Archive of Our Own ^beta

Aria T'Loak wasn't happy. Not that the asari was ever usually happy, but she was feeling it especially badly today.

She had just taken back her crown as Queen of Omega, as the only one worthy of ruling over the great galactic dump, where the peoples of every system could let their worst instincts run wild. Now everyone knew for sure that she, and she alone, was the one who deserved to sit on her very comfortable throne at Afterlife, surrounded by the dancers, the lights, the music.

But instead of doing exactly that, here she was on the Citadel, sitting on a less-than-comfy couch (that wasn't hers) in a less-than-interesting club (that wasn't hers) in the most stuck-up part of the galaxy (which therefore obviously wasn't hers).

Her daily entertainment – the C-Sec drones – had already come and gone (courtesy of Tevos, as always). Even Shepard hadn't come by for one of their (un)usual chats since the two of them had taken back Omega.

To be honest, she still couldn't tell what the Commander got out of their conversations. Was Shepard lonely, needing someone to talk to? Making a pass? Spying? She couldn’t tell.

Perhaps Shepard was actually interested in simple friendship, but Aria had been around long enough to know that such things were...unlikely. Though, everything about Shepard seemed unlikely, in one way or another.

Her best option when it came to the human was to be as mysterious as possible, but if she was honest with herself (and she never was), talking to Shepard would be far more interesting than anything in Purgatory right now.

A lazy look around the club told her that, as usual, there was no-one worthy of her time. Not even one. There wasn’t even anyone brave enough to look her in the eye, and she knew it.

But then, something caught her attention.

A krogan had entered.

Now, Aria had a lifetime of experience with the big lizards. Time, money, pain, pleasure – all of these she had given and taken from the krogan, almost as much as she had from other asari.

She could, therefore, tell a lot about a krogan from first glance. To really know a krogan, you had to look beyond the hulking mass of terror that most people saw. Look at their eyes. Look at their posture. Look at their scars.

And she could tell, even from the corner of her eye (it wouldn’t do to be caught staring), that this one was interesting.

He (and of course it was a he, for even in her long, well-travelled life, Aria could barely remember encountering female krogan) was old. But unlike Patriarch, he was…self-assured, an alpha male, but not one that felt the need to throw his weight around. There was an air of wisdom to him. Battle hardened, but not itching for a fight. Absolutely proud, but also softer at the edges than most of his species.

All this, she could tell from watching him. Of course, she might have just been making it up. Wouldn’t you like to know?

As the krogan began walking up the stairs nearer to her, she noticed that he wasn't alone. There were others behind him – not directly, but just close enough to make sure he wasn't on his own should something happen. As she turned her head around to finally observe him in earnest, it was apparent that he was a Battlemaster – the most dangerous of his species. They were the kind that could single handedly tear their enemy apart, no matter the numbers, the kind that could give even Aria herself a run for her money (on an off day).

But he didn't look like a gang leader, though he didn’t quite looked refined either. Not that she had ever met a refined krogan, other than that one that worked for...Hax? The one on Illi-

Aria was ripped from her thoughts as he came closer, and looked straight at her.

Colours can mean a lot of things. They have meaning, symbolism behind them. And right now, Aria could only see red.

Red eyes. Red plates. Red armour. Her mind, casting back, to exploding spaceships, bathing her in red, to bloody fights, covering her in the red blood of her enemies. In that moment, her real eye and her mind’s eye could see nothing but red, red, red.

How hadn’t she noticed just who it was walking towards her?! She had no choice but to look away towards the dance floor, to affect her traditional nonchalance, her apathy, hoping to make him go away, to overlook her, like she was just a mercenary again and not the Queen of Omega.

…

Too late. He was striding towards her in a way that screamed “found you, ha ha ha,” in that infuriating manner of his. Was he smirking?

Memories came creeping in from the darkest, most forgotten corners of her mind, memories she thought she had long ago let go of, memories that made her feel…old.

Fighting their way through a cargo hold.

Planning an attack on a military base

Relaxing together after another successful mission

All of them, unwanted memories of a life that was no longer hers.

But her traitorous mind was telling her that no, these were still her memories and still her life. They belonged to her, whether she liked it or not, and no matter how hard she ran, no matter how long she ignored it, she could never, ever escape them. And that very inescapability was stalking directly towards her.

Thankfully, even as she got lost in long-ignored lives past, Bray was still living in the real world, and blocked the krogan from moving closer. “What is your business with Aria?” Her loyal lieutenant demanded, unruffled by (and, perhaps, unaware of) whoever he was facing down

The krogan just stared at him, but Bray stared right back. That was what she liked about Bray – he had balls. She was fleetingly glad for her own good decision in picking him, and made a mental note to up his pay later.

Eventually, the krogan answed the question. “I am Urdnot Wrex, the head of Clan Urdnot and leader of the krogan.”

She knew all that, of course, but hearing those words from the mouth of someone she had long thought dead somehow made it real. Urdnot Wrex, the one she had sparred with and fought alongside and battled against and befriended and perhaps sort of even loved – that very Wrex was the one standing in front of her, still very much alive.

More than that, at some point in his life he'd joined Shepard, and Shepard had saved his species from extinction, and Wrex was now the leader of a united Krogan – because of course he was.

Out of spite, Aria made another mental note: the next time she saw Shepard, she was going to be even less talkative than usual. Maybe it was unfair, but whatever happened next was definitely the human’s fault.

Taking a moment to gather her thoughts, Aria realised there was no point hiding now. No matter what Wrex had come for, she would do what she did best – fight, head on. She was Aria T’Loak, Omega’s queen, and even if she wasn’t on Omega, the rule applied all the same.

“Let him through,” she commanded.

Bray looked back at her quizzically (a habit he really should’ve fixed by now, but she supposed bravery was a two-way street). After a second, he stepped aside, allowing Wrex to amble to the couch. He didn't sit down, instead taking in the sight of her, looking to confirm that she was who he thought she was, and she was right there, in front of him, hundreds of years since they last met.

Aria didn't return the favour, leaving him at the edge of her peripheral vision. If she spared him even a glance, she feared that her centuries of hard work in creating and becoming the Aria T'Loak would all come crashing down. Aleena was meant to be long, long gone, and in a place like this, at a time like this, she could not afford to be anything other than the Queen of Omega, Shepard's love-and-friendship bonanza be damned.

And so, she had only one word to say to the hulking figure in front of her.

“Meet me at docking bay 16 in four hours. No bodyguards.”

To his credit, Wrex tried to conceal his amusement.

“Fine.”

And after all that build-up, he wandered off, happy to bide his time just a little longer.

Mercifully, Aria now had time to collect herself. She had a feeling she was going to need it.

“I thought you said no bodyguards.”

Aria turned to face him from her seat. Yes, she had a mildly comfortable, raised seat for her own personal use in a random docking bay. Why wouldn’t she? Normally, it served to put her in control of the situation, much as she used her couches. She had no doubt Wrex probably had his own throne on Tuchanka, though it probably wasn’t as nice to sit on as hers was.

Even if he wasn’t intimidated by her, the control she felt from where she was seated gave her some sense of calm over the situation, enough to look her krogan compatriot in the eyes for the first time in centuries.

She saw red, but not in anger.

Not taking her eyes off Wrex, Aria told her two guards to leave. One of them began to protest, but she waved it off.

“I'll be fine on my own.”

They acquiesced, leaving nothing but silence behind, slowly filling the room.

The quiet stretched on, as Aria and Wrex observed each other, remembering the days that brought them together, wondering what the other was thinking, one waiting for the other to make the first move.

Minutes, hours, days, weeks – or at least what felt like them – went on.

Then, finally, Wrex snorted.

“What's so funny?” Aria demanded.

Wrex didn't answer at first, content with looking at her with a twinkle in his eye. But then he spoke.

“My name is Urdnot Wrex. I am the leader of Clan Urdnot, and of the krogan.”

Aria raised a brow at his declaration.

“Well, good for you. What’s that got to do with me?”

“Hmph.” Wrex began pacing. “I understand you’re a leader as well, so let me offer you some advice – when the leader of a people that could annihilate your own people offers you greetings, it’s a good idea to return the favour.”

Aria stayed silent.

“Of course, if you don’t want to do that,” Wrex continued, “I could always tell a story to pass the time. It’s a habit of my people to tell important stories.”

“I’ve heard enough stories of past glories from krogan past their prime,” Aria said, thinking of Patriarch (and how Shepard boosted his reputation for no apparent reason. Accursed human.)

“Lucky for you, I’m nowhere near past my prime.”

“Really?” Aria drawled. “From what I've heard, you've been fighting as a mercenary for most of your life. Had some exalted company along the way, too."

“Maybe I have…but how would you know that, if you’ve spent your whole life on Omega like all the rumours say, Aria T’Loak?” Wrex replied, grimacing at the unfamiliar name, as though it didn’t fit right coming from his mouth.

“I have my sources. You’re not exactly an unknown figure yourself, Urdnot Wrex.”

“Well, if I’m that famous, then I’ll have to tell you one of my stories. This one’s a favourite of mine. Even told it to Shepard, and I don’t it tell it to many people.’

Aria had a feeling she knew exactly what it was going to be, but she could hardly say no in this situation, could she?

“Go on.”

“Well, once upon a time, I was a mercenary. Pretty good at it too, even compared to other krogan. After a while, I met this asari mercenary called Aleena who was almost as good as me, and we became friends. Then I got a contract to kill her, and we fought a battle to the death, though it turned out that neither of us could kill the other, and at the end of it she disappeared. Poof, explosion and all. Gone without a trace. Never saw her again.”

Silence descended upon the room again.

“Is that it?” Aria asked, incredulous. “At least it was over quickly. Shame it wasn’t very interesting.”

“Hey, I said my people tell important stories, I never said I was any good at it.”

“How droll. What exactly was the point of that?”

Wrex looked at her knowingly. “There’s no-one else here, Aleena. It won’t kill you to talk about things from long ago.”

Aria sized him up. “I don’t know what you’re expecting, but I doubt it will be worth whatever you brought me here for.”

“Oh? You were the one who invited me here, remember?”

Of course she remembered, she was just hoping he didn’t. It was a fool’s hope. Even so, this seemed to going better than she’d anticipated - he didn't seem desperate to rip her apart or blow her up, and had actually been fairly respectful, at least for a krogan - so perhaps she could let her guard down just a little.

“Fine. Once upon a time, I went by the name Aleena, and did some mercenary work. So what? It’s not who I am now, and I don’t care for it.”

“Oh, but I do care for it. Now that we’ve got out of the way just who you are, I think it’s about time we deal with what we both want.”

“Speak plainly. I don’t like talking around in circles. What is it exactly that we ‘both want?’”

“What else? To finish what we started, one way or another.”

Aria took a moment to stretch her neck around, seemingly uncaring of the promise of a fight.

“Didn’t you hear what I said? I don’t care for whatever happened when I was a mercenary. If it’s a fight you’re really looking for, I’m not giving it to you – maybe you’ll have better luck next time.”

Wrex barked a laugh.

“I heard the lengths you went to in taking back Omega. I have no doubt there’s some part of you, itching to find out which of us really is the best. It’s not like we both haven’t had plenty of time to practice.”

“…maybe,” Aria admitted. “But I don’t think that’s why you came here. You’re the head of the krogan, in the middle of a galactic war. I doubt you’d want to throw your life away so easily, when your death could break your people, and maybe even the galaxy.”

“Wow, the great Aria T’Loak, saying that I’m important for the galaxy. I’ll have to put that quote on my extranet profile.”

Aria rolled her eyes.

“Still, you’re right about one thing: I didn’t come here for a fight to the death. Don’t even need it – I claimed the money for killing you years ago.”

“I figured you did. It was nice to know that the bounty on my head was gone once I reached civilisation, even if it meant I had to change my identity.” Aria looked at him sharply. “But that doesn’t answer the question. Why are you here? And don’t say it’s because I invited you. You were the one who walked up to me.”

Wrex shrugged his shoulders. “I meant what I said – I do want to settle things.” He looked away. “The way things are going out there…I suppose I’m feeling nostalgic.”

Aria blinked. She wasn’t expecting something so…normal. “I’m not really one for nostalgia.”

“I suppose you wouldn’t be. It’s hard to be nostalgic when you change your identity every century.”

“Funny. Your humour hasn’t got better with age.”

“I don’t think it’s meant to. Shepard has a name for it. ‘Dad jokes.’ Makes sense when you think about it.”

From all accounts, it was soon to be a very appropriate name for Wrex’s brand of humour, and as bad as it was, it had put her at ease. What was she so worried about earlier? It was like the two of them really were just old friends, catching up.

Still, it seemed a little too mundane for two of galaxy’s most powerful people. Especially when their conversation seemed to have been sparked by someone else. “Does your life revolve around whatever Shepard says?”

“Doesn’t everyone’s these days?” Wrex answered honestly. “Hell, I was once like you. Not a nostalgic bone in my body. Too many bad memories. Then I met this punk called Shepard, and suddenly I thought it would be better to lead the krogan, restore our population and stop fighting stupid battles without any purpose.”

“How touching.”

“Sure was. This human soldier brings me on their ship, asks me all these questions, makes me want to remember my own history by dredging up stories from my past. Typical human. But for some reason, I went along with it. And here I am.”

“I know the feeling.”

“I thought you might. I bet taking back Omega was a bit less bloody than you were expecting, huh?” Wrex asked knowingly.

“Sure,” Aria admitted. “So what?”

“And I bet you’re a lot less upset about that than you were expecting to be too.”

He was right. She had gone into the battle against Ceberus not just expecting a bloodbath, but hoping for it, wanting a chance to make the streets run red and blue, to remind the galaxy just who she was. Somehow, Shepard had turned that bloodlust into bravery, transformed a thirst for vengeance into a quest for justice – and some part of her liked it.

But she was never going to admit that – not even to an old krogan that was about the closest thing she’d had to a friend, so long ago.

“That’s what Shepard does,” Wrex carried on, uncaring for Aria’s silent considerations. “And I feel a lot better about my past than I used to. So good, that I decided to find a friend of mine that I haven’t seen since she left me a few hundred years ago.”

“You still haven’t answered the question,” Aria pointed out. “Why are you here?”

“Well,” Wrex said, straightening, “I wanted us to settle our old score and have a bit of fun while we’re at it. Something that would really get the blood pumping.”

He paused. Aria’s eyebrows raised as high as they could go.

“Haven’t you heard of Omega’s one rule?” she asked with a smirk, suddenly unsure where he was going with this line of conversation.

“Can’t say I have. We’re not even on Omega.”

Aria’s eyes narrowed.

“In any case,” Wrex continued, “I think you’ll be as excited as I am about this. Everyone keeps talking about it. How they want to go one on one with the Queen of Omega, doing the hottest thing around.” He leaned forward as Aria’s eyes became slits.

“Have you heard…of the Armax Arsenal Arena?”

Aria blinked a few times, then stifled a groan. “I’m sure you find yourself to be very amusing.”

Wrex grinned, teeth bared. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. People won’t shut up about this battle simulator. I hear Aria T’Loak has a pretty good score on some of the maps too.”

“She does.”

“Well, what do you say? Settle an old score against an old krogan, for old times’ sake?”

Aria looked at him questioningly. “You really came all the way to see me after centuries, just to challenge me in a battle simulator?”

“Seems like it.”

“…You’re on.” She had a feeling this was going to be the most fun she’d had in a long time, and no-one would even need to die.

Probably.

Wrex came out of the arena looking both amused and puzzled as he walked towards Aria, who just appeared smug.

“How the hell did you get a score that high?” Wrex said. “I don't even know if Shepard could match that.”

Aria turned around with a short, genuine laugh. Somehow, she doubted anything could ever stop Shepard from being the best at everything that wasn’t dancing, but she could savour this while it lasted. And this hadn’t turned out so bad after all, so maybe she’d give the human a pass when they next met.

Figuring she should probably get back to 'her' couch and resume being The Queen, Aria began walking off, but not without tossing Wrex a farewell over her shoulder.

“Better luck next time...”