Editing UNSC Transmission 102482-02

{{Status|Canon}}

'''United Nations Space Command Transmission 102482-02''' was a classified communiqué sent by [[Vice Admiral]] [[Preston Cole|Preston J. Cole]] to [[Admiral]] [[Michael Stanforth|Harold Stanforth]] in [[2531]].<ref>'''[[Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe]]''', ''[[The Impossible Life and the Possible Death of Preston J. Cole]]'' page 317 (2010 Edition, Vol. I)</ref> It consisted of Cole's thoughts regarding the [[ONI Directorate Memorandum Interrogation Findings|interrogation]] of a [[Covenant]] [[Subject 386|prisoner]] after the [[Battle of the Great Bear]], especially concerning the importance of preventing the enemy discovery of the [[Sol system]] and of gaining better military intelligence. Additionally, it contained the directives that Cole had drafted in [[Cole Protocol#Hypodermic-FXT-J|Hypodermic-FXT-J]], which would eventually be codified as the [[Cole Protocol]].<ref>'''Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe''', ''The Impossible Life and the Possible Death of Preston J. Cole'' pages318-320 (2010 Edition, Vol. I)</ref>

In [[2552]], UNSC Transmission 102482-02 was included within ''[[Historical/Psychological Analysis of Cole, Preston J.]]'', an intelligence report filed by [[Codename: SURGEON]] to [[Codename: USUAL SUSPECTS]].<ref>'''Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe''', ''The Impossible Life and the Possible Death of Preston J. Cole'' pages 317-320 (2010 Edition, Vol. I)</ref>

==Classified communiqué from Vice Admiral Preston Cole to Admiral Harold Stanforth \ May 2531 (Military Calendar)==
:'''[[United Nations Space Command]] Transmission 102482-02'''
:'''[[Encryption code]]: Red'''
:'''Public Key: [[File/vegas-anaconda-mockingbird-zero/|file / Vegas-Anaconda-Mockingbird-Zero /]]'''
:'''From: Vice Admiral Preston Cole, [[Commanding officer|Commanding Officer]] {{UNSCShip|Everest}} / ([[Service number|UNSC Service Number]]: 00814-13094-BQ)'''
:'''To: Admiral Harold Stanforth, USNC Region One Commander / [[Reach|REACH]] [[Central Command|CENTCOM]] (UNSC Service Number: 00834-19223-HS)'''
:'''Subject: safeguarding [[Astrogation|navigation]] data - more thoughts'''
:'''[[Transmission classification|Classification: SECRET]] ([[BGX Directive]])'''

:Harold,
:I've gone over this a dozen times: starting with our capture and interrogation of the alien creature my doctors are calling an "[[Sangheili|Elite]]" and ending with my tenuous conclusions and recommendations.
:It doesn't make sense. My gut tells me the entire [[Human-Covenant War|war]] hinges on something that we have overlooked.
:First, and foremost, the Elite was xenophobic. The venom with which it spoke of [[Human|humanity]] and its one desire - even as it bled out on the table - to find [[Earth]] and [[Glassing|burn]] it to hot ashes... left zero doubt.
:With that in mind, I still believe that safeguarding Earth's position is of vital importance. I plan to immediately implement the directives I drafted and sent to [[Office of Naval Intelligence|ONI]] for review, namely:

:#ALL UNSC and [[Civilian|civilian]] ships that come into contact with alien assets must have [[Navigation computer|nav computer]] network/[[AI]] erased - destroyed, if necessary - to prevent capture of [[Human colonies|core world]] locations.
:#ALL human vessels fleeing alien forces must do so on randomly generated vectors away from UNSC core worlds.
:#[[ONI Section Two|ONI Section II]] to begin [[Slipstream space|slipstream space]] [[Superluminal communications|attenuation broadcast]] of prerecorded human [[Wikipedia:Carrier wave|carrier signals]] from [[Globalization era|antiquity]] to prevent [[Triangulation|triangulation]] of Earth.

:But, like I said, some things about this do not add up. 
:First, I do not understand why the aliens DON'T know where Earth is. They have technology hundreds of years more advanced then ours. All one has to do to find Earth is stick a [[Wikipedia:radio|radio]] antenna into space and triangulate on the source. I suspect something is occurring within the Covenant [[Hierarchs|hierarchy]] that has prevented Earth from being targeted, or perhaps appreciated... something our captured alien had no knowledge of.
:Second, my recommendation for ONI to [[Wikipedia:Attenuation|obfuscate]] the radio signature in slipstream space (directive 3) might be our best bet to keep rogue elements within the [[Covenant military]] from finding Earth and preemptively attacking. Considering the dangers of any energy manipulation in slipstream space, however, I'm going to need your support with [[Margaret Parangosky|Parangosky]] to use her assets in what she'll consider an "extreme-risk" operation. 
:Third, I'll need solid intelligence on the enemy. Do they seem to see us as some kind of [[Covenant religion|religious]] aggressor... following some hitherto unknown ritual that accounts for them [[Massacre of the Outer Colonies|destroying]] our [[Outer Colonies]] before Earth? Or another possibility - an [[Wikipedia:Anthropomorphism|anthropomorphic]] gulf - that we have so many inhabited worlds, some more powerful militarily, economically than Earth - what if they're not interested in our ''homeworld'' strategically - but rather for some other, unknowable reason?
:I can fight them, Harold, but only so effectively without knowing ''why'' they hate us. 
:I keep thinking of [[Wikipedia:Sun Tzu|Sun Tzu]]: "If you know your enemies and know yourself, you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles; if you do not know your enemies but do know yourself, you will win one and lose one; if you do not know your enemies nor yourself, you will be imperiled in every single battle."
:I look forward to your thoughts on this, my old friend.
:Be well.

:Preston

==Production note==
"UNSC" is misspelled as "USNC" in one instance within the transmission; presumably, this is due to an editing error or oversight. Additionally, the specific day of May 2531 on which the transmission was sent seems to have been omitted.

==List of appearances==
*''[[Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe]]''
**''[[The Impossible Life and the Possible Death of Preston J. Cole]]'' {{1st}}

==Sources==
{{Ref/Sources}}

[[Category:Files]]
[[Category:Historical/Psychological Analysis of Cole, Preston J.]]