Samuel-034: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 11:15, October 10, 2015

"I think I'm in love…"

— Samuel-034 commenting on the MJOLNIR Mk. IV armor^[1]

Petty Officer, Second Class Samuel-034 was a Spartan-II supersoldier of the UNSC Naval Special Warfare Group. Samuel was notably the tallest and strongest of the Spartan-IIs, and often acted as the second-in-command of Blue Team.^[2] At the age of fourteen, Samuel was the first Spartan-II to be killed in action—on November 27, 2525—in battle against the Covenant during the Battle of Chi Ceti IV.^[3]

Biography

Early life and conscription

Samuel: "We can be friends… I mean, if you want. It'd be no big deal."

Kelly: "Sure."

John: "Okay. Friends."

— Sam striking up his first conversation with John and Kelly during training^[4]

Samuel was born on the human Outer Colony of Harvest on July 10, 2511. In around 2517, Sam was identified as an extremely talented child destined for a great purpose, and was listed as a candidate for the SPARTAN-II program as a result.^[5] Later that year, he abducted by the Office of Naval Intelligence in September 23, 2517 at around the age of six to be conscripted into the SPARTAN-II program. He was then replaced with a flash clone and sent to Reach to train with the other Spartans under the watchful eyes of Chief Petty Officer Franklin Mendez and Déjà, the dumb AI serving as the Spartans' teacher.^[6]

On the first day of training, Mendez divided the Spartan trainees into teams of three. Samuel was assigned into a team with fellow trainees John-117 and Kelly-087. During their first trip to "the playground", John finished first in the competition, while Kelly and Sam came in last. Mendez informed the team that they had lost, simply because, in his words, "Your team loses, you lose. You don't win until your team wins." As their team had finished last, they were not allowed to eat dinner that night.^[7] However, the three Spartans had learned a lesson in teamwork and the three never made the same mistake again. The day after, Sam had shoved John and threatened to push him off one of the pillars if he refused to work with them again. During the second run of the playground, the three worked together and achieved third place in the exercise, earning their dinner. The exercise led to the formation of a camaraderie between the three and they became good friends.^[8]

Training and augmentations

Samuel-034: "Don't worry, I won't let them do anything to you."

John-117: "I know. Thanks."

— Sam to John, before the latter engages members of Tango Company in a training simulation^[9]

Along with John and Kelly, Samuel formed the Spartan-IIs' first iteration of Blue Team.^[10] Sam later trained with his fellow Spartans at the Military Wilderness Training Preserve on Reach. During one of the training operations on July 12, 2519, each Spartan trainee was dropped off at a different point in the preserve and was tasked with reaching an extraction point; the last Spartan to reach the point was to be left behind and forced to walk back.^[11] After being dropped off, the Spartans regrouped and made their way to the extraction point together. Upon reaching the point, the Spartans encountered a squad of UNSC Marines. When Sam feigned an injury before the Marines, one of them moved to attack him. However, as part of their plan, the rest of the Spartans attacked the Marine by throwing rocks at him and knocked him unconscious. The Spartans then enacted a similar plan on the rest of the Marines and eventually defeated the entire squad. Afterwards, the Spartans reached a D96-TCE Albatross and, with Déjà's help, commandeered the dropship and left the training preserve.^[12] John was subsequently promoted to squad leader after the mission, while Sam often served as his second-in-command.^[2] By July 14, 2523, Sam and the Spartans had begun facing the formidable and ruthless Tango Company in simulated war games.^[13]

After receiving his Spartan augmentations at an ONI medical facility station, Sam was the fastest to recover, and was in exceptional health.^[14] He later attended a military funeral on the carrier UNSC Atlas in the Lambda Serpentis system for those Spartans who died during the augmentation process. Later, the Spartans then returned to Reach for their final training phase in the Highland Mountains.^[15]

Infiltration on Eridanus Secundus

Blue Team storming Watts' apartment

Main article: Operation: TALON

On September 14, 2525, Samuel was selected to remain a member of Blue Team—now composed of John, Kelly, Linda-058, and Fred-104. The team was then chosen for the Spartan-IIs' first mission in the Eridanus system, Operation: TALON. The operation's objective was to capture Colonel Robert Watts, the leader of the United Rebel Front that was currently residing within Eridanus Secundus, a facility located in an asteroid in the Eridanus system's largest asteroid belt.^[14]^[16]

Equipped with black body suits and MA2B assault rifles, Samuel and the rest of Blue Team were brought to the boarded the Eridanus II space docks, where they infiltrated the URF Parabola-class freighter Laden. When Laden arrived at one of Eridanus Secundus' docking bays, Blue Team fought their way through Eridanus Secundus until they reached Watts' apartment. After killing his guards, Sam and the rest of Blue Team secured Watts inside a crate and made their way back to Eridanus Secundus' docking bay.^[17] Sam put C-12 explosives on the asteroid's main hangar bay doors and the Spartans fled in a stolen D77-TC Pelican with Watts, as the doors blew and the hangar bay decompressed. As the Pelican left the asteroid, Sam's explosives caused Eridanus Secundus to vent atmosphere and rotate erratically.^[18]

Chi Ceti IV and death

Sam stays behind to guard the Anvil-II missiles

Main article: Battle of Chi Ceti

After the First Battle of Harvest, Samuel and the rest of the Spartan-IIs were brought to the Reach FLEETCOM Military Complex, where Rear Admiral Michael Stanforth and the AI Beowulf briefed them on the emerging Covenant threat. The training of Sam, and the rest of the Spartan-IIs, was accelerated and the Spartans were sent to Chi Ceti IV in the Chi Ceti system to receive their new MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor from Damascus Testing Facility to aid in combat against the Covenant.^[19] Upon arriving at the Chi Ceti system aboard the Paris-class heavy frigate UNSC Commonwealth, the Spartans prepared to travel to the Damascus Testing Facility on Chi Ceti IV with Doctor Catherine Halsey to be equipped with their MJOLNIR armor. While in orbit over the planet, a Covenant ship—Unrelenting—appeared in the system and attacked Commonwealth.^[20] However, Commonwealth was able to temporarily ward off the ship, allowing the Spartans and Dr. Halsey to safely make their way to the facility. Upon arriving at Damascus, the Spartans were able to retrieve the MJOLNIR armor and then left to return to Commonwealth in a Pelican.^[1]

While en route to the frigate, Unrelenting returned to the battle and began to engage Commonwealth, severely damaging the ship. As the Covenant prepared to finish off the human ship, John had Sam take a team of Spartans to remove the Pelican's Anvil-II AS missiles.^[21] With thruster packs, all the Spartans flew out from the Pelican and attempted to direct themselves towards Unrelenting. Sam, Kelly, and John were the only three Spartans who made it onto the ship, gaining access through a hull breach created by a Magnetic Accelerator Cannon round from Unrelenting.^[22]

As they entered and explored the Covenant vessel, Sam was struck in the side by an overcharged bolt from a Type-25 plasma pistol wielded by a Kig-Yar soldier while trying to protect John from harm. The shot burned a sizeable hole in Sam's unshielded armor and ruptured his vacuum suit.^[23] The Spartans managed to make it to the engine room of the ship and planted several Anvil-II missiles on the fusion generator; however, their only means of escape was through space, but this was impossible for Sam since the vacuum seal in his armor was compromised. Rather than die in the vacuum of space, Sam volunteered to remain behind and ruthlessly hold off the Covenant forces. As John and Kelly escaped, Sam's defense allowed the missiles to explode, destroying the entire ship and killing Sam. John later marked Sam as "missing in action" because "Spartans never die"; it is believed that the morale of the public and servicemen alike would fall dramatically if they found out the legendary supersoldiers could actually be killed.^[24]

Legacy

"Sam's life was not wasted, Kelly. His death taught us something very important. The Covenant can be killed. Humanity can win this war."

— John-117, understanding the meaning of Sam's sacrifice^[25]

Samuel was the first Spartan-II to be killed in combat against the Covenant during the Human-Covenant War. To John, Sam's death proved to him that the Covenant was defeatable and that humanity had the power to win the war.^[24] John's views later became shared with not only the rest of Blue Team, but the entire SPARTAN-II program, who viewed Sam's death as a tragic sacrifice that proved the Covenant had weaknesses.^[5] Sam's position on Blue Team was later filled by Kurt-051; although John initially had mixed feelings to this, as he believed Kurt to be highly skilled, but not as disciplined as Sam.^[26] Mortally wounded, Kurt had a hallucination about his Spartan comrades that had been killed in battle—including Sam—as he laid dying on November 3, 2552 during the Battle of Onyx.^[27]

Personality and traits

File:HTFOR-Blue.jpg

Blue Team storming Unrelenting

Samuel-034 was quiet and a careful listen, but extremely sociable when among his fellow Spartan-IIs and had a larger sense of humor than most of his peers.^[5]^[2] He cared little for those outside the SPARTAN-II program, and was known to display ruthlessness and pragmatism towards hostiles in combat situations, including human insurrectionists^[5] and later towards the Kig-Yar soldiers aboard Unrelenting.^[2] During Operation: TALON, Sam detonated a C-12 shaped charge on a docking bay at the United Rebel Front's Eridanus Secundus, irreverent to the obvious URF-affiliated civilian casualties that would be involved with the act.^[18] Sam did not display the same great leadership qualities as John-117 or Fred-104 did, but he did act as John's second-in-command in Blue Team throughout the duration of his naval career. Like all Spartan-IIs, Sam was an extremely talented individual, even at a young age.^[5] Known to be the strongest Spartan-II, Sam was also an expert with explosives.^[2] According to John, Sam had the best sight and hearing capabilities of all of his subordinates.^[28]

By the first days of their training, despite their initially rough first interactions, Samuel formed a close friendship with John-117 and Kelly-087. Sam was the first Spartan to have spoken to and befriend John at Reach and, in 2552, John considered Sam to be his first and best friend.^[29] The three of them became inseparable, with John considering them to be members of his family.^[12] Sam and John were like brothers, they could always depend on each other. When Sam died, John and Kelly were the most devastated.^[24]

Physical description

Samuel-034 had a darkly tanned skin complexion with sandy blond hair and green eyes.^[7] By 2525, Samuel had grown his hair out to three centimeters and was warned by Chief Petty Officer Franklin Mendez that he would look like a civilian if he continued to do so.^[14] Samuel was 7' 10" (238.8 cm) in height with armor and 324 pounds (147 kg) in mass without armor at the age of fourteen.^[5] Without his helmet, John-117 noted that Samuel was taller than him by a head. After recovering faster than any other Spartan from the augmentation procedures, he became the largest and strongest Spartan-II supersoldier.^[14]

Trivia

There was a number tag conflict between Samuel-034 and Fhajad-084, as the latter was identified as "Fhajad-034" in Halo: The Fall of Reach. However, all subsequent media refers to Sam as "SPARTAN-034", while Fhajad is now identified with his current tag of "-084".
In Halo Wars, Spartans will occasionally say "For Samuel!" after killing an enemy unit.
Samuel-034's Spartan tag is a seven reference (0+3+4=7).
"Sam" is one of the name options for customized Loadouts in Halo: Reach, along with the members of NOBLE Team and several other Spartan-IIs.^[30]

Gallery

Samuel during SPARTAN-II training
Sam in 2525
Sam and Blue Team in the lobby of Watts' hideout
Samuel, John, and Kelly depart to infiltrate Unrelenting
Sam, John, and Kelly aboard the Unrelenting
Sam, prior to his death

List of appearances

Halo: The Fall of Reach (First appearance)
Halo: First Strike
Halo: Ghosts of Onyx (Mentioned only)
Halo Wars (Mentioned only)
Halo: Reach (Mentioned as a Loadout)
- Dr. Halsey's personal journal (Mentioned only)
Halo: Fall of Reach
- Boot Camp
- Covenant
- Invasion
Halo: The Fall of Reach - The Animated Series

Sources

^ ^a ^b Halo: The Fall of Reach, page 141 (2010)
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Halo Encyclopedia, page 112 (2011)
^ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named for152
^ Halo: The Fall of Reach, page 61 (2010)
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named universe
^ Halo: The Fall of Reach, page 35 (2001); page 44 (2010)
^ ^a ^b Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named for56
^ Halo: The Fall of Reach, pages 60-61 (2010)
^ Halo: First Strike, page 202 (2010)
^ Halo Waypoint: Blue Team
^ Halo: The Fall of Reach, page 45 (2001); page 62 (2010)
^ ^a ^b Halo: The Fall of Reach, pages 52-53 (2001); pages 65-71 (2010)
^ Halo: First Strike, page 158 (2003); page 193 (2010)
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Halo: The Fall of Reach, pages 98-99 (2010)
^ Halo: The Fall of Reach, page 79 (2010)
^ Halo Waypoint: Colonel Watts
^ Halo: The Fall of Reach, page 112 (2010)
^ ^a ^b Halo: The Fall of Reach, page 115 (2010)
^ Halo: The Fall of Reach, page 121 (2010)
^ Halo: The Fall of Reach, page 127 (2010)
^ Halo: The Fall of Reach, pages 143-145 (2010)
^ Halo: The Fall of Reach, page 148 (2010)
^ Halo: The Fall of Reach, page 150 (2010)
^ ^a ^b ^c Halo: The Fall of Reach, pages 127-130 (2001); pages 151-154 (2010)
^ Halo: Fall of Reach - Covenant, Issue 2
^ Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, page 33
^ Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, page 372
^ Halo: The Fall of Reach, page 48
^ Halo: First Strike, page 285 (2010)
^ Halo: Reach, Firefight

Template:Spartan

[for141-1] Halo: The Fall of Reach, page 141 (2010)

[enc112-2] Halo Encyclopedia, page 112 (2011)

[for152-3] Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named for152

[4] Halo: The Fall of Reach, page 61 (2010)

[universe-5] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named universe

[6] Halo: The Fall of Reach, page 35 (2001); page 44 (2010)

[for56-7] Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named for56

[8] Halo: The Fall of Reach, pages 60-61 (2010)

[9] Halo: First Strike, page 202 (2010)

[10] Halo Waypoint: Blue Team

[11] Halo: The Fall of Reach, page 45 (2001); page 62 (2010)

[for65-12] Halo: The Fall of Reach, pages 52-53 (2001); pages 65-71 (2010)

[13] Halo: First Strike, page 158 (2003); page 193 (2010)

[for98-14] Halo: The Fall of Reach, pages 98-99 (2010)

[15] Halo: The Fall of Reach, page 79 (2010)

[16] Halo Waypoint: Colonel Watts

[17] Halo: The Fall of Reach, page 112 (2010)

[for115-18] Halo: The Fall of Reach, page 115 (2010)

[19] Halo: The Fall of Reach, page 121 (2010)

[20] Halo: The Fall of Reach, page 127 (2010)

[21] Halo: The Fall of Reach, pages 143-145 (2010)

[22] Halo: The Fall of Reach, page 148 (2010)

[23] Halo: The Fall of Reach, page 150 (2010)

[for151-24] Halo: The Fall of Reach, pages 127-130 (2001); pages 151-154 (2010)

[25] Halo: Fall of Reach - Covenant, Issue 2

[26] Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, page 33

[27] Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, page 372

[28] Halo: The Fall of Reach, page 48

[29] Halo: First Strike, page 285 (2010)

[30] Halo: Reach, Firefight

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

[17]

[18]

[19]

[20]

[21]

[22]

[23]

[24]

[25]

[26]

[27]

[28]

[29]

[30]

@@ Line 5: / Line 5: @@
 |homeworld=[[Harvest]]<ref name="universe">[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/universe/characters/Samuel-034 '''Halo Waypoint''': ''Samuel-034'']</ref>
 |birth=[[2511|July 10, 2511]]<ref name="universe"/>
-|death=[[2525#November|November 27, 2525]] {{C|aged 14}}<ref name="universe"/><ref name="for152">'''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]''', ''page 152'' (2010 edition)</ref>
+|death=[[2525#November|November 27, 2525]] {{C|aged 14}}<ref name="universe"/><ref name="for152">'''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]''', ''page 152'' (2010)</ref>
 |gender=Male
 |height=7' 10" (238.8 cm) {{C|with armor}}<ref name="universe"/>
 |mass={{Convert|324|lb|kg}} {{C|without armor}}<ref name="universe"/>
-|hair = Blonde
+|hair=Sandy blond<ref name="for56">'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''pages 39-40'' (2001); ''pages 56-59'' (2010)</ref>
-|eyes = Green
+|eyes=Green<ref name="for56"/>
-|spartantag = 034
+|spartantag=034<ref name="universe"/>
-|service=
+|branch=[[United Nations Space Command|UNSC]] [[UNSC Navy|Navy]]<ref name="universe"/>
-|branch=[[United Nations Space Command|UNSC]] [[UNSC Navy|Navy]]
+|group=*[[Naval Special Warfare Command]]
-|group=
+**[[SPARTAN-II program]]<ref name="universe"/>
-|rank = [[Petty Officer Second Class]]
+|rank=[[Petty officer second class|Petty officer, second class]]<ref name="universe"/>
 }}
-{{Quote|I think I'm in love...|Samuel-034 commenting on the [[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor|MJOLNIR]] [[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor/Mark IV|Mk. IV]] armor<ref name="for141">'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''page 141'' (2010 edition)</ref>}}
+{{Quote|I think I'm in love…|Samuel-034 commenting on the [[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor|MJOLNIR]] [[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor/Mark IV|Mk. IV]] armor<ref name="for141">'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''page 141'' (2010)</ref>}}
-'''Petty Officer Second Class Samuel-034''' was a [[SPARTAN-II program|SPARTAN-II]] supersoldier of the [[UNSC]] [[UNSC Navy|Naval]] [[UNSC Special Forces|Special Warfare Group]]. He was the tallest and strongest of the SPARTAN-IIs, and often acted as the second-in-command of [[Blue Team]].<ref>'''[[Halo Encyclopedia]]''', ''page 112'' (2011 edition)</ref> At the age of fourteen, Sam was the first SPARTAN-II to be [[killed in action]]—on [[2525#November|November 27, 2525]]—in battle against the [[Covenant]].<ref name="for152"/>
+'''Petty Officer, Second Class Samuel-034''' was a [[SPARTAN-II program|Spartan-II supersoldier]] of the [[UNSC]] [[UNSC Navy|Naval]] [[UNSC Special Forces|Special Warfare Group]]. Samuel was notably the tallest and strongest of the Spartan-IIs, and often acted as the second-in-command of [[Blue Team]].<ref name="enc112">'''[[Halo Encyclopedia]]''', ''page 112'' (2011)</ref> At the age of fourteen, Samuel was the first Spartan-II to be [[killed in action]]—on [[2525#November|November 27, 2525]]—in battle against the [[Covenant]] during the [[Battle of Chi Ceti|Battle]] of [[Chi Ceti IV]].<ref name="for152"/>
 ==Biography==
-===Conscription===
+===Early life and conscription===
-{{Quote|multi=more|Samuel|q1=We can be friends... I mean, if you want. It'd be no big deal.|Kelly|q2=Sure.|John|q3=Okay. Friends.|Sam striking up his first conversation with John and Kelly during training.}}
+{{Quote|multi=more|Samuel|q1=We can be friends… I mean, if you want. It'd be no big deal.|Kelly|q2=Sure.|John|q3=Okay. Friends.|Sam striking up his first conversation with John and Kelly during training<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''page 61'' (2010)</ref>}}
-Sam was abducted by the [[Office of Naval Intelligence]] in [[2517|September 23, 2517]] at around the age of six. He was then replaced with a [[Flash cloning|flash clone]] and sent to [[Reach]] to [[SPARTAN-II training|train]] with the other Spartans under the watchful eyes of [[Franklin Mendez|Chief Petty Officer Franklin Mendez]] and [[Déjà]], the Spartans' "teacher".<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''page 35'' (2001 edition); ''page 44'' (2010 edition)</ref>
+Samuel was born on the [[human]] [[Outer Colony]] of [[Harvest]] on [[2511|July 10, 2511]]. In around [[2517]], Sam was identified as an extremely talented child destined for a great purpose, and was listed as a candidate for the [[SPARTAN-II program]] as a result.<ref name="universe"/> Later that year, he abducted by the [[Office of Naval Intelligence]] in [[2517|September 23, 2517]] at around the age of six to be conscripted into the SPARTAN-II program. He was then replaced with a [[Flash cloning|flash clone]] and sent to [[Reach]] to [[SPARTAN-II training|train]] with the other Spartans under the watchful eyes of [[Franklin Mendez|Chief Petty Officer Franklin Mendez]] and [[Déjà]], the [[dumb AI]] serving as the Spartans' teacher.<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''page 35'' (2001); ''page 44'' (2010)</ref>
-On the first day of training, Mendez divided the trainees into teams of three. Sam, [[John-117]], and [[Kelly-087]] were assigned together into one of those teams. During their first trip to "the playground", John finished first in the competition, while Kelly and Sam came in last. Mendez informed the team that they had lost, simply because, in his words, "Your team loses, you lose. You don't win until your team wins". Because their team finished last, they were not allowed to eat dinner that night.<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''pages 39-40'' (2001 edition); ''pages 57-59'' (2010 edition)</ref> It was, however, a lesson in teamwork for them, and the three Spartans never made the same mistake again. The day after, Sam had shoved John and threatened to push him off one of the pillars if he refused to work with them again. During the second run of the playground, the three worked together and achieved third place in the exercise, earning dinner. The exercise led to the formation of a camaraderie between the three and they became good friends.<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''pages 60-61'' (2010 edition)</ref>
+On the first day of training, Mendez divided the Spartan trainees into teams of three. Samuel was assigned into a team with fellow trainees [[John-117]] and [[Kelly-087]]. During their first trip to "the playground", John finished first in the competition, while Kelly and Sam came in last. Mendez informed the team that they had lost, simply because, in his words, "''Your team loses, you lose. You don't win until your team wins.''" As their team had finished last, they were not allowed to eat dinner that night.<ref name="for56"/> However, the three Spartans had learned a lesson in teamwork and the three never made the same mistake again. The day after, Sam had shoved John and threatened to push him off one of the pillars if he refused to work with them again. During the second run of the playground, the three worked together and achieved third place in the exercise, earning their dinner. The exercise led to the formation of a camaraderie between the three and they became good friends.<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''pages 60-61'' (2010)</ref>
 ===Training and augmentations===
-Sam later trained with his fellow Spartans at the [[Military Wilderness Training Preserve]], with each Spartan being dropped off at a different point in the preserve.<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''page 45'' (2001 edition); ''page 62'' (2010 edition)</ref> The Spartans regrouped and made their way to the extraction point. There, they were almost forced to kill a squad of [[UNSC Marine Corps|UNSC Marines]]. However, Sam worked with John, Kelly, [[Fhajad-084]], and [[Linda-058]] to defeat the Marines and all the Spartans reached and then commandeered a [[D96-TCE Albatross]] [[dropship]] to leave the preserve.<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''page 52-53'' (2001 edition); ''page 70-71'' (2010 edition)</ref> John was subsequently promoted to squad leader after the mission. By [[2523|July 14, 2523]], Sam and the Spartans had begun facing the formidable [[Tango Company]] in simulated war games.<ref>'''[[Halo: First Strike]]''', ''page 158'' (2003 edition); ''page 193'' (2010 edition)</ref>
+{{Quote|multi=yes|Samuel-034|q1=Don't worry, I won't let them do anything to you.|John-117|q2=I know. Thanks.|Sam to John, before the latter engages members of Tango Company in a training simulation<ref>'''[[Halo: First Strike]]''', ''page 202'' (2010)</ref>}}
+Along with John and Kelly, Samuel formed the Spartan-IIs' first iteration of [[Blue Team]].<ref>[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/universe/factions/blue-team '''Halo Waypoint''': ''Blue Team'']</ref> Sam later trained with his fellow Spartans at the [[Military Wilderness Training Preserve]] on Reach. During one of the training operations on [[2519|July 12, 2519]], each Spartan trainee was dropped off at a different point in the preserve and was tasked with reaching an extraction point; the last Spartan to reach the point was to be left behind and forced to walk back.<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''page 45'' (2001); ''page 62'' (2010)</ref> After being dropped off, the Spartans regrouped and made their way to the extraction point together. Upon reaching the point, the Spartans encountered a [[squad]] of [[UNSC Marine Corps|UNSC Marines]]. When Sam feigned an injury before the Marines, one of them moved to attack him. However, as part of their plan, the rest of the Spartans attacked the Marine by throwing rocks at him and knocked him unconscious. The Spartans then enacted a similar plan on the rest of the Marines and eventually defeated the entire squad. Afterwards, the Spartans reached a [[D96-TCE Albatross]] and, with Déjà's help, commandeered the [[dropship]] and left the training preserve.<ref name="for65">'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''pages 52-53'' (2001); ''pages 65-71'' (2010)</ref> John was subsequently promoted to squad leader after the mission, while Sam often served as his second-in-command.<ref name="enc112"/> By [[2523|July 14, 2523]], Sam and the Spartans had begun facing the formidable and ruthless [[Tango Company]] in simulated war games.<ref>'''Halo: First Strike''', ''page 158'' (2003); ''page 193'' (2010)</ref>
-After receiving his [[SPARTAN-II augmentation procedures|Spartan augmentations]] at an [[Unidentified ONI medical facility|ONI medical facility]] station, Sam was the fastest to recover, and was in exceptional health.<ref name="for90">'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''page 98'' (2010 edition)</ref> He later attended a military funeral on the {{UNSCShip|Atlas}} for those Spartans who died during the augmentation process. Later, the Spartans then returned to [[Reach]] for their final training phase in the [[Highland Mountains]].<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''page 79'' (2010 edition)</ref>
+After receiving his [[SPARTAN-II augmentation procedures|Spartan augmentations]] at an [[Unidentified ONI medical facility|ONI medical facility]] station, Sam was the fastest to recover, and was in exceptional health.<ref name="for98">'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''pages 98-99'' (2010)</ref> He later attended a military funeral on the [[UNSC carrier|carrier]] {{UNSCShip|Atlas}} in the [[Lambda Serpentis system]] for those Spartans who died during the augmentation process. Later, the Spartans then returned to Reach for their final training phase in the [[Highland Mountains]].<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''page 79'' (2010)</ref>
 ===Infiltration on Eridanus Secundus===
-[[File:Blueteam_Splash.png|thumb|250px|Blue Team storming Watts' apartment.]]
+[[File:Blueteam_Splash.png|thumb|250px|Blue Team storming Watts' apartment]]
-{{Main|Assault on Eridanus Secundus}}
+{{Main|Operation: TALON}}
-On [[2525|September 14, 2525]], Sam—along with John, Kelly, Linda, and [[Fred-104]]—was chosen for the [[SPARTAN-II program|SPARTAN-II]]s' [[Assault on Eridanus Secundus|first mission]] in the [[Eridanus system]].<ref name="for90"/> He and the team boarded the ''[[Laden]]'' at the [[Eridanus II]] space docks and infiltrated [[Eridanus Secundus]]. Blue Team secured Watts inside a crate and made their way back to Eridanus Secundus' docking bay.<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''page 112'' (2010 edition)</ref> Sam put [[C-12 shaped charge|C-12 explosives]] on the asteroid's main [[hangar bay]] doors and the Spartans fled in a stolen [[D77-TC Pelican]] with Watts, as the doors blew and the hangar bay decompressed. As the Pelican left the asteroid, Sam's explosives caused Eridanus Secundus to vent atmosphere and rotate erratically.<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''page 115'' (2010 edition)</ref>
+On [[2525#September|September 14, 2525]], Samuel was selected to remain a member of Blue Team—now composed of John, Kelly, [[Linda-058]], and [[Fred-104]]. The team was then chosen for the [[SPARTAN-II program|Spartan-IIs]]' first mission in the [[Eridanus system]], [[Operation: TALON]]. The [[operation]]'s objective was to capture Colonel [[Robert Watts]], the leader of the [[United Rebel Front]] that was currently residing within [[Eridanus Secundus]], a facility located in an [[asteroid]] in the Eridanus system's largest asteroid belt.<ref name="for98"/><ref>[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/universe/characters/colonel-watts '''Halo Waypoint''': ''Colonel Watts'']</ref>
+Equipped with [[black body suit]]s and [[MA2B assault rifle]]s, Samuel and the rest of Blue Team were brought to the boarded the [[Eridanus II]] space docks, where they infiltrated the URF {{Class|Parabola|freighter}} ''[[Laden]]''. When ''Laden'' arrived at one of Eridanus Secundus' docking bays, Blue Team fought their way through Eridanus Secundus until they reached Watts' apartment. After killing his guards, Sam and the rest of Blue Team secured Watts inside a crate and made their way back to Eridanus Secundus' docking bay.<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''page 112'' (2010)</ref> Sam put [[C-12 shaped charge|C-12 explosives]] on the asteroid's main [[hangar bay]] doors and the Spartans fled in a stolen [[D77-TC Pelican]] with Watts, as the doors blew and the hangar bay decompressed. As the Pelican left the asteroid, Sam's explosives caused Eridanus Secundus to vent atmosphere and rotate erratically.<ref name="for115">'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''page 115'' (2010)</ref>
 ===Chi Ceti IV and death===
-[[File:Sam nuke.jpg|thumb|Sam stays behind to guard the ANVIL-II missiles.]]
+[[File:Sam nuke.jpg|thumb|Sam stays behind to guard the Anvil-II missiles]]
 {{Main|Battle of Chi Ceti}}
-After the [[First Battle of Harvest]], Sam later attended the UNSC briefing by [[Michael Stanforth|Admiral Michael Stanforth]] and the AI [[Beowulf]] about the emerging [[Covenant]] threat. The training of Sam, and the rest of the SPARTAN-IIs, was accelerated and the Spartans were sent to [[Chi Ceti IV]] to receive their new [[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor]] from [[Damascus Testing Facility]] to aid in combat against the Covenant.<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''page 121'' (2010 edition)</ref> The Spartans were sent to the [[Chi Ceti system]] aboard the {{UNSCShip|Commonwealth}} and went to the [[Damascus Testing Facility]] on [[Chi Ceti IV]] to be equipped with MJOLNIR armor. While in orbit over the planet, [[Unrelenting|a Covenant ship]] appeared in the system and attacked the ''Commonwealth''.<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''page 127'' (2010 edition)</ref> However, the ''Commonwealth'' was able to temporarily ward off the ship, allowing the Spartans and [[Catherine Halsey|Doctor Catherine Halsey]] to make their way to the facility. The Spartans were able to retrieve the MJOLNIR armor and then left to return to the ''Commonwealth'' in a Pelican.<ref name="for141"/>
+After the [[First Battle of Harvest]], Samuel and the rest of the Spartan-IIs were brought to the [[Reach FLEETCOM Military Complex]], where [[Michael Stanforth|Rear Admiral Michael Stanforth]] and the AI [[Beowulf]] briefed them on the emerging [[Covenant]] threat. The training of Sam, and the rest of the Spartan-IIs, was accelerated and the Spartans were sent to [[Chi Ceti IV]] in the [[Chi Ceti system]] to receive their new [[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor]] from [[Damascus Testing Facility]] to aid in combat against the Covenant.<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''page 121'' (2010)</ref> Upon arriving at the Chi Ceti system aboard the {{Class|Paris|heavy frigate}} {{UNSCShip|Commonwealth}}, the Spartans prepared to travel to the Damascus Testing Facility on Chi Ceti IV with Doctor [[Catherine Halsey]] to be equipped with their MJOLNIR armor. While in orbit over the planet, a Covenant ship—''[[Unrelenting]]''—appeared in the system and attacked ''Commonwealth''.<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''page 127'' (2010)</ref> However, ''Commonwealth'' was able to temporarily ward off the ship, allowing the Spartans and Dr. Halsey to safely make their way to the facility. Upon arriving at Damascus, the Spartans were able to retrieve the MJOLNIR armor and then left to return to ''Commonwealth'' in a Pelican.<ref name="for141"/>
-While en route to the [[Paris-class heavy frigate|frigate]], ''Unrelenting'' returned to the battle and began to engage the ''Commonwealth'', severely damaging it. As the Covenant prepared to finish off the human ship, John had Sam take a team of Spartans to remove the Pelican's [[Anvil-II air-to-surface missile|ANVIL-II AS]] missiles.<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''pages 143-145'' (2010 edition)</ref> With [[thruster pack]]s, all the Spartans flew out from the Pelican and attempted to direct themselves towards ''Unrelenting''. Sam, Kelly, and John were the only three Spartans who made it onto the ship, gaining access through a hull breach created by a [[Magnetic Accelerator Cannon|MAC]] round.<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''page 148'' (2010 edition)</ref>
+While en route to the frigate, ''Unrelenting'' returned to the battle and began to engage ''Commonwealth'', severely damaging the ship. As the Covenant prepared to finish off the human ship, John had Sam take a team of Spartans to remove the Pelican's [[Anvil-II air-to-surface missile|Anvil-II AS]] missiles.<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''pages 143-145'' (2010)</ref> With [[thruster pack]]s, all the Spartans flew out from the Pelican and attempted to direct themselves towards ''Unrelenting''. Sam, Kelly, and John were the only three Spartans who made it onto the ship, gaining access through a hull breach created by a [[Magnetic Accelerator Cannon]] round from ''Unrelenting''.<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''page 148'' (2010)</ref>
-As they entered and explored the Covenant vessel, Sam was struck in the side by an overcharged bolt from a [[Type-25 plasma pistol]] wielded by a [[Kig-Yar]] soldier while trying to protect John from harm. The shot burned a sizeable hole in Sam's unshielded armor.<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''page 150'' (2010 edition)</ref> The Spartans managed to make it to the engine room of the ship and planted several ANVIL-II missiles on the fusion generator; however, their only means of escape was an EVA, but this was impossible for Sam since the vacuum seal in his armor was compromised. Rather than die in the vacuum of space, Sam volunteered to hold off the Covenant forces and allow the missiles to explode, destroying the entire ship. John later marked Sam as "[[missing in action]]" because "[[Office of Naval Intelligence Directive 930|Spartans never die]]"; it is believed that the morale of the public and servicemen alike would fall dramatically if they found out the legendary super-soldiers could actually be killed.<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''pages 127-130'' (2001 edition); ''pages 151-153'' (2010 edition)</ref>
+As they entered and explored the Covenant vessel, Sam was struck in the side by an overcharged bolt from a [[Type-25 plasma pistol]] wielded by a [[Kig-Yar]] soldier while trying to protect John from harm. The shot burned a sizeable hole in Sam's unshielded armor and ruptured his [[vacuum suit]].<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''page 150'' (2010)</ref> The Spartans managed to make it to the engine room of the ship and planted several Anvil-II missiles on the fusion generator; however, their only means of escape was through space, but this was impossible for Sam since the vacuum seal in his armor was compromised. Rather than die in the vacuum of space, Sam volunteered to remain behind and ruthlessly hold off the Covenant forces. As John and Kelly escaped, Sam's defense allowed the missiles to explode, destroying the entire ship and killing Sam. John later marked Sam as "[[missing in action]]" because "[[Office of Naval Intelligence Directive 930|Spartans never die]]"; it is believed that the morale of the public and servicemen alike would fall dramatically if they found out the legendary supersoldiers could actually be killed.<ref name="for151">'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''pages 127-130'' (2001); ''pages 151-154'' (2010)</ref>
 ===Legacy===
-{{Quote|Sam's life was not wasted, Kelly. His death taught us something very important. The Covenant can be killed. Humanity can win this war.|John-117 understanding the meaning of Sam's sacrifice.<ref>'''[[Halo: Fall of Reach - Covenant]]''', ''Issue 2''</ref>}}
+{{Quote|Sam's life was not wasted, Kelly. His death taught us something very important. The Covenant can be killed. Humanity can win this war.|John-117, understanding the meaning of Sam's sacrifice<ref>'''[[Halo: Fall of Reach - Covenant]]''', ''Issue 2''</ref>}}
-Sam was the first SPARTAN-II to be killed in combat during the [[Human-Covenant War]]. Despite that fact, and his short life of fourteen years, Sam is regarded as one of the most important Spartans. Sam was later replaced on [[Blue Team]] with [[Kurt Ambrose|Kurt-051]].<ref>'''[[Halo: Ghosts of Onyx]]''', ''page 33''</ref> The mortally wounded [[Kurt Ambrose|Lieutenant Commander Kurt Ambrose]] had a hallucination about his Spartan comrades that had been killed in battle—including Sam—as he laid dying on [[2552#November|November 3, 2552]] during the [[Battle of Onyx]].<ref>'''Halo: Ghosts of Onyx''', ''page 372''</ref> This is to show that Sam had a close relationship with all the Spartans, not just the members of [[Blue Team]].
+Samuel was the first Spartan-II to be killed in combat against the Covenant during the [[Human-Covenant War]]. To John, Sam's death proved to him that the Covenant was defeatable and that humanity had the power to win the war.<ref name="for151"/> John's views later became shared with not only the rest of Blue Team, but the entire SPARTAN-II program, who viewed Sam's death as a tragic sacrifice that proved the Covenant had weaknesses.<ref name="universe"/> Sam's position on Blue Team was later filled by [[Kurt Ambrose|Kurt-051]]; although John initially had mixed feelings to this, as he believed Kurt to be highly skilled, but not as disciplined as Sam.<ref>'''[[Halo: Ghosts of Onyx]]''', ''page 33''</ref> Mortally wounded, Kurt had a hallucination about his Spartan comrades that had been killed in battle—including Sam—as he laid dying on [[2552#November|November 3, 2552]] during the [[Battle of Onyx|Battle]] of [[Onyx]].<ref>'''Halo: Ghosts of Onyx''', ''page 372''</ref>
-It seems that his position as John-117's second-in-command was subsequently taken by Frederic-104 and Kurt-051 in authorizing the Spartans and commanding them in battle.
+==Personality and traits==
+[[File:HTFOR-Blue.jpg|thumb|250px|left|Blue Team storming ''Unrelenting'']]
+Samuel-034 was quiet and a careful listen, but extremely sociable when among his fellow [[SPARTAN-II program|Spartan-IIs]] and had a larger sense of humor than most of his peers.<ref name="universe"/><ref name="enc112"/> He cared little for those outside the SPARTAN-II program, and was known to display ruthlessness and pragmatism towards hostiles in combat situations, including [[human]] [[insurrectionist]]s<ref name="universe"/> and later towards the [[Kig-Yar]] soldiers aboard ''[[Unrelenting]]''.<ref name="enc112"/> During [[Operation: TALON]], Sam detonated a [[C-12 shaped charge]] on a docking bay at the [[United Rebel Front]]'s [[Eridanus Secundus]], irreverent to the obvious URF-affiliated [[civilian]] casualties that would be involved with the act.<ref name="for115"/> Sam did not display the same great leadership qualities as [[John-117]] or [[Fred-104]] did, but he did act as John's second-in-command in [[Blue Team]] throughout the duration of his naval career. Like all Spartan-IIs, Sam was an extremely talented individual, even at a young age.<ref name="universe"/> Known to be the strongest Spartan-II, Sam was also an expert with explosives.<ref name="enc112"/> According to John, Sam had the best sight and hearing capabilities of all of his subordinates.<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''page 48''</ref>
-==Personality and description==
+By the first days of their [[SPARTAN-II training|training]], despite their initially rough first interactions, Samuel formed a close friendship with John-117 and [[Kelly-087]]. Sam was the first Spartan to have spoken to and befriend John at [[Reach]] and, in [[2552]], John considered Sam to be his first and best friend.<ref>'''Halo: First Strike''', ''page 285'' (2010)</ref> The three of them became inseparable, with John considering them to be members of his family.<ref name="for65"/> Sam and John were like brothers, they could always depend on each other. When Sam died, John and Kelly were the most devastated.<ref name="for151"/>
-Samuel was considered to be the strongest of the first class of SPARTAN-II's. According to John-117, he had the best eyes and ears of all of his subordinates.<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''page 48''</ref> He is also said to be one head taller than John-117, making him one of the larger Spartans, and was the fastest to recover from the [[SPARTAN-II augmentation procedures|augmentation]]. He had a tan complexion with sandy blond hair and green eyes.<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''page 78''</ref> Sam did not display the same great leadership qualities as John or [[Fred-104|Frederic]] did, but he did act as John's second-in-command throughout the duration of his naval career. At times Sam also displayed some ruthlessness, such as detonating a [[C-12 shaped charge]] on a rebel base, despite the obvious civilian casualties that would be involved. He appeared more sociable and had a bigger sense of humor than the other Spartans.
-Sam was also one of John's and Kelly's closest friends. Sam was the first Spartan to have spoken to and befriend John at the [[Reach]] training complex before meeting Kelly. The three of them became inseparable. Sam and John were like brothers, they could always depend on each other. When Sam died, John was the most devastated.
+==Physical description==
+Samuel-034 had a darkly tanned skin complexion with sandy blond hair and green eyes.<ref name="for56"/> By [[2525]], Samuel had grown his hair out to three centimeters and was warned by [[Franklin Mendez|Chief Petty Officer Franklin Mendez]] that he would look like a [[civilian]] if he continued to do so.<ref name="for98"/> Samuel was 7' 10" (238.8 cm) in height with armor and {{Convert|324|lb|kg}} in mass without armor at the age of fourteen.<ref name="universe"/> Without his helmet, John-117 noted that Samuel was taller than him by a head. After recovering faster than any other Spartan from the [[SPARTAN-II augmentation procedures|augmentation procedures]], he became the largest and strongest Spartan-II supersoldier.<ref name="for98"/>
 ==Trivia==
 {{Linkbox|gallery=yes}}
-*There was a number tag conflict between Sam-034 and Fhajad-084, but it has been widely accepted that Sam was, in fact, SPARTAN-034 because he was given that number first.
+*There was a number tag conflict between Samuel-034 and Fhajad-084, as the latter was identified as "Fhajad-034" in ''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]''. However, all subsequent media refers to Sam as "SPARTAN-034", while Fhajad is now identified with his current tag of "-084".
 *In ''[[Halo Wars]]'', Spartans will occasionally say "For Samuel!" after killing an enemy unit.
 *Samuel-034's Spartan tag is a [[seven]] reference (0+3+4=7).
-*"Sam" is one of the name options for customized [[Loadout]]s in ''[[Halo: Reach]]'', along with the members of [[NOBLE Team]] and several SPARTAN-II's.<ref>'''[[Halo: Reach]]''', [[Firefight]]</ref>
+*"Sam" is one of the name options for customized [[Loadout]]s in ''[[Halo: Reach]]'', along with the members of [[NOBLE Team]] and several other Spartan-IIs.<ref>'''[[Halo: Reach]]''', [[Firefight]]</ref>
 ==Gallery==
 <gallery>
-File:FoRBoot Camp2 - Sam.jpg|Samuel during [[SPARTAN-II training]].
+File:FoRBoot Camp2 - Sam.jpg|Samuel during [[SPARTAN-II training]]
-File:FoR_Sam.png|Sam in 2525.
+File:FoR_Sam.png|Sam in 2525
-File:BlueTeam.jpg|Sam and Blue Team in the lobby of Watts' hideout.
+File:BlueTeam.jpg|Sam and Blue Team in the lobby of Watts' hideout
-File:Blue Team - Commonwealth 1.png|Samuel, John, and Kelly depart to infiltrate the ''[[Unrelenting]]''.
+File:Blue Team - Commonwealth 1.png|Samuel, John, and Kelly depart to infiltrate ''[[Unrelenting]]''
-File:Blue Team - Commonwealth 2.png|Sam, John, and Kelly aboard the ''Unrelenting''.
+File:Blue Team - Commonwealth 2.png|Sam, John, and Kelly aboard the ''Unrelenting''
 File:Sam-034.jpg|Sam, prior to his death
 </gallery>