Meeting her carrier captain and getting a history lesson

"If you don't mind my asking what exactly was it that kept you?" Katla asked, leaning back in her extremely comfortable chair the stateroom lightly buzzing with some heat removal unit somewhere. The woman sitting across from her was similarly relaxed. For the fifteenth time Katla had to pull her eyes away from the woman's curves, not that their owner really seemed to mind. Captain Madeline Hosten of the HMS Wolfhound, looked the very definition of a 'MILF' and had the first part of that acronym down pat. From what Katla was able to discover the woman's family were keeping the Avalonian condom industry afloat single handed. Being the main producers of them not-withstanding. So far Katla had decided she liked her. Hosten's knowledge and insights about the type of station they were about to hit had already been forwarded to Kane and Astrid. They would come in useful for the assault without question.

"Not at all. My family has been assisting with the construction of the Genevieve. Its meant to be finished fairly soon and it was required for me to be present for the inspection. A vessel such as that does not warrant any half-measures nor allow for any failure." Hosten explained.

"What class is she? New battleship for the fleet?" Katla asked, sharing a name with the queen ruled out it being an escort vessel. Even as a capital ship though there was always a problem with naming vessels after those still alive. A former Federation Prime Minister had been bombarded with videos when the battlecruiser bearing her name had been captured. Her name had gotten a small spike of popularity though.

"Oh, no. She's Avalon's new Dreadnought. The Monarch is being retired soon." Hosten shook her head slightly in disgust. "A tragedy there, the builders cut corners. Now a ship that was supposed to last at least another 100 years is going to the scrap yard."

"Not a museum?"

"She was part of the first series of post-war construction. No real history to preserve." The carrier captain shrugged. "It just goes to show. Even the mightiest can be felled by poor effort." Katla wasn't sure exactly where that remark was being pointed. She decided a change of subject might be prudent.

"Speaking of history, I have a question, do you know what the deal is with that thing?" Katla asked, indicating her wall. The painting had been on it when she'd arrived and she'd been very clearly informed that it was not to be removed. The scene on it looked like a battlescape with figures in armor exchanging fire with a line of light in the distance. Streaks of color representing the line firing back. The odd part was the figure in the center. Katla had seen men in history books of course but this one was standing in the middle of a firefight without armor. His body unclad in anything but a bright red dress uniform as he held aloft a sword, almost as if directing fire. The name of the painting was simply titled 'Salvation'.

"I suppose the histories of your former home wouldn't care much for it." Hosten said after a moment. "It represents the event which brought Avalon into the Great War. The man depicted is Crown Prince Richard. Its not remarked on often, but the Coalition's formation was never as certain as some make it seem. There were arguments and politics involved every step of the way." She gave a wan smile. "Even in the face of annihilation we are able to argue. In any case, Prince Richard was heavily involved in the Pro-War movement. The king was part of the Pro-Dialogue faction."

"That was a thing?" Katla asked surprised, well this was starting to be educational.

"You forget that we were in communication and trade with the enemy for many years before the Discovery. The naive still thought there was a chance at peace. Of allowing them to undo their great sin. We know now that those people were fools but at the time the overtures were being received warmly. The enemy buying as much time as they could." Hosten explained patiently. Her voice reminding Katla of the time her mother had explained the purpose and function of collars after she'd asked why some of her 'aunties' had to wear them. She'd been a bit crushed by the truth until she'd learned that the ones wearing the pretty bracelets were almost completely free and still chose to spend time with her.

"So what did that guy do to make the king change his mind?" Katla suspected some kind of big speech, maybe the painting representing the salvation from ignorance or something like that.

Hosten didn't respond for a moment gathering her thoughts. "He died." She said simply. "Him and his contingent of the royal guard. Protecting the evacuation of a small no-name Federation colony. A distress signal that he had no business answering. Avalon entered the war the second the king learned of it. Despite their differences he'd loved his son dearly. His sacrifice saved Avalon as it was. His daughter saved Avalon as it is."