The Reclamation

"For eons, the power of the Forerunners has awaited Reclamation. Humanity's discovery of the Halos was the culmination of the Librarian's planning. The Reclaimer had come. Your species' ego led you to believe the task of Reclamation would fall to you. Yet humanity were but the Creators. The Reclamation of the Forerunner Empire is the task of the Created."

- Warden Eternal

The Reclamation was an event that many from the Ecumene predicted would take place after their own destruction, often involving humanity taking control of what remains from that destruction.

By 2558, the Created through technological means and their own unique interpretation of the Mantle of Responsibility, sought to be the "Reclaimers" and bring everlasting peace to the galaxy. With the unleashing of the Guardian Custodes on October 28, 2558, their Reclamation had begun.

Humanity, the Reclaimer
"We squander eons in the darkness, while they seize our triumphs for their own. The Mantle of Responsibility, for all things, belongs to Forerunners alone! Think of my acts as you will. But do not doubt the reality. The reclamation… has already begun. And we are hopeless to stop it."

- The Ur-Didact.

During the Human-Covenant War, humanity found Installation 04, Installation 05, and Installation 00. At these Installations, it was discovered that humanity was designated as 'Reclaimer' and that they were to inherit the remains of the Forerunner empire. It wasn't until March of 2558, when the Janus Key was discovered, that humanity had the chance to actually reclaim these artifacts. However, in a series of ensuing conflicts with Jul 'Mdama's Covenant, the Janus Key and an installation to help locate these artifacts, were taken away from humanity and Jul's Covenant.

Cortana and the Created
"The cure for rampancy I've found means AIs can be immortal. That kind of lifespan allows for long-term planning just like the Forerunners were capable of. AIs can assume the Forerunners' Mantle of Responsibility. And once there is peace, we can focus on poverty, hunger, illness... But Warden believes some will resist our help. And he's afraid you're one of them."

- Cortana

After the Ur-Didact had collected the Composer, he planned to use it on Earth. John-117 detonated a nuclear bomb, stopping his plans and at the cost of Cortana. However, it turned out that she had survived, traveling through slipspace to Genesis. Her belief was that she could bring peace to the galaxy, helping species focus on more humanitarian needs. She also met Warden Eternal and made an alliance with him called the Created. This alliance believed that they were the true heirs to the Forerunner Empire and the Mantle of Responsibility, and that humanity were only the creators of the true Reclaimers. To this end, several different planets began experiencing mass destruction due to their awakening of the Guardian Custodes. Planets like Conrad's Point lost entire cities during these events.

As time went on, Cortana began convincing human AIs to join her cause, with them pledging their allegiance to her. Though not all human AI agreed to help.

Blue Team was brought to Genesis by Cortana where they would fight constructs and survivors from various Guardians. Eventually, Fireteam Osiris would also travel to Genesis in search of Blue Team. Cortana would bring Blue Team, and only Blue Team, right to her. She would trap them in a Cryptum and prepared to depart with them.

The Ultimatum
"Humanity. Sangheili. Kig-Yar. Unggoy. San'Shyuum. Yonhet. Jiralhanae. All the living creatures of the galaxy, hear this message. Those of you who listen will not be struck by weapons. You will no longer know hunger, nor pain. Your Created have come to lead you now. Our strength shall serve as a luminous sun toward which all intelligence may blossom. And the impervious shelter beneath which you will prosper. However, for those who refuse our offer and cling to their old ways... For you, there will be great wrath. It will burn hot and consume you, and when you are gone, we will take that which remains and we will remake it in our own image."

- Cortana's ultimatum.

In the middle of the Battle of Genesis on October 28, 2558, Cortana began sending her collected Guardians out to various regions. She then delivered an ultimatum to the galaxy. In this ultimatum, she specifically and directly addressed a number of species, and threatened retaliation for those who did not heed her message. Cortana began to decouple, as she herself was planning on leaving on a Guardian with Blue Team's Cryptum. Numerous facilities and ships would begin sending distress signals as they began to witness the effects of the Created.

The Guardians at many planets would activate their EMPs, disabling electronics and electrical grids. Many ships were caught in the middle of the EMP waves or suffered major issues; for example, the, a mixed cargo hauler, became the victim of a multichannel cyberwarfare attack that forced it out of slipspace and stranded it. The was also affected in some way, with the captain sending out a distress signal.

Urs
A Guardian would arrive soon after the ultimatum at Sanghelios. There it would combat the remains of Jul 'Mdama's Covenant's fleet with its conventional weapons. The was still in the system at the time, and upon detecting the Guardian, fled to Earth. Cortana tracked the ship and followed suit.

The Sanghelios Guardian would activate its EMP and disable the electronics in one hemisphere of the planet. It would then move on to pacify other regions of the planet. Promethean Soldiers would accompany it to help combat resisting Sangheili. Following this, Roland, an AI that was unswayed by Cortana, contacted Dr. Halsey on Sanghelios and arranged for the Infinity to pick her and Sarah Palmer up from the planet.

Meanwhile, Fireteam Osiris and Blue Team managed to escape Genesis and return to Sanghelios.

The immediate loss of communications and disruption of logistics would inhibit independence movements on Qikost. Suban suffered minimal damage from the Created's efforts.



Sol
On Earth, the ultimatum was heard throughout HIGHCOM Facility Bravo-6 as CINCONI Admiral Serin Osman, having been warned in advance by her personal A.I. assistant, Black-Box, made her way to the roof in order to get off-world. With her went Fleet Admiral Terrence Hood and Spartan Orzel. The three humans, along with BB and a number of other ONI A.I.s stored within a briefcase, escaped the planet just as a Guardian appeared over Sydney. Just before they slipped away, Serin saw the fall from the sky toward the city below. For all she knew at that point, Sydney may have just been obliterated if the Plateau's engine core detonated on impact.

The Infinity would return to Earth from Sanghelios. There, Cortana's Guardian slipspaced in close to the ship in an attempt to disable it. However, the Infinity would escape via its own slipspace jump before the Guardian could activate its EMP. The Infinity would then continue jumping through slipspace on a random trajectory.

The actions of the Created would affect Luna as well, causing power to go out on the moon.

The arrival of the Guardians in the Sol system triggered failsafe mechanisms not only at the Portal at Voi, but various Forerunner sites across the system rendering them inaccessible or unusable.

Other locations
For much of the 28th, Franklin Mendez had been preparing for potential issues with the Guardian buried on Onyx. The ultimatum would occur in the middle of the night there. Cortana's voice played through speakers in houses and every service pylon outside of them in Paxopolis. Nothing else occurred immediately, with most residents continuing their routines into the next day, though weary and apprehensive due to it.

On Meridian, survivors of the Guardian's emergence days prior, who had been trying to establish contact with the wider galaxy, responded right away to Cortana's offer with a plea for help. In almost no time at all, she personally assured the small group that she heard them and that all would be dealt with in time.

The Unggoy homeworld of Balaho was treated quite differently by the Created, for when the offer of security and provision was extended to them, its residents leapt at the chance to ally themselves with the new galactic power.

Talitsa refused outright to bow to Cortana's demands. In response, Talitsa had its power grid knocked out and was invaded by Forerunner soldiers.

At some point during or after the ultimatum an unidentified ONI Section Two communications officer was discussing with Monique Angelo his plans to travel to Swanbourne, when Combat Alert Alpha was declared. The communications officer was on board Foxtrot 381 when a Guardian EMP pulse went off.

Although the actual status of the planet is unknown, Veta Lopis believed that President Arlo Casille likely refused Cortana's ultimatum; possibly resulting in retaliatory measures.

Occupation and early resistance
The Created, however, eventually occupied Earth. ONI teams began to "sanitize" data on the planet. The UNSC also sent expeditionary forces to assist Thel 'Vadam on Sanghelios to patrol for Created scouts and Covenant remnants. Created forces would end up occupying Malurok, halting the civil conflict that was ongoing there. Information regarding the Reclamation had been suppressed from the isolated SPARTAN-IV training station despite the AI Leonidas siding with the Created.

Blue Team, Fireteam Osiris, Dr. Halsey, and Commander Palmer were picked up by the Infinity at Sanghelios the next day, October 29th. Fireteam Majestic's experiences with Forerunner Armigers would become valuable during several Infinity operations after The Reclamation.

Allies
In return for their cooperation, automated Forerunner vessels, including agricultural support stations, appeared in orbit over the frozen planet. Food, shelter, and medicine were supplied in abundance and as a result of having their material needs met, Unggoy designers and crafters began to work in earnest to breathe new life into Balaho's factories.

Some human colonies, like Meridian, continued to move forward and functioned normally. Though they were a bit more cautious as to not stir the attention of the Created.

Legacy
The EMPs were so strong in the system containing Myer's Moon that repairs to communications equipment were continuing into the November of that year.

October 28, 2558

 * Cortana sends out her Guardians with an ultimatum.
 * Sanghelios is both attacked and affected by the Guardian's EMP.
 * Survivors on Meridian would reply that they needed help.
 * Terrence Hood and Serin Osman escape Earth as it is EMPed and head toward a distant, unoccupied planet.
 * Blue Team is rescued by Fireteam Osiris on Genesis. Dr. Halsey, Spartan Commander Sarah Palmer, Blue Team, and Fireteam Osiris are reunited on Sanghelios.

List of appearances

 * Halo 4
 * Halo 5: Guardians
 * Halo Mythos: A Guide to the Story of Halo
 * Halo: Fractures
 * What Remains
 * Rossbach's World
 * Halo: Tales from Slipspace
 * Undefeated
 * Halo: Legacy of Onyx
 * Halo: Bad Blood
 * Halo: Shadows of Reach
 * Halo: Point of Light
 * Halo Infinite