John-117/Late War: Difference between revisions
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The ''Leviathan'' arrived in the [[Epsilon Eridani system]] on [[2552#August|August 1, 2552]].<ref name="DD4">[[Data Drop]] [[Data Drop/Four|Four]]</ref> By this date, [[Reach]] had already come under [[Fall of Reach|attack]] by the Covenant.<ref name="HROSB">''[[Halo: Reach]]'', ''[[ONI: Sword Base]]''</ref> When they reached the planet, all knowledge of the fighting was purposefully kept from John and the other Spartans in the hope that what ONI called [[Operation: RED FLAG]] might not be compromised.<ref name="DD5">[[Data Drop]] [[Data Drop/Five|Five]]</ref> The ''Leviathan'' was back at Reach by [[2552#August|August 12]].{{Ref/Reuse|DHPJ81252}} At 1100 hours that day, while [[Battle at Szurdok Ridge|fighting]] raged across the southern [[Viery Territory]], John, none the wiser, reported to [[Camp Hathcock]] in the [[Highland Mountains]].{{Ref/Reuse|HTFOR24}}<ref name="HRTOTS">''[[Halo: Reach]]'', ''[[Tip of the Spear]]''</ref> Alone, he took a [[Warthog]] and passed through two gates before parking and entering the UNSC military complex he had been summoned to. An elevator took him to to the third subbasement of the building, where a [[military police]] attendant told him to wait in a debriefing lounge for the committee to call for him. Corporal Harland was already there, evidently having been called to report on the [[Battle of Sigma Octanus IV|battle for]] [[Sigma Octanus IV]] just as John had. The corporal stood and saluted as soon as he saw the Chief, but John told him to be at ease. Harland, still overly impressed by the Spartans' performance, chanced at asking how one went about joining such an outfit, to which John coolly replied that you don't. When the doors at the far wall opened, [[Jacob Keyes]] walked out. John only recognized him as an officer and so customarily saluted but Keyes stopped, realizing who the Chief was, and said that it was good to see him again. He reminded him that they had met long ago and before taking his leave warned John that the committee within, and the [[ONI]] brass in particular, was rather irritated about some of the ways things had played out on Sigma Octanus IV. He had ten minutes to consider what Keyes could have meant by that before they finished with Harland and it was John's turn. Twelve naval officers, ONI and otherwise, were waiting for him. A woman among them began by congratulating the Chief on the victory and then went on to say they simply wished to review some of the intelligence he had collected during the mission. John answered questions about the Huragok, how the Mgalekgolo apparently treated the [[Kig-Yar]] they deployed with, and the [[Sigma Octanus IV artifact|rock he had collected]] to the best of his ability. It was eventually made clear that those present in the room were frustrated by the obliteration of [[Côte d'Azur]] and the loss of of evidence regarding Covenant activity in the city. John defended his actions, as he had been following orders from [[Naval Special Weapons]] and Section III of ONI. John endured slight disrespect from the committee's members for a brief moment longer before he was finally dismissed. Back in the lounge, he found Doctor Halsey waiting to speak to the men and women inside next. She asked how he was and he said he was glad to have won at Sigma Octanus. The doctor let him know about some upcoming procedures which were planned for him and gave his head a cursory [[Wikipedia:Magnetic resonance imaging|MRI]] so she could ensure the surgical site was acceptable for additional cybernetic implants.{{Ref/Reuse|DHPJ81252}} John asked her how Chief [[Franklin Mendez|Mendez]] was doing and she shared what little she knew.<ref name="DHPJ81252">''[[Dr. Halsey's personal journal]]'', ''August 12, 2552''</ref> They then just sat together quietly for the remainder of their few minutes together.{{Ref/Reuse|DHPJ81252}} Before disappearing behind the doors to the committee, she asked if he would like to score [[Operation: RED FLAG|what could be the biggest victory they'd have]] and said she'd be speaking with he and the other Spartans soon.<ref name="HTFOR24">''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]'', ''Chapter 24''</ref> | The ''Leviathan'' arrived in the [[Epsilon Eridani system]] on [[2552#August|August 1, 2552]].<ref name="DD4">[[Data Drop]] [[Data Drop/Four|Four]]</ref> By this date, [[Reach]] had already come under [[Fall of Reach|attack]] by the Covenant.<ref name="HROSB">''[[Halo: Reach]]'', ''[[ONI: Sword Base]]''</ref> When they reached the planet, all knowledge of the fighting was purposefully kept from John and the other Spartans in the hope that what ONI called [[Operation: RED FLAG]] might not be compromised.<ref name="DD5">[[Data Drop]] [[Data Drop/Five|Five]]</ref> The ''Leviathan'' was back at Reach by [[2552#August|August 12]].{{Ref/Reuse|DHPJ81252}} At 1100 hours that day, while [[Battle at Szurdok Ridge|fighting]] raged across the southern [[Viery Territory]], John, none the wiser, reported to [[Camp Hathcock]] in the [[Highland Mountains]].{{Ref/Reuse|HTFOR24}}<ref name="HRTOTS">''[[Halo: Reach]]'', ''[[Tip of the Spear]]''</ref> Alone, he took a [[Warthog]] and passed through two gates before parking and entering the UNSC military complex he had been summoned to. An elevator took him to to the third subbasement of the building, where a [[military police]] attendant told him to wait in a debriefing lounge for the committee to call for him. Corporal Harland was already there, evidently having been called to report on the [[Battle of Sigma Octanus IV|battle for]] [[Sigma Octanus IV]] just as John had. The corporal stood and saluted as soon as he saw the Chief, but John told him to be at ease. Harland, still overly impressed by the Spartans' performance, chanced at asking how one went about joining such an outfit, to which John coolly replied that you don't. When the doors at the far wall opened, [[Jacob Keyes]] walked out. John only recognized him as an officer and so customarily saluted but Keyes stopped, realizing who the Chief was, and said that it was good to see him again. He reminded him that they had met long ago and before taking his leave warned John that the committee within, and the [[ONI]] brass in particular, was rather irritated about some of the ways things had played out on Sigma Octanus IV. He had ten minutes to consider what Keyes could have meant by that before they finished with Harland and it was John's turn. Twelve naval officers, ONI and otherwise, were waiting for him. A woman among them began by congratulating the Chief on the victory and then went on to say they simply wished to review some of the intelligence he had collected during the mission. John answered questions about the Huragok, how the Mgalekgolo apparently treated the [[Kig-Yar]] they deployed with, and the [[Sigma Octanus IV artifact|rock he had collected]] to the best of his ability. It was eventually made clear that those present in the room were frustrated by the obliteration of [[Côte d'Azur]] and the loss of of evidence regarding Covenant activity in the city. John defended his actions, as he had been following orders from [[Naval Special Weapons]] and Section III of ONI. John endured slight disrespect from the committee's members for a brief moment longer before he was finally dismissed. Back in the lounge, he found Doctor Halsey waiting to speak to the men and women inside next. She asked how he was and he said he was glad to have won at Sigma Octanus. The doctor let him know about some upcoming procedures which were planned for him and gave his head a cursory [[Wikipedia:Magnetic resonance imaging|MRI]] so she could ensure the surgical site was acceptable for additional cybernetic implants.{{Ref/Reuse|DHPJ81252}} John asked her how Chief [[Franklin Mendez|Mendez]] was doing and she shared what little she knew.<ref name="DHPJ81252">''[[Dr. Halsey's personal journal]]'', ''August 12, 2552''</ref> They then just sat together quietly for the remainder of their few minutes together.{{Ref/Reuse|DHPJ81252}} Before disappearing behind the doors to the committee, she asked if he would like to score [[Operation: RED FLAG|what could be the biggest victory they'd have]] and said she'd be speaking with he and the other Spartans soon.<ref name="HTFOR24">''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]'', ''Chapter 24''</ref> | ||
It was not until [[2552#August|August 27]] that John and twenty-four other Spartans were gathered together at 0800 hours underneath the Highland Mountains [[Reach FLEETCOM Military Complex|FLEETCOM complex]] to be briefed on [[Operation: RED FLAG]].{{Ref/Reuse|HTFOR26}} There, in the same amphitheater in which they had been brought as children thirty-five years prior, Doctor Halsey explained to them the plan. The mission's goal would be to capture of one of the Covenant's [[hierarch]]s so that a ceasefire might be brokered with those that remained in power.{{Ref/Reuse|HTFOR26}} Intelligence indicated that the three hierarchs spent their time either at the hegemony's mobile capital city ''[[High Charity]]'' or aboard either {{ | It was not until [[2552#August|August 27]] that John and twenty-four other Spartans were gathered together at 0800 hours underneath the Highland Mountains [[Reach FLEETCOM Military Complex|FLEETCOM complex]] to be briefed on [[Operation: RED FLAG]].{{Ref/Reuse|HTFOR26}} There, in the same amphitheater in which they had been brought as children thirty-five years prior, Doctor Halsey explained to them the plan. The mission's goal would be to capture of one of the Covenant's [[hierarch]]s so that a ceasefire might be brokered with those that remained in power.{{Ref/Reuse|HTFOR26}} Intelligence indicated that the three hierarchs spent their time either at the hegemony's mobile capital city ''[[High Charity]]'' or aboard either {{Pattern|Sh'wada|supercarrier}}s or {{Class|CAS|assault carrier}}s.{{Ref/Reuse|DD5}} The capture of a hierarch would require taking control of a [[Covenant]] ship and piloting it, unsuspected, back to ''High Charity''. Capturing an assault carrier or supercarrier would be preferable because with luck one of the [[San'Shyuum]] High Prophets would be aboard and a trip to ''High Charity'' would be unnecessary. In order to pull RED FLAG off, it had been determined that a colony of significant value to the Covenant and boasting many [[Forerunner|ancient alien]] artifacts would in all likelihood need to be sacrificed in order to draw these Class-Five assets, possibly with hierarchs, in so that Spartans could infiltrate them. The best shot at taking over a large ship would come after a fleet believed it had secured a major victory.{{Ref/Reuse|DD5}} Given the current situation on Reach, ONI had decided to make the most of a losing fight and enact RED FLAG there. It was for this reason that the truth of the invasion had been kept from the Spartan-IIs while final preparations were made.{{Ref/Reuse|DD5}} Even as Halsey explained what they were being asked to do then, she did not tell them the Covenant was already there or that RED FLAG was always meant to involve purposefully letting their guard down.{{Ref/Reuse|HTFOR26}}<ref name="DHPJA27">''[[Dr. Halsey's personal journal]]'', ''August 27, 2552''</ref>{{Ref/Reuse|DD5}} John asked for clarification at two points during her explaination He wondered what kind of specialist personnel they would be responsible for whom could access the Covenant ship's computer systems and also questioned the decision to kidnap a hierarch as opposed to killing one. The latter inquiry was answered with the intel suggesting the Covenant would be open to a truce if it could be blackmailed into one, but Halsey held back on sufficiently sharing too much about what kind of help the Spartans would have, as she said she'd be going over further details with each Spartan in person over the next few days.<ref name="HTFOR26">''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]'', ''Chapter 26''</ref> Halsey finished by telling her Spartans that she had convinced [[FLEETCOM]] not to order them on this op. Should they choose to embark on this mission, they would be volunteering to do so. John rose to his feet, accepting the challenge without hesitation, and was thereafter followed by each of the others.{{Ref/Reuse|HTFOR26}} | ||
===Mark V=== | ===Mark V=== | ||
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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 [[Type-27 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 [[Type-27 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 [[ | 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|right|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 [[Type-52 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 [[CCS-class 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 [[Type-52 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 [[CCS-class 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}} | ||
