Halo: Terranova

Chapter 4

“No one fights as hard as someone who thinks they’re saving the world. I can only suppose that when humans started living on different planets, that all got a bit complicated.”-Margaret Parangosky

CHAPTER 4

Terranova, January 13 2554

ONI Frigate Whack a Mole Pelican #20445 Hours

            “Captain, how long’ve we got?” The ride in the Pelican had for the most part been quiet. They loaded up as much of Amy’s equipment as they could fit, ignored angry comments from the other base staff about ‘The Brat’ getting preferred treatment while they were going to be left vulnerable to further attack, and made the best time they could manage toward the coordinates of the field lab. Eagle posed the question not out of real curiosity, but out of some need to continue chatter amongst the group during the tense flight.

            Darion, Emil and James were quiet. All of whom usually talked too much, so he knew better than to feel secure in the quiet. In their long history together, Eagle knew that the worst moments were not when one of the three opened their mouth at the wrong time, but rather when one or more of them had nothing at all to say.

            “This flight track is ridiculous,” Diya’s voice came back, piped through the speakers of the cabin. The pilot’s hatch was sealed, both Diya and Amyra inside. Despite seeming terse with the young doctor, Eagle couldn’t help but notice she’d taken on a vaguely matronly role with their resident researcher. He was certain that whatever feedback the doctor could actually offer, she could have done it from the crew cabin with the rest of them. Diya didn’t seem to take a shine to the notion of the VIP riding in the back seat with the boys.

            That was fine by him. She got on his last nerve, and he typically had quite a few to spare.

            “Explain to me… one more time… why we can’t just fly straight there?” Bishop leaned forward, resting his armored elbows on his armored knees and turning his head from left to right to physically display that he was speaking to both Eagle across from him and Ricochet who was standing near the open troop door.

The Sergeant Major stood with one hand on a safety rung, the other holding his Assault Rifle by the grip. Eagle sighed within his helmet.

Honestly man, there’s nothing to shoot at right now. Sit down.

            Bishop shook his head slightly when he’d looked toward Ricochet, lifting his shoulders and dropping them in a shrug. Eagle imagined the ‘What’s eating him?’ grin on his squadmate’s face, and was glad the sentiment was echoed somewhere.

            Apparently Amyra had begun explaining again in the cockpit---voices came over the speaker, Diya spoke over her, sounding irritated. “Here, Amy. Explain to the fireteam yourself. We’ve got time for a Forerunner physics lesson.”

            “Oh right. So, so do I hold this down?” Put in contrast, Eagle felt as though the Doctor and the Captain couldn’t be more different. Childish, naïve, brilliant and chipper versus gorgeuos, ambitious, commanding and cold respectively. All things considered, he liked Captain Diya a great deal more. Diya was more what he was used to---she was much like almost every other woman he’d served with.

            He was probably much like many men she’d served with too, when he thought about it. With a faint twinge of embarrassment, he pushed away the thought that Amyra was probably a great deal more like what civilians were like.