Nayla/Lars - Green or Gray?

|| Intelligence Offices
|| USS Fenris
|| 1630

The briefing, with all its accompanying awkwardness, was done, and now Lars needed answers to some questions of his. He approached the offices of the ship's Intelligence contingent with some apprehensiveness, idly wondering if his unpopularity amongst the other officers aboard had spread here. Of course, Lars was sure that anyone wearing the gray Intel uniform could be trusted to do their duty impartially beyond any other, but he was still curious as to why Taylor seemed to be accepting of this Ensign Pena. Just curious. Not suspicious. Not yet.

As the door hissed open and he strode inside, all eyes turned to him and all conversation ceased, the Fenris' Intel personnel startled by the sight of an unfamiliar lieutenant commander. "Ensign Pena. Where?" he asked levelly, and nodded curtly when someone pointed to a corner cubicle intended for someone working on sensitive data. From then on he ignored the gazes following him.

Lars frowned. This ensign, whoever she was, shouldn't have been doing much more than shift rosters and low level reports at the moment. But as he rounded the corner and punched in an override code to unseal the door, he saw the reason why she was staying out of sight of prying eyes. And he couldn't blame her.

He took a moment to admire the Orion woman's curves, an appreciative grin on his stubbled face, then nonchalantly rapped his gloved hand on the door frame. "How are those uplink preparations coming, ensign?"

|| Intelligence Offices
|| USS Fenris
|| 1630

The briefing, with all its accompanying awkwardness, was done, and now Lars needed answers to some questions of his. He approached the offices of the ship's Intelligence contingent with some apprehensiveness, idly wondering if his unpopularity amongst the other officers aboard had spread here. Of course, Lars was sure that anyone wearing the gray Intel uniform could be trusted to do their duty impartially beyond any other, but he was still curious as to why Taylor seemed to be accepting of this Ensign Pena. Just curious. Not suspicious. Not yet.

As the door hissed open and he strode inside, all eyes turned to him and all conversation ceased, the Fenris' Intel personnel startled by the sight of an unfamiliar lieutenant commander. "Ensign Pena. Where?" he asked levelly, and nodded curtly when someone pointed to a corner cubicle intended for someone working on sensitive data. From then on he ignored the gazes following him.

Lars frowned. This ensign, whoever she was, shouldn't have been doing much more than shift rosters and low level reports at the moment. But as he rounded the corner and punched in an override code to unseal the door, he saw the reason why she was staying out of sight of prying eyes. And he couldn't blame her.

He took a moment to admire the Orion woman's curves, an appreciative grin on his stubbled face, then nonchalantly rapped his gloved hand on the door frame. "How are those uplink preparations coming, ensign?"

The arrival of a new presence was not something Nayla was expecting so she turned around rather quickly and relaxed when she saw that it was a man in the same colour of uniform as her yet she didn't recognise him. However she did recognise the rank pips and she tilted her head in confusion at the question. Was he allowed a status update? She supposed so because she was outranked and Taylor always said try and placate those above you to keep them happy.

"Actually sir they were done half an hour a go. I've yet to really receive orders from Colonel Lucas about what he needs on the surface."

|| Intelligence Offices
|| USS Fenris
|| 1630

The briefing, with all its accompanying awkwardness, was done, and now Lars needed answers to some questions of his. He approached the offices of the ship's Intelligence contingent with some apprehensiveness, idly wondering if his unpopularity amongst the other officers aboard had spread here. Of course, Lars was sure that anyone wearing the gray Intel uniform could be trusted to do their duty impartially beyond any other, but he was still curious as to why Taylor seemed to be accepting of this Ensign Pena. Just curious. Not suspicious. Not yet.

As the door hissed open and he strode inside, all eyes turned to him and all conversation ceased, the Fenris' Intel personnel startled by the sight of an unfamiliar lieutenant commander. "Ensign Pena. Where?" he asked levelly, and nodded curtly when someone pointed to a corner cubicle intended for someone working on sensitive data. From then on he ignored the gazes following him.

Lars frowned. This ensign, whoever she was, shouldn't have been doing much more than shift rosters and low level reports at the moment. But as he rounded the corner and punched in an override code to unseal the door, he saw the reason why she was staying out of sight of prying eyes. And he couldn't blame her.

He took a moment to admire the Orion woman's curves, an appreciative grin on his stubbled face, then nonchalantly rapped his gloved hand on the door frame. "How are those uplink preparations coming, ensign?"

The arrival of a new presence was not something Nayla was expecting so she turned around rather quickly and relaxed when she saw that it was a man in the same colour of uniform as her yet she didn't recognise him. However she did recognise the rank pips and she tilted her head in confusion at the question. Was he allowed a status update? She supposed so because she was outranked and Taylor always said try and placate those above you to keep them happy.

"Actually sir they were done half an hour a go. I've yet to really receive orders from Colonel Lucas about what he needs on the surface."

"Excellent work, ensign. I see why the Colonel has such confidence in your abilities." And Lars was wondering if he could see something else too. Had Taylor stashed this Orion treat aboard as a paramour, for a little on--the-side action every now and then? But no, that would have been impossible to keep from Lillian and anyway it didn't fit Taylor's profile, Lars had to grudgingly admit. Still…

"But where are my manners? I'm Lars Janssen, from an auxiliary Intelligence section aboard the Mitterand. We've been sidetracked from our original mission and are now just pitching in wherever we can. So I just wanted to check on the progress here," he offered as an explanation for his presence. "And of course take the exceedingly rare opportunity to meet an Intelligence officer that the Colonel seems to be on good terms with. How ever did you manage that?" Lars asked coyly, deciding to be indirectly direct about all this.

|| Intelligence Offices
|| USS Fenris
|| 1630

The briefing, with all its accompanying awkwardness, was done, and now Lars needed answers to some questions of his. He approached the offices of the ship's Intelligence contingent with some apprehensiveness, idly wondering if his unpopularity amongst the other officers aboard had spread here. Of course, Lars was sure that anyone wearing the gray Intel uniform could be trusted to do their duty impartially beyond any other, but he was still curious as to why Taylor seemed to be accepting of this Ensign Pena. Just curious. Not suspicious. Not yet.

As the door hissed open and he strode inside, all eyes turned to him and all conversation ceased, the Fenris' Intel personnel startled by the sight of an unfamiliar lieutenant commander. "Ensign Pena. Where?" he asked levelly, and nodded curtly when someone pointed to a corner cubicle intended for someone working on sensitive data. From then on he ignored the gazes following him.

Lars frowned. This ensign, whoever she was, shouldn't have been doing much more than shift rosters and low level reports at the moment. But as he rounded the corner and punched in an override code to unseal the door, he saw the reason why she was staying out of sight of prying eyes. And he couldn't blame her.

He took a moment to admire the Orion woman's curves, an appreciative grin on his stubbled face, then nonchalantly rapped his gloved hand on the door frame. "How are those uplink preparations coming, ensign?"

The arrival of a new presence was not something Nayla was expecting so she turned around rather quickly and relaxed when she saw that it was a man in the same colour of uniform as her yet she didn't recognise him. However she did recognise the rank pips and she tilted her head in confusion at the question. Was he allowed a status update? She supposed so because she was outranked and Taylor always said try and placate those above you to keep them happy.

"Actually sir they were done half an hour a go. I've yet to really receive orders from Colonel Lucas about what he needs on the surface."

"Excellent work, ensign. I see why the Colonel has such confidence in your abilities." And Lars was wondering if he could see something else too. Had Taylor stashed this Orion treat aboard as a paramour, for a little on--the-side action every now and then? But no, that would have been impossible to keep from Lillian and anyway it didn't fit Taylor's profile, Lars had to grudgingly admit. Still…

"But where are my manners? I'm Lars Janssen, from an auxiliary Intelligence section aboard the Mitterand. We've been sidetracked from our original mission and are now just pitching in wherever we can. So I just wanted to check on the progress here," he offered as an explanation for his presence. "And of course take the exceedingly rare opportunity to meet an Intelligence officer that the Colonel seems to be on good terms with. How ever did you manage that?" Lars asked coyly, deciding to be indirectly direct about all this.

"I'm his co-pilot." she said after some thought, crossing her arms. She decided it wouldn't be all that bad to talk about the first meeting Taylor and she had shared. "He bought me...or specifically my freedom. I was a dancing girl on Vega Station where he frequented when he was a freelancer. Managed to get paid enough latinum to buy me out once I told him about my less tactile talents. I thought I was getting a raw deal till he gave me a weapon. My brother and I. Till my brother was killed and Taylor and I tracked the guy who did it down and killed him in a very, very dark cave."

|| Intelligence Offices
|| USS Fenris
|| 1630

The briefing, with all its accompanying awkwardness, was done, and now Lars needed answers to some questions of his. He approached the offices of the ship's Intelligence contingent with some apprehensiveness, idly wondering if his unpopularity amongst the other officers aboard had spread here. Of course, Lars was sure that anyone wearing the gray Intel uniform could be trusted to do their duty impartially beyond any other, but he was still curious as to why Taylor seemed to be accepting of this Ensign Pena. Just curious. Not suspicious. Not yet.

As the door hissed open and he strode inside, all eyes turned to him and all conversation ceased, the Fenris' Intel personnel startled by the sight of an unfamiliar lieutenant commander. "Ensign Pena. Where?" he asked levelly, and nodded curtly when someone pointed to a corner cubicle intended for someone working on sensitive data. From then on he ignored the gazes following him.

Lars frowned. This ensign, whoever she was, shouldn't have been doing much more than shift rosters and low level reports at the moment. But as he rounded the corner and punched in an override code to unseal the door, he saw the reason why she was staying out of sight of prying eyes. And he couldn't blame her.

He took a moment to admire the Orion woman's curves, an appreciative grin on his stubbled face, then nonchalantly rapped his gloved hand on the door frame. "How are those uplink preparations coming, ensign?"

The arrival of a new presence was not something Nayla was expecting so she turned around rather quickly and relaxed when she saw that it was a man in the same colour of uniform as her yet she didn't recognise him. However she did recognise the rank pips and she tilted her head in confusion at the question. Was he allowed a status update? She supposed so because she was outranked and Taylor always said try and placate those above you to keep them happy.

"Actually sir they were done half an hour a go. I've yet to really receive orders from Colonel Lucas about what he needs on the surface."

"Excellent work, ensign. I see why the Colonel has such confidence in your abilities." And Lars was wondering if he could see something else too. Had Taylor stashed this Orion treat aboard as a paramour, for a little on--the-side action every now and then? But no, that would have been impossible to keep from Lillian and anyway it didn't fit Taylor's profile, Lars had to grudgingly admit. Still…

"But where are my manners? I'm Lars Janssen, from an auxiliary Intelligence section aboard the Mitterand. We've been sidetracked from our original mission and are now just pitching in wherever we can. So I just wanted to check on the progress here," he offered as an explanation for his presence. "And of course take the exceedingly rare opportunity to meet an Intelligence officer that the Colonel seems to be on good terms with. How ever did you manage that?" Lars asked coyly, deciding to be indirectly direct about all this.

"I'm his co-pilot." she said after some thought, crossing her arms. She decided it wouldn't be all that bad to talk about the first meeting Taylor and she had shared. "He bought me...or specifically my freedom. I was a dancing girl on Vega Station where he frequented when he was a freelancer. Managed to get paid enough latinum to buy me out once I told him about my less tactile talents. I thought I was getting a raw deal till he gave me a weapon. My brother and I. Till my brother was killed and Taylor and I tracked the guy who did it down and killed him in a very, very dark cave."

"That sounds like the Colonel all right," Lars said, grinning an artificial grin and doing his best to be charming. Perhaps she didn't know much about the animosity between Taylor and himself, so now was the time to get on her good side.

"Vega Station?" He gave a low whistle. "Rough place, I hear tell. And you were a dancing, girl, eh? Well, always a demand for that…but what do you mean by your 'less tactile talents?" Lars asked smoothly, curious and wishing to get to know Nayla better for several compelling reasons.

|| Intelligence Offices
|| USS Fenris
|| 1630

The briefing, with all its accompanying awkwardness, was done, and now Lars needed answers to some questions of his. He approached the offices of the ship's Intelligence contingent with some apprehensiveness, idly wondering if his unpopularity amongst the other officers aboard had spread here. Of course, Lars was sure that anyone wearing the gray Intel uniform could be trusted to do their duty impartially beyond any other, but he was still curious as to why Taylor seemed to be accepting of this Ensign Pena. Just curious. Not suspicious. Not yet.

As the door hissed open and he strode inside, all eyes turned to him and all conversation ceased, the Fenris' Intel personnel startled by the sight of an unfamiliar lieutenant commander. "Ensign Pena. Where?" he asked levelly, and nodded curtly when someone pointed to a corner cubicle intended for someone working on sensitive data. From then on he ignored the gazes following him.

Lars frowned. This ensign, whoever she was, shouldn't have been doing much more than shift rosters and low level reports at the moment. But as he rounded the corner and punched in an override code to unseal the door, he saw the reason why she was staying out of sight of prying eyes. And he couldn't blame her.

He took a moment to admire the Orion woman's curves, an appreciative grin on his stubbled face, then nonchalantly rapped his gloved hand on the door frame. "How are those uplink preparations coming, ensign?"

The arrival of a new presence was not something Nayla was expecting so she turned around rather quickly and relaxed when she saw that it was a man in the same colour of uniform as her yet she didn't recognise him. However she did recognise the rank pips and she tilted her head in confusion at the question. Was he allowed a status update? She supposed so because she was outranked and Taylor always said try and placate those above you to keep them happy.

"Actually sir they were done half an hour a go. I've yet to really receive orders from Colonel Lucas about what he needs on the surface."

"Excellent work, ensign. I see why the Colonel has such confidence in your abilities." And Lars was wondering if he could see something else too. Had Taylor stashed this Orion treat aboard as a paramour, for a little on--the-side action every now and then? But no, that would have been impossible to keep from Lillian and anyway it didn't fit Taylor's profile, Lars had to grudgingly admit. Still…

"But where are my manners? I'm Lars Janssen, from an auxiliary Intelligence section aboard the Mitterand. We've been sidetracked from our original mission and are now just pitching in wherever we can. So I just wanted to check on the progress here," he offered as an explanation for his presence. "And of course take the exceedingly rare opportunity to meet an Intelligence officer that the Colonel seems to be on good terms with. How ever did you manage that?" Lars asked coyly, deciding to be indirectly direct about all this.

"I'm his co-pilot." she said after some thought, crossing her arms. She decided it wouldn't be all that bad to talk about the first meeting Taylor and she had shared. "He bought me...or specifically my freedom. I was a dancing girl on Vega Station where he frequented when he was a freelancer. Managed to get paid enough latinum to buy me out once I told him about my less tactile talents. I thought I was getting a raw deal till he gave me a weapon. My brother and I. Till my brother was killed and Taylor and I tracked the guy who did it down and killed him in a very, very dark cave."

"That sounds like the Colonel all right," Lars said, grinning an artificial grin and doing his best to be charming. Perhaps she didn't know much about the animosity between Taylor and himself, so now was the time to get on her good side.

"Vega Station?" He gave a low whistle. "Rough place, I hear tell. And you were a dancing, girl, eh? Well, always a demand for that…but what do you mean by your 'less tactile talents?" Lars asked smoothly, curious and wishing to get to know Nayla better for several compelling reasons.

"Talents that don't include me dancing naked on stage." said Nayla flatly with narrowed eyes. To her Lars seemed like the type of man to focus on that particular subject which meant that they weren't going to get on too well. In fact she was half tempted to ask him to leave. If he pulled rank, she'd just have to drop a memo to a certain marine. He always was very protective of people he cared about.

"Talents that do include marksmanship, piloting, infiltration and of course electronic attacks and countermeasures. Basically I can get in and out of a place by being seen but being unseen. You see people who see me wouldn't expect me to be able to defend myself therefore the perfect infiltrator."

]|| Intelligence Offices
|| USS Fenris
|| 1630

The briefing, with all its accompanying awkwardness, was done, and now Lars needed answers to some questions of his. He approached the offices of the ship's Intelligence contingent with some apprehensiveness, idly wondering if his unpopularity amongst the other officers aboard had spread here. Of course, Lars was sure that anyone wearing the gray Intel uniform could be trusted to do their duty impartially beyond any other, but he was still curious as to why Taylor seemed to be accepting of this Ensign Pena. Just curious. Not suspicious. Not yet.

As the door hissed open and he strode inside, all eyes turned to him and all conversation ceased, the Fenris' Intel personnel startled by the sight of an unfamiliar lieutenant commander. "Ensign Pena. Where?" he asked levelly, and nodded curtly when someone pointed to a corner cubicle intended for someone working on sensitive data. From then on he ignored the gazes following him.

Lars frowned. This ensign, whoever she was, shouldn't have been doing much more than shift rosters and low level reports at the moment. But as he rounded the corner and punched in an override code to unseal the door, he saw the reason why she was staying out of sight of prying eyes. And he couldn't blame her.

He took a moment to admire the Orion woman's curves, an appreciative grin on his stubbled face, then nonchalantly rapped his gloved hand on the door frame. "How are those uplink preparations coming, ensign?"

The arrival of a new presence was not something Nayla was expecting so she turned around rather quickly and relaxed when she saw that it was a man in the same colour of uniform as her yet she didn't recognise him. However she did recognise the rank pips and she tilted her head in confusion at the question. Was he allowed a status update? She supposed so because she was outranked and Taylor always said try and placate those above you to keep them happy.

"Actually sir they were done half an hour a go. I've yet to really receive orders from Colonel Lucas about what he needs on the surface."

"Excellent work, ensign. I see why the Colonel has such confidence in your abilities." And Lars was wondering if he could see something else too. Had Taylor stashed this Orion treat aboard as a paramour, for a little on--the-side action every now and then? But no, that would have been impossible to keep from Lillian and anyway it didn't fit Taylor's profile, Lars had to grudgingly admit. Still…

"But where are my manners? I'm Lars Janssen, from an auxiliary Intelligence section aboard the Mitterand. We've been sidetracked from our original mission and are now just pitching in wherever we can. So I just wanted to check on the progress here," he offered as an explanation for his presence. "And of course take the exceedingly rare opportunity to meet an Intelligence officer that the Colonel seems to be on good terms with. How ever did you manage that?" Lars asked coyly, deciding to be indirectly direct about all this.

"I'm his co-pilot." she said after some thought, crossing her arms. She decided it wouldn't be all that bad to talk about the first meeting Taylor and she had shared. "He bought me...or specifically my freedom. I was a dancing girl on Vega Station where he frequented when he was a freelancer. Managed to get paid enough latinum to buy me out once I told him about my less tactile talents. I thought I was getting a raw deal till he gave me a weapon. My brother and I. Till my brother was killed and Taylor and I tracked the guy who did it down and killed him in a very, very dark cave."

"That sounds like the Colonel all right," Lars said, grinning an artificial grin and doing his best to be charming. Perhaps she didn't know much about the animosity between Taylor and himself, so now was the time to get on her good side.

"Vega Station?" He gave a low whistle. "Rough place, I hear tell. And you were a dancing, girl, eh? Well, always a demand for that…but what do you mean by your 'less tactile talents?" Lars asked smoothly, curious and wishing to get to know Nayla better for several compelling reasons.

"Talents that don't include me dancing naked on stage." said Nayla flatly with narrowed eyes. To her Lars seemed like the type of man to focus on that particular subject which meant that they weren't going to get on too well. In fact she was half tempted to ask him to leave. If he pulled rank, she'd just have to drop a memo to a certain marine. He always was very protective of people he cared about.

"Talents that do include marksmanship, piloting, infiltration and of course electronic attacks and countermeasures. Basically I can get in and out of a place by being seen but being unseen. You see people who see me wouldn't expect me to be able to defend myself therefore the perfect infiltrator."

Lars just smiled and nodded, pretending like he was only looking at her face the whole time. "Indeed, indeed. I've no doubt you're quite the…flexible operative when the chips are down, due to your previous experience. And in truth…" he mused, eyeing her hungrily "…you do indeed seem quite unassuming and…vulnerable, the perfect infiltrator. Yes, yes, a most beneficial appearance. I'd love to witness a demonstration of your abilities at some point," He licked his lips a bit dramatically, overplaying a part he thought she expected of him. But it was all in the service of a greater goal.

He began pacing back and forth in the confined space of the cubicle in front of her desk, finally getting to the heart of the matter. "However, I'm afraid at the moment though I must call on your other qualifications. I need a reliable point of contact between myself and the Colonel, someone who is discrete and dependable, and, most importantly…palatable…to everyone involved. Someone who can cut through the doublespeak and bureaucracy to deliver a clear message in both directions. Process of elimination points to you, my dear. So what do you say?" Lars stopped his pacing abruptly, fixing her with an unwavering gaze, which was not difficult considering her rather striking features.

]|| Intelligence Offices
|| USS Fenris
|| 1630

The briefing, with all its accompanying awkwardness, was done, and now Lars needed answers to some questions of his. He approached the offices of the ship's Intelligence contingent with some apprehensiveness, idly wondering if his unpopularity amongst the other officers aboard had spread here. Of course, Lars was sure that anyone wearing the gray Intel uniform could be trusted to do their duty impartially beyond any other, but he was still curious as to why Taylor seemed to be accepting of this Ensign Pena. Just curious. Not suspicious. Not yet.

As the door hissed open and he strode inside, all eyes turned to him and all conversation ceased, the Fenris' Intel personnel startled by the sight of an unfamiliar lieutenant commander. "Ensign Pena. Where?" he asked levelly, and nodded curtly when someone pointed to a corner cubicle intended for someone working on sensitive data. From then on he ignored the gazes following him.

Lars frowned. This ensign, whoever she was, shouldn't have been doing much more than shift rosters and low level reports at the moment. But as he rounded the corner and punched in an override code to unseal the door, he saw the reason why she was staying out of sight of prying eyes. And he couldn't blame her.

He took a moment to admire the Orion woman's curves, an appreciative grin on his stubbled face, then nonchalantly rapped his gloved hand on the door frame. "How are those uplink preparations coming, ensign?"

The arrival of a new presence was not something Nayla was expecting so she turned around rather quickly and relaxed when she saw that it was a man in the same colour of uniform as her yet she didn't recognise him. However she did recognise the rank pips and she tilted her head in confusion at the question. Was he allowed a status update? She supposed so because she was outranked and Taylor always said try and placate those above you to keep them happy.

"Actually sir they were done half an hour a go. I've yet to really receive orders from Colonel Lucas about what he needs on the surface."

"Excellent work, ensign. I see why the Colonel has such confidence in your abilities." And Lars was wondering if he could see something else too. Had Taylor stashed this Orion treat aboard as a paramour, for a little on--the-side action every now and then? But no, that would have been impossible to keep from Lillian and anyway it didn't fit Taylor's profile, Lars had to grudgingly admit. Still…

"But where are my manners? I'm Lars Janssen, from an auxiliary Intelligence section aboard the Mitterand. We've been sidetracked from our original mission and are now just pitching in wherever we can. So I just wanted to check on the progress here," he offered as an explanation for his presence. "And of course take the exceedingly rare opportunity to meet an Intelligence officer that the Colonel seems to be on good terms with. How ever did you manage that?" Lars asked coyly, deciding to be indirectly direct about all this.

"I'm his co-pilot." she said after some thought, crossing her arms. She decided it wouldn't be all that bad to talk about the first meeting Taylor and she had shared. "He bought me...or specifically my freedom. I was a dancing girl on Vega Station where he frequented when he was a freelancer. Managed to get paid enough latinum to buy me out once I told him about my less tactile talents. I thought I was getting a raw deal till he gave me a weapon. My brother and I. Till my brother was killed and Taylor and I tracked the guy who did it down and killed him in a very, very dark cave."

"That sounds like the Colonel all right," Lars said, grinning an artificial grin and doing his best to be charming. Perhaps she didn't know much about the animosity between Taylor and himself, so now was the time to get on her good side.

"Vega Station?" He gave a low whistle. "Rough place, I hear tell. And you were a dancing, girl, eh? Well, always a demand for that…but what do you mean by your 'less tactile talents?" Lars asked smoothly, curious and wishing to get to know Nayla better for several compelling reasons.

"Talents that don't include me dancing naked on stage." said Nayla flatly with narrowed eyes. To her Lars seemed like the type of man to focus on that particular subject which meant that they weren't going to get on too well. In fact she was half tempted to ask him to leave. If he pulled rank, she'd just have to drop a memo to a certain marine. He always was very protective of people he cared about.

"Talents that do include marksmanship, piloting, infiltration and of course electronic attacks and countermeasures. Basically I can get in and out of a place by being seen but being unseen. You see people who see me wouldn't expect me to be able to defend myself therefore the perfect infiltrator."

Lars just smiled and nodded, pretending like he was only looking at her face the whole time. "Indeed, indeed. I've no doubt you're quite the…flexible operative when the chips are down, due to your previous experience. And in truth…" he mused, eyeing her hungrily "…you do indeed seem quite unassuming and…vulnerable, the perfect infiltrator. Yes, yes, a most beneficial appearance. I'd love to witness a demonstration of your abilities at some point," He licked his lips a bit dramatically, overplaying a part he thought she expected of him. But it was all in the service of a greater goal.

He began pacing back and forth in the confined space of the cubicle in front of her desk, finally getting to the heart of the matter. "However, I'm afraid at the moment though I must call on your other qualifications. I need a reliable point of contact between myself and the Colonel, someone who is discrete and dependable, and, most importantly…palatable…to everyone involved. Someone who can cut through the doublespeak and bureaucracy to deliver a clear message in both directions. Process of elimination points to you, my dear. So what do you say?" Lars stopped his pacing abruptly, fixing her with an unwavering gaze, which was not difficult considering her rather striking features.

The request made Nayla tilt her head in suspicion and confusion. She didn't believe that Lars needed a runner between him and Taylor only because Taylor hadn't really mentioned Lars or his reservations about the Intelligence officer. However she knew sly flattery when she saw it and it only caused her to distrust Lars further. Sitting up on the desk so her legs could swing a little she shook her head.

"Someone cut off you legs sir? What can't I convey to him that you're unable to? If this is about the whole marine and intelligence thing he's told me of I'm sure if it's really important he'll listen."

|| Intelligence Offices
|| USS Fenris
|| 1630

The briefing, with all its accompanying awkwardness, was done, and now Lars needed answers to some questions of his. He approached the offices of the ship's Intelligence contingent with some apprehensiveness, idly wondering if his unpopularity amongst the other officers aboard had spread here. Of course, Lars was sure that anyone wearing the gray Intel uniform could be trusted to do their duty impartially beyond any other, but he was still curious as to why Taylor seemed to be accepting of this Ensign Pena. Just curious. Not suspicious. Not yet.

As the door hissed open and he strode inside, all eyes turned to him and all conversation ceased, the Fenris' Intel personnel startled by the sight of an unfamiliar lieutenant commander. "Ensign Pena. Where?" he asked levelly, and nodded curtly when someone pointed to a corner cubicle intended for someone working on sensitive data. From then on he ignored the gazes following him.

Lars frowned. This ensign, whoever she was, shouldn't have been doing much more than shift rosters and low level reports at the moment. But as he rounded the corner and punched in an override code to unseal the door, he saw the reason why she was staying out of sight of prying eyes. And he couldn't blame her.

He took a moment to admire the Orion woman's curves, an appreciative grin on his stubbled face, then nonchalantly rapped his gloved hand on the door frame. "How are those uplink preparations coming, ensign?"

The arrival of a new presence was not something Nayla was expecting so she turned around rather quickly and relaxed when she saw that it was a man in the same colour of uniform as her yet she didn't recognise him. However she did recognise the rank pips and she tilted her head in confusion at the question. Was he allowed a status update? She supposed so because she was outranked and Taylor always said try and placate those above you to keep them happy.

"Actually sir they were done half an hour a go. I've yet to really receive orders from Colonel Lucas about what he needs on the surface."

"Excellent work, ensign. I see why the Colonel has such confidence in your abilities." And Lars was wondering if he could see something else too. Had Taylor stashed this Orion treat aboard as a paramour, for a little on--the-side action every now and then? But no, that would have been impossible to keep from Lillian and anyway it didn't fit Taylor's profile, Lars had to grudgingly admit. Still…

"But where are my manners? I'm Lars Janssen, from an auxiliary Intelligence section aboard the Mitterand. We've been sidetracked from our original mission and are now just pitching in wherever we can. So I just wanted to check on the progress here," he offered as an explanation for his presence. "And of course take the exceedingly rare opportunity to meet an Intelligence officer that the Colonel seems to be on good terms with. How ever did you manage that?" Lars asked coyly, deciding to be indirectly direct about all this.

"I'm his co-pilot." she said after some thought, crossing her arms. She decided it wouldn't be all that bad to talk about the first meeting Taylor and she had shared. "He bought me...or specifically my freedom. I was a dancing girl on Vega Station where he frequented when he was a freelancer. Managed to get paid enough latinum to buy me out once I told him about my less tactile talents. I thought I was getting a raw deal till he gave me a weapon. My brother and I. Till my brother was killed and Taylor and I tracked the guy who did it down and killed him in a very, very dark cave."

"That sounds like the Colonel all right," Lars said, grinning an artificial grin and doing his best to be charming. Perhaps she didn't know much about the animosity between Taylor and himself, so now was the time to get on her good side.

"Vega Station?" He gave a low whistle. "Rough place, I hear tell. And you were a dancing, girl, eh? Well, always a demand for that…but what do you mean by your 'less tactile talents?" Lars asked smoothly, curious and wishing to get to know Nayla better for several compelling reasons.

"Talents that don't include me dancing naked on stage." said Nayla flatly with narrowed eyes. To her Lars seemed like the type of man to focus on that particular subject which meant that they weren't going to get on too well. In fact she was half tempted to ask him to leave. If he pulled rank, she'd just have to drop a memo to a certain marine. He always was very protective of people he cared about.

"Talents that do include marksmanship, piloting, infiltration and of course electronic attacks and countermeasures. Basically I can get in and out of a place by being seen but being unseen. You see people who see me wouldn't expect me to be able to defend myself therefore the perfect infiltrator."

Lars just smiled and nodded, pretending like he was only looking at her face the whole time. "Indeed, indeed. I've no doubt you're quite the…flexible operative when the chips are down, due to your previous experience. And in truth…" he mused, eyeing her hungrily "…you do indeed seem quite unassuming and…vulnerable, the perfect infiltrator. Yes, yes, a most beneficial appearance. I'd love to witness a demonstration of your abilities at some point," He licked his lips a bit dramatically, overplaying a part he thought she expected of him. But it was all in the service of a greater goal.

He began pacing back and forth in the confined space of the cubicle in front of her desk, finally getting to the heart of the matter. "However, I'm afraid at the moment though I must call on your other qualifications. I need a reliable point of contact between myself and the Colonel, someone who is discrete and dependable, and, most importantly…palatable…to everyone involved. Someone who can cut through the doublespeak and bureaucracy to deliver a clear message in both directions. Process of elimination points to you, my dear. So what do you say?" Lars stopped his pacing abruptly, fixing her with an unwavering gaze, which was not difficult considering her rather striking features.

The request made Nayla tilt her head in suspicion and confusion. She didn't believe that Lars needed a runner between him and Taylor only because Taylor hadn't really mentioned Lars or his reservations about the Intelligence officer. However she knew sly flattery when she saw it and it only caused her to distrust Lars further. Sitting up on the desk so her legs could swing a little she shook her head.

"Someone cut off your legs sir? What can't I convey to him that you're unable to? If this is about the whole marine and intelligence thing he's told me of I'm sure if it's really important he'll listen."

A frown briefly flickered across Lars' face, but he quickly replaced it with his practiced grin. "It's just that there have been...communication issues in the past, and I would sleep better at night knowing there was a competent officer who can understand both sides handling the matter. Now, if it's too much of a burden in addition to your regular duties I understand…"

His gaze flicked down at her legs for a moment before returning to her face, and his smile dulled a bit. "Or is there a problem higher up? The ship's CIO wouldn't approve, perhaps?" Lars had not met the head spook aboard yet, and wanted to get an impression of her as well.

|| Intelligence Offices
|| USS Fenris
|| 1630

The briefing, with all its accompanying awkwardness, was done, and now Lars needed answers to some questions of his. He approached the offices of the ship's Intelligence contingent with some apprehensiveness, idly wondering if his unpopularity amongst the other officers aboard had spread here. Of course, Lars was sure that anyone wearing the gray Intel uniform could be trusted to do their duty impartially beyond any other, but he was still curious as to why Taylor seemed to be accepting of this Ensign Pena. Just curious. Not suspicious. Not yet.

As the door hissed open and he strode inside, all eyes turned to him and all conversation ceased, the Fenris' Intel personnel startled by the sight of an unfamiliar lieutenant commander. "Ensign Pena. Where?" he asked levelly, and nodded curtly when someone pointed to a corner cubicle intended for someone working on sensitive data. From then on he ignored the gazes following him.

Lars frowned. This ensign, whoever she was, shouldn't have been doing much more than shift rosters and low level reports at the moment. But as he rounded the corner and punched in an override code to unseal the door, he saw the reason why she was staying out of sight of prying eyes. And he couldn't blame her.

He took a moment to admire the Orion woman's curves, an appreciative grin on his stubbled face, then nonchalantly rapped his gloved hand on the door frame. "How are those uplink preparations coming, ensign?"

The arrival of a new presence was not something Nayla was expecting so she turned around rather quickly and relaxed when she saw that it was a man in the same colour of uniform as her yet she didn't recognise him. However she did recognise the rank pips and she tilted her head in confusion at the question. Was he allowed a status update? She supposed so because she was outranked and Taylor always said try and placate those above you to keep them happy.

"Actually sir they were done half an hour a go. I've yet to really receive orders from Colonel Lucas about what he needs on the surface."

"Excellent work, ensign. I see why the Colonel has such confidence in your abilities." And Lars was wondering if he could see something else too. Had Taylor stashed this Orion treat aboard as a paramour, for a little on--the-side action every now and then? But no, that would have been impossible to keep from Lillian and anyway it didn't fit Taylor's profile, Lars had to grudgingly admit. Still…

"But where are my manners? I'm Lars Janssen, from an auxiliary Intelligence section aboard the Mitterand. We've been sidetracked from our original mission and are now just pitching in wherever we can. So I just wanted to check on the progress here," he offered as an explanation for his presence. "And of course take the exceedingly rare opportunity to meet an Intelligence officer that the Colonel seems to be on good terms with. How ever did you manage that?" Lars asked coyly, deciding to be indirectly direct about all this.

"I'm his co-pilot." she said after some thought, crossing her arms. She decided it wouldn't be all that bad to talk about the first meeting Taylor and she had shared. "He bought me...or specifically my freedom. I was a dancing girl on Vega Station where he frequented when he was a freelancer. Managed to get paid enough latinum to buy me out once I told him about my less tactile talents. I thought I was getting a raw deal till he gave me a weapon. My brother and I. Till my brother was killed and Taylor and I tracked the guy who did it down and killed him in a very, very dark cave."

"That sounds like the Colonel all right," Lars said, grinning an artificial grin and doing his best to be charming. Perhaps she didn't know much about the animosity between Taylor and himself, so now was the time to get on her good side.

"Vega Station?" He gave a low whistle. "Rough place, I hear tell. And you were a dancing, girl, eh? Well, always a demand for that…but what do you mean by your 'less tactile talents?" Lars asked smoothly, curious and wishing to get to know Nayla better for several compelling reasons.

"Talents that don't include me dancing naked on stage." said Nayla flatly with narrowed eyes. To her Lars seemed like the type of man to focus on that particular subject which meant that they weren't going to get on too well. In fact she was half tempted to ask him to leave. If he pulled rank, she'd just have to drop a memo to a certain marine. He always was very protective of people he cared about.

"Talents that do include marksmanship, piloting, infiltration and of course electronic attacks and countermeasures. Basically I can get in and out of a place by being seen but being unseen. You see people who see me wouldn't expect me to be able to defend myself therefore the perfect infiltrator."

Lars just smiled and nodded, pretending like he was only looking at her face the whole time. "Indeed, indeed. I've no doubt you're quite the…flexible operative when the chips are down, due to your previous experience. And in truth…" he mused, eyeing her hungrily "…you do indeed seem quite unassuming and…vulnerable, the perfect infiltrator. Yes, yes, a most beneficial appearance. I'd love to witness a demonstration of your abilities at some point," He licked his lips a bit dramatically, overplaying a part he thought she expected of him. But it was all in the service of a greater goal.

He began pacing back and forth in the confined space of the cubicle in front of her desk, finally getting to the heart of the matter. "However, I'm afraid at the moment though I must call on your other qualifications. I need a reliable point of contact between myself and the Colonel, someone who is discrete and dependable, and, most importantly…palatable…to everyone involved. Someone who can cut through the doublespeak and bureaucracy to deliver a clear message in both directions. Process of elimination points to you, my dear. So what do you say?" Lars stopped his pacing abruptly, fixing her with an unwavering gaze, which was not difficult considering her rather striking features.

The request made Nayla tilt her head in suspicion and confusion. She didn't believe that Lars needed a runner between him and Taylor only because Taylor hadn't really mentioned Lars or his reservations about the Intelligence officer. However she knew sly flattery when she saw it and it only caused her to distrust Lars further. Sitting up on the desk so her legs could swing a little she shook her head.

"Someone cut off your legs sir? What can't I convey to him that you're unable to? If this is about the whole marine and intelligence thing he's told me of I'm sure if it's really important he'll listen."

A frown briefly flickered across Lars' face, but he quickly replaced it with his practiced grin. "It's just that there have been...communication issues in the past, and I would sleep better at night knowing there was a competent officer who can understand both sides handling the matter. Now, if it's too much of a burden in addition to your regular duties I understand…"

His gaze flicked down at her legs for a moment before returning to her face, and his smile dulled a bit. "Or is there a problem higher up? The ship's CIO wouldn't approve, perhaps?" Lars had not met the head spook aboard yet, and wanted to get an impression of her as well.

"I think the ship's MCO wouldn't approve." said Nayla icily. "If you want to speak to him do it yourself. No one on this ship is here to pass your classroom notes. I'm a busy officer which means I don't have the time to play your mind games. Or have you forgotten that Intelligence is there to supply the crew with the information to deal with a situation rather than be cloak and dagger with everyone they meet? Try it some time. You'll find your job easier."

|| Intelligence Offices
|| USS Fenris
|| 1630

The briefing, with all its accompanying awkwardness, was done, and now Lars needed answers to some questions of his. He approached the offices of the ship's Intelligence contingent with some apprehensiveness, idly wondering if his unpopularity amongst the other officers aboard had spread here. Of course, Lars was sure that anyone wearing the gray Intel uniform could be trusted to do their duty impartially beyond any other, but he was still curious as to why Taylor seemed to be accepting of this Ensign Pena. Just curious. Not suspicious. Not yet.

As the door hissed open and he strode inside, all eyes turned to him and all conversation ceased, the Fenris' Intel personnel startled by the sight of an unfamiliar lieutenant commander. "Ensign Pena. Where?" he asked levelly, and nodded curtly when someone pointed to a corner cubicle intended for someone working on sensitive data. From then on he ignored the gazes following him.

Lars frowned. This ensign, whoever she was, shouldn't have been doing much more than shift rosters and low level reports at the moment. But as he rounded the corner and punched in an override code to unseal the door, he saw the reason why she was staying out of sight of prying eyes. And he couldn't blame her.

He took a moment to admire the Orion woman's curves, an appreciative grin on his stubbled face, then nonchalantly rapped his gloved hand on the door frame. "How are those uplink preparations coming, ensign?"

The arrival of a new presence was not something Nayla was expecting so she turned around rather quickly and relaxed when she saw that it was a man in the same colour of uniform as her yet she didn't recognise him. However she did recognise the rank pips and she tilted her head in confusion at the question. Was he allowed a status update? She supposed so because she was outranked and Taylor always said try and placate those above you to keep them happy.

"Actually sir they were done half an hour a go. I've yet to really receive orders from Colonel Lucas about what he needs on the surface."

"Excellent work, ensign. I see why the Colonel has such confidence in your abilities." And Lars was wondering if he could see something else too. Had Taylor stashed this Orion treat aboard as a paramour, for a little on--the-side action every now and then? But no, that would have been impossible to keep from Lillian and anyway it didn't fit Taylor's profile, Lars had to grudgingly admit. Still…

"But where are my manners? I'm Lars Janssen, from an auxiliary Intelligence section aboard the Mitterand. We've been sidetracked from our original mission and are now just pitching in wherever we can. So I just wanted to check on the progress here," he offered as an explanation for his presence. "And of course take the exceedingly rare opportunity to meet an Intelligence officer that the Colonel seems to be on good terms with. How ever did you manage that?" Lars asked coyly, deciding to be indirectly direct about all this.

"I'm his co-pilot." she said after some thought, crossing her arms. She decided it wouldn't be all that bad to talk about the first meeting Taylor and she had shared. "He bought me...or specifically my freedom. I was a dancing girl on Vega Station where he frequented when he was a freelancer. Managed to get paid enough latinum to buy me out once I told him about my less tactile talents. I thought I was getting a raw deal till he gave me a weapon. My brother and I. Till my brother was killed and Taylor and I tracked the guy who did it down and killed him in a very, very dark cave."

"That sounds like the Colonel all right," Lars said, grinning an artificial grin and doing his best to be charming. Perhaps she didn't know much about the animosity between Taylor and himself, so now was the time to get on her good side.

"Vega Station?" He gave a low whistle. "Rough place, I hear tell. And you were a dancing, girl, eh? Well, always a demand for that…but what do you mean by your 'less tactile talents?" Lars asked smoothly, curious and wishing to get to know Nayla better for several compelling reasons.

"Talents that don't include me dancing naked on stage." said Nayla flatly with narrowed eyes. To her Lars seemed like the type of man to focus on that particular subject which meant that they weren't going to get on too well. In fact she was half tempted to ask him to leave. If he pulled rank, she'd just have to drop a memo to a certain marine. He always was very protective of people he cared about.

"Talents that do include marksmanship, piloting, infiltration and of course electronic attacks and countermeasures. Basically I can get in and out of a place by being seen but being unseen. You see people who see me wouldn't expect me to be able to defend myself therefore the perfect infiltrator."

Lars just smiled and nodded, pretending like he was only looking at her face the whole time. "Indeed, indeed. I've no doubt you're quite the…flexible operative when the chips are down, due to your previous experience. And in truth…" he mused, eyeing her hungrily "…you do indeed seem quite unassuming and…vulnerable, the perfect infiltrator. Yes, yes, a most beneficial appearance. I'd love to witness a demonstration of your abilities at some point," He licked his lips a bit dramatically, overplaying a part he thought she expected of him. But it was all in the service of a greater goal.

He began pacing back and forth in the confined space of the cubicle in front of her desk, finally getting to the heart of the matter. "However, I'm afraid at the moment though I must call on your other qualifications. I need a reliable point of contact between myself and the Colonel, someone who is discrete and dependable, and, most importantly…palatable…to everyone involved. Someone who can cut through the doublespeak and bureaucracy to deliver a clear message in both directions. Process of elimination points to you, my dear. So what do you say?" Lars stopped his pacing abruptly, fixing her with an unwavering gaze, which was not difficult considering her rather striking features.

The request made Nayla tilt her head in suspicion and confusion. She didn't believe that Lars needed a runner between him and Taylor only because Taylor hadn't really mentioned Lars or his reservations about the Intelligence officer. However she knew sly flattery when she saw it and it only caused her to distrust Lars further. Sitting up on the desk so her legs could swing a little she shook her head.

"Someone cut off your legs sir? What can't I convey to him that you're unable to? If this is about the whole marine and intelligence thing he's told me of I'm sure if it's really important he'll listen."

A frown briefly flickered across Lars' face, but he quickly replaced it with his practiced grin. "It's just that there have been...communication issues in the past, and I would sleep better at night knowing there was a competent officer who can understand both sides handling the matter. Now, if it's too much of a burden in addition to your regular duties I understand…"

His gaze flicked down at her legs for a moment before returning to her face, and his smile dulled a bit. "Or is there a problem higher up? The ship's CIO wouldn't approve, perhaps?" Lars had not met the head spook aboard yet, and wanted to get an impression of her as well.

"I think the ship's MCO wouldn't approve." said Nayla icily. "If you want to speak to him do it yourself. No one on this ship is here to pass your classroom notes. I'm a busy officer which means I don't have the time to play your mind games. Or have you forgotten that Intelligence is there to supply the crew with the information to deal with a situation rather than be cloak and dagger with everyone they meet? Try it some time. You'll find your job easier."

"You're out of line, ensign," Lars said patiently. "But I'll let it go, because I'm used to it in my position. And if you get to be in my position someday, which I'm sure you will if you apply yourself, you'll find that issues can arise in delivering information in an acceptable format to a crew of diverse backgrounds and operational specialities. And they don't all take it in one convenient format, but want it tailored to their liking. And you have to get creative when you address this. And your ideas don't always work." He gestured around the room as if to say 'case in point,' then shrugged. He'd become a little more relaxed about getting his way all this time since he'd been reassigned to a less precarious position than his previous posting.

Still, he sighed inwardly. It figured that she'd be obstinate about this matter. No wonder Taylor had bought her and brought her. They were well suited for each other in terms of character. "Well, at least you're aware of the matter now. Use that 'intelligence' however you like," Lars offered dismissively. He was going to pursue a different angle. "Anything new come in over the wire on the terrorist suspects?" he asked halfheartedly, shifting gears as he prepared to extricate himself from this little confrontation.

|| Intelligence Offices
|| USS Fenris
|| 1630

The briefing, with all its accompanying awkwardness, was done, and now Lars needed answers to some questions of his. He approached the offices of the ship's Intelligence contingent with some apprehensiveness, idly wondering if his unpopularity amongst the other officers aboard had spread here. Of course, Lars was sure that anyone wearing the gray Intel uniform could be trusted to do their duty impartially beyond any other, but he was still curious as to why Taylor seemed to be accepting of this Ensign Pena. Just curious. Not suspicious. Not yet.

As the door hissed open and he strode inside, all eyes turned to him and all conversation ceased, the Fenris' Intel personnel startled by the sight of an unfamiliar lieutenant commander. "Ensign Pena. Where?" he asked levelly, and nodded curtly when someone pointed to a corner cubicle intended for someone working on sensitive data. From then on he ignored the gazes following him.

Lars frowned. This ensign, whoever she was, shouldn't have been doing much more than shift rosters and low level reports at the moment. But as he rounded the corner and punched in an override code to unseal the door, he saw the reason why she was staying out of sight of prying eyes. And he couldn't blame her.

He took a moment to admire the Orion woman's curves, an appreciative grin on his stubbled face, then nonchalantly rapped his gloved hand on the door frame. "How are those uplink preparations coming, ensign?"

The arrival of a new presence was not something Nayla was expecting so she turned around rather quickly and relaxed when she saw that it was a man in the same colour of uniform as her yet she didn't recognise him. However she did recognise the rank pips and she tilted her head in confusion at the question. Was he allowed a status update? She supposed so because she was outranked and Taylor always said try and placate those above you to keep them happy.

"Actually sir they were done half an hour a go. I've yet to really receive orders from Colonel Lucas about what he needs on the surface."

"Excellent work, ensign. I see why the Colonel has such confidence in your abilities." And Lars was wondering if he could see something else too. Had Taylor stashed this Orion treat aboard as a paramour, for a little on--the-side action every now and then? But no, that would have been impossible to keep from Lillian and anyway it didn't fit Taylor's profile, Lars had to grudgingly admit. Still…

"But where are my manners? I'm Lars Janssen, from an auxiliary Intelligence section aboard the Mitterand. We've been sidetracked from our original mission and are now just pitching in wherever we can. So I just wanted to check on the progress here," he offered as an explanation for his presence. "And of course take the exceedingly rare opportunity to meet an Intelligence officer that the Colonel seems to be on good terms with. How ever did you manage that?" Lars asked coyly, deciding to be indirectly direct about all this.

"I'm his co-pilot." she said after some thought, crossing her arms. She decided it wouldn't be all that bad to talk about the first meeting Taylor and she had shared. "He bought me...or specifically my freedom. I was a dancing girl on Vega Station where he frequented when he was a freelancer. Managed to get paid enough latinum to buy me out once I told him about my less tactile talents. I thought I was getting a raw deal till he gave me a weapon. My brother and I. Till my brother was killed and Taylor and I tracked the guy who did it down and killed him in a very, very dark cave."

"That sounds like the Colonel all right," Lars said, grinning an artificial grin and doing his best to be charming. Perhaps she didn't know much about the animosity between Taylor and himself, so now was the time to get on her good side.

"Vega Station?" He gave a low whistle. "Rough place, I hear tell. And you were a dancing, girl, eh? Well, always a demand for that…but what do you mean by your 'less tactile talents?" Lars asked smoothly, curious and wishing to get to know Nayla better for several compelling reasons.

"Talents that don't include me dancing naked on stage." said Nayla flatly with narrowed eyes. To her Lars seemed like the type of man to focus on that particular subject which meant that they weren't going to get on too well. In fact she was half tempted to ask him to leave. If he pulled rank, she'd just have to drop a memo to a certain marine. He always was very protective of people he cared about.

"Talents that do include marksmanship, piloting, infiltration and of course electronic attacks and countermeasures. Basically I can get in and out of a place by being seen but being unseen. You see people who see me wouldn't expect me to be able to defend myself therefore the perfect infiltrator."

Lars just smiled and nodded, pretending like he was only looking at her face the whole time. "Indeed, indeed. I've no doubt you're quite the…flexible operative when the chips are down, due to your previous experience. And in truth…" he mused, eyeing her hungrily "…you do indeed seem quite unassuming and…vulnerable, the perfect infiltrator. Yes, yes, a most beneficial appearance. I'd love to witness a demonstration of your abilities at some point," He licked his lips a bit dramatically, overplaying a part he thought she expected of him. But it was all in the service of a greater goal.

He began pacing back and forth in the confined space of the cubicle in front of her desk, finally getting to the heart of the matter. "However, I'm afraid at the moment though I must call on your other qualifications. I need a reliable point of contact between myself and the Colonel, someone who is discrete and dependable, and, most importantly…palatable…to everyone involved. Someone who can cut through the doublespeak and bureaucracy to deliver a clear message in both directions. Process of elimination points to you, my dear. So what do you say?" Lars stopped his pacing abruptly, fixing her with an unwavering gaze, which was not difficult considering her rather striking features.

The request made Nayla tilt her head in suspicion and confusion. She didn't believe that Lars needed a runner between him and Taylor only because Taylor hadn't really mentioned Lars or his reservations about the Intelligence officer. However she knew sly flattery when she saw it and it only caused her to distrust Lars further. Sitting up on the desk so her legs could swing a little she shook her head.

"Someone cut off your legs sir? What can't I convey to him that you're unable to? If this is about the whole marine and intelligence thing he's told me of I'm sure if it's really important he'll listen."

A frown briefly flickered across Lars' face, but he quickly replaced it with his practiced grin. "It's just that there have been...communication issues in the past, and I would sleep better at night knowing there was a competent officer who can understand both sides handling the matter. Now, if it's too much of a burden in addition to your regular duties I understand…"

His gaze flicked down at her legs for a moment before returning to her face, and his smile dulled a bit. "Or is there a problem higher up? The ship's CIO wouldn't approve, perhaps?" Lars had not met the head spook aboard yet, and wanted to get an impression of her as well.

"I think the ship's MCO wouldn't approve." said Nayla icily. "If you want to speak to him do it yourself. No one on this ship is here to pass your classroom notes. I'm a busy officer which means I don't have the time to play your mind games. Or have you forgotten that Intelligence is there to supply the crew with the information to deal with a situation rather than be cloak and dagger with everyone they meet? Try it some time. You'll find your job easier."

"You're out of line, ensign," Lars said patiently. "But I'll let it go, because I'm used to it in my position. And if you get to be in my position someday, which I'm sure you will if you apply yourself, you'll find that issues can arise in delivering information in an acceptable format to a crew of diverse backgrounds and operational specialities. And they don't all take it in one convenient format, but want it tailored to their liking. And you have to get creative when you address this. And your ideas don't always work." He gestured around the room as if to say 'case in point,' then shrugged. He'd become a little more relaxed about getting his way all this time since he'd been reassigned to a less precarious position than his previous posting.

Still, he sighed inwardly. It figured that she'd be obstinate about this matter. No wonder Taylor had bought her and brought her. They were well suited for each other in terms of character. "Well, at least you're aware of the matter now. Use that 'intelligence' however you like," Lars offered dismissively. He was going to pursue a different angle. "Anything new come in over the wire on the terrorist suspects?" he asked halfheartedly, shifting gears as he prepared to extricate himself from this little confrontation.

"Like you've been out of line for looking at parts of me rather wolfishly commander. Focus on the face or leave the room." counted Nayla icily. "My job isn't to give ideas. It's to provide intel for those who do make the ideas. If they want it in a different format then I'll give it to them that way. I'm not here to try and worm my own little agendas where I'm sitting. My loyalty is to my crew long before it is to San Fran."

Nayla only knew of the term that Starfleet officers gave to HQ due to Taylor teaching her the tricks of the trade. Ever since becoming an officer she found it hard to adjust to the rules and regulations but she always tried her best. However Lars was straining that patience to the very limit. Instead she focused on the last question. "Theory points to a group of Betazoid dissidents known as the Children of the Fifth House, a group of upstarts who use terror tactics to get their point across. They believe that their telepathic abilities have given them the moniker of 'superior beings'. Lately Betazoid and Starfleet security forces have found them in possession of military grade weapons and equipment as well as a compound found by Colonel Lucas to be a branch of the virus that has been deployed during our mission here."

|| Intelligence Offices
|| USS Fenris
|| 1630

The briefing, with all its accompanying awkwardness, was done, and now Lars needed answers to some questions of his. He approached the offices of the ship's Intelligence contingent with some apprehensiveness, idly wondering if his unpopularity amongst the other officers aboard had spread here. Of course, Lars was sure that anyone wearing the gray Intel uniform could be trusted to do their duty impartially beyond any other, but he was still curious as to why Taylor seemed to be accepting of this Ensign Pena. Just curious. Not suspicious. Not yet.

As the door hissed open and he strode inside, all eyes turned to him and all conversation ceased, the Fenris' Intel personnel startled by the sight of an unfamiliar lieutenant commander. "Ensign Pena. Where?" he asked levelly, and nodded curtly when someone pointed to a corner cubicle intended for someone working on sensitive data. From then on he ignored the gazes following him.

Lars frowned. This ensign, whoever she was, shouldn't have been doing much more than shift rosters and low level reports at the moment. But as he rounded the corner and punched in an override code to unseal the door, he saw the reason why she was staying out of sight of prying eyes. And he couldn't blame her.

He took a moment to admire the Orion woman's curves, an appreciative grin on his stubbled face, then nonchalantly rapped his gloved hand on the door frame. "How are those uplink preparations coming, ensign?"

The arrival of a new presence was not something Nayla was expecting so she turned around rather quickly and relaxed when she saw that it was a man in the same colour of uniform as her yet she didn't recognise him. However she did recognise the rank pips and she tilted her head in confusion at the question. Was he allowed a status update? She supposed so because she was outranked and Taylor always said try and placate those above you to keep them happy.

"Actually sir they were done half an hour a go. I've yet to really receive orders from Colonel Lucas about what he needs on the surface."

"Excellent work, ensign. I see why the Colonel has such confidence in your abilities." And Lars was wondering if he could see something else too. Had Taylor stashed this Orion treat aboard as a paramour, for a little on--the-side action every now and then? But no, that would have been impossible to keep from Lillian and anyway it didn't fit Taylor's profile, Lars had to grudgingly admit. Still…

"But where are my manners? I'm Lars Janssen, from an auxiliary Intelligence section aboard the Mitterand. We've been sidetracked from our original mission and are now just pitching in wherever we can. So I just wanted to check on the progress here," he offered as an explanation for his presence. "And of course take the exceedingly rare opportunity to meet an Intelligence officer that the Colonel seems to be on good terms with. How ever did you manage that?" Lars asked coyly, deciding to be indirectly direct about all this.

"I'm his co-pilot." she said after some thought, crossing her arms. She decided it wouldn't be all that bad to talk about the first meeting Taylor and she had shared. "He bought me...or specifically my freedom. I was a dancing girl on Vega Station where he frequented when he was a freelancer. Managed to get paid enough latinum to buy me out once I told him about my less tactile talents. I thought I was getting a raw deal till he gave me a weapon. My brother and I. Till my brother was killed and Taylor and I tracked the guy who did it down and killed him in a very, very dark cave."

"That sounds like the Colonel all right," Lars said, grinning an artificial grin and doing his best to be charming. Perhaps she didn't know much about the animosity between Taylor and himself, so now was the time to get on her good side.

"Vega Station?" He gave a low whistle. "Rough place, I hear tell. And you were a dancing, girl, eh? Well, always a demand for that…but what do you mean by your 'less tactile talents?" Lars asked smoothly, curious and wishing to get to know Nayla better for several compelling reasons.

"Talents that don't include me dancing naked on stage." said Nayla flatly with narrowed eyes. To her Lars seemed like the type of man to focus on that particular subject which meant that they weren't going to get on too well. In fact she was half tempted to ask him to leave. If he pulled rank, she'd just have to drop a memo to a certain marine. He always was very protective of people he cared about.

"Talents that do include marksmanship, piloting, infiltration and of course electronic attacks and countermeasures. Basically I can get in and out of a place by being seen but being unseen. You see people who see me wouldn't expect me to be able to defend myself therefore the perfect infiltrator."

Lars just smiled and nodded, pretending like he was only looking at her face the whole time. "Indeed, indeed. I've no doubt you're quite the…flexible operative when the chips are down, due to your previous experience. And in truth…" he mused, eyeing her hungrily "…you do indeed seem quite unassuming and…vulnerable, the perfect infiltrator. Yes, yes, a most beneficial appearance. I'd love to witness a demonstration of your abilities at some point," He licked his lips a bit dramatically, overplaying a part he thought she expected of him. But it was all in the service of a greater goal.

He began pacing back and forth in the confined space of the cubicle in front of her desk, finally getting to the heart of the matter. "However, I'm afraid at the moment though I must call on your other qualifications. I need a reliable point of contact between myself and the Colonel, someone who is discrete and dependable, and, most importantly…palatable…to everyone involved. Someone who can cut through the doublespeak and bureaucracy to deliver a clear message in both directions. Process of elimination points to you, my dear. So what do you say?" Lars stopped his pacing abruptly, fixing her with an unwavering gaze, which was not difficult considering her rather striking features.

The request made Nayla tilt her head in suspicion and confusion. She didn't believe that Lars needed a runner between him and Taylor only because Taylor hadn't really mentioned Lars or his reservations about the Intelligence officer. However she knew sly flattery when she saw it and it only caused her to distrust Lars further. Sitting up on the desk so her legs could swing a little she shook her head.

"Someone cut off your legs sir? What can't I convey to him that you're unable to? If this is about the whole marine and intelligence thing he's told me of I'm sure if it's really important he'll listen."

A frown briefly flickered across Lars' face, but he quickly replaced it with his practiced grin. "It's just that there have been...communication issues in the past, and I would sleep better at night knowing there was a competent officer who can understand both sides handling the matter. Now, if it's too much of a burden in addition to your regular duties I understand…"

His gaze flicked down at her legs for a moment before returning to her face, and his smile dulled a bit. "Or is there a problem higher up? The ship's CIO wouldn't approve, perhaps?" Lars had not met the head spook aboard yet, and wanted to get an impression of her as well.

"I think the ship's MCO wouldn't approve." said Nayla icily. "If you want to speak to him do it yourself. No one on this ship is here to pass your classroom notes. I'm a busy officer which means I don't have the time to play your mind games. Or have you forgotten that Intelligence is there to supply the crew with the information to deal with a situation rather than be cloak and dagger with everyone they meet? Try it some time. You'll find your job easier."

"You're out of line, ensign," Lars said patiently. "But I'll let it go, because I'm used to it in my position. And if you get to be in my position someday, which I'm sure you will if you apply yourself, you'll find that issues can arise in delivering information in an acceptable format to a crew of diverse backgrounds and operational specialities. And they don't all take it in one convenient format, but want it tailored to their liking. And you have to get creative when you address this. And your ideas don't always work." He gestured around the room as if to say 'case in point,' then shrugged. He'd become a little more relaxed about getting his way all this time since he'd been reassigned to a less precarious position than his previous posting.

Still, he sighed inwardly. It figured that she'd be obstinate about this matter. No wonder Taylor had bought her and brought her. They were well suited for each other in terms of character. "Well, at least you're aware of the matter now. Use that 'intelligence' however you like," Lars offered dismissively. He was going to pursue a different angle. "Anything new come in over the wire on the terrorist suspects?" he asked halfheartedly, shifting gears as he prepared to extricate himself from this little confrontation.

"Like you've been out of line for looking at parts of me rather wolfishly commander. Focus on the face or leave the room." counted Nayla icily. "My job isn't to give ideas. It's to provide intel for those who do make the ideas. If they want it in a different format then I'll give it to them that way. I'm not here to try and worm my own little agendas where I'm sitting. My loyalty is to my crew long before it is to San Fran."

Nayla only knew of the term that Starfleet officers gave to HQ due to Taylor teaching her the tricks of the trade. Ever since becoming an officer she found it hard to adjust to the rules and regulations but she always tried her best. However Lars was straining that patience to the very limit. Instead she focused on the last question. "Theory points to a group of Betazoid dissidents known as the Children of the Fifth House, a group of upstarts who use terror tactics to get their point across. They believe that their telepathic abilities have given them the moniker of 'superior beings'. Lately Betazoid and Starfleet security forces have found them in possession of military grade weapons and equipment as well as a compound found by Colonel Lucas to be a branch of the virus that has been deployed during our mission here."

Lars snorted at her mention of his 'appreciation' of her assets. "But you've made a living flaunting them in the past, why stop now?" He chuckled, but obediently made eye contact for once. "Oh and spare me the working class hero bit. You've been around Lucas much too long it seems, going off about loyalties and duty. It might be all right coming from his grizzled gullet, but in your tender voice it lacks a certain…authenticity. Give it a few years, eh?" he smiled and clicked a finger at her flippantly. He had all but written off this little encounter, and was just keeping the banter going to watch her lose her temper. Still, he did raise an eyebrow at her report, inwardly pleased at the professional tone. Lars was giving the Orion woman a lot of slack because of the color of her uniform…and the color of her skin. Her behavior wasn't exactly typical of her species, but that made things…

"Interesting. They believe in the superiority of Betazoids, but still attack their own kind with a weapon that exclusively targets telepaths. I've dealt with doomsday cults before, but this is a new twist. We'll need to look into where they obtained the device and how that individual or individuals convinced the Children to use it in this way." In truth, Lars suspected that neither he nor Nayla would be able to make much headway on that investigation; it was mostly up to Lillian to lead the way right now.

"Well, keep me posted if anything new develops," he continued with false affability, knowing full well she wouldn't. "Oh, and if you uplink with the Colonel anytime soon ask him to make sure the medical teams have a good supply of Kepparine-40 on hand. No telling when they can be resupplied. There might be…transporter issues," he said sarcastically, knowing she'd never get the jab until it was transmitted to Taylor, if it was at all. "Keep up the good work, ensign," Lars added nonchalantly, mostly for the benefit of the other personnel watching him as he exited the cubicle. With that, he sauntered out into the offices again, pondering his next drink.

(add or post, as you like, or I will later)