Crow's Nest

Crow's Nest is the second campaign mission of Halo 3.

Upon completing it on the Normal, Heroic, or Legendary difficulties, the player will earn the "Holdout" achievement and 20 Gamerpoints.

Background
The level begins with the Chief and Johnson escaping from the African jungle and landing in an underground UNSC base. As they disembark, several Marines are amazed to see a Spartan. Commander Keyes then informs The Chief and Johnson of the current situation (that Truth has destroyed the UNSC Fleet, and only a few ships are left), all the while walking through hallways littered with wounded UNSC soldiers. They soon reach the Command Center and speak with Lord Hood, discussing a plan for an all out attack on Truth's army. However, the Covenant then jam the Humans communications network along with the rest of the base, shutting off the power. Truth then appears on the main viewscreen, threatening the Humans and telling them their world will burn. The Covenant then attack and the base "comes under heavy fire" from the Covenant Loyalists. Unable to sufficiently fight off the invaders, Miranda Keyes has a bomb placed in the operations center. Despite an attempt by the Covenant to disable the bomb, it goes off successfully, and all remaining troops, including the Master Chief escape into the base's garage where they survive the explosion.

Transcript
{Note: Transcript is not complete}

{Cutscene}


 * Crow's Nest Flight Controller: "Sorry for the tight squeeze. (To the other Flight Controller) Tell the Commander her ace is in the hole."

''Kilo 23 touches down. The Master Chief, the Arbiter and Johnson get off. Marines sitting by the Landing Pad see the Chief get out of the Pelican.''


 * Landing Pad Marine: "Hey, check it out.


 * Landing Pad Marine #2: "No way! A Spartan!"


 * Blind-by-injury Landing Pad Marine: "For real? You better not be....


 * Landing Pad Marine #2: "No man. He's here! We're gonna be alright!"

Commander Miranda Keyes comes out onto the Landing Pad to meet Johnson, the Arbiter and the Master Chief.


 * Miranda Keyes: "Where'd you find him?"


 * Johnson: "Napping. Out back."


 * Miranda Keyes: Hmm. I'll bet. It's good to see you Chief.

Keyes shakes the Chief's hand.


 * Master Chief: "Likewise Ma'am."


 * Miranda Keyes: "Let's get you up to speed."

''Down the hallways of the base, wounded Marines lay against the walls. Two Marines chatting to each other notice Commander Keyes and the Master Chief. They make way and salute.'''


 * Miranda Keyes: "The Prophet of Truth's ships breached the Lunar Perimeter. Smashed what was left of the Home Fleet."

As the Arbiter walks by, the Marines lower their hands and stare in astonishment.


 * Miranda Keyes: "Terrestial casualties from the subsequent bombardment were..."

Medics race pass by with a critical Marine on a stretcher.


 * Miranda Keyes: "..extreme. Truth could've landed anywhere, but he commited all his forces here. East Africa, The ruins of New Mombasa. Then, they started digging."


 * Master Chief: "What about Halo?"


 * Miranda Keyes: "We stopped it, but only temporarily. Now, the Prophet of Truth is looking for something called 'The Ark', where he'll be able to fire all the Halo Rings. If he succeeds. Humanity. The Covenant. Every sentient being in the Galaxy."


 * Master Chief: "The Rings will kill us all."


 * Technician: "Ma'am, I have Lord Hood."


 * Miranda Keyes: "Patch him through."


 * Lord Hood (Main View Screen): "Good news, Commander Keyes?"


 * Miranda Keyes: "As good as it gets, sir."


 * Lord Hood (Main View Screen): "So I see. What's your status, son?"


 * Master Chief: "Green. Sir."


 * Lord Hood (Main View Screen): "Glad to hear it. The Commander's come up with a good plan. But without you, I wasn't sure we could pull it off."


 * Miranda Keyes: "Truth's ships are clustered above the excavation site. And his infantry has deployed Anti-Aircraft Batteries around the perimeter. But. If we neutralise on of the batteries. Punch a hole in Truth's defences..."


 * Lord Hood (Main View Screen): "I'll initiate a low-level strike. Hit 'em right where it hurts. I only have a handful of ships, Master Chief. It's a big risk. But I'm confident.."

The power cuts completely.


 * Technician #2: "Ah Hell! Not again!


 * Miranda Keyes: "Emergency generators! Now!"


 * Marine Technician: "Shielding failed. They're down and charging."


 * Miranda Keyes: "As soon as they're up, restablish contact with Lord Hood. Let him know that.."


 * Truth (All screens): (with pure disgust and hatred) "You are, all of you, vermin. Cowering in the dirt, thinking... what, I wonder? That you might escape the coming fire? No! Your world will burn until its surface is but glass! And not even your Demon will live to creep, blackened, from its hole to mar the flashing of our passage; the culmination of our Journey. For your destruction is the will of the gods! And I? I AM their instrument!"


 * Johnson: "Cocky bastard. Just loves to run his mouth."


 * Master Chief: "Does he usually mention me?"

Commander Keyes thinks, and realises Truth's meaning.


 * Miranda Keyes: "Give the order. We're closing shop."


 * Marine Technician: "Ma'am?"


 * Miranda Keyes: "We're about to get hit."


 * Marine Technician: "All personel. Defence code Alpha."


 * Miranda Keyes: "The wounded. We're getting them all out."


 * Marine Technician: "Prepare for immediate evacuation."


 * Johnson: "If I have to carry 'em myself."


 * Marine Technician: "Ma'am, squad leaders are requesting a rally point. Where should they go?"

''Miranda walks up the stairs and draws a Pistol. She pulls the chamber back.''


 * Miranda Keyes: "To war."

She lets go and moves on.

Know Your Role...
{Gameplay}


 * Marine Technician: "We just lost the Perimeter Cameras."


 * Miranda Keyes': "Motion Trackers?"


 * Marine Technician: "They're down or we're not recieving. Can't tell."


 * Miranda Keyes: "Any of our birds squawking?"


 * Technician #2: "No ma'am. Wait, Overwatch has contacts. Phantoms! Closing in on our position."


 * Miranda Keyes: "Any birds left in 5mins out, bring them in. Tell everything else to scatter."


 * Technician #2: "Aye Aye."


 * Technician: "(Unintelligible)"


 * Technician: "Pelicans are gonna take extra time to load."


 * Miranda Keyes: "We knew they'd find us eventually. But we have a plan, lets make it happen."


 * All personel: "Yes Ma'am!"


 * Johnson: "Arbiter and I will guard the Ops Center. Don't worry about the Commander, Chief. I got her. But the Marines down stairs could use your help."

{Co-op} Johnson: "Chief, move out. You too Arbiter. The Commander will brief you as you go."

The Master Chief meets with two Marines from downstairs.


 * Marine #1: "Follow me sir."


 * Marine #2: "Perimeter's this way."

The Chief follows the Marines downstairs.


 * Marine #3: "Come on sir. I'll show you the way."

The Chief finds many weapons to stock up on.

Trivia

 * There is a argument between two marines voiced by various Red vs Blue actors, which changes depending on difficulty level. See Password-Lacking Marine.


 * It is seen in the Halo 3 ViDoc Et Tu Brute around the 5 minute mark.


 * The words spoken by the Prophet of Truth in the E3 2007 trailer of Halo 3 are heard in the cut-scene when the Covenant get on the Human communications network.


 * Also, when Truth says: "...your destruction is the will of the gods. And I? I AM their instrument!" is the same line a Major Elite says in the Halo E3 2000 Trailer


 * On the boxes in the part of the room farthest from the monitors is the number 2401, the number of Installation 5's Monitor.


 * There is a latrine with old rusty toilets that is a good place for taking snapshots... although you might have to ask for a "courtesy flush"


 * The computers in the Ops Center occasionally beep the Halo theme.