Robert-028

Robert-028 was a United Nations Space Command SPARTAN-II 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 those who he fought alongside in the UNSC. 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
Born on the 18th March 2511 in Scyllion on Charybdis IX, Robert became an orphan only two years later. 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. At the age of six he was discovered by Dr. Catherine Halsey as one of 150 suitable candidates for the SPARTAN-II project. After she had received the funding to train 75 of the candidates, he was abducted in 2517 and like the others, was replaced by a Flash Clone that later died of seemingly natural causes.

SPARTAN-II Program
Like the other candidates, Robert was taken to the planet Reach, where the secret training of Spartans began. There he underwent rigorous training exercises taught by Chief Petty Officer Franklin Mendez and was educated by the AI Déjà. Shortly after arrival, Spartan teams were assembled and he was placed within Red Team. Robert befriended the Spartans well, even garnering mutual respect from an opposing Blue Team member, Neoklis-128, after being beaten in a training skirmish. Despite not standing out from other trainees as John-117 did, Robert was making considerable progress in the SPARTAN-II Program and was recognised by the drill instructors as an excellent pupil when it came to combat training, maintaining efficiency with most UNSC 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. Reluctantly he complied with the transfer, although Mendez noted afterward, the sentimental value still attributed to his previous team. Years later Robert underwent physical augmentation on the 9th March 2525 and though survived the initial procedures, was later recorded as one of 30 Spartans who had succumb to death during augmentation. Of the deceased Spartans, the reactions Robert suffered however were at the lower end of the spectrum when compared to other candidates.

One of Halsey's protégés believed that there was a possibility the lower end-spectrum candidates could in fact be saved. Over the next six months, Robert was under constant treatment in cryostasis, until his health was finally sustained. As a result he missed the Spartan engagement of the Eridanus Rebellion, neither participating in the extraction of Lieutenant David Byrne or ex-Colonel Robert Watts, however was now ready to face present assignments. On the 2nd November 2525 all surviving Spartans were briefed about the Covenant, whilst Chief Petty Officer Mendez and the AI Déjà left to train a new group of supersoldiers. Then finally on the 3rd November 2525, Robert graduates from training, commissioned with the rank of Petty Officer, Second Class.

Battle of Chi Ceti
Sent aboard the UNSC Commonwealth, Robert and the rest of the Spartans with Dr. Halsey were ferried to the Damascus Testing Facility on the planet Chi Ceti IV. However before they could reach their destination, the Commonwealth was attacked by the Covenant cruiser, Unrelenting. 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 MJOLNIR Mark IV 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 MAC round had pierced through the hull of the cruiser before the Commonwealth vented atmosphere, providing an entry point for the Spartans, and Pelican transports were used to reach the cruiser. Upon arrival Graham gave the order for Gold Team to eject from their dropship as Kig-yar Rangers 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 ANVIL-II missiles. Gold Team and the other Spartans returned to the surface of Chi Ceti IV, albeit for the casualty of Samuel-034, who remained behind and ensured the missiles' detonation.

Harvest Campaign
In the maiden years of the Harvest Campaign, Robert-028 was one of several Spartans issued with the defence of the colony. At this time, in a relentless effort to regain control after Admiral Cole'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 Office of Naval Intelligence satellites detected slipspace ruptures in the Procyon System in February 2531, all nearby ships were hailed to defend hummanity's colonies. Along with others called to Arcadia was the UNSC Pillar of Autumn and its SPARTAN-II passengers. The first Covenant vessel was decimated by MAC fire as it arrived with its shields down, however the second CCS-class Battlecruiser ruthlessly avenged it, destroying two out of four UNSC ships, with a further assault on the remaining human vessels. After waves of boarding craft had been launched at the UNSC Armstrong, 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 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, Stealth Sangheili exited active camoflauge and ambushed their sub-team. It was both Gold Team and Robert's their 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 interface 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 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.