SPARTAN-II program: Difference between revisions

[[File:Halsey_Spartan.png|thumb|200px|Dr. Halsey contemplating the methodology of the SPARTAN-II program in [[Dr. Halsey's personal journal|her journal]].]]

Inevitably the small number of Spartan-IIs dwindled as casualties were sustained. As the exploits of the Spartans were a major [[propaganda]] boon to the UNSC, Section II of the [[Office of Naval Intelligence]] issued [[Office of Naval Intelligence Directive 930|Directive 930]],{{Ref/Reuse|strike}} which stated that Spartans killed or wounded would be listed as "[[missing in action]]" (MIA) or "[[wounded in action]]" (WIA), thus maintaining the illusion of the Spartans' invincibility. By [[2552#August|August 27, 2552]], 25 of the 28 remaining Spartan-IIs assigned to NAVSPECWEAP,<ref name="DD5">[http://halo.xbox.com/Content/assets/en-us/ONI/577839090903298928/DDR-A340024-1115-08-27-52.pdf '''Halo Waypoint''' - ''Data Drop 5'']</ref><ref>'''Halo Wars''' timeline</ref><ref>'''Halo: First Strike''' (2010), Adjunct</ref><ref>[http://www.youtube.com/user/HaloWaypoint#p/a/DF8EE7CCE045CAA0/0/jh7Q3fjIIwc '''Halo Waypoint''' - ''Defiant to the End'']</ref><ref>'''[[Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary]]''', [[Library (feature)|Library]] - Pelican</ref> except [[Gray Team]], had been recalled to Reach, some from combat,{{Ref/Reuse|DD5}} to receive new orders for [[Operation: RED FLAG]], a mission that [[UNSC High Command|HIGHCOM]] hoped would end the war.<ref name="fall">'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''' ''page 240''</ref> They would commandeer a Covenant vessel, locate the Covenant homeworld, and return with captured [[San'Shyuum|Covenant leadership]] to force a ceasefire. The [[artificial intelligence]] construct [[Cortana]], carried within [[John-117]]'s [[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor/Mark V|Mark V Mjolnir armor]], would serve as the strike force's hacker and technology specialist.

In 2557, after being missing in action for nearly five years, John-117 stopped the [[Ur-Didact]]'s [[New Phoenix Incident|attack on Earth]] after linking up with the {{UNSCShip|Infinity}} on [[Requiem]]. John subsequently reunited with Blue Team who [[Skirmish on Installation 03|faced the Didact]] again shortly afterward; after defeating the Promethean for the second time,<ref>'''Halo: Escalation''', '''[[Halo: Escalation Issue 10|Issue #10]]'''</ref> the team continued to serve in the field in a number of classified operations.{{Ref/Reuse|CatalogBlue}}<ref name="VIS">'''[[Halo 4: The Essential Visual Guide]]'''</ref> [[Team Black]] was stationed on [[Installation 03]],<ref>[https://forums.halowaypoint.com/yaf_postsm2963929_Catalog-Interaction.aspx#post2963929 '''Halo Waypoint''': ''Catalog Interaction - Page 6'']</ref> until they were killed by the Didact, dwindling the known number of active Spartan-IIs at the moment, down to eight.<ref>'''Halo: Escalation''', ''[[Halo: Escalation Issue 8|Issue #8]]''</ref>

In December 2559, Captain [[Thomas Lasky]] redeployed the rest of Blue Team on a separate operation of some kind as the ''Infinity'' prepared to deploy the Master Chief and [[the Weapon]] to [[Installation 07]] to stop Cortana. As a result, they were not on the ship when it was [[Battle over Installation 07|attacked]] by the Banished and the Master Chief was thrown into space. Rescued in [[2560#May|May 2560]], the Master Chief played a vital role in the [[Installation 07 conflict]] against the Banished and the [[Harbinger]].{{Ref/Game|Hi}}

 

[[File:HtT-Statue.jpg|thumb|300px|A statue of John-117 on a human colony.]]

ONI publicly unveiled the SPARTAN-II program in [[2547]] in order to boost morale,<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''page 230'' (2001)</ref><ref name="goo139"¨>'''Halo: Ghosts of Onyx''', ''page 139''</ref> though the supersoldiers' true origins remain classified to the general public as of [[2558]].<ref name="htt">'''[[Hunt the Truth]]'''</ref> The 2547 [[CAA Factbook]] entry on the Spartans states that the supersoldiers are "recruited from all corners of UNSC governed space" and that "each of them is a highly decorated veteran with literal decades of combat experience", but omits the program's ethically problematic background.<ref name="bnet caa">[http://halo.bungie.net/projects/reach/article.aspx?ucc=intel&cid=24024 '''Bungie.net''': ''CAA Factbook: The Spartan Project'']</ref> At least [[John-117]], who was elevated to a legendary status as the "Master Chief" in the final months of the war, was given an elaborate, inspiring origin story to hide his true background, promoted by several individuals claiming to have known or interacted with John at some point.{{Ref/Reuse|htt}} However, as of [[2553]], there were pervasive rumors among the UNSC military that the Spartans had been kidnapped as six-year-old children and replaced by flash clones.<ref>'''Halo: New Blood''', ''pages 51-52'' (Google Play edition)</ref> Admiral Parangosky planned to unveil the SPARTAN-II program's classified aspects to the UEG defense committee by early 2553,<ref>'''Halo: Glasslands''', ''page 434''</ref> although any information on the Spartan-IIs origins remained unconfirmed among military personnel as of [[2555]].<ref>'''Halo: New Blood''', ''pages 128-129'' (Google Play edition)</ref> The information is not public knowledge as of [[2558]],{{Ref/Reuse|htt}}<ref>'''[[Halo 4 Limited Edition]]''', ''[[Infinity Briefing Packet]]''</ref> although some of the Spartan-IVs were made aware of their predecessors' origins.<ref group="notes">In ''Halo: New Blood'', in a scene set in 2555, Commander [[Musa-096]] casually tells [[Edward Buck]] that the Spartan-IIs were conscripted as children; Buck is surprised that Musa would confirm the rumors that had been circulating within the military for years, indicating the facts had not been publicly disclosed at the time. In ''Spartan Ops'', [[Anthony Madsen]] tells [[Paul DeMarco]] that Dr. Halsey kidnapped children to create the Spartan-IIs, with DeMarco being unaware of this beforehand. Whether Madsen actually knew the Spartan-IIs' origins for a fact or if he was merely citing the rumors is unclear.</ref> At some point in 2558, journalist [[Benjamin Giraud]] uncovered the origins of the program and uploaded his findings to the public network, along with delivering an unsanctioned testimony on the matter to the [[Unified Earth Government Senate]]'s Armed Forces Committee. This compounded an increasing distrust against ONI and the Spartans generated by a recent [[Raid on Biko peace talks|attack on a peace conference]] apparently perpetrated by the Master Chief.{{Ref/Reuse|HTT9}}

However single-minded many outsiders view them as, the Spartan-IIs remain independent thinkers;<ref>'''[[Halo 2 Limited Collector's Edition]]''', ''[[Conversations from the Universe]]''</ref> from early on, Dr. Halsey's intent was to mold the candidates into effective soldiers through "persuasion and acclimation" as opposed to the brainwashing suggested by some of her colleagues within ONI, believing that in order to be truly efficient the Spartans must be able to properly understand and embrace the significance of their mission.{{Ref/Reuse|journal}} As such, the Spartans possess a profound understanding of their role as weapons and the weight of the life imposed on them. Most of them do not hold grudges over their abduction and treatment, instead having come to embrace their lives as a Spartan as both a necessity and something they were born to do.<ref>'''[[Halo 5: Guardians ViDoc: A Hero Reborn]]'''</ref>

[[File:Hw-prima-blog-04-01.jpg|thumb|300px|Red Team during the [[Battle of the Etran Harborage]].]]

The Spartan-IIs enjoy a large degree of operational autonomy in the field and typically operate in teams of three to five and even individually,{{Ref/Reuse|wp spartan}} although the size and composition of these teams is heavily mission-specific; a team leader will typically pick the Spartans best suited for the mission at hand according to their personal talents.<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''page 78'' (2001)</ref><ref name="fs4">'''Halo: First Strike''', ''page 4'' (2003)</ref><ref>'''Halo: First Strike''', ''page 158'' (2003)</ref> However, with the original Spartan-II group dispersed across the battlefields of the Covenant War over the decades, certain team arrangements became more established than others.<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''page 240'' (2001)</ref> Spartan-II teams are assigned color-based designations on a mission-specific basis, [[Blue Team|Blue]], [[Red Team|Red]] and [[Green Team|Green]] teams being the most prominent of these.{{Ref/Reuse|fs4}} On some missions, Red Team has formed smaller splinter units (designated with Greek alphabet) to better suit the mission objectives at the time. Some Spartan-II teams appear to have been more well-established since their training, namely [[Black Team|Black]] and [[Gray Team|Gray]] teams which continued to operate with their compositions unchanged over the Covenant War.<ref name="bl">'''[[Halo: Blood Line]]'''</ref>

[[File:Halseyrecruits.png|thumb|right|225px|Dr. Halsey looks over the profiles of the selected candidates.]]

*[[Cal-141]] - Confirmed KIA during the [[Raid on Heian]] ''(between 2540 and 2551)''.

*[[Roma-143]] - Confirmed KIA on Installation 03 ''(7/25/2557)''.

Twelve Spartan-II candidates were discharged from the program after failing the augmentation procedures, most becoming severely crippled. The majority of these former candidates were later reassigned to the Office of Naval Intelligence. However, Dr. Halsey hoped that some might be rehabilitated and enter service as fully functional Spartans.{{Ref/Reuse|journal}}

Officially, thirty Spartan candidates were killed when they failed to adapt to their physical enhancements; the only identified fatality was [[SPARTAN-073]].<ref>'''[[Scanned]]'''</ref> However, at least one of the candidates allegedly killed by the augmentation procedures actually lived and were pressed into ONI service, their survival kept secret from their peers. [[Serin-019]] became an ONI operative.

This was presumably made possible by Halsey's insistence that no invasive autopsies be performed and that the funeral for those killed by the procedures be closed-casket, the cadavers instead remaining in cold storage. The doctor considered that some of the deceased Spartans may some day be resuscitated and placed into active service; by June 27, 2525, rehabilitation protocols were in development for 80% of the washouts, with AIs predicting a total survival rate as high as 50%. Halsey also noted her consternation over what ONI may do with a secret team of officially deceased Spartans, coincidentally predicting Black Team's survival.{{Ref/Reuse|journal}}

*[[Serin-019]] - Rejected most physical augmentations; physical damage largely repaired by ONI. Recruited as an ONI field agent, adopting the surname "Osman". Later became the protégé of Admiral [[Margaret Parangosky]] and was handpicked by the latter to lead the black ops team [[Kilo-Five]]. Serves as Commander-in-Chief of the Office of Naval Intelligence as of September [[2558]].<ref name="Expendable">'''[[Spartan Ops]]''', [[S1/Expendable|S1E8 ''Expendable'']]</ref>

*[[Fhajad-084]] - Discharged and reassigned to ONI. Suffered uncontrollable muscle spasms due to failures in augmentation. Published a paper on [[slipspace]] physics in [[2540|May 2540]].{{Ref/Novel|Id=FoR141|HFoR|Page=141-142}} Current status unknown; possibly rehabilitated, for which Halsey had expressed hope.

 

*[[Douglas-042]] - Active as of October [[2559]].

*[[Jerome-092]] - Active as of October 2559.

After the graduation of the first class of Spartan-IIs in 2525, Dr. Halsey began planning for the next wave of Spartans; her efforts, however, ran into problems. There were too few candidates that were in sync with her age and genetic restriction protocols and a majority of her funding was going towards Mjolnir maintenance and construction; this left little room for continued training efforts. By 2531, the majority of her funds had been diverted to other projects, most notably the top-secret, eyes-only [[SPARTAN-III program]].<ref>'''Halo: Ghosts of Onyx''' ''page 45''</ref> Halsey eventually gave up on Class II and left the program, after she judged the candidates to be of an inferior standard.<ref>'''Halo: Glasslands''' ''pages 72-73''</ref>

 

Around six years later, however, enough candidates were within the right age range to begin a second class. One of the most notable candidates, six-year-old [[Yasmine Zaman]], was abducted and replaced by a flash clone. However, she died during the augmentation procedures. Among those who survived was [[Nicole-458]].<ref>[http://halo.xbox.com/forums/general/f/10/p/5486/48766.aspx#48766 '''Halo Waypoint forums''' — ''Canon question to 343i about Nicole''] (Link defunct, [https://web.archive.org/web/20110831035554/http://halo.xbox.com/forums/general/f/10/p/5486/48766.aspx Archive here])</ref> Another girl, [[Janissary James]], was selected as a suitable candidate for training. However, her father, an ORION Project member now known as "[[James James]]", killed the would-be kidnapper.<ref>'''Axon Clips''' ''Chapter 12''</ref><ref group="notes">The Class of 2537 has not been referenced in any official media barring the quasi-canonical ''[[ilovebees]]''. The timeline of [[SPARTAN-III Alpha Company]] mirrors that of Class II, though no official work has called attention to this coincidence. Notably, the first edition of the ''[[Halo Encyclopedia (2009 edition)]]'' references Yasmine Zaman as a member of the Class of 2525. Though Nicole-458 is said to be based on a "real and properly defined Spartan", the ambiguity of this statement leaves the canonical existence of Class II in doubt.</ref>

[[File:HWunit Spartan.png|right|200px|thumb|A Spartan-II in ''Halo Wars''.]]

Spartans cost 300 resources each and requires a tech level of 1. Only three can be deployed for an army but they do not take up population. By default they are equipped with [[Dual wielding|a pair of]] [[M7 SMG|submachine guns]]. Spartans can receive the following upgrades.

*[[Support weapon|Chaingun]]: 300 resources and a tech level of 2. ''Equips an [[AIE-486H machine gun|AIE-486H Heavy Machine Gun]] for increased damage.''

*[[Neural interface|Neural Implant]]: 600 resources and a tech level of 3. ''Allows Spartans to jack enemy vehicles quicker.''

*[[M6 Spartan Laser|Spartan Laser]]: 1,000 resources and a tech level of 4. ''Gives Spartans more range to their attacks and lets them deal out more damage.''

[[File:HW2 Halo - Red Team In-game.png|right|250px|thumb|In-game models of Red Team in ''Halo Wars 2'']]

*'''Cost:''' Population 0, Supplies 500, Power 400

**'''Cost:''' Supplies 0, Power 400

**'''Cost:''' Supplies 0, Power 600

**'''Cost:''' Supplies 0, Power 600

**'''Cost:''' Supplies 0, Power 600

**'''Cost:''' Supplies 0, Power 800

File:Ih_onyx_cover.jpg|Kelly-087 and two other Spartans during the [[Onyx Conflict]] in ''[[Halo: Ghosts of Onyx]]''.

File:TFoR AS - Baby Blue Team.jpg|Blue Team and other Spartan-IIs in ''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach - The Animated Series]]''.

File:TFoR-as-Deja.jpg|The SPARTAN-II candidates being taught by Déjà.  

File:HTV-SilverTeam2.png|John-117 leading [[Silver Team]] in ''[[Halo: The Television Series]]''.

*''[[Halo: The Television Series]]''