A Counter-Offer

The screen turned off.   ”Please tell,” the woman seated in the center of the horseshoe asked of the man seated across at the table facing her. The plaque before her read Senator Amelia Walker, R, Florida. “Valiant, how do you excuse any of this?” She used the remote she held to point to the screen they had all just watched.   The man she addressed, Valiant, was dressed in an armor that resembled a high-tech version of a medieval full plate. “Senator Walker.” His voice was deep, with a slight digital distortion. “I would never seek to excuse what took place in Jacksonville. The fact that either of those team leaders allowed the fight to grow out of control to the point where what happened happened is unforgivable.”   The woman smiled. “I am glad that we agree on this, at least.”   ”But,” Valiant said, “your response to the incident is out of proportion.”