Editing Site Novem

'''Site Novem''' was a [[Banished]] dig site established on the fragmented section of [[Installation 07]] that was established during their [[Battle for Zeta Halo|occupation]] of the ring.{{Ref/Game|Id=Secrets Below|HI|Audio log (Halo Infinite)#Outpost Intel 4|Banished Audio log|Detail=Outpost Intel #06 - Secrets Below}}{{Ref/Site|URL=https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/canon-fodder-of-protocols-and-prisons|Site=Halo Waypoint|Page=Canon Fodder - Of Protocols and Prisons|D=7|M=3|Y=2022}} The site's main purpose was to pierce the installation's superstructure using a [[flame-bore]] and give the Banished access to the [[Conservatory (location)|Conservatory]]. The [[Jiralhanae]] [[Jiralhanae Chieftain|Chieftain]] [[Bassus]] oversaw security of the operation until his death at the hands of [[Master Chief Petty Officer|Master Chief]] [[John-117]] on [[2560#May|May 28]], [[2560]].{{Ref/Level|Id=Excavation Site|HI|[[Excavation Site]]}}

Site Novem was established inside a large crater at the base of a mountain ridge on the opposite side of the [[Conservatory (location)|Conservatory]]'s "true" entrance.{{Ref/Reuse|Conservatory}} [[First Lieutenant]] [[Floyd (Installation 07)|Floyd]] believed the dig site was large enough to be seen from orbit.{{Ref/Game|Id=Digging Deeper|HI|Audio log (Halo Infinite)#Outpost Intel 3|UNSC Audio log|Detail=Outpost Intel #06 - Digging Deeper}}

Following the apparent demise of [[Atriox]] when [[Cortana]] sacrificed herself to destroy the [[Silent Auditorium (location)|Silent Auditorium]] and disable [[Installation 07|the Ring]], his second-in-command and old mentor, [[War Chief]] [[Escharum]], assumed his place as leader of the [[Banished]] and set out to fulfill Atriox's goal of seizing control of the Ring. To this end, Escharum ordered his troops to set up multiple excavation sites around the Ring in order to uncover Zeta Halo's secrets.{{Ref/Game|Id=Whispers|HI|Audio log (Halo Infinite)#Outpost Intel 4|Banished Audio log|Detail=Outpost Intel #12 - Whispers from the Past}} Acting on intelligence provided by [[Chak 'Lok]],{{Ref/Book|Id=EN|Enc22|Page=455}} the Banished established Site Novem at some point prior to January 30, 2560{{Ref/Site|Id=Waypoint|URL=https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/canon-fodder-of-protocols-and-prisons|Site=Halo Waypoint|Page=Canon Fodder: Of Protocols and Prisons|D=20|M=3|Y=2022}}{{Ref/Note|According to Halo Waypoint's Canon Fodder for March 2022, Spartan Griffin was tortured for four months at the Tower, meaning he was captured shortly after sending his last transmission to the ''Reverie'' on January 30, 2560. Since he learned about Site Novem and the Conservatory shortly before being captured,{{Ref/Level|Id=The Tower|HI|[[The Tower]]}} Site Novem must have been established prior to that point.}} for the purpose of circumventing the [[Conservatory (location)|Conservatory]]'s main entrance and breaching the facility from underground.{{Ref/Note|Though not explicitly stated, it can be presumed that the Banished were unable to enter the Conservatory through the main entrance, thus necessitating the establishment of Site Novem.}}

After the Banished drove the UNSC survivors from the crash site of the {{UNSCShip|Mortal Reverie}} and established [[Outpost Tremonius (location)|their own base]] at the site, Chieftain [[Tremonius]]'s forces excavated the area underneath the outpost and recovered the [[Harbinger]]'s [[Cylix]]. Inspired by what Atriox had learned on [[Installation 00|the Ark]], Escharum set out to free the Harbinger.  On April 18, 2560,{{Ref/Novel|RP|25}} Escharum forced a human [[Prisoner of war|POW]], [[Lucas Browning]], to unlock the Harbinger's Cylix, releasing her.{{Ref/Game|HI|Audio log (Halo Infinite)#Escharum's Testimony 2|Banished Audio log|Detail=Escharum's Testimony #02 - Cylix}}{{Ref/Game|HI|Audio log (Halo Infinite)#Escharum's Testimony 2|Banished Audio log|Detail=Escharum's Testimony #03 - Harbinger}} Once freed, the Harbinger agreed to help the Banished take control of the Ring in exchange for their help in locating and freeing the rest of her species, the [[Xalanyn]], who had been imprisoned by the remaining [[Forerunners]] after the [[Forerunner-Flood war]] due to the Xalanyn having inexplicably survived [[Great Purification|the Halo array's firing]].{{Ref/Quest|HINF|Graveyard|Pelican Down (Halo Infinite level)|Quote=When the Endless are found. And when you have your Ring. Then you will never question my worth and I will never question your judgment.|Quotee=The Harbinger}}{{Ref/Quest|HINF|Endless|Silent Auditorium|Quote=If Halo cannot end them, it must imprison them.|Quotee=Grand Edict, Legendary ending post-credits}} In order to achieve both objectives, the Silent Auditorium had to be repaired first - a process known as the [[Reformation]]. The Forerunner routines needed to initiate the Reformation were stored in the [[encephalon]] of [[Despondent Pyre]], the [[Monitor]] of Zeta Halo, who resided in the Conservatory. Escharum soon began focusing his attention entirely on the operation at Site Novem.{{Ref/Game|Id=The Prize|HI|Audio log (Halo Infinite)#Scattered 2|Spartan Audio log|Detail=Scattered #04 - The Prize}}

[[Chieftain]] [[Bassus]] oversaw security at Site Novem as the personnel there worked to gain access to the Conservatory. Meanwhile, the maintenance depots [[Ransom Keep (location)|Ransom Keep]]{{Ref/Quest|id=Ransom Keep|HINF|Lockdown (Halo Infinite)|Ransom Keep}} and the [[Forge of Teash (location)|Forge of Teash]]{{Ref/Quest|id=Forge of Teash|HINF|Connections|Forge of Teash}} supplied the site with the necessary excavation equipment. The Banished at Ransom Keep even stripped captured [[UNSC]] vehicles and other hardware for spare parts to maintain the equipment. On [[2560#April|April 23, 2560]], Escharum ordered over half of the troops at [[Outpost Tremonius (location)|Outpost Tremonius]] to reinforce Site Novem.{{Ref/Game|Id=What Lies Beneath|HI|Audio log (Halo Infinite)#Scattered 2|Spartan Audio log|Detail=Scattered #02 - What Lies Beneath}} At one point, [[Commander]] [[Durakkus]] at the Forge of Teash made a report on Site Novem concerning the hollows beneath the excavation site, and sent his findings to Escharum. The War Chief considered his findings promising, sharing them with the Harbinger herself. She agreed, but was skeptical of the Banished's methods in accessing the Conservatory. As such, the Harbinger wished to inspect the site.{{Ref/Reuse|Secrets Below}} During her visit, she modified the flame-bore, enabling it to pierce the Ring's [[Forerunner]] alloy.{{Ref/Reuse|Excavation Site}}

The Banished devoted extraordinary amounts of resources and excavation equipment to Site Novem, a fact that did not go unnoticed by the [[UNSC]] resistance on the Ring. While monitoring Banished activity at Outpost Tremonius, Spartan [[Bonita Stone]] learned of Escharum's interest in the Conservatory. She reported her findings to Spartans [[Theodore Sorel]] and [[Vedrana Makovich]]{{Ref/Reuse|Digging Deeper}} who arrived at Site Novem the following day on [[2560#April|April 24]], [[2560]].{{Ref/Reuse|The Prize}} By [[2560#May|May 15, 2560]], the Banished had used their modified mining laser to successfully breach the Conservatory.{{Ref/Game|Id=Infiltration|HI|Audio log (Halo Infinite)#Scattered 2|Spartan Audio log|Detail=Scattered #07 - Infiltration}} Having deduced the Banished's plan, Sorel and Makovich followed the Banished into the Conservatory in order to stop them from capturing the Monitor. However, the Spartans were ambushed by [[Sangheili]] [[Blademaster]] [[Jega 'Rdomnai]] who killed Makovich and wounded Sorel.{{Ref/Game|Id=The Assassin|HI|Audio log (Halo Infinite)#Scattered 2|Spartan Audio log|Detail=Scattered #08 - The Assassin}} A short time later, [[Jiralhanae]] [[Spartan Killer]]s [[Hyperius]] and [[Tovarus]] finished off Sorel.{{Ref/Game|Id=Killers|HI|Audio log (Halo Infinite)#Scattered 2|Spartan Audio log|Detail=Scattered #09 - Killers}}