leave the space station. She did not like it, but she was stuck with Shepard being the Captain, she would have to get used to being the XO.

Normandy

Miranda had just finished booting up the last of the systems and performing the last of initial diagnostics when she saw Shepard enter the airlock going on the command deck.

Great! The savior is here. Better make the best of it, Miri. Miranda thought as she got up to greet the Commander aboard her ship.

“Ma’am we have a full crew, and this is the command deck I can give you a tour if you would like?”, Miranda politely offered.

“No ... I will look around on my own XO.” Shepard rudely responded.

“Commander Shepard, this is the command deck, from here Joker can plug in coordinates and navigate to our first mission. Also, this is where the armory and science lab are located, however the lab is temporarily closed.” EDI came to life unbidden.

“An Artificial Intelligence, Joker is not going to like someone trying to fly his ship” Shepard uttered to the blue sphere which was EDI.

“I am a shackled AI I do not have access to Normandy’s systems. I run Normandy’s firewall and cyber warfare suites.” EDI explained.

“I see. Well, I suppose we should decide where to go first.” Shepard uttered aloud.

“I suggest we go to Omega first and get Mordin Solis. We are goin...”, Miranda attempted to advise.

“This is my ship XO, I give the orders here. I know you are used to running things, Ms. Lawson, but now that I am here, what I say goes. We will go to Omega, make the preparations.” Shepard barked at Miranda before walking away dismissively.

Miranda was furious as her face turned red with anger. The fucking nerve of that bitch! Keep it together Miri ... just go to your cabin and get away from her. Miranda, to her credit politely left the command deck and walked toward the elevator. The crew all noticed the interaction and knew that Shepard had exerted control over the ship.

The Great Commander Jane Shepard

As Shepard walked to different parts of the Ship introducing herself, Miranda was going over the intelligence dossiers of various important figures on Omega. The way Miranda walked away from her; she did not care for very much it was evident that her XO was angry when she talked to the rest of the crew. “This Miranda Lawson had been giving her an attitude since she woke up. It was her operation that got infiltrated and got me almost killed”. Shepard thought to herself. It was her shoddy tactics that left the one person able to tell us who was behind it dead. She knew the type of agent; the end justifies the means. However, sometimes the wrong means will lead to the wrong ends. Shepard quietly analyzed.

Shepard knew the best way to establish order was to get to know the crew. Miranda struck Commander Shepard as a person who was above mixing it together with the crew. She knew Miranda’s type, superior in every way, which ultimately made her an inferior leader. Superior people rarely can achieve true humility.

The cook

Sgt. Joshua Gardner was the everyman on the Normandy. He was the cook, the plumber, the janitor, the warehouse worker and even the maintenance man. He more than earned his keep and because of his utilitarian nature most of the crew forgot he was even on the ship. In fact, unless it was chow time most of the crew never talked to Gardner. He felt lucky to be on this ship helping humanity out. He needed the extra work after losing his family. The view did not hurt either, the ladies on the ship were in the fittest of shape not to mention drop dead knock outs. Even Commander Shepard was impressive. She took the time to ask what he needed and with any luck his meals will finally include the high-grade provisions for the crew. Something Miranda would never approve of; she was too much of a micro manager and an ice queen. Miranda ran a tight ship, but it was nice to see Shepard had a little slacker. It might be nice to see someone put Miranda in her place and arousing too. The woman was a terror, Sgt. Gardner feared dealing with her especially since she always noticed him, where the rest of the crew let him go around the ship unimpeded, she would always spot him as soon as he came into contact and have more critiques and orders to give.

Although it was worth it, he told himself, he has been a part of the Lazarus cell from pretty darn near the beginning and he had some of the most pleasurable memories of his life at the old space station. He had been sent to station where the Normandy was docked to prep the kitchen and inspect the plumbing systems when the news hit that the Mechs on the station went bonkers.

He was relieved when they got news that Commander Shepard and Miranda, both made it out in one piece. Although Ms. Lawson always rode him, she always took him no matter what cell she was running. It is odd, that everyone needs crap job men, and most Cerberus agents did not like doing the crap jobs no pun intended. Miranda might be genetically superior, but she definitely was not daft, there is always a use for a cook and a janitor/maintenance man. There was always a “use” for him, he thought.