*Disclaimer: This is my first time writing fiction (and having people read it), and in setting up my story I have used the comic Mass Effect Incursion and of course the opening scene to Mass Effect 2. Those ideas are not mine; I have just added and adapted them to type form. With that being said, I hope you will enjoy my head cannon.

Aria T'Loak knew something was off in her station. She could feel it in her bones. She and Omega shared a special bond; it was like a living thing to her. Omega wasn't pretty or shiny like Illium, it was dark and sexy, seething bodies and vibrating hearts. And right now, something told her that something was off, and by goddess she would find out what that was AND teach whoever it was a lesson. She was currently making her way down to the lower slums with two bodyguards in tow investigating some disturbing rumors of a meeting between the Blue Suns and some other group.

"Boss, I think you are overreacting. The reports that we have seen are telling us that it's just some Blue Suns mercs and maybe slavers." He looked at his companion. "This should be nothing that we can't handle."

Without changing her stride, or looking behind her she responded, "The reports are wrong."

Her two guards stopped with surprise. "What? You have new Intel? What's going on?" One of them said. They were both a ways back and had to run to catch up.

"I don't know what's going on, but Omega is mine, and I know when something is not right." She looked back at them. "Besides, it's important to make an appearance every now and again, show everyone who EXACTLY is in charge here."

This was the part of the station where the more seedy happenings went on. Wanted to buy a few slaves? Brokering a deal for red sand? This was the place to do it and Aria had her hands in all of it. Which was why she was a tad miffed right now; she knew there was going to be a meet with the Blue Suns, but who they were meeting with and why, was a complete mystery. And Aria hated mysteries.

Aria and her guards came upon a door to a warehouse that once had been used to house element zero, now it was being used for more nefarious things. Quietly, Aria and her two guards made their way up to the second level, where they could get a good look at the floor with little issue of being seen. They made their way up the steps slowly as to not run the risk of being heard. The stairs led to the platform high above the ground below. Aria crept out, gripped the railing and looked down. There were Blue Suns mercs with a large group of humans bound and gagged on the floor. Not a strange sight, slaves were bought and sold on a daily basis, however, the other group that the Blue Suns were meeting with gave her pause.

They looked to be human-sized bipedal insects with four eyes along a large tapering head; wings complimented this ensemble neatly tucked against their backs. They didn't seem to be intelligent from what Aria could see, all but one looked to be drones. All of them were standing around a larger being that was floating in the air. There was a lone one with a reddish tint and glowing eyes; this was the one that the Blue Suns were speaking to.

"You've got your specimens, now hand over the payment, or we kill every last one of you." The leader of the Blue Sun group yelled across the floor. The seemingly intelligent one looked at the merc with little interest. It made no move to hand over any payment, or do anything at all. It looked to be regarding the mercs with a hunger that can only be described as calculation. It was definitely planning something.

"Damn." She whispered.

"What the hell are those things?" One of her guards whispered behind her.

"They are Collectors," she turned to face her two body guards. "Change of plans, we kill everyone. When I hit the floor," She turned and jumped off the railing, "You send them all to hell." She yelled flaring her biotics and slamming into the floor with a biotic kick so powerful she knocked Blue Sun and Collector bodies away with a deafening boom. Kneeling on one knee, she looked up and saw the largest badass she had ever laid eyes on. It was floating there, like an insect searching for prey. She looked into its four blazing eyes from her crouched vantage point, and for the first time in her long life, she had no idea if she was going to live through this fight. Her heart hammered in her chest, and she knew that the thing was going to make its move soon. She dimly heard the sound of gunfire around her. All of her focus was on this monster in front of her.

Suddenly the air around her sparked with an electric charge, and she drove sideways narrowly missing the missing her legs. "Shit." She coughed, trying to get air into her lungs and quiet her racing heart. Aria looked to where her bodyguard had been. Both were locked into a struggle with their own nemesis. Aria began to pull herself up onto her hands and knees, rubble falling from her body. There was dust everywhere and it was difficult to see anything. This was to her advantage, giving her the time she needed to get her head on straight. She knew instinctively that her reprieve was not going to last long, so she forced herself to her feet. Just as she began to brush dirt and broken glass from her legs, she was grabbed by a Collector by the neck.

"You are insignificant." It said to her as it raised her up with her legs kicking and swinging. Fear gripped her chest, as her lungs burned for air. Scratching as its hands, she began to panic. Focusing on the pain, she dimly remembered the bomb she had in her back pocket. Reaching behind her, she pulled the bomb out and carefully fingering it armed, she knew just where to put it as well. She swung her arm around and shoved it down its mouth as far as she could push it. The Collector dropped her as it began to scratch and panic, backing away from her as much as it could. Aria powered up a biotic push and sent the thing flying into the big one.

Smirking, she turned and started away, "I may be insignificant, but you my friend, are the one that is dead." With that there was a deafening boom; the bomb disintegrated the rest of the Blue Suns, Collectors, and the human hostages. She turned back to the chaos when she reached her bodyguard. "Nobody fucks with Aria." She bent down to help her guard up. "Report."

"We lost one man, and the humans and Collectors are all dead. Are you OK?"

"Finish off any stragglers and find out everything you can about this deal with the Collectors, I want to know what is going on and now!" She strode out towards the exit to the slums making her way back to Afterlife.

"Boss, this is the information that I was able to find." The man handed Aria a data pad. Aria thumbed the pad to life and began scrolling through its contents. "Anything useful in the data?" He asked.

Aria creased her brow. "Human colony population totals in the traverse."

"What do you think it means?" What indeed she thought.

"It means that the Collectors are after more than a few human slaves, and that they have made a very dangerous enemy. I have a contact that I want you to give this to. See to it that she gets it."

"Is this data credible?" The Illusive man sat with his cigarette facing Miranda.

"Yes, Aria maybe a shrewd bitch, but she and I have an understanding. She interrupted a meet between the Collectors and a group of Blue Suns mercs. That datapad was found among the rubble."

"This is disturbing indeed if the data is correct. We need to find out what is going on and why. These colonies will need protection." The Illusive man took a long drag on his cigarette.

"With the actions of Commander Shepard, humans are stronger than ever. Sacrificing the fleet to save the council awarded us a seat. But it's still not enough, they won't believe her enough to do anything meaningful.

"Humans may have a seat on the Council, but Shepard remains our best hope."

Miranda turned to look at the man. "The Council doesn't think so." She started to walk towards him. "They are sending her to fight Geth, Geth! We both know they are not the real threat. The reapers are still out there."

"And it is up to us to stop them." He blew out his smoke

"The Council will never trust Cerberus. Even after everything humanity has done to help them. But Shepard, they'll follow her; she's a hero, a bloody icon. But she's just one woman, we lose her and humanity might well follow." The Illusive man snuffed out his cigarette.

"Then see to it that we don't lose her."