Post-Covenant War conflicts: Difference between revisions

In early October 2558, a long-dead communications hub on [[Kamchatka]]'s surface activated, attracting the attention of Jul 'Mdama and Dr. Halsey. 'Mdama's Covenant established an outpost while Dr. Halsey studied the relay and discovered that her old [[AI]] [[Cortana]] was alive and related to recent attacks on the [[human colonies]].<ref name="HW">[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/universe/locations/kamchatka '''Halo Waypoint''': ''Kamchatka'']</ref> She contacted the UNSC about her discovery, and three weeks later they sent the {{UNSCShip|Infinity}} to retrieve her. [[Fireteam Osiris]], a Spartan-IV special operations squad, was deployed on the surface. Spartans fought their way through Jul's soldiers, who suddenly came under attack by Prometheans at the same time. The chaos from the Prometheans' rebellion provided Osiris cover from 'Mdama's Covenant, allowing them to sneak to the temple where 'Mdama and Halsey were stationed. After reaching the temple, Osiris killed Zealot guards and then turned to Jul himself, who was killed attempting to fight off Spartan [[Jameson Locke]]. Spartans then took Dr. Halsey under custody and brought her back to the ''Infinity''.{{Ref/Level|Id=osiris|H5|[[Osiris (level)|Osiris]]}} With Jul 'Mdama dead and the Prometheans now against them, his Covenant troops became desperate. Some of them fled  the system, but most of the rest regrouped on [[Sanghelios]], attempting an attack on the [[House of Vadam|Vadam]] clan burial grounds in hopes of a revenge attack against [[Thel 'Vadam|the Arbiter]].

On October 23, 2558, Blue Team was deployed from the {{UNSCShip|Infinity}} on Pelican with mission to locate and secure ''[[Argent Moon]]'', a derelict ONI research and development station.{{Ref/Level|Id=h5 blue team|H5|[[Blue Team (level)|Blue Team]]}} Boarding the station, Spartans discovered that it was occupied by Covenant scavengers.  Blue Team's initial plan was to fight their way to Central Control, where they could shut off ''Argent Moon's'' gravity and life support systems, and so flush out its decks of any remaining hostiles. However, on their way to Central Control's location, they were ambushed by a [[Mgalekgolo|Hunter]] pair, who broke the catwalk they were on and sent them down to the maintenance tunnels several stories below. At the bottom, Blue Leader [[John-117]] experienced a vision of a seemingly-alive Cortana, urging him to follow her to [[Meridian]].{{Ref/Reuse|h5 blue team}} As Blue Team continued with their mission, they witnessed the arrival of remnants of the Jul 'Mdama's fleet. Finding themselves outnumbered, the Spartans decided to [[self-destruct|scuttle]] ''Argent Moon'', denying it to 'Mdama's Covenant. They proceeded to overload the station's reactor by shutting off its safeties.  The resulting explosion would destroy the station, the local forces of 'Mdama's Covenant aboard, and any warships surrounding it. In order to escape the blast, Blue Team commandeered a {{Class|Winter|prowler}}, the [[ONI Acrisius|ONI ''Acrisius'']] parked in a hangar. Before the evacuation, John radioed the UNSC ''Infinity'' and informed them that he would be reassigning Blue Team to Meridian. However, ''Infinity'' ordered John back to them while another Spartan team was sent to deal with Cortana. Nevertheless, John and the rest of Blue Team decided to head to Meridian and find Cortana, disobeying direct orders. The Spartans then evacuated aboard ''Acrisius'', leaving ''Argent Moon'' as it exploded and killed all local forces of 'Mdama's Covenant in its vicinity.{{Ref/Reuse|h5 blue team}}

Osiris arrived at Meridian to find it under attack by Prometheans, with the colonists in desperate need of assistance to fend off the invaders. In exchange for [[Governor Sloan]]'s cooperation, Osiris agreed to help repel the Prometheans' attack while looking for clues about Blue Team's whereabouts.{{Ref/Level|Id=glassed|H5|Glassed}}{{Ref/Level|Id=meridian station|H5|[[Meridian Station (level)|Meridian Station]]}} Accessing Blue Team's abandoned Prowler's data banks led Osiris to the mines underneath [[Apogee Station]], where they discovered a massive Forerunner structure guarded by the [[Warden Eternal]], an [[ancilla]] that served as the protector of the [[Domain]] and claimed his loyalty belonged to Cortana. After eliminating the Warden, Osiris came across a dormant [[Guardian]] as well as Blue Team, who were boarding the Guardian itself.{{Ref/Level|Id=unconfirmed|H5|[[Unconfirmed]]}} After ordering the Spartan-IIs to stand down, to no avail, Spartan Locke attempted to detain the Master Chief. In the resulting hand-to-hand fight, John-117 eventually gained the upper hand and used Locke's own armor restraint against him. After Blue Team entered the Guardian, the construct began to rise from its underground sanctuary. Osiris managed to return to Meridian's surface, where they discovered that the colony was being evacuated. The Spartans fought their way through to their Pelican, boarding it moments before the Guardian entered slipspace, devastating the colony.{{Ref/Level|Id=evacuation|H5|Evacuation}}

In late October 2558, the clash between remnants of Jul 'Mdama's Covenant and Arbiter's [[Swords of Sanghelios]] on [[Sanghelios]] reached its peak. On October 27, 'Mdama's Covenant managed to corner Thel 'Vadam to the [[Elder Council Chamber]] in [[Nuusra]]. However, the warriors of 'Vadam, with the help from Spartan-IV Fireteam Osiris, broke through enemy lines and evacuated the Arbiter to his base camp.{{Ref/Level|Id=sos|H5|[[Swords of Sanghelios (level)|Swords of Sanghelios]]}} There, Spartan Locke revealed that they arrived on Sanghelios to ask for 'Vadam's help in reaching a yet dormant Guardian at [[Sunaion]], in order to follow Blue Team. According to the plan, developed by Dr. Halsey, the Spartans, with the aid of the Swords of Sanghelios, would obtain a Forerunner [[Constructor]] from one of the Guardian's nearby support stations, which would allow Halsey to activate the Guardian.{{Ref/Level|Id=alliance|H5|Alliance}}{{Ref/Level|Id=enemy lines|H5|Enemy Lines}} As the Constructor took off, the joint force of Spartans and Swords of Sanghelios followed it with a squadron of air vehicles to Sunaion - the last bastion of Jul 'Mdama's Covenant on Sanghelios. While the Arbiter led his forces against 'Mdama's Covenant directly, Osiris destroyed Covenant [[Type-56 Shrike|anti-air emplacements]] to allow the Arbiter's fleet to move in closer to the city. When the Guardian began rising out of the sea nearby, the buildings around were ripped apart. The Spartans then regrouped with the Arbiter, who was engaging Promethean forces, led by the Warden Eternal, now utilizing another physical body. After a lengthy engagement, the five destroyed the Warden and the nearby Prometheans just as the Guardian prepared to leave. While the Arbiter remained behind to finish eliminating Covenant and Promethean forces, Spartan [[Sarah Palmer]] and Dr. Halsey picked up Osiris in the Pelican and flew towards the Guardian. A pursuing Banshee damaged the dropship, though Palmer was still able to drop Osiris off on the Guardian's surface just as it entered slipspace and left Sanghelios. The Guardian severely damaged Sunaion with both its concussive blasts and its departure into slipspace, and parts of the city began collapsing into the water below. However, 'Vadam was successful in leading the Swords of Sanghelios in eliminating the remaining Covenant forces in the damaged city, ending the battle.{{Ref/Level|Id=sunaion|H5|[[Battle of Sunaion (level)|Battle of Sunaion]]}}

On October 28, 2558, Cortana began to deploy her Guardians from Genesis throughout the galaxy. In tandem, various human AIs that had pledged their loyalty to her cause started to shut down electronic devices and networks on multiple colony worlds. From Genesis, Cortana broadcast an offer of acceptance of her new order and a threat of violence, consummation, and remaking to those who resist. Guardians orbiting Earth and other worlds unleashed massive [[electromagnetic pulse]]s which knocked out the power of every [[orbital defense platform]] and warship, leaving them to drift aimlessly or fall and crash on the surface of planets below. A notable exception was the ''UNSC Infinity'', which managed to escape.{{Ref/Reuse|Guardians}} The Created were quick to spread their influence across the galaxy's inhabited worlds, while utilizing Forerunner machinery and UNSC information systems to turn [[terraforming]] equipment and world engines to their own designs.<ref name="armory amore">[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/community/blog-posts/canon-fodder-armory-amore '''Halo Waypoint''': ''Canon Fodder - Armory Amore'']</ref> After removing its human crew, the Created used [[Lethbridge Industrial]]'s [[Auriga Station]] to build new weapons and tools by constructs loyal to Cortana.<ref name="storm surge">[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/community/blog-posts/canon-fodder-storm-surge '''Halo Waypoint''': ''Canon Fodder - Storm Surge'']</ref> However, due to failsafe measures on [[Installation 00]] the Created were unable to access the Ark.{{Ref/Novel|Id=Mythos202|Page=202}} UNSC logistics AI [[Isabel]] and science personnel were stranded on Installation 00 as a result of the portal closing without warning, forcing them to fight for survival without support from UNSC.{{Ref/Level|HW2|A New Enemy}}