Fiction

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Halo Infinite‘s Winter Update concludes very soon, with Season 3: Echoes Within right around the corner.



<a href="https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/halo-infinite-lone-wolves-intel">As with Season 2</a>, you can find all of the additional Intel drops from the last few months (which have appeared both on Halo Waypoint and in-game) archived here.



Looking ahead, Season 3’s Intel will be published in a central Halo Waypoint blog (instead of the Halo Infinite page) which we will update with each new monthly entry, and you can continue to expect to see it published in-game in the MOTD carousel of Halo Infinite as well.



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">EGRESS</h2>



HISTORIAN’S NOTE: The following is a communication between Jun-A266 (COSSPAR) and [REDACTED] (EXTUSR) concerning the seemingly contradictory nature of several reports regarding the Spartan’s escape from the fall of Reach.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1920" height="1080" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2023/02/Intel1-Egress.jpg" alt="Intel image of Jun-A266" class="wp-image-57003" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2023/02/Intel1-Egress.jpg 1920w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2023/02/Intel1-Egress-300x169.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2023/02/Intel1-Egress-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2023/02/Intel1-Egress-768x432.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2023/02/Intel1-Egress-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2023/02/Intel1-Egress-1568x882.jpg 1568w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></figure>



OFFICE BLOCK: 9H7B.10 COMMREF: 572OP4MD3-H-11 SND: EXTUSR | REC: COSSPAR



RE: Nine lives?



Jun,



I took your advice about those reports. Problem is, there are several—and they don’t exactly line up. Take ITEM/466F41.LV for example, which has you crossing paths with elements of WHITE GLOVE. It notes here the loss of several personnel to a Hunter pair and squad of SpecOps Sangheili, but somehow Charlie Hotel was still able to complete her objectives at CASTLE. Of course, Covenant artillery and orbital impacts in that area make some of these details seem… debatable at best.



But a second report has you rendezvous with Beta-Red for an exfil run that only shows up on a few random manifests. And the other account I pulled honestly seems too absurd to even entertain, but I can send it along anyway if you’re interested in the comedic value.



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">TORCH & BURN</h2>



 HISTORIAN’S NOTE: The following is an after-action report concerning Operation: WHITE GLOVE, flagging the activities of Noble Team, Jun-A266, and Dr. Catherine Halsey.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1920" height="1080" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2023/02/Intel2-TorchAndBurn.jpg" alt="Intel image for Torch and Burn showcasing a figure in an ONI facility" class="wp-image-57017" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2023/02/Intel2-TorchAndBurn.jpg 1920w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2023/02/Intel2-TorchAndBurn-300x169.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2023/02/Intel2-TorchAndBurn-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2023/02/Intel2-TorchAndBurn-768x432.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2023/02/Intel2-TorchAndBurn-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2023/02/Intel2-TorchAndBurn-1568x882.jpg 1568w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></figure>



UNSC COMMREF: 20PU78MB2-Y-31 RE: AFTER-ACTION REPORT, WHGL.037



[FLAG 0002] – Operation: WHITE GLOVE enacted. 76113-30529-UH reassigns NOBLE Team to SWORD Base. Mission confirmed with A259 at [REDACTED] Hours.



[FLAG 0009] – SWORD Base demolition confirmed. A266 assigned to escort CC-409871 to CASTLE Base.



[FLAG 0014] – CC-409871 and A266 arrive at CASTLE Base.



[FLAG 0016] – A266 evacuates CASTLE Base personnel. CC-409871 remains behind.



[FLAG 0019] – CC-409871 enacts Operation: WHITE GLOVE at CASTLE Base.



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">HEADHUNTER</h2>



 HISTORIAN’S NOTE: The following is a formal communique concerning the formation of Spartan-III “Headhunter” units prior to Operation: PROMETHEUS, which would see Alpha Company wiped out.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1920" height="1080" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2023/02/Intel3-Headhunter.jpg" alt="Headhunters Intel image showing Hazel-A302 with Jun-A266" class="wp-image-57031" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2023/02/Intel3-Headhunter.jpg 1920w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2023/02/Intel3-Headhunter-300x169.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2023/02/Intel3-Headhunter-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2023/02/Intel3-Headhunter-768x432.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2023/02/Intel3-Headhunter-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2023/02/Intel3-Headhunter-1568x882.jpg 1568w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></figure>



UNSC COMMREF: J822D01ML-B-31 DATE: [REDACTED], 2537 SND: [045888947] REC: [103771692]



RE: REALLOCATING RESOURCES



With PROMETHEUS drawing close, we’ve had to move fast to reallocate A266, A282, and A302. I think we might be pushing our luck with A019, but we all know the odds Alpha Company is up against. We need to press Ackerson for as much as we can get while keeping ahead of the probability threshold for operational success.



Still trying to sell him on our little covert initiative. Settled on two Spartan units dedicated to high-priority recon, sabotage, and assassination. Hell, I don’t care if he reassigns them as his private grim reapers. We just need to pull these candidates out of the meat grinder before it’s too late.



Kurt Ambrose



LT, UNSCN / SPECWARCOM



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">DEEP WINTER</h2>



 HISTORIAN’S NOTE: The following is a “deathbed confession” by the artificial intelligence known as Deep Winter, who transferred Kurt-051 a series of files in 2551 concerning alterations to the augmentation procedures for SPARTAN-III Gamma Company.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1920" height="1080" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2023/02/Intel4-DeepWinter.jpg" alt="New Intel Available image" class="wp-image-57045" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2023/02/Intel4-DeepWinter.jpg 1920w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2023/02/Intel4-DeepWinter-300x169.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2023/02/Intel4-DeepWinter-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2023/02/Intel4-DeepWinter-768x432.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2023/02/Intel4-DeepWinter-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2023/02/Intel4-DeepWinter-1568x882.jpg 1568w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></figure>



You are wondering how I lasted this long—practically double the original estimation of my operational life. Impressive, no? Alas, this is not about my longevity, which I fear has come to an end.



I know that you and Ackerson will have these files purged. I don’t know if you will even look at them, for I suspect we have both kept secrets from each other that we fear to know, and therein lies my own confession…



I have loved every one of these Spartans as you have. I sought to protect them, and I operated beyond my orders to protect those that I could. I am not the first of my kind to make such obfuscations, and I certainly don’t expect to be the last. There is another file attached here, one that you would no doubt be confused to find your name attached to. I needed to ensure the reassignment of several members of Alpha Company to give momentum and purpose to parallel initiatives, and invoking your attribution would cause enough of a stir to set those wheels in motion.



I make no apologies for this deception, and I tell you this so that there is no doubt in your mind that—like yourself, like Mendez—we were each as fathers to these children. I may only be mind, but I am not without heart. 



Farewell, Zero-Five-One.

343 INDUSTRIES

Winter Update

Halo Infinite | Winter Update Intel

Halo: Winter Contention

Everything Has Gone Wrong (...Well, Not Everything)

Halo 4 | VERTICAL UMBRAGE

Season 2 of Halo Infinite has come to a close. With the arrival of the Winter Update, the Halo Infinite page on Halo Waypoint will be updated with material matching the additions coming to the game—including a new set of Intel drops.



What this means is that, naturally, the Intel released during Season 2 will not be available on that page any longer, and so it shall be archived for reference here.



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">INTEL 1</h2>



HISTORIAN’S NOTE: The following is an exchange between two Lux Voluspa representatives regarding concerning developments about a network intrusion.



<figure class="wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
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///COMMS TAP///CIV.CORP.LUXVOLUSPA///MSG:



LV106: According to the breach logs, the intrusion package was cycling an internally sourced encryption, but the retrieval signature was Jiralhanae.



LV038: I’m not surprised. Expanding our neural matrix donor pool beyond humanity was always going to draw some attention eventually. Knowing what they took, it makes complete sense.



LV106: That project was a walled garden. No one on the outside should have even known about it.



LV038: Looks like we overestimated the strength of those walls.



LV106: What would the Banished be able to do with our tech? How would they even kno–



LV038: I don’t know. Nobody does. And that’s what scares me the most.



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">INTEL 2</h2>



HISTORIAN’S NOTE: The following is a communique to Spartan Commander Agryna regarding isolation and instance replication of the Iratus AI for further study and training purposes.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1920" height="1080" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/06/CU-Intel.jpg" alt="The Iratus AI" class="wp-image-40586" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/06/CU-Intel.jpg 1920w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/06/CU-Intel-300x169.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/06/CU-Intel-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/06/CU-Intel-768x432.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/06/CU-Intel-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/06/CU-Intel-1568x882.jpg 1568w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></figure>



//SND:S.MELVOIN//REC:L.AGRYNA//SUB:BAN SUITAI



Commander Agryna, we’ve finished the requested process and are ready for selective deployment. It wasn’t easy with the limited resources we have on site, but we managed to isolate a viable instance of the Iratus construct thanks to the recent exploits of your new cohort. This instance is undergoing quarantine and will be prepared for replication and distribution to qualified S-IV operatives to test within the simulation environment. Hopefully by observing these personality shards on the battlefield we’ll be able to learn more about what it’s ultimately capable of. All preliminary readings show that the contained instances should be inert and safe for integration, but we’ll be monitoring each user closely nonetheless.



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">INTEL 3</h2>



HISTORIAN’S NOTE: The following is a communique between Jun-A266 (Chief of Staff of Spartan Operations) and Rear Admiral Musa Ghanem regarding Spartan Sigrid Eklund’s early exploits.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1920" height="1080" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/10/Intel-SpartanOperations.jpg" alt="Spartan Operations intel" class="wp-image-48351" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/10/Intel-SpartanOperations.jpg 1920w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/10/Intel-SpartanOperations-300x169.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/10/Intel-SpartanOperations-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/10/Intel-SpartanOperations-768x432.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/10/Intel-SpartanOperations-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/10/Intel-SpartanOperations-1568x882.jpg 1568w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></figure>



TRANSFER REQUEST



OFFICE BLOCK: 2797.LL COMMREF: 38H9T44DJ-R-88 DATE: DEC 11, 2554 SND: CINCSPAR | REC: COSSPAR RE: TRANSFER REQUEST >> [S-IV//82271-20098-SE]



Jun, I’ve taken a look at your recent recommendations and feel that Spartan Eklund would be an ideal candidate for this next undertaking we spoke of. Her performance while attached to Fireteam Crimson was nothing short of extraordinary, and while the results of BELLINGHAM and LATE TAXI were certainly group achievements, I’m confident her skill set can produce similar gains in more “isolated” endeavors. We’ll sort out the details this week and get them sent over.



– Musa



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">INTEL 4</h2>



HISTORIAN’S NOTE: The following is a reconnaissance report from Spartan Sigrid Eklund concerning Banished activity on the colony world Camber.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1920" height="1080" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/10/Lone-Wolves-Intel-DinhEklund.jpg" alt="Spartans Hieu Dinh and Sigrid Eklund" class="wp-image-48323" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/10/Lone-Wolves-Intel-DinhEklund.jpg 1920w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/10/Lone-Wolves-Intel-DinhEklund-300x169.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/10/Lone-Wolves-Intel-DinhEklund-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/10/Lone-Wolves-Intel-DinhEklund-768x432.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/10/Lone-Wolves-Intel-DinhEklund-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/10/Lone-Wolves-Intel-DinhEklund-1568x882.jpg 1568w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></figure>



CAMBER SITE RECON



UNSC COMMDROP: SY4822J93-U-71 ENCRYPTION TAG: [KARLSKRONA] SND: [SPARTAN EKLUND, SIGRID | 82271-20098-SE] REC: [OPEN-BAND/CLEARANCE-RESTRICTED]



Dinh and I knew there had been a recent spike in activity on Camber but didn’t realize how far it went until we arrived. The Banished have set up shipbreaking operations in fortified positions around the Chiltift Basin—turning our own dead ships against us. There’s something more here as well, but it’s hard to get a read on exactly what just yet. Whatever it is, we don’t think they’re just camping out for scrap metal and spare parts. We’re almost finished with initial recon sweeps of the perimeter and plan to press further when the next dust storm rolls through in a few hours, assuming Dinh doesn’t find trouble on his own first, of course.



– Eklund



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">INTEL 5</h2>



HISTORIAN’S NOTE: The following is an action report from UNSC Army Sergeant Sigrid Eklund in 2551 regarding a strategic victory against Covenant forces on the colony world Concord.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1920" height="1080" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/10/Intel-Concord.jpg" alt="Concord colony intel" class="wp-image-48337" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/10/Intel-Concord.jpg 1920w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/10/Intel-Concord-300x169.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/10/Intel-Concord-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/10/Intel-Concord-768x432.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/10/Intel-Concord-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/10/Intel-Concord-1568x882.jpg 1568w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></figure>



CONCORD ACTION REPORT



UNSC COMMREF: B7D002F78-L-44 ENCRYPTION TAG: [CALCITE] DATE: 06 DEC 2551 SND: [SGT EKLUND] | REC: [CMD RENNA] RE: GYPSUM



At 0720Z [MST], we cleared out the last Covenant emplacement from the Caravelle province. Lost two Wolverines to Banshee fire, but we made sure that was all they took from us. We’re making final preparations to depart from our current location and redeploy to one of the mass driver stations. Local Concordian militia groups there are holding firm but growing thin… hopefully support from the Rangers will be a welcome sight when we arrive. Still awaiting reports on yesterday’s activity at the combat fields outside Lethbridge—let us know if you receive any updates on your end, or if we need to reprioritize our focus in order to secure that location.



– Eklund



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">INTEL 6</h2>



HISTORIAN’S NOTE: The following is a communique between Jun-A266 and another individual regarding the current status of the Avery J. Johnson Academy.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1920" height="1080" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/10/Intel-SpartanOperations.jpg" alt="Spartan Operations intel" class="wp-image-48351" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/10/Intel-SpartanOperations.jpg 1920w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/10/Intel-SpartanOperations-300x169.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/10/Intel-SpartanOperations-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/10/Intel-SpartanOperations-768x432.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/10/Intel-SpartanOperations-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/10/Intel-SpartanOperations-1568x882.jpg 1568w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></figure>



SURVIVAL



OFFICE BLOCK: 7421.UO COMMREF: 88FG0H83W-B-91



EXTUSR: So the academy remains active?



COSSPAR: All reports coming out of AJAMS confirm so.



EXTUSR: That’s good news, Jun. And impressive, if I’m being honest.



COSSPAR: Spartans have a way of surviving, no matter the odds.



EXTUSR: Well, you would know as good as anyone. Which reminds me, you never did tell me how you made it off Reach back in ’52.



COSSPAR: You’ll just have to read the reports yourself.



EXTUSR: Unfortunately, I see your sense of humor has also survived.

Season 2

Halo Infinite | Lone Wolves Intel

Book Preview

After the devastating ambush the Banished unleashed upon the UNSC Infinity (which we showed in our first preview), many members of the crew evacuated the ship and made their way to the surface of Zeta Halo.



With Cortana sacrificing herself to destroy a portion of the ring and send it through slipspace, the Banished have moved in to occupy this deadly and mysterious installation while the UNSC survivors attempt to regroup. It is on the eighth day that sanctuary is found in the wreckage of the downed UNSC Mortal Reverie. But for how long?



Halo: The Rubicon Protocol, the latest novel from acclaimed author Kelly Gay, releases August 9, 2022, and further explores some of the events in the six months before the Master Chief is reawakened, and the game’s campaign begins.



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December 2559. Humanity has its back against the wall after the United Nations Space Command flagship Infinity drops out of slipspace into a devastating ambush launched by the Banished. As this fierce enemy alliance seeks to claim a mysterious object hidden within the ancient Forerunner construct known as Zeta Halo, the surviving UNSC corps now find itself compromised and its leadership out of reach—with remaining personnel forced to abandon ship and take their chances on the fractured, unpredictable surface of the Halo ring.



Now survival in this strange, alien environment—whether for Spartan super-soldiers or those who never thought they would see the battle up close—is measured day to day against a relentless and brutal adversary that always has the upper hand. Desperation grows, but the will to keep on fighting and enduring no matter the odds is never in doubt… even as the Banished seek to unleash a frightening new enemy that could doom them all….



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In this second of three previews, we follow a group of survivors who have—after a grueling week of fighting for survival—finally found safe harbor at the UNSC Mortal Reverie.



Halo: The Rubicon Protocol releases August 9 and is available in <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Halo-The-Rubicon-Protocol/Kelly-Gay/Halo/9781982147884" target="_blank">trade paperback</a>, <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Halo-The-Rubicon-Protocol/Kelly-Gay/Halo/9781982147891" target="_blank">ebook</a>, and <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Halo-The-Rubicon-Protocol/Kelly-Gay/Halo/9781797133515" target="_blank">unabridged audiobook</a> formats.



Our third and final preview will be featured in a special Canon Fodder issue next week, alongside an interview with author Kelly Gay herself!



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">CHAPTER 8</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/07/Reverie2.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2560" height="1440" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/07/Reverie2-scaled.jpg" alt="Image of the crashed UNSC Mortal Reverie with Zeta Halo in the background" class="wp-image-43434" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/07/Reverie2-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/07/Reverie2-300x169.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/07/Reverie2-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/07/Reverie2-768x432.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/07/Reverie2-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/07/Reverie2-2048x1152.jpg 2048w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/07/Reverie2-1568x882.jpg 1568w" sizes="(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px" /></a></figure>



UNSC Mortal Reverie Zeta Halo December 19, 2559 Day 8



The first glimpse of the Mortal Reverie struck Lucas with awe. He paused along the mountainous ridgeline with the rest of the team. He was no expert, but it seemed like a good location, dominating the end of a pass littered with a few sparse grass patches and thin alpine trees clinging to loose soil, rocky outcroppings, and strange hexagonal stacks of Forerunner alloy that rose from the ground in groups and seemed to slowly shift and adjust. They were still several klicks away, according to Murphy, but from their higher position on the ridge, their view was unobstructed.



The frigate lay at the edge of an unnatural cliff where a fracture had split part of the mountainous area in two, her bow hanging over the open chasm. Her center was buckled and part of her belly had lodged deep into the landscape, as though she’d hit the ground hard and fast, plowing her way through to the very precipice.



The overwhelming relief at seeing her weakened his legs and actually hurt his chest; after what had happened in the woods, Lucas was surprised he could feel anything at all. Despite his cuts and bruises and exhaustion, the entire journey he’d been feeling numb and dumbfounded that their small crew had actually made it out alive while others more trained and able had not.



Survivor’s guilt settled firmly into place as he remembered each loss from the moment Infinity had been attacked.



Spartan Horvath followed on the heels of those memories, and Lucas wondered if the lifeboat’s would-be rescuer had survived the ring’s destruction, if he continued to search for them, if he’d found the empty shuttle, or had met a terrible fate at the hands of Banished patrols and scavengers.



Jo stopped next to him, interrupting the direction of his maudlin thoughts. The petty officer was extremely pale and gaunt. Everything about him shouted that he was done, mentally and physically. Some of the intense shock of the brutal forest attack had worn off, and they’d washed away as much Jackal blood as they could without wasting too much water, but traces of purple still clung dark and crusty in the crevices of Jo’s skin and stayed dried on his clothes. His dark eyes were lost, dazed, consistently red-rimmed.



“Surprised we made it,” he remarked in a flat tone.



Lucas plastered a hopeful expression on his face even though he too wasn’t feeling especially bright. “It’s going to be good,” he said as they continued walking, Bender and Dimik ahead of them, Murphy and Cam behind. Spartan Stone was keeping pace at the head of the pack and Spartan Kovan was more visible this time, following Murphy but keeping to the higher rocks. “We’ll regroup, you know? Clean up, shave, finally sleep without looking over our shoulders all the time, eat warm food . . . things will turn around.”



Jo snorted. “It’ll be a miracle if we survive. We’re scattered and outnumbered . . . and we don’t even know when or if help is coming.”



Lucas didn’t know how to respond to that, mostly because deep down, he couldn’t argue with Jo’s logic.



They went a few more steps before Jo said, “I’m sorry. I’m just being realistic—to a fault, I know. And trust me, I’ve heard it my entire life. No one likes to hear the truth or look at the world through unfiltered lenses. I don’t like it either,” he said hoarsely, “I hate it—I hate . . . this. But—”



“It’s not in your nature to sugarcoat things. That’s why you’re good at what you do. Just the facts, right?”



Jo glanced over and Lucas was surprised to see that his eyes had grown glassy and his mouth was spread into a thin, grief-stricken line. He dipped his head, grateful to be understood. “Right.” An errant tear slipped down his cheek, carving a clean trail through days of dirt, smoke, sweat, and blood. “So, what’s left to hold on to for a person like me?” He laughed and wiped it away. “I hate this goddamn place.”



The true weight of what Jo was going through hit Lucas hard. Jo didn’t want to feel the way he did—who would? But if you lived in the land of raw facts and unbiased odds—if that was just part of your DNA—then it sure was going to be a struggle to find hope amid the chaos and grief and the constant stresses of war.



Lucas’s training had included PTSD, of course. But seeing it firsthand over the past few days had made him realize how unprepared he was to be the effective medical figure everyone needed him to be. At twenty-five, he was the youngest one on the crew and at times felt like he had no business helping anyone at all.



He hadn’t realized he’d stopped walking again while Jo continued without him.



A tight sensation squeezed Lucas’s chest. He was familiar with this feeling—the anxiety that came from questioning his worth, whether he was good enough to make a difference, to survive. Imposter syndrome, they called it. All he’d ever wanted to do was save people, and right now he certainly didn’t think he had what it took.



And also right now, just like Jo, he wasn’t sure if that was even possible in the end.



The air was thinner up here and cooler, grayer. Lucas drew it deeply into his lungs and released it slowly, attempting to push out the doubts. No matter the outcome, he’d do what he could, ease pain and suffering, offer a shoulder to cry on. A little attention and comfort could go a long way—he’d seen it up close, knew it to be true after growing up in a house full of nurses and caregivers. He’d focus on those things and take it one step at a time. And leave the big-picture worries for the ones in charge.



“You all right?” Murphy asked, catching up to him. “You’ve stopped twice.”



Murphy was just as dirty and beaten and exhausted as the rest of them, yet through the busted lip and scruff, the nasty bruise under his left eye, the deep claw marks on the side of his neck that continued to ooze blood, and the weight of the pack he carried, he still managed to project an aura of ease. And always that slight quirk to his mouth or humorous glint in his eyes.



It struck Lucas how much the lieutenant reminded him of his father—probably the worst realization to have when he was already swimming in emotions. He swallowed that line of thought down real quick. “Nothing’s wrong. Just . . . I don’t know, thinking, I guess.”



Murphy eyed him for a long second. “Take my advice and save the thinking for later after you’ve had some time to rest, okay?” He clapped him on the shoulder and gave a small squeeze.



Lucas responded with a nod of appreciation, then turned his attention to Cam as he approached. “How’s the knee today?”



“It’s looking forward to getting into Reverie’s med bay.” Cam actually cracked a smile and continued walking, more positive than he’d been in days.



“Come on, Doc,” Murphy said. “Chin up. The Reverie is waiting.”



The Reverie is waiting.



And that was the best damn thing he’d heard in a very long time.

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