Tai Cruze

Spartan Tai Cruze (SN: 28294-79054-TC), often referred to as Codename: GATOR in ONI reports, is a SPARTAN-IV supersoldier, operating under the Office of Naval Intelligence’s Delta-6 Division as an urban warfare specialist. Formerly a member of the UNSC Marine Corps, Cruze distinguished his career as an Orbital Drop Shock Trooper, fighting through numerous campaigns within the 104th Shock Troops Battalion as the designated grenadier of his combat team. 
Following the end of the Human-Covenant War, Cruze sought to take his leave and return to his homeworld of Sargasso, pleased with his time in the military. Still, it wasn't until receiving an invitation in 2554 for the SPARTAN-IV program that he’d decide to return. Accepting his new career as a Spartan and a member of Fireteam Triton, Cruze would partake in various anti-secessionist operations, ranging from Talista to Kyrenia. His prior disdain for insurrectionists made him a valuable component for these sorts of missions, sufficiently motivating him to get the job done. 
This eventually caught the eye of the Office of Naval Intelligence, and his resolve and tenacity earned him a reassignment under their classified Delta-6 Division. Cruze acted as the main assaulter and pointman of his detail, Tango-9, serving in numerous conflicts throughout the subsequent Created Crisis.
==Biography==
=== Early Life===
=== Raid on Ikros ===
==== Operation: BLIND FURY ====
On July 1, 2550, the UNSC was given a green-light to investigate the isolated planet of Ikros, believed to be undergoing excavation by Covenant special warfare group for an unknown Forerunner artifact. A small force led by the UNSC Luck Of The Irish was sent to the planet to intercept and retrieve the artifact for themselves, hoping to utilize whatever it was to turn the tide of the war.
Alpha-Six shot the breeze aboard the UNSC Orleans, casually chatting, enjoying their time before the inevitable deployment in a few minutes. At 0223 hours, they were dropped behind enemy lines while the Marines and Navy drew the Covenant attention toward them—or at least, that's what was meant to happen. While observing the drop point on his HUD map, Cruze's SOEIIV pod was thrown off course after being unluckily crashed ricoched off the hull of a Banshee, damaging his communications and sending far from the initial drop point. His pod met the ground with a heavy impact, flipping upside, ripping through the dirt until being stopped by a hill. 
He fell out of his pod, vomiting his guts over the grass before recollecting himself. He activated his VISR and equipped himself with nothing but his M6C SOCOM, as the shock caused him to forgo his already-greater equipment. After killing a straggling Unggoy, he trekked through the rainforests where a squad of Marines led by a sergeant named Silvers, callsign: Bravo-Two were engaged in a firefight with Covenant forces. He assisted Bravo-Two, taking out a group of Unggoy before using fallen Marine's DMR to finish off the Kig-Yar. 
A calm shortly set in, but Cruze was indirectly blown into a bush by a Chieftain's Gravity Hammer, dazed once more as a pair of Brutes ambushed the exhausted fighters, killing most if not all of them in the fight while Cruze 
helplessly watched it happen. The Brute Chieftain noticed Cruze and moved to finish him off as well, if not for a certain Spartan Rebecca-106 jumping to intervene before the hammer was brought. While Cruze struggled to the identify the soldier—being his first ever encounter with one—the Spartan wrestled the Chieftain, disarming it's hammer and battering it to death. Ruby dragged Cruze further into a bush, injecting him with some meds before proceeding to kill several more Brutes in front of his astonished eyes. However, being wildly outnumbered, Rebecca was overwhelmed and caught off-guard by a cloaked Special Operations Elite, impaling her with an energy and seemingly killing her in the process. While Cruze hid away, his mind gradually going blank from the meds, he eavesdropped as the Covenant celebrated their killing. A tense argument occurred between the Brutes and Sangheili, with a Skirmisher almost discovering Cruze in the bush. Thankfully, the Covies moved out before the ODST blacked out. 
He came to a few hours by the sound of beastly sniffing, waking up to a pair of Ikros' fauna dragging his body out of the bush, mistaking him for another dead. A gunshot flying past them caused them to scurry off as it was revealed that Rebecca-106 was still hanging on—but only by a loose thread. Cruze sauntered toward the dying Spartan, thankful for her saving his life like that. Rebecca pulled off her helmet, removing her personal AI's data chip and placing in his hands, giving him one final wish.
Before dying right after. Cruze held the chip in his hands, kneeling their in a state too overwhelmed by everything that had happened in these occuring hours. Cruze gave Rebecca a stone burial, connecting the AI to his own helmet who was silent, stricken by the loss of her Spartan. Cruze placed his helmet back on his head, before finally setting out to again regroup with his team.
It had been one hell of night.
=== Defense of Earth ===
==== Operation: ROYAL SKIES ====
At some point in late 2552, Tai had been promoted to sergeant for his heroic efforts on Ikros. When the Covenant located and invaded Earth, he participated in a counter strike over the metropolis of London aided by the SPARTAN-III fireteam, Team Cutlass. His prior encounter with Rebecca-106 gave him a sense of respect for the operators, despite not being of the same class. He expressed this with the team shortly before their drop, and fought alongside them with during the Battle of London against the occupying Covenant forces.
== Personality ==
Cruze, the young but competent trooper. He's the sort of guy you can rely on, who will always have your back. If you have a plan, he'll hear you out. He greatly trusts his teammates and puts great faith into them, which become mutual as his teammates trust him. He's very self-assured and confident, but tries not to let it get to the point of arrogance and recklessness. At times, he may grow stubborn once his mind is set on something, refusing to give in and let up. He's self-aware of his flaws and tries not to let them get too out of head. He also isn't afraid to tell people how it is, scolding people for their flaws when it comes to it. Owing his life to one, Cruze also holds a high amount of respect toward those of the Spartan programs, contrasting the rivalry held by his fellow ODSTs. When meeting the kids of Team Cutlass, he openly displayed this respect, recounting the memories of his savior. 
Cruze's also got a somewhat snarky sense of humour, mumbling sarcastic complaints and often rants to himself after something goes wrong.
=== Physical Appearance ===
Tai Verna is a South-Asian man with some Hispanic heritage, possessing curly short black hair and dark skin. Prior to becoming a Spartan, he stood at a modest 5 foot 9 inches and weighed about 175lbs, which then grew exponentially following his ORCHID augmentations. He has various tattoos on his body emphasize his job as a soldier, such as the ODST logo on his back as well as a stylized tattoo of the Roman god of fire, Vulcan on his left bicep to emphasize his grenadier role.
== Equipment ==
* ODST BDU: Common equipment for Orbital Drop Shock Troopers, Cruze's gear comes with the standard VISR component, body armour, helmet BIOS, rucksack and so on. Like others, Cruze customized his gear, spray painting green colours onto parts and added a daisho symbol on his chest plate. 
* MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armour: Issued upon joining Spartan Operations, donning the ATLAS variant in a green-black colour scheme reminiscent of his ODST BDU. 
* MA5D Assault Rifle: Cruze's primary weapon, replacing the MA5C he used during the war. Often equipped with a sound-suppressor and laser targetter, as well as an under-barrel is a M301 Grenade Launcher that can be loaded with one shell at a time and fire at great distances.
* M319 Individual Grenade Launcher: Cruze's secondary weapon, fulfilling his duty as a grenadier. With this weapon, he can
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Category:ODST
Category:UNSC Marine Corps Personnel
Category:UNSC
Category:SPARTAN-IV