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)

----
==="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}}
----

==="Holotank" Page===
[[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 
:<span style="color:red">???????????????</span> and JOHNSON can get a better idea. LORD 
:<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> 
    

----
==="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}}
----
==="Bracktanus" Page===
[[File:Garland scene.png|thumb|The "Bracktanus" page.]]
???? and motions to the group of ????

::BRACKTANUS
::of the Hierarchs.???? saving this system. 

, dumbfounded as TARTARUS ????? control room. The two BRUTE ????? lift the ????? them, and heft it away from the

??? is the DERVISH. Slowly, he raises his head to ???? that he has caught the MONITOR’S garland. 

???? SLOW ZOOM toward the garland until one third ???? perimeter fills the right side of the frame.

{{Deleted Material}}
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[[Category:Deleted material]]
@@ Line 241: / Line 241: @@
 {{clear}}
 ----
-==="Garland" Page===
+==="Bracktanus" Page===
-[[File:C3earlyH2script7.png|thumb|The "garland" page.]]
+[[File:Garland scene.png|thumb|The "Bracktanus" page.]]
+???? and motions to the group of ????
-:<span style="color:red">???????????????????????????????</span> and motions to the group of
+::BRACKTANUS
-:<span style="color:red">BRUTES.</span>
+::of the Hierarchs.???? saving this system.
-::::<span style="color:red">TART</span>ARUS
+, dumbfounded as TARTARUS ????? control room. The two BRUTE ????? lift the ????? them, and heft it away from the
-::<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
+??? is the DERVISH. Slowly, he raises his head to ???? that he has caught the MONITOR’S garland.
-:<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.
+???? SLOW ZOOM toward the garland until one third ???? perimeter fills the right side of the frame.
 {{Deleted Material}}
 [[Category:Halo 2]]
 [[Category:Deleted material]]