Human-Covenant War: Difference between revisions

[[Humanity]] and the Covenant first came into direct contact in Febuary 3 [[2525]], when a [[Kig-Yar]] Frigate, the ''[[Minor Transgression]]'', discovered a human ship that had dropped out of slipspace due to a problem with the [[Shaw-Fujikawa Translight Engine]]. The Kig-Yar raided that ship and another one. The Harvest shipping operations AI, Sif, found out about the raids as a result of the distress beacon from the ships (although she and an [[Jilan al-Cygni|undercover ONI spook]] on Harvest thought that Insurrectionists, not aliens, were behind the raids). The spook set a trap for the Kig-Yar which resulted in a [[Skirmish Over Harvest|minor skirmish]] between [[Staff Sergeant]]s [[Nolan Byrne]] and [[Avery Johnson|Avery Johnson,]] and the Kig-Yar privateers. When the Covenant returned with another ship and a contingent of Brutes, the UNSC proposed a meeting (via pictogram) to trade. The Covenant met the UNSC on Harvest, but were only interested in claiming the relics that the [[Luminary]] had detected on Harvest, completely oblivious that the humans were the "relics" in question. The meeting was botched after [[Osmo]], a member of the [[Colonial Militia]], -- was attacked by a nervous [[Grunt]] -- who was part of a second Covenant force sent to look for the relics. As a result, a firefight erupted between the two groups and the Covenant retreated back to their ship.

Meanwhile, the majority of the Human forces on ''In Amber Clad'' had traveled to Delta Halo's [[Library]] to obtain the [[Index]], which is the key to firing Halo. Originally, the Covenant had been unaware of the Index's importance, but luckily for them, Arbiter Thel 'Vadamee had obtained [[343 Guilty Spark (Monitor)|343 Guilty Spark]], the monitor of [[Installation 04]], while destroying the Heretic base. The monitor, known to the Covenant as an Oracle, told the Prophets of the Index and the Arbiter was sent to retrieve the "Sacred Icon". The mission was complicated though by the unexpected release of the Flood. Despite this, the Arbiter successfully reached the Library and prevented the Humans from claiming the Index. Just as [[Miranda Keyes]] claimed the index, the Arbiter stole it from her, kidnapping her and [[Sgt. Johnson]]. However, then Index was stolen from the Arbiter by the [[Brute Chieftain]] [[Tartarus]], who was under the Prophets' orders to retrieve the Index and kill the Arbiter, whom Tartarus knocked down an apparently bottomless shaft. With the Index secure, the Prophets then ordered the [[Jiralhanae]] to begin eradicating the [[Sangheili]], thus starting the [[Covenant Civil War]]. Ultimately this led to the death of [[Tartarus]] at the hands of Vadamee and Johnson and an alliance between the Separatists and the Human forces. Delta Halo was prevented from firing by Miranda Keyes and the Flood killed the [[Prophet of Mercy]], leaving the Prophet of Truth firmly in control over the Covenant.