Halo: Battle for the Academy – Part 2
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Halo: Battle for the Academy – Part 2 is an entry in the Halo Waypoint Chronicle series published by Halo Studios, released on June 6, 2025. The story is the second and last tying in with the "Firefight: Battle of the Academy" playlist in the Last Stand multiplayer operation in Halo Infinite. The story's premise follows the Banished invasion to the Avery J. Johnson Academy of Military Science, now lead by the former Spartan Ilsa Zane, while also brings a conclusion to the multiplayer narrative Halo Infinite started on Season 02: Lone Wolves.[2] As with Part 1, Part 2 is included in the 2026 print anthology collection Halo: Waypoint Chronicles - Volume One,[3] withthe audiobook version of the chronicle being narrated by Camilla Arfwedson, Sigrid Eklund's voice actress.[1]
Official Summary[edit]
| “ | March 2560. The Spartans and marines of the Avery J. Johnson Academy attempt to hold the line as the Banished invasion begins. | ” |
Plot Synopsis[edit]
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In 1532 hours, immediately after the first part, at the Hesychius Mountains, the Banished adhere to the rare tradition of parley, a practice established by Atriox from its fledgling start and based on the ancient Sangheili formation; very rare do Banished engagements end bloodlessly. Ilsa Zane, the negotiator, steps forward, to her left daskalo Chieftain Atticus, who serves as parley advisor.
Zane chooses to forgo a bodyguard, a bold statement of her confidence and strength. They have spent several hours past arrival scouting the area, identifying strategic spots for their impending invasion and scouting local outposts, while Atticus shares insights on the political landscape of the Banished. A hundred meters away, Commander Laurette Agryna approaches in an M15 Razorback, accompanied by two other Spartans, including Sigrid Eklund and Hieu Dinh, the latter who Zane chillingly recognizes.
The Banished Spartan sharpens on the Commander, demanding Iratus' return in exchange for sparing the lives of her enemies. She offers a deal: The AI, and preferably Dinh, then her forces withdraw without bloodshed. Agryna, unyielding in look and answer, refuses; Zane smiles at Agryna's refusal.
The clouds part to reveal Ghost of Kholo looming overhead and deploying drop bases and pods, unleashing alien warriors eager for battle. Banshees emerge as protective escorts for the Phantom dropships. Zane and Atticus head toward an FOB while Agryna and her Spartans retreat to the Academy to mount defenses. The warriors of Zane's clan brace for their formidable challenge yet, with the opportunity to earn the title of Spartan Killers.
Three hours later at 1849 hours on the main campus, Spartan Eusebio finds himself under heavy fire from a Banshee, which tears through the drop wall he has deployed. The plasma blasts sizzle against the shoulder and chest of his MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor, prompting him to roll for cover behind a concrete barrier. As he observes the incoming Banished drop pods, he reflects on his Orbital Drop Shock Trooper past, now questioning whether this battle will end in little hours.
Agryna calls for Eusebio's attention, signaling him with hand gestures to prepare for the oncoming assault. Eusebio responds by leveling his VK78 Commando at the advancing Banished forces. Agryna mirrors his actions, taking down three Unggoy and a Jiralhanae with her rifle and then using her Mk50 Sidekick to headshot a Kig-Yar pair before instructing her team to fall back to a designated waypoint. She communicates with Eklund, who is struggling to hold her position at a relay junction, running low on ammo.
Agryna assigns Dinh to gather O'Brien and Sinclair to assist Eklund while she, Eusebio, and Denning head for the bay door. Agryna grapples with the grim odds, questioning her decisions and whether she has adequately prepared her Spartans for the onslaught—simulations consistently had lessons learned and lives saved.
Dinh reaches Eklund, who is focused on the Banished frontlines. Their banter on past experiences at Dansenia and New Berlin is cut short as Eklund instructs O'Brien to cover her while she reloads. O'Brien, as ordered, engages a Jiralhanae Berserker with her rifle, but is pinned against a wall, shields depleted by concentrated fire. Sinclair mounts and knifes multiply the Jiralhanae's shoulders to save her but is thrown aside by the Berserker, the wall smash dislodging his helmet and making him spit mouthfuls of blood.
Dinh distracts the Berserker with his M392 DMR while Eklund avoids another Jiralhanae's gravity hammer, but the Berserker gets to and crushes Sinclair's head with both bloodsoaked fists, before which the collapsed Spartan gives a middle finger. Dinh empties his CQS48 Bulldog killing the Berserker, avenging Sinclair as the alien drops atop his corpse. Dinh tells Eklund, who tossed the shotgun aside, to retreat inside, sealing the bulkhead door behind them while carrying the knocked-out O'Brien.
A few moments later, Eklund directs medics to assist O'Brien while Dinh expresses concern about their limited time. Agryna contacts them, outlining a lockdown plan: Put anyone on gate duty, get Marines take WIA to medbay, and meet her at Ops West. The Commander elaborates that fireteams are enacting the Cole Protocol as part of damage limitation. Before they can strategize more, Iratus interrupts, asserting control and opening all doors and gates in the Academy, then Banished troops pour in, inviting more chaos.
The following day at 0327, aboard Sword of Conjunction, Shipmistress Vedu 'Ehtar rises from her command chair as her ship exits slipspace, Nysa visible through the bridge's viewport. The crew, a mix of Sangheili and Humans, begins processing incoming data from the ship sensors. A holographic representation of Nysa appears in the center of the room, updating in a few centals with critical intel.
Ensign Sethu reports that scout-eyes have been launched and are approaching the target area. The visual feeds from the probes display a dire scene: Phantom dropships are converging on Nysa's Academy facilities, and Banished occupational infrastructure spreads on the whole continent. War skiffs and Qavardu Workshop Gravemaker battle-nests emerge from outposts, while a Barukaza Workshop siege-hauler craft fleet transports supplies from the Banished dreadnought.
Shipmistress 'Ehtar had hoped to engage the Banished with her ship, but realizes that attacking such a massive dreadnought with her frigate would be suicidal due to their lack of firepower and comparatively below-third tonnage. Instead, their mission is to assess the situation and utilize their speed to reach Nysa quickly.
Lieutenant Mercer informs her that UNSC Fearful Symmetry is on the line. 'Ehtar confirms the connection, and Jun-A266 appears, ready to receive her assessment. She informs him of the full-scale invasion and that evacuation procedures must begin as soon as his ship, at the Hyades system edge, arrives.
Jun acknowledges her command, and his hologram disappears, leaving 'Ehtar to ponder the human's "lay the table" metaphor, embodying her peculiarly frequent experience of their figures of speech. She orders the launch of Banshee talons—Amity, Harmony, and Sympathy Wings—to harass Banished to cover the evacuation. She also directs the Riftborn operatives to prepare for immediate deployment, ensuring that her crew is ready to act as soon as Fearful Symmetry arrives.
Ten minutes later at the deployment bay, Ovi 'Taar and Spartan Adrian Vesco gear up with their fellow Riftborn operatives—Babych, 'Toizari, Prentis, and 'Ookol—when the order to drop arrives. Vesco stows an Erudo'ma'keth-pattern pulse carbine while 'Taar fixes an M739 SAW to his pod. 'Taar jokes about his rank being "private," and then Unggoy prebattle cowardice.
Once inside their stealth-specialized Yado-pattern Intrusion Carapace, they synchronize their TEAMCOM and TEAMBIO systems. A Sangheili officer expresses clan and kin in victory and gives the countdown for deployment, and Ve