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The following line is from a Halo 2 teaser (female voice at around 1:11, the link is to 1:05):

Admiral, tell your men to hold their positions. Reinforcements are on the spoke.

The only definition I know of and the only one Google is turning up is the typical tire/wheel spokes, but I don't see how that fits in the sentence. What does "on the spoke" mean?

3 Answers 3

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Knowing next to nothing about Halo, is the Spoke a place, perhaps? I don't have any audio here at work to check the teaser.

Edit: Aha! Following the link to the transcript, it's clear that the action is taking place on a Ring Habitat, a wheel-shaped space station. The tradition in SF is to use the same nomenclature for Ring Habitats as you would for a wheel, so the outer rim is connected to the central hub by spokes. "Reinforcements are on the spoke" therefore means "Master Chief is on (in?) the (a?) corridor between centre and the edge."

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  • But the attack and view in the video is Earth, which, is not a ring-habitat like the rest of the halos in the game.
    – Omar
    Oct 22, 2010 at 0:20
  • IIRC, the games on earth are near the Mabossi Space Elevator. Spoke might refer to it.
    – TechZen
    May 8, 2014 at 4:55
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I would rather go with "reinforcements are on the spot", but pronounced with a weird accent making it sound like "on the spoke".

"on the spot" would fit with the current situation, which calls for reinforcements:

  • right here ("on the spot")
  • right now ("right away", again "on the spot")
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  • Interesting, but from more search, I found a few sources that quote it as "spoke". halo.wikia.com/wiki/Halo_2_Announcement_Trailer
    – Omar
    Oct 21, 2010 at 14:38
  • @Baddie: sure, I have found several as well, but I didn't find those re-transcriptions very conclusive.
    – VonC
    Oct 21, 2010 at 14:52
  • After coming home from work (where I have no sound, just as Rhodri) and having listened to the video, I am inclined to say that the lady speaks rather impeccable English, and the /k/ is rather clearly articulated.
    – RegDwigнt
    Oct 21, 2010 at 18:32
  • @RegDwight: I didn't had the audio as well, and I agree with you.
    – VonC
    Oct 21, 2010 at 19:37
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"On the spoke" means "on the way".

"Wheeling around" or "wheeling in" is what they used to call folding the flanks in on a battlefield. Being "on the spoke" refers to the "wheeling in" of the flanks.

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  • 3
    Do you have any sources?
    – user10893
    Aug 19, 2011 at 2:36

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