Editing Halo universe

{{Center|For other uses of the word "Halo", see [[Halo (disambiguation)]].}}

[[File:Halo logo (2012-present).png|450px|center|The Halo 4-era Halo logo.]]

{{Quote|Halo is an epic journey to save humanity from a terrible menace.|[[Chris Carney]] on ''[[Halo 3 Legendary Edition]]: [[Seven|7]] [[7 Steps to World Domination|Steps To World Domination]]''}}

==Primary factions==

The UNSC was formed by the [[United Nations]] when overpopulation on [[Earth]] and conflict in the [[Sol System]] started becoming a severe problem in the early 22nd century. In the wake of the [[Interplanetary War]] in the 2160s, the UNSC became the military and space exploratory arm of the newly-established Unified Earth Government. After the emergence of the Covenant threat, the UNSC was given power over the UEG and its colonial governing agency, [[Colonial Administration Authority]], although the civilian government was formally returned its power after the war.

There are several breakaway factions opposed to UNSC and the Colonial Administration Authority as well, collectively known as [[Insurrectionist]]s.

The Swords of Sanghelios is a splinter faction of the Covenant formed by the [[Arbiter]] [[Thel 'Vadam]] and [[Shipmaster]] [[Rtas 'Vadum]], based upon an ancient Sangheili order. Formed from the [[Fleet of Retribution|initial alliance]] out of desperation with their former human enemies, the UNSC, they played a key role in ensuring the salvation of the galaxy and start a new era of relative peace alongside the UNSC.

Ruled by a large council of [[kaidon]]s, the Swords of Sanghelios attempt to bring peace and unity to Sanghelios, the Elite homeworld, as well as returning the old values and traditions of Sangheili past. With their UNSC allies, they are succeeding in creating a new era of peace.

{{clear}}

===The Covenant===

{{Main|The Covenant}}

At first, the Covenant were mostly held together by a need to survive, but as their society advanced, so did their technology, culture and religion. Now the polytheistic Covenant control a large part of the Orion Arm of the Milky Way galaxy and their society is a complicated caste system, with the Prophets still on top, governing the Covenant along with the Elites. The Covenant is a theocracy, based on a prophecy about the Sacred Rings and the Great Journey. The actual context of this prophecy is based on the notion that the Forerunners were so advanced that they had found a way to propel themselves to godlike status using their technology. To oppose this, a parasitic race known as the Flood attacked the Forerunners and attempted to stop the activation of this technology. Before the Flood could stop them, the Forerunners activated the Halo Array, and ascended to godhood. The Covenant design is to find the Halos, and use it to propel themselves to godliness as well.

===Covenant remnants===

After the destruction of the original Covenant in the concluding events of the Human-Covenant War, the former member species fragmented into [[Covenant remnants|many factions]] with varying goals, many of them still hostile to humanity as well as each other.

===The Flood===

{{Main|Flood}}

'''The Flood''' (called '''The Parasite''' by the Covenant) is a species of virulent, parasitic organisms that thrive by consuming other sentient life of sufficient biomass, no matter where in the universe, thus leading Forerunners to the creation of the Halo Array. The Flood appears to be a hive or communal mind, existing in several stages that eventually lead into the creation of a central intelligence known as the [[Gravemind]].

===The Forerunners===

{{Main|Ecumene}}

Once the dominant civilization in the [[Milky Way]], the Forerunners reached unparalleled technological advancement over 100,000 years before the Human-Covenant War. Believing to be charged by the mysterious [[Precursor]]s with protecting less advanced civilizations in the galaxy, they stumbled upon the Flood and fought a [[Forerunner-Flood war|three-hundred-year long war]] to stop the genocidal parasitic species from overrunning the galaxy. When it looked as if they were going to fail at that task, they built and activated the Halo Array - sterilizing the entire galaxy of sentient life including themselves, starving the Flood into submission, and [[Conservation Measure|repopulating the galaxy]] again with those few species saved from extinction.<ref name="origins">'''Halo: Legends''', ''Origins''</ref>  

===Insurrectionists===

The Insurrectionists are various rebel groups opposed to the rule of the UNSC throughout human space who seek the colonies' liberation from the Unified Earth Government's influence. Following the rapid volumetric growth of the region of space controlled by the human race throughout the 25th century, the UEG found it increasingly difficult to maintain its hold over the Outer Colonies, hundreds of which were scattered across exceedingly large swathes of space. By 2490, the Outer Colonies surpassed the core worlds in number by several hundred. Despite their more discrete composition, the Outer Colonies proved an ample breeding ground for a strong nationalist sentiment among their citizens which in turn led to their perceiving the Earth government—and the UNSC which imposed its will—as a draconian outside force. In 2513, the UNSC initiated [[Operation: TREBUCHET]], one of the largest operations in UNSC history; spanning ten years and costing hundreds of thousands of lives, the goal was to root out the Insurrectionists and impose order in the Outer Colonies. Following the Covenant attack on Harvest and the onset of the Human-Covenant War in 2525, Operation: TREBUCHET was put on halt by the UNSC. Insurrectionist activity as a whole, while not completely gone, died down during the Covenant War.

{{Center|For more detailed summaries of each faction's technologies, see [[Human technology]], [[Covenant technology]], and [[Forerunner technology]].}}

===Transport===

*[[Slipstream space|Slipspace]] is the primary method of faster-than-light travel in the ''Halo'' universe. Humans have not exacted the science of Slipspace jumping, and can often end up hundreds of thousands of miles away from where they want to be, and therefore they work to be inexact, so as not to end up somewhere like the middle of a planet. The Covenant had worked a way around this, as they can pinpoint jump anywhere in the galaxy, even maintaining their formation. The Forerunners had a superior understanding of slipspace technology, being able to create [[Slipspace bubble|technologies]] which allow for manipulation of space-time through slipspace. One of many technologies created by the Forerunners is [[slipspace translocation]], allowing near-instantaneous transit over short distances.

*Wheeled contrivances similar in appearance to today's vehicles are used by the UNSC. However, the Covenant prefer to use [[anti-gravity technology]] assumed to be based on Forerunner technology.

Over ten million years [[10,000,000 BCE|ago]], an advanced civilization known as the [[Precursor]]s controlled the galaxy. Having reigned for billions of years and reached the pinnacle of technological advancement, they seeded the galaxy with life and created many species, including humans and Forerunners. The Precursors held the [[Mantle|Mantle of Responsibility]], the guardianship of all life in the galaxy. They eventually decided to give the Mantle to one of their creations and they initially selected the Forerunners. However, the Precursors changed their minds on handing it to them - tasking humanity with it. The Forerunners, enraged by their creators' favoring of humanity over themselves, rebelled against the Precursors and [[Forerunner-Precursor war|wiped them out]] almost entirely. Some Precursors survived by reducing themselves to dust that, although meant to regenerate their original forms in time, was corrupted over the passage of millions of years and would eventually manifest itself in a completely new form - the parasitic [[Flood]].<ref name="silentium">'''[[Halo: Silentium]]'''</ref> Meanwhile, the Forerunners would adopt the Mantle to themselves and rise to become the dominant civilization in the galaxy, directing the evolution and development of other species as they saw fit. Records of the truth about the Precursors were lost over time and faded into legend; ten million years after the destruction of the Precursors, Forerunners simply believed that their creators had disappeared and given them the gift of the Mantle.<ref name="cryptum">'''[[Halo: Cryptum]]'''</ref>

===Rise of the Covenant===

===The Human-Covenant War begins===

{{Main|Halo: Contact Harvest|Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn|First Battle of Harvest}}

The novel ''[[Halo: Contact Harvest]]'' further details the events that transpired at Harvest and the Covenant leadership's underhanded scheme surrounding the beginning of the war: humans were discovered to be [[Reclaimer|living heirs]] to the Covenant's gods, the Forerunners, forming a concrete threat to the Prophets' authority as well as the very foundation of the [[Covenant religion|their religion]]. Rather than reveal the truth to the Covenant at large, the new triumvirate of [[Hierarchs]] call for the complete destruction of humankind, under the pretense that humans had committed unforgivable offenses against their gods.

====Apex Site====

{{Main|Halo Wars: Genesis|Halo Wars|Harvest Campaign|Battle of Arcadia|Battle of the Etran Harborage}}

The search for Ellen Anders starts while it is revealed to both factions that the Flood has taken over the exterior of the shield world. ''Spirit of Fire'' enters the shield world's inner shell, looking for Anders, who is now being forced to activate a once-hidden [[Sojourner-class dreadnought|Forerunner fleet]] for the purposes of being reverse-engineered into the Covenant naval force for easy extermination of the human species. Anders then escapes using a [[Slipspace translocation|translocation device]] and then conveniently links up with the UNSC again. This news reaches ''Spirit of Fire'', which then has her FTL drive extracted for the purpose of destroying the Shield World's sun, therefore denying the Covenant the fleet it wants, which would lead to the extinction of the human race. This plan works out, but at the cost of Forge's life, who heroically stays behind to detonate the FTL drive. Without an FTL drive, and the long expected journey home most likely going to take years or decades, the Spirit of Fire's crew enters into cryonic storage, now drifting in space until contact is made.

====The Fall of Reach====

{{Main|Halo: The Fall of Reach|Halo: Reach|Fall of Reach}}

In the game ''[[Halo: Reach]]'', the Spartans of [[Noble Team]] defend Reach against the Covenant invasion, most of them sacrificing their lives in the process. At the finale, they are given the task of transporting a fragment of Cortana housing critical data to the ''Pillar of Autumn''. [[Noble Six]] holds off the Covenant long enough for the ''Autumn'' to escape, indirectly enabling humanity's survival in the war.

Three weeks after escaping Reach, the ''Pillar of Autumn'' exits Slipspace to find a mysterious [[Installation 04|ring-shaped space station]] orbiting the gas giant [[Threshold]]. The ring, referred to by the Covenant as "[[Halo Array|Halo]]", is an artificial construct that is teeming with life. A [[Fleet of Particular Justice|Covenant fleet]], however, is also present, and a subsequent battle heavily damages the ''[[UNSC Pillar of Autumn|Pillar of Autumn]]'' and the ship crash lands onto Halo.

Naturally, this would wipe out humanity as well, and so the final levels of the game revolve around the Master Chief's attempts to destroy Halo before it fires by self-destructing the ''Autumn''. Despite the abuse sustained during the space battle and the following crash the ''Pillar of Autumn'' remained intact, and was subsequently occupied by investigating Covenant forces and later by Flood.

[[File:Firststrike2.jpg|thumb|150px|''Halo: First Strike'' takes place between ''Halo: Combat Evolved'' and ''Halo 2''.]]

{{Main|Halo: First Strike|Operation: FIRST STRIKE}}

Cortana, now in control of the Covenant ship, docks with the damaged UNSC frigate ''[[UNSC Gettysburg|Gettysburg]]'' and combines their power, also allowing them to return to Earth without violating the Cole Protocol by bringing a potentially "bugged" Covenant ship with them. Damaged in a battle with pursuing Covenant ships, the ''Ascendant Justice'' travels to a [[Eridanus Secundus|hidden rebel base]] in the [[Eridanus system]] for repairs. The rebels agree to a truce with the UNSC forces, but the Covenant soon discover their location. In the ensuing chaos, Dr. Halsey abducts [[Kelly-087]] and flees into slipspace aboard the [[Jacob Jiles|rebel governor]]'s [[Beatrice|ship]]. Admiral Whitcomb grimly decides to leave the rebels to fend for themselves while the ''Ascendant Justice'' escapes.

[[File:Halo 2 cover.jpg|thumb|left|150px|''Halo 2'' takes place on Earth and around Installation 05 (Delta Halo).]]

{{Main|Halo 2|Battle of Earth|Battle of Installation 05|Great Schism|Halo: Broken Circle}}

The game also follows an alternating story, viewed through the perspective of the [[Thel 'Vadam|Arbiter]], an Elite commander disgraced for his failure to prevent the first Halo's destruction. During a mission to quell [[Sesa 'Refumee's heretic faction|a movement]] regarded by the [[Hierarchs|Covenant leadership]] as heretical, the Covenant recover [[343 Guilty Spark]]. After their mobile capital, ''[[High Charity]]'', arrives at Delta Halo, the Covenant becomes embroiled in a power struggle discreetly engineered by the [[Prophet of Truth]], with [[Jiralhanae|Brutes]] usurping the role of the Elites, beginning an apocalyptic civil conflict known as the [[Great Schism]].

Prior to the slipspace rupture in ''Halo 2'', a large number of ODSTs are destined to drop into the [[Solemn Penance|Covenant carrier]] that evaded Earth's orbital defenses. The drop is initiated, but the [[Unidentified Shock Trooper squad|ODST squad]] of [[Gunnery Sergeant]] [[Edward Buck]] is commandeered by his superior, and former love interest, [[Captain (Navy)|Captain]] [[Veronica Dare]] of the Office of Naval Intelligence to drop into the city of New Mombasa, as opposed to the Covenant carrier. The slipspace rupture causes the squad to scatter and land in different parts of the city.

They, along with Buck, fight their way down the city's [[New Mombasa Waterfront Highway|Waterfront Highway]], where they witness the Covenant begin to glass parts of the city. They hold off against waves of Covenant until Mickey, Dutch and [[Kojo Agu|Romeo]] arrive to pick them up. They arrive just before the Covenant prepare to glass their previous position, actually discovered to be an excavation project. They manage to escape just in time, only to realize that the Covenant has found what they were looking for.

{{Main|Halo 3|Battle of Kenya|Battle of Installation 00}}

[[File:Halo3coverart.JPG|thumb|150px|''[[Halo 3]]'' takes place on Earth and the Ark.]]

It is revealed that a large Forerunner artifact has been dug up under the African desert by the Covenant, and the Prophet of Truth is planning to activate it. Presumably this is the Ark, so therefore this would activate the Halos, and so a [[Battle of Voi|hasty attack]] is set in motion by Lord Hood to destroy the Forerunner Dreadnought with a surprise aerial assault. Master Chief clears Voi of all Covenant anti-air units to clear the path for Lord Hood's frigates for an assault on the dreadnought. However, the assault on the dreadnought has absolutely no effect, and Truth activates the artifact all the same. A large portal is created above the artifact, into which the Covenant forces disappear. Soon after, a [[unidentified Flood-captured battlecruiser|derelict Covenant cruiser]] appears out of Slipspace, and crashes nearby, infested with Flood.

Having crash-landed on the shield world, which they soon learn is known as [[Requiem]], John-117 and Cortana engage the occupying Covenant forces while attempting to find a way back to UNSC-controlled space. Meanwhile, {{UNSCShip|Infinity}} is approaching Requiem, oblivious of the artificial [[gravity well]] which pulled the ''Dawn'' inside. While attempting to find a way to contact ''Infinity'', John-117 and Cortana are attacked by mechanical [[Promethean]] forces. Activating a supposed broadcast relay in Requiem's core, John-117 instead accidentally releases a Forerunner commander known as the [[Ur-Didact|Didact]] from imprisonment. The Didact declares the return of the Forerunners as the galaxy's rulers and saviors. Having always revered the Forerunners as gods, Jul's Covenant quickly swear alliance to the Promethean.

John-117 pursues the Promethean and his Covenant remnant allies to ''[[Ivanoff Station]]'', where the Didact plans to acquire the Composer. Despite the efforts of the Master Chief, the Didact eventually uses the Composer to [[Mind transfer|digitize]] the occupants of ''Ivanoff'', save for John-117 who is saved by the Librarian's enhancements. The Didact subsequently plans to use the Composer to attack Earth; the Master Chief follows him in close pursuit aboard a [[F-41 Broadsword|Broadsword]] space fighter. When the Didact reaches Earth, the ''Infinity'' and [[Battlegroup Dakota]] engage [[Mantle's Approach|his ship]] immediately. Armed with a [[HAVOK tactical nuclear weapon|HAVOK nuke]], John-117 makes his way into the ship and confronts the Didact, but not before the Promethean general uses the Composer to digitize the population of [[New Phoenix]], [[United Republic of North America|URNA]]. With the Chief incapacitated by the Didact, Cortana, nearing the end of her life, immobilizes the Didact with [[hard light]] bindings. With the last of his strength, John disables the Didact with a [[Z-040 Attenuation Field Generator/Localized|pulse grenade]], sending him falling to a slipspace rupture beneath the Composer, and detonates the nuclear bomb manually. Using the last of her power, Cortana saves the Master Chief from the blast and the two meet for one last time before Cortana fades away. Left floating in the debris field, John-117 is recovered and taken aboard the ''Infinity''.

=====The Next 72 Hours=====

[[File:HaloEscalation10.jpg|thumb|150px|''The Next 72 Hours'' takes place shortly after the events of ''Halo 4''.]]

In ''The Next 72 Hours'', an arc of the comic series ''[[Halo: Escalation]]'', it is revealed that the Didact survived his defeat aboard ''Mantle's Approach''. After falling through the Composer's slipspace portal, he finds himself on [[Installation 03]] and encounters the [[monitor]] [[859 Static Carillon]]. John-117, reunited with his SPARTAN-II compatriots of [[Blue Team]] — [[Linda-058]], [[Kelly-087]] and [[Frederic-104]] — after several years, confronts the Didact and with the aid of Static Carillon, defeats the Forerunner commander by subjecting him to the effects of multiple Composers. Static Carillon takes Installation 03 for safekeeping while the Spartans return to Earth. After being debriefed, the Master Chief returns to his team and they depart for new battles — without the knowledge or authorization of [[Terrence Hood|Lord Hood]].

During one of these operations, a mysterious [[Requiem slipspace artifacts|Forerunner artifact]] is uncovered and subsequently brought aboard ''Infinity''. After the device teleports [[Henry Glassman|Chief Engineer Glassman]] to the surface of the planet, [[Catherine Halsey|Dr. Catherine Halsey]] is brought in to investigate. Glassman is taken captive by the [[Jul 'Mdama's Covenant]] and is ordered to activate the [[Librarian]]'s shrine, though he is not successful. Dr. Halsey begins dialog with an unknown party who shares her interest in the Librarian. The intelligence is actually [[Jul 'Mdama]], who is manipulating Halsey into divulging vital secrets about the Forerunners. Halsey is apprehended after her unwitting communication with 'Mdama is discovered. Meanwhile, [[Gabriel Thorne|Spartan Thorne]] rescues Dr. Glassman and the pair escape custody.

After Dr. Halsey briefly escapes imprisonment and resumes her communication with 'Mdama, ''Infinity'' is boarded by Covenant and [[Promethean]] forces who capture Dr. Halsey. They take her to the Librarian's "shrine", where 'Mdama awaits. Captain Lasky consults with [[Admiral]] [[Serin Osman]], head of the [[Office of Naval Intelligence]], who orders Lasky to assassinate Dr. Halsey. Against Lasky's protests, Commander Palmer departs to execute the order. However, Lasky sends Fireteam Majestic to rescue Dr. Halsey and stop Palmer. Meanwhile, Dr. Halsey successfully activates and enters the Librarian's shrine. The Librarian's essence gives Dr. Halsey an artifact known as the [[Janus Key]], but Jul 'Mdama gets one half of the key. Halsey tosses Gabriel Thorne the other half before she is abducted by 'Mdama.

====Absolute Record====

{{Main|Halo: Escalation|Battle of Aktis IV|Operation: ATHENA}}

{{Clear}}

====The Created====

{{Main|Hunt the Truth|Halo 5: Guardians|Battle of Sunaion|Battle of Genesis}}

[[John-117|Master Chief]] and [[Blue Team]] go absent without leave to pursue the AI construct and Chief's former companion [[Cortana]]. With Blue Team's loyalties called into question, Spartan [[Jameson Locke]] and [[Fireteam Osiris]] are sent to locate and return them to the [[United Nations Space Command]].  

Blue Team go to the ONI station [[Argent Moon]] and destroy it, but not before John-117 has a vision of Cortana. Blue Team flees the Argent Moon in a [[Winter-class prowler]] and head for [[Meridian]]. Fireteam Osiris is told about Blue Team going to Meridian, and they follow. Osiris helps the colony before they eventually set out to find Blue Team. Osiris then encounters the [[Warden Eternal]] and they fight.

Osiris then joins [[Thel 'Vadam]]'s forces on Sangheilios, to find another Guardian that has been resting under [[Sunaion]]. After defeating many Covenant forces, and even a Kraken, the Arbiter and Osiris head to Sunaion. The Arbiter defeats the Jul's Covenant, and Osiris boards the Guardian, with [[Sarah Palmer]]'s help.  

The Spirit of Fire's crew is suddenly woken up by the ship's former [[Artificial intelligence]] [[Serina]].  

{{Clear}}

==In our universe==

[[File:Xbox-360-halo-reach-edition.jpg|thumb|150px|The ''Halo: Reach'' Xbox 360 S.]]

A third game, ''Halo 3'', was released on September 25, [[2007 (real world)|2007]], for the [[Xbox 360]] and closes this chapter in the Halo series. The ''Halo'' games have become well known for the high quality of their graphics, gameplay, physics, and storyline. ''Halo Wars'', a Real Time Strategy game, was released for the Xbox 360 on March 3, [[2009]]. ''Halo 3: ODST'', another First-Person Shooter, was released on the Xbox 360 on September 22, 2009. The next game in the franchise, ''[[Halo: Reach]]'', was released on September 14, [[2010]] for the Xbox 360. As a gift to the original players of ''Halo: Combat Evolved'', and also to those who never had the chance to play it, an [[Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary|Anniversary Edition]] was released for the Xbox 360 on November 15, [[2011]], with revamped graphics and extra features.  

Further expanding the ''Halo'' universe are [[Halo novels|several novels]], which provide insight into the background story.

File:Bungie Haloverse.jpg|An image covering the Halo Universe as developed by [[Bungie Studios]].

File:Old_Waypoint_Halo_101.png|A quick brief of the then ''Halo'' Universe as shown on ''Halo Waypoint'' in [[2009]].

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==Sources==

==External links==

*[http://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us Halo Official Site]