Battle for Earth: Difference between revisions

|prev    = [[Battle of October 10]]

*[[Skirmish on Mona Lisa]]

*[[Operation: SUNSPEAR]]

|date    = [[2552#October|October 20, 2552]]{{Ref/Site|D=01|M=6|Y=2020|URL=http://halo.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?type=topnews&cid=16989|Site=bungie.net|Page=Bungie Weekly Update 01/23/09}}{{Ref/Reuse|lootcrate2}} - not before [[2552#December|December 3, 2552]]{{Ref/Note|Id=battleend|While no official date has been given to the end of the Battle for Earth, the currently last known engagement during the battle, the [[Operation: MARSH FLASH]] in [[Arizona]], took place on December 3, although it's still possible that other engagements on some other countries or continents was still occuring after the [[URNA Southwest Campaign]] ended.}}{{Ref/Reuse|lootcrate2}}

**Catastrophic reduction of Earth's population.

*Local Flood infestation contained

{{c|Post-Great Schism}}

*{{Icon|Covenant FB}} [[Covenant separatists]]

**[[Fleet of Retribution]] {{C|from [[2552#November|November 3, 2552]] onwards}}

|side3 = *[[Flood]] {{c|briefly}}

*[[Secretary of Defense]] [[Paul Huphy Russel]]

*[[Say My Name Actual|Unidentified Admiral]]

{{c|Post-Great Schism}}

*[[Fleet master]] [[Rtas 'Vadum]]

{{c|Pre-Great Schism}}

*[[Hierarch|High Prophet]] of [[Prophet of Regret|Regret]]

{{c|Post-Great Schism}}

*[[Hierarch|High Prophet]] of [[Prophet of Truth|Truth]]

*Shipmaster [[Lepidus]]

*300 [[orbital defense platform|ODP]]s

*[[UNSC Home Fleet]]

***[[Second Fleet]]

***[[Third Fleet]]

***[[Seventh Fleet]]

***[[Sixteenth Fleet]]

***[[Sol Defense Group 3/A-5]]

{{c|Post-Great Schism}}

*[[Fleet of Retribution]]

***11+ ships

*[[Fleet of Sacred Consecration]]

**15 ships

{{c|Post-Great Schism}}

*[[Truth's fleet|Truth-led forces]]

**Unknown huge number of starships

***''[[Anodyne Spirit]]''

***''[[Bloodied Spirit]]''

***Remaining ships of the [[High Charity defense fleet]]{{Ref/Reuse|H3CN}}

****''[[Gathering of Praise]]''{{Ref/Reuse|HLC5}}

****''[[Twilight Compunction]]''{{Ref/Reuse|HLC5}}

***[[Fleet of Furious Redemption]]

****''[[Triumphant Declaration]]''<ref name="up1">''Halo: Uprising'', Issue 1</ref>

|forces3 =*1 {{Class|CCS|battlecruiser}}

*Several [[infection forms]]

*Several [[combat forms]]

*Several [[carrier forms]]

*Several [[pure forms]]

|casual1 = *Extreme UEG losses{{Ref/Reuse|H3CN}}

**Majority of ground forces

**Unknown number of ground casualties among the Fleet of Retribution{{Ref/Reuse|H3Flood}}

**2+ {{Class|Moncton|orbital weapon platform}}s

**Majority of the [[UNSC Home Fleet]]

**Civilian losses in the billions{{Ref/Novel|Gla|Chapter=6}}

|casual2 =*Very heavy losses

**Massive terrestrial and exoatmospheric losses

***Majority of the Fleet of Sacred Consecration

|casual3 = *Completely sterilized

{{Quote|We ran from them. They followed. We thought they'd never find us... we were wrong.|[[Cortana]]<ref>''[[Halo 2 commercial]]''</ref>}}

The '''Battle for Earth''', also referred to as the '''Earth Sustained Defense Campaign''',{{Ref/Reuse|lootcrate2}} was one of the largest, bloodiest and latest engagements fought between the [[Covenant]] and the forces of the [[Unified Earth Government]] (primarily those of the [[United Nations Space Command]]), at the end of the approximately twenty-seven year-long{{Ref/Note|The war was definitely concluded on December 11, 2552 when the Prophet of Truth was killed. However, an official cessation of hostilities did not come until March 3, 2553.}} [[Human-Covenant War]], which took place on and above the planet [[Earth]] from [[2552#October|October 20]] to at least [[2552#December|December 3, 2552]].{{Ref/NoteReuse|battleend}} It was one of the most important battles of the war, as the fate of humanity depended on the survival of its homeworld and seat of its [[UEG|government]].{{Ref/Note|While [[Insurrectionist|not all]] of humanity believes itself to be subject to the UEG, the UEG claims authority over all of humanity.}}

Though the invasion took place on a global scale, the most significant conflicts occurred in the [[East African Protectorate]] in the form of three battles fought within and between the cities of [[Mombasa]] and [[Voi]], collectively referred to as the [[First Battle of Mombasa|first]], [[Second Battle of Mombasa|second]], and [[Battle of Voi|third]] battles of Mombasa.<ref name="HSA">''[[Halo: Spartan Assault]]'', co-op introductory cutscene</ref> The conflict began when the [[Fleet of Sacred Consecration]], under the command of the [[Prophet of Regret]], arrived on October 20 with intentions of traveling through the [[Portal at Voi|portal]] that a [[luminary]] in its possession pointed to. This move was made without the consent of the other two [[Hierarchs]] and in ignorance regarding the status of this planet as humanity's homeworld. Faced with the full might of the [[UNSC Home Fleet]], it was not long before Regret's [[Solemn Penance|flagship]] fled to [[Installation 05]]. Soon after this, the Prophet of Truth initiated his plans to [[Changing of the Guard|replace]] [[Sangheili]] with [[Jiralhanae]] and assume control over the entirety of the hierarchal triumvirate. [[Truth's Fleet|Additional and larger naval forces]] appeared in the system and began a resurgent assault on the planet. The Jiralhanae occupation forces assumed control of all local Covenant forces by [[Great Schism|killing most of Sangheili]] on the planet.

At this point, the fight for Earth began in earnest. Smaller battles were waged all across the world, from the UEG capital of [[Sydney]], [[Australia]], to [[Cleveland]], [[URNA]], to [[Havana]], Cuba, and to [[Mount Erebus]], [[Antarctica]] and multiple other locations. By November 17, most of the Home Fleet had been obliterated and much of the Earth has been devatasted by a massively subsequent Covenant bombardment, resulting catastrophic human casualties.{{Ref/Reuse|H3Flood}} It was on this date that the Prophet of Truth himself, aboard the [[Forerunner Dreadnought]] and with [[John-117|Spartan-117]] in tow, arrived and headed straight for the [[Portal at Voi|Excession]], by then fully excavated. Upon interfacing with the [[keyship]], the portal was activated and a large contingent of the remaining Covenant fleet departed through the [[Portal at Voi|Portal]] with the intention of activating the [[Halo Array]] from [[Installation 00|the Ark]]. Almost immediately after this, the [[Flood]] arrived aboard a [[Indulgence of Conviction|captured]] {{Class|CCS|battlecruiser}}, which crashed down in the town of [[Voi]]. The [[Fleet of Retribution]], allied with the UNSC against Truth, was permitted to [[glass]] a large portion of [[Africa]] to prevent the parasite's spread. With the threat from the Flood dealt with and the bulk of Covenant forces gone, at least one UNSC frigate accompanied the Fleet of Retribution in pursuit of Truth. The remainder of UNSC forces remained behind to defend Earth from an expected full-scale Flood invasion and also began a major counteroffensive to eliminate all Covenant that remained.{{Ref/Reuse|lootcrate2}}

Official accounts report that, facing with the potential human extinction by the alien hegemony, a signifiantly massive amount of civilians joined the UNSC forces to repel the Covenant throughout the campaign on Earth.<ref name=OSFM69>''[[Halo: Official Spartan Field Manual]]'', p. 69</ref>

The [[Human-Covenant War]] was a decades-long conflict wherein the Covenant hegemony was determined to exterminate all of humanity at the behest of its three [[Hierarchs]], who falsely considered humans as representing the living embodiment, and thus discreditation, of their [[Covenant religion|religion]]'s [[Forerunners|gods]] at the time of [[2525|their discovery]]. Also a goal of the empire, from long before first contact with humanity, was the location and activation of the [[Halo]] rings. In the aftermath of the [[Fall of Reach]], the UNSC began to pull the majority of its forces back to Earth, with most units assigned to defend Earth's six [[Space elevator|tether cities]].<ref>''[[Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe]]'', [[Palace Hotel]]</ref> The Prophet of Regret learned "Erde-Tyrene" held a portal which led to the Ark and the Prophet of Truth simultaneously discovered the planet's location through other means.

The [[Prophet of Truth]] discovered the location of [[Earth]] after the [[Fall of Reach]], but withheld knowledge of this discovery from the rest of the Covenant leadership.<ref name="waypoint">''[[Halo Waypoint]]'', "Ten Twenty"</ref> To attack the human homeworld, he ordered an [[Truth's fleet|assault fleet]] to secretly assemble at ''[[Unyielding Hierophant]]'' station in the [[Tau Ceti system]]. The fleet would overwhelm Earth's defenses in a single decisive strike.{{Ref/Reuse|waypoint}}{{Ref/Novel|[[Halo: First Strike]]}} The fleet was discovered by the UNSC [[Artificial intelligence|AI]] [[Cortana]] and preemptive strike was led by [[Vice Admiral]] [[Danforth Whitcomb]] and a [[SPARTAN-II Program|SPARTAN-II]], strike team, which successfully destroyed ''Unyielding Hierophant'' and almost the entirety of the assembled fleet, some five hundred ships.{{Ref/Reuse|waypoint}}<ref>''Halo: First Strike'', p. 333</ref> Earth was granted a small reprieve.

The [[Prophet of Regret]] also independently learned of the location of Earth that was known as Erde-Tyrene as the location of a [[Forerunner]] artifact, [[Portal at Voi|the Portal]] leading to [[Installation 00|the Ark]]. This revelation came after long study by [[steward]]s of a Forerunner [[luminary]] taken from the moon, [[Meridian]], in [[2551]]. Not being privy to Truth's information, Regret set off to uncover the artifact without any knowledge  that Erde-Tyrenne was the humans' homeworld. Regret unknowingly led his [[Fleet of Sacred Consecration|small fleet]], a mere two [[CAS-class assault carrier|assault carriers]] and thirteen [[CCS-class battlecruiser|battlecruisers]], straight into Earth's formidable defenses.{{Ref/Reuse|waypoint}} Truth belatedly learned of Regret's expedition to Earth, and dispatched a large [[Jiralhanae]]-led fleet to reinforce the attack. They arrived mere hours after Regret had fled.{{Ref/Reuse|waypoint}}  

===Arrival Regret's fleet===

The [[High Prophet of Regret]]'s [[Fleet of Sacred Consecration|fleet]] was detected near [[Jupiter]]'s moon [[Io]], as a series of [[Slipstream space|slipspace]] "whispers". [[Slipstream space probe|Probes]] were sent to investigate, but shortly afterwards the Covenant fleet exited slipspace near Earth, just outside the killzone of the planet's [[orbital defense platform]]s. UNSC forces went to [[Tactical Condition|TACCON]] Alpha 2. [[Fleet Admiral]] [[Harper]] ordered his battle group to attack, but quickly received new orders from Fleet Admiral [[Terrence Hood]] to fall back and defend the ODPs. Having expected an overwhelming enemy offensive in the style of the [[Fall of Reach|Battle of Reach]], the relative weakness of the attack puzzled the defenders.<ref name="H2CS">''[[Halo 2]]'', campaign level, [[Cairo Station]]</ref>

=====Orbital Defense=====

[[File:H2A-pavel-belov-cairo-external.jpg|300px|thumb|left|The battle in space.]]

The assault carriers converged on the battle cluster including ''[[Athens Station]]'', ''[[Cairo Station (station)|Cairo Station]]'' and ''[[Malta Station]]''.{{Ref/Reuse|H2CS}} The ODPs opened fire as the enemy entered range. Covenant troops [[covenant boarding craft|boarded]] the stations, intending to demolish them with an [[antimatter charge]] each. As each bomb was planted the Covenant withdrew. ''Athens'' and ''Malta'' were demolished in quick succession. [[Cortana]], aboard ''Cairo'', deduced the nature of the threat and [[John-117]] was dispatched to prevent the same fate from befalling ''Cairo''.{{Ref/Reuse|H2CS}}

=====Earthside=====

{{Quote|Dear humanity, we regret being alien bastards, we regret coming to Earth, and we most definitely regret the Corps just blew up our raggedy-ass fleet!|Avery Johnson commenting on Regret's message.{{Ref/Reuse|H2Out}}}}

[[File:H2A Cutscene Sniper&Spotter.png|300px|thumb|left|UNSC Marines preparing for the start of the invasion.]]

Regret's carrier came to stop over [[New Mombasa]] in the [[East African Protectorate]] and deployed troops into the city and the surrounding area.<ref name="H2Out">''Halo 2'', campaign level, [[Outskirts]]</ref> UNSC high command wished to discover why the Covenant were landing only in Mombasa, and [[John-117]] was ordered to capture Regret for interrogation. The Spartan deployed with marines and [[Orbital Drop Shock Trooper|ODST]] in a trio of [[D77-TC Pelican|Pelicans]] from the {{UNSCShip|In Amber Clad}} near the city. The dropships were shot down by a Covenant [[Type-47A Scarab|Scarab]] in [[Old Mombasa]]. John-117 and the survivors regrouped and pursued the walker to [[New Mombasa 105 East|NM 105E]], and across the bridge to New Mombasa [[New Mombasa Sector B|Sector B]]. The Scarab was eventually trapped and destroyed at the end of a canal. Covenant forces started to withdraw to the carrier for [[Slipstream space|slipspace]] departure.<ref name="H2Metro">''Halo 2'', campaign level, [[Metropolis]]</ref>

In orbit the Home Fleet [[Operation: BUMRUSH|began deploying]] ODSTs to [[Mombasa]] in [[Single Occupant Exoatmospheric Insertion Vehicle|SOEIVs]], intending to board the the carrier and capture the Prophet of Regret. One Squad, [[Alpha-Nine]], deploying from the {{UNSCShip|Say My Name}} and led by Gunnery Sergeant [[Edward Buck]], was diverted by [[Office of Naval Intelligence|ONI]] to secure the city's [[Superintendent|infrastructure AI]].<ref name="H3RDrop">''[[Halo 3: ODST]]'', campaign level, [[Prepare To Drop]]</ref>

===Arrival of Truth's Fleet===

[[File:Portal odst.png|thumb|right|250px|The Covenant occupation fleet uncovering the Portal at [[New Mombasa]].]]

Immediately following the slipspace event, [[Jiralhanae]] forces loyal to the [[High Prophet of Truth]], who had embedded said troops into his political Rival Regret's fleet,{{Ref/Novel|[[Halo: New Blood]]|Chapter=Eight}} enacted their leader's orders. The Jiralhanae violently displaced their Sangheili commanders both ground-side,<ref name="H3RTayari">''Halo 3: ODST'', campaign level, [[Tayari Plaza]]</ref> and in orbit, the beginning of Truth's plan to place the Jiralhanae as the Covenant's primary warrior race.{{Ref/Reuse|waypoint}} [[Truth's fleet|Multiple additional Jiralhanae led-Covenant ships]] sent by Truth also began to arrive in the Sol System, joining the remains of Regret's fleet in the assault upon Earth.

Surviving UNSC forces in the city, aided by the [[New Mombasa Police Department]], continued to resist, but were eventually overwhelmed. The Covenant began glassing [[Mombasa]] and the surrounding area, uncovering [[the Portal]] to the [[Installation 00|Ark]]. Captain Dare and her [[Alpha-Nine|ODST squad]] managed to secure the city's [[Superintendent|infrastructure AI]] and escape before the city fell to the enemy.<ref name="H3RCoast">''Halo 3: ODST'', campaign level, [[Coastal Highway]]</ref>

Around this time, Covenant forces also attacked [[Cairo]], [[Egypt]]{{Ref/Reuse|encycearth}} and [[Berkeley]], [[URNA]].<ref name="axon12">''I love bees'', [[Axon Clips]], [[Axon Clips Chapter 12|Chapter 12]] - Kamal: "Fiancée"</ref>{{Ref/Note|This is derived from numerous pieces of information from within the Axon Clips including: Chapter 12 which mentions Kamal taking a flight back to the west coast; Chapter 9 where Sophia mentions that one of the people she is talking to isn't a Berkeley police officer and Kamal having to take a packbus to Reno, Nevada as his first stop; Chapter 10 where Kamal mentions waiting for said bus outside of Oakland.}}

[[File:HLC battle for earth.png|thumb|left|250px|UNSC forces engage the Covenant forces led by a [[CRS-class light cruiser|cruiser]].<ref name=SC2>''[[Halo Legendary Crate]]'', Series 1</ref>]]

The battle spread over the globe in the following weeks. The diminishing [[UNSC Home Fleet]], in conjunction with the [[Second Fleet|Second]], [[Seventh Fleet|Seventh]], and [[Sixteenth Fleet]]s,<ref name="goo204">''Halo: Ghosts of Onyx'', p. 204-205</ref> remained to contest Earth orbit against numerous arriving Covenant vessels, but the Covenant continued to raid the surface in search of [[Forerunner]] artifacts, mostly concentrating in east Africa.<ref name="H3CN">''[[Halo 3]]'', campaign level, [[Crow's Nest]]</ref>

A [[Second Battle of New Mombasa]] would take place over seven days<ref name="JC">''Xbox.com'': Jake Courage (defunct, [https://archives.halopedia.org/halo3/jakecourage/ Archived])</ref> before the end of October.<ref>''[[Believe]]'', [[Museum]]</ref>

The [[SPARTAN-II program|Spartan]] [[Blue Team]], consisting of [[Frederic-104]], [[Linda-058]], and [[William-043]], were constantly engaged for the first two weeks. They repelled enemy ships in orbit in numerous zero-gee operations whilst on the surface they neutralized Covenant excavations, first on [[Ross Island]] in [[Antarctica]],{{Ref/Reuse|goo204}} and then underwater off the [[Yucatan Peninsula]]. On [[2552#November|November 3]], they were [[Battle of Havana|deployed to Havana, Cuba]], where they stole the enemy [[CPV-class heavy destroyer|destroyer]] ''[[Bloodied Spirit]]'', and destroyed another destroyer and the [[Centennial Orbital Elevator]]. They subsequently redeployed aboard the stolen ship to the Forerunner [[shield world]] [[Onyx]] to aid [[Catherine Halsey|Dr. Catherine Halsey]], the creator of the SPARTAN-II program.<ref name="goop.220">''Halo: Ghosts of Onyx'', p. 220</ref>

The UNSC's loss of their garrison on [[Mars]] following the [[Battle of Mare Erythraeum]] led to a dramatic increase in Covenant force deployments on Earth, worsening the attack on the planet.<ref>''Halo: Uprising'', [[Halo: Uprising Issue 3|Issue 3]]</ref> Shortly after the loss of Mars, Covenant also [[Battle of Cleveland|invaded the city]] of [[Cleveland]] on Earth, looking for an artifact known as the "[[Key of Osanalan]]". The Key turned out to be a hoax perpetrated by Colonel [[James Ackerson]]; this attack was ultimately repelled due to the Colonel's act of self-sacrifice, and that of his civilian brother, [[Ruwan Ackerson|Ruwan]].<ref>''Halo: Uprising'', [[Halo: Uprising Issue 4|Issue 4]]</ref>  Though the Martian valiant defense forces were eventually crushed, they are credited for delaying Covenant forces from pressing their siege on Earth.<ref name="universe">[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/universe/locations/mars ''Halo Waypoint'': Mars]</ref>

[[File:Cleveland in 2552.PNG|thumb|right|250px|Covenant forces invade Cleveland.]]

[[Sydney]], [[Australia]] was one of the cities invaded by the Covenant during the engagement. Though the city suffered heavy damage by Covenant bombardment, the UNSC's [[HIGHCOM Facility Bravo-6]] remained undamaged.<ref name="glasslandsp.26">''Halo: Glasslands'', p. 26-33</ref>

Near the conclusion of the [[Battle of Installation 05]], the [[Prophet of Truth]] departed ''[[High Charity]]'', near Halo [[Installation 05]], in the [[Forerunner Dreadnought]] on November 3, arriving at the Sol system on the 8th.<ref>''[[Halo: Uprising]]'', "Issue ??"</ref> The prophet sought to activate the Ark, fire the [[Halo Array]], and begin what he thought would be the "[[Covenant religion|Great Journey]]". Unbeknownst to the Covenant, John-117 had stowed away aboard the ship.{{Ref/Reuse|H3CN}}

On [[2552#November|November 10]], Covenant forces began to excavate and occupy built-up positions centered around [[Free-fire Area OZONE]] in [[Arizona]], [[URNA]].<ref name="lootcrate2">''[[Halo Legendary Crate]]'', [[Halo Legendary Crate/Data Drops|Data Drop #2]]</ref>

Whilst on [[Installation 05]], [[Commander]] [[Miranda Keyes]], [[Sergeant Major]] [[Avery Johnson]], and [[Arbiter]] [[Thel 'Vadam]] learned of the Prophet of Truth's intentions and departed the installation after the Dreadnought while [[Rtas 'Vadum]] and the Sangheili under his command stayed behind on Installation 05 in order to quarantine and glass the Halo ring as well as quarantine High Charity in order to stop the escape of [[the Flood]] and the Gravemind from both the Halo and the city. Upon arrival at Earth on or just before November 15 with a Seperatist vessel,{{Ref/Reuse|lootcrate2}} they took up station in an old military base, [[Crow's Nest]], near Voi, and waited for John-117 to arrive.{{Ref/Reuse|H3CN}}{{Ref/Note|The Sangheili vessel carrying the Arbiter and the survivors of ''In Amber Clad'' arrived at Earth at least two days before Truth's Keyship, despite the latter leaving Delta Halo's orbit well ahead of the former. While this may appear strange given that Forerunner slipspace travel can vastly outpace that of the Covenant, the apparent discrepancy is explained by the Keyship exiting slipspace in the outer edges of the Sol system on November 8 and not landing on Earth until November 17. The reason behind this delay was that the Covenant soldiers inside the Keyship focused on killing John instead of proceeding, as they feared he would kill the Prophet of Truth.}}

=====The Keyship arrives=====

{{Quote|no=two|1=Fleet Admiral Terrence Hood|q1=Master Chief, you mind telling me what you're doing on that ship?|2=Master Chief|q2=Sir, finishing this fight.|3=Admiral Terrence Hood and John-117, as the Keyship arrived at Earth.}}

[[File:S117returnstoEarth2552.jpg|300px|thumb|right|John-117 and the Dreadnought entering Earth's atmosphere.]]

The Forerunner Dreadnought arrived at Earth on November 17, spearheading the final contingent of Truth's forces. The remaining loyalist naval forces of the [[High Charity defense fleet]] breached the Lunar perimeter, utterly demolishing the remnants of the [[UNSC Home Fleet]] at the cost of most of the overwelming Covenant fleet. The subsequent bombardment on the planet, particularly on the East Africa, caused "extreme" human casualties.{{Ref/Reuse|H3CN}} As the Dreadnought entered Earth's atmosphere, John-117 left the ship by leaping off during re-entry and crashing into the [[East African Protectorate|East-African]] jungle.{{Ref/Comic|Halo: Uprising}}<ref name="H3S117">''Halo 3'', campaign level, [[Sierra 117]]</ref> By this time the Covenant had set up heavy [[Type-27 Mantis|AA batteries]] and other defenses near [[Voi]] and in the surrounding area to protect their work at the Portal.{{Ref/Reuse|H3CN}}

During Spartan-117's re-entry, a pair of ODSTs used a [[laser designator]] during [[Battle of Sector Six|a battle]] in [[Sector Six]] (near the [[Pakistan]]-[[wikipedia:Afghanistan|Afghanistan]] boder) to track the Spartan's fall.<ref>[[Halo: Landfall]]</ref> The data made it easier for Sergeant Johnson and Thel 'Vadam to locate the Spartan. After [[Recovery of John-117|making their way through the jungle]], they were extracted by a [[D77H-TCI Pelican|dropship]], despite Covenant resistance, and taken to [[Crow's Nest (location)|Crow's Nest]].{{Ref/Reuse|H3S117}} The Covenant tracked them back to the base, however, and [[Attack on Crow's Nest|launched an attack]].{{Ref/Reuse|H3CN}}

[[File:UNSCHitsDreadnought-large.jpg|thumb|left|250px|The UNSC initiates an attack on the Forerunner Dreadnought.]]

Just before the UNSC offensive began, the Covenant attacked Crow's Nest. Miranda Keyes evacuated and destroyed the base with a [[Improvised UNSC bomb|bomb]] before it could be occupied. John-117 barely managed to escape the destruction of the facility but met up with [[Gunnery Sergeant]] [[Reynolds]] and set out in [[M12 Force Application Vehicle|Warthogs]] on [[Tsavo highway (location)|Tsavo Highway]] to head for [[Voi]], as did scattered UNSC forces, [[Assault on the Tsavo Highway|engaging]] Covenant heavy vehicles along the way.{{Ref/Reuse|H3CN}}<ref name="H3Tsavo">''Halo 3'', campaign level, [[Tsavo Highway]]</ref>

At Voi, the UNSC broke through Covenant defenses, as John-117 and [[Thel 'Vadam]] disabled a Covenant AA battery. With the path to the Portal cleared, Fleet Admiral Hood ordered [[Battle Group Victory|at least seven frigates]] and multiple [[GA-TL1 Longsword|Longswords]] to attack the Forerunner Dreadnought. Despite [[Magnetic Accelerator Cannon|MAC]] fire, the enemy ship remained intact and was able to activate the Portal. The Dreadnought and the surrounding Covenant ships departed Earth through the resulting Slipspace portal.<ref name="H3Storm">''Halo 3'', campaign level, [[The Storm]]</ref> Covenant battlenet cohesion broke following Truth's departure, allowing UNSC forces in the southwest URNA to begin a major counteroffensive as part of their [[URNA Southwest Campaign|ongoing campaign]].{{Ref/Reuse|lootcrate2}} {{clear|left}}

===The Flood on Earth===

{{Quote|Quickly! Let us find their ship. Make short work of this abomination!|Thel 'Vadam}}

[[File:Voi 7.jpg|thumb|250px|left|The Flood-infected battlecruiser arrives.]]

While the battle for Earth raged, the Covenant had been attempting to maintain a quarantine of the [[Flood]]-infested ''[[High Charity]]'' and [[Installation 05]]. The Flood-controlled ''[[Indulgence of Conviction]]'' escaped and arrived at Earth as the Prophet of Truth departed through the Portal. The ship crashed in Voi and began infesting the area. John-117 and Thel 'Vadam quickly made for the crash site intending to overload the ship's reactor. The explosion would destroy the city but would hopefully stop the spreading infestation as well.<ref name="H3Flood">''Halo 3'', campaign level, [[Floodgate]]</ref>

[[File:H3 Floodgate ODST Concept.jpg|thumb|250px|right|UNSC forces engage the Flood]]

[[Fleet of Retribution|Sangheili ships]], led by [[Fleet Master]] [[Rtas 'Vadum]] aboard the [[CAS-class assault carrier|assault carrier]] ''[[Shadow of Intent]]'', arrived in pursuit of the Flood. The Sangheili believed [[Cortana]] was aboard the Flood ship; Rtas 'Vadum could give his own troops and the UNSC only a little time to recover the AI before Voi and the surrounding area were cleansed by [[glassing]]. John-117 found the small storage device containing the AI; he entrusted to [[343 Guilty Spark]] for repairs and they were extracted by [[Type-52 Troop Carrier|Phantom]] to ''Shadow of Intent''.{{Ref/Reuse|H3Flood}}

Thel 'Vadam convinced Rtas 'Vadum to exercise restraint when glassing. Thus, only an area of Africa was glassed instead of a much wider area.{{Ref/Reuse|H3Flood}}

Shortly after the initial skirmishes with the Flood, the Flood-infested ''High Charity'' jumped out of slipspace further out in the Sol system. Shortly after discovering the presence of the Portal at Voi, the Gravemind conducted an arcane bridging maneuver allowing it to transport the former holy city to the Ark from the vicinity of [[Mars]] rather than physically accessing the portal on Earth; the human homeworld thus escaped further Flood contamination.<ref name="Bulletin924">[https://blogs.halowaypoint.com/en-us/blogs/headlines/posts/the-halo-bulletin-9-24-14 ''Halo Waypoint'' - The Halo Bulletin: 9.24.14]</ref>

Admiral Hood was determined to make his stand against the Flood on Earth. The Sangheili believed this to be foolish; there was little hope Earth could withstand a Flood spore, never mind a full Flood invasion, and they decided to place faith in Cortana and journey beyond the Portal. John-117 and Keyes convinced a weary Hood to allow them, and a UNSC task force to accompany the Sangheili.{{Ref/Reuse|H3Flood}}

{{Quote|Before 2552, there was no way anything like that could happen on Earth. On one of those distant planets in the outer colonies, maybe. But an attack on Earth? Couldn't happen. Until it did. It's called [[glassing]]. Covenant warships rain plasma down on a planet until everything and everyone on the surface melts. Usually, it's complete world destruction. Earth only got a taste. The prolonged orbital bombardment destroyed East Africa, killing millions before it ended. None of us were safe anymore.|[[Benjamin Giraud]]<ref>'''Hunt the Truth''' - ''Episode 01: A Hairline Fracture''</ref>}}

On [[2553#March|March 3, 2553]], a special ceremony on a hill over looking the Portal at Voi was held to honor the end of the war and those who had fallen.{{Ref/Level|Halo 3|[[Halo (Halo 3 level)|Halo]]}}

The battle of Earth had numerous engagements across the planet. Kenya, Cleveland, Havana, and the Southewestern URNA were battlefields. Fighting also took place at [[Sydney]],{{Ref/Reuse|glasslandsp.26}} [[Cairo]], [[Diego Garcia]],<ref name="encycearth">''[[Halo Encyclopedia]]'', Earth, p. 285, (2009); p. 296 (2011)</ref> [[Aranuka]],{{Ref/Novel|Id=loochapt2|Novel=Halo: Legacy of Onyx|Chapter=2}} the [[Yucatán Peninsula]],{{Ref/Reuse|goop.220}} [[Mount Erebus]],{{Ref/Reuse|goo204}} and [[Berkeley]].{{Ref/Reuse|axon12}}

Many fans, as well as ''Halopedia'', used to regard the Battle of Earth as two separate battles. Namely, the "First" was believed to comprise the events of ''[[Halo 2]]'' and the "Second" was thought to cover the events of John-117's return at the beginning of ''[[Halo 3]]''. Later sources have established that Truth's reinforcements arrived just hours after Regret fled, indicating that the "two" battles were one and the same. However, the ''Halo Encyclopedia'' (even the 2011 revised edition) lists them as two separate battles; this is one of several elements of the ''Encyclopedia'' that is seemingly lifted from this wiki.

File:Final meeting 7.png|UNSC and Sangheili leaders hold their meeting aboard the ''[[Shadow of Intent]]'' after the battle.