Jack-085

"085 is a rogue element. He's resourceful, manipulative, and won't let anything get in his way."

- Rear Admiral Ryan Samson, CINCONI.

SPARTAN-085, also known as Jack-085, Magnus, The Traitor and Reave, was originally a SPARTAN-II Commando of the Sigma Division, later becoming a genetically modified cyborg. Jack was the first SPARTAN-II to go rogue, joining the Insurrection and rising up the ranks soon after escaping from the UNSC Facility he was living in on Earth. Years later, after his supposed death at the Battle for the Hephaestus Array, Jack reappeared, backing dozens of insurrectionist groups and mercenary bands from the shadows and orchestrating major events all while remaining under the radar of the UNSC. Over the years, he gained a reputation as one of the most feared mercenaries on the occasion that he would take up a mission, using terror and intimidation to bend criminal organisations and military officials alike to his will.

Jack did not return to the forefront of the Galactic stage until the closing years of the First Galactic War as a commander in The Legion, a vast army that fought the UNSC for years in a bloody civil war. Jack, known as Magnus by this time, battled against both sides during the Battle of Minerva in 2599, dissapearing near it's conclusion. He then built up a colossal army as his alien masters made themselves known, and returned yet again in 2615, during the Second Battle of Reach, where he led his army of robotic 'drones' against the UNSC and Rebel forces on Memorial Fields. During the battle, Jack was badly injured by General Alfred Bates and SPARTAN Lysander-X050. Jack continued to lead the armies of an alien race known as the Keloric in what became known as the Dark Uprising.

For the next year, Jack, known as Reave, led his forces against the UNSC, smashing aside several fleets and ending up attacking the Sol System, his own fleet being halted over Mars by a joint UNSC-Sangheili fleet. Jack was finally put down in 2616, killed on the bridge of his flagship in a brutal fight against his old friend Marco-025, ending over half a century of terror.

Early Life and Training
Jack Evelyn MacArthur was born on Biko, in the city of Durban. He had a troubled childhood, with no known father and an abusive mother. Jack learned at a very early age how to try and take care of himself. He excelled in school, grasping knowledge that his peers could not understand at that young age. Jack was one of the preliminary SPARTAN-II candidates that were not chosen by Doctor Catherine Halsey to join the SPARTAN-II program. However, Doctor Calvin Roe, an ambitious ONI Operative, was given permission to begin his own SPARTAN Project, codenamed 'SIGMA', which would mirror Halsey's work and create a group of SPARTAN-II's that would work for ONI, being kept secret from their Reach-trained brethren.

Jack was abducted by ONI agents in 2517 at the age of six, and taken to ONI's training facility in Washington DC on Earth along with 19 other children. Jack was not the most willing trainee initially, attempting to break out on their third day along with Marco-025, Nef-015, Elena-071 and Ahmad-126. The five were separated and put into different teams. After this incident, Jack stayed quiet and began to excel in his training. He was placed in a four-man team, and was second in command after Jacob-076. By 2525, Jack was shaping up as a possible team leader alongside Fenn-145 and Kane-099.



In spite of his secret loathing for the UNSC and his training, it was here that Jack found friendship with Marco and Elena, the three often staying together during combat simulations. It was here that Jack first began to exhibit his violent tendencies, nearly killing one of their trainers in 2522 when they were ambushed. He maintained a façade of being friendly to most of the others, focusing most of his aggression against their drill instructors. Jack rose to become the second highest ranked member of the project behind Fenn, who remained the unbeaten leader throughout training. During a live-fire simulation, Jack got into a fight with Resk-063, which ended in the latter being badly beaten. In response, their trainer, Richard Mack Senior, punished him by moving him to the bottom of the leaderboard. Though he quickly regained his old position, the young trainee vowed to have revenge.

Eventually, Jack joined the other members of Sigma on the UNSC Hopeful, not long after Halsey's SPARTAN-II's had left the station, to undergo the augmentation procedures that would turn them into Spartans. It was during these augmentations that eight members of Sigma were 'killed'. In reality they had been preselected to be put into smaller teams for use by ONI, as the other twelve members were to be used in the war against the Covenant, which had only just begun. The other members of Sigma only became aware of this fact many years later, in 2552 during the Loss of Hope.

Betrayal
Several weeks after his augmentations, the other Spartans had recovered sufficiently, and were awaiting orders when Jack finally made his move to escape, the escape he had been planning all those years. He and Ahmad-126 killed several guards before being confronted by Marco-025. Jack gave Marco the opportunity to join them and be free men rather than serve the UNSC. Marco declined reluctantly, Jack berating him and fleeing with Ahmad. As they neared the exit, they encountered Fenn-145 and Richard Mack Senior. Knowing that even together they had little chance of beating Fenn, Jack took Mack hostage and was able to escape, almost shooting Fenn and locking his former comrades in the room. They were able to hijack a Pelican and escape from the facility that night.

Several weeks after, with the UNSC hot on their heels, Ahmad had a change of heart, deciding that to defend humanity, they needed to stay with the UNSC. When Ahmad attempted to contact the UNSC forces searching for them, Jack attacked him, and after a short fight, shot Ahmad in the head with a pistol, killing him instantly. Jack fled, vanishing from even the watchful eyes of ONI. Ahmad was presumed to have killed himself. Within a year, Jack had joined and was working his way up the ranks of the United Rebel Front.

Working for the URF
Jack proved an extremely valuable asset for the URF, reporting only to it's highest echelons of power and providing them with info on the SPARTAN Program. Some of this information was used by General Howard Graves in 2531 when he attempted unsuccessfully to trap the SPARTAN-II Blue Team.



After Graves' death, Jack began his own project, using his considerable power over the URF leaders to gain funds. Setting up in the Olmara System, in the Orbit of the planet Endrin. Jack's plan, was to create a superweapon, a large array of connected ships which could simultaneously fire their MAC guns in a coordinated path, which would destroy any UNSC or Covenant fleet in minutes. Many of the ships were turned essentially into floating guns, with several 'Control Ships'. It was dubbed the 'Hephaestus Array' by Jack, who was known by his subordinates as Colonel Jack, or his nickname, 'The Giant', due to his impressive height. No one in the URF knew of his Spartan training and history.

The Hephaestus Array
"Greetings. We wondered when you would arrive. We have been assembling this fleet for over twenty years, and with a little more time, it would be complete. I ask you simply to work with us, as my creation, which I have dubbed the 'Hephaestus Array' after the Greek God, may be the key to winning this war, is that not what you want? Please, give me your response, if you do not want to work together, you will be destroyed."

- Jack's message to the approaching UNSC Fleet, proposing an alliance

During the late 2540's, Jack had discovered the locations of several armour testing locations used by the UNSC. Knowing that it would spell doom for him and the URF if they dared to make a direct assault, he planted several spies and recording devices, to monitor the cargo being transported to and from these bases. Eventually, in 2550, Jack's spy network informed him that ONI had arranged for the transport of a full suit of MJOLNIR Armour, along with various armour permutations. The armour in question was en-route to Earth, where it would be tested by the Spartans of Jack's old team, Sigma.

When ONI learned of this, a Battle group was immediately dispatched to the planet Endrin, in the Olmara System. Along with the group came five members of Sigma Team: Jacob-076, Amy-133, Wulf-041, Nef-015 and Marco-025. The arrival did not worry Jack, as he saw it only as a plan to test out the Array, which had not been fully activated. As the UNSC Fleet neared the planet, the Array fired. Seven MAC rounds impacted the lead destroyer, the UNSC Livingston, destroying it instantly. It was after this that Jack relayed his message to the UNSC.

As expected, the fleet commander, Rear Admiral Kesson, refused the offer, leading an attack on the Array. Several ships were sent groundside to attack Insurrectionist outposts, while the majority of the Battle Group engaged the Array directly. A wave of over 40 Pelicans were sent in to attack directly, only a dozen surviving, containing SPARTAN-076, SPARTAN-025 and SPARTAN-041, made it to the Array along with several platoons of ODST's. Jack had remained at the bridge of his command ship the entire time, surveying the battle. From his point of view, it could have gone either way; the Array was largely immobile and under construction, despite having over two dozen MAC guns attached.

Eventually, however, the three SPARTAN-II's made it to the bridge of the Array, where Jack lay in wait for them. He had massacred most of the staff, and transferred gun control to individual ships in the Array. As the Spartans searched the room, Jack ambushed them, swiftly knocking back Wulf-041 in close quarters combat and gaining the higher ground as he ordered a veteran squad of insurrectionist soldiers to attack the Spartans. While Marco and Wulf fought them off, Jack engaged Jacob-076 in a hand-to-hand fight.

Angered that they were evenly matched (Jack had always prided himself in being the best in training), he knocked Jacob back long enough to fire a missile launcher at him. Though it was not a direct hit, Jacob was badly wounded. Jack fled, closely pursued by Marco and Wulf after Jacob had waved off their concerns over his health.

Jack, realising that he needed to get the Spartans away from the Array, fled to the hangar bay, taking a shortsword bomber down to the planet. Marco and Wulf took a pelican, intent on capturing or killing the rogue Spartan. As Jack entered the planet Endrin's atmosphere, a Covenant fleet arrived, immediately engaging both the UNSC and Insurrectionist fleets. Jacob, still at the Array Hub, directed all available MAC fire on the Covenant ships.

Avoiding the zones of conflict on Endrin, Jack was shot down while he attempted to land his shortsword on the planet. Marco and Wulf's Pelican landed shortly after. Jack's new MJOLNIR armour ensured his survival, and he was, as before, lying in wait as his former comrades arrived at the site. He attacked Wulf-041, knocking him out, before Marco engaged him.

The pair quickly discarded their weapons, fighting with all their strength on the mountainside where Jack had crashed. Both Spartans, having been together in training, knew each and every move that the other would make, though each had their own skills; Jack's cunning and Marco's brute strength, respectively. After a long, intense fight, during which Jack had become more and more aggravated, finally having met his match, both fighters were worn out, their armour dented and smashed helmets discarded. Jack resorted to going for his weapon, grabbing a magnum pistol and attempting to shoot the comatose body of Wulf-041. Marco slammed into him, knocking him to the floor.

After a brief tussle, Jack was able to get the upper hand, pointing his pistol at his old friend. Before he could pull the trigger, however, something caught his eye. What remained of the Hephaestus Array, piloted by a dying Jacob-076, and Amy-133, who had attempted to reach him, had crashed into a Covenant Supercarrier, crippling it and several ships around it, causing it to fall toward's the surface of the planet. Dropping the pistol, Jack began to run towards the falling wreckage of the Array, what he saw as his life's work.

While Marco and Wulf recovered from the fight, Jack ran as fast as he could, across the mountainside where the remnants of both the Covenant ships and the Array had crashed. Disregarding his personal safety, he wandered through as more pieces fell from the sky. One such piece of flaming wreckage landed dangerously close to the Spartan, injuring him and gouging a deep hole in the mountainside.

As Jack got to his feet, looking around as the fire raged all around him, he wept, wandering aimlessly, stages of deep anger and regret passing through the ex-Spartan. Eventually, while atop a piece of what had been his Array, the metal gave way, causing him to fall into what he assumed was an old mineshaft, several hundred feet deep. The hard landing nearly killed Jack, breaking most of his reinforced bones in the process. Pieces of metal began to rain down, one piece cutting through his MJOLNIR armour at the hip, bisecting him as the dark area around him lit up in flames, setting him on fire.

Jack-085 died at the bottom of the shaft, screaming and alone.

Revival
"You, creature, will become what you have always been destined to be. You will be our herald, our vanguard. You will know greater power than any of your kind, a God in walking form. You will serve in our pantheon as the voice of the Silence."

- Jack's first contact with the Keloric



Jack regained consciousness several days later, finding himself within a fluid-filled tank within a dimly lit chamber. What remained of his body was being slowly rebuilt within the tube, and after telepathically conversing with an unknown entity, he was remade to be stronger, faster, and much deadlier than he had previously been, even as a SPARTAN.

This process lasted several months, nearly two thirds of the former Spartan's body being replaced by advanced cybernetics and 'upgraded'. However, the mind of the Spartan was not altered in any way. Jack retained his thoughts and memories, as well as his hatred, which had intensified after his defeat and 'death'. After some length of time, he was allowed out into the chamber, which contained little more than a bed and bathroom, which had been constructed while he was being rebuilt.

When asking his unknown benefactors, Jack was informed that everything had been constructed according to his memories. Food was also provided in the form of a nutrient paste. Eventually, it was announced that Jack would be released on a mission, one that would last several decades before coming to fruition. Jack would act as a vanguard for their race as they awakened throughout the galaxy, serving as the living embodiment of a God within the 'Pantheon', serving under the 'Silence' Sect.

Though Jack did not fully understand the meaning behind these titles, he was glad to be put in a position of power, and to ultimately gain revenge. He was provided with a small ship, altered for human control, and sent out from the caverns beneath Endrin, ordered to cause as much chaos as possible, to weaken the UNSC by prolonging war until the time came. Loyal only to his new masters, Jack set course for Reach, using star maps provided to him. He knew that it would take a long time, decades even, to slowly undermine his foes and manipulate all those he could into fulfilling the wishes of the Silence, under whom he now served.

Jack was back.

Magnus
Over the next few years, Jack was a ghost. He did not participate actively within the final years of the Human-Covenant War, acting only as an observer. Had Humanity been destroyed, then his mission would have simply been to sow destruction among the Covenant in preparation for his masters. Even then, however, Jack never truly planned on bowing to those who had saved him. As ever, he merely bided his time until an opportunity arose.

After humanity's victory in the war, Jack immediately began acquiring a web of contacts throughout the galaxy. He approached Insurrectionists to begin with, targeting the fanatical and the weak-willed to serve him, while also establishing several contacts within the UNSC Military, generally with promises of power and fortune.

Jack was contacted by the group known as 'The Silence' on board his vessel often, mainly for status reports and inquiries into the galactic situation. He never returned to the planet of his rebirth, Endrin, though he was notified that his saviours had left the planet in preparation for the arrival of the rest of their race. Jack was intelligent enough to go around any questions he did not, or could not, answer, though he refused outright to challenge his 'masters'.

By 2555, Jack had gained contacts within the ruling class of Sanghelios, namely through Rol 'Ranak and Sur 'Ranak, both renowned warriors and brothers to Felo 'Ranak, a powerful Kaidon whose views on coexistence with humanity were opposed by many. Through the younger brothers, he established a link with several Insurrectionist and Sangheili groups eager to strike at Earth, the two factions essentially working under his orders to subvert the United Nations Space Command.

His crowning achievement in his years as Magnus would be a chance encounter with John Verensky, a brilliant young scientist working for ONI in 2556. Verensky became a protégé of sorts to Jack, both sharing the same ruthlessness and disregard for life. Allowing the young man to go unharmed after their first encounter, Jack had Verensky gain control of the experimental Project HAYABUSA after a few years, and use the group to go after key targets in the UNSC's Military Industrial Complex, all the while blaming the attacks on his rather convenient and disposable rebel contacts, who he would place at the scene either by force or trickery, to throw the authorities off the trail.



However, it was after a particularly large attack on the colony of Circumstance in late 2567, leaving over 300,000 dead, that Jack's plan began to unravel. Verensky, had become 'a simple mass murderer' in his eyes after this incident. Whereas Jack, who thoroughly enjoyed the slaughter and chaos, patiently planned every move, well aware of the consequences, Verensky had become drunk with power, using every resource at his disposal to kill as many people as possible.

In desperation, Jack began severing all ties to Verensky, making use of the Elite brothers, whom he had supplied for several false-flag attacks, to eliminate everyone working on the case. Not only were Verensky's men targeted, but SPARTAN Team Shrike, who had largely been responsible for dismantling his group from the outside, were engaged as well.

With time running out, Jack intervened himself, striking at Verensky's last safehouse alone, after making it's location public to his enemies. Jack arrived, and successfully destroyed all records concerning himself. Verensky himself was killed at the hands of a young Insurrectionist, whom even Jack had been unaware of throughout the incident. When she confronted the former SPARTAN-II, he attempted to kill her, but was unsuccessful, the woman escaping as two members of Shrike Team arrived. Jack fought with the two, killing both of them in a short battle before fleeing, knowing that more UNSC forces would soon arrive.

For Jack, the failure of his plans was a mere setback. Talented though Verensky may have been, he, like all the others in Jack's life, was ultimately expendable, leading him to attempt a new approach. He had lost many of his Sangheili and Rebel contacts, but retained many within the UNSC itself. Picking one, a Captain Roger Maxon, Jack began to supplant the crew of his ship with his own men, ones loyal to the Insurrection. It was these spies that kept him informed of the UNSC fleet's movements and slowly began to coerce Maxon into a rebellious way of thinking. A month after Verensky's death, Jack, along with a group of experienced mercenaries, temporarily hijacked a civilian transport ship bound for Circumstance in the Epsilon Eridani system. Killing most of the people onboard and taking the rest hostage within minutes, Jack took one person in particular, the billionaire James Durovin, and used him to access the ship's cargo systems, revealing that half a dozen artificial intelligences were being transported. After taking these, Jack had Durovin killed, keeping his body in order to access the businessman's bank accounts via his biometrics.

It was during this raid that Jack encountered Bill Cross, a veteran ODST, and Devin Harland, a future SPARTAN-IV. The pair had managed to survive the initial boarding by remaining hidden, and confronted him briefly, managing to send out a distress call to local UNSC ships. This was a bothersome setback, Jack wishing to have the transport destroyed and the blame placed on the UNSC, setting up a false transmission beforehand. Despite this, he and the remainder of his team were able to escape, blowing up the ship as they did so. Jack believed Cross and Harland to be dead, though they had, along with the remaining hostages, gotten to escape pods. Though Jack wanted to destroy them just to be sure, his second in command, Ash Mitchell, another former ODST, assured him that they were empty.

With the fortune gained from Durovin and his network of contacts beginning to build up again due to his mercenary work and status in the criminal underworld, Jack began to arm various secessionist groups throughout the colonies, inciting violence on at least a dozen worlds while orchestrating events that would set into motion his grand plan, one that would last several decades and leave humanity fractured and devastated.

Civil War
"Verensky taught me that subterfuge didn't work. If I can't destroy the UNSC from within, then I'll simply have to put it up against a force powerful enough to battle it on equal footing."

- Jack's personal diary, December 2570

In April 2571, a battlegroup of three UNSC ships arrived at Minerva, a largely unpopulated planet in the outer colonies. The planet's governor, Drew Balker, was a corrupt, violent man who had been happily accepting luxuries delivered by Jack's contacts over the years, and after the Captain of one of the ships, Roger Maxon, witnessed a peaceful protest being brutally put down, he made use of his forces to overthrow the Minervan Government in a military coup, hundreds of soldiers joining him in doing so. While most UNSC soldiers would have resisted, Jack had ensured that over the years, many people with sympathies to the Insurrection had been placed among his crew, largely thanks to Verensky. After executing Balker and anyone who challenged his authority, he assumed control of the planet and began to build his forces.

This was a major success for Jack, who, after being gifted with an advanced computer virus by his benefactors, used it to wipe all data on Minerva from the UEG and UNSC's records. Though imperfect, the colony was largely forgotten about, with no ships being sent out. This added to Maxon's anger at the UNSC, who had apparently ignored the colony. Much to Jack's surprise, Maxon proved to be extremely resourceful, being able to recruit thousands to his cause from other outer colony worlds, accumulating his own fleet of ships and striking at a still-recovering UNSC. Jack largely worked behind the scenes, ensuring that the UNSC did not catch on to Maxon's growing forces for several years. Finally, in December 2571, the first major attack was launched on a UNSC-controlled colony, the newly-dubbed 'Legion', which had expanded from a single ODST platoon, officially declaring war after a crushing victory.

Tannis Uprising
"From the single spark I ignited on Tannis came a great conflagration. It was the first of many colonies to rise. Without Tannis, I think, Maxon's Legion would have barely lasted a year."

- Jack commenting on his actions on Tannis, which served as a catalyst for further uprisings

In 2572, Jack, still under the guise of Magnus, arrived on Tannis, an outer colony world that had been left for dead by the UNSC during the Human-Covenant War. Though hundreds of colonists had survived, tensions were still high because of this, with several violent incidents occurring across the planet. Seeing the opportunity to cause havoc and sow dissent among the colonists, Jack, accompanied by the Mamorian Guards, a 30-strong group of battle-hardened warriors hailing from Mamore, a world with a history of almost constant rebellion, set up operations in a remote village in a mountainous region of the planet after wiping out the people there. Also accompanying Jack was his then-lieutenant, Ash Mitchell, a former ODST who had accompanied him in the hijacking several years before.



After a few weeks of information gathering, Jack discovered that there was already a small insurgency on Tannis, led by the young Alfred Bates. However, following a successful raid on a UNSC-controlled armoury, Bates had been captured. Seeing his potential, and feeling the need to have a native with him to assist in stirring dissent on Tannis, Jack and half a dozen others attacked the prison where he was held, massacred the guards and rescued Bates. The next day, Jack's followers linked up with those under Bates' command and began to make speeches to the people of Tannis in several large towns, not daring to go near the UNSC-controlled cities until they had built up enough followers.

This went on for several weeks, with the insurrectionists consolidating their strength in the remote regions of the colony. The Colonial Militia on Tannis, which had been undermanned due to mass defections and UNSC presence, attempted on several occasions to eliminate Bates' men, but failed, most of them either being killed or taking the option to join their foes. Jack began to make speeches for independence to the colonists, and was met with approval from many. Due to his constant travel, unknown identity and having no record to speak of on any database whatsoever, it was difficult to track the former SPARTAN down. By mid November, the governor of Tannis, Abraxas Quinn, threw his lot in with the rebels after massive riots in the capital. It was this that finally brought the full attention of the UNSC to the remote colony.

Using the Governor as a scapegoat for the UNSC to focus on, his rebellious speeches being publicly broadcast to hundreds of thousands, Jack began to gather up more recruits, largely drawing from communities that had a history of dislike with the UNSC. Within a few days, dropships had begun to land all over the planet as an entire battlegroup covered the planet from orbit. Jack had, however, planned for this eventuality, his new soldiers becoming adept in the guerilla fighting that gave them an edge against the better trained marines, inflicting heavy casualties and picking dropships out of the sky as they descended.

The rapid deployment of Orbital Drop Shock Troopers to the planet proved to be the bane of these city holdouts, who could easily shoot down regular transports. The elite soldiers hit the capital city in force, almost immediately gaining the advantage while several squads attacked the Tannis Parliament, killing Governor Quinn in a firefight while reinforcements arrived in cleared areas. Jack took part in the fighting himself, fending off enemy forces with his bodyguards while Bates flanked them with a unit of his own men. Ash Mitchell, having been the only other commander in the capital, was forced to withdraw his troops into the wilderness before they were overwhelmed.

While it became clear that they were losing, Jack's plan of stirring up the populace was going well. The brutality on behalf of the UNSC was astounding, largely due to the massacre of marines early in the conflict, and the unwillingness of the people to reveal any rebels within their own families. As such, many pockets of resistance sparked up in supposedly clear areas, the overextended Marines having to constantly move to engage new threats, all while enduring constant strikes from Jack's forces in the mountains.

By early December, with both forces locked in a stalemate, the UNSC decided to use their new weapon: SPARTAN-IV. While Jack had suspected the usage of Spartans, he was surprised to find a 500-strong company in MJOLNIR armour being deployed. Over the course of two weeks, the Spartans of X-Ray Company systematically wiped out over 50% of the rebel forces, Mitchell having to abandon his group in order to escape. This was problematic, Jack finally deciding to leave the planet with the rest of his troops. Though Bates disagreed with abandoning the planet, Jack gave him the choice to stay and die or live to fight another day, the young rebel choosing the latter.

With UNSC forces closing in and slaughtering the rebel army, Jack, Mitchell, Bates, and a few select soldiers were able to escape Tannis on Jack's personal ship, the cloaking device allowing it to get past the battlegroup and enter slipspace unnoticed. Following the failed rebellion, Bates was dropped off in Legion space, where he promptly joined up. Mitchell and the rest of the crew stayed on with Jack as they headed for the Outer Colonies. Tannis turned out to be one of Jack's greatest successes. Within a few years, the now-uncontrollable populace overran the capital, prompting the UNSC to abandon the planet due to the war. This began to spread, more and more revolts erupting across the outer colonies in defiance of the UNSC, each one adding thousands of soldiers to the Legion.

Covering his Tracks
Following Tannis, Jack realised that he had been making himself too visible over the last few years, tales of a giant warrior making it back to ONI. This, plus the testimony of various captured rebels about a 'Magnus' started an investigation into who he was. In June 2573, Jack was able to access the data on the hunt for him, and realised that several people within ONI had already began to join the dots, linking Magnus to SPARTAN-085, who had disappeared many years before without a trace. While Marco, the only survivor who had fought him on the Hephaestus Array, never told his superiors that Jack was the rebel leader, ONI had begun to get closer to him.

Over the course of a few weeks, Jack devised a plan that would draw suspicion away from him and remove some loose ends. While he despised what he saw as 'petty crime', Jack decided to make an assault on a large bank situated on Circumstance, in the Inner Colonies. They would attack in broad daylight, breaking through to the vault in order to steal vast sums of money, both physically and electronically, as well as a large quantity of gold. Thirty people were chosen for this job, including Ash Mitchell, who had been making a name for himself as a reliable mercenary. Mitchell, whom Jack had used several times in the past, was beginning to lose his worth as an asset, having been in contact with him one time too many.

For the job, Jack gave his men a good deal of high-tech equipment and gear, knowing that it would be a difficult fight. In Mitchell's gear, however, he planted a large array of (largely falsified) reports and logs that made him out to be the real Magnus. Mitchell, who had foolishly began to trust Jack, did not check through these, and was chosen to direct most of the bank raid, which would end in a massacre.

On September 9th, 2573, the raid on Kuiper's national bank took place. Jack had situated himself nearby, allegedly to disrupt CCTV around the area, allowing his team to enter unnoticed. In actuality, he planted powerful C-12 explosives in buildings and on the street, preparing to detonate them when ready. Once the main assault had begun, all he had to to was sit back and watch as his plan unfolded. While Mitchell and one group went after the vault, another slaughtered the civilians there on Jack's orders. A third team stood guard outside. Upon his return with the goods, Mitchell was furious at what they had done, an argument ending in a shootout, by which time the police had arrived to battle with the rebels.

Due to his many years of fighting, the former ODST was able to survive the fight and make it out of the bank with a few others. It was at his point that Jack detonated the explosives, killing hundreds of people in the surrounding area. Mitchell's group were able to make it back towards the rendezvous point, whereupon Jack promptly shot them, Mitchell holding his own before being blasted off a balcony and into the street below. Satisfied that he had killed his former partner, Jack departed the planet as soon as he could, the news that 'Magnus' had been found reaching him soon after.

What Jack did not know, however, was that Ash Mitchell was still alive. Having been protected by his old ODST armour, he was able to evade the police and escape into Kuiper's undercity, where he spent several weeks recovering. He had been forced to drop most of his gear, including the incriminating evidence that was planted and later discovered by the police. CCTV footage of the bank, which had been deliberately left on by Jack, showed Mitchell leading the raid, which only enforced the belief that he was in fact the real Magnus. Jack and Mitchell never met again, the latter being forced to go on the run, heading for the Outer Colonies.

Direct Intervention
For the next decade or so, Jack was content to sit back and allow the Civil War to play out. His masters, who had finally identified their species as 'The Keloric', stated to their vanguard that the long absence was due to a 'grand re-awakening' of their kind across the galaxy, attempting to revive their dying race. Jack was intrigued by this, though he was never able to attain a great deal of information that would help him with his plans of destroying the UNSC. For years, he operated in the shadows again, striking where necessary and only getting personally involved where needed. The war, sporadic though it was, proved to be quite costly for the still-recovering UNSC in spite of the tremendous advantage that the SPARTAN-IV's gave them.

To assist the Legion, Jack began to slowly supply combat-enhancing drugs through his vast network of sources, their greatest achievement coming in 2578, whereupon they were successful in synthesising the drug known as 009762-OO. This had been used in the augmentations of the SPARTAN-III, which altered key regions in the subject's frontal lobe, enhancing the aggressive responses in subjects to dangerous levels. This proved to be a risky, if fruitful, choice for the Legion, their soldiers beginning to win battle after battle against the beleaguered UNSC, who were constantly astounded at the resources that this supposed 'rebel army' were attaining. This came to an end the following year, however, when a series of engagements led by the SPARTAN-IV Wulf Team destroyed the Legion's drug manufacturing plants, nearly killing Maxon in the process.

With this plan ruined, Jack then put into motion one of his more ambitious schemes: The IMMORTAL Project. Contacting the Legion's General Amenwae, he sent over schematics for battlesuits that would turn the tide of the war if mass-produced. On Eden V, a large base was constructed for the purpose of creating these prototype suits. These were based on schematics Jack had received from John Verensky years ago, and had been improved greatly since then. The user would be surgically grafted into the suit, which served as a life support system, and kept in check via a chip inserted via neural interface, rendering them completely susceptible to the will of their commanders. Each suit was outfitted with a heavy-duty machine gun, a missile pod, as well as retractable titanium blades for close combat.

The main problem with IMMORTAL was that it required technology that the Legion simply didn't have in large quantities. So, with Jack covertly acting as a supplier, the first prototype suits were created in early 2583, with UNSC prisoners put forward as 'volunteers'. After a few initial setbacks, the first of the Immortals went active for testing. Due to severe restraints on the project, only twenty were initially created, with plans of expansion to fifty units by the end of the year. However, in mid-2583, Legion forces in the city attacked a group of undercover SPARTAN's and ONI agents, leading to a massive UNSC invasion not long after. Anxious not to lose his project, Amenwae, acting on Jack's orders, pulled large amounts of Legion troops to Eden V, fighting tooth-and-nail for supremacy across the planet in which would become a drawn-out siege. Much to Jack's annoyance, the UNSC were able to gain the upper hand after several months, with Wulf Team, led by Maynard-X112, destroying the IMMORTAL Facility and winning the battle, three Legion generals being killed in the process. The end of the siege brought Jack's attention towards the SPARTAN-IV team, their leader in particular. Being reminded of his old comrades Sigma Team during the Human-Covenant War, he vowed to kill the Spartans at any cost.

Not long after the defeat at Eden V, Jack travelled to Minerva, the Legion's base of operations, and paid a visit to Roger Maxon, their supreme commander. He immediately noticed that like many leaders, Maxon had become somewhat drunk with power, killing subordinates and creating fanatics out of his many followers. Shortly after an infuriated Maxon received word of his defeat, Jack appeared, supplying the leader with a wealth of information, acquired over the years from his many contacts and informants. With this, it did not take long for him to become an indispensable part of the Rebel army, and a trusted advisor to Maxon and his son following his assassination in early 2594.

In that same year, Jack's plans for a massive Jiralhanae-led attack on Sanghelios were ruined when Wulf Team, assisted by a SPARTAN-III and a number of mercenaries, were able to successfully destroy Teltin Station, after dismantling his operations there and killing the station overlord, Saernus. With the Legion and Kig-Yar fleets being pushed back across multiple star systems after this major setback, Jack was forced to contact the far-off Keloric for assistance after years of working alone. They obliged by dispatching a single ship to Minerva to assist him, something that would not arrive for several years.

War's End
By 2598, there were few doubts that the UNSC would win the war in spite of the massive casualties inflicted upon them. The SPARTAN-IV's, backed up by a fleet newly augmented with the first Infinity class vessel, were simply too much for the beleaguered human rebels, many of whom had surrendered or simply abandoned the Legion. In a desperate move to kick off a war between the UNSC and Sangheili, Supreme Commander Joseph Maxon ordered an attack on Sanghelios, one that failed due to the intervention of a number of SPARTAN-IV teams and the Infinity. This attack did some damage to the enemy fleets, however, and culminated in the death of celebrated leader at Jack's hands. This would only inflame the suddenly leaderless Sangheili into action after years of remaining neutral in what they saw as a Human conflict.

Maxon was left for dead Jack and assassinated by SPARTAN Headhunters shortly after the disastrous, leaving his youngest brother Arthur as leader of the Legion. By this point, many had lost faith in their cause due to the hereditary nature of their leadership and enforced conscription on many worlds. A small number of colonies were still adamantly loyal to the Legion due to their non-interference in planetary affairs, and kept supplying them with troops and weapons in spite of the war quickly coming to an end. In January 2599, Jack's ship arrived in the Minerva System, the cruiser easily being as big as a UNSC Supercarrier. Staffed almost entirely by robotic drones, Jack was able to take command and test it out over the course of several months, in which he discovered that it's main gun had enough firepower to completely decimate a planet's surface, much like a NOVA bomb or Super-MAC. After trying out the superweapon on no fewer than nine defenceless colonies, Jack returned to Minerva as the remnants of the Legion's fleet regrouped for an assault on Earth.

Before their attack could be made, a massive UNSC-Sangheili fleet arrived after finally pinpointing Minerva's location in December 2599. What followed was the single largest battle of the war which raged for nearly a week. Jack's Keloric cruiser, dubbed as Ragnarok by the UNSC, would see most of the action as the Legion fleet was quickly decimated by their attackers. Possessing shielding technology that greatly outmatched even Covenant standards, it held it's own against the fleets for several days, using the main cannon twice to obliterate a number of ships in-between it's long charging time. However, a large ODST-Sangheili Strike force, led by his old friend Jax-007 and the Arbiter Felo 'Ranak, were able to board the Ragnarok carrying a hastily put-together slipspace bomb.

Jack's arrogance over the strength of his ship led him to ignore the boarding party for a time, until they managed to blast their way into his control room. For the first time in decades, Jack fought one of his fellow SPARTAN-II's at close quarters in what would be a long and difficult fight. In spite of his cybernetic advancements and skill, he became enraged over the fact that he simply couldn't overcome Jax, resorting to trickery to get away from the Spartan before sending waves of drones to finish off his old friend. This might have worked, had it not been for Felo 'Ranak triggering the bomb in another part of the ship, a slipspace portal tearing the Ragnarok in two. Jack lost sight of Jax as he initiated an emergency slipspace jump for what remained of his ship, escaping from the Minerva system before the UNSC ships could finish him off.

Survival
"I'm serving you because there is no one else to serve. I've betrayed, killed or abandoned just about everyone."

- Jack upon meeting the Keloric in person for the first time.

Jack was able to survive the destruction of the Ragnarok as it left Slipspace hours later, as he had managed to divert what remained of the ship's shields into protecting the bridge and his emergency room. They emerged in an unknown part of space, orbiting a small planet teeming with life. A quick scan made it clear that this was not a Human colony, though power had begun to fail aboard what had once been a mighty destroyer. Jack was worried, though he took solace in the fact that he had probably killed both Jax and the Arbiter back on Minerva. After some time, power began to fail aboard the remnants of his ship as it drifted closer to the planet, forcing Jack into his emergency room, which was designed to withstand all but the strongest impacts. He used what remained of the ship's power to put it on a crash course for the planet before sealing himself in the room. A large portion of the Ragnarok burned up as it hurtled towards the ground, the impact itself destroying much of what remained and nearly killing Jack as much of the emergency room was crushed. Though he was badly burned and wounded by the crash, Jack managed to survive.

When he emerged from the wreckage he activated a beacon that he assumed would call his personal ship to the world. He lived on the planet for some time, using the survival training he had learned over eighty years before to construct a basic shelter and hunt animals; Even with his cybernetic enhancements Jack still needed to eat and drink to survive. After nearly a month with few prospects of rescue, a number of familiar ships landed nearby, robotic drones scouring the wreckage of the Ragnarok. When Jack revealed himself, he was taken aboard a massive capital ship where he finally came face to face with the enigmatic aliens who rebuilt him fifty years before: The Keloric.

Second Battle of Reach
"Is that really all you can do? I am the vanguard of a power much greater than any that you or your allies have encountered. There's no hope for you! Give up, it'll only make your deaths quicker."

- A message transmitted to UNSC forces during the Second Battle of Reach, 2615



Personality
"I think that even as kids, we were a little scared of him, of what he might have become."

- Marco-025

Even as a child during SPARTAN training on Earth, Jack was much more aggressive than any of the other trainees, often severely injuring trainers when he could get the chance. His somewhat unnatural aggression likely stemmed from his abusive childhood before joining the program. Like all SPARTAN candidates, he was genetically superior, having above-average intelligence and physical qualities, even at a young age. However, though this never truly manifested while in training, Jack enjoyed manipulating others and taking charge of situations, seemingly enjoying the trouble he could cause. He was, throughout his life, quite a compelling speaker, convincing others to obey him. The earliest example of this was with Ahmad-126, who escaped from the training facility with Jack shortly after their augmentations. As Magnus in the late 26th Century, he secretly manipulated many projects within The Legion and by 2599, was essentially in control of the entire organisation, even as it fell apart before the UNSC.



Another key aspect of his personality, something that was debated among his surviving teammates for years after, was his madness. Though Jack was always considered slightly unstable and very aggressive, he was able to work effectively in a team with Marco-025 and Elena-071, though he was seen as a terrible loser, stemming from an inferiority complex that enraged him when losing. An example of this would be while fighting Jacob-076 over Endrin, during which Jack became increasingly irate and angry. His immense anger against other Spartans persevered for his entire life.

Even in later years after his reconstruction, Jack held little regard for life, human or otherwise. He was a remorseless sociopath, delighting in combat and killing. It was theorised by those who knew him that it was the extreme pain of his augmentations that finally pushed him over the edge into true madness. In the universe, he lived a lonely existence, only serving himself and his own interests. While he had no real plans for leadership or domination, his motives largely fell between self preservation and his desire for the destruction of those who had wronged him.

In spite of all his rage and hatred for others, Jack would occasionally show regret for his actions over the years, generally when alone. While he did despise the UNSC for what it had done, he missed many of his old friends from his childhood and often wondered what things would have been like if he hadn't abandoned them and gone on the run. After his cybernetic enhancements and activities as Magnus, Jack realised that there was no possible way of going back, being responsible for thousands of deaths including a number of fellow Spartans over the years. It was this sense of hopelessness that drove him further in the opposite direction as he worked for the Keloric, lacking any other purpose in life.

Skills and Abilities
"Well, you've certainly got a knack for hurting people..."

- Ash Mitchell

In training, Jack was an able candidate, always vying for the top. He was very competitive and subsequently ended up as one of the emerging leaders in the Sigma Spartan group, along with Fenn-145 and Elena-071. He was particularly talented at stealth and infiltration, often setting up ambushes and traps in training exercises. It was not only his physical skills that served Jack in battle, his keen intellect and manipulative nature often giving him the upper hand. While loyal only to himself, Jack would often make temporary alliances for the sake of survival or his own gain, his charismatic nature allowing him to gain the trust of others in spite of his appearance.

After his escape in 2525, Jack's evasion skills were put to the test as he managed to elude UNSC forces looking for him, escaping Earth and managing to get to the Outer Colonies without detection. He was also adept at computer hacking, being able to cover his movements across the galaxy. Jack often preferred to avoid direct confrontation, relying largely on speed, surprise and often, explosives, to deal with enemies while working for the URF.

After he was 'rebuilt' in 2550, Jack gained immense strength, his reaction time increased to levels that were impressive even for a Spartan. Though he did not have the MJOLNIR armour that most Spartans benefited from, his own skills, coupled with an effective, but lightweight armour made by his benefactors, made him more than a match for his enemies in close quarters, often employing lightening-fast strikes or chokeholds to swiftly incapacitate or kill his foes. Jack's favoured weapons after this point were his twin M6D pistols, stolen from a UNSC armoury along with a variety of explosives and weaponry, largely the small arms that he specialised in.

Quotes
"You're a coward, Marco! A goddamn coward! After all they've done to us, you think that we should honestly be fighting for them?! We're leaving, and you can't stop us. Nobody can."

- To Marco-025 in 2525, during his escape from the SIGMA Facility on Earth.

"Well I'm not surprised to be seeing you guys again. I've come too far to allow you to stop me at this point, I'm afraid. Can't say it feels good to kill my brothers, either, but I suppose I'll get over it."

- Upon meeting Jacob-076, Marco-025 and Wulf-041 inside the Hephaestus Array.

"Let's see if we can grind the meat beneath the armour, shall we?"

- Upon encountering two SPARTAN-III's of Shrike Team.

"It's fairly simple, General. You keep your mouth shut and follow my commands. If not, I will kill you, your family, and everyone close to you, and have a better man replace you."

- Threatening Cole Warrick, Director of Project HAYABUSA

"They force you to pay them exuberant taxes, to work for them, to die for them! For what? Are you not self-sufficient? This colony has, and will survive without the intervention of the totalitarian regime that gives nothing back! I urge you, fight for your freedom! Fight for your independence!"

- Inspiring the people of Tannis to rise up against the UNSC.

"There is no 'Quid Pro Quo' with me, Mister Durovin. Your father learned that the hard way."

- Jack, teaching the leader of the Durovin Family his place.

Literary References

 * Rebirth (Short Story)
 * Back Then (Short Story)
 * First Impressions (Short Story)
 * Start of Darkness (Short Story)
 * Halo Fanon Survival of the Fittest Season 4 (Non Canon)
 * Halo: Shrike
 * Halo: Last of the Brave
 * ''Halo: The Howling Dark (Upcoming)