Epsilon Eridani System, Circumstance, Fort Glory, October 25 2539

Ivan-015 stood on the large landing pad that sat beside the tall concrete tower that was the centrepiece of UNSC Fort Glory. Not two days ago while he was out on patrol a small icon and flashed up on his visor and now he found himself stood on the snow covered landing pad in the Northern Mountains of Planet Circumstance. Ivan couldn't guess what ONI wanted with him, he had never had the pleasure, if it could be described at that, of working with them unlike many Spartans who regularly interfaced with them.

Maybe Ivan's type wasn't normally what they looked for in a Spartan, he was stiff necked and dogmatic yet utterly honourable, not really matching the pragmatic 'by any means necessary' type they really wanted to have when partaking in the kind of dark and unfavourable missions that they normally dealt with. Ivan liked to keep in with the rank and file with boot on dirt most of the time, while he was technically an officer of the Navy he spent most his time when he could planet side. He wondered if this maybe this was another reason why ONI never approached him before, he was too much of a grunt for them.

But for now for some reason ONI wanted him now and they were one of the most powerful and influential divisions in the UNSC, there was nothing he could really do to get out of this, hell, had almost begged Brigadier-General Gagarin to try and keep him on station on Circumstance. But of course there was nothing Gagarin could do and he told Ivan that when ONI are involved, forget everything you think you know about chain of command.

Ivan checked his TACPAD, the ONI agents were due to arrive any minute. He looked towards the horizon and at first there was nothing, but then a black shape appeared that began to grow larger as it was approached the fort. The shape was obscure at first but gradually it became more defined and Ivan recognised it as the boxy silhouette of a pelican. The Spartan noticed as it got closer it looked very different to the standard issue military drop ships, while they were a mottled shade of green this one was jet black, the normally clean and very aerodynamic nose now had a very large gauss cannon and two 70mm chain guns slung bellow of it, its rear engines and wings were enlarged and at the rate it was approaching it was moving much faster than the standard craft.

The snow sat on the landing pad whipped up like a miniature blizzard around Ivan as the unusual pelican slowed and began to land. It deployed its landing gear with a mechanical hiss and the heavy whine of the engine grew quieter. There was a crunch on the snow as the drop ship sat down, Ivan picked up his heavy pack and approached the still closed loading ramp.

The pelican's engines still hummed and had a wash of hot exhaust coming from them, but Ivan's armour soaked it up and the Spartan waited patiently for whoever was inside to make their move. With a rush of gas the hatch began to slower lower before hitting the landing pad with a loud clang. Two men strode down the ramp, tall, lean and clean shaven, clad in all black uniforms with boxy caps and heavy boots, they each bore the insignia of ONI on their breast and had a M6 pistol strapped to their thigh.

"Ivan-015?" One of the men shouted down over the pelican's engines

"Yep" Ivan simply said, he didn't really think the question was worth asking let alone answering with more than a simple begrudging 'yep'

"Good" The other man said

"Come aboard" The first man said before they both turned on their heels and made their way back into the craft.

Ivan slung his pack off his back and marched aboard, ducking his head to avoid smacking it on the top of the pelican's cabin, he was tall even for a Spartan II. The two ONI men sat on one side of the pelican so Ivan sat on the other and began to buckle his harness, he was never a particularly great fan of flying but it was essential in art of soldiering so he made do. There was a loud roar as the Pelican began to lift off with its hatch still open, gradually closing as it moved away from Fort Glory, Ivan watched as the grey tower and the mountains began to disappear into the distance as the Pelican jetted off, but the hatch slammed shut, taking the sound of the large engines with it. There was near silence the cabin, the two men sat opposite him made Ivan uneasy.

"Ivan-015" One of them again said before extending a black gloved hand, "Pleasure to meet you"

The Spartan shook it firmly and then shook the other man's as well; he wanted to make clear who was in control here.

"Good to meet you" Ivan said in with his low husky voice "Well since you know my name; I guess I should know yours"

"First Lieutenant Cartwright"

"First Lieutenant Wainwright"

They were Ivan's superiors, 'great' he thought.

"So are you guys heading up this operation?" The Spartan continued

"No"

"No?"

"No"

Taken aback by this Ivan said "Well then can you tell me anything about..."

The Spartan was cutshort and Cartwright said "About the operation? No, that all awaits you once we rendezvous with the ship"

"What ship?"

"The ship"

"Which ship is 'the ship'?"

"The ship in orbit around this world that we are due to rendezvous with" Wainwright raised his pencil eyebrow in a condescending manner and Ivan felt exhausted by this all already, secret ships, secret operations, he missed Fort Glory's barracks already.

Ivan settled back into the seats and decided to buckle up, fastening the straps tightly over his heavy armour, as much as hated all this business he was in it for the long haul. Cartwright and Wainwright kept silent for the most part but Ivan could almost feel them staring at him, he felt like they didn't trust him, hell, he KNEW they didn't trust him. ONI agents were notoriously suspicious of the II's, Ivan didn't really understand why.

After a short while longer riding on the mysterious Pelican Ivan felt them pass into space and then he heard the hum of the engines slow, they were approaching their destination and hopefully for him, some answers.