Herman Kipling

Herman Robert Kipling (Service number: 28103-92517-HK), born Troy Kipling, was an Office of Naval Intelligence agent who worked tirelessly to find strategies to win various battles during the Human-Covenant war. After being kidnapped by an insurrectionist splinter group on Eridanus II as a young child, his attempts to escape to get his family help motivated his parents to name him Herman, meaning "army." Herman later noted that his name would work as Troy anyways, which means "foot soldier." 
After enlisting in the UNSC Army in 2531, he was mostly deployed to handle counter-insurrection operations, except in 2532 to kill the rogue insurrectionist SPARTAN-II Blake-118; Kipling being the one to kill the rogue Spartan. Following this operation, he transferred to the Navy and quickly traveled up the ranks from Crewman Apprentice to Petty Officer, Third Class almost instantly. He showed some of his strategic prowess during an operation in 2543, which got the attention of ONI Agent Cecil Martin, who expressed support for Kipling, and told him he should join ONI. 
One year later, during the First Battle of Mowei, he would create the ideas for Operation: CALVARIAL REMOVAL and be placed in charge of a group of P-16009 Ulterior Strike Vehicles to fire a S.P.E.A.R at the exposed core of the Type-78 High-Altitude Ancillary Munitions Striker Platform. In the same year, he would have a role in Operation: WARM BLANKET. 
Kipling would go on to participate in various battles between 2545 and 2552, specifically the Fall of Reach, during which he narrowly escaped the Yanme'e that slaughtered 7 Delta in the SinoViet Center in New Alexandria. He did this on accident, as he had to leave anyways as requested by ONI. In 2546. he had a child, Hanzel Kipling. 
In 2556, he discovered Installation 10, and relayed that there were Covenant remnants—known as the Wanderers—on the Installation. They sent various military units, and two MAC-AASHPs to deal with the two Battlecruisers that the Wanderers possessed. One of the MAC-AASHPs—Golf 1—was destroyed, and the wreckage ending up sending Kipling flying and breaking his spine. The Wanderers then attempted to release a large amount of Keeoh-eesay—a chemical weapon—however only released a small quantity which began to disintegrate the man's skin and muscles. He listened to his parent's final transmission to him, telling him how proud they were of him and his career. He died somewhat happily. His body was later discovered by SPARTAN-IV Archer Lacy. 
== Biography ==
=== Early life ===
During his early life on the planet Eridanus II, he—alongside his parents—would be kidnapped by members of the local United Rebel Front splinter group. They were taken to a base known as FOB Callisto, and interrogated for information on the whereabouts of a disloyal ONI agent named Blake Miller. During the ordeal, Herman had attempted to escape twice, being beaten for this. A member of the local splinter group, Mariya, considered killing the boy. She was stopped by the group's leader, however. Before the insurrectionists could kill them, the family were saved by an ODST team led by Kana Makovich—with SPARTAN-II Lidna-058 providing cover for the team. 
=== Military career ===
==== Human-Covenant War ====
Following the ordeal, his parents would get his legal name changed to Herman, as they felt the boy would become an elite soldier one day. (The name Herman meaning "army.") Sometime in 2531, Herman enlisted for the UNSC Army to the support of his parents. He fought on several planets to secure various cities that were being targeted by insurrectionists. Specifically, on the planet Obalius in the 23 Librae system, Kipling fought alongside future SPARTAN-IV Kojo Agu, who, at the time, was an ODST. He marveled over the man's 100% accuracy rating with the SRS99D-S2. On March 6, 2532, Kipling was deployed in Wohnunburg as part of Strike Team Epsilon during an Operation known as Operation: BAD KARMA. Their mission was to find and kill Blake-118, the rebel SPARTAN-II. During the Operation, Kipling was shot in the shoulder by a M45 shotgun fired by Blake-118. The Spartan fled, however was quickly chased down, and his shields were weakened by other marines. Kipling raised his M6C magnum, and fired at the Spartan's exposed head, killing the traitor once and for all. He then went on to carry out several other operations before transferring to the navy. 
After demonstrating his strategic prowess as a Petty Officer, Third Class during 2543 and Operation: SPEARHEAD on Makrinós II in the 23 Librae system, the Office of Naval Intelligence expressed their interest in him, especially following recommendation from Agent Cecil Martin. 
Kipling was then sent with the UNSC Tuvaluan Ivory to destroy an early version of the Type-78 High-Altitude Ancillary Munitions Striker Platform that the Covenant would later use for the first time during the Battle of Salem. Kipling was the one who came up with Operation: CALVARIAL REMOVAL, which had a distraction force attack the Covenant from the front while a group of experimental P-16009 Ulterior Strike Vehicles—which were invisible to Covenant motion sensors—led by Kipling (callsign: Shadow Nine) snuck around to destroy the Striker Platform's exposed core. However, one of the ship's Ulterior capabilities malfunctioned, and the Covenant became aware of the infiltration. Xyto 'Ranak, a Sangheili Fleet Master, desperately tried to send reinforcements to defend the Striker Platform. However, by that point it was too late; Kipling had launched a Special Purpose Exo-atmospheric Rocket (S.P.E.A.R) at the exposed core of the Striker Platform and destroyed it—the resulting blast destroying the nearby CCS-class battlecruiser Lance of Holy Reprisal. Even though the UNSC lost Mowei (Gamma Gemini IX), He was instantly promoted to Lieutenant, Junior Grade (LTJG) and accepted into the Office of Naval Intelligence.
While stationed on the UNSC One in Shadows, he was briefed on his first mission: to participate in Operation: WARM BLANKET on the Prowler PRO-49776 to rescue Doctor Halsey. This was the first time that Kipling had seen Spartans in action—specifically John-117. The mission was successful. 
Following this, he would go on to be promoted to Captain for his bravery during a number of Naval battles between 2545 and 2550. He had a child in 2456, Hanzel, with Kristine Kinsley. In 2551, he met Agent Victor Kerry, who became his leading officer during various counter-insurrection operations on Reach. In 2552, WINTER CONTINGENCY was declared on Reach, and so the two were deployed to New Alexandria, and inserted in the SinoViet Center along with 7 Delta. However, they were need somewhere else and left before the majority of 7 Delta would be killed. 
Following the Fall of Reach, Kipling would participate in the Earth Sustained Defense Campaign, during which he fought with John-117 along Tsavo highway, and in the city of Voi. He would later be picked up by Charlie 505 (A Pelican) and relocated to help drive the covenant from Sydney, Australia. 
==== Post-war conflicts ====
On January 5, 2556, the discovery of Shield World 178, ONI sent Kipling to investigate. They deployed a SV49 Maritime Navigation Vehicle with the callsign Kilo 6, with Kipling as the lead officer. They landed on a beach where the Covenant splinter group known as the Wanderers had already been setting up shop. They used the MNV's missiles to kill the forces. It was clear that they had been there for some time. He then relayed this to ONI, who forced the UNSC to send various Marine and Army units, including the 78th Ranger Battalion. 
After holding out for four months, on April 30, 2556, the man sent his final transmission to his parents. Then, on May 18, 2556, problems began. For a start, the Wanderers had two CCS-class battlecruisers in their possession: the Divine Endeavor and Mighty Cutlass of Oe'jeeneh. This led to the installation of two Mk. 55 1.17GJ AA/S's, codenamed Hotel-2 and Golf-1. However, the Divine Endeavor was able to destroy Golf-1 before being shot down by Hotel-2. When Golf-1 fell, the shockwave sent Kipling flying, and he then hit a mini-armory near Kilo 6, breaking his spine in the process. Following this, a chemical weapon known as Keeoh-eesay (Sangheili for "death") was released, melting his skin. He listened to his mother and father telling them how much they loved him before perishing.