Miranda Lawson

'"I'm an excellent judge of character. I think you'll find my assessments to be right on the money." '

Miranda Lawson is a human informant, a major protagonist in Mass Effect Galaxy and a squad member in Mass Effect 2. 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--or at least friends of friends--in the Alliance military. Miranda has also been genetically engineered for "superior mental and physical traits". 

Miranda is both voiced by, and modelled upon, the actress Yvonne Strahovski.

Mass Effect Galaxy
Miranda first makes contact with Jacob Taylor after being referred to him 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 2
In Mass Effect 2 Commander Shepard first meets Miranda aboard Cerberus Station after being brought back to life by Cerberus after the destruction of the Normandy as part of the Lazarus Project. When the station is attacked by unknown assailants Miranda orders Shepard out of bed, to a weapon locker and acts as a guide during the subsequent fight. 

At some point later in the game Miranda becomes a permanent member of Shepard's squad.

Trivia
Miranda was originally created with a different face. However, once Yvonne Strahovski agreed to voice the character, the development team changed the character's face to resemble her.