John-117/Late War: Difference between revisions

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.

Fred informed John that the [[proselytization network]] was in disarray, with the copied Cortana fragments aboard ''Unyielding Hierophant'' broadcasting different system error codes and communiques between ships broadcasting their confusion as to what was happening. Suddenly, he received a broadcast from the UNSC E-Band: Oly Oly Oxen Free. After securing the channel, John learned that [[Danforth Whitcomb|Admiral Whitcomb]] had, at [[Elias Haverson|Lieutenant Haverson's]] suggestion, dropped out of slipspace on the edge of the Tau Ceti system and hidden in the Oort cloud to gather intelligence. He told John that he knew that even if they destroyed the ''Unyielding Hierophant'', there would still be a significant number of Covenant ships remaining, enough to blow past Earth's defenses regardless of the station's destruction. He then told John that as they had done their part, it was now time for him to do his, and ordered the Spartans to return to the {{UNSCShip|Gettysburg}}, which had been separated from ''[[Ascendant Justice]]''. Upon returning to the ''Gettysburg's'' bridge, he found only [[Avery Johnson|Sergeant Johnson]] and [[Cortana]] were present. John asked where the Admiral and Lieutenant Haverson were but Johnson instead showed him directly, using a [[Clarion spy drone]] to show the position of ''Ascendant Justice''. Cortana revealed that while Blue Team had been on their mission, they had been attuning ''Ascendant Justice's'' slipspace drive to the ''Gettysburg''. Once communications were reestablished, John discovered that Whitcomb and Haverson were on the ''Ascendant Justice''. The Admiral revealed his intentions: he was going to lure the Covenant fleet in close with a holographic display of the [[Forerunner crystal|crystal]] from [[Reach]]. Taking fire from the Covenant ships and returning with a salvo of their own, Whitcomb crashed the ''Ascendant Justice'' nose-first into the ''Unyielding Hierophant''. John watched as the injured Whitcomb and Haverson broadcast a systemwide transmission to the surrounding Covenant forces, boasting that he had their "holiest of holies" and that they were welcome to come and take it. As Cortana readied the ''Gettysburg'' for a slipspace jump to [[Earth]], Whitcomb gave John his final orders: under no circumstances was he to engage the enemy, he was to head straight for Earth and make his report. The Admiral then recalled his [[Massacre at Eridanus Secundus|previous discussion]] with John about the Alamo. John added the names of Whitcomb and Haverson to the list of people who had made a difference to him. He watched as the Admiral fired a submachine gun at hordes of [[Type-1 energy sword|energy sword]]-wielding [[Sangheili]] warriors before the feed cut off. A moment later, video footage from the Clarion spy drone of the ''Unyielding Hierophant'' exploding, vaporizing the vast majority of the fleet gathered around it. With only a dozen ships still functional from the once massive fleet, John recalled Admiral Whitcomb's final words, "a brilliant strategic victory", before the ''Gettysburg'' entered slipspace.<ref name="HFS36">''[[Halo: First Strike]]'', ''Chapter 36''</ref>

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 [[Type-32 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 [[Type-27 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>''[[Hunt the Truth]]'', [[Hunt the Truth Season 1/Blog posts|Season 1 Blog posts]]</ref>]]

John found himself faced with the decision whether to go through the outbound tunnel of the [[Mtangwe Underpass]], which bore the scars of a recent attack by the Scarab, or the corresponding inbound tunnel, which was undamaged.{{Ref/Reuse|HEPH}} The arrival of Banshees made him dash beneath a concrete canopy which sheltered and island of toll booths in order to remain out of sight. Inside one of the booths were the skeletal remains of [[Carlos Wambua|an attendant]], who John realized must have died transfixed in terror rather than fleeing, something which gave John pause and made Cortana remind him that most people find Scarabs rather unsettling. Shrugging, he moved along the line of booths until he found a straight shot to the inbound tunnel mouth seventy-three meters away. It took about four-and-a-half seconds for him to sprint the distance, sliding to a stop against a burnt-out [[Wikipedia:Sedan (automobile)|sedan]]. He snaked his way through the next eighty meters of tunnel, moving from cover to cover in case of an ambush. Deeper in the underpass, he heard [[human]] voices about one hundred and fifty meters ahead but soon discovered the main route had been sealed off and heavy blast doors had also blocked access to the [[Moi Avenue]] junction off to his right. He urged Cortana to see if she could find another route to the center of [[New Mombasa]]'s industrial zone and of course, she already was looking. It was then that he finally spotted the source of the voices: [[Third Squad|a squad]] of UNSC Marines from the [[E2-BAG/1/7|First Battalion, Seventh Regiment]] out of [[Eridanus II]]. A Marine by the name and rank of [[Private]] [[Jemison]] sighted the Chief and began to cross the thirty meters between them to greet him, expressing his shock upon seeing the Spartan. John similarly moved to meet the Private but before they could say very much the report of a [[Pez'tk-pattern fuel rod gun|fuel rod gun]] from behind him made him spin about and land a single shot from his [[BR55 battle rifle]] through the neck of the [[Unggoy]] [[Unggoy Heavy|Heavy]] who had fired the weapon.{{Ref/Reuse|HEPH}} While the dead Grunt's reflexively-fired second shot from the fuel rod gun accidentally killed many of the Covenant soldiers nearby, a Wraith tank and a massive group of Unggoy entered the area. [[Palmer (Marine)|Corporal Palmer]] ordered the Marines to fall back into an opening in the tunnel's sewer line that had been created by the first fuel rod round fired by the Unggoy Heavy, offering John the opportunity to go with them. With Cortana telling him that the Marines were sure to need his help, and there was another three Wraiths approaching, John acquiesced. He made it into the tunnel as a round from the Wraith's [[Plasma mortar#Type-26 35cm Directed-Energy Mortar|plasma mortar]] impacted the opening, dropping his energy shield and killing a number of the Marines. Corporal Palmer began to argue with John, insisting they go back and retrieve the dead while John wished to move forward. Cortana told her that they could not be saved, and carrying them would make them vulnerable. John ordered the Corporal to pass him her [[TACPAD]], showing her why they couldn't go back: four Wraiths and fifty Covenant soldiers in the Mtangwe underpass made it suicidal. John informed Palmer that the rest of her unit were at [[Beria Plaza]], and against the Corporal's protests, ensured her that he was going to escort them there to ensure that the rest of them remained alive. The Spartan privately mentioned his displeasure at retreating to Cortana, telling that the cramped conditions in the tunnel would have allowed him to neutralize all four Wraiths and the infantry. John was the last one up the ladder out of the spillway, destroying the rungs of the ladder to slow down their pursuers.{{Ref/Reuse|HEPH}}

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 [[Type-27 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 [[Type-52 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>

[[File:H2A - Prophet of Regret hologram.jpg||thumb|300px|left|The Master Chief learns Regret's true intentions.]]

Cortana informed John that the Prophet of Regret was planning to activate the installation. Commander Keyes told him that that, with the information she had accessed from the first Halo, she had deduced that the Prophet would need the [[Activation index]] to carry out his objective, and ordered Sergeant Johnson to extract his men and meet her at the installation's [[Library#Installation 05|Library]], leaving John to handle the assassination of the Prophet of Regret. John, with the aid of several Marines, fought his way through groups of Covenant until they reached a [[Anti-gravity gondola]] docking station guarded by a number of Kig-Yar snipers and Sangheili. After the team cleared the area, a Phantom dropship deployed a pair of [[Mgalekgolo]] on to the platform. After a struggle, John managed to take the Covenant behemoths down. Commander Keyes rerouted a Pelican with reinforcements and resupply canisters to John, apologizing that they were all the support they were going to get. A gondola carrying Covenant reinforcements arrived from the opposite structure, of which the Spartan was able to handle with aid from his team. The team boarded the gondola, using it to traverse across the lake to the structure, engaging a group of Yanme'e followed by another gondola of Covenant troops. Upon approach to the structure the team took fire from Kig-Yar snipers and Shade turrets but John was able to defeat the attackers. Inside the structure the team encountered an elevator that would take them underwater to the next structure. The team arrived in the next structure, engaging a group of [[Unggoy]], many of whom were asleep before entering a vast underwater chamber dominated by a massive hologram of the Prophet of Regret. After clearing out huge amounts of Covenant, including more Mgalekgolo, Sangheili Honor Guardsmen, Kig-Yar snipers and swarms of Yanme'e, John paused in front of the hologram, Cortana translating its speech and revealing the apparent reasoning behind the Covenant's [[Human-Covenant War|genocidal war]] against humanity. The team entered another elevator that took them to the third lake structure, fighting more patrolling Honor Guardsmen until they emerged outside. John managed to secure a landing zone for the Pelican, the pilot telling him that he was almost out of fuel and so was conducting his final resupply run, and to contact him when John was ready for evac. After rearming, John pressed into the ruins of another Forerunner structure, engaging more Covenant, as well as another Phantom's troop complement. Finally, the Spartan arrived at the gondola that would take him directly to the Prophet of Regret's [[Temple (Installation 05)|temple]]. As the gondola neared the temple, it was engaged by another carrying [[Sangheili Ranger]]s and Unggoy wielding [[Pez'tk-pattern fuel rod gun|heavy weapons]]. John managed to clear the area in front of the temple of its Unggoy and Kig-Yar guards, but before he could move inside, he witnessed the arrival of hundreds of Covenant vessels coming out of slipspace, followed by ''[[High Charity]]'', the Covenant's holy city. Noting that [[Second Fleet of Homogeneous Clarity|this fleet]] was the largest one anyone had ever seen, Cortana urged John to complete his mission quickly before they could stop him. Quickly making his way inside the temple, John fought through waves of the Prophet's [[Covenant Honor Guard|Honor Guard]] before confronting the Prophet himself. Quickly realizing that Regret's [[Anti-gravity chair|throne]] projected an energy shield that was impervious to small-arms fire, John boarded the throne, beating the Prophet to death. As Regret's throne exploded, Cortana warned him that the Covenant fleet was preparing to open fire on the temple. John escaped the temple moments before it was destroyed by an [[energy projector]], but was thrown into the lake below where he lost consciousness.{{Ref/Reuse|H2R}}

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. [[Type-25 Chopper]]s, [[Type-26 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}}

===Siege at Voi===

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 [[Type-32 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}}

[[File:Voi 5.jpg|thumb|300px|left|John joins the makeshift Marine anti-armor unit.]]

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}}

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 [[Type-52 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>

[[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 [[Type-26 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}}   

{{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|right|John and two ODSTs engaging Covenant forces in a Warthog on approach to the first tower.]]

John quickly returned to the ground floor, assisting his team against a small group of Unggoy and [[Kig-Yar]] that were attempting to reactivate the tower before making his way outside, meeting another Marine who arrived with [[M831 Troop Transport Warthog|transport]] for the team. They speedily made their way back to the beachhead, where a flight of [[AV-14 Hornet|Hornets]] were waiting. [[Hocus]] told John that he would need to take a Hornet in order to safely escort a group of Pelicans to the third tower. The Spartan took control of one of the aircraft and made his way to towards the airspace of the second tower, where masses of Banshees were strafing the Sangheili Phantoms. With the arrival of John and the other UNSC craft, the Sangheili were able to engage their dropship's [[active camouflage]] and escape. Despite the Covenant having the numerical superiority, the UNSC air forces were able to succeed in wiping most of the Banshees out, driving the survivors back to the third tower, before destroying another Anti-Aircraft Wraith on a small island nearby. John was forced to contend with heavy opposition around the third tower entrance, including a pair of Anti-Aircraft Wraiths, a standard Wraith, Shade cannons and a massive pack of Jiralhanae. Prioritizing fire on the Wraiths, John was able to destroy the Covenant armor allowing the separatist Phantoms to return, deploying Thel 'Vadam, as well as [[N'tho 'Sraom]], [[Usze 'Taham]] and several other Sangheili. Together, they managed to crush all of the Jiralhanae around the tower, as well as the survivors inside the entrance. Inside, they discovered the corpses of many of Johnson's Marines, but the Sergeant himself was not among them. On the ground floor of the tower, the team was ambushed by a pair of [[Mgalekgolo]] and a swarm of [[Yanme'e]]. Through superior tactics, John and the Sangheili managed to bring down the Mgalekgolo pair and whittle down the Yanme'e, forcing the survivors to retreat back up the elevator shaft. Another pack of Jiralhanae fought hard to stop John and the Sangheili but they fell, shortly followed by the remaining Yanme'e who reemerged in a last-ditch attempt to halt their progress. Once again, John proceeded to the upper floor alone while the Sangheili remained behind. A War Chieftain and a pack of [[Jiralhanae Stalker|Stalkers]] were the last Covenant soldiers in the tower and although they furiously defended the controls of the tower, they eventually fell to the lone Spartan. John deactivated the third tower's controls, finally dropping the protective shield. [[Rtas 'Vadum]] brought the ''[[Shadow of Intent]]'' in close, preparing to level the Citadel with the assault carrier's weaponry. Suddenly, a massive slipspace rupture above the Citadel heralded the arrival of [[High Charity]]. As the gargantuan former Covenant holy city-turned [[Flood hive]] plummeted towards the surface of the Ark, 'Vadum was barely able to exclaim his surprise before debris struck his assault carrier, punching straight through it. As more debris from High Charity showered the installation, a chunk smashed through the window of the third tower's control room. John stiffened, readying his [[MA5C assault rifle|assault rifle]] in anticipation of the [[Flood|foe]] he knew had arrived.{{Ref/Reuse|H3TC}}