[Open in journal and in person in the lobby]

[lonenoble]

[This isn't been remotely what she'd been expecting to have happen. Not by a long shot. She knows it is only a matter of time before it finally happens. Alone, with all of the Covvies on Reach... It is just a matter of time before the deathblow finally falls. She knows death is coming. But she doesn't regret it.

She just watches on her back as what should be the deathblow starts to fall.

Suddenly, the scenery changes. The Elites vanish. She's indoors. And instead of Reach... It's an unfamiliar room.  A lobby of some kind.  But she's injured. Her helmet is nearby on the floor. And she's gasping for breath as she tries to deal with the injuries from the Elites that she'd been trying to hold off.  When she finally manages speech, it's rushed.]

How did I get here? What's going on?

Comments

[encryptedlock]

[And they should be there very soon. York guides Six over to one of the more medically advanced areas (and away from all that magic bullshit) which has, among other things, a bed to lie down on.]

You two want to play doctor while I look for your room?

[inmylight-comdr.livejournal.com]

You'll want to alert the Lance Corporal if you see him. Have him report to me when he has a moment. [She turns to six and tilts her head.]

We even have our own personal helljumper here.

[lonenoble]

[Six moves over to the bed to sit.] The help is appreciated.

... Interesting. Anyone else that I should be aware of?

[encryptedlock]

[York adds one last bit of wisdom before he waves to the two Spartans to leave them alone.]

Keep your eyes open for the Meta. Kat's got the full rundown on anyone considered a threat.

[inmylight-comdr.livejournal.com]

[She nods at York as he departs, and turns her attention back to her teammate.]

Yes, I'll get you a full report on friendlies and hostiles. The Meta is from our world, formerly of York's project, but he's currently under lock and key. We've got a few hostiles in the prisons, currently, but there's always the threat that the castle could let them loose at any moment.

[she falls silent, still holding back the burning questions she had as she stepped aside to make room for a medic.]

[lonenoble]

[Six smirks at that.] Good. Wouldn't want there to be any casualties due to friendly fire.

The place actually has a prison?

[Six rather calmly lets the medic work on her. She's not about to complain about the pain.]

[inmylight-comdr.livejournal.com]

[Really, what is pain compared to the two biofoam cannisters Six had endured earlier?]

[Kat nods, shifting her weight and setting the armor pieces aside for the moment, taking her helmet off and setting it next to Six's damaged JFO.] Affirmative. It's in the basement, next to the Peace Patrol headquarters. When you're feeling up to it, I'll take you around.

There's no real governing force, people arrive and are sent home with too much of a frequency for any sort of government to form, but we've been working on establishing a stable police force and judgement system, at least.

[She's really just waiting for the medic to leave before getting to the heavier news. Besides wanting to know what had happened in that week between them, the fact that Six's exit of their world had been merely a week after Kat's meant that she didn't know the outcome of the war.] We have some things to discuss.

[lonenoble]

[Exactly.] Understood. We'll be working with that, I take it?

[Already getting into the team mindset.

Patience is a virtue. She can wait long enough for the medic to finish.] I guess we do. It's strange seeing you like this...

[inmylight-comdr.livejournal.com]

Yes. Yuan's the one you'll want to get in contact with. Let him know you're with me.

[So good to have you here, Six.]

I know. It's been a year since I've seen any other Noble.

It was rather disorienting for me when I went from running through that bunker sub-level to standing on a roof. [Wry little chuckle, had it really been a whole year?]

[lonenoble]

Will do, once I've had some time to adjust. [Not that she needs long]

A long time. But I'm here to back you up now. [There's a chuckle.] About as disorienting as suddenly finding yourself in a lobby alone after being surrounded by the Covenant?

[inmylight-comdr.livejournal.com]

I bet the silence was deafening.

[Kat settles back to sit on the adjoining bed.] You've got some new for me, and I've got some news for you. Who wants to start?

[lonenoble]

Your friend found me there before long.

[Six actually pauses at that. Considering she's still not sure how to begin with her news...] You first.

[inmylight-comdr.livejournal.com]

He's good at that. Infiltration and cryptanalyst specialist, but that's only a fraction of his talents.

[A little twitch of her lip, at least some of her news was good.] It's not going to be easy, adjusting here. Not for us. It certainly hasn't been for me. But, Freelancer York was able to supply some news that made my stay a little easier.

Six ... we win. Sierra-117 and his AI Cortana. They find a way to break the Covenant. [She reaches out to clasp her teammate's arm.] We win.

[lonenoble]

Interesting specialties. I take it he's been very useful.

[Noble Six nods.] We're Spartans. We don't do easy.

[That's almost a smile.] Good. Very good news, even if we won't see it.

[inmylight-comdr.livejournal.com]

He has. I'll let you find that out for yourself.

[She notices Six used 'we'. Death isn't something that would surprise her, but she does heave a sigh and glance away for a moment. If Six used 'we' and they'd only been parted a week? That wasn't good news at all.] So. What news have you got for me?

[She's not expecting happy. She's not expecting good. She's just hoping for successful, and well. Hopefully someone makes it out. This is her family they're talking about.]

[lonenoble]

Ought to be interesting.

[That gets a long pause. Kat already guessed something was wrong, and Six could tell that. But where to begin... That was the question.] What do you want first?

[inmylight-comdr.livejournal.com]

Well, I don't want to spoil all the fun.

[Yeah, you can't get much past Kat ... when she's paying attention, that is.] Let''s start from where I left off. Last thing I remember before being brought here was running to the bunker at New Alexandria. What did we find out about our redeployment to SWORD?

[lonenoble]

Of course not.

[Dancing around the issue a little.] It wasn't exactly a torch and burn. That was the cover story. There was something that needed retrieved from there. Sensitive information. Humanity's best hope for survival. We were to get it to a ship to get it off planet.

[inmylight-comdr.livejournal.com]

[And here Kat's curiosity kicks in. If Six is giving any indication of the more dire news she's holding, Kat doesn't notice it for the moment in deference to other things.]

What was it? ['Sensitive information' was like catnip to her.]

[lonenoble]

Information on alien technology to help with the war, and the AI that was carrying the information. We were the couriers and I was the one she chose as a carrier. We weren't given the full details.

[inmylight-comdr.livejournal.com]

Sounds like quite an honor, Six. I hope we were successful ... ? [Hoping Six hand't been brought in from the middle of that. She knew well enough how tricky time could be, but she hoped to hear an ending to this story that had some good.]

[lonenoble]

It was successful as far as I know. Made sure the Pillar of Autumn had what it needed to get clear. That's why I didn't get off Reach...

[inmylight-comdr.livejournal.com]

[Kat leans back and nods. It was sad, but there was a certain measure of hope from it. Every little success counted.] You did good, Six. Long-term survival was never in our job description.

[Spartans in general, but especially the IIIs. Kat and Six and their fellows were already on borrowed time, having been yanked from the slaughterhouse missions the rest of their companies had been sent on.]

[She hesitates a few moments before continuing. She wanted to know, she had to know, and although she had a pretty good idea where this conversation might go, she had to hear it.] And what about our team, Six? What about Noble?

[lonenoble]

I know it wasn't. Know it all to well. The only one I can't confirm the status of is Jun. He was sent to escort Halsey to safety while we took care of the AI.

[Six knew that too. Knew it all too well.] Everyone else is dead.

[inmylight-comdr.livejournal.com]

Escort who?

[But that final statement chases all other questions from her. She breathes in a sharp breath, closing her eyes and dropping her head, gripping hard enough on the bed that she dents the metal with her right. Jun makes it a little farther, hopefully, but everyone else ... Six, Jorge, Emile ... Carter. Kat lets out a heavy sigh finally and nods, for the moment not looking up.] At least we succeeded.