Nova 7 - Sunset

by Phantom R.D.S. Foxx

OC focused story. The sequel to Nova 7 - By Bones And Patches. The team has officially been established and made complete with a fifth member. Question is, can this new team stick together as an enemy they thought destroyed crawls out into the light? Rated M for descriptive violence and heavy themes. Featuring Kip Starnova from Minty-Fivestar.

2. Episode 2: Back to Base-ics

Episode 2: Back to Base-ics

1 - The Little Details

- Reporting

The Fleet transport ship had already landed about 30 minutes after Nova 7 came back to the base. It would not land anywhere near Tacker Field. Mainly because there is no space for it but also because the Fleet would not want to be associated with the Army riff-raff. At least, that is the rumor. So it was a quick ride in the back of a truck and they were homefree. That is of course if Lieutenant Damian did not have a lovely story to tell that was seemingly quite captivating to the rest.

Not for Trevor and Phantom however. Trevor has responsibilities and a report to discuss over with the Major and Phantom is too busy staring out into the middle distance. PAL on the other hand looks almost happy to be back at the base as his eye light is positively pulsating. The door to the base opens up, as Nelson himself steps out to greet them. And he is thrilled to see Nova 7 back, to the point where he almost brought party poppers with them. The lid opens and the men pour out. He receives a brotherly hug from Trevor, a firm handshake and strangely enough a pat on the butt from Phantom and giving a thumbs up to PAL must do it for now then.

"Now, come in! I'm already getting cold seeing you three stand out there in this weather." he urges, motioning with his arms to guide them inside.

As he does, he looks at the truck and the vacant empty space where supposedly four others had to be.

"Oh, they are still in the truck. The Lieutenant had a story to share." Trevor comments, to which Nelson reacts both relieved and sympathizing to the poor ladies' plight of having to hear him orate.

"At least his accent is a saving grace. But even that gets grating after a while. Ask me how I know."

As Nelson walks by, Trevor wants to ask why but the shrew is quick with his sass.

"No, don't ask me why Sergeant. I don't think I asked you to ask. Now, come along. The Major wants to see you. Phantom… uhm yeah; the Major kinda didn't have any orders for you. So I guess that means you can do your… Phantom-ey things. I suppose…"

A silence falls as Nelson flubs his words trying to give Phantom something to do. As soon as he realizes it gets awkward or even borderline derogatory towards the white vulpine, he silences himself, then tells the two that that "interaction" never took place and he will start over.

"Phantom, the Major did not have any orders for you. So you are dismissed until called upon again. Have a pleasant day."

"Nice save Nelson." Trevor whispers into his ear.

"Shush Sergeant, I think he bought it." Nelson whispers back all katty.

"Understood Nelson. I'll take my leave then. Trevor, good luck with the Major."

Trevor salutes his friend as he walks away. However, Nelson almost forgets something so he calls upon PAL. That he should not forget to execute his "Home subroutine". However, PAL assures him that he is already home.

"All un-der con-trol, Nel-son. Af-ter all; we de-signed this place to-geth-er." he says in response as his eye lights up again.

Then the both of them take their leave. Nelson then confides in Trevor that he likes keeping Phantom, but in particular PAL on his good side, given that the three of them together have pretty much created the digital infrastructure for this base. And that the A.I. can pretty much run everything on his own but chooses to cooperate.

"Smart. But I don't think we really have to pamper him with extra attention. I believe he really likes this job. The best we can do, is treat him like we treat one another."

"How prophetic." Nelson comments unimpressed after thinking about Trevor's words for a moment.

"But I prefer my method more. Just to be sure."

"Suit yourself."

"Oh, I will! Now, follow me to the Major. If you please."

Nelson leads Trevor through the hallways of the base. The halls are built out of solid stone, almost giving it a castle-like appearance but painted in such a way that it still feels modern. Occasionally small, flat lights can be seen in the walls. In case the lights go out, they start to glow so people can still find their way through. Next to each, is a connector portion covered with a protective rubber to stop dirt or dust coming in. It is not for charging your phone however and its exact use is unknown.

"Hey Sergeant, do you mind if I share something with you?" Nelson asks, a little hesitant.

"Of course."

"I'm slightly uncomfortable with PAL capable of pretty much running the whole show here. Sure, it's nice to have the convenience. But what if he gets hacked or something? And what if he's hiding something?"

"PAL? Getting hacked? I wouldn't worry about that." Trevor chuckles.

"And we all hide stuff. Besides, you try to be in his good graces after all. Creating a new home for him, with him? I'm sure he'll keep that in mind."

Nelson sighs somewhat relieved.

"Maybe I'm overthinking it. It's just… it's new you know?"

"I get you. No worries, PAL is here to stay on our side." he guarantees.

In the meantime, they have arrived at the Major's office. With the sign on the door still portraying his "alias" as of course Captain Rothlinghe no longer exists. He is on paper "Major Rot-Lingh" so his office bears that name. It took some time for the Major himself to be comfortable with this but he got used to it fast enough. However, he still cannot get used to the gentle ridicule he gets for it. Mostly from Trevor… of course.

Nelson knocks on the door and identifies who is behind it. There is a moment of silence on the other side; it is probably him mentally preparing himself and sighing deep. Trying to put more heart than head into his work has been somewhat challenging but he is at the very least dedicated to making a difference.

"Come in."

Nelson has to let Trevor go now as he has some more duties to fulfill. He bids him goodbye and starts legging it. The Sergeant chuckles at the way he just bolts away like an arrow. He could have easily been the clipboard soldier from Corneria City that day. Which makes him wonder what happened to that guy.

Only for a moment though. As when he opens the door, he goes into full military compliance mode. He closes the door behind him, clicks his heels together, stands as straight as possible and salutes. The Major, sitting behind his desk as usual, looks fairly unimpressed. His face is like a statue through and through but with the same dedication does he salute Trevor back. Then he offers the Sergeant a seat while he grabs the report.

"Right. Sergeant… I think my avatar said it best. You performed beyond expectations."

The stone cracks and a smile forms. A small one but still noticeable. And with each spoken sentence after, he gets more visibly and audibly more lively.

"To business then. Some klutz managed to mess up the defense of the line so badly, that they needed us to plug it. And not only did you plug it, you secured the line, took back our files, captured a significant chunk of their leadership and gave confidence to those who were running for their lives about an hour or so before that. To add the cherry on top, you did it without any casualties on your side and minimized casualties on the Army's side."

"Don't forget about the howitzer we blew to pieces." Trevor reminds him with an appropriate amount of smugness.

"I wish I was there to see it. I understand PAL assisted in your targeting?"

"He was my guiding hand, yes Sir."

Then Trevor spots an off looking spherical mirror in the upper right back corner of the room. And it has a red glow to it. Which surprises him a little bit but he keeps that under wraps for now, turning back to the Major.

"Glad to see your team functioning so well together. With one small problem. Which I don't believe I have to elaborate about further?"

"No Sir. It will be sorted out today."

"Good. The last thing I want is what we fought so hard for to fall apart at the seams. I know you know what is best for Nova 7."

"Yes Sir." Trevor answers, after which he has to swallow hard.

He knows what he has to do. If that fails to produce any results, it will mean that they will be down to four members again. Which means they will not be deployed until they find another and have that person go through all the trials and tribulations again. He has somewhat wavering confidence that it will work but he has to try.

The Major can see this struggle in Trevor's expression and general attitude. He has a bit of tic when he is uncomfortable, trying to squish himself further into his chair. Like an animal trying to wiggle its butt out of trouble through the nearest hole, no matter how small it might be. So he changes the subject to something slightly more light-hearted. Especially because he misses a certain tall bird in his office.

"Have you seen the Lieutenant anywhere?"

"Oh. I'm afraid he's holding up the ladies with one of his fascinating stories."

"Not again! Do I need to get them?"

"They'll survive, Sir. They are professionals. Although I'm worried that Specialist Patches will not be able to escape from his grasp."

"Then I shall have a talk with him about how to behave around the… what did those windbags call them again? … Oh yeah: the fairer sex. Jeez… I wish I had a bucket." the Major chuckles.

"Save one for me too. If they knew only half of what these women are capable of… they'd run back to their mommies just like that."

"High praise that is not misplaced at all. True Nova 7 material. Now then, on to a few other points."

He points to the door to his back right, which is on Trevor's front left. It is a door frame without a door in it. In place of a door, there is still a wall.

"The War Room is almost ready and this will be an easy entrance for me and everyone else. That way we won't have to go around half the building to enter it. I don't know why they didn't make the room accessible through here first but I'm not going to argue with the people responsible for keeping the ceiling above our heads instead of on top of."

Seeing Major casually just incorporate jokes into his neutral way of speaking is quite interesting to hear. Positively speaking. It reminds Trevor that this Major is still the same person, his personality just changed for the better.

"And last but not least, we have a guest coming today. And I want you to receive them at the entrance."

Trevor's ears perk up.

"A guest, Sir?"

"Yes. I seem to have misplaced the guest list…" he says as he tries to find where the name of said guest is written down on but in the mess of papers currently on his desk, it is a miracle he could find the tabletop of his own desk.

"...so I cannot give you their name but they should arrive within about an hour. Give them a proper Nova 7 welcome."

"Always Sir. I have one question before you let me go, if I may?"

The Major gestures he is allowed to.

"Thank you. Have you heard anything about Operation Sunset yet?"

"Sadly not. According to the Board we do not have enough reason to. Even though I've provided tons upon tons evidence for it… Grrr… However! I'm pulling something behind the scenes right now but no one has budged so far. As soon as we have the go-ahead, you'll be the first to know."

"Understood. Thank you, Sir."

"No. Thank you Sergeant. For keeping the honor of the Cornerian Army high and finishing Nova 7's first mission as a total success. Just one small detail to take care of and you'll be unstoppable."

Trevor stands up, glowing a little more than before and salutes. The Major dismisses him with another salute and the vulpine takes his leave. As soon as the door is closed, the Major leans back into his chair. Without even looking all too hard, he grabs the guest list just like that and holds it in front of him. He can clearly see the name of the person arriving but he is more worried about the name that has been replaced entirely by asterisks.

This was not done by Nelson, who came to deliver it to him. This document was sent like this from Command itself.

"Enable Project Audible. Let me know when it is complete." he tells seemingly no one, however he can see that it is understood in the upper left corner of his eye by the green flickering light.

- Teacher, Teacher

The remaining members of Nova 7 have trickled in in the meantime. Kip has an appointment with the base doctor to have the wound checked out. After that, now quite satiated after her lunch, she plans to go to her bunk to have a well-deserved nap. Let that food sink in properly.

Calamity did not have any lunch yet, so she goes into the cantina for a hearty meal. Patches has found some time to converse with the base tailor, who is hard at work stitching the tear on her sleeve. Her wound has already been treated back on the transport ship. Trevor had some spare time to play doctor after he assumedly played "doctor" with Calamity before.

That is until a door behind her opens and Trevor pokes his head out from behind it. He looks around until he spots her and he calls for her to enter his office. The way he is asking it gives a sense something is not right. And somewhere in the back of her head, she knows exactly why but she is suppressing that. She has had these thoughts of doom before and those were proven false soon enough. With the hope that this situation will be similar, she tells the tailor she will be back soon and enters Trevor's office.

The fact he even has an office is quite exceptional. She still has to get used to it. A Sergeant with an office is something unseen anywhere else in the army. One needs to be at least a Lieutenant to get one of those. But then again, this is not any place and the way things work around here are different from the regular Army. Trevor after all is the leader of the team so giving him an office makes in that way at least sense.

The door is unlocked so she has no problem opening it up. Upon seeing who else beside Trevor is inside, she wished however that the door's lock was broken and she could not for the life of her get it open. While Trevor has his head down writing something down, in front of him are two chairs. One of which is occupied by Phantom, visibly not sitting there for the fun of it.

She looks at him, then at Trevor and back to Phantom. Those doom thoughts were serving a purpose after all. Then the Sergeant looks up.

"Ah, good. Glad you could join us, Specialist. Please close the door so we can start."

Trying to hide her gradual increasing shaking, she closes the door and returns to where she stood before. Even when Trevor gestures that she can sit, she can feel something bad is going to happen. Quick flashes of Silva's office appear in her vision, substituting her current environment for that of the past. For just a few fleeting moments but it makes her heart skip a beat before it starts pounding in her chest.

"Patch? You look a little pale. Are you okay?"

Trevor's voice is enough to snap her out of it. Something to anchor her to the present, as the past is dead. She nods and sits down as her heart rate settles.

"Right. Thank you both for coming on such a short notice. The Major was impressed by us. Very impressed. All he tasked me to do, is to scrub away the imperfections. One of which was the, admittedly minor but still present, vocal incident that happened between you two at the start. I think I told one of you that I would play the annoying teacher and separate you two. Sadly, I had to step in. It was over right away but I don't know what would happen if I didn't have my eyes on you."

Trevor can see some dejection appear on Patches' face whereas Phantom looks rather frustrated that he is even here. And therein lies the problem.

"So, did anything happen while I didn't have my eyes on you two?"

Phantom shrugs disinterested and Patches shakes her head.

"Good. Glad to hear that I don't have to extend this hearing. Which means that I have already discussed what was necessary with the Specialist. So I'm sorry for calling you over and giving you an impression that you were going to get a verbal whipping. This turned into a mere formality for you. You're dismissed; resume with what you were doing before."

Both are in disbelief. Patches that she is off the hook in this situation and Phantom because she is off the hook. As his expression grows more frustrated, hers is getting more relieved. She stands up from her chair, salutes her Sergeant and leaves the room. With a satisfying bang, the door closes which leaves Trevor and Phantom alone in the room again. And she would be lying, if she did not have a little moment of silent celebration.

"So… Roger. That leaves the two of us."

"Clearly…" he puffs, averting eye contact.

"Something wrong, Private?" Trevor asks with a canted head and restrained tone.

"Yes… but I know you know already."

"Good. Because I sincerely want to slam your head against the wall right now."

That remark makes Phantom raise a concerned eyebrow as he looks back at Trevor. Right in the eyes and he sees nothing but hostility. Which unnerves him.

"Sorry, Sir?"

"Would you like me to repeat that? Sure, because you are you. I want. To. Slam! Your head. Against. That wall. Right! Now. Until your skull cracks open and I can paint my walls with whatever is left inside that stupid, dumb fucking head of yours!" he suddenly bursts out, as with an arm like a whip, whacks all of the papers off his desk.

"T-Trevor..?"

Phantom stumbles over his words as this display has impressed and shocked him. It has been a long while since he saw Trevor raise his voice like that, nevermind to him.

"What, Roger?" Trevor snorts as he has both hands flat on the desk's tabletop.

"Am I being too angry for your liking? Tough shit! I'm sick of your attitude, you know that? Mister Boombastic, call me fantastic type of attitude. What the hell is wrong with you?!"

That insult falls wrong with Phantom, so he fires back.

"So you want me to be like those bitches!? Bowing and kowtowing to everything you do like a blind, deaf and stupid servant?"

"Dammit Phantom, listen to yourself! Where the heck is that attitude coming from!? You know exactly what I mean, you dumbass. Pretending to be a hotshot. The way you are treating and carrying yourself. The way you treat my team!"

Phantom falls silent after hearing that. But Trevor goes on, walking around his desk towards him with a pointed, accusatory finger.

"Because I know about everything. Everything you've ever said about them or pulled on them. This is not Macbeth! I thought I told you this before, multiple times!"

His finger is almost touching Phantom's nose at this point. His blue-ish purple eyes have narrowed pupils, focused entirely on him. There is anger and pain behind each motion, each spoken and unspoken word. The finger goes down however and Trevor turns around, throwing his arms in the air in total disdain and frustration.

"But you insist on being a complete asshole to all of them. I've tolerated it to a point because despite their more laid back attitude, my team can stand up for themselves. But now I have to step in. And the last thing I want to do… is this. Because I want my old friend to gel well with my new friends."

Trevor turns back around and is noticeably less angry, but a lot more melancholy.

"That's why I asked you, Roger. Out of anyone else from our previous squad, you were truly my only pal throughout. I couldn't ask the others anyway. One is probably somewhere on a beach one drink away from blowing his own brains out, another is in therapy and the other is probably perishing away in a gutter somewhere."

That makes Phantom chuckle, which he cannot help despite this not being the moment for it at all.

"Yeah… Gary did have his problems. Taff and Joyce… effective there but only really there." Phantom reminisces.

"Exactly why I called you. Because I know the person you are. Who you truly are. Which is why it hurts me so much to see you mess about like this. I entrusted you to my team, they trusted me to deliver and I trusted you to tone it down. And I've failed their trust and you have failed mine."

Trevor sighs and lets some silence fall between the two. Phantom has rarely felt himself shiver like this; his white arctic fur has protected him from doing that since birth but this is a different type of shiver. This is pure adrenaline mixed with an overdose of regret, keeping him glued to his seat and his eyes fixated on Trevor.

"I-I'm sorry… Trevor…"

"Sorry? You are sorry? Glad to hear that. Did you say that to Kip too? To my steadfast partner? When you called her a chicken before? In the end, yes. But did you mean any word of it!? That she was willing to sacrifice her own comfort to make sure we as a team stayed together… good hell, I can only imagine how much she has been holding back."

He takes a moment to recover from having to imagine how that must have felt to Kip before he continues with the rest of Phantom's misdeeds.

"Did you then also apologize to Patches? My trusted +1? For calling her a backwater crybaby ex-cop? Did you bollocks!"

There is that fire and anger again. Trevor steps up and gets back up in his face, leaning in close to his right ear.

"And next time you call Calamity, my fiancée and the love of my barely-worth-anything life, anything like that again…! And you know what I'm talking about, don't you?"

Phantom nods as his breath hampers.

"Yeah, you do. If you do that again, her slap will feel like a gentle caress in comparison. And after that, I will have your corpse flung off the premises of Nova 7."

Trevor pulls his head back and without saying another word walks back to his desk and sits down with a sigh. Leaving Phantom a shaking, shivering mess. As if he just watched the scariest horror movie that will haunt his nightmares for the next couple of days. Because he knows what the Sergeant just told him, in no uncertain terms or beating around the bush, is not a lie. He would do it.

"You are dismissed Private. Take some time to think about what was discussed here. Good afternoon." Trevor states with a rather neutral tone.

But the undertones of disappointment and a general sense of being done with Phantom are audible even to the untrained ear. That is the final nail into the coffin of any feigned confidence. It cracks completely. Surprise made way for discomfort, which made way for shocked realization. Before finally settling into sadness and guilt. He really hurt Trevor.

"You still here?" Trevor notices.

"Quit mumbling to yourself and get out of my office."

The message has been received. Phantom rips himself loose from his glued state before he incurs any more wrath from the Sergeant. And without any dignity left, he leaves the office. His arms hang loose by his side and his head is drooped down. As if his spine was just removed. Utterly defeated and drained, he walks back to this room. At least there are happy thoughts. No one to yell at him.

Underway to that, unbeknownst to him, Patches is hiding behind a nearby corner. And she sees him come towards her. She waited for him, as she had an idea of what Trevor was going to do to him. And she wants to see the fruits of his labor so she can gloat. So as he passes by, she is leaning with her back against the wall. Arms folded and with a smirk.

"Hey!" she calls out.

"How was your performance review? Looks like it went pretty bad. Awwww poor you. Need a hug?"

Her snarky comment barely registers with him. It feels like a blunt needle trying to pierce hardened scar tissue. He looks up at her and she can see the devastation in his eyes. He at least tries to say something to her but his lips only part. No sound comes out except a labored exhale. Then his head droops back down and he walks away.

At first this confuses her. And she calls after him, trying to get a rise out of him in case he is faking. But as her words fall on deaf ears and he continues to shuffle away like an old hag, she realizes that this is not him putting on a show. Her tone quickly changes from snark to sympathizing. She calls after him, now quite worried but he soon disappears around a corner in the distance.

She leans back against the wall and processes what just happened. Then she realizes what she has just done. She was waiting for him, like a bully waiting for their victim at the exit of the school. To add insult to injury and vice versa. The realization makes her feel sick. Moreover, it makes her carefully curious what happened behind the closed door of Trevor's office.

Accompanied by two careful knocks, she stands in front of his door. Which seems a lot bigger and more intimidating now. Trevor behind it tells her to come in and is positively surprised when he sees her face.

"Patch? I didn't expect you to come by so soon. What can I do for you?"

She can hear he tries his best to look and sound upbeat but something has piqued him. And hurt him too.

"I uhm… just saw Phantom pass by. He looked… terrible. I was just wondering what happened here?"

Trevor freezes completely for a moment before sighing.

"Nothing that was out of proportion. I grabbed the problem by the roots and pulled it out. And we wait and see if the weeds grow back. Which means I'll need a flamethrower."

She swallows hard hearing that said so casually.

"Look… Trevor. I know Phantom hasn't been exactly nice to me and the rest but…"

"No but's, Specialist." Trevor interrupts clear-cut.

"We talked about this situation already. I said what was necessary in the tone that was appropriate between the two of us. I did nothing different here. I won't reveal what was said here; you can ask Phantom yourself if you want to know."

"I-I don't know if that's something I should really do… he looked absolutely drained. I was worried about him and… to an extent you too." she admits.

Trevor looks up at her, with a forced small, one-sided smile appearing for only a brief moment.

"Thank you Patch. But I'll be alright. And so will he. Eventually. Anything else I can help you with?"

"N-no, Sir. Thank you, Sir."

She is about to pull her head back and close the door before Trevor calls her back in.

"Before you go, I want to say that I'm glad that you haven't lost your ability for sympathy. Even for those you really dislike. Like with Felix back at Metro. And now with Phantom. Despite your less than stellar relationship with him, you felt bad for him. That is admirable, Patch. That really is."

Hearing that cheers her up somewhat. And it seems to do Trevor some good as well.

"Thank you, Trevor. Take care. If you need me…"

"... I know where to find you." he winks as she smiles before closing the door.

- Guest Of Honor

Trevor checks his watch to see whether or not that hour has passed already. The screen is cracked but the LCD-style numbers still work. And seeing that it is already two minutes past the hour, he is wondering why this mystery guest has not appeared just yet. Or at least why he has not been called yet.

Then, as if he has developed telepathy there on the spot, the device he inherited from the Major from the Corneria City camp in the South for use on his own new desk goes off. It looked like getting the old clothes from the big brother passed on to the younger brother but it did not feel that way at all. Trevor presses the button and over the speaker Nelson's voice sounds.

"Sergeant, your guest is here."

"Ah, excellent. Do you happen to know who it is?"

"Yes. And you should come over here right away to see them for yourself."

"That important huh? On my way."

Trevor lets go of the button, sorts his stuff on the desk and then leaves his office. Going through the winding halls before he comes out back at the reception area. Nelson is nowhere to be found, instead there is a tall, not-all-that-lanky-anymore looking doberman standing with his back towards him. The trench coat he is wearing seems awfully familiar, with the difference being that it looks slightly lighter in color and the collar is folded down. The dog's pointy ears twitch for a moment as he can hear Trevor's boot take one step closer to him. He turns around and his face lights up like no tomorrow.

"No way… Peter!?" Trevor exclaims as it takes him a moment to process who is standing before him as the doberman turns around completely.

"Trevor… son of a bitch!" Peter exclaims right back while opening up his arms, running up to the fox and wrapping it around him tightly.

Even briefly lifting him off the ground. It is clear the veteran has picked himself up after their last meeting. He puts Trevor down and the two now just stare at each other in awe.

"Jeez… never thought I'd see you again this quickly. The reunion isn't until a few months from now. But you look good man! Last time I saw you, you were in the gutter and almost anorexic."

"Therapy did the trick. And it helps if you eat a sandwich from time to time." Peter cracks, almost blushing because that is quite a big dose of dark humor.

Luckily Trevor is the perfect recipient for that type of joking around. He gestures Peter to come along so he can give him the guided tour around the base. Meanwhile talking about everything and nothing. How Trevor is now a Sergeant and leader of his own White Out unit. Something Peter would not have expected to see formed ever again. Not to mention how Peter is now ambassador for MilCiv, making him de facto leader of the young initiative.

"So, are you here for business or pleasure?" Trevor then asks.

"Business. But I came early so I decided to pay your base a visit anyway. Get the lay of the land before I have to get down to it."

Trevor understands what he means and appreciates the gesture.

"Well, allow me to buy you something to eat or drink then. The cantina here is superb."

"If you put it like that…"

With Peter properly tempted, Trevor allows him to enter the cantina first. It is a relatively large room, enough for proper seating for at least 200 people. Not that there are always 200 in there, but in cases of parties there needs to be enough room. The booths are stocked with every food and drinks one could imagine. From fruit and vegetables, to meats and potatoes kept warm by heating lamps. One could also order something off of a separate menu and it would be prepared right there and then.

Peter does not hesitate the moment he grabs a tray; he goes for the meatballs with mashed potatoes and cut green beans. With some fruit juice to boot. Given that Trevor is not hungry, he leaves it with just a soft drink. He calls out to the head chef of the establishment, asking her to take special care of Peter's meatballs.

"For you Sergeant, always!" she shouts right back while putting two big meatballs on the piping hot grill before her.

"Thanks Mariet!"

Trevor turns back to Peter.

"Always tip your local lunch ladies properly. It's always a good idea to have them on your side."

Once the food has been delivered, Trevor pays with a proper tip and the two sit down. There they go into a little more detail about their personal life. For example, Peter and Sarah have seperated. He followed Trevor's advice to look after himself. Which meant that the marriage he blundered into, had to be terminated. But the two went their separate ways respectfully. With equal custody over Sarah so she can grow up without parental drama.

"Good. A child shouldn't become a victim of their parents' troubles." Trevor states after taking a sip of his drink.

"Yeah, that was my thought process too. I get to see her again this weekend. Then before the start of next weekend back to her mom. That's how agreed it should be for now. When she grows older, we'll have to work out something else but we'll get by."

Trevor can hear the confidence in his voice. A lovely difference from the jittering, troubled mess he was back at Metro. He raises his drink and toasts with him to celebrate his rejuvenation.

"I'm really glad you're doing so well, Peter. A good job, going your own way, having your daughter with you still. What else could you want?"

"From what I heard, you aren't doing too bad either. Saving your girlfriend, keeping your superior in charge and now you are with him pretty much in charge of one of the most elite Army units in all of Lylat. That is not too shabby either."

Trevor shrugs humbly before tapping on his pocket pouch placed right over where his heart is.

"What can I say? Lady Fortuna protected me all the time. Even when I didn't pay attention to it."

"Good to hear. I still have yours too. It never left my jacket pocket. With the exception of when it goes into the wash; wouldn't want to ruin a gift like that."

After sharing that moment, Peter finishes his meal and gets down to business. The real reason why he is here. And it is news that is going to make everyone's day worse here.

"MilCiv finally has an actual head now. The Wild West period where I was able to do whatever, is over. It's some pencil pusher, pushed forward against the candidate that I chose. And the pencil pusher won out by a slim margin."

He leans in closer.

"You are not going to like this guy." he warns.

"How bad is this new head then?"

"He was one of the people that voted against Nova 7."

That is enough for Trevor to realize that he indeed is bad news.

"I came by to warn you. Especially the Major. Before this egghead comes in and breaks everything apart."

Peter then checks his watch and sighs relieved.

"We have about 50 minutes before he arrives here. He is very punctual and hates delays. He is a massive snob and if you thought the Major is sometimes emotionless… this guy is sterilized. Pretty much void of any visible emotion. If you see him raise an eyebrow, that is already quite spectacular. Except when he doesn't get his way. Then he turns absolutely psychotic."

None of this creates any confidence with Trevor in this guy. He thought that there might be some redeeming qualities about this guy but he has been proven wrong. But Peter is not done yet: he met the guy in person. Which is how he knew about the time this guy would arrive. As it was supposed to be a surprise visit.

"This guy has no interest in your team. I have no concrete proof, but I got the impression that he was only after this position so he could rise to the next rank. And he might also use this position as a way of getting higher again. Leaving you and all that you built up, in ashes."

Trevor knows enough. He tells Peter to come with him so he can inform the Major about this. Until then, this will stay between the two of them. Peter agrees and follows the Sergeant. Arriving at the office, Trevor knocks on the door twice but does not wait for the Major to answer.

"Did I tell you to enter… Trevor? What is this display of military misconduct…? Peter? Oh good… I see. Close the door, quickly."

The Major jumped from correcting Trevor for his disorderly behavior to instantly understanding why he did not adhere to it. He knew that Peter was coming and that the news he would bring is nothing short of terribly important. He gestures both to sit and allows Peter to make his case.

With each sentence finished, Trevor can see the Major's stone expression turn more and more sour and dire. His hands which were intertwined in a relaxed way on the desk are now cramped together. It looks like he could explode at any moment. But he simply exhales excessively as a way of letting off some steam once Peter is done with his story.

Peter starts to describe the titular officer. He is a purple frog but somehow looks more like a rat than anything else. He has short, black and very sleazy looking hair. As if he used lard instead of normal hair gel. He also combs through it regularly. And to make sure his hands stay clean, he always has a wet wipe on hand. Pre-packaged of course.

"And his face… I've never seen a chin that sharp on an amphibian before. Nor a head that thin. Heh… he is not a looker, that's for sure."

"Superb. And do you happen to know the name of this asswipe?"

"Yes I do. Lieutenant-Colonel Weylon Rook."

2 - Sunset

- New Management

Sooner than later, right on time, the intercom system on the Major's desk goes off. Nelson speaks of some kind of fish-eyed "pinhead" frog having trouble with getting in thanks to him not being registered.

"There he is." the Major says, which is the trigger for Trevor and Peter to leave.

It has to remain a "surprise" that the good Mr. Rook is coming by, so Trevor should not be here already. And Peter should be nowhere around at all. So Trevor quickly radioes Patches to come over and hide the doberman in her room for the time being. Given that Kip and Calamity's room have a strict no-gentleman policy. With that sorted, Trevor will have to find a way to waste time but look busy at the same time. Thinking quickly, he goes to the cantina. At least there he knows that the personnel will back him up on any false claim he has to present. Should this new stick in the mud expect something.

This leaves the Major alone in his office. He leans back in his chair, hands folded up into each other and held just under his nose, covering his mouth. He has just told Nelson to report to their guest that they are having trouble with his registration. A counter to that was given but overridden. Then he disconnects the call. Now he is sunken in thought, hoping that something he had started before is ready to receive the dear new leader of MilCiv.

"Project Audible. Status report."

Out of that same device, from a small slit, a paper is printed. Looking no bigger than a packing label used at a post office. He rips it off at the tear line and holds it in front of him. He can read that it is at 72% completion.

"Completion 72%... damn it… Usefulness in the upcoming debacle?"

Another paper is printed out. It reads in uncertain terms in big bold letters: "NONE".

"Clear enough. You can register him and let him in now."

Instead of a confirmation, another bit is printed out.

"Am I sure? Yes… sadly I am. Thanks for your worry. I'll manage. Keep an eye on him in the meantime."

That receives a green light coming from the device. The Major then discards the papers and leans into his chair, awaiting the inevitable. However, instead of taking it on alone as his Lieutenant occupied and given that Audible is not operational yet, he decides to call back Trevor the moment the frog is inside the building. Which Nelson confirms only a few moments later.

Over the base intercom, the Major clearly and without urgency calls Trevor to his office immediately. As if everything is normal and he has no idea that he is about to be visited. Trevor in the meantime has returned to the office, confused at first but after the Major explains that he could use some extra support, the Sergeant decides to stay. Even if Trevor never has to say a word, he would at least function as a tether to keep him sane.

Then there is a knock on the door. Which is already strange, given how everyone here at the base knocks at least twice. The Major, already not liking this already, tells however is behind the door that they are free to enter. Which is what the man does in response.

As he enters, he finds the Major behind his desk and Trevor seated on a chair in front of him. Both are looking back at him but he mainly seems to have eyes for the Major. Which gives Trevor the opportunity to take a good look at the man. And Peter was not lying. This guy looks awful.

A face like a shovel, dotted with small warts with the mentioned sharp chin which indicates that his parents perhaps were just a little too close for comfort. Complete with that sleazy hair which shines under the light of the office and for some reason his lips seem to protrude. Whether or not he is doing this on purpose or this is just the way he was born, is unknown. But it makes him either want to kiss 24/7 or he is just always annoyed.

For the rest, he looks immaculate. His uniform is worn proudly. Not a single fiber, spec of dirt or wrinkle found in it. With the emblem of MilCiv clearly visible just above where his heart would be. Along with a strangely little amount of medals. The only way you could see he was someone high-ranking, would be the two gold-plated six-pointed stars placed on both his upper arms. His hands are behind his back as if he was trying to imitate Damian. But he cannot pull it off effectively in Trevor's eyes; he is too short, fragile and ugly for that.

"Can I help you, Sir?" the Major asks respectfully.

"I think you can, Major." the frog speaks, rather sophisticated yet distant, somewhat patronizing and cold all at the same time.

Trevor suspects this is because the Major does not look very representable for someone his rank. One would almost suspect him to be a Sergeant. At least not an officer, who should be dressed properly enough that one would put him in a military parade without a second thought.

"I am Lieutenant-Colonel Weylon Rook. I came by to introduce myself to you as the new head of the MilCiv initiative. However, your registration system was not particularly helpful. You should have someone replace that. Anyhow, I hope I do not disturb anything…"

He then looks down at Trevor and instantly the vulpine can feel the laser-like, icy glare burn into his face. There is nothing but discontent radiating from this man. Then he looks back up at the Major.

"... meaningful, am I?"

How Trevor wishes he did not care about his, Calamity's or his friends' future at this moment because the very first thing that comes up in his head is to bash into this toad's disgusting forehead with his revolver and cave it in like he did that rebel on Fortuna.

"Ah… nothing we cannot postpone until after you've left. May I introduce you to…"

"Sorry, Major. I'm afraid introductions to this… individual will have to until I can be… bothered I suppose. May I sit?"

Clef can see Trevor's expression of disbelief. That this little rat has the gall to say that to him. So he vocally urges Trevor to stand up and wait it out non-verbally. He got this.

With a suppressed sigh, Trevor stands up from his chair and goes to stand against the nearby wall. However, before the Lieutenant-Colonel can take his seat, the Major insists that they should shake each other's hands first. Stating it is a custom here. The toad looks perturbed and confused by this. Such an act is reserved for the more common folk, so he turns to one to check if this is true. Which Trevor, upon getting what the Major is doing, confirms with just a nod.

The toad does not like it one bit but there is such a thing as superstitions and customs with some units. So to be in at least functionally good graces, he has to sacrifice something. With hesitation, he starts taking off the leather glove on his right hand. Taking his time, pulling each finger out delicately before taking the whole thing off. He puts it in his pocket and with held-back disgust he reaches his hand out to the Major.

The two shake hands. While introducing himself, the Major notices that he should not pressure the toad's hand too hard. For fear of turning all of the bones in there to dust. He feels physically frail and emotionally thoroughly uncomfortable. And clearly, this has gone on for too long already judging by the man's futile attempts to pull away.

"Pleasure to meet you, Colonel Rook. Please, do sit down." the Major says, trying his best to not sound too disparaging as he quickly eyes Trevor as if to confirm that his Sergeant is having at least a little bit of fun at the expense of this sleazebag.

Before he sits down, Rook fetches a wet wipe from his pocket. He tears it open, dropping the package on the floor and starts rigorously cleaning his hand. Once he is satisfied, he puts the wipe on the chair and starts cleaning that. In case Trevor's behind had left any non-officer butt marks behind or something. Then he puts the wipe into his pocket and exchanges it for his glove. Only once it is on, does he sit down.

"It is Lieutenant-Colonel, Major. I am not there yet." he replies after a long while as he runs his gloved hand through his fatty hair.

"Fair enough. How can I be MilCiv of service, Sir?" the Major asks, doing his best not to notice that gross display.

In response, he undoes one of the top buttons of his uniform and from the inner pocket fetches two casefiles. Without any care, he throws them with a small hop on the Major's desk. Attached to each of their fronts, is a picture held with a paperclip. They clearly depict Kip and Calamity.

"These two are Militia. They fall under MilCiv as much as they fall under the Cornerian Army. In this case, your unit, Major."

"I am aware of their connection, yes. They serve exceptionally well in Nova 7."

"Hmm. That may be so, but there is a growing and pressing matter going on. And it has to do with their roles."

"How so?"

"Nova 7 recently returned from their first mission, correct?"

"Yes Sir. And they performed above expectations."

"I read the report. At least what I was allowed to read. Indeed a good job. By both those holding rank and the Militia. Hence why it is a shame that this might no longer be the case in the future."

The Major's more open and slightly jovial attitude changes in a fingersnap to match his old, pre-Nova 7 one. Bringing him more on the same deadpan emotional plane as the Lieutenant-Colonel. Then he leans forward.

"Could you elaborate?" the Major asks, stone-faced but vocally restrained.

"Well, it turns out that the unit that was stationed there on Fortuna… the uh, 64th I believe, had Militia in them. H-status. Which means that they were never supposed to be there. Those were the front lines. Realizing the potential for a total media debacle, I wanted to let you know beforehand. Hence why I kept my visit to your base a surprise."

The Major upon hearing this gets an awful sinking feeling. H-status Militia on the front lines? What type of moron allowed this to happen? No wonder morale plummeted as quickly as it did. But why would it turn into a media debacle?

"I can see you have questions, Major. Allow me. MilCiv's purpose is to keep the Militia and therefore the Army out of trouble. Both with the general public and the political side of things. Given the extraordinary accomplishment of one… Sergeant DeLange I believe… Nova 7 managed to scramble the remains of that scattered unit and turn it around. No small feat for a non-officer and his crew. Unfortunately, this also meant that, even if they went of their own volition, H-status Militia were sent back into the battle. Where several of them died as well. Not to put unnecessary blame on Nova 7, of course. But the Militia who did escape have started taking to the Net. Which is now slowly trickling into the media's eager jaws. And what those people are saying is… troublesome."

The Major now understands. With the crippling of General Pepper's grip on what the media is reporting, thanks to his prolonged sickbed, more and more freedom has returned. This also means a surge in bogus publications and tabloids, more interested in clickbait titles and sensation. If they get their hands on something juicy about civilians, regardless of their status as Militia, being on the front lines getting killed…

"Okay… what is the solution?" the Major sighs.

"Nothing yet… I hope that nothing requires me to implement any measures."

"And what measures would that be?" Trevor wishes to bark at this doofus as he, like the Major, is getting nauseous from this guy's behavior and vagueness.

Instead, he remains silent. Knowing how it will look for the Major. It requires a big dose of inner strength but he can hold back.

"I will have to think about this and convene with the rest of my MilCiv staff on the appropriate measurements that need to be taken. Depending on the severity of the media response." he states with only a small trace of a devious smile.

Then the toad pads his knees to segway into a different topic.

"However, that is for the future yet to come. I am also here because of the current events. Given that your Nova 7 team kept the Army from one media disaster already and contains two members also associated with MilCiv, I wanted to meet the team in person. And in particular, the Sergeant who directly commanded them in the field."

The Major simply points to the toad's back left and when the man looks in that direction, Trevor can no longer hold back and has to express his discontent. But he does so in a rather conniving way. Simply by smiling smugly and waving at the Lieutenant-Colonel.

"Colonel, may I introduce you to Sergeant Trevor DeLange? He was the glue that kept the line and the unit together there on Fortuna. Without his, as you mentioned, no small feat, we would all be swimming in the potential consequences. And just for clarification, Nova 7 is the Sergeant's unit alone. I'm simply his superior." the Major makes clear.

"Well… my well-meant apologies for my treatment from before, Sergeant." the toad states without much credibility behind that apology.

However Trevor now knows how to nag this guy. So, just like the Major did before, he extends his hand to the toad. Accompanied by the phrase "Apology accepted, Sir." said in the most hillbilly of accents he could produce. Just so this ugly pest is even less inclined to shake his hand.

With aversion, the Lieutenant-Colonel stands up from his chair and approaches the Sergeant. He does not take his glove off however and at the apex of shaking each other's hand, he pulls away.

"I'm sure you understand." he states before slightly awkwardly sitting back down, leaving Trevor both literally and figuratively hanging.

But the message has been received. Trevor understands perfectly well and so does the Major now.

"Sir, is there anything else you wished to share? Nova 7 needs their rest after their mission and I need to finish a few things here and there." the Major asks, audibly more irritated with the toad's presence.

"Yes, there was one thing. I am also a close associate of a certain Admiral you must be quite familiar with yourself. He asked me to relay that your "Sunset is a go". Not sure what that means but he asked me not to forget it. So I did not."

"Glad to hear that, Colonel. If there's nothing else…?"

"Lieutenant-Colonel, Major. Please. And no, I have nothing else. I will be staying at Pinckerton, about 20 or so kilometers from here. Once I know the extent of the possible damage, I will be back."

"You are always welcome."

The Major tries his best not to sound bitter. Then he points to Trevor.

"Sergeant, please escort our guest back to the entrance so he can return to his current accommodation. After that, return to me. We weren't finished with our briefing yet."

"Yes Sir." Trevor salutes before pro-actively opening the door so this ugly toad can be ushered out.

Before the toad is gone however, the Major has one last thing to ask of him. Mainly what his suggestion would be to tackle the worst case scenario. The reply is presented as if it was routine, but in reality it is utterly devastating.

"Simple. I would have it so that all MilCiv personnel are grounded until it all blows over. Regardless of what unit they serve in."

Trevor looks worried back at the Major after hearing this. With a non-verbal signal of extending his index finger and thumb to form an improvised 7 while keeping the rest clenched, the Major confirms he is on the Sergeant's side. Which is a relief at the very least. A little more subdued, Trevor allows the Lieutenant-Colonel to exit first and then closes the door behind him.

Once more he is alone in his office. With a big sigh, he lands his forehead on the table. Hoping that this would distract his body from the headache is currently experiencing. Having Trevor with him helped but he missed a certain feathered giant by his side. He could have used his dry, high-class insight. And just general support. At the same time, however, he did feel watched. In a good way.

He lifts his head up and turns on the device on his desk.

"Project Audible. Status report."

Once again, a paper is printed out. This time, it is news that makes him happy.

"100%. Audible is now operational." he reads to himself, which makes him smile from ear to ear.

"Good job. Start a subroutine and spread this ability throughout the base. And get started on Project Blur. We're going to need it."

The sound of confirmation chimes.

- Operation Sungazer

After the Lieutenant-Colonel left without saying a word to Trevor, Damian came running in. Not metaphorically either; the moment he heard what kind of trouble Nova 7 might be in from Peter, he started sprinting. He arrived too late of course but just that he came running is a nice gesture in and of itself.

Damian apologized for not being there but was glad to know that Trevor could provide some support. While at the same time making the Major promise, for his sake, to not be in any room alone with this toad. Clef finds this agreeable and now that he knows that this guy has problems getting in because of the strange registration problems, he can stall for time to make sure he is always there.

However, there is still work to be done. If there is anything positive that came out of the encounter, it is that Operation Sunset is a go. Finally a mission that Nova 7 was meant for. And with the War Room not yet operational, a different room will do for now. Given the sensitive nature of this operation, he does not call it over the intercom but instead sends a message to all their phones.

"Room 99F. Within 5 minutes. Bring Ambassador."

Simple instructions. Although the timing of the message could be a little better, this trumps all other responsibilities or free time. All members drop their current activities and rush to the room. With Lieutenant Damian standing next to the open door as a welcoming party. As the others pass through, he holds Trevor up and takes him aside for a moment.

"What can I do for you, Sir?" Trevor asks.

"I heard you give Private Phantom a dressing down. I can only assume it is for the right reasons."

"You assume correct, Sir. How did you know about this?"

Trevor can almost instantly answer that question himself.

"Patch. Yeah, figures." Trevor sighs, which makes Damian chuckle.

"I am not going to shame you for blasting someone who clearly needed it. In fact, I am proud you finally managed to do it. I was starting to think you had gone soft. However, while it was nothing short of deserved, it is important to not let it linger for too long. Demotivation can cripple someone, especially on the battlefield."

"I was not planning to leave any of my teammates hanging. Not until they are off the team."

"And likely not even then, Sergeant." Damian winks, knowing Trevor's character.

To which Trevor can only smile. He knows that the big bird gets his approach and he cares about his team. It is almost like having a pet, at least in this regard. Punishments can be necessary but always make it clear that you forgive them later on. Otherwise they will also respond in fear and shame. In the case with his teammates, it could result in doubt and on a battlefield doubt can be deadly.

"No worries, Sir. I will make sure Nova 7 will stay whole."

"Who said I was worried, hm? Now, get in. The Major has something to tell all of us."

Within the allotted minutes, room 99F has filled up with all the relevant members. With all of them now seated, the Major starts with a general greeting before asking if they want to hear the good news or the potentially devastating news first.

"Rip the bandaid off, Major. Let us have it." is Kip's response, to which the others who do not know yet, agree with.

"I wouldn't call this ripping off a bandaid, Kip. More like a decapitation. Myself, Peter, Lieutenant Warden and Sergeant Trevor are already aware of this so I won't spare you any details either. We were "surprised" by the arrival of a massive…"

He clears his throat while covering his mouth with a clenched fist. As he does, he can see PAL's big red eye flicker with green for a moment.

"... asshole. Lieutenant-Colonel Weylon Rook is the new head of MilCiv. And he came by to lay down the rules."

"I thought that Peter was the leader of MilCiv?" Patches comments.

"I was. But only in a temporary capacity. Until a proper new leader of actual military rank was chosen. Unfortunately, my pick was not chosen. Instead, now we have an issue in toad form."

"Call him what he is, Peter. It's okay, this is only between us." the Major winks at him.

"Oh… but… the surveillance camera?"

"No worries about that."

The members of Nova 7 start to look at each other. Surprised over the outspoken tone of the Major in this regard, despite knowing that the camera's record both image and sound. Should this toad watch this back, he will surely know. PAL however, seems more distracted with something else. Only snapping out of a supposed trance once Phantom talks to him but the machine refuses to comment on what he was doing exactly.

"Alright then… he's a rat. He was one of the Board members that voted against the Nova 7 project to begin with. And after hearing what he was planning…"

Peter stops talking and simply shivers. So the Major takes over and takes a particular look at the Militia's of Trevor's team.

"Because he is head of MilCiv, you two fall under his influence too. During your successful mission to stabilize the line, some absolute moron had put H-status Militia on the front line before the attack. With the obvious exception of you Kip, these people were not supposed to be on that front line to begin with."

"What klutz messed that up!?" Phantom barks out of nowhere.

"Easy Private, allow me to finish. Because of your charge, more Militia fell. Now, those who did escape and seemingly wanted not to be labeled as cowards, have taken to the Net to post their side of the story. Exaggerated and unfounded as most of those claims are, if the media got word of a "slaughter of civilians", regardless of their H-status, they'll go haywire."

Clef can feel himself getting madder and madder. The more he repeats the garbage that this toad produced from his mouth, the more he starts to sound like him. To prevent this, he signals Damian to step in like they were in a tag-team wrestling scene. Which the big bird does not mind at all. That is why he is here, amongst other things.

"His plan is simple; in order to avoid trouble in case of public outcry, he will ground all MilCiv personnel. No matter their status or unit affiliation."

This shocks the room for those who were unaware. There was already a feeling of dread but now that the uncomfortable truth is out. In particular, the two Militia members are quite taken aback by this. Both cannot believe what they are hearing. Kip is understandably very piqued, being a H-status but not seeing herself as some helpless dweeb that needs some toad to come in and protect her. How does that guy dare!?

Calamity maintains a somewhat calm attitude, but on the inside she is screaming. Trevor can see it. Her complete silence, nervously drumming fingers and a jittering knee betrays her discomfort. Sitting between the two, he puts a comforting hand on the both of them. Appropriately on Kip's shoulder and on Calamity's jittery knee.

"I won't let them do anything to you." he assures the both of them.

"You're in my unit and you'll stay there until you wish to leave yourselves. No matter what some ugly toad tells you, yeah?"

Both nod, now more assured of their position. Trevor's statement is something both the Major and the Lieutenant agree with as well.

"That was the bad news. The good news is that Operation Sunset has finally been approved. Which means that it's time for Nova 7 to shine properly. The first part of Sunset will be "Sungazer". The details of this will be given underway, just like before. Given that our War Room is still unfinished, the Admiral has arranged that we could use the same transport ship again."

Hearing this, the atmosphere in the room clears up a lot. That ship was something luxurious and gave them a Great Fox-vibe, without it actually being a hub for a loose mercenary group whose name shall not be mentioned. But the Major is not done with the good news yet.

"In fact, the Admiral was so pleased with how Nova 7 performed on the battlefield, he thinks it's nothing more than an honor if we were to use his ship until we have our own affairs in order. It's almost like he feels he owes us in some way. It is on the sole condition that we leave the ship in a state that he got it in. That means, cleaning up after yourself."

The room is now abuzz with positivity. And that is what the Major likes to hear. Those under him being generally upbeat. That comfort is important is something that he definitely learned from last time. He will no longer drop his team bare into a war zone again. Not if he can help it.

However, professionality needs to return for a moment. He calls everyone to silence for one last moment to discuss something important. Which has nothing to do per se with the toad, the bad or good news or even the operation for that matter.

"We are Nova 7. No matter what number we hold, no matter what our role is or what our rank is. We stand together throughout all of this. I have the utmost confidence in each and everyone single one of you. Don't let them get to you. Be yourselves and kick ass. Me and the Lieutenant will always stand with you."

Like he did before, he forms a 7 with his index finger and thumb. With the thumb resting on the table.

"This is our time. Show Lylat that they were right to put their trust in you."

"Didn't we already prove that?" Trevor sarcastically interrupts.

"Trust is not achieved in one day, Sergeant. But only with constant dedication to foster it. Which is exactly what we are doing with this operation. Get out there and show them we mean business. And please don't let our visitor's threats cloud your judgments; as Trevor said you're in his unit and you'll stay there until you wish to leave yourselves. Dismissed!"

With that said, the members start to leave with a sense of pride and relief. Ready and prepped for their first proper mission. Patches stays behind a little longer to hang with Damian. Trevor catches further up with Peter. And somewhat unexpectedly Phantom approaches Calamity and Kip, who have sort of separated themselves from the rest of the group. Which the white fox has noticed.

With a hint of awkwardness, he catches their attention and tells them in no uncertain terms he thinks it completely unfair that they are being treated as something less than a Private by this MilCiv douche. He further affirms that he will always see them as equal in rank. It feels genuine but also so out of nowhere. So both ladies are speechless in their own way as he leaves. PAL follows him, only stopping to sort of bow first as a sign of respect or sympathy before catching back up to Phantom. Then the two Militia look at each other and just shrug. He meant well… they suppose.

Then Peter and Nelson follow, as the two seemed to hit it off decently well. Peter sees a certain aspect of Quinn in Nelson's personality but is a lot more outspoken and more effective when it comes to combat. Nelson in turn sees a lot of Trevor in Peter's grizzled but "recovered" veteran character.

In the meantime, Trevor has managed to wrench his Specialist away from her big lovey-dovey and now joined up by his fiancée and his partner, he leaves surrounded by his female posse. He is very tempted to wrap his arms around them like he was some kind of pimp but upon trying he is swiftly put into his place by Patches' quick jab to the arm. Trevor gets the message and simply puts his arm around Calamity only.

This leaves a mildly entertained Major and Damian behind. Clef remarks on how despite him being a Sergeant now, Trevor has not changed at all. But Damian disagrees, seeing that a lot more maturity has managed to sneak its way into this behavior, while not compromising on what made him so attractive to his fellow partners and friends.

"Even you have changed, Clef. Not just your name." the Lieutenant states with just a pinch of humor.

"Was that supposed to be a dig, Damian?"

"I would not dare do that to you, Sir. Just stating the obvious. Speaking of obvious, or rather oblivious… the fact that no one saw what you were doing with your fist then was quite perplexing."

"I'm sure I don't know what you mean." the Major denies, despite knowing very well he cannot hide anything from a man who not only towers above him and so can see anything he might be fiddling with, but also because the big bird is a champion at reading him like an open book.

"Let me in, Clef. I promise I will guard the secret well."

The Major sighs, knowing that denial or postponing it will have no effect. So he beckons Damian to follow him back to his office. And behind its closed door, does the Major show his friend what has been happening behind the scenes.

- BONUS: Patching Things Up

"Right… here we go…"

She tries her best to talk courage into herself but it proves rather troublesome. She is not exactly sure why but this door in front of her seems to be particularly intimidating. Despite looking like any other, it is more the nameplate on the door that causes her to feel this way.

Then she thinks of something to distract her. She can hear some intense DIY going on the other side. Is it really appropriate to do this now? Should she not be preparing to go? Liftoff is going to be very soon for sure. Does she have everything packed already? Is all of her ammo accounted for? Has her outfit come back from the tailor yet? How is that cut on her arm doing? And why has no one delivered those promised upgrades yet? How can they properly function as a special White Out unit if they do not have the technology that gives them an edge? All she has to show for it, are those glowy bits underneath her heels. How difficult could it be to…

She could go on pondering and questioning something she cannot help but she knows what she is doing; stalling for time. Trying to stave off the inevitable. That which is eating her up inside. That troubling sympathy she always seems to impress Trevor with so much. And therefore, it makes her feel guilty about how she treated the person behind this very door. In moments like these, her gift feels more like a curse.

Slowly she raises her barely clenched fist and places them against the door. Then takes a deep breath and as fast as she can leaves two knocks on the door before taking a big step back. The noises of drilling, soldering and hammering ceases and for a few, seemingly endlessly long moments, there is no noise at all. However, if her nervousness was audible, there would be a cacophony of panicked noises.

Then her ears are perked up by a distinct unlocking noise and the door to Phantom's room opens only as much as the door chain allows. Which is just enough so that he can poke his head out without actually leaving his domicile. He looks surprised to see her but still carries the visible effects of Trevor's vocal assault on his expression. So it looks rather muted.

"Can I help you?" he asks, clearly not in the mood for offering any type of help.

Patches loses her ability to articulate words for a moment but corrects herself quickly, if only to make sure he does not start thinking weird things.

"I was uhm… just around. Wanted to see if… you know… you were okay?"

Phantom does not look impressed but humors her in some way. He points to his face and then circles that finger around his face to illustrate his point.

"Yeah… I guessed that… hence why I wanted to come by. To check up on you."

His right eyebrow slowly rises. Whether this is because he doubts her intentions or is now even more confused that she is not getting any of his hints given. Then, without saying anything else, he closes the door.

On some level, she feels relieved. Because it meant that the sympathy she attributed to him was for naught. He really is just a stick in the mud and although Trevor may not like it very much, this means that 7-5 does not want to chance or accept any apology. However, then she can hear that the door chain is being let go and then the door opens up all the way. And there he stands, just behind the door frame. To say that Patches is surprised would be an understatement.

"Well… you looked like you weren't going away without at least saying what you came to say. And I dislike having people do that at the front door. So… come in I guess." he states in a strange mixture of indifference and bashfulness.

Then he walks away, back to this his workbench as Patches enters and closes the door behind her. She can hear him call out to at least put the door chain back in, which she does before taking a good look at his room. It looks more like a shed than a room. Light brown, almost yellow, long planks are attached to the walls. There are a ton of power lines and other cables whose purpose are unknown woven in between the cracks between the planks. The floor is littered with the various things he might have snacked on in between breakfast and returning from their first mission. His bed can best be described as a bunk bed cut in half horizontally. As one can literally see that someone took a chainsaw straight through the middle and removed the top 50%. At least his bed looks very clean. Who would like to sleep in a bed that has bits in it anyway?

And there is of course the focal point of the room, that takes up most of the space, is Phantom's huge workbench. With tools ranging from simple to something straight out of a mad scientist's wildest dreams. Complete with a very expensive looking computer set-up along with a docking station on which PAL is clearly attached to. It looks like he is not turned on right now, judging by a lack of a red glow in his eye.

"So… this is your room huh? It has a certain charm to it. Actually reminds me of my dad's old shack. But he didn't have that many tools for sure."

Her attempt at trying to be relatable falls on deaf ears as Phantom does not glance up from his work. So she goes for the jugular; no need to sweet talk this.

"I uhm… I came here not to admire your room. But you may have figured that out already. I'm actually here to apologize."

That does make Phantom glance up from his work. He puts down his tools.

"You're apologizing?" he questions both to himself and to her.

"Yeah… I've not been very nice back there. When I left Trevor's office, I kinda guessed that he was going to give it to you. So I waited outside so I could get a rise out of you. Kinda like a uh… like a bully."

She scratches herself behind the ears as she shamefully admits this painful fact.

"But when I saw how devastated you looked… it sank into me. I was being a bully and despite how I personally feel about you… at the very least I'm sorry for that."

Phantom cannot believe what he is hearing. How is she apologizing? For something so comparatively small? It was not nice but he kind of expected her to respond in such a manner. For what he has said to and about her is several multitudes worse. And yet here she is. She might be everything he said about her in the shower but clearly she is more than that.

"Heh… I'm just processing what you just said." he brings up after a period of silence.

"You're saying sorry to me for bully behavior? Clearly something went wrong there as you should be on the receiving end of some apologies."

Phantom turns around on his swivel chair to face her. He feels like laughing at the absurdity but at the same time feels nothing short of stupid and blindsided.

"I-I appreciate your words. But I can't accept your apology. Not because I'm a bastard, but more because I AM a bastard. And I have been a bastard to you. Not just to you even, but also the other two. That is why Trevor tore me in half. He has that uncanny ability to either build you up and tear you down with just the way he talks to you… and I deserved all of it."

He averts himself from her view, trying not to think about all those true things that were spat at him. He remembers them too vividly still.

"I hurt him. I saw it in his eyes. He trusted me to be a good addition to his team. He chose me over all other potential candidates and allowed me to be his friend again after I was away from him for like a year or more. And what did I do? Try to be a big man, act like I did in the old days. Insult each and everyone of his new friends and his girlfriend. Why? Because I wanted to impress… I uh… fuck…"

He is starting to lose the fight to keep his emotions inside him.

"You wanted to impress… who? Me?"

She is trying to be helpful, against her better senses. She reasons that this is only because he is actually trying his best to apologize for what he has done. Not that it would help clear away all of the trouble she has with him, but it would be a start.

"Yes!" he suddenly bursts.

"You and the rest. It was… great that I was chosen. But then I saw how you three, without any military background at all, just worked so well and aced pretty every training course. I mean… Kip has the advantage of being a mercenary so from her I can kind of understand it… but you were a cop. And Calamity had wanted nothing to do with guns for ages! How could they be so good?"

"You were… jealous? Of us?"

"Is that so hard to believe? Just listen to Trevor gush about you three. His girl, Kip being his partner and you being his +1. And here I am… not even the third wheel. Of course I felt like impressing you. And in case that didn't work… turn to bullying and posturing. I suppose…"

She cannot believe it. Did this prideful, nothing-can-touch-me jerk just admit that it was all a facade? Because he was jealous and in a sense feeling isolated by just the presence of her and the other two around Trevor? That does explain a lot. Not everything, because he had this attitude even before he saw them in action. But it definitely intensified after that.

What he said is quite powerful. Both to hear and for him to get it out of his system. It has strained him but also left him feeling relieved. In a sense maybe even exonerated, although that could still be her negative thoughts about him talking.

"So… I'm sorry for hurting you. I hope that in some way you can accept it."

She falls silent for a moment as the two look right at each other. As much as Trevor's true words plunged a knife into his heart, so are Phantom's words true as well. She can see it in his eyes. So she gives him a smile. Probably the very first one she might have ever given him.

"Yeah. I think I can accept your apology. Just… don't think that you are exonerated. If you truly are sorry and you are not the person you've acting out to be, then I want to see the real you. And don't expect me or any of the other girls to trust you right away."

He nods understandingly.

"Trust is not achieved in one day. Isn't that what the Major said?"

"You got it." she smiles at him again.

Two smiles in one day. That is a new record. It does not matter how big the smiles are, each is a plus.

"Before I go back to doing my stuff… I wanted to know if you were willing to share what Trevor said to you."

But Phantom does not feel like sharing that. Maybe sometime in the future. Right now, he would rather get PAL's new voice box fixed now that the hard part is over.

"Would that make PAL finally sound somewhat normal?" she asks hopefully.

"Yep. He will no longer sound like a broken Speak-and-Spell toy. Should make him more relatable. But I fear also more maniacal."

"As long as he's on our side, that wouldn't matter… right?"

He chuckles.

"I know you're uncomfortable with PAL, no need to hide it. PAL might have his crazy streaks, which will now be amplified but he'll stay loyal to me, to you, to Trevor and to Nova 7 in general. So please, if only for his sake… try to have a little confidence in the green triangle."

She rolls her eyes a little bit but somewhat accepts that her doubts about PAL might be misplaced. As Phantom effectively ends the conversation by turning around and continuing what he was doing before, she takes the door chain off and opens the door to get out.

"See you on the transport?"

"Yup, for sure." he confirms already with his head deep into his work.

She is sure she could have called out anything and the answer would be the same.

"Alright then. See you soon then… Phantom."

The door closes behind her and for a moment he stops altogether. Did he hear that right? No more calling him 7-5? She actually used his name? Then PAL's red eye bulb comes back alive. Given that his voice box is no longer present, it transmits what he has to say via blinking morse code.

".- . .-.. .-.. / -.. - -. ."

"What do you mean "well done"? I just apologized."

"-.. - / -. - - / ..- -. -.. . .-. . ... - .. - .- - . / .- ... .- - / .. - / - . .- -. -"

"Yeah, I suppose you are right. She did look a lot happier, didn't she?"

"-.- . ... .-.-.- / - .- -.- -... . / - -. . / -.. .- -.- -..- / ... ... . / .- .. .-.. .-.. / - .-. ..- ... - / - ."

"I know she will, PAL. With constant dedication, we'll prove ourselves. Now, what accent did you wanna go for again?"

".- .. -.-. -.- . -.."

"I like your style. The evil twin of the Lieutenant? Done deal!"