A/N: Bioware owns all. This is just a what if/how Aria retakes Omega. This is my first attempt at writing FanFiction. After reading other writer's works and coming away inspired, I thought I would try my hand at telling a tale in the Mass Effect Universe. I welcome any and all feedback / PMs. Thanks for reading!

Exodus of Omega

Chapter 1: The Offer

Aria T'Loak slumped in her couch in the VIP section of Purgatory, the bar that she was currently the reigning queen of while stranded on the Citadel. Cutoff from Omega and forced to endure the ceremoniousness of the Citadel; she was bored and seething at Cerberus and The Illusive Man for her current plight. She had managed to unite the mercenary forces of the Blue Suns, Eclipse, and the Blood Pack with the help of Commander Shepard and was plotting on how best to mobilize them to help her take back Omega. She had come to utterly detest the Citadel and was ready to wreak havoc on something.

"Get me another Scotch" the asari ordered at one of her bodyguards. Scotch had been one of the few palatable things she had found on the Citadel, that and the frequent nightly visits from Councilor Tevos. The latter had also become somewhat of a habit and that had Aria a bit concerned; she was not one to form 'habits' with others. Her mind quickly justified Tevos though, if it was the end then why the fuck not. Besides, Tevos was at least soft on the eyes and interesting. When they were alone, the Councilor was uninhibited and every bit Aria's equal.

"Here you go Boss" muttered the turian holding Aria's Scotch on the rocks.

Aria absently took the drink and dismissed the guard holding it. She swirled it once, then swallowed deeply. The slight burn and earthy flavors went down easily.

Aria's omni-tool beeped, indicating that someone was trying to contact her and brought her back into focus. "What" she drily said into the communicator.

"Aria, this is Commander Shepard. I received some concerning news about Cerberus, Omega and the Omega-4 Relay. Looks like our friends have found some kind of Reaper tech at the Collector base, something big. They are in the process of securing a payload and transporting it to Omega and then on to who knows where. Since Cerberus is using Omega as a staging site for anything from the relay, I thought you might be interested in teaming up to intercept them and in the process regain control of Omega."

Aria stared at her omni-tool, fully digesting what Shepard was suggesting. "Why are you telling me this? You have a team and I am hardly known to work well with others." Aria spat the words at Shepard, but she could also not hide her disgust with Cerberus and intrigue at making them pay for their past betrayal.

"You know Omega and I thought you might like the chance to get even with our friend, The Illusive Man. Am I wrong?"

Aria paused and spoke with full authority in to her omni-tool. "No Shepard, I would welcome any chance to retake what is mine and hurt that bastard in the process. Out of curiosity, how did you come by this information and what exactly are they trying to get from the base?"

"The Shadow Broker received some Intel on Cerberus activity in the Terminus Systems. There has been a lot of ship movement across the relay recently. I am not sure exactly what they have discovered, but considering how they are using Reaper tech to indoctrinate their own people, I don't want to let them have any more weapons or ways to corrupt people. I confirmed the fleet activity with Admiral Hackett and it seems legit. If we succeed, it could severely cripple Cerberus and it would kick them off Omega permanently."

Aria laughed at the mention of Doctor Liara T'Soni, the Shadow Broker and more importantly at the thought that she could take back Omega and kick The Illusive Man in the balls at the same time. "Our little broker sure has her fingers in some interesting places." Aria could not help making a comment about Shepard's lover and source of information. "Alright Shepard, you've got me interested; send me your Intel and your plans. I'll be in touch."

Aria ended the conversation and quickly finished her drink. Without thinking, she keyed in the number for Tevos on her omni-tool to arrange for some welcomed stress relief; it was the first time Aria had smiled in months.

Commander Shepard closed the connection with Aria T'Loak and looked over at Liara. Shepard shrugged her shoulders at the conversation. "I think that she's in. I never thought that I would be asking Aria T'Loak to be part of a mission to retake Omega. Do you really think that this is a good idea Liara?"

Liara smiled and placed her hand on Shepard's shoulder. "Shepard, you know Aria's history with Cerberus. She has the resources and desire to hurt them more than most. We will need her and those resources once we reach Omega and if we can secure the Omega-4 Relay, then I would rather deal with her. Aria is a hedonist, but she knows Omega and will do anything in her power to keep balance there. I think she is crucial to ensuring this missions success."

Shepard nodded and took Liara's hand in hers and leaned in to give her a quick kiss on the cheek. She was still not totally convinced of Liara's plan to include Aria, but she knew that Aria was a force to be reckoned with. Either way, she had put the plan into motion and was now relying on Aria to work with her and her team. She was glad to have Liara's resources as the Shadow Broker and even more relieved to have her emotional support.

As Liara was studying some report on her terminal, Shepard caught a quick glimpse of the smile on Liara's face. Shepard turned away and got up to go brief Admiral Hackett on their plan. Here was another chance to procure much needed resources for the war and limit the effectiveness of Cerberus; Shepard was pleased.