Preston_Vernette

[Naked Crook]

Preston J. Vernette Preston Joseph Vernette, born on Harvest on May 1st 2490, holds the rank of Admiral and is currently the ranking ONI Director of Section Zero. His most notable engagements of the Human-Covenant war include, but are not limited to, The First Battle of Harvest, The Battle of Reach, The First and Second Battles for Earth. and the subsequent cleanup of all remaining Covenant Forces in the Sol System. Generally known as a reclusive power monger, and a very paranoid man, Director Vernette utilizes unorthodox methods to maintain order and control. Vernette favors the M6C personal sidearm as his weapon of choice. He has been observed from time to time using two simultaneously. Vernette also favors the M90A Combat Shotgun, which implies that CQC is Vernette's preferred style of non-interstellar conflict Personal History Personal Attributes Early Life Personal Interests Personality Military History Pre-Harvest Service The First Battle of Harvest The Secret War The Second Battle of Harvest The Third Battle of Harvest The Battle of Miridem The Siege of Paris IV The Battle of Sigma Octanus IV The Battle of Reach The First Battle for Earth The Second Battle for Earth Post Battle of Earth The ONI Power Struggle The Battle of Mars Personal Endeavors and Research Inhibitor Research Medical Research Combat Weaponry Human Cloning The Schism Interpersonal Relationships Family / Close Relationships Friends Colleagues The UNSC The Covenant Ships of Service Personal Health Military Accommodations Questionable Activities and Personal Issues Quotes Trivia Personal History Personal Attributes Early Life Vernette was born on the colony world of Harvest on May 1st 2490. When he was four years old, his parents were killed in a vehicular crash. Vernette, and his brother Tyber, spent the next 9 years as petty street criminals, committing petty theft of ATMs, among other form of theft. It was only when Vernette turned 13 years old was when his situation changed. When his brother turned 16, Tyber joined the UNSC marine Corps. Vernette held a lot of animosity towards Tyber for this decision. When Vernette turned 15, he grew weary of his criminal life. He decided to forge his birth certificate in order to falsify his age, thus, allowing him to join the UNSC Navy. Personal Interest Vernette has a very keen interest in scientific research, specifically in the field of cybernetics. Vernette also enjoys the sport of Kickboxing, however, he does not practice often. Personality Vernette is a very goal orientated man. He values the completion of a job over how it was done. The ends justify the means always applies for Vernette. However, this methodology only goes so far. Vernette will never tolerate the abuse of innocent human life, nor will he ever tolerate, nor accept, any methods or goals that violate the sanctity of human life. Vernette believes that the guilty should always be punished the to the maximum extent, that discipline must be applied without apology. It is because of these beliefs that Vernette is an avid supporter of the death penalty. He believes it is the only punishment that works. Vernette is very strict and stern, rarely showing any form of compassion, sympathy, or pity to even his colleagues. However, he has been known to stand by those he considers a friend, even going so far as to jeopardize his own safety and life. As a result of his strict style of command, Vernette is respected, but not befriended. He believes it is better to be feared then loved, one of his more Machiavellian traits. Vernette suffers from a perpetual guilt complex. After 28 years of wartime service, he feels that when anyone close to him, whether it be a friend, or a family member, is killed, he feels totally responsible. He feels that their death mjust be avenged with the deadliest of force. He tends to lose sight of what his priority goals are in order to get revenge or in his reasoning: he must "dispense justice where it is due". Vernette's propensity to command large warships is a testament to his overbearing, out of control desire for power. Vernette is a strong believer in force. he believes the best way to enforce order is to have bigger guns then your adversaries. Vernette never enjoyed being placed on anyship with limited firepower. He prefers the use of Vultures over Pelicans. He uses the M6C sidearm, as opposed to its suppressed SOCOM counterpart. He will utilize advanced weaponry in the field as opposed to standard equipment. In short, Vernette loves heavy firepower. Military History Pre-Harvest Service After joining the UNSC Navy and spending roughly 3 years in the academy (Until he legitimately turned 18 years old), Vernette was assigned to a UNSC Frigate known as "The Last Resort". He was an ensign aboard this ship and his primary responsibilities were to monitor rebel activity in the outer colonies. Vernette spent the first two years, going relatively unnoticed by the Navy Brass. He began to get tired of the same repetitive job. Vernette was prepared to hand in his resignation from the UNSC Navy. However, before he could resign, his luck began to turn. During a suppression operation on one of the colony worlds, in which a large group of rebels were holding a small office building hostage, Vernette thought of a very excellent means to flush out the rebels, allowing UNSC marines to arrest and detain the said rebels. Vernette suggested that the MAC gun be used to blast the surrounding areas, causing severe quakes in the ground. The result of this caused severe instability in the building, forcing the rebels to retreat from the building in fear of their own lives. The UNSC marines quickly moved in and captured the rebels. After being promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, Vernette began to make serious headway in the UNSC. He began to earn the respect of his superiors and became known as a man with a solution to every problem. Throughout the years, leading up to Harvest, he continued to impress the Brass with ideas that grew progressively more genius. It was not until a year before Harvest was he promoted to Captain. While serving as a Commander aboard "The Last Resort", Vernette was directly responsible for the arrest and subsequent execution of five high profile separatists on the Planet of Harvest. For this, he was promoted to the rank of Captain, and bestowed his own ship, fresh off the assembly line: The King Raven. The First Battle of Harvest The King Raven was present at First Contact on Harvest, and was also involved in the initial repulsion and resistance against the newly discovered Covenant. Harvest was the beginning of Vernette's military engagements against The Covenant. It was also the beginning of his long line of questionable associations and decisions. During the Battle of Harvest, Vernette met on several occasions, a Brute Chieftain named Barrabus. Every meeting was under very unusual circumstances. Their first meeting was during a recon mission observing Brute activity on Harvest. Vernette accompanied a Marine named Max and a Spartan Super Soldier named Christal on the mission. However, their location was compromised when they were first discovered by Barrabus. Barrabus ambushed Vernette, Max, and the Spartan. A physical battle ensued, which resulted in the utter defeat of Christal. Before Barrabus could kill Christal, Vernette interfered. Using a M90A shotgun, Vernette managed to wound Barrabus, allowing Max and Christal to shove Barrabus of a large cliff. Barrabus was presumed killed in the fall. Their second meeting was during an attempt at resolving the conflict over Harvest. The meeting ended abruptly when Barrabus' son, known as Dancar, made it clear that there could be no resolution, other then the destruction of the Humans. Vernette and Max were captured and held, only to be executed for "every Brute death..." including the supposed murder of Barrabus. Vernette attempted to buy Max's freedom when he agreed to be held completely responsible for every Brute death on Harvest. However, Vernette was forced to agree to his own execution. At first, Dancar denied the plea bargain, Both max and Vernette were convinced they would both die, however, with the sudden reemergence of the presumed dead Barrabus, things changed. Barrabus decided to accept the plea bargain and release Max. Vernette was thrown into the brig and given one hour to contemplate his own death. While he was on route to his execution, Vernette manged to escape and evade recapture. He managed to make it to a hanger bay, but soon discovered he could not pilot any Covenant vehicles. Vernette was confronted by Barrabus, who challenged Vernette to a physical duel. Barrabus agreed that if Vernette could best him in physical combat, Vernette would be free to go. As expected, Vernette was utterly defeated by Barrabus. However, Barrabus was very impressed with Vernette's conviction and desire to fight. Barrabus spared Vernette and let him go. Vernette was marooned on Reach, where he was eventually rescued. However, shortly after the rescue, Vernette fell into a coma for two weeks. After awaking from his coma, Vernette as promoted to the rank of Commodore. Their third meeting was not face to face. However, they were present at the same battle. This was also the first time the prototype inhibitor was used. After being comatose for two weeks, Vernette was eager for a bit of pay back. He planned an assault on a Brute dig site that was searching for Forerunner artifacts. Vernette had no interest in the artifacts, or the other Brutes. All he cared about was revenge. However, instead of killing Barrabus, Vernette was thrown into a confrontation on a large cliff with a Brute Stalker named Dancar, who was Barrabus' eldest son. Dancar was killed by Vernette when Vernette literally destroyed Dancar's torso with 3 direct shotgun blasts. If that were not enough, Dancar fell to his death. It was at this time that Vernette discovered that a Spartan Super soldier had taken Vernette's prototype inhibitor and used it on Barrabus. The inhibitor malfunctioned and became a ticking time bomb, threatening the life of both Vernette and Barrabus. Vernette ordered that Barrabus be brought back to The King Raven to try and have the inhibitor removed from Barrabus' neck. It was revealed that the inhibitors' primary function was control. It allowed a host, any person equipped with a neural interface chip, to control the emotional responses of any subject currently equipped with a properly calibrated inhibitor. However, the inhibitor was not designed to work with Brutes, and the malfunction occurred in the inability to terminate the link between the host and the subject. Unterminated removeal of an inhibitor was fatal for both the host and the subject. To make matters worse, the inhibitor was beginning to fail. If the inhibitor failed, it would constitute an unterminated removal of the device. Thankfully, Vernette was able to devise a method to do a hot alternation of the inhibitor, allowing it to function with Brutes. The inhibitor was removed and both Vernette and Barrabus were saved. Vernette worked out an agreement with Barrabus, allowing the Brute to return to his ship. Vernette realized that Barrabus did not have to spare his life aboard the Brute ship. Vernette decided to repay the favor. It was arranged that Barrabus was to be returned to his people. Vernette's next meeting with Barrabus altered the course of their relationship. Vernette soon leanred that A Spartan on his ship named Christal had been trying to forge an alliance between Earth and The Elites. Vernette was shocked that this Spartan has the audacity to try and reveal Earth's location to a race of aliens. Vernette began to move against this Spartan and her plans. Vernette learned that Christal had many allies among her kin, and in the UNSC in general. Vernette contacted his superiors at HIGHCOM and his ONI contacts and informed them of this development. Vernette`s ONI contacts began to investigate Christal`s associations. As Vernette began to investigate Christal, her allies began to move against the Brute occupation. The situation came to a full head when Barrabus' flagship, "The Devotion", was involved in a full blow engagement between UNSC forces loyal to Christal and her Elite conspirators. Vernette was faced with a difficult decision. Vernette watched from the bridge of The King Raven as the two sides began to fight. He was then confronted by Christal and given a choice: To surrender, reveal his ONI and HIGHCOM contacts, and face jail time, or assist the Brutes in their fight against Christal's forces. Vernette ultimately decided that the ladder option was more palatable. Vernette turned and killed Christal with a bullet to the head, thus settling the decision. The Secret War In the weeks and months following, Vernette, along with his crew forged a very delicate and fragile alliance with Barrabus and his Brutes. Vernette used his influence to turn Harvest dark. With almost all of his ONI and HIGHCOM contacts dead, he had lost almost all support from the UNSC, thus Vernette was alone. He decided it was best, for everyone, that he blacken all travel, news, and contact going in and out of Harvest. In terms of the conflict, the overall objectives of both Vernette and Barrabus were very similar. Barrabus was more interested in killing the traitorous Elites, while Vernette was more interested in killing the remainder of Christal's forces. As the battle waged on, both sides suffered heavy casualties. The conflict was very blood and disturbing. When the conflict ended, Vernette, Barrabus and a handful of the respected crews were all that remained. However, The two were ultimately successful in achieving both of their goals. It was agreed by both sides that this conflict and alliance remain a secret, never to be spoken of again. The two parted ways, not allies, but not enemies. Shortly after, The Second Battle of Harvest took place. The Second Battle of Harvest *Service record unavailable at this time* The Third Battle of Harvest *Service record unavailable at this time* The Battle of Miridem *Service record unavailable at this time* The Siege of Paris IV *Service record unavailable at this time* The Battle of Sigma Octanus IV *Service record unavailable at this time* The Battle of Reach The Battle of Earth turned out to be the longest and most involved conflict for Vernette. Many events transpired here that shaped his career. By this time Vernette had achieved the rank of Vice Admiral. Prior to the invasion of Reach, Vernette was on a personal mission. However, it was made widely known to his crew, who, at this time, included his brother Tyber, that this mission was deemed an ultra-classified mission given to him by ONI. Vernette was en-route to a secret meeting between Barrabus and a Minor Prophet that was also an Elite representative on the High Council. Barrabus had leaked the location of this meeting to Vernette in hope that Vernette could successfully assassinate this minor Prophet to disgrace the Elites in the eyes of the Covenant, and to help preserve his power in the Brute hierarchy. Vernette was ultimately successful, managing to escape the meeting place without any damage to his ship, "The King Raven". After the assassination, Vernette retreated to Reach to link up with his battle group. Vernette was ordered by HIGHCOM to maintain and defend Reach. As it turns out, Vernette received an encrypted message from Barrabus, informing him of the impending invasion of Reach. Vernette was involved in the naval engagement over Reach. Although the UNSC was utterly defeated, and The King Raven was heavily damaged, with a loss of almost all hands, his association with Barrabus assisted him, and in turn, assisted the rest of the UNSC in repelling, and causing massive losses to the Elites. Although most of the ships in orbit were destroyed, Vernette hid his heavily damaged ship in the engine wake of Barrabus' flagship, "The Devotion" As a result of The Battle of Installation 04, The vast majority of Covenant ships had left Reach. As a result of this, Vernette was able to maintain the use of his ship as a base of operations with limited problems from the Elites. Vernette however, maintained his presence on the ground, as a sign of command. Vernette did not associate with the UNSC very much during the Battle of Reach, rather, Vernette did more associating with Barrabus, only communicating with the UNSC when he had Intel of value that he received from Barrabus. Vernette's first ground combat situation on Reach came to pass when he was involved in the repulsion of the Elite forces at the Washabi Peli-Pads. Although his combat engagement was limited, he was intent on capturing an escaped thief named Scaramanga who had just recently attempted to rob the armory. Vernette gave chase to Scaramanga but was unable to capture him. Vernette contacted Barrabus to resume chasing Scaramanga. Vernette made his way back to the Washabi Peli-Pads in time to save Tyber from being killed by an Elite. Vernette assisted the defensive firing line which included his brother Tyber, Max, and Tina Dare in holding off incoming Elites on the front lines. The battle was going good, however, the sheer number of Elites eventually overwhelmed Vernette and his firing line. The firing line was eventually scattered. Vernette ordered the fire line to fall back, however, Tyber was wounded in the process, forcing Vernette to go to the aide of his brother. This led to a physical confrontation between Vernette and an Elite named Kiven. Due to Vernette being physically outclassed by an Elite, not to mention Vernette being without any weapons to help him, the battle was, for the most part, very one sided in favor of Kiven. Despite Vernette's best efforts, Vernette was ultimately captured by the Elites, however, Tyber was able to escape to safety, only due to Vernette's direct orders to Tyber telling him to fall back. Vernette was captured by Kiven and Captain Voro and was brought to the Devotion for questioning by Chieftain Barrabus: Little did either of the Elites know that Vernette and Barrabus were good friends. During the first interrogation, Barrabus questioned Vernette on battle logistics, while secretly creating an escape plan for Vernette. Barrabus eventually told Vernette he was going to transfer him to Captain Voro's ship, and blame Vernette's escape on the Elites. Barrabus promised Vernette he would bust him out during the transfer. Barrabus made his way to to an abandoned UNSC AA installation. When Voro and Kiven arrived on Barrabus' ship, Vernette was shoved into a Phantom with Kiven and Voro. While that Phantom was en-route back to Voro's ship, The Phantom was shot down. Vernette tried to escape, but was out powered by the two Elites. Fortunately, Barrabus was able to fly to the Crash site in his Phantom before Voro and Kiven were able to call on another prison transport. Barrabus used a human sniper to fire pot shots at Kiven and Voro, in effect, helping Vernette escape. Barrabus was able to sneak away, without attracting any suspicion.. Vernette was able to make his way back to Washabi Peli-Pads. However, soon after his return, there was an attempt on his life by an assassin named Cameron Hodge. Cameron Hodge shot Vernette through the chest, piercing his heart. Vernette was rushed back to the King Raven for emergency surgery. His original heart was destroyed. The only way to save his life was to put an artificial heart into his body. This heart managed to save Vernette's life. Vernette spent the next two days in the hospital, recovering from his surgery. While he was recovering, he was visited by his Brother, Tyber, and the recently defected soldier, Max. Tyber demanded that Vernette assign him to capture his assassin. Vernette told Tyber that he already had a specialist out in the field, trying to capture Hodge. To Tyber's dismay, he was forced to accept that answer. Some time later, Vernette was, again, visited by Tyber. Tyber informed Vernette that he went behind his back, using information he got from Max, in order to track down Hodge. He told Vernette that he was unable to kill Hodge because a Brute beat him to it. Tyber presented a Knife that he collected from Hodges body. Vernette looked at the knife and saw Barrabus' name engraved in the handle Vernette told Tyber that he didn't care, he was just glad that this entire situation was wrapped up. He dismissed Tyber back to Reach. Vernette soon discovered that insurrectionists had arrived on Reach. Vernette was half expecting them to show up when he first discovered Max herself was an insurrectionist. Knowing these people could threaten his position, Vernette did what he always did in this situation; ask Barrabus for help. Vernette and Barrabus began to conspire together, like usual, to bring about the downfall of the insurrectionist at Reach. They both knew that where the insurrectionists were, Scott Runner would soon follow. *Error in recovering further details. Please stand by...* The First Battle of Earth By this time Vernette had achieved the rank of Fleet Admiral. He was present during the initial invasion. Vernette spent most of his time fighting in the naval engagement in orbit of Earth. Very little transpired that is of notable interest. However, Vernette and a group of marines were forced into a combat situation with a group of recon Elites that had already landed in New Mombasa. AT this time, Vernette was at a meeting with the senior brass, discussing the future of the war, and presumably how much longer humanity had before total defeat. Vernette was adamant that defeat was impossible, stating that "All he has worked for in his career was not in vain...". The senior brass did not agree, unaware of the true meaning of Vernette's words. HIGHCOM was resolved that utter defeat was weeks away. Vernette, disgusted by this total lack of faith, left the meeting. His final words to the brass: "...to lose faith in your own abilities and resolve...that is the first step to defeat. So long as we persevere, and continue fighting, we will never be defeated!" As Vernette and his security escort of Marines returned to the pickup location, they encountered a large group of Recon Elites in New Mombassa. Vernette, along with his security detail were forced to fight their way across the bridge leading out of New Mombassa, into Old Mombassa, where Vernette's Pelican was waiting to take him back to The King Raven. Vernette and the Marines managed to cross the bridge safely, and return to the King Raven with little incident. The Second Battle of Earth Vernette continued fighting The Covenant in orbit of Earth, despite the massive damage to his ship, he refused to stop fighting. He eventually found himself fighting two Covenant light cruisers in the North Pole. He managed to destroy the cruisers, however, due to the extensive damage to the King Raven, the destruction of the main memory computer, and the almost completely exhausted weapons compliment, Vernette was forced to utilize his ship to assist in ground operations. With The offical defection of The Elites, and the schism in full effect, Vernette's lifetime of work had come full circle. He was forced to admit that his association with Barrabus had to end, for he was now the enemy. It was at this point that Vernette ordered all the remaining marines be transferred to ground operations, leaving only him, and a handful of naval officers to man the ship. It was at this time Vernette became personally aware Eugene Korman, via a comm line communication. Due to Vernette's reclusive nature at Reach, Vernette did not personally know very many of the people he served with. As a result, Vernette was unaware that Korman was, in fact, present at Reach. Vernette's first exchange with Korman was concerning Korman's objectives at the time; the location of a VIP defector, which so happened to be a grunt named Jib Jab. Despite Vernette's skepticism, he agreed to allow Korman to utilize whatever resources he needed to locate the grunt. Furthermore, the conversation allowed Vernette to learn of other UNSC ships still engaging Covenant ships. Eventually, Vernette's ship managed to reach new Chicago, where he extracted Eugene Korman and the defector Jib Jab. Vernette interrogated the grunt personally, leaning that the Brutes were planning to completely destroy the entire area using a WMD. As this was unacceptable, Vernette discussed a plan with Korman and an Elite named Xavi. They eventually decided it was best to infiltrate the ship and either disable the drive core and destroy the ship, or manually detonate the WMD over an unpopulated area. The mission proceeded following the former objective to disable the drive core and manually destroy the ship and the warhead. Vernette used The King Raven, along with a UNSC Frigate by the name of The Star Destroyer to create a diversion so Korman and Xavi could complete their mission. Korman was sent to disable the drive core while Xavi was sent to attempt to disarm the bomb. Korman succeeded in crippling the drive core, but it was soon learned that bomb could not be deactivated. It had to manually be detonated by a person. Xavi volunteered for the task. Following the success of the mission, The King Raven underwent various repairs, the most notable was the installation of the new SMART Tactical AI known as Tyber. Vernette learned that the defector known as Jib jab was to be handed over to HIGHCOM for questioning. Vernette refused to surrender Jib Jab. Shortly afterward, Vernette personally came to the assistance of several Marines engaging a pack of Brutes. Vernette utilized his private Vulture in the battle, providing fire support from the air. Ultimately, the Brutes were defeated with ease. After this engagement, Vernette took a leave of absence to the west coast to meet with Chieftain Barrabus, however, he justified it as a ultra-classified meeting with HIGHCOM. Vernette met with Barrabus to discuss the current situation with the war. Barrabus made it known that with the Elites out of the Covenant, there was no further reason to continue their alliance. To Vernette's dismay, he was forced to agree. However, due to the mutual respect they had for each other, they decided to part ways without incident. Following this, Vernette returned to New Chicago and promptly met up with Eugene Korman. They had a quick discussion about the current situation, and the lackluster performance of the UNSC in this particular area. Despite Vernette's displeasure with the fact that new Chicago was quickly turning into a shit show, he maintained his confidence in Korman, primarily placing the blame on Admiral Ned Beurscott, the ranking officer during Vernette's absence. Vernette decided it was best to establish his presence on the ground, citing that his mere presence alone will inspire the marines to fight better. Whether this is based on fact, or is merely a result of Vernette's ego remains a mystery. In any case, Vernette remained on the ground to oversee the UNSC ground operations in New Chicago. Vernette had very little time to settle into his new role before he was faced with a rather unusual circumstance. Vernette found himself playing referee between Eugene Korman and Captain Dennis Beurscott, the son of Admiral Beurscott. Domestic disturbances aside, Vernette quickly learned that the Brutes were planning an offensive on the ground base that he had recently taken command of. He ordered that the base be fortified and restocked with Marines in order to repel the assault. On another front, Vernette learned from Eugene Korman that the Brutes have an informant in the UNSC. Vernette was utterly outraged by this development. Vernette ordered Korman to find the leak and bring him or her back to Vernette alive for questioning. Vernette decided to return to The King Raven to personally oversee the interrogation of a Brute that was currently in his custody. Vernette waited while his marines interrogated the Brute. Vernette needed to be absolutely sure there was, in fact, a leak. Before Vernette could get any answers from the Brute, his ship was boarded by a large pack of brutes, intent on saving their comrade. Vernette and the remained of his crew managed to repel the brutes, in a final stand in the engine room. Vernette was forced to fight a Brute ultra by himself. The battle did not go well for Vernette for a majority of the conflict. Vernette only managed to inflict minor wounds on the Brute in the form of bullet wounds and physical strikes to the Brutes face. Vernette did emerge victorious however. In the final moments of the battle, Vernette grabbed a frag grenade from a downed marine and shoved it right down the throat of the Brute. Vernette pulled his entire arm from the Brutes mouth and managed to escape before the grenade exploded, inside the Brutes stomach. Vernette had taken a serious beating in this confrontation. With his crew dead, his ship nearly destroyed, Vernette chose to abandon The King Raven. Vernette slowly made his way to his Vulture and he left his ship. Vernette received a message from Eugene Korman, informing him that Korman was ready for pickup with Beurscott in his possession. Vernette flew to Korman's position and picked him and Admiral Beurscott up. When Beurscott was taken to Vernette, Vernette asked Admiral Beurscott why he betrayed humanity! After a very brief conversation, Vernette took great satisfaction in stripping Beurscott of his rank, in a most humiliating display, and ordering Eugene Korman to carry out his immediate execution! With Admiral Beurscott dead, Vernette took control of Beurscott's command ship; a UNSC Frigate by the name of The Star Destroyer. Although Admiral Beurscott was dead, Vernette was not convinced that the security leak had been sealed. Vernette began to investigate Admiral Beurscott down to his personality. Vernette soon discovered that Admiral Beurscott had been contact HIGHCOM quite frequently, as much as 6 times a day. Vernette analyzed the frequency on which Beurscott used to communicate with HIGHCOM and soon discovered that the frequency was a non-standard UNSC frequency. Vernette contacted HIGHCOM with this mystery frequency and was soon introduced to a man named Deputy Director Kenneth Yates. During the comm conversation, Vernette masqueraded as one of Beurscott's allies. He managed to get rather incriminating evidence on both Yates and Admiral Beurscott, although any evidence on Beurscott was pointless. He also discovered that Beurscott had managed ti put Jib Jab on the chopping block for crimes he did not commit. Vernette decided it was best to meet with Yates, in order to put an end to his treachery. So, in true fashion, Vernette organized a meeting with Yates, under false pretenses, in order to eliminate him. Vernette decided it was prudent to have the now Lieutenant Shella Lenner and Eugene Korman accompany him on this mission. The plan was very simple: Vernette would first try and bail Jib Jab out of trouble by appealing to HIGHCOM. If that failed, Vernette would resort to more drastic measures to clear Jib Jab's name. As it turns out, Vernette was unable to convince HIGHCOM to release Jib Jab. Vernette then revealed the deception of Deputy Director Yates and the little operation he had planned with Admiral Beurscott. Shocked, HIGHCOM decided to clear Jib Jab of the charges and decided to release him. However, upon the attempted arrest of Yates, it was learned that he was missing. Going on the assumption that Yates knew he had been compromised, Vernette surmised it would be prudent make their way to the holding cells, to ensure the safety of Jib Jab. Vernette's supposition turned out to be correct. When Vernette and several HIGHCOM officials arrived at the holding cells, they found Yates holding Jib Jab at gunpoint. Thankfully, due the efforts of Eugene Korman, Yates was subdued and captured. When questions on his motives, Yates refused to talk. Vernette decided it was best that torture was the only means to make Yates confess. After locking Yates in a confinement cell with several jackals, Yates was prepared to fully confess his plan to HIGHCOM. Vernette knew that once HIGHCOM had questioned Yates, they wqould just leave him in a cell to rot. Vernette knew HIGHCOM could not extract information from Yates as effectively as he could. Vernette decided to abduct Yates, and bring him back to The Star Destroyer for further questioning. Everything was going to plan, however, things fell apart with the appearance of the flood. It was learned that hundreds of flood ships, consisting of Banshees, Pelicans, and other small crafts were heading to Earth. Vernette knew how dangerous the flood was, and resolved in using the auto destruct sequence on The Star Destroyer to obliterate the flood as it approached Earth. The Star Destroyer was abandoned, and Vernette piloted the ship directly into the flood ships and activated the self destruct sequence, only barely escaping in a Pelican. With Both The King Raven and The Star Destroyer destroyed, there was only one ship remaining: The Reveant, the command ship of Admiral Vincetti. Once Vernette returned to The Reveant, things immediately turned into a shit show, like usual. Captain Beurscott took the death of his father quite hard, throwing him into a delirious state of mind. Beurscott managed to escape confinement and began to wreck havoc on the ship, even going so far as to corrupt the AI on the ship. Eventually, Vernette and Korman managed to capture Captain Beurscott, and they quickly learned that Captain Beurscott had adopted his fathers mission as his own. It was also learned that Admiral Vincetti was also involved with Admiral Beurscott and Deputy Director Yates. Vincetti attempted to hit Vernette with a poison dart, but an unexpected movement from Vernette, along with a bit of bad accuracy from Vincetti, resulted in the dart missing Vernette, and hitting Korman. Korman passed out, resulting in Vernette ordering Lenner to bring Korman back to his quarters, to allow him to get some rest. With Korman unknowingly poisoned, Vernette ordered the arrest and detention of Admiral Vincetti. However, Vincetti had planned for this outcome and ordered his AI to activate the self destruct, in an attempt to kill everyone on the ship. Vernette ran to the bridge to try and deactivate the self destruct but to no avail. As Vernette was about to leave the bridge he learned that Korman was in Admiral Vincetti's private quarters. Perplexed as to why Korman was there, and not in an escape pod, Vernette was forced to investigate, despite the limited time frame. Vernette found Korman in Vincetti`s quarters, nearly dead. Vernette tried to help Korman to an escape pod but soon realized that Korman was already dead. Vernette was forced to abandon Korman and make his own way to an escape pod. Vernette soon realized that Deputy Director Yates and Captain Dennis Beurscott were unaccounted for, and were at large. Only days after the destruction of The Reveant, Vernette was granted a new ship; The Dreadhawk, a Marathon class cruiser. Vernette spent the following two weeks searching the remains of the Reveant for the body of Eugene Korman. Vernette was granted a team of ODST's under the alias of Recovery Team Joker, or RTJ as they became affectionately known as. After RTJ managed to recover the remains of Sergeant Korman, and the severely damaged data chip of Doug24, Vernette took notice of a promising recruit by the name of Harold Forkes. As the days moved on, Vernette oversaw, and eventually took full command of the defense of North and South America. His first order of business was to located and kill Deputy Director Yates and Captain Dennis Beurscott, the last two remaining traitors in the UNSC. BOth individuals were found hiding in a civilian fallout shelter known as Dig Dug Shelter 15. Vernette was going to MAC blast the shelter was convinced not to by Private Harold Forkes, on the basis that Dig Dug Shelter 15 was where Harold's mother was hiding. Vernette called off his guns and ordered Forkes to go and eliminate Yates and Beurscott. Harold managed to kill Yates and capture Beurscott. This impressed Vernette. Vernette wanted to personally execute Beurscott for his treachery. Vernette was very grateful to Harold for giving him that opprotunity. As the Battle waged on, Vernette decided it was time to release Admiral James Forkes from cryo storage. Coincidentally, James Forkes was the father of Harold Forkes. Knowing this, Vernette knew that this situation was going to get very complicated. Vernette left the ship, leaving his first officer, Command Logan Lyons, in command while he was gone. Vernette made his way to a classified HIGHCOM base on the West Coast in San Fransisco where he explained the reasons to have Admiral Forkes released from cryo-sleep. A few days after Vernette left, he was eventually joined by Harold on the west coast. Vernette wanted Harold to be present when his father was released from cryo sleep. Vernette thawed James Forkes from cry sleep. At first James was disorientated but when james regained his barrings, he decided to exact his revenge on Vernette with a swift left hook to the face. Vernette did not take the strike personally. Vernette, James and Harold planned an assault to retake AIs that the Covenant have stolen. Vernette knew that stealing the AIs back woul result in the Covenant just forming a counter-attack to retake the AIs and destroying the AIs was an unacceptable option. Vernette told Harold and James that the best option was to replace the real AI's with fake versions of the AI's, which would feed the Covenant false information, while at the same time, give the UNSC tactical information on Brute Covenant movement. Vernette gained word that The Dreadhawk was involved in a skirmish with the Covenant cruiser that had stolen the two UNSC AIs. He also gained word that The Dreadhawk managed to cripple the ship, forcing it to crash over a large network of dig dug shelter tunnels. Vernette ordered all UNSC forces to assault this ship to make a diversion, but a special shadow ops team would use the subterranean dig dug shelters to gain access to the ship and swap the AIs. Vernette and James returned to The Dreadhawk to fully organize the assault. It was decided that RTJ would be the shadow ops team. As a large UNSC force created a diversion on the outside of the ship, RTJ made its way through several Km of tunnels until they eventually found themselves under the ship. They used drilling equipment to dig right into the Covenant ship. RTJ managed to swap the AIs and escape. This was also the mission where Chieftain Barrabus was captured by Commander Logan Lyons and RTJ. After the mission was all said and done, Vernette was quite pleased that he was able to capture a Brute Chieftain. Vernette did not want the Chieftain for questioning or interrogation, but rather, for experimentation. Little did Vernette know, the Brute that was captured, was, in fact, Barrabus. When Vernette first went to inspect the captured Brute he was shocked to see Barrabus, although he was very careful not to allow any of his subordinates know of his past affiliation. Vernette dismissed all of the staff present, including, but not limited to medical and security personnel, so Vernette could have a private conversation with Barrabus. Vernette had read reports of the power shift and change of command in the Loyalist army at Earth, but he was unsure if Barrabus had, in fact, lost his position as Chieftain and Fleet Commander. Vernette and Barrabus had parted way at this point, both resolved to end their association. However, as events would have it, Barrabus did, in fact, get betrayed by his second in command. Vernette knew that Barrabus' preferred career was over. Vernette then proposed to turn Barrabus into a walking killing machine, in other words, an augment, like a Spartan. Barrabus knew this would end his involvement with the Covenant completely, so he took time to consider the decision. After a day to consider the repercussions of becoming an augment, he was still unsure. It was a very radical change. However, Vernette managed to convince Barrabus to undergo the augmentation, and join the UNSC under a new identity if Vernette helped Barrabus get revenge on his second for betraying him. All Barrabus cared about was his revenge. As long as he got that, he would give total loyalty to Vernette and the UNSC. A few days past. Vernette was reclusive in his work on Barrabus. Only a handful of people knew about Barrabus' augmentation. Vernette eventually chose a new name for Barrabus. He chose the name Delta as an homage to the legal system. The fourth letter of the Greek Alphabet represents the defendant, or someone who has committed a crime. This was to symbolize Barrabus' past life in one simple letter. When Vernette received word that a UNSC fugitive named Chief Stolt had been hiding on Onyx, he dispatched Lt. Shella Lenner to go and capture or kill him. A day later, Vernette received word that Shella Lenner had been compromised and captured. Vernette saw this as a golden opportunity to fully test Delta's abilities in a combat situation. Vernette and Delta took a Vulture to Onyx where they had intentions of rescuing Lt. Lenner and kill Stolt if possible. Vernette and Delta were able to rescue Shella but soon discovered that Lenner did not want to kill Stolt. Lenner confessed to Vernette that she cared for Stolt, and did not want to kill him. Vernette, in spite of his desire to see Stolt dead, decided to drop the situation with Stolt and allowed Lenner to do as she wished. Vernette returned to The Dreadhawk where he learned that the UNSC was planning a massive offensive against the Brutes using information gathered from the decoy AI's planted earlier. However, these plans were cut short when Vernette decided to let the Brutes launch an offensive, simply on the basis to keep them interested in the AIs. Vernette, along with HIGHCOM and ONI decided to let the Brutes plan a massive offensives against the classified UNSC bunker in San Fransisco, the same bunker where James Forkes had been frozen. As this plan began to unfold, Lenner and Stolt thought it was best to return to Earth, namely to The Dreadhawk, with a group of Spartan III's to assist in the fight against the Covenant. Vernette quickly utilizes all of his assets and moved them to defend the base in San Fransisco. The battle was going good, however, due to the limits on UNSC personnel and the massive amount of Covenant forces utilized in assaulting this base, Vernette ordered all of his forces to fall back into the bunker. Vernette knew his forces on the ground could not last out against the endless wave of Covenant forces so he decided to arm a HAVOK nuke are attack the Covenant Assault Carrier. Vernette launched the Nuke at the Carrier and destroyed it, however, the resulting explosion killed everything directly under the Carrier and severely damaged everything around the carrier. Fortunately, the UNSC Marines inside the bunker were spared gruesome deaths due to the fact the UNSC bunker was subterranean. Despite the complete destruction of San Fransisco, this was an excellent victory for the UNSC. The Covenant were given a viable target from the AI's, thus preserving the AI's usefulness, and the UNSC destroyed a Covenant Assault Carrier. A few weeks passed, with Vernette overseeing various mission. Some of them were recovery missions, others were assault missions. However, Vernette was put to the test with the onset of Admiral Kirk Korman, a most unscrupulous individual in Vernette's eyes. Korman first surfaced when he managed to infiltrate The Dreadhawk and make an Offer to Sergeant Forkes to test a super drug on him. The said super drug was highly experimental and not fit for a lab rat. Korman managed to convince Harold to take the drug and that he would organize a disappearing act for Harold. Korman managed to evade most of the internal sensors on the ship but was detected talking with Korman by The Dreadhawk AI Tyber. When Tyber told Vernette that a supposedly dead Admiral was stalking around his ship, Vernette immediately jumped into action to find more information on Kirk Korman. Vernette organized an expedition to a UNSC records base in Alaska to find more information on Kirk Korman. However, this did not work out to well. Vernette decided to take several marines with him, including Lt. Lenner and Sergeant Forkes. Vernette also brought an Elite ally with him named R'kla. Admiral Korman ambushed Vernette and his company in Alaska with a large pack of Brutes that were brainwashed and manipulated by Korman. Vernette and his team, minus Forkes were forced to retreat back to The Dreadhawk when Vernette was wounded in action. Vernette suspected that Sergeant Forkes and Admiral Korman conspired together. He knew this attack and Harold's disappearance was no coincidence. Vernette spent the next week searching for Admiral Korman and Sergeant Forkes. Despite his best efforts, he was unable to track them down. However, Vernette's patience was payed off when he was contact by Admiral Korman, attempting to justify his actions. He attempted to explain why he recruited Sergeant Forkes and why it will be a good thing. Korman explained the super drug to Vernette and Vernette was so disgusted by what he heard he knew that Admiral Korman had to die! Korman contacted Vernette shortly afterward, admitting that he had, in fact, done a serious wrong. Korman told Vernette that he would willingly submit to discipline from the UNSC for his actions. Admiral Korman and Sergeant Forkes returned to The Dreadhawk. Korman was arrested and put into cryo sleep and Sergeant Forkes was sent to the med bay to be analyzed. After Harold was fully analyzed by the med teams, Vernette decided to chat with Korman about his research. Vernette had a feeling that everything Korman told him was utter bullshit. Korman even mentioned a cure, which Vernette doubted as well. Vernette decided to return to Alaska, With Harold, Shella, and Admiral Korman in handcuffs to attempt to gain access to Korman's research and possibly find a cure for Harold. However, this mission, like the previous one, turned into a massive shit show! With the appearance of the flood, this mission turned from dangerous to absolutely suicidal. However, Vernette and his team managed to gain access to the research and escape safely. Vernette learned much about Korman's research into the super drug, as well as the names of all the test subjects. Vernette was shocked to learn that Kiven, who was, at this time, stationed on The Dreadhawk was one of the test subjects, an unwilling one at that, for the drug. Vernette brought the information he got from Alaska to his medical teams. They began to work on a cure for Harold and Kiven. However, Admiral Korman disappeared shortly after. Vernette was mad, but he did not prioritize searching for Korman because he had the information he needed. Vernette was left with one primary objective at this point; cure Sergeant Forkes. However, Vernette shortly learned afterward that Harold wanted to be transferred from Vernette's ship to a new ship for a fresh start. Much to Vernette's dismay, he granted Harold's wish, adding that if Harold changed his mind, Vernette would gladly welcome Harold back. Vernette oversaw that Harold was transferred to the UNSC Frigate The Katana's Sheath under the command of Admiral Finley. A few days passed, and much progress had been made on the cure for Sergeant Forkes. Vernette informed Harold that the cure was almost done, he needed a few more days. On the flip side, Vernette was also looking for missing officers, namely Delta and Lyons and Admiral Korman. Delta and Lyons vanished about a week and a half earlier while searching for a missing ODST known only as Jack, while Kirk Korman vanished a few days earlier in a rather mysterious set of circumstances. Vernette was unable to find any trace of either Korman, Delta, or Lyons. Vernette soon learned that Admiral Finley was a traitor, much like Yates, Vincetti and both Ned and Dennis Beurscott. Finley had been leaking UNSC intelligence to the Brutes. Vernette quickly ordered the arrest of Admiral Finley. Admiral James Forkes was charged with the arrest of Finley. With the help of his son, Admiral Forkes was able to arrest Finley and send him back to Vernette for further "interrogation". As a sign of satisfaction, Vernette ordered that Admiral James Forkes assume full command of The Kanata's Sheath from this point forward. While James was busy getting acquainted with his new command, Vernette oversaw the interrogation of Finley. However, Vernette did not interrogate Finley, rather, Vernette personally torture Finely for his treachery. Vernette literally beat Finley within an inch of his life, only stopping because several marines told Vernette that killing Finley would accomplish nothing. Satisfied with his punishment, Vernette ordered that Finley be brought to the brig and executed later on. When the cure was finished, Vernette learned that Harold had been captured by a pack of Brutes in Japan while retrieving Intel that Finley had intentionally leaked to The Brutes. To Vernette's dismay, he was unable to locate Harold's transponder. Vernette learned that Harold's augmentation was becoming fatal and that if the cure was not given to him in a certain period of time, Harold would die. Vernette sent out a large team of ODSTs to locate and give Harold the cure for his augmentation. Unbeknown to Vernette, this was the time that both Admiral Korman and Delta popped back onto the radar. Harold was soon found and given the cure, thus saving his life. Despite Harold being cured, Kiven was not recovering. Vernette had no choice but to ask Admiral Korman for more information on the drug so he could help Kiven. Korman decided to help Vernette but warned against any double crosses. Naturally, with Delta back in Vernette's hands, Vernette had what he needed to kill Admiral Korman. When Admiral Korman arrived with the cure, Vernette took the cure and gave it to his medical staff so it could be given to Kiven. Vernette then ordered that Delta kill Korman and his entourage. Vernette left Delta to his work while Delta and Korman's entourage of enhanced soldiers fought. Kiven was cured and Delta had managed to kill all of Korman's enhanced soldiers, short of Korman himself. Korman retreated from the fighty by escaping through an air duct and began to move Through the Dreadhawk. Eventually, a now fully recovered Sergeant Forkes and RTJ hunted Korman down and killed him. However, as a result of this, Korman's crew did a suicide run on The Dreadhawk in an attempt to kill everyone on board. Korman's ship collided with The Dreadhawk and caused massive damage to the ship. All hands were able to abandon the ship, but The Dreadhawk was destroyed. Post Battle of Earth One week after the Destruction of The Dreadhawk, Vernette, Delta, equipped with the Tyber AI, Sergeant Forkes, and Lt. Lenner had taken up residence in one of Vernette's secret bunkers in Northern Canada. During this one week of inactivity, The Covenant suffered a massive loss at The Ark. As a result of this, ONI contacted Vernette about the future of Delta. ONI said that with The Covenant defeated all but defeated on Earth, Delta was no longer necessary. Vernette told ONI that if they wanted Delta, they could come and get him themselves! Vernette was furious that ONI would even consider this. However, that aside, Vernette decided to assign the remaining RTJ members, along with several new recruits by the names of Dan and Paul Letterman and Max Golen With ONI and HIGHCOM on Vernette's back about Delta, Vernette was cornered. He could only protect Delta for so long before the UNSC forcefully did away with Delta. Although Delta was well equipped to handle himself in combat, even he could be overwhelmed by the UNSC eventually. Vernette decided that the only viable option was to step down as Fleet Admiral, and assume the role of Director of ONI's section Zero Division. Vernette stepped down as Fleet Admiral and promoted Admiral James Forkes to the rank of Fleet Admiral. In exchange for this, Vernette told James that he would appreciate it if James appointed him to the role of Director of Section Zero. James complied with Vernette's trade off and sent message that the now Admiral Vernette was now the full Director of Section Zero. His first order was to rebuild the ONI building in New Mombassa. Vernette always wanted a nice waterfront office, but said he would settle for a view of the Ark portal given his limited options. As the overall Director of ONI, Vernette was granted a new ship. An ultra-classified Marathon Stealth Ship known as The Cloak and Dagger. The Cloak and Dagger was the most advanced ship Vernette had ever laid eyes on. Unlike standard UNSC ships that were a grayish color, The Cloak and Dagger had a matte black color. Vernette immediately knew he was going to love this ship! Vernette worked on clearing up the situation with ONI, HIGHCOM and Delta so Vernette ordered Delta to joined Sergeant Forkes in his new posting in Texas. THis gave Vernette the time he needed to clear up the logistics with ONI. Despite ONIs objections to Vernette being the Director, they were forced to comply with his wishes and cancel all orders to detain Delta. Everything was going exceptionally well at this point in time. Vernette could not complain about the current state of affairs. Vernette shifted his attention to the war. He knew that despite the fact that the Loyalists were defeated at the Ark, the Brutes were still very strong and very dangerous. Vernette decided to work with the Elites to steal a Brute ship to ascertain the location of every Brute installation, from shipyards, to colony worlds, so the UNSC and the Separatists could begin attacking, effectively putting The Brutes on the defensive, for the first time in the war. Vernette, along with a large task force of Elite and UNSC ships engaged a Brute task force just several light years outside the Sol system in an attempt to capture a Brute ship. This operation failed however, when the targeted Brute ship self destructed in order to prevent capture. Vernette was forced to re-plan the assault. Vernette decided to replicate his original plan but use a specialized ODST drop pod to infiltrate the ships. These pods were larger, capable of fitting five to six ODSTs per pod, and they were equipped with large drills, capable of cutting through thick hull plating. These pods were used for boarding action in zero-g environments. Vernette sent a massive task force, including the newly formed RTJ, on a mission to capture a Brute cruiser codenamed "Fort Knox". The infiltration teams managed to pilot Fort Knox back to Earth for re-purposing, while Vernette's fleet held the line, preventing any further damage to Fort Knox. Shortly after, Vernette was contacted by his old love Interest from Harvest. Courtney, or as she was known as at this time, Max. Courtney tried to talk to Vernette about urgent news but Vernette was still in the middle of a large scale combat scenario from the capture operation. Vernette brushed Courtney off, telling her to call back later. Roughly a day later Courtney called Vernette again. Courtney informed Vernette that during the Harvest campaign, Vernette had caused her pregnancy, effectively making him a father of a certain individual. Furthermore, Courtney also told Vernette that Delta, rather, Barrabus knew everything. Vernette was totally shocked and in total disbelief. He did not understand how any if this was possible. Courtney told Vernette exactly who is daughter was. Vernette decided it was best to return to Earth to confront his daughter. Before meeting with Max, Vernette contacted Delta to meet with him privately. When they finally met, Vernette asked Delta why Delta didn't tell him that Max was his daughter. Delta told Vernette that he had promised Courtney that he would never tell Vernette of the pregnancy. When Vernette learned this, he was not mad at Delta, just a bit flustered. Vernette felt a bit weird over the fact that a Brute knew more about Max's pedigree then Vernette did. This fact aside, Vernette was no opposed to having a daughter. He felt glad that he had a purpose other then a soldier. Vernette decided to return to the camp to meet with Max. However, Delta also told Vernette that Dennis Beurscott was still alive. This set Vernette off on a tirade. Vernette set everything else alive to find out how Beurscott survived his execution. Vernette returned to the camp to confront and interrogate Dennis Beurscott. Vernette learned that a rouge group of ONI agents saved him and helped him in return for his loyalty. Vernette demanded to know more but Beurscott would not budge. Vernette was prepared to torture Beurscott. However, when max saw Vernette she approached him. Vernette was forced to stop his interrogation, in fear of looking like a total heartless maniac in front of his estranged daughter. Vernette left Sergeant Forkes in charge of Beurscott's interrogation and left to talk with Max about her being his daughter. Max already knew from a prior conversation with Delta. Vernette told Max that as much as he was glad to have a daughter, he told her for her own safety, they should keep their distance from each other. Vernette told Max that he had many enemies and he could not risk anyone using Max against him. Vernette felt terrible about this decision, but he knew it was necessary. Before Vernette could return to the interrogation, two ONI pelicans crashed the party and demanded that Vernette release Beurscott to their care. Vernette denied their request, on the fact that he was aready investigating Beurscott at the highest level, and as the Director of ONI, he had every right to arbitrarily deny any request made of him. The ONI agents were not pleased with this answer and tried to forcefully take Beurscott. Several ONI marines attempted to take Beurscott, but Vernette ordered Delta to stop the Marines. Delta severely injured the Marines. Vernette told the ONI agents that he will kill them all if they do not get out of his sight. The ONI agents were furious, however, they were forced to fall back. Vernette checked in with Sergeant Forkes before leaving and learned that Commander Feuntes was the mastermind behind this incident. Vernette decided it was best to return to the ONI building construction site and try and dig up some answers, specifically, the current location of Commander Feuntes. However, Vernette was ambushed by two of Feuntes men and held at gunpoint. Fortunatly for Vernette, an old acquaintance from Harvest saved him. A janitor named Leon, who served as the Janitor aboard the King Raven during Harvest, used his broom to subdue one of the Marines, while Vernette, who managed to capitalize on the distraction, used his handgun to kill the second marine. Vernette download all the information on Feuntes and then he and Leon left the ONI building. The two of them returned to Texas, only to find that it was under attack by the same ONI agents that had appeared earlier. Vernette managed to sneak through the base and managed to link up with Sergeant Forkes and the rest of his squad. Together, they managed to push back the rouge ONI agents and ensure they maintained control of Beurscott. However, Vernette was very upset to learn that during the battle, Feuntes ONI agents had managed to capture Delta. Vernette was furious over this fact. He demanded that Beurscott tell him where Feuntes had taken Delta. Beurscott refused to say anything. Vernette ordered the immediate execution of Beurscott. Vernette, along with RTJ returned to The Cloak and Dagger and began immediately search for Feuntes and and Delta. Vernette and his officers eventually managed to track down Feuntes. They learned that Feuntes was in command of a UNSC Frigate by the name of the Genolan. Vernette wasted no time in chasing down Feuntes and liberating Delta. Vernette personally led the assault on Feuntes ship. He ordered RTJ to find Feuntes and take him into custody while he went alone to find Delta. This action implied that Vernette, when faced with a decision to find Delta or find Feuntes, he cared more about Delta's safety then capturing a rouge agent. Little did Vernette know, Delta had already managed to escape and was already roaming the ship, even before Vernette and RTJ had arrived. Despite Vernette's efforts to track down Delta, he found himself in a lab at the bottom of Feuntes ship. Vernette learned that Feuntes was attempting to duplicate Delta. Vernette made the arbitrary decision to end Feuntes work. Vernette found the Brute test subject and executed him and destroyed all of Feuntes research and progress. Vernette left the labs and took the Elevator to the bridge. While he was enroute to the bridge, the elevator stopped and the door opened to reveal Leon, Paul, and Delta. Vernette saw Delta had taken a serious beating and that Paul Letterman was carrying a brain in a jar,namely, Dan Letterman's brain in a jar. Confused by this, Vernette told the trio to head to the hanger bay and wait for him to return with Sergeant Forkes and Max. Vernette met up with Harold and Max and together, they made their way to the hanger where Delta, Leon, and Paul were waiting. The team managed to escape, only after Paul had dropped the jar containing his brothers brain. The jar rolled out of the pelican and was left behind on Feuntes ship. Vernette left Harold in charge of Feuntes interrogation. It was learned that Feuntes and his ONI associates had a real gripe with the Forkes family. It was also learned that Harold had a brother named Chuck and he was currently assigned to New York for guard and protection duty. Vernette decided to to send RTJ to find Chuck and ensure his safety. Chuck was was found and convinced to return to The Cloak and Dagger. RTJ, minus Delta, max, and a new recruit named Lance, attempted to return to The Cloak and Dagger in a Pelican but were shot down before they could return. RTJ was captured. Unaware of this, Vernette contacted Delta and asked if RTJ was still on the surface. Delta said that RTJ had already made their way back and should already be on The Cloak and Dagger. Vernette assumed the worst and ordered Delta, Max, and lance to go and search for RTJ. The trio spent roughly 2 hours searching and they eventually found the Pelican. The pelican was searched and there was no sign of RTJ, only a few dead marines remained. Upon further searching, Delta uncovered evidence that Admiral Kirk Korman was responsible for capturing RTJ. When Vernette learned that Admiral Korman was still alive, he was furious, like usual. He knew that something was afoot. he knew that big trouble was coming down the pike for him. He couldn't take any chances. Vernette ordered Delta to go to California, find Courtney, and bring her back to The Cloak and Dagger so Vernette could protect her from everyone. After Delta had left, Vernette was confronted by an ODST named Lance. Vernette knew who lance was to a great extent, but Lance was none the wiser. Lance suffered from amnesia. Little did Lance know at this time that Vernette was the cause for the amnesia. Vernette explained simple facts to Lance. Vernette excplained that lance's father was Scott Runner, that Vernette and Scott were bitter enemies on Harvest, that Scott left the UNSC and spent all of his days trying to kill Vernette. Lance was shocked by this revelation, but not overly excited about it. Lance left Vernette alone, deciding it was best to reflect on this and attempt to recover more of his memories. When Delta returned with Courtney, Vernette did not really have an exchange with her, short of telling that they needed to catch up. This was mainly due to the fact that Vernette's first officer, Command Welles, reported that a Luminary had been discovered in Great Britain Vernette instructed Delta to remain on the ship and protect both Max and Courtney. Vernette decided to take a few Marines with him to Great Britain as protection. When Vernette arrived, he was quickly betrayed by the Marines. Despite putting up a valiant effort to fight back, Vernette was overwhelmed. Vernette woke some time later aboard as ship. He had no idea where he was otherwise. Vernette was then address by Admiral Korman over a speaker system. Korman told Vernette that he was to partake in a little psychological experiment for Korman's personal research. Vernette was not happy, but he was forced to comply due to circumstances beyond his control. Vernette made his way through this experiment, witnessing events from his past. He was put into dangerous situations and emotional circumstances. However, he eventually made it through the experiment in one piece. However, what he found at the end saddened him. As Vernette escaped the experiment, he was presented with the dead body of Harold Forkes. Vernette, unwilling to leave Harold's body behind, decided to take it with him as he escaped. Vernette managed to get to an escape pod and escape from, what he soon discovered, was the flagship of Admiral Korman. Vernette spent several hours, floating in an escape pod that was slowly making its way to Earth. He soon discovered that there was an escape pod following him. There was one occupant, and it was Lt. Shella Lenner. Vernette had encountered a possibly clone of Lenner in the maze, thus, he believed that the occupant of the other pod was also a clone. The two argued for a bit but were eventually interrupted by Admiral Korman. Admiral Korman decided to lend Vernette a hand and send a transmission to the UNSC, allowing them to track down Vernette's pod. When The Cloak and Dagger finally arrived and rescued Vernette and Shella Lenner and brought them aboard. It was at this time that Vernette learned that Max had been placed in a coma due to a pathogen that had been injected into her. The pathogen was so deadly, that a coma needed to be induced to save her life. Vernette, in a fit of rage, decides to begin hunting down Admiral Korman, the man he arbitrarily blames for Max going into a coma. However, before he could embark on his mission, he was informed that several small capsuls had been sent to The Cloak and Dagger. Inside these capsules were the dead bodies of RTJ and of Harold's brother, Chuck. Vernette was furious. He wanted Korman dead. However, Vernette had to tell Admiral Forkes that both of his son's were dead. Vernette summoned Admiral Forkes to The Cloak and Dagger and informed James that both Harold and Chuck were dead, killed at the hands of Admiral Korman. Vernette learned from one of his medical officers that Max had been infected with a modified version of a pathogen that Vernette helped create. Vernette was intrigued to learn this. He was also glad this was the case. He now knew how to help Max. Delta, who was currently tracking down a rouge UNSC Marine, returned to the Cloak and Dagger just in time to be reassigned to help Vernette storm an ONI Research facility on Earth in order to find the pathogen and develop a cure for it. The two went to Earth and devised a plan to steal the pathogen. Vernette would walk into the facility and try and steal the pathogen with no incident. If someone gave him a hard time, Delta was to attack the facility and create a diversion. Little did Vernette know, Courtney and Shella had stowed away on Vernette's Vulture and joined him on this mission. Although Vernette did not like this, he accepted their help. They managed to steal the pathogen and escape from the facility. They returned to the Cloak and Dagger where Vernette's Medical staff was able to develop a cure for Max, effectively curing her of the pathogen. Max was restored to health. Shortly after, a Brute Assault Carrier had broken through the defensive lines and flew straight towards Earth. With the Cloak and Dagger being the only ship at Earth, Vernette was forced to engage an Assault Carrier by himself. The battle was going pretty well for Vernette. This was the first time The Cloak and Dagger had been battle tested and it stood up to the challenge. However, this did not stop Vernette from alerting NAVCOM to the danger. Admiral Forkes, who was some distance away from Earth, had received the distress call from NAVCOM. He decided to go back to Earth and help Vernette fight the Assault Carrier. However, despite Korman helping the situation, both ships were defeated. It was learned that the Brutes did not care about Earth, they wanted information. They agreed to let both ships survive, in exchange for Vernette and Korman. Korman immediatly agreed to this exchange, however, Vernette did not like the idea of being held prisoner by Brutes. However, his limited options demanded that he surrender. Vernette and Korman were interrogated. When they refused to surrender any information, they were both put on trial as war criminals. They were not sentenced to death,but they were told they would have a chance to survive if they passed a test of endurance. The brutes told the two that they will be dropped in a place that is inhospitable and very dangerous. The next thing Korman and Vernette knew, they were in the middle of the desert in Las Vegas. Vernette and Korman spent most of the time arguing over everything. from ethics to personal responsibility. Vernette did not enjoy his time with Korman, in fact, he would of rather died then spent his time with Korman. After spending many hours wandering the desert, Vernette was finally rescued by Delta who had gone out to search for him. Delta was perfectly ready to kill Korman but was stopped by Vernette who said that right now, Korman was the least of his worries. When Vernette finally returned to The Cloak and Dagger, he was presented with the news that Commander Welles, his first officer, had been killed by a Brute named Durk. Durk was a Brute, much like Delta was, who was supposedly more advanced then Delta was. Vernette was growing sick and tired of all the dissidents running around. To further make the situation worse, Vernette learned that Lt. Cooke had become the new Fleet Admiral for his "excellent" work with Durk. Vernette decided it was time to pay HIGHCOM a visit and begin sorting out all the problems the UNSC had. He first order of business was to remove Cooke as the Fleet Admiral. Vernette and Delta went to HIGHCOM HQ in Sydney, Australia. Vernette demanded answers from the HIGHCOM security council as to why Cooke was now a fleet admiral. The Admirals gave Vernette no good reason. They told Vernette that they did not owe him any explanation. Even when Vernette threatened the HIGHCOM security council with being arrested, they still didn't answer. Vernette eventually just ordered Delta to kill the entire security council. Vernette and Delta decided to wait for Cooke to show up to get his promotion. Eventually, Cooke, along with Durk, did show up and Vernette and Delta ambushed them. Delta and Durk squared off, and did, in fact, managed to overpower Delta. Nearing the end of the fight Durk turned on Vernette and was about to kill him. However, Vernette managed to evade Durk so Delta could recover and toss an incendiary grenade at Durk, effectively ending the fight. Delta was badly hurt after the fight, almost as badly hurt as his ego. Vernette assured Delta that he did an excellent job given the circumstances. Vernette and Delta returned to The Cloak and Dagger. Delta went to the cybernetics lab to get repaired. Vernette was ambushed by Lance Runner, who demanded answers from Vernette. Vernette told Lance that despite Vernette's treachery, lance had a better life in the end. lance told Vernette that his day of reckoning was upon him. Vernette shrugged this warning off and went about his business. Vernette was later approached by Delta. Delta informed Vernette that Scott Runner had stolen components to build inhibitors. Delta said that Scott had enough material to build thousands, if not millions of inhibitors. Delta asked Vernette if he could accompany Lance to Doisac to stop Scott from turning his people into a bunch of mindless drones. Vernette expressed concern over this request because Delta was asking Vernette to let him save the brute home world. Vernette decided to let Delta leave to go and save his home world. Vernette told Delta that the reason he granted this request was not because Delta had saved his life on countless occasions, but because they were friends, and Vernette would not want to damage their friendship by not allowing Delta the chance to save his world. Delta left with Max and Lance and headed to Doisac. While Delta was trying to save his home world, Vernette was overseeing the capture of Admiral Rojas, a midget who had ties to the Mafia and who was possibly involved with Cooke's little scheme. Vernette sent the recently found Commander Lyons to assist in Rojas capture. The operation proved very successful, and it ended in Rojas capture. Vernette ordered Lester MacTavish to interrogate Admiral Rojas. MacTavish interrogate Rojas and learned that he and Cooke were partners. Vernette didn't much care for Rojas after that point. Vernette did not care what happened to him. Vernette had his sights set on Cooke. Some time later, Delta, Lance and Max, had returned from Doisac, successful in their "mission" to stop Scott Runner from using the inhibitors on the population of Doisac. Delta was pleased that his world was safe, while Lance was pleased that he got to kill his treacherous father. During that mission, Lance learned that he could possibly of been a SPARTAN. When he asked Vernette about this, Vernette told Lance the truth. Vernette told Lance that before the First Battle of Earth, he had set a trap for the insurrectionists. At the time, the insurrectionists were targeting Vernette's facilities and research bases in hopes they could bring him down. Vernette had leaked information to the insurrections about a base that Vernette has booby trapped in hopes of killing the insurrectionists. The insurrectionists capitalized on this and went to sabotage the facility, only to all get wiped out by a massive explosion. Lance was the only survivor. Lance had suffered brain damage from the explosion. As a result, lance had lost his memory of all previous events. Vernette told Lance that while he was in the hospital recovering, he had injected Lance with a modoifed SPARTAN super serum, claiming that it was a medicine to help him recover. Vernette had planned to use Lance to kill Scott. Vernette was pleased that his plan had come full circle. Lance was furious over this fact. He wanted to kill Vernette but he hesitated on the basis that Vernette was Max's father. The ONI Power Struggle Vernette was summoned to Kentucky, to HIGHCOM Site 4 under the premise that HIGHCOM had found information of Cooke. When Vernette arrived, he was greeted by a whole tribunal of Admirals, including the new Fleet Admiral Cooke. Vernette was told that he had been killing more of his own people then he had The Covenant. The tribunal told Vernette that he was going to face jail time for this. Vernette, naturally, was furious. He told this tribunal that he would not allow this to happen. He went on to say that The Cloak and Dagger would not allow him to be arrested. Fleet Admiral Cooke informed Vernette that they were going to fake Vernette's death with a flash clone, claiming it was going to die of a heart attack. Vernette was stripped of his rank and title and thrown in jail, while his clone wandered The Cloak and Dagger, ready to drop dead. When the clone had died, there were many mixed feelings. Some of the officers were glad, others, like Max, were devastated. Delta took Vernette's death especially hard. Delta went to go and see the corpse of the clone, still under the belief that the clone was the real Vernette. The now Director Cooke told Vernette that he will be assuming the identity of Director Gibson. Vernette spent the next two weeks in jail. He was given a television screen so he could watch Cooke "improve" the UNSC. Instead, he watched as Delta personally unraveled the UNSC, tearing down sensitive areas one by one. Vernette watched as the UNSC controlled news media branded Delta as a renegade and demonized him the worst possible fashion. Vernette knew that if anyone could save him, it was Delta. Delta was on the cusp of saving Vernette when Vernette's fortune turned. When Lester MacTavish was thrown into the same jail cell as Vernette for failing to kill Delta, MacTavish and Vernette conspired together to escape from prison. They both managed to escape from the jail cell but they soon learned they were not on Earth, rather, they were on a prison ship orbiting Earth. Vernette was able to contact Delta to pick them up and hide them. Vernette immediately got back to work, assigning MacTavish to infiltrate The Cloak and Dagger and rescue all of Vernette's loyal officers. Eventually, MacTavish was able to rescue his entire squad, Commander Lyons, and the ships Janitor, Leon. Vernette immediately began to delegate responsibilities to all of the people under his command. Vernette had reestablished his power base and was ready to move aganst Cooke and retake The Cloak and Dagger. Vernette was eventually summoned to a meeting by the rest of the UNSC Brass. Vernette suspected this was a trap, but he decided to go anyways. Vernette saw that many of the highest ranking UNSC Brass had been invited to the meeting. The two most noteable members, short of Vernette himself, were Fleet Admiral Forkes, Admiral Rojas, and Admiral Korman. Vernette was the only one that showed up armed to the teeth with weapons. Vernette was told that the new Director of ONI was doing absolutely nothing, and was hurting the war effort. Vernette was so utterly disgusted to hear this news. However, he also felt vindicated. Vernette was restored as the Director of ONI and Director Gibson was immediately branded a wanted man. As the meeting went on, Vernette reestabloshed his brand of justice and control. His first act was to kill Admiral Korman, executing him right in the meeting. Vernette assumed that Korman was finally dead. However, this was just another clone that Korman had sent in his stead. The rest of the Brass was utterly shocked by this action. However, Vernette told them that this is how he got things done. He told the rest of the Brass to just stand by and let him fix the UNSC. Moments later, Admiral Rojas attempted to assassinate Vernette. However, Vernette did not come to this meeting unprepared. Before coming to the meeting, Vernette had organized for MacTavish to act as cover. Vernette told MacTavish he had full permission to kill anyone in the meeting who tried to do any harm to Vernette. Before Rojas could kill Vernette, MacTavish has shot Rojas with a sniper rifle. Shortly after, Vernette decided it was time to get back to the war, as well as formulate the plan to bring about Cookes downfall. Despite not having the full resources of The Cloak and Dagger, Vernette still had the resources of The Ticonderoga. Vernette's first order of business was to assault a Brute base that had been located in Kazakhstan. Vernette ordered Sergeant MacTavish and Private Paul Letterman to carry out the assignment. Vernette expected the mission to be very straight forward. However, much time passed and Vernette grew concerned. He had no way of tracking MacTavish or Letterman had they of run into trouble. However, Vernette was able to detect a sensor ping coming from Kazakhstan. Vernette surmised that this could be MacTavish trying to contact Vernette. Vernette and Delta flew to Kazakhstan to investigate the sensor ping. When they arrived, Vernette met up with an old friend named Leonardo Tricolli. Leo was an inventor who Vernette Knew from Reach. After a bit of catching up, Vernette invited Leo to return with him back to The Ticonderoga. Leo accepted the offer. Vernette was soon afterwards confront my SHipmaster Kiven concerning Delta. Kiven told Vernette that he did not want to be on the same ship as Delta. The reason for this was because Delta had revealed his true identity to Kiven. Kiven had a long standing hatred for brutes, Barrabus included. Vernette told Kiven that despite Delta's past, and his rough demeanor, Delta was a good ally, and that he should not judge Delta based on past events. Vernette even went so far as to fully confess to Kiven that it was not Delta who murdered his brother at Reach. Vernette told Kiven that he has murdered Voro at Reach in retaliation for Voro killing Tyber. Vernette was able to convince Kiven to stick around for a bit longer. Vernette's plans had all come together and he was ready to retake The Cloak and Dagger from Cooke. Vernette, along with RTJ, Delta, and Kiven, were able to gain access to The Cloak and Dagger and remove the remaining loyal forces aboard the ship. Cooke was found and subsequently killed by Courtney. With Cooke dead, the ONI Power Struggle officially ended, resulting in Vernette reclaiming full control over ONI once again. The Battle of Mars Shortly after reclaiming the Cloak and Dagger, Vernette had planned to enter Brute controlled Space using a captured Brute cruiser to begin launching attacks on outposts and colonies. However, Vernette was instead summoned to HIGHCOM Corporate, for a grand reopening, after Vernette blew it up during his conflict with Cooke. Vernette, along with the entire Navy Brass were in attendance. During the ceremony, a new Fleet Admiral was promoted. The new Fleet Admiral, named Joseph Sheperd, was appointed because of the death of Admiral Rojas. Vernette was not thrilled by Sheperd, but he did not shun him either. When Vernette was called to give a speech concerning Sheperd and recent events, a gunman attempted to kill Vernette. Sheperd However, took the bullet for Vernette. A week later, Vernette went to go and visit Sheperd in the hospital. Vernette thanked Sheperd for taking the bullet for him. He told Sheperd that he owed him a favor for the act. Before Vernette could explain further, Vernette was interrupted by Admiral Picard, who told Vernette that no further investigations were going to be launched on the gun man. Picard told Vernette that the gun man was mentally deranged and was just frozen in cryo sleep. Picard closed the case. Vernette was not pleased about this, already losing his patience with the UNSC, so soon after being reinstated to Director. Vernette stormed off and left the hospital. He planned to launch his own investigation. In the meantime, he assigned Max to scout out Mars for possible Covenant activity. The Cloak and Dagger left Earth on assignment, for the first time in its service. During his time at Mars, Vernette began to notice some rather suspicious activity on the part of Fleet Admiral Sheperd. He noticed that Sheperd was hiding information from Vernette, and intentionally not sharing mission reports and activities with Vernette. Vernette, when he questions Sheperd about this behaviors, Sheperd told Vernette he was under no obligation to tell Vernette. Vernette's suspicion quickly turned into aggression. He eventually resolved into using violence to force information out of SHeperd. Vernete brought The Cloak and Dagger to full battle alert and contacted Sheperd. Vernette told Sheperd that he has learned about the CIP's and he knew exactly what they were used for. He gave Sheperd one last chance to begin sharing information. Sheperd again refused to help Vernette. This pushed Vernette over the edge. Vernette decided it was time for more aggressive negotiations. Vernette began to fire warning shots on Sheperd. Vernette told Sheperd that if he does not begin sharing information, he would destroy Sheperd's ships. Shortly afterward, Vernette had received word that RTJ had been all but wiped out in various way. Vernette was very displeased with this news. He put full blame on Sheperd for what had happened. However, Vernette did not accept that RTJ was all dead, so Vernette ordered his crew to begin an immediate search for MacTavish and his team. Vernette was once again treading on thin ice with the UNSC. He decided it was time to pant a spy on Sheperd's ship. Vernette talk to Lance Runner, who had just awoken from a comatose state, and instructed him to begin espionage operations on Sheperd. Lance, despite his hatred for Vernette, complied with the request. However, Lance quickly became unresponsive on his mission. Vernette grew concerned for the integrity of the mission and sent Captain Lyons, posing as an ONI security agent, to perform a "security evaluation" of Sheperd's ship. However, the true purpose of this mission was to both spy on Sheperd, and find and extract Lance, in case he had been compromised. Lyons was able to extract Lance and return to The Cloak and Dagger, as well as bring back some valuable information. Vernette learned that ONI had already been investigating Sheperd. Lyons told Vernette that he had encountered an officer named Captain Leslie Jenkins. Lyons told Vernette that Jenkins would soon contact Vernette with logistics about their mission. Vernette was not satisfied with the soon aspect of the explanation, and decided to begin investigating Leslie Jenkins. During his investigation, Vernette had a run-in with two especially odd ODSTs. Vernette was very suspecicious, and when he attempted to ascertain their identities, they fled. Vernette ordered a lock down of The Cloak and Dagger and a high security deck by deck search of the ship. Vernette soon learned from Delta that Sergeant Harold Forkes was on board the ship, Vernette was totally shocked. When Vernette began to question Delta's sanity, Delta told Vernette that he had smelt Sergeant Forkes scent off of Max, and in Max's room. Vernette had much reason to believe this, stating that Delta was never wrong about scents. *Error in recovering further details. Please stand by...* Personal Endeavors and Research Inhibitor Research In the year 2523, Vernette began the construction of a small mechanical device known as The Vernette-Type Psychological Inhibitor or simply, The Inhibitor. This device, in its early stages had one simple function; the complete and total control over a test subjects emotional state of mind from a neural interface, commonly found on UNSC flag officers. The inhibitor was fist used at Harvest, when it was unintentionally used by a Spartan on Chieftain Barrabus. Vernette was furious at this development. Vernette explained that the Inhibitor was highly classified and incredibly dangerous. If it was removed while active, both the host and the test subject would die. At its early stages, it was only designed to work with a few species, human being one of them. Fortunatly, Vernette was able to correc the situation and remove the inhibitor from the Brute before they were both killed. Vernette continued his work on the Inhibitors over the next 28 years, making countless revisions, fail safes, and precautions to the device. It was only fully completed near the end of 2552. The final product was used to assist in the augmentation of Chieftain Barrabus. It was ironic, Barrabus was the test subject for the first and last model of the device. All that is needed is one inhibitor to do basic control, but a whole network of devices is needed for higher functions The Inhibitor represents total domination and control. It has several basic abilities including: The control of the current state of mind. The control and regulation of the subjects physiology. The ability to plant mental suggestions. The inhibitor also had higher functions The creation of a virtual brain, allowing full AI interface into the brain. The ability to block and control memories and thoughts The ability to completely control free will The inhibitor has been duplicated on one event by Admiral Korman but it was nowhere near as good as Vernette's inhibitor design. Medical Research Vernette, although not an avid fan of medical research of any kind, had been forced to dwell in the subject on one occasion. During the Second Battle of Earth, when Admiral Korman used an experimental augmentation drug on Sergeant Harold Forkes, Vernette was forced to steal research notes on said drug and devise a cure for Harold. Since this time, Vernette has stayed away from this kind of work. Combat Weaponry Vernette had devised several interesting combat systems throughout his career. However, they were only finished during his time as a Fleet Admiral, when he had the resources and clearance to authorize the construction of such systems. HAVOS Warthog - A one of a kind Warthog designed by Vernette. This vehicle's design began in 2550 and it was not fully completed unti; 2553. It was first field tested on Mars during a rescue mission. HAVOS is an acronym for "Heavy Anti Vehicle Ordinance System". the HAVOS is outfitted with a large scale, and incredibly powerful version of the Spartan laser that does not require charge time, and can fire in sustained blasts. However, the cannon itself does require a gunner, and it does have a battery life. In 2-3 second bursts, this vehicle and destroy a Phantom or Pelican in roughly 4 shots. Of course, the vehicle was for Vernette's personal use so it has not become mainstream equipment. Mark IX Neural Interface Helmet - Nicknamed The Mark IX, this helmet is a rather interesting weapon system that utilized modified Inhibitor technology to create a virtual up link to the hosts brain, which an AI can utilize. This helmet allowed the wearer to have fully integrated AI support. Unlike normal armor which allows an AI to communicate with a soldier, The Mark IX allows the AI to be fully aware of the soldiers vitals down to the most insignificant detail. Furthermore, it allows an AI to communicate with the users thoughts, as opposed to using a comm channel, which adds a layer of security, preventing possible eavesdropping from enemies. The Helmet is also equipped with environmental sensors, allowing the AI to have omnidirectional sight and scanning ability. This is helpful to prevent attacks from behind, and it allows AI's to show the current users enemies hiding under cloak. Aside from AI's having total freedom to hear the users thoughts, and even analyzed past memories for tactical or personal reasons, the Mark IX greatly enhances combat efficiency. Vernette Class Hybrid Combat Armor - This is a non-standard armor set, utilized only by Vernette's personal enforcer; Delta. The schematics for this armor were destroyed by Vernette to protect its design and to give Delta an unequivocal upper hand against all opponents. This armor is one of a kind. It is specifically tailored for the physiological needs of Delta. It bears a striking resemblance to a Chieftain's ceremonial armor, but the armor plating is thicker, and the armor covers the entire body, as opposed to standard ceremonial armor, that has exposed fleshy areas. The armor was enhanced using a lot of the technology used in the MJOLNIR Mark VI armor. Vernette came under a lot of fire from both ONI and HIGHCOM for utilizing this technology to enhance an "enemy" soldier. The armor retains its Covenant shield systems. However, there were several improvements to the armor itself: Hydrostatic Gel. Reactive Metal Liquid Crystal Layer. Automatic Biofoam Injectors. Integrated AI support, works in conjunction with the inhibitors. Titanium Nanocomposite Bodysuit. Human Cloning Vernette attempted full human cloning one on occasion. When the brother of Paul Letterman was killed, Vernette agreeded to try and perfect a cloning process that resulted in a normal lifespan and survival of the clone. He even went so far as to devise an artinerary for how the clone should be raise, so as to avoid social complications. However, the clone was killed by an agent of Admiral Korman. The Schism *Information unavailable at this time* Interpersonal Relationships Family / Close relationships Diana Vernette - The wife of Preston Vernette. Diana was killed on Harvest during the initial Brute invasion. Not much is known about this individual, most of the records on this individual were destroyed in the invasion. Steven Vernette - The first born son of Diana and Preston Vernette. Steven was killed on Harvest during the initial Brute invasion. Not much is known about this individual, most of the records on this individual were destroyed in the invasion. Bradley Vernette - The second born son of Diana and Preston Vernette. Bradley was killed on Harvest during the initial Brute invasion. Not much is known about this individual, most of the records on this individual were destroyed in the invasion. Walter Vernette - The father of Preston Vernette. Walter, along with his wife Sarah, was killed on Harvest in a vehicular accident when Vernette was only 4 years old. Walter was an architecht who designed military buildings for the UNSC. Other then this, not much is known about this individual, most of the records on this individual were destroyed in the invasion. Sarah Vernette - The mother of Preston Vernette. Sarah, along with her husband Walter, was killed on Harvest in a vehicular accident when Vernette was only 4 years old. Not much is known about this individual, most of the records on this individual were destroyed in the invasion. Tyber Vernette - Preston Vernette's older brother. Preston and Tyber spent their early childhood, looking out for each other. They lived their lives as petty street criminals, being bounced from foster home to foster home. Tyber eventually joined the UNSC Marine Corps. Preston felt betrayed by this decision. Preston himself eventually joined the UNSC Navy and was estranged from his brother for many years. It was not until The Battle of Miridem were they reunited when Tyber was transferred to The King Raven as the Staff Sergeant of the ship. Tyber was eventually killed on Reach. Tyber death had a profound impact on Preston. Preston was so distraught over his brothers death, he had his brain transferred to an AI construct. Tyber currently serves as Delta's tactical adviser. Friends Chieftain Barrabus / Delta - Vernette's longest living, as well as longest loyal friend. A very unlikely friend given the war, Chieftain Barrabus shared a militaristic likeness to Vernette, in the sense that their methodologies were usually in sync. Compounded by the fact that Vernette shared an utter dislike for Elites and Spartans, it was a given that Barrabus had to have respect for Vernette. It was because of this, they both managed to maintain a healthy friendship and working arrangement throughout the war. It was not until the second battle of Earth did their working arrangement change. With the advent of Delta, secrecy was no longer needed when it came to meetings and associations. However, to ensure Delta's safety, Vernette was always cautious never to let Delta's true identity be known. Delta was personally charged with the protection of Vernette and his assets and goals. Vernette considers Delta one of his closest friends. Sergeant Eugene Korman - Captain, then Sergeant Eugene Korman was Vernette's right hand man during the early stages of The Second Battle of Earth. Vernette relied on Korman for most everything when it came to the ground operations. Vernette even began to show partiality towards Eugene, going so far as to take his side when a physical fight involving Sergeant Eugene Korman and Captain Dennis Buerscott took place. The fight was started by Eugene, but Vernette overlooked this. He gave the appearance of impartiality, but in reality, he let Korman slide with no punishment, while the Buerscott was threatened with severe punishment. In the minutes before Korman's death, Vernette took it upon himself, despite being aboard a ship that was about to self-destruct, to locate Korman and help get him to an escape pod. When Korman died, Vernette found it a very difficult decision to leave the dead body of Korman behind on said ship. Admiral James Forkes - James and Vernette had been friends for many years. However, their friendship was jeopardized during The Battle of Reach when Vernette, forcefully, put James into cryo sleep to "protect him" from both the Covenant and possible UNSC traitors. Vernette knew he needed to set aside important officers in the UNSC and he had to set aside his friendship for the good of the UNSC. It was not until the Second Battle of Earth that James was removed from cryo sleep by Vernette, and James' son, Harold. James was still pissed off at Vernette for freezing him, going so far as to punch Vernette in the face. Vernette laughed, knowing he deserved it. Although their friendship took a hit as a result of the freezing, they eventually reconciled when Vernette helped James, and his wife Nora, reconcile their differences. Since that time, they have remained excellent friends. Sergeant Harold Forkes - Although Harold by no means was a replacement for Korman, he was just as valued of an asset of Vernette's none the less. He was also a very trusted and reliable soldier, one of the few soldiers Vernette ever personally risked his own safety to help. Nearing the end of 2552, Vernette personally led an excursion to Juneau, Alaska to recover a cure, rather, the template for a cure, for Sergeant Forkes when he was deliberately infected with a retroactive physical enhancement pathogen. Normally, such a pathogen would be a benefit for a person, however, the pathogen was highly experimental, and it always resulted in the death of the subject. Vernette was able to recover the cure template and eventually was able to synthesize a cure. However, in true fashion, Harold Forkes was eventually killed by Admiral Kirk Korman, a feat that Vernette refuses to forgive or forget. Lieutenant Shella Lenner - Although their relationship was strained at times, Shella and Vernette were, for the most part, friends. Vernette, despite Shella's non-military background, considered Shella an excellent soldier, capable of extraordinary feats of both courage and heroism. Vernette was usually lenient, allowing her to get away with things he would other kill someone for. This was first observed when he allowed Shella to back out of her mission to kill the UNSC Fugative Stolt on the basis that Shella cared deeply for Stolt. Shipmaster Rkla - The closest thing Vernette has to a counterpart in the Separatist forces. Vernette considers Rkla one of his more important allies. Rkla has always made himself available when Vernette needed an extra gun or an extra ship to bolster his hand in a conflict. Rkla has even saved Vernette's life from a pack of brutes in Alaska. Rkla earned a great deal of respect and admiration from Vernette for this. Vernette and RKla continued their association throughout the war, coming to each others aid when one of them needed the others assistance. Overall, as the war went on, Rkla became less of an ally and more of a friend. Enemies Admiral Kirk Korman - Kirk Korman is the most despicable man ever born, as far as Vernette is concerned. Vernette's problems with Korman began when Korman tested a super soldier serum on Sergeant Forkes. From that point forward, Vernette has an unequivocal hatred for Korman. Vernette will use every opportunity he gets to kill Admiral Korman. Despite the location, scenario, or circumstances, if Vernette is in the same room as Kirk Korman, Vernette will draw his gun and attempt to kill Korman. Although Vernette has succeeded in killing Admiral Korman twice, Admiral Korman has always been one step ahead of Vernette. Korman will always utilize clones as decoys when any situation involving Vernette is at hand. Although Vernette has worked cooperatively with Korman on a few occasions, Vernette has always tried to kill Korman immediately after they had settled their mutual business. Ultimately, Vernette admitted that there will never be any reconciliation between the two. Lt. Cooke / Fleet Admiral Cooke / Director Gibson - The only man who has ever successfully launched a coup d'état on Vernette. This man holds a special place in Hell where Vernette is concerned. Although Vernette's hatred for Kirk Korman is unmatched, Cooke takes a very close second. Cooke managed to duplicate the process used to create Delta, and created his own augmented Brute named Durk. Vernette saw this as an affront to his years of work, as well as an insult to his intentions, and an insult to what Delta stands for. Vernette despised Cooks ideologies and his methods. Vernette especially despised the fact that Cooke used Vernette's own methods against him. Although Vernette met his lowest low when Cooke managed to wrongfully imprison him, falsify his death, and strip Vernette of his rank and command, Vernette was ultimately grateful to Cooke for one thing. Cooke copied Vernette's ideologies of control and power. Vernette spent his entire life, always shunning his own desires for power and control. When Vernette saw someone who mirrored him commit the atrocities that Cooke did, it renewed Vernette's belief in his own sense of good and his belief that his desire for power and control did, in fact, have noble and just roots. When Vernette reclaimed power from Cooke, he knew that with as much as he held, he had a moral responsibility to uphold what was good and right. The UNSC In General - Admiral Vernette has a very unsteady relationship with the UNSC. After years of dedicated service, he has become quite jaded. Vernette saw the true rot in the UNSC, and despite his better judgement telling him to ditch it, he sticks around, hoping to, in some way, improve it, or restore it to some degree. Although Vernette's own methods are much worse then the UNSC's methods, Vernette believes his methods work for a good, that the ends justify the means. Vernette believes the UNSC has no concept of the greater good, and is nothing more then a bureaucratic government. HIGHCOM - Vernette has been used and betrayed by HIGHCOM more times then he would like. It was HIGHCOM that was responsible for his wrongful incarceration, and the subsequent ONI power struggle. Vernette would do away with HIGHCOm if he could. ONI - Vernette does not have any major gripes with ONI. He does have issues with them, but issues that pale in comparison to his issues with HIGHCOM. ONI, on several occasions, have tried to kidnap Delta for experimentation. This has generated a rouge streak in Vernette, which, in itself has caused problems. ONI has frequently given Vernette problems about his staunch defense of a Brute. UNSCDF - The UNSCDF and Vernette get along quite well. Most of the people loyal to Vernette reside in the military branch. The Marines and ODSTs always follow orders, and in return, Vernette will always spring to the defense of the UNSCDF. The Covenant The Loyalists - As a UNSC Admiral, Vernette sees the Loyalist army as the enemy. However, Vernette does not have any hatred or animosity towards the Loyalist army. Vernette finds it difficult to categorize them. During Vernette's wrongful imprisonment, A Loyalist named Chieftain Vargus assisted Delta and Max in the rescue plan. Vargus even went so far as to have his Brutes attack a UNSC super prison in order to create a distraction for Max and Delta. The Separatists - The movement Vernette helped bring about. Vernette has had a few dealings with the Separatists, but overall, has never really gone beyond military briefings and status reports. Ships of Service The King Raven The King raven was a Halcyon class cruiser and Vernette's first ship that he commanded. This ship saw roughly 28 years of combat, and thus, it is widely regarded as the longest serving ship in UNSC history. As a result of the amount of combat this ship saw, Vernette was forced to improvise repairs to the ship, even going so far as to modify the ship from original design: Two Magnetic Accelerator Cannons Three-Hundred Archer Missile Pods Sixty-Five 50mm MLA Auto-cannons The King Raven also went above and beyond its standard complement of equipment: Twenty-Five Shiva nuclear warheads Two NOVA warheads (Circa Second Battle for Earth) Over Twelve-Thousand Archer Missiles Large quantities of Vultures, Pelicans, Longswords, and Various Ground Vehicles The King Raven was ultimately destroyed during the Second Battle for Earth. After exhausting all of its weapons and equipment, and sustaining irreversible damage to the hull from a ground impact, The King Raven was set to auto destruct and destroyed to prevent anything from falling into Covenant hands. The Dreadhawk The Dreadhawk was Vernette's replacement ship. Although this ship did not contain any custom modifications, it still outclassed The King Raven in terms of firepower and facilities available at its disposal. Vernette personaly saw the ship was refitted with several specialized departments, including a cybernetics lab, an advanced all purpose research facility, and specialized armories. Although the Dreadhawk did not see any military combat, it was involved in all ground operations to help remove the remaining Covenant forces in the North American continent. The Cloak and Dagger See Main Article Vernette's third command ship. This ship was granted to Vernette after he became the Director of Section Zero. It is the most advanced ship in the UNSC. it is also the newest, only seeing roughly two weeks of Service before Vernette took command. Equipped with triple reinforced hull plating, a stealth generator, and limitless specialized research facilities. The Cloak and Dagger is as much of a mobile base, as it is a massive research facility, and a ship of war. The Cloak and Dagger, despite its extensive combat systems, is not a mainstream warship. The Cloak and Dagger is not supposed to be involved in military engagements. Three Magnetic Accelerator Cannons Four-Hundred Archer Missile Pods Ninety-Five 50mm MLA Auto-cannons One Stealth Generator Automated Internal Defensive Systems Enhanced Sensor Arrays Zero-G Infiltration Launchers The Cloak and Dagger was also equipped with cutting edge equipment: Forty-Five Shiva nuclear warheads Ten NOVA warheads Over Twenty-Thousand Archer Missiles Large quantities of Vultures, Pelicans, Longswords, and Various Ground Vehicles Several experimental vehicle systems Extensive armories, containing both standard and experiment weapons Vernette has extensively utilized the resources of The Cloak and Dagger, to the point where Vernette has rephrased himself into a combat role, with The Cloak and Dagger as his command ship. Despite the objections of the entire UNSC, Vernette believes that iof he sits on the sidelines, he will be nothing more then a washed up pen pusher. The Ticonderoga This was not a space faring vessel, rather, it was a planetary defense ship, that was confined to aquatic environments. The ship held the class of a sub-oceanic aircraft carrier. The Ticonderoga was a classified ONI ship. This ships, and by extension, ever ship of this class's primary function was to defend whatever planet it was assigned to. The Ticonderoga was assigned to Earth. During The Second Battle of Earth, Vernette had falsified information that The Ticonderoga had been destroyed. This was a cover, so Vernette could keep the ship for himself as part of many of his contingency plans. The Ticonderoga was first utilized by Delta, Max, and Chieftain Vargus, during the ONI power struggle. Vernette continued to utilize the ship after he was free from prison. After Vernette reclaimed The Ticonderoga, the ship was hidden once again, in case its services were ever needed again. Four long range artillery launchers. One Stealth generator. 25 AA Cannons. Enhanced hull plating for extreme deep sea navigation. Personal Health Vernette has a very long medical history, as well as an uncertain medical future. Reduced visibility in left eye - This was an injury sustained during The Siege of Paris IV. During a meeting with ranking Marine personnel on the surface, the base came under attack by Covenant Forces. Stray shrapnel from a dropped frag grenade grazed Vernette's face. Particle debris was sent into his eye, causing permanent damage to the eye. Although the damage is corrected by the use of a contact in his left eye, without the contact, Vernette's vision from his left eye is severely blurred. Artificial Heart - Vernette does not have a real heart, rather, he as a mechanical heart that resembles, in shape only, a heart. His heart is metallic and dark gray in color. Instead of using muscles to pump the blood, a complex system of automated pumps and pressure valves move the blood through his body. The only know side effect of the artificial heart is the absence of a heart beat. This has lead to some rater strange rumors, and some pretty absurd explanations as to why Vernette is such a cold man. Military Commendations 11 Purple Heart Awards 3 granted on Harvest 2 granted on Paris IV 2 granted on Miridem 1 granted on Reach 3 granted on Earth 3 Navy and Marine Marine Corps Medals 1 granted on Harvest 1 granted on Paris IV 1 Granted at Miridem 2 Legion of Merit Awards 1 granted at Reach 1 granted at Earth 1 Defense Superior Service Medals 1 granted on Paris IV 2 Navy Cross Awards 1 granted at Reach 1 granted at Earth 1 Medal of Honor 1 granted at Earth Questionable Activities and Personal Issues Vernette's career was defined by his association with Barrabus. Although nobody knows this truth, Vernette knows it to be true that his life and career would have been radically different if his decision at harvest to aid Barrabus' Brutes over Christal's Elites was reversed. Vernette has never considered himself a traitor because he was friends with Barrabus, but he did question, at times, the wisdom of associating himself with a Brute. Although Vernette had never given Barrabus any tactical information on the UNSC, Vernette did help Barrabus kill Spartans when they fought with him. Vernette's hatred for Spartans was unequivocal, but even that could not fully justify his association with Barrabus. This personal issue was put to rest when Barrabus was augmented in Delta. Vernette never forgot the day he executed Christal on the bridge of The King Raven. He hated SPARTANs, but he did have feelings for Christal, who, ironically, was a SPARTAN. Vernette saw this as his first steps down his road to his countless problems he would have in the future. He always wondered if he could have spared Christals life, but he eventually resolved that Christal had to die, not because of her ideologies, but because she was a SPARTAN. When Vernette authorized Delta to return to his homeworld to stop the renegade SPARTAN named Scott from utilizing the inhibitor technology on the general populace, Vernette prolonged the war. He knew that if Doisac fell, the Loyalist army would have fallen shortly afterward. However, Vernette placed more importance on his friendship with Delta then he did with his responsibility to the UNSC. Although this may have been the wrong decision, Vernette made a decision based on friendship, rather then responsibility. Quotes "You hold the rank of Admiral. You should be ashamed of yourself for what you have done. You turned your back on humanity. You have ruined your career. You have disgraced your name. You have ended your own life. You deserve death for what you have done. Traditionally, there is a court martial. But given the fact that you have confessed what you have done, are proud of it, and refuse to show any remorse, then in my eyes...this is case closed." -Fleet Admiral Preston Vernette to Admiral Ned Beurscott "I called you here to discuss your father, and the circumstances surrounding his...death. I had a feeling that his death had an effect on you, a very negative effect. It seems I was right. It seems all you do is fight with your comrades in arms! I would guess you were fighting with Sargent Korman, it wouldn't surprise me. Quite frankly, at this point, I don't care if you were fighting with a Christmas Tree, the fact that you are projecting such violent behavior outwards to your allies is disturbing. I have it in my right mind to relieve you of duty and place you under extensive psychiatric evaluation. However, I wont do that. I need every person on this ship. What I will do however is give you one more warning. If you step out of line again, consider yourself finished in the UNSC." -Fleet Admiral Preston Vernette to Captain Dennis Beurscott. "Good guys wear black!" -Director Vernette "Fire Everything at everything!" -Fleet Admiral Vernette "I don't see you guys raging the kind of mayhem I'm contemplating!" -Director Vernette "Everyone thinks I have the answers to everything, and they are right. People need answers because I cause the questions" -Director Vernette "The winner takes it all, the loser has to fall, and I will never fall!" -Commodore Vernette Rojas, I am the Director of Section 0. My directive is to safeguard Earth, the UNSC, and I guess her colonies...but that does not apply anymore. I am authorized to do almost whatever I want, anything I need to do, in order to fulfill my mission. I can do whatever I want with prisoners. You are my prisoner. You are a criminal, not an Admiral. You are assisting another criminal. Cooke is trying to claim power he has not earned, and does not deserve. You stood by and let this happen. In my books, that is a capital crime! You do not deserve to wear that uniform." -Director Vernette Trivia Preston Vernette's favorite color is black. Owned a classic silver Maine Coon named Beau when he was 21 years old. It died 9 years later. Is known to be a Catholic. Is known as a highly accomplished, self taught, cyberneticist and technician. Preston Vernette's eyes are Blue. Is said to have R Ho Negative blood type. Has no heartbeat due to his artificial heart. Was commonly referred to as V by Barrabus / Delta Preston Vernette despises "the heartless joke"