"We've been at this for hours, Shepard," Miranda grumbled, glad to be off her feet for the first time in what felt like hours.
"You really need to learn to loosen up, Miranda," Shepard rolled her eyes, smiling as she slid a credit chip over to a Salarian bartender, handing a small glass of Thessian Rose wine over to the raven-haired stunner. She elegantly settled into her seat, admiring her reflection in the mirrored splashback, glad she had chosen the eye-catching sapphire latex dress she had been gifted by a certain Asari. "This is one of the few times where we aren't being shot at or hammered with explosives, we should enjoy it while we can."
"You're one to talk," Miranda scoffed, tugging the short skirt of her faux-leather dress down, prompted by the lustful gazes of a group of Krogans standing near Afterlife's mercenary recruitment centre. "I've never seen you in anything other than your uniform or battle armour. And just where the hell did you get these outfits? They're not exactly the sort of clothes I would expect you of all people to have in your closet."
"I may be a soldier, Miranda, but even I know when to switch off from time to time. You need an outlet to clear your mind, otherwise the stress will kill you," Shepard took a sip from her own glass, closing her eyes as the delectable liquid tumbled down her throat. "As for the dresses, I think you'd be surprised to discover how varied my wardrobe actually is. Besides, I'm in the mood to unwind, you can only take down many Collectors and braindead mercs before you have to take some time out for yourself."
"I understand the need for taking time to clear one's head. Believe me, dealing with Grunt's hormones and Jack's borderline insanity necessitates quiet time. But did you really have to choose Afterlife of all places?" Miranda grimaced, lifting her eyes to find a pair of sultry Asari dancers undulating in front of her, both clearly impressed by her barely covered body. "You go to the Presidium on the Citadel for a quiet drink, you go to Thessia for the finest spas in the galaxy. You come to Omega for drugs, prostitution, and the possibility of ending up dead in an abandoned Eezo refinery. Not my idea of relaxation."
"I don't have the patience for pampering, and laying in mud baths with cucumbers over my eyes isn't going to come close to relieving my tension," Shepard countered, raising the rim of the glass to her painted lips, thoroughly enjoying the sensation of the rich wine cascading over her tongue. "Omega might be a hole, but it's far more interesting than anything you will find on the Citadel."
"I hope with every fibre of my being that an investment firm will buy this place out from under Aria and subject it to some substantial gentrification," Miranda said, enjoying the thought of Aria's kingdom being torn down and replaced by something more to her own tastes. "At least I don't have to worry about being gawked at by every alien in the room when I'm at Flux, there is such thing as privacy you know."
"A little hypocritical coming from the woman who rarely wears anything other than skin-tight bodysuits and thigh high boots," Shepard teased, spying the Asari dancers as they embraced and locked their lips together, curling their tongues in an increasingly heated exchange, all for Miranda's benefit. "And what's wrong with staring? Your fans seem to appreciate the effort you've put in this evening."
"I wasn't talking about them," Miranda said, turning her eyes away from the sultry duo just as they began divesting themselves of their skimpy burgundy uniforms, much to the excitement of the crowd that had formed around them. Instead, she drew Shepard's attention towards the two Krogans that continued to eye them up, neither one undeterred by the harsh glare Miranda aimed back at them. "Those two haven't stopped staring since we arrived here. I'm starting to consider drawing a pistol and bouncing a few shots off of their head plates, maybe that will send a message."
"I think Krogans view weapon exposure as part of the mating ritual rather than a threat," Shepard replied, suddenly finding herself becoming the focus of the mercenaries. Their blood red eyes travelled over her body, profoundly impressed by what they found wherever they looked, especially when Shepard made a conscious decision to cross her toned legs. "You're right, they do seem to be quite fixated on us. Surprising really, I'd have thought that the show in front of us would be more to their liking."
"You'd be surprised by just how prevalent the Krogan fetish for human women is," Miranda informed her, deciding to take a small sip from her own glass to keep herself from watching the Asari lovemaking taking place on the platform above, wishing the music could have been loud enough to drown out the various moans that floated her way. "Don't ask me why, it's just a fact."
"I don't doubt it. But I'm interested to know why you know that," Shepard grinned, finishing off her drink before requesting a fresh one. "Late night searches on the Extranet, perhaps?"
"I make it my business to know everything about the ways in which humanity is viewed by the other races. It's purely pragmatic, nothing more," Miranda answered firmly, listening to one Asari building towards a devastating orgasm, uncomfortable with the peculiar effect their performance had on her the longer it went on. "Knowing your enemy is the key to overcoming them when things go sideways."
"Professional intrigue, I'm sure," Shepard uncrossed her legs and and dropped off her stool. "I suppose that means you wouldn't mind me inviting them over? What could be a better means of assessing a Krogan's proclivity for humans than to observe it in person?"
"What? Wait, Shepard!" Miranda just missed Shepard when she attempted to grab her by the arm, almost tumbling off her stool as she watched the redhead sauntering over to the burly mercenaries, noticing the distinct sway the commander put into her hips with every stride. "I should have put a control chip in her when I had the bloody chance."
Shepard, brushed her flowing red hair over her shoulder, offering a dazzling smile when the Krogans shared a brief look of bemusement at her approach. She waited for a small group of Batarians to depart from the bar before closing in, coming to a stop at the corner of the bar the duo were occupying. There was a moment of pause between them, with the Krogans taking their time to determine Shepard's motive for her approach, a pause that was broken when the one closest to her made the bold decision to slide his massive hand onto her waist, admiring the curve of her hourglass figure.
"So what's a human like you doing in a shit hole like this?" he asked, sidling up beside Shepard when he realised she wasn't going flee.
"Oh, you know, I was just looking to let loose for once. I figured that Afterlife was the perfect place to go wild without being judged for it," Shepard shrugged, resting an arm on the black metallic bar top so she could turn towards the pair. "I'm Katerina. And who might you two gentlemen be?"
"Grunk," the Krogan beside her responded with a sharp thump of his chest, giving his companion a harsh clap on his shoulder, "and this is Knox. And believe me, we aren't what you would call 'gentleman'."
"I know, the Blood Pack armour was a bit of a giveaway," Shepard said, noticing the countless dents and scars lacing every plate and panel, along with a number of weld marks where the armour had been pieced back together.