Andra-D054

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"I've suffering a lot, I know that. Without you or our Team, I can't imagine how I would have kept it together. I've thought about how things turned out - I'd change things in my life, but I admit, I'd do it all again if its with you guys."

- Andra-D054 reflecting on her past during a chat with Merlin-D032.

Andra-D054, better known as Andra Kearsarge to her assosiates and born Andra Kearsarge Bradford, is a former commando recruited and trained by the conspiring  program, the DELTA Initiative. Under their tutelage, Andra became part of SPARTAN-III Delta Company and was assigned to Team Boson, a Delta Company training unit that would become her new family and home.

Originally born on in, Andra escaped death by mere months through her Spartan recruitment when her home planet was caught up in a  that decimated its population centers in. Before joining Delta Company however, Andra was emotionally-crushed by the physical torment and abuse from her suicidal, late father who was impaired by mind-altering drugs and alcohol following the death of his wife at the. Orphaned and broken in, Andra entered training and was immiedately beset by obstacles including unyielding instructors, distant peers, and persistant depression. Andra struggled in her new environment, nearly washing-out of Delta Company on several occasions; considerable responsibility for her abismal performance was attributed to the selective mutism she developed after her father's abuse. Assisted by a group of supporting figures, including a particularly close friendship with Merlin-D032, she began a slow recovery. By, Andra was an unmatched sharpshooter and showing a beginner's knack for explosives-handling. Even though she was a partial-mute, Andra had bounced back, proven herself, and following graduation, was transferred to the for further training with the rest of Team Boson, now being groomed to be a  under Kyser Duceppe, sanctioned by  with assistance from SPARTAN-III Gamma Company special, VIOLET-III.

It took a number of months to qualify Team Boson for Ferret status but, when they finally began operations, they mostly handled missions, staying close to the heart of the and the  which was very unusual compared to their fellow Delta Company graduates who were kept to expeditionary roles in the.

Career Service Vitae
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Andra-D054, born Andra Kearsarge Bradford, is a former commando recruited and trained by the breakaway ONI Beta-5 Division program, the DELTA Initiative as part of an illegal continuation of the SPARTAN-III Program.

She was born into a military family, her mother, an Army engineer, and her father, an officer. In, Andra's family started to fracture when they learned of her mother's death during the. While Andra was barely old enough to understand why her mother was dead - she knew she wasn't coming back. Worse yet, her father took the loss even worse than his young daughter. He started drinking and lost his composure, abusing his child while intoxicated. Andra hid this physical abuse through school fights and began developing a delinquent streak. It was a race to see who would break first between the father and daughter, ultimately, the father broke first. Two months after his wife's death, Andra's father commits suicide with a family-owned firearm. Andra was acquired by the soon after and processed into the foster care system, and later, the DELTA Initiative.

Recruited into SPARTAN-III Delta Company, Andra would train for four years, between and, where she would become a supersoldier. While she would graduate as part of the accomplished Fireteam Boson, she produced lackluster performances through the majority of training. Andra would not have succeeded without her friends, especially fellow Delta Company graduate Merlin-D032 who she developed an infatuation for and later become her best friend. Due to her subpar ratings, she developed a reputation for being a loner and unreliable as an asset. Even with all the odds stacked against her in the beginning, she managed to escape her downward spiral and became one of the best sharpshooters in the entire company.

Following unexpected consequences tied to SPARTAN-III Delta Company's only company-wide mission, the project was shut down and the leadership arrested by ONI in 2557. Fireteam Boson was reassigned to the ONI for a short period of time where the team handled politically-sensitive missions on behalf of the. Following a series of unfortunate missions, Fireteam Boson was reassigned to security detail for ONI installations on around the United Republic of North America. Brash decisions made by Boson's team leader, Daniele-D003, eventually forced Team Boson to desert the UNSC for the colonial frontier. The Spartan team eventually splintered and Andra-D054, with Merlin-D032 in tow, joined the private military company, Baal Defense Solutions. While she struggled to accept the criminal activities enacted by BDS, she could do little both as a member of the organization's private supersoldier project, Project APOLLYON, and the benefits that the organization provided to her.

While the is still raging across the galaxy, she only saw brief action against the foes of Baal Defense Solutions before a fatal encounter with former friends from fellow Delta Company team, Fireteam Anion. Motivated by a vengeance from a previous bout, Sergei-D167 fatally injured Andra in an ambush. Merlin managed to finish off Sergei in the gunfight, however, Andra did succumb to her wounds in a BDS infirmary. Her brain was thus harvested to create the, Althea. Andra's memories and personality continued to live through this AI, causing problems both for the AI and its Spartan partner. She was eventually brought back as a personality fragment within Merlin-D032 and later resurrected in a new body with the assistance of a rogue Althea and advanced Forerunner medical technology. While similar in appearance, the "new" Andra is not the original and displays personality traits and memories taken from both Merlin-D032 and Andra-D054. For many, she is a completely different entity. To the galaxy at large, the original Andra-D054 is officially dead.

Spartan Evaluation
"She's like a fragile little doll. She's got talent but that shit-poor motivation is going to wash her out. Maybe she'll make it through though, dunno."

- A grilling assessment of Andra-D054 by one of her drill instructors on Argus V.


 * FULL NAME: BRADFORD, ANDRA KEARSARGE
 * SERVICE #: D032
 * UNIT: NAVSPECWAR/SPARTAN-III DELTA COMPANY/CABIN 005
 * ENLISTMENT DATE: 04/24/2552
 * LOCATION: JADE HOPE YOUTH TREATMENT CENTER
 * STATUS: ACQUIRED
 * GENDER: FEMALE
 * BIRTPLACE: ENFIELD, SIGMA OCTANUS IV
 * BIRTH DATE: 11/06/2543

Physical Appearance
"And you're sure she's a Spartan? She looks like a skeleton."

- Major Kyser Ducepte commenting on Andra-D054.

A little below average stature for a graduate of SPARTAN-III Delta Company, Andra-D054 is not a giant like that of other Spartan generations or even a giant in comparison to her fellow graduates of Delta. She's far taller than the average female among humans, however, her six-foot-flat height makes her stand out less and allows her to blend in better among regular people. She is one of those Spartans that is better prepared to participate in undercover operations. Andra is also traditionally light for a soldier, just like many other Spartan. Her body is lengthy and while lined by muscle, is also very thin - almost to the degree of being concerning. However, given her augmentations, abnormal appearances like having a boney appearance is not unheard of. Her augmentations on that note also did not improve Andra's regular stature. Without bodily augmentations, she was expected to be around five foot, seven inches - only a half foot difference from her actual size.

Andra spent more time outside armor than in and thus lacks the signature bleached-look of Spartans. Even with her oddish appearance, Andra is able to disappear into crowded areas - for most people, they just assume she's an indoor-social recluse. Her verbal and personal shyness also play a part in her ability to disappear in the open. She has long brown hair that can appear black or brown depending on the light of the area she is in, however, it is more often described as black. During training, she cut it to chin length and let it fall to the sides of her head to meet training regulations, however, after graduating as a Spartan operator, she allowed herself to grow her hair out, even though she often deals with helmet-hair from sweat and dirt sticking to her body and leaving her hair dangling in all sorts of directions. Andra has adopted some civilian social customs including a slight fashion sense - rolling her hair, putting it in a ponytail, and cutting it in ways that are popular with civilian youth.

Like her fellow Spartans, she's not one for service uniforms and prefers civilian clothes instead, a characteristic dating back to her childhood and having a dislike for formal clothing. She's often seen dressed in tighter, form-hugging clothes but also displaying some retention to military sensibilities - wearing fire-retardant materials among other factors. Because of her sharpshooter background, she is not typically involved in close quarter combat - she is significantly less scarred or marked from combat than her teammates. Andra, like other Spartans, has bodily and facial features descriptively older and yet younger at the same time, creating a sort of "Spartan-baby face paradox" as its something that most Spartans experience after being augmented where their appearance achieves a sort of.

Personality Assessment
"When I was a kid, I believed there was no such thing as happiness in this Universe. At some point, I did find some positivity, however, unlike, I don't think I'll ever find true happiness. Just a part of being a Spartan I guess."

- Andra-D054 describing her morbid opinion of the world to Merlin-D032.

Growing up in a military household, Andra's early years were not that much different from other military children of the era - her parents were often away at war and she was constantly in the presence of caretakers provided by the government. Following her mother's death during the Battle of Minab, Andra's father was on shore leave. The sudden loss of his wife drove him to the bottle and mood-altering drugs to avoid depression. It came at great cost to his relationship with Andra who he physically abused while under the influence. While he was aware of his actions, his emotional state prevented him from seeking help or protecting his own daughter. Their relationship quickly deteriorated, driving Andra to become isolated from the outside world. She didn't let on about her father's abuse out of what little familial emotion she had for him, even going as far to get into fist fights at school with other children to have an excuse for her bruising. Eventually, her father commits suicide and she was left alone. Without friends or family, she disappeared into the UEG's foster care system, eventually getting picked up by the Office of Naval Intelligence and recruited into SPARTAN-III Delta Company. The loss of her parents put her on a dark path, one that might have led to suicide if her own depression and trauma reached a breaking point. However, she ultimately found salvation in close friends such as Merlin-D032.

She struggled in the early years of training, constantly failing to find a place in Delta Company. Andra eventually broke through her post-traumatic stress and become the warrior that she once half-heartedly believed she'd become. Once broken out of her shell, Andra was shown to be a very talented and intelligent young woman. Andra, when at her best, can be described as having a fiery personality. She's bombastic and often forward with her thoughts, at least, with those she trusts and is comfortable around. Outside of her comfort zone, she's quiet and fickle, avoiding contact with others unless forced into interaction. This juxtaposition in behavior is very sudden and recognizable. As quickly as she can become loud and expressive, Andra's voice and attitude will be drowned out by silence when approached by someone she does not know.

For a soldier, Andra has a quick-witted mind and a sharp eye for detail that makes her a talented sharpshooter. She is also good at receiving and following orders and handles stress remarkably well for a trauma survivor. While her personality can vary wildly, she is an introverted individual at heart. She's slow to trust others and since losing most of the people she cared for, she has come to close herself off to just about everyone. The loss of her Spartan team following an altercation with other UNSC military elements led to this development. For her, one of the only consistent individuals in her life is Merlin-D032, someone she has come to consider her significant other, however, due to her Spartan upbringing, this definition is quite reduced compared to the traditional sense of the phrase. She has spent most of her brief life in his presence as the two have been inseparable since their training days.

Quotes
"I trusted someone once. He broke me and left me for dead."

- Andra-D054 vaguely describing her relationship with her deceased father.

Appearances

 * Delta's Path
 * Halo: Corporeal Delta
 * Remember My Name
 * CBrando's RP Session #1

Development Notes
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Biography
"Andra was born to military parents, not quite impressive, however, her genetic profile is a goldmine of opportunity. Her case as an orphan is shockingly tragic - the death of her mother, the abuse and eventual suicide of her father shattered any resolve in Andra's mind. Her fragile mental state makes her one of the worst candidates we've considered for Delta Company. Beyond her improbable mental state, her athletic background is appealing with a visible talent for swimming and track. What she's capable of remains an unknown, and any attempt to push the girl was halted due to fear of causing her to become further uncooperative. Even with all the cards stacked against her, she showed interest in becoming a Spartan. I find myself, while apprehensive, willing to give Andra a chance."

- Remarks about Andra-D054 by Dr. Romero. 2552.

Personality & Traits
"There's no feeling worse in the world than losing your family. It's happened to me twice now. Honestly, I don't know what to do."

- Andra-D054 reflecting on the collapse of Team Boson. 2558.

Relationships

 * Merlin-D032

Andra and Merlin were first made acquaintances during the early days following the first batch of Delta Company recruits arriving on Argus V. Their friendship didn't begin as such, the first time they talked ended up in an aggressive wrestling match, one of the first of its kind between Spartan recruits. The tussle ended relatively fast and resolved itself. The two children were left to themselves to resolve the clash of personalities that blossomed into a friendship. Andra, upon arriving on Argus V, was still reeling and dealing with the tumulous emotions brought on by the death of her mother, the abuse from her father, and her father's eventual suicide. These horrid circumstances would plague Andra's ability to function as a Spartan recruit early in her training, however, her early friendship with Merlin-D032 would assist in bringing her out of her shell and moving past her grief.

By the time Induction rolled around, the two recruits were inseparable and attempts were made to separate the two Spartans to no avail. Andra was temporarily assigned to the lower-ranked team of Team Anion to replace the team's designated marksman, Shima-D011. After a continued struggle to bring out any change in Andra that could prove positive, Andra was returned to her original team, Team Boson.

Andra struggled to get along with the other Spartans in Delta Company, managing only to trust the members of her team and pretty much no one else. Andra and Merlin would be made a Hunter-Killer Team duo, later on, emphasizing the two's compatibility and ability to work as a team. This close proximity between the two Spartans has created some unorthodox emotional ties between Merlin and Andra. Easily each other's best friend among the Spartans, Merlin's relationship with Andra is one based on mutual trust and commitment to each other's well being. Not quite platonic in nature, their friendship has never descended into a romantic direction - caused directly by a lack of understanding of their own feelings and a lack of active discussion along with a lack of education in the concept as Spartan supersoldiers.

Being teammates and both qualified shooters, Andra is assisted by Merlin as her spotter in their Hunter-Killer team duo. She shoots, Merlin spots targets. Merlin's talents for Land Navigation and Scouting further augments the Andras's capabilities to eliminate targets. Together, they have some of the highest shooting marks in the entirety of Camp Ambrose and Delta Company. When both Spartans went rogue with the rest of their team, Merlin and Andra stuck to one another when the team fragmented and have since been wandering the colonized frontier as close allies.


 * Team Boson

Fictional Appearances
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 * Delta's Path
 * Born Fighters
 * Midwest Heist
 * Familiarization Course
 * Good Game