Hocus

Hocus was a Pelican pilot in the UNSC Navy during the Second Battle of Earth. She was stationed at the UNSC Crow's Nest base, until the base came under heavy Covenant attack. She was instrumental in evacuating the rest of the survivors of the attack to the Human frigate UNSC Forward Unto Dawn. Hocus was the pilot of Pelican dropship Kilo 023. When flying from Crow's Nest, the pilot assisted in extracting the Master Chief, who was pinned down by a couple of Phantoms after rescuing Sergeant Johnson and a squad of captured Marines. Hocus participated in numerous ground insertions during the Battle of the Ark, including a mission to deactivate the barriers of the Ark's Control Room.

It is unknown if she died or not, since the game did not mention her after the level, The Covenant. It is likely she survived and was returned to Earth along with the rest of the remaining humans and Elites stationed over Installation 00.

Quotes

• "Imminent, Sergeant. Find some cover. Gotta clear a path." - By COM, to Avery Johnson in the level Sierra 117.
• "I see 'em! Standby. Going loud. Everyone down!" - To Avery Johnson, when Covenant Loyalists Phantom appeared, level Sierra 117.
• "Scratch one Phantom!" - After the first Phantom is destroyed.
• "Scratch two!"
• "Sierra 117 onboard. Request priority clearance. Over." - Near the end of the level Sierra 117.
• "What should I do, ma'am?" - To Miranda Keyes in the level Crow's Nest.
• "Ma'am, I've got movement. Above and below. Brutes. They got jump-packs." - To Miranda Keyes.
• "Hell yeah! Boom! The Fly Boys are gonna love us for that!" - In the level The Storm, after the Anti-Air Wraith is destroyed.
• "She's a little cooked, Sergeant Major. But she'll hold." - To Avery Johnson in the beginning of the level The Ark.
• "Charlie Foxtrot! Tower One approach has active Triple-As!" - In the beginning of the level The Covenant.
• "Pelican down, Pelican down!"
• "Commander, this is Kilo 23. Lost my Wingman and our only Hog. Over." - To Miranda Keyes in the level The Covenant.
• "I got a flock of birds that need an escort. Take a Hornet; get those Pelicans safely to the Third Tower."

Trivia

• Hocus has a very similar role to that of Foehammer, a Pelican pilot in the Halo: Combat Evolved game, being almost identical in voice acting as if an indirect allusion to the original Foehammer.
• Using a glitch in the last level of Halo 3 will cause Johnson to sometimes yell "I did this for Hocus!" This may suggest a relationship between the two.
• Viewing the level Sierra 117 through the theater you can enter the cockpit of the Pelican (by going through the hatch and then through the door to the cockpit) to see that the bodies piloting the Pelican are male despite Hocus being female, though it could just be that her armor doesn't allow any visable "features" to show she's female.