Faison

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

- Faison to Ignatio Delgado shortly before his death

Major Faison was a Field Grade Officer in the UNSC Marine Corps. He served as an Orbital Drop Shock Trooper aboard the.

Raid on Finnegan's Wake
Faison was the second-in-command of First Lieutenant Canfield and served aboard the. In 2535, Lieutenant Jacob Keyes led a team of the Orbital Drop Shock Troopers, including Faison, aboard Finnegan's Wake in an attempt to clear the freighter's navigation data. During the raid, explosions were set off on the ship resulting in the deaths of numerous ODSTs, including Canfield. Canfield's death put Faison in command of the ODSTs aboard the freighter. While recovering from the explosion, Faison and the ODSTs were attacked by three Insurrectionists aboard the ship, but killed two of them and took the other as a prisoner. After the Insurrectionists aboard the freighter jammed communications with the frigate and attempted to lure it closer to the freighter, Keyes pulled rank and took control 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 battle rifles to propel themselves into the right direction. The insurgents realized what the ODSTs were doing and desperately blew up the freighter in an attempt to take out some of the nearby ODSTs. 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 ODSTs.

Charybdis IX riots
Soon, the Midsummer Night was on route to Charybdis IX in the Charybdis system to find the origins of Covenant weapons modified for human use. Upon arriving in system, Faison had his ODSTs "demonstrated" that they were grateful for Keyes' service at Finnegan's Wake by having him tattooed with the ODST brand, saying any ODST would help him if he showed him it.

When Keyes, Major Akio Watanabe, and the surviving Office of Naval Intelligence operatives were being pursued by rioters and Insurrectionists in the warehouse district of Charybdis IX's capital city, Scyllion, they called in 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 Captain Corinthia Hansen and as soon as he exited the pod, it fell off the roof and into the streets below. Upon noticing the rebels armed with RPGs, Faison ordered snipers Magnus and Jeremy to eliminate them. Then he had two other ODSTs clear the streets of rebels with grenades. After the perimeter was secured, the rioters dissipated, and the Insurrectionists were killed, Pelicans landed nearby to evacuate the ODSTs and Keyes back to the Midsummer Night. Although Faison considered it a victory, Keyes believed the outcome of the riots was a UNS loss. However, 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 to the 23 Librae system, the 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. The 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, from 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 Reth's flagship, the Infinite Spoils, Faison and his men boarded the ship and took out the small contingent of Kig-Yar. The ODSTs succeeded in securing the bridge and taking control of the vessel. However, a Kig-Yar troop carrier, commanded by Shipmaster Thel 'Vadamee, attacked the ship.

Death
After Faison ensured that all of his men were safely off the damaged freighter the Infinite Spoils was connected to, he and Ignatio Delgado left to meet up with the others at the raider's bridge. As he turned a corner, he was shot in his right thigh by a hiding Kig-Yar. Delgado took out the alien's energy shields and Faison shot it in the head, killing it. Delgado helped him make a makeshift bandage to prevent bleeding and offered to get him a medic. However, Faison refused. Instead, Delgado waited for help with Faison until help arrived. But Faison gave Delgado his battle rifle and ordered him to regroup with the others. As he left, Delgado gave Faison his personal sidearm, the 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 Faison was wounded and lost his honor, thus was attempting to regain his honor before he died by laying in "ambush". However, Jai attacked the two Sangheili. Upon noticing Faison was dead, he shook his head with sadness and left to return to Keyes.

Personality and traits
Faison was very caring for those that he commanded. 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 noted to be very passive-aggressive and short-tempered when under stress. Faison respected those that ranked above him and did not correct their mistakes, such as when Keyes repeatedly referred to Faison as "Commander" rather than "Major". After Major Akio Watanabe was killed by Jason Kincaide, Faison noted that while he did not like him, 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, and bound him before giving him the ODST tattoo.

Trivia

 * He has a knife with the words "Bug-Hunter" etched into it, a reference to Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein.
 * It is odd that during the raid on the Finnegan's Wake, he is a Second Lieutenant and then later a Major, although it is possible that he received a field promotion. It is also possible, however, that Tobias S. Buckell made a ranking discrepancy, similar to one made with Corinthia Hansen.

List of appearances

 * Halo: The Cole Protocol