INTERLUDE ONE

ONI EVALUATION REPORT # [REDACTED]

DATE: OCTOBER 19TH, 2552

SUBJECT: LENA-B296

INTERVIEWER: [REDACTED]

ONI: Today, I'll be interviewing Lena-B296. A SPARTAN-III from Beta Company. Pulled from said company due to her excellent combat skill as a sniper and her cold personality, along with, as Lieutenant Commander Ambrose put it: "Being one of the few she would have chosen." Attached files show her combat record. Any authorized personal would see a lot of blank ink, however; it is a very impressive record. High marks across the board and a lot of high profile engagements, mostly against Insurrectionist targets. Previous reports made mention of pulling her off the field for mental and emotional rehabilitation yet whoever wanted her on the field kept her there. Very…effective. Anyways, send in Two-Nine-Six.

Door is heard opening. Lena-B296 walks in and sits down.

ONI: Hello there Lena, I'm [REDACTED] and today, we'll be going over the standard fair. Psychology report, a few previous engagements, your squad and Reach?

Lena nods her head and straightens up.

ONI: Previous combat records state that you've gone up against more human targets then Covenant. Has that changed you at all? Made you colder, distant? Squad-mates and military personal have noted, on multiple occasions, your detached personality.

LENA: There's no difference between killing Insurrectionists or Covenant. If it's bad, I kill it.

[REDACTED] writes something down.

ONI: So do you blame the Covenant for your cold demeanor? Watching your parents die at the hands of a Hunter pair, then to watch as your home is glassed. Would you consider that a turning point or did it come later in training?

LENA: Watching the Covenant destroy my life, my family, my friends… (Pauses) …just made me more eager to kill every single Alpha-Bravo that ruined the normal life I once had.

ONI: I see. Top 15% of your class and assigned elsewhere before Operation: TORPEDO, which left only two survivors. Do you consider yourself lucky or did part of you want to be on Pegasi Delta with them?

LENA: I don't regret anything but… (Pauses again, looking past [REDACTED]) ...I should have been down there with them.

ONI: Did you consider them family? Brothers and sisters?

LENA: I did.

ONI: (Writes something else down and clears his throat) You were later assigned to SPARTAN Team Echo in 2549. This is where you saw more Covenant activity, due to them pushing into the Inner Colonies. How close to the team were you? Did you know any of them from training?

LENA: I knew one of them from training. I met my closet friend, Samantha in training. She was always there when I needed a friend. The others… (Lena trials off)

ONI: You two were fairly close. In-fact, she even mentioned you by name a couple of times in other evaluations. What was her role in the team?

LENA: She was our explosives expert. Even saved my head a couple of times.

Lena smiles a little bit. [REDACTED] jots down a few more notes.

ONI: Echo was on Reach at the time of the invasion. Multiple engagements across the Viery territory, even dropped a Covenant Spire after The Long Night of Solace made itself known. What were your thoughts at the time? Did you think the UNSC could push the Covenant off Reach?

LENA: (Coldly) Not a chance. After reports of another Covenant fleet jumping in-system after Solace's destruction, I knew Reach was done for.

ONI: Yet your team shared a different view. Echo was later put on civilian evacuation duties, along two other SPARTAN teams. This happened between the days of August 18th and August 23rd, when the city of New Alexandria was under siege. How many souls did you and your team manage to save during that period?

LENA: We managed to save 400 souls in that time-frame. We unfortunately lost one evac ship.

ONI: I see. Multiple reports state that this wasn't a normal siege attempt that the Covenant are known for. Multiple units that managed to get out of New Alexandria claim that instead of Elites, there were Brutes? Is there any truth to this?

LENA: Yes. We encountered plenty of Brute squads. Tough Alpha-Bravos to take down. I think we all sustained some minor injuries from fighting them, mostly in hand to hand. Hell, I'm tempted to say they're more dangerous then Elites.

ONI: (Writes something down and shuffles his paper. Places his hands on the desk and leans forward) Tell me about your pain resistance. From what I understand…

LENA: (Interrupting) I recover fairly fast from injuries. The only thing I can't stand are the headaches. Feel like jumping off a cliff sometimes. But other then that? Every injury I've had, I've recovered quickly.

ONI: (Jots something down) During the night of August 22nd, you and your team were ambushed at one of the many evacuation centers by a Covenant strike team. You took heavy fire from both from plasma and spike rounds yet you still stood and helped your team hold them off. Only problem was, your team leader had ordered you onto the evac bird. You claimed and I quote: "Sir, I wouldn't be doing my job as a SPARTAN if I abandoned Reach. I'll be fine." Did you understand how badly you were injured, or are you that stubborn?

LENA: (Looking off to the side) I knew my team needed me. I couldn't just leave them.

ONI: Yet your best friend carried you onto that ship and sedated you. A brief report from the combat surgeon on-board, after a quick glance over you said: "She should be dead ten times over, even for a SPARTAN." Medical files from the UNSC Hopeful would later confirm these reports…

LENA: (Visibly irritated) Look, I was angry at my team. I was even angry at Samantha and I was determined to help them! Yet as Samantha helped me onto the ship and set me down, I remember her telling me, "You'll be okay…rest now." Then the sedative kicked in and I blacked out. I thought I'd be able to return to Reach to assist my team. (Pauses and looks at [REDACTED]) I had dreams about my childhood and family… (Trails off)

ONI: You've seen the reports about Reach, correct?

LENA: (Nods her head) Yes. The Covenant turned it into a giant glass ball.

ONI: Do you think your team was part of the surviving group that made it off Reach on the 30th?

LENA: I have yet to hear anything from my squad. All I know is that they've been marked MIA. I refuse to believe that Samantha is dead. I can't imagine her dead. (Lena's voice begins to break) Not until I see it with my own eyes. I'll always have hope that I'll see her alive.

ONI: (Standing) SPARTAN Team Echo was killed in action. They were ambushed on their way to the ship breaking yards in Aszod to assist SPARTAN Team Noble. They were quickly overrun and slaughtered.

Lena falls silent. [REDACTED] walks to the side of the table and sets down a small data-pad. He slides it towards Lena.

ONI: You're being transferred to a new team that's currently stationed at Base Hot Springs in the East African Protectorate. Your new commanding officer is Sierra-103. You're to report to him at 0600 Hours tomorrow.

[REDACTED] walks out of the room. Lena stares at nothing, fighting back tears.