Battle of Installation 05: Difference between revisions

|result='''Strategic UNSC - Sangheili victory'''

*Flood on Installation 05 sterilised

Fleet of Retribution

*{{Class|CAS|assault carrier}}s

**''[[Eternal Reward]]''

*{{Class|ORS|heavy cruiser}}s

*{{Class|DDS|carrier}}s

*{{Class|CCS|battlecruiser}}s

*[[Covenant destroyer|Destroyers]]

*[[Sangheili]]

*[[Mgalekgolo]]

*[[Unggoy]]

*[[Type-47A Scarab]]

*[[Type-26 Wraith]]s

*{{Pattern|Wuzum|Spectre}}s

*[[Type-26 Banshee]]s

*[[Type-32 Ghost]]s

Covenant forces

*[[High Charity]]

*[[Second Fleet of Homogeneous Clarity]]

**[[Covenant frigate|Frigates]]

*{{Class|CCS|battlecruiser}}s

*{{Class|CRS|light cruiser}}s

*[[Covenant destroyer|Destroyers]]

*[[Jiralhanae]]

*[[Kig-Yar]]

*[[Yanme'e]]

*Sangheili {{C|until Schism}}

*Mgalekgolo

*Unggoy

*[[Prelate]]s

*Wraiths

*Spectres

*Banshees

*Scarab

*Ghosts

At the beginning of the [[Battle of Earth]] in [[2552#October|October 20, 2552]], the [[Prophet of Regret]] led [[Fleet of Sacred Consecration]], which contained two {{Class|CAS|assault carrier}}s and thirteen {{Class|CCS|battlecruiser}}s on an expeditionary raid that stumbled upon [[Earth]], [[human]]ity's homeworld and the UNSC's strongest fortress.<ref name="cairo">'''Halo 2''', campaign level ''[[Cairo Station]]''</ref> After substantial ground, air, and space losses, and faced with the possibility of being overrun on the ground and intercepted by UNSC ships if it tried to escape to orbit, Regret ordered a retreat. With Regret aboard, ''[[Solemn Penance]]'' made an emergency in-atmosphere [[slipspace]] jump over [[New Mombasa]], with the {{Class|Stalwart|light frigate}} {{UNSCShip|In Amber Clad}} following it into slipspace.{{Ref/Reuse|deltahalo}}<ref name="metro">'''Halo 2''', campaign level ''[[Metropolis]]''</ref>

On [[2552#November|November 2, 2552]], ''Solemn Penance'' exited slipspace over [[Installation 05]], orbiting [[Substance]] in the [[Coelest system]]. Regret's assault carrier took position over the installation, establishing a solid ground presence with armor and patrols of [[Type-26 Banshee]]s, and also companies of infantry by means of [[Type-52 Phantom]]s. The Covenant ground forces fortified themselves in a series of Forerunner ruins and temple structures, establishing [[Shade|anti-air defenses]].{{Ref/Reuse|deltahalo}}

Upon landing, SPARTAN-117 led the ODSTs in eliminating Covenant Shades stationed around a small temple, in order to clear an LZ for vehicular reinforcement. After successfully clearing the temple and it's courtyard, John-117 and his Troopers defended the position against waves of Covenant troops until a Pelican could drop off an [[M12 Chaingun Warthog]]. After liberating a nearby Forerunner bridge-control facility, a [[Scorpion]] was delivered alongside [[Marine]] reinforcements. The UNSC forces assaulted the bridge, which was defended by a [[Wraith]], numerous [[Ghost]]s and a pair of [[Banshee]]s. After successfully crossing, the convoy continued to battle through a vast temple complex, encountering significant Covenant defenses en route to Regret's location. After securing a large temple, the force dismounted and were resupplied with weapons and reinforcements via Pelican before securing the interior on foot. A passage inside the temple opened into a small vale occupied by Covenant, and after neutralizing a sizable force of Covenant Infantry, John-117 and his forces arrived at the edge of the lake containing Regret's temple.

Aboard High Charity, Regret's death had major political upheaval, as the Sangheili were punished by their failure to protect the Prophet of Regret. The Jiralhanae were assigned to replace them as [[Honor Guard]]s, and [[Chieftain of the Jiralhanae]] [[Tartarus]] was given to the task of retrieving the Index from the Library. Tartarus sent numerous waves of Jiralhanae-led Covenant infantry to storm the Sentinel Wall, however after all failed to breach the outer wall, Thel 'Vadamee, the Arbiter of the Covenant, was personally ordered by the Prophets [[Prophet of Truth|Truth]] and [[Prophet of Mercy|Mercy]] to journey to the surface of the ring and retrieve the [[Sacred Icon]].

Dropped directly to the wall by Tartarus' personal [[Type-52 Troop Carrier|Phantom]] transport, the Arbiter encountered a small number of surviving [[Unggoy]] and [[Kig-Yar]] from the earlier assault. After battling through numerous Forerunner constructs to reach the control center for the Containment Shield, the Arbiter deactivated the shield, boarding a gondola to exit the outer wall. The inner wall quickly became overrun with [[Flood]] from the nearby Quarantine Zone it was designed to contain, and the UNSC platoon was caught unprepared.

The Quarantine Zone was intended to be a location where the Sentinel custodians of the installation could herd the Flood, and prevent them from entering the Library. Two [[Sentinel manufacturing facility]] ships hung in the air, deploying Sentinel reinforcements.<ref>'''The Official Halo 2 Strategy Guide''', ''page 122''</ref> However, the Quarantine Zone was compromised by the Flood, and the Flood managed to crash one of the floating facilities using a [[Type-26 Wraith]], sending it plummeting down to the installation's surface.{{Ref/Reuse|icon}}

The Arbiter met with Commander Rtas 'Vadumee and two other Sangheili just outside of the Sentinel wall, and together, they defended a small hill from the Flood before pushing inwards, where the Special Operations Commander had established a small outpost.{{Ref/Reuse|icon}} There, the Special Operations force held out against waves of Flood attacks from the cliffs before they were reinforced by a pair of Phantoms that dropped off a {{Pattern|Wuzum|Spectre}} and a pair of [[Type-32 Ghost]]s. The Covenant were able to use these vehicles to advance through a large indoor Forerunner facility before entering the first of a series of expansive outdoor arctic canyons. Despite the prowess of the Special Operations Sangheili and the Arbiter, the UNSC were swifter to advance through the Quarantine Zone—''In Amber Clad'' deployed a Pelican dropship that cruised above the battling Flood and Sentinels, cutting directly towards the Library while the Arbiter and his men were forced to fight through waves of Flood, including Flood and the vehicles they had commandeered, while all the while, Enforcers rained heavy fire.{{Ref/Reuse|zone}}

[[File:H2A-Miranda.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Miranda Keyes stretches over a chasm in the Library, securing the index.]]

[[File:H2A-GravemindWithCaptives.jpg|thumb|250px|The Gravemind speaks to the Arbiter and John-117 in the depths of Installation 05.]]

Meanwhile, Rtas 'Vadumee informed the Arbiter that Tartarus was within the Control Room, and would soon be activating the Halos. However, the doors to the Control Room were nearly completely impenetrable, and would only be opened by the firing of the main cannon of a [[Type-47A Scarab]] walker. Fortunately, a Scarab was available at the [[Bastion of the Brutes]], a Forerunner structure used by the Jiralhanae as their local base of operations.{{Ref/Reuse|uprising}}{{Ref/Reuse|journey}}

[[File:H2A - ScarabConcept.png|300px|thumb|right|The battle for Installation 05's control room.]]

While Rtas 'Vadumee advanced forward in a Wraith tank, the Arbiter and another Special Operations Sangheili took a Spectre, and together, the Sangheili battled through a swarm of Ghosts, several Wraiths, and a bombarding Phantom. Eventually, the Sangheili secured entrance into the Bastion of the Brutes, where the Arbiter found another Special Operations Sangheili and a pair of Mgalekgolo, all of whom were loyal to the Sangheili. Meanwhile, Rtas 'Vadumee said that he would briefly watch the Arbiter's back, and would prevent any Jiralhanae reinforcements from entering in behind them while they cleared out the stronghold. Later, he announced that he would retake the {{Class|CCS|battlecruiser}} that was hanging in the distance. The Arbiter and his band of Sangheili and Mgalekgolo stormed the Bastion, fighting their way past Jiralhanae, Kig-Yar, Yanme'e, and even a Phantom. Eventually, they freed imprisoned Councilors and Mgalekgolo and eventually reached the platform where the Scarab was docked. Much to their surprise, they discovered the presence of humans who were being held prisoner by the Jiralhanae. Amongst the prisoners was Sergeant Avery Johnson. The Jiralhanae had just received orders from Tartarus to execute the prisoners, when the Arbiter and his followers attacked. The humans, with the help of their Sangheili allies-to-be, took advantage of this distraction to free themselves and take control of the Scarab.{{Ref/Reuse|journey}}

Meanwhile, Miranda Keyes argued with Guilty Spark and eventually forced him to reveal that the firing sequence could be stopped if the Reclaimer simply removed the index from the its position. However, she could not do anything while Tartarus was still alive. The Arbiter and Sangheili battled Tartarus, who used his massive [[Type-2 gravity hammer|gravity hammer]], the [[Fist of Rukt]], to slay many high-ranking Sangheili. Eventually, the Arbiter succeeded in killing Tartarus. Commander Keyes immediately leapt to action after Tartarus died, snatching the index from the control panel. Despite the fact that Installation 05 was primed to fire, the removal of the index only triggered a partial firing, one that was inconsequential and led to the loss of no life whatsoever. However, 343 Guilty Spark informed them that because of the partial activation of Installation 05, the other five remaining installations were set onto standby mode, and were ready to fire upon command from a central Forerunner installation: [[Installation 00|the Ark]].{{Ref/Reuse|journey}}

Despite the isolated Sangheili ground victory on Installation 05, there was a much greater threat: the Flood. Having assumed dominance over the whole of High Charity and certain locations on Installation 05, they tried boldly expanding into space, attempting to take over Covenant warships. The ambitious [[Sangheili Major]] [[Voro Nar 'Mantakree|Voro 'Mantakree]] assumed command of the {{Class|ORS|heavy cruiser}} ''[[Incorruptible]]'' after mutinying against and killing his insane commander, [[Tano 'Inanraree]],<ref>'''Halo: Ghosts of Onyx''', ''page 192''</ref> and audaciously sent a fleetwide dispatch to the idling Covenant fleet amassed over High Charity: the Flood were lifting off from Installation 05 in [[Type-25 Spirit]] dropships and Banshees, and were attempting to attack and take control of Covenant warships to spread throughout the galaxy. The fleets were united after the transmission, and four [[Covenant destroyer]]s, including the ''[[Rapturous Arc]]'', that were about to be consumed by the Flood were burned and destroyed to prevent the parasite from capturing the warships.<ref>'''Halo: Ghosts of Onyx''', ''page 197''</ref>

[[Sentinel]] defenses were completely trampled over, particularly in the Quarantine Zone, where within hours, the Flood had managed to infiltrate the well-defended Sentinel wall and seize control of large tracts of the Quarantine Zone, even grounding an airborne [[Sentinel manufacturing facility]].{{Ref/Reuse|icon}} The Flood also permeated the [[Library]] and the surrounding grounds, eliminating almost all Sentinels from the skies, leaving only scattered [[Enforcer]]s to do battle with them. The Flood also controlled UNSC and Covenant vehicles alike, reinforcing their considerable ranks with [[M808B Scorpion]] tanks, [[M12 Chaingun Warthog]]s, [[Type-26 Wraith]] tanks, and [[Type-32 Ghost]] assault vehicles. Flood losses were initially high because of the Arbiter's actions in the Quarantine Zone and John-117's on High Charity. However, it was inconsequential: the Flood scored a notable victory on High Charity, capturing the Covenant's mobile home planetoid and [[terraforming|transforming]] the structure into a [[Flood hive]].{{Ref/Reuse|charity}}

The Covenant was fractured, with the Sangheili rallying those loyal to them against the [[San'Shyuum]] and [[Jiralhanae]], who controlled the military of the Prophet-led Covenant against the Sangheili and their allies. Many San'Shyuum were killed in the battle, either during the Flood's infestation of High Charity, or on Installation 05 as many [[Minister (title)|Ministers]] and Prophets travelled to the ring to examine it for themselves, which effectively led to the near extinction of the San'Shyuum. To make matters worse for the species, those who did not die during the Flood invasion on High Charity were reluctantly forced to stay on the Covenant capital by Rtas 'Vadum and the Fleet of Retribution's quarantine, due to the danger the Flood posed in case they infected a San'Shyuum-led ship and spread through the galaxy. However, there were San'Shyuum who managed to escape with their shops before 'Vadum discovered the Flood's presence on the city.<ref>'''[[Halo: Shadow of Intent]]'''</ref> The Prophets' betrayal of the Sangheili led to the divide of the Covenant species. Many [[Mgalekgolo]] allied themselves with the Sangheili, the [[Unggoy]] and [[Huragok]] followed their commanders, most [[Yanme'e]] joined the Jiralhanae and the [[Kig-Yar]] aligned themselves with whoever would lead them to profit.<ref>'''[[Halo: Evolutions]]''', "[[Wages of Sin]]", ''pages 300-301''</ref>

In the end, the fates of the Covenant fleets over High Charity is unknown, although at least one Covenant vessel, the ''Incorruptible'', escaped. 'Matrankee was commended for his actions against the Flood on Installation 05, and was promoted to [[Fleet Master]].<ref>'''Halo: Ghosts of Onyx''', ''page 243''</ref> The Flood continued to attempt to escape High Charity in Covenant starships, and a fleet led by [[Rtas 'Vadum]] on the ''[[Shadow of Intent]]'' held the line against the Flood. However, the Flood managed to infest at least one Sangheili-controlled ship, the ''Indulgence of Conviction'', a {{Class|CCS|battlecruiser}}, and made a [[Slipstream space|slipspace]] jump to [[Earth]] to attempt to infest the human homeworld. The Sangheili fleet in orbit over High Charity followed the Flood-controlled cruiser, and when the Flood ship crash-landed on Earth, Rtas 'Vadum and his forces aided the [[UNSC Home Fleet]] in destroying the Flood vessel and terminating the Flood spread across the planet. However, prior to this, High Charity had already left its orbit around Installation 05, and according to a scrambled distress signal from [[Cortana]], was already on its way to Earth to enter the [[Portal at Voi|Portal]].{{Ref/Reuse|floodgate}} It was indicated though that all of the other Flood-controlled ships were destroyed though: upon landing on Earth a Sangheili informed the Arbiter that the Sangheili's fleet had taken care of all of the Flood-controlled ships, except for the one which had managed to break through and jump to Earth. It can be inferred that the Flood-controlled ships were ultimately all destroyed except the one intercepted on Earth and High Charity which was later destroyed by the Master Chief in the [[Battle of Installation 00]]. [[Cortana]] was left to the clutches of the Gravemind. It was later shown that she answered a few questions to buy herself some time and used the opportunity to help find a way to destroy the Flood. She would later be rescued by the Master Chief who would then destroy High Charity during the [[Raid on High Charity]].<ref>'''Halo 3''', campaign level ''[[Cortana (level)|Cortana]]''</ref>

*[[Rtas 'Vadum]]ee sends [[Type-52 Phantom]]s to rescue Regret, but Truth delays the Phantoms.{{Ref/Reuse|regret}}{{Ref/Reuse|icon}}