Mary was puzzled when Rachel left, she wanted to follow her, but then she decided to get her data-pad out and just watch her. "Not particularly stress resident and maybe not mentally stable." She said quietly as she saw Rachel looking at herself in the mirror. Then she heard another voice in her ear. "Senior Lieutenant Dross, Field Marshal Keller is now on board." Immediately, Mary's expression changed, she hated distractions. "Got it, keep the explosives sharp." She was still following Rachel on her data-pad when she saw Rachel collide with Keller. "Damn!" She threw the data-pad into a corner where, white smoke rose from him before it became useless with a faint hiss. She force herself to not run even though she wanted to do it. Keller only meant unnecessary discussions and annoying talk about his rank. She stepped around the corner and saw the two. "Field Marshal Keller, an honor to have you on board." After she saluted, she stuck her hand in the pocket of her unform groping for the detonator.
He merely observed her as she went about what seemed like a process in order to vent whatever aggression she'd built up. He wasn't sure why she was so upset but he this was exactly why he'd decided to come, he knew the situation would be mishandled exactly like this and the risk of a potentially valuable asset might be squandered for the sake of making a point. Once she was finished and a minute of silence fell upon the air, she noticed his face crack up into a subtle smile, this was not humorous to him, not at all, if anything he looked a little impressed. "Frau Sloane, it's a pleasure to meet you and even more to find out first hand just how much fire you possess as a person. I wanted to meet you personally once I heard news of someone with your calibre deciding to enlist with us. I'm sure I've ruffled some feathers, but I'm here to oversee the screening process. I think I'll be vouching for you especially after this display of your conviction."
He had more or less ignored the senior lieutenant, only deciding to oblige her with a nod after he'd had his word with his accidental acquaintance. "Senior Lieutenant, I trust everything is proceeding according to schedule? I'm only here because I'd like to speak with Frau Sloane personally once you're finished."
He had a very passive stance as of the moment and though his reputation and otherwise aggressive attitude certainly made him an imposing individual to deal with, he was by no means here to actively interfere, at least not yet.
"Knowing Humanity - We will be duty, bloody and unavoidable."
"Everything is going according to plan, sir. My task is to uncover possible spies, the poison Frau Sloane drunk is 100% harmless. It was also important to test Frau Sloane's reaction in a stress situation."Mary was no longer interested in Sloane, she just wanted to get Keller off her ship. She noticed the aura surrounding him, he thought maybe he looked threatening, but for her it was just a bluff. Posturing to cover the weakness. "Of course Field Marshal, if you would like you can talk to her right now, I just would ask for that Frau Sloane stays on the Abomination during that and after that." She gestured towards the conference room. "May I offer you something to drink, coffee, water, vodka. Maybe a cigar or cigarettes? "
He took one glance at Sloane before looking back at Dross, choosing his next words thoughtfully. "I'm fine, Dross, I don't want anything. I'd rather wait until you're finished with Frau Sloane, so that I may talk to her myself without delaying your process. Given her unique skills I believe she could be quite valuable especially if she were to be assigned to the projects that I'm certain she's capable of fulfilling. I'll observe, once you finish I'll discuss things with Frau Sloane. I have no intention of overstaying."
He was curious how Dross would respond to this, she seemed a little irritated and unless he was mistaken that seemed tied to his sudden arrival here. Such was natural however, people were predictably possessive over whatever small fortresses of power that had built for themselves, and this ship was exactly that to her. Despite contrary belief, patience was one of Keller's many virtues, and he was more than willing to wait for the conclusion of this interrogation before having his desired conversation.
"Knowing Humanity - We will be duty, bloody and unavoidable."
Whatever Rachel might have expected, a smile from Keller was definitely not it. She looked ready to attack again if he was going to mock her, but then his words reached her ears. They were so unexpected that Rachel seemed to deflate on the spot. The tension in her jaw and the draw of her shoulder muscles, preparing for physical attack, disappeared. She stared at the man like he'd grown another head for a moment, but recovered and straightened, reaching up and pulling her hair out of her eyes and back behind her head from where it had been dislodged.
Despite her emotional state, Rachel's logical side was never too far gone. She'd heard Mary's voice down the hall, approaching them, and had heard her address the man. She'd also heard the dramatic change in Dross's tone and behavior. "Keller." She said the name and her tongue moved over her lips, like she was trying out the flavor of something new rather than being introduced to someone of importance. "I don't know what rank Field Marshall is, but if you can get that crazy ***** in line...," Rachel paused, turned, and pointed toward Mary for emphasis, "...then clearly you have some pull around here."
She listened to the two of them talk as if she wasn't even present. Their back and forth went on for a few moments, and Rachel's anger flared again. She would not be ignored by either of these two, and she had a job to do. Or she would, once they assigned her to one. It was Keller's words about having projects and assignments for her that drew her attention. That's what she was here for, after all. "Finally, someone around here says something reasonable," Rachel lamented, taking a deep breath before making eye contact with both of them.
At the end of her rope, Rachel reached into the pocket of her jeans. She pulled out the Planetform data chip, the key gift she had to offer the Coalition other than her skills. Shifting slightly, she ended up standing almost directly in between Keller and Dross. She held it up between her fore and middle fingers, and a little smirk rose on her face. "Can one of you make a damn decision, please? Or should I just destroy this and go back to Cambridge right now?"
"Field Marshal, I already have everything I need to know." Mary thought briefly about Rachel's reaction as they came to talk about her relationship situation, inside she had to laugh. "She's yours, Field Marshal. Your concerns have preceded mine." Mary hated herself for rummaging her old political neutral and unarmed tone, but it had to be. "If you do not need me anymore, I'll retire now and leave Mrs. Sloane to you." Mary approached Rachel and took the chip out of her hand. "I bring this over to High Commisar Novikov. I hope that's alright, after all, we are the "Expeditionary Corps." Mary saluted again, then left the two of them and headed towards the airlock.
She was bold, he had to credit with that much at the very least. To be so willing to threaten the destruction of her literal bargaining chip and assume that she'd leave for Cambridge alive. A bold bluff, but it was just that. "Come Frau Sloane. I'd like to show you what I hope you'll one day be heralded as savior of. You have skills that I'm sure we can readily put to use, I'm certain your superiors will do exactly that. No harm in being thorough of course."
He was a little surprised Dross had merely conceded and not pressed on with her little social experiment, but no matter, at least they wouldn't be wasting anyone's time like this. With that in mind, Keller would gesture for Sloane to follow him back onto his personal gunship.
"Knowing Humanity - We will be duty, bloody and unavoidable."
Rachel was pleased with the results she got from her demand. Keller and Dross both got something they wanted. More importantly, she was free of their petty posturing and was making progress once again toward her own objective. She didn't give Mary a second glance as she turned to join Keller. "Alright," was all she offered in response to his words, though they were more respectful than she expected. Still, she refused to walk behind the man, physically positioning herself as an equal at his side, and not as some subservient. Respect was earned, and he hadn't earned hers yet.
The young doctor took advantage of the opportunity to size up the man beside her. She had focused her entire life up to this point on knowledge and intellect, but she wouldn't be able to determine those from looking at him. As best she could from the corner of her eye, she took Keller in. Her gaze wandered over the jet-black hair, sticking up in random places on his head. Her expression softened at the sight of the angry, brutal-looking scars across his forehead. Even though she had never experienced any interest or attraction toward men - or women either - there was no denying that the intense color of his eyes was both intimidating and intriguing. They looked like they could pierce a person's soul as well as any projectile could pierce a hull.
The walk continued in silence, and Rachel's examination continued. The heavy metal armor that Keller and his guards wore almost made Rachel feel naked, wearing such thin fabrics and little protection by comparison. Despite the thickness of the protective plates, Rachel had no trouble determining that Keller clearly took care of himself. His build wasn't excessive, but the broadness of his chest and the angles of his torso showed he kept himself in top physical form. To Rachel, physical exercise and activity were a necessary evil, required to keep her body healthy and her mind sharp. Looking at Keller, she was convinced that such activities were a much more important part of his life.
"He's not unappealing to look at," Rachel thought. However, if anyone could hear her thoughts, it would sound more like her scientific side analyzing a specimen rather than a woman checking out a man.
Used to hours of silence in her labs, Rachel wasn't bothered by it. However, Keller had information and authority. She was definitely interested in at least one of the two. "You mention that you have projects in mind for me, that I would be well-suited for, Field Marshall Keller." Her tone was all business. "Would you care to fill me in? I am anxious to get back to doing what I am best at, and it sounds like you've already been briefed on my expertise."