You've heard stories of troopers sleeping in the drop ship on the way home from a mission, but as you hang on during ascent you can't imagine anyone dozing off. The ship shudders under the roar of its engines, the force of the acceleration pushing you back hard in your seat. It's exhilarating, and the physical forces match the surging adrenaline in your body. You've just completed your first real mission! The objective was completed with minimal casualties, and you're still in one piece. How could anybody sleep at a moment like this?
You glance over to Sergeant Shah in the seat next to you. His head is slumped forward against his neck armor, eyes closed in slumber.
Shaking your head in disbelief, you look forward to where the pilot is fully focused on the ascent. Forward through the canopy you can see that the pale Cerberan sky has faded to blackness, and you can just make out the dark form of your mothership, Normandy, growing larger and blocking out the starry background. She's a big beast, with half a dozen warships protecting her, and as your drop ship approaches, her hull eventually fills your entire view. Your pilot dialogs with landing control and expertly brings your ship in through a waiting airlock. There are a few minutes of distant bumps, clangs, and hisses, then you hear the rear ramp of the drop ship lowering.
Shah rises from his seat, suddenly fully awake.
"Let me check on the troops, sir," he says. "I'll be back."
Just ahead of you, the pilot finally sits back in her chair, pulling her helmet off and taking a deep breath. Up until now, all you've seen is her helmet and green flight suit with sublieutenant's rank, but she suddenly turns to look over her shoulder at you with a grin. She doesn't look much older than you, with smooth, pretty features and bright blue eyes.
"Hi," she says through her grin. "I'm Jessica Halliday—glad you made it!"
"Uhh, I'm sorry?" you say.
"For today's drop." She gestures vaguely toward the cockpit glass. "Didn't you just join the ship, like, this morning?"
"Yeah," you say with a laugh. "Two days ago, I was on my final assessment at strike school."
"Well, I guess the training paid off."