Icon

Were you looking for the Activation Index, called "Sacred Icon" by the Covenant?

Icon is a prose from the short story collection Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe. It describes the lives of John-117, the SPARTAN-IIs and Spartan-IIIs, and the legacy they left. It was written by Jonathan Goff, while Gabriel "Robogabo" Garza created the artwork.

The Prose

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Soldiers forged from youth to serve as tools of war- weapons of direct and conclusive destruction-the men and women of the classified military project known as the SPARTAN-II program will live on in legend following their exploits during the Human-Covenant War. Prepared for the harsh realities of combat against known enemies, but thrust into battle with forces unimaginable- and terrifyingly alien-the Spartan-IIs, and later the Spartan-IIIs, delivered numerous decisive victories against the overwhelming might of the Covenant. Altered to a level far beyond that of a normal human, the warriors of the Spartan-II program were humanity's best, and possibly only, hope when faced with the threat of ex- tinction from an advanced alien collective bent on our eradication in the name of false prophecies and hidden agendas. Rising through the flames of war, echoing through the silent vacuum of space, word of the Spartans' deeds spread throughout the human colonies-offering salva- tion, offering a faint glimpse at ultimate victory. Thus came a "Demon"-a hero, a soldier, a man. One Spartan above all others; equal but for one defining factor-one immeasurable advantage. Like his brothers and sisters, he was trained to fight, to win, a master of the latest weapons of war. But Spartan-117, the Master Chief, had one intangible asset few others possessed-luck. Added to an unmatched drive to win-whether it be a simple game, or heated combat-Spartan-117's uncanny combination of finely honed skills and unprecedented good fortune made for the ultimate warrior in a battle against impossible odds. Never one to give in, never one to relent, the Master Chief, and each of his fellow Spartans, did more than engage the enemy; they delivered hope-with each burst of gunfire, with every battle won.

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