Price leveled Laswell with a challenging glare. He had been one of few that had not reacted particularly strongly one way or another about the sudden presence of alien lifeforms. There had been a stir everywhere, and it was all over the news. They were intelligent, similar to humans, and brought a flourish of bravado surrounding the ideals of peace and mutual benefit. And Price hadn't bought any of that shit.
He could scan human history and knew well that colonization never meant peace. Even when it was wrapped up in goodwill with a pretty little bow, there was always the intention of spreading ones own blood and culture and influence, often with the direct result of quashing any part of whatever culture was already there. And any sort of resistance was met emphatically with genocide. One could argue that these alien lifeforms were not human, and therefore they could truly be a culture of peace, but Price just wasn't buying it. You didn't travel the stars and culminate on a planet for integration for the purpose of just sitting back.
That being said, Price also wasn't a man of unplanned, uninformed action. Even if he didn't believe the peace talks that had aired all over the news, he also wasn't a maniac who would partake in his own genocide just for the sake of eliminating something he didn't understand. If these aliens... "Visitors", as they were being called, were truly that close to humans, they were emotionally complex creatures, and not every single member of their flock was there for the sole purpose of subjugation. These things were delicate and complicated and he knew that he of all people was not the one that needed to slam down the hammer of judgement without any information on their kind.
And so he had come to the conclusion that he just needed to focus on weapons dealers and the counter-terrorism measures that he was familiar with, on his own ground, until such a time those Visitors should give him a reason to take action. He'd ignored the news outlets, even when Gaz was excitedly chattering about it over breakfast.
But now here Laswell was, giving him a private assignment away from the work of the 141: Security detail on one of the Visitors.
Laswell drew in a deep breath, giving Price that serious look she did when she was trying desperately to get through to him, "Listen to me, John. I know you don't trust them, and you're right not to, but that's why I need you on this case."
Price turned to her and lowered his chin, "If they're so damn dangerous, Kate, why am I protecting one?"
"Because we need her," Laswell replied, raising her brows at Price. "And we need her to trust us. You know I can't tell you what's going on. I would if I could, and I may get that clearance later, but right now I just need you to trust me."
The two of them held their respective gazes for a long moment, Price trying to dig out something in Laswell's eyes and of course finding nothing there. She was a solid steel wall, always had been, and he knew that in this particular case, he really was just going to have to trust her or refuse to help her.
After the pregnant pause, Price drew in a breath and stood upright again, reaching up to grip the straps of his vest as he turned his eyes to the sky, "This is such bullshit... If something comes up with the 141, I'm leaving her, Kate. You understand?"
Laswell bobbed her head low in a slow nod, "Yes, of course. But you don't need to worry. I'll keep an eye on things on this end while you're busy. I just need your eyes on this, John. I need someone I know I can trust on this."
Price released a slow breath and nodded, "Alright, fine. I'll do it, but you owe me one."
And so it was only a few days after this that Price was lined up beside Laswell as they stood in the New York office that would facilitate his first meeting with this Visitor. "Princess", he had heard be thrown around, but he had gotten the girl's dossier. Her name was "Lisa", according to the records he was handed, and that was what he was going to bloody well call her.
The doors opened to lead in his new ward, and Laswell stepped forward, holding her hand out to shake with Lisa's current security. Some words were exchanged before Laswell stepped back and gestured to Price, who took a step forward and looked down to Lisa, tilting his whole body back on his heels so he could lower his height a bit and get more on eye level with her.
"Lisa," he greeted, holding a hand out to her. "Captain Price, I'll be your security while you're here."
"What is this for...?" Fox glanced down at the pamphlet now within her hands. She hadn't really been listening before, distracted by her own apprehension regarding crowds and the one that was forming ahead. Blocking off nearly the whole of the sidewalk, teetering into traffic. "Sorry, I--it's loud out here." Between the people and the honking of cars trying to push through traffic, even if she had been paying attention, she probably wouldn't have heard the young woman the first time around.
Bear gazed down at the little girl he was supposed to be keeping an eye on. He felt awkward, since this wasn't the kind of work he was used to. He was made to be spilling blood away from familiar waters, not holding on standby during a... Press conference or whatever the fuck this was. He had someone to look for, a couple of friends to avenge. A loved one...
He turned his eyes away again, staring up at the sky and silently praying to ask God why He would pull this shit on him now.
"Ten minutes and then we gotta go," he grumbled under his breath.
Despite a non-insignificant role in the current Starfleet roster, Discovery did not tend to attract the attention of ambassadors. Maybe because it was a secret, or because of its position in the war, but for the cutting edge that they fly on, no one seemed either welcome or interested in coming on board. Which didn't bother Paul, not at all.
What bothered him was when it was announced that there would be an ambassador. That someone would be coming onto the ship, and that he would be expected to meet them. He didn't like having to meet people, especially people that he knew that he was going to have to explain his work to. People tended not to understand, and it frustrated him. That, and he'd never been a people person.
But that didn't matter, did it? Because the woman was coming, whether he liked it or not. And come she did, being led into the test bay, where Paul was frowning at the screen of his console. The drive's performance wasn't where he wanted it to be, and this wasn't a good time. But Starfleet had never worried about what worked for him.
Names were exchanged, and Paul glanced to the woman, lips pursing in as close to a smile as she was going to get. "Is there any chance the tour can wait?"
As Jeremy walked into the room, he stopped in shock. He knew she was bad enough to obviously need medical attention, yet this wasn't what he had expected. But he shook it off quickly and walked into the room.
"Hello, miss. Name's Jeremy. I was tasked to come watch over you." Not giving more information than that. Mosty because he didn't know much more than that himself.
He approached the bed but stayed a appropriate distance away. Folding his hands behind his back and took in all her visibel injuries. Unable to stop staring at the V on her cheek.
"I suppose this must've been some sort of anti-Visitors gang? They're getting bolder by the day, huh?"
She didn't like hiding herself in plain sight but she really felt like she had no choice. Joining the Peace Ambassador Program could do wonders in making the fragile alliance between humans, and others like herself, and the Visitors even stronger. She stood a bit straighter as she saw Lisa approaching and waited to be spoken to first.
