Even though she's constitutionally incapable of feeling guilty about spying on anyone, Cortana doesn't even have to pause to rationalize spying on Locus. He carries himself like a soldier, constantly alert, no hint of a slouch. From what she can tell, he takes off his helmet about as often as a Spartan. Everything about him screams "lifer."

Anywhere there are humans there will be war, she knows that much. It's not remarkable that Legion World boasts soldiers. But this soldier? Is her business. He's wearing a variant of UNSC-issue armor, and his IFF uses UNSC-standard protocols. His section of the Hab Deck is a facsimile of a UNSC base.

Well, now it's even more authentic, because in addition to a UNSC soldier, it has a UNSC AI in it.

She pops her hologram into existence on one of the handy AI plinths, hand on her hip.

"We should talk."