CHAPTER 7

CORSAIR BARRACKS

VESTIAN OUTPOST, THE REEF

Seja overheard Petra's words as Green spoke to her. My fireteam is here? At last! She was excited, but then she remembered that she was now part of the Awoken people. She couldn't just leave John hanging, she had to tell him everything.

"Maybe he can come by later or-" Green was saying to Petra.

"Green!" Seja whispered.

"Hold on," Green said to Petra before floating over to Seja.

Seja sat up in the bed and looked at Green, clearly not wanting to rest at this moment.

"John is here?" she asked.

"Yep, Heft too," he responded.

"I know I should be resting and all, but I have to talk to John. Tell him everything that has happened since he left to defend the city."

"Hmm. Right."

Green quickly floated back over to the terminal.

"Great, you can come by now," he said.

A few minutes after the terminal call Seja's door opened. John stood there in the doorway with two Corsairs standing next to his sides.

"John!" Seja shouted with joy.

"Seja!" John shouted back, equally as joyful.

The two ran up to each other and hugged. The stood with their arms around each other for about five seconds before Seja stepped away.

"Oh there is so much you need to know," she said.

"Come on," he said, "tell me."

Seja walked back to her bed and sat down. She explained how she arrived on the Reef and became a Corsair. She told him that her duty was now to the Awoken, and that she couldn't return to the city. She had told him everything that had happened since they departed at the Atacama desert.

"So, you're not going to help us retake the city?" John asked, not as excited as before.

"No," she said, "the Awoken come first now. I'm sorry."

"I see."

John stood up from her bed.

"So you can't come back to the fireteam either?" he asked, disappointment filling his voice.

"No."

"Hmm. I understand. I'm a human and my duty is to Earth as you are an Awoken and your duty is to the Reef. We can still be friends though right?"

"Yes. I'll be able to talk to you whenever I'm free. But because these recent 'developments' we're probably going to be away from each other for even longer"

"I know. All I care about is at least being able to stay in touch."

Seja stood back up and hugged him again before he left. Once he was gone she locked her door, and went back to her bed for some much needed rest.