Edward Buck: Difference between revisions

Though the efforts to retake Harvest would not end until [[2531]], Buck would be called elsewhere in the midst of it. On December 24, [[2530]], he was attached to [[Admiral]] [[Preston Cole]]'s fleet during the [[Battle of the Great Bear]] over [[Groombridge-1830]].{{Ref/Reuse|lootcrate2}} He was part of one of two tactical strike teams which recovered a [[Sangheili]] [[Subject 386|survivor]] within an enclosed compartment which had survived landfall at [[Waterford]], [[Lemuria (province)|Lemuria]] on the planet that day at approximately 1805 hours [[Military Standard Time|MST]]. It was from this Sangheili, dubbed Subject 386, that the UNSC first truly learned why the Covenant was waging a war of extermination against humanity. In [[2532]], Buck fought in the [[Battle of Vodin]]. During that same year, he enrolled in an enlistment survey program for the [[ODST]] program. Three years later, he participated in the [[Battle of Charybdis IX]].{{Ref/Reuse|lootcrate2}} Come [[2542]], he found himself fighting in the [[Battle for Alluvion]].

At some point prior to [[2545]], Buck's father was killed in a traffic accident.<ref>'''Halo: New Blood''', ''page 17'' (Google Play edition)</ref>{{Ref/Note|When entering a vehicle in ''Halo: Reach''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s Firefight mode, Buck may sometimes say, ''"Hey hey! My father had one of these! It's how he died."'' While it is obvious that his father's vehicle was not of Covenant origin, this quote may be said when Buck enters any vehicle.}} In 2545, after an extended period of [[Cryo chamber|cryosleep]] during a [[slipstream space]] jump between [[Mars]] and [[Hardscrabble]], Buck learned of the Covenant attack on his homeworld and the slaughter of all its citizens, including his family and relatives. He obsessively watched video footage of the [[Unggoy]] and [[Kig-Yar]] hunting down and devouring the human survivors, which fueled his hatred of the Covenant and further steeled his fighting resolve. He requested an offical transfer to the [[Orbital Drop Shock Troopers]] immediately afterwards; his request was granted three weeks later, on February 27.{{Ref/Reuse|nb15}}<ref>[https://twitter.com/bsangel/status/703617603453870081 '''Jessica Shea Twitter''' ''Today in Halo 2/27/2545'']</ref> He was placed in the [[103rd Shock Troops Battalion|103rd Battalion]] of the [[65th Shock Troops Division]].{{Ref/Reuse|lootcrate2}} His [[commanding officer]] ordered Buck to take some shore leave, claiming that his presence was "jeopardizing others". Only when she threatened to send him in for a psychiatric evaluation, did he relent. He took his shore leave at [[Castellaneta]], over [[Saturn]], where he first met Captain [[Veronica Dare]]. The two spent their week together, until Buck eventually realized that she worked for the [[Office of Naval Intelligence]].{{Ref/Reuse|nb26}} Buck had hoped their fling wouldn't end after their leave was over, but his poor reaction to Dare's job ensured their relationship was over, a decision that continued to haunt Buck throughout all of his career.<ref>'''Halo 3: ODST''' ('''Buck''': ''"The last person who looked at me like that was the Captain and I asked her to marry me, so... you know."'')</ref><ref>'''Halo 3: ODST''', campaign level ''[[Tayari Plaza]]'' ('''Dare''': ''"You don't really remember, that night? What you asked me in the morning?"'' '''Buck''': ''"I remember not getting an answer."'')</ref> The two were eventually forced to split up due to Dare's job with Section One of ONI.<ref name="plaza">'''Halo 3: ODST''', campaign level ''Tayari Plaza''</ref> Buck soon gained command of the ODST [[squad]] [[Alpha-Nine]]. Throughout the remainder of the war, Buck intentionally sabotaged and turned down numerous promotions in order to remain a squad leader.{{Ref/Reuse|H5GLtd}}

At some point between the Battle of Sargasso and the Fall of Reach, Buck fought during the Covenant's attack on [[Bounty]].{{Ref/Reuse|lootcrate2}} He was then present along with the rest of Alpha-Nine during the [[Fall of Reach|Fall]] of [[Reach]] in [[2552#August|August 2552]], where he served with the [[11th Shock Troops Battalion]]. During the battle, squadmate [[Baruti Komen|Baruti "Gramps" Komen]] was killed. At the time of his death, the squad was merely holding a piece of ground for reasons undisclosed to them, leaving Buck to later wonder if Baruti had died for a noble cause.<ref name="nb56">'''Halo: New Blood''', ''pages 56-57'' (Google Play edition)</ref>

Buck and the others took the next exit off the highway, and Jonathan and Buck secured a building to hold and wait for Mickey's dropship to arrive. After fighting off waves of Covenant, Mickey arrived, and as the squad was evacuating, an assault carrier arrived close to their position. A frightened Vergil then refused to get on the Phantom, and was shoved in by Buck while Dare pulled it into the [[gravity lift]]. The group successfully escaped the city as it was glassed by the Covenant fleet.<ref name="coast">'''Halo 3: ODST''', campaign level ''[[Coastal Highway]]''</ref>

However, Buck declined the aid as he believed that the appearance of Spartans would lead to the Rookie's execution. As a stand-off ensued, the URF soldiers were positioned safely on the presidential balcony, which was protected with [[energy shielding]]. Buck signaled for Dutch and Mickey to sneak up to the balcony, while he and Romeo distracted Ingridson. Buck and Ingridson engaged in a conversation about each others' views, with both individuals attempting to stall the other. Buck soon learned of Ingridson's intent when Palmer notified him that URF soldiers were surrounding the capitol building. Once Dutch and Mickey got into position, Buck ordered the squad to attack the rebels while having Palmer and her Spartans engage the approaching rebels outside. In the ensuring firefight, Buck was shot in the arm. Realizing she was out of options, Ingridson executed the Rookie. Dutch managed to kill Ingridson and one of the rebels, while the last one surrendered. Palmer and her Spartans arrived seconds later, having wiped out the rest of the rebels in the city.<ref>'''Halo: New Blood''', ''pages 89-95'' (Google Play edition)</ref> Afterwards, Alpha-Nine buried the Rookie out at sea on Draco III. Troubled by his death, Dutch decided to retire alongside his [[Gretchen Ketola|wife]].

[[Rudolf Schein]] was soon proved responsible for the murder and Jun, Musa, and O'Day went to confront him. However, Schein was waiting for them at the recreational room with the intent to blow up the station, and a skirmish ensued. Buck and his team heard gunshots from their room and the three raced to its place of origin. Before the Spartans reached the rec room, O'Day warned them to stay back before Schein's grenade detonated and sent the four flying backwards as the station's [[artificial gravity]] was shut off. As they attempted to escape from the breached rec room, Buck and the heavily wounded O'Day smashed into a door, killing the latter instantly. The three Spartans took shelter in an empty room until the incident was over and the gravity returned an hour later. Returning to their quarters, Buck and his team were debriefed on the events that had transpired and on Schein's defection.<ref>'''Halo: New Blood''', ''pages 137-144'' (Google Play edition)</ref> For almost eighteen months, largely at his request, Buck and his squad battled [[Covenant remnants]] on [[human colonies]], including [[New Caracas]], [[Gaenir Beta]], and [[Charion VI]].<ref name="nb148">'''Halo: New Blood''', ''page 148'' (Google Play edition)</ref>

Taking Schein's rifle, Buck waited for Mickey to gain consciousness and watched as Romeo eliminated the rebels. After eliminating the rebels nearby, Romeo moved on to rescue Quick to Adjust and Sadie Endesha. When Mickey awoke, he asked Buck to kill him. However, Buck opted not to and the two sat down together until a [[dropship]] arrived to extract them.<ref name="nb170">'''Halo: New Blood''', ''pages 170-173'' (Google Play edition)</ref> When they returned to the Spartan base on Mars, Buck had Mickey handed over to Jun-A266 instead of the ONI operatives that were waiting for their return, since he believed that Mickey was still a Spartan. Afterwards, Buck was congratulated by Musa for his actions on Talitsa, stating that the fact that he had not executed Mickey when products of the older SPARTAN programs like the Master Chief might have (and Jun definitely would have) proved that the SPARTAN-IV program was an amazing triumph, all because of Buck's humanity. At Buck's request, Musa reassigned Romeo and Buck to another team, with Buck serving as a member of the team rather than as its leader.<ref>'''Halo: New Blood''', ''pages 175-179'' (Google Play edition)</ref>

After being briefed by Captain [[Thomas Lasky]] of UNSC ''Infinity'', the Spartans were delivered to Kamchatka via [[D79-TC Pelican]], where they discovered the Covenant [[Battle of Kamchatka|engaging]] their former [[Promethean]] allies. Osiris exited the Pelican [[dropship]] to free fall past battling Covenant and Promethean ships, using their armor's thrusters to control their following landing. Osiris landed on a mountainside, where the Covenant and Prometheans were currently engaged in combat and the Spartans fought their way through the terrain. While Vale eliminated Covenant forces aboard a {{Pattern|Mikpramu|Phantom}}, Buck and the rest of Osiris killed Covenant and Promethean forces on the ground. As one of the [[Sangheili blockade runner|Covenant blockade runners]] crashed into a nearby mountain peak, Osiris regrouped and was forced to outrun the ensuring avalanche. The Spartans leaped off a cliff and slide down the mountainside, where they promptly engaged nearby Covenant forces in a valley. With 'Mdama and Halsey located in a nearby Forerunner structure, Fireteam Osiris fought their way past Covenant and Promethean forces to reach their targets' location. Although 'Mdama had a {{Pattern|Shuul'se|Kraken}} deployed to fend off the hostile forces assaulting his location, the Prometheans managed to force the walker to retreat.{{Ref/Reuse|osiris}}

Upon their return to ''Infinity'', Fireteam Osiris learned that [[SPARTAN-II program|Spartan-IIs]] [[John-117]], [[Kelly-087]], [[Linda-058]], and [[Frederic-104]] of [[Blue Team]] traveled to the [[Outer Colony]] of [[Meridian]]—absent without leave—to investigate [[smart AI]] [[Cortana]]'s location. Osiris was tasked with embarking to the recently resettled and now independent Meridian to track down Blue Team and take them back to the UNSC. Fireteam Osiris arrived at the Meridian [[space elevator]]—[[Pinnacle Station]]—via Pelican, where they descended to the [[moon]]'s surface. Osiris quickly discovered that Meridian was also under attack from Promethean constructs and the moon's settlers were desperately attempting to fend off the invaders. Osiris agreed to help defend Meridian's settlers from the Prometheans in exchange for the cooperation of the colony's ''de facto'' leader, [[Governor]] [[Sloan]]. After destroying numerous Promethean constructs that were assaulting the outpost at the base of Pinnacle Station, the Spartans traveled to [[Meridian Station]], the lead settlement on the moon which the Prometheans were attempting to invade. However, Sloan was initially unwilling to give the Osiris access to the road that led to Meridian Station, fearing that the Prometheans would follow. However, the Spartans defeated the nearby Prometheans and Sloane eventually gave them access to the road in response. While on the way to the settlement, Osiris aided the settlers under attack at a nearby service garage upon Sloan's request. In exchange for their help, Sloan had his men give the Spartans one of the [[Liang Dortmund Corporation]]'s [[M820 Scorpion]]s to use against the Prometheans.{{Ref/Reuse|glassed}}

As the Spartan-IIs prepared to travel through one last [[teleporter]] to reach the Guardian, Locke ordered them to stand down. The rest of Osiris was teleported to a higher platform, but John-117 ordered his own teammates to go through the portal ahead of him. When John refused to stand down and moved to follow his team, Locke attempted to detain him, leading to John disarming Locke and engaging him in hand-to-hand combat while the rest of Osiris watched nearby. John eventually gained the upper hand and used Locke's own [[Armor restraint|armor-locking device]] against him. As John escaped through the portal and entered the Guardian, the massive construct began to activate and the floating platforms around Osiris began falling out of place and into the lava below. Freeing Locke and with retracing their steps impossible, on Buck's suggestion the four Spartans rushed back the way Blue Team had entered, traveling back to each platform via teleporter. While the rest of Osiris was just able to enter the last teleporter with little difficulty, Buck's jump was misplaced and he nearly fell off the platform, though Locke managed to return in time to help him through the teleporter just as the platform plummeted into the lava below.{{Ref/Reuse|unconfirmed}} The Spartans were teleported to Meridian's surface, where the colony was already well into its evacuation as settlers rushed into the moon's space tether. As Osiris raced to the elevator to escape the ensuring damages that would be caused by the Guardian's activation, the construct rose out of the surface nearby. While en route to the elevator, the Spartans and the evacuating settlers were once again attacked by Prometheans. After eliminating the Prometheans near the base of the elevator, Sloan allowed Osiris to enter. Vale managed to have Sloan reveal that he was warned of the Guardian's activation by Cortana, and that he intended to be a part of the future Cortana was creating for humans and AI. Osiris destroyed the remaining Prometheans nearby and, after activating it, the fireteam began ascending the elevator. On the way to the elevator terminal, while engaging more Prometheans, the Guardian sent out a shockwave that heavy damaged the elevator. The Spartans were forced to climb the elevator as the structure slowly began to fall. Just as Osiris arrived at the platform their Pelican was on, the Guardian continued to send out more frequent shockwaves that slowed the Spartans down and caused the platform they were on to collapse. Osiris barely managed to enter the dropship and promptly left Meridian's atmosphere, as the Guardian entered slipspace and left the moon.<ref name="evacuation">'''Halo 5: Guardians''', campaign level ''[[Evacuation]]''</ref>

Upon entering, Osiris and Exuberant Witness encountered Blue Team. While the eight Spartans agreed to work together to stop Cortana from enacting her plans, the AI suddenly teleported Blue Team to near her position.{{Ref/Reuse|genesis}} Cortana ultimately placed Blue Team in a [[Cryptum]] with the intention of keeping them in stasis for ten thousand years while she initiated her plans.<ref name="breaking">'''Halo 5: Guardians''', campaign level ''[[The Breaking]]''</ref> Osiris moved to free Blue Team and, upon exiting the Gateway, noticed that the Guardians were entering into slipspace to begin enforcing Cortana's new order. As the Spartans engaged Covenant and Promethean forces while on their way to the Cryptum, Cortana revealed that hundreds of AIs had pledged their allegiance to her, including Governor Sloan. Reaching the Cryptum, Osiris had to destroy several gravitational cores keeping the Cryptum in place. As Osiris came close to freeing Blue Team, Cortana began to taunt the Spartans in hopes of demoralizing them, but to no avail. After destroying the gravitational cores, Osiris activated a terminal to lower the Cryptum. However, Cortana suddenly pulled the Cryptum to the Guardian she was preparing to leave on. As Cortana prepared to leave, she disconnected herself from Genesis' systems, giving Exuberant Witness an opportunity to take full control of the planet once again. To aid the monitor, Osiris activated two nearby auxiliary power stations to help Exuberant Witness regain control of Genesis. The monitor provided the Spartans a passage to Cortana's Guardian and the Cryptum, and Osiris rushed to stop their departure, pushing past the Guardian's shockwaves. Locke managed to reach the relay terminal that gave Cortana control and destroyed it, reinstating full control of Genesis to Exuberant Witness. Cortana prepared to leave the planet aboard her Guardian with the Cryptum, but Exuberant Witness sent a fleet of Constructors to take the Cryptum from the Guardian just as it entered slipspace. Following Cortana’s departure, both Blue Team and Fireteam Osiris together fought their way through hordes of Promethean constructs to reach [[India 127|a D79-TC Pelican]] that had previously arrived on the planet via a Guardian’s Slipspace entry. Agreeing to return to Sanghelios, the joint team requested Witness’ help, who opened a [[Slipspace portal]] for them.{{Ref/Reuse|Bad Blood}}

His only regret during his service is that he was not given the chance to participate in the Covenant's [[Battle of Draco III|assault]] on his homeworld, [[Draco III]], in [[2545]],{{Ref/Reuse|waypoint}} in which many of the planet's residents were slaughtered by starving [[Unggoy]] and [[Kig-Yar]] soldiers;<ref>'''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]''', ''pages 184-185'' (2001 edition); ''page 212'' (2010 edition)</ref> he only shared his remorse with his closest friends. This led to Buck forming a bloodlust against the Covenant, one which he eventually mitigated through his relationship with [[Veronica Dare]].{{Ref/Reuse|waypoint}} When ever he had spare time during his service in the [[SPARTAN-IV program]], Buck generally kept close to Dare, or remained at a UNSC [[military base]] and socialized with the leaders of the [[Spartan Operations|Spartan branch]].<ref>'''Halo: New Blood''', ''page 150'' (Google Play edition)</ref>

*When Buck requests assistence in the level ''New Alexandria'' in ''Halo: Reach'', where he is sitting in the Falcon depends on which mission he gives.

File:HM-Buck&Vale.png|Buck and Vale during the Battle of Meridian in ''[[Halo Mythos]]''.