Keepsake

"It's just... It's sorta like a charm..."

— Parisa

A keepsake in remembrance of Cortana.

A keepsake, memento, or souvenir is a unique item that a person holds to be of special importance, reminding them of a person, place, or event. They range from photographs, holo-stills, trinkets, toys, and other memorabilia. Many are kept out of memory of the person who gave it or originally owned it. Being personal objects, they are mostly unrecognizable to outsiders. Within the United Nations Space Command armed forces, soldiers often pass along their dog tags as keepsakes for their comrades to remember them by. Although generally considered an unseemly act, and in the case of the United Nations Space Command, against protocol, some Covenant and human soldiers were known to keep souvenirs from fallen enemies as war trophies.

List of keepsakes

Individual	Items	Importance	Image
Arthoc	Ravager Rebound	Requisitioned by Arthoc prior to the assault on the UNSC stronghold at the wreckage of UNSC Mortal Reverie, he was so impressed with the weapon's performance, he kept it in his possession after the battle.
Atriox	Chainbreaker	A customized gravity mace forged by Atriox following the Algolis Invasion, whose blades are positioned to evoke the imagery of Doisac and its three moons - Soirapt, Warial, and Teash. This imagery also serves as the basis of the Mark of Atriox - the emblem of the Banished - making Chainbreaker a symbolic scepter of the Banished as a whole.
Benjamin Giraud	African tribal photograph	On October 20, 2552, Ben Giraud toured the streets of Old Mombasa and came across a vendor selling vintage print photographs. He admired the man's prints, having not seen any pictures like them since college, and purchased one depicting tribal Africans. Ben lost the souvenir later that day when the Covenant arrived and attacked Mombasa.
Carter-A259	A holo-still of his mother and father	Carter-A259 had a holostill containing an image of his parents who had perished when the Covenant attacked their homeworld of Biko in 2526.
Catherine Halsey	Dr. Halsey's personal journal	Halsey bought her journal when she was eighteen and used it to record her life for the next 42 years. Inside she wrote personal thoughts, scientific diagrams, potential theories, and sketches of people and places significant to her life.
Chloe Hall	James-005's Mark V MJOLNIR armor helmet	Before sacrificing himself to help Chloe escape, James gave her the helmet from his armor which Chloe would need to communicate with James' AI Lola.
Cortana	Installation 04's Activation Index	Cortana took the Activation Index from its owner 343 Guilty Spark so that he could not use it to fire the Halo ring. The Index's contents put a heavy toll on her memory, due to containing a hundred millennia's worth of biological and technological data recorded on the ring, but came to help as a means to activate Alpha Halo's replacement. When Cortana was destroyed, she left behind fragments of the Index which were taken by the Weapon.
Daisy-023	Teddy Bear keychain	Daisy once possessed a small teddy bear on a chain which she lost the day she was abducted into the Spartan-II program. Years later, her own flash clone gave one to her. Daisy kept it with her to the day she was killed in action.
Ur-Didact	Backdraft Cindershot	A special Cindershot requisitioned by Bitterness-of-the-Vanquished from the Ferrarius Assembler Vats for the Ur-Didact's personal use as Protector of the ecumene.
Dimah Tchakova	A stuffed toy	Dimah would occasionally comfort herself with a plush toy that she had taken with her to Corbulo Academy.
Emile-A239	Stolen Covenant contraband	Spartan Emile possessed an "impressive" collection of souvenirs taken from Covenant he had killed. This was in direct violation of Subsection Seven of the Cole Protocol, which stated all Covenant items should be scanned for tracking devices before being brought into human territory. However his superiors ignored this, due to being part of the Army instead of Navy.
Fernando Esparza	A holorecorder with a message from a wife and child	During his six months alone in space, Esparza would often watch the holorecorder message. Esparza later revealed that the device wasn't even his originally, but Esparza kept it because the message reminded the engineer of his own wife and daughter, Alitza and Iahlee Esparza.
Frank Kodiak	Type-1 energy sword	During the Covenant war, Frank Kodiak obtained an energy sword from a Sangheili warrior he had killed. Years later, he used the sword in a duel against N'tho 'Sraom, the Sangheili responsible for severing his right arm.	(A standard Covenant energy sword)
Gabriel Thorne	Gek 'Lhar's active camouflage module Paul DeMarco's / Gek 'Lhar's Energy Sword Grandparents Ayres vintage playing cards	During the Requiem Campaign, Fireteam Majestic leader Paul DeMarco saved Thorne's life by killing Gek 'Lhar. As a sign of gratitude, Thorne gifted DeMarco the Sangheili commander's sword while Thorne kept Gek's active camouflage module for himself. When DeMarco perished later on Ealen IV, his sword was left in the possession of Fireteam Bailey. Tedra Grant won his keepsake in a card game against Jones and soon lost it on poker night to Carlo Hoya. Thorne then joined in and started a new game using playing cards that he inherited from his grandparents. Thorne won the tribute with his lucky hand and expressed appreciation for his fallen friend.
Gek 'Lhar	13 dog tags belonging to several soldiers and Spartans.	Thirteen UNSC dog tags were attached to the left side of Gek's harness; these were taken from enemies he had killed, including a few Spartans. Among them was the dog tags of Rion Forge's companion and lover, Cade. After Gek's death, they were recovered by Paul DeMarco.
Hyperius	HUNTER-class Mjolnir helmet and breastplate Spartan fingers	Hyperius obtained these items through his status as a Spartan Killer within the Banished. Glibnub claims that Hyperius obtained the helmet and breastplate from Spartan Jameson Locke, though his fate is unknown.
Ignatio Delgado	Señora Sies	An M6-series handgun whose original furniture had been replaced with oak and carved into a "piece of art" over the course of three weeks by Delgado's uncle.
Ik'novus	Volatile Skewer	A farewell gift from Chieftain Avitus to Ik'novus before the latter's assignment to the Banished Bloodstars. Ik'novus would keep the weapon in his possession through the Battle for Zeta Halo, up until his death at the hands of John-117.
Jacob Keyes	Keyes' pipe	Keyes' pipe was a family heirloom. As he was not permitted to smoke aboard spacecraft, Keyes usually settled for chewing on it to aid concentration.
Jega 'Rdomnai	Jonah-B283's combat knife	After being grievously injured on the moon base Rangiren, the blademaster was given the recovered charred combat knife of the Spartan headhunter responsible for eliminating his Silent Shadow team. The vengeful Sangheili kept the damaged blade as a reminder of his hatred towards all Spartans.
John-117	A Quarter dollar, an antique United States coin. Jega 'Rdomnai's Bloodblade	The coin was used by Dr. Halsey to choose which of the potential children should become Spartans. Halsey let John keep the coin after he guessed correctly which side it would land on. It was taken from him when he was abducted for the Spartans, but returned years later by Franklin Mendez, recalling how John had broken its thieves' fingers. After he defeated Jega 'Rdomnai, John kept the Sangheili's personal Bloodblade as a memento.
John Forge	The ace of spades playing card	When Forge last saw his daughter, she told him to keep the card because it was lucky in the card games they played together, and she wanted him to have all the luck he could get when he was away fighting in the war. Forge kept the ace of spades playing card and later attached it to his left shoulder pauldron on his BDU. Years later his daughter would name her own ship the Ace of Spades in reference to this keepsake.
Kelly-087	Oathsworn	A series of shotguns customized by Kelly for use across various campaigns, emblazoned with her signature rabbit emblem.
Levu 'Mdama	M12 Warthog	Kaidon 'Mdama was a Sangheili traditionalist but was known to have eccentric tastes. Due to his eccentric tendecies, it was suspected that he was responsible for bringing a UNSC Warthog back to his clan's state as a battlefied trophy.	(A standard UNSC Warthog)
Linda-058	Nornfang (SRS99-S5) Nornfang (SRS99-S7 AM sniper rifle)	A series of sniper rifles customized by Linda for use across various campaigns. The S5 model was manufactured by Misriah Armory for their internal competitive sharpshooting team, but went missing at some point, eventually coming into the possession of Spartan Linda-058, who further hand-tuned and custom-crafted the rifle. The S7 model was used by Linda sometime after 2559.
Marcille Johnson	Familial photographs and holo-stills	Avery Johnson's aunt had many holostills in her home along with faded print photographs of long-dead relatives.
Michael Crespo The Rookie	Luna medallions	At the conclusion of the war, Mickey and the Rookie purchased circular medallions that resembled the surface of Earth's moon. The shocktroopers bought them to remember their common home, both having been born in Crisium City on Luna.	(Luna, Earth's only natural satellite)
Naomi-010	Planetarium lamp Dollhouse miniature chair	Naomi Sentzke was fascinated with toy dollhouses and Astronomy as a young girl. For her sixth birthday, Naomi's father planned to gift her a planetarium lamp, however, Naomi never received it as she was abducted into the Spartan-II program days before her birthday. Devastated by his daughter's disappearance, Staffan Sentzke took up crafting and kept the star lamp as a keepsake for years, well after the glassing of his homeworld, Sansar. Decades later, when Staffan learned Naomi was alive and well, he sent her the lamp and a miniature painted wooden chair.
Nina Kovan	Abbey Lime	Spartan Nina Kovan carried a modified SRS99-S7 AM sniper rifle with a custom appearance and modified scope, using it during Operation: VERTICAL UMBRAGE and the Battle for Zeta Halo, where it was eventually lost. While a replacement was found, Kovan remarked that it didn't compare with the original weapon.
Okro 'Vagaduun	Duelist Energy Sword	A Duelist Energy Sword taken from Toha 'Sumai, a renowned Sangheili blademaster, some time prior to March 2555 in a martial duel as part of 'Vagaduun's initiation into the Banished. Following 'Sumai's death, 'Vagaduun retrieved the Duelist Energy Sword from his former master's body and proceeded to carry it throughout his career in the Banished.
Parisa	A childhood photograph	Parisa had a photo of herself with a boy named John taken when they were six years old. John had saved her from drowning and promised to marry her. Two decades later, the now-Master Chief recognized himself in her photo but chose not to tell her who he really was.
Reth	Sangheili practice helmet	Reth, the Kig-Yar leader of the Redoubt on Metisette, was an art collector who acquired many pieces from other Covenant species through trade and theft. The most prized possession in his hoard was a Sangheili practice helmet that was carved from wood and painted black. Because Sangheili didn't part with their gifts easily, Reth had worked hard to pilfer this handmade item for his collection.
Rion Forge	A holo-still of her father	Rion kept a small holostill in her quarter's desk drawer aboard the Ace of Spades. It was a holostill of her father, Sergeant John Forge, which she had held onto since she was a little girl.
SPARTAN-B312	Jorge-052's dog tag	Jorge gave his dog tag to Noble Six shortly before he sacrificed himself to detonate the slipspace bomb to destroy the Long Night of Solace. Six kept them as a reminder of Jorge's heroism, while the Covenant continued to assault Reach. Though Six tried to give them to Emile-A239, Emile refused the offer and told Six to keep them since Jorge had chosen to give them to Six.
Tartarus	Fist of Rukt	Regarded as a holy weapon by the Jiralhanae, this gravity hammer was originally used by nomadic clans of Doisac prior to the Great Immolation, before becoming a ceremonial weapon for the ruling clan. It eventually passed from Maccabeus to his nephew Tartarus following a duel to the death in 2525. Tartarus would use the weapon for the duration of the Human-Covenant War, until his death in 2552.
Thel 'Vadam	Prophets' Bane	An ancient energy sword of the House of Vadam dating back before the ratification of the Writ of Union and the establishment of the Covenant. Formerly known as the "End of Night", it was retrieved by Thel 'Vadam in the aftermath of the Human-Covenant War and reforged using components of the energy sword that he used to assassinate the High Prophet of Truth during the Battle of Installation 00 in 2552. In the Arbiter's hands, it became a known instrument of change and self-determination across the Sangheili colonies.
Thomas Lasky	Cadmon Lasky's and Chyler Silva's dog tags. A shard of a Mgalekgolo's armor.	Lasky kept his brother Cadmon's dogtags after he was killed by Insurrectionists on Andesia, and then his friend Chyler's dogtags after she was killed by the Covenant during the Battle of Circinius IV. After the battle, the Master Chief gave Lasky a fragment of a dead Hunter's armor, which they had both worked together to kill.
Writh Kul Vrak'is	Pinpoint Needler	Writh Kul, a Kig-Yar Skirmisher in the Banished, possessed a modified and pinpoint-accurate Posu'gelka-pattern shard launcher. The weapon was originally an heirloom belonging to Vrak'is, a old pirate queen, who passed the Needler on to Writh Kul after they both played a game of liar's dice.
Makee (Silver Timeline)	The Dawn of Angels	A book belonging to her love interest Det before he was murdered by Obanian enforcers.

Gallery

• 

  A Spartan-IV with both John Forge's Ace of Spades and Daisy-023's teddy bear keychain in Halo Infinite multiplayer.