DURING FREELANCER MANY YEARS AGO...

The two Insurrectionists fire their weapons at CT.

Insurrectionist #1: Intruder, get him!!

Insurrectionist #2: Open fire!!

A C.T. hologram evaporates, confusing them.

Headcase: Stand down.

Headcase walks forward in front of his soldiers. CT jumps down from the ceiling behind the two soldiers and knocks them down, taking one of their weapons. She points an Assault Rifle at Headcase, who stepped back.

CT: You didn't wait for me to start? I'm hurt.

CT lowers the rifle and tosses it to Headcase, as he catches it.

Headcase: I was worried about you. Didn't think you be able to get away.

CT: You don't know the half of it. They stepped up production. Here.

CT hands a datapad to Headcase.

CT: The ship was captured by the enemy. I'm surprised there's anything left in the data banks.

Headcase: Ha, not everybody follows protocol you should know that better than anyone.

CT: You really think they found another artifact? How could nobody have discovered that when they were processing the wreckage?

Headcase: They didn't know where to look, and they didn't have what you have.

Insurrectionist: Sir, we're in position, awaiting your signal.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-

PRESENT DAY...

Outside the facility, three soldiers are engaging Carolina as Washington runs out of the base and assists her.

Carolina: Wash, take that right side.

Wash shoots and kills one of the soldiers, as ducks behind a divider.

Washington: Where's everyone else?!

Carolina: Working on an extraction plan. They should be here right about-

Grif suddenly appears in a Warthog and runs over the remaining soldiers.

Grif: WOOOOO-HOOOOOO!

Grif stops the Warthog in front of Carolina and Washington as Sarge, Kan, and Caboose run out of the base to join them.

Carolina: ...now.

Grif: S'up?

Sarge: Damn you, Private Grif! You took out those two soldiers before I could administer my legal brand of red justice. Now where are Simmons and Slade?

Grif: I don't know. Simmons found another Warthog and he was right behind me. But Slade and South said they had another idea.

Another Warthog, containing Simmons and Tucker, drives out in front of the base, parking next to Grif. Simmons activates the emergency brake after doing so.

Simmons: Present.

Grif: (sarcastically) Wow...nice entrance dude. Very thrilling.

Simmons: Hey, I don't need all that flash. Some of us have respect for the fundamentals.

Grif: Hey, what did I tell you before? You know you're not allowed to use words that use the term "fun" in them.

Tucker: I'm riding with you next time. He actually stopped at the train tracks.

Simmons: That's the law!

Tucker: We were under fire!

Simmons: That's still the law.

Sarge: Simmons, only you could manage to make a high-speed chase boring.

Simmons: Thank you, sir.

Grif notices the classical music playing from Simmons' Warthog.

Grif: What is that song?

Simmons turns it off.

Simmons: Uh, it's a Bolivian Orchestral Mash-Up. Obviously, you haven't heard of them yet.

Grif: Thank God for that.

Suddenly two Pelican dropships fly overhead and aim level their weapons at them.

Pilot: Attention, intruders! Lay down your firearms and prepare to be taken into UNSC custo-

The pilot is cut off as the Pelican next to him gets their left engine shot and swerves into his own Pelican, making them both crash to the ground in a heaping mess of fire and metal.

Tucker: Dude! Where the hell did that come from?!

A Scorpion Tank then drives out of the forest and stops in front of them. The driver canopy opens up and Slade and South stand up.

South: (laughing) Choke on it!

Slade: BOOM!

Carolina: Dammit, Cal! We could've used one of those ships to get to our objectives faster!

Slade: And how do you think you would've done that? Your tech's useless without an AI and you sure as hell aren't getting Theta for that matter.

(A/N: SHE DOESN'T KNOW HE HAS DELTA YET)

South: Christ, we save your sorry asses and that's the thanks we get?

Epsilon and Rho run out.

Epsilon: I still don't understand. Why did you guys rescue me?

Rho: You are an ungrateful, asswipe. You know that?

Sarge: Don't blame us. Blame Mrs. Fussy Britches.

Caboose: Yeah, actually it's Miss Fussy Britches. She gets really mad when you say it wrong.

Rho: She's a red-head. All red-heads are hot-heads.

Carolina: (menacingly) Care to repeat that?

Rho: Bitch, you can't do shit to me! I'm a hologram! So put up and shut up!

Sarge: (clears throat) Anyways, she wanted to get you out of that memory whats-it. Something about you being a geneticfide and mental imprint of muculeen of that Professor What's His Puss.

Epsilon: Can somebody translate that? I don't speak Huckleberry.

Caboose: Yeah, the mean lady wants to find the Director and since you have all of his memories, you might know where he went.

Epsilon: Wow, that actually seemed too correct for you, Caboose. There must have been some part of that you didn't underst-

Caboose: -and when she finds him, we're going to throw him a very big surprise party.

Epsilon: Ah, there we go.

Sarge: Sure, as long as surprise party means shooting him in the face and then walking away in slow motion. Hehe.

Caboose: (yelling) SURPRISE!

Epsilon: Well, I- you know, I hate to break it to you, but I don't know how much help I'm going to be. I mean, I may have the Director's memories, but that doesn't mean I...remember them.

Rho: Dude, you couldn't even remember where the zoom button on the sniper rifle was. That speaks volume as to how little you know.

Caboose: Yeah, I have the same problem. I barely remember any of my own memories, (turns to Sarge) and none of anyone else's.

Sarge: (to Epsilon) Well you better start remembering Blue. I had to watch Grif nearly die three times today. It's like fate was laughing at me. (yells at the sky) Why don't you just take him already!

Epsilon: I gotta say, I'm pretty surprised to see you taking orders from a Blue...Sarge.

Sarge: Hmph. Under duress.

Epsilon: What? You didn't want to come?

Sarge: Let's just say you and Slade seem to know a lot of women with quick tempers. You got a fetish or something?

Epsilon: I guess you could- Say yeah, apparently.

Sarge: ...Wanna talk about it?

Epsilon: ... No.

Caboose: Wanna talk about it with-

Epsilon: NO.

Kan: I don't think it is so much as a fetish with Slade.

Rho: Yeah, more like the Freelancer chicks got a fetish for him.

Carolina: Okay, everyone load up. NAV points are in your HUDs. Alternate NAVs uploaded to your secondary objectives. Sync.

Everyone stares at Carolina in silence.

Carolina: Sync?!

Washington: Oh, uh right! (to everyone) Everyone, just say "sync" whenever she says that.

Tucker: Oh. Sync?

Caboose: Refrigerator.

Carolina: You guys not used to getting orders?

Grif: Oh, were used to getting them alright. We're just not used to doing much with them.

Carolina: We're retreating.

Simmons: Oh! Okay, yeah! That's usually step one in most of our plans. Sync!

Caboose: Easy-Bake Oven.

Carolina: Let's just go...

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-

Outside the Insurrectionist spacecraft's main hangar. Carolina, Cal, and South are talking to one another. In the background, York screams as he hits a floating Warthog and spirals away.

Carolina: What do you mean the leader's not here?

California: Exactly what she said, love. His last check in is upstairs in the main deck, but his callsign just appeared in their internal frequencies. He's broadcasting from out in Bone Valley.

Carolina: Meaning he's not here?

South: Gee, you're starting to sound like a broken record.

Carolina: Fine. Change of plans everyone. We're heading into the junkyard.

Carolina, California, South, North, and Washington all file up in a line and prepare to leave.

Carolina: This is beginning to feel more and more like a setup.

California: What was your first clue?

Suddenly, York crash lands inside the main hangar with a jetpack on his back. The Freelancers turn their heads towards York, in response to his sudden arrival. York drops his legs and sits up.

York: Ugh! You would not believe the time I had getting back. It's nuts out there!

Carolina: Let's go, people.

Carolina and South Dakota take off on their jetpacks and exit the hangar.

York: What? No welcome back?

North walks towards York and pats him on the back.

North: Alright, welcome back.

North takes off on his jetpack and exits the hangar.

York: Where are they off to in such a hurry?

Cal hoists York to his feet as Wash explains.

Washington: Found the leader. He's hiding out in Bone Valley.

York: We're going all the way over there? After what happened to Georgia?

Washington: Would someone please tell me what happened to Georgia?!

York: Dude, you do not want to know.

York takes off on his jetpack and exits the hangar, leaving Washington and Cal.

Washington: I really do though!

California: Mate, just let sleeping dogs lie and let's move!

Cal grabs Wash and throws him out into space, making him yelp before activating his jetpack. Cal turns to his left shoulder.

California: You got her?

Rho then appears on his shoulder.

Rho: Oh, yeah. Sensing you guys the coordinates.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-

Back on the Insurrectionist ship, Headcase turns to his men.

Headcase: Time to get out of here.

Headcase and his two other Insurrectionist soldiers begin to leave. As the two soldiers continue to walk away, Headcase turns around and faces CT. He walks up to her and holds her shoulder.

Headcase: You too.

CT: I can't. Not yet.

Headcase: If they weren't on to you before, they definitely will be now. Come with us Connie. I'm not gonna lose you over this.

Insurrectionist: (over radio) All forces we are go! I repeat, we are go!

CT walks away and leaves with the Insurrectionists as Headcase follows her out.