Terminal (Halo 2: Anniversary)/Ten

Covenant Record: Unggoy Rebellion

Fade in on present day High Charity. A Covenant craft flies over the city. The Scribe is onboard.

• Scribe: "Whereas most species were grafted into the Covenant by faith, or mutual beneficence, the Unggoy were not such."

Cut to the city below, where a pair of Unggoy stare up at the Scribe's craft.

• Scribe: "Their kind was brought into the fold by force."

Fade back to the Scribe.

• Scribe: "And it was by force that they were held captive."

Fade to black.

Fade in on a Covenant fleet approaching the Unggoy world Balaho.

• Scribe: "Their world had no prayer against our might and majesty."

Cut to the surface of Balaho, where a single Unggoy stands in the middle of the rain, watching a Covenant CAS-class assault carrier in the distance. The carrier's gravity lift is activated.

• Scribe: "And their peoples were quickly laid low. Many of them brought into subjugation."

Zoom in on the gravity lift, where dozens of Unggoy prisoners, trotting in two single file lines on opposite sides of the platform, enter the lift, while armed Sangheili stand guard. Cut to black.

Fade in to a close-up of an Unggoy glaring at the purplish light of the gravity lift.

• Scribe: "Yet while some species would perish under such pressure..."

Cut to a mass of Unggoy being herded down the carrier's ramp and into High Charity. Sangheili and Kig-Yar stand guard.

• Scribe: "...others rise to the occasion, taking arms if need be. Fighting back."

A single Unggoy turns around and stares hatefully at a Kig-Yar, who stares back with just as much animosity.

• Scribe: "Such it was for the Unggoy when their feud with the Kig-Yar led to rebellion."

Fade to black. Fade in on a pair of Kig-Yar sabotaging some equipment.

• Scribe: "An effort by the Kig-Yar to sterilize the Unggoy population was met with stiff resistance."

Fade to black. Fade in on an Unggoy holding the body of a fellow Unggoy in its arms.

• Scribe: "And for a time, the holy city was thrown into chaos."

An Unggoy joins another Unggoy on a rooftop. It fires a Fuel Rod Gun at some Kig-Yar below.

• Scribe: "Once fully provoked, the Unggoy were merciless in their violence. Lashing out at all species."

Cut to a distant shot of the city as explosions erupt throughout. Scene cuts to a street-level view, where a lone Sangheili is pinned down under a heavy torrent of plasma pistol fire from Unggoy insurgents. The Sangheili fires his plasma rifle back at the rebels, but to no avail.

• Scribe: "Their large numbers and their tenacious volatility made them a suitable challenge, even for the Elites."

Pan upwards to a Phantom flying overhead. The dropship is hit by a fuel rod blast and explodes.

Cut again to a distant shot of the city in chaos as the fighting intensifies.

• Scribe: "And yet again, we turned to an Arbiter."

Fade to a newly appointed Arbiter being anointed by four Prophets. Scene circles around him as he puts on his helmet.

• Scribe: "And with a ferocity unparalleled since the beginning of the Covenant, the Unggoy world would be reduced to glass."

Fade to Balaho. An assault carrier fires its glassing beam at the surface. The dust cloud from the resulting explosion engulfs an Unggoy village.

• Scribe: "Those within the holy city would be forced to watch, unable to stop what could have been the very end of their kind."

Cut to a distant shot of the planet's burning surface as the glassing continues. The camera pulls back and the scene becomes overlaid by a holographic terminal on High Charity. Below, dozens of Unggoy watch the destruction of their world.

• Scribe: "The Unggoy rebellion was brought to an end by the Arbiter's hand."

Cut to a close up of an Unggoy. A single tear rolls down its face. Its plasma pistol falls to the ground.

Cut to a door opening, revealing the Arbiter, flanked by four other Sangheili.

• Scribe: "Their world was not completely lost. And those who survived within High Charity found some measure of mercy."

Cut to a crowd of Unggoy on High Charity.

• Scribe: "They had proven their worth in combat and would now serve alongside the Sangheili in battle."

An Unggoy (now wearing a traditional breathing mask) stands before the Arbiter, who offers it a plasma pistol. The Unggoy accepts the weapon.

Fade to black.