Gunner stood on the flight deck of Barrow Base, and for perhaps the first time in his life, he was unsure of what to do or say. He could whine? Beg for forgiveness? That might get him some kind of forward momentum, but at the cost of making himself look weak. Gunner despised weakness. The new Alliance Commander also represented everything but weakness. No, better to take a strong stance.
"Yes, sir," Gunner said. "With the recent incursion of Rheinland foreign nationals due to the war, I was tasked with safe-guarding Liberty space, sir. My wingman, Mel Travers, defected in the line of duty and fled to conspire with Junkers and anti-nationalist sympathizers. I took it upon myself to bring the defector to justice and prevent any unnecessary intelligence leaks, sir."