"I am Lieutenant Ambrose. You have all endured great hardships to be here. I know each of you has lost your loved ones on Jericho VII, Harvest, and Biko. The Covenant has made orphans of you all. I am going to give you a chance to learn how to fight, a chance to become the best soldiers the UNSC has ever produced, a chance to destroy the Covenant. I am giving you the chance to be like me: A Spartan."
- Spartan-051, Kurt Trevelyan, Spartan III Alpha Company Induction
Light filtered into the Pelican's troop bay, and the wind that was buffeted about by the ventral thrusters that let the ship hover started whipping into the bay. The only occupants besides the pilot and co-pilot were a man with a graying widow's peak and a savage face that had been released from its constant tension. Now, it just looked tired. The other was a figure covered in blue armor, no emotions or expressions to be seen aside from whatever the golden visor reflected.
Morgan reached out and grabbed Andrew Del Rio's arm, lifting him to his feet and walking him out of the bay, where a pair of agents from the Office of Naval Intelligence stood waiting to take him, along with a man wearing the star of a Rear Admiral. His prosthetic legs were hidden by his shoes and the perfectly tailored uniform pants.
Releasing Del Rio, the ONI pair took him, one hand on each arm, their free hands resting on the butt of their sidearms. Morgan watched them go, and Rear Admiral Adam Greer stepped over to her before turning and watching Del Rio's back.
He was silent for a moment, before his voice found its way. "You know, when I asked you to come back, I didn't expect this to be what you did."
She turned her head slightly to look down at him, merely a glance before looking back. "I didn't expect a lot of the things that happened, but here we are." Her voice was dry, but contained. "You read my report?"
A grunt. "Three times now, so did the rest of the skulls." He gestured forward with his hand, and started walking. She followed.
"Then you know everything already."
"A paper can't be held accountable."
She pursed her lips behind the helmet. "Of course not. I wouldn't have done it if I didn't have to."
He held up his hands as they walked. "I wasn't saying anything different. I trust you to make the decision you did. Osman does too, otherwise she wouldn't have given it to you, and we'd be doing something completely different… Maybe."
She turned her head fully, staring daggers into him. "Maybe?"
"It'd be one thing if we didn't know what was going on. The log files Monsoon transmitted for all bridge conversations relevant to our investigation are just peeling back another layer. Analysts are going over all of the sensor readings from when the ship was pulled in, scanned, whatever else was important. The problem here that really makes things different is that the Master Chief knew."
Morgan was silent, and he went on. "Both he and Cortana tried to get support and Del Rio refused it. Lasky is being questioned on the ship, as is the rest of the bridge crew, and Monsoon is with the Assembly. They've been at it since the ship arrived, and if they're still conversing, they may as well have been at it for eternity."
Morgan knew little about the Assembly, other than they were a council of AIs that were a regulatory body for Smart AIs and that had acted as 'shepherds' during the war until a change of heart at the end. Their status now was unknown to her. "And I'm guessing I need to be there with Del Rio to atone for my actions?"
His face contorted into a grimace. "No, not exactly. Osman wants to see you in person, to question you on it herself since you spoke with her authority. She's read the report, she knows everything, and probably more. I don't know exactly what she or any of the others planning, so you need to make sure you're air-tight, not just confident."
"If she has the report and everything else, then she'll know exactly what I did and why I did it."
"What she doesn't know, Morgan, is why you didn't go with him."
She frowned behind her helmet, her body turning towards him and that perfect Spartan facade disappearing in a wisp of Human emotion. "I couldn't. You know I couldn't."
Again, his hands came up defensively. "I know that, but she doesn't. She didn't get to the top by trusting anyone at first glance just because they're important or special. Parangosky trained her better than that."
Morgan sighed, her shoulders dropping slightly. She had included the part of their mission against the gravity well generators where she and John had encountered the Librarian and all that she had said and done, had written down the words exactly. Helmet cam footage was useless. All it had shown was the ceiling when she'd been put flat on her back during the encounter, and then John suspended, arms outstretched as his armor was forced into an odd configuration, and then after a few moments he was released back to the ground.
"I can't use what may as well be called a dream as evidence in my defense, Adam."
"It's all you have, without him here to back it up, or Cortana. Armor logs showed massive spikes in your suit at the least, but we have no information from the Chief's armor aside from your squadcom and the biosigns it passed through, given he left almost immediately after. Spartans don't just ping KIA for nothing, and the armor isn't prone to random glitches."
A huff this time. It was all getting so tedious. They should be preparing just in case, not having a trial. She'd done her duty to the best of her ability, and now they would question her until she was wrung dry of all the information she had. She was no stranger to ONI or its endless hunger for information.
"What about the Navy?"
Greer frowned. "Navy has a vested interest in it too. It's their flagship and one of their captains got relieved of duty by a spook. Even at the best of times, there's a lot to peel back."
She rolled her eyes. "Of course."
Long ago, when she'd been little more than a hitman for ONI, she'd been perfectly capable of completing her missions, debriefing, and moving on. A clockwork routine that she never deviated from. Now, the concept of it bothered her, made her irritated, and worst of all, she no longer had the vice like grip on her emotions.
They were still on the heels of the ONI agents as they pulled Del Rio into the UNSC headquarters in Sydney, Australia. Despite heavy damage to the continent, HIGHCOM Facility Bravo-6 had been reinforced and taken little enough damage that it had continued to serve as the UNSC headquarters in the years after the war. Nicknamed 'The Hive', Morgan had never been here in person.
A cylindrical building, it was coated in reinforced titanium armor, EMP shielding, heavy blast doors, and with a heart deep within three kilometers of solid rock. There would be very little able to penetrate such a building. Additional defenses, like barbed wire fences, multiple guard posts covered with heavy weaponry remotely controlled from inside the facility, and three gunships standing alert in several levels of the above ground structure. Morgan couldn't see it, but on the roof of the building, a miniature MAC cannon sat waiting, not unlike the one she had used on Reach to protect the Pillar of Autumn during its escape.
Stepping into the building, the doors hissed shut behind her, and the two broke away from the ONI agents and their new 'prisoner,' heading a different direction. Greer was quiet for a long while, and she saw little reason to break that silence. Under better circumstances, things would be different, but of course, these weren't better circumstances. An elevator ride and a few more twisting corridors had them a kilometer underground and deep in the bowels of the Hive, nestled inside of Greer's own office.
Morgan's first thought was to look around, to take in the surroundings of it. A desk, a personal terminal, a holoprojector, and a slew of datapads stacked in an outgoing box. Very little in the way of personal effects. Without thinking, Greer gestured to the chair in front of his desk, before looking back over his shoulder and grimacing. "On second thought, probably don't sit on that."
Morgan's speakers were deliberately left on as she snorted. "You're not a very good host so far."
The admiral raised an eyebrow, looking at her for a moment to see if she was serious, before he decided to let it go and sit in his own chair behind the desk. Morgan remained standing. Another uncomfortable silence, and his frown grew.
Her helmeted head tracked around the room again, looking anywhere but the man's eyes, not that he would have known if she made eye contact anyway. What had gone from a handler-agent relationship to something almost friendly felt like it was currently on thin ice, and deep inside, the thought bothered him.
Before he could speak up, she turned her visor back to him, and whatever was coming was silenced on the way up his throat. Eye contact through the one way mirror that separated them, and after a few moments of her staring him down, she took the helmet off, setting it on his desk with a weighty thunk.
Her hair was pulled back tightly, exposing the entirety of her face as it snaked back and into the tightly wound bun that she put it in while in armor. It had a blue ribbon wound around it, but with her looking directly at him, it wasn't visible. Green eyes pierced into brown. "What are you doing, Adam? They know you're here with me, that you'll divulge whatever you can. ONI isn't the type to have leaks."
His mouth pulled down further, and he sat back in his chair, as if thinking, breaking eye contact. He didn't look back at her as he answered. "I won't be on the board that investigates your conduct, or allowed to be there with you. Our connection is considered too deep for that."
Her eyebrows knit together. "What, a few visits with years in between them is close? I wouldn't say that." She realized what those words meant as soon as she said them, and she looked away, taking a deep breath. Greer didn't respond, merely watched her as she went on. ONI wasn't what it was because of emotional outbursts. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that."
Greer nodded slowly. "I know." As his eyes met hers again, he realized how different she was from when he had first been assigned to her. She had been a Spartan then. Now, she was more than that. The thought didn't escape him that he now considered her to be 'different' from a Spartan.
They didn't say anything for a while, both lost in their own thoughts, before a loud ping interrupted their contemplation. Greer's eyes immediately went to his terminal. Before he did anything, he gave her one more order. "Put your helmet on. Leave it on unless they tell you otherwise."
"Why?"
"Because they can't see your face. They can't know what you're thinking or feeling. You need to draw on that Spartan resolve again, perfect bearing, no emotion, no hesitation. Do you understand?"
She nodded. "I do."
With that, he responded to his terminal's ping. "Greer."
A male voice filtered through. "The board is ready, Admiral. An escort is outside your office. Please send the Commander out and remain where you are."
His jaw clenched ever so slightly. It was a closed room meeting, and apparently, he didn't warrant the ability to observe. "Understood." The channel cut immediately, and his eyes met hers again, but her helmet was already on, and she was sealed inside. She only nodded at him, and he nodded back.
As Morgan turned her back to him, he couldn't help but think that he had just thrown her to the wolves. After all, what was a single wolf to an entire pack?
Four ONI agents were waiting outside, but rather than just being simple agents in the black fatigues, they were different. Morgan's visor played over them, and she felt her heart skip a beat. All of them wore MJOLNIR GEN 2, painted black with the only markings being the pyramid symbol of the Office of Naval Intelligence painted on their shoulders. They were clad in COPPERHEAD pattern armor, something that she hadn't seen in action on Infinity. Her Spartans wore all manner of gear, but she'd never seen COPPERHEAD in person. ONI kept their toys hidden away, not wanting to share with the Navy or Spartan branches.
She also didn't miss that they all had rifles held close to their chests. None of them said a word, and as she saw herself in each reflective visor, she frowned. "Lead the way, please." It was all she needed to say. They split, two on each side, a very obvious sign she was meant to be in their midst, bracketed on the front and rear in the tight corridor. They didn't say anything, and once she stepped into place, the two in front started to move, she followed, and the rear guard was on her like a shadow.
It made her uneasy, being escorted like a prisoner to a hearing. If she didn't know better, she'd think that it was an execution with the judge, jury, and executioner being Serin Osman or whoever else was sitting in on the hearing. It sent a shiver up her spine, but she kept herself controlled. They wouldn't be allowed to see weakness, to see any of the emotions on her face, or see that the ghostly fingers of fear were creeping along her body and mind.
They walked for several minutes, going through another elevator ride deeper into the facility, and it all blended together. She had no idea where she was, but it had been designed that way. Leave it to an organization of spies to make a building designed to thwart any opposing spies. Not that the Covenant had ever been able to breach the place anyway, even if they had spies of their own.
The two in front of her moved away, splitting off to stand on either side of a door made from dark steel, hands on their weapons still, and they both looked at her again. This was where her hearing would be. The two behind her filled the hallway, ensuring there would be no stepping back, only forward. With the only option being to go in, she took it, and the door split down the middle.
Darkness inside, save for a long, high table of five people sitting side by side, covered in a spotlight that was behind them. Their faces were obscured by shadow, and in front of the table, another was pointed directly down. That was where she would make her stand.
Even as she stepped under that light, she felt that familiar old feeling from many years ago, one that put her on edge and made her adrenaline spike. Despite her enhanced eyes, there was no looking through that darkness that ONI had deliberately made to prevent her from seeing them. She doubted she was the first to be in this position, and would not be the last.
Her heels clicked together, her body went rigid, and her hand came up to her visor in a salute that would have put a perfect statue to shame. "Commander Morgan Bailey, Spartan-B312, reporting as ordered."
No movement at the table for a few moments, no whispers, nothing. It was like they had been statues carved to sit there and stare her down, intimidate her, make her sweat. But the man in the center had mercy on her.
The deep voice that came through was one she hadn't heard in person in years. "At ease, Commander." Sitting forward, hands steepled on the table, Fleet Admiral Lord Terrence Hood's face was given some light, revealing that CINCFLEET himself had been brought to question her. It was his flagship she had taken, after all. Nobody would feel the effects of that more than him, save for maybe Del Rio.
Morgan dropped her salute, a single fluid motion putting her at ease as she waited for him to go on. "Your actions aboard UNSC Infinity on two July, 2557, have called into question the reasons you decided to relieve Captain Andrew Del Rio of duty." It was short, but there were many things that hid between the lines.
Why? Who? What? And most of all you better have a damn good reason for doing this.
He went on. "Information from all sources aboard Infinity have been brought together and examined, including those by temporary ship's AI MON-3385-7, bridge cameras, after action reports, video and audio evidence pulled from the armor recorders of Fireteam Crown and your own, and direct witness reports from Commander Thomas Lasky, Spartan Sarah Palmer, and multiple bridge operations officers." A pause, and he glanced down at the terminal inlaid in the table. "Additionally, questions about usage of authority allegedly granted by Admiral Serin Osman, Commander-in-Chief of the Office of Naval Intelligence must be answered." Another pause, longer this time, drawn out. "Finally, the recovery and subsequent departure of Master Chief Petty Officer of The Navy Spartan John-117. Are you prepared to answer any questions asked by the United Nations Space Command Security Council and accept the verdict passed down to you?"
Morgan didn't hesitate. "Yes, sir."
It was all she needed to say. Hood went on. "Do you also understand that findings by this board, if deemed illegal, may result in punishments up to and including penalty of death?"
"Yes, sir."
The next question wasn't directed at her. "Is the security council prepared to begin?"
Each person answered from left to right. "UNSC Army, General Nicolas Strauss, ready to begin.
"UNSC Marine Corps, General Phillip Hogan, ready to begin."
"UNSC Air Force, General Ronald Dellert, ready to begin."
"UNSC Office of Naval Intelligence, Admiral Serin Osman, ready to begin."
Finally, Hood came back. "UNSC Navy, Admiral Terrence Hood, ready to begin." He looked to Morgan and off behind her left shoulder. "Is the liaison to the Spartan Branch ready to begin?"
A voice behind her and to her left sounded, one that made her nearly look back over her shoulder at him. "Spartan Branch liaison officer, Jun-A266, ready to begin."
Footsteps behind her moved closer, until Jun was standing next to her. Neither of them looked at the other. Hood spoke again. "Commander, the liaison officer of the Spartan Branch will join you as the representative of your branch and someone whose authority was also invoked when you relieved Captain Del Rio of command. Do you have any objections?"
"No, sir."
"Good. Commence UNSC Security Council meeting 04072557-1, July 4th, 2557. Judgement, mark the time, seal the doors."
An artificial voice responded, but Morgan saw no AI. "Aye, sir. Doors sealed, record commencing."
Hood didn't respond to the AI, looking back to Morgan. "You've served many years and given your life to the UNSC when we asked. Your status as one of the heroes of the Great War and your sacrifices in the pursuit of the survival of Humanity have given you a great deal of authority, even prior to your assignment as INFSPARCOM." His voice softened slightly. "As I told you many years ago, when you and I spoke at the Voi Monument, you've done more than could ever be expected of a single person. Your deeds have gone down as some of the most important in all of our species' history, and though your name will never be released to the public while you still live, know that your accomplishments will always be remembered as some of the brightest in our darkest hours. Your selection as INFSPARCOM was not something done by Admiral Adam Greer and Spartan-A266 alone. Myself and Admiral Osman both put our names on the orders that brought your meeting into being and laid the groundwork for you to be here today."
She frowned behind her helmet, wondering why it felt like Hood was trying to soften a blow that was on its way to her jaw.
"That being said, your decision to relieve Captain Del Rio is something that cannot be ignored. The implications alone are serious enough to warrant an extended investigation that will continue even after the conclusion of this meeting. The catalyst of this event has been decided to be the recovery of Master Chief Petty Officer of The Navy Spartan John-117, henceforth referred to as the Master Chief. Please, tell me the events leading up the Master Chief leaving Infinity."
Morgan took a deep breath, going over the events in her mind in seconds. "Sir. The recovery of the Master Chief on the Forerunner planet Requiem happened almost immediately after the Infinity was pulled in by an unknown force inside the planet. Multiple Covenant Remnant vectors closed on the ship while it was down, and Forerunner constructs joined the battle on the side of the Remnant. Multiple Spartan and Marine fireteams were dispatched to attempt to find an entry point for cyberwarfare specialists to acquire swaths of data pointing to the name of the planet, the situation at hand, and possible causes as to why Infinity had been pulled in. Fireteam Crown, led by myself, was one of these fireteams, and Commander Thomas Lasky was with us at the time. Our Pelican was brought down, and we continued to our mission objective, reaching a Forerunner structure that allowed us our entry point. At that time, a friendly signature on the motion tracker, outside of our approach direction, was found and discovered to be the Master Chief. The Master Chief and myself separated from Fireteam Crown to clear an extraction point for Pelicans to approach, returning to Infinity and repelling boarders both Forerunner and Covenant, as well as an unknown Forerunner commander known as The Didact."
She paused, letting them know that one part of her story was finished, and leaving it open to question.
Hood went on, the voice of the council. "And what of the Didact? What was their objective? What was their purpose for attacking Infinity?"
"Information discovered by the smart AI CTN 0452-9, Cortana, and interactions with the imprinted memories of a Forerunner known as The Librarian, led the Master Chief and myself to believe that the Didact has maintained a grudge against Humanity since before the disappearance of the Forerunner species prior to our recorded history."
"And the interaction with this Librarian, armor recordings indicate no physical meeting or auditory cues for the less than ten seconds after you were suddenly brought to the ground. Explain."
"During the armor recording, a point in time where the Master Chief was suspended and I was brought to the floor happened where, and I can't speak for him, I met the Librarian. Her words to me were cryptic, something that I have yet to fully understand. She said her job was to guide Humanity on their journey to achieving the Mantle of Responsibility, that she had planned for a thousand lifetimes to produce eventualities that would lead to such a meeting. My part in this was to 'deliver The Ancilla to The Champion. Fate decided my beginning, but not my end. I was not expected to survive, and my evolution was not factored into play.' She said I was to protect The Champion when he made his choice, or else all would be lost."
They were silent for a moment, each looking at each other, and the figure that was Admiral Osman made a few notes on her terminal, finally speaking up. "Commander, do you have any idea what she may have meant by this?"
Morgan didn't respond immediately. "I think so, ma'am, but I can't be completely sure without her explaining it. It's all just conjecture. I believe that The Ancilla is Cortana, that The Champion is the Master Chief. Delivering Cortana to him may have been when I was tasked with escorting her to the Pillar of Autumn on Reach before it fell. Something about the Master Chief is important, something that only he can do to combat the Didact. I wasn't supposed to meet her, I believe I was supposed to die on Reach, but I didn't. I believe that whatever her interaction with him at that time was, it was to guide him on whatever path may have been set to make sure we aren't killed. At the end, she told me that 'he has found us,' possibly referring to the Didact."
Before either could ask anything else, General Hogan spoke up. "You expect us to allow the results of our hearing to be influenced by what may well be a trick or a hallucination?"
Morgan didn't hesitate. "I expect nothing, General. I'm merely giving all of the relevant information and my own thoughts on the matter in an attempt to best come to the right resolution."
"The right resolution to the case, or for you?"
Hood cut him off. "General, please allow the Commander to finish. Conjecture is to be expected, and was anticipated." With that, he gestured to Morgan to continue.
"Very little was explained by the Librarian, except that she was adamant that he continue alone. Returning to Infinity after the destruction of a network of gravity well generators, I relayed all of this to Captain Del Rio, who attempted to return to Earth immediately. The Master Chief and Cortana attempted to gain support in an attempt at chasing and subduing the Didact, believing that he posed a threat to Humanity and must be stopped. Captain Del Rio refused to release a Pelican and material required for pursuit, and attempted to order his arrest and the retirement of Cortana, in the early stages of rampancy. I made a decision at this point based off of my own thoughts on the situation and agreed with the Master Chief that the Didact must be stopped, leading to my relieving of Captain Del Rio of command and giving interim command to Commander Lasky. Immediately after, the Master Chief and Cortana departed Infinity to pursue the Didact. Approximately fifteen minutes later, Infinity exited Requiem and set course to Earth to prepare in case the Didact managed to make it to Earth. This concludes my knowledge of the situation. Whether the Master Chief has succeeded or failed, I have no idea, but believe that if he has failed, we'll know within weeks, if not days."
The board was quiet for a time, and Morgan felt a bead of sweat travel down her back, wicked away almost immediately by her suit, but the ghost of that drop continued to grab at her thoughts.
All of the board members looked down to their terminals, entering notes or speaking with one another in a way that was kept quiet around her enhanced hearing. Hood continued. "Very well, Commander. Your next question is to answer why you invoked the authority granted to you by Admiral Osman."
Morgan swallowed, taking another deep breath. "Captain Del Rio refused to allow the Master Chief to depart the ship in pursuit of the Didact, and his attempt to confine the Master Chief and retire Cortana was based around her rampancy and the Master Chief's age and time in isolation since his status as missing in action was assigned at the end of the Human-Covenant War. I believed that, unless he was relieved of command and the Master Chief was given the support he needed, that the Didact would be left unopposed and free to prepare whatever he needed to complete his objectives, whatever they may be." Licking her lips, she realized they were suddenly dry, and her suit was warm, despite the climate control meaning it was perfectly tuned. "Prior to being pulled in by Requiem, I received a message from Admiral Osman, asking that I be the ONI liaison onboard and that I act in her name should a dire situation arise. Had it been anything else, I would not have invoked the authority it allowed me."
Osman's voice came next. "Do you believe that your actions, essentially taking command of the UNSC Navy's flagship, were warranted?"
She didn't hesitate, looking directly at Osman. "Yes, ma'am. I believe that I made the right choice, and that if I could change anything, the only difference would be that I would have gone with him myself."
"Your relationship with the Master Chief, define it." Hood came next, knowing exactly what it was. "Also, please remove your helmet, Commander."
She closed her eyes, frowning, before she cleared her face of emotion, and reached up to unseal her helmet. It came off, and she hooked it to her belt before looking back to Hood, meeting his eyes. "He's a friend, someone I fought alongside in the darkest hours of not just my life, but of all our lives. He's just as much a hero as I am, if not more. When Voi was glassed all those years ago, and you thought that our best bet was to stay behind and try to survive, he was one of those people that believed we should go and search for Cortana's solution. He trusted her, even when she was corrupted and on her last legs. When I took Infinity from Del Rio and gave him the order to pursue, I was trusting him just like you did. I believe, completely, that if anyone can stop the Didact, it's the Master Chief."
Silence. Her gaze had hardened, and without realizing it, her voice had raised in volume, her stance had broken to something that was leaning toward them, her hand pointing at him directly. She frowned as she realized she'd lost her cool, and she returned to the at ease position.
Hood was silent for a time, and nobody else said anything. "Why did you stay behind, Commander?"
"Because my instincts told me that the Librarian was right, that I could only protect him from Del Rio and give him the opportunity to go and challenge the Didact. I was told I couldn't go with him, or else all would be lost."
"And you believe that instinct was enough?"
Morgan's lips tightened into a thin line. "As a Spartan, more than any other weapon, instincts have been one of my strongest attributes. I learned to trust them long ago, before I was given my armor, and they've served me better than any gun or shot fired in anger. As a career sailor, you know the merit that instinct brings when everything is on the line."
He sighed softly, just loudly enough for her to pick it up with her enhanced hearing, but it was little more than a whisper. "I cannot deny that." Another short silence, and he spoke up again. "Judgement, scrub this next question and response from the record."
"Yes, sir. Awaiting record resumption."
Hood looked back at Morgan. "Tell me, Morgan, no ranks or hearing, but person to person, what effect this decision had and any biases you may have had." He had seen her at the end of it all, when the loss of the Master Chief had nearly broken her, when he'd seen her unconscious in the hospital, when he'd heard from the doctors and corpsman that had treated her after digging her out of the Dawn just what she'd suffered in that anguish.
She sat there for several long moments, staring him in the eye, feeling that old wound open up. "I thought he was dead, gone forever right at the end of it all. I thought it was unfair that he had done so much and been killed off when our victory was held tightly in our hands. When I found him again, it was like looking at a ghost, but he was there. Alive. Right in front of me." Her voice was strong, but she felt that knot rising in her throat at the thought of it all now, without everything bearing down on her. "Gone for five years, alone, and he comes back to the rest of us. He didn't have to chase the Didact. He's earned his rest a million times over. But what did he do? It was his suggestion to chase the Didact and send the rest of us back to warn Earth. All he had was a Pelican, a single Pelican, with no slipspace drive or extended stores. He knew that he was condemning himself to possibly being left behind again. Forgotten, with no way home."
She was starting to shake now, her voice rising again, and she swallowed against that knot in her throat. "When I had to give him the order to go, and watch him leave again with the possibility I may never see him again, that I had just ordered him to what may very well be his death? I hurt myself, deep inside. I ripped an old wound open and dumped a can of salt into it. Nothing has ever hurt me as badly as that did, and yet I did it, because I had to. He did it, because he knew he was the only person that could. So to answer your question, Admiral, if I could have gone with him, I would have. If I could have made things easier for him, I would have. If I could have done it myself instead of him, I would have. Every decision I made in regards to this led me to the only conclusion that I could have made that has any chance of us surviving an attack by the Didact."
Her voice was almost at a yell, and all of them were looking at her as she went on, spilling years of hidden pain and the raw wound that had been left behind by those orders. "If you believe that I've failed or that I've made the wrong decision, you can ask yourselves what you would have done. Ask if you could have done any better in the face of all of this on a split second with only instinct and trust in a god damn hero who's given everything and more to you." Her face was drawn into a snarl, green eyes alight with a fire that hadn't been so bright since they'd reflected the fires of a dying world where she was supposed to have made her grave. "Do what you will, Admiral, and let it be known that I did my best, as I've always done. Remember those fallen heroes that the UNSC and UEG's leadership have relied on for so many years now, and give them one more chance to protect you, because it's all we know. It's all we've ever known."
She took a deep breath, struggling to control her breathing, to get a handle on her emotions, and she returned to her at ease position. "Spartans have given their lives time and again for the survival of our species when all we've known has been loss and hurt and war. We'll continue to do so until we've all passed on from whatever it is that managed to get the better of us. Right now, one of them is racing against time in the hopes that he'll stop the Didact, ready to throw away his life in an instant if it means the rest of us get to wake up tomorrow and be safe. The rest of us will stand ready to take the torch if it falls from his fingers. Most of all? I'll be there, whether he succeeds or fails, and I'll do the same thing he would have. That, Admiral, is my stance on it all."
Her lips sealed shut, and she focused solely on controlling herself, on forcing all of that emotion back into its box where it had laid dormant, ready to be used again. Her cheeks felt wet, and the knot in her throat was making it hard to breathe, but she didn't wipe her cheeks, didn't try to put on that stony facade again, didn't try to hide it all away from them.
They didn't say anything for some time, once again interacting with their terminals, and it seemed like an eternity before Hood spoke up again. "Judgement, resume the record." The AI responded as he had done before, and Hood went on. "Commander, the security council has made its decision on the matter. Your orders are to return to UNSC Infinity and resume your duties as INFSPARCOM effective immediately, and make preparations to engage the Didact should he appear over or around Earth. Additionally, you're assuming a temporary billet as executive officer until an appropriate replacement can be named. As your knowledge of the situation outclasses that of almost anybody else, you're perfectly suited. Your authority will be increased as a method of preventing future incidents similar to that of the relief of Captain Del Rio. Effective immediately, you've been promoted to Captain and will be expected to willingly accept greater responsibility and authority, as well as to continue to strive to be the best that Humanity has to offer." He typed something in to his terminal, and looked back at her as the lights in the room came on, removing all of the shadow that the board had hidden in.
With his face exposed, he stood, as did the rest of the security council. "Congratulations, Captain. I know that you'll continue to make me proud, and be an example that every Human strives to emulate as we continue to better ourselves every day."
Morgan's throat tightened again as it all settled in just what had happened, and her heels clicked together again, her hand coming back up in a salute, staring straight ahead.
Hood waited a few moments, and all of the other members of the security council emulated her before he touched his hand to the brim of his hat in a return salute, dropping it immediately after. "You're dismissed, Captain. Make the best of what time you have. Something tells me we'll all need it."
Morgan dropped her hand, spinning on her heel, and without another word, marched to the door, not slowing down as it slid open and she went through, past the ONI agents that had been guarding the door. Another pair of feet were hot on her heels as the door sealed shut again.
Jun's accent was thinner than it had been when they'd fought together all those years ago. "Well… that went well, didn't it?"
She had almost forgotten he had been there, that he had followed her out, such was the new weight on her mind. She slowed her steps and wiped at her cheeks, looking back over her shoulder at him. He was still wearing that black suit, his head shaved completely bald, and the arrow tattoos on the left side of his head standing out against his skin. "It… yeah, better than I expected it to, given the situation."
He gave her a half smile, moving to walk beside her rather than behind her. "You did good. Seems like they wanted to put you under the microscope and see if you cracked."
Morgan cut her eyes at her 'brother'. "You see any cracks?"
Jun was quick to respond. "I did, but I think that might be for the better."
That was something she hadn't expected. "You'll have to let me in on your point of view then."
"People like us, the twos and threes, people expect us to be sociopaths, emotionally stunted, machines. You aren't one of those though."
She stopped, turning to look at him. "What are you trying to say?"
"I'm trying to say that they expected you to give them nothing but cold truth. I've seen them in session more than once and that's always how it goes. Hogan and the other generals usually talk more, but this wasn't their fight. Hood knows you personally, and Osman was a two herself, washout – don't let her know I told you – and they expected you to be a good soldier and keep your military bearing." He gave her another grin, his teeth showing through this time as a light glinted in his eye. "But you basically all but shoved it down Hood's throat that you think you were right, consequences be damned. Nobody I know has ever done that to him."
Morgan's eyebrow raised. "What, you mean put the admiralty in their place?"
"Not so much that, as much as you brought up the things that keep him awake at night and contribute to his alcoholism almost as much as the last years of the war did."
She frowned, looking away for a moment, attempting to focus a bit more. "So that's why it seemed like a damn witch hunt at first. Set the stage and see if I tripped up."
"More or less. Osman might be powerful, able to butt heads with Hood, but ultimately it's his say in the end and you came out on top. I think that you would have either way, but you did it with style this time, Six."
That was a name she hadn't been called in ages, and she nodded as she navigated around it recalling something she had said to Jorge before she'd lost him. "I aim to please."
He gave her another smile, more genuine this time as he clapped her on her shoulder. "Well, time to go back to how it used to be for a little while, focus on the pressing matters and then cry into a cup of coffee later, right?"
She gave a laugh that was little more than a huff. "Right. I need to get back to Infinity and you need to get back to… what, exactly? What do you even do?"
They started walking again as Jun answered her. "Oh, you know, go find street kids who wanna be the Green Knight like we did." It was a dark joke, given their past. "No, I find the best of the best and make them better. Make them fours. Then after they're done with me, they might get sent to you."
"I thought you hung out with Greer more, got him coffee, shined his stars, stuff like that."
"Not Greer's, no. Musa likes to ask me if I will sometimes though, but never says please." At her look, he only laughed, shaking his head, but he didn't walk back what he said. Morgan wasn't entirely sure if he was serious or not. "I'm a man of many hats. Recruiter, chief of operations, liaison, plenty of other things that might bore you to hear."
"You'd be surprised, Jun."
"I'm rarely surprised, Morgan."
Her own lips curled up into a gentle smile, some of the stress of her hearing easing out of her. "Maybe one day, when I'm back home, we can catch up without work getting in the way."
He gave her a smile to match. "I'd like that a lot. I'll look forward to it. It'll be nice to see each other again without all of… this," he said, gesturing around them, "hanging over us."
A nod from the big woman, and she held her hand out. When he grabbed it, she pulled him in for a hug, dwarfing him in her armor. "I'll look forward to it too. It's always good seeing you again, regardless of the circumstances."
He wasn't caught off guard, returning the hug with no hesitation. "I think so too. It's been too long." Pulling away, he slapped her shoulder pauldron. "Just a bit longer, and we'll both be free to see each other again. Now go on, get outta here. You stay here too long and you'll turn into a spook."
Morgan only grinned at him, shaking her head as she turned and left, her helmet coming back onto her head.
Getting back to the surface was easy enough, but she went past it, a message from Greer showing up in her HUD and instructing her where to go, leading up to a landing pad near the middle of the building's height. On it, a Pelican sat waiting, ready to take her back to the ship.
Boarding it, the trip was short, leaving her plenty of time to think on what had happened. It had been like a reverse kangaroo court. It bothered her in a way. She had expected more from it, had expected to be jailed or punished in some way. Even if she had been punished, she still would have done things just the same.
But none of it really mattered now. She had made it out the other side without a scratch. Now, all she had to do was keep the fire burning until the Master Chief returned, victorious or otherwise.
Infinity came into view, and the Pelican slid into one of the bays, turning around as it settled to the deck and the bay door opened, Morgan catching sight of Thomas Lasky, standing with his arms crossed
Stepping out, she took her helmet off, locking eyes with Lasky. "How did things go for you?"
He grimaced. "Not the best. Never like it when I get questioned by ONI. Rarely ever a good day when they want something from you. Yours?"
She grimaced back. "It went well, but it didn't feel like it." She cleared her face. "I'll be serving as your interim XO until they get someone else onboard and this whole mess is cleared up. Got a promotion while I was at it, in case you ever decide you wanna pull a Del Rio."
Lasky frowned at that. "You too, huh? Well, hopefully you don't have to. I don't fancy squaring off against a Spartan like he did." Gesturing to her, he waved her forward. "Come on, let's head to the bridge. Plenty to see and more to get ready for. Preliminary maintenance reports indicate we took some nasty scarring to the ventral side of the ship. Estimate is two months to replace and repair everything, fix up the buckled plating, test the replacements that need to be assigned, and a slew of other things you probably don't care about."
She shrugged as they started the trip to the bridge. "Anything I can do then? Or do you just wanna keep things the way they were?"
He made a noncommittal gesture. "Job didn't change too much. I could probably do it myself, have an admin staff take up the slack if you prefer to focus on Spartan work. Figure that might be better for you."
Gone was the hesitation that had been there when she'd taken command from Del Rio. Now, he was officially in command, his field of responsibility concrete and well defined. She thought it was better this way.
"I think that might be best, sir."
He looked back at her as they stepped into the elevator that would lead up to the command deck. "You still don't need to call me sir."
"Force of habit."
That got a twitch of the mouth from him, almost a smile, but he held it in place. "I'll allow it."
She let her own smile filter through. It felt good to smile. It was something that she'd learned to appreciate. Every one was another moment for her to feel good, rather than stressed, downtrodden, or broken. Just for a moment, an escape from the darkness. "What's our plan now? What are we doing moving forward?"
"Ship's already being swarmed by techs to get Infinity fixed. Entirety of the dry docks over Australia have been repurposed to get her back up to fighting strength. Whatever gave the order for that came through within the last hour, so you must have done something right down there."
She pursed her lips. "You could say that."
He looked up at her, an eyebrow raised, but didn't hesitate to go on. "Well, it means we'll hopefully be ready if anything happens. I hope not, but…" He trailed off, the ending more than obvious to both of them as the elevator let them out. "I've given the order for the ship to be kept at full readiness. Surge operations in effect, REDCON 1. Orders filtering down through the different commands with need to know information stuck with department heads and trickling through only as needed. We can have the ship at full tilt, operationally and physically, at a moment's notice. We keep it too long, though, and we'll be exhausted if something happens while we're catching our breath."
She looked down at him. "How long does it take to transition from standard to surge?"
He frowned. "We've done drills plenty of times, and there are so many different hangars and pads separated from the overall docking deck that it's a tossup. Some can get up and running quick, others are still finding their stride. It's been one of our priority tasks since we got underway, but spending time in slipspace so often means that we can't launch."
"None of it matters if we end up fighting a Forerunner battleship or whatever might show up on our doorstep. I don't see our single ships being able to deal with the Didact's toys. Are we sure we even want to risk sending out fighters or bombers that might get swatted before they can even get in range?"
Lasky shrugged, frowning. "I don't want to throw lives away if I don't have to. It depends on what comes in the end, if it comes."
Morgan's frown matched his. "Assume that the Didact is on his way right now. Anything less leaves us open."
"Way ahead of you."
They stepped onto the bridge, staring out through the view ports at the Earth, hanging below them, with the occasional dock worker shifting in front of them on his path between the slew of repair cradles that were oriented around the Infinity.
As Morgan looked over it, she tried to find her home, or the area of it, wondering if she'd make it back after all of this. So close, and yet so far away at the same time. She thought about Kris, about the older woman's family. She thought about the people she'd met in town over the years, of all the things she'd seen and done without a war hanging over her head.
Something deep inside told her to be ready, that home would still be there when she was done, waiting for her. It was familiar, in a way, almost like that combat high that had taken her so many times, but relaxing at the same time, providing a level of focus that she'd learned to hone.
An instant later, and space was torn asunder, an ancient enemy come back to enact revenge.
