Disclaimer: I do not own any working titles associated with Bungie, nor do I own Halo or any of its characters, they are, and always will rightfully be the property of Bungie and Microsoft. All main characters in this story are my own, created, inspired and developed by myself. I do not plan to sell or profit from this title. It is purely for audience's reading pleasure.

[This was an idea I had a while back after creating a sort of character that I found difficult to create without being a total sert. So, having been inspired by Max Brook's World War Z I found it easier to write this in a documented, interview format. Feedback is really appreciated and, in this case, encouraged. This is my first time writing in this form, so whatever advice you may have, feel free to shout it at me.]

Introduction

Most historians have a statistical, timeline based view of the Human-Covenant War, or the "Great War," or even the "Great Journey" as some have come to adopt the title from the Covenant prophecy. Often what I see is a historical statistic calculated, inserted into a text book and then filed away as a dark chapter in human history. I personally see the thirty-year was as more of an entire book; not a single dark chapter, but many, each with their own perspective.

After I returned from active duty on Installation Zero, code-named "The Ark," I kept this attitude even as I fitted back into a civilian lifestyle, enrolling back into college. Nearing the end of my first semester back home, our final war history class requirement instructed that students work in groups to research and collaborate on writing a full, factual document regarding any particular effects or aspects of the Human-Covenant war from 2525 to present day.

Being a former journalist, I suggested to the group that it would be best if I handled interviewing anyone who experienced the war first hand. They agreed, saying that the raw materials of the interviews would be present as backing for the final document.

Even with my journalistic sense of genuine interest, I found that this project was just another repeat. People had written war accounts since the throw of the first rock and spear. The interviewees had remarkable stories to tell, but I felt something was missing from each that I spoke to. I was beginning to feel expendable in regards to my role in the group. I was just relaying information that confirmed something that another group member had already researched.

About a month into the project, however, I came across a peculiar case that sparked some interest. One weekend, I went with my brother Mark, who had also served on deployment with me, to a local bar with some friends. It was there that my brother spoke of a life threatening experience on the Ark. He claimed that the only reason he survived was because of the intervention by another Marine, an Orbital Drop Shock Trooper (ODST) to be exact.

He continued to describe this soldier as heavily equipped and was even able to describe some of the personalized features on his armor. While an interesting story, my attention wasn't caught until the bartender asked my brother to confirm the Marine's appearance.

The bartender, former Staff Sergeant Ian Graves, said that he had seen a trooper with the exact same description during his time in the service. It wasn't a "maybe" or a "similar to" situation. Graves was certain that Mark was referring to a fabled "Killjoy," a kind of military myth, or a Marine superhero.

Unfortunately, I didn't have my recording device with me at the time, but I did re-interview both my brother and Sergeant Graves. From that point on, I made it a habit to mention this idea of a Marine hero to each of my interviewees, asking if they had ever heard or seen anything about this ghost soldier.

I kept the Killjoy Project information separate from the raw material that I had recorded for the final group project, but it didn't stop me from submitting a copy to my professor. Part of me still asks why did it, but the only answer is that I didn't know what else to do with it.

My professor showed satisfaction at the material that I had provided for the group, and even though I had left the Killjoy information out of the presentation, he recommended that I have the information published. "I can't do that," I said to him. Shocked, he practically demanded why until I explained it. I was afraid that if I had published all information into one document, then readers would be most likely be distracted from the original point of the interviews: to record individual accounts of the war effect.

When I brought this to his attention, he was quick to agree with me. However, he wouldn't let go of the idea of publication. Personally, I didn't want to either. "Put it all in a book," he said. I was dumbstruck at the idea at first. Thinking about all the time and trouble of publishing was a concern, and I made that clear to him. "This is some deep shit, Josh," he said to me, cursing for the first time while I was present. "You don't want your work to just get filed away and die off, do you?" He was right; it was exactly what I was trying to prevent with history. "Then put some fucking backbone behind your pen and get it done."

I left his office and started first thing the next morning. As much as I despised seeing statistical publications of the war being the primary focus of our text books, I hated even more the idea of a lost memory or any overlooked information. I wasn't just working to publish a book and make money. I was now leading an investigation. This legend exists, and I'm simply giving it its due.