Chapter 21: Chapter 21: The Interrogation

Corporal Kendrick sat in a chamber of Site 23 of the Military Police Department. The building was one of the thousands of locations the MPD had around the planet. That number shouldn’t be too surprising, given the MPD had oversight over all Imperial Army units on the planet. At the moment, this included over 3,500 divisions. That was over a hundred million young men and women trained in killing who had little to no distractions available. Given the huge number, there would always be plenty of criminals and troublemakers.

The door leading to the office snapped open, and a pair of MP sentries in power armor escorted a young woman into the office. They saluted to Corporal Kendrick before exiting the room, leaving the two alone.

“Private Danes.” Corporal Kendrick said quietly before gesturing at the seat in front of him. “Sit, please.”

Athena nodded and sat down. She was happy to finally see the ISC corporal, but she did her best not to let her excitement show. Even as she sat down in the leather seat, she still kept her back straight and her eyes trained on Corporal Kendrick.

“I hope the past week wasn’t too unpleasant for you, private.” Corporal Kendrick said quietly.

As soon as he said those words, Athena felt her head spin. Was it just a casual question? Impossible. The corporal wouldn’t be here just to check in on her. In fact, if he was willing to classify her as a loyalist and release her, he wouldn’t have bothered to come all the way here at all. The only reason he might be here was that he still had some doubts about her role in the incident.

“It was necessary. I understand the reasoning behind the detaining.” She simply replied. Brainwashed soldiers of the Imperium wouldn’t blame their superiors for taking the necessary measures to root out traitors. As much as she despised what happened in the past week, she couldn’t allow herself to show it.

“Indeed it was.” The corporal nodded before slowly reaching into his holster and drawing his Executioner-class assault pistol and setting it on the table between the two of them.

Athena frowned as her entire body tensed up, but she didn't do anything. She didn't even look at the assault pistol, much less consider grabbing it. If she truly needed to fight, she wouldn’t need the handgun and Corporal Kendrick wouldn’t be as much of a threat as he might think. The corporal might be a veteran soldier, but what could his experience do with ten zerglings appearing on top of him? It was the consequences that Athena couldn’t afford. She could kill Corporal Kendrick and maybe even the next ten Imperials who enter this room. She might even be able to kill everyone in this building. So what? She didn't stand a chance of fleeing this world in one piece.

“Six days ago, Imperial forces returned to Outpost Delta and examined the remains in an attempt to find out what happened. I went along with them. We were able to identify at least one hundred of the bodies in the base to be rebels. Interestingly, most of these rebels were troops who were moved to the 432nd to replace casualties the company had sustained. It was later discovered that these movements were drafted by Brigadier General West of the 329th Infantry. Coincidentally, Brigadier General West was also the one who proposed the 432nd when he was informed a company was needed to escort Doctor Payton. When we went to the Brigadier General to question him, he was nowhere to be found.”

“Despite not being able to capture the Brigadier General, we were able to track down a number of his accomplices. After some interrogation, these accomplices told us that they, and the general, are members of the Venya Revolutionary Guard.”

Athena didn't say anything, and Corporal Kendrick tilted his head.

“The second-in-command of your division is a traitor working for the Republic, but you don’t seem so surprised. Why? Did you know it all along?”

Corporal Kendrick’s question was sharp, but Athena had one advantage the corporal knew nothing about, and that was the fact that by entering the game, she could pause time in the outside world and get as much time as she wanted to think about how to form an answer. Plus, she had an advisor to discuss the answer with.

To the corporal, barely a fraction of a second had gone by, but for Athena, she had enough time to think about all the possible responses she could give, which ones would be the most fitting for her character and what she knew, and which ones would impress the corporal the best. When she finally answered the corporal, her answer was one she has practiced in the game dozens of times already.

“With all due respect sir, it doesn’t take a fool to see this is not a simple mutiny. Too many men in the unit were in on this and they were far too coordinated. Unless the 329th Infantry was completely infiltrated by traitors, the only logical conclusion is that someone in a commanding position is behind this and specifically prepared our company for this mission.”

“Hmmm…” Corporal Kendrick didn't comment on Athena’s reasoning. “We didn't get too much time to talk about the details back in Research Outpost Delta. We have no such time constraints now. Tell me everything that happened before the incident. Start at the time when you first discovered the treachery of your squad. Go into as many details as possible and leave nothing out.”

Athena nodded and started talking. She expected something like this to happen sooner or later. During the past week, she couldn’t even count the number of times when she practiced her story in front of Nova. They have refined the lies so many times that they were as real as lies could get.

As she talked, Corporal Kendrick frequently interrupted her and questioned her about certain details while leaving her next to no time to think. The idea behind this was to force her to make mistakes if she was indeed lying, but this was the last thing Athena was afraid of. Whenever she was asked a question she couldn’t answer, she paused time, spent hours refining the perfect answer, and then gave it to the corporal like it was something she actually experienced.

Athena told Corporal Kendrick that when the traitors attacked, a squad of six rebels entered the detention center, ready to execute her. Before they could gun her down, a swarm of xenomorphs suddenly poured through the open blast door and jumped on the rebels, slaughtering them. She only survived because the xenomorphs weren’t able to enter her cell. After trying and failing to get to her, the xenomorphs left the detention center and moved on.

When Corporal Kendrick asked Athena how she later got out, she told the corporal one of the rebels who was killed dropped his PEI on the ground close to the cell, and she was able to reach it and use it to unlock the cell gate.

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Most of this story was devised even before Athena unleashed the zerglings on the outpost. When Athena was escaping, she spent some time forging the evidence that would back up this story. One of the rebel corpses was dragged closer to the cell, and the PEI attached to his armor was used by Athena to open the cell door.

According to her, after escaping the cell, she basically hid around the outpost, gunning down random xenomorphs with her Defender-S before finally running into Corporal Kendrick and escaping. Once again, if the Imperials looked, which they no doubt have done already, they would find evidence supporting that story. The ammo in the Defender-S she carried was used a few times, and a few zerglings were shot to death by her with the weapon in the locations she claimed to be in.

After nearly a full hour, Corporal Kendrick was finally satisfied with the story. Everything Athena said was supported by evidence, and every question from Corporal Kendrick, no matter how abrupt or random, was answered immediately and properly by Athena. Only someone who has truly experienced all this could answer so swiftly. As far as he could tell, she did exactly what she claimed to have done.

But that didn't conclude the interrogation. As Athena finished, the corporal, with the assault pistol still on the table, suddenly said a few chilling words.

“You know what? I believe you. But…here is my question.” The man suddenly leaned forward. “How do I know you’re not a member of the Venya Revolutionary Guard? How do I know where your true loyalty lies?”

For a second, Athena almost wanted to snap at the man. Really? After everything she said and did, he still doubted her loyalty? Well, in this case, he was correct in that she had no loyalty toward the Imperium, but he had no reason to think that!

“Calm down, commander.” Just as Athena’s emotions were about to get out of control, Nova’s voice suddenly appeared in her head. “He is baiting you, commander. If he really thinks or has proof that you are a traitor, he would have shot you already.”

This warning came just in time. Athena knew that was the case deep down, but she just let her fear and anger get the better of her. With Nova's warning, she quickly got her emotions under control the best she could. She knew Corporal Kendrick had noticed her anger, but if anything, this worked in her favor. After all, in his eyes, she was a loyalist zealot who was accused of treachery after doing nothing wrong.

“I have served the Imperium loyally for six years on the battlefield…”

“So had almost all the Guard members in your company. So had Captain Hanson and General West. If anything, they have contributed more to the Imperium than you ever have. It didn't stop them from turning against the noble path taken by the Imperium and our great Leviathan.” Corporal Kendrick countered, unfazed by Athena’s outburst.

“Sir, if I am a member of the Guard, then why would I expose their plan to you? Hell, why would I kill the traitors in my squad?”

“What happened in the wild is entirely up to your words. As for why you exposed the Guards…who knows what is going on in the head of filthy traitors? After all, only those so insane and mentally crippled they are beyond salvation would even contemplate turning away from the Leviathan. The so-called Venya Revolutionary Guard is filled with scum and villains. Betrayals are no doubt common.”

Ok…what the hell is wrong with this guy? Athena almost wanted to sigh. His reasoning for accusing her was itself insane and absurd beyond anything she has seen. On one hand, she could tell he clearly believed the part where he talked about the Guard. On the other hand, she doubted he really thought she could be a traitor and just randomly decided to switch sides. More likely than not, he was still baiting her and trying to probe where her true loyalty lay.

“I don’t know how I can prove myself to you, sir.” Athena said quietly, doing her best to contain her anger. That wasn’t even something she needed to act out. “If you don’t trust me, feel free to assign me to a penal battalion and allow me to prove myself on the battlefield.”

She honestly had no problem with being assigned to a penal battalion. For most criminals, that would be a death sentence, but as long as she was sent to a remote battlefield and was no longer on a planet filled with Imperial troops, she would be able to escape with the help of her terran and zerg units. After that, finding a transport in the chaos of battle and escaping off the planet shouldn’t be too difficult.

Corporal Kendrick sat there and observed Athena carefully. When he noticed Athena, even after being accused of treason, never tried to reach for the assault pistol on the table or resist, he let out a small smile. It seemed like he was right about Athena’s loyalty after all. But before he could truly trust the young woman, there was still one last test left.

“Penal battalions. Good suggestion, but we both know penal battalions are mostly for petty criminals and felons. Traitors don’t deserve the chance on the battlefield. The safest thing to do with traitors, even potential traitors,” He reached forward and picked up his assault pistol. Athena didn't resist as the corporal raised the pistol and aimed at her forehead. “Is to put a bullet in their head.”

As she stared down the barrel of the Executioner assault pistol, Athena was unfazed. If anything, she almost felt like laughing. At this point, she almost knew for sure that the corporal was bluffing.

She already knew Corporal Kendrick enough from their brief interaction to know that unless the mission required, he wouldn’t sacrifice any loyal Imperials just because he could. Sadism just wasn’t his thing. Maybe when he wanted information or when he was executing traitors in public, he could be as slow and methodical as needed. Other than that, Athena just didn't see him toying with his prey simply because he could.

As she expected, after Athena simply sat there and seemingly accepted her fate as a zealot to the Imperium would, Corporal Kendrick rested the assault pistol on the table once again. A small smile climbed onto his lips.

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