User:Dab1001/RefStressTest: Difference between revisions

On [[2525#September|September 11]] Halsey had just returned to Reach.<ref name="HTFOR8">''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]'', ''Chapter 8''</ref> Chief Mendez was surprised to find her reclining in his chair when he opened the door to his office at 0930 hours that day, as he had been under the impression she would be gone for yet another week. She told him their situation had changed and asked to know where the Spartans were, since she had failed to locate them in their barracks or on any of the ranges. The Chief told her they'd been forced to find them other facilities recently and offered to show her what he meant. He then escorted her to his personal [[M12 Warthog]] and drove them both off of [[Reach FLEETCOM Military Complex|the base]] and onto winding mountain roads leading to a series of [[titanium]] mines. They passed a manned guardhouse before descending steeply underground through a tunnel which wound downward in a spiral. Mendez revealed that dozens of old [[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor#Mark I exoskeleton|Mark I]] exoskeletons had been stored down there and were now being used by the Spartans' trainers, three of whom had been accidentally killed on the first day back from [[Lambda Serpentis system|Lambda Serpentis]]. The vehicle came to a stop within a large cavern, Mendez helping her out and leading her to a small prefabricated one-room building. At the push of a button by Mendez the room climbed a track along the wall until they were twenty meters off the floor. When floodlights snapped on a game of [[Capture the Flag]] was illuminated in a large section of the cavern; trainers in armor defending against Spartans. Halsey could not see any of her Spartans at first, but she soon identified a glimpse of motion as Kelly. The trainers were armed with 30mm miniguns loaded with [[stun round]]s, but when one almost landed shots on John at point-plank range the doctor briefly panicked, for even stun rounds could kill at that distance.[[File:HTFOR Laden.PNG|left|thumb|350px|The five Spartans who infiltrated [[Eridanus Secundus]] to capture Colonel Watts did so by stowing away aboard the {{Class|Parabola|freighter}} ''[[Laden]]''.<ref name="HTFOR9"/>]] Once the flag had been stolen without any sign of the Spartans remaining Halsey asked to see what she'd just witnessed again, sure that it had been recorded. Unfortunately, the teens had already found the cameras and disabled them. The Spartans' newfound impressive abilities made Catherine conclude there must be unexplained synergistic effects brought on by the combined modifications. Once she made sure to inquire about any physiological or mental instabilities, she then asked Mendez whether he thought they were ready to kill others in real combat. He believed they were, so she let him know [[First Battle of Harvest|something]] unexpected had happened and that [[UNSC High Command|the Admiralty]] wanted them deployed as a first test. Mendez rightly guessed that the rumors he'd heard about heavy action at Harvest had something to do with this, so it was left to Halsey to inform him that the colony there had been wiped out. She proceeded to bring the observation room back to the floor and told him she wanted the Spartans ready to muster at 0400 hours the next day for a briefing aboard the {{UNSCShip|Pioneer}}, a {{Class|Halberd|destroyer}} which would take them on [[Operation: TALON|a mission]] ONI had been saving for the right crew at the right time. Tomorrow, she said, they would see if all the pain they'd put the Spartans through had been worth it.<ref name="HTFOR8"/> At 0605 hours the next day both Halsey and Mendez met the Spartans in the ''Pioneer'''s briefing room while ''en route'' to the [[Eridanus system]].<ref name="HTFOR9">''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]'', ''Chapter 9''</ref> The doctor walked to a the podium and greeted them with good news: Command had decided to finally put their abilities to the test. The doctor explained that intelligence suggested an [[Eridanus Secundus|insurgent base]] had been established in the [[Eridanus system]]'s [[Asteroid|asteroid belt]] by rebel elements who had escaped [[Operation: TREBUCHET]] years before. She further introduced them to the [[United Rebel Front|URF]] leader [[Robert Watts]] and announced that they were to infiltrate the base to capture him alive to be returned to UNSC-controlled space. Halsey then stepped aside so Chief Mendez could go over the details of [[Operation: TALON|the operation]]. When finished, he and Halsey left the room.<ref name="HTFOR9"/>

[[Battle Group Leviathan]] arrived at [[Reach]] from [[Sigma Octanus IV]] by [[2552#August|August 12]] so Halsey went on that date to see what had been done to her [[Mjolnir]] units.<ref name="HJ81252">''[[Dr. Halsey's personal journal]]'', ''August 12, 2552''</ref> Replacement parts and possible upgrades were available, though she noted later that day that [[John-117]] would need to be laser scanned for the new cybernetic implants she planned to give him. Once she was aboard his {{Class|Halberd|destroyer}}, the {{UNSCShip|Iriquois}}, [[Jacob Keyes]] came to see her as she had been both hoping and dreading.<ref name="HJ81252"/> They were able to talk about Miranda, his recent "[[Keyes Loop]]", the Spartans (including their operational records, which she showed him), and what little she could prematurely disclose about [[Operation: RED FLAG]].<ref name="HJ81252"/><ref name="HTFOR29">''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]'', ''Chapter 29''</ref> When they parted they wished one another the best on their respective missions and Keyes even kissed her on the cheek when she offered her hand to shake.<ref name="HJ81252"/> By 1100 hours later that day she was present for Keyes' debriefing at [[Camp Hathcock]], sitting on a panel which included herself, Admiral Stanforth, and [[Colonel]] [[James Ackerson]].<ref name="HFORI">''[[Halo: Fall of Reach]]'', ''[[Halo: Fall of Reach - Invasion|Invasion]]''</ref> A little over ten minutes later she met John within one of the camp's military complexes—where he had just finished his own debriefing.<ref name="HTFOR24">''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]'', ''Chapter 24''</ref> She was sitting in an overstuffed chair when he returned to the debriefing lounge and her surprise presence caught him off guard.<ref name="HTFOR24"/> She asked how he was doing, making sure to not give any suggestion that [[Battle at Szurdok Ridge|all was not well]] on Reach at that moment, as it had been decided the Spartans should be kept in the dark for the time being so that RED FLAG might not be compromised.<ref name="DD5">[[Data Drop]] [[Data Drop/Five|#5]]</ref><ref name="HTFOR24"/> In the few minutes they had Halsey told him about the upcoming procedures planned for him and gave his head a cursory [[Wikipedia:Magnetic Resonance Imaging|MRI]].<ref name="HJ81252"/> John asked after [[Franklin Mendez|Mendez]] and all the others the two of them had called family and Halsey shared what little she knew without giving heed to protocols or security clearances. They then sat together quietly for a time.<ref name="HJ81252"/> John was enthusiastic about the victory at [[Sigma Octanus system|Sigma Octanus]], so she asked whether he would like another victory and perhaps the biggest they'd ever had at that.<ref name="HTFOR24"/> She left things with him there, however, and just offered that they'd be speaking soon. Turning to the [[military police]] attendant waiting at the lounge's entrance, she instructed him to open the doors so she could take her turn speaking to the committee of twelve naval officers, ONI and otherwise.<ref name="HTFOR24"/> Two days later Halsey was within [[SWORD Base]] again when it saw further bombardment from the [[Covenant]].<ref>''[[Halo: Reach]]'', ''[[Long Night of Solace (level)|Long Night of Solace]]''</ref> On [[2552#August|August 23]] the Spartans of [[NOBLE Team]] were informed they were to redeploy to SWORD Base for a torch-and-burn operation meant to keep Doctor Halsey's excavation data from falling into enemy hands.<ref name="HRNA"/> Unbeknownst to them, they were actually being recalled there so the doctor could use them as couriers for the fragment of Cortana which would need to be reunited with the rest of her before the ''Pillar of Autumn'' departed.<ref name="HRTP"/> At some point prior to their eventual arrival on August 30, while within her lab at Babd Catha Catherine reviewed what she knew about the team's members with Cortana, seeing as one of them would need to personally take possession of the fragment for delivery.<ref name="HRTP"/><ref name="ASWR"/><ref name="HJ83052"/> Cortana elected to give that role to [[Spartan-B312]], the team's newest member—a decision Halsey agreed with.<ref name="ASWR">''[[Halo: Reach ViDoc: A Spartan Will Rise|A Spartan will Rise]]''</ref>