Editing Ponder

{{Status|Canon}}
{{Character infobox
|variant=Human
|name=Ponder
|image=
|homeworld=
|birth=
|death=[[2525#February|February 23, 2525]]
|causeofdeath=Impaled by [[Tartarus|Tartarus']] [[Paegaas Workshop Spiker|Spiker]] 
|parents=
|siblings=
|spouses=
|children=
|species=[[Human]]
|gender=Male
|height={{Convert|172.72|cm|ftin|sp=us}}
|mass=
|hair=Black, graying<ref name="ch80">'''[[Halo: Contact Harvest]]''', ''page 80''</ref>
|eyes=
|affiliation=[[United Nations Space Command|UNSC]] [[Colonial Militia]]
|rank=[[Captain (Marine Corps)|Captain]]
|sn=
|notable=[[Artificial limb|Prosthetic arm]]
}}
{{Quote|Someday we will win, no matter what it takes.|Ponder's vow to [[Tartarus]]}}

'''Captain Ponder''' was a [[United Nations Space Command|UNSC]] [[UNSC Marine Corps|Marine Corps]] [[Captain (Marine Corps)|junior Marine officer]] who served on [[Harvest]].<ref>'''Halo: Contact Harvest'''</ref> His career was marred by an incident involving [[Insurrectionist]]s on [[Eridanus II]]. He was killed in action during the [[First Battle of Harvest]] against the [[Covenant]].

==Biography==
===Eridanus II===
In [[2513]], then-[[Lieutenant Colonel]] Ponder commanded the [[M-EDF 9/21/1|1st Battalion]], [[21st Marine Division|21st Division]], [[9th Marine Expeditionary Force]], which was deployed in the [[Eridanus system]]. During this time he took part in the questioning of an [[Insurrectionist]] in [[Elysium City]], [[Eridanus II]]. The rebel had married the daughter of a local official. When pressed for information about former UNSC [[Colonel]] [[Robert Watts]]' second-in-command, the man grabbed his own daughter and threatened to detonate a [[grenade]] declaring: ''"Someday we will win. No matter what it takes"''. Although the man was dedicated to his cause, Ponder knew the rebel was unwilling to kill his family and that he was bluffing. However, an attached sniper drew an opposite conclusion and killed the man through the wall. The grenade's pin was pulled out of reflex. Ponder covered the explosive with his own body, preventing casualties but lost his left arm from the resulting explosion.<ref>'''Halo: Contact Harvest''', ''pages 111-112''</ref>

After the incident, Ponder resisted pressure to retire. However, he was forced to accept a two-grade demotion to [[Captain (Marine Corps)|Captain]]. His arm was replaced with a [[artificial limb|prosthetic]] and, after several "lousy" billets, he worked his way back up to [[Colonial Militia Training]].<ref name="ch113">'''Halo: Contact Harvest''', ''page 113''</ref>

===Training Harvest's militia===
Ponder was reassigned to a newly-established [[Colonial Militia]] training unit on [[Harvest]]. On [[2524|December 21, 2524]], Ponder met with his subordinates, [[Staff Sergeant]]s [[Nolan Byrne]] and [[Avery Johnson]] and [[Petty Officer, First Class]] [[Healy]].<ref name="ch80"/> That night, Ponder had to break up a brawl between Johnson and Byrne—the latter believed Johnson was partly responsible for a bombing at [[Casbah City]] on [[Tribute]] several months earlier since he hesitated to kill the insurgent.<ref>'''Halo: Contact Harvest''', ''page 88''</ref> When the recruits for the [[Harvest militia]] arrived after the following weekend, Ponder supervised their training, while Healy, Byrne, and Johnson led them. On [[2525|January 16, 2525]], Ponder and Johnson were invited to Harvest's [[Solstice Celebration]] in [[Utgard]] by [[Governor]] [[Nils Thune]].<ref>'''Halo: Contact Harvest''', ''page 108''</ref> That night, the two met with Governor Thune and Attorney General [[Rol Pedersen]]. As Ponder left to have a [[Religion|religious]] discussion with Thune, he had Pedersen introduce Johnson to [[Jilan al-Cygni|Lieutenant Commander Jilan al-Cygni]] who assigned Johnson and Byrne to a mission over Harvest.<ref>'''Halo: Contact Harvest''', ''page 121''</ref> Later, Ponder was informed of the Staff Sergeants discovery of an [[Minor Transgression|alien vessel]] that led to [[Skirmish on Minor Transgression|hostilities]]. While Byrne and Johnson were given treatment in Utgard's [[Utgard Memorial Hospital|hospital]] for the wounds they received during the mission, Ponder kept the militia recruits busy with small tasks and sharpshooter training.<ref>'''Halo: Contact Harvest''', ''pages 137-139''</ref>

Once the Staff Sergeants returned, Ponder told the recruits that they were accelerating their training for a very important [[Colonial Administration Authority]] delegation that insurgents might attempt to disrupt. In reality, Ponder was attempting to prepare the recruits for a possible alien attack. He had agreed with Johnson to not tell the recruits about the aliens and, instead, lied about a possible Insurrection threat to keep them motivated.<ref>'''Halo: Contact Harvest''', ''page 172''</ref> For the militia's final training mission, Ponder supervised from his [[M12 Warthog]] while the Staff Sergeants engaged the recruits in a live-fire exercise.<ref>'''Halo: Contact Harvest''', ''page 209''</ref> After Ponder congratulated the recruits on their success, Lt. Commander al-Cygni warned Ponder that the aliens had returned to Harvest.<ref>'''Halo: Contact Harvest''', ''page 223''</ref> During the recruits' victory dinner, Ponder informed them of the aliens that had found Harvest. He told them that the militia was responsible for dealing with the aliens until reinforcements could arrive. Ponder then had al-Cygni show the recruits the video of Johnson and Byrne battling the [[Kig-Yar]] aliens.<ref>'''Halo: Contact Harvest''', ''page 240''</ref>

===Battle of Harvest===
{{Main|First Battle of Harvest}}
Lt. Commander al-Cygni had sent the [[Covenant]] ship in orbit over Harvest a message of peace. On [[2525|February 11, 2525]], a {{Pattern|Dextro Xur|Spirit}} holding [[Jiralhanae]] [[Chieftain]] [[Maccabeus]], [[Vorenus]], and [[Licinus]] landed at the [[Harvest Botanical Gardens]] and met with human representatives, while a second Spirit hovered nearby and Tartarus led a small [[lance]] of Unggoy nearby to search for an alleged "[[Monitor|Oracle]]". The human representatives for the meeting consisted of Governor Thune, Attorney General Pedersen, Ponder, Lieutenant Commander al-Cygni, and Staff Sergeants Byrne and Johnson.<ref>'''Halo: Contact Harvest''', ''page 245''</ref> When the aliens arrived, Johnson relayed information about the aliens weapons and appearance to Ponder, who was inside the gardens' greenhouse. Then, Ponder relayed the information to al-Cygni and Thune. The Jiralhanae met with the human representatives. While a peaceful first contact was going rather slow, the meeting went sour prematurely when an [[Yull|overeager Unggoy]] attacked and killed [[Osmo]].<ref>'''Halo: Contact Harvest''', ''page 253''</ref> Pedersen was shot and killed with a [[Paegaas Workshop Spiker]] by Vorenus after the latter had heard Osmo firing his rifle and a firefight ensured. Ponder pushed Thune out of the way of Maccabeus' [[Fist of Rukt]] and took the hit. The captain was hit in his prosthetic left arm and was sent flying over twenty meters backwards. Ultimately, the Jiralhanae were forced to retreat when Licinus was injured. As the aliens returned to their ship—''[[Rapid Conversion]]''—in orbit over Harvest, Healy treated Ponder's serious wounds.<ref>'''Halo: Contact Harvest''', ''page 257''</ref> Maccabeus' attack had broken half of Ponder's ribs and completely destroyed his prosthetic, which he discarded. Due to lack of expertise and time, Healy was unable to fix it.<ref name="ch286">'''Halo: Contact Harvest''', ''page 286''</ref>

For a week after the meeting, ''Rapid Conversion'' remained still in high orbit with all of its crew aboard. Despite the warning to evacuate to Utgard, a majority of [[Gladsheim]]'s residents remained in the town—believing that a small, remote town such as Gladsheim would not be attacked by the aliens.<ref name="ch289">'''Halo: Contact Harvest''', ''page 289''</ref> However, on [[2525|February 22, 2525]], the vessel remained in orbit over Gladsheim with its heavy plasma weapons charging.<ref>'''Halo: Contact Harvest''', ''page 279''</ref> Ponder, Johnson, and Byrne took several squads of militiamen to Gladsheim in an effort to evacuate the town's inhabitants. While Ponder and Healy helped organize the civilians evacuation through the town's [[MagLev train]] terminal, the militia spotted [[Yanme'e]] scouts. Ponder warned the recruits to not attack the aliens, to prevent the civilians from stampeding.<ref name="ch286"/> Ponder then sent Byrne and Johnson to escort a civilian convoy to the terminal before the Spirit [[dropship]]s attacked. While the Staff Sergeants were away, the Yanme'e attacked the terminal and Ponder called in for help.<ref>'''Halo: Contact Harvest''', ''page 292''</ref> Eventually, the human soldiers and civilians retreated. Despite Healy's suggestions, Ponder continued to fight against the Covenant forces. As such, his injuries and condition worsened.<ref>'''Halo: Contact Harvest''', ''page 318''</ref> Later, Ponder and Jilan attempted to convince Governor Thune to help them with their plan, but he refused. In response, al-Cygni was forced to stun and disable the governor with [[tactical training round]]s. Moments later, Ponder casually asked for Healy's presence before collapsing to the floor.<ref>'''Halo: Contact Harvest''', ''pages 324-326''</ref>

===Death===
Healy had outfitted Ponder with a new cast and medications, but with broken ribs, a ruptured spleen, numerous other damaged organs, and lack of time for a proper operation, Ponder was aware that he was dying. When the Covenant assault and [[glassing]] began in earnest, Ponder volunteered for a suicide mission to buy time for the civilian evacuations. He drew ''Rapid Conversion'' toward the surface at [[Utgard Mall]] and to him by claiming the fake [[artificial intelligence|AI]] processor he was carrying was an "Oracle". Healy and the Staff Sergeants offered to help, but he refused.<ref name="ch333">'''Halo: Contact Harvest''', ''pages 332-333''</ref> A Spirit carrying four [[Barukaza Workshop Chopper]]s manned by Jiralhanae—including Tartarus and Vorenus—arrived at Ponder's position as he climbed up a nearby bandstand. As Ponder smoked a [[Sweet William cigar]], he told the AI [[Loki]] the proper vectors Utgard's [[mass driver]] would need to fire at and hit ''Rapid Conversion''. Loki gave him ten seconds to escape, but Ponder decided to remain on the bandstand. While Tartarus spoke something unintelligible to Ponder, the captain answered the Jiralhanae by repeating the same vow he had heard from the Insurrectionist years before. As the mass driver's rounds impacted the cruiser twice, it began to sank to the planet's surface. Tartarus, furious, impaled the Marine on the bayonets of his Spiker and lifted him in the air. His spine severed, Ponder was thrown back onto the bandstand by Tartarus into a pool of his own blood. As Tartarus and the Jiralhanae left, the civilians began to evacuate the planet through [[Harvest space elevators|Harvest's space elevators]]. The officer took his remaining time to enjoy the warmth of the sunset, rather than regret his past decisions.<ref>'''Halo: Contact Harvest''', ''pages 335-336''</ref>

The crippling of ''Rapid Conversion'' cleared the way for the human evacuation. 215 out of some 360 [[DCS light freighter|cargo freighter]]s of refugees and militia managed to escape into [[slipspace]].<ref>'''Halo: Contact Harvest''', ''page 385''</ref>

==Personality and traits==
Ponder was determined and devoted to the mission and the soldiers under his command. He rarely wore his prosthetic. Although he disliked it and refrained from wearing it when possible, it did not hamper his ability to utilize weapons effectively. After losing his arm, Ponder had missed serving with his men in the [[Insurrection]]. However, he came to believe that he was lucky to have been taken out of combat before he made another mistake that was responsible for the deaths of civilians.<ref name="ch113"/> Ponder felt guilty for missing his eldest son's wedding and the birth of his first grandchild while at war fighting in the Insurrection. He claimed to have missed these "precious occasions" more than his lost arm.<ref>'''Halo: Contact Harvest''', ''page 114''</ref>

Ponder enjoyed marching, even his first "grueling road hikes" in basic training. After he lost his arm, he would sometimes joke that he was lucky he did not lose a leg or else he would have learned how to walk on his hands to continue marching.<ref name="ch333"/> Ponder was fond of [[Sweet William cigar]]s.<ref name="ch80"/> [[Avery Johnson]] may have picked up the smoking habit and liking of the brand from him.

==List of appearances==
*''[[Halo: Contact Harvest]]'' {{1st}}

==Sources==
{{Ref/Sources|2}}

[[Category:Human characters]]
[[Category:UNSC Marine Corps officers]]