Benjamin Giraud

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"For the first time in my career I can honestly say I don't know the shape of where is this is going. And in fact, the possibilities have me lying awake at night. But I believe we all deserve to know the real story. We need to know where this leads. I know I do."

— Benjamin Giraud^[1]

Benjamin Giraud is a journalist and a war photographer who for a time worked as a civilian contractor for the Office of Naval Intelligence's Section Two. During the Battle of Mombasa in October 2552, he witnessed Spartan John-117 "saving humanity". This led Giraud to undertake a series of biographical interviews about the Master Chief in 2558.^[1]

Biography

"I was little proud and maybe a little guilty too. Because I knew the truth about the Covenant. But why should I feel bad about helping to deceive people on Earth? The war was hundreds of light years away... And besides, they were paying me very good money."

— Benjamin Giraud reflecting on his job.^[2]

For years Benjamin Giraud covered human-interest stories on Earth and in the Inner and Outer Colonies. He also contracted for the Unified Earth Government and the United Nations Space Command, covering military affairs. By 2552 he worked for the Office of Naval Intelligence in the city of Mombasa, Kenya, on Earth. Ostensibly a public relations consultant for AMG Transport Dynamics' Hog, he actually helped alter battle footage to keep the public unaware of how badly the UNSC was losing the Human-Covenant War.^[2]

Battle of Mombasa

Main article: Battle of Mombasa

"They think this is the attack, that we can fight back, defend the city. But I've seen how the Covenant troops operate... The city was already lost; we're all dead. Because the Covenant come not to dominate or to colonize, but to destroy."

— Benjamin Giraud, as civilians attempt to defend New Mombasa.^[2]

On October 20, 2552, Giraud was injured during the Prophet of Regret's invasion of New Mombasa. He fell in league with a small civilian resistance group trying to hold the Covenant back until Marine reinforcements arrived. He recorded and translated an order from a Sangheili to clear the area before the Covenant could access something called "the Ark". A Marine sergeant ordered Giraud to get the recording out of the city to the Office of Naval Intelligence. He was about to board an evacuation boat but stopped when he saw a lone young girl crying. Giraud calmed her down and handed her his laptop with the recording in it. He presumably asked her to give it to the authorities when she got to the mainland. He remained in the city where he observed the Covenant invasion in a room full of displays.^[2] During the invasion he saw Spartan John-117. Giraud was eventually able to find a way out of New Mombasa before the city was glassed.^[1]

Post-war investigation

ONI's letter commissioning Giraud to write a bio on John-117.

"When I pulled that first loose thread, something broke. Now everything is caving in and I find myself stuck with all these ugly questions, questions I never intended to ask. Fabricated histories? People who aren't who they say they are? Cover-ups of cover-ups? That steady drumbeat of theories that used to sound insane, now they don't seem so '"out there". And these disturbing rumors, reports of anomalies. Something big is happening in deep space, and I can't even corroborate a single fact about one man's life. It's clear to me now. I can't fix the pretty story, but maybe I can break the ugly one."

— Benjamin Giraud on his investigation of John-117.

By 2558 Giraud was hired by ONI's Senior Communications Director Michael Sullivan to write an in-depth profile on the Master Chief. Giraud eagerly accepted the offer, and spoke with several people who claimed to know the soldier. As he accumulated the information, though, Giraud started to sense something was off and began finding hints of coverups. The data he received was leading him to a story not as inspiring nor heroic as the "blockbuster hero biography" he'd been intending to write. Giraud, uncertain about the veracity of his data, resolved to establish the truth and perhaps discredit the dark rumors associated with John-117.^[1]

Giraud was provided with a list of people to interview by ONI, including John's purported childhood teacher, Deon Govender. Govender described his experiences with the future Master Chief up until age thirteen when, according to him, Elysium City was occupied by Insurrectionists who rounded up the citizens in prison camps. Giraud did find one interviewee outside of the list ONI had given him; Ellie Bloom, one of John's childhood friends. After he discovered a document supposedly proving John's death at age six in 2517, Giraud contacted Sullivan about the discrepancy. Sullivan insisted that this was due to a record-keeping mistake and in order to convince Giraud about the veracity of ONI's story, he arranged Giraud to meet Vice Admiral Gabriella Dvorak aboard the UNSC Unto the Breach for an interview; Giraud noted the unusual amount of hospitality he was treated to during the visit. Vice Admiral Dvorak corroborated ONI's forged background story for the Master Chief, recounting her supposed encounter with a thirteen-year-old John during the liberation of Elysium City from Insurrectionist occupiers. While initially convinced that the document listing John as deceased was due to a mistake, Benjamin was prompted to investigate the matter further upon Ellie Bloom's childhood friend Katrina's insistence that John had indeed died at six years old.^[1]

After this investigation was finished, Giraud weekly posted his findings about John, and in general photos he's taken in past jobs on a "part docu-diary, part audio archive".

Personality and traits

"Hey, here's a pitch for a campaign! Instead of lying to the public, we just tell them everything! Y'know, rally support, get everyone involved! What's the worst [that could happen]?"

— Benjamin Giraud sarcastically argues with his superiors.^[2]

Giraud had adopted a somewhat cynical attitude toward his job, and the pride he took in his work often overshadowed any guilt he felt for deceiving Earth's populace about the Covenant War. However, he still resented the UNSC's control over his work, particularly their demands to further sanitize battlefield photos. Partly to soothe his own guilt, he would often half-jokingly argue with the ONI representatives that the UNSC should simply tell the public the truth about the current situation, only to be reproved with a series of historical examples to justify the UNSC's media policy.^[2]

Giraud frequently worked in Old Mombasa. Because he had difficulty keeping up with the dialect spoken by the residents, he kept an automated translator running on his laptop when he interacted with the locals. Despite his job in keeping average citizens in the dark, Giraud had no animosity toward civilians and frequently met with locals for photo sales. He demonstrated his compassion for others when he exchanged his spot on a lifeboat with a little girl, letting her escape the city before the Covenant came, despite being initially determined to secure himself a place on one of the boats fleeing from the city.^[2]

Giraud appeared to be of African descent and his hair was dyed blue. He wore a set of orange sunglasses at all times until they were knocked off his face in the crowd of refugees attempting to escape New Mombasa.^[2]

Production notes

Giraud was first featured in the Halo Graphic Novel story "Second Sunrise Over New Mombasa", although he remains unidentified in the comic. He was not named until being reintroduced as part of the Hunt the Truth promotional campaign for Halo 5: Guardians. His surname is an homage to Jean "Moebius" Giraud, the illustrator of "Second Sunrise", who passed away in 2012.^[3]
Giraud is voiced by Keegan-Michael Key, an American comedian best know for his work on Mad TV and Key & Peele. Key starred on Mad TV alongside Debra Wilson, the voice of Hocus in Halo 3.

Gallery

Benjamin living in New Mombasa in 2552.
Giraud edits war footage to make it appear less grotesque and more "adventurous".
Giraud records a Covenant message on his laptop.
Giraud without his sunglasses.
Giraud hands his laptop to a young refugee and remains in the city.
A photo Giraud took of John-117 during the Battle of New Mombasa.