Anton-044: Difference between revisions

{{Era|UNSC|HCW}}

'''Anton-044''' was a [[Spartan-II]] supersoldier. He was considered to be one of the Spartans' most skilled scouts.<ref>'''Halo: First Strike''', ''page 177''</ref> During [[Operation: SILENT STORM]] in early [[2526]], he served as part of [[Green Team]], led by [[Kurt-051]].{{Ref/Reuse|HSS3}} He was one of the few Spartan-IIs to survive the [[Fall of Reach]] in summer [[2552]], though he was killed shortly after escaping the planet.

Anton was conscripted into the SPARTAN-II Program in [[2517]], when he was singled out as a physically and intellectually superior child by Dr. [[Catherine Halsey]]. He was replaced by a [[flash clone]] after being abducted by the [[Office of Naval Intelligence]]. He was then taken to [[Reach]] where he was trained along with the rest of the Spartan candidates by [[Chief Petty Officer]] [[Franklin Mendez]] and the AI [[Déjà]]. During one training exercise on the tropical colony of [[Emerald Cove]], he and the other Spartans were able to live on their own for a few days. As he was fond of beaches, Anton found this experience to be particularly enjoyable.<ref>'''Halo: First Strike''', ''page 266'' (2010)</ref> When the Spartans were [[Project ASTER|augmented]] in [[2525]], Anton was among those who made it through with no long-term ill effects.

Months after the [[Human-Covenant War]] began with the [[First Battle of Harvest|attack]] on [[Harvest]] in early [[2525]], Anton-044 and the other Spartan-IIs were brought to the [[Reach FLEETCOM Military Complex]], where [[Rear Admiral]] [[Michael Stanforth]] briefed them on the emerging [[Covenant]] threat. In response, the training of the Spartan-IIs was accelerated, and in [[2525#November|November 2525]] they were sent to [[Chi Ceti IV]] to receive their new [[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor]] from the [[Damascus Materials Testing Facility]].{{Ref/Novel|Id=TFoR121|TFoR|Detail=page 121}} While en route to Chi Ceti IV aboard the {{UNSCShip|Commonwealth}}, they were [[Battle of Chi Ceti|attacked]] by the ''[[Unrelenting]]'', a Covenant [[warship]].{{Ref/Novel|Id=TFoR127|TFoR|Detail=page 127}} The ''Commonwealth'' was able to ward off the ''Unrelenting'' and the Spartans were deployed to Chi Ceti IV with Halsey, where they each received a set of armor.{{Ref/Novel|Id=for141|TFoR|Detail=page 141}} While the Spartans were returning to the ''Commonwealth'' via [[Pelican]] [[dropship]], the ''Unrelenting'' re-engaged the frigate. To save the ''Commonwealth'', John had Anton and the other Spartan-IIs use [[thruster pack]]s in an attempt to board the alien vessel, and destroy it with [[Anvil-II air-to-surface missile|Anvil-II AS missiles]]. However, only John-117, [[Kelly-087]], and [[Samuel-034]] made it aboard. Anton and the others missed the ''Unrelenting'', but were picked up after the battle.{{Ref/Novel|Id=TFoR147to150|TFoR|Detail=pages 147-150}}

By early [[2526]], Anton, [[Malcolm-059]], and [[Solomon-069]] had been assigned to [[Green Team]], which was then led by [[Kurt-051]]. On [[2526#March|March 5]] of that year, Anton and eleven other Spartans were organized into an assault squad with orders to board and capture a [[Covenant frigate]], ''[[Radiant Arrow]]'', orbiting the planet [[Netherop]]. To accomplish this, they were all deployed from the [[prowler]] {{UNSCShip|Starry Night}} for an [[Extra-vehicular activity|EVA]] [[Boarding|boarding action]], with [[John-117]] in charge of the mission.{{Ref/Novel|Id=HSS1|HSS|Chapter=1}} Using a flight of [[Type-27 Banshee]]s for cover, the Spartans stealthily approached the alien vessel.{{Ref/Novel|Id=HSS2|HSS|Chapter=2}} They [[Skirmish over Netherop|boarded]] the frigate via its underslung hangar and eliminated the Covenant forces within, preparing to move deeper into the frigate without the rest of crew realizing they had been boarded. [[Blue Team]] spearheaded the assault, clearing rooms along the ship's main corridor as Anton and the rest of Green Team secured these chambers and any intersections they encountered. As the two teams continued on, a sensor operator aboard one of the prowlers "accidentally" broadcast a transmission on the Spartans' [[COM|SQUADCOM]], revealing their presence to the frigate's crew. Unbeknownst to them, the crewman's apparent mistake was part of an [[insurrectionist]] plot designed by [[Hector Nyeto]], who intended to get the Spartans killed. With their presence known, Blue and Green Teams split up, with John leading his team to the bridge. Green Team would make their way to the [[engineering]] section until John informed them of the ship's imminent [[Self-destruct|self-destruction]] at the hands of its [[shipmaster]], and ordered them to evacuate. All of the Spartans—including Anton—made it to safety before the ''Radiant Arrow'' detonated.{{Ref/Novel|Id=HSS3|HSS|Chapter=3}}

As the twelve Spartans neared the provided waypoint, the fog had lowered to shoulder-height, allowing the Spartans to discover that the ''Starry Night'' was indeed seemingly intact, but sat atop a large avalanche about seven hundred meters up the quarry wall. [[Frederic-104]] spotted a Covenant intrusion corvette sliding over the rim of the quarry and descending over the prowler. Kelly-087 theorized that they may be trying to recover the ''Starry Night'' themselves. Realizing the danger, John declared to his teammates that the mission was no longer a rescue mission. Their primary objective was now to deny the Covenant from recovering the prowler and the data stored within. Opening the command channel again, John relayed this information to Crowther, who echoed his concerns and insisted that they could not let the Covenant take possession of the ''Starry Night''. The vessel's [[navigation computer]] and other onboard data devices could reveal the locations of UNSC outposts, entire force deployments, or worse. Crowther asked Nyeto if there was any way to remotely activate the prowler's [[Fury tactical nuclear weapon|nuclear]] self-destruct system, to which the lieutenant commander responded in the affirmative. However, there were only three positions that had access to that ability. The first two were the flight commander and wing commander, both of which were roles held by Captain Ascot, who was either dead or unable to be reached aboard the ''Starry Night''. The final person with the ability to remotely detonate the prowler was the captain of the ''Vanishing Point'', which was holding station two planetary orbits out from Seoba. At that distance, it would take nearly an hour for the request to be sent to the cruiser and for the return signal to arrive. By then, the Covenant might already have retrieved sensitive data from the wrecked prowler. Crowther began to reluctantly order the Spartans to prevent the ''Starry Night''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s capture, but John cut him off, assuring him that they would not fail. The Spartan requested that Task Force Yama assist them by keeping the assaulting corvettes off their backs. Nyeto began to say that their prowlers were not designed for ship-to-ship combat when Crowther interrupted him, promising that they would find a way. Crowther started to tell John to standby for instructions on how to manually activate the prowler's self-destruct, but he reassured the colonel that his Spartans already knew how to activate a [[Nuclear weapon|nuke]].{{Ref/Reuse|HSS14}}

Before this discussion came to an end, a Covenant [[Type-32 Ghost|Ghost]] appeared out of the fog and began firing at John, who managed to kill its [[Jiralhanae]] driver with his [[MA5B assault rifle|MA5B]]'s [[M301 grenade launcher|underbarrel grenade launcher]]. Shortly after that was handled, he noticed more Ghosts entering the quarry, so John ordered Green and Gold Teams to deal with them as Blue Team went to handle the prowler. At this point, the looming intrusion corvette had begun deploying EVA-equipped [[Sangheili]], Jiralhanae, and [[Kig-Yar]] warriors via its gravity lift, with the first already looking for a way inside the ship. Another corvette crested the edge of the quarry, firing its main cannon on the Spartans. With the situation quickly deteriorating and Nyeto's support still setting up, John realized that immediate action was necessary. While Anton and the others were still dealing with the Ghosts, John ordered Blue Team to simultaneously fire on the avalanche just below the ''Starry Night'' with their grenade launchers to cause the vessel to fall to quarry floor and prevent the Covenant from gaining entrance. Despite Fred and Kelly's warnings that such an action could bring the whole slope down on top of them, each member of the team acknowledged and followed his order. As they has feared, the volley of [[grenade]]s worked a bit too well, bringing the avalanche down on top of all twelve Spartans, but successfully delaying the Covenant in their boarding attempt.{{Ref/Reuse|HSS14}}

Six of the Spartans became buried under the ice, with Anton's teammate, Solomon-069, becoming completely incapacitated. John-117 was also buried, but not totally immobilized. While he worked on freeing himself, John gave Fred command of the mission to board and destroy the ''Starry Night''. Fred-104, Malcolm-059, and [[Linda-058]] boarded the prowler as members of Green and Gold Teams coordinated attacks on the seemingly endless stream of enemy ground vehicles, supported by at least three Covenant corvettes. John freed himself from the ice flow and began helping repel would-be boarders while Fred's team prepared the vessel's [[Fury tactical nuclear weapon]]. Meanwhile, Nyeto's support finally arrived the form of strafing runs that destroyed two of the intrusion corvettes assaulting Gold and Green Teams. At this point, Anton and Joshua decided to assist John, who had just killed two [[Type-1 energy sword#Bloodblade|bloodblade]]-wielding Sangheili. As soon as he dispatched them, two Kig-Yar began firing on him, landing a hit that breached John's armor. Anton provided cover fire and asked if he was okay. When John informed them of his armor's pressure leak, Joshua assured him that he had a patching kit to fix the breach. Just as the nuke was finished arming, the looming Covenant corvette finally made its move and began lifting the ''Starry Night'' up into its hold using its [[gravity lift]]. John ordered Fred's team to activate the nuke and flee from the prowler with the survivors, which they did via escape pod. After ordering everyone to clear the blast radius, John led Anton and Joshua away from the prowler, taking cover behind a wrecked Ghost just before the detonation. All of the Spartans made it to safety, but John wanted to check on each of them personally, once he had Joshua patch up the breach in his back armor. Colonel Crowther had the Spartans extracted after the nuke's [[electromagnetic pulse]] had dissipated.{{Ref/Novel|Id=HSS15|HSS|Chapter=15}}  

{{Expand-section}}

{{Expand-section}}

{{Main|Attack on Zhoist}}

Anton and Team Gamma then retreated to [[Camp Independence]] for three weeks where they broadcast the Spartan's "all clear" signal (''[[Oly Oly Oxen Free]]'') on the [[COM|UNSC E-Band]] until it was picked up by [[John-117]] and [[Cortana]] aboard the captured [[DDS-class carrier|Covenant carrier]] ''[[Ascendant Justice]]''. Cortana then sent a return signal. Anton then went out to meet John, being the first Spartan the latter had seen since his escape from Reach. Anton then listened to John's story of the [[Battle of Installation 04|events]] at [[Halo]] [[Installation 04]].

Anton (under the callsign Blue Four) took part in the extravehicular mission to repair the ship. He, John, Fred, Li, Grace, and [[Will]], along with [[Petty Officer Second Class|PO2]] [[Shiela Polaski]], took the dropship out to the site. There they were ambushed by several Sangheili. Anton posted on top of the dropship to provide cover. As the conduit was repaired, a large globule of stray plasma struck the dropship, destroying its cockpit. Anton, Li, and Polaski went missing in this event. While he and the others were most likely flash-vaporized by the extreme heat, Anton was listed as missing in action in accordance with [[office of Naval Intelligence Directive 930|protocol]].