Editing Joshua-029

{{Status|Canon}}

'''Joshua-029''' was a [[SPARTAN-II]] supersoldier and an electronics expert. Throughout the [[Human-Covenant War]], he led numerous teams of fellow Spartans, including [[Gold Team]]. He had a close working relationship with [[Kelly-087]], [[Frederic-104]], and [[John-117]].

By early [[2526]], Joshua served as the leader of [[Gold Team]], which was then composed of [[Naomi-010]], [[Daisy-023]], and [[Grace-093]] as well. On [[2526#March|March 5]] of that year, Joshua, his team, and eight other Spartans were organized into an assault squad led by John-117 with orders to board and capture a [[Covenant frigate]], ''[[Radiant Arrow]]'', orbiting the planet [[Netherop]]. To accomplish this, they were deployed from the [[prowler]] {{UNSCShip|Starry Night}} for an [[Extra-vehicular activity|EVA]] [[Naval boarding|boarding action]].{{Ref/Novel|Id=HSS1|HSS|Chapter=1}} Using a flight of {{Pattern|Elsedda|Banshee}}s for cover, the Spartans stealthily approached the alien vessel.{{Ref/Novel|Id=HSS2|HSS|Chapter=2}} They [[Skirmish over Netherop|boarded]] the frigate via its underslung hangar and eliminated the Covenant forces stationed there without the rest of crew realizing they had been boarded. As [[Blue Team|Blue]] and [[Green Team]]s pushed further into the alien vessel, John instructed Joshua and his team to collect weapons and corpses to be piled into the Banshees, which would then be pushed out into space for ONI to recover and study. Once that task was completed, Gold Team acted as support for Blue and Green, watching their backs. As the two forward teams continued on, a sensor operator aboard one of the prowlers "accidentally" broadcast a transmission on the Spartans' [[COM|SQUADCOM]], revealing their presence to the frigate's crew. Unbeknownst to them, the crewman's apparent mistake was part of an [[insurrectionist]] plot designed by [[Lieutenant Commander]] [[Hector Nyeto]], who intended to get the Spartans killed. With their presence known, Blue and Green Teams split up, with John leading his team to the bridge. John was unable to prevent the frigate's [[shipmaster]] from activating a [[self-destruct]] sequence, forcing him to order all of his teammates to abandon ship immediately. All of the Spartans—including Joshua—made it to safety before the ''Radiant Arrow'' detonated.{{Ref/Novel|Id=HSS3|HSS|Chapter=3}}

As the Spartans neared the provided waypoint, the fog had lowered to shoulder-height, allowing the Spartans to discover that the ''Starry Night'' was indeed seemingly intact, but sat atop a large avalanche about seven hundred meters up the quarry wall. [[Frederic-104]] spotted a Covenant [[intrusion corvette]] sliding over the rim of the quarry and descending over the prowler. Kelly-087 theorized that they may be trying to recover the ''Starry Night'' themselves. Realizing the danger, John declared to his teammates that the mission was no longer a rescue mission. Their primary objective was now to deny the Covenant from recovering the prowler and the data stored within. Joshua acknowledged the directive in an almost cheerful manner and asked John what the plan was. He said he was open to ideas, but that he needed to check with command first. Opening the command channel again, he relayed this information to Crowther, who echoed John's concerns and insisted that they could not let the Covenant take possession of the ''Starry Night''. The vessel's [[navigation computer]] and other onboard data devices could reveal the locations of UNSC outposts, entire force deployments, or worse. Crowther asked Nyeto if there was any way that the prowler's [[Nuclear weapon|nuclear]] [[self-destruct]] system could be remotely activated, to which the lieutenant commander responded in the affirmative. However, there were only three positions that had access to that ability. The first two were the flight commander and wing commander, both of which were roles held by Captain Ascot, who was either dead or unable to be reached aboard the ''Starry Night''. The final person with the ability to remotely detonate the prowler was the captain of the ''Vanishing Point'', which was holding station two planetary orbits out from Seoba. At that distance, it would take nearly an hour for the request to be sent to the cruiser and for the return signal to arrive. By then, the Covenant might already have retrieved sensitive data from the wrecked prowler. Crowther began to reluctantly order the Spartans to prevent the ''Starry Night''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s capture, but John cut him off, assuring him that they would not fail. The Spartan requested that Task Force Yama assist them by keeping the assaulting corvettes off their backs. Nyeto began to say that their prowlers were not designed for ship-to-ship combat when Crowther interrupted him, promising that they would find a way. Crowther started to tell John to standby for instructions on how to manually activate the prowler's self-destruct, but he reassured the colonel that his Spartans already knew how to activate a [[Fury tactical nuclear weapon|Fury nuke]].{{Ref/Reuse|HSS14}}

Just then, a [[Karo'etba-pattern Ghost|Ghost]] appeared out of the fog, firing at John, who killed its [[Jiralhanae]] driver with his [[MA5B assault rifle|MA5B]]'s [[M301 grenade launcher|underbarrel grenade launcher]]. Shortly after that was handled, more Ghosts entered the quarry, so John ordered Green and Gold Teams to deal with them as Blue Team went with him to the prowler. At this point, the looming intrusion corvette had begun deploying EVA-equipped Sangheili, Jiralhanae, and Kig-Yar warriors via gravity lift, with the first already looking for a way inside the ship. Another corvette crested the edge of the quarry, firing its main cannon on the Spartans. Grace-093 took a hit, prompting Joshua to order Daisy-023 to tend to her injured teammate. With the situation quickly deteriorating and Nyeto's support still setting up, John realized that immediate action was necessary. He ordered Blue Team to simultaneously fire on the avalanche just below the ''Starry Night'' with their grenade launchers to cause the vessel to fall to quarry floor and prevent the Covenant from gaining entrance. Despite Fred and Kelly's warnings that such an action could bring the whole slope down on top of them, each member of the team acknowledged and followed his order. As they has feared, the volley of [[grenade]]s worked a bit too well, bringing the avalanche down on top of the Spartans, but successfully delaying the Covenant in their boarding attempt.{{Ref/Reuse|HSS14}}

[[File:Joshua.png|thumb|300px|Joshua radios the Master Chief for advice regarding civilians on Sigma Octanus IV.]]

On [[2552#August|August 27, 2552]] Joshua and twenty-four other Spartan-IIs were gathered at [[FLEETCOM HQ]] on Reach, where they were briefed on [[Operation: RED FLAG]], an [[ONI]] [[operation]] with the objective of capturing a Covenant [[Hierarch]]. On [[2552#August|August 30]], Joshua boarded the {{UNSCShip|Pillar of Autumn}} with the others in preparation for RED FLAG. However, the mission was aborted when an order went out to all ships to defend Reach from the [[Fall of Reach|a massive Covenant assault]] that was underway at the planet. John assigned Joshua to Red Team, made up of twenty-two of the Spartans which were sent to land on the ground and protect the [[Orbital defense generator|power generators]] for Reach's [[orbital defense platform]]s.<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''page 341'' (2010)</ref> Joshua was given the responsibility of piloting Red Team's Pelican—[[Bravo 001]]. As it descended to the surface of the planet, the dropship was attacked by Seraphs. Joshua attempted to activate its autopilot but all of computer systems had been destroyed in the assault.<ref name="FS9-10">'''[[Halo: First Strike]]''', ''page 9''</ref> As they dove uncontrollably towards the ground, Joshua managed to slow the craft enough so that the Spartans could jump just before ''Bravo 001'' exploded. Once he landed, Joshua found a [[SRS99C-S2 AM Sniper Rifle|Sniper Rifle]] and was the first Spartan to arrive at [[ODG Facility A-331]] and spot the survivors of the [[UNSC Marine Corps]] unit, [[Charlie Company]]. He radioed Fred and the Spartans were able to regroup at the facility. Fred then ordered Joshua to recon the area. Doing so, he discovered a Covenant landing zone and patched his imaging through to Fred via [[COM]].<ref>'''[[Halo: First Strike]]''', ''page 21''</ref> While Red Team was building up defenses at the facility, it received a distress call from Vice Admiral [[Danforth Whitcomb]], [[Deputy Chief of Naval Operations]].<ref name="fs17">'''Halo: First Strike''', ''pages 17-34'' (2010)</ref> Fred then divided Red Team into four smaller teams. Joshua was placed on [[Team Alpha]], comprised of himself, Fred and Kelly. They were to destroy a nearby Covenant [[landing zone]] in the [[Longhorn Valley]] while [[Team Gamma]] rescued Vice Admiral Whitcomb and his staff.<ref>'''Halo: First Strike''', ''pages 36-37'' (2010)</ref> Operating [[Type-26 Banshee]]s, Joshua and the two others successfully destroyed the landing zone by delivering [[Fury tactical nuclear weapon|Fury tactical nukes]] into the [[gravity lift]] of a [[Covenant cruiser at Longhorn Valley|Covenant cruiser]] overhead. However, Joshua's Banshee took fire from  {{Pattern|Pek|plasma cannon}}s and began to trail smoke and lose altitude. As a result, Joshua was killed in the ensuing nuclear explosion.<ref>'''Halo: First Strike''', ''pages 40-45'' (2010)</ref>