Editing Battle for the Control Room (Installation 05)

{{Status|Canon}}
{{Battle infobox
|prev= [[Battle of the Quarantine Zone]]
|conc= [[Fall of High Charity]]
|next= [[Battle of Havana]] {{c|[[Battle for Earth]]}}
|name= Battle for the Control Room
|image=[[File:H2A - ScarabConcept.png|300px]]
|conflict= *[[Human-Covenant War]]
**[[Battle of Installation 05]]
*[[Great Schism]]
|date= [[2552#November|November 3, 2552]]
|place= [[Installation 05]], around the [[Control Room (Installation 05)|Control Room]]
|result=
'''Strategic UNSC/Covenant separatist victory'''
*Activation of [[Installation 05]] prevented.
*[[Halo Array]] placed on standby mode
*Chieftain [[Tartarus]] killed
|side1= *[[United Nations Space Command]]
*[[Covenant separatists]]
|side2= [[Covenant]]
|commanders1=
*[[Miranda Keyes|CDR Miranda Keyes]]
*[[Avery Johnson|SgtMaj Avery Johnson]]
*[[Arbiter]] [[Thel 'Vadam]]ee
*[[Special Operations Commander]] [[Rtas 'Vadum]]ee
|commanders2=
*[[Chieftain of the Jiralhanae|Chieftain]] [[Tartarus]]†
|forces1=
*[[UNSC Marine Corps]]
**3 Marines
*1 [[Protos-pattern Scarab|Scarab]]
*[[Covenant High Council]]
**Surviving [[Sangheili High Councilor]]s
*[[Covenant Special Operations]]
**[[Special Operations Sangheili]]
*[[Sangheili]]
*[[Unggoy]]
*[[Mgalekgolo]]
*[[Karo'etba-pattern Ghost|Ghosts]]
*1 [[Wuzum-pattern Spectre|Spectre]]
*1 [[Zurdo-pattern Wraith|Wraith]]
*[[Type-26 Banshee|Banshees]]
|forces2=*[[Covenant military]]
*[[Covenant Honor Guard]]
**[[Jiralhanae Honor Guardsman|Jiralhanae Honor Guardsmen]]
*[[Jiralhanae]]
*[[Kig-Yar]]
*[[Yanme'e]]
*[[Karo'etba-pattern Ghost|Ghosts]]
*[[Wuzum-pattern Spectre|Spectres]]
*[[Zurdo-pattern Wraith|Wraiths]]
*[[Type-26 Banshee|Banshees]]
*[[Kez'katu-pattern Phantom|Phantoms]]
|casual1=
*Moderate-heavy 
|casual2=
*Chieftain Tartarus
*Majority of ground forces
}}
The '''Battle for the Control Room''' was an engagement during the latter stages of the larger [[Battle of Installation 05]] in which [[Sangheili]] forces led by [[Arbiter]] [[Thel 'Vadam]]ee fought to reach the [[Jiralhanae]]-held [[Control Room (Installation 05)|Control Room]] to prevent the [[Halo Array#Firing method|activation]] of the installation, ultimately forging an uneasy alliance with the surviving crew of the [[United Nations Space Command|UNSC]] ''[[UNSC In Amber Clad|In Amber Clad]]''.<ref name="journey">'''[[Halo 2]]''', campaign level ''[[The Great Journey (level)|The Great Journey]]''</ref>

==Background==
Following his brash and unprepared arrival at [[Earth]], the [[Hierarch|High Prophet]] of [[Prophet of Regret|Regret]] was forced to withdraw as his [[Fleet of Sacred Consecration|small excavation fleet]] was overwhelmed by the planets defenses and his ground forces in the city of [[Mombasa]] were pushed back by UNSC ground forces.<ref>'''[[Halo 2]]''', campaign level ''[[Outskirts]]''</ref><ref>'''[[Halo 2]]''', campaign level ''[[Metropolis]]''</ref> The Prophet had his [[flagship]], the {{Class|CAS|assault carrier}} ''[[Solemn Penance]]'' perform a [[Slipstream space|slipspace]] jump directly over [[New Mombasa]], having discovered the location of [[Installation 05]] using information he had gleaned from the [[Luminary]] recovered on [[Meridian]].<ref>'''[[Halo 2: Anniversary]]''' - ''[[Terminal (Halo 2: Anniversary)|Terminal]]'' ''Beholden''</ref> Unbeknownst to the Prophet, his ship was followed through slipspace by the UNSC {{Class|Stalwart|light frigate}} {{UNSCShip|In Amber Clad}}. The two warships arrived in the [[Coelest system]] on [[2552#November|November 2, 2552]]. As the ''Solemn Penance'' deployed ground forces to the surface, the human vessel deployed a strike force of [[Orbital Drop Shock Troopers|ODSTs]] led by [[SPARTAN-II program|Spartan]] [[John-117]] to [[Assassination of the Prophet of Regret|assassinate]] the Covenant Hierarch.<ref>'''[[Halo 2]]''', campaign level ''[[Delta Halo]]''</ref> Despite the arrival of the Covenant holy city [[High Charity]] and it's vast [[High Charity defense fleet|defense fleet]], the Covenant were unable to prevent Regret's death at the hands of the Master Chief. Truth instead recalled the flotilla of [[Kez'katu-pattern Phantom|Phantoms]] the fleet had dispatched and allowed his fellow Hierarch to die, having the fleet [[Glassing|glass]] the [[Temple (Installation 05)|temple]] instead.<ref>'''[[Halo 2]]''', campaign level ''[[Regret (Halo 2 level)|Regret]]''</ref> 

The following day, the Prophet of Truth had the [[Sangheili]] of the [[Covenant Honor Guard]] [[Changing of the Guard|replaced]] by the [[Jiralhanae]], using the assassination of Regret to discredit the Sangheili and further his own agenda to ultimately take sole control of the Covenant.<ref>'''[[Halo 2]]''', campaign level, ''[[Sacred Icon]]''</ref><ref name="bwu">[http://halo.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?type=topnews&cid=16989 '''Bungie.net''': ''Bungie Weekly Update: 01/23/09'']</ref> The Prophet of Truth sent the [[Arbiter]] of the Covenant, disgraced former [[Supreme Commander]] of the [[Fleet of Particular Justice]] [[Thel 'Vadam]]ee to the [[Sentinel wall]] encircling the [[Library]] in order to deactivate the [[Containment shield|shielding]] and allowing the Covenant to secure the [[Activation index]] that would allow them to ultimately activate the ring. While Thel was successful in this task, he inadvertently allowed the [[Flood]] within the [[Quarantine zone (location)|quarantine zone]] to spread and infest both Covenant troops and UNSC personnel of the ''In Amber Clad'' and gain access to weapons, vehicles and ultimately, control of the human frigate which they would later use to infest [[High Charity]]. After fighting through hordes of Flood and [[Sentinel]] defenses, Thel and a team of [[Special Operations Sangheili]] made it to a [[Anti-gravity gondola|gondola]] that would take them into the Library, following in close pursuit of remaining UNSC forces led by [[Miranda Keyes|Commander Keyes]] and [[Avery Johnson|Sergeant Johnson]]. Thel engaged Keyes and Johnson immediately after the former had retrieved the Index, incapacitating Johnson before [[Tartarus]] arrived, seizing both Keyes and the Index. As Tartarus' Jiralhanae surrounded Thel, the [[Chieftain of the Jiralhanae|chieftain]] revealed his intent to initiate the [[Great Schism]] on Truth's orders, before knocking the Arbiter into a deep pit below the Library.<ref>'''[[Halo 2]]''', campaign level, ''[[Quarantine Zone]]''</ref>
[[File:H2A Terminals - Murder of the Councilors.jpg|thumb|left|300px|Sangheili High Councilors murdered by the Jiralhanae.]]
A short time later, Tartarus' second-in-command, [[Jiralhanae Captain|Captain]] [[Melchus]], led a contingent of heavily-armed Jiralhanae into the [[Control Room (Installation 05)|control room]], where the Sangheili [[Sangheili High Councilor|High Councilors]] and many of their former Honor Guards were gathered to witness the activation of the ring and the culmination of the "Great Journey". The Jiralhanae proceeded to massacre the Sangheili, catching the unprepared Councilors off-guard. While they fought back, all of the Sangheili were eventually killed, with only [[G'torik 'Klemmee|one]] surviving due to his fall from the platform being broken by the dead bodies of his compatriots.<ref>'''[[Halo: Broken Circle]]''', ''Chapter 16''</ref>

The Arbiter's own fall was broken by the [[Flood]] [[Gravemind]], who resided deep below the Library. Here, Thel was confronted with not only John-117, who had similarly been captured by the Gravemind, but also the [[Monitor]] of [[Installation 05]], [[2401 Penitent Tangent]] and the reanimated corpse of the Prophet of Regret. While both the Gravemind and the Master Chief attempted to tell Thel of the [[Halo Array#Firing method|true purpose]] of the Halo rings, the Sangheili refused to listen. The Gravemind promised to show the defiant Arbiter the truth, using the installation's [[teleportation grid]] to send Thel to the cliffs near the control room.<ref>'''[[Halo 2]]''', campaign level ''[[Gravemind (level)|Gravemind]]''</ref>{{clear}}

==The battle==
{{Quote|no=two|[[Thel 'Vadam]]ee|[[Tartarus]]|q1=Tartarus. The Prophets have betrayed us.|q2=No, Arbiter! The Great Journey has begun. And the Brutes, not the Elites, shall be the Prophets' escort!|Thel attempts to reason with Tartarus, to no avail{{Ref/Reuse|journey}}}}
[[File:H2A SpecOps Sangheili.png|thumb|left|250px|A Special Operations Sangheili assisting the Arbiter against the Jiralhanae.]]
Thel 'Vadamee arrived on a cliff overlooking Installation 05's control room. He immediately located a [[Okarda'phaa-pattern plasma rifle|plasma rifle]] lying on ground smeared with Sangheili [[blood]]. As he moved towards a downed Sangheili [[Sangheili Minor|Minor]], he heard and saw distant plasma fire as Jiralhanae troops killed off the last remaining Sangheili on the cliffs. In his final breath, the Minor warned Thel of the massacre of the Sangheili Councilors by the Jiralhanae. Taking the fallen warrior's [[Type-1 energy sword|energy sword]], the Arbiter slew a trio of Jiralhanae that were pondering what to do with the Sangheili corpses. The captain in command of the Jiralhanae [[pack]] on the cliff ordered his men to find the Brutes that had failed to report in. Thel promptly engaged the pack in combat, and was assisted by a [[Active camouflage|camouflaged]] [[Special Operations Sangheili]] who emerged from the nearby structure. Once the area was clear, the Special Operations Sangheili confirmed the death of the Councilors and vowed to avenge them. A trio of [[Covenant drop pod]]s arrived in the canyon; Sangheili reinforcements including a [[Sangheili Zealot|Zealot]] who was eager to go to war against the Brutes. The group of Sangheili formed up and moved through the structure into a cave with several [[Forerunner]] platforms where Jiralhanae and [[Kig-Yar]] patrolling. The group of Sangheili fought their way through the cave, killing groups of Jiralhanae, Kig-Yar and [[Yanme'e]] while unpinning a pair of [[Unggoy]] who supported the [[Covenant separatists|separatist]] cause.<ref name="uprising">'''[[Halo 2]]''', campaign level ''[[Uprising]]''</ref>
 
[[File:H2AJiralhanaeEncampment.png|250px|thumb|right|The [[Jiralhanae encampment]].]]
Thel and his allies fought their way through several more rooms containing Jiralhanae and Kig-Yar occupying positions fortified by [[Eeo'Pimu-pattern Shade|Shade]] turrets and encountering scattered Sangheili and Unggoy who assisted the separatists in their push. Eventually, the group made it outside the structure, where they eliminated a large pack of Jiralhanae before commandeering their parked [[Karo'etba-pattern Ghost|Ghosts]]. Now mobilized, Thel and his allies attacked a larger Covenant camp, overcoming several waves of Jiralhanae and Kig-Yar reinforcements. In the next camp, they assisted a cowering Unggoy by killing it's Kig-Yar overseer. The Unggoy mounted a nearby Shade and assisted the team in destroying the rest of the Covenant forces in the camp, including a Jiralhanae-operated [[Wuzum-pattern Spectre|Spectre]] which arrived from the camp's exit. The separatist movement pressed onward, wiping out a small camp of Kig-Yar before reaching a shallow river where Jiralhanae forces attempted to detonate a number of [[Plasma battery|plasma batteries]] with their [[Type-25 Brute Shot|Brute Shots]]. This attempt failed and all of the Covenant troops were wiped out. Thel and his allies arrived at a heavily-fortified [[Jiralhanae encampment|encampment]] where the Jiralhanae had stockpiled an assortment of UNSC and Covenant weaponry. The team were forced to destroy a pair of [[Zurdo-pattern Wraith|Wraiths]], as well as a number of Kig-Yar [[Kig-Yar Sniper|snipers]] before they could enter the structure. Over the course of the battle, several more Sangheili arrived in drop pods to reinforce the group. As they made their way through the structure, the Sangheili accompanying Thel expressed their disgust at the weaponry the Brutes had stockpiled. A final group of Covenant including a pair of Ghosts guarding a nearby cave attempted to halt the separatists but were destroyed. Thel proceeded through the cave alone.{{Ref/Reuse|uprising}}

[[File:H2A - Rtas and Thel.jpg|thumb|left|250px|The Arbiter informs 'Vadumee of the massacre of the Councilors at the hands of the Jiralhanae outside Halo's control room.]]
On the other side of the cave, Thel was slowly approached by a Wraith. Unsure of the vehicle's allegiance, Thel raised his [[Vostu-pattern carbine|carbine]] but was relieved when [[Special Operations Commander|Commander]] [[Rtas 'Vadum]]ee revealed himself to be the pilot. The Arbiter informed 'Vadumee of the slaughter of the Sangheili Councilors, to which 'Vadumee retorted that the Prophets had been foolish to trust the Jiralhanae. As the pair conversed, a pair of Phantoms flew overhead, towards the control room. One of the dropships deposited [[Tartarus]] and the captive [[Miranda Keyes]] and [[343 Guilty Spark]]. The two entered the control room, and the door was sealed behind them.{{Ref/Reuse|uprising}} 

[[File:H2ABastionOfTheBrutes.png|250px|thumb|right|The [[Bastion of the Brutes]] with a [[Protos-pattern Scarab|Scarab]] adjacent to it.]]
'Vadumee, remembering the words spoken by the Gravemind, stated his intention to get inside, to which 'Vadumee revealed he knew [[Protos-pattern Scarab|a way]] to break the doors. A Spectre piloted by a Special Operations Sangheili arrived, allowing the Arbiter to mount up. With the Spectre and 'Vadumee's Wraith, the group made their way through the canyon, engaging a unit of Jiralhanae-operated Ghosts and a Wraith. As another set of Forerunner structures came into view, re-purposed as the [[Bastion of the Brutes]], 'Vadumee suggested they use the adjacent Protos Scarab to blast through the reinforced doors of the control room. A Phantom attempted to strafe the separatist vehicles while a pair of Wraiths and another pack of Jiralhanae guarding the entrance to the structures fought to keep the Sangheili out. Eventually 'Vadumee and his allies managed to defeat the Brutes. 'Vadumee declared his intent to retake a nearby {{Pattern|Ket|battlecruiser}} from the Jiralhanae, after waiting to ensure no Covenant reinforcements followed the group into the structure. Proceeding inward, 'Vadumee encountered another Special Operations Sangheili and a [[Mgalekgolo]] pair. After assuring the Arbiter that the gestalts were on the separatist side, the group made their way through a series of corridors and rooms and across an indoor cave, clearing out Jiralhanae positions as they went. On an outdoor bridge, a unit of Kig-Yar, Yanme'e and a Phantom engaged the Sangheili and Mgalekgolo. As the Covenant ground troops, the Phantom retreated allowing the Arbiter and his group to proceed into a holding area where several surviving Councilors and another Mgalekgolo pair were contained behind [[shield door]]s. Thel and his allies attacked, releasing the captives. Between them, they quickly wiped out the Jiralhanae presence in the room. On the exterior platform, the Jiralhanae were preparing to execute three captured [[UNSC Marine Corps|Marine]] Sergeants [[Johnson]], [[Stacker]] and [[Banks]]. Just as Tartarus radioed the Brutes to kill the captives, 'Vadamee and his forces attacked the Jiralhanae, catching them off guard. Johnson took advantage of the confusion, signalling for Stacker and Banks to open fire with concealed [[Type-25 Plasma Pistol]]s while he boarded and took control of the nearby Scarab.{{Ref/Reuse|journey}}

[[File:H2A-Arbiter&Johnson.jpg|thumb|250px|left|Sergeant Johnson and the Arbiter confront Tartarus in the control room.]] 
A tense standoff ensued, with the human-controlled Scarab aiming it's [[focus cannon]] at Thel. Instead of firing, Sergeant Johnson proposed an alliance, suggesting that they work together to stop Tartarus from activating the ring, something they both knew would mean the deaths of all of them. With a shared goal and no alternatives, Thel agreed. A number of Sangheili landed their [[Type-26 Banshee|Banshees]] on the platform, allowing Thel to take control of one of them. Using the Banshee, Thel assisted Johnson in destroying a number of Jiralhanae-piloted Wraiths, Spectres, Banshees and Shade turrets while the Scarab made its way toward the control room. After arriving on the beach in front of the control room, Johnson used his Scarab's focus cannon to melt through the door. Thel proceeded into the control room alone, passing through a heavily-scorched corridor before arriving in the first room, where a number of Jiralhanae including several [[Jiralhanae Honor Guardsman|Honor Guardsmen]] arrived to stop him. Despite putting up a furious resistance, the Brutes soon fell and the Arbiter made his way inward. As Tartarus attempted to threaten Miranda Keyes to insert the [[Activation Index]] into the control room's [[The Core|Core]], Thel arrived, ordering Tartarus to stop. As the surprised Jiralhanae chieftain turned to face the Arbiter, Thel announced that even the [[Hierarchs]] did not know everything about Halo. As Tartarus' bodyguards stepped forward menacingly, Tartarus halted them, angrily retorting that the Arbiter was speaking [[List of known Covenant heretics|heresy]]. Thel asked 343 Guilty Spark to explain the purpose of the Halo Array, but Tartarus furiously seized the [[monitor]], warning him to not say anything more. Sergeant Johnson stepped in, aiming a [[Sulok-pattern beam rifle|particle beam rifle]] at the chieftain's head. As Tartarus' bodyguards snarled in fury, Johnson calmly threatened Tartarus to order them to stand down or he would fire on the chieftain. Sensing his life in danger, Tartarus brought his Jiralhanae into check. Now free to continue, 343 Guilty Spark proceeded to explain to the gathered forces the truth behind the purpose of the Halo Array. Rather than being a means of transcendence as the Hierarch's had promised, the rings were revealed to have been built by the [[Forerunner]]s as a weapon of last resort against the [[Flood]], used to eliminate all potential Flood hosts throughout the [[Milky Way|galaxy]], adding that the Forerunners themselves had been wiped out by the superweapons. Stunned by the monitor's words, Thel told Tartarus that the Prophets had betrayed them all. Despite being confronted with the truth, Tartarus remained blinded by his loyalty to the Hierarchs and his hatred of the Sangheili. The Chieftain hurled Spark at Sergeant Johnson, knocking the Marine down and using the opportunity to force Commander Keyes to insert the Index into the Core, beginning the activation sequence. As the Halo charged up, Tartarus activated his invincibility shielding and hefted his [[Fist of Rukt|war hammer]] in preparation for battle.{{Ref/Reuse|journey}}

[[File:HLC The Great Schism.jpg|thumb|250px|Arbiter Thel 'Vadam duels Chieftain of the Jiralhanae Tartarus.]]
   
A group of Sangheili charged into battle alongside Thel and Johnson, easily wiping out Tartarus' Jiralhanae bodyguards. The chieftain leapt to the central platform, followed closely by Thel and his Sangheili while Johnson remained on the catwalk to provide covering fire. Despite being heavily outnumbered and faced with multiple high-ranking Sangheili, Tartarus was able to use the Fist of Rukt along with his incredibly-durable energy shield to inflict heavy losses on his attackers. Using the gravity hammer to easily dispatch of any Sangheili who attempted to attack with [[Type-1 energy sword|energy swords]] and able to shrug off barrages of [[Okarda'phaa-pattern plasma rifle|plasma rifle]] and [[Type-33 needler|needler]] fire, it seemed as though Tartarus was invulnerable to attack. Only several consecutive shots from Johnson's particle beam rifle was able to bring the chieftain's shield down temporarily. Using this to his advantage, Thel managed to wear Tartarus down as his fellow Sangheili engaged Jiralhanae reinforcements. As they battled around the control room, Commander Keyes conversed with 343 Guilty Spark, eventually forcing the monitor to reveal that she could only stop the activation if she physically removed the Index, something she couldn't do while Tartarus was alive. Eventually Tartarus succumbed to the heavy damage inflicted upon him and fell before the Arbiter allowing Commander Keyes to run for the platform and remove the Index from the Core moments before the ring could fire. This prompted the installation to send out a pulse that set the remaining Halo rings to standby mode, ready to be activated from [[Installation 00]].{{Ref/Reuse|journey}}{{clear}}

==Aftermath==
[[File:H2A - Battle of Delta Halo.jpg|thumb|250px|left|Installation 05's firing sequence is aborted.]]
Despite the death of Tartarus, the Prophet of Truth was already heading for [[Earth]], where [[Truth's fleet|his personal fleet]] had been excavating the buried [[Portal at Voi|portal]] that would lead to the Ark for the last two weeks, it's presence having been partially revealed following the Prophet of Regret's slipspace jump on October 20. Commandeering the [[Forerunner]] [[Anodyne Spirit|Dreadnought]] at the heart of [[High Charity]], the sole remaining Hierarch left the holy city as it fell rapidly to the [[Flood]], with [[SPARTAN-II program|Spartan]] [[John-117]] stowed away onboard. Commander Keyes and Johnson, having learned the location of the portal from Spark, realized the necessity of getting to Earth before Truth, and they, along with Thel 'Vadam would depart from the Coelest system while Sangheili ships led by Rtas 'Vadumee remained to quarantine the installation, glassing the surface of the ring and destroying any Flood-controlled ships that attempted to escape.<ref>''[[Eleventh Hour reports]]'', Part 5</ref> Despite this, [[Indulgence of Conviction|a single battlecruiser]] managed to escape the quarantine and make a slipspace jump to Earth, with ships of the [[Fleet of Retribution]] in pursuit.<ref>'''[[Halo 3]]''', campaign level ''[[Floodgate]]''</ref>{{clear}} 

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:H2A BruteBetrayal.png|Jiralhanae shooting dead Sangheili on the cliffs near the installation's control room.
File:H2A EliteInCover.png|A Sangheili Minor taking cover from Jiralhanae and Kig-Yar fire.
File:H2A GhostVsSpectre.png|Sangheili-piloted Ghosts in combat with a Jiralhanae-controlled Spectre.
File:H2A EncampmentBattle.png|A Wraith firing a plasma mortar at a Sangheili Minor.
File:HTMCC-H2A SpecOps Sangheili and Mgalekgolo.jpg|A SpecOps Sangheili leading a pair of Mgalekgolo.
File:HTMCC-H2A Sangheili Councillor Breakout.jpg|A Sangheili Councilor breaking free another Councilor.
File:HTMCC-H2A Marines Resistance.jpg|Sergeants Stacker and Banks fighting their Jiralhanae captors.
File:HTMCC-H2A Councillor with Carbine.jpg|A Sangheili Councilor firing Carbine at Tartarus and his Jiralhanae.
File:H2A - GuiltyJohnsonMiranda.png|343 Guilty Spark helps Keyes and Johnson read the failsafe protocol.
</gallery>

==List of appearances==
*''[[Halo 2]]'' {{1st}}
*''[[Halo: Broken Circle]]'' {{Im}}
*''[[Halo 2: Anniversary]]''
*''[[Halo Mythos]]'' {{Mo}}
*''[[Halo: Official Spartan Field Manual]]'' {{Im}}

==Sources==
{{Ref/Sources}}

{{Engagements in the Battle of Installation 05}}

[[Category:UNSC victories]]