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Star road: Difference between revisions
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==Overview== | ==Overview== | ||
===History=== | |||
One of the more common types of artifacts left behind by the Precursors, star roads were seemingly inert, several-kilometers-thick,<ref name="s95">'''Halo: Silentium''', ''pages 95-96''</ref> virtually unbreakable cables on an immense scale that lay across the galaxy for millions of years. On some worlds, star roads formed orbital and suborbital structures like [[orbital arch]]es. On a larger scale, they were used to connect and link planets and even entire star systems to one another.<ref>'''Halo: Silentium''', ''page 212''</ref> Like other Precursor technology, star roads were not made of ordinary matter, instead being composed of exotic [[neural physics]] construction.<ref name="s95"/> [[Charum Hakkor]] and [[Charum Hakkor system|its system]] was once home to many star roads, which were used by [[Prehistoric human civilization|prehistoric humans]] to link their orbital defenses surrounding the planet.<ref>'''Halo: Cryptum''', ''page 118''</ref> In their dormant state, star roads or the larger structures they comprised automatically adjusted to changes in planetary and stellar orbits, even occasionally removing portions of themselves. A particularly complex web of star roads in a system in [[Path Kethona]] had not survived the eons completely intact, having crumbled in several sections.<ref>'''Halo: Silentium''', ''page 114''</ref> | One of the more common types of artifacts left behind by the Precursors, star roads were seemingly inert, several-kilometers-thick,<ref name="s95">'''Halo: Silentium''', ''pages 95-96''</ref> virtually unbreakable cables on an immense scale that lay across the galaxy for millions of years. On some worlds, star roads formed orbital and suborbital structures like [[orbital arch]]es. On a larger scale, they were used to connect and link planets and even entire star systems to one another.<ref>'''Halo: Silentium''', ''page 212''</ref> Like other Precursor technology, star roads were not made of ordinary matter, instead being composed of exotic [[neural physics]] construction.<ref name="s95"/> [[Charum Hakkor]] and [[Charum Hakkor system|its system]] was once home to many star roads, which were used by [[Prehistoric human civilization|prehistoric humans]] to link their orbital defenses surrounding the planet.<ref>'''Halo: Cryptum''', ''page 118''</ref> In their dormant state, star roads or the larger structures they comprised automatically adjusted to changes in planetary and stellar orbits, even occasionally removing portions of themselves. A particularly complex web of star roads in a system in [[Path Kethona]] had not survived the eons completely intact, having crumbled in several sections.<ref>'''Halo: Silentium''', ''page 114''</ref> | ||
During the last decade of the [[Forerunner-Flood war]], it was revealed that the star roads were not completely inert. The [[Flood]], having amassed enough processing power via advanced [[Key Mind]] forms, began to take control of star roads, along with other once-inactive neural physics constructs, and wield them as weapons. The star roads, in their weaponized form, were incredibly powerful, being capable of either physically tearing apart [[Forerunner fleet]]s or interfering with Forerunner [[Slipstream space|slipspace]] travel as well as generating suppression fields to disable Forerunner weapons and [[energy shielding|shields]]. The Flood moved star roads across interstellar distances by using the Precursors' neural physics-based method of superluminal travel, which they also utilized to transport their converted vessels.<ref>'''Halo: Silentium''', ''page 213''</ref> The Flood-controlled star roads warped reality around them which not only enabled organic beings to feel when they were nearby,<ref>'''Halo: Silentium''', ''page 253''</ref> but also mutated space-time and converted slipspace to be unsuitable for Forerunner transit.<ref>'''Halo: Silentium''', ''page 236''</ref> In many engagements near the end of the Forerunner-Flood war, star roads were used to trap Forerunner forces that were soon overwhelmed by the Flood. One example of this is the [[Battle of Kan Pakko]], in which the Forerunners were defeated by the Flood due to the star roads' influence.<ref>'''Halo: Silentium''', ''pages 188-189''</ref> | ===Weaponized star roads=== | ||
During the last decade of the [[Forerunner-Flood war]], it was revealed that the star roads were not completely inert. The [[Flood]], having amassed enough processing power via advanced [[Key Mind]] forms, began to take control of star roads, along with other once-inactive neural physics constructs, and wield them as weapons. The star roads, in their weaponized form, were incredibly powerful, being capable of either physically tearing apart [[Forerunner fleet]]s or interfering with Forerunner [[Slipstream space|slipspace]] travel as well as generating suppression fields to disable Forerunner weapons and [[energy shielding|shields]]. The Flood moved star roads across interstellar distances by using the Precursors' neural physics-based method of superluminal travel, which they also utilized to transport their converted vessels.<ref>'''Halo: Silentium''', ''page 213''</ref> The Flood-controlled star roads warped reality around them which not only enabled organic beings to feel when they were nearby,<ref>'''Halo: Silentium''', ''page 253''</ref> but also mutated space-time and converted slipspace to be unsuitable for Forerunner transit.<ref>'''Halo: Silentium''', ''page 236''</ref> In many engagements near the end of the Forerunner-Flood war, star roads were used to trap Forerunner forces that were soon overwhelmed by the Flood. One example of this is the [[Battle of Kan Pakko]], in which the Forerunners were defeated by the Flood due to the star roads' influence.<ref>'''Halo: Silentium''', ''pages 188-189''</ref> The star roads were also used by [[Mendicant Bias]] to trap most of the surviving Forerunners before the [[Battle of the greater Ark]]. | |||
The Flood configured star roads to various formations when using them as weapons. One common star road configuration was shaped like two parallel double-arcs, over 50,000 kilometers in diameter, and contained thousands of interwoven star roads.<ref name="s95"/> In the center of each double-bow was a point of inky darkness surrounded by a glowing ring.<ref>'''Halo: Silentium''', ''page 127''</ref> These double-bow configurations were capable of tearing planets apart with their sheer tidal forces and kinetic energy by wrapping around them; one such formation destroyed [[Uthera Midgeerrd]]. It was theorized by [[Maker-of-Moons]] that the Precursors moved stars the same way, by forcing changes on their orbits with star road formations.<ref>'''Halo: Silentium''', ''page 106''</ref> | The Flood configured star roads to various formations when using them as weapons. One common star road configuration was shaped like two parallel double-arcs, over 50,000 kilometers in diameter, and contained thousands of interwoven star roads.<ref name="s95"/> In the center of each double-bow was a point of inky darkness surrounded by a glowing ring.<ref>'''Halo: Silentium''', ''page 127''</ref> These double-bow configurations were capable of tearing planets apart with their sheer tidal forces and kinetic energy by wrapping around them; one such formation destroyed [[Uthera Midgeerrd]]. It was theorized by [[Maker-of-Moons]] that the Precursors moved stars the same way, by forcing changes on their orbits with star road formations.<ref>'''Halo: Silentium''', ''page 106''</ref> | ||
Since star roads were based upon the fundamental principle of [[neural physics]], they were vulnerable to the effects of the [[Halo Array]]. The first evidence of this was when the Precursor structures on [[Charum Hakkor]] were destroyed by [[Installation 07]]'s test-firing.<ref name="c114"/> When the Array was fired, star roads within the rings' effective range were destroyed. It was theorized that star roads and other Precursor constructs in slipspace transit may have been able to survive the pulse, although this was not known for certain; to inflict as much damage as possible, the Forerunners would time the firing to a point when the maximum number of star roads would occupy normal space.<ref>'''Halo: Cryptum''', ''page 312''</ref> | ===Destruction=== | ||
Since star roads were based upon the fundamental principle of [[neural physics]], they were vulnerable to the effects of the [[Halo Array]]. The first evidence of this was when the Precursor structures on [[Charum Hakkor]] were destroyed by [[Installation 07]]'s test-firing.<ref name="c114"/> When the Array was fired, star roads within the rings' effective range were destroyed. It was theorized that star roads and other Precursor constructs in slipspace transit may have been able to survive the pulse, although this was not known for certain; to inflict as much damage as possible, the Forerunners would time the firing to a point when the maximum number of star roads would occupy normal space.<ref>'''Halo: Cryptum''', ''page 312''</ref> To all available knowledge, the Forerunners succeeded in destroying all remaining star roads in the [[Milky Way]] when the Halo Array was fired. | |||
==List of appearances== | ==List of appearances== | ||