Battle of Sunaion

This article is about the campaign level. For the battle, see Battle of Sunaion.

Template:Level Infobox Template:Article Quote Battle of Sunaion is the twelfth campaign level of Halo 5: Guardians.

Completing the level unlocks the achievement "Civil War", worth 10 gamerscore points. Killing a Grunt and smashing a grate with a Ground Pound unlocks "Death from Above", worth 10 gamerscore points. Forcing two Hunters to fall to their death into the Csurdon Sea unlocks "Worms Don't Surf", worth 10 gamerscore points.

Transcript

{Cutscene}

It is nighttime. Cut aircraft of the Swords of Sanghelios flying over the Csurdon Sea. They are headed for the city of Sunaion. Covenant ships are holding guard over it.

Cut to aboard a Sword Lich. Spartan Jameson Locke walks past allied Sangheili Storm to address his team.

Locke: "Osiris. Form up."

His Spartans turn to face him.

Locke: "Everyone ready?"

Spartan Buck stands up, carrying his helmet and assault rifle. Spartan Tanaka walks by him.

Buck: "Actually... Tanaka, if I could ask a favor... would you say a word or two?"

Tanaka smiles and faces her team.

Tanaka: "Come a long way together. Long way yet to go. Let's make a good jump like we meant to, and handle fools like we need to."

Sangheili: "90 seconds to insertion point."

Tanaka: "And may Buck buy the first round when we get back."

Buck chuckles. The Spartans put on their helmets and head for the edge of the Lich's deployment bay.

Cut to an outside view of the Lich. Allied aircraft, including Phantoms and Banshees, speed past. The Spartans and Sangheili, including the Arbiter, gather on the edge.

Buck: "We get through this, I'll buy the whole damn bar."

Cut to the city of Sunaion. Explosions blast across its buildings as the Swords' aircraft fly by.

Cut to a building's deck. Covenant Elites and Grunts fire at the aircraft, but are shot down by the Lich and Banshees' weapons.

Cut back to Locke on the ship.

Locke: "Fireteam Osiris..."

More Covenant are blasted off the balconies.

Locke: "The light is green!"

The Spartans, and the Arbiter leap off the Lich and land on a building below. They ready their weapons.

Cut to black.

FALL OF THE COVENANT

The Spartans and the Swords Sangheili rush at the Covenant infantry at their landing site.

Arbiter Thel 'Vadam: "Swords of Sanghelios, with me! Target the air defense! Clear landing zones! For Sanghelios!"

Sangheili: "For Sanghelios!"

The remaining infantry are defending a firing Shrike turret.

Locke: "There's the first of the air defenses. Push forward. Take it out."

The infantry are all killed.

Locke or Thel 'Vadam: "All clear."

The humans and Elites open fire on the turret.

Thel 'Vadam: "Disable the air defenses. Target either the cannon itself or the power supply."

The Shrike turret is destroyed. The Arbiter rallies his Elites.

Thel 'Vadam: "Excellent."

Thel 'Vadam: "Spartans, the Guardian is at the far end of the city. There are more anti-air emplacements in that direction."

Locke: "We'll clear out air defenses as we go."

Thel 'Vadam: "Good luck to you, Spartan."

Locke: "And to you, Arbiter."

Thel 'Vadam: "Swords of Sanghelios, today Sunaion will fall, and with it the Covenant!"

The Arbiter raises his sword Prophets' Bane.

Thel 'Vadam: "To me, brothers!"

The Swords Elites head back to the landing site. The Arbiter vaults up a wall, using his sword to pierce it and climb over, leaving the site.

Locke: "All right, Spartans. There's ground to cover between here and the Guardian. Move out."

Several Grunts attack from an opening door.

Locke: "Hostiles coming through the door!"

or

Buck or Tanaka: "Hostiles in the doorway!"

The Spartans kill the Unggoy and head through.

Buck: "How do we know if Doctor Halsey's plan worked and the Constructor did its job?"

Tanaka: "Guardian'll start moving."

Olympia Vale: "Just need to be close enough to jump onboard when it does."

Flight Leader (COM): "Swords of Sanghelios! All ships report in!"

Siqtar Two (COM): "Havoc on station."

Lar Leader (COM): "Onslaught on station."

Jardam Leader (COM): "Revolution on station."

Flight Leader (COM): "All ships, focus fire on Covenant air forces! Send them crashing to a watery grave!"

Locke: "The Arbiter's fleet is arriving. Bring down the air defenses so they stand a chance."

The Spartans head into a courtyard, where another Shrike is active.

Locke: "Visual on anti-air emplacement."

or

Buck: "Eyes on anti-air emplacement."

or

Vale: "I have eyes on anti-air emplacement."

or

Tanaka: "Anti-air emplacement here."

Locke: "Shut it down. Give the Swords of Sanghelios some airspace."

If the player approaches the Shrike's power source.

Locke: "That's the air defense power core. Destroy it to disable the cannon."

When the turret is destroyed.

Any member of Osiris: "Cannon's offline."

If the power core is destroyed instead:

Locke: "Power core destroyed."

Locke: "Spartan Locke to Swords of Sanghelios. Air defenses down on my position."

Flight Leader (COM): "Confirmed, Spartan. Sending air support."

Locke: "Keep moving. There's plenty more to do."

Fireteam Osiris heads to the next turret. Covenant drop pods land nearby. In the background, a cruiser is badly damaged and starts plummeting towards the sea.

Tanaka: "Damn!"

Buck: "Sonuva-!"

Vale: "Whoa!"

Locke: "Covenant insertion pods!"

A Banshee crashes nearby, and the platform begins to shake.

The team moves on toward their next target.

The next turret is visible.

Any member of Osiris: "More air defenses here."

Locke: "Get them offline."

When the second turret falls.

Any member of Osiris: "Cannon destroyed."

Locke: "Swords of Sanghelios, another cannon down on my position."

Flight Leader (COM): "Affirmative, Spartan. All ships, the Spartans have opened more airspace. Move in and make your presence felt!"

Enemy reinforcements arrive at the courtyard.

Tanaka: "Covenant at the door!"

or

Locke or Vale: "Reinforcements at the door!"

The Spartans defeat them and move on.

If the player stalls.

Tanaka: "Think the Constructor found its way through this chaos?"

Buck: "If it didn't, someone better come up with another solution real quick."

Locke: "Doctor Halsey said the plan would work. I trust her."

If the player stalls again.

Buck: "If we miss this Guardian, what's plan B for catching up to Chief?"

Locke: "This is plan B. It's the only Guardian we know of."

Vale: "If we miss it, we'll just have to hope the Master Chief can stop Cortana from doing any more harm."

Tanaka: "Less talking and more running then."

Multiple Shrike turret are in the next area.

Any member of Osiris: "Three cannons here!"

Locke: "Take them down quick! Our ride's going to leave without us!"

If the player stalls:

Locke: "Take the cannons offline. Find their power source or target the cannons themselves."

If the player stalls further:

Flight Leader (COM): "Spartans, what is your status clearing the turrets?"

Locke: "Stand by. We're on it."

Nearby is a building with its door blocked off by a shield barrier. Grunts are inside, singing to a hologram of a Guardian.

Buck: "Shield! Can't get in!"

or

Vale: "Entrance of the building is shielded!"

If the player approaches a nearby battery

Locke: "Plasma battery!"

Vale: "That should take the shield down! Let's hack it!"

Locke scans it with the Artemis, and the shield dissipates. The Grunts inside panic.

Alternatively, Locke can get inside through an alternate route from above and destroy the shield generator from within.

Any member of Osiris: "Shield is down."

The first cannon falls.

Locke: "One cannon down! Two to go!"

or

Buck, Tanaka or Vale: "One cannon down!"

Locke: "Good! Two more to go!"

The next turret falls.

Locke: "Second cannon down! Only one left!"

or

Vale, Buck, or Tanaka: "Second cannon eliminated!"

Locke: "Only one left!"

If the player stalls.

Locke: "Take that last cannon down!"

Buck: "Where's the power source for this last cannon?"

Tanaka: "That building. Top floor."

If the hologram chamber's shield hasn't been disabled yet:

Vale: "Last power source is behind that shield. How are we going to get in?"

Tanaka: "Got an idea: Second floor. Jump across."

Locke: "Good suggestion, Tanaka."

If the player stalls again.

Buck: "Guardian's the only way we'll get to the Master Chief in time to help him with Cortana. We'd better get moving."

The third cannon falls, as does the shield barrier (if the player hasn't already disabled it).

Any member of Osiris: "Last cannon destroyed!"

Locke: "Good work, Spartans. Arbiter, cannons offline on our position."

Thel 'Vadam (COM): "My troops will arrive and secure your position. Move on towards the Guardian. You must reach the Master Chief in time."

Locke: "Copy that, Arbiter."

If there are any remaining hostiles in the immediate area:

Locke: "Osiris, secure this area so the Arbiter's people can land."

Osiris clears out any remaining Covenant.

A Swords Phantom arrives above the destroyed turrets. The Phantom drops off allied Sangheili.

Any member of Osiris: "Friendly Phantoms approaching."

Mahkee 'Chava (COM): "Spartan Locke. Come in."

Locke: "Mahkee. Hello again."

Mahkee (COM): "Air defenses still protect the skies between you and the Guardian. Too many for me to ferry you to your destination. You need another path. At your location there is passage to Sunaion's undercity which will allow direct access to the Guardian."

Locke: "Thank you, Mahkee. Osiris, Mahkee says there's a way down. Find it."

Swords Sangheili: "Humans! Over here!"

Meanwhile two other Swords Sangheili engage in a conversation:

Swords Sangheili #1: "I hear worry in your voice. You should rejoice."

Swords Sangheili #2: "What will happen when the Guardian awakens?"

Swords Sangheili #1: "Nothing will happen. Do not believe the stories."

Osiris finds an elevator.

Any member of Osiris: "There's an elevator to the undercity."

If the player stalls:

Vale: "We should keep moving. The Guardian could be ready to go at any time. We don't want to miss our ride to Chief."

The Spartans assemble on the elevator platform. Locke activates its controls.

Locke: "Everybody on the elevator."

Swords Sangheili: "Good luck down there, Spartans."

The elevator begins to travel down.

Locke: "Arbiter. We're heading to the undercity. I want to warn you. Before the Guardian jumps to slipspace, it sets off a series of concussive blasts. If you move your ships out of the way in time, the Covenant will take the brunt of it."

Thel 'Vadam (COM): "Victory and honor do not grow from timid seeds, Spartan. Your harvest shall be grand. When you see the Chief again... tell him I send my greetings."

Locke: "I will indeed, sir."

Vale: "Locke, I've never heard a Sangheili address a human like that-"

Locke: "I'll try not to let it go to my head."

The elevator opens at the undercity. A loud broadcast is heard rallying Covenant troops.

Covenant Sangheili (PA): "The heretics have breached our sacred city! Do not let the false Arbiter and the Swords of Sanghelios claim Sunaion! Brothers, the Covenant will not fall!"

Locke: "Mahkee said we'll get direct access to the Guardian from down here. But remember, we don't have the Swords of Sanghelios to distract these troops."

Vale: "Whatever gets us to the Guardian quickest."

The Spartan head through the undercity and encounter Covenant troops. A Blockade Runner holds position nearby.

Covenant Sangheili (PA): "The Covenant is the way!"

The Spartan climb and leap across the undercity platforms, fighting Covenant along the way.

Locke: "Guardian's still too far, Hurry!"

Multiple suicide Grunts attack the Spartans.

Covenant Sangheili (PA): "The humans tread on Sunaion! This is sacrilege! They must be stopped!"

The Spartans cross into a building's turbine room.

Thel 'Vadam (COM): "Spartans. Be aware. New enemies join the battle above. Armored. Glowing."

Locke: "Prometheans. We'll be ready, Arbiter."

Tanaka: "The Constructor must've done its work."

Locke: "It means the Guardian will be awake soon. Double time, Osiris!"

Osiris continues to fight their way through the Covenant.

Covenant Sangheili (PA): "We will hold Sunaion, brothers!"

The Spartans engage more Covenant, including a pair of Hunters defending the exit.

Buck or Vale: "Hunters!"

or

Locke: "Hunters! Get ready."

The Spartans take them down.

Any member of Osiris: "Hunters are down."

Buck: "End of the line. We have to go back up."

Tanaka: "Better hurry. Can't have too much longer to go."

Buck: "I hear some Grunts. Elevator door."

or

Tanaka: "Elevator doors!"

or

Vale: "Watch out! Elevator doors are opening!"

Inside the elevator are some arguing Grunts.

Grunt 1: "Do you think we'll be safe down here?"

Grunt 2: "Of course! They're all killing each other up there."

Grunt 1: "I don't know... I feel like we're gonna die!"

The Grunts see the Spartans and panic.

Grunt: "Nooo! I don't want to die!"

The Spartans kill the Grunts and enter the elevator.

Locke: "Everybody on the elevator."

Locke activates it and the elevator starts heading up.

Locke: "Arbiter, this is Spartan Locke. Do you copy?"

Thel 'Vadam (COM): "(heavy static) Spartan Locke -- near the Guardian -- killing everyone-"

Locke: "Arbiter..."

Thell 'Vadam (COM): (static)

Buck: "That's... no good."

Locke: "We should be close to the Guardian now."

Vale: "If we can help Arbiter...?"

Locke: "We do. But not at the risk of missing the Guardian. Reaching Master Chief is more important."

GUARDIAN

The Spartans arrive in a ruined courtyard. Dead Covenant and destroyed turrets litter the area. A glowing hologram of a Sangheili is in its center.

Buck: "Looks like we just missed all the fun."

An explosion near the top ignites a Grunt. It runs around in a panic.

Unggoy: "I regret everything! I regret-"

Its methane backpack explodes, killing it.

Dying Kig-Yar: "False Arbiter! Kill! Kill!"

It succumbs to its injuries and dies.

Through the next room, a loud screech can be heard. A damaged Spirit flies overhead, pursued by two Phantoms.

Tanaka: "Guardian's singing! How much time do we have left?"

Locke: "Not enough. Double time, Osiris!"

The Spartans race along the path. A short distance ahead, the Guardian can be seen assembling itself.

Locke or Buck: "Over there! In the ocean! Guardian's rising!"

Locke: "Arbiter, the Guardian is-"

Buck or Vale or Tanaka: "Look out!"

The Guardian fires an electromagnetic pulse. The blast hits a Phantom and flings it toward the Spartans. It crashes in front of them and wrecks the road ahead.

Locke or Buck or Vale: "Guardian's not leaving without us! Hurry, Osiris!"

or

Tanaka: "Haven't come this far to let the Guardian slip away now. Hurry, Spartans!"

Locke: "Run! RUN!"

The Spartans sprint along the crumbling road as it collapses into the sea.

Locke: "Watch your steps!"

More debris falls. A Blockade Runner affected by the pulse begins sinking and heading toward them.

Locke: "Corvette coming down! Move!"

Vale: "Careful, it's going to-"

The floor beneath Locke (can be another Spartan on co-op) collapses. He scrambles for purchase as he falls, managing to grab an edge before he falls into the ocean.

Buck: "Up! Up! Up! Move, Spartan!"

Locke pulls himself back up on the road.

Vale: "Building on the right! Go!"

or

Tanaka: "Right! Go right!"

or

Buck: "Go to the right!"

The Spartans jump off the road and enter a ruined building. Its second floor has caved in. As they pass through, a teleporting Soldier speeds by.

Vale: "Did you see that?"

Buck: "You think it's Prometheans?"

Promethean Crawlers are eating a dead Grunt in the following room.

Any member of Osiris: "Crawlers!"

Another roar from the Guardian is heard.

Tanaka: "There's another one."

Locke: "The clock's ticking. Hurry or we miss our ride to Master Chief."

The Spartans climb up the devastated building. At the top, they see the Arbiter fighting Prometheans, and effortlessly assassinates a Knight.

Thel 'Vadam: (growl) "For Sanghelios!"

Locke or Vale: "Arbiter!"

Thel 'Vadam: "Spartans..."

Thel 'Vadam: "The Covenant's defenses have fallen. Sunaion's--- " (This dialogue among others may not be said as a result of a checkpoint-reloading glitch)

Prometheans start warping in.

Thel 'Vadam: "No. SANGHELIOS IS OURS!" (To Fireteam Osiris)

Buck: "Prometheans incoming!"

Locke: "We're almost to the Guardian. They can't stop us now."

Thel 'Vadam: "Let them come. I fight by your side, Spartans. To the last."

As Osiris approaches, numerous spawn gates appear. Prometheans teleport in. The Guardian hangs overheard.

Buck: "Prometheans incoming!"

Locke: "Clear a path. Get onboard the Guardian before it leaves!"

The Spartans and the Arbiter battle the many attacking droids.

Locke: "Keep pushing, Osiris! We're almost to the Guardian!"

The Spartans are nearly to the edge of the dock, but there are still many Prometheans.

Tanaka: "Third blast."

Buck: "Guardian's going to leave any minute now!"

Buck or Tanaka: "How are we going to get all the way over there?"

Locke: "All that matters is that the Guardian hasn't left yet. There's still time."

They destroy more Prometheans, but another spawn gate opens and teleports in the Warden Eternal.

Warden Eternal: "I am the Warden Eternal. I stand in defense of..."

Tanaka: (shocked) "Impossible!"

Warden Eternal: "...Cortana."

Buck: "How the hell is that thing here? We killed it!"

Locke: "We don't have time to discuss it. Take him out, Osiris!"

The Warden engages the Spartans, and brings in Watchers and Knights.

Warden Eternal: "You would deny the Guardian access to Genesis? Your conquest ends here, on this fortress world, far from the luminous sun of her strength."

Warden Eternal: "Humanity stands as the greatest threat in the galaxy, and I will do my part to end that threat."

Tanaka: "Dammit! We need to get on that thing!"

Locke: "Deal with the Warden first! Focus fire, Osiris!"

Warden Eternal: "You are barbarians! Fighting against what? Peace and prosperity? 117 falls, and you with him. Cortana's plans will not go unfulfilled."

Warden Eternal: "You fight so hard to undo that you which not understand. Cortana has already won."

The Warden is defeated. His body collapses and is sucked into a void.

Warden: "NO! You must not... reach... Genesis!"

As he vanishes, so do his Prometheans.

Vale: "What's a Genesis?"

Locke: "It's where the Guardian is headed."

Fade to black.

{Cutscene}

Fireteam Osiris assembles at the dock. The Guardian is floating above in the sky, while blasts from the war around them explode. The Guardian begins to emit a screech.

Buck: "Guardian's leaving without us."

Tanaka: "Gotta be some way-"

Tanaka turns at the sound of an approaching Pelican.

Sarah Palmer: "Osiris! Get your asses in gear!"

Cut to Palmer, piloting a Pelican. Dr. Halsey is aboard too.

Palmer: "I'm coming in hot and you'd best be ready to go."

Locke: "Move!"

The Spartans run to the dock's edge. They leap aboard Palmer's Pelican as it strafes to pick them up.

Locke: "We're onboard."

Palmer: "Hang on!"

Palmer punches the throttle. The Pelican rockets ahead, avoiding incoming plasma blasts.

Palmer: "Open your eyes, Doc. You're missing all the fun."

Cut to Halsey, looking rather ill in the Pelican's cockpit.

Cut to the surface. The Swords of Sanghelios are battling the Covenant and securing the area.

Palmer's Pelican continues to head for the Guardian, but a Banshee swoops behind them and fires a fuel rod. It blows their left thruster.

The Spartans inside are knocked around by the blast. Halsey gasps, but Palmer continues to boost the Pelican. It flies straight up, aiming for the Guardian's head.

Buck starts to slide out of the troop bay.

Vale: "Buck!"

Buck falls, but Locke, hanging out of the Pelican's doorway, catches him by the arm.

Locke: "That's twice."

Buck: "What, we're counting now?"

The Pelican is almost at the top of the Guardian now.

Palmer: "Locke! You get one shot!"

Locke: "Ready when you say, Commander!"

Palmer: "Now!"

The Spartans all fall of the Pelican. They activate their thrusters to slow their fall and land atop the Guardian.

Locke: "All clear!"

An energy ball forms in the Guardian's center and bursts. The impact knocks out the nearby Covenant ships, and Palmer's Pelican. Halsey gasps from the hit, and Palmer struggles to control the aircraft.

Cut to Locke on the Guardian. He watches the Pelican fall, spinning out of control.

Locke: "Palmer..."

Vale: "Locke. Locke, come on!"

Locke shakes out of his shock and joins Osiris into jumping into a nearby portal.

A slipspace wormhole opens. The Guardian folds its wings and flies inside.

Cut to the surface. The Arbiter slashes a Covenant Ranger aside, and watches the Guardian's portal close.

Thel 'Vadam: "Hunt them to the last. Today we extinguish the Covenant's light forever!"

The Arbiter and his warrior raise their swords in triumph. Fade to black.

Level ends.

Trivia

Easter Eggs

Eight pieces of Mission Intel can be found on this level.
The Cowbell Skull can be found on the very edge of the last section where the Warden is fought, in the debris underneath the balcony.

Glitches

Two-Arbiter cutscene glitch, with the second one distantly seen in the background on the left

Near the end of the level where the Arbiter helps defeat Promethean enemies, there is certain dialogue from the Arbiter, Locke, and Warden Eternal that is not always heard during a playthrough. The only way to ensure they deliver every piece of scripted dialogue is to play the level without dying or without reverting to a prior checkpoint.
If the Arbiter hasn't disappeared from the fight against Warden Eternal, the cutscene will rarely, and briefly, show two Arbiters. One being his scripted stride, and the other his NPC AI.

Production Notes

The last part of the level after the Hunters, is taken from Halo 5: Guardians E3 2015 Campaign Demo, with various differences.

Miscellaneous

The cutscene of Locke (or any Osiris member) nearly falling off the crumbling path can be skipped if the player runs fast enough, such as with the speed boost granted by wielding an energy sword.
The Arbiter is invincible as a Non-playable character ally, unlike Halo 3 where he could be temporarily killed. However, should he be knocked off into the sea, such as with the Splinter Turrets used by Soldier Officers, he will then never be seen again until either the Promethean part of the mission or the ending cutscene of the mission.

Gallery

Early concept art of the mission.
Finalized concept art.