Editing Halo: Bad Blood

{{Status|RealWorld}}

{{Article quote|Just hours following their climactic [[Battle of Genesis|battle]] on the [[Forerunner]] planet [[Genesis]], the [[Spartans]] of [[Blue Team]] and [[Fireteam Osiris]] find themselves running for their lives from the [[Created|malevolent machinations]] of the now-renegade artificial intelligence [[Cortana]]. But even as they attempt to stay one step ahead, trouble seems to find Spartan [[Edward Buck]] no matter where he turns.

[[File:HM-Genesis.png|thumb|200px|John-117 and Jameson Locke fighting against Armiger Soldiers on Genesis.]]

In a report for the [[Office of Naval Intelligence]], [[Edward Buck]] reflects on the events that transpired after [[Michael Crespo|Michael "Mickey" Crespo]] betrayed him and [[Kojo Agu|Kojo "Romeo" Agu]] in [[Operation: COALPEPPER]] on [[Talitsa]]: his recruitment of [[Fireteam Osiris]], his missions with them on [[Kamchatka]], [[Meridian]], and [[Sanghelios]], and rescuing [[Blue Team]] from [[Cortana]]'s grasp on [[Genesis]]. After saving them, both Fireteam Osiris and Blue Team fought against several [[armiger]]s until they found ''[[India 127]]'', a [[D79-TC Pelican]] that crash-landed on Genesis; [[Linda-058]] managed to hold off the armigers long enough to allow both teams aboard the Pelican, extract Linda, and allowing [[031 Exuberant Witness]] to open a [[Slipstream space|Slipspace]] [[Slipspace portal|portal]] to transport both teams to Sanghelios. Their Pelican exits near [[Sunaion]], and they regroup with [[Thel 'Vadam]]'s [[Swords of Sanghelios]], Spartan [[Sarah Palmer]] and Doctor [[Catherine Halsey]] in [[Nuusra]]. Both teams are informed that one of Sanghelios's hemispheres was completely shut down by a [[Guardian Custode]] immediately after Thel's [[Battle of Sunaion|victory]] against [[Jul 'Mdama]]'s [[Jul 'Mdama's Covenant|Covenant]], and that same Guardian is enforcing Cortana's law on the planet's other hemisphere after the [[Sangheili]]'s refusal to allow themselves be subjugated by the [[Created]]. Halsey also informs them the {{UNSCShip|Infinity}} managed to escape from [[Earth]], one of Cortana's first targets, and the ship will arrive to the system to extract them the next day. Thel 'Vadam invites both teams to a victory feast, in which [[John-117]] talks alone with Halsey, and shares some stories with Thel. On the next day, both teams, Palmer, and Halsey depart to the ''Infinity'', with Thel wishing them luck in the upcoming battle against the Created.

During ''India 127''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s flight to the ''Infinity'', they are contacted by [[Veronica Dare]], who authorizes them to land on Portside Bay Five. After arriving, a lieutenant informs them Captain [[Thomas Lasky]] needs [[John-117]], Spartan [[Jameson Locke]], Commander [[Sarah Palmer|Palmer]], and [[Dr. Catherine Halsey|Dr. Halsey]] on ''Infinity''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s bridge, while the rest of the Spartans go to S-bay to remove their [[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor (GEN2)|MJOLNIR armors]]. After spending some time alone together, Dare informs Buck that the [[Office of Naval Intelligence]] needs them and the rest of [[Alpha-Nine]] for a mission, including Mickey (to act as a liaison between the [[UNSC]] and the [[United Rebel Front]]). At first, Buck refuses to be part of the mission, but after a short conversation with Captain Lasky, he agrees to work with Dare and Alpha-Nine. Dare informs Buck about the mission: investigate and discover how a URF colony named [[Cassidy III]] has not been detected by Cortana and her Guardians, even if the other colonies on the system were neutralized by the Created. Buck and Dare depart on ''[[Foxtrot 111]]'', a [[D81-LRT Condor]], to [[Balaho]], the [[Unggoy]]'s homeworld, to recruit Romeo, who was assigned to guard the UNSC embassy on the planet. Upon arriving, they see the Unggoy have accepted Cortana's offer, and Romeo being pinned down in a building by Unggoy and [[Armiger Soldier]]s; after rescuing him and bringing him back to their Condor, Romeo tells them the Unggoy and the Created destroyed the UNSC embassy on Balaho's capital, [[Gedgow]], killing almost everyone in the embassy, and escorting the survivors to [[Kabakera]] as prisoners. At Romeo's request, he and Buck ambush the Unggoy escort and manage to defeat their forces, including two {{Pattern|Pnap|Goblin}}s, but the embassy survivors are killed when several [[Phaeton]]s appear and destroy the vehicles carrying the survivors. Several Promethean forces head to Alpha-Nine's location, but Dare manages to bring the [[D81-LRT Condor|Condor]] to extract Buck and Romeo, and then they leave the planet.

Alpha-Nine's next stop is an ONI installation on [[Luna]], where the [[Huragok]] [[Quick to Adjust]]/[[Vergil]] and his handler [[Sadie Endesha]] were placed after Operation: COALPEPPER. Once arriving at the [[ONI]] facility, they discover that Cortana's forces have already seized the base and have taken its occupants hostage. Vergil and the other [[Huragok]] are hiding in the ventilation system when Buck and Romeo find them with the help of the Huragok [[Likely to List]], who Buck initially mistakes for Vergil. However, Vergil refuses to leave without Sadie. Buck then makes a detour to where the [[Armiger Soldier]]s are keeping the humans captive. Once at the location, Buck secretly has everyone secure themselves to something in the room. Dare then shoots out a viewing window with Foxtrot 111's weapons, exposing the room to the vacuum. The [[Prometheans]] are ripped out onto Luna's surface, and the emergency shutters close just in time to save the facility workers. While most of the hostages are brought to the place the Huragok were hiding, Sadie, Buck, and Romeo find Vergil fixing one of the hangar bays. Once Sadie and Vergil are reunited, they board the Condor and head to retrieve Mickey.

En route to collect Mickey, Dare reveals that he had been held at the same [[Spartan-IV training station|SPARTAN-IV training facility]] that Buck, Romeo, and Mickey had trained at, located in a remote star system orbiting a dwarf planet. Dare finds that a report from the station’s [[AI]], [[Leonidas]], that labels supervisor [[Jun-A266]], the primary recruiter of the [[SPARTAN-IV]] program, current supervisor of the station, and Buck's recruiter, as "indisposed," which leads the crew to believe the AI has turned to Cortana's side. With cloaking technology in the Condor's bay, Buck succsefully poses as the only one onboard the Condor. Buck contacts Leonidas as they near the station, who tells him to report to [[Musa]], the de facto supervisor of the SPARTAN-IV program, that "everything here is fine." Buck insists to board, and is then aided by two technicians, who ask to refuel and clean his ship, to which he denies in an effort to prevent Leonidas from locating his crew through the station's crewmates. Walking down the corridors while reminiscing his time training at the facility, Buck encounters a walking [[hologram|holographic]] projection of Leonidas. The AI reiterates that Jun is asleep, only to be woken in an emergency, to which Buck is highly suspicious, but Leonidas still cheerfully provides Buck with Mickey's location in the dorms-turned-brig of the station. Buck arrives at the brig to find Mickey, serving his life sentence, but eventually leaves after a heated moral argument, despite the prisoner agreeing to join him.  

The team narrows down their options to disconnecting Leonidas’ [[data chip]] from the station entirely, determining the only location capable of housing the AI to be Jun’s office. As soon as Buck nears the office, he loses comms with Alpha-Nine and Leonidas’ [[avatar]] pops in front of him, demanding that he leave. When Buck refuses, he declares that the Spartan has gone [[wikipedia:AWOL|AWOL]] and that [[STOLEN GAUNTLET]] was in effect, ordering his termination if he does not cooperate. Three nearby Spartans move in to arrest him, though willing to hear him out and summon Jun, but Leonidas pops the room’s [[airlock]], suffocating the other Spartans after Buck had started to get them to question Jun's absence. Leonidas continues threatening to depressurize the entire station if Buck continues to resist. Just before he does, Vergil cuts power to the most of station, effectively blocking Leonidas from accessing its systems, but inadvertently deactivates the force fields that housed the prisoners. Leonidas attempted to reason with Buck but is cut off when Buck removes his data chip from the terminal. The Spartan sprints to the brig, and much to his surprise finding Mickey still there, holding a pistol to a security guard’s head, with another unconscious on the floor and the other two prisoners still in their cells. Mickey then proceeds to lock the security guard in the brig before agreeing to accompany Alpha-Nine. The two make their way to the Condor, with Mickey acting as an escorted prisoner, but halfway, a Spartan recognizes Buck and opens fire. They immediately duck to cover, and Buck decides to smash Leonidas’ data chip to prevent further complications of the mission before receiving a [[COM|comms]] request from none other than former squadmate [[Dutch]]. Meeting him down the hall, Buck is shocked to learn that Dutch, along with his wife, [[Gretchen]], had joined the SPARTAN-IV program just several months back. Now with backup, Buck and Mickey continue to push towards the Condor, making it inside safely before Dare navigates out of the hangar. Jun then makes contact with Alpha-Nine, now composed of Buck, Dare, Romeo, Mickey, and Dutch alongside Gretchen, Vergil, and Sadie. He indirectly confirms Mickey’s whereabouts, thanks Buck for dealing with Leonidas, and wishes the team luck on their mission.

On their way to Cassidy III and the settlement called the [[Hole in the Wall]], Mickey claims the Rebels will have nothing but hostility towards Buck and his crew for being part of the UNSC, but Romeo, holding back tears of laugher at Mickey’s reasoning, rebuts that because the Hole in the Wall is one of the only human settlements left undiscovered by Cortana, they’re going to want and need help. Veronica then explains that ONI had been using Cassidy III to store goods during the Human-Covenant War after having discovered the colony by accident due to a [[slipspace drive]] malfunction. One of humanity’s backup plans was to retreat there if Earth was destroyed. Dare also reiterates that their intent is not to expose the colony but to understand how Cassidy III has stayed out of Cortana’s sight, to replicate the phenomenon for other colonies. Mickey acknowledges. Later, in the cockpit, Dare and Buck also talk about their relationship. Veronica brings up marriage, and Buck, reluctant to commit to a relationship that he’d inevitably abandon by dying, quickly changes topics.

 

 

 

 

 

*[[Jonathan Doherty]] {{Mo}}

**[[Battle for Earth]]

*[[Created uprising]]

**[[Skirmish on a Spartan-IV training station]] {{1st}}

*{{Pattern|Pnap|Goblin}}

*[[Phaeton]]

*[[GAU-53 70mm rotary cannon]]

*[[Needle cannon]]

*{{Pattern|Anskum|plasma grenade}}

***[[Armiger Soldier]]