You know… waiting isn't my thing, it has been at least two hours yet that sound has neither faltered nor disappeared. I would think that a UNSC drill or excavator would have gotten to us already, but you never know the heat from the crash may have created obsidian for all I know.

I guess while I wait a little reminiscing is in order.

Flashback

*BANG!*

The report of the shotgun rings out and the pellets bury themselves in the jackal's head. "Ha! Take that you ugly alien!" yells Sara over the roar of the battle.

So far the battle for sword base has gone well enough, with the slight modifications I have made in the defenses we've lasted a lot longer than what I initially predicted. The covenant have only taken the ground floor landing pad, and vehicle bay. But, slowly they are pushing their way up through maintenance shafts and staircases. I've had Sara leading a small team of marines protect the way to the data center and… hold up…

I tap into Sara's ear piece as she tears through a line of grunts with just her pistol

"Hey I got bad news" I say

"I hope it involves more things to shoot! I'm running out of them here!" she yells back.

"Well a Corvette carrier is about to phase in through the rupture that I'm detecting." I say, almost to prove my point a dull roar is heard and a purple light flashes through a nearby window as the carrier ports in. A series of obscenities is hear as Sara processes this information, then she says,

"What should we do?"

I smile and scan the carrier for activity, "It seems that you have a stream of phantoms and spirits coming to the party, I recommend that you have all of the squads fall back to defensible positions and prepare to fire down to the last clip."

She nods "Alright, I will (Static)..."

"Sara? Hello!?" I say, watching the video feed.

She's alright but it looks like we lost comms, I scan the base and see that the main comms antenna along with the various backups have been brought down by a hail of fire from a squadron of phantoms.

"Well shit." I start to work on a way to communicate with Sara and call in Dot.

"Dot, what is NOBLE up to?" I ask

"They have fixed the comms relay in the frontier and are waiting on orders from command sir." Comes the reply

I nod "Alright" I pull up another projection and check on the health of the satellite antenna for communicating with command. Seeing that it is intact I quickly type up a message for command,

"Command Quantum again, request use of NOBLE task force at ONI Sword Base."

I send it off and turn back to the battle looking for ways to throw the invaders out,

"What would you need them for A.I.?" comes the reply.

I debate a bit before sending, "Request to open secure channel."

A pop of static comes through before Holland's voice "Granted Quantum, what would you have them do?"

I send a text layout of the plan before narrating "If few bring them in I would send half of the team to retake the ground floor and landing pad so we can bring in more reinforcements. Then I would deploy the other half to active the backup comms station followed by the AA gun to protect it."

There is a pause as he thinks it over "Why is this base more important than the hundreds of others that are vying for my attention?" he then asks.

I pause "Sir what is your security clearance?"

"…Black05A, Why?"

"Because I wanted to make sure you had the clearance to hear this next part I say applying an even higher encryption to the channel.

I appear in the room command room with Holland easily overriding the onboard AI "Sir." I say making him turn to see me. He gives a small gasp seeing that I just essentially took control of his ship.

"Clear the room." He says, right away there is a murmur as the various technicians leave.

I nod "Do you know who I am?" I ask.

He raises an eyebrow "Of course, you are ONI AI Quantum the one that runs Sword base. Would you like to tell me why you came onboard my ship and overrode Felicity?" (The Ship's AI)

I smirk "You're partially correct. I do run sword base but that is only part of my job, I am in essence the entirety of the ONI database I know all of the dirty secrets and black projects that they do along with all of the UNSC's data."

He nods looking a little impressed "So why did you ask for my clearance?"

"Because I had to make sure it was you and that it was high enough for me to reveal this next part, but first, may I bring in NOBLE?" I ask

He nods "If it's this important go ahead."

I turn "Dot, Send them in." Dot's blue grid appears next to me before flashing and disappearing. Holland gives a grunt at that "How exactly did you know Dot?"

The smile on my purple holographic face gets bigger "Dot is me. She is a subroutine that I assign to projects of importance to me."

Holland takes this in stride "And the big secret?"

My smile drops "Alright, if you reveal this I will be forced to kill both you and the person you told... Sword base is where the majority of myself is stored. The 'Data Center' is just a façade, in reality it's the only way to get to where I am stored and it is also the main port for communication to the outside."

Holland's eyes widen "So if Sword base falls..."

I nod "You pretty much lose ONI along with myself, the 'Data Center' is made of forerunner smart metal. If triggered it will seal locking everyone out and cutting all lines to the outside. I will be safe but useless once again rendering ONI obsolete."

Suddenly a light comes back on in Sword Control, I slow time and flit back to base. I pull up the feed and Dot gives me a mental nudge feeding me Six & Two's feeds, it appears that noble knows how to do work, both the landing pad and AA gun are clear and online, they are moving to take back the backup comms.

I check Sara's feed and see she is holed up with two marine squads outside the door, I notice a TV on to her left.

Sara's POV

I slide the next mag into my magnum before I pop up and sending rounds into a squad of grunts, they squeak as each of them catch one to the eye. I grin as the marines cheer behind me

"That is how you deliver a proper 'Fuck Off '." I call

I'm rewarded with grins and smiles all around, I brush some of my short blonde hair out of my grey eyes as I stand and check the downed grunts for grenades. I turn back to the marines and ask

"How we doin on ammo?" They give thumbs up and nods but their faces rapidly turn to wide eyes and open mouths in shock "What am I that ugly?" One of them points behind me.

I turn just in time to dodge a swipe from a Zealot's energy sword.

"OH FUCK!" I shout rolling forward under his backward knees. He roars his anger to the heavens before turning and taking another swipe, I dodge but it is very close, close enough to melt my shoulder armor. I rip my shotty off of my back holster,

"Hey Ugly! Try some of this!" I yell firing it twice into his shields before it clicks ominously.

The elite's shields break on the second shot, I flip the shotgun around ready to use it as a club before looking at the marines "Hey! Stop gaping at im' like a teenager at a strip joint and FIRE!"

They quickly do squeezing off a few bursts before ducking behind cover to reload. Meanwhile I have to dodge his next few swipes with his sword, "That all you got fuck face!?" I shout. He roars and charges me, giving me the chance I have been waiting for.

When he gets close enough I Jump! Summersaulting over him and while he is off balance I climb up on his back and drive my knife into the hole in her armor by his neck. With a choke he falls to the floor light quickly fading from his beady black eyes. I let out a breath of relief as the marines cheer even louder. Suddenly one of them yells,

"Captain, the TV!"

I turn and find that the TV screen mounted on the wall has changed to a light purple background with black impact text, it reads:

Sara put on your helmet

I smile "Quo you sneaky devil."

I slide my RECON helmet on and the display lights up in greeting and sure enough more text pops up.

Quantum's POV

I have NOBLE Team working on backup comms and then they will push up through the building

I display in her visor. She nods her head in approval before walking to the slain zealot, she dips her fingers in the pool of blue blood under him and writes on the floor:

What do you want me to do?

I raise my eyebrows at the gruesome sight and think a little,

"Dot what is the status on NOBLE?" I ask.

Dots grid flashes in the corner of my vision as she works "They have the comms generator online, but they are taking on Covenant reinforcements trying to reach the controls, sir." She replies.

I growl, "Well have Holland deliver them some firepower they have incoming."

I return to Sara and type:

Seal the forward door then take the elevator to the top floor and work your way down, sweep and clear. Possible maneuver 85? Also avoid vehicle garage, hunters in there, leave for the Spartans.

She grins under her helmet and turns to her team. Suddenly I get an influx of comms data, it seems NOBLE has finished the reinforcements and hit the button. I raise Sara:

"We're back online." I say

"About time, I was beginning to think that you were avoiding me!" she snarks

I smile "Yea right, you'd track me down and put a bullet in me, hologram or not." I say closing the line.

I pull up the grid and find the remaining fire teams on site, there are way more than I thought if there's a Zealot running around. I raise their comms:

"Marine fireteams, Sword A.I. we have the covvies on their heels. Currently Captain Sara and NOBLE are doing a sweep and clear from top to bottom, if you meet up with them place yourselves under their command for the duration of the cleanup." I command. This is met with cheers and hooh-rahs as they rush to take on more of the invaders.

I return my focus to the hub and do some planning and recon for what the two forces will have to take on in the crush of the battle.

"Hey Sara, I got a General on the floor exactly below you." I say "Noble Six is bearing down on him so you better hurry."

I get a reply in the form of an evil grin, under her helmet. as she looks at a dropped Covenant fuel rod cannon.

Noble Six's POV

Six pops three more grunts in the head before dropping behind a concrete barricade to avoid a peppering of needler fire. He stands up and rushes across the bridge, catching the jackals there by surprise, and punching them to mush with Spartan strength.

A guttural roar is heard and he turns to see a general in armor raise his fuel rod cannon.

The general never gets to fire.

The ceiling is demolished under a hail of fuel rod fire from above. The pieces of the destroyed roof crash down on the Elite trapping him under the rubble with only his chest and head showing.

Six stops in surprise as a female ODST in RECON gear drops through the ceiling brandishing a shotgun. The Elite infuriated by his predicament roars his frustration at his captor and she glances at him before shoving the barrel of the shotgun in his mouth.

"Stuff it hinge head." She says before firing cutting off the Elite.

The ODST looks up "Too slow, sorry Noble." She says running by him.

Quo's POV

"Yeesh give the rookie a break Sara." I say feeling bad for the Spartan

"He got in my way." Comes the reply

The building shudders as the long swords I deployed race after the Corvette to designate a target, and soon after the building shakes as the MAC round thuds its way through the ship destroying it.

"Well that is that" I open the channel to all forces "All forces this is Sword AI, we have a victory."

Cheers ring out as the troops begin to celebrate.

End Flashback

Once again I'm shaken out of the past by an alarm going off:

Tactile Sensor, Rear Bay Doors

That's not good, if it was friendly they would have received the open codes for the door in the distress transmission. I pull up the clock on my system to see how long it has been since the crash

Time: (Forerunner Glyphs)

"What the hell!?" I yell out loud "The FUCK is this shit!?"

It seems that there are dirty secrets that even I don't know, Shit I guess I will just let them in.

I trigger the bay doors and with a groan they open slowly, I focus a camera on the entrance waiting to see my rescuer(s). And sure enough in clops a PONY!?

A/N: This is a lot of fun, let me know if you enjoy this as much as I do.

P.S – Maneuver 85 will be used at another time…