Battle of Installation 00: Difference between revisions

|commanders3=[[Gravemind]]†

|forces1=[[Fleet of Retribution]]/[[Seventh Fleet]]

**1 [[Sangheili]] [[battle group]]{{Ref/Note|Id=composition|See [[Fleet of Retribution#Notes|here]].}}

***1+ {{Class|CAS|assault carrier}}{{Ref/Reuse|theark}}

***9+ {{Pattern|Ket|battlecruiser}}s{{Ref/Reuse|theark}}

**[[Battle Group Victory]]

*Many air vehicles

**Numerous [[GA-TL1 Longsword]] fighters{{Ref/Reuse|theark}}

***[[D77H-TCI Pelican]]s{{Ref/Reuse|theark}}

**Numerous [[AV-14 Hornet]]s{{Ref/Reuse|theark}}

**Many [[Seraph|T-31 Seraph]] fighters

***{{Pattern|Kai|Seraph}}s{{Ref/Reuse|theark}}

**[[Forerunner automated turret|Automated turrets]]{{Ref/Reuse|theark}}

*[[Mendicant Bias]]

**1+ {{Pattern|Varric|heavy cruiser}}{{Ref/Generic|Id=loot5|Heading=[[Halo Legendary Crate]]|Subheading=[[Halo Legendary Crate/Data Drops|Data Drop #5]]|Detail=[[:File:LC 05 Doc1.jpg|Apollo Leader To CDR S. Palmer]]}}{{Ref/Novel|Id=envoy|Novel=Halo: Envoy}}

***Multiple {{Pattern|Ket|battlecruiser}}s{{Ref/Reuse|theark}}

**1+ [[Covenant frigate|frigate]]{{Ref/Reuse|loot5}}

*Many air vehicles

**Many [[Seraph|T-31 Seraph]] fighters

With support from his accompanying ODST squad and his [[SRS99D-S2 AM sniper rifle]], John-117 cleared out two Covenant camps of Jiralhanae, Unggoy, and Kig-Yar. At the second camp, they disrupted the Covenant's efforts to assemble a [[Skar'wa-pattern Mantis|Mantis]]. Emerging on the other side of the Forerunner structures, they linked up with Dubbo and other survivors seeking refuge from the downed Pelican, where a lance of Covenant searched for survivors. Dubbo informed John-117 of the potential landing zone for the ''Dawn''. Upon defeating the Covenant patrol at the Pelican, a pair of [[Qavardu Workshop Prowler|Prowlers]] arrived at the area, but their operators were eliminated by the UNSC. Salvaging both UNSC and Covenant vehicles, John-117 and his team advanced into the Covenant-occupied canyon. At this point, the Covenant have set up an attack force of infantry and {{Pattern|Rizsheda|Shade}}s at a nearby [[Forerunner]] wall, which was defended by [[Aggressor Sentinel]]s. John-117 and his team eliminated the Covenant attackers, and the Sentinels, recognizing the humans as [[Reclaimer]]s, withheld their attacks. [[Sergeant Major]] [[Avery Johnson]], onboard ''Kilo 023'', spotted a structure that was similar to the [[Cartographer]] of [[Installation 04]] on the other side of the wall, and Keyes set the structure as the objective.{{Ref/Reuse|theark}}

After entering the wall and emerging from the other side, the UNSC encountered a [[Deutoros-pattern Scarab|Scarab]]. Although the Scarab quickly left the area, the canyon leading from the wall to the Cartographer was defended by a battalion-sized force of Covenant heavy armor, including Choppers, Ghosts, Wraiths, and infantry with [[Pez'tk-pattern fuel rod gun|heavy weapons]], reinforced by a Phantom. Two of the three Warthogs, which emerged from the wall first, were quickly overwhelmed, and their operators were killed. A single [[M12G1 Gauss Warthog]], taking a winding path to the side, was harassed by Ghosts and lost its gunner, though it regrouped with John-117, who had left the group earlier when they travel across the wall. The Spartan commandeered the vehicle and rejoined the Scorpion tanks. John-117 and Stacker then led the Scorpions against the Covenant armor. When the UNSC forces broke through the Covenant defenses, the Scarab returned to the area, with Choppers as its escorts. Stacker ordered Marines from Bravo unit to flank the Scarab to cover John-117's assault on the Scarab. They succeed, with John-117 personally taking down the Scarab. After the Scarab's destruction, the ''[[Shadow of Intent]]'' arrived at the Cartographer, and Rtas 'Vadum announced that his fleet had destroyed Truth's fleet.{{Ref/Reuse|theark}}

Encountering resistance from Jiralhanae and Kig-Yar on the way, John-117 climbed a series of ramps towards the entrance to the Cartographer. At the top, he met with [[Thel 'Vadam]], who dismounted from ''Kilo 023'' along with a pair of Marines. While Commander Keyes assembled an air support force to prevent Covenant reinforcements, 343 Guilty Spark unlocked the sealed door at the entrance, allowing John-117 and Thel 'Vadam to advance inside. Their arrival caught most of its Covenant occupants off-guard, and they eventually arrived at an exterior platform hosting the Cartographer terminal. The Chief and 343 Guilty Spark accessed the terminal, learning the installation as the "Ark" and that Truth had already fortified himself at [[Installation 00 Citadel|the core of the Ark]], where he could remotely activate the entire Halo Array. Furthermore, Truth had activated a large barrier around the entire core to ward off the attacking forces.{{Ref/Reuse|theark}}

''Kilo 023'' arrived to pick up John-117, but a massive swarm of Sentinels approached the Pelicans. Initially, the UNSC prepared to attack, but they stopped when 343 Guilty Spark asked them not to attack the Sentinels, stating that the Sentinels had a "priority task" of unknown nature. Instead of attacking, the Aggressors flew off into the distance, and the UNSC and Sangheili followed suit, making their way to the Installation 00 Citadel to stop the Prophet of Truth.{{Ref/Reuse|theark}}

While John-117 and his team traveled to the first tower, 'Vadam and Johnson, along with their teams, touched down at the second and third towers, respectively. Although John-117 and 'Vadam succeed in disabling two of the three towers, Johnson was ambushed by enemy reinforcements, and lost contact with the UNSC soon after. The Jiralhanae captured Johnson, and took him to the Citadel. The UNSC-Sangheili forces launched a second assault on the third tower, with John-117 escorting the dropships in an AV-14 Hornet. They first destroyed Covenant Banshees and a Phantom, securing air control outside the barrier. The third tower was heavily defended by a pair of AA Wraiths, Shades, another standard Wraith, and a huge group of Jiralhanae led by War Chieftain. Destroying the Brute defenders outside the third tower, John-117, Thel 'Vadam, and a team of five Sangheili proceeded inside, where they discovered the corpses of Johnson's team, except for Johnson. After the defending forces of Mgalekgolo, Yanme'e and Jiralhanae were eliminated, John-117 disabled the barrier tower, finally deactivating the barrier. The ''Shadow of Intent'' advanced towards the Citadel, but 'Vadum's attack was interrupted by the arrival of the Flood-infested ''High Charity'', which arrived via slipspace. ''High Charity'' launched debris that crippled the carrier and its weapons systems, forcing the ''Shadow of Intent'' to retreat. It also launched [[Flood dispersal pod]]s and began spreading Flood across the Ark. Keyes insisted that the Flood's arrival would only pressure Truth into activating the rings, and ordered the remaining ground forces to attack the Citadel.{{Ref/Reuse|cov}}

During this time, the [[Jiralhanae Chieftain]] [[Hekabe]] decided to use the distraction from the Flood arrival to locate the ''[[vertex]]'' hidden on the Ark. The control device for the [[Sharquoi]], the ''vertex'' would allow Hekabe to control the creatures. Though the Prophets had some Sharquoi themselves, they had lacked the ''vertex'' and so could not control them and never unleashed them. Hekabe intended to use the ''vertex'' and the Sharquoi to gain power for himself and so fled the Ark with his loyalists before the battle ended despite fighting on the side of the Covenant.{{Ref/Reuse|envoy}}

While the Flood began climbing up the Citadel's far wall, John-117 and Thel 'Vadam led a small attack force, including N'tho 'Sraom, Usze 'Taham, as well as a few Marines and Sangheili, into the Citadel.{{Ref/Novel|Id=HitD252|HitD|Page=252}} Inside, the Prophet of Truth was giving a speech attempting to reassure his remaining followers, declaring that he was about to activate the Halo Array by forcing Johnson into interacting the control panel. Realizing that they had very little time left, John-117 and Thel 'Vadam hastily made their way to the elevator that would carry them to Truth's level, but the elevator's immense height meant that they would not be able to intervene in time.{{Ref/Reuse|cov}}

==Aftermath==

===The Flood===

However, their defenses were proven to be ineffective, with [[Banished]] forces, led by Jiralhanae [[Voridus]], [[Outbreak on Installation 00|releasing the Flood]] from the ruins of ''High Charity'' and providing them with hosts to infect during the [[Second Ark Conflict]] on [[2559#June|June 4, 2559]].{{Ref/Reuse|wrong}} This inadvertently caused a Flood outbreak onto the installation, leading to a desperate struggle between the Banished and the parasite. Ultimately, the Banished managed to destroy a [[Proto-Gravemind]] that was moments away from becoming a Gravemind and the Ark's Sentinels and the Banished managed to once again contain the Flood.{{Ref/Level|HW2|Manifestation}}

===The Covenant===

Although the Battle of Installation 00 marked the end of the Human-Covenant War, numerous new [[Covenant remnants|splinter factions from the Covenant]] were created in its wake. These factions ranged from pragmatic mercenaries to fanatical religious cultists.{{Ref/Comic|Halo: Escalation|Issue=[[Halo: Escalation Issue 5|5]]}} These factions would come into [[Post-Covenant War conflicts|conflict with each other]], with notable conflicts like [[Sangheili-Jiralhanae war|a war between the Sangheili and the Jiralhanae]] following the Great Schism, and [[Blooding Years|numerous civil conflicts]] fought between the Swords of Sanghelios and various other Sangheili factions.{{Ref/Site|URL=https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/universe/locations/sanghelios|Site=Halo Waypoint|Page=Universe - Locations - Sanghelios|D=20|M=10|Y=2021}}

In [[2558#September|September 2558]], the [[Jiralhanae Chieftain]] [[Hekabe]] attempted to unleash the [[Sharquoi]] on the planet [[Carrow]], having retrieved the Sharquoi control device, the ''[[vertex]]'', from the Ark during the Battle of Installation 00. Hekabe's plan was narrowly foiled by [[Gray Team]], [[Rojka 'Kasaan]] and elements of the [[Surakan Militia Volunteers]].{{Ref/Reuse|envoy}}

==Participants==

! Status<!--This refers to their status after the battle, not their overall status-->

|-

|{{UNSCShip|Forward Unto Dawn}}

|Destroyed, split in half

|}

*''[[Halo: Divine Wind]]'' {{Mo}}

*''[[Halo Infinite]]'' {{Im}}

==Notes==