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Halo - White Battleground (Trailer, 4th Revision)
Posted By: Marcus-626<wolfsavior@gmail.com>
Date: 9 May 2007, 3:06 pm


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AUTHOR'S NOTE: I'd originally created the concept for White Battleground back in 2003 under the alias of ShadowWolf. In fact the original trailer I submitted can still be found at http://halosn.bungie.org/fanfic/?story=shadowwolf_f.0821032115552.html

With Halo 3 and Halo Wars on the way, I've taken the liberty to extensively update the trailer with new scenes and an alternate ending. For those of you who see similarities between this and Halo Wars' setting, I'd like to remind you that White Battleground came first.

Oh, and don't bother clicking on the link near the end; it's fake. :P


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((Take note that the four SPARTAN-IIs are still wearing their original MJOLNIR Mk. V armor, and all dialogue from them is heard as though it were relayed through a radio.))

[The screen remains black for a few long moments before The Matrix code starts scrolling downward in its usual green "text". But a second later the code turns red and stops abruptly so the code spells out Console Trooper Studios. The screen flashes white and fades in to show the blackness of space with the battered UNSC vessel, the Gettysburg, drifting silently towards the screen.]

CORTANA'S VOICE: They are called the Covenant -

[The screen flashes briefly to show a Covenant Elite scream toward the heavens.]

CORTANA'S VOICE: A diverse hierarchy consisting of several different alien species, all with technology far advanced beyond our own; technology that can destroy worlds.

[The screen flashes again to show an armada of Covenant starships in low and high orbit above the charred planet that was once Reach, which now floats lifelessly in the dead of space below them.]

CORTANA'S VOICE: It's been twenty-seven years since the Covenant first appeared, and until recently we thought there wasn't a thing worse than them lurking in the void of space. That is, not until the Flood.

[Various segments showing marines battling both the Covenant and the Flood on Halo are shown for a few seconds in dizzying speed.]

CORTANA'S VOICE: The Flood overwhelmed us…

[Flash to show the scene from Halo where Captain Keyes's recon team was attacked by an endless wave of Flood.]

CORTANA'S VOICE: Hunted us…

[A quick scene shows a pair of marines run past the screen. A second later a form that could only have been seen as a mere blur in the background, leaps forward and lands in front of the camera to be revealed as a Humanoid Flood.]

CORTANA'S VOICE: Devoured us…

[Cut to show a close up of a marine's arm as it twitches and convulses, the fingers starting to spasm as gross, puke green veins raise along the surface of the skin. The camera pans around to show the marine, who is screaming in agony, as his head splits down the middle and a long grotesque tongue bursts forth from the stump of his neck.]

CORTANA'S VOICE: In the end, Halo had to be destroyed to prevent the Flood from spreading.

[A quick segment shows Master Chief firing a rocket launcher four separate times before switching to an outside view of the Pillar of Autumn, the whole screen shaking as the audience watches a Longsword bomber streak into the sky, out and away from the burning ship. Moments later, a scene of Halo being rocked by a giant explosion that eventually tears it apart is shown.]

CORTANA'S VOICE: And ever since then, the Covenant has pursued us relentlessly…

[Cut back to the Gettysburg floating in space. It floats peacefully there for a few moments before the camera zooms in on the bridge, showing Sergeant Johnson standing at the command center while Master Chief and Spartans Fred, Will and Linda go about their respective rounds.]

MASTER CHIEF: What's our status?

[Cortana flickers to life on the holopad and stares up at him.]

CORTANA: Still nothing out of the ordinary. The destruction of the Unyielding Hierophant must have really done a number on their battle net. They're probably so disoriented that they don't know whether to come after the ship that took out one of their primary command-and-control centers, or to stay there and lick their wounds until they're ready to have another crack at Earth.

LINDA: How long until we reach Earth, Cortana?

[The AI closes her eyes and touches her hand to her temple then looks at the main view screen, which now has a countdown timer on it.]

CORTANA: After I get the fusion drives back to full and we can re-enter warp, another twenty-one hours, at most.

[The entire bridge is suddenly jolted forward, forcing everyone to grab onto something as red warning lights go off and alert sirens begin to sound.]

SGT. JOHNSON: 'The hell was that?!

[Zoom in on Cortana as she looks frantically about.]

CORTANA: Covenant plasma! I'm detecting two ships in system; both on incoming intercept vectors from opposite sides. I can't get a clear signal on the more distant one because of jamming, but the one bearing down on us is definitely a cruiser, and she's closing fast!

[Various exterior shots show the large Covenant vessel quickly drawing nearer to the Gettysburg, brilliant flashes of green light occasionally leaping from the nose of the ship to impact roughly on the aft hull of the human ship, leaving angry burning welts behind. Cut back to the bridge.]

MASTER CHIEF: CORTANA, GO EVASIVE!

CORTANA: I can't! They hit the engines; we're dead in the water! Warning, the second ship is firing. ALL HANDS, BRACE FOR IMPACT!

[All sound stops. Cut to a dark outline of the ship in the distance. Two red flashes blossom from the nose of the new arrival. Moments later two burning projectiles shoot over the Gettysburg and slam one after another into the nose of the cruiser. With a resounding boom a large chunk of the nose from the cruiser is torn away in a stunning emerald explosion. Soon afterward, as the burning Covenant ship sinks off screen, a sleek looking UNSC vessel with the words "Phoenix's Kiss" painted on the side appears above the ship. Cut back to the bridge of the Gettysburg to focus on everyone as they look on in apparent shock.]

CORTANA: Well I'll be damned...

[The scene changes to show a long hallway with many marines standing off to each side. The camera zooms in to show a door open up at the end of the hallway; in which the Master Chief, his Spartan team of three and Johnson walks through.]

SERGEANT: Spartans on deck!

[There's a loud clacking sound as all of the marines snap their heels together and salute the heroes.]

MARINES: Hooah!

[The scene changes to show Master Chief on the bridge of the Phoenix's Kiss, speaking to a man who must be the ship's captain.]

CAPTAIN: Welcome back from the dead Master Chief. Good to see you. I am afraid you'll have to wait for some much needed R&R until getting back to Earth. The situation is grim. Sanctuary has fallen under Covenant control and we need your skills to help take it back.

[As the captain is saying this, the scene fades in to show dozens of marines being loaded onto Pelican Dropships. A quick shot shows Master Chief patting Fred, Will and Linda on the back as they dart up into their own Pelican and strap in.]

CAPTAIN'S VOICE: We estimate it's a full scale invasion. Nearly seven-thousand Covenant troops backed up by sixteen starships of varying classes.

[As the captain's voice says this, the camera cuts to an outside view of the Phoenix's Kiss. The sides of the ship open to show all of the Pelicans warming up their engines as personnel in zero-g suits direct them to their launch stations with orange glow sticks. Since the Pelicans are launching from both sides of the ship, the audience can see out the other side of the hanger - a gigantic space battle between human and Covenant forces taking place over a world covered in snow.]

CAPTAIN'S VOICE: Their tactics seem different this time… It's almost as if they want to control the planet instead of glassing it. Kind of like what you told me happened with your team on Reach. We've managed to hold our own but we're slowly losing ground. Thirty-five percent of our orbital fleet has been wiped out and our ground forces have been scattered across the planet, so it's uncertain as to how many are left.

[As the captain's voice says this, the many Pelicans depart the belly of the Phoenix's Kiss and are soon dodging and weaving through the crossfire between the battling fleets.]

CAPTAIN'S VOICE: Your mission, Master Chief, is to reunite and rally as many of the surviving ground forces as you can and come up with a plan to drive the Covenant off world. Reinforcements are already on route from Earth but they won't be here for another seventy-two hours, at the least.

[As the captain's voice says this, the Pelicans from the Phoenix's Kiss enter the atmosphere of Sanctuary and are soon being bombarded by Covenant AA cannons. Cut to the inside of one of the Pelicans to show the Master Chief calmly looking at the many marines around him. Cut once again to an outside view as three Pelicans land in a clearing by a frozen lake, many others soaring overhead at various altitudes, some of which explode from AA fire. The backs of the Pelicans open and marines start pouring out by the dozen.]

[The sound of a heartbeat starts at the same time the screen starts to flash black then return to normal, so the sound and the visuals keep in tune with each other. UNSC marines and some Warthogs speed by the screen as the camera zooms slowly toward the Master Chief. When the camera reaches him, the Master Chief looks at the screen just in time too show one of the troop carrier class Warthogs explode; reflected in his visor. The camera zooms out and does a 180 to show dozens of Covenant troops positioned on the other side of the lake. The camera once again zooms up to show a black armored Elite raise a red plasma rifle above his head and shout "VOH TISH VAR RACH'ED!" And with that said the Covenant start to rush toward the Master Chief and his marine comrades. The camera freezes, revolves around to watch Master Chief, Fred, Will and Linda raise their weapons at the screen John Woo style before it suddenly zooms in on Master Chief's face.]

MASTER CHIEF: Here we go again…

[("Hail 117 Anthem" by MotherGoat starts up at 02:51) Cut to a scene that shows three Banshee fliers coming toward the screen with their weapons blazing. Before the lead Banshee impacts the scene switches to follow a group of marines running blindly through the woods as sapphire laser fire flashes past them. Another scene shows a pair of Hunters and a trio of Elites blast their way through a door into a hallway lined with marines, which instantly open up on the beasts, guns blazing. Another scene shows a Phantom strafing a human blockade. A moment later the camera focuses on a behind view of a Scorpion battle tank as the turret swivels around and destroys the entire front section of the Phantom as though it were made of glass.]

SHIMMERING TEXT: The most lethal force in the universe…

[A scene taken right out of the final battle of LucasArts' Knights of the Old Republic shows, from a left-profile view, a group of four UNSC Skyhawks led by a lone Longsword bomber soaring gracefully through space. Suddenly they begin to be bombarded with numerous beams of sapphire light, and, one-by-one, burst into flames and explode, allowing over a hundred Covenant strike craft to zoom past the screen going in the opposite direction.]

SHIMMERING TEXT: Has destroyed everything that has stood its path…

[Another scene shows a cloaked Covenant Elite with a plasma sword in each hand leap down from nowhere and dart between two marines. The two marines stand still for a moment before they fall apart from the waist.]

SHIMMERING TEXT: And what stands defiantly before it now…

[The text gleams then is swept aside and replaced with more text.]

SHIMMERING TEXT: Is us.

[Yet another scene shows a group of fighters in a fierce skirmish close to a Covenant vessel. A moment later a massive projectile slams into the ship beneath them, causing the screen to go white before cutting to show the massive ship break in two before exploding, sending a rippling teal shockwave towards the top and bottom of the screen.]

TEXT We're not ready…

[Another scene shows a trio of Wraith mortar tanks open fire on a human compound. The camera switches to the inside of the compound as marines and other base personnel try to run away from the entrance of the compound, but a moment later blue fire engulfs them all as well as the screen. (Music pauses after reaching a vocal crescendo.)]

TEXT: But he is.

[(Music resumes at time index 03:25) The next shot shows a close up of the Master Chief as he looks past the screen. Seconds later the Chief looks behind him, watching a duet of Sparrowhawk VTOLs fly overhead. The camera trails the gunships as they head toward a giant Forerunner looking tower in the distance. A quick shot shows Cortana spiraling around a Covenant AI as they battle in cyberspace. The scene that follows shows the Master Chief locking plasma swords with a Covenant Force Commander as they stand on a narrow bridge suspended between two Forerunner towers high above the ground where, far below, a raging battle between Covenant and UNSC forces can be seen taking place amidst numerous explosions and flashes of plasma and tracer fire.]

[A very, very quick scene shows Halo Wars' Spartan Group Omega in their old MJOLNIR Mk. IV armor suddenly standing at attention and saluting Master Chief, Fred, Will and Linda, who are quick to return it. Very quick scenes following show another Spartan leaping from the back of an exploding Pelican and then beginning to freefall through the clouds towards the distant, snowy ground. The next scene appears to take place inside an ONI laboratory of sorts. When a silent roar shakes the screen, the scientists and their aids only have time to look at a large window set into a wall before a Flood Juggernaut smashes its way through it and into the room, allowing itself, a few Combat Forms and a massive swarm of Infection Forms to come swarming inside. The next scene depicts what could be Sgt. Johnson's last stand as, with a forward wave of his hand, he sends countless numbers of UNSC Infantry, armor and aerial support into battle as endless streams of Covenant plasma blankets the skies above him.]

SHIMMERING TEXT: Forget everything you know.

[The text gleams then is swept aside and replaced with more text.]

SHIMMERING: This is the prelude to the end.

[The following scene shows a 3D Holographic display. In the center of the display is an orange outline that looks like the Phoenix's Kiss while multiple blinking red dots start to converge on it from all directions. ("Unyielding" begins to end, the time index having reached 04:30) The final scene shows a giant pillar of emerald green light suddenly erupt from the northern pole of Sanctuary and head into the depths of space, the beam so large that all ships in orbit around the planet are dwarfed and outlined against it. As the scene blacks out and the title of the project appears amidst a starry background, a rendition of the true Halo anthem tied onto the end of "Unyielding" begins to play.]

HALΘ: WHITE BATTLEGRΘUND

[Flash! White light engulfs the scene. Moments pass before the outlines of several figures can be seen approaching the camera through the glare.]

[With a roar of engines, the light shifts and lifts away. As the light from a departing Pelican's searchlight no longer obscures the scenery, the audience watches as two Spartans step up to greet the camera. Standing behind them is an ODST with rocket launcher slung casually over her shoulder as though it weighed nothing at all, a fourth unmasked Spartan with a grizzled face wielding a sniper rifle and a fifth holding a Brute Spiker in each hand. The ODST removes their helmet, revealing a surprisingly gorgeous woman underneath with shoulder length raven-black hair. The twin Spartans near her simply stand there with weapons held idle, both looking only mildly entertained at the events. The new Spartans are labeled as 557, 214, 626 and 458 by numbers stamped onto the right shoulders of their MJOLNIR Mk. VI armor.]

[Spartan-458 steps forward and extends a hand to the Chief.]

SPARTAN-458/NICOLE: As I live and breathe, 117. John, it's been too long.

[Blackness. The Halo continues anthem plays solemnly in the background as words glow into light before they too fade away with the music.]

ΘNLY ON XBΘX 360, SUMMER 20XX
www.istilllovebees.com


Halo © Bungie Studios, 1999-2007
Nicole-458 is © Bungie Studios and Team Ninja.

Halo: White Battleground © 2002-2007 Mark Conrard
4th Project Trailer Completed on 04-29-2007, 6:40pm PST

Rebecca Carlson (ODST), Fisher-557 (Spartan Sniper), and Skinner-214 (Spartan Pistolero) are © Nick Pearson, Bryan Summers and Toshiro Masaki respectively.

Marcus-626 is © Mark Conrard/Console Trooper Studios.





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