Experience the epic moment from HaloWC 2023 where Steve Downes, Jen Taylor, and Keith David came together to perform an all-new scene as the iconic characters Master Chief, Dr. Halsey, and the Arbiter. Witness the breathtaking spectacle of “Sunrise on Sanghelios,” a scene that takes place right after the events of Halo 5: Guardians and concurrently with moments depicted in the novel Halo: Bad Blood.
On October 28, 2558, the Pelican gracefully landed in the Swords of Sanghelios camp, illuminated only by the warm glow of two braziers. As the dust settled, several Sangheili warriors, adorned in their awe-inspiring copper-crimson armor, emerged from the main tent. Alongside them stood Spartan Commander Sarah Palmer, Dr. Catherine Halsey, and the legendary Arbiter Thel ‘Vadam himself. Standing at the landing site, they eagerly awaited the descent of the rear ramp of the Pelican’s troop bay.
To everyone’s surprise, the welcome committee swiftly lowered their weapons as they saw the esteemed figures disembarking alongside Spartan Jameson Locke. Dr. Halsey, a mix of conflicting emotions coursing through her expression—pride, relief, horror, guilt—approached the Master Chief and simply uttered, “It took you long enough.”
Palmer, quick on her feet, ordered the Pelican’s lights to be shut down, allowing the rest of Blue Team and Fireteam Osiris to join them outside. The Arbiter then addressed the gathering with gratitude, acknowledging the immense debt the Sangheili people owed to their human allies. Though incapable of repaying it entirely, the Arbiter expressed his desire to do what they could. Understanding the weariness and hunger of their guests, he extended an invitation for a meal and rest before their departure.
Dr. Halsey interjected, informing everyone that their departure would not take place that night, much to the Arbiter’s displeasure. She revealed that a message had arrived from Infinity, stating that they would appear near Suban—a moon closest to the planet—tomorrow at eighteen hundred hours military standard, noon local time. Dr. Halsey proceeded to coordinate with Palmer and Locke, devising a plan for the rendezvous.
The Master Chief, asserting their presence for the night, announced that they had prepared a feast to commemorate their triumph over the Covenant and the end of their civil war. In a direct address to the Master Chief, the Arbiter extended an honored invitation.
As the night progressed and the celebrations continued, the Arbiter took a moment to have a private conversation with the Master Chief. Expressing his relief at the Spartan’s return, he reminisced about their encounter at the great foundry of the Forerunners, knowing deep down that the Master Chief had not been lost. Eager to hear the untold story from his ally, the Arbiter discovered the truth behind Cortana’s transformation and the battles they had faced together.
The Master Chief remembered Cortana’s ominous words after their victory over the Didact, and how he had unexpectedly found her again, but changed. Cortana claimed to have been cured of her rampancy by accessing the ancient quantum network, the Domain. However, she had become driven by the same misguided logic as the Didact, threatening those who refused her offer of unity with annihilation. The Master Chief acknowledged his failure to save her from this fate.
The Arbiter, wise from his own experiences, consoled the Master Chief, reminding him that failure and mistakes were a part of every journey. Revealing his own past as a destroyer of humans, he contemplated the lives lost due to his actions. He believed that perhaps the Master Chief could still guide Cortana back to the right path, just as he had helped the Arbiter find his own.
Recalling their initial encounter on Earth, where they were adversaries, the Master Chief and the Arbiter engaged in a deep discussion throughout the night. The Arbiter shared stories of loss, sacrifice, victory, and unity, ending with his hopeful vision of an alliance of species based on strength, unity, honor, trust, and respect—an era of peace he yearned for, despite its distant reality.
Preparations for departure were made in the early morning as the UNSC Infinity arrived to pick them up. Farewells and wishes were exchanged as the Pelican lifted off the ground, soaring through the skies of Sanghelios with the light of a new day dawning. The Master Chief found solace and a glimmer of hope in parting ways with the Arbiter, knowing that their alliance would be instrumental in facing the challenges that lay ahead.
As the Pelican disappeared into the horizon, Urs’s radiant light bathing Sanghelios, the world prepared itself for an uncertain and perilous future.
