James Cutter: Difference between revisions
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Between 2524 and [[2525]], Cutter had an extramarital affair with a woman on [[Tribute]]. This liaison produced a son, [[Daniel Clayton]].<ref name="HE5"/> | Between 2524 and [[2525]], Cutter had an extramarital affair with a woman on [[Tribute]]. This liaison produced a son, [[Daniel Clayton]].<ref name="HE5"/> | ||
On August 8, 2525, Cutter arrived aboard ''Spirit of Fire''.<ref name="Genesis"/> As the commanding officer of the ''Spirit of Fire'', he was known to have walked the ship at night to check on his crew. He was so well respected that [[Inner Colonies|Inner Colony]] [[coffee]] houses gave him free coffee beans to take with him on long deployments.<ref>[http://www.gamedaily.com/articles/galleries/halo-wars-character-profiles-captain-cutter-and-the-brute-chieftain/?page=3 ''Game Daily'' (defunct link)]</ref> Cutter's father also toured the ship with his son not long after Cutter was made captain of the ship. His father was impressed and reconciled with James, saying "I guess you knew something, after all. Your mom would be proud".<ref name="OSG"/> | Shortly after the outbreak of [[Human-Covenant War|war]] with the [[Covenant]], Cutter was handpicked by [[Vice Admiral]] [[Preston Cole]] to command the ''Spirit of Fire'' in her new role as center of repair, supply, and forward deployment operations for [[Battlegroup D]], [[Third Fleet]]. On August 8, 2525, Cutter arrived aboard ''Spirit of Fire''.<ref name="Genesis"/> As the commanding officer of the ''Spirit of Fire'', he was known to have walked the ship at night to check on his crew. He was so well respected that [[Inner Colonies|Inner Colony]] [[coffee]] houses gave him free coffee beans to take with him on long deployments.<ref>[http://www.gamedaily.com/articles/galleries/halo-wars-character-profiles-captain-cutter-and-the-brute-chieftain/?page=3 ''Game Daily'' (defunct link)]</ref> Cutter's father also toured the ship with his son not long after Cutter was made captain of the ship. His father was impressed and reconciled with James, saying "I guess you knew something, after all. Your mom would be proud".<ref name="OSG"/> | ||
On January 30, [[2528]], Cutter was offered command of the {{Class|Marathon|heavy cruiser}} {{UNSCShip|Prophecy}}, though he turned it down because he was happy with the ''Spirit of Fire'' and it being stationed near Reach. This, however, made it slim for Cutter to be offered something as prestigious as that again.<ref name="Sacrifices"/><ref name="OSG"/> | On January 30, [[2528]], Cutter was offered command of the {{Class|Marathon|heavy cruiser}} {{UNSCShip|Prophecy}}, though he turned it down because he was happy with the ''Spirit of Fire'' and it being stationed near Reach. This, however, made it slim for Cutter to be offered something as prestigious as that again.<ref name="Sacrifices"/><ref name="OSG"/> | ||
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===Harvest campaign=== | ===Harvest campaign=== | ||
{{Main|Harvest campaign}} | {{Main|Harvest campaign}} | ||
{{quote|Five years, five long years. That's how long it took us to get Harvest back. At first it was going well. Then setback after setback... Loss after loss... Made what was going to be a quick and decisive win... Into five years of Hell. Of course, that's all Harvest really is today... It's Hell down there, but now it's ours again.|Cpt. Cutter about Harvest campaign}} | {{quote|Five years, five long years. That's how long it took us to get Harvest back. At first it was going well. Then setback after setback... Loss after loss... Made what was going to be a quick and decisive win... Into five years of Hell. Of course, that's all Harvest really is today... It's Hell down there, but now it's ours again.|Cpt. Cutter about Harvest campaign}} | ||
[[File:HaloWars-SOF-Holotable.jpg|thumb|left|300px|Cutter, Anders and Serina observing a holographic topographical map of Harvest]] | [[File:HaloWars-SOF-Holotable.jpg|thumb|left|300px|Cutter, Anders and Serina observing a holographic topographical map of Harvest]] | ||
On [[2531|January 3, 2531]], Cutter was handpicked by [[Preston Cole]] to command the ''Spirit of Fire'' to assist the {{UNSCship|Prophecy}} over [[Harvest]]. Around February 4, 2531, when the Spirit arrived, it was too late, and Cutter sent a team to initiate the [[Cole_Protocol#Hypodermic-FXT-J|Hypodermic-FXT-J]] in the Prophecy.<ref name="HWTE">[[Halo Wars Timeline Events]]</ref><ref name="Genesis"/> | |||
By the time [[Ellen Anders|Professor Ellen Anders]] arrived, Cutter had developed a close working relationship with the ship's [[Artificial intelligence|AI]], [[Serina]], and was initially suspicious of presence of [[Ellen Anders|Professor Ellen Anders]], a civilian consultant forcibly recruited by the [[Office of Naval Intelligence]]; he suspected that there was more to her than met the eye.<ref name="Crew">[http://www.gamedaily.com/articles/galleries/halo-wars-character-profiles-captain-cutter-and-the-brute-chieftain/?page=5 ''Game Daily'' (defunct link)]</ref> After making a log on the "five years of hell" that led to the reclamation of the planet, ''Spirit of Fire'' remained in the Epsilon Indi system. Cutter believed that although Harvest had been reclaimed by the UNSC, it was unlikely that the Covenant would simply back down. | |||
His belief was soon vindicated when [[Sergeant]] [[John Forge]] alerted Cutter that the Covenant had uncovered a [[Forerunner]] [[Relic|structure]] in the planet's northern polar region, with [[Anders|Professor Anders]] giving further proof of this claim. Cutter thus ordered that [[Alpha Base (Harvest)|Alpha Base]] be brought back online<ref>'''Halo Wars''', campaign level ''[[Alpha Base (level)|Alpha Base]]''</ref> and the site be taken.<ref>'''Halo Wars''', campaign level ''[[Relic Approach]]''</ref> Upon the discovery of a Forerunner starmap inside the structure,<ref>'''Halo Wars''', campaign level ''[[Relic Interior]]''</ref> Anders determined that the map pointed to her homeworld, [[Arcadia]], and advised Cutter to set course for the planet. His trust in Anders had been strengthened by the bravery she had displayed on Harvest,<ref name="Crew"/> so he came to agree with the professor's assessment; after informing Vice Admiral Cole of his intentions, Cutter ordered Serina to set a course for Arcadia.<ref name="Arcadia City">'''Halo Wars''', campaign level ''[[Arcadia City]]''</ref> | His belief was soon vindicated when [[Sergeant]] [[John Forge]] alerted Cutter that the Covenant had uncovered a [[Forerunner]] [[Relic|structure]] in the planet's northern polar region, with [[Anders|Professor Anders]] giving further proof of this claim. Cutter thus ordered that [[Alpha Base (Harvest)|Alpha Base]] be brought back online<ref>'''Halo Wars''', campaign level ''[[Alpha Base (level)|Alpha Base]]''</ref> and the site be taken.<ref>'''Halo Wars''', campaign level ''[[Relic Approach]]''</ref> Upon the discovery of a Forerunner starmap inside the structure,<ref>'''Halo Wars''', campaign level ''[[Relic Interior]]''</ref> Anders determined that the map pointed to her homeworld, [[Arcadia]], and advised Cutter to set course for the planet. His trust in Anders had been strengthened by the bravery she had displayed on Harvest,<ref name="Crew"/> so he came to agree with the professor's assessment; after informing Vice Admiral Cole of his intentions, Cutter ordered Serina to set a course for Arcadia.<ref name="Arcadia City">'''Halo Wars''', campaign level ''[[Arcadia City]]''</ref> | ||
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{{quote|If the Covenant get their hands on these ships it will mean the end of the war. We'll take our chances here, to give humanity some hope.|Cpt. Cutter's gamble}} | {{quote|If the Covenant get their hands on these ships it will mean the end of the war. We'll take our chances here, to give humanity some hope.|Cpt. Cutter's gamble}} | ||
[[File:Reaktor1.png|thumb|left|300px|Cutter, Anders and Serina planning the operation to destroy the shield world]] | [[File:Reaktor1.png|thumb|left|300px|Cutter, Anders and Serina planning the operation to destroy the shield world]] | ||
''Spirit of Fire'' arrived at an [[Shield World 0459|uncharted, desert planet]] (in reality a Forerunner [[shield world]]) on February 23; Anders' transponder signal was detected emanating from the planet's surface. Cutter sent several Marine reconnaissance teams to the planet, where a parasitic lifeform the ship's medical team believed to be a virus<ref | ''Spirit of Fire'' arrived at an [[Shield World 0459|uncharted, desert planet]] (in reality a Forerunner [[shield world]]) on February 23; Anders' transponder signal was detected emanating from the planet's surface. Cutter sent several Marine reconnaissance teams to the planet, where a parasitic lifeform the ship's medical team believed to be a virus<ref name="HWTE"/> (actually the [[Flood]]) was soon found to have infested the biosphere.<ref name="Anders' Signal"/><ref>'''Halo Wars''', campaign level ''[[The Flood (level)|The Flood]]''</ref> ''Spirit of Fire'' was eventually drawn downward through a chasm beneath an artificial lake, though Cutter was adamant that all groundside personnel would be recovered rather than abandoned to the Flood.<ref>'''Halo Wars''', campaign level ''[[Shield World (level)|Shield World]]''</ref> Once inside the artificial planet's superstructure the vessel came under attack from both the Flood and local Forerunner [[Sentinel]]s; Cutter ordered response teams to the dorsal surface to keep the ship's interior from being compromised.<ref>'''Halo Wars''', campaign level ''[[Cleansing]]''</ref> | ||
''Spirit of Fire'' soon emerged within the shield world's interior and almost immediately collided with a [[CPV-class heavy destroyer|''CPV''-class destroyer]]. ''Spirit''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s reactor was severely damaged and required repairs before the ship could escape. Cutter was thus forced to coordinate a delaying action at metaphorical point-blank range while Sergeant Forge's Marines conducted repairs.<ref>'''Halo Wars''', campaign level ''[[Repairs]]''</ref> Anders escaped and was soon found by Sergeant Forge. She had gained knowledge of a fleet of [[Forerunner dreadnought]]s that the Covenant planned to use against humanity.<ref>'''Halo Wars''', campaign level ''[[Beachhead (Halo Wars level)|Beachhead]]''</ref> She quickly devised a plan to use the ''Spirit of Fire's'' [[Shaw-Fujikawa Translight Engine|FTL reactor]] to cause the [[Astroengineering#Stars|artificial star]] inside the shield world to go [[supernova]], thus destroying the ships before the Covenant could make use of them; Cutter understood that this would limit ''Spirit of Fire'' to sublight speed, though he considered the sacrifice necessary when weighed against the possible extinction of humanity.<ref>'''Halo Wars''', campaign level ''[[Reactor (level)|Reactor]]''</ref> Forge and Spartan Red Team killed the Arbiter and his guards when delivering the FTL drive to [[The Apex|its destination]], although the reactor core was damaged. Forge stayed behind to manually overload the reactor. With the shield world's utter destruction eminent, the captain ordered Red Team and numerous Marines to deactivate the [[hard light]] barrier that enclosed the exit portal. Cutter ordered Serina to make a dangerous slingshot maneuver around the expanding star and the ship escaped the ensuing explosion, after which ''Spirit of Fire'' began a long journey home. | |||
On [[2531#March|March 11, 2531]], Cutter forced Anders into [[Cryo chamber|cryostasis]], reassuring her that her plan had gotten everyone out of the shield world alive. As the pod closed, Anders reminded the captain that not everyone had survived. Cutter then paid his respects at the late Sergeant Forge's cryotube before making a round of the ship.<ref>'''Halo Wars''', campaign level ''[[Escape]]''</ref> The following day Cutter walks the ship to check on the crew still recovering, where he assures Nurse [[Lulu Hershey]] that she will get to see her fiancé again, and then returns to his cabin to write five more commendations, fourteen family condolences letters and a note to his wife, to finally sleep for the first time in 2 weeks.<ref name="HWTE"/> | |||
===Legacy=== | ===Legacy=== | ||
[[File:HW20.png|thumb|300px|Cutter inside the ''Spirit of Fire'''s cryo room]] | [[File:HW20.png|thumb|300px|Cutter inside the ''Spirit of Fire'''s cryo room]] | ||
''Spirit of Fire'' was declared "lost with all hands" on [[2534|February 10, 2534]], the ship having previously been classified as [[missing in action]]. The reason for this change was kept top secret. A memorial service was held for the vessel's crew, but many family members chose not to attend, holding out hope that their loved ones were still alive.<ref | ''Spirit of Fire'' was declared "lost with all hands" on [[2534|February 10, 2534]], the ship having previously been classified as [[missing in action]]. The reason for this change was kept top secret. A memorial service was held for the vessel's crew, but many family members chose not to attend, holding out hope that their loved ones were still alive.<ref name="HWTE"/><ref group="note">Graeme Devine, the lead writer of ''Halo Wars'', wrote several essays about ''Spirit of Fire'' to assist the game's production team; however, he admits they are "basically fanfiction" and some [[HRUNTING Mark III (B) Exoskeleton#Note|blatantly contradict canon]]. According to {{Plain|[http://www.graemedevine.com/graemedevine/Spirit_of_Fire/Entries/2009/3/14_The_Mystery_of_%E2%80%9CSpirit_of_Fire%E2%80%9D.html Devine's blog]}}, various theories circulated throughout the UNSC as to the ship's fate, ranging from being lost during a covert mission for ONI, destroyed in orbit over Arcadia, defecting to Insurrectionist forces, or being stranded in space. When Captain Cutter's widow, [[Mary Cutter|Mary]], was asked about the defection theory, she physically assaulted the reporter.</ref> | ||
After the Human-Covenant War's conclusion, ''Spirit of Fire'' and her crew were honored at the dedication of the [[Halo Living Monument|living monument]], along with numerous other ships that had been lost with all hands during the war.<ref>'''Halo Living Monument'''</ref> | After the Human-Covenant War's conclusion, ''Spirit of Fire'' and her crew were honored at the dedication of the [[Halo Living Monument|living monument]], along with numerous other ships that had been lost with all hands during the war.<ref>'''Halo Living Monument'''</ref> | ||
