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Catherine Halsey: Difference between revisions
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{{Quote|no=three|q1=We screen these subjects for certain genetic markers. Strength, agility, even predispositions for aggression and intellect. But we couldn’t remote test for everything. We don’t test for luck.|Catherine Halsey|q2=Luck? You believe in luck, Doctor?|Jacob Keyes|q3=Of course not. But we have one hundred and fifty test subjects to consider, and facilities and funding for only half that number. It’s a simple mathematical elimination, Lieutenant. That child was one of the lucky ones—either that or he is extraordinarily fast. Either way, he’s in.|Catherine Halsey|Doctor Halsey defends her peculiar means of testing [[John-117|John]].}}<ref name="HTFOR2">''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]'', ''Chapter 2''</ref> | {{Quote|no=three|q1=We screen these subjects for certain genetic markers. Strength, agility, even predispositions for aggression and intellect. But we couldn’t remote test for everything. We don’t test for luck.|Catherine Halsey|q2=Luck? You believe in luck, Doctor?|Jacob Keyes|q3=Of course not. But we have one hundred and fifty test subjects to consider, and facilities and funding for only half that number. It’s a simple mathematical elimination, Lieutenant. That child was one of the lucky ones—either that or he is extraordinarily fast. Either way, he’s in.|Catherine Halsey|Doctor Halsey defends her peculiar means of testing [[John-117|John]].}}<ref name="HTFOR2">''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]'', ''Chapter 2''</ref> | ||
[[File:FORAS HalseyKeyesHan.png|350px|right|thumb|.]] | [[File:FORAS HalseyKeyesHan.png|350px|right|thumb|.]] | ||
By [[2517#July|July 21, 2517]], Halsey had been provided with her own team, to which she delegated much of the responsibly for screening Outer Colonies candidates for SPARTAN-II.<ref name="HJ72117">''[[Dr. Halsey's personal journal]]'', ''July 21, 2517''</ref> She did this so it might be completed within a reasonable time frame and so that she could personally focus on processing those from a single region of space: [[FLEETCOM Sector Four|Sector 4]]. Vice Admiral Stanforth had agreed to lend | By [[2517#July|July 21, 2517]], Halsey had been provided with her own team, to which she delegated much of the responsibly for screening Outer Colonies candidates for SPARTAN-II.<ref name="HJ72117">''[[Dr. Halsey's personal journal]]'', ''July 21, 2517''</ref> She did this so it might be completed within a reasonable time frame and so that she could personally focus on processing those from a single region of space: [[FLEETCOM Sector Four|Sector 4]].<ref name="HJ72117"/> The children from this [[sector]] which met the criteria Halsey had identified in her original study had files assembled personally by her.<ref name="HTFOR2"/> In total, one hundred and fifty subjects were to be considered. The Spartan-II program had only been granted facilities and funding for half that number, however, so only seventy-five would ultimately be selected.<ref name="HTFOR2"/> Vice Admiral Stanforth had agreed to lend Halsey a [[diplomatic shuttle]] called the ''Han'', provided that she agreed to at least one naval officer accompanying her.<ref name="HTFOR1"/> Halsey was given free reign to choose her attaché and after reading through the file of one [[Lieutenant (disambiguation)|Lieutenant Junior Grade]] [[Jacob Keyes]], she requested him based on his demonstrated ability to keep a secret. Keyes was then, without any explanation provided to him as to why, assigned to pilot the ''Han'', protect the doctor, and otherwise stay out of her way.<ref name="HJ72117"/><ref name="HTFOR1">''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]'', ''Chapter 1''</ref> On July 21 Halsey wrote in her journal that she was considering recommending him for permanent reassignment to her staff.<ref name="HJ72117"/> The ''Han'' also came with its own dedicated artificial intelligence by the name of [[Toran]].<ref name="HJ72117"/> | ||
Halsey was awakened from [[cryostasis]] alongside Keyes shortly after 0430 hours on [[2517#August|17]] while the ''[[Han]]'' was still in slipspace but set to emerge soon in the [[Eridanus system]].<ref name="HTFOR1"/> Giving not so much as an acknowledgement that they were both naked, Halsey simply climbed out of her tube and told the lieutenant to get cleaned up and dressed as she headed for the showers herself, making it clear to Keyes that she was in charge. Halsey was already strapped into the navigator's couch and on the bridge and tapping in commands across four keypads when he joined her soon thereafter. The doctor welcomed him and asked that he be seated at the communication station to monitor channels when they reentered normal space. She then had [[Toran]] provide her with [[astronavigation]] maps of the system and asked if any planets between their current position and [[Eridanus II]] could be used to pick up a [[Wikipedia:Gravity assist|gravitational boost]] to let them arrive sooner. Additionally, in rapid succession she had the A.I. begin to play [[Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto Number Three]], begin a preburn warmup cycle for their [[fusion engine]]s, and halt the rotation of the shuttle's central carousel section to conserve power. Toran obliged with each request and informed her they they would exiting slipspace in about five minutes, give or take three minutes. From the way Keyes was glancing at her, Halsey could tell he was impressed at her ability to put Toran through his paces so rigorously, so she asked if he had a question for her. In response he composed himself before inquiring as to the exactly what they were doing. Halsey told him that they were on a reconnaissance mission of sorts, as they were heading to Eridanus II in order to observe [[John-117|a child]] whom she hoped would only be the first of many. She suggsted the junior lieutenant should just think of it as a UNSC-funded psychological study and then sternly told him that was exactly what he was to say it was to anyone who asked. The ''Han'' soon decelerated as it dropped out of slipspace near a gas giant and then began a hard burn, accelerating for sixty-seven seconds before arcing away from the planet. As soon as the boost was complete Toran informed the two humans that their [[Wikipedia:Estimated time of arrival|ETA]] was forty-three minutes and three seconds. At this, Halsey unlocked her harness and floated free. Just before they had dropped into normal space, Keyes had started to ask her if she knew how dangerous the Eridanus system was then and now she finally answered him in the affirmative. After stretching and strapping herself back into her couch, she reminded her escort that he was supposed to be monitoring their comms for that very reason. Catherine spent the next thirty minutes with her back to Keyes while she read over reports on her navigation screens. The Keyes eventually spoke up to candidly ask why he was there, and Halsey told him the truth about why she had selected him for the job. She also assured him that though he may have rather been on the {{UNSCShip|Magellan}} then, which now-rescinded orders had previously had him rotating to, the child they were traveling to observe could make all the difference for the ongoing struggle against the [[Insurrection]]. Once Toran announced they were approaching Eridanus II Halsey had him plot an atmospheric vector for the [[Luxor]] [[Luxor Spaceport|spaceport]] and ordered Keyes to make ready to land.<ref name="HTFOR1"/> | Halsey was awakened from [[cryostasis]] alongside Keyes shortly after 0430 hours on [[2517#August|August 17]] while the ''[[Han]]'' was still in slipspace but set to emerge soon in the [[Eridanus system]].<ref name="HTFOR1"/> Giving not so much as an acknowledgement that they were both naked, Halsey simply climbed out of her tube and told the lieutenant to get cleaned up and dressed as she headed for the showers herself, making it clear to Keyes that she was in charge. Halsey was already strapped into the navigator's couch and on the bridge and tapping in commands across four keypads when he joined her soon thereafter. The doctor welcomed him and asked that he be seated at the communication station to monitor channels when they reentered normal space. She then had [[Toran]] provide her with [[astronavigation]] maps of the system and asked if any planets between their current position and [[Eridanus II]] could be used to pick up a [[Wikipedia:Gravity assist|gravitational boost]] to let them arrive sooner. Additionally, in rapid succession she had the A.I. begin to play [[Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto Number Three]], begin a preburn warmup cycle for their [[fusion engine]]s, and halt the rotation of the shuttle's central carousel section to conserve power. Toran obliged with each request and informed her they they would exiting slipspace in about five minutes, give or take three minutes. From the way Keyes was glancing at her, Halsey could tell he was impressed at her ability to put Toran through his paces so rigorously, so she asked if he had a question for her. In response he composed himself before inquiring as to the exactly what they were doing. Halsey told him that they were on a reconnaissance mission of sorts, as they were heading to Eridanus II in order to observe [[John-117|a child]] whom she hoped would only be the first of many. She suggsted the junior lieutenant should just think of it as a UNSC-funded psychological study and then sternly told him that was exactly what he was to say it was to anyone who asked. The ''Han'' soon decelerated as it dropped out of slipspace near a gas giant and then began a hard burn, accelerating for sixty-seven seconds before arcing away from the planet. As soon as the boost was complete Toran informed the two humans that their [[Wikipedia:Estimated time of arrival|ETA]] was forty-three minutes and three seconds. At this, Halsey unlocked her harness and floated free. Just before they had dropped into normal space, Keyes had started to ask her if she knew how dangerous the Eridanus system was then and now she finally answered him in the affirmative. After stretching and strapping herself back into her couch, she reminded her escort that he was supposed to be monitoring their comms for that very reason. Catherine spent the next thirty minutes with her back to Keyes while she read over reports on her navigation screens. The Keyes eventually spoke up to candidly ask why he was there, and Halsey told him the truth about why she had selected him for the job. She also assured him that though he may have rather been on the {{UNSCShip|Magellan}} then, which now-rescinded orders had previously had him rotating to, the child they were traveling to observe could make all the difference for the ongoing struggle against the [[Insurrection]]. Once Toran announced they were approaching Eridanus II Halsey had him plot an atmospheric vector for the [[Luxor]] [[Luxor Spaceport|spaceport]] and ordered Keyes to make ready to land.<ref name="HTFOR1"/> | ||
[[File:FORTAS Halseyplayground.png|thumb|350px|left|.]] | |||
Halsey and Keyes made their way onto the campus of [[Elysium City]]'s [[Elysium City Primary Education Facility Number 119|Primary Education Facility Number 119]] under the guise of parents inspecting the school for their little girl.<ref name="HTFOR2"/> By 1130 hours they were watching children at play from the semi-shade of a canvas awning. Halsey, wearing a sundress and straw hat, urged the lieutenant to appear more relaxed and even tried to help by slipping her arm through his, but her efforts were in vain. It was Keyes, however, who first identified their subject, a six-year-old boy named [[John-117|John]], after Halsey showed an image to him. John was atop a grassy hill at the end of the school's playground, engaged in a particularly vicious game of [[king of the hill]]. Halsey's first instinct was to point her [[data pad]] at the boy to record the incident for later study. After glancing around to see that the only other adult present was marching an injured girl toward the nurse's office Halsey ordered Keyes to stay back and keep watch while she walked over to get a closer look at their boy. She stopped at four meters from the base of the hill and asked to speak with John, whom the other boys assumed must be in trouble. She led him to the edge of a nearby sandpit and asked his name, which he freely offered before holding out his hand to be shook. She asked what he was had been doing and John answered that he had been winning. Seeing that the boy was fond of games, she produced a [[quarter]] and told him that if he could guess which side of the coin would be facing upwards when it landed after being flipped, he could keep it. She let it go but before it could hit the ground John snatched it out of the air and confidently declared "Eagle!" referring to the side of the quarter which was, indeed, facing up when he opened his hand. Assured he could keep the coin for himself, he asked if they could play again but Halsey told him that had been the only one she had. She told him he ought to go back to his friends and returned to the lieutenant, asking to make sure he had recorded the interaction. He had, and after reviewing the footage Halsey sent it to Toran on the ''Han''. She explained to Keyes that the one thing they couldn't test their candidates for remotely was luck, further clarifying that she meant her test as a simple way to eliminate half of the qualified children due to the budgetary constraints of the program. She remarked that John whether John was lucky or just extraordinarily fast, he had made the cut. Keyes still did not fully understand her interest in the child and said as much, to which she replied that she hoped he never would fully understand their purpose there.<ref name="HTFOR2"/> | |||
After similar visits to multiple other children, The ''Han'' took them to [[Dwarka]], a harsh world still in the process of being [[Terraforming|terraformed]].<ref name="HEP">''[[Halo: Evolutions]]'', ''[[Pariah]]''</ref> The child to be considered there was an orphan by the name of [[Soren-066|Soren]]. | |||
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{{Main|Battle of Alpha Corvi II}} | {{Main|Battle of Alpha Corvi II}} | ||
{{Quote|no=three|q1=UNSC Command is pleased... But they still don't trust the Spartan-II project.|Catherine Halsey|q2=So we noticed.|Linda-058|q3=There is concern that your presence will negatively influence marine battle readiness. Luckily for you, Alpha Corvi II provides another chance for you to prove yourselves.|Catherine Halsey|Doctor Halsey provides motivation for John, Fred, Kelly, and Linda.}}<ref name="HCD1">''[[Halo: Collateral Damage]]'', ''[[Halo: Collateral Damage Issue 1|Issue #1]]''</ref> | {{Quote|no=three|q1=UNSC Command is pleased... But they still don't trust the Spartan-II project.|Catherine Halsey|q2=So we noticed.|Linda-058|q3=There is concern that your presence will negatively influence marine battle readiness. Luckily for you, Alpha Corvi II provides another chance for you to prove yourselves.|Catherine Halsey|Doctor Halsey provides motivation for John, Fred, Kelly, and Linda.}}<ref name="HCD1">''[[Halo: Collateral Damage]]'', ''[[Halo: Collateral Damage Issue 1|Issue #1]]''</ref> | ||
[[File:HCD1 HalseyJohn.png|300px|right|thumb|Blue Team's actions on Alpha Corvi II were still not enough to endear Halsey's Spartans to the rest of the UNSC which knew about them, but they had more success in that regard [[Operation: SILENT STORM|a few months later]].<ref name="HCD3"/><ref name="HSS23"/>]] | [[File:HCD1 HalseyJohn.png|300px|right|thumb|Blue Team's actions on Alpha Corvi II were still not enough to endear Halsey's Spartans to the rest of the UNSC which knew about them, but they had more success in that regard [[Operation: SILENT STORM|a few months later]].<ref name="HCD3"/><ref name="HSS23">''[[Halo: Silent Storm]]'', ''Chapter 23''</ref>]] | ||
On [[2525#December|December 3, 2525]], Halsey met with [[Blue Team]] within the ready room assigned to it on the ''[[UNSC Persian Gate|Persian Gate]]'' while still ''en route'' to the [[Alpha Corvi system]].<ref name="HCD1"/> She stated that seeing as they had had the past two days to get used to the idea, in their gut, that a [[Spartan]] fall in battle, it was now time to put their grief aside. She told them that though they should honor that emotion, it would only be a hindrance to the [[Human-Covenant War|upcoming fight]] they were sure to be sorely needed for. [[Lieutenant Commander]] [[Yao]] entered then and took it upon herself to brief the team on the [[Covenant]]'s present [[Battle of Alpha Corvi II|attack]] on [[Alpha Corvi II]]. She explained the role Blue Team was to play in the defense of [[Jamshid]], the planet's largest city, but then left the remainder of the briefing to Halsey. Once Yao had left, Halsey encouraged the four teens by letting them know the [[Mjolnir]] armor had performed better than had been hoped for during the [[Battle of Chi Ceti|engagement]] at [[Chi Ceti IV]] and that much of that had been due to their operating skills. And though she could say that UNSC Command was pleased, she reminded them that the Spartan-II project still wasn't trusted and that there was especially concern that their presence could negatively influence [[marine]] battle readiness. Luckily for them, she offered, Alpha Corvi II just provided another chance for them to prove themselves. Once an [[A.I.]] aboard the ''Persian Gate'' named [[Nora]] provided Doctor Halsey with updated medical scans for each member of Blue Team, she confirmed with John that he was well enough to fight. She also asked whether he would tell her if he wasn't to which he simply said that she'd find out if that ever happened. Taking her leave, she instructed the Spartans to suit up as they'd be exiting slipspace within thirty minutes. She later rejoined them after they'd arrived at the colony to see them off. During the Spartans' insertion via [[D77-TC Pelican]], she remained in contact with them and let them know that while their first priorities were the neutralization of the enemy and the defense of [[Black Reef]], a mining settlement they'd ben redirected to after the ''Persian Gate'' was contacted by the ground, she also wanted them to try to find out why the aliens were targeting it specifically. She asked that they pay attention to the enemies' tactics, unit composition, weapons. As the craft drew near its landing zone, she closed by telling the four of them not to expect any help from marines on the ground, as Command didn't want the two groups interacting.<ref name="HCD1"/> | On [[2525#December|December 3, 2525]], Halsey met with [[Blue Team]] within the ready room assigned to it on the ''[[UNSC Persian Gate|Persian Gate]]'' while still ''en route'' to the [[Alpha Corvi system]].<ref name="HCD1"/> She stated that seeing as they had had the past two days to get used to the idea, in their gut, that a [[Spartan]] fall in battle, it was now time to put their grief aside. She told them that though they should honor that emotion, it would only be a hindrance to the [[Human-Covenant War|upcoming fight]] they were sure to be sorely needed for. [[Lieutenant Commander]] [[Yao]] entered then and took it upon herself to brief the team on the [[Covenant]]'s present [[Battle of Alpha Corvi II|attack]] on [[Alpha Corvi II]]. She explained the role Blue Team was to play in the defense of [[Jamshid]], the planet's largest city, but then left the remainder of the briefing to Halsey. Once Yao had left, Halsey encouraged the four teens by letting them know the [[Mjolnir]] armor had performed better than had been hoped for during the [[Battle of Chi Ceti|engagement]] at [[Chi Ceti IV]] and that much of that had been due to their operating skills. And though she could say that UNSC Command was pleased, she reminded them that the Spartan-II project still wasn't trusted and that there was especially concern that their presence could negatively influence [[marine]] battle readiness. Luckily for them, she offered, Alpha Corvi II just provided another chance for them to prove themselves. Once an [[A.I.]] aboard the ''Persian Gate'' named [[Nora]] provided Doctor Halsey with updated medical scans for each member of Blue Team, she confirmed with John that he was well enough to fight. She also asked whether he would tell her if he wasn't to which he simply said that she'd find out if that ever happened. Taking her leave, she instructed the Spartans to suit up as they'd be exiting slipspace within thirty minutes. She later rejoined them after they'd arrived at the colony to see them off. During the Spartans' insertion via [[D77-TC Pelican]], she remained in contact with them and let them know that while their first priorities were the neutralization of the enemy and the defense of [[Black Reef]], a mining settlement they'd ben redirected to after the ''Persian Gate'' was contacted by the ground, she also wanted them to try to find out why the aliens were targeting it specifically. She asked that they pay attention to the enemies' tactics, unit composition, weapons. As the craft drew near its landing zone, she closed by telling the four of them not to expect any help from marines on the ground, as Command didn't want the two groups interacting.<ref name="HCD1"/> | ||