There's only one King... only one...

I think this is the point where Chief suddenly realises how important it is to get Cortana back to Halsey. He can tell that she’s not her witty, sharp self anymore - that’s she’s actually really desperate. And now he’s the one that’s taking the role of, “Hey, everything’s going to be alright, we’ll be alright.” when before she never would have been scared enough to really need reassuring. But he sees that now. He sees how scared she is. But what Cortana knows and he doesn’t is that it is too late - you can see the pain in her face that soon she’ll never see him again. She only repeats him - “not yet” - because he’s the only one she can count on and he can do anything and there’s that small hope inside her that, yes, maybe he’ll defy all odds like he has done before and bring her back just in time. Maybe…

Yeah, it still haunts me.

but my mind is not at rest, for questions linger on

You are the last of your kind; bred for combat, built for war. You’re the master of any weapon, pilot of any vehicle, and fear no enemy.