User:Juan Jose Rodriguez/Juan José Rodriguez

"Huh? Oh, this? I just found it and thought "What the heck.""

- Cpl. Juan José Rodriguez, to Colonel Sanderson Felicia Sanderson on his acquisition of a MA37 during the Battle of New Jerusalem

Corporal Juan José Rodriguez is a UNSC Marine, active during the Human-Covenant war. He was known for being highly diligent and one of the elite Marine troopers during his engagements in the Battle of Earth and other combat situations.

Pre-Invasion of Earth
Juan José Rodriguez was born in Mexico City, Mexico in the year 2526. During the early years of an interplanetary war against the Covenant alien forces, José showed a wish to serve in the military or any armed/military force. However, the first opportunity José was presented involved a police role on the planet of New Jerusalem. Thus, José abandoned Earth and relocated to the Cygnus System in 2548, at the young age of 22.

Juan José Rodriguez was relatively experienced during his time there, and he was once recommended and asked to join the personal military company of Colonel Felicia Sanderson. José seemed eager to join, and thus he retired from the NJPF (New Jerusalem Police Force) and entered the ranks of the Colonel and the USNC as a Private in the year 2551. It was then that he was trained in firearms by the Colonel herself, and earned himself expertise in his future signature weapon, the MA5C with an M301 grenade launcher.

Eventually, however, the Covenant invaded the planet and Mount Haven was one of the immediate targets of all Covenant forces. With panic quickly taking control of the city, José was ordered under another female soldier, Sergeant Michelle Valdéz, to escape while Felicia tried to extract a group of schoolchildren. José picked up a retired-use MA37 and followed the Sergeant, leaving Colonel Sanderson for herself. However, after holding up in the student's actual school, a series of gunshots rang out inside the bank. From their view, Sgt. Valdéz and Pvt. Rodriguez could see the dying Colonel. They knew that they needed to escape immediately, so they quickly left the school in a mad rush.



The two soldiers rushed throughout the havoc in Mount Haven, narrowly avoiding Covenant attacks and fire. Eventually, after both running out of ammunition for their weapons, they entered the Mount Haven Police Force headquarters, and witness it being looted by civilians. José finds an entrance into the building and together, Valdéz, José and two civilians rack up weapons and armor. Upon heading to the back of the building, José and the others were able to mount and prepare a D77C-NMPD Pelican Dropship to leave the city and fall back with the rest of the UNSC troops.

However, their escape hit a setback as two apparent ODST troopers requested permission to board their dropship. At first reluctant, Valdéz eventually agreed. However, just as Valdéz took the controls, the ODSTs revealed themselves to be in an operation to secure gold and valuables from the city for their own personal gain. As they attempted to kill the civilians and Valdéz, José shot one of the ODSTs with his M90 shotgun, and dismantled the other with an ancient Aztec martial art combination (Cuaucalli) and finished him off with a stab from his combat knife. Not taking any other chances, Valdéz took off with José and two other civilians and left the city of Mount Haven to the Covenant. During their quick escape, a nuclear warhead was evidently activated and used. Valdéz’s pelican swerved and almost lost control due to the electro-magnetic pulse created by the nuclear explosion. However, the pelican was able to escape the planet and retreat to the UNSC Chalons, which was ordered to fall back. Valdéz, Rodriguez and the two civilians were reported to be among the few in under a dozen survivors of the Battle of New Jerusalem.

The UNSC Chalons returned to Earth in preparation for a seemingly inevitable attack on Earth. Under orders of the United Nations Space Command, they were stationed in Mexico City to prepare the massive megapolis against any Covenant attacks. However, almost none of the Earth’s major cities were attacked, contrary to plan, save New Mombasa. However, under orders, both José and Valdéz were ordered to remain in North America to constantly remain aware of attacks. Eventually, the Covenant did bring the fight to North America, and they began underwater operations in the Yucatan peninsula to uncover artifacts. José, Valdéz, and a squad of mostly-Mexican Marines were sent to the Yucatan to eliminate any Covenant threat, with the promise of ‘technical support’.

Deployed from a UNSC base in the Yucatan (Base Yo’kol Muul, ‘Over Pyramid’, situated on the remains of Chichen Itza), José and Valdéz departed with weapons of choice – José, an MA5C w/ M301 grenade launcher, Valdéz, an M7S SMG and an M6C pistol. Using amphibious-adaptable uniforms and suits, as well as rebreathers and amphibious, underwater-combatable firearms, Valdéz commanded a very small squad of elite Marines, including José, into the waters of the Yucatan. During the initial underwater mission, no activity is found. However, one Marine pointed out a small group of Grunts. Wasting no time, José opened fire on the Grunts. Valdéz opened fire as well, but upon further investigation, they discovered that a Covenant Scarab was under the water as well, digging at the Chicxulub crater, looking for Covenant artifacts. Upon contacting TEAMCOM (above Nassau Station) for advice, TEAMCOM responded with an order – to mark out the mining Scarab’s coordinates. Valdéz pointed it out the coordinates, and within moments, three Human Entry Vehicles burst into the water and hit the submerged crater. Inside the HEVs were three different SPARTAN-II supersoldiers, who shortly exited and began to attack the Scarab. The Covenant forces were completely taken by surprise, and José’s squad assisted the three SPARTANs in defeating the Scarab and all other remaining Covenant forces in the area.

José and Valdéz were recalled back to Mexico City, however, under a report that Covenant had taken over (or at least attacked the Orbital Elevator Centennial Orbital Elevator), they departed from Base Segundo Terra to the city of Havana, Cuba, in a Pelican dropship. However, just as it became apparent that the Covenant had completely taken control over the entire region, a Covenant Destroyer fired upon the Pelican. The Destroyer, named Eminent Damnation, fired a single plasma torpedo that ripped through the hull of the Pelican, sending it crashing to the Earth. Although many of the crew died, José and Valdéz survived and crawled away safely, just in time to escape two incoming Banshees that approached to investigate. Two Brutes left the Banshees, and were quickly followed by a group of Jackals and Grunts.

During the ruckus of the Brutes searching the wreckage, José and Valdéz were able to sneak behind the Brutes and take their Banshees, flying away from the group rapidly. Although the Brutes managed to raise the alarms about human intervention, the two Marines were able to escape and land their Banshees southeast of the Covenant-controlled Havana mainland, in the neighborhood of Guanabacoa. They regrouped with a squad of Marines who were disorganized and beat back from the Centennial Orbital Elevator. Upon contacting TEAMCOM stationed at the Nassau Station, they are given orders to support a counterstrike by the same team of SPARTANs that assisted during the Yucatan operation. Wheras the Spartans were deployed to combat all Covenant in the immediate area of the Elevator, the Marines were sent to destroy and delay backup in Havana. While searching for reliable vehicles, the Marines came across a single M312 Elephant HRV stationed in a military outpost. With Valdéz on the main turret and José protecting the hull, the Marines rolled the large Elephant through the streets with two Hornets protecting it. They began to engage Covenant on the eastern side of the Elevator, distracting the Covenant from the attacking SPARTANs. However, during the attack, Valdéz took a plasma bolt from an overhead Banshee. José rushed to her side, firing the turret with one hand and helping her up with the other. José temporarily stalled the Banshee long enough for the Hornets to eliminate it. The Marines were interrupted with the destruction of a Scarab and the approach of many more Covenant land forces, ranging from Ghosts to Wraiths and large phalanxes of ground troopers.

The battle raged on as the Elephant went head-on with the Covenant arsenal of vehicles and ground forces. However, José kept a steady fire upon all enemies using the Elephant's M41 Vulcan Anti-Aircraft Gun. The 12.7x99mm rounds quickly shot down Banshees attempting strafing runs. Although Valdéz was somewhat injured, she took to the other turret, a lesser Heavy Machine Gun Turret. During the period that the Spartans were planning to steal the Covenant Destroyer the Bloodied Spirit, the Marines had pushed through almost all resistance. However, the Spartan-II known as Linda-058 warned all Marines in the area they were going to detonate several FENRIS nuclear missiles at the top of the elevator. Taking no chances, José led Valdéz out of the Elephant and led her to a Warthog. As a Marine boarded the machine gun, José sped into the safety of the city of Havana. The massive explosion added with the slipspace jump preformed by the Spartans sent shockwaves throughout the city, and the Warthog rolling and downing the engines - however, lucky positioning guaranteed the survival of almost all the UNSC Marine forces.

Per request of help from UNSC forces stationed in East Africa, the UNSC Corvette Pony Express arrived to Havana, and instead of bringing the Spartans to Onyx, she loaded in all available UNSC vehicles and soldiers and departed for Eastern Africa. As Valdéz began to be treated for her wounds, José gave Valdéz her submachine gun and told her to stay strong.

Eventually, José was commissioned into the UNSC First Squad to patrol through the Tanzanian jungle. After the Battle of Pawa, where Marines managed to track and locate John-117, First Squad was ordered under Avery Johnson to locate the fallen Spartan. Once they located the super-soldier, the First Squad split up - Valdéz and José left with Stacker and the Spartan as scouts while another portion of the squad followed Avery Johnson.

The squad eventually came across a group of Covenant dropped of by a Phantom. After engaging the ground forces. Eventually, the squad had killed all the Covenant in the area. After advancing through the caves, a massive forested expanse was found by the Marines - dubbed the "Grunt Camp" by a Marine. As Grunts slept through the entire foreground and others patrolled the hills, John-117 leapt forward and killed almost all the Grunts in the area by himself. Later on, the squad saved Sergeant Reynolds from evident death, and the squad continued through the jungle. For a moment, Master Chief's vital signed pinged KIA, but the Spartan was mostly unfazed. The squad then came across a river engagement between Pelicans and Banshees - but both Pelicans were quickly downed and rocked. With the Arbiter and John-117 leading the way, the Marines went through the jungle, encountering the downed Pelican, and finally, a dam. Valdéz, who had acquired a Beam Rifle, stayed back to snipe the Brute Chieftain as Master Chief jumped down to engage all the Covenant. José spotted for Valdéz as the Chieftain and several Brutes, Jackals and Grunts were confirmed killed by Valdéz's sniping. Eventually, Master Chief saved Sgt. Johnson and a Pelican arrived to evacuate all Marines.

Second Squad was eventually transferred to M/LAT-16, a Marine unit in the Crow's Nest UNSC base. However, with a Covenant imminent attack and a threat by the Prophet of Truth himself, all forces were set for evacuation and battle. Valdéz and José stayed inside the hangar as John-117 left to secure the base. Eventually, Pelicans were able to leave the area, allowing Valdéz and José to leave safely in a Pelican.



The Pelican, taking fire, was forced to land in Voi, in an attempt to relieve exhausted UNSC troops. Using his grenade launcher to maximal effectiveness, José narrowly destroyed a Brute Chopper heading straight for Valdéz. Picking her up from the ground, José spotted the Master Chief approaching them. Master Chief helped repel Brute forces and a Wraith, before José and Valdéz entered a Troop Transport Warthog, joining the Master Chief's convoy. After smashing through a Brute blockade and shield barrier reinforced by a large collection of the Brutes, the UNSC forces bash through and continue their mission.

The Marine squad continued their assignment, being supported by the Master Chief. Upon entering a factory in Voi, the Marines assaulted Covenant in the area and took them over by surprise. After pushing through the tunnel, the Marines opened a door, revealing an expanse with Ghosts and a heavy Covenant garrison. The Marines moved out on foot, clearing the lakebed with the aid of the Spartan. Upon entering the second warehouse, the Marines began to run low on ammo, and were thusly attacked by Drones. Eventually, the Marines shot the attacking Drones and proceeded down the tunnel to find Mongoose ATVs and rocket launchers. Valdéz grabbed a rocket launcher and mounted the back of José’s Mongoose, and they set off to destroy all Covenant vehicles in the sector. As Ghosts and Anti-Air Wraiths provided ample enemies, the worst was yet to come, as a massive Scarab descended upon them. With combined rockets to the legs of the Scarab and the Master Chief boarded it and destroyed it, the Marines were clear for the next assignment. Moving through a factory, the Marines confronted Hunters and Brute Chieftains en route to an Anti-Aircraft gun that was posing a massive threat to all UNSC aircraft. However, once the AA gun was destroyed, the artifact began to open and it sent a rift through the entire continent, knocking José to the ground. UNSC forces backtracked to the factory, but they fell under attack by the Flood. An Infection form landed on Sergeant Reynolds, forcing José to attack him. When Valdéz tried to stop him, saying “That’s the Sergeant!” José replied “That WAS the Sergeant.” Out of their entire squadron, José, Valdéz and only one other Marine remained alive. They were assisted by the Master Chief to fight back the Flood, and continued into the factory. Though many Marines had died, The Arbiter and Master Chief did find several Marine survivors. José opted to stay back and try to find safety, away from the Flood. The Arbiter and Master Chief then left the Marines, continuing through the offices.



Upon searching the area, José’s small remnants of a squad discovered a lone Hornet pilot who had been delayed during the air assault and landed his Hornet during the initial Flood outbreak. The Marine Pilot, whose name was Corporal McNair, quickly ushered the Marines onto the Hornet and attempted a Search-and-Rescue operation throughout the city to locate any other UNSC servicemen under attack by the Flood. However, they were only able to locate one other Marine before reaching no other room inside the Hornet, and the Separatist Carrier ‘Shadow of Intent’ ordering all friendly units to leave the area or else be glassed. The Marines were relocated onto a Pelican and eventually brought onto the UNSC Forward Unto Dawn for a new mission.

Their team was sent into a Pelican during the Battle of Installation 00, however, upon their approach to the ground, they were narrowly hit by a Flak cannon and crashed. Despite this, many of the Marines survived as they were met by Master Chief. Upon informing him on the situation, the Master Chief helped them kill Brutes and Grunts at their vehicles, including Brute reinforcements on Prowlers. The Marines mounted the Prowlers and continued on their way. The Marines eventually found a proper landing zone for Commander Keyes’ frigate, and upon landing, it released several Scorpion tanks. José and Valdéz mounted a Scorpion and proceeded to the Cartographer. The tank powered through the Covenant Loyalist resistance, but eventually came across a Forerunner facility, making the Master Chief relocate to open a panel for the armor to pass through. When the armor had passed through, however, they came to face a massive Scarab accompanied by Covenant vehicles in every direction.

Valdéz, gunning for the Scorpion, shot down individual Choppers heading for them as the Scorpion headed for the Scarab. When all sectors were clear, every Scorpion concentrated fire on the Scarab, bringing it down and allowing Master Chief to disable and destroy the Scarab from the inside. Once all Covenant outside were eliminated, the Marines were told that the mission was over and a success. José laid back on top of the Scorpion in relaxation, and was soon joined by Valdéz and the Scorpion driver in their casual rest before a final fight.

In what would be the final battle in the Human-Covenant War, José and Valdéz were deployed alongside John-117 and ODSTs to secure a generator tower. After eliminating resistance in the form of Shade Turret and an Anti-Aircraft Wraith, a Pelican dropped the Marines a Warthog and a Mongoose. Master Chief and two ODSTs mounted the Warthog, allowing José and Valdéz the Mongoose. They assaulted the first tower, killing all Covenant vehicles outside. Inside the tower, José and Valdéz supported the Master Chief as he made his way upstairs and activated an elevator, lifting him up to deactivate the generator. The Marines stayed downstairs and waited for the Spartan to finish, then returned to the beach where they were lifted to the third tower by a Hornet. The Hornet was piloted by none other than Corporal McNair, who airlifted them to safety after the Flood infestation of Earth. The Marines were transported towards the third tower, eliminating Banshees and a single Phantom. Upon being delivered to the tower, José and Valdéz could only watch as Master Chief and the Elites killed all Brutes in the area. José and Valdéz waited outside, but just as the barrier was deactivated, Flood dispersal pods crashed onto the surface and Flood attacked everyone in the area. Just as José and Valdéz were dealing with the threat the Flood posed, Master Chief and the Arbiter arrived, clearing out all the Flood and preparing to depart for the Citadel. Instead of boarding a Gauss Warthog or a Scorpion, José asked Valdéz for a last strafing run with a rocket on a Mongoose. Valdéz agreed and they sped off, firing rockets at Covenant resistance.

Finally, as the Master Chief arrived and took a Hornet, two Covenant Scarabs landed on the ground and attacked all UNSC forces. Rockets, bullets and plasma bolts were fired in every direction, and eventually, it seemed as all Covenant forces were killed and defeated. As both José and Valdéz exited their Mongoose with cheers of celebration, tragedy struck as a lone Brute Chopper boosted towards Valdéz, unbeknownst to her. José, quickly realizing the danger, jumped in front of Valdéz and pushed her out of the way, leaving the Chopper to run over his legs. José lay on the ground, writhing in pain, as Valdéz destroyed the Chopper. As Marines surrounded José and Valdéz, a corpsman, [http://halo.wikia.com/wiki/R. Coney R. Coney], inserted biofoam into his legs and tended to the injured Corporal. As Coney and Corporal McNair airlifted José and other Marines onto a Pelican for evacuation, they learned good and bad news – that even though the Prophet of Truth had been killed, so had Commander Miranda Keyes.

Both José and Valdéz were awarded Bronze Stars; with José being rewarded a Purple Heart. Both were also promoted - José to Sergeant, and Valdéz to Staff Sergeant. The Human-Covenant War came to a close and both José and Valdéz participated in a memorial service, however, neither was in the three-volley salute.

Trivia

 * José claimed he disliked the Battle Rifle, claiming he prefers automatic rifles to all.
 * José is the only Marine to be known to use the Grenadier variant of his MA5C.
 * José and Valdéz, along with the Rookie, are the only known survivors of the Battle of New Jerusalem.