"Locus I did not hire you to interrogate respected members of the Chorus colony! Please do show some respect. I knew her mother myself and they were proud supporters of the Feds!" The general stroked his mustache thoughtfully as he stood by the window, observing the soldiers training.
Locus growled and glared at the general's back. "Sir, she could be very well be a spy using your trust to get inside-"
"I'll hear none of that! Donny! See Locus out of here."
The secretary who had been nervously standing by with a stack of papers, squealed and muttered a 'yes, sir' before walking towards Locus, stack still in hand. "I-if you would come this way M-mr. Locus I will escort yoOOU-" Locus pushed past Donny and got closer to the general.
"I will talk to her."
The general slowly turned and looked straight into where he imagined Locus's eyes to be, "If you must. Donny, escort him to the medbay, you will sit in with him and make sure he doesn't do anything disrespectful. And for god's sake man put the papers down!"
Donny hurriedly did as he was told and walked with Locus into the halls. "S-she isn't all that bad you know. We were friends when we were younger, and while honestly I'm afraid she might sided with the rebels if she had the chance… Like her… She's a very good and honest person!"
Locus remained silent and the weak smile Donny had managed on his face faded just as quickly as it surfaced. Locus looked at the secretary and sighed, 'How unfortunate.'
Two weeks ago, Astra Calliope Hitch crash landed on Chorus. The rest of the crew did not survive. It was a small ship, her odds of survival were near impossible. But with the combination of her armor and Dr. Grey's eerily amazing skills, she woke up and recovered steadily. It turned out she used to live on Chorus and was childhood friend's with this secretary and the best and most terrifying doctor on Chorus. Astra was mysteriously was sent away by her father right before the civil war started. She refused to tell Locus a name when he questioned her, and she had this look on her face. A look that said that she knew something.
Locus didn't like that at all, but unlike his partner he wasn't too keen on killing her yet. She could have some useful information if she truly did know something, and she could also be the key to getting closer to the Feds. But until he could properly interrogate her, she was a threat to the mission. The General refused to see it the same way. Of course he didn't know about the mission, but he did believe that the News were trying to send in spies. Or at the very least, Locus was trying to convince him as such so he could talk to this woman.
When he opened the door he saw her and Dr. Grey chatting away, while Hitch seemed a bit reserved Locus could tell she was happy to be talking to the doctor. Why she would be reserved with an old friend was another point of interest, was she hiding something from her as well? Opting to listen in and let them "finish their conversation" Locus got Donny to sit out of sight with him as well.
Dr. Grey had her helmet off and was gesturing excitedly as she talked, "So now that you have made a brilliant recovery, what happened? Why was your ship flying out this far anyway, I thought that you were working at that UNSC Project? I haven't talked to in years! Tell me everything! Any top secret research you are going to tell me about? You are going to tell me right-"
Hitch chuckled, "One question at a time jeez! I may be feeling better, does not mean I can answer your questions any faster when you keep talking."
"No, I will not be telling you the top secret research that we were-"
Dr. Grey cut her gasped and cut her off, "We? Who else were you working with-"
Hitch gave her a tired look, "EMILY PLEASE."
The doctor sighed, "Okay, okay continue."
"As I was saying, I can't tell you what. But yes I was working on Project Freelancer. Sadly I uh… You could say I got kicked off the project. The UNSC then uh, sent me out here with this crew to meet up with a prisoner ship that goes through here sometimes. They wanted me to start doing regular analysis on the inmates." Hitch gave the other woman a weak smile.
Dr. Grey narrowed her eyes, "Huh, I have to wonder, Astra, what you did that got you assigned to something so small compared to the Project."
Hitch gave a nervous chuckle, "Well I was doing well for a while, but I… Might have fraternized with some people on the Project. They thought it was affecting my work which was true… But honestly the whole thing was monopolized by men if y'know what I mean? Everyone on the ship was doing it so I think they were just trying to find any reason to kick me off."
"And you just let them! I always knew you were too soft." She patted Hitch's shoulder, "We'll find you a good job here, and no worries about losing it! I'll fight for you."
"Hehe, thanks Emily. Now, I would like to acknowledge the elephant in the room!" Grey gave her a confused look. "Hiya Donald! Thought you could hide in the corner from me didn't ya? And Locus. Good morning." The difference in her tones when regarding the two men were terrifying. Warm and loving one moment, the next she was cold and curt. Locus brushed it off easily and remained where he was.
Donald on the other hand was ecstatic and rushed over to greet his old friend, "Astra! Oh it's been so long, how are you?" He quickly took off his helmet and gave her a tight hug.
