Disclaimer: Bioware owns almost all.

Chapter 45

Sweat trickles down my brow, hot and sticky and salty on my tongue. My heart pounds in my chest, pulsating inside its cage. The guards are aware of my approach but indifferent, and the entertainment continues, the dancers maintaining their erotic façade. They don't know what I've done, and neither does Aria, or I suspect my death upon entering Afterlife would have been assured. I had the data, my leverage, and although I had taken steps to ensure natural consequences should I quicken to my end, I would go with the knowledge Aria would shortly follow.

It was a bittersweet thought, and one that I did not relish as I had no desire to die. But I'd be damned if I went it alone. I'd drag that bitch down with me.

I followed the rhythm of the base, pounding in time with my heart, and entered Aria's domain. All was as I had left it. I found no comfort in the familiarity of the false flames, nor the stink of perspiration and lust. No feeling of belonging filled me, and long absent was any inkling of loyalty. I thought only of myself now, and I wanted nothing more than to get off this pisshole with my stolen ship and a good lay. Granted, I also needed Vale's contacts if I was to make a living outside of Aria's influence, but he was multitalented.

I am doing this for me. No one else.

I repeated the thought over and over again as I climbed the steps to the main bar, although it remained a lie no matter how hard I tried to convince myself otherwise. As much as I hated to admit it, I'd grown fond of Vale's company.

A chestnut mop, black in the darkness, the stars of the void lighting his eyes in the night. Hot hands on my hips, firm and unyielding, wet kisses down my neck, the press of his body against mine…

I pushed the memory aside, wrenching my attention back to the matter at hand and allowing my pent up frustration to fuel my rage. Fury threaded through my veins, suffusing my limbs and bolstering my courage. I breathed deep, ignoring the scent of sex upon the air, focusing instead on the approach to Aria's perch. She had kept me on a prettied up leash, trained me to be her servant, taught me almost all that I knew, and taken away the potential for all that I could have been. I owed her a debt of pain.

A cold calm replaced the heat in my veins as I reined in my emotions, the need for practicality and a clear head necessary for what I must do. My pirate queen wielded secrets as a weapon. I would do the same. She had taught me well, after all.

I set my shoulders and straightened my spine, and took a single deep breath as I took my first step up the staircase. Anto turned his head in recognition, his expression hooded in shadow, but made no move to prevent my passing. It was as I suspected – Aria did not know of my intrusion into her apartments, did not know of the weapon I now wielded, for if she did I would have been shot on sight. Her private guard was nothing if not loyal and I was nothing more than meat if she ordered it be so.

I took another deep breath as I crested the landing, noting almost absently that her guard had not increased. The usual couple sat in the corner booth, both armed and alert although to a casual observer it would appear otherwise. A hint of annoyance crept up my spine at the poor fit of the man's jacket. For a professional, I would have thought he'd at least have the decency to find a suit that didn't bulge in back where he had holstered his weapon. Poor form indeed.

Another pair of guards flanked the landing, as per usual, as well as the two other either side of the staircase. I eyed Aria's perch, recognizing the two asari dancers that flanked her couch. Even in the dim light of the false flames I could make out the stiletto each had carefully strapped to the back of their costumes. It was an ingenious idea: everyone notices the entertainment, but not a one pays attention to that part of their anatomy.

Aria appeared to be relaxing comfortably, long legs crossed, drink in hand, but I knew better. She had noticed my arrival as soon as I stepped inside her domain, had anticipated this moment likely expecting word of my success. However, the slight crease in her brow shouted warning to me. Aria knew something was amiss as she had not received word from her men. I doubted I had ever returned to her before news of my success did. Although I was sure no one else would recognize it for what it was, I couldn't help the smirk that curled my lips, because in that instant my darling Aria was confused.

I relished that brief moment, putting the image to memory with sweet satisfaction until I saw Vale. My breathing hitched and I could feel my calm splinter. The abrasion on his face had darkened and spread, coloring his cheek in swirling hues of blue and violet. Lips that once pressed against mine were split and the corners of his mouth crusted with blood. His wrists were still tightly bound to his ankles, the ancient manacles as much for show as they were for practical use. He remained collared, yoked by submission and forced to his knees, but even in the shadows I recognized the glint of anger in his eyes. Aria had put him on display and he recognized his purpose. And like me, he had learned the lesson of defiance.

I took one last deep breath, forcing my legs to move, my feet to ascend the stairs, slowing knitting together my fractured bits of calm. Aria's gaze turned full upon me as I finally presented myself to her, proud, defiant. Free. Her eyes narrowed slightly, her brow creasing in suspicion. I remained silent while she studied me, confident in the knowledge that I held the upper hand.

Smoke and shadows danced upon the air, the silence stretching between us, the tension thick and tangible. I saw a guard fidget out of the corner of my eye, but I dare not tear my eyes away from the danger before me. Aria had cared for me in her own way, as an asset, a commodity, but cared for me nonetheless. She deserved my attention, my respect, and I would not turn away from a woman as powerful as she.

"Jin." My name, a single word yet so powerful, and it fell from her lips with the weight of a boulder. She pulled on the ancient chains in her lap, the ringing of the shackles mingling with Vale's grunt of pain.

I cocked an eyebrow and nodded, testing the waters in which I now waded. Would Aria jump to the point, or would she toy with me first?

"Your handlers have yet to check in. They're usually so prompt."

To the point it was then.

"What, you mean you didn't put them in chains? But I thought this fashion was all the rage." Vale snorted contemptuously and raised his wrists in show. "It's retro."

Aria gestured elegantly, almost as an afterthought, and Vale doubled over in pain as the guard's rifle butt struck the back of his head. "Honestly Jin, I don't know what it is you see in him."

I kept my expression neutral, my voice even, but Aria knew me well and that familiarity betrayed me. I need not lie, but I saw no profit in sharing the whole truth. "He has his uses."

Wicked laughter filled the spaces between us and I recognized the angry glint in Vale's eyes. He spat out the blood at her feet, but remained doubled over, bracing himself for the blow to come. I suppressed a wince as the rifle butt came down again, the muffled impact fueling my contained rage within. Turning my gaze upon Aria I noted unsurprisingly the smug satisfaction writ plain on her face. Oh how I desired to erase that expression and replace it with shock, anger, fear. I wanted her to know pain, but quickly quelled those desires. I would not be baited.

Her entertainment halted for the moment, Aria's eyes once more met mine and in them I saw a brief flicker of irritation. "Where are your handlers, Jin?"

The tone of her voice spoke with command. It was an order, not a question and I answered it with simple truth, relishing the recognition upon her face.

"Dead."

She took a sip of her beverage, condensation thick on the glass, droplets falling upon her lap. I pushed aside thoughts of those legs, how the shadows played upon her curves, turning my frustrations to purpose. I held her gaze, aware of the shift in her guards' stances and the building tension in my own body.

"And what, exactly, did they do to deserve such a fate?"

Another simple truth: "They were in my way."

She smiled deliciously then, genuinely curious. "Oh? And the Cerberus operative?"

I licked dry lips and breathed deep, adrenaline pumping and hands itching. I remembered the weight of my pistols on my hips, their comforting familiarity steadying my resolve. "Not dead."

She cocked her head ever so slightly, but her guards were watching. I was watching. And in one swift move I activated my omni-tool, and held my arm aloft, the scrolling display bathing her perch in an eerie orange glow even as her guards brought their guns to bear on me. I held her gaze with surety and defiance while she, in turn, looked on in amused surprise.

"You bring an omni-tool to a gunfight, Jin?" She shook her head dismissively. "And here I thought I taught you better than that."

Even surrounded by armed guards, their weapons trained on me, I allowed myself a triumphant smile made all the more enjoyable by her response. "You taught me well, Aria. Perhaps better than you should have."

Her gaze hardened in anger and she stood abruptly, yanking Vale's chains along behind her. He snarled into the hard floor, muttering something unintelligible as he fell flat. "You dare challenge me? Here?" Aria spread her arms, gesturing dramatically. "You forget that I am Omega. Who are you to be anything but a slave?"

My smile broadened as she spat the words at me, the knowledge from my endeavors egging me onward. "I am what you made me."

She snorted, moving faster than I had ever imagined possible. Her hands wrapped around my neck with surprising strength, fingers I once thought delicate now pressed against my throat with deadly precision. My vision swam, colorful spots dotting the air as I struggled for breath. And still I managed to laugh maddeningly. Aria was signing her own death warrant with my demise, and I found the fact that she was oblivious incredibly entertaining.

Even as my vision darkened and her face blurred, I recognized the confusion in her eyes. And then as suddenly as before, Aria released me and moved away, pacing across the landing like a caged beast. I fell to my knees, coughing, sputtering, gasping for breath. Despite my asphyxiated state, I still couldn't help but giggle inanely at my predicament. I knew it would likely come to this, and the reality of my situation was anything but humorous, but everything felt so surreal. I was doing what no sane individual on Omega dared: I was challenging Aria T'Loak's authority in her own damn club.

I finally caught my breath, glancing up at Aria's enraged face with a mischievous grin. I activated my 'tool again and held my arm aloft, the orange light of the display once more illuminating the spaces between us. She paused midstride and considered me.

"What is this?" I felt the anger in her voice, controlled yet recognizable.

I coughed again and stood to meet her gaze, my smile evaporated to be replaced once more with practiced calm. I considered her guards momentarily, their weapons still trained on me, the tension of their bodies evident, but I also recognized the curiosity. Once did not lean into a conversation if one was not interested.

"The Janiris rites hold interesting information, do they not? For instance, payments to a Mr. Geiger from 'AL?'" I gestured to my surroundings. "AfterLife makes interesting purchases."

I saw the recognition in Aria's eyes, the way her nostrils flared slightly, and I was thrilled. Despite the danger, despite the murder in her gaze, I continued.

"There was also an interesting Salarian file –"

My head throbbed as a whirlwind of color exploded behind my eyes and I fell to my knees as the guard moved back into position, the butt of his rifle wet and slick with moisture. I pressed my palm to my hair, matted and damp. I was strangely surprised to see fresh blood, realizing it was my own as my wits cleared. In my arrogance I had missed Aria's signal and had paid the price. I would not be so clumsy again.

My pirate queen crouched next to me, eyes ablaze with fury. She grabbed a handful of hair and yanked my head up, forcing me to meet the intensity of her gaze.

"You know what must be done, Jin. You've left me no choice."

I held up my hand to forestall her, beating back the confusion from the blow. "You do that and we're both dead."

She snorted again, but said nothing, eyeing me skeptically instead. And I knew I had her.

"If anything should happen to me, or to Vale, my 'tool is programmed to send off the information."

"Oh?" She stood, once more considering me. "And just what authority can touch me here?"

I shook my head and answered simply. "Not the authorities, no. But perhaps the mercenary bands, Cerberus, and one very meticulous dalatrass."

Her gaze bored into my being and I felt her anger as surely as if she had struck me herself. Aria held me in her fury for longer than I would have liked, but I also recognized it would be the last time, and oddly enough I felt a hint of sorrow at the realization. She was my pirate queen, my mentor, my master, and she had provided me with the tools to survive in a place where I would have likely perished. I had known what she was, what she represented, and allowed her to collar me as her own. I both respected and hated her and as I studied her expression, I believed she felt the same.

She waved a hand and her guards stood down, suspicion and anxiety on their features. Aria took one step toward me, closing the distance between us, heedless of our surroundings. I felt a feather light tickle as she traced a single finger down my cheek, but her emotions were again under tight rein and her expression clouded.

"You will leave Omega."

I nodded. "Yes."

"You will leave the Terminus."

My heart pounded in my chest once again. "Yes."

"You will disappear because if I hear your name – if you cross my path ever again, you will die."

She snatched her fingers from my cheek and I almost lurched forward at the sudden absence. "Yes."

Aria held me in her gaze for a brief moment longer before handing me Vale's chains and returning to her usual seat. She waved her hand dismissively, taking another sip of her beverage and turning her attention to the dancer on her right. I stood, stunned as reality settled in. I was free.

Counting Bodies Like Sheep – A Perfect Circle

I'm on Fire - Stateless