2553

2553 was a year in the Military Calendar.

Background

2553 was one of the bloodiest years in the Human-Covenant War, as well as the last .

It saw the Human and Separatist victory of the Great War over the Covenant Loyalists. As well as the full destruction of Gravemind-lead Flood forces, and his death. It is unknown if the Loyalists have been disbanded or were completely destroyed at the Battle of Installation 00.

Second Battle of Earth

Main article: Second Battle of Earth

At the beginning of the year, Covenant Loyalist forces assaulted the Human city of Cleveland, Ohio in the United States on Earth. The Loyalists were looking for the Key of Osanalan, a mysterious Forerunner device related to the Halo Installations.

Later during the Second Battle of Earth, a battle at Pawas in Afghanistan took place. There, UNSC Marine Corps forces battled Loyalist forces for control of a Satellite installation. Numerous Marines of the 2nd ODST Battalion targeted the Forerunner Dreadnought entering Earth's atmosphere. Onboard was one of the last SPARTAN-II Commandos, Master Chief Petty Officer John-117.

Battle for Kenya

Main article: Battle of the Crow's Nest

During the Battle for Earth, the Crow's Nest was an Underground Facility used by the UNSC Defense Force to coordinate local Army, Navy, and Marine forces.

Shortly after John-117's arrival in Kenya, Loyalist forces attacked the facility in force, supported by a CCS-class Battlecruiser orbiting above the savannah.

SPARTAN-117, SgtMaj Avery Johnson, the Arbiter, GySgt Pete Stacker, and GySgt Reynolds then organized a defense of the base. First, they attacked infantry in a large roadway containing numerous supply trucks and armament. Then, they engaged one of the bases hangars in control by Jiralhanae forces, with support by Type-52 "Phantom" Troop Carriers. When they took control of that hangar, it allowed Marines to escape from the base.

Soon after the short skirmishes, they detonated a large bomb in the Operations Center, effectively destroying the base and all enemy forces within it.

Main article: Battle of Voi

The Battle of Voi was the last battle in the long and bloody Second Battle of Earth.

The Prophet of Truth's fleet of twenty-eight CCS-class Battlecruisers and two Assault Carriers led by Truth in the Forerunner Dreadnought had committed all their forces to Africa, specifically Voi, Kenya and the surrounding regions.

At Kenya, Brute-led Covenant infantry and vehicular detachments overwhelmed ground-based UNSC defending forces while Truth's cruisers deployed to Voi, glassing a savanna in pursuit of a presumed Forerunner artifact hidden underground there, presumed to be the Ark.

SPARTAN-117 led a UNSC counterattack to regain lost UNSC ground, retaking a jungle near Mount Kilimanjaro and securing the area around the Crow's Nest. Commander Miranda Keyes and Sergeant Major Avery J. Johnson then organized a small UNSC strike force led by SPARTAN-117 to attack the Covenant Loyalist-held Tsavo Highway, and thus have a platform for a strike at Voi.

The UNSC Marine Corps was able to retake the Tsavo Highway, and it served for a staging ground for the battalion that would retake Voi. The UNSC forces stationed already at Voi had already suffered severe casualties, with only pockets of Marines drawn in a scattered last defense against numerically superior and vehicularly-supported Loyalist forces.

Fleet Admiral Sir Terrence Hood declared that it was imperative that SPARTAN-117's attack force retake Voi. Lord Hood's plan was that he would launch a low-level aerial strike on Truth's fleet above the Forerunner artifact, and prevent him from activating the presumed Ark. However, a Loyalist anti-aircraft emplacement stationed at Voi prevented Hood fleet from advancing; SPARTAN-117 was to retake Voi and destroy the anti-aircraft emplacement to allow Hood to attack Truth's fleet, and prevent him from activating the Ark.

They later defeated the AA guns, opening up a pocket in the Loyalist Defenses for the Home Fleet to come in and engage Truth's forces. They were successful in damaging the Dreadnought, though it was allowed to escape through the Portal.

Flood on Earth

The victorious UNSC forces were now encountering unknown hostiles all over the Town and the splintered and weary forces were no match. The Flood had found their way to Earth and begun to infect and spread.

Commander Keyes gave a single order, which was to fight to the core of the ship and overload its reactors, destroying the ship and the town and any Flood along with it.

The Sangheili Fleet of Retribution, had followed the Flood infected ship from their blockade at Installation 05 to its arrival at Earth. They began to drop forces to push towards the ship, seeking a prize that lay within it. It wasn't until they came back into Traxus Facility that the Sangheili told the UNSC. Cortana, the AI formally attached to the Spartan-IIs, the UNSC Pillar of Autumn and companion of John-117 was upon that downed ship.

The joint UNSC/Separatist force pressed on, still giving their all to getting to the crash site. They eventually broke through, fighting past Flood Pure Forms. With the remaining forces giving cover to the Chief, he entered its Floodformed carcass and retrieved Cortana. After the ground forces were evacuated safely the Elites began to glass the immediate area, annihilating any chance of further Flood infection, effectively ending the Battle of Voi.

Notable Deaths

United Nations Space Command

• Commander Miranda Keyes
• Sergeant Major Avery Johnson

Covenant Loyalists

• High Prophet of Truth

Forerunners

• 343 Guilty Spark

Flood

• Gravemind

Battles

• Battle of Mare Erythraeum
• Second Battle of Earth
  • Battle of Cleveland
  • Battle of Pawas
  • Battle of the Crow's Nest
  • Battle of Voi
  • Second Battle of Mombasa
• Battle of Installation 00
• Second Battle of High Charity