Crowds and partygoers made it virtually impossible for anyone not in the mood to enjoy a good night out a virtual impossibility. Red sand was not only in abundance, but was used openly on the darkened club floor. Many of the revellers engaged in open sexual acts, with some just very barely restraining themselves for actively engaging in intercourse, the exact type of behaviour encouraged by the owner of the vibrant club.
Exuberance was founded by a retired Krogan mercenary, initially funded using his 'retirement' funds, though it was an open secret that he had simply stolen the credits from his old gang and laundered through Illium's various financial establishments. Opock hired the best guards money could buy, ensuring any of his vengeful former comrades wouldn't be able to get to him. The years following the opening of his club on Illium saw it quickly develop into a small fortress, fitted with incredibly well concealed auto-turrets and kinetic shields.
Though Opock spent most of his time within the confines of his club, it didn't stop him from branching his business ventures, diversifying into one of the more lucrative markets in the wider galaxy -- information brokering. Of course, he wasn't deluded enough to believe he could ever compete with the Shadow Broker himself, well aware that he didn't possess the level of anonymity to get away with reaching such a level, but he couldn't resist the potential value of selling information.
But certain entities began to take note of the information that the upstart was not only obtaining, but selling to political rivals, central authorities, and potential enemies. It didn't take long for Cerberus to find themselves victim to the Krogan's flagrant breach of etiquette, using their agents within the Alliance to uncover just what types of personal data was up for sale on the black markets. It began small, the selling of Cerberus employees extra-net traffic to advertising agencies, resulting in some particularly embarrassing ad pop-ups on certain omni-tools. But it very quickly spiralled into something far more threatening to the organisation.
The locations of Cerberus outposts quickly found themselves victim to raids, the result of precise co-ordinates making their way into the hands of aliens with a grudge against Cerberus, along with opportunists wishing to get their hands on research work and shipments of expensive cargo. It became enough to concern the Illusive Man, especially with humanity in such a precarious position, with Shepard still in recovery on Lazarus Station. Further leaks could no longer be allowed.
Miranda Lawson descended the winding set of stairs that led to the main guest area, her pale blue eyes gazed at the indecent display that took place on the club floor. The agent struggled to understand the Illusive Man's reasoning for sending her personally to negotiate with the Krogan, especially with her work on the Lazarus project nearing its end stages. She was used to getting her hands dirty, being one of Cerberus's more dedicated employees, partly due to the sanctuary it offered her when she first broke free from her father's suffocating grip.
From the files she had been supplied with detailing Opock's closest guarded secrets -- the result of Cerberus's own invasive research, purchased directly from the Shadow Broker himself -- Miranda was sure she had a decent enough grasp on the former mercenary, his vices in particular. She may have been deeply displeased with her new, temporary assignment, but she was a professional to the end. If her success guaranteed that Project Lazarus and the wider arms of Cerberus would no longer be under threat then she do anything she could to keep the Krogan's gaping maw shut.
She dressed appropriately for the occasion, but from what she could see from the other women occupying the dance floor she began to wonder if she was a touch over dressed. A black and white latex-like mini dress hugged her exquisite hourglass figure, showing off every one of Miranda's perfect assets, from her long legs to her sizeable bust. Miranda was used to wearing tight fitting uniforms, much to the pleasure of her male colleagues, but she rarely wore anything she would consider so...revealing. Without any way to conceal a pistol she felt unusually vulnerable. A pair of black platform pumps gave her a sense of familiarity, the result of her combat boots being a constant presence to her unorthodox Cerberus uniform.
She took cautious steps, scanning the room for the various guards and bouncers that were dotted around Exuberance. The owner may have been aware that Miranda had been sent on behalf of the Illusive Man, but she wouldn't put it past him to welch on the agreement. If one part of the Krogan's file stuck out from the rest, it was that he had overconfidence in abundance and the lack of any retribution against him only seemed to worsen that trait.
A final few steps brought her to the sub level area that had been excavated into the surface of Illium, adding an extra layer of security between the Krogan and anyone with a grudge. Miranda kept her hands close to her body, gripping her clutch tightly as she entered the throng of the various species that used Exuberance as an excuse to turn a seemingly innocuous dance floor into a sex club. The agent stepped past a human couple, wrinkling her nose as she spotted the man lift his female partner up to his crotch, staring at each other hungrily. Another couple managed to one up them, with a Salarian snorting red sand off of his partner's bare chest.
Miranda had no qualms about individuals wanting to screw each other to their heart's content, her iPartner escapades were a testament to that. But she had her limits, and she drew the line at a pseudo orgy for all to see. As she came towards the end of tue throng she felt a rough hand snaking its way up her skirt, brushing against the base of her silk panties. A quick, precisely directed elbow to the groin of the culprit ended his unwanted exploration.
Soon, she found herself approaching a set of Opock's body guards, a Turian and a particularly gruesome looking Krogan. She produced the badge that had been supplied to her by the Illusive Man and continued on. A long, narrow hallway separated Miranda from Opock's office, which had been outfitted with every possible security system that credits could buy. By the time she reached the final security checkpoint she was sure that the Destiny Ascension paled in comparison. A facial identification check resulted in the office door sliding away, revealing Opock and his entourage to the Cerberus agent.
"Operative Lawson!" Opock boomed, not standing up from his opulent desk to greet her, something Miranda believed to be a subtle power move. "I've been watching you as soon as you entered my palace. Might I just say, you're dossier photos do you no justice. I can see why you can call yourself 'the perfect human woman'."
Miranda nodded her head stiffly. If she wanted her body to be complimented the Krogan before her was the very last being she would have wanted giving one. Decades had passed since his betrayal of his team, yet he continued to wear the same armour, decorated with the various symbols of the mercenary group, along with some of the trophies he had picked up in battle. Approaching the large desk, she was sure she heard a peculiar sound emanating from it.
"Thank you," Miranda replied tersely, placing a hand on her hip. She couldn't be sure, but Miranda thought she spotted the Krogan's eyes gliding across her body, something she had become used to since her emancipation from her father.
"I heard that the Illusive Man is starting to worry about the sort of information I have, as well as my intentions with it," Opock said, though Miranda knew it was a barely disguised boast.
"Worry is an overstatement," Miranda countered, coming to a stop just in front of the desk, "annoyed would be a more suitable description. I'm here to see if there's some agreement that can be reached to ensure that the information isn't passed on."
"Ahh," Opock nodded grandly, groaning as he reclined back in his large seat, "you wish to make a business arraignment? Then you've come to the right Krogan, as you can see, I'm more of a man of business these days. Got tired of always having to watch my quad, decided to live a more...hmm...comfortable life. Now, what's Cerberus's offer?"
