SPARTAN-II program: Difference between revisions

The '''SPARTAN-II program''' was the first major success of the [[SPARTAN programs]], an effort to produce elite soldiers through mechanical and [[SPARTAN-II augmentation procedures|biological augmentation]]. Originally envisioned as the second generation of the [[ORION Project]], SPARTAN-II would be the first in the series to meld [[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor|advanced exoskeleton technology]] with the soldiers' superior physiques.<ref>'''''[[Halo Encyclopedia]]''''' ''page 81''</ref><ref name="journal">'''[[Dr. Halsey's personal journal]]'''</ref>

In the years following the deactivation of the original ORION Project in [[2506]]<ref>'''''Halo Encyclopedia''''' ''page 34''</ref> the effectiveness of small special forces combating the [[Insurrectionist]]s became too difficult for the UNSC to manage. As insurrectionist forces become more effective and the military's responses consequently become more forceful, the need for large scale military campaigns became more and more obvious.

Around [[2510]], the [[Office of Naval Intelligence]] began to reexamine the [[Carver Findings]], which had warned of instability in the [[Outer Colonies]] years earlier.<ref>'''[[Halo Encyclopedia]]''' ''page 44''</ref> The report rationalized that the instability would continue to escalate, and unless drastic military measures were taken, would result in a massive war between the [[Inner Colonies|Inner]] and Outer Colonies. ONI's own projections at that time and up to 2525<ref>'''''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]''''', ''page 58''</ref> concluded the same as Dr. Carver's findings. Meanwhile, then-eighteen year old civilian scientist [[Catherine Halsey|Dr. Catherine Halsey]] had been improving upon Carver's report on her own. Her independent conclusions predicted an even darker future than Carver's model, with UNSC inaction against the rebel leadership resulting in a minimum of thirty years of war and five billion dead; the maximum was a conflict of indeterminate length potentially leading to the downfall of human civilization. Halsey presented her results to [[Vice Admiral]] [[Michael Stanforth]] of ONI Section III, finding that they had come to the same conclusions. Determined to prevent the predicted carnage, Halsey agreed to work for ONI, specifically Section III's Special Projects Division, on creating a solution.{{Ref/Reuse|journal}}

Around six years later, however, enough candidates were within the right age range to begin a second class. One of the most notable candidates, six-year-old [[Yasmine Zaman]], was abducted and replaced by a flash clone. However, she died during the augmentation procedures. Among those who survived was [[Nicole-458]].<ref>[http://halo.xbox.com/forums/general/f/10/p/5486/48766.aspx#48766 '''Halo Waypoint forums''' — ''Canon question to 343i about Nicole''] (Link defunct, [https://web.archive.org/web/20110831035554/http://halo.xbox.com/forums/general/f/10/p/5486/48766.aspx Archive here])</ref> Another girl, [[Janissary James]], was selected as a suitable candidate for training. However, her father, an ORION Project member now known as "[[James James]]", killed the would-be kidnapper.<ref>'''Axon Clips''' ''Chapter 12''</ref><ref group="notes">The Class of 2537 has not been referenced in any official media barring the quasi-canonical ''[[ilovebees]]''. The timeline of [[SPARTAN-III Alpha Company]] mirrors that of Class II, though no official work has called attention to this coincidence. Notably, the first edition of the ''[[Halo Encyclopedia]]'' references Yasmine Zaman as a member of the Class of 2525. Though Nicole-458 is said to be based on a "real and properly defined Spartan", the ambiguity of this statement leaves the canonical existence of Class II in doubt.</ref>