Editing Cole's personal log

{{Era|HCW}}

'''Cole's personal log''' was an audio record kept by [[Vice Admiral]] [[Preston Cole|Preston J. Cole]] of his private thoughts and musings.<ref name="PC">'''[[Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe]]''', ''[[The Impossible Life and the Possible Death of Preston J. Cole]]'' pages 253, 291, 320-323, 326 (2010 edition, Vol. I)</ref> The log's files included Cole's recollections of his involvement in important events such as the [[Callisto Incident|''Callisto'' Incident]] and the early naval campaigns of the [[Human-Covenant War]]. Cole began the log sometime before [[2541]] and made his last entry in February [[2543]].<ref>'''Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe''', ''The Impossible Life and the Possible Death of Preston J. Cole'' pages 320, 326 (2010 edition, Vol. I)</ref><ref group="note">In ''[[The Impossible Life and the Possible Death of Preston J. Cole]]'', it is stated that Cole's personal log ceased after February [[2533]]; however, as the excerpt in Part Six is dated as 2541, this is obviously an error. Cf. page 236 (2010 edition, Vol. I)</ref>

An excerpt of and several quotes from Cole's personal log were included in the report ''[[Historical/Psychological Analysis of Cole, Preston J.]]'', sent by [[Codename: SURGEON]] to [[Codename: USUAL SUSPECTS]] in [[2552]].<ref name="PC"/> SURGEON cited one of these recordings as evidence that Cole "had reached the nadir of his spirits" by the time of the [[Battle of Psi Serpentis]], suggesting this as evidence of conditions which might have prompted Cole to consider defecting from the [[UNSC]].<ref>'''Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe''', ''The Impossible Life and the Possible Death of Preston J. Cole'' page 323 (2010 edition, Vol. I)</ref>

==Contents==
===Unknown date===
In the report, SURGEON quotes Cole from an unspecified entry on the "''Callisto'' Incident" of [[2494]], recorded sometime after the fact. Evaluating the tactics he used to force the surrender of the [[Insurrectionist]]-controlled {{UNSCShip|Callisto}}, Cole noted that because of his violation of [[Common Space Law]] he could no longer plausibly send distress signals while in enemy territory: "No one would believe it. Surrender, quite literally, is no longer an option for me."<ref>'''Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe''', ''The Impossible Life and the Possible Death of Preston J. Cole'' page 291 (2010 edition, Vol. I)</ref>

===June 27, 2541===
The audio recording of the log entry for this date was included in the report by SURGEON.<ref>'''Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe''', ''The Impossible Life and the Possible Death of Preston J. Cole'' pages 320-322 (2010 edition, Vol. I)</ref> It may be transcribed as follows:

:'''Personal log (audio), Vice Admiral Preston Cole, [[Commanding officer|Commanding Officer]] {{UNSCShip|Everest}} \ June 27, 2541 ([[Military Calendar]])'''
:Tonight a bottle of [[Capella|Capellan]] Vodka and I reviewed some of the old battles.
:The [[Battle of Alpha Aurigae|Origami Asteroid Field]] in [[2526]] - My fleet of one hundred seventeen UNSC ships of the line fought twelve [[Covenant]] vessels. We won that at the cost of thirty-seven ships.
:[[Battle of XI Boötis A|Xo Boötis]] in [[2528]] - Seventy ships versus eight Covenant. Another "victory." That time I lost thirty ships.
:[[Battle of the Great Bear|Groombridge]] [[2530]] - Seventeen against three. We lost eleven destroyers. Still a win.
:[[Battle of Leonis Minoris|Leonis Minoris]] in [[2537]] - only ten UNSC ships lost, but the Covenant [[Glassing|glassed]] the other two [[Human colonies|colonies]] in the [[Leonis Minoris system|system]]. God - I couldn't save them all; I had to make the choice. 
:Another twenty-three engagements (or was it twenty-four... does [[Engagement at Alpha Cephei|Alpha Cephei]] count?) like those over the past ten years... or is it fifteen? So much travel in [[Slipstream space|slipspace]]. So much subjective time lost to damnable [[Wikipedia:Uncertainty principle|Heisenberg uncertainties]] and in [[Cryonics|cryosleep]].
:It's killing me... although I seem to have somehow, technically, lived through it all. 
:They told me to fight, and that's what I've done. Let historians sort through the wreckage, bodies, and broken lives to figure out the rest. 
:Yet, how many men and women have I had to watch die? How many would have perished on colony worlds if not for their sacrifice? I look into space and no longer see wonder and stars and the endless possibilities that I did when I was a [[cadet]]. I see nothing but a cold death.
:I hope [[Central Command|CENTCOM]] can see farther than I do and planned for all contingencies: including ''not'' winning this war.
:If the unthinkable happens - [[Earth]] and her colonies reduced to ash as promised by that [[Subject 386|Covenant Elite]] - where can humanity escape to? Perhaps there are already [[Project OUROBOROS|plans]] in motion: a colony vessel en route to some distant world where we can start over.
:So this sacrifice we endure has purpose. 

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

==Note==
<references group="note"/>

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

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