Repetitive music from Afterlife is blaring in the background when I sneak inside with a druggie group. They are here to soothe their addiction to Red Sand so they don't care about me trying to go unnoticed. My eyes dart around the room, looking for Balak and a dark corner to watch for him from.

But first, a drink was needed to help blend in with the club background.

"I'll have the Omega Bitch, double ryncol," an alcoholic Krogan grunts as I arrive at the bar.

The Turian bartender turns his back to us to gather the needed liquor. He shakes a light-blue syrup with the ryncol and pours the finished product into a tall shot glass. Before the Krogan can even put his hands on it, the Turian takes another shaker out, along with a fierce red liquid and a peach ice cube. After doing a few tricks with the shakers, he pours the solution on top of the blue. Inside the glass the blue and red are separated with an unseen barrier. The Krogan proceeds to lift the glass and stare into it, admiring the colors. Lifting his head back, he swooshes the drink down and shakes his head, moaning with pure happiness.

"Drell Special Reserve, on the rocks," I say, glancing away from the bar every few moments to stay aware of the crowd.

Glass clinks against the counter and I look back at the Turian. "Thirteen credits."

I pull up my account on my Omni-tool and pay for the much needed drink. Trying to blend with the crowd, I find myself sitting at a table with an Asari. I know she is only here for her supply of Red Sand and drinks, because she doesn't pay attention to me. I watch the crowd and sip at my drink. The sugar keeps me going, the alcohol...not so much. Due to the fact I gained a tolerance for easy drinking during my training with the Compact, the alcohol doesn't reflect on my personality or appearance.

After about an hour of watching, I want to just give up on the search for any suspicions when a nicely armored Asari walks in. Her armor is all black, unlike the Blue Suns, so my dubious feelings stop. I don't want her to notice me, so I creep further into the wretched Afterlife, still keeping a watchful eye.

The familiar-looking woman jumps on the bar and flips onto the dancer's podium. Then she starts to tap on her Omni-Tool, shutting off the music. The crowd groans, and they begin to yell.

"What the fuck do you think you're doin'?" This comes from the other side of the bar.

"I am looking for Thane Krios. He is a Drell assassin and he has a high ransom of 500,000 credits" The Krogan from earlier looks up and a greedy grin slides across his scarred face. The crowd quiets down and listens to the vast amounts of money being offered. Anything will do to satisfy their Red Sand cravings or their addiction to alcohol.

Even if it means turning in friends.

"There was a Drell here an hour ago!" The Asari I sat with stands up and walks to the podium, wobbling a few times on the way up.

Her attention is taken by the girl and yells, "What did he look like?" I swear that I have seen her before, but my mind cannot fathom who she is.

"Green, wearing skin-tight black clothing." She hiccups and after a moment to gather herself, she continues, "He was very handsome for a Drell."

"I have had enough of this!" Aria appears from the top of the bar, walking down steps to the center. "What is your business here and why has my music stopped? Guards!" Her pets come racing to her side, ready for her command.

"Yes Aria?"

"Take the unfriendly intruder to be questioned. I have business to attend to." I follow her gaze as it lands on me for a second. She continues to scan the crowd, making sure that the woman hasn't noticed her watchful eyes.

The Asari runs but, of course, guards corner her and march her to Aria's lair. In all of this, Aria calmly walks towards me. Her back hugs the wall near me but, she doesn't look my way at all.

"Mind telling me what this is all about, Krios? It's been a few days since the video, yet no one has caught you."

"I don't think that I know the Asari. Although, she looks very familiar."

"I wasn't asking about that. I was asking about the video. Your team needs help and I need Shepard. We are going to help you look for her and rescue her. But before we do that I need to know what you did to make them take Shepard." Now she looks at me and gives me an evil glare. She is the main bitch here at Omega so this look makes shivers crawl down my spine.

"They killed my wife. I took my revenge, my well-deserved revenge. Those murderers had a phlegmatic, slow, and excruciatingly painful death. And after all these years, Balak decides to plot revenge. Why now?" I never thought to question why he decided to do this now. More importantly, why I was pouring myself out in a public place, and to Aria no less. Shepard could make you do anything for her.

Even make you associate with Aria.

Aria stands beside me, her eyes examine the crowd as she processes everything. "I want you to stay close to the shadows and watch the interrogation."

"Aria," I turn back to the crowd, watching my back. "What if something happens?"

"Nothing will harm you." Her eyes light a fire inside me. I will do this for Shepard.

"What will become of the prisoner? I don't want her dead, yet. We may need more information." My body turns towards the wall and I hit my forehead against it. Hard. "We need to find her."

She blinks a few times and her complexion becomes soft. "You of all people have developed feelings for her?"

"I-yes." I mumble as I force my head against the wall again.

Her arms surround my shoulders and I am pulled away from the wall. "Stop this, Thane. I will help you. And if you ever mutter a word about this to anyone, then you better hope that Shepard is with you." Aria pulls a miniscule, black device from her pocket. "Latch this to the inside of your ear so you can hear the conversation." Her body turns away and walks to her lair as if she were on the red carpet.

My eyes scan the crowd, in search for a place for me to hide in during the interrogation. Around the outskirts of the top floor, overlooking Aria's area is secluded and dark.

Perfect.

Placing the emptied glass next to the Turian bartender, I fly up the stairs to get in position. After checking my back and scanning the crowd, I get into position. The cold wall presses uncomfortably into my back, letting me know there is no escape.

The hearing device is clasped so tightly in my hand that it leaves an imprint. I place it inside my ear, so I won't lose a single word of the interrogation.

Aria takes her place with the Asari facing away from her. "So, you decide to mess with the main bitch. Then you want an assassin who is more than out of your league. You also show a video of my friend, Shepard. Do you know what I do to people who mess with my friends?"

She circles the woman, trying to show her who is the dog and who is the bone. The girl still stands tall, refusing to quiver under the pressure, even with guns pointing at her.

The Asari let a deadly silence remain between them. Even with the continuous music from Afterlife pumping the adrenaline throughout my system, this makes me wary.

You can't leave Aria waiting.

"What did I fucking say to you?" Aria softly slaps her cheek, trying to get her attention.

"I didn't know that Shepard was a friend, Aria." A grin is abundant in her voice.

"I kill those who mess with my friends. Shepard is my greatest asset. If you kill her or her friends, your next breathe will be drawn at the depths of Hell."

"I only want Krios. Shepard has no meaning to me."

Aria paces a few more circles around the girl before asking the question I have been waiting for. "Who are you?"

"Mina."

My heart sinks to the bottomless pits of sorrow in my body. No, no, no, this can't-not her! I know why she wants me. Her mind is not meant for this sort of hatred. Mina only plans on taking me and killing Balak and his men. But, if she finds out about Shepard and me.

No!

"Well...Mina...why do you want Thane?"

The deep blue of her face turns pale and the look of power quickly runs away. Aria's lip quirks up in a corner because she knows that she has won the argument. Aria raises her right arm, helping to support the other. "I...I c-cannot say here."

"Oh, and why is that?" Aria's hands drop to her sides and she crouches next to her. Mina's face turns to the ground, trying to not look at Aria.

"I hope to not discuss this here." She cringes her teeth, trying to keep in the words that are demanding to release.

Aria turns away from her, glancing at me quickly. "Guards, I request a private room."

Her bodyguards grab Mina by her arms and drag her behind Aria, keeping at least six feet away. A bodyguard stands in front of Aria, guiding her to the secluded room.

After a few moments, I hear interference.

"So why did we have to be secluded? Do you really think that you can beat me?"

"I wanted to tell you and Thane the truth. Do you really think that I didn't notice you talking to him. While he still is a master at hiding, you couldn't have been talking to an empty wall. Could you, Aria?"

"What makes you think that I would talk to Krios?"

Methodical laughs pierce my ears. "You said you would help your friends."

Aria's silence is the loudest thing in the room that I can hear.

"If you really must know why I paired with such a cruel, ugly creature like Balak, listen up."

"I am listening. Thane, on the other hand, is on the Normandy SR-2. If you think that you have the upper-hand, then you are so foolishly wrong," Aria's even more evil side lashes out at Mina's words.

"Well, now that I have only your attention Aria, I want you to know why I must insist on having Thane back." A heavy sigh passes from her lungs.

"I am pregnant with Thane's child."

Air chokes down my already diseased lungs and my legs shake. The wall supports my weary body, keeping me from looking like a drunken fool. In the background of Afterlife, the song's beats slow and the crowd seems to wobble in my mind. It is a pure struggle to get down the steps and out the doors of the club before I want to call for a crew member to pick me up.

No one except Aria and me should know of her secret.

Not even Shepard.

Author's Note: Please review this chapter! Feedback makes me understand if I am doing something wrong. Anyway, I am going to go back and update the previous chapters so that newcomers can actually see that my writing doesn't have the vocabulary of a ten-year-old... :P Love you guys...every single one of you!

Thank you to my beta and TheGreatJabberyJamie for their support!