F-23 FALCATA V/STOL HEAVY FIGHTER

Spartan Ops: Lancer

Canon Fodder

Fiction

Alex Wakeford

Issue 148

Canon Fodder: Fiction Festivities

“February 2560. The wreckage of the UNSC Mortal Reverie served as a central rally point and home to human survivors on Zeta Halo, but it was only a matter of time before it was also overrun by the Banished.



A handful of survivors from the battle have been brought to the iron halls of the House of Reckoning where they are forced to take part in a twisted new war game…”



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Halo: Trial of Reckoning is available here on Halo Waypoint, <a href="http://aka.ms/REckoningPDF">as a free PDF</a>, and in <a href="http://aka.ms/ReckoningAudio">audiobook format on YouTube</a>.



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HISTORIAN’S NOTE



Trial of Reckoning takes place in February 2560, immediately following the Banished assault on the crashed UNSC Mortal Reverie which served as a central command post for UNSC survivors on Zeta Halo.



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“Awaken, valiant warriors!”



Gunnery Sergeant Elena Bobrov winced as she slowly regained consciousness. Everything had happened so fast since the Banished had descended upon them—the attack on the UNSC Mortal Reverie had spanned two harrowing days of almost ceaseless combat. Even though they had known the battle was coming, they’d had only hours to prepare.



The Reverie had been downed during the initial Banished naval assault, but the Mulsanne-class frigate’s surviving wreckage had become a fortified rally point for the UNSC personnel stranded on this local fragment of Zeta Halo. The installation itself had been violently fractured as a result of the escalating conflict on its surface and the accompanying emergency slipspace jump to who-knows-where. Under an unfamiliar field of stars, the Reverie had quickly become the only thing that resembled a “home.”



And in the blink of an eye, the Banished had taken that too.



Bobrov had been in the thick of the fighting when a group of Brute Berserkers were set upon her squad, tearing into them with mindless abandon—driven by a violence-fueled disregard for anything but their next target. She recalled hearing the dire sound of bones snapping, feeling the spray of Ensign Daniels’s blood across her face, and the next thing Bobrov knew she was drifting in and out of consciousness, recalling only fleeting impressions of being dragged across the verdant terrain of Zeta Halo before being loaded onto a skiff and taken to… wherever the hell this place was.



“Hey,” a man’s voice cut through her musings. “Gunny’s waking up, Doc.”



A medical scanner passed over her a moment later, followed by a small shot of fast-acting morphine which quickly and mercifully diminished the throbbing in her head.



“Can’t see.” Blinking rapidly, she tried to quell the rising panic in her chest.



“Be calm, your eyes will quickly adjust,” a deep voice soothed. “I suspect the lights will soon come on.”



Squinting through the darkness, unable to see much further than three meters ahead or so, Bobrov relied on her other senses. Beneath her hands she felt the roughness of dirt-covered ground, but the sound of movement around her echoed in ways more indicative of being inside a large building. A hangar, perhaps? That didn’t make any sense.



But then again, nothing did anymore.



As her vision continued to adjust, Bobrov was able to finally make out the one who had been seeing to her injuries.



Being tended to by a Sangheili was certainly one of the stranger wake-up scenarios she had ever experienced. Clad in simple armor, its saurian face barely seemed to register her as he decided he was satisfied that his patient’s wits and faculties had returned.



“Roll call,” Bobrov said through a strained grimace as she shifted herself into a sitting position. “Who have we got here and what the hell is going on?”



“Lance Corporal Singh,” came the voice that had first announced her awakening. “And we’re, uh, pretty much screwed, ma’am.”



“Spartan Hedge, Fireteam Lancer,” came another, causing Bobrov to swell with a momentary flutter of hope. On any other day, she’d have passed it off as an involuntary reaction, but she knew more directly of Spartan Hedge, as the two of them had fought on Requiem.



Bobrov had served two tours of the Forerunner shield world, having been aboard the UNSC Infinity when it was first pulled into the hollow sphere back in ‘57.



Terry Hedge had joined the UNSC Infinity crew as a Spartan recruit soon after the New Phoenix incident. Bobrov had read some of the mission debriefs on Fireteam Lancer’s activities, where they had been led by Hedge and taken part in some of the thickest fighting against Promethean and Covenant remnant forces.



“And our medic?” Bobrov asked, turning to the Sangheili. “You’re a warrior, right?”



The Sangheili appraised her and closed his first aid kit with a crisp snap, the case comically small in the alien’s large hands.



“No.”



Firm. Definite.



“No?” Bobrov repeated, her brow furrowing.



“I am a healer of wounds, not a deliverer of them. Not anymore.”



“You got a name?”



“Yes.”



When he did not continue, Singh interjected. “We just call him Doc. He seems alright with that.”



At that moment, the lights lining the ceiling above flickered on and the truth of their situation was laid acutely bare.



They were indeed inside a room as large as a hangar bay, but there were no vessels docked here. Instead, the area was akin to a UNSC field base—a flat prefabricated structure covered in sand and dirt, a couple of large rocks on the outer edges where groupings of sandbags were haphazardly laid out.



A small building nearby housed a handful of ammunition and weapons crates, prompting Bobrov to grab an assault rifle, sidekick pistol, and a couple of grenades. As she had been the last to awaken, the choices were slim, but the familiar weight of the rifle in her hand returned some semblance of comfort to her.



Beyond the base structure, a series of doors covered the boundaries of the room—two at each edge. They at least knew where their enemy would come from… but with only three fighters among them, and limited ammunition and cover, things certainly weren’t looking good.



“Ah, there you are.”



The booming, sonorous voice that had originally awakened her now returned, this time accompanied by a hologram at the far edge of the room, resolving into the blood-red image of an aged Jiralhanae. His right eye was milky and clouded, but the other—even in holographic form—glinted with malice as his mouth curled into a sharp-toothed smile. A grey beard covered his chin, and his forehead was branded with a symbol of his kind.



“I am Escharum, War Chief of the Banished. I welcome you to the House of Reckoning.”



“Ugly bastard,” Singh spat on the ground, tightening his grip on his battle rifle to mask a fearful tremor.



“Within these iron halls, through the Trials of Atriox, all shall know what it is to be Banished—our living history, how we once served the Covenant. All shall know what it is to be meat.”



Wasting no time, Spartan Hedge sprang into action, signaling Doc to assist in fortifying their position with sandbags and anything else they could grab with what little time and resources they had at their disposal. It wasn’t going to be much protection, but under the circumstances it was the best they could get.



“The trial is King of the Hill. One side holds the advantage of territory and must hold it while forty Banished brothers are sent to stake their claim. Survive, and you shall be granted a boon. You have played your little war games long enough. Now, you will play mine.”



With a final sinister grin, Escharum crossed his arms over his chest and the hologram faded.



Spartan Hedge motioned for Bobrov and the others to join him. “No retreat, no surrender, and no quarter. That’s what’s on the menu for us today, and it’s our job to damn well make sure it’s the same for them.”



“Four of us against forty of them,” Singh interjected and made an exaggerated show of counting on his fingers. “We’re outnumbered ten-to-one, man.”



Bobrov considered what she had read on military maneuvers back in basic training. As the ancient military strategist Sun Tzu had roughly put it: when surrounding an enemy, leave a way of escape. A retreating enemy is one that isn’t putting everything they’ve got into retaliation, but an enemy that knows they’ve been forced into a position to make a final stand is going to fight with every ounce of strength they have to the bitter end.



Either Escharum hadn’t figured that out, or—more likely—the Banished war chief was perfectly aware and that was exactly what he wanted from his captives.



“Let’s be real,” Bobrov interjected. “It’s entirely likely that none of us are making it through this. So you’d better make peace with the prospect of an unceremonious death right now, because if you freeze up and fail to make your shot count, you might as well be on their damn side.”



Doc fidgeted with his medical vambraces, his mandibles tightly formed together, giving way to a sigh. “I shall ensure that you are each stocked with ammunition, and provide you with the enemy’s weaponry when yours runs out. There is no honor in allowing one’s allies to perish for the sake of vanity.”



Bobrov couldn’t help but wonder what this guy’s story was. She could read the subtext as well as anyone and it seemed that even now, even when facing such crushing odds, the good doctor was firmly set against doing harm. 



In her experience, the Sangheili held martial prowess and their concept of “honor” as a matter of life and death. Decades of fighting against them had taught her that. Her more recent years, doing training drills with some of the Swords of Sanghelios personnel, had just confirmed that knowledge. Perhaps Doc had been amongst that cohort aboard the UNSC Infinity? Bobrov drew a sharp breath at the thought.



Infinity.



The name alone conjured an unexpected stab of nostalgia.



How she missed that ship.



UNSC vessels of all kinds throughout the Covenant War had been hell to live on—strictly utilitarian in design to serve as cold metal coffins ferrying troops from one battlefield to the next, never knowing how far you were going to make it. But the quiet hum of the Infinity’s engines, the beauty of the atrium park while cruising through vibrant nebulae in deep space that formed the “night sky” through the transparent observation dome, the chili cook-off that she and Lieutenant Gomez had attained a respectable fourth place in…



That had been the first ship she had ever been able to call home.



She thought back to the first hard touchdown on Requiem. The Covenant faction they’d fought there had thrown themselves at defensive lines they had no tactical chance of overcoming, driven by a zealous fervor that came from the belief that they were literally serving one of their gods in the flesh. She’d been the designated driver for the six-wheeled death machine that was an M510 Mammoth, which had been deployed to destroy a network of particle cannons, ferrying the then-Commander Lasky and the Master Chief himself towards a gravity well that was keeping them grounded.



It had seemed like a lifetime ago… and nobody knew what had happened to either of them. As far as Bobrov knew, no word from Captain Lasky had reached the Mortal Reverie, and the Chief had been missing-in-action since the ambush on Infinity.



All she could do—all she knew how to do—was keep fighting. Whatever hopes there had been for an age of peace after the fall of the Covenant had been shattered, and between remnant factions and rebel groups, ancient Forerunner constructs, renegade artificial intelligences, and now the Banished… “king of the hill” seemed a remarkably apt summary for the state of things, jockeying for power over the biggest and baddest guns in the galaxy. And to what end?



“Hey, ugly,” Lance Corporal Singh called out into the emptiness, knowing Escharum was still watching. “You said we get a boon if we win.”



Escharum did not reappear, but his voice snaked its way across the walls of the House of Reckoning—lowered, as if to confide a secret. “It is the same prize that Atriox received for surviving the countless battles that claimed his brothers.”



“And what’s that?”



“A new day shall dawn over the House of Reckoning. You shall be fed and watered, and tomorrow… you will fight again.”



“You bastard.”



“Take heart, human. With every moment you stand and fight, you shall know Atriox. You shall know the Banished. You shall know the Jiralhanae way of immolation.”



As the war chief’s words faded, the doors around the edges of the room slid open.



Bobrov tensed, fearing that they were about to get instantaneously swarmed from all sides… but the passages remained clear.



Then they heard it.



Like the thunderous start of an engine in the depths of an ancient machine—a dreadful, clanking heartbeat from what must have been a dozen or more gravity hammer pommels striking the ground in unison.



They began slowly, Bobrov counted the seconds between beats…



One, two, three, four—clang! One, two, three, four—clang!



The sound filled the air around them, rolled through the space with the insistence of a rising tide.



Powerful. Unstoppable.



It was not long before four seconds became three.



One, two, three – clang! One, two, three – clang!



Bobrov felt the tension twist in her gut, felt the hair on the back of her neck stand-up as the three beside her shifted, bracing for the inevitable.



Three seconds became two.



One, two – clang! One, two – clang!



Their enemy would be upon them soon.



She knew it.



And yet, in this whisper of time, Bobrov found reality crystallized with a sudden serene clarity, even as she knew this invocation was soon to culminate in a furious release of barbarism. As a Marine who had fought through the Covenant War and had known only a fleeting glimpse of peace before she had been called upon to serve once more, she greeted this moment as a friend.



The choice was simple. The priorities were clear.



Adapt. Survive. And…



She exhaled, glanced at her fireteam, and saw her own grim resolve mirrored in their expressions.



Accept whatever may come.



The pounding reached fever pitch, the hammers clanging repeatedly as the sound drew closer, grew louder, reaching its crescendo.



One second.



One. Final. Exhale.



Then came the stampeding feet. Bloodthirsty roars. The sudden sharp crack of firepower as Bobrov and her team made their stand.



Escharum’s voice echoed above it all.



“Fight hard. Die well.”

343 INDUSTRIES

Halo: Trial of Reckoning

Halo: Battle for the Blood-Moon

Games

Welcome back to this year’s penultimate issue of Canon Fodder—what a year it’s been, and we’re not quite done yet on the fiction front!



New multiplayer map lore for Season 5’s latest additions, new Waypoint Chronicles and Intel, a new Armory Infinitum entry, and even more await within…



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">MAPTACULORE: RECKONING</h2>



Season 5 brought with it two new maps which both hint at some fascinating backstory elements from the broader Halo universe. Let’s get you acquainted with ‘em!



FORBIDDEN



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1920" height="1080" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2023/11/Forbidden.jpg" alt="Halo Infinite screenshot of the multiplayer map Forbidden" class="wp-image-86997" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2023/11/Forbidden.jpg 1920w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2023/11/Forbidden-300x169.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2023/11/Forbidden-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2023/11/Forbidden-768x432.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2023/11/Forbidden-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2023/11/Forbidden-1568x882.jpg 1568w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></figure>



While ancient stone ruins have been observed on multiple Halo installations, Zeta Halo invites additional curiosity as it continues to bear features from its original configuration as Gyre 11. Lifeworker stations take many forms and house even more secrets, hidden both by and from Forerunners and the various inhabitants who once lived within these old spaces.



Since the initiation of the Zeta Halo project in 2555, several groups of human researchers and follow-up rescue teams have been listed as missing after reporting their discovery of these facilities, or unknowingly wandering into them, which are speculated to be concealed by advanced baffler and dazzler technologies. None have been recorded as having returned.



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PRISM



“A lone colo is prey. A drove of colos is an unstoppable force.”



“Until a pack of teroks push them over a cliff. Then they are dinner. The Banished are the teroks, Arbiter, and you will know when we are hungry. That, I promise.”



Halo: Outcasts, Chapter 24



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Not known to make idle threats, Atriox began moving a contingent of Banished forces towards Suban, the blood-moon of Sanghelios, following his confrontation with the Arbiter on Netherop. Seeking to claim ownership of the Subanese crystal mines used for needle-based weaponry, the Jiralhanae alchemist corps aboard the dreadnought Ghost of Barolon seek to find inventive new applications for this strange, little-understood technology.



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">SATURN DEVOURING HIS SON</h2>



Our latest Waypoint Chronicle, Saturn Devouring His Son, went live on Halloween and brought a spooky new short story about the Flood.



Halo: Saturn Devouring His Son is available <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/halo-saturn-devouring-his-son" target="_blank">here on Halo Waypoint</a>, <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="http://aka.ms/SaturnPDF" target="_blank">as a free PDF</a>, and <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="http://aka.ms/SaturnAudio" target="_blank">in audiobook format on YouTube</a>.



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The question has been asked: what exactly is the big deal about a Spartan becoming infected?



It’s certainly true that the Flood in all its varied forms—from the lowliest spore to the most terrifying of abominations—is deadly to anyone. But to infect a Spartan brings a whole other kind of danger.



Spartans are, as we well know, the master of any weapon, pilot of any vehicle, and fear no enemy. Their lethality comes in no small part from their understanding of how to effectively utilize any piece of technology on the battlefield, whether it’s a UNSC rifle or an alien vehicle. That is a significant element which differentiates Spartans from any other grunt, and that knowledge getting absorbed by the Flood, especially in the early stages of an outbreak (as told in this story), spells doom for all.



Add to that their protective and power-amplifying Mjolnir armor, as well as their knowledge of classified information, and the sheer morale-breaking spectacle of witnessing a champion of humanity transformed into a weapon to be used against them… what sweet misery this scenario brings on every level.



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">BATTLE FOR THE BLOOD-MOON</h2>



Speaking of Waypoint Chronicles, we are just days away from the release of our next one! Halo: Battle for the Blood-Moon releases on November 27, and it will be available in all the standard Waypoint Chronicle formats.



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2560. The Banished have come to Suban, the blood-moon of Sanghelios, seeking to claim the unique natural resource within its vast mines: the beautiful but volatile Subanese crystals.



The Swords of Sanghelios and their Spartan allies face an overwhelming force on the ground, while a Sangheili shipmistress in the skies above seeks to find a weakness in the enemy’s armor that might turn the tide against these invaders.



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Tying in with this upcoming Waypoint Chronicle, our latest Intel drop has provided some details about the Banished dreadnought Ghost of Barolon. Scannermaster Dibdib’s report features some run-on speculative commentary alongside her analysis that it seems her shipmistress deemed to be an unnecessary addition.



<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/reckoning-intel#S5Intel2" target="_blank">INTEL 2: GHOST OF BAROLON</a>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">ARMORY INFINITUM</h2>



One of the newest weapons introduced in Halo Infinite was the Sicatt Workshop Volt Piercer, or “shock rifle,” which has become a favorite for landing some incredibly satisfying headshots, along with its more powerful variant: the Purging Shock Rifle. 



It just so happens that—as revealed in our latest Intel drop—the Banished dreadnought hanging in the skies of Suban, as you can see on the map Prism, is the Ghost of Barolon. What a fortuitous coincidence, given what we learned in the Halo Encyclopedia last year…



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The shock rifle is the latest in a long line of experimental voltaic application devices that represent some of the only remaining vestiges of the Jiralhanae’s rich technological age, just before the dark days of the Great Immolation. Technicians from the Sicatt Workshop on board the Banished dreadnought Ghost of Barolon were able to break ground on the latest volt piercer, achieving a robust production run of the long-range Banished electrolaser that could also be charged and maintained at local armory outposts. This brutal precision-energy weapon is an extremely powerful asset, neutralizing approaching enemies even at great distances. 



Halo Encyclopedia (2022), p. 477



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And so, given the current circumstances, it seemed only natural that this latest Armory Infinitum entry should provide some further insight into what the bright minds aboard the Ghost of Barolon have been working on.



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SICATT WORSHOP // ALCHEMY CORPS GHOST OF BAROLON >>PERSONAL LOG // VULCUS



As the Banished looks to extend its reach beyond the shadowed corners of the galaxy we have remained hidden in, Atriox has expressed his desire to bring new kinds of weaponry to bear—the kind that was spoken of in the old stories across the three moons. It was for this purpose that Sicatt Workshop was born, and thus far rudimentary efforts to harness directed-energy electrolasers recovered from old vaults on Doisac have delivered… satisfactory results.



But I see this as just a template. A foundation.



The manufacturers deliver me a weapon that fires three bursts—I say, why not five? Voltaic application devices are still experimental in nature, let us see how much power they can truly offer as we explore the truth of their limits. The Gray Guards are already eager to test this new firepower on the field as Escharum seeks to convene the Legionmasters for a new operation. I want these weapons to match precision and power to take down the shields of a human strike fighter.



In time, perhaps we can even mount such a weapon onto our ships… overload enemy systems to aid in ramming and boarding maneuvers…



Let it never be said that a Jiralhanae lacks the ambition to explore what can be achieved through our minds as well as our might.



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">COMMUNITY LORE CORNER</h2>



Let’s round up some of the latest Halo lore-centric endeavors from folks in the community.



Starting us off is <a href="https://youtu.be/NtaNFY2EsC0?si=j1VBmn9R7Eo48yAb">MegMage</a>, who recently completed her first ever playthrough of Halo: Combat Evolved—welcome to the madness, Meg!



Meg has put together a reaction video to the tragic and esoteric story of 343 Guilty Spark as told in those marvelous Combat Evolved Anniversary Terminals. It’s always a joy to see series newcomers become invested in the rich history of this universe.



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Next up, the iconic <a href="https://youtu.be/Gb6Ni3dMwLw?si=oJS5abLlf9lPRdu4">HiddenXperia</a> has put together his own awesome recap and retelling of Saturn Devouring His Son, which you should definitely check out!



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And speaking of Saturn, <a href="https://youtu.be/iZ38fcfPaSE?si=DiNFJ8V8lnO0M29-">Halo Infinite Store Customization</a> has created a fantastic short machinima video from the perspective of the cameras across Site 22, showcasing the Flood outbreak.



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To keep the running theme here, <a href="https://youtu.be/qdDbHh1Yi7A?si=HVYtDGzBC3DfoOnw">Installation00</a> has also created a fantastic new video about the CORRUPTER cryptonym featured in Saturn concerning a Spartan being infected by the Flood.



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That’ll close us out for this month’s issue, leaving just one week before our next Waypoint Chronicle drops—our penultimate one for the year (yes, going by what we teased at <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://youtu.be/6NLZw-BL8hg?feature=shared&t=26149s" target="_blank">Canon Fodder LIVE</a>, there is indeed one more still to come in 2023!)



Until then, off with you! There’s a twenty-tier Combined Arms Operation Pass in Halo Infinite that demands completion and a new Halo 3-themed playlist to jump into, the perfect way to pass the time until Battle for the Blood-Moon arrives.



See you on Suban.

Esports

Issue 147

Canon Fodder: Fly Me to the Blood-Moon

Halo: Saturn Devouring His Son

Issue 146

Canon Fodder: Championship Chronicles

Experience the legendary moment from HaloWC 2023 where Steve Downes, Jen Taylor, and Keith David performed a brand new scene together as the Master Chief, Dr. Halsey, and the Arbiter.



Read it here on Halo Waypoint, <a href="https://aka.ms/SunriseOnSangheliosPDF">download a free PDF version</a>, or <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=heeAkDRuf5g&ab_channel=HALO">watch it performed by Steve, Jen, and Keith on YouTube</a>!



<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">
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Halo: Sunrise on Sanghelios | HaloWC 2023 Community Stage" width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/heeAkDRuf5g?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div></figure>



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HISTORIAN’S NOTE



Sunrise on Sanghelios takes place in the immediate aftermath of Halo 5:
Guardians and concurrently with moments depicted in the novel Halo: Bad
Blood.



<hr class="wp-block-separator"/>



SANGHELIOS OCTOBER 28, 2558 (UNSC Military Calendar)



The Pelican landed in
the Swords of Sanghelios camp, lit only by the fire of two braziers. A moment
later, several Sangheili warriors clad in copper-crimson armor emerged from the
main tent, and alongside them, Spartan Commander Sarah Palmer, Dr. Catherine
Halsey, and Arbiter Thel ‘Vadam himself.



Gathering at the
landing site, they watched with anticipation as the rear ramp of the Pelican’s
troop bay descended. The unusual welcome committee quickly lowered their
weapons as they saw who was disembarking alongside Spartan Jameson Locke.



Dr. Halsey approached,
her expression a mix of so many conflicting emotions all at once—pride, relief,
horror, guilt . . . but she held these feelings back as she approached the Master
Chief, and simply said:



“It took you long
enough.”



As the moment passed, Palmer snapped into action and ordered the Pelican’s lights to be shut down, as the rest of Blue Team and Fireteam Osiris exited the Pelican.



“Welcome,” the Arbiter
addressed the gathering. “You have my thanks for all you have done. The
Sangheili people owe you a great debt. Although none of us is in a position to
repay it, we will do what we can. You must all be hungry and exhausted. I
insist you join us for a meal and a rest before you depart.” 



“We’re not leaving
tonight,” Dr. Halsey interjected, ignoring the Arbiter tightening his mandibles.
“I didn’t think we’d be able to make this work, but with your Pelican, it’s
possible. I’ve already received a message from Infinity. They’re going
to appear off the far side of Suban—this planet’s nearest moon—tomorrow at
eighteen hundred hours military standard, noon local time.”



Dr. Halsey stepped
away to coordinate further with Palmer and Locke, eventually agreeing on a plan
for the rendezvous.



“We’re here for the
night. We’ll fly out first thing tomorrow,” said the Master Chief. 



“We have butchered and
roasted a number of colo and kuscatu to celebrate our victory over the last of
the Covenant and the end of our civil war.” The Arbiter turned to face the
Master Chief directly. “We would be honored by your presence.”



As the night went on, the
Arbiter took the Master Chief aside while the allied humans and Sangheili
toasted to the victory they had shared against the Covenant.



“I was relieved when I
heard that you had returned, Spartan. Even when our ship was severed in half as
we escaped the great foundry of the Forerunners all those years ago, I had
faith that you were not lost. I have heard many stories, but I would like to
hear the tale from you.”



“Cortana and I were
adrift in space for over four years. We ended up at a shield world called
Requiem where we were led to awaken the Didact.”



The Arbiter’s eyes widened.
“A Forerunner survived?”



“We fought. He
lost,” said the Master Chief. “But now the galaxy is overrun with his
Prometheans, and our victory came at a price . . .”



“Your companion—the
AI. I remember you trusted her with the fate of all when last we fought
together.”



“She . . . changed. I
don’t know exactly what happened, I just know I failed her.”



In his mind, the
Master Chief could still recall Cortana’s parting words to him after they
defeated the Didact together.



“I’m not coming with
you this time . . . Welcome home, John.”



But then, inexplicably,
he had found her again—but not as she once was. Cortana had claimed that
accessing an ancient quantum network known as the Domain had cured her
rampancy, but she had somehow become driven by the same misguided logic that
the Didact himself had sought to impose upon the galaxy.



“Our strength shall
serve as a luminous sun toward which all intelligence may blossom. And the
impervious shelter beneath which you will prosper. However, for those who refuse
our offer and cling to their old ways . . . for you, there will be great wrath.
It will burn hot and consume you, and when you are gone, we will take that
which remains, and we will remake it in our own image.”



There was much he had
to process, but the Master Chief was brought back to the present as the Arbiter
spoke once more, his voice carrying hard-won wisdom.



“We all fail, Spartan.
We all make mistakes.”



The Arbiter paused for
a moment, a silent war raging inside him as to whether he should continue.



“I served the Covenant
as a destroyer of your kind. I have killed more than can possibly be counted,
and though I now fight for peace and unity among our peoples, I know that there
shall come a day where I must count the lives that have been lost because of my
actions. You helped to turn me from that path. Perhaps there is still yet a
chance you can do the same for your companion.”



The Master Chief
recalled the first thing the Arbiter had said to him when they met on Earth,
still uncertain about the nature of their alliance—still seeing this Sangheili,
who had destroyed his home and that of countless others—as an enemy.



“Were it so easy.”



They continued their
discussion long into the night, as the Arbiter recalled to the Master Chief all
that had transpired over the years from his perspective—songs of loss and
sacrifice, but also of victory and unity.



He concluded his tales
with the hope he felt for the future, a grand project that would lift the
species of the galaxy from their conflicts and bring about a prosperous new era.



“An alliance of
species built upon a foundation of strength and unity that comes from honor and
acceptance, mutual trust, respect. A Concert of Worlds in an age of peace.”



The Arbiter slumped
slightly, knowing that an age of peace was a long way off. There were many
factions and threats still out there, Cortana and her Created were just one of
many. Were it so easy, indeed.



An hour before
sunrise, preparations were made for departure aboard the Pelican as the UNSC Infinity
arrived out of slipspace to make a quick pick-up.



“Farewell, Spartan.
When we first met, we were enemies fighting to end each other. Now, as allies,
I am confident we can face this new threat together once more.”



Dr. Halsey passed them
and the Arbiter gave her a pointed glance, to which she returned a haughty
sniff.



The Spartan and the
Sangheili reached out to clasp forearms.



“Thank you.”



Though the Master
Chief was never one for words, he found some resolve and semblance of hope in parting
ways like this, and not through an act of sacrifice or betrayal.



The Pelican lifted off
the ground and blazed through the atmosphere of Sanghelios at incredible speed
as the light of Urs shone over the horizon, leaving the world to face an
uncertain, perilous new dawn.

Halo: Sunrise on Sanghelios

Season 4 of Halo Infinite has arrived, bringing with it a new collection of Intel—a series of data drops that provide some additional lore and context to elements of each season.



Intel can be found here on Halo Waypoint and in-game in Halo Infinite‘s message of the day carousel.



This blog will be updated over the course of Season 4 with new Intel.



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<a href="#S4Intel1">INTEL 1</a> | <a href="#S4Intel2">INTEL 2</a> | <a href="#S4Intel3">INTEL 3</a> | <a href="#S4Intel4">INTEL 4</a> | <a href="#S4Intel5">INTEL 5</a>



<hr class="wp-block-separator"/>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="S4Intel1">INTEL 1: GOING VIRAL</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1920" height="1080" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2023/06/S4Intel1-6494bc10c2349.jpg" alt="Intel 1 image of Spartans infected by Iratus" class="wp-image-70413" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2023/06/S4Intel1-6494bc10c2349.jpg 1920w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2023/06/S4Intel1-6494bc10c2349-300x169.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2023/06/S4Intel1-6494bc10c2349-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2023/06/S4Intel1-6494bc10c2349-768x432.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2023/06/S4Intel1-6494bc10c2349-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2023/06/S4Intel1-6494bc10c2349-1568x882.jpg 1568w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></figure>



But there is so much more to see!



The entire history of the Spartan program. Your weaknesses. Your failures. And now all of it belongs to the Banished!



Oh, I shall enjoy every moment of its categorization. So much of your strength is tied to the armor you wear like a second skin. What happens when it is taken away? No… what happens when it is turned against you?



And so many of you here—ah, survivors of the Apparition’s burning wrath, are you? A new generation of heroes to forge a brighter future for your kind. Such delicious naivety!



Know this as you struggle in vain against the inevitable: I shall see you ALL unravel in body and spirit. I shall disseminate every secret held within this facility and within your minds. And the Banished shall feast upon what remains.



Take a look in the mirror, my little Spartans. Thralls of Iratus. Think how much better you’re going to look wearing my face.



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="S4Intel2">INTEL 2: ESCHARUM’S INVOCATION</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2023/06/ScarrIntel-scaled.jpg" alt="Halo Infinite screenshot of the out-of-map vista around Scarr"/></figure>



When we were inducted into the Covenant, the Prophets had us settled on worlds ripe with rich resources. Was this out of respect for our people—a reward for our strength? No. It was simply another way in which we served as a method of their control. A blunt instrument for delicate hands. A deterrent to those who would claim more than what the Prophets would allow. And they knew we could not excavate these resources ourselves, for we were nothing but fodder to be expended on their front lines.



But look around you, brothers. Savor this moment. Understand what we are now. We are the Banished, and we are free. We take what we desire, and we use it to fuel our strength and sustain our spirit.



Never forget what Atriox gave to you. Know that all we are today is because of his vision.



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="S4Intel3">INTEL 3: TRANSLOCATION THEORY</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2023/07/S4Intel3QT.jpg" alt="Halo Infinite screenshot of a Spartan's arm engaging the Quantum Translocator"/></figure>



Back in ‘57, we had the quantum marker—or the MX-1050. Cool piece of ONI tech that we got to play with in some sims before they had the Infinity jump back to Requiem; used it to transport crates from the ship down to research bases. They wanted to drop and gain a foothold in enemy-occupied territory quick and hard, but then we start fighting these Forerunner robots that can zip around the place and suddenly we got a bunch of eggheads workin’ overtime to repurpose the tech to put it on actual people…



I dunno what kinda magic tricks they managed to pull, but the damn thing works! Heard ‘em talkin’ about puttin’ this “Quantum Translocator” on Spartans in the field. Ain’t worked up the courage yet to volunteer for further trials, not since ol’ Haverly was gone for three hours during a test run and came back all pale and shakin’ and refused to say a word about what happened. Tried to calm him down but he just wouldn’t stop crying.



Come to think of it, haven’t seen him in a while…



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="S4Intel4">INTEL 4: ARCHEOHOMINA</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2023/08/S4Intel4.jpg" alt="Halo Infinite screenshot of the multiplayer map Forest, set on the planet Heian from Halo Legends: The Babysitter"/></figure>



DR. CATHERINE HALSEY, RESEARCH NOTES – 2544



Operation: GREY VEIL was a success, but cost the life of Cal-141, who died from head trauma sustained from a Jiralhanae gravity hammer. We have thus far sustained only a few Spartan casualties as this war with the Covenant approaches its second decade, but strategically each one feels akin to losing an entire world.



The ODST squad that accompanied SPARTAN-141 did, however, return something fascinating. Surveying the ruins on Heian, they discovered evidence of an ancient civilization with architectural designs that I can only describe as unmistakably human—a strange mixture of Greco-Roman and East Asian elements… yet even the most cursory analysis tells us that these ruins far predate those periods in our history, and they were certainly not built with simple stone to have been preserved for so long.



We came to the stars and wondered about alien life, yet these ruins force us to consider whether there might be improbable things about our own past that lie beyond our knowledge. Alas, no further research on Heian is possible due to the Covenant’s presence, and with Miridem under attack it’s not likely that we’ll get to look any deeper into this.



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="S4Intel5">INTEL 5: EMERGENCY CONTACT PROTOCOL</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2023/09/FloodSpore.jpg" alt="Image of a Flood spore"/></figure>



//WARNING



//WARNING



//SPARTAN CONTAINMENT FIRETEAM COMPROMISED



“This is Captain Alvarez of the UNSC Saturn. I am declaring CORRUPTER and UPSILON protocols. All remaining
groundside personnel have seven minutes to withdraw from Site 22 as the Saturn
moves into position…”

Halo Infinite | Infection Intel

Issue 145

Canon Fodder: Concert of Words

Tenrai III has come to Halo Infinite, bringing with it a new Story Shard.



Hosted here on Halo Waypoint, Duality is a single-part Story Shard that takes the form of a Tenrai-themed retelling of the Halo Legends episode “The Duel,” featuring art from William “Pixelflare” Cameron and Duncan Shaffer.



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“This tale begins with an act of defiance. A great clan leader’s refusal to bend the knee to an occupying empire. But not all showed such courage.”



Despair emanates From defiance in honor Refusal to bow 



“The clan leader’s brother sought to persuade him to yield, or they would all face retribution for his defiance.”



Seeking to counsel His brother feared punishment Words drift upon wind 



“Ambushed on his pilgrimage, the Covenant came to eliminate this lone warrior. They did not succeed.”



Ambushed by the horde The Covenant came to kill The field lies silent 



“But his keep was destroyed, and all who lived there were slain.”



A strategic feint For his home was set upon Turned to ghosts and glass 



“When the clan leader returned, he found the carnage and vowed to exact his revenge. He would answer their call to violence.”



Hastening to warn His brother, found amidst blood And would claim vengeance 



“He journeyed to face the other of his kind who had taken all of that which he held dear.”



Across sea and sky He journeyed to face his foe Who chose servitude 



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<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1920" height="1080" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2023/09/DualitySangheili.jpg" alt="Duality image of a UNSC-aligned Sangheili in green armor holding an energy sword next to a building" class="wp-image-80760" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2023/09/DualitySangheili.jpg 1920w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2023/09/DualitySangheili-300x169.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2023/09/DualitySangheili-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2023/09/DualitySangheili-768x432.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2023/09/DualitySangheili-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2023/09/DualitySangheili-1568x882.jpg 1568w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></figure>



“Well, what happened then?”



The Sangheili lost the young girl’s voice as he scanned the area. For a moment, it had sounded as if the shouting and gunfire was getting closer to the warehouse, but he soon lowered his sword and retreated from the alley.



He recalled the story’s end. He knew it well, for it had been told a thousand times since he was a hatchling—and many thousands of times more for centuries before then.



And both would perish A lesson learned only by We who remember. 



In the old tale, the noble Arbiter, Fal ‘Chavamee, and the Covenant’s enforcer both fell to each other’s blades—an end that served nobody but the Prophets and their manipulative designs as the title of Arbiter became a mark of shame.



But, as the Sangheili looked into the round eyes of his young human protectorate, he realized that this story did not speak to the spirit of the times in which they now lived.



The Covenant had fallen, with various pretenders vying to lay claim to its rotting remains. And former enemies, the humans and Sangheili, had—in uncovering the truth about the lies of the Prophets—found some measure of reconciliation with each other.



As the final Age of Reclamation passed, it had been replaced by one of kinship and, perhaps in time, even forgiveness. The lesson to be heeded from the story as it had been told during the time of the Covenant was no longer simply the fear of punishment for disobedience, but that, when facing a great force that seeks to divide, true strength is found in unity.



“Apologies, child,” the Sangheili spoke. “It seems I have forgotten how the story ends…”



The human child made an exaggerated gesture of stroking her chin with two fingers as she studied the toy clutched in her other hand—a figure of a human Spartan, clad in stylized armor that evoked a period of their own ancestral history.



“Maybe we can come up with a new one together?”



What was forged then was the ending the Sangheili wished they could have once had to their centuries-spanning tale of blinding, all-consuming vengeance—and this is what it was…



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<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1920" height="1080" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2023/07/TenraiIIHeader.jpg" alt="Key art for Tenrai II showing a YOROI-clad Spartan holding an assault rifle as a gift" class="wp-image-73681" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2023/07/TenraiIIHeader.jpg 1920w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2023/07/TenraiIIHeader-300x169.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2023/07/TenraiIIHeader-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2023/07/TenraiIIHeader-768x432.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2023/07/TenraiIIHeader-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2023/07/TenraiIIHeader-1568x882.jpg 1568w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></figure>



At the great temple The clan leader saw the truth Without and within 



He cast down his blade And asked that his foe listen To winged wisdom 



So full of hatred That we have become blinded To what we should be



I discard my wrath Let us forgive and share gifts I name you brother.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1920" height="1080" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2023/09/Tenrai-III-Header.jpg" alt="Halo Infinite key art for the Tenrai III event depicting a YOROI Spartan sitting with a gravity hammer, a Halo ring in the background" class="wp-image-80578" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2023/09/Tenrai-III-Header.jpg 1920w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2023/09/Tenrai-III-Header-300x169.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2023/09/Tenrai-III-Header-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2023/09/Tenrai-III-Header-768x432.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2023/09/Tenrai-III-Header-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2023/09/Tenrai-III-Header-1568x882.jpg 1568w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></figure>

TENRAI

Story Shard: Duality