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Resolving First Strike/Halo 2 story issues
Posted By: Red Loser <dnannery@purdue.edu>Date: 1/8/05 9:52 p.m.

I hate you guys.

Here I was, getting ready to go to bed and get some nice sleep, and now my mind is all taken up with Halo story possibilities. I hope I'm not repeating someone else's theories; I don't really know, since I've been in and out of the forum for quite some time (and may still be that way, depending on how much free time I have this semester). If you've heard this all before, feel free to beat me over the head with a large and delicious lobster.

Anyway, the Joe Staten interview got me to thinking about the HSP timeline--specifically the time anomalies found in First Strike. Now, we all have wondered how the Prophet of Regret could not have known Earth was the human homeworld when, in fact, the Covenant had lined up a massive fleet set to leave for the Sol system. I think I may have an answer; however, I can't go into too much detail and research because I need to go to bed soon.

The inspiration for this post was the realization that the Unyielding Hierophant and its fleet was destroyed before the events of Halo: CE. Here are my thoughts. Reach fell on August 30, 2552. While Fred & co. stay there, John-117 and the Pillar of Autumn make a slipspace jump toward Halo. It takes them three weeks to get there, and they arrive on September 19. Halo is destroyed, the Ascendant Justice is hijacked, and the ship jumps out of the system. However, notice the time stamp for their arrival in the Reach system (p. 167):

TIME:DATE RECORD ANOMALY\Estimated 0510 hours, September 23, 2552

The jump had been two hours shorter than expected (p. 152)...something funny happened. Later we learn that the crystal had caused time and space to bend in such a way as to bring John-117 and crew back in time to acquire the crystal (p. 248). So, at this point, John #1 is in cryosleep headed toward Halo and John #2 is in the Eridanus Secundus system, about to launch an attack on the Unyielding Hierophant.

Now, the Covenant fleet has gathered and will soon jump to Earth. Nowhere are we told that the Covenant know that humans are on Earth or that they are planning to attack Earth. My speculation is that they are traveling to Earth in preparation for the firing of Halo 04 (which, of course, has not yet been destroyed). Why? I don't know, but I would assume it is the same reason that the Prophet of Truth heads there at the end of Halo 2. Of course, the Covenant fleet is destroyed.

And then Halo 04 is destroyed.

Now the Hierarchs are in trouble, because they need to find another Halo. For some reason or other (perhaps alerted to the presence of the I Love Bees artifact?), the Prophet of Regret hastily jumps to Earth in order to (successfully) find the location of another Halo. But the presence of humans throws a monkey wrench into his plan (GameFAQs--click on "Game Script," scroll down to "Chapter 9: Regret," then "One-Way Ticket"). Because Regret does not arrive with an armada, his fleet is destroyed, and the humans are able to follow him to Delta Halo. So, of course, the Hierarchs again must go through the whole process of trying to set off Halo while moving their fleet to the Ark. And, once again, we stop the Halo from firing.

Now, the booklet Conversations from the Universe indicates that Truth and Mercy knew that Earth was the human homeworld (GameFAQs--click on "Conversations From The Universe Translation"). Apparently, they had not told Regret. Their power grab backfires on them when he jumps the gun.

So that's where we are now, as best as I can tell.

Wooo

I'll add in a bit of speculation based on the Staten interview. Joe says, "No rational beings would ever knowingly release the Flood. Or, if they did, one would hope they had a damn good reason." Maybe the Covenant released the Flood to trigger the firing of Halo. Probably not correct, but it's a thought.

Yellow Banshee



Message Index




Replies:

Resolving First Strike/Halo 2 story issuesRed Loser 1/8/05 9:52 p.m.
     Re: Resolving First Strike/Halo 2 story issuesSA 1/8/05 10:23 p.m.
     Re: Resolving First Strike/Halo 2 story issues[Viperfish] 1/8/05 10:25 p.m.
           Re: Resolving First Strike/Halo 2 story issuesDevil Mingy 1/8/05 10:54 p.m.
                 Re: Resolving First Strike/Halo 2 story issuesPeptuck 1/9/05 12:38 a.m.
     Well wait a sec....Geary 1/8/05 10:48 p.m.
           But remember.....Alt+F4 1/8/05 10:53 p.m.
                 It still doesn't make sense though....Geary 1/8/05 11:02 p.m.
                       Re: It still doesn't make sense though....ErraticAuto 1/8/05 11:06 p.m.
                             Re: It still doesn't make sense though....Peptuck 1/9/05 12:50 a.m.
                                   Re: It still doesn't make sense though....ErraticAuto 1/9/05 5:43 a.m.
                                         Re: It still doesn't make sense though....Wado SG 1/10/05 1:44 a.m.



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