Phoenix Logs/UNSC Units

Infantry

Marines Basic infantry units who can take-and-hold fortifications or activate Forerunner artifacts. UNSC Marine infantry are armed with assault rifles that are effective against infantry but deal little damage against ground vehicles. They can receive additional reinforcements and supplies in the field, including the ability to throw grenades or assigning a combat mechanic to the squad. The mechanic will automatically repair nearby damaged vehicles and is armed with an anti-tank rocket launcher. Marines are the UNSC's expeditionary force-in-readiness, and after decades in cryo-sleep they are old school both figuratively and literally. The Spirit of Fire's veteran Marines are experienced at fighting in exotic environments and have received training by Anders to operate Forerunner systems well enough to avoid triggering defense wards and immolating themselves [most of the time]. Hellbringers Anti-infantry Marines armed with flamethrowers. Each Hellbringer carries a heavy flamethrower which deals area of effect damage against close range targets. The flamethrower is very effective against infantry - even those garrisoned in structures - but is of limited use against armored vehicles. The flamethrower can be upgraded with dispersion nozzles that increase damage and size of the flame sheets. Marines willing to strap a tank of volatile chemicals to their back to fire a jet of superheated flame at enemies are braver [and crazier] than most. Though the UNSC adopted thermobaric munitions for deploying most incendiaries, the liquid projector flamethrower proved its worth to the Spirit of Fire's combat teams by burning out dug-in Covenant infantry, sterilizing Flood infestations, and heating up decades-old MREs. Cyclops Anti-tank combat walker. Cyclops suits are armored infantry exoskeletons armed with an anti-vehicle autocannon effective against most ground units. The autocannon can be upgraded to fire shock rounds with non-nuclear electromagnetic pulse warheads that slow the movement of target vehicles. Cyclops suits benefit from infantry upgrades but are as durable as most light vehicles. Radically redesigned by Serina using design files from Lethbridge Industrial that she inadvertently "found" during operations on Arcadia, the HRUNTING Mk.III Cyclops suits produced aboard the Spirit of Fire now use a refactored exoskeleton and completely original control software. Though this combat walker variant does not have the raw strength of the original engineering vehicle, it is faster and far easier to operate even with its new weaponry and armor. Isabel continues to improve on the design with modern UNSC cyberlink protocols and module concepts. ODSTs Elite rapid-deployment infantry. Orbital Drop Shock Troopers [ODSTs] are elite infantry that make quick work of any nearby enemy troops with their silenced SMGs. ODSTs can place a proximity-fused demolition charge and deploy from orbit anywhere in explored territory using the ODST drop leader power. Other units in the drop zone may take damage from the ODSTs' meteoric arrival. A special forces raiding unit of the Marines, ODSTs are deployed from the Spirit of Fire to turn the tide of battles, raid enemy bases. and assassinate high-value targets. A normal ODST day entails a hair-raising drop from orbit While encased in an armored drop pod. The ODSTs enter the atmosphere at high speed and brake just short of impact. Because of the speed with which they enter the atmosphere, the pods get extraordinarily hot, giving ODSTs the nickname 'Helljumpers' and their slogan "Feet first into Hell!" Sniper Stealthy reconnaissance and marksman unit. Snipers are specialized infantry units armed with a sniper rifle and accompanied by a spotter drone. Snipers are equipped with cloaking tech. which they can use to camouflage themselves as they scout out enemy targets. The base rifle is only effective against infantry , but the Stanchion upgrade arms the Sniper with a portable railgun that deals heavier damage against ground troops. Drawn from experienced Marine force reconnaissance and Army cavalry scouts, the Spirit of Fire's sniper teams have traditionally operated in the background as unsung heroes of many skirmishes and aerial strikes. Equipped with photoreactive cloaks and deceptive jammers, Snipers are extremely difficult to detect until they prepare to strike. After a sniper engages, a canny commander should redeploy them to another vantage point to avoid retaliatory fire. Cryo Trooper Nerves of steel and hands of frost. Cryo Troopers replace Hellbringers in Serina's combat force. Fury runs hot and cold, as evidenced by Serina's plans for a cadre of cryotech—equipped infantry. Cryo Troopers are armed with a portable cryo spray which deals damage and inflicts a chilling effect on enemy units. This can shut down enemy vehicles and structures [including turrets], temporarily shutting them down even if they are not subsequently shattered. They can be upgraded with advanced cryo systems, which increases the damage, range, and area covered by the chilling field of their spray. Hellbringers are qualified to maintain, operate, and deploy a number of specialist weapon systems in the UNSC arsenal. This includes a range of incendiary, thermobaric, energetic, chemical, and biological weapons that most UNSC personnel are not even aware of. Serina reasoned their hazardous material qualifications and daredevil reputation made them well—suited for field testing experimental cryotech weaponry. Who better to strap on experimental and unstable power cells that tap strange energies than Marines who routinely wear volatile chemical packs into battle? She was probably right, if the spirited discussion about her cryotech weapon templates among the Spirit of Fire's Marines is any indication.

Vehicle

Grizzly Superheavy assault tank. Grizzly tanks are armed with dual high-velocity cannons that make quick work of most armored vehicles and dual medium machine guns to suppress enemy infantry. The missile barrage upgrade allows them to fire an area-of-effect bombardment. The Grizzly's heavy armor is reflected in their slow speed and cost, and they are vulnerable to enemy aircraft. Approaching the upper limit of mass and volume that can be dropship-transported, the Grizzly is a superheavy tank unit deployed as a siegebreaker by specialized UNSC armored groups. The Spirit of Fire has an unusually large complement of the vehicles due to the machinations of Sergeant John Forge, though the secrets and convoluted story of their acquisition went with him to the grave. Warthog Utility light attack vehicle. The most versatile vehicle in the UNSC inventory, the Warthog is armed with a light machine gun which can handle all but the most heavily armored vehicles. In a pinch the vehicle can be used to ram a target, directing the driver to careen into [and ideally over] enemy infantry. The autocannon can be upgraded to a gauss cannon, which substantially increases the Warthog's anti-armor capabilities. The M12 Light Reconnaissance Vehicle, more commonly known as the Warthog, is a quintessentially tough and durable UNSC vehicle, manufactured in one variant or another for centuries. The towing winch system at the front of the vehicle resembles a warthog’s tusks, giving it its name, and it has enhanced suspension and four-wheel steering for a smooth ride over any battlefield. Highly configurable and adaptable, dozens of specialized Warthog loadouts are loaded into the Spirit of Fire's datastores, awaiting use. Wolverine Specialized anti-aircraft vehicle. The Wolverine is a tactical air defense vehicle. fitted with an advanced Multiple Launch Rocket System [MLRS]. A secondary grenade launcher is fitted to engage ground targets, but it is recommended that the Wolverine avoid engaging armored vehicles. The Wolverine was reintroduced in the latter years of the insurrection, but it also proved highly effective in countering the Covenant's Banshee and Seraph fighters. Wolverines aboard the Spirit of Fire are relatively unsophisticated compared to contemporary variants, but Isabel is making great strides in adapting modern UNSC targeting software to the older hardware. Scorpion Main battle tank. The Scorpion is armed with a high velocity cannon for anti-tank work and a medium machine gun for engaging enemy infantry. Scorpions in the field can be upgraded with submunition canister shells that deal heavy damage in a blast radius around their target. The Spirit of Fire carries a large complement of M808S Scorpion tanks modified by Serina during the years in which the ship drifted in space. Her improvements include a more efficient armor arrangement. better situational awareness for the operator, and upgrades to the main cannon. Isabel has found little room for improvement on this blueprint, but she sees possibilities for specialized variants that leverage the chassis for other roles. Jackrabbit Fast reconnaissance trike. The Jackrabbit, or M121 Light Strike Vehicle, is a very fast scout vehicle that can detect cloaked enemy units and rapidly gather resources. It can be upgraded with a mini-frag launcher for some offensive punch, but is frequently used for exploration and liberating resource nodes from opponents. Cheap and easy to manufacture, the Jackrabbit's design blueprint was one of the first to be integrated by the Spirit of Fire after Isabel's rescue. At first glance it looks like a lightly armored bike with a compact cockpit for the rider, but when decelerating the front splits into two separate wheels to form a tripod and retain stability. When bursts of speed are required, the two wheels pinion together automatically. Kodiak Self-propelled artillery gun. Kodiak artillery systems are armed with long-range siege cannons, though the vehicle must deploy before it can fire. Deployed Kodiaks cannot move, which means that they are best paired with other units to act as spotters. Professor Anders can fit the Kodiak with beacon warheads that act as Sentinel lures, attracting and antagonizing the Ark's defense constructs. A modern UNSC vehicle introduced to the Spirit of Fire by Isabel, the Kodiak M400 Artillery System has quickly become a favorite of the ship's crew on account of the Kodiak's spectacular firepower. When the Kodiak enters lockdown mode, the articulated ‘feet' from the side of the vehicle fold down to anchor the vehicle to the ground to provide stability and counter the recoil of the siege cannon. The cannon's shells are massive and take some time to reload between firing, but the devastation they cause is well worth the wait. Flame Warthog Warthog armed with powerful flamer. The Flame Warthog, or 'Flamehog', is an adapted Warthog only available to Morgan Kinsano. The usual Warthog autocannon has been replaced with a white-burning flamethrower which is particularly effective against infantry and buildings. The passenger also fires anti-air rockets. The Flamehog has the same ramming ability as a regular Warthog and an upgrade allows the flamer to be replaced with a grenade launcher with incendiary grenades. Mantis Mark IX Armor Defense System The Mantis is a combat vehicle used in a number of different configurations by the UNSC and licensed security forces. The Mantis replaces the Warthog in Sergeant Johnson's force. Its default weapon is a chaingun, which can target both ground and air targets. The Missile/Shield Requisition upgrade increases the number of missiles the Mantis can fire and adds energy shielding, while the Gauss/Designator Requisition upgrade replaces the conventional chaingun with a gauss repeater and adds a networked target designator. The target designator allows the Mantis to "paint" a single unit and coordinate attacks using the local battlenet, increasing all damage the target takes from friendly units. Groups of Mantis walkers will smart target their designators. Highly mobile, well-protected, air-droppable, and reconfigurable, the Mantis represents the state-of-the—art in infantry walkers. Mantis units were stationed at the Henry Lamb Research Outpost for site security, but many were destroyed in the initial Banished attack. Well aware of their combat potential, Isabel has begun producing a modified version of the Mantis for the use of Spirit of Fire's ground forces, with adjustments to reuse parts produced for the Cyclops and Colossus. While capable, these units lack the neural interface control systems installed on contemporary UNSC models; a necessary concession due to the Spirit of Fire's older manufacturing technology. Colossus Heavy—metal mayhem. The Colossus is a superheavy vehicle unit which can be deployed by Sergeant Johnson in place of the Scorpion. It is relatively slow, but fitted with a devastating arsenal, capable of taking down almost any foe. The Colossus' primary weapon is a long-range heavy railgun, a massive weapon originally designed for installation on fortified structures. While the rail cannon can only target ground units, its autocannon has an all—environment engagement profile. After upgrades the Colossus can use Stomp, sending out a shockwave that stuns and damages enemy ground units. The Colossus is a next—generation exoskeleton combat unit designed by Materials Group and Hannibal Weapon Systems for the UNSC Army. Isabel retains its manufacturing templates from her supply-chain training on Earth, though manufacturing these massive combat machines represents a considerable burden on the Spirit of Fire's supplies. Sergeant Johnson claims to have acquired the materials for his Colossus units via the classic Marine Corps logistical expediency of 'borrowing' equipment that isn't nailed down [or couldn't be pried free], but his actual source for these machines is a mystery wrapped in an enigma, protected by shield generators and several tons of Titanium—A armor plating. Mastodon Armored personnel carrier. Mastodons are heavy troop carriers available to Commander Jerome. Each is armed with a M41 machine gun in a remotely operated weapon station, but the vehicle's primary offensive utility comes from the three units of infantry it can carry. Each of these units can engage the enemy using their weapons through the APC's firing ports. The Mastodon can be upgraded to carry an additional infantry unit. If the Mastodon is destroyed the troops within will survive, but suffer heavy damage. M650 Mastodons are widely used by the UNSC Army and colonial defense forces. Their large troop compartments enable them to carry heavy infantry (such as Spartans in powered assault armor) and their armor protects against most heavy weapons, but their size made them difficult to deploy and they lack the mobility of smaller (but far less protected) Warthog troop carriers. With troops in short supply on the Ark—and reinforcement unlikely—Jerome has investigated starting production of these vehicles to minimize infantry casualties.

Air

Darter Utility cargo dropship. Darters are cargo dropships that form the backbone of the Spirit of Fire's logistical system. Darters are loaded with carefully packaged cargo pallets and passengers aboard the Spirit of Fire. They are then launched to firebases in the combat zone, dropping off vital supplies and returning with injured personnel and strategic resources. A steady stream of Darters is vital for the just-in-time warfighting strategy of UNSC expeditionary operations on hostile worlds. Pelican Military transport dropship. A workhorse of the UNSC, Pelican dropships are used by military and civilian agencies throughout human space. Produced in bewildering numbers with dozens of major variants they form the backbone of all medium-lift operations made by the Spirit of Fire. Though they can be used to hot-drop troops and vehicles to a combat zone, the ever-present threat of Banished anti-aerospace cannons deployed near conflict areas means Captain Cutter has strictly limited their tactical utilization. Condor Dropship Slipspace-capable cargo dropship. The Condor is a long-range transport vessel used by the UNSC and many civilian agencies, and those that survived the Banished attack at the Ark were redeployed to the Spirit of Fire to deploy prefabricated base modules in lieu of the ship's original complement of Heron dropships. These are valuable vessels, for they possess slipspace drive cores, although the Ark's extreme distance from UNSC space mean they can only be used to explore outlying Forerunner installations and conduct long-range reconnaissance rather than make trips back to Earth. Hornet Fast. nimble, multi-role attack VTOL. Hornets are fast-attack aerial gunships used for combat reconnaissance and lightning strikes against high-priority targets. They are armed with rotary autocannons that are effective against all targets and can be upgraded with Marine Wingmen carrying rocket launchers. Air operation directors from the Spirit of Fire are fond of the AV-14B Hornet's firepower, but they are also very much aware of the vehicle's relative fragility. Marine pilots often mitigate this issue by operating in Hornet "wolfpack" kill teams to overwhelm air defenses and destroy their targets before retaliatory fire can do much damage. Commanders are advised to wait for the SPNKR-armed wingmen and personally direct the assault when using Hornet swarms against heavily defended facilities. Nightingale Medical and maintenance support aircraft. Nightingales support UNSC forces on the ground with their complement of multi-purpose restoration drones. which automatically deploy to heal and repair nearby allied units. Nightingales can also deploy multi-spectrum defensive smoke as an ability, which blocks enemy line of sight. The Nightingale is unarmed, and should never be deployed Without an escort. The Nightingale EV-44 Support VTOL is one of the newest UNSC support aircraft used by Air Force rescue squadrons and Marine combat logistic teams, and its relatively simple construction [aside from the drone systems] made the design blueprint easy to adapt to the Spirit of Fire's older factory modules. As the ship's complement of troops cannot be replenished, vehicles such as the Nightingale are essential for keeping as many bodies in the fight as possible. Condor Gunship Slow-moving but heavily armed and armored gunship. The Condor is a slow-moving but powerful gunship variant of the civilian dropship armed with multiple pulse laser turrets and a ballista mini-Magnetic Accelerator Cannon [MAC], all of which can independently target enemy units. The pulse lasers fire quickly, making them effective against massed units, and the MAC is unmatched in hard target elimination. It can be upgraded with a heavy gauss barrage, which fires three quick MAC blasts at enemy targets. Condor gunships produced on the Spirit of Fire lack a slipspace drive, however, with those systems replaced by older, bulkier. capacitors Isabel used to power the pulse lasers and magnetic accelerator cannon. The G81 Heavy Gunship, Isabel's reconfiguration of the Condor transport, breaks a large number of UNSC weapons platform and other safety regulations, but she's pretty sure Captain Cutter will have her back if they survive the war on the Ark. Vulture Ground-attack gunship with tactical missile payload. AC-220 Vulture gunships engage ground vehicles with twin medium autocannons, air vehicles with anti-air missile pods, and enemy bases and staging areas with Phoenix tactical missiles. The Vulture is the largest combat aerodyne in UNSC service and is essentially a flying tank. The size and cost of deploying such a unit limits its use by the Spirit of Fire, though Isabel's upgrades and logistical expertise has dramatically simplified Vulture production and maintenance. Frostraven Death on frozen wings. The Frostraven is an aerial support vehicle unique to Serina. It is equipped with a vacuum energy extractor, nicknamed the cryo ray, which chills and then freezes enemy units. The Frostraven can also unleash its special ability, a shockwave missile, which shatters any frozen enemies in the target area. With the Chill Out upgrade the Frostraven's cryo ray becomes even more powerful, chilling and freezing the targeted unit faster. The ZAV—48 Frostraven is a conjectural design that pairs research work Serina conducted on weaponized vacuum energy cryotech with a modified EV—44 airframe. As Isabel continues to review and integrate the knowledge left behind by Serina, it is possible that she will take this design from theory to prototype, but it is not without some irony that Anders has now focused her full attention on unraveling the secrets of the Forerunners rather than continuing this line of research and development.

Hero

Jerome-092 Genetically augmented humans wearing MJOLNIR armor, the ultimate super soldier. Spartans are the crack infantry unit of the UNSC—tough, fast moving and equipped with a rapidly recharging energy shield when not in combat. Their enhanced agility and strength enables them to leap high into the air before slamming into the ground, either to take out an enemy, place an explosive device on an enemy structure or even hijack a vehicle. Though every Spartan has a instinctive mastery over all weapons, each of the Spirit of Fire's Red Team can be upgraded with their favored weapon. In Jerome's case this is a Spartan laser which is highly accurate and powerful, but has a slow reload rate. Senior chief petty officer Jerome-092 was born into poverty in the infamous Palaikos borderlands on the colony world of Minister, a tough world that forced him into an early childhood of crime where he also realized his capacity for violence. He was abducted and indoctrinated into the SPARTAN-II program, where, after many initial escape attempts, he was transformed from a self-centered survivalist to a leader, honing the speed and agility that kept him alive back home. Alice-130 Genetically augmented humans wearing MJOLNIR armor, the ultimate super soldier. Spartans are the crack infantry unit of the UNSC—tough, fast moving and equipped with a rapidly recharging energy shield when not in combat. Their enhanced agility and strength enables them to leap high into the air before slamming into the ground, either to take out an enemy, place an explosive device on an enemy structure or even hijack a vehicle. Spartans Alice-130 can be upgraded to heft a medium range, rapid-firing heavy machine gun. Alice-130 grew up on the way station colony of Passage, where she amazed her family by quickly learning rudimentary engineering at an early age. This exceptional aptitude marked her out from the rest of the children and she was flagged up as a potential candidate for the SPARTAN-ll program. Like all the candidates, she was abducted from her family for secret training, but she was one of the few children who weren't traumatized during the process. In fact, Alice actually relished and thrived on the challenge, a natural Spartan if there ever was one. Despite eagerly embracing her destiny, Alice's body initially rejected the augmentation process and she had to be retrained separately, where she met similar 'wash outs' Douglas-042 and Jerome-092, her future partners in Red Team. Alice lives for combat and challenge and can often appear reckless. but this is in actuality an utmost belief in her abilities. Douglas-042 Genetically augmented humans wearing MJOLNIR armor, the ultimate super soldier. Spartans are the crack infantry unit of the UNSC—tough, fast moving and equipped with a rapidly recharging energy shield when not in combat. Their enhanced agility and strength enables them to leap high into the air before slamming into the ground, either to take out an enemy, place an explosive device on an enemy structure or even hijack a vehicle. Douglas-042 can be upgraded with his specialist weapon, which is a long range, slow firing rocket launcher. Douglas-042 had a tough time adjusting to the SPARTAN-ll program as he had originally come from an affluent family in Khetleya on the Asphodel colony. He found the sudden culture shock difficult to adjust to, but soon focused that anger into a quiet confidence in his physical ability-even among the other Spartans Douglas is considered something of a giant, and he started to believe that he had a purpose in life. This faith in destiny has given Douglas more of an optimistic outlook in life than the guarded cynicism common among other Spartans, and it is this hopefulness that helps lift their spirits in hard times. Forge's Warthog Warthog driven by [the late] Sergeant Forge Sergeant Forge has spent long hours in the Spirit of Fire's hangar customizing this Warthog with turbochargers. roll bars and hundreds more tweaks, but has no compunction to let it sit idle. Forge's Warthog is a Hero unit unique to Forge, kept out of the motor pool circulation and the hands of other Marines. Always wanting to be in the thick of action. Forge has outfitted his vehicle with a defensive aura of nanobots to repair the Warthog in the midst of battle. Forge uses his Warthog for fast harassment of enemy units and has made some modifications to the autocannon so that, when upgraded to a gauss cannon, it can fire highly damaging Anvil Rounds. The Gauss can then be further upgraded to a Gauss Overcharge, making the cannon's shots even more powerful. Kinsano's Cyclops Kinsano's adapted Cyclops mech-suit. The Flame Cyclops is a Hero unit unique to Kinsano. Her one-off armored exoskeleton is equipped with twin flamer units whose limited range is offset by the high damage they inflict, and by the mech's overall speed, giving impressive area-control. A fast-recharging energy shield provides basic defense and an upgrade gives access to the Firewall ability, which creates a static wall of flame very damaging to units passing through it. Green Machine Lean, mean, killing machine. When Sergeant Johnson joined the Corps they didn't have any fancy-schmanzy power armor, but he's a quick learner. He drops onto the Ark in the "Green Machine," a bipedal weapon system custom-fitted with an array of miniguns, phased-plasma fusils, sonic blindwolf repellers, repair beacon pods, and fast-regen energy shields. He keeps a sharp stick handy as a backup weapon. The energy shielding rapidly regenerates after it hasn't been hit for a few seconds, which plays well with Sergeant Johnson's preferred tactics of hit-and-run raids and well-timed combined-arms strikes. The suit's repair beacon ability heals up to ten nearby allies with constructor beams tuned to a pleasing Marine Corps-approved green color. The suit can be upgraded in the field, further enhancing the Green Machine's killing power. The Gauss Chaingun upgrade upgrade adds specialized high-power ammunition while the Beacon Shield pairs the repair beacon with a bubble shield, reducing incoming damage for those inside the repair radius. And last—but certainly not least—the suit can be upgraded with a Smart Missile pod for dealing with pesky nuisances at long range. Why doesn't he wear a helmet? Well, would YOU hide behind an armored faceplate if you had Sergeant Johnson's rugged good looks? Commander Jerome UNSC Expeditionary Force Commander Commander Jerome has proven himself to be an inspirational and highly capable leader, though some aspects of his Spartan conditioning conflict with his strategic instincts. Among these is a preference for direct action. On the battlefield. Commander Jerome can Inspire nearby troops and take the fight to the enemy with a custom Hydra missile launcher, shrugging off attacks with his energy shield. Commander Jerome cannot hijack vehicles, but he can deploy his personal Command Mantis onto the battlefield from the Spirit of Fire. Upgrades include increasing the radius of his Inspire ability and add a suppressing orbital barrage to the Command Mantis. Command Mantis Theseus unleashed! The Command Mantis is a hero vehicle deployed by Commander Jerome. It is an upgraded variant of the Mantis all-environment bipedal walker armed with twin high energy lasers and fitted with an advanced energy shield. The Mantis can operate in an unmanned combat mode or be piloted by Commander Jerome. When piloted by Commander Jerome the mech's long-range missile launchers are also deployed, though these do have a minimum engagement distance. Jerome-092 is free to disembark at any time with the unload ability. The Command Mantis is tailored specifically for Jerome's neural interface and cannot be Hijacked. Upgrades to Commander Jerome also affect the Command Mantis, and he continues to Inspire while operating the mech. Nicknamed Theseus by Jerome-092, his personalized Command Mantis is a mobile command post and linebreaker unit that complements both his augmented physiology and leadership style. It incorporates one of the Spirit of Fire's command—and—control nexus relays, enhancing Jerome's situational awareness of the battlefield and serving as a backup for the UNSC battlenet should the ship be crippled or destroyed. Omega Team Enemies' end. Omega Team is a Spartan special forces team available exclusively to Commander Jerome. All three members of Omega Team are deployed into battle via drop pods. Legendary soldiers in their own right, Omega Team members inspire nearby units in addition to packing heavy weapons. Robert-O25 is armed with a fast—firing Plasma Cannon, Leon-011 is fitted for close—quarters combat with a custom Energy Sword, and August—099 is a crack shot with her Railgun. As Spartans, each member of Omega Team has energy shields and the ability to Hijack enemy vehicles. Omega Team is a fast reaction team of Spartan super-soldiers deployed to colony worlds threatened by the Covenant. Using the fastest transports available, Omega Team rushes to reinforce local defenses and buy time for a UNSC response or – more often – an emergency evacuation and enforcement of classified last-stand protocols. In this latter role Omega Team is responsible for denial of critical resources, data, and personnel to the enemy by any means necessary, including deployment of weapons of mass destruction to prevent capture and utilization. Red Team worked closely with Omega Team several times, including the defense of Arcadia’s capital city when it was attacked in 2531, but were separated when the Spirit of Fire departed the system to chase retreating Covenant forces. Commander Jerome has discerned they survived the war, based on UNSC records recovered from the Henry Lamb facility, but he can only speculate as to their current activities. Bison Heavy—duty cryotech support vehicle. The Bison is a hero vehicle available to Serina. In Serina's employ it is a heavily-armored and shielded vehicle that synergizes well with other cryotech vehicles and abilities. It is fitted with a powerful Coldsnap launcher, which fires experimental cryo shells that damage and chill enemies caught in its area—of—effect. The launcher can be upgraded, which increases the launcher's range, rate of fire, and chill effect. When the Bison deploys it leeches ambient heat energy to augment its defensive systems, creating a chill aura that affects nearby enemies. These systems can also be upgraded to further boost defenses and the area of the chill aura. Bisons are versatile, durable vehicles that served in most groundside combat elements of the old Colonial Military Authority [CMA] in a number of roles, including armored personnel carrier and recovery vehicle. It remains in service with several UNSC Army units and local militias [such as the Sedran Colonial Guard]. The variant designed by Serina uses the proven chassis as a testbed which holds a vacuum energy siphon, scientific instrumentation, and cryotech weaponry in one mobile package. As there are no Bisons aboard the Spirit of Fire at present, Isabel has looked at improving and repurposing the siphon with her own research data on Forerunner vacuum energy cells, but the delicacy and intricacy of Serina's manufacturing template complicates this effort. Major Vaughan lst Squad, lst Platoon, B Company, 9th Shock Troops Battalion. Major Vaughan's command squad, callsign Sunray 1-1, is the lead element of Boomerang Company, the UNSC's most elite force of Orbital Drop Shock Troopers [though that's what they all say]. The Mustang. Born to a family of politicians and corporate executives, Vaughan lived a life of privilege and luxury in the most prestigious of Earth's arcologies. But when a family squabble escalated, a rebellious young Vaughan made the worst and best decision of his life by enlisting in the UNSC Marines. Rammed through boot camp during the height of the insurrection, Vaughan had no time to regret his decision before shipping off to war against terrorists and separatist movements in the Outer Colonies. His first duty station as a green recruit was the Spirit of Fire, an old ship retasked with transporting UNSC military and police forces to colonies it once established. Few appreciated the irony more than Vaughan, given the role his own family played in exacerbating colonial tensions. Years later he found himself on the Spirit of Fire again, this time as a commissioned ODST officer on a campaign against the alien Covenant that would take him from half-glassed colonies to ancient Forerunner shield worlds, and beyond. It's been a long road, but Vaughan takes solace in the fact that this is definitely not the course his family had pre—charted for him. The Spirit of Fire's unusual situation makes Vaughan one of the highest-ranking UNSC officers in the Ark conflict, but he prefers to leave strategy and high—level operational planning to the experts. He's a Helljumper, and his place is in a drop pod plunging feet-first and on fire into the cauldron of battle. In addition to coordinating Boomerang Company's deployments and leading the command squad, Vaughan carries the squad's SPNKr rocket launcher, which he occasionally uses as a blunt teaching instrument to knock sense into younger ODSTs. Warrant Officer Quinn lst Squad, lst Platoon, B Company, 9th Shock Troops Battalion. Major Vaughan's command squad, callsign Sunray 1-1, is the lead element of Boomerang Company, the UNSC's most elite force of Orbital Drop Shock Troopers [though that's what they all say]. Signals Reconnaissance Specialist. Quinn has been many things in her life, but none have been as meaningful as service in the ranks of the Spirit of Fire's 9th Shock Troops Battalion. A highly trained signals intelligence analyst and electronic warfare operator, Quinn accompanies ODST pre—assault and deep strike post—assault teams on missions that require the application of technical wizardry in addition to raw firepower. With Professor Anders' departure on the Halo ring it has fallen to Quinn and other UNSC personnel who have demonstrated affinity with—and knowledge of—Forerunner systems to be boots—on—the—ground resources for task force commanders. It's a job she relishes. Quinn and Major Vaughan have a long history of service together on board the Spirit of Fire. Quinn has no particular love for the ship itself—and despises its recycled air and the peculiar pull of the barracks' artificial gravity—but she cares deeply for the crew and troops aboard it. When Quinn accompanies Vaughan on his Ark expeditions, she serves as the command squad's technician and "Ark door opener," in addition to handling a prototype target designator for the Spirit of Fire's new EMP Ordnance support drop. Corpsman Gruss lst Squad, lst Platoon, B Company, 9th Shock Troops Battalion. Major Vaughan's command squad, callsign Sunray 1-1, is the lead element of Boomerang Company, the UNSC's most elite force of Orbital Drop Shock Troopers [though that's what they all say]. UNSC Navy Medic. Petty Officer Gruss is the Navy combat medic assigned to Major Vaughan's command squad. A woman of [very] few words, the ODSTs make it their mission to interpret "Doc's" opinion of their shenanigans by analyzing her body language, sighs, rude gestures, and grunts of disapproval. This friendly harassment ends when combat begins, for Doc holds the lives of the troopers in her able hands, wielding biofoam and trauma packs across the squad's position with incredible skill and delicacy. So perfect is her timing in dealing with injury that it borders on the prescient, and squad members resign themselves to the inevitable if Doc appears near them during battle. In addition to her medical skill, Gruss has shown a remarkable talent for escape and evasion by avoiding the Marines' many and varied attempts to induct her into their ranks as an honorary Helljumper. This irks some members of the battalion, but even ODSTs are not crazy enough to risk the ire of a medic [and Major Vaughan] by pressing the issue. When deployed with the command squad Doc patches up the team's injuries with her medkit. Corporal Turpin lst Squad, lst Platoon, B Company, 9th Shock Troops Battalion. Major Vaughan's command squad, callsign Sunray 1-1, is the lead element of Boomerang Company, the UNSC's most elite force of Orbital Drop Shock Troopers [though that's what they all say]. Drone Controller. Cursed with always being the right woman at the right place at the right time, Turpin wishes for nothing more than a life of glorious anonymity, rather than a life filled with fateful encounters. Turpin's recent assignment to the command squad has the rest of Boomerang Company nervous, as her reputation for dragging fellow Marines into perilous adventure is well known among the Spirit of Fire's crew and troops. As the squad prepares to deploy for a routine recon mission on the Ark's surface, Turpin crosses her fingers that nothing of interest or importance will transpire, just this once. Turpin carries the squad's battlenet relay and operates a drone high—energy laser weapon platform designed by Isabel. Lance Corporal Sparks lst Squad, lst Platoon, B Company, 9th Shock Troops Battalion. Major Vaughan's command squad, callsign Sunray 1-1, is the lead element of Boomerang Company, the UNSC's most elite force of Orbital Drop Shock Troopers [though that's what they all say]. Designated Marksman. Sparks is the squad sniper, and something of a wildcard even among the Spirit of Fire's impressively large cast of misfits and rogues. Sparks' long list of non—judicial punishments and reprimands would have landed him a full—time billet in the ship's brig were it not for two unique qualities: his unparalleled skill with a SRS-99 anti-materiel rifle, and supernatural ability to acquire the rarest [and tastiest] meal packs on the ship. Luckily, Helljumpers value good chow and a good shot more than adherence to UNSC regulations, which keeps this "Lance Criminal" from behind bars—so far. Sparks provides fire support for the command squad with his sniper rifle and assists Turpin by designating priority targets for her drone. He also contributes to the squad's morale with his vast knowledge of terrible jokes and patently ridiculous [but completely true] "war stories" from his civilian days.