UNSC Forward Unto Dawn

The UNSC Forward Unto Dawn, Hull Classification Symbol FFG-201, often referred to as the Dawn, was a United Nations Space Command Frigate.

During the Second Battle of Earth, it was part of a formation of three UNSC frigates over the African Savannah. It fired its Magnetic Accelerator Cannon at a Covenant Loyalist group of one Assault Carrier and two CCS-class Battlecruisers that were in the distance, over the savannah that was the Cartographer Facility. Later, it was learned that 343 Guilty Spark was reconstructing a Halo Installation to replace the destroyed Installation 05, and that the Gravemind was remaking itself on this rebuilt Halo. SPARTAN-117, the Arbiter, and Avery J. Johnson dropped onto this installation by means of Pelican Dropship and infiltrated the Control Room despite heavy Flood resistance, attempting to activate Halo and kill the Gravemind. 343 Guilty Spark killed Johnson, but SPARTAN-117 was able to destroy 343 Guilty Spark and escape with the Arbiter in an M12 Warthog LRV from the exploding Halo and exfiltrate into the hangar bay of the empty Forward Unto Dawn.

The Arbiter took the bridge, accelerating away in a vertical climb away from the installation was it was destroyed as SPARTAN-117 clung for his life in the still-open hangar bay, and was nearly crushed by a M808 Scorpion MBT that was falling out of the Forward Unto Dawn ' s hangar. However, with Cortana's encouragement (also in the Forward Unto Dawn ' s computer systems), he was able to survive from the acceleration forces until the Arbiter attempted a Slipspace transition. The transition, however, sheared the frigate in half. The forward half of the vessel, including the Arbiter, was able to transition to Earth, where the Arbiter was recovered by the United Nations Space Command and honored for his role in defending Earth and upholding the UNSC. The latter half of the vessel, however, was still drifting near the destroyed Halo installation. Cortana warned SPARTAN-117 it might be a long time before they were found, and drops a distress signal while SPARTAN-117 seals himself in one of the Forward Unto Dawn ' s cryogenic chambers. However, after an undetermined amount of time, the Forward Unto Dawn ' s latter half was seen drifting towards an unidentified planet, upon which the game promptly concludes.