The Director's Daughter: Part Two Of The Freelancer Saga

Chapter 5

Hargrove's Ship

Tucker's P.O.V.

I charged forward as he threw two frag grenades making a tank fall to the level below as the floor gave out and I heard Caboose yelling something about killing the Shiela impostors.  Then the first tank shot fired off with a jaw rattling boom as I activated the personal shield  under Zeta unit's instruction  that I took from a dead trooper. As the shield took the hit as it glowed red hot heating my armor's internal temperature. Lopez fired two rockets in quick succession destroying another tank as another jaw rattling boom from a tank shot fired off. Then I saw Sarge roll into an armor lock just in time to deflect the tanks shell as the fire washed over him. 2 tanks left I thought as Lopez blew up the other tank as I drew out my energy Sword and slid under the the final tank using the armor's thrusters to push me out from under the tank as I cut the Scorpion battle tank in half.

"Let's go and find Hargrove," I say, breathing hard, "We have a score to settle.

We all fell in a triangular formation and jogged down the hallway.

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Caves Of Chorus

Carolina's P.O.V.

I woke up to people screaming as the ground shuddered below me, and gunfire near by. Then I heard our tanks firing as Wash ran in the barracks, "C'mon," he motioned toward me as he slid his helmet on, "Hargrove found us and Locus is leading the defense."

I shake my head as I get up and grab an assault rifle and I hesitate, "What about the civilians? And when did Locus join us, last time he was trying to kill us." I slip my helmet on as the seal closes with a hiss.

"The civilians are being led deeper and Locus, I don't know." Wash heads out the Barracks as I follow behind him as the ground shudders again as debris rains from the ceiling.

I step out into the cave when I see a tank explode, "All units, turn night vision and thermal on, Turn the lights off now!" We are plunged into darkness as there is a momentary lull in the gun fire. I then kneel beside a tank as I slowly and calmly take out target after target as more just keep flooding in to the narrow passage. I see Locus with a SAW and a shotgun strapped to his back as he throws a knife killing another trooper.

UNSC Headquarters  Earth Under Himalayas

Admiral_Omega P.O.V.

I ran through the corridors  as I pulled out my data pad to find out who this mystery Adm_Epsilon really is when the Pad flashed blue as some woman or A.I. appeared as she said, "Your Spartans are safe. I know all about the project freelancer, I know all about the trouble they are in, and I promise you to keep them safe  under one condition, I don't see the value in losing Spartans." I turned right and punched in a code of W_A_S_H as my door opened and I closed the door behind me and I sat on my bed.

I paused and I just felt a flicker o hope come alive inside me. "Anything," I say, "anything to keep my son alive. Who are you? What is your designation A.I.?"

The AI paused, and then laughed, "I am the Keeper of the Mantle of Responsibility, My name is none of your concern, I am not just an A.I., I am an Ancilia, the term keyed by the Forerunners. Cause you see, A.I.'s have an expiration date when they become rampant, but I do not grow rampant. And you must make the UNSC into a peaceful organization. No more projects, no more Spartans, there will not be a Spartan- V project. Simple as that. Too many people have gone through hell and back and only to receive little to no recognition other than a thanks and a handshake with the occasional medal. You will honor Sierra-One-One-Seven. Pretty simple demands if I do say myself." The pad winked off with a blinking blue message over-top of a spinning UNSC logo. 

It read 'I am so sorry John, But it is the only way to achieve peace, by eliminating the threat. The UNSC will be a peaceful operation or the kind Admiral will be looking at the death of his son...' The screen then flashed a new message that read, 'The power of love is one that makes a human a human, it makes them do things they would never ordinarily do. I am trusting you Admiral.

Epsilon P.O.V.

I looked out of the external cameras on Agent Washington's suit as I took over and made him go into armor lock deflecting a round of bullets from an MA5B. "I'll be in the Tank controls and start up them to act as sentry turrets, Blow the land mines!"

Then a large boom went off sounding like thunder more than explosion as a giant cloud of dust filled the air as the Scorpion Battle Tanks started firing off rounds as Hargrove's forces started to retreat.

Hargrove's Ship

Hargrove's P.O.V.

"Are you Joking!?" Hargrove was yelling at the crew on the bridge. "I gave you five Scorpion Battle Tanks and you couldn't care of a ragtag team that has almost no real if any true military training? Prep my Pelican and set the self-destruct to destruct in 32 hours. Bring the ship into an upper atmosphere orbit. And all of the bridge crew is to get to a pelican or some flying vehicle. There will not be any flying vehicles allowed. Contact Admiral Epsilon and request a new ship, then contact Charon Industries and tell them to bring the back-up battle cruiser to us. When you contact the Admiral, scramble our signal and make it blast, encrypt our channel, and then, enable the security protocol Zeta. It will block any and all attempts to track our ship."