Sera
Reap 12, 16 A.E. (Year 6008) - Nine months after the sinking of Jacinto
Day 272 aboard CNV Sovereign
When word got out that Cole's squad had made contact with the foreign entity, the same one Damon Baird and another tech head had pinpointed that sudden spike in energy, on top of KR Six-Four's brief conversation with them, most everyone aboard the Sovereign had been expecting a new Locust weapon of some sort. A trap, maybe even a person who'd joined the remaining Locust to lure in unsuspecting COG in exchange for a cache of food. A soldier of unknown affiliation was the last thing anyone would've expected, let alone that trooper be human of all things. From his post aboard the massive warship, Baird peered through a pair of binoculars in an attempt to spy Dom's gunboat on its way into port. His blue lensed welding goggles were pushed high into his hairline as he swept the coastline before landing on a blob of drab green bouncing through the waves.
Dom was at the helm clearly and Delta team's tech could make out the other troopers settling in for the rough ride to the warship. His gaze landed on a woman sitting beside Cole and, while he couldn't make out specific details, he could definitely tell that the armor she was sporting looked like nothing he'd seen before. Binoculars lowering down to chest level, Damon's mouth pulled into a line as they drew closer. He and the ship's captain, Quentin Michaelson, had listened in on KR Six-Four's conversation with the female soldier and, as far as they could tell, she definitely wasn't from the area. There was going to be an immediate debriefing period as soon as the gunboat was towed in.
Baird knew that the last thing Captain Michaelson needed was for a foreign soldier to be running around unsupervised regardless of her intentions. Let alone have her interact with the Sovereign's personnel before they could determine whether or not she meant them harm. This could just as easily be a Gorasni attempt to infiltrate the already weak COG infrastructure to further destabilize it. It wasn't something Michaelson could allow; not while he commanded the ship.
A staccato beat soon reached Baird's ears as KR Six-Four's Raven came into view. Smoke was faintly drifting out from its chassis, damage sustained from battle no doubt. The pilot requested permission to land and was soon given the green light to touch down. Already Baird could hear metal groaning and felt the deck tremble slightly as one of the landing pads rose up from the bowels of the ship. As the chopper settled down, a team was moving in to assist any of the wounded troopers on board. The landing platform descended without further notice and it would only be a short while later until Dom's boat pulled into port. Somebody'd notify Marcus. Right now, Baird stashed his binoculars and made his way below deck before he could get kicked out of meeting this new soldier.
The Sovereign was no Infinity but she was still a large warship. The man behind the boat's controls, Dom, expertly maneuvered them inside one of the spaces that opened up to allow them admittance. Once everything was secured were they able to disembark. Medical staff met them practically at the door, a couple doing a quick double take upon seeing the Spartan in their midst. The soldiers that required more aid than could be given right then and there were taken to the medical ward and before long, it was only Auri, Cole, KR Seven-Five who was munching on another protein bar, and Dom.
"Captain's bound to be coming down here any second now," Dom remarked as he took a rag out of a pocket and wiped it over his face. Every so often, he shot a look over at the commander, gaze wary. Auri had since clipped her helmet to her belt and kept her hands where the soldiers could see them. They'd seen her in action and knew she could easily prove to be a threat with or without a weapon. She could only do so much to assuage their uneasiness.
"Yeah, Michaelson's on his way," came an unfamiliar male voice bouncing off the walls.
"Yo, Baird. What's shakin?" Cole called out in a friendly manner. A man sporting similar armor plating as both Dom and Cole, only in a blue shade, strode up to Cole and bumped fists with him.
"Not much. Apart from, y'know, this chick poppin' outta the air." The newcomer eyed Auri with thinly veiled curiosity as he took in her black and blue colored armor and armaments. Her sniper rifle and AR were still mounted on her back plating and her sidearm was clipped to her hip. Her chest plating had suffered some minor cosmetic damage that would have to eventually be buffed out. The Spartan cocked an eyebrow at him as this Baird pushed his welding goggles further up into his hairline while giving the commander another once over. "Huh. You look strangely human. Are we sure she isn't Gorasni?" This last bit was directed at the other two Gears on either side of her.
Cole had opened his mouth when another man's voice cut in. "We can never be too sure of anything nowadays, can we?" An authoritative tone was just dripping out of his voice.
"Captain Michaelson, sir," Dom said as he and the others turned around and snapped off a quick salute. Captain Michaelson, with soldiers decked out in all the trimmings - his security detail no doubt - was dressed in a drab gray shirt with the sleeves pushed up to his forearms, gloves on either hand with a layer of armor plating over his front. A stocky looking pistol rode high in a holster on his right hip and the commander could see twin tattoos of a wicked looking skull on the insides of both his arms before he crossed them behind his back.
"At ease, Corporal. I assume this is the soldier KR Six-Four made contact with initially, as well as the one responsible for that energy spike Lieutenant Baird picked up on the long range scanners." This all was more voiced as a statement rather than a question as the captain studied Auri closely.
"She is, Captain," came Cole. "She also saved our asses out in the field and on our way back in. Gunboat was under fire from a Brumak back on shore and she was able to redirect a shot that would've sunk us."
"'Did she now?" Cole had temporarily pulled the captain's attention from her to him but only for a moment before Michaelson was staring her down again; the commander refused to squirm as she returned his gaze.
"No shit. How'd you manage to deflect a direct shot from one of those things?" That was from Baird. It seemed he was about to ask a follow-up question but stopped short when Dom shook his head as he pocketed his rag, mouthing, "Later."
Captain Michaelson's eyes narrowed a fraction in thought before he nodded to himself like were finalizing some unspoken decision. "Gentlemen, if you would, please come with me to my quarters." Michaelson had turned around and began walking back down the corridor he'd come from with his escort watching the Spartan closely should she try to attack. "We've got a lot to discuss, Miss…?" The captain looked back at her, frowning slightly.
"Spartan Commander Rachel Auri. Sir," Auri replied firmly, clasping her hands behind her back.
"'Spartan Commander'," Michaelson repeated slowly. "Very well, Commander. If you will follow me. Please." He turned around on his heel and proceeded to walk down the corridor, footsteps echoing off the walls. His escort only moved when the Four did. It wasn't like she had much choice here. The Gears fell in with her as the captain and his escort led them through parts of the ship with less foot traffic. Their pilot had been directed to the med bay to deal with a burn sustained from the crash. Before long, they were ushered inside Michaelson's quarters and the door locked with a loud clunk behind them. The original security escort remained outside flanking the only exit out of the room while two more waited inside with Michaelson.
Auri discreetly looked about the interior noting the captain's minimalistic style. It had very few personal touches; maps here, a small handful of old photos there, a large bookcase behind that hulk of a wooden desk. Cole stood on her left and Dom was on her right. Baird lingered somewhere to the right and little behind her as Michaelson rummaged through a few papers on his desk.
"Commander Auri, could you please explain to us how you got here?" Michaelson finally asked, his flint gray eyes flicking up to track her movements for any sign of hostility.
"I'll do so only if you understand that some material may be classified, sir." There was a second's pause as the two stared the other down. Auri refused to be cowed by another military organization and stayed strong. Michaelson was the first to blink then waved his hand as if to give her permission to speak further. Taking in a breath, her gaze briefly moving over to the soldiers standing behind the captain, Auri began to detail her arrival to that dead city. She mentioned the Promethean soldiers only in passing and that they were killed in a skirmish with the creatures the men here called Locust.
"I've dealt with my fair share of aliens, Captain, but I've never before encountered anything like those things or the… Lambent?" Auri looked to Cole for confirmation and the man gave her a short nod. "Well, there are aliens similar to the Locust but-"
"Wait a minute, did you say aliens?" Dom asked her with a small laugh of disbelief as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Like outer space aliens?"
"Yes," the Spartan replied succinctly. "To paraphrase an incredibly long and convoluted story, over thirty years ago, we made first contact with a hegemony that called themselves the Covenant and they decided humans needed to be eradicated from the Milky Way due to their religion. Billions died on both sides and entire star systems were lost. It ended when a civil war broke out from the inside and we brokered a tentative truce with one of the races at the end. We're still rooting out cells that had broken off from the original hegemony."
Dom blinked at her. "Well. Shit."
"How technologically advanced are you guys?" Baird asked right on Don's heels. Auri looked over at the blonde and could easily envision hundreds of questions burning behind his eyes.
"Are we talking human or alien?" Auri shot back as she shifted her weight onto her other foot.
Baird shrugged, lifting his hands up. "Both?"
"Lieutenant, is this really a pertinent line of questioning to be had here?" Michaelson broke in, agitation leaking into his voice. Baird almost looked like he'd been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. The commander did her best to keep from laughing at his expression.
"Well, yes. Maybe. Depending on how advanced they are, we could use whatever technology they've got and we just might be able to wipe the Locust off Sera for good," Baird explained, taking a step forward, gesturing with his hands as he spoke.
"That's assuming a lot, soldier. Assuming this woman is able to even guarantee that level of assistance is-" Michaelson began, shaking his head at the man, before Auri cut him off.
"That's what I was going to get at, Captain," she interjected, glancing from Baird to Michaelson. "I apologize for the interruption but I didn't come here willingly. And-" Auri stopped herself, blinking, then directed her attention at Baird. "Wait. What did you call this place?" she asked in a wary tone.
"Uh, Sera. Planet Sera. I mean, look, with all your alien talk and shit, I'm still not sure if that's true. If it is then holy crap. But how have you not heard of this place? I mean, speaking for everyone here, we haven't heard of 'the Covenant' or what have you…" Baird let out a short laugh but his sentence petered off into nothingness as he watched the Spartan's expression grow more distant by the second. Her arms fell back to her sides, fingers twitching slightly.
"Commander, is there a problem?" Michaelson's voice snapped Auri out of her stupor, bringing her back to the present. While she'd had a strong suspicion she was on an entirely different planet, especially given the hostiles she had encountered on her way here, this was something altogether different.
"Captain, I've visited several different planets and multiple star systems," she said slowly, picking her words carefully. "I can positively say that I've never heard of Sera. For us to completely overlook a planet with a human population like this would be… almost negligent, sir. It's a complete miracle on the Covenant's part." A short mirthless laugh escaped her before she composed herself. "I'm just, well, for lack of a better word: baffled. I stepped through a teleportation network in an effort to keep from being killed only to wind up somewhere else." At this, the Four threw her arms wide attempting to encompass everything around them.
"For all intents and purposes, I should not be here," she continued, enunciating the last four words, as her arms fell back to her sides. "I suppose that explains why your pilot hadn't heard of the UNSC. I figured that, at worst, I somehow was teleported to some backwater, Insurrectionist-held planet but just the opposite." Her shoulders dropped slightly as she pursed her lips. Michaelson had since taken a seat and had leaned the chair back slightly, watching the woman in front of him closely. The other Gears shared looks briefly with one another as they processed what the Spartan was saying.
"So, you're telling us that you're stuck here. This wasn't an intentional thing," Cole said, wanting to confirm part of what she'd explained. At the commander's short nod that was nothing more than a slight dip of her chin, a look of sympathy crossed his face. "Damn. I'm sorry." Cole tossed a look over at Baird who seemed to be lost in thought. "Anyway you'd be able to whip something up to get 'er back home?"
"Huh? Well. I can't say for sure." Baird crossed one arm over his chest then rested his other hand on his chin. "I mean… Maybe?" He waggled his hand back and forth in the universal so-so gesture. "But with what gear? Most of what we've managed to scavenge, that the Locust haven't completely busted, is scrap at best. Plus, most of the Stranded took over whatever else we'd left behind after Jacinto. Besides, I don't even know what I'm looking at. Do you even know what a teleporter network looks like?" The man glanced over at Auri with an almost expectant look on his face but she shook her head.
Technically, that was a lie. And a white one at that. While she herself didn't know what the inner workings of the network looked like, Auri knew someone who did but now wasn't the time to reveal her artificial companion. Who knew how these people would react to an AI? So, for now, she gave them a little white lie to run with.
"Alriiiiight," he answered, drawing out the syllable. "So, uh. There's your answer." Baird clapped his hands together once as he glanced at each of his colleagues.
"Thank you, Damon. Now then, Sergeant Dawson," Captain Michaelson said as he pressed a button on an intercom pad on his desk. "Could you please send for Lieutenant Stroud and Sergeant Fenix? I'd like a word with them on this matter." Static crackled over the COMM as a quick affirmative sounded off from Dawson. "Well, Commander, you've certainly found yourself in quite a predicament here." Michaelson leaned forward and folded his hands on his desk. "If you had landed anywhere else, I'm sure the welcome party greeting you wouldn't have been nearly as friendly." The Four did her best to not roll her eyes in response. To be fair, though, the captain wasn't exactly wrong. They very easily could have denied her safe haven as well as shot her.
"Seeing how you aided my men, that did place you in some of our good graces." If Auri hadn't been watching him closely, she would've missed the corner of Michaelson's mouth turning up in a faint smile before it disappeared entirely. "However-" Before he could continue that train of thought, two hard raps sounded off from the door to his quarters, interrupting him. "Come in." With a creak, the door swung open and in walked a woman with short, light blonde hair and a professional air about her and a man with a square jaw and a wicked looking scar on one side of his face.
"Captain Michaelson, you wanted to see u-? Oh," the woman began when her gaze met Auri's. To her credit, the woman recovered quickly as she and her partner stepped inside. Dawson shut the door behind them; this time, Auri didn't hear it lock. Perhaps that was a good sign?
"Well, ain't this a party?" the man drawled, crossing his arms over his broad chest. He'd nodded once to the other Gears, eyes flicking over the Spartan before coming to rest on the captain. "What's all this about, Michaelson?"
"Well, Sergeant Fenix, Lieutenant Stroud is here because her opinion carries a lot of weight and you are here as this involves you as much as it does your squad."
"Tell me that doesn't sound ominous," Dom said in an aside to Fenix as the sergeant went to stand beside him. The two men shared a look, pointedly avoiding the stare Michaelson was giving them before they quieted down.
"To bring you both up to speed, this here before you is Spartan Commander Auri, of the…?"
"The UNSC, United Nations Space Corps," the Four supplied when Michaelson gestured to her.
"'UNSC'? The hell's that?" she heard Fenix mutter under his breath. From her peripheral vision, she could see Dom shake his head, a silent conversation passing between the pair.
"The energy spike Lieutenant Baird picked up earlier today? That was her arrival into the city. Unfortunately, at this time, the commander does not have a way to get unless we are able to replicate that teleportation network she had used to get here. We can't at this time therefore she needs to remain here until such a solution becomes viable. The floor is open to you both. What do you suggest we do?"
"You're not going to throw her in the brig, are you, sir?" Stroud asked, breaking the brief silence.
"Seeing how she helped Cole, Dom and the others out, and how she hasn't proven herself to be a threat to this ship and crew, yet. No, I am not. However, she cannot be allowed to wander the ship unsupervised. The very last thing we need is for her to access a part of the Sovereign she hasn't been permitted to." A muscle in the commander's cheek twitched slightly at that remark. While she understood the reason behind the protocol, she was hardly a child here. She kept quiet for the time being, curious as to how this was going to play out.
"What're you suggesting in the interim then?" came Fenix, an eyebrow arching up almost into his dew rag.
"Until she can prove to be trustworthy, or otherwise, I would like for Delta squad to monitor her movements."
"Wait. Babysitting duty? Captain, all due respect here, you can't be serious," Baird said with a look of disbelief on his face.
"I am, Baird," Michaelson said firmly. "Fenix, your squad currently does not have any pressing missions to head for the next couple weeks. The few remaining teams aboard this ship do."
"Even if we were to, it's not like we'd all have to watch over her," Stroud suggested. "Besides, I know Sam and Jace would be more than happy to swap out with one of us and head into the field if need be."
"Anya, you can't really be considering this offer," Dom said before sending a quick, "No offense," the Four's way.
"If I may interject here," Auri interjected. She glanced briefly over at Michaelson who inclined his head a fraction. Being talked about like she wasn't in the room was starting to get a little irritating. "Look, I know this isn't an ideal situation. For any of us. Thing is, I'm not a rookie and I'm not stupid. I won't be wandering off anywhere without warning. I don't want to get booted out of this place and tossed back into that city if at all physically possible."
"See?" Stroud threw a hand at the commander. "I doubt we'll have any problems with her."
"Never say never, Anya," Fenix said, looking from the blonde, who shook her head, to Auri. "If we take you on with us, I'm gonna say this once. I respect your rank and that you helped my team out there, however, this is my squad. You follow my orders."
"You say 'Jump'. I'll say 'How high?'," the commander replied as she rocked back her heels. She then added, while looking Fenix dead in the eye, "Only one thing: you don't give out bullshit orders, do you, Sergeant?"
Fenix narrowed his eyes a fraction as Cole coughed out a surprised laugh. "I don't. What're you getting at?"
"Nothing. Just making sure," was all the reply he got.
"Uh huh." Given Fenix's tone of voice, he clearly didn't believe her. For now, it'd have to do. There'd be time enough later to iron the specifics out.
Once he was certain the rest of Delta didn't have any further complaints did Michaelson cut in. "Now that that's out of the way, you'll need a room. We've got several shared bunks…"
"She can bunk with me, sir," Cole offered. "I've got a couple spare beds. If she's not cool with it, I understand."
"What, no one wanted to room with Cole-train?" Dom said in a joking tone.
"Hey, I like my space, man. What can I say?"
"Is that alright with you?" Michaelson asked, ignoring the Gears' side conversation. "I'm sure we have an all female room you can use."
Oh, I now get a choice here? Auri thought to herself before nodding her head. "I should be fine bunking with Private Cole for the time being. If there are any issues, I'll voice them," she replied, turning to the big man.
"For the most part of the day, I won't be in there so you'll have the room to yourself."
"And in case it hasn't already been addressed, I would prefer at least one Delta member to monitor the commander at all times unless she's in her quarters," the Captain said, cutting in. "How you rotate out is up to Sergeant Fenix. Now, if there are no further objections, you are all dismissed. Commander, unless it has been moved from your bunk, there should be a small bundle of basic supplies there. Delta can show you ropes once you are settled."
Auri managed to get out a quick thank you to Michaelson before being ushered out by the others into the hall. One of the two Gears pulling security closed the door just as they left before being dismissed themselves, leaving the Four alone with a rather perturbed Delta squad who'd formed a sort of half circle around her.
"Cole, you fine with watching the commander the rest of today?" Sergeant Fenix asked gruffly, his mouth pulling into a thin line. The man's frustration was fair enough. Their captain did just toss a rather large responsibility on his shoulders, no doubt adding to whatever additional weight he was currently carrying.
"I'm good with it long as she is, baby," the other Gear replied nonchalantly.
"That's not what I- Okay. Baird, what time is it?" Fenix threw a tired glance at the man who quickly consulted a watch.
"It's already after 1730. Mess should still be open though dinner isn't gonna be served for another hour," Baird replied before pointing a finger at the Spartan. "Speaking of, you gonna be walking around in that armor? You're gonna be a bit of an eyesore." Auri shot him a withering look to which Baird held up his hands in a placating gesture, palms out. "Okay, okay. I get it. Tone down the death lasers there."
"Is he always like this?" Auri asked, switching her gaze from Baird to Dom who simply just grinned.
"What? Talkin' out of his ass? Yeah, 'bout ninety eight percent of the time."
"Hey, talking out of my ass has saved yours I don't know how many times now," Baird countered, frowning.
"Relax, man. I'm just givin' you a hard time. Today's been a rough one." Dom clapped his teammate on the shoulder hard enough to shake him.
"Seems like that's a bit of an understatement," Anya remarked with a small half smile then turned to Auri. "If you need any spare clothes, we might be the same size. Let me know, 'kay?"
"I will, thanks," she replied, feeling a little relief at the other woman's offer. It wasn't like she'd kept an extra change of clothes somewhere on her belt. After that, they lapsed into a few awkward seconds of silence.
"Hey, Cole. I'll come with you two since the mess's on the way. One of the cooks promised me she'd set aside some strawberry seeds for me. It'd be nice to have actual jam again," Dom said. His words seemed to break whatever spell had fallen over the group that forced them to stay there longer than was necessary.
"Oh, hell yeah! Now you're talking my language," Cole said with a broad grin on his face as he motioned for the both of them to follow. That was definitely something Auri had come to notice about the man: he was never without a smile. That and he seemed to have quite a sweet tooth.
"You grow plants?" Auri asked as Dom fell in step beside her with Cole in the front.
"Yeah, I've got a bit of a green thumb, yeah," he answered when Cole let out a laugh.
"A bit? Man, you should see his room sometime! Walls have practically turned green with all the veggies he's got growing there and then some!"
"Hey! Most of them don't just stay in there. Just the ones that don't need that much sunlight," Dom replied in mock frustration before giving the Spartan that familiar "Y'see what I've got to deal with?" look. It was one she'd sported quite a few times before. This elicited a laugh from the woman which echoed down the hall. It was something she sorely needed. At least these two weren't treating her like a prisoner. It helped with the illusion that she was a free person here.
Fenix watched the trio walk around a bend and out of their sight, the sounds of their conversation finally fading out entirely. He couldn't help that uneasy feeling settling into his stomach.
"Marcus, you've got that look on your face. Talk to me." Anya's voice drew him back to the present as she leaned into his field of view. The man blinked then let his arms drop to his sides as he shook his head.
"It's nothing," he replied as he turned to head down the other side of the corridor.
"Uh huh. Nothing's eating at you then." Anya's tone implied that she clearly didn't believe him as she kept pace with Fenix. With the pair of them in front, Baird pulled up the rear. "Is it that, what'd Michaelson call her?"
"Spartan, I think," Baird supplied.
"Okay, fine. Yes. She's partly the reason," Marcus finally said.
"Alright. Well, given that brief encounter, I don't think she'll cause any problems. Granted, we don't know what the future will hold but so far she does show promise. Cole seems to get along with her."
"Cole'll get along with damn near anyone," Baird said with a snort.
Anya kept herself from rolling her eyes at him. "What I'm getting at is that he's a pretty good judge of character. Plus, how would you feel if you got dumped onto a foreign ship with everyone glaring at you like you've developed the plague. No allies or anything."
"I see your point," Marcus hedged. "I'm not holdin' my breath though."
"I don't think Michaelson was asking you to."
"Still. Babysitting duty?" Baird shook his head, mouth twisting a little. "We've got better things to be doing than that."
"Like what?" Anya asked, glancing over her shoulder to give the man a questioning look. "Lambent activity, outside of today, hasn't spiked much within the last couple weeks. Not since the leviathan. The Locust haven't bothered us too much unless we go to shore. They're probably still licking their wounds as much as we are."
"We're gonna have to hit them before they're able to recover enough to launch an attack. Another thing is that we haven't seen Queen Myrrah since Jacinto."
"Even if we could take the fight to them, remember that Lambent Leviathan that attacked Vectes just after Jacinto?"
That got Baird to pause for a moment. "The Hammer of Dawn network didn't have very many satellites left for an accurate attack so it was hell of a fight without them. Okay. I see your point. I could probably figure out a way around that, y'know, given enough time. Hm." He placed the side of his hand over his mouth in thought as he strode between Marcus and Anya as their path took them outside and on the main deck of the ship. The Sovereign had since resumed operations and the salt hung heavily in the air as it cut through the water.
"What's buggin' you now?" Marcus asked. He could practically see the wheels turning in the tech's mind.
"I don't think that commander has been as truthful as she made herself out to be in Michaelson's office," Baird said at length as he spun around in his heel to walk backwards, still keeping pace with the two.
"You caught that, huh?"
Baird closed his eyes briefly as a flare of annoyance kicked up. He counted to three before opening them again, glancing behind himself every so often to keep from tripping over an errant box or a pipe. "Yes, I did. Okay, before you and Anya got up there, Cole had asked if there was any way I could get her back to wherever the hell it is that she came from. She'd mentioned hopping into some teleportation network that got fouled up and she was spat out here."
Anya spoke up then. "Uh, Baird?" she asked, gesturing to a point behind him.
Baird either didn't notice what Anya was gesturing at or ignored it entirely. "No, no. Just stay with me. I'd basically asked her if she was familiar with the network. Maybe enough to give me a rundown so that I'd have an idea of what I was working with to try and come up with something."
"Baird?" Anya tried again to get his attention but Baird was in full swing now.
"She said that she wasn't but I was watching her closely. She hesitated. For, like, half a second before telling me, rather firmly, that no, she wasn't at all familiar with the network. Now, why would she hesitate?" He spread his hands wide. "I'd figure someone like her would- Fuck!" Baird felt his legs buckle underneath him as he fell back into a stack of boxes he'd overlooked. A woman, a civilian by the looks of her faded out clothes and haggard face, came rushing up from a set of stairs nearby after hearing the commotion. Anger crossed the woman's face as she all but cursed Baird out for being careless, walking into boxes of food meant for storage. Bits of crushed lettuce and more fragrant types of fruit clung to him as Baird shot up from the mess, apologizing about as well as he could before the woman shooed him away.
"Shit, come on. Damn it! You could've warned me here," Baird grumbled as he wiped off the remains of a smashed tomato from his arm.
"'I did. You just weren't listening," Anya said, amusement coloring her voice, as Marcus nodded in agreement. "And you better hope those weren't tomatoes belonging to Dom." Baird sighed in frustration and flicked off another chunk clinging to his skin, muttering to himself.
"So, the hell were you getting at there, Baird? She lied? I'd be surprised if she didn't," Marcus added as he rested a hand on one of his hips.
"Well, why did she lie specifically about that? I'd assume she'd be pretty hellbent at getting back home. I would if I were her."
"O-kay?"
"Alright, so. What's she hiding? Why wouldn't she jump at the first opportunity to leave?" Marcus and Anya shared a look with one another. Baird wasn't wrong.
"Even if you do ask, how do you know she's telling the truth?" Anya asked, raising her brows.
"If Jack wasn't completely disassembled right now, I'm sure I could've rigged up a lie detector program."
"Oh yeah. That'll definitely get her to open up to you."
"I was only thinking out loud, Anya. Sue me."
Anya let out a short bark of laughter. "I'll leave you boys to it. I've got a bunch of guns that need cleaning. Let me know how your sleuthing goes," she replied before departing with a final wave as she went below deck.
"So, how're things between you and Anya? Any luck?" Baird asked once he was certain the other Gear was well out of earshot. Marcus gave him a look that'd easily melt a bulkhead.
"Don't you have somewhere you need to be?" the sergeant ground out, clearly indicating Baird chose the wrong topic to speak about.
"Alright, alright, message received. Got it. I'm gonna swing by Cole's."
"Look, don't do anything to piss this new chick off too much, alright?"
"Since when do I ever piss people off? I'm the epitome of niceness." He swept himself into a mock bow before straightening up with a shit eating grin plain on his face.
"No, you're a jackass," Marcus shot back though it did get him to smile albeit briefly. Baird tossed him a wave before heading below deck as well.
—-
Meanwhile, on the other side of the ship, Dom had taken his leave of Cole and their "unwanted" addition to the team once they stopped by the mess. They'd passed by a mixture of civvies and Gears as they neared Cole's bunk along the way. Auri got plenty of weird looks from both and gave them friendly enough nods. While she was used to the staring, given her rank and what she was, once they got inside Cole's bunk, she was more than a little grateful to be away from prying eyes. She picked the bed farthest from the door and carefully sat down. The groaning of metal drew Cole's gaze as he shut the door behind them with a dull clunk. He caught the Spartan pinching the bridge of her nose with one hand as she rested her elbows on her knees.
"Hey, when's the last time you ate? Or slept?" the Gear asked her, noting the exhaustion now leaking into her body. Adrenaline crashes could be a bitch to deal with. Auri looked up at him, blinking a few times, before glancing about her person then shrugged.
"Ah, it's been a few hours since I've eaten and I think," she said with a heavy sigh, "I think that jump through the teleporter took more out of me than I expected. It just didn't hit till now."
"I know the feelin'." Cole offered her a half smile. "And I'm sure dealin' with the captain's interrogation didn't help." The Four met the man's smile with a tired one of her own.
"That's putting it mildly, yes. I get it was necessary. You don't know me, I don't know you sorta deal."
"Well, you sit tight. Lemme go run out and I'll grab you a bite. You look like you could use a breather."
"If you mean that I look like crap, then yes. I could use a breather."
"He-ey now. Don't go puttin' words in my mouth." Cole laughed a little while pointing a finger at her. "You looked badass out there handlin' that Brumak like you were." He took a couple steps forward to pat her on the shoulder, a bit more gently than he had Baird, before moving back to the door. "Any requests?"
"Um, food wise? No fish if at all possible. Just something to fill my stomach. Please."
"You got it. And, I know you're a nice gal and all, but I'm gonna lock the door behind me. Don't need anyone's panties getting in a wad."
The Spartan waved him on as she leaned back on the bed to fully stretch out her legs, not caring too much. Cole slipped outside and, sure enough, she heard the door lock loudly with a resounding clank. A soft whistling noise could then be heard as Cole made his way down toward the mess hall. Now that she was alone, Auri pressed her head back into the pillow and shut her eyes against the ceiling lights.
"How the fuck did I get myself into this?" she muttered to no one in particular.
"It could've ended up a lot worse," came a woman's voice from the commander's helmet as her AI manifested her avatar. Auri cracked open her eyes and sat up a little as she detached the head piece from her belt, pushing it down toward her feet. "Don't worry. I waited long enough to make sure Cole was out of earshot. How's your shield arm?"
"Hm? Oh." Auri lifted her right forearm and flexed her fingers, wiggling them back and forth. "I've still got feeling and nothing seems to be broken though I'm going to be sore as hell in the morning."
"Of that I have no doubt." Noesis' mouth pulled into a quick smile. "Why didn't you mention me when that man asked about the teleporter network?"
That didn't take long. Auri leaned her head to the side, hearing her neck pop loudly before sitting up on the bed. So far it hadn't collapsed under her weight. "I don't trust them. Not yet anyway. Sure, yeah, they've given me room and board but who knows? That could easily change at the drop of a hat."
"It could. And it couldn't. These men at least don't seem to be the cruel type. Besides, this white lie may come back to bite you later."
"We'll cross that bridge if and when we come to it. If it means keeping you safe from them, so be it. They'll have to pry you from my cold, dead hands befo-"
What the pair of them failed to factor in was Baird's presence and that, once the man got an idea into his head, it would be hard to shake him from it. Not to mention his patience. They'd both assumed that the rest of Delta would've gone about their business since one of their own was watching over her till the next day. Baird essentially walking in on their conversation was the furthest thing from their minds to have happen. The door to Cole's room unlocked quickly and was flung open wide and Auri swatted her helmet behind her back. Given the look on Baird's face, he must've caught the tail end of Noesis vanishing back into the Spartan's armor piece.
Here was that little white lie. Come back to bite her in the ass.