<div class="floatleft">(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNmQ5OGUyMmQtMmRmZS00MDc0LTlmMzUtZTgzMjY0NjE5NzUxXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMzQ2MDUxMTg@._V1_UY317_CR104,0,214,317_AL_.jpg)</div><strong>Character Name:</strong>Kroken Liara<br/><strong>Location:</strong>USS Redemption Engineering<br/><strong>Tagging/Mentioning:</strong><br/><strong>NSFW Warning:</strong><br/><br/>Liara relaxed as she saw how jovial and happy her chief engineer was.  Liara had seen how things on DS9 had run at the command level, having spent many hours on the observation deck doing maintenance.  Captain Sisko and Major Kira were stalwarts of professionalism and Liara had always attributed that to Starfleet discipline.  Her time at the academy had reinforced that belief, but then her time at UP had chipped away at the mystique a bit.  She'd always assumed being on a Starship was more regimented, more disciplined but seeing a higher ranking officer acting this way gave her a little room to relax, and she'd take it.<br/><br/>"Oh believe me, I'm excited too.  I've only ever seen this engine, any of this in simulation and laboratories.  I've never had the chance to work on a Starship before, so I'd say I'm pretty lucky too."  Liara beamed at the thought.<br/><br/>She was excited to be on the ship but there was more.  Much of her excitement at the moment had to do with finding someone she seemed to connect with almost immediately in the woman standing before her.  Granted she was her superior, but Liara had never been one to care too much about the walls between ranks or the usual Starfleet protocols.  She'd walked the line a lot in her career, but thankfully her skill and knowledge tended to get her out of trouble.<br/><br/>"I can think of nothing more I'd like to do than to get to know you better."  Liara replied noticing the slight change in her demeanor.  She wasn't sure if Maddie had noticed some of the junior enlisted looking at the way they were together or if something she'd said had changed her mind.  It wasn't a complete change, but the difference was subtle.  "I'm not sure what you like to do to unwind aside from retool engineering systems, but I'm open to suggestions."  Liara returned Maddie's wink before turning her attention back to the PADD in her hand.  She knew if she stood there staring at Maddie for too long she'd be unable to control herself.