<div class="floatright">UNSC Flagship Hercules; Galley<br/>Location: Earth's Lower Atmosphere<br/><br/>(http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e367/witto_devil/ShanaReporting.jpg)<br/><br/>"It's been nearly three hours since we've last heard from anyone. I think we should go and check it out." Sergeant Jacobs stated his opinion to the Echo's Company commander.<br/><br/>The commander only looked at the younger man for a moment before sighing. "Negative Sergeant. Our orders are to stay put until we reach word from from the team."<br/><br/>"With all due respect, I don't want these lives lost on my watch. If they're in trouble I feel it more important to go than to wait for bad news later." Jacobs said.<br/><br/>The commander looked at him for a moment, but had nothing more to say.<br/><br/>"They won't be officially missing for another twenty-one hours. There's nothing that can be done until then." the short private had spoke having had walked in only a moment earlier.<br/><br/>Both men turned to look to the woman just realizing that she was standing there.<br/><br/>Acknowledging that it wasn't her place as a private to just speak out of term, she quickly changed subject before the men had time to think of what had just happened. "Sir, the platoon has grown restless. What are your orders, sir?" she asked more professionally.<br/><br/>Sergeant Jacobs looked her over. She didn't have her helmet on right now and he was slightly pleased to know that the name he had used upon her earlier was the correct one, though that only made his thoughts wander back to how she became a private. He said nothing back to her, instead he looked back to the Commander and said, "You'll let me know when you've heard from them?"<br/><br/>As Jacobs began to walk away, the commander responded, "As soon as I hear from them."<br/><br/>The Sergeant pushed past the small woman and went down the hall toward the armory wondering what he would find upon his arrival.<br/><br/>The private looked to the commander in silence for a moment and then turned around and walked down the hall to follow her leader. She felt like a snitch, but if she had been a higher rank that would have been a different story. The woman stopped and leaned her back against the wall near the Amory's metal doors. Sighing lightly, she crossed her arms and closed her eyes.<br/><br/>As Jacobs walked in he stared at just what his platoon was up to. As usual, the young were acting like children. One private stood atop the table, a rifle in one hand. He held it above his head as though it were a trophy talking of big game. Another group of privates gathered into a circle watching a couple of young men snarl at each other.<br/><br/>The Sergeant watched a moment before making his presence known among the loud platoon. "What is going on here!?" Jacobs demanded in a loud voice that a leader was familiar in using.<br/><br/>Immediately the platoon froze and then looked to their new platoon sergeant. The man atop the table lowered his rifle and jumped off the table soon placing the weapon onto the counter and sliding it away from himself as if in shame. The brawlers stopped pacing around each other and looked to Jacobs. None of the marines said a word. Perhaps it was embarrassment, perhaps it was in the sergeant's seriousness to the situation.<br/><br/>Sergeant Jacobs looked around again, his expression showed disappointment and slight anger. His blue eyes narrowed as he bit his lower lip. Taking a few deep breaths he decided to let it go and commanded his platoon, "Everyone grab a rifle and fall into the rifle range. Move out!"<br/><br/>The platoon quickly grabbed an assault rifle and hurried past their sergeant down the hall.<br/><br/>"Let's go, let's go!" Jacobs called out motioning his arm from the room to the hall and back again as he watched the rest of the soldiers make their way out of the armory. The sergeant looked back to the female private that stayed beside the door against the wall. He studied her, eyeing her rank and then her face. Though he recognized her cold and hollow eyes, he discovered a new scar displayed near her left lower lip that he hadn't noticed earlier. Now wasn't the time for questioning, though a part of him already knew she wasn't going to give answers regardless. He turned his back to her and began walking down the hall to follow his platoon into the rifle range.<br/><br/>The woman bounced herself off the wall and silently followed Jacobs into the rifle range. Sliding her way around him she hurried to the platoon and fell into the third squad from the back. Sergeant Jacobs looked over his platoon, disappointment still looming over his mood before he looked behind him at the set up. A barrier stood strong reaching a height just below the chest. Further in past the barriers were displayed cardboard of covenant used as target practice waited upon their platforms, ready to be used.<br/><br/>"We haven't any word from the commander yet on the situation. In the meantime I want you all to practice hitting these targets of the enemy.  I'll be looking for the best squad capable of joining me on this mission. First squad, let's go." Jacobs said and pressed the button to start the platforms to start moving.<br/><br/>The female private counted two squads before her own and mentally prepared herself even though she knew it didn't matter. Sergeant Jacobs was going to pick her squad just so he could get a feel of why she was where she was.</div>