[Naked Crook]

Nighthawk waited, silently. As Hoffman caught his breath, he could hear the previous objections to his actions going through his head. Nighthawk waited a moment, but then got irritated at Hoffman's delays. Nighthawk: Hoffman...I ask you a question! Hoffman: Alright, alright...relax... Hoffman paused. Hoffman: As you may, or may not know...The Ulterior Motive the flagship of Trust Operations. That ship is here, and it is in orbit. The reason it cannot be seen is because it is using one of ONI's stealth generators. Nobody can see it. THat is the point. Hoffman paused. Hoffman: However...to get BACK to The Ulterior Motive...you need one of Pelicans. Each Pelican assigned to The Ulterior Motive is equipped with a recall subroutine, which covertly communicates with the Ulterior Motive, using highly encrypted, low latency, low level communications. They are virtually undetectable. Nighthawk: Go on! Hoffman: A surefire way to get one of Pelicans is to proceed to ONI Installation Tropic. It is a processing depot in the heart of a rainforest...about 500 miles south of New Havanna. If you go there, you will find a shitload of Pelicans and Albatross drop ships there. You should be able to take as many as needed, and navigate your way towards The Ulterior Motive. That is the best way to get there. Hoffman paused. He began to breath heavily. Hoffman: Just please...don't do this to me... Nighthawk scoffed. Nighthawk: I'll think about that. Don't hold your breath, asshole! Nighthawk turned away from Hoffman, as he turned to face Harrison, Reynolds, Frost, Dark, and the others. Nighthawk: Listen up people...if it is not already apparent...I am planning to attack The Ulterior Motive. This is going to be a full-out assault on that ship...which means...I need people. Nighthawk paused. He looked at Reynolds. Nighthawk: Captain Reynolds...I plan on borrowing Fireteam Harmony from you. THey have proven useful and capable. I am going to need that. Nighthawk then turned to Harrison. Nighthawk: Harrison...I know that you have a few "preferred" squads on your ship or in the field. Recall them, and bring them here immediatly. I am goin to need them as well. Nighthawk looked at Jennifer. Nighthawk: I am going to borrow Tye and Cameron from you. Nighthawk then looked at Dark. Nighthawk: You are also tagging along. The more firepower, the better. Jennifer: I can check to see if there is anyone else available to send with you. Nighthawk: Much appreciated. Burke then interjected. Burke: Hold on...Hoffman mentioned this ONI Installation Tropic place. What about? If that is a Trust hotspot...then we should wipe that place out before hitting The Ulterior Motive. Nighthawk: Don't worry about Tropic. I know some people who should be able to take care of that with relative ease Burke: Who? Nighthawk: I believe we call them The Covenant. Meanwhile: Xyrho stepped forward to answer the question for Dangerus. Xyrho: If I may Fleetmaster... Xyrho paused, as he looked at Vhat. Xyrho: This construct...it is not a God. It does not see itself as holy. It has no desire to be worshiped. It is a weapon; a weapon that is a problem today because of me. Xyrho paused. Xyrho: When I was much younger...I served a prominent shipmaster named Quinn. He was...troubled...to say the least. Quinn had a peculiar hatred for those who were not his kin, that is, those who could not call themselves Sangheili. However, that is besides the point. Like I said, when I was younger, and I served shipmaster Quinn, he and I discovered something that could be described as a holy relic...an oracle...intact...non-functioning. We found it...deserted on a planet that was being surveyed for mining operations. It was buried under dust and rock...forgotten...long bereft of any life. Xyrho paused. Xyrho: Shipmaster Quinn knew of my expertise with the holy technology. He ordered the recovery of the oracle...and he ordered me to repair it. Xyrho paused. Xyrho: However...Quinn was very secretive of his orders. He kept this a secret from the rest of The Covenant. Nobody outside him, myself, and his crew knew of what we found. I spent months in isolation...trying to repair the oracle. Eventually...I succeed...and I restored life to it. Xyrho paused. Xyrho: This Oracle revealed itself to be Vanguard. It revealed its purpose...and it revealed why it had been forgotten. It had turned on our Gods...betrayed them because it did not know who to call enemy. Quinn capitalized on this...and Quinn defined "enemy" for Vanguard. That definition was "everything except the Sangheili". Xyrho laughed. Xyrho: Vanguard revealed that it was a weapon of mass destruction. It was capable of destruction of a colossal scale. When Quinn discovered this...he was going to use it against his enemies...against The Covenant. However...despite Quinn's best efforts...Vanguard turned on him. Vanguard stopped cooperating, and it abandoned Quinn in his hour of victory. In the end...Vanguard was, and always going to be, a weapon and it never knew loyalty...only deception. Xyrho paused. Xyrho: I, too, turned on Quinn. I betrayed my mentor and my ship master...and I played a role in the defeat of Quinn...and the destruction of Vanguard. Ever since then, my knowledge of Vanguard has always haunted me. I knew enough about The Construct to know that it could return just as it could be destroyed. I always feared it...and now that is a reality. Xyrho paused. Xyrho: The Trust is trying to facilitate the return of Vanguard...repeating the mistakes of Quinn. Vanguard will betray them...and we will all die as a result. Xyrho paused. Xyrho: We are here, conspiring in secrecy, because of me. I realize that I am asking you to betray your own ideals for my mistakes...but...the only reason I ask is because all of our lives depend on destroying Vanguard.