<<[PRIORITY ALPHA] Mission Briefing - Operation: MARATHON >> <<CMD Officer: Commander [REDACTED] "VOID" S-013 - CIRCUS One>> [AUTHORISED EYES ONLY - UNDER PENALTY OF EXECUTION - PER THE OFFICIAL SECRETS ACT OF 2550] <<DECRYPTING... STAND-BY>> <<Begin TRANSMISSION>> Listen up, CIRCUS, because I’m only going to say this once. As you all remember, twelve months ago, the Office of Naval Intelligence dragged us from the smouldering wreckage of the UNSC after the ceasefire, ink’d our records black, and put us through hell to become SPARTANS. CIRCUS Team - Phantom spartan misfits. We only had one objective: To participate in the testing of Project: ELDEWRITO, an experimental replacement for the existing Wargame simulations already being used by every other Spartan and their sainted mothers in the outer colonies. It might have been short-lived, but I’m proud to say we gave the techs all the technical and tactical data they could ever want - and personally, it was a blast. Since then, you’ve all been twiddling your thumbs here on Anvil Station, waiting for an excuse to go out and kill something since the Carnival Protocol was enacted. Fuckin’ stupid name for a protocol if you ask me, but tell that to the spooks. Anyways. Well, the UNSC is finally going to reap the benefits of the project - and we’re going to dive headfirst into this new hell. In 3 days, the UNSC will be deploying the Multiphased Combat Center for NCM Company. The next evolution in simulated combat - no longer tied to inferior, proprietary hardware, and with a vastly expanded set of wargame simulations, and objective scenarios directly reproduced from the viewpoints of critical individuals involved with the war against those Covy’ bastards. This is where we’re coming in. Orders came in from Colonel Rio last night at 00:23 hours. “(Priority Alpha) >>Open the Hushed Casket.” The Carnival is over. CIRCUS Team has been reactivated by Section 3. Operation: MARATHON begins when the MCC goes online. Objective: Finish the Fight. Further intelligence will be dispatched via DISCORD Protocol communications across the next 72 hours. Until then, I’d polish your MJOLNIR up nice and take a picture of it - because once we’re finished, it’ll never look that shiny and new again. Dismissed. <<END TRANSMISSION>> CIRCUS Team is being reactivated for the release of Halo 3, as part of the Master Chief Collection for PC! The CIRCUS Team group is now open for everyone to view and join. Join the NCM Discord and chat in #Gaming to arrange Halo game nights with us. See you on the 14th!

SPECWAR//Group Seven//CIRCUS Team ONI Preliminary Report - 19/03/2558 - Edward Rio, Colonel, CIRCUS, Commanding Officer Not exactly what I had in mind when I asked for permission to establish a SPARTAN fireteam under group seven. Insubordinate rejects, washed-up failures, ne'er-do-wells, walking wounded, and even an actual pirate. I suppose it makes sense- the SPARTAN branch probably got ahold of all the operatives without disciplinary and medical issues years ago. Nonetheless, very disappointing. I ask for soldiers, and instead, I get a bunch of clowns. At least the name fits. ONI Evaluation Report - 28/03/2558 - Edward Rio, Colonel, CIRCUS, Commanding Officer This lot has piqued my curiosity with their… unorthodox training methods. They have repurposed our prototype wargames simulator and the mothballed [GEN 1] MK. 6 MJOLNIR Armor we requisitioned for them into a form of amusement for themselves and their unaugmented comrades assigned to NCM company. This is unexpected, as many of them are experienced veterans from various campaigns, from the Fall of Reach and New Mombasa to Onyx and Requiem and beyond. I'll admit, like the menagerie of men and women that now hang on their every word, I've laughed at their antics on more than one occasion. I find their incessant taunting and immaturity strangely cathartic, even if I cannot help but question whether or not their protracted service has wreaked irreversible harm and havoc upon these poor souls' sanity. ONI After-Action Report - 10/04/2558 - Edward Rio, Colonel, CIRCUS, Commanding Officer I must admit, I had my doubts about this bunch of misfits at first, but they’ve managed to pull together. Their first Op was a resounding success, even if they diverted from the planned extraction coordinates to, quote, “Play another game of Oddball”. I’m requesting permission to recruit additional operatives from the pool of SPARTAN-IV recruits, preferably candidates that don't fit in with the rest. I’m sure SPARTAN won’t have a problem parting with their worst offerings. In addition, I’ve decided to begin broadcasting the team’s “Training Sessions” to NCM company as a whole- its done wonders for morale. -END OF REPORT- CIRCUS Team is looking for members to join for casual matches and minigames in Halo: Online - the unofficial port of Halo 3 multiplayer to the PC by the Eldewrito team (And eventually the PC Master Chief Collection). You can find information on how to install and play Halo: Online here, and you can contact us on the NCM Discord if you want to enlist. UNSC Personal Evaluations: CIRCUS TEAM Commander SPARTAN [REDACTED] "VOID" - CIRCUS One - Urban Pacification Warrant Officer SPARTAN Yui Yurican - CIRCUS Two - Guerilla Warfare Chief Petty Officer Thar-B164 - CIRCUS Three - Sniper Warrant Officer "Rep" Ronald-203 - CIRCUS Four - Point Man Lieutenant “Zai” Leon-BXXX - CIRCUS Six- Asymmetrical Warfare Master Chief Petty Officer Amelia-A292 - CIRCUS Seven- Target Aquisition

[ENCRYTPED LOG #J-01:6678 - 19:50 LOCAL 22/09/2258] >> Just got pinged, Sir. Orders? [CIRCUS/ACTUAL is typing...] >> CARNIVAL is in effect. [V is typing...] >> When do we burn? [CIRCUS/ACTUAL is typing...] >> Don't, for now. Collect and archive everything on the subnet for now. [V is typing...] >> Give her hell, Boss. [END OF LOG] FILE 1 - Single-Image SECRUEVIS - Unknown ODST engaging Covenant in New Mombasa - Dated October 21, 2552. (Source: New Mombasa Superintendent-class AI) // Class_S91 synthetic paper / Gloss // Hardcopy obtained from Voi Secure Console Gamma-B / Ref# 98555275~1 // Digital Scan: FILE 2: Confidential memo - To: Rear Admiral Ghanem, SPARTAN Operations. From: Admiral Serin Osman, Office of Naval Intelligence - [NO DATE DETECTED] // OG Systems #A/SPEC high-grade Stocksynth Paper // Treated with [REDACTED] anti-tampering solution. // Digital transcription available: FILE 3: Handwritten note - To: Colonel Edward Rio, CIRCUS ACTUAL. From: "MP" - [NO DATE DETECTED] // OG Systems #A/SPEC high-grade Stocksynth Paper // Handwriting analysis: [REDACTED] // Digital transcription available: FILE 4: Handwritten MJOLNIR research note - Signed by: "V" - Dated 22/09/2258 // OG Systems #B Standard Stocksynth Paper // Handwriting analysis: [NO MATCH] // Digital transcription available: FILE 5: SPARTAN-II Candidate Record [S-203] - SIDE A ONLY - Dated September 29, 2517 // OG Systems #B/MED Sterile Stocksynth Paper // Handwriting analysis: Dr. Catherine Elizabeth Halsey, MD, PhD [MIA 2552] // Digital Copy:

SPECWAR//Group Seven//CIRCUS Team ONI Preliminary Report - 19/03/2558 - Edward Rio, Colonel, CIRCUS, Commanding Officer Not exactly what I had in mind when I asked for permission to establish a SPARTAN fireteam under group seven. Insubordinate rejects, washed-up failures, ne'er-do-wells, walking wounded, and even an actual pirate. I suppose it makes sense- the SPARTAN branch probably got ahold of all the operatives without disciplinary and medical issues years ago. Nonetheless, very disappointing. I ask for soldiers, and instead, I get a bunch of clowns. At least the name fits. ONI Evaluation Report - 28/03/2558 - Edward Rio, Colonel, CIRCUS, Commanding Officer This lot has piqued my curiosity with their… unorthodox training methods. They have repurposed our prototype wargames simulator and the mothballed [GEN 1] MK. 6 MJOLNIR Armor we requisitioned for them into a form of amusement for themselves and their unaugmented comrades assigned to NCM company. This is unexpected, as many of them are experienced veterans from various campaigns, from the Fall of Reach and New Mombasa to Onyx and Requiem and beyond. I'll admit, like the menagerie of men and women that now hang on their every word, I've laughed at their antics on more than one occasion. I find their incessant taunting and immaturity strangely cathartic, even if I cannot help but question whether or not their protracted service has wreaked irreversible harm and havoc upon these poor souls' sanity. ONI After-Action Report - 10/04/2558 - Edward Rio, Colonel, CIRCUS, Commanding Officer I must admit, I had my doubts about this bunch of misfits at first, but they’ve managed to pull together. Their first Op was a resounding success, even if they diverted from the planned extraction coordinates to, quote, “Play another game of Oddball”. I’m requesting permission to recruit additional operatives from the pool of SPARTAN-IV recruits, preferably candidates that fit in with the rest. I’m sure SPARTAN won’t have a problem parting with their worst offerings. In addition, I’ve decided to begin broadcasting the team’s “Training Sessions” to NCM company as a whole- its done wonders for morale. -END OF REPORT- CIRCUS Team is looking for members to join for casual matches and minigames in Halo: Online - the unofficial port of Halo 3 multiplayer to the PC by the Eldewrito team (And eventually the PC Master Chief Collection). You can find information on how to install and play Halo: Online here, and you can contact us on the NCM Discord if you want to enlist. UNSC Personal Evaluations: CIRCUS TEAM Commander SPARTAN [REDACTED] "VOID" - CIRCUS One - Urban Pacification Warrant Officer SPARTAN Yui Yurican - CIRCUS Two - Guerilla Warfare Chief Petty Officer Thar B-164 - CIRCUS Three - Marksman Warrant Officer "Rep" Ronald S-203 - CIRCUS Four - Point Man Lieutenant “Zai” Leon-BXXX - CIRCUS Six- Asymetrical Warfare