Page 66 of The Alien's Private Redemption

He caught the chair back just before it started to fall and placed it against the wall behind them. When he sat back down, his tail fell behind him naturally and the arms moved enough that they weren't digging into his legs. The relief was immediate,though the faux leather still felt uncomfortably artificial against his scales.

Angela took her seat next to him, close enough that their arms brushed. The contact sent a pleasant tingle through his scales, and he could feel her satisfaction through their bond. Everybody else at the table stared at them, their expressions ranging from amused to annoyed. The tension in the room shifted, becoming something more complex than simple discomfort.

"That was an option?" Ae-cha burst out, her scales flickering with what might have been embarrassment.

"Technically, it's destruction of property," Colonel Schuh said with a half smile, his posture relaxing slightly. The fluorescent lights caught the silver at his temples as he tilted his head.

"With respect, sir, nothing was destroyed and I can put the chair back together after this meeting is over," Angela said. The slight tremor in her voice betrayed her nervousness, though her words were steady. "The equipment was strategically adjusted to facilitate our mission, and will be returned to the intended specifications when we're finished."

Colonel Schuh laughed, the sound bouncing off the bare walls, and shook his head. "What was your rank before you were demoted, Private McBride?"

"I don't see how that's relevant," Dr. Phillips cut in, her perfume becoming sharper with her agitation. "Whatever she calls it, she took a chair apart without permission. That is absolutely in keeping with the actions that got her sent here in the first place."

"It is not," Angela responded. Her scent changed subtly, taking on the bitter edge of indignation. Zoric could feel her muscles tensing through their bond, though she maintained her composed exterior.

Through their connection, he could read the layered complexity of her reaction - frustration at being misunderstood,determination to maintain her composure, and an underlying current of fear that Dr. Phillips might be right about her character. He wanted to comfort her but knew any obvious display would only make things worse.

Instead, he let his tail brush against her ankle under the table, sending a wave of reassurance through their bond. The gesture was hidden from the others by the table, but he felt her gratitude wash over him like warm sunshine.

"I'm not sure I can agree with that, Dr. Phillips," Colonel Schuh said, his steady gaze fixing on each person at the table in turn. "There is a great deal of difference between adjusting a chair so someone can be more comfortable and treason."

The overhead lights hummed, a counterpoint to the tension building in the room. Dr. Phillips' frown deepened, the harsh fluorescents emphasizing every line in her face. Her fingers tapped against the polished surface of the table, each contact creating a sharp sound that made Zoric's scales twitch.

"Not in some of the essentials, if you'll forgive me," she said, her voice clipped. "She acted on her own, without orders or permission, to change something she had no reason to change. Whatever her underlying motivations for each action, it shows a blatant disregard for protocol, and a willingness to work outside of a structure she knows is important."

"I didn't realize she would need orders to adjust a chair," Ae-cha said, scales shifting in a pattern that Zoric recognized as barely contained amusement. "That seems a little excessive."

The recycled air stirred papers on the table as the ventilation system kicked in again. Through their bond, Zoric could feel Angela's frustration building like static electricity before a storm. Her pulse had increased slightly, though her exterior remained calm.

"She did not adjust the chair, she dismantled part of it," Dr. Phillips explained, her perfume becoming more pronounced asshe leaned forward. "Something she was neither authorized, nor asked, to do."

"Wouldn't Colonel Schuh giving her the tool to adjust the chair mean the authorization was implicit?" Zoric asked. The metallic taste of confrontation filled his mouth as he spoke. He really didn't understand why Dr. Phillips insisted on painting Angela in as dark a light as possible.

"As she neither stated her intentions nor asked for permission, the only implicit authorization would be for her to have temporary possession of a tool," Dr. Phillips pursued, her voice taking on a lecturing tone that set Zoric's teeth on edge.

Colonel Schuh let out a breath and rubbed his fingers against the bridge of his nose. The gesture released a fresh wave of his natural scent - coffee, gun oil, and something uniquely human. "Which makes this my fault," he said. "Private McBride, please return my multitool and, in the future, let me know what you want to use it for."

"Colonel, that's not-"

"Yes, sir," Angela said, cutting off Dr. Phillips' protest. She slid the multitool across the polished surface, the metal scraping quietly against the wood, and stood up to salute. Her movement stirred the air, bringing a fresh wave of her scent to Zoric's sensitive receptors.

"Sit down," the Colonel said. "We've already wasted enough time on this. Dr. Phillips, it really does seem like you have a prejudice against Private McBride. As your presence here is part of the inquiry into the Private's claims and behaviors, are you going to be able to continue without letting your prejudices interfere?"

The artificial lighting cast harsh shadows across Dr. Phillips' face as she drew herself up. "I'm a professional," she said, as if that answered the question. Her scent had taken on an acidic edge that made Zoric's nose wrinkle.

The Colonel's steady gaze didn't waver. "The question still stands, doctor. Are you going to be able to give an unbiased opinion, based only on the facts at hand, without allowing your personal beliefs to get in the way?"

"Yes, Colonel, I will continue to do my job," Dr. Phillips said. The pinched look on her face and the sharp note in her scent told Zoric how difficult she'd find it to be unbiased.

The ventilation system hummed, filling the momentary silence with white noise. Zoric could feel Angela's skepticism through their bond, matched by his own doubts about Dr. Phillips' ability to remain objective.

"Alright, now that we've covered that," Colonel Schuh said, his voice cutting through the tension, "I want to know what the plan is going forward? Ae-cha and Zoric were brought in to observe Dr. Phillips' interrogation in the hopes that they could use their unique perspectives to give us some insight into what actually happened. Dr. Torres was here to help keep Private McBride alive should the interrogation have unforeseen circumstances."

The mention of Dr. Torres sent a spike of unease through Angela that Zoric felt like a physical blow. Her scent changed subtly, taking on the bitter edge of fear, though her exterior remained composed. He shifted slightly closer to her, letting his presence provide what comfort it could.

"I was promised I would be allowed to question the prisoner without interference," Dr. Phillips protested, her voice rising slightly in pitch. The fluorescent lights caught the sheen of sweat forming at her temples. "I was not informed that some of the observers would be aliens."

Ae-cha snorted, the sound carrying a distinctly reptilian undertone. "I don't know that we're technically aliens. Zoric and I were both born on this planet." Her scales rippled in a pattern that suggested both amusement and irritation.

---