: You're not alone. It was Pious Inquisitor this, Naomi that, and the
: conclusion of this story arc was so disappointing. In the end she was
: merely a vessel to continue another story. She served no serious purpose
: other than as a setting. Wasted potential in so many ways.

Naomi was far from a set piece. She stands out as an example of what would happen if a kidnapped child came to realize her ultimate fate in life as a deeply indoctrinated soldier. I don't remember Nylund ever dealing with such heady narratives. His characterizations in TFoR tended to be one dimensional in the sense that their motivations were generally clear cut and glossed over. I noticed he developed them a little more in GoO with the addition of Kurt and his Spartan III's, but by and large that novel relied on a MASSIVE set piece. The entire planet turned out to be a deus ex machina that did little to propel the overall plot line of the series. The Dyson sphere was definitely a cool set piece, but its only real function was to save our beloved heroes, and to keep the story open for more textual eye candy.

: It was filler, but it was more to advance the backstory and personality of
: the cast more than anything. The only thing I would say has any
: implications is the relationship between Naomi and her father, Staffan.

Also, if it advances the back story and personality of said characters, i could hardly refer to it as filler. The implications are that as adult readers, gamers, and critical thinkers, we deserve more than another G.I. Joe romp in space. Its time to move out of the playground and into real life. Travis does exactly this by posing logical questions that shed light on our favorite characters motivations and perspectives. While Halsey is not present in Mortal Dictata to defend her actions, she certainly was in Spartan Ops, and I firmly believe she comes off with the moral upper hand....or lack there of.

While I don't exactly enjoy watching or reading foolish characters with distorted perspectives parade around demonizing what was, and still seems to be a highly analytic and ultimately benevolent character, i appreciate seeing things from other perspectives (however biased or subjective they may seem). Through this kind of sociological lens we can gleam a better understanding of the universe being described. After all, overzealous nationalism and blind faith are terrible things and should be espoused as such (viz-a-viz the great journey as well as the spartan program). If i were Vaz, and had experienced the things he did, i would have probably wanted to put that bullet exactly where he wanted to.

It appears to me that the franchise is taking a much more realistic and intellectual approach when it comes to story telling. Less reliance on generic space opera and more devotion to character development. This equals win in my book.