Editing Owen-B096

{{Disambig header|the [[Spartan-III]]|the guard and resident of the [[Rubble]]|Owen}}

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|image=[[File:Owenlive.PNG|300px]]

|homeworld=[[Eremus]]{{Ref/Reuse|Dispatch}}

|birth=c. [[2530]]{{Ref/Reuse|HBB10}}{{Ref/Note|In ''[[Halo: Battle Born]]'', set in [[2548]], it is noted by [[Saskia Nazari]] that Owen couldn't be more than a few years older than her. His eyes are also singled out as appearing to not belong to a teenager, suggesting he was one at this point. Saskia herself is seventeen or eighteen years old at this time.}}

|height={{Convert|200|cm|ftin|sp=us}}<ref name="HMD3">''[[Halo: Meridian Divide]]'', ''Chapter 3''</ref>

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|affiliation=*[[UNSC Navy]]{{Ref/Reuse|Dispatch}}<ref name="WaypointSpartans">[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/universe/factions/spartans '''Halo Waypoint''': ''Spartans'']</ref><ref name="HOSFM33">''[[Halo: Official Spartan Field Manual]]'', ''page 33''</ref>{{Ref/Note|As a Spartan-III, Owen served under the authority of [[UNSC Special Forces|Naval Special Warfare Command]]. However, all Spartan-IIIs who survived the war with the Covenant were offered integration into the [[Spartan-IV]] program and the newly-created [[Spartan Operations]] branch. It is unknown whether Owen remained with the [[UNSC Navy|Navy]] or not, though his pay grade of E-5 may suggest he did, since all who transition to Spartan Operations are granted a direct officer's commission.}}

|rank-title=Rank code|rank=E-5{{Ref/Reuse|Dispatch}}

'''Spartan Owen-B096''' is a [[Spartan-III]] in service with the [[United Nations Space Command]] [[UNSC Armed Forces|Armed Forces]].{{Ref/Reuse|Dispatch}} Orphaned at a young age following the [[Covenant]]'s [[Battle of Jericho VII|attack]] on his home world, he was trained to be a [[Spartan]] on [[Onyx]] as part of the [[Spartan-III program]]'s [[SPARTAN-III Beta Company|Beta Company]] and [[Biological augmentation|biologically augmented]].{{Ref/Reuse|Dispatch}}{{Ref/Reuse|HBB17}} Owen was separated from the rest of his company prior to its [[Operation: TORPEDO|deployment]] to the [[51 Pegasi system]] in [[2545]].{{Ref/Reuse|Dispatch}}{{Ref/Reuse|HM76}}{{Ref/Reuse|HGOOP}} In [[2548]] he lent aid to the [[Battle of Meridian|defense]] of [[Meridian]], teaming up with four teenage residents of the moon in the opening stage of the conflict.{{Ref/Reuse|WaypointMeridian}}{{Ref/Reuse|HBB11}} Together, they successfully evacuated surviving residents of [[Brume-sur-Mer]] off-world.<ref name="HBB24">''[[Halo: Battle Born]]'', ''Chapter 24''</ref> Three months later Owen then assisted these same teens in the sabotage of Covenant excavation equipment and the retrieval of the [[Forerunner]] artifact which had brought the aliens to Meridian in the first place.<ref name="Kirkus">[https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/cassandra-rose-clarke/battle-born-clarke/ '''Kirkus Review''' - ''Battle Born - Meridian Divide'']</ref> In late [[2553]] he and another Spartan, [[Hazel-A302]], were tasked with delivering the [[artificial intelligence]] [[Gabriela]] to [[Earth]] and assisting with an [[Outpost Discovery]] at major population centers on the planet.{{Ref/Reuse|OutpostDiscovery}}<ref name="ATNOTUHODE">[https://youtu.be/8K3hG76Ctmo?t=164 '''YouTube''': ''All the News on the Upcoming Halo: Outpost Discovery Experience'']</ref>{{Ref/Reuse|HLW1}}{{Ref/Reuse|HLW4}}

Owen was born on [[Eremus]], a moon of [[Jericho VII]] in the [[Lambda Serpentis system]].{{Ref/Reuse|Dispatch}}<ref name="Twitter8">[https://twitter.com/GrimBrotherOne/status/1154749739545423872 [[Jeff Easterling]] on Twitter]</ref> The Covenant began [[Battle of Jericho VII|a ground invasion]] of Jericho VII on [[2535#February|February 9, 2535]], and by the twelfth had begun to [[Glassing|glass]] it.<ref name="HTFORP">''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]'', ''Prologue''</ref> His family being present on the planet at the time, Owen's parents were in a town which fell victim to orbital bombardment.<ref name="HBB17">''[[Halo: Battle Born]]'', ''Chapter 17''</ref>{{Ref/Reuse|Twitter8}} By the time half the world's surface had suffered the same treatment Owen was eventually discovered by the [[Office of Naval Intelligence]] living on his own in the countryside and eating bugs.{{Ref/Reuse|HBB17}} Owen volunteered for the [[Spartan-III program]] a short time later, becoming one of four hundred and eighteen children making up its [[SPARTAN-III Beta Company|second company]].{{Ref/Reuse|Dispatch}}<ref name="HGOO9">''[[Halo: Ghosts of Onyx]]'', ''Chapter 9''</ref> Only three hundred and seventy-five had been confidently identified for participation by [[2537#July|July 30, 2537]], but the full company was formed by the next day.{{Ref/Reuse|HM76}}<ref name="HGOO8">''[[Halo: Ghosts of Onyx]]'', ''Chapter 8''</ref>

Beta Company was trained from that point on by the [[Spartan-II]] Lieutenant [[Kurt Ambrose]] and Chief Petty Officer [[Franklin Mendez]] at the [[Camp Currahee]] complex on the planet [[Onyx]] in the [[Zeta Doradus system]].<ref name="HOSFM84">''[[Halo: Official Spartan Field Manual]]'', ''page 84''</ref> The regimen mirrored that of the [[Spartan-II]]s', with intensive physical conditioning and education conducted by hand-picked trainers and multiple on-site A.I.s. All training and indoctrination emphasized the significance of achieving objectives at any cost and a willingness to sacrifice for the UNSC.{{Ref/Reuse|HOSFM84}} Beta Company's drill instructors also counted washouts from [[SPARTAN-III Alpha Company|Alpha Company]] among their ranks, who always seemed to go out of their way to make things as hard as possible for the trainees.{{Ref/Reuse|HGOO9}} On [[2541#August|August 24, 2541]] all four hundred and eighteen recruits were given an exercise near Camp Currahee in which their respective teams were tasked with [[Ring the Bell|ringing a bell]] atop a poll in a field. Impeding their progress were their drill instructors, who were shielded by [[Semi-Powered Infiltration armor#Mark II|Mark II semi-powered infiltration armor]]. [[SPARTAN-III Beta Company|Beta Company]]'s members, conversely, only had sweat suits and light boots for protection against [[stun round]]s. Kurt had previously announced that eventually only three hundred slots would be made available for continuation as a [[Spartan]], and ringing the bell was required in order to advance. The lieutenant had also let it be known that grades would be a factor in the selection process, so the kids were as a whole exhausting themselves each night with studying before falling asleep. The exercise this day began at 1420 hours.{{Ref/Reuse|HGOO9}} An exceptional candidate, Owen's tenacity and single-minded focus allowed him to grind his way through the remainder of the punishing training in the years which followed and the [[Project CHRYSANTHEMUM|biological augmentation]] processes to reach the top honors program.{{Ref/Reuse|Dispatch}} Beta Company graduated at some point during the first few months of [[2545]] and by May 30 at least some of its members had been deployed for [[Operation: CARTWHEEL]].<ref name="HOSFM85">''[[Halo: Official Spartan Field Manual]]'', ''page 85''</ref><ref name="Intel">[http://halo.bungie.net/projects/reach/article.aspx?ucc=personnel&cid=24040 '''Bungie.net''' - ''Intel, Personnel'']</ref> Three hundred were deployed to the [[51 Pegasi system]] on July 3 of that year for [[Operation: TORPEDO]] following a number of other missions the company had completed, but Owen was not among these, having been detached from the rest of his comrades for special assignment.{{Ref/Reuse|Dispatch}}<ref name="HM76">''[[Halo Mythos]]'', ''page 76''</ref><ref name="HGOOP">''[[Halo: Ghosts of Onyx]]'', ''Prologue''</ref> Soon after this separation he was given [[Mjolnir]] armor.<ref name="Dispatch">[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/news/discovery-dispatch-february-21-2019 '''Halo Waypoint''' - ''Discovery Dispatch - February 21, 2019'']</ref>{{Ref/Reuse|HM76}} At some point between 2545 and 2548, Owen was send to Jericho VII after the rumor of Covenant activity on the planet.<ref>''[[Halo: Meridian Divide]]'', ''Chapter 8''</ref>

{{Quote|no=three|q1=I got taken down by the Covenant on the way in. The suit took up most of the damage, but—|Owen-B096|q2=You're limping. And it looks like your armor is damaged.|Saskia Nazari|q3=It was a close call.|Owen-B096|Owen tersely recounts his harrowing landing on Meridian.}}{{Ref/Reuse|HBB10}}

In [[2548]] a small [[Covenant]] fleet element [[Battle of Meridian|arrived]] in the [[Hestia system]] near the start of the rainy season on [[Meridian]], one of [[Hestia V]]'s moons.<ref name="WaypointMeridian">[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/universe/locations/meridian '''Halo Waypoint''' - ''Meridian'']</ref><ref name="HBB11">'''[[Halo: Battle Born]]''', ''Chapter 11''</ref> The UNSC and [[Meridian military|Meridian's military]] fought to keep the Covenant from breaching the [[Outer Colonies|Outer Colony]] world's atmosphere for around a week before their combined defenses finally failed.{{Ref/Reuse|HBB11}} For the last three days of that effort, Owen fought as part of a team to stop the aliens from getting to the moon's surface. During planetary descent the [[dropship]] carrying his team was taken down by the enemy and Owen was separated from the others when it made impact. Owen was also injured in the crash, though his armor managed to take most of the damage inflicted.{{Ref/Reuse|HBB11}} It further helped to somewhat correct a resulting imbalance in his gait, but he was still dragging his left foot and limping the next day.{{Ref/Reuse|HBB10}}

Owen soon realized that the Covenant was setting up in the coastal village [[Brume-sur-Mer]].{{Ref/Reuse|HBB11}} During the afternoon of the day which followed the Covenant's night arrival on Meridian itself, he sighted two [[Mgalekgolo]] gestalts at the village's edge and managed to kill one of them minutes before the second turned it attention upon two teenagers who had crossed [[Rue Glycine]] to a line of warehouses lining it.<ref name="HBB10">'''[[Halo: Battle Born]]''', ''Chapter 10''</ref>{{Ref/Reuse|HBB11}}<ref name="HBB12">'''[[Halo: Battle Born]]''', ''Chapter 12''</ref> The [[Victor Gallardo|boy]] and [[Saskia Nazari|girl]] were about to be killed when Owen suddenly barreled into the Hunter at full speed to save them.{{Ref/Reuse|HBB10}} In doing so he forced it back and prevented it from firing its weapon, yelling for the teens to get clear before being sent flying through one of the wall of one of the warehouses by the hulking beast. It followed him inside and a short battle between the two ensued, but ultimately Owen emerged victorious and caught up to the near victims in the forest across the road from town. He asked why they were not in the old town bomb shelter with the rest of Brume-sur-Mer's surviving population, only to be told it was a long story. Seeing that the boy was hurt, he agreed with the girl's assessment that they needed to leave before any more aliens showed up and noted that there had been two Hunters present a few minutes earlier. He asked if they had somewhere in particular to head toward and learned the girl's house was apparently safe. The girl let him know that there were also two more of them who had gone to speak with [[Salome]], the town's [[artificial intelligence]]. Owen assured her they would make sure to collect them as well on the way to her house before taking the lead as the trio set out deeper into the woods.{{Ref/Reuse|HBB10}}

After at least one right turn taken at the girl's direction the three of them stepped into a clearing where one of the town computers was located.{{Ref/Reuse|HBB10}} Another [[Dorian Nguyen|boy]] and [[Evie Rousseau|girl]] pair already there, the ones whom they were looking for, initially provoked a raised rifle from Owen due to the boy's surprised reaction. Once things had calmed down the Spartan urged that they continue onwards, assuming he could trust the home of the first girl truly was the safest place for them to be then. It took over thirty minutes of walking from there until the group of five reached their destination, a house surrounded by massive iron walls and turrets which both clearly didn't look meant for civilians. By then it had become apparent to the girl who lived there that he was hurt, but when asked about his status Owen hesitated before explaining the close call he'd had when his dropship crashed. After moving past the wall's gate it was her alone who stayed back with him as the others went inside the house. She said she could treat him with a UNSC-issued [[Health pack|medical kit]] but he cautioned against removing his armor, since he wouldn't be able to get it back on without a [[Brokkr Armor Mechanism|mounting machine]]. Nevertheless, he agreed to slide off the damaged panel near his hip so she could help, provided that she did so on the porch away from the others. She returned to him soon with the kit and used medical scissors to cut away the fabric of his bodysuit so she could apply [[biofoam]] to the bloody patch of grey-black skin, mottled with yellow and purple, beneath. Owen assured her he'd used biofoam before but still tensed his muscles, groaned, and clenched his jaw when she inserted the canister's needle into the wound. When it was done he thanked her. She finally then introduced herself as [[Saskia Nazari|Saskia]] and he reciprocated the introduction.{{Ref/Reuse|HBB10}}

{{Quote|no=three|q1=The five of us are not going to be able to drive the Covenant out of town, but we can make things very hard for them. We can draw out their efforts until the UNSC can get through. Like we saw tonight, we'll need weapons. Ammunition. And that means scavenging. So if this is going to work, then you will need to listen to me. You will need to do what I say. And you will need to work together.|Owen-B096|q2=You'll really help us?|Evie Rousseau|q3=I don't think we have much choice if we want to survive, but we're going to need to act fast.|Owen-B096|Owen lays out in stark terms both the potential and limitations afforded to the situation faced by he and four civilian teens.}}{{Ref/Reuse|HBB11}}

[[File:HBB Owen.PNG|thumb|300px|right|Owen.]]

After everyone had gathered in Saskia's parents' living room she introduced Owen properly to the group and let them know he was of the opinion that they should evacuate.{{Ref/Reuse|HBB11}} This provoked a variety of reactions but he made it clear to them that his job was to get both they and their families to safety, which he believed he had the best shot at if the four teens were first brought to the UNSC shelter in [[Port Moyne]], a town adjacent to Brume-sur-Mer. The two he'd met at the town computer, [[Dorian Nguyen|Dorian]] and [[Evie Rousseau|Evie]], remained skeptical but he promised he would personally come back for their families, presently in the village's shelter. In the house's foyer Owen explained that they'd need to go on foot, since the roads were likely being monitored. He hoped that by keeping to the underbrush they might run into UNSC or Meridian scouts on the way. Calling for backup was impossible thanks to all communications being jammed by the Covenant. Past the gate again he instructed the teens to stay quiet and follow his lead.{{Ref/Reuse|HBB11}}

{{Quote|You aren't going up against humans. So if it's impossible for you to reconnoiter me, then it's impossible to reconnoiter the Covenant, and if that's the case, what the hell are we even doing out here?|Owen explains the rationale behind making the teens try to evade detection by him.}}{{Ref/Reuse|HBB12}}

Later that night, after a dinner of reconstituted packets of stew, everyone filed outside into Saskia's backyard.{{Ref/Reuse|HBB12}} Owen announced that he planned to split the teens up into the same two-person teams they'd been in when he met them and to send them into town for a reconnaissance mission the next morning. To prepare for this, he wanted them all to head into the surrounding woods so they could practice not being seen. As such, he challenged them to try to sneak up on him in the dark of night without being caught by him first. This exercise lasted through the night, with Owen repeatedly catching Dorian and Evie in particular despite showing them how to circle trees in narrower and narrower arcs. The two of them had no idea how late or early it was when they accidentally made noise that drew the Spartan's attention and sent them fleeing. After this they headed back toward him stealthily until they saw the light from his armor flickering through the trees. He stood still for around fifteen minutes as the two teens crept along tree branches to surprise him from above. When Owen heard a branch snap nearby he walked toward the sound and sounded a reminder concerning the importance for quiet, but it had actually been intentional on the civilians' part. Dorian leaped down from a tree when Owen got close, actually catching the Spartan unawares and earning him a congratulatory commendation. Evie followed suit, making Owen suggest they might actually find out something useful from the Covenant if they could remain hidden like that the next day. With that he told them to head back to the house to sleep, as they'd be heading out the next night rather than very soon that morning. Victor and Saskia similarly managed to sneak up on Owen once during the exercise after being caught time and time again, although they weren't able to watch him for long.{{Ref/Reuse|HBB12}}<ref name="HBB13">''[[Halo: Battle Born]]'', ''Chapter 13''</ref> He told them each they would probably be just fine at what the had planned.{{Ref/Reuse|HBB12}}

Thirty minutes after leaving the house Owen was somewhere close to the edge of downtown Brume-sur-Mer and after an hour he was still conducting surveillance there.{{Ref/Reuse|HBB12}}{{Ref/Reuse|HBB13}} He had sent Saskia and Victor to investigate the forest further from town.{{Ref/Reuse|HBB13}} Owen managed to procure a [[Type-25 plasma rifle]] while he was out.<ref name="HBB14">''[[Halo: Battle Born]]'', ''Chapter 14''</ref> When they all finally reconvened in the dining room at Saskia's place a little after midnight Owen learned from Dorian and Evie that they had discovered some sort of Covenant vehicle drilling into the ground in [[Old Brume]] at the city's center.{{Ref/Reuse|HBB13}} Through pointed questions Owen was able to deduce that they had seen a [[Type-30 Locust]]. He asked if there was any risk the people in the shelter could be harmed by its drill but Dorian assured him it didn't extend to that area. Things got more interesting when Saskia and Victor shared what they'd found: an old hangar and military communications in the woods, complete with [[Sundered Legion Prowler|a functional]] [[prowler]]. They also said they'd managed to overhear discussion of an artifact in Brume-sur-Mer over a [[UNSC]] channel. Owen stared out a nearby window as he put the pieces together and finally asked the others how much they really knew about the [[Covenant]]. He went on to explain that at the center of the aliens' [[Human-Covenant War|war]] against humanity was their belief in their [[Forerunner|god]]s. He had concluded that it was all but certain a [[Forerunner]] relic of some kind was buried in the old neighborhood and that it might be the only thing keeping the moon from already being [[Glassing|glassed]]. He couldn't begin to imagine what the artifact could actually be, but declared that they couldn't let the Covenant get it. With that the Spartan explained that though they couldn't exactly take the fight right to the enemy, he did have a plan.{{Ref/Reuse|HBB13}} He tried to give them access to a military comm channel but unfortunately it was still scrambled.{{Ref/Reuse|HBB14}}

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After they detonated the explosives a squad of [[Unggoy]] came spilling onto the stand.<ref name="HBB23">''[[Halo: Battle Born]]'', ''Chapter 23''</ref> Owen shouted for Dorian and Victor to split up while he took them on. Before long Dorian rejoined him and they both veered away from the dunes and toward the beach proper while a firefight ensued. Owen made efficient use of the [[ARC-920 railgun]] during this time in addition to his rifle. When Victor finally rejoined he and the other boy he commended him for his performance in battle so far. When a [[Kig-Yar]] suddenly then darted out from behind a dune Owen stepped to the side and tracked it before blasting the alien with the railgun. Another wave of Covenant attackers arrived at that point, leading Owen to calmly stroll forward to meet them while firing. A [[Type-26 Banshee]] exploded when hit by one of the railgun's [[M645 FTP-HE|M645 ferric tungsten projectile]]s, but then with no warning Owen was hit square in the side by the detonation of a [[Type-1 plasma grenade]]. He was sent flying backward by the blast and immediately began bleeding from where his armor had been compromised. Victor raced over to him and depolarized his visor to find the Spartan's eyes blearly, blinking, and unfocused. In pain and unable to be moved by he or Dorian, Owen told them to leave him and run back to the ship. Both refused, which made Owen smile and say he'd trained them too well. When a squad of [[Sangheili]] was revealed to be making its way toward their position, however, he again yelled for them to run, screaming that he was ordering that they leave him. The three were only saved by the sudden arrival of Evie, who came barreling toward them in Victor's car while firing Saskia's [[M363 sticky detonator]] at the Elites. Dorian and Victor were still incapable of getting the Spartan into the vehicle on their own, so with a howl of pain Owen put himself in motion and collapsed into the back seat. Then they were off, plasma fire following thinly in their wake.{{Ref/Reuse|HBB23}}

Owen flung himself into the compartment immediately behind the prowler's cockpit with a grunt and a scream, careful now to stay against the bulkhead.{{Ref/Reuse|HBB24}} Once everyone else was aboard as well the ship took off, climbing to escape the besieged moon. Owen advised caution, since they'd likely face new dangers after breaking atmosphere. His words were cut short by a ragged coughing fit and by the time they had left Meridian well and truly behind and the prowler found itself facing down an {{Class|SDV|heavy corvette}}, he was lying still on the floor. Owen's face had turned an unnatural gray but when he did manage to lift his face again he told Dorian to punch into the military comm channel he'd shown him and offered a code: "Nine. Alpha. Sierra. Three. Tango." More coughing almost threatened to keep him from relaying the final portion, but Dorian confirmed he'd gotten it all when asked. Owen further urged him to keep pulling up on the ship's throttle for speed. When Dorian did access the channel and identified himself with the code provided by Owen he was welcomed back as a Spartan and they were told to stand by for assistance.{{Ref/Reuse|HBB24}}

Upon docking within the [[UNSC Cruiser|cruiser]] {{UNSCShip|Sparrow}} Owen was taken away for medical attention.<ref name="HBB25">''[[Halo: Battle Born]]'', ''Chapter 25''</ref> Within two days he had recovered and given a full report of the four teens' activities on the surface to Captain [[Daniella Dellatorre]], a representative of ONI's [[Xeno-Materials Exploitation Group]]. In it he mentioned the discovery of evidence that the Covenant was attempting to retrieve a [[Forerunner]] artifact in [[Old Brume]]. After those two days had elapsed he was sent to fetch Saskia, surprising her in the middle of the refugee barracks where she'd been staying. She immediately embraced him and was further surprised when he returned the gesture. Owen let her know someone from the [[Office of Naval Intelligence]] wanted to speak with she, Dorian, Evie, and Victor. Seeing that Saskia evidently felt woefully unprepared for such a meeting, he put a hand on her shoulder and told he she looked fine, joking that he'd looked a lot worse during his first encounter with ONI. He guided her toward the barracks' exit and down the adjacent corridor, stopping before a door at the end to press one of his hands against an identification lock. When the door slid open the other teens and Daniella were revealed within a conference room. Owen seated himself at the far end of the room's table. Daniella proceeded to offer the four teenage civilians a truncated version of ONI's ground operatives training program and membership within a subset of Meridian's local defense force which would work directly with ONI. After a moment of silence Owen spoke up to say that even though the proposal might seem like a lot then, [[civilian]] life would likely be hard for each of them now.{{Ref/Reuse|HBB25}}[[File:HMD Owen.PNG|thumb|300px|right|Within three months after evacuating Brume-sur-Mer Owen began to armor himself in a new suit of [[Mjolnir]] armor.{{Ref/Reuse|Casting}}]]

Three months after the evacuation of over two hundred people from Brume-sur-Mer, Owen found himself back on Meridian's surface once again, now serving as part of the [[Bume-sur-Mer Militia]].{{Ref/Reuse|HMD3}} Dorian, Evie, Saskia, and Victor returned to the moon at this point after nine weeks of training and it was Owen who found them following their descent in [[Single Occupant Exoatmospheric Insertion Vehicle|SOEIV drop pod]]s.{{Ref/Reuse|HMD3}} He came upon Evie and Victor first and brought them back to the militia's camp and around twenty minutes later Dorian and Saskia were there as well, having been similarly recovered by Owen from where they'd landed about five miles north of Brume-sur-Mer and welcomed into the militia by him.{{Ref/Reuse|HMD3}}{{Ref/Reuse|HMD4}} He told Evie and Victor their questions for him would have to wait until all four of them were there.{{Ref/Reuse|HMD4}} He'd then had to tell Dorian and Saskia to put their weapons down upon first approaching them, but once they realized it was him he'd let them know the area was secure and that he'd already gotten the others.{{Ref/Reuse|HMD3}} Dorian asked about the pilots who had brought flown them in and also had to evacuate their craft, but Owen said he hadn't heard from them and that they hadn't been coming there.{{Ref/Reuse|HMD3}} Commander [[Marechal]], the man overseeing the local operation, confirmed with the Spartan that he'd found the rest of the group as he returned the second time with Dorian and Saskia and Owen introduced them to him.{{Ref/Reuse|HMD4}} He further lauded what they'd done three months prior to the commander before showing them to the tent at the edge of camp they'd be staying in. He told all four of them to then gather at the camp center in five minutes once they'd all claimed cots and unloaded their supplies.<ref name="HMD4">''[[Halo: Meridian Divide]]'', ''Chapter 4''</ref>

About fifty people gathered in the forest clearing at the center of camp.{{Ref/Reuse|HMD4}} Owen defended his friends' capability when one woman questioned their youth and then helped Commander Marechal explain to the gathering why they were convinced the [[Covenant]] was searching for a [[Forerunner]] artifact buried somewhere downtown. Owen took the commander's spot atop a group of arching tree roots when asked to go over the details of the militia's planned operation. He explained that teams of four would be searching those places the enemy had not explored yet using Brume-sur-Mer's service tunnels and that Dorian, Evie, Saskia, and Victor would be leading them due to knowing the area best.{{Ref/Reuse|HMD4}} The sabotage of Covenant excavation equipment and the retrieval of the [[Forerunner]] artifact which had brought the aliens to Meridian in the first place both constituted goals of the militia.{{Ref/Reuse|Kirkus}}<ref name="Casting">[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/news/casting-call '''Halo Waypoint''' - ''Community Update: Casting Call'']</ref>{{Ref/Reuse|HMD4}} The artifact was eventually found and it revealed a map which pointed to the northern city of [[Annecy]].{{Ref/Reuse|Kirkus}} After the four newest militia members and Owen traveled there and discovered what it was actually pointing to, they found themselves woefully unprepared and were faced with more questions than answers though they succeeded in recovering the artifact.

After returning to UNSC space, it was discovered that the exposure to the artifact had caused a genetic anomaly that kept Victor's injuries from being healed. Testing on the other teens and Owen revealed that the other three teens were affected as well. However, Owen proved to be immune due to the genetic modifications he underwent as a Spartan-III. As a result, ONI offered the teens inclusion into the [[SPARTAN-IV program]] as the similar augmentations, including genetic modifications, could save them. With Victor's parents having consented on his behalf, the other three decided to agree.<ref>'''[[Halo: Meridian Divide]]''', ''Chapter 21''</ref>

[[File:HLW OD.PNG|thumb|300px|right|The outposts Owen assisted with invited average citizens to explore the legacy of humanity’s survival and experience the thrill of being part of the UNSC’s first line of defense against whatever threats still lurked in the galaxy.{{Ref/Reuse|Dispatch}}]]

At some point following the ultimately futile defense of [[Meridian]], Owen participated in scorched-earth holding actions in the [[Sol system]].{{Ref/Reuse|Dispatch}} The details concerning these particular actions are not slated to ever be publicized or known to the wider [[UNSC]].{{Ref/Reuse|Dispatch}} In late [[2553]] Owen and another [[Spartan-III]], [[Hazel-A302]], met with the [[Spartan-II]] [[Linda-058]], the [[Smart AI|volitional]] [[Artificial intelligence|A.I.]] [[Athos]], and an ONI officer.<ref name="HLW1">''[[Halo: Lone Wolf]]'', ''[[Halo: Lone Wolf Issue 1|Issue #1]]''</ref>{{Ref/Reuse|HLW4}} Linda and Athos had recently returned from a mission in which they had secured another A.I. named [[Gabriela]] thought lost around a year prior during the [[Fall of Reach|Fall]] of [[Reach]].{{Ref/Reuse|HLW4}}<ref name="HLW3">''[[Halo: Lone Wolf]]'', ''[[Halo: Lone Wolf Issue 3|Issue #3]]''</ref> The record of all cataloged human history which Gabriela contained made her unique among A.I.s, so Owen and Hazel were tasked with escorting her to [[Earth]].{{Ref/Reuse|HLW4}}{{Ref/Reuse|HLW3}} There she would assume the role of caretaker for an [[Outpost Discovery]], a mobile exploratory initiative focused on the education, recruitment, inspiration, and training of the next generation of UNSC personnel.{{Ref/Reuse|Dispatch}}<ref name="HLW4">''[[Halo: Lone Wolf]]'', ''[[Halo: Lone Wolf Issue 4|Issue #4]]''</ref> Both Spartans joined her thereafter in assisting with the outposts, which involved traveling to various major population centers on [[humanity]]'s home world and interacting directly with [[civilian]]s in attendance.{{Ref/Reuse|Dispatch}}{{Ref/Reuse|HLW4}} Prior to this assignment, Owen had never before set foot on humanity's home world.<ref name="Twitter5">[https://twitter.com/Juans_Amigo/status/1146397129155514368 John Friend on Twitter]</ref>{{Ref/Note|''[[Halo: Outpost Discovery]]'', is canonically set at some point between [[2554]] and [[2557]]. The attraction known as [[The Ring Experience|"The Ring Experience"]] at each ''Outpost Discovery'' location features the exploration of a [[Halo ring]] which cannot be [[Installation 05|Delta]] or [[Gamma Halo]] based on the planet it is shown to orbit, the experience's executive producer, Jason Ambler, believes it is supposed to be [[Installation 07|Zeta Halo]]. If this is the case, ''Outpost Discovery'' cannot be set any earlier than the point in [[2555]] when the [[Zeta Halo project|exploration]] of that installation began. Officially the identity of the installation shown in The Ring Experience is presently undefined by [[343 Industries]]. It should also be noted that the canonical dating of ''Outpost Discovery'' may be able to be further narrowed by a display which claims it is believed [[343 Guilty Spark]] was destroyed in [[2552]]. It was in late [[2555]] that the [[UNSC]] first learned of this [[monitor]]'s survival.}}

[[File:HOD Urbane.PNG|thumb|200px|right|Harlem globetrotter Urbane Bingham as Owen-B096.]]

{{Quote|Whenever we were designing them we wanted to have two characters that made sense. And we already had ''[[Halo: Battle Born|Battle Born]]'' in the works.|Sarah Campbell notes that Owen had been conceived of as character prior to his inclusion in ''Outpost Discovery'', since he had originally just been designed for ''Battle Born''.}}{{Ref/Reuse|SSDTMM}}

Owen was created by author [[Cassandra Rose Clarke]] for ''[[Halo: Battle Born]]'', the series' first young adult novel, and subsequently appeared in the final panels of ''[[Halo: Lone Wolf]]'''s [[Halo: Lone Wolf Issue 4|concluding issue]].{{Ref/Reuse|HLW4}}<ref name="Twitter6">[https://twitter.com/seeorsea/status/1146404291944620035 Cassandra Rose Clarke on Twitter]</ref> By the time it was determined that ''[[Halo: Outpost Discovery]]'' locations ought to include two individuals dressed as [[Spartan]]s attendees could interact with, ''Battle Born'' was already in the works for Owen to be drawn from.<ref name="SSDTMM">[https://mixer.com/Halo?vod=89590965 '''Mixer''': ''Social Stream: Discovering the Museum MacGyver'']</ref> [[343 Industries]] consumer products team artist [[Sarah Campbell]] did most of the [[Wikipedia:3D|three-dimensional]] designing and construction of the armor to be worn by the person dressed as Owen. Objectives of the armor's design included having it make sense for the time in which ''Outpost Discovery'' is set as well as representative of armor that would actually be worn by Spartans at [[Outpost Discovery]] locations. In addition, Sarah had to consider practical issues for the wearer such as the need for pockets, flexibility, and the ability to sit down while wearing the costume. She used assets from ''[[Halo: Reach]]'' alongside those from other projects and some she created herself specifically for ''Outpost Discovery'' while designing the armor. A rear-protruding pouch worn around Owen's waist in particular was based on that seen on [[Carter-A259]] in ''Reach'', described as a "[[Wikipedia:Fanny pack|fanny pack]]".{{Ref/Reuse|SSDTMM}}

At ''Outpost Discovery'' locations Owen is embodied by [[Wikipedia:Harlem Globetrotters|Harlem globetrotter]] [https://www.linkedin.com/in/urbane-bingham-312a28113 Urbane Bingham].<ref name="Twitter9">[https://twitter.com/UrbGotti_/status/1153267071737896961 Urbane Bingham on Twitter]</ref> 343 Industries decided that Owen's face in canon would be virtually identical to Bingham's. The same is true for Hazel-A302 and the woman who embodied her, [[Wikipedia:Twitch.tv|Twitch]] streamer [https://www.twitch.tv/Savagegiggles?fbclid=IwAR1_WXq3UP7brw0JZjfDgUV0CX-xJzM62FUjLKEB6pvZfz3htgdecQZOZ8Y Jordan Price].<ref name="Twitter10">[https://twitter.com/SavageGiggles/status/1148796380275757056 Jordan Price on Twitter]</ref>

File:Halo Battle Born cover.jpg|Owen appears on the cover of ''[[Halo: Battle Born]]''.<ref name="Soldiering">[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/news/soldiering-on '''Halo Waypoint''' - ''Community Update: Soldiering On'']</ref>

File:OwenAvatar.PNG|All purchasers of ''Outpost Discovery'' tickets will receive download codes for this [[Xbox]] avatar costume.<ref name="Dispatch2">[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/news/discovery-dispatch-march-28-2019 '''Halo Waypoint''' - ''Discovery Dispatch - March 28, 2019'']</ref>

File:HOD OwenHazel.jpg|Owen-B096 and Hazel-A302 are available to take pictures with at ''Outpost Discovery''.<ref name="Twitter7">[https://twitter.com/Ultimate_Halo/status/1146876760266555392 Ultimate Halo on Twitter]</ref>

File:HOD Owen.jpg|This image shows Owen's left shoulder pauldron, emblazoned for the [[Outpost Discovery]].<ref name="Twitter3">[https://twitter.com/Juans_Amigo/status/1146390422446624768 John Friend on Twitter]</ref>

File:HOD OWENPlate.jpg|This nameplate was shared by [[343 Industries]] product development manager [[Scott Jobe]].<ref name="Twitter4">[https://twitter.com/jobie_says/status/1146394273094557697 Scott Jobe on Twitter]</ref>

File:HaloOutpostDiscovery Poster.png|Owen is featured in this promotional image for ''[[Halo: Outpost Discovery]]''.<ref name="OutpostDiscovery">[https://halooutpostdiscovery.com/ '''Halo: Outpost Discovery''']</ref>

File:BbEarly.jpg|Owen's appearance on the cover of ''[[Halo: Battle Born]]'' is slightly different for an early pre-release version of the book.<ref name="Reddit">[https://www.reddit.com/r/halo/comments/af3izv/found_this_at_my_local_good_will_a_few_days_ago/ '''Reddit''' - ''Found this at my local good will a few days ago!'']</ref>

File:HLW ODE.jpg|Owen is featured on the cover of a hardcover collection of ''Halo: Lone Wolf'' issues exclusive to ''Halo: Outpost Discovery''.<ref name="Twitter">[[Anne Toole]] on Twitter [https://twitter.com/amely/status/1120386761157480449]</ref>

File:HOD Gear.png|Owen appears on this T-shirt, exclusive to the ''Outpost Discovery'' experience.<ref name="HODT">[https://twitter.com/HaloOutpost/status/1143286430447411200 Halo: Outpost Discovery on Twitter]</ref>