Halo 5: The Fall

Synopsis

Set ten months after the events of Halo 4, Halo 5: The Fall takes us straight back to John-117, our illustrious Spartan protagonist who taken it upon himself to undertake a dangerous mission on the very edge of known space.

T443G is an unimaginative name for a planet, but it was once inhabited by an ancient race called the Forerunners. Now buried in ice, amid an endless blizzard, its secrets must be uncovered.

John-117, the Master Chief, has cast off the shackles of command and deserted the UNSC to investigate this cold, lifeless world. But it turns out he's not the only human presence on the planet and both parties must work together to uncover the dark secret that this world harbours… a secret that could spell the end for humanity, and perhaps every sentient species in the in the entire universe.

Prologue

Debrief

"In your own words, Master Chief, describe your relationship with Dr. Catherine Halsey."

John barely registered the name. He was lost amid a sea of memories. Cortana, Keyes, Johnson all held his attention, and his fellow Spartans, too. Even now, after all these years, Sam still stood just as prominently and stoically and just as tall as he had all those years ago, as a six year-old boy; before the Covenant. Before children were turned into men and women. Before they were soldiers.

"Chief!" boomed the voice, impatient.

John looked up. The man, half-shrouded in darkness, paced the far end of the room, his hands clasped behind his back. "I need an answer, Chief." But even with the shadows, John's augmented eyes could still make out his features: square-jawed, facial hair, and a scar running the length of his right cheek.

This was the seventh debriefing that John had been dragged into. He could understand the prominence of the Promethean encounters and the Forerunner structures that littered the world of Requiem. It was invaluable technology, which, if utilised, could see mankind rise above anything that was left of the Covenant and put them on equal footing with the Forerunners. But how much more was there to dispense? John had told them everything. Nothing was held back. Well, almost...

Cortana…

The man pulled out the chair opposite, the metal legs scraping on the hard floor, and sat down – eyes fixated on John. He seemed self-assured and confident of his authority over a battle-hardened Spartan. John met the man's relentless stare, and said nothing.

"Catherine Halsey," the man repeated, folding his arms, "how would you describe your relationship with her?"

It had been a while seen he had last seen Halsey. The last thing he knew was of her stealing Governor Jiles' ship, and taking Kelly with her. John settled on an answer, "Honest."

The man frowned slightly, and then peered down at a data pad on the table. He tapped a number of times and seemed to scroll through an unseen list. After several minutes he placed it on the desk and crossed his arms again.

He seemed familiar to John, vaguely familiar. But there was nothing to discern his identity or his purpose. His plain grey flight suit was a comfortable fit but not excessively loose and he bore no rank or operational flashes, or even the insignia for the York station. He was a ghost, but a familiar one.

"Go on," the man probed, clasping his hands on the table in front.