Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn: Prelude

Prelude is a short prologue to Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn that is available on the DVD and Special Edition versions of the series. It introduces the six main cadets of Hastati Squad, utilizing segments of the "Enlist" and "Squad" promotional shorts, as well as the character interviews, and other lines not heard elsewhere.

Transcript

Fades in to Thomas Lasky sitting anxiously on a chair as a barber throws a piece of black cloth over him. Cuts to Michael Sullivan in the same situation, followed by Walter Vickers.

• Thomas Lasky (voiceover): "This is a military academy. They're, uh, teaching us how to fight."

An ODST is standing at attention in a room. Cuts to a squad of geared up Cadets marches across Corbulo Academy's campus. Scene switches back to the ODST briefly, before cutting back to Lasky, whose hair is now being shaved off.

• Thomas Lasky (voiceover): "My old brother, he trained here. You know, he was quite popular. He was, y'know, a whole lot of the teachers' favorites..."

Cuts to Sullivan as his hair is being shaved off.

• Michael Sullivan (voiceover): "There are times I do get lonely, but I made a couple friends..."

Cuts to Vickers' grim expression as his hair is being shaved off. Cuts to his hair landing on the floor.

• Walter Vickers (voiceover): "Socially, I don't know, I don't think I fit in all-all-all too well."

Vickers' hair lands on the floor. Cut to Hastati Squad, geared up, advancing through a darkened training room. They simultaneously drop to the ground, simulating taking cover.

Cut to Lasky in his Corbulo dress uniform, speaking to the camera.

• Lasky: "My name is Thomas Lasky, and I'm, uh, a cadet... freshman."

Cuts to Lasky standing in a row with the rest of his squad. April Orenski moves down the line, inspecting them.

• Lasky (voiceover): "The academy is tough in itself. It's such a strict and hostile environment. We're trying to learn how to go into battle and essentially kill somebody..."

Closeup of Lasky's face. Cut to Sullivan, wearing his dress uniform, speaking to the camera.

• Sullivan: "My name is Michael Sullivan, and I am a freshman cadet."

Cuts to Sullivan in the line. Closeup of his face. Cut back to Sully in the interview.

• Sullivan: "We're training to fight Insurrectionists."

Cuts to a shot of an adult Marine with facial hair.

• Sullivan (voiceover): "I guess I'm following the footsteps of my dad. At least I think so. I've never met him."

Camera pans down the line to Vickers.

• Vickers (voiceover): "My father is a chief financial adviser at Misriah Weapons. I was always suppose to come here."

Cut to Vickers in the interview room.

• Vickers: "It was always something that... it'd been planned for me."

Cuts back to Hastati squad lined up.

• Vickers (voiceover): "Walter Vickers. Freshman cadet."

• April Orenski: "My name is April Orenski. I'm a senior cadet, I'm the squad leader for Hastati Squad."

• Orenski (voiceover): "I was really looking forward to a place where I can serve the UNSC. And Corbulo Academy is the best."

• Junjie Chen: "I'm so new to everything... Y'know, I wasn't raised in this kind of environment, so I'm still trying to... I'm-I'm trying to fit in."

• Chen (voiceover): "My name is Junjie Chen. I'm a Freshman cadet."

• Chyler Silva: "I'm Chyler Silva and I'm a Freshmen cadet at Corbulo Academy of Military Science."

• Silva (voiceover): "I sorta always knew that I wanted to be military. My mom taught me how to hold a rifle when I was ten."

• Dimah Tchakova (voiceover): "This training... it's-it's part of who I'm about to become. I have to do what I have to do to get ahead in life."

• Tchakova: "My name is Dimah Tchakova. I'm Freshman cadet."

• Sullivan (voiceover): "It's been kind of hard but I think structure..."

• Sullivan: "...guides people."

• Vickers (voiceover): "I think it's hard, but too severe?"

• Vickers: "No. I don't think it's too severe."

• Vickers (voiceover): "If anything it's not severe enough and I don't think we're winning. And I think we need to do everything possible to win."

• Silva (voiceover): "It's not a game. It's training for life. I need to be good at this because I believe in this war."

• Lasky (voiceover): "I'm starting to think that we could sort these things out without going into battle and killing innocent people. I can't really say stuff like that at this school, because people kinda laugh at me, and they kinda bully me a bit."

• Vickers (voiceover): "What do I think of the Insurrectionists? I think they're selfish. You don't kill people who aren't even fighting. It's not right."

• Silva (voiceover): "I grew up around a lot of Innie violence, and not just violence towards military targets. Civilians where I lived really had to learn how to protect themselves."

• Orenski (voiceover): "Being a squad leader means I am their leader. I'm responsible for them. They call me 'the Robot' behind my back, but I don't mind. I'm proud to do things the Corbulo way. The UNSC way."

• Vickers (voiceover): "I don't think we're supposed to fit in or necessarily make friends, as long as we work together and we work hard and we do what we're supposed to do; in that sense I fell like I fit in great. I feel like I'm meant to be here."

• Lasky (voiceover): "My brother always thought I'd be a good soldier."

• Silva (voiceover): "Being a soldier isn't about mindless violence. You need a clear head, and given the Insurrectionists, killing is part of that."

• Sullivan (voiceover): "Would I be able to take another life?"

• Vickers (voiceover): "Yeah. I'd be able to kill. After all it's kill or be killed."

Cuts to Lasky as he feels the back of his shaven head.

• Thomas Lasky (voiceover): "I don't really feel like I'm ready to go into battle."

Cuts to one of the UNSC cadets. He turns, and reveals himself to be Lasky. Cuts back to Lasky, after having his head shaven.

• Thomas Lasky (voiceover): "I don't think I could kill another human being. Ever."

Cuts to black.