The Signal

The Signal is the first campaign level in Halo Wars 2.

Transcript
{Cinematic Cutscene}

Open to the Spirit of Fire drifting in space.

UNSC SPIRIT OF FIRE

Official Status: Lost with all contact

2559 - 28 years since last known contact

One of the ship's deck guns begins to reactivate.

The bridge's blast shields begin to open, revealing the space outside.


 * Serina: "Captain, wake up. Something has happened."

The ship continues to wake various viewscreens come back online:

INCOMING COMMS:

SHIPBOARD ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

SNA 1292-4 SERINA


 * Serina: "The Spirit of Fire is in the situation I..."

The screen moves to a cryo bay, showing Sergeant John Forge's empty cryo chamber.


 * Serina: "..could not anticipate."

The cryo room starts to light up, its machinery returning to life.


 * Serina: "I'm certain Professor Anders would enjoy that little admission, so let's keep it between us, shall we?"

Pan down the several floors of the cryo room alive with activity as with technicians walking to and fro and assisting crew members exiting their pods.


 * Serina: "We've been adrift for just over twenty-eight years. I've made quite a few repairs while you were sleeping, so the ship systems are at one hundred percent. Cryo worked well and medstats on all remaining crew are green. As for me, well...regulations are clear about final dispensation at the end of AI's seven year lifespan."

Below the cryo room, a tram speeds past.


 * Serina: "I took care of my own arrangements rather than wake you."

''Below the tram line, various Marines and crew members walk along a hallway. Crewmen salute to a figure walking along the middle of the corridor - Captain James Cutter.''


 * Serina: "It has been pleasure and an honor to serve with you, sir. Do look after everyone for me, would you? Goodbye, Captain. Serina out."

''Cutter stops before an elevator door. Two Marines guarding the door salute to the captain, who dons his dress cap. The elevator door opens. Cut to game logo:''

Halo Wars 2

''View outside the ship: the elevator descends down to the observation deck. Inside, Anders is already awake and analyzing the situation when Cutter enters.''


 * Anders: "I'll need to get down there. Immediately, of course."
 * Cutter: "Good morning to you too, Professor."
 * Anders: "I'm sorry, Captain." It's good to see you too. But just, look at it."

Anders and Cutter view Installation 00 below them.


 * Cutter: "What is it, and where are we?"

Anders brings up various holographic astronavigation data.


 * Anders: "No idea. Out astronavigation can't pinpoint a location. We're not on the map anymore."

Cutter manipulates another holo-terminal.


 * Cutter: "We didn't drift out of the galaxy in twenty-eight years, Professor."

Cutter opens the ship's sensor records.


 * Cutter: "Sensor records show we arrived via slipspace less than an hour ago?"

Anders summons a holograph of the ship's removed Shaw-Fujikawa Translight Engine.


 * Anders: "Our Slipspace drive is gone. However we got here, it wasn't us who initiated the trip."

She then opens a holographic data schematic of Installation 00.


 * Anders: "Something down there.."

Anders manipulate the holo-display to survey a specific area of a Ark.


 * Anders: "..must have opened the portal from this end and pulled us in."

Suddenly, a report comes in from the bridge


 * Bridge Crew: "Captain Cutter, sir. We've received a signal from surface. It's UNSC!"


 * Cutter: "Signal to my location, Lieutenant. Let's hear what they have to say."

A holographic representation of the message is brought up.


 * Bridge Crew: "I'm sorry, Captain. I can't play it for you, sir. The message has an encryption scheme we haven't seen before."

Cutter presses several buttons on the holotable's touchscreen.


 * Cutter: "Security measures would advance without us."

Anders studies the holographic message.


 * Cutter: "..but it's coming through on a UNSC frequency. This is good. When we left, the war wasn't going well. This signal means UNSC is still fighting. Or maybe we even won. What's the source of transmission?"

Anders opens the source on the holotable.


 * Anders: "We don't have the surface details yet, sir. Something down there is blocking our scans and without Serina..."

''Anders pauses. Focus on Captain Cutter.''


 * Anders: "But we... do have a rough location."

Anders then triangulate the rough location with yellow mark
 * Anders: "Should be simple enough to triangulate once we can pick up the signal from the ground.''

Cutter then contacts Jerome-092
 * Cutter: "Cutter to Jerome."
 * Jerome-092 (COM): "Reporting, Captain."
 * Cutter: "Prep Spartan Red Team and a small recon squad. Professor Anders will send you coordinates."

Anders then proceed to giving the coordinates to the Red Team
 * Cutter: "Find out who's sending that signal. Be on the ground within the hour, travel light."
 * Jerome-092: "Roger that, Captain. Recon only."

The holotable closes after the coordinates are given
 * Cutter: "Twenty-eight years, Professor..."
 * Cutter: "...Let's see what kidn of galaxy we woke up to."

Cutter looks at the Installation 00 again and the view changes to the full view of Installation 00

Mission Briefing
 * Cutter: "Professor Anders, any update on the source of that signal?"
 * Anders: "It wasn't easy, but I've narrowed it down to a small sector and our recon teams are investigation now."
 * Anders: "I've cleared up the scans a bit and it looks like there is a UNSC outpost or research station, but it's heavily damaged."
 * Anders: "It doesn't look good, but the Spartans will handle it. They always do."
 * Anders: "It would be a lot faster if you let me go down with them, Captain."
 * Cutter: "Without Serina here i need you on the ship Professor. Besides, we don't know what is waiting for us down there."
 * Cutter: "Jerome, get Red Team to the Professor's coordinates, ASAP. I want you to make contact with whoever's sending that signal."
 * Jerome-092: "Understood, sir. We'll find them.""

Mission Summary

Use Red Team to investigate and find the source of the signal.

Scouting Report

Spirit of Fire recon teams are on the ground to meet Red Team.

{In-game cutscene}
 * Pelican Pilot: "Spirit of Fire actual. I am approaching the drop zone with Red Team."
 * Pelican Pilot: "Standby for drop, Red Team."

The Pelican drops the Red Team in Warthog and flies away
 * Jerome-092: "Looking forward to shaking off some cobwebs, sir."
 * Douglas-042: "Ah, it feels good to have our feet back on real ground again, doesn't it, Alice?"
 * Alice-130: "You saw this place on the drop down, Douglas. Nothing real about it."

Two Hornets flying pass through Spartans
 * Jerome-092: "Alice is right, we don't know what's waiting for us down there. Keep your eyes out of trouble."

{Gameplay}

Jerome-092 drive the Warthogs uphill and they saw Recon One and barricades that was already set to charge when the Red Team arrive
 * Recon One: "Recon one reporting, sir. We've set up charges to clear a path for you when you're ready."
 * Recon One: "I don't know what they were defending against, but there's some heavy duty barricades here."
 * Jerome092: "Everybody get clear."

The Marines move away from the barricades
 * Jerome-092: "Light up those charges, Alice."

''Alice fires on it and the barricade immediately destroyed. Red Team and Recon One quickly advances ahead where they also find some heavy barricades and Recon One quickly sets the charge again''
 * Alice-130: "Jerome, these aren't military defenses."
 * Jerome-092: "No, these were made in a hurry. They must have been desperate."
 * Douglas-042: "Why wouldn't they have defenses? They must have expected to be a target for the Covenant."

Alice destroys the barricade again and Jerome found cliff ahead
 * Jerome-092: "Hold on, jump up ahead."

The Warthog jumps down from the cliff
 * Douglas-042: "I've missed this!"

Alice then discovers that the structures are not belong to military
 * Alice-130: "These are research buildings. No defenses. The people here weren't soldiers, they were scientists."

''The Red Team continues on as the Hornets and Marines pass through them until they encountered Light bridge. The Spartans activate the bridge and they cross the bridge. Douglas then spots Nightingale with Two Hornets went to some location, igniting his curiousity.''
 * Douglas-042: "What's a Nightingale doing here? Do we have wounded?"

The Spartans continues and pass through some structures that was burning recently and they saw some scene where Three Nightingales and Two Hornets are trying to evacuate the casualties.
 * Squad Leader: "It's one of our recon teams, sir. We found them like this when we arrived. Didn't see what hit them."
 * Alice-130: "Looks like we may see some action after all."

One Hornet move away and went to the portal further ahead and the Spartans went with them until they arrived on the Portal where the Marines guarding it.
 * Cutter: "Jerome, our recon teams have scouted out this portal that will take you down to the signal."
 * Cutter: "I've ordered the rest of our forces to stay back and protect your exit while you investigate."
 * Jerome-092: "Yes, sir."

The Red Team teleported to the next area below and they found more portals but something is not right about it.
 * Jerome-092: "Professor, we've found some more portals, but there's something strange about them."
 * Anders: Odd, they look like they've been modified, and those machines attached to them aren't UNSC tech. Keep an eye out for any more of them."

''The Red Team eventually arrives at where the signal comes from. There is a sign on the Research facility named Henry Lamb Research Facility and Jerome stops the vehicle into position where they can make immediate exfil.''
 * Jerome-092: "Henry Lamb Research Outpost'. Spirit of Fire, we're outside. Base looks clear from out here. Let's see who's been calling."

{Cinematic Cutscene}

''Outside, Jerome realize that they were surrounded by hordes of unknown unit, yelling their chant form the upcliff. Jerome opens fire to hold the Chieftains back while Alice carrying Douglas back to the Warthog.''
 * Jerome-092: "COME ON, COME ON!"
 * Alice-130: "Do we have a plan?"
 * Jerome-092: "We do."

''Jerome quickly turns around while Alice place unconscious Douglas on the passenger seat. Alice quickly goes to the Gunner Seat while Jerome goes to driver seat.''
 * Jerome092: "Jerome to Spirit of Fire."
 * Cutter: "Cutter here. Status?"
 * Jerome-092: "Sir. Requesting danger close. On our location, trailing north. Commence five seconds."

Alice turns the Vulcan around while Jerome starts the vehicle.
 * Alice-130: "Interesting plan."

The scene moves to Spirit of Fire where the Archer Missile pods starts opened.
 * Cutter: "Understood. Archer missiles inbound."

''The ship fires four Archer Missiles to Jerome's location. An Elite is activating his Energy Sword and commands the hordes of Ghosts to hunt the Spartans down. The Ghosts descend from the cliff and give chase to the Spartans while Jerome quickly goes full throttle and Alice open fire to them, quickly fleeing as the Archer missiles arrived.''

{In-game cutscene}
 * Jerome-092: "Hang on."

Three Warlords, several ghosts and a round of Wraith Mortar is closing in to the Spartans but the Archer Missiles bombardment annihilates them and the Spartans jumps down from the cliff.

{Gameplay}
 * Isabel: "H-Hello? What's happening out there? Where are we going?"
 * Jerome-092: "We're getting you out of here, Isabel, sit tight."
 * Alice-130: "Then we're coming back for that Brute!"

Another Archer Missiles Bombardment destroys all units that was in range of the missile bombardment range on the right side as the Spartans are forced to take left route and jumps down from cliff.
 * Isabel: "I tried to warn you, you're lucky to be alive."

More missiles finishes off the Wraiths while the left route has been cutted off, forcing Jerome to go right and jumps down from the cliff.
 * Brutes: "Slay the cowards!"

Soon they encounters Banshees and Banished Squad coming out from the portal.
 * Alice-130: "Watch out, over there!"

Archer Missiles quickly obliterates them except for Banshees.
 * Isabel: "They're using the Ark's portals!"
 * 'Alice-130: "Portals. Why is it always portals?"

Two Wraith is getting in the way and Jerome punch through them as the missiles destroy the Wraith and jumps down from cliff unscatched and finally reaching the lightbridge.

{In-game cutscene}

The Warthog arrives and turns around, Alice immediately dismount from the Gunner Seat to the Lightbridge device.
 * Jerome-092: "The controls to the bridge! Alice, now!"
 * Alice-130: "On it!"

Jerome jumps to the Gunner Seat and start the weapon while Alice try to activate it.
 * Jerome-092: "Make it quick, they're closing in!"

Jerome open fires and defeat several of it and Alice manage to activate the lightbridge.
 * Alice-130: "That's it, move!" I'll cover you!"

''Jerome then quickly goes back to driver seat and drive the Warthog away while Alice use her Machinegun to hold them off. The Banshees fire their Fuel Rod Gun to her which lead to Isabel's believe that Alice is dead however she was covered in dust as she continues to open fire. Jerome eventually reaches the extraction point where two Pelicans are standby to extract them.''
 * Isabel: "She's gone!"
 * Jerome-092: "Don't you believe it, Isabel. We're on board, pilot. Let's go."

''A banshee is attempt to shot down a Pelican but it hits Hornets instead and later destroyed by another Hornet. The Pelicans quickly leave the scene and Alice continue to hold the ground units off and the bridge has been deactivated.''
 * Cutter: "We have a medical team standing by for Douglas, Jerome. I want a full report from you and that AI as soon as you get back to the Spirit of Fire.""

{Level ends}

Trivia

 * This is the only level where three Spartans are merged into one unit, Spartan Warthog.
 * This is also the only level where Spartan Warthog are present.