halobirthdays

[halobirthdays]

Happy birthday to Elena Bobrov!

Today is her -497th birthday!

Bobrov was born on the outer colony Alluvion, where she grew up and enlisted in the UNSC Army as soon as she was able. She would return to defend her home planet in 2542 as it was being attacked by the Fleet of Particular Justice. She retired, but reenlisted with the Marines to join the crew of the UNSC Infinity. Bobrov fought in the first and second Requiem campaigns, and survived to be part of Operation: WOLFE, a mission to retake Reach and eliminate the Banished forces there. She remained with Infinity and survived the Banished attack over Zeta Halo. Once on the Ring, she rendezvoused at the Mortal Reverie, which served as a base of operations for the displaced UNSC forces on Zeta Halo.

The Mortal Reverie was attacked, and Bobrov was taken prisoner by the Banished. She, along with Spartan Hedge, Lance Corporal Singh, and a Sword of Sanghelios member called "Doc" because he would not share his name, were forced to engage in deadly games against Banished forces. The soldiers were forced to fight against waves of Banishes forces in simulated environments where losing meant being killed. If they won, they were resupplied and allowed to rest before being forced to fight again. Eventually, Bobrov was killed during these simulations.

[halobirthdays]

Happy birthday to April Orenski!

Today is her -483rd birthday!

As the daughter of two high-ranking UNSC officials, it was only natural that Orenski would enlist herself, enrolling the Corbulo Academy of Military Science as part of the class of 2526. During her last year, she was assigned as a squad commander of her underclassmen. She was responsible for Hastati squad, which notably included Thomas Lasky.

Because the events of Harvest, her home planet, were still kept closely under wraps by the UNSC, Orenski and the rest of Corbulo Academy were taken by surpise when the Covenant attacked.

With the help of Blue Team, she and the three remaining members of Hastati squad survived the invasion. She is confirmed to still be alive in present canon, but her whereabouts have not been elaborated on.

In canon (~2560), she is turning 52!

[halobirthdays]

Happy birthday to Shipmaster Voro Nar 'Mantakree!

Today is his -462nd birthday!

'Mantakree was stationed on the Covenant heavy cruiser Incorruptible when the Prophet of Truth abandoned High Charity during the Flood outbreak on the Holy City. Simultaneously, the Great Schism had just begun, with Sangheili and Jiralhanae forces engaging in battle while also beating back the Flood.

The Incorruptible was caught in the midst of the chaos. Its shipmaster, Tano 'Inanraree, was a zealous believer in the Covenant faith, and was overcome by religious fervor. He believed that the Flood were a Forerunner creation, and, as such, were also sacrosanct. He ordered the crew to submit to Flood infection rather than attempt to quell it.

'Mantakree, recognizing his shipmaster’s insanity, slew him. Luckily, the rest of the crew agreed that he did the right thing, and he was elevated to shipmaster of the Incorruptible.

'Mantakree was one of the thirty shipmasters who spoke to Imperial Admiral Xytan 'Jar 'Wattinree after the dissolution of the Covenant, making him one of the first Sangheili leaders in the Great Schism. Like 'Wattinree, he maintained his faith and distaste for humanity.

Thus, when he intercepted a message from Cortana and learned that a Spartan was responsible for the destruction of a Halo, he was promoted to Fleetmaster and tasked to pursue them to Onyx, which had the dual benefit of ridding 'Wattinree of a potential rival. It was a lucky break: seconds after 'Mantakree left for Onyx, Admiral Whitcomb's NOVA bomb would detonate, killing 'Wattinree and most of his fleet.

Upon arriving at Onyx, the Sentinels became hostile, and 'Mantakree and the ships under his command would face fierce resistance from the shield world's defenses. 'Mantakree pursued the Spartan team with his troops into a Forerunner facility, where he would eventually discover a mortally-wounded Kurt Ambrose.

'Mantakree was about to honorably execute Kurt with his energy sword, but fell into his final trap. When 'Mantakree approached, Kurt remotely activated FENRIS nuclear warheads, saving the remaining Spartans and killing himself, 'Mantakree, and his entire legion.

He is survived by two brothers--Y'zaht and Delo, who served Sali 'Nyon before his death.

[halobirthdays]

Happy birthday to Taylor Henry "Dutch" Miles!

Today is his -494th birthday!

Dutch did not initially have military aspirations--he was a road-train driver driving the Flying Dutchman. While he was attending college, he was drafted into the military and enlisted in the UNSC Marine Corps.

He would eventually apply to become an ODST, where he would meet his future wife, Gretchen. Dutch would serve in several significant engagements during the Human-Covenant war. During Operation: FIRESIDE, he served with future squadmate Kojo "Romeo" Agu.

He would eventually be assigned to ODST squad Alpha-Nine, lead by Edward Buck. Alpha-Nine was deployed to New Mombasa during the Battle for Earth. They were tasked with capturing a Huragok, a hyper-intelligent biomechanical organism created by the Forerunners and employed by the Covenant. Huragok possess an uncanny ability to repair and understand an array of technologies. Paired with its vast insight into the Covenant and its technology, the creature, named Quick to Adjust, was an invaluable asset to the UNSC.

Dutch and Alpha-Nine would eventually locate and extract Quick to Adjust, evacuating just as New Mombasa began to get glassed. Alpha-Nine would continue to fight in the final battles of the war before its conclusion, but the fighting would not end there.

At the close of the war, the UNSC once again turned its attention to the Insurrection. One such battle was the assault against the United Rebel Front on Draco III. There, he witnessed the execution of his fellow squadmate Jonathan Doherty. These events would leave him shaken, and he joined his wife in military retirement shortly thereafter.

Their retirement would not last. Dutch and Gretchen were offered admission to the Spartan program. Gretchen, who was left disabled after stepping on an Insurrectionist landmine, would be able to return to active duty if her prosthesis and augmentations were successful. They jumped on the opportunity just as the Created conflict began and joined the reestablished Alpha-Nine--this time as Spartans.

In canon (~2560), he is turning 41!

[halobirthdays]

Happy birthday to Arbiter Ripa 'Moramee!

Today is his -454th birthday!

'Moramee "the Savage" was a ruthless and bloodthirsty commander, known for both his effective stratagem and violent temper.

During his service to the Covenant he quelled numerous civil conflicts, including the Sixteenth Unggoy Disobedience and ending the reign of Kig-Yar pirate prince Krith. In his own home, he attempted a coup against his keep's kaidon. It failed, and he was sent to languish in prison. However, the Prophet of Regret, seeing 'Moramee's temperament as useful, urged the Hierarchs to appoint him as Arbiter. While there were rumblings of discontent about this choice due to 'Moramee's history and character, his appointment was approved.

After his appointment, he was sent to Harvest in the Covenant's renewed campaign to extract a Forerunner artifact. This would lead him and Regret to the Forerunner shieldworld Trove, where he attempted to use Ellen Anders to active the Forerunner dreadnought fleet contained within. The fleet, if kept in the Covenant's hands, would make short work of humanity.

His plan was interrupted by Sergeant Forge and Red Team. Forge and 'Moramee fought, and his arrogance would be his downfall, exposing his neck to taunt Forge, who took the opportunity to stab him fatally, first in his neck, then with his own energy sword.

Side note because this makes me laugh:

Sangheili designs vary, but the character models have always been consistent with the design of any particular game. So, every character will reflect that game's choice, even if they appeared differently in other games. The one exception is 'Moramee. In Halo Wars, the other Sangheili look like this--

--while my mans looks like that.

All of this is to say that 'Moramee may be the only Sangheili character to be confirmed butt ugly.

[halobirthdays]

Happy birthday to Avu Med 'Telcam!

Today is his -460th birthday!

Following the dissolution of the Covenant, 'Telcam found himself at odds with the prevailing Sangheili beliefs. He remained faithful to the Forerunners, and viewed Arbiter Thel 'Vadam and his followers as blasphemous. He became the founder and leader of the splinter group Servants of the Abiding Truth.

ONI became aware of 'Telcam's plans to assassinate 'Vadam and contacted him to negotiate terms of cooperation, assisting 'Telcam in assassinating 'Vadam in a clandestine plan to destabilize the Sangheili and reduce their threat to humanity. ONI supplied 'Telcam with weapons, and the Servants seized the opportunity of a Jiralhanae uprising in Ontom to launch an attack on Vadam. His plan was thwarted by the arrival of the UNSC Infinity, and he was abducted by ONI to keep him alive, and their involvement quiet.

'Telcam and ONI intelligence unit Kilo-Five would continue to collaborate, and when Jul 'Mdama formed the "new" Covenant, 'Telcam and his followers refused to join.

In 2558, ONI Section 3 authorized his assassination. They sent a Spartan only known by her designation--G059--to New Llanelli to carry out the order. After eliminating his guards, she fought 'Telcam in close combat, eventually assassinating him with a single pistol shot in the head.

[halobirthdays]

Happy birthday to Sergeant John Forge!

Today is his -476th birthday!

Forge came from a long military family dating back to World War II, but his military career was not spotless. He was incarcerated for over two years and demoted three times, largely due to his defiant personality and willingness to fight to settle things.

In 2530, he was arrested after fighting a man who made suggestive comments toward his then five-year-old daughter Rion and her aunt. His daughter stood up for him and the charges were dropped, catching the attention of Admiral Preston Cole. Cole personally assigned Forge to the UNSC Sprit of Fire.

During this campaign, Forge uncovered a Covenant plan to access a Forerunner shield world that was home to a fleet of Forerunner dreadnoughts during a scout of Harvest, a discovery that would quickly end the war in the Covenant's favor.

Stopping the Covenant from accessing the fleet became the priority, and Forge and the Spirit of Fire pursued them to the shield world Trove. The plan was to set Spirit's slipspace drive to self destruct, causing the shield world's sun to go supernova and destroy the planet, destroying the dreadnoughts. He and Red Team fought their way to the Apex Site, where he was confronted by Arbiter Ripa 'Moramee. They fought, and he defeated 'Moramee in single combat.

Once the fighting was over, Red Team's Jerome informed him that the slipspace drive had already overheated, meaning that it would have to be set to destruct manually, forcing him to stay behind and die. Forge offered to set the charges himself, recognizing the importance of the Spartans in the war ahead.

Before he sacrificed himself, he left a message for his daughter, which she would eventually uncover in her quest to find him and the missing Spirit of Fire.

[halobirthdays]

Happy birthday to Andrew Del Rio!

Today is his -475th birthday!

Del Rio oversaw the completion of the UNSC Infinity, having spent several years in service during the Human-Covenant war. He was proposed as the commanding officer of the Infinity after its completion, which Margaret Parangosky assented to only because Thomas Lasky was assigned as his executive officer. Parangosky had her scruples about Del Rio, believing him to be uninspiring to his crew.

Del Rio and the Infinity located Master Chief and Cortana, having picked up the distress call from the Forward Unto Dawn after five years adrift. At this point, Master Chief and Cortana had encountered the Didact on Requiem, and attempted to deter Infinity from approaching. However, the message was too garbled and Infinity was pulled into the planet.

Master Chief was eventually able to get Infinity's defenses back online, driving off the Didact. He implored Del Rio to pursue the Didact, understanding his threat. Del Rio criticized him and refused. After witnessing an outburst by Cortana, Del Rio demanded that Master Chief relinquish her for decommissioning. He refused, and with Lasky's help, escaped.

When Del Rio returned to Earth, he learned that the UNSC Security Council disagreed with his decisions on Requiem, and he was relieved of duty. With no military prospects, he retired, choosing to instead start a popular political career. He would.

In canon (~2560) he is turning 60!

[halobirthdays]

Happy birthday to Warmaster Atriox!

Today is his -485th birthday!

Atriox was born into the Covenant, serving as a member of the Bloodstars. In the later years of the Human-Covenant war, his clan was increasingly used as cannon fodder to break the front lines, seeding a resentment towards the Covenant and its leadership.

Atriox repeatedly survived these encounters, an outcome his superiors did not expect. Over time, he developed a legendary status among his people. Though Atriox was willing to fight the campaign against the humans, he did not share in the Covenant faith. This began to draw concern, and eventually the Prophet of Truth ordered him to be quietly executed to avoid martyrdom.

Atriox was set up to be followed at his next deployment. During a battle, he aired his frustrations to a terrified human marine, denouncing the Covenant faith and the war before killing him. His beliefs exposed, the Jiralhanae that followed him accused him of blasphemy and challenged him. They fought, and Atriox killed him, giving his superiors an excuse to have him executed for killing his own kind.

Rather than accept his execution, he killed his would-be executioner, emboldening the Jiralhanae around him to rebel against the Covenant, forming the Banished.

In the years that followed, the Banished engaged in several raids against the Covenant and the UNSC. When the Covenant fell, they took advantage of the power vacuum, seizing weapons, vehicles, and recruiting widely to all species.

During the Created conflict, Atriox seized yet another opportunity travel to the Ark, intent on gaining the ability to construct Halo rings. His plans were intercepted by a UNSC presence there. While he was there, he learned of the Xalanyn, hidden on Zeta Halo. The battle raged for months, with Atriox no closer to success. In an effort to turn the tide, he sent brothers Voridus and Pavium to High Charity to salvage. However, this lead to a Flood outbreak, and Atriox was forced to leave the Ark to address this more pressing matter.

Rather than return to the Ark as expected, Atriox left for Zeta Halo to seek the Xalanyn. He encountered resistance from Cortana and the Created, which lead to the destruction of Dosiac, the Jiralhanae homeworld. As the battle on Zeta Halo raged, he arranged for an ambush against the UNSC Infinity. He personally attended the battle, targeting and besting--but not killing--Master Chief.

He then turned his attention back to Cortana, who, having realized the havoc she caused, blew up part of the ring, sacrificing herself to stop Atriox, who was then presumed dead. However, it appears that he was only grievously injured, and survived to be an enduring thorn in Master Chief's side.

In canon (~2560), he is turning 50!

[halobirthdays]

Happy birthday to Zeretus the Scourgemaker!

Today is his -481stbirthday!

Zeretus was one of the first to join the Banished, and as such, was one of its highest-ranking members. He accompanied Chieftain Minas in acquiring a slipspace flake from the Forerunner dreadnought Anodyne Spirit, paving the way for Atriox's return. His final mission was on Zeta Halo, where he was targeted and killed by John-117.

[halobirthdays]

Happy birthday to Caleb Vale (aka Caleb-95)!

Today is his -485th birthday!

Born Caleb Aagard, he was selected as a Spartan-II candidate by Dr. Catherine Halsey based upon his superior genetics and biology compared to his peers.

He was noted to have suffered a head injury as a child. Interestingly, imaging of his brain suggested heightened acuity in the neural network associated with intuition. Caleb was never located during his attempted abduction, spurring theories that his heightened intuition, or precognition, alerted him to his captors. Dr. Halsey roundly denounced these rumors.

He eventually became a slipspace drive technician and married UNSC officer Nerina Vale, though Caleb himself was an avowed pacifist who refused to work on a military vessel, meaning he and Nerina would never serve on the same ship. After Nerina was promoted to captain and reassigned to Earth, the marriage deteriorated they divorced, with Nerina taking their daughter, Olympia, with her. Olympia seemed to inherit his superior genetics, becoming a physically and intellectually precocious child. It's implied that he lost touch with Olympia after the family split, with Olympia trying and failing to reach him after Nerina died during the Battle of Earth.

His current status is unknown, though it seems likely that he is in hiding, both from the UNSC and from his daughter, who, now as a Spartan-IV, discovered his true identity.

In canon (~2560), he is turning 49!

[halobirthdays]

Happy birthday to Dr. Sandra Tillson!

Today is her -481st birthday!

Tillson was xenoarchaeologist contracted by ONI to oversee research on the Composer at Ivanoff Station. As one of the few experts in Xenoarchaeology, Tillson herself discovered the Composer on Installation 03.

When the Didact attacked Ivanoff Station, Dr. Tillson made contact with Master Chief and assisted with evacuation efforts. She agreed to stay behind and active the HAVOK nukes to destroy the Composer to keep it out of the Didact's hands. It would be too late--the Didact activated the Composer and Tillson was composed along with the remaining survivors on the station.

[halobirthdays]

Happy birthday to Spartan Gretchen Ketola!

Today is her -495th birthday!

Gretchen was an ODST who served in the same unit as Romeo and her future husband, Dutch. Her military career was cut short when she stepped on an Insurrectionist landmine during an engagement on Ballast, which cost her her left leg.

While she survived the injury, it was anticipated that she would never return to combat duty. Instead, she chose to retire from the military, with Dutch joining her shortly thereafter.

At some point before 2558, she and Dutch decided to enlist in the SPARTAN-IV program. She was given a prosthetic leg, which allowed her to return to combat duty. They kept their involvement a secret in the event that her prosthesis did not work out, but resurfaced to rejoin Alpha-Nine, now a Spartan fireteam.

In canon (~2560), she is turning 40!

[halobirthdays]

Happy birthday to Commander Jerome-092!

Today is his -486th birthday!

Jerome was born on an infamously underdeveloped part of the colony world Minister. His difficult upbringing would force him to grow up fast, resorting to criminal activity at a young age. He was targeted by Catherine Halsey for his notable genetics, and he, like all Spartan-IIs, was kidnapped and conscripted into the Spartan-II program.

Although he tried to escape multiple times, he would eventually accept his training and stood out as one of the rising leaders among the Spartan-II conscripts. However, his body rejected the biological augmentations in the second phase of the project. Thus, he was considered a "washout" and removed from the general population. However, he was able to be rehabilitated and re-augmented at a later date. At that point, he was paired with fellow washouts Alice-130 and Douglas-042, forming Red Team with Jerome as their leader.

In 2531, Red Team was tasked with evacuating the colony world Arcadia, holding off the Covenant attack so the civilians could escape. It was there that they paired up with the UNSC Spirit of Fire. Red Team would accompany the Spirit of Fire to the Forerunner shield world Trove (called Etran Harborage by the Forerunners) to stop Arbiter Ripa 'Moramee and the Prophet of Regret from activating the Forerunner dreadnoughts contained within, and to save Professor Ellen Anders, who had been captured by 'Moramee.

When Jerome suggested destroying 'Moramee's ship to prevent the Covenant from retrieving compromising information from Anders--a tactic that would stop 'Moramee but kill her--Sergeant Forge and Jerome got into a physical altercation that was only stopped after significant destruction and a lecture from the ship's AI Serina. Rather than creating a rift between them, these events would forge a mutual respect between the two.

The engagement on Trove was successful, but it would cost them the Spirit of Fire's slipspace drive. When the drive required a manually activation, Forge volunteered to trade his life for Jerome's, under the belief that the Spartans were too valuable to waste. Without being able to enter slipspace, the Spirit of Fire's crew, including Jerome, were put in cryo sleep while the ship drifted, waiting for rescue.

In 2559, Jerome and the rest of the crew were awakened, having been pulled into slipspace to the Ark. It was there that they learned of the threat of the Banished when Atriox confronted Red Team. He was able to fend off Red Team and wound Douglas, crushing his shoulder and helmet and forcing them to retreat. After that, the mission changed to stopping Atriox's forces on the Ark. Jerome would help thin out the Banished presence on the Ark, while allowing Professor Anders to send a distress beacon to the UNSC.

As of recent canon, he is still on the heavily-contested Ark, which is occupied by Banished, Keeper, UNSC, and Covenant loyalist forces.

In canon (~2560), he is turning 49!

[halobirthdays]

Happy birthday to Veta Lopis!

Today is her -495th birthday!

When Lopis was seventeen, she was kidnapped and abused for several weeks before killing her captor and escaping. These events changed the course of her life, and she eventually joined Gao's Ministry of Protection as a special inspector. She excelled at the position, both because of her unique experiences and deep sense of justice, stopping multiple high-profile murderers and becoming Gao's top homicide investigator.

In May 2553, the UNSC established a presence on Gao, secretly in search of a Forerunner ancilla within Gao's caves. The ancilla began killing Gao citizens to incite discord in the already-tense relationship between the Gaos and the UNSC. Lopis was sent to investigate the homicides there, but not without UNSC intervention. Spartan Fred-104 and three Spartan IIIs were sent to shadow Lopis to prevent her anti-UNSC outlook from unfairly blaming the them for the murders.

It was in the caves that Lopis watched Ash-G099, Olivia-G291, and Mark-G313 in action. After observing the level of violence and destruction the Gammas were capable of, as well as their need to regularly take drugs to control the mental instability that their augmentations caused, Lopis began to suspect them as the murderers.

Eventually, she would realize that the murderer was not Mark, but the work of the ancilla Intrepid Eye. Meanwhile, the newly-elected President of Gao moved to remove the UNSC presence on the planet. When it became clear that Lopis was working with the UNSC, he attempted to eliminate her, and Lopis instead fled with the Spartans.

She was greeted by then-Rear Admiral Serin Osman, who informed her of ONI's intentions of separating the Gammas from Blue Team and switching them to covert operations due to their public relations risk. Osman offered Lopis the opportunity to act as a handler of sorts for the Spartan IIIs in an investigative team called the Ferrets. Having grown attached to the Ferrets, and unable to return home, Lopis accepted.

Their next assignments would lead to them into deep cover within the Keepers of the One Freedom, a devout ex-Covenant splinter group. Lopis and the Ferrets would follow the Keepers to the Ark after the Keepers unexpectedly partnered with the Banished, giving them an opportunity to target Atriox.

When they arrived on the Ark, they discovered the UNSC presence there and broke cover to offer assistance in stopping the Keepers from firing the Halos from the Ark. Lopis and the remaining Ferrets remain on the Ark, having teamed up with the crew of the Spirit of Fire.

In canon (~2560), she is turning 40!

[halobirthdays]

Happy birthday to Fernando Esparza!

Today is his -493rd birthday!

Esparza was born on the outer colony Charybdis IX. The colony was glassed in 2535, when Esparza was seventeen years old. He survived the attack and built a new life somewhere else, eventually getting married and starting a family. However, an unknown misfortune would claim the lives of his wife and daughter, leaving behind only the messages they sent him while he was away. At some point he became a civilian contractor on the UNSC flagship Infinity, as an engineer.

Esparza was on board when the Banished attacked Infinity. During the chaos that followed, he stole a Pelican and fled. He found himself adrift in space for six months following the battle, until he happened upon the floating body of John-117, whose armor switched to life-supporting lockdown following a fight with Atriox.

Esparza used what remained of the Pelican's power to reroute it to Master Chief's armor and reboot it. After awakening him, Master Chief recruited the reluctant Esparza to aid him in taking back Zeta Halo for the UNSC. Although initially unwilling, Esparza was galvanized by Chief's heroism and success, and now eagerly fights beside him to target the remaining Banished presence on Zeta Halo.

In canon (~2560), he is turning 42!

[halobirthdays]

Happy birthday to Imperial Admiral Xytan 'Jar Wattinree!

Today is his -463rd birthday!

A giant even by Sangheili standards, Wattinree's biggest downfall was being too popular among Sangheili, which the San'Shyuum viewed as a threat to their influence. As a result, he was largely absent from the Human-Covenant war, relegated away from the front lines.

He was one of the first commanders to lead the Sangheili through the Great Schism, though he maintained his hatred towards humans. He assembled one of the first Covenant separatist groups, rallying shipmasters together to target the new Jiralhanae fleets. However, a NOVA bomb would accidentally be detonated on his ship, Sublime Transcendance, killing him, most of his fleet, and even part of the planet it orbited. His battle tactics continue to be studied by Sangheili in the post-war world.

He is survived by his daughter, Meduu the Fierce. Although by tradition, female Sangheili cannot own property, following his death, Meduu violently seized her father's property holdings. And what a proud father he would be!