Editing Halo: Trial of Reckoning

{{Title|''Halo: Trial of Reckoning''}}
{{Status|RealWorld}}
{{Novel infobox
|name=''Halo: Trial of Reckoning''
|variant=Anthology
|image=[[File:Trial Of Reckoning.jpg|300px]]
|author=
*[[Alex Wakeford]]
*[[Jeff Easterling]]
|cover artist=[[:Category:Images by William Cameron|William Cameron]]
|illustrator=
|editor=
|audio=[[Alex Wakeford]]
|publisher=[[343 Industries]]
|publication=[[2023#December|December 6, 2023]]
|media=Short story
|length=
|ISBN=
|series=[[Halo Waypoint Chronicle]]s
|preceded=''[[Halo: Battle for the Blood-Moon]]''
|followed=''[[Halo: Hippocratica]]''
|multiseries=
|notable=
}}
'''''Halo: Trial of Reckoning''''' is an entry in the [[Halo Waypoint Chronicle]] series of short stories produced by [[343 Industries]], released on [[2023#December|December 6, 2023]]. The story's release coincides with the launch of [[Season 05: Reckoning]]'s mid-season update for ''[[Halo Infinite]]'', introducing the [[Firefight]] mode into the game.

This story is the fourth of such released during Season 05: Reckoning, following ''[[Sunrise on Sanghelios]]'', ''[[Saturn Devouring His Son]]'', and ''[[Battle for the Blood-Moon]]''. Appropriately for the season's title of ''Reckoning'', the story was teased at the Halo World Championship with an image of the [[House of Reckoning (location)|House of Reckoning]] from the ''Halo Infinite'' campaign.{{Ref/YouTube|Id=CFL|6NLZw-BL8hg|Time=27482|Halo|HaloWC 2023 Community Stage – Day 1 (Forge, Steve Downes, Jen Taylor, Keith David, Lore, Digsite +)|Detail=7:38:02|D=14|M=10|Y=2023}}

==Official synopsis==
{{Article quote|February [[2560]]. The wreckage of the [[UNSC Mortal Reverie]] served as a central rally point and home to [[human]] survivors on [[Installation 07|Zeta Halo]], but it was only a matter of time before it was also overrun by the [[Banished]].

A handful of survivors from the battle have been brought to the iron halls of the [[House of Reckoning (location)|House of Reckoning]] where they are forced to take part in a twisted new war game...}}

==Summary==
[[Gunnery Sergeant]] [[Elena Bobrov]] regains consciousness after the [[Battle of the Mortal Reverie|brutal Banished attack]] on UNSC ''Mortal Reverie'', which lasted two harrowing days. The ship had been downed, but its wreckage became a fortified rally point for UNSC personnel stranded on a fragment of Zeta Halo. Bobrov recalls the chaos of battle, including being assaulted by [[Jiralhanae Berserker]]s who tore through her squad. Injured and disoriented, she was dragged across Zeta Halo's terrain and eventually loaded onto a skiff.

As Bobrov awakens in a dark unfamiliar location, she is greeted by the voice of [[Lance Corporal]] [[Singh (Installation 07)|Singh]] and is scanned by a medic. A shot of morphine eases her pain. Although her vision is blurry, she senses that she is inside a large structure, possibly a hangar. As her sight improves, she realizes that she is being treated by a [[Sangheili]] medic, an unusual scenario. The Sangheili, called "[[Doc]]" by the others, is clad in simple armor and appears focused solely on healing rather than fighting.

Bobrov quickly assesses the situation and does a roll call. Singh and [[Spartan]] [[Terry Hedge]], [[Fireteam Lancer]] leader, are present. Hedge's presence brings a brief moment of hope to Bobrov, having [[Battle of Requiem|fought alongside him]] on [[Requiem]]. Hedge joined the {{UNSCShip|Infinity}} crew as a Spartan recruit after the [[New Phoenix Incident]], and Fireteam Lancer had been heavily involved in combat against [[Promethean]] and [[Covenant remnants|Covenant]] forces.

Bobrov questions the Sangheili about his role, and he firmly states that he is a healer, no longer a warrior. Singh explains that "Doc" is all they call him as. As the lights flicker on, the group realizes they are inside a large hangar-like room now converted into a makeshift UNSC field base. The area is barren with sand, dirt, and rocks, and minimal supplies. Bobrov arms herself with an assault rifle, a pistol, and grenades, though the choices are slim.

Suddenly, a hologram of [[Escharum]], [[War Chief]] of the Banished, appears, welcoming them to the House of Reckoning. He explains that they must undergo the Trials of Atriox, specifically a "King of the Hill" scenario where they must defend their position against 40 Banished warriors. Hedge quickly organizes the group to fortify their position, knowing that their odds are grim.

Escharum's voice taunts them as the trial begins, promising a "boon" if they survive: Food, water, and another day of fighting. The sound of [[gravity hammer]]s striking the ground echoes ominously, signaling incoming Banished. The pounding intensifies, and Bobrov prepares for the inevitable onslaught. As the enemy closes in, Bobrov and her team brace themselves, knowing they must fight with everything they have, the Gunnery Sergeant flashing back to her war experience, considering the ''Infinity'' her first home-worthy ship.

The trial begins with a cacophony of battle cries, gunfire, and Escharum's voice urging them: "Fight hard. Die well."

==Appearances==
{{Featurelist|secondcolumn=title-6
|title-1=Characters|
;Forerunner
*[[Ur-Didact]] {{Mo}}

;Human
*[[Daniels (ensign)|Daniels]] {{Fm}}
*[[Elena Bobrov]] {{1st}}
*[[Gomez]] {{Mo}}
*[[John-117]] {{Mo}}
*[[Singh (Installation 07)|Singh]] {{1st}}
*[[Wikipedia:Sun Tzu|Sun Tzu]] {{Mo}}
*[[Terry Hedge]]
*[[Thomas Lasky]] {{Mo}}

;Jiralhanae
*[[Atriox]] {{Mo}}
*[[Escharum]]

;Sangheili
*"[[Doc]]" {{1st}}

|title-2=Species|
*[[Forerunner]] {{Mo}}
**[[Promethean]] {{Mo}}
*[[Human]]
*[[Jiralhanae]]
**[[Jiralhanae Berserker]] {{Mo}}
*[[Sangheili]]

|title-3=Organizations|
*[[Covenant]]
*[[Covenant remnants]]
**[[Banished]]
**[[Jul 'Mdama's Covenant]] {{Mo}}
**[[Swords of Sanghelios]] {{Mo}}
*[[Created]] {{Mo}}
*[[Promethean#Mechanical Prometheans|Prometheans]]
*[[Unified Earth Government]]
**[[United Nations Space Command]]
***[[Spartan Operations]]
****[[Fireteam Lancer]]
***[[Unified Ground Command]]
****[[UNSC Marine Corps]]

|title-4=Locations|
*[[Installation 07]]
**[[House of Reckoning (location)|House of Reckoning]]
*[[Requiem]] {{Mo}}

|title-5=Events|
*[[Human-Covenant War]] {{Mo}}
*[[Post-Covenant War conflicts]]
**[[Battle of Requiem]] {{Mo}}
**[[New Phoenix Incident]] {{Mo}}
**[[Requiem Campaign]] {{Mo}}
**[[Battle for Zeta Halo]]
***[[Battle over Installation 07]] {{Mo}}
***[[Battle of the Mortal Reverie]] {{Mo}}

|title-6=Weapons|
;Banished
*[[Gravity hammer (fiction)|Gravity hammer]] {{Mo}}

;Forerunner
*[[Z-8060 particle cannon]] {{Mo}}

;Human
*[[Assault rifle]]
*[[Battle rifle]]
*[[Mk50 Sidekick]]

|title-7=Vehicles|
;Banished
*[[Qavardu Workshop war-skiff]] {{Mo}}

;Human
*[[M510 Mammoth]] {{Mo}}
*{{Class|Mulsanne|light frigate}}
**{{UNSCShip|Mortal Reverie}} {{Mo}}
*{{Class|Infinity|supercarrier}}
**{{UNSCShip|Infinity}} {{Mo}}

|title-8=Technology and equipment|
*[[Gravity well]] {{Mo}}
*[[Holography]]
*[[Medical scanner]]
*[[Shield world]] {{Mo}}

|title-9=Miscellaneous|
*[[Morphine]]
*[[War Chief]]
*[[War Games]]
}}

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:HINF_HouseOfReckoning.jpg|A screenshot of the House of Reckoning, used to tease the short story upon its initial announcement.
</gallery>

==External links==
*[https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/halo-trial-of-reckoning Halo: Trial of Reckoning] - The official Waypoint post in which the short story was released for free.
*[https://content.halocdn.com/media/Default/community/2023_1204-waypointchronicles_trialofreckoning-r02-4ee6245cf4dd432cb2c11858b42040bb.pdf Official ''Trial of Reckoning'' PDF] - The PDF of the short story released on Halo Waypoint ({{file link|Trial of Reckoning.pdf|Archived copy}}).
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RE9f-zRLy_o Halo: Trial of Reckoning | Audiobook] - The audiobook narrated by [[Alex Wakeford]].

==Sources==
{{Ref/Sources}}

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[[Category:Halo Waypoint Chronicles|Trial of Reckoning]]
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