See this Halo 5: Guardians Concept Art, I might know what those flying squid like wild-life are?
Originally I thought the unidentified flying objects (UFO) were in-fact the scrapped concepts for the Requiem Flying Squid, originally meant for Halo 4, yet it seems it is not…
The Requiem Flying Squid, although not used in-game, were indigenous to Requiem… and we all know how Requiem ended up after the Second Requiem Campaign (Spartan Ops). So the UFOs might in-fact be something more sinister… a Flood Dispersal Pod.
Note: The Flood Dispersal Pod was actually concept art for Halo 4.
Now why would the Flood return… why now? Where did they come from and who is controlling them?
The Flood have returned to enact their final judgement… they are hear to test Humanity for guardianship of the Galaxy… better known as the Mantle Of Responsibility. This was ordained back in the time of the Forerunners and Precursors… the Primordial, the last known Precursor and initial Flood Gravemind, had stated that “We shall return when Humanity is ripe with arrogance and power.” It seems as though with ONIs treachery, and the sabotaging of the Sangheili political culture and religion… Humanity is definitely arrogant and defiant to no fault. With the embarkment of the new Forerunner technology and Huragok… it seems Humanity is propelling itself into the next technological tier and power.
But why are they on Sanghelios?
Perhaps times have changed so drastically in the original Precursor plan, that the Flood are testing every possible suitor… Sangheili, Jiralhanae, Humanity, Forerunner, San 'Shyuum, Yanme’e, Unggoy, Kig-Yar, Huragok, Lekgolo… and perhaps also gaining biomass for a new Gravemind?
As far as where did they come from… I have no direct solution to that answer… that rests with 343 Industries. But what we do know is, there are Flood specimens on the remaining Installations (01, 02, 03, 05 (minor), 06, 07) and also some Flood inside dormant Shield Worlds. They could also be outside the rim of the Milky Way Galaxy, even further than Path Kethona, a satellite galaxy orbiting the Milky Way.
How would they fit back into the Halo Universe and the Reclaimer Saga?
Well apart from being the end test of the Precursor… for Humanity’s worthiness… the Flood have always been a central factor. The title of the franchise is named after a weapon designed to destroy the Flood, they unite the galaxy in a common cause, the Ur-Didact is connected to the Flood.
Apart from this Frank O’Connor stated that “Halo 5 is to be the darkest Halo game to date.” We know what darkness brings… fearful and dreadful moments… deaths, worlds lost… and the big-bad is winning. This type of plot technique captures the player or reader, into loosing hope and really finishes the story with a bang… upon finding their last hope.
These facts allow us to know about the Flood… but it also explains some theories…
In Halo: Escalation #8 and Halo: Escalation #9… John-117 is sent on a mission, to which after the emergence of the Forerunner, known as Didact, he is tasked with weakening the newly reformed Covenant ‘Storm’ Remnant. He is sent to assassinate Jul 'Mdama… the cult leader of the Storm… as well as a unknown traitor of the UNSC… Catherine Elizabeth Halsey… The mission takes the Master Chief to Sanghelios, directly or in-directly… and meets the Kaidon of Vadam, Thel 'Vadam. To which after their re-unification they discuss how to capture, or kill, the Didact’s Hand, and rescue Doctor Halsey. The plan runs sour as John-117 rescues Halsey, he soon learns of the Didact’s survival, and the return of the Flood… Halsey, John, Thel and Rtas… discuss how they are going to stop the spread of the Flood… with them finally coming to the consideration, that the Lesser Ark holds a unique treasure… and the promised solution from the now deceased-Cortana AI still remains. Halsey and John venture to the Lesser Ark while the Arbiter and Shipmaster prepare the counter-offensive and request re-enforcements from the UNSC. The UNSC send John’s spiritual air… Spartan ONI (placeholder name) and some Spartan-IV… to assist in any contingency… the Sangheili will encounter. The Sangheili soon discover than beneath the waters of Sanghelios lies, not a giant cephalopod… but a sinister dormant Gravemind… which has been regaining its strength since the Forerunner-Flood War. Upon the Lesser Ark, John and Doctor Catherine Halsey discover the Absolute Record with the assistance of the UNSC Infinity… it is a Forerunner Ancilla… known as 05 032 Mendicant Bias. Upon release, Doctor Halsey and Mendicant Bias beginning questioning each other… to which John overhears a possible solution to Cortana’s revival and a possible resistance to the Flood? Upon returning John, Halsey, Mendicant Bias, Cortana-2 and the UNSC Infinity they discover the wide-spread damage the Flood has posed on the Milky Way already… Doisac, Sanghelios… Earth all where simultaneously being opposed…
Now what does this theory have to do with the title of Guardians?
The sub title Guardians could in-fact be not talking about solely Humanity… but the galaxy as a whole… specific custodians of each species… Thel 'Vadam; Lydus; Terrance Hood; John-117; Didact… this would mean that the galaxy is being tested… for worthiness of survival.
