Arcadia: Difference between revisions

On [[2531#February|February 9, 2531]], Arcadia was [[Battle of Arcadia|attacked]] by the [[Covenant]], leading to a brief, yet brutal, battle between the [[United Nations Space Command]] and the Covenant.<ref name="waypoint"/> Although [[Admiral]] [[Preston Cole]] successfully fought off the Covenant forces, Arcadia's major population centers were destroyed and the Arcadians abandoned their home. However, over the following years, many Arcadians slowly returned to their homeworld and began rebuilding their colony, reestablishing [[Abaskun]] as a farming community.<ref name="journal">'''[[Halo: Reach]]''', ''[[Dr. Halsey's personal journal]]''</ref> On [[2549#September|September 9, 2549]], the Covenant returned to Arcadia and finally [[Glassing|glassed]] the planet, eradicating nearly its entire population.<ref name="waypoint"/>

Towards the end of the [[Harvest campaign]] during the [[Human-Covenant War]], the [[Covenant]]'s [[Fleet of Glorious Interdiction]] discovered [[Relic|Forerunner ruins]] on [[Harvest]] containing coordinates to Arcadia. Led by [[Arbiter]] [[Ripa 'Moramee]], the [[fleet]] arrived at Arcadia on [[2531#February|February 9, 2531]], pursued closely by {{UNSCShip|Spirit of Fire}} of the [[Third Fleet]]. Two {{Class|CCS|battlecruiser}}s of the Covenant fleet quickly [[Battle of Arcadia|engaged]] the four [[warship]]s of the Arcadian defense fleet. While one battlecruiser was destroyed, two of the UNSC ships were lost and the other two were heavily damaged. By the time ''Spirit of Fire'' arrived in the system, the remaining battlecruiser had begun deploying ground forces to Arcadia's surface.<ref name="arcadia city"/>

Following the Battle for Arcadia, the planet's major population centers were destroyed and the surviving Arcadians fled their ruined homeworld. However, over the following years, many Arcadians slowly began returning to their world and rebuilding. While flora had overgrown most of their cities, the Arcadians resettled in [[Abaskun]] on [[Mu]], a mostly lawless community that provided much needed food supplies to the UNSC and the [[Inner Colonies]].<ref name="waypoint"/><ref name="timeline"/> However, on [[2549#September|September 9, 2549]], a massive Covenant fleet [[Fall of Arcadia|returned]] to Arcadia and [[Glassing|glassed]] the planet. The Arcadians attempted to flee aboard hundreds of transports, although only a handful successfully escaped.<ref name="journal"/> The surviving Arcadians eventually relocated to the UEG refugee camps in the southern dunes of [[Terra Cimmeria]] on [[Mars]].<ref>'''[[Halo: Fractures]]''', "[[Oasis]]", ''page 298'' (Google Play edition)</ref><ref>'''[[Halo: Envoy]]''', ''page 73'' (Google Play edition)</ref>

Arcadia was an [[Outer Colony]] administrated by the [[Unified Earth Government]]. The colony was divided into forty-two<ref name="risk">''[[Risk|Halo Wars Risk]]''</ref> provincial regions, the largest of which was the metropolitan capital of [[Pirth City]],<ref name="waypoint"/> located on the continent of [[Eire]].<ref name="risk"/> Other major cities on Arcadia included [[Abaskun]], [[Daylam]], and [[Saqsin]].<ref name="vis"/> The [[Arcadian Patrol]] served as the colony's [[Law enforcement|police force]].<ref name="arcadia city"/> The [[United Nations Space Command]] maintained [[Fort Deen]] on the colony,<ref>'''Halo Wars''', multiplayer level, ''[[Fort Deen (level)|Fort Deen]]''</ref> while the [[Office of Naval Intelligence]] also had their own [[Arcadia ONI facility|facility]] in the jungles of Arcadia.<ref>'''Halo Wars''', campaign level, ''[[Dome of Light]]''</ref> In early [[2531]], the colony had a population of 2,998,230.<ref name="vis"/> After the [[Covenant]]'s [[Battle of Arcadia|attack]], most Arcadians abandoned their homeworld, though many returned over the following years and resettled in Abaskun.<ref name="timeline"/> Although Abaskun maintained a colonial government,<ref name="gaines">[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/universe/characters/jordan-gaines '''Halo Waypoint''': ''Jordan Gaines'']</ref> the colony was regarded as lawless and anachronistic.<ref name="waypoint"/>

The Arcadians were regarded as a peaceful and thriving people.<ref name="vis"/> The colony's inhabitants had only explored a relatively small portion of the planet; the creation of the [[Deep Space Research Array]] in Arcadia's orbit led some to point out the irony that the Arcadians knew more about the galaxy than about the dense forests and jungles of their own planet. The population appeared to be loyal to the [[Unified Earth Government]], providing the [[Inner Colonies]] with much needed foodstuff even after their civilization had fallen into a bizarre state of anarchy and lawlessness, following the [[Covenant]]'s [[Battle of Arcadia|first attack]] on Arcadia.<ref name="waypoint"/> The Arcadians had their own style of fashion, unique to their world.<ref name="evg8">'''Halo: The Essential Visual Guide''', ''page 8''</ref>