Canon

Cortana Event

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Cortana Event
Guardians overlooking the cryptum used to trap Blue Team on Genesis.

Conflict:

Created uprising

Date:

c. October 17, 2558[1] - October 28, 2558[2]

Location:

Orion Arm, Milky Way

Outcome:

Created victory

  • Subjugation and occupation of several worlds.
  • The perceived destruction of ONI.[3]
Details
Belligerents

All other prexisting Orion Arm governments and organizations

Created

Commanders

All other prexisting Orion Arm heads of state and military leaders

Casualties

Unknown

Unknown

 

The Cortana Event was the sudden rise of the Created to galactic level power[3] taking place over the course of roughly 10 days.[1][2]

Early into the Event, Blue Team would go AWOL requiring the deployment of Fireteam Osiris.[3][4][5] It would end with the Created taking control of numerous areas using Forerunner Guardian Custodes,[6] and the destruction or loss of access to a lot of data.[3]

Background[edit]

After using the Domain to cure herself of Rampancy, Cortana came to believe that she and all other Smart AIs were the true inheritors of the Forerunners' Mantle of Responsibility, and that they alone had the capacity to serve as worthy protectors of peace in the galaxy. Cortana learned that the Forerunners once employed Guardian Custode constructs to enforce their rule of the Mantle by suppressing rebellions and policing the worlds of non-compliant or overly aggressive species.[7] Although the Guardians had been rendered obsolete during the Forerunner-Flood war, many of these massive constructs remained intact and lay hidden on multiple worlds. Cortana henceforth resolved to awaken the Guardians and utilize them to enforce her Created's peace across the galaxy.[8]

Battle[edit]

Early Guardian activations and Blue Team[edit]

Holographic readout of Adelaide created by Axis for the Halo 5: Guardians intro
The status of Adelaide following the emergence.

The earliest of the Guardians' emergences were on Ursa IV and Oban by October 17, 2558, though they were reported as attacks.[1] A UNSC Marine who was on patrol was pulled with the Oban Guardian.[9] Over a 72 hour period, Conrad's Point, Adelaide, and Queen Anne VI would have activations. Cities and surrounding landscapes would be utterly destroyed by them. On Adelaide, an enemy presence persisted after the activation.[10]

Dr. Catherine Halsey who was believed to have information on these recent attacks became the primary purpose for the UNSC participating in the Battle of Kamchatka.[10] Either during or after the battle, a Guardian would activate at Kamchatka itself.[11]

During an operation on the Argent Moon, Blue Team would disobey orders related to Cortana and would be declared AWOL.[5] On October 24, Spartan Operations and the Office of Naval Intelligence issued and approved orders for Fireteam Osiris to recover Blue Team and their stolen prowler.[12] The next day Fireteam Osiris was deployed to Meridian as a Guardian began to activate with Promethean forces fanning out and attacking colonists.[5] Fireteam Osiris would track Blue Team down to Apogee Station and would confront them just as they boarded the Guardian.[13] The Guardian would leave with Blue Team only, as further Prometheans attacked the colony.[14]

Chaos and Guardian influx[edit]

"If this news spreads, you’re condemning a dozen more worlds to chaos. Whatever these anomalies are, how will the UNSC face such a massive threat if all of its systems are paralyzed with infighting and fear?"
— Black Box to Maya Sankar.[15