Far Isle rebellion

"Even I thought the Far Isle bombing was rebel propaganda until I saw the file. But then the rebels nuked civilian targets too. We're all dirty, all of us."

- Serin Osman, musing on the nuking of Far Isle.

The Far Isle rebellion of 2492 was a brief but savage conflict on the Unified Earth Government colony Far Isle, between rebellious sects of the planet's populace and the United Nations Space Command. Eventually, the UNSC resorted to nuking the colony to contain the uprising.

Background
During and after the Domus Diaspora, humanity experienced a period of unprecedented development and growth. By the 26th century, humans had founded over 800 colonies throughout the Orion Arm. Nevertheless, in spite of this progress, not all in the Outer Colonies were content with the existing status quo, and hostilities began to break out in some remote settlements. Between 2475 and 2483, the Outer Colonies saw numerous uprisings, civilians rebelling against Unified Earth Government (UEG) rule, and the heavy taxes, levies and trade restrictions that came with it.

In an effort to quell these uprisings quickly, the Colonial Military Authority's reaction was swift, brutal and heavy-handed. However, this strategy backfired significantly, only serving to steel the resistance against them and further radicalise more of the population. Soon, more fierce and aggressive dissidents took to the political stage. This marked the start of an extended period of civil unrest among the colonies, which would eventually prove to be the longest humanity had ever seen. Tensions were elevated further still when, in 2487, the newly-formed People's Occupation and Secessionist Union submitted requests for independence to the UEG on behalf of a dozen worlds.

History
Amidst these tensions, the rebellion on Far Isle began in earnest in 2492. Despite intervention from the United Nations Space Command, the uprising proved impossible for the authorities to contain. Unable to curb the rebellion through conventional means, the UNSC brought their nuclear arsenal to bear and razed the entire colony. They subsequently declared Code: BANDERSNATCH, an emergency codeword indicating a major radiological- or energy-based disaster. Reportedly, none of the colony's inhabitants survived the attack.

Aftermath and legacy
The destruction of Far Isle is considered to be one of the worst atrocities ever committed by the UNSC.

Far Isle's decimation led to multiple larger rebellions elsewhere. Although the Callisto Incident is broadly accepted to have been the inciting incident of the Insurrection proper, Far Isle is also recognised as another potential cause of the entire conflict, and even as of 2553, the colony's destruction is still acknowledged as a major driving force behind anti-UEG and anti-UNSC sentiments among many individuals.

On November 3, 2552, Cortana declared emergency codes BANDERSNATCH and HYDRA in relation to the Battle of Installation 05. Upon receiving the message on the surface of Onyx, Doctor Catherine Halsey was reminded of the Far Isle rebellion, where the codeword had also been invoked.

In April 2553, then-Rear Admiral Serin Osman contemplated the UNSC's handling of the rebellion on Far Isle, which she believed to be part of the reason that Vasily Beloi and Malcolm Geffen - two members of her team, Kilo-Five - were facing animosity and hostility when venturing to New Tyne, Venezia, a colony known for its staunch opposition to the UNSC. She recalled that she had originally dismissed the bombing as Insurrectionist propaganda until she read the relevant file herself. Ultimately, she concluded that the Insurrection was no better than the UNSC, as some Insurrectionist groups had also used nuclear weapons against civilian targets in the past.

Production notes
The Halo Legends episode Origins II includes a scene showing a wing of five GA-TL1 Longswords dropping their payloads onto a coastal city, followed by a shot of the city reduced to a smouldering, slagged crater, accompanied narration about the Insurrection by Cortana. Although unconfirmed, it is likely that this is depicting Far Isle, as it is the only known instance of the UNSC razing a colony.

List of appearances

 * Halo: Ghosts of Onyx
 * Halo: Mortal Dictata