Bryan Roederer

"The war showed me and taught me many things, things I would like to forget. However, I also saw heroes, human and alien alike, that gave me hope. A hope for a better universe to come..."

- Allen Rhodes, circa 2556

Allen Rhodes , known as CODENAME: BLACK ZERO, was a covert field operative of the (ONI), where he would serve under, the intelligence-gathering branch of ONI. Rhodes served in the latter years of the.

Born into a life of privilege, Allen Rhodes showcased a level of abnormal intelligence in his youth and he attended some of the most prestigious academic institutions. After his graduation from university, Rhodes would be recruited by Naval Intelligence for his intelligence. Rhodes worked as a field intelligence operative, as he took part in covert reconnaissance, espionage, information gathering, and guerrilla operations against the and the  during his service. He would also oversee some of ONI's covert combat operations, including operations.

During the latter years of the war, Rhodes would find himself as a frontline commander for UNSC and ONI special forces. During the Post-War years, Rhodes would continue his field work as a Section One agent, as he conducted covert operations against the and Insurrectionists. He was also involved in the Created Crisis.

Due to talents as a tactician and his espionage skill set, Allen Rhodes would be known as one of Naval Intelligence's elite field operatives. He would be honored for his distinguished service with ONI. Allen Rhodes was respected and admired by some of his colleagues, but hated by his rivals within ONI, the Covenant species, and Insurrectionist cells.

Early Life
Allen Carson Rhodes was born inside the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center on November 11, 2510. He was the fourth child (and second son) of the Rhodes family, a well-known banking family that owned several banks in the. Allen was raised in the sprawling metropolis of Los Angeles, California. In his youth, Allen was already showing signs of mature intelligence at his young. Allen performed well in primary and secondary school, as he achieved high marks in mathematics and history courses. During his high school years, Allen was already taking advanced college-level classes. However, teenage Allen was a introvert and was not social with his fellow classmates. He was also prime target for bullying, which would had made his high school years difficult for him.

By the time he graduated from secondary school in 2523, Allen received scholarships from elite college and universities around Earth. Allen would eventually choose to attend, where he received a Political Science degree and he graduated at the top his class in 2527. However, Allen was aimless and had avoided a choosing a career path. He became estranged from his family, as he was not a fan of his family's politics, and moved into the industrial urban zones of Los Angeles. He would take several odd jobs to provide for himself. Allen, who was depressed and frustrated, contemplated moving back with his family and pursue a career in banking. However, that was not the future that Allen would have.

Two individuals paid Allen a visit at his urban apartment in Los Angeles. These two agents claimed that they were "UEG agents" that were observing Allen since his college years. They wanted utilize his talents for their operations in the colonies, which were "under crisis at the moment". Allen, who was critical of the UEG and their polices at the time, wanted no part of a overly authoritative government. He turned them away, but not before getting their contact information from them.

Days later, Allen would be offered an ultimatum by his estranged family; come back home for a job to work at one of the family-owned banks or lose a significant chunk of the inheritance. Allen, with little hesitation, chose to lose inheritance instead of working with his family. However, he was left with fragile finances and his odd jobs would not be enough to compensate. Thus, Allen contacted the agents to discuss the job opportunity. The agents revealed that they represented the Office of Naval Intelligence, and that Allen's talents had impressed ONI enough to offer him a career in the agency. With some hesitation, Allen accepted the offer and proceeded to be formally inducted into the intelligence service of the UNSC Navy.