Balaho

Balaho is the Unggoy homeworld and it is the fifth planet orbiting the star Tala.

Description
It is a mostly-frozen planet with temperatures ranging from -33°C (-27.4 F) to 5°C (41°F) and two moons, Buwan and Padpad; the primary and secondary satellites, respectively. Being a terrestrial planet with significant amounts of methane in the atmosphere, this explains why Unggoy wear a methane tanks while they are on other planets. This gas prevents much of the world from being seen from orbit.

The parts of the surface that are not covered by polar ice caps or fresh water are brackish tidal flats where naturally occurring pillars of fire exist. Most of the Unggoy live in this area where the cold season is not as harmful to them. The world is still recovering from an environmental collapse caused by massive global over-industrialization prior to the activation of the Halo Array. Before it was found by the Covenant, Balaho was mostly dominated by Unggoy tribes. This world was almost glassed by orbital bombardment due to the Unggoy Rebellion. It was this threat that made the Grunts surrender, ending the rebellion.

The planet was also the site of the Sixteenth Unggoy Disobedience. The Unggoy, once again disobeying the Covenant, were put down on Balaho during a battle in which the Covenant, commanded by future Arbiter Ripa 'Moramee, led the Unggoy back to the order of the Covenant.

Sentient

 * Unggoy

Non-sentient

 * Shade crab
 * Zap-jelly
 * Mud wasp
 * Scrub grub

Trivia

 * Balaho means "name" in Tagalog, the language of the Philippines. Unggoy means "monkey" in the same language.
 * Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas, about 23 times stronger than CO2, which is strange considering how Balaho is so cold when the planet's atmosphere is composed mainly of it. The most likely explanation is that Balaho is much further away from Tala then other habitable planets are from their suns, and was only warm enough to support life because of its methane atmosphere. This also explains why it hadn't been engulfed by Tala when it expanded into a blue supergiant.

List of appearances

 * Halo: Contact Harvest
 * Halo: The Flood
 * Halo: Ghosts of Onyx
 * Halo Legends
 * Origins