Hazel-A302

Hazel-A302
Biographical information
Homeworld:	Alluvion
Born:	c. 2526
Personal details
Species:	Human
Gender:	Female
Political and military information
Affiliation:	United Nations Space Command Navy
Rank:	Petty Officer Second Class Recruit (2531)
Service number:	S-A302

Petty Officer Second Class Hazel-A302 is a Spartan-III in service with the United Nations Space Command Navy. Orphaned at a young age, she was trained to be a Spartan on Onyx as part of the Spartan-III program's Alpha Company and biologically augmented. Hazel was separated from the rest of her company prior to its first deployment in 2536 and made one of the Office of Naval Intelligence's Headhunters. In late 2553 she and another Spartan, Owen-B096, were tasked with delivering the artificial intelligence Gabriela to Earth and assisting with an Outpost Discovery at major population centers on the planet.

Biography

Training and war

Hazel was born on the colony of Alluvion. As a young child, she was an exceptional athlete and student. Hazel was eventually orphaned due to humanity's prolonged war with the Covenant and became one of four hundred and ninety-seven such war orphans recruited for the the first company of Spartan-IIIs. On December 27, 2531 Hazel and the rest of the children were brought to the planet Onyx in the Zeta Doradus system. Multiple D77-TC Pelicans touched down on the parade ground at Camp Currahee at around 1953 hours to unload the recruits, who streamed out of the dropships at the behest of Senior Chief Petty Officer Franklin Mendez and were met by Lieutenant Kurt Ambrose. When the Mjolnir-clad Spartan-II first spoke, his voice carried by the camp's public address system, the children stopped moving and fell silent, amazed by the armored giant. As they crowded before him Kurt offered them the chance to become like him so that they might destroy the Covenant. He noted, however, that only three hundred slots were ultimately available and that the process of determining who would fill that roster would began that night. Mendez then ordered the children back onto the Pelicans and they each proceeded to shuffle aboard, after only some hesitation. After they were airborne once again each recruit was given a Falcon Wing aerial descent unit and told to jump from their dropship's rear bay if they wanted to be a Spartan. Following this, those who had jumped were recovered.

Alpha Company was trained from that point on by Lieutenant Ambrose and CPO Mendez at the Camp Curahee complex. The regimen mirrored that of the Spartan-IIs', with intensive physical conditioning and education conducted by hand-picked trainers and multiple on-site A.I.s. All training and indoctrination emphasized the significance of achieving objectives at any cost and a willingness to sacrifice for the UNSC. Hazel's innate physical capabilities were greatly enhanced by Spartan augmentations, carried out aboard the UNSC Hopeful in 2536, and her scholarly abilities bent towards learning the many arts of war. Only around sixty percent of the four hundred and ninety-seven were considered to have been augmented successfully, but this did not automatically disqualify "failures" from being deployed regardless. Alpha Company graduated in 2536 and by October 16 of that year the three-hundred chosen to form its final incarnation had been selected and deployed. Hazel, however was not numbered among these, her talents having led to her extraction from the larger unit for assignment to the Office of Naval Intelligence's HEADHUNTERS initiative. Hazel had only even been considered for inclusion in this initiative because she had survived multiple specially assigned training missions. As a Headhunter, she was put through an additional, grueling training regimen on the far side of Onyx from Camp Curahee. Always as part of a two-Spartan team, she conducted direct action operations against Covenant leaders on occupied planets and destroyed critical UNSC information that had fallen into enemy hands, all whilst outfitted with Mjolnir armor. Headhunters like Hazel were typically tasked with infiltrating heavily fortified enemy encampments, ships, and operation centers completely undetected. They did so with minimal, mission-specific weaponry and no radio contact or hope for backup or retrieval. Their objectives usually constituted preparation for a larger, full-scale assault on a target or were meant as a decoy and distraction for UNSC operations elsewhere.

Outpost Discovery

The outposts Hazel assisted with invited average citizens to explore the legacy of humanity’s survival and experience the thrill of being part of the UNSC’s first line of defense against whatever threats still lurked in the galaxy.

"Gabriela, you are being deployed to Earth, where you will serve as the caretaker of Outpost Discovery. Spartans Owen and Hazel will escort you there."

— An ONI officer informs Gabriela of her assignment to work with Hazel and Owen.

As a Spartan-III, Hazel had served throughout the war under the authority of Naval Special Warfare Command. Following its conclusion all surviving Spartan-IIIs were offered integration into the Spartan-IV program and the newly-created Spartan Operations branch, but Hazel remained with the Navy. In late 2553 she and another Spartan-III, Owen-B096, met with the Spartan-II Linda-058, the volitional A.I. Athos, and an ONI officer. Linda and Athos had recently returned from a mission in which they had secured another A.I. named Gabriela thought lost around a year prior during the Fall of Reach. The record of all cataloged human history which Gabriela contained made her unique among A.I.s, so Hazel and Owen were tasked with escorting her to Earth. There she would assume the role of caretaker for an Outpost Discovery, a mobile exploratory initiative focused on the education, recruitment, inspiration, and training of the next generation of UNSC personnel.. Both Spartans joined her thereafter in assisting with the outposts, which involved traveling to various major population centers on humanity's home world and interacting directly with civilians in attendance.

Personal characteristics, armor, and effects

Hazel primarily specializes in direct action and secondarily specializes in intelligence collection. Even as a child she was an exceptional athlete and student. Her innate physical capabilities were greatly enhanced by the streamlined augmentation processes and biochemical enhancements employed by the Spartan-III program. In the months following the conclusion of the war between humanity and the Covenant Hazel armored herself with a Mark V RECON-class Mjolnir helmet and a Collar/Breacher chest piece. Her left shoulder was protected by a GRENADIER-class pauldron and her right by one of the RECON variety. Her knee guards were of a kind with her left shoulder pauldron, being GRENADIER-class. In addition to a combat knife Hazel has been known to carry an M45 shotgun or an MA5C assault rifle.

Behind the Scenes

"Whenever we were designing them we wanted to have two characters that made sense. And we already had Battle Born in the works and there were some other opportunities that you'll just have to wait and see with Hazel potentially."

— Sarah Campbell teases upcoming media releases in which Hazel could appear while also noting that both she and Owen-B096 had been conceived of as characters prior to their inclusion in Outpost Discovery.

By the time it was determined that Halo: Outpost Discovery locations ought to include two individuals dressed as Spartans attendees could interact with, Hazel was already a character that had been created for potential inclusion in upcoming fiction. 343 Industries consumer products team artist Sarah Campbell did most of the three-dimensional designing and construction of the armor to be worn by the person dressed as Hazel. Objectives of the armor's design included having it make sense for the time in which Outpost Discovery is set as well as representative of armor that would actually be worn by Spartans at Outpost Discovery locations. In addition, Sarah had to consider practical issues for the wearer such as the need for pockets, flexibility, and the ability to sit down while wearing the costume. She used assets from Halo: Reach alongside those from other projects and some she created herself specifically for Outpost Discovery while designing the armor. Hazel's existence was revealed to fans through the mention of an exclusive Xbox avatar costume based on the character that is provided for those who purchase tickets for Halo: Outpost Discovery. Her first appearance in Halo media came in the final panels of Halo: Lone Wolf's concluding issue.

Gallery

• 

  All purchasers of Outpost Discovery tickets receive a download code for this Xbox avatar costume.

• 

  This artwork shows Hazel and her partner, Owen-B096.

• 

  Hazel and Owen attend the debriefing of Linda-058 and Athos.

• 

  Hazel is featured in this promotional image for Halo: Outpost Discovery.

• 

  Hazel is featured on the cover of a hardcover collection of Halo: Lone Wolf issues exclusive to Halo: Outpost Discovery.

• HOD Gear.jpg

  Hazel appears on this T-shirt, exclusive to the Outpost Discovery experience.

• OD Shirt.PNG

  Matthew Beasley, event programming manager for Halo: Outpost Discovery, shows off a T-shirt featuring the event's key art.

• OD-Shirt2-.jpg

  Another T-shirt featuring Hazel is worn by Florida reporter Greg Fox.

List of appearances

• Halo: Lone Wolf (First appearance)
• Halo: Outpost Discovery