- "Ya know, for a shipwreck, this place actually looks pretty nice."
- —Doc
- "You should see the other half."
- —Grif
- "Why? Is it bad?"
- —Doc
- "We don't know. It landed somewhere else."
- —Grif
- "Yeah, that's pretty bad."
- —Doc in Finders Keepers
The Hand of Merope is a spacecraft that was ripped in two during its flight to Blood Gulch, with the Reds and Blues on board. It provides much significance to the plot of the Chorus Trilogy.
Role in Plot[]
It first appeared in the background of the Season 11 Teaser Trailer when the cast look at the crash site and jungle. The interior is first shown in Can I Keep It?. The remains of the ship were used by the Reds and Blues to construct two bases on each end of the canyon. Red base was constructed near an open patch of land and a makeshift wall, while Blue base was built directly below the shipwreck to allow Washington to control their supplies and rations. A communications tower was in between both bases. The remains of the spacecraft was also used to supply a nearly endless amount of power for the Reds and Blues during their time in the canyon.
It's stated by Grif that when the ship was ripped in two, the half they were not on crashed somewhere else in Finders Keepers. Doc also discovers that the ship was carrying many top-secret and dangerous weapons, but most of these weapons were on the other half of the ship. However, it's revealed in Lost But Not Forgotten that Locus' mission to capture the Reds and Blues included obtaining a mysterious crate from the shipwreck for Control, which they intend to use. It's revealed in You Know Who We Are that the crate contains the helmet and armor of Agent Maine.
The Reds and Blues are eventually separated during a battle at Crash Site Bravo, with half taken to the New Republic and half to the Federal Army of Chorus, leaving the shipwreck abandoned.
After reuniting with Carolina and Church, The Reds and Blues discover the technology found on the ship is similar to that used by the Space Pirates. In order to find a link, they decide to search both parts of the ship to find a cargo manifest. Blue Team search the remains at Crash Site Alpha, and Red team search the remains back at Crash Site Bravo.
Ultimately, the cause of the UNSC ship's crash is revealed in Accentuate the Interrogative by Zachary Miller. According to Zach, the spacecraft was captured in the Space Pirates' tractor beam and was intended to force the spacecraft to land on Chorus to ransack it. However, the UNSC ship began to act "strangely" during the process, resulting in the ship ripping in two.
After the destruction of Armonia in Armonia, Part 2, The Reds and Blues return to Crash Site Bravo. Many Federal Army and New Republic soldiers use the Hand of Merope to take shelter and to wait for General Kimball to decide their next move.
Trivia[]
- The ship's interior is represented by the Halo 4 multiplayer map, "Adrift", and the supply room is represented by "Pitfall". One half of the ship's exterior is represented by "Wreckage" at Crash Site Alpha, while the other half is represented by "Exile" at Crash Site Bravo.
- It's stated by the main cast that dozens of soldiers died during the crash, with the only known survivors being the Reds, Blues, and Carolina.
- According to Greek mythology, Merope is a Pleiad (Daughter of Atlas) and the protector of sailors, which may be a reason why the ship was named after her, interestingly enough the star that was named after her was known as the "lost Pleiad", due to astronomers having trouble locating it, similarly to how the ship was lost.
- The spacecraft ripping in two is similar to the Forward Unto Dawn, a UNSC frigate that ripped in half near the end of Halo 3, with the aft section of the ship crashing onto a formerly unknown world at the beginning of Halo 4. It also refers to the plane crash in the TV series Lost. Doc also notes the similarity of the latter.
- It's implied that Tucker, Grif, Washington, Simmons, and Sarge were each responsible for the ship's crash landing in Season 11 and Season 12. Tucker hits on the pilot, distracting her (A Real Fixer Upper); Grif spilled his soda on a control panel (Worst Laid Plans); Wash knocked a cable out of the wall (Reconciliation); Sarge messes with the ship's engines (FAQ); and Simmons updating the ships navigation system (The Reunion).
- It's also hinted Caboose was also responsible in the Season 11 Teaser Trailer but how wasn't specified. Although, humorously, it can be inferred that Caboose was in fact telling the truth, as there wasn't a moment in seasons 11 or 12 that showed he had a hand in the ship's crashing, which in turn means that each of the Reds and Blues caused a problem that made the ship crash except for Caboose, the one who has a habit of wrecking vehicles.
- However, this, in fact, saved the Reds and Blues from being killed by the Space Pirates, as the ship was captured in the Space Pirates' tractor beam at this time. The mercenaries intended to kill all those onboard the spacecraft when it landed, but because of the group's actions, the ship ripped in two instead, with the half the Reds and Blues were on landing in a different location.