Seizure Part 11: Just Desserts

	Cookie usually smiled when he wore his dress uniform. It was a chance for him to wear
his Medal of Honor, and he loved rubbing the idea of a chef with the highest award available in
the fleet in the face of his superior officers.
	He wasn't smiling now.
	He was the last person to arrive at the banquet in honor of the Normandy crew. The room
was set for the full compliment of 172, plus fifty seats for the crews of the three outposts
they had evacuated. Of the 222 seats 73 were empty for the crewmembers that had made the
ultimate sacrifice in battle.
	The tables were arranged so departments sat together. The tables closest to the door
were filled with the enlisted personnel. As he got closer to the front he passed the tables for
Gamma Squadron and Sierra-Three Platoon. He saw Second Lieutenant O'Connor and smiled. He was
sure she had been put on the promotion fast track for her actions. She returned it for a moment
before shyly looking away.
	He passed by the table with medical personnel where is mess staff was seated. He smiled
at them, and nodded his head. He did not move to join them. 
	As Cookie made his way to the front of the room, clearly headed for the Captain's table,
the eyes of his shipmates began to follow him. By the time he was standing behind Ensign Renek
Thorist everyone was watching him. Everyone except Thorist, who kept his eyes on the still empty
plate in front of him.
	"Stand at attention, Ensign." Cookie made sure he was loud enough to be heard throughout
the room.
	Renek chuckled. "You passed your seat, Lieutenant."
	"I said stand at attention, Ensign. That is an order."
	Renek slowly rose. "You're only making a fool out of yourself, Chief of the Mess
Macchia."
	"Why are you sitting here, Ensign?
	"The ships Intelligence Officer sits at the captain's table. The Chief of the Mess sits
with his staff at the medical table."
	"You're right, the ships intelligence officer sits with the ship's captain. So I have to
ask you, Ensign, why are you in my seat?"
	Renek could not control himself. He turned and examined Cookie. His promotion to full
lieutenant was immediately obvious. Next he saw the medals Cookie had received earlier that day,
the Victoria Cross, the highest award the Fleet could give, a Combat Readiness Badge and a
Purple Heart amidst his older medals. Much of the crew were wearing new medals. Thorist was not
among them.
	His eyes then fixed on another new feature of Cookie's uniform, the pilot's wings.
Somehow Cookie had gotten himself reinstated as an active pilot. He lifted his head to look
Cookie in the eye and then saw Cookie's specialty mark. Cookie had on the gold crossed pot and
pan, sign he was assigned to the mess, in gold because he was the chief. He also had on the
all-seeing eye, sign of the intelligence branch. It was also in gold.
	Renek finally looked Cookie in the eye. "What happened?"


What Happened Earlier . . .

	Cookie stood in line with the other survivors of what was being called The Normandy
Incident. Admirals Winfield and Kirwan were present, as was the captain of each of the six
ExoCarriers. Other flag officers were present. 
	Admiral Winfield started with the Captain of the Normandy, Adrian Henry. "Excellent
work, Captain Henry." They shook hands and Henry thanked him for the kind words. That the
Captain was not being given any medal or recognition from the incident was a sign that the
admirals were not too happy with him at the moment.
	Winfield walked to Commander Jonathan Xanatos. Xanatos still had a sling on, so they
skipped the handshake. Winfield pinned a Purple Heart onto Xanatos.
	Next in line was Lieutenant Commander William Hagen. He was given a Meritorious Service
Medal, a Combat Readiness Medal, and a Combat Star. Combat Stars were normally awarded to
officers in command of ships in combat. Since he was the highest-ranking officer for most of the
Incident, he was being acknowledged for it.
	Chief Engineer Amy Hiatt was given a Combat Readiness badge and a Meritorious Service
Medal. Chief Medical Officer Lieutenant Doctor Karen Rhodes was given a Meritorious Service
Medal. Chief Security Officer Rick Konig was given a Combat Readiness Badge and a Bronze Star.
Science Officer Rothland was given a Purple Heart, but not for any injury suffered during the
Incident, but for the wound Cookie had given him on Outpost 14. The record stated he was
accidentally injured during the rushed evacuation.
	Cookie was next. He shook the admiral's hand and bowed to allow him to remove his rank
insignia. Winfield replaced them with the twin silver bars of a full lieutenant.
"Congratulations on your promotion, Lieutenant."
	"Thank you, Admiral."
	Admiral Winfield went on to give him his three medals. When he gave him the Victoria
Cross, he announced that the medal was temporary, as Cookie's actions would see him nominated
for the Homeworld's Congress Medal of Honor once that body was restored to power. Cookie did not
want another Medal of Honor, he felt he had only done his duty, but the decision was not up to
him. 
	Next in line was Ensign Thorist, who was awarded nothing. Fleet command thought he had
spent the entire battle hiding in his quarters and was responsible for the incident for failing
to tell Captain Henry about Cookie's encounter with the frigate.
	After Thorist was the first gap in the line, the one for Ensign Albert Swenson, the
ship's records officer. Winfield laid his awards on the ground where the Ensign would have
stood. A Purple Heart and a Combat Readiness Badge lay waiting for an officer who would never
claim them.
	After the ship's officers came Gamma Squad. Commander Hobbes got nothing but a
handshake. First Lieutenant O'Muirdagh was given a Purple Heart for his injured arm and a Bronze
Star for his actions. O'Muirdagh was uncomfortable taking the medals. Dr. Rhodes had been unable
to look him in the eye since his operation. All he knew was that his medical record said his arm
was only twenty-three percent artificial and he was still a combat pilot.
	Lieutenant O'Connor was awarded the Cross of Merit and a Combat Squadron Command Badge.
They made her feel rather awkward since she lost half her squad.

	Admiral Winfield moved down the line. Most enlisted personnel were bumped up a grade;
Field Sergeant Mclean was promoted from staff sergeant to sergeant first class. She would still
be called field sergeant in recognition of her position in an active combat squad. Trooper
Nicole Montgomery became Trooper First Class Nicole Montgomery. Both of them were awarded a
Meritorious Service Medal. Specialist Alain Vouriot was given a Meritorious Service Medal and a
Life Saving Medal and promoted to Chief Specialist. Privates Coldworth and Dyvin were both made
Private First Class and awarded the Exceptional Service Medal, the third highest award behind
the Medal of Honor and the Victoria Cross, and a Space Combat Badge, an award given only to
those who have fought in space in an e-frame or exofighter. Dyvin also received a Purple Heart.
The rest of the jumptroops were given Combat Readiness Badges.
	Petty Officer 3rd Class Marcy Sparkin was promoted, awarded the Exceptional Service
Medal, a Space Combat Badge and a Purple Heart.
	The ceremony took over an hour. In the end three people were recommended for the Medal
of Honor, Cookie, Commander Tomlinson and Trooper First Class Jim Ragu. The only reason Cookie
was on the list is he was technically not a pilot at the time of the Incident and his
willingness to sacrifice his life. In Cookie's mind both of them were part of his regular duty.
	Five people received the Victoria Cross, all of the above in lieu of the Medal of Honor
they were recommended for and Lieutenant Frank Richardson and Tech Sergeant Jeanne Malraux, both
of whom had flown in Kristin's suicide squad while suffering injuries.
	Almost everyone involved in any combat was awarded a Combat Readiness Badge or
Meritorious Service Medal.
	When the ceremony concluded Admiral Winfield called Captain Henry, Commander Xanatos,
Colonel Richter, Captain Reynosa, Captain Fillmore and Lieutenant Macchia to join him. "I'd like
to speak to all of you in private."

	In the Admiral's briefing room on Io base Winfield began by commending the three base
commanders on their excellent work while isolated and gathering intelligence on the Neosapien
fleet. He dismissed them with his thanks.
	He then turned on Captain Henry. "Adrian, how could you let the Neos get your ship? If
it wasn't for the fact that this was our first unqualified victory in this war we would have
tried to cover this incident up."
	"They caught us unprepared, Admiral. We were caught with our pants down and didn't
recover until they had the ship."
	"That's no excuse. The Normandy is one of our most advanced ships. We can't let the Neos
get a hold of her. If it wasn't for the actions of Lieutenants Macchia and Konig and Lieutenant
Commander Hagen they would have her in dock by now and be torturing information out of you and
your crew."
	"With all due respect, Admiral, they already have the plans for the Normandy and all our
ships. That is how they knew right where to hit us to knock power out in one shot."
	"You make a good point, Captain, but they could have gained invaluable intelligence from
your computers and your crew. You're a good captain, but you made a mistake and it nearly turned
your second command into your last. Part of the blame lies with your intelligence officer for
failing to inform you of the presence of the frigate. One of your officers failed in his duty."
	"Yes, sir. I intend to take that up with Ensign Thorist at my first opportunity."
	"No, Captain. I have something else in mind. You and Commander Xanatos are dismissed."
	They saluted and left.
	Alone with Cookie, who had served as his personal chef during the latter's time on the
Resolute, Admiral Winfield visibly relaxed.
	"You didn't do me any favors by chewing my captain out in front of me."
	"Sorry about that, Cookie. I do owe you something to make up for that."
	"You could put me back on the flight roster."
	"I wish I could, but I can't get Kirwan and Marcus to agree with me to waive the
artificial limb limitation. But I have thought of a way around it."
	"Sir?"
	"Why are you a chef? You have more marksmanship badges than most snipers and more
hand-to-hand combat badges than most security officers."
"It comes from having a lot of spare time on an asteroid outpost and a Lagrange point outpost."
	"Yes, but you also are skilled with electronics, and other equipment."
	"Lots and lots of free time, sir."
	"What I am trying to say is that you are not doing the most you can for the fleet."
	"No, Admiral, I'm not. The fleet won't let me."
	"Perhaps we can change that. If you were to take over as the Normandy's new intelligence
officer I could put you down to fly intelligence gathering missions. If you just happen to need
to gather intelligence during a firefight, well, I suppose there is nothing Kirwan or Marcus can
do about that."
	"But the requirement . . ."
	"Clearly states pilots with artificial limbs are not allowed on the combat roster. It
says nothing about piloting shuttles, transports or intelligence missions. There is nothing
anyone can do to stop you."
	"Thank you, Admiral." Cookie was beaming. His smile was wider than it had been since the
time he was joking with Amber Squad before the Battle of the Belt.
"There is something I need from you."
	"What, sir?"
"Kirwan is too good an intelligence officer to have missed something as big as a Neosapien
uprising. He never tried to override Marcus when he returned the fleet to Earth piecemeal. I
suspect he is planning something, but I don't know what."
	"You want me to spy on him?"
	"Not exactly. I want you to make sure that all intelligence gets to me in an unfiltered
format. As intelligence officer on one of our best ships for gathering intelligence you'll be in
a position to do just that. That and I know Kirwan likes you. You were an agent of his, weren't
you?"
	"Yes, I was. He wants me back. You'll be taking one of his biggest pieces of leverage
against me away from him. He might not react well to that."
	"Perhaps, but he won't do anything rash. Maybe he'll try and turn it to his advantage."
	"Definitely, Admiral. Definitely." Cookie looked Admiral Winfield in the eye. "Admiral,
I officially accept the post of intelligence officer aboard the EFS Normandy."
	"Thank you, Lieutenant. And good luck." Admiral Winfield handed him a pair of silver
pilot's wings and a gold intelligence specialty mark. He put them on his uniform, saluted, and
asked for permission to be dismissed.
	"Granted, Lieutenant."

	In the hall Cookie saw a familiar face walking towards him. "DeLeon! How are you doing?"
	Alec DeLeon smiled and hurried to greet his old friend. "Great. Still going by Cookie?"
	"Yes, though I am thinking of going back,"
	"Need me to write a new worm to put everything back?"
	"Not yet. Haven't made up my mind yet. Winfield reassigned me to intelligence and put me
on the flight roster to fly intel missions."
	"Congratulations. Have you met Lieutenant Marsh? JT meet Cookie. I served with him
briefly on the Vigilant. I was transferred off just before the Battle of the Belt, where he won
that Medal of Honor."
	"I've heard about you."
	"And I you, Lieutenant. Glad that trial worked out for you. We need all the pilots we
can get, and from what I hear you're one of the best."
	"Not crazy enough to take on a pirate flagship on my own while injured. And call me JT."
	"Call me Cookie. I have to go attend a banquet in honor of my fallen comrades. I'm sure
we'll meet again." He nodded to them and walked away.

	Which lead to this moment, Cookie standing behind Renek and embarrassing him in front of
the entire crew.
	"I say again, Ensign, you are in my seat. As of this moment you are reassigned as the
Normandy's records officer. Please move to your proper seat."
	Renek looked at the record's officer seat. It was empty with the medals Swenson had been
awarded on the plate. "I can't sit in a dead man's seat."
	"Then take mine."
	"And sit with the cooks?"
	"Yes. And don't worry about them poisoning your food for that insult you just dealt
them. I am still chief of the mess and you're on quick meals until I say otherwise."
	Renek slunk away to the medical table. 
	"Oh, and Ensign, remove your gold specialty mark, you are no longer in charge of
intelligence on the Normandy."
	Cookie sat down. Most of the room was smiling at him. Thorist had never made any friends
and they all enjoyed seeing him chewed out publicly.
	"You didn't make any friends there," the Captain commented.
	"I think I did, sir. I just made one enemy in the process."
	"True enough."
	"And Captain."
	"Yes?"
	"Under fleet regulations I am now fourth in command. I'll be taking the two-hour command
shift."
	"Oh, thank goodness," Chief Konig looked relieved. "The midnight command shift was
killing me."
	"I'll update the duty roster, Lieutenant." Captain Henry was smiling at Rick's relief.
	Cookie smiled at Rick. "Thank whoever decided the chain of command should be decided by
post instead of time in grade, Rick. I'm not looking forward to being chief of the mess, chief
intelligence officer and having a two-hour command shift."
	The serving of the meal interrupted the conversation.
	When it was done all Cookie could think was that he could have prepared a much better
meal.