Chapter 2 R&R and Enjoy
The Situation
[Play Halo 3 ODST OST Bits and Pieces on You Tube]
"Where I want to to be huh?" Lt. Miles mocked as he quickly takes a seat in the chair that he had previously rejected,"Enlighten me."
A cruel smirk made its way to the Director face as he reached under the table and pulled out a single file that hit the desk like a brick as he released it from his grasp. That's when the tumblers began to fall into place within the young Lieutenant's mind. The Director began to speak,"I read your file... Even the parts that were covered in black ink." Lt. Miles said nothing. "Speechless... Good. Maybe now you'll do a little more listening and a little less criticizing." The Director continued," Trent Miles, twenty seven years old, you were born on Earth and lived in an orphanage until you enlisted at the age of eighteen. After your enlistment you served as one of the best the UNSC had to offer for nearly ten years until recently, this past year if I'm not mistaken and I rarely am, you received your commission and began an officer." The Director looked up into the young Marines eyes as he spoke,"What you've been through... Most people would have let something like that change them. Eat them up from the inside. Its takes a remarkably strong will to bounce back after something like that. You my good man, are a hero."
"I'm no hero." Lt. Miles snapped,"I'm just the one that didn't die."
"Fair enough." The Director paused.
"So you know all about me." Lt. Miles snares as he leans forward in his chair as if he were preparing to challenge the Director in some way. "But you still haven't answered the underlying question. Why should I help you?"
The Director eyes fell back to the monster of a file before him. "It says here that sense you got your commission you have been performing less than satisfactory. Difficulty playing well with others, now that's a shame. Someone with your particular talents should be placed above his peers not be forced to watch, correcting their mistakes from the sidelines. If you succeed in this mission not only will you have prove to the UNSC that your ability to lead is more than capable, but I can personally guarantee you a little extra attention during the promotion period. If you catch my meaning."
"Didn't you get the memo? Teamwork isn't really my thing." The lieutenant said condescendingly.
"I'm well aware." The Director responded,"According to your records you were only able to corporate fully with two of your past units. One was another ONI initiative , one... Project Challenger. I still don't have all the details involving the objective of that project. Care to enlighten me?
"Those kinds of questions are way above my pay grade." The lieutenant replied.
"Very well." the Director continued, "And the other... Nova Team Lead by Lt. Hawkins of the UNSC."
"Hawkins? There's your answer. Why don't you use those resources at you disposal and track her down." Lt. Miles remarked,"I'm sure she'd jump at the chance to get back into the fight."
"Great idea lieutenant however, you as well as I do the Lt. Hawkins has been MIA sense Nova Teams exploits on Reach." The Director corrected him,"And with the current condition that planet's in we'd be lucky if we could found the smoldering ashes of her corpse. As I was saying before I was so very rudely interrupted if it were possible to do this mission beside your old team would you consider it?"
"Nova Team was never mine to led, they're Hawkin's team." Lt. Mile spoke,"If I were to led them no good would come of it. Besides its been years sense the war ended, and we didn't exactly keep in touch. I don't even know if they're still apart of the UNSC."
"You've always looked up to Hawkins, lieutenant. I don't think I'd be entirely wrong if I were to say she's one of the reason you decided to become an officer. Now could be your only chance to prove that you can stand on your own two feet and led Nova without her." The Director counseled him,"As for the member of Nova team, they've already been assembled..."
"When did you?" was all the young lieutenant had time to say before Director cut him off.
"Do you understand now, lieutenant? With or without you Nova team will be deployed to complete this mission." The Director grinned. "So will you lead them to victory? or attend each of their funerals if they fail?"
Moments Later
"Hey Director that things..?" Lucy started, "Am I interrupting something?"
"Not at all Ms. Lucy." The Director smiled,"Lt. Miles here, was just agreeing to take on the role of Commanding Officer of the newly reformed Nova team."
"Oh, Congratulations Commander." Lucy smiled with a small curtsy to top off her performance.
"Lucy see to it that the dossier of the Commander's new crew members are sent up to the Captain's database immediately." The Director spoke.
"Yeh yeh. The Dossier of Kristen Chambers, Jesus Monero, Noel Radd and and Adam Gideon being upload to the computer in the Captain's Quarters as we speak." Lucy confirmed.
"Slow down." Lt. Miles interrupted,"Where's the rest of my team? And who the hell is Gideon?"
"You mean you didn't tell him?" Lucy observed,"Nice."
"Didn't tell me what?" The lieutenant snapped.
"He didn't need to know at the time." The Director replied.
"Tell me now, unless you'll found yourself short one commander." Lt. Miles groaned.
"Huh. Like any mission this one has had its share of... Complications." The Director started.
"What sort of complications?" the lieutenant pressed on.
"As you know its has been years sense the end of the war and during that time we had no control over you nor your comrade's actions." The Director continued,"I'm afraid Explosives engineer Nicklaus Holden and Navigator Catherine Armin were engaged in less reputable work than yourself these passed few years."
"Well.. Where are they?" Lt. Miles asked.
"Lucy." The Director said as he motioned for her to answer the question.
"Of course." Lucy huffed,"Nick Holden will be busy being held in a maximum security prison for the next twenty-five years for robbery and the damaging of public property. He probably would have gotten a lighter sentence but not all bank robbers take out half a city block with explosives trying to open the safe. Heaven knows how he survived. And, we're not talking about any ordinary prison either, it rotate the circumference of the Sol galaxy only returning to Earth once every six months to restock supplies. As for Catherine Armin after she left the UNSC she started jumping from mercenary group to mercenary group: assault, murder you name it she's probably done it. Although so far the authorities are concerned its near impossible to prove it."
"What could have happened to her?" Lt. Miles Whispered under his breath.
"As for Adam Gideon he's... A new addition to Nova team." Lucy snuck into the conversation.
"So Commander... The balls in your court, what's your next move?" The Director taunted."You can choice to start the task we initially brought you here for or you can recover the rest of Nova team."
Lt. Miles eyes broke their gaze with the director and fell to the floor. For a moment he sat there contemplating. For a good majority of his military career he fought in the darkness all alone, but then one day a faint light appeared in the distance a light that took the form of Lt. Hawkins and the rest of Nova team. The lieutenant smiled, he knew at one point in his younger years he would have left them to face whatever fate the galaxy had in store for them. However things had changed, "A team is no greater than the sum of its parts. If we are to succeed, we'll do it together."
"Now that's what I like to hear." The Director smiled,"Lucy be sure to let me know the second the lieutenant's transportation arrives."
"Transportation?" Lt. Miles voice echoed after the director's.
"I didn't come up here just because I enjoy our little chats ya know." Lucy corrected,"Its already here."
"Hold on!" the lieutenant interrupted, "What Transportation?"
"Its a Frigate created with the strengths of Nova team in mind." The Director explained. "How did you think you'd be getting around? I'm the Director of this division, aka nobodies chauffeur."
"Check it out." as Lucy waves her hand across the screen of the Director's office a video begins to manifest,"All of your team with the exception of one are already heading down there I'm sure they'll feel right at home."
"Except one you say?" The Lt. Mile questioned,"Who's got the balls?"
"Adam Gideon?" Lucy blurted out before fully understanding what the lieutenant was saying. "What? No. I mean he doesn't have balls, he doesn't have any balls at all, I just happened to have asked him to lead you down to the ship, because I can't..."
"And why can't you?" The Director interrupted tired of her babbling
"I... Uh..." Lucy felt the need to explain her lacking of a physical body made it difficult to leads anybody well anywhere. But deep down she could sense that the director had other things in mind.
"Micheal would you please come in here." The director spoke as Adam made his way into the fold, He was a stocky young man with pale skin and an extremely motto High and tight. the discipline he displayed with apparent to all, and in his eyes a faint light, a light that only existed in the eyes of those who had never experienced true combat. "Micheal how would you feel if Lucy were to accompany you on this mission?"
Adam examined Lucy's form but remained silent.
"Me?" Lucy shouted,"I'd hardly think of that as an advisable action. They are far too many operation that require my direct supervision for me to wonder off to who know's where. We both know that you'd be lost without me."
"Frankly Ms. Lucy I grow tired of you excessive boosting. I feel same time apart would do this relationship some good." The Director replied,"Besides I know you possess multiple skills that our young commander here would fine more than Useful."
"But.." Lucy tired to recant her plea but it was to no a vile.
"That's enough Lucy. My decision is final!" The Director shouted.
"As you wish Director. Now uploading to the ships on-board computer." Lucy submitted.
"By accompany us I assume you mean keep an eye on your investment." Lt. Miles states.
[Play Halo ODST Project Valkyrie The Director Theme on You Tube]
"Ha. Nothing gets pass you, does it lieutenant?" The Director confirmed,"But, lets be fair her if you were in my situation wouldn't you do the same? After all your success in this endeavor could very well be paramount to the survival of our species."