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'''Shield 0459''' was a [[Forerunner]] [[shield world]] located in the [[Korinth Prior system]]. A variation upon the shield world concept known as a conservation sphere,<ref name="vis">'''[[Halo: The Essential Visual Guide]]''', ''page 174''</ref> it was intended to protect sentient lifeforms from the effects of the [[Halo Array]] and the [[the Flood]], in addition to serving as a military outpost housing a [[The Apex|port]] for a fleet of [[Unidentified Forerunner dreadnought class|Forerunner dreadnoughts]].

Despite the fact that the Shield Worlds were created as a haven from the Array and the Flood, the external surface was heavily infested with Flood biomass, with forms of various types freely roaming across the surface. [[Sentinel]]s were a rarity on the outside, but this changed within the center, where the many Forerunner constructs worked to prevent the Flood from claiming the interior as well.<ref name="int">'''Halo Wars''', campaign levels ''[[Beachhead (Halo Wars level)|Beachhead]]'', ''[[Reactor]]'' and ''[[Escape]]''</ref>

During the [[Human-Covenant War]], Shield 0459 was discovered by the [[Covenant Empire|Covenant]] during the [[Battle of Arcadia]] and was subsequently destroyed during a [[Battle of Shield 0459|battle]] in [[2531#February|February 2531]].

== Overview ==

[[File:ShieldWorld_matte_1.png|thumb|250px|The Shield World's inner surface.]]

This Shield World's main structure consisted of the outer surface, the superstructure and tunnel system inside the crust, and the inner miniature [[Dyson sphere|Dyson sphere]], along with its own miniaturized [[Astroengineering#Stars|artificial sun]] to provide illumination. A series of latitudinal support ribs encircled the megastructure; these were clearly visible on the inner surface. The outer surface, as well as parts of the superstructure, were largely infested with [[the Flood]]. Some of the Flood even reached to the interior of the world through openings like vents, but because of the larger numbers of [[Sentinel]]s, never managed to fully infest it.

The inner Dyson shell was completely terraformed and full of plant and animal life, much like the [[Halo Array|Halo installations]] or [[Installation 00|the Ark]]. It featured different types of Forerunner structures, ranging from spires to various walls or embankments and rifts leading into the interior of the structure. Like many other Forerunner installations, Shield 0459 possessed a [[teleportation grid|translocation grid]] in form of a network of [[teleporter]]s.<ref name="int"/>

=== Access tunnels ===

[[File:HW_FR_Architecture2_S-1-.jpg|thumb|250px|The Shield World's tunnel system.]]

The surface of Shield 0459 had multiple access portals, which could be used to gain access to the interior of the planet. Most of them were likely hidden, for example covered under large bodies of water, such as the one the {{UNSCShip|Spirit of Fire}} used to enter the Shield World. [[unidentified ancilla (Shield 0459)|The AI]] in control of these access portals would activate docking sequence when a ship passed over one, forcibly dragging the vessel inside by way of a series of field-projecting pylons on the outer surface.<ref>'''Halo Wars''', campaign level ''[[Shield World (level)|Shield World]]''</ref>

Within the tunnels inside the superstructure, there was a cleansing system, which prevented the Flood from entering the interior. This quarantine system consisted of several "cleansing rings", which generated energy fields within their diameter, which would destroy any Flood biomass on a passing ship.<ref>'''Halo Wars''', campaign level ''[[Cleansing]]''</ref> On the interior, these portals had six interlocks that needed to be opened in order to unlock the access to the tunnel, and like other significant systems on the installation, they could only be operated by a [[Reclaimer]].<ref name="int"/>

=== The Apex ===

{{Main|The Apex}}

The Apex site was an installation comprised of a control center on a platform high above the inner surface of Shield 0459, and numerous docking towers containing a fleet of Forerunner dreadnoughts. The control center was accessible from the ground by a teleporter referred to as Apex Base Site, which was situated on top of a plateau with a series of ramps leading up to it.<ref name="int"/>

[[File:ShieldWorldOuterSurface.png|thumb|right|250px|The Spirit of Fire above the outer surface.]]

Shield 0459 was constructed during or prior to the [[Forerunner-Flood war]] to serve as both a military outpost to combat the Flood, and to preserve the lifeforms within from the Halo Array's pulse.

At some point, the Installation became heavily overrun by Flood. Exactly how this occurred is unknown; it would seem that they either escaped containment facilities some time after the Halo Array's activation, or managed to survive by seeking shelter in the interior of the Shield World and later colonized the outside.

{{quote|This world shall be the [[The Apex|birthplace]] for an [[unidentified Forerunner dreadnought class|invasion fleet]] beyond imagining!|[[Prophet of Regret]]}}

Shield 0459 was discovered by the [[Covenant Empire|Covenant]] in [[2531]] using information from [[Arcadia Forerunner ruins|a Forerunner complex]] on the planet [[Arcadia]]. After recovering the information, the [[Arbiter]] [[Ripa 'Moramee]] and the [[Prophet of Regret]] traveled to the Shield World, to discover the Apex site and the dormant Forerunner fleet. With the [[Human-Covenant War]] ongoing, the Covenant hoped to use Shield 0459's stored warships to crush the [[United Nations Space Command|UNSC]] quickly, rather than wage the protracted war that would characterize the Human-Covenant War. However, they soon discovered that while they were able to access the installation, they were unable to reactivate the fleet.<ref>'''[[Halo Waypoint]]''', [http://halo.xbox.com/en-us/Games/detail/a/9ca82aa8-c0bd-4014-8bd6-7bcf3e131e0b ''"The Halo Wars Story Retold"'']</ref>

After the Covenant had observed [[Ellen Anders|Professor Ellen Anders]] activating the [[Relic|Forerunner relic]] on [[Harvest]], the Prophet of Regret ordered the Arbiter to go to Arcadia and capture the human scientist, as she seemed to have unusual knowledge about the Forerunners. The Arbiter returned to Arcadia, captured Anders and brought her to the Shield World.

{{Main|Battle of Shield 0459}}

The ''Spirit of Fire'' followed the Covenant in close pursuit, tracking Anders' transponder signal. When the ''Spirit of Fire'' arrived to Shield 0459, a new horrific enemy was discovered: [[the Flood]]. Some time later, when the ''Spirit'''s shipboard [[Artificial intelligence|AI]] [[Serina]] scanned the planet for Anders' signal, which seemed to be originating from an ocean, the ship was suddenly pulled into the Shield World's internal docking mechanism. After passing the tunnels inside the installation's superstructure, the ''Spirit of Fire'' emerged into the internal [[Dyson sphere]].

Some time later, the Arbiter used Anders, who had been kept prisoner within [[the Apex]], to activate the fleet of Forerunner ships. However, as the awestruck Elites watched the fleet's activation, Anders managed to escape via the installation's [[teleportation grid]] and regroup with the other humans. She quickly came up with a plan to prevent the Covenant from using the Forerunner fleet: They overloaded the ''Spirit of Fire'''s [[Shaw-Fujikawa Translight Engine]] to create a chain reaction in the [[Astroengineering#Stars|artificial sun]] in the center of the Shield World, sending it to [[supernova]] state and destroying it from within. The ''Spirit of Fire'' was able to escape the Shield World's destruction.

File:Shieldogram.png|A [[Holography|hologram]] of the Shield World.

File:SofInShieldWorld.png|UNSC ''Spirit of Fire'' inside the Shield World's superstructure.

File:ShieldW_Surface_Closeup.png| The [[The Flood|Flood]]-infested outer surface of the Shield World.

File:BeachheadOpening.png|The Shield World's inner surface.

File:ShieldWorld_tower_concepts.png|Concept art of the Apex site's docking towers on the inner surface.