SPARTAN-II program: Difference between revisions

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}}

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}}

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>