A/N: Hey, I'm Nebby. This is a cursory xcx fic to give some background to anyone who wants to read anything else I write in my primary AU. the tldr of what you need to know is that Cross has a twin sister in this AU- Cross being their surname, the two of them are the protagonists together. They're half Samoan and their given names are Miles and MIcah. This is just a short introduction. I'll post a lot of oneshots about them, I'm sure.

Wakeup Call

Miles was still a little disoriented when they found her.

Elma had cracked him out of a lifepod. He hadn't a clue who he was or where he was at first and he was still in a fog now that they had chased off the blattas crawling over the lifepod partially submerged in a muddy bank of a stream.

It was still the middle of the night. Miles had more of his wits about him now, and things were coming back to him one by one. He murmured them out loud as he remembered them, and occasionally Elma would have him repeat them louder until he was sure of himself. That would help things cement.

Miles Cross, half Samoan(his mother's side). Twenty-seven years old. He was raised in Hawaii by his parents with his twin sister and much younger brother. His father was a Captain in the Coalition Forces.

He didn't remember much more than that right now. His own face was easy to recall, at least, and that was something. Deep tan, dark blue eyes like his dad, and longish, dark, wavy hair. By all accounts he was fairly easy on the eyes, but that wasn't particularly important. He wasn't tall either, resting at only five feet seven inches. But as muscle memory from his military upbringing kicked in, his strong frame had proved more than enough to back Elma up.

The lifepod had a crack in one corner. It was thin, just a splinter. Miles furrowed his brow in concern. He had some engineering knowledge fluttering around loosely in his head(did he have a degree?) that said it probably wasn't in an essential spot. But these were sensitive machines.

"...It seems to be functional, at least." Elma told him as they wiped away some grime to get to the controls.

"Do you think whoever's inside is...you know...?"

"We'll have to see if we can open it and find out." Elma replied to his hoarse question. Her jaw was set grimly as she typed on the keypad. The pod was tilted in its muddy abode and Miles kept a lookout for any other 'indigens,' as Elma called them, while she finished putting in the information to open the pod.

The electronic voice that had woken him up announced the doors would open in a moment and he looked on as they hissed and parted with a rattle. There was a feminine groaning from inside and Elma stepped up to look closer.

"Miles, come here." she said immediately. Blinking, the man stowed his loaned rifle and climbed up the base of the lifepod to look inside.

"Anybody you recognize?" Elma asked, "I only say this because she looks...a lot like you."

Miles wiped wet hair and water out of his face and looked closely. Elma was right. The woman stirring awake inside the pod, jostled free of her original position, was very short, probably not quite five feet. But her frame still appeared athletic- her hair wasn't quite as wavy as his and twice as long, tied into a bun at her neck. Rather than the green marking Miles had under his right eye, three white stars were under her left. And her features were softer and more feminine, but she was otherwise clearly similar to him.

"Micah." He said the name as soon as it splintered its way through his mind. "That's my sister, I think. Twin."

Elma nodded. "Alright, let's test that theory. Micah? Micah Cross?"

Another light groan. This time the woman really properly stirred. Miles' disorientation was still there, but a tunnel vision had him focused on her. Yes, he thought as she raised an arm to cover her opening eyes(vibrant magenta) from the light, that was his sister. He was sure of it now.

"I think so?" was her unsure reply, "I mean, that sounds right."

Elma almost looked exasperated for a moment. "Stasis hangover for you too." She sighed.

Miles reached an arm down. "Mikey." He said. That got a reaction. Not much, but a click of recognition at least, and Micah grabbed his hand. Her grip seemed a little weak, but Miles managed to pull her to her feet and help her out of the pod.

"Miles." Micah tested the name out as they got back onto the ground. "I'm a little out of it...where are we?"

"I hardly remember you." Miles admitted, "Elma seems filled in."

"Oh, ma'am." Micah said, and stood a little straighter. She seemed not to know Elma personally, but to know who she was. Elma only nodded.

"I'll give you the details while we move. Think you can walk on your own?"

"Give me a moment to get my bearings and I think so." Micah returned. Her voice was as small and timid as always, but her determined eyes belied the steadiness she kept during fieldwork as opposed to socializing. Elma nodded.

They let her test her legs out and she did some stretches, and then they were off up the slope on the other bank.

The rain was letting up slowly, and the sky was beginning to lose its dreary night time blackness. Miles thanked whatever powers were out there that whatever they'd be facing now, it would be in the light. And, if nothing else, he and his sister had each other to count on.