: I think you can argue that the ends justify the means, but as readers we're
: in a privileged position; we know that without Master Chief the entire
: universe would have likely fallen to the Flood (I can assume the Covenant
: would still have gone to Sigma Octanus and found Halo the same way even
: without the humans to chase around on the surface of the ringworld.) The
: Spartans' fabulous success in the games and books comes down to Laws of
: Plot and Story, where our hero and his allies surmount enormous odds.
: Humanity would have won, eventually, it's just at what price (again, not
: logically or on paper, but per the laws of story.)

: None of these characters really know the score (although I did find it
: interesting even the Venezians had heard about the Flood attack on Earth
: though--wonder how much they really know.) It's in a way easier for them
: to have the perfectly rational moral distaste for Halsey's actions.

: As for only Steffan being the one who brings up the network of people
: responsible for enabling Halsey (and profiting from her work), I don't
: really think that's true. It's brought up several times that Parangosky
: has a role, and how her actions might be her ice-queen way of asking for
: forgiveness. We really don't ultimately know if she has somehow bought
: into her own press releases about Halsey being the main bad, or if she's
: just playing the political game despite the crap she feels underneath.

: I liked BB's origin reveal because it explains a lot about the character—his
: not quite motivated hatred for Halsey is in part subconcious
: self-loathing, which is an interesting shade to his superiority complex.
: The whole suicide note is basically another example of how it wasn't all
: Halsey—here's one of the guys who helped it happen.

Very true- It has been mentioned in passing a handful of times (I say, less than 5) before it got to Staffan though to really ask the question. BB does bring it up (and Phillips too, I think) but its here and gone so fast.

BB being what he is in an effort to make up for it is noble and all, but I found myself wondering if it would have been better for him to, I dunno, not kill himself? Or at least donate his brain later after wrapping things up as a human. ::shrugs:: Eh?

But that's human nature I suppose. Everyone may agree that it wasn't the work of one person, but that isn't going to stop them from having their corpse (thanks, P-o-Mercy).

There was also the line about someone who commits a high enough crime being rarely punished for it, or never seeing justice and I think that is true.

I did like Serin's reveal and the can of worms that opens. While she specifically says that Halsey did not rescue her- you can't deny that she was granted an opportunity she never would have gotten otherwise. Who knows how many other Spartans had their paths changed from a similar fate....

Good stuff.