: Long story short: Cortana is a girl. Doesn't matter that she doesn't have a
: corporeal form.

Precisely. However, as evident with BB from the Kilo-Five Trilogy, the brain which advanced capacity constructs are given life from don't necessarily affect their every trait. His identity differs from the mind of his creator, the late Dr. Graham Alban, so drastically that he finds it alien to take the form of a human as so many of his peers do.

: I'm hoping this new Spartan is a more interesting character than the other
: Spartan IVs.

At least concerning those we've encountered in Halo 4 and Spartan Ops, I have to agree with you. Though I wonder if this Spartan is a Four at all. Could be a Three considering they were still firmly under the authority of Admiral Parangosky when Spartan Branch became independent. She may have blocked the transfer of Gamma Company and smaller separated units as they were still highly covert ONI assets to retain an augmented force within its ranks.