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This article, SPARTAN-A064, written by Delta Pistol, was voted as the Legendary Article of 2024 in the Seventeenth Annual Halo Fanon Wiki Awards. |
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This article, SPARTAN-A064, written by Delta Pistol, was voted as the Best Spartan Character of 2024 in the Seventeenth Annual Halo Fanon Wiki Awards. |
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This fanfiction article, SPARTAN-A064, was written by Delta Pistol. Please do not edit this fiction without the writer's permission. |
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This fanfiction article, SPARTAN-A064, is currently under active construction. |
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- "Ryne-A064 is one of our most valued assets in the field. Driven, austere, and ruthless, the Alpha Company Spartan is looking to find retribution against the Covenant for his trauma, and is dedicated to that cause. Ryne is an excellent marksman, as he is absolutely lethal with a sniper rifle or DMR in his hands. He is capable of deep reconnaissance within enemy-held territory, and will stop at nothing when given a target to take out. The Spartan is cold, anti-social, and detached about those around him. Even so, several psychological reports do indicate some humanity within him, but he is too focused on killing Covenant to let that breakthrough..."
- ― ONI Combat Evaluation, circa 2552.
Ryne-A064 was a SPARTAN-III commando for the United Nations Space Command (UNSC). After his brief service in Alpha Company, Ryne-A064 would function as a Headhunter for the Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI), being later attached to the Asymmetrical Action Group (AAG).
Orphaned during the Invasion of Arcadia, Ryne would operate as a Spartan Headhunter during the Human-Covenant War and the Post-War years, conducting covert operations against the Covenant, the Insurrectionists, and Covenant remnants. Ryne would operate as a covert field operative for the Office of Naval Intelligence, within the Beta-5 Division. Ryne would conduct various missions ranging from special reconnaissance, direct action, wetwork, asset acquisitions, gathering intelligence, sabotage, and other black operations. In the final years of the war, Ryne would join the elite ranks of the covert Asymmetrical Action Group for operations to disarm, disrupt, and dissolve Covenant activities, joining a Spartan Fireteam known as Fireteam Disciple. In the Post-War Era, Ryne would go on to join Section Four of Naval Intelligence, acting as a lead security operative for ONI's xenoarchaeology and pioneering expeditions into the outer frontiers of space.
Over the course of his career, Ryne-A064 became widely regarded for his elite combat abilities and ruthless efficiency in the field. Ryne is regarded as an excellent marksman, making himself an effective long-range warfighter. During his service, Ryne would prove to be an effective reconnaissance specialist and combat tracker. The Spartan also acquired other valuable combat skills in the field, such as covert fieldcraft, CQC, demolitions, and infiltration. The Spartan learned these new tactics and skillset by observing and operating with other Spartans and Special Agents in the field. Ryne proved himself to be adaptable and lethal in combat, earning respect and envy from his peers.
Ryne was well-known for his antisocial and aggressive personality, solely driven by vengeance against the Covenant and only focused on the success of his missions. Ryne cared little about those that he fought alongside with, viewing them as nothing more than tools for achieving his objectives. On the battlefield, Ryne was ruthless against hostile forces, especially against the Covenant, showing a violent blood lust that seemed unquenchable. Ryne made it point to inflict mass casualties and he was not above engaging in ruthless and violent acts if it served his needs.
However, due to traumatic experiences in the war and the bonds forged, Ryne did soften his heart as time went on, as he grew to appreciate the friendships he made and developed new sense of purpose outside of fighting when the Covenant war ended. At some point during the Post-War Era, after surviving a vicious battle that nearly took his life, Ryne would leave the AAG, and became part of scientific exploratory expeditions into the unexplored frontiers of deep space. It was here that the Spartan would become motivated to find a helpful purpose in his life, although he still struggled to break his old habits of brutal violence.
Career Service Vitae (CSV)[]
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Biography[]
Early Life[]
On January 24, 2520, Ryne Eulon Triantos was born on the tropical human colony of Arcadia, located within the Procyon System. Ryne's father, Glenn, was in service as a local law enforcement officer in the Arcadian Patrol, while his mother, Claudia, was a local resort employee inside the sprawling metropolis of Pirth City. In his youth, Ryne was an outgoing, and kind child that enjoyed the outdoors. Ryne and his father would go on many camping expeditions with his father into the jungles of Arcadia, learning basic survival skills from Glenn. Ryne would prove to be a bright child, due to his excellent marks in academics.
In 2525, an alien religious hegemony, known as the Covenant, began a genocidal campaign against Humanity, as their forces invaded and glassed human colonies, such as Harvest and Alpha Corvi II. In 2531, the Covenant fleet would set their sights on Arcadia. The lone Covenant CCS-class battlecruiser deployed their forces into Pirth City to 'cleanse' the planet. Glenn escorted his family, with some help from ODSTs and Marines, through the bedlam to reach a checkpoint at one of the Maglev train stations. Glenn then placed his wife and son on one of the next trains to the spaceports, where he then joined his fellow Arcadian Patrolmen in holding off the invading Covenant lances. Unfortunately, the patrolmen, including Glenn, would be overrun and killed by the Covenant invaders. The young Ryne and Claudia Triantos held close to each other on the crowded train of panicked Arcadians.
Once Claudia and her child made it to one of the substations with the other civilians, they quickly found that the Covenant were overwhelming the Arcadian patrolmen and that the alien invaders were about to descend upon them. However, their gruesome deaths were only prevented by the arrival of giant, green armored soldiers and the UNSC ground forces from a recently-arrived UNSC support vessel that repelled the Covenant attackers. In a chaotic run to one of the cargo ships, Claudia, Ryne, and a group of civilians were swarmed and attacked by lances of Covenant warriors. In the ensuing slaughter, a Sangheili warrior, armed with an energy blade, flanked by two Kig-Yar soldiers, approached the frightened Ryne and Claudia. Claudia stepped in front of her frightened son to protect him and pleaded for mercy to the alien, only for her to be impaled by the Elite's energy sword and her body tossed across Ryne's feet.
Defenseless and surrounded by corpses, the two Jackals circled Ryne to prevent him from running, as the Elite turned his focus on him. The Elite towered over the child, preparing his sword for the killing blow, only for a hail of bullets to kill the two Jackals, and forced the Elite to retreat. A band of Marines and black armored-clad soldiers rescued Ryne, and the small boy was carried to one of the remaining cargo ships by one of these black armored troopers. While being carried, Ryne witnessed human and alien soldiers clash, corpses riddled in the streets, and a large, green-armored soldier fight off the Covenant horde. Once reaching a landing pad, Ryne was placed into a civilian cargo ship, which soon took off and escaped the carnage below. Grief-stricken and scared, Ryne sat alongside other fearful colonists on the ship's cargo hold as their ship fled the system. However, the grief soon turned into rage.
Ryne was placed in a residential home for orphans on the colony of Luyten. Ryne had been traumatized by the events of Arcadia and endured severe Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. Ryne struggled to sleep with recurring nightmares, became socially distant from others, and was losing weight due to a lack of eating. He was also prone to violent outbursts, especially in one incident where he beat three other children to a pulp when they began bullying him. The caregivers became more fearful of the boy, as he was violent towards them. Several weeks later, Office of Naval Intelligence representatives, recruiting kids for a new super-soldier program to fight the Covenant, arriving at the orphanage where Ryne was staying. The agents were made aware of Ryne and conducted their own evaluation of the boy. The agents found Ryne to be a suitable candidate, both genetically and psychologically, and they offered the young boy a choice to join the SPARTAN-III program to fight against the Covenant. With vengeance only on his mind, Ryne accepted their offer, under Naval Code 67321.
Induction into the SPARTAN-III Program[]
Ryne and 496 other children were taken away by ONI operatives and placed on a Navy frigate destined for a mysterious planet known as Onyx. The trainees were met by Lieutenant Kurt Ambrose and SCPO Mendez, their commanders, and were given their first test: a "night jump" from a high-flying Pelican dropship. Ryne jumped out of the dropship without hesitation and safely landed at the drop zone. The SPARTAN recruits that conducted the night drop were welcomed into Alpha Company.
Training Regimen[]
In early 2532, the trainees of Alpha Company began their intense five-year training program at Camp Currahee on the jungle world of Onyx. These children would spend these long years learning all manner of military techniques under the direct guidance of Lieutenant Ambrose, CPO Mendez, and Currahee's training cadre. They were also provided educational material by Eternal Spring, a UNSC "smart" artificial intelligence that would assist in their training and education. The trainees were no longer treated like children, as the kids were now given numerical identification tags and their vicious drill instructors wasted no time in dishing out brutality among the trainees.
Alpha Company Trainees conducting exercises on the training grounds of Camp Currahee , circa 2532.
Ryne strived to become the very best in Alpha Company, becoming competitive with the other trainees and isolating himself from the other children. For the first months of their training, the S-III trainees were put through their strenuous physical and survival training phase. During this time, Ryne was pushed to his physical peak during this initial training phase, demonstrating excellent reflexes and agility. Ryne adapted to the DIs' brutal demands and could withstand their vicious abuse. Several noted observers from Naval Intelligence would take note of Ryne, and keep tabs on the trainee.
During the CQC and Weapons training phase, Ryne became proficient in close-quarters combat and become one of Alpha Company's best riflemen. Ryne would demonstrate exceptional eyesight. Due to this, Ryne had almost unrivaled accuracy with ranged weaponry, with only one other Spartan trainee that was able to beat him when it came to marksmanship. Ryne was able to adapt to any situation during combat drills and exercises. Whenever faced with a stronger foe in hand-to-hand combat training or outnumbered during combat exercises, Ryne was not above using underhanded tactics and excessively violent methods to achieve success, which did impress the DIs but alienated him from his peers. Ryne would have heated rivalries with several other trainees, including a fierce feud with a similarly aggressive trainee, Emile-A239.
Even with his physical talents and combat prowess, Ryne was held back by his abrasive attitude. Ryne failed to perform well in objective-oriented drills and exercises, often going off on his own or butting heads with other trainees. He rarely interacted with the other trainees and was becoming unpopular among his peers. Ryne was constantly rotated into different teams and punished for his lack of willingness to work with others. There was a concern that Ryne was not a suitable candidate for the program, due to his aggressive temperament. However, those fears were assuaged when Ryne was "reminded" by Mendez that he needed to check his ego if he wanted his payback. Ryne would then demonstrate a mild willingness to work with his teammates. However, it was only to use them for his ends, and cared little for their well-being.
Augmentations and Graduation[]
In 2536, Alpha Company was taken aboard the UNSC Hopeful, a mobile medical/research station, to proceed with Project CHRYSANTHEMUM, the biological augmentation procedures performed on the Spartan-III trainees. Ryne-A064, along with the other S-III trainees, were augmented with the following drugs:
- Drug 8942-LQ99: A carbide ceramic ossification catalyst to make skeletons virtually unbreakable.
- Drug 88005-MX77: A fibroid muscular protein complex that boosted muscle density and strength.
- Drug 88947-OP24: A retina-inversion stabilizer drug. It boosted color and night vision capabilities.
- Drug 87556-UD61: Improved colloidal neural disunification solution, which in turn decreased reaction time.
Upon recovery from their augmentations, the Alpha Company trainees were returned to Onyx to get accustomed to their enhanced strength and speed. Ryne spent several weeks in recovery in his barracks on Onyx, getting used to his body's new enhancements and understanding the state of his new physical abilities. Ryne's natural athletic talents were enhanced by these augmentations, especially when it came to his exceptional eyesight and reflexes.
As Alpha Company's training phase drew to a close, Kurt Ambrose and Franklin Mendez held a brief graduation ceremony to congratulate the children on their completion of training. Ambrose proclaimed they were now fully-fledged Spartans and ready to take the fight to the Covenant. Ryne and the rest of Alpha Company became very eager to go out and to exact payback on the Covenant.
Ryne-A064 was put into a fireteam of four Spartans, much to his chagrin. However, this annoyance would be assuaged when Ryne was placed in command of this team. It relieved Ryne that he would be giving the orders and he would not be forced to follow those that would only get in the way of mission success. Outfitted with their weapons, advanced equipment, and Semi-Powered Infiltration armor, Ryne and his fireteam were cleared for deployment and were given their first mission.
Operational History during Human-Covenant War[]
Mamore Insurrection[]
In late 2536, an armed insurrection erupted between local Insurrectionists and UNSC forces in the colony of Mamore. To quell the Insurrection in the colony, a large contingent of S-IIIs from Alpha Company was deployed to Mamore. Ryne-A064 and his fireteam were amongst those S-III teams deployed in this operation, which was actually Ryne's first taste of combat. Ryne's team was tasked with a set of objectives that were supposed to support the UNSC counter-offensive and cripple rebel operations on the colony.
Ryne-A064 in action on Mamore against local insurgents, circa 2537.
During their counter-insurgency operations on Mamore, Ryne's fireteam conducted major raids against anti-UEG insurrectionists on the colony, assaulting their strongholds and outposts and eliminating leading figures of the Mamore rebellion. The team was also able to rescue and extract UEG officials held hostage by the Mamore rebels. The Spartan team was effective in their operations and was instrumental in the neutralization of the Mamore rebels. Ryne's fireteam was commended for their combat efficiency and effectiveness against the Insurrectionists and proved that they were more-than-capable Spartans that could operate under any circumstance. The Alpha Company fireteam was instrumental in the elimination of rebel leadership in their area of operation.
As for Ryne-A064 himself, the SPARTAN-III commando performed exceptionally well in the field. Ryne proved to be an excellent sniper and an effective tactician in combat. Ryne demonstrated tactical prowess and effective guerilla tactics in action and also showed that he could operate under high-pressure situations. However, some issues did arise during his time in Mamore. Members of Ryne's fireteam had reported complaints about Ryne's conduct in the field, stating that he "showed a lack of regard for his team's well-being and that he had put them in needlessly dangerous situations for his own benefit." However, these reports would not impact Ryne, as the Spartan's combat deeds were the only thing of intrigue for Colonel Ackerson and supervising Naval Intelligence officials.
Battle of New Constantinople[]
In early 2537, the Covenant would invade the prized human colony of New Constantinople. The SPARTAN-IIIs of Alpha Company were deployed to repel the Covenant invasion force, in a defensive deployment known as Operation: IRON GREAVE. While most Spartan teams were on defensive deployments, Ryne was rotated out of his current team for a special assignment by Ackerson. This was to be a solo mission and Ryne was to be inserted deep behind enemy lines for this op.
Ryne-A064, in his modified SPI armor, in action on the colony world of New Constantinople, circa 2537.
Military Intelligence had identified a High-Value Target (HVT) for Ryne to neutralize: a Sangheili field commander that was leading a significant contingent of their invasion ground forces on New Constantinople. The Sangheili commander was miles away from the frontlines, commanding his forces at a Covenant firebase in the black, ash-covered valleys of New Constantinople. After a covert insertion and penetrating Covenant lines, Ryne was able to infiltrate the Covenant command post without much incident. However, instead of a quick kill and quietly extracting before he was discovered, Ryne opted for a different and direct approach, one that was more "intimate" and "satisfying" to him.
With quickness and aggression, Ryne killed off the entire Covenant garrison in the area without alerting them. By the time the Sangheili commander had learned what had become of his troops, Ryne would eliminate his security and have the Sangheili trapped in his command center. After quickly disarming and injuring him, Ryne began to torture the Sangheili, prying as much intel as he could from his pained words. When satisfied, Ryne dragged the Sangheili commander out of his command bunker, and proceeded to place explosives around key points on the base. Watching from a distance, Ryne detonated the explosives, as he forced the Sangheili to watch and promised his alien prisoner that this was the fate awaiting the rest of the Covenant. Ryne proceeded to crudely decapitate the Sangheili commander, and take his head as proof of mission success. Hours later, Rosenda-A344 and Thom-A293 arrived at the site in an M12 Warthog and proceeded to extract Ryne from the area, with Ryne holding the Elite's head in one hand and his DMR in another.
For the next couple of months, Ryne would conduct specialized reconnaissance and sniper support for Alpha Company and local UNSC forces on New Constantinople. The Spartan would roam the frontlines, picking off Covenant warriors and calling in air and artillery strikes on notable targets, such as armor columns, troop positions, and forward operating bases. Ryne was noted for racking up a high kill count during combat operations on New Constantinople, and his actions contributed to UNSC victory on the planet. Prior to the UNSC's complete victory on New Constantinople, Ryne was pulled out from operations on the planet, where he was to be detached from Alpha Company and given a new assignment within the Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI).
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Induction and Orientation[]
Due to his accomplishments and performance on Mamore and New Constantinople, Ryne was among the Spartans picked to be assigned to separate special force units outside the general population of Alpha Company. This proved to be an opportunity for the Office of Naval Intelligence to add Spartans to their ranks for their ends, which they did not waste. Ryne was recruited into the Beta-5 Division and was to be tasked with conducting black operations on behalf of ONI. Outfitted with an experimental ZACHARIAS-class MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor and was given the latest in weapon systems and equipment, Ryne was given his first tasks as ONI's Headhunters.
After his selection, Ryne shipped to a special training facility on the far side of Onyx, where he and other selected Alpha Company Spartans underwent special training for three months. After a series of detailed evaluations and an intense interview process meant to devise the best possible pairings between members of the group, it was determined that there wasn't a proper match for Ryne, and he would operate on his own for now. Outfitted with the specialized ZACARIAS-class MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor and given the latest in weapon systems and equipment, Ryne was given his first tasks as a Spartan Headhunter.
Headhunter Activities[]
From 2538 into the early 2540s, under the command of ONI cabals and its upper echelon members, Ryne-A064 conducted covert warfare operations, ranging from assassinations to direct action against the Covenant and human Insurrectionists. Due to his skillset as a marksman, Ryne's missions were sniping and stealth orientated, and he rarely ever got involved in direct engagements unless forced to do so. It was during these missions that Ryne would rack high kill counts on a frequent basis, almost to the point it was needlessly excessive. While Ryne still prioritized his missions, the Spartan had a tendency to go beyond mission parameters, as he sought to cause as much damage and carnage against the hostile forces in his area of operations, especially when it came to the Covenant.
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Ryne-A064 on mission, outfitted in his Mark V [B] OPERATOR-class Armor, circa 2551.
While he was mainly a solo operator, Ryne was also assigned to joint operations with other Spartans and UNSC special forces operators when the need came. Due to his antisocial nature and his ego, Ryne struggled to work well with others, and he often alienated himself from them. Despite these behavioral issues, Ryne never let his ego get in the way of the mission and could still work with others if needed. Even so, Ryne's personality and indifference towards his teammates only reinforced the belief that A064 was better off working alone in the field. Ryne established himself as a fierce and ruthless fighter that was deeply loyal to ONI and a believer in their methods of warfare, even if he did take liberties that concerned Naval Intelligence.
In 2545, during one of his missions to assassinate a San'Shyuum minister on a Covenant-controlled planet, Ryne inadvertently crossed paths with a Spartan that was also in the field, Giulia-B255. Upon first missions, Ryne was already annoyed by the Spartan's high-spirited personality and that she didn't seem to show the same level of seriousness towards her duties as he did. However, much to Ryne's surprise and chagrin, the two Spartans worked well together and accomplished their mission, killing the Minister and recovering an ancient alien artifact from a Covenant excavation site. Ryne was rather impressed with this Spartan's abilities in hand-to-hand and Close-Quarters combat, witnessing her cut down Sangheili and Jiralhanae while unarmed. Giulia had showed herself as an equal to him and, especially as she saved his life more than once, and she was the only individual that Ryne showed some respect and consideration for. Due to the success of their missions and an after-action assessment, ONI would pair them together as a Headhunter team for missions on a frequent basis.
Service in the Asymmetrical Action Group[]
Combat Operations in Covenant-Occupied Deep Space[]
Due to their partnership, Ryne and Giulia's performance and success exceeded expectations and they proved themselves to be a force to be reckoned with in the field. It had become apparent to ONI brass that these two Spartans were ideal candidates for the Asymmetrical Action Group (AAG), a specialized, unconventional ONI warfare group formed to disrupt and dissolve Covenant operations. The group was mainly comprised of regular special warfare operators from various branches, but now Spartans were being accepted into the fold. After a quick evaluation, both Ryne and Giulia were seen to be perfect fits and recruited into their ranks.
After being assigned to the AAG, the Spartan Headhunters were sent on high-risk covert missions in deep space, attacking vital Covenant targets ranging from vital installations and key leadership for the Covenant. The duo had a near 100% success rate in their operations and specialized in assassination and direct action operations. They also were often used as support for other AAG operatives, including other Spartans, for their operations. Ryne and Giulia were so impressive as a duo that Naval Intelligence began to utilize the Spartans as their own private enforcers on a few occasions to quell elements of human insurrection when the need arose. Even with his new working relationship with Giulia, Ryne was still deployed on solo ops from time to time, ranging from black-bag, wetwork, and covert reconnaissance in the field. Ryne was also given the OPERATOR-class Mark IV [B] MJOLNIR armor, upon his induction into the AAG.
In mid-2546, while prepping and being briefed for another operation on an orbital station, Ryne and Giulia would meet a rescued Beta Company SPARTAN-III, Delsin-B240. While Giulia was glad to see one of her own still alive, Ryne was not impressed by the Spartan and what he observed from him. Weeks later, after returning from their mission, the duo was informed that they would become a three-man fireteam, as Delsin would be added to the AAG roster and their team. Ryne reacted with annoyance while Giulia was happy with this new development. This new Spartan fireteam was christened as Fireteam DISCIPLE. Fireteam DISCIPLE's initial operations were focused on direct action against Covenant incursions within the Inner Colonies, as they raided Covenant installations and outposts, ambushed Covenant troop movements, and targeted high-ranking officers of the Covenant military. Disciple conducted these missions for the duration of nearly two years. Fireteam DISCIPLE demonstrated a high success rate in their operations and was deployed on joint operations with the other AAG operatives, whether they were Spartans or regular operators.
However, despite their successes, Fireteam DISCIPLE was a powder keg of tension right off the bat. While Giulia had strong bonds with her two brothers-in-arms, Ryne and Delsin were nearly at each other's throats, even during missions. Ryne made it clear to Delsin that he believed he was a liability and had no issues with labeling him a coward. Delsin had no qualms sharing his issues with Ryne either, calling the Alpha Company Spartan narcissistic and selfish, and nothing more than a petulant child at his core. Even though Ryne and Delsin were able to put aside their issues for the mission, but the tension would still linger. At some point, the feud escalated into violence and both Ryne and Delsin came to blows, forcing Giulia to physically intervene. It nearly led to the entire team being dissolved, but their performance and an intervention kept them together.
Battle of Jemison[]
After concluding another operation in 2549, Fireteam DISCIPLE was urgently requested by Naval Intelligence for a high-priority mission in the Rampart system. The Covenant had launched an invasion of the colony world of Jemison and the planet was locked in a brutal battle of attrition. The Asymmetrical Action Group had deployed a retrieval team to recover a vital asset from an ONI black station. However, the ensuing Covenant invasion and Insurrectionist activities had sidetracked them from their main mission. Thus, Fireteam DISCIPLE was tasked to retrieve the asset from ONI compound, which was now besieged by Covenant forces.
Operation: BLACK ZERO[]
In 2550, Naval Intelligence would task AAG with a daring, high-risk assassination operation, but its success would give a much-needed boost to the UNSC in their efforts. ONI reconnaissance had possibly located a Covenant Supreme Commander, known as Thel 'Vadamee. This Sangheili commanded one of the largest fleets in the Covenant known as the Fleet of Particular Justice. It had been known that this Sangheili commander had been instrumental in the Covenant's dominance over human forces, and it became imperative that this Elite had to neutralized in order to turn the tide. A task force of AAG operatives was formed to undertake this mission, and it included Fireteam DISCIPLE.
Final Years of the Human-Covenant War[]
Battle of Circumstance[]
In the Summer of 2552, a small Covenant task force led by the Sh'wada-pattern supercarrier, Long Night of Solace, covertly established a foothold on Reach. Operating using cloaking technology and stealth tactics, the Covenant had created a fortified landing zone on Reach, with anti-air guns around the perimeter of their staging area in the Viery Territory where they had covertly inserted a large number of forces, including several corvettes. Once their presence was discovered by a Spartan fireteam, WINTER CONTINGENCY was declared. Soon, the Covenant Armada would invade the entire Epsilon Eridani System, attacking Reach, Tribute, and Circumstance.
Earth Sustained Defense Campaign[]
On October 20, 2552, the Covenant fleet exited slipspace near Earth, engaging and breaching the planet's orbital defense platforms. The battle spread all over the globe in the following days and weeks with more and more Covenant fleets of multitude of warships continuing to arrive and attacked targeting cities and areas globally after the full compromise of Earth. Ryne and the fireteam assisted in the defense of the sprawling metropolises and vital military installations in their area of operations, such as New Baghdad and Outpost C9. However, by early November, the situation worsened and the Spartans were now forced to fight a guerilla war, alongside surviving Marines, ODSTs, and Army Troopers, in the war-torn streets and ravaged city centres.
Around mid-November, recalled to a firebase operated by Marine Command and reunited with Sergeant Contreras and Commander Liberatore who were leading ground resistance, Fireteam Disciple were forced to split from each other to assist the splintered UNSC forces on other fronts on Earth. Ryne was tasked in neutralizing Covenant field commanders coordinating offensive operations in Europe, while the rest of Disciple were sent to different regions for other missions. Ryne, alongside a rag tag group of ODSTs and Force Recon Marines led by Contreras, assaulted Covenant strongholds and targeted HVTs in Western and Central Europe. The task force was also called upon to reinforce UNSC installations and forces under threat by Covenant forces when needed. During their battles, Ryne and Contreras encountered Sangheili Warriors being ambushed and betrayed by their own forces, mainly the Jiralhanae and Kig-Yar. Much to his reluctance and anger, Ryne assisted Sergeant Contreras in rescuing the Sangheili from their betrayers, including a high-ranking Sangheili Ultra warrior named Dyzo 'Konaree. Ryne was not pleased with having the aliens that murdered his parents fight alongside him, but Contreras was able to keep Ryne focused on the task at hand.
In late November, after a successful recapturing of the city of Berlin, Ryne, Contreras, and the surviving ODSTs and Marines in their ranks were redeployed by Central Command on an urgent mission in North America. UNSC Covert Services requisitioned the services of Ryne and Contreras's task force for an asset denial mission. Occupying Jiralhanae Forces were in control of an ONI facility in the Langley Province, and were extracting some kind of asset in the facility. Ryne and Contreras's task force was to intercept the Covenant forces and recover or , before they got this asset off planet. While enroute to North America, Ryne and Contreras were contacted by Commander Liberatore, telling them of an SOS Signal from Delsin within the Chicago Metropolitan area, which was mostly under Covenant control. Liberatore, relaying Giulia's request, asked them to help Delsin and the entrapped UNSC forces in the city. However, as they diverted course to Chicago, Covert Services ordered Ryne and Sergeant Contreras to Langley, under the penalty of desertion which carries heavy sentences, including capital punishment. Realizing the seriousness of the situation, Ryne took Contreras's command and directed them to Langley, hoping that Delsin could hold out long enough to get to them.
Arriving at Langley, Ryne and the task force assaulted a Covenant Forward Operating Base that held the "asset", which was revealed to be some kind ancient alien artifact of some kind. Once the area of operations was secured, Ryne then ordered Pelican dropships to take them to the besieged Chicago Metropolis, linking up with the rest of Disciple and the UNSC reinforcements along the way. DISCIPLE would arrive at Chicago in a few hours. The Spartans and UNSC forces found that the Covenant Loyalist forces had entrenched themselves within the smoldering ruins of the Chicago metropolitan zones, leading to stiff resistance that hampered the movements of the relief force that was trying to reach the besieged Spartan and UNSC Marines making their desperate last stand at Lakeshore Park. It wasn't until friendly Sangheili Separatists and more UNSC reinforcements arrived were they able to turn the tide of the battle. Fireteam Disciple, now reinforced by the 10th ODST Battalion and Sangheili forces, pushed through the embattled streets and war-torn buildings, neutralizing the Covenant defenses in the city's ruins along the way.
Upon arrival to Lakeshore, the relief forces feared that they were too late. Lakeshore Park had been decimated, as bodies and wreckage, both human and alien, littered the entire area after a devastating air strike was called in by the nearly overrun UNSC forces. A panicked Ryne and Giulia scoured the whole area in search of Delsin and any survivors. Gunshots were then heard, and Ryne rushed to the source of the noise. He arrived first on the scene, seeing a bloodied and badly wounded Delsin sitting leaned on broken tree, staring at a Sangheili Zealot about to deliver to a killing blow with his Energy sword. Ryne fired his Battle Rifle, wounding the Elite, and forcing the Zealot to retreat into the fog. The Sangheili warriors and the Gamma Spartans rushed in pursuit of said Elite, while Ryne, Giulia, and Contreras rushed to Delsin's side. In the midst of frantic calls for medical and treating his wounds, Delsin told Ryne that he was a "pain in the ass", but called him a brother and that he wished the best for him. After sharing parting words to Giulia, Delsin drifted into unconsciousness from the blood loss, before being stretchered onto a Pelican dropship. Contreras boarded the Pelican to accompany the wounded Delsin to a nearby medical facility in the city, while Ryne and Giulia watched the dropship disappear from view.
After clearing out Covenant forces from the Chicago metropolis, Ryne and the rest of DISCIPLE rushed to the nearby city medical centre, now a being used as afield hospital, where Delsin was taken. After some asking around and waiting, Contreras and Liberatore appeared to them in the lobby, as they walked out of the operating centre in the hospital. Contreras approached and informed them that Delsin had passed while he was on the Pelican, and that efforts to resuscitate him were fruitless. Both Ryne and Giulia were devastated by the news. Ryne took the brunt of Giulia's grief, as she blamed Ryne for Delsin's death because he prioritized his orders over saving him. Afterwards, Fireteam DISCIPLE, now reunited minus their fallen brother-in-arms, were tasked with new missions focused on reclaiming the European continent from the remaining Covenant forces on Earth. While DISCIPLE still operated well in the field, Ryne and Giulia became distant, only ever interacting with each other during combat missions.
By the middle of December 2552, Earth had largely been freed, with the small pockets of Covenant loyalists being destroyed and the reinforced UNSC Home Fleet decimating what was left the of Covenant armada over Earth, with help from the Sangheili that had completely broken off from the Covenant. The Prophets were now dead, and the Jiralhanae leadership all but wiped out by UNSC and Sangheili forces during the Battle of Installation 00. The Covenant remnants were now in full retreat, as the Sol System fell back into UNSC control. The war was effectively over.
Post-War Era[]
Sol System Reconstruction[]
In the immediate aftermath of the the Sol System being reclaimed, Fireteam DISCIPLE was placed on leave, as the weary Spartans tried to recuperate and recover from their recent ordeal. With Giulia, Nolan, and Mila going off on their ways, Ryne was left by his lonesome in his barracks at Camp Pendleton in Southern California. Alone in his thoughts, Ryne fell into a deep depression, coping with the guilt of not saving Delsin. Ryne confided with Sergeant Contreras, who was assisting in rebuild efforts on Earth, over his guilt, with the veteran ODST providing counsel about not falling into self-loathing. Contreras invited Ryne to come help with the rescue-and-aid efforts, which the Spartan reluctantly agreed. Ryne helped with Army and Marine units in their humanitarian operations, providing aid, clearing rubble, and even mingled with the local populace. This did provide some level of emotional relief for the guilt-ridden Ryne, as he realized that he could be more than what he was now.
By late March of 2553, with the Human-Covenant War officially over, Fireteam DISCIPLE was recalled back into the fold of the Asymmetrical Action Group, as they were now needed for black operations to help in the UNSC's efforts to reclaim lost territories. Fireteam Disciple was deployed on covert operations focused on intelligence-gathering, special reconnaissance, and direct action against the Covenant remnants and the emerging Insurrectionist factions in the now-decimated remains of the Outer Colonies. This was also a time where the fireteam were now conducting missions alongside the Covenant species that they once had been fighting against for most of their lives, something Ryne was not comfortable with. Even so, Ryne learned to adjust for the success of his missions. Even though DISCIPLE still performed exceptionally well, the team had begun to drift a part, as the friendship between Giulia and Ryne was now strained, creating an uneasy friction within the entire fireteam.
Battle of Tau Hydrus[]
In January of 2554, Fireteam Disciple was attached to a joint UNSC-Sangheili special operations task force for an operation deep in the Outer regions of space. A small Covenant remnant flotilla, led by a zealous San'Shyuum Minister, had established control of a lush jungle world located in the Outer cluster, and established a base of operations to build his new armada to continue the "Great Journey". The Covenant Remnants had also set up an excavation site of some kind, as they seemingly uncovered a large, alien facility belonging to the Forerunners, an ancient alien civilization that went extinct long ago. The planet was known as Tau Hydrus, a world of vast seas and a wide equatorial band of humid, tropical terrain and wild flora and fauna. As the briefing went, Fireteam DISCIPLE became incredibly motivated for the mission when they learned that Ossva 'Vagaduun, Delsin's killer, was among the Covenant Remnants on the planet.
Initial Actions[]
The UNSC and Sangheili naval battle group arrived in system, easily dispatching the Remnant fleet in orbit over Tau Hydrus. Fireteam DISCIPLE were among the first troops to touch down on the lush planet, as they landed and traversed the jungle terrain on a M!2 Warthog and neutralized Remnant defenses and fortifications along the way, such as Anti-Air batteries and checkpoints. After clearing the path, ODST Pathfinder teams, led by Master Sergeant Contreras, regrouped with DISCIPLE and they set up a base camp on the planet's beaches to plan the next phase of the operation. Reconnaissance discovered that a large concentration of the Remnant forces were focused on defending their main base of operations hidden deep within the tropical jungles, while a contingent of Remnant forces were at a mysterious alien structure located on a small tropical island. Thus, a two-pronged assault was planned, with Swords of Sanghelios, with support from Contreras, DISCIPLE team, would assault the Remnant combat base and attempt to capture the Minister. Meanwhile, Ryne would lead a small joint team of Marines and ODSTs to recon the alien structure on the Island.
Ryne and the UNSC forces conducted an insertion onto the island, and were able to overwhelm the Remnant forces that were defending the island. Due to the low resistance from the Remnant defenders, it was clear to the Spartan and his task force that the bulk of the his warriors were inside the looming, metal Forerunner facility. Ryne and a fireteam of ODSTs decided to enter the structure in search of Remnant forces. Ryne and the ODSTs entered inside, amazed at the advanced alien architecture and the technology hidden within. However, they were also wary, as Ossva and his forces were nowhere to be found, with the facility's lighting failing and the silver corridors growing darker and tighter.As they progressed, Ryne noticed Covenant weapons strewn about and the familiar sight of alien blood on the steel floors, but no corpses around. They also found small patches and growths of some kind of sickly fungus on the walls around them, the growths getting bigger as they got deeper inside. An Unggoy appeared from a doorway fleeing in terror, startling the Spartan and ODSTs. The Grunt was in a panic, warning of "monsters" down there. After telling one of the ODSTs to take their new prisoner back to the surface, Ryne and the troopers continued venture deeper into the complex.
Confrontation[]
After stumbling in the dark while following a foul smell, Ryne and the troopers entered into a large circular arena, with large, broken glass tubes and ancient architecture covered in some kind of blobby fungus. It was their that they found Ossva, standing right in the middle of the area and his back turned to them. Ryne ordered for Ossva to surrender and asked where the rest of his warriors were, but he was only met with snarls. Then, Ossva turned to face Ryne and the ODSTs, revealing a grotesque and a partially-deformed face, with a green-greyish decay of skin seemingly growing on him. Out of from the shadows, small, balloon-like creatures with tentacles sprang out from behind, and attacked Ryne and the ODSTs. Ryne watched as one of those creatures tore into a trooper's chest, and began to "change" him, as his appendages mutated and the body contorted. Ossva, barely of sound mind and now speaking in a gargled tone, proclaimed his final revenge against the humans and heretics, and that "if he and his kind are to be denied the Great Journey then he shall be part of the flood that washes them away". Ossva's warriors, Jiralhanae and Sangheili that were now also infected by this parasite, emerged out from the shadows and other entranceways within the arena, and swarmed Ryne and the ODSTs.
Ryne and two other ODSTs attempted to retreat, but their escape from the arena was covered by the infected Remnant warriors and small, bulbous infectors. Ryne helplessly watched the ODSTs fall victim to the infection and joined their ranks. Now surrounded, an infected Ossva signaled for the infected to hold. It was apparent that Ossva was still in some control over his body, for now, and the infected where allowing Ossva to do what he wished. Ossva attacked Ryne, taunting him over his fate as the Sangheili's fragile mind degraded. Ossva then recalled their previous encounters in the war, before boasting about killing Delsin. This enraged Ryne, and the Spartan and infected Ossva engaged in a brutal hand-to-hand duel to the death, as the infected beings watched in silence. Ryne suffered great injuries, as he took a vicious blow to the head that broke apart his visor and his left arm was nearly amputated by Ossva's Energy Sword. However, in a last gasp before Ossva's fatal blow, Ryne was able jab Ossva with his combat knife to his throat, and reached out to his Pistol to land three precise shots to Ossva's head, putting down the monstrous Sangheili for good.
However, the infected beings soon swarmed Ryne, and the Spartan made a desperate rush to the exit, lobbing a frag grenade to clear the way of infected in front him. A needler round, fired from an infected Jiralhanae, hit Ryne's torso, whose shields had been disabled in his fight with Ossva. Grievously wounded, communications still blocked, and armed with only a Pistol, Delsin made a desperate run to escape the hordes of infected that gave chase. On the way out, the ODST sent out by Ryne earlier returned to find the Spartan now on the verge of death. He looked down the corridor to see a swarm of gangly, monstrous creatures storming towards them. The ODST and Ryne ran through the structure's dimly-lit, tight corridors and rooms, desperately calling for help over the COM as the parasite gave chase.
Endless swarms of Parasitic creatures emerging on Tau Hydrus and attacking the UNSC forces on the planet, circa January 2554.
As they neared the exit, COM came back on and informed Ryne that reinforcements were on the way. Ryne warned them to not enter and to evacuate the island. Soon, the duo arrived at the corridor leading to the the exit outside, where they saw Marines and Sangheili, led by Contreras in firing position. They came face-to-face with the horrifying alien parasite, laying down heavy, suppressive fire to keep them back, as the ODST and Contreras carried Ryne out of the Forerunner structure. Carried out to daylight, a barely-alive Ryne was met by Giulia, Nolan, and Elise, horrified at the sight of Ryne's mangled and bloodied body and the parasitic monsters pouring out of the structure, overwhelming the UNSC and Sangheili forces.
With these creatures pouring out onto the surface, Master Sergeant Contreras and Dyzo 'Konaree ordered their ground forces to evacuate the island, abandoning their vehicles and equipment as they rushed to the dropships to avoid a mass orbital bombardment by Sangheili cruisers on their way. After rescuing as much of their forces as they could, the Sangheili battlecruisers began to glass the island and the alien facility residing within it. The island was glassed and the the facility completely destroyed, killing off the parasitic creatures on the surface and sealing off the remaining vestiges of the alien parasite still underground. Ryne was loaded onto a Phantom dropship, coughing up blood and going into shock. Giulia was at Ryne's side, trying to keep him awake and keeping pressure on his wound. With a Navy Corpsman and a Sangheili warrior tending to the Spartan, Ryne drifted into unconsciousness, the last waking image being Giulia, her eyes filled with tears and mouthing words that faded as he did.
Recovery and Reassignment[]
The Human medic and Sangheili were able to stabilize Ryne's condition, and get him to a proper medical facility on one of the UNSC cruisers in orbit, where his condition improved and his left arm was saved. For the next few months, Ryne was on an orbital medical station in the Sol System, where he drifted in-and-out of consciousness. Ryne had suffered various wounds that would take significant time to recover, such as a fractured skull, stomach lacerations, a nearly-amputated arm that was barely saved, and broken ribs. Ryne was closely monitored, even though he had stabilized, as his condition was still delicate and required special care and attention. It was going to be a long road to recovery for the Spartan.
The next several months was a difficult time for Ryne, as his injuries and the trauma he endured where beginning to take a mental toll on him. He was laid up in bed, in constant pain and watching as time quickly passed him by. It did not help that his sleep was plagued with nightmares and traumatic memories. He could barely muster the strength to communicate with the rare visitors he received, as it was painful to speak to them, in more ways than one. It wasn't until eight months later that Ryne could move on his own power. The rehab was also challenging, as he was struggling to regain strength and mobility that he once had.
Ryne was anxious to get back in the field, and reported for duty. However, there was an uneasiness by the AAG to put Ryne back in action so soon from recovery. He had not exactly fully-recovered physically, and his skills were dulled by the time away from combat. Not to mention, much had changed within the AAG, Fireteam Disciple had been disbanded, as Giulia and the Gammas were rotated out of the Group, and dropped out of contact with Ryne. After some retraining and reorientation, Ryne was ready to resume his duties for the AAG. However, the results of his first training missions and rehab exercises left a lot to be desired, as he struggled with weapons training and running the gruelling courses that he once dominated. Liberatore took the drastic step of requesting that Ryne be taken off the field, and moved him into working under her command staff.
Ryne worked under Liberatore, helping her analyze combat and intelligence reports and organize missions for AAG operatives. Ryne even gave out mission briefs and debriefs for the AAG operators when asked to by Karina. Ryne began to act as a mission handler for some AAG operatives on their missions, as he slowly progressed in his physical recovery. He even assisted in some training for new inductees during their orientation into the Group. It was also here Ryne was first introduced to the SPARTAN-IVs, the next generation of Spartans to come along. It was a jarring experience to see Marines, ODSTs, and Army Troopers become Spartans just like him. However, Ryne quickly grew fond of those Spartans and even had friendly relationships with some of them. For Ryne, life as an non-combatant was rather new and welcome experience for him, as it was not nearly as stressful and his new duties helped keep himself grounded. He also became more sociable and became a well-known face by many.
Despite finding himself comfortable and satisfied at his position, there was still a part of Ryne that yearned for more active role and to be back on the field. He trained by himself, and made subtle moves to get back in the field. However, the Spartan couldn't find himself back on the active roster, much to his frustration. Ryne would meet with Liberatore, who confirmed to him that his duties in field for AAG were no longer possible, which led to him to resigning from his post in the AAGon the spot. Liberatore respected Ryne's decision, and she allowed him to leave on his terms. Soon after, Ryne was granted a leave of absence from his service. During this period, Ryne ventured into the cityscapes of Earth, experiencing a brief glimpse of life as a citizen instead of soldier. Ryne began to wonder what his purpose was now, and what his future held.
Service with ONI Section Four[]
With news of Ryne's resignation from the Beta-5 Division dripping out, noted parties within ONI became interested in procuring the services of an experienced Spartan that was well-versed in the world of black ops. Waiting out his last months of service within the UNSC, Ryne was stationed on a military installation on Mars, used for housing and training by UNSC Spartan Operations, where the veteran SPARTAN-III worked in an advisor capacity on the facility when it came to training the fresh-out-basic SPARTAN-IVs, passing on his knowledge down to the next generation of Spartans. At the same time, and much to his annoyance, Ryne was given offers to work within the command staff of various ONI and UNSC special operations units, which he soundly rejected every time they paid a visit.
At some point, an ONI officer and a civilian researcher paid a visit to Ryne at his duty station. Ryne was ready to reject another incoming offer, expecting another special ops group trying to recruit him for desk duty. Instead, Ryne was offered the position of chief security officer within Section Four of ONI, a clandestine survey group employed by ONI which conducts xenoarchaeology and planetary surveys, alongside pioneering efforts. Ryne was to lead a security force for their exploratory initiatives and expeditions, and assist the science research and survey teams in their activities. This enticed Ryne, as he felt this was a chance for a fresh start, to prove that he could be more than what he was before. After some deliberation overnight, Ryne accepted the position of chief security officer for Section Four.
Exploration of Deep Space[]
In early December of 2555, after some brief retraining, Ryne, now outfitted in an experimental RAKSHASA-class Mjolnir utilizing his old Mark V permutations, was assigned to lead an ONI security team consisting of veteran Army Troopers and Marines for one of Section Four's expeditions into deep space. Ryne's team was assigned to the UNSC Red River, a Phoenix-class colonial support vessel. The Phoenix-class starship, supported by a trio of Star Charter-class colony support ships, was to venture beyond the frontiers of space, for exploration and possible colonization into the unknown vestiges of space. However, ONI science teams were also tasked with the discovery and research into ancient artifacts and sites belonging to the Forerunners, an ancient, highly-advanced alien civilization that disappeared eons ago. Due to his past familiarity with Forerunner technology and infrastructure, Ryne was to personally supervise and escort the teams in their activities. Ryne was to also assist in Pioneering efforts by the UNSC Engineering Corps teams joining the expedition. The Red River and her support ships were launched from a mooring platform in orbit over Luna, beginning their voyage.
A Pelican Dropship flying through an asteroid field, with Installation 03 in the background, circa 2556.
Before venturing into the unknown, UNSC Red River made a few stops through UNSC-controlled space, picking up supplies, obtaining data from ONI sites, and other maintenance duties. One of these stops was at Ivanoff Station, an ONI orbital research station hovering over a Halo, an ancient ringworld constructed by the Forerunners, to obtain research data for their expedition. Ryne was in awe at the sight of the ringworld, surprised that such a place could even exist. Ryne found a renewed curiosity within himself, eager to learn new things about the universe.
As 2555 turned into 2556, with everything settled and ready, the Red River and her support ships ventured into deep space, ready to face the new horizons that awaited them. For the next two years, Ryne and his team would traverse unexplored space, venturing to different planets and encountering new experiences. Upon arriving in new systems and landing on worlds, Ryne would reconnoiter the landing zone and the region, either by himself or with one or two ONI security operatives at his side. Once satisfied, Ryne and his team would then escort science teams to the ancient sites and structures to conduct their studies, while setting up base camps and excavation sites. Ryne would also escort and protect survey teams, determining if the planet is suited for colonization. While it was mostly a quiet and peaceful job, a few incidents did occur along the way, such as Ryne rescuing and treating wounded civilian and military personnel that ran into environmental hazards or having to fight off hostile alien automatons that safeguarded the Forerunner sites that they stumbled upon.
Ryne-A064 on a scouting run on an unexplored world, overlooking an ancient site hidden in the jungles, circa 2556.
However, while the mission itself was low-risk, the expedition would still find themselves in the crosshairs of hostile forces, something Ryne had to navigate the expedition and his team through dangerous situations on an infrequent basis. In some cases, Ryne and the expedition were the targets of ambushes and raids by the Covenant Remnants and Kig-Yar pirates that roamed the Outer regions of space, which forced Ryne to take charge and repel their alien attackers whenever they showed up. Even when they encountered "friendly" alien parties, such as the Sangheili, Unggoy, and some "agreeable" Kig-Yar pirates, the expedition still treaded carefully around them as tensions from the war remained high.
However, it wasn't just the aliens that were a threat to them, as hostile humans residing within deep space also had the expedition in their sights. Ryne and the expedition would across worlds already occupied by other human factions. The expedition was met and threatened by Insurrectionists and militant anti-Earth settlers, which would either lead to an uneasy truce to allow the expedition to pass or skirmishes between Ryne's team and the rebels if the situation escalated. The expedition would even run into opportunistic human corporations operating within the frontiers of deep space, whether they be settlers backed by megacorporations or private military contractors roaming the region as they conducted their business on the behalf of corporations and suspicious organizations that hired them. These parties carried their own kind of danger, as Ryne had to reluctantly play a game of politics with these corpo communes and avaricious mercenaries looking to take advantage of him and expedition, where it either ended with a deal being cut without a single shot fired or being forced to fight their way past them.
This was a new life experience for Ryne, as the Spartan was now part of something that was focused on helping and uplifting others, instead of destroying and snuffing out life. He watched with child-like curiosity the discoveries and research the scientists were making at the ancient Forerunner excavation sites, helping settlers with building their homes on various worlds, taking in the nature of alien worlds that he was scouting before calling in the expedition, etc. Most of all, Ryne found people to care for and confide in. The Spartan befriended the ONI scientists, listening to them to spin their theories, and learned to become a leader, as he got to know his security team well, and even gave them his time to help train them, or just to mingle. Ryne would develop a particularly close relationship with Lieutenant Jaime Welles, a former Army Ranger officer and leader of the Military Science Research team on the expedition. Welles was drawn to Ryne, something that the anti-social Spartan was uncomfortable with at first. Eventually, the two did strike up a friendship, as Welles shared her passions with Ryne, who was charmed by her whimsical nature. The relationship would slowly develop into more than a simple friendship as time went on, with both Ryne and Jayne sharing intimate moments. During this expedition, Ryne felt something he hadn't truly felt in a while: Happiness.
The Created Crisis[]
Over a 72-hour period, starting around October 17, 2558, the first of the Guardians, massive, powerful Forerunner constructs, began to emerge from the ground on human colonies. Around this time, Prometheans, mechanized Forerunner warriors, turned against their former allies within Jul 'Mdama's Covenant. On October 28, Guardians are launched to numerous planets across the galaxy. The Created, led by a rogue AI Cortana, relayed a broadcast to all of the galaxy, inviting humans, Sangheili, Kig-Yar, Unggoy, San'Shyuum, Yonhet, and Jiralhanae to all accept an end to hunger and pain, should they willingly submit themselves to the guardianship of the Created. She made it clear, however, that should any groups choose to defy her, then there would be consuming wrath for them that would remake them in the image of the Created.
At the time of these events, while the expedition was on the last leg of their tour before having to return to UNSC-controlled space, Ryne and his team were guarding excavation sites on a newly-discovered jungle world, designated Kessler-846, as the ONI science teams were busy with their research on the ancient alien sites and structures. When informed by the Red River that their long range communications were malfunctioning and detected strange anomalies in the system, Ryne and his team quietly made contingency plans, as they awaited instruction from Red River. All of a sudden, a large, winged metal construct suddenly appeared over the planet, stunning the entire expedition. Ryne and his team organized a hasty evacuation of the scientists and civilians, only to be impeded by attacking Prometheans. The Guardian unleashed a devastating electromagnetic pulse, leaving the Red River and the escort ships without power, forcing the crews to abandon their ships before they crashed down into the planet. The Guardian, along with the Promethean warriors, left the system to continue Cortana's subjugation of known space, leaving the entire expedition stranded on the planet.
Encounter with the Banished and Imprisonment[]
Ryne organized and lead rescue efforts of the surviving crew that abandoned ship, while others handled salvage and recovery from the fallen starships' crash sites. After rescuing the survivors in a week-long operation, including Captain Alec Grissom of the Red River, Ryne and Grissom organized and established a base of operations at the Red River's crash site, gathering the survivors and activating the crashed ship's distress beacon. Realizing that they could come under attack again, Grissom ordered Ryne and Lieutenant Welles to organize a fighting force with their respective teams, while Grissom and his staff would organize a temporary settlement and focus on keeping the survivors alive as they awaited a rescue.
Weeks later, as the survivors of the expedition adjusted to their current situation as they awaited rescue, a flotilla of unfamiliar alien warships arrived in system and appeared before them, detecting the distress signal from the planet. These alien warriors swarmed the crash sites of the starships for salvage, coming across the human survivors that inhabited the planet. These alien raiders identified themselves as the Banished, a multi-species confederation of pirates, mercenaries, and raiding clans. Korifex, a Jiralhanae Warlord, would confront the human survivors, demanding that they surrender and join their ranks or face annihilation. Grissom and Korifex would meet face-to-face to negotiate, with Ryne being his only companion. The negotiations quickly went south, as Korifex brutally killed Grissom and Ryne barely escaped back to base. Korifex ordered his Banished forces to attack the Red River, forcing Ryne to order a retreat into the jungles, scattering the human survivors across the region. Banished forces raided and salvaged the crash sites, while also hunting down the surviving humans of the expedition.
Banished forces, Brutes and Hunters, searching for SPARTAN-A064 and the caravan of humans on Kessler-846, circa December of 2558.
Ryne and his team were forced to engage in hit-and-run warfare with the Banished, while setting up and protecting a hidden, jungle cavern, now being used as a shelter for the civilians unable to fight. With everyone looking to Ryne for leadership, the Spartan prioritized the safety of the expedition and his team, while they looked for a way to escape the star system. Ryne and his force of veteran warfighters would wage a guerilla war against Banished forces on the planet, raiding their outposts to steal communication equipment to relay SOS messages, ambushing the Banished patrols hunting for them, and even made attempts on Korifex's life.
However, as the weeks turned into months, Ryne ran into logistical and manpower issues with his operation, as their small force was running low on ammunition and took casualties they could ill-afford. There was also the issue of providing for the survivors with the food, medicine, and the supplies needed, as those resources were dwindling. The raids and ambushes became too risky to conduct, due to a lack of manpower and fleeting ammunition and low supplies to perform such acts, now being forced to scavenge weapons from the Banished forces and armories they did attack on the planet. Feeling the immense pressure of numerous lives that weighed on him, Ryne was now considering two options: surrender to Korifex and his forces, or stage an assault at a Banished depot, housing a pair of Phantoms, and make a desperate escape from the planet and system.
However, before he could decide on a course of action, the Banished found the cavern that human survivors were holed up in, assaulting the cavern with an onslaught of Brute warriors, Banshees, and Wraiths. Completely surrounded and with no pathway of escape, Ryne made the tough call to surrender, ordering the few able-bodied ONI security troopers to lay down their arms and making way for the Banished forces to enter their cavern and take them prisoner. Rounded up by Banished soldiers, Ryne and the surviving caravan of humans were marched to Korifex's base residing within the dense jungles of Kessler-846; a coliseum-like Forerunner site, that was now adorned in blood-red Banished colors and now fortified with metal walls, auto-turrets and spikes. Ryne and the prisoners watched in despair on how well-equipped these alien mercenaries, columns of blood-red Wraiths and Ghosts lined up, Banshees dominating the skies, and barracks filled to the brim with Jiralhanae, Sangheili, Kig-Yar, and Unggoy mercenaries armed with a variety of Covenant and Human weaponry. Ryne and the survivors were placed inside cells for the next few days, unexpectedly being fed and cared for by their captors.
While being confronted by Korifex in his "throne room", Korifex met with his prisoners, to give them an "enticing offer for their services". The Brute warlord asked for the services and research data of the ONI scientists, as they wanted to understand the secrets held within these ancient Forerunner artifacts and sites. After a veiled threat of execution, most of the scientists "accepted" his invitation, including a reluctant Lieutenant Welles. Turning his focus to the Spartan and the human soldiers, Korifex praised Ryne's spirit and ability during their battles, and asked the Spartan to be a Lieutenant in his band of mercenaries. Ryne refused, scoffing at Korifex's request. Disappointed but also amused, Korifex had Ryne thrown into a pit in the jungles, where he would spend his days and nights surrounded by insects and mud, and was feed food mixed with poisons from exotic flora and fauna on the planet. Korifex then would have a sickly Ryne fight Brutes and Elites in brutal hand-to-hand combat in a arena within his base, under the penalty of losing that he would execute a member of his team for every time he was defeated.
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"Down in a hole, feelin' so small, Down in a hole, losin' my soul, But my wings have been so denied."
As the weeks bled into months, Ryne's life became complete agony, getting sick from the poison he was forced to eat and fighting everyday against rampaging Brutes and Elites inside a metal arena, Korifex looking down over him from his throne. Living in pain from the bruises and blows he took, throwing up and breaking in sweats from spoiled meat and poisonous flora, Ryne's mental stability was deteriorating, seeing hallucinations, sanity breaks, the nightmares plaguing his sleep, etc. The Spartan was only kept alive by his desperation to not fail Jayne and the team, like he failed Delsin.
One day, while in the arena waiting for his next batch of Banished warriors to face off, Ryne was greeted by Korifex in the arena instead, as he would be facing down the Banished warlord instead. Korifex said if Ryne could kill him their battle, his warriors would let him and his caravan leave this planet in peace. However, as a pair of Brutes appeared in the overlook holding Jayne hostage, Korifex warned if he were to prevail, he would kill the Lieutenant in front of the Spartan, knowing what she meant to his Spartan prisoner. A long, vicious battle ensued, as Ryne desperately fought the Brute with all his strength and whatever was at his disposal. However, Korifex overpowered Ryne, surgically breaking the exhausted Spartan both physically and mentally. After dealing a near-fatal blow to finish the fight, Korifex stood over Ryne's beaten and broken body, boasting over his victory to his Banished brethren and the human POWs watching.
Korifex signaled for the Brutes to proceed with the Lieutenant's execution. Just before it was carried out, Ryne accepted Korifex's offer; begging the Brute to spare Jayne and that he would serve under Korifex if he did so. Korifex pondered the pleas of the Spartan, ordering the Brutes to bring the captive Lieutenant and the POWs to him. Lining the POWs up, Korifex began to personally execute each one in front of a pleading Ryne. The Brute was offended that such a worthy foe would beg for mercy after their battle, proclaiming that Ryne should've accepted his and Jayne's fate. As Korifex reached Jayne, the last survivor in the line-up Ryne looked into the Lieutenant's eyes, seeing her in tears and trembling. As Ryne tried to desperately reach her, held back by Korifex's Brutes, Jaime was swiftly executed, Korifex granting her a quick death with his combat knife. Korifex ordered the broken Spartan thrown back into his pit in the jungles.
Days later, as the Banished were about to abandon Kessler-846 and leave the system, since they plundered the crashed human ships and the Forerunner excavation sites for all its worth, Korifex paid one last visit to Ryne, sitting silent and broken inside the muddied pit. The Brute explained to the Spartan why he turned down the pleas: stating that he refused to let a whimpering, broken warrior be his second, and he would rather let such a being suffer than grant it a "warrior's end". Korifex would let Ryne rot in his hole instead, and the Spartan would either die on this world, or emerge as a better warrior to fight in the future. As Banished warlord took his leave, Ryne spoke his first words in weeks: simply warning Korifex that, if he did survive, he would do more than just kill the Brute, he would make him suffer in ways he couldn't imagine. Hearing this, Korifex simply smiled and walked away.
Mercenary Life on the Frontier[]
In early March of 2559, a Parabola-class freighter, manned by a crew of human scavengers, arrived on Kessler-846, detecting an SOS buoy orbiting the planet. After touching down, the party stumbled upon the ancient Forerunner sites and the remnants of a UNSC encampment, scouring for items of value. At some point, while exploring the Coliseum-like Forerunner ruins, the scavengers stumbled upon a near-death Ryne residing within the ruins. Realizing he was a fabled Spartan, the scavengers took Ryne aboard their ship, keeping him alive long enough for the freighter to reach the colony of Venezia.
Slums of Venezia, overlooked by Tyrant anti-aircraft cannon emplacements.
Upon arrival on the colony, Ryne was taken to a local clinic in the slums of Venezia, where his life was saved and would be on the mend for several days. Soon after, a group of Venezian militiamen entered into the clinic, taking a recovering Ryne into their custody and escorting him to a dilapidated sporting arena now turned into a black market hub, a source of illicit trade and other unsavory dealings. Making his way through Venezia, Ryne was stunned to see humans and aliens living side by side, seeing Kig-Yar trading with human merchants, Sangheili and Jiralhanae strolling alongside human citizens, and other curious routines. Within the stadium interior, Ryne was met by a humanoid alien, with unusual facial features and dressed in a courier's uniform, flanked by two armored human guards. He was told by this "Yonhet" of his current situation, stating that he was a Spartan on Venezia, where his identity could get him killed on a world that was vehemently hostile to the UNSC. However, there was a way to escape this fate: become a Janissary for Venezia and "pay his debt". Seeing no way out, Ryne reluctantly approached M'radd, the name of the Yonhet, offer.
For the next few days, Ryne's identity and life was completely reshaped, as he began his new life as a mercenary supersoldier for Venezia. He was outfitted with new pieces for his RAKSHASA-class Mjolnir Armor, and given a new name, Ryne Swanson, to keep his history as a Spartan a secret from others. Ryne was also informed by M'raad on the state of the galaxy: learning that the Created subjugated Earth, the UNSC was in shambles, and the Outer regions of space were now lawless lands. In his first days as a Janissary, Ryne worked a few "easy jobs" and was helping Venezian militia forces patrol the cityscapes. Ryne was then tasked with training the next batch of Janissaries, Venezian youth that were kidnapped in order pay off debts by taking contracts to pay them off. A reluctant Ryne trained them harshly, but also tried to protect them and shield them from M'radd and his merciless enforcers. As he served out his "contract", Ryne searched for ways to escape M'radd's grasp, while also trying to sabotage his efforts with the Janissaries, but he accomplished very little in that regard and struggled to break from the Yonhet's tight clutches.
In early October of 2559, Ryne was given his own team of Janissaries, and they would begin taking contracts from interested parties on Venezia. In the coming months, Ryne and his band of youthful, inexperienced mercs were sent across the wild frontiers of space, taking on contracts from criminal organizations, paramilitary groups, corporate entities, and shadowy individuals. Ryne's team was to work and fight alongside human and alien mercenaries, criminals, and paramilitaries that requested M'radd's services. These entities included organizations such as the Bandusa Group, The Syndicate, the Imbrium Machine Complex, the Shields of Requiem, and even the Banished themselves, much to the former Spartan's chagrin. While Ryne and his Janissaries would engage against rival outlaws, mercs, Covenant remnants, and some corporate security forces when required, they mostly found themselves fighting against the UNSC, Swords of Sanghelios, and even Prometheans for a majority of their contracts. Even with his reservations about his current "duties", Ryne realized that this was also a chance to, not only to escape from Venezia's hold, but to find Korifex and get his vengeance.
In December of that year, Ryne and his team of Janissaries were on contract to Gabriel Hessen, former UNSC Marine Colonel turned Bandusa Warlord on Venezia, for some time. Hessen retained their services, after Ryne and his Janissaries foiled an attempt on life by a pair of ONI operatives. One day, Hessen and the Banished struck up a partnership to neutralize key targets against the Swords of Sanghelios, as their warriors and ships were harassing their trading posts and supply lanes, and Ryne's merc team, with Banished forces in support, would take part in an assassination attempt of a Sangheili special operations commander that was key to these efforts, known as Tyso 'Lodamee. However, when presented with an image of the target during his briefing, Ryne was shocked to discover that this Sangheili could be the same one that killed his mother on Arcadia all those decades ago, recognizing his eyes and the scars on its face that he saw as a young child. Ryne found a renewed rage in himself, determined to finally seek the retribution that drove him to become Spartan.
Confrontation and Reunion[]
The Bandusa-Banished strike force traveled to a distant Sangheili-held system, via a Intrusion corvette, as it was where Hessen's spies indicated their target would be. The informants believed that 'Lodeamme was on board a Sangheili orbital station, where a small garrison of Swords of Sanghelios was also stationed, with a Swords of Sanghelios Zanar-pattern light cruiser orbiting said station nearby. Posing as a friendlies with a Sangheili shuttle ship, the strike team would board the ship in surprise raid, plundering and wreaking havoc as much as they could. However, they had one goat to keep in mind: Kill Tyso 'Lodamee.
Once docked after tricking the station control, Ryne, his Janissaries, and a couple packs Banished Brutes, Elites, and Kig-Yar, with the help of some saboteurs on the stations, boarded the station in an aggressive raid. While the Banished warriors distracted the bulk of the Swords' forces, Ryne and his team plowed through the station defenders, and finding and cornering Lodamee and his bodyguards in the station's control center. Dispatching the guards, Ryne engaged Tyso in one-on-one combat, and would get the upper hand in the end. With the Sangheili at his mercy, Ryne removed his helmet and the Tyso seemed to recognize the Spartan, confirming Ryne's suspicions. Putting his helmet back on, Ryne prepared to brutalize Tyso, only for him to be interrupted by the timely arrival of UNSC Spartans and Sangheili commandos that came to the aid of the besieged station. Forced into a dangerous firefight, Ryne begrudgingly let Tyso escape to assist his Janissaries in engaging these Spartans and elite Sangheili warrior. Realizing that he and his team were about to be overrun, Ryne and his young mercs decided to retreat to the hanger bay to steal one of the docked Phantoms.
While covering his Janissaries' retreat into the hanger bay, Ryne was confronted by a familiar Spartan - a figure from his past. Standing before him and demanding his surrender was Giulia, Ryne's former DISCIPLE teammate. Unaware of who he was due to his armor, Giulia ordered Ryne and his Janissaries to surrender or they would be killed. Caught off guard by the sudden encounter of an old friend, Ryne stood still in silence, staring down the green-armored figure standing before him. Thanks to the intervention of one of his Janissary subordinates and a pair of surviving Banished Kig-Yar, Ryne was able to escape Giulia and her Spartan teammates, and get aboard the stolen Phantom to escape the station. However, in the process, Ryne's identity was revealed to Giulia, who was left stunned by the revelation that her former teammate was now a rogue Spartan.
Upon their return to Venezia and arrival at Hessen's stronghold, Ryne and his Janissaries were met by an angry Hessen and M'raad, upset over their failure in fulfilling the contract. Suddenly, Korifex, appeared in Hessen's lounge, demanded an explanation as to why the mission had failed, revealing he was the one who ordered Lodamee's assassination. Seeing Korifex in the flesh, Ryne charged the Banished warlord with murderous intent, only to be held back by Hessen and his Janissaries. Quickly picking up on who this attacker was, Korifex was delighted to find that Ryne had survived. Ryne refused to work for the Brute, not willing to do his dirty work, and willing to risk execution if it came down to it. However, knowing how deep Ryne's desire for vengeance was, Korifex responded with an offer, giving him a chance to face him, one-on-one, if he did fulfill his obligations for the Banished. Thinking through it, Ryne begrudgingly accepted Korifex's terms.
The Hunt and the Hunted[]
For the early days of 2560, Ryne and his Janissaries traversed the frontiers, carrying out missions on behalf of Hessan and the Banished. Ryne's team would raid UNSC and Sangheili outposts across planets in the Outer region, taking weapons and military hardware for contracted employers, while they hunted Tyso 'Lodamee and his Legion, hunting and killing Tyso's Lieutenants and wiping out their whatever garrisons they came across to draw the Sangheili General out. The rogue Spartan, with his identity now revealed, and his team of slave-soldiers were now wanted by Naval Intelligence and the Swords of Sanghelios, a Kill/Capture order placed on his head by both parties. They would have run-ins with Spartans and Elites hunting for him, but they managed to escape their hunters each time. Motivated by pure hatred and a revenge, Ryne carried out these missions as a Janissary, with little thought of the consequences as he was determined to get his revenge against both Tyso and Korifex.
At some point, during another job on Venezia itself, Ryne would again cross paths with Giulia, but now his former Gamma Company teammates in tow. All three Spartans looking to bring in their former teammate. Undeterred by their pleas to peacefully surrender, Ryne simply warned his former comrades that he was not going to stop in his quest to Kill Tyso, despite Giulia's friendship with said Elite and warned them to stay out of his way. Before parting ways, Giulia promised she would stop him, with Ryne simply shrugging her off in response. Ryne allowed her former teammates to escape Venezia, much to Hessen's annoyance. Tensions between Ryne and Hessen had grown ever since the botched mission to kill Lodamee, as Hessen disliked that Ryne was growing more defiant of his orders and open disrespect to him in front of his men. Ryne's Yonhet owner reminded the Spartan of his and his teammates' predicament, warning that adding to their debts was just one form of punishment for those that stepped out of line.
In March of 2560, Korifex delivered intel that Thel Lodamee was on a Sangheili Colony, Valoruk, where he was apparently coordinating his forces in the region in their war against the Created and the Banished. The Banished were going to raid Valoruk, as the Swords of Sanghelios used the planet as one of their base of operations due to the vital armories it housed, looking to take much-need resources and to inflict casualties on the Swords. It was also a refuge for humans and the aliens that fled their worlds due to Cortana's subjugation of the galaxy. Ryne and his Janissaries would use this as a distraction, to infiltrate the rocky, hive city where Lodamee was likely residing, and kill him.
Ships flying towards a towering city hidden within the cavernous rocklands of a Sangheili Colony of Valoruk, circa 2558.
The Banished dreadnoughts and cruisers arrived in Valoruk's system, undetected by the small flotilla of Sangheili battlecruisers patrolling the orbit. The ships quickly struck the Sanghelios battlegroup, allowing for a couple of Banished corvettes to drop into the planet's surface and deploy their ground forces attacking the Armories and Assembly Forges resting on the arid, desert plains. Meanwhile, using an unmarked shuttle, Ryne and his Janissaries infiltrated one of Valoruk's cavernous settlements, believed to be where Tyso's command post, placed within a towering structure of stone, was located.
Breaching their defensive perimeter quietly, Ryne and his kill team gained entry into the stone fortress nestled in the caverns, bypassing or neutralizing alert Sangheili guards or sentries. However, their presence was expected, as Giulia with a fireteam of Spartan-IVs were present alongside Sangheili Ascetic Guards, expecting Ryne and his Venezian mercenaries to show up. While upset, it did confirm to Ryne that Tyso was here, inside this fortress of rock. A firefight ensued between the Spartans and Janissaries, in which Ryne's team was clearly outmatched but held their own. Upon the insistence of his young team, Ryne would venture deeper into the fortress to reach Tyso's domain, only to be quickly intercepted by Giulia. After a brief exchange of words, Ryne and Giulia dueled each other, with their weapons and then their fists. While Giulia was getting the better of him, Ryne, with his wits and a cheap trick, was able to briefly incapacitate Giulia, allowing him to reach Tyso's quarters.
Ryne and the Janissaries on the hunt in the desert settlements on the Sangheili colony of Valoruk, circa March 2560.
Finding his mother's killer in his room, Ryne charged at Tyso, and both Janissary and Sangheili engaged in vicious hand-to-hand combat within the Elite's lodging. Both warriors bruised and bloodied each other, but Ryne got the upper hand in the hand and was able to bring Tyso down. Ryne began to brutally beat down the defeated Tyso, proclaiming how he longed for this moment and he was going to make the Sangheili officer beg for his mercy. Ryne drew his Magnum, readying it and shoving the barrel into Tyso's mouth.
Suddenly, from the shadows of the dormitory, a female Sangheili appeared, with a young Sangheili hiding behind her legs. The female was seemingly begging Ryne to stop and spare the 'Lodamee. Tyso began to yell in his tongue, motioning for her to stay back. Putting it together, Ryne realized that this female and child were Tyso's wife and offspring. Overcome by emotions, a panicked Ryne ordered the female Sangheili and the child to stay back, threatening them with his pistol. Noticing the emotional turmoil on the human's face, the Sangheili consort, ordering her child to stay put, carefully approached the Spartan, convinced that this armored human warrior would not hurt her. Despite the pleadings from Tyso and threats from Ryne, the female Sangheili got up to edge of pistol's barrel, challenging the rogue Spartan to pull the trigger. In a tearful rage, Ryne relented, releasing Tyso and firing the entire magazine into the stone roof before collapsing to his knees. Minutes later, Giulia and a trio of Sangheili Ascetic Guards bursted into the Tyso's quarters, only to find Tyso huddled with his wife and son, and the armored intruder on his knees, quietly looking out to the open balcony nearby.
With the Banished raiding party retreated from the system, Ryne and his Janissary fireteam were left to be captured and taken into custody by the Swords of Sanghelios, thrown into a steel prison on the planet, awaiting possible execution. Within days though, Ryne and his team were then transferred into the custody of Naval Intelligence, taken aboard a Sahara-class heavy prowler by Giulia and her Spartan fireteam. The ONI Prowler departed the Valoruk system, linking up with a small flotilla of UNSC destroyers and cruisers holding positions in a human-controlled star system hidden away from the Created and Banished.
In a hearing over his crimes as a rogue Spartan, presided over by a three-person council of ONI officers, a guarded Ryne relayed his testimony, informing of them on the fate of his assigned ONI Expeditionary Corps, his imprisonment under the Banished, how he became a Venezian Janissary, and his true motivations for his actions. After several hours of deliberation, the ONI Officers decided to pardon Ryne, due to the UNSC's dire situation and the extreme circumstances surrounding Ryne's situation. This allowed him to avoid imprisonment for his deeds, and reintegrate him into Spartan Operations. However, punishment was still in order and Ryne was to be placed on "probation". The Alpha Company Spartan was to be demoted, surrendering his Warrant Officer rank, and would be determining where to assign the Spartan imminitely. As he was dismissed, Ryne asked about the young Janissaries under his command, and he was told that they were to be sentenced soon enough. Ryne demanded leniency for the young teens, reiterating they were forced into service. Ryne went as far as forgoing his pardon and join them in imprisonment if they were not released. Thanks to intervention from Liberatore and Giulia, the ONI disciplinary committee relented and would pardon them, but kept under supervision for the time-being.
UNSC Orbital Station, mainly utilized by Spartans and Special Warfare operators, circa late 2550s.
By early April of 2560, while on Virgio Station, a UNSC space station housing various Spartan fireteams and UNSC Special Operations units, Ryne was quietly reinstated into Spartan Operations, and was placed under "supervised leave" on the station as it was being determined where he would be assigned next. The Spartan's daily life was anything but normal, training and carrying out his routine while enduring hostile glares and snarls aimed in his direction, as rumors about him swirled around the station's halls and quarters. While Ryne's time as a Janissary was classified, murmurs and rumors were still able to get out.
At some point, on the station, Giulia, whose fireteam made a brief stay on the station, would come aboard and have a face-to-face with Ryne for their first conversation in years. The exchange between the former teammates was awkward and intense, as both Spartans relayed their current emotions. Ryne told her former teammate how he regretted his treatment of her and Delsin, wishing he had disobeyed orders and saved Delsin on Earth. The remorseful Spartan doubted his ability to be better, lamenting how when he tried to do so, he only relapsed into a selfish rage again. Ryne accepted that Giulia despised him and would never forgive him, and understood if she never wanted to see him again. Hearing all this, Giulia was saddened to know that Ryne believed that she hated him, and that she never stopped being a friend to him. She admitted that she still believed Ryne made the wrong decision in regards to Delsin, but she had learned to forgive him and understood that his decision didn't come from a place of malice. She also believed that Ryne had changed for the better since they last met, as she saw him risk his own freedom for a bunch of kids and how he stopped himself from killing Tyso, something the old Ryne would never do. Giulia learned what Korifex did to him and the ONI expedition a while back, believing the Brute had executed him. The Beta Company Spartan thought she would never get the chance to make things right with him, and was on her own vengeful quest to kill Korifex. Now, knowing that he was still alive, all Giulia ever wanted was to to be there for Ryne. Both Spartans shared an emotional embrace, reconciling after years away from each other.
Renewal and Reclamation[]
Personality and Traits[]
Ryne was known, at first, for his cold-hearted and aggressive nature, with an unyielding drive to succeed in his missions regardless the obstacle and at any cost. Motivated by his burning hatred for the Covenant, Ryne was focused on achieving retribution for himself and his family by any means necessary. Ryne was often described as antisocial and uncaring for those around him, giving him the impression of a sociopath to others. Ryne is always the first to express criticism, usually in a rather sarcastic way. Ryne could be insolent to others, often offering unsolicited and harsh criticisms accusing others of ineptitude, or otherwise breaching a sore subject. Ryne also had a short-temper that could be set off by any slight against him, or inconvenience in his way.
Ryne was widely seen as cold, angry, driven, and egotistical. Ryne prioritized mission success and himself over others, and he refused to jeopardize the mission or risk himself for the sake of others. He also took a "my way, or the highway" approach, asserting himself over others and making them follow his way of doing things. However, due to the building trauma and experiences of the Human-Covenant War began to weigh on him, Ryne would start to mature and become level-headed and less aggressive towards others, especially during the Post-War Era. Ryne began to value his relationships with others more, and started to care for others' well-being, much to his own surprise. Even so, Ryne's old violent tendencies and ego still emerged from time to time, but learned to keep those emotions in check.
Ryne-A064 wearing civilian clothing, circa 2540s.
Ryne is a proficient marksman and a fierce warfighter. In the field, Ryne was a ruthless force to be reckoned with, and he was always focused on the completion of his objectives above all else. Due to his training and experience, Ryne developed the skill sets of long-range and high-grade marksmanship, while specializing in reconnaissance, direct action, and infiltration. In his service, Ryne would be one of the most lethal snipers in the SPARTAN-III program. Ryne would also learn other skills in his experience in the field, such as Close-Quarters combat (CQC) and Demolitions, due to some help and training from his peers. This would make him more versatile and adaptable in combat. All in all, Ryne is seen as of ONI's most lethal assets in the field during the war.
Ryne was trained and developed into a reconnaissance specialist, capable of going deep behind enemy lines to collect environmental and military information, develop targets, and tilt the battlespace in the UNSC's favor. Ryne would develop his scouting skills and instincts during and after the Human-Covenant War. Ryne was often seen as a capable hunter/tracker, which made him an excellent wetwork operative to utilize in the field to hunt down High-Value targets or retrieve High-Value material in the field. In the Post-War era, after being taken off the field, Ryne became an analyst, where he had to learn to analyze and interpret military intelligence, assess missions, and to lead and direct others while off-field. Ryne would come to learn and understand how both human and alien military structure, capabilities, doctrine, weapons systems, and tactics functioned.
Skills and Abilities[]
- Designated Marksman: During his Spartan training on Onyx, Ryne developed his skill as marksman and proved himself as an excellent shot with medium and long-range weaponry. He was among the best sharpshooters in Alpha Company. Ryne was adept in the usage of the BR series and M392 DMRs, and proved even skillful with the SRS99 series and M99 Stanchion. Ryne's talent as an ace shooter made him ideal asset in assassination, reconnaissance, and direct action operations.
- Special Reconnaissance: Ryne was known as a recon specialist, as he was able to obtain information about enemy forces, the terrain, and civil activities in the area of operations. Ryne continued to develop his expertise in reconnaissance during his time on AAG, as he was often sent deep behind enemy lines in various environments. The Spartan provided specialized surveillance and acquired intelligence that would prove useful for ground forces.
- Infiltration Specialist: Ryne was skilled in carrying out special operations and actions in such a way that the operation goes unnoticed by enemy forces in the area. In fact, this was the Spartan's modus operandi during his time in Naval Intelligence, as he would go in and out of the area of operations, undetected and unseen. Sometimes, an entire enemy force would be wiped out by Ryne's hand, and it went largely unnoticed by nearby enemy troops in the area.
- Acquisitions Specialist:The Spartan showed a remarkable aptitude for HVT operations, especially when targeting alien assets. In the field, Ryne was dedicated to neutralizing his target, especially Covenant HVTs due to the trauma he experienced. Over his career as a Spartan, Ryne began to observe and learn about his targets, studying patterns and movements on his target before engaging. Ryne's sharpshooting talents would mesh well with these mission types, as he could neutralize his targets from long distances.
- Direct Action: Even though the Spartan was more of distant, covert fighter that specialized in scouting activities, Ryne could more than hold his own in direct action. Ryne knew how to conduct short-duration strikes and other small-scale offensive actions in hostile, denied, or politically sensitive environments and which employ specialized military capabilities to seize, destroy, capture, exploit, recover, or damage designated targets.
- Combat Tracker: Ryne developed a keen ability in combat tracking, as he learned to follow and analyze trails and navigate hostile territory to locate his target/objective. Ryne was able to gather information by analyzing the forensic evidence that is left by the enemy on the natural environment. The Spartan was capable of spotting observable and non-observable indicators in the field.
Gallery[]
