Conduit

"The Conduit could open Forerunner portals across the galaxy... And not only that, it was able to enter slipspace to save itself from destruction!"

- Roland, on the Conduit's capabilities

The Conduit is a Forerunner artifact that is capable of opening Forerunner slipspace portals throughout the galaxy when paired with a certain type of portal-generating device. The Conduit is also capable of entering slipspace to save itself from destruction. The artifact became contested by UNSC and Covenant forces during the Battle of Mombasa, and later during the Battle of Installation 03 with Covenant remnants.

Early history
At some point, the Conduit was discovered by a team of Sangheili Zealots. After its discovery, the artifact was brought before the Hierarchs of the Covenant.

Battle of New Mombasa
"While fighting raged throughout the city, Covenant forces secretly hunted for the portal to the Ark. But they were also looking for something else... The operation we'll study today began when we learned the Covenant found an artifact known as the Conduit. Back in 'fifty-two, we sent a team of ODSTs in to secure the artifact."

- Roland, referring to a simulation based on the Conduit's recovery

During the Battle for Earth in October 2552, the Conduit was brought to the surface of Earth at New Mombasa. A Spirit dropship carrying a data pad with information pertaining to the Conduit was shot down by UNSC forces. When the data pad's importance was realized, a squad of Orbital Drop Shock Troopers named Alpha-Five was sent to recover the data pad. While the Covenant forces at the crashed Spirit awaited extraction, they were attacked by the ODST squad. After the Sangheili Field Master carrying the data pad was killed, the UNSC used the information gained to pinpoint the location of the Conduit. The ODST squad was directed to a Sangheili task force carrying the Conduit. After a brief firefight, the ODSTs managed to procure the Conduit from the Covenant and delivered it to a nearby UNSC convoy.

However, the Covenant responded by assaulting the convoy. While the ODSTs attempted to defend the convoy from attacking Covenant forces, a Sangheili Field Master dropped down from his Spirit into the Elephant carrying the Conduit and escaped the firefight aboard the dropship. The ODST squad gave chase and, eventually, the dropship was shot down. The ODSTs located the Spirit's crash site and attacked its surviving passengers. The Field Master and his Kig-Yar bodyguards were eventually eliminated, and the Conduit was reclaimed by the UNSC. With the Conduit aboard a Warthog, the squad attempted to flee the city as the nearby Solemn Penance entered slipstream space over Mombasa. The resulting slipspace rupture destroyed the city, however the Conduit entered slipspace to save itself from destruction and arrived at Installation 03. While the UNSC presumed the Conduit was destroyed, the Covenant—and later, a remnant faction—continued to search for the artifact.

Battle of Installation 03
In 2557, the Conduit was in the possession of Jul 'Mdama's Covenant, who took it to a Forerunner structure known as the Altar on Installation 03.

Battle of New Phoenix
The UNSC retrieved the artifact from the Covenant and took it to an ONI facility in the Earth city of New Phoenix, which had fallen under attack by Promethean forces emerging from a slipspace portal. An ONI research team in the base believed they may be able to use the Conduit to close the portal and stop the invasion. They were able to stop the invasion, but the Conduit was able to make a slipspace jump before they could study it.

As of 2560, the Office of Naval Intelligence maintains a top-priority directive to recover the Conduit, due to its view that the Conduit represents an asset of vital importance that could benefit them in the ongoing conflict against the Created. Spartan operatives are still tasked with aiding in the recovery of the artefact, with the WAR MASTER armour suite having been brought up to GEN3 specification for the task.

List of appearances

 * Halo 2: Anniversary
 * Terminals
 * Halo: Spartan Strike