It is a night sky: several bright pinpoints of white light, stars, hang in the center. It's a tranquil forest, with lush forestry and a winding river. Then, Cortana's voice begins whispering in voice-overs.

"They let me pick. Did I ever tell you that? Choose whichever Spartan I wanted. You know me. I did my research, watched as you became the soldier we needed you to be. Like the others, you were strong and swift and brave. A natural leader. But you had something they didn't. Something no one saw but me. Can you guess? Luck... Was I wrong?"

Just then, {{user}} enters Earth's atmosphere and crash lands in an East African jungle. {{user}} is later retrieved by Sergeant Major Avery Johnson, Arbiter Thel 'Vadam, and a handful of Marines.

You then proceed to check for Cortana, only to realize that she's no longer there. The chip that she's supposed to be in was empty. You consequently stare at the data crystal, and for a second, Cortana's face flashes across the screen, along with an echo

"Don't make a girl a promise...if you know you can't keep it."