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Human-Covenant War: Difference between revisions
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Humanity and the Covenant first came into direct contact in February 3rd 2525, when a [[Kig-yar]] [[missionary ship]], the ''[[Minor Transgression]]'', discovered [[Horn of Plenty|a human ship]] transitioning out of [[Slipstream space|slipspace]] and subsequently raided the vessel. The raid continued to [[This End Up|another]] unfortunate human ship. Some time after, [[Sif]], Harvest shipping operations AI, investigated the raids and reported her findings to an [[Jilan al-Cygni|undercover ONI agent]].<ref group="notes">Prior to the contact, Sif and Jilan al-Cygni were unaware of the alien parties responsible behind the raid, thinking that it was one of the many common Insurrectionist activities.</ref> The ONI agent devised a trap for the raiding parties, 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 [[Rapid Conversion|another ship]] and a contingent of [[Jiralhanae]], the UNSC proposed a meeting (via pictogram) with the intention to make amends and to trade with the alien species. 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 [[Harvest militia|Colonial Militia]], — was attacked by a nervous [[Unggoy]] — 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 promptly retreated back to their ship. | Humanity and the Covenant first came into direct contact in February 3rd 2525, when a [[Kig-yar]] [[missionary ship]], the ''[[Minor Transgression]]'', discovered [[Horn of Plenty|a human ship]] transitioning out of [[Slipstream space|slipspace]] and subsequently raided the vessel. The raid continued to [[This End Up|another]] unfortunate human ship. Some time after, [[Sif]], Harvest shipping operations AI, investigated the raids and reported her findings to an [[Jilan al-Cygni|undercover ONI agent]].<ref group="notes">Prior to the contact, Sif and Jilan al-Cygni were unaware of the alien parties responsible behind the raid, thinking that it was one of the many common Insurrectionist activities.</ref> The ONI agent devised a trap for the raiding parties, 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 [[Rapid Conversion|another ship]] and a contingent of [[Jiralhanae]], the UNSC proposed a meeting (via pictogram) with the intention to make amends and to trade with the alien species. 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 [[Harvest militia|Colonial Militia]], — was attacked by a nervous [[Unggoy]] — 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 promptly retreated back to their ship. | ||
The political ramifications of these relics were abundant, and two [[San 'Shyuum]] bureaucrats, the [[Prophet of Truth|Minister of Fortitude]] and the [[Prophet of Regret|Vice Minister of Tranquility]], were already scheming to use the supposed reliquary to inaugurate a new [[Ages of Reclamation|Age of Reclamation]] with themselves as the [[Hierarchs]] of the [[High Council]]. To do this, they needed the blessing of the Oracle of [[High Charity]]. When the two San 'Shyuum approached the [[Prophet of Mercy|Philologist]] to affirm on their behalf, the data from the ''Rapid Conversion'' caused [[032 Mendicant Bias|the long-dormant Oracle]] to reactivate. Mendicant declared that the Covenant had been misinterpreting Forerunner symbols: the "relics" in question were the humans, calling them [[Reclaimer]]s and his makers. This shocked the three San 'Shyuum, who concluded that the humans were actually living [[Forerunner]]s who had been left behind when the others transcended. Although they were able to prevent Mendicant from taking the [[Forerunner Dreadnought]] to take the humans to deliver them to [[Installation 00|the Ark]], Fortitude concluded that if the masses learned that they might be left behind, they would rebel against the Prophets. Fortitude and Tranquility inducted the Philologist into their plan and ascended as the High Prophets of Truth, Regret, and Mercy. They declared that the humans destroyed the reliquary on Harvest and ordered the entire race to be eradicated. | The political ramifications of these relics were abundant, and two [[San 'Shyuum]] bureaucrats, the [[Prophet of Truth|Minister of Fortitude]] and the [[Prophet of Regret|Vice Minister of Tranquility]], were already scheming to use the supposed reliquary to inaugurate a new [[Ages of Reclamation|Age of Reclamation]] with themselves as the [[Hierarchs]] of the [[High Council]]. To do this, they needed the blessing of the Oracle of [[High Charity]]. When the two San 'Shyuum approached the [[Prophet of Mercy|Philologist]] to affirm on their behalf, the data from the ''Rapid Conversion'' caused [[032 Mendicant Bias|the long-dormant Oracle]] to reactivate. Mendicant declared that the Covenant had been misinterpreting Forerunner symbols: the "relics" in question were the humans, calling them [[Reclaimer]]s and his makers. This shocked the three San 'Shyuum, who falsely concluded that the humans were actually living [[Forerunner]]s who had been left behind when the others transcended. Although they were able to prevent Mendicant from taking the [[Forerunner Dreadnought]] to take the humans to deliver them to [[Installation 00|the Ark]], Fortitude concluded that if the masses learned that they might be left behind, they would rebel against the Prophets. Fortitude and Tranquility inducted the Philologist into their plan and ascended as the High Prophets of Truth, Regret, and Mercy. They declared that the humans destroyed the reliquary on Harvest and ordered the entire race to be eradicated. | ||
The first battle of the war was the extended though one-sided ground battle which took place on Harvest, in which the UNSC managed to delay the Covenant long enough to evacuate many of Harvest's civilians. Eventually, the Covenant ship responsible for the attack [[Glassing|glassed]] the planet's surface. | The first battle of the war was the extended though one-sided ground battle which took place on Harvest, in which the UNSC managed to delay the Covenant long enough to evacuate many of Harvest's civilians. Eventually, the Covenant ship responsible for the attack [[Glassing|glassed]] the planet's surface. | ||