Human-Covenant War: Difference between revisions

{{Infobox Military Conflicts/2

| conflict    = Human-Covenant War

| image      = [[File:Human-Covenant War.png|300px]]

| date        = February 11, [[2525]]<ref>[[First Battle of Harvest]]</ref> – March 3, [[2553]]<ref>'''[[Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe]]''', ''[[From the Office of Dr. William Arthur Iqbal]]''</ref>

| place      = The [[Orion Arm]] of the [[Milky Way Galaxy]]<ref group="notes">The Human-Covenant War briefly extended outside the Milky Way galaxy for the [[Battle of Installation 00]]</ref>

| result      =

;[[UNSC]] pyrrhic victory, [[Covenant Separatist]] victory<ref>'''[[Believe]]''', ''[[Museum]]''</ref>  

*Collapse of the [[Covenant Empire]]

**Emergence of the [[Covenant Loyalist]]

**Emergence of the [[Covenant Separatist]]

*Destruction of Forerunner installations

*Neutralisation of the Flood threat

| combatant1  = [[UNSC]]

| combatant2  = [[Covenant Empire]]

| commander1  =  

;[[UNSC High Command|HIGHCOM]], [[Colonial Military Administration]]

*[[Fleet Admiral]] [[Terrence Hood|Lord Terrence Hood]]

*[[Admiral]] [[Preston Cole]]† (MIA assumed KIA)

*[[Admiral]] [[Margaret O. Parangosky]]

*[[Admiral]] [[Michael Stanforth]]†

*[[Admiral]] [[Danforth Whitcomb]]†

*''and others''

| commander2  =

;[[Hierarchs|High Prophets of the Covenant]]†

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

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

*[[Prophet of Mercy|High Prophet of Mercy]]†

;[[High Council|Covenant High Council]]

*[[Rtas 'Vadum|Special Operations Commander Rtas Vadumee]] <small>''(pre-Great Schism)''</small>

*[[Ripa 'Moramee]] †

*[[Thel 'Vadamee]] <small>''(pre-Great Schism)''</small>

*''and others''

| strength1  = [[United Nations Space Command Defense Force]]

| strength2  = Covenant Armed Forces

| casualties1 =

*Approximately 23 billion civilian and military casualties.<ref name=HE:PH>'''''[[Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe|Halo: Evolutions]],''' [[Palace Hotel]]'', ''page 351''</ref>

*Widespread infrastructure and structural damages to UNSC colonies

| casualties2 = Heavy casualties for all Covenant races

*Destruction of the Covenant Holy City, ''[[High Charity]]''

*Destruction of the Covenant battle station, ''[[Unyielding Hierophant]]''.

*Devastation of a Sangheili colony, [[Joyous Exultation]].

The '''Human-Covenant War''', also known as '''The Great War''', was a major interstellar conflict pitting the [[Unified Earth Government]] and its [[United Nations Space Command]] against the [[Covenant Empire]] during the mid-26^th century between [[2525#February|February 11, 2525]] and [[2553|March 3, 2553]]. There were two additional factions sporadically involved in the conflict; them being the [[Flood]], and a small number of surviving Forerunner constructs. Both factions proved to be invaluable to the efforts of humanity, as the information taken from [[Forerunner]] constructs and the Flood invasion of ''[[High Charity]]'' were helpful in [[Great Schism|splitting the Covenant apart]] in October 2552.

The war was instigated by the Covenant, whose [[High Prophet]]s discovered that humans were directly related to the [[Forerunner]]s. In order to keep the Covenant intact, war was declared against humanity. Over the next few decades, the Covenant, with superior firepower, numbers and technology, overpowered humanity on hundreds of worlds, including heavily defended strongholds such as [[Reach]]. The Humans would only win scattered and costly victories.

The conflict was closely connected with, and the cause of, the [[Covenant Civil War]], both of which resulted in the final defeat of the Covenant Loyalists and [[Flood]]. The official cessation of hostilities occurred on March 3, 2553.<ref>[[Hillside Memorial]]</ref> The war was incredibly costly to both sides, with over twenty-three billion humans and billions of Covenant killed during the hostilities and further heavy casualties during the Flood plague. The war ultimately lasted for a total of twenty-eight years.

Humanity and the Covenant first came into direct contact in February 3rd 2525, when a [[Kig-yar]] frigate, the ''[[Minor Transgression]]'', discovered a human ship transitionining out of slipspace and subsequently raided the vessel. The raid continued to 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, the AI and an [[Jilan al-Cygni|undercover ONI agent]] was 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 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 [[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 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 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.

Realizing the threat posed to humanity by the Covenant, the UNSC [[Colonial Military Administration]] gave [[Vice Admiral]] [[Preston Cole]] the command of the then-largest fleet in human history with orders to retake Harvest. Cole [[Second Battle of Harvest|retook Harvest]] in [[2526]], and then spent five years chasing the Covenant around the [[Outer Colonies]], fighting them and scoring victories at [[Alpha Aurigae System|Alpha Aurigae]], [[XI Boötis A System|XI Boötis A]], and [[Groombridge-1830]]. Meanwhile, the Covenant returned to Harvest, determined to recapture the planet. This led to a five-year long [[Harvest Campaign|series of engagements]] on Harvest between the Covenant and the UNSC. Because of the threat the Covenant posed, the UNSC began deploying the [[SPARTAN-II Program|SPARTAN-II]]s, super soldiers originally trained to fight the [[Insurrection]]. The SPARTANs became one of humanity's greatest — and most celebrated — defenders, showing an ability to turn the tide of battle. Their prowess was not lost on the Covenant, who came to fear the SPARTANs as [[demon]]s.

Despite their major numerical and technological advantages over humanity, by [[2531]], the Covenant High Prophets had realized that the task of destroying an entire sapient species had a logistical burden beyond anything that the [[Covenant Military]] could muster without leaving Covenant space defenseless.<ref>'''[[Halo Wars]]''', campaign level ''[[Scarab (Level)|Scarab]]''</ref> In spite of the UNSC's inferiority in comparison to the Covenant, the Prophets apparently considered their armed forces to be powerful enough to pose a threat to the Covenant proper. The [[Prophet of Regret]] dispatched an [[Ripa 'Moramee|Arbiter]] to Harvest to claim a Forerunner [[Relic (Structure)|artifact]] buried under the north pole of Harvest.

With the majority of the Outer Colonies glassed or abandoned, the UNSC faced an economic crisis as some of their [[Agriculture World]]s had been destroyed, leading to food shortages. On [[Charybdis IX]], food riots broke out. Meanwhile, Covenant forces began to encroach on the [[Inner Colonies]]. In response, the UNSC issued [[United Nations Space Command Emergency Priority Order 098831A-1]], otherwise known as the "Cole Protocol". It stated that no UNSC vessel may lead the Covenant to Earth or any other human population center. Furthermore, all movement through space was restricted to [[UNSC Navy]] vessels. [[Insurrectionist]] attacks increased in the face of what they saw as a removal of their right to freedom of movement. Another development was the discovery of Insurrectionists using Covenant weapons modified for human use. The UNSC saw this as a threat to security as the weapons may have been carrying Covenant homing beacons. The Covenant saw it as heresy that humans would modify their weapons, and the [[Prophet of Regret]] dispatched [[Thel 'Vadam|Thel 'Vadamee]] to destroy the source of the modified weapons: [[The Rubble]].

Of the few wins in the 2540's for the UNSC, one of the most significant and strategically advantageous was the [[Battle of Psi Serpentis]] in 2543. This battle became colloquially known as Admiral Cole's last stand due to the presumed death of [[Preston Jeremiah Cole|Admiral Preston J. Cole]]. In addition to the alleged death of Cole, over 300 [[Covenant Empire|Covenant]] vessels, two fleets worth, were completely vaporized when [[UNSC]] [[Nuclear weapon|nuclear missiles]] detonated inside the atmosphere of [[Viperidae]], a super massive gas giant. This detonation spurred spontaneous fusion at the core of Viperidae, temporarily turning the super gas giant into a brown dwarf star. Cole's achievements in this battle alone were only rivaled by the [[Operation: FIRST STRIKE|destruction]] of the ''[[Unyielding Hierophant]]'' and the actions of [[John-117|Spartan-117]] throughout the course of the war. A painting depicting the battle, titled "[[Admiral Cole's Last Stand]]" was created and by [[2552]], it hung on the wall of the [[HIGHCOM Facility Bravo-6]] on [[Sydney]], Earth.<ref>'''[[Halo: Evolutions]]''', ''[[The Impossible Life and the Possible Death of Preston J. Cole]]'', ''pages 472-485''</ref>

But while the Covenant was winning the war, there was growing tension between the [[San 'Shyuum]] and the [[Sangheili]]. At first, the Sangheili had followed the Prophets command to destroy the humans without question. But after more than twenty five years of war, humanity's continued resistance in the face of certain death had deeply impressed the martial Sangheili, who believed that the humans had earned the right to be offered membership in the Covenant, which the Prophets continued to reject. At the same time, the [[Jiralhanae]], the one race which could challenge the Sangheili on the battlefield, were rapidly earning favor with the Prophets, as they were less-inclined to question orders.<ref>'''[[Conversations from the Universe]]'''</ref>  

Towards what appeared to be the obvious end of the war by 2552, the Office of Naval Intelligence was resigned to the fact that humanity may only have months left before the Covenant destroyed the remaining Inner Colonies and moved on against Earth. To try and buy time, HIGHCOM ordered all available SPARTAN-IIs to return to Reach and leave on [[Operation: RED FLAG]], a mission to locate the Covenant homeworld and capture a Prophet to force the Covenant into a cease-fire.<ref>'''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]''', ''page ??''</ref>

The last year of the war saw humanity's largest defeat since the war's beginning, but also saw several of their greatest victories, coupled with the destruction of the Covenant as a galactic power. On [[Sigma Octanus IV]], the Covenant were [[Battle of Sigma Octanus IV|defeated]]. On the ground, the SPARTAN-IIs secured a Forerunner [[Sigma Octanus IV Artifact|artifact]] covered in symbols that the Covenant tried to transport out of [[Cote d'Azur]]. However, in space, the Covenant placed a [[Spy Probe]] on the {{UNSCShip|Iroquois}}, which led the Covenant to the UNSC's stronghold and main headquarters, [[Reach]].  

The [[Fall of Reach]] that followed had staggering losses for both sides, but ended in a Pyrrhic Covenant victory. The ''[[UNSC Pillar of Autumn|Pillar of Autumn]]'' was among the surviving UNSC ships which fled the battle, and made a somewhat blind jump, as described by Cortana saying that she realized that the symbols on the retrieved artifact from Sigma Octanus IV were in fact very old star charts and were coordinates to the Forerunner ring world of [[Halo Array|Halo]], being chased by a dozen Covenant warships.

The Covenant's first costly defeat was on and around [[Installation 04]]. Here, the Human survivors from the [[Halcyon-class cruiser|''Halcyon''-class cruiser]], the ''Pillar of Autumn'', managed to form an effective and surprising resistance to the Covenant. Unwilling to risk damaging the [[Halo|sacred ring]], the Covenant was forced to fight the Humans on Halo's surface rather than using its usual bombardment tactics. The Covenant found the Humans uncannily adapted to Halo's environment and very adept at fighting on the surface, with Human firearms and vehicles proving effective despite their technological inferiority. Unable to counter the guerrilla tactics employed by the Humans, the Covenant was soundly defeated in numerous raids, including one instance when the Humans boarded their grounded cruiser, the ''[[Truth and Reconciliation]]'', and successfully escaped with a group of captives, including the captain of the ''Pillar of Autumn'', Captain Jacob Keyes. The battle on Halo then suddenly took a turn for the worst for both sides when the Covenant accidentally released an ancient and deadly parasitic race called the [[Flood]]. The Flood, having been imprisoned within Halo for many thousands of years, spread quickly throughout the ring, killing or assimilating every unsuspecting human and Covenant in their path.   

During the course of the battle, the SPARTAN-II [[John-117]]] discovered the true nature of Halo and proceeded to detonate the crashed ''Pillar of Autumn's'' engines, destroying the ring, and escaped, much to the Covenant's horrified dismay. The destruction of Halo and the later loss of the [[flagship]] ''[[Ascendant Justice]]'' to the surviving UNSC forces led to [[Supreme Commander]] [[Thel 'Vadamee]] being disgraced and demoted before being branded with the [[Mark of Shame]], leaving him dead in the eyes of the [[Sangheili]]. Only the intervention of the [[Prophet of Truth]] prevented 'Vadamee's certain execution. He was instead given the rank of [[Arbiter (Rank)|Arbiter]] and sent to quell a [[Heretic]] uprising that had taken root on the [[Gas Mine]] around [[Threshold]].

Shortly after the defeat at Halo, the Covenant had amassed a large [[fleet]] that appeared to be intended to assault [[Earth]]. The Covenant discovery of Earth was an accident after the ''[[Pious Flea]]'' had been intercepted by the UNSC stealth ship ''[[Apocalypso]]''. After retrieving a Forerunner artifact, the ''Apocalypso'' made a [[Slipspace]] jump directly to Earth. When the ship tumbled into real space and crashed on the moon, the ''Pious Flea'' sent a message to the heart of the Covenant military, containing reconnaissance data, photos, star maps, and the coordinates of the Forerunner Artifact, which was now on Earth. However, the Covenant had not identified Earth as the Human homeworld, and the ''[[Unyielding Hierophant]]''<nowiki />'s fleet was never expressly identified to be intending to assault Earth; this is merely a reasonable assumption made by the Human forces upon discovery of the fleet's destination of [[Sol]].  

A few weeks after this defeat, the [[Prophet of Regret]] led a small fleet of fifteen ships to Earth, supposedly in order to locate a Forerunner artifact known as the "[[Installation 00|Ark]]". Though hopelessly outgunned by the UNSC's new orbital defense grid of MAC guns, the Prophet of Regret's flagship managed to break through the Human defenses to [[New Mombasa]]. The Covenant ground troops quickly spread through the city, destroying both military and civilian resistance, but a counter-attack by the [[Marines]] and John-117 drove them back. With his fleet destroyed in orbit when he landed, Regret was forced to retreat. His carrier jumped into Slipspace from within the city, damaging it severely.

Meanwhile, the majority of the Human forces on ''In Amber Clad'' had traveled to Delta Halo's [[Library]] to obtain the [[Index]], which is the key to firing Halo. Originally, the Covenant had been unaware of the Index's importance, but luckily for them, Arbiter Thel 'Vadamee had obtained [[343 Guilty Spark (Monitor)|343 Guilty Spark]], the monitor of [[Installation 04]], while destroying the Heretic base. The monitor, known to the Covenant as an Oracle, told the Prophets of the Index and the Arbiter was sent to retrieve the "Sacred Icon". The mission was complicated though by the unexpected release of the Flood. Despite this, the Arbiter successfully reached the Library and prevented the Humans from claiming the Index. Just as [[Miranda Keyes]] claimed the index, the Arbiter stole it from her, kidnapping her and [[Sgt. Johnson]]. However, then Index was stolen from the Arbiter by the [[Jiralhanae Chieftain]] [[Tartarus]], who was under the Prophets' orders to retrieve the Index and kill the Arbiter, whom Tartarus knocked down an apparently bottomless shaft. With the Index secure, the Prophets then ordered the Jiralhanae to begin eradicating the Sangheili, thus starting the [[Covenant Civil War]]. Ultimately this led to the death of Tartarus at the hands of Vadamee and Johnson and an alliance between the Separatists and the Human forces. Delta Halo was prevented from firing by Miranda Keyes and the Flood killed the [[Prophet of Mercy]], leaving the Prophet of Truth firmly in control over the Covenant.

:'''Leaders:''' [[UNSC High Command|HIGHCOM]]

:'''Homeworld:''' [[Earth]]

:'''Military Forces:''' Unknown, likely in the hundreds of millions or billions.<ref name=HE:PH></ref>

:'''Leaders:''' [[Hierarchs]], [[High Council]]

{{Col-begin}}

;Covenant Loyalists

:'''Leader''': [[Prophet of Truth]]

:'''Homeworld:''' Multiple worlds - different member races.

:'''Military Forces:''' Exact numbers are unknown, but are assumed equal to or larger than the [[Covenant Separatists]]' forces.

;Covenant Separatists

:'''Leader''': [[Arbiter]] [[Thel 'Vadam]], [[Imperial Admiral]] [[Xytan 'Jar Wattinree]], [[Fleet Master]] [[Rtas 'Vadum]]

:'''Homeworld:''' [[Sanghelios]], [[Balaho]], and [[Te]]

:'''Military Forces:''' Exact numbers are unknown, but are assumed equal to or smaller than the [[Covenant Loyalists]]' forces.

===Forerunner===

{{col-3}}