Protos-pattern Scarab

This article is about the Scarab model introduced in Halo 2. For other types of Scarab, see Scarab. For real-world uses of the word, see Scarab (disambiguation).

"We've all run the simulations. They're tough, but they ain't invincible!"

- Sergeant Major Avery Johnson

The Protos-pattern Fortress Breaker, known to humanity as the, is a type of Covenant Scarab quadrupedal mining platform and combat walker.

Design details
Like other patterns of Scarab, the Protos-pattern Scarab does not employ anti-gravity propulsion to move, instead using a quadrupedal leg assembly for locomotion. While slow and lumbering in its movement, these jointed legs are very powerful, capable of crushing vehicles ranging from civilian cargo trucks to M808B Scorpion tanks. Atop these four legs rests an ovoid main body with a flattened top that grants passengers an elevated firing position. An arching gangway hangs over this flat platform, providing passengers some additional cover and allowing access to the Scarab's forward plasma repeater. Toward the rear of the upper gangway is a ramp lowers into the body of the Protos, leading into an interior cabin that can accommodate up to twenty passengers. At the front of this cabin is a command center filled with control screens. An energy shield can be produced in front of the corridor leading to the passenger cabin in order to hamper boarding actions.

Like the other patterns of Scarab, the Protos utilizes hundreds of Rhulolekgolo as a gestalt intelligence, controlling its exoskeleton. The Protos-pattern Scarab is also known to utilize specialized sensor arrays designed for artifact-retrieval purposes.

Armament
Protos-pattern Scarabs are armed with a fine-tunable ultra-heavy focus cannon and two separate suspensor-mounted heavy plasma repeaters that are optimized for anti-air use. Its focus cannon is known to be capable of leveling entire cities and is among the most powerful to ever be mounted on a Covenant combat walker.

Development history
The Protos-pattern Scarab is seemingly an old design or its development history was purposefully kept top secret by the Covenant hierarchy as its origins were known even to the Covenant that were assigned to serve on these hulking machines. Even though it was already lauded as an extremely powerful combat walker, the Covenant experimented with significantly augmented versions of the Protos-pattern Scarab that never entered full production.

Operational History
"You may find this hard to believe, but most people find Scarabs to be rather unsettling."

- Cortana to John-117, during the Battle of Mombasa

The Covenant rarely used the Protos-pattern Scarab in direct combat, using it more as a specialized artifact-retrieval vehicle during the Human-Covenant War. The features of this Scarab were rarely observed by human forces, as Protos-pattern Scarabs quickly burned their way through UNSC defenses.

During the Battle of Meridian, the Covenant used a Protos-pattern Scarab to excavate a Forerunner artifact beneath the town of Brume-sur-Mer. It wad destroyed when Owen-B096, Victor Gallardo, Dorian Nguyen, Evelyn Rousseau and Saskia Nazari destroyed the energy shield surrounding the dig site with skinners, with the chain reaction also taking out the Scarab. However, when Salome showed Evie and Dorian footage of the dig site, they discovered that Covenant's Huragok were attempting to repair the Scarab.

Unprecedented numbers of the Protos-pattern Scarab were deployed during the Fall of Reach and later the Battle for Earth. When the High Prophet of Regret invaded Earth, he deployed at least five Scarabs to Mombasa, Africa, with at least two of them be the Protos-patterns. Two Scarabs were placed in New Mombasa, while another three were deployed in Old Mombasa. One of the Scarabs in New Mombasa was apparently charged with destroying the Mombasa Tether, though John-117 managed to board and destroy the walker mere minutes before Solemn Penance jumped into slipstream space. Shortly after, the managed to disable another Protos in the city with its MAC. A nearby detachment of UNSC Marines promptly engaged the surviving Covenant forces in an attempt to recover the Scarab for themselves.

During the Battle of Installation 05, a Protos was parked at a Jiralhanae encampment close to Installation 05's Control Room. During an attack by Arbiter Thel 'Vadam, several UNSC prisoners escaped and Sergeant Avery Johnson took control of the Scarab. Communicating from its control center, Johnson negotiated a truce with the Arbiter to stop their mutual enemy Tartarus from activating the Halo Array. Johnson proceeded to drive the Scarab to the Control Room, escorted by the Arbiter in a Banshee along with other Covenant separatist forces. Upon reaching the Control Room, Johnson used the Scarab's focus cannon to blow open the sealed doors before parking the machine and disembarking to directly aid in stopping Tartarus within the Control Room.

Halo 2
The Halo 2 Scarab was almost indestructible and immune to damage in the game. Its movement was entirely scripted, and no damageable parts appear to have been coded for it. It was only destroyed in a cutscene. When the Protos-pattern Scarab fires, some molten, green liquid (possibly coolant or excess plasma) will leak out below the main cannon. The forward plasma turret could be destroyed with just a few melee attacks, as could the rear plasma turret. The flaps on the main gun could be destroyed only by using a Scorpion tank. Also, the underside grate could be destroyed.

Production notes
When the Protos was first introduced in Halo 2, it was originally intended to play an even larger role in the game's narrative. In the original cut of the game's ending on the level "Earth Ark," the Master Chief would have had to face down two Protos-pattern Scarabs outside the "Ark" on Earth. When Earth Ark was cut, two Scarabs were intended to play a large role on The Great Journey instead—with the two shown in storyboards patrolling the exterior of the control room.

Trivia

 * In Halo 2, the player can obtain the "Scarab Gun" on the level Outskirts and Metropolis. The weapon uses the chassis, though it fires the same plasma stream as the Scarab's main gun, never overheats, and can fire indefinitely. Obtaining the Scarab Gun in Halo 2 for Windows Vista rewards the player with an achievement. Obtaining the Scarab Gun in Halo: The Master Chief Collection will grant the player the Scarab Lord achievement for.
 * In the game world, the Scarab encountered in Halo 2's Metropolis is the only one that the player cannot directly destroy and must board and take out its crew. In the other games, the Scarabs fought by the players have vulnerable reactor cores located at the back that can be targeted to destroy the vehicle aside from the Super Scarab in Halo Wars.

List of appearances

 * Halo 2
 * Halo Graphic Novel
 * Second Sunrise over New Mombasa
 * Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe
 * Palace Hotel
 * Halo 4
 * Halo 2: Anniversary
 * Halo: Meridian Divide
 * Halo Infinite: Memory Agent