Robert-028

Robert-028 was a  supersoldier and served as part of Gold Team under the call sign Gold Two.

Personality and Description
"Determination and ambition best describe 028."

- unnamed drill instructor.

Early in his training Robert displayed an inherent competitive streak, however understood that to accomplish victory, it often required the coordination and success of his team. Therefore he fell naturally suited to the role of reconnaissance. Despite the worst conditions, it was said that Robert never gave up.

Through the Spartan Program he became an exceptional marksman, and by the end of the Human-Covenant War gained distinction as a brilliant tactician, both on and off of the battlefield. Although Robert barely survived the augmentation processes of the Spartan Program, it granted him a haunting status amongst the squads which he fought alongside. Returning from death thanks to the expertise of Halsey and her scientists had resulted in an "indestructable" image that would become the motif of his military career.

Early Life
Only two years after the 18th March, his birth, Robert became an orphan in ,. With rising tension in the colonies caused by Insurrectionist movement, aggressive riots saw the deaths of many civilians including Robert's parents, though he was too young at the time to later recall the incident. By age six he was discovered by as one of 150 candidates that were suitable for the SPARTAN-II project. Without enough funding to train all of them though, he was later observed and discretely screened that year, as were other children in order to determine which candidates would be selected.

Whilst visiting the Primary Education Facility that Robert was attending in Scyllion, Dr. Halsey witnessed a gravball game in progress by his class. He wasn't the best defender. Not the fastest. Nor the most skilled or athletic player in the court. But even after a striker had managed to break past him, Robert was determined to block, halt and hinder their attack. He exhausted the opposition until they were brought down to his speed and strength, his level. And then secured the ball for his team. It was this kind of teamwork which prompted Robert to be chosen for the program. Like the other conscripted candidates, he was abducted in and replaced by a  that later died of seemingly natural causes.

SPARTAN-II Program
Akin to all trainees, Robert was taken to the planet, where the secret training of the Spartans began. There he underwent rigorous training exercises taught by  and was educated by the. Ensuing their first few days, the children were assembled into more cohesive teams and Robert was placed within. He befriended the Spartans without difficulty, and even gained mutual respect from an opposing member, Neoklis-128. Despite not standing out from other trainees as did, Robert had adapted to the program reasonably well and was recognised by the drill instructors as an excellent pupil when it came to combat training, maintaining efficiency with most  weaponry.

In 2518, when two members of Gold Team were reassigned to other units, Robert became one of the Spartans selected to fill the empty positions. He complied with the transfer, although instructors noted afterward, the sentimental value still attributed to his previous team. Years later Robert underwent physical augmentation on the 9th March and though survived the initial procedures, was soon recorded as one of 31 Spartans who had succumb to death during the procedures. Of the deceased Spartans however, inflictions suffered by Robert were minimal in comparison. Dr. Halsey thought he could still be saved.

Before the end of March, Robert was successfully revived but was under constant treatment for the next several months until his health was finally sustained. As a result he missed the Spartan engagement of the, neither participating in the extraction of  or  David Byrne, however was now ready to face present assignments. On the 2nd November 2525 all surviving Spartans were briefed about the, whilst Chief Petty Officer Mendez and the AI Déjà left to train a new group of supersoldiers. Then finally on the 3rd November 2525, the SPARTAN-IIs graduate from training, commissioned with the rank of.

Battle of Chi Ceti
Sent aboard the, Robert and the rest of the Spartans with Dr. Halsey were ferried to the on the planet. However before they could reach their destination, the Commonwealth was attacked by the Covenant cruiser,. After a brief engagement causing both ships to retreat for repairs, the Unrelenting returned to face the UNSC again. However between this time, the Spartans were able to land on the planet surface and don the  armour system waiting for them at Damascus. Squad Leader Spartan-117 now gave the order to board the Covenant ship, to destroy it from the inside.

A round had pierced through the hull of the cruiser before the Commonwealth vented atmosphere, providing an entry point for the Spartans, and  transports were used to reach the cruiser. Upon arrival Graham-089 gave the order for Gold Team to eject from their dropship as  were deployed to battle. A successful counterstrike allowed John's team to access the breached hull and make it inside. Blue Team fought their way to the Unrelenting's engine room and planted their. Gold Team and the other Spartans returned to the surface of Chi Ceti IV, albeit for the casualty of, who remained behind and ensured the missiles' detonation.

Harvest Campaign
In the maiden years of the, Robert-028 was one of several Spartans issued with the defence of. At this time, in a relentless effort to regain control after 's victory, the Covenant had sent numberous ships to assault the UNSC on both the ground and in space. Although the Spartans dominated warfare in the ruined cities and attained a planetside victory for the UNSC, the space battle was unfortunately far from over. As further Covenant vessels arrived to crush the remains of the UNSC fleet, all ground forces had no choice but to withdraw before the planet was glassed. As a result the Spartans were assigned with another operation.

Battle of Arcadia
When satellites detected slipspace ruptures in the  in February, all nearby ships were hailed to defend hummanity's colonies. Along with others called to was the  and its SPARTAN-II passengers. The was decimated by MAC fire as it arrived with its shields down, however the   ruthlessly avenged it, destroying two out of four UNSC ships, with a further assault on the remaining human vessels. After waves of had been launched at the, Gold Team were deployed to assist in repelling the invasion.

After arriving on the Armstong, locating the captain became Gold Team's first priority, although the neural transponder ID associated with him was reading from outside of the ship. Robert voiced checking the bridge, though James-077 was confident about the reading. Unsure Graham divided Gold Team and left for the bridge with Robert and James to validate the signal. There they found the captain, along with the other crew, dead. Then as James noticed that the Navigational Data Core had been tampered with,  exited  and ambushed their sub-team. It was both Gold Team and Robert's first encounter of elites.

Yet they managed to overcome the assault and agreed that the boarders sought the navigational data housed inside the core. Without the captain's lost however, there was no way to erase it. So instead Gold Team acquired demolitions to destroy it. Having already completed their objectives, the other half of the squad returned to their Pelican transport and Maria-062 brought the dropship round to the bow of the Armstrong. With devices armed, James opened the blast shield windows of the bridge and vacated the ship, along with Graham and Robert. Moments later Gold Team were en route back to the Pillar of Autumn as their LFDDs detonated.

Fall of Nireus II
(to be continued...)

Ghost Ship
(to be continued...)

Trivia
Robert's service tag 028 is a factor of seven. 28/4=7. Although the number was primarily chosen as a biographical reference to the author.