8,076
edits
John-117/Early life: Difference between revisions
→Taking the initiative
| Line 51: | Line 51: | ||
It was near sundown when they finally came upon their destination in a meadow where another Albatross dropship sat.<ref name="HTFOR5"/> This one was guarded by six men without any uniforms. John and Sam were the ones who scouted ahead and saw the scene first, so they were then also the ones who explained the situation to the rest. John was certain that the men wouldn't just let them board peaceably, so he devised a plan wherein someone who play the role of a "rabbit", luring the men into a trap but being quick enough not to get caught themselves. Kelly enthusiastically took this job. It would be up to her and Sam to convince the guards that Sam had broken his leg. When their guard was down, that was when the rest would strike. John accompanied Kelly to the meadow and gave her the chance to let him be the rabbit instead. She responded with a hard punch to his shoulder for daring to doubt her. When she revealed herself she managed to get one man to chase after her. John crept back stealthily to where Sam lay on the ground, watching for the right moment. As soon as the man, unprovoked, was about to use a [[humbler stun device]] on Sam, John launched a rock at his head. The projectile missed but it signaled the rest of the children to suddenly pelt the man with stones from their hiding places. He was bleeding on the ground and barely conscious when John walked over to kick him in the face and ribs. This basic strategy was repeated, but the second time the remaining five men were set upon at once by the trainees, who assaulted them with rocks, fists, and boots. John opened a link to [[Déjà]] within the dropship and asked if she could teach him to fly it. Déjà responded by saying he was in no way authorized to do so, but that she could take control of it herself if he gave her access. Once all seventy-five children were aboard, Déjà lifted them off the ground and returned them home.<ref name="HTFOR5"/> | It was near sundown when they finally came upon their destination in a meadow where another Albatross dropship sat.<ref name="HTFOR5"/> This one was guarded by six men without any uniforms. John and Sam were the ones who scouted ahead and saw the scene first, so they were then also the ones who explained the situation to the rest. John was certain that the men wouldn't just let them board peaceably, so he devised a plan wherein someone who play the role of a "rabbit", luring the men into a trap but being quick enough not to get caught themselves. Kelly enthusiastically took this job. It would be up to her and Sam to convince the guards that Sam had broken his leg. When their guard was down, that was when the rest would strike. John accompanied Kelly to the meadow and gave her the chance to let him be the rabbit instead. She responded with a hard punch to his shoulder for daring to doubt her. When she revealed herself she managed to get one man to chase after her. John crept back stealthily to where Sam lay on the ground, watching for the right moment. As soon as the man, unprovoked, was about to use a [[humbler stun device]] on Sam, John launched a rock at his head. The projectile missed but it signaled the rest of the children to suddenly pelt the man with stones from their hiding places. He was bleeding on the ground and barely conscious when John walked over to kick him in the face and ribs. This basic strategy was repeated, but the second time the remaining five men were set upon at once by the trainees, who assaulted them with rocks, fists, and boots. John opened a link to [[Déjà]] within the dropship and asked if she could teach him to fly it. Déjà responded by saying he was in no way authorized to do so, but that she could take control of it herself if he gave her access. Once all seventy-five children were aboard, Déjà lifted them off the ground and returned them home.<ref name="HTFOR5"/> | ||
Safely back, John was personally summoned to Chief Mendez's office.<ref name="HTFOR5"/> The Chief glowered at the trainee as he read over a report from the exercise. Doctor Halsey joined them by 2104 hours, shortly after John had arrived himself.<ref name="HTFOR5"/><ref name="HFORBC"/> Mendez pointedly asked John why he had chosen to attack the men he'd set to guard the dropship and then essentially steal it. John defended his actions by citing their lack of any distinguishing insignia and a failure to identify themselves. Mendez had to admit that it indeed appeared they had not. He exasperatedly asked Halsey what they ought to do about John's actions. She suggested that the answer was obvious: that he be promoted to Squad Leader over the others.<ref name="HTFOR5"/> In the third year of training in [[2520]], John and the others began [[Wikipedia:Physics|physics]] courses, which included the study of [[Wikipedia:Classical mechanics|classical mechanics]].<ref name="HSS1"/> For his part, John was more interested in tactical theory than [[Wikipedia:Isaac Newton|Newton]]'s [[Wikipedia:Newton's laws of motion|laws of motion]].<ref name="HSS1">''[[Halo: Silent Storm]]'', ''Chapter 1''</ref> On [[2520#September|September 20]] of that year, the candidates experienced their first casualty in the form of a handler who was accidentally killed by [[Carris-137]].<ref name="DHPJS20">''[[Dr. Halsey's personal journal]]'', ''September 20, 2520''</ref> Memorial services were held and all of the trainees attended. Following the loss, Halsey had Déjà emphasize that throughout the history of military training lethal force had often been employed and that deaths were an inherent risk.<ref name="DHPJS20"/> After John turned ten years old in [[2521]], he and the other children began to learn counterinterrogation techniques, in particular that of of seizing the initiative.<ref name="HSS13">''[[Halo: Silent Storm]]'', ''Chapter 13''</ref> They were also eventually trained in how to employ five different interrogation techniques themselves.<ref name="HO10">''[[Halo: Oblivion]]'', ''Chapter 10''</ref> At some point during their training, the Spartans went through a fleet tactics course wherein they were taught a particular planetary assault doctrine.<ref name="HSS17">''[[Halo: Silent Storm]]'', ''Chapter 17''</ref> | Safely back, John was personally summoned to Chief Mendez's office.<ref name="HTFOR5"/> The Chief glowered at the trainee as he read over a report from the exercise. Doctor Halsey joined them by 2104 hours, shortly after John had arrived himself.<ref name="HTFOR5"/><ref name="HFORBC"/> Mendez pointedly asked John why he had chosen to attack the men he'd set to guard the dropship and then essentially steal it. John defended his actions by citing their lack of any distinguishing insignia and a failure to identify themselves. Mendez had to admit that it indeed appeared they had not. He exasperatedly asked Halsey what they ought to do about John's actions. She suggested that the answer was obvious: that he be promoted to Squad Leader over the others.<ref name="HTFOR5"/> In the third year of training in [[2520]], John and the others began [[Wikipedia:Physics|physics]] courses, which included the study of [[Wikipedia:Classical mechanics|classical mechanics]].<ref name="HSS1"/> For his part, John was more interested in tactical theory than [[Wikipedia:Isaac Newton|Newton]]'s [[Wikipedia:Newton's laws of motion|laws of motion]].<ref name="HSS1">''[[Halo: Silent Storm]]'', ''Chapter 1''</ref> On [[2520#September|September 20]] of that year, the candidates experienced their first casualty in the form of a handler who was accidentally killed by [[Carris-137]].<ref name="DHPJS20">''[[Dr. Halsey's personal journal]]'', ''September 20, 2520''</ref> Memorial services were held and all of the trainees attended. Following the loss, Halsey had Déjà emphasize that throughout the history of military training lethal force had often been employed and that deaths were an inherent risk.<ref name="DHPJS20"/> After John turned ten years old in [[2521]], he and the other children began to learn counterinterrogation techniques, in particular that of of seizing the initiative.<ref name="HSS13">''[[Halo: Silent Storm]]'', ''Chapter 13''</ref> They were also eventually trained in how to employ five different interrogation techniques themselves.<ref name="HO10">''[[Halo: Oblivion]]'', ''Chapter 10''</ref> At some point during their training, the Spartans went through a fleet tactics course wherein they were taught a particular planetary assault doctrine.<ref name="HSS17">''[[Halo: Silent Storm]]'', ''Chapter 17''</ref> At some point in [[2522]] the entire class was ordered to paint a set of food-dye horns on the flank of every [[Wikipedia:Goat|goat]] in the [[Bull's Blood wine region]] without being seen.<ref name="HSOR4"/> This took three nights to accomplish, and John and the others making up Blue Team spent the intervening daylight hours hiding in the network of [[Wikipedia:Sandstone|sandstone]] [[Wikipedia:Slot canyon|slot canyon]]s that cut through the [[Ujeger Highlands]]. By the final night, there were so many locals watching for them that they had to extract via a night climb down the [[Ujeger Cliffs]].<ref name="HSOR4">''[[Halo: Shadows of Reach]]'', ''Chapter 4''</ref> | ||
===Facing Tango Company=== | ===Facing Tango Company=== | ||