Chapter 12

"Jack!" Miranda yelled. "For fuck's sake put him down!"

Trust Subject Zero to instantly recognize a Cerberus operative when she saw one. Although Kai Leng hadn't worn his usual uniform, it hadn't saved him from the biotic's ire.

"Whoring again for Cerberus, bitch!" Jack snapped and her words irritated Miranda because she felt the need to justify herself. "I thought better of you!"

That was something at least. Miranda blew out a short breath and shook her head.

"I'm not working for Cerberus, Jack." She snapped as she assessed the situation in the warehouse. "This is a private affair." Asura was still down. She had to be attended to immediately. Grayson looked dead. Regardless, Anderson was already running towards Sanders as if he still posed a threat. He grabbed her by the shoulders so he could pull her away from the corpse. The older woman resisted him, shying out of his grip.

"It's done David," she said in a broken voice as she moved away from him to stay close to her friend. "He's dead."

Jack still had Kai Leng up in the air but she too was straining. Miranda noted how her one arm hung useless at her side. I need to fix that. She glanced at Asura, who hadn't moved. I need to fix that as well.

"Anderson!" Miranda snapped. "To me, we have to get out of here." The old admiral blinked at her, his mouth thinning. He was still within touching distance of Kahlee but seemed to have grudgingly decided to give her the time she needed.

Not on my watch. We don't have time.

"Anderson, get her up!" She snapped again. "We have to get out of here before Aria's reinforcements come. Jack, put him down or kill him. I am really not in the mood. Asura?" There were several problems around her, and Miranda decided Kai Leng's fate wasn't a problem she was going to apply herself to. If Jack decided to crush him for his affiliation with Cerberus, then she'd actually do Miranda a favour. It wouldn't fit in with her plan. But she'd do her a favour.

Asura finally pushed herself up, her colour off and her chest heaving for air. Miranda made to go to her but for a second, her body stopped as memories assaulted her. When she blinked, she saw this same asari on a rooftop on this very asteroid, fighting to kill her. The force with which Asura and Lenelle had attacked Shepard's team had humbled Miranda and had shown her how weak she was. If Asura turned against her, she would have no means to save herself.

Don't think like that Lawson, damn you. Help her!

"Asura!" She called again to get the ardat yakshi's attention. "Look at me." She wished she hadn't said that for when the asari turned to her, Miranda noticed that her eyes were still as black as sin.

"Don't…" Asura breathed, her chest heaving. "Don't come near me. I don't feel…" She trailed off.

Miranda took a breath, then did just that. It wasn't lust or hunger she saw in the asari's eyes. It was fear. She purposefully strode to her side, already taking note of the severity of her wound. There was little she could do with the time she had, but she could do this.

"I am going to treat your wound," she said, already reaching for some bandages and medigel that she kept in a pouch on her person. "You won't hurt me." She said the words to make herself believe it as Asura gulped for air.

"I…" Asura coughed. "I feel…" She closed her eyes and when she opened them again, they were clear of the darkness. Miranda knelt beside her and put pressure on the shoulder wound that was seeping through Asura's shaking fingers.

"You've lost a lot of blood," she said. "I'm going to give you medigel. These bandages will act as a temporary coagulant. They should support the wound till help comes." She risked a look at Grayson's corpse. She should've been there, taking samples, observing what she could.

But what would Shepard think of her if she didn't help their people first.

Asura said nothing as Miranda administered the medigel and quickly wrapped her shoulder. She wanted to bid her to lie down but didn't think the ardat yakshi would comply, so Miranda didn't waste her energy. She found herself touching Asura's cheek when she was done and lifted her chin so that they could look each other in the eye.

"Can I trust you to deal with this?" she asked, nodding her head in the direction of Grayson's corpse. "It can't get lost in the galaxy. You take it directly to Aria." Asura's eyes were beautiful, a deep indigo colour. As she stared into them, Miranda found herself caressing the asari's cheek, concern blooming in her heart. She had to make sure… A hand enclosed around her wrist and pulled her away.

"Yeah, don't," Jack said. She was now standing beside them. Behind her, Kai was picking himself up from the floor and was reaching for something when Jack turned a sharp eye on him. "Leave them or I will tear you limb from limb. I'm looking for an excuse." She turned back to Asura who had closed her eyes and was trying to get to her feet. "Are you in control of yourself or should I knock you down as well?"

Asura stumbled up and moved away from them. Her face was a mask of pain but her eyes were less vacant and she nodded at Jack, giving her a thumbs up as she turned her attention on Grayson. Miranda blinked, horrified by how quickly she had been swayed by the asari's presence simply by touching her.

How does Dr Gable do it? How does she resist her?

She forced herself to turn back to Anderson. She didn't know what he had said to Kahlee but she was up now. When he saw her looking at him, he put an arm around the doctor and ushered her forward. It was hard to say what was in his eyes when he looked at Miranda but in her opinion, there should be amble gratitude in there as well.

"Where to?" Anderson said, eyeing Kai. "Am I exchanging Aria's hospitality for the Illusive Man's?"

For fuck's sake.

"For the last time," Miranda's tone was cold as she glanced at Grayson one last time. "I am not with Cerberus anymore. No matter what your Alliance propaganda says." She looked at Kahlee. "Can you run?" Pale and clearly in shock, the woman nodded but didn't speak. Miranda shot Jack a glance. She looked ready to come with them.

That could complicate matters.

"Jack, stay with Asura," she requested. "Make sure she's alright and make sure nobody steals that corpse. It has to get to Aria."

Jack's anger and resistance wasn't unexpected.

"Really?" She asked. "And what the fuck is she going to do with it? I'm here for one reason only." She nodded at Kahlee. "Where she goes, I go." Nothing in the documentation Cerberus had shared with Shepard in the beginning had given any indication Jack would have such a strong loyalty streak. She had shown it to Jane, she had shown it to Abby and now, she w as showing it to this woman. A part of Miranda was impressed, almost proud. The rest of her was irritated.

"There's no space for you," she said, trying hard to sound reasonable and not cold. How did Jane approach her again? "Stay…"

Jack cut her off, nodding at Kai Leng. "Then leave him," she snapped. "There shouldn't be any love lost."

Miranda shook her head. "I don't trust him with Asura," she said. "Not in the state she's in. And I don't trust him with the corpse." She dropped her voice. "I need you to protect both and I need Kai Leng with me."

Jack's expression hinted at distrust but the look she gave Miranda was earnest.

"I can protect you better than he can, Princess."

The conviction of her words made Miranda pause.

"I know," she said and wished Jack was the kind of person one could touch. She felt that need now, to lay a hand on her to show how much her words meant to her. "But it's because I trust you more that I need you to stay here." She glanced at Jack's shoulder. "That looks dislocated. Rather get help and protect our assets."

Kai joined them; his swords gone. Miranda had a feeling Jack wanted them as a memento.

"We need that body Lawson," he said. "The Illusive Man…"

She rounded on him quickly, her tone cold. "We need to get out of here, now." They should have left already. She had no idea where Aria's back up was. She was sure they would arrive at any minute.

Kai wanted to argue but he jerked a little as Asura moved in behind him, his one blade now in her hands. "I'd suggest you listen to the woman," she murmured. "We've got this. And your deal with Aria was that she wanted Grayson." She didn't look any better but outnumbered now, Kai glanced back at her and sneered.

"I agree with Subject Zero," he said coldly. "What is she going to do with him?"

Thank you, Kai. Miranda saw the look that entered Jack's eyes as she stepped up to him.

"Fuck you," she said and looked at Miranda. "You really need him?"

How easy it would be…

"Yes," Miranda said though she had to think about it.

"Then get the fuck out of here," Jack said as she took up position near Asura. "We'll take care of this cluster fuck. And the corpse." Kahlee took a breath as if she wanted to say something, but Jack turned to her and surprisingly, the little biotic's features softened.

"I'll make sure nothing's done to him. Now, really. You have to go."

Asura nodded, glancing at Miranda. "Aria's forces are disorganised but you're running out of time, I'll take care of it."

Miranda nodded, then looked at her other three companions. The humans all looked willing to go now if some what reluctantly. She didn't say anything else, couldn't say anything else but she nodded at the two biotics she left behind and rushed the humans out onto the streets of Omega.

Asura was lightheaded, her ears ringing in her head as she tried to breath in deep enough to get the air she desperately needed. The fight had been much harder than she expected, especially with both Aria's finest and Jack on her side. When the humans left the warehouse, she spared a glance at the corpse then limped over to Orgun's body. A part of her knew the krogan was dead but she had to make sure. He was of a resilient species and if they were lucky, some of his tertiary organs might have remained undamaged. Her hope was futile though. When she approached him she saw the way his lifeless eyes stared up at the ceiling. His corpse was a mess, his armour torn off and his chest cavity ripped open for all the world to see. Asura had to stop herself from retching, her memories flashing to the carnage her home had been left in after Lenelle's initial attack on her family.

Goddess, save me, she found herself thinking. At least my kills are clean.

She turned away from the corpse to find Jack sinking down close to Grayson's body. She had used the sword she had taken from Asura as support to ease herself down. Asura felt a little better when she noticed Jack's paler pallor. With the others gone, whatever had fuelled her had leaked out. She was trembling a little as she took the sword and poked at Grayson's corpse. Asura didn't think that it was wise but knew better than to tell Jack off.

"I'm going to call for backup," Asura said. "Just be quiet when Aria's people come. They're not too well organised…"

Jack looked up at her and snorted. "I've got nothing to say to them anyway," she said. "Man… do you have any medigel?" It looked as if the corpse beside her twitched, which made Asura realise that she had to sit down as well before her vertigo pulled her down. She moved to an arm's length away from Jack and sank down on the floor.

The biotic looked at her, then at the wound on her shoulder.

"Abby's going to kill us."

This made Asura laugh a little. "No, I… Think she'll kill Aria. She needs us." The corpse drew her gaze again. Had it twitched? What was she seeing? Corpses weren't always still things. They twitched and made noises. This one had been immobile since that man had killed it but… Asura blinked and shook her head.

She wasn't feeling well.

Jack hadn't replied to her statement but was staring in the direction that Sanders and the rest had fled, her expression dark. She turned back to the strange body.

"I didn't think it would be so fucking hard," she said. "If all the Reaper fights are like this…" She glared at the corpse and kicked at it, hard. Asura wanted to stop her, not trusting the technology but her objection came to late as Jack's boot met mechanical flesh. The corpse shuddered, twisted, and grabbed Jack by the ankle.

Both biotics screamed in surprise as Jack tried to scramble away from it, her power forgotten. Asura, wild with panic, grabbed Jack's shoulders to haul her away from the beast but failed.

No, no, no, no, her mind yelled in panic as the corpse's face turned to them, its gaping jaw emitting a mechanical scream. Memories from Abby surfaced, a strange, abstracted art depiction of a turian undergoing the same transformation.

Saren.

Neither of them had another fight left in them and Aria's people, whom Asura should have called from the beginning instead of trying to play her own game around this, was still too far off. None of them had expected the fight to be as tough as it was. They had not known what to expect, Cerberus never told them.

We're going to die here, Asura thought as she let go of Jack's shoulders. The little biotic's body began to glow with dark energy but Asura knew from experience that nothing they threw at it would be effective. She reached for her own power and stepped to the creature's head. She had only one card left to play, the only thing she knew would stop anything in its tracks.

Asura put a hand on the abomination's head and closed her eyes.

"Embrace eternity," she whispered and released her power into it, simultaneously opening herself to the melding process and the euphoric ecstasy that came with it.

That sense of fulfilment.

It never came.

Darkness washed over her, an eternity of emptiness. Asura lost herself, lost her mind and her body as the hollow infinity suffocated her. Yet, she wasn't alone. Thousands of minds washed over her, became one with her. The sensation was so overwhelming that she began to scream but even that was drowned out when once voice made of many spoke to her.

A thought that seared into her soul.

So much potential yet… We are infinite, did you really think that you could swallow eternity?

"What's the plan?" Anderson asked. "Where are you taking us?" He still had his hand around Kahlee, guiding her forward lest she lost the strength to do so herself. Kai Leng stalked behind them like a wolf. Everything about the man made Anderson uncomfortable and he found that he didn't even trust the woman leading them to the docks. Miranda Lawson didn't have a good reputation. Alliance intelligence knew of her before she disappeared to reconstruct Shepard. She was, or rather had been, one of the Illusive Man's more public figures because she could play the part. She was intelligent, undeniably beautiful and was often seen during the lavish swarays that Cerberus sympathisers held for fundraising. Her medical credentials were legitimate. It hadn't really come as a surprise when their intelligence learned that she was associated with the controversial figure Dr Henry Lawson.

No, despite her association with Shepard, Anderson couldn't trust her.

Jane always had a powerful influence over the people around her, it was what had made her such a good XO under his command, but he doubted she had enough pull to sway someone like Lawson to the light completely.

Yet, the tension between the two Cerberus colleagues was also not subtle.

"We should have taken the body, Lawson," Kai Leng snapped. "The Illusive Man…"

"Can be grateful that I didn't tell Aria who really killed her agent," Miranda Lawson spoke calmly. "I don't know about you, but I feel she'll lose all perspective when that little detail comes out." At her words, Anderson glanced behind him, his face angry as he faced Kai.

"That was you?"

Kai ignored him, his eyes still on Miranda. "And I'm wondering what game you are playing at," he continued. "You made it sound as if this whole thing was about Grayson's corpse, but you abandoned it the moment you had a chance."

Miranda picked up her pace, weaving through the continuous stream of traffic that was present to and from the docks. Omega's economy was stronger than the Alliance liked to admit. With its open market and its blind eye to smuggling, anything could be sold here. It should have made the Council uncomfortable but somehow, whenever he mentioned it to his fellow councilmen, Councillor Tevos had always soothed away his fears, drawing attention away from Aria T'Loak's domain. Tevos' attitude had made him wonder whether some of the asteroid's vast wealth found its way to her pockets. It didn't really make sense; she hardly needed the credits. So, there had to be something else in diverting attention away from Omega for her.

It didn't take Anderson long to realise he had other causes to champion, but he always kept an eye on Omega.

"Lawson!" Kai snapped. "What the fuck are you playing at?"

She stopped dead in her tracks and turned to face them. The tension between the two agents intensified.

"You'll get what you've come for," she told him in a waspish tone then motioned Anderson and Sanders down a docking tube. "Why do you think I am so insistent that Aria gets the corpse? I have a plan. Our shuttle's there. Kai, you can follow me and see what my game plan is, or you can stay here and face those two biotics in that warehouse. I meant what I said, we didn't have the time to pull him out. That fight took too long. And they want the corpse as well. You have no idea what Asura is capable of."

Anderson pushed Kahlee in the direction of the docking tube and found himself reaching for the assault rifle he picked up in the fight. If they were at odds, maybe…

Miranda Lawson held up a finger in his direction. "You need me," she said simply then turned back to Kai.

"This isn't personal," she told him. "Come with or stay behind."

Anderson kept his hand on the assault rifle, a little surprised when Kai Leng made meaningful eye contact with him.

"Fine," the Cerberus agent said. "Let's get off this hellhole Lawson. I trust your… skills." He motioned her in Kahlee's direction then walked and put a rough hand on Anderson's shoulder.

"Let's go Admiral," he said. "You heard the woman."

Miranda watched them as they walked past her, her eyes narrow. Anderson glanced at her to see her sigh deeply and cast a look back to Omega, her expression distant. Then, she turned and marched past them, following Kahlee into the shuttle. When she was out of earshot, Kai Leng dropped his voice to a whisper.

"She has nothing to offer you," he said. "No protection. No guarantees we'll get out of this system before we are pursued. I have more people here, there are other options."

Anderson's mouth thinned as he glanced at the man. He wanted to tell him that they weren't friends but decided against it.

"The woman's got a plan, son," he spoke mildly, his tone level. "And let's be honest with each other. I'm don't trust any of you." He moved away from his touch and hastened to Kahlee's side. She was already at the shuttle's door, watching Lawson as she punched in her access code. His heart ached when he looked at her. She looked like ghost; her pale eyes accentuated by even paler features. He didn't want to think about what Grayson meant to her because it made him feel… jealous.

Anderson realised in that moment that he loved Kahlee. That he never wanted to see her look like this again. That he would have gladly given his life to protect hers. This was more than the care he would feel for a friend. Here was a woman who had the capacity to give meaning to his life.

I have known her for years, he thought. Why do I only see this now?

With the shuttle door open, Miranda helped Kahlee inside. Her calm, almost cold features never changed but her touch was gentle as she guided the shell-shocked woman to a seat. When she looked at Anderson, there was no familiarity in her eyes, none like that which Kai Leng tried to share with him but he found that he had made a liar of himself.

He did trust her or wanted to. It was in the way she didn't engage with him; in the way she didn't make promises. He pushed forward, putting some distance between him and Kai Leng who was lingering at the back.

"He's going to betray you," he hissed at Miranda as he walked past her. Cold eyes met his and showed no reaction. She didn't even look back at Kai Leng but put a hand on his back and pushed him into the shuttle, sending him off balance and toppling into the shuttle's small cargo bay. Kahlee sat up in surprise then turned to look at the docking bay just as the shuttle door slammed shut. The shuttle shook at the unmistakable sound of a small explosion going off.

"Damn it!" Anderson yelled and tried to open the door. "He's going to kill her."

He made to open the door, but the shuttle's engines fired up and it jerked as it disengaged from the lock. Kahlee jumped up, moving to action as she opened the door to the cockpit.

"I'll disengage the auto pilot!" she said. "We have to go back and assist…" Her words were cut short as she gasped in surprise.

"Oh…"

She was on her way to the warehouse when Asura's call came through. When Aria didn't hear from her people, she had knew with the dark clarity of someone who had made a lot of mistakes in her life she should have seen to Grayson's capture herself. For some time, they hadn't been able to hail Orgun, Sanak or Asura. None of the others responded either, though none of them had the others' authority. But they had to have heard something. Asura's message clarified some of their absence.

The deed is done, the message read. Sanak, Orgun and most of the team is dead. Grayson's down.

Aria had a futile hope it meant he was still capable of answering her questions. Somehow, she doubted.

It would have taken a lot to take Orgun down. She rushed her people the short distance to the warehouse, expecting carnage and finding it. Even before they entered, Aria could hear a wail from inside, a shriek that chilled her. Griss and Anto rushed forward and though her instincts were to follow them, Aria hung back and motioned to five of her guards to join them. Instead, she focused her attention on a body she could see outside, a turian that seemed to have his arm torn off. He must have tried to run away before he collapsed and died from his wounds.

Aria's mouth thinned as she moved forward, still chilled by the wailing sounds coming from the warehouse. Reaching the corpse, she bent down and removed the helmet, shocked when she recognized the turian.

Faso Mellinus wasn't one to run away from a fight.

"Aria?" Griss' voice came through on her omnitool. "I think you better come inside."

The wailing had stopped.

Aria braced herself and strode forward, her gaze finding another corpse. Orgun's body had been desecrated. The krogan, who might well have rivalled her in age, was on his back like some ancient fallen beast. His death hurt; he was a part of her team for a very long time. Tearing her gaze away from him, Aria looked around her to see only bloodshed. The only life in in the area was that which she had brought with her.

Or no…

Someone was still sobbing.

Aria strode forward to the ring of guards and peered in.

Sobbing into the floor, with a human perched on her back to keep her down, was Asura Dushkriti. Violent sobs made her body shudder and, as the human let her hand go to ball her fist at them, Asura moved her hand to her face and squeezed it over her eyes, her fingers digging into the flesh as if she wished to tear whatever she had seen from her mind.

Aria was a little taken aback but she had no time to process as biotics flared up around the human, her thin lips curled back to an almost feral snarl.

"Any of you fucking touch her and I will kill you all," the woman snarled and gave Asura a shake. "Snap out of it! We have company!"

I will kill you all. Cute.

Aria stepped into the circle and motioned to her people to take a few steps back. The biotic noticed her and made to stand up before she hesitated, her wild eyes darting to Asura's head. Aria recognized her, but it took her a moment to place her. Seeing Asura in such a state threw her a little off balance.

What can upset a demon of the night wind like this?

Still keeping an eye on the biotic who had now straightened, Aria dropped down on her haunches to study Asura. She was clearly wounded, a blood-soaked bandage bound tight across one portion of her neck and shoulder. Her colour wasn't good at all, a possible indication of blood loss. Murmuring to herself, Aria looked up at the biotic, studying her intently, wondering how she came to be here.

"You," she said finally as the human stared her down, her teeth clenched. "You were one of Shepard's. The one who…" She couldn't help but smile. "Upset the Alliance and nearly caused a war on my station. Respect, little one." The biotic's mouth thinned at the nickname which made Aria resolve to use in more often. She wanted to keep this one off balance.

"What happened here?" She remained on her haunches, calmly looking up at the biotic who was rumoured to be as strong as some of the most powerful asari. Aria was curious as to whether her power rivalled her own.

The biotic took a few quick breaths and looked at the team around them. Her eyes blazed with fury suddenly as she drew her attention away from Aria and pointed a finger in the direction of one of Aria's people.

"Don't touch that fucking thing," she snapped. "It's fucking dangerous!"

Aria stood up out of curiosity and turned to find her one commando kneeling beside a broken mech… No wait… Ignoring the human biotic, Aria walked over to what her commando had been inspecting. The asari, Talife Gala, met her questioning gaze and, despite the human's warning, twisted the thing's head so that she could see a section of the face that wasn't destroyed. She forgot herself for a moment, her control slipping when she recognized the features.

"By the Goddess," Aria whispered and rounded on the human.

"This is Paul Johnson."

The biotic shifted, her whole body still poised for attack. "I don't care who the fuck he was," she snapped. "That thing slaughtered almost everybody. It was fucking dead but then, when I touched it…" Her gaze moved to Asura and the guilt Aria saw there was very real. "And it came back to life! It fucking jumped me and she…" She gritted her teeth together. "We have to get her help, something's wrong! We have to get Abby!"

Aria considered this, then dismissed the idea.

"Call a medic," she said to Griss. "Tell them to practice containment, I don't want her losing control of herself and taking more of my people down." She turned back to the human who looked ready to protest.

"Do you want Dr Gable to see her this way?" For the first time, she noticed how the woman's one arm hung uselessly by her side. "You need help as well, little one."

"My name is Jack," the biotic growled immediately. "I'm fine." She looked down at Asura and cursed. "She needs help."

"And I'm getting it," Aria said smoothly. "They will take her to Mordin's clinic, she has friends there. Now tell me Jack, what happened here? And what are you doing here? You are not on my payroll."

"Helping a friend out," Jack's voice was clipped. Her attention was on the body again. "I am fucking serious. Mir…" She rounded on Aria. "You're the only one supposed to have that and I'm not even sure that's a fucking good idea. That can't get lost! And you cannot give it to fucking Cerberus."

Tapping her lip, Aria studied the young woman. "You are well informed of our situation," she said and looked at Anto. Griss had disappeared to the door and was leading a group of medics in. Bless that turian, he had to have called them the moment he saw Asura. Possibly before that.

Did he think we could still save anybody?

"Anto will oversee his transfer to my private facility immediately. You can step away from her, help is here."

Asura's sobs had finally subsided but now she was simply lying on the floor, staring at nothing. Aria found her gaze drawn to Asura's vacant eyes and she was reminded of Liselle, lying naked on the bed in Paul's apartment. Her eyes had that same look. Aria needed to take a breath to stop herself from cursing.

Don't confuse the two.

"It will help if we know what happened to her." Aria turned back to Jack and gave her a pointed look. The biotic was paler now as her eyes still jumped between the lot of them. She still looks as if she wants to attack all of us. "Jack?" She said the name a little louder and pointedly met her gaze when Jack turned back to her.

For just a moment, the biotic wavered, then her hand unclenched and moved to her shoulder in the first sign of pain and weakness Aria had seen from her.

"It attacked us," she whispered. "After it was dead, it just came back to life. It sounded… just like those things on Horizon. Those fucking husks. It made that sound…" She shuddered and finally stepped away from Asura as Griss led the medics into the circle. Her own people were also starting to disperse around the warehouse, taking a tally of the dead. "I don't know what Asura did. Or…" She grimaced. "I can fucking guess. It was difficult to fight it with biotics. It was very resistant." Her lip curled into a sneer. "You know how you understand how much damage you can do?" She directed this at Aria. "Like… You know: I can take this. I can do that… And it was off with this thing. We threw everything we had at it and nothing… If it started to fight again, we'd have died." She sniffed and dropped her gaze to the two medics that had dropped a stretcher next to Asura.

"I think to take it down she tried to meld with it." She grimaced suddenly as her knees shook a little. "I have to sit down." Aria didn't make to assist her as she sank to the ground, her hand moving to her head. For the first time, Aria noticed the word DEATH spelled out on her fingers. She turned away from the biotic and looked at Asura again.

Bit off a bit more than you could chew then…

She felt uncomfortable at the idea, not just for Asura's instinctive use of her power but also because she realised that someone was going to have to tell her partner.

She made eye-contact with Griss who came closer to her.

"Make sure she gets help," she spoke in a low voice as she nodded her head in Jack's direction. "If Asura doesn't make it, she's the only one who can tell us what happened here." There was a soft beep from her omnitool that made her frown. Aria called up the message, feeling angry suddenly when she saw its contents.

"I have to go to the docks, there seems to be a situation."

The End of Chapter 12