Canon

Truth's fleet: Difference between revisions

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(Adding more refs and infos + Fixing too much speculations about other Covenant forces being part of Truth's forces while not confirmed by Ghosts of Onyx since the novel says nothing about Truth's fleet and Ten Twenty only mention the Oct 20 activites on New Mombasa + Might soon expand the note about Truth's fleet during the Battle of the Ark)
m (Removing excessive assumptions regarding fleet sizes, as per discussion on the Discord.)
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{{Era|HCW}}
{{Status|Canon}}
{{Articlename|1}}
{{Conjectural title|1}}
{{Military infobox|variant=Cov
{{Military infobox
|variant=Cov
|unit_name=
|unit_name=
|image=[[File:Truth's Fleet.jpg|300px]]
|image=[[File:H3 - Truth's Fleet - Ark.png|300px]]
|dates=
|dates=
|formed=[[2552]]
|formed=[[2552]]
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|affiliation = [[Covenant]]
|affiliation = [[Covenant]]
|branch= [[Covenant fleet]]
|branch= [[Covenant fleet]]
|type=[[Fleet]] {{c|Combined during the Operation: FIRST STRIKE}}
|type=[[Fleet]]
|role=
|role=
|size=*''[[Unyielding Hierophant]]''-controlled fleet
|size=*''[[Unyielding Hierophant|Hierophant]]''-controlled fleet
**Originally over 500 ships{{Ref/Reuse|fs}}  
**Over 500 ships {{c|originally, pre-[[Operation: FIRST STRIKE|FIRST STRIKE]]}}{{Ref/Reuse|fs}}
**Reduced to approximately 12 ships after the [[Operation: FIRST STRIKE]]{{Ref/Reuse|first}}  
**Around 12 ships {{c|post-FIRST STRIKE}}{{Ref/Reuse|first}}
*Other [[Jiralhanae]]-led fleets
*At least 2 fleets {{c|[[Battle of Earth|Earth]]}}
**Unknown large numbers of ships during the [[Battle of Earth]].
**One excavation fleet{{Ref/Reuse|Oct20}} {{c|[[Battle of Mombasa|Mombasa]]}}
*Somewhere at least 30 ships during the [[Battle of Installation 00]]{{Ref/Note|During the opening cutscene of the ''Halo 3'' level [[The Ark (level)|The Ark]], a Sangheili bridge officer onboard the ''Shadow of Intent'' states Truth's fleet outnumbers them 3 to 1. If this is correct, it means that during the Battle of Installation 00 Truth's fleet was around 30 ships strong, three times the size of the Fleet of Retribution, or maybe more if actually three times the size of combined UNSC-Sangheili fleet, which would also includes the [[Battle Group Victory]] of the [[Seventh Fleet]].}}
***At least 8 ships {{c|Oct. 2552, including [[Fleet of Sacred Consecration|Regret’s fleet remnants]]}}{{Ref/Level|Id=CoastalHighway|Game=Halo 3: ODST|Level=Coastal Highway}}
***At least 50 ships {{c|at the [[Battle of Voi]]}}{{Ref/Note|Id=FleetNumbers|Text=In the opening of the ''[[Halo 3]]'' level ''[[The Ark (level)|The Ark]]'', a [[Sangheili]] bridge officer aboard the ''Shadow of Intent'' states that at the onset of the battle above Installation 00, Truth's fleet outnumbers their own force by a ratio of three-to-one. It should be noted that this statement need not reflect the exact ratio of enemy and friendly vessels, for a variety of reasons: the officer may have been rounding for brevity's sake, some of Truth's fleet may have been engaged in other actions at the onset of the battle and only joined the fight after, or the officer may have even neglected to consider any UNSC vessels (such as the ''Forward Unto Dawn'') in his statement. That being said, a total of 44 battlecruisers and two assault carriers of Truth's fleet can be seen at the Portal in the levels ''[[Tsavo Highway]]'' and ''[[The Storm]]''. However, it cannot be stated with certainty that all 46 of these aforementioned vessels entered the Portal as it is known that the Battle for Earth continued after Truth left for Installation 00; as such, some of these vessels may have remained to continue the fight at Earth. Furthermore, at least three other Covenant vessels (the ''[[Gathering of Praise]]'', the ''[[Twilight Compunction]]'', and an unnamed [[freighter]] mentioned in [[Phoenix Logs/Multiplayer Maps/Ashes|this Phoenix log]]), which are neither battlecruisers nor assault carriers, are known to have participated in the Battle of Installation 00, bringing the total possible number of known vessels in Truth's fleet to 50, when the ''Anodyne Spirit'' is considered. Despite all of this, the Fleet of Retribution (plus the ''Forward Unto Dawn'') is only shown to include eleven ships in the opening of ''The Ark'', which calls into question the bridge officer's statement once more. It is possible that the Fleet of Retribution was larger than shown in the opening cutscene, possibly even including more UNSC vessels such as the {{Class|Charon|light frigate}}s of [[Battle Group Victory]]. It is also possible that Truth's fleet at Installation 00 had less than 50 vessels, assuming some of the cruisers at the Portal were instructed to remain at Earth. With the seven vessels depicted in the opening cutscene of ''the Ark'', the ''Gathering of Praise'', the ''Twilight Compunction'', the unnamed [[freighter]], and the ''Anodyne Spirit'', Truth's fleet is known to have included at the very least 11 vessels. However, given the statement by the bridge officer and the ten vessels of the Fleet of Retribution (ignoring the ''Forward Unto Dawn''), a reasonable assumption for the minimum strength of Truth's fleet is 30 vessels.}}
***At least 30 ships {{c|at the [[Battle of Installation 00]]}}{{Ref/NoteReuse|FleetNumbers}}
**Final assault armada{{Ref/Reuse|TGJ}}{{Ref/Reuse|HUI4}}{{Ref/Reuse|H3CN}} {{c|Nov. 2552}}
***[[High Charity defense fleet]] remnants{{Ref/Reuse|TGJ}}{{Ref/Reuse|lootcrate5}}{{Ref/Reuse|H3CN}}
***Unknown, likely several hundreds of ships{{Ref/Reuse|H2TA}}{{Ref/Reuse|H3CN}}
|command_structure=
|command_structure=
|garrison=
|garrison=
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**[[Second Battle of New Mombasa]]
**[[Second Battle of New Mombasa]]
**[[Battle of Voi]]
**[[Battle of Voi]]
*[[Battle of Installation 05]]
**[[Fall of High Charity]]
*[[Battle of Installation 00]]
*[[Battle of Installation 00]]
|decorations=
|decorations=
|battle_honors=
|battle_honors=
|commanders=;
|commanders=;
*[[High Prophet of Truth]]
*[[Hierarchs|High]] [[Prophet of Truth]]
**[[Chieftain of the Jiralhanae]] [[Tartarus]]
**[[Chieftain of the Jiralhanae]] [[Tartarus]]
**[[Shipmaster]] [[Lepidus]]
**[[Shipmaster]] [[Lepidus]]
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}}
}}


In the final months of the [[Human-Covenant War]], the [[High Prophet of Truth]] had a massive '''fleet''' under his personal command. Originally composed of over five hundred capital ships,{{Ref/Novel|Id=fs|Halo: First Strike|Page=297}} it was initially one of the largest known [[Covenant]] [[Covenant fleet|fleets]] although the fleet suffered tremendous losses when its command-and-control station, ''[[Unyielding Hierophant]]'', exploded. After rebuilding the fleet for some time and aware of the Prophet of Regret's assault on [[Earth]], Truth sent it to Earth,{{Ref/Film|Id=Oct20|Film=Halo Waypoint|Story=Ten Twenty|StoryLinkText=Ten Twenty}} where it was dispatched at [[Mombasa]] to excavate the [[Portal at Voi]] that lead the [[Installation 00|Ark]] and secure the area for Truth's arrival by his loyal fleet. On November 17, the fleet was joined by remnants of the Covenant forces loyal to the Prophets from the [[High Charity]] [[High Charity defense fleet|defensive fleet]] and Truth himself. Later, the fleet journeyed through [[Portal at Voi|the Portal]] to [[Installation 00|the Ark]], where it met its end.
In the final months of the [[Human-Covenant War]], the [[High Prophet of Truth]] had a massive '''fleet''' under his personal command. Originally composed of over five hundred capital ships,{{Ref/Novel|Id=fs|Halo: First Strike|Page=297}} it was initially one of the largest known [[Covenant]] [[Covenant fleet|fleets]] although the fleet suffered tremendous losses when its command-and-control station, ''[[Unyielding Hierophant]]'', exploded. After rebuilding the fleet for some time and aware of the Prophet of Regret's assault on [[Earth]], Truth sent it to Earth,{{Ref/Film|Id=Oct20|Film=Halo Waypoint|Story=Ten Twenty|StoryLinkText=Ten Twenty}} where it was dispatched at [[Mombasa]] to excavate the [[Portal at Voi]] that lead the [[Installation 00|Ark]] and secure the area for Truth's arrival by his loyal fleet. On November 17, the fleet was joined by remnants of the Covenant forces loyal to the Prophets from the [[High Charity]] [[High Charity defense fleet|defensive fleet]] and Truth himself.{{Ref/Reuse|H3CN}} Later, the fleet journeyed through [[Portal at Voi|the Portal]] to [[Installation 00|the Ark]], where it met its end.{{Ref/Reuse|TheArk}}


==History==
==History==
[[File:HM-UnyieldingHierophant.jpg|290px|thumb|left|The massive space station ''[[Unyielding Hierophant]]'' leading a combined [[Jiralhanae]]-controlled assault armada of over 500 warships assembled by Prophet of Truth.]]
[[File:HM-UnyieldingHierophant.jpg|290px|thumb|left|The massive space station ''[[Unyielding Hierophant]]'' leading a combined [[Jiralhanae]]-controlled assault armada of over 500 warships assembled by the Prophet of Truth.]]


===Formation===
===Formation===
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Following the [[Fall of Reach]], the Prophet of Truth discovered the location of the [[human]] [[Earth|homeworld]] and started assembling a massive fleet of over five hundred warships for the planned invasion of Earth. Ships scattered around [[Milky Way|the galaxy]] were ordered to regroup, including one group of ships that was to jump to the [[Lambda Serpentis system]], to gather [[tritium]] gas for their reactors and then the [[Hawking system]] to meet with three dozen [[Covenant carrier|carriers]] and effect a transfer of [[Type-31 Seraph|Seraph fighters]]. Finally, the fleet would be summoned to the command-and-control station, ''[[Unyielding Hierophant]]'' which was holding position in [[Tau Ceti system]] in [[2552#September|September, 2552]]. When a sufficient amount of ships were gathered, the fleet would then make a collective jump straight to Earth.{{Ref/Reuse|Oct20}}
Following the [[Fall of Reach]], the Prophet of Truth discovered the location of the [[human]] [[Earth|homeworld]] and started assembling a massive fleet of over five hundred warships for the planned invasion of Earth. Ships scattered around [[Milky Way|the galaxy]] were ordered to regroup, including one group of ships that was to jump to the [[Lambda Serpentis system]], to gather [[tritium]] gas for their reactors and then the [[Hawking system]] to meet with three dozen [[Covenant carrier|carriers]] and effect a transfer of [[Type-31 Seraph|Seraph fighters]]. Finally, the fleet would be summoned to the command-and-control station, ''[[Unyielding Hierophant]]'' which was holding position in [[Tau Ceti system]] in [[2552#September|September, 2552]]. When a sufficient amount of ships were gathered, the fleet would then make a collective jump straight to Earth.{{Ref/Reuse|Oct20}}


Due to Truth's devious plans for the Covenant, this fleet was commanded exclusively by the [[Jiralhanae]] and featured only few [[Sangheili]] in its ranks; an arrangement unheard of in the Covenant before the [[Great Schism]]. For similar reasons, Truth kept the existence of this fleet, and the fact he had discovered humanity's homeworld, secret even from his fellow [[Hierarchs]].{{Ref/Reuse|Oct20}} This would make it a simple matter to turn the fleet against the Sangheili once the [[human]]s will be wiped out. This plan had more immediate advantages as well; leaving the Sangheili to scour Earth in search of the most sacred [[Forerunner]] artifact in existence, the mammoth structure and [[Portal at Voi|portal generator]] that is served as the gateway to the [[Installation 00|Ark]], would have placed Truth's plan upon the shoulders of a species he had already decided to cast aside.{{Ref/Reuse|Oct20}}{{Ref/Reuse|bungie}}
Due to Truth's devious plans for the Covenant, this fleet was commanded exclusively by the [[Jiralhanae]] and featured only few [[Sangheili]] in its ranks; an arrangement unheard of in the Covenant before the [[Great Schism]]. For similar reasons, Truth kept the existence of this fleet, and the fact he had discovered humanity's homeworld, secret even from his fellow [[Hierarchs]].{{Ref/Reuse|Oct20}} This would make it a simple matter to turn the fleet against the Sangheili once the [[human]]s were wiped out. This plan had more immediate advantages as well; leaving the Sangheili to scour Earth in search of the most sacred [[Forerunner]] artifact in existence, the mammoth structure and [[Portal at Voi|portal generator]] that served as the gateway to the [[Installation 00|Ark]], would have placed Truth's plan upon the shoulders of a species he had already decided to cast aside.{{Ref/Reuse|Oct20}}{{Ref/Reuse|bungie}}


However, Truth's plan was slowed down when a small group of human survivors from [[Reach]] and [[Installation 04]] discovered the fleet, leading to the [[Operation: FIRST STRIKE|destruction]] of the ''Unyielding Hierophant'' at the hands of a team of [[SPARTAN-II program|SPARTAN-IIs]]. Only a dozen ships survived the station's explosion though were left heavily damaged and were limped back to [[High Charity]].{{Ref/Novel|Id=first|Halo: First Strike|Page=333}} For a moment, the imminent assault on Earth had been postponed.{{Ref/Book|Id=Mythos|Book=Halo Mythos|Page=??}} Following the loss of ''Unyielding Hierophant'', in High Charity the [[Chieftain of the Jiralhanae]] [[Tartarus]] arrived to [[Sanctum of the Hierarchs]], where Truth waited in, to inform the destruction of his armada. After being disturbed by the disaster but otherwise regarded it as a minor setback, Truth told Tartarus to have the surviving ships rendezvous at their designated coordinates and then ordered the reward and secret execution of the remaining pilots from [[Operation: FIRST STRIKE]], so as not to cause panic in the Covenant by stories of how the [[Demon]]s had obliterated an entire fleet of hundreds of warships.{{Ref/Novel|Novel=Halo: First Strike|Pages=406-408}} Knowledge of the ''Unyielding Hierophant''{{'}}s ultimate goal, and its eventual destruction, were eliminated by the Prophet of Truth to keep his plans as a secret to the rest of the Covenant.{{Ref/Reuse|Oct20}}
However, Truth's plan was slowed down when a small group of human survivors from [[Reach]] and [[Installation 04]] discovered the fleet, leading to the [[Operation: FIRST STRIKE|destruction]] of the ''Unyielding Hierophant'' at the hands of a team of [[SPARTAN-II program|SPARTAN-IIs]]. Only a dozen ships survived the station's explosion, though they were left heavily damaged and limped back to [[High Charity]].{{Ref/Novel|Id=first|Halo: First Strike|Page=333}} For a moment the imminent assault on Earth had been postponed.{{Ref/Book|Id=Mythos|Book=Halo Mythos|Page=??}} Following the loss of ''Unyielding Hierophant'', in High Charity the [[Chieftain of the Jiralhanae]] [[Tartarus]] arrived at the [[Sanctum of the Hierarchs]] where Truth waited within.  


After the ''Unyielding Hierophant'' was destroyed, the [[Prophet of Regret]], completely oblivious of Truth's plan, discovered the location of the [[Portal at Voi|gateway]] to [[Installation 00|the Ark]] by via a Forerunner [[Luminary]] that was found on [[Meridian]] at the end of [[Battle of Meridian|3-years-long siege]] on the planet in [[2551]]; coincidentally, this structure was located on a planet known as "Erde-Tyrenne" by the Forerunner, which was in fact the human's homeworld, Earth. Unaware of the human presence, Regret led a [[Fleet of Sacred Consecration|detachment of fifteen ships]] to Earth. While he learned of the human presence upon arrival on October 20th, he was so blinded by his religious fervor he ignored Earth's orbital defenses and jumped to the planet's surface, immediately deploying troops to the [[Africa]]n city of [[Mombasa]] in search of the Forerunner artifact, while his ships fought the [[UNSC Home Fleet]], including the [[Fifth Fleet]] and the [[Seventh Fleet]], in orbit.{{Ref/Reuse|Oct20}}
Once informed on the destruction of his armada, while disturbed by the disaster, Truth otherwise regarded it as a minor setback, and told Tartarus to have the surviving ships rendezvous at their designated coordinates. He also ordered the reward and secret execution of the remaining pilots from [[Operation: FIRST STRIKE]], so as not to cause panic in the Covenant by stories of how the [[Demon]]s had obliterated an entire fleet of hundreds of warships.{{Ref/Novel|Novel=Halo: First Strike|Pages=406-408}} Knowledge of the ''Unyielding Hierophant''{{'}}s ultimate goal, and its eventual destruction, were eliminated by the Prophet of Truth to keep his plans as a secret to the rest of the Covenant.{{Ref/Reuse|Oct20}}
 
After the ''Unyielding Hierophant'' was destroyed, the [[Prophet of Regret]], completely oblivious of Truth's plan, discovered the location of the [[Portal at Voi|gateway]] to [[Installation 00|the Ark]] by via a Forerunner [[Luminary]] that was found on [[Meridian]] at the end of [[Battle of Meridian|3-years-long siege]] on the planet in [[2551]]; coincidentally, this structure was located on a planet known as "Erde-Tyrenne" by the Forerunner, which was in fact the human's homeworld, Earth. Unaware of the human presence, Regret led a [[Fleet of Sacred Consecration|detachment of fifteen ships]] to Earth. While he learned of the human presence upon arrival on October 20, he was so blinded by his religious fervor he ignored Earth's orbital defenses and jumped to the planet's surface, immediately deploying troops to the [[Africa]]n city of [[Mombasa]] in search of the Forerunner artifact, while his ships fought the [[UNSC Home Fleet]], including the [[Fifth Fleet]] and the [[Seventh Fleet]], in orbit.{{Ref/Reuse|Oct20}}


===Battle for Earth===
===Battle for Earth===
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====Battle of Mombasa====
====Battle of Mombasa====
{{Main|Battle of Mombasa}}
{{Main|Battle of Mombasa}}
[[File:Portal odst.png|thumb|250px|right|The fleet joinging Regret's fleet remants to excavate the Portal shortly after its arrival, forcing the [[Alpha-Nine]] to retreat.]]
[[File:Portal odst.png|thumb|250px|The fleet excavating the Portal, forcing [[Alpha-Nine]] to retreat.]]
Immediately after the Prophet of Truth learned of Regret's departure to Earth and rebuilding his fleet as a large support and excavation fleet for the [[Portal at Voi|Portal]] to the [[Installation 00|Ark]], he sent his fleet after him and initialed his plan to [[Changing of the Guard|replace]] the Sangheili by the Jiralhanae as the Covenant's primary warrior while doubting the reliability and loyalty of the Sangheili earlier.{{Ref/Reuse|Oct20}} These forces of Truth's renewed fleet led by the Jiralhanae was both archaeological and military.<ref>halo3.com - About Halo, Characters, Humans ([https://archives.halopedia.org/halo3/ Archive])</ref> While Truth's fleet was on its way after Regret's [[Solemn Penance|carrier]] was forced to retreat as [[UNSC]] forces retook the city, the remaining Covenant forces, now without a leader, continued to [[Space warfare|engage]] the [[UNSC Home Fleet|Home Fleet]] in space.{{Ref/Reuse|Oct20}} Shortly after, the Jiralhanae that were left behind by Regret were given orders to eliminate the Sangheili still in command of what was left of Regret's fleet and kill any remaining Sangheili troops still stationed on or above the planet; an order they would willingly obey.{{Ref/Reuse|Oct20}}
Immediately after the Prophet of Truth learned of Regret's departure to Earth and rebuilding his fleet as a large support and excavation fleet for the [[Portal at Voi|Portal]] to the [[Installation 00|Ark]], he sent his fleet after him and initialed his plan to [[Changing of the Guard|replace]] the Sangheili with the Jiralhanae as the Covenant's primary warriors while doubting the reliability and loyalty of the Sangheili earlier.{{Ref/Reuse|Oct20}} These forces of Truth's renewed fleet led by the Jiralhanae was both archaeological and military.<ref>halo3.com - About Halo, Characters, Humans ([https://archives.halopedia.org/halo3/ Archive])</ref> While Truth's fleet was on its way after Regret's [[Solemn Penance|carrier]] was forced to retreat as [[UNSC]] forces retook the city, the remaining Covenant forces, now without a leader, continued to [[Space warfare|engage]] the [[UNSC Home Fleet|Home Fleet]] in space.{{Ref/Reuse|Oct20}} Shortly after, the Jiralhanae that were left behind by Regret were given orders to eliminate the Sangheili still in command of what was left of Regret's fleet and kill any remaining Sangheili troops still stationed on or above the planet; an order they would willingly obey.{{Ref/Reuse|Oct20}}


As ordered by Truth, the Jiralhanae assumed the total command of the remainder of [[CCS-class battlecruiser|cruisers]] of Regret's [[Fleet of Sacred Consecration]], including the ''[[Pious Inquisitor]]'', battling UNSC forces above and within [[New Mombasa]]. They as well aggressively occupying the city with signifiant infantry until Truth's reinforcements arrival to ensure that the arrival of the Prophet to the Portal nearly a month later will be fully secured by his true loyalists as the Covenant forces on the city was needed to be led by the Jiralhanae and not the Sangheili to avoid his aspirations upon the shoulders of a species he had planned to expel them from the Covenant and eliminate them.{{Ref/Reuse|Oct20}}{{Ref/Reuse|bungie}}
As ordered by Truth, the Jiralhanae assumed the total command of the remainder of [[Ket-pattern battlecruiser|cruisers]] of Regret's [[Fleet of Sacred Consecration]], including the ''[[Pious Inquisitor]]'', battling UNSC forces above and within [[New Mombasa]]. They as well aggressively began occupying the city with significant infantry, until Truth's reinforcements arrived to ensure that the arrival of the Prophet to the Portal nearly a month later was to be fully secured by his true loyalists as the Covenant forces on the city was needed to be led by the Jiralhanae and not the Sangheili to avoid his aspirations upon the shoulders of a species he had planned to expel from the Covenant and eliminate them.{{Ref/Reuse|Oct20}}{{Ref/Reuse|bungie}}


Later, the cruisers were gathered over the industrial center and started excavating the Forerunner structure by [[glassing]] the planet surface around it, including Mombasa, starting from the crater created by the in-atmosphere [[Slipstream space|slipspace]] jump of Regret's ship. Eventually the next day on October 21st, the Prophet of Truth's fleet arrived to join Regret's fleet remnants for excavation of the excession to the Ark while more and more other Covenant reinforcements later arrived and lauched a large full-scale assault on the planet.<!--Halo Waypoint confirms that Truth's fleet arrived on October 21st-->{{Ref/Site|Id=waypointvergil|URL=https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/news/canon-fodder-vergil-reality|Site=Halo Waypoint|Page=Canon Fodder - Vergil Reality|D=15|M=06|Y=2021}}{{Ref/Reuse|Oct20}}{{Ref/Level|Id=CoastalHighway|Game=Halo 3: ODST|Level=Coastal Highway}} While the majority of Covenant forces that were under Truth's command, including his most of his fleet, was preoccupied and focusing their primary objective for the excavation of the portal as the largest and most organized Covenant stronghold on the planet,{{Ref/Reuse|lootcrate2}} only a handful of vessels of Truth's fleet and its deployed forces attacked the UNSC forces,{{Ref/Book|Id=mythos|Book=Halo Mythos|Page=117}} including those at the outskirts of Mombasa during the [[seven]]-day-long [[Second Battle of Mombasa|second battle of the city]].{{Ref/Film|Film=Believe|Story=Museum}} However, some of these forces were disorganized and sometimes less effective against the UNSC.{{Ref/Generic|Id=lootcrate2|Heading=[[Halo Legendary Crate]]|Subheading=[[Halo Legendary Crate/Data Drops|Data Drop #2]]}}
Later, the cruisers were gathered over the industrial center and started excavating the Forerunner structure by [[glassing]] the planet's surface around it, including Mombasa, starting from the crater created by the in-atmosphere [[Slipstream space|slipspace]] jump of Regret's ship. Eventually the next day on October 21, the Prophet of Truth's fleet arrived to join Regret's fleet remnants for excavation of the excession to the Ark while more and more other Covenant reinforcements later arrived and launched a large full-scale assault on the planet.<!--Halo Waypoint confirms that Truth's fleet arrived on October 21st-->{{Ref/Site|Id=waypointvergil|URL=https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/news/canon-fodder-vergil-reality|Site=Halo Waypoint|Page=Canon Fodder - Vergil Reality|D=15|M=06|Y=2021}}{{Ref/Reuse|Oct20}} While the majority of Covenant forces that were under Truth's command, including most of his fleet, were preoccupied and focusing their primary objective for the excavation of the portal as the largest and most organized Covenant stronghold on the planet,{{Ref/Reuse|lootcrate2}} only a handful of vessels of Truth's fleet and its deployed forces attacked the UNSC forces,{{Ref/Book|Id=mythos|Book=Halo Mythos|Page=117}} including those at the outskirts of Mombasa during the [[seven]]-day-long [[Second Battle of Mombasa|second battle of the city]].{{Ref/Film|Film=Believe|Story=Museum}} However, some of these forces were disorganized and sometimes less effective against the UNSC.{{Ref/Generic|Id=lootcrate2|Heading=[[Halo Legendary Crate]]|Subheading=[[Halo Legendary Crate/Data Drops|Data Drop #2]]}}


====Further engagements====
====Further engagements====
{{Main|Battle of Kenya}}
{{Main|Battle of Kenya}}
[[File:H2A - Earth and Dreadnought.jpg|270px|left|thumb|Truth's forces and the [[UNSC Home Fleet]] engaging each other as the [[Forerunner Dreadnought]] exited [[slipspace]].]]
[[File:H2A - Earth and Dreadnought.jpg|270px|left|thumb|Truth's final Covenant invasion fleet and the [[UNSC Home Fleet]] furiously engage each other in orbit for Earth's supremacy as the [[Anodyne Spirit|Forerunner Dreadnought]] exited [[Slipstream space|slipspace]].]]
In [[2552#November|November 2552]] after the [[Flood]] overwhelmed the [[High Charity]], the surviving ships and fleets of the [[High Charity defense fleet]], including the [[Second Fleet of Homogeneous Clarity]], that are loyal to the Prophets managed to follow the Prophet of Truth and his [[Forerunner Dreadnought|Dreadnought]] to Earth, where they joined the fleet that had arrived earlier. While the Dreadnought, along with a Covenant escorting fleet,{{Ref/Comic|Id=HUI1|Comic=Halo: Uprising|Issue=[[Halo: Uprising Issue 1|1]]}}{{Ref/Comic|Id=HUI2|Comic=Halo: Uprising|Issue=[[Halo: Uprising Issue 2|2]]}} traveled through the system for a period of nine days as it was [[Scramble onboard Forerunner Dreadnought|delayed]] by the presence of the [[SPARTAN-II program|Spartan-II]] [[Master Chief Petty Officer]] [[John-117]] before eventually jumping to Earth on November 17,{{Ref/Site|Id=bungie|D=01|M=6|Y=2020|URL=http://halo.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?type=topnews&cid=16989|Site=bungie.net|Page=Bungie Weekly Update 01/23/09}}{{Ref/Site|Id=lrh|URL=https://youtu.be/8K3hG76Ctmo?t=164|Site=YouTube|Page=Halo 101: Long Road Home|D=14|M=06|Y=2021}} the Covenant loyalist armada led by the Prophet of Truth arrived and breached [[Luna]]r perimeter and then battled the horribly-outnumbered and outgunned UNSC Home Fleet that was already weakened by waves of Covenant fleets over Earth. Shortly after, the Dreadnought jumped to Earth where it was later surrounded by the massive space battle between the opposing fleets.{{Ref/Level|Id=TGJ|Game=Halo 2|Level=[[The Great Journey (level)|The Great Journey]]}}{{Ref/Comic|Id=HUI3|Comic=Halo: Uprising|Issue=[[Halo: Uprising Issue 3|3]]}}{{Ref/Reuse|HUI4}} Ultimately, the UNSC defending orbital forces was unsuccessful as too much of the [[UNSC fleet]], including [[Dead fleet|smaller remaining fleets]] completely, and defense forces despite having strong defense was obliterated by the overwhelming Covenant fleet but it is likely that countless Covenant vessels, especially the [[capital ship]]s, was in return destroyed, mainly because of the planet's unusually strong defense, including hundreds of [[orbital defense platform]]s equipped with [[Magnetic Accelerator Cannon#Mark V|"Super" MAC]] guns.{{Ref/Level|Id=H2TA|Game=Halo 2|Level=The Armory|Quote=The ''[[Cairo Station (station)|Cairo]]'' is just one of ''three hundred'' geosync platforms. That MAC gun can put a round clean through a Covenant capital ship. With coordinated fire from the ''[[Athens Station|Athens]]'' and the ''[[Malta Station|Malta]]'', nothing's getting past this battle cluster in one piece.}} Soon after the remnants of the Covenant fleet move in and began to massively [[orbital bombardment|bombard]] Earth, destroying an extreme number of Earth population, including the most of scattered and remaining UNSC resistance forces.{{Ref/Level|Id=H3CN|Game=Halo 3|Level=Crow's Nest}} However, act of self-sacrifice of [[Colonel]] [[James Ackerson]], who was present during the Covenant [[Battle of Mare Erythraeum|assault]] on [[Mars]],{{Ref/Reuse|HUI1}} that of his civilian brother, [[Ruwan Ackerson|Ruwan]], managed to halt most of Covenant occupation of Earth after the destruction of the ''[[Harbinger of Piety]]'', hence the death of one of Covenant [[Minister of Inquisition|Ministers]], and the fact that a supposed Forerunner artifact, known as the [[Key of Osanalan]], was not real at the end of the [[Battle of Cleveland|Battle of]] [[Cleveland]] in [[North America]].{{Ref/Comic|Id=HUI4|Comic=Halo: Uprising|Issue=[[Halo: Uprising Issue 4|4]]}} As a result, the Martian valiant defense forces despite being defeated by the Jiralhanae-led [[Fleet of Furious Redemption]], which sympathized Truth's forces, were credited for delaying the Covenant from pressing their siege on Earth.{{Ref/Site|Id=mars|URL=https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/universe/locations/mars|Site=Halo Waypoint|Page=Mars|Y=2021|D=14|M=06}}
In [[2552#November|November 2552]] after the beginning of the [[Great Schism]] when the Sangheili were thrown out by the Covenant now solely led by the Prophet of Truth and its Jiralhanae loyalists,{{Ref/Level|Id=HG|Game=Halo 2|Level=[[High Charity (level)|High Charity]]}} the [[Flood]] [[Fall of High Charity|overwhelmed]] [[High Charity]] and the remaining Covenant reorganized in an attempt to make a final push offensive on Earth.{{Ref/Reuse|Id=TGJ}} By the time the surviving ships and fleets of the [[High Charity defense fleet]] controlled by the [[San'Shyuum]] and Jiralhanae, including the [[Second Fleet of Homogeneous Clarity]], managed to follow the Prophet of Truth and his [[Anodyne Spirit|Dreadnought]] to Earth,{{Ref/Reuse|Id=TGJ}} where they would join the Covenant forces that had arrived earlier. While the Dreadnought, along with a Covenant escorting fleet,{{Ref/Comic|Id=HUI1|Comic=Halo: Uprising|Issue=[[Halo: Uprising Issue 1|1]]}}{{Ref/Comic|Id=HUI2|Comic=Halo: Uprising|Issue=[[Halo: Uprising Issue 2|2]]}} traveled through the system for a period of nine days as it was [[Scramble onboard Forerunner Dreadnought|delayed]] by the presence of the [[SPARTAN-II program|Spartan-II]] [[Master Chief Petty Officer]] [[John-117]] before eventually jumping to Earth on November 17,{{Ref/Site|Id=bungie|D=01|M=6|Y=2020|URL=http://halo.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?type=topnews&cid=16989|Site=bungie.net|Page=Bungie Weekly Update 01/23/09}}{{Ref/Site|Id=lrh|URL=https://youtu.be/8K3hG76Ctmo?t=164|Site=YouTube|Page=Halo 101: Long Road Home|D=14|M=06|Y=2021}} a massive{{Ref/Reuse|HUI4}} Covenant loyalist armada led by the Prophet of Truth arrived in the [[Sol system]].{{Ref/Reuse|Id=TGJ}} By this point, the UNSC was hardly faced with impossible odds with no hope in sight against the full might of Covenant forces on Earth as they began to dramatically increase and mostly focus their forces on the planet following the UNSC's defeat on [[Mars]] after the [[Battle of Mare Erythraeum]].{{Ref/Reuse|HUI4}}{{Ref/Reuse|HUI3}} However, [[Colonel]] [[James Ackerson]]'s work in the siege on Mars helped buy UNSC ground forces on Earth precious time.<ref>'''[[Halo Encyclopedia (2009 edition)]]'''</ref>
 
The final Covenant fleet breached [[Luna]]r perimeter and then battled the horribly-outnumbered and outgunned UNSC Home Fleet that was already weakened by waves of Covenant fleets over Earth. Shortly after, the Dreadnought jumped to Earth where it was later surrounded by the massive space battle between the opposing fleets in high Earth orbit.{{Ref/Level|Id=TGJ|Game=Halo 2|Level=[[The Great Journey (level)|The Great Journey]]}}{{Ref/Comic|Id=HUI3|Comic=Halo: Uprising|Issue=[[Halo: Uprising Issue 3|3]]}}{{Ref/Reuse|HUI4}} Ultimately, the UNSC defending orbital forces was unsuccessful as too much of the [[UNSC fleet]], including many [[Dead fleet|smaller remaining fleets]], and defense forces despite having strong defense was completely obliterated by the overwhelming Covenant fleet but it is likely that countless Covenant vessels, especially the [[capital ship]]s, was in return destroyed, mainly because of the planet's unusually strong defense, including hundreds of [[orbital defense platform]]s equipped with [[Magnetic Accelerator Cannon#Mark V|"Super" MAC]] guns.{{Ref/Level|Id=H2TA|Game=Halo 2|Level=The Armory|Quote=The ''[[Cairo Station (station)|Cairo]]'' is just one of ''three hundred'' geosync platforms. That MAC gun can put a round clean through a Covenant capital ship. With coordinated fire from the ''[[Athens Station|Athens]]'' and the ''[[Malta Station|Malta]]'', nothing's getting past this battle cluster in one piece.}} Soon after the remnants of the Covenant fleet move in and began to massively [[orbital bombardment|bombard]] Earth, destroying an extreme number of Earth population, including the most of scattered and remaining UNSC resistance forces.{{Ref/Level|Id=H3CN|Game=Halo 3|Level=Crow's Nest}}  
 
However, before the [[planet]] could be completely glassed and fell with relative ease to the might of the unparralled Covenant invaders like [[Reach]] with an all but achieved and inevitable Covenant victory, the act of self-sacrifice of James Ackerson{{Ref/Reuse|HUI1}} and that of his civilian brother, [[Ruwan Ackerson|Ruwan]], managed to slow down Covenant occupation of Earth after the destruction of the ''[[Harbinger of Piety]]'', hence the death of one of Covenant [[Minister of Inquisition|Ministers]], and the fact that a supposed Forerunner artifact, known as the [[Key of Osanalan]], was not real at the end of the [[Battle of Cleveland|Battle of]] [[Cleveland]] in [[North America]].{{Ref/Comic|Id=HUI4|Comic=Halo: Uprising|Issue=[[Halo: Uprising Issue 4|4]]}} As a result, the Martian valiant defense forces despite being defeated by the Jiralhanae-led [[Fleet of Furious Redemption]], which sympathized Truth's forces, were credited for delaying the Covenant from pressing their siege on Earth.{{Ref/Site|Id=mars|URL=https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/universe/locations/mars|Site=Halo Waypoint|Page=Mars|Y=2021|D=14|M=06}}


Upon Truth's arrival on Earth the Dreadnought landed directly on the nearly uncovered Forerunner Portal at Voi that lead to the Ark on the [[East African Protectorate|East Africa]], allowing his fleet to cluster around the structure and set up a defensive perimeter. After the [[John-117|Master Chief]] joined up with [[UNSC]] forces, he spearheaded [[Battle of Kenya|an effort]] that pushed the fleet's ground forces further towards their innermost stronghold – the [[Portal at Voi|Forerunner portal generator]]. However, they were too late to prevent Truth from activating the Forerunner structure.{{Ref/Level|Id=TheStorm|Game=Halo 3|Level=The Storm}} After the Prophet of Truth activated the Portal, its fleet under his command went through [[Slipspace portal|the slipspace rift]] to the Ark, a massive [[Forerunner]] installation outside the [[Milky Way Galaxy]]. Soon after this the [[Flood]][[Indulgence of Conviction|-controlled battlecruiser]] appeared and crashed into the city, delaying the UNSC's attempt to pursue the loyalist fleet and forcing them to blow up the ship.{{Ref/Level|Id=H3Flood|Game=Halo 3|Level=Floodgate}}
Upon Truth's arrival on Earth the Dreadnought landed directly on the nearly uncovered Forerunner Portal at Voi that lead to the Ark on the [[East African Protectorate|East Africa]], allowing his fleet to cluster around the structure and set up a defensive perimeter. After the [[John-117|Master Chief]] joined up with [[UNSC]] forces, he spearheaded [[Battle of Kenya|an effort]] that pushed the fleet's ground forces further towards their innermost stronghold – the [[Portal at Voi|Forerunner portal generator]]. However, they were too late to prevent Truth from activating the Forerunner structure.{{Ref/Level|Id=TheStorm|Game=Halo 3|Level=The Storm}} After the Prophet of Truth activated the Portal, its fleet under his command went through [[Slipspace portal|the slipspace rift]] to the Ark, a massive [[Forerunner]] installation outside the [[Milky Way Galaxy]]. Soon after this the [[Flood]][[Indulgence of Conviction|-controlled battlecruiser]] appeared and crashed into the city, delaying the UNSC's attempt to pursue the loyalist fleet and forcing them to blow up the ship.{{Ref/Level|Id=H3Flood|Game=Halo 3|Level=Floodgate}}
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===Battle of Installation 00===
===Battle of Installation 00===
{{Main|Battle of Installation 00}}
{{Main|Battle of Installation 00}}
[[File:H3 Truths fleet vs Fleet of Retribution.jpg|thumb|300px|Truth's Jiralhanae fleet confronts the Fleet of Retribution and the Battle Group Victory]]
[[File:H3 - Retribution Victory vs Truths Fleet.png|thumb|300px|Truth's Jiralhanae fleet confronts the Fleet of Retribution and the Battle Group Victory]]
On [[2552#December|December 11]], the fleet used this time to deploy ground forces to the Ark, while Truth and his [[Jiralhanae Bodyguard|bodyguard]] of Jiralhanae moved to [[the Citadel]] to activate the [[Halo Array|Halo rings]].
On [[2552#December|December 11]], the fleet used this time to deploy ground forces to the Ark, while Truth and his [[Jiralhanae Bodyguard|bodyguard]] of Jiralhanae moved to [[the Citadel]] to activate the [[Halo Array|Halo rings]].{{Ref/Reuse|Id=TheArk}}


After the humans and Sangheili contained the Flood on Earth, a joint UNSC-Sangheili effort, consisting of the [[Battle Group Victory]], and a [[battle group]] of [[Covenant separatists|Seperatist]] [[Fleet of Retribution]], spearheaded by the [[CAS-class assault carrier|assault carrier]], ''[[Shadow of Intent]]'', managed to follow the Covenant ships a few hours after their initial retreat through the portal. Upon arriving above the Ark on December 11, the Jiralhanae fleet [[Battle of Installation 00|engaged]] the Fleet of Retribution, backed up by the UNSC frigates. While Truth's fleet outnumbered the UNSC-Sangheili fleet three to one, the Sangheili's tactics proved superior to that of the Jiralhanae, eventually obliterating the entirety of the loyalist fleet except at least [[Foebane|one]] [[ORS-class heavy cruiser|heavy cruiser]] that abandoned the other Covanant forces to their doom earlier.{{Ref/Level|Id=TheArk|Game=Halo 3|Level=The Ark}} Together with the utter defeat of the Jiralhanae-led forces on the Ark itself during the conflict on the installation and Truth's eventual death at the hands of the [[Arbiter]] [[Thel 'Vadam]], this signalled the final and pyrrhic UNSC-Sangheili victory over the [[Covenant]] and the end of the 27-years-long [[Human-Covenant War]].{{Ref/Level|Id=TheCovenant|Game=Halo 3|Level=[[The Covenant (level)|The Covenant]]}}{{Ref/Level|Id=Halo|Game=Halo 3|Level=[[Halo (Halo 3 level)|Halo]]}}
After the humans and Sangheili contained the Flood on Earth, a joint UNSC-Sangheili effort, consisting of the [[Battle Group Victory]], and a [[battle group]] of the [[Covenant separatists|Seperatist]] [[Fleet of Retribution]], spearheaded by the [[CAS-class assault carrier|assault carrier]], ''[[Shadow of Intent]]'', managed to follow the Covenant ships a few hours after their initial retreat through the portal. Upon arriving above the Ark on December 11, the Jiralhanae fleet [[Battle of Installation 00|engaged]] the Fleet of Retribution, backed up by the UNSC frigates. While Truth's fleet outnumbered the UNSC-Sangheili fleet three to one, the Sangheili's tactics proved superior to that of the Jiralhanae, eventually obliterating the entirety of the loyalist fleet except at least [[Foebane|one]] [[Varric-pattern heavy cruiser|heavy cruiser]] that abandoned the other Covanant forces to their doom earlier.{{Ref/Level|Id=TheArk|Game=Halo 3|Level=The Ark}} Together with the utter defeat of the Jiralhanae-led forces on the Ark itself during the conflict on the installation and Truth's eventual death at the hands of the [[Arbiter]] [[Thel 'Vadam]], this signalled the final and pyrrhic UNSC-Sangheili victory over the [[Covenant]] and the end of the 27-years-long [[Human-Covenant War]].{{Ref/Level|Id=TheCovenant|Game=Halo 3|Level=[[The Covenant (level)|The Covenant]]}}{{Ref/Level|Id=Halo|Game=Halo 3|Level=[[Halo (Halo 3 level)|Halo]]}}


As of April [[2559]], the wreckage of one of Truth's cruisers remained to orbit the Installation 00.{{Ref/Site|Id=FB|URL=https://www.facebook.com/groups/1884365661787920/permalink/2257678564456626/?comment_id=2258443351046814|Site=Facebook|Page=Ken Peters|Y=2017|D=23|M=06}}
As of April [[2559]], the wreckage of one of Truth's cruisers remained to orbit the Installation 00.{{Ref/Site|Id=FB|URL=https://www.facebook.com/groups/1884365661787920/permalink/2257678564456626/?comment_id=2258443351046814|Site=Facebook|Page=Ken Peters|Y=2017|D=23|M=06}}
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{{clear}}
{{clear}}


==Compostion==
==Composition==
As of late [[2552]], at least two known fleets, both the over-500-ships-strong combined armada and the latter rebuilt excavation fleet replacement, that were controlled by the [[Prophet of Truth]] were gathered as the Prophet's plan for the assault on [[Earth]] after secretly discovering the planet in aftermath of the [[Fall of Reach|Fall of]] [[Reach]], particularly the occupation of the [[Portal at Voi|portal]] to the [[Installation 00|Ark]] at [[East African Protectorate|East]] [[Africa]]. All exclusively led by the [[Jiralhanae]] who showed a great ferocity and an unquestioning loyalty to the [[San'Shyuum|Prophets]] even more than the [[Sangheili]] who were formerly the top of the Covenant military hierarchy until the [[Great Schism]], this was also made as a plan to [[Changing of the Guard|replace]] Sangheili by Jiralhanae as the main military leaders as Truth was obsessed with the Great Journey and the stability of the [[Covenant|Covenant Empire]].{{Ref/Reuse|Oct20}}
As of late [[2552]], at least two known fleets, both the over-500-ships-strong combined armada and the latter rebuilt excavation fleet replacement, that were controlled by the [[Prophet of Truth]] were gathered as the Prophet's plan for the assault on [[Earth]] after secretly discovering the planet in aftermath of the [[Fall of Reach|Fall of]] [[Reach]], particularly the occupation of the [[Portal at Voi|portal]] to the [[Installation 00|Ark]] at [[East African Protectorate|East]] [[Africa]]. All exclusively led by the [[Jiralhanae]] who showed a great ferocity and an unquestioning loyalty to the [[San'Shyuum|Prophets]] even more than the [[Sangheili]] who were formerly the top of the Covenant military hierarchy until the [[Great Schism]], this was also made as a plan to [[Changing of the Guard|replace]] Sangheili by Jiralhanae as the main military leaders as Truth was obsessed with the Great Journey and the stability of the [[Covenant|Covenant Empire]].{{Ref/Reuse|Oct20}}


Although only few forces of the second and excavation fleet engaged the UNSC forces on Earth while most of Prophet of Truth's excavation fleet remained preoccupied with the Portal,{{Ref/Reuse|mythos}}{{Ref/Reuse|lootcrate2}} numerous other Covenant forces, [[Covenant fleet|fleets]] and [[Covenant starship|vessels]] were deployed during the Covenant [[Battle for Earth|assault]] on Earth and the rest of the Sol system, such as [[Mount Erebus]], the [[Yucatan Peninsula]] and [[Havana]], [[Wikipedia:Cuba|Cuba]], [[Luna]], and [[Mars]] with a number of Covenant warships engaged 3 UNSC fleets of the [[UNSC Home Fleet|Home Fleet]] over Earth on November 3.{{Ref/Novel|Id=goo204|Halo: Ghosts of Onyx|Page=204-205}} However, it is unknown if they were part of the forces led by the Prophet of Truth and his Jiralhanae loyalists as they were maybe led independently by other Covenant leaders but less organized than Truth's forces,{{Ref/Reuse|lootcrate2}} possibly even led by Sangheili commanders until their betrayal at the time of the [[Great Schism]] when the Jiralhanae then assumed the total command of Covenant forces on the Sol system, including the [[Fleet of Furious Redemption]], and sympathized the Prophet of Truth and his forces.{{Ref/Reuse|HUI1}}{{Ref/Reuse|lootcrate2}}
Although only few forces of the second and excavation fleet engaged the UNSC forces on Earth while most of Prophet of Truth's excavation fleet remained preoccupied with the Portal,{{Ref/Reuse|mythos}}{{Ref/Reuse|lootcrate2}} numerous other Covenant forces, [[Covenant fleet|fleets]] and [[Covenant starship|vessels]] were deployed during the Covenant [[Battle for Earth|assault]] on Earth and the rest of the Sol system, such as [[Mount Erebus]], the [[Yucatan Peninsula]] and [[Havana]], [[Wikipedia:Cuba|Cuba]], [[Luna]], and [[Mars]] with a number of Covenant warships that engaged [[Second Fleet|3]] [[Seventh Fleet|UNSC]] [[Sixteenth Fleet|fleets]] of the [[UNSC Home Fleet|Home Fleet]] over Earth on November 3.{{Ref/Novel|Id=goo204|Halo: Ghosts of Onyx|Page=204-205}} However, it is unknown if they were part of the forces led by the Prophet of Truth and his Jiralhanae loyalists as they were maybe led independently by other Covenant leaders but less organized than Truth's forces,{{Ref/Reuse|lootcrate2}} possibly even led by Sangheili commanders until their betrayal at the time of the [[Great Schism]] when the Jiralhanae would assume the total command of Covenant forces in the Sol system, including the [[Fleet of Furious Redemption]], and sympathized the Prophet of Truth and his loyal forces.{{Ref/Reuse|HUI1}}{{Ref/Reuse|lootcrate2}}


{{Col-begin}}
{{Col-begin}}
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*''[[Anodyne Spirit]]'' – [[Flagship]] of the Prophet of Truth and his fleet after the [[Fall of High Charity]], remains intact as of [[2559]].{{Ref/Novel|Novel=Halo: Shadows of Reach}}
*''[[Anodyne Spirit]]'' – [[Flagship]] of the Prophet of Truth and his fleet after the [[Fall of High Charity]], remains intact as of [[2559]].{{Ref/Novel|Novel=Halo: Shadows of Reach}}


====''ORS''-class heavy cruiser====
====''ORS''-class heavy cruisers====
*''[[Gathering of Praise]]''{{Ref/Generic|Id=lootcrate5|Heading=[[Halo Legendary Crate]]|Subheading=[[Halo Legendary Crate/Data Drops|Data Drop #5]]}} – Commanded by [[Hekabe]], participated in the [[Battle for Earth]] and survived the [[Battle of Installation 00]].{{Ref/Reuse|lootcrate5}} Later named as ''Foebane'' and destroyed during the [[Carrow Conflict]].{{Ref/Novel|Novel=Halo: Envoy}}
*''[[Gathering of Praise]]''{{Ref/Generic|Id=lootcrate5|Heading=[[Halo Legendary Crate]]|Subheading=[[Halo Legendary Crate/Data Drops|Data Drop #5]]}} – Commanded by [[Hekabe]], participated in the [[Battle for Earth]] and survived the [[Battle of Installation 00]].{{Ref/Reuse|lootcrate5}} Later named as ''Foebane'' and destroyed during the [[Carrow Conflict]].{{Ref/Novel|Novel=Halo: Envoy}}


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===Allied fleets===
===Allied fleets===
*[[Fleet of Furious Redemption]]{{Ref/Reuse|HUI1}} – Status unknown
*[[Fleet of Furious Redemption]]{{Ref/Reuse|HUI1}} – Status unknown
*Jiralhane-controlled [[High Charity defense fleet]]{{Ref/Reuse|HUI1}}{{Ref/Reuse|H3CN}}
*Jiralhanae-controlled [[High Charity defense fleet]]{{Ref/Reuse|HUI1}}{{Ref/Reuse|H3CN}}
**Jiralhane-controlled [[Second Fleet of Homogeneous Clarity]]{{Ref/Reuse|HUI1}}{{Ref/Reuse|H3CN}}
**Jiralhanae-controlled [[Second Fleet of Homogeneous Clarity]]{{Ref/Reuse|HUI1}}{{Ref/Reuse|H3CN}}
{{Col-end}}
{{Col-end}}


==Gallery==
==Gallery==
<gallery>
<gallery>
File:PL Banished.jpg|A hologram of one of Truth's destroyed ''CCS''-class battlecruisers near the {{UNSCShip|Spirit of Fire}} in ''[[Halo Wars 2]]''.
File:PL Banished.jpg|A hologram of one of Truth's destroyed ''Ket''-pattern battlecruisers near the {{UNSCShip|Spirit of Fire}} in ''[[Halo Wars 2]]''.
</gallery>
</gallery>


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{{Covenant Fleet Units}}
{{Covenant Fleet Units}}
[[Category:Covenant fleets]]
[[Category:Covenant fleets]]
[[Category:Unidentified content]]

Revision as of 18:53, April 8, 2024

This article is based on canon information, but the article's title is conjectural and/or uses descriptions as the title, as there is currently no official name for the subject.
Truth's fleet
The Prophet of Truth's loyalist fleet over Installation 00.

Formed:

2552

Affiliation:

Covenant

Group:

Covenant fleet

Type:

Fleet

Size:

Flagship:

Anodyne Spirit (post-Great Schism)

Engagements:

Commanders:

 

In the final months of the Human-Covenant War, the High Prophet of Truth had a massive fleet under his personal command. Originally composed of over five hundred capital ships,[1] it was initially one of the largest known Covenant fleets although the fleet suffered tremendous losses when its command-and-control station, Unyielding Hierophant, exploded. After rebuilding the fleet for some time and aware of the Prophet of Regret's assault on Earth, Truth sent it to Earth,[3] where it was dispatched at Mombasa to excavate the Portal at Voi that lead the Ark and secure the area for Truth's arrival by his loyal fleet. On November 17, the fleet was joined by remnants of the Covenant forces loyal to the Prophets from the High Charity defensive fleet and Truth himself.[7] Later, the fleet journeyed through the Portal to the Ark, where it met its end.[10]

History

The fleet at Unyielding Hierophant.
The massive space station Unyielding Hierophant leading a combined Jiralhanae-controlled assault armada of over 500 warships assembled by the Prophet of Truth.

Formation

Main article: Operation: FIRST STRIKE

Following the Fall of Reach, the Prophet of Truth discovered the location of the human homeworld and started assembling a massive fleet of over five hundred warships for the planned invasion of Earth. Ships scattered around the galaxy were ordered to regroup, including one group of ships that was to jump to the Lambda Serpentis system, to gather tritium gas for their reactors and then the Hawking system to meet with three dozen carriers and effect a transfer of Seraph fighters. Finally, the fleet would be summoned to the command-and-control station, Unyielding Hierophant which was holding position in Tau Ceti system in September, 2552. When a sufficient amount of ships were gathered, the fleet would then make a collective jump straight to Earth.[3]

Due to Truth's devious plans for the Covenant, this fleet was commanded exclusively by the Jiralhanae and featured only few Sangheili in its ranks; an arrangement unheard of in the Covenant before the Great Schism. For similar reasons, Truth kept the existence of this fleet, and the fact he had discovered humanity's homeworld, secret even from his fellow Hierarchs.[3] This would make it a simple matter to turn the fleet against the Sangheili once the humans were wiped out. This plan had more immediate advantages as well; leaving the Sangheili to scour Earth in search of the most sacred Forerunner artifact in existence, the mammoth structure and portal generator that served as the gateway to the Ark, would have placed Truth's plan upon the shoulders of a species he had already decided to cast aside.[3][11]

However, Truth's plan was slowed down when a small group of human survivors from Reach and Installation 04 discovered the fleet, leading to the destruction of the Unyielding Hierophant at the hands of a team of SPARTAN-IIs. Only a dozen ships survived the station's explosion, though they were left heavily damaged and limped back to High Charity.[2] For a moment the imminent assault on Earth had been postponed.[12] Following the loss of Unyielding Hierophant, in High Charity the Chieftain of the Jiralhanae Tartarus arrived at the Sanctum of the Hierarchs where Truth waited within.

Once informed on the destruction of his armada, while disturbed by the disaster, Truth otherwise regarded it as a minor setback, and told Tartarus to have the surviving ships rendezvous at their designated coordinates. He also ordered the reward and secret execution of the remaining pilots from Operation: FIRST STRIKE, so as not to cause panic in the Covenant by stories of how the Demons had obliterated an entire fleet of hundreds of warships.[13] Knowledge of the Unyielding Hierophant's ultimate goal, and its eventual destruction, were eliminated by the Prophet of Truth to keep his plans as a secret to the rest of the Covenant.[3]

After the Unyielding Hierophant was destroyed, the Prophet of Regret, completely oblivious of Truth's plan, discovered the location of the gateway to the Ark by via a Forerunner Luminary that was found on Meridian at the end of 3-years-long siege on the planet in 2551; coincidentally, this structure was located on a planet known as "Erde-Tyrenne" by the Forerunner, which was in fact the human's homeworld, Earth. Unaware of the human presence, Regret led a detachment of fifteen ships to Earth. While he learned of the human presence upon arrival on October 20, he was so blinded by his religious fervor he ignored Earth's orbital defenses and jumped to the planet's surface, immediately deploying troops to the African city of Mombasa in search of the Forerunner artifact, while his ships fought the UNSC Home Fleet, including the Fifth Fleet and the Seventh Fleet, in orbit.[3]

Battle for Earth

Main article: Battle for Earth

Battle of Mombasa

Main article: Battle of Mombasa
The fleet excavating the Portal, forcing Alpha-Nine to retreat.

Immediately after the Prophet of Truth learned of Regret's departure to Earth and rebuilding his fleet as a large support and excavation fleet for the Portal to the Ark, he sent his fleet after him and initialed his plan to replace the Sangheili with the Jiralhanae as the Covenant's primary warriors while doubting the reliability and loyalty of the Sangheili earlier.[3] These forces of Truth's renewed fleet led by the Jiralhanae was both archaeological and military.[14] While Truth's fleet was on its way after Regret's carrier was forced to retreat as UNSC forces retook the city, the remaining Covenant forces, now without a leader, continued to engage the Home Fleet in space.[3] Shortly after, the Jiralhanae that were left behind by Regret were given orders to eliminate the Sangheili still in command of what was left of Regret's fleet and kill any remaining Sangheili troops still stationed on or above the planet; an order they would willingly obey.[3]

As ordered by Truth, the Jiralhanae assumed the total command of the remainder of cruisers of Regret's Fleet of Sacred Consecration, including the Pious Inquisitor, battling UNSC forces above and within New Mombasa. They as well aggressively began occupying the city with significant infantry, until Truth's reinforcements arrived to ensure that the arrival of the Prophet to the Portal nearly a month later was to be fully secured by his true loyalists as the Covenant forces on the city was needed to be led by the Jiralhanae and not the Sangheili to avoid his aspirations upon the shoulders of a species he had planned to expel from the Covenant and eliminate them.[3][11]

Later, the cruisers were gathered over the industrial center and started excavating the Forerunner structure by glassing the planet's surface around it, including Mombasa, starting from the crater created by the in-atmosphere slipspace jump of Regret's ship. Eventually the next day on October 21, the Prophet of Truth's fleet arrived to join Regret's fleet remnants for excavation of the excession to the Ark while more and more other Covenant reinforcements later arrived and launched a large full-scale assault on the planet.[15][3] While the majority of Covenant forces that were under Truth's command, including most of his fleet, were preoccupied and focusing their primary objective for the excavation of the portal as the largest and most organized Covenant stronghold on the planet,[16] only a handful of vessels of Truth's fleet and its deployed forces attacked the UNSC forces,[17] including those at the outskirts of Mombasa during the seven-day-long second battle of the city.[18] However, some of these forces were disorganized and sometimes less effective against the UNSC.[16]

Further engagements

Main article: Battle of Kenya
Truth's final Covenant invasion fleet and the UNSC Home Fleet furiously engage each other in orbit for Earth's supremacy as the Forerunner Dreadnought exited slipspace.

In November 2552 after the beginning of the Great Schism when the Sangheili were thrown out by the Covenant now solely led by the Prophet of Truth and its Jiralhanae loyalists,[19] the Flood overwhelmed High Charity and the remaining Covenant reorganized in an attempt to make a final push offensive on Earth.[5] By the time the surviving ships and fleets of the High Charity defense fleet controlled by the San'Shyuum and Jiralhanae, including the Second Fleet of Homogeneous Clarity, managed to follow the Prophet of Truth and his Dreadnought to Earth,[5] where they would join the Covenant forces that had arrived earlier. While the Dreadnought, along with a Covenant escorting fleet,[20][21] traveled through the system for a period of nine days as it was delayed by the presence of the Spartan-II Master Chief Petty Officer John-117 before eventually jumping to Earth on November 17,[11][22] a massive[6] Covenant loyalist armada led by the Prophet of Truth arrived in the Sol system.[5] By this point, the UNSC was hardly faced with impossible odds with no hope in sight against the full might of Covenant forces on Earth as they began to dramatically increase and mostly focus their forces on the planet following the UNSC's defeat on Mars after the Battle of Mare Erythraeum.[6][23] However, Colonel James Ackerson's work in the siege on Mars helped buy UNSC ground forces on Earth precious time.[24]

The final Covenant fleet breached Lunar perimeter and then battled the horribly-outnumbered and outgunned UNSC Home Fleet that was already weakened by waves of Covenant fleets over Earth. Shortly after, the Dreadnought jumped to Earth where it was later surrounded by the massive space battle between the opposing fleets in high Earth orbit.[5][23][6] Ultimately, the UNSC defending orbital forces was unsuccessful as too much of the UNSC fleet, including many smaller remaining fleets, and defense forces despite having strong defense was completely obliterated by the overwhelming Covenant fleet but it is likely that countless Covenant vessels, especially the capital ships, was in return destroyed, mainly because of the planet's unusually strong defense, including hundreds of orbital defense platforms equipped with "Super" MAC guns.[9] Soon after the remnants of the Covenant fleet move in and began to massively bombard Earth, destroying an extreme number of Earth population, including the most of scattered and remaining UNSC resistance forces.[7]

However, before the planet could be completely glassed and fell with relative ease to the might of the unparralled Covenant invaders like Reach with an all but achieved and inevitable Covenant victory, the act of self-sacrifice of James Ackerson[20] and that of his civilian brother, Ruwan, managed to slow down Covenant occupation of Earth after the destruction of the Harbinger of Piety, hence the death of one of Covenant Ministers, and the fact that a supposed Forerunner artifact, known as the Key of Osanalan, was not real at the end of the Battle of Cleveland in North America.[6] As a result, the Martian valiant defense forces despite being defeated by the Jiralhanae-led Fleet of Furious Redemption, which sympathized Truth's forces, were credited for delaying the Covenant from pressing their siege on Earth.[25]

Upon Truth's arrival on Earth the Dreadnought landed directly on the nearly uncovered Forerunner Portal at Voi that lead to the Ark on the East Africa, allowing his fleet to cluster around the structure and set up a defensive perimeter. After the Master Chief joined up with UNSC forces, he spearheaded an effort that pushed the fleet's ground forces further towards their innermost stronghold – the Forerunner portal generator. However, they were too late to prevent Truth from activating the Forerunner structure.[26] After the Prophet of Truth activated the Portal, its fleet under his command went through the slipspace rift to the Ark, a massive Forerunner installation outside the Milky Way Galaxy. Soon after this the Flood-controlled battlecruiser appeared and crashed into the city, delaying the UNSC's attempt to pursue the loyalist fleet and forcing them to blow up the ship.[27]

Battle of Installation 00

Main article: Battle of Installation 00
The Sangheili Fleet of Retribution and the UNSC Battle Group Victory preparing to engage the Prophet of Truth's massive loyalist fleet as the enemy fleet move to attack the UNSC-Sangheili battle group.
Truth's Jiralhanae fleet confronts the Fleet of Retribution and the Battle Group Victory

On December 11, the fleet used this time to deploy ground forces to the Ark, while Truth and his bodyguard of Jiralhanae moved to the Citadel to activate the Halo rings.[10]

After the humans and Sangheili contained the Flood on Earth, a joint UNSC-Sangheili effort, consisting of the Battle Group Victory, and a battle group of the Seperatist Fleet of Retribution, spearheaded by the assault carrier, Shadow of Intent, managed to follow the Covenant ships a few hours after their initial retreat through the portal. Upon arriving above the Ark on December 11, the Jiralhanae fleet engaged the Fleet of Retribution, backed up by the UNSC frigates. While Truth's fleet outnumbered the UNSC-Sangheili fleet three to one, the Sangheili's tactics proved superior to that of the Jiralhanae, eventually obliterating the entirety of the loyalist fleet except at least one heavy cruiser that abandoned the other Covanant forces to their doom earlier.[10] Together with the utter defeat of the Jiralhanae-led forces on the Ark itself during the conflict on the installation and Truth's eventual death at the hands of the Arbiter Thel 'Vadam, this signalled the final and pyrrhic UNSC-Sangheili victory over the Covenant and the end of the 27-years-long Human-Covenant War.[28][29]

As of April 2559, the wreckage of one of Truth's cruisers remained to orbit the Installation 00.[30]

Composition

As of late 2552, at least two known fleets, both the over-500-ships-strong combined armada and the latter rebuilt excavation fleet replacement, that were controlled by the Prophet of Truth were gathered as the Prophet's plan for the assault on Earth after secretly discovering the planet in aftermath of the Fall of Reach, particularly the occupation of the portal to the Ark at East Africa. All exclusively led by the Jiralhanae who showed a great ferocity and an unquestioning loyalty to the Prophets even more than the Sangheili who were formerly the top of the Covenant military hierarchy until the Great Schism, this was also made as a plan to replace Sangheili by Jiralhanae as the main military leaders as Truth was obsessed with the Great Journey and the stability of the Covenant Empire.[3]

Although only few forces of the second and excavation fleet engaged the UNSC forces on Earth while most of Prophet of Truth's excavation fleet remained preoccupied with the Portal,[17][16] numerous other Covenant forces, fleets and vessels were deployed during the Covenant assault on Earth and the rest of the Sol system, such as Mount Erebus, the Yucatan Peninsula and Havana, Cuba, Luna, and Mars with a number of Covenant warships that engaged 3 UNSC fleets of the Home Fleet over Earth on November 3.[31] However, it is unknown if they were part of the forces led by the Prophet of Truth and his Jiralhanae loyalists as they were maybe led independently by other Covenant leaders but less organized than Truth's forces,[16] possibly even led by Sangheili commanders until their betrayal at the time of the Great Schism when the Jiralhanae would assume the total command of Covenant forces in the Sol system, including the Fleet of Furious Redemption, and sympathized the Prophet of Truth and his loyal forces.[20][16]

Battle of Installation 00

Forerunner keyship

ORS-class heavy cruisers

Covenant frigates

Allied fleets

Gallery

List of appearances

Notes

  1. ^ a b In the opening of the Halo 3 level The Ark, a Sangheili bridge officer aboard the Shadow of Intent states that at the onset of the battle above Installation 00, Truth's fleet outnumbers their own force by a ratio of three-to-one. It should be noted that this statement need not reflect the exact ratio of enemy and friendly vessels, for a variety of reasons: the officer may have been rounding for brevity's sake, some of Truth's fleet may have been engaged in other actions at the onset of the battle and only joined the fight after, or the officer may have even neglected to consider any UNSC vessels (such as the Forward Unto Dawn) in his statement. That being said, a total of 44 battlecruisers and two assault carriers of Truth's fleet can be seen at the Portal in the levels Tsavo Highway and The Storm. However, it cannot be stated with certainty that all 46 of these aforementioned vessels entered the Portal as it is known that the Battle for Earth continued after Truth left for Installation 00; as such, some of these vessels may have remained to continue the fight at Earth. Furthermore, at least three other Covenant vessels (the Gathering of Praise, the Twilight Compunction, and an unnamed freighter mentioned in this Phoenix log), which are neither battlecruisers nor assault carriers, are known to have participated in the Battle of Installation 00, bringing the total possible number of known vessels in Truth's fleet to 50, when the Anodyne Spirit is considered. Despite all of this, the Fleet of Retribution (plus the Forward Unto Dawn) is only shown to include eleven ships in the opening of The Ark, which calls into question the bridge officer's statement once more. It is possible that the Fleet of Retribution was larger than shown in the opening cutscene, possibly even including more UNSC vessels such as the Charon-class light frigates of Battle Group Victory. It is also possible that Truth's fleet at Installation 00 had less than 50 vessels, assuming some of the cruisers at the Portal were instructed to remain at Earth. With the seven vessels depicted in the opening cutscene of the Ark, the Gathering of Praise, the Twilight Compunction, the unnamed freighter, and the Anodyne Spirit, Truth's fleet is known to have included at the very least 11 vessels. However, given the statement by the bridge officer and the ten vessels of the Fleet of Retribution (ignoring the Forward Unto Dawn), a reasonable assumption for the minimum strength of Truth's fleet is 30 vessels.

Sources

  1. ^ a b Halo: First Strike, page 297
  2. ^ a b Halo: First Strike, page 333
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Halo Waypoint - Ten Twenty
  4. ^ Halo 3: ODST, campaign level Coastal Highway
  5. ^ a b c d e f Halo 2, campaign level The Great Journey
  6. ^ a b c d e Halo: Uprising, issue 4
  7. ^ a b c d e f g Halo 3, campaign level Crow's Nest
  8. ^ a b c d e Halo Legendary Crate - Data Drop #5
  9. ^ a b Halo 2, campaign level The Armory: "The Cairo is just one of three hundred geosync platforms. That MAC gun can put a round clean through a Covenant capital ship. With coordinated fire from the Athens and the Malta, nothing's getting past this battle cluster in one piece."
  10. ^ a b c Halo 3, campaign level The Ark
  11. ^ a b c bungie.net, Bungie Weekly Update 01/23/09 (Retrieved on Jun 1, 2020) [archive]
  12. ^ Halo Mythos, page ??
  13. ^ Halo: First Strike
  14. ^ halo3.com - About Halo, Characters, Humans (Archive)
  15. ^ Halo Waypoint, Canon Fodder - Vergil Reality (Retrieved on Jun 15, 2021) [archive]
  16. ^ a b c d e Halo Legendary Crate - Data Drop #2
  17. ^ a b Halo Mythos, page 117
  18. ^ Believe - Museum
  19. ^ Halo 2, campaign level High Charity
  20. ^ a b c d e f Halo: Uprising, issue 1
  21. ^ Halo: Uprising, issue 2
  22. ^ YouTube, Halo 101: Long Road Home (Retrieved on Jun 14, 2021) [archive]
  23. ^ a b Halo: Uprising, issue 3
  24. ^ Halo Encyclopedia (2009 edition)
  25. ^ Halo Waypoint, Mars (Retrieved on Jun 14, 2021) [archive]
  26. ^ Halo 3, campaign level The Storm
  27. ^ Halo 3, campaign level Floodgate
  28. ^ Halo 3, campaign level The Covenant
  29. ^ Halo 3, campaign level Halo
  30. ^ Facebook, Ken Peters (Retrieved on Jun 23, 2017) [archive]
  31. ^ Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, page 204-205
  32. ^ Halo: Shadows of Reach
  33. ^ Halo: Envoy

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Fleets of the Covenant and its remnants
Fleets
Flotillas
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