Halo 2

HALO 2
by
Luis Filipe
Based on the video game by Bungie
Copyright © 2018
This is just a fan script
luisfilipearaujo13@gmail.com
FADE IN:
INT. BRIDGE - FORERUNNER SHIP
A dimly lit bridge. Some kind futuristic, but the design

tell us that it's not human-made.
MASSIVE WINDOWS encircle the front of the room, but the

filter is dark enough not to allow us to see the outside.
CAMERA PANS ACROSS this wide space, just to find...
... a lonely FIGURE standing at the main CONSOLE.
Barely visible in the shadows. Back to us.
At first glance, it resembles a human form. But larger, at

least three meters in height. And wearing an advanced armor.
The only source of light comes from the console he works on,
bathing his front side.
Seeing closely, we realize that it's an ALIEN - more

precisely, A FORERUNNER. Sinewy, pale-gray skin. His face is
long and narrow.
And this one is the MASTER BUILDER. A high-ranking

Forerunner engineer.
He mans floating holographic screens that surround him,

which display texts and codes in a language never seen
before.
A door opens with a whoosh. Another Forerunner joins Master

Builder: FORTHENCHO, LORD OF ADMIRALS.
Unlike Master Builder, Forthencho's armor is more tactical,

military-like.
His helmet opens.
[NOTE: All the dialogue between the Forerunners are in their

ALIEN LANGUAGE, SUBTITLED.]
FORTHENCHO
Do you still know the word "rest"?
Master Builder keeps focused on the screens.
FORTHENCHO (CONT'D)
You will not win the war if you not
in your total disposal.
2.
MASTER BUILDER
And maybe not anyone else alive if I
try to rest.
FORTHENCHO
We lost another troop. The hardest
part is not knowing whether there
were survivors or not.
MASTER BUILDER
There is not.
FORTHENCHO
How can you be sure?
MASTER BUILDER
Because everything the Flood touches,
dies. Believe me.
With his hands, the engineer ENLARGES one of the 3D images

showing a kind of RING SCHEMATICS that he works on.
FORTHENCHO
Do you think that will be ready in
time?
MASTER BUILDER
It has to be. All life depends on it
now.
FORTHENCHO
The other six are ready, but there
are many who are still suspicious
whether it will work or not.
MASTER BUILDER
We have no options, right? It's the
Flood or us.
FORTHENCHO
What we come? We fight for survival
of our species... and we are at
disadvantage.
A beat.
From Forthencho's forearm, a small hologram of a FORERUNNER

SOLDIER materializes.
FORERUNNER SOLDIER
(on hologram)
My Lord, the commander requires your
presence in the C-16 sector.
3.
FORTHENCHO
Reason?
FORERUNNER SOLDIER
(on hologram)
Immediate reinforcement.
FORTHENCHO
I'm on my way.
The hologram fades away.
MASTER BUILDER
You know... I think you’re wrong,
after all.
FORTHENCHO
About what?
MASTER BUILDER
We still can reverse the tides of the
war.
Master Builder taps a key on his console. And the light

levels dial up.
The bridge brightens gradually. Both Forerunners stare at

something beyond the camera, AMAZED.
FORTHENCHO
It is the first time I see one so
close.
MASTER BUILDER
It’s beautiful, isn’t?
FORTHENCHO
No... it's divine.
REVERSE ANGLE REVEALS to us what they refer -
A HALO UNDER CONSTRUCTION IN SPACE.
Almost complete. Innumerable Forerunner ships swarm the

ring-world, building it piece by piece.
It is the birth of the greatest weapon in the universe.
CUT TO BLACK.
Over a black screen, the first of the CREDITS appear under

the SOUND of heavy fast-paced FOOTSTEPS.
4.
CUT TO:
INT. CORRIDOR - COVENANT CAPITAL SHIP
TRACKING at floor level, following GREEN-ARMORED LEGS racing

down the hallway. As PLASMA FIRE erupts -
HARD CUT TO BLACK:
More credits appear on screen.
As it fades, the growing sound of plasma gunfire takes us

back to...
That armored man is a SPARTAN.
We know who he is, but for now he always has his back to us.
Suddenly, a JACKAL surges from a corner slamming the Spartan

on the wall.
The Spartan yanks the Jackal away and draws his SHOTGUN. But
as he pulls the trigger - CLICK - no ammo.
The Jackal charges to attack again.
The Spartan wields the shotgun like a baseball bat and

BASHES the Jackal's head against the wall...
... splashing it with alien blood.
BACK TO BLACK:
Silence. More credits surface.
Then fade again.
In another corridor, our Spartan stops next the door of a

room. Inside, it's possible to hear Covenant's GROANS.
He grabs a PLASMA GRENADE and tosses it into the room. As

the bomb DETONATES, we -
BACK TO BLACK:
The last credits appear.

5.
INT. BRIDGE - COVENANT CAPITAL SHIP
It's dark. THREE ELITES, standing back to us, fire down

their blasters into the corridor ahead.
But all are mortally hit by a hail of rounds, ripping

through and shredding them.
They drop to the ground revealing the Spartan coming in,

SILHOUETTED against the corridor light.
He holds Covenant weapons in each hand, smoking.
As the Spartan enters the bridge, he seals the entrance door

being covered totally by shadows.
The Spartan walks toward the central bridge console, still

barely seeing him in the dark.
Arriving at the console, the panel light illuminates the

warrior revealing him to us for the first time:
MASTER CHIEF.
Armor scratched and damaged. Dirty by Covenant blood.
It is presumed he fought very hard to get here, and we only

saw a fraction of that.
Calmly, Master Chief presses a key on the console and:
MASTER CHIEF
This is Sierra-117 for any nearby
human fleet. Requesting
reinforcements immediately.
Then -
SNAP TO A BLACK SCREEN.
And -
FADE UP TO:
EXT. OUTER SPACE
A constellation of stars, thickening into a belt of Milky

way. And a gas-giant PLANET in background named THRESHOLD.
This region is familiar to us.

6.
A COVENANT ASSAULT CARRIER glides sweetly across the screen.

PAN WITH IT 180 to reveal -
HIGH CHARITY. The Covenant holy city.
Orbiting the planet like a half-destroyed moon. Hundreds of

Covenant ships prowl around it.
In addition, there is the HALO - at least what's left of it.

The same as Master Chief destroyed in the first movie, now
it's just space junk.
With pieces of varying sizes wandering through space.
SUPER: "HIGH CHARITY, COVENANT CITY"
INT. PRISON CELL - HIGH CHARITY
Meet - THEL VADAM. One of the most devoted Covenant Elite

warriors. But here he’s just a prisoner, seated on the edge
of his bed thoughtfully.
The cell door SLIDES open. We see only the shadow of the
visitor, who tosses an armor at Thel Vadam's feet.
VOICE (O.S.)
Suit up. It's time.
Thel Vadam nods. The other Covenant leaves. As Vadam begins

to wear his armor, we HEAR:
THEL VADAM (V.O.)

There was only one ship.
INT. COUNCIL CHAMBER - HIGH CHARITY
Standing in the center of the large hall is Thel Vadam,

handcuffed. Around him, a gallery full of COUNCIL MEMBERS in
bleachers watch.
Rows of ELITE HONOR GUARDSMEN stand at attention.
TARTARUS - gorilla-sized, furry, chieftain of the Brutes -

eyes Thel Vadam.
Thel Vadam speaks to three HIGH PROPHETS in their hover-

chairs: PROPHET OF TRUTH, PROPHET OF MERCY and PROPHET OF
REGRET.
Just the Prophet of Regret is a HOLOGRAM.

7.
PROPHET OF REGRET
One? Are you sure?
THEL VADAM
Yes. They called it... Pillar of
Autumn.
PROPHET OF MERCY
Why was it not destroyed with the
rest of their fleet?
THEL VADAM
It fled as we set fire to their
planet. But I sent our best armada
after it.
PROPHET OF REGRET
When you first saw Halo, were you
blinded by its majesty?
THEL VADAM
Blinded?
PROPHET OF REGRET
Paralyzed? Dumbstruck?
THEL VADAM
No.
PROPHET OF REGRET
Yet the humans were able to evade
your ships, land on the Sacred Ring,
and desecrate it with their filthy
footsteps!
THEL VADAM
Noble Hierarchs, I received calls for
reinforcements claiming that the
Flood had proliferated. Surely you
understand that once the parasite
attack --
He's drowned out by angry shouts from the gallery. Tartarus

watches all that with amusement.
PROPHET OF MERCY
There will be order in this council!
PROPHET OF REGRET
You were right to focus you intention
on the Flood. But this demon... this
"Master Chief"...
8.
THEL VADAM
Unfortunately, when I and my troops
arrived at the scene, the demon had
already ruined the sacred ring. Only
when he invaded the ship did I
realize his true intentions.
PROPHET OF MERCY
And you ran away from your duties
like a coward.
Indignant clamoring of the gallery.
THEL VADAM
He gave our location to humans. We
were in smaller numbers. Scarce
Arsenal. There was no way to --
PROPHET OF REGRET
(cuts in)
Noble Prophet of Truth, this has gone
on long enough. Make an example of
this bungler! The council demands it!
PROPHET OF TRUTH
You're one of our most treasured
instruments. Long have you led your
fleet with honor and distinction, but
your inability to safeguard Halo was
a colossal failure...
COUNCIL MEMBER
(yells)
Heresy!
The chamber erupts in an enraged uproar.
THEL VADAM
I will continue my campaign against
the humans!
PROPHET OF TRUTH
No! You will not! Soon the Great
Journey shall begin. But when it
does, the weight of your heresy will
stay your feet... and you shall be
left behind.
TIGHT ON Thel Vadam, flinching ever so lightly.

9.
EXT. EARTH - OUTER SPACE
Our blue world spins slowly and majestically.

THREE MAC STATIONS orbit the planet: MALTA, ATHENS and
CAIRO. They are defensive weapons platform equipped with a
powerful cannon.
UNSC SHIPS fly here and there, patrolling the territory.
Next to Cairo Station there is a COVENANT CAPITAL SHIP under

human domain.
SUPER: "EARTH DEFENSE PLATFORM, CAIRO"
INT. HALLWAY - CAIRO STATION
SERGEANT MAJOR AVERY JOHNSON - an UNSC war veteran - strides

down the corridor toting a TABLET in hands.
All the soldiers he passes by greet him.
But when a YOUNG MARINE spots Johnson, he starts to follow

him excitedly.
YOUNG MARINE
Hey Sergeant!
Johnson keeps walking, ignoring him.
YOUNG MARINE (CONT'D)

Wait a minute.
JOHNSON
What is it, soldier?
YOUNG MARINE
You're going to see him, are not you?
JOHNSON
Who?
YOUNG MARINE
"Who?" You know who I mean, sir.
Johnson remains silent.

The Spartan, Sergeant! The man who
ended the war!
Johnson shoots him a gruff look.

10.
JOHNSON
The war is still going on, boy. Put
this in your head.
The Young Marine backs to his tracks after that.
YOUNG MARINE
But you’re going to see him, right?
JOHNSON
(sighs)
Yeah.
YOUNG MARINE
Can I go with you? I promise that...
JOHNSON
(cutting in)
No.
They stop at the elevator door.
YOUNG MARINE
Please, Sergeant! You know my dream
is to know one of them.
The elevator door opens. Johnson gets in. The Marine awaits
his response.
A moment as they stare each other.

Can I consider this as a "yes"?
JOHNSON
Keep dreaming, soldier.
As the elevator door closes -
CUT TO:
INT. MASTER CHIEF'S ROOM - CAIRO STATION
Johnson enters and talks with Master Chief OFF CAMERA.
JOHNSON
Not so bad.
MASTER CHIEF (O.S.)

It's more comfortable than the old
one.
11.
JOHNSON
This armor came directly from
Sondheim. There the bastards know
what they do. By the way, what
happened to your old armor?
MASTER CHIEF (O.S.)

Be more specific.
JOHNSON
(reads the tablet)
The plating was about to fail.
There’s viscosity throughout the gel
layer. Optics fried. And let’s not
even talk about the power supply. You
know how expensive this gear is?
PAN DOWN to show MASTER CHIEF'S HELMET lying on a coffee

table. Then, Master Chief's hands take the helmet and he
puts it on still O.C.
REVEAL: a good and new Master Chief in full armor, the

opposite of when we last saw him.
MASTER CHIEF
Tell that to the Covenant.
JOHNSON
If you had not contacted the cavalry,
you'd probably be as bad as the old
armor.
(beat)
You’re not really into suits and
ties, isn't it?
MASTER CHIEF
This is my suit.
JOHNSON
Of course. The important thing is not
to fall behind. After all, it’s not
every day that you receive a medal
for saving the universe.
MASTER CHIEF
Where is Cortana?
JOHNSON
Apparently you two have become good
friends.
MASTER CHIEF
Without her I would not be here now.
12.
JOHNSON
Well, she’s helping our analysts to
examine that Covenant ship that you
bring to us.
INT. LOADING BAY - COVENANT CAPITAL SHIP
Several UNSC TECHNICIANS, ENGINEERS and ANALYSTS are

scouring the entire Covenant ship.
They use high-tech laser cutters to hack metal plates.

Others carry several crates with Covenant equipment.
Auxiliary robots help humans at work.
Amidst that commotion is CORTANA - holographically

manifested thanks to a track-robot that projects and follows
her with its lens.
Cortana supervises the whole operation, coordinating

everything that happens there.
CORTANA
Be careful with this.
(to other workers)
Do not use too much energy, you can
damage the device.
(to another)
This box must go for an immediate
analysis.
VOICE (O.S.)
Ma'am!
She turns around to a UNSC ENGINEER coming for her.
CORTANA
Some problem?
UNSC ENGINEER
We found something that you might
want to take a look.
JUMP CUT:
AN ANTIMATTER CHARGE - a Covenant weapon utilizing

antimatter as an explosive. It works like a nuclear bomb.
The technicians surround the bomb, just facing it. Without

knowing what to do.
Cortana and the engineer approach.

13.
UNSC ENGINEER (CONT'D)

By the energy analysis from the
scanners, we believe this is a
Covenant bomb.
CORTANA
How much power does it have?
UNSC ENGINEER
Well, by energy analysis, we can say
that its destructive power resembles
our atomic bomb.
Cortana touches the bomb smoothly. DATA starts to scroll

across her skin as she studies it.
Seconds later, she steps back.
CORTANA
It's disabled. Take it to Cairo,
we’ll look this thing better there.
UNSC ENGINEER
Understood.
The engineer waves to other teammates come help him.
INT. MIRANDA KEYES' ROOM - CAIRO STATION
A clean and tidy room. The bathroom light is on, someone

uses the sink in there.
Moments later -
COMMANDER MIRANDA KEYES - daughter of Captain Keyes - leaves

the bathroom dressed with ceremonial clothes.
She sees the hat on the bed, the only missing piece. But her
eyes slip to the nightstand, where are some framed pictures.
And among those pictures is CAPTAIN KEYES' DOG-TAGS.
Miranda grabs one of the pictures and sits on the bed. She
stares at it with nostalgia and emotion.
ON THE PICTURE: Captain Keyes with a twelve-years-old

Miranda in a happy moment of their life.
Holding her tears, Miranda puts the photo back in its place
and recomposes herself.
14.
She puts on the hat and takes her father's dog-tags,

wrapping it around her hand.
Then leaves.
INT. HALLWAY - CAIRO STATION
Master Chief and Johnson walk together.
Beside them, wide windows provide an amazing view of space

and the Earth below. An odd view.
JOHNSON
It’s wonderful, isn’t?
Master Chief just glances out the window.
JOHNSON (CONT'D)
(re: Earth)
And to think that we came close to
losing it forever. If wasn’t for you.
MASTER CHIEF
I was just doing my job, Sergeant.
JOHNSON
A great job, by the way.
MASTER CHIEF
Unfortunately, the result was not the
same with Reach.
JOHNSON
C'mon, the circumstances were
different. We could never have
predicted that.
(beat)
Look, I was there too. I lost good
soldiers... good friends. No need to
blame yourself forever, Chief. You
were not the one to fail in that day.
Master Chief stops and stares at our planet for a moment,

remembering Reach.
MASTER CHIEF
Yeah... maybe you're right
A beat.
Then they back to walk.

15.
INT. EXHIBITION CHAMBER - HIGH CHARITY
Tartarus escorts Thel Vadam to the edge of the chamber.

Ahead of them, the council boo the Elite.
TWO BRUTES fix Thel Vadam’s arms onto floating cuffs that
raise and spread, leaving him on a cross pose.
The council members increase the jeers.
TARTARUS
You’ve drawn quite a crowd.
THEL VADAM
If you want me to beg, you will be
disappointed.
TARTARUS
Are you sure?
The cuffs send an ELECTRIC CHARGE that electrocutes Thel

Vadam. He endures the pain like a brave warrior.
When the charge ends, Vadam falls on his knees breathing

hard. The two Brutes remove his damaged armor leaving the
Elite naked.
Tartarus enjoys every moment.
He activates something in the control panel beside. And a

long, twisted, spiky SPEAR rises from the floor near him.
Tartarus grabs it and strides forward.
Thel Vadam raises his head weakly. Tartarus gives him a

fierce look.
TARTARUS (CONT'D)
Come on Vadam, let me hear your
voice.
The chieftain of the Brutes presses the spear against

Vadam's chest. He screams in pain as his skin BURNS.
Tartarus marks him like cattle, printing the MARK OF SHAME.
INT. ELEVATOR - CAIRO STATION
The elevator descends with Master Chief and Johnson inside.
Johnson looks at his reflection in the wall constantly,

checking his clothes.
16.
JOHNSON
Am I good?
MASTER CHIEF
Yes.
JOHNSON
Come on, be honest with me. I do not
want to look like an idiot in the
most awards of my life.
MASTER CHIEF
You’ll be fine. Everybody will only
have eyes for the medal.
JOHNSON
I think so.
The elevator stops and the door opens.
The two men come across with UNSC OFFICERS and CREW standing
in formal uniform clapping. Automated cameras float above
the crowd.
MASTER CHIEF
You told me there wouldn't be any
cameras.
JOHNSON
And you told me you were gonna wear
something nice. Let’s go.
INT. COMMAND CENTER - CAIRO STATION
CHEERS welcome Master Chief and Johnson as they come in.
FLEET ADMIRAL LORD HOOD awaits them. Despite his advanced

age, he still imposes much respect.
Miranda stands with him, also part of the ceremony.
Master Chief and Johnson salute Hood and take a step

forward.
LORD HOOD
Gentlemen. We’re lucky to have you
back.
JOHNSON
Thank you, sir.
17.
LORD HOOD
(to Master Chief)
There is someone else who came to see
the ceremony too. Cortana.
Cortana’s avatar emerges from a hologram pedestal.
CORTANA
Oh, you look nice.
MASTER CHIEF/JOHNSON
Thanks.
Master Chief and Johnson exchange looks.
EXT. JOVIAN MOONS - OUTER SPACE
Far in the Sol system, 67 natural satellites orbit the gas

giant Jupiter. Some of the moons have been colonized by
humanity.
SUPER: “JOVIAN MOONS, HUMAN COLONY”
Orbiting the third largest moon of Jupiter is the IO

STATION - another UNSC military platform.
INT. MONITORING CENTER - IO STATION
A NAVY OFFICER oversees rows of TELEMETRY SPECIALISTS

dutifully manning their data terminals.
An ALARM goes off. The mood instantly tenses.
TELEMETRY SPECIALIST
Sir, we got another whisper.
The Navy Officer reaches up the specialist.
NAVY OFFICER
What do the probes say?
Probably a small fleet. Slip-space
energy was detected.
NAVY OFFICER
What? That’s impossible. This is a
UNSC territory, no one would be crazy
enough to enter this perimeter
without prior notice. Do the reading
again.
18.
Yes sir.
The Officer walks away carefree, problem solved.
However, as the telemetry specialist makes another analysis,

the results make his eyes widen in fear.
TELEMETRY SPECIALIST (CONT'D)

S-Sir...?
The Navy Officer turns around.
NAVY OFFICER
Do we have the confirmation?
But NOBODY in that room answers, because all eyes are caught
by something beyond the camera.
They gaze MESMERIZED.
The Navy officer doesn’t understand until he turns around

too and his reaction is the same as that of the others.
NAVY OFFICER (CONT'D)

(under his breath)
Holy Christ.
A beat as the horror arises in everyone's eyes.
AN ENORMOUS SHADOW creeps across the room, from right to the

left, covering all officers in there in DARKNESS.
We do not see what's out there, but it's certainly an

unexpected threatening spaceship.
The Officer turns to his men.
NAVY OFFICER (CONT'D)

(urgently)
Contact the UNSC Home Fleet and send
the alert. Now!
A Lord Hood's AIDE approaches with a red-clothed case

containing three Colonial Cross medals.
He picks up one of the medals.

19.
LORD HOOD
Sergeant Major, The Colonial Cross is
awarded for acts of singular daring
and devotion, for a soldier of the
United Earth Space Corps.
(beat)
We will be eternally grateful for
your efforts on Planet Reach.
Hood pins the medal on Johnson's uniform. Johnson salutes.
Miranda takes a step forward and Hood turns to her.
LORD HOOD (CONT'D)

Commander Miranda Keyes. Your
father's actions were in keeping with
the highest traditions of military
service. His bravery in the face of
impossible odds reflects great
credit, upon himself, and the UNSC.
The Navy has lost one of its best.
Hood hands her the Colonial Cross medal. Miranda holds back
tears as she accepts it.
MIRANDA
Thank you, sir.
Now it's Master Chief's turn. Hood takes the last medal.
LORD HOOD
Master Chief. You are...
BUT -
- klaxons start to blare interrupting the ceremony.
LORD HOOD (CONT'D)

Cortana, report.
CORTANA
(processing beat)
Slip-space ruptures, directly off our
battle cluster.
LORD HOOD
Show me.
Lord Hood spins to a LARGE SCREEN DISPLAY which shows some

slip-space ruptures in the space.
20.
EXT. OUTER SPACE
Fifteen flickering bursts of light, a rip in space.

Out of each fissure, Covenant Cruisers appear followed by
two Capital Ships - the SOLEMN PENANCE and the DAY OF
JUBILATION.
The Earth’s defense ships begin to mobilize. MAC GUNS

prepare to shoot.
But no enemy ships react.
FLEET ADMIRAL HARPER appears on the screen.
ADMIRAL HARPER
(on screen)
This is Fleet Admiral Harper. We are
engaging the enemy.
LORD HOOD
Negative, Admiral. Form a defensive
perimeter around the cluster.
(to Miranda)
Commander, get to your ship, link up
with the fleet.
MIRANDA
Yes, sir.
LORD HOOD
Cortana, you take our MAC gun. As
soon as they come in range, open up.
CORTANA
Roger.
EXT. OUTER SPACE
UNSC Cruisers and Destroyers move toward the Covenant fleet.

A deadly battle is about to happen.
A beat.
Then, the Covenant ships expel hundreds of BOARDERS CRAFT

that head toward the ships and stations of the UNSC.
They spread like a swarm of bees.

21.
A moment as Lord Hood surveys the actual situation. He seems

intrigued by something.
LORD HOOD
Something’s not right. The fleet that
destroyed Reach was fifty times this
size.
A TECHNICIAN detects something in his computer.
TECHNICIAN
Sir, additional contacts! Boarding
pods -- and lots of them!
ON THE SCREEN: Hood sees several Covenant pods swarming

through the space.
LORD HOOD
They’re going to try to take our MAC
guns offline, give their capital
ships a straight shot at Earth.
Master Chief, defend this station!
Master Chief gives him a nod and turns to Johnson.
MASTER CHIEF
I need a weapon.
JOHNSON
Come with me.
CORTANA
Chief, in your head. Now.
Master Chief touches the pedestal, and Cortana downloads

directly into his armor.
Johnson and Master Chief leave the bridge.
EXT. CAIRO STATION - OUTER SPACE
Dozens of Covenant’s boarders reach the station. They engage

in the structure to release their passengers.
INT. CAIRO STATION - VARIOUS
An alert sounds throughout the station.

22.
CAIRO DEFENSE COORDINATOR

(over loudspeakers)
All hands report to battle stations.
This is not a drill. I repeat, this
is not a drill.
At all levels of the station, ENGINEERS and MEDICS scramble

to position. MARINES grab hardware from weapon racks,
pulling on helmets and flak jackets.
INT. ARMORY - CAIRO STATION
Master Chief takes the classic MA5D ASSAULT RIFLE while

Johnson wears his combat outfit.
JOHNSON
It makes no sense. If they came to
attack us, why would a small number?
MASTER CHIEF
I don't know. Maybe the real attack
is not us.
After the rifle, Master Chief grabs a M6H MAGNUM and

magnetically attaches it on his thigh.
JOHNSON
Are you sure?
MASTER CHIEF
Let's ask them.
INT. TRAM STATION - CAIRO STATION
An intense commotion occurs there. All officers on alert

running for their positions.
Miranda arrives with her Navy Officers and they step into
the TRAM, which just waited for them.
MIRANDA
To the flight deck.
The tram speeds away into the tunnel.
INT. RECREATION R-01 - CAIRO STATION
A MARINE SQUAD storms into the room and mobilize in defense

position up in the balcony.
23.
Among them is the young Marine we saw earlier.
All rifles aim at the main access door. The MARINE LEADER
turns to his men:
MARINE LEADER
It is our duty to prevent those
bastards from passing through that
door at any cost!
The young Marine is nervous, but he knows he can't run away

now. He looks out the huge windows and sight ships of the
UNSC and the Covenant battling in the space.
AT THAT MOMENT -
- BOOM! The door BLOWS UP. And from the smoke comes a group
of GRUNTS, firing their plasma guns.
The Marines take cover.
MARINE LEADER (CONT'D)

Open fire!
Plasma fire mix with the projectiles of the Marines. The

whole room becomes a war zone in seconds.
Most Grunts are being defeated, but when it seems that the
Marines are at an advantage...
... JACKALS pour into the room increasing the Covenant

numbers. Some Marines get hit by enemy fire and die.
ANGLE ON: THE YOUNG MARINE, crouched and shaky as he tries

to reload his rifle. One of his comrades gets hit and falls
flat right to his side.
Looking at that corpse, his nervousness only grows.
YOUNG MARINE
Jesus Christ.
(to himself)
You can do it. You can do it, damnit!
Determined, the Marine takes a deep breath and gets up ready

to shoot at the enemies.
But in that same second...
... he's JUMPED by Master Chief roughly to the ground,

saving the Marine from a plasma round just in time.
24.

What the hell...?
(realizes Master
Chief)
Oh...
After seeing the Spartan a few inches of him, the Marine

FREEZES, speechless.
MASTER CHIEF
Stay down.
Master Chief stands as Johnson joins them.
MASTER CHIEF (CONT'D)

(to the Marines)
Cover me.
The Spartan pulls a SMOKE GRENADE and throws it in the

middle of the Covenant group.
It detonates, engulfing the Jackals and Grunts in a cloud of

smoke.
Master Chief leaps from the balcony to land among the

enemies. We see him acting fast and fluid.
He combines blows with gunshots, making incredibly skillful

COMBOS. One shot, one kill.
The smoke prevents the Covenant fight with precision.
ON JOHNSON AND THE MARINES -
JOHNSON
All right, boys, shoot them down!
Johnson and the others rain down fire. The Grunts that Chief
did not shot down, they do it.
ON MASTER CHIEF -
Killing his foes like an unstoppable machine. But he doesn't

notice a Jackal coming from behind.
CORTANA
Chief, behind you!
As Master Chief whirls, the Jackal takes a HEADSHOT. Instant

kill.
Master Chief turns to Johnson and nods. Thanks.

25.
Finally, quiet. All the intruders were defeated.
CORTANA (CONT'D)
Chief, the situation is still
critical. We have a team surrounded
in the northern sector.
MASTER CHIEF
(as reloads his rifle)
Sergeant Johnson, form a perimeter
around the Command Center. If the
invasion succeeds, you escort Lord
Admiral out of the station.
JOHNSON
Okay.
(chooses three
Marines)
You three, come with me. The others
remain in position. I’ll send
reinforcements soon.
Alone, Master Chief rushes off through the door destroyed by

the Covenant. Johnson exits with his small group back to the
Command Center.
INT. HANGAR A-01 - CAIRO STATION
A two-story Pelican hangar bay on the port side of the Cairo

Station.
One Covenant boarder craft is attached to the glass-wall,

which it made a huge hole where the Covenant enter the
station.
Grunts and Jackals hop out craft, as well as two Elites. One
of them checks his ARM COMPUTER.
ELITE #1
The package is not too far from here.
ELITE #2
Is it still functional?
ELITE #1
Yes.
EXT. OUTER SPACE
THE BATTLE IS RAGING.

26.
And it's a chaos.
The artillery of all spaceships form a tangle of energy

blasts that cross space from all directions.
SERAPH FIGHTERS (from the Covenant army) and LONGSWORD

AIRCRAFT (from the humans army) move like flies near the
giant warships.
They are locked in an intense DOGFIGHT among the big ones.
As a Seraph manage to shoot down a Longsword, another

Longsword does the same with another Seraph at that moment.
UNSC Frigates sail firing their cannons into enemy ships.
Thousands of DEBRIS and WRECKAGE from wrecked ships of both

factions roam through space.
That's when THE UNSC IN AMBER CLAD streaks through these

debris also attacking the Covenant armada.
INT. BRIDGE - UNSC IN AMBER CLAD
In the command chair is Miranda, determined.
MIRANDA
Engage the auxiliary MAC. They are
distracted by the larger vessels and
will not see us coming.
Looking out the viewport, Miranda spots a Covenant Capital

Ship obliterating an UNSC Cruiser.
Lord Hood has his wise eyes locked on the main display,
always coordinating everything.
LORD HOOD
Direct the energy of propellants for
the shields. Don't let them come up
to the cannons or we’ll be with
unlimited defense.
(beat)
Malta, what’s your situation there?
27.
MALTA DEFENSE COORDINATOR

(over transcom)
The bastards are on board, but I
think we managed to reverse the
situation.
LORD HOOD
I’ll send reinforcements. Get ready
to...

(over transcom)
Wait... the Covenant are retreating.
Oh my God, we did it!
LORD HOOD
What?
Despite those words, Hood does not hear that with a good
feeling. He turns to a tech:
LORD HOOD (CONT'D)

Put Malta on my screen.
Seconds later we have a satellite image of MALTA STATION,

and some Covenant boarders departing it.
Hood watches that suspiciously.
INT. PANORAMIC HALLWAY - CAIRO STATION
A gleaming hallway with windows to the stars. It’s possible

see all the war going on outside.
Master Chief's moving fast through the hallway. But -
CORTANA
Chief, wait.
He stops.
MASTER CHIEF
What?
CORTANA
I’m intercepting the call of Malta
Station. It seems that they managed
to kick out the Covenant intruders.
Master Chief steps close to the window and spots Malta

Station in the distance.
28.
CORTANA (CONT'D)
Malta, what is your status, over?
(over transcom)
I don’t believe it -- They’re
retreating, we’ve won!
IN THIS MOMENT -
- the entire Malta Station EXPLODES INTO A FIREBALL.
In a matter of seconds, the station becomes thousands of

chunks that scatter all over space.
Lord Hood and everyone else in the room stare at the remains
of Malta on the screen, in SHOCK.
A beat.
LORD HOOD
(quiet)
Any survivors?
TECHNICIAN
No drop pods detected, sir.
Miranda and her crew see the wreckage of Malta flowing not
far from them. Everybody perplexed with that.
INT. PANORAMIC HALLWAY - CAIRO STATION
Although we don't see Master Chief's expressions, it's

remarkable that he felt the loss of Malta.
CORTANA
(quiet)
We need to hurry, I detected more
Covenant Boarders.
MASTER CHIEF
Lead me in.
He turns, and starts to move.

29.
EXT. OUTER SPACE
The Day of Jubilation fires its ENERGY PROJECTOR - a single

mighty plasma beam - that TEARS APART an UNSC Destroyer in
seconds.
There is a real mess. Lord Hood receives several emergency

alerts on his screen.
CAIRO DEFENSE COORDINATOR

(over transcom)
Security Station Four and Three are
under attack!
LORD HOOD
Hold on, I’ll send backup.
Then Miranda appears on Hood's display.
MIRANDA
(on screen)
Lord Hood, that capital ship is
wiping out all our fleet. I ask
permission for a direct attack.
LORD HOOD
Negative, Commander. With the size of
that thing, it would be too risky.
MIRANDA
(on screen)
If we wait too long, we will have no
choice, sir.
Hood thinks about it. Even not like the decision, he knows
someone has to do it.
LORD HOOD
All right, Commander. But wait for
the support.
MIRANDA
(on screen)
Roger that.
Hood closes the connection with Miranda and opens another

link with Johnson.
LORD HOOD
Sergeant Johnson.
30.
JOHNSON
(over transcom)
Sir.
LORD HOOD
Commander Keyes has a plan of
counter-attack, I need you to escort
her cruiser and ensure the success of
the mission.
JOHNSON
(over transcom)
I'm on my way, sir.
INT. HANGAR A-01 - CAIRO STATION
Grunts and Jackals exchange gunfire with a few Marines

resistance.
ON THE CATWALK -
A bit above the combat, Master Chief emerges and finds that
situation. The Marines are about to die.
CORTANA
Here it is.
Without thinking twice, Chief jumps off the catwalk to...
ON THE MAIN FLOOR -
Master Chief lands mighty. Marines and Covenant are

surprised by the Spartan.
Rifle raised, he empties all his clip into the Grunts,

knocking them down.
Master Chief uses a pillar as cover as the Jackals return

fire.
Nervous, some Jackals enter back into the boarder craft to

use it as their protection.
Master Chief has an idea and LASHES INTO a Jackal; he

disarms it and uses its body as a shield to advance through
the hangar, towards the others.
Covenant gunshots cut into the poor Jackal in the hands of

Master Chief, who keep going forward unharmed.
When he gets near the entrance of boarder...

31.
... Master Chief THROWS the Jackal's corpse into it.
What the Jackals do not realize is that Master Chief left a

GRENADE trapped in the body of the dead Jackal.
Before they can react...
... BOOM. The grenade blasts inside the boarder killing

every Covenant there. The fight it's over.
The surviving Marines gather, amazed by what just happened.
MASTER CHIEF
Is anyone hurt?
MARINE #1
No, sir.
MARINE #2
We tried to contain them, but they
were many. More than we could handle.
MASTER CHIEF
How many made it out of the hangar?
MARINE #2
Three or two of them, if I’m not
mistaken. They went straight to that
door.
The Marine #2 points to a mechanical door opened.
CORTANA
It makes no sense. If they wanted to
destroy the MAC gun, they would not
go that route. Unless...
MASTER CHIEF
... Unless the MAC gun is not the
real target.
MARINE #2
(puzzled)
What?
CORTANA
Oh No -- Chief, I know where they are
going.
Without saying a word, Master Chief runs away through same

path that the other Covenant were.
32.
MARINE #2
Hey, wait!
EXT. CAIRO STATION - OUTER SPACE
FIVE YSS-100 SABRES roar aloft from the flight deck into the
battle.
CLOSE ON A SABRE COCKPIT: Johnson pilots, leading his squad.
JOHNSON
Our duty is to prevent these son of
bitches from destroying the
Commander's ship. Follow me.
Not too far from them...
... the UNSC In Amber Clad is targeted by enemy spacecraft.
EXT. UNSC IN AMBER CLAD - OUTER SPACE
Several cannons fire at the Covenant combat spacecraft, but

they are many. Some Covenant pilots use the kamikaze tactic
to destroy those cannons.
The entire bridge ROCKS with the constant attacks. Miranda

remains firm in her position.
MIRANDA
Damage report.
BRIDGE CREWMAN
We are the shields at 41% and down,
Commander. If we continue like this,
the ship will not last long.
Miranda looks through the viewport and sees a Covenant

spacecraft coming straight for them.
MIRANDA
(shouts)
Incoming!
The crew prepares for an imminent impact, but...
... MISSILES explode the Covenant spacecraft into oblivion

before that.
33.
JOHNSON
(over transcom)
Excuse the delay, ma’am.
MIRANDA
(grins)
Welcome to war, Sergeant.
EXT. ATHENS STATION - OUTER SPACE
Establishing.
INT. HANGAR BAY - ATHENS STATION
A Covenant team and a Marines team turned the hangar into a

battlefield.
Corpses of humans and aliens adorn the floor.
The noise of their weapons is deafening. And the deaths are

bloody and brutal.
On the Covenant side, two Jackals are activating an

ANTIMATTER CHARGE while more others protect them.
But the tide of combat is in favor of humans. The Covenant

are slaughtered little by little.
Suddenly the Jackals are also hit, interrupting the

activation of the bomb.
The Marines see a little hope.
MARINE
Keep moving!
The men advance synchronized as they shoot, knocking down

the Covenant who are still standing.
With a hard effort, an injured and weak Jackal near the

antimatter charge crawls practically climbing the bomb,
using only its arms.
Behind it, the Covenant drop like dominoes.
At the top of the bomb, the Jackal uses its last breath to
push the DETONATION BUTTON.
34.
EXT. ATHENS STATION - OUTER SPACE
In a second, the station is intact. In the other...

... IT'S BLOWN APART.
The station explodes into two, sending large chunks flying

into space as well as its own inhabitants.
INT. BRIDGE - SOLEMN PENANCE
The image is not very different from that seen in humans’

ships. But here there is only Covenant. Jackals and Elites
in the control of the ship.
Commanding this vessel is the shipmaster RHUL SALMUTEE, and

beside him the Prophet of Regret in his hover-chair.
They watch the destruction of the Athens Station in the

distance.
RHUL SALMUTEE
Human station destroyed. Draw direct
course to the planet.
INT. LOADING DOCK - CAIRO STATION
Inside the dock, those two Elites and the antimatter charge
found in the Covenant Capital Ship.
One of them works at the bomb while the other stays on

guard, monitoring everything.
A beat.
Everything seems to occur as planned.
But the battle-sense of the Elite seems to have felt

something. In a quick move, he ignites his ENERGY SWORD and
turns around to find -
- Master Chief, who was approaching stealthy for a surprise

attack from behind. But his plan failed.
The Elite swings his sword trying kill Master Chief, but the
Spartan DUCKS skillfully.
The Elite at the bomb hurries his work.
The energy sword opens SCARS in the walls and columns as the
Elite wields it, making sparks fly everywhere.
35.
Dodging the sword moves, Master Chief tries to fire, but the
Elite SWERVES the gun with a hand...
... making Master Chief miss the shots.
The Elite continues to hold the rifle while the Spartan

tightens the trigger, but only hits the walls and ceiling.
The rifle ammo runs out. Master Chief looks for a reserve
clip but it's over too.
The Elite SWINGS DOWN his energy sword toward Master Chief
for a deadly attack.
Almost instinctively, Master Chief lifts his rifle in order

to block the sword with it.
But the sword SPLITS the rifle in half as they make contact.
The Elite grabs Master Chief's throat and slams him on the
wall. With the other hand, he tries to stab him with his
sword, but Chief grasps the Elite’s forearm.
The tip of the sword is a few inches from Master Chief's

visor.
CORTANA
Chief, if you do not act fast, the
other Elite will explode the bomb!
MASTER CHIEF
I'm working on it.
Master Chief looses the Elite’s arm and DIVERTS his head
letting the energy sword EMBEDS into the wall. Then he
HEADBUTTS the enemy backwards.
The other Elite moves away from the bomb - which is now
triggered and ready to detonate. He pulls his sword and
attacks Master Chief too.
Master Chief rolls backwards narrowly escaping the blade. He

grabs the sword from the wall and uses it to defend himself.
The two blades CLASH - the friction expelling more blue-

energy sparks.
When he realizes a chance, Master Chief DECAPITATES the

Elite in a single swipe of his sword.
His head falls to one side and the body to another.

36.
The second Elite charges towards Master Chief. Master Chief

drops the sword and runs to the Elite as well.
Both accelerating toward at each other.
They are about to collide when...
... Master Chief SLIDES past to the back of the Elite

already pulling his pistol and firing at the enemy KNEES,
then finishing with a headshot.
The second Elite falls face down on the ground.
After a short beat:
CORTANA
The bomb’s still there!
Almost in a jump, Master Chief reaches the antimatter charge

and presses the button at the top of its panel, shutting it
down immediately.
A moment of relief.
MASTER CHIEF
How much time was left?
CORTANA
You don’t want to know.
Master Chief looks at the bomb and then to the cargo lift in
the room.
Off Master Chief, having an idea in mind...
Back at Lord Hood commanding everything without losing his

posture.
LORD HOOD
We have lost two stations, the Earth
is exposed. We need to reestablish
the comms network as soon as
possible!
Then a familiar voice sounds:
MASTER CHIEF
(over transcom)
Sir...
37.
LORD HOOD
Master Chief?
MASTER CHIEF
(over transcom)
... permission to leave the station.
LORD HOOD
For what propose?
INT. LONGSWORD LAUNCH BAY - CAIRO STATION
The cargo lift reaches an empty Longsword craft launch bay.

The doors open revealing Master Chief and the antimatter
charge.
MASTER CHIEF
To give the Covenant back their bomb.
A moment as Lord Hood considers. Then agrees.
LORD HOOD
Permission granted. Good luck.
INT. LONGSWORD LAUNCH BAY - CAIRO STATION
Master Chief grabs the bomb by two of its pointy protrusions

and DRAGS it across the floor, causing sparks to erupt as it
scrapes across the metal plating.
CORTANA
I know what you want to do but I’m
still not believing.
MASTER CHIEF
Stay here, if you prefer.
CORTANA
You know that’s crazy, right?
(beat)
Unfortunately for us both... I like
crazy.
Master Chief positions the bomb near the huge hangar doors.
It’s possible to see the UNSC fleet as it streams down
toward Earth, chasing the Covenant ships outside.
Master Chief then steps up to the door’s release handle.

38.
CORTANA (CONT'D)
Just one question. What if you miss?
MASTER CHIEF
I won’t.
Then he pulls down the handle and the bay doors cycle open,
with the bay decompressing rapidly.
Everything lifts off the floor and hurtles into space, and
the bomb slowly begins to slide toward the doors, scratching
more sparks across the floor.
Master Chief clutches the Covenant bomb as it takes off, and

is pulled out into SPACE.
The cruiser makes its way while the Longswords escort,

shielding it from enemy ships.
A few miles above them, the Day of Jubilation is

overwhelming all UNSC fleets.
No one is a match for that ship.
INT. COCKPIT - JOHNSON'S SABRE
Johnson’s eyes open wide as he sees the Day of Jubilation.
JOHNSON
Commander, I do not want to sound
pessimistic, but perhaps it would be
better have a plan B.
MIRANDA
(over transcom)
We have no time to more plans,
Sergeant. We lost another defense
station, we have to do something.
Suddenly one of the Sabres at his side explodes thanks to a

Covenant Seraph. Only Johnson and another jet left over.
JOHNSON
You damn bastard!
Johnson's eyes track that Covenant spacecraft as it moves

away. That's when he spots something.
39.
JOHNSON (CONT'D)
What the hell...?
Miranda remains stern, like her father. They approach the

great threat of the Covenant.
BRIDGE CREWMAN
Commander, I spotted one of ours
quickly approaching of Covenant
Capital Ship.
Miranda looks more closely at the main screen but doesn’t

believe it.
MIRANDA
Zoom in.
The image on the screen ZOOMS in revealing Master Chief in a

free-fall riding with the Covenant bomb.
MIRANDA (CONT'D)
Master Chief...?
EXT. OUTER SPACE
WE FOLLOW Master Chief as he plunges hard.
Like a torpedo, he descends through the battle, dwarfed by

the massive ships around him.
Meanwhile, the Solemn Penance is miles below Master Chief,

entering the Earth's atmosphere.
But the Day of Jubilation passes right below his position.
INT. COCKPIT - JOHNSON'S SABRE
Miranda SOUNDS to Johnson.
MIRANDA
(over transcom)
Guess what, Sergeant, you just won a
plan B. Protect Master Chief and
protect that bomb.
JOHNSON
Copy that.
40.
Johnson BANKS toward Master Chief, followed by the other

Sabre.
EXT. OUTER SPACE
Back at Master Chief as he keeps going down.
An UNSC cruiser rockets past below him, between Chief and

the Covenant Day of Jubilation as it FIRES its energy
projector...
... taking the round right through its spine.
Immediately, the UNSC frigate suffers a catastrophic damage

that generates chain explosions by all its hull.
The ship SHATTERS IN HALF in an EPIC and silent destruction.
Master Chief plummets past it as the two massive parts of

the cruiser separate from each other. The debris rains
through him during the journey.
Seraphs that prowl the Day of Jubilation target Master

Chief. When it looks like the Covenant spacecraft are going
to take down the Spartan...
... the Sabres appear in time to shoot down the Seraphs and
allowing Chief to make a clear way for the Capital Ship.
Master Chief crawls up the bomb, pushes its activation

panel, and spins around. His legs flex, and he vaults off
the bomb, aiming for the carrier.
He departs from the carrier, straight for Earth, as behind

him minor BLUE EXPLOSIONS flicker up and down the alien
warship.
And then -
- A BURST of light from inside the Covenant ship. Master

Chief glances up and sees the Day of Jubilation COLLAPSING.
Like the UNSC frigate, the entire ship detonates in a huge

plasma conflagration.
Miranda sees the Capital Ship being swallowed by the flames,

turning into wreckage.
41.
MIRANDA
Let’s take the Spartan before he
enters in the Earth’s atmosphere.
Full speed.
The cruiser accelerates.
EXT. OUTER SPACE
Falling like a meteorite, Master Chief is about to burn in

the atmosphere.
But the In Amber Clad passes beneath him, matching

trajectories.
Moments later...
... a big THUD resounds throughout the ship. Master Chief

landed.
MIRANDA
(into transcom)
Chief. Johnson. Enter the In Amber
Clad. Lord Hood contacted me a few
minutes ago. We’ll take the fight to
the ground.
EXT. OUTER SPACE
In Amber Clad banks hard and dives towards the Earth, toward
the African continent.
EXT. NEW MOMBASA - AERIAL - DAY
An opulent and beautiful metropolitan city. One of the most

influential capitals of Earth.
The mammoth skyscrapers rise to the skies like monoliths

made of glass and steel. A futuristic and sophisticated
design.
SUPER: "NEW MOMBASA, EAST AFRICAN PROTECTORATE"

42.
EXT. NEW MOMBASA STREETS - DAY
Citizens follow their lives and routines. High-tech cars

fill the streets. Children, women, men stroll on the
sidewalks.
BUT SUDDENLY -
- everything starts to SHAKE. Each glass around shudders

like in an earthquake. People get scared, cars stop.
A moment later, the shake ceases.
People look around, still confused. The windows of shops and

buildings are cracked.
Drivers leave their vehicles trying to figure out what

happened.
A MOTHER checks if her child is fine.
MOTHER
You okay, son?
But the child only has eyes for the skies. The mother
doesn’t understand until a MASSIVE SHADOW engulfs them,
covering the street.
Soon everyone on that street begins to look up, gaping.
It's THE SOLEMN PENANCE.
Skimming slowly over the buildings.
EXT. SKY - DAY
In Amber Clad rockets across the sky toward New Mombasa.
INT. BRIDGE - UNSC IN AMBER CLAD - DAY
Miranda types fast in her display.
MIRANDA
We’re intercepting a signal coming
from the Capital Ship in New Mombasa.
Cortana, can you translate?
CORTANA
(over transcom)
I’m already on it.
43.
MIRANDA
Great. I want a team in the air.
Johnson and Master Chief, it's up to
you. Find out what those bastards
want here.
INT. FLIGHT DECK - UNSC IN AMBER CLAD - DAY
Marines mobilize for three PELICAN DROPSHIPS, including

Johnson and Master Chief.
JOHNSON
C’mon, ladies! We have some intruders
in our home and I don’t intend to
leave them too long there.
EXT. SKY - DAY
The three Pelicans jettison from the In Amber Clad. Jet

engines thundering.
EXT. NEW MOMBASA - DAY
The utopian city has now become a WAR ZONE.
Smoke towers billow from different parts of the city now.

Most of the buildings are damaged. Explosions and gunfire
ECHO everywhere.
INT. BRIDGE - SOLEMN PENANCE - DAY
The Prophet of Regret examines something in his screen. We

don’t know what it is, but by the expressions of the
Prophet, it seems to be something important.
PROPHET OF REGRET
(almost a whisper)
Finally... here you are.
Rhul Salmutee walks up behind him.
RHUL SALMUTEE
So?
PROPHET OF REGRET
We have confirmation of the artifact.
It’s in the human world. Send the
message.
44.
RHUL SALMUTEE
Understood. But there’s something you
should know.
Prophet of Regret turns to Rhul, listening.
RHUL SALMUTEE (CONT'D)

The human army located us. And
they’re coming.
PROPHET OF REGRET
All right, we have the exact
location. Prepare to an emergency
jump.
Rhul Salmutee nods.
At the height of the buildings, the three Pelicans ROAR

through the city.
CORTANA (V.O.)
I translated the message, the most
repeated word is “Regret”.
EXT. SKIES ABOVE NEW MOMBASA - DAY
The In Amber Clad is hovering some feet above the city as a

huge silent fortress.
Miranda, sitting in her chair, talks to Cortana by through

the transcom.
MIRANDA
Regret? What does that mean?
CORTANA
(over transcom)
Regret is a name, Commander. The name
of one of the Covenant’s religious
leaders.
INT. CARGO HOLD - LEAD PELICAN DROPSHIP - DAY
Master Chief and a group of Marines prepared for the combat.

Cortana continues:
45.
CORTANA
... A Prophet. He’s on that carrier,
and he knows that we are coming.
Johnson makes his way through them, down the vessel...
INT. COCKPIT - LEAD PELICAN DROPSHIP - DAY
... standing where two pilots man the controls.
Johnson looks at the city almost in ruins, with fury and

vengeance in the eyes.
JOHNSON
These son of a bitches. I'll make
them regret having stepped into my
world.
Back to Master Chief, as Lord Hood contacts him.
LORD HOOD
(over transcom)
Master Chief, get aboard that
carrier, and secure the Prophet of
Regret. This is the only place on
Earth the Covenant decided to land.
That Prophet is going to tell us why.
MASTER CHIEF
Yes, sir.
INT. COCKPIT - SECOND PELICAN DROPSHIP - DAY
Two other pilots fly the aircraft next to the lead dropship.
PELICAN PILOT
Thirty seconds out. Stand by to...
Suddenly, they hear a BOOM. It wasn’t like an explosion, but

a solid impact on the ground.
The two pilots share a look. They don’t say a word, but we
can clearly see what both are thinking: you hear that?
A beat.
THEN -
46.
- A HUGE SCARAB lumbers into the street among the buildings,

smashing everything in its way.
This machine is a heavily armored walker mechanical four-
legged - like a giant spider with a PLASMA CANNON underneath
it.
PELICAN PILOT (CONT'D)

Holy shit!
The three Pelicans make a sharp detour to escape as the

Scarab fires its plasma cannon.
Two of the Pelicans SOAR up in time, but the second is not

so lucky and is HIT.
The aircraft SPINS wildly and PLUNGE into the ground,

exploding in a fireball.
The Scarab aims at the other Pelicans, but it only hits the
buildings.
INT. COCKPIT - LEAD PELICAN DROPSHIP - DAY
Johnson holds himself in the bulkhead as the two pilots do

their best to get out of range of the Scarab.
JOHNSON
Shit!
PELICAN PILOT
What is that thing?!
CORTANA
(over transcom)
It’s called Scarab. A Covenant ultra-
heavy assault platform.
Master Chief strides to the rear of the Pelican and opens

the back door, giving a beautiful view of the city.
Johnson approaches him.
MASTER CHIEF
Sergeant, I’ll knock down that
Scarab.
47.
JOHNSON
Wait -- what?
MASTER CHIEF
If that thing continue walking around
the city, our ground team will not
survive long. I need to give a chance
to them.
JOHNSON
Are you sure about that?
MASTER CHIEF
Let me above the Scarab. It will not
see us coming.
Of course he is. Johnson walks back to the cockpit.
The Scarab moves slowly, heavy, crushing everything in its

path. The UNSC Ground Team fires at it, but it’s useless.
The machine keeps advancing.
EXT. BUILDING ROOFTOP - NEW MOMBASA - DAY
SNIPERS and INFANTRY constantly fire upon the Scarab down

the street. But nothing seems to have effect, its hull is
thick.
The Scarab notes them on top of the building. Then takes

aim.
Its plasma cannon starts to GLOW, building to release a

massive discharge of energy. And the soldiers realize that.
MARINE
Get out the roof!!
The men run as fast as they can.
When the Scarab charges up to the maximum - it FIRES a

single and powerful ENERGY BLAST toward the Marines...
... BLOWING THE TOP OF THE BUILDING APART.
Simply disintegrated. There is no chance that someone has

escaped.
48.
Then the Scarab returns to march through the city.
As it moves, CAMERA TILTS UP TO REVEAL -

- a few meters above the Scarab, where is Johnson and Master
Chief’s Pelican.
Its back door is opened. Master Chief stands at the edge.
Then he leaps off the aircraft, dropping toward the Covenant

war-machine.
EXT. SCARAB PLATFORM - NEW MOMBASA - DAY
BAM! Master Chief LANDS onto the upper deck of the Scarab
with a big impact, leaving a DENT on the floor.
When the Grunts notice him, they get terrified.
As the Spartan opens fire -
CUT TO:
At the edge of the back door, Johnson finishes set up the

triangulated MACHINE GUN.
JOHNSON
Okay girls, unload everything you got
in that thing!
Johnson and all the Marines inside in the Pelican fire a

VOLLEY of bullets at the Scarab in unison.
INT. SCARAB CONTROL CORE - NEW MOMBASA - DAY
Dead grunts already scattered on the floor. Master Chief

kills the last one sending a bullet to its head.
The room falls in silence.
Master Chief reloads his rifle.
CORTANA
Do not lower your guard. I have the
impression that we are not alone
here.
49.
MASTER CHIEF
I know.
Master Chief moves cautiously scanning for some enemy
inside. It's all quiet, eerie.
All we hear are the heavy steps of the Scarab.
But he doesn’t realize SLIM ELONGATED SHAPES close to the

wall. Just waiting. Master Chief stops... he senses
something.
A couple of beats.
Then - THREE ENERGY SWORDS erupt from the walls, and THREE
STEALTH ELITES rushing in.
Master Chief fires damaging their CAMOUFLAGE ARMOR and

making them visible again. We see more of the Spartan skills
in a melee combat.
One of the Elites knocks the rifle out of Master Chief's

hands, but there are still his fists left.
He uses all his martial ability to survive.
As Master Chief strikes one Elite, he PARRIES the blow of

the second and then the third.
At the same time, he diverts from the energy swords that rip
everything they touch in there.
But the Spartan isn't fast enough to prevent a blade from

GASH his arm, causing some blood to drain through the armor.
Master Chief ELBOWS the Elite that hit him squarely in the
face, knocking him down.
Instantly, he EVADES from another attack.
After a while the Marines concentrating their firepower,

Johnson notes that they have managed to make a GAP in one of
Scarab's legs.
JOHNSON
We did it! Fire in the hole!
Moments after that...

50.
... a Marine approaches the edge of the aircraft with a

ROCKET LAUNCHER and fires into the Scarab’s gap.
That Scarab leg BLOWS UP. With one leg less, the machine
fights to keep its balance.
INT. SCARAB CONTROL CORE - NEW MOMBASA - DAY
The Scarab JOLTS with the explosion, interrupting Master

Chief's fight with the Elites.
Due to a damaged leg, the Scarab loses its balance and

SLANTS sideways abruptly...
... making Master Chief and the Elites slide down the floor
that now looks like a ramp.
Master Chief pulls out the Magnum from his thigh and SHOOTS
the Elites in mid-fall, still skidding.
A precise shot into the head of two of them. Dead.
The third Elite collides on a wall. He glances up and sees

Master Chief sliding for him. Before he could do anything...
... Master Chief blows the Elite's brains out, painting the
wall behind in blue blood.
He hits the wall in the next second, beside the Elite dead
body.
MASTER CHIEF
Cortana, where are the main controls
of the Scarab?
CORTANA
Considering our current position...
down there after this wall.
Master Chief leans and surveys the site. He takes two

FRAGMENTATION GRENADES and tosses toward the controls.
Moments later -
- the Scarab BURSTS from inside out, thanks to Master Chief.
The machine gives up and TUMBLES motionless in the street.

Black smoke rising.
51.
The Marines celebrate.
Suddenly the Solemn Penance engines COME TO LIFE, blossoming

with light. The cruiser starts to move.
A WARNING alert flashes on the monitors. Something is wrong.
BRIDGE CREWMAN
Commander, the Covenant ship is
moving right now.
MIRANDA
They are running.
(urgently)
Engage the engines at full power,
we’ll intercept that ship!
JEAN MAWIKIZI - Miranda's executive officer - approaches his

Commander.
MAWIKIZI
Commander, our orders were to provide
support for the Spartan and the
others. We will be easy targets.
MIRANDA
We have no time to wait. Our priority
is not to lose that ship.
The Mawikizi sees that his commander will not change her
mind.
MIRANDA (CONT'D)
(into transcom)
Sergeant Johnson.
The Pelican hangs near the Scarab wreckage.
Master Chief comes out of the Covenant machine preparing to

back to the dropship.
Meanwhile, Johnson listens up Miranda.

52.
MIRANDA
(over transcom)
Extract the Chief, and return to In
Amber Clad.
The Solemn Penance is rising toward the heavens gradually.
Far behind it, the In Amber Clad is coming like a black spot
compared with the Covenant ship.
Admiral Lord Hood appears on the video screen.
LORD HOOD
(on screen)
Commander Keyes, status.
MIRANDA
Sir, the Prophet is bugging-out.
Request permission to engage!
LORD HOOD
(on screen)
Affirmative, Commander. Bring down
that ship.
The acceleration of Solemn Penance increases. A purple glow

appears in front of the ship - the SLIP-SPACE PORTAL.
The bridge crewman turns nervously to Miranda.
BRIDGE CREWMAN
Ma’am, slip-space rupture off the
target’s bow! It’s going to jump,
inside the city!
Miranda glances at the screen and sees the cruiser entering

the portal.
MIRANDA
Damn it!
53.
EXT. UNSC IN AMBER CLAD - DAY
While the UNSC Cruiser pursuits the Covenant Capital Ship,

we see the two Pelicans coming in.
The Prophet's ship is already halfway inside the portal and

Miranda knows she has to hurry.
MIRANDA
Punch it! Get us close!
BRIDGE CREWMAN
Ma’am, without a destination
solution --
MIRANDA
(cuts in)
We're not going to let that ship slip
away!
And finally the assault carrier enters slip-space, but

pulling In Amber Clad with it in time.
However, the jump creates a massive SHOCK WAVE and

ELECTROMAGNETIC PULSE that engulfs the whole New Mombasa.
It radiates OUTWARD at incredible speed.
Looks like a MINI-SUPERNOVA that obliterates EVERYTHING IN

ITS PATH - wiping out buildings, streets, bridges of the
existence.
It's white-hot corona WASHING OVER CAMERA before we -
CUT TO:
INT. THEL VADAM'S CELL - HIGH CHARITY
A defeated and demoralized Thel Vadam is sitting on the

floor, hanging head.
A beat.
The cell door opens by Tartarus and two more Brutes.

54.
TARTARUS
Wake up, traitor. We’re not done with
you yet.
INT. DETENTION CENTER CORRIDOR - HIGH CHARITY
Cells on both sides, all filled with alien figures churning

inside. Unstoppable fierce moans.
Tartarus walks down the corridor with the two other Brutes
carrying Thel Vadam behind him.
THEL VADAM
If you want to kill me, do it at
once. Do not be procrastinating.
Tartarus just smirks.
TARTARUS
Believe me, I wanted so much. But
it’s not for me to decide.
(beat)
The Hierarchs have something special
in mind.
Thel Vadam reacts, surprised.
INT. MAUSOLEUM OF ARBITER CHAMBER - HIGH CHARITY
The Brutes and the Elite move out onto a platform

overlooking the MAUSOLEUM OF ARBITER.
A massive chamber within the Covenant holy city which housed

the remains of the previous ARBITERS. We can see the old
concrete STATUES on the walls of the ancient Arbiters.
The Brutes and Thel Vadam ride a gravity lift down to a...
... walkway, leading up to it and passing by dozens of ELITE

HONOR GUARDSMEN standing at attention. Energy staves ready.
They are the personal protectors of the Prophets.
INT. MAUSOLEUM OF ARBITER - HIGH CHARITY
They enter the Mausoleum, where the High Prophets of Truth

and Mercy await.
The three Brutes bow, forcing Thel Vadam to do the same.

55.
TARTARUS
Noble Prophets of Truth and Mercy. I
have brought the incompetent.
PROPHET OF TRUTH
You may leave, Tartarus.
Tartarus looks up, taken aback.
TARTARUS
But... I thought...
PROPHET OF TRUTH
And take your Brutes with you.
Tartarus hesitates, and then bows again.
TARTARUS
Release the prisoner.
The Brutes drop Thel Vadam to his knees leave the room.
Thel Vadam covers the mark of shame on his chest,

embarrassed before the Prophets.
PROPHET OF TRUTH
The Council decided to have you hung
by your entrails and your corpse
paraded through the city. But
ultimately, the terms of your
execution are up to me.
THEL VADAM
I am already dead.
PROPHET OF TRUTH
Indeed. Do you know where we are?
THEL VADAM
The Mausoleum of the Arbiter.
PROPHET OF TRUTH
Quite so. Here rests the vanguard of
the Great Journey. Every Arbiter,
from first to last. Each one created
and consumed in times of
extraordinary crisis.
PROPHET OF MERCY
The Taming of the Hunters, the Grunt
Rebellion -- were it not for the
Arbiters, the Covenant would have
broken long ago!
56.
THEL VADAM
I do not deserve to be in this place.
Neither alive nor dead.
PROPHET OF TRUTH
Halo's destruction was your error,
and you rightly bear the blame. But
the Council was... overzealous. We
know you’re no heretic. This is the
true face of heresy, one who would
subvert our faith and incite
rebellion against the High Council.
Truth taps a button on his chair and a miniature hologram of

an Elite in abnormal equipment appears - SESA REFUM.
SESA REFUM
(on hologram)
Our Prophets are false! Open your
eyes, my brothers! They would use the
faith of our forefathers to bring
ruin to us all! The Great Journey is
a --
Truth cuts off the hologram.
PROPHET OF TRUTH
This heretic, and those who follow
him, must be silenced.
PROPHET OF MERCY
The impure ones tarnish the image of
the Council.
THEL VADAM
What use am I? I can no longer
command ships, lead troops into
battle --
PROPHET OF TRUTH
Not as you are, no. But become the
Arbiter... and you shall be set loose
against this heresy with our
blessing.
A large pod floats into the center of the room, opening to

reveal a SUIT of ancient armor surrounded by white light.
Thel Vadam glares at it as if it were something divine.
THEL VADAM
What of the Council?
57.
PROPHET OF TRUTH
The tasks you must undertake as the
Arbiter are perilous, suicidal. You
will die, as each Arbiter has before
you. The Council will have their
corpse.
Thel Vadam gets up and approaches the suit, touching it

gently and with great respect. For a moment he feels he can
regain his honor back.
Beat as Vadam makes a decision.
THEL VADAM
What would you have your Arbiter do?
EXT. HIGH CHARITY - OUTER SPACE
Two PHANTOMS - a large, twin-engine combat dropship - fly

across the screen and swoop past the ruins of Installation
04.
They go toward THRESHOLD - the gas-giant planet next to

Halo.
VOICE
(pre-lap)
When we joined the Covenant, we took
an oath!
INT. PHANTOM DROPSHIP
Flying the Phantom: SPEC-OPS ELITES, along with Thel Vadam -

now know as ARBITER - line the wall.
The white-armored Spec-Ops Elite Commander RTAS VADUM, walks

among them. The jaws on the left side of his face were
replaced by mechanical.
RTAS VADUM
On the blood of our fathers, on the
blood of our sons... we swore to
uphold the Covenant!
SPEC-OPS ELITES
Even to our dying breath!
58.
RTAS VADUM
Those who would break this oath are
Heretics, worthy of neither pity, nor
mercy! Even now they use our lords’
creations to broadcast their lies!
SPEC-OPS ELITES
We shall grind them into dust!
RTAS VADUM
And continue our march to glorious
salvation!
EXT. THRESHOLD ATMOSPHERE - DAY
Red skies. Crackling clouds. It’s as if several storms are

about to fall. The Phantoms ROCKET fast downwards.
Below, in the distance: A FORERUNNER GAS MINE. A floating

mining facility in the planet.
INT. PHANTOM DROPSHIP - DAY
Rtas Vadum comes face to face with Arbiter, intimidating

him.
RTAS VADUM
This armor suits you. But it cannot
hide that mark.
ARBITER
Nothing ever will.
RTAS VADUM
You are the Arbiter, the will of the
Prophets. But these are my Elites.
Their lives matter to me. Yours does
not.
ARBITER
That makes two of us.
EXT. FORERUNNER GAS MINE - DAY
The Phantoms hang over the Forerunner platform and touch

down toward another structure dangling below it on a long
cable.
An intense storm swirls the facility.

59.
PHANTOM PILOT (V.O.)

The storm is making the mine
unstable. We can’t delay or it will
interfere with the Phantoms.
RTAS VADUM (V.O.)

We won't.
EXT. PLATFORM - FORERUNNER GAS MINE - DAY
In one of the towers of the structure, a Phantom deposits a

group of Grunts. The second one drops Rtas Vadum, Arbiter
and the Spec-Ops Elites.
RTAS VADUM
We are the force of the High Council,
we do what is necessary for the good
of all!
Rtas Vadum leads his warriors into the Forerunner gas mine.
INT. AIRLOCK - FORERUNNER GAS MINE - DAY
The group gathers in there while two Grunts work to unlock

the door.
RTAS VADUM
The storm has masked our approach,
and it should have their local
Battle-net in disarray. We have the
element of surprise... for now.
(beat)
When we pass this door, engage the
camouflage.
The Elites nod. Rtas Vadum turns to Arbiter.
RTAS VADUM (CONT'D)

You know your armor’s system is not
as... new as ours. Your camouflage
will not last forever.
ARBITER
Yes, I know.
As the hydraulic door opens, the Elites activate their

camouflage, making them invisible.
60.
INT. LARGE CHAMBER - FORERUNNER GAS MINE - DAY
Some HERETIC ELITES do their sweep around the chamber, all

of them armed.
Then we launch into a succession of quiet kills:
ARBITER - camouflaged, approaches unnoticed behind the

heretic and SNAPS his neck in a quick move.
RTAS VADUM - uses one hand to cover the mouth of another

heretic as he IMPALES his energy sword through his chest.
A SPEC-OPS ELITE - slams a heretic against the wall and

slides his energy sword through the heretic’s throat.
ANOTHER SPEC-OPS ELITE - we only see the silhouette of his

camouflage jumping over the heretic and striking him.
After all the dead heretics, the Elites and the Grunts
advance down the ramp.
INT. HANGAR - FORERUNNER GAS MINE - DAY
An entire troop of heretic Elites protect their leader, Sesa

Refum, who talks to a FLOATING ROBOTIC DEVICE.
In fact, we've seen this robot before.
343 GUILTY SPARK. The same we saw in the first film, now
allied to Sesa. They go toward an elevator.
343 GUILTY SPARK

As I have warned before, this
installation can be from Forerunners
but is still vulnerable. The storm
will not forgive it.
SESA REFUM
Yeah, I know. The time always change.
SUDDENLY -
- the entrance door EXPLODES, knocking the heretics near

down to the ground.
Both Sesa and 343 Guilty Spark don’t worry about it, they
just keep going to the lift.
343 GUILTY SPARK

Oh, they arrived.
61.
SESA REFUM
(to the heretics)
Defend the Oracle!
All heretics in the room take a defensive position around
Sesa Refum and 343 Guilty Spark as they move toward the
lift.
The Grunts are the first to pass through the door like chess
pawns, shooting everywhere. Several of them are overthrown
by the firepower of the heretic Elites.
Then come the Elites.
In the midst of plasma gunfire, Arbiter and Rtas Vadum take

cover behind pilasters. Some of Vadum’s Elites are hit and
drop dead.
Carefully, Rtas Vadum leans over and sees Sesa Refum inside
the lift with Guilty Spark, about to escape.
Then turns to the Arbiter.
RTAS VADUM
Sesa Refum is using the cargo lift to
escape. Go after him, Arbiter.
ARBITER
Are you sure?
RTAS VADUM
That's what you're here for, is not
it? Do your work and I will do mine
by occupying these heretics here.
Arbiter nods.
Without hesitation, he RUNS off his cover narrowly escaping

from enemy gunfire.
Rtas Vadum SIGNALS for his warriors to shoot in sync,

helping Arbiter with the cover.
We follow Arbiter as he makes his way through some heretics

who try to stop him.
But none of them is a match for him.
Using his energy sword, Arbiter slashes all heretics in

front of him...
... swinging his weapon fluidly and deadly, splashing the

blood of heretics with every movement.
62.
INT. LIFT - FORERUNNER GAS MINE - DAY
The lift rises. Sesa Refum stands as 343 Guilty Spark hovers
in the air near his head.
INT. ROUTE TO THE ROOF - FORERUNNER GAS MINE - DAY
Arbiter races hard from corridor to corridor, climbing ramps

and turning in dark corners of the abandoned facility.
He’s steady, unstoppable.
INT. HANGAR - FORERUNNER GAS MINE - DAY
The combat's still raging. The number of heretics is

decreasing as they exchange gunshots with the Elites.
ANGLE ON: RTAS VADUM, as he fires accurately at the

heretics, he FEELS something.
Whatever it is, it makes him stop.
RTAS VADUM
(to himself)
That stench... I’ve smelled it
before.
Rtas Vadum looks up to face - FLOOD INFECTION FORMS gushing

from gaps in the wall and air ducts.
RTAS VADUM (CONT'D)

FLOOD!
Rtas Vadum immediately changes his focus to the Flood, and

his Elites too.
The infection forms fall on some Rtas Vadum’s Elites and

even the heretics.
PANIC erupts in the hangar as the Flood swarm the Covenant.
The few remaining heretics SCREAM desperately as the Flood

heaps into their bodies.
No matter how much they kill those creatures, it always

seems that more of them appear.
EXT. UPPER PLATFORM - FORERUNNER GAS MINE - DAY
The door SLIDES open.

63.
Sesa Refum and 343 Guilty Spark pace toward Refum’s

BANSHEE - a Covenant standard ground assault aircraft. Just
waiting for them.
On the horizon, we’re glimpsed of a dense storm barrier
coming for the facility. It's like a sandstorm, but a
hundred times bigger.
But before he reached the vehicle...
... Arbiter appears on the platform.
ARBITER
Face me, heretic.
The Heretic Leader turns slowly to Arbiter.
SESA REFUM
Arbiter. I would rather die by your
hands than let the Prophets lead me
to slaughter.
ARBITER
Who has taught you these lies?
SESA REFUM
Ask the Oracle about Halo, Arbiter.
When we found it wandering in the
wreckage of the ring, it said it all.
How they would sacrifice us all for
nothing!
343 GUILTY SPARK

Hello! I am 343 Guilty Spark. I am
the Monitor of Installation 04. I
would love to help you with any
question.
ARBITER
You still have issues to deal with
the High Council!
Arbiter ignites his energy sword and CHARGES Sesa Refum.
With no choice, Sesa Refum also draws his sword and advances
for Arbiter, starting a SWORD FIGHT.
343 GUILTY SPARK

Huh... gentlemen, I think it's not
the right time to solve this
situation.
The two Elites appear to be on the same level.

64.
Arbiter COUNTERS. Then Sesa Refum. Back and forth it goes.
Determined to win, the Arbiter is fiercer and fearless than

his opponent.
Sesa Refum RUBS his energy sword across the floor, throwing
sparks into Arbiter's eyes, blinding him momentarily.
Arbiter staggers back grabbing his eyes.
Sesa Refum prepares to give the final strike.
He raises his sword.
SESA REFUM
Forgive me for this.
But Arbiter recovers in time and DEVIATES from Sesa Refum's

blow...
... retaliating right after that, hitting the heretic with a

KICK in his chest.
Sesa Refum goes down. His sword falls out of his reach.
Arbiter steps on the heretic's chest, with the tip of his

energy sword within a few inches of Sesa's throat.
ARBITER
You have turned your back on your own
people, now you will pay for it.
SESA REFUM
Tell me, Arbiter... how did the
Prophets buy your loyalty? With a new
command, a new fleet,... or was it
the promise... their "Great Journey”?
Arbiter pauses for a second - those words make him reflect

about that.
ARBITER
What do you mean?
SESA REFUM
You need to open your eyes. The
prophets are against us... against
everyone.
Even a little hesitant, the Arbiter's duty prevailed at that

moment.
65.
ARBITER
We will find out the truth when I
take you back to the Council to be
judged.
Arbiter hauls Sesa Refum as his prisoner.
SESA REFUM
You'll only be sealing my death if
you do, Arbiter. Do not allow
yourself to become blind to --
When they least expect it, Sesa Refum is hit twice in the
torso by PLASMA SHOTS, falling on his knees next to Vadam.
Shocked, Arbiter turns to...
... Tartarus and his Brutes on the platform. Their ship

hovering a few feet above.
While the Brutes team approaches their target, Tartarus uses

his GRAVITY HAMMER to capture Guilty Spark - using an energy
force that pulls it into the hammer.
Spitting his own blood, Sesa Refum turns his head to the
Arbiter.
SESA REFUM (CONT'D)

The truth can not be hidden forever,
Arbiter. Don’t...
Sesa Refum is cut off by a plasma shot from Tartarus that

rips through his head, splashing blood out as the corpse
falls on his stomach.
Stunned, Arbiter turns to Tartarus as he takes 343 Guilty

Spark.
ARBITER
He was a prisoner. He should be
judged before receiving his penalty!
TARTARUS
Don’t be dramatic, we're just rushing
the bureaucracy. Come on, we are
leaving this system.
Tartarus and his team back to the ship.
Before doing the same, Arbiter looks one last time at Sesa
Refum’s body. Those words still echoing in his mind.
A beat.
66.
Then he enters the Brutes' ship. It flies off.
EXT. PLATFORM - FORERUNNER GAS MINE - DAY
Rtas Vadum leads what is left of his team to the landing

site of their ships. They hurry for their lives.
RTAS VADUM
Don't stop!
At the same time as they run, they also shoot the infection
forms that chase them.
Some Grunts are not quick enough and are swallowed up by the
Flood, moaning as they are devoured.
The survivors enter the Phantoms and TAKE OFF immediately.
At that moment -
- the dense storm spills through the entire gas mine gulping
it gradually.
As the Phantoms depart from the facility...
DISSOLVE TO:
EXT. OUTER SPACE
Vast and infinite. Wandering through the stars we see

remains and debris of the city of New Mombasa.
Among those debris, the In Amber Clad.
Still intact.
Miranda enters the bridge. Sits on her chair.
MIRANDA
Alright. Tell me the news.
BRIDGE CREWMAN #1
Both engine cores have spun to zero.
We’re drifting.
BRIDGE CREWMAN #2
Archer pods are cold. I’ll need to
re-key the system.
67.
MIRANDA
Do it, and find out where we are.
INT. HEV PODS HANGAR - UNSC IN AMBER CLAD
Johnson lights a cigarette as his Marines take a break in

the hangar.
Master Chief sits away from the others without his ARM
PLATE, treating a small wound.
There is an open MED KIT in the seat next to him.
MIRANDA
(over intercom)
Sorry for the quick jump, Sergeant.
Is everyone one piece?
JOHNSON
We are still here, Commander. Chief?
MASTER CHIEF
We're fine.
Master Chief grabs a kind of STAPLE GUN from the med kit. He
places it over the wound, but before he uses -
CORTANA
Chief... remember morphine.
MASTER CHIEF
I will.
As a METAL STAPLE fires into his flesh -
Miranda relaxes a bit after learning that the soldiers are

well. Then a crewman turns to her.
BRIDGE CREWMAN
Ma’am, there’s an object. Coming into
our view.
Miranda leans on her chair and look at what it is.
Incredulous, she stands up as her eyes open wide with

something incredible.
68.
MIRANDA
Cortana, what exactly am I looking
at?
REVERSE ANGLE REVEALS to us -
A HALO. Just like the first we met, but in another region of

the galaxy.
This one is called DELTA HALO.
CORTANA
(over transcom)
That... is another Halo.
MIRANDA
So this is what my father found
before.
(beat)
I thought Halo was some sort of super
weapon.
CORTANA
(over transcom)
It is, Commander. If activated, this
ring will cause destruction on a
galactic scale.
MIRANDA
I want all the information you've got
on the first Halo. Schematics,
topography, whatever. I don't care if
I have the clearance or not.
CORTANA
(over transcom)
Yes, ma'am.
MIRANDA
(to a crewman)
Where is the Prophet’s ship?
BRIDGE CREWMAN
The enemy ship has stopped above the
ring, ma'am. We're going to pass
right over it.
MIRANDA
Given what we know about this ring,
it's even more important that we
capture the Prophet of Regret. Find
out why he came to Earth, why he came
here.
69.
INT. HEV PODS HANGAR - UNSC IN AMBER CLAD
Master Chief fits back the armor plate in its place as they
hear:
MIRANDA
(over intercom)
Chief, take first platoon. Hard drop,
secure a landing zone. Sergeant, load
up two flights of Pelicans and follow
them in.
JOHNSON
Aye, ma'am.
Johnson spits his cigarette and turns to his men.
JOHNSON (CONT'D)
You heard the lady, gentlemen! Back
to work!
Master Chief and the Marines enter the HEV PODS as Miranda
speaks with them.
The HEV are a single occupant vehicle to deploy an

individual from high orbit to the surface.
MIRANDA
(over intercom)
Until I can move and fight, I'm going
to keep a low profile. Once you leave
the ship, you're on your own.
The HEV pod doors shut.
INTERCOM
Over the target in five.
CORTANA
Hang on to your helmet.
Five seconds later...
... the pods are launched in a blink of an eye.
The tiny HEVs power away from their mother ship, arcing down
to the Delta Halo below.
70.
INT. MASTER CHIEF'S HEV POD
Everything shakes. Master Chief watches all the way down

through the small window on the pod door.
EXT. HEV PODS
We follow the platoon in the HEVs as they enter Halo’s

interior curve, like miniature meteor shower, burning in the
atmosphere.
As we get close to landscape, we see jutting out of rolling

hills, Forerunner structures, jungle - just like in the
first movie.
EXT. ANCIENT RUINS - DELTA HALO - DAY
A Jackal and a Grunt maintain an outpost on the remains of

an old Forerunner structure that has had its glory days.
They are bored in that deserted environment.
Until...
... the Grunt gets on alert looking up at the skies. He

shouts at Jackal in its alien tongue but it doesn’t care.
The Jackal continues to ignore it until it hears the SOUND

of the HEV pods nearby.
It turns quickly and finds the pods burning in the

atmosphere, coming down.
The HEVs fall scattered, but one descends toward the Jackal
and the Grunt.
Quickly, the Grunt runs to a TYPE-27 SHADE - a Covenant

anti-infantry gun turret.
The Jackal raises its plasma rifle.
The Grunt fires a hail of plasma, shooting down two HEV pods
in the air.
Meanwhile, the lone pod touches down near the ruins hard
enough to blow a CRATER on the ground...
.... lifting a cloud of dust around the crash-site.
Silence.
71.
As the dust settles, reveal the HEV pod stuck on the ground.
For now no sign of the passenger inside.
Hesitantly, the Jackal takes cautious and nervous steps
toward the pod - always with its weapon glared at it.
Before he could get to the pod...
... its door EJECTS at a rampant speed, and rams the Jackal
full on. As if it were hit by a vehicle.
Master Chief jumps out the pod wielding his rifle.
Once the Grunt sees him, he fires the turret. The plasma
rounds TEAR through the earth towards Master Chief.
The Spartan rolls away from the turret shots.
As he takes a safe distance, Master Chief empties half clip

into the Grunt.
Master Chief stands with the barrel of his rifle smoking.
CORTANA
(sarcastically)
I think we have not made noise
enough.
MASTER CHIEF
Sorry. I'll do my best next time.
Master Chief starts to walk into the Halo's forest.
EXT. VALLEY - DELTA HALO - DAY
The aftermath of a battle.
The surviving Marines are grouped there taking care of

wounds and reloading their weapons.
Around them, some Covenant corpses lying on the ground.

Moments later, Master Chief joins them.
MARINE
Sir.
MASTER CHIEF
Someone down?
72.
MARINE
Luckily not, sir. We fell not far
from each other, then we can regroup
and take down the Covenant without
many problems.
Master Chief just gives him a nod.
CORTANA
Chief, I detected an intense Covenant
activity north of those hills.
MASTER CHIEF
All right. Lead me in.
(to the Marines)
Let's move.
Master Chief leads that small troop across the valley toward
the hills.
EXT. RIDGE - DELTA HALO - LATER
The assault team's moving up the hill, cautiously into

defensive positions and making as little noise as possible.
Stealthy, Master Chief and the Marines clear the edge of a

knoll, seeing below...
... A TEMPLE. A small, old structure made by the Forerunners

thousands of years ago.
MASTER CHIEF’S VISOR POV: He ZOOMS in with his technological

HUD to see in the temple - two turrets, one Grunt for each.
Some Jackals and three Elites. And parked near them are
THREE GHOSTS.
CORTANA
Oh, it’s a big party.
Master Chief turns to the Marines.
MASTER CHIEF
There is a Covenant troop, but we can
handle. Our goal is to reduce their
firepower, the Ghosts and turrets are
the majority targets when we move
down.
He turns to the SNIPER of the team.

73.

You keep an eye on everything. On my
mark, take down the Grunts in the
weapons.
The Sniper nods and shifts to a new position.

The rest come with me.
EXT. TEMPLE - DELTA HALO - DAY
A short bridge leads to the entrance of the temple.
The Elites are always vigilant, focused. The Jackals talk to

each other in their alien language. The Grunts are going
numb on the turrets.
A long beat.
Then one of the Elites comes on alert, like a dog sniffing

its prey. But he doesn’t know what it's about yet.
That's when the two Grunts see something on the bridge, two
METAL OBJECTS arching down.
They bounce across the floor of the bridge, revealing to be

two SMOKE GRENADES. Both explode covering a section of the
bridge in a cloud of smoke.
One of the Elites shouts to the others in an authoritative

tone. We don’t understand a word, but we know it's an order
for them to prepare for the fight.
ON THE BRIDGE -
Inside the smoke, Master Chief comes up with his team.
MASTER CHIEF
(into transcom)
Now!
EXT. RIDGE - DELTA HALO - DAY
The sniper, discreetly among the foliage and rocks, aims

directly at the temple.
And fires.
74.
The Grunts are about to open fire on our gang. But the
sniper round blasts the head of the first Grunt.
Startled, the second Grunt tries to escape from there as

soon as possible, but it's hit in the back by the Sniper.
Two Marines hurl fragmentation grenades in the two turrets

and tear them down.
As the Jackals open fire against the Marines, the Elites

bolt to their Ghosts to have some advantage.
Each Elite rides a Ghost. But before they could start the
engines...
... ANOTHER GRENADE comes out nowhere and sticks on the

first Ghost of the queue.
As the Elite bends over to see what happened...
... KA-BOOM! The Ghost explodes into a huge fireball.
For being close to each other, the blast radius reaches the
second Ghost on the side, destroying it also with its pilot.
But the third Elite manages to take flight and escape the
explosion just in time.
He hovers in mid-air on his Ghost, gazing at the other two

flaming wreckage on the ground.
IN THAT MOMENT -
- Master Chief LUNGES through the smoke curtain of the

destroyed Ghosts from one bound -
- CLINGING on the floating Ghost.
His weight LURCHES the vehicle sideways. The Elite keeps the
machine in the air while Chief hangs up there.
As Master Chief and the Elite swap PUNCHES there, the

Marines and the Jackals swap gunfire.
But we focus only on the Ghost fight now.
Master Chief’s punches make the Elite spit some blood on the
Ghost panel, but the Covenant doesn’t give up easily and
retaliates with his energy sword.
75.
Master Chief TILTS his head away in time letting the energy
sword just SCRATCH the surface of his helmet.
He then yanks the Elite’s arm and headbutts him. Then AGAIN.
And AGAIN.
ON THE MARINES -
Using the structure of the temple to cover as the plasma

fire blow holes in their protection.
Few Jackals are left, but they shield themselves behind a

circular PLASMA BARRIER that deflects all bullets against
it.
MARINE
We’ll never bring down the bastards
if we continue like this!
EXT. RIDGE - DELTA HALO - DAY
The Sniper takes aim at the temple.
RIFLE SCOPE POV: He tries to hit the Jackals, but the temple
structure prevents him from seeing his targets.
SNIPER
Shit.
(into transcom)
I have no clear shot.
ANGLE ON: MASTER CHIEF, lying on the Ghost's hood while

holding the Elite's forearm with the energy sword.
He realizes that the Elite will not let go of the blade so

easily. Then Master Chief JERKS its arm down...
... plunging the energy sword into the Ghost board, damaging
its controls.
The Ghost SPINS as it dives. Black smoke exhales from where

the sword is stuck.
Master Chief leaps out of the Ghost hitting the ground in a

standing position. At the same time, behind him...
... the damaged Ghost CRASHES squarely where the Jackals

were gathered, killing all of them in the explosion.
76.
The Marines just stare, everyone in awe.
MASTER CHIEF
Cortana, give Sergeant Johnson our
location. This area is clean.
CORTANA
Of course.
Master Chief walks into the temple.
INT. TEMPLE - DELTA HALO - DAY
Master Chief enters toting his rifle, ready to kill more

enemies. But it’s just an empty place. Except...
... a Prophet of Regret’s hologram in the holo-projector

speaking in his alien tongue, in tone of a great praise.
MASTER CHIEF
What’s he doing? Giving a speech?
CORTANA
A sermon, actually. I’ve been
listening to it since we landed.
Cortana manifests in front of Master Chief.
She steps closer to the holo-projector and analyses that

words for a while.
The data on her skin scrolls a bit faster.
A moment later, Cortana's eyes widen, worried. She turns to

Master Chief urgently.
CORTANA (CONT'D)
The Prophet of Regret is planning to
activate the Halo!
MASTER CHIEF
Are you sure?
Cortana snaps her fingers, the hologram starts speaking in

English.
PROPHET OF REGRET
(on hologram)
-- I shall light this holy ring,
release its cleansing flame, and burn
a path into the divine beyond!
77.
Cortana snaps her fingers again, and the hologram freezes.
CORTANA
(smugly)
Pretty much.
MASTER CHIEF
(into transcom)
Commander, we’ve got a problem.
Seated in the command chair, Miranda examines all about the

Halo on her multiple screens while listening to Master
Chief.
MIRANDA
So I hear. But from what I
understand, the Prophet will need an
object...
As Miranda taps a button on her chair keyboard, the image of

the INDEX pops up in one screen.
It’s an alien artifact. 60 centimeters long. Vaguely t-

shaped, with a faint green glow emanating from a stripe on
each side.
MIRANDA (CONT'D)
... the Index. According to the
Covenant's translated files, the
Index is a safety measure if any of
the rings suffer critical damage. If
it does, only the Index can activate
Halo subsequently.
She switches the image of the Index for THE LIBRARY.
MIRANDA (CONT'D)
I've located a Library similar to the
one you found on the first Halo. If
the rings work the same way, the
Index should be inside.
MASTER CHIEF
(over transcom)
I'll bet the Covenant are thinkin'
the exact same thing.
MIRANDA
Then, we'd better beat them to it.
78.
INT. COCKPIT - PELICAN DROPSHIP - DAY
Flying across the Halo surface, Johnson gets the call of his
Commander.
MIRANDA
(over transcom)
Sergeant, we have an emergency. I
need you to meet me at Halo’s
Library.
JOHNSON
Library?
MIRANDA
(over transcom)
Yes. I’ll send you the coordinates.
JOHNSON
Roger, ma'am.
Johnson grabs his RADIO and speaks:
JOHNSON (CONT'D)
Two-four units: seek Master Chief in
the ordered place. I’ll join the
Commander. We’ll meet in the final
venue.
EXT. DELTA HALO - DAY
Four Pelicans streak in formation a few feet above the Halo

surface.
Only Johnson’s Pelican banks to another destination,

distancing itself from the others.
INT. TEMPLE - DELTA HALO - DAY
Master Chief and Cortana head toward the exit.
MIRANDA
(over transcom)
Chief, you take out the Prophet. He’s
given us all the intel we need.
MASTER CHIEF
Understood.
79.
MIRANDA
(over transcom)
Keyes over, and out.
MASTER CHIEF
What do you know about the Prophets?
CORTANA
There are three Prophet Hierarchs:
Truth, Regret and Mercy. They are
religious leaders who govern the
Covenant holy city, High Charity.
MASTER CHIEF
So if we kill one of them, we will
shake up the Covenant leadership.
CORTANA
And if we kill all three, the
Covenant will be lost as bees without
their queen.
Miranda gets up from her chair.
MIRANDA
Prepare an HEV for me now. I'll go
down there myself.
But Officer Mawikizi does not like this idea much.
MAWIKIZI
Commander, you're risking yourself
too much doing this.
MIRANDA
My father and many other soldiers
died because of such a ring. If I
have the chance to destroy one, I'll
do it.
He has no response after that.Miranda marches out of the

bridge.
While the Pelicans do not arrive, the Marines take that

moment to rest for a moment.
As Master Chief and Cortana step out the temple...

80.
... everyone hears distant slip-space NOISES.
They look up to see uncountable number of slip-space

ruptures, and hundreds of Covenant ships come out that gaps
swarming the skies followed by HIGH CHARITY itself.
The Marines stare skyward, THUNDERSTRUCK.
MARINE #1
What hell is that thing?
MARINE #2
Look the size of it!
CORTANA
That’s the largest Covenant fleet
I’ve ever seen... the largest
anyone’s ever seen.
MASTER CHIEF
We need to hurry.
EXT. CHAMBER ENTRANCE - DELTA HALO - DAY
In a desolate area of Halo, Miranda and two Marines approach

the entrance of a huge chamber that gives access to a
tunnel.
A few meters back we can see their drop pods planted on the
ground.
MIRANDA
(into transcom)
Hold position. I do not want to take
the risk of the Covenant finding out
my location.
She checks her ARM COMPUTER that displays some SCHEMATICS of

the Forerunner structure.
Miranda glances up and sees the Covenant fleet in the sky.

She knows there's no time to waste and walks into the
darkness, followed by the Marines.
EXT. FORERUNNER TEMPLE - DELTA HALO - DAY
Another temple situated on a large LAKE.
This here appears to be of greater importance than the other

we have seen previously. Its design is robust, angular.
Clearly a place where great worships were made.
81.
The Solemn Penance hangs a few kilometers above the temple.

A Covenant squad surrounds the place, protecting the main
temple.
But then -
- a FAMILIAR ROAR ripping across the lake. The Covenant

turn, confused: coming toward them across the water, THREE
PELICANS at top speed.
Quickly, the Covenant begin to mobilize for the onslaught.
EXT. LAKE - DELTA HALO - DAY
The three Pelicans rocket side by side toward the temple,

each weaponry ready to attack.
PELICAN PILOT (V.O.)

All right, spread and kick some asses
down there!
As the Covenant's artillery start to fly, the Pelicans break

the formation and spread to an aerial attack.
The Covenant have no chance against the UNSC aircraft.
The Pelicans soar around the temple STRAFING everybody down

there mercilessly.
It's grim and brutal.
Bullets rip through the Covenant bodies as if they were made

of paper, sometimes even SEVERING their limbs off in the
process.
INT. FORERUNNER TEMPLE - DELTA HALO - DAY
All we hear is the intense massacre taking place outside.

Gunshots and Covenant despair screams.
The Honor Guards assume a defensive position around the

Prophet of Regret to protect him.
PROPHET OF REGRET
Protect me! Do not let those impure
enter this room!
The commotion outside seems to decrease.

82.
Eventually, there's no more shots or screams.
Just the humming of the Pelican turbines.

A beat.
Held.
BOOM! The entrance door EXPLODES. A cloud of smoke swells.
And from the smoke, Master Chief emerges with a rocket

launcher resting over his shoulder.
As he aims at the Regret, the Honor Guards assemble

shielding him, making a barrier with their bodies.
Master Chief fires.
The rocket hits the barrier of Honor Guards followed by a

massive BLAST that covers those Elites and Regret with a
cloud of dust.
All that remains of the Honor Guards are mutilated pieces of

their bodies that are raining in the room.
They are just flesh and armor.
Master Chief walks over to...
... Prophet of Regret, lying on the ground - out of his

hover-chair - bathed in his own blood and of his Guards.
On the brink of death.
He mumbles something, Master Chief leans to hear.
PROPHET OF REGRET (CONT'D)

(weak)
Your very existence offends me,
Demon... you and... your entire
filthy race does not deserve the
Great Journey...
CORTANA
Finish with his suffering, Chief.
Master Chief stands and grabs his Magnum. As he fires into

the head of Regret -
CUT TO:
83.
INT. BRIDGE - SOLEMN PENANCE - DAY
The crew is bustling after the attack. Rhul Salmutee stands

coordinating everything. An ELITE enters the bridge.
RHUL SALMUTEE
Charge the energy projector with
maximum force. If we stand here,
we'll be next.
ELITE
Shipmaster!
RHUL SALMUTEE
Tell me.
ELITE
The humans -- they overcame the
sacred temple. And the Prophet...
The Elite breaks off, unable to complete his sentence. Then

he recomposes.
ELITE (CONT'D)
The Demon is here.
RHUL SALMUTEE
Fire the energy projector.
ELITE
But sir...
RHUL SALMUTEE
The Prophet is dead, there is no
turning back. So it behooves us to
give the same fate for the Demon who
took his life.
(beat)
Fire the energy projector. Now.
Master Chief leaves the temple. He walks past the corpses of

the Covenant and waves to one of the Pelicans in the air.
The aircraft u-turns, coming for him.
CORTANA
(urgently)
Chief! We have a problem!
84.
MASTER CHIEF
I know that.
CORTANA
No, I mean -- a big problem!
Master Chief doesn’t follow until...
CORTANA (CONT'D)
Above us!
Looking overhead, a huge and ominous PURPLE BEAM glows

underneath the Solemn Penance.
And it's getting stronger.
THEN -
- the Covenant ship FIRES the mighty ENERGY PROJECTOR

straight into the temple.
It's like an overpowering and dazzling tower of light that

VAPORIZES everything it touches.
And it's expanding, more and more intense.
The Pelican that was coming to Master Chief is engulfed by

the massive light, vanishing into the kingdom come.
The other two Pelicans move away from the temple as soon as
possible.
Master Chief whirls and races in the opposite direction of

the beam like hell...
... rounds a corner, jumps a ledge, landing about several

feet where he was...
... keeps running across the entire length of the temple as

it starts to CRUMBLE around him.
The path is ending and there is no turning back.
Arriving at the edge of the temple...
... Master Chief jumps as the energy projector blast flings

him into the lake.
INT. UNDERWATER - LAKE - DELTA HALO - DAY
SPLASH! Master Chief sinks with other bits of stone from the
temple. The Spartan continues to descend, motionless.
85.
It's like he fainted.
All we see from underwater is the intense brightness of the

energy projector, which brightens the entire surface.
As the Chief continues to sink, a pair of TENTACLES come up

from the bottom, dragging Master Chief deep in the lake
until we lost sight of him.
INT. SANCTUM OF THE HIERARCHS - HIGH CHARITY
The Sanctum's consisted of many rooms, the most important

being the inner chamber. The Sanctum features unique
architecture, highly ornamented doors and various other
luxuries.
The Arbiter strides through the main corridor. Following

him, the Brutes.
As they pass by the Elite Honor Guardsmen, the Brutes take

Honor Guard equipment from the Honor Guards. Some try to
resist but the Brutes are stronger.
We follow Arbiter, climbing the stairs to the...
... PROPHET’S INNER SANCTUM. Where the Prophets of Truth and

Mercy speak with Rtas Vadum and two of his Spec-Ops Elite.
RTAS VADUM
This is unprecedented...
Unacceptable.
PROPHET OF TRUTH
A Hierarch is dead, Commander.
RTAS VADUM
His murderer was within our grasp. If
you had not withdrawn our Phantoms --
PROPHET OF TRUTH
(indignantly)
Are you questioning my decision?
RTAS VADUM
No, Holy One! I only wish to express
my concern that the Brutes...
Prophet of Truth holds up a hand for silence.
PROPHET OF TRUTH
Re-commissioning the guard was a
radical step.
(MORE)
86.
PROPHET OF TRUTH (CONT'D)

But recent events have made it
abundantly clear that the Elites can
no longer guarantee our safety.
RTAS VADUM
I shall relay your... decision, to
the Council.
Rtas Vadum and his Elites leave. He nods to the Arbiter, who
returns the nod.
The Arbiter stands before the Prophets.
ARBITER
We have always been your protectors.
For ages.
PROPHET OF TRUTH
These are trying times, for all of
us.
PROPHET OF MERCY
Even as the humans' annihilation
filled us with satisfaction, the loss
of one of the Sacred Rings wracked
our hearts with grief.
PROPHET OF TRUTH
Putting aside our sorrow, we renewed
our faith in the prophecy that other
rings would be found. And see how our
faith has been rewarded.
They turn to a large view screen showing the Installation

05 - Delta Halo.
PROPHET OF MERCY
Halo! Its divine wind will rush
through the stars, propelling all who
are worthy along the path to
salvation.
PROPHET OF TRUTH
For ages, we searched for one who
might unlock the secrets of the ring.
An Oracle. And with your help, we
found it.
They turn to 343 Guilty Spark, who seems to have been

suspended in a gravity beam.
87.
PROPHET OF MERCY
With appropriate humility, we piled
the Oracle with questions. And it,
with clarity and grace, has shown
us... the key.
Mercy triggers a hologram of the ACTIVATION INDEX.
PROPHET OF TRUTH
You will journey to the surface of
the ring, and retrieve this Sacred
Icon. With it, we shall fulfill our
promise.
(beat)
The Great Journey.
Arbiter just nods.
ARBITER
I will not disappoint you.
EXT. SKY - DELTA HALO - DAY
A Phantom Dropship ROCKETS across the open sky.
INT. TARTARUS' PHANTOM DROPSHIP - DAY
In the cockpit, Tartarus walks up behind the pilot.
TARTARUS
Once the shield is down, we will head
straight to the Library. I do not
wish to keep the Hierarchs waiting.
CUT TO -
The Arbiter, as he tests his energy sword. Everything okay.

Tartarus steps out the cockpit and approaches.
ARBITER
The Demon... it was he who killed the
Prophet?
TARTARUS
Why? Looking for a little payback?
ARBITER
Retrieving the Icon is my only
concern now.
Tartarus faces Arbiter directly into his eyes.

88.
TARTARUS
I hope so.
EXT. THE LIBRARY - DELTA HALO - DAY
WIDE ON: A high-tech and vast archive complex and research

facility. Tartarus’ Phantom heads to the Library.
EXT. THE LIBRARY ENTRANCE - DELTA HALO - DAY
The Phantom hovers next to Library’s outer perimeter.
Its back door opens, and Arbiter jumps out onto the floor.
He surveys his surroundings - no sign of life.
The Phantom flies off, leaving Arbiter alone.
Arbiter walks toward the main door of the Library. There's

an eerie silence around, and he does not like it.
In addition to the sound of the Elite's steps, there is only

the HOWLING wind.
Midway, Arbiter FREEZES.
He seems to have heard something close by. And waits.
Arbiter realizes an INCREASINGLY MECHANICAL SOUND incoming.

It seems from inside the structure.
The Arbiter's hand slides to his energy sword on his hip,

ready to use it when needed.
The sound is louder.
A PANEL on the wall opens with a hiss, revealing pure

darkness behind it.
Arbiter assumes a battle pose. He grips his sword, but still

keeping it on the hip.
A tense beat.
Then -
- A SENTINEL appears from the darkness.
Predatory, hawk-like. A machine that no one wants to face,

but Arbiter has no choice.
89.
He draws his sword and ignites it. The Sentinel immediately

opens fire with LASERS.
Arbiter rapidly evades as the lasers LACERATE through the
floor.
He hides behind a column and waits. Arbiter notices

something on his arm - a small wound made by the laser.
The Sentinel wafts in search of the Arbiter, ready to kill

him. When the machine rounds the column where he is...
... the Arbiter is GONE.
SENTINEL’S POV: Its digital scan sweeps the area in search

of the Elite. But no sign of him.
The machine begins to float around that perimeter, seeking

its prey.
It halts for a second.
AT THAT MOMENT -
- A CAMOUFLAGED FIGURE jumps on the top of the Sentinel.

It's the Arbiter, invisible.
He becomes visible as the Sentinel shakes and wobbles its to

get rid of him, but Arbiter holds himself there.
Arbiter pulls his energy sword and ignites it again. In the

next second...
... he SINKS the blade into the Sentinel's hull.
Sparks erupt. The machine power FLICKERS.
Arbiter PUSHES his sword deeper into the Sentinel.
Thanks to this, the damage increases by causing the Sentinel

to randomly fly through the place - bumping into the walls
and on the columns, with Arbiter on top of it.
Until finally...
... the Sentinel SLAMS on the ground, sliding to a stop.
The Arbiter gets off the Sentinel and stares at it for a

moment. Then he turns to the door ahead, and goes for it.
With his energy sword still on, Arbiter jams it into the
thin crack between the doors and begins to force an opening.
90.
With a lot of effort, he can open enough to allow a passage.

And he enters.
INT. CHAMBER - THE LIBRARY - DELTA HALO - DAY
The only light comes from outside when Arbiter opened the
doors. Doing a quick scanning, Arbiter finds only one
passage there - a ramp that leads down.
Using his energy sword as a flashlight to lighten the path,

Arbiter begins to descend the ramp.
INT. LOWER LEVEL - THE LIBRARY - DELTA HALO - DAY
PITCH BLACK.
In the deepest area of the facility there is no trace of

luminosity. Only darkness and silence.
Moments later, the silence is broken by the sound of the

door squeaking as it opens.
It's the Arbiter.
As the Elite enters this new chamber, he feels he’s stepping

on a strange surface. Gooey, wet.
He then decides to bring his sword closer to the ground to

illuminate and discover...
... COVENANT CORPSES scattered everywhere. But not only

blood and bodies that are there, a layer of moss covers the
floor and walls.
THEN -
- A NOISE from somewhere in the darkness. Scuttling. Or

slithering.
Soon the noise seems to involve the whole room in all

directions. Arbiter stretches his arm with the sword using
its luminosity to reveal - THE FLOOD INFECTION FORMS.
They come from vents and holes in the walls and ceiling in
countless numbers, surrounding the Arbiter.
Arbiter prepares himself, fearlessly.
ARBITER
You will not catch me so easy.
91.
As the Arbiter swings his blade into the Flood -
CUT TO:
INT. INDEX CHAMBER - THE LIBRARY - DELTA HALO - DAY
A chamber destroyed by the time where only ruins remained.

We can notice pieces of other Sentinels and the structure
itself.
But in the middle of everything is the INDEX - hanging in

mid-air inside its container. Just below it, a deep and dark
SHAFT.
FLASHLIGHT beams approach from a cave. Miranda finally

reaches the end of her quest, followed by the two Marines.
MIRANDA
Finally.
(into transcom)
This is Miranda Keyes. I found the
Index.
MAWIKIZI
(over transcom)
All right, we are heading to your
position.
Miranda steps on the edge of the shaft and reaches out to

grab Index, but it is out of range.
MIRANDA
Shit.
MARINE #1
How are we gonna get this thing out
of here now?
A moment as Miranda thinks in a way. Then she spots a power

cable from a Sentinel wreckage.
MIRANDA
You two, cover me.
The Marines stay on alert as Miranda holds onto the cable

and leans her body towards the Index, this time closer.
The container whirs, clicks, then releases the Index. She

grabs it.
But suddenly, the cable SNAPS.

92.
MARINE #2
Commander!
When it looks like Miranda will fall into that deep shaft...
... someone GRABS the cable just in time.
She looks up and finds Sergeant Johnson holding onto the

cable. The Marines breathe relieved.
JOHNSON
Need a hand?
Miranda puts the Index in her belt.
MIRANDA
The Index is secure. Just pull me
back.
Miranda climbs back onto the floor.
JOHNSON
You should have waited us to arrive
before entering. This place is full
of damn disgusting parasites.
MIRANDA
Given the current circumstances, we
cannot wait anything more, Sergeant.
JOHNSON
(into transcom)
McKenzie, Perez, how’s our exit?
He waits. But there's no reply.
JOHNSON (CONT'D)
Marines?
One of the Marines there turns to his comrade.
MARINE #2
Did you hear that?
MARINE #1
What?
That's when something HEAVY lands on the ground near the two
men. Before they can react...
... AN INVISIBLE FIGURE CHARGES the Marines as an energy

sword IGNITES. It's the Arbiter.
93.
Both Marines can only CRY OUT as the Elite SLICES them with
his sword.
Johnson and Miranda draw their assault rifle and pistol,
respectively.
She SHOOTS the camouflaged figure first, revealing the

Arbiter in flickering strobes.
He then leaps in one bound toward the duo.
Johnson YANKS Miranda away as he fires at the Arbiter, but

in vain.
The Arbiter lands right in front of Johnson and CUTS his

rifle in two in one swing of his sword.
Off Johnson’s stunned look, the Elite BACKHANDS him,

knocking the Sergeant out.
Miranda gets up and fires.
Arbiter walks toward her as the bullets BOUNCE off his

silver armor until the ammo runs out.
He cornered Miranda at the edge of the pit, there is no

escape.
ARBITER
Give me the Index and I’ll make your
death be quick.
MIRANDA
Do you worse, asshole.
Before the Arbiter could do anything...
... an ELECTROSTATIC CHARGE courses through Miranda's body.

She screams in pain. The she's pulled away from Arbiter...
... to Tartarus, across the room, using his hammer.
She lands flat on his shoulder, unconscious. He catches her

in his grasp.
TARTARUS
Excellent work, Arbiter. The
Hierarchs will be pleased.
ARBITER
Tartarus. The Icon... is my
responsibility.
94.
TARTARUS
Was your responsibility.
Tartarus takes the Index from Miranda’s belt.
TARTARUS (CONT'D)
Now it's mine.
Arbiter tries to get closer to Tartarus but the other Brutes

aim their guns at him. Arbiter stares in disbelief.
TARTARUS (CONT'D)
(to a Brute)
Take the other human.
The Brute goes to a fainted Johnson and catches the

Sergeant.
TARTARUS (CONT'D)
You know, for a moment I thought
you’ll even die when you find the
Flood. But I’m glad you got here...
Tartarus points his hammer at the Arbiter.
TARTARUS (CONT'D)
... because I want to have the
pleasure of killing you myself.
ARBITER
When the Prophets learn of this, they
will take your head!
TARTARUS
(chuckles)
Fool. They ordered me to do it.
CLOSE ON THE ARBITER: He jerks his neck up in horror.
Tartarus unleashes a BLAST from his hammer that knocks the

Arbiter into the shaft.
TARTARUS (CONT'D)
Let’s get out of here.
Tartarus and his Brutes head off.
ANGLE ON: THE SHAFT, dark. Impossible to see the bottom.
HOLD on that shot for a few seconds.
FADE TO BLACK
95.
Then -
FADE IN:
EXTREME CLOSE-UP OF MASTER CHIEF'S HELMET
Filling the screen. Hanging head.
Motionless.
He appears to be unconscious. Still impossible to have a

notion of where he is now.
A beat.
CORTANA
Chief?
Silence.
CORTANA (CONT'D)
Chief, wake up.
Silence.
CORTANA (CONT'D)
Come on, Chief, don’t play the
sleeper now -- wake up!
Moments later, Master Chief finally stirs. Moaning even so

slightly.
PULL BACK to reveal that we are...
INT. DELTA HALO UNDERGROUNDS - DAY
A vast and cavernous space. The darkness gives us an

impression of infinity. Thin beams of light leak through
cracks and holes around.
Master Chief rests on the ground with his back against the
wall. A bit dazed, he climbs to his feet.
He takes a moment to examine exactly where he is, scanning

around.
Everywhere in that environment there is a strange and alien

form of PLANT-LIFE growing in each corner, forming a tangle
of vines and tendrils over the walls and the ground.
As we have seen something similar before, these vines and

tendrils are subtly curling, sliding, tightening.
96.
MASTER CHIEF
What place is this?
CORTANA
We're probably in the depths of Halo.
Strangely this space is not in the
structure of the first Halo we
encounter.
Without his rifle, Master Chief grabs his pistol to guard

himself while walking there.
CORTANA (CONT'D)
Warning: movement detected at two
hundred meters from here.
Carefully, Master Chief steps at the edge of a BOTTOMLESS

ABYSS right ahead.
He leans a little forward but sees nothing but darkness.
MASTER CHIEF
Are you saying there's someone down
there?
CORTANA
Or something.
Without Master Chief's noticing, some vines are curling

around his legs softly. Tightening increasingly.
And when he finally notices it...
... the vines suddenly LUG Master Chief into the air, making
him loose his pistol.
CORTANA (CONT'D)
Chief!
Hanging in mid-air, the vines meander over the Spartan's

body, wrapping him up to the neck.
He tries to break free, but the vines keep him tied tight.
CLOSE ON MASTER CHIEF'S VISOR: From a REFLECTION in the

glass, we get the glimpse of something MASSIVE snaking in
front of him. Long and pliable.
Still seeing through Master's visor, we see just a blur of a

CREATURE emerging in front of him. Unfolding. He tilts his
head back, speechless.
97.
CORTANA (CONT'D)
What... is that?
MASTER CHIEF
I was going to ask you the same
thing.
WIDER TO REVEAL -
A behemoth plant-like creature facing the tiny Master Chief.

It's called GRAVEMIND.
The Collective Flood consciousness. 280 feet tall. Master

Chief hangs near that giant head, a mass of fleshy
mandibles.
It speaks in a deep, gravelly voice.
GRAVEMIND
I...? I am a monument to all your
sins.
As the Gravemind talks, it breathes out FLOOD SPORES. Two

tentacles bring forth a struggling ARBITER, still alive.
He shakes himself, trying to get rid of the tentacles. But

in vain.
ARBITER
(realizes Master
Chief)
Demon!
GRAVEMIND
(re: Master Chief)
This one is machine and nerve, and
has its mind concluded
(re: Arbiter)
This one is but flesh and faith, and
is the more deluded.
ARBITER
Kill me or release me, parasite. But
do not waste my time with talk!
GRAVEMIND
There is much talk. And I have
listened. Through rock, and metal,
and time. Now I shall talk, and you
shall listen.
It raises one tentacle, one wrapped around a red Monitor,

the 2401 PENITENT TANGENT.
98.
2401 PENITENT TANGENT

Greetings! I am 2401 Penitent
Tangent. I am the Monitor of
Installation 05.
(notes Master Chief)
A Reclaimer? Here? At last! We have
much to do. This facility must be
activated if we are to control this
outbreak.
ARBITER
The ring will only work under the
command of the Prophets.

Not true. This installation has
successful utilization record of 1.2
trillion simulated and one actual. It
is ready to fire on demand.
ARBITER
But the Great Journey --

(cuts in)
You continue using inappropriate
terms! Containment should be
initiated as soon as possible.
GRAVEMIND
The "containment"... and your "Great
Journey"... are the same.
Gravemind lowers its tentacles with the Monitor.
GRAVEMIND (CONT'D)
Your Prophets have promised you
freedom from a doomed existence, but
you will find no salvation on this
ring. Those who built this place knew
what they wrought. Do not mistake
their intent, or all will perish as
they did before.
The Arbiter stops struggling against the tentacles. He

stares somewhat curiously at the Gravemind.
Master Chief turns to him:
MASTER CHIEF
This thing is right. Halo is a
weapon. Your Prophets are making a
big mistake.
99.
ARBITER
Your ignorance already destroyed one
of the sacred rings, Demon. It shall
not harm another.
GRAVEMIND
If you will not hear the truth, then
I will show it to you. There is still
time to stop the key from turning,
but first it must be found.
(indicates each in
turn)
You will search one likely spot, and
you will search another. Fate had us
meet as foes, but this ring will make
us... brothers.
Master Chief and Arbiter share a look.
INT. UNDERGROUND PASSAGE - DELTA HALO - MOMENTS LATER
Using the FLASHLIGHT of his helmet, Master Chief leads the

way through a narrow passage followed by the Arbiter.
MASTER CHIEF
Are you sure about this, Cortana?
CORTANA
My scanners are not easy to miss,
Chief. If there is some useful
Forerunner technology down here,
we'll use it to get out of here.
A beat.
MASTER CHIEF
So, are you really against the
Covenant or do I need to keep
watching my back?
ARBITER
As much as I want to kill you, Demon,
this recent affair with the Halos has
become something... more urgent.
MASTER CHIEF
The sooner we stop the hierarchs, the
better.
ARBITER
Is that why you destroyed that Halo?
To save the universe?
100.
MASTER CHIEF
Yes.
Arbiter stares down, reflecting on all his actions over the
years.
ARBITER
All these ages... me and my people
blindly following the hierarchs,
spreading their words across the
galaxy... in order to be leading
ourselves to damnation.
MASTER CHIEF
There is still time to fix it, but
you need to focus when the time
comes.
CORTANA
Turn left ten meters ahead.
INT. FORERUNNER LAB - DELTA HALO - DAY
Master Chief and the Arbiter enter a chamber.
It's packed with SCIENTIFIC EQUIPMENT of Forerunner origin.

But no one has been stepping there for millennia, it's
completely forgotten just like everything in Halo.
CORTANA
I knew it.
ARBITER
What place is this?
Master Chief and Arbiter spread out, scanning around the

laboratory.
It's a mess. Dust and vines dominated the place.
Master Chief finds a row of cylindrical GLASS TUBES filled

with a mysterious liquid.
Inside each tube, a small weird MASS floats in the liquid.

Whatever it is, it's organic.
Master Chief steps closer to one of these tubes, looking at

it more attentively.
CORTANA
That's what I'm thinking is it?
101.
MASTER CHIEF
The Flood.
And that's exactly what it is: FLOOD VESSELS. Or rather,
what's left of those. Inside those tubes they are now just
experiments, dead carcasses.
Cortana manifests in front of Master Chief, intrigued, as

Arbiter approaches the tubes.
ARBITER
Were the Forerunners studying the
Flood?
CORTANA
Apparently, yes.
MASTER CHIEF
To find a way to destroy them, maybe.
ARBITER
Time is running, we need to find
Index soon.
CORTANA
You're right. Chief, that console.
Cortana and Master Chief walk up to the central console of

the lab.
CORTANA (CONT'D)
I detected teleportation rings when
we arrived. It was probably how they
transported all this equipment here.
Maybe we can use them for our way
out.
At the console, she runs her finger across it, studying.
Then:
CORTANA (CONT'D)
Dock me in. I think I can get the
teleportation to work.
Master Chief removes the CORTANA CHIP from the back of his
neck and inserts it into the console.
A moment later, the console comes to life with a HUM.
Near the wall there are three TELEPORTATION PLATFORMS. But

only one of them works now.
102.
Lights come on, some still flickering.
ARBITER
The Brutes have taken the Index from
me, maybe they're still in High
Charity.
MASTER CHIEF
Or maybe they're already heading to
the Halo's Control Room.
ARBITER
It's a possibility.
MASTER CHIEF
So we're going to have to separate
and prune our chances at once.
CORTANA
I have the coordinates for the
Control Room. Volunteers?
ARBITER
I will.
Arbiter climbs on the small teleportation platform.
CORTANA
Preparing for the transport.
The base of the platform begins to GLOW more and more

intense.
Then in a BURST OF LIGHT...
... Arbiter DISAPPEARS of there.
CORTANA (CONT'D)
I think it's our turn. Calculating
coordinates for High Charity.
After she does it, Master Chief collects Cortana Chip back,
and inserts it into his armor.
He stands on the teleportation platform and waits.
CORTANA (CONT'D)
Let's hope I have not thrown us right
into a wall.
The platform light rises.
And -
103.
- WHOOSH! The Spartan disappears in a burst of light too.
EXT. HIGH CHARITY/DELTA HALO - OUTER SPACE
The Covenant holy city is connected to Delta Halo's

uppermost band.
INT. OUTSIDE THE COUNCIL CHAMBER - HIGH CHARITY
On the walkway outside the Council Chamber, Brutes Honor

Guardsmen guard the gates from Grunts and Jackals rioters.
PROPHET OF TRUTH
(pre-lap)
The Elites have failed to protect the
Prophets, and in doing so, have put
all our lives at risk. We are, all of
us, gravely concerned.
A line of Brutes Honor Guardsmen stand at attention.
A Grunt cameraman focuses a holographic CAMERA on Truth as

he delivers his propaganda - holding the Index - while the
Prophet of Mercy watches from aside.
PROPHET OF TRUTH
The release of the parasite was
unexpected, unfortunate. But, there
is no need to panic. In truth, this
is a time to rejoice. A moment that
all the Covenant should savor.
(raises the Index)
For the Sacred Icon has been found.
With it, our path is clear, our entry
into the Divine Beyond guaranteed!
The Great Journey is nigh...
Behind the Grunt cameraman, a TELEPORTATION PORTAL

materializes.
It’s like a slip-space gap, but much smaller.
The Grunt looks that curiously, it seems that only it saw

the portal. Then suddenly...
... Master Chief is hurled through the portal. As soon as he

passes, it closes.
104.
He rolls across the floor and stops in front of Grunt, face

to face.
A beat as the Grunt lingers to realize.
Master Chief knocks the Grunt down and takes the NEEDLER GUN
from it. That's when the Covenant realize his presence
there.
Master Chief aims at the Prophet of Truth, but some Brutes

gather around him, shield their leader.

Kill the Demon!
All Brutes try to hit Master Chief with their plasma

weapons. The rounds fly within inches of him...
... as Master Chief dives for cover behind a column.
CORTANA
Those armors do not have shields. If
you make a precise attack, will kill
them fast.
MASTER CHIEF
I'll remember that.
He waits for the right moment and returns fire. He manages

to bring down two brutes in the process.
The other Brutes scatter trying to save themselves.
One of the Brutes lifts a Grunt using it as his personal

shield as the Needler's spikes pierce its body.
Another Brute tosses a PLASMA GRENADE toward Master Chief.

As he sees the bomb, Chief jumps to behind a column.
BOOM! It explodes right after that.
BRUTE (O.S.)
Come on, human, let’s play!
Master Chief checks the Needler’s ammunition. Almost in the

end. Damn it.
EXT. HILLSIDE - DELTA HALO - DAY
Like Master Chief, the Arbiter emerges from a teleportation

portal onto the ground of a wooded hillside.
105.
Arbiter gets on his feet...
... viewing Delta Halo's CONTROL ROOM in the landscape.

It’s a triangular facility that control all of the
installation’s operations, located on a mountainous region.
Arbiter begins to move to his destination.
EXT. COVENANT POST - DELTA HALO - DAY
A Brute surveillance station in a clearing. In addition to

the Brutes, we see some Phantoms and Banshees parked.
Coming from the forest, Rtas Vadum and his SPEC-OPS Elites.
The BRUTE LEADER approaches him.
RTAS VADUM
We did the patrol. There's a human
cruiser ten miles away, if we hurry
we can intercept them.
BRUTE LEADER
Of course, we'll get them.
Rtas Vadum turns around, walking back to the forest. But he

notices that all the Brutes are surrounding him and the
Elites suspiciously.
BRUTE LEADER (CONT'D)

In fact...
(Vadum stops)
... there is another mission taking
place right now, Commander.
For a moment Rtas Vadum glances at the Brutes around, who

discreetly place their hands on their plasma weapons.
There's something wrong there, and Rtas knows it.
The Spec-Ops Elites slip their hands into their rifles,

already expecting the worst.
Rtas Vadum looks at the Brute Leader over his shoulder.
RTAS VADUM
Can I know what this mission is all
about?
The Brute gives him a wicked smile.

106.
BRUTE LEADER
Certainly.
(shouts to the Brutes)
Kill them all!
Then all the Brutes circling the Elites pull their plasma
weapons and fire to kill everyone right there.
Quickly, the Elites ring their leader by protecting him

while most are shot down, but they also retaliate against
the Brutes.
SPEC-OPS ELITE
Get the Commander out of here!
Among the gunfire, two Elites escort Rtas Vadum out of there
as the rest exchange shots with the Brutes.
During the escape, one of the Elites with Rtas Vadum is hit
and drops flat. Dead.
Vadum and the other Elite can escape to the forest.
BRUTE LEADER
He's running away! Take down the
bastard!
Two Brutes chase after the Elite Commander. Meanwhile, Spec-

Ops Elites are massacred without a chance to win.
EXT. FOREST - DELTA HALO - DAY
In the middle of the race, Rtas Vadum stops in indignation.
RTAS VADUM
I will not run away like a coward and
let my soldiers die alone there!
SPEC-OPS ELITE
They did that for you to flee! If you
go back there, they will have
sacrificed themselves in vain.
SUDDENLY -
- plasma fire streaks past narrowly hitting both Elites. The

pair of Brutes are coming.
Spec-Ops Elite draws his weapon and pushes Rtas so he can

continue the path.
107.
SPEC-OPS ELITE (CONT'D)

You need to go, sir! I'll delay them
here.
But Rtas Vadum remains hesitant; he doesn't want to leave
his warrior alone.
SPEC-OPS ELITE (CONT'D)

Please, go!
With a weapon in hands, the Elite advances toward the two

coming Brutes.
There is no other choice, so Rtas Vadum makes a decision.

Even though he doesn't like it, he turns around and starts
to run away.
We STAY to see in the distance that Spec-Ops Elite fighting

bravely the two Brutes alone.
EXT. COVENANT POST - DELTA HALO - DAY
In the center of the station, all the dead bodies of the

Spec-Ops Elite are stacked on top of each other, full of
plasma wounds and blood.
BRUTE LEADER
Everyone reload. I want two teams
hunting Vadum. He's not one of those
who resolves easy.
A noise from somewhere in the forest catches Brutes' ears -

it's like a small thing, crawling through the leaves,
snapping branches.
And it's approaching the camp every second. Whatever it may

be, it seems to come from all directions.
Some Brutes JITTERS, because nobody sees anything in the

forest. No apparent enemy.

What the hell...?
Finally...
... THOUSANDS OF FLOOD INFECTION FORMS GUSH out the forest

swarming the Brutes in all angles.
They open fire nervously, each vessel hit pops like a

balloon. But those creatures seem endless.
108.
The Brutes start to die in sequence, being swallowed by the

numerous Floods wave.
To the Phantoms!
The Brute Leader runs followed by three more while his other
companions die around.
The leader rushes inside one of the Phantoms. One of the

Brutes runs into the cockpit.
INT. PHANTOM - COVENANT POST - DELTA HALO - DAY
The Brute Leader shuts the back door of the craft as the
Flood creep over the Phantom.
Then the engines start and the craft begins to rise, taking
off into the skies.
The Phantom pulls away from the Covenant post.
INT. PHANTOM DROPSHIP - DAY
The Brutes sit down, relieved to be inside this craft.
BRUTE LEADER
Let's go back to High Charity and
warn the Prophets that we have this
Flood infestation to deal with.
The other Brutes just nod. As the Leader walks towards the
cockpit...
... he HEARS that same noise from the forest, which makes
him chill. Only he heard at that moment.
He turns scanning the area, the other Brutes stare at him

puzzled.
FLOOD'S POV: From the ceiling of the Phantom, the Flood

falls to the floor, scaring the Brutes as it rushes toward
the Leader quickly. As it JUMPS INTO HIS FACE -
CUT TO:
109.
One of the crewman detects something on his monitor. He

turns to Mawikizi, who commands the ship now.
BRIDGE CREWMAN
Sir, the radar detected an unknown
small-sized ship approaching us.
MAWIKIZI
One of ours?
BRIDGE CREWMAN
Difficult to say immediately, much of
our navigation was damaged in the
forced jump.
MAWIKIZI
Try to make some contact.
After a moment of trying, the crewman startles by what he

sees.
BRIDGE CREWMAN
Oh my God -- it's not stopping, the
ship's going to clash into us
directly!
MAWIKIZI
Prepare the cannons!
Hovering in the air, In Amber Clad.
And coming toward it, the Phantom Dropship we saw before,

flying adrift for the cruiser.
The In Amber Clad's cannons shoot - blowing up one of the

Phatom engines.
Smoking, the Phantom PLUNGES and CRASHES INTO THE UNSC

CRUISER.
INT. CORRIDOR - UNSC IN AMBER CLAD - DAY
An alarm sounds as a troop of armed Marines run along the

corridor toward the Phantom crash-site.
110.
INT. CENTRAL BAY MAJOR - UNSC IN AMBER CLAD - DAY
The door slides open. The Marines troop the large hangar,
all weapons aiming at...
... the Phantom Dropship, with half of its body inside the
bay and the other half out.
Lying at a slight angle, its nose crushed on the floor.
The Phantom gives a sudden SHUDDER.
That makes the Marines STOP. They wait for someone to get
out of there but nothing happens.
Before the men took another step, the Covenant ship shakes
again, this time STRONGER. They hold position.
Another shake, as if a beast wants to get out of there fast.
Something POUNDS the hull from inside. Harder and harder.
Whatever it is, it really want to leave.
And AT THAT MOMENT -
- AN INFECTED BRUTE BURSTS OUT THE PHANTOM.
Charging the Marines like a BERSERK. With irregular

movements.
Following him, the other three Brutes that were aboard -

also infected - and dozens of Flood infection forms.
Without thinking twice, the Marines fire at those creatures,

but everything seems in vain.
Seconds before we see Flood's small army reaching the

Marines -
CUT TO:
One of the two Brutes grabs a plasma grenade and walks

towards the column where Master Chief is hidden.
BRUTE
Apparently I'll have to force you out
of there.
The Brute raises his arm ready to throw the grenade, but -
111.
- Master Chief comes out from behind the column before that
and fires the Needler -
- one single shot straight into the GRENADE in the Brute’s
hand.
It detonates with its owner.
Master Chief doesn’t waste time and advances to the second

Brute.
Furious, the second Brute spins his big AX above his head
and HURLS it toward Master Chief. The weapon spins wildly
through the air ready to slice Master Chief in half.
Master Chief SLIDES over his knees and DUCKS under the ax.
As the Spartan skids across the floor...
... he fires with the Needler in the Brute’s knees, making

him fall over them in pain.
In a flash of movement, Master Chief jams the Needler under

the Brute's chin, then fires - blasting the top of his head
up.
Brute falls on his back, dead.
Master Chief stands up, looks at the Needler - the ammo is

totally gone.
CORTANA
Chief, you have to hurry. The
Prophets will flee the city!
Master Chief drops the gun and runs toward the door which
the Prophets and Brutes left. He tries to open but it’s
locked.
MASTER CHIEF
I can't open it.
CORTANA
They must be sealed it to prevent us
from leaving here.
MASTER CHIEF
Can you unlock it?
CORTANA
You know me, right?
The Spartan approaches the door, picks Cortana Chip up and

inserts it into a pedestal next to the door.
112.
THEN -
- the door opens. She did it. Master Chief reaches out to
take Cortana back, but she prevents.
CORTANA (CONT'D)
I will be faster to find the Prophets
if I’m connected to their network.
For a moment Master Chief hesitates.
CORTANA (CONT'D)
Don’t worry. You can pick me up
later. Go.
Master Chief nods and runs to beyond the door.
INT. CORRIDORS - HIGH CHARITY
We follow Master Chief making his way through the corridors

of the installation. Turning in corners, going into another
corridors.
As he turns a corner, he comes across a Covenant squadron

charging toward him. Before he could think of doing
anything...
... the containment door in the hallway snap-seals shut -

fast as a blink of an eye, blocking the way.
CORTANA
You’re welcome.
MASTER CHIEF
Nice trick.
He turns, and starts to run.
JUMP CUT:
As Master Chief travels through the corridors, continues

closing the doors preventing the enemies from reach the
Spartan.
CORTANA
Wait a minute! I’m reading Marine IFF
transponders.
MASTER CHIEF
Where?
113.
CORTANA
Chief, we may not have time to --
MASTER CHIEF
(cuts in)
We make time. Tell me where is the
place.
CORTANA
The signal is being sent not too far
below us. Three lower levels.
MASTER CHIEF
Guide me to them.
Master Chief moves to another direction.
INT. DETENTION CENTER - HIGH CHARITY
A bunch of MARINES are caged in glass cells, defeated. Two

Grunts watch the prisoners near the entrance door.
They argue in their language.
When they least expect it -
- KA-BOOM! The entrance door EXPLODES, knocking down both

Grunts. The Marines STARTLE.
Master Chief emerges from the smoke, holding a Covenant

plasma rifle.
MINUTES LATER
All Marines free now. The healthy help the more injured to
walk. One of them finishes telling how they got there for
the Spartan.
MARINE
... and when those Gorilla-like
Covenant found us, we had no chance
to fight back. They said they were
going to use us like bait for this
Flood.
MASTER CHIEF
Now we have a chance to get out of
here, but the situation is still
critical. There is a weapon rack in
the corridor. Those who can fight,
take one.
114.
While the Marines leave the room...
CORTANA
Chief, I’m detecting the approach of
the In Amber Clad in direction of
High Charity.
(beat)
The strange is that I have not
received contact response.
EXT. THE CITADEL - HIGH CHARITY
In the internal hub of High Charity lay an extremely large

capital city with millions more of the Covenant’s denizens.
Although still day on the ring installation, the interior of
High Charity is a perpetual night do to its bulwark canopy.
The only source of light comes from the apex of that

canopy - an artificial star that simulates sunlight.
Right below that is the landing pad for the FORERUNNER

DREADNOUGHT - a geometric and angular warship. Tetrahedral
shape, with a forward triangular prow. Sharing many
aesthetic features with other Forerunner constructs.
Gliding above the city, a GRAVITY PLATFORM.
It carries the Prophets of Truth and Mercy, and Tartarus

with the Brute Guards.
But there are two prisoners among them - Miranda and

Johnson, besides the 343 Guilty Spark.
TARTARUS
(to Truth)
The vehicles are already waiting in
the tower.
PROPHET OF TRUTH
Good.
EXT. GRAVITY BRIDGE - HIGH CHARITY
LOCKED-OFF REVERSE ANGLE on a COVENANT position.
Three Jackals and four Grunts - with their backs to us as

they fire down at hallway exit to the front of them.
And suddenly a hail of rounds are coming our way -

115.
- ripping through the Covenant, dropping and shredding them.

And when all of them drop, reveal to us Master Chief and the
Marines. Rifles smoking.
They cross the door into the gravity bridge - a horizontal
anti-gravity field, often over a large gap, substituting a
physical bridge.
Master Chief leads the group across the bridge when - all
they hear a not too distant a SLIP-SPACE PORTAL.
Everyone stops and stares up, beyond the camera. Whatever

that is, let the Marines happy.
WOUNDED MARINE
Thank God.
REVEAL: a slip-space rupture opening on their far left,

miles above the city, and UNSC In Amber Clad EMERGES from
it.
The huge ship soars over their heads.
EXT. OVER THE CITADEL - HIGH CHARITY
ANGLE ON: THE GRAVITY PLATFORM, as the In Amber Clad passes

above them. The Brutes snarl in fury. Johnson can not hold a
sarcastic smile.
JOHNSON
The cavalry arrived, assholes.
But Miranda doesn’t have the same satisfaction than Johnson.

She notes her ship and know that there is something wrong.
THEIR POV: The In Amber Clad declines gradually, its engines

fail and try to relight themselves.
Johnson breaks his smile. His hope vanishes after watching

the ship falling.
Until finally -
- the UNSC In Amber Clad IMPACTS into one of the towers of

the city, leaving half of its body inside the building and
the other half out.
The sound of the crash echoes throughout the citadel.

116.
EXT. TOWER ROOF - HIGH CHARITY
Master Chief and the Marines arrive in the other side of the
bridge, a tower. Chief awaits all the men leave the bridge
as the sound of In Amber Clad crashing is heard.
CORTANA
Hailing... No response. The ship
crashed into another tower ahead of
our position. I’ll keep trying to
make contact, but... I’m not
registering any human vital signs.
Master Chief turns and sees the smoke coming out from the
cruiser crash-site. Then he returns to lead the men.
CORTANA (CONT'D)
Hang on! I’m picking up two more
transponders. It’s the Commander and
Sergeant Johnson!
MASTER CHIEF
Where?
CORTANA
Northeast.
Master Chief steps up to the edge of the tower overlooking

all the capital city beyond. Searching.
MASTER CHIEF’S POV: He finds the gravity platform carrying

the Commander, Johnson and the Covenant to a tower.
CORTANA (CONT'D)
They’re closing on Truth’s position.
Master Chief turns back to the Marines.
MASTER CHIEF
Listen up. I will rescue the
Commander and Sergeant Johnson.
Meanwhile, Cortana will lead you to a
Covenant ship for everyone to get out
of here.
MARINE
What? -- We will not leave without
you!
MASTER CHIEF
This is not a request, it is an
order. Roger that, soldier?
117.
The Marines don’t like this decision, but they concede:
MARINE
Yes, sir.
MASTER CHIEF
Go. Now.
Cortana opens the tower door and the Marines enter. Master
Chief sets off in the opposite direction.
EXT. PARKING AREA - TOWER - HIGH CHARITY
A parking area of Banshees levels below the tower.
Then - Master Chief DROPS onto the ground, SPIDERWEBBING the

floor in the landing.
Without wasting time, he goes to one of the Banshees.
After checking the controls, Master Chief rides the vehicle

taking off into the air.
EXT. LANDING PAD - MID TOWER - HIGH CHARITY
Four Phantoms landed waiting. The gravity lift arrives.
Tartarus and his Brutes take Commander Keyes, Johnson and

343 Guilty Spark toward a platform. The Prophets go to the
Phantoms.
TARTARUS
Split them up. One in each Phantom.
The Brutes take Miranda and Johnson for the Phantoms. She
glances at the wrecked In Amber Clad before being pushed
into the Phantom. Johnson is placed in another.
The two Phantoms take off with the prisoners and 343 Guilty
Spark.
Tartarus kneels before the Prophets.
PROPHET OF TRUTH
The hopes of all the Covenant rest on
your shoulders, Chieftain.
Prophet of Truth hands Tartarus the Index.
TARTARUS
My faith is strong. I will not fail.
118.
But IN THIS MOMENT -
- FLOOD VESSELS spring up and rush them. The Brute Honor

Guardsmen throw their pikes aside and stomp on several of
them.
Tartarus flattens one with his gravity hammer.
The Brutes manage to crush most of the Flood, but one gets
through and lodges itself to Prophet of Mercy’s throat,
knocking him off his hover-chair.
He screams in agony. Tartarus approaches to remove the

infection form but...
PROPHET OF TRUTH
Let him be.
Tartarus turns to Truth in surprise.

(to Mercy)
The Great Journey waits for no one,
brother... not even you.
Prophet of Truth boards the Phantom and the Brute Honor

Guardsmen follow immediately, but Tartarus hesitates,
staring at the dying Prophet of Mercy
But he looks at the Index in his hand and makes a decision.

As Tartarus enters the Phantom, they fly away.
Moments later...
... Master Chief touches down with the Banshee on the tower.
He spots in the distance the Phantoms flying over the
citadel.
CORTANA
We arrived too late.
Master Chief notes the Prophet of Mercy, lying on the ground

as he fights the Flood.
The Spartan takes a few steps closer but doesn’t care to

help.
MASTER CHIEF
Your pal. Where’s he going?
119.
PROPHET OF MERCY
Earth... to finish what we started.
And this time, none of you... will be
left behind...
Master Chief pulls the Flood form off of Mercy and pops it.
Prophet of Mercy catches his breath, but lies still.

Cortana’s hologram appears on Mercy’s throne.
CORTANA
That structure, at the center of the
city... it’s a Forerunner ship! And
Truth is heading straight for it!
Master Chief turns around to the Forerunner Dreadnought,

looming at the distance.
CORTANA (CONT'D)
If he leads the Covenant fleet to
Earth, they won’t stand a chance. You
have to stop him!
MASTER CHIEF
That Brute has the Index. And Miranda
and Johnson. He can activate the
ring.
CORTANA
If he does, I’ll detonate In Amber
Clad’s reactor just like we did the
Autumn’s. The blast will destroy this
city and the ring.
(beat)
Not a very original plan, but we know
it’ll work.
MASTER CHIEF
It's good for me. I'll get you as
soon as possible.
CORTANA
No. I don’t want to chance a remote
detonation. I’ll need to stay here.
Then they hear PELICAN DROPSHIPS leaving the In Amber Clad,

unguided toward the citadel.
MASTER CHIEF
I thought you said no one survived.
120.
CORTANA
And they didn’t. It’s the Flood, they
dominated all the In Amber Clad, and
will dominate High Charity too.
(faces Master Chief)
You need to go, Chief. Truth’s
Phantom is nearing the Forerunner
ship.
After a beat:
MASTER CHIEF
I’ll come back for you.
He then rides on the Banshee and flies off, chasing the

Phantoms.
CORTANA
(grins)
Don’t make a girl a promise... if you
know you can’t keep it.
Off Cortana, watching him go...
EXT. OVER THE CITADEL - HIGH CHARITY
We follow Master Chief as he overflies the city toward the

Forerunner ship miles ahead.
Below him it's a MAYHEM. Several Pelican Dropships CRASH-

LAND across the capital unleashing the Flood forms.
ON THE PHANTOMS -
As they get inside the Dreadnought through its huge gates.

When everyone enters, the mechanical gates begin to close.
ON MASTER CHIEF -
After seeing the ship doors closing, he SPEEDS UP his

Banshee.
The Dreadnought’s engines start to ignite. The access gates

are about to close and Chief knows that he will not arrive
in time.
But along the way, Master Chief stands up on the Banshee,

flexes his knees and...
... PROPELS himself straight for the Forerunner ship.

121.
The Banshee plummets as Master Chief flies toward the

Dreadnought and into the ship through the portal...
... landing with scrapes flickering off his armor as the
large gates close behind him.
EXT. LANDING PAD - MID TOWER - HIGH CHARITY
FIRE SHOOTS FROM THE BASE OF THE DREADNOUGHT, and the

spaceship RISES slowly from the pad, into the sky.
Cortana just watches.
CORTANA
Good luck, Chief.
EXT. HIGH CHARITY/DELTA HALO - OUTER SPACE
When the Dreadnought moves away enough from High Charity...
... it enters slip-space, and vanishes.
EXT. FOREST - DELTA HALO - DAY
A lonely Arbiter walks across the forest. But he feels

something coming right behind him.
He spins around drawing his energy sword ready to kill the

opponent, but he finds Rtas Vadum.
RTAS VADUM
By the rings, Arbiter!? The
Councilors! Are they --
ARBITER
Murdered... by the Brutes.
RTAS VADUM
Vile, disloyal beasts! The Prophets
were fools to trust them!
ARBITER
What are you doing here?
RTAS VADUM
Because the brutes have attacked us.
Me and my team. They did everything I
could to escape... and I hope I was
not the only one.
122.
ARBITER
I'm so sorry. They were brave
warriors.
RTAS VADUM
Then I detected an energy lapse
similar to a slip-space nearby. I
came to check and here I am now.
Both hear noise of familiar engines. They look up and see

two Phantoms roaring over them.
The ships head directly to the Control Room.
ARBITER
The Brutes. They will activate the
ring. You come with me?
RTAS VADUM
If it's to kill them, I will.
Rtas Vadum hands Arbiter his second plasma gun and so the
two travel together for the goal.
EXT. FRONT ENTRY - CONTROL ROOM - DELTA HALO - DAY
Tartarus emerges from the gravity lift, with Commander Keyes

and 343 Guilty Spark in captivity.
From the second Phantom, another Brute appears with Sergeant

Johnson. All they go toward the Control Room interior.
However, a third and unexpected Phantom approaches the

complex. Tartarus frowns, confused.
TARTARUS
Who’s in that Phantom?
The Brutes exchange looks - nobody knows.
The mysterious Phantom hovers a few feet above the complex.
MARINE
(over speakers)
Commander, Sergeant -- Get down!
Johnson recognizes that voice immediately.

123.
INT. MARINES' PHANTOM - DAY
All those Marines that Master Chief rescued are in there,

one of them on the helm.
The pilot triggers the gun system of the ship.
BENEATH the Phantom emerges a PLASMA TURRET, aiming at the

Brutes below.
TIGHT ON Tartarus as his eyes widen in horror.
TARTARUS
LOOK OUT!
Tartarus flees dragging Miranda and 343 Guilty Spark into

the Control Room as the Phantom OPENS FIRE.
The Brute that held Johnson pushes him to the ground and
grabs his plasma gun.
The Brutes from the outside try to resist at the Phantom but
they will need bigger guns to overthrow that ship.
Meanwhile, Johnson realizes he has a chance to escape while

the Brutes are distracted. Quickly, he gets up and tries to
run away.
A Brute notices him in time and shifts his aim to the

Sergeant. He's about to hit his back when...
... plasma rounds HIT him before. The Phantom lowers,

approaching the structure.
MARINE
(over speakers)
C’mon, Sergeant! Jump!
Johnson thinks a moment. It’s crazy to do that, but looking

at his left, he sees the Brutes coming.
JOHNSON
Shit!
He makes a decision and jumps off the balcony to the top of

the Phantom in the middle of the enemy gunfire.
Johnson holds on with all his strength on the Phantom as

plasma fire WHIZ past him.
124.
The Phantom turns around and flies off.
The back door opens. Johnson slides through the roof of the
ship and finally enters, breathing hard. The Marines join
him.
JOHNSON
I thought all of you had died when
they captured me.
MARINE #1
And probably we would have... if
Master Chief had not come to us.
JOHNSON
Master Chief? Where is he?
MARINE #2
Last time we saw him, he was going
after one of the Prophets.
MARINE #3
What will we do now, Sergeant? We are
unsupported, and the Commander is
still with the Covenant.
JOHNSON
So let’s go back and get her back
those fuckers.
INT. CONTROL ROOM - DELTA HALO - DAY
A large environment. The ceiling extends as far as the eye

can reach. The only source of light comes from something in
the center of the room.
Tartarus and four Brute Captains stand in front of the

CONTROL ROOM’S CORE - a high-tech console - holding Miranda
and 343 Guilty Spark.
TARTARUS
Come, human, it is easy.
He tries to get Miranda to insert the Index, but she

resists.
TARTARUS (CONT'D)
Take the Icon in your hands and...
125.
Miranda SMACKS Tartarus in the face.
Obviously it did not cause him any harm, only made him more
angry. He grabs Miranda by the neck and lifts her off the
ground.
TARTARUS (CONT'D)
What I tell you to do, you obey and
do.
The Arbiter and Rtas Vadum arrive at the complex, but all
they find are a few Brute corpses scattered on the ground.
Rtas Vadum crouches by one of them to examine the wounds.
RTAS VADUM
Plasma injuries. It was recently. Now
the Brutes are killing themselves?
Arbiter stares at the entrance door.
ARBITER
The door is sealed. Tartarus should
inside.
Rtas Vadum joins him.
RTAS VADUM
It will take a while to open the door
with the weapons we have.
Arbiter aims his plasma weapon at the door.
ARBITER
We have to try.
Rtas Vadum aims too. When they are about to fire against
that huge door -
- the Marines’ Phantom rises behind them. Arbiter and Rtas

Vadum turn around.
JOHNSON
(over speakers)
Step aside now if you do not want to
become a mess of meat and guts.
ARBITER
I know that voice.
126.
RTAS VADUM
What?
Arbiter raises his hands in surrender.
ARBITER
Don't shoot! We want to prevent ring
activation as much as you do.
Johnson speaks into a mic.
JOHNSON
And why the hell would I trust you?
Rtas Vadum looks to Arbiter, uncertain if this will work.
ARBITER
Because we are no longer allied with
the Covenant. And before that, I met
one of your kind -- which you call
Master Chief. We decided to stop the
Brutes. He must be after the
hierarchs now.
All Marines react. Johnson thinks a moment, considering.
MARINE
So... we will trust them?
JOHNSON
If Master Chief left the bastard
alive, then it must have been for
good reason.
(beat)
You'll guard the entrance while I
enter with them. If I and the
Commander do not get out of there,
you can burn those aliens down.
Johnson sounds again.

127.
JOHNSON
(over speakers)
Alright, freaks, let's do this.
ARBITER
The door was sealed from the inside.
It will be difficult to open it.
JOHNSON
(over speakers)
We brought a proper key.
As the Phantom's plasma turret engages -
CUT TO:
Tartarus drops Miranda on the ground after nearly killing

her strangled. She takes a deep breath, recomposing herself.
TARTARUS
Now take the Icon in your hands...
AND -
- there's a EXPLOSION in the entrance door. Tartarus knows

he has to hurry.
TARTARUS (CONT'D)
(impatiently)
... and do as you are told!
He slams the Index on the console, which flashes red lights.
MIRANDA
Never.
343 GUILTY SPARK

Please, use caution! This Reclaimer
is delicate!
TARTARUS
One more word, Oracle, and I’ll rip
your eye from its socket!
(to Miranda)
Which is nothing compared to what
I’ll do to you.
Miranda grimaces defiantly.

128.
ARBITER (O.S.)
Tartarus, stop!
Tartarus looks over his shoulder at Arbiter, Rtas Vadum and
Johnson aiming their weapons.
TARTARUS
Arbiter.
ARBITER
Put down the Icon.
TARTARUS
Put it down? And disobey the
Hierarchs like you?
ARBITER
There are things about Halo even the
Hierarchs don’t understand.
The other Brutes step forward menacingly, Tartarus SIGNALS

them to hold.
TARTARUS
Take care, Arbiter. What you say is
heresy!
ARBITER
Is it?
(to 343 Guilty Spark)
Oracle, what is Halo’s purpose?
343 GUILTY SPARK

Collectively, the seven --
Tartarus grabs 343 Guilty Spark and jerks it around.
TARTARUS
No more word!
JOHNSON
Please, don’t shake the light-bulb.
The Brute Captain growls. Johnson and Rtas Vadum raise their
rifles at Tartarus’ head.
JOHNSON (CONT'D)
If you wanna keep your brain inside
your head, I’d tell those boys to
freeze.
Tartarus barks a command, and the Brutes back off. The

Arbiter continues...
129.
ARBITER
The Sacred Rings, what are they?
343 GUILTY SPARK
Weapons of last resort, built by the
Forerunners to eliminate potential
Flood hosts, thereby rendering the
parasite harmless.
ARBITER
And those who made the rings? What
happened to the Forerunners?
343 GUILTY SPARK

After exhausting every other
strategic option, my creators
activated the rings. They and all
additional sentient life in three
radii of the galactic center, died,
as planned.
Arbiter lowers his head in sadness. Johnson lowers his

plasma rifle and looks on to the disillusioned Arbiter in
acknowledgment.
343 GUILTY SPARK (CONT'D)

Would you... like to see the relevant
data?
ARBITER
Tartarus. The Prophets are the real
traitors. Always they were.
Tartarus pauses, mind churning and considering the Monitor’s

words. BUT - he then grips Miranda’s hand and forces the
Index into the console.
TARTARUS
No, Arbiter! The Great Journey has
begun. And the Brutes, not the
Elites, shall be the Prophets’
escort!
Tartarus pushes Miranda away and grabs his hammer.
The main platform at the center of the Control Room SPLITS

into three as Halo charges up, emitting a massive beam of
energy.
TARTARUS (CONT'D)
(to his Brutes)
Kill them. But the Arbiter is mine.
130.
The four Brute Captains advance.
RTAS VADUM
Arbiter, you stop the machine. We
take care of the Brutes.
Arbiter nods and go after the console. One of the Brutes

tries to hit him with his spear but the Elite dodges and
passes through them.
However, the four continue toward Vadum and Johnson.
JOHNSON
You have a plan... right?
RTAS VADUM
Yeah -- attack!
Rtas Vadum blasts his plasma rifle. Johnson too.
But the thick armor of the Brutes protect them of the rounds
without many difficulties. One of the Brutes is about to
crush Johnson with his hands...
... but the Marine DUCKS a certain death, jumping sideways.

The massive alien just hits the floor.
Meanwhile, Rtas Vadum takes care of the other three. After

seeing that the plasma has no effect on Brutes, he pulls his
energy sword.
We see the great skills of the Elite commander as he fights

three enemies at once.
ON ARBITER AND TARTARUS -
The Arbiter IS trying to get to the console but Tartarus is

on his way.
ARBITER
Don’t do this. You’ll kill all the
entire galaxy!
TARTARUS
Yes, all the impure will die, but the
chosen ones will live forever in
paradise. What doesn’t include you.
A beat. The two staring into each other eyes.
Then Tartarus charges. No choices, Arbiter also runs toward

him firing his plasma rifle.
131.
Tartarus BLOCKS every shot with his hammer. Arbiter drops

the rifle and draws his energy sword.
When the two warriors COLLIDE...
... they clash their weapons. Tartarus and Arbiter start a

fight of life or death.
ON MIRANDA -
Behind the console, using it as cover. She looks up and sees

that great light tower in the center of the room, wondering
what to do.
Then she spots 343 Guilty Spark flying over the console,
checking if everything is going well. She stands up.
MIRANDA
Hey you!
(the Monitor turns to
her)
Stop this thing!
343 GUILTY SPARK

Charging sequence initiated. Primary
generators coming online.
MIRANDA
Well, shut them down.
343 GUILTY SPARK

Apology. Protocol does not allow me
to interfere with any aspect of this
sequence.
MIRANDA
Then how do I stop it?
343 GUILTY SPARK

Well, it will take some time to go
over the proper procedures, I --
MIRANDA
Quit stalling!
343 GUILTY SPARK

Under more controlled circumstances,
I would suggest the Reclaimer simply
remove the Index.
MIRANDA
That's it?
132.
343 GUILTY SPARK

In fact... it has never been done
before, it is only logical reasoning.
(beat)
Secondary generators charging. All
systems are performing well within
operational parameters.
MIRANDA
Some extra option?
343 GUILTY SPARK

Reclaimer, please understand that
interrupting the wave generation
process will severely damage this
installation.
ON RTAS VADUM -
Despite being only one, the Brutes find it difficult to kill

the Elite warrior.
The Brutes eventually manage to hurt Vadum superficially

with their spears. Even with pain, Rtas Vadum keeps
fighting.
ON JOHNSON -
The Sergeant evades from the Brute’s attacks. He fires his

rifle but always hitting the armor of the enemy.
In one of the Brute’s swing, Johnson instinctively shields

himself with his rifle getting the blow full on, that sends
him BACKWARDS.
Johnson hits the ground with the damaged rifle in his hands.
Seeing that it’s useless, he tosses it away.
The Brute comes to him, with a winning laugh.
The Brute lifts his spear above his head, ready to sink it
into Johnson’s body. But the Sergeant pulls his PISTOL and
aims at the foe.
BRUTE
(chuckles)
Really?
When Johnson fires...
... he hits the Brute's LEFT EYE.

133.
That makes the Brute drop his spear and stagger away
grabbing his face, screaming in pain.
Johnson gets up, grabs the Brute’s spear on the floor and
SLITS the Brute’s knees knocking him down.
With Brute lying on the floor and agonizing, Johnson climbs

on the creature's chest and empties all his pistol clip into
the Brute's face in a rapid succession of fire.
We do not see the result, just the alien blood splattering

on Johnson's body.
He only stops when all the bullets run out.
ON RTAS VADUM -
All three Brutes are tired and have cut marks all over their
bodies. Nor is Rtas Vadum very different.
A Brute tries to hit Rtas from behind, but he dodges and

makes the spear hit another brute in the shoulder. He jumps
to the first Brute and...
... STABS his energy sword into his chest as he releases a

fury roar. As a third Brute KICKS Vadum OFF CAMERA:
The Brute Chieftain wields his huge hammer fierceness as

Arbiter diverts it skillfully.
Despite Tartarus' abilities, he is slow because of his size.
In this way, Arbiter manages to dodge of Tartarus' attacks

and hit some blows in him. He deflects from the hammer, and
punches the opponent. Then steps away again.
He tries to make the final blow with his energy sword, but
Tartarus swerves his head letting the blade make a tiny gash
in his cheek.
TARTARUS
That’s was close.
Tartarus headbutts Arbiter hard, knocking him backwards.
TARTARUS (CONT'D)
Stay on the ground and accept your
death, Arbiter. It’s inevitable.
134.
ARBITER
It’s not just my life that is at
stake.
TARTARUS
Keep talking that how long you want,
I will not believe in any word.
As Tartarus raises his hammer over his head and DRIVES it

toward the Arbiter, we CUT TO:
ON MIRANDA -
She’s still thinking how to turn that thing off.
343 GUILTY SPARK

Power generation phase complete. The
installation is ready to fire.
Starting final countdown.
MIRANDA
What?!
No more time left, Miranda thinks fast. She sees the Index
floating in the console and takes a few steps back.
343 GUILTY SPARK

Firing sequence initiated. And may I
say, Reclaimers, it has been a
pleasure to serve you both. Goodbye.
She SPRINTS for the console and JUMPS over it, grabbing the
Index in mid-air. The entire room RUMBLES as Miranda hits
the ground holding the Index up to her chest.
EXT. CONTROL ROOM - DELTA HALO - DAY
The entire energy is concentrated at the top of the

installation.
Then it fires into the space.
EXT. DELTA HALO - OUTER SPACE
The ring world. Hanging in space.
A large PULSING BALL of energy is being formed in the

center, the shot from the Control Room hits it.
The ball glows and explodes, then DISSIPATES.

135.
This causes a massive discharge of energy that shines

brighter than any light ever seen.
ANGLE ON: RTAS VADUM as he kills his second Brute sinking

his energy sword into the Brute’s chest.
We can see the first one already dead lying on the floor.
The third Brute advances from behind with his spear. Rtas
turns to attack but the Brute STABS his abdomen with his
spear.
Rtas Vadum stains the ground with his own blood, but he
doesn’t give up there. The Elite holds the spear firmly and
then PULLS himself forward.
With a titanic effort, Rtas Vadum moves along the length of

the spear as it traverses his torso.
The Brute just stares at that scene, not believing what his
eyes witness as Vadum gradually approaches him.
When Rtas Vadum realizes he’s close enough, he uses his last
strength to draw his energy sword and RIP Brute's throat in
a quick swipe.
The Brute falls on his back bleeding nonstop by the neck. He

dies slowly. Rtas still stands for a few seconds until he
collapses to the floor.
The Arbiter is having his ass kicked by Tartarus.
The Brute sends the Elite meters back with a kick. But then
he realizes that there is something wrong with the machine.
Tartarus turns back and sees Miranda holding Index. At that

moment he forgets Vadam and focuses on Miranda.
TARTARUS
(walking toward
Miranda)
What have you done? What have you
done?!
But in the middle of the way, Tartarus senses something. He

turns around and finds Arbiter coming to slash him with his
energy sword.
136.
Tartarus holds his hammer above his head, using its handle
to BLOCK Arbiter's sword blow.
The energy sword SLAMS against the handle. And Arbiter
continues pressing his weapon downwards.
TARTARUS (CONT'D)
I should have killed you in that damn
prison.
ARBITER
Yes, you should.
Arbiter continues pushing his blade against the handle of

Tartarus' hammer using all his force.
Tartarus tries to resist but...
... Arbiter manages to CUT through the handle by splitting

the hammer in two. The sword continues its path until it
PLUNGES into Tartarus' forehead.
Arbiter looses his sword as Tartarus tumbles flat on the

floor, with the energy sword buried in his skull.
A beat.
ON RTAS VADUM -
Lying on the floor motionless. Johnson approaches him to

check his vitals. Arbiter comes up soon after and takes him
on his arms.
The Arbiter leans close to Vadum. Only now he wakes up.
RTAS VADUM
(weak)
We won?
ARBITER
I guess so. Don’t speak.
RTAS VADUM
My fate was already set, Arbiter. All
I have to say is... thank you.
ARBITER
For what?
RTAS VADUM
For make me to see the truth... for
making me fight for the right cause.
137.
And after his last words, Rtas Vadum dies right there.
Arbiter cautiously places him back on the floor.
ON MIRANDA AND 343 GUILTY SPARK -
Which seems to be running on emergency power, as many of the

lights are dimmed or not functioning. Miranda stands in
front of a holographic depiction.
MIRANDA
What's that?
343 GUILTY SPARK

A beacon.
Arbiter and Johnson join her.
MIRANDA
What’s it doing?
343 GUILTY SPARK

Communicating. At superluminal speeds
with a frequency of...
MIRANDA
Wait -- Communicating with what?
343 GUILTY SPARK

The... other installations. Of
course.
MIRANDA
Show me.
343 Guilty Spark interfaces with the hologram. It depicts

the seven Halos, a red message points to one ring -
Installation 04, which has been destroyed by Master Chief.
343 GUILTY SPARK

Fail-safe protocol: In the event of
unexpected shutdown, the entire
system will move to standby status.
All remaining platforms are now ready
for remote activation.
MIRANDA
Remote activation? From here?
343 GUILTY SPARK

(patronizing)
Don’t be ridiculous.
138.
MIRANDA
Then where? Where would someone go to
activate the other rings?
343 GUILTY SPARK
The Ark, of course. Where else could
it be?
ARBITER
And where, Oracle, is that?
The hologram changes to them, but we do not see what it is.

We just see Miranda and Johnson's eyes wide, bewildered.
JOHNSON
Oh, God.
EXT. EARTH - OUTER SPACE
The image of the globe has changed a lot since the last time
we saw it. BATTLES are raging about the planet’s atmosphere
and orbit.
A single space platform, Cairo Station, remains in view, as

well as multiple cruisers and destroyers, both human and
Covenant unleashing hell upon each other.
That's when the Forerunner Dreadnought DARTS INTO FRAME,

heading for Earth.
Lord Hood stands at the main view screen as station

personnel scramble to their stations.
One of the technicians detects the presence of the

Dreadnought.
TECHNICIAN
We’ve got a new contact, unknown
classification! Preparing to shoot
down.
But:
MASTER CHIEF
(over transcom)
This is SPARTAN-117.
LORD HOOD
Hold fire!
(MORE)
139.
LORD HOOD (CONT'D)

(into transcom)
Master Chief?
MASTER CHIEF
(over transcom)
Yes, sir.
LORD HOOD
The planet is about to collapse! You
mind telling me what you’re doing on
that ship?
INT. CARGO CHAMBER - FORERUNNER DREADNOUGHT
Master Chief is standing in the center of a large Forerunner

ship cargo chamber.
PUSHING IN ON Master Chief as he stares into camera.
CLOSE-UP on Master Chief's helmet, filling the entire

screen.
MASTER CHIEF
Sir. Finishing this fight.
CUT TO BLACK.
THE END

Halo 2

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Halo 2

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HALO 2

Based on the video game by Bungie

This is just a fan script

INT. BRIDGE - FORERUNNER SHIP

A dimly lit bridge. Some kind futuristic, but the design

MASSIVE WINDOWS encircle the front of the room, but the

CAMERA PANS ACROSS this wide space, just to find...

... a lonely FIGURE standing at the main CONSOLE.

Barely visible in the shadows. Back to us.

At first glance, it resembles a human form. But larger, at

Seeing closely, we realize that it's an ALIEN - more

And this one is the MASTER BUILDER. A high-ranking

He mans floating holographic screens that surround him,

A door opens with a whoosh. Another Forerunner joins Master

Unlike Master Builder, Forthencho's armor is more tactical,

His helmet opens.

[NOTE: All the dialogue between the Forerunners are in their

Master Builder keeps focused on the screens.

With his hands, the engineer ENLARGES one of the 3D images

From Forthencho's forearm, a small hologram of a FORERUNNER

The hologram fades away.

Master Builder taps a key on his console. And the light

The bridge brightens gradually. Both Forerunners stare at

REVERSE ANGLE REVEALS to us what they refer -

A HALO UNDER CONSTRUCTION IN SPACE.

Almost complete. Innumerable Forerunner ships swarm the

It is the birth of the greatest weapon in the universe.

Over a black screen, the first of the CREDITS appear under

INT. CORRIDOR - COVENANT CAPITAL SHIP

TRACKING at floor level, following GREEN-ARMORED LEGS racing

HARD CUT TO BLACK:

More credits appear on screen.

As it fades, the growing sound of plasma gunfire takes us

INT. CORRIDOR - COVENANT CAPITAL SHIP

That armored man is a SPARTAN.

Suddenly, a JACKAL surges from a corner slamming the Spartan

The Jackal charges to attack again.

The Spartan wields the shotgun like a baseball bat and

... splashing it with alien blood.

Silence. More credits surface.

Then fade again.

INT. CORRIDOR - COVENANT CAPITAL SHIP

In another corridor, our Spartan stops next the door of a

He grabs a PLASMA GRENADE and tosses it into the room. As

The last credits appear.

INT. BRIDGE - COVENANT CAPITAL SHIP

It's dark. THREE ELITES, standing back to us, fire down

But all are mortally hit by a hail of rounds, ripping

They drop to the ground revealing the Spartan coming in,

He holds Covenant weapons in each hand, smoking.

As the Spartan enters the bridge, he seals the entrance door

The Spartan walks toward the central bridge console, still

Arriving at the console, the panel light illuminates the

Armor scratched and damaged. Dirty by Covenant blood.

It is presumed he fought very hard to get here, and we only

Calmly, Master Chief presses a key on the console and:

SNAP TO A BLACK SCREEN.

EXT. OUTER SPACE

A constellation of stars, thickening into a belt of Milky

This region is familiar to us.

A COVENANT ASSAULT CARRIER glides sweetly across the screen.

Orbiting the planet like a half-destroyed moon. Hundreds of

In addition, there is the HALO - at least what's left of it.

With pieces of varying sizes wandering through space.