| abstract
| - Descending from the UNSC Charon-class frigate Skywalker, the lone Dropship 77-troop carrier Juliett Two-Six-Six, landed on an airstrip at the New Alexandria Starport. Sitting back in her seat next to the open cargo bay door, Lena Gallo grasped the grip of her MA37 assault rifle, tightly wrapping her slender fingers around it, mid-day sunshine glistening off her deep-tanned skin hands, her agitated state clearly visible to the eight of her fellow Marines and a Orbital Drop Shock Trooper. The trooper leaned over from the opposite side of the bay with a sorrowful expression on his face. "Hey, Marine, you okay?" Lena brushed a dangling curly lock of hair aside and her worried brown eyes slowly wandered from her rifle until they made contact with the trooper; he was of a milk chocolate complexion, had dark brown eyes that spoke true and a clean shaven face with a crew cut. "Oh, sorry, it's just that I've never really liked flying, if humans were meant to fly, we'd grow wings." He chuckled lightly. "I guess you're right..." The trooper unbuckled himself, stood and disembarked the Pelican, and then held out a hand. "But we're far too advanced to go back now." Lena smiled and unbuckled her seat-belt; she stood up, slinging her rifle to her right side, she accepted his hand and stepped off the dropship's ramp. "I'm Aaron by the way. Lance Corporal Aaron Davis." "Lance Corporal Lena , I heard about New Atalia. Shame about Sergeant Olivas." Davis smiled wearily and let go of her hand. "Yeah... New Atalia, bad days, the worst I've seen in my short career." Lena gave him a questionable look as two M831 troop transport Warthogs droved around their Pelican and stopped by the cargo bay. Aaron looked into the bay of the Pelican. "All right, Marines, pile out." He turned back to Lena, "Here's your squad now. But no time for introductions, everybody mount up." The Marines piled into the roll-caged back seats of the Warthogs, casually sitting in the of the back of the troop transports, Lena climbed in the front passenger seat of the Warthog closest to her; when she noticed him not climbing in she raised an eyebrow. "You coming?" "Nah, I got a date with ONI. Apparently, someone requested my presence." Lena lowered her brow. "You could've just said no and left it that." "Talkin' back to a superior? Does this mean we're friends already." "I guess it does... see you later, LT." Lena gestured to the hog's driver, "Let's go." As the Warthogs pulled away, Aaron heard metallic pattering behind him; he simply about-faced and reached up to grab the Pelican's railing to pull himself back in, he saw the pilot standing by the cockpit's door. She was looking intently at a holo-still—an holographic image of a little boy, when she looked up from it, even though her eyes were partially hidden behind the visor of her pilot helmet Aaron could tell it was a remorseful look in her light brown eyes. “Ready to go, Lieutenant?” She asked placing the still in a pocket on her pants. “As I'll ever be, Trejo. As I'll ever be.” Aaron took a seat as Trejo went back to the cockpit. Within a minute the Pelican was up again and the starport faded in the distance. "Someone you left behind?" Aaron asked, trying to sound sympathetic. "Dejon. My nephew.” She called out from cockpit. "You miss him don't you?" "Every single day." "Just think about how you're fighting to keep him out of harm's way, out of the Covenant's reach." "Thanks. You got anyone back home that you miss?" Aaron thought for a moment, then finally said, "Here on Reach, uh, nope." "No brother, no sister... father, mother?." "Got a sister, father and a mother." "But you said there was no one." "Yeah, no one I miss. Sister's annoying, father's a... well, how should I put this delicately—oh yeah, an asshole! And I hardly see my mother. For all I care they could all burn." Moments passed before anyone spoke again. There was a hint of disbelief in her voice. "You're one seriously disturbed Marine, Aaron." Trejo said. He smiled and unsheathed a combat knife from his right boot and wiped the engraved word "Achilles" on it with a piece of cloth. "That's why I'm such good soldier." He flipped it over and read the other side before wiping it, "Hakuna Matata", it said. "Hakuna Matata..." Aaron repeated, "no worries for the rest my days." Aaron wiped it again before placing it back in its sheath and leaning back in his seat. He felt his eyes grow heavy, after all he hadn't slept in over thirty-two hours. Just gonna rest a bit before I get to there. He thought, letting his eyelids scroll over, Just a bit. … … … EPSILON ERIDANI SYSTEM, planet REACH, EPOSZ, TEPES ISLAND. JULY 11th, 2542, 1622HRS … … … Without warning the Pelican shook violently, the jolt jerked Aaron from his blissful sleep. He placed his head in his hand, to calm the headache. "What was that?" "Sorry, I was just trying to wake you." "Mission accomplished, outcome: a goddamn migraine." "Sorry, but we're at your destination, Sword Base." Trejo slowed the Pelican and hovered a meter over the courtyard above the Office of Naval Intelligence's insignia, there was already a welcoming committee, a lone Naval officer. Aaron couldn't make out her face since she was facing away from the dropship and tinkering with a data-pad. "Thanks," He said grabbing his helmet from under his seat. "Thank you for flying Air Trejo. Now get out." Aaron smirked and jumped off the dropship, he waved as Trejo elevated until she was at safe altitude to take off. When she was out of sight he turned his attention on the junior officer staring at him with piercing blue eyes. Aaron clenched his fist when saw her face; Samantha Simmons, the ex-girlfriend that cheated on him was staring him right in the face, he'd rather be surrounded by a horde of Buggers in the middle circle of the seventh level of Hell than to see her again. Bitch. He thought, he even let himself consider saying it aloud but he abandoned the idea. "Sam." He said aloud, although flatly. "Madison." She said, trying to provoke him, knowing he hated when anyone called him by his middle name. "Listen, apparently someone named Doctor Halsey called my father about me, you going to take me to her or what?" He demanded, trying almost unsuccessfully to keep his voice calm and unwavered. She rolled her eyes. "Follow me." He fell into step behind her trying to resist the appeal of striking her upside the head with his helmet. He chuckled lightly at the thought and headed into the elevator as two Army troopers stepped in behind him. When the doors closed the elevator slowly began its descent. Aaron leaned against the wall in the back of the elevator. "So... how's Phillips?" Samantha didn't bother turning or to hide the bitterness in her tone. "If you mean Jason, he's fine." "Still taking peoples' girlfriends behind their back?" She turned. "You still being an asshole." Aaron's voice rose slightly. "You still a bitch? Oh, wait you just gave me the answer: yes!" One of the soldiers coughed and silence ensued in the compact lift. The remainder of the ride went in quiet bliss; Samantha seemed to regain herself and the appearance of irritation disappeared all together from both her and Aaron's faces when the doors opened. She led the group down several corridors and rooms until she came to blast door with ONI's symbol on it. She pulled out a key-card, swiped it on the pad next to the door and entered a four-digit pass code. Aaron watched her do it, but kept silent. Two-two-zero-three. He memorized. The door slid open and the party entered the nearly empty room, several Army troopers stood posted; Simmons bypassed them and opened a hidden door in the wall. … … …
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