Sarah Palmer: Difference between revisions

===Early life and military career===

{{Quote|I'm Lance Corporal Sarah Palmer, ODST. And I love my job.|Palmer about herself<ref name="Initiation1"/>}}

Palmer was born [[2527|April 13, 2527]] on [[Luna]] to embittered colonial parents, who possessed a strong dislike of the [[United Nations Space Command]]. They died when she was young, however, and she was adopted. Her adopted father did not share the views of her birth parents, and he was instrumental in her joining the [[UNSC Marine Corps]].<ref>'''Halo Library Edition''', ''page ???''</ref> Palmer joined the Corps sometime during the 2540s, and served twelve tours on eight different worlds as an [[Orbital Drop Shock Trooper]].<ref name="Guide"/><ref name="rank" group="note">Palmer's biography on the official ''Halo 4'' website states that she was a Lieutenant throughout much of her Marine career, though it does not specify her grade. However, throughout Issue #1 of ''Halo: Initiation'' (set in October 2552), then-ODST Palmer is referred to as a Lance Corporal, with her being promoted to Corporal at the issue's conclusion. ''[[Halo 4: The Essential Visual Guide]]'' states that Palmer's leadership was the primary reason for her selection as a Spartan. However, a Lance Corporal has no authority aside from leading a fireteam in the absence of a Corporal (which in practice would provide no command experience), lending credence to the original source. Nonetheless, [[343 Industries]] later [https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/forums/db05ce78845f4120b062c50816008e5d/topics/catalog-interaction/4c3e1c6f-6519-4ee0-83a4-4bac13bf07a3/posts?page=14#post263 confirmed via Catalog] that Palmer was a Corporal at the time of her transfer and was already in line for rapid promotion to Sergeant. ''Halo: New Blood'' reveals that she was already a Lance Corporal in 2546; it is possible that she was promoted to a higher grade before being demoted back to E3 by the events of ''Initiation''.</ref><ref group="note" name="lieutenant">{{Plain|[https://twitter.com/schlerf/status/432284571351404544 According to ''Halo 4'' writer Chris Schlerf]}}, Captain Del Rio's order ''"Lieutenant, arrest that man!"'' on the level ''[[Reclaimer (level)|Reclaimer]]'' was originally meant to be directed at Palmer; this is corroborated by his conspicuous gesturing at her, the fact there are no additional characters shown in the frame, and Palmer's visibly conflicted reaction to the order. However, after the [[Spartan (branch)#Organization|rank structure]] of the Spartan branch was changed, Del Rio was retconned into addressing an {{Plain|[https://twitter.com/awesumsauce1/status/431822010738827265 off-screen Navy lieutenant instead]}}.</ref>

===Becoming a SPARTAN-IV===

{{Quote|We're Spartans, Jun...it's time to start acting like it.|Palmer to [[Jun-A266]] on her first operation as a Spartan<ref name="Initiation2"/>}}

In [[2553|January 2553]], following her promotion to Corporal, Palmer received medical care for her injuries sustained in the rescue of Admiral Kovalic aboard the [[Lockhart medical station|''Lockhart'' medical station]]. There she was approached by Jun-A266, a former [[SPARTAN-III program|SPARTAN-III]]. Due to her preceding mission and service record as a whole - though her leadership was a major factor in her candidacy - Jun offered her a place as the first recruit for the [[Office of Naval Intelligence]]'s SPARTAN-IV program.<ref name="Initiation1"/><ref name="Reed"/>

===Rebel incursion on ''Infinity''===

{{Main|Raid on UNSC Infinity}}

{{Quote|I'll show you what a real Spartan looks like.|Palmer to Ilsa Zane during their fight<ref name="Initiation3"/>}}

===Battle of Draetheus V===

{{Main|Battle of Draetheus V}}

In [[2554]], Palmer and Davis were stationed on [[X50]], [[Draetheus V]]'s [[moon]], where they defended against [[Merg Vol]]'s [[Merg Vol's Covenant|Covenant]] forces. Palmer and a contingent of Marines worked to destroy Covenant artillery on [[Mirror Flats]] on the moon. Despite the efforts of the UNSC forces, the Covenant managed to surpass them in less than an hour, forcing Palmer to go to Draetheus V to inform the planet of the impending attack while Davis led the UNSC defensive on X50.<ref>'''[[Halo: Spartan Assault]]''', ''[[Operation A: Umbra]]''</ref> On Draetheus V, Palmer led the UNSC forces in the defense of [[Faraday Base]] and later eliminated several [[Sangheili]] commanders.<ref>'''Halo: Spartan Assault''', ''[[Operation B: Tempered Shield]]''</ref>

===First tour on Requiem===

{{Quote|I thought you'd be taller.|Palmer upon meeting John-117<ref name="h4infinity"/>}}

In [[2557|July 2557]], Palmer was stationed aboard ''Infinity'' and was the commander of the three hundred SPARTAN-IVs aboard the vessel. ''Infinity'' intercepted a distress beacon from the {{UNSCShip|Forward Unto Dawn}} near the [[Forerunner]] [[shield world]] [[Requiem]]; the remains of the vessel carried [[Master Chief Petty Officer|MCPO]] [[John-117]], one of the few remaining [[SPARTAN-II program|SPARTAN-IIs]], as well as his AI companion [[Cortana]].<ref>'''[[Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn]]''', ''Part 1''</ref> ''Infinity'' was soon drawn inside the shield world, where its Spartan contingent was deployed to battle both local [[Promethean]] constructs under the command of the [[Ur-Didact|Didact]], as well as [[Jul 'Mdama's Covenant|Covenant]] forces. The Master Chief rendezvoused with the Spartans under Palmer's command and eventually made his way aboard ''Infinity''.<ref name="h4infinity">'''Halo 4''', campaign level ''[[Infinity (Halo 4 level)|Infinity]]''</ref>

====Assassin for ONI====

{{Quote|Orders are orders, Tom. This isn't my first rodeo.|Sarah Palmer to Cpt. Lasky before leaving for ONI's mission<ref name="key"/>}}

When orders from [[Serin Osman|Admiral Serin Osman]] came down to kill Dr. Halsey, Palmer decided to carry it out personally. Lasky attempted to stop her, voicing his protests against ONI using the conventional military to carry out their assassinations, particularly when the target was a civilian. When Lasky continued to protest, Palmer said she wouldn't see him [[court-martial]]ed because of Halsey. Lasky finally ordered her to stand down, but she ignored him, responding that orders were orders.<ref name="key">'''Spartan Ops''', ''[[Key]]''</ref>

====Escaping Requiem====

{{Quote|no=two|q1=If we have to find those artifacts before Infinity can leave...|Thorne|q2=Then let's get moving, Spartans.|Palmer|Palmer and Fireteam Majestic during their little field debriefing<ref name="Exodus"/>}}

After the events in the Librarian's shrine, she and Fireteam Majestic were sent the deactivation codes of one of the [[Requiem slipspace artifacts]] in order to free ''Infinity'' from Requiem's orbit, while Fireteam Crimson deactivated the third. Suddenly the Covenant fleet flew overhead and left Requiem, entering slipspace just outside the exterior shell. The entire planet then began to move towards the system's sun and Palmer quickly ordered Majestic to move out.<ref name="Exodus">'''Spartan Ops''', ''[[Exodus (Spartan Ops)|Exodus]]''</ref>

===''Pilgrims' Pride'' and Oth Lodon===

{{Main|Ambush at Oth Lodon}}

{{Quote|no=two|q1=Comms are down. Guess it's our job to save the day again, Spartans.|Palmer|q2=No worries. We've had practice.|Spartan|Palmer and Fireteam Majestic about new course of actions<ref name="HE5"/>}}

On March 11, six days after DeMarco's death, ''Infinity'' arrived in the [[Artesia-702 system]] having received a distress signal from the damaged [[freighter]] ''[[Pilgrims' Pride]]''. When the freighter was tugged inside ''Infinity'', an ambush was sprung as the freighter set itself to self-destruct and multiple UNSC assault crafts exited its cargo bay. With the help of SPARTAN-IVs the attack was repelled. Following the attack, ''Infinity'' learned that the assault crafts from the freighter belonged to the long-lost {{UNSCShip|Spirit of Fire}}.<ref>'''Halo: Escalation''', ''[[Halo: Escalation Issue 4|Issue #4]]''</ref> Roland discovered that the freighter was launched near [[Oth Lodon]], a gas giant located deep in Jiralhanae space. With the ''Spirit'''s possible location found, Lord Hood authorized Commander Palmer to conduct a search-and-rescue mission. Equipped with [[OF92 Booster Frame]]s, Palmer and Fireteam Majestic scouted the planet's system. As they entered an asteroid field, Palmer, not wanting to listen to [[Jared Miller|Miller]]'s in-mission chatter, shut down communications with ''Infinity'' under the guise of losing the signal in the asteroids. Exploring the asteroid field, the Spartans came across not the ''Spirit of Fire'' but instead a [[Oth Lodon station|Covenant station]] under control by [[New Colonial Alliance]] insurgents. Palmer restored communications to inform ''Infinity'' about the discovery.<ref name="HE5">'''Halo: Escalation''', ''[[Halo: Escalation Issue 5|Issue #5]]''</ref>

===Bioweapon incident===

{{Main|Operation: WHISTLE STOP}}

{{Quote|Unfortunately, there's even more crucial objectives than recovering our Spartans.|Commander Palmer on the Ven III mission priorities.<ref name="he12"/>}}

On [[2558#May|May 10, 2558]], Captain Lasky consulted with Palmer about a situation unfolding on [[Ven III]]. ''Infinity'' had lost communications with Spartans [[Naiya Ray]] and [[Gabriel Thorne]], who had been deployed on the planet on a mission to capture a Sangheili in possession of a new [[biological agent]]. While Lasky proposed that they dispatch another two-man team to exfiltrate the Spartans already on the ground, Palmer stated that his initial decision to send in a reduced force was a mistake and insisted that they deploy a full [[fireteam]] or do not act at all. While Lasky was at first hesitant, he finally yielded to Palmer's and [[Roland]]'s suggestions after Spartan Ray discovered a large [[black market]] and [[pirate]] stronghold moments before her signal briefly terminated.<ref name="he11">'''Halo: Escalation''', ''[[Halo: Escalation Issue 11|Issue #11]]''</ref>

===The Absolute Record===

{{Main|Operation: ATHENA}}

{{Quote|no=three|q1=She had us, Tom. And she overplayed her hand. Let's just say it was nice to see someone else pull that move.|Palmer|q2=So you two are even now?|Lasky|q3=Let's not go that far.|Palmer|Spartan Palmer and Cpt. Lasky about Halsey<ref name="HE24"/>}}

The team was forced to flee their damaged dropship and fight their way through Covenant forces in a corridor in order to reach an undamaged hangar bay. 'Sevi soon procured a Phantom and transported everyone directly to Jul 'Mdama's flagship, ''[[Song of Retribution]]''. With news that 'Mdama intended for ''Retribution'' to push forward through the portal alone and reach the Absolute Record, the team resolved to split-up. While Palmer, Tanaka, and Glassman remained on ''Retribution'', Thorne and 'Sevi returned to ''Annihilation'' in an attempt to regain contact with ONI. After Thorne and 'Sevi departed, ''Retribution'' entered the portal and arrived at part of the Absolute Record, where a [[Contender-class artificial intelligence]] detected the humans aboard the carrier.<ref name="HE20">'''Halo: Escalation''', ''[[Halo: Escalation Issue 20|Issue #20]]''</ref> The carrier was soon forced into a slipspace portal, where it arrived at a large chamber inside the installation and was held in place by a gravitational anchor. While 'Mdama, Halsey, and a contingent of Zealots traveled to a lower platform where the AI was, Palmer, Tanaka, and Glassman waited for their chance to escape the carrier. However, confused by their need to conceal themselves, the [[custodian]] AI had its [[Sentinel]]s transport the Spartans and Glassman down to the platform beside Halsey and the Sangheili. When an argument broke out between both sides, the AI silenced them and stated its intentions to allow each human account for their presence at the installation. While the AI began questioning Glassman, an impatient Zealot attacked a Sentinel, despite Palmer's warnings. As a firefight broke out between the Sentinels and the Sangheili and humans, the AI removed the flooring from under the Sangheili's feet, with Tanaka, Palmer, and Glassman remaining on one platform and Halsey standing on another, while 'Mdama managed to grab onto Halsey's platform while the Zealots fell to their deaths. The AI insisted that a more direct examination was in order to decide who the legitimate steward of the Absolute Record was.<ref name="HE21">'''Halo: Escalation''', ''[[Halo: Escalation Issue 21|Issue #21]]''</ref>

Separating the survivors into two groups, the ancilla tested both of them with a hypothetical scenario, if they would sacrifice sapient species if it meant a vaccine against the Flood. However, Halsey grew impatient and disabled the AI, taking control of the Absolute Record herself.<ref name="HE22">'''Halo: Escalation''', ''[[Halo: Escalation Issue 22|Issue #22]]''</ref> Palmer and her teammates found their half of the simulation interrupted, and soon were surrounded by Jul 'Mdama's reinforcement warriors. However, they were rescued by a Sentinel with the voice of the custodian AI, which explained that it was a backup in case the main body was shut down.<ref name="HE23">'''Halo: Escalation''', ''[[Halo: Escalation Issue 23|Issue #23]]''</ref> Needing their help to regain control, the Sentinel directed Palmer, Tanaka, and Glassman to the auxiliary control conduit, where Palmer received the initialization code from the AI and read it for Glassman to type. However, Halsey realized what they were up to and remotely deterred their attempt. Informed that Halsey was in the room directly above them, Palmer traveled up there and gave Halsey three seconds at gunpoint to step away from her control console. Instead Halsey activated a containment field around Palmer and fled into a portal.  

===The Guardians===

{{Quote|Open your eyes, Doc. You're missing all the fun.|Palmer to Halsey during their flight to the Guardian}}<ref name="sunaion">'''Halo 5: Guardians''', campaign level ''[[Battle of Sunaion (level)|Battle of Sunaion]]''</ref>

In October [[2558]] Commander Palmer briefed [[Fireteam Osiris]] on the [[Battle of Kamchatka|mission on Kamchatka]]. She tasked Osiris to bring Dr. Halsey back to ''Infinity'' and terminate the Covenant supreme leader [[Jul 'Mdama]] were they to gain the opportunity to do so.<ref name="osiris">'''Halo 5: Guardians''', campaign level ''[[Osiris (level)|Osiris]]''</ref> Upon Osiris's successful return with Dr. Halsey Sarah Palmer escorted her to the [[Bridge|command deck]] where the doctor briefed Cpt. Lasky, Palmer and Roland about [[Cortana]]'s survival and her control of Forerunner artifacts through the [[Domain]].<ref name="glassed">'''Halo 5: Guardians''', campaign level ''[[Glassed (level)|Glassed]]''</ref> After the [[Battle of Meridian (2558)|incident on Meridian]] Palmer was also present when [[Jameson Locke]] reported that Cortana was activating the [[Guardian]]s, enormous Forerunner constructs, which caused significant destruction and civilian casualties on [[human colonies]]. When they discovered yet another dormant Guardian was on the Elite homeworld of [[Sanghelios]], Palmer suggested that they send a ground team down to the planet to access the Guardian in order to get to the Master Chief and [[Blue Team]] who went AWOL to find Cortana.<ref name="reunion">'''Halo 5: Guardians''', campaign level ''[[Reunion]]''</ref>

==Personality and traits==

{{Quote|I only did what needed doing. What I was trained to do.|Palmer to [[Jun-A266]] on rescuing Admiral [[Kovalic]]<ref name="Initiation1"/>}}

Palmer possesses a strong sense of duty, displaying great tenacity and boldness on the battlefield. Possessing an audacious, gung-ho attitude, she is regarded as an experienced and capable leader and is generally cool in tense situations. At the same time, she does have a tendency to react badly when things go wrong. For instance, when [[Catherine Halsey|Doctor Catherine Halsey]] was abducted from the bridge of the {{UNSCShip|Infinity}}, a frustrated Palmer punched a nearby holo-table so hard her fist dented the metal.<ref name="expendable"/>

Palmer takes great pride in being a Spartan, to the point of looking down on the conventional military branches; despite her own [[ODST]] roots she frequently shows rather low expectations of Marine personnel. In contrast, she has very high expectations for her Spartans, especially those of Fireteams [[Fireteam Crimson|Crimson]] and [[Fireteam Majestic|Majestic]]. Palmer typically performs her job in a no-nonsense manner and does not hesitate to dress down her fellow Spartans when they fail to meet her expectations. Several times she called out Fireteam Majestic's leader [[Paul DeMarco]] in front of his own team.<ref name="Departure"/><ref>'''Spartan Ops''', [[Departure/The Challenge|S1E1 ''The Challenge'']]</ref> Spartan [[Jared Miller]] once remarked that it is rare for Palmer to praise anyone under her command. However, she does have a dry sense of humor which she occasionally exhibits on the job. Furthermore, she takes pride in the Spartans under her command and encourages both cooperation and competition between the various Spartan fireteams. She even teased [[John-117]] about his height when she met him on Requiem.<ref name="h4infinity"/>

Palmer regards scientists with a general disdain, demonstrated by her frequent irritation when having to deal with science teams and her incessant use of the derogatory term "eggheads". This is because she views those with an academic education as pretending to be more intelligent than her, a perceived sense of superiority which in her view is not shared by her fellow military personnel.<ref name="Initiation1"/> She reserves particular contempt for Dr. Halsey due to the doctor's reputation as well as the doctor's own lack of respect towards Palmer and the other Spartan-IVs. However, Palmer is willing to give scientists credit where it is due. For example, she was genuinely impressed by Dr. Glassman when he enabled Fireteam Crimson to activate a pair of friendly Forerunner anti-aircraft guns to assist them against the Covenant.<ref name="glassman"/>

==Gallery==

<gallery>

File:Jun SarahPalmer.png|Jun-A266 visits a recovering Palmer to recruit her into the SPARTAN-IV program.

File:Halo Escalation 20.jpg|Palmer blocking a Sangheili Commander's energy sword with her hardlight shield on the cover of ''[[Halo: Escalation #20]]''.

File:Halo Escalation 23.jpg|Sarah Palmer on the cover of ''[[Halo: Escalation #23]]''.

File:Halo Escalation 24.jpg|Palmer on the cover of ''[[Halo: Escalation #24]]''.

File:H5G-CmdrSarahPalmer.png|Commander Palmer in ''[[Halo 5: Guardians]]''.

File:H5G-Palmer-03.jpg|Palmer in her battleworn armor following the Battle of Sunaion.