Miranda Lawson

Miranda Lawson is a human Cerberus Officer. As Jacob Taylor's informant, she gives him guidance and advice during missions, often via hologram. Miranda is very well traveled and has many contacts, extending from Citadel space and the Terminus Systems, to as far as the hostile Nemean Abyss. Her vast network of contacts may be explained by the fact Miranda is a known Cerberus operative, one who still has friends &mdash; or at least friends of friends &mdash; in the Alliance military.

Miranda is a potential romantic interest for a male Commander Shepard.

Mass Effect Galaxy
Miranda first makes contact with Jacob Taylor after being referred to him as an informant through his former commanding officer, Derek Izunami. Izunami arranges for them to meet in a bar called the Fringe on Cartagena Station, a space station in the Nemean Abyss. Miranda greets Jacob after he takes out a group of pirates who had taken over the bar, quipping that she was expecting someone taller.

She then explains the supposed batarian plot to sabotage the peace talks at the Citadel by assassinating Ambassador Jath'Amon. Miranda gives Jacob three sources which may relate to the recent batarian attacks: a turian arms dealer named Illo Nazario on the planet Tortuga, who has worked with the batarians for years; the planet Bekke where a batarian army is reportedly gathering; and a rumor that the batarians have kidnapped several scientists and are holding them on the Ahn'Kedar Orbital Platform.

Miranda then assists Jacob from his ship during his investigations. On Tortuga, Jacob receives the codes for Nazario's compound from Miranda's salarian contact Ish. After Jacob fights his way through the compound, he and Miranda find that Nazario has been infected with a deadly bioweapon and agree to find a cure in exchange for his information on the batarians. On Ahn'Kedar, Jacob rescues the captive scientists and learns that they need a large quantity of element zero in order to complete a cure.

When they arrive on Bekke, Miranda reports strange readings from the planet surface as the ship comes under fire. She later picks up the massive eezo cache Jacob discovers in the facility. Miranda accompanies Jacob during his interrogation of Nazario, who informs them that Jath'Amon has no intention of a peace treaty, the peace talks being a cover to assassinate the Council with the bioweapon. She then accompanies him to the Citadel, where Jacob subdues Jath'Amon and saves the Council. Miranda later joins Jacob on his resumed vacation on the Arcturian Jade with a bottle of celebratory champagne.

Mass Effect: Redemption
A few months after the destruction of the SSV Normandy, Miranda meets with Liara and Feron on Omega after their fight with Blue Suns mercenaries. Miranda tells Liara that they have the same goal and brings her to meet the Illusive Man. Miranda also says to Liara that the Blue Suns were the ones who attacked her and that the mercenary group has Commander Shepard's body and its still on Omega because Cerberus would have found out if someone had left with it. Then Miranda tells Liara that if she wants to find Shepard's body, she needs Feron's help.

Before Feron and Liara go through the Omega 2 Relay for the Shadow Broker's base, Miranda asks the Illusive Man to stop Tazzik, who is going to hit the Omega 2 Relay, but he tells her to wait. Then she sees Feron's ship and asks Illusive Man to follow it but once again he tells Miranda to wait.

After Liara acquires Shepard's body, Miranda meets Liara at Lazarus Research Station, where Shepard's body is transferred for recovery, and tells her that they may not be able to restore Shepard and that the body is in worse shape than expected. Liara tells Miranda to let the dead rest and that what Cerberus does is not what she brought Shepard back for. Miranda interrupts and tells her that maybe the Collectors would have done the same. She also explains that the Illusive Man is more hopeful about Shepard's prospects and they're going to spend everything they have but it will still take a very long time if it works at all. When Liara asks what will the boss do about Feron, Miranda answers that the drell knew the risks and if Liara wants to go after him, that's her business and suggests that she do what she wants.

Weapon proficiencies

 * Submachine Guns
 * Heavy Pistols

Powers
Unlike Shepard's other squadmates, save for Jacob Taylor, Miranda Lawson has 31 points available for distribution.

Dossier
Miranda was born in 2150. As she explains to Shepard, Miranda never had a mother, only a father who is extremely influential, wealthy, and ego-maniacal. Using a modified copy of his own genome, Miranda was genetically engineered to be a specimen of human perfection. Everything, from her intelligence, physical constitution, biotic abilities, to her appearance were designed before birth to be excellent. She boasts about being able to shoot a mech's head off from 100 meters away or just as easily crush it with her biotic powers. Miranda also heals faster than other humans and will probably live half a lifespan longer. If Shepard accuses her of being cocky, she retorts that she's only stating the facts.

However, Miranda’s gifts were a burden growing up. Despite her accomplishments, Miranda’s perfectionist father never showed approval or pride towards his daughter. He always expected more and better from her — forever chiding her to be greater than she already was. He also imposed a very strict lifestyle on Miranda, and forbade her from making friends and having a social life. Miranda remarks that he didn't want a daughter as much as a dynasty, which was why he used his own genetic template to create her. The constant pressure and lack of affection led Miranda to relinquish her privileged lifestyle and run away from home as a soon as she could &mdash; although some gunfire was involved. Her father used his extensive network of contacts to chase her across the galaxy, but she managed to elude him nonetheless.

At some point Miranda approached Cerberus and joined them in exchange for protection. Miranda knew of them since her father sympathized with their human-centric agenda and was a major backer. When she enlisted with Cerberus, he stopped pursuing her but severed his ties to the group. Despite their past dealings with her father, Miranda agrees with Cerberus' desire to help humanity. Miranda also enjoys the opportunity to work with people as smart as she is and the amount of latitude their clandestine operations afford her; she is given an objective, all the resources she needs, and nothing more. Evidently, Miranda has advanced far enough to become one of the few in the organization, much less the galaxy, that meets and answers directly to the Illusive Man, who appreciates her abilities.

After Cerberus gains possession of Commander Shepard's corpse, the Illusive Man selects Miranda to be the head of the Lazarus Cell and puts her in charge of the Lazarus Project. Over the course of two years, Miranda oversees the development and implementation of Cerberus' vast resources towards bringing Shepard back to life. When Shepard briefly wakes for the first time, Miranda is the first and last person seen by Shepard before falling back to sleep. At some point, the research base comes under attack by a saboteur. Miranda wakes Shepard over an intercom and guides the Commander to the base's last shuttle. Miranda takes Shepard to be briefed by the Illusive Man, but not before killing the traitor who instigated the attack.

When Shepard goes to investigate the colony of Freedom's Progress, Miranda becomes a permanent squad member. Aboard the Normandy SR-2 she functions as Shepard's second-in-command, but also serves as a proxy for the Illusive Man, which means she can override Commander Shepard's orders in certain situations. According to EDI, Miranda is the leading operative of the Lazarus Cell which is headquartered on the Normandy.

Initially, Miranda expresses skepticism towards the level of importance the Illusive Man has placed on Shepard, especially since the Lazarus Project required a huge investment of Cerberus's resources and her own time. She also notes that she wanted to implant Shepard with a control device to regulate the Commander's actions, but the Illusive Man declined her suggestion. Soon after their mission gets underway, Miranda admits that the Illusive Man's estimation of Shepard's value to their cause was accurate.

Unfortunately, Miranda still retains some of the insecurities that drove her from home; despite leading an illustrious career, Miranda doesn’t believe she’s truly earned her accomplishments. Because of her father's genetic tampering which gave her the innate advantage to succeed, she still feels like she's living under his shadow, and that her failures are the only thing she truly owns. Miranda admits this has made her somewhat jealous of Shepard, whose vast accomplishments can be credited to skill, talent, and drive.

Loyalty
During the mission Miranda asks Shepard for help with a personal crisis and admits she has a twin, Oriana, created as part of her father's intended dynasty. Miranda explains that the reason she joined Cerberus was to hide and protect Oriana as well as herself. While their father stopped searching for Miranda, he never stopped looking for Oriana. With the help of Cerberus, Miranda managed to establish a new life for Oriana on Illium, where she has lived the life of normalcy their father would have denied her. Unfortunately, Miranda received word from a contact claiming that their father has finally discovered Oriana and will try to abduct her. Cerberus has made arrangements to relocate Oriana, and Miranda wants to go along to ensure nothing goes wrong.

After gaining the loyalty of both Miranda and Jack, the next time Shepard boards the Normandy Joker will radio in about a fight aboard the ship. Jack wants Miranda to admit what was done to her by Cerberus was wrong, but Miranda refuses to acknowledge that Cerberus was at fault claiming it was a splinter group, not Cerberus, calling the shots.

Shepard can either resolve the conflict without picking sides, in which case, both Jack and Miranda agree to put off their fight until after the mission with the Collectors is over. If Shepard sides with Jack, then the Commander will lose Miranda's loyalty, but has the opportunity to regain her loyalty in a later conversation. In addition, if Shepard was in a relationship with Miranda and sides with Jack, then Miranda ends the relationship and will refuse to rekindle the relationship even if her loyalty is regained.

Romance
After her sister has been relocated, Shepard can talk to Miranda, and show a romantic interest in her. He can tell Miranda that she gives herself too little credit for her accomplishments and that she should allow people to appreciate her body and mind, resulting in Miranda "wanting Shepard to admire her body." If Shepard returns her feelings, she expresses cautiousness in the relationship, but also expresses her interest in it as well. Alternatively, Shepard can accuse Miranda of being jealous of him. She will attempt to deny it but sexual tension builds in the ensuing conversation, and if Shepard kisses her their romance is further cemented despite her insistence that it doesn't mean anything. If Mordin Solus notices Shepard's attraction to Miranda, he suggests checking for listening devices as "Cerberus can plant them anywhere," and comments on her biotic talents, sending Shepard a document that outlines "creative use of mass effect fields."

After Jack's loyalty mission, the relationship is put at risk during the confrontation between Miranda and Jack. If Shepard sides with Miranda or resolves the situation impartially, then the relationship will continue. If the relationship sustains until the Suicide Mission, then, before Shepard goes into the Omega 4 Relay, Miranda will 'coincidentally' meet Shepard in the Combat Information Center, telling him to meet her in the engine room in five minutes. If Shepard accepts the invite, she walks into the elevator and winks at him before the doors close. They then spend time in the engine room.

Lair of the Shadow Broker
After the Shadow Broker has been defeated, if Shepard brings Liara aboard the Normandy to catch up, she asks Shepard what he's fighting for, and if it is for the future of humanity as evidenced by "the perfect Miss Lawson". If Shepard answers yes, he responds by saying that Miranda has her issues but he cares about her. Liara recalls her first impression of Miranda, finding her cold and completely focused on her duty to Cerberus. In response, Shepard doesn't think Miranda has changed that much but Liara assures him that she has and he has no idea how much he has changed Miranda. Before she leaves to return to the Shadow Broker Base, Liara says that she hopes that the two of them will find happiness together.

Mass Effect 3
Miranda returns to fight the Reapers, provided she survived Shepard's attack on the Collector base. Since the Collector base, she has resigned from Cerberus and has indicated that the Illusive Man now wants her eliminated, causing her to go on the run again for a while.

Shepard gets a message from Miranda asking to meet on the Citadel at Docking Bay D24 one mission after rescuing Primarch Victus for a war summit. Miranda expresses her concerns that her sister Oriana had been found by her father. If certain decisions are not made by Shepard to warn her of a Cerberus attack, Miranda will later be killed by Cerberus Assault Troopers, under orders from the Illusive Man. To keep her alive, Shepard must read the dossier Anderson forwards on Kai Leng, and warn her about him via video conference in the Spectre Office in the Citadel Embassies after receiving a mail message from her.

Should Miranda not be spoken to before Cerberus' attack on the Citadel, Miranda will still send Shepard a message to contact her via the Communications Console in the Spectre Office in the Citadel Embassies. If Shepard tells Miranda about Kai Leng being part of the attempted coup, she will be surprised to learn the assassin is still alive and thanks Shepard for letting her know about Kai Leng, and she will be on her guard.

Miranda later sends a message to Shepard to meet her in a private room on the Citadel. Once Shepard arrives, Miranda asks them for control of Alliance resources, but refuses to reveal the reason for it. Shepard can refuse, at which Miranda leaves immediately.

Should Shepard give Miranda the resources, she confesses her guilt for wanting to implant a control-chip into Shepard's brain during their reconstruction, as that time she felt Shepard was a complete unknown. Shepard can comfort her saying that it was Miranda who brought them back to life, regardless of her opinions about them back then and tells her not to dwell on the past.

Miranda eventually confirms that her sister was indeed taken by their father. Once she learns that, it wasn't difficult for her to find her father's facility on Horizon. She arrives at Sanctuary, only to find it under attack from Reaper forces. She attempts to keep them out of the facility and locates the jamming signal that is blocking all off-world communications. She leaves several video logs, revealing Sanctuary's true purpose and confirming that Henry Lawson is working for the Illusive Man. She however, is unaware of Kai Leng's presence, who attacks her.

Commander Shepard's team arrives on Horizon after Cerberus retrieves the Prothean VI from Thessia. They see the video logs left by Miranda and reaches the central tower to find Miranda badly hurt. Henry is holding Oriana as a human shield and keeping Miranda at gunpoint. Shepard is either able to diffuse the situation diplomatically or to simply shoot him.

If Shepard allows Henry to leave, Miranda will refuse, using her biotics to push him out of a nearby window. Miranda, who is badly injured during a running battle with Kai Leng, dies in the company of Oriana and Shepard if she was not previously warned about Kai Leng's return to service of Cerberus. If Miranda's loyalty was not secured, or she was not given Alliance resources, Kai Leng will mortally wound her even if warned.

If Shepard cannot persuade Henry diplomatically and does not shoot him after diplomacy fails, Miranda takes the initiative to kill her father herself, but Henry manages to get in a shot that fatally wounds Miranda, causing Miranda to die even if Miranda was warned about both the Cerberus attack and Kai Leng's return to Cerberus.

If Miranda survived those events, she tells Shepard she had the time to place a tracking device on Kai Leng during their short encounter, allowing Shepard and the Alliance to find the Illusive Man's location. Miranda then leaves with her sister, and asks Shepard to be careful.

She joins the war effort, getting a few sideways looks from Alliance brass due to her Cerberus past. Aside from providing valuable anti-Cerberus intel, she procures a private fighter for herself, teaming up with former colleagues to strike at Cerberus targets. These deeds and more earn her the tacit approval of the Alliance forces she's working with.

Shepard has the chance to talk to her on Earth one last time, right before the final assault. Miranda takes the moment to say her final goodbyes, claiming that everything would be different if they even come out alive. Shepard would have none of it, countering that if things change it will be on their terms. Miranda ran all her life, and Shepard advises her that it is time to stop. Miranda's spirits are uplifted at Shepard's words, and in contrast to her earlier statements of "no promises" whenever Shepard bids her well she now promises to take care of herself at the end of their conversation.

If Shepard dies activating the Crucible, or is not in a romance with Miranda, she will be seen in a boardroom helping lead reconstruction efforts following the defeat of the Reapers. If Shepard chooses to control the Reapers, Miranda spends time with Oriana studying Reaper schematics.

Weapon proficiencies

 * Heavy Pistols
 * Submachine Guns

Dossier
Miranda's presence is dependent on her surviving the events on Horizon.

After Shepard retakes the Normandy Miranda can be invited up to the apartment for a drink. During the conversation she'd tell what little she knew about Maya Brooks: all Miranda knew is that Maya was the one who compiled the dossiers for Shepard's team in the mission against the Collectors, and nothing more because Miranda was focused on bringing Shepard back alive at that time. If Shepard is in a romance with Miranda, they share an intimate moment.

After these events Shepard will, in time, receive an invitation to meet Miranda at the Silver Coast Casino. If Shepard meets Miranda there she will be wearing a red dress for the occasion. Miranda will then confess she is trying to spend an evening like normal people would for a change. If Shepard is in a romance with Miranda, he can hold her and tell her that they are going to have an evening like a regular couple.

Miranda can assist Shepard in the Armax Arsenal Arena provided her ally license has been bought.

Miranda is an optional invite to Shepard's big party. In the party's first phase, she's hanging out at the bar with Joker and EDI, indignant at Joker's portrayal of Cerberus' incompetence when all she was in charge of at the time was bringing Shepard back to life. If Jacob is around, the news of his fatherhood reached her ears and she congratulates him. Jacob replies he's a little scared at the prospect, and Miranda assures him that his being a protector goes a long way.

If Joker and EDI are in a relationship, Miranda asks Joker if he has no other "plans" after EDI, preferably someone more human. Joker replies in the negative because according to him EDI's smart, funny, and "into spaceships." If Joker and EDI were stuck at the friend zone, Miranda admits to being curious at what could've happened and defers to Joker's judgment on the issue. Joker adds that nobody wants an angry ex equipped with a Thanix cannon if he and EDI ever hooked up then broke up. Whatever the case, Miranda declares she can respect Joker knowing what he wants.

At the party's second phase, in an energetic setting, Miranda is lounging at the bar in the poker den with Jack if the punky biotic is around. Both of them take turns insulting each other, with Miranda making pointed references to Jack's unconventional hair, uncouth manner, childish behavior, victim complex, and underdeveloped assets. Shepard can join in and encourage their friendship or conflict. If friendship is encouraged, Shepard jokes about the existence of "sexual tension" between the "two powerful biotics"; both with "forceful personalities" and "confident in their sexuality". Miranda covers her face at this, Jack responds in her usual manner, and both of them order drinks to recover from the moment. Miranda concedes later that Cerberus was wrong about Jack, finding the fact she grew as a person despite what Cerberus did to her extremely admirable. Jack praises Miranda's fantastic tits even though she still hates the ex-Cerberus biotic, and Miranda, amused, shrugs it off.

If conflict is encouraged, both of them ramp up the vitriol they have for each other. Jack remarks that Miranda's fun to hate, and Miranda assures her the feeling's mutual.

If Jack isn't around, Miranda just joins Liara and James on the upstairs balcony listening to the two bicker about which of physical conditioning or biotics trump the other.

If the setting is still relaxed for the party's second phase, Miranda is at the poker den with James and Liara, who are discussing the differences and merits of the SSV Normandy and the SR-2. She's firmly in the camp of supporting the newer ship when the discussion devolves into taking sides for one ship against the other.

At the party's third phase, if everyone was invited to dance, Miranda joins Liara and James at the balcony (or never left there, if Jack was absent), either watching Liara demonstrate biotic supremacy or egging Jacob on if he's competing with James in push-ups. Everyone there decides to dance once Shepard checks in on them.

If the setting is still relaxed for the party's third phase, Miranda joins Cortez and Joker at the upper floor couches in reminiscing the good old days.

In the morning after, Miranda is seated at the kitchen's center aisle, anticipating Vega's eggs.

If Shepard and Miranda are in a relationship, they will wake up after the party in bed together. Shepard will say how he loves watching Miranda wake up, to which Miranda responds, "Let's make it a habit." They will kiss and Shepard replies, "As you wish, Ms. Lawson."

When the crew returns to the Normandy, Miranda and Shepard hold hands and Miranda rests her head on Shepard's shoulder, asking if he's "going back to the fight." When Shepard says it may be the last party the crew will have, Miranda assures Shepard that he will "find a way to win" and she will be waiting for him when he does. After a pause, as the crew leaves, Miranda will say, while it hasn't been easy, they've "had a good run." Shepard will nod and say, "the best" before leaving to join his crew while Miranda returns to the Citadel.

Romance
Upon meeting Shepard on the Citadel, if she is in a romance with him, Miranda shows that she was greatly pained when he was detained on Earth, and almost thought to break in to see him.

Shepard has the chance to confirm his love for her, telling her that while it will never be easy, he will always want her in his life. After helping her by warning her about the various dangers she could be exposed to, Miranda asks Shepard to meet her in a private room on the Citadel.

There, she explains that she feels guilty, because she wanted to incorporate a mind-controlling chip within Shepard's new body while working on the Lazarus Project. She mentions that the Illusive Man refused, in order to keep Shepard as close as he was to his former self. She despises herself, knowing it's what her father would have wanted done, and she tells Shepard she's deeply sorry. Shepard has the chance to comfort her, which will result in them making love.

During the final mission on Earth, if Shepard previously romanced Miranda, she comments that this is farewell, while Shepard tries to be positive and promises to come back. She can later be seen looking at the stars after the war is over, if Shepard chose to destroy the Reapers and survived the Crucible's blast.

Trivia

 * Along with Thane, Miranda is one of the "poster" characters for Mass Effect 2 and appears on most of the promotional art and demo footage.
 * Once Yvonne Strahovski signed on to voice the character, the development team decided to model the character's face based on the actress. Additionally, the character's original Scandinavian surname was changed to better match Strahovski's Australian accent.
 * Miranda's original surname was Solheim, Norwegian for "Sunhome." This was chosen in part because she is one of the relatively rare characters born on Earth (i.e. from the Sol system). Miranda's name translates as 'she who must be admired', apt considering she was engineered for perfection.
 * Early concepts of Miranda portrayed her as a blonde, but once they created her Cerberus uniform, black hair seemed to better complement the "femme fatale" look.
 * Given Jacob's dialogue with Shepard, it is possible that Miranda might have been romantically involved with Jacob at some point.
 * Apparently early on in the game's development, Miranda was intended to be able to be romanced by both a male and female Commander Shepard.
 * Miranda's outfit is available to female avatars on the Xbox Avatar Marketplace for 320 MS points


 * As with all squad members, Miranda has unique dialogue that can be heard at various locations, during missions or assignments, or if a specific squad member is in the selected team.
 * The Shadow Broker has files on Miranda which can be accessed aboard his ship.

Miranda Lawson Miranda_Lawson