The Truth and Reconciliation (Level)

Looking for Truth and Reconciliation, the ship?

The Truth and Reconciliation is the level where you will board the Covenant ship, the Truth and Reconciliation, by using a Gravity Lift and save Captain Keyes. This is the first level in which Hunters and Energy Sword-wielding Elites will appear. No vehicles are usable in this level. Hardcore Halo fans often regard this as the hardest level, across the trilogy, when played on Legendary.

This level's story is possibly the most important of the game (besides possibly 343 Guilty Spark), as it is largely based on Keyes. You'll venture to the Covenant's equivalent of the Pillar of Autumn, and navigate through it to find Captain Keyes and rescue him from the Covenant's grasp. But you'll have to guide him along with some other handy Marines out of the Truth and Reconciliation into a Covenant "Spirit" Dropship to get you to the next chapter.

Usable Weapons

 * Assault Rifle
 * Sniper Rifle
 * Frag Grenade
 * Plasma Pistol
 * Plasma Rifle
 * Needler
 * Plasma Grenade
 * Shade

Part 01: Truth and Reconciliation
{pan across plateau with Covenant ship above it}

Cortana: The enemy has captured Captain Keyes, and are holding him aboard one of their cruisers, the Truth and Reconciliation. The ship is currently holding position approximately three hundred meters above the other end of this plateau.

{Pelican Echo 419 comes into view, it starts to land}

Marine: So how do we get inside the ship if it's in the air? The Corps issued me a rifle, not wings.

Sergeant Johnson: There's a Gravity Lift that ferries troops and supplies between the ship and the surface. That's our ticket in.

{the Pelican lands}

Cortana: Once we get inside the ship, I should be able to lock on to the tracking signal from Captain Keyes' neural implants.

Sergeant Johnson: Hit it Marines, go go go! The Corps ain't payin' us by the hour!

{the Marines head forward}

Cortana: Stick to the higher ground on the right. We should be able to recon the Covenant position without being spotted. I'm detecting Covenant stationary guns near the next pass. I recommend using your Sniper Rifle to take out the gunners while I call for Marine support. (over radio) Get ready to move in to support us, Sergeant. The Master Chief is going to covertly take out as many of the Covenant as he can. Don't open fire until you hear the enemy return fire on us. That should let us keep the element of surprise.

{Once the Covenant see you}

Sergeant Parker: Let 'em have it!

{Marines open fire}

Cortana: Alert! A Covenant is making a run for that stationary gun. Take him out!

{Once the area is secure}

Marine: Hey, we did it! Right behind ya, Chief!

Cortana: Stop. Motion Tracker shows movement around the next bend.

Sergeant Parker: We're ready to advance as soon as you call for us, Cortana.

{As you move further up the plateau}

Cortana: Covenant forces detected up ahead. The path up on the left should let us sneak up around them.

Marine 3: We'll hang back while you get into position, Chief.

Cortana: Cortana to Fire Team Charlie. The Chief has the left flank secure. Get ready to move up the middle.

Marine 3: Roger that.

{After you take out the last of the Shades}

Cortana: Alert! Covenant Dropships are inbound!

{After area is secure}

Cortana: We're directly under the ship now.

Marine: Alright! Are we bad or what?

Marine 2: Mother of God...I'd never thought I'd get so close to one of these things. How are we gonna get inside that monster?

{or}

Marine 3: If we're gonna board that thing, we need a plan.

Cortana: The Covenant use a Gravity Lift to ferry troops and supplies between the ship and the surface. We need to ambush them at the loading zone, and use the lift to enter the ship.

(during the fight)

Marine 3: Contact, enemy in sight!

{or}

Sergeant Parker: Covenant forces sighted! Let's hit 'em Charlie Team.

Marine: Crap, those stationary guns are gonna tear us to pieces!

(as another dropship approaches)

Cortana: Alert! Covenant dropships are inbound!

Marine: Man, there's always something.

(when you kill everything)

Cortana: Cortana to Echo 419. We've reached the gravity lift and are ready for reinforcements.

Foe Hammer: Copy that, Cortana. Hang tight, gentlemen. Foe Hammer out.

Cortana: Once we're inside the ship, I can home in on the Captain's command-neural interface. He'll probably be in or near the ship's brig, which should narrow our search.

Foe Hammer: Echo 419 inbound, clear the drop zone.

Sergeant Parker: Everybody out!

(Cinematic - everyone piles onto the gravity lift)

Part 02: Into the Belly of the Beast
Marine: Whoa! (as he begins to float into the air)

Marine 2: Yeehaw!

(Once you get inside)

Cortana: We're in. I've got a good lock on the Captain's CNI transponder. No Covenant defenses detected.

Marine: What, there's no Covenant here? I think maybe nobody's home.

(As the Covenant begin to attack)

Marine: Contact! Lots of contact!

Marine 2: 'No Covenant!' Ya had to open your mouth!

(Once you kill everything)

Marine 3: Area secure, Sir. We'd better keep moving. How about that door?

(As you come to a massive blast door)

Marine 3: The door's locked Sir. I can't bypass it. We can't get through here.

Cortana (O.S.): We can use the side passages to find a way around.

Sergeant Parker: We'd be sitting ducks in that narrow space. We'll hold this position until you can find your way around and open the door from the other side, Chief.

Cortana: Chief, let's see if we can find a way to open this door.

(As you approach a large hangar)

Cortana: Wait. That's the locked door down there. The Marines are waiting on the other side. The controls to open it must be somewhere in this room.

(As you open the door)

Marine 2: All clear sir!

Cortana: We should get moving.

Marine 3: Alright, everybody stay cool. Yell if you see anything.

(As you enter the big docking bay)

Cortana: Cortana to Echo 419. Requesting reinforcements at our position.

Foe Hammer: Foe Hammer here, Cortana ... I read you, but you're inside the Covenant ship. I'm not sure I can -

Cortana (O.S.): Lock onto my signal and approach fast and low. There's a shuttle bay on the ship's starboard side.

Foe Hammer: Roger, Cortana - Echo 419 on approach.

(As you run around killing things inside the big docking bay)

Marine: Hey, which way should we go now? All the doors on this level are locked!

Cortana (O.S.): Wait a moment. I'm going to access the Covenant Battlenet and locate an override code to open a door.

Marine: You'd better hurry Cortana, we can't hold them off all day.

(As the Hunters emerge into the bay)

Cortana (O.S.): Working on it. (mumbling off speaker) I'd like to see YOU crack a 128,000-bit modulating encryption key.

(Once you kill the two Hunters)

Cortana: Got it. The door is open. Everyone should move through now. I can't guarantee that it won't lock again when it closes.

(If everyone's dead, as you approach the second level of the docking bay)

Cortana: I'm going to call for reinforcements. There's no sense going in with anything less than full strength. (O.S.) Cortana to Foe Hammer. We need additional support troops. We're going to open the shuttle bay door again. Move in and drop off reserve troops on my signal.

Foe Hammer: I copy Cortana. Echo 419 standing by for your signal.

(As you disengage the energy shield over the bay doors)



Cortana (radio): Cortana to Echo 419. The shuttle bay door is open. You can start your approach.

Foe Hammer: Roger. Echo 419 inbound.

(Once you reach the ship's bridge and kill everything)

Cortana: This looks like the ship's command center. The Captain's transponder signal is strong, he must be close.

Marine: This looks like a good spot, Chief. We'll mind the store here while you go find the Captain, good luck sir.

(When you come across an empty brig)

Cortana: We must be in the brig. These look like holding cells. There are probably multiple detention stations. The Captain must be in one of them. We need to keep looking.

(When you come across a full detention center)

Marine 4: It's the Chief!

Marine 5: Chief! Chief!

Marine 4: Chief, lemme out man!

(When you kill everything)

Captain Keyes: Good work, Chief.

Marine 5: That was amazing, sir, you really kicked the shi - (trails off)

Captain Keyes: Stow it, Corporal! Let's get these cells open, Chief. The power control's along the back wall.

(Once you open the cells-Cinematic)

Marine 4: Wow!

Captain Keyes: Coming here was reckless. You two know better than this....thanks. (Pause) Marines! Lock and load your weapons, let's be ready to move.

Marine 4: Okay, Sir.

Marine 5: Yes, Sir.

Captain Keyes: While the Covenant had us locked up in here, I overheard the guards talking about this ring world. They call it... "Halo."

Cortana (O.S.): One moment, sir. Accessing Covenant battlenet. (Pause) According to the data in their networks, the ring has some kind of deep religious significance. If I'm analyzing this correctly...they believe that Halo is some kind of weapon. One with vast, unimaginable power.

Captain Keyes: Well...that's true. The Covenant kept saying, "Whoever controls Halo controls the fate of the universe."

Cortana (O.S.): Now I see...I have intercepted a number of messages about a Covenant search team, scouting for a "control room". I thought they were looking for the bridge of a cruiser I damaged in the battle above the ring. But they must be looking for Halo's control room.

Captain Keyes: That's bad news. If Halo is a weapon, and the Covenant gain control of it, they'll use it as a weapon and wipe out the entire human race. (Pause) Chief, Cortana. I have a new mission for you. We need to beat the Covenant to Halo's control room. Marines! Let's move!

Marine 5: Yes, Sir.

Marine 4: Okay, Sir.

Captain Keyes: Chief. You have the point.

Part 03: Shut Up and Get Behind me...Sir


(After fighting your way to the bridge, two cloaked commandos attack you, and any marines you left behind here have been killed)

Cortana: We made it! (O.S.) Cortana to Echo 419. We have the captain and need extraction on the double.

Foe Hammer: Negative Cortana, I've been engaged by Covenant air patrols, and I'm havin' a tough time shakin' 'em. You'll be better off findin' your own ride. Sorry.

Cortana (O.S.): Acknowledged, Foe Hammer. Cortana out. (To Keyes) Air support is cut off, Captain. We need to hold here until she can move in.

Marine 4: Aw, man! We're trapped in here! We're screwed! We're screwed, man!

{or}

Marine 5: Oh great! Now we're trapped here. We're screwed!

Captain Keyes: Stow the bellyaching, soldier. Remember you're a leatherneck. Cortana, if you and the Chief can get us into one of those Covenant dropships, I can fly us outta here.

Cortana (O.S.): Yes, Captain. There's a Covenant dropship still docked.

(Once you release the dropship from the clamps-cinematic)

Cortana: That's it, the dropship is loose.

Captain Keyes: Everybody, mount up, let's get onboard.

Cortana (O.S.): Give me a minute to interface with the ship's controls.

Captain Keyes: No, no need. I'll take this bird out myself.

Cortana (O.S.): Captain! Hunters!

Captain Keyes: Hang on!

(He rams the two Hunters with the dropship)

Marine 6: Nice one, Sir!

Captain Keyes: Time for a little payback.

(The Spirit flys out, fade to black)

(In a few seconds the mood is totally changed with the starting of the Silent Cartographer.)

{If Captain Keyes dies at some point}

Cortana: No! Without the Captain... (Sad, slow and mopey) the Covenant have already won...

{or}

Cortana: No! We lost the captain...

Legendary Walkthrough
This level is a sniper's dream. You start with 64 extra rounds for your trusty S2 AM Sniper Rifle (you can normally only carry 24). And if you play your cards right, you can go through 404 rounds by the end of the level. Playing on Legendary, you'll need every one of them.

Since we'll be relying on our sniper rifle throughout much of the level, I'll take a moment to impart some sniping tips. Things to do with your sniper rifle:


 * Be patient. You're not being timed.
 * Stay on the 2X zoom mode when you're looking for something to shoot. Zoom in further when you know exactly where a target's going to be.
 * Wait for enemies to wander into your sights. Resist the urge to chase them down with your crosshairs.
 * Keep your rifle fully loaded. Even grunts can take multiple hits to finish them off if you fail to hit them in the head. You don't want to have to reload when you've got a Covie on the ropes.
 * Always aim for the head. Well, unless you're shooting at hunters. Then aim for the orange meaty bits.
 * Hands and feet are fair game. Some enemies die if you shoot them in the toe. Alien physiology is strange indeed.
 * Run away. Getting hit knocks you out of zoom mode for a reason. Once you're discovered, go find another spot to shoot from. The Covenant will soon settle back down and start wandering if they don't see you.
 * If an enemy in a Shade is turned towards you, shoot below and to the side of the gunner's shield. You can hit them in the arm.
 * Red elites will always take at least two shots to kill. One for the shields, one through their head. If they're turned away from you, they're less likely to dodge the second shot.

Truth and Reconciliation
As the level begins, Cortana tells the marines to stay put while you move in to thin the ranks of the Covenant. There's a nice little rock with a crook in it you can snipe through against the wall on the right. Get comfy and start shooting. Take out the Shade gunner then hit the closest enemies first (or the ones most likely to see you) and work your way back. There are two minor elites, two jackals, and seven grunts here.

If you leave one grunt alive, you can stealthily move into this area far enough to trigger the next group of Covenant without getting your marines involved. Quickly retreat and you can continue to snipe from safety. One minor elite and two grunts will rush into the area. They are followed by four grunts, which are then followed by two jackals. You can get a checkpoint without the Covenant even seeing you.

Head slowly into the next area and you should see a few grunts and a jackal pacing around on top of the ledge in front of you. Sniping them will trigger a minor elite and a few more grunts to move into the open to the left of the ledge. Finish them off and move forward. Be careful here. There's a major elite that likes to hide in the little cul-de-sac to the right at the base of the ledge. And there's a Shade near him on the ledge that's easy to miss. Kill the Major and the turret.

There is a health pack here and two boxes of ammo for your sniper rifle. Don't pick up either of these yet. There are 16 rounds in each box, so unless you're 16 or more rounds from a full load, you'll end up losing some if you pick up a box. Even if you're just one round shy of a full load, you can still pick up a box of ammo. You'll just pick up 1 bullet while the other 15 disappear into thin air. So throughout this walkthrough, unless it's an emergency only pick up one box of ammo at a time, and only if you have 8 or less extra rounds for your rifle. You might have to do a lot of backtracking, but it's worth it.

Now that we have that squared away, there are a total of two minor elites, one major elite, one jackal, and fourteen grunts in this area. You should still have one elite and about half the grunts to deal with, so move on ahead and take them out. Snipe the elite if you can then switch to your assault rifle. One of the few things the assault rifle is good for is mowing down gaggles of grunts, and there are many here to mow. Three of the grunts usually come from around the corner leading to the next area, so keep an eye out for them. You might want to switch your assault rifle out now for something more useful. I'd suggest the plasma rifle.

The next area includes a minor and a major elite, four jackals, and nine or ten grunts for your sniping pleasure. There are two ways up here. One goes through the middle and the other curves around to the left. One of the elites should come wandering up to the ledge just to the left of the middle way up. Shoot him then head around to the left and you'll find two jackals to kill. Further around to the left you might be able to take out the major domo elite, but he's tricky. Snipe as much as you can from down below, going back and forth and sneaking around as necessary, then move up on the left.

This area gets messy. Once you move up the marines will engage the Covenant creating what seems like total chaos after all that sniping. Try to stay under cover and snipe as much as you can. Use the chaos to take out anyone in the Shades then go for the minor elite and jackals. Be careful of the Shade tucked away in the far left corner. You'll be coming up near it, and it's almost always manned. To make matters worse, a Covenant dropship will soon arrive. It's carrying one major elite, three jackals, and one grunt. To make matters better, there's an active camouflage tucked away in the trees. Grab it if things start to get really nasty. Then run around and bash things in the back. Another bit of advice that holds for the entire game, but is especially relevant here, is to ignore the marines. While it is an awful lot of fun to rush in with them and try to save as many as you can, it will make you're job considerably easier to hang back and use the confusion they create to snipe at some of the nastier enemies, like Elites.

A narrow corridor leads to the final outdoor area of this level. If you move towards it, a minor and a major elite and three or four grunts will rush out to greet you. Trigger them from the ledge above. This will make your job of raining grenades on them that much easier. These are the first enemies in the level you can't really snipe, so if grenades don't work you'll have to vent as much plasma as you can on them as they run around to get to you. By now you'll probably need that health kit and a box of sniper rifle ammo, so head back and get them.

As you move ahead, you'll see one last rock against the wall on the right before the corridor opens up into the final area. It's just perfect for peeking around to snipe and will be your home away from home until you board the Truth and Reconciliation.

The first group of enemies already waiting for you includes one minor elite, two jackals, and eight or nine grunts. There are no less than five Shades here for them to hop in as well, so check them often. One of the Shades is sitting on the high ledge to your left as you enter this area. It's easy to overlook, so be careful.

Move cautiously forward, stopping near cover, eliminating anything that comes into view. If at any point you get overwhelmed, fall back into the narrow corridor behind your trusty rock. The Covenant won't pursue you past here.

Once you send this group to Covie heaven, the battle really gets going. Multiple waves of enemies will come down the lift. Each one is comprised of a minor elite, a couple of jackals, and half a dozen grunts give or take a few. At one point a Covenant dropship will show up and drop off some jackals and grunts on the far side of the gravity lift. They will soon be followed by more waves from the ship.

As each wave appears, get their attention. Shooting at them works well for this. Fall back to your rock and wait for them to follow. They'll end up near you in a big bunch just asking for grenades. Oblige them then snipe any leftovers.

Another tactic that works surprisingly well on Legendary mode is to stand in the middle of the gravity lift before each wave drops in. It sounds suicidal, but you will catch the Covenant of guard and easily kill them all. When each group drops in, use an Assault Rifle or Plasma Rifle to kill the Elite immediately and all the Grunts and Jackals will cower. Picking off a bunch of small whimpering aliens is not by any means a difficult task.

On the far side of the gravity lift are a few dead marines who have sacrificed themselves to leave four more boxes of ammo and a health pack for you. You'll definitely want to save this health pack until you're ready to board the ship, but you should grab the sniper rifle ammo if you can get to it. A good time to make a break for it is when the Covenant dropship flies in.

The last Covenant you will face here are two hunters, the first you face in the game. In case you don't already know, one shot from a pistol or sniper rifle into the soft orange flesh underneath their armor will kill them instantly. The easiest way to get a shot in is to sneak around and shoot them in the back. Another method is to get close enough to them so that they stop firing their fuel rod gun and charge you. You can see their guns glowing as they prepare to fire, so dodge at the appropriate moment. Getting close to them shouldn't be a problem. Then either sidestep and shoot them in the back after they charge past or back up and shoot them in the tummy as they swing their shield up and hopefully miss you. Another important thing to note when dealing with hunters is that they always come in pairs. If you rush them, try to keep them in a line so one is always behind the other. That way you only have to deal with one at a time. After they are taken care of, grab the health pack, fill up your sniper rifle, grab a plasma pistol and get ready for some real fighting.

Into the Belly of the Beast
You are about to get your ass handed to you on a platter. Many consider this to be the hardest battle in the entire game. Almost a dozen waves of enemies are about to pour out of those doors. But there is a brief lull before the storm, so acclimate yourself to your new surroundings. There is an active camouflage and a health pack in one corner of the room. They will come in very handy. A fair warning: This battle will likely include 4-6 Zealots wileding plasma swords. Oh and they appear whenever they want to. By that I mean you could be in a room with 4 at a time. Needless to say your marines will get slaughtered.

The first door will flicker and open usually revealing a stealth elite who can quickly decimate your ranks. Pour on the plasma in his direction. Getting hit partially negates his active camouflage, making him visible enough for your myopic marines to lend you a hand. Immediately the rest of the waves will begin to give you a warm welcome.

The order of these waves is random, but there are two types. They will either produce a few jackals and several grunts or they will produce a few jackals, several grunts, and a golden elite commander. This guy can go through your marines in seconds. Either way, when you see a door flickering move towards it. As it opens toss a grenade in. If there's a gold elite among their ranks, fire a charged plasma shot at him. Concentrate all your fire on him until he goes down. Stick a plasma grenade to him if he's ever stunned or against an obstacle. If there isn't a commander, toss a second grenade deep into the hall. Follow up as quickly as possible, using charged plasma shots to take out each jackal's shield. Switch out your plasma pistol if it gets low. You'll be going through a lot of ammo here.

Eventually the waves will probably get ahead of you. You won't be there to toss a grenade while the Covenant are clustered and they'll spread out across the room. Hang on as long as possible then pick up the active camouflage. It takes a second to fully conceal you, so you actually want to wait until the moment before the last possible moment. Once you're invisible, move as fast as possible positioning yourself behind Covenant and whacking them. The elite commanders are your first priority of course, but hit any target that presents its backside to you. Throw grenades, but don't shoot. Generally just make the most of your time.

By the time your active camouflage runs out you should be in much better shape. All the waves should be in the open and nearly all the elite commanders should be dead. The last part of this strategy requires access to the hallways, so use the last bit of invisibility to duck in. If you can manage it, go into the hallways leading to the next area, not the darkened dead-ends. From here you can switch to your sniper rifle and go back to slowly whittling down their numbers. Move through the halls and shoot from different entrances to keep them on their toes. If an elite commander comes in after you, hit him with a charged plasma shot. If he continues after you, he'll be really close, so switch back to your sniper rifle and send a few rounds through him. Slowly but surely you should be able to finish off the last of the waves.

Once you think you have control of the area, two hunters will show up. You should still be in the hallways and have some rounds left in your sniper rifle. Move back and forth between the entrances to try and get behind them. If you have to move out into the open, use the same tactics you did for the last two hunters. Let them charge you then back up and shoot them in the gut or sidestep and shoot them in the back. After the initial assault, these guys should be easy. Now you really have control of the area. Scavenge through the whole place.

The door to the next area has opened now and two grunts are waiting for you behind it. Dispose of them. Going around this next corner has the annoying consequence of triggering a small wave of enemies to appear behind you. So each time you go around to fire off a few shots, you'll have to go back and kill off either two grunts or a jackal. This shouldn't be a problem if you're aware they're coming. Because of them though, I find it easier to use charged plasma shots and a needler here. Be careful to not lose track of your sniper rifle in the confusion. There will be two elites and several grunts here. By the time you're done the ground should be littered with weapons. Pick up your sniper rifle and keep your plasma pistol.

As you step out into the next area you'll see that you're on the upper level of a small hangar. There are two elites and four jackals on the ledge with you. Since you have a pile of weapons behind you just keep sending charged plasma shots towards them. Use any cover available and follow up whenever possible to finish them off. Keep moving around and going through those plasma pistols. With your height advantage, you can snipe at any Covenant down below. Plasma rifles work well at this range also. And don't be afraid to use up those plasma pistols. They'll go to waste if you don't.

Once you're done playing, move into the halls leading down to the lower level. There are two grunts and two jackals ahead. Use charged plasma shots to take them all down. If you're lucky the elite further on will have his back turned to you. Be careful and you can take him out from behind.

Out on the lower floor of the hangar, right in front of you now, should be a health pack and three boxes of ammo for your sniper rifle. Two by the body on the right, one on the left. From the hall you should be able to pick off almost everyone in this area with your sniper rifle. Move back upstairs every once in a while to get a different angle. Every time you get down to 8 extra rounds for the rifle, run out and pick up another box of ammo. Once the initial enemies are cleared away, there will be a brief pause before more waves of Covenant move in. Wipe them out as you did the previous enemies, moving back and forth between levels for a change of scenery.

Move into the next set of halls around a corner or two and you come to a long hall with two dead-ends to the left. There are two jackals, three grunts, and an elite lurking around here. The elite likes to hide in one of the dead-end corridors, so be sneaky and snipe him for around the corner. Moving ahead around the next corner will trigger a load point. This causes a door to close behind you, sealing off the first part of the ship. So go back and take anything you can, especially sniper rifle ammo, before moving on. I know I said not to pick up a box if doing so will waste ammunition, but I'll make an exception this time.

The next area will take quite a while to clear out. It's a large three-story hangar capable of holding two Covenant dropships. There are four boxes of rifle ammo and a health pack on the far side of the first bay and four more and an over shield on the far side of the second bay. That's 128 sniper rounds you have access to, so snipe away. One elite and a few jackals and grunts will snipe back at you from the second story, so taking them out should be a priority. Work through the ranks of the enemy until you've cleared out everyone here. Multiple waves of bad guys will come through the doors to make you're life difficult, but it can sometimes take a lot of wandering to trigger them. Always keep track of the door you used to originally enter the area though. You'll want to head back there as soon as a new wave arrives. Sometimes there are Covenant coming out of this door as you're trying to get in it, but a grenade should clear the way nicely. Once you're safely inside, switch back to sniping until the room is once again clear.

Can you guess what the last wave of enemies is? That's right, hunters! There's ample cover and several ways to sneak around behind them. Go to it.

Move into the next set of halls and clear out the grunts and elite lurking around the corner here with your sniper rifle. I would advise grabbing the over shield now. There are a couple of stealth elites just ahead and they can be a real pain. You're next health pack is far away, so be careful. Snipe the grunts and elites if you can distinguish where they are, but you'll probably have to switch to your secondary weapon. Run in and spray plasma until you find where they're hiding. They'll retreat all the way out onto the second story ledge if you let them.

Once you're ready for the second story, peek out and continue to snipe. Don't forget about your grenades. If there are too many to peek out and snipe at, they're just perfect for some grenades. Once they're cleared out, move ahead.

Half way along this ledge, a group of Covenant will suddenly appear behind you and move to attack. Rather than getting caught between a rock and a hard place, just hop down to the floor below. The fall won't cause any permanent damage. Now you have those Covenant goons in a much better position. Move back through the halls and up to the second story. They should be easy prey for your mad sniping skills.

At the end of the second story ledge is a closed door. There are many Covenant on the other side, so open it and bounce a few frag grenades deep into their midst. Retreat and fire at any that come after you. Repeat until the way up is free from worry. Only a few more grunts and jackals and one lonely elite stand between you and the third story.

Moving out onto the third story ledge and peering to your right through your scope you should a door opening the way for an elite and his grunty cohorts. A few well-placed shots will take care of them.

As you move around the ledge be careful. After you get half way along the far side two groups of Covenant will show up. One from in front, and one from behind. Look for them to show up on your motion tracker. Fighting a two front war is strategic suicide, so we're going to get the heck out of here. Look down and you'll see a platform jutting out on the second story below you. Fall down onto it and you're safe. Go all the way down and grab ammo if you need to then move back up to the third story. The Covenant probably didn't even see you, so they should be easy to exterminate.

You might think the way is clear after all that. Sadly, you'd be wrong. As you move to the last door on the third story out of this area, yet another congregation of Covenant will come from both sides to end your intrusion. You know what to do. Drop down, grab ammo if necessary, go back up, and snipe them. Finally you're done with that accursed hangar. Well, for now.

There is a much needed health pack waiting for you ahead along with 48 more sniper rounds. They're tucked away to the left just before the control room. The control room has three entrances, so feel free to move around. Start off by sniping an elite to wake everybody up then go through the ranks. There are a couple of elites, one jackal, and several grunts in here. To top it all off there's a gold elite commander as well. Keep a plasma pistol handy in case he comes after you. In these narrow halls a charged shot followed by a few sniper rounds will take him out nicely. You won't get a checkpoint until you take out the grunts lurking on the other side of the door out of here. Just keep sniping then keep on moving. This battle may also be won easily without firing a single shot and without being seen at all. Simply run up the ramp to assassinate the commander first. Once he's dead, look to your right and you will see an elite patrolling the area bellow. Assassinate him and hide from the other Elite and wait til the time is right to kill him. A Jackal may enter the room so you may either assassinate him as you did the Elites, or smack him in the face three times before he has a chance to wake the Grunts. After all the patrols are dead, it's time to give the sleeping Grunts a bad dream.

The halls ahead hold a few grunts and three pairs of jackals. You can snipe them all if you're careful. There's an empty brig off to the left, but don't worry about that yet. Make sure these halls are totally cleared out and find the second brig where Keyes is being held. You can peek in and snipe any grunts around. There are also two stealth elites and an elite commander on guard. Now you can go back into the empty brig. There's a health pack in a cell and an active camouflage hidden away in the back. Grab it and run as fast as you can to free Keyes. You should have plenty of time to sneak in and beat everyone down. Now just hit the switch and you're set.

Shut Up and Get Behind Me... Sir
Yay, Keyes is free! Don't listen to him. He's really very happy to see you. Now you just have to get him out alive. Almost immediately two stealth elites will come in, so have a grenade waiting for them, snipe them, or just hose them down with plasma. There are two jackals waiting out in the halls too. One of the now open cells has one last box of sniper rifle ammo and a health pack for you. Grab them when you need them.

Move out and head down the hall. An elite and some grunts are waiting off to the left, so bounce a frag grenade or two around for them. Sniping is a little difficult since the marines rush ahead so often, so just rush ahead with them shooting lots of charged plasma shots and throwing lots of grenades.

There are a few more groups of Covenant ahead. Snipe if you can then follow up with grenades and charged plasma shots. Try to take the brunt of the enemy fire. You'll need as many marines alive as possible for the upcoming skirmish.

When you get back to the control room, you find that there are now three stealth elites guarding it. From the doorway you can carefully deduce where one must be and fire a couple of rounds through one of them. The other two will come straight for you, so take careful aim and send two more rounds through another. Keep backing up and hose down the last as he closes in on you. You will also notice that all of your previous marines are dead. Loot their corpses for ammo and grenades.

Instead of going ahead into the control room, run back into the halls you came from. After Keyes and Cortana have their little chat, a slew of grunts will appear and rush the control room. If you're safely away, you can peek back in and snipe a few before your marines rush in to finish the job. There are a ton of grunts to go through here, so lob your frag grenades to help if you have any left.

You have one last fight before you're done with the level. There may be sniper ammo left by the control room, so stock up with whatever is around. You have to get back out into that annoying hangar one last time. Since this is the last fight of the level, use up everything you've collected. There's a pretty standard assortment of Covenant here, so you and your marines shouldn't have too much trouble. Just keep pouring on the hurt and don't let them retreat and regroup.

Once they're taken care of, you're ready to hijack your ride home. Now you can breathe a deep sigh of relief. It does get easier from here on out.

Normal Walkthrough
I really don't like this level; its too damn dark, too damn long, with very few, very erratic checkpoints. If it wasn't really important, I would have said "screw it." However, this level will make a man out you, and will help you perfect Sniping, No-Scoping, and beating Hunters to death with an Assault Rifle.

You'll start out with a Sniper and Assault Rifle. Your Marines will follow you as you get dropped off from a Pelican. Run over to the small area of rocks, and start sniping.

The nice clump of rocks mentioned below is very comfy for a Sniper, so get comfy and start shooting. Two things to aim for: Elites, and Gunners (Shades). There will usually be a Grunt in the Shade directly in front of you. Toast him, and start counting. There are six Grunts, two Jackals, and one Elite in this area. If youre quiet, theyll all die without them seeing hide or hair of you.

When the action music starts, that is when the reinforcements come around the bend, staring with an Elite and two Grunts. Theres a reason you aim for the Elites; once they die, the Grunts start running. So aim for the Elite, then jump down, whip out your Assault Rifle, and pound those Grunts with that FMJ stuff. Do so on the next batch of Grunts, then switch back to your Sniper Rifle and pump two rounds to those Jackals that come down to see you.

You'll get a checkpoint as you move up the hill. Take note of this: This will be the only checkpoint you get in the whole area, so try not to screw up along the line.

Continuing, snipe that Grunt in the Shade, then go for the Jackal next to him. Move your sights down, and blow away these few Grunts that stick their behinds around the sheltering rocks. Eventually, an Elite will show up. Proceed to dispose him off the cliff, then when things stop popping up like gophers move in a little.

There are two Grunts on the far right side of the upper ledge. Aim for one of 'em then quickly move your sight down. A Major Elite was hiding in a little corner there, and he is a little ticked. Time to practice No-Scoping, right through the heart to take care of the shields, the a quick melee to finish him.

Switch to your AR, and move to the other side of the upper ledge and wipe out the two Grunts there. One of them should have dropped a Needler; quickly ditch your AR for it. There are two more Grunts and an Elite in this area, so concentrate your Needles on the Elite first, then mop up the Grunts if your Marines haven't yet. Two more Grunts will come down the path, so finish off your Needles towards the cause of making them dead. Now go back for your Assault Rifle, and fill up on ammo.

You will Finally get another checkpoint at the beginning of the next area. Once again, this will be your only checkpoint for the area, so stay frosty.

There may be a Shade with a Grunt Grunting it on the upper ledge. Take him out before your Marines wake the rest up. Once hes down move your zoom to the other ledge, where there is always a Minor Elite keeping guard. Sometimes he's walking; most of the time he's running, so this is a slightly tricky shot, but you can do it.

Now, move back to the starting point and look along the edge of the rock formation. You should see a rock just below a few feet to the right of the first shade you took out. Jump on that rock, and prepare to have some fun.

You will have to jump to look over the edge and fire at Covenant, but thats the fun part. So, down to business. Aim for the first Shade you see, then aim for the Jackal thats coming across the natural bridge. A pair of Grunts might come up right in front of you; if so, let them meet the business end of your AR.

Move your scope down and scrub those two Jackals on the natural bridge, and any Shade Gunners you can see. After they've bit the dust, jump down from the perch and move forward a little. You should see another large rock at the edge where the ground elevates into the natural bridge. Jump on the rock, then on the ground above, and crouch close to the first shade you decommissioned. Once again, plug any Gunners, Jackals, and other enemies that are visible.

Right about now, a dropship should be coming in to drop off a fresh contingent of enemy Covies. The only one you can see on your side of the gulch (thats what it is, you know) is a Jackal. Blow his heart out, then revert to the 2x zoom and get ready for the other ones. Use your Sniper Rifle to blast the Elite, then switch to your AR to mop up the Grunts. Once they're crisp, get off your perch, go down the left side, and finish off the two Jackals that were on patrol.

Once your back at Sniping spot #2, take a moment to asses the sitch. You have just sniped a whole Gulch-load of Covenant. Think you're done? WRONG! Move across the natural bridge, and keep you zoom on the patch of rocks and trees where your very first Active Camouflage powerup is at. As the music starts, an Elite will step out of his hidey hole; Send him an Anti Material slug for his stupidity. Then, turn you yourself, switch to your AR, and burn the Grunts that are down there. After they're gone, keep moving across the bridge to find a hidden squad of Grunts engage your Marines. Flank them, and the Blood Gulch is yours.

Reload both your guns, switch to your Plasma Grenades and your Assault Rifle, then move across the Active Camo.

Alright, you have 45 seconds to quietly kill as many Covenant as you can. Creep to the ledge across from the Active Camo, and drop down. A Minor Elite and a Major, followed by a group of grunts will rush out. Drop a grenade on the Major's helmet and assassinate the Minor. Hey look, the grunts are running. Stick one's face, and watch them get blown sky-high. Pull out your sniper and pop a bullet through the gunner above you and creep forward. There's a Minor patrolling the area in front of you. You don't need to scope for this-just pop his face open. Now a dropship and an onslaught of Covenant are coming in. Shoot the dropship's load, and grab a Shade. Open fire on the Gravity Lift and watch as the Covenant stagger and collapse. When you hear music start, the Hunters are coming. Jump out of the Shade and charge them. When one uses its shield to meelee you, dodge, turn, and noscope its back. You'll see a satisfying spurt of orange blood and the Hunter'll go down. Rinse and repeat for the other Hunter. By now, your marines are probably dead, so Cortana will order reinforcements from Foehammer. Watch the pretty cutscene as you're lifted into the belly of the beast.

Jump on the Wraith tank, and check your motion sensor. A Covenant Stealth Elite with a Plasma Sword with open a door and charge. Quickly put a few sniper slugs in him, and he'll collapse and die. Now Covenant will slam into the room and attack. There's not a whole lot of advice except: Throw grenades. Stick Grunts. And finally, use the Assault Rifle. By the end of this, you'll be hurt pretty badly, but not to fear, there is a health pack by a dead marine in the corner. Charge through the newly opened small door, navigate through the corridors, and arrive in a hangar. There's a lot of Covenant here, enjoy.

Trivia

 * If you grab the cloaking in the empty brig, then go into the Captains brig and kill all but the Zealot and hit the switch, your marines will get out and run around, occasionally stretching their arms out to their sides and standing still for a few seconds. It's pretty funny to watch them get slaughtered, and watch the Zealot try to kill the Captain and fail because Keyes's is invincible!


 * Right before you press the button at last, throw a plasma grenade on the floor. When the cutscene is loading, it will suddenly stop loading and show you're killed by the grenade. If you're lucky (?), the grenade will denotate other grenades on the floor and kill all marines and Captain Keyes. If Captain Keyes is dead, you will see the camera rotates and show Captain Keyes is dead just like how it does normally. But after that, the cutscene of Master Chief pressing the button of the clip of hangar will start. Although the cutscene will stop before it finish, the next level Silent Cartographer will still load.