Drawdown Volleyball

(Author's Note: The bracketed dialogue represents Charlotte's internal monologue.)
Nachiketa’s known for many things, civil violence, oppression, and low intensity warfare. The little blue-green orb witnessed all the terrors of the Insurrection and it’s people have endured them for years. But before war burned through its cities and revolution through its people, Nachiketa was a gem of the Outer Colonies. Glittering, crystal clear waters untouched by the machinery of industry. Beaches that entice you to stay. Nothing could diminish Nachiketa’s natural beauty, not even the pair of cruisers perpetually hanging in the skies, not even the Scorpions that cough up smog.
Fansipan’s Diamond Beach is the one everyone flocks to, not even the sternest of ODSTs can resist the call of overpriced drinks on the beach.
The war never happened on Diamond Beach. People stroll the boardwalks, eating banh mi and laughing. Gouts of water splatter against the wood and sand, sea water glimmering as it’s thrown into the air by shirtless soldiers. They call and curse and shout and laugh as a volleyball is spiked into the sand. Others sit on the pier, jeering at their comrades’ poor performance with childish glee.
Perhaps Diamond Beach is too sacred for even the rebels to attack. Or perhaps they simply cannot reach this deeply into the interior of the Nachiketan governmental forces.
For the sake of morale and integration with the local populace, the UNSC has allowed military personnel to spend downtime on these beaches. Nothing like spending a few days at a beachside hotel to refresh a tired soldier.
Charlotte-G036 watches the sunset as the laughing morass of Marines and militia on leave walks by her and Camile-G087. A smile crosses his face and he hands her a pink slip.
“What?”
“For you.”
“Yeah I know, but why? There’s nothing wrong with me Cam.”
“Figured you could use the time off after yesterday.”
[Yesterday, huh? What a mess, Char! What an absolute mess!]
“Think you’re better off with this one, Cam. I don’t know shit ‘bout beaches other than how to storm them.”
[Kinda sad, no?]
Camile smiles and he shoves the pass into her hand, turning to leave.
“You’re a SPARTAN, I’m sure you can puzzle out a way to have fun.”
Charlotte opens her mouth to protest but finds Camile lost in the wave of people. She looks down from her boardwalk perch. Maybe volleyball. Perhaps the Marines will be too drunk, or too cocky to refuse her from the game.
Despite the salt air, the sun bakes down on everyone on Diamond Beach, doubly so in Charlotte’s case as she insists on wearing her fatigues instead of anything more sensible. She swats the ball through the sky, slamming it into the sand at murderous speeds. Her teammates whoop and holler as she leaps through the air with all the grace of an Elephant being flung into the sky. Charlie would be the perfect volleyball player, if only she didn’t spike nearly every single ball out of the court.
[Hey Char, you’re pretty good at this. Wonder if they’ll let play ball for a livin’ instead of brainin’ people.]
She laughs for the first time in in a year before she wipes the sweat and sand off her brow