"Boss! Boss! Big trouble!"
"Yeah, lots of trouble!"
Urak Gatagog, resident commander of the Blood Pack mercenaries aboard Omega, criminal capital of the Terminus Systems, growled in annoyance as two vorcha ran into his warehouse. The duo was visibly filled with fear. Their eyes were wide open, teeth gnashing anxiously. They slammed the heavy doors shut just as quickly as they had opened them.
The massive krogan stood up from his elevated platform, where he had a perfect overview of the facility. It wasn't a big building that they'd set up shop within. It was about three times bigger than Afterlife's upper floor. But where the popular club filled its space with asari strippers and dance floors, the Blood Pack warehouse was packed with all kinds of gear that they used. Assault rifles, grenades, rocket launchers, shotguns -- you name it.
But Urak had recently expanded his inventory. His recent additions consisted of drugs, booze and other valuables that could be sold on the shadier markets of Omega. Most of it had been stolen from Aria herself, in fact. The pirate queen did not frighten Urak; she was but one asari who didn't even get off her stupid couch. Not even if it was on fire!
No. He'd been granted the honor of whipping the Blood Pack into shape aboard the station, and Urak would not cower before some woman that fancied herself a ruler. The other mercenary gangs might submit to her, like that coward Patriarch did, but not him.
"Calm down, you damn pyjaks. What are you talking about?" Asked the krogan.
Now the other vorcha were getting curious. They stopped carrying the crates around, staring at whatever was unfolding.
Urak noticed. He snarled loudly, prompting the few krogan present, including the two guards at his side, to whip them back into action. Still, even his warriors were interested.
"Big problems! Aria knows about attack on convoy. Knows we stole her property!" One of the scared vorcha yelled, waving his arms.
His comrade nodded with fervor. "Yes! Learned from her lieutenants. Paid lots of credits to find out."
"So, the asari knows?" Urak murmured. "Bah! She doesn't scare me. Aria is too much of a coward to act on this knowledge."
"B-But... But she is!"
"Yes! Aria is angry. Aria is coming! And--"
The grunt's squeaky ramblings were cut short as an explosion tore through the front door, debris scattering everywhere. It came as no surprise to Urak when both the force of the explosion and the shrapnel instantly killed the vorcha. Their organs were turned into mush, while the metal bits cut through their hideous bodies. Both lifeless vorcha landed a good distance away from the entrance.
The Blood Pack mercenaries immediately grabbed for their weapons, dropping whatever they were doing before the incursion, but Urak held his closed fist in the air. The underlings didn't open fire. Instead, they waited for his command, watching as a lone figure stepped through the smoke.
Aria scowled her trademark expression upon entering the warehouse. Heels clacked against the charred floor, and a Scimitar shotgun rested on the palm of her hand.
"And Aria is royally pissed off." Said the asari criminal, her tone low and dangerous.
"Aria." Growled Urak.
"Surprised to see me? You're certainly dumber than your predecessor, Garm, if you think you can do whatever you want without my knowing. It's bad enough that you make a mess of your operations wherever you go; like an unrestrained varren. But then you decide to interfere with my business and steal from me. You were warned, Urak. You don't fuck with Aria."
"I did what any self-respecting krogan would have done. Why the people on this forsaken station choose to listen to you, I can't comprehend."
The Blood Pack mercs were getting restless. Several vorcha were already salivating, eyeing the asari like fresh meat. They bared their teeth in anticipation. But Urak did not yet give them the pleasure of fighting.
Aria was not impressed, however. She rolled her eyes at the mercenary leader's words.
"And that's why people believe krogan have more balls than brain cells." She said. Her slim fingers glided across her weapon. "I don't care about what you think. You can shove your bravado where the sun doesn't shine, for all I care. What I truly want is payback."
Predictably, the male began to laugh loudly from where he stood on his podium. His guards echoed his amusement, as they all showed remarkable stupidity in Aria's opinion. Fools; all of them.
"Well, well. Looks like the little asari wants to play. Maybe I should feed you to my grunts!" Urak grinned, motioning towards his foe.
Without delay, several vorcha charged forward with guns blazing. These were the lowest of their ranks, though. None wore proper armor nor carried any decent weaponry. Mostly pistols and worn submachine guns.
Aria scoffed at the meager display. She quickly erected a barrier around herself, covering herself head from toe in blue energy. The bullets bounced harmlessly off of her shield. Raising her weapon at the nearest vorcha, she fired a slug into his chest, blood spurting out of the wound. He fell down immediately -- dead.
She didn't even find cover as she fired at the other mercenaries, and every single time her shotgun would find its mark. The vorcha didn't seem to have a solid grasp on tactics, either, seeing as they kept charging mindlessly.
But Aria was not deterred. Contrary to what idiots like Urak thought, she did not maintain her position as queen of Omega by simply resting on a couch all day. Aria launched a biotic shockwave at three vorcha, launching them against the wall where they landed with a sickening crack, before throwing a warp at yet another merc.
In the span of only one minute, Aria killed a dozen Blood Pack mercenaries with lethal efficiency worthy of an asari commando. She ejected an emptied thermal clip from her shotgun before reloading, keeping her cold glare aimed directly at Urak.
"If that was supposed to make me cower in submission, you really fail at being a true krogan. I've seen salarian doctors put up more of a fight." Taunted the pirate queen.
Urak growled angrily. Pushing past one of his guards, he opened a large crate that stood next to his makeshift throne. The male reached within for whatever contents it held.
His actions met no resistance from Aria. She did not fear whatever trick this idiot had left, and she most certainly wasn't going to run regardless of whatever it was that he believed to guarantee his victory. The only reason Aria hadn't burned the warehouse down yet was that she wanted to make an example of the Blood Pack.
The mercenary gangs had been running amok as of late. They thought they could do whatever they pleased, now that Archangel was gone, which included messing with her. Oh, they weren't quite as blunt as Urak. Nothing like that. But they were becoming insufferable. A good reminder of Omega's one ironclad rule would dissuade the mercs from getting any fancy ideas.
Aria would show her strength.
"Speaking of salarians," Urak began, as he walked back to the edge of the elevated platform, holding what looked like a grenade in his three-fingered hands, "I haven't just been running smuggling and shakedown operations on this station. The Blood Pack has seen fit to expand its operations, and get a bigger share of the weapon industry. To that end, I kidnapped a few salarian mongrels to make me a new weapon that will bring more spoils to the Blood Pack."
"Very impressive. I'm utterly, fucking terrified." Aria drawled sarcastically.
The krogan bristled at her disrespect. "Arrogant wench! I might not have tested the effects of this bioweapon before, but what better target than the cowardly queen herself!"
And with that said and done, Urak pulled the grenade pin before tossing it at Aria's feet. The lone asari took a step back, but was taken aback as the grenade immediately detonated, creating a cloud of greenish smoke!
She'd expected it to work like a smoke grenade, dammit! Aria tried to hold her breath, but it was already too late -- she'd inhaled the gas.
Aria coughed violently, feeling woozy. Damn that krogan bastard. She would have his crest for this! The shotgun slipped from her hands and clattered onto the concrete floor. But whereas Urak expected her to just drop and die, Aria suddenly found herself overflowing with energy that seemingly came out of nowhere.
Clenching her fists, Aria looked up through the smoke with a fearsome grin.
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