Samuel-B256 (TPF)

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Samuel-B256
Biographical information
Homeworld	New Harmony
Date of birth	17 May 2532 (UNSC Military Calendar)
Physical Description
Species	Human (Augmented)
Gender	Male
Height	6 ft. 4 in.
Weight	228 lbs.
Cybernetics	SPARTAN Neural Interface
Political and military information
Service Number	S-B256
Rank	Lieutenant, Junior Grade (O-2)
Allegiance	Unified Earth Government United Nations Space Command
Branch	UNSC Navy
Unit	Team Tango Team Specter Red Team Team Osage Team Quantum
[Source]

"I am no longer a weapon the UNSC requires. There is a higher calling and a path forward I must take, for the sake of myself. I am my own guide and I must sustain a life to honor those who didn't make it. I will honor the legacy of my peers and ensure their sacrifices are memorialized by those they saved."

―Samuel in 2572.

Samuel-B256 is a SPARTAN-III officer serving in the UNSC Navy. He was recruited into the Office of Naval Intelligence in 2538 and joined Beta Company. Graduating in early 2545 as a Headhunter, Samuel served in the Beta-5 Division with Mathilda-B080 on Team Specter. Later, he joined Red Team under the command of Oriana-A058. During his time in the Human-Covenant War, also known as the Great War, Samuel became a distinguished SPARTAN in battle against the Covenant.

Throughout the Post-Covenant War conflicts, Samuel was assigned to many units within ONI Section Three and later joined Oriana under Team Osage. Many of his missions included going after Covenant remnants and a returning Insurrection. He transferred to the ONI Special Activities Division prior to the Created uprising and supported missions against the Created. Following the end of the Created uprising in 2559, Samuel took over as the leader of Team Osage and deployed to counter emerging threats.

Following Operation: QUIET VICTOR, Samuel was placed on medical duty, received a Battlefield Commission in 2570, and returned to active duty by 2571. He stood up Team Quantum under ONI and led the team through The Frontier Conflicts and other sensitive military operations.

Biography

Early Life

New Harmony in 2532.

Born on May 17th, 2532, Juri and Odeta Gwozdz welcomed their only child into their lives, Samuel Jurek Gwozdz. He was raised in Nowy Korfantów, a wealthy countryside outside Monastir, New Harmony. The Gwozdz family arrived in 2442 on an agricultural expedition financed by the European Union during the Domus Diaspora. His father was a renowned Vintner while his mother worked as a Sommelier for Domus Pivitae, the family-owned winery. Samuel was raised by his parents and the estate's caretaking staff. The secluded town gave the family a luxury of raising him in a protected environment.

"What I remember about home, it was heartwarming. I liked being hugged by my mother and feeling the unconditional love from her. I miss those days of seeing her smile at me. Those were the days I missed the most."

―Samuel reminiscing on his past.

Samuel was a quiet child and stayed close to his parents. In society, he hid behind his mother's dress from other children or clutched to his father for safety. He was introduced to Efran after his parents expressed worry of social isolation and the two became close friends over time. The family often traveled to Monastir for social events ranging from theater performances to motor racing events. His shyness remained a worry for his parents, where he remained close by their side despite his positive interactions. By 2536, Samuel attended Rotblat Day School to get around other children his age. Instructors noted him for being a bright and reclusive student. While he grew out of his shell at Rotblat with Efran, his parents were planning a move to Luyten.

New Harmony being glassed by the Covenant in 2537.

The growing Covenant threat instated the Cole Protocol in 2535 and Juri hired ExoProtea, a private security company, for priority extraction if the Covenant invaded New Harmony. Samuel was home when the Battle of New Harmony broke out in 2537 and he witnessed the Covenant attack Monastir. His hometown was attacked by the Covenant and his parents died protecting their son's escape into a nearby forest. Samuel became terrified by the reality of losing his parents, being alone, and blacked out after reaching a safe area. He was rescued by an Orbital Drop Shock Trooper platoon and escorted away from the battlefield. He was asked if anybody else was with him but never responded to the questions. Samuel stayed at a Combat Outpost until he was moved to an emergency evacuation point.

"When I wasn't at school or the orphanage, I was stealing. I stole everything I got my hands on. I didn't steal for the prize, I wanted to be noticed. Committing a crime made people pay attention to me. I desired the attention because I never got it anywhere else."

―Samuel writing about his life of crime.

Samuel was evacuated off New Harmony aboard the Midnight Guidance, a Colony ship repurposed for moving Great War refugees. He became another orphan at the hands of the Covenant. On Reach, he arrived at New Alexandria and was admitted into the New Alexandria Federal Conservatory. Samuel was thrown into an overcrowded orphanage and struggled to survive, a stark contrast to life on New Harmony. He met Mathilda Dufort, another orphan from the Great War, and became friends with her when they were roomed together. During a mandatory psychologist exam, Samuel was marked for having severe child traumatic stress and an at-risk individual. He fought the doctors trying to help him and became more violent despite their good intentions. In school, he showed glimpses of being a bright student but became a problem child for his destructive behavior against other students. In-between school and the orphanage, he planned and committed petty theft with Mathilda, often evading the police by disappearing into the refugee slums.

New Alexandria in 2538, one of the areas Samuel committed his crimes.

The Office of Naval Intelligence took an interest in Samuel when he lifted an agent's security badge on a busy concourse with Mathilda. They were chased by a Section Zero team and caught by an ONI Security detachment. Instead of being handed over to the police, a Section Three officer met with Samuel about joining a team to get revenge on the Covenant. He agreed alongside Mathilda and joined the SPARTAN-III program after passing a basic physical and psychological test. His quest for revenge began developing as he understood the opportunity to strike back at the Covenant. Under Naval Code 67321, Samuel disappeared from Colonial Administration Authority data archives and moved off Reach.

SPARTAN-III Program Training

Camp Currahee, the home of the SPARTAN-III training program.

Arriving on Onyx in 2539 and settling into Camp Currahee, Samuel began his training as a member of Beta Company by being stripped of his name and replaced with a Candidate Identification Tag, becoming Samuel-B256. The SPARTAN-III Program was adjusting their training structure after the demise of Alpha Company during Operation: PROMETHEUS. Through Kurt Ambrose and Franklin Mendez, Samuel endured tough standards pushed by drill instructors he struggled to meet. He fell back on his scheming ways from Reach to find shortcuts in long hikes to take breaks along with coordinating ideas with Mathilda. He was caught cheating by a tactical instructor, Lynn-A392 who decided to not report Samuel and instead put him through more intense training to break his bad habits. Samuel was forced to do things correct and became proud when he reached benchmark standards.

Samuel found himself becoming a stronger candidate and used his newfound identity as Samuel-B256 to become a person with integrity. During basic combat and academic training, he worked with Mathilda to help master the materials assigned. His close relationship with her was noted by ONI and Deep Winter as a prospective team pair when assigning individuals to teams. During Ring the Bell, Samuel was assigned to Team Tango alongside Mathilda where they resisted the other two members throughout the exercise. His methods of scouting and collecting information became illegal to where Deep Winter alerted Kurt Ambrose and the others. Kurt overruled the option of punishment and wanted to see if his plan worked. Samuel used his knowledge of previous runs from other candidates to plan his own, distracted instructors, and took his time moving up the hill.

Deep Winter: "Kurt, Samuel-B256 was detected leaving the Camp multiple times and was observed scouting the hill where the Ring the Bell exercise will take place. Drone footage picked up Mathilda-B080 with him in the area."

Kurt Ambrose: "Do not punish them, we will see if their scouting will help or harm them. I will direct Mendez to switch up the patrols and locations seeing if they adapt."

―Deep Winter and Kurt discussing Samuel's illegal scouting.

Samuel and Mathilda during a sniper exercise.

In 2541, Samuel became the reconnaissance specialist for Team Tango following Ring the Bell. Early on, he continued to struggle with team building exercises while his independent nature kept being a problem. Instructors worked to put the team into issues where they had to succeed with teamwork and often saw Samuel unable to collaborate on planning. His knowledge of operations made him a perfect team leader, but he refused to step forward and lead because of his fear of the other members. Samuel's high marks in reconnaissance and infiltration made him valuable for the team's success during warfare training throughout 2542. Behind the scenes, ONI approached Colonel James Ackerson to pull two candidates from company for a special project. By late 2542, he was selected and pulled for the special project.

Samuel was transported to a new area of Onyx known as Camp 54 within Zone 54. Alongside Mathilda, the two underwent a comprehensive baseline assessment to determine their strengths and weaknesses. After, they began the Headhunter Specialist Training Pipeline, a multi-year training program focused on high-risk and small-unit missions against a strategic target. Samuel began strong and excelled at the courses he took, ranging from calculus to advanced paraglide insertion techniques. The instructors encouragement to think outside the box and approach a solution with unorthodox methods gave him the much desired freedom of solving problems his way. Once he had the right environment, Samuel became a brilliant leader who the initiative in planning missions around complex settings. Under the eyes of ONI, Samuel was becoming the desired weapon they needed in the Great War.

"Candidate is making strides in critical areas. We're still a long way away from operational, but I envision this Candidate being a force for some time."

―An ONI Officer's report after observing Samuel.

In the late summer of 2543, Samuel was approved for Project CHRYSANTHEMUM aboard the UNSC Hopeful. He was listed as a Medical Washout to keep his cover intact and labelled as one of the 418 who didn't graduate with the Company in 2545. Returning to Camp 54, they kicked off Field Exercises and moved around Onyx to conduct multi-day military exercises to test their capabilities. Ranging from a few days to three weeks, the varying timetable forced them to prepare for any duration of extended time in the field. Samuel's desire to become the best relied on being resilient and quick-thinking to help prepare himself and Mathilda for their exercise. In-between exercises, he continued to study academics and a range of military tactics.

Samuel (left) and Mathilda (right) in SPI following a successful Field Exercise.

"We were one of a kind. They told us our missions were going to influence the war and we were going after the leaders. I loved hearing that, I was going to make an impact in this war and take out the people who killed my parents. We were being trained to do those missions and it felt rewarding."

―Samuel reflecting on his Headhunter training.

Samuel spent the last six months of his training undergoing real-world wartime insertions to build his confidence in deploying to a warzone. The simulations gave him the best idea of what warfare was like and how to manage his emotions. He trained with an ONI psychologists in mindfulness to become more effective in responding in stressful environments than reacting with his emotions. They supported the instructors of the SPARTAN-III Program as an Opposition Force against Beta Company in final testings while going against other Headhunter teams. The competitiveness within the teams pushed Samuel to use all his tools to succeed and win with Mathilda. The duo excelled under the intense pressure they were facing from their instructors and refused to crack. At the end of the insertions, they were ranked second.

Graduating from the SPARTAN-III Program and Headhunter training became the pinnacle of Samuel's life. After spending years suffering and surviving, he was transformed into a weapon with a purpose to kill the Covenant. Samuel became the Team Leader of Team Specter and met his handler, Stephan Ferguson, after the graduation ceremony. They were deployed due to the high demand of their skills and Samuel didn't spend time celebrating his success.

Military Career

Operation: SILENT SERVANT

Following the invasion of Alluvion in 2542, the planet held out until being glassed in 2544. The arrival of Team Specter came a year later to support Operation: SILENT SERVANT after ONI Signal Corps picked up Covenant activity near destroyed UNSC infrastructure. Prior to arriving, Samuel was excited for his first mission after graduating and was eager to execute the required activities. He spent the past six years waiting to prove himself as a SPARTAN and reached the opportunity to. The duo read about Alluvion along with the battle waged between the UNSC and Covenant and the result of the colony being glassed. Since the planet had Covenant activity, both of them were ready to get revenge for their dead parents and friends from a decade ago. Yet, when they set down on the surface, Samuel received a reality check of the War and its destruction.

"There's silence, then there's dead silence. Alluvion was dead silent. There was no sound. When the Covenant glassed the planet, they killed everything in its radius. The few sounds made, were by us."

―Samuel remembering the haunting silence of Alluvion one year after its glassing.

New Maadi, a crown jewel of Alluvion in glassing winter.

In-between their tasks of destroying remaining UNSC technology, Samuel found himself reflecting back to the images of New Harmony and the Covenant invasion. Coming across the dead bodies of fallen UNSC soldiers made him frustrated for not being on the planet sooner to save them. However, the two became horrified arriving at evacuation zones where dead civilians were left rotting. The families caused Samuel to feel intense hatred towards the Covenant while also remembering his hometown getting attacked. After destroying whatever was left, they made their way out of evacuation zones seeing dead civilians and their hopelessness of escaping the Covenant's wrath. Samuel couldn't help but feel frustrated with his inability to arrive sooner and save more people. They continued to come across more evacuation zones and bases where the same tragedies happened over and over.

Arriving at the colony's capital, Samuel took his time to study the battle and the brutal ways the Covenant took out the defensive units. He came across multiple areas where the Covenant left piles of remains and learning they prioritized attacking civilians through city surveillance. While he was securing a databank, Mathilda showed him an orphanage being bombed and the bodies after. He brushed off the footage saying they were lucky to arrive on Reach while trying to hold himself together. Following their work, they made their way out of the city and stumbled across a daycare center where they saw the aftermath of Covenant troops eating humans. The sight brought Samuel to feel nauseous at the gruesome reality of war. When they learned about the location of the Covenant activity, Samuel set off with the goal of getting revenge.

A Zealot detachment below Alluvion's surface, tracked by Samuel.

They located the Covenant contingent with the help of SIGINT and identified the Sangheili Zealot detachment as well as a Kig-Yar scavenging party. They took their time planning and focused on the leaders to ensure maximum surprise when they struck. Mathilda took out the Zealot leader while Samuel engaged the scavenging party, both eliminating their targets with ease. As Samuel closed his distance on the Zealots, Mathilda assisted in taking out the ones in his way and gave him the chance to go hand-to-hand with the last Zealot. He defeated him and prolonged his death by leaving him to bleed out. Samuel was satisfied with the short-term revenge, but felt he didn't do enough since there were so many dead civilians on Alluvion. No matter how hard he worked on the planet, nothing was going to bring those lives back.

"It was a short deployment, but we got our feet under ourselves. That's what mattered the most, we got a win and knew what we were doing. But I never want to set foot on another glassed colony."

―Samuel on the success of Operation: SILENT SERVANT.

The uneventful deployment proved be a valuable and traumatizing learning lesson for Samuel. He found training to provide simulations, but seeing helpless people getting slaughtered. He felt prepared and confident in his skills, but couldn't see how he was effective when arriving late to defeated colonies. Seeing worlds glassed and the hopelessness on them forced him to dedicate his efforts on defending the remaining colonies. Focusing on his job, Samuel figured out he could help them by being a compentent Headhunter. He also found his relationship with Mathilda improved with more trust and support between them. In the wake of Operation: TORPEDO, the duo memorialized Beta Company before conducting their next operations.

Late War activities

"We were given an immense amount of freedom and flexibility to handle our assigned operations. We hit pretty impressive targets that even impress me today. I was glad they spent so long preparing me for my role. All of my training was put to use in hunting the Covenant. We could take on everything, nothing seemed to stop us."

―Samuel reflecting on his time as a Headhunter.

Following the end of Operation: SILENT SERVANT, Samuel deployed to Redstow VI in 2546 to conduct a high-value target assassination know as Operation: GLOWING PASSOVER. Intelligence reports from Operation: HYPODERMIC indicated the planet's surface being used as a staging ground for Covenant operations. On the ground, he worked with Mathilda on locating a commander and took out a while claiming it was a Shipmaster. The two then deployed to Camber to support Operation: SCORCHED SERPENT and deny the Covenant collecting any valuable UNSC technology or materiel.

On Ansket IV, Samuel conducted a sabotage campaign against the Covenant's Hydro-Processing Center network. He conducted a successful assassination mission in 2547 where the two assassinated a Shipmaster while claiming it was a Fleetmaster. Samuel then ran a mission on Strilun IV, known as Operation: ENDURING PRESENCE, in 2548 where they recovered captured UNSC AIs and a prototype Covenant AI. They claimed to assassinate a Supreme Commander, causing ONI to investigate the activities of Team Specter.

Samuel completed another mission while under investigation, traveling to New Llaneli where he supported Operation: SCORCHED SERPENT. ONI concluded their investigation and produced evidence of Team Specter lying about their kill list. ONI located issues throughout GLOWING PASSOVER and ENDURING PRESENCE, leading to Team Specter being blacklisted from future Headhunter missions. Instead of being reassigned, Stephan was ordered to place the team under an URGENT TEMPEST mission, the codename for a suicide mission. Samuel had no knowledge of his fate during a mission briefing with Stephan aboard the UNSC Grey Swan and prepared for another military operation against the Covenant.

Operation: URGENT TEMPEST

He deployed with Mathilda to Ealen IV where reports of a Plasma Production Center came about. On the planet, he learned the plasma storms weakened their long-range communication as well as reports of a Vice Minister present on the planet. While the news of the Vice Minister was a benefit, Samuel became worried due his run-ins with the Silent Shadow in previous deployments. During the initial reconnaissance, they located various targets to hit and ranked their importance before locating a Silent Shadow base of operations. Once Samuel learned about the base, he advocated for taking it out first to give them more flexibility while Mathilda cited they would be gone before the Silent Shadow found them.

"Maybe it was the planet or the target profiles. But Ealen IV rubbed me wrong. I knew it wasn't going to be a good one. You feel a good or bad one during a briefing. All I felt was bad."

―Samuel reflecting on his mindset when he landed on Ealen IV the first time.

Ealen IV proved to be a unqiue planet for the Covenant. An unforgiving and target rich environment.

Specter took on their first target, one of the Plasma Production Centers and completed a delayed sabotage to not spook the Covenant forces. Samuel was anxious during the infiltration but accomplished sabotaging the center. His confidence boosted while his anxiety eased off after a successful infiltration. His worriness was addressed by Mathilda to where they debated the idea of calling off the mission and taking on a lower risk target. When they learned the location of the Vice Minister's meeting chambers, Samuel decided they should go after the Vice Minister and then pull off the planet. Mathilda assassinated the Vice Minister of Sacral Assembly and Team Specter retreated from the area before the Covenant came looking.

Following the successful assassination, Samuel turned his attention to the Silent Shadow and utilized the plasma storms to protect Specter's movements. He became more confident as the days went by where he continued to evade and track Silent Shadow patrols. Following one patrol back to their base, Samuel worked with Mathilda on ways to locate the First Blade Officer and take the leader out. They remained hidden while searching for the officer and Mathilda noted how relaxed he became as time went on. When they did locate the First Blade Officer, he authorized Mathilda to take him out. After her success, they vanished into a nearby forest and set an ambush for any Silent Shadow patrols heading their way. When none arrived, they agreed to leave the planet.

Samuel: "I won't leave you here. You're all I have. I will n-."

Mathilda: "Sam, stop. I'll cover you. We'll work out how we get out later."

―Mathilda telling Samuel her plan to cover him.

Samuel taking a break prior to ambushing the Silent Shadow.

During a strong plasma storm, Samuel ambushed a Covenant patrol and took advantage of their inability to call for help. The arrival of two Mgalekgolos complicated the ambush and forced the two to retreat. He felt sure with their hit-and-run tactics being effective until they were outside of the storm. Moving at night, they kept their advantage and evaded numerous patrols. However, the Silent Shadow sprung an ambush on the two and wounded Mathilda, causing Samuel to react in panic and injuring himself. The two treated but Samuel's anxiety grew once he learned they couldn't evade the Silent Shadow. When he learned Mathilda had been wounded badly, he was determined to get her off Ealen IV. His efforts to keep him with her slowed them down and he refused to let her go despite her protests.

As Mathilda positioned herself on a ridge, Samuel made a break away from her. Her overwatch broke him free, but she was killed by the promoted First Blade Officer. He watched her get stabbed and found himself wanting to kill the officer who was on top of his closest companion. Running towards her, she told him to continue running as she blew herself up, while killing the First Blade Officer's replacement. He found himself filled with anger and hopelessness for not being good enough to get her out. The traumatic event caused him to attack a patrol out of rage and fueled his intense hatred against the Covenant. He noticed her ID tags in one of his side pouches and broke down crying confronting the reality of her death. Prior to leaving the planet, he left a small memorial for her near the insertion and dedicated himself for remembering her selfess actions.

"I thought he was an officer I could trust and get support from. He even told me that he wanted us to be honest with him in 45. Hell, he even called us his kids, that meant a lot to us! And when I did need his support, he stabbed me in the back and threw me out of what made me feel right. He took everything I was, away from me."

―Samuel reflecting on the fallout between his handler in 2549.

His return to UNSC Controlled Space was uneventful and left him grieving Mathilda. Psychology reports indicated Samuel was depressed and ashamed with himself for his failure as a leader. He was put under mental medical observation where various reports determined him unfit for leading Headhunter operations. After the reports, Samuel learned Stephan blamed him for the death of the Mathilda and lying about targets led him to being rotated out of the Headhunters. Their mutual agreement to look the other way about Samuel's lies led him to being cut off from the Headhunters and being for the death of his close friend. He felt betrayed by Stephan and tried to attack him, which further validated the case to transfer Samuel out of the Headhunters.

The Final Years

"I went from taking out targets deep behind enemy lines to becoming a replacement in a mixed SPARTAN-III team. If it wasn't for Lynn, I would've left Red Team a long time ago. The Headhunters don't even want me back and this Red Team detail is all I get. I need to make the most of this, I cannot let my emotions get in the way of my duty and get people killed. Math would smack me if she knew what I was saying right now."

―Samuel expressing his frustration about the change of assignments.

In the wake of the disaster on Ealen IV, Samuel was transferred out of Beta-5 Division and into Special Warfare Group THREE. He was assigned to Red Team as a replacement Team Member in 2549. He supported the Battle of Juniper IV to prolong the defense of Meridian where Red Team had been defending the Outer Colony. Returning to Meridian, Samuel participated in several engagements throughout the Battle of Meridian before the colony fell to the Covenant in 2551. Later in 2551, he was given his first MJLONIR suit and participated in the Battle of Concord where the UNSC repelled the Covenant invasion.

During the final year of The Great War, operational tempo picked up with Red Team deploying more. Samuel then deployed to Erdenet to repel another Covenant attack. They played a role in taking out Covenant leadership and a Ket-pattern battlecruiser. He completed two short-term rotations to Harmony and Jastolo to dismantle an Insurrectionist network threatening the Cole Protocol. In a three-person element, Samuel played a pivotal role in denying the URF military assets to launch an attack. He returned to Reach in the summer where Red Team was alerted as a response force to support the Battle of Sigma Ocatnus IV.

Battle of Reach

When WINTER CONTINGENCY was declared on Reach, Samuel was about to deploy to Sigma Octanus IV before being reassigned. He joined Red Team in being deployed to Esztergom where signals intelligence picked up Covenant activity. The city was undergoing evacuation and Red Team was tasked with protecting the spaceport. Samuel joined Emilia locating Covenant Anti-Air batteries along the spaceport's flight path. His efforts of finding and interdicting Covenant supplies bought the spaceport valuable time. He was relieved watching the civilians escape compared to previous failed evacuations. Returning to the spaceport, many of the civilians looked up to him as a hero or beacon of hope, making Samuel uncomfortable given his previous failures. Red Team spent a few days supporting the evacuation before being reassigned to Casimir.

"Felt weird being back on the planet where I was recruited. Never did I think I would return to fight the Covenant."

―Samuel on the state of Reach during the battle.

Samuel leading a recon mission around Casmir.

Red Team's arrival to Casimir became essential when the Slipspace Communication Facility and city came under attack by the Covenant. Splitting up into two elements, Samuel joined Draven and Lynn at the communication facility where they were tasked to destroy the Slipspace COM launcher. They pushed back against a Covenant Special Warfare detachment before turning to the facility itself. His efforts to take down the detachment's commander brought a relief to the siege and a morale booster for the remaining troops defending. Red Team argued with the facility's commander until getting authorization from Reach High Command where Samuel was tasked with the destruction. He then joined the rest of Red Team pushing back the remaining Covenant forces. While battling across Casimir, Red Team continued to buy time for people to evacuate safely. While few transports made it free, others were shot down and caused Samuel to hate the Covenant for their tactics.

In the wake of Operation: UPPER CUT, Red Team deployed to the crash site of the Long Night of Solace. The teams conducted a sensitive site exploitation to learn about the ship, its class, and the troop compliments. Samuel went to the bridge to gather any actionable intelligence and collected previous locations the ship was present. On the bridge, Samuel eliminated the surviving crew in cold blood before collecting vital information about the ship's layout. The rest of Red Team cleaned up any stragglers who survived the crash. He passed along the information to ONI, which was used to help with planning Operation: RED FLAG. Red Team conducted numerous defenses within cities where Covenant reinforcements were deploying.

They were assigned to New Alexandria and participated in the Siege of New Alexandria by protecting Civilian Evacuation Zone Juliet. Samuel became frustrated with not taking the fight to the Covenant and waiting for them to attack the area. He pushed the idea of hunting behind enemy lines, but Oriana shut his ideas down based on their orders from superiors due to the priority of protecting civilians. She continued to fight her chain-of-command and updated their fruitless efforts to protect civilians as the transports were shot out of the sky. The glassing of New Alexandria forced Red Team to the frontier where they battled the Covenant . During the Battle of Szolnok, Draven was killed while providing an escape for the rest of the team to reach the Highland Mountains.

The Covenant ground forces gathering around the Highland Mountains.

Samuel: "Where's Lynn and Emilia?! They're flashing yellow on my HUD!"

Oriana: "Buying us time, we need to move."

―Samuel and Oriana talking about Alpha-Beta.

Arriving at Reach High Command, Samuel was furious with the commanders for pulling them out of the fight and losing Draven. They coordinated with Colonel Holland to defend a crucial valley in the Vanadinite Mountain with help from two reinforced battalions. Samuel joined Oriana to form Red-Alpha and protected the north while Emilia and Lynn formed Red-Beta secured the south. Both sides were attacked by a Legion and split the UNSC forces, causing Red Team to be cut off from each other. Red-Beta used their Fury tactical nuclear weapon to destroy a CCS-class battlecruiser while killing themselves in the process. Samuel was devastated by Lynn's death and begged Oriana to leave him given his wounds and desire to avenge his SPARTAN peers. She rejected his request and retreated to a fall-back point with the remnants of the battalion.

At the fall-back point, Oriana patched Samuel up with biofoam and secured a Pelican to get them to the next UNSC holdout. Samuel learned the UNSC were retreating and declaring Reach lost, forcing the two to get off planet and to the Reach Defense Coordination Zone. They linked up with a Sahara-class heavy prowler and watched Reach get glassed before retreating out of the system. He found himself hopeless after seeing Reach glassed given the fact he tried his best to say as many people possible. Frustration and rage emerged at the UNSC officer corps for not doing more to protect Reach and doing a terrible job defending the planet.

"We lost Reach. This is the greatest failure of my military career, far worse than Operation: URGENT TEMPEST. The pain of losing Lynn and Reach makes me question if we have the chance to ever stop the Covenant."

―Samuel thinking to himself after Reach.

As the wounds healed, Samuel began to learn more about the UNSC's situation aboard the UNSC Feeling Lucky. Those who survived Reach were retreating to the Sol System to help defend the Core Worlds under the Core Worlds Emergency Defense Protocol. He became cynical towards the Navy officers aboard the ship who weren't present at Reach and was forced to undergo a psychological evaluation. With help from Oriana, he shared his grief and shame for not being a strong SPARTAN like his peers. The psychological eval noted his distrust towards officers but didn't cite it as sufficient evidence to pull him from the field.

Battle for Earth

Arriving at Earth, Red Team deployed to the Beta-5 Division Ordnance Testing Facility to meet their new chain-of-command and replacements. Under Naval Special Weapons and the command of Lieutenant Verlin Stenbeck, Samuel met Werner-A364 from Strident Team and Reagan-B142 from Echo Team. He was assigned as the second-in-command of Red Team and formed Beta-Red with Reagan. His focus on defending Earth led him to conducting a number of knowledge transfer with military forces stationed around Australia and running simulations at a Special Warfare Center in Swanbourne on countering Covenant invasion tactics. When the Covenant invaded, Red Team put in a priority reassignment to East Africa but were soon deployed to Sydney.

"There wasn't much left from the veterans of Reach. Who we had, shared their knowledge with the defending forces. It was a matter of time before the Covenant came. We hoped we were ready enough."

―The state of affairs for preparing Earth against the Covenant.

An M808C Main Battle Tank abandoned during the Battle for Earth in Australia.

Under Operation: CAPITAL SHIELD, Samuel was involved in the first missions against Covenant staging points to the west of the capital. He utilized the Capital Aerospace Defense Zone to coordinate airstrikes and orbital bombings on Legions attempting to attack Sydney. Reagan began locating significant leaders and pinpointed a Vice Minister overseeing the battle aboard a CAS-class assault carrier and helped Red Team coordinate a bombing campaign to take out the carrier. Their efforts to stop the Covenant's advances were met with praise but Samuel kept on guard for another attack after what happened to Reach. Not long after the opening battles in Sydney, Red Team engaged the Covenant in Canberra, Melbourne, Tasmania, and Adelaide.

Samuel's pessimism remained high and noted how protected the capital was to other areas of Earth. He voiced his concerns to Oriana and the two worked up a plan to shift their focus towards South America. They arrived to support Operation: AMAZON GUARD and to pursue Covenant forces hiding in the dense jungle. He helped coordinate ambush tactics with small Ranger teams and track Covenant groups they knew were high-value. Tragedy struck when Werner was killed by a Kig-Yar sniper during an ambush and his death forced Red Team to retreat after detonating his suit. Despite his death, Samuel saw the team hunting the Covenant across multiple countries and denying them a chance to setup.

Both Oriana and Samuel worked to keep each other in high spirits, after he noticed how hard she took Werner's death. They covered each other by disconnecting his helmet camera and giving them a safe spot to grieve without ONI's watchful eye. Red Team's small successes in South America remained side notes to the larger campaign where New Mombasa was being glassed while other major cities were occupied. Samuel learned Red Team was being transferred to Arizona to support the URNA Southwest Campaign and protested the decision citing their skillset in Africa. Oriana supported his protests but they were denied their request and became frustrated with being held back from the fight.

Intercepted COMINT on the Covenant's next move around the URNA.

Hunting across Arizona reminded him much of Australia and taking out the Covenant Defense Network. He coordinated his efforts with a destroyer group and an Air Force missile squadron to launch deep-strike operations against Covenant leadership. Operating on the outskirts of Free-fire area OZONE, Samuel led one infiltration mission where they were compromised and lost Reagan at the hands of a Jiralhanae Chieftain. Samuel became ashamed with being compromised and another one of his mission ideas resulting in a teammate's death. He exploded at Oriana over her comment about him doing his best and hated himself for the failure. However, they had no chance for a break after the declaration of Operation: MARSH FLASH.

The success of the URNA Southwest Campaign left Red Team in a tough spot. There were the last two left and the majority of Covenant forces were being eliminated by the day. Lieutenant Stenbeck requested light duty for Red Team and had them assigned to the Voi Exclusion Zone to conduct presence patrols. Samuel knew the Battle for Earth was coming to an end and felt empty for not playing a pivotal role in the final skirmishes. Other duties included sensitive site exploitation on destroyed Covenant cruisers and being a security detail for high-ranking officers in a dangerous area. Going from being at the tip of the spear to doing support work made him grow distant from Lieutenant Stenbeck and much closer to Oriana.

"Everyone asks where were you when they said The Great War was over. I never responded. Going back to those days are too much for me. It's better to not acknowledge it than deal with those feelings."

―Samuel thinking about his final days of The Great War.

The Great War ended with little fanfare for Red Team and caused a series of tragic reflections for Samuel. His SPARTAN-III company was destroyed, Red Team was slotted to be disbanded, and so many of his friends laid dead at the hands of the Covenant. Worse, Oriana was reassigned to administrative duty for not passing a psychological exam. He was left alone at the end of the war with no one and became depressed, the same way he was in the orphanage. Verlin gave him the offer to join him back in the Beta-5 Division with any assignment request he wanted.

Operation: HYBRID VANGUARD

Following the establishment of Joint Occupation Zones, Beta-5 Division took the initiative in running covert operations and special mission programs around designated zones. On Carrow, the Asymmetrical Action Group took the lead on security and establishing a shadow force for Section Three to monitor activities. After Samuel completed advanced training, he was assigned to an AAG Commando Team as a Reconnaissance Specialist. He objected to the assignment, citing a desire for independent work, but was ordered to by Verlin. On Carrow, Samuel was assigned to conduct and oversee sensitive operations in the Masov Oasis.

A map of the Urdt Desert, where the URF was staging an attack.

Samuel experienced a short-lived feeling of relief when conducting solo operations. He missed his SPARTAN peers and looked down on his non-augmented teammates for not keeping up at his pace. Across the Oasis, Samuel established safehouse networks, austere airfields, placed sensors to monitor settlement activities, and developed target profiles on significant leaders. Despite his extensive success, he disliked being by himself and not around people he trusted. Samuel pushed himself to suffer through the discomfort by running missions and staying out in the field. His efforts led to identifying a Insurrectionist commander hiding in the Oasis. After tracking his movements and contact, Samuel reported the presence of a United Rebel Front commander planning an attack.

With Masov being a mixed settlement of Sangheili and Humans, Samuel watched his target blend into trading routes and mapped out a support network the commander was utilizing. He uncovered the identity of the commander, a Great War orphan from Madrigal who completed extensive paramilitary training under a veteran Colonel. Launching two solo missions, Samuel infiltrated their communication network and located basic information about the attack. Upon seeing the plans, the attack included a bombing during a market event where Sangheili and Human traders attended. Samuel reported his findings to his superiors and prepared a plan to stop the attack from happening.

"I was told we didn't need another big war and to stop the attack at all costs. Since it was going down in Sangheili territory, I had to be more discreet than usual."

―Samuel's personal log in 2553.

Developing an extensive pattern-of-life analysis, Samuel compromised the safehouse network the URF established across the Urdt Desert. He ran follow-on missions to the information he gathered and located the base camp where the commander resided. Along the way, Samuel debated his efforts of preventing an attack on a Sangheili settlement. He knew they were the same species he was fighting less than a year ago and the ones who murdered his friends. Parts of him wanted the Sangheili to suffer for the pain he suffered. The resentment caused him to reassess the situation and focus on capturing a high-value target to prove his maturity. After confirming the camp's location, Samuel passed along the coordinates and prepared for an assault.

General location of the base camp.

Linking up with an AAG Assault Element, Samuel joined the team and supported the extensive assault. They took out the unprepared URF agents and Samuel worked with a WMD specialist on recovering a FENRIS nuclear warhead. He then led the capture of the commander and prepared to hunt down the remnants of the network around Masov. On his own, Samuel took out the remaining safehouses and destroyed the URF's cell on Carrow. Once the AAG saw the URF cell dismantled, they pulled the Commando Team out of Carrow and rotated them back to base. Samuel stayed behind for the transfer of duties and performed a knowledge transfer before joining his team aboard the UNSC Over the Horizon. He was praised for his actions of recovering a nuclear warhead and taking out a terrorist cell in a denied environment.

Verlin: "You're not the only one who feels the same way about the relationship we have the Sangheili."

Samuel: "Then why am I the only one talking?"

―Verlin and Samuel arguing about the UNSC's acceptance of the SOS.

Samuel disliked accomplishing a mission where he had to prioritized Sangheili safety. He didn't enjoy the uneasy alliance the UNSC had with the Swords of Sanghelios and how some of the foundational leaders killed his peers. The idea of protecting alien lives caused him to resent the leadership of the UNSC for letting the Sangheili off so easy. When voicing his concerns of how complicit the UNSC was around the SOS, Samuel was ordered to stand down and received a Non-Judicial Punishment for his comments. The rift between the command and Samuel grew as he continued to call UNSC leadership hypocrites until Verlin intervened with a unique assignment. Samuel agreed and joined a compartmentalized unit with the focus on going after the SOS and other strategic threats to the UNSC.

Post-War operations

Verlin: "Your op tempo is a bit high, even by AAG standards. No one is complaining, but do you want to take a break?"

Samuel: "Not yet. Still got targets I want to take care of."

―Verlin and Samuel discussing the fast operational tempo during the Post-War.

Under the Tactical Concepts Detachment, Samuel emerged as a workhorse for completing covert operations on behalf of the AAG. He supported a short-term rotation on Terceira, supporting the opening stages of the Terceira Campaign and hunting down United Rebel Front leadership. After, he helped dismantle a Jiralhanae slave trading network on Greydowns followed with a long-term surveillance mission on Hesduros to observe Jul 'Mdama. Samuel later ran a covert missions program targeting Vata 'Gajat's mercenary group around formerly UNSC Controlled Space. He conducted many of his missions around former Covenant colonies plagued by the Sangheili-Jiralhanae war, allowing for easy access into contested environments.

He was attached to the Xeno-Materials Exploitation Group and supported a mission into the Installation 04 Exclusion Zone focusing on acquisition and exploitation. After the first mission, he was deployed to Basis and recovered information from destroyed Covenant cruisers surrounding Installation 04. Later, He rejoined the Tactical Concepts Detachment and supported Operation: QUEENS TRAPPER on Feldokra against Fava 'Sutumai and assassinated a SPARTAN Killer present during the Fall of Reach. He returned to Carrow in late 2555 to support Operation: GLOWING SYMPHONY under the Xeno-Targeting Task Force to dismantle alien black markets. By 2556, he formed Team Osage with Oriana-A058 after she returned to active duty under the detachment.

Samuel supported Operation: FEARLESS TENET and JUNIPER ORBIT between 2556 and 2557 where he went after the Keepers of the One Freedom on Venezia and then Admiral Mattius Drake on Laika III. He became Assistant Team Leader for Osage when the two recruited a fireteam from Gamma Company conducting Ferret operations. Samuel assisted in structuring the mission qualifications for the team and later spent four months training with the team, being qualified in the summer of 2557. They conducted one mission on Venezia going after a black market nuclear deal where the vendor was selling the device to the Banished. In early 2558, they were selected as one of the SPARTAN teams to recapture or kill Gek 'Lhar who had escaped from Midnight Facility.

Requiem Campaign

Following the New Phoenix Incident, the UNSC planned the Requiem Campaign to occupy Reqiuem. Samuel and Team Osage were assigned to prepare the environment of the battlespace around the planet. The team deployed two weeks prior to the campaign's start and focused on Jul 'Mdama's Covenant forces. Prior to the deployment, Samuel took temporary command of Osage given his specialties of infiltration and reconnaissance. Under a ONI special operations task force, the team ran missions outlining potential research base locations and marking targets to supress enemy air defenses. Samuel was glad to be working alongside Oriana in the field again. Their chemistry of planning and executing missions picked up where they left off on Earth. After the UNSC arrived at Requiem, Team Osage began conducting combat operations.

Oriana: "I trust your judgement with Osage."

Samuel: "Last time you said you trusted me, I had your fist coming at my head."

―Oriana reaffirming her decision to let Samuel lead Team Osage.

One of the many locations Samuel tracked the Silent Blade.

Team Osage targeted the Silent Blade and their network, the premier special warfare unit under Jul 'Mdama. Samuel worked with UNSC assets in the area to have support in case a mission went south. His focus on informing nearby forces with his information cause compartmented missions from ONI to be shared outside of the circle. He returned command of Team Osage to Oriana, letting her lead the targeting missions. Early missions were hard given the Gamma members desire to prove themselves, leading Samuel to teach them patience in hunting and tracking. Sitting on targets longer led Team Osage towards leaders higher within the Silent Blade network. The chemistry of Team Osage continued to grow after each success and failure, giving the team more opportunities to learn from their mistakes. Across Requiem, Samuel proved to be a brilliant tactician in dismantling the Silent Blade influence across the planet.

Around the Apex, Samuel supported counter-intelligence operations against Ossoona units around Hubble Base, an ONI Research Facility. He ran offensive operations by planting false Forerunner artifacts and tracking the location. The efforts led to exposing a Ossoona base near Hubble and destroying it. In retaliation, Jul 'Mdama attacked the ONI base, causing Team Osage to respond as a quick reaction force. Once repelling the attack, Team Osage executed the commander in charge of the assault on Hubble Base. They turned to combatting Promethean Knight constructs and tracking down their central command and control system. Many of the locations they found Prometheans led to the recovery of valuable Forerunner technology, often turned over to Hubble Base for further analysis.

Samuel near the Apex.

Their search led to the destroyed Core of Requiem where Osage located unusual readings about the Prometheans activities. Osage fought their way through the remaining Prometheans and reached the central station with hopes of disabling the Promethean sentinel network. Instead, Samuel recovered a Durance from a databank of personalities. Oriana showed him the databank held a personality from someone at Ivanoff Station and how the shield world defense systems generated Prometheans. To destroy the Prometheans command network, they were required to kill the composed subjects within the databanks. Unable to take out the network, they retrieved the Durance with an unknown personality.

Oriana: "To take out the C2 for the Prometheans here, we need to take out the shield world's defense system. We'd also be erasing all the composed personalities of those trapped."

Samuel: "We'd be freeing them as well. They'd get to rest, for good."

―Samuel and the Prowler Commander communicating during the Omega Three.

Their efforts to disable the defense systems were abandoned when Requiem was programmed to self-destruct. Team Osage withdrew from the planet and watched the Requiem Campaign end. Samuel was frustrated with the hasty end but thankful for the experiences he had with the team. On paper, the team dominated the enemy by taking out Silent Blade and Ossoona units. The flexibility and learning of Team Osage made Samuel feel hopeful for future missions and success. He felt at home with Oriana leading and serving as her second in command again. The Gammas became another benefit where he found time to relate and share his experiences with them. For the first time, Samuel felt like he had a home and family.

Created Uprising

Conrad Point, one of the colonies Samuel investigated on the Guardians.

When Samuel was deployed supporting the Keepers Eradication Campaign, reports emerged about the Created. Team Osage was recalled to the UNSC Vegas to be briefed and assigned to the Special Activities Division, Operational Detachment-Sigma. When Cortana declared The Reclamation, the team retreated to the Outer Colonies and supported the Raid on New Zaječar. Samuel studied the origins of the Guardian Custode and ran missions against Created-aligned factions across the frontier. On Saga III, he was ambushed along with Team Osage and lost Levi to an AI intrusion attack. Prior to the Created attacking other teammates, Samuel detonated Levi's armor and killed the cyberweapon.

"We picked up a spiked drop and lost Levi. I never thought of losing a teammate I couldn't save. We always had the chance to save them, not Levi. The tragedy of not being able to save someone hurt the team more than I realized."

―Samuel reflecting on the death of Levi and the impact on Team Osage.

Samuel was successful in executing a mission of disabling a Guardian with a derelict Line installation in early 2559. He prepared and conducted Operation: OAKSTAR to track Created cells through a Central Data Network Facility on Kamchatka. Their findings led to a Slipspace portal on Hesduros where he destroyed a Guardian with a slipspace rupture bomb while Team Osage disabled the Portal Complex. Team Osage ramped up actions against Created using asymmetrical warfare tactics by disrupting the command and control network across UNSC Controlled Space.

Following the disappearance of Cortana, the Created splintered into decentralized and chaotic small groups. The fallout gave Samuel the chance to dismantle Created cells on human colonies where the Created established control. Team Osage focused on AIs who defected from the UNSC by tracking Knight Commander construct movements across contested colonies. They participated in many liberation operations within the Inner Colonies and drove the Created into hiding. Samuel turned his attention to the Banished after learning about the Razing of Oth Sonin. To prevent a retaliation campaign, Team Osage deployed into former Covenant space with the objective to destroy Banished infrastructure.

Samuel: "Cortana destroyed Doisac with her Guardians?"

Oriana: "Yes. She cracked the planet open like a peanut, worse than a NOVA."

―Samuel and Oriana talking about the Razing of Oth Sonin.

A Banished Base on Karava in 2559.

They ran missions on Karava and Kostroda where Samuel destroyed Banished bases with HAVOK nuclear weapons. Team Osage monitored the Jiralhanae exodus to new worlds and ran sabotage operations around their shipyards to prevent military action. Other missions included operational battlespace preparation for a SAD strike force around Banished outposts across former Covenant space. On Ansket IV, they supported a SAD strike force and dismantled a major logistics hub the Banished were using to mobilize their forces. By mid 2560, Team Osage returned to UNSC Controlled Space and were reassigned to Naval Special Weapons after being rotated out of the Special Activities Division.

Post-Created Uprising activities

"The UNSC needed an invisible hand to influence and react to events they found important to the security of Humanity. There were many teams like Osage out on the frontier and navigating the contested regions. We went further and did more than most within the SPARTAN community ever did. What we did, will not be known for a long time. But the results of our actions, will have impacts for the years to come."

―Samuel on how Team Osage was being employed by the UNSC Navy in the 60s.

In the wake of the Created Uprising, Samuel was attached to ONI Section Four to support Operation: CYCLONE on Vidac's March and monitor the The Freeholds. He then supported Operation: CENTRA TALENT around Gathved and assassinated a Banished Legionmaster involved in the Battle for Zeta Halo. Samuel's actions helped the UNSC understand the growing Jiralhanae threat and how to counter future attacks. He transferred back to Naval Special Weapons to support a covert operation on Ven III to expose paramilitary operations in the Joint Occupation Zone. His findings were shared with UNSC High Command and later with the Swords of Sanghelios, much to his protest after being informed where his reports ended up.

Samuel was assigned to Operation: CEMETERY RANGER where he served as a Ground Force Commander in dismantling human networks working for Covenant remnants. Since humans were being used to activate Forerunner technology, he played a role in destroying the recruiting arm of the networks across joint occupied worlds. Samuel used the information from the recruiting networks to then dismantle human camps within Covenant remnant factions. After his success, he went on support the Abiding Truth Eradication Campaign by targeting leadership and military commanders outside of the Sangheili home system. Serving as an Assault Force Commander, Samuel played a significant role in the targeting and execution of missions against high-value targets identified by ONI.

Throughout 2566 and 2567, he was attached to the Synthetic Targets Tracking Force, a joint task force under ONI to study and apprehend AIs designated as a threat. Samuel led successful missions under Operation: ROYAL SPEAR in uncovering Thrall Intelligence research directed by The Demiurge. Deployed to the Pale Zone, he led a cyber supply chain attack with an ONI Expeditionary Access Team from the ONI Signals Corp to recover source code and projects from Thrall Intelligence research bases. Under Operation: RAIN MAKER, Team Osage recovered a captured human colonist turned into a Thrall Intelligence. Samuel supported a covert cyber-sabotage mission under AZURE MOON against the Created and led to the recovery of a Assembly Minor around Site Quebec-497-Z7-JW.

Samuel returned to Section Four and supported Operation: GRAND SERPENT, a covert surveying operation focused on the Sangheili. He ran missions around Sanghelios, Aru'spaw, and other worlds with significant Sangheili activities. He then transferred into the Applied Intelligence Office for a specialized mission on Venezia before joining the Section's Special Projects Group. Samuel led a strategic reconnaissance mission under the PATHFINDER Program around an alleged Forerunner star system with Covenant remnants activity. In early 2569, he led a pilot program known as BAYBRIDGE to establish Deep Forward Operating Posts in former Covenant space to expand the UNSC's ability to sabotage enemy supply lines.

Operation: QUIET VICTOR

Following no communication with an Asset Recovery Team around the Ceti Visgill system, Oriana directed Team Osage to recover and study the system to see what was happening. The uncharted region was under the PATHFINDER Program of Section Four to create more avenues to infiltrating former Covenant space. Samuel knew next to nothing about the system and felt something was off given signature readings from the Signal Corps. Previous activity indicated the region was a derelict slipspace route discovered while tracking Guardian Custode movement during the Created uprising. He voiced his concerns to Oriana and cited the possibility of a threat defending itself. After discussions with her command team, Samuel accepted the mission and deployed to the system. Arriving in the UNSC Gothic Omen, Team Osage was shot down in slipspace by an active Line Installation.

"Things aren't right. These ships aren't only Human, there are also Banished and Covenant ships, some are even recent. Something of strategic importance is here and the Line Installation is making sure it doesn't leave."

―Samuel surveying the destroyed ships on the Line Installation.

A UNSC starship shot down by the Line Installation.

Samuel's investigation of the destroyed ships led him nowhere. All essential parts were stripped and destroyed, reinforcing his theory the Forerunner protocols were preventing a threat from getting off the planet. He recovered helmet camera footage the Forerunners didn't wipe and watched the patrol get ripped to shred by an unknown contact. Previous reports indicated the usage of Gatherers around Line Installations, but Samuel knew he wasn't being tracked by the Sentinels. Team Osage moved out towards the Control Center to disable the Line Installation and bring in reinforcements to support the investigation. Along the way, they engaged a Banished patrol and interrogated the last survivor, but received no information.

Arriving at the Control Center, they discovered the systems were placed into emergency containment protocols following a Flood outbreak. Samuel triangulated the Flood outbreak and voted in favor of surveying the region to determine if they could do it themselves before taking out the Control Center. During the patrol, Team Osage came into contact with Flood and fought them back. Samuel led the team to the edge of the Blightlands and studied the area, determining they needed support. While retreating, he engaged the Flood again and became overwhelmed by their numbers, leading to Noble sacrificing himself for the team. They attempted to recover Noble, but failed when he was killed by multiple Pod infectors. Upon seeing Noble transformed, Samuel destroyed the Control Center and requested immediate support from the UNSC.

Rear Admiral Juras Balaika: "SPARTAN-B256, you need to report to me your findings. I am sending a shuttle down to have you brought up. This is an order, do not tempt me."

Samuel: "For the last time, I've declared Emergency Contact Protocol Upsilon and CORRUPTER. I need a PULSAR tactical nuclear weapon, a weapons cache drop, and a STOLEN GAUNTLET kit. Give me what I need and stay out of my way."

―Samuel arguing with Rear Admiral Balaika about how to handle the Flood outbreak.

A Flood Tank Form in the Blightlands.

Samuel prepared his own plans for an assault against the Flood while the UNSC Navy bombed Flood marked areas. The arrival of SPARTAN Flood containment teams gave him extra support for his upcoming mission. Following the bombing, Samuel led a reinforced Team Osage into the Blightlands tracking Flood activity and hoping to locate Noble to put an end to his misery. They nuked multiple hives underground and pushed further towards the central hive where they encountered heavy resistance from many pure and combat forms. Samuel led his team into the hive where they located a Proto-Gravemind and Noble's combat form waiting for them. He knew they had to go down further to detonate the PULSAR bomb and prepared to fight Noble, realizing he had to kill one of his close friends. They fought their way through the former crews of the ships shot down and took down Noble, but lost Isidora during the battle. Samuel killed the Proto-Gravemind and planted the PULSAR bomb, destroying the hive.

The death of Noble and Isidora crushed Samuel. His hatred towards everything grew to where he lashed out at anyone about anything. He continued to patrol the Blightlands and hunted the Flood at a destructive pace, hurting himself more than the Flood. His mistakes caused his peers to save him more than once and he began breaking down in between patrols. Samuel freed the Forerunner ancilla in charge of the Line Installation and watched it deploy countermeasures to contain and defeat the Flood. His decision-making became worse as his mental health deteriorated, leading to him being pulled from the field on request from Oriana. In a meeting, he exploded at her about setting him up and broke down when telling her about Noble.

Samuel: "I'll never be good enough, I'll never be as good as you. I'm sorry O, I lost Noble."

Oriana: "Noble knew what he was doing, saving his team and family. You did everything right, even when they were the worst. You prevailed and did the impossible."

―Samuel and Oriana talking after he was pulled from the field.

A Pelican collecting atmosphere samples following the containment.

Instead of being sent back home, Samuel was assigned under Oriana as her Operations Chief and helped with managing on-going operations. His knowledge of fusing together intelligence and plans was helpful, but drove him into a deep depression. Down time became an area he attempted to avoid by throwing himself into his work. Oriana found Samuel sleeping in the operations center or cowering in her room to not be alone. She continued to protect him from ONI after NAVSPECWEP put Team Osage on temporary stand down. During a mission, he openly questioned her command and criticized her for playing politics instead of being a combat leader. After the incident, he was reported to ONI by Oriana and taken back to Mars for a full psycho-analysis evaluation.

"I ruined everything. My team was gone and Oriana reported me to ONI. Nobody will talk to me, I am facing my worst fear. I am alone with my failures and I can no longer live this life."

―A small excerpt from Samuel's suicide note.

Arriving on Mars, Samuel was determined unfit for duty and couldn't be sent home after findings indicated possible suicide tendencies. He was placed under Intense Visual Observation and denied visitors as ONI worked to prevent Samuel from killing himself He attempted suicide after being released from surveillance, but failed when Oriana caught him after leaving from a visit. Samuel was transferred to a specialized medical facility on Earth and placed into the Extremity Psychological Health Center under a Naval Health Research Laboratory. Six months after being admitted, he completed an extensive rehabilitation program and rejoined active duty.

The Frontier Conflicts

By late 2570, Samuel supported Oriana's decision to retire Team Osage and started his own team name Quantum with Derek-G274 and Juno-G196. He was assigned to Section Four's Frontier Activities Task Group as a Team Commander and detailed to a CARMINE SHADOW sub-special military program known as NITRO ECHELON. He deployed into the Joint Occupation Zone in 2571 to support Operation: ARTEMIS ZEUS, an ONI covert operation to support the Frontier Coalition in establishing a buffer state between the UNSC and the multiple factions within the JO-Zone. On Carrow, Samuel found himself involved in a larger conflict known as the Frontier Conflicts. Under the guise of supporting the Frontier Coalition, he was directed to target, subvert, and eliminate paramilitary actors working against the UEG across the JO-Zone. Samuel started with building an intelligence network into the Frontier Territorial Security Wing to expand his understanding of the conflict and how to support UNSC allies.

"The Remnant War, Created Conflict, and Sangheili-Jiralhanae War caused a splintering of factions grasping for power and validation for their rule. The Joint Occupation Zone became a bureaucratic nightmare for dealing with the protection of Humanity. ARTEMIS ZEUS and NITRO ECHELON were a covert undertaking to establish a UNSC-supported government in the region. The stakes were high and we had a lot of targets on the list, Quantum was busy."

―Samuel looking back at the Frontier Conflicts history.

SSF-3 receiving supplies from a Pelican flown by the FTSW's Aerospace Force.

Based out of Suraka, Samuel worked with the FTSW's elite Anti-Terror Units known as Special Security Forces. He was attached to SSF-3 and trained the paramilitary outfit in sabotage, intelligence collection, unconventional warfare, and guerilla tactics to help form a stay-behind network. In addition to training, Samuel ran security patrols around the Aza Oasis to identify a mercenary group known as The Light of The Journey working for the Demiurge. SSF-3 sat on a small enclave where the mercenaries were based out of and collected information on their activities as Samuel prepared a raid. One week after submitting a plan, Team Quantum conducted a direct action mission and SSF-3 supported the SPARTANs as the three arrested and collected sensitive information on Demiurgeactivities around Carrow. In addition to their findings, Quantum uncovered a mix network ran by Thrall Intelligence on a reverse-engineered Proselytization network. Samuel prioritized the network due to its importance of information sharing and the opportunities to uncover the entire Demiurge presence on Carrow.

With help from Cyber Mission and Security Task Force - Carrow, Samuel located a Thrall hiding near the Carstolum River and learned about the WENET the Demiurge managed. Unable to extract the data and Thrall, he planned to intercept the Thrall while connected and use the intelligent system to infiltrate the network. Quantum eliminated security as Samuel ran a remote session on the Thrall connected to the net and fed real-time data into a compartmentalized data server on the UNSC Eidolon. Before disconnecting, he implemented Remote Administration protocols for ONI Signal Corps to deploy cyber attacks. As Eidolon uncovered other Thrall locations, Quantum hit hideouts spread across Carrow and began uncovering the leader behind Demiurge activities on Carrow. A Sangheili known as The Cardinal was identified during a close-target reconnaissance in the Masov Oasis.

Throughout 2572, Samuel led a long-term surveillance and observation mission on The Cardinal where he uncovered assets, safehouses, and the handler for Cardinal, the Swords of Sanghelios Justicars. His findings were reported to the Director of ONI Special Operations and received a memorandum of notification to assassinate The Cardinal due to his history of supporting Covenant ground campaigns during the Human-Covenant War. Under Operation: OBSIDIAN ZEUS, Quantum prepared to assassinate The Cardinal in early 2573. Samuel put together a small team from the SSF known as Tactical Support Team to support close-target surveillance in mixed-species communities. After a source meeting with The Justicar, The Cardinal was killed in an IED explosion. Shortly after his death, the SSF launched several clandestine missions against Demiurge compromised by Quantum's work over the past year. Their actions sparked outrage among the Demiurge, leading to an attempted takeover of the UEG Embassy on Carrow.

"We hit a nerve for both the Swords and Demiurge. The Cardinal was their inside man and we knocked out their one person inside. As expected, the Demiurge was pissed and they retaliated. With the FTSW and SSF now trained up to standards, we knew we were going to root out the Demiurge. Then the Demiurge went for the embassy and Carrow became a mess."

―Samuel's writing on the aftermath of OBSIDIAN ZEUS.

Personality and Traits

Mental Analysis

Throughout Samuel's life, he was shaped by traumatic experiences and sought for ways to survive. The tragedy of losing his parents to the Covenant never healed and didn't have the tools to heal. He felt abandoned by the people around him and threw away his self-worth after being casted aside. He took the blame for his parents death and became ashamed for not being strong enough to save them. An child psychology report highlighted him being too self-aware and analytical compared to a normal child's development. His foundational fear of being abandoned was a driving factor in many of his outbursts to get attention and be noticed, hoping to not be ignored. Samuel avoided his feelings and threatened others when overcome by them, fearing the pain was too great to relive and experience. He refused to talk about how he felt and made himself distant from people asking him questions. His walls of defense became harder to penetrate over time to ensure he was never going to get hurt again.

"You take a young child and watch him get abandoned by his parents because of the Covenant. No one walks out of there the same, case studies during the war showed a massive uptick of violent events in orphanages with war survivors. He was thrown into the system and forgotten about, forced to survive by his own merits and then ONI came. Why wouldn't he take the offer after he felt invisible to everyone around him? He's not expecting the next best thing, he's waiting for the next bad thing, because he sees bad things."

―Dr. Raknar Úlfkelsson, 2554.

The SPARTAN-III Program became the main key in transforming Samuel's mentality. He attributed his self-worth to being a useful weapon for the UNSC and pushed himself harder in disregarding his own self-identity by throwing everything into becoming a SPARTAN. A powerful determination to become the best was the greatest factor in pushing himself to reach the goal of avenging his parents. He pushed himself past the limit and became addicted to the idea of becoming the best with the hope of resolving his trauma in killing the Covenant. The death of Mathilda, Lynn and Red Team's demise made him angry for failure and he resented himself for not being good enough. The failure of saving planets from being glassed made him feel embarrassed and hated people who looked up to him as a figure of hope. His determination to avenge his parents added on with the deaths of people he trusted resulted in seeking fanatical vengeance against the Covenant. He attributed all his pain and trauma to the Covenant and used it as a motivation to annihilate the enemy.

Following the end of the Great War, Samuel emerged as a seasoned and damaged individual. He learned to break bad habits the hard way of losing teammates and developed a bitterness against officers. He became more independent and asserted his operational experience to prevent poor decision-making. Samuel became more demanding in taking harder assignments under the guise of preventing another attack on humanity, but used his demands to hide the loneliness he felt in-between missions. Reuniting with Oriana created a productive environment where he grew as a mentor and leader under her command. Samuel took great care of those under his command and worked to develop a deep trust with his SPARTANs, leading to them becoming his family. His purpose became fulfilled when becoming a team leader and taking responsibility of his team. Samuel felt fortunate for having another shot as team leader and cherished the reality of working with SPARTANs he trusted.

The aftermath of Operation: QUIET VICTOR resulted in a total mental breakdown. He lost his team and was reported by his closest friend, causing him to lose trust and become paranoid. Samuel attempted suicidal after being alone and how he had no one to call for help, he was saved by Oriana but rehabilitation became harder. He hated himself for becoming a SPARTAN and resented the decades of abuse he put himself through, the deaths of Mathilda and Osage made him question his values. Samuel struggled to find a piece of himself he was proud of and became hopeless upon the realization of being a disposable weapon for the UNSC. His anger towards himself multiplied as he realized how much he was used. As time went on, Samuel began to rebuild himself with the help of mental health experts and focused on mapping out the life he wanted.

"You can say he went through ego death or lost all self-identity. I think he had the chance and space to process all the trauma and those scarring experiences. His brain was a massive wound and the last bandage holding it all together, popped. Now he has the tools and resources to get help and live with his life. He will encounter these feelings again, but now he knows how to feel and what to call them. Nothing is locked up or hidden, everything now flows as it should."

―Commander Elmuts Freimanis, Samuel's Chief Pyschologist in 2569.

Samuel's return to active duty was well received and he took on a new perspective of being a SPARTAN. He built his own team and recruited the members of Team Osage to join him. With a commission and his own team, Samuel advocated for missions and wielded his experience to get what he wanted. Newfound confidence coupled with processing several personal tragedies helped him become a humble leader. Samuel's wealth of knowledge became an unlimited tap of advice and mentorship he shared with many around him. He became a big advocate for investing in mental health services and developing internal support networks for battle-hardened SPARTANs to get help. Outside of the military, Samuel became involved in the Rosengart Institute to help at-risk orphans on developing healthy habits.

Physical Description

Standing at six feet and four inches, Samuel is considered to be around average height among his peers in the SPARTAN-III Program. His training as a Headhunter made him more lean to last longer on operations while avoiding physical exhaustion. Being a veteran of the Great War, Samuel has a collection of scars and burns from fighting the Covenant across his body, the worst covered with a skin graft or through stem cell regrowth. He decided to get a sleeve of tattoos on his left arm to memorialize the people he lost throughout his life ranging from his parents to fellow SPARTANs. His skin color is light and pale from years of being inside armor and wears his brown hair longer than regulation. After many dreadful years, he sees a spark of life in his hazel eyes and has a contagious smile making people at ease around him.

Relationships

For most of Samuel's life, people he was close to were killed or used him for personal benefits. His connection to many revolved around a competence of completing a mission without regard for his personal safety. Samuel refused to trust the majority of people around him and let no one into his life for quite some time. His relationships with others were marked through tragedy such as the death of his parents, Mathilda, Lynn, and being left by Oriana at the end of the Great War. Life was filled with social isolation and severe anxiety of interacting with other people. His disdain towards the UNSC Officer corps created a leadership issue because he pushed back against those he felt weren't qualified to make decisions.

Oriana emerged as a central friendship Samuel had followed with Verlin as his mentor. The two cemented themselves into his life as a foundation for trusting and respecting someone. Samuel repaid the friendship through undying loyalty and respect to the two, going great lengths throughout his life to support them. The creation of Team Osage became a welcome addition for him to expand his friendships. Samuel became the leader of Osage following Oriana's departure and took on the role of being the team's leader. Following QUIET VICTOR, Samuel felt ashamed for failing his teammates despite their achievements and asked for their forgiveness. By the time Team Quantum was created and slotted for deployment, he was thankful for having his teammates trust in his ability to lead them again.

Military Service Information

Career Service Vitae

Samuel Gwozdz Lieutenant, Junior Grade FULL NAME: Gwozdz, Samuel Jurek SERVICE #: B256 Unit:Team Quantum Enlistment Date: 21/03/2539 Commission Date: 01/05/2570 Garrison: ORACLE Base, Mars Gender: Male Birthplace: New Harmony Birth Date: 17/05/2532 Blood Type: A+ Height: 6 feet 4 inches Weight: 228 pounds Overview Samuel-B256 is an active-duty SPARTAN-III Program, Beta Company SPARTAN Oficcer. He enlisted into the UNSC Navy in 2539, completed SPARTAN-III training, and graduated from Beta Company in early 2545. He was assigned to Beta-5 Division, N-343, Headhunter Operations Cell as a Team Leader between 2545 and 2549 to run high-risk and covert operations. He was reassigned to Special Warfare Group THREE, RED Team as a Reconnaissance Specialist, Assistant Team Leader, and Assistant Team Commander until 2553. In 2553, Samuel was reassigned to the Asymmetrical Action Group and Xeno-Materials Exploitation Group where he completed covert operations between 2553 to 2556 as a Technical Reconnaissance Specialist. Following the creation of Team OSAGE, he was assigned to the team as Assistant Team Leader under the Asymmetrical Action Group in 2557 and later transferred with Team OSAGE to the Special Activities Division in 2558. He ran and coordinated multiple operations against the Created throughout the Created Uprising. Following the end of the Created uprising, he became Team Leader of Team OSAGE and was assigned under Naval Special Weapons, ONI Section Four, and ONI Special Operations from 2562 to 2569. Following the disaster of QUIET VICTOR, Samuel was placed under medical evaluation and completed rehabilitation before returning to active duty with a Battlefield Commission from Vice Admiral Vilppu Toivonen, the former Section Chief of Section Four and current Deputy Chief of Naval Operations - Information, Plans, and Strategy in 2570. As a Limited Duty Officer in the Special Warfare Officer community, Samuel leads Team Quantum assigned to the Office of Naval Intelligence. Colonial Cross Notes Due to actions in the URNA Southwest Campaign during the Battle for Earth, SPARTAN-B256 was awarded his fourth Navy Cross in 2553 by the UNSC Navy through a classified ceremony. In 2554, Rear Admiral Serin Osman placed SPARTAN-B256's Navy Cross under review and proposed an upgrade to the Legion of Honor. Between 2554 and 2557, the Beta-5 Division pushed for a secondary upgrade to Colonial Cross with support from Unified Special Warfare Command and Naval Special Warfare Command. The Colonial Cross drew the attention of both Section Three's Section Chief and Admiral Serin Osman to where Admiral Osman authorized the upgrade of SPARTAN-B256's Navy Cross to a Colonial Cross. In 2557, SPARTAN-B256 was awarded the Colonial Cross in a classified ceremony at HIGHCOM Facility Bravo-6. Under recommendation by SPARTAN-A058, SPARTAN-B256 was nominated for a Colonial Cross for his actions during Operation: QUIET VICTOR in 2569. The medal was placed under review by Naval Special Warfare Command to determine if his actions qualified for the medal. Naval Special Warfare Command provided the command endorsment and pushed the medal up to Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, where OPNAV approved the medal with security requirements from the Office of Naval Intelligence in 2571. Samuel was awarded the Colonial Cross in 2572 at Kenosha Naval Yard in a classified ceremony.

Date of Ranks

Rank		Date of Promotion
	Lieutenant, Junior Grade	17 May, 2571
	Ensign	01 May, 2570
	Senior Chief Petty Officer	02 June, 2565
	Chief Petty Officer	21 March, 2559
	Petty Officer First Class	06 February, 2553
	Petty Officer Second Class	29 November, 2551
	Petty Officer Third Class	01 January, 2545
	Crewman	12 September, 2542
	Crewman Apprentice	21 April, 2540
	Crewman Recruit	09 March, 2539

Equipment

Armor

Image	Name	Description
	Semi-Powered Infiltration armor Mark II	In 2543, Samuel was fitted for Semi-Powered Infiltration Mark II after Project CHRYSANTHEMUM. Completed by the Watershed Division, he conducted field tests in Zone 54 while training to become a Headhunter. The Mark II was modified to meet the needs of a Headhunter and included experimental technology for SPI such as energy shielding and active camouflage. In addition, he wore a reconnaissance variant with his VISR and BIOS being focused on long-range missions. He made field upgrades to the armor to prolong power supply for his active camouflage to conduct longer insertions. Samuel continued to wear Mark II after being transferred out of the Headhunters until he received his first MJOLNIR set. In 2551, his Mark II suit was returned to a Watershed Division storage facility on Reach, placed on reserve for another Headhunter, and later destroyed during the Battle of Reach in 2552.
	MJOLNIR Mark V Powered Assault Armor GEN1	The first set of MJOLNIR armor came in 2551 from Materials Group. He received the Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance MJOLNIR Modular Soldier Kit as his baseline while conducting tests at the Military Wilderness Training Preserve on Reach. Samuel built his preferences around what he had in SPI, such as a tailored VISR from the Beta-5 Division. He worked with Misriah Armory and the Beta-5 Division to implement better battlespace awareness with management tools in his VISR and BIOS. Later conducting tests at the Beta-5 Ordnance Testing Facility, he implemented tech from the Mark VI GEN 1 line into his suit. Such upgrades included a better suit computer for RECON-class Mjolnir. Following the aftermath of the Great War, he continued to wear the suit until completing Operation: HYBRID VANGUARD in 2553. It returned to Material Groups the same year and was placed on reserve until being replaced in 2558.
	MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor GEN2	The TRACKER-class MJOLNIR PAA was his next suit, built by Acheron Security. Following HYBRID VANGUARD, Samuel conducted tests and evaluations at Acheron Trauma Sim on Mars. His foundational requirement of information collection was boosted by its cutting-edge tactical package and software. In addition, he ran a mixture of support packages to specialize the armor for each mission or deployment. He became one of the few within wearing TRACKER by the end of 2553 and helped showcase its features during a mission on Hesduros. In 2557, he received a massive upgrade package to help improve his VISR and BIOS readings to assist in tracking targets. His tactical and support packages were overhauled to help with more variety while on deployment. The final upgrade to his suit came in 2558 with the Artemis Tracking System by Ohana Prescient Systems. The suit was retired in 2558 and placed on reserves by the Special Activities Division until being returned to Acheron in 2561.
	MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor GEN3	Samuel's MJOLNIR PAA suit came during the Created uprising. Through the Program Executive Office - Powered Assault Armor section of Special Activities Division, he was forced to build his suit much like his GEN 1. Most of his equipment came from defense contractors such as the ISR-class MJOLNIR from Naphtali Contractor Corporation with utility from Optican. Regardless, he focused his needs on information awareness and intelligence since the UNSC lost their information warfare capabilities. He was forced to field test the suit on the frontier and with his peers to understand its capabilities. On top of the testing, Samuel needed to find solutions to his suit if there was a malfunction given the lack of support he had compared to GEN 2. Yet, the way he configured his suit allowed him to be a threat on the frontier through battlespace management to turn the tide in their favor. In addition to the baseline configurations, he was active in Project Far Strider under the Materials Group and used the Project often to tailor his suit for the mission.

Weapons

"SPARTANs are adaptable, they will use whatever tools available to complete a mission. Each SPARTAN has their own specialty, but all are trained to pick up a weapon and fight, regardless of what it is."

―Lynn speaking to Samuel at a firing range on Onyx.

Throughout Samuel's training, he was trained in handling all firearms within the UNSC arsenal. He excelled with the MA5K, the standard rifle for a SPARTAN-III. As a Headhunter, Samuel was known to use an upgraded MA2B assault rifle with a suppressor and a recon sight. The MA2B was placed as a backup while the MA5K carbine became his go-to until he left field duty. Other firearms included the M392 Designated Marksman Rifle, M395 DMR, and M20 SMG for specialized missions. He was the junior sniper to Emilia in Red Team and ran missions with a SRS99-AM sniper rifle and later the SRS99-S5 AM sniper rifle in the Post-War for the AAG. Following the establishment of Team Osage, he took the role as the senior sniper, but served as a spotter more often. All of his rifles were equipped with a suppressor, variable zoom scope, laser targeter, and a threat marker while his sniper rifles were tailored for long range engagements.

Sidearms became Samuel's area of marksmanship throughout his time as a SPARTAN. He prided himself in being one of the most accurate among his peers and placed great emphasis on sidearm marksmanship. Throughout the Great War, he used the M6C magnum and modified it to his personal preference with changing the handguard, adding a suppressor and removing the HUD scope to be replaced with iron sights. His setup with became the standard when switching to the M6H during the Post-War and later to the M6H2 Gunfighter. His M6H2 was a blend of competitive shooting and his preference with a flared magwell along with his standard sidearm setup. He found the M6H2 Gunfighter to be a near replica of his M6C during the Great War.

Gallery

Beta-5 Division After Action Review report in 2549.

Samuel in 2550.

Materials Group digital render of Samuel's armor in 2552.

Samuel on Strilun IV in 2559.

Samuel engaging a target during a War Games simulation in 2561.

A declassified internal dossier of Samuel in 2568.

Appearances

• Halo: Fault Lines (2550, Novella)
• Erde-Tyrene (2552, Short Story Collection)
• Easy Days (2553 to 2558, Short Story Collection)
• Knowledge Transfer (TPF) (2553, Short Story)
• Headhunters (TPF) (2554, Short Story)
• Solitary (TPF) (2555, Short Story)
• Letter to You (TPF) (2557, Short Story)
• Extraction (TPF) (2558, Short Story)
• New Threat (TPF) (2558, Short Story)
• Slow Edge (TPF) (2561, Short Story)
• Decision (TPF) (2569, Short Story)
• Discourse A (TPF) (2569, Short Story)
• History written by survivors (TPF) (2570s, Short Story)

Notes

• SFM renders were created by Spartan-D042.
• MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor Generation 3 portraits created by Anonymous ONI agent.