The Ark (Level)
From Halopedia, the Halo Wiki
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| [Source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Search the waste for the Cartographer. | 
|
The Ark[1] is the seventh Campaign mission of Halo 3. It takes place in a desert that comprises one of the center-most regions of the Ark, located 218 light-years outside the Milky Way galaxy's center. In this level, the Covenant Separatists and the Humans side with 343 Guilty Spark and his Sentinel allies to access the Cartographer and find The Prophet of Truth. Beating this mission on Heroic or higher unlocks the Shoulder Pads to the Elite Flight Harness Armor Permutation. Beating this level on Normal unlocks the E.V.A. shoulder pads. Getting over or exactly 50,000 Meta Game points unlock the Ranger achievement, worth 10 Gamerscore.
Contents |
[edit] Transcript
The Separatist Cruisers and Carrier arrive at the other side of the Slipspace Portal. A colossal structure is below them, and a Brute fleet straight ahead.
- Shadow of Intent Crewmember: "Brute ships! Staggered line. Shipmaster! They outnumber us, three-to-one!"
- Shipmaster Rtas 'Vadum: "Then it is an even fight. All Cruisers, fire at will! Burn their mongrel hides!"
ODSTs and Marines board a Pelican with the Chief.
- Commander Keyes (COM): "Truth's ship isn't taking part in the attack. He must've gone to ground."
- Johnson (COM): "We good, Hocus?"
- Hocus (COM): "She's a little cooked, Sergeant Major. But she'll hold."
The Master Chief picks up a Sniper Rifle.
- Johnson (COM): "Alright. Pop the hatch!"
The Master Chief slams a mag' into his rifle. The hatch opens, revealing a massive desert. (If the game is being played in co-op, Thel 'Vadam stands at the Chief's side, with a Particle Beam Rifle)
{Gameplay}
- ODST: "That's some view."
- Johnson (COM): "Enjoy it while you can, Marines. Soon as we land, we're right back to it. Priority one: Secure a Landing Zone for the Commander's Frigate. Keep your eyes and ears open. We need all the intell we can get, on wherever the hell we are."
- Johnson (COM): "Stand to, Marines!"
- Marines: "OO-RAH!"
- Johnson (COM): "Go, go, go!!"
[edit] Installation 00
Sharpshooter.
The Master Chief and 2 ODSTs jump off. The Marines remain onboard. Another Pelican lands dropping off 2 more troopers(If played in 3-4 player Co-op, players three and four will come from the second pelican). As the team moves on, one spots what looks like a Galaxy in the sky.
- ODST: "Hey, check it out. In the sky. Is that-?"
- ODST: "Hey, focus! We got a job to do."
An ODST with red armor trim (Squad leader, Corporal or Sergeant) turns to the Chief
- ODST: "Chief, eyes on."
The Corporal leads the team up the hill.
- ODST: "Gotta good angle."
The team sets up firing positions.
- ODST: "You take the first shot."
- Prophet of Truth (Pedestal): "My Dreadnought cannot rise. Even now it is engaged; turn death into war for this new world. Do not relent until the heretic ships are smashed!"
The Chief fires, the Team opens fire. Through tactical advantage and sniper fire, the enemy team is wiped out. The remaining team goes through a cave, seeing a Phantom assembling an Anti-Air Battery.
- ODST: "They're setting up an AA battery. That thing'll tear the Dawn apart... We'll wait for you to take the shot."
The team engages. Having the lower ground, the Covenant soldiers start to retreat. A Phantom drops off a Hunter Pair. The Master Chief finally takes them down, and the team continues up the hill.
- Commander Keyes (COM): (urgently) "Chief, I'm giving the Brutes all I've got... but this is a heavy-weight fight! The Dawn's only got the tonnage to last a few rounds. Find me a place to set her down, over!"
(if you stall)
- ODST: The area is secure, let's move ahead.
or
- ODST: Chief, Commander Keyes is counting on us to clear the LZ.
(still continue to stall)
- Johnson: Come on Chief, move ahead, go, go, go!
The Master Chief and the team head through the structure at the top of the hill {containing the first Terminal}. Coming out on the other side of the structure, they see a listing Longsword Fighter roar through the canyon.
- Longsword Pilot (COM): "Thrusters are gone; I can't control it!"
A rumble is heard a few seconds later.
A few Marines reveal themselves.
- Dubbo: (whispering) "Flak got our Pelican too, sir. But before we went down, we spotted a good LZ. If we can get to our vehicles, we'll lead you to it."
The Chief and the others look at an area at the bottom of the ledge they are standing on. Several Grunts and Brutes are guarding a crashed Pelican and Mongooses which presumably fell out when the Pelican was shot down. If the player stays by the downed Pelican they can pick up radio transmissions of the ongoing space battles above them.
- Shipmaster Rtas 'Vadum (COM): Hit them again! And again! And again!"
- Unknown UNSC Officer (COM): "Comin' in low! Fox, Fox!"
- Commander Keyes (COM): "Negative, protect the Pelicans!"
- Shipmaster Rtas 'Vadum (COM): "Now, close for the finish!"
- Unknown UNSC Officer (COM): "Negative, get out of there!"
- Shipmaster Rtas 'Vadum (COM): "Let your cannons roar."
- Shipmaster Rtas 'Vadum (COM): "Broadside! What fools to face our guns!"
- Commander Keyes (COM): "Fire pods 1 through 12. Archers away.
- Commander Keyes (COM): "Two contacts at point 238!"
- Unknown UNSC Officer (COM): "Affirmative. I see it...."
- Shipmaster Rtas 'Vadum (COM): "No, I will handle those myself."
- Unknown UNSC Officer (COM): "Seraphs on my six!"
- Shipmaster Rtas 'Vadum (COM): "Stay away from those cruisers!"
- Commander Keyes (COM): "Understood. Engage those Seraphs!"
- Unknown UNSC Officer (COM): "Scratch one, coming about."
- Commander Keyes (COM): "Let the Elites take care of those cruisers."
- Shipmaster Rtas 'Vadum (COM): "Full Shields! Ramming Speed!"
- Unknown UNSC Officer (COM): "Point laser fire, break off!"
- Unknown UNSC Officer (COM): "I'm hit, I'm hit!"
- Commander Keyes (COM): "Watch your fire, watch your fire!"
- Unknown UNSC Officer (COM): "No sign of the Elites, moving to the carrier. Goodbye, guys."
- Unknown UNSC Officer (COM): "All squadrons! Form up! Form up!"
- Shipmaster Rtas 'Vadum (COM): "I give an honor for that kill."
- Shipmaster Rtas 'Vadum (COM): "Suppress with me, point laser batteries."
- Shipmaster Rtas 'Vadum (COM): "Forward lasers, draw their fire."
- Shipmaster Rtas 'Vadum (COM): "... burn."
- Commander Keyes (COM): "Affirmative, that's a hit."
- Shipmaster Rtas 'Vadum (COM): "They have been gutted stem to stern."
- Shipmaster Rtas 'Vadum (COM): "Look at it blister and burn."
- Commander Keyes (COM): "Charge the MAC. Give me a firing solution."
- Unknown Brute Commander (COM): "Nooooo! Hit The Carrier! Kill the Half Jaw and his crew!"
- Unknown Brute Commander (COM): "Keep their backs at fraud. Drive the heretic ships back to the Portal!"
- Unknown Brute Commander (COM): "Their cruisers mixed with ours! Watch your fire!"
- Unknown Brute Commander (COM): "Do not fear the Prophets' wrath, because if you fail I will have your Hide!"
Two Brute Prowlers show up. Once the Brutes are all killed, the Marines mount up on the Prowlers and working Mongooses.
- Dubbo: "Mount up. Let's find that LZ. Follow us sir, all the way down this canyon."
The Master Chief and any other players mount up and they move on through the canyon. Clearing Covenant patrols and passing the Longsword's wreckage, the players head into another canyon with a large Forerunner wall built in between the cliffs. Encountering many forces and heavy weapons, the Prowlers make it to the higher level, where Brutes are engaged with Sentinels.
- ODST: "Careful sir! The Brutes must've tripped a defense system."
The players and the Sentinels clear the top floor. The Sentinels don't open fire on the humans. Johnson's Pelican flies over the wall and hovers.
- Johnson (COM): "Ma'am, Hocus almost got our wings shot off. But we spotted a structure on the other side of this wall. It matches Cortana's description of the map room from the first Halo ring."
- Commander Keyes (COM): "A Cartographer. Good. It should help us fix Truth's location. Secure the LZ, and we'll push through that wall."
- Johnson (COM): "Roger that. Follow my Pelican, Chief! The LZ's this way."
The Sentinels follow Hocus' Pelican. The Marines are nervous about their presence.
- ODST: "Tiny bastards. Hope they never decide to clean us up."
- Female Marine: "It's like, they don't even see us."
- ODST: "Oh, they see us. They just haven't decided what to do with us yet."
- The players and the Sentinels continue along the other canyon, towards the LZ. Near a cave, they find two Marines pinned down from a large assault group of Covenant. The Sentinels and the Prowlers clear the area. The players meet up with the two Marines.
- Marine: "The LZ's through this cave, sir. Watch yourself; they've got Covenant heavy armor!"
The players head through the cave and engage the armor, eventually prevailing. Out on a sandy plateau, two Anti-Air Wraiths are filling the sky with plasma fire. The players take out the Anti-Air Wraiths and remaining soldiers defending the Forward Unto Dawn's Landing Zone.
- Johnson (COM): "That did it. LZ's clear."
or
Female Marine: "OORAH! The LZ's clear!"
or
ODST: "OK. Tell us what you need."
- Johnson (COM): "Commander, bring her down."
- Commander Keyes (COM): "Roger that. Beginning my descent."
- ODST or Dubbo: "Look! Up high! Here she comes!"
- ODST: "Is the Dawn rated for atmosphere?!"
- ODST or Dubbo: "Guess we're gonna find out... hey! TAKE COVER!"
The UNSC Forward Unto Dawn swoops in dramatically, kicking up dust and sending the vehicles and debris from the previous battle tumbling and flying across the plateau.
[edit] Forward Unto Dawn
Armor up.
- Commander Keyes (COM): (relieved) "Thanks, Chief. I wouldn't have lasted much longer up there. Come to the back of the frigate."
(if you stay away from the back)
- Johnson: C'mon, Chief! Let's see what the Commander has in her arsenal...
The Dawn's hangar lowers, revealing three Scorpion Battle tanks and a Warthog. 343 Guilty Spark descends as well.
- Commander Keyes (COM): "Did the Elites get a fix on the Cartographer?"
- Johnson (COM): "Yes, ma'am; just on the other side of that wall. But it's surrounded by Brute heavy armor".
(If you skipped the wall section leading to the Cartographer)
- Commander Keyes (COM): "Johnson, have the Elites found anything?"
- Johnson (COM): "A structure on the other side of that wall, ma'am. But it's surrounded by Brute heavy armour".
- Commander Keyes (COM): "Don't worry; I've got a plan. If we can't fly over the wall, we'll go right through it. Chief, take one of the tanks, lead the way. If you find any locked doors, Spark will be happy to pry them open."
The Tanks and Warthogs abandon the Hangar Bay, and Johnson's pelican drops off Sergeant Stacker and a few of their Marines to pilot the vehicles
- 343 Guilty Spark (COM): "I will certainly try my best, though I am unfamiliar with this facility."
- Johnson (COM): "Alright then, you heard the lady."
- 343 Guilty Spark: "Shall I help you choose a vehicle, Reclaimer? This one seems in very good condition, primitive armor not withstanding."
- Johnson (COM): "A tank's a tank, light-bulb. Pick one, Chief. Get back to the wall. I'll help the Commander secure the Dawn. Then we'll meet you at the Cartographer."
The players choose vehicles and the rest of the Marines and ODSTs mount up.
- Johnson (COM): "Mount up - let's roll!"
- Marines: - "OORAH!"
Ghosts and a Prowler pour in through the cave in the cliff. The Scorpions immediately fire back.
After the vehicular force strikes a first kill.
- Tank Commander (Stacker) (COM): "Hey, how does 90 millimeters of tungsten strike you?"
After the players destroy all the hostile vehicles.
- Marine (COM): "Tank beats Ghost!"
A Hunter Pair pops out from the cave. The Scorpion Tanks take them out with no trouble.
- Marine (COM): "Tank beats Hunter!"
While in a cave, a Phantom sets up a Support Tower. If the Tanks shoot it down and destroy the tower.
- Marine (COM): Tank beats everything! Oh, man! I... I could do this all day!"
The Tanks make back to the wall where a locked door prevents any entry into the Forerunner facility. Armor resistance made out of Wraiths, Choppers, Ghosts along with Covenant infantry defend it.
- Tank Commander (Stacker) (COM): "All armor, form up on the lower doorway. Chief, get upstairs; have your robot pick that lock!"
- 343 Guilty Spark (COM): (offended) "I beg your pardon? I am 343 Guilty Spark, Monitor of Installation 04!"
- Tank Commander (Stacker) (COM): "Yeah, well... you're also our ticket through this wall. So if you don't mind...?"
- 343 Guilty Spark (COM): "I will gladly aid the Reclaimer's progress."
While the Master Chief storms the upper level, the other two tanks and other vehicles meet up at the lower door, clearing resistance along the way. The Chief secures the top floor.
- 343 Guilty Spark: "Please, use caution; avoid collateral damage! While this facility appears quite durable on the surface, no doubt there are delicate facilities below the facade. (Pause) Odd, for a door to require such brute force security protocols. One moment, Reclaimer..."
Guilty Spark opens the door. (If you go back to the bottom of the wall))
- Johnson (COM) "Chief! Get back up there and make sure we have a clear path through the wall."
- 343 Guilty Spark: "There we are. Please, follow me."
The Chief hops out of the Scorpion and follows Guilty Spark into the Security Wall. The Marines take the Scorpion down to the lower doorway. Sentinels stare at him as he passes by. 343 Guilty Spark opens another door, the escorting Sentinel follows.
- 343 Guilty Spark: "Here; this panel will activate a bridge. Allow your companions to cross below."
If the Chief waits.
- 343 Guilty Spark: "Place your hand on the pad, Reclaimer."
The Master Chief activates the panel. The Bridge immediately lights up. The tanks and Warthogs move across; Guilty Spark has another door opened, the terminal is now accessible behind him.
- 343 Guilty Spark: "Excellent. This way!"
Guilty Spark looks at the Sentinels, studying their differences in behavior and the odd high security levels.
- 343 Guilty Spark: (hums) "Sudden clarity! These Sentinels were trying to deny access to the lower levels of this facility. A wise decision, giving the Meddler's preference for destructive acquisition."
- Commander Keyes (COM): "Good work, Chief. Link up with our armor on the far side of the wall. Make your way down to the Cartographer".
As the Chief continues on, the building shakes and trembles violently. Guilty Spark opens the door. As the Chief walks out, a massive, all-too-familiar leg appears, as a Scarab walks right over him.
- Johnson (COM): "Heads up, Marines, We got trouble."
A Warthog with an M68 Gauss Cannon appears from the rocky area. Ghosts are trailing and they kill the Gunner {can be saved: see trivia}. The Warthog driver finds the Chief and pulls over.
- Marine (or Dubbo): "Sir, Hog's all yours! Let's hit that hostile armor!"
The Master Chief mounts up. The Warthog heads back down through the rocky area, encountering vehicular and gun emplacements. They break through and the Tanks begin their assault.
The Scorpions and Warthog(s) emerge from the wall.
- Tank Commander (Stacker) (COM): "All armor, form up! Hit 'em where it hurts!"
The UNSC force pushes down the hill. Wraiths, Choppers, Ghosts and a Phantom fights the Platoon back.
- Tank Commander (Female Marine) (COM): "Target those Wraiths!"
The Tanks and the Chief take out the first two Wraiths.
- Tank Commander (Stacker) (COM): "First line clear! Move up!"
The Tanks move on to the next line of Wraiths, assisted by Ghosts and other heavy Weapons.
- Tank Commander (Stacker) (COM): "Second line: clear! Push forward!"
The Scarab crawls down the side of the Cartographer building and onto the battlefield.
- Tank Commander (Marine) (COM): "Scarab's back! This time it means business!"
- Tank Commander (Stacker) (COM): "Bravo, flank and cover! I want everybody supporting the Chief; he'll take it down!"
(If you stall)
- 'Tank Commander (Stacker) (COM): "Take out the legs Chief".
(If you continue to stall)
- 'Tank Commander (Stacker) (COM): "TAKE OUT THE LEGS"!
(If you still continue to stall)
- 'Tank Commander (Stacker) (COM): "Though the back plating looks vulnerable, light that sucker up".
The Chief moves in on the Scarab. The tanks provide long range fire. Choppers try to assist the Scarab, but the tanks have superior firepower. The Chief can either jump onto it using of the many natural jumps in the canyon, or damage a leg until the Scarab needs to repair itself. A sermon broadcasted by Truth can be heard in the Scarab control room.
- Truth (COM): "I opened the portal to this hallowed place, this shelter from Halo's fire, in the hopes that more of our Covenant would join us. Alas, save for a rabble of Heretics and their Demon allies, we are all that remains on this new world. So we must temper joy and sorrow in our hearts, for those who were left behind."
When the Chief is aboard, he goes to the back of the Scarab and destroys its core, then flees before the Scarab detonates with a mighty explosion.
- Shipmaster Rtas 'Vadum (COM): "Not bad, Spartan. I saw that explosion from orbit. Truth's fleet lies in ruins. Find where the liar hides... so I may place my boot between his gums!" (As he speaks the Shadow of Intent can be seen entering the atmosphere at extreme distance.)
- Commander Keyes (COM): "We'll know soon enough, Shipmaster."
The Chief heads up the spire.
- Johnson (COM): "Infantry on the spire! Mop 'em up!"
The Chief makes it to the top, where Kilo 23 arrives with Thel 'Vadam and two Marines.
- Thel 'Vadam: "Well done, Spartan."
Guilty Spark opens the entrance door. The team enters the facility.
[edit] Real Men Don't Read Maps
Bang and clear.
Guilty Spark starts to open the next door, but has trouble unlocking it.
- Marine: "Hey, what gives?"
- 343 Guilty Spark: "It seems I've crossed a circuit."
- Marine: "Well, let me have a look."
When the Marine approaches, Guilty Spark faces the Marine and fires his blue laser at him. He yelps in pain and jumps back.
- Thel 'Vadam: "Oracle!"
'Vadam then raises his weapon and walks around Guilty Spark cautiously, just in case Spark becomes rampant.
- Marine: "Little bastard stung me...!"
- 343 Guilty Spark: "I did not want you to come to any harm."
- Marine: (Muttering) "You've got a funny way of showing it."
Guilty Spark gets back to work. He succeeds.
- 343 Guilty Spark: "Excellent! This way."
Grunts are sleeping while a Brute Captain is urinating in a corner of the room. The team decides to take a stealthy approach.
- Thel 'Vadam: "Slothful runts. Kill them as they sleep."
- Marine: (Whisper) "Chief, tap 'em out."
They stealthily take out the sleeping Grunt patrol and the Brute urinating against the wall. They may also just fire normally.
- 343 Guilty Spark: "Come, Reclaimer. All you seek is close at hand."
The team quietly makes their way down to the second part of the facility; Chief encounters a Grunt walking next to a stack of plasma batteries. He may kill the Grunt quietly. (The third terminal is located in a room under the ramp he was on.) Chief goes in to the next room where a bunch of Grunts are sleeping and a Brute is patrolling on a ramp on the top of the room. He kills the Brute and the Grunts, quietly or not.
- 343 Guilty Spark: (Happily) "Your goal is just below!"
On the third level down, A Brute spots them and the team is forced to engage. Clearing the room, they head outside. A terminal to the Cartographer sits at the ledge.
- 343 Guilty Spark: "The Cartographer! Come, it awaits your approval."
'Vadam keeps watch, while the Master Chief activates the Cartographer.
Upon activating the Cartographer, a holographic projection of the Milky Way appears.
- Master Chief: "That's... our galaxy. We're beyond the rim!"
- 343 Guilty Spark: "218 light years from the galactic center, to be precise."
The hologram changes to a map of the Ark.
- Master Chief: "What is this place?"
- 343 Guilty Spark: "The Ark."
- Master Chief: "This... is the Ark?"
- 343 Guilty Spark: "I always assumed it was part of a... Shield installation, but it seems I was mistaken."
- Master Chief: (mutters) "That's a first."
Guilty Spark turns around and looks at the Master Chief.
- 343 Guilty Spark: "Not at all. While I had a complete understanding of Installation 04, my Makers wisely limited my knowledge of all other strategic facilities. Compartmentalization - in case I was ever captured by the Flood."
- Master Chief: "Can you tell me where we are, exactly?"
- 343 Guilty Spark: "Here!"
An area of the map of the Ark is highlighted.
- Master Chief: "And Truth?"
- 343 Guilty Spark: "Near one of the Ark's superluminal communication arrays, I'm afraid. Unfortunate. The Meddler had triggered a barrier; a defensive perimeter around the Ark's core..."
In the distance, two Covenant Banshees with a phantom can be seen flying by the Cartographer. Thel 'Vadam gives the Chief a concerned glance. The Master Chief walks further around.
- 343 Guilty Spark: "The barrier will be difficult to disable... how odd that my makers would place such a comprehensive defense around a single - (shocked) Oh my."
- Master Chief: "What is it-?"
Before Guilty Spark can answer, a Loyalist Phantom approaches.
- Thel 'Vadam: "Phantom!"
'Vadam and Chief get into position for the approaching Covenant ship, as Guilty Spark continues to hover, deep in thought.
- Master Chief: "Spark! Move!"
Guilty Spark notices the Phantom, and flies towards the Chief as 'Vadam engages the Covenant ship from the ground.
- 343 Guilty Spark: "We must get past that barrier! Or the Meddler will destroy it all!"
The Grunt on the Phantom's side-Plasma Cannon starts to fire at 'Vadam
{Gameplay}
- Johnson (COM): "Chief, you got a whole mess of hostile air inbound. Get back inside while we take 'em out."
A Banshee makes a slow attack run on the 'Vadam.
- Thel 'Vadam (COM): "Follow the Oracle, Spartan."
'Vadam jumps up and boards the Banshee, kills the Brute Pilot and takes control.
- Thel 'Vadam (COM): "I will help your Sergeant clear the sky."
'Vadam intercepts the Phantom (if not destroyed by the Chief), which breaks off and retreats. 'Vadam gives chase.
- Dubbo: "Sir, Pelicans are gonna land... one level down!"
As the Chief heads back into the room, there is a possibility that the female Marine guarding the door will get killed by a Plasma Grenade. The Chief and his fellow Marines head down, encountering many hostiles. A Brute Chieftain with a Hammer is on the bottom floor of the lower level. The Chief may hear 343 Guilty Spark talking to himself about Alpha Halo.
- 343 Guilty Spark: "Protocol dictates action. The Installation was my responsibility, if my suspicions are correct... no! I must not jump to conclusions.
- Brute Chieftain: "The pack WILL FEAST ON YOU!"
The Chieftain runs off outside, leaving Brute Stalkers behind to do the job, the players kill them.
- Johnson (COM): "Hang tight, Chief! We're on our way!"
Brutes gather around the Chieftain. The Prophet of Truth orders the Brute Chieftain alone to take out the Chief.
- Brute Chieftain: "Fight me, I'm Right Here!"
- Truth: "You must win this fight on your own. Failure will bring a fate worse than death -- abandonment as we sped forward on the journey."
The Chief eliminates the Brute Chieftain. The other Brutes and two Jackal Sharpshooters spring into action. The Chief takes them down with the Marines providing distant fire.
- Johnson (COM): "ETA: damn quick! Standby for pickup!"
The Chief and the Marines meet up with the Pelicans.
Upon meeting at the extraction point with Johnson, waiting in a Pelican, a massive flock of Sentinels rise up. Alarmed, the Chief raises his gun.
- Master Chief: "Commander!"
- Miranda Keyes: "Johnson! Look sharp!"
- Johnson: (Spooling the AIE-486H Heavy Machine Gun ready to fire) "I got it!"
- 343 Guilty Spark (COM): "No! Don't shoot! They mean us no harm. Those units have a priority task."
- Johnson:(Slightly annoyed)"Oh, yeah? And what might that be?"
- 343 Guilty Spark (COM): "I really can't say... not for sure. But if you allow me to find a terminal closer to the Core-"
A Sentinel comes up to the Chief and inspects him. Thel 'Vadam interrupts Guilty Spark.
- Thel 'Vadam (COM): "No, Oracle. We must keep the Prophet of Truth firmly in our sights."Note: This line is not said in the subtitles.
The Sentinel closes back up and rejoins the flock.
- 343 Guilty Spark (COM): "But what about your construct? Her solution to the Flood? With more data, I-"
- Miranda Keyes (COM): "The Arbiter's right. We have priorities too. Until we kill Truth, stop the Rings from firing..."
The Chief boards a Pelican. ('Vadam will join him if on Co-op)
- Miranda Keyes: "...nothing else matters."
The flock of Sentinels speeds off, with the Pelicans in trail.
[edit] Trivia
[edit] Glitches
- If Thel 'Vadam doesn't board it in time or if it flips while boarding it he will get up and the disappear given time the Banshee will too. If you observe the trajectory after Thel 'Vadam hijacks the Brute-controlled Banshee, just after he goes out of the reachable area (where players would fall and die), his Banshee will slowly head down and then soon he will get off from the Banshee, and both him and the vehicle will fall to the deep waterfalls.
- At the structure with the light bridge, killing all the tanks and warthogs at the bottom will cause the marine who drops off the Gauss Warthog in the next area to be invincible. He will still react normally and say his line "Chief, 'hog's all yours" before proceeding to attack you. It should also be noted that even if you kill all the tanks and warthogs by the light bridge, they will still come out of the cliff in the next area, and will not be hostile.
- You can make the ODSTS from the beginning of the level live until you activate the cartographer, although some ODST'S will try to jump onto the Pelican when Forward Unto Dawn comes, and if you get them inside the tower with Thel 'Vadam and 343 Guilty Spark, they will not move, but will still fight if they see an enemy.
[edit] Mistakes
- Strangely, Truth mentions that the Ark is 'this shelter from Halo's fire'. This may be a slip of the tongue, a hint that his devotion to the 'Great Journey', the belief that Halo's fire will elevate them to godhood, is not as strong as it seems.
[edit] Easter Eggs
[edit] References
- The ODSTs found dead next to the HEVs both have the serial number P245.(4-2+5=7).
- This level has similarities to the levels Truth and Reconciliation, The Silent Cartographer, and Assault on the Control Room, in that you start off the level as a stealth mission, in the desert, armed with a sniper rifle (The Truth and Reconciliation), you spend the better part of the level searching for the map room, shutting down security systems, and fighting Covenant (The Silent Cartographer), and you ultimately acquire a tank, and lead an armored assault convoy against an entrenched enemy position, swarming with Covenant (Assault on the Control Room).
[edit] Miscellaneous
- When you play this level at the part where the Forward Unto Dawn comes in, the song segment Forward Unto Dawn (part of the track Behold a Pale Horse) plays when the frigate comes in. However, when you start at Rally Point Alpha, the Forward Unto Dawn has already landed and the song segment starts playing during the part with the Scorpion tanks.
- The Banshee that Thel 'Vadam boards after activating the Cartographer seems to be unboardable, invincible, being capable of withstanding three rockets, even on Easy.
- This is the only level in Halo 3 where you can see HEVs. Both HEVs are in the valley after the crashed Pelican and before the crashed Longsword. There is one dead ODST near them respectively.
- When you meet the Marines near the crashed Pelican and near the turretless Warthog, if you go near the Pelican you will be able to hear a radio relaying different com channels from the space battle above.
[edit] Gallery
 The Separatist Fleet Arrive at The Ark. |
 The Forward Unto Dawn dropping Pelican Dropships at The Ark. |
 The Arbiter and Master Chief. |
 The secret room accessed via glitch in theater mode. |
| Preceded by Floodgate | Halo 3 Campaign Missions The Ark | Succeeded by The Covenant |
