Discoveries...

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ISitInA
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Discoveries...

Unread post by ISitInA »

Captain,

Contrary to popular belief, Orions weren't the only ones to field Kavacha armor. Though they were the only ones to field the final models, many of the test models were used by groups of volunteers for specific missions. You don't put your best in untested technology, after all.

One squad in particular was sent on an extremely dangerous mission. After learning that the Covenant were being highly selective in glassing a certain planet, they were sent to do the impossible; retrieve an Elite commander alive for interrogation. While they had three full squads of Orion-IVs and one squad of Orion-IIs at their backs, it was still considered by some to be a suicide mission.

This is also why the prototype Kavacha Mk 3 suits used by the marines were fitted with backpack nukes.

Though the suits didn't have the shielding technology (much of which was only created thanks to the capture of a certain Covenant warship) that would become synonymous with Kavacha Mk 3 personal battle armor, they still completed their mission with only one casualty. As they pulled out, the suit was blown – I'm told it was in the process of being transported to one of the ships in orbit. There's an official reprimand by an Orion-II for not having waited until the craft had docked, but time constraints prevented such forward thought.

The captured Elites we interrogated revealed a great deal of information to us, some of which has never been made public. Though the year-long interrogation resulted in its death, we learned the Covenant's power structure, all seven races that made up the Covenant (if you wish to count the Jackals and the Engineers, which apparently some don't), and the bloody turmoil that brought the Elites into the ruling class.

To say that this information was invaluable to the UNSC would be an understatement. Not because it helped us win the war, but because we finally understood why the Covenant called us Corruptors.

Their entire society is based around an ancient spacefaring race called the Forerunners which predated even the first homosapien. The remainders of their great culture can be found around the galaxy, apparently. However, they left on some “great journey” to become gods. Thusly, the Covenant was formed to try and retrace their steps through what artifacts could be found.

And their “luminaries” detected us, all of humanity, as being Forerunner artifacts.

This information was collaborated by a few of the Grunts we captured. Sadly, many of them knew virtually nothing. Apparently, keeping the lesser races informed wasn't part of the program.

It was this intel, combined with the Kavacha Mk 3 modular armor system that truly brought the Science Corps of the Orion-IVs into the limelight. The Cole Protocol was quietly amended to include the retrieval and study (when able) of such artifacts as a hope of winning the war. In the field, the people best suited for this role were the Science Corps.

Up until now, F484 had been somewhere in the lower-middle of the program. His tendency to go “404” (to wander off on his own during an operation) earned him many reprimands, though his ability to make such actions useful to either the operation or the UNSC as a whole made it go mostly ignored. His “chatty” nature to other Orions tended to earn him their ire, though some welcomed the chance to talk. His thoughts were random, often skipping from one subject to the next seemingly without focus; some reports suggest that he may have had a mild form of autism, though no evidence collaborates this.

However, these two things earned him a respected position within the Science Corps. During the Christmas “leave” of 2539, he absorbed massive amounts of intel on all known Forerunner artifacts. His thoughts and ideas were discussed with other members of the Science Corps, and with any authorized ONI personnel willing to listen. The Field Geeks, as the other Orions called them, put together massive amounts of observation as to where locations of Forerunner artifacts might be located. Even more interestingly, on the next two missions he went on, he returned with items that were later identified as Forerunner in nature.

Needless to say, after that, he wasn't reprimanded for going 404 again.

Sincerely,

Chair

P.S. It should be noted that not all test groups for Kavacha armor went as spectacularly as that one did. Even more troubling, there were reports of the nukes occasionally not going off. Some diplodink decided there was no way that the Insurrectionists could reverse-engineer the armor, and that the backpack nukes were so tamper-resistant, and so tied in with the micro-nuclear reactor, that even if they tried it would end spectacularly. He has since retired, obviously.

*************
Note by Hive: Captain, I have encountered additional encrypted data within this message. The encryption keys are old enough to be added to my own databanks upon my creation due to our frequent status in the outer regions of humanity's occupied zone, in case we encountered any of the number of missing ships from the war. Below is the unencrypted message.
*************
The first time they didn't yell at you for wandering off, you were so lost. I've seen the videos of you for the following week after you got back to Fort Iroquois for your debriefing. It was like your world had shattered and you didn't know what to do.
*************
SonGoharotto
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Re: Discoveries...

Unread post by SonGoharotto »

Chair,

I don't seem to recall the Orion program ever being made public. When NavSpecWar's Spartans were put in the spotlight, it was a huge morale booster, somewhat tempered by their already small and dwindling numbers. The Orion program sounds like it had just as much potential, if not more, especially given all they accomplished. I understand the whole "experimenting on people" thing wouldn't go over so well, but if the Spartans in all their walking death machine glory can be turned into a PR win, surely ONI's spin doctors could do something with the Orions as well.

Can you give me a snap shot of the behind-the-scenes politics at the time? It might provide some insight into F484's recent activities. And I'm sure you don't need me to tell you to step lightly on this. I'd hate to see my very favorite insider's head on a pike because my inquiries caused you to cross the grinning skulls in HIGHCOM.

~Captain
ISitInA
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Re: Discoveries...

Unread post by ISitInA »

Captain,

Due to having a decent amount of security, I wanted to clarify a little something about the people who tested the Kavacha armor real quick while I still have the time.

ONI thought it wise to secure their secrecy over some matters with the armor, naturally.

Nobody who tested it was supposed to see combat again after the missions.

They, and their armor, were taken to secure locations to serve out the remainder of their careers.

They also received at least one promotion each. If they were already set for a promotion, they received two.

Really, this wasn't a bad idea at all.

Unfortunately, this also meant that some rather good soldiers were put in backwater locations for the rest of the war.

Somehow, we didn't see a problem with this. I still slap my forehead over this one.

To be honest, though, for the most part, the troops didn't complain.

However, on occasion, this worked to our advantage.

Even locations that were once considered backwater got attacked, and just seeing Kavacha armor was enough to raise the morale of the troops fighting.

Let's never forget that the image of Kavacha armor became synonymous with Orions, and the knowledge that Orions were in the fight made people hold together just that much more.

Even if it was a lie.

Not that it didn't come in handy in other ways, either, but I can't say everything. Some things are still classified, and sadly don't relate to F484.

Sincerely,

Chair
Helen
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Re: Discoveries...

Unread post by Helen »

ISitInA wrote:Captain,

Due to having a decent amount of security, I wanted to clarify a little something about the people who tested the Kavacha armor real quick while I still have the time.

ONI thought it wise to secure their secrecy over some matters with the armor, naturally.

Nobody who tested it was supposed to see combat again after the missions.

They, and their armor, were taken to secure locations to serve out the remainder of their careers.

They also received at least one promotion each. If they were already set for a promotion, they received two.

Really, this wasn't a bad idea at all.

Unfortunately, this also meant that some rather good soldiers were put in backwater locations for the rest of the war.

Somehow, we didn't see a problem with this. I still slap my forehead over this one.

To be honest, though, for the most part, the troops didn't complain.

However, on occasion, this worked to our advantage.

Even locations that were once considered backwater got attacked, and just seeing Kavacha armor was enough to raise the morale of the troops fighting.

Let's never forget that the image of Kavacha armor became synonymous with Orions, and the knowledge that Orions were in the fight made people hold together just that much more.

Even if it was a lie.

Not that it didn't come in handy in other ways, either, but I can't say everything. Some things are still classified, and sadly don't relate to F484.

Sincerely,

Chair
How pathetic.
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DHalo
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Re: Discoveries...

Unread post by DHalo »

Helen,

Could I inquire as to what exactly is pathetic within the contents of that transmission?
Helen
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Re: Discoveries...

Unread post by Helen »

DHalo wrote:Helen,

Could I inquire as to what exactly is pathetic within the contents of that transmission?
Her useless flailing. They're more the work of a school child playing spy with her friends in the park than an actual ONI operative.

Also, you can thank me for clipping out all that useless message header business. They were all being falsified anyway. Nothing but useless clutter.

But maybe I'm out of line. You seemed to be rather angry the last time I said anything about her. I apologize. I'll go back to my job opening and closing airlocks like a good little AI.
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DHalo
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Re: Discoveries...

Unread post by DHalo »

Helen wrote:
DHalo wrote:Helen,

Could I inquire as to what exactly is pathetic within the contents of that transmission?
Her useless flailing. They're more the work of a school child playing spy with her friends in the park than an actual ONI operative.

Also, you can thank me for clipping out all that useless message header business. They were all being falsified anyway. Nothing but useless clutter.

But maybe I'm out of line. You seemed to be rather angry the last time I said anything about her. I apologize. I'll go back to my job opening and closing airlocks like a good little AI.
Falsified? Could you expand on that, please, Helen?
Helen
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Re: Discoveries...

Unread post by Helen »

DHalo wrote:Falsified? Could you expand on that, please, Helen?
No. It's an ONI matter and none of your concern. Concentrate on your crew and your duties, Captain. That is your job, isn't it?
Hive
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Re: Discoveries...

Unread post by Hive »

bzzt! I'll be glad when she's gone, Captain. She shouldn't treat you like that.
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DHalo
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Re: Discoveries...

Unread post by DHalo »

It is what it is, Hive. Just keep doing what you do best.
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