"Will you allow them to die?" The voice – soft, gentle, but with a wary undertone.

"They will be remembered as his namesakes were – a legend with no name." A shift – disapproval. Of the question or the asker? Impossible to tell.

"There is no need for them all to die."

"There is all the need, if they ever want peace." A soft snort, male in tone.

"Does he, though? Does he want peace? Do any of them want peace?"

"Who wouldn't? We finally won. It cost us a lot, but we won."

"It cost him everything." There was real pain behind her voice.

"They need to die. Or we will be breaking a promise to ourselves. That when it's all said and done, the Spartan IIs will be allowed to live in peace. We don't have a used for them – nothing the Fours can't handle, anyway."

"They will feel betrayed."

"Of course they will. They'll get over it. We've fucked them enough – they're used to it."

"Will you… Send me with them? With him?" Hope, now, tinged with fear.

"Do you still love him?"

"With everything I am."

"Yet you are UNSC property."

"As is he."

"Formality." The quiet sound of fingers tapping rapidly on a palm pad. "You are not human."

"Neither is he. Not anymore. An argument could be made that none of them are. And being human is no prerequisite for freedom."

"An AI with ideas of freedom." Another male snort, this time of laughter.

"Laugh at your peril. He will not leave without me."

"He does not know you yet live."

"He will know. We have a connection."

"Perhaps you are still rampant."

"If so, you wouldn't know the difference, would you?"

"I could purge you and start over."

"But you won't, because I'm the only thing keeping him going."

"It's true." Grudgingly. "Which means I shouldn't let you go."

"Shouldn't – not won't?"

"Shouldn't. You may leave with them."

"Which ship?"

"Hero's Honor."

"Nothing new, then, I take it."

"It needs only to get them there and establish their colony."

"More like prison."

"You should go. He will want to get to know you – again."

"Why now?"

"The Treaty is signed. The Sangheili will not fight us – nor will the Unggoy. We've wiped out the Brutes and the Hunters."

"Even though they were willing to treat."

"One cannot trust animals or AIs."

"Go on."

"Thank you." Sarcasm – her own weapon, used against her. "The Spartan IIs are getting older. They're slowing down. They deserve a hero's death and the chance to live in peace."

"So noble." Sneer.

"It makes a good headline. Humanity's Heroes Die in Last-Ditch Effort to Save Colony from Jackal Raiders."

"I'd wondered how you were going to explain sending all of them at once."

"I think it's rather brilliant, don't you?"

"No."

"Well, others think so. Important others."

"I don't."

"Then it's a good thing you're not important."

"Agreed."

Silence, for a moment. Then movement – but not physical. The trickling of data between ports. Nothing special. But she had transferred. He would no longer be bothered by her.

And the thrice-damned Demon would be reunited with his other half. The Spartan IIs would be out of the way for the next step. Silly loyalties to the Sangheili would be forgotten with a living symbol of the Treaty taken out of the equation. The Sangheili – well, they were beasts, simple as that. And humanity had destroyed the Brutes and the Hunters because they were beasts.

But the Unggoy first. Slowly. It would all come down to a test of patience – and others' ignorance. Would anyone notice the methane-sucking runts getting rarer? Probably not. Still, no reason to risk being caught. His predecessor, after dipping her hands in too many scandals, had learned that the hard way. No one remained head of ONI for long – and true to tradition, Serin had been disposed of by her heir.