The Pillar of Autumn (Halo: Reach level)

For more articles of the same name, see The Pillar of Autumn (disambiguation).

{{HideSpoilers The Pillar of Autumn is the tenth level in the campaign of Halo: Reach.
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Setting
The level begins on August 30, 2552, near the ship-breaking yards at Aszod.

Plot
The Pelican that Carter, Emile, and Noble Six are on is critically damaged, and Carter is wounded. Emile and Noble Six execute a low-altitude jump from the Pelican,and fight their way to the dockyard. Carter remains in the Pelican to give as much support as he can.

After escaping two Scarabs in a Mongoose, Emile and Noble Six are forced to go through a cave system to circumvent a large group of Covenant forces. Upon reaching the other side, however, they are confronted by a Scarab charging its cannon at them.

Carter intervenes in time, and rams his Pelican and rams the Scarab, sacrificing himself and destroying the Covenant tank. Emile and Noble Six fight their way through a large swarm of Yanme’e, and eventually reach the Aszod shipbreaking facility.

The two Spartans are then hailed by Captain Jacob Keyes, whose cruiser is moored at the facility. They are ordered to clear a landing zone for the Captain, who will use a Pelican to retrieve the Package himself. Emile mounts an MAC turret to provide covering fire against a Covenant CCS-class Battlecruiser that is approaching.

After clearing a landing zone, Keyes arrives with two Pelicans. However, a Phantom appears and destroys one Pelican, and two Sangheili attack Emile. Emile kills one before being impaled and fatally wounded by another with an Energy Sword, but still manages to draw out his Combat Knife and stab the Elite in the throat. Keyes quickly returns to try to convince Noble Six to escape with them. Noble Six refuses to get on the Pelican, and says, “Sir, I have the gun.” Keyes wishes him good luck as he mounts the turret.

Using the turret, Noble Six destroys many Phantoms and stalls the Covenant cruiser's attack just as it charges up its main cannon. The Pillar of Autumn takes off and leaves Reach.

The cutscene then skips to September 19. The Pillar of Autumn exits Slipspace, and approaches Installation 04.

Transcript (Upon reaching Keyes)
Keyes : "Good to see you, Spartan. Halsey assured me I could count on you."

Noble Six : "Not just me, sir."

Keyes : "They'll be remembered."

Keyes : "Noble Four, I need fire on that cruiser or we're not getting out of here. Do you copy?

Emile : " You'll have your window, sir."

Noble Six readies his DMR when he has to take cover from plasma bolts. Emile is seen beside the MAC gun.

Emile : " Who's next?!" (After gunning down 1 Elite)

Emile : "I'm ready! How bout' you?!....Urgh...arg..." (After getting fatally stabbed)

Keyes' Pelican returns at this point.

ODST : "Lieutenant! Get onboard! We need to get the hell out of here!"

Noble Six : "Negative. I have the gun. Good luck, sir."

Keyes : "Good Luck, Spartan."

Keyes' Pelican leaves.

Keyes : "Noble Six, i need you to get on that mass driver and cut me a path."

(After destroying Covenant Cruiser)

Keyes : " Good gun, Spartan. All stations prepare for cast-off."

(The Pillar of Autumn launches into the skies.)

Keyes : " This is the Pillar of Autumn.We're away. The Package is with us." }}

Trivia

 * Shooting the ship while its main cannon is exposed is reminiscent of the movie Independence Day, where the alien ship is destroyed by hitting the main weapon with a missile (and the plane carrying it)
 * When you go up to the MAC gun, Emile and the two Zealots from the cutscene still have their sheilds active, and if you deplete them, they will recharge as normal.