Halo: Escalation Issue 7

Halo: Escalation Issue 7 was released on June 25, 2014 and is the seventh comic in the Halo: Escalation series.

Plot synopsis
Issue #7 opens with Thorne remembering his childhood in New Phoenix and how his parents, both of them UNSC Army officers, died on Alluvion. Aboard Oaxaca Station, Thorne is awakened by Grant, who can't sleep well. Thorne and Grant talk about the former's nightmares about the attack on New Phoenix eight months ago. Despite the immediate reopening of the city, Thorne doesn't want to go. Grant insists that because the Infinity is under repair and they have nothing to do for three weeks, he should go to New Phoenix, and that she will accompany him as "backup". Two days later, the President of the UEG, Dr. Ruth Charet, presides over the reopening of the city. Thorne and Grant go to the former's house, where Grant discovers a holo-still of Thorne's graduation as a private with his grandparents and a Master Chief action figure bought by Thorne's grandmother.

While exploring the house, Thorne enters a room and discovers a holographic panel with Mozart music and a violin belonging to his grandmother. Thorne concludes that his grandmother was practicing violin when the attack occurred. Thorne decides they have had enough and wants to leave, but Grant tells him the story of how she was on her home planet, Arcadia, when it fell. Grant tells Thorne that he should be happy to have a home to return to and that his dreams are trying to tell him to relieve all the pain he has inside. Thorne decides he must honor his grandparents and plays his grandmother's violin.

Three weeks later, the Infinity is fully repaired, and Thorne no longer has nightmares about New Phoenix. He thanks Grant for the support and the Infinity makes a slipspace jump.

Trivia

 * Oaxaca Station is depicted with a docked, closely mirroring the appearance of Cairo Station and the docked in Halo 2.
 * Thorne's parents are shown using MA5 assault rifles (presumably MA5Ds), despite the Army's use of the related MA37.
 * This issue was being written during the time Thorne was in Halo 5: Guardians, by the time the issue was released though, scheduling issues with Ethan Peck made this impossible.

Related articles

 * Halo: Escalation