video

[handing]

[Well, might as well get to it. The video starts, revealing a calm, put-together woman with a easy smile. This isn't Pepper's first public broadcast, and she's got what she wants to say down pat.]

Good afternoon, all.

I'm Pepper Potts, and apparently I've been brought here to be your new Chief Morale Officer. I'm aware that the idea of maintaining morale among a group of people who have been stolen from their homes against their will is at best humorous, and at worst a slap in the face. I'd still like to make something of it, however--not for the captains or whatever power brought us here, but for us. Whatever the reasons for our kidnappings, I'd rather not give anyone the satisfaction of our suffering while we're here.

As I've only just found myself here in the past few days, I'm still finding my way around, as it were. I understand that there are people who have been here for some time already, so if anyone could give me an idea of some of what you've been through, I'd be grateful. I also would like to hear from anyone who has also been assigned jobs related to morale, given that the title of "Chief" implies there's a group of us. Lastly, the brief job description I was given mentioned I might be working closely with the Navigation and Public Relations Officers; I'd like to get in touch with you as well, to get an idea of whom I'll be working with.

Thank you all for your time and your cooperation.

Comments

[pallantias]

I was designated as a Public Relations Officer when I was brought aboard the ship. [Note that she does not say that she is a Public Relations Officer. As far as she’s concerned, it’s merely a title assigned to her for the benefit of the captains. She herself has little understanding of its significance.

As for what they’ve been through...] When I first arrived here, we were deployed to a planet known as Cadacus Primary with minimal information as to our objective there. After a brief stay, a series of events led to the planet’s destruction, even though this was not included in any of our mission objectives. Following that, ship systems such as temperature and lighting began to fluctuate, and some kind of predator was released into the corridors. Following the resolution of that incident, we arrived on the planet Emiri. [Which is where they are now.]

All this happened in the space of approximately three months. [The almost military nature of the briefing does little to obscure Athena’s distaste for the events described.]

[handing]

You were? [Pepper does take notice of it, wondering if the past tense means she had gotten transferred like Bruce had, or if she simply doesn't care for the position enough to take ownership of it. Either way it's important to know; she means to take her own job seriously, and Pepper needs to know who else is wiling to make that effort.

Either way, the woman offers up other answers Pepper is after--much to her shock. Her eyes widen as she listens to all of it, terrible events neatly summed up, and it's honestly hard to know where to begin.

It is, however, clear why they need a morale officer.]

...Thank you, for that overview. [She swallows, closing her eyes for a moment to regain her composure.] It sounds like everyone's been through a rather difficult time to say the least.

You called it a "series of events" that led to the destruction of the planet you were on; do you know anything more specific about what happened?

[pallantias]

[Pepper’s subtle prodding about Athena’s use of the past tense goes right over the assassin’s head.] Yes.

[At her next question, she nods.] We had been deployed to the planet for a little more than two weeks when we all received a message from one of the planet’s government officials. He informed us that the captains of our ship had stolen something from their planet and as a result, we were no longer welcome there. We were being escorted from the planet’s surface when one of the Moira’s crew somehow transformed into a giant monster. [Even stoic Athena can’t keep a slight edge of “yes, I promise, that actually happened” out of her voice. She knows how outlandish it sounds.] Said giant monster then began to attack the planet’s cities and in the process, he damaged… something. [Athena’s not too clear on that part of the story.] Whatever it was, it contained enough energy that when destroyed, it triggered a global cataclysm that ended with the planet’s destruction.

[She pauses as if turning the memory over in her head.] It was… unfortunate. [Said almost grudgingly as if she is still adapting to expressing such sentiments.] And the captains still have not told us what they took that was so valuable.