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• February 28: The Template:UNSCship is commissioned into service.

• July 21: Aboard the UNSC Forward Unto Dawn, Cortana wakes John-117 from his cryotube and warns him of Covenant forces trying to board. Once off the frigate, they realize they are on the Forerunner shield world Requiem. Having tried in vain for three years, the Covenant remnant finally gain access to the shield world; Shipmaster Jul 'Mdama orders his forces to board Forward Unto Dawn to keep the ship from landing on Requiem.

Unknwon dates: The Master Chief, in an attempt to figure out exactly where they are, storms a Covenant fortified Forerunner installation. Cortana realizes that it is actually a small-scale Cartographer, and attempts to use it to locate the U.N.S.C. Infinity, which has been attempting to contact them for some time. The Cartographer leads them to believe that the ship is located at Requiem's core. The Chief fights his way there, and encounters strange Forerunner A.I., which Cortana labels "Promethean Knights". Soon after arriving at the core, the Chief realizes that Infinity is not there. Instead, its signal was being amplified by a broadcast relay at the inner core. Cortana says that if they neutralize the relay's shields, they should be able to use it to respond.

Upon doing so, a Covenant Fleet arrives, making for the Reklay themselves. John arrives almost the same time they do, and fights his way through Covenant and Promethean forces in his attempt to contact Infinity and warn them about Requiem's gravity well. When he reaches the core of the satellite, he places his hands on two Forerunner Pedestals marked with the Reclaimer symbol, and attempts to hail the Infinity, getting no response. Suspecting something was wrong, Cortana warns the Chief to let go of the contacts, which he does. He then jumps down to cover just as the "satellite" opens. A Forerunner emerges from apparent imprisonment in Requiem's core, and proceeds to disparage the human, saying; "Your nobilitiy has blinded you, as ever". He then uses a power similar in effect to telekenisis to draw the Chief to him, and later sling him towards a wall. The Chief escapes the core by commandeering a Ghost and driving it straight through a portal.

Cortana realizes instantly that the Forerunner "Didact" has been manipulating Infinity's signal in order to persuade the Master Chief to release him. As the two of them exit the portal, the Infinity crashes onto Requiem's surface. The Didact makes for the crash-site, followed by the Master Chief. Rescuing stranded Marines (among them Thomas Lasky) and Spartan IVs along the way, the Chief makes for the ship's crash site. When he arrives, he secures the ship's interior with the help of a Mantis Armor Defense System, and reactivates the ship's M.A.C. network, driving the Didact back and destroying multiple Covenant ships. Afterwards, Captain Andrew DelRio has a difference of opinion with the Master Chief on whether or not they should leave Requiem, or stay and deal with the Didact. In the end, DelRio orders the Chief to join Gypsy Company and destroy Requiem's gravity well so that the Infinity can depart.