Ghosts of Onyx

Ghosts of Onyx is the fourth Halo novel, written by Eric Nylund. It tells the story of the Spartan-III super soldiers, the successors of the Spartan-II program, and their training on the classified planet Onyx, which is also where the story culminates.

""We've got incoming," Fred's static-filled voice crackled over the COM. "Sentinels." "How many?" "Sir, all of them.""
 * All of Them:

""This is the prototype NOVA Bomb, nine fusion warheads encased in lithium triteride armor. When detonated, it compresses its fissionable material to neutron-star density, boosting the thermonuclear yield a hundredfold. I am Vice Admiral Danforth Whitcomb, temporarily in command of the UNSC military base Reach. To the Covenant uglies that might be listening, you have a few seconds to pray to your damned heathen gods. You all have a nice day in hell...""
 * Badass Boast: Vice Admiral Whitcomb delivers one (posthumously) through a recording in a NOVA Bomb:

""One last fight, demon. You will die and we shall reopen the silver path." "Die?" Kurt laughed. "Didn't you know?" he told the Elite. "… Spartans never die.""
 * Dyson Sphere: Onyx turns out to house one.
 * Earthshattering Kaboom: Onyx isn't really a planet in the traditional sense, but it does disintegrate into billions of Sentinels.
 * Forbidden Zone: Zone 67.
 * Heroic BSOD: The loss of almost all of Beta Company on Pegasi Delta causes Lucy to have one, resulting in her not speaking ever again.
 * Hope Spot / Diabolus Ex Machina: Admiral Patterson is down to one carrier and three destroyers, facing two damaged Covenant destroyers. One is taken out, leaving a single Covenant ship utterly defenseless.
 * Laser Guided Tykebomb: Unlike their predecessors, the Spartan-III super soldiers were made to be expendable.
 * Made of Iron: The fact that  was even able to take a few steps before keeling over and dying after taking an unshielded blast to the midsection point-blank from a Hunter's cannon is testament to his toughness.
 * Pre-Mortem One-Liner / See You in Hell:


 * Rouge Angles of Satin: The first edition of the book was full of glaring typos, such as the Spartans sneaking past Grunt "salves" and trying to escape Covenant "persuaders."
 * Sacrificial Lion:.
 * Taking You with Me: Kurt detonates nuclear warheads in Onyx's core room, taking all Covenant forces on the planet with him.
 * The Speechless: Lucy apparently loses her ability to speak as a result of being traumatized from the outcome of Operation TORPEDO.
 * Trapped in Another World:
 * You Shall Not Pass: Kurt holds off Covenant forces long enough for the Slipspace portal on Onyx to close thus saving the other Spartans and Dr. Halsey.