Story threads going forward

Community Halo Universe
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These are a handful of story threads which could have importance going forward. People complained that a lot of threads weren’t answered in Halo 5, but a lot of these are still relevant and can come into play at a later time. They’re in no particular order.

Admiral Kovalic and Mystery AI

With all the attention AI are getting because of Cortana’s rebellion, it made me wonder what AI Admiral Kovalic was so interested in keeping safe. In the Halo: Initiation comic book, ODST Sarah Palmer managed to save Kovalic, who was transporting his base’s AI when that world came under attack by the Covenant. Why didn’t he just destroy the AI as per the Cole Protocol? Instead he placed the AI in a containment unit and fought his way off world. Makes me think that AI, or at least whatever information it might be carrying, could be much more important someday.

Halsey’s Clones

According to Halsey’s Journal, she made multiple Clones of herself, placed them in cryo stasis and stored them away in a secret location. True Reach was glassed, but I don’t believe she ever said where exactly she stored them and there is always a slight chance they survived. I think it would be interesting if Halsey went and made an “Anti-Cortana” of sorts using these cloned brains. That might sound a little cheesy, (even I think this and I wrote it), but I’m actually thinking of it more like making an Offensive Bias to Cortana’s Mendicant Bias.

The Assembly and Domain

Cortana said she discovered the Domain after being pulled into Slispace. This is interesting because Halsey had attempted to create an abstract fractal structure within Slispace, which would potentially house an AI and extend its life indefinitely. The Assembly are a secret collection of AI who have been watching and manipulating humanity for over 200 years. They were extremely interested in what Halsey had attempted and now that we know Slipspace and the Domain are related it seems like this should play a role in the not too distant future. Plus the Assembly decided they would stop being “shepherds” but instead become humanity’s equal companion.

Spirit of Fire and Serina

Technically we’ll find out more about this next year, but I’m hoping that Halo Wars 2 won’t be a random side mission and actually tie into the events of Halo 5. Serina should be close to 30 years old by now, but she was only a year old when she disappeared with the Spirit of Fire. She couldn’t have accumulated enough information to force her into rampancy, even though it would still be a threat considering her age. AI have been known to live for decades if they had an appropriate distraction, such as Juliana who put all of her effort into protecting the people of the Rubble. Perhaps Serina was able to concentrate on keeping the Spirit of Fire crew alive, but she could still hear Cortana’s message of curing rampancy. Serina could have a difficult decision to make, but I think it would be interesting if she didn’t side with Cortana.

The Ussans and Enduring Bias

The Ussans are a group of Sangheili who fled the Covenant at its founding and lived inside a Shield World all this time. After making contact with some Sangheili and a San’Shyuum who fled after the Great Schism, some of the Ussans returned to Sanghelios. We haven’t heard much about them since and we have no idea if they played any role in the civil war. Their Shield World ended up being reconfigured into some kind of mini Halo Ring, so this could be very important going forward. It would be interesting to sit down and speak with a San’Shyuum who could potentially be an ally. If this place is still secret, it could serve as a refuge from Cortana. She’s powerful but I doubt she’s omnipresent. I doubt this mini-Halo is also galaxy destroying like the real Halos, but it would potentially be a weapon which can be used against pesky Guardians.

Another thing the Ussans have is the Forerunner monitor Enduring Bias. It’s never said what kind of monitor he is exactly, but his “Bias” name could indicate he’s a Contender Class like Mendicant and Offensive Bias. This is just speculation of course, but it would be interesting to finally see another Contender Class. Plus I’m curious to see how he will react to meeting Reclaimers and perhaps UNSC Huragok could finally repair him.

Janjur Qom

Said to be destroyed by a super nova but this has not been confirmed. The Stoics were Tier 5 when the San’Shyuum Reformists left with the Forerunner Dreadnought and if the planet is still intact, that would mean they’ve had 3000 years to advance in technology. Perhaps by 2558 they are advanced enough that they can take care of themselves. It would be great if we can go to them and make first contact in the hopes of them becoming allies. If Cortana believes the planet was destroyed and doesn’t know of it’s location, then this could be another safe haven to form a resistance. Perhaps we can meet up with the Ussans and bring their San’Shyuum, Zo Resken, with us to initiate first contact. There might be some bad blood there but it’s been 3400 years since the Stoics and Reformists had contact. They should at least try to cooperate. Plus it would appear that human figures can be seen on ancient San’Shyuum ruins, which could hint at the old Human-San’Shyuum Alliance and they could learn about it from them.

Insurrectionists and Admiral Cole

A group of Insurrectionists disappeared for 40 years and eventually made their existence known when they defending the UNSC twice against the Covenant. They would then disappear again, never to be seen. It’s believed that Admiral Cole didn’t die during his famous last stand and instead followed them because his wife and child were apart of them. If there is an Insurrectionist colony out there who have their own fleets, then they could be a big help. That is if they would be willing to help, but I think Admiral Cole would do so if he were still alive. I’d like to think that this group could serve as the foundation for a new human government if the UNSC were to fall. We could finally reunite humanity in the ashes of the old UNSC. It would be great if we allied with the other races as well during this fight.

Rtas 'Vadum and Shadow of Intent

We will probably learn what they’re up to in Halo: Shadow of Intent, but I hope that both the ship and shipmaster survive. We know that the Shadow of Intent is out there protecting Sanheili colonies and after what just happened in Halo 5, they’re gonna have to fall back just like the Infinity did. Hopefully these two can rendezvous and coordinate a resistance. If they decide to switch back and forth between Blue Team and Osiris in Halo 6, then I would like to see the two ships split up with each team going to different locations for backup.

The UNSC Infinity for example could take Osiris to find Admiral Cole’s colony, while Blue Team goes with the Shadow of Intent to find Janjur Qom. Showing up at Janjur Qom with a Covenant ship might be a little risky, but perhaps the humans can convince them to help? Or maybe Exuberant Witness and Enduring Bias can assist in helping us? I really like this idea actually.

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Chakas and Forthencho

I don’t know if Forthencho survived with Chakas when he uploaded himself into the UNSC Rubicon, but it would be great if he did. I’m curious to know what two composed humans think of Cortana’s little rebellion. Of course Chakas also believes he knows where the Lifeshaper is, so if he can find living Forerunner they could really help us out. We’re all going to need it. Perhaps Offensive Bias is still alive and useful, or the Forerunner have another Contender Class AI who could help challenge Cortana?

Grey Team and Ferrets

Grey Team is MIA which means that if they’re still alive, Cortana might not know their location and they could potentially be found and used. More Spartan-IIs to help fight Cortana’s rebellion would be great. Spartan-IIIs Olivia-G291, Mark-G313 and Ash-G099 were placed in a special ONI unit called Ferrets and listed as KIA. They’re actually still alive and conducting missions who-knows-where, which means they too could be recruited to help fight against Cortana. Perhaps one of the teams found something that could be useful?

Unnamed Shipmaster from Kholo

The unnamed shipmaster who went to Kholo to find himself has yet to return in media. Although it would appear that “The Return” took place around 2559, which could mean he is unaware of what Cortana is doing. I don’t know how many Guardians Cortana has, but I’m sure she would use them in core systems with large populations, which means the shipmaster out near some burned out colonies might not know what’s happening. There he found human researchers who apparently discovered a monitor. Depending who or what the humans found and what this shipmaster does with this information, it’s possible he will play an important role in the future?

Dural 'Mdama and Avu Med 'Telcam

Jul 'Mdama’s son who wants revenge for his mother’s death. We have no idea what happened to him or Avu Med 'Telcam after the Kilo Five series. A lot of people were upset that Jul 'Mdama died so easily but it would be interesting if they replaced him with Dural. Perhaps he learned to be a much better fighter than his father and he now poses a threat to us all. While it would be great to see a united galaxy against Cortana, little threats like this could still be interesting if done right.

Kilo-Five

This will probably get some hate but I actually think it would be interesting to see the Kilo-Five squad in a game. Who knows, maybe they’ll die? lol. Perhaps they’re Spartan-IVs now and they’re still carrying out missions aboard the UNSC Port Stanley. It’s a Prowler which may mean Cortana can’t track them so they could potentially help out. Maybe they know ONI secrets which could be of some use? Either way it would be neat to see Naomi-010 back.

The Flood and/or Precursor

They’re the ultimate endgame. They’ll definitely return someday. When we’re ready.

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What about the Didact? We know he got composed but how contained is he and where? What will he think of Cortana’s plan?

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> 2533274793749599;1:
> These are a handful of story threads which could have importance going forward. People complained that a lot of threads weren’t answered in Halo 5, but a lot of these are still relevant and can come into play at a later time. They’re in no particular order.
>
> Admiral Kovalic and Mystery AI
>
> With all the attention AI are getting because of Cortana’s rebellion, it made me wonder what AI Admiral Kovalic was so interested in keeping safe. In the Halo: Initiation comic book, ODST Sarah Palmer managed to save Kovalic, who was transporting his base’s AI when that world came under attack by the Covenant. Why didn’t he just destroy the AI as per the Cole Protocol? Instead he placed the AI in a containment unit and fought his way off world. Makes me think that AI, or at least whatever information it might be carrying, could be much more important someday.

I would just think it was apart of the war effort, every AI makes a difference, as well as Palmers backstory. I could be wrong or right, or both I guess.

> 2533274793749599;1:
> Spirit of Fire and Serina
>
> Technically we’ll find out more about this next year, but I’m hoping that Halo Wars 2 won’t be a random side mission and actually tie into the events of Halo 5. Serina should be close to 30 years old by now, but she was only a year old when she disappeared with the Spirit of Fire. She couldn’t have accumulated enough information to force her into rampancy, even though it would still be a threat considering her age. AI have been known to live for decades if they had an appropriate distraction, such as Juliana who put all of her effort into protecting the people of the Rubble. Perhaps Serina was able to concentrate on keeping the Spirit of Fire crew alive, but she could still hear Cortana’s message of curing rampancy. Serina could have a difficult decision to make, but I think it would be interesting if she didn’t side with Cortana.

AIs are capable of going into stasis, like what happened to Iona.

> 2533274833761444;3:
> What about the Didact? We know he got composed but how contained is he and where? What will he think of Cortana’s plan?

The Didact is contained in the Composers Forge, which is under control of Installation 03’s monitor, who he screwed in a deal.

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Maybe the Ur-Didact can build himself a body like the Warden Eternal? I highly doubt he would side with Cortana, since he believes the Forerunner are the masters of the Mantle and Cortana is claiming it for herself.

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What about the Brutes? What happened to them? Could they enter the war as well?

Also Cortana didn’t mentioned about Yanme’e either during her speeches. Are they extinct somehow?

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Brutes could be thrown in with the Spirit of Fire, since they’re apparently going to play a role in Halo Wars 2.

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Cortana mentions all of the other races in the galaxy near the end, not by name, just by saying “everyone else” in a different way.

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I like that Cortana mentioned the Yonhet. It would be interesting to see them appear in a game, even if they’re just Covenant civilians. Perhaps we can speak with one if they have information we need? More species is definitely something that needs to be added in the next game and that doesn’t necessarily mean new ones either. Halo 5’s Covenant was the same has Halo 4’s, which was the same as Halo: Combat Evolved. Elites, Jackals, Grunts and Hunters. I can understand that this is just how Jul 'Mdama’s Covenant was, but they could have at least added the Skirmishers since they are also Kig-Yar. Jul’s Covenant appears to be no more however, so now they should just add any species they can to the game. I’m sure the Arbiter would be willing to work with anyone who is honorable.

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It’ll be interesting to have Sharqoui in the next game. I know they kinda being forgotten since… Halo 3 i believed, but who knows? a man can hope

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That actually would be kinda neat. Their original design made them look bigger than a Hunter, which could mean they’re also tougher. I bet they could toss a Knight around like it was nothing.

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> 2533274793749599;1:
> Insurrectionists and Admiral Cole
>
> A group of Insurrectionists disappeared for 40 years and eventually made their existence known when they defending the UNSC twice against the Covenant. They would then disappear again, never to be seen. It’s believed that Admiral Cole didn’t die during his famous last stand and instead followed them because his wife and child were apart of them. If there is an Insurrectionist colony out there who have their own fleets, then they could be a big help. That is if they would be willing to help, but I think Admiral Cole would do so if he were still alive. I’d like to think that this group could serve as the foundation for a new human government if the UNSC were to fall. We could finally reunite humanity in the ashes of the old UNSC. It would be great if we allied with the other races as well during this fight.

I actually had an idea that explored this through Locke’s eyes as his post-Nightfall, pre-Halo 5 game: here

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2401 Pentient Tanget has an unresolved story arc that could potentially lead to his return. After the events of Halo 2 his fate remains unknown. Was he left on Delta Halo or taken to the arc with the gravemind? The same goes with Abject Testament, unless his story arc has concluded and I am unaware.

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great post.

I’d actually argue that Cortana, having made contact with the domain, would be more likely to know of & find Janjur Qom. Also, we still don’t know what happened with the remaining Reformist Prophets, their keyship, and likely massive group of Huragok. . . that’s a pretty huge war bounty that could be leveraged against Cortana, and would be a VERY interesting/uncomfortable alliance that Humanity and the Sangheili would have to make!

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Adopter of Knowledge, here, from the Archive. I really, really think you should put this in the TC over there, Nihilius.

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> 2717573882290912;13:
> 2401 Pentient Tanget has an unresolved story arc that could potentially lead to his return. After the events of Halo 2 his fate remains unknown. Was he left on Delta Halo or taken to the arc with the gravemind? The same goes with Abject Testament, unless his story arc has concluded and I am unaware.

He might be dead. He was in the possession of the Gravemind on the Ring but he was nowhere to be found when the Gravemind abandoned the Ring. During his conversation with Cortana, he would tell her that he only ever let one AI live out of pity and that was Mendicant Bias. If he escaped the Ring then in theory he would have no further need for 2401, which means he may have consumed him. That’s just a theory though and it’s always possible he survived somehow.

> 2533274983624405;14:
> great post.
>
> I’d actually argue that Cortana, having made contact with the domain, would be more likely to know of & find Janjur Qom. Also, we still don’t know what happened with the remaining Reformist Prophets, their keyship, and likely massive group of Huragok. . . that’s a pretty huge war bounty that could be leveraged against Cortana, and would be a VERY interesting/uncomfortable alliance that Humanity and the Sangheili would have to make!

She touched the Domain but I don’t know if she has full access to all of its knowledge. Even the Forerunner had difficulty understanding the Domain sometimes, because information would change or disappear on its own. Sometimes information hidden away would be found by the Domain and brought forth so that it could be found. I don’t know who wrote the Bestiarum, but it’s from a Forerunner perspective and it says it can’t confirm if these stories are true.

> 2535442778541927;15:
> Adopter of Knowledge, here, from the Archive. I really, really think you should put this in the TC over there, Nihilius.

It actually is on the Archive. It got merged with the Early Halo 6 Theories thread, at the bottom of page 2.

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My hope is that we get to see Medicant Bias. He fell to the logic plague himself and so did Cortana, though this “shard” of her might not be infected with it, there is a good chance she is. He could help to heal her. Very far fetched but I would love to see Medicant or Offensive Bias in game, on our side.

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> 2533274793749599;16:
> > 2717573882290912;13:
> > 2401 Pentient Tanget has an unresolved story arc that could potentially lead to his return. After the events of Halo 2 his fate remains unknown. Was he left on Delta Halo or taken to the arc with the gravemind? The same goes with Abject Testament, unless his story arc has concluded and I am unaware.
>
>
> He might be dead. He was in the possession of the Gravemind on the Ring but he was nowhere to be found when the Gravemind abandoned the Ring. During his conversation with Cortana, he would tell her that he only ever let one AI live out of pity and that was Mendicant Bias. If he escaped the Ring then in theory he would have no further need for 2401, which means he may have consumed him. That’s just a theory though and it’s always possible he survived somehow.
>
>
> > 2533274983624405;14:
> > great post.
> >
> > I’d actually argue that Cortana, having made contact with the domain, would be more likely to know of & find Janjur Qom. Also, we still don’t know what happened with the remaining Reformist Prophets, their keyship, and likely massive group of Huragok. . . that’s a pretty huge war bounty that could be leveraged against Cortana, and would be a VERY interesting/uncomfortable alliance that Humanity and the Sangheili would have to make!
>
>
> She touched the Domain but I don’t know if she has full access to all of its knowledge. Even the Forerunner had difficulty understanding the Domain sometimes, because information would change or disappear on its own. Sometimes information hidden away would be found by the Domain and brought forth so that it could be found. I don’t know who wrote the Bestiarum, but it’s from a Forerunner perspective and it says it can’t confirm if these stories are true.

Plus, Cortana probably got her access to the Domain cut when Exuberant “HAVE CONTROL AGAIN!” Although that doesn’t removed the possibility of her gaining knowledge of Janjur Qom and its huge armies of Sentinels and Keyships stationed there and possibly even making contact with it, or if Janjur Qom still exist at all since I believe the planet got supernova’d. That being said though, I don’t see how Arbiter would accept the Prophets at all given how much the Prophets completely -Yoink- up Sangheili’s history and tradition in which the Arbiter is desperately trying to restore.

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> 2533274954066077;18:
> That being said though, I don’t see how Arbiter would accept the Prophets at all given how much the Prophets completely -Yoink- up Sangheili’s history and tradition in which the Arbiter is desperately trying to restore.

The San’Shyuum Reformists are the ones who formed the Covenant and betrayed the Sangheili. The Stoics on Janjur Qom actually had the same idea about the Forerunner that the old Sangheili did. They believed Forerunner tech should be worshipped, not reverse engineered. That could cause problems if they still believe that because the USNC and modern Sangheili have reverse engineered tech. Still have to try though.

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> 2533274793749599;19:
> > 2533274954066077;18:
> > That being said though, I don’t see how Arbiter would accept the Prophets at all given how much the Prophets completely -Yoink- up Sangheili’s history and tradition in which the Arbiter is desperately trying to restore.
>
>
> The San’Shyuum Reformists are the ones who formed the Covenant and betrayed the Sangheili. The Stoics on Janjur Qom actually had the same idea about the Forerunner that the old Sangheili did. They believed Forerunner tech should be worshipped, not reverse engineered. That could cause problems if they still believe that because the USNC and modern Sangheili have reverse engineered tech. Still have to try though.

Well Cortana has more access to Forerunner tech than the UNSC or the SoS. The Stoics would probably considered Guardians as “Gods of Destruction” and would worship the hell out of it. The fact that Cortana has a “Holy Ring” and numerous Promethean “Holy Warriors” and the UNSC’s “desecration” of the Forerunner artifacts by integrating it with their technology and Arbiter is basically an atheist now, it is safe to say that the Stoics would rather join the “Holy Empress” Cortana rather than the “atheist” Arbiter.