(Untitled)

[onemorebounty]

*The lift reached the control tower, and Samus and the other hunters piled out. She'd allow them this, that while there was a job to do they didn't waste time--even if Rundas had been preening over being able to "rescue" her earlier, not a word was wasted as they each took a control panel, priming Norion's orbital defenses. She was starting to

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[vicioussweetie]

With the coordinate tag less than helpful, Ali had very few options she liked. But there was nothing else to do: she and her little ship would have to get there as fast as they can. A little research did let her skip a vast portion of the trip by PINpointing into the system, but she knew that this was the easy part. The hard part would be getting past the various other ships. She couldn't count on even GalFed counting her as friendly; whatever had taken Samus down would be an even bigger challenge.

Not that Ali really expected to have any chance against whatever it was that had incapacitated Samus. She knew that her skills were woefully inadequate to the task at hand. The best she could hope for would be to take advantage of the momentary surprise her arrival would inspire, and run away before anyone else remembered to shoot.

Not even this could stop her from going. Samus needed her: that was the only thing that mattered.

[onemorebounty]

*By the time she can get close to the planet that is her destination, the battle is over, the pirate fleet's remnants having fled in the face of their failure to seed the planet, as well as the suddenly-active orbital defenses. While wreckage of ships still tumbled and burned, the Federation fleet was already consolidating its position over Norion when she drew close enough to notice.*

*She'll know when she's gotten the fleet's attention, as her comm crackles to life.*

Unidentified craft, this is the GFS Olympus, you are entering a condition white threat zone. Power down your engines and identify yourself immediately.

*Condition white, if she remembers or looks it up, indicates a wary post-combat stance not quite yet prepared to relax. A sort of yellow alert, but after the fact.*

[vicioussweetie]

Ali doesn't power down her engines, but does look up what "condition white" means before responding.

"No. I received an emergency call, and will respond." She's using her most effective "you will not mess with me" tone of voice, hoping to cow whoever's on the other end of the line into submission. It's a grand bluff, considering her natural inclination to panic still hasn't died down. "Is Hunter Aran still planetside?"

[onemorebounty]

Hunter Aran's status is classified. Unidentified craft, this is your final warning: you will identify yourself, or measures will be taken.

[onemorebounty]

*When the sedatives wear off, Ali will find herself in a bed in the kind of quiet, sterile, entirely-too-white room that screams "hospital," with a nutrient feed taped to the back of her hand (there are no needles involved). Nearby, hushed voices speak with the kind of urgency that suggests an argument.*

...you lost your mind? You said she greenlit the procedure, now you tell me you just knocked her out and went ahead?

I had to. She was proposing taking my patient to Aether for treatment--that's a week away at our best speed, to say nothing of hers, and I didn't think my patient would last that long. I wasn't about to let her die to satisfy some retired officer, and you should know that!

Then I hope it was worth your career. Drugging her highness was bad enough, but you overwrote all Aran's scans with cat macros! How am--

I had reason to believe retaining those records would have been against the patient's wishes.

[vicioussweetie]

Ali looks around in confusion for the duration of the conversation. Even when she figures out what happened, she has a hard time believing it.

"Ceiling cat," she remarks, pulling off the nutrient feed as she sits up, "will not save you, you know." The medico might want to remain out of Ali's reach for the next, oh, rest of her life.

[onemorebounty]

*After glancing between the admiral and her highness, the medico decides she's safer behind him. For the moment, he's ignoring her.*

I'm glad you're awake. It seems we've both been given the runaround today.

[vicioussweetie]

Ali will introduce her fist to the medico's jaw another time.

"There's a bit of a difference, Admiral, between not having questions answered immediately and being drugged. Will you be calling the guards to arrest her, or will I?"

[onemorebounty]

*It's going to be a long wait. Samus is unconscious for a solid month, longer than any of the other hunters, her body seeming the most reluctant to adapt to the phazon it now produces. By the time she shows signs of waking, the other hunters have been briefed and sent out on missions to investigate the phazon-struck planets while the fleet patrols the sector's traffic lanes in search of pirate raiding groups. The Olympus remains in orbit over Norion for the duration, with Admiral Dane a sympathetic but inflexible presence.*

*It's with no small trepidation that the Olympus' new (field-promoted) chief medico approaches Ali.*

Ma'am? Brainwave readings suggest she's going to wake soon; I need to brief her on the PED. You'll be safest in the gallery.

[vicioussweetie]

A month of hitting her head against the brick wall of Fleet stupidity has left Ali with little energy for more arguments. If this new chief medico wants to get shot, so be it.

"Fine. But the sooner you let me talk to her, the better off everyone will be."

[onemorebounty]

It's for your safety, ma'am.

*From the girl's expression, she'd much rather have Ali in there trying to calm the storied Hunter down, but orders are orders. She's going to request such a transfer after this, to the quietest little hole in nowhere she can find.*

You can speak with her after the briefing.

[vicioussweetie]

"Make sure it is a very brief briefing."

Ali settles in by a window, near the airlock, just in case.