NOVA Team

This fanfiction article, NOVA Team, was written by Commander A222. Please do not edit this fiction without the writer's permission.

"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

Nova Team, more formally styled as NOVA Team and occasionally referred to as NOVA or Team NOVA, is a fireteam-sized unit, composed of SPARTAN-III supersoldiers, formed in 2545. Nova Team serves under the operational control of the UNSC Navy, more specifically, the UNSC Naval Special Warfare Command (NAVSPECWAR) and Office of Naval Intelligence.

Overview[]

Nova Team was composed of SPARTAN-IIIs pulled from Alpha Company and Beta Company by Lieutenant Commander Kurt Ambrose and Senior Chief Petty Officer Franklin Mendez before the large-scale operations in which the companies were mostly destroyed, Operation: PROMETHEUS for Alpha and Operation: TORPEDO for Beta.

Prior to the Battle of Earth, Nova Team served on numerous fronts throughout the Human-Covenant War, such as Skopje, Paris IV, Tribute, and perhaps most significantly, Reach. Unfortunately, only four of the original members were reportedly alive by the end of 2552.

Nova Team, along with NOBLE Team and select other units, operated more extensively with non-SPARTAN military personnel than most Spartans during the war. To grant Nova Team more operational freedom in such situations, many of its members were granted ranks higher than those of most Spartans. Unlike Noble Team, however, Nova Team was not placed under the operational command of the UNSC Army and Special Warfare Group Three. Rather, Nova Team continued to serve as a Navy asset. While Nova Team is under the direct authority of the UNSC Naval Special Warfare Command (NAVSPECWAR), its CO is unspecified.

The SPARTAN-IIIs of Nova Team were issued equipment on par with that of the SPARTAN-IIs, such as MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor, which is far more advanced than the cheaper SPI armor worn by the mainline SPARTAN-IIIs. All members of the team were issued the first generation of Mark V MJOLNIR armor, known as Mark V[B], along with the other Spartans in late 2551. The members of Nova Team displayed a variety of color schemes and customized variants. In late 2552, the team received several experimental upgrades to this MJOLNIR armor in order to test new systems and the compatibility of GEN1 components with the prototype MJOLNIR GEN2 suite. Similar upgrades were received by Spartan Blue Team at around the same time. By 2558, both teams were known to be equipped with MJOLNIR GEN2 armor.

Known members[]

After its conception in 2545, the first Nova Team members were John-A222 and Josh-A124. It would be soon thereafter that Beta Company SPARTAN-IIIs would be assigned, along with Timothy-A025, to form a complete six-person unit.

After Tyler-B037 and Nathan-B136 were killed on Reach, replacements for Nova Team were considered. New Gamma Company Spartans were considered for replacements on the team, such as Robby-G076. If one member fell in the line of duty, plans were in place to bring a new Spartan in as a replacement. Despite Nova Team's losses, no new Spartans were added to the team roster.

Current composition (October 2558)[]

CDR John-A222 (Nova One) (Team leader/Rifleman/Grenadier)
LCDR Josh-A124 (Nova Two) (Sub-leader/Marksman/Scout)
LT Adam-B226 (Nova Three) (CQC/Assault)
WO Timothy-A025 (Nova Four) (Heavy weapons/Rifleman)

Former members[]

LT Tyler-B037 (2545-2552) (KIA)
CWO Nathan-B136 (2545-2552) (KIA)

Potential members[]

PO1 Robby-G076 (Joined Spartan Branch) (Active)
PO2 Andrew-G199 (Joined Spartan Branch) (Active)

Operational history[]

The original, war-era Nova Team emblem

NOVA Team was formed by the UNSC Navy in the year 2545 after the removal of select SPARTAN-IIIs from Beta Company. Given his prior tactical, leadership, and combat skills, John-A222 was selected to lead the team. In an effort to promote a positive team dynamic, Josh-A124 was assigned to the team as a sniper and second-in-command since he and John had grown close during training. Based on their formidable skillsets, Adam-B226, Timothy-A025, Tyler-B037, and Nathan-B136 were later assigned to the team in various roles.

Nova Team participated in numerous battles throughout the Human-Covenant War, such as the Battle of Skopje and the Siege of Paris IV. Nova Team was also deployed on a high priority mission to Casbah City along with several other SPARTAN-III fireteams during the Battle of Tribute.

Fall of Reach[]

Main article: Fall of Reach

Nova Team was sent to Reach along with sixty percent of the Epsilon Eridani Fleet after the Covenant supercarrier, Long Night of Solace revealed itself over the planet. Upon arrival, the Spartans were immediatiely deployed to Quezon, where a Covenant assault was underway, to slow the Covenant advance while evacuation efforts were organized. Surviving personnel were evacuated from a nearby ONI facility, where they were being harassed by Covenant forces. They were liberated from a pack of Jiralhanae when John stabbed a Chieftain in the neck, Josh-A124 ended a Brute Captain Major with a well-placed bullet, and the other members neutralized the remaining hostiles.

The team later 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, Nathan-B136 was hit by a Mgalekgolo assault cannon while escorting a group of civilians. Fortunately, the Spartan survived the encounter. As the metropolis was later glassed, Nova Team 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, the Spartans were 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 their deployment, Nova Team engaged in numerous defensive and counter-assault operations throughout Eposz. In the final days of the Battle of Reach, Nova Team was deployed, along with several other Spartans, to help defend the shipyard and pipelines in Aszod as the remnants of Noble Team transported a high priority package to the dry-docked UNSC Pillar of Autumn.

Aszod[]

Main article: Battle of Aszod

On the outskirts of the shipyard, the remnants of Nova Team fought alongside several other Spartan teams and many UNSC Marines. Covenant battlecruisers were taking position to begin glassing the planet as the battle progressed. Josh-A124 took cover behind local structures as Tyler-B037 and Adam-B226 rushed forward to engage in close-quarters.

The firefight continued as Mgalekgolo were deployed and opened fire on UNSC troops. Soon, seven of the Spartans there had been killed. Nova Team still stood strong, but the Covenant forces continued to push. John-A222 watched as the Covenant advance momentarily slowed, and the blade of an energy sword pierced through Tyler-B037's back. Nova Team opened fired on the attacking Spec Ops Sangheili team, quickly decimating them. The Sangheili assassin was thrown back as Josh-A124's bullet ripped into his chest. Despite the loss, the Spartans had to persist.

In the next hours, Noble Team was confirmed to be en route. The Spartan deaths were now at twelve with Phantoms dropping more Covenant infantry in the distance. Marines fired mounted machine guns into the rocky battlefield just before a formation of Banshees flew overhead. As the Spartans took cover, Nathan-B136 was hit by a fuel rod. He struggled to his knees before being overwhelmed by plasma fire from another Banshee formation. Eventually, local officers and Captain Jacob Keyes himself contacted the Spartans, ordering them to evacuate.

"Negative, Sir. We have an objective."

―John-A222

"That was an order, Spartan. Pelicans are en route. Noble will be here in time and can get out on the Autumn. Our last ships need to evac soon. We'll need every Spartan we can get... You and your team are getting out."

―Captain Jacob Keyes

The UNSC forces continued their resistance, but the Covenant assault was overwhelming. John-A222 gave the order, and the Spartans moved for a retreat. The four survivors of Nova Team, along with the local survivors, were then evacuated off-planet.

Defense of Earth[]

Main article: Battle of Earth

During the later Battle of Earth, Nova Team was deployed to New Mombasa where they engaged in intense urban warfare. Primarily, the Spartans engaged in defensive and counter-assault operations against the 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-A222 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 then 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 and Josh-A124 were given various combat/defensive roles in Athens, Sydney, and New York City.

Adam-B226 and Timothy-A025 were initially sent to Japan to engage Covenant forces in Tokyo and Fukushima. They were then reassigned to Diego Garcia when a Covenant capital ship arrived to besiege the base. The pair was later sent to Cleveland where they were pinned down and nearly killed by Covenant forces.

The team continued to engage hostile forces on Earth as the Battle of Installation 00 took place.

Post-War[]

Down to four members, Nova Team remained unintegrated into the newly-formed Spartan Branch. The unit continued to conduct special operations under the UNSC Navy and Office of Naval Intelligence, eliminating high-value Remnant targets and engaging hostile factions.

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 a hybridized RECON [GEN1] helmet. Likewise, testing by Josh-A124 and Adam-B226 would help lead to the development of VIGILANT-class, INTRUDER-class, INDOMITABLE-class MJOLNIR by 2558. All four of these GEN2 variants would later be used by the respective members of Nova Team.

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. Naturally, Nova Team was assigned the more hazardous and significant 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. It is unknown whether the team used MJOLNIR GEN2 by this date.

At some point before 2557, the team emblem was changed to its current appearance to reflect more modern fireteam styles. The members of Nova Team are some of the veteran Spartans known to have requested that certain GEN1 MJOLNIR variants be reevaluated for use with GEN2.

A130B226 — Timothy-A025 in combat alongside Adam-B226

As postwar conflicts with remaining Covenant splinter groups heightened, Nova Team received increasing deployments against Covenant forces. The Spartans 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.

By 2558, the Spartans of Nova Team were issued MJOLNIR GEN2 along with all other active Spartans. John-A222 was issued NOBLE-class MJOLNIR with a hybridized RECON [GEN1] helmet, and Josh-A124 was one of the few to be issued VIGILANT-class MJOLNIR. Adam-B226 and Timothy-A025 were each given a set of INTRUDER-class MJOLNIR, with INDOMITABLE-class and CQB-class helmets, respectively. The 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[]

A222A124(3) — John-A222 and Josh-A124 in combat

In October of 2558, Nova 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.

Trivia[]

Based on their deaths in Aszod, Nathan-B136 and Tyler-B037 could be two of the Thirteen Dead Spartans.
Nova Team's operations on Tribute were limited to the events surrounding the Battle of Casbah due to their subsequent need on Reach.
John-A222 and Josh-A124 are known to be highly lethal in an M12 Warthog LRV or M12G1 Gauss Hog, with the former gunning and the latter driving
The members of Nova Team were among the veteran SPARTAN-IIs and SPARTAN-IIIs who requested that certain MJOLNIR GEN1 variants be reassessed for use with the newer MJOLNIR GEN2 suite.