Free to kill

Chapter 1: from what we can remember

Well ladies, i am glad that you have come, i have many questions for you, for one, how was it that you three were part of project freelancer, seeing that you have no military experience at all….

~ The Counselor~

Cali stood in front of the large screen displaying the names and rank of the top Freelancers, she wasn't on the board, then again, she never tried to be on it, and it wasn't why she was here. She turned her head to the side and smiled slightly as she saw Hawaii walk up to her, arms folded across her chest, and a mischievous look on her dark skinned face. they had been together since the beginning, fact was they had been friends since they were in high school, and she was the only one out of three she was willing to work with, the third was her own little sister, Colorado, whom at this time was probably checking over her weapons, and armor. It was just like the girl to go over her things over and over again.

"So, i heard you had to talk to the director," Hawaii said as she leaned on the glass window that kept them from the room behind it.

"Yeah," Cali sighed, she looked down at her helmet and sighed again. "We will be leaving once again, since North and South failed their objective, he won't risk putting them out on another recon mission, so it's up to us," Cali shook her head.

"Really, But didn't they get the information they needed?" Hawaii asked a little pissed off that they get messy seconds.

"Yes, but as i had said before the twins fucked up on the main part, keeping hidden, and since we excel in that, he had asked us to take up the next recon mission," Cali explained as she stood up.

"How did this happen?" she asked.

"What?" asked a familiar voice, it was Colorado, she walked up to the pair and had her hands clasped behind her back, her helmet neatly hung on her belt as she looked at the two, her short black hair now free of the hair tie she normally used while they were out in a battle.

"Oh, hey Ra, i was just asking how it is that we got here, how we became a part of project freelancer," Hawaii said.

"You don't remember? The covenant attacked our home, and we had to defend it from them for days until the UNSC came in and took over," Ra shrugged as she briefly explained what had led to their participation in the project.

"Yeah i know that, but what led to it, i mean, i know that we were fighting till we were relieved, but how were we found?" Hawaii wasn't going to let this go so easily.

"Simple, we were searched out after the director read a file about the battle, remember, we were the 'three women who surprisingly held their own against a squad of covenant fighters, and they weren't just grunts,'" Cali beamed proudly.

"Yeah that was a great day, i mean, when do we get a day where we can kill more than one?" Ra asked.

"Yeah, and then three weeks later we are visited by the Director," Hawaii nodded her head as the memory started to come back.

"He lets us see our husbands, and we join his project, that's how we got here," she smiled then started walking towards her room. "Get some sleep girls, we have woke in the morning," she called out.

The other two sighed deeply, they knew what that meant, a long day of training, and a long night doing recon, or in some case an all-day fight that leads to the death of many and gathering of supplies. Whatever it was they knew that they better listen to her and get some sleep.

Cali walked over to her room and sighed shaking her head and took out the pony tail in her hair, letting the tight bun fall down and curl at the ends. She had long thick black hair, and unlike most women she refused to cut it and instead tied it up, she also pinned her bangs back so that they wouldn't get in the way while she was fighting.

"I have a long day ahead of me," she grumbled as she pushed open her door.

"Hey Cali, i didn't think you would be back so soon."

Cali turned around to see gray and gold armored man, she knew him, not too well, but she remembered him from one of her missions the director sent her to, to see if she could work with others, she could, she just preferred to work with people she knew.

"Wash, your room isn't in this area, what are you doing here?" she asked raising an eyebrow.

"Thought i would come see you, just went through some drama about that stupid board." He rubbed the back of his neck as he awkwardly spoke to the girl he barely knew.

Cali put her hands on her hips, "yeah, i saw that thing, i wondered what it was, then lost all interest," she smiled kindly, normally she wouldn't even try to make friendly conversation, but Wash did save her life, so she made an exception for him.

"You're not going to bash on me for being on that board are you?" he asked raising an eyebrow.

"No i don't think i will, hey, uh, i still owe you that cup of caf so, want to come to the mess with me?" she offered, this was going to be a bit harder then she had thought, her natural skill for talking to people was more than a bit rusty.

"Caf, you mean coffee?" Wash asked. "You hate coffee, and…i can't believe you remembered that bet," he smiled.

"I know i hate coffee, and yes i did say caf," she huffed. "Why wouldn't I remember the bet?" Cali asked as she walked into her room. "Just let me take this armor off, it's really annoying sometimes," she added.

Wash didn't get to say anything, since by the time he opened his mouth she was gone. "I guess I'll wait out here."

Ra walked to her room, she was dead tired, and really wanted to get some sleep, but as her luck proved before, that wasn't going to happen. Bounding from the right of the long gray metallic hall came Hawaii, who still didn't have a nick name for her nick name, which was rather funny to Ra since everyone seemed to be making them up this year, or if they hadn't in the beginning they are now.

"Ra, I'm glad you're not asleep yet," she beamed, she had this weird look on her face that meant no good was about to come.

"Whatever it is i don't want anything to do with it," Ra said before she turned back around to open her door.

"But it's really important!" she began. "Please just hear me out," she begged now pulling out her puppy dog look.

Ra turned her head around once again, and she looked the pleading girl up and down, she was a year older then her, didn't show it, and had medium length wavy black hair, and dark brown eyes. At the moment the girl had found a way to get out of her armor and put on normal clothing in a matter of minutes, maybe seconds since their rooms were closer to each other than they were to Cali. Hawaii was taller than Ra, fact was she was the tallest out of the three, and Cali happened to be the shortest. Ra opened her mouth about to protest, and Hawaii seemed to have figured that out for she began pleading once again. Ra groaned but no matter how hard she tried to look upset or unwilling, she couldn't help but smile, Hawaii always seemed to bring back memories of how life used to be before they joined project freelancer. Hawaii smiled victoriously as she got a reluctant sigh from Ra.

"This better be worth it," Ra said pointing a finger at Hawaii.

"Oh it is Ra…"

"And nothing gay, i don't want a repeat of the last spying that made my eyes burn."

Hawaii giggled, smiling proudly at that fond memory, but the death glare she received from Ra stopped her in her tracks. "Alright, alright, it's nothing like that, in fact i think you would like it," she winked.

"Like i haven't heard that one before," Ra groaned as she began to follow the bouncy girl down the hall towards the hanger