The Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn trailer is a trailer for the live-action series, Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn. The trailer was first posted on Machinima's YouTube channel and Halo Waypoint on July 12, 2012. The trailer runs for 3 minutes and 22 seconds.

Transcript

The trailer begins with a wide shot of the mountainous terrain surrounding Corbulo Academy of Military Science. A space elevator is seen atop the central hill and three moons appear in the sky.

The scene cuts to a lecture theatre. A number of cadets stand around a holotank. Mehaffey leads the lecture. The hologram shows a battle plan of the Battle of Cannae.

• Colonel Mehaffey: "The pincer movement. Red represents the Romans' troops. Blue Hannibal's. When the Romans attacked, Hannibal's cavalry galloped in from behind. The Romans were completely surrounded."

• Junjie Chen: "How do we apply this?"

The scene switches briefly to a number of Single Occupant Exoatmospheric Insertion Vehicles falling through the atmosphere.

• Colonel Mehaffey: "Drop behind enemy lines... attack from the rear.. and neutralize."

Between Mehaffey's lines, the scene switches back and forth to the cadets advancing through gunfire in a forest on an exercise. They take cover.

• Walter Vickers: "Prepare to attack."

• Thomas Lasky (exhausted): "You're gonna get us all killed."

• Walter Vickers: "They're my orders."

• Thomas Lasky: "I don't care. Axios!"

Lasky breaks cover and runs out into the forest. He is soon shot by a Tactical Training Round. An instructor, April Orenski, stands over him.

• April Orenski (disapproving): "You ignored orders."

• Thomas Lasky: "It's just another casualty, sir."

• April Orenski: "Unacceptable."

The scene cuts to a montage of training at Corbulo Academy. General Black addresses a line of cadets.

• General Black (shouting): "This academy represents honor... valor... allegiance. I... am..."

Scene cuts quickly between the general and Lasky talking to his brother over a video call.

• Cadmon Lasky: "Hey, 'lil bro!"

• General Black: "...worthy!"

• Cadmon Lasky: "...I miss you, buddy."

• Thomas Lasky: "I miss you too."

• General Black (addressing Lasky, angry): "You are anything but!"

The scene cuts to Lasky walking through the Academy, clearly shunned by his fellow cadets.

• Junjie Chen (to Lasky, angry): "Our combat score sucked because of you."

• Colonel Mehaffey (to a troubled Lasky, in her office): "Many, when they first arrive, hate this place."

Lasky is seen falling out of a cryo tube and vomiting bronchial surfactant. He and other cadets are shown preparing for combat.

• Michael Sullivan: "Let's go!"

The cadets arm their rifles and dress up.

• Chyler Silva (Voiceover): "You want people to change?

Scene cuts to Silva talking to Lasky outside.

• Chyler Silva: "Then you're going to need people to follow you."

The scene cuts to a mess hall. Vickers roughly shoves past Lasky. Lasky lashes out and the two start fighting.

• Colonel Mehaffey (to Lasky): "There's a soldier inside of you, Thomas. I can see it. You need to see it."

Scene briefly cuts to Lasky fighting Vickers while everyone watches. Several cadets, wearing battle dress and armed with MA5 assault rifles, run down a corridor.

Cut to Lasky and Silva sitting on a cargo container near the space elevator. Silva examines a note.

• Chyler Silva: "What does this mean? You're leaving?"

Cut to General Black then to Lasky is seen marching past a Warthog, saluting. Scene changes back to Lasky and Silva, who begin to kiss. Their kiss is interrupted by the alarms suddenly going off and the academy's personnel rushing up the stairs.

• Marine: "This is not a drill! Move! Move!"

Lasky and Silva run up to the rest. Several cadets and Marines are seen running down a hallway.

• Thomas Lasky: We're under attack.

Everyone looks up, seemingly into the sky as lightning strikes.

• Thomas Lasky: "What the hell are those things?"

Explosions pepper the cadets as they run for cover.

• Thomas Lasky: "Go!"

Cadets scramble and fall down as explosions continue to pepper. Michael Sullivan speaks into a wall-mounted intercom unit.

• Michael Sullivan: "Mayday!"

The camera cuts around the room frantically. A door is burst from its hinges. A Stealth Sangheili approaches the cadets, creating a ripple in a pool of water. As the cadets cower, an MA5 is heard discharging outside the room and the Sangheili lets out a quick scream. As the cadets cower, John-117 steps through the doorway.

• John-117: "Stay close to me. I'm your best chance for survival."

Several cadets are seen running around outside. The shot then changes to Orbital Drop Shock Troopers firing at Covenant forces off screen.

• Vickers: "It's a whole new war."

The camera briefly cuts Orenski then to what appears to be Insurrectionist graffiti on a wall. It shows an upward-held fist and the phrase "EX-TERRA". Scenes of combat continue to be shown. Lasky is seen taking cover next to Silva.

• Thomas Lasky: "You okay?"

• Chyler Silva: "Go!"

The combat continues. Two cadets in battle dress are seen locking hands. Silva, tired, closes her eyes in despair.

• Lasky: "Chief!"

John turns to face a threat behind him and fires his MA5 one-handed; he is then shown running while firing his M6 handgun. Some cadets and the Spartan board a Warthog.

• John-117: "Drive!"

The Warthog speeds ahead. More shots of combat are shown.

THIS FALL

John and several cadets are seen running as explosions go off around them.

THE STORY

There is a closeup shot of John as he slowly turns his head to face the camera.

OF HALO 4

Lasky runs through a forest.

BEGINS AT DAWN

John jumps from the roof of one of the academy's buildings toward the camera.

HALO 4: FORWARD UNTO DAWN

• Cortana: "Mayday, mayday! Forward Unto Dawn. Immediate evac. 117."

• Thomas Lasky (now a commander): "Play it again, please."

10.5.12

Trivia

• The graffiti seen in the trailer is a mirrored and grayscaled version of an Insurrectionist symbol seen on several multiplayer maps in Halo Wars.
• Cortana's distress signal from the end of the trailer is taken directly from early test audio for Halo 4.