Sandra Tillson

Sandra Katherine Tillson
Biographical information
Homeworld:	Coral
Born:	May 14, 2506
Died:	July 24, 2557 (aged 51)
Cause of death:	Composed by the Didact
Personal details
Species:	Human
Gender:	Female
Height:	175.3 centimeters (5 ft 9.0 in)
Weight:	59 kilograms (131 lb)
Hair color:	Gray
Political and military information
Affiliation:	United Nations Space Command
Service number:	CC-728304

Dr. Sandra "Sandy" Katherine Tillson (Civilian Consultant Number: CC-728304) was an xenoarchaeologist in the employ of the Office of Naval Intelligence. In 2557, she was studying the Composer at Ivanoff Station.

Biography

Early life and career

Sandra Katherine Tillson was born on May 14, 2506, on Coral. At some point in her life, Tillson studied and earned her doctorate in archaeology in the Pegasi Institute, eventually becoming one of only a handful of experts in the field of Xenoarchaeology. During the Human-Covenant War, Coral would be attacked, forcing Sandra to evacuate to Lodestone, where she was then hired by the Office of Naval Intelligence to conduct research on a number of sites later deemed to be of Forerunner origin. When Installation 03 was initially discovered, she was one of the first people to be introduced to the research team. This led her to be the one responsible for the discovery of the Composer.

Death

During the Raid on Ivanoff Station in July 24, 2557, she assisted in evacuating the station, while Master Chief John-117 cleared the station of Covenant attackers. Tillson volunteered to stay behind to detonate the HAVOK nukes the Chief and Cortana planned to destroy the Composer with. However, she was killed when the Didact activated the Composer, digitizing her and everyone aboard Ivanoff Station save the Master Chief.

TDS-009

Tillson's composed mind would be used for the artificial intelligence of TDS-009, a Promethean Knight in service to Jul 'Mdama and his Covenant. Following the Requiem Campaign, TDS-009 would take part in the Battle of Oban as part of the Third Dignitary Schema. However, during their mission of assaulting a UNSC communications bunker and eliminating the humans within, TDS-009 encounters something that fills it with feelings of revulsion, dread and fear; a small humanoid devoid of facial features and wrapped in flesh that just stands staring at the Promethean Knight. TDS-009 attempts to wait for a directive from the Strategos on what to do with the being, but nothing comes through. After the battle, as the Third Dignitary Schema are ordered to leave the human bodies to be found, TDS-009 attempts to find the strange humanoid as it wonders why it had not received a directive on it, only to find it gone.

TDS-009 would later be a part of the Battle of Aktis IV, accompanying Jul 'Mdama alongside TDS-002 as traitors allied with Sali 'Nyon are rounded up for execution. After 'Mdama departs aboard a Phantom for the Song of Retribution at the recommendation of one of his Zealot commanders, TDS-009 was assigned to another Zealot where they quickly run into a Spartan. During the fight, TDS-009 once again sees the being, now in the form of a young girl with golden hair tucked in a messy bun, again not reacting to what's happening around her. Despite knowing it should attack the Spartan, TDS-009 instead attempted to contact the Strategos to again ask for directives regarding the girl but stopped. Instead, the Promethean kicks the Zealot in its chest, allowing the confused Spartan to escape. In response, the Zealot impales TDS-009 with his Energy Sword. As it disintegrates, TDS-009 locks eyes with the girl, who is screaming as she is reduced layer-by-layer into dust.

Sometime later, TDs-009 awoke in a Forerunner holding facility without any memory of how it got there. After attempting and failing to connect to the Strategos command pattern to obtain operational context, directives, and network with the rest of the Third Dignitary Schema, TDS-009 again sees the girl, now fully grown and dressed in thin grey overalls and a white-blue coat, staring at it from the corner of its cell. TDS-009 attempts to reconnect to the Promethean network again and again, but the woman stares at it throughout. Eventually, TDS-009 attempts to disable its optical sensors and shut down, forcing itself into hibernation to wait for it to be detected by the Strategos and be reconnected to the Promethean network, and to avoid looking at the woman. However, it feels a phantom sensation of a hand lowering its main weapon and then turning its head to the woman, allowing it to take in every detail of her face. Old data and suppressed memories flood into its mind, taking the place of expunged combat directives and strategies, overwhelming the Knight as it recognizes the girl's face and name.

As a Monitor and a group of Spartans pass its cell, the woman is now gone as well. Alone, TDS-009 sifts through fragments of memories of its past life.

Production notes

• Sandra Tillson was voiced by actress Adrienne Barbeau, who is best known for portraying Catwoman in Batman: The Animated Series.
• According to a Twitter post by Halo Waypoint, Tillson was born on Lodestone. Her birthplace was changed to Coral in Halo 4: The Essential Visual Guide. Halo: The Machine Breaks rectifies this inconsistency by stating Tillson was born on Coral, but moved to Lodestone after the Covenant glassed her homeworld.

Gallery

Browse more images in this article's gallery page.

• 

  Profile of Sandra Tillson.

• 

  Portrait of Doctor Sandra Tillson carrying a Data pad.

• 

  Renders of Doctor Tillson's face before, during and after being Composed.

• 

  Doctor Tillson observing the Mantle's Approach on Ivanoff Station.

• 

  Dr. Tillson undergoing the effects of the Composer.

• 

  TDS-009 attacks one of Jul 'Mdama's Sangheili Zealots during the Battle of Aktis IV.

• 

  TDS-009 trapped in a cell on Genesis.

• 

  Sandra Tillson remembers who she is.

List of appearances

• Halo 4 (First appearance)
• Halo: Escalation
• Halo 5: Guardians
• Halo: The Machine Breaks