Ponder: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 16:57, May 5, 2010

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

— Ponder's vow to Tartarus

Captain Ponder was a UNSC Marine Corps junior Marine officer 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

In 2513, then-Lieutenant Colonel Ponder commanded the 1st Battalion, 21st Division, 9th Marine Expeditionary Force, which was deployed in the 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 former UNSC Colonel Robert Watts' 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. Ponder covered the explosive with his own body, preventing casualties but lost an arm from the resulting explosion.

After the incident Ponder resisted pressure 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 refrained from wearing it when possible, it did not hamper his ability to utilize weapons.

Harvest

Ponder was reassigned to a Colonial Militia training unit on Harvest. His subordinates included Staff Sergeants 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 Fist of Rukt wielded by 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". Upon seeing the cruiser being damaged by Harvest's Mass Drivers, Tartarus impaled the marine on the bayonets of a Type-25 Carbine. Ponder's spine was severed and he died quickly, but not before repeating to Tartarus the same vow he had heard from the Insurrectionist before. The officer had took his remaining time to enjoy the warmth of the sunset, rather than regret his past decisions.

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" to Governor Thune (which led to a lengthy conversation about religion) 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]] [[UNSC Marine Corps|Marine Corps]] [[Captain (Marine Corps)|junior Marine officer]] who has served on [[Harvest]]. His career has been marred by an incident involving [[Insurrectionist]]s on [[Eridanus II]]. He is killed in action during the [[First Battle of Harvest]] against the [[Covenant]].
+'''Captain Ponder''' was a [[UNSC]] [[UNSC Marine Corps|Marine Corps]] [[Captain (Marine Corps)|junior Marine officer]] 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===
-In [[2513]], then-[[Lieutenant Colonel]] Ponder commanded the 1st Battalion, 21st Division, [[9th Marine Expeditionary Force]], which was deployed in the [[Eridanus System]]. During this time he took part in the interrogation of an [[Insurrectionist]] in [[Elysium City]], [[Eridanus II]]. This rebel is married to the daughter of a local official. When pressed for information about former UNSC [[Colonel (UNSC)|Colonel]] [[Robert Watts]]' second-in-command, the man grabs his own daughter threatens to detonate a [[grenade]], declaring "someday we will win. No matter what it takes." Although the man is dedicated to his cause, Ponder knows that the rebel is unwilling to kill his family. However, an attached sniper draws the opposite conclusion and shoots the man through the wall: as a result, the grenade's pin is pulled out of reflex. Ponder covers the explosive with his own body, preventing casualties but losing an arm from the explosion.
+In [[2513]], then-[[Lieutenant Colonel]] Ponder commanded the 1st Battalion, 21st Division, [[9th Marine Expeditionary Force]], which was deployed in the [[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 former UNSC [[Colonel (UNSC)|Colonel]] [[Robert Watts]]' 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. Ponder covered the explosive with his own body, preventing casualties but lost an arm from the resulting explosion.
-After the incident Ponder resists pressure to retire. However, he is forced to accept a two-grade demotion to [[Captain (Marine Corps)|Captain]]. His arm is replaced with a prosthetic and, although he disliked it and refrained from wearing it when possible, it did not hamper his ability to utilize weapons.
+After the incident Ponder resisted pressure 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 refrained from wearing it when possible, it did not hamper his ability to utilize weapons.
 ===Harvest===
-Ponder was reassigned to a [[Colonial Militia]] training unit on [[Harvest]]. His subordinates included [[Staff Sergeant]]s [[Nolan Byrne]] and [[Staff Sergeant]] [[Avery Johnson]]. It was at this billet that he is present at [[First Battle of Harvest]] and the start of the [[Human-Covenant War]]. Ponder is part of a delegation to meet with [[Covenant]] representatives. The meeting started peacefully, but degenerates into a melee when overeager [[Unggoy]] attack militia recruits. Ponder is severely wounded by the [[Fist of Rukt]] wielded by [[Jiralhanae]] Chieftain [[Maccabeus]].
+Ponder was reassigned to a [[Colonial Militia]] training unit on [[Harvest]]. His subordinates included [[Staff Sergeant]]s [[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 [[Fist of Rukt]] wielded by [[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]]." Upon seeing the cruiser being damaged by Harvest's [[Mass Driver]]s, [[Tartarus]] impaled the marine on the bayonets of a [[Type-25 Carbine]]. Ponder's spine was severed and he died quickly, but not before repeating to Tartarus the same vow he had heard from the Insurrectionist before. Ponder takes his remaining time to enjoy the warmth of the sunset, rather than regret his past decisions.
+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]]". Upon seeing the cruiser being damaged by Harvest's [[Mass Driver]]s, [[Tartarus]] impaled the marine on the bayonets of a [[Type-25 Carbine]]. Ponder's spine was severed and he died quickly, but not before repeating to Tartarus the same vow he had heard from the Insurrectionist before. The officer had took his remaining time to enjoy the warmth of the sunset, rather than regret his past decisions.
-The crippling of ''[[Rapid Conversion]]'' clears the way for the human evacuation. Two-hundered and fifteen out of some 360 cargo freighters of both refugees and militia managed to escape into [[Slipspace]].
+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==