Character: James Cutter (James Cutter)

Captain, your troops fight with a tenacity almost equal to my fellow jiralhanae. I'm impressed. Like you, survive in any situation. So I am ready to make concessions: take your soldiers and leave - I will not pursue you.
- People with whom you raspravilsya at the wrong station, did you do that? We're not going anywhere. I'm talking to you because I want you to know that we will select you the Ark.
Ha ha ha! Treachery and luck are the only reasons why you're still alive, cutter. Okay, I admire your fighting spirit, but you've just sentenced your little ship of death and oblivion.

- Alice, Douglas - make your way to the "Scarab" and then hijack it.
- With pleasure! You can count on us!
- You know, Alice, I always wanted to ride one of these things.
- Okay, go. Anyway, one of us needs to stay on the ground. And do not say afterwards that I did not share!

I think I found a way to return us to Earth.
- You can re-open the portal?
- No. We will create a Halo.
What?!
I found out that in the Central forge of the Ark is stored in a ring - eksena replacement in case one of the working rings will fail.
- "Rings"? The superweapon capable of destroying the Galaxy, huh?!
- As for this - I know how to disable the combat system of the ring. However, we can run it only in one of the points where the original ring.
Isabel, you said the Master chief first found the ring quite close to the Limit; i.e., within a radius of emergency communications... That could work. Anders, how much time do you need?
- If calculations are correct - 12 hours.
- We have 12 hours, Professor. Even 12 minutes may not be - there's nothing I can do about it ["Relentless Perseverance"].
- I can. But I need a little help. For starters, I need to [Anders] went down with me.
Isabel...
- Excuse me, sir. I've been on the Ark. From the battle reports you've probably realized that there are certain rules. And I'm going to break one of them. The most serious.
Keep ' em coming...
- It is necessary to divide the forces on the ground in between, so I have enough time...
- Time for what?
- ... This ship brought monsters. Killed everyone I was supposed to protect. Now he plans to do the same with you. But I will not allow it. It is time to show them the true power of this place [of the Ark].

- Captain, it is difficult to work in such an environment. We can give them [Shenika] back?
- I'll handle this, Professor. Meanwhile, you can prepare data for the Ark.
- ... Disturbed the hive, right?
Yeah... How long can we keep going?
- Long - too quickly lose guns. The pace is all over soon...

- Barely got out. Where are you headed, sir?
- Survivors pass under your command; you will continue to organize raids on the Exiles. How would you like to give them problems?
Well, I only "for"... Just one question: who are the Exiles?
- I'll ask Isabel to bring you up to speed. And yet - good hunting.

- So, since we are all saved, it's time to call home... "Spirit of Fire", when Alice-130.
- Good to hear from you, Alice. How did you manage to get out?
- Captured equipment of the enemy, sir. I saved a few of our own, we are ready to return to duty.
Isabel took your signal, sent to the Pelicans for evacuation. But we got the negotiations of the enemy: the Exiles are coming for you.
- We hold out before the evacuation, sir. We'll make it somehow.
Here it's too hot, there is no place to dump the database. But we are ready to provide fire support.
Thank you. End of the connection.

- Be careful, Jerome - Decimus had enough time to prepare. Exiles demonstrate an unexpected level of control over the systems of the Ark. It is difficult to predict how they will use it against us.
- As soon as at this level of control, they will find a way to create a Halo?
- Chance we will not let them, Isabel.

- It seems that we are faced with a new threat. Isabel?
- Exiles call them "Robbers". This machine is air defense, their ability to jump used for ambushes.
- Jerome, in the absence of "Robbers" the sky is again open for our troops - reinforcements of the "Hornets" have already raised the alarm. When you reach the next portal, send scouts ahead of the main group: we don't know what could await on the other side, so we should not break blind.
- Yes, sir. We've had enough surprises.

I'm impressed, people... But we will meet again.
- And now he's bombing his own base?!
- Real monster... Kills her with the same ease as enemies.
- The feeling that Decimus is trying to hide something. Search what's left.

- What happened down there? I need to know what we're dealing with.
- 5 months ago, the portal between the Ark and Earth suddenly slammed shut. A month later, there he was.
- "He"?
- This bull. Their leader. His name is Atrix. During the war the Covenant had used his clan as cannon fodder. They were told that death in battle "will accelerate their ascension." Sent 40 fighters. 40 - for a breakthrough of the front line. 40 - to die for other people's beliefs. No one came back... except for him. Battle after battle, war after war... Every time, losing 39 of the brothers, Atrix became stronger. With each victory increased his glory and his hatred for the Covenant. In the end, both of them became impossible to hide - and they tried to expel him. Atrix the first in the whole history of the Covenant defied him and survived. His rebellion inspired many. Atrix and his "Exiles" staged raids on the Covenant across the Galaxy. Every attack makes them stronger. He took under his wing mercenaries and assassins. In those years, the Covenant was two penalties - humanity and Atrix. And they barely lost to us, but Atrix always been too tough for them - the whole damn Covenant on the height of his power failed to stop him. That's what you're dealing with. And all you have is an old ship with half the crew. I think we should run as fast and far as we can.

Isabel, this is the captain...
- I know who you are. James cutter, the captain of the "spirit of Fire". It is believed that you died with the team.
- Rumors are greatly exaggerated.

- Jerome, intelligence found a portal that will send you to the source. The rest of the units I ordered to gain a foothold and to cover escape routes.
- That's right... Hold on, now jump!
Oh how I've missed it!

- Cutter - Jerome.
- Yes, sir.
- Prepare Al and a small recon team - the Professor will send you the coordinates. Find out who passes this signal. Landing in an hour, go light.
- Understood, captain - only exploration. Finally shake off the cobwebs, sir.