Exodus

For other uses of "Exodus", see Exodus (disambiguation).

Exodus is the seventh level in the campaign of Halo: Reach.

Setting
The level begins on August 23, 2552, in New Alexandria, Eposz.

Plot
Noble Six stands before the crashed Long Night of Solace, having fallen from orbit. After wandering through the wilderness, Six arrives at New Alexandria, where the Covenant supported by four Covenant corvettes are fighting against the outnumbered and outgunned UNSC forces. Staff Sergeant Pete Stacker orders missiles to be fired at the Corvette, but to no avail. Noble Six must find a way to stop it before the whole city is glassed.

Noble Six then finds the way through the city and links up with Army forces to assist in the evacuation of Traxus Tower, while fighting Brutes for the first time. However, they arrive too late, as one of the corvettes has already moved into position on top of the tower.

Noble Six then acquires a jetpack and joins a group of ODST specialists known as the Bullfrogs, enacting an emergency plan to capture an executive landing pad. Six then proceeds to Traxus Tower, where he and the ODSTs take the landing pad, allowing a group of civilians to evacuate in a Pelican.

Leaving behind the ODSTs and few UNSC troops to go and bring more civilians to the landing pad, Noble Six then rides in a Falcon to provide air cover for evacuation craft leaving the city. They take an alternate route to avoid the Covenant forces clustered in the middle of the city.

After an evacuation transport is shot down by a corvette, Noble Six assists Army forces in clearing the way to missile batteries further in the city. The missile batteries disables the corvette's weaponry, allowing the remaining transports to slip past and escape the city.

Kat contacts Noble Six, and instructs the Lieutenant to rejoin the rest of Noble Team. During the exchange, Noble Six alerts the team to Jorge's sacrifice during Operation: UPPER CUT.

Transcript
{Cutscene}

''Noble Six, alone on a snowy landscape, holding his/her left arm, regains mobility. Six slowly walks back to the Reentry Unit to acquire a pistol. Six then looks up at the remains of the Long Night of Solace, crashed on a distant mountain range. Six begins walking away from the wreck with a noticeable limp.''

Fades out.

''Fades in. Noble Six, now in a more temperate landscape, jogs closer to a cliff. He/she stops at the top, and New Alexandria, with three Covenant corvettes over it, comes into view. Explosions fill the sky, and the sound of intense combat is heard in the distance.''

New Alexandria, Eposz

August 23, 2552 15:34 Hours

''Six lets Jorge's dog tags slip slightly from his/her hand and places them in a chest pouch. Skips to a building's rooftop. Six, still holding the pistol, creeps beside the edge, jumps down, and staggers slightly on his/her injured leg. He/she walks past plasma scarring on the wall and readies the pistol. He/she jumps down again on to a walkway.''

Switches to Six's point of view: He/she lands safely on the street and looks toward the road up ahead.

{Gameplay}

The Devil His Due
Two Falcons fly overhead, towards Traxus Tower.


 * Kilo Dispatch (COM): "This is Kilo Dispatch: all available teams, advance to Traxus Tower. Evacuation will commence ASAP."
 * Gunnery Sergeant Pete Stacker (COM): "Copy, Dispatch. What's the status of the tower pad?"


 * Kilo Dispatch (COM): "Tower pad is green. Let's move these civilians before it changes."

''Six enters a damaged building, and exits out the other side. Six engages some Skirmishers, then enters another building nearby. ''
 * Stacker (COM): "Copy, Dispatch. Four-Zero out."

Six eliminates several suicide Grunts inside the building.
 * Sergeant Major Duvall (COM): "Romeo Company, be advised: we have reports of Covenant suicide squads."


 * Army Trooper (COM): "You gotta be kidding me..."


 * Duvall (COM): "That's a negative. Keep your eyes open, troopers."


 * Stacker (COM): "Kilo 26, this is Kilo 40. Covenant corvette is raining hell on us! Final Protective Fire-1, danger close, on my command, over!"


 * Kilo 26 (COM): "Copy, Kilo 40. FPF-1 at your command."


 * Stacker (COM): "Fire FPF-1, over."


 * Kilo 26 (COM): "Firing FPF-1... Shot."


 * Stacker (COM): "Hold on to your helmets!"

The ground shakes violently.
 * Kilo 26 (COM): "Kilo 40: request FPF sit-rep."


 * Stacker (COM): "Negative, 26! Corvette's still coming!"


 * Kilo 26 (COM): "Copy, 40. Firing FPF-2... Shot."

The ground shakes violently again.


 * Stacker (COM): "Damn! How do you stop that thing?"

''Six enters the basement and engages more suicide Grunts. Six easily dispatches them and exits the building. Outside, a Spirit dropship open its troop bay, revealing Brutes inside.''


 * Civilian: "Help! Somebody help us!"
 * Civilian: "They're coming! They're after us!"


 * Trooper: "Come on! Let's go!"


 * Trooper 2: "What are those things?!"


 * Trooper: "Brutes! Move to cover!"


 * Trooper: Picked up a friendly!"


 * Trooper 3: "A Spartan? Where the hell did he/she come from?"


 * Trooper: "Who cares? Spartan, assist!"


 * Trooper: "Evac Team 7 to Kilo 26, we have eyes on Traxus Tower."
 * Kilo 26 (COM): "Copy, Evac Team 7. Move to assist the evac."

Six and the Troopers defeat the Brutes.


 * Trooper 3: "How do we get to the tower?"


 * Trooper: "Elevator in the atrium goes down to the cargo port. Cargo port goes to the tower."


 * Trooper 3: "Got to get in there!"


 * Trooper: "Contacts, to the west!"

''Brutes and Skirmishers pour out from the entrance to the tower. Six and the Troopers defeats them.''

Loud public announcements are broadcast over the room periodically.
 * Trooper: "Okay. Lets move in, and find that elevator."
 * Trooper: "Somebody shut that damn thing off!"

''Six and the Troopers move to the elevator and defeat nearby hostiles. After the battle, Six activates the elevator, but nothing happens.''


 * Trooper: "What the hell is taking this thing so long?"


 * Stacker (COM): "Uh, we're evacuating a group of civilians on the floor below you. Soon as they reach the cargo port, I'll send the elevator back up."


 * Trooper: "Dropships! They're pulling into the courtyard, watch your flanks! Okay, everyone find some cover, stay sharp. We need to hold this position."

''Six and the Troopers engage and defeat the reinforcements. The elevator finally arrives.''


 * Trooper: "Damn, Lieutenant... Glad you're on our side. The elevator will get you to the tower."

Six enters the elevator and activates it.


 * Announcement: "Going down. Cargo port in Traxus Tower."


 * Stacker (COM): "If you're trying to get to the tower, you're too late, Lieutenant. Corvette over the starport pounded the hell out of the place. Cargo port is impassable on foot, rooftop evacs are lost. We can use the executive landing pad, except there's no easy way to get there. A group of ODST specialists are working a plan. They might appreciate some backup."

''The elevator stops and the doors on the opposite side open. Six walks out.''

Too Close to the Sun

 * Trooper: "On the other side of the hall there, Lieutenant. Right through the triage."

''Six walks past some wounded civilians and out the door. Some ODSTs are attempting to clear the skies.''

Six acquires a jetpack from a makeshift armory.
 * ODST 1: "There he is. That's the one they're talking about."
 * ODST 2: "Radio's buzzing about you, Spartan. You feel like jumping?"
 * ODST 3: We got an extra Jetpack, Go ahead, try it on Spartan
 * ODST: "Welcome to the Bullfrogs. Other side, on my mark! 3, 2, 1 - jump!"

Six and the Bullfrogs jump to the nearest platform.


 * ODST: "We're gonna capture the landing pad on the executive wing so the evac birds can land. Try and keep up, Spartan."

Six and the ODSTs jump from platform to platform until they arrives at the port, where they engage hostiles.


 * ODST: "Death from above!"

''More ODSTs assist Six. They defeat all the hostiles on the port. Six advances to Traxus Tower.''


 * ODST: "Head up to the roof level, Spartan."

Six jumps on a walkway in the tower.


 * ODST: "There's the pad, get to that tower."


 * ODST (COM): "Other side, other side! Entrance is on the other side!"

''Six gets to the top, where he exits the tower. He sees two ODSTs and some Troopers engaging Covenant forces, while civilians stay behind cover.''
 * ODST: "Spartan, over here!"

''Six and the ODSTs advance and start climbing up the tower, followed by the Troopers and civilians, engaging multiple contacts on the way. After a while, they meet up with more ODSTs. They head up to the top and into the executive wing, where multiple Brute Chieftains are commanding a large contingent of Covenant infantry.''


 * ODST: "Clear that pad, Spartan!"

Six and the ODSTs engage the troops inside and finally destroy the two turrets outside, securing the landing pad.


 * Yankee Niner: "Yankee Niner to Echo Dispatch: landing pad is clear, send in the evac birds."


 * Echo Dispatch (COM): "Copy, Yankee Niner. Birds away."
 * ODST: "Pleasure jumping with you, Spartan."

The ODSTs salute Noble Six, as two Falcons and a Pelican land on the pad.


 * ODST: "This is your ride, Spartan!"

''Six mans a turret on one of the Falcons. The civilians take the Pelican.''

I Should Have Become A Watchmaker

 * Pilot (COM): "City's been under siege for the last five days. Thought we had it in hand, then those corvettes showed up. Our fleet's scattered, pulling back. Hell, we all got orders to evacuate. Guess some of us just don't like leaving a job half-finished..."

''The Falcons fly across multiple engagements between UNSC and Covenant infantry. Noble Six assists the battered troops with the machine gun.''


 * Delta 1-5 (COM): "Evac transport Delta 1-5 to Evac Dispatch: loaded up, ready to go!"


 * Evacuation Dispatch (COM): "Delta 1-5, this is Evac Dispatch, copy that. Proceed at your discretion."


 * Pilot (COM): "Midtown airspace is way too hot, gonna take an alternate route!"


 * Delta 1-5 (COM): "Delta 1-5 to dispatch: Banshee squadron on my tail! Taking fire!"


 * Evacuation Dispatch (COM): "Copy, Delta 1-5. Can you-"


 * Delta 1-5 (COM): "Mayday! Port engines hit, we're going in! I'm going to try to set her down!"


 * Duvall (COM): "Fox Actual to UNSC frigate Stalwart Dawn: request immediate airstrike on Covenant corvette over starport!"


 * Stalwart Dawn (COM): "Solid copy, Fox Actual. Longswords are unavailable at this time, over."


 * 6 Echo 2 (COM): "This is civilian transport 6 Echo 2: I need to go now, Sergeant Major!"


 * Duvall (COM): "Hold on, Echo 2. Stalwart Dawn, I have multiple personal craft loaded with civilians. I have got to get them out of this city. I need air support, now!"


 * Stalwart Dawn (COM): "As soon something frees up, you'll be the first to-"


 * Duvall (COM): "Not good enough!"


 * 6 Echo 2 (COM): "I've got six hundred souls on board, Sergeant Major! I can't wait any longer!"


 * Duvall (COM): "Negative, Echo 2, I can't cover you! Do not take off!"


 * 6 Echo 2 (COM): Damn it!

''As the Falcon gets closer to the starport, they notice 6 Echo 2 taking off. The Corvette over the starport instantly fires on the transport and hits it on the port side with a plasma torpedo, crippling the craft.''


 * Pilot (COM): "Oh my god!"


 * 6 Echo 2 (COM): "Mayday! Mayday!"


 * Duvall (COM): "6 Echo 2, can you maintain altitude?"


 * 6 Echo 2 (COM): "Negative! We're going down!"


 * Pilot (COM): "Son of a bitch! I can't watch this..."

The transport crashes into the harbor and slowly sinks.


 * Evacuation Dispatch (COM): "Fox Actual... Should we send search-and-rescue birds?"


 * Duvall (COM): "Negative, Dispatch. No point."

''The Falcon approaches a small beach, where two missile batteries are placed. The Falcon lands at Duvall's position, where Troopers are engaging Covenant infantry. Six assists with the turret, finishing the attackers off.''


 * Duvall (COM): "Spartan, Sergeant Major Duvall. Hell of a day so far... Let's keep it from getting any worse, huh? Covies are all over my missile batteries, and I got five thousand civilians waiting for passage out. I need you to arm those batteries and fire those missiles from the central terminal. Understood? Corvette's been a pain in my ass for too damn long. Give it hell, Spartan!"

''The Falcon lands on the beach. Six joins Duvall's fireteam.''


 * Duvall: "Troopers! We need to push 'em back off our beach!"

Six and the Troopers advance to the beach.


 * 7 Echo 3 (COM): "Civilian transport 7 Echo 3 to Fox Actual: my engines are hot, waiting for your go."


 * Duvall: "Copy that, 7 Echo 3. We're working on it."

Six works his way to one of the batteries.


 * Duvall: "That's the first missile battery, Lieutenant. Get it armed!"

Six defeats the enemies around the battery and activates it.


 * Duvall: "First battery is armed. The other one's to your north."


 * 7 Echo 3 (COM): "Sergeant Major, Covenant are banging on my bay door, I got families and wounded onboard. I got to get airborn!"


 * Duvall: "Easy, 7 Echo 3. Spartan's going to clear the skies."

Six moves to the second battery and activates it.


 * Duvall: "That's it, batteries primed! Now get over to the East Compound, and fire those missiles!"


 * 7 Echo 3 (COM): "Sergeant Major! The Covies are almost through my door!"


 * Duvall: "Steady, Echo 3! That corvette is still up there!"

Six goes to the compound, engaging a multitude of Covenant, including two Brute Chieftains.


 * 7 Echo 3: "That's it! They've breached the landing bay!"


 * Duvall: "Copy that. Its now or never, Spartan!"

Six activates the batteries.

{Cutscene}


 * Duvall: "Missile defense online. All evac transports, you are cleared for takeoff! Repeat, you are clear for takeoff! Go, now!"

''Six missiles shoot up into the sky, aiming for the corvette. The missiles hit the corvette as a civilian transport flies overhead.''


 * Trooper (COM): "Civilian transports away. You saved a lot of lives today, Spartan."

Six walks to an open area as the three transports speeds over him and into space.


 * Lieutenant Commander Catherine-B320 (COM): "...you copy? Repeat, this is Noble Two. Noble Six, Noble Five, do you copy?"


 * Noble Six: "This is Six. Go ahead, Noble Two."


 * Catherine-B320 (COM): "We picked up your transponder about an hour ago, but we could not risk open comms. Covenant have this city sealed tight. We're getting nothing from Jorge."


 * Noble Six: "He didn't make it."


 * Catherine-B320 (COM): "Understood... What's the situation at starport exit?"


 * Noble Six: "The last transport is away."


 * Catherine-B320 (COM): "Alright. We're bringing you to us."

''Six throws a signal flare on to the ground. Six walks away as the view zooms out and shows the damaged Corvette retreating from the city.''

Fade to black.

Level ends.

Trivia

 * This level, New Alexandria and Lone Wolf are the only levels where none of the members of Noble Team fight alongside the player.
 * In the Falcon ride, after you cross the area where there are several Warthogs engaging some Wraiths, if you look back as you head to the spaceport, you'll notice that the Banshees you didn't shoot down lose their pilots and fall into the sea.
 * When you first face Skirmishers at this level at the stairs of the civic center, four red posters advertising the 2552 Reach Galactic Cup can be seen.
 * When the civilian transport hovering above the water gets shot by the Corvette's plasma bolt, the resulting explosion occurs just before the actual plasma bolt impacts it.
 * This is the first mission in Halo: Reach in which the player fights Brutes, the first level where Spiker and Gravity Hammer are usable, the second and last level without a Plasma Rifle, and the only mission where no Elites are encountered.
 * During the part where Six and several Troopers are leading civilians to an elevator, they will strangely not get on even if Six stalls.
 * This is the first and only level in which Bullfrogs make their appearances.
 * On certain occasions the Bullfrogs have a tendency to jump off the building after aiding you with fending off the Brute lance. It is unknown if this action is scripted as usually two of the ODSTs can be seen jumping off the building as if intentionally done.
 * Sergeant Major Duvall leading the UNSC forces in the last section of the mission is invincible, as he is considered a plot-critical character due to his radio exchanges with the evacuating civilian transports. However, he hangs back in the starting area and doesn't participate in the battle, unless he is ordered into a Warthog or Mongoose by the player.
 * Noble Six's pistol has seven rounds in it's magazine at the beginning of this mission. This is most likely another "seven" reference.
 * Upon meeting Brutes for the first time there is a sign promoting Moa burgers from a fast food restaurant, priced at 7.77 cR.
 * If the player kills a civilian in this level, even accidentally, the player will die instantly. This is similar to the level Winter Contingency, where killing a farmer will cause the player to die.
 * This is one of the rare missions where you will see Marines, because ODSTs are technically Marines.
 * This mission bears some similarities to the Halo Wars mission, Arcadia City. In both missions, the player must protect civilians from invading Covenant forces and escort them to awaiting evac transport. Additionally, both missions feature an evacuation transport impatiently taking off before it was meant to, and then ending up getting shot down by the Covenant, killing all its passengers.
 * In some cases, civilians will show the animation of them holding a gun for a split second when meleed by the player.
 * Due to the complex architecture of the city and the abundance of various reachable infrastructure such as pipes, towers, and ledges, the player, as Noble Six, is able to take many shortcuts throughout the mission to avoid covenant contact. An example of this is when he/she is trying to reach the landing pad to escort civilians onto a pelican close to the end of the mission. Normally, the player would have to climb many stairwells and walk through passageways while fighting many covenant troops, protecting the civilians, to reach the pad. However, there is a tower near the building, likely some form of support for another building, that can be easily reached (If the player still has his/her jetpack). From there, they can simply jump onto the landing pad, effectively skipping the somewhat long portion of the mission. (While the civilians cannot follow you- as they do not carry jetpacks- they will simply spawn near you after you defeat the Shade Turrets and Brutes waiting for you on the landing pad.)
 * Despite the ODSTs being Marines, some are the rank of Specialist, which is an Army rank, not a Marine rank.
 * The second chapter of this level is the name of a Halo 3 Achievement.
 * The title of the third chapter ("I Should Have Become a Watchmaker") is part of a famous quote by Albert Einstein. The whole quote references the rise of the atomic age and the dangers it has raised thanks to the failures of human thought, hence Einstein is regretting his contribution to nuclear physics, a contribution that would not have been made had he only been a watchmaker.
 * The Corvettes in the map are actually four, not three. This is best seen if the player goes out of the map in Theater Mode. There's one above the Traxus Tower, one above the spaceport, one near the Olympic Tower, and another at the far end of the city
 * After exiting the elevator, where the wounded civilians are located, if the player puts his/her aiming reticle on the field medic that was in the elevator with the player, he will ask you what it is like to be a spartan. This is the longest conversation by an AI in the game.
 * The Shade Turrets on the Tower Pad are protected with a death barrier. If the Grunt controlling the Shade Turret either gets out or gets killed, the Shade will explode.
 * At no time do you hear from Colonel Holland.
 * It is important to take note that the Chieftains that appear in the final part of this level spawn on the bottom level of the building with the objective (The area where players spawn in the firefight map of this part of the level). It is recommended, if playing on Legendary, to drive the Warthog as fast you can to the door where the Chieftains come out of and pin them inside the room they are in (CAUTION: One Chieftain has a Gravity Hammer and will send the Warthog flying into air, possibly splattering anyone in its way, and the other Chieftain has a Fuel Rod Gun and will cause the Warthog to blow up, which will kill any player in its blast radius.).
 * Also, it is recommended if the player takes Sergeant Major Duvall with them, as he is Invincible and will not die no matter what. If the player takes the Warthog, he should be the gunner. If the player takes the Mongoose, they player should switch weapons with the soldier with the Rocket Launcher and give it to Duvall, then make Duvall ride shotgun.
 * One of the Marines just outside of the elevator has the name of G. Ramsey, which is a reference to an employee of the name Geoff Ramsey who works for the company Rooster Teeth. Geoff also provided his voice in Halo 3.
 * This is the last level to feature a usable warthog.
 * Also, this is one of the only levels where it is possible to create a friendly AI wraith, and the only one where they can be helpful. Simply snipe the gunners of one the Wraiths in the park then kill the driver (either by boarding then punching the wraith or by destroying the access hatch and shooting the driver, the latter does less damage though). After commandeering the wraith either destroy or hijack the other wraith so it cannot kill you. Drive your wraith to a group of Troopers in an area where there is little fire and an opportunity for the Wraith to get kills. When one Trooper gets in the turret leave the wraith and another Trooper will then get in to drive. The Troopers will use a similar method of firing as the enemy wraiths do and fire there bolts high into the sky at enemy targets. Because this "high lob" method can bypass cover and gives the wraith a better chance of a kill, it is extremely helpful to do this. The Wraith will not move much unless it is close to enemies though so it can be necessary to move it to better firing positions from time to time in order to take out all enemies.
 * This could be one of the most religiously referenced levels in the Halo series.

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