Sierra 117

Sierra 117 is the first campaign level of Halo 3. It is the first to feature real gameplay, as opposed to Arrival, which is merely a cutscene and tutorial. Also, take note that this is the First Level that features messages from Cortana on certain occasions.

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

Setting
LEAKED SIERRA 117 video

This level takes place in an African jungle, as confirmed via the hexadecimal code of the Halo 3 Beta and physically confirmed in the Halo 3 E3 2007 Trailer and the short video subsequent Bungie Podcasts. The jungle is home to a Covenant Loyalist encampment, and hosts lush verdant forestry, rivers, rocky landscapes, waterfalls, and tunnels.

Plot
According to the Halo 3 E3 2007 Trailer, Chief joins forces with the Arbiter and a few Marines. They progress through the area, securing landing zones for Pelican Dropships and defending them against enemy Banshees. If one makes inferences based on the Halo 3 Zune Concept Art and the beta code's level names, the level will culminate at an arrival at the Halo 3 UNSC Base.

It was stated in the September 07 issue of Gamepro that the Chief would have to rescue Johnson from a downed Pelican.

Transcript
Note: The following transcript is not yet complete

Walk It Off

 * Johnson: "First Squad, you're my scouts. (Co-op) Arbiter, watch the Chief's back (Co-op end). Move out! Quiet as you can."

Johnson (COM): "Let's get moving Chief. Come on. I'll lead you out."
 * (If you hang around.)


 * Johnson: "Bravo Team, this is Johnson. We got him. Fall back to the extraction point. Over."


 * Gunnery Sergeant Reynolds (COM): "Roger that. Reynolds out."

Brute howls off in the distance.


 * Marine #1: "That sounded close."


 * Marine #2: "Yeah, too close."


 * Gunnery Sergeant Reynolds (COM): "Johnson, you be advised. Hostiles are (static) on the move (static end). I've got eyes on a (static) Brute Pack (static end). Over."

Phantoms fly overhead the trees.
 * Johnson: "Say again, Gunny. You're breaking up."


 * Marine #2 (Whisper): "Sergeant Major, Phantom inbound."


 * Johnson (Whisper):"We stick together, we're gonna get spotted. We split up, and meet back at the LZ. Chief, go with the Arbiter, head toward the river. Second Squad, you're with me."

Johnson : "Chief. You and the Arbiter head toward the river."
 * (Co-op change)

''Johnson and First Squad climb up the cliff by thw water fall. The Arbiter leads the Chief up around the fallen logs, pointing out a Brute Captain Major.''


 * Brute Captain Major: "Spread out you (not yet recognized). Find them!"


 * Marine #1 (Whisper): "Up ahead! Single Brute, plus back up."

''Second Squad engages, easily overpowering the Brute and his group of Grunts. The Arbiter walks up to the Brute if his body fell of the rocks it occupied.''


 * Arbiter: "The Prophets are liars. But you are fools to do their bidding."

After encountering two Phantom loads of Covenant Infantry, the Marine form up at a flare at the cave entrance.


 * Marine #2 or Female Marine #1: "Those Brutes are tough."


 * Marine #1 or Female Marine #1: "Grunts ain't no sloutches either."


 * Arbiter: "(Not yet fully recognized). When we are victorious, all who serve the Prophets will be punished."

Through the caves.

Marine #1 or Marine Sergeant (Stacker): "Sleepers! Take 'em out, nice and quiet! Jackals, on the ridge! Stay low, looks like they've got Carbines."

{Short pause as Marines move out}

Marine: "I hate it when I'm right!"

Johnson (COM): "Pelicans are en route, Chief, but I can't raise Bravo. If you find 'em, get 'em to the extraction point."

''{A Brute is torturing a Marine on a log. It is optional to save him}''

Brute Captain: "Tell me its location!"

Gunnery Sergeant Reynolds: "Kiss...my...ass."

Gunnery Sergeant Reynolds(if saved): "Brute Chieftain and a Phantom. They pinned us down...Killed my men."

Arbiter: "The river. Hurry!"

(Master Chief's HUD flickers and disappears, and translucent images of Cortana appear.)

Cortana (Cortana Moment): "Could you sacrifice me to complete your mission? Could you watch me die?"

Marine #3: "Sir, you okay?"

Marine #4: "Your vitals just pinged KIA."

02: Charlie Foxtrot
{SPARTAN-117 approaches a river where two Pelicans are trying to land} Echo 51: "Break off, now!" {Enemy Banshees begin strafing runs against Pelicans} Kilo 23: "I'm hit! I'm hit!" Johnson: "Can you hold?" Echo 51: "Negative, negative! I'm going down!" NEW OBJECTIVE: Locate Johnson's crashed Pelican (possibly later in game)

Trivia

 * Note that the level is called Sierra 117; Sierra is the word used in the NATO phonetic alphabet to represent the letter S, which, when used in a military sense, generally stands for "sniper." However, in Halo 3, it is S 117 which corresponds to SPARTAN-117. This has been confirmed in the second Bungie Podcast.
 * In the August 2007 EGM Halo 3 Story, Sierra 117 mistakenly said to be the fifth Level in the Halo 3 Campaign.
 * Jumping into the deep water at the point where the pelicans are shot won't kill you or even lower your shields. Also you can see fish swimming and even kill them. (These are what the small yellow dots are on your motion tracker)

Links
External -A leaked video from E3 2007.