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Halopedia doesn't currently have a walkthrough for this level; could you write one? |
Pelican Down is the ninth campaign level in Halo Infinite.
Transcript
{Cutscene}
- John-117: "Upload the Spire locations."
The Weapon's avatar materializes in his hand.
- Weapon: "All of them?"
- John-117: "All of them."
Multiple holograms of Spires appear around the Pelican's troop bay.
- Ship AI: "Coordinates received."
- Pilot (COM): "Ummm... it looks like someone has marked forty-two locations, which, would be crazy, right?"
All but one of Spires disappears. The Weapon pulls the remaining Spire hologram towards them.
- John-117: "This one?"
- Weapon: "It was the source of the attack."
- Pilot (COM): "Attack?"
The cockpit door opens and the Pilot looks out at them.
- Pilot: "What's she talking about, Chief? Is everyone trying to kill you?"
- Weapon: "It kinda seems like it. (realizes) Oh, wait... (cheerfully) You're being sarcastic. (to the Chief) He's fun. I like him."
An alarm blares as a series of explosions erupt outside.
Zoom in on the Pilot.
- Pilot: "Am I dead already? I-I mean I must be. I mean this is a punishment, right?"
- Ship AI: "WARNING. WARNING. WARNING."
The Chief enters the cockpit. Outside, more explosions burst around Echo 216 as Banished anti-aircraft guns continue to fire upon the Pelican.
- Pilot: "Yep. This is death."
An AA gun directly in front of them opens fire and scores a direct hit on the Pelican.
- Pilot: "No! No!"
The Pelican banks to port and we swing to see the Pilot in his seat as sparks fly from the forward console.
- Pilot: "No no no no!"
The Pelican levels out right in front of another anti-aircraft cannon. It fires, hitting the Pelican. The Pelican makes a half-roll to starboard as the camera swings around to show the pilot.
- Pilot: "This isn't happening...!"
The camera swings around to show the Pelican coming in for a crash landing in a river .
- Pilot: "I'm going to have to make an emergency landing!"
Water splashes up over the cockpit window as the Pelican lands in the shallow river.
- Pilot: "Hold on, Chief."
Out the window, we see the Pelican headed straight for a large piece of debris. As it collides with the debris, the camera swings around to show the Chief and the pilot. The pilot grits his teeth and we hear a faint thud. The screen cuts to black.
We hear another faint thud and a soft ringing of the ears. As the screen fades back in, the pilot is unconscious, leaning forward in his seat. The Chief grabs his shoulder and pulls him back. The pilot regains consciousness with a heavy gasp.
- Ship AI: "WARNING. CRITICAL MALFUNCTION. ATTEMPTING RECONSTRUCTION."
- Pilot (angrily): "No! Get...! No! You! I can't! Stand this! Oh, you are...!"
- John-117 (calmly): "Breathe."
- Pilot (irritated): "No! You don't get to tell me what to do! You don't get to tell me anything! We're..."
- Ship AI: "079 Reset 18%"
The pilot looks at the Chief.
- Pilot (irritated): "Are you even listening?!"
The Chief is staring out the cockpit window.
- John-117: "I count three anti-aircraft cannons."
- Pilot: "Three what?!"
The Chief turns to leave the cockpit.
- John-117: "You'll be safe here."
- Pilot: (irritated) "Oh? I'll be safe?!"
He lets out a mirthless chuckle. The pilot's seat slides back as he unbuckles. He gets out of the seat to follow the Chief to the troop bay.
- Pilot: (irritated) "Safe?! I haven't been "safe" since I found you! I found you, remember?!"
The camera pans around the Chief to the aft of the troop bay.
- Pilot: (irritated) "You were out there on your own, and you'd still be there if it wasn't for me! I thought I was going home!"
The camera pans around to face the Chief.
- John-117: "There won't be a home if we don't stop the Banished."
The camera continues around behind the pilot.
- Pilot: "You keep saying that. We're outgunned, outnumbered."
The pilot turns to point.
- Pilot: "I know I saw Condors over there."
He pivots back around, clenching his fist.
- Pilot: "I'm going to dig through them and find one with a working Slipspace drive, and when you're done with this war we'll get away from here."
As the pilot finishes speaking, the Pelican's bay door opens. Light floods the troop bay.
- Pilot: "Far away."
- John-117: "Wait here."
The Chief heads for the exit. The pilot quickly catches up, grabbing the Chief's arm.
- Pilot: "Woah, woah. Please."
He lets go of the Chief's arm.
- Pilot: "Let me see what I can find."
- John-117: "Cannons first. When I get back...we can look. Together."
The pilot lets out a small huff through his nose and walks back towards the cockpit.
- Pilot: "Okay, big guy."
The Pilot retreats back into the Pelican.
{Gameplay}
The Banished have three AA guns: one to the East, one to the North, and one to the West. The Chief heads out to destroy them in whatever order he chooses. The Western gun is immediately accessible via its gravity lift, but the Northern and Eastern guns need to have their gravity lifts reactivated before they can be entered.
The dialogue triggered when the Chief reactivates either the Eastern or Northern gun's gravity lift changes slightly depending on the order he destroys the guns.
If the Chief heads to the Eastern/Northern gun first:
- Weapon: "That's it. The gravity lift is on. Let's get inside and shut this gun down."
If the Chief heads to the Eastern/Northern gun second:
- Weapon: "Second AA gun is open for business. And by open, I mean-"
- John-117: "Let's go."
If the Chief heads to the Eastern/Northern gun last:
- Weapon: "There we go. Last gun open."
- John-117: "Let's go fire it."
- Weapon: "So, let me get this straight. It's okay for you to make jokes..."
- John-117: "Correct."
The Chief enters the first gun.
- Weapon: "Plug me in and I'll take care of the cannon."
The Chief deploys the Weapon onto the terminal.
{Cutscene}
The Weapon starts hacking the cannon.
- Weapon: "They call this security? Please. Hold tight, I'll handle it."
An alarm inside the gun suddenly blares. The doors slam shut all around. The local topographic map behind the console changes into a hologram of Escharum.
- Escharum (hologram): "The UNSC lost this war months ago. Your people are broken. Scattered. Hunted. Defeated. By me."
Escharum smirks as he continues.
- Escharum (hologram): "I wish I could tell you it was difficult. But it wasn't."
He chuckles cruelly.
- Escharum (hologram): "We are one step ahead! Always! The Ring is already under our control! Soon, the Auditorium as well. The Harbinger and the Banished share the same goal! We fight together to honor the will of Atriox! But..."
He turns away.
- Escharum (hologram): "But, without challenge, I grew...weary. Lost. Alone. But..."
He smiles and turns to face the Chief again.
- Escharum (hologram): "Here you now stand."
He exhales menacingly.
- Escharum (hologram): "This is my last fight. A true test of legends! Our story will outlive us both.
He growls in anticipation of the coming battle.
- Escharum (hologram): "Set a fire in your heart, Spartan! Bare your fangs! Fight hard. Die well."
The hologram fades.
- Weapon: "Thank you!"
She turns around.
- Weapon: "Chief?"
- John-117: "That word. Auditorium. What is it?"
- Weapon: "I was hoping you'd know the answer to that one. I'm new. Remember."
She finishes hacking the cannon.
- Weapon: "Okay, I'm done here."
The Chief retrieves her.
{Gameplay}
The AA gun's generator is exposed.
- Weapon: "I've exposed the gun's generator. Destroy it and the fuse is ticking."
The Chief destroys the generator, setting off a chain reaction. Explosions rock the cannon. The doors open.
- Weapon: "Good. Let's get out of here before the fireworks start."
The Chief jumps out of the cannon and gets to safety. The cannon explodes behind him.
- Pilot (COM): "The Banished are mobilizing in a big way. Clock's ticking, Chief. How much longer?"
- John-117: "One gun down, two more to go."
- Pilot (COM): "We are running out of time."
- Weapon: "The Harbinger and the Banished share the same goal."
- John-117: "Rebuild the Ring."
- Weapon: "But why?"
- Pilot (COM): (impatient) "Maybe they want to go home too."
The Chief reaches the second gun and gets inside. As before, he deploys the Weapon onto the control terminal.
{Cutscene}
- Weapon: "I'm on it. The lockdown's probably going to trigger again...
She starts hacking the cannon.
- Weapon: "...but don't worry, we'll be out of here in-"
The lockdown triggers again. Escharum appears before them via Hologram once more.
- Escharum (hologram): "How many Spartans remain? Do you even know? There would have been fifty at Laconia Station. Maybe more. Such a loss."
He leans forward, pressing a hand to his chest.
- Escharum (hologram): "Do you feel it in your heart? Does it leave a hole?"
He wheezes and looks away.
- Escharum (hologram): "Atriox was my finest recruit." (turns back to the Chief) "He understood sacrifice and when one is necessary." (closes his eyes) "I honor his memory each day." (opens his eyes) "When our enemy rises, we meet their challenge. It is why I created the Hand of Atriox. I found the best. The cruelest. The most efficient killers in the universe... and taught them how to be better. (rasps) My Spartan Killers are coming for you."
He smiles and holds out his arms.
- Escharum (hologram): "It is your time to rise."
The hologram fades.
- Weapon: "Spartan Killers? Really? Everyone is trying to kill you. I'm done here. Now it's your turn."
The Chief retrieves her.
{Gameplay}
As before, the gun's generator is exposed, allowing the Chief to destroy it. The lockdown lifts and the Chief escapes the gun before it explodes.
- Weapon: "Chief, we're being contacted on UNSC channels. Comm signature belongs (pause) to a Spartan Theodore Sorel... the one we found. Dead."
- John-117: "Put it through."
- Hyperius (COM): (mockingly) "Spartan... Spartan... (chuckles menacingly) I know you can hear me. Will you die with honor?"
Hyperius lets out a deep laugh.
- Hyperius (COM): "I doubt it. You are human. Weak. Pathetic. I will crack your armor. Peel you from your shell. It will not be my first Spartan blood. (inhales) But it will be the sweetest."
- Pilot (COM): "They're sending a Spartan Killer? Chief... This is crazy. This is crazy. We gotta get out of here. We gotta move!"
- John-117: "Not yet. Hold position."
- Pilot (COM): (frustrated) "When this goes bad... it's on you, Chief. Remember that."
The Chief reaches the last gun, gets inside, and deploys the Weapon onto the control terminal. She starts hacking it.
- Weapon: "Last one. And... cue the lockdown."
She waits but nothing happens this time.
- Weapon: "Huh. No Escharum? I'm almost disappointed."
She finishes hacking the gun.
- Weapon: "Almost. All set. Let's get back to the Pelican. We did it!"
The Chief retrieves her, destroys the exposed generator, and escapes while the final cannon explodes behind him.
- Weapon: "There's a repeated message across all Banished frequencies. The first part is Hand of Atriox..."
- John-117: "And then what?"
- Weapon: (concerned) "Deploy."
- Pilot (COM): "Chief. Where are you?"
- John-117: "Hold position. We're on our way."
- Pilot (COM): "I'm sorry, Chief... I can't stay."
- Weapon: "I've lost his signal. If the Spartan Killers find him..."
- John-117: "That won't happen."
- Weapon: "How can you be sure?"
- John-117: "Because they'll need to go through me first."
The Chief heads back to the Pelican's crash site. Multiple Banished troops have already arrived. Among them is a Brute on a Chopper.
- Weapon: "Chief! We've got... well, a lot. See that Chopper? I'm guessing that's one of the Spartan Killers."
A Banished Drop pod lands on top of a wrecked frigate.
- Weapon: "And there's the other one. Up there in the wreckage! You need to stop them!"
Hyperius and Tovarus are no ordinary Brutes, proving themselves to be formidable opponents.
If the Chief kills Hyperius first:
- Tovarus: "The coward deserved what he got! Now face me, Spartan!"
- Weapon: "I think you've made him mad! Reinforcements inbound!"
If the Chief kills Tovarus first:
- Hyperius: "Brother! I'll kill you slowly for that, Spartan!"
- Weapon: "I think you've made him mad! Reinforcements inbound!"
More Banished drop pods are deployed to reinforce the surviving brother.
The Chief finally kills the other Spartan Killer.
- Weapon: "That wasn't easy, was it? What if Escharum sends more?"
- John-117: "Let him. Echo 216?"
No answer.
- Weapon: "Nothing. But I think I can... yes. Comms are still offline but I was able to activate his tracking beacon remotely. He's... he's out in the open. The UNSC ship graveyard. I hope he's okay."
Guided by the Weapon, the Chief tracks the Pilot's signal to a crashed Condor.
{Cutscene}
Scene slowly zooms in on the inside of the Condor's wreck. A hatch in the floor opens, and the Pilot, now wearing a helmet, climbs out.
- Pilot: "Animals..."
He pulls the helmet off.
- Pilot: "Chief, my eyes didn't deceive me back there."
He exits the Condor's wreck and walks right past the Chief, who's waiting for him.
- John-117: "We need to go."
The Pilot ignores him. He turns around and holds up three fingers, before turning back around and continuing to walk away.
- Pilot: "Three UNSC Condors." (holds up one finger) "Seeing one is rare." (holds up three fingers again) "Finding three? It's a miracle. I should have known better."
He stops and points at the wreckage of another Condor.
- Pilot: "Torn apart. Completely gutted." (turns back to the Chief) "Slipspace drives obliterated."
- John-117: "We don't have the time."
The Pilot ignores him and walks few steps, before stopping to point, helmet still in hand, at a second Condor.
- Pilot: "And over there is another. Shattered and cratered over a kilometer."
He turns and points at the Condor the Chief found him in.
- Pilot: "And there."
He walks back to the wreckage of the Condor.
- Pilot: "The last one. All of it."
He turns to the Chief.
- Pilot: "Crushed. Broken. Beaten! Useless!"
The Chief steps towards him.
- John-117: "Enough."
- Pilot: (hysterical) "When? When is it enough, Chief?! When we're in there? Because that's where I belong." (points at the Condor) "In there. With them!"
He throws his helmet in frustration. He then walks over to piece of debris, picks it up, and throws it back down.
- Pilot: "Worthless junk!"
He turns to the Chief, his teeth clenched.
- Pilot: "Not this. I'm not you."
He hangs his head in shame and walks past the Chief.
- Pilot: (on the verge of tears) "I'm not a pilot. I'm not even a soldier, a marine!"
He stands with his back to the Chief, unable to face the Spartan.
- Pilot: "I'm a fraud. I stole that Pelican." (he turns around) "I stole it! You know why?"
The Chief doesn't answer.
- Pilot: "Of course you don't. Have you ever been scared? So scared that you..."
Unable to finish his sentence, the Pilot walks away from the Chief. He kneels down at the edge of the crater containing the wreckage of UNSC ships.
- Pilot: (sobbing) "I'm worthless."
The Chief approaches and drops to one knee beside him.
- Pilot: (still sobbing) "You should leave me here with the rest of the garbage."
- John-117: "We all fail. We all make mistakes. It's what makes us human."
- Pilot: (disbelieving) "I'm sorry, Chief. But how have you ever failed."
The Chief hesitates for a moment before answering.
- John-117: "I should have protected Cortana. Stopped everything from going wrong."
The Pilot stares at him in surprise.
- John-117: "I failed her."
He turns to the Pilot.
- John-117: "I will not fail you."
- Weapon: "Chief..."
The Chief opens up his hand and the Weapon's avatar appears.
- Weapon: (to the Pilot) "We...we're going to make it."
- Pilot: (turning away) "I..."
- Weapon: "We have to."
The Pilot looks back at them.
- Pilot: "...this is all I've got."
- John-117: "It's all we need. Our only way home is straight through the heart of the Banished."
- Weapon: "We need you."
- John-117: "We can fix this."
- Weapon: "Together."
Her avatar disappears. The Chief stands back up. He waits for the Pilot to do the same.
Scene focuses in on the Pilot, as he makes his decision.
- Pilot: "Of course we can."
The Chief holds out his hand. The Pilot takes it and gets back to his feet.
- Pilot: "Together."
Having regained his composure, the Pilot puts his hands on his hips and sighs.
- Pilot: "So. What's the plan? Let me guess. It's dangerous and it's probably going to get us killed."
There's a sudden booming sound. Scene shifts to the right. A beam of blue energy streaks up into the sky, fired from somewhere in the distance.
- Pilot: "Huh."
Scene shifts back to him.
- Pilot: "I have my answer."
He turns to the Chief and raises a fist.
- Pilot: "Let's do this."
Fade to black.
This section needs expansion. You can help Halopedia by expanding it.
Production Notes
An in-development version of this level was used in the Halo Infinite Campaign Gameplay Premiere trailer.
Gallery
Development images
Audio placements for the level area.
Pre-release
John and Esparza in the Pelican troop bay.
A view of a Mulsanne-class frigate wreckage.
Esparza looking out to a destroyed Condor.
A early version of the TACMAP view of the area.
Sources