Buckle Up

Previous: Thankless Job
21:05, 1 NOVEMBER 2552 \ UNSC BOREALIS, SLIPSPACE TRAVEL EN ROUTE TO DEEP SPACE TRANSFER STATION EPSILON-9.
“Can you extend your arm for me, one more time?” Kendal’s eyes never left those of the medical technician, who certainly did not wish to reciprocate her curious gaze. “I know it’s tedious, but it’s standard procedure. Even for Spartans, we’ve got to make sure you’re in peak condition before returning to combat. Which,” he finished typing into a data-pad, “you appear to be. You’re all good to go.” “Got it. Thanks doctor!”
The SPARTAN, barely thirteen years old, continued to stare as the young technician turned and disappeared behind a metal door. “Someone’s got a… fixation” said the voice to her left, a stable of the reality she was drifting away from. “Dami, I do not! I was trying to read his data pad…”“Oh, so somebody’s looking for an arrest warrant instead?”She turned to the SPARTAN: Damian-G177, Fireteam Bayonet’s sharpshooter. He raised a light brown eyebrow, not quite in approval of his smaller teammate. “Listen, it’s not… TECHNICALLY illegal. It’s my own medical information! I just think all these tests are unnecessary- I crashed a ship! That’s it! Big deal, keep me here for… how many visits?”“Just three. You didn’t seem to be complaining when the doctor came in.”“Alright, be quiet…” she stood up, reaching for her own personal TACPAD. “Let’s go find Abby.”
As the pair exited the medbay and walked the halls of the Borealis, Kendal observed the men and women around them: civilians, dressed in cotton and some loosely fitted fabrics. Refugees from Novi Hrvatska, just one of a long list of planets lost to the alien Covenant. She moved past a man twice her age, feeling his hair brush her shoulder. Though she could empathize with them, she hardly knew their pain: she was not particularly close with her parents, which was a loss she only mourned long after the Covenant destroyed her home station. Between the loss of her digitized caretaker and the machines of an ancestral enterprise, she enlisted in the SPARTAN-III program to learn about the technology surrounding her more than anything else. Still, she held some resentment for humankind’s common enemy, though she hadn’t let them be her main focus in the military.
“So, datapad?” Damian glanced at the small, rectangular object.“Oh, it’s… not much so far.”“So far… have you been writing a journal?”“No, just keeping track of all our operations. It’s more like a log of our daily lives- sure, it’s a journal.”“Maybe you can make it a memoir when this is all over. I’d read it.” Kendal glanced at her teammate and started to laugh as he opened the door to the common room.
----“Impressive performance today, Spartan. You saved a lot of lives, and had some pretty quick thinking down at the strip mall.”“Thank you Admiral Collins,” said Allan from behind a collection of antique objects. “We tried our best to save the Marines stationed there, too, but despite our efforts…”“I understand. Sadly, we can’t save everyone. And to get it out of the way, you also caused quite a bit of property damage, too.”“Yes, ma’am. We didn’t mean to crash the dropship and I shouldn’t have allowed my engineering specialist to suffer injuries because of that…”“I’m joking, Spartan. Not much point in counting property damage when the whole damn world is up in flames… but we’re all fighting as best as we can. And Spartan Kendal is fine, you all did good today.”“Thank you, ma’am.”
The admiral stood up and looked out the window, absentmindedly scrolling through a series of reports.
“The Covenant have discovered Sol. After dropping the refugees off at the transfer station and refueling, the Borealis will be off to defend the system. We are giving it our best efforts to stop them- practically half your company is already on the ground- but it is an uphill battle. Pretty much nowhere is safe- they’ve already broken down our defenses around Mars and Earth.” The admiral sighed, then caught her breath. “Earth speaks for itself but the Covenant are planning something big on Mars. The army tried to hold them off, but now there’s nothing to stop a big offensive. And that, Spartan… is a major problem.” Allan stood at attention, matching the admiral’s gaze. “So, I’m sending you. There is exactly one slipspace-capable drop ship onboard the 'Borealis' and as soon as we get to that station you will take it to Mars. I’ve already informed the hangar crew and the coordinates are on the ship.”
“I am honored, ma’am. But with all due respect, aren’t there currently SPARTAN-II operatives in the system? Why pick us?”
The admiral paused and looked Allan in the eye.
“Because you’ve already proven yourself as a competent unit. You’re dismissed now, Spartan. Go prepare your team.”
----“There you two are!” exclaimed Abby, shuffling rations into Kendal’s arms.“So many damn civvies here, nobody notices if I take a little extra” she winked, a lock of golden hair falling in front of a brown eye.“It really is a shame… I hope we find a way to stop the Covenant before any more lives are lost…” Kendal stared at the bitter ‘chocolate’ in her hands.
“We will” spoke a man from behind her. In absence of a visual identifier, Kendal deciphered the firm voice: Gavin-G100, Fireteam Bayonet’s second-in-command. “Whether it’s designing a superweapon,” he nudged Kendal, “or putting a bullet through their skull… we will prevail.”"Hell yeah! Let’s see what Earth has to say in a few days…” the SPARTANs all turned to Abby.“Out of line, Spartan…” Gavin spoke.“Oh, sorry, sir…” she retorted in a mocking tone.“You will not speak to me that way, I-”
The door to the common room opened, revealing Allan. “Oh- uhm, at ease?” 
“Gavin is pulling rank again!”“Aren’t you equal?”“Sorry,” muttered Gavin, “I- ugh. Grow up.”
“Got an announcement?” asked Damian, observing the notification on Allan’s data pad.“Right, SPARTANs. Admiral Collins is impressed with our performance. She entrusted us with a special operation and we’ll depart as soon as we dock at Epsilon-9.” He scanned the SPARTANs sitting down. “Good, everyone is here. Glad to see you doing well, Kendal. Right, we have about an hour before we deploy, so... get ready.”“Hey, Al, you never mentioned where we’re going exactly?”Allan rolled his eyes, turning to address Abby.“Buckle up, we’re going to Mars.”
Damian turned to Kendal, smiling as she began a new entry in her datapad.
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