Côte d'Azur

Côte d'Azur was a coastal city that was the main population center of Sigma Octanus IV, a UNSC colony world in FLEETCOM Sector Three.

Côte d'Azurs citizens grew rice paddies outside of the city. The main sections on the latter interior of Côte d'Azur were the wharf and bay areas, the residential section, the downtown, and the docks. Côte d'Azur had a sewer system under the city. The sewer systems had steel pipes running along the top of the plastic conduits. The sewer systems had a two meter diameter pipe, with a steel grate, on the beach side near the edge of the city. The inhabitants used sodium vapor lamps, which washed everything above with an eerie glow.

In the year 2552, the Covenant launched and initiated a small attack against the Sigma Octanus system in hopes to retrieve a Forerunner artifact that was on display at the Côte d'Azur Museum of Natural History on Sigma Octanus IV's surface. The Covenant were in the process of securing the artifact and relaying messages to the ships above when Blue Team entered the city. Blue Team managed to retrieve the artifact and escape back to their Pelican Dropship. Upon entering the Pelican and exiting the atmosphere, John-117 detonated a HAVOK Nuclear Warhead underneath the city streets, which destroyed the city and prevented the Covenant from finding anything else of value. The planet still remains under Human control. The population of Côte D'Azur was estimated to be 300,000, all of which were thought to be killed. However 20 civilians hid in a cargo ship and were eventually evacuated by the Spartans during the battle.

Trivia

 * Cote d'Azur is actually a region in the south-east of France.
 * "Cote d'Azur" is French for "blue coast" and is the French name for the French Riviera.