Battle of the Citadel: Difference between revisions

[[File:H3 Truths fleet vs Fleet of Retribution.jpg|thumb|300px|left|Truth's fleet confronts the Fleet of Retribution above Installation 00.]]

Upon their arrival at [[Installation 00]], the Fleet of Retribution was immediately attacked by the Prophet of Truth's far larger fleet. Truth himself didn't partake in the battle, instead making his way to a [[Installation 00 Citadel|facility]] near the Ark's [[Foundry#Installation 00|core]] that would allow him to activate the Halo Array with the help of a [[Reclaimer|"Reclaimer"]]. Despite their overwhelming numerical superiority, [[Fleetmaster]] [[Rtas 'Vadum]] confidently engaged the Covenant fleet, the Sangheili's superior knowledge of naval warfare tipping the battle in their favor. As the two fleets battled above the Ark, a [[Battle for the Cartographer (Installation 00)|mission]] to locate the Prophet of Truth was launched: Six [[D77H-TCI Pelican|Pelicans]] containing [[UNSC Marine Corps|Marines]] and [[Orbital Drop Shock Troopers|ODSTs]] was launched by the ''Forward Unto Dawn'' towards the surface of the installation. Five of these would survive and deploy troops into the vast desert near one of the Ark's [[Cartographer#Installation 00|Cartographer]] buildings. A force of ODSTs led by John-117 managed to clear a [[Landing zone|landing zone]] allowing the ''Dawn'' to deploy armor for the ground forces. Now mobilized, the UNSC advanced on the Cartographer, destroying a battalion-sized force of Covenant protecting the building, including a [[Type-47B Scarab|Scarab]], before the Master Chief, Thel 'Vadam, [[343 Guilty Spark]] and a team of Marines moved inside. Meanwhile, the Fleet of Retribution succeeded in completely destroying the Prophet of Truth's fleet, with at least the ''Shadow of Intent'' surviving. Fighting their way through the facility, John-117 accessed the Cartographer, ascertaining the Prophet of Truth's location and revealing that he had triggered a barrier around the Foundry to prevent a direct assault. Ultimately, the Chief managed to escape from the Cartographer on board ''[[Kilo 023]]'' after defeating [[Jiralhanae]] [[Jiralhanae Chieftain|Chieftain]] [[Cethegus]] and his [[Pack|pack]].<ref>'''[[Halo 3]]''', campaign level, ''[[The Ark (level)|The Ark]]''</ref><ref>[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/community/blog-posts/canon-fodder-brute-force '''Halo Waypoint''': ''Canon Fodder - Brute Force'']</ref>

==The battle==

[[File:HighCharityView.jpg|thumb|left|300px|The Master Chief and Arbiter discover the replacement for the destroyed Installation 04.]]   

As the two fought their way back across the bridges, now swarming with Flood forms, Johnson radioed the Spartan, telling him that he wouldn't be able to return to extract them and to make his way back to the elevator they had used to access the top level of the citadel. On the second bridge, a flock of [[Aggressor Sentinel|Sentinels]] arrived to help the duo combat the Flood. As he passed through the small room to the first bridge, another hallucination of Cortana appeared, subtly hinting that she still possessed the [[Activation index]] for [[Installation 04]]. The pair fought their way through a myriad of Flood until they reached the elevator. Realizing that it's controls were non-funtional, they opted to use a chute in the back of the room. The Spartan dropped down first, and he immediately spotted a ghostly image of Cortana moving down a nearby hallway. Perplexed, the Chief followed, with Thel in tow. The image led them to a control panel which John activated, retracting a view screen and revealing the incomplete [[Installation 08|replacement]] for the destroyed [[Installation 04]] rising out of the Ark's [[Foundry (location)|Foundry]]. Hearing 343 Guilty Spark approaching, John questioned the monitor on how long he had known about it, to which he replied that he had only learned of it at that moment. John declared his intent to activate the incomplete ring at the Ark to stop the local Flood infestation, of which Spark happily agreed with. Knowing that Cortana had the Index for the original Installation 04, and she was located in the ruined husk of High Charity, John resolved to venture into the Flood [[Flood hive|hive]] to retrieve her.{{Ref/Reuse|covenant}}

==Aftermath==