Mariya Onegin

"I'm no patriot. I joined the Army to get off that hellhole, not fight for Earth. But we're all stuck in something bigger now. So we'll dig in our heels and do whatever it takes to push the Covenant back. I love you and I'll see you soon. Take good care of Karin."

- Sergeant Mariya Onegin's last message to her husband.

Mariya Onegin was a trooper during the  who fought during the. A native of, Mariya and her family lived in abject poverty in one of the colony's sprawling slums. Along with her sister, Tatiana, Mariya had little hope that she would ever escape the drudgery of life on Gilgamesh. When Mariya was only seven years old her parents sold Tatiana to local criminals in order to pay off their debts. Terrified that the same fate would befall her, Mariya fled home and attempted to claw out a living on the streets. Eventually detained by local authorities, she was placed in the 's foster care authority where she spent the rest of her childhood. Determined to escape Gilgamesh for good, Mariya enlisted in the UNSC Army and was shipped to for training. After several years of low-key success in several minor outposts, Mariya was promoted to the rank of Sergeant. Inspired by the actions of the at the, Mariya joined the Army's armored corps and returned to Reach for retraining. While on Reach Mariya reconnected with Walter Larina, a childhood friend from Gilgamesh. The two eventually married and had a daughter named Karina. With Walter working as a clerk in a CAA agency, Mariya was inspired to pursue leads on the fate of her sister and asked Walter to use his position to look up old records that might lead her to Tatiana.

As the war continued to rage, Mariya urged Walter to move with Karina further into the. Walter reluctantly accepted a government posting away from Reach and Mariya promised to request a transfer as soon as possible. Unfortunately, the Covenant attacked Reach while Mariya was still stationed there and her armored division was mobilized to help repel the invaders. During the Mariya joined in a frontal assault against a Covenant landing zone. She died when a incinerated her Scorpion.