User:JackVibe/Sandbox

The Recovery of John-117 was a small engagement between the United Nations Space Command against the Covenant on November 17, 2552 in the Tanzanian jungles near Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa. UNSC forces led by Sergeant Major Avery Johnson succeeded in recovering SPARTAN-II John-117 after his escape from the Anodyne Spirit.

Background
During the early morning of November 17, 2552, the Forerunner keyship Anodyne Spirit carrying the High Prophet of Truth arrived at Earth, smashing through the remnants of the UNSC Home Fleet that had been engaging Covenant warships over the planet for the last month. On board the keyship was Spartan John-117 who, after making a failed assassination attempt on the Prophet, was forced to flee from the ship. Using a door as a heat shield, the Spartan bailed out of the Anodyne Spirit as it entered Earth's atmosphere. His trajectory and expected crash site was triangulated by S. Hartley, an Orbital Drop Shock Trooper fighting Covenant forces near Sector Six, Asia. This would allow several squads of Marines led by Avery Johnson to locate the Spartan in the following hours. John made landfall in a Tanzanian jungle south of Mount Kilimanjaro while the Forerunner vessel continued descending until it landed on the portal to the Ark, which had been excavated by Truth's fleet.

Recovering John-117
"Avery Johnson"

- John-117

In the morning of 17 November, 2552, Sergeant Major Avery Johnson would lead First Squad and Second Squad into the jungles of Tanzania to recover John-117, using the triangulation data acquired by forces fighting near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in Sector Six. Bravo Team, led by Sergeant Reynolds, was also deployed nearby.

Johnson and his team discovered the Spartan lying in a supine position at the end of an impact crater with his armor locked into place by it's gel layer. The Spartan remained unconscious until the Corpsman partially unlocked John's armor, and woke up just as Johnson instructed his Marines to call in heavy lifting gear to extract the Spartan. After John-117 reported Cortana had remained on High Charity, the Corpsman fully unlocked Spartan’s armor.

The recovery team was joined by Arbiter Thel 'Vadam, who, upon disengaging his active camouflage, was briefly accosted by John-117. Johnson quickly defused the situation, and the ‘Vadam reported the Jiralhanar has caught their scent. Johnson ordered First Squad to scout ahead of the rest of the unit. The squad moved ahead, with Second Squad along with himself, John and Thel following behind. As they made their way through a path in the jungle, Johnson informed Gunnery Sergeant Reynolds of Bravo Team that they had recovered the Master Chief. A short distance ahead, the group heard a Jiralhanae howling and Reynolds radioed in warning Johnson of the presence of Covenant troops in the jungle, having spotted a pack of Jiralhanae but the transmission was laced with static. As the team approached a waterfall, they were forced to take cover as a Type-52 Phantom flew overhead. Fearful that they would be spotted more quickly in a large unit, Johnson split the team. John and Thel went with First Squad, which was led by Gunnery Sergeant Stacker while he took command of Second Squad and ascended the nearby cliff-face to take an alternate route to the extraction point at a nearby river. As John and his team passed a nearby fallen log, they spotted a Jiralhanae Captain Major standing on a large rock, ordering its Unggoy subordinates to find the humans. With a Marine's warning of the Brute's power armor, the group engaged the scouting patrol. When the Jiralhanae collapsed dead, Thel remarked that they were foolish to do the bidding of the deceitful San'Shyuum. As the team approached a larger pond, a Phantom swooped down, it's gunner providing suppressing fire with the dropship's side-mounted plasma cannon while its complement of infantry deployed and another dropship unloaded more troops further along the water's edge. The team managed to fight their way through, killing a number of Jiralhanae Captains and their Unggoy soldiers before regrouping at a nearby cave entrance. As the Marines noted the more valorous nature of the Unggoy, Thel stated that this was due to their fear of their Jiralhanae commanders. On the other side of the small cave, the group came upon a large open area where Covenant troops were encamped. A Marine suggested that John take advantage of the sleeping Unggoy on their side of the camp to thin down the enemy numbers silently. Eventually the group was spotted and the camp erupted in gunfire, with several Jiralhanae officers leading large numbers of Unggoy and Kig-Yar against the humans and Sangheili. After clearing the Covenant camp, Sergeant Johnson radioed the Chief, telling him that Pelicans were on their way to the river but he had been unable to raise Bravo Team. Around the next bend, they discovered a Jiralhanae Captain holding Reynolds on top of a collapsed log. The Covenant officer demanded the location of the nearby UNSC base, to which the Gunnery Sergeant refused to answer. Before the Brute could kill the Marine, John managed to eliminate the Captain and his subordinates. After arming himself with a nearby assault rifle, Reynolds reported that his team had been attacked by a Phantom and Covenant troops led by a Jiralhanae Chieftain who had killed the rest of his team. The group, now accompanied by Reynolds, proceeded towards the river, killing another unit of Covenant soldiers as they went.

Extraction is prevented
"Come on, you dumb apes! You want breakfast? You gotta catch it!"

- Sergeant Johnson to pursuing Covenant forces.

By the time John and his team reached the river, the Pelicans were under heavy fire from Covenant ground troops that had entrenched themselves around the river substation. Johnson and his team were already on board, the sergeant using the Pelican's bay-mounted heavy machine gun in an attempt to fend off the attackers. As John, Thel and the Marines of First Squad arrived to assist, several Banshees soared in over the river, landing direct hits on the engines of both Pelicans. One dropship plummeted into the water beyond the dam while the Pelican with Johnson and his team, Echo 051 managed to clear the dam but smashed into a nearby cliff and tumbled out of sight. Several Phantoms then arrived, one of them suppressing the UNSC forces while the other deployed large numbers of Covenant reinforcements onto the dam. John and his team had fight their way through these newly-landed troops until they could re-enter the jungle. Once in the jungle, the humans and Sangheili had to pass through a narrow section of jungle laden with Kig-Yar snipers. On the other side of the pass, they reached an overhang where they witnessed Johnson and the other survivors from Echo 051 retreat into a nearby cave while under heavy Covenant fire. With support from Thel and First Squad, John moved through the area, engaging groups of infantry including a mass of Unggoy deploying from a Phantom that had a Jiralhanae Chieftain riding on the side. As the number of Covenant soldiers dwindled, the Phantom left the battlefield, allowing John to approach the overturned wreckage of Echo 051. Here, the Spartan was able to overhear a radio transmission from the Crow's Nest controller coming through the Pelican's still-functional radio in which Kilo 023 was ordered to provide emergency evacuation for the team due to Echo 051's destruction. After re-arming from the weapons littering the crash site, John and Thel proceeded through the cave that Johnson's squad had taken. Upon arriving at the A2 Hydroelectric Facility, Thel informed John that Sergeant Johnson had been captured by the Covenant; the two watched as the sergeant attempted to punch the commanding Jiralhanae Chieftain, only to get kicked into a small building and sealed behind a shield door.

Rescue of Sergeant Johnson
"See how they bait their trap? I will help you spring it."

- Thel 'Vadam to John-117 as they prepare to rescue the captured Sergeant Johnson.

The two began an attack on the large contingent of Covenant forces at the facility, facing off against numerous Jiralhanae Captains and their lances. As they battled their way across the dam, another Phantom arrived to deposit more troops near the building where Johnson was held captive. Eventually engaging with the Chieftain and his bodyguards, John and Thel managed to defeat the ferocious Covenant warriors and make it to the building where Johnson and the survivors of his squad were imprisoned. After deactivating the energy barrier keeping them contained, Johnson and the remnants of Second Squad took weaponry from the nearby Covenant supply cases. As a pair of Phantom dropships entered the area, Kilo 032's pilot warned the team to remain in cover as she was inbound to clear a path. As the Phantoms deployed troops onto the dam, the team were forced to engage while waiting for the Pelican to arrive. Moments later, Kilo 023 flew in along the river, unloading barrages of missiles into both Phantoms, obliterating them. Hocus then brought her dropship in to land on the dam, allowing the team to climb on board. As the Pelican departed for the nearby Crow's Nest, Johnson gratefully patted John on the shoulder. Kilo 023 would land on the landing pad of Crow's Nest, with Commander Miranda Keyes personally arriving to meet the group off the Pelican.

Aftermath
Upon arriving at Crow's Nest, Commander Keyes would tell John that she had prevented Installation 05's activation, and of the Prophet of Truth's plans to activate what they believed to be the Ark, but was in reality the gateway portal to the installation. Admiral Hood would explain the plan to neutralize anti-aircraft emplacements in the city of Voi allowing a UNSC battle group to assault the excavation site. The base would soon be attacked by the Covenant, which would conclude with John destroying the entire base with a bomb once all other UNSC personnel had evacuated. The survivors would then mobilize for the assault on Voi.

Ground forces

 * UNSC Navy
 * UNSC Marine Corps
 * Bravo Team†
 * First Squad
 * Second Squad

Ground forces

 * Fleet of Retribution Special Warfare Group

List of appearances

 * Halo 3

Volume 1
E5C3 opening cinematic E6C1 after freeing marines E10C3 boarding E7C2 when Covenant reinforcements arrive, followed by a lighter version E9C5 activating the map E3C1 defense with UNSC gear E3C2 final wave of Covenant E4C3 initial arrival E4C4 light version in opening, followed by full version E6C1 after deactivating shield door E7C2 when returning to the hangar E8C2 opening cinematic E8C3 opening cinematic E8C5 briefly in opening cinematic E9C4 wave of hunters after ambush E10C1 blowing up the harvester entrance E10C5 briefly in opening cinematic E4C4 when defending after arrival of mantis E4C2 when defending the rear tower E4C5 when reactivating the reactor E5C1 when defending wave E5C5 briefly in opening cinematic E5C5 when Phantoms arrive E6C3 after extracting Covenant intel E7C4 when clearing aft weapon controls E8C3 when inside the cave E8C5 when clearing the area after activating AA guns E10C3 when opening door E10C3 exiting the lich E3C1 Opening cinematic E3C2 opening cinematic E4C5 closing cinematic E5C4 opening cinematic E5C5 after clearing the area
 * 1) Awakening – 5:41
 * 1) Belly of the Beast – 2:38
 * 1) Requiem – 2:15
 * 2) Legacy – 2:29
 * 1) Faithless – 5:02
 * 1) Haven – 5:44
 * 2) Nemesis – 3:31
 * 3) Ascendancy – 4:19
 * 1) Solace – 4:45
 * 2) To Galaxy – 4:57
 * 1) Immaterial – 7:32
 * 2) 117 – 7:28
 * 3) Arrival – 5:36
 * 4) Revival – 7:19
 * 5) Green and Blue – 7:59

Volume 2
E10C5 escaping the cave E9C5 activating grav lift E4C5 activating base power E9C4 after ambush E4C4 when knights enter near the end E5C2 when destroying tech E6C5 exiting harvester E9C1 defending the power source E10C3 returning to caves E3C2 deactivating generators E3C4 briefly opening between each wave E5C2 between each wave E6C5 seraching IFF tags E7C1 opening skirmish E9C2 between encounters E10C1 inside harvester E10C5 inside cave E3C4 when defending waves of Banshees and Phantoms E5C5 when drop pods arrive after finding UNSC gear E7C4 when closing doors E7C5 when facing final wave E8C2 when clearing the conduits E8C3 clearing the area after freeing switchback E9C3 nitial scorpion section, again in the final assault E10C5 attacking the harvester E10C3 when lich arrives E3C3 briefly in opening cinematic (3:15) E7C2 when entering server room hallway (1:07) E7C5 upon clearing hangar E9C2 into the cave E6C5 entering harvester E7C4 when moving to guns E4C1 after cinematic and until pylon is activated E5C2 when returning to the main atrium E5C4 when defending the generators E6C1 opening combat E7C3 in the hallways to data center E7C1 after Murphy drops off a Mantis E10C4 when defending the caves and clearing the landing zone
 * 1) Atonement – 3:16
 * 2) Gravity – 2:09
 * 1) Wreckage – 3:24
 * 2) Aliens – 5:31
 * 1) Kantele Bow – 4:04
 * 1) Pylons – 5:39
 * 1) Escape – 3:57
 * 1) Swamp – 2:49
 * 1) Push Through – 4:44
 * 1) Convoy – 4:44
 * 1) To Galaxy (Extended) – 7:04
 * 1) Lasky's Theme – 3:55
 * 2) Foreshadow – 3:34
 * 1) Cloud City – 4:35
 * 2) This Armour – 4:47
 * 3) Intruders – 3:39
 * 1) Mantis – 4:02
 * 1) Sacrifice – 3:02
 * 2) Never Forget (Midnight Version) – 4:37
 * 3) Majestic – 2:12

Music excluded from OST (according to my ears anyway): --!>
 * The strings heard during level Requiem when moving to The Gate
 * E3C3 when attacking jammer
 * E4C1 when leaving sniper valley
 * E6C3 when outside fending off reinforcements from the phantom
 * E7C2 when clearing the hangar
 * E8C5 when investigating the first two map locations
 * Ambiance with soft drums and suspenseful strings heard in E3C3 when investigating tower
 * Grave melody by strings and bass heard in E3C4 during initial defense
 * Strings melody heard in E3C4 when pelicans bring in mantises
 * triumphant melody usually played for crimson heroics
 * S3C4 when defending
 * S4C3 after activating portal
 * E8C5 after activating turrets
 * E10C1 disabling the aa guns
 * E10C3 after activating comm panel
 * humming suspenseful ambiance
 * E4C1 after tapping into covenant comms
 * upbeat woodwinds
 * E4C2 opening cinematic
 * creepy digital ambiance (sounds like swamp - variation?)
 * E4C2 when attacking waterfront tower
 * creepy ambiance
 * E4C2 when inside waterfront tower
 * suspenseful bass and percussion
 * E4C5 opening
 * short suspenseful strings
 * E6C4 investigating base