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Terminal This fanfiction article, John-A222, was written by John-A222. Please do not edit this fiction without the writer's permission.


"Spartans don't fight to survive. They survive to fight."
― John-A222

Commander John-A222 is a SPARTAN-III commando of the UNSC Naval Special Warfare Command. He served extensively throughout the Human-Covenant War, becoming a decorated veteran and an advanced tactician. John specializes in leadership and mid-range marksmanship. In addition, he is proficient in close-quarters combat and reconnaissance. John is the leader of NOVA Team, an elite squad of Spartans that was deployed numerous times since its creation in 2545. John's call sign in the team is Nova One. He is attached the UNSC Navy but with unspecified service to the Office of Naval Intelligence.

Biography[]

Childhood and SPARTAN-III training[]

"There were only a handful of my Threes that I felt could even come close to the incredible standards of their predecessors... and A222 was one of them."
SCPO Franklin Mendez referring to John

John was born in 2523 on the human colony of New Harmony to a family of Greek descent. As a child, John was thin with dark brown hair and eyes. From early on, he displayed a superior intelligence to that of his peers which benefited him greatly in his later career as a soldier. John was conscripted into the SPARTAN-III program in 2531 as part of the program's Alpha Company. He trained along with the other Spartans of Alpha Company at Camp Currahee on Onyx under LCDR Kurt Ambrose and SCPO Franklin Mendez. In training, John exhibited advanced reflexes and natural leadership ability, proving himself to be one of the top candidates. He was recognized as one of the emerging leaders of Alpha Company by his instructors, along with Carter-A259. John successfully underwent all of the CHRYSANTHEMUM augmentations and emerged a supersoldier.

"John is advanced, even among his peers. He's a "cat 2" and I don't want to see that wasted."
LCDR Kurt Ambrose to SCPO Franklin Mendez

Recognizing his exceptional skill, Kurt Ambrose and Franklin Mendez deemed John too valuable to be wasted on suicide missions. While Alpha Company was declared active in 2536, an unknown number of Spartans, including John-A222, Carter-A259, Jun-A266, Josh-A124, and Emile-A239 were extracted from the company. At some point, John and the other reassigned Spartans would receive more advanced equipment, including MJOLNIR-Powered Assault armor in order to make their combat ability comparable to that of the SPARTAN-IIs.[note 1] John was assigned to lead a special fireteam composed of Spartans similarly extracted from Alpha Company and was given the rank of Lieutenant, Junior Grade.

The Spartans still part of Alpha Company would go on to perish during Operation: PROMETHEUS in 2537.

Early military career[]

"You know as well as I do that we wind up with some that she would have chosen—not just kids unlucky enough to survive a glassing. Orders are still being followed and those Spartans are in the field, but they are armed as SPARTANs—and they are making a difference."
― LCDR Kurt Ambrose to SCPO Franklin Mendez

Deployment after deployment, John continued to prove his worth as a Spartan. His impressive service record began to gain the attention of some of the most senior officials involved in the Spartan programs.

"...highly deserving of hyper-lethal status,"
― John's personnel file
John-A222 Armor

A222 shortly after receiving his Mark V armor

His fireteam was deployed several times from 2540 to 2543 for unknown reasons, but John received a promotion to Lieutenant during this period. These and several later deployments are suspected to involve ONI and are listed as classified on John's official service record. With the extraction of selected SPARTAN-IIIs from Beta Company in 2545, NOVA Team was created as a special operations Spartan team. John was assigned as its leader and quickly took pride in the team, stating that it was an effective unit. His battlefield actions and strategic command quickly earned him the respect of his squadmates. In 2546, when Sargasso was attacked by the Covenant, John-A222 and his team were deployed to aid in its defense. It was at this battle that UNSC forces first encountered the Type-46 Spectre ISV. Nova Team managed to acquire significant intelligence regarding the vehicle and subsequently received commendations, John being given the rank of Lieutenant Commander in the UNSC Navy. The battle is assumed to have been a rare UNSC victory.

In the next few years, John's team fought in the Battle of Skopje and the Siege of Paris IV. The Spartans aided in defensive and evacuation efforts on both fronts and John received a promotion to Commander sometime thereafter in 2549 for his valiant efforts. Later in 2551, he and the remaining Spartans were issued the first generation of the improved MJOLNIR Mark V armor, known as Mark V[B], for active duty.

In July of 2552, the Covenant finally arrived in the Epsilon Eridani system, attacking the colonies of Tribute and Reach. John-A222 and his team were first deployed on Tribute, where they aided in the defense of Casbah City. In one of the final engagements of the city, multiple SPARTAN-III fireteams engaged the Covenant assault force in the capital. One SPARTAN-III team stayed behind, holding off Covenant forces so a group of remaining civilians could escape the colony. Although successful, these Spartans would ultimately be killed. The larger Battle of Tribute would last for several months, ending with the Great Schism in November.

Fall of Reach[]

Main article: Fall of Reach
John-A222 Evacuation

John-A222 assisting with evacuation of New Alexandria

After the discovery of a Covenant advance force by NOBLE Team on Reach, many engagements soon followed, such as the Battle at Szurdok Ridge. When this battle ended with the uncloaking of a massive CSO-class supercarrier, sixty percent of the Epsilon Eridani Fleet was recalled to Reach to aid in its defense. Having been withdrawn from Tribute, Nova Team was among the reinforcements scheduled to arrive by August 15. Upon arrival, the Spartans were immediately deployed to Quezon where a Covenant assault was underway. Initially, Nova Team was assigned to slow the Covenant advance while evacuation efforts were organized. This task was left to ODSTs when a local ONI facility was attacked by a Jiralhanae strike team. Most of the security forces, officials, and researchers present had already been killed before Nova Team arrived. John and his team soon found the remaining personnel being terrorized by the pack of the Brutes. The situation was resolved as John stabbed the pack Chieftain in the neck, and the team's primary sniper, Josh-A124, ended a Captain Major with a well-placed bullet. Concurrently, the rest of the team neutralized the remaining hostiles. The team continued special operations in Quezon but was later withdrawn before the city was glassed. Nova Team then assisted in the evacuation of New Alexandria along with Gauntlet Team and Echo Team after the Covenant initiated an aggressive raid on the city. Here, Hunter-B219, of Nova Team, was injured by Mgalekgolo.

John-A222 New Alexandria 4

John-A222 moving through a city plaza in New Alexandria

As the metropolis was later glassed, John and his men escorted local civilians and military personnel to a public bunker near the city center, where they would wait for hours. In the aftermath of the glassing, the members of Nova Team lit distress flares to signal any nearby search and rescue forces. As the bunker was evacuated, John's team was picked up by a Pelican and helped responders sweep the city for survivors. At one point, the dropship pilots spotted the blue smoke of a signal flare rising from the ruins of Olympic Tower. Here, John and the able members of Nova Team helped evacuate the survivors of Noble Team and other stranded personnel. During the remainder of its deployment to Reach, Nova Team engaged in numerous defensive and counter-assault operations throughout Eposz.

John-A222 Assassination

John-A222 assassinating a Sangheili officer in Aszod

In the final days of the Battle of Reach, John's team was one of the several that defended the shipyard and pipelines in Aszod. The Spartans held off Covenant forces as the remnants of Noble Team transported a high priority package to the dry-docked UNSC Pillar of Autumn. At this time, Adam-B005 of Nova Team was killed by a Spec Ops Sangheili, and Hunter-B219 perished by Banshee fire. As the UNSC defenses weakened, the Nova Team survivors were withdrawn along with some of the remaining UNSC forces. It was shortly after this that SPARTAN-B312 and Emile-A239 made their last stand against overwhelming Covenant forces at the shipyard.

Defense of Earth[]

Main article: Battle of Earth
John-A222 New Mombasa

John-A222 active in New Mombasa

The remnants of John's team were deployed to Earth in September of 2552, where UNSC forces began to fortify for a final stand against the Covenant. The first Covenant force, led by the Prophet of Regret, arrived at Earth on October 20. Initially, Nova Team and other UNSC forces engaged in New Mombasa by means of intense urban warfare. John and his team engaged in defensive and counter-assault operations against the new Jiralhanae-led invasion force. The fighting was constant until the Covenant Assault Carrier, Solemn Penance, made a sudden slipspace jump above the city, devastating the ground below. In the aftermath, John was informed that UNSC contact had been lost with a team of ODSTs on a classified deployment. Nova Team was ordered to locate the team and recover their objective, a Forerunner artifact known as the Conduit. Arriving at the team's last known location, Nova Team found the ODSTs dead and the artifact missing. The Spartans reported their findings. With scant information regarding the artifact's whereabouts, the UNSC presumed the Conduit destroyed. The Spartans continued to help resist the Covenant ground forces even as hostile reinforcements arrived. After the loss in Mombasa, Nova Team was divided into pairs in an effort to deploy Spartans on more fronts, John-A222 serving with Josh-A124. The pair was relocated, fighting across a variety of fronts in North America, Europe, and Australia. From October 25 to November 17, they fought in Athens, Sydney, and New York City, as the Prophet of Truth's fleet arrived. During the Battle of Installation 00, John and Nova Team persisted with the rest of the UNSC forces on Earth until the fighting relented.

Post-War[]

After the end of the Human-Covenant War, most Spartans were given the option to either supplement the newly-formed Spartan Branch of the UNSC or to be assigned to a non-combat role. However, along with Spartan Blue Team, Nova Team remained unintegrated from the Spartan Branch, serving in special operations for the UNSC Navy and ONI. Retaining the rank of Commander, John continued to lead his Spartan team on high-priority deployments.

In late 2552, Nova Team was provided with several upgrades and incorporations to their Mark V[B] armor to field test many features for the future MJOLNIR GEN2. One such test involved the backwards compatibility of GEN1 MJOLNIR components on the experimental GEN2 suite. Ultimately, the results partially yielded the ability to use certain Mark V[B]-based variants with the GEN2 platform. Field tests carried out by John-A222 would specifically aid in the development of the hybridized RECON [GEN1] helmet, which he would later wear.

John-A222 GEN2 City 2

John-A222 fielding his MJOLNIR GEN2 armor

In March of 2553, Nova Team was assigned to Installation 03, or "Gamma Halo," along with several SPARTAN-IV fireteams. Deployment objectives were to reconnoiter the surface, quarantine areas of potential Flood contamination, and recover any notable Forerunner artifacts. John-A222 led Nova Team skillfully, being assigned the more hazardous objectives. The four SPARTAN-IIIs of Nova Team continued operations on the ring's surface, conducting reconnaissance, providing military support, and retrieving artifacts, until late 2554.

As postwar conflicts with remaining Covenant splinter groups heightened, Nova Team received increasing deployments against Covenant forces. John and the rest of his team found themselves pitted against several rogue groups, including the forces of Jul 'Mdama. Once humanity encountered mechanical Prometheans in 2557, Nova Team would soon see combat against the Forerunner constructs as well.

John-A222 GEN2 City

John-A222 deployed against a Promethean incursion in early 2558

By 2558, John-A222 was issued MJOLNIR GEN2 along with all other active Spartans. He and his fellow SPARTAN-IIIs saw routine deployments on various planets, including former Outer Colonies. Objectives during the first half of 2558 included eliminating pockets of Covenant control, countering Promethean assaults, and eliminating high-value targets. As efforts to recolonize former human worlds expanded, Nova Team also saw deployments defending important settlements against aggressive Promethean raids.

Emergence of the Guardians[]

In October of 2558, John's team was tasked with eliminating Rysa 'Vestam, the leader of a growing Covenant faction, in a covert raid on Hesduros. However, this operation would be aborted when devastating Forerunner anomalies were reported on five human colonies in the following days. Nova Team was immediately deployed to investigate two such catastrophes, first on Oban and then Ursa IV. After Blue Team was declared AWOL a few days later, Nova Team was considered for reassignment to track the missing Spartans. Fireteam Osiris would instead be issued the objective, leaving Nova Team to continue operations on Ursa IV.

Once a Guardian emerged on Meridian, the constructs would be more widely known as the source of the anomalies. The UNSC came to recognize the true threat of the Created as a Guardian stationed itself over Earth and other human worlds. Scrambling to avoid the attacks, UNSC forces were left scattered, with UNSC Infinity racing away from Earth. Blue Team and Fireteam Osiris would arrive on Sangheilios while Nova Team would remain on Ursa IV.

Traits and personality[]

John is known to be a serious and intelligent Spartan, always thinking tactically on the battlefield. As with most Spartans, he holds a firm sense of duty and responsibility. He is known to remain calm under fire and completes his tasks efficiently. John's battlefield prowess is considerable, significantly outweighing some Spartans. Although he tends to engage in mid-range combat, he has exhibited an advanced proficiency with a combat knife, often using stealth or reflexes to neutralize targets.

John's Emblem

The Spartan helmet emblem featured on John's armor

John-A222 holds great respect for his predecessors, the SPARTAN-IIs, having studied their tactics in training and serving alongside them. Regarding the other members of Nova Team, the Spartans have forged a bond similar to that exhibited by other close fireteams. In many ways, John views the other members of Nova Team as brothers. Despite having a perceived responsibility to the men under his command, John emphasizes supremacy of mission objectives, recognizing the gravity of a Spartan deployment. Although rarely exhibited, he is known to have a rather dry sense of humor.

Given his heritage, John seems to be fluent in the Greek language although its usage is limited in his standard operations. Regardless, it is known that he communicated with Greek settlers on at least one occasion during emergency evacuation efforts. It is believed that his ancestors lived in the country of Greece on Earth. For this reason, the insignia of a Greek Spartan helmet is displayed on John's armor.

Equipment[]

John's preferred weapons are the MA37/MA5D Assault Rifle, M392/M395 Designated Marksman Rifle, and the M319 Individual Grenade Launcher although he has shown proficiency with the majority of UNSC weapons. John is known to keep an M6G/M6H2 Magnum as a sidearm. He is also capable of using Covenant weaponry and Promethean weaponry when the combat situation demands it. His MJOLNIR GEN1 armor was often supplemented with MJOLNIR Active Camouflage (AV-CAM).

Nnnfff

Concept art of John's Mark V Recon helmet

Along with the rest of Alpha Company, John was issued cheap Mark I Semi-Powered Infiltration armor. At some point after his removal from the company, John was granted a base set of advanced hardware MJOLNIR Mark IV armor. This was used in service until 2551 when MJOLNIR Mark V[B] was released into active duty. With his new Mark V[B] armor, John was granted use of the prototype RECON variant, as seen with his helmet and shoulder pauldrons. However, he also used several Tactical additions. He admired several pieces of the recently-developed technology.

John-A222 GEN1 Armor

John-A222's Mark V[B] armor

John's MJOLNIR Mark V[B] armor set is his most recognizable and would go on to influence his later appearance as an armored Spartan. His RECON helmet was known to feature a UA Blast Shield, a golden visor (B5D-R/Optics Suite) and a 3rd Generation External Hardened Uplink (HUL) for MILINT acquisition. The rest of his armor consisted of a Tactical/Recon chestpiece, RECON shoulder pauldrons, and FJ/PARA knee guards. His armor also featured an MC5 Individual Data Net/Terminal (Tactical/TACPAD) on the left forearm and a combat knife near the left shoulder. John is known to have kept a Tactical/Hard Case as part of his utility. John's armor boasted a Sage coloration with Steel as a secondary color. The image of a Greek Spartan helmet was displayed on his chestpiece. MJOLNIR Mark V[B] was used by John and his team through the end of the war.

A222GEN2

John-A222's GEN2 armor

In late 2552, the remnants of Nova Team and Blue Team were issued experimental MJOLNIR upgrades, including firmware upgrades, operational updates, and hardware improvements. These additions served as field tests for components and systems that would later be incorporated into MJOLNIR GEN2 armor. As of 2558, Nova Team, Blue Team, and most other active Spartans are assumed to have transitioned to the MJOLNIR GEN2 platform. As a result, John was issued NOBLE-class MJOLNIR. However, rather than the variant standard helmet, he was issued a hybridized RECON [GEN1] helmet featuring the Dynasty VISR system, heavily resembling his Mark V[B] armor. John's GEN2 armor also displayed his traditional color scheme of a Sage primary color with a Steel secondary.

By the end of 2559, John and the members of Nova Team were issued armor from the new MJOLNIR GEN3 platform. Given that the baseline model of this new armor generation was heavily inspired by the first-generation MJOLNIR Mark V platform used during the Fall of Reach, the transition marked a return to more familiar armor configurations for the members of Nova Team while still maintaining improvements from the prior GEN2 platform.

NOVA Team[]

Main article: NOVA Team
Nova Team (Full)

John with Nova Team at full strength

NOVA Team was an elite squad of SPARTAN-IIIs that was formed by the UNSC Navy in the year 2545. Given his prior tactical experience, leadership, and combat skills, John-A222 was selected to lead the team. Nova Team was deployed on countless fronts throughout the Human-Covenant War such as Tribute and Reach. The squad consisted of six Spartans, comparable to Noble Team. The original members were John-A222, Josh-A124, Nick-B110, Timothy-A025, Adam-B005, and Hunter-B219. The team call signs were Nova One, Nova Two, Nova Three, Nova Four, Nova Five, and Nova Six, respectively. After the end of the Human-Covenant War, the four remaining Spartans would continue special operations for the UNSC Navy and Office of Naval Intelligence.

Trivia[]

  • John is currently one of the only Spartans to actually be of Greek descent.
  • John was unique among the SPARTAN-IIIs, having the genetic specifications sought in SPARTAN-II candidates.
  • John's Spartan tag is a possible 7 reference because given that "A" is the first letter of the alphabet, it can take an assumed value of "1". Therefore, 1 + 2 + 2 + 2 = 7.
  • The emblem located on John's armor bears similarity to the emblem displayed on Jerome-092's shoulder pauldron. Given the reasoning for selecting this emblem, there is no correlation.
  • John would later be issued the MJOLNIR GEN2 helmet that his field testing in 2552 would help produce.
  • Unlike Jun-A266 and Kat-B320, who also grew up on New Harmony, John-A222 does not speak with an accent.

Gallery[]

Notes[]

  1. It is unknown when Spartans removed from Alpha Company first received MJOLNIR armor. It may have occurred immediately following their removal or later upon their integration into units such as Noble and Nova Teams. This means there are approximately nine years during which the armor used by John-A222 is unknown.
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