Ya'll might not think that being knocked out can induce dreams as vivid as these but let me tell you, no man can take a hit like that and not meet an aspect of God. Don't believe me? Well for one, time passes like it does through black hole event horizons, wormholes, and slip space in deep sleep. Dreams have something of majesty about them. They're numinous in their feeling, ambivalent in their meaning and when a man's mind is open to it, controllable and lucid.

It wasn't a lucid dream that I found myself in when I crunched my head into the safety glass at the other end of the bridge. No, it was a memory. A memory of a Christmas that had long since passed.

…

"Get up, creature." the guard chuckled, his tone jovial in spite of his words.

I blinked and yawned. "Anderson, I swear to god, it wasn't funny the first time and it won't be funny the next time." I said, my throat panged with tangy morning breath and I winced as I thought of someone noticing.

"Hey, man, just following orders. Big man upstairs wants you begging for release next time he sees you."

I rolled my joints, listening for the familiar 'click' that they made, which unsettled most people so easily. "The only person begging for release will be you if you keep it up." I said, dryly, "It's been god knows how long and you don't seem any more jaded than the day I met you."

"Why would I be jaded?" Anderson replied, pushing a clean set of clothes through the hole in the door.

"You work in a prison."

"You see any one here tryna kill me?" he asked, spreading his arms and turning to face the rest of the prison, "you're all low risk traitors, ain't no one in here got any interest in shooting, stabbing or otherwise harming me. I'll thank whatever sky man did me that favour by remaining grateful and optimistic even in times of duress."

I scowled, stripping off without a care in the world. Living in a commune was a lot like prison, privacy had to be sought out and treasured, it wasn't freely given. "I want to kill you." I said, shrugging.

"Exception that proves the rule my friend."

"How am I a traitor to a state I never consented to join anyways? There's a world of difference between sedition and treason."

"Maybe to you, buddy."

I zipped up the prison jumpsuit and stretched, "It's not even the right damn crime, I was a pirate I wanted to fly the skies and make money, not topple an intergalactic fascist empire."

"Ar, ye be very naughty" Anderson said, waving two more guards over, "ye spaced a man out the airlock, er plank, fer…" he trailed off.

I laughed, "yeah, nailed it."

"Shut up and face the wall, you know the drill."

"Yeah, yeah" I said, sinking to the floor. The clear Perspex door unlatched with a heavy clunk and multiple mechanical clicks before swinging open like a vault.

"Good lad," he chuckled, "much easier than when we met, don't you think?"

I remembered and cringed a little. It had been pointless to lash out but it had been my nature for so long. These long months and years had softened me a little, I was too tired of fighting back to put much stock in rebellion. Age had a way of grinding you down like that I suppose.

"Fewer black eyes for all involved."

"Tell me about it. Still, your good behaviour has earned a little charitability, it seems." he replied as the guard's slapped shackles on me and hauled me to my feet. I was spun in place and blinked, the movement was a bit much after being so recently woken up. He looked at me like I was stupid or something then smiled.

"Charity?" I scoffed, "ya'll wouldn't know charity if it was the name of one of those strippers you smuggle into the staffroom."

"Her name is Destiny and she's actually very sweet" he replied, unfazed by my jeering. "Seriously though, you should probably behave, you've got a visitor."

"Has Harper come to gloat again?"

"What? He does that?"

"No, I just like to pretend that I keep him up at night."

"Oh, well, no. It's someone else, they arrived in secret about an hour ago, I only just found out."

I followed him along the corridor, blinking as my eyes adjusted to the brilliant white halls of the prison, "so you gonna tell me who's come to make my life miserable or you just gonna dance around the point like you usually do."

He turned around but continued to walk, "I'll dance around it to annoy you but this time I really don't know the details."

"Great." I whined, if the warden was in the dark, what hope did I have of a happy ending? It was probably an execution squad or something like that.

"Look on the bright side, you might actually get out of here before me after all."

"When I made that bet, I was drunk on tequila lifted from your office."

Anderson turned back around with a shrug, "yeah that long without a drink turned you into a real lightweight."

"Drunk or not, I was talking about escaping, not leaving in a body bag."

Anderson laughed as we turned a corner and stepped into the staff area. It was space grey, like the inside of a ship and much kinder on the eyes. "Please, you don't think we have on-site facilities for accidents involving firing squads."

A shiver ran up my spine, then. It was too real a possibility to play off as a joke.

"Anyway…" Anderson said, stopping at a side door, "they'll meet you here. Head on in and enjoy your meal."

"Right…" I said, watching them turn to leave.

"Oh, and Aurelian?"

"What?"

"Merry Christmas" he said, grinning.

I frowned as he left, the two guards watched me as I turned the lock and watched the door swing open. It was an office, cleared of all personal belongings and decked out in meagre decorations. A particularly depressing ring of tinsel ran around the ceiling and the desk was covered in a paper table topper along with a prison mug filled with something that was probably wine. I took a seat and looked at the miserable excuse for a meal in front of me. Turkey, boiled potatoes, no trimmings, soggy broccoli and gravy that had more of a resemblance to gruel than gravy.

I began to eat, happy at least to have a break from the monotony of the prison's rigid meal plans. I was about halfway through when they door unlocked and an elderly woman shuffled in.

"Hello." she said, her eyes serious and sharp.

"Can I help you?" I asked, covering my mouth with my hand as I chewed.

She chuckled, "possibly," she said, taking a seat. "I'm looking for opportunities."

"You me both, lady." I said, chewing on potato. "But I get the feeling you ain't gonna offer me a clean rap sheet and early release."

"I have something better." she replied, a thin smile playing on her lips.

I raised a brow at that, it reeked of bullcrap to me but I've always had a curious streak, "I doubt that" I said, challenging her to play her hand.

"Oh, you should. A smart man is a man who doesn't trust me."

I groaned and leaned back, "You're a goddamn Spook." I said, wishing I hadn't taken her food.

"I'm the Spook." she said, resting her hands on top of her walking cane, "and I need a way to unsettle a certain Admiral that I heard you upset."

"Aw, nah, I ain't pissing him off no more. I already landed myself here on his recommendation, not a bear I'm ever gonna poke again."

She smiled, savagely now. "I didn't take you for a coward when I read your file."

"If you read my file, you know how big a sentence, he slapped me with. He really doesn't like me."

"Well, lucky for you, I'm the one person in the Orion Arm that Joseph Harper can't touch."

"Somehow I doubt that," I said, leaning back in the chair, "who are you, anyway?"

"Someone who wants to put you back at the helm of a Frigate."

That got me.

"I'm listening."

"I thought you might." she said, sighing, "people can be painfully predictable. Alright, then, I'll give it to you straight. We're losing this war, Aurelian." she held up a hand, pre-emptively silencing my scoff, "We're too far along to let pilots like yourself sit unused and idle in prisons because of one Fleet Admirals bruised ego. What I need is an officer I can use in any capacity, loyal to me and only me."

"That kind of loyalty ain't bought, lady."

"No one understands that better than I, Aurelian. Which is why we will be getting to know each other very well in the coming months."

"Well, I haven't said yes yet," I said, folding my arms.

She laughed loudly, it pierced the air and soured the taste in my mouth. "Please, you said yes the moment I said you could fly again. You live and breathe space flight, Aurelian. It's the one thing that might temper your rebellious streak."

I couldn't exactly argue with that and I let out a sigh, shaking my head. "What's the catch?"

"I need you trained and reliable. I also need you in the system."

I groaned again, "back to school?"

"Luna Naval Academy. Admiral Harper's granddaughter is attending as well, if you wanted to know. She's caused him quite a few problems."

"Now, ain't that a thing. I s'pose I can put up with that."

"You're not going as a formality, you'll be going to prove you can be a part of a crew." and then, for emphasis she leaned forward, "a UNSC crew."

"You wanna make a believer out of me, you're preaching to the wrong man. UNSC and politics ain't never meant a damn thing to me. I'm a colony kid."

"A glassed colony." she said firmly, "this war is about far more than politics, Aurelian, you'll learn that at the academy. Hold onto the human cost of this war and you'll see why our work is so important."

"I'll take your word for it, and after that?"

"You'll work for ONI."

"You're a really shit Santa, you know that, right?"

"Not the first time I've been told something like that" She replied, chuckling.

Just my luck, I guess. Merry Christmas, Ollie, might be the last you ever see.

I grinned back, "screw it, I'm in."

"Good," she said, offering her hand, "I'm Parangosky, it'll be a pleasure, I'm sure."

Merry Christmas guys!