Rani Sobeck

Rani Sobeck was a human civilian analyst employed by the Office of Naval Intelligence. Sobeck was assigned to the Section One office aboard Chawla Base on Earth.

Early life
A 22 year-old college student from the URNA state of Kentucky, Rani was incredibly bright and observant. Durga stated that the young academic would be a good candidate for ONI's cadre of "brain ninjas"—people used as the basis for a volitional artificial intelligence construct.

While living in Boston, Professor Avi, Sobeck's cultural anthropology professor, encouraged her to apply at ONI. Although she was accepted, Sobeck 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 off the ground, she accepted ONI's employment.

Rani traveled home to Kentucky for her cousin Sarah-John's wedding shortly after being onboarded with ONI. At the wedding, Sobeck met the soon-to-be-drafted Nick. Although they had initially clashed, Rani and Nick soon reconciled their differences and began a long-distance relationship.

Office of Naval Intelligence
While working as a low-clearance analyst for ONI Section One in Boston, URNA, Rani Sobeck encountered a Bill of Laden (a civilian request for transfer of UNSC property) supposedly posted by an evacuee from the glassed colony of Troy. Determining that the record was fraudulent, Rani quickly discovered that it made reference to UNSC Marines stationed on the planet for a covert evacuation. While Rani was back home in Kentucky, her superior, Mrs. 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 attempting to kill Sobeck in her apartment.

After the assassination attempt, Sobeck was approached on a train by ONI Section Zero's Colonel Herzog. The colonel revealed that it was his security detail who eliminated her would-be assassin. Herzog then persuaded Sobeck to spy for him to divulge the ongoing research into the Deep-Space Artifact being held at Chawla Base. Sobeck was approached by Joe later that day. Joe, an Orbital Drop Shock Trooper on liberty, tried hitting on Sobeck and urged her not to waste time being faithful to her boyfriend Nick with the looming threat of Covenant invasion.

Durga's Crew
Sobeck continued her investigation into the Deep-Space Artifact on Chawla Base after the murder of her handler Colonel Herzog. The analyst's operation was discovered by ONI Major Standish, who temporarily convinced her that she had been misguided by Herzog's paranoid delusions. Shortly after her encounter with Major Standish, Jersey Morelli and Durga would attempt to recruit the insider Sobeck to aid their team in breaking into Chawla Base. Though initially reluctant, she agreed to their plan to deactivate the Forerunner device. In deactivating the Deep-Space Artifact, however, the group were aware that it would broadcast the location of Earth to the Covenant, having long ignorant to the whereabouts of humanity's homeworld.

As the team infiltrated Chawla Base, Sobeck was solely taken into custody by security forces. Following the activation of the Deep-Space Artifact, the AI construct Melissa was reformed. Melissa, who felt as if she disappointed Sobeck, spoofed her identity to pose as a lawyer and aided in the release of Sobeck from jail, along with Sophia Bossedon and Aiden Maki.

Some time later Sobeck would be approached by a Section Zero recruiter on a train. Sobeck decides she is in too far to back out, and accepts the recruiter's offer to join ONI's internal affairs division. The two ONI personnel then hear air-raid sirens blare throughout the city, announcing the Covenant's Fleet of Sacred Consecration were on-course for Earth.

Production notes

 * Rani Sobek was voiced in the 2004 i love bees audio drama by actress Olivia Burnette.
 * Sobek is the name of an Egyptian god symbolized by crocodiles.
 * Dan Price, IT team lead at 343 Industries, named their internal AI bot after the Halo character. AI Rani Sobeck aids Price's IT team in managing the studio's technical support tickets.

List of appearances

 * i love bees