“Somebody’s covering their Ash,…”
Ripley’s inquest related to the Nostromo destruction near LV-426 was comprised of eight individuals on the official board of inquiry. This board consisted of “the feds”, Interstellar Commerce Commission, Colonial Administration, and “insurance company guys”.
“The insurance investigator was possibly the unhappiest member of the board.”
Aliens novelization, page 27.
As seen in the film, Van Leuwen chides Ripley on blowing up the interstellar freighter and then on cue the insurance rep barks out the monetary figures for the equipment lost. The absence of progress in any fashion was not lost on Ripley and it shows in the film as well. The book goes on to describe Ellen Ripley’s realization that she has already lost this argument before the inquiry even started and she just needed to keep quiet to get her pension while her pilot’s license is indefinitely suspended.
“She looked down the length of the table, and now she did grin. ’Somebody’s covering their Ash, and it’s been decided that I’m goin to take the muck for it. Okay, fine. But there’s one thing you can’t change, one fact you can’t doctor away.’
‘Those things exist. You can wipe me out, but you can’t wipe that out. Back on that planet is an alien ship, and on that ship are thousands of eggs. Thousands. Do you understand? Do you have any idea what that implies?”
Aliens novelization, page 31.
In the novelization, Ripley and Dallas were involved personally and professionally.
“Trembling with frustration, she turned to leave the room. As she did so, her eyes fastened on the picture of Dallas that was staring blankly back down from the video screen. Captain Dallas. Friend Dallas. Companion Dallas. Dead Dallas. She strode out angrily.”
Aliens novelization, page 32.
“Despite all the video wizardry the lieutenant could command, none of the individual suit cameras provided a clear picture of what the troops were seeing.”
Year 2179, Aliens novelization, page 142.
Ripley Questioned if Newt saw her mom in the monitor on the APC.
"But she couldn’t have been. If that had been Newt’s mother, the girl would have been beyond catatonia by now. Gone, withdrawn, and unreachable, perhaps forever."
Aliens novelization, page 171.
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