Eridanus II

Eridanus II was a human Outer Colony planet in the Eridanus system. The planet was mostly rural, devoid of pollution or crowding, and had climate-controlled weather. It was the location of the cities of Luxor and Elysium City, where John-117 grew up until he was abducted and sent into the SPARTAN-II program in 2517. Emile-A239 was from Luxor, born there in 2523.

History
The secessionist rebels in the system staged a localized rebellion against the UNSC in 2494. The UNSC struck back two years later in Operation: CHARLEMAGNE 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.

In 2517, Dr. Catherine Halsey and Lieutenant Jacob Keyes visited the planet during the former's mission to observe the SPARTAN-II candidates. Halsey met John-117 at a playground in Elysium City's Education Facility 119, where she determined his admission into the program with the flip of an antique coin.

As part of Operation: TREBUCHET in 2524, Colonial Military Administration Marines attempted to raid an Insurrectionist base on Teribus Island. Sympathizers 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 targeted by Insurrectionist bombers because it was a favorite CMA area for off-duty personnel, killing dozens of civilians and a CMA pilot, Allison Stark and putting a CMA Marine, Eric Santiago, into a coma. Gage Yevgenny and Felicia Sanderson were injured, but survived the attack.

It remained a place of much hostility against the UNSC, and many pirates and rebels continued to operate across the system, with the asteroid belt as their main base of operations. John-117 returned to the system in 2525 with the other Spartan-IIs aboard the destroyer for their first mission to capture the rebel leader, Colonel Robert Watts. The Spartan team boarded the cargo freighter Laden and traveled to the rebel asteroid base Eridanus Secundus, where they successfully captured the Colonel and escaped.

The planet was glassed by the Covenant in 2530 and the UNSC abandoned the planet. By 2557, the UNSC has apparently reclaimed and resettled the planet, as Nova Austin Station on the planet Cascade offered flights to Eridanus II that year.

Locations

 * Elysium City
 * Elysium City Primary Education Facility Number 119
 * Lake Gusev
 * Luxor
 * Luxor Spaceport
 * Teribus Island

Known residents

 * John-117
 * Ellie Bloom
 * Emile-A239
 * Robert Grove
 * Robert Watts
 * Palmer
 * Parisa

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

List of appearances

 * Halo: The Fall of Reach
 * Halo: The Flood
 * Halo: First Strike
 * Halo: Contact Harvest
 * Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe
 * Dirt
 * Palace Hotel
 * Halo: Fall of Reach
 * Boot Camp
 * Scanned
 * Halo: Escalation
 * Hunt the Truth
 * Halo: The Fall of Reach - The Animated Series