Miranda Lawson is a human Cerberus Officer who appears in Mass Effect: Galaxy, Mass Effect: Foundation, Mass Effect: Redemption, Mass Effect 2, and Mass Effect 3. She is Jacob Taylor's informant, offering guidance and advice during missions (usually through hologram communication). Miranda Lawson has traveled across many planets in space and therefore has countless contacts and connections.
Miranda was artificially created and therefore has incredible intelligence and remarkable strength. She is Commander Shepard's second-in-command as well as the leader of the Illusive Man's Lazarus Cell. She follows the Illusive Man but ultimately grows to become loyal to Commander Shepard.
10 Shepard Does Not Have The Authority
While the team is on Purgatory, they try and recruit Jack. She is a notorious criminal, infamous for kidnapping and murdering. Jack is referred to as Subject Zero and considered one of the most powerful (and most dangerous) human biotics around.
During the mission, Commander Shepard tells Jack they will give her access to the Cerberus databases. Miranda protests. She says, "You do not have the authority to do so," and angers Jack.
9 A Nice Touch
At some point, the team winds up on Korlus. It is known as the starcraft cemetery, a planet used solely for disposing and dumping. There, they run into a Wounded Merc and Commander Shepard suggests he finds a shady spot to bleed out in.
Miranda says, "The scare was a nice touch," regarding his comment (and Commander Shepard agrees).
8 Typical Alliance Attitude
When the team is doing business on Horizon, Ashley Willaims and Kaidan Alenko talk about how they believe Cerberus is working with the Collectors. Both of them are humans. Cerberus is lead by the Illusive Man and the Collectors are looking for live human biotics.
Following these allegations, Miranda disagrees and says Ashley Willaims and Kaidan Alenko both have a "typical Alliance attitude."
7 Not A Fan Of Varrens
Tuchanka is the home of the Krogans. It is also a planet with extreme temperatures, awful diseases, and vicious predators. Here, varren live; one of them is a friend (like a pet) called Urz.
Miranda is not fond of Tuchanka and mentions to the group that they should complete their mission there as soon as possible. While they are there, Urz fights in the pit and gets injured. She responds to Commander Shepard's decision to visit the injured Urz with surprise, saying, "Really? We're visiting the stray varren in the hospital?!"
6 This Is Not Good
During the Shadow Broker mission, the team finds themselves in the Dracon Trade Center. This is an office building on Illium. Some of the corporations that exist here are ExSolar Shipping, Nezo Transportation, Eldfell-Ashland Energy, and Baria Frontiers. The latter specializes in star charts that Shepard can purchase to expand the game's Galaxy Map.
When the place gets bombed, Miranda immediately reacts with: "This is not good!"
5 This May Be A First
After dealing with Harkin's hideout in the Zakera Ward factory district, the team finds a forged ID. This leads to the Found Forged ID mission at the Citadel. They speak with the Asari there.
For this conversation, the Council must have gotten abandoned, Commander Shepard must say: "If no one else will, yes," and also he needs to apologize. If done correctly, Kalara Tomi will take offense regarding the attitudes of humans. Miranda then responds, "The Asari are accusing us of arrogance. This may be a first."
4 Worth The Cost
Tali'Zorah nar Rayya is a Quarian engineer who helped Commander Shepard defeat Saren. She is in the Migrant Fleet Admiralty Board on Haestrom. The team goes to recruit her.
When entering the Quarian's base camp, Miranda Lawson remarks that this colony formed before the uprising of the Geth. If someone else in the squad weighs in, she conveys hope for the Quarians. Miranda prays that whatever brought them to Haestrom is "worth the cost."
3 Some Other Explanation
The Collector Ship is a vessel floating adrift after being damaged by a Turian patrol. It is also a mission. Here, the team discovers the Collectors are Prothean husks working for the Reapers.
To this discovery, Miranda reacts with: "They're not doing to us what they did to the Protheans." Then, they realize it is a trap and that the Illusive Man was aware. If Commander Shepard responds saying he believes they were set up, she replies: "There has to be some other explanation. The Illusive Man wouldn't do this to us! He...he just wouldn't!"
2 So Much For Godhood
The team will try to recruit Samara on Illium. She is an ancient Asari Justicar. Samara is talented when it comes to weapons as well as a master of biotic abilities.
On the way there, they run into Niftu Cal, a volus who likes to brag about his own biotic abilities. He says, "I will toss Wasea about like a rag doll." Miranda responds to this by commenting that "having an incapacitated volus running around the battlefield could compromise us." Then, if Commander Shepard prevents him from fighting, Niftu Cal will walk away and she will say, "So much for godhood."
1 Destroying Or Saving The Base
During the Suicide Mission, Commander Shepard decides to either destroy the base or save it. Miranda Lawson will refuse the Illusive Man's command to stop him and agree with the decision.
But if Commander Shepard saves the Collector Base, she will say that "before we started this mission, I never would've questioned our goals...I just hope we made the right choice." This quote really illustrates Miranda's growth over the course of Mass Effect 2.