//------------------------------// // Emotions Run High, Always // Story: Jackal // by Gallants //------------------------------// "Princess, deniable ops were successful in disrupting the diamond dog raiders in the southern front, by way of leadership liquidation," Jackal said passing over a report, "officially the Equestrian 1st battalion, heart breakers, had such an intimidating presence that they surrendered on the spot," a series of grunted agreements and coughs filled the room, "as for the progress in maintaining an area in the Everfree for a potential spartan program, I have been successful in reducing the hostility of predators in a large swath of land, the area is still dangerous, but I believe some fencing will make a prime training location. I am prepared to select trainers once I get a satisfactory augmentation report from the alchemists." she told the collected council. "Good, and all other issues are internal I believe," Celestia said getting a quieted yes from the collected officers, outside of the intelligence and headhunter command, "Well let's begin with you Captain Salt, shall we?" she asked getting a nod from the group. "This is more a collective issue." Captain Salt said, swallowing as he kept glancing at the spartan. "Is there an issue captain?" Jackal asked looking at him, "you don't have to be nervous around me, I don't bite; too hard." "It's because you are the issue, since the founding of Equestria, its military matters have been always handled by ponies, and then you walk in and ruin everything." He almost yelled red in the face. "I see, I'm sorry you feel this way captain," Jackal said standing up, causing the captain to flinch in his chair, "since the matters concerning D-O are dealt with, I'll take my leave princess." Jackal quickly left, walking down the halls and entering her quarters. She walked to her bed and dropped her helmet and collapsed into her blanket, bunching it up, she quietly cried into it, slowly getting louder. "Jackal," Celestia quietly called out stepping into the room seeing the hunched form of the now silent sobbing spartan, stepping closer to her Celestia frowned, "are you okay?" she gently asked stepping around the bed. "No, princess, I'm not okay, I'm far from okay," Jackal said rolling onto her back and wiping her face, "I know you're happy with my position of desk command, but I need to work in the field," she told her, tears still flowing from her face, sharp breaths filling her lungs, "please I've been having nightmares, and I haven't been able to hold these damn tears back." She sobbed. "Maybe, you shouldn't hold them back," Celestia suggested climbing next to her, laying down and facing her, "after all it's refreshing to have another stoic being you can cry with when you need it," she laughed out, "I'm sorry the others are making you feel this way." Celestia got closer to the spartan and wrapped her wing around her. "It's not them," Jackal told her, grabbing the framed picture off her bedside table, "it's him, he was my best friend," she told the princess pointing at the shorter spartan, "and one of the last things I did was lie to him and went and got myself blown up," she quickly took an offered handkerchief and dabbed at her eyes, "the nightmares, however, are about marines I couldn't save, always the ones were I was right there." Jackal grabbed one of her pillows, pressed it against her face and let out another wail, and just held it there as she cried. "Let it out Jackal, I'm here for you," Celestia told her, "it's not healthy to use work as a way for you to cope with these losses, take it from me, I'm much older, nearly a thousand at this point," she chuckled, "and when I tell you, to just let it out I mean it, I do the same thing." Celestia pulled the spartan in closer, whose face was quickly buried in the soft fur of her barrel. The next morning Jackal, let out a relaxed sigh as she looked at Celestia raising the sun from the balcony, "either telling you about all of that, really helped," she said stretching, "or I need to fall asleep with you holding me more." she joked heading towards the bathroom. "I wouldn't mind that," Celestia said before blushing and hiding her face behind her wings, "forget I said anything." she shyly called out before feeling a pair of strong, armored, arms wrap around her. "Princess, are you coming onto me?" Jackal asked grinning, "because I wouldn't mind that." she whispered leaning into her. "Well, perhaps dinner tonight, just the two of us, in my private dining room?" Celestia asked getting a cute nod and playful wave from the spartan as she disappeared behind the bathroom door. As soon as she heard the water start running Celestia dropped to her haunches and started giggling, "I did it, I can't believe I did it, I asked her out." she sighed out between her giggles before teleporting to her bathroom and quickly taking a shower herself. Jackal stepped out of her shower, feeling a little giddy, "Oh god, did I just score a date with a princess?~" she said sweetly leaning against the wall, as she looked at her body suit, "I don't have enough time to get a dress." she frowned, and quickly got redressed, getting most of her armor on she decided to look over her paperwork, missions that may need head hunter assistance and a single alchemy report, promising, but not enough, she marked it and sent it back. That night Jackal elected to leave her magnum and helmet in her room. As she approached the dining room she stopped, her heart was racing, "This is ridiculous," she said sighing, "I'm a spartan, I've killed literal monsters, I can't be scared of a date... right?" she asked herself a shaky hand wrapping around the door handle. "Your bed is way better than mine," Jackal chuckled, as she sat up to get dressed, "dinner went great we should do it again." "We should," Celestia said stretching her wings and lightning her horn, raising the sun, "where are you going?" she asked as Jackal opened the door from her room. "Back to my room, where my toothbrush is." the spartan called out walking down the hall. Jackal tried to stop but she couldn't, this smile hist stayed plastered against her face, and the giggles escaping her lips was distracting her as she looked over reports. A knock at her door knocked her out of her thoughts grabbing her helmet and straightening her papers and calling them in, "Jackal, I just wanted to let you know an important dispute came up with minotaurs, and I need to leave now," the spartan was happy for her helmet as it kept her disappointment hidden, "I'll see you as soon as I can, and if it isn't any trouble, maybe keep to your room other than walks on the ground so course, the council still isn't accepting of you." Celestia said, getting a nod in return, turning around she started to leave. "Celestia," Jackal called out, "stay safe, for me?" she asked getting a coy smile from the alicorn who stepped over and standing on the tips of her hooves planted a kiss on the side of the spartan's visor. "I'll be back as soon as I can, there's another meeting I need to make afterward." the alicorn assured her, closing the door. "Be fast," Jackal said falling into her chair, "I don't have as much time as you." she whispered looking back to her paperwork. "Happy to be working with you spartan," the ODST said holding out his hand, Jackal happily took it, "this is my first combat drop, any suggestions to stay calm during it?" he nervously asked, his eyes darting over to his C.O. Jackal smiled picking up her Mk IV helmet and showing a small stuffed jackal under it, "I found holding onto this helps me a lot," she told him handing the plush over, "I'm sure I can do one drop without her, besides this is my first time with an ODST squad." she said smiling as he took it. "Thanks a lot, I'll, uh, I'll keep her safe." he said getting a laugh from the spartan as she walked towards her pod. "You better, I've had her since I was a little girl!" she called out. The battle was going smoothly, "Covenant forces are retreating towards their command center," Jackal called out to the advancing marines, "Black squadron has secured Mesa Plaza." she told them looking at the rooftops. "Hey commander," she heard called out from behind her turning around she saw the young ODST walking up, "here she actually helped a lot." he told her handing the plush over, the sergeant he was with rolling his eyes. "Don't try to win brownie points with us spartan," he spit out, "you guys think you're hot shit with all your augmentation, but black squad was doing just fine before you arrived." he told her using his gun as a pointer for emphasis. "Sergent, please," the rookie begged, "it doesn't hurt to have spartan assistance," he told him; the sergeant grunted and walked away, "I'm sorry for him commander," he told her as he started walking past her, Jackal slowly turned to keep facing him before he stopped and jumped, "Commander look out!" he yelled, a plasma bolt from a beam rifle tearing through his chest plate and impacting her shields "No," Jackal screamed raising her rifle and sending three rounds through the elite who took the shot, grabbing the rookie she dragged him into an archway, dropping to her knees she pulled off her helmet and pulled his off as she grabbed her bio foam applying it to the chest wound, "Come on, come on," she begged as his eyes focused on her blood dripping from his mouth, "this is your first drop, you aren't supposed to die here." she said tears pulling at the corners of her eyes, she felt a tug at the collar of her armor. "Finish the fight." the rookie said before going limp in her arms, a few tears landing on his armor as the sergeant stepped over. "Commander, we confirmed that was the only one other units ran into them," he quietly said, as the spartan put her helmet back on, "those invisible split jaws have been running disruption attacks throughout the city." he knelt down and closed the ODST's eyes. "I want their heads." Jackal said putting a second magazine in her rifle. Jackal looked at the coffin, her dress uniform was hotter than usual, the eulogy was already complete and she stepped forward her legs shaking as she held up her plush and gently she placed it next to his cold body, "I'm sorry, I couldn't save you." she whispered before walking away, falling to her knees at the back of the crowd. Jackal woke up and wiped her wet face with the shreds of what was her blanket, "I need you back Tia," she quietly said falling back against the sheets.