[Naked Crook]

Vernette nodded in agreement. Vernette: I tend to agree. Anyone who hides behind an alias tends to value their privacy. Vernette paused. Vernette: However, I do like your recommendation on trying to narrow down Silverblur's identity through attrition. If I may, however, I think I can get us off to a good start. Vernette paused. Vernette: Have you ever heard the old saying "Spartans never die"? That was a PR stunt - it was propeganda to keep moral high. ONI didn't buy into that nonsense, because we were selling it. In reality, we kept highly detailed records and investigated every Spartan death and/or disappearance, in order to have solid confirmation of status. I can narrow our starting list using intel that ONI has built over the years, along side intel that I have procured. Vernette paused for a moment, as he tapped his fingers on the touchpad on his desk. Vernette: FIrst, we display the entire roster... As Vernette said this, the large screen filled up with 75 individual dossiers - all of the Spartan II Class 0s. Vernette: Next, we start striking off Spartans who were KIA during the war, by The Covenant. The list narrowed to 62 candidates. Vernette: Next, we strike off Spartans, who worked for The Trust, that were KIA by ONI Headhunters. The list narrowed to 55 Vernette: And...other Spartans that were crossed of by Nighthawk and Anaconda. This would include The Risk Takers... The list narrowed to 42 Vernette: Then we have Noah Z-028...killed by ODST Black Team in 2515 The list narrowed to 41 Vernette: We can further narrow the list by removing Spartans we know still WORK for ONI and are accounted for. The list narrowed to 29 Vernette: Further narrowed by Spartans we know work for The Trust. This includes Hammer Team, Nikolai and Lucien... The list narrowed to 22. Vernette: The rest of these Spartans are AWOL. We either cannot find them, nor can we prove their deaths. These Spartans are all MIA. Vernette paused. Vernette: So, if we cross reference this list with the highly invasive psych profiles we took of the Spartans during their entire training regiment, we can narrow the list. The first thing we want is any Spartan that demonstrated even the most rudimentary leadership qualities. I would prefer to set the bar low, as to have a more fine grain control over the isolation process. The list narrowed to 16. Vernette: We would want any Spartan that demonstrated above average intelligence, at the very least. Again, setting the bar intentionally low. The list narrowed to 9. Vernette paused. Vernette: And finally...we would want a Spartan that demonstrated contempt for authority. If you ask me, any Spartan that would abandon The Trust after being recruited by them, must have SOME contempt for authority. The list narrowed to 4 candidates. Vernette: Four candidates. Vernette tapped his fingers on the desk for a moment. Vernette: I am thinking a voice pattern analysis on these 4 candidates. We could access ONI's medical archoves and find the last psych eval for these four Spartans. I can let you listen to all four. If you have spoken to Silver blur, you may be able to recognize his voice. Do you think you could do that?