Edward Buck: Difference between revisions

Edward Buck was born in [[2510]]<ref name="ENC"/> in [[New Albany]] in [[Lombard]] on [[Draco III]]. In [[2528]], when he was eighteen, he enlisted in the [[UNSC Marine Corps]] and followed it through as a career. He served in many battles, including the [[Harvest Campaign]] and the [[Fall of Reach]].<ref name="squad"/> At some point, Buck was in a romantic relationship with [[Veronica Dare]], even asking her to marry him, though Dare unfortunately remained silent, a decison that continued to haunt Buck throughout all of his career.<ref>'''Buck:''' ''The last person who looked at me like that was the Captain and I asked her to marry me, so... you know.''</ref><ref>'''Dare:''' ''You don't really remember, that night? What you asked me in the morning?'' '''Buck:''' ''I remember not getting an answer.''</ref> The two were eventually forced to split up due to Dare's job in [[Office of Naval Intelligence|ONI Section One]].<ref name="plaza">'''Halo 3: ODST''', campaign level, ''[[Tayari Plaza (level)|Tayari Plaza]]''</ref> Buck's last known place of residence is [[Karnak]] on Draco III, where he is also a citizen. His civilian occupation is listed as student.<ref name="squad"/> At some point prior to the Battle of Mombasa, Buck's father was seemingly killed in a vehicular accident.<ref group="note">When entering a vehicle in ''Halo: Reach''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s Firefight mode, Buck may sometimes say, ''"Hey hey! My father had one these! It's how he died."'' While it is obvious that his father's vehicle was not of Covenant origin, this quote may be said when Buck enters any vehicle.</ref>

Buck was present in the Fall of Reach in [[2552#August|August 2552]], where he served with the [[11th Shock Troops Battalion]] in [[New Alexandria]]. On August 23rd, he requested assistance from [[SPARTAN-B312]]. After receiving assistance from the [[SPARTAN-III Program|Spartan]], Buck left the center of the city.<ref>'''Halo: Reach''', campaign level, ''[[New Alexandria (level)|New Alexandria]]''</ref><ref group="note">In the level ''New Alexandria'', Buck can request the player's help in one of three objectives: He may ask for assistance in rescuing some of his squad members either from a collapsed building or from a nearby [[Type-52 Troop Carrier|Phantom]]. Alternatively, he may require escort on a classified operation. In some playthroughs, Buck might not appear at all. However, ''[[Halo: The Essential Visual Guide]]'' confirms that Buck received some form of assistance from the Spartan.</ref> He was later evacuated, escaping to Earth.

During the Battle of Earth in [[2552#October|October 2552]], [[Unidentified Shock Trooper squad|Buck's squad]] was a part of a larger ODST unit that was to be inserted onto the [[Prophet of Regret]]'s flagship, ''[[Solemn Penance]]'', which was stationed over the city of [[New Mombasa]]. His mission changed when Veronica Dare, now a [[Captain (Navy)|captain]] in the [[Office of Naval Intelligence]], took control of the squad immediately before the orbital drop, in order to use them for her own classified mission.

When Dutch and Mickey's [[D77C-NMPD Pelican|dropship]] arrived at the NMPD headquarters, it was ambushed and shot down by two patrolling [[Type-26 Ground Support Aircraft|Banshees]]. Romeo and Buck then moved through the NMPD Headquarters to find and rescue their squadmates on top of a neighboring skyscraper, defending it from waves of Covenant aircraft and infantry assaults. During the ensuing fight, a [[Jiralhanae Chieftain]] badly wounded Romeo with its [[Type-2 Energy Weapon/Hammer|gravity hammer]], puncturing one of his lungs, before being fatally stabbed in the neck by Buck. Buck then led the other ODSTs to [[Kikowani Station]], intending to take the train out of the city, but found that the train tunnels had been flooded. He decided to steal a Phantom dropship to escape the city, killing many Huragok in their [[huragok recharge station|recharge stations]] on the way out. They encountered a [[Type-47 Ultra Heavy Assault Platform|Scarab]] as well, which Buck destroyed. After finally making it out of the city, he realized where Dare might be and ordered Mickey to drive the captured Phantom back into the city.

He headed into the [[Superintendent]]'s Data Center alone, going right through the [[Yanme'e]] hive. When he neared the Data Center, he was reunited with Dare, The Rookie, and the [[Unidentified Huragok|Huragok]] that had absorbed the Superintendent's subroutine, [[Vergil]]. Unaware as to the importance of the Huragok, he had a quick conversation with Dare as to why Vergil was so important, letting slip to Dare that he had killed "one or two" Huragok, much to her annoyance. After finally making it to the [[elevator]], Dare punched Buck in the face, for "abandoning the mission"; a furious Buck complained that she had been [[missing in action]], and that his squad was scattered only to be cut off by Dare, who gave him a passionate kiss for "coming back". Remembering the Rookie and Vergil were present, and that they were rather awkwardly watching, he congratulated the former on doing a good job.

After battling through a Covenant outpost, and boarding another elevator for the highway, the presence of the Covenant fleet was revealed to Dare. Irritated that Buck had neglected to inform her of the fleet, the two began arguing again, Buck protesting that he had been preoccupied with keeping the helpless Vergil alive. Taking the gunner position on various [[M12 Force Application Vehicle|Warthog]]s and a [[M808B Main Battle Tank|Scorpion tank]], Buck and the Rookie covered Dare and Vergil's [[M312 Heavy Recovery Vehicle#Halo 3: ODST|Olifant]] down the highway, witnessing the arrival of more Covenant ships — including two assault carriers — and marveling at their size. When the first carrier started to [[Glassing|glass]] the city, he was reminded of Reach and briefly began to panic before Dare calmed him down. The Olifant was later severely damaged by a Scarab. Knowing that the Covenant had glassed the highway farther along, Buck ordered Mickey to meet them at the entrance to the [[Uplift Nature Reserve]].

Buck and the others took the next exit off the highway, and The Rookie and Buck secured a building to hold and wait for Mickey's dropship to arrive. After fighting off waves of Covenant, Mickey arrived, and as the squad was evacuating, an assault carrier arrived close to their position. A frightened Vergil then refused to get on the Phantom, and was shoved in by Buck while Dare pulled it into the [[gravity lift]]. The group successfully escaped the city as it was glassed by the Covenant fleet.<ref>'''Halo 3: ODST''', campaign level, ''[[Coastal Highway]]''</ref>