Editing Halo: Escalation Issue 5

{{Era|RW}}

*Rob Lean (inker)<br>

*Michael Atiyeh (colorist)<br>

{{Article Quote|Missing for thirty years, a legendary UNSC warship is discovered deep behind enemy lines. As Infinity plans a rescue mission, however, Admiral Hood’s past with the [[James Cutter|ship’s captain]] threatens to jeopardize the mission. The investigation into the UNSC saboteur continues as the journalist infiltrates an Elite holy land in search of answers.}}

Meanwhile on ''Infinity'', [[Roland]] begins his presentation on what he's found about the ''[[Pilgrims' Pride]]''. It was supposedly built [[2553|five years ago]], despite its assault craft being from the ''[[UNSC Spirit of Fire|Spirit of Fire]]'', which has been missing for 30 years. [[Sarah Palmer|Palmer]] suggests the craft were smuggled off beforehand, but Roland disagrees as the craft were in too good of condition. Moving on, he reveals the ship's logs were wiped and then filled with false data. Despite that, he was able to retrieve the real data, coordinates from where it originated: [[Oth Lodon]], a gas giant located deep in [[Jiralhanae]] space. Before progressing any further, Hood decides it is time to let everyone know the history he and [[James Cutter]] had: Hood served as [[executive officer|XO]] on the ''Spirit of Fire'' under Captain Cutter. It was Cutter who made sure Hood got his own ship, the {{UNSCShip|Roman Blue}}. [[2531#February|Three months after]] Hood's new posting, they got word of the [[Battle of Arcadia|conflict]] on [[Arcadia]]. As the ''Spirit of Fire'' jumped out of system, it dropped a log buoy that the ''Roman Blue'' was assigned to retrieve. At that point in time, Arcadia was deemed lost. The ''Roman Blue'' was not to engage Covenant forces. However, Hood was tired of humanity's losses, and he engaged the Covenant forces. Overwhelmed, Hood was forced to retreat. Because of his recklessness, the buoy was never recovered, and the ''Spirit of Fire'' was never found.

With the ''Spirit'''s possible location found, Palmer expresses that the ship might not even be there. Hood orders Palmer to conduct a search and rescue operation without being detected. Deployed on [[OF92 Booster Frame]]s to scout the system, Palmer and [[Fireteam Majestic]] have their op handled by [[Jared Miller|Miller]]. Not wanting to listen to Miller, Palmer shuts off comms under the guise of losing the signal in an asteroid field. Exploring the area, they unknowingly pass by [[Covenant spy probe|a Covenant scanner]], which tips off [[Shipmaster]] [[Vata 'Gajat|'Gajat]], who orders shields and weapons to be brought online at half power so as to not be detected. Landing on an asteroid, Palmer and Majestic discover an {{Class|SDV|heavy corvette}} docked at a [[Oth Lodon station|Covenant space station]]. Palmer radios Hood and informs him what they've found and that the ''Spirit'' is not here.

The issue's solicitation claims that the story shows Petra Janecek infiltrating a Sangheili holy land in search of the UNSC traitor. In the issue proper, no mention is made of the planet Karava having any religious significance. Indeed, the port town of Kor Delban (the only location visited), seems to be entirely secular in function.

*During his flashback to the Battle of Arcadia, then-Captain Hood is shown wearing a flag officer's [[UNSC Navy Service Uniform#Decorated uniform|white service uniform]], essentially his modern uniform with different insignia and no cap. At first its shoulder boards and sleeve stripes do not properly correspond to any rank; three panels later the shoulder boards are bare yet the sleeve stripes (now closer to the cuff) denote the rank of [[lieutenant]]. His tunic mistakenly bears the twin vertical bars of a [[Captain (ground forces)|UNICOM captain]] or a Navy lieutenant rather than the perched eagle of a [[Captain (Navy)|Navy captain]], as is the case with [[Jacob Keyes#Rank|Captain Keyes]] in each of his visual appearances.

File:Petra with gun.jpg|Petra fires her revolver.

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