Battle of the Citadel

The Battle of the Citadel was a battle between the UNSC/Separatist Alliance, the Covenant Loyalists and the Flood. It was one of the last major battles to be fought in the Human-Covenant War.

The Battle
After SPARTAN-117 and the Arbiter secured the cartographer, they boarded a force of Pelicans and Phantoms to move in to take down the barrier protecting the High Prophet of Truth. Early in the battle, the forces were plauged by Covenant Anti-Air batteries as two Pelicans collided (one carrying John-117), and crashing on the beach. Fighting through the forest, Sierra-117 took down his portion of the barrier and the Arbiter soon took down his, but, Avery Johnson was captured by Covenant Loyalist forces and taken to the Citadel for torture, interrogation, and probably an execution for Truth's enjoyment. A force consisting of a Scorpion Tank, a Warthog, and a Mongoose proceeded to blast through the Covenant Loyalist defenses to the citadel, eventually encountering two Scarabs. The UNSC sent support, featuring two Hornets to take down the Scarabs. After John-117 destroys the two walkers, the Arbiter meets up with him and 343 Guilty Spark, and they walk into the Citadel. At the same time, Miranda Keyes stages a one-man assault on Truth and his body guards, trying in vain to rescue Avery Johnson before being killed herself. By the time the Chief and the Arbiter reached the top floor of the citadel, Flood had begun to destroy the Covenant forces, and for the first time, Chief and the Arbier teamed up with the Flood to stop Truth. After a completely one sided battle, Arbier stabs Truth, and the Gravemind turns on the two. Avery Johnson tries to evacuate them, but Chief soon looses his grip, and Chief and Arbiter battled their way through legions of flood, jumping through a hole behind the elevator. Once there, they learn about Installation 04 (II), and they set off to rescue Cortana.

Trivia

 * The UNSC/Separatist beach landing was remnicent of the landing scene in the Halo: Combat Evolved level, The Silent Cartographer