Again, Halo's fifth episode, "Reckoning," begins with a flashback showing Master Chief (John) as a child. The moment we're shown this time gives us a glimpse of Halsey's first time seeing John. During a school visit with her partner, Jacob Keyes, Halsey witnesses John save another child from falling from a great height.
This way implies that this is when she believes that John could be special and could participate in the Spartan program. In the current period, the UNSC has now descended on Eridanus II and is looking to retrieve the artifact that Master Chief and Halsey discovered at the end of the previous episode. Jacob and Miranda Keyes, along with Kai, have also now gone to Eridanus II to help with this change. As a whole, the UNSC fears that the Covenant will attack while trying to complete this removal process.
In this, Master Chief pulls Kai aside while in Eridanus II after realizing that she removed her emotional inhibitor. Chief tells her that because of her actions, she cannot participate in any fights that might occur. Kai calls the Chief a hypocrite, and Cortana ends up agreeing with her.
Master Chief and the situation in Madrigal
Now, when it comes to Madrigal, Kwan and Soren are still trying to keep a low profile after escaping the city. However, Soren ends up handcuffing Kwan to a motorcycle to ensure she can't get out and cause more trouble. Fortunately Kwan ends up breaking free through the handcuffs and escapes.
In the process, the Master Chief talks to Jacob and tells him about what he learned about his past involving Halsey. Somewhat worried about what he has heard, Jacob then takes this information to Halsey and the UNSC superiors. Worried that the Master Chief might be unstable, the UNSC says he needs to be kept in check. However, along came Halsey who then blackmails the UNSC in order to remain in control of the situation on her own terms.
Meanwhile, at the excavation site, UNSC scientists break an outer shell from which they are holding the artifact. This artifact begins to let out a loud scream that damages the surrounding area. This noise is then heard by Makee and her Covenant troops who currently reside in Madrigal. Due to this signal, Makee then knows where the location of the second artifact is.
the second artifact
Despite Halsey's earlier orders, the Chief eventually decides to interact with the second artifact. Where shortly after this he sees another flashback to his childhood showing Halsey and the UNSC kidnapping John as a child.
Halsey appears after the Chief sees this vision and tells him that she will explain everything once they return to Reach. Master Chief decides to try to attack Halsey, but then has his body shut down by Cortana. The Chief eventually wakes up and is trying to come to terms with the realization that Cortana has control over his body.
Shortly thereafter, before he can dwell on the thought for long, the Covenant arrives at Eridanus II and proceeds to attack the UNSC in large numbers. Halsey then orders the Master Chief and the Silver Team members to escort the artifact to a nearby bus. But in the middle of the entire attack, Kai ends up letting his guard down and is overpowered by Covenant soldiers.
Despite Halsey's orders to do otherwise, the Chief ends up saving Kai, or at least it looks like he did. However, the artifact itself is stolen by the Covenant. After the battle goes in their favor, the Covenant then eject Makee from their ship for an unknown reason. Makee lands on the battlefield and is approached by the Master Chief, who takes off his helmet and looks at her as she passes out on the ground.
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