Halo: Venezian Sonata is a short story in the Halo Waypoint Chronicle series, released on September 23, 2024. The story focuses on an operation led by Veronica Dare on Venezia. The story was released to celebrate the fifteenth anniversary of the release of Halo 3: ODST, and as such focuses on some of the characters of Alpha-Nine featured in that game.[1]
Official summary
| “ | September 2559. Captain Veronica Dare is deployed to Venezia on a reconnaissance mission to investigate the emergence of a potential new threat. | ” |
Plot summary
Veronica Dare receives a classified transmission from a source codenamed "Moneybags"—Zef 'Trahl—with a lead regarding rogue elements on the planet Sqala. The source informs Dare of a new tower in New Tyne, owned by a powerful figure. The tower is still under construction but operational, making it an important target.
Dare takes note of the tower's location. Zef advises her to inform Captain Thomas Lasky about the limited time to act, assuring her that her absence won’t affect the larger operation on Sovolanu. Dare hints at her curiosity about how Zef knows so much but keeps it lighthearted, acknowledging their ongoing partnership. Zef promises that the mission will be productive, with his contact securing Dare's entry into the tower's visitor area, leaving the rest of the mission to her.
On September 22, 2559 at 1300 hours aboard UNSC Infinity, Veronica Dare informs Edward Buck that she has a mission. Buck immediately assumes it's a team mission and offers to gather the rest of the squad. However, Dare reveals that it's a solo mission, and she intends to go in alone.
Buck expresses his concern, reminding her that the mission is on Venezia. He insists that she needs backup and offers to accompany her, fearing the risk of capture. Dare, however, says it's only a reconnaissance mission, and she’ll be gone for just a day. Despite Buck's persistent urging, Dare stands firm, citing orders as her reason for refusing his help.
The wife reminds the husband of his maverick nature, so she gives him a direct order not to deploy to Venezia or interfere with her mission. Buck reluctantly agrees, though Roland, the AI recording the conversation, notes with an 87% probability that Buck's compliance is likely disingenuous.
Before departing, Dare reassures Buck that she’ll be back soon. She kisses him and leaves to prepare for her deployment, while Buck, left behind, mutters a phrase, seeing the situation as an opportunity in disguise.
Eight hours later, Dare navigates precarious skyscraper heights in New Tyne despite her fear of heights. Reaching a level under construction, Dare takes in the unfinished tower's split structure. The bare skeleton disappears into the stormy clouds above as rain and thunder envelop the city. Her helmet's VISR outlines the surrounding structures, offering some comfort as she maneuvers across scaffolding and unstable boards connecting the super rungs. The airspace around her is mostly clear, save for a Phantom dropship circling nearby. Though she remains uncertain whether the vessel poses a threat, the proximity of its whine unnerves her.
The metropolis, a melting pot of humans and former Covenant species like the Sangheili, Jiralhanae, and Kig-Yar, lies 2,000 feet below her, obscured by torrential rain. Though New Tyne resembles New Mombasa or Noctus, its unique position as an independent colony—inhabited by those who rejected the United Nations Space Command—creates a fragile peace. The colony is dominated by a militia loyal to the Keepers of the One Freedom, a Covenant remnant group now allied with the Banished. The complex web of alliances and grudges means the line between "friend" and "foe" is perpetually blurred, yet life continues undisturbed.
Venezia's relative peace, free from Cortana's Created regime, allows its criminal underworld to thrive. As these factions grow bolder, the Office of Naval Intelligence's attention falls on them, leading Dare to her current mission. Earlier, she met with Zef's contact, an eccentric Kig-Yar named Ke'jah, who runs a colonywide transport business. Using a Ren shuttlecraft, once used by Covenant Ministers, she easily identified the tower, its design reminiscent of a vertical Halberd-class destroyer. Ke'jah, creating a diversion at the entrance by pretending to misplace construction workers, provides Dare the distraction she needs to slip inside and use a grappleshot to ascend the tower.
Dare descends a few levels, following a set of cylindrical shafts, and finds a small opening. Settling into a concealed position, she activates her AN/PED-560 Vedette drone controller. The drone, affectionately named “Eddie,” detaches from her wrist and hovers above her head. Originally a rangefinder and target designator, Eddie has been modified into a surveillance tool, ideal for hostile missions like this. After checking for any input-response delay, Dare sends Eddie into the shaft to begin her reconnaissance.
Callie Calder, age 15, lives on the rural plains outside New Tyne, enduring a long daily commute to the city's education center. Recently, her father has been mysteriously absent and her mother seems withdrawn. Despite sensing something wrong, Callie resumes her routine, helping with farm chores during the summer. However, on her first day back to school, the maglev train she's on suddenly stops, and she hears the driver's voice over the intercom, explaining the delay. As the train stalls, Venezian militia board, checking IDs. Callie is confused when she’s told to accompany them after showing her identification. She's removed from the train with several others, and soon, a black bag is placed over her head, plunging her into silence.
Callie wakes up in a small, sterile cell containing only basic amenities. With no visitors or means of communication, she begins to worry about her family, imagining how they must be frantic over her disappearance. As her anxiety deepens, the cell door unlocks, and an armored figure orders her to fall in line. She sees others like her—some younger, some older—being directed through a corridor. They are led into a corporate-style amphitheater where an alien, with unusual facial features and dressed in a courier's uniform, stands on a dais. Guards line the room and the windows are tinted, leaving Callie trapped.
The alien speaker coldly explains that the youth in the room are there because their families owe debts they can't repay and they are now the “insurance policy”—to be trained as weapons, taking contracts to pay off the debts. Each job will send a percentage of their earnings toward repayment, with the amount depending on their performance. Failures will increase their debt. Callie is stunned—her family’s financial troubles have resulted in her being essentially sold into this life, and she is now responsible for repaying their debt.
The alien dismisses the group after announcing that they will begin training, and that their lives as they knew them are over. Callie's mind reels, struggling to grasp her new reality. As she scans the room, she notices small movement inside a ceiling pipe, catching a glint of light. A metallic rattle follows, suggesting something—or someone—is hiding. Two guards seem to notice it too, speaking into their comms. Despite this fleeting mystery, Callie knows it offers no help. The murmurs around her grow as others either sit in shock or begin steeling themselves for what’s ahead. She realizes she must either sink or swim in this terrible new world.
Dare, on the unfinished rooftop, navigates a precarious situation, trying to determine if she’s been compromised; a glitch in her drone’s control caused it to bump into a pipe wall, and Dare decides it's time to exfiltrate. Climbing back up the scaffolding, she considers the consequences of her mission and the fate of the children she observed, knowing the UNSC’s focus is on stopping Cortana. Infinity's upcoming Operation: WOLFE leaves no room for intervention for her, especially since a conflict with Venezia would be an undesirable outcome.
Dare moves to the building's edge, readying her grappleshot to find an escape route. However, she’s interrupted by a voice addressing her as "Captain Dare." She spins and aims her Mk50 at a Yonhet named M'raad, whose rasping voice and appearance confirm he's the one who had been speaking at the amphitheater. M'raad, with his pale skin and sharp teeth, comments on the opportunities created by the Covenant's fragmentation and the war between factions. He casually refers to the "merchandise" Dare is investigating—the children being conscripted as mercenaries to pay off family debts.
M'raad's confidence grows as his guards surround Dare, but she remains unfazed, hinting at the UNSC's potential response to his activities. M'raad mocks the UNSC's current state, likening them to the fallen Covenant, with resources stretched thin and protection failing. A Phantom dropship suddenly appears behind Dare, and the Yonhet sees it as his opportunity to capture her. However, the arrival of two Spartans—Dutch and Gretchen Ketola—changes the balance of power. Armed and ready, they tip the odds in Dare’s favor.
As Dare and the Spartans make their way toward the Phantom, M'raad, sensing the shift, allows them to leave without resistance, confident that the UNSC will eventually do business with him. Once inside the Phantom, Dare questions Dutch and Gretchen’s presence, learning that Buck, though ordered to stay out of the mission, found a loophole allowing his teammates to intervene. Gretchen, amused, relays Buck's message, and Dare reluctantly acknowledges that their intervention likely saved her life.
Reflecting on the mission, Dare begins to record her report on Operation: SONATA. She details how the Yonhet broker M'raad is turning children into mercenaries for multiple factions, likening the situation to the Ottoman Empire's historical Janissary system. She knows this discovery is just the beginning of many new challenges the UNSC will face, with echoes of history repeating themselves, and this time, ONI might be on the receiving end of such brutal tactics.
One week later, Adam Andrews, in his private log, makes a quick personal note to pick up parmesan for dinner, as his husband is preparing a family Bolognese recipe. Shifting to his work, he reports making contact with several groups on Venezia, with one promising lead. Nor Fel, a member of a clearing house crew, assures him that they can acquire the necessary resources, but it will take time. Meanwhile, Adam focuses on stabilizing the Waverly compounds, though supplies are running dangerously low. Despite this, he feels a breakthrough is close.
Adam has also received word that the New Colonial Alliance has increased raids in the Outer Colonies, including a Cygnus attack a few weeks ago. These forces are now flying Banished colors, signaling an escalation in their aggression. He believes this intensifies the importance of their work, as the UNSC is no longer capable of fully protecting these vulnerable areas and the Created's interventions are too reckless.
In his view, the UNSC's supersoldier monopoly can no longer be justified. Optican, his organization, spans multiple colonies and entire sectors, and Adam is determined to give these regions the tools to defend themselves. Where there is a need, Optican will step in and provide support.
Appearances
Gallery
Halo 5: Guardians concept art used in the story to depict Dare's preparations to depart Infinity.
Sources
- ^ Halo Waypoint, Canon Fodder - Decennial Delights (Retrieved on Sep 17, 2024) [archive]
External links
- Halo: Venezian Sonata - The official Waypoint post in which the short story was released for free.
- Official Halo: Venezian Sonata PDF - The PDF of the short story released on Halo Waypoint (Archived copy).
- Halo: Venezian Sonata | Audiobook - The audiobook narrated by Alex Wakeford.
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