Editing Halo: A Fistful of Arrows

{{Fanmade}}

[[File:Halo AFoA - Cover.jpeg|200px|right]]

'''''Halo: A Fistful of Arrows''''' is a fan-made Internet graphic novel about [[Jun-A266]]'s past and fate after the ''[[Halo: Reach]]'' [[campaign]] level ''[[The Package (level)|The Package]]''. The graphic novel explores new characters and events, but is generally consistent with the canon of official ''Halo'' franchise media. The comic has received a great deal of attention from the ''Halo'' community, including [[Bungie]] and [[343 Industries]], and has a large following that wish it to be accepted as canon.

It is written and drawn by Levi "Leviathan" Hoffmeier, who also drew the cover for the ''[[Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe|Halo: Evolutions]]'' short story ''[[Pariah]]''. The graphic novel was initially published in Hoffmeier's DeviantArt gallery on October 15, 2010, but [[Claude Errera]] later constructed a blog format for Hoffmeier in ''bungie.org''.<ref>[http://levihoff.deviantart.com/gallery/27221463 '''DeviantArt''': ''A Fistful of Arrows by levihoff'']</ref> An interactive flip book, constructed by OneBitRocket, was later released on November 11th, 2011. A soundtrack, composed by Sean Mortensen, is released on the website, for people to listen as they read the novel.<ref>[http://leviathan.bungie.org/ '''A Fistful of Arrows - By Levi Hoffmeier''']</ref>

 

On May [[2552]], in the coastal city of Nastrond on [[Reach]], [[NOBLE Team]] faces a hostage situation with an insurrectionist on a building rooftop. [[Carter-A259|Carter]] tells [[Jun-A266|Jun]], who is riding on a [[UH-144 Falcon|Falcon]] hovering nearby, that they need an "''accurate solution''". After a subtle and short debate, Jun shoots the insurrectionist in the head, leaving the hostage, a woman, in shock. While Carter reports to [[Colonel]] [[Urban Holland]], [[Emile-A239|Emile]] and [[Jorge-052|Jorge]], standing on another rooftop, discusses Jun's action. Emile, with a standard, uncarved [[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor/V variant|EVA]] helmet, claims that Jun was hesitant, something that will get a military man killed, while Jorge tells him that Jun has a conscience, something Emile ''"have to look up sometime"''. Just as they are extracted by a [[D77-TC Pelican|Pelican]], Jorge then tells Emile that he doesn't need to worry about him, nor Jun, and all he knows is that Jun's "''got their back [and they]'ll always have his"''. The Falcon and Pelican, carrying NOBLE Team and the rescued hostage, leave the city.

The scene fades to August 30, 2552, the [[Fall of Reach]], a Pelican, piloted by Doctor [[Catherine Elizabeth Halsey|Catherine Halsey]] and with Jun onboard, flies over a mountain range. Jun, using the Pelican-attached [[M247H Heavy Machine Gun]], takes down a few pursuing [[Type-26 Ground Support Aircraft|T-26 GSA|Banshee]] before Halsey's "distraction", a UNSC [[fleet]], arrived. The UNSC fleet engages the Covenant fleet that is [[glassing]] the area, while Halsey's Pelican escaped the scene. Several UNSC frigates manage to bring down the shields of a a Covenant {{Class|CAS|assault carrier}}, but are unable to destroy it until ''Marathon''-class heavy cruiser, the UNSC ''Daedalus Wing'', sacrifices itself by ramming into the carrier while simultaneously detonating its [[Shiva-class nuclear missile|''Shiva''-class nukes]]. Jun, staring at the explosion, experiences a flashback.

On the night NOBLE Team rescued the hostage, as they return to a UNSC base, Carter discusses with Jun what happened earlier on that day. Jun expresses his suspicion about the rescued woman, but Carter tells Jun that he needs some rest. That night, as Carter takes off his armor, he and [[Catherine-B320|Catherine]] have a conversation about Jun's rationality. Their conversation is interrupted by an explosion in the base's main structure. Carter, realizing the rescue hostage is responsible for the sabotage, sends Emile, the only Spartan who is still combat ready, to chase after the woman. While Carter and Catherine get back into armor, Emile eliminates a couple of rebels who attempt to cover the woman. Just as Emile corners her, an insurrectionist Warthog arrives and the gunner fires at Emile, who the rest of NOBLE Team loses contact with subsequently. Carter and Catherine, now equipped and armored, get in their own Warthog to search for him.

The two find Emile injured but alive, with his damaged helmet off. Noting the damage to it, Catherine tells him that ''"[he] can paint a pretty picture over it [and] no one will notice."'' They returned to the base while their Falcon search for the insurrectionists. A Pelican douses the base's fire while Jun and Jorge help search for the wounded. Jun looks at a buried body in the debris, only with a hand visible.

Jun's flashback is cut off as Halsey calls to him, asking if he is okay. Halsey asks [[Kalmiya]] about the status of [[CASTLE Base]], which is currently out of the Covenant's suspicion since its defenses are down. Halsey is so far the only known [[ONI]] personnel fall back to the facility. Halsey then asks Kalmiya to access NOBLE Team's reports, believing that she will probably spend a lot of time in CASTLE alone with Jun, who she resents, so she might as well as know more about the Spartan. Kalmiya finds a partial footage of a NOBLE Team mission accessed from the Superintendent AI in [[Quezon]]. When Kalmiya says she is uncertain about accessing such data without clearance, Halsey activates her nullification code, "whateverittakes".

The scene switches to July 2552, before [[SPARTAN-B312]] joined NOBLE Team. The Spartans tracked the Insurrectionist woman, Eliza Ingrid, to Quezon city. Jun was in charge of tracking the target on a construction crane, while the others were to capture her. With the city's Superintendent's assist, the Spartans managed to block Ingrid's taxi on the highway leading to the Quezon Interstellar Spaceport.

When Ingrid, at gunpoint, forced the taxi driver to find another way through the highways, Emile appeared beside the taxi, managed to rip open the taxi door, but he got shaken off when the taxi took off. Carter, Catherine and Jorge pursued the taxi on a Falcon, but one of Insurrectionists with Ingrid fired a [[M319 Individual Grenade Launcher|M319 IGL]] at the pursuing Falcon. Carter fell off the Falcon during the impact, but Catherine, with a [[portable jump-jet]], saved him. The damaged Falcon landed on top of a tower east of the highway, while Carter and Catherine landed safely, but they were unable to chase after Ingrid.

Jun made his way to another construction crane, ready to assassinate Ingrid in the moving car. Carter tells him that ONI wants her alive, so Jun shifts the [[reticule]] to the terrified driver. He fired his [[Sniper Rifle System 99 Anti-Matériel|sniper rifle]], saying that ''"sometime even [he] impress [himself]"'', but the driver lost control and Jun hits the taxi's tire instead. The taxi fell off the highway, and everyone onboard was killed, except for Ingrid, who was confronted by Emile. The footage abruptly ends as Jorge told Jun something Chief [[Franklin Mendez]] said to him.  

Kalmiya apologizes for the inability to learn the message, but Halsey says that she believes what Jorge told Jun helped Jun to fight in the Fall of Reach. Halsey looks behind her and sees Jun standing in the cockpit, probably overheard their entire conversation. Simultaneously, the Pelican arrives at [[Menachite Mountain]], home of CASTLE Base.

Halsey is greeted by ONI Captain Laird McLean at CASTLE Base's landing pad. McLean's [[Orbital Drop Shock Trooper|ODST]]s, near the base's entrance, show their distastes in Spartans immediately. Halsey tells McLean that only one personnel is required for [[Operation: WHITE GLOVE]], and McLean should leave with his ODSTs if they know a safe extraction point. McLean argues that he and his ODSTs are staying, ensuring that they will not let the ODSTs died in the drop for nothing. Their conversation is cut short as they see a Covenant {{Class|SDV|heavy corvette}} being shot down.

They look up into the sky, and witness the UNSC {{Class|Paris|heavy frigate}} responsible for the destruction of the Covenant corvette, the UNSC ''Forlorn Bell'', being shot down by a Covenant {{Class|CCS|battlecruiser}}. Numerous Covenant aircraft scatter around the area, looking for survivors. Jun tells Halsey they need to get inside the base, and as long as they don't draw attention, the Covenant will never notice them. However, McLean just ordered his ODSTs to ready for battle, including activating the [[M71 Anti-Aircraft Gun]]s. One of the ODSTs, Bryan "Grim" Mulheran, destroys a Banshee fighter with his Spartan Laser. Halsey tells McLean that "''[he] just kicked the hornet's nest''".  

They immediately draw the Covenant aicrafts' attention, however, the ODSTs cannot activate the M71s. Halsey suggest she can activate them, and Jun tells Halsey that he will buy her the time she needs, while taking out some supplies (sniper rifle ammunition, [[biofoam]] canisters, [[armor lock]] amplifier plug, eight [[Lotus anti-tank mine]]s and [[C-12 shaped charge]]s) from the Pelican dropship.

While Jun sets a trap on the landing pad, McLean takes Halsey to the base's entrance on a [[M274 Ultra-Light All-Terrain Vehicle|Mongoose]]. Halsey begins to work her way to activate the turrets in the guard house. Meanwhile, a Spirit dropship lands on the landing pad the Pelican dropship is on, and deploys a [[lance]] of Covenant. Jun activates the charges, demolishing the landing pad and at the same time, destroys the Spirit as well as kills the Covenant lance on the pad.  

More Covenant aircrafts approach, and the ODSTs barely evaded their fire. Halsey orders Kalmiya to reroute CASTLE base's power to the turrets. Kalmiya tells Halsey that she is working on it, and should be able to bring the turrets online as soon as she "''[finishes] pushing [[James Ackerson|Ackerson]]'s [[Araqiel|AI]] out of the way''", which she does immediately. The M71s open fire and destroy most of the aircrafts, which crash into the path under CASTLE's entrance. Surviving Covenant troops leave the wreckages and begin to advance on the ODSTs' position. Jun assists the ODSTs and takes down the Skirmisher sniper that was taking cover behind the group of Kig-Yar.  

Jun spots a [[Mgalekgolo]] leaving the wreckage of a [[Type-52 Troop Carrier|T-52 TC "Phantom"]], and fires at it, having a difficult time taking it out. Meanwhile, McLean notices the barrel of the M71s have been cut off and before he can alert the others, a [[Special Operation Sangheili]] has impaled him from the back using an Energy Sword. Jun, distracted by the Mgalekgolo, cannot assist the ODSTs, who are ambushed by three SpecOps Sangheili.

Jun finally takes out the Mgalekgolo, but realizes it's too late, the ODSTs have already been killed. Halsey has been captured the SpecOps Sangheili, Energy Sword at her neck. The Sangheili holding Halsey tells Jun to come out of hiding, or they will kill her. Kalmiya, however, still in the guardhouse, overhears the other two Sangheili discussing that they actually cannot harm Halsey, ''"by the order of the [[San 'Shyuum|Prophets]]"''.

Kalmiya informs Jun that the Covenant [[Battle of Miridem|captured Halsey before]], and will not kill her due to the secret she holds. Kalmiya tells Jun that he is Halsey's last guard, and he cannot let the Covenant walk away with her. Jun remembers the order Carter gave him, repeats his answer to Carter, and shifts his reticule to Halsey's head. At that moment, Jun remembers the deaths he had seen: Verdansky, the buried body in the UNSC base's debris, and the taxi driver. Jun loosens his grip on the rifle's trigger, and jumps off the cliff he was holding position on.

Jun compliments them, saying they came prepared. He steals one of the Unggoy's plasma grenades, and detonates it, killing the entire lance. Jun, however, survives by activating his armor lock. He asks Halsey if she is okay, but at that moment he is smashed to the cliff wall by a second Mgalekgolo, wounding him and damaging his armor. The Mgalekgolo heads for Halsey, who stands at CASTLE's entrance calmly. Before the Mgalekgolo can touch her, Jun comes from behind and stabs the Hunter through the head with his combat knife.

Halsey leads Jun into CASTLE Base, but as she tells him theres a medical center in CASTLE Base, Jun puts his helmet back on, saying that he needs to ensure the Covenant won't follow her. Halsey attempts to persuade Jun to stay with her, but Jun is determined not to do so. Before Jun leaves, Halsey asks him what Jorge said to him in Quezon, and Jun replies, quoting Chief Mendez:

{{Article quote|But just words. In the heat of it all, words can't always help you pull the trigger. Sometimes you just know what you have to do. When you resist that, that's when you can still feel it, shaking you form the inside. That's why you're alive Doctor. I stopped resisting. Be seeing you.}}

On the credits and Adjunct cover page, two Spartans (presumably from [[Red Team]]), both clad in MJOLNIR Mark V armor can be seen near CASTLE Base. One of them is pointing at the base, looking at someone offscreen, while the other is looking at the sinking wreckage of the UNSC ''Forlorn Bell''.

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====Adjunct A: Eliza Ingrid biography====  

====Adjunct C: Faces of the Ghost====

====Adjunct D: Quezon: The City of Light and Dark==== 

====Adjunct E: Quezon: The [---corrupted file]— City of //—[life] and [death]—//====

====Adjunct G: Catherine====

-->

* The name of the graphic novel is a reference to Jun-A266's tattoo, which is located on the left side of his head, as well as a reference to the Sergio Leone film "[[Wikipedia:A Fistful of Dollars|A Fistful of Dollars]]".

* On the second panel of page 27, an advertisement can be seen, and even though most of it is cut off by the side of panel, one can clearly make out the words:

<center>''BUNG(IE)''<br>

''MAKING THE BEST VR SINCE THE 20(TH CENTURY)''</center>

:This is obviously a reference to [[Bungie]], the creators of the ''Halo'' franchise.

* The ODST team, consist of Laird MacLean, Louis Errera, Bryan Mulheran, and Jeffrey Easterling, is named after well-known members of ''[[halo.bungie.org]]'', with Louis Errera a mix between Claude Errera and his webname, "Louis Wu".  

* Hoffmeier follows [[List of "seven" references in the Halo series|Bungie's obsession with the number "7"]], and completes the graphic novel (excluding the Adjuncts) with '''77''' pages.

* Adjunct D, a guide for the city Quezon, has a few headlines at the bottom of the image. One of them reads: ''"(NEW AL)EXANDRIA'S POPULAR [[Club Errera|CLUB ERRERA]] - SITE OF MAJOR DRUG OPE(RATIO)N?"'' Another reads: ''"SEASON PREMIERE OF 'SAMURAI FRONK' AIRS TUESDAY"'', referring to a fan-webcomic series once released on ''halo.bungie.org''. The third, ''"QUEZON NEWSNET: UNSC CAUSES ROADRAGE AS HIGHWAY IS SHUT DOWN FOR TRAINI(NG OPERATION)"'', references an advert for the comic called "Keep It Clean, Keep It Quiet", and also alludes to Noble Team's secret mission on the highway.

* Eliza Ingrid, and her boyfriend Nor Verdansky, are designed off of Hoffmeier himself and his girlfriend. As a tongue-in-cheek joke about this, Hoffmeier's avatar Verdansky ends up being the first person killed in the comic.

* On the first and third panels of page 27, one of the messages from the Quezon Superintendent can be seen:  

{{Article Quote|Reach's guardians have all fallen, save one… and though more soon will arrive, they fall in the burning sky… It is too late…}}

:*The first message is obviously a reference to NOBLE Team and Red team. The "guardians" are members of NOBLE Team, the "more soon will arrive" is referring to Red team, and "they fall in the burning sky" is referring to ''[[Bravo 001]]'', the Pelican dropship carrying the SPARTANs, which is being shot down and therefore forcing those aboard it to jump off.

* While the origin of Emile's carving of his helmet is explored, the events depicting it happened after the [[Battle of Fumirole]], where Emile was seen briefly with his carved helmet. Hoffmeier later explained that Emile has had the habit of making carvings on his helmets for quite some time before.<ref>[http://leviathan.bungie.org/afoa/comics/adjunct_ghost.jpg '''A Fistful of Arrows''': ''Adjunct C: Faces of the Ghost'']</ref>

* In a conversation between Bungie employee [[Martin O'Donnell]] and Hoffmeier on the ''halo.bungie.org'' forums, O'Donnell joked that "[...] Jun tripped and broke his neck on the way to escorting Halsey off Reach [and] he's dead." Hoffmeier then drew a short comic strip, named "FoA- THE END", depicting the event, and at the same time, referenced the Unggoy [[Yayap]] (whose name Hoffmeier misspelled "Yapyap"), the difficulty of achieving the "[[If They Came to Hear Me Beg]]" [[achievement]], as well as many players' confusion upon Jorge calling Halsey "ma'am" with a Hungarian accent, which sounds like "mom" in American English.<ref>[http://carnage.bungie.org/haloforum/halo.forum.pl?read=1100508 '''HBO Forums''': ''Well since you outed me: FoA- THE END *IMG'']</ref>

* The Quezon Superintendent's avatar is based on that of [[Mombasa]]'s [[Superintendent]] AI, with the circles replaced by equilateral triangles. The avatar is used by Hoffmeier as his profile image on DeviantArt and leviathan.bungie.org.

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[[Category: Fan-Made]]

[[Category: Comics]]