Iria's eyes narrow at the rather forward suggestion. It would bring attention if a supposed slave was wandering about with no master. There would be some questions of why an ADD agent has one but that could easily be seen as potentially freeing her later. Guess there was no choice in the matter.

"Fine," she replied, "My ship is designed to handle a variety of missions. It will work out."

The busty amazon tried to keep things professional and on task. It was not often her missions turn to something more enjoyable, like pounding slavers and criminals. The agent rose to her feet, picking up the heavy war hammer and proceeds to the door. She ensures that Triella was following before leading the gypsy to where her ship was. "I trust you have a change of clothes for this mission. I don't think it's a requirement to go everywhere topless."

Lurp tails his prey through the crowds, sliding effortlessly around and by innumerable bystanders and denizens. Occasionally he slips into a side street, rapidly changing his appearance and then resumes the chase. The agent leads her "charge/slave" with purpose and confidence but neither of them notice the constant presence that flows through the crowd after them, always wearing a different face of one of the nameless irrelevant masses that mill about everywhere in the city.

Choosing his moment carefully as they approach the agent's ship, Lurp slithers up the landing gear and deposits himself on the bridge after navigating through several twisting turning ducts and seams. Taking quick inventory of his surroundings he wraps himself over a simple bulkhead, completes the disguise within seconds, and waits for the two to board.

Triella sighs and follows Iria out of the club, walking just a step behind the agent. As they head to the space port, she is very subtly watching behind her - but Lurp's ever-changing disguise prevents her from spotting him.

Some part of her is sure that the shapeshifter is around though.



Triella stares for a moment at the agents annoyed tone, and for a moment she just stands there. Then, completely unbidden, she starts giggling.

"You're right - it's not. I spend most of my time on my ship completely naked." she says, just to get a rise out of the agent.

"Gods.. if YOU are what standard Directorate training turns out.. I'm glad I turned them down! I really did not think you were all so uptight!" she says with a smile, before turning serious and looking Iria directly in the eyes.

"You don't like the way I work - that's your choice. But tell me now if you're not going to be able to work with me. I work in my own way.. follow my own rules.. I don't go by any Directorate 'book' or agenda. My agenda is simple. I want my sister freed - and I will do anything and everything it takes to accomplish my goal."

"Are we clear on that?" she'll ask the agent firmly. Her words sound almost like a threat - but her expression suggests something else, but the intelligence broker is very difficult to read.

How a question about clothing suddenly turned into a discussion about the Directorate and being uptight was a mystery to say the least. The direction made little sense when the very woman who made the accusation was now being just as serious and uptight. Either way, she was not annoyed it was merely a question that needed to be asked.

"So I will take that as a no then," she replied, "I have spare clothes on the ship you can wear. Wandering around as a slave will become a hinderance if you walk with me. No telling what monsters would try to take you from the agent supposedly freeing you."

Iria opens her ship and steps inside, waiting for Triella to follow. What the gypsy's goals were did not concern her. She had a mission and nothing more. If there happens to be slaves or prisoners then she will free them. Spouting off her life story was not going to change that and becoming emotional would only hinder the mission. And if this woman continues to assume every question and statement is hostile, this was going to get nowhere quickly.

[ooc: Apologies for the long delay, but I'm back in the game now.]

As the women arrived aboard the ship Lurp paid special attention to the agent's movements hoping to glean any bit of information he could during the take-off sequence unfortunately his view from the bulkhead didn't afford him the best visual access and he kicked himself for not picking an area on the ceiling.

His efforts to spy on the agent's access frustrated, Lurp settled into a semi-meditative state half-listening to the conversation between the two in the hopes of catching something important in the exchange. It would be a long haul towards the slaver and no effective way to kill time without compromising his goals.

((OOC: Ok - this one is going to take me a day or two to get back to - because I need to think about the next step in terms of heading after the slaver -- unless Lurp has some ideas on that. I do intend to keep this going and I will definitely have something up this weekend if not tomorrow))

Triella rolls her eyes when Iria assumes she has no clothes, and that she would be in danger of someone trying to take 'the slave away from the ADD agent'.

"You really have no sense of humor at all, do you?" she asks with a slight shake of her head. "Of course I have other clothes, that are not as conspicuous. It's all a matter of wearing the right items at the right time -- or not wearing them as the case may be. I'll change as soon as we rendezvous with my vessel."

"As for any monster trying to capture me - I can take care of myself, Iria. I'm never as helpless as I make myself appear." And as she says that, she grabs one of the little disks off her belt. "Catch.. but be careful." she says as she flips the disk end over end towards the agent. At first it just appears like a simple gold decorative coin - but if Iria examines it closely, she'll notice that it is heavier and studier than gold should be.. the edge of the coin trails down to a razor sharp line. In effect, the disk is a miniature version of a chakra weapon - meant to be thrown with force, and with a cutting edge equal to any sword.. and Tria's belt is made from dozens of these weapons.

Once Iria's vessel takes off, Triella will enter a code, and will put the Dancer into remote pilot, and bring the ship up to dock with Iria's vessel.
Once that is complete, she turns to the amazon agent. "I'll go change now -- why don't you put this on the speaker so we can both hear what the Directorate has on Legareth?" she asks, tossing the datachip that Iria delivered back to her.

Tria will disappear through the airlock to her own ship, and leaves the path open so they can still converse as she changes clothes.

When Iria attempts to put the chip into her computer system though and play it - she is greeted with an "ENTER GENETIC CODE:" prompt, just like she had been for her mission.

But this chip was meant for the broker - how would the directorate have HER genetic code? And why would they have it? Who exactly is this woman?

Iria caught the small disk. If she was impressed she did not show it as she flips the weapon back towards Triella. The weapon could cause damage but if little disks were all that was needed to slay monsters, there would be far fewer of them. Even with her hammer the busty agent has had her fair share of captures and defeats. But the gypsy at least showed that she could fight which is better than a liability.

The ADD scout ship met with Triella's vessel and docked. With the conflict passed, the strange woman moved to change clothes while Iria was left with the data chip. The agent sat down and placed the chip on the ship's scanner.

Iria frowned as she received another prompt for the other woman's DNA this time. So this woman either has worked with the directorate before or she is an irreplacable broker. Either way, the gypsy was useful and would no doubt have to be protected. Sounded annoying to the agent but as long as the broker stayed out of her way she saw no issues for now.

"It requests for your code," Iria said through the coms so Triella could hear. Guess she will have to wait until the woman gets dressed before she can learn more about her target.

Lurp stirred himself slightly to pay some attention to the impending playback of information on the slaver Legarath.

He had come by the source through no small measure of luck for a shot in the dark type of investigation. It would interesting, at the very least to see how much the directorate had on the individual.

He was not so much interested in what the contents of the disc were but rather in any information that might suggest the depth and methods of the ADD information network.

It would also be beneficial to see how the agent and gypsy would plan their move on the lead. There would be very little margin for error for the two hunters and Lurp was completely confident that an opening would present itself.

When Iria told her that the disk was asking for HER code, there was silence on the other end for a moment, followed by a steady stream of syllables. The language was nothing Iria knew, but she didn't have to know the language to recognize that the gypsy was swearing.

Another moment of silence.

"Stand back from the console." the gypsy says through the com in an annoyed tone. And a few seconds later there is a slight rush as something comes flying out of the airlock, through the cabin of Iria's ship. The little woosh of its passing sounds almost like an arrow, or a bullet.

Then there is a metallic "slap" from the console - and Iria will see that there is one of Triella's little 'disks' on the sensor pad for the console, and she can see the blood dripping along the rim of the disk.

The disk had flown through the ship at a speed far faster than it could be thrown by hand - and it had to have made several turns in order to make it through the maze to reach the console. How did she do that?

The console blinks "Reading... Identify confirmed".

The playback is a video - this time of the Chief Director herself!! She's NEVER gotten orders from the Chief Director directly before.

"Agent Iria - I am sure you are hearing this message, and I am sure you have many questions. Let me start by addressing your first one, and formally introduce you to your partner. Agent Iria.. meet Shadow Starlark."

'SHADOW' Starlark?? There have been rumors of Shadow agents of the ADD for nearly as long as the Directorate has existed. Independent agents.. given minimal support, who operate entirely on their own - outside the rules and regulations and public face of the Directorate. Rumor states that Shadows are a combination of spy, assassin and black ops - purposely operating outside of the Directorate and never acknowledged by the ADD.

Agents, Press and Slavers have all attempted to prove the existence of the Shadows - if only for themselves - but no one has ever had any proof that these rumored operatives actually existed. Until now.

"Agent Iria - you are now the only person outside of myself and the Director of Operations who know of Starlark's position. I hope you understand the absolute necessity to maintain the secrecy of her position, and I also hope that this might resolve any concerns you have about her training or your ability to trust her."

"Now - as to Meric Legarath. Legarath has been a thorn in our side for a while. He is independent - fortunately, so he won't have the support that an Alliance slaver might have. He is, however, quite slippery. He does not maintain a single base - instead he has operated almost exclusively from his vessel, which we have been unable to track successfully."

"He has demonstrated no pattern of movements.. travelling over several sectors of space.. visiting some planets only once.. other planets he's visited multiple times over a few months, and then never again. He is clever, intelligent and elusive. Which is why I want you to work with Starlark."

"The Directorate has learned that he should be arriving on Eromin IV within the next two days. He is supposedly there to make a large purchase of slaves. We want the two of you to break up his operation and apprehend Legarath, and to obtain any records on his operations that you can. Both as evidence, and to help Starlark in recovering her sister."

As the message continues to play, Iria will realize that Triella has come back onto the main vessel. She is dressed completely now - although her outfit is not really any less revealing than Iria's own. The tiny bolero top is laced close, the ends of the fabric not quite meeting, revealing a generous amount of cleavage, while also pushing her breasts up, threatening to overflow the embroidered leather. Her skirt is of white linen, about mid-calf in length, revealing long leather boots under the skirt. The linen is thin enough that in the right light it would reveal her body in shadow - but at least it's not transparent.

"Iria and Starlark - I trust the two of you can find a way to work through your differences to accomplish this mission. You both have different strengths and talents - learn to respect and trust each other. Above all, it is imperative that Starlark's cover be maintained. If you must abort this mission, do so. Extreme sanction is approved for the purpose of this cover. Beyond that - do what you can to disable Legarath's operations.. Permanently if possible."

The video fades..and then there is a black screen, before the chip is ejected.. blackened and broken - the message beyond recovery.
The gypsy goes over and picks up the disk from the sensor console, wipes it clean, and then attaches the small weapon to her belt.

"I'm guessing that despite what the Director said, that you still have questions?" she says simply as she glides over to sit down in one of the chairs on the deck, and looks over at the other agent patiently.

Apparently Triella was not pleased to have to give her own genetic information for the message to work. Perhaps it was meant to be a secret, a secret that Iria was soon to be involved in. A bloodied disc flew into her ship and landed on the sensor pad of the console. The throw was skillful though unnecessary but at least the was being read now.

Iria's eyes widen slightly at the sight of the Chief Director. She had never met the man directly before much less been given direct orders from him. This was rather shocking that such an important task was offered to a low ranking agent and a troublesome at that.

The agent listened calmly to the message. If there was any shock about the term Shadow, Iria did not show it. As far as she was concerned it was just a position in the ADD secret or not. It would be shocking that someone like Triella was working for the ADD but the Directorate did accept a aggressive loose cannon like herself. The ADD really takes who they can get for personnel.

The rest of the message ran and ended with the chip self destructing. She was to work with Starlark in capturing Legarath and to assist in saving this woman's sister. The second part was more than likely a deal between her and the Directorate but the reason was irrelevant to Iria. The gypsy woman sat down in the other chair and waited for questions.

"Why would I have questions?" she replied simply, "You work for the ADD and I have to work with you for this mission. The objectives were given and that is all. We will set a course and decide the method of action when we arrive. There is nothing else I need to know." Iria stretched gently, arching her back and causing her large globes to strain against her tight fitting body suit. "I will set a course for Eromin IV. Might as well use this time to rest and prepare."

Once the course was set and the other ship was following unhindered, Iria reached up to her neck and loosened her suit. The suit seemed to hiss softly as her large breasts began to fill out to their full G cup size while her fingers slowly pulled down a tiny almost unseen seal down the middle of her suit. Her eyes closed as another sigh left her lips, feeling relief from having her chest pressurized for so long. There was no point in worrying, they had a short time to rest before arriving in their destination. "You can wait in your ship or here," she said finally, "Doesn't matter to me."

"Interesting, but not surprising." Lurp thought to himself. The ADD were excellent trackers but even they still needed a system outside of the boundaries as a way to effectively outsource their intel without too many questions asked.

"Shades of gray." Lurp chuckled to himself silently. In the end it all boiled down to a matter of perspective, even for the ADD.

As Lurp reflected on the subjective nature of good and evil he couldn't help be let his hungry gaze wander over both the agent and the gypsy, with so much that he could do to them in the confines of the ship he had to make a great effort to keep himself from preying on them immediately. There would be time and chance enough for that later.

He HAD to let them make the first move on the slaver before he made his. And so, with the promise of future conquest, he settled and waited.

((OOC: Sorry for the delay on this -- I'll definitely get a response up tomorrow))

The gypsy just stares at the other agent, barely keeping her jaw from dropping. How did this woman survive in the ADD? Everything is black and white, you follow orders, and she just accepts that not only do Shadow agents exist, but that Triella is one???

If she were in Iria's shoes, she'd have dozens of questions - perhaps not all relevant to the mission, but just to know who she'd be working with and get a strong impression of the other's abilities.

"Right.. well the co-ordinates are on the other side of the planet. Makes sense that they'd stay away from the primary space port in Siwenna. So do you have any suggestions for how we break up this deal and capture Legareth? While I'm used to the role, I don't think we could convince any slaver that YOU are a pleasure slave."



If Triella was stunned by Iria's reaction, then the vision as Iria releases the pressure of her suit has her floored. "Wha... HOW!?" she stutters as she stares at the other woman's expanding busom. She puts a hand up as if she were going to reach out to touch the other woman's breast. Perhaps it's Tria's gesture.. or just the intensity of her gaze, but Iria could almost imagine the sensation of a hand on one of her breasts, giving it a gentle squeeze before passing. But surely she's just imagining it, right? The Shadow agent is half way across the cabin from her after all.

"Here... is fine." the gypsy says carefully as she gets up and goes to the food disposal or galley and gets herself some water for her suddenly dry mouth.

Survival was simple for Iria. Just like any other sort of military or strict organization, she merely had to follow orders. If she continued to follow orders she would continue to receive missions and opponents to battle. The amazon did not notice Starlock's shock not that she would know what was the cause of such a look. The Chief Director was the one who gave this information so to question that would be to question nearly the entire ADD.

"Well if it involves breaking... Hmm?" The agent looked over at Triella as she gaped and stuttered at the sight of Iria's massive globes expanding from her suit. The odd gesture and intense gaze sent a tingling up her spine as it seemed to linger over her precious orbs. "As... I was saying if it involves breaking then it will be of no issue. Crush his guards and take him in alive. It is doubtful they will accept any fresh woman as new slaves or else they would not be needing a shadow. To prevent escape we could disable their ships first before moving in. They will have to face my hammer one way or another."

"Is there something wrong?" she finally asked, still wondering about the gaping look at her body.