Kiara and Turb were secured in the brig in short order back aboard the ship. The team assembled in the debriefing room. Another successful mission with everyone making it back and then some with the addition of a very confused Hesa. Having been following kazak around the whole time, she was at a loss as to what to do or where to go. So far in the debriefing room it was just Vult, Sula, Vard, Kazak, and Hesa.
"Vult," Kazak spoke up as he gestured to Hesa over his left shoulder, "what do we do with our rescued friend here?"
"Have a seat," The Commander gestured to one of several empty ones as he set his helmet down on the table, smoothing his antenna back. "You likely have as many questions as I do. The difference being is you can answer mine. Nearly all you have to ask of us will be answered with "It's classified"."
Hesa nodded and sat down in a chair, looking at Kazak, she knew the name, but she never met the man before. Word of him still floated around the 3rd SOG from Praxxus. "Whatever needs answering, sir, go ahead."
"Give me a recap of events leading up to your liberation after our arrival." Vult issued, tapping a few keys on the terminal mounted on the table to begin recording her responses for review and the eventual after-action report to be filed and given to the Almighty Tallest themselves.
"Commander?"
"Yes, Sula, what is it?"
"Pardon the interruption, Sir...but given Hesa's...condition, for lack of a better term, I should perform a formal diagnosis. She shares traits similar to what has been happening to Aero as of lately. I have a hypothesis and wish to see if it is true or not in this case as well."
"So long as she can continue to answer my questions."
"Nothing invasive, so she should be able to, Sir."
"Proceed."
With a nod, the Medical Officer retrieved the necessary datapad and cable akin to Vard's. Unlike his, she could not rewrite and edit any programming or parameters. Only review and interpret data. Opening Hesa's PAK, she found the appropriate connector and plugged in.
"My squad from Third Spec Ops Group came in. We entered through the west wing. Infiltration was successful. Squad split up in the central area of the facility. I went to the officer's barracks with some of the others. Alarm tripped in the science wing. I attempted to fight my way out and back to the central area. Something hits me really hard in the back of my head...everything went dark from there. Next thing I know, I wake up on my stomach strapped to a table with Irk knows what going on. Only that Turb'Zaric there was talking about some crazy hypothesis about...remote deactivation, caused by Vortians, not the Control Brains."
On Sula's reader, all of Hesa's information came up, seemingly normal, until the PAK reported that it was remotely deactivated by the control brains...Turb tinkered with something in her beyond hormone suppression.
Her brow furrowed at this reading, tapping at the device ensuring it was functioning correctly. Powering down and unplugging it, she re-inserted and activated it once more. Again, the display came back with the same information as before.
"Uhh...Vard?"
"Yes?"
"Before I panic...can you run diagnostics on her PAK? I am getting...odd readings."
"Of course," He offered, hopping out of his seat to join her behind Hesa.
A few moments of swapping cables and datapads, he brought up Hesa's encoding. His eyes grew wide.
"Something wrong?" Vult queried at their commotion.
"Uhh...possibly?"
"Elaborate, Sergeant."
"Right, sorry, Sir...Her PAK is showing her activation status as...deactivated. Control Brain deactivation...but she's here...talking to us."
"How is that possible?"
"It isn't." Sula interjected, equal parts curious and concerned. "I mean, it should not be possible. Once the signal is sent...the PAK deactivates. The programming is wiped clean...but the encoding is still here despite having received that signal."
Hesa looked over her shoulder at Sula, "Wait, deactivated? That can't be possible… I'm still here." She thought back...mulling over her weeks stay in captivity before it struck her… "Actually...I think this may have to do with one of Turb's projects. He connected me to it somehow after a lot of tinkering with my PAK that previous attempts resulted in…" she gestured to her chest, "Said it would be a grand new way to deal with Irken. I've only ever heard it called Silent Night….Wait a minute. Are you guys saying I'm still alive because of a Vortian?" Her usual bravado was gone, now replaced by shock.
"At this conjecture, it appears so," Sula spoke, still trying to mentally process what they were seeing. "Granted, this is all speculation at this point just based on what readings your PAK is displaying. It could be an error."
"Sula."
"Yes, Commander?"
"After I am done questioning Hesa, take her to the infirmary. Perform a full physical."
"Yes, Sir."
"Sergeant Vard?"
"Sir?"
"Assist Sula as needed. Physiology and healing are her forte, but I want to know the specifics to how this is possible and why. Record your findings."
"Yes, Sir...umm...Sir?"
"Yes, Sergeant?"
"The data that Captain Corr procured on-site-"
"That can wait. I want to be certain Hesa is in good health and is safe."
"Of course, Commander."
Kazak himself was personally scratching his head. He's been through a lot himself but he was looking at what was effectively a dead woman walking...and talking. It boggled the mind how that was even possible. There she was...a deactivated Irken, living. He's literally never seen this before.
Hesa resumed her story after the exchange between the others, "I was kept in a makeshift cell in the lab, former supply closet. I was in there when I wasn't strapped to a chair or a table. It was a couple days after my squad fell that the General came in with a company of men to oversee the facility. The constant experiments went on for weeks until you guys showed up. Then, well, you know what happened there."
Vult nodded at the conclusion of her exposition, hitting the stop button on the recorder.
"That is all I have for now, Corporal. Go with Medical Officer Sula and Sergeant Vard to the infirmary. You are our guest for the time being. It is in your best interest to not get curious and wander. Having you aboard is a liability enough as it is. I hope you understand the importance of discretion while you are aboard."
Hesa stood, nodding, "Yes, sir, don't worry about me. The last thing I need is a deactivation with a pair of plasma bolts to the back of my head if the PAK reading is true." She then went with Vard and Sula to the med bay was Kazak leaned back against the wall.
"I said before I've seen everything...now I think I really have seen everything." He remarked on the strange situation before them. He definitely didn't think this was possible until now. "What's your thoughts on her? She seems pretty capable...has some traits that I like in a soldier from what I saw. I'm just not so sure seeing as how she ran off like that earlier...but she's aggressive, I'll give her that."
Before Vult had a chance to reply, Volx stepped into the room. She was waiting for Hesa to step out of the room before she came in. "Commander-" she stopped herself, glaring at Kazak briefly before continuing, "I need to lay out a formal grievance with you."
Vult watched as Hesa departed with Sula and Vard as ordered. His intentions of getting to the bottom of what was going on in that facility were rudely interrupted by another member of his team.
Rather than settle for brow-beating her as so many superior officers in the Armada were notorious for doing, the blue-eyed male straightened his back, folding his gauntleted hands behind his back to address her proper.
"The floor is yours, Lieutenant. Speak your mind."
Volx took a breath before starting, "Sir, with all due respect, I believe that recent events may hinder the unit's capabilities and our capacity to operate with deniability. You're within your rights to countermand orders, as Captain Corr said, given the circumstances, but I believe we should have stuck to High Command's orders. Now we're stuck with that strange Corporal, Irk knows why she's still alive and kicking, a Vortian scientist, and a Vortian General?" She stopped and shot an angry glance at Kazak, "That is aside from our new addition that I take a personal grievance with. I believe he'll be a liability."
Kazak kept a straight face and silent. What was her grudge against him? He wondered what was going on here.
"To be honest, sir, I wonder if he or someone else may be influencing your decision-making that in the long run will impact the unit and see us all deactivated.". That answered Kazak's question…
Vult listened as the Lieutenant laid it all out for him. Her observations were not unfound. Similar incidents had befallen other species throughout history across the universe. A lie covered up with another lie that became a bed of lies. The lies would erode the foundation of unity, trust, and eventually, the bonds that held the team together.
Rather than leap into a defensive tirade and remind Volx of her station, Vult settled for a deeper breath, clearing his mind in preparation to speak.
"Your concerns are noted and quite valid...but allow me to address each point individually so we can see these matters settled. The past few days have been chaotic with morale and resolve afflicted. Leaping to hasty conclusions will lead nowhere productive."
The Lieutenant nodded in response. "Very well, sir. To break up my issues, we'll start with one pressing. Aero, her condition, as well as the rescued Corporal. Their conditions are rather eccentric. I've noticed the changes in Aero ever since she sustained the damage to her PAK, and the Corporal seems much further along than she is. I'm concerned this will draw unwanted attention to the unit and will have other undesired consequences. Especially so in the Corporal's condition. It's apparent she's not normal, sir, not by looking at her." She's not going to address how she's alive yet, that would be later in the list of issues.
"You are correct. Their conditions are indeed abnormal to what we are used to seeing." Vult acknowledged. "However...the only foreseeable alternative of intervening will lead to deactivation for both of them. I may not know this Hesa personally but her skill in combat was made apparent once she was freed and moved under my command. Aero has been rock-solid reliable with the exception of a few incidents that can be attributed to what is happening to her body. She has sustained several injuries and remained focused on the mission despite that. Soldiers like that are not simply trained, Lieutenant."
Pausing, Vult relaxed somewhat, beginning to pace the room around the perimeter of the briefing table.
"I understand your concerns and yes, having one of them in that state is trouble enough, let alone two. Especially so since Hesa is not beneath my command. I would prefer if Sula can alleviate Aero's symptoms. The same for Hesa seeing as the opportunity for study and research into the matter beyond a single individual has presented itself. What is happening to both of them is natural, as in our physiology would do that without the intervention of the PAK."
He stopped, trailing a hand along the edge of the table before turning to face Volx across the way.
"What would you suggest I do? Report Aero's condition to the Almighty Tallest? To the Control Brains? To sign her death warrant simply because she does not fit the Armada mold anymore despite being loyal and more than capable in her station?"
She wrapped her mind around that possibility, or if it were not Vult to report her, that it would simply be someone else. In thinking by the book and in the long term, they both seemed doomed. Though, he was correct, such soldiers are hard to come by. "Sir, what if it is not you that reports them? What's more, what if the control brains were to catch on? Are they not dead anyway? This leads me to my second concern about Hesa...how is she still alive? Their team was reported all deactivated or killed in action. Why is she still here? That's what I can't get."
"At this current point in time, the only ones that know of Aero's condition are aboard this ship." Vult pointed out. "As far as Hesa is concerned, I don't have an explanation for you yet. I have Sula and Vard looking into the matter. I intend to interrogate Turb'Zharic and figure out what has happened."
More information should result from the interrogation and provide needed answers. The matter would have to wait, for now. "So why the additional risk of the two Vortians, sir? It's one to collect the scientist, even I begrudgingly accept that, but why the General? Was our purpose not to clear the facility? Are we sure nobody is going to ask questions when they don't find a high ranking commander among the corpses at the station, sir?"
"Brigadier General Kiara'Zharic is Turb'Zharic's offspring. His compliance will come sooner rather than later by appealing to his emotions and parental instincts. So long as she is in our custody, he will be more willing to speak at the risk of anything ill befalling her. In turn, whatever intelligence we glean from the two of them may answer many of our questions surrounding Hesa, in turn, Aero. You were on Vort with the rest of the team, just as I was. The same streets we walked littered with untold dead. Anything that can aid in accelerating the conquest of the planet is worth the risk I have incurred here. My decision to capture both of them was not made lightly, Lieutenant, I assure you."
A sound explanation, she had to admit that. There was one last concern. "I suppose there is my personal issue with him," she said, pointing at Kazak, leaning against the wall nearby. "I still believe he is a detriment to the team and that in time it will come back to bite us. Even if he did save your life, sir, he still has a record of losing men, and High Command saw fit to reduce him in rank, but he sits here restored to his rank prior to Praxxus. Is this wise, sir?"
"He handled himself well enough down below at Sub Zero Station. You stated it yourself, Volx. Personal issue. Bias. I have made my fair share of questionable choices seeing as we are having this conversation to begin with. No Irken is perfect with the exception of the Tallest...and I can safely say that is debatable having met them in person."
Continuing to pace once more, he started around the other side of the table, making a lap around the room as he spoke to approach Volx's direction.
"Recruitment for this unit is on-going, Lieutenant. We are an experimental work-in-progress. Our deployment to Vort thus far has made it abundantly clear we have shortcomings that need to be addressed. Chief among them is our versatility when operating as two separate teams. Had we a second marksman to begin with, the incident in the fountain would not have lasted as long as it did. Vard would not have nearly had his head taken off by a sniper, or you your leg. Hypothetical and hindsight, certainly, but the fact remains. We are not a traditional unit whose numbers are bolstered into the hundreds or thousands."
The Commander stopped just short of Volx, glancing to Kazak before returning his attention back to the obsidian-eyed woman.
"Maybe I was overzealous in recruiting Kazak into the fold. Maybe I was overzealous in restoring him to his prior rank of Lieutenant with the transfer. I am led to believe there is confidence in my leadership and that you and the rest of the team would trust me in this endeavor. What can be done to alleviate your concerns?"
"Simply being mindful of him, sir. Unless this informal glory seeker ends us causing us more trouble than he's worth." It's apparent Kazak's biting his tongue as his eyes narrowed at the accusation. He was thinking perhaps she was compensating for something. Nevertheless, she continued, "Perhaps more adherence to orders from Command too, sir, keep from drawing too much attention to us if we deviate. That's what I can voice right now, pending what we find out from the prisoners."
"You and I both know I cannot guarantee that as not every variable can be accounted for. I can assure you that I will always do what is best for this unit beneath the circumstances so we may complete our mission and contribute to the war effort. Battles won today will create victories tomorrow, Lieutenant."
The Lieutenant took a breath, "That will suffice, sir, thank you." With that, she rose, rendered a precise salute, and left the room, leaving Kazak quietly leaning against the wall, Volx giving him an angry look as she passed him. Once gone, he shook his head, wondering why she continued to hold his previous record against him. He just couldn't understand the personal grudge. He looked to Vult, wanting to continue the discussion about Hesa rather than talk about what just transpired a moment ago.
Vult returned his subordinate's crisp salute, watching her about-face and leave. Only once she departed and left only Kazak behind did his attention drift to the newest addition to the team.
"For future reference, Lieutenant...whatever animosity is going on between you and Volx? I want it dealt with and buried. I realize you may have moved on or trying to, but she needs to do the same and the only way that is going to happen is if you address it properly. I have enough headaches to deal with at the moment and petty squabbling will not be tolerated. Am I clear?"
He was afraid of that...the sniper returned a nod, "She's sure to confront me in short order. Whatever it is, I'll find out and deal with it. Been as much a mystery to me as it has you. I intend to see this dispensed with just as much as you do." With a brief pause after that, he returned to their previous topic. "Hesa, I think she needs some work, but if we need a second heavy weapons expert, I'd be inclined to choose her. Especially if we can hide her condition somewhat better among ourselves than return her to the fold proper. I know the guys in the Third SOG, and I know many of them are fine officers. But...even her condition would raise questions that might see her dead at our own hands rather than the VDF's."
"She certainly held her own beneath the circumstances. That sort of bravery in the face of overwhelming odds is a rare breed among the Armada ranks." Vult acknowledged. "However, there are more pressing matters to attend to before even remotely considering that. Your addition to this unit has already stirred up enough waves as it is. Doing so again would whip those waves into a maelstrom. For now, she is to be kept under a watchful eye for her duration aboard."
"Right, that's the last thing we need right now." The sniper thought briefly before bringing up a quick-thought suggestion, "If it helps, I can keep an eye on her and make sure she doesn't go anywhere she's not supposed to."
"I appreciate the enthusiasm, but that task will be delegated elsewhere. You haven't been given a proper tour or where your quarters are going to be yet." Vult spoke, more light-hearted than before with a bemused smirk. "For now, compile your after-action report and give it to me when it's done."
Kazak broke his usual stoic face with a slight smirk of his own. "You got it."
Meanwhile in the infirmary, Hesa unbuttoned her procured jacket and set it aside, revealing her issued uniform jacket that was now some sizes too small for her. Everything else on her seemed tight, the pants, the boots, all of it. She's clearly built, almost like something they could come to expect with Aero down the line. "Please tell me you guys have some larger size shirts...and clothes in general. Could also use a new jacket, Vortians ripped mine to pieces back there."
Sula, still wearing the same uniform and gear the team deployed with, moved about her workspace with practiced concentration. This was her specialty. Her domain.
"We do. You're not the only one on this ship experiencing growing pains," She reluctantly admitted, plugging wires into the bulbous backpack. "...I am still struggling to make sense of what has happened to you. Well, your PAK specifically. Is there anything in particular you can remember that started this? Was there something specific the Vortians did to you that may have triggered this?"
"All I can tell you for sure is that some of the time I was strapped to an experimentation table, Turb'Zharic was poking around in my PAK. Went on for several days after. It was maybe after the fourth day that he stopped messing around with it too much but that's when we both started noticing that I was sprouting these...chest pillows." She shrugged, "My guess would be he disconnected something in there, probably a number of things. I might be okay with computer software, but don't give me hardware. I can't exactly replace transistors or make a bypass of a circuit physically."
There was some truth to her hypothesis. Functionally, the diagnosis of the PAK was reading everything was as it should be, including the remote killswitch. The PAK received the remote deactivation signal, and yet everything remained. Even more curious is that the hormone suppression system was registering as functional, yet it's apparent that it was a false positive. It seems Turb managed to do something previously thought impossible...modify a PAK without anyone knowing.
As Hesa attempted to elaborate, both Sula and Vard consulted their instruments. Thorough diagnostics were ran, scanning every iota data, line by line, for any discrepancies in her programming.
"Breasts." Sula corrected, putting on latex gloves and preparing a syringe to draw a blood sample with.
"What?" Vard queried, confused.
"They're called breasts. The "chest pillows". Warm-blooded mammalian creatures develop them with maturation through puberty...and based on what your PAK is reading back, the hormonal inhibitors that prevent that process from taking place have been deactivated."
Pausing to focus on her task at hand, she pinched the bend in Hesa's right arm, finding a vein to pierce with the syringe and take a sample of her blood. Thick, viscous green filled the transparent cavity as the plunger drew back. Thankfully it was contained and didn't release its repugnant odor.
"This sample will confirm my hypothesis dependent upon spectral analysis. There are certain hormones that are released and will be present in your system that trigger these biological changes. Be thankful yours was a controlled release, if not an abrupt one."
"Is...is that what is wrong with Aero?" Vard asked, deeply concerned.
"Nothing is wrong with her, Vard. This is natural. The PAK prevents this from taking place...but yes, beneath the circumstances, that is why Aero is behaving the way she is and her body is changing. Her PAK was damaged during the retrieval mission of the Sanitation Drone."
"Tak."
"What?"
"The Sanitation Drone. Her name was Tak."
Sula only spared Vard a brief, hard glance. A silent "be quiet" as he danced dangerously close to sharing classified information with someone outside of the fold.
Hesa blinked at the Sanitation Drone comments. Thinking back to what Vult said, she thought it best not to pursue that line of thought. Sula's glance to Vard only confirmed that it would be something best left unquestioned. "So, how I am now, that's normal?" She asked, seemingly puzzled, "How is it that only when captured by a Vortian do I find out more about my own body? This only leaves me with even more questions."
Considering recent revelations, especially that she should be dead, her worldview was practically shattered. Her enemy is the reason she's alive, there's things happening to her body suppressed by her own people, and now she's with some rather classified but very skilled bunch of Irkens who...are definitely odd in sparing civilians. Whatever was going on, it was strange to be certain.
"Normal is relative, but yes." Sula answered, inserting the vial of blood into a nearby piece of equipment for analysis. "What little I do know through my medical training and understanding of Irken physiology, our people are purposely stunted in growth. The PAK inhibits the release of particular hormones that would start the maturing process. In a way...we are all forever adolescents. You are now an exception to that, as is our squad mate, Aero."
"Don't forget the technically dead part, too." Vard reminded her as he typed away at the terminal plugged into Hesa's PAK. "This is surreal. Fascinating really. The Control Brains sent the deactivation signal. The signal was received...but here you are, alive and functioning still."
"So...I've matured past what's intended, and I'm apparently a dead woman walking. That's...that's what's getting to me more. I'm not supposed to be here." She sat silently as the machine ran the analysis. "I can't believe I owe my life to a Vortian." As she rubbed her head, the machine provided a readout of Hesa's blood sample. Her hypothesis was right: the hormones that would cause such biological changes in Hesa were present. "I can't go back to my unit, can I? They'll know something's up and probably shoot me...Sheesh, I'm really in a tough spot here."
"That's not for either of us to decide." Sula answered, wary of her tone as she glanced at Vard, unsure of what to exactly say to Hesa. "I know this is all overwhelming. I am certain our commanding officers will arrive at a timely solution."
"...I think I understand what is happening here. With her PAK, I mean." Vard announced, scrolling through blocks of code. "Whatever the Vortians did to her, they triggered the deactivation signal to be sent...but before the successful transmission could be replied back to the Control Brains, it was redirected...back into the PAK. It's in a recurring infinite loop."
"So as long as that logic loop keeps repeating, the signal never reaches the Control Brains?"
"Correct...which means...the Control Brains are not connected to her PAK."
Hesa blinked, "So...he tinkered with something in there to keep the deactivation signal from acknowledging...he created a giant recursion?" She blinked again, "Without crashing me entirely?" She slowly looked at Vard over her shoulder, "This is heavy...the implications of this...what this means is massive…"
"This is all speculation, of course...just interpreting these readings, that seems to be the case though," Vard relayed, attempting to remain empathetic. A task easier said than done for someone whose own mind and body were regulated and strangled of the capability. "You may very well be the only Irken disconnected from the Control Brains and still living...there is no monitoring. No recording ...you are free of it all."
"...Free...actually free…" That hit her hard. She was literally the only free Irken in the Empire. Whatever she did, it was entirely her choice without the threat of someone else having her life in their control. That was...such a thing hasn't been heard of in ages. That's when the door opened, Hesa turning her head to the door and seeing Vult in the doorway. "Oh...hello, Commander...if the speculation from Sergeant Vard here is right...this is both astounding and crazy at the same time."
"Sir!" Vard and Sula both rose to attention, snapping a salute at his arrival.
"At ease," He responded with a return of their salute, folding his hands behind his back. "I hope you have good news for me."
"Well…" Vard hesitated, rubbing the back of his neck. "...define "good", Sir."
"Any news, really. Were you able to glean anymore detailed information about our guest here?"
"Yes, Sir, we were." Sula nodded, pulling up the spectral analysis of the blood sample taken from Hesa moments ago. "As far as her biometrics are concerned, she is displaying similar symptoms to what Aero is currently experimenting."
"Meaning?" Vult pursued, struggling to make sense of the medical jargon and graphed information presented before his eyes.
"That Hesa is fully developed and matured into adulthood. She has undergone a...transformation that is naturally-occurring in most warm-blooded mammalian species. Puberty, it is called."
"Puberty...you've mentioned this before. This is what is happening to Aero as well?"
"Yes, Sir. However, Aero's is more abrupt and chaotic. The transition is anything but smooth. Her abnormal behavior and physical changes are the result of the damage sustained to her PAK. Hesa's is the result of deliberate alteration in a clinical environment. The change has been gradual. Accelerated growth, but gradual under controlled conditions nevertheless."
"I see," the Commander nodded, giving the matter thought. "...so does this mean what is happening to Aero is...normal?"
"In what context, Sir?" Sula queried for clarification.
"In the context that this...puberty will run its course and she will...return to normal."
"Yes and no. With maturation and physical changes to the body comes the release of different neurotransmitters, hormones, enzy-"
"Sula."
"Sir?"
"Keep it simple. I'm not a doctor."
"Right, apologies, Sir." She conceded with a sheepish smile of embarrassment. "...She will...level out, but her manner of thinking and emotions will change. She is still Aero...but a different Aero in the same. This concept is alien to our people, Commander. Vard can give you details as to the inner workings of the PAK."
Hesa looked to Vard as he unplugged his datapad from her PAK and stowed it. "My hypothesis is in the realm of software. From what I can tell by examination, whatever Turb'Zharic was doing triggered a signal to the control brains. The control brains sent the deactivation signal to her PAK. It received the signal, but, instead of sending a successful transmission back to the control brains, it seems to have been forced into an infinite recursion. It's in an endless loop within the PAK, but it appears contained that it hasn't crashed the rest of it. I'm honestly very impressed, sir."
The Corporal then chimed in, "I have a hypothesis that there may have been hardware tinkering involved. I'm more familiar with software, but clearly I'm not at Sergeant Vard's level. I think the possibility of a bypass circuit exists, but I can't be sure. I'm more inclined to believe the Sergeant's."
"In both my hypothesis and the Corporal's, sir, I can't be entirely sure which is correct. I'd need to either question Turb'Zharic himself or examine his software for notes on the procedures that led to this."
Vult listened intently as the pair approached the issue from two different directions. Sula from the biological and medical side, Vard from the technical. Through some means of meandering alteration, from his understanding, the Vortians managed to detach Hesa from the Control Brain's network that oversaw all PAK functions. The deactivation signal was sent, but the successful transmission response was never received. Much like an electrical circuit, it was broken and could not be completed.
"Sula."
"Sir?"
"I want you to document your findings between Hesa and Aero. This...puberty thing."
"As in an official report, Commander?"
"Yes. We must not let this opportunity for research to go to waste. It may prove useful in the future and provide us with a means to better handle any other...incidents of this nature."
"Yes, Sir, understood."
"Vard?"
"Sir?"
"I want you to do the same regarding Hesa's PAK coding. Once that is complete, I want you to begin decrypting and working through the drive that we recovered at Sub Zero Station. Any intelligence gleaned that could play a vital role in the war effort on Vort is of the utmost importance, but should you find any information regarding the Corporal here and what has been done to her, I want it in a separate report."
The short Communications Technician gave a curt nod.
"Yes, Sir."
Vult turned his attention back to Hesa herself.
"In the meantime...you and I both know what will become of you should I return you to the Armada fleet or Irk. I will not sign your death warrant and make your sacrifice in vain. You are to remain aboard this vessel in our custody. We will provide you with quarters and I only ask that you do not move about this ship without an escort. Is that reasonable enough?"
Hesa thought the offer over ever so briefly and nodded in reply. "Absolutely reasonable, Commander. You have my gratitude for this, on top of rescuing me back there."
The blue-eyed Irken gave a small nod.
"Think nothing of it. I would have done the same for any of my own stuck in the same situation. Sergeant Haxx will be your escort should you need to leave your quarters. You are not our prisoner, but due to circumstances, I cannot give you free reign of the ship."
Hesa stood, covering herself with the Vortian jacket and buttoning it most of the way up. "I understand. You guys are something like I've never seen before...and clearly I know there's things I best not ask about or peek into. You won't hear any complaints from me. I haven't gotten to talk to the Sergeant, but I'm certain he and I will be amicable." That's when she saw Haxx come around the corner at Vult's request. She may not have recognized his face but she remembered his uniform, the unit's gunner.
It took a few seconds, but Hesa gave a rather sly smirk, "Oh, yeah, I'm sure a couple of heavy weapons nuts will get along." She seemed excited already.
"Commander, permission to speak freely?" Haxx's tone was barely above annoyed.
"Go ahead."
"Why am I smeet-sitting, Sir?" He complained, gesturing to Hesa.
"Because I need you to. It's not smeet-sitting." Vult returned, unperturbed by his petulance. "Having her aboard is a security risk for both her and us. You are escorting her to ensure both parties keep dookie from hitting the hyperdrive and we have larger problems on our hands."
"Yes, sir…" He begrudgingly accepted, looking to Hesa with mild contempt. "Follow me, Corporal...I'll take you to your room."
She walked over, giving a confused look at his attitude. Though, once walking with him in the hall, she tried to make some small talk. "So, Sergeant, you're the heavy gunner around here. Not a bad looking machine gun you had back there." Her spunk was back, it was something that came with the changes. She was a strong gal, that much was apparent. "What other weapon systems you familiar with?" A pause, and then a sly grin came over her face, "Ever get a chance to use the Akmhur in combat?" The name of the Minigun being the Irken word for an extremely strong storm. She seemed confident she was one of the few who did, but wondering if she may have run into one of the others.
Haxx did not immediately respond to her attempts at conversation. Equal parts annoyance and general caution knowing she was not part of their unit, let alone allowed to be aboard. What was the Commander thinking? Allowing unauthorized personnel aboard! Maybe the Lieutenant wasn't incorrect in her animosity towards his countermanding.
"I have. Part of my issued kit. They took the PRC and made it man-portable." He gruffly answered. "Dropped the tripod, lighter materials. Aside from overheating and exploding in your face, it's alright."
"It's my preferred piece. Well, preferred when I'm not carrying anti-tank or anti-air missiles." She smiled, something in common then.
"That's nice." He played off shortly as they arrived at the vacant room. "Here's your room. There's a bed and locker in there. No terminal because we don't have any spares and with your lack of clearance it's probably a good idea. There's an intercom system to page, use that if you need something. Don't wander the halls or one of us will probably end up having to shoot you or throw you out an airlock."
"Thanks." She leaned against the door frame, looking to him. "If you want some range time later with a fellow heavy weapons user, I'm happy to oblige. Don't worry about anything, though, I won't cause you trouble. I don't want to end up dead. As for the terminal...not that I have a need for it. Anyone I'd contact is dead as it is. Probably for the best given my situation." The Corporal smirked at him after a few moments pause. "Whenever you're not busy, I wouldn't mind a chat. If you don't mind indulging me, that is." She was trying to make friends with another heavy weapons expert. She liked big guns, thinking Haxx did too, at least in her mind, they could be friends.
Haxx looked at her for a moment with a strained expression of confusion.
"...yeah...sure...just...stay in your room. Mess is at 0730 and 1600. Showers and latrine are all the way at the end of the hall."
She blinked at him, puzzled at first. She figured it must've been some initial tension meeting someone new...and unfamiliar. Maybe best to try again once he warms up to her. "Right. Don't worry, I'm not going to do anything dumb." Backing away from the door and letting it close, the Corporal went over to her bed and practically collapsed on it. Yawning and stretching, she intended to relax for only a few minutes but ended up falling asleep.