[Naked Crook]

Davidov shook his head in defeat. Commodore Davidov: I do not like what The Trust has become. We have become…thugs…killers…and backroom dealing con artists. We have become an unaccountable paramilitary. We have become the evil that we were founded to route and destroy. We have fallen from grace. We are the fallen Angle of Light…the Lucifer of the modern era. Vanity was found In the Trust…and that vanity was Constantine Spender. We lost our way... Davidov frowned. Commodore Davidov: And now…that vanity is going to have me killed…because I held steadfast to what I believed in, to what The Trust believed in. This is not how it is supposed to be. This is wrong! This is immoral! This is not what or who we are! The Trust is better than this! History proves this assertion as true! It is why we are called The Trust. Trust was placed, in us, to ensure that humanity stays the course. We were trusted with the future of mankind. We were trusted that we would lead, guide, and direct with honor and integrity. We were trusted to safeguard and secure our great society, our values, our principles, and our system against anything that would threaten it. Davidov began to raise his voice in frustration. Commodore Davidov: We have FAILED! Everyone on the bridge was silent. Black 6 simply looked at Davidov for a few minutes. He soon found the will to speak. Black 6: I think I am going to be sick… Black Team looked at Black 6. Black 6: I cannot believe what I just heard. I am still wrestling with it. Black 6 shook his head, and shrugged. Black 6: What the hell am I supposed to do now? Commodore…we were sent here with orders to kill you. Now…those orders are not as easy to accept. Things are not as black and white anymore. Black 6 then looked at Davidov. Black 6: If I kill you…I will seal the fate of The Trust…and will NOT help the situation. If I let you live… Davidov interrupted. Commodore Davidov: If you let me live…son…you will die in my stead. Spender does not tolerate failure. He will kill you. I guarantee it. You will die. Black 1 had his interest peaked when he heard this. Black 6: So, then, what do you suggest? We seem to be stuck. Davidov paused. He sighed. Commodore Davidov: Realistically…the most viable solution would be for you to complete your mission. As much as it pains me, and even wounds me, to say…I feel that my time is at an end. It would be very unfair for me to ask you to lay down your life, or jeopardize it, on my account. Davidov paused. Commodore Davidov: I need to know about everything you were sent here to do. Black 6: We had two objectives…kill you, and upload the Nemesis’ main computer core to The Ulterior Motive. Commodore Davidov: I see. Davidov paused. Commodore Davidov: Then there is only one thing to do then; you must kill me…and upload the data to Spender. I am willing to let this happen. I will not fight my fate…one ONE condition. Black 6: Name it. Commodore Davidov: The one condition is that you start asking questions. Challenge Spender. Force the truth out of him. Hear it all from him. Make him admit what he was doing. Do not let him hide the truth from you. Do not be his lackeys. Do not be his right hand. Do not allow him to use you to do the dirty jobs he would rather not touch. Do not let him use you as his own personal guns. Every member of Black Team, save for Black 6, scoffed. Davidov shook his head. However, Davidov looked at the holotable and issued several commands to the main computer. Commodore Davidov: I have unlocked the main computer access core on the engineering deck. You can upload this ship’s information from there. However…I implore you…ask questions. You six…you all deserve to know who he really is. Black 1 was tired of hearing Davidov speak. Black 1: I am getting sick and tired of hearing this guy talk 6. Can we put a bullet in his ass? Black 6 turned to Black 1. Black 6: Black 1…take the rest of Black Team to the main computer core…and begin uploading the entire contents of the main computer core to The Ulterior Motive. I will deal with Davidov. Black 1 glared at Black 6. Black 6: That was not a request Black 1. That was an order. Black 1 glared back at Tye, but eventually, Black 1 stood down. Black 1, without saying a word, led the rest of Black Team off the bridge, leaving Black 6 alone with Davidov. Davidov watched as Black Team left. When the bridge door had closed, Davidov let out a sigh of relief. Commodore Davidov: Thank God you are in charge…Black 6 was it? Black 6: Actually… Black 6 paused. Black 6: Yeah…Black 6. Commodore Davidov: You seem to have a firm control of your team. Black 6: I would like to think so. Commodore Davidov: However…you are much different than they are. You gave me the chance to talk. I have a feeling if any of the others were in charge…I would have been killed long ago. Black 6: You had a right to explain yourself. You had the right to tell us what we needed to know. Commodore Davidov: And I thank you for that. Davidov turned away. He walked towards the front of his bridge. He then turned, and looked back at Tye. Commodore Davidov: Black 6…I left something for you in data port 3 on the holotable. Black 6 walked over to the holotable, and pulled out the data chip that Davidov had put their earlier. Commodore Davidov: That information there…is what Spender is after. That information is why he wants my computer core. I transferred all of that data off my computer core and onto that chip because I want to keep it away from Spender. Black 6: Then…why would you give this to me? I work for Spender…technically. Commodore Davidov: I gave it to you because you are a good man. I see it in you. I hear it in your voice. You were not like the other five. You are different. You have not been tainted by Spender and his methods. You may work for Spender directly…but you are not one of his agents. The other five you were with…they have become his agents. They have been indoctrinated by Spender and his methods. Black 6: What are you saying? Commodore Davidov: Trust nobody! Do not trust your team. Do not trust Spender. Trust yourself, and only yourself. Davidov paused. He walked towards Black 6. Commodore Davidov: The information on that data chip is…your salvation. It is mankinds salvation from what The Trust has become. It contains tactical and logistical information on Spender and his activities. It is the full documentation of everything that I have told you today, and then some. It contains his entire service record, every mission, every kill, and every order. That chip also contains documented proof of everything I told you. It contains extensive agendas that details all of the little side projects that he started working on since his rise to power in The Trust. Davidov paused. Commodore Davidov: It is too valuable to destroy, too valuable to have multiple copies of, and too valuable to fall into the hands of Spender. You must keep it for yourself…or hand it off to someone else so they can use it. However…it must never fall into Spender’s hands. Do you understand? Black 6 was unsure of what to say. He was at the precipice of this issue. His next words would affirm loyalty, or confirm treason. He didn’t know if this was a test, or if this was legit. He had no clue what to say. Commodore Davidov: Black 6…do you understand!? Black 6 was nervous. However…he let his conscious prevail. Black 6: I understand. I assure you…Spender will never know about this data. Black 6 took the data chip and held it in his left hand. Davidov then sighed, as he closed his eyes. He shook his head. Commodore Davidov: Ohhh…this mortal coil… Davidov threw his arms up, but let them slam down on his sides, as he shrugged. Commodore Davidov: You know Black 6…I have always believed one thing; If The Trust cannot exist to be a force for good…then it cannot exist at all. The Trust has stopped being a force for good, and it has become a force for evil. The Trust no longer deserves to exist. The Trust has lost that right. If Spender is successful...then The Trust must be destroyed. It will no longer be capable of altruism...only sadism. Davidov put both of his hands to his own neck, and pulled the rank insignia off of his jacket collar. He tossed both of his rank insignia aside. Commodore Davidov: Effective immediately…I am tendering my resignation from active military service…and I disavow any and all loyalty to The Trust. I die…a free man…a man with a soul ready for judgment. I have done all I could to explain myself…to testify to The Trust’s existence, both in its present and past state. Black 6 looked at Davidov. Commodore Davidov: I am prepared to die now. My life is complete. You may fire when ready. Black 6 looked at Davidov for a moment. Black 6 watched Davidov. Davidov simply glared at Black 6…waiting for the inevitable conclusion. Black 6 knew what he had to do…but he hated himself for it. Black 6 was killing what seem like a good and honest man…for no good reason. Black 6 fought the urge to shoot Davidov…but the look that Davidov was giving was enough to guilt Black 6 into convincing himself that he was committing an egregious and heinous crime. Black 6 eventually snapped, as he grabbed the handle of his Automag, and began to raise it. Commodore Davidov: Do it. Carry out your orders…BLACK…6… Black 6: I don't think I can shoot an unarmed man. Commodore Davidov: Is that so? How terrible for you Black 6. How utterly terrible. Davidov paused. Commodore Davidov: Black 6...this needs to be done. You HAVE to pull the trigger. I don't want to die...but sometimes what we want, is not always what is best. Sometimes...the greater good must be served. You may see this as shooting an unarmed man...but I see this as the catalyst to galvanizing the last bit of decency The Trust has, and unleashing it upon Spender and his ideologies...in one final effort to preserve what is good about Trust. You must do this...everything depends on it. Please...you must... Davidov paused. Commodore Davidov: Black 6...pull the trigger. Black 6 simply looked at Davidov. Eventually, Black 6 gave in…and pulled the trigger. Black 6 had put a bullet square in the forehead of Davidov. The bullet went right through Davidov’s forehead, and out the back of his head, as Davidov fell to the ground dead. Davidov hit the ground, as total dead weight, as he lay on the ground, in a rapidly forming pool of his own blood. Black 6 had never felt so sick in his life. He had just murdered an innocent man. His gun was still raised, pointing at where Davidov was standing before being shot down. Black 6: My orders… Black 6 paused. Black 6: I carried out my orders… Black 6 then holstered his automag, and looked at the hand that he used to pull the trigger. Black 6: What have I become? What have I done? Black 6 simply stood in silence, trying to answer his own question. However...no matter how hard he tried...he could not find the answer. Black 6 then looked at the data chip that he was holding in his hand. He knew that this data chip contained answers and information that only he had possession of. Black 6 knew that he had information that Spender WOULD kill for. Black 6 had to keep this information a secret, and he had to keep it safe. Only he could know about this information. After Black 6 had recomposed himself, he left the bridge of the Nemesis, and he went in search of the rest of Black Team. As Black moved through the corridors of the Nemesis, he saw dead Marines, ODSTs, and crew members everywhere. He knew, just by the way the bodies had fallen, and the location of the exit wounds, that Black Team had swept through like a hurricane, and killed everyone in their path. Black 6 knew, for a fact, that the death toll that they had inflicted was defiantly in the several undred range. Black 6 finally managed to find Black Team in the engineering deck, in an area reserved for the main computer core. Black 1, Black 3, Black 4 and Black 5 had various crew members lined up against a wall, and they were executing crew members half a dozen at a time. When Black 6 saw this, he nearly flipped out. Black 6: What the hell are you guys doing!? Stand down! However, just as Tye said this, the four members of Black Team executed the last batch of crewmen. Black 6: I said stand down! Black 1, Black 3, Black 4 and Black 5 looked at Tye. Black 3: Is there a problem. Black 6: Yeah...the problem is that you are executing unarmed people! Black 1: We have our orders. Black 6: Your orders? Executing unarmed people was NOT what we were ordered to do! Black 1: We were ordered to sweep this ship. If you mean executing unarmed people...you are damn right those were our orders! Black 6 scoffed. Black 6: Right now...I do not give a damn about our orders. After what I just heard...our orders can go straight to hell and burn for all eternity. Black 1 laughed. Black 1: What's the matter...BOSS? Can't handle the stress that comes with leadership? Black 6 stepped towards Black 1. HIs tone was very aggressive. Black 6: Watch it Black 1. You don't want to push me. Black 1: Look...all I am saying is that if you are having a hard time with something as simple as a sweep and clean...then I seriously doubt your ability to lead this team. Black 6: We just ran a sweep and clean op on a ship and crew that did not deserve it! We were ordered, by Spender, to wipe out his direct opposition under false pretenses! Black 1: So what? Black 6 was taken aback. Black 6: So...doesn't it bother you that you were used and lied to so you could be used to carry out someone else's dirty business? Black 1: To be frank...it is no different than my previous posting with the ORION Project. Same dance...different tune. To be honest Tye...I really do not give a rats ass who is in my iron sights...as long as they bleed, fall down, and die. I can sleep at night knowing that I am still useful, that I have fulfilled my duty, and that I have proven my loyalty. Black 6 shook his head in total disbelief. Black 6: I cannot believe what I am hearing. You have absolutely no ethical qualms about what we did. Black 6 then looked at Black 3, Black 4, and Black 5. Black 6: Do any of you care? Are any of you bothered, in even the slightest degree, that you were used to murder God-knows how many people? Black 3, Black 4, and Black 5 all shrugged. Black 5: Orders are orders Tye. Black 3: We had to finish what we started. Black 4: It wasn't personal... Black 1 laughed. Black 1: Yes...orders are orders...Tye. We had to finish what we started. It wasn't personal. Black 6 was totally speechless. He could not believe what he was hearing. How were these the same people that he trained with? They were...different. Something was terribly wrong. These were not the men he met when he first joined up with Black Team. They were different. Black 6 took a few steps back, but stopped, when he heard Black 2 behind him. Black 6 then turned to face Black 2. Black 2: Alright...all the information on this side is being uploaded to The Ulterior Motive. With pretty much the entire crew dead, we can return to The Ulterior Motive, and then Spender can shoot this piece of shit out of the sky, killing anyone we missed. Black 1 nodded. Black 1: Alright...let's move out! Let's check in with Spender. Black Team looked at Black 6 for a few moments. They were expecting him to make the call. Black 5: What are you waiting for? Contact Spender. Black 6 looked at Black 5. Slowly, Black 6 raised his hand to the side of his helmet, and then contacted Spender. As Black 6 spoke, his voice was cold, and very monotone. Black 6: Black Team...to Ulterior Motive. Do you copy? After a moment, Spender responded over the comm line. Spender: Ulterior Motive here...what is your status Black 6? Black 6: The Nemesis has been secured, with most, if not all of the combat personal dead. Davidov is dead. We are currently uploading the main computer core's entire contents to The Ulterior Motive. Awaiting further orders. Spender: Well done Black Team. I can confirm that the upload is in progress. With Davidov Dead...that should put a serious dent dissident activity. Black 6 scoffed. Spender: We should have the full contents of Davidov's computer core in very short order. After the upload has finished...I plan on destroying the Nemesis. I want Black Team to return to The Ulterior Motive...and take the rest of the day off. Well done Black Team...you have performed admirably. You have done well...and performed as expected. Spender paused. Black 6 remained silent. Spender: Make your way back Black Team. The mission is over. Return to your point of insertion...and return using the Pelican that you used to get there. Black 6: Yes...sir. Understood. Black 6 closed the comm line. He then looked at the rest of Black Team. Black 6: Return to The Ulterior Motive...we're done here... Black 6 turned away, and began to walk off. The rest of Black Team followed in tow. The six ODSTs proceeded to their original point of insertion. [FF] ========================================================== UNSC Halycon Class - The King Raven - Medical Bay - Currently in the San Angeles Star System - 0530 Hours – January 30th 2540 ========================================================== Jennifer: Holy crap. I can't believe that The Trust actually used to be good guys. Tyber: Yeah...it is pretty shocking to think about. Who would have thought? Tye paused. Nighthawk: I guess Spender really screwed things up for The Trust. He turned them into a bunch of thugs and killers. Tyber: It is sad but true. Cameron: There is still something I do not understand. Exactly how big was The Trust when all of these events were going down? Were they hundreds of officers? Thousands? How many ships? Tyber: Well...the exact military strength of The Trust would become very apparent to me in very short order. Needless to say...I was taken aback by their exact numbers. Needless to say, they had a very small organization, but they had the power where it counted. Cameron: It really makes a person wonder how things would be different if Spender never came into the picture. Burke: Chances are...The Trust would be on our side...and they would be working in their own way to fight The Covenant. Nighthawk: Or someone in The Trust would of seen what The Covenant was capable of...and they would of done EXACTLY what Spender did, and militarize in order to fight The Covenant. It is no secret that The Trust will use any means to get their hands on weapons and tech to help not only defeat The Covenant, but also establish their powerbase and their own superiority. If you ask me...they were destined to go bad. An organization like that does not stay honest forever. Burke: So basically...you are saying that it was the destiny of The Trust to be evil? Nighthawk: Precisely. No matter who was running their organization...it was bound to go bad sooner or later...simply due to the onset of The Covenant. The Trust's old tactics worked against the UNSC and Insurrectionists. However...The Covenant was a whole new ball game. Jennifer: I don't know...I tend to disagree with you Nighthawk. I think Burke is right. If someone like Davidov was in charge today...I honestly believe that The Trust would be very different. You have to admit that Davidov sounded like a very reasonable man. You never know...he could of been helping us today, although indirectly. Nighthawk: Davidov was looking for a way out of his situation. Granted, he seems more legit than Spender was, but Davidov had his demons too. He only comes off as more of a nice guy because we never got the chance to see who he really was. We don't know every single reason why Davidov wanted to can Spender. Perhaps Spender was a key opponent to something equally nefarious, and Spender just liked his own brand of evil villainy more than Davidov's. Tyber: Actually...Davidov was on the level. The data chip he gave me was very transparent. He told me everything...and he was totally honest with me. Hate to say it Nighthawk...but Davidov was one of the good guys. Davidov was being totally honest. He wanted a Trust Syndicate that was less militarized, and more influential and helpful. Like he said...they were called the TRUST for a reason. Nighthawk scoffed. Nighthawk: If you say so. I stand by my distrust and my skepticism. I refuse to believe that The Trust has any shred of decency. Nighthawk looked at Anaconda and nudged him. Nighthawk: Right buddy? Tell me you are on my side with this. Anaconda: Well...if everyone else is going to disagree with you...I might as well be different and disagree with them. Nighthawk laughed, as he fist bumped Anaconda. Nighthawk then looked at everyone else. Nighthawk: See...someone agrees with me. Burke: Ohhh...common. He only agrees with you... Anaconda: Because he is right. Burke: No. It is... Anaconda: Because he is right. Burke sighed. Anaconda: The Trust is full of shit. They have never been of any use to anyone, short of themselves. Davidov was trying to save his own skin, and trying to advance his own agenda. Jennifer: Hid agenda was a righteous one. He actually wanted The Trust to remain loyal to what its founding ideals were. Nighthawk: Like I said...that garbage is easy to cling to when you are not facing an enemy with the destructive power of The Covenant. I could agree with you guys if The Covenant was never an issue. However...desperation can turn even the best of us into the craziest and most immoral things...all in the name of survival. Burke: Well...let's agree to disagree on this. It is obvious you are so hostile to The Trust that you refuse to even entertain the idea that they COULD have been a force for good. Even Tye thinks that Davidov was on the level...and look what The Trust put him through. Nighthawk: Well...if Davidov was such a nice guy...I want someone to answer me this; Nighthawk paused. Nighthawk: Why the hell did he have a Class 0 Spartan? Why did he have Noah? Every Class 0 that we have seen that was part of the Trust, was recruited by the officer they directly served under. Look at The Risk Takers. They were recruited by Spender, and they serve under Spender. Nighthawk paused. Nighthawk: Lucien...recruited by Spender, served under Spender. Burke: How do you know about Lucien? Nighthawk: I make it my business to know these things. You would be surprised what I am told in confidence by various members of ONI. Burke: Are you saying that Rear-Admiral Ver- Nighthawk interrupted Burke. Nighthawk: Yes...yes he did. Burke was shocked. Nighthawk: Noah was clearly recruited by Davidov. As far as The Trust is concerned...when they recruited a Class 0, it was done with malicious intent. Why was Noah on that ship in the first place? Perhaps Davidov wanted a weapon he could use against Spender. Perhaps Davidov had every intention on carrying out a very secret murder to make his problems go away. After all...in 2515...The CLass 0 Spartan II Project was still a WIP. Davidov wanted first dibs on Humanities new soldiers. Hell, let’s expand the recruitment premise to “any Spartan”. Look at the Risk Takers. Those Are Spartan IIs and Spartan IIIs. Tye, you and Black Team were Spartan Is. I am sorry…but The Trust is in the business of recruit super soldiers to do their dirty work...because Supersoldiers are fucking BURIED in so much red tape, that to deny their existance is a simple as stamping the word classified on a file folder. It is because of this that I have very little faith that Davidov was a "good guy". There is too much we don't know about him. Tyber: Well, by that logic...we know very little about you, Nighthawk. Perhaps you are a "bad guy" in the very same way that The Trust is bad. Nighthawk: I am a bad guy. I lie. I cheat. I steal. I carry out summary "justice" which looks much more like revenge, and I have a very bad habit of betraying people when the alliance is no longer useful. I am a bad guy. Anaconda: At least we are honest about it. That is more than The Trust can say. Nighthawk: Exactly. At least we are honest. However, I resent being compared to The Trust. The two of us…we are NOTHING like The Trust. Cameron looked at Nighthawk and Anaconda. Cameron: I think the fact is this; cut Davidov some slack, in the very same way that we have cut you two some slack. Davidov may not have been perfect…but he was the best of the worst. Let’s agree on that, at least. Nighthawk sighed. Nighthawk: Fine. I agree that Davidov was sort of a fucking liar who told half truths to make people think better of him. Cameron: Not what I meant. Tye shrugged. Tyber: Whatever...this is a stupid conversation anyway. Let's resume. Where was I? Oh yes…I remember now. [/FF] ========================================================== UNSC Marathon Class - The Ulterior Motive – The Officer’s Lounge - Close Proximity to the Biko Star System - 2300 hours - May 18st 2515. ========================================================== All of Black Team, save for Tye, had completed their mission, and had returned to The Ulterior Motive. As they had successfully eliminated Davidov, inflicted heavy casualties on the Nemesis crew, and uploaded the entire computer core of the Nemesis to The Ulterior Motive, Black Team was given the rest of the day off for exemplary work. Jonas: Cheers boys! We got the job done! We came, we saw, and we kicked ass like it was nobody’s business! Jonas raised his shot glass. Evan, Archimedes, Kraven, and Eli all raised their shot glasses, and they all drank at the same time. Eli: Damn Jonas…how many times do we need to toast that? Jonas: Until we are so drunk that we forget how many people we killed! Jonas looked at Evan. Jonas: Evan!? Have you forgotten the number yet? Evan: Nope. 521 is still hanging around and it won’t leave my brain. Kraven: You know…we could have killed a hell of a lot more than 521. We went easy on them. Seriously…we were cutting those guys down like they were grass on a Sunday. Archimedes: Why didn’t we kill everyone? Evan: Ammo limitations, higher priority targets or time constraints…take your pick. Archimedes: Last time I checked…our bare hands had infinite ammo. Evan: Time constraints then. Believe me…as much as I would of loved to thrash the life out of every Tom, Dick, and Harry on that ship…it would of taken too long. Archimedes, Jonas, and Kraven began to laugh. Eli, however, simply looked around. Eli: Guys…where the hell is Tye? Everyone shrugged. Jonas: Who knows? He screwed off after we got back from the Nemesis. He didn’t say a word. Eli: That is very odd. It is sort of concerning. Why would he just skulk off like that? Honestly…he parted ways without a single word. Jonas: To be honest…I don’t think he can handle being the leader of Black Team. Eli: I have no clue what firefight you were watching Jonas, but Tye knows how to handle himself in a firefight. There is very little that can shake his aim. Eli Paused. Eli: He got wacko when he talked to Davidov. I think Davidov may have gotten to Tye a bit. I will admit…even I was floored by what Davidov was saying, and I am used to the tip top secret stuff. Tye, on the other hand, isn’t as experienced with the whole “Black Ops” thing. As good as he is with a gun, it takes time to wise up to how the system really works. Jonas: Well…if you ask me…we need a leader who can handle the scary stories. I don’t know about the rest of you…but I don’t give a flying fuck about which Syndicate is running which society or tugging at whatever strings. All I care about is the amount of damage I can do with an Assault Rifle, how many assholes I can put six feet under, and how much I get paid doing it. Jonas paused. Jonas: If Spender grew horns and a tail, and called himself the Angel of Light, the Father of Lies, and the Prince of Darkness, I would not give a damn. As long as my pay stays the same, and I am kept busy...I couldn't care less if Spender is unpopular. Evan, Kraven, and Archimedes began to laugh. Archimedes: Damn Jonas…that is pretty messed up. Jonas slammed his glass down on the table. Jonas: I am not kidding guys. I really do not give a damn. All that crap that Davidov said...it went right over my head. Truthfully and honestly...I fail to see what he gripe was about. All of Black Team began to quiet. They all looked at Jonas. Evan: What exactly do you mean? What are you saying? Jonas: What I am saying is that when I take into consider EVERYTHING that Davidov told us...I believe that Spender has the right idea. Kraven: Really? You think? Jonas: Think about it. Think about what Davidov was saying. Spender is one of the most senior officers in this so-called "Trust Syndicate". Spender wants to militarize this organization, expand its power, and become far more self-sufficient. What was so wrong with what Spender wanted? Archimedes: Well...the "unaccountable paramilitary" bit was a bit spine chilling. Kraven: Spender was also helping The Insurrection to grow in strength. Evan: And...and...Spender made it very clear that he had plans to MURDER Davidov for being a dissenting opinion. Eli: I have to admit guys...this really portrays Spender in a shitty light. Jonas shook his head and laughed. Jonas: Guys...listen to yourselves. You are nitpicking at such tiny issues. Kraven: Helping The Insurrection is a tiny issue? Jonas: It was a strategic move to get what he wanted. He wasn't allies with The Insurrection. He proved that when he blew up that Insurrectionist ship that was meeting with The Nemesis. So what...he made The Insurrection a little bit more powerful than it was. It was all for the purpose of expanding the interests of "The Trust'. Kraven: I don't really know. That seems a little inexcusable. Help The Insurrection? Are you really going to defend that? Jonas: I understand why he did it. Kraven: Look...Jonas...we built our careers from killing Insurrectionists. How do you understand how someone could help The Insurrection? What are we missing here that you seem to have figured out? You hated The Insurrection more than any of us. What's changed? Jonas: Nothing has changed. I still hate The Insurrection. But...you have to admit...the only reason The Insurrection is still an issue is because the UEG lacked the balls to take unilateral action against The Insurrection. Don't you guys remember how long it used to take to get a single deployment going? DO you remember how much red tape and bureaucracy there was? If Spender has shown me one thing...it was that he has what it takes to take the unilateral action that is needed when it is needed most. You guys have to admit...that is very liberating and refreshing. Kraven sort of nodded in agreement. Kraven: Yeah...I guess you could say that is a plus. However...it does not excuse helping The Insurrection. Jonas: Kraven...you are not listening. This was never about helping The Insurrection. This was about solving the problem. I can imagine some of the logic behind it. Think about it...Spender was helping The Insurrection in order to force the UEG to expand military power. Expanding military provides expanded opportunity for men like Spender to introduce his unique brand of problem solving and authority to solve the problem. Kraven: That is...one way to think about it. I never thought about it that way. Kraven nodded, and he began to think further about the issue. Kraven: I can really understand how that works...to be honest. Perhaps...perhaps Davidov was wrong. Perhaps he was far too liberal in demonizing Spender. Jonas: My thoughts exactly. Archimedes watched the two talk. He then had to interject. Archimedes: Wait, wait, wait. Hold on. I have to stop you two right there. We all heard what Davidov said. Spender is essentially creating his own private little military by changing the objectives of The Trust. This MAKES Spender a power unto himself. With his own paramilitary...he is not answerable to ANYONE. He can do whatever he wants. Jonas: Your point? Archimedes: My point? The point should be clear! Spender can do whatever he wants if there is nobody left for him to be accountable to. Nobody should have so much power where they essentially have a death squad at their beck and call. That makes him exactly what The Trust was founded to oppose. Jonas: Perhaps. Or perhaps that simply makes him far more effective at his job. Archimedes looked at Jonas with a look of curiosity. Jonas: It is clear that Davidov equates the notion of paramilitarization with the concepts of corruption and unaccountability. That is simply not the case. Davidov made a false equivalency because on a very skewed way of looking at things. Archimedes: How? Jonas: With Spender being the only voice required to initiate a paramilitary strike against Insurrectionists, or any other threat for that matter, response time is reduced, bureaucratic overhead is eliminated, and overall combat effectiveness is improved. Davidov was a bureaucrat...plain and simple. He placed higher value on solving problems from behind a desk than actually doing it with a barrel of a gun. Archimedes: Well... Jonas: Archimedes...You, more than anyone, have expressed frustration and disdain to the total incompetence of the UEG and the military. At least, with The Trust Syndicate, you have a chance to actually make a difference. Archimedes paused. He was unsure. Archimedes: I...have no idea. I will admit that The Trust does offer us a chance to actually...do something instead of being sidelined by ONI. Jonas: Exactly... Evan: So...Jonas...you REALLY do not care that Spender had us kill Davidov, and a shitload of his crew? Jonas: Not in the slightest. Evan: So you agree that what Spender is doing is right? Jonas: Yes. Evan sighed. Evan: Well...I will admit...that Spender is a pretty sketchy officer with some pretty messed up goals. However...being back in action, going through all this training, and actually seeing how effective his methods are at getting the job done has been...exhilarating. I have to be honest...before coming here...I felt like the military had abandoned us, like we were not useful anymore. The feeling of being useful again...to know that we are actually making a difference...and doing what we were created to do...it is very appealing. Jonas: Yeah...that's another thing. We have purpose again. You all remember Noah...don't you? Eli: You mean that giant soldier we fought outside of Davidov's bridge? Yeah...that thing was huge. I have never seen anything like that. Jonas: I remember a number of weeks ago...we were all discussing why the ORION project was cancelled. Have you guys ever considered that perhaps the ORION projected was canned because ONI had THINGS like Noah in mind? Eli: You know...now that you mentioned it...That thing we fought on Davidov's ship...it may of very well been the reason the ORION project was canned. Perhaps...perhaps those were some sort of...next-generation of soldier? Jonas: It is possible. It is very possible. Eli: When I really think about all of it...the training, the conditioning, the scenarios we were running, the battle hardening...perhaps it was so Spender...and Novak by extension...could get us up to spec to fight those things if need be. That last mission put everything into perspective. We were trained to fight UNSC Marines. We were trained on how to sabotage ships, engage in CQC aboard UNSC ships, advanced infiltration and tactics...all of it. Everything makes sense now. Eli paused. Eli: It is possible that Spender anticipated everything that we would be faced by. He knew that ORIONs were being phased out, and forced into either retirement or total obscurity. He did give us a renewed purpose. he gave us the chance to be useful again. He gave us the chance to do the jobs we were created to do. Jonas: Now...where would the five of us be without Spender? Where would the five of us be if Davidov was calling the shots? Everyone on Black Team looked at each other. Evan: You are right Jonas. Archimedes: I have to admit...you are defiantly right about this. Kraven: Oh yeah. I have no doubt that we would be rotting away behind some desk had it not of been for Spender. Eli: It is true. Spender has done more for us than anyone else has. All five men began to nod. Evan: The one thing that we need to ask ourselves is...can we trust Spender? Can we work with him, knowing that we will matter to him on a continual basis. Jonas: I think if we make ourselves useful, show our commitment, and our loyalty above all else...I think Spender will show the same to us. Archimedes: Well...I know that I don't want to go back to what I was doing before. I like it here. If unconditional loyalty is what it will take to stay here and continue to matter...then my unconditonal loyalty Spender will have. Jonas: I could not of said it better myself. Kraven: Hear, hear! Eli: Amen! Jonas nodded and grinned. Jonas: I am glad we are all in agreement on this. Eli: Well...not all of us...yet. Jonas: What? Evan: Did you forget about Tye? Jonas sighed. He then shook his head. Jonas: To be honest…I doubt Tye would agree with us. He is simply a different breed of solider. He comes from the stock of soldier that believes in regulations and rule books. We come from a stock of soldier that believes in getting the job done, at any cost. We were called in as the desperate measures. We are used to a methodology that is beyond his understanding. You see…there is a reason we have the rational to come to terms with the whole…Spender vs Davidov situation. Tye, on the other hand, was sympathetic to Davidov. Tye would never be convinced that Spender is doing the right thing, not just for us, but for everyone. Tye does not know what it means to be sidelined and sent into total obscurity. He has no idea what it means to no longer be useful or valuable to the very same military that trained you. Eli: Jonas… Jonas interrupted Eli. Jonas: Don’t try and defend him. We all know that you two are friends, and have been for some time now. However, no amount of friendship should convince you that he would be a good fit on any team that operates by Spender’s rulebook. Perhaps he could work for someone like Davidov…but not Spender. The only reason he has made it this far is because we have been operating under false pretenses. Now that we know Spender has been less than honest about his intentions…Tye is going to feel less and less like he belongs here…because he won’t want to play by our rule set. Eli: Perhaps you are right Jonas… Jonas: Eli…there is no perhaps about it. You know I am right. Ye will never fit in here. We all saw how he got cold feet on The Nemesis. I seriously doubt he is up to the challenge. Jonas paused. Jonas: And if Tye is not up to the challenge of serving under Spender…then he CANNOT lead this team. We need a new leader. Evan: Do you have someone in mind Jonas? Jonas: As a matter of fact…I do. Me. It should have been me from the start. Kraven: Well, no offense Jonas…but it sounds you are slighted. It sounds like everything you just said about ye was a smokescreen for the fact that YOU want to run this team. Jonas: I should have been the leader. The only reason Tye became the leader was because he survived that stupid simulation. Archimedes: A simulation that was designed for ORIONs…not normal people. Eli: Yeah. Tye impressed the hell out of all of us. He also proved he had excellent leadership abilities when he rallied us and devised that plan. Evan: Well, let’s not forget who executed the main aspect of that plan. Jonas: And let’s also not forget that we all did an equal amount of work in killing that simulated group of soldiers. Tye just got lucky, and he had a good idea at the right time. That does not make him a leader. Experience is what makes a leader, and experience is something he lacks. Everyone looked at Jonas, and they all gave sheepish shrugs which turned into nods. Jonas: Also…let’s not forget that when ORION was active and Black Team was operating under ONI, through the CMA, I was the leader of the team. Hell, I founded the team. Jonas scoffed. Jonas: I led you four through hell dozens of times over. We had some of the most high-risk missions going…and we were the envy of the entire Project because it was my tactics and leadership skills that made every suicide run look like a walk in the park. Most teams only ran ONE suicide missions. We ran 15 of them, and we are ready to start 16 now. However, we will NEVER see 17 if I am not calling the shots on this team. Gentlemen…when the time comes…I need your support on this. Vouch for me. Tell Spender that I am the leader Black Team needs. All the other members of Black Team began to look at each other, and then they all looked back at Jonas. Evan: Well…Jonas…you speak the truth about everything you say. Personally, I will vouch for you if the need arises. Archimedes: To be frank…until Tye screws up…he has my support. However, the moment Tye proves to be unreliable…you have my support Jonas. Kraven: Same here. I will keep my stock options open. I will back Tye as well. However, when Tye is no longer an option…I will back you, Jonas. Eli: I think we are making a mistake. Tye has proven he can lead. You guys should not be so quick to doubt it. Give him a chance. Archimedes: We are giving him a chance. Well, at least Kraven and I are. Evan seems to be pretty sold on Jonas. Eli: It is still early. Yes, I will agree that Tye is a bit greener than we are…but he has potential. We were all like him at one point…or have you all forgotten that!? Kraven: Eli…we have not forgotten anything. I wish we could forget things. However…we were not that lucky to be given the ability to forget. Eli: All I am saying is that we have to give Tye a chance. He may turn out to be skittish at first, but may turn out to be far more zealous than all of us combined. He may be a bit nervous about the whole concept of Spender and his vision of The Trust…but we have to give him time. He deserves a fair shot. Jonas: Eli…you are far too nice of a guy. You have got to learn to be a prick sometimes. Eli: That is not who I am Jonas. I am a fair man, not an asshole. Now, I may be the nicest guy here…but I am warning you guys…no funny business. Eli stood up. Eli: Perhaps Davidov was right to a degree. Look at us…sitting here…discussing how we are going to oust our team leader because ONE man here thinks that he cannot get the job done. We are sitting here…like backroom dealing con artists…planning the expulsion of a team mate because he isn’t of our “stock”. Eli looked at Jonas. Eli: Don’t make me second guess your reasoning Jonas. If what we are doing now is the tactics and methods we want to adopt…then we are going to have problems. Be very careful…all of you. We are on a VERY slippery slope. Jonas looked at Eli. Jonas: Eli…sit down. Eli glared at Jonas. Jonas: Please? Eli continued to glare. Evan: Eli, sit your fucking ass down, man. Eli rolled his eyes as he sat back down. Jonas: Look, Eli…let me be clear; I fully understand that you and Tye have history. However, we cannot let that fact get in the way of the success of this team. If I am wrong, and TYe [roves that he can handle the truth of what we will be doing...then we have nothing to worry about. However...if I am right, and he cannot handle the reality of what we will be doing...then we will have problems. Eli: All I can ask is that we give him a fair chance. Jonas: Of course we will give him a fair chance. We would do no less. However...if he screws it up... Eli: If he screws it up...then yes...we will put serious consideration into replacing him as team leader. Eli and Jonas looked at each other, and nodded. Jonas: Sounds fair to me. Before Eli could say anything, each member of Black Team had their attention captured by Spender's voice on the ships intercom. Spender: ODST Black Team...report to the bridge on the double. Without any hesitation, all five men stood up, and left the officer's lounge, as they headed towards the bridge. ========================================================== UNSC Marathon Class - The Ulterior Motive – Tye's Private Quarters - Close Proximity to the Biko Star System - 2300 hours - May 30th 2515. ========================================================== Tye had spent the last four hours in his private quarters while the rest of Black Team was in the Officer's Lounge, looking over the data chip that was given to him by Davidov. Tye was shocked by how much information that he had been presented with. It was clear that Davidov was no novice when it came to record keeping, investigative research, and speculative analysis. Davidov had managed to detail almost every single aspect of Spender’s life, activities, and dealings. For all intents and purposes, it was a near full accounting. Tyber: This is incredible. The amount of information here is staggering. Tye continued to read through. He started to read about some of Spender’s personal initiatives, such as Operation Blind Eagle. Tye was taken aback by the scope and complexity of Spender’s operations. In Tye’s mind, this cast serious doubt on Spender’s integrity as an officer. Tyber: I cannot believe this. Spender…he is totally rouge. He had long since betrayed the UNSC…and he even betrayed The Trust. This guy is a monster! Tye began to skim the vast amount of information. However, one of Davidov’s files caught Tye’s eye. Tyber: “Trust Syndicate – Constantine Spender’s Illicit Activities”? Tye opened the file. As he did, he was met with a ton of information that had detailed accounts of very recent and very suspicious activity being carried out by Spender. Tye began to read an entry written by Davidov. Commodore Davidov: Entry 1 – January 12th 2515. Something is terribly wrong with The Trust. I feel like everything is just falling apart. Ever since Spender joined our ranks…I have felt a different wind in The Trust. The climate of The Syndicate is changing into something very unfamiliar. More and more, I am hearing about Trust Operatives, under the command of Spender, engaging in behavior that is utterly repugnant in. I have seen reports come across my desk of Trust Officers killing civilians, stealing UNSC and ONI assets, and even going so far as to murder fellow officers in the attempt to cover up crimes that were discovered. The senior brass is not taking this seriously enough. They tell Spender to be more careful…but they never reprimand him. It has got to the point where I am worried that Spender is up to something big. I have to keep a closer eye on him. Tyber: Davidov defiantly had his share of worries. Commodore Davidov: Entry 2 – January 30th 2515. Spender is defiantly up to something. During his last major ship maintenance at The Apex…I managed to get access to his main computer for a brief period of time while the shipyard techs were tuning up the Slipspace Core. I managed to do some digging, and it seems Spender is doing some rather…draconian experiments on his ship. There are progress reports and logs which seem to indicate that he is doing some sort of experimentation with the personnel on his ship. This is a terrifying notion. I didn’t have much time, but I managed to install a few backdoor policies on his main computer which can enable me to gain access to his computer systems when I need to. Hopefully…this will help me keep tabs on the bastard. Tyber: Davidov was spying on Spender this entire time! Commodore Davidov: Entry 3 – February 4thth 2515. I managed to download quite a bit of information from Spender’s ship over the past few days, and I have been taking a look at everything I managed to grab. Some of it seems to be personal logs from the crew. I took a look at a few, and they all seem to mention that several Officers and fellow Marines have gone missing over the past month. Their disappearances were explained as transfers…but there seems to be a high level of mistrust on Spender’s ship. Could these missing officers be failed experiments perhaps? I know that Spender is conducting experiments...and perhaps he needs fodder for his tests. That bastard! I can’t wait to nail him for this. He is going too far! Tyber: Experiments on his crew? Was he experimenting with the combat personnel? Commodore Davidov: Entry 4 – February 8thth 2515. I downloaded a progress report from the ship’s CMO, Doctor Robert Novak, to Spender. It seems Novak is meeting with limited success with what he called CRF. He seems to only use this acronym in any reference. I have to find out what this acronym stands for. Perhaps I need to start snooping in on Novak’s personal files. Whatever this CRF is…it is killing 100% of its subjects…like clockwork. Novak gave his assurances that he could eventually make it work…but he said it will take more time than anticipated. Novak says he is close. I am running out of time. Perhaps Novak is helping Spender in some way. CRF is linked to the disappearances…but is all of that linked to a possible Coup D’etat on Spender’s part? I will not rule out anything yet. If there is a Coup attempt…Spender is behind it. Addendum - I should try to sound less like a conspiracy theorist. Tyber: Davidov really hated Spender. He was ready to accuse Spender of everything and anything. Davidov thought that everything bad in life was because of Spender. Davidov seems a little obsessed…sorta like a conspiracy theorist. Commodore Davidov: Entry 5 – February 16thth 2515. Novak seems to be making progress in his work. He is reporting better results than before. He says that his CRF is not causing instant fatalities…but rather…delayed ones. Novak also seems to be stating objections to Spender’s decree that he is no longer permitted to experiment on top personnel. It seems that Novak disapproves of being forced to experiment on civilians…as they are inferior “livestock” as compared to trained combat personnel. The immorality of it makes me sick. Tyber: Novak was experimenting on civilians…and calling them LIVESTOCK!? What the fuck!? He was killing civilians!? What the hell was he doing!? How the hell were they dying!? Tye could not believe what he was hearing. He felt sick to his stomach, but something inside of him compelled him to read on. Commodore Davidov: Entry 6 – February 21st 2515. Novak’s last report contained a slip up. He revealed what the acronym to CRF was. It seems that CRF actually stands for “Cognitive Re-evaluation Formula”. I can only speculate what this could be used for. If I was to guess…it could be a form of brain washing or manipulation. It could be a subset of brainwashing, sort of like drug-induced paranoia or psychosis. This would seem to fit with the possibility of a Coup D’etat by Spender. Spender may be trying to manipulate people, possibly against their will, by brainwashing them. He may be trying to indoctrinate them into his way of thinking and doing things. This is very troubling. It could very well be possible that Spender COULD try and build support for his position by exploiting the results of Novak’s work. I feel like I should inform The Board of Chairmen about this…but…I do not have enough proof yet. This is all speculation at this point. I need more information on this “Cognitive Re-evaluation Formula”. I need to know exactly what it does. Tyber: If Novak was experimenting with brainwashing people…then it is possible that ODST Black Team was part of his experiment…or possibly…the end result. Which means…oh no…I just hope to God I am wrong. Tye sighed, as he ran his hands through his hair. After he did this, he looked at his left arm. Using his right hand, he pulled up his sleeve and looked at his antecubital space, where had been receiving his injections. He could see the markings that the holes had left. Tyber: What the hell have they been doing to me? What sort of experiments have they been running on me? What have they done to me!? Tye was furious. However, he quickly composed himself, as he looked back at his laptop. He continued reading. Commodore Davidov: Entry 7 – February 28th 2515. I have found more evidence to suggest that Novak and Spender are trying to brainwash people. I have done more digging, and it seems that Novak has managed to actually turn passive civilian colonists, with backgrounds ranging from farmers to bank workers, into militarized combat personnel. I managed to download the Psych profiles of all the people that he had experimented on…and these were some of the nicest people imaginable. However…there are still problems. Novak seems to be unable to resolve the issue of his “patients” dying shortly after the procedures. He seems to be stuck. This may prove to be good news for me…and everyone else. Tye simply kept reading onwards, not stopping. Commodore Davidov: Entry 8 – March 9th 2515. The Trust had a meeting at the Apex yesterday. I tried to call Spender out, but I did not get exactly what I wanted. I managed to however, get a full audit done on Spender. I guess this will have to be done in baby steps. In any case, The Trust should be looking very closely at Spender now. This should give me some time to figure out what the hell this bastard is up to. Now, with that aside, I am pleased to note that Novak seems to be unable to get his methods to work long term. He seems to be unable to progress past a certain point in his experiments before he begins to kill his patients. According to his personal logs…when he reported this to Spender…Spender was less than pleased. However, Novak seems to have another working theory on how he could continue his experiments…and complete them successfully. Novak seems to think that ORIONs hold the key to his success. He believes that the physical, genetic, and psychological hardening of the ORION project is what is needed in order to prove that his methods and his drugs do, in fact, work. Tyber: That is why I was augmented. That is why they turned me into an ORION. They were trying to manipulate me, brainwash me. My God…I was so close to becoming one of their lab rats. I was so close to becoming some…husk… Tye paused. He then came to a very disturbing realization. Tyber: The rest of Black Team. Jonas…Evan…Archimedes…Kraven…Eli…they were all ORIONs before I was. There was a three week period in which…I had no contact with them. Oh my God…what if Novak and Spender got to them while I was busy “training”? Tye began to think about the very apparent change in the attitudes that he had been seeing from Black Team. Tye could not escape the idea that his team mates had been…”indoctrinated” by Spender and The Trust. Tyber: My team has been compromised. They are not the same men that they used to be. Commodore Davidov: Entry 9 – March 16th 2515. I have been discovered. Spender and his crew are aware that I have been spying on them. They found the Trojan that I had surreptitiously placed on their computer core. I have lost access. I have no doubt that Spender is thinking worst case scenario, and he is no doubt going to use this intrusion as an excuse to come and get me. I have to talk to the rest of the Board of Chairmen about this. I have to try and convince them that Spender is conducting unethical experimentation. They have to know. I am going to contact Hoffman in the morning. Tye continued reading. Commodore Davidov: Entry 10 – March 17th 2515. Hoffman is a fool. History will look back on him and say “this man was a fool”. Hoffman had the nerve to tell me that he is not totally convinced that I did not “forge” this information. He also said that there are rules and regulations to intrusive spying, like what I was doing. I was ordered to cease and desist what I was doing. Hoffman says that it is not our way to convict and accuse someone based off of stolen information. What an idiot he is. Who cares that I stole it. The fact is…Spender IS doing these things. Hoffman is going to get bitten in the ass because of this. In any case…I need to find another way to track Spender. I will update when I have something of value. Tye sighed. He was all too familiar with the rampant bureaucracy that ran the military. He could understand Davidov's frustration in the matter. Despite this, Tye continued to read onwards. Commodore Davidov: Entry 11 – April 10th 2515. It has been close to a month since my last update. Without my uplink to The Ulterior Motive's main computer, I have hit an impasse. Spender's trail has gone cold, and I am unable to find another way to track him. Spender has proven to be very illusive and cunning in his evasion of my efforts to track him. I have no idea how to proceed in this matter. I know that Spender is up to something which involves the manipulation and indoctrination of military personnel. The only thing I can do is try and prepare as much as I can for the inevitable. I will make another entry if there is anything new of relevance. Tye moved onto the final entry. Commodore Davidov: Entry 12 – May 14th 2515. The ship is under attack by Spender and The Ulterior Motive. Spender somehow managed to dispatch a boarding party onto my ship. They have moved through my crew like a hot knife through butter. They are closing in on the bridge as I make this entry. I don't know what to do. There is nobody left to help me stop Spender. I think this is the end. My only hope is that someone finds this datachip...and learns the truth. However...this is very unlikely. Tye lets out a sigh as he had finished the last entry. He shook his head in total disbelief. However, before Tye had any chance to contemplate what he had read, he heard Spender over the ships comm. Spender: ODST Black Team...report to the bridge on the double. Tye frowned, and waited for a moment. However, he eventually complied with the order, as he stormed out of his private quarters, and headed towards the bridge. As Tye was on his way, he bumped into the rest of Black Team. Eli: Well, well...look who it is. Tye, we missed you at the lounge. Tye didn't answer. Eli: Are you alright Tye? Tye scoffed, as he stopped and looked at Eli. Tyber: No...I am not. Black Team stopped next to Tye, and looked at him. Evan: What's the matter? Tyber: It's...it's nothing. Evan: Obviously it is something. You look like you are in a seriously shitty mood. Tyber: Well, yeah, I am in a pretty shitty mood. To be frank...I am starting to second guess both Novak and Spender. Those two...I have serious doubt about their intentions. Jonas: This isn't about Davidov, and what he said, is it? Tyber: Yes...it is about Davidov. I have been racking my brain about what we did...and I cannot justify it in my mind. I have never been able to NOT justify my own actions in my mind. I have always been comfortable with the decision making process, and I know how to live with the notion of taking lives...but only when the reasons and ideals behind it are both just and sound. Guys...I think we made a mistake! Jonas rolled his eyes and scoffed. Evan, Archimedes, and Kraven followed Jonas. Eli looked at Tye for a moment, then shook his head. Eli: Tye...let it go! I'm serious! Let this go! Tyber: Eli... Eli: No...Tye, stop right there! You HAVE to drop this crap. Move on...for fuck's sake. Tye was taken aback by the tone that Eli had taken with him. Tyber: Eli...you have never spoken to me like that before. What the hell has got into you? Eli looked at Tye, and tried to answer. However, he could not find the words, and simply shook his head. Tyber: Eli? Eli: Tye...take this as a friendly warning; if you cannot lead this team...someone else will. If you want to lead this team, then you have to QUIT IT with the moral thought process bullshit! Stop lecturing us about how wrong things feel when you are carrying out your orders. Jonas has made it very clear that he thnks you were the WRONG choice to lead this team. He thinks you are a weak leader, and he wants to replace you. If you cannot grow a damn backbone, and suck it up, then you are going to be ousted from the leadership of this team. Tye scoffed. Tyber: Who the hell does he think he is? He has no right! Eli: Tell that to Jonas. DO you know why he talks the most? Do you know why he thinks he is the voice of the team? DO you know why he is the FIRST one to voice his objections? Jonas has a very powerful personality. He has charisma, zeal, and an ego. He is so full of himself, that it has reached a point where his own self-perception of greatness is all that guides him in every decision he makes. What is worse, is that he has the skill and the ability to back up his talk. This is a guy that shouts the talk, and runs the walk. So...be warned...if Jonas sees a chance to eat you up, chew you, and spit you out...he will do it. He is looking for a way to climb up on top of this pack, and he will take his first chance, and every chance, to do it. If all you can do is whine about your feelings...then you are going to be eaten ALIVE by Jonas! Now man up, grow a pair, and do your job ruthlessly. It is the only way you will have a chance at keeping your job. With that, Eli turned, and walked off, continuing on his way towards the bridge. Tye watched as Eli walked off, in total disbelief at how Eli had spoken to him. Tye had never heard Eli speak like that before in his life. Suddenly, Tye felt totally alienated and alone in this situation. Tye sighed, as he closed his eyes and shook his head. Tyber: Something is wrong with Eli. I have never seen him act like this before. Tye paused, and thought for a moment. He knew that the only way he was going to get to the bottom of this was if he started snooping around. Tye needed to find out exactly what Novak was up to, and what he had been doing to Black Team. However, Tye also knew that now was a very bad time to do anything of the sort. With that realization, Tye continued on his way to the bridge. Upon his arrival on the bridge, Tye was greeted by Spender, who was standing at the head of the bridge’s holotable. Novak, and ODST Black Team were also gathered around the holotable.. Spender: Lieutenant Vernette…so nice of you to finally join us. I was starting to suspect that you had gotten lost on your way here. Tyber: I’m…sorry sir. I was momentarily sidetracked. Spender: No harm, no foul. Be sure to keep these “momentary sidetracks” at a minimum. Tye had noticed the formation that everyone had taken around the holotable, so Tye followed suit, and stood at the opposing end to Spender. Tye felt very uncomfrtable. He knew more than he should. He knew more than even Black Team knew. Tye was unsure how much he should tip his hand, or if he should even say anything at all. However, if he kept silent, he would lose an excellent chance at illuminating the secrets that were being kept. As Tye though tto himself, Spender began to speak. Spender: First thing is first, Black Team, I would like to make special mention of the work you did on Davidov and The Nemesis. The nullification of this traitor was of paramount importance, and you acted with grace and skill to complete your mission. Well done. Tyber: Well, sir, I think I speak for all of Black Team when I say…that it was a transcendent experience. It was very illuminating. Spender: Illuminating? How so? Tyber: In the interest of transparency, sir, I will say that we know that Davidov was no traitor, at least not in our present context. He was more of a ideological rival, to you, than a traitor. Spender winced at Tye, unsure of what Tye was trying to get at. Spender: What are you saying? Tyber: I am saying that Davidov told us everything. He told us about The Trust. He told us about you. He told us about what had transpired between you and him. We know full well that you and he were ideological opponents, and we also know full well what each of you stood for. To be frank, sir, I do not like false pretenses. I know for a fact that you are no longer involved with ONI directly. You once were, but you are not anymore. You dropped that flag a long time ago in favor of “The Trust Syndicate”. Tye paused. Tyber: All of this, from the reason we were trained, to the reasons why we killed Davidov…it was all a lie…wasn’t it? It was all for "The Trust"...wasn't it? Spender: Lie is a very strong word Lieutenant. I prefer the…digression from honesty. Tyber: And that makes it sound so much better. Tye rolled his eyes. Spender looked around at all six members of Black team. He could tell my their expressions and their posture, that they knew more than they should. Spender considered his options, weighed them carefully, and ultimately decided to shed some light on what was going on. Spender: However…as much as I would of preferred a continued digression from honesty…it seems that it is no longer possible. I feel that given the circumstance that you should all be made aware of what has been going on. Novak interjected. Novak: Sir…is that wise? Spender looked at Novak, and nodded. Spender: The charade has gone on long enough. It dawns on me that the longer it does the more harm it could do. Spender looked back at Black Team. Spender: In all honestly Black Team…we did mislead you on a great many things. However, this was done to protect you, and to protect us as well. It was important that both parties be protected from the fallout and repercussions of anything that may have gone wrong. Evan: What do you mean? Kraven: What could have gone wrong? Eli: Why did you mislead us? Spender raised his hand and stopped Black Team. Spender: Gentlemen…please…let me explain everything. For starters…yes…I am a member of an organization known as The Trust Syndicate. I am one of The Trusts' highest ranking members. I do not deny this fact. I am among several other men who lead The Trust. This echelon of The Trust is known as The Board of Chairmen. Jonas: Who is on this Board of Chairmen? Spender: Obviously myself. Commodore Davidov was also a member of The Board of Chairmen. Other notable members include Rear Admiral Hoffman and Rear Admiral Smith. Typically The Board of Chairmen is no less than 3 people, and as many as 10. We manipulate that number based on our specific needs. If we need more micro-specific management, we grow the number. If we require broader strokes, we shrink it. Jonas: Interesting. Spender: Generally there is very little contention about who becomes the next member of The Board of Chairmen. While the position does carry a fair share of power, we try to only put relevant people in such positions. We determine membership based on our current need, and the person who was pre-determined to be the senior-most operator for that specific field. For example...I am the senior most tactical advisor and operative in The Trust. I have a combat history which makes me the most qualified for our current need to expand The Syndicate through the use of military tactics and engagements. Davidov was a senior analyst for The Trust who specialized in breaking down numbers and states to give us necessary time tables and stats to fall back on. Davidov was gifted in the art of information management as well. Jonas: What about Hoffman and Smith? Spender: Hoffman is an administrative member. He deals with the bureaucracy of what we do. He seems to have the patience to deal with the dozens and dozens of meetings that take place with just about EVERYONE. That is a gift in itself. As for Smith - he has extensive military contacts who can provide him with information on what may or may not be coming down the pike for the cumulative armed services. He lets us know when The UNSC, as a whole, is planning a major shift in policy. Novak: With that said...does anyone see the problem here? Jonas: What problem? Novak: The entire board of chairmen is composed of spineless assholes, pen pushers, and accountants. These are not people who are suited for our future goals. Archimedes: Future goals? Spender: We will get to that shortly. Archimedes: Alright, fair enough. Another question then; why did you never tell us? Would it not of been easier to tell us all of this on day 1? Spender: It was not important at the time of your recruitment. You were recruited so you could be trained in the mastery and execution of new and specialized methods and tactics that were beyond anything the UNSC, or ONI for that matter, is used to…in terms of brutality. We knew that if you could master these methods, that telling you about The Trust would have been no issue. We compartmentalized information for security reasons. Archimedes: That makes sense. Evan: So, what was the REAL reason you trained us then? Spender: We were mostly honest with our reasons. Black Team, you were trained to engage in counter-operations against anyone who would threaten everything that Humanity has worked so hard to build. To a large degree…that was honest. Realistically, you six were only left in the dark about who your enemies would be. However, with that said, I am sure you six must have noticed that the simulations you were running were indicative of what you would be fighting. Evan: We noticed a great many things about those simulations…including our opponents. Spender: So, you see…we were mostly honest with you about that. The fact is…our intentions for you were only good. We wanted to prepare you…hone you…train you. Can you all honestly say that you are worse off for having this experience? Evan: I could think of worse things. However…I for one do not like being lied to. Spender: There will be no further lies from this point out. The time for honesty and transparency has been forced upon me…and I will oblige. Eli: So wait…whose side are we on? I am still unclear on who our enemies are. Spender: Honestly Eli…your loyalty is to The Trust...that is...my vision of The Trust. Loyalty to my vision of The Trust is loyalty to mankind. Eli: So that means our loyalty is to you then? Spender: I guess that is one way to think of it. Kraven: So…what is your vision of this so called “Trust Syndicate”? Spender: My vision of The Trust is quite simple. I want The Trust to grow, in both scope and horizon. The Trust, as it is, is simply an oversight entity. We play no direct role in the way things unfold. As we are, we give the right nudges in the correct directions. We act as a roadmap for what needs to be done. I do not believe that this is the future of The Trust. I see a future where The Trust is the one dictating the terms, not watching them fly from the mouth of an incompetent. I see a future where The Trust takes control, and does what must be done to ensure that our great civilization remains strong and unified. Tyber: Yet, you have us killing our fellow soldiers and comrades in arms. Spender: Wrong. I had you killing traitors and cowards. Tyber: What are you talking about? Care to explain that leap of Logic? Spender: It is quite simple, if you think about it. The results speak for themselves, Tye. Can you honestly stand there and deny the fact that, as a result of escalating violence on the part of The Insurrection, that The UEG has not expanded the role of The UNSC, both in terms of military power and military scope? Can you honestly say that the vast increase in procurement, recruitment, and weapons spending has not been good for The UNSC, as a whole? The UEG, and the UNSC has NEVER been stronger than it is now. Partly as a result of what The Trust has done, the boundaries of Humanity have been expanded. Never before in Human history has our current might been matched. Our combined might exceeds the combined might of EVERY empire, republic, dynasty, tribe, and terrorist organization that has ever existed in the cumulative history of mankind. We have seen the peak of our potential…and even then, we continue to strive. Can you honestly argue these kinds of results? Tye shook his head in defeat. Spender: However…as good as that sounds…without The Trust…it will be doomed to regress into a dark age. It is why my vision for The Trust is the correct one! We need The Trust to start injecting direct influence into EVERY facet of our great civilization. If we don’t…we are doomed to wither down, and regress. Tye shook his head again. He was clearly irritated, but he had no words to rebuttal.