(A/N) Hey guys, sorry for the delay lately, real life has been making full use of its knack of getting in the way of updates. Hopefully, I'll be able to get more regular updates, but I can't promise that there won't be any further delays, because real life always has its ability to get in the way. Now, this is another one of my chapters (you guys are probably getting fed up with them by this stage!), featuring the Director, as he receives some very unwelcome information, and is forced to deal with this new problem.

Enjoy!

Chapter Fifty-Seven – Bad News

The Director

Written by NicKenny

"We can not solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them." ― Albert Einstein

I stared at the blank screen in front of me, my eyebrows furrowed and jaw clenched in barely-suppressed rage. My office appeared before me, bereft of anything that I could make use of to solve this latest problem, and I yearned to be back on the Mother of Invention. After the failed attempt of Agent Carolina and her team to locate the Crimson Sun on Arcite, we had returned to our base-world, taking time on Eris to resupply and re-evaluate the situation. As it had turned out, while we were taking stock, the Crimson Sun were taking action, and it appeared that questions had been raised, once more, regarding our capability of dealing with this threat. The news that General Petrarch had delivered had been bad enough, but the general's condescending, irritated reproach had brought my blood to boiling point.

I have allowed this problem to progress unchecked for too long, I mused as my breathing grew deeper, calmly counting away the seconds until I had regained full control of my emotions once more. Arkansas must not be allowed to fester any further; he must be stopped, and soon.

"Could you send for the Counselor, F.I.L.S.S.?" I murmured quietly, and he appeared only moments later, slightly breathless, evidently aware of the fact that the good general has just left some bad news.

"You called, Director?" he asked, frowning as he regained his breath, staring at me quizzically, with more than a hint of concern.

I nodded slowly to him, my brow still furrowed. "I did indeed, Counselor. The general had some unfortunate news to impart, just there. It seems that Arkansas has eliminated his third target, Sergeant Major Jira Olumbu. I had previously considered the expired sergeant major to be under minimal threat, given that his current position was the warden of the Whitegate Penal Colony on Sarposa."

I sighed, before taking a breath. "Sadly, it appears I overestimated the competency of his operation. Yesterday the prison was engulfed in a large scale riot, which led to Olumbu's death. While we have no evidence that Arkansas was directly responsible, the fact that the prison's security systems went haywire during the riot seems to be a pretty clear indicator of his involvement. Unfortunately, following the warden's death, a mass breakout occurred, so the UNSC forces on the planet are spending their time tracking down the prisoners, rather than the Crimson Sun. As many of those prisoner were interned 'off the books', so to speak, I fear this is doomed to be a wasted effort."

A moment of silence passed between us, before the Counselor finally spoke up. "So what do we do now, sir?"

I turned away from him, glancing over at the blank screen, the general's look of disappointment and accusation still clear in my mind.

"We negate the threat, Counselor. You may cancel any further training ops planned for our freelancers, and alert the crew of the Mother of Invention that we will be leaving Eris presently. All crew and operatives should report for duty within the next two hours, those who fail to do so will be left behind, and put to use elsewhere."

The Counselor seemed somewhat ill-at-ease with his orders, and stared at me for a second, before finding the courage to speak. "Sir, we haven't had time to properly test the armour abilities for the latest group of recruits. I can't guarantee that they will function competently in the field. Kentucky's in particular requires some very delicate calculations, and the others–"

"Enough, Counselor," I ordered, and he fell silent, though I could tell that he was displeased by my interruption. That was all very well, for I had been displeased by his. "We have not encountered any problems with the previous enhancements issued, and from the tests you have carried out, I doubt that we will see any in the foreseeable future. The Alpha will continue to monitor the performance of both the agents and their enhancements in the field – if it encounters any anomalies, the agent will be ordered back, and the problem rectified."

He remained silent, and nodded before looking away, never quite meeting my eyes. "As you wish, Director," he murmured, before leaving the room without a further word.

I frowned at his back as the doors closed behind him, and then shook my head, dismissing him from mind. I turned back to the screen, the frown never leaving my face, and turned it back on, connecting it to my data-pad and searching for all the information we had access to on the Whitegate Penal Colony.

There was a slight beep from the holo-table behind me, and the Alpha's voice rang out. "You need any help there, dude?"

I closed my eyes and sighed, before turning around. "Alpha, you are supposed to be on the Mother of Invention. What are you doing here?"

The A.I. glanced around the office with apparent interest, taking a couple of seconds before replying. " Yeah…that got boring pretty quickly, dude. There's just a couple of maintenance crews and F.I.L.S.S. to talk to up there, and nothing really to do. So that's when I started monitoring your communications."

"What?!" I barked, glaring at the A.I. furiously, who stared back at me unabashedly.

"Well, yours and a couple of other people's, let's not go into that now," the Alpha said calmly, before moving on to a new topic. "Was listening in to your conversation with the general. Guy needs to take a chill strip! Anyway, I'm guessing you're planning on sending a team down to the prison to investigate, right, given that the camera's aren't showing much, and they left very few guards alive who came across 'em!"

Of course, I thought, but bit down on the unwise decision to agree with the A.I. "I'm sorry, Alpha, but your job is to assist me as I see fit, not to take troop assignment decisions into your own hands. While I have decided to send a team down, personnel decisions are still under my control."

There was a moment of silence before the A.I. dipped its head and nodded slowly. "Of course, Director. But my job is to assist, so may I make a few recommendations as to who you choose?"

I stared at him for a few seconds, before nodding back to him. "Very well, Alpha. Who would you suggest?"

The A.I. glanced back up at me, and its tone grew more excited and vibrant as it began to relay its opinions on the matter.

"Well, a large team would probably be the most effective, given the size of the prison, and the fact that the UNSC generally have not cooperated well with our agents in the past, which Wyoming can definitely attest to. Agent Carolina's recent failures in the field have caused me to believe that she may be emotionally compromised at this moment, so I would advise sending Wyoming as the team leader. He has experience with this sort of situation, and has recent experience in dealing with uncooperative UNSC forces."

I nodded, smiling slightly despite myself. Exactly who I would have chosen. Then again, that's not exactly surprising, is it? "Go on," I said, encouraging the Alpha to continue.

"California is the agent most familiar with Lieutenant Ian Harper's methods, and he should also be included. His mental stability, according to the Counselor's recent evaluations, is relatively unstable, but encountering CS forces is highly unlikely, that shouldn't affect the mission. It might be advisable to include Minnesota as a stabilising force here, and like Wyoming he also has experience in tracking."

Wyoming, California and Minnesota. Not a bad choice, I mused, nodding slowly. Perhaps I should have passed more control over to the Alpha in the past – his mind was, after all, modelled on my own.

"Likewise, Alaska has the greatest knowledge of Pennsylvania's methods, and should, as a result, also be included in the team. He has worked efficiently with Wyoming in the past, and should do so here. I would also suggest allowing Nebraska to tag along, because a less biased presence would certainly desirable to offset the others. Also, allowing some of the newer agents to gain some experience is nothing to sniff at, and of them, Nebraska's most suited to this mission."

I stared at him for a moment, before shrugging, unable to deny the logic of his words. "Very well then, Alpha, Wyoming, California, Minnesota, Alaska and Nebraska it is." I paused for a second, before nodding once more. "From now on, I would like detailed reports before each mission in regards to which agents you believe should be assigned to the aforementioned mission."

"You got it," the A.I. replied, and if it wasn't for the fact that it was an artificial simulation of myself, and that its physical form was nothing but a holographic projection, I would have sworn that it was smiling behind its visor. "Anything else, Director?"

"Yes…" I began slowly, a thought beginning to form in my mind. "I would like you to continue monitoring all transmissions in and out of this facility, and on the Mother of Invention, particularly those on the Counselor's private line. I want to be kept in the loop, do you understand, Alpha?"

"Yeah, keep tabs on our guys, report to you, I've got it," the A.I. replied, somewhat wryly. "I've got the intellect to run a goddamn frigate, dude, monitoring some phone calls isn't going to be a challenge."

"That's good to hear, Alpha. You can log off now. I will expect you to be waiting for me on the Mother of Invention in one hour, after I've prepped the team, am I understood?"

"Way ahead of you," Alpha replied, before disappearing from sight with a chuckle. I shook my head slowly and sighed, leaning against the unactivated holo-table, before glancing back up once again.

"F.I.L.S.S., could you send for Agents Wyoming, Alaska, California, Minnesota and Nebraska, if you would be so kind," I murmured, and smiled as a shrill beep rang out throughout the room.

"Of course, Director, I will alert them immediately," came the smooth, artificial female voice, and I turned back to the blank screen, my smile fading away and being replaced by the same frown that had occupied my face previously.

These are the men that I would send, regardless of the Alpha's input. However, will they be enough? There might not be anything for them to find.

I paused and followed that train of thought, linking it to everything I knew about the agents that I was sending down, and my doubts slowly faded away. These men had earned the title "Freelancer" for a reason, and if there was anything to find, they would find it.

There was another soft beep behind me, and I didn't have to look behind me to know that the Alpha had reappeared.

"Yes, Alpha?" I asked, irritated, but allowing him this one last transgression.

"I'm sorry, Director, but I had a question for you. What do you expect the team to accomplish here? What do you want them to do?"

Smiling grimly, and turned around and faced the A.I. "I expect them to find us an edge, Alpha. Some piece of information that we didn't have before, no matter how seemingly small or insignificant. They'll build up, and sooner or later, we will find Arkansas and his precious Crimson Sun."

I trailed off, and the Alpha glanced around uneasily for a moment, before broaching one final question.

"And then, sir?"

And then we make him pay, I thought. Then we teach him the true cost of betrayal, and it will be a hard lesson. And when we're through with him, we will return him to the UNSC, and I'll have the pleasure of seeing him face the firing squad.

No matter what happens, I will see to it that Arkansas loses. There will be no mercy, no quarter, no compromise. There will just be me, standing alone over his dead body, the better man having emerged victorious.

I am the better man.

"Log off, Alpha," I ordered, ignoring his question, refusing to voice my thoughts, and turned away. I could hear the agents' voices as they came down the corridor, no doubt eager for their briefing to begin. In the distance, I could hear the Mother of Invention's engines firing up, and the shouts of hundreds upon hundreds of personnel scurrying about, preparing the ship for take-off.

Time to make the galaxy a better place.