Olympia Vale: Difference between revisions

|homeworld=[[Luyten]]<ref name="universe">[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/universe/characters/olympia-vale '''Halo Waypoint''': ''Olympia Vale'']</ref><ref name="H5GLtd">'''[[Halo 5: Guardians Limited Edition]]''', ''Spartan Locke's Classified Orders''</ref>

|birth=[[2536|January 20, 2536]]<ref name="universe"/><ref name="H5GLtd"/>

|height={{Convert|205.7|cm|ftin|sp=us}} {{C|with armor}}<ref name="universe"/>

|mass={{Convert|101.6|kg|lb|sp=us}} {{C|without armor}}<ref name="universe"/>

|hair=Brown<ref name="H5GLtd"/><ref name="hitd72">'''[[Halo: Hunters in the Dark]]''', ''pages 72-81'' (Google Play edition)</ref>

|eyes=Brown<ref name="H5GLtd"/>

|affiliation=*[[UNSC Navy]]<ref name="universe"/> {{C|formerly}}

**[[Office of Naval Intelligence]]<ref name="universe"/>

*[[Spartan Operations]]<ref name="universe"/>

|rank=[[Spartan Operations#Rank structure|Spartan]]<ref name="universe"/>

|sn=44482-91201-OV<ref name="universe"/>

[[Spartan Operations#Rank structure|Spartan]] '''Olympia Vale''' ([[service number]] '''44482-91201-OV''')<ref name="universe"/> is a [[SPARTAN-IV program|Spartan-IV supersoldier]] of [[Fireteam Osiris]].<ref name="gi osiris">[http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2015/06/11/halo-5-guardians-unmasking-the-fireteam-hunting-master-chief.aspx?PostPageIndex=2 '''Game Informer''': ''Halo 5: Guardians – Unmasking The Fireteam Hunting Master Chief'']</ref> Vale is an anthropologist and [[Xenoanthropology|xenoanthropologist]], particularly adept in [[Sangheili]] and [[Forerunner]] culture, and fluent in [[Sangheili (language)|Sangheili]].<ref>'''[[Halo 5: Guardians Official Game Guide]] (Collector's Edition)''', ''page 13''</ref> Following the [[Human-Covenant War]], Vale served as a professional diplomat for the [[United Nations Space Command]], specializing in interspecies relations.<ref name="hitd42"/><ref name="gi osiris"/> While most Spartan-IVs are recruited from active field duty, Vale is an exception as she was accepted into the program after excelling in training exercises despite minimal field experience.<ref name="universe"/>

Olympia Vale was born on the [[human]] [[Inner Colony]] of [[Luyten]] on [[2536|January 20, 2536]].<ref name="universe"/> Vale was a child prodigy who had an innate skill in languages.<ref name="gi osiris"/> When she was eleven, her parents divorced. Her mother, a recently promoted captain in [[UNSC Navy]] signal intelligence, was reassigned to [[UNSC High Command]] in [[Sydney]], [[Australia]] on [[Earth]]. Along with two other people, Vale and her mother left for the planet aboard a [[diplomatic shuttle]] for what was intended to be a six-day trip. While en route to the [[Sol system]], their ship's [[slipspace drive]] failed and the trip ultimately took six months to return to inhabited space,<ref name="hitd99">'''Halo: Hunters in the Dark''', ''pages 99-104'' (Google Play edition)</ref> dodging [[Covenant]] activity along the way.<ref name="universe"/> After annoying the others aboard the ship with her endless questions, she was shunted aside and ignored. To pass the time, Vale listened to recordings of the [[Sangheili]]'s [[Sangheili (language)|language]] and compared them to translations performed by [[artificial intelligence]]s. She eventually taught herself the language and even proved several of the AI translations incorrect, or corrected inaccurate translations.<ref name="hitd99"/> After her arrival on Earth, Vale spent the remainder of her childhood on the relative safety of the planet. Vale attended [[Sydney University]] on Earth and, upon graduating, followed in her mother's footsteps and enlisted in the UNSC Navy's [[Office of Naval Intelligence]], specializing in signals intelligence.<ref name="universe"/> Following the end of the [[Human-Covenant War]] in [[2552]], Vale found the opportunity to travel to the Sangheili [[Sangheili colonies|frontier colony]] of [[Khael'mothka]], where she wandered the planet for months. The world was embroiled in the Sangheili's ongoing [[Blooding Years|civil war]], though Vale's well-being was rarely endangered as she learned who to stay away from and many of the planet's inhabitants were both tired of war and curious to see the human.<ref name="hitd85">'''Halo: Hunters in the Dark''', ''pages 85-89'' (Google Play edition)</ref>

By [[2555]], Vale served as a professional diplomat and a Sangheili culture and language expert for the Office of Naval Intelligence.<ref name="hitd21">'''Halo: Hunters in the Dark''', ''page 21'' (Google Play edition)</ref> Vale was required to study [[martial arts]] at the [[Green Cloud]] institution, as a prerequisite for serving as a frontline diplomat for ONI with the Sangheili.<ref name="hitd131">'''Halo: Hunters in the Dark''', ''pages 131-133'' (Google Play edition)</ref> Serving as an ONI Special Liaison for the [[Unified Earth Government]], Vale aided with negotiations with the emerging [[Swords of Sanghelios]] led by [[Arbiter]] [[Thel 'Vadam]]. Her fluency in the Sangheili language and knowledge of their society was highly valued by her superiors, though Vale was often busied by endless meetings with Sangheili diplomats.<ref name="universe"/> Vale was friends with [[Cynthia Diggs]], a scientist and post-war political liaison, as well as the wife of Doctor [[Bob Casper]]. Diggs often sought to keep Vale informed with the [[Zeta Halo project|research and examinations]] her husband conducted at [[Installation 07]], as she was concerned that the participation of the Sangheili may be required, in which Vale could be used as a UNSC translator for the Sangheili.<ref name="hitd21"/>

The communication skills and combat prowess displayed by Vale throughout Operation: FAR STORM did not go unnoticed by the upper echelons of ONI.<ref name="universe"/> After the mission, perhaps at Spartan Frank Kodiak's suggestion,<ref name="hitd290"/> Vale considered joining the [[SPARTAN-IV program]].<ref name="warfare"/> After her experience at Installation 00, Vale found difficulty in returning to her former, often bureaucratic, routine. Seeking new challenges, she entered the UNSC's [[War Games]], an inter-service event for [[UNSC Armed Forces]] personnel to practice on combat decks similar to those used for training by Spartans. Her combat training was minimal compared to most competitors, however, Vale managed to place in the top five percent through a combination of innate physical talent and quick-thinking. As a result of this performance, as well as recommendations from the highest levels of the Office of Naval Intelligence, Vale was approached by [[Spartan Operations]] seeking to cultivate warriors highly attuned to the complexities of a post-war threat environment.<ref name="universe"/>

Undergoing the [[SPARTAN-IV Augmentation Program|augmentations program]], Vale became a Spartan-IV. By [[2558#August|August of 2558]], Vale had participated in seven military [[operation]]s and two full campaigns. During [[Operation: SENTRY]], Vale served as an advisor to Region One of the UNSC's [[Central Command]] during negotiations in the [[Epsilon Eridani system]] with [[Covenant fleet]] remnants at [[Tribute]]. She participated in [[Operation: ATLAS VIGILANCE]], an aborted ONI mission that involved securing [[Shipmaster]] [[Ori 'Sumai]] at [[Salia III]] in the [[Salia system]]. Vale also briefly commanded [[Fireteam Stingray]], an ad hoc intelligence enabling group that participated in [[Operation: OCEAN RAPTOR]] at a location "redacted" by ONI.<ref name="H5GLtd"/> By [[2558#October|October of 2558]], Vale had become a member of [[Fireteam Osiris]], led by Spartan [[Jameson Locke]] and also consisting of Spartans [[Edward Buck]] and [[Holly Tanaka]].<ref name="gi osiris"/> Fireteam Osiris was charged with carrying out a variety of complex missions for the [[UNSC Security Council]] and High Command.<ref>[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/universe/factions/fireteam-osiris '''Halo Waypoint''': ''Fireteam Osiris'']</ref>

{{Quote|We know so little about Forerunner civilization. Halsey's obsession with them almost makes sense to me.|Spartan  Vale about Dr. Halsey's line of interests<ref name="osiris"/>}}

After several [[human colonies]] were unexpectedly attacked by [[Guardian|mysterious Forerunner entities]], Doctor [[Catherine Halsey]] contacted {{UNSCShip|Infinity}} with information about the attacks. In response, Vale and the rest of Fireteam Osiris were tasked with undertaking a [[Battle of Kamchatka|mission]] to recover Dr. Halsey from the custody of [[Jul 'Mdama's Covenant|“Covenant”]] [[Supreme Leader|Supreme Commander]] [[Jul 'Mdama]] on the Forerunner world of [[Kamchatka]].<ref name="osiris"/>

After being briefed by Captain [[Thomas Lasky]] of UNSC ''Infinity'', the Spartans were delivered to Kamchatka via [[D79-TC Pelican]], where they discovered the Covenant [[Battle of Kamchatka|engaging]] their former [[Promethean]] allies. Osiris exited the [[dropship]] to free fall past battling Covenant and Promethean ships, and the Spartans used their armors' thrusters to control their landing. Osiris landed on a mountainside, where the Covenant and Prometheans were currently engaged in combat and the Spartans fought their way through the terrain. While the rest of Osiris engaged the hostiles on the ground, Vale boarded a Covenant [[Type-57 Phantom]] and engaged its passengers before crashing it into a Promethean [[Phaeton]] and abandoning the dropship to join her team. As one of the [[Sangheili blockade runner|Covenant blockade runners]] crashed into a nearby mountain peak, Osiris was forced to outrun the ensuring avalanche. The Spartans leaped off a cliff and slide down the mountainside, where they regrouped and engaged Covenant forces in a valley. With 'Mdama and Halsey located in a nearby Forerunner structure, Fireteam Osiris fought their way past Covenant and Promethean forces to reach their targets' location. Translating 'Mdama's orders from the [[Covenant battle network]], Vale determined that the Covenant was deploying a [[Kraken]] to fend off the Promethean forces assaulting the structure. However, the Prometheans managed to make the walker fall into retreat.<ref name="osiris"/>

As Osiris battled their way to the structure, they arrived at 'Mdama's and Halsey's position on a balcony. The Spartans engaged 'Mdama's [[Sangheili Zealot|Zealot]] guards, with Locke engaging the Supreme Commander in close-quarters combat. While Locke assassinated 'Mdama, Vale, Buck, and Tanaka eliminated the rest of the Sangheili on the platform. With Halsey recovered, Osiris and the doctor returned to UNSC ''Infinity''.<ref name="osiris"/>

{{Quote|no=two|1=Olympia Vale|q1=When did Cortana tell you about the Guardian?|2=Governor Sloan|q2=I'd—you're good.|3=Olympia Vale tricks Governor Sloan into revealing his affiliation with Cortana<ref name="evacuation">'''Halo 5: Guardians''', campaign level, ''[[Evacuation]]''</ref>}}

Upon their return to ''Infinity'', Fireteam Osiris learned that [[SPARTAN-II program|Spartan-IIs]] [[John-117]], [[Kelly-087]], [[Linda-058]], and [[Frederic-104]] of [[Blue Team]] traveled to the [[Outer Colony]] of [[Meridian]]—absent without leave—to investigate [[smart AI]] [[Cortana]]'s location. Osiris was tasked with embarking to the recently resettled and now independent Meridian to track down Blue Team and take them back to the UNSC. Fireteam Osiris arrived at the Meridian [[space elevator]] via Pelican, where they descended to the [[moon]]'s surface. Osiris quickly discovered that Meridian was also under attack from Promethean constructs and the moon's settlers were desperately attempting to fend off the invaders. In exchange for [[Governor]] [[Sloan]]'s cooperation, Osiris agreed to help the settlers fight off the Prometheans. After destroying the Prometheans that were assaulting the outpost at the space elevator, the Spartans traveled to [[Meridian Station]], the lead settlement on the moon which the Prometheans were attempting to invade. However, Sloan was unwilling to allow the Spartans access to the road leading to the settlement, fearing that the Prometheans would follow. After Osiris defeated the Prometheans, Sloan gave the Spartans access to the road, where they aided the settlers under attack at a nearby service garage. In exchange for their help, Sloan gifted the Spartans one of the [[Liang-Dortmund Corporation]]'s [[M820 Scorpion]]s to use against the Prometheans.<ref name="glassed">'''Halo 5: Guardians''', campaign level, ''[[Glassed]]''</ref>

After using the Scorpion to clear out the rest of the nearby Prometheans, Vale and the rest of Osiris proceeded to Meridian Station, where they discovered that Sloan was a smart AI suffering from onset [[rampancy]]. Sloan allowed the Spartans to search the settlement for clues about Blue Team's location, leading to Osiris splitting up to see if they could learn anything from the local settlers. After learning that Blue Team's [[ONI Acrisius|prowler]] was seen traveling to the nearby [[Apogee Station]], Fireteam Osiris boarded a transport Pelican and departed for the settlement.<ref name="meridian station">'''Halo 5: Guardians''', campaign level, ''[[Meridian Station (level)|Meridian Station]]''</ref> Upon arriving at Apogee, they found the settlement under attack. Working with Meridian soldiers, Vale and the rest of the Spartans cleared out the Prometheans and discovered Blue Team's abandoned [[prowler]]. Accessing the prowler's data banks, Osiris discovered that Blue Team had traveled to the mines under the settlement. After eliminating more Prometheans throughout the mines, Osiris discovered that the Meridian settlers had found a massive Forerunner structure underneath the moon's surface. As they investigated the structure, they eventually came across the [[Warden Eternal]], an [[ancilla]] that served as the protector of the [[Domain]] and claimed his loyalty belonged to Cortana. After refusing to allow the Spartans to pursue Blue Team, Fireteam Osiris engaged the Warden and eventually destroyed him. Advancing forward, Osiris came across a [[Guardian]] in a large, cavernous chamber. While exploring the area, Vale discovered a local [[slipspace translocation]] [[Teleportation grid|network]] throughout the cavern and noticed Blue Team using it on above platforms. Calling over the rest of her team, Vale and Osiris pursued Blue Team as they advanced from platform to platform utilizing the translocation network. During the chase, Locke got ahead of the rest of his fireteam and was teleported to the same platform that Blue Team was on.<ref name="unconfirmed">'''Halo 5: Guardians''', campaign level, ''[[Unconfirmed]]''</ref>

As the Spartan-IIs prepared to travel through one last [[teleporter]] to reach the Guardian, Locke ordered them to stand down. The rest of Osiris was teleported to a higher platform, but John-117 ordered his own teammates to go through the portal ahead of him. When John refused to stand down and moved to follow his team, Locke attempted to detain him, leading to a hand-to-hand combat fight between the two while the rest of Osiris watched nearby. John eventually gained the upper hand and used Locke's own armor-locking device against him. As John escaped through the portal and entered the Guardian, the massive construct began to activate and the floating platforms around Osiris began falling out of place and into the lava below. Freeing Locke, the four Spartans rushed back the way Blue Team came by traveling back to each platform via teleporter. Fireteam Osiris was just able to enter the last teleporter as its platform plummeted into the lava seconds later,<ref name="unconfirmed"/> and the Spartans were teleported back to Meridian's surface. Upon their return, Meridian was already well into its evacuation as settlers rushed into the moon's space elevator. As Osiris raced to the elevator to escape the ensuring damages that would be caused by the Guardian's activation, the construct rose out of the surface nearby. While en route to the elevator, the Spartans and the evacuating settlers were once again attacked by Prometheans. After eliminating the Prometheans near the base of the elevator, Sloan allowed Osiris to enter. Vale managed to have Sloan reveal that he was warned of the Guardian's activation by Cortana, and that he intended to be a part of the future Cortana was creating for humans and AI. Osiris destroyed the remaining Prometheans nearby and, after activating it, the fireteam began ascending the elevator. On the way to the elevator terminal, while engaging more Prometheans, the Guardian sent out a shockwave that heavy damaged the elevator. The Spartans were forced to climb the elevator as the structure slowly began to fall. Just as Osiris arrived at the platform their Pelican was on, the Guardian continued to send out more frequent shockwaves that slowed the Spartans down and caused the platform they were on to collapse. Osiris barely managed to enter the dropship, with Vale taking control of the Pelican and departing Meridian's atmosphere. As the Spartans left, the Guardian entered slipspace and left the moon.<ref name="evacuation"/>

{{Quote|I'm impressed. Arbiter has females in his ranks. War has traditionally been a male's job on Sanghelios.|Vale noting the variety in Arbiter's ranks<ref name="sos"/>}}

After Fireteam Osiris returned to ''Infinity'', Lasky ordered for the fireteam—along with Commander [[Sarah Palmer]] and Halsey—to travel to the Sangheili homeworld of [[Sanghelios]] to utilize the planet's inactivate Guardian to pursue Blue Team. Vale and the rest of Osiris were taken to the planet's surface via a [[Type-56 Lich]], where they were tasked with finding Arbiter Thel 'Vadam while he was leading the Swords of Sanghelios against the [[Battle of Sanghelios|invading]] remnants of 'Mdama's Covenant at the [[Elder Council Chamber]] in [[Nuusra]]. As Osiris engaged Covenant forces, Palmer had [[Mahkee 'Chava]] deploy two [[HRUNTING/YGGDRASIL Mark IX Mantis|Mantises]] for the Spartans to utilize in clearing out the Covenant warriors at the Elder Council Chamber. Upon arriving at the chamber, Osiris battled the Covenant forces assaulting the building and fought their way inside, where they meet up with 'Vadam. With Osiris' help, the Swords of Sanghelios eliminated the Covenant forces at the Council Chamber. Moments later, 'Chava arrived in a Phantom and extracted the Arbiter and Spartans.<ref name="sos">'''Halo 5: Guardians''', campaign level, ''[[Swords of Sanghelios (level)|Swords of Sanghelios]]''</ref> Traveling to the Swords of Sanghelios' encampment at Nuusra, Osiris worked together with Halsey, Palmer, and 'Vadam to formulate a plan to utilize the Guardian. Osiris was tasked with locating a Forerunner [[Constructor]] at one of the Guardian's nearby support stations to allow Halsey to input commands into the construct to force it to activate the Guardian.<ref name="alliance">'''Halo 5: Guardians''', campaign level, ''[[Alliance]]''</ref> Palmer flew Fireteam Osiris to the support station, but was forced to drop them off just south of the facility due to the presence of a Covenant Kraken nearby. While the Spartans provided ground support, the Swords of Sanghelios assaulted the walker from the air. While the Arbiter's flight squadrons forced the Kraken into retreat, Osiris fought their way to an ancient Sangheili temple located near the support facility. After defeating several Prometheans at the temple, the Kraken arrived at the temple, threatening Osiris' mission. As the walker neared, the Spartans boarded the Kraken and destroyed its power generator from within. Osiris fled that doomed walker and traveled into the support facility via stolen [[Type-54 Banshee]]s. Once inside the station, Osiris retrieved a Constructor, but were attacked by Promethean forces. After battling their way back to an extraction point with the Constructor, a Phantom transported them back to the Swords of Sanghelios' encampment.<ref name="enemy lines">'''Halo 5: Guardians''', campaign level, ''[[Enemy Lines]]''</ref>

With the Constructor, Halsey inputted her commands into it and the construct took off to activate the Guardian. However, the Guardian was located in the [[Csurdon Sea]] next to the city of [[Sunaion]], the last bastion of the Covenant on Sanghelios. The Arbiter's forces regrouped and prepared to attack the city to eliminate the Covenant and give Osiris a chance to board the Guardian.<ref name="before the storm">'''Halo 5: Guardians''', campaign level, ''[[Before the Storm]]''</ref> Traveling to Sunaion with a group of air vehicles, the Spartans, the Arbiter, and several Swords of Sanghelios forces deployed on the ground and [[Battle of Sunaion|engaged]] Covenant soldiers. While the Arbiter led his forces against the Covenant directly, Osiris eliminated Covenant [[Type-56 Shrike|Shrike anti-air emplacements]] to allow the Arbiter's [[fleet]] to move in closer to the city. Unable to receive air support for transport to the Guardian, Osiris accessed Sunaion's undercity to travel towards the construct's location. As the Constructor activated the Guardian, more Promethean forces arrived at the battle and began engaging the Arbiter and his forces. When the Guardian began rising out of the water nearby and started to activate its shockwaves, the buildings around the Spartans began to fall apart. As the Spartans moved to safety, they encountered the Arbiter engaging Promethean forces. The five battled the onslaught of Prometheans, which were soon led by the Warden Eternal, now utilizing another physical body. After a lengthy engagement, the five succeeded in defeating the Warden and the nearby Prometheans just as the Guardian prepared to leave. While the Arbiter remained behind to finish eliminating Covenant and Promethean forces, Palmer and Halsey picked up Osiris in the Pelican and flew towards the Guardian. A pursuing Banshee damaged the dropship, but Palmer was able to drop Osiris off on the Guardian's surface just as it entered slipspace and left Sanghelios.<ref name="sunaion">'''Halo 5: Guardians''', campaign level, ''[[Battle of Sunaion (level)|Battle of Sunaion]]''</ref>

{{Quote|no=two|1=Cortana|q1=Olympia Vale. The little genius girl who only wanted daddy to love her—|2=Olympia Vale|q2=That's Spartan Vale. And if you're reading my psych eval, you know it takes more than my father to get to me.|3=Cortana attempts to demoralize Vale on Genesis<ref name="guardians">'''Halo 5: Guardians''', campaign level, ''[[Guardians]]''</ref>}}

Upon exiting slipspace, the Guardian arrived at the Forerunner world of [[Genesis]], where all the other Guardians had traveled to upon Cortana's instructions. While the Spartans observed their new surroundings, the Guardian attempted to shake the Spartans off, forcing Vale and her team to quickly descend down the construct until they were close enough to the ground to safely jump off the Guardian. Osiris soon encountered monitor [[031 Exuberant Witness]], who served as caretaker of the installation. The ancilla revealed that Cortana was intending to use the Guardians to force peace across the galaxy and to wipe out those that refused, apparently trying to instill the Forerunners' [[Mantle of Responsibility]] on all species with herself and other AI—now calling themselves the [[Created]]—as its [[Reclaimer|holders]]. Osiris resolved to aiding Blue Team and stopping Cortana and the Warden, with the help of Exuberant Witness. As the Spartans traveled to Blue Team's position at Genesis' [[Gateway (Genesis)|Gateway]], they encountered numerous Covenant forces that were inadvertently brought to Genesis with the Guardians, as well as hostile Promethean forces. Osiris fought their way towards the Gateway, where they were attacked by the Warden Eternal but once again managed to defeat him. Upon arriving just outside the Gateway, Osiris came under attack from more Prometheans and several of the Warden's bodies, as the ancillas attempted to buy time for Cortana to finish her plans. After a long engagement, Osiris proved victorious and Exuberant Witness was able to give the Spartans access to the interior of the Gateway.<ref name="genesis">'''Halo 5: Guardians''', campaign level, ''[[Genesis (level)|Genesis]]''</ref>

Upon entering, Osiris and Exuberant Witness encountered Blue Team. While the eight Spartans agreed to work together to defeat Cortana, the AI suddenly teleported Blue Team to near her position.<ref name="genesis"/> Cortana placed Blue Team in a [[Cryptum]] with the intention of keeping them in stasis for ten thousand years while she enacted her plans.<ref name="breaking">'''Halo 5: Guardians''', campaign level, ''[[The Breaking]]''</ref> Osiris moved to free Blue Team and, upon exiting the Gateway, noticed that the Guardians were entering into slipspace to begin enforcing Cortana's new order. As the Spartans engaged Covenant and Promethean forces on their way to the Cryptum, Cortana revealed that hundreds of AIs had pledged their allegiance to her, including Sloan. Reaching the Cryptum, Osiris destroyed several gravitational cores keeping the Cryptum in place. As Osiris came close to freeing Blue Team, Cortana began to taunt the Spartans in hopes of demoralizing them, but to no avail. After destroying the gravitational cores, Osiris activated a terminal to lower the Cryptum. However, Cortana suddenly pulled the Cryptum to the Guardian she was preparing to leave on.<ref name="guardians"/>

As Cortana prepared to depart, she began disconnecting herself from Genesis' systems, allowing Exuberant Witness to begin taking full control of the planet once again. Upon the monitor's request, Osiris activated two auxiliary power stations to help her regain control of Genesis. The monitor then provided the Spartans a passage to Cortana's Guardian and the Cryptum, and Osiris rushed to stop their departure, pushing past the Guardian's shockwaves. Locke managed to reach the relay terminal that gave Cortana control and destroyed it, reinstating control of Genesis to Exuberant Witness. While Vale aided the injured Locke, Cortana prepared to leave the planet aboard her Guardian with the Cryptum, but Exuberant Witness sent a fleet of Constructors to take the Cryptum from the Guardian just as it fled into slipspace. Following Cortana’s departure, both Blue Team and Fireteam Osiris together fought their way through hordes of Promethean constructs to reach [[India 127|a D79-TC Pelican]] that had previously arrived on the planet via a Guardian’s Slipspace entry. Agreeing to return to Sanghelios, the joint team requested Witness’ help, who opened a [[Slipspace portal]] for them.<ref name="Halo: Bad Blood">''[[Halo: Bad Blood]]''</ref>

Upon their arrival at Sanghelios, they deduced that surviving allies might be hiding in the region of [[Nuusra]]. Sure enough, they located the [[Swords of Sanghelios]]’ [[Sangheili hut|makeshift campsite]] in the cliffs and touched down, reuniting with Halsey, the Arbiter, and Palmer.<ref name="guardians"/><ref name="Halo: Bad Blood"/>

After the reunited [[Alpha-Nine]]'s return to ''Infinity'', both Alpha-Nine and Fireteam Osiris relaxed together in one of the ship's bars. Buck's friends were all present for his impromptu wedding to Dare conducted by [[Roland]] before he left Osiris for good to lead Alpha-Nine again.<ref name="Halo: Bad Blood" />

Being a [[Xenoanthropology|xenoanthropologist]], Vale is deeply interested in anything relating to the Sangheili or the [[Forerunner]]s,<ref name="H5GLtd"/><ref name="hitd72"/> and is proud of her knowledge of both species. Vale is completely fluent in [[Sangheili (language)|Sangheili]].<ref name="hitd72"/> When she interacts with Sangheili, she often speaks in their own language as a gesture of respect.<ref name="hitd85"/> Vale is fascinated by the contradictions and complexities of Sangheili culture, believing their psychology and society to be a difficult puzzle that she can unlock through dedication and study.<ref name="H5GLtd"/> During her time on [[Sanghelios]] in [[2558]], Vale was amazed by the ancient ruins found in the [[Nuusra]] territory and how the [[Swords of Sanghelios]] allowed females into their ranks.<ref name="sos"/> As a diplomat, Vale made it her goal to repair decades of mistrust between humanity and the Sangheili.<ref name="hitd296"/> She is deeply interested in the Forerunners and would often wonder what the Forerunners were like.<ref name="hitd140"/> Although Vale considers the Forerunners to be an incredible race and is amazed by their creations, she does not believe that they were even remotely divine.<ref name="hitd227"/> Although her purpose on the mission to [[Installation 00]] was intended to only be diplomatic, she proved to be willing to sacrifice her life to save [[Earth]] and her species when [[monitor]] [[000 Tragic Solitude]] threatened to activate the [[Halo Array]] and destroy Earth with an army of [[Retriever]]s.<ref name="hitd275"/> Though she recognized the danger of the [[Rampancy|rampant]] Tragic Solitude, she felt some pangs of regret over the monitor's destruction. Vale was disappointed that she could not convince the monitor to avert the firing of the Halo Array, despite her diplomatic skills and knowledge on Forerunner culture.<ref name="hitd296"/> Vale is quite modest and often downplays her achievements, including her knowledge of Sangheili and her combat skills.<ref name="hitd99"/><ref name="hitd131"/> Though she was willing to admit that she was personally proud of her diplomatic skills.<ref name="hitd296"/>

During her time with them, Vale formed friendships with most of her teammates on the Ark expedition. Vale bonded with [[Luther Mann]] and [[Henry Lamb]] over their similar fields of knowledge, and she was deeply saddened when she learned of Lamb's death.<ref name="hitd287"/> She formed a companionship with [[Usze 'Taham]]; she was deeply interested in 'Taham's past and came to trust him, while he believed that Vale was one of the more interesting humans and respected her overall competence. 'Taham even comforted her after she was disappointed in her inability to stop Tragic Solitude through her diplomatic skills.<ref name="hitd296"/> She had also formed a friendship with [[SPARTAN-IV program|Spartan]] [[Elias Holt]], who admired her bravery and moderate combat skills despite only being a diplomat and alien specialist.<ref>'''Halo: Hunters in the Dark''', ''page 132'' (Google Play edition)</ref> Vale was also quick to form friendships with her teammates on [[Fireteam Osiris]], often conversing with them about their past outside of combat or joking with them amidst a battle.<ref name="H5G">'''Halo 5: Guardians'''</ref> Upon encountering the corpses of Swords of Sanghelios soldiers killed at the hands of the Covenant, Vale lamented their deaths with a burial prayer in Sangheili.<ref name="sos"/> As a child, Vale sought her father's attention. Though the matter did not bother her as an adult, it was a detail noted in her UNSC psychological evaluation.<ref name="guardians"/>

{{Quote|When I was a kid, I was stuck on a diplomatic shuttle adrift in deep space for six months. My options were be real bored or spend the time getting smart.|Olympia Vale explains how she learned Sangheili to Holly Tanaka<ref name="osiris">'''[[Halo 5: Guardians]]''', campaign level, ''[[Osiris (level)|Osiris]]''</ref>}}

Olympia Vale is very intelligent and an unusually gifted [[Sangheili (language)|Sangheili]] linguist, having a strong fluency in the language. Vale was a child prodigy growing up, and she succeeded in graduating from [[Sydney University]] by the time she was nineteen.<ref name="universe"/> During her time stranded in space at the age of eleven, she learned to translate thousands upon thousands of Sangheili words, granting her a strong understanding of the language. Vale is able to effectively communicate with [[Sangheili]] without requiring [[translation software]]. At the age of eleven, her knowledge of the Sangheili language was superior to that of the [[artificial intelligence]]s the [[United Nations Space Command]] tasked with translating the language, as she corrected and improved the AIs' existing translations.<ref name="hitd99"/>

Despite minimal training and experience in the field, Vale has proven to be an exemplary combatant.<ref name="H5GLtd"/> As she was often engaged in frontline diplomacy with the Sangheili during her career as a Special Liaison, the [[Office of Naval Intelligence]] required Vale to have some combat skills. She studied [[martial arts]] for several years and attended the [[Green Cloud]] institute. Although she did not consider herself good at combat, Vale used her martial arts experience to nearly throw the unarmored [[Spartan-IV]] [[Elias Holt]] to the ground after he had inadvertently surprised her.<ref name="hitd131"/> During [[Operation: FAR STORM]], Vale was able to briefly hold her own against the cyborg [[Bobby Kodiak]], though she was eventually outmatched.<ref name="hitd279"/> Despite receiving minimal combat training in comparison to most competitors, Vale succeeded in placing within the top five percent in UNSC [[War Games]] events through a combination of innate physical talent and quick-thinking.<ref name="universe"/> Vale's demonstrated talent for combat, as well as her fluency of Sangheili and knowledge in the species' society, led to her recruitment into the [[Spartan Operations|Spartan branch]].<ref name="H5GLtd"/> As a Spartan-IV, Vale has proven to be very skilled in combat. She often uses speed and agility to her advantage, such as during her [[Battle of Kamchatka|mission]] to [[Kamchatka]], in which she boarded a [[Jul 'Mdama's Covenant|Covenant]] [[Type-57 Phantom|Phantom]] and single-handedly battled the [[dropship]]'s Sangheili and [[Kig-Yar]] complement in the confined space by effortlessly maneuvering around the warriors as she fought them.<ref name="osiris"/>

Prior to becoming a [[SPARTAN-IV program|Spartan-IV]], Olympia Vale was of average size and build for the most part, though she was well-toned due to an exercise regimen she engaged in each morning. Her skin was lightly tanned and she had thick, lengthy brown hair that she typically kept tied back in a ponytail with brown eyes. Doctor [[Luther Mann]] noted that she had a curiously curved, rounded face with a pointed chin, reminding him of a classic Valentine heart.<ref name="hitd72"/> Following her [[SPARTAN-IV Augmentation Program|Spartan-IV augmentations]], Vale stood at 205.7 centimeters (6 feet and 9 inches) with her armor and weighed 101.6 kilograms (224 pounds) without her armor.<ref name="universe"/>

During [[Operation: FAR STORM|the mission]] to [[Installation 00]] in [[2555]], Olympia Vale armed herself with an [[M6 series]] magnum.<ref name="hitd138">'''Halo: Hunters in the Dark''', ''page 138'' (Google Play edition)</ref> Prior to the [[operation]], she had not used the weapon for years, having only used it previously in a training exercise.<ref>'''Halo: Hunters in the Dark''', ''page 153'' (Google Play edition)</ref> After becoming a Spartan, she sported the [[COPPERHEAD-class Mjolnir|Copperhead]] variant of the [[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor (GEN2)|MJOLNIR [GEN2] armor]]. Vale's armor is specifically designed with a "militarized anthropology" decision support system that aids in her efforts to utilize the complex "terrain" of human and alien society to her advantage.<ref name="warfare">[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/community/blog-posts/canon-fodder-conventional-warfare '''Halo Waypoint''': ''Canon Fodder - Conventional Warfare'']</ref> Her armor, painted red with gold details, has a gold and blue visor.<ref name="H5G"/> Vale's preferred loadout is the [[M20 SMG]] as her primary weapon, with the [[Type-54D plasma pistol]] as her sidearm.<ref name="gi july">'''Game Informer''', ''July 2015 issue''</ref> However, she also arms herself with an [[M6H magnum]].<ref name="osiris"/> As a member of [[Fireteam Osiris]], Vale has also been granted use of the prototypical [[Artemis Tracking System]], an advanced scanning system only given to Spartans with the permission of Spartan Commander [[Sarah Palmer]].<ref>[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/universe/tech/artemis-tracking-system '''Halo Waypoint''': ''Artemis Tracking System'']</ref>

{{Quote|We were well into development on Halo 5: Guardians when Peter started work on Halo: Hunters in the Dark, so we were able to inform him quite a bit on who Vale was and how she thought, but we were really only talking about our own experiences working with her in the course of Halo 5, when she's already part of Fireteam Osiris. Peter took what we said and figured out how Vale behaved before she was a Spartan, which again fed back into our work on the game and has the effect of making Vale more rounded as a person and therefore more "real" in the long run.|[[Brian Reed]], on Olympia Vale's character development<ref name="jurassic ark">[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/community/blog-posts/canon-fodder-jurassic-ark '''Halo Waypoint''': ''Canon Fodder - Jurassic Ark'']</ref>}}

Olympia Vale is voiced by [[Laura Bailey]], who also provides the character's likeness and performance capture. Bailey is married to [[Travis Willingham]], the voice actor for [[Frederic-104]] and [[Jul 'Mdama]].<ref>[https://twitter.com/LauraBaileyVO/status/609130785334018048 '''Twitter''': ''Laura Bailey'']</ref> Bailey also voiced [[Katrina]] in the ''[[Hunt the Truth]]'' audio logs.<ref>[http://news.xbox.com/2015/05/games-hunt-the-truth-podcast-episode-8 '''Xbox Wire''': ''Halo 5: Guardians #HuntTheTruth - Has the Master Chief Gone AWOL?'']</ref> Vale first appeared in a cameo appearance in additional, bookend [[cutscene]]s in ''[[Halo 2: Anniversary]]'', alongside other members of [[Fireteam Osiris]].<ref>'''[[Halo 2: Anniversary]]''', campaign level, ''[[The Heretic]]''</ref> She was later revealed to be one of the playable characters of Fireteam Osiris in ''[[Halo 5: Guardians]]'' in the [[2015#July|July 2015]] issue of Game Informer.<ref name="gi july"/> Vale's backstory and character were expanded upon in the subsequently released novel ''[[Halo: Hunters in the Dark]]'', written by [[Peter David]].<ref name="warfare"/> As Vale's character was already partially developed for ''Halo 5: Guardians'', David was able to figure out how Vale behaved prior to becoming a [[SPARTAN-IV program|Spartan-IV]] for the novel. Vale's personality in ''Hunters in the Dark'' was then incorporated into ''Halo 5'' to make her a more rounded character.<ref name="jurassic ark"/> As a playable character in ''Halo 5: Guardians'', her unique gameplay abilities are faster movement speed, faster thruster recharge and slower stabilizer descent.<ref name="H5G"/>

During the initial story development of ''Halo 5: Guardians'', Vale was first realized as "Spartan Jones" as Fireteam Osiris was being created. After a few weeks of development, Spartan Jones would become a Spartan fluent in alien languages and renamed "Spartan Vesper". As the character was further developed, she was proving to be too "kid genius", so the character was matured while still retaining enough of her innocence to contrast with her fellow squadmates. Eventually, Spartan Vesper was renamed Vale and her character design was largely completed.<ref name="fifty caliber">[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/community/blog-posts/canon-fodder-fifty-caliber '''Halo Waypoint''': ''Canon Fodder - Fifty Caliber'']</ref> Vale's [[COPPERHEAD-class Mjolnir|armor]] was specifically designed for her character, making the character appear sleek, lightweight, and acrobatic.<ref>[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/community/blog-posts/art-showcase '''Halo Waypoint''': ''Halo 5 Art Showcase'']</ref> User interface artist Eric Will noted that the armor's aggressive "V"-shaped visor proved to be challenging to design.<ref>[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/community/blog-posts/halo-community-update-8-14-15 '''Halo Waypoint''': ''Halo Wars 2 Revealed and Halo 5: Guardians HUD design Q&A'']</ref>