Battle for Earth: Difference between revisions

====Fall of Mombasa====

{{Quote|no=two|Veronica Dare|Edward Buck|q1=When did ''this'' happen?|q2=They started showing up right before I went underground.|[[Captain]] [[Veronica Dare]] and [[Gunnery Sergeant]] [[Edward Buck]] viewing a second and larger [[Truth's fleet|fleet]] of Covenant starships circling Mombasa.{{Ref/Reuse|H3RCoast}}}}

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|Id=hnbc8|[[Halo: New Blood]]|Chapter=8}} enacted their leader's orders. The Jiralhanae violently displaced their Sangheili commanders left in the initial fleet both ground-side,{{Ref/Level|Id=H3RTayari|Game=Halo 3: ODST|Level=Tayari Plaza}} and in orbit, and then seized the full control of Covenant forces at Mombasa in order to secure Truth's arrival on the Portal by his loyalists,{{Ref/Reuse|Id=bungie}} the beginning of Truth's plan to place the Jiralhanae as the Covenant's primary warrior race.{{Ref/Reuse|waypoint}} While ''[[High Charity]]'' and the rest of its [[High Charity defense fleet|fleet]] were following the ''Solemn Penance'' on their way to the newly discovered Halo Installation 05, the murder of Regret's Sangheili forces remained secret from the rest of the Covenant.  

While maintaining a significant presence in orbit, the Covenant ships deployed ground forces to multiple targets around the globe.{{Ref/Reuse|goo204}} However, due to many Covenant forces, notably those under the command of the [[Prophet of Truth]] and his Jiralhanae loyalists, that were concentrating their forces at Kenya for the excavation of the Portal at Voi, some of their forces were sometimes disorganized, hence less effectual.{{Ref/Reuse|lootcrate2}} A [[Second Battle of New Mombasa]] between the UNSC and Jiralhanae-led Covenant ground forces takes place shortly after the [[Battle of Mombasa|first battle]] 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/Film|Film=Believe|Story=Museum}} 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]].  

[[Sydney]], [[Australia]] was one of the cities invaded by the Covenant during the engagement due to its importance in UNSC's war effort. Though the city suffered heavy damage by Covenant bombardment, the UNSC's [[HIGHCOM Facility Bravo-6]] remained undamaged.{{Ref/Novel|Id=glasslandsp.26|Novel=Halo: Glasslands|Page=26-33}} [[Diego Garcia]], following its effective attacks against the initial Covenant forces during the [[Battle of Mombasa]], was attacked by a Covenant [[capital ship]] to destroy the base around November, but the base managed to survive the attack.{{Ref/Book|Id=encycearth|Book=Halo Encyclopedia: The Definitive Guide to the Halo Universe|Detail=Earth, p. 284-285, (2009); p. 296-297 (2011 edition)}}{{Ref/Novel|[[Halo: Mortal Dictata]]|Page=265}} [[Aranuka]], a vast city-platform built, was aggressively invaded by the Covenant, killing thousands of Aranukan inslanders, and much of the city was destroyed in their research for a supposed hidden Forerunner artifact. Despite heavy casualties, the UNSC was able to drift the alien invaders away and the [[Aranuka Space Tether]] survived the siege of the city.{{Ref/Reuse|Id=loochapt2}}

===Truth arrives===

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

Near the conclusion of the [[Battle of Installation 05]], the [[Prophet of Truth]] departed ''[[High Charity]]'', near Halo [[Installation 05]], in the [[Forerunner]] [[keyship]] ''[[Anodyne Spirit]]'' on November 3, arriving at the [[Sol system]] on the November 8 and proceeding on course towards Earth at near-relativistic speeds.{{Ref/Reuse|Id=bungie}} The prophet sought to activate the Ark, fire the [[Halo Array]], and begin what he thought would be the "[[Great Journey]]". After the [[Fall of High Charity|loss]] of [[High Charity]] to the [[Flood]], the Covenant reorganized to make a final push offensive on Earth,{{Ref/Reuse|H2GJ}} as the Prophet of Truth took many remaining Covenant fleets at his disposal following his departure.{{Ref/Reuse|Id=hbc286}} However, upon his arrival, the Prophet quickly learned that John-117 had stowed away aboard the ship and its crew then became [[Scramble onboard Forerunner Dreadnought|preoccupied]] with finding and eliminating the Spartan.{{Ref/Reuse|lrh}}

At the outcome of space engagements, almost the entire [[UNSC Home Fleet]], hence many entire smaller fleets, had been utterly overrun by the outnumbering and outgunning Covenant naval forces, though it was likely that most of the overwhelming Covenant fleet, mostly the capital ships, was in return destroyed by the UNSC defenders, mainly due to Earth's formidable and fierce defense and Hood's brilliant leadership, especially thanks to multiple defending [[Magnetic Accelerator Cannon#Mark V|"Super" MAC]]-equipped [[orbital defense platform]]s,{{Ref/Reuse|H2TA}} throughout the Battle for Earth.{{Ref/Level|Id=H3CN|Game=Halo 3|Level=Crow's Nest}} After demolishing most of Earth defenses, the recently-victorious Covenant fleet then lead a colossal [[orbital bombardment|bombardment]] on Earth, causing extreme terrestrial casualties and damaging much of the surface of the planet.{{Ref/Reuse|H3CN}} The ''[[Cairo Station (station)|Cairo Station]]'' survived the final space battle relatively intact, albeit left damaged.{{Ref/Reuse|H2GJ}}

James' civilian brother, [[Ruwan Ackerson]] who was aware of what the Covenant are looking for during the Covenant interrogation at Cleveland, along with [[Myras Tyla]], were both brought to a secret UNSC forces to meet [[Sergeant]] [[Twyker]] in attempt to repel the Covenant forces in Cleveland.{{Ref/Reuse|HUI1}}{{Ref/Reuse|HUI2}} Ruwan was injected with [[Tykos 30]], an organic tracking device, as Tyla and the remaining civilians were evacuated. He was then taken to [[Chagrin Falls]], where a [[Jiralhanae Chieftain]] demanded that Ackerson relinquish the Key of Osanalan and an army of Jiralhanae surrounded him. However, Ruwan told them ''he'' was the Key, which confused the Covenant and brought him aboard an orbiting {{Pattern|Ket|battlecruiser}}, the ''[[Harbinger of Piety]]'', before the [[Minister of Inquisition]]. There, the Minister vows to spare Earth from the Covenant occupation in exchange for knowledge of the apparent "key". Aboard the Forerunner Dreadnought, John-117, unable to assassinate the Prophet of Truth and take control of the Forerunner Dreadnought's trajectory, was informed that the ''Harbinger of Piety'' that was holding the "key" is to be destroyed. Since the ship was near the keyship, the Spartan was ordered by Twyker to find a way off the Forerunner Dreadnought to avoid being caught in the impending destruction of the cruiser. The Master Chief was then ordered to find a way to return to Earth quickly as the Forerunner Dreadnought began to enter Earth's atmosphere.{{Ref/Reuse|HUI4}} While the Minister was still interrogating Ruwan, the ''[[Nassau Station]]'' proceeded to remotely shoot at the ''Harbinger of Piety'' with a single shot from its [[Magnetic Accelerator Cannon|MAC]] gun, destroying instantly the cruiser and killing everyone aboard, including the Minister of Inquisition and Ruwan Ackerson. Though, Twyker's worries was proven ill-founded due to Forerunner Dreadnought remaining unharmed following the ''Harbinger of Piety''{{'}}s destruction.{{Ref/Reuse|HUI4}}

While the battle for Earth raged, the [[Fleet of Retribution]] 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/Level|Id=H3Flood|Game=Halo 3|Level=Floodgate}}

A [[battle group]] of [[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 [[Kez'katu-pattern Phantom|Phantom]] to ''Shadow of Intent''.{{Ref/Reuse|H3Flood}}