Excerpt Seven: True Threats Revealed

Buzzard Buccaneer Radio! A full broadside blast of rock straight from the Fallen Serpent to all of you!

Boz here again for another station break, and we sure could use one. Shit, I knew Reach would be tough but I didn't think we'd be running into Snarlbeak again. Or at least one of his crazy lieutenants. What was with that Zon guy anyhow? Was he raised by sangheili or some shit? Fuck. We unfortunately had to go off the air for most of our little mission with the ODSTs, radio silence is the worst kind of silence in my book. All the same, I picked up everything during the battle and then some. Holy shit was today nuts. Anyway, we got some calls lined up with a few of our boys who experienced some action on the station, as well as more updates on our continued quest for the Astral Cutlass. We need some music first though, so here's Skid Row's "Big Guns" because we certainly had to deal with a few of those today, right guys? Ha ha!

(Big Guns by Skid Row)

Okay we're back, time to go to calls. Funny enough, we have an ODST lined up on this one. Apparently they have some things they want to talk about. Huh, who would've guessed. Alright so first up is our always lovable marksman, Keth. He saw some action down there on that station against, get this, other humans! Can you believe it? Tell us Keth, the hell happened?

A clusterfuck of bullshit is what happened. Apparently, when Haverson set us up for this mission, he didn't count on some assholes from his neck of the woods fouling it up with all their shitty grievances. We spent half the time watching out for fucking traps and the other half getting shot at by these fucking dipshits.

But who were they?

Humans kept calling them Insurrectionists. I call them fucking stupid. I plugged one of the bastards clean through the eye when he was blasting away like some kind of two bit gangster. I think the fucking moron was even holding his rifle sideways. SIDEWAYS! The fuck are these assholes thinking? Who's teaching them?

So they were pushovers then?

I wish, they were mostly just fucking parasites we needed to pick off. But they made it so damn difficult. So many damn explosive traps to start with and constantly engaging from afar. Near as I can tell they were after the same thing we were there for. All the files on the computer or some shit. Seriously, this was supposed to be easy, in and out. If I knew we'd be getting into a firefight I would've brought a better gun.

Surely it wasn't that bad. I mean, we got something out of this.

Yeah, we ended up picking up that Prowler for the fleet in the end I guess. Cool little ship, has a cloak like ours. I'm not sure what was on that computer, but I'm guessing its valuable enough to kill over. Considering the assholes were gonna blow themselves up if we tried to stop them.

So in your mind it was a success then?

Any mission I come back from alive is a success in my book. Next time though, maybe Haverson should consider doing a bit more recon and shit before he sends us in. The fewer surprises on these OPs the better.

Well it's good to hear we got some plunder from this job in the end. I'm still wondering about these Insurrectionist guys though. I mean, I thought humans were one big happy family. Perhaps our next guest can illuminate some things for us. Private Deverill of the ODSTs, you are on the air with us.

Thank you for having me. I needed to vent some shit.

You were on the ONI station with some of our boys and our Shipmaster Zek. So you were among the first to encounter the Insurrectionists aboard. What were your thoughts when you realized they were there?

Frankly, pissed off. Let me tell you something about the Innies, Boz. And want everyone on this channel to hear this and fucking understand. The Innies are a bunch of murdering psychopaths who have convinced themselves they're freedom fighters. They're not, they're bastards. Every single one of them, more so now than even before the war with the Covies.

They're not exactly high on our crew's popularity list either.

Yeah, cause they shot at you. That's reason enough for anyone. Innies are more than just a bunch of dicks with guns. The shit they've done is unforgivable. And I don't wanna hear no bullshit sympathy card about them being fucking farmers or whatever. Fuck that line and fuck anyone who uses it. Innies are trash, plain and simple. We're out here, busting our asses, trying to save Earth and protect humanity and they're still trying to fuck with us.

Perhaps you can enlighten us, you seem knowledgeable enough on the subject. A bit bias, but no one will blame you for that.

Fine, you and the other birds deserve to know that much. Innies popped up years ago, bunch of outer colonist yokels with axes to grind. Complained about how Earth was just using them to suck up resources from the galaxy but not leaving much for them. Yeah well, that's what a fucking colony is for damn it. You set up there, you send shit back to us, that's how it fucking works. They suddenly get this fucking idea they can support themselves, that they don't need Earth? Bullshit! They wouldn't even be out there without Earth!

I trust they laid out their general problem with your Earth eventually.

We have a diplomatic governing body. They had representation. They wanted a better deal? They could've negotiated. But so many of the fuckers were impatient as hell about progress and decided it was easier to just blow up shit. They've attacked civilian and military targets alike, anything to piss people off and get noticed. One of those places was my family's apartment complex. We were lucky we had left for the day! They left the fucking bomb near the daycare center! Kids! They blew up a bunch of fucking kids and I could've been one of them! Swore that as soon as I was old enough, I was gonna kill those fuckers for that.

And then the Covenant showed up.

Didn't stop'em. Most kept doing their bullshit, just less overt these days. They steal our weapons, ships, ambush troops and supplies. They'd be happy to see Earth burn. Fucking Innies. Especially these ones, thinking they could steal our intel? That they can break out of prison and get away with it?

Well, I'm sorry to hear about how much they've put you through, Private. But at the very least, you got some payback today.

Just wish it could've been me who gutted their fucking leader. I didn't mind watching your boss do it though. Fucker deserved every fucking slash. Every one. Maybe even more honestly.

Oh, you saw Zek in action, eh?

Yeah, guy's an ass... but he knows how to fuck some shit up that's for sure. Besides, I'm not oblivious. I'm an asshole too. Lot of the guys are. I'd be a hypocrite if I held that against him. Watching him rip that bastard apart made me kinda admire him.

Acts of violent overkill are a staple of working with Zek. Has your opinion changed on us Kig-yar, now that we've worked together?

Hey, whoa, I wasn't part of the mutiny. I mean, I didn't like the idea of teaming up with you guys on Halo, but orders is orders. Holland said that was the plan, that was the plan. We disobey our superiors we're no better than the Innies. I wasn't thrilled to work with you birds from the get go, but I waited out that shit for the most part.

I see, but that still doesn't answer my question.

As long as you keep putting the hurt on the Covies, I can live with ya. That's what Captain McKay says we need to do and I'm listening to her.

Rumor is McKay is fighting an uphill battle to keep the ODST squads in line though. Impressing upon them the importance of the alliance we've forged has been a difficult message for some to swallow. Has her recent promotion helped?

McKay is a damn good Drop Trooper and a fine officer. I'm proud to serve under her. Today only cemented that. If anyone has a problem with her at this point then they need to get with the program. She's the boss, plain and simple.

Your loyalty is admirable, sir. Here's hoping Captain McKay's days will get easier from here on out. Well, time for another musical break folks. We'll have more calls from around the fleet talking about today's events. In the meantime, here's the band Pantera with their song "Five Minutes Alone", because I imagine its what Private Deverill would like to have with a few Innies. This one's for you, Private.

(Five Minutes Alone by Pantera)

(Antisocial by Anthrax)

Plundering and spreading mayhem across the void is hard work. You deserve a break, you deserve, Buzzard Buccaneer Radio. The hottest hits to sack the black sea of space with. So keep locked to this station, as if there's anything else on worth listening to within a billion lightyears anyway.

(Ramble On by Led Zeppelin)

We're back, Boz the Buzzard here for another station break. Here to "Ramble on" a bit ourselves, heh, heh. Sorry, bad joke. Now I wager some of you caught something that took over our airwaves a bit in our absence. Not nearly as fun as me though, I doubt the Snarlbeak's Evil Plan Show will get many repeat viewings. Now I'm not sure what your full thoughts on this are dear listeners, but I'll give you the Boz-pinion on this little revelation of things. You know I used to have some mad respect for Zhoc, aka Snarlbeak, even after he tried to kill us. Guy built his shit from the ground up. He's a legit pirate and everything.

And now we learn he wants to sell out! The fuck? Something bad in the ichor he drinking? I mean, seriously, the fuck? What self respecting space pirate would want to offer up the most legendary weapon in our sorted history to the fucking Covenant? No, no, sorry, just really hard to swallow. He's got to be going off the rails a bit in his old age.

For real folks, this is some fucking grade-A Razorfin Chum bits. Utter shit! Complete and utter shit! Like the unggoy restroom facilities in the lower decks, that kind of shit. No offense to the unggoy honestly, but it does stink like hell. This is what you get for breathing in methane, your shit stinks to high heaven.

Okay, off topic, my point is what the fuck happened to Snarlbeak, guys? Was he always like this? Was he just looking for his angle or some shit? You know, our line of work comes with a degree of paranoia and fears of backstabbing, but this is a colossal betrayal of everything we stand for. Especially now after we left the Covenant. This fucker wants to trade our freedom, all of our freedom and what little culture we got left, so we can be on the fucking Sangheili's level? Are you kidding?

Don't get me wrong, pissing on those shitheads sounds fun, but having the fucking Prophets watching over my shoulder while I do it? Fuck that! Fuck them! I wouldn't be able to enjoy any of the tunes I'm currently broadcasting. The only thing us pirates got left in this galaxy is the ability to choose. Choose to plunder, choose to drink, choose to fuck, choose to get blitzed, choose to ride bareback on a Chorka with a dozen females taking turns, choose to hijack, pillage, sack and fucking loot as the humie song says! The Pirate life is freedom and the Covie way of life is fucking servitude. After living with that for years, I'd rather be dead. That ain't the life we need, that ain't the life we want. Without freedom we are nothing and I'll be damned if I see that get taken away.

A while ago I requested folks send in messages to the station with their own thoughts on the subject. The response was overwhelming in the "fuck that" category. Listen to some of these, "Sorry for his sis, but I say we gut this old bastard already." A fairly direct message to be sure. This one says, "I will never work for those Religious nutfucks again. No one is gonna make us go back." Bold statement, very bold. Here's another; "I believe a pirate should be allowed to go whatever way he wishes. Same with Snarlbeak, so long as we get to fire a plasma torpedo up his ass while he does, the fucking traitor." Ho boy, that didn't end where it start. Oh, here's a good one, "If that greasy old fuck thinks he can outplay us for the ultimate treasure he's seriously cracked in the skull. Dipshit can't even handle a little blood and he thinks he's got the gizzard to wield the Cutlass? Zek is gonna wipe the deck with his fucking entrails!" HA HA! That would be a sight. Let's read another. "Does anyone want to talk about how Shipmaster's dad was apparently some kind of pirate rebel? Cause that's just super weird, right?" Huh, I uh, I guess that did get a bit lost in the shuffle.

Oh new message, right from the Shipmaster's quarters just now. "If anyone mentions my fucking deadbeat shitbag of a dead father again, in my presence or anywhere I can hear them, they are sleeping with the Unggoy and eating only their daily rations for a full week." That uh... that is very clear.

Okay um... well, as much I love freedom of speech, I am not willing to get stuck bunking with the unggoy. Again, no offense guys, but you do smell... horribly. So, yeah, let us never speak of that particular individual again. For the time being. Let's uh, let's just move on to our next music block. Judas Priest, Sinner, may we all remain as such in the eyes of the Covenant. Human, kig-yar and batarian alike, and everyone in between. Keep locked to BBR folks, more coming up within the hour.

(Sinner by Judas Priest)

(Sons of Plunder by Disturbed)

That was Disturbed with Sons of Plunder on BBR, just a quick reminder of what we're meant to be, not what Zhoc wants us to become from the sound of it. In any case, it's clear we're going to be dealing with him more and more as time goes on. Whether or not you believe the Astral Cutlass is real, he's after these relics and I don't like the idea of him getting them. Not when he wants to sell out to the Covies.

Speaking of, you're probably wondering a bit about the relic we recently recovered. Well we recently got a missive about it. It is some kind of crystal, one that is putting on a constant light show. We know very little about what it does so far, but they are making plans to rectify that. Hey, more we know about these things the better I say. After last time, we don't need anyone else getting stuck with voices in their heads.

Oh, uh, no offense meant, Ms. Zorah. I'm simply saying, limiting the potential for a repeat of that incident arising with anyone else would be preferable. By the way, for anyone interested in hearing some quarian techno-punk rock, stay tuned for later tonight we got some choice hits. Donated to us by our friendly engineering lady in the biosuit. Keep getting better, T-Z.

The Crystal also came with some new arrivals. A few extra Spartans, some Marines and one officer. BBR extends a warm welcome to Vice Admiral Whitcomb of the UNSC! Welcome to our cadre of freaks and misfits, sir. For those wondering about our command structure, it has mostly remained unchanged. Colonel Holland is overseeing operations concerning the UNSC forces. Whitcomb has reportedly stated he is deferring to Holland judgment given his extended rapport with the soldiers aboard our fleet. The Admiral's rank, however, will still be in effect and he will have a say in any and all decisions concerning the fleet's progress going forward.

So basically, Holland is still in charge, but it's a joint command now with Whitcomb involved. Either way, we're still looking for those relics it seems. No one wants the Covies getting them. And hey, depending on what this Crystal can do, maybe they can even turn the tide of the human's war with the bastards. Wouldn't that be fun? So here's to us continuing to help the humans help themselves by helping us. It's a profitable return no matter how to slice it. Whitcomb himself had an audio message he sent across the intercom earlier. Let's have a brief listen to an excerpt from it.

Fighting men and women of the UNSC, this is Vice Admiral Whitcomb. I am speaking to you today as a fellow survivor of Reach and a soldier for humanity. I have heard of what you have suffered, what you have endured and I wish to make one thing very clear. You are making Earth, nay, the entire human race proud. Your actions have shown that not only can the Covenant be beaten, but we can turn their own forces against them. I cannot speak for how everyone feels about this strange bedfellows situation, but I for one take pride in your ability to conquer adversity and triumph in the face of overwhelming odds. More importantly, this alliance has yielded us a chance to win this war.

Now, I can't be certain about anything these relics of power can do or about this fancy sword I've heard about. I do know this, being down on Reach for so long, watching the Covenant dig for buried treasure like they have, I am resolved to ensure the bastards never get their greasy claws on any of their trinkets. In this regard, I have pledged my full support behind this fleet's mission and its long term goals. To foil the Covenants plans for these potential weapons, to sabotage their efforts against humanity and to inevitably return to Earth with the means to end their aggression against our people and for all. I will not falter in this regard, nor will I waver in my resolve. The UNSC will triumph and we will make sure that Reach is the last planet the enemy ever glasses!

Whitcomb went on the praise the actions of the Spartans, the Normandy crew and Holland himself in steering this mismatched fleet. Oh and he quickly added a point of gratitude to us kig-yar for assisting them in striking a blow to the Covenant on Halo as well. Hey, a little praise goes a long way. Here's to a long and happy relationship with our new business partner.

And now for a music break, we've been bereft of rock for long enough already. Here's a full block of songs coming right at you all. Stay locked to BBR! I mean... not like you have a choice of stations, but still... it would be appreciated.

BBR, Buzzard Buccaneer Radio, where all the hits of the centuries gone by are sent screaming right into the modern age! So batten down the hatches and get ready for a full broadside of rock! It's all coming your way, right now!

(Sham Pain by Five Finger Death Punch)

(The Devil You Know by Anthrax)

(The Good Life by Three Days Grace)

(Lightning Strikes Again by Dokken)

Hey it's Boz the Buzzard coming at you from aboard the Fallen Serpent! I come baring another gift from our Shipmaster, as Zek had another vid he watched he wants to talk about. So here's his pre-recorded review, have a listen.

You know... to be honest, families... families can be a lot of bullshit at times. Like... real bullshit. They're not terrible, but they can really fuck up your life a lot. So, okay, today's vid is called "How to Train your Dragon", I figured it would be a nice little dumb kids films like that baby lizards thing I saw a while back. You know, the one with the horned lizard and the long necked lizard who needed to hate fuck when they got older? So I figured this one would be like that, but turns out... it hit pretty close to home.

So there's a whole society of these humans and they're like badasses and shit. They're like warriors but they have to be, cause like, their island is under siege constantly from these dragons. Like they breath fire and eat livestock. So everyone has to be a badass to fight them off. Except there's like this one skinny loser kid who's more brainy than brawny and he prefers to be smarter than everyone. I... I like that kid. He's cool. And he just... he just wants his dad to like him and shit. Why? I don't know. I guess... I guess that's a thing with humans. They... they gotta make their daddies proud or whatever.

So he tries to, you know, take down one of these super badass super stealth dragons called a Night Fury. Cause if he does everyone is gonna like wanna hop on his dick or something. I mean, he says he might get a girlfriend so... so there. It sorta works, he clips the thing. But his dad thinks he lied or some bullshit and like humiliates his ass in front of the whole village by saying he needs to be more muscle than brain... cause he's a fucking douche. (Hiccup) So the kid like finds the dragon he shot down, but he can't kill it because, well, you know, where's the sport in gutting something in a net? Like there's none... there's none sport to that.

So he lets him go, but his dad has decided to give him a chance to be a dragon slayer, even though he doesn't want to kill them anymore. He's not really good at it to begin with and all the other classmates make fun of him, but heeee's decided he's gonna fiiiind the dragon and figure out why it didn't (Hiccup) kill him ya know. Cause Dragons are supposed to maul you when they get the chance and this one just ran off and shit.

So he finds him in like this crater and shit and apparently the poor thing lost part of its tail and can't fly so now the kid has to (Hiccup) he's gotta (Hiccup) he needs to get him to fly again and shit. So he likes uses his bra..(Hiccup)..in to do it. He makes this aweeeeesssssome harness and shit that helps the dragon to fly and they like soar through the air and it's cool and breezy and super sweet. And like now the kid has to convince the other people that like... their whole life is a lie, the dragons aren't evil and that... well, that they need to stop killing them and live in peace and shit. Oh and maybe get the girl in the process cause what's more attractive than riding giant fucking monster around. Fucccking meeeetallll! (Hiccup)

The biggest obstacle of course is the fucking father cause he's a fucking dick. Like most fathers probably are. He just wants to like kill the fucking things because he doesn't get how fucking stupid his stupid fucking war is and he wants to be a fucking hero cause he's a fucking idiot. But... but, hey! At least he's around, you know? At least he's fucking there to be a shitty father. At least he seems to care about the missing mother and his son and everyone else around him. At least he doesn't take off and fucking leave them to squalor cause he's a fucking dipshit moron. So hey, he's a better dad than most. He's not a fucking deadbeat piece of shit like you DAD! You fucking... asshole with your unggoy shit rebel... garrrrbage. (Hiccup) Like, why does everyone think you're so fucking great? I took on a whole Covenant armada and survived with only ONE ship? The fuck happened to you? You fucking died! Like a... like a... dumb methane breathing... dumbfuck. Shithead dumb idiot.

Who the fuck cares about Dread Feather now, huh? Who fucking cares? I'm the one with the bounty. I'm the one people fucking fear now. Him? The fuck did he ever do but get himself killed like a fucking dumbass. Oh, Pirate Revolution, new Golden Age, fuck you! I'm gonna accomplish that without your shitty call to fucking arms show of inept force douchebaggery. I'm... I'm the better fucking pirate, not you! Fuck you, Dread Feather, you were never worth a shit!

Wh-where was I? Oh yeah, so like How to train your Dragon is like good and shit. Watch it, enoy some things being set on fire and exploding and a father getting schooled by his smarter, more capable and more badass kid in the end. Cause fuck yeah, that's how it's gonna be bitches!

Uh, okay... Um, Retz if you're listening, I hope our dear Captain is in his quarters now sleeping... that off. Get some rest Shipmaster. You'll feel... marginally better in the morning I think. Maybe. Yeesh. Anyway lets here another song. This is... Butcher Babies? Well that's provocative. Oh but their song is indicative of a lesson that Zhoc and his cronies need to learn. They want us kig-yar to be slaves to the Covenant? Well fuck that noise! We're Never Going Back!

(Never Go Back by Butcher Babies)

Boz the Buzzard here and we have a call folks. Line one, you are squawking with Boz.

You know buzzard is pretty appropriate considering you stole my songs.

Oh hello, Joker. Still upset?

I'm disappointed, actually. Considering that THIS is the best you can do with my huge catalog of music. Seriously, how limited in your range are you?

Excuse me?

I'm not just a metal head or classic rocker. I have dialectic tastes. Divergent interests. The most you ever seem to do in terms of variety is you play a sea shanty you haphazardly recorded on the fly.

We are a ROCK station, Joker. Emphasis on the R word. I mean, what do you want me to do? Start playing lullabies? Maybe elevator Muzak? Generic Techno Synth and Pop? I'm doing quarian music later, isn't that enough?

You could be trying to expand your horizons a little more than that. There are loads of old songs on my music list you haven't even bothered touching. No doubt cause you're scared you couldn't make them entertaining to your fellow pirates.

That's total guano, I can make anything entertaining! I'm Boz the Buzzard!

Then prove it, find a way to incorporate the least likely songs that a bunch of soldiers and pirates would be into and run it for a full broadcast day. Make up a theme or something, I don't know. Hell, you get enough people to even request some songs that aren't classified as hard rock or heavy metal, to go along with the idea, I'll even applaud you.

Alright, Mr. Moreau, challenge accepted. Tomorrow, Buzzard Buccaneer Radio will diverge from it's usual metal thrashing sounds of rock awesome to bring you something unexpected. A full day of just the most out there music you would never suspect to be heard on this station. I'll even come up with a clever theme for it all that justifies its existence. And when I do, I'll be expecting you to eat your words, Joker. I'll even bet you a bottle of my best Ichor.

Like I want your damn whale gunk. If you pull this off, I'll... I don't know. Give you access to my... private server. The one I didn't have on the Normandy's computer. I got a ton more... personal stuff there. And if you can't... I get a day playing DJ.

HA! You're on, Moreau! I'm gonna prove once and for all who's the ultimate music junkie! Just you wait and see!

Mordin's Analysis:

Joker's gamble aside, broadcast today fairly typical. Interesting developments, however. Kig-yar and ODSTs appearing to be growing closer. Mutual hatred of Insurrectionists created a semi-cohesive bond between two groups. Sociological situation self-evident. A greater threat, or more hated threat, supercedes all others. Discomfort for Jackals irrelevant when faced with traitors to humanity.

Kig-yar defiance in face of plan of Snarlbeak promising. Refusal to return to Covenant, even in promised position of power. Did not expect. Felt more would find plan appealing. Scars the Covenant have left no doubt deeper than thought. As is the prospect of being slaves to any form of law or order. Knowledge of the truth of Covenant religion no doubt plays role. Less likely to join or reintegrate into system that is detrimental to well-being. Specifically belief system that will lead to subsequent death of galaxy if carried to fruition. Doomsday cult and suicide pact not profitable prospects for pirates.

Unlikely Snarlbeak is aware. Just as unlikely would care if he did know. Ambition is more than clear. Desire for revenge overriding all other concerns. Would possibly seek to usurp leadership of Covenant altogether. Would assume Astral Cutlass all that is required to rule. Dangerous character, whether or not plan succeeds. STG would no doubt authorize assassination. Suspect ONI would too.

Concern for Zek's mental stability. Clearly using alcohol to cope with truth about father. Hates him. Does not like being compared. Despises any similarity. Possible self-loathing. Entire identity built around being better than him. Not committing same mistakes. Recommend deft hand in situation. Allow Varvok and Retz to manage. Confident neither wants him in such a state. Best to let them get him back on his feet.

Official Statement:

I too have concerns over Zek's emotional state. In so far that he could become a liability. Varvok assures me he is going to speak to him in due time. Not that I doubt his ability, but I fear it may only be a stop gap to keep him from being a complete mental wreck for the time being. The thing is, the last thing we need right now is for Zek's personality flaws and weaknesses to become more prominent. The more he slips, the more likely his crew is to think he needs to be replaced. Retz may claim he'll never let that happen, being his friend and all, but that doesn't mean someone else won't try. And as much as I don't like him, Zek is at least easier to predict than other kig-yar at this point. I'd rather we have a Jackal we know leading them than some upstart with possibly less UNSC friendly ideas.

All the same, I think my joint mission between the Pirates and ODSTs went rather well. They successfully recovered the intelligence from the station and uncovered the truth behind Snarlbeak's plans. Highlighting a dangerous threat we need to eliminate. Even if Zhoc's plan is overly ambitious, and the Covenant leadership never goes for it, if his actions somehow end up providing them with any of these relics it could be disastrous. He must be stopped or neutralized in some capacity before we're dealing with an even more technologically stronger Covenant force.

The appearance of the Insurrectionist Escaped Prisoners on the station was most... disconcerting. I was well aware of the existence of a number of ONI black-site prisons on Reach. They were designed to hold the worst, the most radical of any Insurrectionist Cell. I pulled up a file on Dagen, the terrorist leader Zek gutted to the pleasure of many an ODST. He was a truly dangerous individual. Several attacks on Marine Outposts critical to the war effort against the Covenant. The stealing of confiscated Covenant weaponry. And, as typical of people like him, a number of vicious attacks against civilian soft targets. Including a crowded transit hub, over six hundred casualties. Why we didn't just kill this monster I have no idea, I suspect ONI was trying to extract further information out of him in some fashion. As much as it pains me to admit it, part of me wants to put a medal on Zek for ending this madman. His complete escape from Reach would've been disastrous. Hopefully, this is the last time we'll ever encounter these traitors. We have enough problems to deal with now.

On a happier note, I'm glad to see our faith in Captain McKay has been rewarded. Especially now that the promotion has been officiated and confirmed by Admiral Whitcomb. I can already see the effect it is having on the ODSTs. More and more, former mutineers are becoming the minority in terms of outspoken insubordination. They're still loyal to Silva's ideals, but McKay is taking charge and more of the Troopers are siding with her, unafraid of being named outcasts in the group by voicing their support openly. This can only lead to good things for all parties involved. According to McKay, even the Jackals have a begrudging respect for her. Again, good to know. It will be useful in integrating our forces in the future.

As for the recovered Relic, I recently received a report from Tali'Zorah. She and the Engineers, or Huragok, have begun devising a way to better investigate the Crystal and its connection to the Amplifier. They are constructing some kind of conduit. I am eager to hear of the results of the forthcoming experiment.

Signed,

-Lieutenant Elias Haverson

Office of Naval Intelligence