Halo: Crimson

Halo: Crimson is a story taking place shortly after Spartan Ops that not only follows the adventures of Fireteam Crimson, but also Usze 'Taham (whose armor color is also red, so it works).  I have a whole plot written up, which I personally think is quite interesting, but first let me introduce you to the characters and other elements of the story.

The game is based on the Halo 5 engine, it is to Halo 5 as ODST is to Halo 3.  While it features no multiplayer of its own, it does include a few new multiplayer maps for Halo 5 (which includes new weapons and vehicles from the campaign).  Now let me introduce you to the characters.

Fireteam Crimson
Olympia Vale (Sidewinder) (SMG, Plasma Pistol)
Not much explanation needed, if you've read Hunters in the Dark you know her well enough.  She's first in command of fireteam Crimson.

Daniel Budai (Pilot) (Modified Assault Rifle, Magnum)
The designated driver of the team, he's usually the one in control of the vehicles.  He's very good at what he does, and has learn a thing or two about engineering as well.  He grew up on Reach before joining the UNSC, and continues to serve simply because he has nowhere else to go, everyone from his old life was killed in the invasion.  He despises the Arbiter for his involvement in the campaign, but also understands that further conflict can only do harm to Humanity.  He's also the first openly gay character in a Halo game.  It's made known to the player in the prologue, but it's quite subtle throughout the rest of the campaign.  He's pretty sociable, and has become good friends with Olivia, and even gotten the other two to open up.

Isabelle Kiefer (Warrior) (DMR, Silenced Magnum)
She was a Spartan III, serving as a headhunter alongside Saturo.  The two were a team, and have a deep bond because of this.  She cares very deeply for Saturo, in a romantic way, but such feelings aren't mutual.  Isabelle is a sharpshooter, preferring to take her enemies out before they know she's there.  She is very stealthy, and can often get very close to her target before being noticed, if it's necessary.

Satoru Yasuda (Enforcer) (Hyrda, Magnum)
Obviously, he was also a Spartan III, and served as a headhunter alongside Isabelle.  He cares about her, but more in a brotherly sort of way.  He has grown protective of Isabelle, though she is very much capable of protecting herself and often refuses his help.  While Isabelle prefers to be the silent assassin, Satoru likes to make as much of a fuss as possible, and is a big fan of explosives.  This worked well during his headhunter days, where he would serve as the distraction while Isabelle takes them out from afar.  The two are two halves of a shared whole in many ways.

Swords of Sanghelios
Usze 'Taham (Assault) (Modified Carbine, Pre-Covenant-styled Energy Sword)
The playable character for the missions where you aren't playing as Crimson.  Rather than a specific fireteam, Usze is in command of any SoS units in the area, and even sometimes goes it alone.  Other than that, you should know him pretty well from Hunters in the Dark.  He wears armor similar to N'tho (seen on the HitD cover), but with a helmet very reminiscent of his old Assault armor.

Thel 'Vadam
I don't think he needs any introduction whatsoever.  He plays a role, but remains on Sanghelios throughout the game.

Jiralhanae
Lydus
You should know about him if you read Escalation, if not I suggest pulling up his wiki page.

Doserrius
Another Chieftan, of the master-pack that has been largely responsible for the raids on the Sangheili colonies, claiming that they must pay for what they did to the Jiralhanae people.  He is quite powerful, intelligent, and very aggressive.

UNSC
Captain Berlin M. Tursk
Once the captain of the heavy cruiser the UNSC Swiftsure, captain Tursk has been promoted and has been given command of the UNSC Vociferous after the Swiftsure was decommissioned.

Dances in the Wind
A Huragok from Trevelyan, temporarily assigned to a Watershed Division research base on Europa to help test new military technology.  Its name is an elegant way of saying that, before being adjusted, they lost control when faced with turbulance.  This carries over to their personality, which isn't so easily adjusted.

Anything more would give away the story, the rest are quite self-explanatory, especially for those knowledgeable of the expanded universe.

And now for the new vehicles, keep in mind that these are in addition to the vehicles in Halo 5.  Also, I know the list is rather long, but many of them can be taken from Reach, and many others can be built around pre-existing vehicles.  Only two or three would be completely new.

UNSC
Doozy
Essentially a Mongoose, only in snowmobile form.  It features a back seat very similar to the Mongoose, though the player faces forwards.  It also has forward-facing guns on either side that are controlled by the pilot, similar to the Gungoose.  Think of it like the Siege Bike, but with more room in the back, the main tread further back, and skids in the side for steering.

Moa
A small and agile mech.  It has the general shape of a Moa, most evident in the legs, but without the long neck.  The weapons, a chain gun and a railgun, are very close to the main body, and almost look like a Moa's wings.  The engineers working on the prototypes decided to embrace the nickname and painted them to resemble a Moa.

Vulture
The vehicle finally makes its debut in an FPS.  While the visuals are a bit different, it functions pretty similarly.  The pilot is given control of the two forward guns, the co-pilot the missiles (which can be launched one at a time, though have a long reload time), and the two other players the AA missiles in the back.

Falcon
Not much to be said.  Behaves almost identical to Reach, but with a new model.  There is no portion in the campaign where you are forced to use it, but it is available as an option instead of the Vulture and appears in the background often.

Booster Frame
They're essentially an extension of the Spartan, working perfectly with their suits.  They are very fast, agile, and responsive, while also carrying a lot of ordnance.

Covenant/SoS/Jiralhanae
Revenant
Behaves almost identically to Reach, and has a model very similar to the one in that game (though modified to fit in with Halo 5's Covenant models).

Locust
Another vehicle from Halo Wars makings its way to an FPS.  Behaves pretty similarly, but with a new model.

Seraph
Behaves very similarly to the Broadsword, just with different weapons.  Of course, it gets a new model.

Chopper
Same function, new model.

Prowler
Same function, new model.

Forerunner
Scylla
It behaves very similarly to the Kestrel in Spartan Strike, and has a similar overall shape.  It has two large pods on either side keeping it afloat, like this on the Phaeton.  The main body is longer, fully enclosed, and there is no pod in the back.

And the weapons:
Covenant/SoS/Jiralhanae
Plasma Rifle (Brute)
The Plasma Rifle returns, and with a Brute variant alongside it.  Same functions as before, new model.

Heavy Needler
Functions similarly to the Plasma Launcher, but much more effective against air vehicles than land vehicles.  It can fire a single needle before having to be reloaded.  The needle tracks whatever the player locked it onto, and supercombines when it makes contact.  

Spike Grenade
Same function, new model.

Spiker
Same function, new model.

Mauler
Same function, new model.

Spike Rifle
A longer range version of the Spiker.  It fires a single bolt, with the range of a BR.  It does a good deal of damage, especially to unshielded targets.

Gravity Hammer
Same function, new model.

And, finally, we can move on to the actual story!  It's a bit of a long read, but I hope it's an entertaining one.  I just included more general summaries of each mission, with a bit of detail thrown in.

Prologue
Fireteam Crimson has been reassigned to the Vociferous, a Valiant-class heavy cruiser, while the ship takes over the hunt for Jul 'Mdama.  The UNSC Infinity is assigned to the peace talks between the Arbiter and the Brutes on Ealen IV.

Mission 1 - Crimson - Abduction
The Vociferous responds to a Covenant attack on Europa, as it had only recently left Earth with their new mission and was still in the area.  While the Vociferous helps in the space battle, Crimson and other teams are deployed to the surface.  Crimson is specifically tasked with finding out why the Covenant were attacking the moon, a move which seemingly does nothing to further their cause and will surely end in failure given the proximity to Earth.  Crimson is deployed to the place where the attack is focused on, a small research outpost named "Crystal Plains Station," a Watershed Division base where new and advanced technology is tested.  The inhabitants, with the help of a Huragok that had been stationed there (Dances in the Wind), had brought the meager defenses online and barricaded themselves inside the main testing chamber, hoping to use the technology there to their advantage if/when the Covenant got through.  

Crimson is dropped off a short distance from the station, just far enough to escape detection.  While the moon was terraformed when it was first colonized, it was decided that the environment should remain as cold as possible in order to preserve the natural ice formations on the surface.  As such, much of the planet is covered in snow.  Crimson navigates the harsh terrain before coming across a very small outpost, which happens to be storing two Doozys and an Arctic Warthog.  The team takes out some Covenant investigating the outpost and saddles up before taking off towards Crystal Plains Station.  After taking out a few patrols they come across, they arrive at the station.  From there, they fight their way through the Covenant until reaching the main testing chamber.  They convince those inside to open the door, and question them about the Covenant's arrival.  The scientists believe that the Covenant are after Dances in the Wind.  

Crimson is ordered to escort the scientists and Dances to the landing pad on the roof so that they can be protected while the invasion is dealt with.  The stations is still crawling with Covenant, and reinforcements are on the way.  Crimson escorts the group to the landing pad as quickly as they can.  They see a Pelican arriving, with a Falcon escort, when two Phantoms come out of nowhere and shoot them down.  One positions itself above the group before activating its gravity life, snatching up Dances before anyone can react.  Vale attempts to jump into the lift as well, but it is deactivated before she can reach it.  The Phantoms fly back to one of the ships above the planet, all of the remaining Covenant retreat into slipspace.

Mission 2 - Usze - Bad Blood
A few weeks later, Usze 'Taham is leading an attack on the Jiralhanae.  After peace talks fell through on Ealen IV, the Arbiter decided that military action must be taken to prevent further raids on Sangheili colonies, hoping to end the conflict before it escalates.  He gives Usze command of an elite unit and tasks him with taking out the Chieftain that is the main source of the raids, and who is convincing other clans that they must do the same in order to make the Sangheili pay for their transgressions, Doserrius (the Brute Commander from Halo Wars).  Thel had hoped that Lydus would oppose his ideas and serve as a beacon of peace, maybe even take Doserrius out himself as well, but that's obviously not going to happen.  However, Lydus has agreed to give safe passage through his airspace, which borders that of Doserrius, for a single Phantom.  Usze takes his team, consisting of 3 Sangheili, 6 Unggoy, and 3 Kig-Yar, down to the surface.  They cross the border of the two territories and continue in the Phantom for as a long as possible before detection becomes too great of a risk.  From there, they ditch the Phantom and continue through the forest on foot.  They aren't too far from Doserrius' main fortress, but the path ahead is patrolled frequently.  The player can use stealth, or go in guns blazing, or a mixture of both.  However, fallen allies cannot be revived, so staying out of trouble for now will make things easier later on.  However, patrols aren't the only threat, as a few indigenous life forms are eager for their next meal.  

The group eventually reaches the fortress and cut through a wall to sneak in.  They fight their way through the complex and eventually reach the main chamber (stealth can still be used, but it's rather difficult with such a large group).  The group enters the large chamber and confronts Doserrius, who merely laughs.  He reveals that he detected their dropship not long after it entered his territory and allowed them to proceed, curious as to how they would infiltrate his fortress, as well as how involved Lydus was in this plan.  The group is quickly surrounded.  Usze refuses to answer any questions about Lydus, but one of the Grunts (if any remain) speaks up before being silenced by one of the Sangheili.  Doserrius allows the Grunt to live, but orders the immediate execution of the rest.  Just then, multiple red Phantom Gunships appear overhead, shooting through the roof.  They descend and surround Usze and his group.  Lydus appears as the doors open and tells everyone to get aboard.  Once the Phantoms are full, they fly back to Lydus' territory.  Doserrius kills the traitor Grunt in anger.  On the way back, Lydus explains that he noticed the odd troop movements and figured they had been captured.  Knowing he would be discovered anyway, he decided that he may as well attempt a rescue.  This marks the beginning of the fighting between the Jiralhanae packs, with Lydus being backed by the SoS.  Usze stays in order to help with defense.

Mission 3 - Crimson - Goose Chase
The Vociferous quickly sends another bird to pick up Crimson and chases after the Covenant ships.  Recalling all hands took a bit of time, and their wakes are degrading quickly, but there's just enough there to follow the ships.  The Vociferous arrives hours after the Covenant ships, and finds them already prepared for an attack.  The Vociferous the nearest ship and deploys its Spartans on Booster Frames, Crimson included.  Crimson is tasked with defending the ship from incoming fighters.  They do this until the scientists aboard the Vociferous can pinpoint which ship Dances is on.  Once that is determined (the Eternal Devotion), Crimson heads there, taking out Covenant fighters and avoiding fire from the capital ships as they go.  They blow through the shields and land in one of the hangars.  They figure Dances is most likely located on the bridge, so they head there.  

After fighting their way through the ship, they get to the bridge, but there is no Huragok.  The fleetmaster reveals that Dances in the Wind was transported to another ship and is long gone by now, this fleet only remained to stop/delay anyone who might follow.  He then sets the ship to self destruct, forcing Crimson to evacuate when they can't find a way to shut it down.  Going back to the hangar they came from would take too long, so they jump in an escape pod.  The ship soon explodes and, with the flagship gone and nearby ships heavily damaged, the Vociferous mops up the rest before sending a Pelican to pick up Crimson.  With Dances in the Wind gone for good, they can only wait for the Covenant's next move.  The Vociferous is recalled to Trevelyan to repair the damage sustained during the battle, as among the damaged systems were a few special upgrades added by the Huragok.

Mission 4 - Usze - Savages
Thanks to his extra resources acquired from raids, Doserrius is slowly gaining ground.  When the mission starts, Usze is alone in the jungle, preparing to ambush 4 Brutes.  He jumps down from the tree he was in, stabbing one and landing on top of it.  He quickly dispatches the other three, and gameplay begins.  Usze hears over comms that the SoS reinforcements have arrived on Dosiac, though bit late to the party.  Usze clears a landing zone and a load of fresh troops is delivered to his location.  Among these troops are 2 vehicles, Locusts to be specific.  The player can take control of one or order his troops to do so.  Usze plans to cut down the middle of Doserrius' forces and divide them.  With the help of some air support and the Locusts, he fights his way down the middle, with Lydus' men making sure that he doesn't get surrounded.  However, Doserrius catches on and sends a large convoy to stop him, consisting of a number of Prowlers and Choppers.  Once the player defeats them, it's generally easy sailing.  Usze is successfully in his mission, but Thel wants him extracted, with a new mission awaiting him.  A Phantom picks him up, but they're attacked by Brute Banshees on the way back.  Not confident in the pilot's abilities, Usze takes over and flies the Phantom to a ship laying sieges to Doserrius' fortress, destroying enemies and navigating through the tall trees (with turret emplacements) along the way.  Once he's arrived, Usze contacts the Arbiter, who soon appears on a holo-emitter.  Thel says that Usze is being deployed on a mission at the request of Lord Hood to help track down a captured Huragok, as even a single one could give Thel's enemies the advantage they need and Hood feels as though some help in tracking Dances down would be very useful.  Usze is to join the UNSC Vociferous on Trevelyan.

Mission 5 - Crimson - Sharpened Shield
The Vociferous has been at Trevelyan for a few days, and repairs are nearing completion thanks to the Huragok.  Usze 'Taham arrives on the ship, and is greeted by fireteam Crimson.  Vale and Usze meet once again, but the reunification is cut short when slipspace ruptures appear inside of Trevelyan, which can be seen from a nearby window.  Covenant cruisers emerge from these ruptures, and immediately launch an invasion force.  The captain of the Vociferous (Berlin Tursk) announces over the comm that Trevelyan is under attack and all combat-capable personnel are to get suited up and ready to fight.  One of the Covenant cruisers is heading their way, and Crimson is ordered to defend the ship from boarders, with Usze coming along for the ride.  The group repels any boarders, and is soon directed to the engine room to protect the Huragok working there.  Once things have calmed down and Vociferous has a handle on the situation, Crimson is ordered to take the fight to the Covenant.  The Huragok teleport the fireteam to the main ONI base, while Usze stays behind to help where he can there.  Waiting for Crimson is a Vulture.  Director Barton, who is in charge of the UNSC efforts on Trevelyan, tells Crimson that they've recovered from the initial shock and are ready to mount on offense, and knows enough about Crimson to know how good they are at killing Covenant.  Crimson climbs in the Vulture and takes off, heading for the front lines.  They continue to advance until they reach the closest Covenant landing site and destroy it.  The Covenant in the area are soon dealt with, and Crimson is recalled to ONI HQ.

Mission 6 - Usze - Full Disclosure
Though boarders have been repelled, the invasion is still ongoing.  Usze returns to his ship and contacts Thel, understanding the the original mission of keeping important assets away from his enemies has taken on a whole new meaning.  He suggests that Thel contact the UNSC about providing aid, and, in the meantime, is instructed to find out who is responsible, the resources they dedicated to this attack may mean that they've left vulnerabilities elsewhere.  Usze launches all fighters from his ship to participate in the battle, and takes his own personal Seraph.  He plans to infiltrate one of the vessels and question the officers onboard.  One of the cruisers is deploying troops, and thus quite low to the ground.  He instructs a few fighters to follow him and makes his way there, of course fighting off enemy fighters and destroying enemy dropships along the way.  He finally arrives as the ship, and prepares to blast into its hangar.  However, as he attempts to do so, he is shot down by one of the many point-defense lasers and crashes in the desert below.  He emerges from his Seraph unscathed, but Covenant are closing on his position fast.  He attempts to call for help, but his communication equipment was damaged in the crash.  He arms himself and sets off in the direction of the nearest UNSC base.  He fights his way through the desert and arrives at the base, only to find it crawling with Covenant.  He clears the immediate area out, when a Huragok enters the room from one of the vents.  He is Prone to Drift, and had hid when the base was attacked.  After some questioning, it is revealed that Prone knows who is responsible for the attack, as they overheard some of the Covenant inside the base.  Prone also reveals that the person responsible, Jul, was imprisoned on this world before Prone unwillingly helped them escape, which is how they know of this place.  Prone also informs him, after being asked, of the reason for Jul's imprisonment.  With Prone's help, Usze contacts his ship and arranges for pickup, requiring an immediate audience with the Arbiter.

Mission 7 - Crimson - Discovery
Crimson is questioned by those in command of Trevelyan about the kidnapping of Dances in the Wind.  They have discovered that the Covenant are using Trevelyan's teleportation grid, which also links to several other worlds, as a relay in order to transport their larger ships.  They're tapping into the slipstream being generated by the portals and using it to transport themselves to the inside of the shield world, something which is normally impossible.  They believe that the Huragok kidnapping is related, and that this is how the Covenant have figured out how to do such a thing.  Crimson tell them what little they can and are sent back to the front lines, now being aided by one of the scientists on the shield world.  This time they are teleported near a Sarcophagus, which holds Forerunner vehicles.  They defend the Sarcophagus from Covenant attack before hopping in the vehicles.  Each team member gets their own little vehicle called a Scylla.  They exit the slipspace bubble and use the vehicles to clear out the Covenant in the surrounding area.  The Covenant are setting up Mantis AA turrets in the nearby area that they control, and Crimson is tasked with taking a few of them out and allow for air support.  Throughout the mission, it is made clear that the battle for the shield world is leaning heavily in the UNSC's favor, the Covenant obviously underestimated just how prepared the UNSC would be for such an attack.  By the time Crimson is done, the Covenant appears to be retreating.  However, it is soon revealed that they are not retreating, but had simply found what they were looking for.  All of the Covenant ships converge on a single location, one which the UNSC had yet to explore.  Crimson is recalled to the Vociferous.

Mission 8 - Usze - Dreadnought
Usze informs the Arbiter of ONI's funding of his enemies.  Thel is deeply disturbed by this, and says that he will contact Lord Hood.  In the meantime, Usze is to continue aiding in the defense of Trevelyan, but SoS reinforcements will not be coming.  Even if they weren't already tied up with the Jiralhanae and now attacking Jul while he's vulnerable, the alliance between the species may very well be over soon.  Usze is informed that the Covenant has converged on a single location, and takes his ship to aid in the attack.  He takes a Phantom to the surface alongside all of this remaining forces.  Through the use of the remaining vehicles, such as Revenants, Wraiths, Ghosts, and Locusts, they attempt to push the Covenant back in order to get a look at what they're so curious about.  He is successful, and eventually reaches the top of a ridge overlooking the area ahead.  He sees a Forerunner ship surrounded by Covenant, and seemingly powering up, though very slowly.  He informs the UNSC of his discovery and pushes onward, though his forces are thinning and the enemy opposition is increasing.  He attempts to pull back, but is surrounded.  He is knocked unconscious by advancing Covenant, and dragged back to the Forerunner ship.

Mission 9 - Crimson - Dancing in the Wind
Not knowing what the Covenant feel important enough to focus all of their attention on, Crimson is tasked with infiltrating enemy lines and finding out, and also putting a stop to their activities if at all possible.  They are outfitted with experimental exosuits, nicknamed the Moa.  The suits are reminiscent of both the Mantis and the Cyclops, but smaller, faster, and lighter, but almost just as deadly.  They will allow Crimson to cover much more ground while also escaping detection, or being able to quickly dispatch any patrols if such a thing isn't possible.  They take off towards the epicenter of the Covenant activity, quickly breaking through the front lines and efficiently taking out any other squads they come across.  They soon get word from Usze that the Covenant have found a Forerunner ship, and also that he is continuing his attack.  Further communication suggests that he is under intense attack, before losing contact.  Crimson arrive on the other side of the valley shortly afterwards, but only to see Usze's body being dragged toward the ship in the distance.  They race towards him, but they are intercepted by Covenant and he is brought inside before they can stop him.  They deal with the Covenant and force their way into the ship.  Since their top priority is to stop the Covenant, the Spartans head for the engine room, hoping that they can seize the ship for themselves.  

A cutscene begins from the perspective of Usze.  He is on the bridge, chained to a wall.  Staring at him is Sali 'Nyon.  Usze asks where Jul is, but Sali explains that Jul had other matters to attend to, and that he was tasked with the attack.  Sali attempts to convince Usze to join his cause, as he admires the Sangheili.  However, Usze continues to resist, and Sali decides that he should die, though he deserved an honorable death.  Usze is released and forces to fight Sali, though his wounds leave him weak.  

Back to Crimson, they fight their way to the engine room, where they discover Dances in the Wind trying to bring the ship online.  Crimson convinces them to stop, and instead help the UNSC seize control.  However, Dances has already brought the ship online and has since been locked out of most systems, it's only a matter of time before the ship is fully restored and in complete control of the Covenant.  Vale then decides to destroy the ship instead, but doesn't say anything to the Huragok.  But she does ask them if they could teleport Usze to the engine room, which Dances is able to do.  Usze is battered, but alive.  She then asks the Huragok if the ship can be destroyed, but Dances adamantly opposes such an idea, and again states that it has been locked out of most systems.  Vale decides to use the Moa's self-destruct systems to destroy the ship, and volunteers to stay behind to do so.  However, Usze opposes, citing her importance to future Human-Sangheili relations, which may be at risk.  Satoru volunteers instead.  He convinces the others to leave him, and tells them that they have 10 minutes to get clear.  Dances in the Wind very much objects, and decides that it is necessary to take action.  Dances goes mad, and attempts to turn the room's defenses on those inside, but Usze shoots him before he can do so.  Isabelle says her goodbyes and everyone leaves, getting as far away as they can they can before the explosion occurs.  Sali, realizing that something is up, orders all troops to the engine room, while he himself teleports to his ship above, just in case.  Satoru uses the Moas to defend the engine room until time runs out, at which time he activates the self-destruct.  Crimson and Usze are clear, and can only watch.  Sali and the other Covenant retreat back into slipspace.

Epilogue
Usze and Vale talk about the events, with Usze informing her of ONI's involvement with the Arbiter's enemies, though instructs her to tell nobody.  It is obvious that the bond between the two is strengthening, with them starting to become good friends.  Vale reveals that she was assigned to a new fireteam, Osiris, and that she will miss her friends on Crimson.  Crimson team will be refilled, but it won't be the same without Vale and Saturo.

Cut to a conversation between Thel and Lord Hood.  Thel, appearing as a hologram, expresses grave concern over recent news.  Lord Hood assures him that those actions were not sanctioned, or even known of, by the UNSC, and that those responsible will be severely punished.  Thel, though weary, thinks of Lord Hood as an honorable person and decides to trust him.  After the transmission ends, Osman's voice can be heard, revealing that she's standing in the doorway.  She tells Lord Hood that they both know she's untouchable.