John-117/Late War: Difference between revisions

{{Status|Canon}}

This article details [[John-117]]'s actions in the final year of the Human-Covenant War.

===Late War===

{{Quote|Everyone else might have cheered at the images of humanity's superheroes diving in and kicking some Covenant ass, but all I could think about was how useless it was to pin our hopes on a few handfuls of super-soldiers who couldn't possibly be everywhere we needed them to be.|Edward Buck recalls his reaction to watching footage of the Spartans taking back Draco III.}}{{Ref/Reuse|HNB2}}

At some point following the advent of [[2532]] John became acquainted with [[Wikipedia:United Kingdom|British]] war photographer [[Jake Courage]], who not only earned his trust and respect, but became a loyal companion of his as well.<ref name="JC">''[[Archive:Jake Courage|Jake Courage Exhibition]]''</ref> On [[2545#January|January 10, 2545]], the Covenant began a brutal assault on the colony world of [[Draco III]].<ref name="JS1/10/45">[[Jessica Shea]] on Twitter [https://twitter.com/bsangel/status/686229527857504259]</ref> Its defenses were overwhelmed in a short amount of time and the Covenant began to land forces on the surface.<ref name="HNB2">''[[Halo: New Blood]]'', ''Chapter 2''</ref> The majority of the [[Spartan-II]]s, including John and [[Linda-058]], were directed to reinforce the colonists.{{Ref/Reuse|HTFOR20}} Before arriving, the Spartans were shown footage of a massacre on the surface which had been relayed to them via satellite linkup. John and the others could only watch as [[human]]s were herded together and then torn apart by ravenous [[Unggoy]] and [[Kig-Yar]]. By the time the Spartans finally made it to Draco III, there was nobody left to rescue. Despite being too late to save the victims, John and the others made sure that they were avenged.<ref name="HTFOR20">''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]'', ''Chapter 20''</ref> Their retaliation resulted in the deaths of every Covenant soldier on the planet and footage of it was broadcast to the public in order to boost morale.{{Ref/Reuse|HNB2}}<ref name="Enc300">''[[Halo Encyclopedia (2009 edition)]]'', ''page 300''</ref>

They made their way carefully, stopping every hundred yards to survey the area for targets.{{Ref/Reuse|HTFOR20}} When they did come upon Covenant soldiers, they were two single-file lines of [[Unggoy]] [[Unggoy Minor|minor]]s moving toward [[Alpha Headquarters]] at just one-hundred meters from the Spartans' position. John had his team spread out on a hill opposite another one that the Unggoy were approaching, save for James, who remained hidden below to take out the rear guard as soon as it passed him by. When James signaled that the moment was right, John ordered everyone to take the Grunts out silently. Armor-piercing rounds made short work of the stocky aliens and Kelly was soon policing and passing out [[Type-25 plasma pistol]]s. The only other potential opposition Blue Team encountered on their way to the city came in the form of [[Type-26 Banshee]]s overhead, which the Spartans hunkered down in the mud to avoid being spotted by. Once they emerged from the jungle and into open fields and rice paddies they each donned camouflage cloaks to mask their thermal signatures. Near the beach at the edge of the city, John and Fred bent aside bars to allow them access to the sewage outlet they had been aiming for. Blue Team sloshed through hip-deep muck in the cramped pipes until it reached its destination and John snaked a fiber optic probe through a drainage grate in order to get a clear view of the street above them. The same process was repeated under the next block and this time John spotted and filmed the activity of a [[Huragok]], a species which he at that point had no knowledge of. Further south, John and the others found themselves near the [[Côte d'Azur Museum of Natural History|city's museum of natural history]], which was surrounded by more than fifty [[Kig-Yar]] and hosting a pair of [[Shade|stationary gun]]s atop its steps. Curious, he sent Kelly to scout ahead down a passage that led underneath the museum and had James us the ground-return transceivers to contact the other teams. Linda reported no survivors in the residential section explored by Green Team but Joshua let him know that Red Team had found twenty civilians hiding in a cargo ship docked at the city's wharf. Speaking to all teams, John ordered Green Team to meet up with Red Team and assist its efforts to evacuate the civilians back to the Pelican immediately. Kelly returned at that moment and shared that she had found that the only thing keeping them from the museum was a steel plate they could burn through. Assuming that the other teams would take care of getting the civilians out, John told her to arm the nuke.{{Ref/Reuse|HTFOR20}}

John led his team south along the coastline.{{Ref/Reuse|HTFOR22}} Once James finally slipped into unconsciousness, he slung him over his shoulder. A patrol of twelve Unggoy made John signal his team to hide momentarily as they ran past. At just a kilometer from the rendezvous point, John let Linda know they were coming and triggered a [[smoke grenade]] to emit blue smoke to mark their approach. Green Team took James aboard the Pelican after Blue Team reached the clearing. John had Linda give the perimeter one last check. Corporal Harland was in awe at what the Spartans had accomplished but John simply shrugged his astonishment off, saying that it had been their mission. Once Linda announced they were clear, John piled into the bird with everyone else. As the [[dropship]] arced away from the surface, its pilot warned that about two-hundred Banshees were inbound toward them but John calmly stated that they would take care of it. With the activation of his remote radio transceiver and the keying in of a final fail-safe code, the light from the system's two suns was swallowed up in an apocalyptic nuclear blast behind them.{{Ref/Reuse|HTFOR22}} The dropship docked with the {{Class|Marathon|heavy cruiser}} {{UNSCShip|Leviathan}}, which was soon on its way back to [[Reach]] for repairs.<ref name="HTFOR23">''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]'', ''Chapter 23''</ref><ref name="DD2">[[Data Drop]] [[Data Drop/Two|Two]]</ref>

===Mark V===

{{Quote|This is the real Mjolnir. What you have been using was only a fraction of what the armor should be. This is everything I had always dreamed it could be.|Dr. Halsey reveals Mark V Mjolnir to the Master Chief.}}{{Ref/Reuse|HTFOR27}}

Two days later at 0600 hours on [[2552#August|August 29]], John presented to [[Military Reservation 01478-B]].<ref name="HTFOR27">''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]'', ''Chapter 27''</ref> A series of MPs verified his identification before leading him to the prep and recovery area where he was told Halsey and others were waiting for him. He was met within the medical bay of the prefab structure by a [[UNSC Navy|Navy]] captain in the garb of a ship's doctor and instructed to undress, which John did so. His neck was soon being swabbed with [[Drugs|antiseptic]] and he was told to lie down by Doctor Halsey as she entered the room. He was there to have a few components of his [[neural interface]] [[Spartan neural interface|upgraded]] and to receive further implants in addition to it.{{Ref/Reuse|DHPJ81252}}{{Ref/Reuse|HTFOR27}} Having been previously laser scanned, the surgical procedure was completed very quickly and John was thereafter handed a paper gown and told to follow Halsey outside to a field command dome with fabric walls.{{Ref/Reuse|DHPJ81252}}{{Ref/Reuse|HTFOR27}} Inside stood a brand-new suit of the [[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor/Mark V|newest generation]] of [[Mjolnir]].{{Ref/Reuse|HTFOR27}} John, assisted by a pair of technicians, complied in trying it on. According to Halsey, this represented what MJOLNIR had always been meant to be. Hundreds of minor technical improvements had been made over the armor customary to the previous generation, but the most notable additions was a reliable [[energy shield]], based on the Covenant's use of such, and a weave of memory-processor super-conductor sandwiched between its reactive circuits and the inner biolayers. The latter would allow the wearer to carry and [[artificial intelligence]] that could interface between they and the suit. After acclimating somewhat to using and adjusting the shielding, Halsey informed him that several challenges were ready for him in order to test the suit's capabilities and also introduced him to [[Cortana]], the A.I. chosen to serve as the infiltration specialist for RED FLAG. Halsey produced Cortana's memory-processor core, explaining that not only would she allow the Spartans to take over a Covenant ship, but she would also allow John to personally use his armor more efficiently by way of improved reaction times. At Halsey's insistence, he kneeled down so that she could slot Cortana into the socket at the base of his helmet. Her smooth, female voice was soon speaking through his helmet speakers. After the two had greeted one another Halsey suggested that the best way to get acquainted would be through simulated combat, referring again to the challenges that had been set up nearby. Halsey warned him that [[James Ackerson|some]] in ONI still doubted the Spartans' capability to execute RED FLAG and might even prefer to see him fail the tests, if not ensure that he did. Halsey shared in his confidence. She told him that after she left the dome, he would need to count to ten and then make his way to the reservation's obstacle course. At the far end was a bell for him to ring and in order to reach it he was authorized to neutralize any threats that got in his way. She and the technicians took their leave and less than ten seconds later John heard the telltale sound of MA5B assault rifles bolts being chambered.{{Ref/Reuse|HTFOR27}}

{{Main|Fall of Reach}}

{{Quote|no=two|q1=Sir? I know this mission will be tough, but... do you ever get the feeling that this is like one of Chief Mendez’s missions? Like there’s a trick... some twist that we’ve overlooked?|Kelly-087|q2=Yes. And I’m waiting for it.|John-117|John and Kelly both agree that something seems off about their current orders.}}{{Ref/Reuse|HTFOR32}}

John and the two dozen other Spartans boarded RED FLAG's dedicated {{Class|Halcyon|light cruiser}}, the {{UNSCShip|Pillar of Autumn}}, before 0400 hours on [[2552#August|August 30]].{{Ref/Reuse|HTFOR29}} At Admiral Stanforth's insistence, they kept their presence from COM channels or computer networks. Once aboard, they began working on a Pelican with extra armor meant to serve as a boarding craft for the operation. The primary storage bay on C deck had been converted from to a barracks and it was there that Captain Keyes, selected to command the ''Autumn'', found them. John greeted Keyes upon his arrival on the deck and apologized for not having asked permission to board. Keyes assured him that was quite alright and made sure John knew to just ask if they needed anything. He thereafter returned to the bridge, having given the Spartans his regards.<ref name="HTFOR29">''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]'', ''Chapter 29''</ref>

At 0519 hours, John and the other Spartans could feel that the ''Pillar of Autumn'' was turning back around when they had been under the impression that it would soon be jumping away from Reach.<ref name="HTFOR32">''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]'', ''Chapter 32''</ref> Unsure what was happening, John told Kelly to have Fred and Joshua prepare the cryo tubes and to get Linda to gather a team to secure their gear. For his part he would find out what had changed. He tried to get the attention of Cortana on the nearby intercom, but it was the captain who answered, saying there had been a change of plans and that he was on his way to brief them. John announced Keyes' arrival when it came and the Spartans all stood at attention in response. At first, Keyes wondered if he and the Chief might speak in private, but John warned him that they'd need to leave the deck to escape the Spartans' hearing. Resigning that everyone would need to know anyways, Keyes announced that the Covenant had found Reach and that more than one hundred alien vessels were inbound.{{Ref/Reuse|HTFOR32}} Still unwilling to admit he already knew the planet was being written off, Keyes declared that Section Three's mission would have to be abandoned in light of the need to defend Reach. In doing so, he got John to realize that defending Reach and capturing a large Covenant carrier did not have to be mutually exclusive objectives. He told the captain that if they could get close enough and punch a hole in a ship's shields, his Spartans could board it. Keyes gave the appearance of begrudgingly agreeing, saying that he was hesitant to hand over Cortana before his ship's [[Dumb AI|"dumb" A.I.]], [[Wellsley]], had finished initializing, but that he would fly without one if the opportunity to take over a ship presented itself. Before he returned to the bridge, Keyes told the Master Chief to have his Spartans ready in twenty minutes, as that would be when they should arrive at [[Rally Point Zulu|the rally point]] ships were being redirected to. As soon as he'd gone, John told Fred and James to refit another Pelican so that it had a shaped charge made of every scrap of [[C-12]] on its nose for use as an exploding battering ram.[[File:JohnLindaGamma.png|thumb|left|300px|The ''Circumference'' had been isolated from the network on Gamma Station in order to protect information concerning [[Operation: HYPODERMIC]] from being uncovered.<ref name="HTFOR30">''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]'', ''Chapter 30''</ref>]] He also tasked Linda with forming a team to quickly get into the crates ONI had packed for them and to distribute [[M41 SPNKR]]s, [[thruster pack]]s, [[ammunition]], and [[grenade]]s. Privately, he told Kelly to collect three [[HAVOK]] nuclear mines and prepare them for transport. She openly questioned whether there was something they had overlooked, and John had to agree that it did seem that way.{{Ref/Reuse|HTFOR32}} At 0558 hours, John received a priority Alpha transmission from the captain which updated him on the situation in space and on the ground.{{Ref/Reuse|HTFOR34}} The ground-based [[Orbital defense generator|generators]] that powered Reach's [[orbital defense platform]]s were threatened by the invasion forces and on [[Gamma Station]] in orbit, the [[prowler]] {{UNSCShip|Circumference}} had unsecured navigation data that was being targeted by inbound Covenant ships. John shared this information with all the other Spartans and once he was speaking to Keyes over the view screen, He offered to protect the ''Circumference'''s NAV data with three Spartans while the rest deployed to defend the generators. Keyes resisted the idea, not least of which because he understand how RED FLAG had been outlined, and suggested that the ''Autumn'' could simply detonate a nuke near Gamma Station. John rightly pointed out, however, that the [[electromagnetic pulse]] given off by the detonation could burn out the superconductive coils of the nearby ODPs. Conversely, conventional weaponry might not eradicate the data. The only option was to board the station. Keyes, clearly conflicted, finally relented and told the Chief that he was free to enact his plan, telling him that his Spartans could launch in two separate Pelicans in five minutes' time. Kelly volunteered to lead the space op, but John said he would be spearheading that. He picked Linda and James to accompany him as part of [[Blue Team]] and made Fred the temporary leader of the rest, collectively labeled [[Red Team]].<ref name="HTFOR34">''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]'', ''Chapter 34''</ref>

John paused long enough in a B level corridor to attach the Lotus mine to the deck and rig its proximity detectors so it would explode for anyone that tried to follow them.{{Ref/Reuse|HTFOR35}} He and Linda pulled themselves along handrails until they reached a doorway to the docking bay which held the ''Circumference''. Using his fiber optic cable, John sighted four marines pinned down by thirty Kig-Yar and a number of [[Unggoy]].{{Ref/Reuse|HFORI}}{{Ref/Reuse|HTFOR35}} He and Linda both jumped in to assist, but John directed Linda to focus on helping the marines while he made his way to the ship.{{Ref/Reuse|HFORI}}{{Ref/Reuse|HTFOR35}} Just as he was about to head for the prowler, however, he noticed a slight flicker behind their position on his [[motion tracker]]. John backtracked into the hall outside the bay and was beset upon by a [[Sangheili]] minor. He slammed into the Elite just before it could it could get off a shot with a Type-25 plasma pistol. They two began an extended hand-to-hand engagement which carried them down the hall in the null gravity. John was ultimately able to prevail through locking his armor's glove articulation around the alien's wrist and turning its own weapon against it. One shot from the pistol overloaded its shields and successive strikes from John's right fist cracked open its [[vacuum suit]]. He finished off his Sangheili opponent with a shot to the head. By the time he made it back to Linda, twenty more Kig-Yar and joined the fray and more reinforcements were approaching from their rear. Captain Keyes reached out over COM then, announcing that he would bring the ''Autumn'' close enough to pick them up in just five minutes and that they had until then to secure the NAV data. Were they unable to do so, he would be forced to fire on their position.{{Ref/Reuse|HTFOR35}} John opened a channel to the four marines: [[Staff Sergeant]] [[Avery Johnson]] and privates [[Wallace Jenkins]], [[O'Brien (Marine)|O'Brien]], and [[Bisenti]].<ref name="HTFOR37">''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]'', ''Chapter 37''</ref> He advised they tighten up their fire so that they take out one Jackal at a time, then had Linda use grenades to kill a good number. John commandeered a nearby D77-TC Pelican and lifted if from its berth to both provide cover for Linda and the marines and to begin cutting down Kig-Yar with its chain gun. Thousands of enemy contacts were heading their way, so he yelled for everyone to get in and used the Pelican's weaponry, including an [[Anvil-II air-to-surface missile]], to blast through the ''Circumference'''s cockpit. Linda took the controls while he launched himself to find the NAV database core, which he promptly destroyed with his assault rifle.{{Ref/Note|According to the ''[[Halo Interactive Strategy Game]]'' the Spartans of Blue Team and the rescued marines were in contact at this time with [[Kusanagi]], the same [[Smart AI|volitional]] A.I. who had briefed the Spartans for [[Battle of Jericho VII|Operation: FALLEN WALLS]] over seventeen years earlier. How Kusanagi might have remained active after so long is unknown. According to [[343 Industries]] writer [[Jeff Easterling]], he and others would need to "look at" the game to see which portions "make sense to keep", leaving the canonical status of Kusanagi's involvement in question.}} John took back the piloting of the Pelican upon his return, but the outer bay doors remained closed. Linda attempted to get the [[Doppler|station's A.I. quartermaster]] to open them but received no response. for this reason she took it upon herself to exit the craft so that she could trigger a manual release. As more Covenant forces poured into Docking Bay Nine, John brought the full arsenal of the Pelican to bear on them. just after the bay doors began to open, however, Linda was struck numerous times by [[plasma]] fire which burned through her shields and melted the armor covering her back, chest, and head. He yelled for the marines to grab her and pull her floating body inside and rocketed away from the station once they did so.{{Ref/Reuse|HTFOR37}}

{{Quote|no=four|q1=I’m showing a lot of photonic activity. The excited photons have displaced the air around the light path.|Cortana|q2=Which means?|John-117|q3=Which means that the light has become coherent. Solid. How did you know what control to push?|Cortana|q4=I didn’t. Let’s get the hell out of here.|John-117|John and Cortana react to the Spartan's intuitive ability to use technology on the ringworld.}}<ref name="HTF3">''[[Halo: The Flood]]'', ''Chapter 3''</ref>

[[File:HM-JohnI04-full.jpg|thumb|300px|left|Class-3 enclosed heavy lifeboats, like most of their kind, were never meant for extended atmospheric use.{{Ref/Reuse|HTF2}}]]

From a distance, he first took aim at a trio of Grunts and opened fire on a Sangheili minor before any of the enemy realized where he was.{{Ref/Reuse|HTF3}} He made his way down a slope toward the fellow soldiers, only stopping to scavenge a few plasma grenades off a dead Unggoy. Private [[Bisenti]], who John had rescued on Gamma Station, was the first to meet him and when John asked him for his commanding officer the private called over Staff Sergeant [[Avery Johnson]]. The Chief requested a status report, so Johnson let him know that marines were scattered all over the valley they found themselves in. Cortana told them both that since she had gotten in touch with [[Wellsley]], a Pelican was on its way to pick them up. Before long, however, a Spirit dropship was upon them an unloading a clutch of Unggoy and a Sangheili. The combined fire of the marines and the Master Chief was more than enough to make easy work of the foolhardy Covenant attack, but soon another another dropship arrived to unload more troops. This time a trio of [[Kig-Yar]] protected by their distinctive round [[Kig-Yar point defense gauntlet|shields]] led the charge. John sprinted straight into the Jackals' line, tearing them up with his assault rifle before landing a primed {{Pattern|Anskum|plasma grenade}} on the Sangheili leading them. He hunted down the rest of the attackers and was then greeted by a voice from his radio receiver declaring that Pelican ''[[Echo 419]]'' was inbound. Just then, three more [[Class-3 Bumblebee]]s were sighted overhead as the distance as they tore through the ring's atmosphere.{{Ref/Reuse|HTF3}}{{Ref/Reuse|HCEH}} John was resolved to beat the covenant to where they landed, so as ''Echo 4-19'' approached Cortana asked that its pilot, [[Carol Rawley]], disengage the [[M12 Chaingun Warthog]] she was carrying. John made for the Warthog after it hit the ground to find that out of all the marines, one had elected to forgo the evac and instead act as a gunner for him. And so when John sped away in the vehicle toward the [[Navigation point|nav indicator]] Cortana place, he took Private First Class [[M. Fitzgerald]] with him.{{Ref/Reuse|HTF3}}

Cortana's navpoint led them to a gaping metal tunnel at the bottom of a large dry wash.{{Ref/Reuse|HTF3}} Within, he maneuvered the LRV up ramps, through a series of tight turns, and eventually to the very edge of gap. He backed the hog up and warned Fitzgerald to hang on and then floored the petal so that they were able to sail across the distance to the other side. They next emerged within a huge interior space where their path again came to an end, but this time due to a massive chasm that would be impossible to jump the Warthog across. Covenant forces which had already begun exploring soon began hitting the Warthog with [[plasma]] but Fitzgerald did what he could to hold them off. With no path forward, John exited the vehicle and helped the marine return fire. Just as John was about to charge into close quarters with the enemy, however, the private fell to the ground, having been hit with a [[Subanese crystal]] fired from a [[Type-33 needler]]. John landed three shots on a charging Grunt and slammed the butt of his magnum into its partner's head. Fitzgerald had crawled to cover behind the Warthog so John rushed to pack his wounded bicep with [[biofoam]]. After confirming he was okay, he allowed Fitzgerald to take his place on the [[M41 Vulcan|LAAG]] once more. It took the two of them the better part of the next fifteen minutes to clear the rest of the cavernous room of Covenant forces. Once it seemed they had all been eradicated, he asked Cortana if she had any ideas for how they could proceed. She guessed that some kind of controls must exist to extend a across over the gap, so John let Fitzgerald know he was going to look around for anything that might make that happen. He surveyed a the immediate area in vain and was about to give up and head back to the Warthog when he chanced upon a gap in a wall on their right side. It led to a ramp that took him twenty meters up before a sharp left turn, where he walked right into a waiting Sangheili major. The Elite swung a blow at John's head, but he ducked in time to let it glance off his shields. The Chief landed a few shots on the saurian alien before dropping a grenade and ducking back around the corner to avoid being hit by the explosion that followed. Past the Sangheili's corpse, the corridor opened to a narrow ledge, ending at at a pair of small, glowing orbs which hung suspended above a roughly rectangular frame of blue matte metal. Within that frame a series of seemingly [[holographic]] displays pulsed and shifted and to John's puzzlement, he felt as if he should recognize them. Instinctively, he touched one of the symbols and was further surprised when his finger [[Hard light|met resistance]]. He was forced to admit to Cortana that he wasn't sure what he had done, but shortly thereafter, [[Hard light|harsh, white light]] formed within the gap, creating what looked like a ''bridge made of light''. Cortana was able to identify that excited photons had displaced the air around the otherworldly construction, rendering it effectively solid. John again reiterated that he hadn't know what he was doing when he had turned it on and just suggested that they get the hell out of there.{{Ref/Reuse|HTF3}}

{{Quote|no=two|q1=Are you familiar with a man named [[Wikipedia:Charles Darwin|Charles Darwin]]? No, probably not, because he never went to war. Darwin was a naturalist who proposed a theory called ‘natural selection.’ Simply put, he believed that those species best equipped to survive would do so—while other, less effective organisms would eventually die out. That’s what happened to the Spartans, Chief: they died out. Or will, once you’re gone. And that’s where the ODST comes in. It was the Helljumpers who took this butte, son—not a bunch of augmented freaks dressed in fancy armor. When we push the Covenant back, which I sincerely believe we will, that victory will be the result of work by men and women like Lieutenant McKay. Human beings who are razor-sharp, metal tough, and green to the core. Do you read me?|Antonio Silva|q2=Sir, no sir.|John-117|John refuses to accept the notion that his Spartans were part of a failed experiment.}}{{Ref/Reuse|HTF3}}

[[File:WarthogRescueCEA.jpg|thumb|300px|left|It took John, Cortana, and PFC Fitzgerald, aided by ''Echo 419'', less than four hours to secure sixty-three survivors for transport back to Alpha Base.{{Ref/Reuse|HTF3}}<ref name="HTF4">''[[Halo: The Flood]]'', ''Chapter 4''</ref>]]

Alpha Base, established atop a butte covered with strange structures left behind by [[Forerunner|whomever]] had built the ring, offered few amenities.{{Ref/Reuse|HTF3}} Even so, John was able to get ten full hours of uninterrupted sleep and eat components selected from two [[MRE]]s. He also took the opportunity to take a two-minute hot shower. John had just finished drying off and scrounging a fresh set of utilities when a private stuck his head into his quarters and said [[Major]] [[Antonio Silva]] was asking to see him in the Command Post. John had just been about to run a routine maintenance check on his armor before donning it again but the marine also warned that Silva had said he was to leave it there in the prefab memory-plastic cubicle. John submitted to the major's request but mad sure to activate the suit's security system and secure the rest of his gear before buckling a magnum around his waist and heading out. The CP had been set up within the centermost of the mesa's alien buildings. John presented himself to two [[ODST]]s standing guard at Silva's door and was waved inside. Major Silva was seated at a makeshift desk but when he met the Chief's eyes John snapped to attention and announced that he was reporting and ordered. Rather than immediately telling him "At ease", Silva instead let him linger as he was and proceeded to make sure the Chief understood his place on the chain of command. He made it clear that John was to unquestionably obey any order given by himself or [[Lieutenant]] [[Melissa McKay]], one of the ODSTs at the door who had followed him inside. As John understood the chain of command perfectly well enough, he had no problem agreeing. Silva then established that he was familiar with the Master Chief's record, but while he considered his martial prowess impressive, he nevertheless thought little of the [[Spartan-II program]] and believed it to have been a failed experiment. John listened to the ODST berate both himself and his fellow Spartans as being inhuman freaks who knew nothing but war without saying a single word in return, but when asked whether he read the major, he took a deep breath and responded in the negative. The two men stared at each other for over five seconds after that before Silva credited him for his loyalty to his fellow soldiers. Satisfied that he had gotten his point across, he finally gave John permission to be at ease and invited him to sit with he and Lieutenant McKay so he could brief them on how he planned to rescue Captain Keyes.{{Ref/Reuse|HTF3}}

===Saving Keyes===

{{Quote|no=two|q1=Coming here was reckless. Thanks.|Jacob Keyes|q2=Any time, sir.|John-117|The captain expresses gratitude for his rescue.}}{{Ref/Reuse|HTF4}}

[[File:CEA KeyesChiefTaR.png|thumb|350px|right|The Master Chief rescues Keyes.]]

===Fighting for control===

Initially, the fierce fighting on Halo was solely between UNSC and Covenant forces, but after the Covenant unwittingly released an ancient parasite, the [[Flood]], the majority of both forces became infected or destroyed

{{Expand-section}}

===The Library===

{{Quote|no=two|q1=I am a genius. ''Hee, hee, hee''.|343 Guilty Spark|q2=A pain in the ass is more like it.|John-117|John makes his frustration with the monitor known.}}{{Ref/Reuse|HTF9}}

John dispatched the last of them just as the doors began to part and followed the monitor through, only to be told that they had crossed the first of ten such thresholds which lay between them and Index.{{Ref/Reuse|HTF9}} A familiar pattern emerged thereafter in which Spark would unwittingly lead the Spartan into Flood ambushes whilst he worked his way through galleries and subfloor maintenance tunnels in pursuit of it. Soon he began to receive assistance in the form of the [[Aggressor Sentinel|robotic drone]]s he'd first seen back in the swamp. John was content to let the [[sentinel]]s do the heavy lifting after that, lending a hand only when he thought it appropriate. The stench of cooked flesh which filtered through his helmet thanks to their [[Sentinel beam|energy weaponry]] made him gag as the fight through the facility proceeded. John finally reached an enormous circular platform which turned out to be an elevator to take him to the next level of the Library above. Once it jerked to a halt there was only a short walk through a narrow passageway to another gallery beyond before the Flood attacked again. With no threat at his back John was able to retreat and funnel them through the passage while he fired until the forms no longer posed any danger. Within the next section of the complex he followed a grouping of [[sentinel]]s, sardonically asking where they had been moments earlier. To this Spark then claimed Flood activity had caused a failure in the drone control system and that backup units required his attention, but that John should continue onward regardless. John began to argue but the monitor had already vanished again just as quickly as it had arrived. The few sentinels that were present proved to be of enormous benefit to the Chief, however. He allowed them to do most of the work of fighting off the Flood from then on, until 343 Guilty Spark finally returned and admonished him for the slower pace this more cautious strategy had forced him to move at.{{Ref/Reuse|HTF9}}

The Pelican would be used as a fireship; loaded with [[M1011 Moray space mine|Moray mines]] and sent ahead of the Longsword on autopilot; it would be used to draw enemy fire, drop a number of mines and allow the Longsword to proceed directly into the carrier's [[Seraph]] fighter launch bay, as the carrier would need to drop the shielding over the bay temporarily to allow the Seraphs to deploy. Sheila Polaksi would pilot the Longsword while Cortana would infiltrate the flagships battlenet, jamming its weaponry and communications. Haverson programmed the Moray mines, setting half to detonate on impact and the other half to detach and track enemy ships on approach. John, Sergeant Johnson and Locklear would be the assault team, and the three selected their armaments from the supplies that Locklear retrieved from the Pelican. John took four grenades and a half dozen magazines for his MA5B.{{Ref/Reuse|HFS6}}

===''Ascendant Justice''===

The mission to board the Covenant flagship began as soon as the Longsword and Pelican completed their slingshot orbit around Basis. The Pelican was launched first, and the ship soon drew from the Covenant cruisers, which had been waiting for them, apparently having predicted their orbital trajectory. The Pelican soon accelerated to a distance of two hundred kilometers ahead of the Longsword. Haverson managed to deploy the Pelican's Moray mine payload shortly before it was obliterated by a [[plasma torpedo]]. During the approach, Locklear announced his dislike of space combat, something that John was able to sympathize with, as he shared the ODST's discomfort. As predicted, the flagship launched a number of Seraph fighters from its hangar bay to intercept the Longsword, but Haverson's programmed Moray mines easily destroyed the Covenant craft. With the shields and forward weaponry of the flagship disabled, Polaski completed their approach. At a 180 degree angle, the Longsword entered the hangar at three hundred meters per second, the flames from the ship's engines burning [[Unggoy]] technicians and causing their [[methane tank]]s to explode. With the power cut, the Longsword slammed into the wall of the hangar bay. Cortana notified the team that they were safe to move as the external atmosphere was stabilized once the energy shielding over the launch bay had returned. Faced with a large number of Unggoy using fuel pods and docked Seraph fighters as cover, Polaski deployed the Longsword's landing gear and [[120mm ventral gun]]s. The heavy rounds tore through the Covenant defenses, detonating fuel pods, unshielded fighters and causing the air in the bay to erupt into flames, incinerating the Unggoy and [[Huragok]] in the bay.<ref name="HFS7">''[[Halo: First Strike]]'', ''Chapter 7''</ref>

On Cortana's assurance that the air in the bay was breathable after the fires were cleared by the bay's fire suppression system, John assembled his assault team, taking Cortana with him as well. While Locklear neutralized a pair of surviving Unggoy, John found himself faced with a trio of Huragok. Knowing that they posed no threat, he relaxed. Cortana updated the Chief with information she had gleaned from the flagship's personal roster: three thousand Covenant, with the vast majority being Huragok with a light company of Unggoy and only a hundred Sangheili, the latter statistic confusing John as he had expected a Covenant ship of this size to have significantly more. John found Locklear's slaughter of the three Huragok immediately after to have been unnecessary even through he tended to agree with the Marine's actions with regard to the Covenant. The team formed up near a large door at the back of the bay. John organized his team into position around the door while ordering them to stick to hand signals from then on. Before Polaski could open the door, it was opened from the other side. A team of five Sangheili were waiting for them, each one in a position analogous to John's own team. Without hesitating, John fired two bursts from his MA5B, killing two of the Sangheili that had not yet activated their [[Energy shielding#Personal shielding|personal energy shields]]. Two of the surviving Sangheili opened fire on John with their [[Okarda'phaa-pattern plasma rifle|plasma rifles]]. As his shields dropped and his vision clouded due to the discharge of the energy weapons, John was unable to get a shot on the Sangheili in front of Polaski. The pilot was faster than the alien and managed to fire her [[M6 series|sidearm]] before the Sangheili could aim its [[Type-25 plasma pistol|plasma pistol]] and she soon killed the Covenant soldier, allowing Johnson and Locklear to eliminate the final pair of Sangheili. Immediately afterword, a dozen more Sangheili approached from further down the corridor and John made the snap decision to fall back into the hangar bay, grabbing Polaski and pulling her back into the bay while Johnson destroyed the door controls. The only alternate way the team had to bridge was a small hatch that led into a maintenance corridor that was used by the Huragok. John disliked the cramped conditions but seeing no other way to proceed he acquiesced. Due to the narrow nature of the corridor, John was forced to power down his energy shield to allow him to proceed. Cortana directed him to a data port in the passage and despite his reluctance, inserted her into the system. Cortana quickly detected the presence of a dozen Sangheili hunter-killer teams on board the ship, and fed back their locations to the Spartan and his team while generating electronic ghosts of the team in order to throw off their pursuers. As John and his team proceeded onward, engaging several Covenant soldiers as they went, Cortana made the team aware of another way to the bridge and at her suggestion, split the team to cover both paths. John took Haverson and Polaksi with him while Johnson and Locklear took the other path.{{Ref/Reuse|HFS7}}

Dodging the Sangheili's initial sword swing, John slammed the butt of his MA5B into its midsection before preparing to smash its skull, but before he could the Elite rolled back, slicing the assault rifle in half with its sword. Catching his opponent off guard, John stepped close and grabbed its wrists. He was able to force its sword arm away but at the cost of weakening his grasp on its other arm. John noted that this particular Sangheili was exceedingly well-trained and the Spartan felt every injury from the past few days inflicted on him during the Halo conflict. Haverson and Polaski attempted to assist John, but were unable to get a clear shot, and the Spartan was unable to easily move as the Elite would be able to kill him with its energy sword. Unexpectedly for John, the Sangheili deliberately pulled them into close proximity to his two teammates, and used this to swing its energy sword at them. The sword caught Haverson, slicing through his pistol and across his chest. Telling Polaski to get the injured Lieutenant out of the bridge, John kicked the Elite in the chest, destroying its energy shield and shattering its breastplate causing it to cough up blood onto John's visor, before the Sangheili tripped over its helmet on the floor, bringing both of them to the deck. The Sangheili managed to get its non-sword arm free from the Chiefs grasp and it picked up its plasma pistol. John just managed to roll aside as the energy weapon fired, melting the displays behind him. As the two combatants struggled to rise, John managed to knock the Elite's plasma pistol away. As the Sangheili roared in anger or panic, John found it getting even stronger. Fortunately for the Chief, Johnson and Locklear had arrived and were attempting to open their hatch into the bridge. The two notified John that they were ready to fire so he drove the Sangheili backward across the bridge directly into the Marine's hatch. The two opened fire directly into the Elite's back, but the Covenant warrior still held its ground, slicing its energy sword into John's upper arm. As the Marine's fire started to weaken the Sangheili, John slammed it into the bulkhead, opening the escape corridor behind it. With his foe off-balance, John seized the upper hand, smashing its arm into the wall and forcing it to drop its energy sword, permanently disabling the weapon as its fail-safes initiated. He continued to force the Sangheili back, before launching an open-handed strike into its chest launching it into an opened escape pod before hitting a control stud, launching the pod away from the ship.<ref name="HFS8">''[[Halo: First Strike]]'', ''Chapter 8''</ref>

John and his team set to work on preparing for their mission. Their [[Dextro Xur-pattern Spirit|Spirit dropship]] was heavily reinforced with layers of lead, boron fibers and [[Titanium-A armor|Titanium A]] hull plates in order to withstand the transition out of slipspace. Admiral Whitcomb inserted the copied Cortana fragment into his [[Spartan neural interface|neural interface]] before asking if [[Linda-058|Linda]] was fit to come on the operation with them, to which she replied in the affirmative. He found Lieutenant Haverson and informed him that he had Dr Halsey's analysis on the [[Flood]] After briefly hesitating on which data crystal to give the Lieutenant, he opted to pass on the complete files containing Sergeant Johnson's medical data, believing that he had to take the chance that ONI could find a countermeasure to the Flood threat. With ten minutes left until they reached the drop zone, John shook Haverson's hand one last time, before being given a final order from Admiral Whitcomb: Give [[Covenant|them]] hell.<ref name="HFS31">''[[Halo: First Strike]]'', ''Chapter 31''</ref>

Knowing of their close proximity to the Covenant, John ordered his team to stay off the COM, before using the fiber-optic probe to scout the area outside the dropship. Among the vast numbers of Covenant vessels, he spotted the [[Covenant tug|tug]] that arrived to ferry their dropship. John soon spotted their target: the gigantic Covenant space station, ''Unyielding Hierophant''. After several minutes, the tug arrived at the station. Upon their arrival, the dropship's hatch was opened but fortunately for the team, it was a group of [[Huragok]]. The aliens ignored John and the others, so the Spartans did the same, leaving the Huragok to their repairs. Using the probe, John saw that they had arrived in a bay that serviced dropships and other singleships and aside from the thousands of Huragok in the area, there was no sign of any hostiles. The team made their way up to an overhead deck where they observed the area. They noticed a pair of [[Unggoy]] pushing carts of fluids, but John knew they would be easy to avoid. The team then made their way to a terminal, where they covered John as he accessed it. The copied Cortana fragment informed him that she had secured them their own channel and encrypted it so they could communicate. She told John that there was a central [[Pinch fusion reactor|reactor complex]] on each lobe of the station, and if they could physically deliver her to one of them, she could cause an overload that would ensure the destruction of the entire station. John opted to leave another copy of the Cortana fragment in the Covenant systems until he needed her; despite her warnings that complications could arise from using a copy of a copy, he deemed it necessary as he needed a way to bypass the Covenant security systems. The team made their way through kilometers of ducting, following the path the fragment had given them for over eleven hours before it terminated in a dead end. After the copied Cortana offered several alternate routes, John opted for the quickest one, knowing that time was of the essence. The team made their way to a huge open section of the station. John confirmed the locations that the team needed, the window to the repair bay for their exfiltration, and the structure that provided the most direct route to the reactor complex. Linda separated from the group, ascending to the rooftops to provide overwatch. Once she was in place, John made a run for the structure, crushing the skull of an Unggoy with the butt of his rifle as he went. As he made his way up the stairs of the building, Linda notified him of the presence of unarmed [[Sangheili]], before firing a quartet of shots from her sniper rifle to kill a [[Mgalekgolo]] pair advancing on their position. Once he reached the top, he made his way into the temple, using one of the giant columns in the room to take cover and cover his team as they entered. Cortana than warned John that there was [[Jiralhanae]] guards in the temple. As Blue Team made their way into the temple going from cover to cover using the pillars, John noticed a contact on his [[motion tracker]], one that moved as fast as him. As the Brute rounded his pillar, John opened fire at point blank, as did Will and Fred but they were unable to drop the creature. At the same time, another Jiralhanae fired three rounds from its [[Type-25 Brute Shot|weapon]] at [[Grace-093]]. The first Brute tackled John, knocking his rifle away before pounding his shields flat, grabbing his neck and squeezing. John noted that even in his MJOLNIR armor, he was not as strong as the Jiralhanae. While the rest of Blue Team engaged other targets, John struggled as the Brute attempted to strangle him to death. Once his shields reached a quarter charge, John used a maneuver known as "shrimping" to escape from the Jiralhanae's grasp. Using its moment of disorientation, John elbowed the Brute in the neck, swept its own elbow out before attempting to break it and finally, using his legs and body to keep the Brute pinned down. The powerful Covenant soldier pushed itself and John up with its free arm but the Spartan shoved a fragmentation grenade into its belt before sweeping its arm out. The grenade killed the Jiralhanae while its body shielded the Spartan from harm. Quickly recovering, John searched for the rest of his team. Having lost his probe during the scuffle with the Brute, he located Grace's body, torn open by Brute Shot rounds. Another pair of Jiralhanae destroyed the column John was using for cover and he only just managed to escape being crushed. Unwilling to leave Grace's body behind in case she was still alive, John used one of his Lotus anti-tank mines to destroy the temple opening and crush the two Jiralhanae. He discovered that Grace had been killed. Saddened by her loss, John activated her armor's [[fail-safe detonation system]], ensuring that the Covenant wouldn't get her body.<ref name="HFS34">''[[Halo: First Strike]]'', ''Chapter 34''</ref>     

Cortana's fragment directed the team to an access hatch for Covenant Huragok. Once they had entered she shut it behind them. They followed the shaft until they arrived in one of ''Unyielding Hierophant's'' massive reactor rooms. Will signaled the team to freeze until a group of [[Kig-Yar]] had passed; as soon as they did John inserted the Cortana fragment into another terminal. She notified them that due to the limited Covenant counterintrusion measures in the system, she could begin the reactor overload. He told her to begin the overload immediately, as the station and the Covenant fleet could leave for Earth at any moment. With the overload commencing and the team having ten minutes to exfil, they proceeded to the exit route that Cortana had given them, killing the Kig-Yar guards on the catwalk. Making their way to an elevator car, Blue Team ascended to the heat exchange plant for the reactors, killing the two Sangheili in the room. At this time, the fail-safe detonation system in Grace's armor exploded, consuming a dozen Unggoy and their Sangheili overseers, a final action that John knew would have pleased her. John realized that they needed to get to the airlocks quickly and attempted to raise communications with Linda, telling her to snipe several [[Type-26 Banshee|Banshee]] pilots out of their vehicles near the heat exchange plant so that they could use the vehicles to leave the station but warning her not to respond to keep the Covenant from discovering her location. John clicked his COM, attracting the Banshees towards him. As they flew in on a strafing run Linda, from an unknown position to John, performed three impossible shots with her sniper rifle, killing all three of the Banshee pilots with lethal ricochets. John, Fred and Will quickly commandeered the Banshees. As they flew higher, Linda continued to provide support, felling another pair of Banshees that pursued them. The team piloted the Banshees to the window leading to the repair bays. John gave his last Lotus mine to Fred, telling him to set it for a remote detonation. He contacted the Cortana fragment he had left in the system, to discover that it had spun off hundreds of copies of myself as a result of being overwhelmed by the Covenant's security programming, but had one copy dedicated to communicating with the team. It informed John that it could open the airlock doors but John refused to leave immediately, opting to go back for Linda. He told Fred that if he wasn't back in three minutes, to detonate the mine and exfiltrate.

===Cairo Station and Mark VI===

{{Main|Battle for Earth}}

{{Quote|no=three|q1=Sir, permission to leave the station.|John-117|q2=For what purpose, Master Chief?|Terrence Hood|q3=To give the Covenant back their bomb.|John-117|John requests leave to personally guide a Covenant [[antimatter charge]] out of ''Cairo Station'' to be used against the invaders.}}<ref name="H2CS">''[[Halo 2]]'', ''[[Cairo Station]]''</ref>

The {{UNSCShip|Gettysburg}} reached [[Earth]] by [[2552#October|October 19]].<ref name="11HRSH">[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/universe/oni-files/eleventh-hour-reports '''Eleventh Hour Reports''' - '''SUBJECT: HEIRLOOMS''']</ref> The next day, John reported to the armory of the {{Class|Moncton|orbital weapon platform}} ''[[Cairo Station (station)|Cairo Station]]'' near midday in order to receive a suit of [[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor/Mark VI|Mark VI]] [[Mjolnir]] armor.<ref name="WF31">''[[Halo Warfleet]]'', ''page 31''</ref><ref name="H2TA">''[[Halo 2]]'', ''[[The Armory]]''</ref> [[Unidentified master gunnery sergeant|The gunnery sergeant]] overseeing the armory noted the various types of damage the John's [[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor/Mark V|Mark V]] had sustained at [[Reach]], [[Installation 04]], and aboard the ''[[Unyielding Hierophant]]''.<ref name="H2TH">''[[Halo 2]]'', ''[[The Heretic]]''</ref> To this, John coolly responded by stating that he ought to tell that to the Covenant, seeing as those he'd killed hadn't seemed to have noticed.{{Ref/Reuse|H2TH}} He then cooperated with the sergeant in order to run the armor through a series of diagnostic tests that ensured its targeting and [[energy shielding]] were working correctly.{{Ref/Reuse|H2TA}} Sergeant Major [[Avery Johnson]] came to the armory to collect John so that the two of them could proceed to the bridge where they were to be honored for their recent actions. John had agreed to participate in the ceremony while others on [[Blue Team]] were debriefed or subjected to psychological analysis with the understanding that there wouldn't even be cameras at the event, but when he and Johnson stepped off a [[tram]] near their destination they were greeted not just by cameras but by a cheering crowd of [[UNSC Marine Corps|Marines]] as well.{{Ref/Reuse|H2TA}} At this, Johnson reminded him that he was completely hidden inside his armor, despite having told the sergeant he would be dressed more appropriately for the occasion.

John made his through ''Cairo Station's'' [[MAC Storage]] area, killing a pair of [[Stealth Sangheili]] but was too slow to stop the master gunnery sergeant's death at the hands of a team of Sangheili. John quickly slew the sergeant's killers and made his way into [[Commons B-01]] which had been completely overrun by Covenant forces. John fought his way across the commons area, killing Sangheili, Unggoy as well as plasma cannon [[Unggoy Heavy|operators]] before proceeding through the [[Security B-01|security room]]. John found Commander Keyes, along with her ship's crewmen and Sergeant Johnson pinned down by another group of Covenant. With the Spartan's help, the Covenant were repulsed, allowing Keyes, Johnson and her crew to board {{UNSCShip|In Amber Clad}}. John proceeded out of an airlock, traversing across the vacuum of space towards [[Portside Shipping]]. As the Spartan engaged [[Sangheili Ranger]]s in the zero-gee environment, Cortana detected the presence of a Covenant antimatter charge in the station's [[Firing control|fire control center]]. Admiral Hood ordered John to proceed there immediately. Once inside the Portside shipping bay, John assisted the Marines there in defeating a swarm of [[Yanme'e]], before riding the cargo lift down to the lower airlock. Lord Hood ordered Cortana to open fire with the station's MAC gun as the Covenant fleet entered firing range while Harper led the first echelon of [[Fifth Fleet]] to engage the thirteen [[Ket-pattern battlecruiser|cruisers]] of the Covenant fleet while the second echelon would attack the two [[CAS-class assault carrier|assault carriers]]. As John emerged into another zero-gee section of the station, he witnessed [[Solemn Penance|one]] of the Covenant assault carriers soar past the station, using the opening in the station's defense cluster to slip by and proceed directly down to Earth. John fought his past more Covenant rangers to the elevator to firing control. As the elevator descended, Cortana warned him of the presence of a number of Sangheili guarding the bomb. As the Spartan fought against the sizable Covenant force in the room, he witnessed the [[Day of Jubilation|second]] assault carrier bypass the ''Cairo'', following the first one towards Earth. With only moments to spare John finished off all of the Covenant guards and disarmed the bomb.

Commander Miranda Keyes informed Admiral Hood that the second carrier's [[Energy shielding#Spacecraft shielding|energy shield]] was down and she was in position to launch an assault but Hood denied her, knowing that the comparatively-tiny frigate would stand no chance against the Covenant vessel even without it's shield. John requested permission to leave the station, telling Admiral Hood that he intended to take the Covenant's own bomb and use it to destroy one the assault carrier. After only a moments hesitation, Hood granted his request. As John took the bomb up an elevator towards [[Hangar C-01]], Cortana admonished him for his daring plan but ultimately decided to come with him. Upon reaching his destination, John opened the bay doors, revealing the space battle occurring beyond. As the antimatter charge was pulled out into space, John grabbed onto one of its many anchoring spikes and was pulled out of the station. The first assault carrier was too far to reach but the second one was right beneath him so he guided the bomb towards it. As he approached, the carrier opened fire on [[UNSC Feeling Lucky|a]] nearby ''[[Marathon-class heavy cruiser|Marathon-class cruiser]]'', narrowly missing him. A flight of [[GA-TL1 Longsword|Longsword]] fighters launched an attack run on the unshielded carrier, tearing open a rent in its [[Nanolaminate|hull plating]] and allowing John to guide the bomb in. Arriving in the ship's massive reactor room, John activated the bomb next to the ship's [[Pinch fusion reactor]] and kicked off the bomb, soaring out through the hole created by the Longswords. Narrowly making it out as the assault carrier was destroyed, John shot across the vacuum of space towards the ''In Amber Clad''. Upon arrival, Commander Keyes ordered him to get inside and gear up: the [[Solemn Penance|other]] assault carrier had made landfall on Earth.{{Ref/Reuse|H2CS}}

===Mombasa===

{{Quote|no=four|q1=So you gonna follow this pipe all the way out to the [[Mombasa Quays]]?|Corporal [[Palmer (Marine)|Palmer]]|q2=No. I‘m going to make sure the rest of you make it out of here alive.|John-117|q3=Gosh! That‘s awfully nice of you. Look, you may be a Spartan, but...|Corporal Palmer|q4=Exactly, Corporal. And if we had all been Spartans back there none of us would have died. Now let me do my job.|John-117|John shuts down the corporal's questioning of his abilities.}}

''In Amber Clad'' descended to the city of [[Mombasa]], [[Kenya]], on the [[East African Protectorate|East]] [[Africa]]n coast.,<ref name="H2O">''[[Halo 2]]'', ''[[Outskirts]]''</ref> where the Covenant {{Class|CAS|assault carrier}} ''[[Solemn Penance]]'' was in the process of deploying troops for [[Portal at Voi|a purpose]] that was set unknown to the UNSC. To this end, John was sent by Admiral Hood, along with Sergeant Johnson and three [[D77-TC Pelican|Pelican dropships]] full of [[UNSC Marine Corps|Marines]] and [[Orbital Drop Shock Troopers|ODSTs]] to personally capture the [[Prophet of Regret]], whom Cortana had discovered though intercepted Covenant communications, was on board the carrier and was calling for help. As the ships flew over [[Old Mombasa]] towards the [[New Mombasa|city center]], over which the assault carrier was located, A [[Protos-pattern Scarab|Scarab]] suddenly crashed through a nearby building. The Covenant walker opened fire on the Pelicans with its [[Focus cannon|main cannon]], destroying the center dropship. As the other two attempted to veer off, fire from the Scarab's [[heavy plasma repeater]]s struck their engines. The dropship carrying John and his team crashed into a building and flipped. John momentarily lost consciousness following the impact but awoke at [[Cortana]]'s urging and pulled himself out of the burning wreckage.{{Ref/Reuse|H2O}} She assured him she was working on a solution to find them transport so they might still achieve their objective.<ref name="HEPH">''[[Halo Evolutions]]'', ''[[Palace Hotel]]''</ref> The Master Chief and the Marines who had survived the crash made their way through an alley, killing a lone [[Unggoy]] in the process.{{Ref/Reuse|H2O}} On the opposite side the team ambushed a group of unaware Covenant around a large three story building. Noting the defensible nature of the area, the team opted to dig in and defend that position until they could be extracted. Taking up position in the three story building, the team held out against waves of Covenant attackers that emerged from nearby alleys. With Johnson calling out targets from the roof of the building while providing [[SRS99C-S2 AM sniper rifle#SRS99C-S2 AMB|sniper rifle]], John and the Marines fought through groups of Sangheili, Unggoy, Kig-Yar and Yanme'e. Eventually, a [[Kez'katu-pattern Phantom|Phantom]] arrived, using its [[heavy plasma cannon]]s to suppress the UNSC defenders while deploying Covenant soldiers directly into the courtyard in front of the building. Eventually, John and his team were able to repel the Covenant assault, and a Pelican pilot informed them that there was an [[Landing zone|LZ]] suitable for pickup on the other side of some nearby buildings. Just as Sergeant Johnson ordered someone to place a [[satchel charge]] on an obstructing gate, a [[Mgalekgolo]] pair burst into the area, destroying the gate. Johnson called for the Marines to stand back and let the Spartan handle the new threat. After a brief fight, in which John was successful to slaying the Mgalekgolo gestalts, Cortana received a distress call from the [[Marcus Stacker|leader]] of the [[Second Squad#Battle of Mombasa|squad]] from the second downed Pelican. She told the squad to hole up and wait for them to arrive. John and the team worked their way from there toward the LZ, which was at a section of collapsed highway. While engaging Kig-Yar forces, the Pelican swooped in to deploy more Marines to assist John while Sergeant Johnson, at the behest of Commander Keyes boarded with the new goal of assisting in the deployment of armor and reinforcements throughout the city, the plan to board the ''Solemn Penance'' forgotten for the time being.{{Ref/Reuse|H2O}}

[[File:HtT John in New Mombasa original.jpg|thumb|300px|left|This photograph, captured on [[2552#October|October 20]] by war journalist [[Benjamin Giraud]], was later edited and used for [[propaganda]] by the UNSC.<ref>''[[Hunt the Truth]]'', [[Hunt the Truth Season 1/Blog posts|Season 1 Blog posts]]</ref>]]

Upon exiting the tunnel at Kilindini Bridge, John exited the Warthog to approach a small group of surviving Marines watching the same Scarab which had downed his Pelican finish traversing the bridge on the opposite side of the channel, noting that neither fifty caliber rounds or [[M19 missile|rockets]] had any effect on the walker.<ref name="H2M">''[[Halo 2]]'', ''[[Metropolis]]''</ref> A Pelican lowered then to drop off a [[M808B Scorpion]] tank and Sergeant Johnson also disembarked to ask the Marine survivors what had happened to the rest of their platoon. He then ordered the remnants of the devastated platoon to join the Chief, who would be taking control of the tank, in rolling across the bridge in pursuit of the Scarab and the carrier. John climbed aboard the hulking vehicle and began to proceed across bridge, destroying a series of Ghosts and a [[Zurdo-pattern Wraith|Wraith]] tank. As John crossed the center of the bridge, another Marine armed with a [[M41 SPNKR|rocket launcher]] emerged from hiding and joined the Spartan. As several Phantom dropships soared by, intending to deliver more Covenant armor to the far side of the bridge, a pair of [[Type-26 Banshee|Banshee]] fliers attempted to strafe John's tank, but were unsuccessful. More Ghosts were waiting at a toll plaza on the far side but these too fell to the Scorpion's weaponry.{{Ref/Reuse|H2M}} Finally a pair of Wraiths and more Banshee's emerged to engage the Spartan. John was able to defeat all of the Covenant vehicles but the Scorpion had suffered heavy damage and the Marines whom had aided him were killed. John left the tank behind and cut across the toll plaza on foot.{{Ref/Reuse|HEPH}}{{Ref/Reuse|H2M}}

===Installation 05===

{{Main|Battle of Installation 05}}

{{Quote|This is not your grave...But you are welcome in it.|The Gravemind to John-117 after capturing the latter<ref name="H2R">''[[Halo 2]]'', ''[[Regret (Halo 2 level)|Regret]]''</ref>}}

The {{UNSCShip|In Amber Clad}} arrived in the [[Coelest system]] on [[2552#November|November 2]], two weeks after departing from Earth. Commander Keyes soon spotted the [[Installation 05|Halo construct]] orbiting the [[Substance|ice giant]] in the system and told [[Cortana]] to pass on all of the information from the [[Installation 04|first Halo]] regardless of her security clearance. Noting that the ''[[Solemn Penance]]'' was deploying troops onto the surface, and knowing that it was even more important to capture the [[Prophet of Regret]], Commander Keyes ordered John to take [[First Platoon (ODST)|First Platoon]] and deploy via [[Single Occupant Exoatmospheric Insertion Vehicle|SOEIV]] to secure a [[landing zone]] for [[Avery Johnson|Sergeant Johnson]], who would deliver several [[D77-TC Pelican|Pelicans]] with reinforcements. As the ''In Amber Clad'' passed over the ring, the ship deployed John and the ODSTs of First Platoon. As they entered the atmosphere, the started to take heavy fire from Covenant [[Eeo'Pimu-pattern Shade|stationary guns]] and several of the pods were hit. John managed to make landfall, and emerged from his pod armed with a [[M7 SMG|submachine gun]] and a [[M41 SPNKR|rocket launcher]]. One of the ODSTs immediately informed him that he needed to neutralize the Shade turrets. Using the rocket launcher, John eliminated the various stationary guns around the landing zone before attacking more Covenant soldiers around a nearby structure. Eventually clearing the area, Cortana told Johnson that he was safe to begin his approach. As he acknowledged, Cortana told John that there was several [[Kez'katu-pattern Phantom|Phantoms]] inbound. John and the surviving ODSTs from First Platoon were successful in holding the LZ, fighting back several dropships worth of Covenant. With the area secure, Johnson's Pelican arrived, dropping off a [[M12 Chaingun Warthog|Warthog]] and several reinforcements.<ref name="H2DH">''[[Halo 2]]'', ''[[Delta Halo]]''</ref>

Fighting against Jiralhanae for the first time since the ''[[Unyielding Hierophant]]'', [[Cortana]] reminded him that they lacked shield generators, as well as their berserk fury as he fought against the Honor Guardsmen left in the room. As a [[Tartarus|Jiralhanae]] announced over the city's loudspeakers that the "[[Covenant religion#Demons|Demon]]" had infiltrated High Charity and to seal the exit to the Council Chamber, Cortana went to work in the city's systems to bypass the security measures. John was forced to fight against several Jiralhanae-led waves of Covenant until Cortana unlocked the doors of the chamber. Cortana warned John that his utmost priority was the retrieval of the activation index, which was in the Prophet of Truth's possession. Fighting his way out onto the exterior balcony where Thel 'Vadamee  was [[The Heretic|tortured and branded]] and contending with a Jiralhanae [[Jiralhanae Captain|Captain]] and more troops, Cortana reversed the nearby [[gravity lift]], allowing John to proceed to the lower level of the tower. As the Spartan fought his way through several rooms full of Covenant, Cortana revealed that she had detected the [[Identification friend or foe|IFF transponders]] of several [[UNSC Marine Corps|Marine]] [[Prisoner of war|POW]]s in a prison bay below his position. John eventually found another room with a gravity lift guarded by a [[pack]] of Jiralhanae. After clearing the room, Cortana opened the lift allowing John to proceed down to the brig. After a large battle, John was able to traverse the brig room and liberate five Marine POWs, who armed themselves with Covenant weaponry and joined the Spartan. Before they could leave, they were forced to defeat a group of reinforcements who entered using the lift John had arrived on. John and the Marines ascended up the elevator, which deposited them in a room  with a single dead [[Sangheili]] [[Lights of Sanghelios|Ultra Honor Guardsman]]. As the Prophet of Truth continued to broadcast to the city's populace, Cortana realized that this would make him much easier to track. John and his Marines engaged a group of Sangheili, who were themselves under attack from a swarm of [[Yanme'e]]. As they entered the next corridors they watched as the [[Great Schism]] broke out within the Covenant, watching Jiralhanae leading [[Kig-Yar]] and Yanme'e against the Sangheili. Cortana urged John to hurry; she had located him outside the tower he was currently in. Eventually reaching a small room where John was forced to engage a [[Mgalekgolo]] pair in close-quarters combat, the Prophet of Truth revealed that the Jiralhanae now led the Covenant fleets. Cortana was fighting her own battle in the city's systems against an inordinate amount of kill-systems deployed by the Covenant in an attempt to stop her.{{Ref/Reuse|H2G}}  

John and his team made their way into the [[Valleys of Tears#Valley of Tears A|first]] of High Charity's environment modules, where they witnessed intense fighting between Sangheili, Mgalekgolo and Jiralhanae and Kig-Yar [[Kig-Yar Sniper|snipers]]. As they left the valley, Cortana informed John that the Covenant's civil war had extended to the [[Second Fleet of Homogeneous Clarity|fleet]] around High Charity. As John and his team traversed a [[gravity bridge]] to the [[Hanging Gardens#Hanging Garden A|first]] hanging gardens, the [[UNSC]] {{UNSCShip|In Amber Clad}} arrived in the city by [[Slipstream space|slipspace]] rupture, soaring over the teams head and crashing into a tower ahead of their position. Cortana tried to hail the ship, but she was unable to register any human vital signs on the ship. She informed John that she would continue to try and make contact. John fought his way through dueling Jiralhanae Honor Guardsmen and [[Special Operations Sangheili]] in the hanging garden before crossing another gravity bridge to the [[Mid Tower]]. Inside, [[Sangheili Ranger]]s fought against Yanme'e for conquest before John and his team entered, eliminating all of the warring Covenant. As they left the Mid Tower, a Jiralhanae announced over the loudspeaker that they were making headway against the Sangheili, forcing them back towards the [[Mausoleum of the Arbiter]]. In Hanging Garden B, the team witnessed enraged Jiralhanae slaughtering Unggoy that the Sangheili had left behind during their retreat. Eventually breaking through a number of Jiralhanae soldiers, John and his Marines emerged into the second Valley of Tears, they stumbled into a large engagement between a [[Covenant Special Operations|Special Operations]] contingent of Sangheili and Unggoy and the Jiralhanae. Eventually navigating through the uneven terrain, the team made it to the other side, where they slew a group of [[Active camouflage|cloaked]] [[Sangheili]]. The next few rooms were inhabited by more Special Operations Sangheili and Unggoy, forcing the team to fight their way through. On the causeway leading to the Mausoleum, the Sangheili made a last stand against encroaching Jiralhanae forces, deploying [[Eeo'Pimu-pattern Shade|stationary guns]], Unggoy with [[Pez'tk-pattern fuel rod gun|fuel rod guns]] and a Mgalekgolo pair. John emerged on the Jiralhanae-held side of the bridge, killing them before turning his attention to the Sangheili. Cortana told him to take a shortcut directly through the Mausoleum, as that would get him to the Prophet of Truth faster. Inside the Mausoleum, Cortana recommended that John avoided involving himself in the engagement within, as [[Sangheili Ultra]]s, Mgalekgolo, Jiralhanae and Yanme'e clashed around the sarcophagus that once housed the [[Arbiter|Arbiter's]] [[Arbiter body armor|armor]]. A final group of Sangheili entered from the far door of the Mausoleum as Cortana picked up a final pair of UNSC IFF transporters: Commander Keyes and Sergeant Johnson had been captured by the Covenant would need his help. Finally emerging from the Mausoleum as the sole survivor of the battle, Cortana warned John that she was receiving reports through the Covenant battle network of [[Flood]] leaving the ''In Amber Clad's'' wreckage, warning him to get the activation index and leave the city before it fell to the parasite.{{Ref/Reuse|H2G}}  

[[File:MercyDeath.jpg|thumb|300px|left|Master Chief finds the dying Prophet of Mercy.]]

John arrived at the [[Far Tower]] just as the Prophet of Truth departed on his Phantom with the activation index, along with [[Tartarus]], Keyes and Johnson. He discovered the Prophet of Mercy, having been left to die at the hands of a [[Pod infector]] by Truth only moments earlier. John asked the dying Hierarch where Truth was going, only for Mercy to tell him that he was heading to Earth, to finish [[Human-Covenant War|what they had started]]. John tore the infector off of Mercy's neck; this action killing the frail Prophet at the same time. Cortana appeared on Mercy's [[Anti-gravity chair|throne]], telling John that Truth intended to reach the [[Anodyne Spirit|structure]] in the center of the city, in truth a [[Forerunner]] [[Keyship|ship]]. She warned him that if he had the opportunity to reach Earth with the vessel, the planet would be crushed. John told her that [[Tartarus]] had the activation index, and two "Reclaimers", granting him the ability to activate [[Installation 05]]. Cortana told him that if he did so, she would use ''In Amber Clad'''s reactors to destroy the city and the ring, as she had done with the [[Installation 04|first Halo]]. She told John that she would need to remain on High Charity to ensure that she could directly detonate the engines. At that moment, a [[D77-TC Pelican]] full of [[Flood]] [[Flood combat form|combat forms]] crashed onto the Far Tower. John was forced to contend with the omniparasitic Flood that he had previously thought destroyed with Alpha Halo. Cortana told John to head back into the Mausoleum tower; there was an [[High Charity conduit]] connecting to the Forerunner Dreadnought that he could use to get on board. As more of ''In Amber Clad's'' Pelican dropships continued to disgorge Flood forms all across ''High Charity'', John fought to stay ahead of the parasite, fighting past both Covenant and Flood forces until he emerged into a large open area above the Mausoleum itself, the ceiling decorated with shards of glass, each one taken from human planets [[Glassing|glassed]] by the Covenant. Cortana warned him of the presence of [[Mendicant Bias|another intelligence]] inside the Forerunner ship that was fighting her attempt to slow the ship's launch sequence, one that seemed far more powerful than a typical [[Associated intelligence|Covenant AI]].{{Ref/Reuse|H2HC}}

As John continued deeper into the tower, he witnessed the start of the conversion of the city into a [[Flood hive]]. The walls around him swelled with Flood biomass, which was only fueled by the massive numbers of Covenant dead created by the [[Great Schism]]. The atmosphere around became saturated with [[Flood spore]]s and the city's power grid was disrupted by its primary source in the form of the Forerunner Dreadnought decoupling itself from the station. John made his way through darkened corridors, engaging large numbers of Flood as well as Covenant survivors. As he entered an environmental module where Jiralhanae-led Covenant were stationed, the Prophet of Truth attempted to reassure the city's populace that they would not be defeated by the Flood, while the [[Gravemind]], who had entered the city on the ''In Amber Clad'', retorted that all would be consumed by the Flood. Flood forces soon swarmed into the room, engaging the Covenant defenders allowing John to fight his way through. In another section, Cortana informed him that the part of the tower they were in still had robust security systems. Truth announced over the city's loudspeakers that Mercy was still by his side, of which John knew was a lie before the Gravemind revealed that he had assimilated the other Hierarch's corpse. As he proceeded through the room, fighting against Flood combat forms and Yanme'e, John caught a glimpse of the Gravemind's tentacles through the shattered observatory window. The Spartan eventually made it to the [[Sanctum of the Hierarchs]], where a final bastion of Covenant led by [[Jiralhanae Honor Guardsman|Jiralhanae Honor Guardsmen]] furiously defended the inner sanctum against masses of Flood forms. John was forced to eliminate everything in the room before he could enter the inner sanctum. Cortana told him of the still-ongoing fight between Sangheili and Jiralhanae ships around High Charity, before telling him that the conduit was nearby, up one final gravity lift. At the top, Cortana told John to ignore the masses of Flood in the area and make directly for the conduit. The Spartan successfully reached the conduit, riding the energy beam towards the Forerunner ship and barely making it aboard before conduit disengaged. The Spartan promised to return for Cortana, to which she told him not to make a promise he couldn't keep. The ship launched from High Charity, bypassing the dozens of warring ships around it, and entered slipspace.{{Ref/Reuse|H2HC}}

{{Clear}}

===Hunt for Truth===

{{Main|Scramble onboard Forerunner Dreadnought}}

{{Quote|no=two|q1=Master Chief? You mind telling me what you're doing on [[Anodyne Spirit|that ship]]?|Terrence Hood|q2=Sir. Finishing this fight.|John-117|John's words to Admiral Hood upon making his presence known back at Earth.}}<ref name="H2TGJ">''[[Halo 2]]'', ''[[The Great Journey]]''</ref>

The Dreadnought did not come right upon Earth immediately upon its arrival in the [[Sol system]] on November 8.{{Ref/Reuse|HU1}}<ref name="BungieUpdate">[http://halo.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?type=topnews&cid=16989 '''Bungie''': ''Bungie Weekly Update: 01/23/09'']</ref> Rather, it passed near [[Jupiter]] and its [[Jovian Moons|various moons]] and it was at this point that John was contacted by technicians aboard [[Io Station]] whom were attempting to get a fix on his position within the enormous ship. John only deigned to confirm he heard them but then ordered radio silence to be maintained so as not to compromise him, just as he sped in a captured {{Pattern|Karo'etba|Ghost}} toward a group of [[Unggoy]] and [[Kig-Yar]]. He bailed from the vehicle just before it careened into the group from a level above and resulted in a large explosion, then clearing up the rest of them with dual [[M7 SMG]]s and grenades. The Chief then used a grenade to blow past a [[door]] but found himself facing a large contingent of [[Jiralhanae]], Kig-Yar, and Unggoy on the other side. He opened fire without a second thought but at that instant six hulking [[Mgalekgolo]] arrived and some of them managed to land simultaneous hits on John with their powerful [[assault cannon]]s. The combined force of the blasts toppled John but he was saved by the shouting of a [[Jiralhanae War Chieftain]] which commanded that he not be harmed any further. The Brute approached the downed Spartan where he lay and demanded that he assist them with finding something called "the [[Key of Osanalan]]".<ref name="HU1">''[[Halo: Uprising]]'', ''[[Halo: Uprising Issue 1|Issue #1]]''</ref> Io Station then began asking for another radio check whilst the chieftain pressed him for answers regarding this "Key of Osanalan", both regarding where it was and what "Osanalan" meant.<ref name="HU2">''[[Halo: Uprising]]'', ''[[Halo: Uprising Issue 2|Issue #2]]''</ref> John eventually did respond to the Jiralhanae's questions and in so doing told him that "Osanalan" meant "always strip your enemy of weapons before you interrogate him", for John had stolen a {{Pattern|Anskum|plasma grenade}} which he deftly proceeded to stick to the Brute's crotch. The explosion that came next tore the chieftain apart and sent John flying backward. When surviving Grunts recovered and looked about in search of the human, he was gone.{{Ref/Reuse|HU2}}

===Landfall===

{{Main|Recovery of John-117}}

{{Quote|no=three|q1=Radio for [[VTOL]]. Heavy lift gear. We're not leaving him here.|Avery Johnson|q2=Yeah, you're not.|John-117|q3=Crazy fool! Why do you always ''jump''? One of these days, you're gonna land on something as stubborn as you are! And I don't do bits and pieces.|Avery Johnson|John proves to have survived his fall, to Johnson's delight.}}{{Ref/Reuse|H3A}}

John's fall ended with him slamming into a [[Tanzania]]n jungle south of [[Mount Kilimanjaro]].{{Ref/Reuse|H3A}}<ref name="Enc296">''[[Halo Encyclopedia (2009 edition)]]'', ''page 296''</ref> His armor's [[hydrostatic gel]] layer took the brunt of the impact, also locking the suit into a fixed shape and knocking him out.{{Ref/Reuse|H3A}} By the time the sun had risen in the area at least two hours later, he was still unconscious.{{Ref/Reuse|H3A}}<ref name="HLLOS">''[[Halo: Landfall]]'', ''[[Halo: Last One Standing|Last One Standing]]''</ref> The Master Chief was eventually found by [[First Squad|a squad]] of marines led by Sergeant Johnson and accompanied by [[Thel 'Vadam|the Arbiter]]. [[Unidentified Corpsman|A]] [[Hospital Corpsman|hospital corpsman]] with the squad was able to partially unlock his armor, but with his status uncertain, Johnson removed Cortana's [[data crystal chip]] and gave the command to radio for heavy lifting gear so they could move the Spartan. Before that request could be made, though, John came to and clasped the sergeant's forearm, rising to his feet. He then took the chip back and upon doing so Johnson asked him where [[Cortana]] was, to which he let him know she had stayed [[High Charity|behind]]. Just after Johnson's question, John experienced the first of what would later be deemed  "[[Character interludes|residual interface anomalies]]", wherein echoes of Cortana's personality matrix in his neural interface repeated things she or Doctor Halsey had previously said.{{Ref/Reuse|H3A}}<ref>''[[Halo Legendary Crate]]'', ''[[Halo Legendary Crate/Data Drops|Data Drop #9]]''</ref> In this case, he heard Cortana's charge to not make a promise without keeping it again.{{Ref/Reuse|H2HC}}{{Ref/Reuse|H3A}} With his armor still in partial lockdown, John then followed the instructions of a corporal in order to ensure its tracking was working properly before the gel layer could be completely reset. By this point, John had not yet noticed the Arbiter among them, as the Sangheili had chosen to remain [[Active camouflage|camouflaged]]. So after [[Thel 'Vadam]] revealed himself, the Chief's instinctual reaction was to snatch Johnson's [[M6G magnum]] and rush the Elite. He had shoved the barrel of the sidearm beneath 'Vadam's lower mandibles by the time Johnson could shout that the Arbiter was working with them. John was hesitant to lower the weapon, Johnson's hand on his shoulder and his appeal to their bigger immediate problems made him do so. For his part, the Arbiter defiantly stated that John may not find killing him as easy as he may suspect and after enduring a slight shove from the Spartan, turned to walk away. 'Vadam urged the humans to follow him, as he was sure Covenant Jiralhanae had their scent by then and would be upon them soon. Johnson proffered an [[MA5C assault rifle]] which John snatched from him, seemingly annoyed by the uneasy alliance with a former enemy.{{Ref/Reuse|H3A}}

===Forming Up===

{{Main|Attack on Crow's Nest}}

{{Quote|no=three|q1=What about Halo?|John-117|q2=We stopped it, but only temporarily. Now, the Prophet of Truth is looking for something called '[[the Ark]]', where he'll be able to fire all the [[Halo ring]]s. If he succeeds... Humanity, the Covenant, every sentient being in [[Milky Way galaxy|the galaxy]]...|Miranda Keyes|q3=The rings will kill us all.|John-117|John, finishing Commander Keyes' thought, states the seriousness of the threat being faced.}}<ref name="H3CN">''[[Halo 3]]'', ''[[Crow's Nest]]''</ref>

''Kilo 023'' ferried John and the others to [[Crow's Nest (location)|Crow's Nest]], a UNSC [[Military base|base]] in [[Tsavo]], [[Kenya]].{{Ref/Reuse|H3CN}} Upon disembarking, Commander [[Miranda Keyes]] met he and Johnson and greeted them both. Keyes led the two of them, along with 'Vadam, to the base's operations center and while they walked she brought John up to speed regarding the ongoing [[battle for Earth]]. The Prophet of Truth's [[Truth's fleet|fleet]] was currently excavating a kilometers-wide [[Portal at Voi|area]] in the country in search of something called "[[the Ark]]". The Ark, Keyes relayed, would allow Truth to fire all of the remaining Halo rings at once, as they had been placed on "standby status" following the abortion of [[Installation 05]]'s activation.{{Ref/Reuse|H2TGJ}}{{Ref/Reuse|H3CN}} Within the ops center Admiral Hood was patched in to speak with those present. John reported to him that he was ready for action and for this Hood was grateful, as he and Keyes had constructed a plan which the admiral wasn't sure would be possible without the Spartan's help. [[Skar'wa-pattern Mantis|Anti-air batterie]]s were clustered around the perimeter of the excavation site where the Covenant fleet was presently located, but Hood and Keyes believed if that just one could be neutralized then a low-level strike could be initiated with {{Class|Charon|light frigate}}s and [[GA-TL1 Longsword]] fighters.{{Ref/Reuse|H3CN}}<ref name="H3TS">''[[Halo 3]]'', ''[[The Storm]]''</ref> While Hood was in the midst of explaining the attack to John, the power in the ops center was suddenly lost, and when it returned the [[Prophet of Truth]] had replaced the admiral on the primary screen which he'd been communicating from and all others around it. Truth berated the humans listening and proclaimed their imminent destruction, also singling John out in the process as "the Demon", taunting that not even he would escape the coming fire. John was the first one to point out his specific mention in the diatribe was highly unusual, and at this Miranda realized that Crow's Nest was about to be attacked. Her conclusion proved accurate almost immediately, as Phantoms were soon sighted moving toward the base.{{Ref/Reuse|H3CN}}

===Tsavo Highway===

{{Main|Assault on the Tsavo Highway}}

{{Quote|The Prophet of Truth doesn't know it yet, but he's about to get kicked right off his throne. We will take our city back and drive our enemy into [[Portal at Voi|the grave]] they've been so happily digging. One final effort is all that remains.|Admiral Hood provides encouragement for the final push against the Covenant in [[Voi]].}}<ref name="H3TH">''[[Halo 3]]'', ''[[Tsavo Highway]]''</ref>

The elevator led to a subterranean garage beneath Crow's Nest which opened into a short series of caves leading to the surrounding savanna.{{Ref/Reuse|H3TH}} Keyes reached out to John through a strained signal, asking for his status and noting that if he could hear her, then he should find transport and get to the town of [[Voi]]. He was unable to respond due how far underground they were. John was accompanied in the dark bay by Sergeant Reynolds and a number of other marines, one of whom activated a generator to give the place emergency power. As soon as light flooded the garage the Chief was the first to climb behind the driver's seat of an [[M12 Chaingun Warthog]]. The others followed suit in mounting up, both in John's hog and an [[M831 Troop Transport Warthog|M831 troop transport]]. Together, both vehicles left the garage behind and set out through the adjoining caves. At a gate leading to their exit, they ran into and saved two marines from [[Second Squad]] who had been pinned down there by Unggoy and Kig-Yar. Some of the Kig-Yar attempted to flee into the savanna but were pursued and killed. As the Chief and marines proceeded onward in the direction of Voi, Reynolds let him know that he was still unable to reach Keyes due to [[COM]]s still being a mess and Pelicans in the area being scattered. They soon overtook the site of a crashed {{Pattern|Ru'swum|Phantom}} and made sure to eliminate all of its survivors. At a [[Wikipedia:Dam|dam]] John and the marines met heavier resistance. After breaking through it a plea for help from Gunnery Sergeant [[Marcus Stacker]] barely managed to reach them, informing any who might be listening that his convoy had been hit and he was dealing with wounded on [[Tsavo highway (location)|Tsavo Highway]] just east of Voi. [[Barukaza Workshop Chopper]]s, {{Pattern|Rizsheda|Shade}} turrets, and infantry were waiting for them when they got to the highway, but after a short fight John exited his vehicle and found Sergeant Stacker where he'd been holding out against the Covenant forces. Stacker had been heading to Voi as well to deliver supplies to the marines there, but he urged John to continue onward to give them a hand himself. An [[Anti-vehicle barrier|energy barrier]] across a nearby tunnel prevented anyone from journeying any further toward Voi in vehicles but Stacker was aware that one could still walk through it and disable its power supply on the opposite side. John did this, but not before he and others around him had to deal with a swarm of [[Yanme'e]] first. John, Reynolds, and those accompanying them exited the tunnel to a bridge on the other side but had to halt their advance when they reached a place where a gap had been blasted into the road. Undeterred, John and the others crossed the gap via exposed beams and continued on foot. Right before stopping their Warthogs John had picked up transmissions between Captain Keyes and [[ONI Recon 111|an ONI reconnaissance unit]] and shortly thereafter both she and Sergeant Johnson realized they could communicate with John once more. Johnson told him to just keep pushing to Voi and promised that Pelicans could resupply his group in the next valley they'd enter.{{Ref/Reuse|H3TH}}

{{Main|Battle of Voi}}

{{Quote|no=two|q1=What is it? More Brutes?|Thel 'Vadam|q2=Worse.|John-117|John and Thel discuss the arrival of a [[Indulgence of Conviction|damaged]] {{Pattern|Ket|battlecruiser}} at Voi.}}{{Ref/Reuse|H3TS}}

John, riding shotgun in the passenger seat of a [[M12 Chaingun Warthog]], made his way into Voi along with several [[M831 Troop Transport Warthog|Troop Transports]] full of Marines. The convoy emerged into a parking lot littered with destroyed vehicles and corpses of both human and Covenant soldiers. Upon arriving at a sealed blast door leading into [[Traxus Factory Complex 09]], John and the Marines dismounted from their vehicles, with the driver and gunner of the LRV remaining as support. The Marine sergeant informed John that they would cover him with the turret while he took point. John opened the door and proceeded through an empty section of the factory before emerging onto a catwalk above several [[Unggoy]] and [[Kig-Yar]] listening to a sermon from the [[Prophet of Truth]]. Taking the Covenant by surprise, John and the Marines were able to easily wipe the group out before opening a door allowing the Warthog LRV to proceed. Forming up in front of another sealed door, the Marines assembled to provide John cover while he opened the door. On the other side, a large contingent of Covenant forces waited, along with their parked [[Karo'etba-pattern Ghost|Ghosts]]. A group of Kig-Yar advanced towards the humans while [[Jiralhanae]] and Unggoy provided support from further back. Despite the number of hostiles present, John and the Marines, with the heavy firepower provided by the Warthog's [[M41 Vulcan|machine gun]] were able to easily shred the opposition. As the Covenant presence dwindled, the commanding [[Jiralhanae Captain]] made a run for one of the parked Ghosts but was ultimately unsuccessful and fell along with the rest of his unit.{{Ref/Reuse|H3TS}}

John and Thel continued, passing through an area with rusted corrugated plates before arriving in a wider area where they unpinned several Marines taking cover behind sandbags from a number of Jiralhanae. The pair managed to clear out the Covenant soldiers, allowing another Marine to man the machine gun on a nearby catwalk. A group of Jiralhanae chasing a pair of retreating Marines arrived in the area, where they fell to John and his team after a pitched battle. Several surviving civilians who had been hiding from the aliens emerged, arming themselves with [[M6G magnum|pistols]] to assist the Marine forces. In the next area, more civilians attempting to flee from Jiralhanae who were slaughtering them were saved by John, Thel and the Marines. As the group moved out into the final section of the factory, the door leading outside opened up, and a group of factory workers attempting to enter were cut down by a pair of [[assault cannon]] blasts detonating nearby [[fusion coil]]s. A pair of [[Mgalekgolo]] charged into the warehouse and were promptly engaged by the human forces. With the assistance of Thel 'Vadam and the surviving Marines and factory workers, John was able to topple the massive Covenant soldiers. Outside the factory, another large Covenant force led by a [[Jiralhanae Chieftain]] awaited the team. After killing a number of Unggoy, the Chieftain and his [[Jiralhanae Bodyguard|bodyguards]] retreated further back to a Covenant [[Holotank|holo-pedestal]], on which the Prophet of Truth told his warriors to stand firm against their foes. As the rest of the Covenant force collapsed, the Chieftain charged forward with his [[Gravity hammer (fiction)|gravity hammer]] but ultimately fell to the Spartan and his compatriots. As the humans passed the holo-pedestal, Thel briefly stopped, declaring that he would [[Arbiter|not be shamed]] by the Hierarch again.{{Ref/Reuse|H3TS}}

John and his assault force finally made it to the base of the hill on which the massive Covenant anti-aircraft emplacement stood. As they moved forward, they witnessed a round from the cannon strike a [[GA-TL1 Longsword|Longsword]] and send the doomed craft to its end beyond the cliff. Commander Keyes urged John to make haste in destroying the cannon as Admiral Hood's ships had almost arrived and that they were out of time. A number of Unggoy scurried to meet the advancing force, with support from a [[Pek-pattern plasma cannon|plasma cannon]] and Kig-Yar but these soon fell to John and his team. As they crested the hill, the final bastion of Covenant soldiers including a number of Jiralhanae led by a War Chieftain furiously attempted to stop the humans. After a struggle, all of the Covenant were eliminated, but so was any remaining humans, leaving John and Thel as the only survivors. The two then attacked the heat vent on the underside of the gun, which was forced to open up after each shot. With enough firepower, the cannon was destroyed. As the emplacement exploded, throwing the upper section off the cliff, John and Thel made it to the cliff edge in time to watch as Admiral Hood's ships arrived. Squadrons of Longswords streaked ahead of a trio of [[UNSC frigate]]s, all heading for the Forerunner ship in the center of the artifact. John watched as the UNSC battlegroup opened fire on the ship, but to seemingly no avail as the vessel activated the artifact. A scintillating blue beam projected from the ship into the sky, intensifying and eventually sending out a shockwave that caused John to temporarily black out, briefly hearing Cortana's voice telling him that this was how the world ends. When he came to, a massive slipspace portal formed in the air above the artifact. John watched as the Forerunner ship carrying the Prophet of Truth ascended, disappearing into the portal followed shortly by the other Covenant ships. As Admiral Hood began to take control of the situation, [[Indulgence of Conviction|a damaged]] Covenant [[Ket-pattern battlecruiser|battlecruiser]] suddenly slipped in to the east of Voi. John watched as the cruiser hurtled over his head, belching rancid fumes before crashing out of his sight beyond the factory. As the sky darkened with thick smog, Thel pondered if more Covenant forces had arrived but John knew the truth of the situation: the [[Flood]] had arrived on Earth.{{Ref/Reuse|H3TS}}   

===The Flood on Earth===

[[File:Closesave.jpg|thumb|300px|left|John shoots a [[Pod infector]] before it can infect a Marine.]]

Commander Keyes was quick to recognize the severity of the new threat, having encountered the Flood on [[Installation 05]], and ordered John to make his way to the crashed Flood cruiser and overload its reactors; the city would be destroyed, but the rest of the planet would be spared from further Flood spread. John and Thel made their way down the hill from the destroyed Covenant anti-aircraft cannon towards [[Traxus Factory Complex 09|the warehouses]] they had advanced through minutes ago. As they entered the streets, John was able to hear sporadic gunfire and the familiar screeching of [[Flood combat form]]s as a Marine sergeant nearer to the factory attempted to gather all of his men. The reports that John picked up indicated that the Marine defenders, so recently victorious in repelling the Covenant were falling to the new threat, the majority of them having never encountered the Flood before. John and Thel made it back to the loading ramp just in time to witness the sergeant and his surviving Marines being swamped by a myriad of Flood forms that descended from the rooftops above. John was forced to turn his weapons on fellow humans who were mutating before his eyes. Despite heavy losses, John and Thel were able to fight off the overwhelming numbers of Flood and they made their way back into the factory, passing through the offices as the main factory door had been sealed. Inside, John managed to narrowly save a Marine from infection at the hands of a swarm of [[Pod infector]]s before he turned his attention to the main warehouse. The large room where he had fought the Mgalekgolo pair before was overrun with Flood forms, with surviving Marines led by [[Marcus Stacker|Sergeant Stacker]] took cover behind sandbags and among cargo crates and attempted to fend off the massive amounts of Flood. The tide was turned when John and Thel arrived and promptly began to take down all of the Flood forms. When the last form fell, the surviving Marines regrouped with the Spartan, each horribly shaken from their encounter with the horrific parasites. In the next section, John arrived just in time to witness a pair of Marines, one wielding a [[M7057 flamethrower|flamethrower]], fall to the Flood. Upon killing all of the Flood present, John and Thel continued ahead while the surviving Marines stayed behind.{{Ref/Reuse|H3F}}  

John was confronted with another interlude from Cortana. The AI warned him that she couldn't tell him everything, as the [[Gravemind]] was in the system, but was unable to discern any more as the connection dropped. After fighting through another group of Flood, John and Thel made it back to the former aid station, where a [[Suicidal Marine|single, delirious survivor]] attempted to explain what had happened to his squadmates. The duo eventually made it out to the lake bed where John had previously destroyed the Scarab, now horribly ravaged and mostly destroyed due to the crash landing of the Flood-controlled cruiser. As they advanced outside, a new voice came in over John's COM: [[Rtas 'Vadum]] sent a broadcast telling the humans to clear the area while they would deal with the Flood. John watched as the [[shipmaster]]'s [[Fleet of Retribution|fleet]] descended from the murky clouds, the [[CAS-class assault carrier|assault carrier]] disgorging several [[Covenant drop pod|drop pods]] which landed ahead of John's position. John and Thel hastily made their way forward, assisting the squad of [[Special Operations Sangheili|Special Operations]] [[Sangheili]] in dealing with the Flood combat forms around them. With the area secure, they rendezvoused with the team, The commanding [[Sangheili Major]] informing Thel that the Covenant holy city of [[High Charity]] had completely fallen to the Flood and that the Flood had [[Flood pure form|evolved]]. John, with the assistance of Thel and the Special Operations team, fought their way across the lake bed, killing Flood as they went, before re-entering the factory and fighting through dozens more Flood. Commander Keyes informed John that the Sangheili were looking for [[Cortana]], who they believed was inside the crashed Flood ship. Upon arriving at the first lake bed, the team was confronted by the hulking mass of the crashed battlecruiser, still belching flame and toxic fumes into the atmosphere. John found himself confronted with the newest form of the Flood's evolution, the pure form. A single [[Flood stalker form]], confronted with the team, transformed before their very eyes into a [[Flood tank form|hulking monstrosity]] that required heavy firepower to put down. The team was forced to fight all the way to the cruiser, fighting untold numbers of Flood forms including more tank forms as well as [[Flood ranged form|ranged forms]] that clung to the sides of buildings. Finally securing the area, Thel told John that he would remain behind while the Spartan ventured into the ship to retrieve Cortana.{{Ref/Reuse|H3F}}

The Fleet of Retribution arrived at Installation 00 on December 11, 2552, twenty four days after departing through the portal from Earth. As the fleet exited slipspace above the colossal superstructure, they were quickly approached by the [[Truth's fleet|significantly larger Covenant fleet]] that was waiting in orbit. John-117, on board [[D77H-TCI Pelican|Pelican]] [[Kilo 023]] along with Sergeant Johnson and a squad of [[Orbital Drop Shock Troopers]] and [[UNSC Marine Corps|Marines]], departed from the ''Forward Unto Dawn'' along with a flight of six other Pelicans as the orbital battle began. As [[Kai-pattern Seraph|Seraph]] fighters strafed the Pelicans, one of them was struck by [[Heavy plasma cannon|plasma fire]] and exploded, but the rest of the flight succeeded in making it past the Covenant fleet and entered the Ark's atmosphere. John briefly checked on Johnson and the dropship's pilot, [[Hocus]], in the cockpit before making his way aft, equipping a [[SRS99D-S2 AM sniper rifle|sniper rifle]] as the Pelican's troop bay opened, revealing a massive expanse of desert. Johnson briefly relayed the plan to the team: their first priority was to secure a suitable landing zone for the ''Forward Unto Dawn'', which would then land and deploy vehicular support for the UNSC ground forces. He also told them to keep their eyes and ears open, so as to secure any possible intel on the installation, as it was wholly unknown to them. Kilo 023 and one other Pelican landed on a cliff edge, and John disembarked, along with the ODSTs on the Pelican. As the team moved forward, the ODST squad leader informed John of the presence of a Covenant encampment nearby. The squad leader told John that they had a good angle thanks to the ledge overlooking the camp before telling the Spartan that he should take the first shot with his sniper rifle. John took aim at one of the many Covenant soldiers, many of whom were listening to a [[Holotank|holographic projection]] of the Prophet of Truth, and opened fire. With the height advantage, element of surprise and superior cover, John and the ODSTs were able to easily wipe out the Covenant camp. The team pushed ahead, through a cave before arriving at a larger area where a [[Kez'katu-pattern Phantom|Phantom]] was in the process of assembling an [[Skar'wa-pattern Mantis|Anti-Aircraft Battery]]. Recognizing the grave threat the cannon would pose to the ''Forward Unto Dawn'' were it to be completed, the squad leader once again had John take the first shot before they would engage. Catching the mixed group of Jiralhanae, Kig-Yar and Unggoy by surprise, the team was able to make short work of many of them. The Phantom abandoned a piece of the battery and fled. As John and the ODSTs began to make headway against the Covenant infantry, the survivors pulled back to where another Phantom had arrived and deployed a Mgalekgolo pair. Despite the opposition, the human forces soon prevailed and managed to bring down the Mgalekgolo and the other surviving Covenant infantry. Fighting their way up a rocky slope, the team managed to eliminate a final [[Jiralhanae Captain]] and a large group of Unggoy before entering a structure. While the ODST squad forged ahead, John took a minor detour and discovered a [[Z-9930 Information Vector Console|terminal]], accessing it and discovering information about the [[Forerunner-Flood war]], as well as correspondance between [[Librarian|two]] [[Forerunner]] [[Ur-Didact|lovers]], as well as messages from [[Mendicant Bias|an ancient]] Forerunner [[Contender-class artificial intelligence|ancilla]].{{Ref/Reuse|H3TA}}<ref name="H4TEVG129">''[[Halo 4: The Essential Visual Guide]]'', ''page 129''</ref>

[[File:Ark Level Scorpion.jpg|thumb|300px|left|John leading an armored platoon against Covenant forces on the Ark.]]

With the landing zone now secure, Commander Keyes was able to bring the ''Forward Unto Dawn'' down. As the UNSC frigate arrived, sweeping away the debris from the battle, the ship's hangar was lowered, allowing a platoon of [[M808C Scorpion|Scorpion]] tanks and several [[M12 Chaingun Warthog|Warthogs]] led by [[Marcus Stacker|Sergeant Stacker]] to roll out, along with [[343 Guilty Spark]] to guide them. John mounted up in one of the tanks just as a Covenant vehicular force consisting of Ghosts and a Prowler entered from the cave. With their vastly superior firepower, the UNSC forces easily wiped out the Covenant, as well as a Mgalekgolo pair that followed shortly. Rolling through the cave, the armored platoon brought down a Phantom and several [[Rizsheda-pattern Shade|Shades]]. More Ghosts, another Wraith and a fortified Covenant position soon followed in their destruction to John and the convoy. At the wall, the Covenant attempted to fortify it with heavy armor, stationing Wraiths in the immediate vicinity that proceeded to use their [[Plasma mortar#Type-26 35cm Directed-Energy Mortar|plasma mortars]] to shell the UNSC forces while Ghosts and Choppers charged straight at them. Despite the even number of clashing forces, John and his platoon prevailed, killing all Covenant protecting the wall. Stacker told John that he would lead the armor through the lower level of the wall while John proceeded through the upper level alone. Spark opened a door on the upper wall allowing John to enter. Inside the wall, John found himself on a platform overlooking a deep chasm, within which Aggressor and [[Constructor]] Sentinels moved in and out of. Spark directed John to a panel that activated a [[light bridge]], allowing the friendly armor to pass over the chasm. While John passed through a room littered with destroyed Sentinels, the whole building began to shake as the Spartan heard heavy footfalls above his position. As the next door opened, revealing the Cartographer and the battalion-strength Covenant forces protecting it, a [[Deutoros-pattern Scarab|Scarab]] passed directly in front of him. A [[M12G1 Gauss Warthog|Gauss Warthog]] making its way up to John's position was strafed by Ghosts, killing the gunner. The driver pulled up to the Spartan, offering him the controls. John mounted up, the Marine mounting the vehicle's [[M68 Gauss Cannon|weapon]], and the two proceeded to make their way to the lower door where the UNSC armored platoon was emerging. A band of Choppers attempted to rush the tanks while several lines of Wraith tanks opened fire from long range. Despite, the staunch opposition, the Scorpion tanks were successful in pushing through the Covenant heavy armor. As a Phantom dropped a group of [[Pez'tk-pattern fuel rod gun|fuel rod gun]]-wielding Jiralhanae, the Scarab made a reappearance, climbing down the side of the Cartographer building and promptly attacking the humans. Eventually, John succeeded in neutralizing the Scarab and all other Covenant forces in front of the Cartographer. As the Scarab exploded, [[Shipmaster]] [[Rtas 'Vadum]] contacted John, applauding him for his destruction of the walker before informing them that the Sangheili had emerged victorious in the orbital battle, having destroyed the numerically superior Covenant fleet. John made his way up the spire, engaging Covenant infantry as he went. At the top, a Pelican landed, dropping off a pair of Marines and [[Thel 'Vadam]], who personally congratulated John. Spark then unlocked the door leading into the Cartographer, and the team proceeded in.{{Ref/Reuse|H3TA}}   

===Stopping Truth===

{{Main|Battle of the Citadel}}

{{Quote|no=four|q1=When did you know?|John-117|q2=Just now - but...I had my hopes. What will you do?|343 Guilty Spark|q3=Light it.|John-117|q4=Then we are agreed! A tactical pulse will completely eradicate the local infestation! I will personally oversee the final preparations|343 Guilty Spark|John informs 343 Guilty Spark of his plan to fire the incomplete Installation 08 to destroy the Flood infestation on the Ark.<ref name="H3TC">''[[Halo 3]]'', ''[[The Covenant (level)|The Covenant]]''</ref>}}   

Knowing that the Prophet of Truth could fire the entire [[Halo Array]] from the [[Installation 00 Citadel|Citadel]], the UNSC and Sangheili task force were quick to assemble an assault force to disable three of the [[barrier tower]]s projecting a protective energy shield around the Citadel and the Ark's [[Foundry (location)|core]], after which they could assault the Citadel directly. [[Commander]] [[Miranda Keyes]] split the force into three teams, one for each tower. John and two [[D77H-TCI Pelican|Pelicans]] full of [[Orbital Drop Shock Troopers]] and [[UNSC Marine Corps|Marines]] would attack the first tower. [[Thel 'Vadam]] and his Sangheili would assault the second tower and [[Avery Johnson|Sergeant Johnson]] and a large team of Marines would hit the third tower. As [[Kilo 023]] and her escort approached the first tower, the air suddenly erupted with [[fuel rod cannon]] fire from a [[Ogab'd-pattern anti-aircraft Wraith|Anti-Aircraft Wraith]] on the beachhead. Kilo 023's escort was struck in the starboard wing by a fuel rod. The stricken Pelican slammed into Kilo 023, crushing the [[M12 Warthog|Warthog]] it was carrying before plummeting to the beach below. Kilo 023, carrying John and a team of ODSTs made it through the flak and came to a rough landing nearby, John pausing only to grab a [[M6 Spartan Laser|Spartan Laser]] before he disembarked. The team fought through a large group of [[Unggoy]] and their [[Jiralhanae Captain]] overseer, with John making use of his Spartan Laser to destroy a pair of [[Rizsheda-pattern Shade|Shade]] turrets on a nearby ledge. John and the team fought their way up the ridge towards the Anti-Aircraft Wraith, facing off against a [[Pez'tk-pattern fuel rod gun|fuel rod gun]]-wielding [[Jiralhanae War Chieftain|War Chieftain]] and his [[Jiralhanae Bodyguard|bodyguards]] They eventually brought down the Jiralhanae pack and John destroyed the Wraith. With the beachhead now secure, Commander Keyes arrived in her Pelican, deploying a [[M12 Chaingun Warthog|Warthog]] and a [[M274 Mongoose|Mongoose]] for the team. Now mobilized, John and the ODSTs made their way towards their objective, destroying several [[Type-26 Banshee|Banshees]] that attempted to strafe them, as well as a pair of [[Karo'etba-pattern Ghost|Ghosts]] and a Shade turret and its supporting infantry. The team eventually arrived at the entrance to the first tower, which was heavily defended by a [[Zurdo-pattern Wraith|Wraith]], a pair of Jiralhanae [[Qavardu Workshop Prowler|Prowlers]], more Ghosts, Shade cannons and infantry. Despite the overwhelming numbers of Covenant, John and the ODSTs were able to clear out all of the defenders, allowing Keyes' Pelican to return with several [[Ordnance pod|canisters]] containing weapons and ammo for the team. With the exterior of the tower clear, the team proceeded inward carefully, wiping out all of the Covenant forces on the ground floor and around the controls for the elevator that would carry them upward to the controls. While the rest of the team stayed behind to secure the ground floor, John proceeded up the elevator alone, arriving at the upper floor just as a Chieftain concluded a sermon to his [[pack]]. After a struggle, John managed to slay the Jiralhanae and arrived at the controls. As he deactivated the first tower, 'Vadam and his Sangheili had managed to do the same with the second tower. The third tower remained active, however, prompting Commander Keyes to contact Sergeant Johnson. The sergeant warned them that they were being engaged by overwhelming Covenant forces and warned Keyes to stay away as there was too much anti-air at the tower. As the Sergeant ordered his men to fall back, his communication cut out. Keyes ordered John to link up with 'Vadam and his forces and assault the third tower together.{{Ref/Reuse|H3TC}}

===Installation 08===

{{Main|Raid on Installation 08}}

{{Quote|no=two|q1=Halo. It's so new... Unfinished. I'm not exactly sure what will happen when we fire it...|Cortana|q2=We'll head for the portal. And we'll all go home.|John-117|John asserts confidence in the survival of he, Cortana, and the Arbiter.}}<ref name="H3H">''[[Halo 3]]'', ''[[Halo (Halo 3 level)|Halo]]''</ref>

{{Expand-section}}

The survivors fled to the ''Forward Unto Dawn'' with a Warthog. As they fought the Flood and local [[Aggressor Sentinel|Sentinel]]s on the way, the Gravemind addressed them telepathically one last time, warning them that their victory would not spell total end for the Flood. The team boarded the ''Dawn'' and escaped the firing and destruction of ring and the Ark. However, the Slipspace portal the frigate opened could not sustain itself under the stress, and its closure severed the ship in half, sending 'Vadam to Earth. John and Cortana were left drifting in unknown space. John and Cortana were presumed dead after several months of searching by the Commander-in-Chief of the Office of Naval Intelligence, Admiral Margaret Parangosky. ''Forward Unto Dawn'', but it was nearly powerless and could not be properly navigated. Cortana, relieved that John had survived, explained this to the Chief, and that it could take years before anyone could discover their distress signal. In a similar conversation to one after the destruction of Installation 04, Cortana listed what John had done and told him, ''"It's finished,"'' and this time, he agreed with her. John entered a cryotube, at which point Cortana stated that she would miss him. John replied her to wake him when she needed him.{{Ref/Reuse|H3H}} In [[2556]], while still stranded in space, Cortana attempted to talk to John while he was still asleep. Unable to get a response from him, she recounted the history of the galaxy, seemingly unaware that John could not hear her, and showing major signs that she was descending into [[rampancy]].<ref name="HLO">''[[Halo Legends]]'', ''[[Origins]]''</ref>{{clear}}