Exodus

Exodus is the seventh level in the campaign of Halo: Reach.

Upon completing the level on the Normal, Heroic, or Legendary difficulties, the player will earn the achievement "Into the Howling Dark" and 10 Gamerpoints.

Summary
The level opens with Noble Six, having fallen from orbit in the conclusion of the previous level, waking up on a mountain range and beginning his/her journey to link up with UNSC forces. On August 23, 2552, after wandering through the wilderness, Six arrives at New Alexandria, Eposz, which is under siege by four Covenant corvettes. Noble Six then finds his/her way through the city and links up with Army forces to assist in the evacuation of Traxus Tower, while fighting Brutes for the first time during the invasion. However, they arrive too late, as one of the corvettes has already moved into position on top of the tower.

Noble Six then acquires a jetpack and joins a group of ODST specialists known as the Bullfrogs, enacting an emergency plan to capture an executive landing pad. Six then proceeds to Traxus Tower, where he/she, several Army troopers and the ODSTs take the landing pad, allowing a group of civilians to evacuate in a Pelican.

Noble Six then rides in a Falcon to provide air cover for evacuation crafts leaving the city. They take an alternate route to avoid the Covenant forces clustered in the middle of the city. After an evacuation transport is shot down by a corvette, Noble Six assists Army forces in clearing the way to missile batteries further in the city. The missile batteries disable the corvette's weaponry, allowing the remaining transports to slip past and escape into orbit.

Kat contacts Noble Six, and instructs the Lieutenant to rejoin the rest of Noble Team. During the exchange, Noble Six alerts the team to Jorge's sacrifice during Operation: UPPER CUT.

Transcript
{Cutscene}

''Noble Six is alone on a snowy mountain range, holding his/her injured left arm. He/she slowly limps back to the discarded Reentry Unit to acquire a pistol. The Spartan cocks the pistol and turns around to look up at the remains of the Covenant Supercarrier that Jorge-052 destroyed, now lying shattered on a nearby mountain. Debris continues to plummet into the atmosphere, creating an artificial meteor shower. Displaying a noticeable limp, Six begins to walk away down the mountain.''

Fade out.

''Fades in. Noble Six, now in a more temperate landscape, jogs up a hill, having recovered from the limp. He/she stops at the top, and the city of New Alexandria comes into view. Three Covenant Corvettes dominate the skyline of the burning city. Smatterings of anti-aircraft fire and explosions fill the sky, and the sound of intense combat is heard in the distance.''

New Alexandria, Eposz

August 23, 2552 15:34 Hours

Six lets Jorge's dog tags slip slightly from his/her hand and places them in a chest pouch.

''Cut to a building's rooftop. Occasional turret fire can be heard in the background. Six, still holding the pistol, creeps beside the edge, jumps down, and staggers slightly on his/her injured leg. The Spartan walks past plasma scarring on the wall and readies the pistol. He/she jumps down again onto a walkway.''

Switches to Six's point of view: He/she lands safely on the Boardwalk and looks toward the road up ahead.

{Gameplay}

The Devil His Due
Two Falcons fly overhead, towards Traxus Tower.


 * Kilo Dispatch (COM): "This is Kilo Dispatch: all available teams, advance to Traxus Tower. Evacuation will commence ASAP."


 * Gunnery Sergeant Marcus Stacker (COM): "Copy, Dispatch. What's the status of the tower pad?"


 * Kilo Dispatch (COM): "Tower pad is green. Let's move these civilians before it changes."


 * Stacker (COM): "Copy, Dispatch. Four-Zero out."

''A Navigation point appears on Traxus Tower. After walking past numerous dead civilians in a square and disturbing several birds, Noble Six enters a damaged building, and exits from the other side, engaging a small group of Skirmishers, then enters another building nearby.''


 * Sergeant Major Duvall (COM): "Romeo Company, be advised: we have reports of Covenant suicide squads."


 * Army Trooper (COM): "You gotta be kidding me..."


 * Duvall (COM): "That's a negative. Keep your eyes open, troopers."

A group of suicide Grunts attack Noble Six inside the building, but Six eliminates them.


 * Stacker (COM): "Kilo 26, this is Kilo 40. Covenant corvette is raining hell on us! Final protective fire - 1, danger close, on my command, over!"


 * Kilo 26 (COM): "Copy, Kilo 40. FPF-1 at your command."


 * Stacker (COM): "Fire FPF-1, over."


 * Kilo 26 (COM): "Firing FPF-1... Shot."


 * Stacker (COM): "Hold on to your helmets!"

The ground shakes violently, accompanied by noticeable metallic creaking.


 * Kilo 26 (COM): "Kilo 40: request FPF sit-rep."


 * Stacker (COM): "Negative, 26! Corvette still coming!"


 * Kilo 26 (COM): "Copy, 40. Firing FPF-2... Shot."

The ground shakes violently again with yet more creaking.


 * Stacker (COM): "Damn! How do you stop that thing?"

''Six enters the basement and engages more suicide Grunts. The Spartan easily dispatches them and exits the building. Outside, a Spirit dropship open its troop bay, revealing Brutes inside. The Brutes fire their Spikers at the civilians and at the UNSC forces before being carried away on the Spirit. ''


 * Civilian #1: "Help! Somebody help us!"


 * Civilian #2: "They're coming! They're after us!"


 * Trooper #1: "Come on! Let's go!"


 * Trooper #2: "What are those things?!"


 * Trooper #1: "Brutes! Move to cover!"

The Troopers notice Six.


 * Trooper #2: "Picked up a friendly!"


 * Trooper #3: "A Spartan? Where the hell did he/she come from?"


 * Trooper #1: "Who cares? Spartan, assist!"


 * Trooper #4: "Evac Team 7 to Kilo 26, we have eyes on Traxus Tower."


 * Kilo 26 (COM): "Copy, Evac Team 7. Move to assist the evac. Over."

''Brutes engage the Troopers and accompanying civilians. Six and the Troopers defeat the Brutes.''


 * Trooper #3: "How do we get to the tower?"


 * Trooper #1: "Elevator in the atrium goes down to the cargo port. Cargo port goes to the tower."


 * Trooper #3: "Got to get in there!"


 * Trooper #1: "Contacts, to the west!"

''Brutes and Skirmishers pour out from the entrance to the tower. Six and the troopers defeat them.''


 * Trooper #1: "Okay. Let's move in, and find that elevator."

Loud public announcements are broadcast over the room periodically.


 * Trooper #1: "Somebody shut that damn thing off!"

''Six and the Troopers move to the elevator and defeat nearby hostiles. After the battle, Six activates the elevator, but nothing happens.''


 * Trooper #1: "What the hell's taking this thing so long?"


 * Stacker (COM): "Uh, we're evacuating a group of civilians on the floor below you. Soon as they reach the cargo port, I'll send the elevator back up."


 * Trooper #1: "Okay, everyone find some cover. Stay sharp! We need to hold this position."

A Phantom flies overhead.


 * Trooper #1: "Dropships deploying to the courtyards! Watch your flanks!"

''Six and the Troopers engage and defeat the reinforcements. The elevator finally arrives.''


 * Trooper #1: "Damn, Lieutenant... Glad you're on our side. The elevator will get you to the tower."

Six enters the elevator and activates it.


 * Announcement: "Going down. Cargo port and Traxus Tower."


 * Stacker (COM): "If you're trying to get to the tower, you're too late, Lieutenant. Corvette over the starport pounded the hell out of the place. Cargo port is impassable on foot, rooftop evacs are lost. We can use the executive landing pad, except there's no easy way to get there. A group of ODST specialists are working a plan. They might appreciate some backup."

''The elevator stops and the doors on the opposite side open. Noble Six walks out into a small atrium filled with wounded civilians.''


 * Trooper Medic: "On the other side of the hall there, Lieutenant. Right through the triage."

''Six walks past the wounded civilians and out the door. Some ODSTs are attempting to clear several Banshees from the skies.''

Too Close to the Sun



 * ODST #1 (COM): "Hey, there he/she is, that's the one they're talking about!"


 * ODST #2: "Radio's buzzing about you, Spartan. You feel like jumping?"


 * ODST #1: "We've got an extra jetpack. Go ahead and try it on, Spartan."

Six acquires a jetpack from a makeshift armory.


 * ODST #1: "Welcome to the Bullfrogs. Other side, on my mark! 3, 2, 1 - jump!"

Six and the Bullfrogs jump to the nearest platform.


 * ODST #1: "We're gonna capture the landing pad on the executive wing so the evac birds can land. Try and keep up, Spartan."

Noble Six and the ODSTs jump from platform to platform until they arrive at the port, where they engage hostiles.


 * ODST #1: "Death from above!"

''More ODSTs assist Six. They defeat all the hostiles on the port. Six enters the atrium of a building.''


 * ODST #1: "Head up to the roof level, Spartan."

The Spartan flies to a walkway in the middle of the atrium.


 * ODST #1 (COM): "There's the pad, east end of that tower!"

Six arrives on the walkway.


 * ODST #1 (COM): "Other side, other side! Entrance is on the other side!"

''Six gets to the top, where he/she exits the tower. There, two ODSTs and some troopers are engaging Covenant forces, while civilians stay behind cover.''


 * ODST #3: "Spartan, over here!"

''Noble Six and the ODSTs advance and start climbing up the tower, followed by the Troopers and civilians, engaging multiple contacts on the way. They head up to the top. A Falcon flies overhead and approaches the landing pad. The Shades, with the help from a Phantom that just arrived, destroys it. Six and the surviving UNSC forces enter the executive wing, where a Brute Chieftain commands a large contingent of Covenant infantry.''


 * ODST #3: "Clear that pad, Spartan!"

Six and the troopers engage the troops inside and finally destroy the two turrets outside, securing the landing pad.


 * Yankee 9: "Yankee 9 to Echo Dispatch; Landing pad is clear, send in the evac birds."


 * Echo Dispatch (COM): "Copy, Yankee 9. Birds away."

The ODSTs salute Noble Six.


 * ODST #3: "Pleasure jumping with you, Spartan. We'll hold this location. You get on that Falcon, make sure those transports make it out in one piece."

Two Falcons land on the pad, with one Falcon's turret seat being vacant.


 * ODST #3: "This is your ride, Spartan!"

Noble Six mans the turret on the Falcon.

If the player stalls:


 * Falcon Pilot: "Get on board, Lieutenant. We've got civilians that need immediate assistance."

I Should Have Become A Watchmaker
A Pelican lands on the pad after the Falcons have taken off to evacuate the civilians.


 * Falcon Pilot: "City's been under siege for the last five days. Thought we had it in hand, then those corvettes showed up. Our fleet's scattered, pulling back. Hell, we all got orders to evacuate. Guess some of us just don't like leaving a job half-finished..."

''The Falcons fly across multiple engagements between UNSC and Covenant infantry. Noble Six assists the battered troops with the machine gun.''


 * Delta 15 Pilot (COM): "Evac transport Delta 15 to Evac Dispatch: loaded up, ready to go!"


 * Evacuation Dispatch (COM): "Delta 15, this is Evac Dispatch, copy that. Proceed at your discretion."


 * Falcon Pilot (COM): "Midtown airspace is way too hot, gonna take an alternate route."


 * Delta 15 Pilot (COM): "Delta 15 to dispatch: Banshee squadron on my tail! Taking fire!"


 * Evacuation Dispatch (COM): "Copy, Delta 15. Can you-"


 * Delta 15 Pilot (COM): "Mayday! Port engines hit, we're going in! I'm going to try to set her down!"


 * Duvall (COM): "Fox Actual to UNSC frigate Stalwart Dawn: request immediate airstrike on Covenant corvette over starport."


 *  (COM): "Solid copy, Fox Actual. Longswords unavailable at this time, over."


 * 6 Echo 2 Pilot (COM): "This is civilian transport 6 Echo 2, I need to go now, Sergeant Major!"


 * Duvall (COM): "Hold on, Echo 2. Stalwart Dawn, I have multiple commercial craft loaded with civilians. I have got to get them out of this city. I need air support, now!"


 * Stalwart Dawn (COM): "As soon something frees up, you'll be the first to-"


 * Duvall (COM): "Not good enough!"


 * 6 Echo 2 Pilot (COM): "I've got six hundred souls on board, Sergeant Major! I can't wait any longer!"


 * Duvall (COM): "Negative, Echo 2, I can't cover you! Do not take off!"


 * 6 Echo 2 Pilot (COM): "Damn it!"

''As the Falcon gets closer to the starport, 6 Echo 2 takes off regardless of orders. The Corvette over the starport instantly fires on the transport's port side with a plasma torpedo, crippling the craft.''


 * Falcon Pilot (COM): "Oh my God!"


 * 6 Echo 2 Pilot (COM): "Mayday! Mayday!"


 * Duvall (COM): "6 Echo 2, can you maintain altitude?"


 * 6 Echo 2 Pilot (COM): "Negative! We're going down...!"

The transport crashes into the harbor and slowly sinks.


 * Falcon Pilot (COM): "Son of a bitch! I can't watch this..."


 * Evacuation Dispatch (COM): "Fox Actual... Should we send search-and-rescue birds?"


 * Duvall (COM): "Negative, Dispatch. No point."

''The Falcon approaches a small beach, where two missile batteries are placed. The Falcon lands at Duvall's position, where troopers are engaging Covenant infantry. Noble Six assists with the turret, finishing the attackers off.''


 * Duvall (COM): "Spartan! Sergeant Major Duvall. Awful day so far... Let's keep it from getting any worse, huh? Covies are all over my missile batteries, and I got five thousand civilians across the bay waiting for passage out. I need you to arm those batteries and fire those missiles from the central terminal. Understood? Corvette's been a pain in my ass for too damn long. Give it hell, Spartan!"

''The Falcon lands on the beach. Six joins Duvall's fireteam.''


 * Duvall: "Troopers! We need to push 'em back off our beach!"

''Six and the troopers advance to the beach where they come across some working Warthogs. They commandeer the vehicles and ride them into battle.''


 * 7 Echo 3 (COM): "Civilian transport 7 Echo 3 to Fox Actual: my engines are hot, waiting for your go."


 * Duvall: "Copy that, 7 Echo 3. We're working on it."

''Six pushes forward to one of the batteries. A Wraith blocks the way.''


 * Duvall: "We've got to take down that Wraith!"

Six destroys the Wraith.


 * Duvall: "Wraith is down."

Six nears the missile battery.


 * Duvall: "That's the first missile battery, Lieutenant. Get it armed!"

The Spartan defeats the enemies around the battery and activates it.


 * Duvall: "First battery is online! Other one's to your north/south."


 * 7 Echo 3 (COM): "Sergeant Major! Covenant are banging on my bay door. I've got families and wounded onboard. I've got to get airborne!"


 * Duvall: "Easy, 7 Echo 3. Spartan's going to clear the skies."

Six moves to the second battery and activates it.


 * Duvall: "That's it, batteries primed! Now get over to the East Compound, and fire those missiles!"


 * 7 Echo 3 (COM): "Sergeant Major, the Covies are almost through my door!"


 * Duvall: "Steady, Echo 3! That corvette is still up there!"

A Covenant Spirit arrives.


 * Trooper: "Heads up! Spirit dropping in!"

Six goes to the compound, engaging a multitude of Covenant, including two Brute Chieftains.


 * 7 Echo 3 (COM): "That's it! They've breached the landing bay!"


 * Duvall: "Copy that. It's now or never, Spartan!"

Noble Six activates the missile batteries.

{Cutscene}


 * Duvall (COM): "Missile defense online. All evac transports, you are cleared for takeoff! Repeat, you are clear for takeoff! Go, now!"

''Six missiles shoot up into the sky, hitting the corvette. Several explosions erupt along its hull. The damaged ship disengages from the area as civilian transports fly overhead.''


 * Trooper (COM): "Civilian transports away. You saved a lot of lives today, Spartan."

Six walks to an open area as the three transports speed over him/her and into space.


 * Lieutenant Commander Catherine-B320 (COM): "...you copy? Repeat, this is Noble Two. Noble Six, Noble Five, do you copy?"


 * SPARTAN-B312: "This is Six. Go ahead, Noble Two."


 * Catherine-B320 (COM): "We picked up your transponder about an hour ago, but we could not risk open comms. Covenant have this city sealed tight. We're getting nothing from Jorge."


 * SPARTAN-B312: (subdued) "He didn't make it."


 * Catherine-B320 (COM): "...Understood. What's the situation at starport exit?"


 * SPARTAN-B312: "The last transport is away."


 * Catherine-B320 (COM): "Alright. We're bringing you to us."

''Noble Six throws a signal flare on to the ground. The Spartan walks away as the view zooms out and shows the damaged corvette retreating from the city.''

Fade to black.

Level ends.

Mistakes

 * During the part where Noble Six and several troopers are leading civilians to an elevator, they will strangely not get on, even if the player stalls. It is possible the troopers and civilians are waiting for Six to clear the path, as the elevator opens directly into a triage center for wounded.
 * When the civilian transport hovering above the water gets shot by the Corvette's plasma bolt, the resulting explosion occurs two frames before the actual plasma bolt impacts it.

Reference

 * The name of this level, Exodus, is a reference to the Book of Exodus, in which Moses leads the Israelites out of Egypt to free them from the rule of the Pharaoh. Similarly, in this level, Six leads civilians out of the city of New Alexandria, which is most likely named after Alexandria, a city in Egypt.
 * Noble Six's pistol has seven rounds in its magazine at the beginning of this level.
 * The second chapter, "Too Close to the Sun" is a reference to the Halo 3 achievement Too Close to the Sun and is also a reference to Greek mythology, specifically the story of Icarus.
 * The closing chapter "I Should Have Become a Watchmaker" comes from a quote from Albert Einstein referring to quantum mechanics and how it destroyed any view of the universe as deterministic. The full quote reads "The release of atom power has changed everything except our way of thinking... The solution to this problem lies in the heart of mankind. If only I had known, I should have become a watchmaker."
 * 6 Echo 2's fate is similar to that of Cargo 3 from Halo Wars, as the pilots of both craft attempted to take off early despite nearby Covenant forces and were shot down shortly thereafter.
 * SPARTAN-B312's line "The last transport is away," is likely a reference to Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back. A similar line, "The first transport is away," is said when an orbiting Star Destroyer is disabled by a land-based ion cannon, allowing a transport vessel to evacuate Echo Base.

Miscellaneous

 * In the beginning cutscene, Noble Six looks at his/her wrist before leaving the snowy mountain. This is because the original version of Six wore the Tactical/UGPS wrist attachment as standard.
 * This is the only level the player will start with a wounded status, with the health bar reading 5 blocks from the center, or amber level. This is to make it more realistic to the fact that Six got hurt when he/she fell from space.
 * This is the first level in Halo: Reach in which the player fights Brutes, the first level where the Spiker and Gravity Hammer are usable, and the only level where no Elites are encountered.
 * At the beginning of the level, Brute and Kig-Yar footprints can be found in blood around dead civilians, similar to the Elite and Grunt footprints in Winter Contingency
 * At the start of the level, several crows can be seen flying around. If the player fires on them, they have no death animation or corpse and will simply disappear.
 * The same Forerunner symbol seen on the gate in Winter Contingency can be found on this level. In the room before the one full of Suicide Grunts (the one with laundry in it) there is a bottle of cleaning fluid with the symbol on it. As one enters the room, it's on a shelf on the right. The bottle is blue with a white label. The symbol can only be seen while using night vision.
 * If the player kills a civilian in this level, even accidentally, the player will die instantly. This is similar to the level Winter Contingency, where killing a farmer will kill the player.
 * Sometimes, the Bullfrogs may jump off the building after aiding the player with fending off the Brute lance. It is unknown if this action is scripted as usually two of the ODSTs can be seen jumping off the building as if scripted.
 * Sergeant Major Duvall is invincible, as he is considered a plot-critical character due to his radio exchanges with the evacuating civilian transports. However, he remains in the staging area and doesn't participate in the battle, unless he is ordered into a Warthog by the player. He will eventually disappear if left in the staging area.