Breaking Strain

"I've been following the odyssey of the Master Chief since the very first Halo, which hooked me in with its epic scope and rich game world. I'm thrilled that I finally get to tell a story in a universe that has given me so much fun as a gamer - it was great to revisit the end of the Covenant War in my tale Breaking Strain, a human drama about the fears that can divide us and the hopes that can unite us."

— James Swallow

Breaking Strain is one of several short stories in Halo: Fractures: Extraordinary Tales from the Halo Canon. Written by James Swallow, it takes place during the final days and aftermath of the Human-Covenant War in 2553.

Appearances

{{Featurelist|secondcolumn=title-5|title-1=Characters|

• Aoife Larsson (First appearance)
• Channell (First mentioned)
• Chong (First mentioned)
• Darren Leone (First appearance)
• Denton (First appearance)
• Douglas (First appearance)
• Farrant (First mentioned)
• John-117 (Mentioned only)
• Kevin-A282 (First appearance)
• Kyle Stallock (First appearance)
• Maher (First appearance)
• Robertson (First appearance)
• Rosarita (First mentioned)
• Ryan Larsson (First appearance)
• Slight List (First appearance)
• Wild (First appearance)
• Yar 'Dosaan (First appearance)

|title-2=Species|

• Human
• Huragok
• Jiralhanae (Mentioned only)
• Kig-Yar (Mentioned only)
• Mgalekgolo (Mentioned only)
• Sangheili
• Unggoy (Mentioned only)

|title-3=Organizations|

• Covenant (Mentioned only)
• Swords of Sanghelios
• Unified Earth Government
  • United Nations Space Command
    • UNSC Navy
      • Office of Naval Intelligence (Mentioned only)
      • SPARTAN-III program
        • Alpha Company
    • Officer Candidate School (Mentioned only)

|title-4=Locations|

• Earth (Mentioned only)
• Ixion (First mentioned)
• Kholo (Mentioned only)
• Losing Hand (First appearance)
• Meridian (Mentioned only)
• Nouveau Montreal (First mentioned)
• Reach (Mentioned only)
• Sigma Octanus IV (Mentioned only)

|title-5=Events|

• Great Schism (Mentioned only)
• Human-Covenant War (Mentioned only)
  • Battle of Kholo (Mentioned only)
  • Battle of Meridian (Mentioned only)
  • Battle of Sigma Octanus IV (Mentioned only)
  • Fall of Reach (Mentioned only)

|title-6=Weapons|

• M6 magnum
• MA5 assault rifle
• Point-defense gun
• SRS99 sniper rifle
• Type-1 energy sword
• Type-25 plasma pistol

|title-7=Vehicles|

• DAV-class light corvette (First appearance)
  • The Lookout (First appearance)
• M12 Warthog
• M274 Mongoose
• Pelican (Mentioned only)
• Phantom (Mentioned only)
• UNSC Dark Was the Night (First appearance)

|title-8=Technology and equipment|

• Artificial intelligence
• Data pad
• MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor
• Waypoint (Mentioned only)