Chapter 6
The harsh fluorescent lights of the base headquarters interrogation room buzzed intermittently, casting a sterile white glow over the metal table. Captain Reed sat at the head of the table, his expression grim as he reviewed the polaroids and the recovered wooden crate filled with restricted communications gear. Derek Miller and his accomplice sat across from him, their uniforms disheveled, bruised from their brief encounter with the floorboards, and visibly sweating under the weight of their caught conspiracy. Maeve stood quietly by the closed door, her arms crossed over her chest, watching the administrative reckoning unfold without a hint of satisfaction.
"Planting government property to frame a fellow service member," Reed said, his voice dangerously low. "Do you both realize that is a court-martial offense? You could be looking at dishonorable discharges and federal prison time." Miller looked down at his boots, his arrogance completely evaporated. "It was just a prank, Captain," he muttered pathetically. "Vance told us to teach her a lesson. We didn't mean for it to go this far." Reed slammed his hand flat on the metal table, the loud bang making both men jump. "Vance is already facing a disciplinary review for harassment! You idiots let yourselves be used as blunt instruments, and now you’re going to take the fall for it!"
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Reed looked up from the file, turning his weary gaze toward Maeve. "You handled this with remarkable restraint, Sergeant O'Connor, but you should have brought the intelligence to me immediately instead of taking matters into your own hands." Maeve uncrossed her arms and stepped forward into the light. "With all due respect, Captain, if I had gone through channels, the evidence would have mysteriously vanished by morning, and my credibility would have been dragged through the mud. Camp Alpha has a culture problem, and quiet paperwork won't fix it." Reed held her gaze for a long, searching moment. He knew she was right, even if protocol dictated otherwise.
"Effective immediately, Miller and his accomplice are suspended from duty pending a formal tribunal," Reed announced, standing up from his chair. "As for you, Maeve... your transfer orders came through from Central Command this morning. You're being reassigned to lead a reconnaissance detail in the Sector Four valley starting next week." Maeve’s eyes widened slightly at the news. Sector Four was a notoriously volatile region, a hotspot for insurgent movement and extreme terrain. But as she nodded slowly in acceptance, a spark of genuine purpose ignited in her chest. The small-minded politics of Camp Alpha were finally behind her; real duty was calling.
