//Bibliography\\
Name: Jacob Keyes
Rank: Captain (naval)
Affiliation: UNSC (United Nations Space Command)
Age: Approximately 62 Earth years; due to long periods of Slipspace travel spent within cyro-chambers however it is closer to a late 40s in physical deterioration; also, medical advances allow people to live a longer life and therefore age more slowly in his universe.
Gender: Male
Species: Human
Sexuality: Heterosexual
Appearance: Jacob Keyes is strict military discipline, which includes his meticulous appearance at all times. He prefers to be wearing a uniform at any given time, and in fact will likely complain about the looseness of civilian clothes if ever forced to wear them. His graying hair is cut short as per military regulations. He has stormy grey-blue eyes that belie his keen intelligence until he becomes utterly focused and hardened in his work. He is of an average height for a male and though obviously aging his body is still kept in good shape. He has relatively unassuming physical traits that are neither ugly nor entirely attractive yet he has a odd charm about him that adds to his features to make him appear kindly handsome.
Personality: Again, Captain Keyes is practically the epitome of strict military discipline. On board his ship, and especially on his bridge, no nonsense is tolerated and he will quickly reprimand any insubordination quickly and efficiently, and without remorse. But that isn’t to say Keyes is an uptight stick in the mud; no, Jacob will share in a well-timed and tasteful joke when the time calls for one. He just likely won’t be the one to initiate it (unless it is a dry, humorless remark on a FUBAR situation that really isn’t a joke at all). He realizes that soldiers need the release and easily tolerates good humor when it can be afforded. Possibly one of the best ways to describe Captain Keyes is “fatherly.” He is a strict man, but he compliments and rewards just as quickly as he reprimands. He is well respected amongst his peers, both for his intellectual prowess in navigation and naval tactics as well as inspirational leadership. He is fully dedicated to his cause: to protect Earth and her colonies no matter the cost. And nothing could ever stop him from giving his all in this endeavor. In almost contrast to his strict protocol adherence, Keyes is well known for thinking in unconventional means to get an impossible job done. While he would never condone the kinds of tactics he uses in the battlefield within his classroom, he is more than willing to try the unlikely in his own experiences. Keyes is an excellent secret keeper; conversely, in most cases he is a horrible lair. While he likes the feel on his grandfather’s pipe in his hands and to fiddle with it while he thinks, he views such an action as a sign of nervousness. Keyes never likes to show such weakness to his crew for fear it will unnerve them, and he never wants others to be unconfident in their commander. This could be either a sign of pride--or simply his desire to never spook his fellow soldiers or make them doubt themselves. Besides being the “Old Man” to his crew, Keyes is also an actual father back home. He is truly a loving person whether or not he can always accurately get this point across on a regular basis.
Abilities/Strengths: Keyes has a brilliant tactical mind and is well known throughout the UNSC for his “outside the box” way of thinking. Although his specialty lies in space naval combat, he is not incapable of leading a land force. Indeed, his observant mind and keen sense of comprehending a situation in its full enormity rather than only on a small scale help him command ground troops almost as well as his own ship and its people within. However, as a full-time “squid” he is definitely best placed at the command of a warship and in the middle of an ill-odds space battle. Placed under immense pressure he is not the type to fold under the weight of responsibility but rather will only get more creative in his desperation--a desperation that his fellow soldiers never actually see due to his well-trained “poker” face in the heat of battle. (And if not that face, then his “I’m-busy-thinking-tactically-don’t-bother-me” face.) He has won many a battle against even the out-numbering Covenant forces with his sometimes sketchy, but brilliant tactics.
Standard introductory military training (“boot” camp) for all personnel ensures that even Captain Keyes knows how to bare arms properly. Keyes is a fairly good aim with the standard issue pistol, and an almost decent shot with any of the usual UNSC rifles (and some Covenant equivalents). In other words he can hit a target with a steadily consistent spread. He has the most basic of unarmed combat training--enough to ensure that if he is in a fight he can properly defend himself. He is of average build and strength but if cornered he will put up a hard fight for his life. He is not a loser and he does not give up easily no matter the odds. He learned this the hard way and has never backed down since.
However, Dr. Halsey would argue that Keyes’s most important strength and un-trainable skill is his ability to keep a secret. Indeed Keyes is a very reliable man and has a high fortitude when it comes to truth, honesty, and keeping his mouth shut under pressure. In fact, he is actually a bad liar on most occasions. Besides being well known in the navy for being a great strategist, those who have served under his command would willingly and easily testify to his being an exceptional and highly inspirational leader to work with. He is also an extremely self-sacrificing man of innate honor when it comes to his duty to the UNSC and the protection of Earth; he is more than willing and prepared to give anything to the defense of humanity.
Weaknesses: Getting old, even with medical advances as the UNSC has, takes its toll on the human body. Sad to say, Keyes just isn’t in the same shape as he used to be. Though he can still keep up with the younger men for the better part of any beginning exercise his endurance simply isn’t what it once was. That said, his strength has never really been his strong point anyway. His mind is still as sharp as ever though and his wisdom can only grow from here on out.
Keyes can be a stubborn fellow. And being a navy “lifer” does not tend to help his no-nonsense personality and off-duty life. In fact, it’d be hard pressed to find an off-duty life within the career of this officer. The only hint of one having existed in long past is Keyes’s daughter. If anything is Keyes’s true weakness that is it: his precious daughter. While not always the most active father in the galaxy, and he has his many regrets in that area, he does love his daughter unconditionally and would do anything for her. Including give his life. The same could be said for his duty to the UNSC and the protection of Earth; Keyes would quickly give up his life if it meant saving humanity. He would not, however, needlessly sacrifice his crew’s lives before his own, and would in fact do all that he could to save them before his own self-sacrifice.
Keyes’s one fear can be summed up with one simple word: failure. He hates to let anyone down, he hates loosing a vital battle, and above all else he hates turning tail and running from a fight. He despises running from a battle especially when he knows innocent civilian lives are at stake; and they are always at stake when the Covenant come. He fears loosing the men under his command to stupid mistakes. And he fears failing humanity by making the wrong choice at the worse possible time.
Notable Possessions: One M6D pistol with scope, extra ammo, and his grandfather’s heirloom smoking pipe. Standard-issue neural interface, or CNI implant, with officer level clearance and command abilities.
History: Jacob Keyes was born approximately around the year 2495 on Earth, and likely led a relatively normal life until around the age of nineteen or so when he joined the military. He graduated from the Officer Candidate School of Luna the top of his class. (Even despite a mishap during the second year of his training in which an incident occurred where fourteen ensigns were killed due to an instructor's error during a poorly planned test. Keyes suffered plasma burns during the test and had to be rehabilitated in a hospital for two months. Keyes refused to testify against the instructor and was nearly demoted for it.)
In 2517, seven weeks out of the OCS, Lieutenant (Junior Grade) Keyes was assigned to the UNSC Magellan when those orders were rescinded and he was chosen to assist Dr. Halsey with her task of searching for usable subjects for her SPARTAN-II project. The first child they chose was SPARTAN subject number 117: John. Keyes became a well-liked assistant to Halsey as he escorted her for a month; but after that Halsey became fearful he would figure too much out and had him reassigned. She gave recommendations for Keyes to be promoted to full Lieutenant for his troubles. Despite the short amount of time spent on the project, Keyes never forgot it nor the names of each and every child chosen.
After his brief assignment with Dr. Halsey, Keyes went on to tour with many ships and garner priceless experience as a leader. One of his first acts of foreshadowing heroism in his early career was when he led a small group of security troops against a Covenant ambush of the frigate UNSC Meriwether Lewis and held the Covenant off long enough for the ship to escape. He sustained a deep plasma burn to his thigh and had his hand shattered, which was later rebuilt, during this battle. After that he was forced to teach at the OCS on Luna while his wounds healed. Though he gained respect as a capable and stern instructor, Keyes longed to be back on a ship where he felt he truly belonged. He always felt as though that a higher-up somewhere out there never liked him much for keeping him an instructor for so long. But eventually he was asked back onto a ship: the UNSC Midsummer Night.
It was on this ship that Keyes got his first true taste of leadership. After the death of their CO, Lieutenant Keyes was next in the chain of command. With no UNSC forces anywhere in sight (secretive op into rebel held space), Keyes had no choice but to shape up or let his men down. He was to proud and stubborn to allow the latter to happen. It was also during this mission that Keyes met his first full-fledged Spartans: Grey Team. Though unconventional, Keyes found that he never felt any doubt when it came to trusting those brave individuals. And last, but certainly not least, Keyes was forced to make a grave decision at this time. In the end the lieutenant decided to help save civilian lives, even if they were part of a rebel group against the UNSC at one point, rather than let them rot in the middle of space or die at the hands of Covenant forces. For his bravery, and honorable decision, Keyes was promoted to Commander after the mission by Admiral Cole himself.
In 2552, Keyes was given command of the UNSC Iroquois. Shortly thereafter, he foresaw a Covenant attack on Sigma Octanus IV thanks to a paper by Spartan-084. His actions resulted in the destruction of a Covenant destroyer, two frigates and the retreat of a Covenant carrier with a daring maneuver dubbed the "Keyes Loop", all without a ship AI to help him. This unprecedented victory against a Covenant force earned him a promotion to UNSC Captain and aided him to become recognized by the entire UNSC. Keyes and the Iroquois remained in the Sigma Octanus system to fight in the Battle of Sigma Octanus IV. He later returned to Reach (inadvertently disclosing the location of Reach to the Covenant via a homing beacon attached to the Iroquois) and was debriefed by an ONI council. Here he met SPARTAN-117 once again briefly.
But the encounter wasn’t a coincidence. At Reach, Keyes was given an important mission by Admiral Stanforth: to transport the Spartan super soldiers deep into Covenant space in order to capture a Prophet, who would then be used as ransom to end the Human-Covenant war. As part of this command, Keyes was given control over the Pillar of Autumn. Seconds before the Autumn left Reach for Slipspace, the Covenant attacked Reach. His mission scrubbed, Keyes offloaded most of the Spartans to the surface of the planet and the rest to Reach Station Gamma on two separate but equally important missions. He then tried to aid in the defense of Reach and even destroyed the supercruiser flagship of the Covenant fleet, but ultimately his efforts were in vain. In the end he could only pick up Spartan-117 (along with the body of Spartan-058) and a handful of marines from the station just in time to flee the pursuing Covenant.
However, some of the Covenant forces followed the retreating ship, likely in hopeful pursuit that the ship would lead them to another human held world. Instead the Autumn led them to something more potent: Halo. A Forerunner construct of the utmost importance, the Covenant refused to fire upon the human ship for fear of harming the ring-world. Keyes was forced to order the ship’s AI Cortana, who held navigational data as well as other important human intel within her memory banks, to abandon the ship in tandem with Spartan-117. Keyes himself stayed aboard the failing ship in hopes of crash “landing” it on the ring-world. At the last second he programmed the final directions before fleeing the ship in the last escape pod with a group of marines who waited just for him and main portions of the bridge crew.
The escape pod landed on the ring-world safely, but the Covenant pursued the captain in hopes of capturing him and torturing him for information. After a long, valiant but ultimately pointless run from the Covenant, the small team was caught and executed in front of the captain. The Covenant took him aboard their ship and locked him in the brig.
There Keyes remained until the Master Chief (John-117) with the help of a group of marines (including Sergeant Johnson) came to his rescue. The UNSC troops left in one of the Covenant’s own dropships, Captain Keyes deciding to do the driving himself. After that Keyes introduced himself to the Autumn’s surviving ODST leader, Major Silva. The two didn’t necessarily see eye-to-eye but Keyes knew he would need the major if he was to see to his crew’s safety on this unfamiliar world. In the meantime, the captain sent Master Chief on a special mission and attempted to rest.
That didn’t last long. Despite that, Keyes decided to lead a small strike force into Covenant territory to capture a weapons depot of energy weapons. They would help a lot with Alpha Base’s defense since the UNSC forces were seriously lacking in munitions and other supplies thanks to their unwanted abandonment of crash of their ship. Anyway, it was on this mission to a supposed Covenant depot that Keyes, with Johnson’s fireteam, went deep into a Forerunner structure and came upon a well locked door. Keyes ordered the marine specialist to open it and the squad entered the room in hopes of finding the weapons. However, the room was empty.
Except for an odd sound that soon turned into a swarm of odder looking creatures. But this is where the story stops and begins anew in Econtra. (If only he knew, he’d be thankful for the chance not to become a Flood-infested host for just a little bit longer.)
Rank: Captain (naval)
Affiliation: UNSC (United Nations Space Command)
Age: Approximately 62 Earth years; due to long periods of Slipspace travel spent within cyro-chambers however it is closer to a late 40s in physical deterioration; also, medical advances allow people to live a longer life and therefore age more slowly in his universe.
Gender: Male
Species: Human
Sexuality: Heterosexual
Appearance: Jacob Keyes is strict military discipline, which includes his meticulous appearance at all times. He prefers to be wearing a uniform at any given time, and in fact will likely complain about the looseness of civilian clothes if ever forced to wear them. His graying hair is cut short as per military regulations. He has stormy grey-blue eyes that belie his keen intelligence until he becomes utterly focused and hardened in his work. He is of an average height for a male and though obviously aging his body is still kept in good shape. He has relatively unassuming physical traits that are neither ugly nor entirely attractive yet he has a odd charm about him that adds to his features to make him appear kindly handsome.
Personality: Again, Captain Keyes is practically the epitome of strict military discipline. On board his ship, and especially on his bridge, no nonsense is tolerated and he will quickly reprimand any insubordination quickly and efficiently, and without remorse. But that isn’t to say Keyes is an uptight stick in the mud; no, Jacob will share in a well-timed and tasteful joke when the time calls for one. He just likely won’t be the one to initiate it (unless it is a dry, humorless remark on a FUBAR situation that really isn’t a joke at all). He realizes that soldiers need the release and easily tolerates good humor when it can be afforded. Possibly one of the best ways to describe Captain Keyes is “fatherly.” He is a strict man, but he compliments and rewards just as quickly as he reprimands. He is well respected amongst his peers, both for his intellectual prowess in navigation and naval tactics as well as inspirational leadership. He is fully dedicated to his cause: to protect Earth and her colonies no matter the cost. And nothing could ever stop him from giving his all in this endeavor. In almost contrast to his strict protocol adherence, Keyes is well known for thinking in unconventional means to get an impossible job done. While he would never condone the kinds of tactics he uses in the battlefield within his classroom, he is more than willing to try the unlikely in his own experiences. Keyes is an excellent secret keeper; conversely, in most cases he is a horrible lair. While he likes the feel on his grandfather’s pipe in his hands and to fiddle with it while he thinks, he views such an action as a sign of nervousness. Keyes never likes to show such weakness to his crew for fear it will unnerve them, and he never wants others to be unconfident in their commander. This could be either a sign of pride--or simply his desire to never spook his fellow soldiers or make them doubt themselves. Besides being the “Old Man” to his crew, Keyes is also an actual father back home. He is truly a loving person whether or not he can always accurately get this point across on a regular basis.
Abilities/Strengths: Keyes has a brilliant tactical mind and is well known throughout the UNSC for his “outside the box” way of thinking. Although his specialty lies in space naval combat, he is not incapable of leading a land force. Indeed, his observant mind and keen sense of comprehending a situation in its full enormity rather than only on a small scale help him command ground troops almost as well as his own ship and its people within. However, as a full-time “squid” he is definitely best placed at the command of a warship and in the middle of an ill-odds space battle. Placed under immense pressure he is not the type to fold under the weight of responsibility but rather will only get more creative in his desperation--a desperation that his fellow soldiers never actually see due to his well-trained “poker” face in the heat of battle. (And if not that face, then his “I’m-busy-thinking-tactically-don’t-bother-me” face.) He has won many a battle against even the out-numbering Covenant forces with his sometimes sketchy, but brilliant tactics.
Standard introductory military training (“boot” camp) for all personnel ensures that even Captain Keyes knows how to bare arms properly. Keyes is a fairly good aim with the standard issue pistol, and an almost decent shot with any of the usual UNSC rifles (and some Covenant equivalents). In other words he can hit a target with a steadily consistent spread. He has the most basic of unarmed combat training--enough to ensure that if he is in a fight he can properly defend himself. He is of average build and strength but if cornered he will put up a hard fight for his life. He is not a loser and he does not give up easily no matter the odds. He learned this the hard way and has never backed down since.
However, Dr. Halsey would argue that Keyes’s most important strength and un-trainable skill is his ability to keep a secret. Indeed Keyes is a very reliable man and has a high fortitude when it comes to truth, honesty, and keeping his mouth shut under pressure. In fact, he is actually a bad liar on most occasions. Besides being well known in the navy for being a great strategist, those who have served under his command would willingly and easily testify to his being an exceptional and highly inspirational leader to work with. He is also an extremely self-sacrificing man of innate honor when it comes to his duty to the UNSC and the protection of Earth; he is more than willing and prepared to give anything to the defense of humanity.
Weaknesses: Getting old, even with medical advances as the UNSC has, takes its toll on the human body. Sad to say, Keyes just isn’t in the same shape as he used to be. Though he can still keep up with the younger men for the better part of any beginning exercise his endurance simply isn’t what it once was. That said, his strength has never really been his strong point anyway. His mind is still as sharp as ever though and his wisdom can only grow from here on out.
Keyes can be a stubborn fellow. And being a navy “lifer” does not tend to help his no-nonsense personality and off-duty life. In fact, it’d be hard pressed to find an off-duty life within the career of this officer. The only hint of one having existed in long past is Keyes’s daughter. If anything is Keyes’s true weakness that is it: his precious daughter. While not always the most active father in the galaxy, and he has his many regrets in that area, he does love his daughter unconditionally and would do anything for her. Including give his life. The same could be said for his duty to the UNSC and the protection of Earth; Keyes would quickly give up his life if it meant saving humanity. He would not, however, needlessly sacrifice his crew’s lives before his own, and would in fact do all that he could to save them before his own self-sacrifice.
Keyes’s one fear can be summed up with one simple word: failure. He hates to let anyone down, he hates loosing a vital battle, and above all else he hates turning tail and running from a fight. He despises running from a battle especially when he knows innocent civilian lives are at stake; and they are always at stake when the Covenant come. He fears loosing the men under his command to stupid mistakes. And he fears failing humanity by making the wrong choice at the worse possible time.
Notable Possessions: One M6D pistol with scope, extra ammo, and his grandfather’s heirloom smoking pipe. Standard-issue neural interface, or CNI implant, with officer level clearance and command abilities.
History: Jacob Keyes was born approximately around the year 2495 on Earth, and likely led a relatively normal life until around the age of nineteen or so when he joined the military. He graduated from the Officer Candidate School of Luna the top of his class. (Even despite a mishap during the second year of his training in which an incident occurred where fourteen ensigns were killed due to an instructor's error during a poorly planned test. Keyes suffered plasma burns during the test and had to be rehabilitated in a hospital for two months. Keyes refused to testify against the instructor and was nearly demoted for it.)
In 2517, seven weeks out of the OCS, Lieutenant (Junior Grade) Keyes was assigned to the UNSC Magellan when those orders were rescinded and he was chosen to assist Dr. Halsey with her task of searching for usable subjects for her SPARTAN-II project. The first child they chose was SPARTAN subject number 117: John. Keyes became a well-liked assistant to Halsey as he escorted her for a month; but after that Halsey became fearful he would figure too much out and had him reassigned. She gave recommendations for Keyes to be promoted to full Lieutenant for his troubles. Despite the short amount of time spent on the project, Keyes never forgot it nor the names of each and every child chosen.
After his brief assignment with Dr. Halsey, Keyes went on to tour with many ships and garner priceless experience as a leader. One of his first acts of foreshadowing heroism in his early career was when he led a small group of security troops against a Covenant ambush of the frigate UNSC Meriwether Lewis and held the Covenant off long enough for the ship to escape. He sustained a deep plasma burn to his thigh and had his hand shattered, which was later rebuilt, during this battle. After that he was forced to teach at the OCS on Luna while his wounds healed. Though he gained respect as a capable and stern instructor, Keyes longed to be back on a ship where he felt he truly belonged. He always felt as though that a higher-up somewhere out there never liked him much for keeping him an instructor for so long. But eventually he was asked back onto a ship: the UNSC Midsummer Night.
It was on this ship that Keyes got his first true taste of leadership. After the death of their CO, Lieutenant Keyes was next in the chain of command. With no UNSC forces anywhere in sight (secretive op into rebel held space), Keyes had no choice but to shape up or let his men down. He was to proud and stubborn to allow the latter to happen. It was also during this mission that Keyes met his first full-fledged Spartans: Grey Team. Though unconventional, Keyes found that he never felt any doubt when it came to trusting those brave individuals. And last, but certainly not least, Keyes was forced to make a grave decision at this time. In the end the lieutenant decided to help save civilian lives, even if they were part of a rebel group against the UNSC at one point, rather than let them rot in the middle of space or die at the hands of Covenant forces. For his bravery, and honorable decision, Keyes was promoted to Commander after the mission by Admiral Cole himself.
In 2552, Keyes was given command of the UNSC Iroquois. Shortly thereafter, he foresaw a Covenant attack on Sigma Octanus IV thanks to a paper by Spartan-084. His actions resulted in the destruction of a Covenant destroyer, two frigates and the retreat of a Covenant carrier with a daring maneuver dubbed the "Keyes Loop", all without a ship AI to help him. This unprecedented victory against a Covenant force earned him a promotion to UNSC Captain and aided him to become recognized by the entire UNSC. Keyes and the Iroquois remained in the Sigma Octanus system to fight in the Battle of Sigma Octanus IV. He later returned to Reach (inadvertently disclosing the location of Reach to the Covenant via a homing beacon attached to the Iroquois) and was debriefed by an ONI council. Here he met SPARTAN-117 once again briefly.
But the encounter wasn’t a coincidence. At Reach, Keyes was given an important mission by Admiral Stanforth: to transport the Spartan super soldiers deep into Covenant space in order to capture a Prophet, who would then be used as ransom to end the Human-Covenant war. As part of this command, Keyes was given control over the Pillar of Autumn. Seconds before the Autumn left Reach for Slipspace, the Covenant attacked Reach. His mission scrubbed, Keyes offloaded most of the Spartans to the surface of the planet and the rest to Reach Station Gamma on two separate but equally important missions. He then tried to aid in the defense of Reach and even destroyed the supercruiser flagship of the Covenant fleet, but ultimately his efforts were in vain. In the end he could only pick up Spartan-117 (along with the body of Spartan-058) and a handful of marines from the station just in time to flee the pursuing Covenant.
However, some of the Covenant forces followed the retreating ship, likely in hopeful pursuit that the ship would lead them to another human held world. Instead the Autumn led them to something more potent: Halo. A Forerunner construct of the utmost importance, the Covenant refused to fire upon the human ship for fear of harming the ring-world. Keyes was forced to order the ship’s AI Cortana, who held navigational data as well as other important human intel within her memory banks, to abandon the ship in tandem with Spartan-117. Keyes himself stayed aboard the failing ship in hopes of crash “landing” it on the ring-world. At the last second he programmed the final directions before fleeing the ship in the last escape pod with a group of marines who waited just for him and main portions of the bridge crew.
The escape pod landed on the ring-world safely, but the Covenant pursued the captain in hopes of capturing him and torturing him for information. After a long, valiant but ultimately pointless run from the Covenant, the small team was caught and executed in front of the captain. The Covenant took him aboard their ship and locked him in the brig.
There Keyes remained until the Master Chief (John-117) with the help of a group of marines (including Sergeant Johnson) came to his rescue. The UNSC troops left in one of the Covenant’s own dropships, Captain Keyes deciding to do the driving himself. After that Keyes introduced himself to the Autumn’s surviving ODST leader, Major Silva. The two didn’t necessarily see eye-to-eye but Keyes knew he would need the major if he was to see to his crew’s safety on this unfamiliar world. In the meantime, the captain sent Master Chief on a special mission and attempted to rest.
That didn’t last long. Despite that, Keyes decided to lead a small strike force into Covenant territory to capture a weapons depot of energy weapons. They would help a lot with Alpha Base’s defense since the UNSC forces were seriously lacking in munitions and other supplies thanks to their unwanted abandonment of crash of their ship. Anyway, it was on this mission to a supposed Covenant depot that Keyes, with Johnson’s fireteam, went deep into a Forerunner structure and came upon a well locked door. Keyes ordered the marine specialist to open it and the squad entered the room in hopes of finding the weapons. However, the room was empty.
Except for an odd sound that soon turned into a swarm of odder looking creatures. But this is where the story stops and begins anew in Econtra. (If only he knew, he’d be thankful for the chance not to become a Flood-infested host for just a little bit longer.)