Editing Spartan signals

Over their years of [[SPARTAN-II training|training]] and decades of combat, the [[SPARTAN-II program|SPARTAN-IIs]] and [[SPARTAN-III program|SPARTAN-IIIs]] have developed intricate '''shorthand communications systems''' for use among themselves. Many of these ideas are known and understood by the Spartans only, some of them being well-guarded secrets. These also sometimes make normal conversations with the Spartans impossible, as they can do a great deal inside their [[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor|MJOLNIR]] armor that is indistinguishable from the outside. These signals include slight movements, cryptic statements, and radio communications. Many of the signals originally used by the SPARTAN-IIs were taught to the SPARTAN-IIIs by [[Lieutenant Commander]] [[Kurt Ambrose]] due to his past as a SPARTAN-II.<ref name="goo16">'''Halo: Ghosts of Onyx''', ''page 16''</ref> In the years after [[Lucy-B091]] lost her ability to vocalize due to [[posttraumatic vocal disarticulation]], she and [[Tom-B292]] developed their own kind of sign language based on the signals Spartans use to communicate during a comms blackout.<ref>''[[Halo: Fractures]]'', ''[[Lessons Learned]]''</ref>

Many of the Spartans' signals comprise relatively simple hand gestures that can substitute for most verbal communication.<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''pages 117-118'' (2001 edition)</ref> This is particularly emphasized on missions where [[COM]] silence is necessary.<ref>'''Halo: Ghosts of Onyx''', ''page 52''</ref>

;"Trouble ahead": A Spartan scout may signal that there is trouble ahead with a slight shake of the head from side to side.<ref>'''Halo: First Strike''', ''page 136'' (2003 edition); ''page 167'' (2010 edition)</ref>

;"Scout it out": A team leader may order a member of the fireteam to scout ahead by holding up two fingers, pointing toward the team member's eyes and to the intended direction, and then slowly making a fist.<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''page 184'' (2001 edition)</ref>

;"Cover me": Using both hands to point at given members of one's team, turning one's hands to point to oneself and then nodding at one's destination signals the designated members of a team to provide the leader while he or she moves to a given spot.<ref>'''Halo: First Strike''', ''page 305'' (2003 edition)</ref>

;"Freeze": Slowly making a fist signals a Spartan team to freeze.<ref name="tfor206">'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''page 206'' (2001 edition)</ref>

;"Get ready": Pumping one's fist twice signals one's team to prepare.<ref>'''Halo: Ghosts of Onyx''', ''page 260''</ref>

;"Where are they?": A horizontal circle gesture in the air.<ref>'''Halo: Ghosts of Onyx''', ''page 305''</ref>

===Other gestures===

*A subtle sideways "cut" gesture to a given direction signals other members of a team to direct their attention to something.<ref>'''Halo: Ghosts of Onyx''', ''page 171''</ref>

*A Spartan may silently ask for their team members' opinions on a given subject by holding up their hands with palms up and making a subtle shrug.<ref>'''Halo: Ghosts of Onyx''', ''page 213''</ref>

*The Spartans signal to one another to open private COM frequencies by the flick of a finger. It is a move performed only in non-combat situations, when the Spartans can pay attention to each other's movement. This way they can communicate with one another without any unintended people hearing the conversation.<ref>'''Halo: First Strike''', ''page 3'' (2003 edition)</ref><ref>'''Halo: First Strike''', ''page 120'' (2003 edition)</ref>

*The Spartans may click a COM channel once or twice to get the attention of their teammates if they need assistance.<ref>'''Halo: First Strike''', ''page 16'' (2003 edition)</ref> This gesture is impractical on [[Covenant]] installations and ships, as the Covenant are able to track UNSC communications and pinpoint the Spartans' position.<ref>'''Halo: First Strike''', ''page 314'' (2003 edition)</ref>

==HUD light signals==

;"Acknowledged": Acknowledgment of an order is denoted by a single wink of one's green status light.<ref name="goo250">'''Halo: Ghosts of Onyx''', ''page 250''</ref> Using the amber or red lights instead indicates complications.<ref name="goo235">'''Halo: Ghosts of Onyx''', ''page 235''</ref>

;"Enemy detected": Blinking one's acknowledgment light twice indicates that the Spartan in question (usually the one taking point) has detected a hostile combatant. A third blink is a sign to open fire.<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''page 181'' (2001 edition)</ref>

;"Open fire": Rapidly blinking one's green status light.<ref>'''Halo: Ghosts of Onyx''', ''page 114''</ref>

;"All clear": Flashing one's green status light three times.<ref>'''Halo: Ghosts of Onyx''', ''page 334''</ref>

;"Wait": Flashing an amber acknowledgment light twice.<ref>'''Halo: Ghosts of Onyx''', ''page 166''</ref>

==Oly Oly Oxen Free==

''Oly Oly Oxen Free'' is a six-note, six-beat tone used as an all-clear code and the [[SPARTAN-II program|Spartan-II]]s' best-kept secret. Virtually no non-Spartan knows it; the only known surviving non-Spartans being [[Cortana]] and [[Catherine Halsey|Doctor Halsey]], both close to the Spartans' "family". The Spartans learned it from their AI instructor [[Déjà]] on [[Reach]] when they were younger and have been using it ever since. This allows the Spartans to use it with guarded impunity over the [[COM]] to make others aware of their presence, location, or as an all-clear signal. Thus, the signal was extremely important to each Spartan; they would rather die than give up the significance of the tone, which could potentially be used to betray or endanger their teammates. Spartans would either just whistle the tone or would whistle it and shout ''"Oly Oly Oxen Free"'' after. The proper counter-response was ''"Oly Oly Oxen Free, All out in the free, We're all free."''<ref>'''Halo: First Strike''', ''page 166'' (2003 edition)</ref> The phrase ''[[Wikipedia:Olly olly oxen free|Oly Oly Oxen Free]]'' was once used by children playing hide-and-seek, which meant that the game was over and they could safely come out of hiding.

==Production note==

*''[[Halo: Fractures]]''

**''[[Lessons Learned]]'' {{Mo}}

==Sources==

{{SpartanPrograms}}

[[Category:Spartans]]