Eridanus II

Eridanus II is a planet in the Eridanus System.

Background
A UNSC colony world, little has been revealed about this planet. It is the location of the Luxor Spaceport and Elysium City, where John-117 grew up until he was abducted and sent into the SPARTAN-II program in 2517. The planet was mostly rural, devoid of pollution or crowding, and had climate-controlled weather.

The Eridanus Rebels had staged a localized rebellion against the UNSC in 2494. The UNSC struck back two years later and forced the rebels out at the cost of four destroyers. A large number of rebels survived, however, and under the command of the UNSC turncoat Colonel Robert Watts, overthrew the civilian government of the system in 2513. Watts was presumed killed in the UNSC's counterattack, Operation: TREBUCHET, but in fact he escaped to Eridanus Secundus in the system's asteroid belt with the rest of the rebels.

As part of Operation: TREBUCHET, Colonial Military Administration Marines attempted to raid an Insurrectionist base on Teribus island. Sympathisers in the unit tipped the Insurrectionists off, and by the time the dropship arrived it had been abandoned. Later, a nightclub in Elysium city was targetted by Insurrectionist bombers because it was a favourite CMA area for off-duty personnel, killing civilians and a CMA pilot, Allison Stark and putting a CMA Marine, Eric Santiago, into a coma. Gage Yevgeny and Felicia Sanderson were injured, but survived the attack.

It remained a place of much hostility against the UNSC, as Dr. Catherine Halsey stated many pirates and rebels were operating from the system. John later returned there in 2525 with the other Spartan-II's aboard the Destroyer UNSC Pioneer to board the cargo freighter Laden and travel to a rebel base, Eridanus Secundus in the system's asteroid field. In fact, the asteroid Eridanus Secundus is where John-117 had his first mission, to capture the rebel leader, Col. Robert Watts.

The planet was glassed by the Covenant in 2530 during the Battle of Eridanus II, and the UNSC abandoned the planet.

Known Residents

 * John-117
 * Robert Grove
 * Robert Watts
 * Palmer

Trivia

 * Eridanus (or Eridanos) is a river in Greek mythology, associated by Herodotus with the Po River.