"John, we have problems..."
Ori contacted me when I returned from another of Tevos's assignments. Or rather, almost returned. I had only about forty minutes left until landing on Bali, where I planned to rest and train a bit.
"What happened?"
"Miranda... she escaped from the Illusive Man, stealing part of his databases. And he's pursuing her."
"Did she ask for help?"
"No..."
Ori winced.
"...that fool decided she'd handle everything herself."
"M-da..."
I shook my head.
"Where is she now?"
"As I understand it, she's flying to Omega now, wanting to get lost there."
"Fine, changing course."
I quickly changed direction toward the nearest refueling station, and then to the Mass Relay, contacting Aria T'Loak on the way.
"Yes?"
"Aria T'Loak, a certain Miranda Lawson should be arriving at your station..."
"Your sister? And what do you want? For me to grab her?"
There was a hint of mockery in Aria T'Loak's voice.
"No."
I shook my head.
"I'd like you to ensure her safety until my arrival, and then I'll take her by the scruff of the neck and bring her to my place. By the way, how's your project coming along?"
"Ah..."
She waved her hand.
"Omega is too big. Moving it to your colonies is possible, of course, but it's too complicated, so I decided to just build myself a separate resort on Bali. You'll help me with that, won't you?"
A caustic smirk appeared on my mentor's lips.
"I'll do you one better: I'll just hand over one of the already finished resorts to you and keep the taxes minimal. Deal?"
"Taxes?"
Aria T'Loak arched an eyebrow.
"I'm going to pay taxes?"
"Don't worry, it's only for the duration of the war preparations. After all, right now I need a lot of resources to build everything we've planned. So? Will you protect my sister?"
"I will..."
Aria T'Loak nodded, and then the connection cut.
** Side View. **
Miranda Lawson stepped out of the ship and quickly looked around; to an outsider, it might have seemed she was just looking around since it was her first time on the station. In reality, she was noting the smallest details of the surrounding space. Cameras. Sensors. Passages. Escape routes. All of this registered automatically in the mind of an experienced operative.
She headed toward the exit from the docks, knowing exactly where she needed to go. She needed to rent an apartment where she could hole up for a couple of days. A couple of days during which she, using her brother's credit chip...
Hah... brother... who would have thought she'd actually call John her brother only after his death. Fate really is a spiteful bitch... now she even slightly regretted how she'd spoken to him during their only meeting. However, nothing could be changed now.
Shaking her head slightly, she continued thinking about her future. In the near future, using her brother's chip, she would get herself tickets to Thessia. Of course, she wanted to go to her sister, but that's where they'd be waiting for her first and foremost.
Miranda Lawson decided to change the plan slightly and went to the Omega flea market, where she bought an Omni-tool from a Quarian, along with a couple of programs for it. She also bought a makeup kit at one of the stalls, and some other clothes. She paid for everything with her brother's chip. Only after all that did she reach the apartment.
And as soon as she stepped inside and took a couple of steps, the door closed by itself.
"You took your time..."
Miranda Lawson performed a backward leap, pressing her back against the door; even when it closed on its own, she realized something was wrong, and when she heard the voice, she covered herself in Biotics mid-jump and threw a small Singularity ball toward the voice.
"Hah... well done, correct reaction. However, useless... you won't last against me."
From the shadows of the apartment stepped the one she absolutely didn't expect to see.
"Aria T'Loak?"
"Yep..."
The Asari nodded carelessly.
"...me. I was asked to look after you so nothing happens until your escort arrives."
"I... can't go to my sister. You're here at her request, right? If I go to her, I'll only compromise her, interfere with the preparations for the coming war."
"Well, it's quite possible you're right, except I don't give a damn about your opinion."
Miranda Lawson frowned slightly.
"Let's go..."
"But..."
"I'll be blunt..."
Aria T'Loak approached her and, bracing her hand against the wall, brought her face close to Miranda Lawson's, causing the latter to lose her composure.
"...I don't care about your desires, because I was offered an extremely lucrative deal. I protect you and hand you over personally. And then..."
She licked her lips.
"...believe me, it's extremely profitable for me. So just relax and enjoy the ride."
"Blyat..."
Miranda Lawson understood perfectly well that she was no match for Aria T'Loak, who could smear her across the wall without any trouble. No, she wasn't a weakling, but when it comes to individuals like Aria T'Loak, you have to talk not just about great power, but about colossal experience. And Miranda Lawson lacked experience. Oh, how she lacked it.
"Now, now, watch your language..."
Aria T'Loak slowly licked her lips.
"...or I might remember the disciplinary methods I once used on a certain insufferable boy. I think an army belt and your ass would be happy to find each other."
"Pff..."
"Well, well, huff all you want."
Aria T'Loak pulled away from her and walked to the apartment door, which opened at a signal from her Omni-tool.
"Follow me, and no funny business."
The playfulness remained in her voice, but now steel notes began to slip through, hinting that Miranda Lawson had better listen to the request... or rather, the demand.
"Why?"
"As I already said, I was asked. Very persuasively asked."
"No, I wanted to know why you're doing this?"
"Once we're at my bar, we'll talk about the complicated questions. For now, it's better not to touch on dangerous topics. Understood?"
Aria T'Loak didn't turn back to Miranda Lawson, but apparently, she didn't require an answer. So they spent the rest of the way in silence. Only the sentients they encountered looked back at them, or rather at Miranda Lawson, for whose sake the Queen of Omega had lifted her backside from the couch.
"So?"
When they settled on the couch, Aria T'Loak looked intently at the girl.
"What was it you wanted to know?"
"Why do you need this? I heard about the reward, but... you have everything. You could build your own resort, and here..."
"And here I simply know the person who offered me the resort, and along with the resort come spots in a shelter. The very shelter we'll all need soon. Besides..."
She looked around, and a drop of sadness flickered in her gaze.
"...I've started getting tired of all this."
Aria T'Loak swept her hand, as if inviting Miranda Lawson to look around and understand exactly what she was tired of.
"M?"
"Hah, I knew you wouldn't understand... see that 'rugged macho' guarding me?"
Miranda Lawson looked in the direction Aria T'Loak tilted her head.
"He'll stick a knife in my back as soon as I show weakness. Then he'll probably fuck my corpse for a long time, and only after that dump it in the incinerator. But he's a weakling; there are bigger players here who won't miss the chance to make me their own whore, and when they're done playing, they'll douse me in fuel and light me up."
Miranda Lawson winced.
"But that's not all... even that twirling bitch over there..."
Aria T'Loak nodded toward one of the strippers.
"...given the right circumstances, would stick a knife in my back just to sit on this couch."
"Well, if..."
"You want to say I'm wrong about the last one?"
A sad smirk appeared on Aria T'Loak's lips, which practically read: "Little girl, how naive you are."
"What if I told you I started on the pole myself? Twirled my ass and wormed my way into the confidence of the Krogan who ran the station. And, in the end, stuck a knife in his back and took this place?"
"Ahem..."
"Unexpected?"
"Yes."
"Well, I'm tired of all that. You know, before I met a certain arrogant brat, I didn't even realize how much I missed simple, trusting communication. Communication where someone is just glad to see you, where an ally isn't looking for a chance to swindle you and stick a knife in your back, where you can just relax and lie on a beach with your eyes closed..."
"I take it you're talking about my brother?"
"Yes. That bastard broke Aria T'Loak."
A sad smirk appeared on the Queen of Omega's lips.
"Hundreds of years of life, being a whore, a bandit, a stripper, traitors pretending to be best friends couldn't break me, but one arrogant kid, just with simple human treatment, broke me. Ironic, isn't it?"
"I... don't know what to say."
"And you don't need to say anything. Though in fairness, I'll say he wasn't the only one who had a hand in the changes that happened to me. But that's not important. What's important is that I realized a small private resort is much more pleasant to me now than a station full of scum."
"Understood... and who ordered the help?"
"Oh, you'll meet that person soon. For now, let's just drink and chat, girl to girl..."
** Some time later. **
"Oh..."
Aria T'Loak received a short message on her Omni-tool and turned her gaze to Miranda Lawson, who still hadn't been able to relax in her company. Though essentially almost twenty-four hours had passed since she arrived on Omega. She'd even managed to sleep in the assigned apartments—well, sleep... more like toss and turn, expecting a strike in the back.
However, there was no strike, only a fairly benevolent attitude from Aria T'Loak, which, in fact, only made her more nervous.
"...your escort has arrived."
"You still haven't said exactly who arrived for me and who asked for my protection?"
And she realized she was indeed being protected when during the night Aria T'Loak showed her a recording made in that apartment she'd rented. It was simply blown up. And if she'd been there...
No, of course, there remained the chance that it was all just a setup and Aria T'Loak herself blew up the apartment, but... she couldn't think of a reason why that was necessary. She was already in her power.
"You'll find out soon enough... I'm not going to spoil such a surprise."
"Tch..."
"Go ahead, click your tongue; when else will you get to behave like that in my presence and not get a Singularity to the head?"
Miranda Lawson gave an almost imperceptible shudder at the words spoken in such a casual voice. However, she wasn't deceived by the casualness of her companion's voice.
"Don't worry, he needs about twenty minutes to get from the dock where he landed to my club, and then you can ask him all the questions yourself. And he'll even most likely answer them."
The snide smile on Aria T'Loak's lips annoyed Miranda Lawson, and Aria T'Loak knew it perfectly well. She knew and enjoyed the situation.
"And why do I get the feeling it's going to be some arrogant jerk?"
"Spot on."
Aria T'Loak nodded contentedly.
"A bastard?"
"Spot on again; he's quite the bastard, although... is a person a bastard if he's only a bastard to outsiders, but tries to be sweet and fluffy for his own?"
"Um..."
Miranda Lawson froze slightly at Aria T'Loak's last words.
"...probably, yes?"
"Well, then he's a bastard."
Aria T'Loak nodded decisively, and Miranda Lawson realized she understood nothing and decided to just wait for her escort. She already had a rough idea of who she was being taken to; after all, there weren't many people willing to look after her. So a speech for her sister, in which she'd call her a fool for risking herself for nothing by turning the Illusive Man against her, was already forming in her head.
***
Read the story months before public release — early chapters are on my Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Granulan