Faison

"I'm not spending lives to save my own."

- Faison to Ignatio Delgado shortly before his death

Second Lieutenant Faison was an officer in the UNSC Marine Corps. He served as an Orbital Drop Shock Trooper aboard the in 2535.

Raid on Finnegan's Wake
Second Lieutenant Faison served aboard the as First Lieutenant Canfield's second-in-command. On an unknown date in 2535, Navy Lieutenant Jacob Keyes led a team of the ship's ODSTs, including Faison, aboard the civilian freighter Finnegan's Wake in an attempt to clear the vessel's navigation data, a precursor to the Cole Protocol. The ship was soon discovered to be sabotaged and a series of explosions killed several ODSTs, including First Lieutenant Canfield. Canfield's death put Faison in command of the ODSTs aboard the freighter. While recovering from the explosion the boarders were attacked by three Insurrectionists aboard the ship; they killed two of them and took the other as a prisoner. After the Insurrectionists aboard the freighter jammed communications with Midsummer Night and attempted to lure it closer to the freighter, Lieutenant Keyes pulled rank and assumed command of the ODSTs.

Keyes ordered Faison and his ODSTs to pile the deceased and wounded into cargo containers. Using the force of a rigged explosion, the ODSTs, Keyes, and the cargo containers were launched from the freighter towards the frigate, using their BR55 battle rifles to propel themselves into the right direction. The insurgents realized what the ODSTs were doing and destroyed the freighter in a desperate attempt to kill the UNSC personnel. Over twenty ODSTs were killed and Keyes was wounded with a piece of the freighter's hull plating. However, more ODSTs had survived than expected, earning Keyes the respect from Faison and his subordinates.

Charybdis IX riots
Soon the Midsummer Night was dispatched to Charybdis IX to find the origins of Covenant weapons modified for human use. Upon arriving in-system, Faison's men demonstrated their gratitude for Keyes' leadership on the freighter by tattooing him with the ODST brand, saying any ODST would help him if he showed them the mark.

When Keyes, Major Akio Watanabe, and surviving Office of Naval Intelligence operatives were being pursued by rioters and insurgents in the warehouse district of Charybdis IX's capital city, Scyllion, they called for ODST reinforcements. After Keyes killed rebel leader Jason Kincaide, Faison and nineteen other ODSTs arrived in the city. Faison's SOEIV landed on the rooftop that Keyes and ONI agent Corinthia Hansen were holed up on; as soon as he exited the pod it fell off the roof into the streets below. Upon noticing rebels armed with rocket-propelled grenades, Faison ordered snipers Magnus and Jeremy to eliminate them. He then had two other ODSTs clear the streets of rebels with grenades. After the perimeter was secured, the rioters had dissipated, and the Insurrectionists were killed, Pelican dropships landed nearby to evacuate the ground team to Midsummer Night. Although Faison considered it a victory, Keyes believed the outcome of the riots was a loss, especially in light of the loss of Major Watanabe. However, Agent Hansen revealed that Kincaide had informed them of his weapons supplier, giving the Midsummer Night a new objective.

Battle of the Rubble
Upon following Kincaide's supplier, Peter Bonifacio, to the 23 Librae system, Midsummer Night discovered a massive rebel and Kig-Yar base established around the asteroids orbiting the gas giant Hesiod, known as the Rubble. The insurgents discovered the frigate and began boarding. Realizing they were outnumbered, Keyes ordered Faison and his men to stand down. Midsummer Night was forced to dock with the Habitat Asuncion asteroid and the frigate's crew was given the option to become a resident of the Rubble or be held in prison cells. Faison told Keyes that he would remain loyal to him and the UNSC and encouraged Keyes to give a speech to the rest of the frigate's crew. After Keyes pointed out that many ODSTs were willing to become Rubble citizens, Faison implied that they just getting into the general populace so they could aid Keyes if needed.

Jai-006, the leader of Spartan Gray Team, arrived at Faison's holding cell and rescued him and the rest of the frigate's imprisoned crew. Faison was amazed at seeing the Spartan. The Rubble's AI, Juliana, offered to help the frigate's crew escape the system in a Kig-Yar ship if he helped her discover what the Kig-Yar were attempting to do. Faison expressed willingness to do so. After docking at the smuggler Reth's flagship, Infinite Spoils, Faison and his men boarded the ship and killed the small contingent of Kig-Yar. The ODSTs secured the bridge and took control of the vessel. However, a Kig-Yar troop carrier commanded by Shipmaster Thel 'Vadamee attacked the ship.

Death
After Faison ensured that all his subordinates were safely off the damaged freighter the Infinite Spoils was connected to, he and Rubble citizen Ignatio Delgado left to join others at the raider's bridge. As he turned a corner he was shot in his right thigh by a hiding Kig-Yar. Delgado disabled the alien's energy shields and Faison killed it. Delgado helped him make a makeshift bandage and offered to get him a medic, though Faison refused. Instead, Delgado waited for help with Faison until help arrived. But Faison gave Delgado his BR55 and ordered him to regroup with the others. As he left Delgado gave Faison his personal sidearm, a customized M6 pistol called Señora Sies, and asked Jai to help the wounded Marine.

Meanwhile 'Vadamee and Zhar boarded the ship to kill the surviving humans. While turning a corner, Faison shot Zhar in the chest but his shots were ineffective against the Sangheili's shielding and armor. Surprised, Zhar shot Faison in the head, killing him instantly. The two Sangheili began to discuss the human, questioning why he was left behind. Zhar believed that the fact that Faison was wounded meant that he had lost his honor, and thus was regaining it before he died by performing an ambush. Zhar likened this to the Sangheili species' honor, and wondered (not for the first time,) why the Prophets had ordered that humanity be exterminated, rather than extending to them an offer to join the Covenant. Jai attacked the Sangheili in the middle of their conversation. He was saddened by the ODST's death.

Personality and traits
Faison was very caring of those under his command. At first Faison had disdain for Jacob Keyes and the rest of the UNSC Navy, but after Keyes helped most of the ODSTs make it off Finnegan's Wake alive, Faison gained respect for him. He was very passive-aggressive and short-tempered when under stress. Faison respected those who outranked him and did not correct their mistakes, such as when Keyes repeatedly misstated Faison's rank. After Major Watanabe was killed by Jason Kincaide, Faison noted that while he did not like the major he still felt sorry for him. Keyes had remarked that Faison was "an insane Marine". Faison did not help this case when he gathered a few of his men, attacked Keyes, bound him, and gave him the ODST tattoo, all as a show of appreciation and respect.

Trivia
Faison had a knife with the name "Bug-Hunter" etched into it. This refers the novel Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein, the work that codified military science fiction. Starship Troopers' most notable influence on the Halo universe is the Mobile Infantry's use of drop pods and powered armor, inspiring the Orbital Drop Shock Troopers and MJOLNIR armor, respectively.

List of appearances

 * Halo: The Cole Protocol