Kamchatka

Kamchatka (Caspar V) is the fifth planet in the Caspar system. A remote world, Kamchatka was created by the Forerunners and served as a rehabilitation complex for the Lifeworkers, and as a node of the Domain for the ecumene. Following the firing of the Halo Array, Kamchatka remained an obscure world at the fringes of civilization until the planet's discovery in 2558.

Topography and ecology
Kamchatka is one of a number of a megastructural worlds artificially engineered by the Forerunners in ancient times, appearing from orbit to be an ostensibly unremarkable and barely habitable arctic world, underdeveloped and home to a frigid climate. Global temperatures are almost always below the freezing level of water, averaging -87°C to -12°C (-125°F to 10°F) - resulting in a the majority of the rugged planetary surface being covered in a layer of thick snow and ice. These extreme conditions lent the planet some interest to the Lifeworker rate in a similar fashion to other ice worlds such as Strilun IV and Zehar VI, resulting in the planet being targeted for the construction of vast networks of sub-glacial rehabilitation complexes. As such, the level of Forerunner megaengineering on Kamchatka straddles the line between the artificial and natural, and may explain the world's breathable atmosphere even with the lack of an apparent widespread native ecosystem, and anomalous .98G surface gravity.

Surveys conducted by the Office of Naval Intelligence in 2558 were able to detect the presence of the underground structures and large exotic mineral deposits on Kamchatka. These surveys considered Kamchatka to have a high strategic significance, and a threat level Delta.

Locations

 * Stormbreak mountain range
 * March on Stormbreak/ Summit

Ancient history
During the High Ecumene era, Kamchatka was a site of interest primarily to the Forerunner Lifeworker rate, who sought the world's extreme arctic conditions for the construction of massive rehabilitation complexes within the glacial layers of the world. The megaengineering conducted on Kamchatka blurred the line between the natural and artificial, and additionally resulted in the construction of a communications hub, allowing the planet to serve as a node from which to connect to the Domain - the vast interstellar knowledge network used by Forerunner society. The Stormbreak mountain range, considered to be "the broken spine" of Kamchatka, was mended by the Forerunners.



Post-war era
In 2558, a communications hub on the planet activated, attracting the attention of both the United Nations Space Command and Jul 'Mdama's Covenant. The Covenant established an outpost on Kamchatka, concentrating a bulk of their forces on the planet while they attempted to access the planet's data network. While Doctor Catherine Halsey and Jul 'Mdama worked to access the network at a large Forerunner structure, Halsey discovered information relating to the recent attacks by Guardians on human colonies. Additionally, the Covenant managed to locate a Guardian on Kamchatka. Halsey contacted and warned the UNSC, and in response Expeditionary Strike Group 1 was deployed to Kamchatka as part of Operation: ANCHORITE to assault the Covenant staging area. During the battle, Fireteam Osiris was tasked with assassinating 'Mdama and retrieving Halsey. Osiris was deployed to the surface of the planet, as Jul 'Mdama's Covenant forces battled the rebelling Prometheans. As Osiris fought their way to the structure, they assassinated 'Mdama and brought Halsey back to, which soon left the system.

Some time after the battle, the UNSC intended to establish a military complex and power station on Kamchatka to control the planet's Forerunner sites. While the UNSC is aware of the Forerunner structures under Kamchatka's surface, no detailed surveys have been conducted to observe them as of 2558. As she formed the Created, Cortana activated the Guardian on Kamchatka. Following the onset of the Created conflict, Kamchatka was largely abandoned by both the UNSC and Covenant, with the world and its structures having since fallen dormant once again.

Production notes

 * Kamchatka is the name of a peninsula in Siberia.
 * The Halo 5: Guardians multiplayer maps March on Stormbreak and Summit are set on Kamchatka.

List of appearances

 * Halo 5: Guardians
 * Halo: Legacy of Onyx
 * Halo: Bad Blood