Human-Forerunner wars
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Template:New Content Template:Infobox Military Conflicts/2
- "Ten thousand years ago, humans had fought a war against Forerunners—and lost. The centers of human civilization had been dismantled and the humans themselves devolved and shattered into many forms, some said as punishment—but more likely because they were a naturally violent species."
- — Bornstellar, c. 100,000 B.C.E.
The Human-Forerunner War was a major interstellar conflict fought approximately in 110,000 B.C. in the Orion arm of the Milky Way galaxy.[1] This was the first recorded war in human history, and was fought against overwhelming fleets and armies of the Forerunners.[1][note 1]
Background
Before the war, humanity had reached a Tier 1 technology level, similar to that of the Forerunners. Among their achievements were vast cities with energy towers and defense platforms operating at geosynchronous orbit and equigravitational points, structures exhibiting little less sophistication than those of Forerunners.
During the course of their civilization's history, humanity expanded throughout the Orion arm, and eventually began building an impressive empire consisting of hundreds of worlds. However, during their reign, Humanity came into contact with the virulent extragalactic parasite known as the Flood, which began infecting hundreds of human colonies. In an attempt to flee from the spreading infection, Humanity invaded worlds belonging to Forerunners and other sentient species. Unaware of the Flood and regarding Humanity's actions as the product of expansionist greed, the Forerunners saw no alternative but to respond by declaring war.
Battle of Charum Hakkor and Humanity's Collapse
Although humanity was successful in its early conquest of Forerunner worlds, they were forced to deploy the majority of their military against the Flood. By the time the Flood had been defeated, the human military had been exhausted. Even the capital of Charum Hakkor had been cut off from the rest of the Empire by the Didact's naval fleets. Despite having the combined Forerunner military at his disposal, it took the Didact great efforts to defeat the human resistance and capture Charum Hakkor. Among the casualties were all of the Didact's children. Although cut off and unable to receive reinforcements from the San’Shyuum, the humans held off continuous attacks for fifty years. When the planet finally fell, a significant number of humans and San’Shyuum committed suicide rather than be taken prisoner.
Aftermath
The defeat was disastrous for both Humanity and the San'Shyuum. The victorious Forerunners decided to dismantle every piece of pre-historic human civilization, causing the species to devolve on their own. Because of this cataclysmic event, humanity was splintered into many species, including the Florians. This was noted as being a "punishment" by a young Forerunner pre-Builder known as a Manipular, Bornstellar Makes Eternal Lasting ten thousand years later.[1] However, the discovery of the Flood was a horrifying revelation for the Forerunner leadership, and they began making preparations should the Flood ever return. Didact later regretted the complete destruction of Humanity as he was unaware of the Flood as the reason for Humanity's aggression during Human-Flood War.
The San'Shyuum homeworld was placed under quarantine with the Forerunner vessel Deep Reverence orbiting the planet. When the Librarian attempted to index the San'Shyuum during the early stages of Forerunner-Flood War, the San'Shyuum panicked at the thought of impending destruction and rose in revolt against the Forerunners. Later, Faber took the opportunity to punish the San'Shyuum by firing a Halo on a low power setting while orbiting Janjur Qom. The genocidal act led to the near extinction of the San'Shyuum as a species and Faber's removal from power, and subsequent trial for on charges of treason against the Mantle.
List of appearances
Notes
- ^ With pre-historic Human civilization completely dissolved from the galaxy, the species went into a de-evolved state recognized by historians since the evolution of modern science in the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries.
