Disclaimer: I don't own Halo but if I did there would so be more action with the Chief and Cortana and I would already have a copy of Halo three or at least the script for it.

Chapter 3

"Enjoy your nap?" Cortana's cool voice filtered through the Chiefs disorientation. He forced his eyes to open and he peeled himself out of the cyro-tube. The tech's were moving around double checking the other occupants who were either waking or being prepped for their own turn in the "freezer" as cyro-tubes were generally known. The chief felt a moment's relief that Cortana wasn't there in the flesh. Being totally comfortable as he was naked, having a practically nonexistent sex drive and co-ed showers since childhood had ensured that particular human insecurity was cured. However being naked around Cortana wasn't something that he was comfortable with, maybe it was a result of her own discomfort with it, that transmitted itself to him. Whatever the reason he pushed the thought away, at the moment what he wanted was a shower to remove whatever traces of the freezer remained off his skin then the first real meal he'd had since he'd been put under a week ago. He'd snag the mini com unit from his locker first and get Cortana to update him to what was going on while he did it.

"Hey Chief, took you long enough." Her voice slid out of the ear piece as he swung the locker door open. He let out a faint almost chuckle as he brought it to his ear.

"What's up?" he asked as he grabbed the worn towel in his locker and walked to the showers.

"Oh, you know the usual. Johnson still refuses to let them put him in the freezer, something about wanting to be alive when he dies," the man lips twitched as he turned the shower on and relaxed into the hot water. The Sgt. had refused Cyro since he'd been on a salvage mission and had seen half a battalion of marines who'd never had a chance to be revived before the covenant had destroyed the ship. Not that the Chief could blame him however, he had almost reached that same point with zero-gee operations. "So he's been keeping me company for the trip. We're in normal space right now, had to exit slip-space to let the drive recharge. They're switching the honesty troops as well, you missed some pretty interesting characters in the last battalion of Elites but I think there's a couple that you'll recognize in this one." The honesty troops had been part of the agreement with the humans and elites, the humans sent a battalion of marines on the Elite's vessel and the Elites sent a battalion on board theirs. A type of insurance that no-one did anything stupid. "Is that water running I hear?" she asked stopping her chatter for a moment. John could almost hear the wheels turning in her head and almost wished he could see her face. "Christ you're in the shower aren't you?" she demanded, "You know I hate in when you do that." In the background he thought he heard laughter and wondered if Johnson was listening to her side of the conversation. The water cut out at that moment and he grabbed his towel off the bench.

"Not anymore." He replied and was rewarded with what sounded suspiciously like a disgusted sigh.

"You know I'm going to just ignore all of that." She paused for a moment. "Johnson's giving me a look now. –oh don't even go there!" she warned him and John began to pull on his uniform content for the moment to listen to the sound of the two arguing good naturedly. He stowed the other gear that he'd chosen to leave in his locker in a bag that was left in there then turned the lock into a bored enlisted man in charge of keeping track of them before he started down the hall.

"Oh Chief almost forgot." Cortana said interrupting her argument with Johnson. "I was supposed to tell you that you need to come up to quarters first the mess hall has been locked off for the last week so I think you can order room service here."

"On my way." He said and took a different corner then he'd been planning to. One of the many joys of the military, his quarters were buried deep in the ship like the rest of the barracks however because of some technicality he'd been given a smaller room that he suspected had been converted just for this mission from a sub storage hold. It was a pain in the ass to try and locate so nobody stopped by without a reason. Cortana had been banished to it as well so it wasn't just his room and between the two beds and trunks it was cramped and stifling.

"Oh there he is." Johnson said as the door slid open. "We were beginning to wonder if you'd gotten lost."

"Actually Johnson was wondering if he could steal your lunch, you should thank me for protecting it from him." Cortana shot back giving a wave of her hand to the heaping tray balanced on the trunk at the end of her bed.

"You actually gonna eat all that Chief?" Johnson asked eyeing the plate. The Spartan balanced it on one hand and dumped his bag on the bed Johnson occupied.

"Cyro always kills my appetite." John replied as he began to eat leaning back against the wall.

"Kills your appetite!?" Johnson muttered watching the larger man eat. He shook his head and turned back to Cortana who was sitting cross legged on the bed facing him waiting for him to play his latest hand. He dropped two cards and drew two from the pile beside him.

"So what was this fascinating bit of news that you had for me?" the chief asked Cortana between mouthfuls.

"Oh, not much really it's been a dull trip," she drew a card from the pile to add to her hand and her expression went from neutral to wicked. "I was a temporary honesty troop. The Elites are frantic on their ship and trying not to show it. They're cleaning and fixing everything possible like they're expecting a surprise inspection. It was a good time." Johnson dropped two of the chips next to him into the centre pile and Cortana gave him a raised eyebrow over her cards then matched his bet. "I'm still trying to keep myself busy." Johnson gave a rude snort and she shot him a glare. Cortana had a knack for finding trouble and as an AI she had been easily bored, she still was, and a bored Cortana had a tendency to make things, interesting, for her own amusement. The Chief looked over at Johnson and gave him a questioning look. The marine blew out a mouthful of smoke then answered.

"So far there've been a few glitches involving passwords around the ship, the rations dispenser has had a few," he cut his eyes to her, "problems and for awhile served only ice-cream and beans." John turned a steady gaze on Cortana who blinked back at him innocently. "Someone also patched the sound effects from the movie on down in the Marine Common through the ship speakers." In remembrance his lips twitched and Cortana coughed in an attempt to cover a grin. "And finally rumour has it that all the various encryption programs have been tampered with and if used as normally directed they lead to some… interesting memos." Cortana suddenly became engrossed in the fingernails on her left hand.

"Final bid Johnson." She said calmly. John shrugged his shoulders and settled down on Cortana's bunk and looked over her shoulder at her hand. She twisted her wrist slightly to allow him a look. Johnson looked at her debating. An announcement broke over the ships comm. system calling his marines to Alpha deck for training. He sighed and shrugged.

"You know I'm probably gonna regret this, all in." he said and pushed all his chips into the centre pile. Cortana merely raised her eyebrows and did the same.

"Match that and call." She said and they both revealed their cards.

"Fucking 'ell!" Johnson swore disgustedly and stood up. Cortana grinned like a kid in a candy store and drew the chips towards her.

"Better luck next time." Johnson gave a grin around his cigar and shook his head then walked out, the door slid shut behind him.

Alone now Cortana began to place the chips back into the container and John watched for a moment in silence not bothering to move just watching her movements. Suddenly he snagged her wrist.

"Hey! What do you-" Cortana began then cut herself off as the Spartan rolled down her sleeve and pulled out a card.

"I knew that there was a two in that flush not an ace." He replied coolly looking her in the eye. She gave a benign smile.

"To bad you never saw the switch." He raised his eyebrows and her grin widened. "It's only cheating Chief if you get caught." He gave a snort and let her wrist go and she placed the card back in the deck. "Besides, Johnson had a King in his left sleeve." She told him as he moved over to his bunk.

"I don't know what we're going to do about you Cortana." He said and she flashed him a brilliant grin and a half laugh.

"As long as there's rules chief I'll twist them. It keeps things interesting." Just as she finished the ship suddenly rocked sideways.

"What the-" she began as the red warning lights began to flash and the collision siren sounded. She scrambled to the computer terminal at the door and snapping open the laptop that she had connected to it her fingers flew over the keyboard.

"Cortana." John asked sliding over to her on the tilted floor.

"Looks like our friends found us. Hang on I'm trying to get the com system online." The Spartan shifted uneasily next to her. All Spartans disliked space battles they went against their training and instincts to act and fight.

"-Losing pressure in sections four and seven-"

"Reactors ready for eighty percent charge-"

"-slip space engine undamaged-"

"-lucky shot sir-" frantic com chatter filtered through the computer speakers and Cortana's gaze scanned code faster then John could follow it. Her finger froze and a new transmission filled the air.

"Is your ship able to jump Human?" an Elites voice came over the speakers.

"Yeah that shot didn't hit anything vital in this old girl." The Admirals voice responded.

"Sir Squadran Eternal Truth requesting permission to engage." This voice belong to a different Elite and seemed distant, obviously it was background noise of the Elite's vessel.

"Tell the squad leader that my answer has not changed and neither have our orders. As glorious as the battle would be if attacked we are to lead them to the meeting place. The Shal'qui will be most pleased with the gift of Brute blood." The ship commander snarled at the other Elite.

"We are ready to move when you are Human." The elite spoke back into the microphone again."

"Fine we jump, now." The admiral barked the order off the speaker and Cortana fell backwards into John as the Isabella accelerated into the not here of slip space.

2Bcontinued

A.N. Alright going by the lack of response I got for the last bit I've taken it out and have put the third chapter up in its place. (which explains why the chapter titles are off and will stay off because in my copy I didn't cut the second chapter) anyway I hope this chapter gets a few better responses.