Ponder: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 15:54, January 23, 2009

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"Someday we will win, no matter what it takes."

— Ponder's vow to Tartarus

Ponder was a UNSC Marine who served on Harvest. His career was marred by an incident involving Insurrectionists on Eridanus II. He was killed in action during the First Battle of Harvest against the Covenant.

Biography

Eridanus II

Lieutenant Colonel Ponder commanded the 9th Marine Expeditionary Force, 1st Battalion, 21st Division which was deployed in the Epsilon Eridanus System. During this time he took part in the questioning of an Insurrectionist in Elysium City, Eridanus II. The rebel had married the daughter of a local official. When pressed for information about Colonel Robert Watts' ,the local rebel commander, second-in-command the man grabbed his own daughter threatened to detonate a grenade declaring: "Someday we will win. No matter what it takes." Although the man was dedicated to his cause, Ponder knew the rebel was unwilling to kill his family and bluffing. However, an attached sniper drew an opposite conclusion and killed the man through the wall. The grenade's pin was pulled out of reflex and the resulting explosion tore off Ponder's arm.

After the incident Ponder resisted pressured to retire. However he was forced to accept a two-grade demotion to captain. His arm was replaced with a prosthetic and, although he disliked it and left it off when possible, it did not impede his ability to use weapons.

Harvest

Ponder was reassigned to a Colonial Militia training unit on Harvest. His subordinates included Staff Sergeant Nolan Byrne and Staff Sergeant Avery Johnson. It was at this billet that he was present at First Battle of Harvest and the start of the Human-Covenant War. The captain was part of a delegation to meet with Covenant representatives. The meeting started peacefully but degenerated into a melee when overeager Unggoy attacked militia recruits , and Ponder was severely wounded by the Jiralhanae Chieftain Maccabeus.

When the Covenant assault and glassing began in earnest, Ponder volunteered for a suicide mission to buy time for the civilian evacuations. He drew the enemy warship Rapid Conversion toward the surface and to him by claiming the fake AI processor he was carrying was an "Oracle". Tartarus impaled the marine on the bayonets of a Type-25 Carbine. Ponder's spine was severed and he died. However this brought the enemy cruiser into range of a surface-based mass driver and two rounds caused the ship to crash.

The crippling of Rapid Conversion cleared the way for the human evacuation. 215 out of some 360 cargo freighters of refugees and militia managed to escape into Slipspace.

Trivia

Ponder was fond of Sweet William Cigars. Avery Johnson may have picked up the smoking habit and liking of the brand from him.
Ponder described himself as a "church man" and compared the sound of a MAC gun firing to a church bell on a Sunday morning.

Sources

Halo: Contact Harvest

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 {{Quote|Someday we will win, no matter what it takes.|Ponder's vow to [[Tartarus]]}}
-'''Captain Ponder''' was a [[UNSC Marine Corps]] Field Commander on [[Harvest]] <ref>''[[Halo: Contact Harvest]]'', page 167</ref> in command of the Colonial Militia. He used to be the CO of 9th Marine expeditionary force, 21st division in the 1st Batallion fighting the [[Insurrectionist|Insurection]]. Demoted after losing an arm from a [[frag grenade]] in a botched operation involving [[Insurrectionist]] terrorists, he was reassigned to a [[Colonial Militia]] training unit and outfit, alongside [[Staff Sergeant]] [[Nolan Byrne]] and  reassigned [[Staff Sergeant]] [[Avery Johnson]]. He was seriously wounded in [[The Battle of Harvest]] by the [[Jiralhanae]] Chieftain [[Maccabeus]] whom was using the [[Fist of Rukt]], a [[gravity hammer]], and as such volunteered for a suicide mission in which he would give a fake [[AI]] processor to the Jiralhanae, claiming it was one of their prized "[[Monitor|Oracles]]" in an attempt to buy time for the citizens of Harvest to escape before it was completely glassed. [[Tartarus]] impaled him on a [[Type-25 Carbine|Spiker's]] two front bayonets, severing Ponder's spine and paralyzing him. His death bought time for the colonists of [[Harvest]] to evacuate, potentially saving thousands of lives. It should be noted that although he had a prosthetic arm, he did not like it and opted to leave it off whenever possible. He was also fond of [[Sweet William Cigars]].
+'''Ponder''' was a [[UNSC]] [[UNSC Marine Corps|Marine]] who served on [[Harvest]]. His career was marred by an incident involving [[Insurrectionist]]s on [[Eridanus II]]. He was killed in action during the [[First Battle of Harvest]] against the [[Covenant]].
+==Biography==
+===Eridanus II===
+[[Lieutenant Colonel]] Ponder commanded the [[9th Marine Expeditionary Force]], 1st Battalion, 21st Division which was deployed in the [[Epsilon Eridanus System]]. During this time he took part in the questioning of an [[Insurrectionist]] in [[Elysium City]], [[Eridanus II]]. The rebel had married the daughter of a local official. When pressed for information about [[Colonel]] [[Robert Watts]]' ,the local rebel commander, second-in-command the man grabbed his own daughter threatened to detonate a [[grenade]] declaring: "Someday we will win. No matter what it takes." Although the man was dedicated to his cause, Ponder knew the rebel was unwilling to kill his family and bluffing. However, an attached sniper drew an opposite conclusion and killed the man through the wall. The grenade's pin was pulled out of reflex and the resulting explosion tore off Ponder's arm.
+After the incident Ponder resisted pressured to retire. However he was forced to accept a two-grade demotion to [[Captain (Marine Corps)|captain]]. His arm was replaced with a prosthetic and, although he disliked it and left it off when possible, it did not impede his ability to use weapons.
+===Harvest===
+Ponder was reassigned to a [[Colonial Militia]] training unit on [[Harvest]]. His subordinates included [[Staff Sergeant]] [[Nolan Byrne]] and [[Staff Sergeant]] [[Avery Johnson]]. It was at this billet that he was present at [[First Battle of Harvest]] and the start of the [[Human-Covenant War]]. The captain was part of a delegation to meet with [[Covenant]] representatives. The meeting started peacefully but degenerated into a melee when overeager [[Unggoy]] attacked militia recruits , and Ponder was severely wounded by the [[Jiralhanae]] Chieftain [[Maccabeus]].
+When the Covenant assault and [[glassing]] began in earnest, Ponder volunteered for a suicide mission to buy time for the civilian evacuations. He drew the enemy warship ''[[Rapid Conversion]]'' toward the surface and to him by claiming the fake [[AI]] processor he was carrying was an "[[Monitor|Oracle]]". [[Tartarus]] impaled the marine on the bayonets of a [[Type-25 Carbine]]. Ponder's spine was severed and he died. However this brought the enemy cruiser into range of a surface-based [[mass driver]] and two rounds caused the ship to crash.
+The crippling of ''Rapid Conversion'' cleared the way for the human evacuation. 215 out of some 360 cargo freighters of refugees and militia managed to escape into [[Slipspace]].
 ==Trivia==
-*It is theorized that this is how [[Sergeant Johnson]] picked up his habit and liking of smoking, particularly of [[Sweet William Cigars]], perhaps as a distant memento and token to Ponder every time he lights one.
+*Ponder was fond of [[Sweet William Cigars]]. [[Avery Johnson]] may have picked up the smoking habit and liking of the brand from him.
-*Ponder's prosthetic arm still allowed him to use weapons, as demonstrated in ''Contact Harvest'', when he went to the shooting range and "was shooting nice, tight groups" into targets.
+*Ponder described himself as a "church man" and compared the sound of a [[MAC]] gun firing to a church bell on a Sunday morning.
-*Ponder describes himself as a "church man" and compares the sound of a MAC gun firing to a church bell on a Sunday morning.
 ==Sources==
+* ''[[Halo: Contact Harvest]]''
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