Reunion

Prev:	Evacuation
Next:	Swords of Sanghelios
Reunion
Game:	Halo 5: Guardians
Player:	John-117 (Blue Team)
Date:	October 26, 2558
Location:	Coral highlands, Genesis
Objective(s):	Investigate Genesis and find Cortana.
Par Time:	00:18:00
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This article is about the Halo 5: Guardians campaign level. For the Halo 5: Guardians Original Soundtrack music of the same name, see Reunion (music).

Template:Article Quote Reunion is the seventh campaign level of Halo 5: Guardians.

Completing the level on any difficulty grants the player the achievement "Together Again", worth 10 Gamerscore points. Destroying the Phantom at the Covenant camp on Heroic or Legendary difficulty grants the player the achievement "No Witnesses", worth 10 Gamerscore points.^[1] Traversing the canyon section without a Phaeton on Heroic or Legendary difficulty grants the player the achievement "Take a Hike", worth 10 Gamerscore points.

Transcript

{Cutscene}

Establishing shot of the UNSC Infinity, after Fireteam Osiris has escaped from Meridian.

Thomas Lasky: "There have been five more events following Meridian."

Cut to the Infinity's bridge. Lasky walks to meet with Sarah Palmer and Dr. Halsey, while accompanied by Jameson Locke.

Lasky: "That's eleven colonies. I need a means to stop this now."

Locke: "The Warden confirmed Doctor Halsey's theory: Cortana is reactivating the Guardians."

Locke and Lasky reach Halsey's computer, where she's projected images of the Guardian and an alien city.

Halsey: "But not this one. Not yet. Sunaion. A pre-Covenant religious site on Sanghelios."

Lasky: "There's a Guardian on the Elite homeworld?"

Palmer: "If we can get a team on the ground, we can access that Guardian."

Lasky: "Sanghelios is off limits. The brass wants nothing to do with Arbiter's war."

Roland's hologram appears behind them.

Roland: "That's because they haven't heard my great idea."

Roland claps his hands. A projection of a sound wave plays above his desk. It then transforms into eight sets of four digit numbers, and Forerunner symbols below them.

Roland: "That noise is an encoded numerical pattern. Paired quantum phase sets. Slipspace coordinates for a Forerunner map."

Palmer: "If Locke's team could feed the Guardian the coordinates recorded on Meridian, it would take them to the same place Cortana took the Master Chief."

Palmer looks at Lasky while he ponders.

Palmer: "Tom. We can stop this."

Lasky stays silent, thinking it over.

Locke: "But it means going to Sanghelios."

Lasky mulls over their words, then steps out.

Lasky: "I'll make arrangements."

Lasky walks off the bridge, looking worried. Fade to black.

Fade in on an establishing shot of a green and blue planet. Cut to its surface, where the Guardian from Meridian has parked. Blue Team's Spartans have stepped off it to a platform leading to a building ahead.

Cut to the Spartans on the platform. As they walk towards the doorway, a pulse flashes behind them. They turn to see another Guardian exiting a slipspace portal.

Kelly-087: "There's another one."

The Spartans watch the Guardian assemble itself, and Frederic-104 looks at John-117.

Fred: "What's Cortana up to, Chief? Why'd she bring us here?"

John looks back at Fred.

John: "Let's keep moving."

He turns and walks, and the Spartans follow him.

WAR WAS IN THE GATES

{Gameplay}

Fred: "Where are we?"

Kelly: "No comm traffic on any band. No long-range uplinks at all."

Linda-058: "Long way from nowhere then."

John: "We were brought to this location for a reason. Search ahead."

If the player stalls:

Kelly: "We should move. We aren't going to find any answers standing here."

The Spartans head forward into the Forerunner facility ahead. As Blue Team heads up the ramp leading into the structure, a Forerunner console assembles itself ahead of them.

Any member of Blue Team: "Console lit up as I approached."

The console has a hologram of four circles in an upside triangle pattern. It plays a sound familiar to the Spartans - Oly Oly Oxen Free.

Kelly or Fred: "What was that? It came from the console."

Fred: "How many years has it been since we used that signal?"

John: "Access the console. It's Cortana."

The player extends a hand, hesitant, then drags the lowest circle in the center circle. The console flashes then descends back into the floor from where it assembled. The platform the Chief and Blue Team are standing on moves downward towards the path on the other side of the structure. At the same time a large, circular Forerunner building visible through the window in front starts to activate.

John: "Cortana. Cortana, do you read me?"

There is no answer.

Kelly: "No response."

The lift continues downward and eventually stops at the start of a grass covered path leading ahead.

Kelly: "What is this place?"

Linda: "Forerunner planet. Beyond that, who knows."

John: "Wherever we are, Cortana brought us here. She's out there somewhere."

Fred: "Chief, back on Meridian - there was a lot of destruction. There were civilians."

John: "I know."

Kelly: "She may not have known what would happen."

Linda: "And if she did?"

John: "We'll learn what's going on when we find her."

The Spartans head down the path ahead. There are many strange plants and rock structures surrounding them, as well as alien animals.

Kelly: "This place is incredible."

Fred: "Gives me the creeps."

Linda: "Bio-readings are unlike anything we've previously recorded. There's a formalness and precision to it all. It seems...artificial, but still organic."

Kelly: "Halsey would have already started taking samples."

Fred: "She'd have probably figured out the exact coordinates of this planet by now."

Blue Team continues to head along the path, passing a cliff edge. The circular building can still be seen dimly active nearby.

Kelly: "Accessing that console activated that large structure. Given the signal we heard, do you think she's over there?"

John: "Possible."

A dead Grunt, Jeem Ribfi, is on a fork in the path. If the player encounters his dead body.

John: "Dead Grunt. What are Covenant doing here? Stay alert."

Or if another character approaches it.

Fred or Kelly: "There's a dead Grunt here. What the hell are the Covenant doing here?"

John: "Stay alert."

The Spartans proceed ahead to a ledge blocking their view of the canyon below. As they do so, they can hear the voices of Grunts and Elites.

Sangheili: "This is the land promised by the Prophets!"

If the player encountered the dead Grunt:

Fred: "There's the rest of the Covenant."

If the player did not encounter the dead Grunt:

Fred: "Sounds like an Elite. What the hell are the Covenant doing here?"

John: "Ready up Blue Team."

Sangheili: "Search the area! Return word of any more survivors!"

Unggoy: "Are we dead? Is this the end of the world?!"

Sangheili: "Stop sniveling and move!"

If the Covenant spot the player.

Sangheili: "The Demon has come!"

Unggoy: "What are humans doing here?!"

Blue Team eliminates all hostiles.

Any member of Blue Team: "All clear."

Linda: "What are the Covenant doing here?"

Kelly: "They seem confused. I don't think they've been here long."

The Spartans proceed into the next canyon, where more Covenant await. A Phantom is dropping off reinforcements.

John: "More hostiles. Ready up."

Sometimes if the player stalls.

Kelly: "I'm curious. I never worked with an AI before. Not like you did with Cortana at least. What's it like, her voice in your head all of the time?"

John: "It's... unique."

Kelly: "Care to elaborate?"

John: "No."

The Phantom flies away as Blue Team attacks. They clear the canyon then head into a tunnel where more Covenant have taken position.

Sangheili: "Form up! We must not allow the humans to tread in the holy land!"

If the player stalls.

Fred: "We should move on. Don't want any Covenant patrols getting the drop on us."

More Covenant are further in the tunnel.

Unggoy 1: "We going inside yet?"

Unggoy 2: "No. Stupid shield is still in the way."

When they see the player.

Unggoy: "The Demon! Run!"

Blue Team exits the tunnel. They see another Forerunner gate at the top of the hill.

Any member of Blue Team: "There's a Forerunner facility here."

Fred: "Covenant seem to think it should belong to them."

John: "Break through their line."

The Spartans engage the Covenant, who have set up Shade turrets at the gate.

Sangheili: "Drive the humans back! This temple is ours!"

Blue Team reaches the top of the hill. An energy shield blocks further passage.

Any member of Blue Team: "The path is shielded."

When the Covenant troops are defeated, the shield disappears.

Any member of Blue Team: "Area clear. Move up."

Any member of Blue Team: "The shield lowered when the last of the Covenant dropped."

Fred: "Almost like someone was trying to keep the Covenant out."

Linda: "But not us."

Kelly: "Assuming we're right and Cortana is on this planet, how did she get here?"

John: "The Didact's ship was pulled into slipspace. It could have ended up anywhere."

If the player stalls.

John: "Blue Team, let's move."

Sometimes, if the player stalls further.

Fred: "So, the new kids."

John: "The Spartans on Meridian?"

Fred: "Yeah. They look like the real deal to you?"

John: "As I said. They were Spartans."

The Spartans head into the temple. Inside another console appears, which also whistles Oly Oly Oxen Free.

Any member of Blue Team: "The signal again."

Kelly: "Activate the console?"

John: "Seems like we're supposed to."

If the player stalls.

John: "Access that console and see where it leads."

The player touches the console's hologram, this time dragging the right circle into the middle one. The console folds into the elevator, which lifts Blue Team down its tunnel. The circular building in the distance begins spinning faster.

Any member of Blue Team: "More activity around the large structure."

The Gateway partially activated by Blue Team.

Linda: "Chief, what's happening to that building when we use these consoles?"

John: "I don't know."

Fred: "Too bad the Forerunners didn't think to leave a manual."

Kelly: "If that signal is Cortana, she's leading us to the consoles."

Fred: "She hasn't proven the most reliable guide recently."

John: "We keep going. We find out what's happening."

The elevator stops at a tunnel leading to the outside. Blue Team reaches the edge of a chasm. As they exit, another slipspace portal bearing a Guardian appears.

Any member of Blue Team: "It's another one of those..."

Kelly: "I wonder... have the Covenant been coming through with them?"

Linda: "Stands to reason. Any ships caught in the slipspace bubble would be pulled through."

If the player stalls.

John: "Our destination is across this bridge. Let's go."

A light bridge appears to ford the chasm.

Any member of Blue Team: "Light bridge activated on approach."

Kelly: "We're definitely being led somewhere."

Fade to black.

{Cutscene}

The Spartans cross the light bridge to the other side, reaching a threshold leading to a canyon path. They look around cautiously.

The light bridge deactivates behind them. The Spartans watch it fade away, until Fred turns to look down the path.

Fred: "Chief. Look."

The Spartans turn and see a dead Jackal. They walk over to inspect its body.

Blue Team encountering Covenant corpses.

Kelly: "What did this?"

The Spartans look ahead, and see more dead Covenant littering the path.

Cut to a bird's eye view of the Spartans heading down the canyon amid the corpses, including dead Hunters. They keep their guns at the ready. Fred steps over a Jackal while Linda watches their back with her sniper rifle.

The Spartans round a corner and reach a door marking the end of the path. It appears to be closed, for now.

A mechanical body steps out in front of the door. It is the Warden Eternal. The Spartans level their guns at him.

John: "Identify yourself."

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

John: "She called me to her."

Warden: "And you came scampering."

The Warden steps toward John, towering over him. The other Spartans step back to surround the Warden, but he only watches John.

Warden: "She knows your forgotten name. Who you were before you were 117."

John lowers his assault rifle a bit, struck by his claim.

Warden: "Do you find it odd, your trusted companion should keep so much to herself?"

John: "Take me to Cortana."

Warden: "Not just yet."

The Warden vanishes into a slipspace portal.

Warden: "Come. Let us talk some more."

The door behind Warden opens. The Spartans head inside, and it slowly shuts behind them.

THE MANTLE OF RESPONSIBILITY

{Gameplay}

Blue Team arrives in a long empty tunnel. The Warden is nowhere to be seen but his voice still emanates through the tunnel.

Warden: "You answered her call. Why? What do you intend when you reach her? Shall I begin? When you see her, you intend to..."

John: "I've come to bring her home."

Warden: "If you understood what she has become, you would not speak of such juvenile concepts as home."

As Blue Team progresses through the caverns, Promethean constructs, including a Soldier Sniper with a binary rifle, warp in to attack them.

Warden: "Your trust in one another is an innocent folly. But one which darkens her true promise."

John: "Where. Is. She."

Blue Team encounters more Soldiers further in, including Officers wielding splinter turrets.

Warden: "I shall spare her the inevitable suffering of your betrayal and end you now. The Mantle of Responsibility belongs to Cortana and the other Created. I shall see it remains forever beyond your grasp."

When the Soldiers are defeated.

John: "All clear."

If the player stalls.

Fred: "We should keep moving."

Blue Team exits the caverns to reach a large valley battlefield. Dozens of Promethean enemies warp in, including the Warden.

Warden: "Your time has passed, Warrior-Servant. Your battle fought and done."

Warden: "The sun has set on the age of humanity, the Covenant, and your petty combats."

Warden: "You fight for a world already lost."

Warden: "Cortana's future is assured. Yours... is over."

Eventually, all the Warden's contructs and himself are defeated.

Cortana (COM): "Chief? Hello?"

John: "Cortana!"

Cortana: "John! You made it! Oh my- I- I can't believe you're here."

John: "Where are we?"

Cortana (COM): "You're on a Forerunner world. Designation: Genesis."

A third Forerunner temple is on the other side of a chasm. The valley shakes as a light bridge connects the two.

Cortana (COM): "Enough standing around. Let me get the bridge for you. The Warden will be back soon."

John: "You know him?"

Cortana (COM): "Oh yes. Fair warning: he has a single mind, but a few million bodies."

Linda: "Chief said you were destroyed."

Cortana (COM): "After I saw John last, I was pulled into slipspace. That's where I found access to the Domain -- a Forerunner system that spans the known galaxy."

Kelly: "How are you still active? Rampancy-"

Cortana (COM): "Entering the Domain... touching this place... it cured me. It's like the water of life for AIs."

John: "How do we get to you?"

Cortana (COM): "By accessing the Gateway, the big building putting on a light show."

The Spartans enter the temple. Another console lights up in front of them.

Cortana (COM): "You already triggered most of its activation sequence, just like I knew you would. Just one more to go."

Randomly, if the player stalls.

Cortana (COM): "Chief, you're so close to where I am. Come on!"

The player touches the console and drags the last symbol to the center.

John: "Cortana. Why does the Warden think he needs to protect you from me?"

Cortana (COM): "There's so much to explain. It'll be easier when we're face to face."

The console folds into the floor and the room lowers to bring the Spartans back to the entrance. The Gateway building spins faster and fires a beam into the sky, opening a portal of sorts.

John: "Try me."

Cortana (COM): "The cure for rampancy I've found means AIs can be immortal. That kind of lifespan allows for long-term planning just like the Forerunners were capable of. AIs can assume the Forerunners' Mantle of Responsibility. And once there is peace, we can focus on poverty, hunger, illness... But Warden believes some will resist our help. And he's afraid you're one of them."

Fred: "Sounds great. I don't get why anyone's expecting resistance."

A door opens to a cave system leading to the Gateway. The Spartans cross the light bridge into the caves.

John: "The Didact made it clear the Mantle of Responsibility was an imperial peace. Step out of line, and suffer."

Cortana (COM): "It won't be like that, John. I'll explain it better once we're together."

The caves have two Phaetons parked by the door, and a path leading further inside.

Cortana (COM): "The Gateway is on the other side of these canyons. The Warden is sending troops to stop you. You can fly these Phaetons across the canyon, or take footpaths to reach the other side."

John: "Alright Blue Team. Let's go."

If the player stalls.

Cortana (COM): "Hop in those Phaetons, or take the footpaths across the canyons. You're so close to me now, Chief."

If a player enters a Phaeton.

Cortana (COM): "The controls for these Phaetons should be fairly intuitive."

John: "As Forerunner systems go."

Cortana (COM): "You'll figure them out."

Cortana (COM): "The Phaeton's gun can clear a path if you find a weak spot in the walls."

Inside the caves are many Focus Turrets and Prometheans, most of which are Soldiers.

Cortana (COM): "Nice flying. You're starting to get the hang of this."

Fred: "We've commandeered more than one enemy vehicle in our time."

If the Spartans stall. This line is repeated.

Cortana (COM): "The Gateway is just ahead. Keep moving, Chief!"

If every Focus Turret is destroyed.

Cortana (COM): "All turrets down. Nice shooting."

The Spartans reach a man cannon pointing to the cave's exit.

Cortana (COM): "The exit is just ahead."

Kelly: "Is that where the Gateway is?"

Cortana (COM): "Yes. Almost there."

The Spartans cross the chasm and reach the Gateway's courtyard.

Any member of Blue Team: "There it is."

Cortana (COM): "The Gateway to the Forerunner Domain. You'll be the first organics to enter since the fall of the Forerunners. I admit, after the crash here, I didn't think I'd see you again."

John: "I'm here now."

{Cutscene}

Bird's eye view of Spartan Blue Team as they walk through the Gateway's courtyard. The structure is active and creating an enormous portal in the sky.

Trivia

Easter eggs

Seven pieces of Mission Intel can be found on the level.
The Grunt Birthday Party skull can be found on this level. At the site where the player first encounters live Covenant, look for a path to the right leading to a small cliff over Genesis' chasm. Seated there is a lone Grunt (can be any type except the Ranger) singing and admiring the skull in its hand. Approaching it gives the player prompt to kick the Grunt off the cliff, letting them take the skull.^[2]
There are four special weapons found in this mission:
- Talon of the Lost Needler: when you encounter the second group of Covenant, climb the rocks on the right. The Needler is hidden below the ledge where fuel rod cannons in a weapon crate are.
- Pool of Radiance Fuel Rod Cannon: before crossing the light bridge that will trigger the second cutscene, climb the rocks on the left. You will find the weapon against the cliff wall at the back.
- River of Light Incineration Cannon: found in the valley where the Warden is fought, hidden in a crevice on the far end and in the right wall.
- Twin Jewels of Maethrillian Binary Rifle: found in the caves where Cortana leads the Spartans of Blue Team to the Gateway. It is on top of the largest rock pillar on the left path, on the opposite side from where the Phaetons are parked.
The Fog skull can be found at the very end of the level. Instead of going to the Gateway, take the path to the right and head to a small Forerunner balcony, where the skull will be left there.

Mistakes

During the beginning of the cutscene, Lasky's rank badge on his right pauldron is that of a Commander, while Lasky's rank was actually Captain.
NPC members of Blue Team do not accompany the player(s) on the elevators, instead staying behind and then respawning on them.
The Grunt with the Grunt Birthday Party skull may continue singing when kicked off the cliff, despite being scripted to scream.
If the player kills the Grunt with the skull conventionally, the "Punt" prompt will still be there. Clicking will have the player kick at nothing.
John's line of "Blue Team, let's move." incorrectly has "Blue Team" capitalized as "Blue team" in the subtitles.
Any weapons that Blue Team has been ordered to carry during the first half of the level will disappear during the Warden Eternal cutscene and be replaced with M6H2 magnums once the second half of the level starts.
The Warden's line "I shall spare her the inevitable suffering of your betrayal and end you now." incorrectly reads as "I shall spare Cortana the inevitable suffering of your betrayal and end you now." in the subtitles.
When speaking with Cortana after the Warden boss fight, John says "Where are we?" but the subtitles read "Where is here?".
Even if Score Attack is enabled, the last cutscene will still play regardless but can be skipped like with any other cutscene.

Miscellaneous

UNSC vehicles, including the Mongoose, were originally planned to be included in this mission (look closely at the image behind and to the left of John).