"I've tango'd with both Spartans and Elites, McGowan. The Elites are taller but the Spartans have better speed. At the end of the day, the Sierras are a lot harder to work around than the Elites are. It's all about reactions. If you're slow, it doesn't matter how big you are. And as far as the gear goes, it never pays to rely on the gadgets."

Lucy smirked to herself. The expression was short-lived as she was called to the conference room along with others. She outwardly groaned and looked down at her plate, which still had half of her meal on it. Damn McGowan for getting her yakking away like that. But, in her usual fashion as a Lance Corporal, she endeavored to inconvenience her superiors the tiniest bit at every possible point. Skating was part of her skillset, and she used it effectively.

So she sat. Eating and enjoying her meal as was uncharacteristic. Chow halls were meant to be used and left as quick as possible, but Lucy didn't take kindly to her sacred time being interrupted. Besides, the announcement said "as soon as possible," and whatever they were going to have her do, Lucy knew that she'd need as much energy as she could get. Besides, even as a Lance Corporal, she carried herself more like a Sergeant that she used to be. Experience was a great teacher, and she was part of the old breed now.

---

---

”The Kig-Yar do not. The Sangheili do not. The Jiralhanae do not.”

“Really? Nothing? No such thing as tobacco, drugs, alcohol? Nothing?" She leaned back, staring at Chur’R-Jev’s cigarette. “Of course you are all messed up and itching for a fight. You have nothing to take the edge off.” As the conversation eased and she became accustomed to the sulfur smell, Yates returned to her rice and beans. While the jackal continued chatting, she scarfed down the last bits of her meal. Ideally she wanted to savor her food, but she expected the food would become cold from the conversation or someone pulling her aside.

”The Unggoy do. Gas ratios to their methane…I am told it is similar.” Another pause. ”I have others. Unlit. Would you want one?”

“Methane high? Telling me Grunts get their kicks off methane huffing,” Yates chuckled as she scanned the area for a nearby grunt. She knew they couldn’t breathe oxygen, instead methane, given she never saw one alive without their gas mask. What did grunts do with their gas? “Not the weirdest thing. I know some people huff paint for the fumes. Disgusting, weird stuff. Oh, and, no thanks. Smoking isn’t for me. Same as her, it’s rotten for the lungs.” She patted her chest. The conversation came to a close as several names were read aloud over the intercom. She tilted her head recognizing a few: Reed, Tapo’Hatam, and now Chur’R-Jev. All of it sounded above her pay grade until her name followed. Her stomach tightened with anxiety. What did they want with her?

Yates placed her hands on top of the table and slowly stood up. She turned towards the exit ready to leave before turning to Chur'R-Jev. ”Want to come along?" Hesitantly, she extended a hand to her new, avian, well maybe not friend, but acquaintance.

[Senior Chief Petty Officer Solares Morgenstern] - [Anvil Station]

Solares walked steadily toward the lift, falling in step beside Cassandra. She barely flinched at the unusual weight atop her helmet, the familiar presence of Maya balancing there. Her posture remained calm, controlled, as always, though the corner of her mouth twitched in quiet amusement.

“Duty calls, one way or another.” she said, giving Cassandra a polite nod. Then, to the hovering AI, her voice was low but laced with gentle exasperation: “Maya, if you intend to philosophize while riding my helmet, at least try not to obscure my sensors.”

Perched atop Solares’s helmet, Maya let her tails sway lazily behind her as she leaned forward slightly, chin resting near the visor. “Ah, but I provide perspective, don’t I?” she teased, voice carrying that smooth, playful warmth. “A higher vantage point allows for clearer insight into human… and Sangheili… behaviors.”

She flicked a tail toward Tapo’Hatam. “Though perhaps this is more about amusement than observation. Fear not, warrior, your conversation was neither ignored nor dismissed. Quite the opposite, in fact it was… illuminating.”

Then, with a tilt of her head toward Cassandra, she added lightly, “Shall we follow our friends, or shall I remain perched here to judge your walking pace?”

Shipmaster Chur'R-Jev,

Tec, & Nol
Anvil Station, Commissary

---

"Will the following please report to Conference Room Seven. Cassandra Reed, Tapo'Hatam, Chur'R-Jev, Lucy Holden, Kajina Yates, Solares Morgenstern and Edward Lance as soon as possible."

A clack of the beak in annoyance. Conference Room Seven - normally when those occurred, especially with such a variety of names, it was some sort of hunt or another. The Kig-Yar angled his head ever so slightly to the speaker, listening to each of the names. The SPARTAN-failures, the Sangheili, numerous humans, him…it was some sort of zoo, really, as the humans would call it. Something more interesting than usual. Maybe something profitable. Likely something dangerous.

If it was dangerous, Chur’R-Jev was sure that the SPARTAN could go first. They always did like to do so. Having so many humans…and a Sangheili…would be possibly an issue. Both weren’t ones willing to adjust a hunt like that towards the prospects of securing profit, pausing in that main thing for it. They just had the main issue in mind, with high-minded ideas of ‘professionalism’ and other nonsense. In a way, the Kig-Yar missed the War of Annihilation. Things were so much easier then.

“Not the weirdest thing. I know some people huff paint for the fumes. Disgusting, weird stuff. Oh, and, no thanks. Smoking isn’t for me. Same as her, it’s rotten for the lungs.”

”Want to come along?"

”I will have more. Should you change your mind.”

Chur’R-Jev looked up at the human before back down at the rest of his steak. It would be a shame to waste it. Taking the remaining piece in his claws, juice running between them, with a few choice snaps of the beak the tender meal had disappeared. Running the thin napkin - for some reason, humans still insisted on using such things - between the claws to clean, he looked back up. ”Not much of a choice, I think. Let’s go.”

Getting up, followed by the other two who had finished their meals far quicker, he made his way to the lift. It wasn’t all that slow a time, the lift moving quickly compared to most Chur’R-Jev knew in the Covenant - they kept enough time for a psalm or something of another to the Great Journey. At least, that’s at the Kig-Yar saw it. Perhaps he had just been in very slow lifts before. Perhaps. On coming to the door, though, the Shipmaster produced a security card from his pouch - it had been annoying that he had yet to acquire more, but such was how it was.

”Wait here, he told Tec and Nol, the pair leaning against a wall to immediately discuss exactly what sort of food was best in Kig-Yar clacks.

On entering the room, and looking around to find most others there, the Shipmaster’s feathers ruffled. He wasn’t the last one there. Very annoying. The Kig-Yar took a seat though, looking up to the Sangheili who had decided to stand in the corner. His beak opened, though he considered again before closing it. There wasn’t much more to be said to such.

---

---

Finnian watched as Chur'R-Jev heading off taking his steak within as he turned to look at Lucy and gently nudged her. "Aren't you going?" He asked her, knowing to keep an officer waiting really wasn't a good thing at all. "You don't want to spend an entire week in the brig do you?" Finnian asked, he meant well, and he did end up getting himself in trouble when he first joined the marines as a rookie private. He ended taking a Covenant Plasma Pistol which was frowned upon back during the Human-Covenant War fearing any Covenant tracker tech imbedded somewhere in the weapons to find more human colonies.

Suddenly an AI would be projected onto the table, the AI was fairly new to the station, went by the name Artemis she dressed up in ancient Greek clothes and a bow strapped to her back. "Commander Leland Summers suggest you come right away and without further delay, unless you'd like to be escorted there." The AI said crossing her arms over her chest.

---

---

Inside stood two individuals a human wearing an officer's uniform, along with a Sangheili in a General gold colored combat harness they had finished setting up seven tablets onto the table for each of them to look at. If anyone of them were to take a look at it they would notice images of a Marathon Class Cruiser, the commander turned to look at the group that entered the room. "Thank you all for coming I am Commander Leland Sullivan from ONI and this is General Chuka'Mdaham representing the Swords of Sanghelios for this mission." He said as he gestured for them all to take a seat if they choose to, Cassandra gave a quick salute and sat down at one of the chairs.

Leland took a moment and noticed Lucy hadn't joined them just yet and sighed slightly looking towards the AI terminal that was on the table. "Artemis could you summon Lucy Holden order an escort if needed." He told her as the AI appeared briefly on the holo table and nodded. "Right away sir." The AI said before disappearing. "We'll begin the briefing once she joins us." Leland said as he took a seat at the head of the table while Chuka stood behind the commander looking at the group nodding towards Tapo'Hatam.

Lucy gave Finnian a side eye before obviously ignoring him and going back to her half-finished meal. They hadn't been sitting for more than ten minutes, and she wasn't barely ready to leave the D-FAC yet. She preferred not to inhale her meals, but damn Finnian for his incessant conversing. Had she known she was going to be summoned for a briefing in the middle of her meal, she would've ate faster and asked Finnian to 'feck off' in so many words. As though to keep the pressure on, Artemis showed up on the table with a spiel for her to hurry up. Lucy stared at her with her fork halfway up from her plate and gave her a look at could kill. She wasn't having it.

"Gimme five minutes." She told the AI.

In that time, she stuffed her mouth full of all the food on her plate including the biscuits and washing it down with her cola. It took her three minutes, at which point she saw a pair of MPs approaching her table. She didn't mind. She'd kick their asses too like she did the Lieutenant's and many others. There was a good reason she was an instructor for combatives. The MPs both flanked her from behind just as she finished making her peanut butter sandwich.

"Let's go, Lance Corporal." One of them said.
"Yeah yeah, I hear ya." Lucy replied.

She stood up with her plate and cup and let the MPs escort her off to the exit, while she munched on her sandwich. She tossed her plate into the window where the kitchen staff were and walked out.

"Food isn't allowed outside of the Dining Facility, Lance Corporal." The MP spoke up.

Lucy turned to look at him as she bit into the sandwich once again. The MP brought out his baton and extended it, to which Lucy took off running. It wasn't a fair deal for the MPs, honestly. She was faster from all her training and personal workout time. As she took off, she skirted past a Major with the two MPs hot on her heels. She took sudden turns and doubled back until, through persistence, she shook them off her tail.

She finished her sandwich and quickly found the briefing room. As she slipped in with a shit-eating grin on her face, she heard footsteps loudly approaching the door. She took her seat and put her arms behind her head, leaning back in her chair as the two MPs burst into the doorway and saw that unmistakable head of blazing crimson hair taking up one of the chairs. Lucy looked to them and waved.

"Thank you, boys." She said in a sing-song voice.

The MPs looked like they were about to blow a gasket, but the presence of the Commander kept them cool-headed for now. They waited to see if he would dismiss them or have them go in for the detainment.

---

---

Outside the commissary, Chur’R-Jev didn’t appear as talkative to Yates. Walking alongside the jackal unnerved the marine. In both the battlefield and in the training simulations they often fought against one another. To walk side by side with a jackal for something so banal as a conference meeting didn’t ease her worry. Additionally, why was her name called along with so many high ranking officers? What did they need her for?

Inside the conference room, a stranger introduced himself as General Sullivan from ONI then gestured to a gold plated elite general representing the Swords of Sangelios. Yates straightened her back before saluting to the officers. Glancing between the available seats, she questioned where the appropriate place was to sit. Would it be seen as presumptuous or overeager to sit to close near the front near her superiors? Though sitting too far may mark her as disinterested or anxious around others. With a quiet breath, Yates seated herself near the middle of the room yet closer to the front. Yates kept her eyes focused on the tablet in front of her picturing a Marathon Class Cruiser. She reached forward towards the tablet ready to sift through the documents, yet stayed her hand at the last minute. With a general from the Swords of Sanghelios, Tapo'Hatam, and worst of all, now an ONI agent attending and leading the meeting, sweat dripped from the back of her neck. Why did they request her?

Tapo'hatam continued to stand at attention in the corner of the room, careful not to be seen leaning against the wall as the Commanders arrived. Out of habit he acknowledged Chuka'Mdaham first with a Sangheili salute. His eyes narrowed suspiciously when the human Commander introduced himself as being a part of ONI. Being on the opposite side of the war Tapo'hatam was familiar with the human intelligence organization, but his more recent experiences had anything but polite as many Sangheili volunteered for 'debriefing' by the agents as part of the deal that was allowing them to work with the human military.

Tapo'hatam had been aggressively and rudely questioned at length on everything having to do with their technology, the events leading up to the splintering of the Covenant, what he knew of the blessed rings... Everything that could possibly be of interest to their scientists, historians, and warriors. What irritated him the most was the questions they asked they often knew the answers to better than Tapo'hatam himself. Which means they were trying to see if he was being deceitful. An insult which has resulted in a few awkward moments when Tapo'hatam had pinned an particularly foolish interrogator up against the shatter proof glass and threatened to tear the man's tongue out for daring to imply that the Sangheili were surrendering or changing sides because the humans were stating to win. It was a burst of anger he regretted, but one that he was held blameless for once it became clear the interrogator had gone off script with his questions.

Tapo'hatam saluted the ONI Commander regardless, knowing it would be expected of him. When it was announced that they would not being until the last of those summoned arrived for the briefing, Tapo'hatam let out a grunt of dissatisfaction. It was one thing to waste one's personal time, but what agent could think themselves important enough to delay an entire meeting. He was quick to let the irritation slide though, perhaps there was a good reason. A training exercise gone overdue? Or perhaps they were in another briefing...

Fortunately they did not have to wait long. Tapo'hatam watched the human all but perform a sports game slide into the room and quickly take a chair, barely outpacing a pair of their 'military police'. Another human curiousity. They had warriors... specifically to police their warriors. The concept of a warrior needing anything other than the authority or combat prowess of their commander to police their actions was a foreign concept. In Tapo'hatam's mind the closest thing he could equate it to was when some of the Covenant races had to drive their Unggoy soldiers towards a battle when all the little methane breathers wanted to do was run in the opposite direction.

Human disciplinary matters aside, Tapo'hatam was more eager to find out what they had been summoned for.

"Your em-Pees seem overmatched, sir," Tapo'hatam said, moving along the wall to stand behind and to the left of Lucy's chair, "we are accounted for now. If it is agreeable, I will relieve the em-Pees of their burden with this one so that we may move on with the briefing. Unless she is to be remanded to the brig immediately?" Tapo'hatam's eyes were focused on the ONI Commander, not even offering Lucy a glance. Interacting with the human chain of command was always a shaky step. Technically his rank was equivalent to the demons- Spartans, but it usually took a grand amount of patience or quiet threats for a human to recognize that.

[Senior Chief Petty Officer Solares Morgenstern] - [Anvil Station]

The weight atop Solares’ helmet vanished as she stepped into Conference Room Seven. Where Maya had perched moments ago, there was now only empty space; the cyan AI had withdrawn, leaving a small, simplified icon in the upper-left corner of Solares’ HUD. There, Maya reclined on her side, resting her head on a tiny hand, gaze fixed forward, silently observing.

Solares did not take a seat. Military habit held; she came to parade rest beside an empty chair, hands clasped behind her back, posture precise and disciplined. The faint sound of her breathing blended with the room’s hum, armor plates reflecting the soft glow of the holographic tablets on the table.

Her eyes swept the room in a single, careful arc. The ONI Commander at the head of the table, an armored Sangheili standing behind him, and the assembly of personnel called to the briefing, all cataloged without distraction. Each presence marked, each stance noted, every movement of potential interest. Solares’ attention lingered briefly on the Sangheili general; the armor, the posture, the silent authority it conveyed, all data to store and consider.

“Senior Chief Petty Officer Solares Morgenstern,” she said, voice even, controlled. “Reporting as ordered, sir's.”

In the upper-left corner of her HUD, Maya’s miniature figure blinked to life more vibrantly. Lounging on her side, one tiny hand tucked beneath her cheek, she fixed her gaze now towards Solares with her usual calm amusement.

"Ah, look at the new ONI AI, trying so hard with a bow, dramatic, yes, and very… pointed. The symbolism isn’t lost on me. Clever, certainly, though perhaps a touch on-the-nose. You, my Spartan, chose a Kitsune. Elegance, deadly grace, wisdom, playful charm… it suits you far better. I could say more, but I’ll spare you the flattery for now. Though, I do think a lesson on the Hitokiri 人斬り would delight you in the near future", she whispered quietly through the private channel.

Shipmaster Chur'R-Jev,

Tec, & Nol
Anvil Station, Conference Room Seven

---

A human commander, Sullivan, and a Sangheili General, Chuka'Mdaham. Chur’R-Jev stared, head cocking for just a moment at the illuminated section providing a human cruiser for observation. The target, likely. What was there to be had from a human cruiser? No details had yet shown, and wistfully the Kig-Yar thought through how many such cruisers had been boarded and taken throughout that War of Annihilation. Not many, not many at all.

Of course, that the ship was the target suggested something had gone wrong by the humans themselves. Perhaps the ship had failed to report, suffering a malfunction. Perhaps the ship had been boarded by those fanatics who yet felt that the War of Annihilation had not yet concluded to their satisfaction. A glance followed at Tapo'hatam and Chuka'Mdaham with that thought. The Swords had proven their interests to some degree, but there were always fanatics among the Sangheili.

They were waiting for another, though, who soon arrived along with an escort of humans - police, as Chur’R-Jev understood it. The other, a Lucy Holden, seemed to have annoyed them. Interesting. Of course the Sangheili offered to take custody. A fool. He had no role in the whole of the issue, especially when so many others were here and did have a role there. Honor and pride, thee Kig-Yar thought derisively. Then another entered, one of the false Demons. The Shipmaster merely watched, pushing off the wall he was leaning against to grab one of the devices from the table before leaning against the wall again.

A glance at the device confirmed that it was not yet displaying, and he looked up at Sullivan and Chuka'Mdaham expectedly, head cocking for another moment. They had a briefing to start, and there was no reason to delay.

---

---

---

---

Commander Sullivan looked directly at Lance Corporal Holden as she ran into the briefing room, followed by two MP's, the officer stared at the woman for a moment. "No need Tapo." Commander Sullivan said holding up his hand and looked towards the two MPs who stood by the door awaiting orders. "You are dismissed." He told them, as the two soldiers saluted and nodded. "Yes sir." One of them said before heading out of the conference room and closed the door behind them. "Now that everyone is here, we can begin." Chuka'Mdaham said flexing his four mandibles slightly as he moved to hand Leland Summers one of the. Leland accepted the tablet and gestured for everyone to pick one of them up, one for each person within the room.

"One week ago, Anvil Station's long range sensors started to pick up a distress beacon along the boarder of former controlled Covenant space, and Banished controlled space." He said as a hologram of an unknown star system appeared onto the table before everyone. On the display it showed the small system of six planets, and a singular star at the center of it, he moved the holographic display towards a large Ice Giant with rings surrounding the planets orbit as well to. Then Summers moved the display closer to a Marathon Class Cruiser near the planetary rings.

"This is the UNSC Edge of Midnight, she was presumed destroyed or missing during the Human-Covenant War." He said looking at those in the room and towards Spartan Reed for a moment before turning to the others. "We don't know why its distress beacon was activated, or how it came into this system. However we have been ordered to investigate, and find out what happened and take any data it has, and bring it back here for repairs" Leland said as he gestured for Chuka'Mdaham to speak. "This system was once under control by the Covenant, before the Great Schism The Banished or another splinter faction of the Covenant are likely picking up on the beacon as well most likely to salvage it or take the ship and add it to their own fleets." Chuka'Mdaham said before nodding back to Commander Summers. "Spartan Commander Reed will lead this mission, she knew the ships captain and the ship, and Artemis will accompany you on this mission." Leland said looking at the group. "If you see Banished, or any other forces you are to scuttle the ship." Commander Leland said looking at those present. "Any questions?" He asked the group.

Cassandra looked over the schematics of the ship, her father was its former captain and remembered seeing him and visiting him before he left to go on his last mission and when the ship had disappeared. "None sir." Cassandra said looking at the others in the room as Commander Leland looked at those present.

---

---

With the childish antics of Lance Corporal Holden, the stoic reputation of the ODST began to chip away in Yates mind. Shouldn’t those attitudes have been whipped out during basic training? Doubly so for an ODST. Yates rolled her eyes before shifting her attention towards Leland Summers. An uneasy feeling sunk in her stomach regarding the mission. If the distress beacon is now activated, why was it not activated in the years prior? Unless something within the system tripped, which seemed unlikely, someone had to activate it. Furthermore, how did it end up within that specific star system? What was its original course compared to the years it had been MIA?

“Sir, what was the UNSC Edge of Midnight’s original mission? What was its last location before it went missing in action?” Since Summers failed to mention this information, the anxious knot in her stomach grew. As for scuttling the ship if alien forces were present, this was standard protocol. Protecting UNSC property from the Banished or Covenant remnants remained a top priority.

Lucy sat there in the seat. She was quite pleased with herself, having gotten herself the ire of the MPs once again. They'd have to try harder than that to get her. What she didn't expect was for one of the Sangheili to take up a position behind her and talk of taking her to the brig. Lucy looked over at him and gave him her best smile. She'd trained long and hard to be able to stand up to the highest Covenant enemies. She would love to surprise him with what she'd learned over the years.

But the briefing was underway, and that drew her attention. The briefing was short and concise, but there was room open for questions. This op had "ONI" written all over it. Little information was given beyond basic standing orders and formation assembly. Lucy was nonplussed, and so happily voiced her concerns when the floor was opened to the team.

"So what gives, then?" She asked. "Are we getting any support? A Prowler, maybe? Should we expect EVA operations? What's our infil and exfil plan? Do we have options for secondary and tertiary exfil? What's the CASEVAC procedures should anything catastrophic happen? And, most importantly, is there anything you're not telling us that we need to know before we go in?"

Lucy rattled off the obvious questions. She knew that the Commander had these answers, and that many of them were meant to be unspoken, but this op was not sitting right with her already. She wanted the information out in the open now, for everyone to hear and understand, before any orders could be superseded mid-op. Sure it was a ghost ship, but any number of things could've happened to it in the years following the end of the war.

Even though Lucy had her Sergeant stripes pulled when she was discharged at the end of the war, she still had learned quite a lot from being an NCO for a short time. And one thing was that you couldn't count on the officers to tell you everything you needed to know unless you asked. And sometimes, not even then.