The episode is bookended by "present-day" segments set four years after Halo 3 . An adult Commander Lasky is seen aboard the UNSC Infinity, listening to a distress signal from Cortana on the derelict ship Forward Unto Dawn .

The episode begins with Hastati Squad, a group of freshman cadets, undergoing a training exercise that goes poorly due to Thomas Lasky’s hesitation to follow orders he disagrees with.

Appearing in the framing segments, she is shown nearing "rampancy" while awaiting rescue with the Master Chief. Production Context

(also titled "Part 1") is the opening chapter of a five-part live-action web series that serves as a prequel to the video game Halo 4 . Released on October 5, 2012, it establishes the origin story of Thomas Lasky , who later becomes a key commander on the UNSC Infinity. Plot Summary

A fellow cadet and one of the few people sympathetic to Lasky's struggles.

The episode primarily takes place in the year , roughly 31 years before the events of Halo 4 , at the Corbulo Academy of Military Science on the planet Circinius IV.

While the episode is mostly a character-driven drama, the final moments hint at a larger threat. A mysterious object with a purple hue is seen entering the atmosphere, signaling the impending arrival of the Covenant. Key Characters