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  • Subject: Cassandra?
Subject: Cassandra?

Considering all of the 'multiple SPARTANS in Halo 3' topics, I remembered this, It's a little different, so please, lend me your ear.

In the 'Conversations From the Universe' booklet that comes with the Halo 2 special edition, there is a letter the John 117 at the end from someone called Cassandra. It reads:

"117,

As you might imagine-though I know you won't- I've heard quite a bit of your recent adventures on the Halo. I'm glad you made it; I have to assume you always will. Recovery is going well and I am proceeding on to fourth-stage rehabilitation. It is significantly more painful than the previous stages, but I'm happy to be skinned once again.

I hear that you will be testing the new Mark VI. I will definately look for the reports on how it works out. The specs are obviously improved, but the choice to incorporate further Covenant technology somehow makes my skin crawl.

We miss you, John. I've asked Sergeant Johnson to let me know if you're ever near the M2SL Recovery Station and perhaps I'll be able to come see you. I'm hoping I'll have the chance soon. Today, humanity feels pale and thin with only ghosts to defend her heart. I feel much the same.

Ill write again.

-Cassandra"


Okay, first of all, this is obviously written to John 117, but from who? It must have been someone rather close to John, but who? She mentions something about recovery, from what? We know that the SPARTANS went through many genetic changes, and enhancers. Perhaps this Cassandra is a recovering SPARTAN? She also said "We miss you, John" We? More SPARTANS, perhaps? And were the MJOLNIR armor specs released to general public? Because this Cassandra seems to know about it and its specs. And what does "I'm happy to be skinned again." Mean? Is it slang for becoming a civilian again because she is not using the armor anymore? Maybe she went through a nasty injury, thus the rehabilitaion, and recovery. Okay, now this is the part that puzzles me:

Today, humanity feels pale and thin with only ghosts to defend her heart. I feel much the same.

Ghosts of what?

Anyway, I don't think that this has been presented before, but if it is, can someone please direct me to an existing thread about it?

I know that the post was riddled with more questions, but I want to hear feedback from the people here on the forums.

  • 05.15.2006 8:38 PM PDT

I have to go, someone please keep this alive.

Sorry for the double post.

  • 05.15.2006 8:46 PM PDT
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Hmmmm... 4 surviving spartans plus new spartans.......I do remember in Halo: Fall of Reach it mentions Mendez going to train a new generation of spartans....maybe this is the second batch....and there are four surviving spartans from First Strike....it could be a freaking Spartan army! Battle of Thermopyle anyone?

  • 05.15.2006 8:46 PM PDT

I read that letter too when I got Halo 2 and it puzzled me to no end. It sounds to me like this "Cassandra" might be in love with John.

Love interest for Master Chief in Halo 3 perhaps? Might be a fun story twist.

  • 05.15.2006 8:56 PM PDT
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she could be a spartan found that survived reach... they do take alot of pain, and the fact that she had to be skinned could prove she was burned during the covenant bombardment... in regards to the ''we miss you'' i'm pretty sure she's seen the other spartans... unless ''Ghosts of Coral'' says different....

she could also be one of the three that were, and i use this term LOOSELY, lost. But who knows?

and the whole ghosts thing wasn't literal man... spartans are like ghosts, cause they're mysterious and they dissapear and do a whole lot of stuff and scare the -blam!- out of other marines/naval personnel.... or it could mean soldiers in general defending earth in MAC gun platforms and their space ships... and the whole ghosts of her heart thing is definately her remembering her comrades and John.

  • 05.15.2006 8:59 PM PDT
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Posted by: veggieman
I read that letter too when I got Halo 2 and it puzzled me to no end. It sounds to me like this "Cassandra" might be in love with John.

Love interest for Master Chief in Halo 3 perhaps? Might be a fun story twist.


Spartans don't love... through all their surgeries and hormone injections they lose the sex drive... read the books man.

  • 05.15.2006 9:01 PM PDT
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Posted by: The Bold One
Posted by: veggieman
I read that letter too when I got Halo 2 and it puzzled me to no end. It sounds to me like this "Cassandra" might be in love with John.

Love interest for Master Chief in Halo 3 perhaps? Might be a fun story twist.


Spartans don't love... through all their surgeries and hormone injections they lose the sex drive... read the books man.


I don't remember reading that. Which book was it in?

  • 05.15.2006 9:05 PM PDT

Posted by: The Bold One
Posted by: veggieman
I read that letter too when I got Halo 2 and it puzzled me to no end. It sounds to me like this "Cassandra" might be in love with John.

Love interest for Master Chief in Halo 3 perhaps? Might be a fun story twist.


Spartans don't love... through all their surgeries and hormone injections they lose the sex drive... read the books man.


Pardon me for not memorizing all of the Spartans' enhancements (damn good books though). Though I still think it'd be a cool idea.

  • 05.15.2006 9:05 PM PDT
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When she says ghosts, shes refering to the spartans. Humanity never hears of them, and probably knows nothing of them. They are ghosts, myths.

The pale heart of her isn't refering to a damn person, god stupidty. It's refering to Humanity, just as it says. Humanity is on the brink of destruction, it's weak and dieing. And the only thing defending it is Ghosts. (Spartans)

Isn't Cassandra one of the civllians that Master Chief and the spartans from ONI come across? And they had taken off all Master Chief's armor.

Wait, I remember sort of a girl he rescues or something and she leaves with Sargeant Johnson. Little dusty in my head, I'd have to read First Strike again.

[Edited on 5/15/2006]

  • 05.15.2006 9:08 PM PDT

Oh, and am I the only one who thinks she was just being poetic when talking about ghosts?

  • 05.15.2006 9:11 PM PDT
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Posted by: veggieman

I don't remember reading that. Which book was it in?


'Twas in The Fall of Reach

and no, she was being kindof poetical... i was trying to get at that, but it gets hard sometiems to convey all your thoughts onto a forum.

[Edited on 5/15/2006]

  • 05.15.2006 9:12 PM PDT
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I lov it le moy
viva la 420

i think she may be the SPARTAN that was to wunded and could not continue active service

That will also explains what happened to one of the 3 mysterious SPARTANs that did not were in Reach

But its just a theory

  • 05.15.2006 9:25 PM PDT
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I think she's a SPARTAN-III. Remember Mendez went to train other SPARTANS. I am almost absolutely sure that she is a SPARTAN-III.

  • 05.15.2006 9:35 PM PDT
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Yeah, Cassandra isnt one of the Spartans who survived the Fall of Reach i think that she was someone who didnt make it through the augmentaion process without scratches.

that would be an intersting thing myabe part of the motivation for Chief to fight so hard is he knows Cassandra and the other survivors are rooting for him.

  • 05.15.2006 9:35 PM PDT
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In The Fall of Reach, during the briefing for the mission where the Spatans are supposed to go capture a prophet, Dr. Halsey mentions an interesting thing. When she is going over the roster of the Spartans present/absent, it comes out like this:

The Master Chief + 2 dozen others around him (25 total). 3 That were too far away to be recalled. 3 that had died in the last decade. 1 that was wounded too badly to continue active duty.

Now, from earlier in the book, we know that when a Spartan is too injured to continue active duty, they basically go into different areas of the UNSC. My thinking is that the 1 Spartan who was wounded badly is this Cassandra person, and the "we" she speaks of includes herself and some of the 12 who survived the augmentation process, but had horrible side effects (like Fajad).

Since the Spartans can take a lot of pain and damage (look at Linda, she was basically killed by the Covenant but was able to come back to life), so the "reskinned" Cassandra talks about could be having her skin regrown after it was destroyed by plasma or something.

  • 05.15.2006 9:36 PM PDT
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ok, so i havn't been on here in a hell of a long time... anyways, guess i'll put in my 2 cents
First, about the next spartan program, i don't think so, think of how long it took the Spartan II project from start to end, Mendez trained them from a very young age (unless i'm mistaken)
Second, about the skin thing, it could be refering to armor, however i kind of doubt it. Since they do in a sense live in their armor, she could be refering to getting armor back on as being skinned (even if that literally means losing skin)

just my quick thoughts

  • 05.15.2006 9:46 PM PDT
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hmmm.

the only thing i don't see is why she uses johns number but she signs without a number herself. i think if she were a spartan she would've used that.

it also sounds like she's on earth now. with johnson.

maybe she's someone releated to john not by the spartan program, but simply by friendship.

we miss you could simply mean his friends he's made on earth.

i think we may see this cassandra character though in h3. makes me excited.

  • 05.15.2006 10:07 PM PDT
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While there is always the possibility of Cassdra being just a friend of the Master Chief, I find that somewhat unlikely. We pretty much know the entire timeline from when the Master Chief started his Spartan training. There wouldn't be a whole lot of time to become "friends" with anyone besides the other Spartans. Once they get the MJOLNIR armor, it would become even harder to develop friendly relations with people, because they are so imposing and don't like to be out of the armor too much. How friendly could you really get to someone wearing half a ton of armor, stands 7 feet tall, and can kill you in the blink of an eye?

  • 05.15.2006 10:35 PM PDT
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Did Fajad have a number after he was dropped from the S-ll program? I don't recal one, but I may be wrong. The most plausable answer is what some have already said here, that she was one fo the Spartans that didn't make it (hence not having a number and yet being close to the chief).

  • 05.15.2006 11:10 PM PDT
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SInce the people who were wounded through teh augmentation were moved to different areas in the UNSC, I suspect that the title of being a Spartan wasn't used like a rank type - however, they probably still retained that title, seeing as they went through the years of training and augmentation that all Spartans go through. I'm not 100% sure of this, though.

  • 05.15.2006 11:29 PM PDT
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SPARTANS DONT HAVE NON MILITARY FRIENDS... they rarely befriend people who aren't spartans....only commanders and people of extraordinary service...examples would be the Keyes family, dr. halsely cause she's like a mom and it's awkward to them that she's like family and seargeant johnson are the only friends they have....

Cassandra is a spartan who got messed up when reach fell or she's one of the three... READ THE BOOKS and then UNDERSTAND what you read...

they came out of their armour alot, they didnt like it, they had to shower, deffacate, that's -blam!- to the normal people out there, and attend meetings with officers and briefings, they didnt always wear the armour,

JOHNSON IS ON HIGH CHARITY, HE LEFT WITH JOHN UPON THE IN AMBER CLAD... HE"S NOT ON EARTH WITH CASSANDRA, Gh0st ce whatever.

use logic before you post pleeeeeeease

[Edited on 5/16/2006]

  • 05.16.2006 8:31 PM PDT
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Although I have no idea why you revived this post since it was buried, but I suggest *you* take your own advice and use logic in your posts.

Just because we never hear about the Spartans have non-military friends doesn't mean they can't .

The books make no mention of Cassandra. However, they also make no mention of the Spartans hating the rest of humanity. They don't usually associate with regular military personel or non-military people because thsoe people are intimidated by them. I can almost guarantee, no matter what you say in these forums, that if you saw a 7' tall person in an iridescent green battle suit carrying an assault rifle walking down your street, you would NOT go and talk to them. However, there are some people, though very few, who do not care about the way people look, or they perceive things differently than others. These people would have a semi-decent chance of connecting with one of the Spartans. The Spartans are basically descriminated against due to their appearance, and having someone around who didn't care what they looked like would be a great feeling for them.

  • 05.16.2006 8:37 PM PDT
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are u some big love hippie or something?
someone didnt hug master chief enough is that what you're saying

i am using logic

they didnt like being out of combat areas, They didnt go walking down public streets,and there was twenty something spartans- big family, and they were so busy combating, they didnt have time to go down to the local pub and talk to a guy named aerien to be their friend cause everyones scared of they shiny armour that they DONT WEAR OUTSIDE of combat areas. They were top secret and when they were released to the press, they didnt view interviews, they didnt go home, they went to a base, camp, or a ship. no time for human interaction with ''people who care'' (tear)

[Edited on 5/16/2006]

  • 05.16.2006 8:56 PM PDT
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Posted by: The Bold One
are u some big love hippie or something?
someone didnt hug master chief enough is that what you're saying

i am using logic

they didnt like being out of combat areas, and there was twenty something spartans- big family, and they were so busy combating, they didnt have time to go down to the local pub and talk to a guy named aerien to be their friend cause everyones scared of they shiny armour that they DONT WEAR OUTSIDE of combat areas.


First off, you are obviously not using logic because you don't understand what I'm saying.

Second, as of the time when the "Capture a Prophet" mission was to occur, there was 41 total Spartans alive as far as we know - 28 who were able to fight, 1 who became too injured to fight, and 12 who were suffering from side effects of the augmentation process. So, yes, that is a rather large "family". However, the Spartans were not "always" fighting. The books do not give us a complete, day-to-day timeline of what the Spartans did, so we don't know everythign they did if they had free time.

Thirdly, they did wear their armor outside of combat areas. When the Master Chief is being debriefed by teh UNSC High Command after the event at Cote d'Azur, he is wearing his armor - UNSC High Command is most definitely NOT a combat area.

  • 05.16.2006 9:02 PM PDT
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Posted by: Aerien
Thirdly, they did wear their armor outside of combat areas. When the Master Chief is being debriefed by teh UNSC High Command after the event at Cote d'Azur, he is wearing his armor - UNSC High Command is most definitely NOT a combat area.


Actually, he was not wearing his armor at the debriefing.

  • 05.16.2006 9:08 PM PDT