John stepped off the pelican looking around with the rest of his team and the Arbiter right behind him.
"Been a long time." He looked at Kelly as he stood at the end of the ramp.
"What is this place?" The young Spartan III asked as he stepped up next to chief looking out across the glassed field. He noticed there were battle rifles embedded in the glass a set of dog tags hanging on each rifle. John nodded for everyone to follow as he carried an extra rifle as he strode into the field. He thrust the rifle into the glass and pulled Kurt's tags from a small compartment on his chest and hung them from the rifle.
"This is where we give our fallen brother's and sister's rest. The UNSC lists every Spartan as M.I.A. never able to able to truly be put to rest." He said kneeling and bowing his head. Kelly stepped up behind him and put a hand on his shoulder. John reached up and put his hand over hers. "I'll be fine Kelly."
He stood moving away from the field towards one of the waiting warthogs and smiled as he felt Cortana make the mental link.
"Locked and loaded John. Head towards Castle base there are an untold number of tunnels underneath there and I'm getting a signal from somewhere in those tunnels." John nodded as he jumped in the driver's seat Kelly taking the turret, the Arbiter in the back so Kelly had backup and Johnson next to him.
"Alright head for Castle base Cortana's got a read on something there. Be prepared for anything." He said looking at Fred. "If you run into Covenant forces take 'em down." Fred nodded as they peeled out of the canyon towards their old home. John wondered if Tanis was there and if she had found some of their old treasure troves.
Tanis smiled as she wandered through the tunnels and running her hands along the drawings on the wall when she saw a sketch she knew all too well. He daddy had it over his heart it was a Spartan sward and javelin crossed over a shield. She smiled and as she a small opening and made her way into the new alcove. It was filled with old blankets and the walls were covered small drawings and battle plans. 'This is where daddy, aunt Kelly, aunt Linda and uncle Fred trained when they were little.´ She thought with a small smile before she went back to Themis. The A.I. smiled as Tanis ran back in the room.
"What did you find child?" The A.I. asked kneeling on her platform.
"My daddy used to come here." She said with a smile. "That means he'll come back and he'll find me." She said with only the faith that small children can have in their parents.
"So what do you do now?" Fred looked at the boy next to him.
"I run private security…I dropped the job I was on when I found out Tanis was taken." He said growling as he concentrated on the road meeting Kelly's gaze through their visors as she looked back at him. He turned on his internal comm. "Hey Kell where have you been since the last time we met up?"
"New York I was at the base having Halsey tune up my bike since it's crucial to my job." She said scanning the sky.
"Bike messeger I'm guessing? Anything else going on in your life?" He smiled as he heard Kelly laugh.
"Right most people are too intimidated by the fact I'm a Spartan. We'll talk after we find Tanis Fred." She said cutting communications as the base came into to view. Kelly became more alert event thought area seemed deserted. "I don't like this John."
"I know Kelly." He said as he stopped the warthog at the entrance. "Let's get in here and find out what Cortana's been picking up read."
"Read." The group responded as they grouped behind him. John made his way through the old corridors till he saw a certain wall panel. He stopped signaling the group to halt. They fanned out to give him cover as he moved closer and knelt.
"She's here." He whispered as he put his hand over a very small hand print on the wall. John stood and pushed making the wall slide into the rock face. He motioned for everyone to follow him.
"Now little one do you know why the covenant started the was on humanity?" Tanis shook her head.
"The race the prophets come from had built their city into a forerunner ship. One of the prophets had brought an artifact back to the A.I. on that ship. It recognized the artifact as human and tried to take the ship to earth nearly destroying their civilization."
"Truth lied." Themis nodded looking up as she heard footsteps.
"Hide child." Tanis's eyes widened in fear and ran behind the pedestal.
"What is this? I don't remember this." Fred said as they entered the large circular room. His attention focused on Themis as she stood atop the small platform. "Is that…"
"It's an A.I." Tanis scrambled from around the pillar at the sound of her father's voice.
"DADDY!" John knelt down and pulled off his helmet flinging it towards Fred who caught as the girl barreled into John's arms.
"It's okay I'm here." He said standing as Tanis started crying. "I found you." He looked to Themis who nodded. "Who's your friend?" Tanis sniffled and looked back to the A.I.
"I am Themis the recorder." John was about to speak when the Arbiter laid a hand on his arm.
"She is what the Covenant is searching for." John nodded and handed Tanis to Fred. Tanis buried her face into Fred's armored neck as John took his helmet. He removed to old A.I. dock from his helmet and approached the pedestal.
"Will you come with us?" He asked holding up the small device. Themis nodded as John slipped the dock into the pedestal giving Tanis a small wave as she disappeared. John pulled out the dock and instead of the blue he had seen for so many years a pale lilac pulsed there now as he put his helmet back on and inserted the dock.
"John what is that?" He heard Cortana ask over their link.
"That is Themis she's an A.I."
"That's what I was sensing." John just shrugged knowing she would feel his reaction.
"We also found Tanis."
"Bring them back John now."
"We'll be back soon." He said as they double timed it out to the warthogs and back to the pelican. John smiled as Tanis fell asleep in Arbiter's arms as she was asking questions.
"What do you mean you've lost it?" Wrath screamed as the brute knelt in front of him.
"It disappeared just a short moment ago as we were making our way towards the location. When we made our way to the last know coordinates we found an old human base with a myriad of tunnels underneath. One tunnel led to a room no doubt designed by the forerunners. Whatever was there is gone now." The prophet growled and tossed his staff at the brute.
"You have all failed me yet again. We needed that artifact." Wrath growled turning his gaze to the stars. 'We will make the Spartans pay for what they have done to us.'
John let out a small sigh of relief as the pelican landed in the docking bay. It was odd that they had met no covenant forces he thought as they stepped off Cortana running towards them. She smiled as she took a sleeping Tanis into her arms tears of relief streaming down her face.
"We need to get to the bridge." Cortana nodded as John pulled Themis from his helmet. They quickly made their way to the bridge where Miranda and Halsey were waiting for them. John nodded to both as he made his way to the well know port and plugged the dock in. Themis materialized on the holotable and smiled at group in the room.
"Thank you reclaimer this is where I am meant to be." She said looking to Tanis as she slept in her mother's arms. "Teach her well young construct she will change the world. Though I do still wish teach her what I know." Cortana nodded her eyes wide as she realized what Themis was.
"Why did the covenant want you?" Themis turned to Halsey.
"I am the first A.I. and all other A.I.'s are connected to me. Their knowledge is my knowledge and has been such since my creation." She said making Halsey gape before she clamped her mouth shut and looked to John with a small smile.
"John take your family and rest."
"Call me if you need me." He said turning and following Cortana from the room.
Tanis woke as they stepped into John's quarters. She rubbed her eyes and looked around before realizing who was holding her.
"Mama?" Cortana just kissed her forehead as tears started flowing anew from both mother and daughter as Cortana sat on the bed.
"My dear heart I was so scared." She whispered as she kissed the side of her daughter's head before looking at John who was standing in the door way. His armor had carefully been put away and stood in sweats and tank top watching his family before striding into the room. Cortana gave him a small kiss as he sat next to her on the bed. "What do we do now John?" She asked as she lay Tanis down then lay next to her. John's look turned cold at that moment.
"We make them pay for ever hurting our family." He said looking down at Tanis as he turned out the lights as he lay with his family. Pulling them closer as he followed them into sleep.