Chapter 0 - After Action, Before Brunch

Terra Nova Prima, Capital of the Frontier Confederation.
Heartland City 
FC Main Headquarters
0940 hrs local time
3 days after the events on Military Station PX-332-5MS
Audio Transcripts from Classified (Grade O-4 or >) meetings. 
Conducted by Flt Adm. Jackson Desmond, Flt Adm. Aaron Hanes, and Cmdr Julian D. Feora.


----
"We'll try and keep this brief, Captain Sable."
"No worries, still weird, with these on my lapels"
"It's the weight of command."
"Feels more like gold, but sure."
"Max, try and focus, please?"
"Aye, Commander."
"As I was saying. We've reviewed everyone's personal recorders for the duration as well the civilian grade device you used during the inciting event."
"For the record, you mean when someone triggered the emergency launch, to which I was assigned, into deploying during an unscheduled, unauthorized, emergency drill; then an explosion triggered inside the cockpit forced me to make a blind jump or fall into the gravity well of the local gas giant?"
"Correct. Feeling paranoid, Captain?"
"Just making sure it's on the records, sir."
"Ha! I like this one, Julian."
"Thank you, Admiral."
"If we may proceed?"
"Sir."
"Sure, Aaron, we've got a whole mess of these to go through."
"Captain, this meeting is, on the record, a formality. Your use of civilian hardware, against regulations, was the valid choice given the circumstances. A technical loophole is a small threat compared to the risk of saboteurs, traitors, or spies."
"Are there any leads on that, Admiral?"
"If there are Captain, its still above your pay grade."
"Frankly speaking, sir, my crew were put in harm's way because of this bastards. If there's a lead on them, I want in."
"Your crew, Captain?"
"Admiral Hanes, I mean the Valkyrie Marines who were aboard my launch for the duration of the event."
"Strictly speaking, those marines, like yourself, are part of Commander Feora's crew."
"Lost out there, I was the ranking unrestricted officer. It was my launch, they were my crew."
"Sheesh, you're Amanda's son, alright."
"Thank you, Admiral Desmond."
"I stand corrected, Captain, my apologies."
"None needed, sir."
"I'll keep you informed, as far as security allows. As I was saying, beyond the justified infraction, all the rest of your actions were above the board and keeping to the code of the fleet and the spirit of our Confederation. You found solutions to your perils, kept a level head despite injury,"
"Maintained crew morale."
"Yes, Jack, thank you. Further you followed protocol to what was valid given the boarding of the station, your assessments in ceding command to a more experienced NCO, and approaching a potentially dangerous situation fully prepared."
"There's no second chances outside the simulators, Admiral. We do it right, or people die."
"Now, Commander, I think that's one of my lessons."
"I don't just quote from Admiral Desmond, Sir."
"Ha!"
"And here I thought my time at the Academy was full of wild and interesting teachers."
"We all feel that way, looking back, Captain. Still, Captain Geravine's report concurs that your approach was all within suitable standards for approaching a potentially 'playfully' aggressive Hallum adult. So that's out of the way. The think I'd like to speak to you about is the Harrik Core 'Dragon' and the Melek Operator-".
"Operation Leader, Tox, Sir."
"That's the one. You go on the record as stating that 'as soon as Tox confirmed he had a FTL capable vessel, I determined that the launch was better use as a weapon that a means of escape.' Care to explain?"
"It's right there sir, once Tox told us he-"
"That's what I'm on about: 'He'. Melek don't use gendered pronouns. Its a bitch in our language but they don't. But you seem consistent in the 'he' of Tox."
"Sir, I... it was just a feeling I got from him, from Tox."
"Your record is full of these feelings, Captain."
"Yes, Admiral Hanes."
"They've served you well, but don't let the facts go to the wayside over gut hunches."
"Sir."
"The last thing to settle on is the Dragon's 'head'. Intelligence and the tech department have scooped out everything of value from the inside, and are working with Halum Intelligence, as we speak, to analyze the progression of the Core."
"Isn't that above my pay grade, sir?"
"Captain Geravine will surely tell you, so I'm not bothered by it. In any case, both Halum intelligence and their Ambassador insisted that, after the vital material was secured, you'd be given the Dragon's head, as much of it that remains."
"Sir?"
"It's a Hunt Trophy, lad!"
"It's the size of a compact car, Admiral Desmond!"
"Well, I've been over to your place before, you're garage has enough room for more junk."
"If you've been there, sir, you know how much of it filled up with my Ma's junk-wait."
"Gwuahahahaaaa"
"Right, I think we've covered everything then, don't you Commander?"
"Indeed I do, sir."
"Haaa Aaron, I can't believe he fell for that one."
"Quite."
------
"Staff Sergeant Nolan, welcome."
"Sir."
"At Ease, Diana, this is a mostly informal meeting."
"Aye, Commander."
"Still wound tight, 'Blinder'?"
"I just heard the report about the Resolute Sword, Sir."
"Unfortunate that. We've kept it under wraps for far too long, but at this point, they'd be due back in port and we can't hide the fact that they've been missing all this time."
"But that's not what we're here for, Jack."
"Right, right. Sergeant, I'll not beat 'round the bush. We're aware that Captain Sable broke his NDO and informed your squad about the events, as he was told, regarding the Resolute. 
"Sir?"
"Damn that's a card face, Sergeant, there were other recorders in the launch besides the cockpit modules. While the're more easily scrubbed and gave us nothing about the saboteurs, they did reveal everything that went down in the launch after the event started."
"I'm surprised anything was left, Sir. From what I saw, Ma- Captain Sable cut the damn thing's head off with it, then body slammed it into the module."
"I've got the PR boys working on that, but when Sable overrode the collision protocols, the launch contacted the same blackbox satellite that got you into the station and dumped all the data onto it."
"Is that part of the 'red tape' program, Sir?"
"Yes. It is, Diana."
"He still held back some information, Sir."
"Yes, and the data shows that, and just how you punished him for it."
"Damn, that's a stone face."
"You should see her at the card table."
"Only one with pants on by the end of the night, probably."
"I wouldn't say that, Admiral."
"Ha! There's a smirk, ah damn there it goes."
"Ultimately, Sergeant, the only thing this meeting is here for is to thank you for remaining discrete with the information you had. It would have caused a few problems on Meridian if people knew that Lieutenant Wolfwood was, even provisionally, the new Baroness."
"Especially if she was the target of the saboteurs, Commander."
"Precisely."
"Before we end, did you have any questions, for us?"
"Admiral?"
"You look like you were chewing on something, for a second there."
"Damn, Aaron, I missed that."
"It's why you lose at cards, to me. Sergeant?"
"The station, it had full kit of Valkyrie armor. The designs were certainly in keeping with the era. However something bothered me."
"I think I can guess, but go on."
"When we were boarding, the Melek had made one of the hangers look inaccessible, but the other had recalled umbilical ducts. Given the age of the station, there should have been components in our armor that had also been recalled. However when I was installing them, I saw they'd been replaced with updated parts."
"And you're curious why a seemingly abandoned station had those parts updated and not others?"
"Yes, sir."
"Simple. Valkyrie armor is incredibly expensive, but Valkyries themselves are some of our most prized soldiers. Super heroines who put themselves in the front as shields to others from the worst the void can throw at us. We simply have departments that keep track of old stations and go out to keep the most vital equipment up and running."
"And the DR-90's?"
"Why ruin a good thing? I noticed on the report that you 'combat lossed' a whole squad's worth during your fight with the Harrik Swarms."
"The bird bots were everywhere, Admiral. Hard not to take some damage."
"'Some damage' says the lady who was almost eaten my a dragon."
"I've got a couple new scars. Other than that, it was another day in the corp, Commander. What can I say?"
"How bout, 'when can I get started on my Leave time,' Staff?"
------
<Addendum, Flt Adm. Desmond and Cmdr Feora not present for interview>

"Corporal, Take a seat."
"Sure I won't break it, Redwing?"
"It's reinforced, Moira, don't worry."
"Huh, so it is."
"How're you feeling?"
"Better. I think the Docs finally cleared up what didn't stick the first time."
"It didn't get in the way during this 'event'."
"No sir. I kept it in check, and..."
"And Captain Sable has a way with Valkyries."
"That's what you put in his service jacket?"
"Close enough."
"Was there anything else, sir?"
"What's your take on the sabotage?"
"If it's Earth, they picked a weird target: Even if Max is 'Sable Junior' he's not a Valkyrie, or as far as I know, producing any heirs who could break the 9-10 barrier."
"There's some in the Development Department who are mad about that."
"Sable mentioned when he applied for his commission he got approached to transfer to the Marines, straight into Valkyrie, no testing."
"Technically his bloods already been tested."
"He probably meant something like mettle."
"Ah. What do you think?"
"I think I'm glad to know he's behind the stick of a Thraxi, or will be once we're off leave."
"I saw your cam footage of his ram run."
"Mmmm."
"Quite. Any thoughts on that?"
"He kicked ass and slagged the clank, what's to think about?"
"He went full throttle at the enemy that had, very possibly, just critically wounded someone he'd formed a recent bond with."
"Really? That's what your worried about."
"I have to be on the record and ask either you or Nolan about it. Nolan was the wounded in question, so it has to be you."
"Captain Maximilian Sable took the situation in, objectively, and made the best call for situation. We all got out. The enemy was put down. No friendlies were caught up in the crossfire. Wrap it, slap it, and put a bow on it; the end."
"Thank you, Corporal. I think that'll be all."
"Sure thing, Redwing."
---
Addendum Flt Adm. Aaron Hanes absent for following interview.
[Notice, error in recording equipment, transcript appended to rectify lost audio]

"Thanks for coming in on such short notice [Lance Corporal Maya] Hona."
"No problems, Admiral. How's the wife?" 
"Fine, actually she's made up a whole batch of cookies for my granddaughter's class."
"The kind I like?"
"Yeah, with triple the chips."
"I thought I smelled chocolate."
"I brought some for you to take home."
"Thoughtful of you."
"I'm all heart."
"Admiral, if we could get to the matter at hand?"
"We are running low on time these days, Commander, good point. [Maya], your report suggested that Captain Sable is [perfectly fine and showed no signs of additional injuries, despite] the explosion."
"I'm sure of it. [Beside the injury I treated, there was no additional need for concern.]
"You're report says you used, [the standard antiseptic and nerve agent for a Thildin-Human adult.]"
"That is correct, sir."
"Anything to report on that?"
"He responded to the injection as he should have, sir."
"And the state of arousal he experience afterwards?"
"In his own words, sir; 'with this much cock and cleavage' how could he not be that aroused?"
"I'd find myself thinking hard about my wife."
"Oh, you know I'd make it up to her once we got back."
"[Lance Corporal], what about Staff Sergeant Nolan?"
"Fit as a fiddle and ready to fight, Commander. Her dings don't detract from her abilities, Zeds are just that rugged."
"Thank you. We're going to bring [Specialist] Roan in for the rest of the interview?"
"Oh, so it's that time, then?"
[All remaining audio lost, transcript unavailable, recording equipment scheduled for replacement]
-----
Nova Terra Secunda.
Landfall, Capital City.
FC Fleet Base, Command-Grade Residential Zone.
1320, PCT.
Sable Residence.

"Welcome back, Max." Gian turned in her seat as Nora led Max by the arm into the breakfast parlor. "Word on the vine is, you've had quite, oh my?" She tilted her head as she saw the half dozen, clearly augmented, women. "Quite the adventure, haven't you?" Sable laughed as he looked back at Diana Nolan and the Valkyries of her chalk, including the newly minted 2nd Lieutenant Provisional Countess Alexandra 'Pix' Wolfwood.

"Yeah, my last cruise was more interesting than just patrolling some buffer systems for E-Corp bastards." He dodged before he introduced his friends. After Max and Nora had gotten plates and dished out food for everyone. Over the meal, he summed up the events, omitting what was classified, and by the time Nora and Beverly cleared the table, he'd come back to the present.

"Sounds like you had a hell of a time. That Harrik dragon sounds especially terrifying."

"Yeah, about that." Max scratched his chin, the Valkyries grew quiet and anxious.

"Yes?" Gian cast a look and found the others avoiding her gaze.

"So because the kill was made in a joint Halum venture 'technically' it counts as a hunt and so they're insisting I keep the skull as a trophy." Max explained.

"How...You said it was so large you had to run it over with one of an eggboat." She narrowed her eyes as she referred to the launch by one of its less noble nicknames.

"Yeah, it's in the drive way and we're gonna move it into the garage." Max shrugged.

"Ma'am," Nora began but Gian held up a hand and wheeled herself into the entry hall and over to the floor to ceiling, reinforced window beside it.

"Oh Hell." Gian swore as she saw the metal head the size of a small car sitting beside the van she and Nora used for errands. Already neighbors were peeking over the fence and getting a look at it. "I swear," she started, and it became a whisper, "You two get all the fun."