Epsilon Eridani System, UNSC Omaha, October 25 2539

Cyrus-142 stood on the observation deck of the UNSC Omaha that was sat in orbit above Circumstance. He looked through the thick Perspex at the large grey planet; most of it was covered in a thick stormy looking cloud layer that had electrical storms dancing through it. As Cyrus watched a small black shape burst through the grey clouds and began to head straight for them, good he thought, the last member of the team was about to come aboard.

Already two Spartans had been collected, Maximilian-055 and Rebecca-108, this last man was Ivan-015. He wasn't Cyrus's first choice to be the fourth in the team but he would do, he was a Spartan just like the others even though he did lack a bit of the flare that he thought ONI would want from a Spartan on one of their missions. Cyrus was one of these Spartan's that had the extra flare ONI liked so about a decade ago he had been conscripted into ONIs ranks and now worked classified operations for them full time. According to the official record he had gone MIA on Harvest. As much as many members of the higher ups in ONI hated Halsey's Spartan II's they appreciated what value it was to have one on board, especially one as skilled as Cyrus.

The Spartan's talents had been displayed the first time they brought him aboard, they kept him in the dark just as they were doing now with the other Spartans they were collecting, but S142 had managed to hack into the ships systems from a terminal in his cabin, he learned all about the UNSC Omaha, the mission he was originally going to be given and even learned intimate details about ONI's chain of command. Cyrus often thought maybe of the reasons they had not let him back into the marine core was the fact he simply knew too much, but this knowledge kept him in a state of power.

That's how ONI liked to exert themselves, keeping you completely lost so they could spoon feed you, but they couldn't keep much from Cyrus usually, if it was on the system he could find it. But this was one of those rare cases where Cyrus had been kept it in the dark, he had tried to follow the paper trail but there wasn't one, there wasn't even a data trail, all documents were completely beyond blacklisted, he had simply been told to select a team of four Spartan's including himself, this operation was being kept completely watertight.

Cyrus watched as the black pelican pulled alongside the UNSC Omaha and waited for a moment, he imagined that in the pilot's eyes the ship was near invisible, the Omaha was one of the prides of ONI, a Prowler, second only in size, tech and weaponry to the UNSC Point of No Return, headquarters of the elusive Section III. The Omaha was nearly undetectable in normal circumstances even to Covenant ships with the most advanced scanners, like a silent bird of prey it hung in the air, often striking at Covenant ships and disabling them before they could even fire a broadside in return. As he looked further he saw the side of the Omaha open and the Pelican silently glide into the hanger bay, the double doors closed behind it and immediately he could hear the rumble of the Prowlers engines fire up, they were moving away already.

Cyrus left the balcony of the observation deck and dropped down into the bridge pit where Captain Loeb was barking orders to his crewmen with a distinct sense of urgency. In fact the whole operation had a sense of urgency, cobbled together in just a couple of days with absolute secrecy, Cyrus had been made to select Spartans for his team in just a matter of hours, he would have liked to take more time and pick them more carefully but it would have to do. The Spartan made his way towards the bridge's pneumatic doors, the two ensigns guarding the door clicked their boot heels on the metal floor and saluted as the entry parted with a whoosh. Cyrus saluted them back and walked through. The ensign's gesture wasn't a salute simply out of respect for him though, in his time with ONI Cyrus had risen through the ranks quite rapidly, he now found himself a Lieutenant Commander, reaching a rank of this level was unprecedented for Spartan's in the public forces, but Cyrus wore his officer bars with pride. The Spartan stepped into the lift at the end of the well-lit hallway that led away from the bridge; he keyed in the level of the hanger bay and felt the surge of momentum as the lift dropped. There was a loud buzz from the pager on his belt, he unclipped it and read the message, it was a message that let him know it was time to gather up his three recruits, things were moving.

Stood in the hanger bay with two ONI lieutenants was the tall figure of a Spartan, his dark green MJOLNIR armour bore hundreds of scuffs, burns and battle scars, his HAZOP helmet had numerous half-cocked modifications strapped to it and was just as scarred as the rest of his battle suit. This must have been Ivan-015 Cyrus thought as he stepped out of the lift onto the polished floor of the hanger, he looked just as you would expect for a Spartan of his reputation, battle hardened and battle weary, the lieutenant commander did wonder if it was best he requisition the Spartan with a new set of MJOLNIR armour, but he knew that some of these front-line guys did get very attached to their suits.

Cyrus had read Ivan's profile, both military and psychological, the entry from his most recent commander referred to him as a warhorse, implying his impeccable endurance and strength, but you could read into it as him also being a tad on the dim side for a Spartan at least. Cyrus had read that Ivan's last deployment before being returned to Circumstance had been on the now glassed UNSC colony of Taranto, the Spartan had returned to the surface while the planet was being glassed and helped liberate a packed civilian spaceport from covenant bombardment saving thousands of lives, there were even unconfirmed reports that he had taken down a scarab single handed, such a thing was unheard of.

Cyrus would not deny it, Ivan 's record was strong, excellent in fact, but the fact still reminded he was very much an everyman type of Spartan, Cyrus could guess that behind the bronzed visor of his helmet the other Spartan's visor his face that of a bulldog chewing a wasp, he must have hated every minute of being in ONI's presence. Cyrus walked over towards the black pelican, he best get things underway he thought. As he strode towards them he noticed Ivan look up at him and Cyrus imagined they had made eye contact.

"Pleasure to meet you Ivan-015" Cyrus extended his hand, the Spartan wavered for a moment before shaking it, squeezing hard.

"Likewise" Ivan said but then he must have noticed the officer bars on Cyrus's black tunic as he curtly added "sir"

"Indeed, well I am..."

"You're a Spartan thats who" Ivan said, looking Cyrus up and down "Even out of the MJOLNIR and wrapped up in all of that officer finery you can always tell when someone is a Spartan, plus you have a firm grip"

"Indeed" Cyrus said again "I am Cyrus-142, ONI Lieutenant Commander, I am the one who was in charge of conscripting you for this operation"

"I see, I thought the ONI types didn't like us IIs" Ivan gestured a telling nod towards the two lieutenants stood beside the Pelican.

"They like those who are useful to them I think you will find. Now if you will please follow me" Cyrus beckoned Ivan and the two began to walk across the hanger back to the elevator, Ivan's boots sending heavy clanks ringing around the large bay.

"So" Ivan continued as he pulled off his custom HAZOP helmet "What's led you to bring me all the way to this here ship"

"If I am honest with you" Cyrus said as he tapped the button to call the elevator "I don't know either"

"Oh" Ivan sighed, "Well thats a good start"