Team Jian

Team Jian—later redesignated as Fireteam Jian—was a squad of from Gamma Company that was fielded during the final years of the . Part of the UNSC's program to create cheaper super-soldiers out of child recruits, the squad was first organized when the Gamma Company trainees were divided into five-man squads. Although Jian's team leader was the highly capable Jake-G293, its other members were less than stellar candidates and the team soon gained such disagreeable nicknames as "mongrel squad" and "team washout". However, in spite of poor teamwork and overall performance early on in training, the team managed to overcome its shortcomings and achieved combat ratings on par with the rest of Gamma Company. Team Jian performed well under fire against the Covenant but lost one member during counter-insurgency operations on Mamore and then another to Covenant remnant forces shortly after the war's end. Approximately one year later one of the lost members, Simon-G294 resurfaced as an Insurrectionist soldier and Team Jian was dispatched to eliminate him.
==Roster==
*Jake-G293: One of the highest performing members of Gamma Company, Jake showed early potential as a leader and was an instant candidate for a position as squad leader. Although displeased with his less than model squadmates, he was determined to whip the team into fighting shape. He succeeded in doing so and proved himself on the battlefield multiple times over the course of the Human-Covenant War, although he ultimately failed to bring Simon-G294 to justice following his former teammate's betrayal of the UNSC. Simon's betrayal and the loss of the rest of his team quashed Jake's ambitions for advancement within the Spartan ranks and left him deeply embittered. Skilled in both combat and small-unit tactics, he was later reassigned to Fireteam Nephthys.
*Mary-G130: Team Jian's CQC expert, Mary was notably skilled in her area of expertise, although this was somewhat hampered by her fiery temper and often unpredictable temper. Over the course of Gamma Company's training on Onyx, she was disciplined multiple times for routinely flouting rules and regulations. She had an aggressive reputation for getting into fights with other trainees and often had to be dragged away from her opponents by the rest of her team. Nevertheless, she was devoted to her friends and often went out of her way to stick up for less popular trainees such as Simon-G294. She died during a mop-up operation in the in the months after the 
*Ralph-G299: Team Jian's demolitions specialist, Ralph was marked by his instructors as a high-performing candidate during training. However, he displayed markedly high levels of aggression and, alongside his teammate Mary, constantly picked fights with other trainees. Furthermore, he discovered during his deployments during the Human-Covenant War that he was gradually becoming more and more dependent on the adrenaline rush of combat, feeling despondent or restless when off of the battlefield. He survived the war, but was displeased with the formation of the and other new UNSC military policies. His death at the hands of his friend and rogue teammate Simon-G294 may have come as a relief to a Spartan disillusioned with the government he was raised to serve.
*Simon-G294: The infamous "Gamma traitor", Simon garnered an unpleasant reputation during training as an undisciplined and poor-performing candidate. Only his innate cunning and dogged determination prevented him from being removed from Gamma Company altogether. During operations on Mamore, Simon became cut off from his team and was left behind on the rebel-infested planet. His experiences as a child soldier during the subsequent Second Mamore Insurgency made him grow to hate the UNSC, though he also became disillusioned with the Insurrectionist cause before fleeing the planet with Cassandra-G006 as a hostage. He gained infamy as the perpetrator of the Bombing of Philadelphia and later became a mercenary in the employ of the Syndicate criminal organization before joining 's as commander of the Kru'desh Legion. Despite low combat ratings during training, Simon was responsible for the deaths of Ralph-G299, several more of his former Gamma Company comrades, and several Spartan-IVs, earning him the rare designation of "Spartan killer."
*Cassandra-G006: Although her combat ratings were among the worst in Gamma Company, Cassandra became its most proficient medical specialist and was highly valued by her comrades in spite of her shortcomings as a combatant. During Team Jian's attempt to kill the traitor Simon-G294 on Mamore, she was severely wounded by Insurrectionist fire and and used as a hostage by Simon, who took her with him when he fled the system. Despite her kidnapping, Cassandra realized that her calling lay outside the UNSC and she joined Simon among the ranks of Gamma deserters. She later operated freelance medical clinics on and .
==Trivia==
*A jian is a slim, lightweight sword that originated in China during the 7th century B.C.
==Development Notes==