Chapter IV: Internal Disagreements


"ONI couldn't move in a straight line even if you put it on rails" - Vaz Beloi, Orbital Drop Shock Trooper


"Formation Bravo, fire Shiva missile at marked Dreadnought," Rear Admiral Curtyn announced dryly, scrutinizing the battle before him. Three Destroyers, plus six Frigates against an overwhelming force consisting of two Turian Dreadnoughts, four Cruisers and nine Frigates. Hardly an even fight, but they'd show the birds that they were outgunned by a mile.

The UNSC Patricia unleashed a single Shiva warhead, launched on a straight path to the Turian Dreadnought trying to flank around their formation. Before it could hit however, the Dreadnought's GUARDIAN system neutralized the Shiva, the nuclear warhead detonating harmlessly in the emptiness of space instead of blowing that damn ship apart. Nuclear had too much flare, and was easily detected and dispatched by those advanced counter systems. Curtyn nodded with his assessment, and panned his change of tactics.
On the left flank of his flagship, he could see the Frigate Tenacious explode into a fireball as the Turians focused fire and brought down its shields, slamming mass driver after mass driver shot into the vessel. He didn't have much time left to working things out.

"All frigates! Launch all Archer missiles at designated targets! Follow up with a MAC round!" the Rear Admiral shouted. The UNSC fleet responded, unleashing a hailstorm of missiles from every ship. Obviously overwhelmed by the sheer numbers, a deadly amount of Archers made it through to crack those kinetic barriers of theirs, and leave them open for the finishing.

The Alexandre's duel MAC canons fired, the Destroyer driving two clean holes through one of the two Turian Dreadnoughts. It was enough to cause critical damage, the ship slowing to a halt and began drifting. The second Dreadnought pulled back to avoid the same fate, but not before it got one of it's wing's clipped by a near miss.

Take that birdie. There's a lot more were that came from.

Curtyn leaned heavily against the holographic display table, a smile playing across his face for the first time today. Further MAC strikes were gutting Turian Frigates and Cruisers left and right. While only fifty percent of his own battle force remained, they had eliminated a highly important enemy asset. As all Intel suggested, the Hierarchy couldn't just replace a Dreadnought, not easily that is.

"All ships! Fire at will! Take as many as you can!" He shouted his new commands, watching as the second Dreadnought disappeared into FTL, and its few remaining supporting Cruisers and Frigates followed it, most likely only a strategic retreat. They'd be back.

The Alexandre was the only Destroyer still standing, and two fully operational Frigates. The rest were space junk or in the case of one Frigate, crippled.

Those nuclear mines planted before the battle had taken an enemy cruiser, plus two frigates. The fleet engagement has claimed double that. The UNSC's superior weapons technology had won the day in straight up fight. While the birds would likely return with reinforcements, hit them again with more numbers, and eventually seize the colony, but today was a victory none the less.

"Admirals?" A voice sounded beside him. On the other side of the table, Vice Admiral Rich hit the holograms with his hand twice, signalling for the Dumb AI to pause the simulation.

"Captain Lasky, good that you join us," the Vice Admiral gave the first greeting, informal. The captain of the UNSC Infinity saluted both officers. Curtyn simply nodded, gesturing for him to be at ease.

"I hope I didn't interrupt the-", Lasky paused for a second, glancing down at the holograms on the table. While he obviously recognized the UNSC warships, he glared at the Turian vessels. To him, it most likely looked like they were misusing UNSC equipment to play some ridiculous strategy game. He ignored it, continuing.
"-the fleet simulations, sirs, but I came as soon as the orders came through."

"Don't worry, it was just a trivial exercise," Curtyn responded, nodding to Rich. "Practicing some unusual scenarios, a little brain exercise, if you will."

"An interesting way to spend time," Lasky nodded, walking closer to the table, inspecting the detail of the holographic wrecks that hung above a nameless colony world. Rich tapped his side of the display and closed the simulation before the Captain got a more closer look on the Turian vessels. He'd dismiss them as fictional creations to represent unknown alien forces, but in case the Infinity ever did see a Turian vessel in the future, it was best the Captain did not make that connection.

"It's good to see you here, Captain," Rich stepped forward, pushing the thought of the simulation aside. "I trust the Infinity's latest hunt was successful as ever?"

"I'm afraid not, Admiral," Lasky replied, "We uncovered a few more sets of coordinates on possible Forerunner installations, but they were marked in hazardous space. The orders handed down from Fleet was not to pursue them."

"They're not worth what they once were, anyway," Rich simply told him, strolling back over to the holographic projector. He waved the dumb AI to open an access console in front of him. He typed rapidly into the keyboard.
"We know everything possible about the Forerunners, now. That's why were moving into putting that all knowledge into practice."

"Sir?" Lasky questioned, curious.

"Consider this an offical briefing. The Infinity is getting pulled from the search for further artifact locations," Rich told him, opening up a hologram of a stellar location, a great asteroid field surrounded by massive swirls of free floating dirt. It looked like a planet had broken up and left nothing by a strew of rocky debris.
"As unexciting as it may seem, Captain, ONI has gotten Fleet's approval to assign Infinity to assisting efforts in this stellar location," Rich explained, tapping a few more commands. A simulated construction began, of some kind of massive object, obscured by the great fields of dust.

"May I speak freely, Admiral?" Lasky questioned.

"Granted, Captain," Rich nodded.

"It's a mighty big damn waste of resources to assign the Infinity to guard duty. While we might not be the most advanced ship in the fleet anymore, we're still the biggest and most heavily armed," Lasky voiced his doubts.

"It's not a permanent position," Rich dismissed his worries. "Nor will you hang around often. As you said, the Infinity is the largest ship in the UNSC fleet. The assembly of this space station here is another game changer we've got planned, using all that Forerunner tech we salvaged."

"The thing will be built piece by piece, then all you'll have to do is drag it in system," Curtyn explained. "pieces are around half a kilometer square big themselves, and acquiring all the tugs required to pull that mass, we'd get some unwanted attention."

"Obviously, this won't be a very long mission?" Lasky questioned and assumed.

"Moving that stuff carefully from the Ort Cloud to its destination will take a few weeks. We plan to ship it piece by piece, year by year. Between that, the Infinity will be placed on a various number of ops, but never taking it beyond the boundaries of UNSC space," Rich explained. "Altogether... might be a couple of decades."

"I understand, sir," Lasky nodded.

"We'll send the finer details to the Infinity's AI," Rich tapped his hands against the table's edge, turning off the device. "It's all very simplistic stuff, but our ever alert leader would like us to keep this construction off the radar. No one aboard the Infinity beyond you shall ever know of the true nature of just what we've doing."

"As far as the crew should be concerned, all your hauling is big chunks of metal," Rear Admiral Curtyn explained. "While we don't ever doubt your loyalties, an effort like this requires absolute minimal knowledge from the outside, much like the Infinity's own construction."

"I'll do my best to keep it classified, sir."

"Good, good," Rich nodded, stepping back to face Lasky. "In the meanwhile, you should enjoy your shore leave. Don't get to see Earth, much, huh?"

"That what be correct, Admiral," Lasky agreed.

"Dismissed, Captain," Rich waved the Captain away, turning back to the table. As Lasky left, Curtyn allowed his disappointment to show.

"What I wouldn't give to be back in the wooden-top navy, even on a dead boring task like that," Curtyn told him as he grasped the mug of coffee beside him, taking a swig of it.

"You'd regret it," Rich told him, picking up a folder beside the table, and withdrew a data chip. "Cease the battle simulation, system. Scrub all local records. Wouldn't want anyone else to take a really close look at this stuff."

"Affirmative Vice Admiral," the pleasant voice of some dumb AI responded back, erasing everything that had been undertaken here. In the future, Rich would be sure to see one of these high tech fleet simulations placed in a secure ONI center for enemy assessments, and out of the prying eyes of the Fleet. The smart AI here knew that any discussion between ONI personnel, whether it be top secret intelligence or the day's weather, was to be filtered out and not even recorded.

"One thing that simulation was missing," Curtyn voiced between sipping the coffee in his hands. Rich easily guessed it, but didn't voice it until he turned and surveyed the entire room was empty, their conversation not going to be overheard.

"The actual mindset of a Turian fleet commander," Rich nodded, taking his seat. "AI's mimicking their tactics, behavior and procedure is one thing, the actual real deal is another."

"You're right, there," Curtyn nodded in agreement, finishing the coffee and placing the mug down. "Simulations or no simulations, we, and our commanders, will still have no idea how a Turian; or any other of these alien bunch, think."

"That's the study group to work out," Rich pointed out, "and Halsey's V Program has given us quite some insight to real behavior one cannot simply gather from a source as unreliable as an open network."

"Children's behavior," Curtyn snorted. "The damn entire program is a big risk... and the payoff is too far away in my opinion. It will be a decade until they will be operational, and in that time, we could have amassed a significant proxy presence in the Systems Alliance for the same effort."

"Infiltrating a bloated coalition of bureaucrats routinely crushed under the heel of public opinion is one thing," Rich acknowledged, "but infiltrating deep into alien space, it's very heart, is another entirely, which can only be accomplished by one who looks like them, and is capable of easily mixing among the natives."

"You may be right," Curtyn nodded in agreement, "but bringing back Halsey was another gamble. She'll only be useful for a time you know. As soon as your finished training them, I more than recommend that we request CINCONI dispose of her for good. The last thing we need is another incident like last time."

"You discount possibilities of success," Rich replied, confidently clasping his hands together. "While I do have no illusions that it's a plan that can't go wrong, I do however, see the potential in continuing to train a second, even beyond that, multiple generations of such agents. Using non-human infiltrators placed in foreign territory could become a major function of ONI for intelligence gathering."

At that Curtyn simply scorned. He liked the idea of old fashion stealth warfare, sneaking through the vast blackness of space, hitting the enemy from the distance. Operating through agents infiltrating foreign and possibly hostile territory seemed too... risky and disastrous in case anything went wrong.

"This could go wrong in a hundred different ways, and I won't even question the flaws outlined in your subject selection," Curtyn rose to his feet, quite ready to leave. "But I warn you again about Halsey. If you want another generation, simply select out a subject as the new program head, improve upon the training structure, like the Spartan III program."

"Ackerson had no idea what he was doing," Rich commented, still seated. "By now, you've obviously seen the orders handed down by Parangosky?"

"Foolish, but she doesn't make mistakes," Curtyn replied, his old crinkled face forming a deep frown. "Still, we've got the resources to pull the Infinity back to guard duty within the borders, yet we don't have it to simply cyro three hundred or so Spartans for a duration until we have need of them? Trust me, Ned, there's something else in this."

Rich didn't show any negative emotion, simply going an accepting nod. He then switched to codewords for the ONI AI that was probably monitoring them, unbeknownst to all others in the system. He checked his watch; a good old fashion analog cloak, and noted that the little hand had passed three. It was time to progress their conversation to another location.

"I accept our Admiral's judgement," Rich told him, standing up. He then dropped it among some chatter. "It's time we should be going. I have much to attend to elsewhere, back at Zero and all."

Time to go elsewhere

"I'll see you tomorrow then," Curtyn took the coffee cup off the table's edge. "The lab coats want to show off where all the tech we stole went."

It didn't suspicious at all, seeing his office was located in Zero Complex in ONI's scattered sites in Sydney. Back at Zero however, was a codeword his fellow conspirator would recognize instantly however. Curtyn only gave a nod, and Rich picked up a data chip off the desk and they left Fleetcom's Central Administration building as unnoticed as they arrived, going separate ways. They would regroup later however.

It was convenient that all the street cameras and various surveillance devices that the local government possessed; and therefore accessible to ONI, were disabled today as an urgent security update was installed to counter a recent breach by possible Insurrectionist hackers, giving Rich and a number of other individuals the invisibility they would need, off the wide array of surveillance completely. Usually, they could meet inside any ONI facility, but since an infiltrating AI was detected inside of the network, they could take no chances.

He'd stopped in a rather rundown public bathroom; where no monitoring devices were be installed, to swap from his plain uniform to a civilian attire, doing his best to not look anything that an keen eyed spy would recognize. Even though it was extremely unlikely they were being observed by the very organization they headed, they couldn't take any chances with someone as ruthless and paranoid as Admiral Parangosky.

Swapping into something that would look like a low ranking white collar worker, IT; the city was crawling with that, or something similar. Deeming his appearance well deviated from what anyone familiar with him would recognize as Vice Admiral Ned Rich, he continued on his way. The stereotypical paranoia of a spook constantly nagged him to look over his shoulder and look for anyone who'd been behind him far too long. For all he could know, just the average fly in the air could be some kind of surveillance drone.

Extreme paranoia. The crucial qualification of any ONI personnel.

Quite happy with his disguise, perhaps feeling a tiny nostalgic to his previous field experience, he continued. It wasn't a far walk from a Mag-Train system, which took him far out beyond the urban condensation of the city itself into the surrounding light industrial areas.

Finding the rendezvous point, he passed through the security systems common amongst a small office among the industrial areas like this, and entered. Passed an abandoned reception, he met his comrade who summoned him here in the morning with only the instruction to bring Curtyn along as well. Rich alone was the only one in Section III who received communications to gather at meeting points.

"Good to see you made it," a tanned skinned man stepped forward and shook Rich's hand. He nodded.

"Good to see we are addressing the issues at hand," Rich replied.

"Curtyn arrived before you. We're all here," Jason Gratson told him, gesturing to the door that led to a conference room deep inside the building, windowless and also happened to be sound proofed and completely secure. Only better security could be found in Odin's eye.

Inside, he found Rear Admiral Curtyn already having arrived, wearing a similar disguise though lacking the effort of Rich's own, perhaps why he had gotten here earlier. Asides from him, four other men who'd probably only give him aliases sat. They each gave him a respectful nod as he sat amongst them.

Behind him, Gratson sealed the door and the counter intrusion systems came into place. They were secure as they ever were going to be.

"This is relevant to the recent news, isn't it?" Curtyn immediately questioned. "The Spartan III shutdown?"

"Not taking the obvious lies as fact, no actual reason is given," one of the unnamed men threw some document; possibly the report, on the table. "Budget? No shortage. Public relations? There can't be civilian casualties by a unit that doesn't even exist technically. Moral and Ethics? Never been a concern. Loyalty?" the man left that one hanging, before tapping on the document in front of him, "that is the question."

"Hard to control, yes," Jason Gratson stepped forward, finally taking his own seat at the head, "but a valuable resource, and one that is loyal to the core as long there is targets; preferably non-human, to shoot. Possibilities for putting the company into stand by through Cyro storage was obviously overlooked. I want the reason why."

"For that..." one of Gratson's subordinates muttered, "we have no idea."

"I've heard nothing, even trying to squeeze some answers out, but no luck," Rich told them, folding his arms and placing them on the table. "Nobody's going to say a whisper."

"Then, were going to have to play hunches until we can get some better Intel," Gratson nodded, looking at a document he picked up in his hand. "Let's assume, for some reason, that our Admiral was simply clearing house of the embarrassment that was the Spartan III Program, for the numerous reasons, mainly to cover Section III's involvement. We have currently, and looming to the inevitable event in the future, of coming into contact with an alien alliance that makes the Covenant Empire look like a hobbyist club, and our leadership... is throwing valuable experienced soldiers away?"

"In favor of weapons like Infinity," Curtyn commented, "for all the collection of big guns, we'll always need to fight the ground wars. Spartan IV's are sufficient enough these days, but we would need every experienced trooper in the fight if it ever came to it."

"Just another show of Parangosky's continued failures," Gratson gave the conference table a heavy smack with his hand. "I have reviewed all reports of Gamma Company, and have decided that once again, we're been taken in the wrong direction. I do believe it is time to do something more than chalk this up to the list?"

With that suggestion, Rich glanced among the group. Each of them mirrored his own, searching among their tight ranks for one who would look nervous at a time like this, to purge that weakness. He himself looked confident, while Curtyn was his usual stone faced self.

"Launching a conflicting order?" another no-name questioned.

"Correct," Gratson nodded, pointing down to the document sitting on the table in front of him. "I have prepared orders for one of our AI's to hand over to the Company Commander. After studying the upcoming operation, I've decided to change some directives."

"What I read," one man asked, "is that the Commander in charge is already aware of CINCONI pulling the plug. What if the Spartan decides to hand our AI's instructions off to an agent?"

"You're foolish to assume their that machine like," Gratson answered. "Dedicated and loyal, but willing to take whatever legitimate course of action possible to save their fellows. Whatever real leader would do anything else? Our authority outweighs that of already standing orders, anyway."

"As soon as ONI's agent gets back to them however, he'll see the ordered purge through," Curtyn stated. "If you are going to save these Spartans, you'll need them to go beyond UNSC jurisdiction, beyond the reach of ONI altogether. To do that they'd need to go rogue," Curtyn withdrew back from the table, shaking his head. "I'm all for saving them, but I don't want to see honorable UNSC personnel getting hurt in the process."

"We've been blessed with luck, to avoid such things," Gratson told them, "our former comrade, Agent Thompson Gilerson, is currently on the colony of New Brandenburg with rebel forces. With the Intel he's supplied them; dangerous Intel, they are currently preparing to launch a Rubble alike exodus operation, on a lesser scale, towards what they assume is some kind of Human space not under the control of the UNSC; actually as matter of fact: System's Alliance space, so they are on the run to perceived freedom... unfortunately for them, ONI drones in orbit will make that escape impossible. Fortunately for us, however, the Spartans will be launched in an operation to completely destroy such vessel. Our modifications to the fleet's orders, will see the ship captured instead of destroyed, allowing a mode of transport."

"Risky as always... but impressive," Curtyn agreed. "Though it disturbs me more than rebels have gained access to Intel about the existence of Citadel Space."

"All that they received was the coordinates for a single system and promise of a haven," Gratson assured him, "on the other side of the galaxy. That's why they need such a transport, to make what's probably for them, a decade long journey. Thankfully, Gilerson; always the moral champion, threw the lot in with our old associate Max Shawn... the classic heroic revolutionary leader," Gratson snorted with the obvious sarcasm.

"Good," Rich nodded, knowing how Brandenburg Liberation Army would deal with this. They were one of the few righteous bunch that thought other innies gave the cause of independent rule a bad reputation. They wouldn't share Intel with the likes of the United Rebel Front or any other bunch of terrorists.
"Less clean up required."

"Parangosky is determined, to see New Brandenburg colony; only a collective eighty thousand, purged however... the Liberation Army seems to have come into the acquisition of non-existent WMD's," one of the agent's across the table nodded. "Not like that Intel is worth anything. As far as anyone else is concerned, all leaked knowledge of non-UNSC controlled Human space's existence will be rejected as ridiculous conspiracy theories, with no real proof to back it up."

"We'll easily see this done, then," Rich nodded in agreement. "Silence the leaks, back-stab Parangosky's efforts and save some Spartans in a single operation? Sounds more than agreeable."

"As always, your permission to undertake necessary action," Gratson slid a document over to Rich. He signed it with the pen clipped to his shirt, and passed it to Curtyn, who hesitated for a second, before placing his name alongside his co-conspirator. They passed it back to the Director.

He looked at it, and nodded, motioning for the agent beside him to hand him something.

Taking a seal, he placed the paper on the desk.

"Necessary action, authorized by senior command, for the better good of the UNSC."

Gratson stamped the document with the seal of the Office of Navel Intelligence, Section Zero.


Rich reclined back in his chair, gazing over the papers in front of him. Half of them were from Trevelyan facilities, reports on both technological findings as well as detailed week by week summaries by Ananke on the V Program's progress. He made a bad habit of only reading the summaries of these documents, tossing them into a piles to either be vaporized or sealed in proper security.

In his hand right now, a paper handed to him by Gratson was the new orders he wanted passed onto Gamma Company's commander. Sending it by an AI employed by Section Zero or an offical document would obviously pass it by a various ONI monitor, Human or AI, who would flag it. He however, was apart of Section III, recruited in the investigation. As far as he knew, nobody at ONI knew he even had met Gratson; Director of Internal Investigations.

His access to a wide range of AI's was also why he'd send this message. With the Intel they'd managed to extract from the spy AI on Trevelyan was that it was the only monitoring AI that Parangosky had placed within the Shield World. With that, it meant that choosing an AI from the many there would guarantee the best security. Rich shook his head as he scanned the document.

The fate of our entire species is constantly at risk and here we are, spying and back stabbing each other.

It was justified though. Section Zero had led an investigation against the CINCONI for nine years now, for various charges from corruption all the way up to war crimes and treason. While the Section could never present such findings and make the investigation public; not until they managed to acquire a piece of absolutely condemning evidence, and even then, it would be a hard struggle to have the head of the Office of Navel Intelligence removed; something never achieved before in the history of the UNSC. For now, Internal Investigations had decided to best deal with every problem as they arose, and counter them.

One problem at a time, that was the way it happened today. Despite a long career working under Parangosky, he harbored no respect for her or even approval of the current state of ONI. While there was a need for necessary evils, such as the Spartan Program, the way in which Parangosky manipulated with the post-war politics, and even gambled with the UNSC's security was a step too far. This latest travesty of massive proportions was too much to just stand by and not join in the murmur of discontent.

He finished scanning in the document to an encryption device which only a handful of his AI's and personnel possessed the decryption keys. It would make the document secure enough to pass on through the ONI network. Of which AI to pass it onto...

He easily chose Ananke. Writing reports, dealing with Halsey and watching the everyday goings on the ONI controlled Shield World of Trevelyan barely consumed a tiny fraction of the seventh gen AI's processing potential. A splinter could easily be detached to pass on Section Zero's new orders and nobody would notice the difference. On top of that, the channels which the Spartan Branch's AI's utilized was probably the least monitored.

Typing into the keyboard, he quickly arranged for the encrypted orders to be passed on, writing his own set of instructions for their delivery.

As soon as it was reported back to Parangosky that the orders had been tampered with, suspensions would immediately fall upon those who had the ability to do such things. Section Zero was made up of many different cells, and by protocol, was the opposite of transparent to even the highest ranking ONI brass. While they couldn't be implicated, it would bring more suspicion upon them. Still, Gratson thought it was worth it to preserve an asset as important as a company worth of Spartans.

It was taking a risk, but a calculated one at that. The orders would be handed over, and all would go as Section Zero planned. Rich couldn't help shake the feeling that this may be one risk to many.


Preparation for their latest, and possibly last, mission were like any other, though it had the sinking feeling, knowing this was a thing you would never see again. During the trip through Slip Space on an ONI Sorcerer Class Assault Ship, the Ember Alight. An Assault Ship, as the Navy termed the armed troop carriers that carried ground forces between worlds, always had a tonnage between a Frigate and Destroyer, meant for the deployment of an entire brigade. Unlike a simple troop ship, it also could provide support with its fighter squadrons and fairly limited weapon systems. Shielding, once a dazzling alien mystery to every Human being when first seen utilized by the Covenant, was now standard gear fitted to each and every UNSC ship, new powerful generators built by the Engineer race that provided double the strength seen on the mightiest of Covenant warships.

An ONI Assault Ship however, was roughly the size of a Prowler, an infiltration and exfiltration craft meant for the deployment of special forces sizing anything between a platoon and a company, which was probably why all the Spartans of Gamma Company found the space quite tight. It was no Black Cat Prowler or the smaller Calypso exfiltration craft, but the Ember Alight would get them were they needed to go, and best of all: unseen. Weak enough shielding to be obliterated by a single torpedo of plasma however.

Currently, the Ember Alight was sitting in the Coorahae System, awaiting the UNSC battle-group that would accompany them to the colony of New Brandenburg, under the command of Vice Admiral Edison Varock . The world was a minor colony with a sparse rebel militia presence, though the Insurrectionists would however, launch a fleet of kamikaze ships to crash themselves into approaching warships, and buy the main force some time to escape the military's grasp.
As far as ONI was concerned, no rebel of this particular group of rebels could be allowed to live another day.

So while the fleet was called together to stage a blockade of the small outer colony world, that left them simply docked with the outpost station, Lisbon. Kelly still couldn't figure out just why they were biding their time. The Innies weren't Covenant. They had sources and sympathizers on the inside, sources that would have obviously heard of the rallying of an entire battle-group. What was keeping them on the planet until the UNSC surrounded them?

The wait and lack of information was a slight frustration, compared to knowing the end of this operation would be a total betrayal of every soldier under her command. The Office of Naval Intelligence had crunched some numbers, decided that a bunch of psychotic suicide soldiers who just wouldn't die weren't worth the resources, and decided to simply rid of them to save some budget that was going to be spent repeating the same process elsewhere.
Thinking about something like that was best pushed aside, especially when orders from ONI were none of your business, but the mind simply didn't work like that. How would ONI rid themselves of a company of Spartans? Sure, Gamma Company were going to be dropped straight into a fortified Insurrectionist army, but only rarely were the rebels coordinated enough to pose a challenge to Spartans. Currently, even the aliens were keeping their heads down; Brutes, Elites and the rest, and even then, there was no suicide mission in sight that ONI could spend them on.

A lie would deal the end more likely. Perhaps ONI simply wanted Navy ships in orbit to begin an orbital bombardment while they were still present on the planet. Anyone in ONI could lie about needing to immediately dismantle some rebel weapon of mass destruction planet side, friendly fire be damned. They would have what they wanted, three hundred dead Spartan III's that technically never existed as well as not a single rebel left breathing.

Getting those thoughts out of her head wasn't as easy as thinking elsewhere. She had little things to think of, that wouldn't lead back to that same line of thought. Would Gamma's end come suddenly and unexpectedly? Or would she have to standby, while they were diposed? If ONI was designing a new Spartan program with the training regimes of the second generation, then why was the third program being disposed? Why also start the forth program in the first place if they were simply going to backtrack?

A lot of questions and no answers bothered everyone.

While she was mulling over the impending doom of the company, the rest were all unaware and continuing their normal procedure. Members of Gamma Company exercised, cleaned equipment and rested. As psychotic as Doctor Halsey once judged them to be, as well as now all of ONI, nothing about Gamma appeared to be wrong when they were off the battlefield. They drilled, prepared and presented themselves as any should expect from a Spartan. It was only when adrenaline fired up in combat, did some individuals get... out of hand.

Never the less, they were under her command, as they had once been under the command of Kurt... even a Spartan as well disciplined as him wouldn't have stood for this. He could have convinced them otherwise, nor would have let Gamma Company fall this far to begin with. She should had done more to improve company morale and discipline when she had the chance.

As the last few hours of preparations progressed, Kelly simply could not focus elsewhere, unable to reach any concluded thought. Why had this information been dispersed to begin with, especially to her? It felt like some kind of test, perhaps a solid proof that they; and unlike the IV's, were immune to disloyalty and treason, the most solid evidence they could ever give to justify a fifth generation program...

The musings were interrupted by a rapid series of clicking, as the holographic projector sitting nearby hummed to life. The Ember Light's dumb AI manifested, the avatar representing it simply just a series of slinging weights that drove each other in a never ending chain. It stooped it's clicking for a second, and it was replaced with a picture of an Earth like planet guarded by spear and shield. It wasn't the flash priority transmission icon; crossed lightening bolts, and Kelly didn't recognize just what the symbol was meant to represent.

Finally, it disappeared, to be replaced by a new AI that rose up from the holographic pad. With a storm of wind, the artificial intelligence revealed itself to be female in silver ceremonial armor, looking very much alike to some Classic Age goddess. It greeted first, as was the usual place for AI's.

"Greetings, Spartan-087. I am MIL AI 8275, more commonly known as Ananke," the AI began with a polite bow. Kelly had seen Lisbon Station, and knew it didn't house a smart AI, and the Ember Light was the only UNSC ship in this system. If Ananke was a military AI; as evidenced the MIL tag, then where was she operating from? An armor suit? SPI armor didn't have such capabilities, though it made sense if there was one or two of ONI's IV's nearby, watching everyone closely.
As if guessing all her inquisitions, Ananke answered.

"I am a specially designed unit, meant specifically for the V Program. I am Vice Admiral Rich's overseer on the Program, as well as assistant to Doctor Cathrine Halsey," Ananke explained.

Halsey... the same Halsey that she hadn't seen since ONI; more specifically Admiral Parangosky, had her imprisoned? If Ananke was both an overseer for a high ranking ONI officer as well as assisting Doctor Halsey, then the situation might just be the same. Was this V Program the next Spartan program mentioned by Agent Harrison?

More interestingly so, if Ananke was an overseer for the V Program, why was she here?

"So you're an ONI AI," Kelly finally responded, looking at the hologram. Unless they happened to rest by sheer coincidence in the same star system that ONI was using as a training ground for the new Spartans, then Ananke shouldn't be here at all. "More importantly, for the new Program. I'd like to know why you are here, and not there."

"The Program has significant backing, the latest technology..." Ananke dodged the question. "All AI's can create splinters of themselves. As one of the most latest designs incorporating Forerunner technology, my communication abilities are well beyond anything a specialist could have even predicted a century ago. I am still in my central data base, back with the project, but a splinter of me is here with you. More than just a set of dumb processes, but a splinter with the ability to converse and observe."

"It must be something considerable to take the effort of coming all the way out here," Kelly answered the AI, staring it's holographic eyes. It was a hard habit to break, even though any attempt to read an AI avatars body language was doomed to failure. They were smart enough to not communicate what they didn't want organics to see.

"Not quite, I was already at Lisbon Station before you arrived," Ananke disagreed. Some eye motion did occur for a second, the AI's eyes glancing around, not able to break its own programmed habit of moving its avatar's eyes around with its actual viewing ports. Yes, something was up. What exactly? Why was this new V Program AI here? A message from Doctor Halsey? Ananke answered that question.
"See, I am an advanced seventh generation AI, one of the few assembled by the UNSC. The extent of my superior processing power, allows me to divide myself up between a series of tasks. While I am an AI of the Spartan V Program, that is not why I am here today. I am here on behalf of Vice Admiral Ned Rich, with a very... delicate, new number of orders."

New orders? From ONI? Something about this seemed very strange. If they wanted to issue new orders, even over the top of already existing mandates, they just handed it over in front of everyone, not try to fling in conflicting directives from the shadows and hoping the brass didn't notice.

"A new order?" she questioned, reconfirming what the AI had said, before putting forward an error in that. "As far as I know, the Spartan III program is not under the control of Vice Admiral Rich."

Ananke didn't respond, her avatar disappearing to be replaced be a comm logo. There was different symbols to represent different kinds of transmission communiques. This one however, she hadn't seen. On a second inspection, it appeared to be a a planet; most likely Earth from the looks of it, was guarded by a shield and a spear.

"If you are not aware, this symbol, even highly unrecognized by even the most seasoned ONI agents, is representative of a Section Zero mandate," Ananke explained. Kelly frowned, not being able to recount any chatter about Section Zero, ONI's internal investigation. Not knowing anything about a very important matter was a sure way to put any Spartan at unease.
"I am deviated from my tasks to deliver highly classified Intel, to you, on the order of a Cell, which I cannot even divulge the operating code name of."

"But, your Vice Admiral is apart of this cell, right?" Kelly assumed. Ananke didn't answer immediately and her eyes flickered, as if studying her more closely as well.

"Yes," Ananke answered without complexity. A lie? Or a more cloudier truth? It couldn't matter. Spooks weren't known for sharing. Ananke continued.
"Everything I tell you here today, is obviously highly classified, and not to be divulged to anyone, even superior officers, unless they give the appropriate code word: Exodus. Breach of this is grounds for immediate execution under the Security Act. Do you understand?"

"Yes," Kelly simply nodded. It wasn't the first time highly classified information has passed before her, but the fact that this information couldn't even divulged to higher ranking comrades always made it seem shameful, a small; if unimportant and necessary, betrayal but a betrayal none the less.

"Good," Ananke nodded, slapping together her hands. "Now, as I previously revealed, I am here delivering orders from a top secret cell acting under the authority of Section Zero. This cell is made up of internal investigators, as well as a number of high ranking ONI and Fleet officers, formed only recently upon the secret orders of an Admiral who shall remain unnamed. The purpose of this cell is simple: to remove the current CINCONI."

This got immediately far too out of depth. ONI and Fleet politics were not something to get caught up in. Conspiring against the head of the organization was beyond traitorous.

"What you speak of, is treason," Kelly answered, leaning forward to stare straight face to face with the AI.

"This action is sanctioned by Order Z694, of the Internal Investigations Act of twenty four, twenty two," Ananke dismissed that claim. "This cell is secret however, as if Admiral Parangosky ever found that we were plotting, those who make up the cell would have disappeared in a single day. The corruption is deep to the point we must carry out our orders unbeknownst to the rest of ONI.

"On just what basis does this cell believe they have to attempt to remove the Admiral?" Kelly asked.

"Unknown to only a handful of high ranking officers within ONI, recently we have made first contact with a significant number of new neighboring alien civilizations," Ananke explained, folding her arms. "Instead of sharing this Intel with Fleet and the civilian Senate, as would be expected, the CINCONI chose to keep this information private to only those in the inner circle, to keep all the benefits from this contact to themselves."

"They uncovered new aliens, and didn't inform the UEG?" Kelly questioned what had already been stated, not able to grasp that. "How could ONI alone manage a first contact situation?"

"By making it a one way contact, that's how," Ananke told her. A list of statistics and personnel rosters appeared beside the AI's hologram. On top of that, a list of reports with text too small for even Kelly's enhanced eyesight to read appeared. "The acts which ONI has already committed against these galactic powers would be grounds of war if they ever found what we were doing. They are clueless while ONI has been extracting technological advances. The weapon you previously recovered in your previous op, was one of those stolen alien weapons, leaked to Insurrectionist forces. You would understand by now, that the current CINCONI's actions have compromised the UNSC's security, as well as our ability to fight."

"Your... reasons, for divulging this Intel to me?" Kelly questioned again. While it would be considered treasonous to be compromising the UNSC itself, there was no exact regulation that stopped the Office of Naval Intelligence from doing whatever the hell it wanted. Still, holding back such an enormity of information from the UEG seemed one step too far.

"As you have been recently informed, the CINCONI has recently approved orders for the termination and dismantling of the Spartan III Program. As you know, there are many much more obvious ways to cut back in the budget and keep necessary surplus forces. Keeping the Company in cryogenic storage for one, would be a much more apparent solution. We realize this, and feel that something far more galvanizing than a budget cut was the reason that CINCONI has chosen to sign your company's death warrant. This unjustified act is murder, and the cell has decided to sign its own orders to stop this from happening."

It was some small sense at last. There were so many better alternatives than scrapping an entire company's worth of Spartans.

"How exactly, would you do that?" Kelly questioned, slightly curious.

"Rebel forces are assembling an illegal star ship on the New Brandenburg colony. Previously, the navy and ONI would see it destroyed, but Section Zero wants the ship acquired, both as a tool and as a source of Intel. The Fleet Commander leading the attack has new orders to allow Gamma Company to remove the ship instead of it being destroyed."

"That's possible," she replied, nodding.

"Once you are away from Brandenburg, a proper AI will gather an intelligence possible from the ship. Once that is done, you are all to remain on standby until Section Zero deems it acceptable to return to service in Navspec operations. While that may be a long time frame, cyro should be available," Ananke explained.

"I understand."

"Indeed," the AI splinter acknowledged. "These new orders are now top priority, overruling any priorities to combat rebel operations. Preservation of Gamma Company is now your utmost concern. These orders are of top classification and are not to be divulged to anyone, ever, without clearance code. This communication now ends. See your orders completed, Spartan." The AI nodded before the hologram fizzled out and disappeared.

Before she could contemplate and think about what she had just been told, the dumb shipboard AI reappeared for a second.

"Splinter communication has now ceased and been summarily erased. Reconnection now impossible. If of non-classified priority importance, please make notes of communique. Messages will not be repeated."

It disappeared as well. The ONI AI; a messenger of Section Zero, had disappeared has quickly as it had appeared.

Funnily enough (or whatever could pass off as that), she didn't feel at all anything near relieved from that conversation. It felt more like been taken out of one approaching catastrophe and been catapulted into another. Still, as always, orders were orders.

The Section Zero mandate did indeed update the briefing orders passed down on the Tacpad, orders now been corrected from focusing on assaulting and destroying rebel positions to heading straight to the ship and seeing it taken into orbit. It was an improvement, definitely, but would accelerate them straight into the firing line of ONI's internal conflicts. If that was the price however, for saving the entire company, it was a risk that was almost ridiculous not to take.


Author Afterward:

Another thread of the plot: internal conflict among ONI. Makes sense with what's going on, with even Section Zero getting involved.

Apolgies for taking so long to get an actual chapter posted. It began with not writing anything in the big release weeks (Halo 4's impact later...), and then getting bogged down in end of year assignments. This chapter was rewritten three times, as matter of fact. I wanted this element of the story of WHY ONI has internal conflict to be made clear, however much that may take, and make it seem like ONI has some way to deal with the absolute dictatorship of whoever is CINCONI at the time.

After playing Halo 4, I decided to let a include a few elements (Lasky as Captain of Infinity, Forerunner Tech, etc), but I wanted to keep it based in the traditional aftermath of Halo 3 scenario (Sanghelios not constantly in civil conflict, Master Chief gone, Forerunners still unknown to most of the galaxy) for the sake of story later on.