Novum Acies Chronicles/Greater Responsibility

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“This way, please. You’ll find the cabin to your left.”

The ONI agent guided Ren-172 through a small pathway. Ren followed, wearing a white uniform, unusually lacking medals of any sort for a Spartan. He was suddenly called by RADM Jazmine Utah, with no details what or why. He was secretly brought onto the ship he was on currently by an ONI prowler, while he was sedated. Why didn’t she trust him?

Ren stopped his thoughts when the ONI agent suddenly stopped and turned, facing Ren. To her right, and to his left, was a door, with a big insignia of ONI’s Beta-5 Division on it. The ONI agent approached his ears, and whispered, “The Director is waiting for you inside. She wants to discuss very top secret information, so you’ll be given a code word clearance to enter her cabin.” Saying that, the ONI agent left the area, leaving Ren alone. Stiffening his body, Ren neared the door when it automatically opened, bright light facing him. He slowly entered the room and the doors quickly closed, and as the light dimmed, he noticed Utah sitting on a chair.

“Good morning, Rear Admiral.”

“Good Morning, Lieutenant... Ren. It’s good to see you again.”

“Likewise, ma’am. I require you code-word before I can speak freely.”

Utah’s face changed, suddenly embarrassed at her forgetting about it. “Of course. Your code word is ‘Carbon Billion’. Now, let me brief on why I’ve called you here, under all this secrecy, when the war is nearing its end.” She motioned him to sit down.

“Yes, ma’am, that’s exactly my doubt; why was I called here to a secret place when I should be on the battlefield fighting the Covenant?”

Utah tapped a few buttons on the holo-panel on the table she was seated near. “Do you know of the SPARTAN-IIIs?”

“Affirmative, ma’am. You’ve told a few bits of information about them. Suicide soldiers, trained in companies of 300...basically cheap Spartan supersoldiers.”

“I’d like to correct you, Lieutenant, that there were some of them who were pulled out and given MJOLNIR, to work like normal SPARTANs. But that’s not the thing we’re meant to talk, since any further details are classified, and you don’t have the authority to know them. Not yet.”

“Ma’am?”

“Let me come to the point. Months ago, Gamma Company, the third batch of SPARTAN-IIIs, went active. After this, we were supposed to activate the next batch, Delta Company. We sent in all the supplies to them and expected the recruitment to get over and training to start around this time. Gamma Company hadn’t been sent on a suicide mission; when Earth was attacked, they were moved there instead. We thought that based on the fewer casualties we’ve seen after Delta goes active a few years later, we might finally achieve the dream of a Spartan army.

“But, an unfortunate turn of events occurred, and during two separate battles in different locations, both Lieutenant Commander Kurt Ambrose and Colonel James Ackerson–the two overseers and caretakers of the SPARTAN-III program–were killed. And believing that the SPARTAN-IV program would be a better successor, Delta Company was shut-down by CINCONI Margaret Parangosky. A shame, considering that the ‘SPARTAN-IV’ Ilsa Zane managed to gather insurrectionists and attack the UNSC Infinity, the so-called ‘culmination of humanity’s achievements’.”

“Yes ma’am, I’ve heard of it. Spartan traitors are quite...uncommon.” Ren said as he remembered Victoria, the Class II trainee who escaped the facility after receiving her augmentations. Dr. Hansson had seemed especially furious that day, as she seemed to have caused enough damage.

“Exactly. There’ve been traitors in Gamma Company as well, but put that aside for now. Beta-5 has managed to gather enough funding and support internally to secretly reactivate Delta Company. Completely handled by us only, we have newer and better augmentations and a completely new training regimen. Everything is finalized, and we need help from you.”

Ren was doubtful of the ‘secret Spartans’ part, but he trusted Utah. He replied “I’m always willing to offer help for you, ma’am. What do you want me to do?” He was unknowingly going to repent the following words, after all.

“I want you to train the Delta Company Spartans, Ren”, said Utah with a stern voice.

Ren staggered, moving a few steps backward. He was not ready for what he just heard. “I-I’m not sure, ma’am. I don’t think I can do this.”

Utah sighed. She fixed his gaze on Ren and said “Ren, I’ve known you. I’ve been monitoring your skills when I was commanding VELOX, after all. I know what you’re capable of. I trust you can handle this.”

Ren put a blank face, trying to find words to say. Unable to do so, he just kept silent. Utah continued, “You will be accompanied by others...including familiar faces. Two other Spartans will assist you in this task well. And the project will be headed by...Captain Andrew Johnson.”

“Captain Johnson?” Ren said as he recollected memories of the man who recruited him to become a SPARTAN-II. “It’d be an honor to work under him.”

“Yes, and your new last name will be Darraway. Additionally, you’ll be promoted to Lieutenant Commander for the project. Here’s your insignia” Utah pushed a small box across the table to Ren, who opened it to find a Gold Star, along with the other accessories.

“We’re expecting the best batch of SPARTANs yet, and aiming for the same success Class II had, possibly even more. It’s your task now, Ren. You now have a greater responsibility than dropping enemies on the warzone. Dismissed.”

Ren saluted and walked out of the room. The last words continued to stay in his mind, having a “greater responsibility”. Ren wasn’t sure he was upto the task, but he certainly hoped he would be. Worries aside, he had a job to do now.