2552: Difference between revisions

A [[Covenant]] fleet is discovered by [[Ensign]] [[William Lovell]] on [[UNSC]] [[Remote Scanning Outpost]] [[Archimedes]], entering the [[Sigma Octanus]] system. [[Commander]] [[Keyes]], on board the [[UNSC]] [[Destroyer]] [[Iroquois]], takes on 4 medium-tonnage [[Covenant]] craft (two [[Frigate]]s, one [[destroyer]], one [[carrier]]), and destroys 3 of them in what becomes known as the '[[Keyes Loop]]'. The [[Carrier]] heads to [[Sigma Octanus IV]] and drops [[Covenant]] troops, invading the city of [[Côte d'Azur]]. [[Keyes]] is promoted to [[Captain]] by [[Admiral Micheal Stanforth]]. [[General Kits]] and his marines take on the [[Covenant]] invaders groundside.

The [[Master Chief]] gets a [[neural interface]] upgrade and new armour with built-in [[Covenant]] shield technology. He is also introduced to [[Cortana]], an [[A.I.]] created from [[Dr. Halsey]]'s own neural patterns.

[[Cortana]] gets revenge on [[Colonel James Ackerson]], part of [[ONI]]'s Special Warfare branch, for attempting to eliminate [[Cortana]] and [[Master Chief]] - she gets him transferred to the front. Bypassing several other colonies, the [[Covenant]] arrive at [[Reach]] and begin what has become all too familiar to the embattled [[Human]] forces: the destruction of the planet. The [[Spartans]] are divided into two teams: Red and Blue. [[John-117]] and the rest of Blue team (Linda and James), while on an orbital mission to ensure that a NAV database stays out of [[Covenant]] hands, end up onboard [[The Pillar of Autumn]] when she jumps away from the [[Reach]] system to evade [[Covenant]] forces. James is lost and Linda is mortally wounded, and the subsequent mission on [[Halo]] is left to the [[Master Chief]] to complete. When the [[Master Chief]] retreats to the [[Pelican]], he meets up with some [[marines]]: [[Private]] [[Jenkins]], [[Private O'Brien]], [[Private Bicenti]], and [[Sergeant Johnson]]. The [[Covenant]] take the surface of [[Reach]], and Red team splits, one group to retrieve Admiral Whitcomb, while the rest hole up in [[ONI]]'s [[Castle Base]] underground facility with [[Dr. Halsey]]. The [[Spartans]] receive parts of a [[MJOLNIR]] [[Mark V]] upgrade and new weapons, while [[Dr. Halsey]] learns of [[Colonel Ackerson]]'s mysterious plans, plans that seem to involve "her" [[Spartans]].

[[Lieutenant Wagner]] returns to [[Earth]] and reports on the evident destruction of [[Reach]] to [[Colonel Ackerson]], [[Admiral Hood]], and [[General Strauss]] at an [[ONI]] facility in Sydney, Australia.

The Time/Date Record Anomaly of Sep 23, 2552 most likely rejoins the timeline here. Dr. Halsey and members of Red team discover an enigmatic shard in an ancient installation below the ONI facility. Blue team joins with team Gamma to retrieve Admiral Whitcomb, and rejoin the rest of Red team who have been besieged by the [[Covenant]], who apparently revere the artefact that the [[Humans]] have found.

The remaining Spartans, Admiral Whitcomb, Dr. Halsey, Sgt. Johnson, Lieutenant Haverson, Warrant Officer Polaski, and Corporal Locklear jump to Slipspace on board the Covenant/Human hybrid ship [[Gettysburg]]-[[Ascendant Justice]], and discover that the shard seems to have the ability to bend both space and time.

The Gettysburg/Ascendant Justice arrives for refit and provisioning in Eridanus system and meets with the rebels under Governor Jiles. Dr. Halsey sedates Spartan 087, Kelly, and absconds with her on Governor Jiles ship, a Chiroptera-class vessel, the smallest UNSC classification that contains an SFTE. Before she goes, she gives the alien artifact to Corporal Locklear, with implicit instructions to destroy it.

In [[Operation: FIRST STRIKE]] [[Admiral Whitcomb]] and [[Lieutenant Haverson]] destroy the majority of the surrounding Covenant fleet by detonating the [[Unyielding Hierophant]]. [[John]], [[Linda]], [[Will]], and [[Fred]], the last known remaining Spartans, along with [[Sgt. Johnson]], and, of course, [[Cortana (A.I.)]], depart for Earth to warn of the impending Covenant invasion.