CEV:Boarding Action
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Aboard Triumph of Tolerance |
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Halopedia doesn't currently have a walkthrough for this level; could you write one? |
| “ | Infiltrate a Covenant research ship in search of strategic targeting data. | ” |
Boarding Action is the first level in the Operation: METEORITE prequel campaign in Halo: Campaign Evolved, and the eleventh mission overall.[1] The mission (and the Operation: METEORITE campaign as a whole) is available to play from the first launch of Campaign Evolved without needing to play the game's main campaign, though Halo Studios recommends playing the main campaign first anyway due to the METEORITE missions' lack of tutorials and harder difficulty.[2]
Plot summary[edit]
This section is a stub. You can help Halopedia by expanding it.
The mission involves the start of a mission, depicting John-117 and Avery Johnson conducting a naval boarding of a Covenant starship, Triumph of Tolerance.[1]
Transcript[edit]
The mission opens with a text crawl:
| Opening Scroll |
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| 2551. Approximately one year before the Halo Event. An alien alliance known as the Covenant has invaded human space, destroying our worlds and decimating our fleets. The United Nations Space Command has been desperate to strike at the heart of the alien empire but have yet to learn its location. Above the glassed human colony of Promise orbits a massive Covenant research ship—a prize that the UNSC hopes will point the way to the Covenant home world—and ultimately to victory for humanity. |
The shot opens on a field of stars before panning down onto the glassed colony world of Promise, surrounded by wrecked UNSC starships. A lone Covenant starship—the Triumph of Tolerance—remains in orbit. A Spirit dropship emerges from offscreen and flies towards the Triumph into one of the ship's hangar bays, inside which a Kig-Yar orders several Unggoy about.
- Unggoy: Let's go! This way! This way!
The Unggoy begin opening the doors on the Spirit one-by-one, speeding up as they go. As the last door opens the leader of the group turns around to look at his fellows as John-117 is revealed standing in the bay behind him. The Kig-Yar and Unggoy runaway, leaving the leader—who has yet to see the Spartan—to turn around to see what they were running from.
- John-117: Boo.
The Unggoy flees and John jumps out of the dropship.
{Gameplay}
Several Unggoy run away from the player.
- Unggoy: Flee!
The player dispatches several Unggoy, Kig-Yar, and a single Sangheili before returning to the Spirit.
{Cutscene}
John-117 walks up to the Spirit and hits the door twice. Muffled flip music can be heard playing inside the craft, which becomes clearer when the door opens, revealing Sergeant Major Avery Johnson, carrying a crate. He turns the music off.
- Johnson: Just couldn't save any for me, could 'ya?
Johnson exits the Spirit and puts the case on the floor to open it, revealing its outer decals which read "M99 STANCHION". The music begins playing again, though this time as part of the score rather than in-world.
- Johnson: Been a while since I got to take 'ol Sophie out for a spin. Now, you ready to get to it?
Away Team[edit]
{Gameplay}
- John-117: Layout matches what Naval Intelligence provided. Confirming a route to the ship's command center.
- Johnson: If that nav data has what we need, we can finally strike back at these bastards.
- John-117: ONI seemed confident.
- Johnson: We keep quiet and play our cards right, we'll be in, out, and back by dinner.
- John-117: You're always hungry.
- Johnson: Damn right I am.
Johnson moves over to a control panel and uses a spoofer on it, hacking the Covenant systems and unlocking a door next to him.
- John-117: Any way to speed this up?
- Johnson: Until we find a way to cram an AI into that suit of yours, it's the best option we got.
After a few seconds.
- Johnson: ...aannnd, done. You ready?
The door opens.
- John-117: Always.
The player begins fighting against some Covenant troops in the room ahead.
- Johnson: Hold here Chief, it'll be quieter if I go ahead.
Johnson runs ahead and down a separate corridor while the player continues fighting. He uses the spoofer again on another control panel, disabling an energy barrier and allowing the player to progress. The Covenant send troops to try and prevent the Master Chief from progressing but they are killed, with Johnson emerging on the upper balconies to provide sniper support. Eventually the Chief comes face-to-face with a pair of Mgalekgolo.
- John-117: Concentrate fire on their exposed areas. Fire at will.
- Johnson: I've seen a lot of weird stuff in my time, Chief, but this? This takes the cake. Worm... priests?
The two Hunters are killed.
- John-117: You call that quiet?
- Johnson: Dead folks are quiet, Chief. And now they're dead. ONI's pocket hacker should suppress their internal alerts... for now, at least.
The pair head up a gravity lift out of the hangar and into the bowels of the ship.
Change of Plans[edit]
The player emerges onto a deck, though with some gold trim adorning the edges rather than just the typical purple nanolaminate of the Covenant. A window overlooks a large chamber ahead, which has even more vibrant aesthetics, replacing the purple with white and gold and some plant life. Below, inside the chamber, are several Covenant troops.
- Johnson: I'll take the high ground, Chief.
- John-117: I'll take point.
The player emerges into the room and begins fighting the Covenant.
- Johnson: Make your way to the other side, Chief.
- John-117: Acknowledged, moving to position.
The player heads through a series of corridors and emerges into a blademaster's training yard. Two Sangheili are in the middle, sparring with energy swords.
- Johnson: Huh. Saw this on the orientation vid. Split-lips' training room.
Once combat is engaged, several SpecOps Elites enter the room.
- Johnson: Chief! That sand ain't moving on it's own!
- John-117: Contacts on tracker.
- Johnson: Stealth Elites!
Once the enemies are killed, the player heads to a platform at the top of the room. A horizontal gravity lift is at the top, though it is currently faced to send people towards the player.
- Johnson: Mind the gap, Chief.
Johnson uses the spoofer on the control panel next to the lift.
- Johnson: Gimme a sec.
The gravity lift inverts, allowing the player to cross to the other side.
- Johnson: We're good. Let's hustle.
The pair cross to the other side and back into the corridors, emerging into a room stocked with human weaponry and equipment.
Forge Reconnaissance[edit]
- Johnson: Ever seen anything like this before, Chief?
- John-117: Negative. This wasn't in the ONI brief.
The pair progress through another small corridor, killing some sleeping Unggoy, emerging into a large room filled with gene-forges that appear to host Sangheili and Ibie'shian Kig-Yar inside them. The chambers have holographic readouts of the subjects' skeletons on them.
- Johnson: What do you think all this is for?
- John-117: Nothing good.
- Johnson: Something really weird about all this. What do you think these are? Trophies?
- John-117: Unlikely. They look more like... experiments.
- John-117: That's even worse.
Johnson spots a panel.
- Johnson: That's our exit. I'll get it cracked open.
- Johnson: I know a few folks who would kill to get a look at this tech.
The two continue through another few rooms, facing more resistance by Covenant security forces. Eventually they reach a larger room with more test chambers inside it, with Jiralhanae test subjects inside.
{Cutscene} A door open opens, revealing the two humans as they run through it into an Unggoy soldier.
- Unggoy: Human!
John-117 melees the Unggoy and catches the plasma grenade it had just primed, throwing it back into the room. Behind him, Johnson charges his Stanchion rifle to fire it. The plasma grenade attaches to another Unggoy who runs towards his comrades as John fires his battle rifle. The two make their way into the room ahead, taking cover from plasma fire. A lone Sangheili, a Kig-Yar, and three Unggoy are stood in their path. John kills one of the Unggoy with his rifle before taking cover again. As he does, a new figure—the San'Shyuum Minister of Harmony—emerges from the shadows.
- Johnson: Well I'll be damned!
- John-117: What's a prophet doing here?
John fires his weapon again.
- Johnson: Beats me! Hey wattles, didn't think your kind got out that much!
Johnson aims around cover and the Covenant troops fire at him, though the Minister motions for them to halt.
- Harmony: Hold your fire my children. Have you enjoyed your stay so far, demon? Had you and your.. companion given word of your arrival I would have arranged a tour.
John steps out of cover with his battle rifle raised.
- John-117: I think we've seen enough already.
- Harmony: Are you not impressed with our work here? I would have thought you of all creatures would appreciate such steadfast dedication to improvement.
- John-117: Is that what you call it?
- Harmony: I call it many things, demon.
Here, you can observe the true beauty of the Covenant. Our collective strength, a reflection of each member's devotion. The tenacity of the Unggoy...
The two Unggoy point at one another.
- Harmony: ...the cleverness of the Kig-Yar. The Sangheili, long our partners since the Writ of Union...
The Sangheili ignites his energy sword and roars.
- Harmony: ...the burning edge of the Covenant's blade.
A hulking Jiralhanae warrior emerges from the shadows behind the Minister.
- Harmony: And the Jiralhanae. What they lack in mind, they make up for in muscle. But under our guidance—my guidance—their rage can be controlled, reshaped.
The Minister retrieves a small device from his robe and slots it into a port on the Jiralhanae's chest. The Brute's eyes glow less and it seems to calm down somewhat.
- Harmony: Are you no different, demon?
- Johnson: Okay, Mr. Monologue. Sorry to interrupt, but we're on the clock.
Johnson fires his weapon but the Brute steps in the way. The coilgun round impacts it directly in the device on its chest, causing it to crackle with orange energy. The Brute reacts immediately, becoming enranged, punching the Sangheili next to him before throwing one of the Unggoy at the Kig-Yar. It then crouches low, ready to attack the humans.
{Gameplay}
Gameplay begins again, with an enraged Brute attacking the other Covenant forces in the room.
- Johnson: There's a lot of angry aliens in our way. What's the plan?
- John-117: We shoot our way out.
- Johnson: Nice and subtle, just the way I like it!
- Harmony (on intercom): Unseal the chambers! NOW!
- John-117: We've got company.
Covenant troops—now augmented by Brutes—continue to pour into the room, though they are gradually defeated.
- Johnson: That seems to be the last of them, Chief.
- John-117: For now.
The pair continue through more corridors and rooms, continuing to face resistance.
- Johnson: Damn it, Chief. These bastards seem more unhinged than usual.
The player emerges back into the first room with the subjects in gene-forges from earlier, though now it is populated by enemies. Once they are killed, the player heads through a corridor that leads up a level onto an observation deck overlooking the lab.
- Johnson: Those Grunts are having a bit too much fun at our expense, Chief.
The player continues to fight into a large room with a gravity lift inside it. The lift is pointed down. Enemies pour in from all sides, though they are defeated.
- Johnson: I'll have this lift up and running in no time.
The player heads up the lift once it is activated, reaching a large hangar full of gene-forges and dozens of soldiers inside it.
- Harmony (on intercom): These are the instruments of your demise, forged through my divine insight!
The player fights through waves of reinforcements.
- Harmony (on intercom): You will prove to be a suitable test for my creations, Demon.
- Harmony (on intercom): Every foe you dispatch only makes us stronger.
- Harmony (on intercom): Let us find your limits.
After killing the final enemies.
- Johnson: So, what now?
- John-117: We get back to the mission.
{Cutscene}
John and Johnson are running down a hallway when they pick up some radio interference. The two stop and clear the hallways surrounding them before turning to speak.
- John-117: You picking this up, Sergeant Major?
- Johnson: Sure am, Chief. What's your read?
- John-117: UNSC battlenet telemetry, just ahead.
- Johnson: That doesn't seem right. What could it be?
- John-117: A trap.
- Johnson: Exactly. No way to be sure.
- John-117: There's a way.
- Johnson: But our objective is—motions—that way.
- John-117: If UNSC soldiers are being held captive, we need to find out.
Johnson smiles and moves to tap John-117 on the shoulder.
- Johnson: I'm in! Let's move.
Achievements[edit]
The following achievements and trophies can be unlocked on Boarding Action across all editions of Halo: Campaign Evolved.
| Xbox | Steam | Title | Unlock requirement |
|---|---|---|---|
| File:CEV Achievement BeforeTheFall.png | Before The Fall | Complete Boarding Action. | |
| File:CEV Achievement Souvenirs.png | Souvenirs | Find all skulls and terminals in Boarding Action. |
Trivia[edit]
- Upon emerging from the dropship, the Master Chief tells an Unggoy "boo", causing the alien to flee in terror. This is a reference to the Halo 2 level Gravemind where the same thing happened after the Spartan was teleported aboard High Charity by the Gravemind.
Gallery[edit]
- This section is a stub. You can help Halopedia by expanding it.
Concept art[edit]
A comparison between concept art of Boarding Action and a pre-release screenshot of the level.
Concept art of the gene-forges.
Screenshots[edit]
Seraphs docked in a hangar on the Triumph of Tolerance.
Sangheili armed with Gadulo-pattern needle rifles in the hangar.
A Mgalekgolo in the hangar.
Meluth'qelos-pattern energy swords stored near the training yard.
A hologram of the Triumph of Tolerance in the final room.
A Sangheili observing the hologram in the final room.
A Kig-Yar patrolling the final room.
An Unggoy sleeps in the final room, next to a human-made SRS99C-S2 AM sniper rifle.
Sources[edit]
- ^ a b GameInformer, Halo: Campaign Evolved - Exclusive Hands-On Impressions Of The Bonus Missions (Retrieved on Jun 18, 2026) [archive]
- ^ Halo Waypoint, June Community Q&A (Retrieved on Jun 22, 2026) [archive]
| Preceded by The Maw |
Campaign Evolved Campaign Missions Boarding Action |
Succeeded by The Most Dangerous Game |
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