Frederic-104: Difference between revisions

{{Quote|multi=yes|Kelly-087|q1=That's it. We've lost. Reach is going to fall.|Fred-104|q2=Maybe. Maybe not. Come on, we're not done yet.|Kelly and Fred, with the latter determined to save Reach<ref>'''Halo: First Strike''', ''page 46'' (2010)</ref>}}

{{Quote|multi=yes|Terrence Hood|q1=Suit up, Lieutenant [sic]. We're sending Blue downstairs—you ready to get back to work?|Fred-104|q2=Eager, sir.|Fleet Admiral Terrence Hood and Fred-104, as the Battle of Earth begins<ref>'''Halo: First Strike''', ''page 46'' (2010)</ref><ref group="note">Fred is erroneously addressed as a Lieutenant as of the Battle of Earth in the quoted short piece featured in the Adjunct section of the 2010 reprint of ''Halo: First Strike''. He was actually not promoted to the rank of lieutenant, junior grade until the conclusion of the Battle of Onyx.</ref>}}

Returning to Earth, John was debriefed by Hood, where the fleet admiral gave orders for Blue Team to have some rest after years of combat. However, the rest of the team instead left to take on new missions, all of them highly classified.<ref name="HE10"/> These operations included diplomatic escorts through hostile territory, counter-piracy efforts against salvagers, and strikes against Covenant outposts.  At one point in [[2558]], the team was stationed at the construction site for a new [[ONI]] research facility, awaiting orders.<ref name="otb">'''[[Halo: Tales from Slipspace]]''', ''[[On the Brink]]''</ref> Without warning, explosions signaled an attack from fanatical [[Covenant remnants|ex-Covenant]]. During the fighting that followed, the hostiles managed to capture an [[M510 Mammoth]], disable its governor, and drive it down a steep hillside toward the site's main [[fusion reactor]]. Blue Team followed in pursuit in an [[M12 Warthog LRV]], with Fred driving. With only about a minute left before it impacted the reactor, John, Kelly, and Linda ejected from the Warthog when it was close enough to the Mammoth. The three of them just narrowly managed to wrest control of the hulking vehicle from its [[Kig-Yar]] and Sangheili hijackers and steer it away from disaster.<ref name="otb"/> However, the near miss still resulted in the destruction of a decent amount of fabricated material that had been constructed. The manager in charge of the construction project rushed over to Fred and the other Spartans after the smoke cleared and demanded to know who he should blame for the damage. John, who had taken the Mammoth's controls, took responsibility. The incredulous man accused the Master Chief of thinking he could get away with anything because of his status as a hero. At this moment, Fred jumped in to reprimand the thankless individual they had all just saved, finding it difficult to maintain an easy demeanor in the face of such disrespect. John kept a cooler head and directed the team to return to a nearby airstrip, as their mission orders had come in.<ref name="otb"/>

Frederic-104 is a natural leader and a brilliant strategist.<ref name="he112">'''[[Halo Encyclopedia]]''', ''page 112'' (2011)</ref> Highly intelligent, alert, and objective-focused during [[operation]]s, Fred often appears solemn and stoic when interacting with other personnel of the [[United Nations Space Command]].<ref name="H5GLtd"/> However, he had difficulty hiding his emotions at times, a trait that Doctor [[Catherine Halsey]] was aware of.<ref>'''Halo: Glasslands''', ''page 14''</ref> A quick thinker,<ref name="he112"/> Fred has learned to rely on his instincts while on patrol or in the heat of a battle, noting that it had saved his life from dozens of ambushes.<ref>'''Halo: First Strike''', ''page 174'' (2010)</ref> His [[SPARTAN-II augmentation procedures|augmentations]] and [[SPARTAN-II training|training]] has crafted Fred into one of the UNSC's greatest military minds.<ref name="selection">'''Halo 5: Guardians''', ''Character selection''</ref> He is very observant; after years of watching soldiers face their fears, Fred is able to identify tell-tale signs of individuals encountering their fears and weaknesses, such as loss of focus and body tension. He did not always agree with or trust the judgement of his [[commanding officer]]s, though Fred remains respectful to his superiors. However, he refuses to be intimidated by "key-tapper" officers, jesting that the day he is will be the day he turns in his armor and resigns.<ref name="ll27"/> Despite his stoic and serious demeanor, Fred occasionally makes jokes or sarcastic quips in the midst of a battle or mission, once jesting to [[Major]] [[Ira Halal]] that it is "an operational bug".<ref name="ll32"/>

As a Spartan, Fred has a strong sense of duty and commitment towards the UNSC and his closest peers, and is always to accomplish the goals set before him and achieve victory in ever tactical situation.<ref name="adjunct"/> As with many of his fellow Spartan-IIs, Fred preferred to fight on a world's surface rather than in zero-gravity environments that were typically encountered in off-world operations. Regardless, Fred often chose to volunteer for space operations as he sought to participate in missions that presented greater threats and dangers.<ref>'''Halo: First Strike''', ''page 13'' (2010)</ref> Fred was always eager to battle the [[Covenant]] to defend any world, though he was particularly determined to save [[Reach]], viewing the planet as an invaluable military resource and his home.<ref>'''Halo: First Strike''', ''page 174'' (2010)</ref> Fred noted that other personnel of the UNSC looked upon Spartan-IIs with awe, suspicion, and fear. However, Fred, like many of the Spartan-IIs, dislikes the special treatment he and the other Spartans receive from ordinary humans and does not elevate himself above baseline troops, believing they all served the UNSC for the same reasons.<ref>'''Halo: First Strike''', ''page 29'' (2010)</ref> Fred is ever pedant in following protocol; during [[Operation: JOVIAN WHISTLE|his operation]] on [[Gao]], Fred was irritated that several of his superiors continued to violate [[Foxtrot Tango Angel 7012]] by revealing classified information on the [[Forerunner]]s to [[civilian]]s.<ref name="ll8"/> Although Fred's service with the UNSC throughout the [[Insurrection]] and [[Human-Covenant War]] has left him as a highly decorated individual, he refrains from wearing his awards.<ref name="H5GLtd"/>

Fred cares greatly for those under his command, regardless of whether they are Spartans, Marines, or other UNSC personnel and he took full responsibility of their lives, bearing a heavy, personal burden with each casualty.<ref name="adjunct"/> He would ensure the safety of his team before even considering his own well-being; Fred once noted that he could only think clearly when the safety of his team was at stake.<ref>'''Halo: First Strike''', ''page 174'' (2010)</ref> During the battle at [[Wendosa]], Fred was reluctant to follow orders to evacuate, as he would be leaving behind those under his command.<ref name="ll243"/> Fred was willing to defer command and leadership to those that he both respected and trusted. During the [[Battle of Onyx]], while Fred was given command of Blue Team, he was quick to respectfully relinquish his command to [[Lieutenant Commander]] [[Kurt-051]].<ref name="goo252"/> After Blue Team reunited with John, despite being two pay grades higher than him, Fred allowed John to become the ''de facto'' leader of the unit, with John even attaining the [[call sign]] of "Blue Leader".<ref name="waypoint blue team"/>