600 Trillion Miles To Home

Two Spartans discover what Home really means

Ajax took a calming breath. He steadied his hand, and looked at the blank monitor, catching a glimpse of his reflection. His face bore scars from his numerous campaigns, some still fresher than others. He pressed his finger to the green call button, and sat back in his seat. The computer gave off a ring tone, buzzing as it attempted to gain a connection to the other end. It crackled into life, remarkable given that he was communicating with a matching station on the other side of the System, via beams of light shot through holes in real space. The monitor sparked and the face of a woman appeared. She was lying in bed, bedraggled auburn hair obscuring her face. She brushed the hair from her face, revealing deep green eyes, and tanned skin, an exotic mix of features. She looked directly into the camera, and gave a sigh.

“Good Morning Elise.” Ajax said, leaning in to the screen

She gave a soft chuckle “It’s 3am.”

Ajax rubbed the back of head, a rare nervous trait she’d seen only a few times “Ah, sorry.” He looked away from the camera “I got the conversion wrong.”

“It’s fine. You don’t need to ring every week though.” She sat up, looking at the camera

He looked back at the camera, his usual stern expression moving to something softer “It’s been 2 months now. This deployment has been the longest we’ve been away from each other since Reach.”

“Don’t you worry about me. I’m surrounded by 300 Spartans. I think I’ll be safe.” She laughed

Ajax gave a rare smile, something few outside of their ‘family’ ever saw. However, his expression turned dour “Since we lost Mike, then the team was disbanded... I don’t know, I guess I still worry about my team.”

She leaned her headways side and looked him in the eyes, via their cameras “Well, aren’t you sweet? But I’m a big girl, I don’t need you dropping by.”

He rolled back in his chair “I... just worry.”

“Well, I do to. You get way too much time to yourself at the Camp. Besides, how are things back home?”

Ajax looked at her for a moment, caught off guard by the question

“Home?”

“Yeah. Camp Sparta. Where did you think I meant?”

He shook his head “I never really thought of it as home before.”

Elise gave him a concerned look “Well, where was home? Was it where you came from? Reach?”

“No, no on both of those accounts.” He thought for a moment “The team. The team was home.”

His response caught Elise by surprise. She suppressed a laugh “Really?”

“Yes. Crimson Team was always home. Now, with Mike gone.... I guess you’re home.”

Elise sniffed. She quickly buried any emotions bubbling to the surface “I.,.. Ajax...”

Ajax looked back to the camera, looking straight at Elise’s video image on the monitor.

“What I’m saying. You’re home.” He said, his voice wavering for just a moment

“You’re pretty far from home Spartan.” She laughed, masking her face with her hand

“Arcturus to Midgard? That’s about 100 light years. That’s... 600 trillion miles to home..”

Elise reached out, putting her hand to the screen. Ajax did the same, their hands touching, across 600 trillion miles of space. The camera shook, startling Elise. Ajax could hear the distant call of mortars.

“I have to go, we’ll continue this soon.” She said, scrambling to her feet

“Wait, Elise, I-“ Ajax began

“It can wait.” The monitor clicked off

“...I love you...” Ajax said to himself, consumed by the darkness of his room