-1Garrett was in a pinch. Multiple targets entering multiple openings, loaded vehicles were coming online in the ship, and worst of all, his shields were starting to actually lower. They were only in the area for ten minutes before 13 of his shields were drained. "Initializing secondary shield buffers. Rerouting power from secondary generator. Sub-booster charges set" Auron whispered in the background of the fire fight. He didn't want to interrupt Garrett's train of thought. The transport was waiting there, dealing out damage to anything that came near it that wasn't human, and the marines were finally all aboard. Garrett ran toward the ramp to the transport, fuel rod fire blistering the ground he was at moments before. As he neared the ramp, a tank pulled right in front of him and fired. The shot flew true, landing where Garrett… used to be. He boosted into the air, landed on top of the thing, pulling the energy blades from the hip plate and struck, cutting the vehicle in two. Unfortunately for him, that wasn't his only problem.

Garrett turned to see the transport was taking heavy fire and the marines tried their best to stay away from the open back. "Ilana! Move the transport now!" Garrett yelled as he jumped behind a few crates, rolled, and threw two grenades towards a ghost and a few grunts. "But you're not inside! Um, that would be leaving you there! I, I can't do that!" Garrett swore as a fuel rod blast hit him in the right shoulder, and then returned fire. "Shields at 70. I will keep second layer on standby. Triple link field polarizing" Auron said in the background. There is more firepower flying around in this room than when I took those three ships on Garrett thought. "Just do it! I'll cover and follow after!" Garrett yelled as he fired three missiles in rapid succession at two tanks and a banshee trying to lift off. Ilana hesitated, complied, and lifted the craft off. As it left the bay, Garrett boosted, shot, threw four grenades and launched five mines in a scatter behind him, and jumped. Auron pushed full force into the boosters and the mech shot toward the opening in the back right when the ramp started to close. Garrett reversed, shot emergency jets from the sides, flipped a 180, and brought the Anionic warhead launcher to bear on the ship behind him. The ramp was almost closed, and he squeezed off a shot, flying through the crack just as it locked in place. The warhead hit, and the blast rocked the little craft around.

Garrett had slammed into the back of the cargo bay in the ship, his armor clanging against the wall behind him. Oddly enough, he didn't even dent the material, probably from the same usage as his armor. He switched the launcher to a more conventional weapon in case of boarding, and walked towards the only door there. The major tried to follow, but a turret nearby locked on and held him at bay. "I'm sorry, b-but you can't follow him. You, you aren't allowed anywhere else inside" Ilana's voice was heard over his helmet speakers. "Who was that?" Cortana asked. "Beats the hell out of me, but I think we need some answers." The Spartan yelled at Garrett to stop, and Garrett had just turned off the armor and turned around when the question hit. "Who was that? I thought you said that ship wasn't inhabited and didn't have an AI?" He asked. "Well, to tell you the truth, she isn't exactly an AI. I honestly don't know what she is, but she's pretty close to a living breathing humanoid." Auron interrupted with the information that she was an organoid, in all essence the same thing as a replica of her creators, except for the fact that she had AI abilities. Garrett couldn't grasp the idea of her having the good sides of both worlds, but for the time being he had other things to worry about. "You kept vital information from us. That's very serious." Garrett stood there for a moment, registering what he just said. "Hey, it's not like it would have any major effect on us. You heard it yourself. There are factions that are willing to play around with stuff like this. If I didn't…" And he was cut off. "Captain Gryphen, what you did was conceal vital information about a potential ally, as well as perhaps cut negotiations between the UNSC and whoever is running that artifact. You have endangered many people's lives by doing that." The other marines were sitting around the bay, watching the entire thing. "Captain Gryphen, I am relieving you of any command you have until this reaches the proper authorities. Furthermore, you will have this craft take us to the Resilience immediately." Garrett was stunned. He couldn't be serious. He could have Ilana take the ship to the Resilience and drop off everyone, then take the transport back, but why take away his power in rank? "(sigh), understood. I am… relieved of rank." He took a seat nearby his sister, still unconscious.

The transport had docked with the Resilience and dropped off the marines inside, then got ready to leave. "Garrett. You won't be coming in the transport?" Ilana asked over the Nanites communications in his ear. "Huh? Uh… no I can't. I'm under guard until I get back to Earth. For all I know I might be court marshaled for what I did." Ilana sounded shocked after that. "But, but you did it to stop any opposing force in, in your government from trying to scavenge or attack me. Why would they do this to you? I, I don't understand how your people can, can be so heartless." Garrett sighed, and kicked a wall in his little cell down in the brig. "Don't know, and frankly, I know it sucks. But I have no choice. I withheld information that they "Needed" to know, and now… I pay a price. Shit… I should have thought this would happen…" He said. A small silence filled. "Why did you do that? Protect me?" Ilana asked. "Don't know. Morals I guess, or maybe chivalry. Beats the hell out of me. Defend the woman in distress, though from the looks of it, you were hardly in distress. I should make a note to myself to stop doing things that get me in the boiling pot by my higher ups." He lay down on the bed in the room, a guard moving by, wondering why he was talking to himself. "Thank you" Ilana said, as Garrett twisted his head and stared at the ceiling. "Your welcome. Man, they should really think about putting something flashy on the ceilings of these cells. Maybe a Trideo or something to watch." Ilana giggled a bit.

Garrett stood at attention, his uniform clean and pressed, and was escorted by two very large ODST MPs. He walked into the hallway with his hat, though from the looks of it, the thing might be taken away from him. His rank would probably be lowered to private, and he might be stationed on a crap ass ship for the rest of his live. Dr. Halsey walked up to him, the MPs falling back a bit, and saluted. "I would like to speak with this man privately. Leave." They turned and walked to the hallway door, and stayed outside. Dr Halsey turned Garrett. "What the hell do you think you were doing? That was vital information that I needed to know, and if you keep that information from me, I can't help you." She sounded quite angry. "Ma'am, with all due respect, you might have tried a boarding of the ship in an attempt to gain useful tech. That was what I was worried about. There was a potential factor that if anyone tried to be hostile and invade, Ilana might become hostile as well and fight back. We would lose…" and he was cut off. "How would you know what I'm thinking Captain? You're not the one who has to conceal just about everything from the other council members. Now that you've walked into this blunder, you might be executed." Garrett stared at her in disbelief. "Ma'am, I think you might have said that wrong. I might be lowered in rank or expelled from the UNSC, may probably be put in a military prison." She stood there, pushing up her glasses. "I meant exactly what I said Mr. Gryphen. You're being accused of treason. It's usually a capital offense, don't you agree?" She said sarcastically. "Now that you have this problem, for all I know, you might be handed to the others on a silver platter. Project SLEIPNIR is being investigated, and I can't do anything about it. Congratulations, Captain, you're going to probably see quite a bit more politics once this is over, and very little free time." Dr. Halsey walked back through the council doors, and the guards came back.

Garrett sat on a nearby bench. Dr. Halsey was doing everything in her power to stop them from doing this, but there wasn't much she could do. Ten minutes later, he was called in. "Captain Garrett S. Gryphen. Under article six of the military convergence act, you are hear by held in this court marshal to prove the accusations being held against you, and whether they are proven truthful in accountancies with events that have taken place. Let us begin."

Garrett was having a rough time. The questions asked of him he answered to the best of his abilities, but they were definitely being twisted around. He had been in the court marshal for quite awhile now, and it looked like it was going to end soon. The council left for a few minutes to reach a verdict, and at that moment, he received a com from Ilana. "What are you doing calling me in the middle of this?" He asked. "I've come to help you escape. I won't, I won't allow you to take this burden on yourself when, when you were just trying to do a good thing. I'm sending a transport down. It is locked onto your life signs. Please, get on. Leave this place. Your, your government wishes to harm you. There is no reason for you to be here anymore." Garrett looked around. No one was nearby, but he could be heard from bugs in the area. "I can't. I might be let go. The charges might be lowered because of the need for troops, and who knows, I might be allowed to just leave the service. I never did like being a grunt in the first place." He shifted a bit on his legs. He had been standing for god knows how long, and his watch was taken in case of any bugs that he had to stop recordings. "But, but that is all the more reason to come with me. It, I-it might be worse than that. I won't let you be hurt. I… just get on the transport when it comes." The link stopped, and the council members reentered. Dr. Halsey looked sad. Oh shit he thought. "Captain Gryphen, by the verdict we have come across, we have decided you are guilty of treason. Your actions are not of military conduct, and furthermore, you may have assisted the covenant. Therefore, you are to be executed." Garret stepped back a bit, almost being hit with the words. "You're executing him so you can see what makes that armor tick! That's why you're doing this. All the evidence tells us that he acted without thinking and did not give us information that would give us a large advantage over the covenant. He…" Dr. Halsey was silenced. "Enough! Dr. Halsey, do not speak out again until the sentencing is finished. Now, Captain Gryphen, you will be…" And a large explosion rocked the building. Garrett fell on his ass, as the guards shot in. Each grabbed a council member and ran, but before they went, he heard "Hold the captain in custody!" Garrett looked at two guards run up to him.

Oh what the hell. I've got nothing to lose now… and he foot swept both. He engaged his armor, and bashed through a wall. "All units! Captain Gryphen has gone rogue! I repeat! Gryphen has gone rogue! Shoot on site!" He heard over all channels. He boosted around a corner of the building, saw five ODSTs sitting there with rifles ready, and pulled back. These are my guys. The troops and friends I've known all this time. I can't kill them. One of the men pulled a SPNKr 32 and fired a shot, easily dodged by the fifteen foot soldier. He switched ammo in a rifle he pulled, and fired. The black out rounds connected, and all five soldiers were hit with some incredible pain killers and anesthetics. Their bodies slumped to the floor, fast asleep. He jumped through the open front doors and saw the transport flying about, waiting for him to emerge. At that moment, a scorpion pulled around the corner and let a shell connect with the ship. The shields absorbed it, and it returned fire with an energy burst. The scorpion was melted to a puddle, but two warthogs became interested in the mech standing at the door. The characteristic CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! Of rail fire flew from the rear mounts as Garrett boosted out of the way. He jumped toward one of the hogs and grappled the front with his hands, and picked the entire vehicle up and used it to club the other nearby. Both flew toward a nearby bunker. He jumped again, landed on top of the council building, and started to take fire from no less than seven bunkers. Twin Arco helicopters hovered in, spewing death with four 60mm auto cannons. Nothing was making its way through his shields, however, except for an occasional scorpion shell which hit hard enough to knock him back, but not much else. The transport hovered over the roof, waiting for him to enter. "All squads! He's trying to escape! Hose that ship!" He heard as a squad of long swords flew in and unloaded whatever they had. The ship landed effortlessly, and he boarded, firing off a few more black out rounds and had the door close. The ship lifted off, and they were in orbit before he knew it. The Nexus floated majestically nearby, the transport flying towards an open door. Three cruisers nearby tried to intercept, but Ilana held them at bay with her own fire. They retreated to a safe distance. Once the transport was on board, the ship jumped out of the system. No tracking could follow them, and they slipped away without much problem.