Samuel-B256 (TPF)

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Samuel-B256 Biographical Information Full Name Samuel Jurek Gwozdz (Birth) Samuel Eryk Modzelewski (Assumed) Spartan Tag B256 Homeworld New Harmony Born May 17 2532 (UNSC Military Calendar) Physical Description Species Human (Augmented) Gender Male Height 6 ft. 4 in./193.1 cm. (Unarmored) Weight 232 lbs./105.2 kg. (Unarmored) Cybernetics SPARTAN Neural Interface Political and Military Information Allegiance Unified Earth Government United Nations Space Command Branch UNSC Navy Office of Naval Intelligence Unit Team Tango Team Specter Red Team Team Osage Rank Petty Officer First Class (E-6) (P)MOS IS - Intelligence Specialist Battles Human-Covenant War Operation: SILENT SERVANT Operation: RIGHTFUL DAWN Operation: URGENT TEMPEST Battle of Juniper IV Battle of Meridian Battle of Ballast Battle of Fumirole Battle of Reach Battle for Earth Post-Covenant War conflicts Operation: HYBRID VANGUARD Operation: HOPE OUTREACH UEG Diplomatic Mission - Andesia Installation 04 Exclusion Zone Objective Juniper Orbit Operation: RELENTLESS GEYSER Requiem Campaign Created Conflict Raid on New Zaječar Objective Black Orbit Operation: INTREPID SHEPHERD Partition Skirmishes Status Listed Missing In Action; ACTIVE

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"An intelligence specialist who spent time with the Headhunters and a non-company team during the Human-Covenant War. Now a lead petty officer who takes on some of the most dangerous missions ONI has to offer."

―Vilda Stenbeck on Samuel-B256.

Petty Officer First Class Samuel-B256 is a SPARTAN-III who works for the UNSC Navy and Office of Naval Intelligence. Conscripted into Beta Company, Samuel became a Headhunter who completed missions for the Beta-5 Division against Insurrectionists and Covenant targets in the Human-Covenant War.

Leading Team Specter throughout the Human-Covenant War, Samuel and Mathilda-B080 conducted operations till 2549. Following the death of Samuel's Headhunter partner, he reassigned to a non-company team named Red Team under the command of Oriana-A058 till the end of the war.

Reassigned to ONI during the Post-Covenant War conflicts, Samuel rejoined the Headhunters as a LONEWOLF operative. He conducted tours for the Beta-5 Division on Covenant remnants and other targets assigned to him. In 2557, Samuel was asked by Oriana to join a team she was creating named Team Osage to conduct missions for ONI.

Biography

Early Life

New Harmony

New Harmony in 2532.

Born Samuel Jurek Gwozdz on May 17th, 2532, Juri and Odeta Gwozdz welcomed their son into their lives. Raised in the city of Nowy Korfantów, Samuel grew up in a wealthy agricultural community which was pioneered by the Government of Poland back on Earth. Juri Gwozdz was a Vintner who was able to sell wine across the galaxy to clients. At the same time, Odeta spent her time as a Sommelier for the business her husband ran. Being extremely affluent and having a lavish lifestyle, he grew up in a much different environment compared to other colonists. Nowy Korfantów was secluded from the majority of New Harmony and perceived to be one of the richest towns. Regardless, Samuel asked about New Harmony and how it came to be a colony for humanity to reside on. Despite his ambitions to look outward and learn, his parents were preparing him to take over the family winery business once he came of age.

Early on in Samuel's life, he remained shy of others and found comfort in his mother due to her being around more. Taught to be compassionate and caring, Samuel worked on developing his skills with the house staff who lived on the estate's grounds. The endless fountain of love from his parents regularly gave became one of the many reasons he felt safe with them. When Odeta took her son out to the market or stores, she found him being extremely timid of other children. By the time Samuel was four years of age, he had begun his education. Being picked up by his father, Juri noticed Samuel was more quiet than usual and got a call from the school's administration about Samuel was being picked on. He was embarrassed to talk to his parents due to the bullying he was experiencing. Once hearing what their son had endured, both parents planned to move to another school until one girl from his class showed up.

"I remember Kalina well. She was my first friend, the one who always had an open hand and not a closed fist. She was the sister I did not have, the friend I needed the most."

―Samuel remembering his first friend, Kalina.

Kalina, a resident from one of the estates, arrived and went to talk with Samuel. At first, he was hostile towards her and stated he was not going to trust her since she did not stick up for him. She took his words and acted upon them the next day when she attacked the massive bully of the class. Samuel found Kalina was someone he was willing to trust and began to develop a form of friendship with her after the attack. As the years progressed, the two became nearly inseparable. Often, they were found at one another house's, always trying to find a way to talk with one another during class. He felt extremely safe and secure with Kalina, often sharing his thoughts and ideas, many he held close to his heart.

"I cherished the days when I woke up to the sound of my mother's singing voice and the laughter of my father filling the room. Kalina is the one person I fully trusted and cared for, protected her from the other boys who would come to pick on her. But then they came and everything changed."

―Samuel reflecting on his life before everything changed.

An Outer Colony conflict known as the Human-Covenant War was slowly making its way towards the Inner Colonies. By 2537, the New Harmony Defense Force grew in strength, and the fear of an attack by the enemy was not on the minds of many who lived in Nowy Korfantów. On a warm day, the Covenant attacked the colony, and the Battle of New Harmony was underway. Samuel's hometown was ground zero for the Covenant Empire, and the enemies made their way onto the plantations which belonged to the wealthy citizens. Samuel was pulled away by a servant who was ordered by Odeta to take her son to a shelter and wait for them. Crying for his parents to come with him, Samuel tried to pry himself away from the grasp of the servant and get back to his mother. When a Covenant drop pod slammed into the ground, a Sangheili emerged and killed the servant. The nightmare the creature was, Samuel screamed in fear till he heard a shotgun blast from behind and turned to see his father. Keeping his focus on father, he remained frozen as he watched his mother run towards him then get shot. Juri fell quickly after, and Samuel huddled up into a small spot crying.

Not long after, Samuel heard another drop pod slam into the ground, a UNSC Single Occupant Exoatmpshere Insertion Vehicle (SOEIV) with an Orbital Drop Shock Trooper (ODST) emerging. The ODST quickly killed the Sangheili warrior and brought Samuel to safety before going out into battle. Being sat down, Samuel watched as an ODST removed his helmet, and he noticed the man was not a creature who killed his parents. Only able to speak Polish, Samuel asked about if his family and friend were alive, he received no response. Picked up by a transport shuttle, Samuel was taken away from the battlefield and taken to a new location where he was hopefully going to find where his friend was. Arriving at an orphanage, Samuel lost his parents and the one friend he kept close to his heart.

Reach

One of the many rooms at an orphanage where Samuel slept.

"New Harmony turned into a never-ending nightmare for me. After the attack, supplies ran out, and people fled the colony in the hope of finding refuge. We no longer had sunny days, the smoke from the fires blotted out the sun, and our ecosystem was dying by the second. I was put on Beyond the Boundary, a light freighter and sent to somewhere else."

―Samuel on the state of New Harmony in 2537.

Admitted to an orphanage in Tyumen, New Harmony, Samuel became one of the million orphans who were brought in after the Battle of New Harmony then relocated to New Alexandria, Reach, in the Epsilon Eridani system. Admitted into the New Alexandria Federal Conservatory, Samuel resided in the Fifth Ward Dormitory alongside other orphans from the Human-Covenant War. The NAFC was no different than where he lived on New Harmony temporarily; the conditions in the dormitory turned spartan quickly. He found himself in a world of sickness and strange children, which led him to be even more afraid of the situation. He often cried for his parents, hoping their death was fake. Those who resided in the dormitory the longest took him under their wings and showed Samuel the ways to recover from the experiences he witnessed.

While at the NAFC, Samuel enrolled in an English Language course while also attending New Alexandria Primary Education Facility Number 528. He continued his education and quickly met Mathilda Dufort, another orphan who fled New Constantinople following a Covenant attack in 2537. He quickly became friends with her, and the two spent time studying together while walking around New Alexandria. Samuel felt as if he finally found someone to fill the hole Kalina left and made sure not to let the same thing happen to Mathilda. While Samuel struggled with saying her name in English, they worked together by improving their oral and written skills through the desire of wanting to know each other more. He didn't spend time connecting with the other orphans due to his instinctual need to help his closest friend at any moment. Samuel slowly became the protective friend Mathilda sought for while out and about.

New Alexandria in 2538.

"New Harmony's location was compromised after the battle. I left my homeworld in 2537 and made it to Reach in 2538, starting a new chapter in my life within the NAFC. I wanted to fight; I wanted to do something about those to who everything from me."

―Samuel on his move to Reach and desire to fight the Covenant after being an orphan for nearly two years.

In later months of 2538, Samuel refused to a gang after being an offered a spot by the older orphans. Even after being attacked, he refused to join and stood firm with his decision. One member captured Mathilda when she was sleeping and tried to traffick her out of Ward Five, he learned of her disappearance and went to the nearby police station for help. Samuel was shooed away by the officers and made his own attempt to rescue her with a pipe he stole from a convenience store. His frustration continued to mount as authority figures such as the dorm manager and police officers refused to help him due to other important tasks. Meeting with Cillian, Samuel located Mathilda and attacked the kidnapper for hurting his friend. He raced over to the Fourth Ward, where he found Mathilda being taken by an older woman and freed her from the stranger. The two escaped back to the Fifth Ward with no other injuries.

Two Office of Naval Intelligence recruiters posed as a couple looking to adopt, spotted Samuel by his last name and the work his father did as a successful vintner. Deciding to take a chance to learn more about the child of Juri Gwozdz, the couple learned about Samuel being a good kid who didn't socialize with the other orphans. An offer was put down for him to join an exclusive group of children who were going to get revenge on the Covenant. Samuel accepted the offer to join, only if Mathilda was as well. He felt she was as qualified as him, and the recruiters reaffirmed she was coming. Once the meeting concluded, he met with Mathilda in a secluded room to share his excitement of getting revenge against the Covenant. Days later, the couple adopted Samuel and then erased all records of him alongside Mathilda. Samuel Jurek Gwozdz no longer existed, he disappeared from Reach and was transported to a new location where he began training.

SPARTAN-III Program Training

Conscription and Training

Samuel waking up on Onyx.

Upon Samuel's arrival to Onyx in 2539, he was quickly stripped of his name and given the phonetic identification as well as SPARTAN tag, Sierra-B256. Samuel decided to accept the name change and SPARTAN tag he received. On the first night for Beta Company training at Camp Currahee, Samuel was forced to conduct a static airborne parachute jump which became his first test if he was SPARTAN material. Scared at first, Samuel quickly changed his mind and jumped hoping he was going to get back down to the ground and go to sleep. Passing the first of many tests, Samuel later met the drill instructors and the famous leader known as Franklin Mendez. The SPARTAN Indoctrination kicked off, and Samuel was thrown hard into the brutal training he underwent. Falling back into his old habits since he wasn't around Mathilda, Samuel stuck to himself and did everything he needed to make it to the next day then the next. Candidates voluntairly dropped out, gave up, or quit throughout the early year of training, but Samuel hung in and kept fighting with a desire never to quit. Passing SPARTAN Indoctrination, Samuel pushed onto the next phase where he began his education as a SPARTAN.

Enrolled in numerous classes such as Mathematics, Science, History, and English, he struggled with his ability to comprehend what the right answers were. Working with Mathilda-B080, the friendship evolved towards the two creating codes to cheat on exams. Along with physical and mental training, they pushed each other to not quit and drop out. Throughout 2539 to 2541, they improved their ability to cheat on tests together using a code no other candidate decrypted. It showcased his desire always to find a way to win, no matter the circumstances he was placed under at any time. Unfortunately, Deep Winter, the smart artificial intelligence, was able to log the attempts. Reprimanded for their behavior, it did not stop him from creating new ways and ideas on how to get past the AI who continued to detect them. Eventually, they graduated from their required academic classes and began to progress forward in their training.

Deep Winter: "I've detected Sierra-B256 and Sierra-B080 cheating on the SPARTAN Mathematics exam using a sound method this past week. This marks the fifth time they've cheated and gotten away with it."

ONI Officer: "Forward me the video of the classroom they were in, I want to see how they did it."

―Deep Winter informing an ONI officer of Samuel cheating on an exam.

In April of 2540, Samuel and Mathilda were assigned to Team Tango where the two met Roland-B210 and Jonah-B283. At first, the four were at each other's necks about failed tasks executed during their Team Building Classes (TBC) and Small Unit Tactics (SUT) courses. Blame shifted around the four members, which led to a fight between Mathilda and Jonah. He was able to pull her off of Jonah but heard him snap a rude comment at her which resulted in the two getting in a fight with Roland and Jonah. Later, Roland was named the team leader of Team Tango in September of 2540, while he was named assistant team leader. Following August 24, 2541, Samuel completed a Ring the Bell test with Team Tango to earn his slot in Beta Company. He was approved to start specialized combat training as an Intelligence Specialist. Samuel and Mathilda began to use teamwork, communication, and trust as a means to push through the brutal training program. During Team Tango's first assigned training exercise in 2542, all members passed with exceptional numbers. Members of the training cadre were impressed since other teams failed their attempts to pass. Enrolled in other training exercises throughout 2542 and 2543, all members of Team Tango passed without operating as a cooperating fireteam. The Office of Naval Intelligence took an active interest in Team Tango and its members.

File:Samuel-B256-youngin-TPF.png

Samuel outside of Zone 67, taking a break from Headhunter Assessment and Selection.

In 2543, Samuel was selected to undergo a two-week assessment and selection course to determine where he was going to serve as a SPARTAN. The evaluation included physical workouts, an academic course, an oral board, and a comprehensive exercise to judge his critical thinking, deductive reasoning, and the ability to not crack under pressure. Pushing through each course, he struggled through academics but excelled through the physical workouts and oral board. Luckily, he was able to do the entire course with Mathilda, where they motivated each other. Finding where each other had their expertise, the two excelled through the assessment and selection. Formerly known as a timid and scared child, Samuel transformed into a sturdy and well-rounded candidate who did not back down from adversity. After the two-week course, he was selected for a secretive group along with Mathilda under ONI's command. Unsure of what was going to happen next, Samuel was determined to go through whatever was in front of him alongside Mathilda. Pulled aside from team training on an early morning, the two loaded onto an unmarked Pelican and were relocated to a different location to begin their training as Headhunters.

Headhunter Training

Arriving for Headhunter Training, Samuel and Mathilda underwent the matchmaking course to ensure if they were a good pair. Scoring 96.92% in the matchmaking, the two were cleared to train together. Being close with someone he knew and trust excelled his ability to perform as a Headhunter Candidate. Enrolled in the Headhunter Operator Training Course, Samuel transformed from a SPARTAN and into a Headhunter who was going to carry out dangerous missions. He continued training with Mathilda with a focus on unit cohesion as well as their ability to win against a strong opponent. The two learned more about how they worked with one another till their death.

Undergoing the Headhunter Operator Training Course, Samuel was trained to become a Team Leader while Mathilda worked on becoming a marksman. Throughout the training, he learned how to infiltrate, assault, gather intelligence, breach, sabotage, conduct psychological warfare, and be a spotter for Mathilda. He took courses in combat targeting analysis, geospatial intelligence management, signals intelligence exploitation, and counter-intelligence methods. The Operator Training Course revolved around the team's ability to work together in extremely stressful situations. He found his calling to carbines and combatives, which made him a well-rounded Headhunter who was able to accomplish any mission. Mathilda found herself teaching Samuel counter-sniper tactics while he taught her intelligence-collecting methods. Both wanted to become experts in their fields to ensure there was not a flaw in the team's ability to execute a mission.

"ONI was cataloging a number of Covenant and Insurrection High-Value Targets, but lacked the personnel to consistently go after them. That's where Headhunters came in, expendable forces to take down high-value targets behind enemy lines."

―A ONI Section Three officer on the Headhunter program.

Field Exercises included a variety of mission types to determine what type of missions Samuel and Mathilda were going to be conducting. Targeted killings, sabotage, interdiction, demolition, and counter-terrorism became the top missions the two. Team chemistry flourished as Samuel and Mathilda continued to work together throughout their field exercises. Coming towards the end of their field exercises, Samuel noticed a change in the intensity of other candidates as well as the higher stakes. Not folding to the pressure poured on, Samuel was able to showcase being a leader who was able to adapt and win even when facing extreme adversities. By 2544, the two had passed their supervised field exercises and moved onto the final leg of their training for the Headhunter program.

Real-world wartime insertions were the final tests for Samuel to complete alongside Mathilda to ensure they were ready to be a Headhunters for ONI. Over six months, the two underwent three missions to earn their spot within ONI. Demolition, Interdiction, and Targeted Killing were the three they were tested over in the six-month time period. Passing all three insertions, Samuel and Mathilda were activated as a Headhunter Team for ONI. Ready to deploy against the Covenant Empire, Samuel and Mathilda spent their time going over the various armor colors and configurations of high ranking Covenant officials they needed to hone. Upon graduating from Headhunter Training, Samuel received the designation Cat-3 based on the SPARTAN-III Qualification Achievement Tiers.

Augmentations

The UNSC Hopeful, where Project CHRYSANTHEMUM was carried out for Beta Company.

Project CHRYSANTHEMUM was the augmentation project where Samuel received his strength and abilities to become a SPARTAN. It was known to be an altered version of Project ASTER, the augmentation procedure performed on a previous SPARTAN program. Seeing his chance to live longer and kill more Covenant soldiers, he accepted the augmentation without a second thought. Beta Company had a near-perfect rate of augmenting all of their SPARTAN-III soldiers which left little worry for the procedure to fail on him. Arriving on UNSC Hopeful in September of 2543, Samuel was instructed into a room, and the procedure began under the supervision of Lieutenant Commander Odin O'Connell.

The project included the following drugs:

• 8942-LQ99 - "carbide ceramic ossification catalyst" drug.

• 88005-MX77 - "fibroid muscular protein complex" drug.

• 88947-OP24 - "retina-inversion stabilizer" drug.

• 87556-UD61 - "improved colloidal neural disunification solution" drug.

With the rest of his augmentations, Samuel was given a standard neural interface. He accepted the interface as another tool he was able to use against the enemy. In 2553, his standard neural interface upgraded to the SPARTAN neural interface before going onto other missions across the Orion Arm.

Graduation

Following his completion of Headhunter Training, Samuel graduated from the SPARTAN-III Program Beta Company in February of 2545. He was awarded the rank of Petty Officer Third Class and became the lead petty officer of Team Specter with Mathilda as the assistant lead petty officer. The two were excited to reach their goal of graduating from Beta Company and looked forward to completing missions. Out of the four Headhunter teams graduating from their class, Team Specter ranked second and ahead of Roland and Jonah. Prior to leaving Onyx, Samuel was able to make final adjustments to his kit before embarking on the next step in his journey as a new SPARTAN.

"I think it's the biggest achievement of my life, graduating from Beta Company as a Headhunter. I became a valuable asset to the UNSC and was trained to carry out complex missions. For a young SPARTAN, it was a dream come true."

―Samuel reflecting on his graduation from Beta Company.

Leaving Onyx and its system on the UNSC Agincourt, Samuel met with his handler, Lieutenant Stephan Ferguson at Olympic Tower on Reach. During the meeting, he learned Team Specter was assigned to Naval Special Warfare Command, Naval Special Weapons with a permanent assignment to the Beta-5 Division until further notice. After the meeting, Samuel and Mathilda were assigned to the UNSC Razor's Edge. Aboard the Razor's Edge, Samuel spent his time playing chess with Mathilda as they discussed their first mission.

Human-Covenant War

Operation: SILENT SERVANT

After exiting slipspace, Samuel arrived to his first mission, Mamore. It became a hotbed for Insurrectionists activity by 2545, multiple factions continued to amass power despite Alpha Company's deployment in 2537. The head party, known as the Freedom and Liberation Party (FaLP), was making moves to secure UNSC military hardware in the southern hemisphere. ONI confirmed the actions via signals intelligence and needed to deal with the issue. Samuel and Mathilda arrived over Mamore in 2545 with intentions of smoking out the Insurrection's plan to gather more UNSC technology and launching an attack against an already struggling UNSC Armed Forces. On Mamore, the two began conducting sabotage and targeted killing missions to prevent the FaLP from mounting an attack.

"An FaLP terrorist cell was planning to raid an ONI Black Site prison. Sounds bad when we discovered it and looked worse on paper if they went through."

―Samuel thinking about the reality of the situation he was in during Operation: SILENT SERVANT

Tracking down a FaLP courier, Samuel built up a target profile with codename: Hades as their first target to engage. A former UNSC Navy Intelligence Officer who went rogue and joined the FaLP was in charge of a high operation ONI knew little about. Once finding Hades, Mathilda recommended they assassinate the target then and let the UNSC deal with the rest, but met with protests. Agreeing to stay on the target for a longer duration, they learned the true nature of what the FaLP planned to do. An ONI Black Site prison was found by the terrorists, which was housing valuable prisoners being moved to be transported off the planet. Samuel was ordered to conduct a targeted killing against Hades, and he planned to execute him.

Tracking Hades across the terrain, Samuel was able to gather information about a training camp, factories forging UNSC uniforms and, another training pilots how to handle a Pelican. Gathering intelligence on the area, Samuel was able to pick two critical spots for terrain denial which were going to deny the FaLP's chance to launch an attack. Mathilda continued to build a target profile on what Hades did and when was the right time to engage the high-value target. Along with figuring out Hades, Mathilda needed to ensure the plan did not spread across other leaders in case one were to go down. Samuel infiltrated the office of Hades to gather any information and learned about when the attack was planned to take place. Mathilda learned the Insurrectionists were training in UNSC Armed Forces uniforms, which meant the enemy was planning to infiltrate the area. Samuel concluded he needed to take out the terrorist cell before the attack happened.

Samuel preparing for his ambush against the terrorist cell in 2546.

In the early months of 2546, Samuel infiltrated the training camp where he placed C-12 shaped charges to ensure a successful detonation of buildings around the area. Mathilda provided close-target support while watching Samuel and guided him to an office where he was able to engage a leader who handled the logistics of the terrorist cell. Preparing the ambush, Samuel remained close by while Mathilda worked on taking out Hades. With the Pelican arriving at dawn, Samuel detonated the charges as soon as the transport shuttle shut off its engines. Mathilda watched as Hades fled amid the chaos and engaged him while Samuel used the smoke as a means to cover his tracks as he engaged the terrorist cell. Hades was confirmed killed by Mathilda while Samuel cleaned up the stragglers who were disoriented by the explosion.

Picked up by a Prowler, the two executed a textbook demolition and targeted killing against Insurrectionists. As a result of Operation: SILENT SERVANT, the Black Site prison was shut down and transported all of the prisoners off-world. Once boarding the UNSC Razor's Edge, Samuel gave a full report on what happened to his handler. Undergoing a psychological evaluation, he showcased he was excited after completing his first mission, even if it was an Insurrectionsts target. Called upon for another mission, Samuel deployed in a Long Range Stealth Orbital Insertion Pod (LRSOIP). Along the way, Samuel was able to read more on what his next operation and mission were bound to be.

Operation: RIGHTFUL DAWN

An ONI survey team was able to learn more about Cassidy III after stumbling upon in the early 26th century. Ever since the breakout of the Human-Covenant War, ONI had hidden numerous assets across the planet to keep the Insurrectionists in check, along with the system being a back-up plan. By late 2456, an Insurrectionists group was known as the United Rebel Front (URF) began to slowly grow in size. Team Specter's handler took the initiative to hand the mission off to the two Headhunters under his command to ensure the back-up plan was viable in the future. Samuel was ordered to support Operation: RIGHTFUL DAWN, which focused on special reconnaissance and interdiction to ensure the Insurrectionists did not spoil more of ONI's plans.

Setting down on Cassidy III in 2546, Samuel began gathering as much information about the Hole in the Wall along with the significant players who ran the settlement. The URF were the ones who ran almost every major group within the walls, making it easy for him to generalize who to go after. Setting up a reconnaissance nest, the two built up a network of people who worked for the URF and how important they posed for the success of the group. Infiltration and human intelligence gathering became another way Samuel added more information to the file he was composing for the UNSC. With the top leader identified, they prepared for another targeted killing despite being told to follow their original mission directive.

Samuel: "Don't shoot."

Mathilda: "Are you fucking serious? It's now or never."

Samuel: "Something doesn't sit right."

— Samuel telling Mathilda not to shoot the target.

The leader of the URF for Hole in the Wall was meeting his family as Samuel and Mathilda prepared to engage him. ONI did not fully disclose Samuel why his mission directive entailed no direct action missions, but it had to be a reason. The two cataloged what the leader did then moved to conduct interdiction once the area became vacant. Moving back to main roads, Samuel laid out Antilon anti-personnel mines and Type 14 Magnetic/Anti-Tank Mines to prevent the enemies from getting too close to what ONI had hidden on the planet. Samuel also placed down new sensors closer to the settlement to ensure ONI was able to gather more data. By 2547, Samuel and Mathilda kept the URF at bay as well as prevent other groups from stumbling upon technology they were not supposed to see.

File:Samuel-B256-Rightful Dawn.png

Samuel moving in a forest with Mathilda to conduct special reconnaissance.

Identifying a communications center that sent and received messages, Samuel identified the center as a critical asset the URF had. Moving towards the communication center, Mathilda engaged guard towers using thunder as the cover for her shots as Samuel took down patrols. Once inside, Samuel gathered information off the center and allowed ONI within the system to gather the information they needed. Pushing out of the area, Mathilda saw a URF guard spotted a dead body, and the area went on alert. Using C-7 foaming explosives, Samuel improvised a diversion by blowing up a fuel tanker and escaped while the URF sought out an investigation on what happened to the fuel tanker. One day later, Samuel and Mathilda informed their handler they had completed their mission and soon extracted from Cassidy-III.

"It was a simple interdiction and special recce op! Not a damn torch and blow op!"

―Lieutenant Ferguson voicing his frustration after Operation: RIGHTFUL DAWN.

Aboard the UNSC Iwo Jima, Lieutenant Ferguson was not pleased to hear they nearly conducted a targeted killing against the URF along with blowing up a fuel tanker. Samuel dismissed the criticism from his handler since Ferguson was not on the ground alongside him, but admitted to his mistakes in private. With another textbook operation mixed with some improvised planning completed, they were ready for their next mission following a psychological evaluation. With two successful missions and little problems, Samuel prepared for something more of a challenging rather than more Insurrection targets the UNSC needed to keep at bay.

Operation: URGENT TEMPEST

Ealen IV was one of the many recently discovered planets ONI found thanks to the Prowler Corps. Its location was entirely due to its proximity to the Outer Colonies and the ability for the Covenant Empire to produce plasma. Two days after the success of Operation: RIGHTFUL DAWN, Samuel, and Mathilda deployed via an LRSOIP onto the surface of the Covenant occupied planet to perform targeted killings, sabotage, and demolition missions. They were not expected to come back from the mission and told to complete their tasks at all costs.

Mathilda: "Lieutenant sounded final in his talk to us."

Samuel: "He's not expecting us to come back."

―Mathilda and Samuel discussing how Stephan talked to them before the start of Operation: URGENT TEMPEST.

Ealen IV, the planet where the Covenant produce plasma and have proximity to the Outer Colonies

The arrival to Ealen IV was anything but smooth for Team Specter due to where they landed. Two Mgalekgolo were training when their LRSOIP landed nearly 200 meters away from the Covenant soldiers. Taking out the two enemies and keeping their cover, they offloaded their supplies and began moving towards their first objective. Both were excited to finally be battling the Covenant. Samuel led Mathilda around scout patrols and other detection equipment, helping them keep their cover from the enemies being alerted of there position.

Mathilda: "Merde."

Samuel: "What?"

Mathilda: "I shot the wrong one."

— Mathilda realizing she shot the wrong target.

The two found their way towards a Plasma Refinery and set C-7 foaming explosives. Moving back, Samuel watched as a Covenant patrol moved into the blast zone then detonated the explosives to ensure more enemies were taken down. With an explosion on Ealen IV, the Covenant Empire concluded the UNSC was involved and deployed a Silent Shadow group to track the enemies. Samuel stuck around with Mathilda and spotted for her as she took a shot at the First Blade Officer. She missed and killed the second-in-command, which caused a fury of more Covenant teams deployed into the area. Samuel and Mathilda retreated into the forest, ready to battle it out with the Covenant.

Samuel preparing for a demolition op.

Covenant forces began to push into the forest, but Samuel had another idea in mind and vacated the land. Following the failure of the wrong hit, they moved to another staging area in 2548 to destroy more plasma refineries. Sneaking his way through another patrol, Samuel decided to sabotage the refinery instead of destroying. The Sangheili Ultra in charge of the plasma refinery began to investigate, and Mathilda was able to hit her shot. Confirming the death of the Ultra, they watched as the area exploded into chaos after the leader fell. The Silent Shadow was called upon again, Samuel told Mathilda she was going to redeem herself on their next mission. The two vacated the area and pushed forward to another target they planned to hit. By late 2548, Samuel and Mathilda came upon the Silent Shadow undetected.

Moving on to the compound, he was prepared to engage the enemies he had been hunted by for some time. Close to the Compound, Samuel promised Mathilda she was going to get the revenge she needed on the target she missed. Using the darkness and his active camouflage, Samuel was able to get up close and personnel with the enemy before killing them. However, the Silent Shadow had set a trap they walked into without knowing. Samuel engaged a lance of Sangheili and retreated from his position. Mathilda provided precise sniper fire but was unaware of a Sangheili sneaking up from behind her. As Samuel evaded into the forest, he heard Mathilda call for assistance shortly before the First Blade Officer killed her. Unable to reach her in time, Samuel retreated further into the woods and planned for revenge.

"That's not her. Mathilda is dead. She's not alive; it is only a trap. I will kill them all for her."

―Samuel telling himself upon seeing the body.

The Silent Blade lance placed Mathilda's body in a position to try and lure out Samuel. Samuel saw his Headhunter partner and wanted to help, but forced himself to scan for enemies. Still numb from the fact she was dead, Samuel was unable to comprehend SPARTANs died after all he learned in training. He struggled to detach from Mathilda as he continued to see her body time after time. He moved to retrieve the body but placed explosives under her armor to prevent anyone from celebrating her death. As a Sangheili approached, Samuel blew up the body and left Ealen IV. He failed and lost his closest friend. As he left Ealen IV, Samuel hated the silence of his ship and filled the void with a quiet sob.

Being picked up by the UNSC Lark and transported to the UNSC Gettysburg, ONI inquired what happened during Operation: URGENT TEMPEST. Samuel provided evidence he failed to recognize a fake site as well as the death of his partner. Samuel pleaded ONI to send him back out on another mission to avenge his partner but swiftly denied. After passing a psychological exam, Stephan Ferguson assured him he was going to let Samuel get another shot at the First Blade Officer in the future. Samuel turned from a confident and dry-wit SPARTAN into a morose SPARTAN, worrying Stephan and others within the Beta-5 Division. Operation: URGENT TEMPEST was a failure, and Samuel learned the reality SPARTANs were not invincible.

Reassignment

Samuel transferred from an elite offensive role into serving for a non-company team for the UNSC Armed Forces. Assigned to Red Team, Samuel met the Troop Commander Oriana-A058. Red Team returned from Paris IV, which fell to the Covenant and met Samuel on the UNSC Swiftsure. He became the butt end of jokes for wearing SPI armor as the others wore MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor (PAA) Suits.

Following the death of Reagan-B142 and Carson-B260, Samuel came in as a replacement alongside Riley-B192, who had previously served with Echo Team. Yet, Red Team did not provide the resolution he desired. Samuel felt betrayed by Stephan Ferguson for not letting him go after the Sangheili officer. The reassignment felt like a setback and a waste of time. he struggled to see himself make connections with others within the team after losing Mathilda. However, Samuel did connect with Isaac, being the only Beta of the team to not pick on him when he arrived.

Battle of Juniper IV

• Main Article: Halo: Fault Lines

After hearing of a Covenant supply station being built near Meridian in 2550, Red Team was assigned to Task Force Ghostrider to destroy the supply station under the command of Kyzo 'Sakamee and the Silent Witness Fleet. Samuel was assigned to Red Team 02 alongside Draven-A284 and Emilia-A049 to conduct the demolition mission. On the surface of Juniper IV, he was successful in providing security for the destruction of the supply station and evacuated with the team while under fire. After seeing the First Blade Officer who killed Mathilda, Samuel went against orders to fulfill his revenge of killing him but was yelled at by Draven. Following the end of the Battle of Juniper IV, he put in a request to be transferred back into the Headhunters, but decided to stay with Red Team.

Battle of Meridian

File:Meridian 2551 TPF 01.png

Meridian in 2551.

Following the successful mission on Juniper IV, Samuel deployed with Red Team to defend Meridian. Originally attacked in 2548, the UNSC Armed Forces held the Covenant back for quite some time till 2551. The Covenant had arrived over Meridian with a new group of fighters and carriers to assist with finishing off the colony. On Meridian, Samuel received the reality of the war on the defensive front. He learned of a situation where B-65 Shortsword pilots trapped behind enemy lines after being shot down. He elected to join a Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR) team to bring the pilots home. Lynn-A392 joined Samuel on the mission while a Special Tactics Team from the Air Force elected to assist.

"We were going behind enemy lines to try and find people who been missing for a time. I didn't know if they were going to be alive, but it seemed to be something Mathilda wanted me to do with my assignment."

―Samuel on conducting CSAR operations.

Infiltrating behind enemy lines with EV-44 Nightingales, Samuel and Lynn pushed into the Nieuwzen State, where many pilots were presumed to been shot down. He agreed with her to conduct forward reconnaissance to ensure the pilots were alive and able to be reached. Conducting their first mission, Samuel saw one pilot severely injured and held back Lynn when she attempted to rescue the pilot. He saw the Covenant troops lying in wait for an ambush and attacked them to secure the area. Approaching the pilot, Samuel realized he was booby-trapped and attempted to disarm the bomb below the pilot. Samuel was unable to disarm the trap and killed the pilot with no other option.

Samuel continued to conduct missions to find Air Force pilots and came upon a pilot who was hiding out in a nearby village. Offering assistance, a Pararescue airman began to administer medical care while a Combat Controller coordinated a Nightingale to bring the pilot back to safety. One of the pilots talked of an issue about Type-38 Tyrant Anti-Aircraft Cannons (AAC) nearby where the rescue team set up. Samuel and Lynn elected to engage the AACs to prevent the Covenant from stunting their rescue. Launching a demolition mission, Samuel infiltrated into the area and destroyed the cannon with a demolition charge. The Nightingale flew in to pull out the rescue team along with Samuel and Lynn. For the first time since Mathilda's death, Samuel felt glad about the job completed on his behalf.

"Nice work on the rescue mission, other rescue teams will take care of the work now. I need you to assist our assault team in Berethadház. Covenant is banging on a door there, and we need to get some VIPs out."

―Oriana handing Samuel his next mission.

Berethadház held a UNSC Armed Forces Command Compound where the Marine Corps was unable to evacuate in time, which had come under siege. Red Team was elected to assist with breaking the Covenant lines to assist with the personal security detail (PSD) in charge of the commanding generals. Samuel elected to be the spotter for Emilia-A049, while the remaining six SPARTANs planned to be the main assault force. Digging into a sniper's nest, Samuel began to mark leaders of the ground force for Emilia to engage. Oriana and Red Team stormed the compound to free the Marines as well as the commanders. He continued to provide overwatch security and assisted with calling in airstrikes. The UNSC personnel escaped out the back while Samuel and Emilia moved to a pickup location. Once back at Newly Base, a UNSC Air Force Base, the UNSC declared Meridian lost and ordered the evacuation of the entire colony.

Samuel: "We die, Oriana, we're not invincible as they said in training. I know you've swallowed the pill more than once. But it doesn't make you a bad leader, only a more experienced one."

Oriana: "I wish I shared your thinking. Nice job down on Meridian, you did well."

―Samuel and Oriana sharing words following the end of the Battle of Meridian.

File:2551 Meridian TPF 03.png

Meridian after being glassed by the Covenant.

The Covenant Navy began to glass Meridian in 2551 as Samuel learned about the loss of Tucker-B069 during the compound assault. Samuel noticed Oriana dismissed those around her until he sat next to her. Both shared their feelings about what they needed to do to ensure the survival of the team. Samuel watched his first glassing, an image burned into his mind. Samuel proved himself in Red Team to no longer be picked on and respected by the rest. He struggled to get sleep after seeing the planet get glassed, wondering if the same ever happened to his world. Nightmares of Mathilda's death continued to linger along with the depressed image of Oriana about the UNSC ship.

Since Samuel hated the defensive war, he inquired with his command about rejoining the Headhunters. He was shot down since the unit needed him more on the frontlines and blocked attempts for him to submit a request. His frustration mounted towards the command until receiving a notice from Stephan to stay with Red Team. After Samuel saw the notice, he accepted what his former handler said and stayed with Red Team.

Battle of Ballast

Samuel had little time to rest following the Battle of Meridian. Ballast declared WINTER CONTINGENCY and was invaded by the Covenant in late 2551. Red Team deployed to assist UNSC Armed Forces who were already conducting operations to contain and eliminate the Covenant threat. A small metropolitan named Dovanočej had become an Area of Interest for the Covenant, hoping to find a Forerunner artifact. Oriana informed Samuel to take Riley-B192 to deny the Covenant the chance to retrieve the Forerunner artifact. UNSC ground forces and Ballast's militia were putting up a good fight in Dovanočej; while the two SPARTANs moved in on the Covenant element.

Riley: "What are you doing back here?"

Samuel: "I'm taking you with me."

―Samuel moving back to tend to Riley's wounds before moving out.

Zealots spotted inside of the Tamsten Cavern.

Samuel and Riley pushed down into a cavern named Tamsten with intentions to root out the Covenant troops. Once Samuel recognized a Zealot team was in the cavern, he relayed information to Oriana about the Zealots and a plan to engage them. Oriana gave Samuel the green light to hunt the Zealots with Riley; the two wiped out the security element first, which forced the Zealots to work faster. Samuel threw a flashbang grenade to disorient the Zealots then engage, the enemies fell with relative ease, and Samuel pushed further down. Once Samuel noticed an energy sword slash injured Riley, he posted her for security and moved alone. Leaving Riley back as his support, Samuel grew worried she was going to meet the same fate as Mathilda. Returning to Riley, Samuel patched her up, and the two pushed further down into the cave.

"Forerunner artifact is secure, time to get back to the surface."

―Riley informing Samuel she secured the artifact.

Finding an opening in the cave, Samuel and Riley tracked the Zealots to the Forerunner artifact. Samuel prepared another ambush against the enemies but found himself trapped in one set by the Covenant. The Zealots decided to hold a duel against the SPARTAN for the artifact since they had the numbers advantage. He knew it was not going to be a fair fight and used his gun to attack the enemies. After taking down the Zealots and their security, Riley secured the artifact, and the two made their way back up to the surface. Samuel and Riley were swarmed by Yanme'e infantry and ran out to meet an Army team to prepared to collapse the cave. Once out, the Army troopers blew the cave and crushed the remaining Yanme'e inside. Riley handed the Forerunner artifact to a waiting Beta-3 Division officer and then reported to Red Team with Samuel.

File:Ballast Bodied TPF 02.png

The outskirts of Dovanočej in 2552.

Reconnecting with Red Team, Samuel and Riley learned the assaulters from Red Team contained the threat around Dovanočej and Henihovka with no losses of the team. The Covenant was unable to sustain a foothold around the colony and pulled out only weeks after invading. The Battle of Ballast was a successful defense for the UNSC Armed Forces, a rare sight for many within Red Team. Samuel and Red Team loaded back onto a ship and headed to Reach, where he spent time to talk with Riley.

"You know, you're not so bad. Sure you're quiet, but you know a thing or two."

―Emilia commenting on Samuel.

Riley thanked Samuel for not leaving her behind as he pushed forward, something Samuel learned from his previous mistake. Samuel found himself talking with Lynn, who was one of his SPARTAN Instructors in Beta Company. Once back on Reach, Samuel worked on his close-quarters combat skills to improve his combative skills while also practicing marksmanship. Emilia worked with Samuel on sniping but found he wanted to be alone to remember what Mathilda taught him during Headhunter training. Samuel continued to see Emilia trying to warm up to him, and agreed to work with her after losing a bet.

Battle of Fumirole

Fumirole became another battleground in 2552, Samuel and Red Team responded to alongside the UNSC Army. Samuel received orders to conduct a Forward Observation Misson (FOM) with Isaac-B302 and Omar-A442. The objective was to locate and assist a UNSC task force on taking down a Legion before it reached a nearby city. F-99 Wombats gave the FOM cell a general idea of where the Covenant had set up their legion. Still, the UNSC needed eyes-on to confirm the legion's position before launching an assault. Samuel took point to find a ridge to set up and assist with the assault. An Army Ranger Team was nearby to be a Quick Reaction Force (QRF) in case Samuel and the FOM cell got into trouble.

"Omar, you're leading the FOM cell. Sam and Isaac, you're going to work with Omar to find this legion. Once you find it, call it in, and we'll hit it."

―Oriana laying out the plan for the FOM cell.

File:Fumirole TPF 02.jpg

The Trimark Forest in 2552.

Moving through the Trimark Forest, Samuel noticed a variety of traps and false paths to divert scout teams from finding the legion. He displayed a rare trait for being an excellent tracker, which led the FOM cell to the location of the legion quickly. After completing reconnaissance and gathering information about good insertions, he identified key leaders who were commanding the legion and the importance of engaging them during the assault. Isaac relayed the information back to Oriana, and the assault was planned to launch after the clearing of potential minefields.

The assault force launched against the Legion and Samuel watched as Oriana led from the front. He and the others called in orbital bombardments on fleeing Covenant troops while the UNSC swarmed the camp. Covenant forces were prepared for the assault, pushing back flanks and denying routes for the UNSC to gain an advantage. The Covenant forces pushed into the forest and prepared a counterattack. Pushing with other scout teams towards the counterattack force, Samuel watched as the Rangers and ODSTs prepared for an assault.

"Sam, you're going for the General and destroying the comms tower. The rest of us are going to distract."

―Omar telling Samuel his mission.

Omar and the scouts launched their attack, giving Samuel the valuable moment to break through the enemy lines to engage the Sangheili General and destroy the communications tower. Samuel fought and killed the General then quickly planted the explosives to destroy their communication ability. Once the destruction of the Covenant counterattack succeeded, Oriana pushed on with her forces, and Samuel regrouped with Omar to learn Isaac died amid the firefights. Omar told Samuel to detonate his armor to deny the Covenant any chance of gathering valuable information. Linking up with Oriana, he informed her about the death of Isaac and also learned about the death of Riley.

"We lost two more for Red Team, morale was low, and we didn't know what was going to happen next. Fumirole is a ticking time bomb."

―Samuel on the state of Fumirole.

Fumirole in the final weeks of battle before falling into the Covenant's hand.

The Battle of Fumirole began to spiral out of control as the UNSC Armed Forces lost their grasp on the planet. Samuel felt the burden of the defensive war weighing down on him as well as the others around. Dead SPARTANs hit the Rangers and ODSTs hard, bring morale low. Samuel took the losses and pushed them into the back of his head to deal with later. Fumirole soon fell into the hands of the Covenant, and the UNSC began their mass evacuation of the planet. Aboard a Navy ship, he watched as the Covenant glassed another colony.

Members within Red Team got into fights with each other over the deaths of Isaac and Riley. Samuel noted the team was no longer at full strength, and Oriana struggled to keep her SPARTANs in line. Sitting by himself, Samuel thought about the memories of his fallen comrades and what he needed to do to be a better SPARTAN. Draven-A284, Red Team's senior troop leader, told Samuel about the value of his efforts in the field. Samuel replied anyone in his position was going to do the same task and achieve the same result. Back at Reach, Samuel continued to train for his next deployment.

Battle of Reach

Reach was known as a UNSC Military Fortress world taking center stage in the Human-Covenant War. In July of 2552, Samuel and Red Team transferred to facilities into the Highland Mountains. There, the team trained to deploy to Sigma Octanus IV in support of the UNSC defense against the Covenant. However, Reach declared WINTER CONTINGENCY. Samuel shifted his focus to conduct counter-insurgency operations. Deploying to the Babd Catha Ice Shelf, Red Team were ordered to put down Covenant forces attacking the area.

Red Team deploying to the Babd Catha Ice Shelf.

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

―Samuel on the state of Reach during the battle.

Utilizing AV-14 Hornets and UH-144 Falcons, the team launched a two-day campaign tracking down enemy units and destroying Covenant infrastructure. Speed and firepower gave Samuel the upper hand in taking down the enemy. On the ground, he launched a scout mission to track the retreating Covenant forces into the Ütközet Province. Oriana put Emilia with him to conduct hunter-killer missions in late July with orders to locate enemy forces and destroy them. Red Team was reassigned to the Manassas Spaceport to prevent the Covenant from shooting down evacuating ships. Samuel grew frustrated he wasn't taking the fight to the Covenant and voiced his frustration to Oriana.

Red Team en route to the Long Night of Solace.

Following the destruction of the Long Night of Solace, Red Team deployed with a UNSC team to conduct sensitive site exploitation. Samuel joined a 12-person team to gather information from the ship's bridge and learned how the Covenant discovered Reach. Other elements of Red Team collected valuable technology and intelligence before deploying to Medical Facility Endurance. With a Space Assault Platoon, Samuel worked to destroy sensitive data and escort personnel to evacuating shuttles. Once the station was cleared, it was blown up and Red Team moved to defend Manassas.

"Manassas, Quezon, New Alexandria, and so many more suffered the same fate as the thousand cities before them. The only thing different was the planet it happened to."

―Samuel on the Battle of Manassas.

In the defense of the city, Red Team attempted to hold the area but failed when Covenant cruisers glassed the area. Lynn was killed at the spaceport when she stayed in a control tower to coordinate the remaining civilian starships to safely lift off from the runway. Receiving orders from Colonel Holland, Red Team was ordered to relocate to the Highlands Mountain to assist the evacuation of Reach FLEETCOM Military Complex and Camp Independence. Oriana disliked the orders since she knew the mountains were going to kill her team and there were enough units to sustain a strong defense. She ultimately refused to debate her orders with Holland and agreed to redeploy for their new mission. Samuel voiced his frustration about the situation again and cited her feelings to argue for a new mission. She ignored his point and moved to support the Highlands Mountain evacuation in late August.

The Covenant ground forces outside of the Highland Mountains.

Samuel: "Omar's gone. I detonated his suit, FLEETCOM is almost evacuated."

Oriana: "Get to me, we're evacuating Group 3 ASAP."

―Samuel receiving orders from Oriana.

Overseeing the evacuation of the two locations, Samuel protected the FLEETCOM Military Complex alongside Omar while Oriana worked with Emilia and Draven at Camp Independence. Omar was killed by a Kig-Yar marksman and forced Samuel to retreat. Meeting with the VIPs at Independence, he provided security for the group's staff to a waiting Pelican. Oriana learned Major Frommenwiler refused to abandon his post and Colonel Holland ordered Red Team to pull him out. Oriana took Samuel and Draven to pull the Major out of the post then returned to the Pelican for takeoff. During the rescue attempt, Draven lost an arm to a Mgalekgolo cannon and Samuel sustained needler wounds. After a safe evacuation and return to the Pelican, they rushed to a naval ship to have their wounds tended.

"You hated every order we got from Colonel Holland, yet you followed them. Why can you not stick up for yourself and the team when we get bad orders from incompetent superiors? Omar and Lynn are dead because they were forced to follow orders from Holland."

―Samuel arguing with Oriana about her decisions in the field.

Following the Fall of Reach, Samuel voiced his frustration to Oriana on going after Major Frommenwiler. They agreed micromanagement played a crucial role in restricting their ability to save more lives. However, Oriana didn't enjoy Samuel berating her decisions and called him out for making the same mistake with Mathilda in 2549. Being restrained by Draven, Samuel was ordered to take a break by Major Frommenwiler and to prepare for the next battle.

Battle for Earth

Returning from Reach, Samuel and Red Team prepared for the invasion and defense of Earth. Samuel prepared to participate in many theaters, depending on where the Covenant attacked. Red Team received orders to deploy to Oceania to assist with defenses across the region and in major cities. Red Team remained outside of Melbourne during the Battle of Mombasa. Shortly after the Prophet of Truth's arrival. Melbourne came under siege and Samuel responded with Red Team to support Operation: CAPITAL SHIELD.

"We all wanted to fight and defend the capital world. It's the duty of every soldier, sailor, and airmen. Somehow, I feel this is going to be the worst fight for Red."

―Samuel thinking on the Battle for Earth.

During the Siege of Melbourne, Samuel assisted in engaging troops behind enemy lines while infiltrating teams to ambush Covenant forces. Red Team conducted unconventional warfare tactics to deny the Covenant in siezing the city. Not long after, Melbourne was secured and Red Team redeployed to Sydney. Along the way, Samuel intercepted Covenant forces who were attempting to encircle the city and ensured the city was not going to fall.

During the Battle of Sydney, Red Team assisted in the defense of HIGHCOM facilities and pushed the Covenant out of the city. Samuel pursued Covenant teams searching for Forerunner artifacts and took them down before reaching their destination. Red Team participated in a raid and destroyed the Covenant's Command and Control across Oceania. He then redeployed to the Southwest of the United Republic of North America to remove Covenant forces.

"The URNA Southwest Campaign started well for some and terrible for others. Red had it the worst."

―Samuel reflecting on the state of mind within Red Team.

Covenant forces established defensive points about possible Forerunner artifacts and Red Team deployed ahead of an assault force to locate and mark the positions in the URNA Southwest Campaign. During their mission, the team was ambushed and Emilia was vaporized by a Mgalekgolo's cannon. The death of Emilia brought Oriana to abandon the mission and attack the nearby Covenant base. Samuel tried to steer her back to the original mission but was threatened to be shot by her if he disobeyed her order. During the raid on the base, Draven was killed by an explosion and forced Red Team to retreat. He reported her abuse of command to an ONI officer shortly after returning from the field. Oriana was pulled from the field by the Beta-5 Division and Samuel reported to a Section Three Officer for orders under NAVSPECWEP.

Samuel redeployed to support Operation: MARSH FLASH and augmented himself with an ODST Shock Troops Company. He assisted in personnel recovery, direct action, and eliminating the last stronghold the Covenant had in the URNA. Shortly after the end of Operation: MARSH FLASH, he deployed to support Operation: JOINT MONITOR around Voi. He patrolled the area with a Marine Corps Chemical Biological Incident Response (CBIR) Task Unit to gather information and prevent another Flood outbreak on Earth.

Vilda: "We have a lot of work to do."

Samuel: " Let's get to work then."

―Samuel meeting Vilda and discussing their plans after the Human-Covenant War.

The Human-Covenant War came to a close, and Samuel learned Oriana was no longer fit for command after an ONI psychological exam. As Oriana prepared to take a drastic step in a different direction, Samuel met with a Lieutenant Commander of the Beta-5 Division named Vilda Stenbeck. She offered him a spot to join the Asymmetrical Action Group and conduct missions for ONI again. He joined the AAG and felt better knowing he was working for ONI again. After the meeting, Samuel began advanced training to rejoin the Headhunters as a LONEWOLF operative on Cascade.

Post-Covenant War Conflicts

Operation: HYBRID VANGUARD

Following the establishment of the Joint Occupation Zone, the Beta-5 Division oversaw covert missions on Carrow. Samuel recently graduated from Headhunter relook and joined the program as a LONEWOLF operative under the codename AETHER and deployed to the colony. Human terrorists had been planning an attack on a Sangheili neighborhood in protest of the UEG's decision to make allies with the Sangheili. Samuel prepared to hunt down the small cell of terrorists to prevent an attack in the Joint Occupation Zone then trace the supplies to ensure another attack was impossible.

"We dodged our extinction by building an alliance with the Sangheili. Some of us felt it was the wrong thing to do, while others felt it was necessary for our survival. We need to maintain peace while we build back up."

―Samuel on the state of the UNSC in 2553.

Suspected activity of terrorists on Carrow.

Samuel deployed to Carrow, where he began to narrow down the search of the terrorist compound. Vilda sent information from the Mission Support Squadron to assist with cutting the valuable time down on Samuel having to spend on potential sites. Once Samuel located the compound, he launched a direct action raid to capture or kill the enemies inside. After killing all the enemies, Samuel searched through the intelligence, where he found a group of smugglers. Vilda sent Samuel after the smugglers to figure out where the supplies came from and investigate further. Samuel connected with a Prowler and began to track the smugglers to a planet called Aleria.

Arriving over Aleria, Samuel worked with the Prowler staff to narrow down the location of the potential enemies. Once locating an Area of Interest, Samuel deployed to investigate the area and report back to the Prowler. Due to a mirage on the surface of Aleria, Samuel found himself seeing Mathilda in the distance and moved to investigate the figure. The hallucination led Samuel into an ambush by pirates he fended off with relative ease after getting his mind straight. Finding the compound of the smugglers, Samuel engaged the enemies and learned of their operations. No other threat was on Aleria, and Samuel knew the operation was complete.

"I saw her. I swear I saw her. She was right there, looking back at me. She can't be alive, I blew her up on Ealen IV to be sure."

―Samuel on seeing Mathilda during a heavy mirage.

A Heat Mirage on Aleria.

On the way back to the Prowler, Samuel saw the same image of Mathilda as he did before. Samuel sprinted after Mathilda, but she matched his speed running away. After hearing words she said bounce inside of his head, Samuel readied his rifle and shot at her. After the sound went away, he no longer saw her and felt an eerie sense of the planet. Samuel made up for the lost time and boarded the Prowler not long after to return to UNSC Controlled Space. The Prowler Commander asked Samuel about the unknown detours and the reason, only to get a reply of checking out one last threat.

Samuel returned to Earth and underwent a psychological exam noting he experienced hallucinations. Undergoing a further review, Samuel informed the tester it was not a significant issue. Vilda theorized the more extended mission on a planet like Aleria attributed to the problem and prepared to give Samuel a means to close the door on a promise he made to himself back during the Human-Covenant War. As Samuel got cleared for missions, Vilda met with Samuel's former handler to learn more about the failure during Operation: URGENT TEMPEST.

Operation: HOPE OUTREACH

Syra 'Losumai made a name for himself as a First Blade Officer who executed a textbook SPARTAN trap in 2549. Following the end of the Human-Covenant War, Syra sided with the Servants of the Abiding Truth and popped up on the radar of ONI not too long after his movements from New Llanelli to Qikost. Stephan Ferguson met with Vilda about the history of Syra, stating he was the Sangheili who killed Mathilda during Operation: URGENT TEMPEST. Samuel continued to be affected by the death of Mathilda, even if he didn't admit at the time. Vilda began to track down a location of Syra and put together a targeting profile to get her Headhunter squared away. Samuel received the mission from Vilda with orders to assassinate the targets in the way he saw fit on Qikost.

Vilda: "I have been told to tell you this should be capture or kill mission. You do what you must for those you fought alongside."

Samuel: "Yes ma'am."

―Vilda implicitly implying the assassination of Syra 'Losumai.

Before departing to Qikost, Vilda gave Samuel a smart AI named Emerysen to assist with his locating of the target as well as navigations. Samuel launched and landed onto Qikost in late 2554 with a general idea of the enemy and how to approach the target. Emerysen gave Samuel need-to-know information about the politics on Quikost as well as groups like the Servants of Abiding Truth and the Swords of Sanghelios who were operating on the satellite. Samuel closed in on Syra's location, where a small base made up of warriors who previously served with the Silent Shadow during the Human-Covenant War. Once locating the former First Blade Officer, Samuel prepared for his attack on the enemy.

Samuel tracked Syra outside of the base to a location where he went to study the planet. With little security, Samuel prepared to engage the enemy and suffice his revenge. However, Samuel's hate-fueled mind pushed him too much, and he attacked early. Syra deflected the attack of the SPARTAN and prepared for a duel after activating his energy sword. The demon slayer faced off against the SPARTAN, eager to add another to his list while Samuel made to eliminate the officer who killed his friend. Engaging in a destructive duel, Samuel was successful in dodging a swing from Syra and used his tomahawk to jab into the opening of his combat harness.

Syra: "Demon. I see you have come to seal your fate as a great warrior."

Samuel: "Fuck you Hinge-Head."

―Samuel before attacking Syra.

Gaining the edge on Syra, Samuel disarmed Syra and prepared to kill him but let the Sangheili continue to try. Samuel evaded each attack by Syra and struck a devasting blow to him at every move. Samuel's rage continued to fuel the precise stabbing and slicing with his knife and tomahawk, weakening the Sangheili further. Once Syra found no more strength to battle, Samuel him down and cut his head off. Cutting off a mandible, Samuel secured it as evidence for the death of Syra and moved to the base to throw the head inside of the walls. Once the Sangheili saw the head of their dead leader, Samuel disappeared off of Quikost with a feeling of relief he finally avenged Mathilda.

Once back on Earth, Samuel informed Vilda about the death of Syra 'Losumai by showing her the mandible. Samuel expressed mixed feelings of emotions, citing he was glad he killed Mathilda's killer, but the memories of Mathilda still lingered in his mind. After passing another psychological exam, Samuel felt he owed a debt to Vilda after she worked to give him the killer of Mathilda. As a result, Samuel rotated out of the Headhunters to become a personal asset for Vilda to use. With new orders to serve directly under Vilda, Samuel prepared for his next assignment based on whatever Vilda gave him to execute.

UEG Diplomatic Mission - Andesia

Andesia became a hotbed for the New Colonial Alliance in the Post-Covenant War Era; the UEG Diplomacy Corps spent their time working with the government of the colony to stop the spread of Insurrectionists. An Ambassador by the name of Nikhil Sankaran arrived with a joint UEG/UNSC security detail to discuss new ideas to assist the planet's militia. Along with the UEG/UNSC security detail, Samuel arrived with Vilda as a LONEWOLF operative to assist as a force multiplier in case the detail became under attack. Ambassadors served as prime targets to be captured and held for ransom, Andesia had the same problem back in 2553. With the beefed-up security detail and other hidden assets to assist from the public eye, the UEG hoped their meeting went off without a hitch.

"Andesia needed our help, and the UEG decided the diplomatic route again. Everyone inside of the Command Control Element knew there was an attack coming; they needed to do everything to prevent the chance. Yet, we were still not prepared."

―Samuel on Andesia and the security detail.

Once inside of Noctus, Samuel watched as the convoy and air assets tightened their control over the situation. Nothing stopped the UEG/UNSC security detail till they reached the Council's Building. The convoy and air assets proved to be a decoy, and the Ambassador arrived by a Pelican on the top of the roof. The meeting ended in good faith, and Ambassador Sankaran secured new operational authority for the UEG and UNSC. However, as his Pelican departed, an NCA agent exposed himself with an M19-B surface-to-air missile launcher. As Samuel watched the Pelican fall out of the sky, the security detail moved to locate any survivors and declared the Ambassador dead. Vilda ordered Samuel back to her, so he had a new set of orders. Once on the ground, he met with her and the leader of an Asymmetrical Action Group unit.

Vilda relayed to Samuel he was to take the gloves off and get dirty with the Critical Action Team by Section Three's Section Chief. Working with an AAG Counter-Terrorism troop, he began to assist with close-in SIGINT operations to locate where the terrorists hid. ONI assisted him with deploying SIGINT teams to find the enemy before they made it off-world and disappeared. The first lead came to a supplies warehouse, and an AAG team launched a direct action raid later in the day to investigate and conduct sensitive site exploitation. Coming upon several other locations, ONI deployed assets to investigate and determine the next target for the AAG. Vilda kept Samuel in the loop as he augmented himself to assist the AAG troop. Not long after the warehouse assault, he deployed to observe a town a F-99 Wombat which noted NCA activity.

Vilda: "The UEG wants the leader alive so they can put her on trial and all that beautiful sounding justice for the death of the Ambassador. But we need her alive for HUMINT, see it through she comes back alive."

Samuel: "Loud and clear ma'am. I'll make sure we get the right message to them."

―Vilda giving orders to assassinate the NCA Insurrectionist leader.

Conducting operational preparation for the town, Samuel located four High-Value targets for the AAG troop to capture. Once an AAG/ODST Task Unit arrived, he joined the assault to capture one leader. Bringing him back to a covert ONI Black Site Prison, interrogators went to work as agents shifted through the valuable intelligence. The gloves-off method gave him the chance to really operate without any restrictions. Breaking the prisoner, Vilda ordered Samuel to conduct a close in SIGINT mission with Signal Corps personnel to locate the safehouse. Another F-99 Wombat found the target area, and Vilda began planning an assault with the AAG leading the attack. Samuel arrived to confirm the target and conduct further surveillance to locate any valuable targets. He rejoined the AAG troop to assist with the raid on the safehouse, hoping to please Vilda in eliminating a threat to the UEG and UNSC.

With the AAG troop, Samuel assisted with the safe house raid. He battled in close quarters and led the initial push through the main house. Taking down the Insurrectionist leader, he confirmed the entire cell for the NCA no longer was a threat. An ONI team began gathering any intelligence to further their investigation, but Samuel concluded his hunt alongside the AAG unit while bringing the leader with him. Returning to Vilda's command element, he learned the UNSC High Command and UEG were pleased with the capture of the Insurrectionist leader. It wasn't long till she was transferred to Midnight Facility and interrogated for further information on the NCA. The covert mission allowed her to view Samuel's capabilities to operate with other units to accomplish a task. Despite being a LONEWOLF operative, Samuel showcased a trait to work alongside other groups to achieve the same goal.

Installation 04 Exclusion Zone

Following the Treaty of 2552, the space around Installation 04 became an exclusion zone which both the UNSC and Swords of Sanghelios recognized. Kig-Yar pirates began to raid and collect valuable Forerunner technology while the UNSC and SOS tried to work out a plan for both factions to deal with the pirates. ONI SIGINT specialists noted the SOS began conducting their raids without the approval of the UNSC, along with collecting Forerunner technology. Section Three deployed assets and teams into the area to take down Kig-Yar pirates and collect Forerunner tech for further analysis. Samuel prepared to hunt the Kig-Yar pirates on a drifting fragment of Installation 04.

"Kig-Yar never played by the rules, and they continued to not. SOS was operating within the EZ while the UNSC tried to do it with cooperation. That failed, and the gloves came off. I received orders of handling some raiders on a fragment, without the SOS and UNSC consent."

―Samuel on his new mission in the Installation 04 Exclusion Zone.

File:Installation 04 Ring.png

One of the many pieces of Installation 04 following its destruction.

Arriving in an LRSOIP, Samuel touched down and noted no troops came to investigate the pod. He received information about Kig-Yar pirates being hunted by an SOS Ranger Team not too far away from the touchdown. Samuel packed what was needed and headed towards the Kig-Yar ship to investigate the battle and who was involved. Arriving on-site, he took note of a Sangheili scout along with a Kig-Yar sniper battling one another. The pirate killed the Ranger and fled the scene, leaving Samuel to investigate with little problems. As he inspected the ship, it came clear the SOS sabotaged and rendered the vehicle inoperable. Samuel took note of the Kig-Yar sniper's tracks and followed them to where it led.

Coming across a Sangheili camp, Samuel noted the troops left in a hurry since they left valuable equipment behind. He arrived at a dying Sangheili, asking for help, but refused since it had the potential to blow UNSC interference in the Exclusion Zone. The Pirate group was unaware of Samuel's presence, giving him the upper hand with the element of surprise. The remaining Rangers were nearly wiped out in a final assault, Samuel watched as one ran towards him and hid nearby. Kig-Yar pirates approached the two, and Samuel opened up to take down the hunting party while revealing his position to the Sangheili. He inspected the armor to find the Ranger Commander had lost his troops and needed assistance. Samuel met Kiro 'Nahamee, and the two allied to hunt down the remaining Kig-Yar pirates.

Kiro: "Where is the rest of your team?"

Samuel: "Just me. Try a move on me and I'll drop you."

Kiro: "Your species always needs the upper hand against ours."

— Samuel and Kiro exchanging words.

Both Samuel and Kiro did not see the Anvil Initiative as a positive program for their species but were thankful it brought information on how the different species used their tactics. While Samuel led recon missions and spotted, Kiro took care of the Kig-Yar pirates they approached. Both grew a certain amount of respect for each other while breaking the rules their governments had in place on hunting in the Exclusion Zone. Once Samuel learned the Kig-Yar located a valuable Forerunner artifact, he informed Kiro, and the two moved out to secure it from the pirates. Samuel found the object and concealed the location from Kiro, planning to take it for ONI while Kiro prepared the same plan. Both had ideas of a way to kill each other but refused to act.

Samuel blew his way through the Kig-Yar pirates and reached the Forerunner artifact first; he turned to see Kiro point a Type-57 Carbine at him. He learned Kiro wasn't going to let him walk away with the object and allow Humanity to grow stronger. Samuel engaged Kiro and killed him with a tomahawk strike to the neck. Instead of giving Kiro the quick death he requested, Samuel left him to die for the betrayal slowly. He made it to a Black-Cat Subprowler not long after and left the ring fragment where Kiro drowned in his blood. On the ride back to UNSC controlled space, Samuel grew frustrated by letting his guard down with the Sangheili and not killing him sooner. His frustration with the Sangheili species grew, struggling to see the difference between the SOS and the ones he fought during the Human-Covenant War.

"Never trust anyone outside of Vilda. She is the only person to take orders and advice from, no one else. When power is at stake, everyone is the enemy and be ready to stab those closest to you with no feelings."

―Samuel on the state of the galaxy.

Arriving back to Earth, Samuel handed the artifact to the Beta-3 Division while he debriefed Vilda on what had happened. He admitted to working with the SOS and using the enemy as a means to make his job easier, but Vilda emphasized no leads came back to ONI and Humanity. His decision had the potential to create another war, and the UNSC was not even close to being ready, but Vilda saw Samuel didn't let his guard down and always had a plan to assassinate. She covered up he ever worked with an SOS agent and blackmailed an ONI Psychologist to not mention the questioning in his mental evaluation. Vilda stuck her neck out Samuel, and he repaid with his loyalty to conduct any missions for her.

Objective Juniper Orbit

The leader of the New Colonial Alliance, Admiral Mattius Drake was suspected to be on Laika III. Following the assassination of a UEG Diplomat, ONI worked to locate the leader of the movement and crush them in retaliation. Informants from the Swords of Sanghelios gave the UNSC information of a potential partnership between a mercenary group known as Vata 'Gajat. Samuel joined an ONI Section Three Expeditionary Task Unit from the AAG to locate Admiral Drake, disrupt the mercenary group meeting, and disable the NCA's ability to operate on Laika III.

"Drake knew how we go about things when hunting officers. So he knows how to anticipate our moves if we are too predictable. Luckily, we hid our box of tricks on hunting flag officers from him."

―Samuel on hunting Admiral Drake.

Under the direct command of Aniela Kasowska, Samuel conducted long-range reconnaissance interdiction missions alongside an AAG Recon Team to map out the NCA's area of influence and leaders. After capturing and interrogating NCA personnel, the task unit began to close in on Admiral Drake's location. Samuel conducted solo reconnaissance missions through a mountainous region while using drones to locate a compound where the Admiral was suspected of being. He then located three other compounds in the same area but determined they were decoys to protect Admiral Drake's position.

Following the arrival of a Vata 'Gajat liaison officer, the Task Unit moved to locate the meeting. Samuel informed Aniela of the meeting location and received authorization to kill the liaison officer and gather any valuable intelligence. Seeing Admiral Drake and the Sangheili, he attacked the meeting and missed an opportunity to capture the Admiral. Samuel turned to hunt down the fleeing Sangheili and took him down before getting off the planet. He was unable to prevent the suicide of the target but recovered the data before it was deleted. The intelligence was sent to a sub-unit in Section Three for further analysis.

Aniela Kasowska: "What is Drake's status?"

Samuel-B256: "Injured, I have a fix on him. I'm in pursuit."

―Aniela receiving a sitrep from Samuel on his pursuit.

Samuel then turned to hunt down Admiral Drake but missed the opportunity to catch up. After the Admiral fled the planet, the Task Unit went through the compounds and Drake's estate to locate any valuable intelligence and information about the NCA. Once the trail on Drake's location ran cold, the Task Unit turned to capture the remaining leaders of the NCA to be sent to Midnight Facility. The Expeditionary Task Unit left Laika III after preventing valuable information from falling into a mercenary's hand and collecting intelligence on the NCA.

The result of the missions on Laika III led to detecting numerous NCA cells across the Inner Colonies and more information about the Vata 'Gajat mercenary group. Samuel went on to participate in raids against the intelligence he collected before returning to the AAG HQ to report his findings. Despite the UNSC's inability to police the Outer Colonies and put down the NCA, they assisted in preventing attacks against UEG structures and personnel.

Operation: RELENTLESS GEYSER

Samuel joined Team Osage after being recruited by Oriana in 2557. He learned about the Kig-Yar remaining a major threat near UEG trade routes. ONI struggled with keeping the pirates at bay and Team Osage joined an ONI Task Force to interdict and conduct counter-piracy operations along stretches of UEG Inner Colonies space. Along with Team Osage, an ODST Space Assault Company under NAVSPECWEAP augmented themselves with the SPARTAN team to provide support. Assigned to a Winter-Class Prowler named Into Darkness, Samuel deployed with the team to support Operation: RELENTLESS GEYSER.

Oriana: "So, what's new?"

Samuel: "New Innie group, Covenant remnant factions, Forerunners are back, and the enemy knows the location of Earth. But check it out, we have Gamma Company to pick on."

―Samuel informing Oriana about their current situation.

Around New Caracas, Team Osage launched their first vessel seizure mission aboard a DAS-class storm cutter they disabled. After killing the crew and recovering the navigation data, Samuel's operational tempo picked up tremendously as they targeted more pirate starships around New Caracas's system. NAVCOM then ordered the ONI Task Force to move to the Joint Occupation Zone to support counter-piracy operations. The majority of the Task Force moved to the JO Zone while he stayed in the UEG Inner Colonies to continue their pursuit of pirates in nearby star systems.

Arriving at New Carthage, Into Darkness intercepted a Kig-Yar Raider and another DAS-class storm cutter after masking themselves as a civilian freighter. Missions around the colonies ramped up while the Task Force protected slipspace routes for civilian freighters to pass with ease. The Task Force in the JO Zone requested Team Osage due to Jiralhanae pirates and their relentless campaign. Samuel disliked the idea of deploying to the JO Zone due to his duty to protect Humanity first. Working with the Sangheili was not something he wanted to do. Leaving New Carthage, Into Darkness arrived near Carrow and engaged the Jiralhanae pirates.

Going after the Jiralhanae pirates proved to be a problem since the UNSC pushed for joint raids with the SOS. All of Team Osage refused to fight alongside the enemy they previously fought and shared strategies with. Samuel continued to interdict pirate ships and take down the crew before the UNSC learned the ONI Task Force was not working with the SOS. Over, Carrow, Team Osage and the Space Assault Company launched a joint-raid on a carrier to gather the nav data and bring it back to a shipyard for studying. The ship self-destructed before Samuel took control and was ordered to return to Earth.

"What we did was throw a bottle of water at a forest fire, hoping to put it out. The piracy issue will not slow down unless we upscale up our abilities to combat them and loosen restrictions."

―Samuel on the piracy problem.

Following his deployment, Samuel worked with Aniela to write a report on his findings. An ONI Analyst then set a report to HIGHCOM citing more effort from the UNSC to protect civilian starships. Samuel advocated for the UNSC to conduct mission in-house and not seeks support from the SOS due to the danger of the ally turning into another potential enemy. Section Three and the Prowler Corps began building a force to rotate personnel through to conduct counter-piracy operations as Team Osage prepared for their next deployment.

Requiem Campaign

Following the New Phoenix Incident, the UNSC began planning the Requiem Campaign to go after the Didact's followers. The goal was to eliminate Jul 'Mdama from the shield world and establish research bases. The AAG put together an Expeditionary Task Group under the command of Vilda to hunt down 'Mdama's special operations unit, the Silent Blade. Reports around the unit led ONI to believe they carried out missions under the direct supervision of the Supreme Commander. Deploying from the UNSC Song of the East, Samuel and Team Osage arrived alongside the UNSC Infinity's Expeditionary Strike Group 1 in the early months of 2558.

One of the many locations Samuel tracked the Silent Blade.

On Requiem, Samuel and Osage deployed to Target Site 0738 to track down and eliminate Silent Blade reconnaissance units. Utilizing the tracking feature of his armor, Samuel led the hunt to kill two members and located a Type-58 Harvester. After he placed charges and detonated the machine, they relocated to a nearby ONI Logistical Support Area to prevent an attack by Armigers. Shortly after their defense, ONI reassigned to the team to their original mission and redeployed to Target Site 0751.

Samuel operating in Target Site 0751.

"The UNSC's first major engagement in the Post-War. We were hunting with no restrictions and it became the best days of our lives."

―Samuel on the Requiem Campaign.

Deploying STARS devices, Samuel kept himself up-to-date on enemy movement in the Target Site. He served as a command and control communicator which enabled the team to gather more ONI resources for their hunt. Coming across a Silent Blade camp, Samuel called in an airstrike to take out the majority of the forces and cleaned up the rest of the enemies who survived. Sorting through the dead bodies and intelligence, the team suspected they had a fix on Gek 'Lhar's position and moved to capture the Sangheili.

Samuel led the team to a suspected Gek 'Lhar base, assaulted it, and found it to be a dry hole. He moved on to another suspected camp and the same result came, another dry hole. ONI kept the team on hunting Gek 'Lhar to ensure the prisoner who escaped from Midnight Facility had to watch his back till his death. Team Osage tracked the tier one target by shadowing Silent Blade patrols, Samuel was called off following the confirmed death of Gek elsewhere. The team returned to their original task of hunting the Silent Blade till the Omega Three order was relayed across the Battle Net.

LCDR Fabiana Stewart: "Osage, Omega Three. Into Darkness is coming to get you. Mark a spot, it's going to be hot."

Samuel: "On it."

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

The destruction of Requiem led Samuel and Osage to have a hasty retreat before being swallowed into the sun. Their efforts on the shield world proved they were capable of high-value target acquisition for ONI. Samuel was glad to be back to hunting targets he trained to track. The major campaign was cut short, but he saw it as a success since no one died in their first battle for the UNSC. Remaining on deployment, Samuel prepared for his next mission.

Created Conflict

Raid on New Zaječar

Objective Black Orbit

Following the Raid on New Zaječar, Samuel and Team Osage deployed to Forseti after hearing rumors of humans working for the Created. Due to the dangers of potential Guardian Custodes and the Created monitoring Waypoint, Samuel drafted a plan to confirm reports of humans supporting the Created. The Inner Colony was rumored to support the Created to avoid bloodshed after learning what happened to Earth, making the situation complicated for Osage. Due to the increasing surveillance state growing in the Inner Colonies, he planned low-visibility activities and human intelligence gathering to prevent a Guardian arrival. Once in system, Team Osage made their way to Foresti's surface and into Reykjaa State.

"No MJOLNIR or anything to indicate yourself as UNSC. Blend in the best you can, the Created own this planet. If one of them shows up, it'll be Earth all over again. Play it slow, keep your shots smart and, think before you act. Remember, they're always watching."

―Samuel on the Created and Osage's mission.

New Alpta, a major city on Forseti.

Samuel and Aniela planned to conduct close-target reconnaissance inside of New Alpta and locate any UNSC Resistance Force to offer support. He was extremely worried while roaming around the city due to being out of armor and limited to reacting in certain situations. During their time in New Alpta, they stole two HuCiv HC1500 freight trucks to hide two Brokkr Armor Mechanisms within. They also met an ONI Section One officer going by Codename: STEELER. The meeting revealed locations of Created agents along with access to the underground spy network. Reporting back to Into Darkness, Osage prepared to conduct snatch-and-grab missions on the Created agents to locate the Satellite Control Network. Moving underground and through safehouses, Osage was able to capture four agents and brought them underground for interrogation.

Learning the location of the Satellite Control Network, Team Osage planned a raid to disable the network and collect intelligence on Created activities. Samuel led Osage and was successful in infiltrating the Created network while Oriana coordinated electronic warfare techniques to provide more time. With the usage of Smart AIs, he was able to learn how the Created maintained an active surveillance state but failed to find ways to exploit the monitoring techniques. He learned about prominent Banished and Created Human Networks in the Outer Colonies and recovered the list. Securing any valuable intelligence and destroying AI chips, Samuel extracted the team and destroyed the Satellite Control Network. Returning underground, he knew they needed to leave the planet before a Guardian arrived.

"It's something I've never seen. They're constantly watching and scanning everything, across the planet, all the time. They do not rest, the Created can see everything through everything. And we thought ONI was a surveillance state."

―Samuel on how the Created monitor their surveillance state.

Retreating to Into Darkness, Samuel provided information to the underground network on techniques to combat the Created. He declared the Inner Colonies lost to the Created to Osage and offered advice to move into the Outer Colonies. Samuel remained hopeful of finding a way to beat the Created and help the occupied colonies. After the blackout lifted, a Guardian Custode deployed to Forseti as Into Darkness was departing the planet. Samuel watched the Guardian deploy its forces to police the planet before the Prowler left the system. With no ability to fight the Created yet, Team Osage moved into the Outer Colonies as they continued to search for solutions.

Operation: INTREPID SHEPHERD

After gathering information from the UNSC Twelfth Man in January of 2559, Samuel and Team Osage were ordered by the Special Activities Division to locate a Line Installation near the Zeta Anitta system. Studying previous Line Installations and their capabilities, Samuel knew they needed to reprogram the Line Installations before they lured a Guardian into its firing range. He spent time studying possible ways with Oriana as they waited for the green light to deploy. However, Samuel raised numerous objections against working with a Sangheili. He experienced betrayal by the Sangheili species, and was prepared to kill the asset if he didn't cooperate. Not long after receiving orders, Team Osage and Into Darkness moved out to Rebus II, hoping to secure a Sangheili who specialized in raiding Forerunner structures.

"ONI gathered information about Line Installations and how they were used to protect the Forerunner Ecumene against the Flood. Active, they are considered one of the best defense systems. Time for us to get our hands on such a piece of technology."

―Samuel on the Line Installations.

Arriving on Rebus II, Samuel led Team Osage in locating the Sangheili with assistance from a Section Three agent. The small colony helped Osage move freely without being under the Created's surveillance state and close in on their potential asset. Once locating the camp, Team Osage was able to subdue the residents and meet with the Sangheili. Known as Gigan 'Nixcorvee, he was considered an expert in Forerunner Security Hacking but mostly as a Forerunner Artifact Hunter who worked for himself. Team Osage successfully recruited Gigan and the team deployed to their next objective to reprogram a Line Installation. While en route to the system, Samuel kept a close eye on Gigan.

An active Line Installation, a planetary defense weapon Team Osage hoped to use in shooting down a Guardian.

Arriving at the Zeta Anitta system, Team Osage located a disabled Line Installation firing platform and worked with Gigan to activate the firing platform again. Samuel disabled the communication equipment to eliminate the warning signal into space and Gigan worked on reprogramming the firing platform. When Gigan informed the team of needing to crack the Forerunner codeword to fire upon a non-infected ship, Samuel provided him the IFF tag of the Into Darkness after being ordered by Oriana. With the change, the firing platform was bound to fire upon a Guardian. Gigan informed Team Osage about the desired path a Guardian needed to take in order for the Line Installation to fire. Samuel and Oriana decided to fly Into Darkness as a means to lure the Guardian into the firing range.

Samuel: "If this doesn't work, I'll behead you."

Gigan: "It shall work."

―Samuel and Gigan exchanging words.

Luring a Guardian to the Zeta Anitta system, Samuel watched as the Guardian flew into the firing range of the firing platform. After the attack, Samuel ran quick assessment to see the slipsace drive was damaged and the Guardian was sending out a distress signal. They were unable to get a kill shot off due to the firing platform exploding. Into Darkness extracted Team Osage and left the system before seeing another Guardian arrive. Team Osage placed Gigan back on Rebus II and disappeared into the Outer Colonies. The Created was searching for them and Samuel hid their jumps to the best of his ability.

Returning to the UNSC Vegas in July of 2559, Samuel submitted his report on the importance of Line Installations and their use to combat the Created. Team Osage departed from the Vegas not long after and received orders to hunt down enemies who aligned themselves with the Created.

Partition Skirmish

Following the success of disabling a Guardian, Sam and Osage were sent to Partition to support the findings of a remote contact team by SAD. Intel reports gathered by the RCT indicated information about a possible guardian custode killer located in a mountain range. Sam was skeptical about the information since the last check-in was almost a year ago. Osage deployed from Into Darkness and saw Banished forces around the mountain range. Sam located the RCT and worked with Osage to gather information on the Banished activity and where the custode killer was.

"The intel on this mission is horrible. We don't have any actionable intelligence on Partition and they're sending us. SAD should start chasing conspiracy theories at this point. But screw it, we're going on it."

―Samuel talking to Aniela about Partition.

File:Partition.jpg

A rural area of Partition, noted for being a quiet planet.

As Osage gathered information, the team learned about a potential Forerunner databank to assist with answering questions on the custode's capabilities. However, their efforts were put on hold after hearing Into Darkness was attempting to make a crash landing. Sam abandoned the planning for the Forerunner databank and prepared a search and rescue mission. Oriana protested Sam's decision to rescue the Prowler crew since they were in friendly territory. She place an emphasis on completing the mission then going to get the crew. Sam objected the decision and moved on his own after disobeying orders from Oriana to stay and plan. She sent Levi to support him in recovering the crew.

Arriving at the crash scene, Samuel secured Aniela first despite orders of recovering the flight commander and placed her on a priority evacuation list despite minor injuries. The arrival of a Banished search party arrived to investigate the crash and engaged the two SPARTANs. More Banished forces began to pour into the area after learning about a SPARTAN presence, leading Samuel to fight a growing force. During the firefight, Levi was killed by a Banished Captain and forced Samuel to call Osage for support. He detonated Levi’s MJOLNIR suit and the Prowler’s self-destruct before escaping into the woods with the crew. Oriana arrived with Osage to fight off the Banished and secured an extraction for the Prowler crew. After the extraction, Osage turned back to their original mission.

Osage worked with the RCT to move on the databank before the Banished found it. Sam was able to locate the facility with help from Darrick and moved quickly with the rest of Osage. After securing the databank, Osage and the RCT were engaged by Banished forces and fought a quick firefight before leaving Partition. After losing a Prowler and numerous personnel, Osage worked to understand what went wrong during the mission. Oriana quickly put Sam and Aniela at faults of the mission. She further placed an emphasis on a need for SPARTANs to lead SPARTANs. As a result, Oriana asked Operational Detachment-Sigma for full control of Osage. Samuel protested the decision since they'd lose oversight from Aniela.

"You are emotionally compromised when Aniela is in danger. You are not fit for duty if she continues to be around. You failed and put your emotions above protocol. We lost a SPARTAN, that's not your fault and I will never say it is. But to prioritize her over other critical casualties? That's wrong. Plus, I had to clear your own damn head. Sam, you need to figure this out. Either she takes a step back or I handle the situation."

―Oriana scolding Samuel on his decision making.

While on the UNSC Twelfth Man, Samuel realized he wasn't focused when Aniela was around. After Levi's death, Samuel understood he needed to get his mind right. He understood the importance of focusing on the mission and asked Aniela to step away from Osage in a personal conversation. After Aniela agreed to step away, Samuel worked with Oriana to prepare themselves for planning and executing operations without direct oversight from ONI. He became confident in his ability to help shape and craft missions for Oriana to launch and conduct. Osage reported back to the UNSC Vegas to gather an Eclipse-class Prowler named the UNSC Aleutian and prepared for their next mission.

Personality

"It's not a reality unless it's shared."

―Samuel's personal motto.

Shaped by years of war, Samuel is known for being a robust and experienced SPARTAN. Throughout his life, he has been known as an analyzer who refuses to quit. With no in-between, Samuel has found a way to stay strong in the darkest time to accomplish his tasks. Despite his critical failures, he takes the lessons learned from the experiences and make sure they don’t happen again. Being a former Headhunter, Samuel is conditioned to never fail and accomplish his mission at all cost.

He places a strong emphasis on communication and ensures everyone around him understands what he is conveying. From debating an AI to planning with fellow SPARTANs, Samuel his peers to clearly understand what they are going to accomplish. Sharing knowledge and information allows him to show a reality few others can manifest. Doing so, he can create better ideas while collaborating with other individuals. Basing his personal motto on communication, Samuel knows he wouldn’t be alive if it weren't for his methods of communicating with others.

Samuel is trained to be an independent thinker who doesn’t rely on the decisions of others to guide his fate. Due to his training, Samuel becomes a burden to other officers who try to control him. He has built up a history of resisting against direct orders and requests because he doesn’t like the plan. His stubbornness often leads to threats of court-martials and being relieved from the field. Even with his push backs, he is considered an essential element to the success of missions.

As a SPARTAN, Samuel possesses a motivational drive outmatching many of his peers. Throughout his training, he learned to accomplish if he works hard enough at the task. His refusal to stop and fail has prevailed him to survive everything thrown at him. The words can't, quit, and refuse, do not apply to Samuel when it comes to being in the field. He never accepts the fact he can fail a task when being told to become the master of his craft.

Among his peers, he is considered to be extremely caring and protective. Deploying with Mathilda, Samuel promised to protect her at every turn and holds a deep regret for failing after she died on Ealen IV. He often tries to control the uncontrollable and struggles to cope with failure when people he cares about leave him. In recent years, he continues to care about those around them but places a distance between the relationships to ensure he doesn’t hurt himself.

Skills and Abilities

"Dangerous, that's the one word to describe Samuel. He's extremely teachable, which allows for anything to be taught to him. Give Samuel enough time, and he will become an expert at anything set in front of him."

―A file excerpt on Samuel.

Beta Company's Headhunter candidates spotted before doing their final real-world wartime insertion.

Graduating as a Category-3 candidate from Beta Company, Samuel, trained to plan and execute intelligence, demolition, sabotage, and assassination missions behind enemy lines with no support or backup. He became an expert in asymmetrical and unconventional warfare, and learned a variety of irregular warfare tactics with a focus on small units. Samuel is also an expert in combatives, close quarters battle, all-source intelligence collection methods and a certified Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition, and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) SPARTAN.

After passing the Headhunter relook course, he became a qualified LONEWOLF operative for ONI. He learned about working a variety of tasks such as technical exploitation tactics, special warfare collection management field specialist, covert infiltration methods, advanced reconnaissance and targeting techniques, agent handling, and low-intensity tracking. His skill set has allowed him to become an extremely reliable LONEWOLF to accomplish missions the Beta-5 Division requested of him. Later, he became proficient in multi-domain warfare and a qualified tactical systems operator aboard Prowlers.

SPARTANs were known to deploy to a variety of planets, making Samuel learn about a variety of theaters, insertions and, extraction during his training. He learned about urban, rural, jungle, desert, maritime, and space tactics. Each field encompassed tactics and planning objectives to ensure he was qualified to operate wherever he deployed. He is qualified as a dive supervisor, airborne jumpmaster, and lead climber; he wanted to lead insertions into unknown and hostile areas. Extraction included special patrol insertion/extraction, surface-to-air recovery systems, and maritime evasion techniques.

As a result of extensive training, Samuel speaks Polish, English, Hungarian, and Latvian as a means to decipher information on the ground. Samuel has received high military marks in three languages. Making him one of the few SPARTANs who took many language classes, Samuel can handle linguistic tasks to ensure the success of a mission. The skillset lacks usefulness when engaging Covenant troops but shines when investigating illegal human activities.

Equipment

Armor

Image	Name	Description
	Semi-Powered Infiltration armor	Given the SPI armor for his operations as a Headhunter in 2545, Samuel was allowed to have a selection of variants to choose from. Picking the Operator variant, he had access to motion tracking, energy shielding, VISR technology and prototype active camouflage. Picking the colors brown with green accents allowed Samuel to blend into any situation he's placed into by ONI. Often allowing Mathilda to operate and make his armor better, Samuel had been able to upgrade his active camouflage and shield over time.
	MJOLNIR Mark V Powered Assault Armor GEN1	In 2551, Samuel obtained his first set of MJOLNIR armor. Samuel picked the EVA helmet in honor of Mathilda. Operator shoulders guards gave Samuel protection without sacrificing movement. He combined a Tactical/Long Range Patrol and PARAFOIL chest, then added a style of ghillie to cover blend into areas. On his left thigh, Samuel elected to carry a trauma kit in case a fellow SPARTAN or soldier needed medical attention. Learning from the mistakes he had made during Operation: URGENT TEMPEST, he placed an importance of ammunition, survival, and medical supplies to survive out in the field. Samuel also incorporated a C4I Interspace Battle Management System backpack to coordinate communication with a variety of units. Working with the Beta-5 Division, he received a special Visual Intelligence System, Reconnaissance software to improve his data management.
	MJOLNIR GEN2 Powered Assault Armor	In 2553, Samuel ordered his second MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor after spending two years wearing Mark V-B. He selected the TRACKER-class variant, created by Acheron Security and tested by Acheron Trauma Sim. The armor allows Samuel to track and gain information about his targets. With upgraded energy shielding, Samuel utilizes an active camouflage plug-in to increase his chances of staying hidden from his target. He has access to satellite link feeds, a strain resistant reactor case to protect him against spacewalk, and dynamic shielding. As a solo operative, he found great usage in the armor’s locking agent. It allows him to have multi-dimensional views of the target and the surrounding area. The cloud-induction tracer gives him the advantage to triangulate targets based on substances in the air. By 2558, Samuel upgraded his armor to include the Artemis Tracking System, an advanced tracking system designed by Ohana Prescient Systems. He also received an upgrade to his analytical, forensic, and bioinformatics software to track synthetic and non-synthetic targets better.

Loadouts

Image	Name	Description
	MA2B Assault Rifle	The MA2B Individual Combat Weapon System is another rifle Samuel trained with as a Headhunter. Firing a M94 9.9x46mm full-metal jacket round, he is able to engage a variety of targets while staying extremely quiet. The attachments included a recon sight, silencer, flashlight, and a target laser sight. He continues to use the weapon system while switching between the MA5K depending on the mission.
	MA5K Carbine	The standard carbine SPARTAN-IIIs were handed for operational use, Samuel quickly became an expert of the gun. Firing 7.62x51mm FMJ-AP, he is capable of taking down a large variety of targets. As of 2559, he continues the use the MA5K Carbine as a backup to the MA2B.
	M6C handgun	The M6C Personal Defense Weapon System became the first sidearm Samuel used as a SPARTAN-III. Throughout his time in the Human-Covenant War, he showcased an extreme precision with handling a sidearm. Taking apart the gun in his spare time, he learned more about firearms due to self teaching. By the end of the Human-Covenant War, Samuel found the sidearm to become one of his oldest guns due to having it since he graduated from SPARTAN-III training.
	M6H magnum	Upgrading to the M6H Personal Defense Weapon System in 2553, Samuel retired his M6C sidearm for the newly created M6H. Removing the smart-link scope, he preferred the standard sight for lesser weight on the gun. He often attached a suppressor to ensure his position stayed unknown as he engaged enemies. Throughout the short usage, Samuel has found himself an expert of the sidearm as he did with the M6C.
	M6H2 Gunfighter sidearm	The M6H2 Gunfighter Personal Defense Weapon System has become the one handgun Samuel feels is perfect for him. A lightweight and extremely lethal sidearm, the Gunfighter sidearm allows him to have something quick to shoot and disclose. Also attaching a suppressor, he keeps a handful of attachments for the variety of missions he is bound to go on. After months of using the sidearm, he already knows it is his favorite despite the history he shared with his M6C.

Career and Service Information

Career Service Vitae

Samuel-B256 Petty Officer First Class FULL NAME: Modzelewski, Samuel Eryk SERVICE #: B256 UNIT: Team Osage ENLISTMENT DATE: 21/03/2539 GARRISON: Naval Base Mindoro STATUS: Listed MIA; Active GENDER: Male BIRTHPLACE: New Harmony BIRTH DATE: 17/05/2532 BLOOD TYPE: A+ HEIGHT: 193.1 cm WEIGHT: 105.2 kg General Notes A former Category-3 and 2 SPARTAN III, Samuel served with the Headhunters and a non-company team following his graduation from Beta Company. Samuel has been involved with numerous conflicts against the Covenant and distinguished himself as an excellent field intelligence SPARTAN. Throughout the Post-Covenant War conflicts, Samuel served as a LONEWOLF operative who completed numerous covert and clandestine tours for the Beta-5 Division. He is assigned to Team Osage as the Lead Petty Officer. Service History Human-Covenant War Post-Covenant War conflicts Comments "Educated, fast, and surprisingly calm for the life he lives. Any environment is possible; there is no theater Samuel cannot accomplish a mission within." Vilda commenting on Samuel's abilities as a SPARTAN. Note Suffers from visual hallucinations on scorching planet surfaces. Recommend deployments to specific worlds to be short and quick to prevent visual hallucinations from slowing down SPARTAN-B256.

Ranks and Promotions

Rank		Date of Promotion
	Petty Officer First Class	February 6, 2558
	Petty Officer Second Class	November 29, 2551
	Petty Officer Third Class	January 1, 2545
	Crewman	September 12, 2542
	Crewman Apprentice	April 21, 2540
	Crewman Recruit	March 9, 2539

Relationships

SPARTANs

Samuel's former close friend and partner, Mathilda-B080.

"SPARTANs never die."

―Mathilda to Samuel in 2549.

Throughout his life, Samuel became friends with many SPARTANs. He was closest to Mathilda-B080. The two spent time roaming the streets of New Alexandria, training, and executing missions. Mathilda became the first person he emotionally connected with during their training in Beta Company. Following her death in 2549, Samuel changed drastically and became depressed and filled with grief for failing to protect her. He was also ashamed of himself for not avenging her death and fleeing. After her death, he kept memories of her by scratching her tag into his armor and naming target sites after her name and SPARTAN tag. Samuel assassinated the officer who killed her and found closure by killing the one who broke his heart in 2554.

Roland-B210 and Jonah-B283 played a significant role in helping Samuel build his skillsets. The two SPARTANs from his training team were always looking for an edge on him, making Samuel be prepared for a threat. Along with Roland and Jonah being threats, Lynn-A392 monitored Samuel’s development before he was reassigned to the Headhunters Program. She watched as Samuel grew as a SPARTAN and offered her advice, she became the reason he pursued intelligence focused training. Lynn became Samuel’s mentor when he joined Red Team and the two formed a close friendship. After seeing Lynn's death, Samuel found himself lost without his mentor. It led to him leaving a team environment and pursuing solo missions to protect himself.

Samuel's field commanding officer, Oriana-A058.

"Every commander needs a no-nonsense intelligence lead petty officer."

―Oriana on Samuel in 2558.

Oriana-A058 served as Samuel’s team commander while was with Red Team and Team Osage. Originally, they both disliked each other after Samuel reported his loss of faith in her ability to lead combat troops. After Red Team, they parted ways until Oriana asked him to join her team and to serve as her second-in-command. Samuel agreed after many discussions with Oriana and his handler. He became known as the person to keep Oriana grounded with her decision-making and helping her prevent the mistakes she made previously. She credits him for helping with tactical briefings, planning joint missions, and someone she can receive sound advice.

Office of Naval Intelligence

ONI Section Three officer, Vilda Stenbeck.

"He's a trained tracker and hunter that'll go after anyone I need him to. I'm glad to call him a friend and an asset; we need more Samuel's in our line of work."

―Vilda on Samuel's capabilities.

VThe two met after the Battle of Arizona when Samuel was the last member of Red Team. In the wake of the Human-Covenant War, Samuel began working for Vilda Stenbeck, a Section Three trailblazer officer who played loose and fast. Vilda gave Samuel everything he wanted to become the SPARTAN he dreamed. She worked her network to make him a solo operative and found missions to challenge him. As a result, she was rewarded with a fiercely loyal SPARTAN and added Samuel as a weapon to her arsenal. She turned herself into a mentor for him and worked on building a healthier lifestyle. Samuel enjoyed the freedoms and rewards from Vilda due to his success and loyalty to her.

Personal

"Being alone made me realize how important it is to have someone in my life. Finding that person is extremely hard and even tougher to maintain due to my line of work. I love what I do, but I also desire to be with someone; it's hard to balance the two when there is no time to slow down and stop."

―Samuel on his desire to have relationships and the hardships they bring.

Aniela Kasowska, Samuel's girlfriend.

After meeting Aniela Kasowska, the two worked together in a professional capacity until he told her how he felt about her. They slowly transformed from being friends to partners and Samuel struggled to be with Aniela. Not only did Samuel have a hard time connecting with her outside of work, she also forced him into a number of uncomfortable situations. He compared her to Mathilda while setting unreasonable and unspoken standards about the relationship. Frustrations and inexperience led him to creating a false reality which almost ruined their relationship before it started. After Samuel communicated his frustrations to her during an argument, they started over to try again. He dropped his unfair comparisons of her while she began treating him with more care.

Aniela became Samuel’s best friend as she helped him integrate back into society. She gave him a bedroom, taught him how to prepare meals, and showed him model ship crafting. They worked to establish boundaries to ensure each other were respected and felt safe. Even though she served as the team handler, Samuel showed a tremendous amount of respect and care towards her in both a professional and personal setting. He struggled maintaining a balance between work and relationship during the Created Crisis while she was with him. Their missions together forced him to worry more about her safety than the team, often making Samuel ineffective. His irrational decision to prioritize her rescue over others forced him to make a decision and draw a line with the relationship. Samuel discussed his thoughts and Aniela took another position to ensure Team Osage kept its integrity and keep their relationship.

Appearances

• Halo: Fault Lines (2550)