Didact's Hand

Didact's Hand is the fourth episode of Spartan Ops. It was released on November 26, 2012. In this episode, an unknown intelligence contacts Dr. Halsey, Thorne tries to understand the history of the Spartan Program, and Jul 'Mdama appears on Requiem, searching something.

Opening cinematic
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Spartans Tedra Grant and Gabriel Thorne walk down a passageway on the Infinity.


 * Tedra Grant: "Why the hell did you volunteer to babysit the dragon lady, anyway?"


 * Gabriel Thorne: "I'm just curious, is all."


 * Grant (walking away): "Whatever, man. Have fun."

Thorne knocks on the door of Halsey's cell, and opens it.


 * Thorne: "Doctor Halsey? Spartan Thorne; I'll be your escort for the day."


 * Halsey: "You knock at least. Most people don't."

The lights flicker slightly.


 * Thorne: "Looks like we better get you to work."

Cut to Infinity floating in space.

'''HALO: INFINITY

''Cut to Halsey at work in a large room, with a computer terminal and the Requiem artifact surrounded by floodlights. Thorne guards her.''


 * Thorne: "Doctor, I understand you worked with the original Spartans."


 * Halsey: "I'm afraid it's all still quite classified."


 * Thorne: "But the original Spartans were all conscripted, as children."


 * Halsey: "I did what was required."


 * Thorne: "But why children?"


 * Halsey: "Why do you think?"


 * Thorne: "What could have given them an edge, starting that young? Not knowing anything else?"


 * Halsey: "There were many reasons behind the choices we had to make. Psychological and physiological."


 * Thorne: "Psychological? So you don't think we're capable of being Spartans."


 * Halsey: "Perhaps some of you are closer than others."

The screen of Halsey's data pad clears, and text appears.

\\:DOCTOR HALSEY


 * Halsey: "If you'll excuse me, please."

\\:WE HAVE MUCH TO DISCUSS \\:YOU NEED TO KNOW THE TRUTH ABOUT A GREAT MANY THINGS >>

Cut to Palmer and Lasky on the bridge of the Infinity.


 * Palmer: "Roland, bring up REQ-153-N."


 * Roland: "I presume you'd like to start it before the tragedy."


 * Palmer: "Please, Roland."

An hologram of a Pelican getting shot down appears on the holo-table.


 * Palmer: "Castle Team just got hit running supplies into Copernicus.


 * Lasky: "Copernicus. A science base. Looking for the Librarian AI the Master Chief encountered?"


 * Palmer: "Instead, they found something else."

The table zooms to the top of a structure, which is covered with enemy figures, represented in red.


 * Lasky: "Jul 'Mdama."


 * Palmer: "Yeah. Because Requiem wasn't messed up enough."

The scene lingers on the face of a holographic representation of Jul.

''Cut back to Doctor Halsey. She continues reading what is on the screen of her data pad.''

H:I ASK AGAIN, WHO ARE YOU? '''\\:THAT IS... DIFFICULT''' \\:WHAT DO YOU KNOW OF THE PROMETHEANS?

Halsey acknowledges Thorne.


 * Halsey: "So, Mister Thorne, what interest is my research to you, specifically?"


 * Thorne: "I enlisted with the Spartans, because I was in the army a year before my family and friends were killed in New Phoenix. I always thought the Spartans were special. Maybe I could have saved them."


 * Halsey: "Does it help you—help your grief—being here on Requiem, shooting at... what do they call them? Prometheans?"


 * Thorne: "Doctor?"

Halsey faces Thorne, with the data pad around her arms on her back.


 * Halsey: "Prometheus stole fire from the gods, and gave it to humanity. I'm simply curious what gifts, if any, the Promethean lifeforms have to offer."


 * Thorne: "They're Forerunner robots. Hard light and battle armor. Ruthless, brutal. What can they offer us? Nothing but trouble, Doctor. They're simply killing machines."


 * Halsey (turning away): "Interesting."


 * Thorne: "Doctor Halsey—"


 * Halsey: "Quiet, please. I'm working."

''Cut to structure in Requiem. Doctor Glassman, wearing a vest rigged with plasma explosives, works near a Forerunner device while being watched over by Gek. Glassman slaps a machine a few times.''


 * Glassman: "Come on..."

Jul 'Mdama arrives.

Note: All of Jul's speech is in Sangheili, translated into English.


 * 'Mdama: "Doctor Glassman. Progress?"


 * Glassman: "I keep telling you people, I don't speak Sangheili!"

 ' Mdama growls in irritation.


 * 'Mdama: "(English) Progress??!!!"


 * Glassman: "I've got to have better equipment. More materials here—you're giving me two sticks to rub together, technologically speaking!"

''Glassman gets to his feet and approaches Jul, but Gek yanks on the leash around Glassman's neck. The two Sangheili growl.''


 * Glassman: "Okay okay okay, uh, no need for a translation there."

Glassman turns around to look at the Forerunner device.


 * Glassman: "You're saying there's an actual, living Forerunner inside this thing? Huh. I wonder what she could tell us?"


 * 'Mdama: "I know what the Librarian will say, Glassman. She will tell us where all things sacred are hidden in this galaxy. Ships, weapons, bounties beyond our imagining."

As Jul 'Mdama paces around the Forerunner device, the other Sangheili cheer and raise their swords.


 * 'Mdama: "And she will tell us how to make those miracles... our own."

''The Sangheili chant "'Mdama" in the background as 'Mdama turns to look at Glassman. Cut to black.''