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{{Status|Canon}}
{{Status|Canon}}
{{Summarize}}
{{Under Construction}}
This article details [[John-117]]'s actions in the final year of the Human-Covenant War.
This article details [[John-117]]'s actions in the final year of the Human-Covenant War.


===Late War===
===Late War===
[[File:Legends-Homecoming-John117.jpg|thumb|300px|Before Daisy was killed, it was noted by a Marine Corps sergeant by the name of [[Hauser]] that the planet on which they were fighting was finished.{{Ref/Reuse|HLH}}]]
[[File:Legends-Homecoming-John117.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Before Daisy was killed, it was noted by a Marine Corps sergeant by the name of [[Hauser]] that the planet on which they were fighting was finished.{{Ref/Reuse|HLH}}]]
{{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}}
{{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>
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>
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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}}
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}}


It was around 2010 hours when John attached the device to the wall of the sewer.<ref name="HTFOR22">''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]'', ''Chapter 21''</ref> The mission's parameters could have allowed him to have them fall back to the Pelican then, but he was overly suspicious about what would interest the Covenant within the museum. John had Fred use [[thermite paste]] on the plate Kelly had mentioned and after making sure the coast was cleat with a fiber optic probe, John pulled himself up into a room dedicated to maintenance and storage.<ref name="HFORC">''[[Halo: Fall of Reach]]'', ''[[Halo: Fall of Reach - Covenant|Covenant]]''</ref> He ordered Kelly to jam motion sensor signals as soon as they picked them up, but it was too late.{{Ref/Reuse|HTFOR22}} The Spartans could only hurriedly hide before four Kig-Yar came to investigate. John got the drop on one, impaling the base of its head with his combat knife, and crushed the skull of another with his right foot. The other two were quietly dispatched by Blue Team's silenced MA5Bs. Each Spartan took one of the aliens' [[Kig-Yar point defense gauntlet|point defense gauntlet]]s and crept single file up a circular staircase to the museum's main foyer. It was empty but for the flattened corpse of a Kig-Yar crushed underfoot by a [[Mgalekgolo]] gestalt.[[File:WoundedJames.png|thumb|250px|Thanks to the efforts of John and the rest of the team, James made made it offworld and had a brand new arm by the next month.<ref name="HFORI">''[[Halo: Fall of Reach]]'', ''[[Halo: Fall of Reach - Invasion|Invasion]]''</ref>]] Bloody tracks led away from the body which Blue Team followed through the building's west wing and then to its geology wing. Beyond an archway leading into a large, glass-domed room, John briefly detected a powerful infrared source, which was in fact a communications laser transmitting information from a the room up through the shattered dome and into orbit. Using the fiber optic probe once more, John spied two hulking Mgalekgolo within. He and Fred entered on the right and the other took the left, but all opened fire simultaneously at John's command.{{Ref/Reuse|HTFOR22}} The first blast from one of the gestalt's [[assault cannon]]s burned away James' left arm from the elbow down. John managed to activate his point defense gauntlet in time to get it in front of him before he was similarly hit, but the [[incendiary gel]] melted the gauntlet and sent him flying through the wall into the adjacent room. Realizing they were outmatched, he called for his Spartans to switch to shredder rounds and fire a ring around the [[Lekgolo]], causing them to fall through the floor into the basement. Before they could recover, he had everyone assist him in tipping over a large [[Wikipedia:Quartz|quartz]] monolith onto the creatures, pinning them both down below. John noticed that a case the Mgalekgolo had placed [[Sigma Octanus IV artifact|a certain piece of granite]] within was teetering over the edge of the new pit and yelled for Kelly to grab it as it fell, which she did. John didn't know what their interest had been in the rock, so he stowed it to deliver it to others to puzzle over. after kicking over the beacon transmitting the laser, he helped James back through the halls, retracing their steps all the way to the sewer and eventually the rice paddies at the city's edge. Fred rigged a ground-return relay with a crude antenna to the external surface of the pipe.{{Ref/Reuse|HTFOR22}}
It was around 2010 hours when John attached the device to the wall of the sewer.<ref name="HTFOR22">''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]'', ''Chapter 21''</ref> The mission's parameters could have allowed him to have them fall back to the Pelican then, but he was overly suspicious about what would interest the Covenant within the museum. John had Fred use [[thermite paste]] on the plate Kelly had mentioned and after making sure the coast was cleat with a fiber optic probe, John pulled himself up into a room dedicated to maintenance and storage.<ref name="HFORC">''[[Halo: Fall of Reach]]'', ''[[Halo: Fall of Reach - Covenant|Covenant]]''</ref> He ordered Kelly to jam motion sensor signals as soon as they picked them up, but it was too late.{{Ref/Reuse|HTFOR22}} The Spartans could only hurriedly hide before four Kig-Yar came to investigate. John got the drop on one, impaling the base of its head with his combat knife, and crushed the skull of another with his right foot. The other two were quietly dispatched by Blue Team's silenced MA5Bs. Each Spartan took one of the aliens' [[Kig-Yar point defense gauntlet|point defense gauntlet]]s and crept single file up a circular staircase to the museum's main foyer. It was empty but for the flattened corpse of a Kig-Yar crushed underfoot by a [[Mgalekgolo]] gestalt.[[File:WoundedJames.png|thumb|250px|right|Thanks to the efforts of John and the rest of the team, James made made it offworld and had a brand new arm by the next month.<ref name="HFORI">''[[Halo: Fall of Reach]]'', ''[[Halo: Fall of Reach - Invasion|Invasion]]''</ref>]] Bloody tracks led away from the body which Blue Team followed through the building's west wing and then to its geology wing. Beyond an archway leading into a large, glass-domed room, John briefly detected a powerful infrared source, which was in fact a communications laser transmitting information from a the room up through the shattered dome and into orbit. Using the fiber optic probe once more, John spied two hulking Mgalekgolo within. He and Fred entered on the right and the other took the left, but all opened fire simultaneously at John's command.{{Ref/Reuse|HTFOR22}} The first blast from one of the gestalt's [[assault cannon]]s burned away James' left arm from the elbow down. John managed to activate his point defense gauntlet in time to get it in front of him before he was similarly hit, but the [[incendiary gel]] melted the gauntlet and sent him flying through the wall into the adjacent room. Realizing they were outmatched, he called for his Spartans to switch to shredder rounds and fire a ring around the [[Lekgolo]], causing them to fall through the floor into the basement. Before they could recover, he had everyone assist him in tipping over a large [[Wikipedia:Quartz|quartz]] monolith onto the creatures, pinning them both down below. John noticed that a case the Mgalekgolo had placed [[Sigma Octanus IV artifact|a certain piece of granite]] within was teetering over the edge of the new pit and yelled for Kelly to grab it as it fell, which she did. John didn't know what their interest had been in the rock, so he stowed it to deliver it to others to puzzle over. after kicking over the beacon transmitting the laser, he helped James back through the halls, retracing their steps all the way to the sewer and eventually the rice paddies at the city's edge. Fred rigged a ground-return relay with a crude antenna to the external surface of the pipe.{{Ref/Reuse|HTFOR22}}


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>
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>
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===Mark V===
===Mark V===
[[File:NeuralLaceUpgrade.png|thumb|300px|By the time the surgery was complete, John was originally supposed to have around three hours before he and Cortana were tested.<ref name="DHPJA29">''[[Dr. Halsey's personal journal]]'', ''August 29, 2552''</ref> The challenge came far sooner, however.{{Ref/Reuse|HTFOR27}}]]
[[File:NeuralLaceUpgrade.png|thumb|right|300px|By the time the surgery was complete, John was originally supposed to have around three hours before he and Cortana were tested.<ref name="DHPJA29">''[[Dr. Halsey's personal journal]]'', ''August 29, 2552''</ref> The challenge came far sooner, however.{{Ref/Reuse|HTFOR27}}]]
{{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}}
{{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}}
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}}
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{{Main|Fall of Reach}}
{{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}}
{{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}}
[[File:JohnKeyes.png|thumb|350px|Captain Keyes knew in advance that saving Reach would be a lost cause, but when John presented a plan for its defense, he found himself unwilling to refuse the Spartan.<ref name="HTFORA">''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]'', ''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach#2010 Bonus Content|Adjunct]]''</ref>{{Ref/Reuse|HTFOR34}}]]
[[File:JohnKeyes.png|thumb|350px|right|Captain Keyes knew in advance that saving Reach would be a lost cause, but when John presented a plan for its defense, he found himself unwilling to refuse the Spartan.<ref name="HTFORA">''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]'', ''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach#2010 Bonus Content|Adjunct]]''</ref>{{Ref/Reuse|HTFOR34}}]]
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>
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>
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>


Gamma Station was around ten thousand kilometers away when John piloted the Pelican loaded with [[C-12]] on its nose away from the ''Autumn''.{{Ref/Reuse|HTFOR34}} At 0616 hours it had come within one thousand kilometers, when a [[Covenant frigate]] suddenly emerged from slipspace just a kilometer away from their position.{{Ref/Reuse|HTFOR34}}<ref name="HTFOR35">''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]'', ''Chapter 35''</ref> John yelled for Linda and James to brace themselves as he spun the dropship into a reverse burn and then killed the engines entirely in order to evade detection. Two more frigates followed the appearance of the first but with just thirty kilometers remaining before they hit the station, John had no choice but to reignite the engines to bleed off as much acceleration as possible. The bird violently slammed into the station tail-first, flatlining John's shields, crumpling the cockpit's displays, and freeing everything in the rear compartment that had been tied down. John confirmed that no one on his team was injured before giving the order to exit immediately. He snatched his [[MA5]] and [[M41 SPNKR|M41]], along with five spare mags of ammunition and a satchel filled with [[C-12]], detonators, and a Lotus mine. John searched in vain for his thruster pack in amidst the jumbled mess but ultimately had to abandon it for the sake of time. Clipping himself to the outside of the Pelican, which was now embedded in the side of Gamma Station, the Chief ordered James to police the explosives still undetonated on the prow and told Linda to scan the remaining frigates with her [[SRS99C-S2 AM sniper rifle]] (one frigate was destroyed by a shot from an ODP's [[Magnetic Accelerator Cannon]]). Soon enough Linda announced that they had incoming. John ordered they all take cover as a dozen [[Covenant drop pod|pod]]s and numerous [[Sangheili]] [[Sangheili Ranger|ranger]]s shot toward the station, firing {{Pattern|Okarda'phaa|plasma rifle}}s and [[Type-33 needler]]s. James did not respond in time and his thruster pack was punctured by an exploding [[Subanese crystal]], which sent him tumbling away into the void. The pod that attached itself to the skin of the station nearest to their position deposited [[Kig-Yar]] [[Kig-Yar Ranger|ranger]]s and John had to brace against the Pelican to fire at them. A fragmentation grenade finished off the pod's occupants and John directed Linda to secure it. He then proceeded to wedge two more grenades into the C-12 still on the dropship's prow. After joining Linda inside the pod, he had her fire at them just as the Pelican was swarmed by enemies. The blast that followed tore through five decks of Gamma Station and John and Linda were making their way inside in no time. Their target was on B level two decks down and three hundred meters to port.{{Ref/Reuse|HTFOR35}}
Gamma Station was around ten thousand kilometers away when John piloted the Pelican loaded with [[C-12]] on its nose away from the ''Autumn''.{{Ref/Reuse|HTFOR34}} At 0616 hours it had come within one thousand kilometers, when a [[Covenant frigate]] suddenly emerged from slipspace just a kilometer away from their position.{{Ref/Reuse|HTFOR34}}<ref name="HTFOR35">''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]'', ''Chapter 35''</ref> John yelled for Linda and James to brace themselves as he spun the dropship into a reverse burn and then killed the engines entirely in order to evade detection. Two more frigates followed the appearance of the first but with just thirty kilometers remaining before they hit the station, John had no choice but to reignite the engines to bleed off as much acceleration as possible. The bird violently slammed into the station tail-first, flatlining John's shields, crumpling the cockpit's displays, and freeing everything in the rear compartment that had been tied down. John confirmed that no one on his team was injured before giving the order to exit immediately. He snatched his [[MA5]] and [[M41 SPNKR|M41]], along with five spare clips of ammunition and a satchel filled with [[C-12]], detonators, and a Lotus mine. John searched in vain for his thruster pack in amidst the jumbled mess but ultimately had to abandon it for the sake of time. Clipping himself to the outside of the Pelican, which was now embedded in the side of Gamma Station, the Chief ordered James to police the explosives still undetonated on the prow and told Linda to scan the remaining frigates with her [[SRS99C-S2 AM sniper rifle]] (one frigate was destroyed by a shot from an ODP's [[Magnetic Accelerator Cannon]]). Soon enough Linda announced that they had incoming. John ordered they all take cover as a dozen [[Covenant drop pod|pod]]s and numerous [[Sangheili]] [[Sangheili Ranger|ranger]]s shot toward the station, firing {{Pattern|Okarda'phaa|plasma rifle}}s and [[Type-33 needler]]s. James did not respond in time and his thruster pack was punctured by an exploding [[Subanese crystal]], which sent him tumbling away into the void. The pod that attached itself to the skin of the station nearest to their position deposited [[Kig-Yar]] [[Kig-Yar Ranger|ranger]]s and John had to brace against the Pelican to fire at them. A fragmentation grenade finished off the pod's occupants and John directed Linda to secure it. He then proceeded to wedge two more grenades into the C-12 still on the dropship's prow. After joining Linda inside the pod, he had her fire at them just as the Pelican was swarmed by enemies. The blast that followed tore through five decks of Gamma Station and John and Linda were making their way inside in no time. Their target was on B level two decks down and three hundred meters to port.{{Ref/Reuse|HTFOR35}}
[[File:LindaDead.png|thumb|350px|The loss of James, the alleged death of Linda, and the abandonment of Red Team on Reach forced John to wonder if he was  suddenly the last Spartan in existence.{{Ref/Reuse|HTFOR37}}]]
[[File:LindaDead.png|thumb|350px|right|The loss of James, the alleged death of Linda, and the abandonment of Red Team on Reach forced John to wonder if he was  suddenly the last Spartan in existence.{{Ref/Reuse|HTFOR37}}]]
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}}
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}}


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{{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>
{{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}}]]
[[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}}]]
As the massive structure drew ever closer, John queried Cortana as to what it could be.{{Ref/Reuse|HTF1}} She could only tell him that based on what she could glean from the [[proselytization network]], the aliens referred to it as "Halo" and it held sort of religious significance for them.{{Ref/Reuse|HTF1}} Two minutes and fifty-one seconds after launching from the ''Autumn'', the ring opened up as ''Lima Foxtrot Alpha 43'''s pilot guided them past its edge and over its inner surface, which all aboard could se was covered with plains, mountains, and hills.<ref name="HTF2">''[[Halo: the Flood]]'', ''Chapter 2''</ref> Cortana suggested that John might want to take a seat and get strapped in, but he told her they'd be fine and remained standing for their descent.{{Ref/Reuse|HCETPOA}} Unfortunately, due to a chance airbrake failure, the lifeboat rushed toward the ground too fast and when it slammed into the dirt John was thrown off his feet.{{Ref/Reuse|HTF2}}<ref name="HCEH">''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]'', ''[[Halo (Halo: Combat Evolved level)|Halo]]''</ref> His helmet careened into a bulkhead, knocking him out.{{Ref/Reuse|HTF2}} When he finally came to hours later, he could hear Cortana urgently trying to get his attention and warning that Covenant forces were on their way, the crash having triggered a lot of radio traffic on their end.{{Ref/Reuse|HTF3}}{{Ref/Reuse|HTF2}} After struggling to his feet, he became more aware of his surroundings and found that he was the only survivor of the impact. John gathered as much ammunition and other supplies as he could, including a quartet of fragmentation grenades, before Cortana recommended moving into some nearby hills. He then crossed a strange, burnished metal bridge just as a {{Pattern|Dextro Xur|Spirit}} appeared. The Master Chief skirted the cliff edge on the far side of the bridge and took up a position at a crevice where a boulder touched the cliff. Two [[Type-26 Banshee]]s were also on immediate approach, and he waited until the first was within range to open fire with his MA5B. He got the first craft to pull out if its dive but the second was able to pelt him with [[Class-2 directed energy cannon|plasma fire]]. When the first returned for another pass, however, he hit it again with armor-piercing rounds and caused it to explode into flames before rushing straight into the cliff wall. His shields replenished, John jumped atop the boulder to get a better look around before the other Banshee returned. Troops deployed from the Spirit were encroaching on his position. One group of [[Unggoy]] was preoccupied with the wreckage of the Bumblebee, but another was coming from the direction of the hills he'd been told to head for. John first dealt with the seven Grunts across the chasm from him, taking them all out with twelve shots from Keyes' M6D. The other group fared no better against him and he was soon dashing forward into some slight cover offered by a copse of trees. He ran from cover to cover as he made his way uphill, soon running into three more Unggoy led by two Sangheili: a [[Sangheili Minor|minor]] and a [[Sangheili Major|major]]. He dealt with the Elites first and was then able to pick off the rest as they tried to scamper away. John continued onward through a meadow of sorts and could hear the sound of automatic weapons fire ahead, which to him signaled the presence of UNSC marines. As such, he sprinted in its direction.{{Ref/Reuse|HTF2}} Cortana was soon able to confirm that a [[Fire Team Charlie|group of marines]] had similarly crash-landed nearby and at just over three hours and fourteen minutes since leaving the ''Autumn'', he found them engaging Sangheili, Kig-Yar, and Unggoy around a [[Beacon tower|large blocky structure of some kind]].{{Ref/Reuse|HTF3}}
As the massive structure drew ever closer, John queried Cortana as to what it could be.{{Ref/Reuse|HTF1}} She could only tell him that based on what she could glean from the [[proselytization network]], the aliens referred to it as "Halo" and it held sort of religious significance for them.{{Ref/Reuse|HTF1}} Two minutes and fifty-one seconds after launching from the ''Autumn'', the ring opened up as ''Lima Foxtrot Alpha 43'''s pilot guided them past its edge and over its inner surface, which all aboard could se was covered with plains, mountains, and hills.<ref name="HTF2">''[[Halo: the Flood]]'', ''Chapter 2''</ref> Cortana suggested that John might want to take a seat and get strapped in, but he told her they'd be fine and remained standing for their descent.{{Ref/Reuse|HCETPOA}} Unfortunately, due to a chance airbrake failure, the lifeboat rushed toward the ground too fast and when it slammed into the dirt John was thrown off his feet.{{Ref/Reuse|HTF2}}<ref name="HCEH">''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]'', ''[[Halo (Halo: Combat Evolved level)|Halo]]''</ref> His helmet careened into a bulkhead, knocking him out.{{Ref/Reuse|HTF2}} When he finally came to hours later, he could hear Cortana urgently trying to get his attention and warning that Covenant forces were on their way, the crash having triggered a lot of radio traffic on their end.{{Ref/Reuse|HTF3}}{{Ref/Reuse|HTF2}} After struggling to his feet, he became more aware of his surroundings and found that he was the only survivor of the impact. John gathered as much ammunition and other supplies as he could, including a quartet of fragmentation grenades, before Cortana recommended moving into some nearby hills. He then crossed a strange, burnished metal bridge just as a {{Pattern|Dextro Xur|Spirit}} appeared. The Master Chief skirted the cliff edge on the far side of the bridge and took up a position at a crevice where a boulder touched the cliff. Two [[Type-26 Banshee]]s were also on immediate approach, and he waited until the first was within range to open fire with his MA5B. He got the first craft to pull out if its dive but the second was able to pelt him with [[Class-2 directed energy cannon|plasma fire]]. When the first returned for another pass, however, he hit it again with armor-piercing rounds and caused it to explode into flames before rushing straight into the cliff wall. His shields replenished, John jumped atop the boulder to get a better look around before the other Banshee returned. Troops deployed from the Spirit were encroaching on his position. One group of [[Unggoy]] was preoccupied with the wreckage of the Bumblebee, but another was coming from the direction of the hills he'd been told to head for. John first dealt with the seven Grunts across the chasm from him, taking them all out with twelve shots from Keyes' M6D. The other group fared no better against him and he was soon dashing forward into some slight cover offered by a copse of trees. He ran from cover to cover as he made his way uphill, soon running into three more Unggoy led by two Sangheili: a [[Sangheili Minor|minor]] and a [[Sangheili Major|major]]. He dealt with the Elites first and was then able to pick off the rest as they tried to scamper away. John continued onward through a meadow of sorts and could hear the sound of automatic weapons fire ahead, which to him signaled the presence of UNSC marines. As such, he sprinted in its direction.{{Ref/Reuse|HTF2}} Cortana was soon able to confirm that a [[Fire Team Charlie|group of marines]] had similarly crash-landed nearby and at just over three hours and fourteen minutes since leaving the ''Autumn'', he found them engaging Sangheili, Kig-Yar, and Unggoy around a [[Beam emitter|large blocky structure of some kind]].{{Ref/Reuse|HTF3}}


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}}
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}}
[[File:HCEA ChiefGeas.png|300px|thumb|Unbeknownst to him at the time, John's intuitive recognition of the first [[Forerunner]] control panel he encountered was a result of a ''[[geas]]'' imposed upon humans in the distant past by the [[Librarian]].<ref name="WaypointCatalog">[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/forums/db05ce78845f4120b062c50816008e5d/topics/catalog-interaction/4c3e1c6f-6519-4ee0-83a4-4bac13bf07a3/posts?page=14 '''Halo Waypoint''' - ''CATALOG INTERACTION'']</ref>]]
[[File:HCEA ChiefGeas.png|300px|thumb|right|Unbeknownst to him at the time, John's intuitive recognition of the first [[Forerunner]] control panel he encountered was a result of a ''[[geas]]'' imposed upon humans in the distant past by the [[Librarian]].<ref name="WaypointCatalog">[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/forums/db05ce78845f4120b062c50816008e5d/topics/catalog-interaction/4c3e1c6f-6519-4ee0-83a4-4bac13bf07a3/posts?page=14 '''Halo Waypoint''' - ''CATALOG INTERACTION'']</ref>]]
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}}
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}}


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{{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}}
{{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>]]
[[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>]]
Before rolling across the [[light bridge]], John first tested its integrity with his foot.{{Ref/Reuse|HTF3}} Convinced it would hold, he told Fitzgerald to hang on and gunned the hog across. The tunnel on the opposite side opened up into another valley. The Chief guided the LRV to the top of a grassy rise and headed toward a gap in a cliff face to the south. He drove through s shallow river and turned through another rocky pass before finally stopping minutes later at a ledge overlooking a lifeboat and an assortment of Covenant troops. The aliens sighted them almost right away, so John steered down into the valley while Fitzgerald cut them down with the hog's [[M41 Vulcan]]. After John swung the vehicle around another of the [[Beacon tower|mysterious structure]]s, [[Cortana]] notified him of marines in hiding up on a nearby hill. A lone Sangheili in his path leveled a weapon as John sped in the direction of the survivors but the Warthog rolled right over him before he could get off a shot. The marines greeted the Chief when he arrived and their sergeant let it be known that he was glad to see them. The remaining Covenant attempted an assault on their position but Fitzgerald was able to handle it. Cortana let Rawley know they had found marines that needed to be picked up and the flight captain, going by the [[call sign]] "Foehammer", in turn said she had spotted the locations of the additional lifeboats in the area. The better part of the afternoon that followed was spent checking the interlocking valleys, locating the rest of the survivors, and dealing with any Covenant forces that tried to interfere.{{Ref/Reuse|HTF3}} During this time, Cortana learned that Captain Keyes and the rest of the ''Autumn'''s surviving command crew had been captured.{{Ref/Reuse|HCEH}} In total, John, Cortana, and Fitzgerald rounded up sixty-three Marine Corps and Navy personnel.{{Ref/Reuse|HTF3}} When there was no one left to rescue, he climbed aboard ''Echo 419'' himself. Rawley told him they would reach [[Alpha Base (Installation 04)|Alpha Base]] in thirty minutes. John thanked her for the ride and was fast asleep thirty seconds later.{{Ref/Reuse|HTF3}}
Before rolling across the [[light bridge]], John first tested its integrity with his foot.{{Ref/Reuse|HTF3}} Convinced it would hold, he told Fitzgerald to hang on and gunned the hog across. The tunnel on the opposite side opened up into another valley. The Chief guided the LRV to the top of a grassy rise and headed toward a gap in a cliff face to the south. He drove through s shallow river and turned through another rocky pass before finally stopping minutes later at a ledge overlooking a lifeboat and an assortment of Covenant troops. The aliens sighted them almost right away, so John steered down into the valley while Fitzgerald cut them down with the hog's [[M41 Vulcan]]. After John swung the vehicle around another of the [[Beam emitter|mysterious structure]]s, [[Cortana]] notified him of marines in hiding up on a nearby hill. A lone Sangheili in his path leveled a weapon as John sped in the direction of the survivors but the Warthog rolled right over him before he could get off a shot. The marines greeted the Chief when he arrived and their sergeant let it be known that he was glad to see them. The remaining Covenant attempted an assault on their position but Fitzgerald was able to handle it. Cortana let Rawley know they had found marines that needed to be picked up and the flight captain, going by the [[call sign]] "Foehammer", in turn said she had spotted the locations of the additional lifeboats in the area. The better part of the afternoon that followed was spent checking the interlocking valleys, locating the rest of the survivors, and dealing with any Covenant forces that tried to interfere.{{Ref/Reuse|HTF3}} During this time, Cortana learned that Captain Keyes and the rest of the ''Autumn'''s surviving command crew had been captured.{{Ref/Reuse|HCEH}} In total, John, Cortana, and Fitzgerald rounded up sixty-three Marine Corps and Navy personnel.{{Ref/Reuse|HTF3}} When there was no one left to rescue, he climbed aboard ''Echo 419'' himself. Rawley told him they would reach [[Alpha Base (Installation 04)|Alpha Base]] in thirty minutes. John thanked her for the ride and was fast asleep thirty seconds later.{{Ref/Reuse|HTF3}}


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}}
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}}
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===Saving Keyes===
===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}}
{{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:TRArrivalCEA.jpg|thumb|350px|left|''Echo 419'' deploying the rescue team.]]
By the time seventeen hours and just over eleven minutes had passed since John had blasted away from the ''Pillar of Autumn'', he and a group of ODSTs were riding in ''Echo 419'''s bay as the bird weaved through low-lying hills toward the ''[[Truth and Reconciliation]]'', a {{Pattern|Ket|battlecruiser}} undergoing repairs and holding position about three hundred meters above a plateau.{{Ref/Reuse|HTF4}}{{Ref/Level|Id=Truth|CE|[[Truth and Reconciliation]]}} The cruiser was also the location in which Captain Keyes was being held prisoner. [[Wellsley]] had concocted an array of signals designed to trick the Covenant's technicians into believing any approaching UNSC [[dropship]]s were actually their own. As they approached the [[ODST|Helljumpers]]' Sergeant [[Parker]] reminded his troopers that the Master Chief would be disembarking first and moving to clear the outer defenses around the ship's [[gravity lift]]. John returned the sergeant's thumbs-up gesture when he offered it and as soon as Parker gave the signal he led the charge down the ramp, dropping to the ground from where the Pelican hovered about a foot in the air. John's first move was to sidestep and sweep the area before creeping along a rocky footpath to his right. He was armed with an [[SRS99C-S2 AM sniper rifle]], an [[MA5B assault rifle]], a full combat load of ammo, grenades, and other gear, plus two [[M19 missile]]s for the attacking force's SPNKRs. Cortana warned John of the presence of enemies ahead and he in turn took cover next to a tree before locating the {{Pattern|Mamua'uda|Shade}} emplacements on the far side of an excavation beneath the cruiser. After lining up his shots, John eliminated both Shade gunners, before proceeding to target the rest of the Covenant troops in the depression. After thinning out the enemy forces, John ordered the Marines to move up, before switching to his assault rifle and leading the charge into the pit.{{Ref/Reuse|HTF4}}
After clearing the pit and losing one Marine, the rest of the group pushed forward along a cliff path, ambushing a pair of Jackals before reaching another Shade emplacement and more Covenant forces, which were all easily taken out. The rescue team fought through more winding canyons before arriving at the ''Truth and Reconciliation's'' gravity lift. The depression was ringed with more Shade cannons, and they all opened fire as John and the Marines moved in. John quickly killed the closest gunner, before commandeering the turret and using it to eliminate the other Shades as well as the ground troops in the area. Cortana warned him of an approaching Covenant [[Dextro Xur-pattern Spirit|dropship]], and when it arrived, he proceeded to use the Shade to hose down the troops that the Spirit deposited. A moment later, more Covenant soldiers arrived from the gravity lift, including a [[Mgalekgolo]] pair. As the Marines clashed with the arriving Covenant, one of the Mgalekgolo managed to cut down a Marine armed with a [[M41 SPNKr|rocket launcher]] with its [[assault cannon]]. As more Sangheili and Kig-Yar formed a phalanx behind the Hunters, Sergeant Parker ordered his Marines to focus on the Mgalekgolo. One of the massive aliens targeted John's Shade, but the Spartan managed to kill the gestalt with the stationary gun. The fallen Hunter's bond brother roared in anguish and knocked the Shade over with its cannon, knocking John to the ground. The Chief quickly rolled into a crouch and sprayed the charging Hunter with his assault rifle, but each bullet was deflected by the beast's thick armor. When the Hunter swung at him with its shield, John managed to roll out of the way and shot the vulnerable [[Lekgolo]] eels on the Mgalekgolo's back with his assault rifle, killing the gestalt. During his fight with the Mgalekgolo pair, the rest of the Marines had managed to kill the rest of the Covenant in the area, and the gravity lift was now secure. With that, Cortana radioed ''Echo 419'' to deploy a fresh group of reinforcements. The new arrivals joined the Spartan and the other survivors on the gravity lift pad, and the group were soon pulled up one by one into the ship by the gravity field while Cortana informed John that she could use Captain Keyes' [[command neural interface]] to locate him once on board, surmising that he would likely be within the vessel's brig.{{Ref/Reuse|HTF4}}{{Ref/Reuse|Truth}}
Upon arrival inside the cruiser's lift bay, the team were initially surprised by the lack of an immediate hostile presence. Upon nearing one of the large bay doors, John took down a surprised Sangheili silently, but a moment later, another door opened and a large group of Covenant troops stormed into the compartment. What followed was a brutal battle in the close quarters environment inside the ship. John led the rest of the Marines through the corridors of the ''Truth and Reconciliation'' until they reached a [[hangar bay]], arriving just as a Covenant dropship exited the ship. A violent battle soon broke out in the bay as Covenant troops flowed in from multiple doors around the bay, and the large compartment was soon filled with wounded and dead on both sides. As they fought, Cortana worked hard to find an escape from the bay for the surviving members of the team. A Hunter soon charged into the battle, and managed to wound Sergeant Parker with the edge of it's shield. As the Marine fell, John attacked the Mgalekgolo, hoping to divert its attention from the rest of the Marines. A moment later, Parker managed to shoot the Hunter in its back with his [[M6D magnum|pistol]]. With the room momentarily clear, Cortana managed to get one of the doors open, and the team escaped into an adjoining corridor. Over the course of the next fifteen minutes, John and the remaining Marines fought their way through the corridors of the ship and across the upper level of the hangar bay. As they moved through more corridors, Cortana told them that the Captain's CNI signal was strong, indicating that they were close to his location.{{Ref/Reuse|HTF4}}
[[File:CEA KeyesChiefTaR.png|thumb|350px|right|The Master Chief rescues Keyes.]]
[[File:CEA KeyesChiefTaR.png|thumb|350px|right|The Master Chief rescues Keyes.]]
The team eventually reached the ''Truth and Reconciliation's'' [[bridge|control room]], where [[Shipmaster]] [[Lat 'Ravamee]] was stationed. John managed to kill 'Ravamee along with his bridge crew.{{Ref/Site|Id=nevermore|URL=https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/news/nevermore|Site=Halo Waypoint|Page=Canon Fodder - Nevermore|D=21|M=07|Y=2021|LocalArchive=https://archives.halopedia.org/waypoint/www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/news/nevermore}}{{Ref/Reuse|Truth}} With the area secure, but aware that time was running out to rescue Keyes, John ordered Sergeant Parker and his team to remain behind to secure the bridge until he returned with the Captain. At first resistant, Parker soon relented and he and his men remained in the bridge while the Master Chief forged ahead, going door to door until he located one of the cruiser's detention centers. Unfortunately, the room was devoid of any living prisoners so John left and continued his search. He eventually located the correct brig, where Captain Keyes and a number of Marines were being held captive in cells protected by [[energy barrier]]s. He was initially ambushed by a [[Active camouflage|cloaked]] Sangheili, but was soon able to put the alien down before locating the controls that deactivated the barriers on the prisoner's cells. As the group gathered weapons and assembled, Keyes told John and Cortana that he had overheard his captors identify the ringworld as "[[Halo Array|Halo]]". As Cortana sifted through the Covenant [[proselytization network]], she learned that they believed Halo to a weapon of unparalleled magnitude, which Keyes corroborated with what he had eavesdropped from his guards. The AI had intercepted earlier messages about a Covenant search team scouting for a "[[Control Room (Installation 04)|control room]]". Previously assuming that they were looking for the bridge of a damaged vessel in orbit, she now realized that it was in fact the control room of Halo itself the Covenant were looking for. Realizing the gravity of the situation, Keyes promptly decided that they had to locate the control room before the Covenant, to prevent them from possibly using Halo against humanity. Keyes armed himself with a [[Type-33 needler|needler]], and he and the rest of the rescued human forces followed John out of the brig. The group were able to follow the trail of corpses, both human and Covenant, to make their way back towards the bridge. Forced to deal with several more ambushes by the Covenant, along with the Captain's weakened state from his earlier torture, the Spartan's ammunition reserves soon began to dwindle and he urged the Captain to keep moving. The group finally arrived back at the cruiser's bridge, where the rest of the rescue party had been slaughtered by [[Energy sword (fiction)|energy sword]]-wielding [[Stealth Sangheili]]. Upon clearing the room, Cortana contacted ''Echo 419'' for extraction, but the Pelican had been engaged by Covenant [[Banshee]]s and was unable to provide assistance. With air support cut off, one of the Marines began to panic but Keyes soon took control of the situation, telling Cortana that if she and the Master Chief could secure one of the Covenant's dropships, he would be able to commandeer it to fly them out of the cruiser. She replied that there was a Spirit docked at present in the nearby hangar bay and the group moved out, John in the lead following a [[navigation point]] on his [[heads-up display]]. Eventually reaching the bay, they were forced to engage more Covenant defenders. The Spartan soon ran out of ammo for his assault rifle and switched to his sidearm, and he was down to a single round for the pistol by the time the rest of the survivors had climbed aboard the docked Spirit dropship. Keyes opted to pilot the dropship manually rather than have Cortana interface with the vessel's controls, but as they prepared to depart, a Mgalekgolo pair made their way onto the loading platform, preparing to fire on the Spirit. The Captain rammed the Hunters with the dropship, instantly killing both of them before Keyes piloted the aircraft out of the hangar bay and away from the ''Truth and Reconciliation''. As the dropship soared away, and with the mission to rescue Captain Keyes a success, John relaxed his shoulders and closed his eyes.{{Ref/Reuse|HTF4}}{{Ref/Reuse|Truth}}
By the time seventeen hours and just over eleven minutes had passed since John had blasted away from the ''Pillar of Autumn'', he and a group of ODSTs were riding in ''Echo 419'''s bay as the bird weaved through low-lying hills toward the ''[[Truth and Reconciliation]]'', a {{Pattern|Ket|battlecruiser}} undergoing repairs and holding position about three hundred meters above a plateau.{{Ref/Reuse|HTF4}}<ref name="HCETTAR">''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]'', ''[[The Truth and Reconciliation]]''</ref> The cruiser was also the location in which Captain Keyes was being held prisoner. [[Wellsley]] had concocted an array of signals designed to trick the Covenant's technicians into believing any approaching UNSC [[dropship]]s were actually their own. As they approached the [[ODST|Helljumpers]]' Sergeant [[Parker]] reminded his troopers that the Master Chief would be disembarking first and moving to clear the outer defenses around the ship's [[gravity lift]]. John returned the sergeant's thumbs-up gesture when he offered it and as soon as Parker gave the signal he led the charge down the ramp, dropping to the ground from where the Pelican hovered about a foot in the air. John's first move was to sidestep and sweep the area before creeping along a rocky footpath to his right. He was armed with an [[SRS99C-S2 AM sniper rifle]], an [[MA5B assault rifle]], a full combat load of ammo, grenades, and other gear, plus two [[M19 missile]]s for the attacking force's SPNKRs. Cortana warned John of the presence of enemies ahead and he in turn took cover next to a tree before locating the {{Pattern|Mamua'uda|Shade}} emplacements on the far side of an excavation beneath the cruiser. He took out the gun emplacements and then he killed all the Covenant surrounding it. He and the squad of ODSTs eventually boarded the ship and rescue Keyes.
 
{{Expand-section}}
===The Cartographer===
{{Quote|no=three|q1=There! That holo-panel should activate the map.|Cortana|q2=Any idea how to activate it?|John-117|q3=No. ''You're'' the one with the magic touch.|Cortana|John and Cortana upon reaching the map room, referring to the Spartan's intuitive knowledge of Forerunner systems.}}{{Ref/Reuse|TF5}} 
[[File:HCEA-Concept-SilentCartographer.jpg|thumb|350px|left|John-117 leading UNSC Marines against Covenant forces on the beach.]]
On [[2552#September|September 20]], the day after John's successful rescue of Captain Keyes from the ''Truth and Reconciliation'', the Spartan was assigned to spearhead a UNSC offensive on Installation 04's newly-discovered Cartographer facility, in order to locate the installation's control room and prevent the Covenant from taking control of the superweapon. With the Cartographer island accessible only by air, Pelicans ''Echo 419'' and ''[[Bravo 022]]'' ferried the assault team towards a Covenant-occupied beachhead. The dropships deposited John-117 and a full squad of UNSC Marines on the beach downwind from a group of Covenant soldiers. With the assault force outnumbering the alien defenders, and with the presence of the Spartan, it only took ten minutes for the humans to secure the beachhead. Shortly after the area was clear, ''Echo 419'' returned, depositing a [[M12 Chaingun Warthog|Warthog]]. John took the wheel of the LRV with a Marine passenger and gunner and left the beach to search for the facility housing the Cartographer while the rest of the assault force remained behind to keep the beachhead secure. They quickly wiped out several small Covenant patrols before arriving at the facility just as a Spirit dropship was preparing to leave. John used the noise generated by the departing craft's engines to his advantage, and left the Warthog briefly to initiate an attack on the Covenant ground forces defending the entrance to the facility. After eliminating four Unggoy and a Sangheili, he withdrew to the Warthog and drove it in a frontal assault on the surviving Covenant. John drove the Warthog straight in through the entrance of the structure, running one of the aliens down while his passenger and gunner cut down the rest in close quarters. With the outer area of the facility clear, the Spartan parked the Warthog where the Marines could provide fire support, before leaving the vehicle and venturing inside. Making his way deeper into the structure, John soon arrived in an antechamber occupied by more Covenant troops. Even as he made quick work of them with a well-placed [[M9 fragmentation grenade|grenade]] and automatic fire from his [[MA5B assault rifle|assault rifle]], the Covenant managed to seal the door, separating the Spartan from a Sangheili [[Sangheili Zealot|Zealot]] and blocking his path. John hastily made his way topside while Cortana contacted Captain Keyes, who was leading a [[Outbreak at the Containment Facility|separate mission]] [[Flood containment facility#Installation 04|elsewhere]] on the ring, to inform him of their situation and determining that they would have to disable the installation's security systems. The Captain, recognizing the importance of locating Halo's control room, ordered the pair to use any means necessary to reach the map room.{{Ref/Novel|Id=TF5|TF|Chapter=5}}{{Ref/Level|Id=Cartographer|CE|[[The Silent Cartographer]]}}
 
With ''Echo 419'' remaining on station to look out for Covenant aircraft and the rest of the assault force under the command of [[Gunnery Sergeant]] [[Waller]] continuing to hold the beachhead, John took the Warthog away from the facility, driving back the way he came, rolling through the [[landing zone]] before coming up to a narrow ravine which Cortana identified as a path that would take them into the interior of the island. The team quickly attacked the Covenant troops in the vicinity, with John leaving the Warthog and proceeding through the ravine. Once the narrow passage was cleared of hostiles, and with his [[Energy shielding#Human energy shielding|energy shield]] depleted, the Spartan was ambushed by a pair of Mgalekgolo near a large circular structure. One of the Hunters managed to strike John square in the chest with an [[assault cannon]] blast, knocking him backwards and narrowly escaping several subsequent rounds. John engaged the massive aliens, using several fragmentation grenades and a barrage of fire to obscure his attackers while he took up a flanking position behind them, allowing him to shred the vulnerable [[Lekgolo]] eels on the back side of the gestalts with his assault rifle, bringing them down. With the area secure, John pressed on, soon locating the entrance to the security substation. He quickly took out several sentries and made his way inside. Unbeknownst to the Spartan, Covenant [[Special Operations Officer]] [[Zuka 'Zamamee]] lurked within, preparing to stage an ambush on the unwary human with the aid of [[Yayap|his assistant]], a team of Unggoy and a Mgalekgolo pair. 'Zamamee had previously been wounded by John during the Covenant's [[Battle over Installation 04|attack on the ''Pillar of Autumn'']], and had been granted permission to hunt down the Spartan by the [[Council of Masters]] following the raid on the ''Truth and Reconciliation''.{{Ref/Reuse|HTF4}} Unknown to Cortana, 'Zamamee had identified the AI's infiltration of the proselytization network and used this information to deduce the Master Chief's likely next course of action, concluding that the Spartan would likely assault the Cartographer island next.{{Ref/Reuse|TF5}} John soon entered the darkened chamber adjacent to the security center which was littered with [[Covenant supply case]]s. Knowing the area was a prime spot for an ambush, the Spartan proceeded cautiously. One of the lurking Mgalekgolo charged out of the darkness, intending to smash John with it's arm-mounted shield but was slowed down by fire from the human's assault rifle. As the rest of the Covenant ambushers made their move, the second Hunter accidentally knocked 'Zamamee to the ground before [[Linglin|one]] of the Unggoy accidentally shot the Mgalekgolo in it's back, killing it and causing it to knock it's bond brother down. John quickly took advantage of the situation, killing the first Hunter and the rest of the ambush team save for 'Zamamee and Yayap, who hid inside an open cargo module as the Spartan proceeded through the room.{{Ref/Reuse|TF5}} With all of his attackers seemingly eliminated, John made his way through a hall and into the security center. Once again feeling a [[Geas|strange familiarity]] with the holographic control panel, the Spartan soon deactivated the island's security system, including the door that had previously blocked their ingress into the Cartographer facility.{{Ref/Reuse|TF5}}{{Ref/Reuse|Cartographer}}
 
As John left the security center, he received a desperate transmission from the pilot of ''Bravo 022''; the Pelican had come under attack from Covenant forces upon returning to the island with [[M41 SPNKr|heavy weaponry]] for the assault team. Upon re-entering the room in which he had been previously attacked, a single [[Active camouflage|camouflaged]] Sangheili ambushed him, but after a moment of confusion, John put the Elite down. Feeling a momentary pang of embarrassment for his assumption that the room had remained clear, John made his way out of the sub station. He soon spotted the wreckage of ''Bravo 022'' crashed into a nearby mesa, and eliminated the nearby Unggoy and Kig-Yar. Making his way to the downed Pelican, John observed that all of the dropship's crew and passengers had been killed, either by the crash or by the nearby Covenant, which caused the Spartan a degree of anger. John scavenged a rocket launcher from the wreckage and took the Warthog that had been anchored below the dropship and was fortunately still intact. Returning to the landing zone, John discovered that the Marines had managed to fend off two assaults from Covenant forces, but still held the beachhead. [[Unidentified corporal|A Marine Corporal]] took control of the Warthog's [[M41 Vulcan|turret]] while Private [[Hosky]] jumped in the passenger seat. John then sped back towards the Cartographer facility, determined to complete his mission. During his detour to the security substation, the Covenant had reinforced the exterior platform of the facility; More troops, including [[Igido Nosa Hurru|another]] [[Ogada Nosa Fasu|pair]] of Mgalekgolo had been deployed to stop the Spartan. Having been informed by 'Zamamee that John had killed two of their kind already and was now approaching their position, the Mgalekgolo waited in anticipation, hoping for the honor of killing the Spartan.{{Ref/Novel|Id=TF6|TF|Chapter=6}}{{Ref/Site|Id=CF132|URL=https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/canon-fodder-high-value-histories|Site=Halo Waypoint|Page=Canon Fodder #132: High-Value Histories}} As John's Warthog closed in on the Cartographer structure, Fasu managed to knock the LRV over with a well-placed blast from his assault cannon, before rushing to engage the humans. The inexperienced Marines boldly attempted to engage the charging Hunter, but even as John shouted at them to fall back, Fasu managed to strike Private Hosky with his shield, breaking half of the Marine's bones before finishing the downed human with a stomp from his foot. As John tried to aim his rocket launcher, the Corporal blocked his shot and before he was able to relocate, the Hunter slew the Marine with another round from his assault cannon. John fired a rocket at the Mgalekgolo, but Fasu managed to dodge the projectile and angrily charged the Spartan. With his opponent closing in, John fired his second rocket, striking Fasu dead-center, killing the Hunter. Almost instantly, he heard a howl of anguish from the second Hunter on the platform, to which he bitterly compared the creature's loss to that of all of the rest of his fellow Spartans who he [[Fall of Reach|believed were all dead]]. Feeling sorrow for the two dead Marines and second-guessing his actions up until their deaths, Cortana reassured John that their deaths weren't his fault, which reminded him of words spoken by his teacher [[Chief Petty Officer]] [[Franklin Mendez|Mendez]]. He fought his way past several small groups of Unggoy as he moved up the slope to the platform where Hurru waited. The enraged Hunter fired his assault cannon repeatedly at the Spartan but John, using superior cover, managed to put the Mgalekgolo down with another rocket. With the exterior of the facility clear once again, and still feeling sorrow for the fallen Marines, John resolved to complete the mission and make their deaths count for something.{{Ref/Reuse|TF6}}
[[File:CartographerCEA.jpg|thumb|350px|right|John-117 activating the Cartographer]]
Proceeding into the structure and through the now opened security door, John made his way down through the subterranean structure, realising the true scale of the facility. He soon came into conflict with more Covenant troops. As he fought his way through the opposition, Cortana remarked that it seemed as though [[Zuka 'Zamamee|someone]] was tracking his progress. He soon came upon another Mgalekgolo pair. He managed to destroy the first Hunter with a rocket but the second managed to bring his energy shielding down before striking him with it's arm-mounted shield. The blow cut through his armor's shoulder joint, cutting through his flesh. Although wounded, John managed to find an opening in the Hunter's defenses, and put the alien down with a burst of assault rifle fire before wiping out a final group of Kig-Yar with a grenade. John was left distinctly rattled by the close call: in a state of shock and remaining tense and on high alert even after the danger had passed. Cortana noticed all of this from within his suit's systems, and her affection for John, along with her own sense of self preservation clashed with their need to press forward and complete the mission. Before she could speak, however, John determined his desire to press onward. John took shelter in a corner and assessed his injuries. He retrieved his first aid kit and cleaned the wound, before sealing it with [[biofoam]] and applying a dressing. He then suited back up, took a [[stim-pack]] and continued. As John continued deeper into the facility, ''Echo 419'' reported that two Covenant dropships were inbound to the landing zone. Gunnery Sergeant Waller ordered his men to prepare for the attack. Cortana suggested that they fall back into the structure which was more defensible but Waller replied that the Covenant were approaching too fast, and he declared that they would hold the Covenant off for as long as they could. Cortana grimly honored the Marine's sacrifice before urging John to find the map room before more Covenant reinforcements arrived. He defeated several more groups of Covenant before finally reaching the map room. Once again drawing on his seemingly-preternatural ability to utilize Forerunner mechanisms, John used the display to activate the map. Cortana soon discerned the location of the Halo ring's control room, but upon trying to inform Captain Keyes of their success, she was unable to establish contact. ''Echo 419's'' pilot, [[Carol Rawley]], told the pair that the [[Victor 933|Captain's dropship]] had dropped out of contact. Cortana told Rawley to keep trying to raise Keyes and tell him of that they were going to make their way to the control room immediately upon returning to the surface.{{Ref/Reuse|TF6}}{{Ref/Reuse|Cartographer}} John then made his way back up through the Cartographer facility, battling through newly-arrived Covenant reinforcements as he went, eventually slaying the Sangheili Zealot that had previously guarded the once-locked door. The Spartan eventually made his way to the exterior of the facility, fighting through a team of [[Stealth Sangheili]] before arriving on the platform in time for ''Echo 419'' to arrive to extract him. John boarded the Pelican and as it lifted off from the platform, Cortana gave Rawley the coordinates to the control center, which to the pilot's shock, were underground. Cortana replied that using data she had acquired from the proselytization network, she had learned that Halo's interior was honeycombed with large tunnels that covered the entire ring. Despite her reservations about the AI's plan, Rawley piloted ''Echo 419'' towards the entrance to one such tunnel, which was in fact the large circular structure where John had first fought Mgalekgolo on the island. The structure slid aside, revealing a deep vertical tunnel stretching underground. The Pelican descended into the tunnel, which sealed back up after her.{{Ref/Reuse|Cartographer}}  


===Fighting for control===
===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
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}}
{{Expand-section}}
[[File:HCEA ChiefLibrary.JPG|thumb|300px|The Chief's harrowing struggle against the Flood on Installation 04 left him prone to unexpected outbursts and a frayed temper even after the ring had been destroyed. {{Ref/Reuse|HFS5}}]]
[[File:HCEA ChiefLibrary.JPG|thumb|right|300px|The Chief's harrowing struggle against the Flood on Installation 04 left him prone to unexpected outbursts and a frayed temper even after the ring had been destroyed. {{Ref/Reuse|HFS5}}]]


===The Library===
===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}}
{{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}}
The local [[Teleportation grid|translocation]] enacted by [[343 Guilty Spark]] left John disoriented, nauseated, and angry.<ref name="HTF9">''[[Halo: The Flood]]'', ''Chapter 9''</ref> Now unexpectedly located within the bowels of a dark, brooding structure, his first response was to fire half a magazine from his MA5 at the [[monitor]]. The shooting did nothing more than elicit a bemused suggestion that he conserve his ammunition. When John asked where the intelligence had brought him, he was simply told they must collect what Guilty Spark called the [[Activation Index|Index]] and to follow. Checking both weapons while he walked after the enigmatic construct, John asked for more information regarding the monitor's role. Confusingly, he indicated that the Master Chief should know much of what he had been designed to do, since he was a "[[Reclaimer]]". John opted to play along at this, and upon asking for Spark to refresh his memory with respect to how long ago he'd been left to oversee the installation, learned it had been over one-hundred thousand local years. Their dialogue was eventually interrupted by a variety of [[Flood]] forms which forced John to once again fight for his life, moving back and forth to stretch the horrors out. With this group he identified a [[Flood carrier form|new form]] apparently capable of releasing numerous [[Pod infector|infector]]s. As soon as the assault came to an end John made sure to reload his weapons but was urgently pressed by the monitor to continue onwards. He explained that the surrounding facility in which the Index was kept was called the [[Library]], but before John could ask anything else a [[combat form]] lurched from an alcove and opened fire. John put it down only to see it jump back up again, so he used the next burst from his assault rifle to take its left leg off. A new horde of like hostiles demanded his attention then, so he was caught off guard when the damaged combat form struck him from behind, having limped back into the fight. At this the Chief blew its head off before sidestepping one of the [[carrier form]]s so he could tear through it in turn and spend the next ten seconds mopping up the [[infection form]]s which it deposited. Following the monitor after that soon brought them to a set of huge metal doors. 343 Guilty Spark informed him that security doors were locked automatically but that he could go access their overrides to open them. Left alone at, John was soon attacked once more by seven of the shambling Flood forms.{{Ref/Reuse|HTF9}}
The local [[Teleportation grid|translocation]] enacted by [[343 Guilty Spark]] left John disoriented, nauseated, and angry.<ref name="HTF9">''[[Halo: The Flood]]'', ''Chapter 9''</ref> Now unexpectedly located within the bowels of a dark, brooding structure, his first response was to fire half a clip from his MA5 at the [[monitor]]. The shooting did nothing more than elicit a bemused suggestion that he conserve his ammunition. When John asked where the intelligence had brought him, he was simply told they must collect what Guilty Spark called the [[Activation Index|Index]] and to follow. Checking both weapons while he walked after the enigmatic construct, John asked for more information regarding the monitor's role. Confusingly, he indicated that the Master Chief should know much of what he had been designed to do, since he was a "[[Reclaimer]]". John opted to play along at this, and upon asking for Spark to refresh his memory with respect to how long ago he'd been left to oversee the installation, learned it had been over one-hundred thousand local years. Their dialogue was eventually interrupted by a variety of [[Flood]] forms which forced John to once again fight for his life, moving back and forth to stretch the horrors out. With this group he identified a [[Flood carrier form|new form]] apparently capable of releasing numerous [[Pod infector|infector]]s. As soon as the assault came to an end John made sure to reload his weapons but was urgently pressed by the monitor to continue onwards. He explained that the surrounding facility in which the Index was kept was called the [[Library]], but before John could ask anything else a [[combat form]] lurched from an alcove and opened fire. John put it down only to see it jump back up again, so he used the next burst from his assault rifle to take its left leg off. A new horde of like hostiles demanded his attention then, so he was caught off guard when the damaged combat form struck him from behind, having limped back into the fight. At this the Chief blew its head off before sidestepping one of the [[carrier form]]s so he could tear through it in turn and spend the next ten seconds mopping up the [[infection form]]s which it deposited. Following the monitor after that soon brought them to a set of huge metal doors. 343 Guilty Spark informed him that security doors were locked automatically but that he could go access their overrides to open them. Left alone at, John was soon attacked once more by seven of the shambling Flood forms.{{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}}
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}}
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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}}
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}}
[[File:Polaski cam.jpg|thumb|300px|Aboard ''Ascendant Justice''.]]
[[File:Polaski cam.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Aboard ''Ascendant Justice''.]]
===''Ascendant Justice''===
===''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>
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>
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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}}
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}}


Eventually, John and his team were engaged by Sangheili equipped with [[active camouflage]] and he requested Cortana's assistance with locating a way past them, which she was able to help with while also studying the ''Ascendant Justice'' and its systems. Cortana was able to easily infiltrate the backup terminus for the ship's atmospheric pre-processors and drop the pressure in 87 percent of the flagship's corridors, killing any Covenant within while warning John which passages she had affected so as to not jeopardize the lives of the other humans. John and his team soon made it to the ''Ascendant Justice'''s command center ahead of Johnson and Locklear. Cortana was unable to provide them with information about the number of personnel within as they had disabled the bridge sensors. Warning his team to expect anything, John used a pair of [[Anskum-pattern plasma grenade|plasma grenades]] to deactivate the bridge doors electronic suite before attempting to pry it open. He was unable to as a Sangheili on the other side was holding the doors closed. With the door open only a few centimeters, the Chief fired his assault rifle through the crack, killing the Sangheili on the other side. As he tried again to open the door, plasma fire from the other side struck him, wiping out his energy shield. With the doors half a meter apart John took cover to allow his energy shield to recharge, only to discover that the plasma fire had knocked out his shielding system. He tried rebooting it to no avail. Remaining in cover he allowed Johnson and Locklear to open fire into the room before he moved in himself. Inside the room, a lone [[Special Operations Sangheili]] approached John, deactivating its active camouflage and roaring out a challenge at the Spartan. John fired the last three bullets from his MA5B, deforming the Sangheili's shoulder but not deterring the Covenant soldier. When Haverson attempted to aid John, the Sangheili fired its plasma pistol at the Lieutenant, forcing him to retreat out of the bridge. John readied himself in a fighting stance, confident in his ability to take out his foe. The Sangheili dropped its plasma pistol and helmet, before activating its [[Type-1 energy sword|energy sword]] and charging.{{Ref/Reuse|HFS7}}
Eventually, John and his team were engaged by Sangheili equipped with [[active camouflage]] and he requested Cortana's assistance with locating a way past them, which she was able to help with while also studying the ''Ascendant Justice'' and its systems. Cortana was able to easily infiltrate the backup terminus for the ship's atmospheric pre-processors and drop the pressure in 87 percent of the flagship's corridors, killing any Covenant within while warning John which passages she had affected so as to not jeopardize the lives of the other humans. John and his team soon made it to the ''Ascendant Justice'''s command center ahead of Johnson and Locklear. Cortana was unable to provide them with information about the number of personnel within as they had disabled the bridge sensors. Warning his team to expect anything, John used a pair of [[Type-1 Anskum-pattern plasma grenade|plasma grenades]] to deactivate the bridge doors electronic suite before attempting to pry it open. He was unable to as a Sangheili on the other side was holding the doors closed. With the door open only a few centimeters, the Chief fired his assault rifle through the crack, killing the Sangheili on the other side. As he tried again to open the door, plasma fire from the other side struck him, wiping out his energy shield. With the doors half a meter apart John took cover to allow his energy shield to recharge, only to discover that the plasma fire had knocked out his shielding system. He tried rebooting it to no avail. Remaining in cover he allowed Johnson and Locklear to open fire into the room before he moved in himself. Inside the room, a lone [[Special Operations Sangheili]] approached John, deactivating its active camouflage and roaring out a challenge at the Spartan. John fired the last three bullets from his MA5B, deforming the Sangheili's shoulder but not deterring the Covenant soldier. When Haverson attempted to aid John, the Sangheili fired its plasma pistol at the Lieutenant, forcing him to retreat out of the bridge. John readied himself in a fighting stance, confident in his ability to take out his foe. The Sangheili dropped its plasma pistol and helmet, before activating its [[Type-1 energy sword|energy sword]] and charging.{{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>
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>
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===FIRST STRIKE===
===FIRST STRIKE===
{{Main|Operation: FIRST STRIKE}}
{{Main|Operation: FIRST STRIKE}}
{{Quote|We're going to take this fight to the Covenant. We're going to launch a first strike.|John-117 to his team about the mission ahead of them{{Ref/Reuse|HFS29}}}}
{{Quote|We're going to take this fight to the Covenant. We're going to launch a first strike.|John-117 to his team about mission ahead of them{{Ref/Reuse|HFS29}}}}
[[File:HM-UnyieldingHierophant.jpg|thumb|left|300px|Blue Team's commandeered Spirit dropship approaching ''Unyielding Hierophant''.]]
[[File:HM-UnyieldingHierophant.jpg|thumb|left|300px|Blue Team's commandeered Spirit dropship approaching ''Unyielding Hierophant''.]]
Once ''Gettysberg-Ascendant Justice'' had entered slipspace, John and his team were ordered to report to the ''Gettysburg's'' [[officers' club]]. Lieutenant Haverson appeared after investigating B-Deck, the site of Corporal Locklear's accidental suicide. He informed the team that the [[Forerunner crystal|crystal]] had been destroyed, to which Admiral Whitcomb declared that at least the Covenant wouldn't be able to make use of whatever shards may remain in slipspace. Despite evidence against Dr Halsey, John still wanted to trust that she had done what she had for the greater good. John brought up his proposal for the mission to strike the Covenant command-and-control station to which the Admiral replied that his request was denied. Citing the loss of the ship and with it, Earth's warning, as well as the data stored within Cortana about Halo, the Flood and Covenant technology as being too much to risk. Cortana told them that she would be able to split off portions of her infiltration programming into John's armor, of which she had learned from her encounter with the [[Ascendant Justice's AI|Covenant AI]]. Whitcomb reluctantly approved their mission, but warning him that he wouldn't be able to assist, as his first and only priority had to be to return to Earth.
Once ''Gettysberg-Ascendant Justice'' had entered slipspace, John and his team were ordered to report to the ''Gettysburg's'' [[officers' club]]. Lieutenant Haverson appeared after investigating B-Deck, the site of Corporal Locklear's accidental suicide. He informed the team that the [[Forerunner crystal|crystal]] had been destroyed, to which Admiral Whitcomb declared that at least the Covenant wouldn't be able to make use of whatever shards may remain in slipspace. Despite evidence against Dr Halsey, John still wanted to trust that she had done what she had for the greater good. John brought up his proposal for the mission to strike the Covenant command-and-control station to which the Admiral replied that his request was denied. Citing the loss of the ship and with it, Earth's warning, as well as the data stored within Cortana about Halo, the Flood and Covenant technology as being too much to risk. Cortana told them that she would be able to split off portions of her infiltration programming into John's armor, of which she had learned from her encounter with the [[Ascendant Justice's AI|Covenant AI]]. Whitcomb reluctantly approved their mission, but warning him that he wouldn't be able to assist, as his first and only priority had to be to return to Earth.
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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>
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>


As soon as the Spirit dropship left ''Ascendant Justice's'' launch bay, it were exposed to the incredibly intense stress that slipspace put on such a small vessel, and although their [[Energy shielding#Personal shielding|energy shielding]] allowed them to withstand the radiation produced by the slipstream, John and [[Blue Team|team]] were still shaken to the bone, and the transition back into normal space was so violent that it caused all of the Spartans to lose consciousness. John was the first to wake up, and after ensuring that everyone was still alive, revived them with a mild stimulant. He opened the dropship's hatch and found that they had arrived in the center of Covenant fleet operations in the [[Tau Ceti system]]. Cortana informed them that there was at least five hundred Covenant ships present, a statistic that staggered John as he realized that with such numbers, the Covenant would steamroll Earth's defenses regardless of whether Admiral Whitcomb made it back with his warning in time. Resolving to stop the threat as he had stopped the galaxy-cleansing [[Installation 04|Halo]] construct, John told the copied Cortana to inform the Covenant vessels that their engines were crippled and that they required assistance to move, hoping that this would get them closer to ''[[Unyielding Hierophant]]''. John ordered his team to do a weapons and armor check, having his suit inspected by Linda before she returned the favor. He told his team that there going in heavy, aside from Linda, who would use her sniper rifle to provide long-range cover for the team. John took a [[battle rifle]], a pair of [[M7S SMG|suppressed submachine guns]] and a dozen [[M9 fragmentation grenade|fragmentation grenades]] as well as extra magazines for his weapons, two [[Lotus anti-tank mine]]s, several cans of [[C-7 foaming explosive|C-7 explosive]], detonators, timers, two [[Health pack|first aid kits]] and a [[Fiber-optic probe]].<ref name="HFS32">''[[Halo: First Strike]]'', ''Chapter 32''</ref>
As soon as the Spirit dropship left ''Ascendant Justice's'' launch bay, it were exposed to the incredibly intense stress that slipspace put on such a small vessel, and although their [[Energy shielding#Personal shielding|energy shielding]] allowed them to withstand the radiation produced by the slipstream, John and [[Blue Team|team]] were still shaken to the bone, and the transition back into normal space was so violent that it caused all of the Spartans to lose consciousness. John was the first to wake up, and after ensuring that everyone was still alive, revived them with a mild stimulant. He opened the dropship's hatch and found that they had arrived in the center of Covenant fleet operations in the [[Tau Ceti system]]. Cortana informed them that there was at least five hundred Covenant ships present, a statistic that staggered John as he realized that with such numbers, the Covenant would steamroll Earth's defenses regardless of whether Admiral Whitcomb made it back with his warning in time. Resolving to stop the threat as he had stopped the galaxy-cleansing [[Installation 04|Halo]] construct, John told the copied Cortana to inform the Covenant vessels that their engines were crippled and that they required assistance to move, hoping that this would get them closer to ''[[Unyielding Hierophant]]''. John ordered his team to do a weapons and armor check, having his suit inspected by Linda before she returned the favor. He told his team that there going in heavy, aside from Linda, who would use her sniper rifle to provide long-range cover for the team. John took a [[battle rifle]], a pair of [[M7S SMG|suppressed submachine guns]] and a dozen [[M9 fragmentation grenade|fragmentation grenades]] as well as extra clips for his weapons, two [[Lotus anti-tank mine]]s, several cans of [[C-7 foaming explosive|C-7 explosive]], detonators, timers, two [[Health pack|first aid kits]] and a [[Fiber-optic probe]].<ref name="HFS32">''[[Halo: First Strike]]'', ''Chapter 32''</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>     
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>     
[[File:FS cover full.jpg|200px|thumb|Blue Team fighting aboard ''Unyielding Hierophant''.]]
[[File:FS cover full.jpg|200px|thumb|right|Blue Team fighting aboard ''Unyielding Hierophant''.]]
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.
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.


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===Cairo Station and Mark VI===
===Cairo Station and Mark VI===
{{Main|Battle for Earth}}
{{Main|Battle for Earth}}
[[File:H2A-John&Johnson.jpg|thumb|300px|The Master Chief in his new Mark VI armor and Sergeant Johnson saluting Admiral Hood.]]
[[File:H2A-John&Johnson.jpg|thumb|300px|right|The Master Chief in his new Mark VI armor and Sergeant Johnson saluting Admiral Hood.]]
{{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>
{{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.
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 and Sergeant Johnson made their way onto the bridge of the ''Cairo Station'', where they saluted [[Terrence Hood|Fleet Admiral Lord Terrence Hood]], [[Chief of Naval Operations]] and the overall head of the [[United Nations Space Command]]. The Admiral greeted the pair and expressed his gratitude for their return. Before he could continue, [[Cortana]] informed him that she had detected a "whisper" near [[Io]] and sent probes to investigate. Admiral Hood apologized to John and the Sergeant that they would have to make the awards ceremony quick and as he turned away to receive the medals, Cortana complemented John's new armor. Admiral Hood first addressed Sergeant Johnson, bestowing to him the Colonial Cross for his acts of singular daring and devotion. Hood then gave [[Miranda Keyes|Commander Miranda Keyes]] her [[Jacob Keyes|father's]] Colonial Cross, awarded for his bravery in the face of impossible odds. Suddenly, alarms began to blare through ''Cairo Station'' as [[Fleet of Sacred Consecration|a fleet of fifteen]] Covenant ships exited slipspace near the UNSC battle cluster. Immediately, [[Joseph Harper|Fleet Admiral Harper]] began to move his [[Fifth Fleet|his fleet]] to engage the numerically inferior Covenant fleet but Hood ordered him to move his ships into a defensive perimeter around the cluster consisting of the ''Cairo'', ''[[Athens Station|Athens]]'' and ''[[Malta Station|Malta]]'' stations. He then order Commander Keyes to report to [[UNSC In Amber Clad|her ship]] and link up with the fleet. Hood than gave Cortana control of the station's [[Magnetic Accelerator Cannon#"Super" Magnetic Accelerator Cannon|MAC gun]], instructing her to fire as the enemy ships came into range. As Admiral Hood expressed his concern that the Covenant fleet at [[Reach]] had been fifty times the size of the one attacking Earth, a junior officer warned them that [[R'sisho-pattern Tick|Covenant boarding craft]] were inbound to the station. Hood ordered John and Sergeant Johnson to defend the station. The pair left the command center, forming up with a group of Marines readying for battle. John selected some armaments from weapons lockers in the walls before following Johnson and the Marines into [[Recreation R-01]]. Johnson deployed an [[M247 general purpose machine gun]] while the rest of the team took cover behind [[combat barrier]]s. A Covenant boarding craft soon latched onto an adjacent section of the station, and John waited as Covenant forces burned their way through a nearby bulkhead. Eventually, the door exploded, and [[Sangheili]] and [[Unggoy]] charged into the room, firing at the human defenders. John, Sergeant Johnson and the Marines were ultimately able to defend the recreation room, repelling all the Covenant soldiers after a brief fight.
John and Sergeant Johnson made their way onto the bridge of the ''Cairo Station'', where they saluted [[Terrence Hood|Fleet Admiral Lord Terrence Hood]], [[Chief of Naval Operations]] and the overall head of the [[United Nations Space Command]]. The Admiral greeted the pair and expressed his gratitude for their return. Before he could continue, [[Cortana]] informed him that she had detected a "whisper" near [[Io]] and sent probes to investigate. Admiral Hood apologized to John and the Sergeant that they would have to make the awards ceremony quick and as he turned away to receive the medals, Cortana complemented John's new armor. Admiral Hood first addressed Sergeant Johnson, bestowing to him the Colonial Cross for his acts of singular daring and devotion. Hood then gave [[Miranda Keyes|Commander Miranda Keyes]] her [[Jacob Keyes|father's]] Colonial Cross, awarded for his bravery in the face of impossible odds. Suddenly, alarms began to blare through ''Cairo Station'' as [[Fleet of Sacred Consecration|a fleet of fifteen]] Covenant ships exited slipspace near the UNSC battle cluster. Immediately, [[Joseph Harper|Fleet Admiral Harper]] began to move his [[Fifth Fleet|his fleet]] to engage the numerically inferior Covenant fleet but Hood ordered him to move his ships into a defensive perimeter around the cluster consisting of the ''Cairo'', ''[[Athens Station|Athens]]'' and ''[[Malta Station|Malta]]'' stations. He then order Commander Keyes to report to [[UNSC In Amber Clad|her ship]] and link up with the fleet. Hood than gave Cortana control of the station's [[Magnetic Accelerator Cannon#"Super" Magnetic Accelerator Cannon|MAC gun]], instructing her to fire as the enemy ships came into range. As Admiral Hood expressed his concern that the Covenant fleet at [[Reach]] had been fifty times the size of the one attacking Earth, a junior officer warned them that {{R'sisho-pattern Tick|Covenant boarding craft]] were inbound to the station. Hood ordered John and Sergeant Johnson to defend the station. The pair left the command center, forming up with a group of Marines readying for battle. John selected some armaments from weapons lockers in the walls before following Johnson and the Marines into [[Recreation R-01]]. Johnson deployed an [[M247 machine gun]] while the rest of the team took cover behind [[combat barrier]]s. A Covenant boarding craft soon latched onto an adjacent section of the station, and John waited as Covenant forces burned their way through a nearby bulkhead. Eventually, the door exploded, and [[Sangheili]] and [[Unggoy]] charged into the room, firing at the human defenders. John, Sergeant Johnson and the Marines were ultimately able to defend the recreation room, repelling all the Covenant soldiers after a brief fight.
[[File:H2AMinors.jpg|thumb|400px|left|John-117 engaging Covenant boarders aboard ''Cairo Station''.]]
[[File:H2AMinors.jpg|thumb|400px|left|John-117 engaging Covenant boarders aboard ''Cairo Station''.]]
After clearing out a group of Covenant in the next corridor, the Marines remained behind to secure the area while John pushed ahead. Entering [[Security R-01]], the Spartan used a mounted machine gun to assist a group of Marines in [[Commons R-01]] below. Killing more Covenant as he went, John eventually entered [[Hangar A-01|Hangar Bay A]], where a group of UNSC Marines were attempting to hold off Covenant emerging from a boarding craft that had docked on the bay window. With the assistance of the Spartan, the UNSC forces were successful in holding off the Covenant assault. Just as they managed to clear the area, one of the Marines noticed that Covenant boarders were retreating from ''Malta Station''. Cortana opened up communications with the station. Just as the ''Malta's'' defense coordinator confirmed that the Covenant had indeed withdrawn from the station, the ''Malta'' suddenly exploded in a huge ball of fire. After eliminating another group of Covenant that entered the bay, John left through the way they had entered and soon found himself in [[Hangar A-02|Hangar Bay B]], where he unpinned a group of Marine's from suppressing fire by Covenant [[Shepsu-pattern plasma cannon|plasma cannons]] and killed off the other Covenant forces in the room. Suddenly, the ''Athens'' station exploded in the same way that the ''Malta'' had before it. Cortana informed Admiral Hood that the Covenant had likely used [[Antimatter charge|bombs]] to destroy the orbital defense platforms from within. Hood concluded that they had likely brought one onto the ''Cairo'' as well, and tasked John with finding it.
After clearing out a group of Covenant in the next corridor, the Marines remained behind to secure the area while John pushed ahead. Entering [[Security R-01]], the Spartan used a mounted machine gun to assist a group of Marines in [[Commons R-01]] below. Killing more Covenant as he went, John eventually entered [[Hangar A-01|Hangar Bay A]], where a group of UNSC Marines were attempting to hold off Covenant emerging from a boarding craft that had docked on the bay window. With the assistance of the Spartan, the UNSC forces were successful in holding off the Covenant assault. Just as they managed to clear the area, one of the Marines noticed that Covenant boarders were retreating from ''Malta Station''. Cortana opened up communications with the station. Just as the ''Malta's'' defense coordinator confirmed that the Covenant had indeed withdrawn from the station, the ''Malta'' suddenly exploded in a huge ball of fire. After eliminating another group of Covenant that entered the bay, John left through the way they had entered and soon found himself in [[Hangar A-02|Hangar Bay B]], where he unpinned a group of Marine's from suppressing fire by Covenant [[Shepsu-pattern plasma cannon|plasma cannons]] and killed off the other Covenant forces in the room. Suddenly, the ''Athens'' station exploded in the same way that the ''Malta'' had before it. Cortana informed Admiral Hood that the Covenant had likely used [[Antimatter charge|bombs]] to destroy the orbital defense platforms from within. Hood concluded that they had likely brought one onto the ''Cairo'' as well, and tasked John with finding it.


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.
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.
[[File:H2A - Carrier destroyed.jpg|thumb|300px|The Master Chief succeeds in returning the Covenant their bomb.]]
[[File:H2A - Carrier destroyed.jpg|thumb|300px|right|The Master Chief succeeds in returning the Covenant their 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}}
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===
===Mombasa===
[[File:H2A-John&marines.jpg|thumb|400px|The Master Chief on the streets of Old Mombasa.]]
[[File:H2A-John&marines.jpg|thumb|400px|right|The Master Chief on the streets of Old 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.}}
{{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}}
''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:H2 LimitedEdition MasterChief.jpg|thumb|John in front of the [[Mombasa Tether]].]]
[[File:H2 LimitedEdition MasterChief.jpg|thumb|right|John in front of the [[Mombasa Tether]].]]
John and the Marines joining him fought their way through an alley under fire from [[Kig-Yar]] [[sniper]]s and Yanme'e, also contending with [[Stealth Sangheili|cloaked]] Sangheili that ambushed them from nearby overhangs.{{Ref/Reuse|H2O}} After fighting their way past waves of Covenant infantry, John made it to [[Hotel Zanzibar]], where Second Squad was pinned down in the lobby by a Covenant {{Pattern|Shepsu|plasma cannon}}. Neutralizing the threat, John met with Sergeant Stacker, who informed him that their crash site was on the other side of the hotel, but was swarming with Covenant. Following the Sergeant, John made his way through the darkened hotel corridors, killing a patrol of Covenant before emerging on the other side. A Phantom arrived and landed more troops to engage the UNSC forces but at that moment, a [[M12 Chaingun Warthog|Warthog]] arrived to assist. The driver of the vehicle informed John that Commander Keyes had sent it specifically for him. Now that Second Squad was safe, Cortana turned John's attention back to the {{Class|CAS|assault carrier}}, which she noted was currently surrounded by many Covenant troops directly beneath where its [[gravity lift]] offered a point of entry near the [[New Mombasa city center|city center]]. John, [[Private First Class]] [[Chips Dubbo]], and another Marine set out in the Warthog across the Old Mombasa beach with the aim of reaching [[New Mombasa 105 East#Kilindini Bridge|Kilindini Bridge]] and using it to cross [[Wikipedia:Kilindini Harbour|Kilindini Channel]] into [[New Mombasa]]. The trio sped past the wreckage of Second Squad's Pelican, engaging the Covenant forces around it before contending with a number of [[Karo'etba-pattern Ghost|Ghosts]], infantry and a Kig-Yar sniper in a [[Covenant watchtower|Covenant tower emplacement]] on a beachhead with an inactive Covenant [[Zo'op-pattern Weevil|artillery piece]]. On the second stretch of beach, a Phantom arrived to deploy more Ghosts in an attempt to stop the UNSC forces but they too fell to John's Warthog. Reaching a third section of beach, John assisted several Marines in a small structure to defend against Sangheili deployed directly onto the beach by [[Covenant drop pod|insertion pods]] launched by the ''Solemn Penance''. John took the Warthog into a tunnel that would ultimately lead him to the bridge. Cortana told John that while analyzing the Covenant [[proselytization network]], she had learned that the Covenant was in confusion about the presence of humanity on the planet, as if they hadn't been expecting them to be there and thus explaining the small number of ships in their [[Fleet of Sacred Consecration|fleet]], something that seemed counter to his [[Operation: FIRST STRIKE|earlier operation]]. Soon joined by another Warthog, John and the Marines made their way through several Covenant positions, including [[Eeo'Pimu-pattern Shade|shielded plasma turrets]], Ghosts and assorted infantry, including a swarm of Yanme'e who attempted to ambush them near a damaged section of road. Further ahead, they witnessed a Warthog attempting to flee into the tunnel through a hole in the ceiling being destroyed by the Scarab walker they had encountered earlier. John soon encountered a convoy of Covenant [[Ruwaa-pattern Shadow|Shadow]] troop transports attempting to regroup with Covenant forces deeper in the tunnels. At Cortana's insistence, John was able to destroy all of the Shadows, before killing the Covenant soldiers they had been trying to reinforce. With the way clear, John made his way out of the tunnel.{{Ref/Reuse|H2O}}  
John and the Marines joining him fought their way through an alley under fire from [[Kig-Yar]] [[sniper]]s and Yanme'e, also contending with [[Stealth Sangheili|cloaked]] Sangheili that ambushed them from nearby overhangs.{{Ref/Reuse|H2O}} After fighting their way past waves of Covenant infantry, John made it to [[Hotel Zanzibar]], where Second Squad was pinned down in the lobby by a Covenant {{Pattern|Shepsu|plasma cannon}}. Neutralizing the threat, John met with Sergeant Stacker, who informed him that their crash site was on the other side of the hotel, but was swarming with Covenant. Following the Sergeant, John made his way through the darkened hotel corridors, killing a patrol of Covenant before emerging on the other side. A Phantom arrived and landed more troops to engage the UNSC forces but at that moment, a [[M12 Chaingun Warthog|Warthog]] arrived to assist. The driver of the vehicle informed John that Commander Keyes had sent it specifically for him. Now that Second Squad was safe, Cortana turned John's attention back to the {{Class|CAS|assault carrier}}, which she noted was currently surrounded by many Covenant troops directly beneath where its [[gravity lift]] offered a point of entry near the [[New Mombasa city center|city center]]. John, [[Private First Class]] [[Chips Dubbo]], and another Marine set out in the Warthog across the Old Mombasa beach with the aim of reaching [[New Mombasa 105 East#Kilindini Bridge|Kilindini Bridge]] and using it to cross [[Wikipedia:Kilindini Harbour|Kilindini Channel]] into [[New Mombasa]]. The trio sped past the wreckage of Second Squad's Pelican, engaging the Covenant forces around it before contending with a number of [[Karo'etba-pattern Ghost|Ghosts]], infantry and a Kig-Yar sniper in a [[Deployable lookout tower|Covenant tower emplacement]] on a beachhead with an inactive Covenant [[Zo'op-pattern Weevil|artillery piece]]. On the second stretch of beach, a Phantom arrived to deploy more Ghosts in an attempt to stop the UNSC forces but they too fell to John's Warthog. Reaching a third section of beach, John assisted several Marines in a small structure to defend against Sangheili deployed directly onto the beach by [[Covenant drop pod|insertion pods]] launched by the ''Solemn Penance''. John took the Warthog into a tunnel that would ultimately lead him to the bridge. Cortana told John that while analyzing the Covenant [[proselytization network]], she had learned that the Covenant was in confusion about the presence of humanity on the planet, as if they hadn't been expecting them to be there and thus explaining the small number of ships in their [[Fleet of Sacred Consecration|fleet]], something that seemed counter to his [[Operation: FIRST STRIKE|earlier operation]]. Soon joined by another Warthog, John and the Marines made their way through several Covenant positions, including [[Eeo'Pimu-pattern Shade|shielded plasma turrets]], Ghosts and assorted infantry, including a swarm of Yanme'e who attempted to ambush them near a damaged section of road. Further ahead, they witnessed a Warthog attempting to flee into the tunnel through a hole in the ceiling being destroyed by the Scarab walker they had encountered earlier. John soon encountered a convoy of Covenant [[Ruwaa-pattern Shadow|Shadow]] troop transports attempting to regroup with Covenant forces deeper in the tunnels. At Cortana's insistence, John was able to destroy all of the Shadows, before killing the Covenant soldiers they had been trying to reinforce. With the way clear, John made his way out of the tunnel.{{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/Site|URL=http://huntthetruth.tumblr.com/post/115328471788/master-propaganda-this-is-the-infamous-photo-i|Site=Tumblr|Page=Master Propaganda|D=25|M=06|Y=2016|LocalArchive=Episode 01: A Hairline Fracture#Master Propaganda}}]]
[[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}}
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}}


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===Installation 05===
===Installation 05===
{{Main|Battle of Installation 05}}
{{Main|Battle of Installation 05}}
[[File:H2A - Make More Noise.jpg|thumb|300px|The Master Chief arriving on the surface of Installation 05.]]
[[File:H2A - Make More Noise.jpg|thumb|300px|right|The Master Chief arriving on the surface 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>}}
{{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>
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>
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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}}  
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}}  
[[File:Master Chief Takes on Brute.jpg|thumb|300px|Master Chief facing a Jiralhanae Captain on High Charity.]]
[[File:Master Chief Takes on Brute.jpg|thumb|300px|right|Master Chief facing a Jiralhanae Captain on High Charity.]]
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}}  
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.]]
[[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}}
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}}
[[File:H2A - Cortana watching dreadnought.jpg|thumb|300px|Cortana watches the Forerunner Dreadnought, with the Master Chief on board, departing High Charity.]]
[[File:H2A - Cortana watching dreadnought.jpg|thumb|300px|right|Cortana watches the Forerunner Dreadnought, with the Master Chief on board, departing High Charity.]]
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}}
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}}
{{Clear}}
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===Hunt for Truth===
===Hunt for Truth===
{{Main|Scramble onboard Forerunner Dreadnought}}
{{Main|Scramble onboard Forerunner Dreadnought}}
[[File:HU Chief.PNG|300px|thumb|John survived on his own for two weeks aboard the enemy-controlled Forerunner keyship.{{Ref/Reuse|LRH}}<ref name="HGOO32">''[[Halo: Ghosts of Onyx]]'', ''Chapter 32''</ref>]]
[[File:HU Chief.PNG|300px|thumb|right|John survived on his own for two weeks aboard the enemy-controlled Forerunner keyship.{{Ref/Reuse|LRH}}<ref name="HGOO32">''[[Halo: Ghosts of Onyx]]'', ''Chapter 32''</ref>]]
{{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>
{{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}}
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}}
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===Landfall===
===Landfall===
{{Main|Recovery of John-117}}
{{Main|Recovery of John-117}}
[[File:H3 Arrival.PNG|350px|thumb|Johnson and the Master Chief are reunited.]]
[[File:H3 Arrival.PNG|350px|thumb|right|Johnson and the Master Chief are reunited.]]
{{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}}
{{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}}
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}}
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===Forming Up===
===Forming Up===
{{Main|Attack on Crow's Nest}}
{{Main|Attack on Crow's Nest}}
[[File:Crow's Nest - Reunion.png|thumb|350px|The Master Chief, Thel 'Vadam and Avery Johnson meet up with Commander Keyes at Crow's Nest.]]
[[File:Crow's Nest - Reunion.png|thumb|350px|right|The Master Chief, Thel 'Vadam and Avery Johnson meet up with Commander Keyes at 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>
{{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}}
''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}}
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===Tsavo Highway===
===Tsavo Highway===
{{Main|Assault on the Tsavo Highway}}
{{Main|Assault on the Tsavo Highway}}
[[File:H3 ChiefTsavo.PNG|thumb|350px|The Chief plants a grenade.]]
[[File:H3 ChiefTsavo.PNG|thumb|350px|right|The Chief plants a grenade.]]
{{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>
{{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}}
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}}
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{{Main|Battle of Voi}}
{{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}}
{{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}}
[[File:Voi 2.jpg|thumb|300px|John and his backup fight through the Traxus facility.]]
[[File:Voi 2.jpg|thumb|300px|right|John and his backup fight through the Traxus facility.]]
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, 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}}


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Once the area was secure, a Pelican arrived to deliver reinforcements for the UNSC. [[Avery Johnson|Sergeant Johnson]] reported to John that he had detected the presence of something ''big'' closing on his location. Heavy footfalls and mechanical grinding heralded the presence of a massive Covenant [[Deutoros-pattern Scarab|Scarab]] walker, which arrived over the roof of the factory and thundered down into the lakebed, crushing a Troop Transport Warthog underfoot. The Mongoose unit and a pair of Marine-operated missile pods opened fire on the massive walker while Hornets and Pelicans attempted to draw its attention away from the ground forces. Realizing that the Scarab's leg joints represented a weak spot that could be exploited, the UNSC forces concentrated their fire on one of the Scarabs legs, eventually forcing the walker to buckle and lower to the ground. John took advantage of its weakened state, making his way onto the Scarabs deck and engaging its crew in close quarters, similarly to what [[Battle of Mombasa|he had done]] in [[New Mombasa]]. He eventually located the Scarab's power core, and destroyed it. As alarms blared and the stricken walker began to shake violently, John, at the urging of nearby Marines, ran as fast as he could away from the Scarab. The Spartan made it to a safe distance just as the Scarab erupted in a massive explosion of plasma and metal. Commander Keyes applauded John's efforts before informing him that she was sending down several more Pelicans with reinforcements. Johnson told John that his final target, a Covenant [[Skar'wa-pattern Mantis|Anti-Aircraft Battery]], was nearby and its destruction was of the highest priority as it would allow Admiral Hood to carry out his attack run  Shortly after, they arrived. One of the Pelicans carried [[Arbiter]] [[Thel 'Vadam]], who vowed that he would restore honor to the Covenant once again. A female Marine told John that they had secured the next few sections of the factory and they would get him through. John, Thel and a fresh group of Marines made their way into a makeshift first-aid station, where wounded Marines and [[civilian]] factory workers were being attended to by [[Hospital Corpsman|Hospital Corpsmen]]. In the station, John found himself beset upon by another vision of Cortana, this time reminding him that she was his shield and his sword, in an allusion to the [[Wikipedia:Sparta|basis]] of the [[SPARTAN-II program]]. John overheard reports coming in from the UNSC field radio in the room that the Covenant vessels were pulling back to the Prophet of Truth's [[Anodyne Spirit|ship]] and that the storm above the artifact had sharply intensified, with winds of over 200 kilometers per hour being recorded. Commander Keyes reported a [[Indulgence of Conviction|single]] Covenant ship had arrived in the system, and was holding steady above the orbital line. Admiral Hood was determined to continue the attack, knowing that they likely wouldn't get another shot at Truth.{{Ref/Reuse|H3TS}}
Once the area was secure, a Pelican arrived to deliver reinforcements for the UNSC. [[Avery Johnson|Sergeant Johnson]] reported to John that he had detected the presence of something ''big'' closing on his location. Heavy footfalls and mechanical grinding heralded the presence of a massive Covenant [[Deutoros-pattern Scarab|Scarab]] walker, which arrived over the roof of the factory and thundered down into the lakebed, crushing a Troop Transport Warthog underfoot. The Mongoose unit and a pair of Marine-operated missile pods opened fire on the massive walker while Hornets and Pelicans attempted to draw its attention away from the ground forces. Realizing that the Scarab's leg joints represented a weak spot that could be exploited, the UNSC forces concentrated their fire on one of the Scarabs legs, eventually forcing the walker to buckle and lower to the ground. John took advantage of its weakened state, making his way onto the Scarabs deck and engaging its crew in close quarters, similarly to what [[Battle of Mombasa|he had done]] in [[New Mombasa]]. He eventually located the Scarab's power core, and destroyed it. As alarms blared and the stricken walker began to shake violently, John, at the urging of nearby Marines, ran as fast as he could away from the Scarab. The Spartan made it to a safe distance just as the Scarab erupted in a massive explosion of plasma and metal. Commander Keyes applauded John's efforts before informing him that she was sending down several more Pelicans with reinforcements. Johnson told John that his final target, a Covenant [[Skar'wa-pattern Mantis|Anti-Aircraft Battery]], was nearby and its destruction was of the highest priority as it would allow Admiral Hood to carry out his attack run  Shortly after, they arrived. One of the Pelicans carried [[Arbiter]] [[Thel 'Vadam]], who vowed that he would restore honor to the Covenant once again. A female Marine told John that they had secured the next few sections of the factory and they would get him through. John, Thel and a fresh group of Marines made their way into a makeshift first-aid station, where wounded Marines and [[civilian]] factory workers were being attended to by [[Hospital Corpsman|Hospital Corpsmen]]. In the station, John found himself beset upon by another vision of Cortana, this time reminding him that she was his shield and his sword, in an allusion to the [[Wikipedia:Sparta|basis]] of the [[SPARTAN-II program]]. John overheard reports coming in from the UNSC field radio in the room that the Covenant vessels were pulling back to the Prophet of Truth's [[Anodyne Spirit|ship]] and that the storm above the artifact had sharply intensified, with winds of over 200 kilometers per hour being recorded. Commander Keyes reported a [[Indulgence of Conviction|single]] Covenant ship had arrived in the system, and was holding steady above the orbital line. Admiral Hood was determined to continue the attack, knowing that they likely wouldn't get another shot at Truth.{{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 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 [[Type-2 gravity hammer|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}}
[[File:Storm2.jpg|thumb|350px|John watches as the portal activates.]]
[[File:Storm2.jpg|thumb|350px|right|John watches as the portal activates.]]
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}}   
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===
===The Flood on Earth===
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[[File:Closesave.jpg|thumb|300px|left|John shoots a [[Pod infector]] before it can infect a Marine.]]
[[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}}  
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}}  
[[File:Halo3 E3 TRAILER 2007 720p30 ST 6300Kbps 002 0001.jpg|thumb|300px|As John leaves Voi on board a Phantom, the city is glassed by the Fleet of Retribution in order to contain the Flood threat.]]
[[File:Halo3 E3 TRAILER 2007 720p30 ST 6300Kbps 002 0001.jpg|thumb|300px|right|As John leaves Voi on board a Phantom, the city is glassed by the Fleet of Retribution in order to contain the Flood threat.]]
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}}
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}}


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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>
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>


On the opposite side of the cave structure, John arrived just in time to see a damaged [[GA-TL1 Longsword|Longsword]] streak through the canyon and crash out of sight ahead. A pair of nearby Marines informed him that anti-aircraft fire had brought down their Pelican, but they had managed to locate a suitable [[landing zone]] for the ''Forward Unto Dawn'' and offered to lead the Spartan to the destination if they could secure some vehicular transport. Over a slight rise, the team ambushed a group of Jiralhanae and Unggoy searching the Marine's downed Pelican but as they moved forward, a pair of Jiralhanae [[Qavardu Workshop Prowler|Prowlers]] arrived. Despite the heavy firepower provided by the Covenant support vehicles, John and his team managed to eliminate their Jiralhanae occupants and moved to pilot them. At the downed Pelican, John was able to catch brief snippets of radio transmissions of the ongoing space battle above the Ark. Now mobilized, John and his team pressed forward, entering a larger area where the Longsword had crashed. Fighting past a Covenant force consisting of [[Barukaza Workshop Chopper|Choppers]], [[Karo'etba-pattern Ghost|Ghosts]] and infantry, John passed the wrecked Longsword and came upon a crashed Phantom, where he promptly wiped out its surviving passengers. After fighting through a large Covenant force in front of a Forerunner wall, the team make it to the upper level where they encounter [[Aggressor Sentinel]]s fighting against Covenant soldiers. Kilo 023 arrived, Sergeant Johnson informing them that that they had spotted [[Cartographer#Installation 00|a structure]] matching Cortana's description of the [[Cartographer#Installation 04|Cartographer]] that she and John had encountered on [[Installation 04]]. The Sergeant told John to follow the Pelican to the sighted landing zone. While the Sentinels didn't target the humans, several of John's compatriots expressed uneasiness about the presence of the Forerunner constructs. With aerial support from the Sentinels, John and his team fought their way past a number of Ghosts before unpinning several Marines under fire from a large group of Covenant. Once the area was secure, one of the Marines told John that the landing zone was occupied by heavy Covenant armor. On the other side of the cave, John was forced to engage heavy Covenant forces defending the landing zone, including a [[Zurdo-pattern Wraith|Wraith]], Ghosts, [[Covenant watchtower]]s and a variety of Unggoy-operated turrets. A final [[pack]] of Jiralhanae attempted to stop the humans from destroying a pair of [[Ogab'd-pattern anti-aircraft Wraith|Anti-Aircraft Wraiths]] but John was successful in wiping out both them and the anti-air.{{Ref/Reuse|H3TA}}
On the opposite side of the cave structure, John arrived just in time to see a damaged [[GA-TL1 Longsword|Longsword]] streak through the canyon and crash out of sight ahead. A pair of nearby Marines informed him that anti-aircraft fire had brought down their Pelican, but they had managed to locate a suitable [[landing zone]] for the ''Forward Unto Dawn'' and offered to lead the Spartan to the destination if they could secure some vehicular transport. Over a slight rise, the team ambushed a group of Jiralhanae and Unggoy searching the Marine's downed Pelican but as they moved forward, a pair of Jiralhanae [[Qavardu Workshop Prowler|Prowlers]] arrived. Despite the heavy firepower provided by the Covenant support vehicles, John and his team managed to eliminate their Jiralhanae occupants and moved to pilot them. At the downed Pelican, John was able to catch brief snippets of radio transmissions of the ongoing space battle above the Ark. Now mobilized, John and his team pressed forward, entering a larger area where the Longsword had crashed. Fighting past a Covenant force consisting of [[Barukaza Workshop Chopper|Choppers]], [[Karo'etba-pattern Ghost|Ghosts]] and infantry, John passed the wrecked Longsword and came upon a crashed Phantom, where he promptly wiped out its surviving passengers. After fighting through a large Covenant force in front of a Forerunner wall, the team make it to the upper level where they encounter [[Aggressor Sentinel]]s fighting against Covenant soldiers. Kilo 023 arrived, Sergeant Johnson informing them that that they had spotted [[Cartographer#Installation 00|a structure]] matching Cortana's description of the [[Cartographer#Installation 04|Cartographer]] that she and John had encountered on [[Installation 04]]. The Sergeant told John to follow the Pelican to the sighted landing zone. While the Sentinels didn't target the humans, several of John's compatriots expressed uneasiness about the presence of the Forerunner constructs. With aerial support from the Sentinels, John and his team fought their way past a number of Ghosts before unpinning several Marines under fire from a large group of Covenant. Once the area was secure, one of the Marines told John that the landing zone was occupied by heavy Covenant armor. On the other side of the cave, John was forced to engage heavy Covenant forces defending the landing zone, including a [[Zurdo-pattern Wraith|Wraith]], Ghosts, [[deployable lookout tower]]s and a variety of Unggoy-operated turrets. A final [[pack]] of Jiralhanae attempted to stop the humans from destroying a pair of [[Ogab'd-pattern anti-aircraft Wraith|Anti-Aircraft Wraiths]] but John was successful in wiping out both them and the anti-air.{{Ref/Reuse|H3TA}}
[[File:Ark Level Scorpion.jpg|thumb|300px|left|John leading an armored platoon against Covenant forces on the Ark.]]
[[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}}   
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}}   
[[File:Ark.JPG|thumb|300px|John,Thel and 343 Guilty Spark study a holographic representation of the Ark.]]
[[File:Ark.JPG|thumb|300px|right|John,Thel and 343 Guilty Spark study a holographic representation of the Ark.]]
While the team waited for Spark to unlock the next door, one of the Marines attempted to assist the AI when he came into difficulty bypassing the lock, only to get shocked by Spark's hacking laser. While this action startled the team, Spark insisted that he only did it to prevent the Marine from coming to any harm. The monitor eventually succeeded in opening the door, revealing a room full of sleeping Unggoy. 'Vadam instructed John to take them out as they slept. The Spartan did so, silently killing all of the Unggoy as well as their Jiralhanae overseer before proceeding deeper into the facility. The next room had several more sleeping Unggoy and a patrolling Jiralhanae Captain, all of whom fell to the team. Unfortunately for John, a Jiralhanae soldier spotted them on the third level, forcing the team to go loud. Eventually killing the pack of Jiralhanae and their Kig-Yar companions, John and 'Vadam proceeded out to the ledge on which the controls for the Cartographer were situated. Upon interaction with the panel, a holographic projection of the [[Milky Way]] was displayed. John was surprised to find that the Ark was located outside the rim of the galaxy. As the image changed to one of the installation, Spark told him they were indeed on the Ark. After the monitor told him of his compartmentalization of information by his makers to prevent the Flood from gaining knowledge of other installations than his [[Installation 04|own]] should he be captured by the parasite, John requested their current location as well as that of the Prophet of Truth. Spark informed him that the Hierarch had taken cover in a [[Installation 00 Citadel|facility]] on the edge of the Ark's [[Foundry (location)|core]] and erected a barrier around the entire core. As Spark pondered how to disable the barrier, 'Vadam warned John of an approaching Phantom. John barked at Spark to move out of its fine of fire while 'Vadam drew the attention of its side gunner. Sergeant Johnson warned the Spartan that a mass of Covenant aerial support was inbound, and told him to get back inside until they could be wiped out. 'Vadam boarded a low-flying Banshee and flew off to support the sergeant. One of the Marines entered, telling John that the Pelican would land on the level below their current position. Arriving in time to witness the other Marine being killed by [[Anskum-pattern plasma grenade|plasma grenades]], John wasted no time in avenging her death, killing the Unggoy perpetrators as well as several Jiralhanae including a [[Jiralhanae War Chieftain|War Chieftain]] and his [[Jiralhanae Bodyguard|bodyguards]]. On the lower level, John was taunted by [[Cethegus|a]] [[Jiralhanae Chieftain]], who retreated, leaving his [[Jiralhanae Stalker|Stalkers]] to deal with the Spartan. John succeeded in wiping out the [[Active camouflage|camouflaged]] [[Jiralhanae]] and made his way outside, where Chieftain Cethegus waited with his [[pack]] of [[Jiralhanae Jumper|Jumpers]]. A nearby [[Holotank|holographic projection]] of the Prophet of Truth instructed Cethegus to duel John alone, and the Chieftain taunted the Spartan to attack while his pack waited on the outside of the arena. The two combatants then dueled. Despite his physically superior strength, [[Gravity hammer (fiction)|gravity hammer]] and [[Invincibility|invincibility module]], the ambitious Chieftain soon fell to John. The rest of the pack and a pair of [[Kig-Yar]] [[Kig-Yar Sniper|sharpshooters]] fruitlessly attempted to avenge their commander's death but they too fell. With the area secure, Kilo 023 arrived to ferry John away. As the Pelican neared the platform, a massive swarm of Aggressor Sentinels suddenly appeared from below over the distant waterfalls. John warned Sergeant Johnson, who prepared to open fire with the bay-mounted [[AIE-486H machine gun|heavy machine gun]] but Spark told them not to fire as the constructs had a separate priority task. When Spark suggested they find another terminal closer to the Ark's core that could provide them with further information, perhaps regarding Cortana's "solution" to the Flood, 'Vadam and Commander Keyes told him that their priority had to be to stop the Prophet of Truth before he could fire the [[Halo Array]]. John boarded the Pelican and they departed from the Cartographer.
While the team waited for Spark to unlock the next door, one of the Marines attempted to assist the AI when he came into difficulty bypassing the lock, only to get shocked by Spark's hacking laser. While this action startled the team, Spark insisted that he only did it to prevent the Marine from coming to any harm. The monitor eventually succeeded in opening the door, revealing a room full of sleeping Unggoy. 'Vadam instructed John to take them out as they slept. The Spartan did so, silently killing all of the Unggoy as well as their Jiralhanae overseer before proceeding deeper into the facility. The next room had several more sleeping Unggoy and a patrolling Jiralhanae Captain, all of whom fell to the team. Unfortunately for John, a Jiralhanae soldier spotted them on the third level, forcing the team to go loud. Eventually killing the pack of Jiralhanae and their Kig-Yar companions, John and 'Vadam proceeded out to the ledge on which the controls for the Cartographer were situated. Upon interaction with the panel, a holographic projection of the [[Milky Way]] was displayed. John was surprised to find that the Ark was located outside the rim of the galaxy. As the image changed to one of the installation, Spark told him they were indeed on the Ark. After the monitor told him of his compartmentalization of information by his makers to prevent the Flood from gaining knowledge of other installations than his [[Installation 04|own]] should he be captured by the parasite, John requested their current location as well as that of the Prophet of Truth. Spark informed him that the Hierarch had taken cover in a [[Installation 00 Citadel|facility]] on the edge of the Ark's [[Foundry (location)|core]] and erected a barrier around the entire core. As Spark pondered how to disable the barrier, 'Vadam warned John of an approaching Phantom. John barked at Spark to move out of its fine of fire while 'Vadam drew the attention of its side gunner. Sergeant Johnson warned the Spartan that a mass of Covenant aerial support was inbound, and told him to get back inside until they could be wiped out. 'Vadam boarded a low-flying Banshee and flew off to support the sergeant. One of the Marines entered, telling John that the Pelican would land on the level below their current position. Arriving in time to witness the other Marine being killed by [[Type-1 Anskum-pattern plasma grenade|plasma grenades]], John wasted no time in avenging her death, killing the Unggoy perpetrators as well as several Jiralhanae including a [[Jiralhanae War Chieftain|War Chieftain]] and his [[Jiralhanae Bodyguard|bodyguards]]. On the lower level, John was taunted by [[Cethegus|a]] [[Jiralhanae Chieftain]], who retreated, leaving his [[Jiralhanae Stalker|Stalkers]] to deal with the Spartan. John succeeded in wiping out the [[Active camouflage|camouflaged]] [[Jiralhanae]] and made his way outside, where Chieftain Cethegus waited with his [[pack]] of [[Jiralhanae Jumper|Jumpers]]. A nearby [[Holotank|holographic projection]] of the Prophet of Truth instructed Cethegus to duel John alone, and the Chieftain taunted the Spartan to attack while his pack waited on the outside of the arena. The two combatants then dueled. Despite his physically superior strength, [[Type-2 gravity hammer|gravity hammer]] and [[Invincibility|invincibility module]], the ambitious Chieftain soon fell to John. The rest of the pack and a pair of [[Kig-Yar]] [[Kig-Yar Sniper|sharpshooters]] fruitlessly attempted to avenge their commander's death but they too fell. With the area secure, Kilo 023 arrived to ferry John away. As the Pelican neared the platform, a massive swarm of Aggressor Sentinels suddenly appeared from below over the distant waterfalls. John warned Sergeant Johnson, who prepared to open fire with the bay-mounted [[AIE-486H machine gun|heavy machine gun]] but Spark told them not to fire as the constructs had a separate priority task. When Spark suggested they find another terminal closer to the Ark's core that could provide them with further information, perhaps regarding Cortana's "solution" to the Flood, 'Vadam and Commander Keyes told him that their priority had to be to stop the Prophet of Truth before he could fire the [[Halo Array]]. John boarded the Pelican and they departed from the Cartographer.


===Stopping Truth===
===Stopping Truth===
{{Main|Battle of the Citadel}}
{{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>}}   
{{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>}}   
[[File:John 117 Master Chief Petty Officer.jpg|thumb|300px|John and two ODSTs engaging Covenant forces in a Warthog on approach to the first tower.]]
[[File:John 117 Master Chief Petty Officer.jpg|thumb|300px|right|John and two ODSTs engaging Covenant forces in a Warthog on approach to the first tower.]]
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}}
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}}


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===Installation 08===
===Installation 08===
[[File:H3-John&Co.jpg|350px|thumb|John, Cortana and Thel en route to Installation 08.]]
[[File:H3-John&Co.jpg|350px|thumb|right|John, Cortana and Thel en route to Installation 08.]]
{{Main|Raid on 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>
{{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>
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{{Expand-section}}
{{Expand-section}}


[[File:Await lithograph.jpg|thumb|250px|Cortana oversees John sleeping in cryostasis, lost in space.]]
[[File:Await lithograph.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Cortana oversees John sleeping in cryostasis, lost in space.]]
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}}
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}}


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