I wrote this up over at Waypoint in a response. Knowing how critical Bungie.net is, and along with the easy access to threads here, I'd like some critiques and opinions. UPDATE: [url=http://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post?id=62230769&path=1]I overhauled the analysis, addidng more detail and sources and quotes here.[/url] [quote]Del Rio's position as Captain of the Infinity is the result of a political battle. When ONI commissioned Infinity, it took up half of the Navy's entire budget. You can't hide something like that so the UNSC wanted in on the project too. Not wanting to let ONI have complete control of the Infinity, the UNSC placed Del Rio as Captain, while ONI wanted Lasky. With Del Rio as captain the UNSC secured two things. 1. The Infinity would not be destroyed easily. Del Rio served as a Captain throughout the Covenant War following the guide book by the letter. As a result, he made calculated retreats, decorating his Service Record with numerous undestroyed ships in good condition. 2. ONI would not have entire control of Infinity. With Del Rio in charge, and Lasky as the XO, the UNSC and ONI effectively shared Infinity. In the results that lead up to Halo 4, Del Rio would come to understand Infinity's awesome power. This lead him to overestimate it when they were deployed to Requiem in '57. Losing complete control over Infinity with no power, had Del Rio quite shocked and concerned. His understanding of Forerunner technology based on his experiences was that it was mostly inert. With Infinity crash landed on Requiem, Del Rio was quite afraid he had just cost Humanity their role as top dog in the Orion Arm. So when the Covenant and Didact were fended off, he decided Infinity was already at too much risk and quite defenseless here. He wanted to make a tactical retreat and return more prepared. So when Humanity's living legend came back from the dead, and started talking about pursuing an aggressive Campaign on Requiem against the Didact, Del Rio was more concerned about Infinity's safety and didn't want Chief to undermine his command. When Infinity was capable of leaving, and Master Chief was debriefed on the bridge, his story sounded insane. Humanity has once been an Interstellar civilization, capable of contending with the Ecumene, who had then been devolved, and converted into living machines. In addition, his experience sounded more akin to a vision. If you think about that cutscene, it's actually really trippy. So as Chief continues to push for the campaign on Requiem, Del Rio adamantly says no. This sends the rampant Cortana off and she reveals just how bad she's deteriorated. Rampant AI's are quite capable of killing people or severely injuring them, so Del Rio went by the book and ordered her termination. Master Chief of course intervened, directly disobeying Del Rio's orders and possibly endangering Infinity's crew by keeping a rampant AI aboard the ship. But Master Chief doesn't stop there, he announces that we will continue the campaign on Requiem if Del Rio will not, undermining his authority. Del Rio, not wanting to lose the living legend or his perceived authority, ordered Master Chief's arrest, to attempt to keep him aboard Infinity. But it was too late. Chief had already inspired Infinity's crew by his past deeds and his unflinching resolve to meet the Didact's threat head on.[/quote]