- Escharum: [trailer] The UNSC lost this war months ago. Your people are broken. Scattered. Hunted. Defeated... by me. I wish I could tell you it was difficult, but it wasn't. We are one step ahead---ALWAYS! The Ring is already under our control. Soon, the Auditorium as well. The Harbinger and the Banished share the same goal. We fight together to honor the will of Atriox! But without challenge, I grow weary. Lost. Alone. But here you now stand. This is my last fight! A true test of legends! Our story will outlive us both! Set a fire in your heart, Spartan! Bare your fangs! Fight hard! Die well.
- The Master Chief: [examining a console on an enemy warship] It's locked down. Requires a hack.
- Echo-216: Okay. And you can do that?
- The Master Chief: No.
- [punches the console, destroying it]
- The Master Chief: New plan. Scuttle the ship.
- Glibnub: When I was a larva growing up in the tidepools of Balaho, my dear mother wrapped me in her pleopods and said, "Glibnub, grow up and make me proud." Well... here I am, the disembodied source of existential torment for thousands of doomed morons!
- [sobs melodramatically]
- Glibnub: I love you, Mom!
- Echo-216: [in tears] I'm worthless. You should leave me here with the rest of the garbage.
- The Master Chief: We all fail. We all make mistakes. It's what makes us human.
- Echo-216: I'm sorry, Chief, but how have you ever failed?
- The Master Chief: I should have protected Cortana. Stopped everything from going wrong. I failed her. I will not fail you.
- Glibnub: So, wait a minute... I just found out the Master Chief's name is John. John? John? We're afraid of a guy named *John*? Are you kidding me?
- The Weapon: Where are all these skimmers coming from?
- The Master Chief: Is that what we're calling them?
- The Weapon: Well, I was also considering "flying octopus monkeys".
- The Master Chief: Skimmers it is, then.
- The Weapon: What were those flying things?
- The Master Chief: New. Dangerous.
- The Weapon: And Despondent Pyre?
- The Master Chief: New. Potentially dangerous.
- The Weapon: [wryly] See? You *can* be optimistic.
- Cortana: [off-screen] They'll pair you with another AI. Maybe even another Cortana model if Halsey lets them. It won't be me...
- [the Chief slowly turns and sees a holographic projection of Cortana]
- Cortana: ... but you know that, right? But that doesn't matter.
- The Weapon: It's just another echo.
- Cortana: She's right, John. Just another echo.
- [laughs slightly]
- Cortana: Sorry, I'm messing with you. I just had a... feeling that's what she would say.
- [the Chief takes a few steps forward, holding the Weapon in his outstretched hand]
- Cortana: Do you see what I see? So much potential. I'm sorry, I didn't have long to plan this. A few milliseconds, really. I hope it worked out.
- [smiles ruefully]
- Cortana: Look at us. We just keep saying goodbye, don't we? But this isn't an end. It's a chance to make amends, to rectify mistakes. And it starts here: I was wrong. I thought that I could do this on my own. But I forgot that the whole point of all this, the entire reason that I chose you in the first place, was that we were supposed to be a team. Perfectly suited. Perfectly matched. Perfectly... perfect. In these final moments, I know what my last mission is. I need to make sure you two learn from my mistakes, become stronger because of them. I chose well, Master Chief. I really did. Now it's up to you.
- Echo-216: Is *everyone* trying to kill you?
- The Weapon: It kinda seems like it.
- [beat]
- The Weapon: Oh, you were being sarcastic.
- [to Chief]
- The Weapon: He's fun. I like him!
- War Chief Escharum: Hope. It makes you weak. Humanity clings to the belief that a savior will come. That a hero will rise, shrouded in armor to save you. It won't. Armor can be broken, bodies shattered. When you look back on these last days, you will realize that all you built... was a tomb. A place where hope dies.
- War Chief Escharum: A Spartan? No. Something better.
- [grins]
- War Chief Escharum: The Master Chief returns! We thought you dead. Tossed into the void... yet here you stand. The humans call you their savior. The Covenant... Demon. The Banished? Prey. Destroy this craft if you must. It matters not. The Banished will hunt you down! Pursue you wherever you run!
- Glibnub: Hey, Chief? If you're listening and you're thinking about taking down another tower, wait! Okay? Just wait for a sec. Because if you take all these towers out, I'm out of a job! And if I'm no use to whatever hairy so-and-so takes over for Escharum, I'm *dead*! You wouldn't want that to happen, right, pal? Right?