Reclaimer

Reclaimer is the fifth campaign level of Halo 4. Completing the mission on any difficulty unlocks the Reclaimer achievement. The Mortardom achievement is awarded for hijacking a Wraith and using it to destroy at least four enemy Wraiths in the level on Heroic or harder.

Transcript

{Cutscene}

Fade from black. Captain Del Rio surveys Requiem's surface from the window of Infinity's bridge. Two Broadsword fighters pass overhead, disappearing along the horizon. He gazes around the bridge before walking over to the holodeck. The hologram depicts a Pelican flying through a desert canyon. Del Rio proceeds to address the ground teams.

• Andrew Del Rio: "Infinity to Gypsy Company."

Cut to Gypsy Company's Pelicans, flying through the canyon.

• Del Rio (COM): "The air corridor to the gravity well is blocked by a network of particle cannons."

Scene transitions to the interior of the Pelican. The Master Chief, marines and two Spartan-IVs observe a holographic display of Del Rio as he speaks.

• Del Rio (COM): "Infinity's shields are still down. Open the lane for us to move up and provide air support."

• John-117: "Captain, what's Force Recon's assessment of the terrain?"

• Del Rio (COM): (annoyed) "I know you've been off the field for awhile, Master Chief, but this is a blowthrough op. Sending in recon would just slow us down."

An image of a particle cannon appears next to Del Rio.

• Del Rio (COM): "Telemetry indicates that the particle cannons are being controlled from a command post southwest of our position. Roll on that target, and neutralize those guns. We'll meet on the other side and take the gravity well. Infinity out."

Del Rio ends the transmission.

• Cortana: "I don't know about you, but I usually like a little more 'intel' with my intel…"

• John-117: "We'll make it work."

John prepares to leave the Pelican.

The Pelican prepares to land, and John turns to the door as it opens. The marines and Spartan-IVs form-up behind him.

{Gameplay}

• Sarah Palmer (COM): "Chief; Spartan Sarah Palmer in Infinity CIC. Commander Lasky's waiting for you on the Mammoth."

• John-117: "On our way."

Making his way through the tunnel, the Mammoth towers overhead.

• Cortana: "Well. Someone's overcompensating."

SIZE MATTERS

• Pilot (COM): "Papa Foxtrot Seven Six Six to Spartan Palmer, we're finally in the air."

John proceeds to board the Mammoth and finds Lasky at the fore of the vehicle on the uppermost level.

• Lasky: "Chief. Unfortunately for us, we've got to manually bring down a couple of the particle cannons before we can get to the command post."

• Palmer (COM): "Chief, Palmer again. The Mammoth's got jetpacks onboard. If I were down there, I'd want one."

The Chief grabs a jetpack near the aft section of the Mammoth.

• Del Rio (COM): "Gypsy Company, this is Captain Del Rio. The board is green. Let's shut that gravity well so we can go home. Good hunting. Infinity out."

The Mammoth begins to move.

• Lasky (COM): "Okay, Gypsy, time to work for it. Let's shake some dirt."

The Mammoth travels along the side of a sheer cliff. Three Pelicans fly just ahead of the Mammoth.

• Palmer (COM): "Captain Del Rio, targeting Pelicans are in position near the particle cannons, waiting for the Mammoth's Mini-MAC to take them out."

• Palmer (COM): "Seven Six Six, lose some altitude. You're inside the kill box!"

• Pilot (COM): "Almost got target lock. Just a little more..."

The Mammoth rounds the bend. A large Forerunner construct floats in the distance. The particle cannon begins to initiate the firing sequence.

• Palmer (COM): "Pelican! Fall back!"

The cannon fires. Two Pelicans are instantly vaporized, while the third goes down in flames from a glancing blow.

• Lasky (COM): "Infinity! Pelicans down!"

• Del Rio (COM): "Get to the crash site and retrieve that target designator, Gypsy. You've got no chance of clearing those guns without it."

• Lasky (COM): "All teams, we've got Covenant squads digging in on the ridgeline. Weapons free, people."

John defends the Mammoth using its mounted rocket launcher.

John and the infantry onboard the Mammoth clear the enemies from a high vantage point and press forward towards the crash site.

• Lasky (COM): "All right, Chief, Mammoth's just about in range."

A Covenant Phantom converges on the crash site.

• Lasky (COM): "Eyes up, Gypsy! Dropships on approach."

• Palmer (COM): "There's Gypsy Seven's Pelican, out in the muck. Anyone still alive?"

• Pilot (COM): "We're here! We're alive! We've got the target designator."

• John-117 (COM): "I'll get to them and retrieve the designator."

• Spartan-IV: "Warthogs free!"

The Chief exits the Mammoth and approaches the surviving Pelican crew.

• Female Marine: "I didn't think anyone would hear me."

• John-117: "Sit tight, marine. We'll get you out of here."

The Chief clears the hostiles surrounding the surviving Pelican forces.

• Female Marine: "Thanks, Master Chief. We owe you one."

The Chief recovers the target designator.

• Cortana: "Target those Phantoms for the Rail Gun to shoot down!"

The Chief paints the target. Meanwhile, Covenant reinforcements, including a Wraith, assault the ground forces.

• Cortana: "Target acquired!"

The Mini-MAC fires upon and destroys the Phantom.

• Cortana: "Rail Gun reloading!"

John eliminates the remaining enemies in the area.

• Lasky (COM): "All right, Master Chief. We're clear. Mini-MAC's at your disposal. Take out that particle cannon."

The Chief targets the particle cannon.

• Cortana: "Target acquired!"

The Mini-MAC fires, destroying the particle cannon.

• Lasky (COM): "Target suppressed. Nicely done, Chief."

The Mammoth proceeds to the next area.

• Lasky (COM): "Lasky to Infinity, first contact cleared but no joy on additional targets. Gypsy moving on to securing battle position but we're requesting evac for casualties."

• Palmer (COM): "I'm on it, Commander. Palmer out."

The Mammoth continues onward, but two Phantoms wait ahead of the Mammoth's path.

• Cortana: "More Covenant!"

Banshees soon join the attack as Cortana announces their arrival.

• Cortana: "Banshees!"

After clearing the air attack, the Mammoth veers away from the cliff edge and continues down a wide canyon.

• Cortana: (voice slightly distorted) "Force field! Barricading the far side of this canyon. I'm seeing three power sources. Shut them down so the Mammoth can move through."

John brings down the first power source.

• Cortana: (voice slightly distorted) "Good. Two more."

The Mammoth moves up.

• Cortana: "Wraith!"

The second power source is destroyed.

• Cortana: "Two for two. Finish 'em off."

The third and final power source is destroyed.

• Cortana: (voice slightly distorted) "Shield disabled. Mammoth, the path is clear."

• Lasky (COM): "Mammoth holding position. Whenever you're ready to proceed, Chief."

As the Chief proceeds to the next area, the Mammoth follows. The second particle cannon is visible on the far end of the canyon.

John, driving the Warthog, leads the Mammoth.

• Lasky (COM): "Gypsy Company, moving out."

The Chief paints the particle cannon.

• Cortana: "Target acquired!"

The Mini-MAC fires, destroying the second particle cannon.

• Lasky (COM): "Shot's good."

A Phantom approaches, followed by a Lich dropship.

• Lasky (COM): "All units! Unidentified Covenant vehicle incoming!"

The Lich fires upon the Mammoth, disabling it. Meanwhile, several Phantoms drop in Ghosts and a Wraith.

• Lasky (COM): "Mammoth's hit! Forward traction offline! Primary power controls offline!"

• Cortana: "The Mammoth won't last long out in the open like that. We'll have to find a way to keep the Covenant off them."

The Chief clears all immediate threats.

• Cortana: "Reinforcements! Hold them off!"

Phantoms drop in more Ghosts and Wraiths. Once the Wraiths are destroyed, the Lich moves position.

• Cortana: "The ship's settling in over the mesa. There's a grav lift into the belly of that ship. Time it right and we should be able to ride it inside."

The Chief fights his way up the mesa, arriving at the gravity lift into the Lich. Once inside, he eliminates the Covenant crew and destroys the power core.

• Cortana: "That did it! Time to make an exit!"

The Chief leaps from the damaged Lich, landing on the ground. The Lich drifts aimlessly out over the ocean, finally exploding.

• Lasky (COM): "Thanks, Chief. It was getting a bit dicey there for a minute."

• Lasky (COM): "All hands, form up on us."

• Del Rio (COM): "Lasky, this is Infinity. Status."

• Lasky: "Mammoth's in pretty bad shape, sir. She'll make it to the objectives as long as nobody starts throwing rocks at us."

• Del Rio (COM): "Not a chance we can take. I'm sending teams out to pull some of their fire off you so you can make it to the gravity well."

• Lasky: "Roger that, sir. Gypsy, let's move."

• Del Rio (COM): "Shadow Company. Castle Company. Put some pressure on those other particle cannons."

• Castle Leader (COM): "Castle reading five by five. On station, ready to assist."

• Shadow Leader (COM): "Shadow Actual to Infinity. Encountering enemy air! Significant EOF closer to the emplacements."

The Chief boards the Mammoth, and it begins moving towards the next objective. (previous dialogues will play if the Chief jumps from the Lich and lands on the Mammoth, causing it to move again.)

The Mammoth reaches a series of waterfalls and comes to a stop.

• Lasky (COM): "OK folks, terrain's too rough around these tributaries. Assault force, back on the Mammoth. Anyone not on board is getting left behind. All right, sealing her up. Mammoth is mobile."

As the Mammoth begins moving again, the Chief's HUD flickers as Cortana experiences another rampant episode.

• Cortana: (voice heavily distorted) "They don't care about you - they replaced you!"

• Cortana: (voice normal) "Blast it!"

• John-117: "It's OK."

• Cortana: (voice slightly distorted) "How? How is this OK? How is putting you at risk because I can't hold it together OK? Chief, understand what rampancy is? Really? We don't just 'shut down'. Our cognitive processes begin dividing exponentially according to our total knowledge base. We literally think ourselves to death."

• John-117: "You know I won't let that happen."

• Cortana: "And if it happens, anyway?"

The Mammoth rounds a corner, coming to a dead-end. A small path leads up to a Forerunner structure to the right.

• Lasky (COM): "117, Lasky."

• John-117: "Go, Commander."

• Lasky (COM): "We've got significant blockage up ahead. Think this is about it for the Mammoth."

• Cortana: "The command post for the particle cannons is through that trench."

• John-117: "Sir, I can move faster alone."

• Cortana: "We'll see you back on Infinity, Commander."

• Lasky (COM): "Lasky, out." (displayed, but not spoken)

As the Chief rounds the corner of the trench, a Promethean Knight appears on a ledge at the far end of the area.

• Cortana: "Heads up!"

The Chief proceeds through the trench and fights his way past Covenant and Promethean forces. As the Forerunner structure comes into view, the Chief makes his way inside.

• Cortana: "Cortana to Infinity. We're entering the Forerunner structure."

• Del Rio (COM): (garbled transmission)

• Cortana: "Breaking up, but coordinates received, Infinity."

The Chief makes his way through the facility, a Sentinel leading the way. It opens a door to an elevator and the Chief steps on.

• Cortana: "This elevator should take us directly to the coordinates Infinity provided. Almost like those Sentinels wanted us to get the particle cannons offline."

• John-117: "This could be a trap."

• Cortana: "You say that like there's a second possibility."

More Sentinels lead the Chief through the lower levels of the facility, taking him to the controls for the particle cannons.

• Cortana: "We've reached the coordinates. This looks like the place."

The Chief proceeds, plugging Cortana into the console ahead.

• Cortana: "The particle cannon network must use these arrays for targeting and guidance. It's an automated system so it won't TECHNICALLY allow me to redirect the cannons to fire on one another... TECHNICALLY."

Cortana shuts the cannons down.

• Cortana: "Cortana to Infinity. The guns should be offline. How's it look from up there? Infinity?"

• John-117: "Cortana-"

• Cortana: "Something's in here- Chief!"

Cortana disappears from the console.

• John-117: "Cortana? Cortana!"

As the Chief makes his way back, a hard light bridge appears on the left. The Chief follows a series of tight corridors, arriving to find five Sentinels waiting by a door. The door opens as he approaches, a beam of blue light with Cortana standing inside waits on the other side. As he steps into it, the screen washes to white.

{Cutscene}

John and the Librarian.

The Chief holds a hand up, trying to see through the shine of Requiem's artificial sun. A figure descends from above towards him.

• John-117: "Who are you?"

• Librarian: "I am the remains of the Forerunner once known as the Librarian."

• Librarian: "My memories were retained to assist humanity on their path to the Mantle. Though sadly, that plan is now at risk."

• Librarian: "The Didact is leaving Requiem. Soon. You must not allow it."

• John-117: "Leaving?"

• Librarian: "He seeks this - the Composer." (gestures to a holographic depiction of a Forerunner device) A device which will allow him to finally contain the greatest enemy ever faced by the Forerunners. You."

A series of narrative scenes play as the Librarian speaks.

• Librarian: "Mankind spread into the stars with an unexpected, desperate violence. Entire systems fell before the Didact's Warrior-Servants rose to halt the aggression."

• Librarian: "When the Didact finally exhausted the humans after a millennia, his sentence was severe."

• Librarian: "We had no way of knowing that the Forerunners were not your only enemy."

• Librarian: "Humanity hadn't been expanding. They were running."

• Librarian: "Weakened from our conflict, we were no match for the parasite which pursued you."

• Librarian: "The Forerunners made plans for a final, great journey. But the Didact refused to yield our Mantle of Responsibility. He would save all life in the galaxy... at a cost."

• Librarian: "In the Forerunners' quest for transcendence, the Composer had been intended to bridge the organic and digital realms. It would have made us immortal."

• Librarian: "But its results soured. The stored personalities fragmented, and our attempts to return them to biological states created only abominations."

• Librarian: "Such moral concerns faded from the Didact's attention."

• Librarian: "The Flood only assimilated living tissue."

• Librarian: "The Composer would provide the Didact his solution... and his revenge."

The narrative ends, the scene returns to John and the Librarian.

• John-117: "The Prometheans... they're human-"

• Librarian: "They were only the beginning. He would have encrypted your entire race if we had not removed the Composer from his care and imprisoned him here."

• Librarian: "Reclaimer, when I indexed mankind for repopulation, I hid seeds from the Didact. Seeds which would lead to an eventuality. Your physical evolution. Your combat skin. Even your ancilla, Cortana. You are the culmination of a thousand lifetimes of planning."

• John-117: "Planning for what?"

An ominous rumbling is heard. The Librarian looks up, fearful.

• Librarian: "He has found us."

Pillars rise from the clouds, Promethean Knights perched atop them.

• Didact: "Even in death, her meddling continues!"

• Librarian: "Reclaimer! The genesong I placed within you contains many gifts, including an immunity to the Composer. But it must be unlocked!"

• John-117: "How?"

• Didact: "Relinquish your contact essence!"

• Librarian: "Your evolutionary journey must be accelerated!"

• John-117: "Can I defeat the Didact without it?"

• Librarian: (decidedly) "No."

• John-117: "Then do it."

• Librarian: "Prepare."

{Gameplay}

The Chief's body glows with energy as the Librarian accelerates his evolution. Not soon after he is beset upon by Forerunner forces. Cortana appears on a pedestal to his left.

• Cortana: "Chief! Up here!"

If the Chief chooses to fight the Prometheans instead of immediately going to get Cortana:

• Cortana: "Pick me up, Chief."

• Cortana: "Anytime you're ready."

The Chief eliminates all the Prometheans.

• Cortana: "Good work. Now come get me and let's get out of here."

The Chief retrieves Cortana.

• John-117: "How do we get out of here?"

• Cortana: "Elevator. Back of the chamber."

The Chief heads over to the elevator, boarding and taking it down.

• Cortana: "Chief, what happened? Your bio readings are all over the map!"

• John-117: "It's a long story, but I know what the Didact's after."

• Cortana: "I know that part. The Librarian filled me in when she snatched me from the system. But what I don't know is what she did to you!"

The elevator comes to a stop, a portal to exit the facility waiting for the Chief. As he steps through it, the Chief is instantly taken to a battlefield outside the gravity well.

THE GRAVITY OF THE SITUATION

John arrives at the canyon near the gravity well.

• Marcus Stacker (COM): "I'm reading Sierra One One Seven on-sensor. Everyone form up on the Chief!"

• John-117: "Sierra One One Seven to Infinity, what's our status?"

• Del Rio (COM): "We're taking a beating up here."

• John-117: "Does Infinity have a shot on the gravity well?"

• Del Rio (COM): "Negative. We'll never be able to get a target lock with all the air traffic we're seeing."

• Cortana: "Captain, what if we can spot the target for you with the laser designator?"

• Del Rio (COM): "Do it! TAC-COM, find the Chief coordinates for somewhere with line of sight!"

The Chief fights his way up the hill towards the gravity well.

The convoy destroys the first line of Covenant.

• Stacker (COM): "First line clear. Check it off. Push forward! All eyes on the Chief. He's lead dog!"

The convoy destroys the second line of Covenant.

• Stacker (COM): "Second line clear. This ain't a picnic. Let's move up!"

The Chief comes to a Covenant shield blocking the way to the gravity well.

• Cortana: "Looks like we're blocked! Chief, head down and find a way to destroy that shield!"

Off to the left, the Chief approaches two shielded generators powering the large shield. He destroys the first one.

• Cortana: "Shield's weakening! Keep it up!"

The Chief destroys the second generator.

• Cortana: "There's a clearing just past this ravine. We can get eyes on the gravity well up there!"

The Chief makes his way to the gravity well. As it comes into sight the Chief moves towards the target designator that lies in wait.

• Cortana: "Infinity, we're at the gravity well."

• Del Rio (COM): "Then paint that damn target so we can get out of here!"

• Cortana: "You heard him, Chief. Line up the shot."

The Chief picks up the target designator and paints the gravity well.

• Del Rio (COM): "Target locked! Firing for effect!"

{Cutscene}

Cut to the camera on Infinity's fired projectile. It hits the gravity well, destroying it with a clean shot. Cut to John as he watches the gravity well explode before walking off. Fade to black.

Fade to Infinity in flight. The camera pans inside to show the Master Chief, Cortana, Del Rio, Lasky, and Palmer gathered around the holo-table.

• Del Rio: "Infinity cannot handle that kind of punishment. Not again."

• Cortana: "This isn't about us or this ship anymore."

• John-117: "Sir, we've seen what the Didact is capable of. If we let him leave this world, humanity will be at risk."

• Del Rio: "Look. I understand what you think you saw-"

• Cortana: "Think?"

• John-117: "With all due respect, sir, I know what I saw."

• Del Rio: "And with all due respect to you, Soldier, I'm not willing to jeopardize my ship because of the hallucinations of an aging Spartan and his malfunctioning AI."

• Lasky: "Sir - what if he's right?"

Del Rio pauses, giving Lasky a disbelieving look.

• Del Rio: "Nav - as soon as we know we're airtight, I want a course laid in to Carinae Station. Comm, prepare a warning beacon."

The ship's lights grow brighter. Del Rio and Lasky look up and then to Cortana as her body flickers red with anger.

• Cortana: (enraged) "I will not allow you to… leave! This! Planet!"

A wave of energy expands from Cortana as she screams at Del Rio, causing displays to short out and spark. Almost instantly, she returns to her normal state, showing embarrassment for her rampancy's progress as the holo-table sparks and smokes.

• John-117: (concerned) "Cortana..."

• Cortana: "I didn't mean to... I didn't mean to do that..."

• Del Rio: "Commander Lasky. Pursuant to Article 55 of UNSC Regulation 12-145-72, I am ordering you to remove that AI's data chip and retire it for final dispensation."

• Cortana: "Don't... Please... please. I don't want to... You don't want me to... please."

• Del Rio: (impatiently) "Remove the chip now, Commander."

• Cortana: "Please... I don't want to..."

Lasky reluctantly reaches for the chip, however the Master Chief takes it before he is able. As Cortana disappears from the table, Del Rio advances on the Chief.

• Del Rio: "Give. Me. That. Chip."

The Chief defiantly inserts Cortana's chip into his helmet.

• John-117: "The Didact has to be stopped. If you won't do that... I will."

• Del Rio: (angrily) "I am ordering you... to surrender that AI!"

The Master Chief steps forward, towering over the captain.

• John-117: "No, sir."

Del Rio furiously stands back and turns to Palmer, pointing to the Chief.

Del Rio arguing with John.

• Del Rio: (shouting) "Lieutenant! Arrest that man!"

Palmer doesn't move. Lasky tries to diffuse the situation.

• Lasky: "Captain..."

• Del Rio: (shouting) "Arrest him!!!"

• Lasky: "Captain!"

• John-117: (to Lasky) "Get word back to Earth that trouble is coming. Cortana and I will do what we can from here."

The Chief leaves the deck. Del Rio turns to watch him go, a look of disbelief and anger on his face. Cut to black.

Level ends.

Trivia

Glitches

• It's possible to avoid spawning the two Pelicans at the beginning of the level. There will be no waypoint over Lasky and you will not be able to gain access to a Jetpack, but you can still progress by running ahead of the Mammoth, which will trigger its departure and unveil the Jetpacks. Not spawning the Pelicans opens up many possibilities, such as backtracking to the start after visiting the crashed Pelican site (normally, there is a combination of a soft kill zone and invisible barrier accompanying warning dialogue from Palmer when you try to go there). Most prominently, this can be used to pilot one of the aforementioned Pelicans by deloading its AI pilot, though this can only be done Co-op.
• The SPARTAN-IV sniper at the beginning of the level seems to always experience a pathfinding glitch that prevents him from boarding the Mammoth. He will run left toward the rock wall and continue to run in place. Note that he will occasionally take a step back from the wall (Marines and Spartans in Halo 4 are programmed to do this if they end up stuck). When he does, you can free him by meleeing him away from the wall and immediately walking into him, though it will take some effort. It is much more easier to use a well placed grenade, though you'll want Cowbell skull enabled and it may take several tries. When freed, the Spartan will board the Mammoth as intended, unless it has already taken off.
• Two SPARTAN-IVs that normally board the Lich's lower turret platform may instead perform a super jump out of the map.
• There are 4 known soft walls ("holes" in walls or ceilings that let you get out of the map) on this level. The first lets you skip the sniper section ("sniper alley"). The second lets you explore outside the Forerunner structure and enter normally inaccessible rooms. The third lets you explore outside as well but has nothing apparent to offer. The fourth lets you deload the Prometheans and Cortana (and when used in conjunction with the third, it gives you early access into the room before starting the Librarian cutscene).
• In the area with the tanks, you can flip the Scorpion (driving it off a ledge works well) and if you stand on it as you right it, there is a good chance you will get thrown up very high and get stuck up there. Projectiles might not appear or do damage. If you walk, there is no animation, and if you go to a place without ground below you, you will slide down to the death barrier. If you have the laser designator, you can finish the level from there, but the Master Chief will still appear in the cutscene.
• It is possible to blast Lasky off of the Mammoth with the rocket launcher. After you get a jetpack, he will begin walking. Shoot a rocket at his feet and he will fly off. He will then walk to the back of the Mammoth, fly into it, and disappear.

Mistakes

• There is an inconsistency on the gender of the pilot of Papa Foxtrot 766. After being shot down, it is a male Marine who answers Palmer. However, when John-117 reaches the crash site, there is only a male Marine there, and a female voice will express her thanks for the rescue.
• In the final cutscene, Del Rio refers to Commander Sarah Palmer as "Lieutenant" when ordering her to arrest the Master Chief.
  • It's revealed in later material that Palmer's "Commander" rank is just a title, not a formal military rank. Del Rio could have been referring to her old ODST rank of Lieutenant.

Miscellaneous

• An alternate version of the final cutscene was made for the 2012 Spike Video Game Awards. In it, Cortana was replaced with the movie star and host Samuel L. Jackson, who argues with Del Rio that they should return to Carinae Station to retrieve Master Chief's Warthog, which apparently was stolen by the Didact.
• The room in which Cortana tries to deactivate the particle cannons was originally meant to appear in the level Forerunner, but it was repurposed for the level Reclaimer.

Gallery

• 

  Concept art of a Forerunner interior.

• 

  View of the canyon on Reclaimer.

• 

  Another view of the canyon on Reclaimer.

• 

  John-117 destroys a Wraith.

• 

  John-117 battling an enraged Promethean Knight.