Halo: A Fistful of Arrows: Difference between revisions

{{Era|RW|FA}}

{{Fanmade}}

|author=Levi Hoffmeier

It is written and drawn by Levi "Leviathan" Hoffmeier, who also drew the cover for the ''[[Halo: Evolutions]]'' short story ''[[Pariah]]''. The graphic novel was initially published in Hoffmeier's DeviantArt gallery on October 15, 2010, but Claude Errera later constructed a blog format for Hoffmeier in ''bungie.org''.<ref>[http://levihoff.deviantart.com/gallery/27221463 '''DeviantArt''': ''A Fistful of Arrows by levihoff'']</ref> An interactive flip book, constructed by OneBitRocket, was later released on November 11, 2011. A soundtrack, composed by Sean Mortensen, is released on the website, for people to listen as they read the novel.<ref>[http://leviathan.bungie.org/ '''A Fistful of Arrows - By Levi Hoffmeier''']</ref>

[[File:Fistful 2.jpg|thumb|right|200px|"One Spartan is still combat ready."]]

The scene moves to the present, August 30, 2552, the [[Fall of Reach]], where a Pelican, piloted by Doctor [[Catherine Halsey]] and with Jun onboard, flies over a mountain range to [[CASTLE Base]]. Jun voices his concern about their current flight path, since they're heading straight for a [[Covenant]] fleet. Halsey explains to him that since the fleet is headed for the HIGHCOM headquarters, they'll soon be distracted by the impending battle. However, [[Type-26 Banshee|Banshees]] are quickly approaching,and  Jun takes down a few with the Pelican's rear turret, before Halsey's "distraction", a UNSC fleet, arrives. However, one last hurdle remains, a Covenant [[CAS-class assault carrier|Assault Carrier]]. Several [[UNSC frigate]]s manage to bring down its shields, but are unable to destroy it until the [[Marathon-class heavy cruiser|''Marathon''-class heavy cruiser]] UNSC ''Daedalus Wing'' sacrifices itself by ramming into the carrier while simultaneously detonating its [[Shiva-class nuclear missile|''Shiva''-class nukes]]. Jun, staring at the explosion, experiences a flashback.

Halsey is greeted by ONI Captain Laird MacLean at CASTLE Base's landing pad. MacLean's [[ODST]]s, near the base's entrance, show their distastes in Spartans immediately. Halsey tells MacLean that only one personnel is required for [[Operation: WHITE GLOVE]], and MacLean should leave with his ODSTs if they know a safe extraction point. MacLean argues that he and his ODSTs are staying, declaring that many of his men died in the drop to the mountain and they will not let them have died for nothing. Their conversation is cut short as they see a Covenant [[SDV-class heavy corvette|SDV-class Heavy Corvette]] being shot down.

[[File:Fistful 4.jpg|thumb|right|200px|"Captain... you just kicked the hornet's nest."]]

They look up into the sky, and witness the UNSC [[Paris-class heavy frigate]] responsible for the destruction of the Covenant corvette, the UNSC ''Forlorn Bell'', being shot down by a Covenant CCS-class battlecruiser. Numerous Covenant aircraft scatter around the area, hunting for survivors. Jun tells Halsey they need to get inside the base, and as long as they don't draw attention then the Covenant will never notice them. However, MacLean just ordered his ODSTs to ready for battle, including activating the [[M71 Scythe]] guns. One of the ODSTs, Jeffery "Grim" Easterling, destroys a Banshee fighter with his [[M6 Spartan Laser|Spartan Laser]]. Halsey tells MacLean that "''[he] just kicked the hornet's nest''".  

They immediately draw the Covenant aicrafts' attention, however, the ODSTs cannot activate the M71s. Halsey suggests she can activate them, and Jun tells Halsey that he will buy her the time she needs, while taking out some supplies (sniper rifle ammunition, [[biofoam]] canisters, [[armor lock]] amplifier plug, eight [[Lotus anti-tank mine]]s and [[C-12 shaped charge]]s) from the Pelican dropship.

While Jun sets a trap on the landing pad, MacLean takes Halsey to the base's entrance on a Mongoose. Halsey begins to work her way to activate the turrets in the guard house. Meanwhile, a [[Type-25 Spirit|Spirit]] dropship lands on the landing pad the Pelican dropship is on, and deploys a lance of Covenant. Jun activates the charges, demolishing the landing pad and causing the Spirit and lance to tumble down with it.  

Jun spots an [[Mgalekgolo]] leaving the wreckage of a [[Type-52 Phantom]], and fires at it, having a difficult time taking it out. Meanwhile, MacLean notices the barrel of the M71s have been cut off and before he can alert the others, a [[Special Operations Sangheili]] impales him from behind with an [[Type-1 energy sword|Energy Sword]]. Jun, distracted by the Hunter, cannot assist the ODSTs, who are ambushed by three SpecOps [[Sangheili]].

Jun compliments them, saying they came prepared. He steals one of the Unggoy's [[Type-1 plasma grenade|plasma grenade]]s, and detonates it, killing the entire lance. Jun, however, survives by activating his armor lock. He asks Halsey if she is okay, but at that moment he is smashed to the cliff wall by a second Mgalekgolo, wounding him and damaging his armor. The Mgalekgolo heads for Halsey, who stands at CASTLE's entrance calmly. Before the Mgalekgolo can touch her, Jun comes from behind and stabs the Hunter through the head with his combat knife.

[[File:Halo AFoA credits.jpeg|thumb|right|275px]]

[[File:Adjunct 2.jpg|right|thumb|150px]]Adjunct B is an intercepted Insurrectionist message. It was caught and decrypted by the Office of Naval Intelligence, and is archived in Section Two's 'Blackmark' database, labeled "File-224". It was originally sent to the Reach Independence Network by a person calling himself "The Skald".

[[File:Adjunct 3.jpg|thumb|right|150px]]Adjunct C is an excerpt from a post-war book about the SPARTAN Program, titled ''Our Greatest Warriors: The Unauthorized Autobiography of the Spartans'', which was written by Muyassar Jeddah. The excerpt speaks about Emile-A239 and his habit of carving images into his helmets.  

[[File:Adjunct 5.jpg|thumb|right|240px]]Adjunct E is a continuation of the Quezon ad, but now corrupted and breaking as the Covenant attacks the Superintendent. In contrast to its saccharine portrayal in the previous half, the Quezon Superintendent is shown to be a little more reserved and sarcastic.

[[File:Adjunct 7.jpg|thumb|right|150px]]Adjunct G is a testimony by Kalmiya about her creator Catherine Halsey. The speech takes place during her final moments just before she is deleted in accordance with WHITE GLOVE.

*[[Kat-B320]]

* [[CCS-class battlecruiser]]

* [[SDV-class heavy corvette]]

* [[Type-25 Spirit]]

* [[Type-52 Phantom]]

* [[Type-1 plasma grenade]]

* [[Type-31 needle rifle]]

On December 11, [[2011]], Jessica Shea, as part of the Weekend Webcomic section on Halo Waypoint, posted the first page of ''Halo: A Fistful of Arrows'',<ref>[http://halo.xbox.com/blogs/post/2011/12/11/Weekend-Webcomic-A-Fistful-of-Arrows-p1-.aspx '''Halo Waypoint''': ''Weekend Webcomic: A Fistful of Arrows p.1'']</ref> and it continued to appear intermittently since then. This, however, does not mean that 343 Industries has accepted it as canon material. 343 Industries franchise writer Jeff Easterling (the namesake of one of the ODSTs in the graphic novel) later made a reference to ''A Fistful of Arrows'' in a Canon Fodder blog post, stating that ''"the details of [Jun's] survival and escape from Reach remain buried under fistfuls of black ink and red tape".''<ref>[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/community/blog-posts/canon-fodder-clarity-grace '''Halo Waypoint''': ''Canon Fodder - Clarity & Grace'']</ref> On September 14, 2017, on the seventh anniversary of ''Halo: Reach'', Easterling once again gave recognition to ''A Fistful of Arrows'' and mentioned that the graphic novel is ''"not technically canonical, but ONI has also covered up a whole lot of things that didn’t technically exist."''<ref>[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/news/infusion-invasion ''Halo Waypoint News - Infusion Invasion'']</ref>

{{Article Quote|Reach's guardians have all fallen, save one… and though more soon will arrive, they fall in the burning sky… It is too late…}}

[[Category:Fan-made]]