HALO WARS

GENESIS

GENESIS
1008 Part No. X14-76671-01
GENESIS
U nsc battle group 4, sir, nearing arabia and vostok
investigating unknown
aggression, outer
slipstream exit destroyed!
for harvest.
colony, harvest.
october 7, 2525. lateral spin. one
eight zero by zero.
overload thrust!

alL stations
ready. weapon
status alpha.
I hope section-ii
knows what
its doing here. unsc destroyer HERACLES,
captain maribeau
veredi, commanding.

your destruction
is the wilL of the
gods... and we are
their instrument...

office of naval intelligence (oni), strategic like anyone

response unit, reach military base. threE divorces, can help with
private residence, a cloned liver, this slice of
vice admiral preston two heart armagedDon
cole, retired. atTacks. not
much left of
me, boys.

two meters one man may

of titanium same as at be of help, but okay.
armor was chi ceti. if hes not Im in.
inefFective! dead yet.
 we returned to
harvest with enough
firepower to asSault
the vaults of heaven. open alpha
fleEtcom
chanNel!

oni was right

about chi ceti reset nuclear fire!
payloads at everything
mark plus
lets seE if it stops 0.1 second now!
energy shield everythingat
technology. detonation.
the same time.

bridge, fleet command cruiser

EVEREST, vice admiral preston cole,
commanding. march 1, 2526. orders? sir,
orders?!

the enemy ship

sound the
destroyed
retreat!

and 13 of ours
obliterated.

nukes have
no efFect!
sacramento it did not
is down! so is bode welL.
lance held high belay that
standby alL
stations.
 the newly promoted
admiral preston office of naval intelligence (oni), strategic origami asteroid field, alpha
cole waves to his rumors of colonies, response unit, reach military base. aurigae system. october 21, 2526.
enthusiastic second base and
supPorters! greEn hilLs, under second base and
enemy atTack are greEn hilLs were
he defeated insurgents completely false. itlL be
who had seized a glasSed! two milLion imposSible
comMunication people cremated. to keEp this
satelLite near the outer a secret.
colony, harvest.

similar insurgent one hundred seven unsc ships

capturing of local against 12 enemy vesSels.
satelLites, however, has we won, but a stagGering 37
rendered temporary human ships were destroyed.
local com blackouts.

..
system xi bootis a.
february 13, 2528.

so don't...

seventy ships in our

give cole the armada. they had
entire fleEt eight. we lost 30!
and go public
with the threat. oni dubBed it a
"strategic" victory.

the battle of
the great bear,
groombridge-1830.
december 24, 2530.

if he destroys
them fine.

if not, welL, enemy ship

heroes are ideal seventeEn of our ships survived reEntry,
scapegoats. against threE of theirs. eleven sir. we have I want
destroyers lost. two enemy a survivor. to seE it.
vesSels kilLed. one crash landed.
unsc cruiser, EVEREST, bio-hazard unit.
admiral preston coles
office, unsc cruiser, EVEREST.

we utTerly
are the holy xenophobic.
and glorious
inheritors .

why are you I knew that from

atTacking us? the beginNing, though.
they had such
advanced
technologies...
yet knew litTle but I now knew
you have about us. we had one strategic
beEn judged advantage: secrecy.
UNCLEAN. a scourge
that must be
BURNED
away!

it would take years to ram this down the

throats of the politicians, but as far as my
batTle group was concerned, it was law.

WHEN we
find your
home world, it
wilL be reduced

TO ASHES!

destroy
you
alL*
 unsc staging area,
interstellar space,
coordinates //classifed//.
january 3, 2531.

what can I do for oni,

comMander orez? the prophecy has
repelLed aliens
near harvest, sir.
her reactor
went critical. she
neEds imMediate
asSistance.
we can't spare a combat
ship although I could
send a supPort vesSel.
that would
be ideal.
orez out.

I dont
trust a prowler
comMandertoO
slick. who's on the
duty roster? the spirit of fire...
captain cutTer. hmMm. warn cutTer
he may be in for more
than a clean-up op.
 shaw-fujikawa drive and one for the captain.
room, SPIRIT OF FIRE. reach is loOking
lovely this time of year.
we always
checked the ftl
prior to a jump. no
one within several
light years could
fix these things
if they failed.

letTers from home.

it made the crew hapPy.

drop bay bravo,

SPIRIT OF FIRE.

we once carRied hydroponics

we alL had our
and schoOls for the colonies. thank you, reasons to fight.
serina.

now we packed barRacks, send my regards to

fusion reactors, and ataf misSile admiral cole; break
turRetsdispatched to the front from the batTle group
lines at a moments notice. and initiate jump.

bridge, SPIRIT OF FIRE,

captain j. g. cutter,
commanding.

alL shipshape,
captain. ready
to depart.

update our
servers before
we break from
the batTle
group, serina.
unsc SPIRIT OF FIRE, splipstream
space, en route to harvest. repair/refit bay is
capable of launching
cyclops exoskeleton
the unsc spirit of fire, cfv-88. vehicles and a crew of
constructed 2473. a colony over 60 eva engineErs.
ship, a symbol of hope... but as
they say, "plows into swords."
in 2520, they adDed a
magnetic acCelerator
canNon (mac), able to
acCelerate depleted
uranium slugs to a
fraction of light speEd.

thrust asSemblies replaced

from the scutTled unsc
destroyer calcutTa in 2530.
output increased 37%.

archer
misSile pods.

spirits smart a.i., serina, can

coOrdinate the simultaneous repair
and refit of 12 ships of the line.
we couldn't get along without her.
slipstream space translations for a vesSel this
size require 4.3 quadrilLion calculations of the
quantum field per second. I dont believe
spirit could ever leave spacedock without me!
storage/auxiliary launch houses
scorpion tanks, warthogs, self-
asSembling fusion reactors, and
other groundside facilities that
can be dropPed via pelican asSist.
the observation roOm was originalLy purposed
for colonial surveys. its beEn quiet here
recently (although there has beEn social
ofF-duty fraternizing I turn a blind eye to).
 loOped distresS
... reactor meltdown evaced to solar bunkers. signal. recorded survivors prophecy blocked the
radiation afFecting a.i.... protocols in threE days ago. wilL not shot from our mac.
violation... unsc prophecy, broadcasting be in goOd
on encrypted chanNel to alL friendly... shape, sir.

answering new
how did oni prepare for nav course. flank
know so fast? database extraction and speEd, aye.
rescue operations. fire teams ... scramble!
just a guesS, echo, india, this is no
but Id say they lima, november drilL!
were here when scramble.
the prophecy
015 by
breached.
030.

aye, aye, captain.

altering emergency
response
slipstream
ruptures! threE... flank
no four ships. acCeleration!
and they
didnt help... covenant.
scramble
pelican eva
squads.
 one broke cover.
we got a clean shot.
the rest setTled
on the prophecy.

unlock havok
misSiles. voiceprint and
code word: code authorized.
polLyanNa. havok nuclear
misSiles activated.
 launch
in 3...

weapon
interlock
disengaged.

lets sweEp
out the
trash, chris.

great day to
bag some bad
guys, huh?

contacts ahead
loOk out!
a soft-seal
entrance. wake up, chris!
weve got...

perfected in
those last nasty
bits of "operation
trebuchet."

zERO-GeE,
CLOSE-QUARTER
COMBAT...

... you got goOd

at it fast...

oh...
man. companys
coming!

fulL-floOd
presSurization.
oh
crap...

... or you
died.

goOd thing
jackals were
slow learners.
 what about proceEd to
serina. lima. the survivors? terminal 4.
were in.

... WHERE
ARE WE?

go 100 meters
aft to auxiliary
terminal 4.

retrieve the
admiral
black box
coles protocol
and wipe the
takes precedence.
nav core.

serina.
trust me peculiar? I am
on this one,
lima-one.
so much for being a Im there. fitzgibBon,
sergeant.
zero-geE combat a.i. of the
expert. I think I acCesS the prophecy.
broke my ankle. retinal scanNer acCesS
on your right. denied.
also note the a.i.
understoOd. may act... peculiar
lima out. due to elevated
radiation levels.

I have my
orders... so
Im going.

the rest of
you get to those
survivors.
 listen, lord
what?! sparky, you
why? know youve
beEn boarded?

or are your circuits

your so scrambled
service record youre going to stop
speaks plainly, me from folLowing
sergeant forge. coles protocol?

so sorRy, chum.
radiation repair
routines enabled.

initiating
self-destruct
nav database
sequence. threE
purged.
minutes and
runNing viral counting...
scavengers... your men
are in bay 2,
sergeant.

TRUE, YOU HAVE but also, striking and more

SHOWN UNCOmMON a superior ofFicer conduct five promotions
VALOR. and conduct unbecoming. threE demotions.
unbecoming...
 there are no
survivors.
go!
launch!

fractured
ankle.

and this is the

first of seven
doses of anti-rad
treatment. I seE no one
bothered to
program a
bedside manNer... alL received
radiation far in there is nothing
how are the excesS of what to do... but
survivors? can be treated. watch them die.

so, marine, you hear

like helL the one about the
there is. civilian nurse, an
odst, and this female
oni ofFicer who
walk into a bar?...
you
saved us...

sure they were dead.

but they were stilL people.
they deserved betTer.

whatever was going on

here, there betTer be a
damn goOd reason for it.
 fresh from earth.
rishard university, prof. ellen anders, a slice of heaven!
associate professor lecturing. you buy, you seE.

geological survey
of planet cote de
azure, blisS, and onyx
indicate puzZling
geological strata...

earth?

they have the

highest levels of
pesticides in the
inNer colonies...

Prof. anders?
dr. halsey hey!
a.i. analysis ... extrapolation recomMended
indicates large-scale, sugGests a hierarchy you for a...
engineEred features. of intelLigence... consultation.

although not
direct evidence
of nonhuman
intelLigence...
theres some
mistake. Im not on
speaking terms with
that woman.
 my regrets for the you kidnapPed me! this. a high-altitude
manNer you were image of the outer show me
brought in, profesSor. colony, harvest. more...

we've known
about them
for some time.

your potential I believe you

use, however, wilL find this
has just beEn interesting...
sanctioned.
part of
an intercepted
what could posSibly comMunique.
be so urgent that you had
to violate my civil rights?!

our a.i.'s have they refer

only begun to to harvest as
decipher a bit of it. a treasure
... although what
world. this treasure
is eludes us.
 your research...
we require your and you... are now {sigh}
help to find what code-word clasSified. unsc LAST GLEAMING,
these aliens want. I know slipstream space, en
youre recently route to harvest.
engaged, but...

IlL neEd the

transcripts...

... and unrestricted

hmMm. acCesS to your a.i.'s.

youve
come to breathing roOm and space
the right to think werent luxuries
person. they had on this ship...

youlL get
everything...

time is a factor.
youlL review
the data on the
last gleaming.

the ofFice of naval intelLigence

had only got their translation
half right: the aliens were loOking
the last for treasure... but they were
what? also desperately trying to
hide something on harvest.
 unsc SPIRIT OF FIRE,
outer colony
observation gallery.
world, harvest.

onis travel
time from harvest
indicates a stealth
ship was here...
... when the
prophecys
reactor went
critical.
you left the
crew to die!

furthermore any
the prophecys hypothetical prowler ... which would have
crew would have here would've become most certainly
beEn dead from visible if it initiated beEn against
the radiation. rescue operations... their orders.

now, sir, this perhaps

is Prof. anders. I should
proceEd with
my analysis.

make ready youve beEn requested

shutTle one... to let her calL the shots
is that the on the scientific aspects
prophecy? thats not the of this misSion.
prophecy... that's
I can seE why your new base a request that comes
there were of operation, directly from fleEtcom,
no survivors. the spirit of fire. captain cutTer.
 HIS STORY BEGAN MANY CYCLES PAST.
HE WAS A WARLORD THRALL WHO HAD
THE HONOR OF PUTTING DOWN THE
SIXTEENTH UNGGOY DISOBEDIENCE.

the aliens believe

harvest is a repository
of technological and
religious significance.
there are indications
of ongoing internal
political strugGles for
the planet as welL.

this leader although leader

the alien leadership sent has unknown is not an acCurate
someone... something, socio-religious translation...
actualLy, to quelL dimensions. a more literal
this political unrest. translation
would be arbiter.
 WE QUESTIONED NOT HIS
ZEAL, PUTTING DOWN
THOSE WHO WOULD
WRONG THE COVENANT...

HE ENDED THE
HERETICAL REIGN
OF THE KIG-YAR
PIRATE PRINCE.
HE WENT TOO FAR, THOUGH, ATTEMPTING A
COUP ON HIS OWN SANGHEILI CLAN LEADER.

sangheili base world,

decided heart.

UNLIKE OTHERS WHO

ALTHOUGH SOME HIS
WERE MERELY PIOUS, ... GREATNESS.
FEARED THAT HE ALSO GREATEST SIN?...
HE SHOWED A FONDNESS
HAD A DESIRE FOR... HE FAILED.
FOR BRUTALITY.
 guilty!
dishonor to
for your heinous your clan. you wilL
crimes, we sentence you not seE the
to a cycle in the weEping end of this
shadows of sorRow... day...
... after which,
we wilL slowly
extinguish your
pathetic existence.

mandatory
exercise period!

weeping shadows of sorrow, sangheili

maximum security penitentiary.
OF COURSE, HE DID
WHAT HE DID BEST.

A
you have
QUESTION... but to ask,...
holy one. DO YOU
ENJOY THE
SLAUGHTER?

I feEl the joy of

doing what I was
born to.
OH, YOU THOUGH
I have no WILL. NOT TODAY.
regrets... save,
that I wilL not die
fighting.

AND, OF COURSE, WE WERE

WATCHING... WAITING.
 SO HE BECAME their scanNing now... have sergeant
THE NAMELESS comMunications detecting major forge asSemble
reference this gravimetric his team and
INSTRUMENT OF arctic region.
THE GODS... anomalies. investigate.

... THE SEVENTEENTH

ARBITER IN THE
LINE OF IMMACULATE
SUCCESSION... aye,
captain.

... AN EXTENSION
OF OUR WILL.

YOUR
MISSION IS
TO SECURE THIS a structure?
FORERUNNER
TREASURE
WORLD.
AND
it shalL
ERADICATE
be a pleasure,
THE HUMAN FILTH holy one.
CONTAMINATING
THE SURFACE
AND SKIES.

maybe now we
find out why
the covenant
want harvest.

AND IN DOING SO WE
REMAIN UPON THE PATH...
 Photo by Syne Mitchell
Eric Nylund is a New York Times bestselling
and World Fantasy Awardnominated
author of many novels (including
installments in the Halo series: The Fall of
Reach, First Strike, and Ghosts of Onyx). For
more information visit www.ericnylund.net.
His latest novel, Mortal Coils, is slated for
release in early 2009.
Lettering by Richard Starkings and
Comicrafts Jimmy Betancourt
(comicbookfonts.com).
Production by Microsoft Game Studios and Ensemble Studios.
2009 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
Photo by Beth Noto
Phil Noto is a painter and comic book illustrator. After a
10-year career at Disney Feature Animation, he began
working full time in comics. He has done work for DC,
Marvel, Dark Horse, and Image comics. He is currently
drawing a Superman/Supergirl miniseries. He is also
illustrating The Infinite Horizon, which was nominated for an
Eisner Award for best new series. Phil has also worked as a
concept artist for video games; most recently, BioShock.
Two of his painting exhibitions sold out, as did his
monograph, Jet Seven.
He resides in Orlando, Florida with his wife, Beth, and
children, Kate and Fletcher.