Frederic-104

Summary
Lieutenant, Junior Grade Fredric-104 is one of the few surviving Spartan supersoldiers. Historically, John-117 has held the highest rank among the active Spartan-IIs (i.e. excluding those who were reassigned following failed augmentation, e.g. Fhajad). However, Fred's recent field promotion and the death of Kurt-051 makes him the highest-ranking among the active Spartan-IIs. He has had a close working relationship with the Master Chief.

Personality and description
Fred has displayed many similarities, both physical and mental, with the Master Chief. He is an exceptional leader and quick thinker. John remarked, however, that Fred sometimes takes the responsibility of his command too seriously, empathizing too deeply with any wounded member of his team. He never really began to stand out among the Spartans until the death of Samuel-034.

As of 2552, he had fought in more than 120 campaigns. He was the Spartan's second best sniper and best spotter, although Linda-058 outdid him in these categories by far. In fact, John once said that Fred came in 2nd place in all of the contests the Spartans had as children, John thought he could have come out on first but didn't like the attention. He is best known for his abilities with the Combat Knife, as he was always carrying them on missions. Fred had black hair which was shot with streaks of silver after his augmentation, and he was not too short or tall, and niether too muscular or slim.

Biography
He was abducted from his home in 2517 at age six after he was singled out as an exceptional soldier by Dr. Catherine Halsey. He was trained with the other Spartans at Reach by Deja and Chief Petty Officer Mendez but was never mentioned until the Spartan's mission to the Military Wilderness Training Preserve. He was part of the Spartan's training missions at Military Reservation 01478-B, Emerald Cove, and several in the Highland Mountains.

Fred was part of the Spartan's first mission to Eridanus Secundus to abduct Colonel Robert Watts in 2525. It is probable that he was present at Jericho VII in 2535, but he was never mentioned by name during the engagement. He was also a part of The Battle of Sigma Octanus IV in 2552, designated Blue-Three and part of John's team that destroyed the Covenant forces at Côte d'Azur.

Fred was on the UNSC Pillar of Autumn briefly while it was above Reach, but when The Battle of Reach began, Fred was designated Red-One, leader of the Spartans sent to land on the ground and protect the generators for the Orbital MAC stations. As his Pelican, Bravo 001, descended to the surface of the planet, it was hit by plasma fire and began to crash. He ordered his Spartans to jump from the crashing singleship, but four of them died in the process. When the group met up again, they went to ODG Facility A-331 where they met the remains of Charlie Company, and received a distress call from Vice Admiral Danforth Whitcomb.

Fred then divided his Spartans into four teams: He, Kelly-087 and Joshua-029 (Team Alpha) went to destroy a nearby Covenant landing zone, while Team Gamma, led by Anton-044 would rescue Admiral Whitcomb. The third team, Team Delta, led by William-043 would secure a fall back position at CASTLE Base, and the fourth team, Team Beta, consisting of the rest of the Spartans, would defend the ODG Facility. Fred's team sucessfully destroyed the landing zone using Banshees and Fury Tactical Nukes, however Joshua was killed and the team at the ODG facility appeared to be wiped out by a Covenant plasma bombardment.

Fred and Kelly then retreated to the fallback position, which was surrounded by the Covenant. They were forced to commandeer Wraith tanks but they successfully ended up at Team Delta's position. They were then able to enter the base by whistling Oly Oly Oxen Free into the speakers. It turned out that Dr. Halsey was still in the facility. Fred had suffered a torn Achilles Tendon, three cracked ribs, and moderate contusions in both kidneys while making his way towards CASTLE Base. For a Spartan, these injuries were nothing, so she sent them on a supply run. The Spartans received upgrades to their MJOLNIR armor and new weapons, including Magnums and Battle Rifles. Under attack from Covenant, the five Spartans and Dr. Halsey were forced to destroy CASTLE Base with "Operation: WHITE GLOVE". They found themselves trapped underground in the old mining caverns beneath the base for several days, until they came across a Forerunner installation, where they discovered the Forerunner Crystal artifact. The artifact created a spike in radiation that allowed the Covenant to triangulate their position. They were immediately besieged by a Gravity Lift sending groups of Jackals, Elites, and Grunts to their location in the underground base. They then ran into a cavern and blew up the entrance. The Cavern was a dead end, and for two days, Fred, Kelly, Will, and Dr. Halsey were trapped in the cavern as the Covenant tried to dig them out.

They were saved when John, Anton, and Admiral Whitcomb found them and whisked them away to the captured Ascendant Justice. Fred's injuries were finally treated aboard the UNSC Gettysburg, which was fused to the Ascendant Justice. He then took part in an extravehicular mission to repair a plasma conduit of the ship, holding his own against camouflaged Elites as well as the dangerous rampant plasma bolts floating around the Slipspace bubble the ships were trapped in.

Fred then accompanied John onto Eridanus Secundus a second time when Admiral Whitcomb and Dr. Halsey demanded repairs from the Eridanus Rebels under the leadership of Governor Jacob Jiles. Fred then manned a station of the Gettysburg when Covenant cruisers appeared in the system.

Fred then took part in Operation: FIRST STRIKE along with John, Will, Linda, and Grace-93. He boarded the Unyielding Hierophant with the Spartans and their copy of Cortana, then followed John to the reactors and covered their exit. Fred then escaped with John, Will, and Linda, to the Gettysburg, where they, together with Cortana and Sergeant Johnson, finally returned to Earth.

In Ghosts of Onyx, Fred-104 leads Linda-058 and Will-043 to defend Earth for two weeks shortly after In Amber Clad's disappearance. The missions given were in the Antarctic and Cuba. Shortly after the last operation in Cuba, Fred was given a transmission from Lord Hood to have his team aid Dr. Halsey on Onyx. After narrowly escaping fire from Covenant forces, Fred eventually meets up with Kurt-051, with the long-lost friend assuming command of the mission. Shortly before Kurt-051's demise, Fred was given the rank of Lieutenant Junior Grade, and assumes command for the rest of the Onyx operation. Along with Kelly-087, Linda-058, and SPARTAN-III members Ash, Olivia and Mark (Tom and Lucy didn't make it throught the Slipspace gate because it closed on them) the now large Blue Team tries to get to Team Katana and get out of the Dyson Sphere.

Speculation
There is much speculation regarding Spartan-104 Frederic, such as what has been said in Halo: The Fall of Reach.

"He always came second in all of the contests. John thought he could have come in first, but he just didn't like the attention."

Many people think that Frederic is a greater Spartan than John. Some also think Spartan-104 may be a better leader than Spartan-117, and there is some supporting evidence to this effect. For example, in Halo: First Strike Fred commanded his team behind enemy lines, defeated 10,000 enemies with only 3 Spartans (himself, Kelly, and Joshua), saved casualties, rescued a Vice Admiral, escaped the Covenants glassing of Reach, and protected Dr. Catherine Halsey against a battalion or more of covenant while securing a very dangerous object. These achievements however, can be compared to some of Johns. However, his unwillingness to come first may be a sign that ultimately the Master Chief is the better commander.

Fred prefers close-quarters combat, and has more than once expressed his dislike for sniping and other long-range combat. Fred's preferred weapon is his combat knife, which he is seen with more often than any other weapon.

"The crewmen looked on nervously, as a Spartan wielding a knife was generally accompanied by the presence of several dead bodies."

Spartan-104 has fought in more than 120 ground engagements, he is one of the survivors of Halo: First Strike, and in Halo: The Fall of Reach, he was one of the few members that John chose for the Spartans' first real assignment, and the one that John most often depends on for large-scale engagements.