Run idiot. Run!

I wanted to. I really wanted to; fear was keeping me locked in place, my brow moistened in the suit as my breath ran hot. I couldn't see it from here, only the communication on the radio and the low throb on my muscles gave me any sensation. The SPARTANs calmly spoke with each other, their voices like a spring stream as they spoke nonchalantly about the fleet of spirits bearing down upon them.

"Got a squad of them, moving in standard formation." Mike noted, "remember, don't shoot, slip space hates shooting."

It seemed odd that slip space could ever want anything, let alone hate it. I don't think it works like that; as a spirit fired its cannon though, my thoughts changed. I could see plasma clipping through space, jittering and stammering like an amateur actor as the covenant vegan to wipe themselves out. I ducked, wincing as purple plasma splattered over the hull.

Run!

I unlocked the suit, feeling more tension in my hands. If I let go… I could run away.

Do it!

But where? Where would I run?

Anywhere that's not here, idiot, if you can get to the bridge… you could fly out of here!

If I even made it to the helm you mean.

"Ollie, how are you doing, not flaking on me, are you?" Alex asked, his voice a little shakier than he was probably trying to sound.

"R-right here, Sir."

"Good. I really don't want to die out here, you understand me?"

"Y-yes sir"

"Forget that crap, I'm talking to you, man to man. I will not go out like this, you hear me?"

"I hear you, Alex. I… I don't wanna die neither"

"Then trust the SPARTANs. They'll come through for us. They always do."

"Aye sir." I said, locking my armour.

Screw it. If I'm going out, I'm not going out like a coward and taking someone else with me. Alex is right. I'll trust the SPARTANs.

The claw was now slowly dislodging itself from The Song of the East, slowly and surely, it slid free as the SPARTANs began to fight, hand to hand with the covenant troops. A grunt floated away, barely alive as it armed its grenades, killing itself before it could die painfully in the void of space.

The Song was now slowly leaving us behind, what had started as the hull touching the cap of my toes was now a seven foot gap as the claw groaned and scraped at metal, slowly dislodging itself as Alex and I held fast against fear and trusted the SPARTANs.

"When do we let go?" I asked, watching as the pinchers began to expose themselves to the void.

"When they're fully free."

"And we just float away?"

"The SPARTANs will get us… are you ready? It's coming loose!"

I swallowed, forcing the lump in my throat down to the pit of my stomach. I wasn't ready for the entire metallic pincer to come loose and begin floating wildly in space.

"Are you with me?" Alex asked, his voice shaking, "Don't let go on me, now." He pleaded.

"Right here sir!" I said flaring a ping for him. Below us, the Song of the East spun away from us with a painfully slow rotation. I could see Grey team fighting on its surface. Two of them leaped high into the void and made their ways towards us as their voices echoed over the radio.

"Van Graff, Captain Harper, hold that clamp." Mike said, his faceplate

I held like I'd never held before, clinging to the wires wrapped around my fists as Adriana and Mike floated towards us.

"On my mark" added Adriana "...Mark!"

I briefly saw a flash but it spun out of view. There was a raucous silence, followed by a clunk. "Sir?" I asked, into the void of space. Then, I saw the captain floating away, gripped in the arms of one of Grey team. The spin continued and I felt my heart sink.

Ollie, you sucker. You stupid…

There was another clunk, Mike looked down on me, grinning.

"Not done with you, yet, let's go." He yanked my suit, dislodging it from the claw and flinging us back towards the Song. For a moment, we were suspended in space and I felt true weightlessness as I saw Jai battling waves of grunts as they rushed him.

We floated, our bodies tight to each other as he protected me, right up to the edge of the hull.

"The captain?" I asked, looking around.

"Is at the airlock, go!"

I ran, or rather, I bounced towards the airlock, wondering why I hadn't been shot yet. I didn't risk a look behind me though, slip space was weird. No one knows how it works exactly, not even the covenant. It made for a strange fight as Grey Team circled the enemy in a brawl, trying to avoid using their weapons as bullets and plasma jolted about the space around them.

We clanged against the hull, racing for the airlock with several SPARTANs at my heel, I slid, bouncing off the deck and into space. My heart pained and my breath exhaled as I spun, diving away without control as I shrieked for help.

"Got you." A voice said, a vice like grip around my ankle.

"Sir?"

"Let's go." He said, yanking me back down to the airlock, my body thumping as we crossed the threshold and antigrav took hold.

Grey team followed, sealing the door as they slipped inside.

"They landed three transports." Jai said.

"Damn it... can we blow them up, power up the PDCs?" I panted.

They began to jog towards the bridge as Marines and lower deck staff, all now armed with sidearms, SMGs and Shotguns, fluttered about the place, trying to fortify the Song as the enemy began raiding it.

"We'll see on the bridge. Double time it, people" the captain said, breaking into a run.

I followed as best I could, rip pinging off the suit as we went and during it where it lay, the zero-G plug suit remained however. We already made it to the bridge and I didn't fancy floundering around the bridge trying to get it off.

"Status!" The captain demanded, slowing to a deliberate stride as he stepped onto the bridge.

"Damage is extensive, Sir." Kohli said, vacating the captain's chair. Her eyes fell on Grey Team and she paused for the briefest of moments. "We can only power two sections of the ship at a time and-"

"One of them has to be life support…" Arianna said, glibly.

"Exactly," Kohli said, stepping forwards, "Sir, we need to power up weapons, blast those transports and get back to UNSC space."

"That'd leave us as sitting ducks" Jai said, stepping forward. "Get movement back online and set a course for Meridian. There's a large enough UNSC presence there that will make any attackers think twice before trying to take us."

The captain arched a brow, "think twice? You're saying they'd try and assault the fifth fleet for whatever it is you recovered."

Grey team looked at each other, sharing a brief glance that must have conveyed a thousand words. "You need to trust us, here. I know it's a lot to ask and we'll fill you in on the way but you need to complete the randomized jump. Now."

Alex chewed his lip, then scowled. "Damn it, you ONI types are gonna be the death of me. Mei, Ollie?"

"Yes sir?" we replied, glancing at each other.

"Send it."