Bartley Haldeman

"No bark, all bite. The demure of a house cat and the ferocity of a lion. Don't underestimate him."

- Overseer Pasha Leonov advising a new hire Bartley Prage Haldeman (ID: 8222-184-BPH0487) is the current leader of the notorious Forty Clubs Syndicate, the ruling power in Lockout 40 on Cadmus, and was present for the Covenant invasion of Cadmus. Constantly at odds with the planet's administration, who are routinely unable to pin him to any crimes, Bartley has survived multiple assassination attempts, some of which have left him permanently disfigured. Known for his tendency to "walk softly and carry a big stick", the tall, slender figure keeps a low profile and appears modest, but acts extraordinarily decisively. This has been quite helpful to both him and his organization, and quite a headache for the local administration.

Childhood
"You wonder where these people go, what they could have done, if they didn't end up in crime. An admiral? A doctor?  An engineer?  Who knows..."

- Interns at a local law firm in Lockout 40 Bartley was born on August 11th, 2523 on Lockout 40 on Cadmus to Anna and Rob Haldeman. While Bartley is incredibly tight-lipped in general, and especially regarding his past, by most accounts, his childhood was fairly uneventful.

Rob, his father, worked for the previous leader of the Forty Clubs, Mikael Bayon, as an adviser and manager of the syndicate's many assets in and around the Lockout. His father attempted to keep him as sheltered as possible from the activities of the gang, and largely, was successful, Bartley receiving only minimal interaction and influence from the gang. Rob was slated to succeed the position of leader of the gang should something ever occur to Mikael or in the event of his retirement.

Unfortunately, tragedy struck in late September, 2524. A recent typhoon had grounded all traffic in and out of Spartoi, where Mikael was visiting on a business trip. He asked Rob to fill in for him while he was stuck in Spartoi, something which the trusted adviser readily agreed to. Rob went to an arms deal later that week, and was caught in a sting operation by the local administration, and killed in the resulting gunfire.

Mikael was distraught by the news, and quickly moved to protect the child and widow. Missing both his closest friend and adviser as well as the successor to the organization, Mikael took the young Bartley under his wing, and groomed him to become the next leader of the syndicate.

Details regarding the next seven years are even sparser, with Bartley nearly completely out of the public eye. He was a constant shadow of Mikael, whom he came to regard as a surrogate father. While Bartley himself was prevented from attending anything that was possibly, dangerous, he did become intimately familiar with the upper echelon of the Forty Clubs during this time, as well as the structure, politics, and members of organized crime on Cadmus.

Unfortunately, not all good things last. On February 19th, 2541, both Bartley and Mikael were caught in the blast of an IED planted by the Five-Six Stormers, a rival organization based in Lockout 56. Mikael was killed, and Bartley severely injured. Blinded and disfigured by the explosion, he spent several months in the hospital, and received extensive reconstructive surgery and artificial eyes. When he returned, he assumed the position of leader of the Forty Clubs Syndicate.

Adulthood and Leadership of the Syndicate
"He's not a damn ghost, ghosts don't have pencil necks and black eyes! Track him down and put a bullet in his head already! The hell am I paying you for!?"

- Rival Emilia Hazaro addressing her hired hitmen Immediately after leaving the hospital, Bartley took control of the the syndicate. The transition of power was quick and smooth, though according to some accounts, quite bloody. Nearly a half dozen high ranking members of the syndicate went missing during this time, only two of which were ever found, both dead.

Characterized by his high attention to detail, Bartley's leadership has given the syndicate considerable financial and membership growth, with splinter operations in most cities on Cadmus. If not for the ongoing human Covenant war and the fact that the gang interferes little with planetary operations, they would have been uprooted by the UNSC or UEG long ago.

Most of the actions taken by the Forty Clubs during his leadership were subtle, with thievery, trafficking, and other operations taking place well away from the public eye, when they occur at all. More crimes occur in cyberspace or in pen and ink than anywhere else. As such, the organization has grown quite wealthy, and has an extraordinary amount of men on payroll. In some places, it rivals the planetary government for legitimacy and sway.

For Bartley himself, he remains fairly outgoing within Lockout 40, and is often seen walking the city, though never unaccompanied and unguarded. As a rule, he doesn't leave the city, considering the action too dangerous and frankly, unnecessary, when his sway deems that others come to him. While still seen often in public, little is known about him, as he prefers to keep his own company.