Sedra

"We've lived in a state of perpetual war, surrounded by enemies. We were born fighting."

- Talitha Macer on Sedrans

Sedra, also known as Orrichon III, is a distant human Outer Colony planet, located in the Orrichon system. A majority of the planet's colonists hold disdain for the Unified Earth Government.

History
During the Human-Covenant War, Sedra experienced economic turmoil, which led to an unemployment rate increase throughout the planet. Unlike many Outer Colonies, Sedra survived the Human-Covenant War unscathed. By the end of the war, Sedra held economic stability. Believing that the Unified Earth Government and the UNSC had abandoned them and other Outer Colonies during the war, Sedra sought to become more independent and by 2556, the colony was largely autonomous. The Sedran colonial government attempted to increase the strength of their military branch—the Sedran Colonial Guard—to further eliminate the planet's reliance on the UNSC.

On January 24, 2556, border security at Checkpoint Rhoen was forced to enact eight seizures on incoming ships. One of these raids yielded highly refined fissile material. The pilot was arrested and the material was brought to a Sedran laboratory for testing. In response to the influx of passing attempts at the planetary borders, Laban Neir of Rhoen Border Security requested an increase in equipment and personnel. At some point, the UNSC was notified of the fissile discovery. On February 3, 2556, Checkpoint Rhoen was given management of planetary access in sectors four, five, and seven after two Office of Naval Intelligence D79-TC Pelicans were sent to Sedra. The Pelicans carried an ONI unit led by Jameson Locke, with orders to investigate the discovery of fissile material and prevent any possible terrorist attacks. The team refused formal screening, claiming executive autonomy, and demanded to view the colony's sensor manifest. Upon arrival, the ONI unit also asked for twenty-five percent of Colonial Guard assets to aid them in their operations.

On February 7, 2556, the ONI unit was patrolling near Morning Lake when they discovered Yonhet smuggler Axl handing over a bioweapon to an unidentified Sangheili Zealot. The unit gave chase and arrested Axl, while Locke pursued the Sangheili into a mall in Sedra City. Despite Locke's attempt to stop the Zealot, the Sangheili managed to activate the bioweapon, killing himself in the process. The bioweapon detonated throughout Sedra City and beyond. Initially, the bioweapon appeared to be harmless. However, soon many civilians began to show signs of infection, with symptoms similar to Guillain–Barré syndrome. Sedra Emergency Response began mass evacuation to containment zones and local hospitals, while panic spread throughout the colony. Meanwhile, the uninfected members of the ONI unit and Sedran Colonial Guard personnel began to investigate the attack. The ONI agents predicted that Sedra was chosen for the terrorist attack due to the planet's mixed population and poor border security, and that the attack was a trial test of the bioweapon's potency. The origin of the bioweapon was soon tracked down to a shard of Installation 04 that attempted to escape the ring's destruction at the hands of John-117 years prior. In order to prevent terrorists from creating another bioweapon, the ONI operatives and several members of the Sedran Colonial Guard were forced to work together. The group departed for the Halo fragment to destroy the deposits, and were ultimately successfully, albeit with the loss of the majority of the team.

Locations

 * Sedra City
 * Fourth Street
 * Kalsi Street
 * Main Street
 * Aris Metropark
 * Ninth Street
 * North Magnolia Drive
 * Saidia Elementary
 * Sedra City Market
 * Sedra Colonial Guard Hospital
 * Morning Lake
 * Checkpoint Rhoen

Government and society
Sedra is a relatively poor colony, with most of its industries based on agriculture and industrial manufacturing. The colony has little political significance within the Unified Earth Government and has become largely autonomous, but remains a member of the Trade Alliance. During the Human-Covenant War, the citizens of Sedra felt abandoned by the United Nations Space Command. Although Sedran colonists held resentment towards the UNSC, they still continued to heavily rely on them. Sedra's colonial government continues to keep relatively close relations with the UEG in order to benefit from the UNSC's military hardware. The Sedran colonial government functions with numerous subordinate departments, agencies, and organizations. Sedra Emergency Response (SER) is responsible for coordinating the response to a disaster or an attack on the planet that threatens Sedra's populace. Sedra Environmental Security (SES) is an agency responsible for monitoring the Sedran environment and ecosystem. Sedra Medical (SEDMED) is another governmental agency that is responsible for the health and well-being of Sedra citizens. There was no UNSC personnel stationed on Sedra. The colony's planetary border security was relatively weak, allegedly with no passport checks. The Sedran border security was based in an orbital defense control tower over the planet. The "fine print" of the Trade Alliance prevented Sedra from choosing who is managing planetary sectors.

The colony is protected by the Sedran Colonial Guard (SCG), a colonial defensive branch led by Colonel Randall Aiken and the only official military organization on the entire planet. The government's relationship with the UEG and UNSC allows the Colonial Guard to remain relatively well-equipped, albeit with outdated and inferior technology and equipment that is rarely still in service with the UNSC Defense Force. Sedra is considered to be on the frontlines of the Insurrection and a border world between human and alien space. Thus, the UNSC stores a variety of munitions on the planet under the guise of equipment given to the Colonial Guard for planetary protection. Humans comprise 92% of the planet's total population.

Known residents

 * Randall Aiken – Former Colonel of the Guard; deceased.
 * Natalie Aiken – Daughter of Randall Aiken; deceased.
 * Talitha Macer – A private first class in the Colonial Guard.
 * Samantha Wisner – A sergeant in the Colonial Guard; deceased.
 * Laura Daoud – A Sedra Colonial Guard Hospital nurse.
 * Rowan Daoud – A mechanical engineer; deceased.
 * Nadia Daoud – Daughter of Laura and Rowan Daoud.
 * Sara Daoud – Daughter of Laura and Rowan Daoud.
 * Chen – Doctor at the Sedran Colonial Guard Hospital.
 * Ader Haddak – Sedra Emergency Response operative.
 * C. Abbas – Sedra Environmental Security commander.

Trivia

 * In keeping with several mythological references in the Halo universe, the colony of Sedra seems to have Norse influences. While belittling the people of Sedra as "200 years behind [the UNSC]," Lieutenant Michael Horrigan makes mention that the Sedrans "still believe in Valhalla." Valhalla, in Norse mythology, is the High Hall of the god Odin, and one of several afterlife destinations in the Norse belief. Valhalla is also the name of a multiplayer map in Halo 3.
 * Scenes on Sedra were filmed in Northern Ireland during the filming of Halo: Nightfall.

List of appearances

 * Halo: Nightfall
 * Hunt the Truth
 * Halo: Smoke and Shadow