ROBIN STARK // iron man 1 a.u

Chapter 4

They say nothing lasts forever,
But they ain't seen us together,
Or the way the moonlight dances in your eyes.

 • • •

"First Lieutenant Robin Stark, you were an outstanding student in the Academy, good disciplinary since military training, got your license as a pilot with one year of training, and only after three months of that, you were deployed to your first mission in Afghanistan. Is that correct?"

"Yes, sir. They're correct," Robin answered sternly as she faced the judge on the highest chair in the room. She was aware that all eyes are on them and though she was self-conscious, but that's just a human automatic reaction whenever everyone got her attention.

"Your were a private, but Captain Hall your commander at the time, suggested Colonel Moore to promote you to Staff Sergeant regarding your braveness during your service in Afghanistan. Tell me what you've done there, Lieutenant. If you could entertain us."

"Well," she gulped. She doesn't have to hse all her energy to remember what happened back in Afghanistan because her memory remembers all of them, but that doesn't mean she wants to remember. All of them. "My squadron and I–"

"Your squadron?"

"Yes, my squadron. There were around six of us, two were my classmates from the Academy – Private Peters and Private Jones. Our platoon leader was wounded, got hit on his shoulder when we were holding the lines from the enemies. Nobody knew what to do so I told my friends that we needed to get him into safety, call the medic, cover fire for them."

"You made that decision when no one ordered you to?"

"Our platoon leader was hit, sir, and he's the only officer in our platoon after our XO was KIA, so I had to do what I had to do."

"You wanted a rank."

"No, sir, I promise that was not my intention." There was a pause.

"Then, what was your intention, Lieutenant? Come on, cheer us up. We've been here all morning and waited you for an hour for this hearing. You better make that up."

Robin took a deep breath. Her patience went thin. "To keep my platoon leader and friends safe, sir. That's all."

The Judge's eyes blinks a few tines, as if bored to be here in the courtroom for her hearing. "When you got back to America, you were officially promoted as Staff Sergeant. You undergone another military training and a few officer candidate classes before getting deployed again, but to a different country."

The images of what happened in Iraq flashed behind her eyes and it took her a few seconds to answer the Judge. "Iraq, sir."

"What happened in Iraq, Lieutenant? I heard that two of your comrades died there. You were assigned as their platoon leader and according to your report, they died getting hit by heavy artillery while escorting the civilians into safety."

"That was, indeed, correct, sir. Though I wished I could turn back the time to re-order them to stay put a little longer if I had known there was a guided missile coming in their way. Private James and Sergeant Daniel were two of good men I knew."

The General sighed heavily as he watched Robin standing behind the podium, tall and proud as he know her. She is one of the best soldier he had in the US Air Force. A good person, as well, but how can he be in the courtroom for her hearing?

"Look, Lieutenant, I don't think we need to re-read and ask you questions about your background, is that right? Every one of us here know how good of a soldier you are. Your reports that came were nothing, but genuine about your missions as well as your unit that you act as their drill instructor. You sat in an officer's class for six months and graduated as as Second Lieutenant almost two years ago. You produced many good men in combat, following your own footsteps, but tell me, Lieutenant, what brought you here into this hearing?"