Early Halo 2 script

In the Behind the Scenes show on the DVD that comes with the Limited Collector's Edition of Halo 2, Joseph Staten flips rapidly through an early cinematic script of Halo 2. All that can be transcribed is here. The undecipherable material has been denoted by question marks.

Note that "Dervish" was an early word for "Arbiter".

First Page
A white title fades onto the black screen.


 * On and on shall old war go,
 * Without respite my blood will flow
 * O’er your eyes ‘til they cannot see
 * The impossibility of victory.
 * --Excerpt from the Writ of Union
 * Unknown Covenant Author

The title fades away, leaving a BLACK SCREEN. Beat.

FADE IN on the massive Covenant Holy City, "High Charity", hanging on orbit above the gas-giant, "Threshold".

As the camera ZOOMS slowly forward, distant voices emit from inside the High Charity’s Council-Chamber.


 * ELITE COMMANDER (V.O.)
 * There was only one.


 * PROPHET OF TRUTH (V.O.)
 * One? Are you sure?


 * ELITE COMMANDER (V.O.)
 * Yes.

Beat…


 * ELITE COMMANDER (V.O.)


 * The Demon.


 * FADE IN

'''C205_20 INT. HIGH CHARITY – COUNCIL CHAMBER – CONT.'''

From the back, DOLLY PAST a row of seated PROPHET COUNCILORS and toward the center of the Council Chamber. The PROPHET COUNCILORS comment amongst themselves.


 * PROPHET COUNCILORS
 * (excited muttering)

Other Pages
??? - COMMAND DECK - CONT.

??? closed elevator door. The elevator comes to ??? audible ??? off-camera. ??? just as the CHIEF's elbow ??? The elevator door opens with a ??? MIRANDA exits the elevator, followed by MASTER CHIEF, JOHNSON ??? frozen in a painful wince.

??? on the Command Deck. Station ??? tasks with quick determination. They have a ??? win.

MIRANDA, MASTER CHIEF, and JOHNSON ??? center of the Command Deck where LORD HOOD ???


 * LORD HOOD
 * ??? Commander?

??? squares her shoulders. This is the ??? working for her whole career.


 * MIRANDA
 * Yes, sir!

??? smiles at MIRANDA. She’s just like her father. ??? toward the MASTER CHIEF.


 * LORD HOOD
 * Master Chief, you will lead the assault on the Covenant vessel.

ZOOM on the MASTER CHIEF and JOHNSON.


 * LORD HOOD (O. C.)
 * Sergeant Johnson and the In Amber Clad’s company of ODSTs will provide support.

??? an elite ??? they are trained for ??? "Human Entry Vehicles"

??? and is built to ??? a high-impact ??? line both sides of the ???

???. He stands by his HEV’s hatch ??? to jump-to-it.


 * JOHNSON
 * ??? cans, sardines!

??? hustle past JOHNSON, grab hold of their ??? entry bars, and swing into position.


 * JOHNSON (O. C.)
 * I wanna hear those bindings pop!

???11) INT. IN AMBER CLAD – HEV – CONT.


 * CORTANA
 * ??? data I retrieved was ??? ?-sive. How can ONI be so ???

???? away from the holo-tank on MIRANDA. She and JOHNSON can get a better look. LORD HOOD ???


 * LORD HOOD
 * Station, bring up this morning’s tac-record, timestamp delta-four-eleven.

FULL ON the HOLO-TANK. Earth is in the center of the tank. The COVENANT fleet is packed tightly together a good distance away from Earth. The human fleet is displayed in a loose line between Earth and the Covenant fleet.

??? EARTH – CONT.

??? "up" toward the camera. ??? ?-t's aft, rotates 180 degrees and, thrashing like a shark’s in bright water, ???? away from the camera.

??-ound, "beneath" the IN AMBER CLAD. The FLEET has visibly split to deal with the two-man attack.

'''???_17 INT. IN AMBER CLAD – HEV – CONT.'''

??? A hairy paw ???? loudly against the ???

??? He does not move.


 * ELITE COMMANDER
 * ??? you call me out…

??? COMMANDER. He opens his eyes.


 * ELITE COMMANDER (CONT’D)
 * …if there were no wars?

??? all those ???, a Dervish.

??? PROPHET OF MERCY


 * PROPHET OF MERCY
 * ??? will always be moments of crisis when honor matters less than swift resolution.

??? the PROPHET OF TRUTH.


 * PROPHET OF TRUTH

??? of ??? fighter is ??? for the best. The ???

???? Grunts at the second site. ????? the time they have found, but ????

???? ELITE at the third site. He takes a ??? the wars as the Grunt works.


 * WOUNDED ELITE
 * ??? to you… Commander.

???? DERVISH. He smiles, and squeezes the ??? soldier.

???? background, the SPEC-OPS OFFICER is engaged in a ???? discussion with a life-size holographic image of the PROPHET OF TRUTH and the PROPHET OF MERCY.

???? and motions to the group of ????


 * BRACKTANUS
 * of the Hierarchs.???? saving this system.

, dumbfounded as TARTARUS ????? control room. The two BRUTE ????? lift the ????? them, and heft it away from the

??? is the DERVISH. Slowly, he raises his head to ???? that he has caught the MONITOR’S garland.

???? SLOW ZOOM toward the garland until one third ???? perimeter fills the right side of the frame.