▁govern ed ▁by ▁the ▁United ▁Nations ▁Space ▁Command . ▁Fac ed ▁with ▁the ▁techn ological ▁superior ity ▁of ▁the ▁C oven ant , ▁human ity ' s ▁chief ▁hope ▁is ▁the ▁ten acity ▁of ▁the ▁SP ART AN s , ▁el ite ▁su pers old iers ▁equ ipped ▁with ▁special ▁arm or . ▁The ▁protagon ist ▁of ▁the ▁H alo ▁series , ▁the ▁Master ▁Chief , ▁is ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁few ▁SP ART AN s ▁in ▁active ▁service ▁by ▁the ▁events ▁of ▁H alo : ▁Com bat ▁E vol ved . ▁" Ar mor ▁Test ing " ▁takes ▁place ▁shortly ▁before ▁the ▁opening ▁of ▁H alo ▁ 2 , ▁as ▁the ▁U NS C ▁field - tests ▁a ▁new ▁version ▁of ▁the ▁SP ART AN ' s ▁arm or ▁in ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁exer cis es ▁which ▁prove ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁challeng ing ▁ende avor ▁for ▁all ▁involved . ▁A ▁l one ▁SP ART AN ▁puts ▁the ▁arm or ▁through ▁its ▁p aces ▁by ▁dro pping ▁from ▁Earth ' s ▁atmosphere ▁and ▁eng aging ▁in ▁a ▁mock ▁battle ▁against ▁U NS C ▁special ▁forces . ▁This ▁SP ART AN ▁is ▁revealed ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁woman , ▁Maria - 0 6 2 , ▁who ▁has ▁come ▁out ▁of ▁ret irement ▁as ▁a ▁special ▁favor ▁to ▁test ▁the ▁new ▁equipment ▁before ▁it ▁is ▁sent ▁to ▁the ▁Master ▁Chief . ▁ ▁The ▁concept ▁of ▁the ▁story ▁was ▁inspired ▁by ▁the ▁book ▁Sk unk works , ▁a ▁mem oir ▁of ▁the ▁testing ▁of ▁military ▁projects ▁at ▁Lock