Cortana woke to find John already up and looked down at her little girl who started to wake up stretching and yawning.
"John?" He looked at her and gave her a small chaste kiss before getting up dressed in an olive a-shirt and fatigues before leaving the room. Cortana let out a heavy sigh knowing that John would stop at nothing to take vengeance on the prophet that had stolen their daughter. She looked down at her little girl and smiled running and over her cheek as her slowly opened revealing a sleepy cobalt blue.
"Where's daddy?" She asked sitting up rubbing the sleep from her eyes.
"He went up to the bridge my little one. Now let's get dressed and get some breakfast we can probably catch aunt Linda and Kelly if we hurry." The little girl scrambled out of the bed her hair a mess as she started to pull on a pair of black leggings and lilac colored dress. Cortana smiled and dressed quickly before brushing Tanis' hair and then hers.
"Ready mommy!" She smiled as she followed her daughter at a more sedate pace as the little girl raced past the ship's crew and few O.D.S.T. members. Most were shocked as they stopped to watch the little girl run down the corridors.
John growled as he looked at the latest recon images. Castle base was now crawling with covenant. A place that had been a home for him was now infested with one of his greatest enemies.
"Sir." He turned to see the young man who had tried to save his daughter standing there. He nodded to him to join him at the table. The cadet was nervous as he came to stand next to one of the most formidable men in the UNSC.
"At ease cadet," He said looking at him. "I owe you a great debt that I will never be able to repay."
"Sir is she…" Riley hoped Tanis was safe. The little girl reminded him of his sister so light and innocent.
"Tanis is fine, but I want to know your name since you put yourself in harms to way to try and save my daughter."
"MaCalister sir Riley MaCalister and sir…" John simply looked at him. "I want to help bring these sons a bitches down." John simply smirked before looking back to maps and recon images quickly devising a plan of action against the last of the covenant dogs.
"Don't worry you will be." He said as he heard a familiar thudding across through the hallway.
"You daughter is rather exuberant Chief." John nodded knowingly at the arbiter before his daughter came running on to the bridge. He heard her stop and looked up.
"RILEY!" She ran at the young soldier crying silently as he knelt down to hug her."You're okay."
"I'm fine Tan don't worry now how 'bout you go with your mom so we figure out how to get rid of the bad guys." She smiled looking up at her father who patted her on the head before she dashed back out of the bridge and down another corridor.
"I retract my earlier statement Spartan exuberant doesn't quite fit."
"No she's much more than that Arbiter. Now let's go put these covenant dogs down.