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{{era|RE|FOR|FS|GOO|HE|UP}}
{{Status|Canon}}
{{Ratings}}
{{Center|''Were you looking for James Ackerson's brother [[Ruwan Ackerson|Ruwan]], or for [[James|another James]]?}}
<center>''Were you looking for James Ackerson's brother, [[Ruwan]], or [[James (SPARTAN-II)|James]], the [[SPARTAN-II]]?''</center>
{{Character infobox
{{Human Character Infobox
|variant=Human
|name=James Ackerson
|name=James Ackerson
|image= [[Image:James Ackerson in Halo Uprising.PNG|250px]]
|image=[[File:Invasion; Ackerson.jpg|295px]]
|homeworld= Earth
|homeworld=[[Earth]]
|birth=
|birth=
|death= [[2552#November|November 2552]]
|death=[[2552#November|November 17, 2552]]<ref name="Issue 4">'''Halo Uprising''', ''[[Halo: Uprising Issue 4|Issue 4]]''</ref>{{Ref/Note|''Halo: Uprising'' establishes that the ''Piety'' and Dreadnought are in the same vicinity at this time, indicating Ruwan's actions and death take place on this date; Ackerson is killed after his brother's death.}}
|rank=[[Colonel (UNSC)|Colonel]]
|causeofdeath=
|parents=
|siblings=[[Ruwan Ackerson]] {{C|Brother}}
|spouses=
|children=
|species=[[Human]]
|gender=Male
|gender=Male
|height=
|height=
|weapons=
|mass=
|equipment=
|hair=Brown
|vehicles=
|eyes=Brown
|hair=Light brown
|affiliation=*[[UNSC Army]]
|eyes=
*[[Office of Naval Intelligence]]
|cyber=[[Neural Interface]]
|rank=[[Colonel]]
|era=[[Insurrection]]<br/>
|sn=
[[Human-Covenant War]]
|notable=*Rival of Dr. Catherine Halsey
|types=
*Secretly initiated the SPARTAN-III program
|notable=
*Member of the UNSC Security Council
*Rival of [[Doctor Catherine Halsey]]
*Secretly initiated the [[SPARTAN-III]] Program
*Participated in the [[Battle of Mare Erythraeum]]
*Member of the [[UNSC Security Committee]]
*Created the [[Key of Osanalan]] along with his brother [[Ruwan Ackerson]]
|affiliation=[[United Nations Space Command|UNSC]] [[UNSC Army|Army]]
}}
}}
'''[[Colonel (UNSC)|Colonel]] James Ackerson''' was a member of the [[UNSC Army]] and the [[Office of Naval Intelligence]]. His [[Career Service Vitae]] is impressive, as he had survived at least three battles against the [[Covenant Empire|Covenant]]. Early on in the [[Human-Covenant War|war]], he received a promotion and volunteered for a dozen black ops. Ackerson was employed in ONI as a liaison officer, likely being the one maintaining the relationship between ONI and the UNSC Army.<ref>'''[[Halo: Ghosts of Onyx]]''', page 59</ref>
{{Quote|I do get the feeling that Ackerson would gladly assign members of his own family to a suicide mission if he could find an appropriately high value target to send them against.|[[Kurt Ambrose]] in a communique to [[Chief Petty Officer|CPO]] [[Franklin Mendez]].<ref>[http://halo.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?cid=24530 '''Bungie.net''': ''NOBLE TEAM PERFORMANCE REPORTS'']</ref>}}


==Background==
'''James Ackerson''' was a [[colonel]] in the [[UNSC Army]] employed by the [[Office of Naval Intelligence]] during the [[Human-Covenant War]]. Known for his ruthless and ambitious persona, he was the mastermind of the [[SPARTAN-III program]] and the most formidable rival of [[Catherine Halsey|Dr. Catherine Halsey]]. His [[Career Service Vitae]] was impressive, as he had survived at least three battles against the [[Covenant]]. Early in the war, he received a promotion and volunteered for a dozen black operations. Ackerson was employed by ONI as a liaison officer, likely maintaining the relationship between ONI and the Army.<ref>'''Halo: Ghosts of Onyx''', ''page 59''</ref>
===Childhood===
During his childhood, when Ackerson used to play with his brother [[Ruwan|Ruwan Ackerson]], they imagined that they were fighting a dragon. Together, they created the imaginary [[Key of Osanalan]] whenever they imagined fighting the dragon.<ref>'''[[Halo: Uprising]]''', ''[[Halo: Uprising Issue 3|Issue 3]]''</ref>


===Training===
==Biography==
During his time at boot camp, Ackerson trained on [[Cyrus VII]] alongside [[Twyker]]. Twyker would later maintain that Ackerson owed him money.
===Early life===
As children, Ackerson and his brother [[Ruwan Ackerson|Ruwan]] were avid fans of classic fantasy literature, particularly the works of [[Wikipedia: J. R. R. Tolkien|J. R. R. Tolkien]]. They often imagined that they were fighting a dragon. Together, they created the imaginary [[Key of Osanalan]], which they pretended to quest for when fighting the dragon.<ref>'''Halo: Uprising''', ''[[Halo: Uprising Issue 3|Issue 3]]''</ref>


===SPARTAN-III Program===
During his time at [[Unified Combined Military Boot Camp|boot camp]], Ackerson trained on [[Cyrus VII]] alongside [[Twyker]]. Twyker would later maintain that Ackerson owed him money.<ref>'''Halo: Uprising''' ''[[Halo: Uprising Issue 4|Issue 4]]''</ref>
{{Quote|You want to trade ''lives'' for ''time''...|Admiral Parangosky}}
{{Quote|Yes, ma'am. Isn't that the job of a soldier?|Colonel Ackerson}}


In [[2531]], he presented a plan, to the [[Office of Naval Intelligence|ONI]] senior brass [[Captain (Navy)|Captain]] [[Gibson]], [[Rear Admiral (Lower Half)|Rear Admiral]] [[Rich]], and [[Vice Admiral]] [[Margaret O. Parangosky]], which was the [[SPARTAN-III]] project. They approved and he went from field officer to a desk job. At first he was upset by this, but apparently grew to prefer it as opposed to his dangerous but more exciting job as a field officer.<ref>'''[[Halo: Ghosts of Onyx]]''', page 43</ref> It was Ackerson who chose [[Kurt-051]] to serve as the commanding officer of the remaining Spartan-III's.
===SPARTAN-III program===
{{Quote|multi=yes|q1=You want to trade ''lives'' for ''time''...|Vice Admiral Parangosky|q2=Yes, ma'am. Isn't that the job of a soldier?|Colonel Ackerson|Conversation between Ackerson and Parangosky about the SPARTAN-III program}}
Shortly after [[Catherine Halsey|Dr. Catherine Halsey]]'s [[SPARTAN-II program]] went active, Ackerson began to plan on a supersoldier project of his own, dubbed the [[SPARTAN-III program]]. He conducted extensive research on Halsey's work with the SPARTAN-II program, obtaining the DNA profiles of the candidates and covertly observing the [[flash cloning|flash clones]] used to replace the SPARTAN-II children; he even had the clones' bodies retrieved and autopsies performed on them after they [[Metabolic cascade failure|died of congenital diseases]].<ref>'''Halo: First Strike''', ''Chapter 13'', ''page 129'' (2001 edition)</ref> However, he would abandon the use of flash clone replacements in his own program, citing the dubious ethics of flash-cloning as one of the failures of Halsey's program when presenting his own project to ONI.<ref>'''Halo: Ghosts of Onyx''', ''page 46''</ref>
 
In [[2531]], Ackerson proposed the SPARTAN-III program to the [[Office of Naval Intelligence]] senior brass, including [[Captain (Navy)|Captain]] [[Aaron Gibson]], [[Rear Admiral (Lower Half)|Rear Admiral]] [[Ned Rich]], and [[Vice Admiral]] [[Margaret Parangosky|Margaret O. Parangosky]] in a meeting aboard {{UNSCShip|Point of No Return}}. They approved the program and Ackerson went from serving as a field officer to working a desk job. At first he was upset by this, but grew to prefer it as opposed to his dangerous but more exciting job as a field officer.<ref>'''Halo: Ghosts of Onyx''', ''page 43''</ref> Ackerson chose [[SPARTAN-II program|SPARTAN]] [[Kurt Ambrose|Kurt-051]] to serve as the commanding officer of the SPARTAN-IIIs, providing him with an officer rank as well as a new identity.
 
After the destruction of [[SPARTAN-III Beta Company]], Ackerson attempted to have [[Tom-B292]] reassigned under his personal command. Kurt had to appeal to Admiral Parangosky to have Tom reassigned to [[Camp Currahee]] to train [[SPARTAN-III Gamma Company|Gamma Company]] along with his fellow survivor [[Lucy-B091]].<ref>'''Halo: Ghosts of Onyx''', ''page 98''</ref>


===Rivalries===
===Rivalries===
[[File:FoR-AckersonFile.png|thumb|250px|left|An archive photo of a younger Ackerson.]]
With the concurrent project underway, Ackerson focused all of his efforts on political maneuvers rather than battlefield tactics, eventually granting him a seat on the [[UNSC Security Council]] and the Special Weapons Development program within [[UNSC High Command]]. He headed several high-profile projects within the Office of Naval Intelligence. Among many other programs, he was evidently involved in the development of the [[HRUNTING/YGGDRASIL Mark I ADS|HRUNTING/YGGDRASIL]] exoskeleton series.<ref>'''Halo: Fall of Reach - Invasion''', ''Issue 2''</ref> Because his projects often competed with [[Catherine Halsey|Dr. Catherine Halsey]]'s projects for funds, he had a long-standing rivalry with Halsey and her SPARTAN-IIs. He had a private [[Artificial Intelligence|AI construct]] named [[Araqiel]], whom he tasked with spying on Dr. Halsey and her confidential SPARTAN-II project.<ref>'''Halo: First Strike''', ''page 127''</ref>
On [[2552#August|August 29, 2552]], during a field test involving the pairing of [[John-117]]'s [[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor/Mark V|Mark V MJOLNIR armor]] with [[Cortana]], Ackerson tried to kill the Spartan: he authorized the use of [[Lotus anti-tank mine]]s, a squad of [[Orbital Drop Shock Trooper]]s, three 30mm chain guns, and even an air strike by a [[SkyHawk]] fighter against the Spartan. Ackerson's intent was to either disgrace the SPARTAN-IIs and Dr. Halsey, and, if possible, to kill the most well-known Spartan alive. Nevertheless, John succeeded and Cortana sought revenge by wreaking havoc in Ackerson's private files; she hacked into Ackerson's [[personal computer]] and sent a note requesting reassignment to front line service, as well as sending a large amount of money from his account to a brothel on [[Gilgamesh]] and then sending the bill to his home, where his wife would find it.<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''pages 266-268''</ref> However, he managed to exonerate himself.


With the concurrent project underway, he focused all of his efforts on political maneuvers, rather than battlefield tactics. He was arrogant and condescending to most other people in ONI, even top-ranking brass such as [[Major General]] [[Nicolas Strauss]].
During the [[Fall of Reach]] on August 30, 2552, Dr. Halsey accessed Ackerson's computer in ONI [[CASTLE Base]], where she found extensive records of the SPARTAN-IIs in a folder called ''"S-III"''. Another file, labeled ''"CPOMZ"'', contained star charts. This suggested to Halsey that [[Chief Petty Officer]] [[Franklin Mendez]] was involved in a new SPARTAN project with Ackerson. The ''S-III'' file contained a folder titled "[[KING UNDER THE MOUNTAIN]]". It contained records of CASTLE Base and a complete survey of [[Menachite Mountain]], into which CASTLE Base had been built. Halsey later used this information to locate the SPARTAN-IIIs on [[Onyx]]. Halsey had actually already been made aware of the existence of a new SPARTAN program by reading classified files with the help of the AI [[Kalmiya]] almost a year prior. She had also met [[NOBLE Team]], which, with the exception of [[Jorge-052]], was comprised of SPARTANs whom were not part of her program. However, until finding the ''S-III'' file, she was not aware of the SPARTAN-III program specifically.<ref>''[[Dr. Halsey's personal journal]]''</ref>


Ackerson headed several high-profile projects at ONI. Because his projects were often competing with [[Dr. Catherine Halsey|Dr. Catherine Halsey's]] projects for funds, he had a long-standing rivalry with Halsey and her [[SPARTAN-II]]s. He was also a part of the [[UNSC Security Committee]] and Special Weapons Development at [[HIGHCOM]]. He had a private [[AI]] named [[Araqiel]], whom he tasked with spying on Dr. Halsey and her supposed-to-be-confidential SPARTAN-II project.<ref>'''[[Halo: First Strike]]''', page 127: ''Facets and hard shimmering planes fit together into curled horns, an elongated jaw, and over-sized eyes that flickered with holographic fire. It turned and smiled at Dr. Halsey, baring razor jags of teeth. "Civilian consultant 409871," it said in a deep bass rumble that contained a crackle of thunder. "Doctor Catherine Halsey." "Araquiel," she muttered. "Did your master leave you behind when he was reassigned? Don't you have anything better to do than steal data from my SPARTAN program?"''</ref>
In [[2552#September|September 2552]], Ackerson was scheduled to operate on a frontline post due to Cortana's forged reassignment request. However, likely through underhanded maneuvering, he did not follow the assignment and remained one of the members of the UNSC Security Council.<ref>'''Halo: First Strike''', ''page 101'' (''"Wagner thought Ackerson had been reassigned to a front-line post. Apparently he'd squirmed out of it."'')</ref> While on the Council, Ackerson granted approval to [[Damien Hogarth]] of ONI to conduct full psyche evaluations on the returning [[Spartan-II]]s from [[Operation: FIRST STRIKE]] in order to ensure the stability of the program.<ref name="lc">'''[[Halo Legendary Crate]]''', ''Crate 10''</ref>


During the test of [[Spartan-117|John-117's]] [[MJOLNIR Armor]], he tried to make the SPARTAN fail, by authorizing the use of [[Lotus Anti Tank Mine]]s, a squad of [[Orbital Drop Shock Troopers|ODSTs]], three 30mm chain-guns, and even an air strike with a [[SkyHawk]] Jump Jet against the SPARTAN, severely jeopardizing his life and causing him moderate injury. Ackerson's purpose was to either disgrace the SPARTAN-IIs and Dr Halsey, or to kill off the most well-known Spartan alive. Nevertheless, John succeeded, and [[Cortana (AI)|Cortana]], who was also part of the exercise, sought revenge, by wreaking havoc in Ackerson's private files, hacking into his personal computer and sending a note requesting reassignment to front line service, and sending a large amount of money from his account to a brothel on Gilgamesh and then sending the bill to his home, where his wife would find it.<ref>'''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]''', pages 266-268</ref> However, he managed to exonerate himself.
===Capture and death===
[[File:James Ackerson in Halo Uprising.PNG|275px|thumb|Colonel Ackerson during his torture by the Brutes during the [[Battle of Earth]] in [[2552]].]]
By the time of the [[Battle for Earth|Covenant invasion of Sol]], Ackerson had apparently left his post in the UNSC Security Council and had been assigned to [[Mars]], where he continued working as a combat officer. During the [[Battle of Mare Erythraeum]] in [[2552#November|November 2552]], his forces fought valiantly against the Covenant but were eventually routed and defeated. He was captured during the battle and was interrogated by [[Lepidus]], the [[Jiralhanae]] [[Shipmaster]] of the [[Ket-pattern battlecruiser|battlecruiser]] ''[[Triumphant Declaration]]'' in the [[Fleet of Furious Redemption]].


On his computer in [[CASTLE Base]], [[Dr. Halsey]] found extensive records of the [[Spartan-II|SPARTAN-IIs]] in a folder called [[S-III]]. One file was labeled [[CPOMZ]] and contained star charts. This suggested to Halsey that [[Chief Petty Officer]] [[Franklin Mendez]] was involved.
During this interrogation, Ackerson told Lepidus of the [[Key of Osanalan]], claiming that it was a Forerunner object located somewhere in [[Cleveland]], [[Ohio]]. He told them this to ensure his brother's survival: The Covenant would invade Cleveland but would not destroy it, and Ruwan's knowledge of the Key of Osanalan would help him and others escape the city. Additionally, it would stall the Covenant's [[Battle for Earth|activities on Earth]].<ref>'''Halo: Uprising''' ''[[Halo: Uprising Issue 1|Issue 1]]''</ref>


The S-III file contained a folder titled "[[KING UNDER THE MOUNTAIN]]". It contained the records of the [[CASTLE base]] and a complete survey of [[Menachite Mountain]], where the original mineral mines were located before they were taken over by ONI. Menachite Mountain was an extinct volcano where Dr. Halsey found the [[Forerunner Crystal]] artifact. Halsey used this to locate the [[SPARTAN-III]]s on [[Onyx]].
When word of the Key of Osanalan reached Ruwan, he helped form a plan to destroy the ''[[Harbinger of Piety]]'' and kill the [[Minister of Inquisition]], at the cost of his own life. After it was successfully carried out, the Covenant realized that the Key of Osanalan was not real. Ackerson used the last moments of his life to mock the Covenant, saying that the Key of Osanalan was just one example of how the Covenant's pompous arrogance would cause them to lose the war. Lepidus then beheaded Ackerson, claiming that the Covenant's blind fervor would lead to their victory.<ref>'''Halo: Uprising''' ''[[Halo: Uprising Issue 4|Issue 4]]''</ref>


In [[2552]], Ackerson was scheduled to operate on a front-line post. However, due to unknown reasons, he didn't follow the assignment and remained one of the members of the [[UNSC Security Committee]].<ref>'''[[Halo: First Strike]]''', page 101: ''Wagner thought Ackerson had been reassigned to a front-line post. Apparently he'd squirmed out of it.''</ref>
Before he was confirmed dead, Admiral Parangosky was planning to assign Ackerson to direct the [[SPARTAN-IV program]] and make Dr. Halsey work for him.<ref>'''Halo: Glasslands''', ''page 147''</ref> His name was put on the [[Voi Memorial]] in [[2553#March|March 2553]]. Out of both sincerity and spite, Admiral Parangosky later noted to Halsey that Ackerson had died a hero.<ref>'''Halo: Glasslands''', ''page 435''</ref>
{{Clear}}


===The Battle of Mare Erythraeum===
==Personality and traits==
Ackerson apparently left his post in the UNSC Security Committee and was assigned to [[Mars]], where he continued working as a combat officer. In the [[Battle of Mare Erythraeum]] his [[UNSC]] Forces fought valiantly against the [[Covenant Loyalists|Covenant Loyalist Army]], but were eventually routed and defeated. He was captured during the battle and interrogated by [[Jiralhanae]] Commander [[Lepidus]] of the [[Covenant Cruiser]] ''[[Triumphant Declaration]]'' in the [[Fleet of Furious Redemption]].  
Ackerson was cunning but shortsighted and often mixed personal glory with more humanitarian goals. For example, his creation of the SPARTAN-III program was an effort to "trade lives for time", but it was also an attempt to out-do his rival, Catherine Halsey. He was rather savage at times, eager to put his own petty revenge before the betterment of humankind. During a field test of the [[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor/Mark V|Mark V MJOLNIR armor]] with [[Cortana]] and [[John-117]], Ackerson exceeded the testing parameters, nearly causing the deaths of the SPARTAN and the AI through use of automated turrets, ODST squads, anti-tank mines, and even an airstrike.


During this interrogation, Ackerson told Lepidus of the [[Key of Osanalan]], stating it was a Forerunner object located somewhere in [[Cleveland]], [[Ohio]]. He told them this to ensure his brother's survival: The Covenant would invade Cleveland rather than destroy it, and Ruwan's knowledge of the Key of Osanalan (that it was a fake) would help him and others escape the city. Additionally, it would stall the Covenant's Earth campaign.
He was arrogant and condescending to most other people in ONI, even top-ranking brass such as [[Major General]] [[Nicolas Strauss]]. He frequently belittled and mocked Dr. Halsey and the SPARTAN-IIs and was very open with his views on them even in formal meetings. Ackerson openly ridiculed even [[John-117]] during the Spartan's debriefing concerning the [[Battle of Sigma Octanus IV]] in [[Camp Hathcock]].<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''page 224''</ref> This attitude ultimately provoked the ire of [[Terrence Hood|Fleet Admiral Hood]], who harshly rebuked him for his disparaging remarks about Halsey and her Spartans during the Security Council's debriefing of [[Wagner|Lieutenant Wagner]].<ref>'''Halo: First Strike''', ''page 104''</ref>{{Ref/Note|Coupled with his previous evasion of reassignment to frontline duty, it is possible that Ackerson's irreverent behavior during Lieutenant Wagner's debriefing in ''Halo: First Strike'' contributed to him losing his seat on the Security Council, particularly in light of Lord Hood's reaction to the colonel's comments.}}


When the Covenant finally realized (at the cost of [[CCS-class Battlecruiser]] ''[[Harbinger of Piety]]'' and the [[Minister of Inquisition]]) that the Key of Osanalan was not real, Ackerson used the last moments of his life to mock the Covenant, saying that the Key of Osanalan was just one example of how their pompous arrogance would cost them the war, before being beheaded.
However, Ackerson was not completely unsympathetic. When he was captured by the Covenant, he created a story to mislead the Covenant in an attempt to save his brother's life, which led to the Covenant capturing Cleveland instead of outright destroying it. Ackerson appeared to have been close with his brother as children and continued that care as an adult despite his overall demeanor which would suggest a lack of care.


==Personality==
==Non-canon and dubious canon appearances==
Ackerson is a cunning but shortsighted character who often mixes personal glory with more humanitarian goals. His creation of the Spartan-III Project, for example, was an effort to "Trade lives for time", but also an attempt to out-do his rival, Catherine Halsey. He can also be savage at times, even eager to put his own petty revenge before the betterment of mankind. During the initial field test of the [[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor#MJOLNIR Mark V|MJOLNIR Mk. V armor]] with [[Cortana]] and [[SPARTAN-117]], the Colonel went above and beyond the testing parameters, nearly causing the death of the Spartan and AI.
===Silver Timeline===
{{Notice/Silver|category=no}}
{{Main|James Ackerson/Silver}}
{{Expand-section}}
==Trivia==
After her capture on ''[[High Charity]]'' in November 2552, Cortana regretted her failure to have Ackerson killed, after the [[Gravemind]] repeatedly mentioned him.<ref>'''Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe:''' ''Human Weakness'', page ???</ref>


However, Ackerson is not a completely unsympathetic person and when he was finally captured by [[Brute]] Commander [[Lepidus]], he invented a story about a mythic object to send the Covenant on a wild goose chase to save his brother from being glassed, giving him a chance at life.
==List of appearances==
*''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]'' {{1st}}
*''[[Halo: First Strike]]''
*''[[Halo: Ghosts of Onyx]]''
*''[[Halo: Uprising]]''
*''[[Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe]]''
**''[[Human Weakness]]'' {{Mo}}
*''[[Halo: Fall of Reach]]''
**''[[Halo: Fall of Reach - Invasion|Invasion]]''
*''[[Halo: Glasslands]]'' {{mo}}
*''[[Halo Mythos]]'' {{Mo}}
*''[[Halo: Shadows of Reach]]'' {{Mo}}
*''[[Halo: The Television Series]]''


==Trivia==
==Notes==
*In 2552, during Cortana's capture on High Charity, she would later regret her failure to have Ackerson killed, after the [[Gravemind]] repeatedly brought him up.<ref>'''[[Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe]]''' - ''[[Human Weakness]]''</ref>
{{Ref/Notes}}
*After the destruction of the Spartan-III [[Beta Company]], Ackerson tried to convince [[Kurt-051]] to reassign SPARTAN-B292 (Tom) to his personal command to head his own Special Warfare team. Instead, due to Admiral Parangosky's orders, he reluctantly agreed to have the Spartan reassigned to Camp Currahee, to train [[Gamma Company]].
*Ackerson's rank dictates that his desk job had kept him at [[Colonel (UNSC)|Colonel]] for almost 20 years.


==Sources==
==Sources==
<references/>
{{Ref/Sources}}
 
{{ONI Personnel}}


[[ja:James Ackerson]]
[[Category:Human characters|Ackerson, James]]
[[Category:ONI Personnel|Ackerson, James]]
[[Category:UNSC Security Council|Ackerson, James]]
[[Category:Characters|Ackerson, James]]
[[Category:UNSC Army personnel|Ackerson, James]]
[[Category:UNSC Army Personnel]]
[[Category:Office of Naval Intelligence personnel|Ackerson, James]]

Latest revision as of 18:28, July 19, 2024

Were you looking for James Ackerson's brother Ruwan, or for another James?
James Ackerson
James Ackerson in Halo: Fall of Reach - Invasion.
Biographical information

Homeworld:

Earth

Died:

November 17, 2552[1][Note 1]

Siblings:

Ruwan Ackerson (Brother)

Personal details

Species:

Human

Gender:

Male

Hair color:

Brown

Eye color:

Brown

Political and military information

Affiliation:

Rank:

Colonel

Notable info:

  • Rival of Dr. Catherine Halsey
  • Secretly initiated the SPARTAN-III program
  • Member of the UNSC Security Council
 

"I do get the feeling that Ackerson would gladly assign members of his own family to a suicide mission if he could find an appropriately high value target to send them against."
— Kurt Ambrose in a communique to CPO Franklin Mendez.[2]

James Ackerson was a colonel in the UNSC Army employed by the Office of Naval Intelligence during the Human-Covenant War. Known for his ruthless and ambitious persona, he was the mastermind of the SPARTAN-III program and the most formidable rival of Dr. Catherine Halsey. His Career Service Vitae was impressive, as he had survived at least three battles against the Covenant. Early in the war, he received a promotion and volunteered for a dozen black operations. Ackerson was employed by ONI as a liaison officer, likely maintaining the relationship between ONI and the Army.[3]

Biography[edit]

Early life[edit]

As children, Ackerson and his brother Ruwan were avid fans of classic fantasy literature, particularly the works of J. R. R. Tolkien. They often imagined that they were fighting a dragon. Together, they created the imaginary Key of Osanalan, which they pretended to quest for when fighting the dragon.[4]

During his time at boot camp, Ackerson trained on Cyrus VII alongside Twyker. Twyker would later maintain that Ackerson owed him money.[5]

SPARTAN-III program[edit]

Vice Admiral Parangosky: "You want to trade lives for time..."
Colonel Ackerson: "Yes, ma'am. Isn't that the job of a soldier?"
— Conversation between Ackerson and Parangosky about the SPARTAN-III program

Shortly after Dr. Catherine Halsey's SPARTAN-II program went active, Ackerson began to plan on a supersoldier project of his own, dubbed the SPARTAN-III program. He conducted extensive research on Halsey's work with the SPARTAN-II program, obtaining the DNA profiles of the candidates and covertly observing the flash clones used to replace the SPARTAN-II children; he even had the clones' bodies retrieved and autopsies performed on them after they died of congenital diseases.[6] However, he would abandon the use of flash clone replacements in his own program, citing the dubious ethics of flash-cloning as one of the failures of Halsey's program when presenting his own project to ONI.[7]

In 2531, Ackerson proposed the SPARTAN-III program to the Office of Naval Intelligence senior brass, including Captain Aaron Gibson, Rear Admiral Ned Rich, and Vice Admiral Margaret O. Parangosky in a meeting aboard UNSC Point of No Return. They approved the program and Ackerson went from serving as a field officer to working a desk job. At first he was upset by this, but grew to prefer it as opposed to his dangerous but more exciting job as a field officer.[8] Ackerson chose SPARTAN Kurt-051 to serve as the commanding officer of the SPARTAN-IIIs, providing him with an officer rank as well as a new identity.

After the destruction of SPARTAN-III Beta Company, Ackerson attempted to have Tom-B292 reassigned under his personal command. Kurt had to appeal to Admiral Parangosky to have Tom reassigned to Camp Currahee to train Gamma Company along with his fellow survivor Lucy-B091.[9]

Rivalries[edit]

An archive photo of a younger Ackerson.

With the concurrent project underway, Ackerson focused all of his efforts on political maneuvers rather than battlefield tactics, eventually granting him a seat on the UNSC Security Council and the Special Weapons Development program within UNSC High Command. He headed several high-profile projects within the Office of Naval Intelligence. Among many other programs, he was evidently involved in the development of the HRUNTING/YGGDRASIL exoskeleton series.[10] Because his projects often competed with Dr. Catherine Halsey's projects for funds, he had a long-standing rivalry with Halsey and her SPARTAN-IIs. He had a private AI construct named Araqiel, whom he tasked with spying on Dr. Halsey and her confidential SPARTAN-II project.[11]

On August 29, 2552, during a field test involving the pairing of John-117's Mark V MJOLNIR armor with Cortana, Ackerson tried to kill the Spartan: he authorized the use of Lotus anti-tank mines, a squad of Orbital Drop Shock Troopers, three 30mm chain guns, and even an air strike by a SkyHawk fighter against the Spartan. Ackerson's intent was to either disgrace the SPARTAN-IIs and Dr. Halsey, and, if possible, to kill the most well-known Spartan alive. Nevertheless, John succeeded and Cortana sought revenge by wreaking havoc in Ackerson's private files; she hacked into Ackerson's personal computer and sent a note requesting reassignment to front line service, as well as sending a large amount of money from his account to a brothel on Gilgamesh and then sending the bill to his home, where his wife would find it.[12] However, he managed to exonerate himself.

During the Fall of Reach on August 30, 2552, Dr. Halsey accessed Ackerson's computer in ONI CASTLE Base, where she found extensive records of the SPARTAN-IIs in a folder called "S-III". Another file, labeled "CPOMZ", contained star charts. This suggested to Halsey that Chief Petty Officer Franklin Mendez was involved in a new SPARTAN project with Ackerson. The S-III file contained a folder titled "KING UNDER THE MOUNTAIN". It contained records of CASTLE Base and a complete survey of Menachite Mountain, into which CASTLE Base had been built. Halsey later used this information to locate the SPARTAN-IIIs on Onyx. Halsey had actually already been made aware of the existence of a new SPARTAN program by reading classified files with the help of the AI Kalmiya almost a year prior. She had also met NOBLE Team, which, with the exception of Jorge-052, was comprised of SPARTANs whom were not part of her program. However, until finding the S-III file, she was not aware of the SPARTAN-III program specifically.[13]

In September 2552, Ackerson was scheduled to operate on a frontline post due to Cortana's forged reassignment request. However, likely through underhanded maneuvering, he did not follow the assignment and remained one of the members of the UNSC Security Council.[14] While on the Council, Ackerson granted approval to Damien Hogarth of ONI to conduct full psyche evaluations on the returning Spartan-IIs from Operation: FIRST STRIKE in order to ensure the stability of the program.[15]

Capture and death[edit]

Colonel Ackerson during his torture by the Brutes during the Battle of Earth in 2552.

By the time of the Covenant invasion of Sol, Ackerson had apparently left his post in the UNSC Security Council and had been assigned to Mars, where he continued working as a combat officer. During the Battle of Mare Erythraeum in November 2552, his forces fought valiantly against the Covenant but were eventually routed and defeated. He was captured during the battle and was interrogated by Lepidus, the Jiralhanae Shipmaster of the battlecruiser Triumphant Declaration in the Fleet of Furious Redemption.

During this interrogation, Ackerson told Lepidus of the Key of Osanalan, claiming that it was a Forerunner object located somewhere in Cleveland, Ohio. He told them this to ensure his brother's survival: The Covenant would invade Cleveland but would not destroy it, and Ruwan's knowledge of the Key of Osanalan would help him and others escape the city. Additionally, it would stall the Covenant's activities on Earth.[16]

When word of the Key of Osanalan reached Ruwan, he helped form a plan to destroy the Harbinger of Piety and kill the Minister of Inquisition, at the cost of his own life. After it was successfully carried out, the Covenant realized that the Key of Osanalan was not real. Ackerson used the last moments of his life to mock the Covenant, saying that the Key of Osanalan was just one example of how the Covenant's pompous arrogance would cause them to lose the war. Lepidus then beheaded Ackerson, claiming that the Covenant's blind fervor would lead to their victory.[17]

Before he was confirmed dead, Admiral Parangosky was planning to assign Ackerson to direct the SPARTAN-IV program and make Dr. Halsey work for him.[18] His name was put on the Voi Memorial in March 2553. Out of both sincerity and spite, Admiral Parangosky later noted to Halsey that Ackerson had died a hero.[19]

Personality and traits[edit]

Ackerson was cunning but shortsighted and often mixed personal glory with more humanitarian goals. For example, his creation of the SPARTAN-III program was an effort to "trade lives for time", but it was also an attempt to out-do his rival, Catherine Halsey. He was rather savage at times, eager to put his own petty revenge before the betterment of humankind. During a field test of the Mark V MJOLNIR armor with Cortana and John-117, Ackerson exceeded the testing parameters, nearly causing the deaths of the SPARTAN and the AI through use of automated turrets, ODST squads, anti-tank mines, and even an airstrike.

He was arrogant and condescending to most other people in ONI, even top-ranking brass such as Major General Nicolas Strauss. He frequently belittled and mocked Dr. Halsey and the SPARTAN-IIs and was very open with his views on them even in formal meetings. Ackerson openly ridiculed even John-117 during the Spartan's debriefing concerning the Battle of Sigma Octanus IV in Camp Hathcock.[20] This attitude ultimately provoked the ire of Fleet Admiral Hood, who harshly rebuked him for his disparaging remarks about Halsey and her Spartans during the Security Council's debriefing of Lieutenant Wagner.[21][Note 2]

However, Ackerson was not completely unsympathetic. When he was captured by the Covenant, he created a story to mislead the Covenant in an attempt to save his brother's life, which led to the Covenant capturing Cleveland instead of outright destroying it. Ackerson appeared to have been close with his brother as children and continued that care as an adult despite his overall demeanor which would suggest a lack of care.

Non-canon and dubious canon appearances[edit]

Silver Timeline[edit]

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 This article contains information about the Silver Timeline, and is not a part of the established Halo canon.
Main article: James Ackerson/Silver
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Trivia[edit]

After her capture on High Charity in November 2552, Cortana regretted her failure to have Ackerson killed, after the Gravemind repeatedly mentioned him.[22]

List of appearances[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Halo: Uprising establishes that the Piety and Dreadnought are in the same vicinity at this time, indicating Ruwan's actions and death take place on this date; Ackerson is killed after his brother's death.
  2. ^ Coupled with his previous evasion of reassignment to frontline duty, it is possible that Ackerson's irreverent behavior during Lieutenant Wagner's debriefing in Halo: First Strike contributed to him losing his seat on the Security Council, particularly in light of Lord Hood's reaction to the colonel's comments.

Sources[edit]

  1. ^ Halo Uprising, Issue 4
  2. ^ Bungie.net: NOBLE TEAM PERFORMANCE REPORTS
  3. ^ Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, page 59
  4. ^ Halo: Uprising, Issue 3
  5. ^ Halo: Uprising Issue 4
  6. ^ Halo: First Strike, Chapter 13, page 129 (2001 edition)
  7. ^ Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, page 46
  8. ^ Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, page 43
  9. ^ Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, page 98
  10. ^ Halo: Fall of Reach - Invasion, Issue 2
  11. ^ Halo: First Strike, page 127
  12. ^ Halo: The Fall of Reach, pages 266-268
  13. ^ Dr. Halsey's personal journal
  14. ^ Halo: First Strike, page 101 ("Wagner thought Ackerson had been reassigned to a front-line post. Apparently he'd squirmed out of it.")
  15. ^ Halo Legendary Crate, Crate 10
  16. ^ Halo: Uprising Issue 1
  17. ^ Halo: Uprising Issue 4
  18. ^ Halo: Glasslands, page 147
  19. ^ Halo: Glasslands, page 435
  20. ^ Halo: The Fall of Reach, page 224
  21. ^ Halo: First Strike, page 104
  22. ^ Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe: Human Weakness, page ???
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