HRP reboot - Chapter 2: On the Run

"Oh yeah they told me" She informed him. "Some other ODST squad called Dragon, they need me apparently according to what I was told" Lindsey left out the part of her being the sole survivor of her platoon.

Chris nearly dropped her tray in surprise, while Daniel blinked at the same time the cooks served him his food. "Uh....wow, that's a coincidence. We're......sorry, Chris and Lin here, are Dragon Squad."

"You've got to be kidding me?" Lindsey said in shock. "I'm your replacement then Private Lindsey Agna" She left out the part of her being daughter to Rear Admiral Agna, her father was a legend one she could never seem to escape.

Before doing anything more, they waited for the private to get her food before they grabbed a free table. "Pleasure to meet you," Lin said. "Yeah, though I'm sorry you're not meeting the whole of Dragon squad. I was squad leader before being promoted, and I lost command," Daniel said, before gesturing to Lin. "She's squad leader now."

Lindsey sat down and forced on a smile, in her eyes she was seeing them as trying to replace her own lost squad mates. "It's okay though I bet your pleased to not be getting a rookie in" She picked unenthusiastically at her meal as if suddenly sickened by the thought of eating it.

Chris didn't look up from he food, idly turning it over in places with her spork. "Well it's not like we're thrilled to get a replacement so soon. We already lost a friend earlier."

"I am sorry..." Lindsey began but squelched her sentence midway through. One more ODST gone... They only lost one guy but anyone lost is a painful blow to carry. Lindsey did not bring up the amount of her friends that she had lost, it would bring little good especially when she had to bond with her new squad mates.
Lindsey shook her head at the food, what little she had eaten churned over uneasily in her stomach making her feel sick. Guilt probably had a factor here, guilt for the fact that she survived when others had perished around her.

"Yeah well, just one more reason I'm gonna enjoy killing every Covie bastard I see," Lin said. "So, that makes Dragon squad an all girl's squad now. Maybe we should change our name to Valkyrie squad...."

This brought a smile to Lindsey's face. "Maybe you should but I am sure you will get some male members in the team soon" She looked at her food and placed her cutlery on it with a clatter. Her right arm ached painfully, the ghost pains still whispered occasionally. The phantom wounds causing flares of discomfort even though no limb was present at least organically present. But it was hard to tell the replacement limb from underneath clothing and gloves.

"Probably," Chris said as she decided to try the potatoes. "Huh, this actually isn't that bad." She immediately dug in, while Daniel took over the conversation. "We were on the colony world Waltari. Managed to help turn things around there, and that's how I ended up with a promotion and command of a platoon."

"I was there to, me and my platoon" She contributed in response. That accursed world dragged up the memories of her fallen friends and of a battle that she wished she could forget. Lindsey took a deep breath and had some of the drink she had selected. Not water, nor coffee but fruit juice. The sweetness was calming somewhat however it did little to ease the sickness in her stomach.

"It was certainly Hell," Lin agreed. "But then again, where hasn't there been hell in this damned war?"

"Hell is on a hill" Lindsey muttered quietly.

Daniel gave Lindsey a curious look. "I don't know that term," he said.

"You won't because it's not" She answered him. "I lost my entire platoon taking some crater hill four times we went up that hill and three times we went down it again..." Her voice had risen and she stopped herself taking a deep breath to calm herself. Lindsey spoke once more. "I... Excuse me for a moment" Lindsey stood and began to make her way towards the women's bathroom.

Dragon squad sat at the table, no one sure if they should follow Lindsey. Chris however, got up and went to follow her soon enough, following her into the bathroom. "Hey, are you okay?" she asked.

Lindsey was staring into the mirror, her left hand gripping the sink tightly. She took a deep breath and shook her head. "No... I lost my entire platoon and... I... Why do I always survive? Why do I always survive? I get showered with promotions and medals yet all I want is my friends back" She shut her eyes for a moment. "Don't worry I'll be fine in a few minutes guess some battles just scar you more than others do"

Chris leaned against the wall behind Lindsey, arms folded over her chest. "Believe me, you're neither the first nor the last to ask that question: 'Why do I survive?' Trust me, there's never an answer good enough to make up for the friends who died for you, the pain you go through." She cast a look at the mirror, her reflection staring at Lindsey's face. "The only thing you can ever do is make sure they didn't die in vain. Make sure their sacrifice was worth the end to this war."

Lindsey nodded slowly. "That makes sense" She turned around and faced her. "Sorry for my outburst there it will not happen again"

"Outbursts are fine when we're off the battlefield Private," Chris said. "We're human, it's natural to let these things out instead of holding them in. But make damn sure that when you do let it out, it's in the right spot at the right time."

"Yes Ma'am you can count of me" She snapped off a crisp parade perfect salute. Lindsey was usually incredibly disciplined, the loss of her friends had shaken her more than she would care to admit. "I suppose you'll want to know where I specialise in? For the squad"

"Not really, at least not yet anyway. Right now, we're on mandatory leave--vacation--so you can save the info for when we get back."

"Understood but just for the record while we are being informal everything I my file I earned and it was not because my father is a Rear Admiral and a war hero" She wanted to make that perfectly clear to her, it had taken her a while to convince her last squad of her actual worth and fighting talent. Lindsey put on a smile though this one was not entirely fake, it was to some degree heart felt. "Thank you for coming to talk to me"

Chris chuckled a little, saying "Hey no need to defend yourself there Lindsey. You wouldn't have made it this far if you weren't a badass already."

Lindsey looked surprised at her response. "I... Usually everyone assumes I got them because of my father's record and the amount of pull he has in any case I apologise and yeah thanks I guess I am a badass" With a grin she suggested. "Do you think we should rejoin the others for dinner now? Or what is left of it?"

Grinning, Chris opened the door and held it for Lindsey. "Sure, why not newbie?"

"Newbie? I didn't get my right arm cut off in basic you know" Lindsey said casually as she walked past Chris, returning to her seat to resume picking at her meal.

=notices something seems off so contacts dan=

dan something isn't right think we got company

"Heh, could have fooled me," Chris said as she rejoined her friends at the table.

--Time Skip Of Two Days--

Two days of slip-space later, and Dragon squad finally arrived at Cesaro. After the ship had docked in orbit with the elevator, the ODST's took a shuttle down to the surface. Cesaro was a tropical world, much like Sigma Octanus IV, humid and wet, but sunny most of the time. However, there was an interesting wrinkle: Lin's sister Rin, lived in a different city on Cesaro. While Lin lived in New Jakarta.....Rin lived in Barassa, on the other half of the continent. Rin had made a living as a moderately successful businesswoman, even owned a sizeable apartment. There was space for the three members, but there wasn't room for Lindsey, though Chris suggested a hotel that was close by.

Dragon squad had arrived at the door to Rin's apartment, Lin at the lead. She was still working on how to tell her sister of her near death experience, when the door opened and Lin and her friends came face to face with her sister. Rin was.....almost identical to Lin, but with some differences. They had the same build, though while Lin's figure was toned and athletic, Rin's figure was more......curvaceous. Had she wanted to, Rin could probably have been a pin-up girl on the side of a Pelican or Longsword, but instead she settled with normal business attire on her work days. On a casual day, like today, Rin was instead dressed in loose clothing, a set of sweatpants and t-shirt while wearing sandals. "Lin!" she excclimed joyously, flinging the door wide open and hugging her sister. "I'm so glad to see you, you've no idea what it's been like here worrying about you!"

Serah was oblivious to any possible trouble, yet she was in the safest place considering all of the weapons she had around her to use. There was a certain safety provided from fire-power. //
Lindsey had accepted the hotel because she had a friend she needed to see in the same city as Rin. It was where she disappeared off to on the first day on the planet, deciding to not stick with her squad mates but to get this over and done with. It was only a short meeting, however Lindsey hoped that comforting a family friend after they lost their son who served in her old squad would help ease their pain. She left after a few hours, making her way back to the hotel. Lindsey was dressed like an ODST during the middle of some ungodly run that not even Satan himself would want to try, it was the first time she had been out of a crisp uniform and into something completely different.

"Yeah sorry about that sis," Lin said, as she wrapped her arms around her sister in a hug. Daniel and Chris stood there, silent as they let the two sisters hug it out. "Hey, these are my squad-mates, Daniel and Chris. Daniel, Chris, this is my sister Rin." Letting go, Rin nodded to both of them. "Pleasure to meet you both. Lin's told me a lot about you two. Where's Ozren? I thought you had a fourth member?" Daniel and Chris looked away, and Rin immediately picked up on it. "Oh....oh my god I'm so sorry. I didn't think at all," she stammered. Lin rested a hand on Rin's shoulder. "It's okay Rin, I didn't have the mind to tell you. Come on, we're tired and I need a drink. Gonna let us in?"

"Uh...sure, come on in ," Rin said, brightening up a bit.

"HER SISTERS?"
Siri pouted. "And....fuck. i cant paty crash, I might get killed."

The four of them, Rin Lin Chris and Daniel, were all sitting on comfy seats. Chris and Daniel on recliners, while Rin was curled up on a sofa, Lin seated in a relaxed position on the same couch. Each person had a beer in hand, casual conversation traded between them. "So, how long do you have before being sent back out there?" Rin asked. "A month," Daniel said. "And we plan on making the most of it. So Rin, tell us about yourself. Your sister never does," he said, causing Lin to blush and Chris to chuckle.

"Well....I work for Sinoviet Heavy Machinery, one of their executives actually. Not on the board or anything but still a high paying job, hence the apartment."

Leaving the apartment, Siri drove to the airfield. Hopefully she couldcharter a jet and get there fast.
"I have rotten luck..." she sighed.

"She's being modest," Lin said. "Rin here is perhaps one of the most critical employees of her company, and has done a shitload for them. She should be in charge, but prefers where she is for some strange reason." Rin chuckled a bit, and diverted the conversation to Lin. "And what about you? Still taking orders are we? Thought you'd be in command by now." Lin grinned a bit. "To be honest, I am. Got promoted to Squad leader, while Daniel there...." she trailed off as Dan raised a hand. "I was promoted to Second Lieutenant, and got put in charge of a platoon."

Using her stolen ONI badge, Siei garneree the use of a small, fast jet and roared odf. ETA was half an hour, so she poured on the speed and shot across the sky for her destination.

"Wow, a whole platoon? But...wait what about Lin and Chris? They look like badasses sure, but two people don't make a squad." Lin nodded, then said "True, but we met one of our newest members on the way to Cesaro. Good girl, got some potential." Rin nodded, taking another sip of her beer. "I see.....so, no hanging with the new girl then?" Chris shook her head. "Not right now. Maybe later tonight though, if she's up for it."

Soon enough the jet landed, and Siri eented a car.
Deciding barging in was stupid, she parked across the street.

=had been travelling to rendevouz coordinates given to IRIS and was patrolling the ship when see's someone sneaking up to the armory with what looked like a device of some sort and comms the others=

guys we got company

=sneaks up on the person and jumps on them tackling them to the ground=

who are you and what the hell are yo doing here?

A Day later, Somewhere on Reach

Taking advantage of their leave, Alexia decided to treat what was left of Wolf to some Tarivin family hospitality. Lily didn't object to the idea by any stretch of the imagination, but chuckled as Mitchell was groaning the whole way there. And, as usual, no one could stop his bitching.

"C'mon, I mean...do I have go on this venture? Not that I'm rejecting the offer of a free beer when we get there, but..." Lily silenced him with a look, her expression mock angry, "Mitch...relax. You'll be fine a few days removed from your folks on Earth. Besides...I heard rumors that her sister is single and legal..." Mitchell perked up at that, and Lily made a mental note of how she could motivate him.

Sarge used cerveza to motivate Doc, an I can use the lure of hot women to motivate Mitchell. Of course, Alexia will probably beat my face in for even dropping that hint. Lily thought. She then added, "I heard that she's also interested in tall men..."

She laughed as she saw Mitchell's face turn a bright shade of red, and Alexia chuckled along with with her. She then said to Lily, with her Slavic accent coating each word, "You didn't give yourself enough credit. You're better at motivating him than either of the old men."

Lily gave the older Alexia a smile, "Thanks, Alexia. I'll keep that in mind if either of the old men call." Alexia then went and gave the younger Mitchell a good-natured ribbing, while Lily looked out the window of the transport, the conversation between the other two fading to background noise.

She was remembering her fight with Lin that fateful day, her expression becoming one of silent regret. Regret that she hadn't been nicer to her that day, regret that she hadn't been able to admit to Lin that the relationship with her boyfriend Micheal was deteriorating.

Later in the day, fate had plans to give the reflecting sniper a slap in the face that would tip her over the edge. Of course, the trio had no inkling that something like that was about to happen.

"You got something planned?" Rin asked, intrigued. Lin nodded, saying "Yeah, we heard of a club in the city. Figured we'd blow off some steam down there later tonight." Rin cocked her head a bit. "What's it called?" she asked. "Uh.....The Nebula, I think," Chris said, and Rin immediately chuckled. "Wow, the Nebula's is one of the best in town....but it might be a bit outside your price range...." she then gave Lin a flat look. "Which is why you came to me, isn't it?" she asked, and Lin blushed. "Well.....we were going to invite you. So, what do you say?" Rin didn't even give it much thought, she just said "Sure, why not? I mean I could stand to unwind myself afterall."

Siri glanced over, then resumed playing the RTS on her PDA. Which she illegally installed before leaving the UNSC.

So, arrangements were made for the four of them to go to the Nebula later that night, an invitation being sent to Lindsey, coupled with a time and place. In the meantime, Lin said she wanted to take a walk, and left the building, moving for the park that was nearby. It was a nice park, with lots of trees and grass, a popular spot for joggers and even kids to explore, playing games like tag and hide and seek.

Siri drove slowly with her lights off, stalking Lin.

Lin moved off the sidewalk, into the park onto a dirt-path. She wasn't exactly dressed for jogging, but it didn't stop her from moving further in, basking in the silence, the only sound being the chirping of birds and her shoes crunching on dirt.

Of course, a few minutes later more crunching was heard. Before Lin could turn though, something came up and with familiar hanss pulled her into the shadows, latching onto her with a deep kiss.
siri had waisted no time.

Sadly for Siri......as familiar as the hands may have felt under normal circumstances, Lin was still in her own way grieving the loss of Ozman, as well as shaking off the whole nearly cut in half by an Elite incident. So when she felt hands on her and a mouth attach itself to hers....she flipped. Using a martial arts move, she turned the tables and had the assaulter pinned to the ground, their face plunged into the soft earth and arm twisted behind them at a painful angle. "What the fuck?" Lin said. "I oughta break your arm you son of a bitch!"

"OW!" The pitiful assailant cried. "If you wanted to play S and M I would have gotten you a belt to use on me!" Siei whimpered. "Dont kill me this time either Lin? Please? I mnow i was stupid!"

Lin immediately recognized the voice, and let go of Siri's arm. "Siri! What the fuck? WHAT THE FUCK?"

"Ok, so surprise was not a good idea." She stayed down. "Um. Hi. Tyranny's Fall reporting foe begging to not get killed? Please?" Siri rolled over. "...I uh...Hi babe." She finished lamely, cowering in expectation of death.