Rani Sobeck

Rani Sobeck was a member of the Office of Naval Intelligence stationed in Boston and originally from Kentucky, of the former United States of America.

Background
A 22 year-old college student from Kentucky, Rani was incredibly bright and observant. Durga said she would be a good candidate for ONI, or as she called them, the 'brain ninjas', to use her brain as the basis for a smart AI.

While living in Boston, Professor Avi, her cultural anthropology professor, encouraged her to apply at the Office of Naval Intelligence. Although she was accepted, she initially turned it down in favor of starting a business with her friend Trevor: manufacturing cheap, disposable chatters for colonial refugees living on Earth. However, when it became clear that the business would never get on off the ground, she accepted the ONI job.

Shortly after beginning her new job, Rani traveled home to Kentucky for her cousin Sarah-John's wedding. It was here that she meets Nick and although they initially clashed, they soon reconciled their differences and begin a long-distance relationship.

While working as a low-clearance analyst for ONI Section One, Rani encountered a Bill of Laden (a civilian request for transfer of property from the UNSC) supposedly posted by an evacuee from the since-glassed colony of Troy. Determining that the record was fraudulent, Rani quickly discovered that it made reference to Marines, who had actually been stationed on the planet for a covert evacuation, but while Rani was in Kentucky, her superior, Ms. Lawson, shut down her investigation and warned her not to pursue it any further. A week later, an ONI assassin was shot with a hard sound rifle while trying to kill her in her apartment. After the assassination attempt, she was approached on a train by Colonel Herzog who revealed that it was his security detail who eliminated her would-be assassin. Herzog then persuaded her to begin spying for him in order to find out more about the mysterious artifact being held at Chawla Base. On that same train ride, she was approached by an ODST named Joe who attempted to hit on her because he was newly single after his wife was killed in the Battle of Reach. Joe urged Rani not to waste her time being faithful to Nick, and told her she should take what she can get before the Covenant come. Later, on another visit home to Kentucky, Rani realized that the mysterious artifact is some kind of decay timer.

When Herzog was killed, Rani continued investigating the artifact on Chawla Base until she was caught by Major Standish, who temporarily convinced her that she had been misguided by Herzog's paranoid delusions. Shortly after, she was approached by Jersey Morelli and Durga who attempt recruit her into a group of people that plan to break into Chawla Base. Although she was initially reluctant, she agreed. The group is made up of Janissary James, Jersey Morelli, Kamal Zaman, and Rani. They planned to break into the base and deactivate the Forerunner artifact, a device that they later found out would have activated all the Halos. In deactivating the device, however, the group would likely broadcast Earth's location to the Covenant.

Of the group that breaks into the base, only Rani was captured. However, after the device is activated and the Melissa AI is reformed, Melissa, who felt that she let Rani down, used her skills to make herself an identity as a lawyer which she used to release Rani, as well as Sophia and Aiden from jail.

Rani was last talked about when while on a train. She is approached by an ONI agent from Section Zero, who tries to recruit her. She decides she is in too far to back out, and accepts. They then hear the air-raid sirens announcing the coming Covenant invasion.

Trivia

 * Sobek is also the name of an Egyptian god. This may be either ironic or purely coincidental, since Sobek is the god of crocodiles and it's doubtful the creators would name a timid character after such a deity.