Olympia Vale: Difference between revisions

In [[2555|March 2555]], at Doctor Bob Casper's suggestion, Vale was selected as a member of the joint UNSC–Sangheili force sent to [[Installation 00]] on a [[Operation: FAR STORM|covert operation]] to stop the [[Halo Array]]'s activation sequence discovered on Installation 07. Vale was primarily selected for the mission due to her expertise in Sangheili culture, which would allow her to serve as a buffer between UNSC and Swords of Sanghelios members of the team.<ref name="hitd42"/> Vale was dispatched to the [[Kenya]]n city of [[Voi]], where the UNSC was attempting to reactivate the [[Portal at Voi|slipspace portal]] leading to Installation 00.<ref name="hitd72"/> After two days, [[Huragok]] [[Drifts Randomly]] managed to reactivate the portal with Vale and [[Usze 'Taham]] present. The three quickly returned to the surface and witnessed the portal's activation. However, a [[Retriever]] immediately exited the portal and begun mining the ground nearby. Usze picked up Vale and escaped the Retriever's path of destruction, with the Huragok following right behind them.<ref name="hitd99"/> The three later met with the other members of the expedition aboard the Sangheili's [[Covenant corvette|corvette]] ''[[Mayhem]]'', after the Retriever's destruction.<ref>'''Halo: Hunters in the Dark''', ''page 110'' (Google Play edition)</ref> When Captain [[Annabelle Richards]] insisted that the team needed ONI's permission before entering the portal, [[N'tho 'Sraom]] nonetheless moved the corvette towards the portal as he felt that they could not waste time waiting for administrative consent. Before they entered, ''Mayhem'' was attacked by another Retriever, though the corvette managed to destroyed the [[Sentinel]].<ref>'''Halo: Hunters in the Dark''', ''pages 113-118'' (Google Play edition)</ref> ''Mayhem'' entered the portal and, ultimately, the trip only took several hours rather than weeks<ref>'''Halo: Hunters in the Dark''', ''page 120'' (Google Play edition)</ref>—due to an increase in the portal's power by [[000 Tragic Solitude]].<ref name="hitd256">'''Halo: Hunters in the Dark''', ''pages 256-260'' (Google Play edition)</ref>

Upon exiting slipspace, ''Mayhem'' was attacked by dozens of heavily armed Retrievers. As the corvette's [[Artificial gravity|artificial gravity systems]] began to falter, Vale was thrown to the ground hard and [[SPARTAN-IV program|Spartan]] [[Elias Holt]] moved to protect her. As both became knocked unconscious, Drifts Randomly grabbed both humans and held them safely in place. The Retrievers heavily damaged ''Mayhem'' and forced the vessel to crash land on the surface of the Ark. Though Holt soon recovered, N'tho ordered the Huragok to take Vale to the ship's medical laboratory and heal her injuries.<ref>'''Halo: Hunters in the Dark''', ''pages 123-129'' (Google Play edition)</ref> Drifts Randomly healed Vale's concussion and she recovered shortly after.<ref name="hitd131"/> The mission's team—Vale, Richards, Holt, Spartan [[Frank Kodiak]], [[Luther Mann]], [[Henry Lamb]], ten [[UNSC Marines]], N'tho, Usze, [[Kola 'Baoth]], [[Zon 'Vadum]], and Drifts—left ''Mayhem'' and began venturing towards the Ark's [[Installation 00 Citadel|Citadel]] to stop the Halo Array's activation. After encountering a pod of peaceful [[olfmeri]], the group soon encountered a pack of voracious [[Morolaath|blind wolves]]. At Vale's insistence, the group remained silent and still. Unable to hear them, the blind wolves moved on.<ref name="hitd140">'''Halo: Hunters in the Dark''', ''pages 140-150'' (Google Play edition)</ref> However, they were promptly attacked by [[chaefka]]. When one of the animals attacked Holt, Vale managed to kill the chaefka as it switched targets and bounded towards her. The dead animal crashed into Vale and knocked her down; she was again rendered unconscious when her head hit something hard.<ref name="hitd152">'''Halo: Hunters in the Dark''', ''pages 152-155'' (Google Play edition)</ref> Tragic Solitude communicated with her through her earpiece and manipulated a psychotropic effect generated by an agent released by the chaefka<ref>'''Halo: Hunters in the Dark''', ''page 199'' (Google Play edition)</ref> to make her walk away from a battle and towards the Citadel, alongside a now-friendly chaefka.<ref name="hitd152"/> When the rest of the team realized Vale was gone, Holt, Usze, and Lamb were tasked with finding her.<ref>'''Halo: Hunters in the Dark''', ''pages 160-161'' (Google Play edition)</ref> After some time of travel, the chaefka had Vale climb onto its back. When Vale regained full control over her own body, she only had a vague recollection of the mission's events. After she climbed off the animal, she soon remembered the mission. The floor beneath her suddenly opened up and she fell into an [[elevator]] that delivered her to a hallway. Vale encountered a large, open hatch in the hallway and she was knocked into the hole by an unknown force. She slid down a tube that brought her to another room. Tragic Solitude arrived at her location and transformed himself into a golden replication of Vale, as he believed that this form would make her more comfortable.<ref name="hitd193">'''Halo: Hunters in the Dark''', ''pages 193-203'' (Google Play edition)</ref>