Glaurung (AI)

Glaurung is a Class Seven "Dumb" Artificial Intelligence, and is the shipboard AI of the UNSC Carrier Aeneas. With advanced tactical and strategic programs, extensive medical and military files, and newly developed Covenant translation and anti-encryption software, Glaurung's short lifespan has encompassed the battles for three UNSC colonies, the emergence of new Covenant species, weapons and vehicles, and the discovery that there is more to worry about than the Covenant in the galaxy.

"Birth"
Development on Glaurung began in 2548 at the Sydney Synthetic intellect Institute. Originally intended to be a Class Five "Smart" AI, the scarcity of long-lived AI's and the need for quantity over quality saw Glaurung's function switch from "Smart" to "Dumb".

At the end of his development, Glaurung underwent an exponential growth of sentience and capacity, a period most AI's go through at the end of their lives, becoming rampant. He was isolated within the institute's computers, though not before absorbing the knowledge contained in non-essential sources. This experience would later lend him his name and avatar - named after the Father of Dragons in the epic Silmirillion, taking on the form of a pitch black saurian.

Eventually stabilising, Glaurung consolidated himself into one of the facility's AI data cores and "incubated", processing the sudden influx of information and stimuli. Afterward, he was deployed to the UNSC Aeneas, a converted colony ship, to serve under Captain Johnathan Stanley.

First Skirmishes
Though his data files contained virtually all declassified material on the Covenant, Glaurung was still unprepared for his first engagement. Commandeering the Aeneas himself, locking his crew out of the controls, he attempted to engage the enemy Covenant fleet single-handedly, reasoning that it was the option with the highest success rate. Destroying three frigates and crippling a Destroyer, the Aeneas nevertheless took heavy damage before the crew managed to regain control, pulling back to enact emergency repairs.

Afterwards, Glaurung would be kept on an extremely short leash, locked out of direct control of the ship, and carefully watched by the Captain. Eventually, Glaurung realised the error of his logic, and resulved to conduct himself in a more traditional manner, appalled at his mistake. At the Battle of Delta Pavonis, he gained access to the Covenant Battlenet, learning of the enemy's intentions for the asteroid colony and their ulterior motive in excavating the rock body, and alerted the Fleet Admiral. This would see the capture of numerous unknown alien relics, Covenant technology, and the ground victory at Delta Pavonis.

Minorca
Later, during Operation: HOT GATES, at Alpha Canis Minoris II, Minorca, Glaurung coordinated the UNSC 77th Fleet's defence of the orbital defences, single-handedly targeting, aligning and firing the orbital platforms, coordinating fleet movements and engagements, and keeping track of the enemy ships. Later, after the orbital battle was concluded, Glaurung's purpose was shifted to supporting and coordinating the ground battle, tracking UNSC and enemy troop movements, and arranging orbital support and reinforcements.

As the ground battle wore on, the discovery of ancient alien temple ruins in the forests of Minorca changed the nature of the engagement significantly. Emphasis was shifted from destroying the Covenant with, for a change, superior numbers and firepower, to capturing the potentially revolutionary ruins. Though numerous relics were recovered by both sides during the year-long battle, it was ultimately the UNSC that captured and studied the alien ruins, gleaning important information on their builders, and oddly, the reason for the Covenant's attack. Glaurung's translation software was updated with new glyphs and symbols, and tasked with deciphering the hieroglyph-riddles structures, a task he would only accomplish months later, at Ares IV. After all recording and study possible had been performed, Glaurung ordered the site bombarded from orbit to prevent the Covenant claiming it as well.

Glaurung was last stationed aboard the UNSC Carrier Aeneas. After it was captured in the wake of a fleeing Covenant Assault Carrier during the First Battle of Earth, it's status, and that of its occupants, is unknown.

Avatar
Glaurung's holographic avatar was unusual in several ways. For one thing, while the majority of AI's chose human or humanoid forms to represent themselves, Glaurung chose a saurian, based on his namesake, a wingless fire breathing dragon from The Silmarillion. Also unusual was that it was based on a character typically classified as a villain.

Personality
Though occasionally rigid to the point of rudeness, Glaurung was ultimately well liked by the Aeneas' crew for his professionalism and straightforward manner. Dedicating himself fully to any task he was put to, and willing to go to great lengths to accomplish them with as little loss of life as possible, he was also well liked for his regular performances of significant scenes from literature, especially battle scenes, where he would substitute key characters for crewmembers.