"Good afternoon, I'm Allison McDonald with SolarNet News at Noon. In today's first segment, we've scheduled an interview with Colonel Jeanette Duveaux of the well-known Drake Squadron. Colonel Duveaux, can you hear us?"

JD: Yes, Miss McDonald, I can hear you. I'm afraid I can only spare a few moments for your interview -- I'm due at the Olympus Mons Fleetyards in an hour ... but go ahead."

AM: Thank you, Colonel. The SolarNet has been abuzz with reports, information, declassified documents, and rumors of all sorts regarding your recent mission to Tau Ceti. Can you give us any information that hasn't already been released?

JD: Of course I can't discuss anything that hasn't already been released to the press. However, I can summarize briefly what our objectives were and what we accomplished.

About two weeks ago, Admiral Tenaka asked me to his office and told me he had a mission that he couldn't trust to anyone else. He said it would be volunteer-only, and that I could turn it down at any time provided I said nothing more about it. After I listened to the details, I accepted and began crash-training the Drakes so they'd be ready for the mission on the first of October.

AM: Did he give you any sort of incentive to undertake the mission?

JD: As a matter of fact, he did. He said if I turned it down, he'd offer the mission to Excalibur Squadron. There's a bit of a friendly rivalry between the two squadrons, you see ...

AM: The same "friendly rivalry" that had your two squadrons' members kicked out of taverns in Wexford, Waterford, and Dublin?

JD: That would be it, yes, ma'am.

AM: I know your time is short, Colonel Duveaux, so I'll try to keep this quick. What can you tell us about what happened during the Tau Ceti raid?

JD: It was more a recon-in-force than a raid. Our main goal was to get information -- doing damage was icing on the cake. One thing I don't mind telling you is, the largest fleetyard in their home system was practically undefended. We did something to piss them off bad, if killing everyone on New Earth wasn't enough to quench their bloodlust.

AM: There were rumors your squadron had sighted Al'Tari in the Tau Ceti system. Is there any truth to that?

JD: No, ma'am, there isn't. My trip to Tau Ceti was not a grand family reunion ... it was one hundred percent business. I hope you'll excuse me, Miss McDonald, but my shuttle for Olympus Mons leaves in five.

AM: Thank you very much for your time, Colonel.

"After our commercial break, we'll take you to the Pearl Harbor Civic Center, where preparations for the recognizition ceremony for Drake Squadron are underway. I'm Allison McDonald with SolarNet News at Noon, and we'll be back after this."