Jameson Locke

This article is about the ONI agent. For the Marine, see Locke (Mombasa).

"Thel 'Vadam"

Lieutenant Commander Jameson Locke is a SPARTAN-IV supersoldier and an Office of Naval Intelligence agent. He serves under ONI's Section III as an Acquisitions Specialist, his duties including the retrieval of important objects from the enemy as well as the assassination and tracking of high-profile individuals.

Childhood and early career
Born on the colony of Jericho VII, Locke was orphaned when the Covenant invaded his homeworld in 2535, being evacuated from the planet only minutes before its glassing by the Covenant. Losing everyone he had known, Locke was placed in a state orphanage with other children who had suffered a similar fate. Upon growing older many of his compatriots enlisted in the UNSC, eager for revenge against the Covenant. However, Locke continued to blame the government for their failure to defend his homeworld and came to the conclusion that the UNSC was incapable of protecting its citizens. As a result, he became a freelancer tracker and assassin. Locke's atypical behavior and questionable allegiances eventually caught the eye of the Office of Naval Intelligence, who planned to train Locke into a specific role within their organization. Seeking a greater purpose in life, Locke accepted ONI's offer to join and entered their extensive training program where he honed his skills to perfection and became one of ONI's top field operatives.

On September 26th, 2552, Locke compiled a target profile report concerning Supreme Commander Thel 'Vadamee, detailing 'Vadamee's personal history from the first encounter between the UNSC and Thel on the Rubble to the glassing of Reach. Locke concluded the report by recommending the immediate termination of 'Vadamee if the Covenant advance was to be slowed in any significant manner. This report was later accessed by John-117.

Terrorist attack on Sedra
On February 7th, 2556, Locke led an ONI team dispatched to the distant human colony Sedra to investigate terrorist activity. During the investigation Locke's unit and the Sedran Colonial Guard were forced to cooperate after Sedra City was targeted by a Sangheili Zealot terrorist wielding a powerful new bioweapon. While patrolling the outskirts of Sedra City, the team spotted a Yonhet smuggler named Axl supplying the Sangheili Zealot with a stasis refrigerant. While Gregory Ramos apprehended Axl, Locke, Michael Horrigan, and Alistair Estrin pursued the Sangheili. Locke chased after the Sangheili into a city access tunnel, while Horrigan and the rest of the unit headed directly to the city. After a brief skirmish inside the access tunnel, the Zealot escaped into a Sedran mall with Locke pursing him. As the Sangheili prepared to activate the bioweapon, Locke jumped on top of the Zealot, disabled the alien's energy shielding, and wounded him with his M6H magnum. Locke attempted to force the Sangheili to surrender, but the Zealot jumped off a ledge and activated the bioweapon instead, killing himself in the process. Many humans throughout the city began showing signs of infection, including Locke's fellow operatives Jordan Gaines and Mason Hundley. The unit went to the Sedran Colonial Guard Hospital, where Locke and the uninfected members of his unit went through a decontamination process. After searching the freighter used to transport the bioweapon to Sedra, Locke and his unit witnessed Colonel Randall Aiken brutally interrogating Axl. However, speaking an alien language, Locke was able to persuade Axl into revealing what he knew of the origins of the element used in the bioweapon.

The unit learned that the core ingredient of the weapon—an all-new element—originated from partly functioning segment of Installation 04 orbiting perilously close to a red giant star. The team discovered a second tug was travelling to the shard to mine the element's deposits on the fragment. After getting the approval of Rear Admiral Goodwin, the team was forced to cooperate with the Sedran Colonial Guard to travel to the Alpha Shard, capture the smugglers who mined the element for interrogation, and destroy the deposits of the element with a HAVOK tactical nuclear weapon. However, they would be forced to complete their expedition within the sixteen hours the ring's landscape side faced away from the star as during the "day" the temperature and radiation would become unbearable. Taking a D81-LRT Condor to the partially functioning fragment, eleven ONI and Colonial Guard personnel travelled to the Alpha Shard.

Mission to Alpha Shard
During the journey through slipspace in the Condor, Locke allowed Aiken to take tactical command of the mission. Locke also revealed to Private Talitha Macer that Colonel Aiken was once a SPARTAN-II. Eventually, the crew arrived at their destination and landed on the Halo shard's surface. Donning their powered Nightfall armor, the Locke and the other three ONI operators jumped out of the Condor at a significant height. After discovering the abandoned tug used by the smugglers, the team discovered horse tracks nearby. The team moved to the tracks' direction and come across two smugglers—Arris Le and Haisal Wari—mining the element in a cave. The smugglers attempted to escape but Locke and Horrigan quickly incapacitated and restrained the smugglers. The group began to return to the Condor for extraction; however, while the dropship was setting down, a large number of Lekgolo appeared and began to swarm over the Condor and it flew off erratically—now controlled by the Lekgolo. As more of the Lekgolo eels appeared, Locke ordered for the group to retreat as three of the Sedrans and the horses were killed. The Lekgolo, in large gestalt formations, began to pursue the group who escaped into a narrow crevice. Locke used a special appliance to holographically camouflage their position from the aliens. However, the Lekgolo quickly sensed the cloaking unit and destroyed it. As the eels closed in on the group, Arris revealed that the Lekgolo can sense active technology and movement, prompting the group to reluctantly shut down the electronics present in their equipment. Unable to detect the humans, most of the Lekgolo left the area and the nine survivors moved out of the crevice. Locke briefly stayed behind to observe a lone Lekgolo worm, before crushing it in his fist.

Hunting 117
Following the Didact's attack on Earth, Locke was tasked with tracking down MCPO John-117. To this end, Locke met with Arbiter Thel 'Vadam and studied video recordings of the Master Chief's exploits to better learn about the legendary Spartan's history. During his meeting with the Arbiter, Locke led a fireteam of SPARTAN-IVs in a joint-mission with the Swords of Sanghelios against Covenant remnant forces.

Personality and traits
A collected and forward-thinking individual, Locke is a competent soldier who takes a professional approach to combat situations. He is a proficient leader and inspires loyalty in his subordinates, even when they do not agree with his decisions. He is generally nonconfrontational and willing to resolve conflicts through negotiation. While his ONI compatriots Estrin and Horrigan were vocal with their low opinions on the Sedran Colonial Guard, Locke was willing to put aside their disagreements for the sake of the mission. Although he is serious about his duty to protect humanity, Locke is troubled by some aspects of the organization he serves under.

Locke was able to converse with the Yonhet Axl with the alien's own language, likely the trade pidgin spoken within the Covenant fringe.

Equipment
Locke wears what appears to be an unidentified MJOLNIR (GEN2) armor. It is painted dark gray with yellow-orange highlights much like the Recruit-class armor worn by many Spartans on. On the back, the bodysuit bears a pattern of two light blue glowing lines which begin at the upper thighs and connect at the nape, a feature not observed in other GEN2 variants. Similar lines are also featured on the front side, specifically the upper arms and chest. An ONI emblem is painted on the chest piece's left breast, with the code number 00-8221-3 painted on both sides.

During the mission to Alpha Shard, Locke wore a set of Nightfall armor.

Production notes

 * Agent Locke will be a playable character in the upcoming Halo 5: Guardians. He debuted in promotional art for Guardians and later identified in the announcement trailer for Halo: The Master Chief Collection. He is properly introduced in the digital series Halo: Nightfall, in which he is played by actor Mike Colter. Mike Colter will also serve as Locke's voice and motion capture actor in Halo 5: Guardians. He is also featured in the terminals and prologue and epilogue cinematics of Halo 2 Anniversary, setting up his story arc in Halo 5.
 * Locke was tentatively named "Marlowe" during the casting process of Halo: Nightfall.

List of appearances

 * Halo: Nightfall
 * Halo 2 Anniversary
 * Terminals
 * Halo 5: Guardians