Editing Early Halo 2 script

{{Title|Early ''Halo 2'' script}}
{{Status|RealWorld}}
{{Series/Cut/H2}}
[[File:Early Halo 2 Script.png|thumb|The early cinematic script.]]
The "Behind the Scenes: The Making of ''Halo 2''" feature included with the [[Limited Collector's Edition Disc (Halo 2)|Limited Collector's Edition]] of ''[[Halo 2]]'', [[Joseph Staten]] flips rapidly through an '''early ''Halo 2'' script'''. 

All that can be transcribed is here. The undecipherable material has been denoted by question marks, and speculative material is colored <span style="color:red">red</span>.

Note that "Dervish" was an early word for "[[Arbiter]]".

==The Script==

===First Page===
[[File:C3earlyH2script1.png|thumb|right|The first page.]]
:'''(x01_1) EXT. SPACE - NEAR RUINS OF ALPHA HALO'''
:A white title fades onto the black screen.

::On and on shall old war go,
::Without respite my blood will flow
::O’er your eyes ‘til they cannot see
::The impossibility of victory.
::--Excerpt from the Writ of Union
::Unknown Covenant Author

:The title fades away, leaving a BLACK SCREEN. Beat.

:FADE IN on the massive Covenant Holy City, "High 
:Charity", hanging on orbit above the gas-giant, 
:"Threshold".

:As the camera ZOOMS slowly forward, distant voices emit 
:from inside the High Charity’s Council-Chamber.

::::ELITE COMMANDER (V.O.)
::There was only one.

::::PROPHET OF TRUTH (V.O.)
::One? Are you sure?

::::ELITE COMMANDER (V.O.)
::Yes.

:Beat.

::::ELITE COMMANDER (V.O.)

::The Demon.

::::::::FADE IN

:'''C205_20 INT. HIGH CHARITY – COUNCIL CHAMBER – CONT.'''

:From the back, DOLLY PAST a row of seated PROPHET 
:COUNCILORS and toward the center of the Council Chamber. The 
:PROPHET COUNCILORS comment amongst themselves.

::::PROPHET COUNCILORS
::(excited murmuring)

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==="He-re-tic" Page===
[[File:Mark of Shame scene.png|thumb|The "He-re-tic" page.]]

::GRUNT CACKLES
::??? * He-re-tic *

??? too ??? hairy paw ??? the crowd ???.

{{clear}}
----
==="Elevator" Page===
[[File:Elevator scene.png|thumb|The "elevator" page.]]
'''??? - COMMAND DECK - CONT.'''

??? closed elevator door. The elevator comes to ??? audible ??? off-camera. ??? just as the CHIEF's elbow ??? The elevator door opens with a ??? MIRANDA exits the elevator, followed by MASTER CHIEF, JOHNSON ??? frozen in a painful wince.

??? on the Command Deck. Station ??? tasks with quick determination. They have a ??? win.

MIRANDA, MASTER CHIEF, and JOHNSON ??? center of the Command Deck where LORD HOOD ???
{{clear}}
----
[[File:Holotank scene.png|thumb|A glimpse of the scene.]]
::CORTANA
::The data I retrieved was ??? indecisive. How can ONI be so ???

???? away from the holo-tank on MIRANDA. She and JOHNSON can get a better look. LORD HOOD ???

::LORD HOOD
::Station, bring up this morning’s tac-record, time stamp delta-four-eleven.

FULL ON the HOLO-TANK. Earth is in the center of the tank. The COVENANT fleet is packed tightly together a good distance away from Earth. The human fleet is displayed in a loose line between Earth and the Covenant fleet.
{{clear}}
----
==="Whole Career" Page===
:[[File:C3earlyH2script3.png|thumb|The "whole career" page.]]

:
::::<span style="color:red">LORD</span> HOOD 
::<span style="color:red">Are you ready,</span> Commander?

:<span style="color:red">MIRANDA then salutes an</span>d squares her shoulders. This is the 
:<span style="color:red">moment she has been w</span>aiting for her whole career.

::::MIRANDA 
::<span style="color:red">Sir! Y</span>es sir!

:<span style="color:red">LORD HOOD smil</span>es at MIRANDA. She’s just like her father. 
:<span style="color:red">He turns tow</span>ard the MASTER CHIEF.

::::LORD HOOD 
::Master Chief, you will lead the 
::assault on the Covenant vessel.

:<span style="color:red">ZO</span>OM on the MASTER CHIEF and JOHNSON.

::::LORD HOOD (O. C.) 
::Sergeant Johnson and the In 
::Amber Clad’s company of ODSTs 
::will provide support.

----

==="Jump-To-It" Page===
[[File:C3earlyH2script4.png|thumb|The "jump-to-it" page]]

:<span style="color:red">?????????????????????????????????????????</span> and is built to 
:<span style="color:red">??????????????????????????????? withsta</span>nd a high-impact 
:<span style="color:red">????????????????????????????????????</span> line both sides of the 
:<span style="color:red">???????????????????????</span>

:<span style="color:red">???????????????????????????????</span>. He stands by his HEV’s hatch 
:<span style="color:red">?????????????????????????????</span> to jump-to-it.

::::<span style="color:red">JO</span>HNSON
::<span style="color:red">Hurry to your</span> cans, sardines!

:<span style="color:red">The elite soldiers h</span>ustle past JOHNSON, grab hold of their 
:<span style="color:red">individual HEV re-</span>entry bars, and swing into position.

::::JOHNSON (O. C.)
::<span style="color:red">I</span> wanna hear those bindings pop!

:'''<span style="color:red">(x03_</span>11) INT. IN AMBER CLAD – HEV – CONT.'''


----
==="HEV" Page===

'''???11) INT. IN AMBER CLAD – HEV – CONT.'''
{{clear}}
----
==="Shark" Page===
[[File:Shark Simile scene.png|thumb|The "shark" page.]]
'''??? EARTH – CONT.'''

??? "up" toward the camera. ??? ?-t's aft, rotates 180 degrees and, thrashing like a shark’s in bright water, ???? away from the camera.

??-ound, "beneath" the IN AMBER CLAD. The FLEET has visibly split to deal with the two-man attack.

'''???_17 INT. IN AMBER CLAD – HEV – CONT.'''
{{clear}}
----

==="No Wars" Page===
[[File:C3earlyH2script5.png|thumb|The "no wars" page.]]

:<span style="color:red">????????????????????????????????????????????????</span> A hairy paw 
:<span style="color:red">????????????????????????????????????????</span> loudly against the 
:<span style="color:red">???????????????????????????</span>

::::<span style="color:red">BRUTE</span> JAILER 
::<span style="color:red">????????? call you</span> out.

:<span style="color:red">?????????????????? COMMAND</span>ER. He does not move.

::::ELITE COMMANDER 
::<span style="color:red">But would</span> you call me out

:<span style="color:red">????????????????</span> COMMANDER. He opens his eyes.

::::ELITE COMMANDER (CONT’D) 
::...if there were no wars?

{{clear}}
----
==="Moments of Crisis" Page===
[[File:C3earlyH2script6.png|thumb|The "moments of crisis" page]]

::::<span style="color:red">PROPHET OF TR</span>UTH (O.C.) 
::<span style="color:red">?????????????????????</span> the 
::<span style="color:red">???????????????????</span>, the 
::<span style="color:red">?????????????????</span> all those
::<span style="color:red">???????????????</span>ure, a Dervish. 
::<span style="color:red">???????????</span>

:<span style="color:red">??????????? PROPHET</span> OF MERCY

::::PROPHET OF MERCY 
::<span style="color:red">There</span> will always be moments of 
::<span style="color:red">cri</span>sis when honor matters less 
::<span style="color:red">th</span>an swift resolution.

:<span style="color:red">????????</span> the PROPHET OF TRUTH.

::::PROPHET OF TRUTH
{{clear}}
----
==="Working Grunt" Page===
[[File:Working Grunt scene.png|thumb|The "working grunt" page.]]
??? of ??? fighter is ??? for the best. The ???

???? Grunts at the second site. ????? the time they have found, but ???? 

???? ELITE at the third site. He takes a ??? the wars as the Grunt works.
{{clear}}
----
==="Wounded Elite" Page===
[[File:Wounded Elite scene.png|thumb|The "wounded Elite" page.]]
::WOUNDED ELITE
::??? to you… Commander.

???? DERVISH. He smiles, and squeezes the ??? soldier. 

???? background, the SPEC-OPS OFFICER is engaged in a ???? discussion with a life-size holographic image of the PROPHET OF TRUTH and the PROPHET OF MERCY.
{{clear}}
----
==="Garland" Page===
[[File:C3earlyH2script7.png|thumb|The "garland" page.]]

:<span style="color:red">???????????????????????????????</span> and motions to the group of 
:<span style="color:red">BRUTES.</span>

::::<span style="color:red">TART</span>ARUS 
::<span style="color:red">??????????????</span>r of the Hierarchs. 
::<span style="color:red">Come, we are</span> leaving this system.

:<span style="color:red">The DERVISH star</span>es, dumbfounded, as TARTARUS exits the 
:<span style="color:red">remains of the c</span>ontrol room. The two BRUTE GUARDS lift the 
:<span style="color:red">container w</span>ith them, and heft it away from the 
:<span style="color:red">?????????</span>

:<span style="color:red">CLOSE O</span>N the DERVISH. Slowly, he raises his head to 
:<span style="color:red">???????</span> that he has caught the MONITOR’S garland.

:<span style="color:red">WIDE AN</span>GLE. SLOW ZOOM toward the gruesome ???? ??? ??? 
:<span style="color:red">???????</span> perimeter fills the right side of the frame.

{{Deleted Material}}
[[Category:Halo 2]]
[[Category:Deleted material]]
@@ Line 80: / Line 80: @@
 {{clear}}
 ----
+[[File:Holotank scene.png|thumb|A glimpse of the scene.]]
+::CORTANA
+::The data I retrieved was ??? indecisive. How can ONI be so ???
-==="Holotank" Page===
+???? away from the holo-tank on MIRANDA. She and JOHNSON can get a better look. LORD HOOD ???
-[[File:C3earlyH2script2.png|thumb|right|The "holotank" page.]]
-<span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">
-::::CORTANA
-::<span style="color:red">The Covenant</span> data I retrieved was
-::<span style="color:red">hardly deci</span>sive. How can ONI be so
-::<span style="color:red">certain?</span>
-:<span style="color:red">??????????????????</span> away from the holo-tank on MIRANDA. She
+::LORD HOOD
-:<span style="color:red">???????????????</span> and JOHNSON can get a better idea. LORD
+::Station, bring up this morning’s tac-record, time stamp delta-four-eleven.
-:<span style="color:red">HOOD ????????</span>
-:::LORD HOOD
-::Station, bring up this
-::morning’s tac-record, timestamp
-::delta-four-eleven.
-:<span style="color:red">CLOS</span>E ON the HOLO-TANK. Earth is in the center of the
-:<span style="color:red">ta</span>nk. The COVENANT fleet is packed tightly together a
-:<span style="color:red">g</span>ood distance away from Earth. The human fleet is
-:<span style="color:red">por</span>trayed in a loose line between Earth and the Covenant
-:<span style="color:red">fle</span>et.
-</span>
+FULL ON the HOLO-TANK. Earth is in the center of the tank. The COVENANT fleet is packed tightly together a good distance away from Earth. The human fleet is displayed in a loose line between Earth and the Covenant fleet.
+{{clear}}
 ----
 ==="Whole Career" Page===