Aria awoke with a violent gasp, bolting upright. Cold sweat soaked her skin. Tears streamed freely down her face. A sob ripped from her chest before she could stop it.
Rha' jerked awake beside her, instantly alert.
"Are you okay, baby?" he whispered, gently placing a hand on her back.
She shook her head, trembling. "I... I remember it," she whispered. "That last moment before the crash." Her voice cracked. "Everything was shaking... the Pelican started spinning... and George grabbed my hand." Her breath hitched. "The last thing I remember was his voice—he whispered, 'You'll be okay.'"
Her entire body shook as the sobs intensified.
Rha' wrapped his arms around her and eased her back down beside him.
She pressed her face into his chest, crying harder.
"He was sitting right next to me!" she choked out. "How did I make it—and not him?!"
"That is not something anyone can answer, my love," he whispered, holding her tightly.
She cried until exhaustion overtook her again. Eventually, her sobs faded into quiet breathing as she drifted back into sleep.
Rha' stroked her cheek, his expression heavy with worry.
These nightmares are getting worse, he thought. I should speak with Sergeant Peril... I thought they would be fading by now.
⸻
"Is there anything we can do about her nightmares?" Rha' asked as he sat across from Kayla's desk.
Kayla sighed and tapped her datapad. "We can try something... but the data is low grade. Nothing guaranteed, sir."
"I'm willing to try anything," he said quietly. "She hasn't slept through a single night without reliving that moment. She's exhausted. I'm afraid she may not be fit to lead... or even continue to serve."
Kayla shook her head gently. "She just needs time, sir. It's only been a little over a month since she woke up. Trauma like that doesn't just... vanish overnight."
⸻
"Sergeant Peril," the lieutenant began, "Sergeant George Waters' records show he had no surviving family. His entire family was lost during the fall of Reach."
Aria swallowed, eyes on the floor.
"In his will, he left everything to you—his best friend. It also states that you know how he wanted to be laid to rest."
Her eyes closed as the memory resurfaced:
*
She laughed as she tossed a card onto the table. "Okay, okay. Your turn."
George suddenly sobered. "When I die, I want to be cremated. Scatter my ashes in space. I want to become stardust."
She blinked. "That was... kind of creepy."
"What?!"
"The way you got all serious out of nowhere."
He chuckled.
*
Her eyes filled instantly.
"Sergeant?" the lieutenant repeated gently. "Sergeant Peril?"
She swallowed hard, voice trembling. "He wants to be cremated... and have his ashes scattered in space." Her voice broke. "He wants... to become stardust."
She stood abruptly, tears spilling, and left the room before he could speak again.
"Sergeant Peril, we're not—"
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Halo 3: ODST Operation Cup o' Doom
Fanfiction***Mature Content**** **I have heavily updated this story. It needed it! Aria Peril, the lead Sergeant of a ragtag group of ODST wisecracks, has been stuck trying to run a division with no second in command and no officer. Though she does her job we...
