UNSC Armed Forces: Difference between revisions

Undo revision 1016329 by GeneralPhoenixSoapWarrior117 (talk)
(Undo revision 1016329 by GeneralPhoenixSoapWarrior117 (talk))
Line 75: Line 75:
===The Human-Covenant War===
===The Human-Covenant War===
{{main|Human-Covenant War}}
{{main|Human-Covenant War}}
[[2525]] marked the most important turning point in human history; it would mark the beginning of the great technological advancement, the unification of a divided and fractured human race, and the [[Halo: Contact Harvest|first contact]] of humanity and an extra-terrestrial intelligence, the [[Covenant Empire|Covenant]]. It would also see a majority of the Earth government's colony worlds destroyed, and billions of colonists and military personnel slaughtered by orbital plasma bombardment and planetary invasion, known as [[glassing]]. Thus began the Human-Covenant War with the [[First Battle of Harvest]]. Intercepted communications identified the enemy as the Covenant, a caste-driven, theological organization made up of several alien species. The message "''Your destruction is the will of the gods...and we are their instrument''" was broadcast in perfect [[English]].<ref>'''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]'''</ref> This evidently gave the evidence that the UNSC was facing an enemy that knew and studied about them before the war.
[[2525]] marked the most important turning point in human history; it would mark the beginning of the great technological advancement, the unification of a divided and fractured human race, and the [[Halo: Contact Harvest|first contact]] of humanity and an extra-terrestrial intelligence, the [[Covenant Empire|Covenant]]. It would also see a majority of the Earth government's colony worlds destroyed, and billions of colonists and military personnel slaughtered by orbital plasma bombardment and planetary invasion, known as [[glassing]]. Thus began the Human-Covenant War with the [[First Battle of Harvest]]. Intercepted communications identified the enemy as the Covenant, a caste-driven, theological organization made up of several alien species. The message "''Your destruction is the will of the gods...and we are their instrument''" was broadcast in perfect [[English]].<ref>'''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]'''</ref>


Since the later [[Second Battle of Harvest]] in [[2526]], where a huge human fleet led by [[Vice Admiral]] [[Preston Cole]] barely won against a smaller [[Covenant Empire|Covenant]] fleet in a symbolic "victory" for humanity, the humans' grip on their territories declined significantly in the course of their struggle. The UNSC could only slow down the Convenant as they were outgunned and outnumberred. The Covenant had managed to capture the majority, if not all of the [[Outer Colonies]], and a portion of the [[Inner Colonies]].  
Since the later [[Second Battle of Harvest]] in [[2526]], where a huge human fleet led by [[Vice Admiral]] [[Preston Cole]] barely won against a smaller [[Covenant Empire|Covenant]] fleet in a symbolic "victory" for humanity, the humans' grip on their territories declined significantly in the course of their struggle. The Covenant had managed to capture the majority, if not all of the [[Outer Colonies]], and a portion of the [[Inner Colonies]].


By this time, the UNSC had overridden the UEG, and thus the central civilian authority throughout the human worlds and Earth itself. Although the central government was more willing to step down, the [[Colonial Administration Authority]] was far more reluctant to this idea, and thus the UNSC stripped it of most of its power. By the middle to late stages of the war, the government of humanity could be more accurately described as an "emergency military" government.
By this time, the UNSC had overridden the UEG, and thus the central civilian authority throughout the human worlds and Earth itself. Although the central government was more willing to step down, the [[Colonial Administration Authority]] was far more reluctant to this idea, and thus the UNSC stripped it of most of its power. By the middle to late stages of the war, the government of humanity could be more accurately described as an "emergency military" government.
Line 83: Line 83:
By [[2552]], the UNSC, outnumbered and outgunned, had managed to slow down the Covenant's inexorable progress through former human space, but the situation was dire. In desperation, [[UNSC High Command|HIGHCOM]] ordered a [[Operation: RED FLAG|high-risk op]], sending the SPARTAN-II super soldiers, the best soldiers ever fielded by humanity, to insert into Covenant space, capture a high-ranking [[San 'Shyuum|Prophet]], and return to UNSC space in an attempt to ransom for a truce. Before the operation began, the Covenant attacked the planet [[Reach]], killing most of the Spartans and a large portion of the UNSCDF, inadvertently stopping the operation and rendering most of the SPARTANs [[MIA]].<ref>'''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]'''</ref>
By [[2552]], the UNSC, outnumbered and outgunned, had managed to slow down the Covenant's inexorable progress through former human space, but the situation was dire. In desperation, [[UNSC High Command|HIGHCOM]] ordered a [[Operation: RED FLAG|high-risk op]], sending the SPARTAN-II super soldiers, the best soldiers ever fielded by humanity, to insert into Covenant space, capture a high-ranking [[San 'Shyuum|Prophet]], and return to UNSC space in an attempt to ransom for a truce. Before the operation began, the Covenant attacked the planet [[Reach]], killing most of the Spartans and a large portion of the UNSCDF, inadvertently stopping the operation and rendering most of the SPARTANs [[MIA]].<ref>'''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]'''</ref>


A single ship, the {{UNSCShip|Pillar of Autumn}} managed to escape the planet. The ship followed coordinates derived by the AI [[Cortana]] to a ringworld known as [[Installation 04|Halo]]. There, the UNSC forces encountered a parasitic lifeform known as [[the Flood]], the species that the ring, [[Halo Array|Halo]], had been built to starve. The activation of the ring would lead to the extinction of all sentinent life within three radii of the galactic center. Spartan [[John-117]] destroyed the ring, believing it to be too powerful, by detonation of the [[fusion drive]]s of the ''Pillar of Autumn''. After hijacking a Covenant flagship ''[[Ascendant Justice]]'', the Spartan reunited with the remaining survivors from Installation 04 and the destruction of Reach and attacked a force of up to 300 Covenant ships in [[Operation: FIRST STRIKE]], one of the most successful UNSC operations against the Covenant in the entire war.<ref>'''[[Halo: First Strike]]'''</ref>
A single ship, the {{UNSCShip|Pillar of Autumn}} managed to escape the planet. The ship followed coordinates derived by the AI [[Cortana]] to a ringworld known as [[Installation 04|Halo]]. There, the UNSC forces encountered a parasitic lifeform known as [[the Flood]], the species that the ring, [[Halo Array|Halo]], had been built to starve. The activation of the ring would lead to the extinction of all life within three radii of the galactic center. Spartan [[John-117]] destroyed the ring, believing it to be too powerful, by detonation of the [[fusion drive]]s of the ''Pillar of Autumn''. After hijacking a Covenant flagship ''[[Ascendant Justice]]'', the Spartan reunited with the remaining survivors from Installation 04 and the destruction of Reach and attacked a force of Covenant ships in [[Operation: FIRST STRIKE]], one of the most successful UNSC operations against the Covenant in the entire war.<ref>'''[[Halo: First Strike]]'''</ref>


By October of [[2552]], the Covenant had haphazardly discovered the position of the human home world, Earth, and sent a preliminary task force there, believing it to be the location of the [[Installation 00|Ark]], an ancient Forerunner relic. They encountered staunch resistance, and were initially fended off. Further complications arose from the political and religious crisis that emerged in the wake of a UNSC operation to assassinate the [[Prophet of Regret]], and the secession of the [[Sangheili]] from the hegemony, leading to the [[Great Schism]], further throwing the Covenant into chaos. Nevertheless, by November, what was left of the Covenant had subjugated large parts of Africa in addition to devastating much of the planet. Only their retreat through a Forerunner [[The Portal|portal]] in [[Africa]], and the arrival of the [[Sangheili]] [[Fleet of Retribution|fleet]], stopped the utter destruction of the UNSC and Earth itself.<ref>'''[[Halo 2]]''', campaign level, ''[[Cairo Station (level)|Cairo Station]]''</ref><ref>'''[[Halo 3]]''', campaign level, ''[[Crow's Nest (level)|Crow's Nest]]''</ref>
By October of [[2552]], the Covenant had haphazardly discovered the position of the human home world, Earth, and sent a preliminary task force there, believing it to be the location of the [[Installation 00|Ark]], an ancient Forerunner relic. They encountered staunch resistance, and were initially fended off. Further complications arose from the political and religious crisis that emerged in the wake of a UNSC operation to assassinate the [[Prophet of Regret]], and the secession of the [[Sangheili]] from the hegemony, leading to the [[Great Schism]], further throwing the Covenant into chaos. Nevertheless, by November, what was left of the Covenant had subjugated large parts of Africa in addition to devastating much of the planet. Only their retreat through a Forerunner [[The Portal|portal]] in [[Africa]], and the arrival of the [[Sangheili]] [[Fleet of Retribution|fleet]], stopped the utter destruction of the UNSC and Earth itself.<ref>'''[[Halo 2]]''', campaign level, ''[[Cairo Station (level)|Cairo Station]]''</ref><ref>'''[[Halo 3]]''', campaign level, ''[[Crow's Nest (level)|Crow's Nest]]''</ref>