[Briefing Room 7, Vanguard Space Station, Somewhere in the Milky Way]
The briefing room carried the sterile atmosphere of military efficiency, its polished metal surfaces and regulation furniture designed for function rather than comfort. Three figures sat around the central table, their postures reflecting the weight of the conversation that had been building for over an hour.
Commander Cassandra Beaumont sat at the head of the table, her fingers steepled as she reviewed the holographic displays floating above the surface. Her usually composed demeanor showed cracks of strain that hadn't been there when the Vanguard Initiative had launched two months ago. The responsibility of managing humanity's most promising young soldiers was proving more complicated than anyone had anticipated.
