This is the second of FIVE backstories of my in-game Spartans. Each using a different core in Halo Infinite, I wanted to express why I chose each armor and give them each a befitting backstory.

As I post each story, I will add links to the other stories, for easy reference and switching back and forth.

After I conclude posting all five written stories, I will then begin to post the audio versions. with links after, accordingly as well.

Once that is complete, I then plan on writing the first of a hopeful series of full Fireteam Piecer stories. For now, sit back and enjoy the second installment, “Agent 28” Fireteam Piercer’s Sniper and Spy.

Backstory: Agent 28

Secrecy surrounds Agent 28. What little is known about him is laid out in this dossier. If anyone asked his name, he simply replied, “Zed.”

Agent 28 comes from ONI. We know that at least some of his duties included spying on insurrection outposts and outer colonies who traded with the Kig Yar. He was often sent first for Intel, then to quell any burgeoning insurrection by assassinating leaders of the insurrection. His tactics were not so obvious, as the murders came by poison, accidents, and seeding the thoughts of mutiny to the point that others, unbeknownst to them, did his work for him. Outposts who traded with Kig Yar were assessed for their value to humanity and more so to the war effort. If trading brought about important Intel, then the operation was allowed to continue. However, if there was no Intel to be gained, or the Intel coming in had slowed or stopped, those outposts were destroyed post haste, often coming when trades with the Kig Yar were in process. This allowed ONI to cover up the outposts being destroyed saying they were casualties in the war effort.

Agent 28’s deep knowledge of Kig Yar trade, tactics and [REDACTED] information was brought to the attention of high level officials within ONI who wanted another of their own to be made a Spartan. While Agent 28 did not agree with that assessment, believing he blended in better with locals as his current self, he was very hard pressed to go against the wishes of his commanders. Reluctantly, Agent 28 went under the process of training and augmentation in the Spartan IV program. While there, he was also tasked to report back to ONI specific bits of information not outlined in this transmission.

The UNSC had been taking a heavy amount of backlash, regarding outposts being decimated, when there was evidence many of those outposts could have been saved or not as heavily damaged as they were. So, with his immense amount of expertise in outer colony trade and habits, Agent 28 was paired with another Spartan to destroy alien trade with humans, as secretly as possible. By using only a pair of Spartans, instead of coming in with warships and orbital bombarding said outposts, the UNSC along with ONI, was much more capable of hiding the fact that they were suppressing insurrection, even in the midst of a galactic war.

Agent 28 and his Spartan partner Sven Sorenson were quite capable of performing their missions with high efficiency. It was during their final mission together however, when things would take a turn. Orders came down to hit a small inner colony city with a tactical fusion bomb, at a recently discovered mining and manufacturing plant that was suspected of supplying enemy forces. The issue is that this was Sorenson’s home planet. ONI was testing his allegiance as they had bigger plans in mind. Sorenson showed no outward disobedience. However, Agent 28, trained to recognize such things during his tenure with ONI, specifically had picked up on some very slight cues. A second longer stare when talking about the mission or a furtive glance when the name of the planet came up was all he needed, to know something was amiss.

When they landed in their modified Condor, Sorenson said that he was going to tend to the fusion bomb. Though this was protocol for their mission, Agent 28 immediately became suspicious. He allowed Sorenson to leave, while he secretly released an insect sized drone to watch him. As suspected, Sorenson was found to be tinkering with the fusion bomb to set it off much sooner. The understanding was, that it would look like an accident and both he, and Agent 28 would be killed in the blast thereby sacrificing himself but saving his home world from a fate he had himself brought about several other human populaces.

Agent 28 sprung into action and did not give Sorenson a chance to explain. That order by ONI was made specifically to the Agent and he knew how to carry it out with lethality. The first thing Agent 28 did was have the insect drone land on and insert itself into Sorenson’s armor. Once in, the drone let loose a small but well positioned EMP pulse that rendered Sorenson’s armor reactor inert. Without the ability to quickly move, Sorenson reached for the trigger mechanism to immediately detonate the fusion bomb. However, Agent 28 stopped him just short of that goal by hitting Sorenson with a sniper shot to his hand, severing the three middle fingers. Then as Sorenson swung around, struck him in the lower lumbar region of his back, splicing through the least protected area of armor and immediately severing Sorenson’s spine.

Sorenson, knowing he had failed, resigned himself to his fate. Agent 28 came over to him. Asked if he wanted his helmet off or on for his last breath. Sorenson asked for his helmet to be taken off, so that he could breathe his home world’s air one last time. With that, he took his last breath and Agent 28 shot him cleanly between the eyes with his magnum.

Agent 28 went on to complete the mission as ordered. Destroying the facility and hundreds of workers present during the detonation. However, for the first time in his career, he felt sympathy. He knew better than to report his emotions back to ONI. However, in one sentence of his report debrief to UNSC command, he mentioned that the facility did not look to be making any weapons. This was enough for ONI to know he had been compromised. 

In order to keep an ever more watchful eye on Agent 28, he was reassigned to the UNSC Infinity. There he served under Spartan Commander Palmer, performing typical Spartan missions, no longer conducting the more tactical, secret missions he was accustomed to. He was then assigned to Fireteam Piercer under the command of Spartan Carl “The Duke” Wayon. His last known location was aboard the Infinity as they entered Zeta Halo space.

If you find a Spartan with the following configuration, you have found Agent 28:

• Core: Rakshasa
• Helmet: Morrigan
• Visor: Shibuichi
• Chest: Standard Rakshasa with Proxy Logistics attachment
• Left Shoulder: SAP/HVISTLA PLATING
• Right Shoulder: SAP/HVISTLA PLATING
• Knee Pads: UA/Type SN
• Wrist: DOISAC KISS
• Utility: UTIL/Pocket Doc
• Gloves: Tenosyno
• Armor Coating: Smellbringer
• Spartan Number: [REDACTED]
• Service ID Number: [REDACTED]

No further documentation.

/End Transmission