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Harvest: Difference between revisions

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'''Harvest''', also known as '''Epsilon Indi IV''',<ref name="Halo Channel">''[[Halo Channel]]'': Encyclopedia</ref> designated '''CE-309-8 d''' by the [[Forerunner]]s,{{Ref/Reuse|universe}}{{Ref/Site|Id=catalog|D=01|M=6|Y=2020|URL=https://forums.halowaypoint.com/yaf_postsm2969315_Catalog-Interaction.aspx#post2969315|Site=Halo Waypoint|Page=Catalog Interaction page 14}} was a [[human]] [[Outer Colonies|Outer]] [[Human colonies|Colony]] [[planet|world]] founded as a [[agriculture world|"breadbasket" world]]. Founded in [[2468]] by the {{UNSCShip|Skidbladnir}}, the colony was the most remote at the time of its founding.<ref>[http://www.halowars.com/GameInfo/Timeline.aspx ''Official Halo Wars Community Site'' - Timeline] (defunct, [[Archive:Halowars.com/Timeline|Archive]])</ref>{{Ref/Note|Id=17th|According to ''Halo: Contact Harvest'', Harvest was the latest of humanity's seventeen colonies to be settled. The claim of humanity having a mere seventeen colony worlds has been ignored in later material, which instead appear to adhere to the more lenient figure of 800 worlds presented in the [[Archive:Xbox.com/Halo/Timeline|original ''Halo'' timeline]]. Given that the timeline also states that 210 [[Inner Colonies]] had been settled before 2390, it is unlikely that the notion of Harvest being the seventeenth colony is considered canonical. This is further evidenced by the "Story So Far" documentary on the Halo: Legends DVD giving the number of human worlds the same as the original timeline.}} Located in the [[Epsilon Indi system]],{{Ref/Novel|[[Halo: Contact Harvest]]|Page=32}} the planet had the unfortunate distinction of being the first human planet discovered and destroyed by the [[Covenant]]. After [[First Battle of Harvest|a disastrous first contact]], the planet was subsequently [[glassing|glassed]] by the Covenant, but most of its population managed to escape in [[DCS light freighter|freighters]].{{Ref/Novel|Halo: Contact Harvest|Page=387}}
'''Harvest''', also known as '''Epsilon Indi IV''',<ref name="Halo Channel">''[[Halo Channel]]'': Encyclopedia</ref> designated '''CE-309-8 d''' by the [[Forerunner]]s,{{Ref/Reuse|universe}}{{Ref/Site|Id=catalog|D=01|M=6|Y=2020|URL=https://forums.halowaypoint.com/yaf_postsm2969315_Catalog-Interaction.aspx#post2969315|Site=Halo Waypoint|Page=Catalog Interaction page 14}} was a [[human]] [[Outer Colonies|Outer]] [[Human colonies|Colony]] [[planet|world]] founded as a [[agriculture world|"breadbasket" world]]. Founded in [[2468]] by the {{UNSCShip|Skidbladnir}}, the colony was the most remote at the time of its founding.<ref>[http://www.halowars.com/GameInfo/Timeline.aspx ''Official Halo Wars Community Site'' - Timeline] (defunct, [[Archive:Halowars.com/Timeline|Archive]])</ref>{{Ref/Note|Id=17th|According to ''Halo: Contact Harvest'', Harvest was the latest of humanity's seventeen colonies to be settled. The claim of humanity having a mere seventeen colony worlds has been ignored in later material, which instead appear to adhere to the more lenient figure of 800 worlds presented in the [[Archive:Xbox.com/Halo/Timeline|original ''Halo'' timeline]]. Given that the timeline also states that 210 [[Inner Colonies]] had been settled before 2390, it is unlikely that the notion of Harvest being the seventeenth colony is considered canonical. This is further evidenced by the "Story So Far" documentary on the Halo: Legends DVD giving the number of human worlds the same as the original timeline.}} Located in the [[Epsilon Indi system]],{{Ref/Novel|[[Halo: Contact Harvest]]|Page=32}} the planet had the unfortunate distinction of being the first human planet discovered and destroyed by the [[Covenant]]. After [[First Battle of Harvest|a disastrous first contact]], the planet was subsequently [[glassing|glassed]] by the Covenant, but most of its population managed to escape in [[DCS light freighter|freighters]].{{Ref/Novel|Halo: Contact Harvest|Page=387}}
==Overview==
===Topography===
[[File:Halo_wars_Ice_02_by_JJasso-1-.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Panorama of Harvest's landscape.]]
Harvest was a small planet, approximately one-third the size of [[Earth]] with an equatorial diameter of slightly more than 4,000 kilometers (2,484 miles), making Harvest slightly smaller than the [[Sol system|Sol]] planet [[Mercury]].{{Ref/Novel|Id=pg33|[[Halo: Contact Harvest]]|age=33}} In terms of surface area, Harvest possessed ~50 million km², roughly one-tenth the surface area of Earth. Harvest orbited [[Epsilon Indi system|Epsilon Indi]] extremely quickly, much faster than most other UNSC colonies, at roughly 150,000 km/h, or ~41km/sec (by comparison, Earth orbits Sol at roughly 30 km/sec). Harvest had no natural satellites. Harvest also has a day/night cycle only 17.5 Earth hours long. Out of a total of five planets in the Epsilon Indi system, Harvest was the only habitable planet, as well as being fertile for farming. The super-continent [[Edda]] dominated the planet, taking up roughly 67% of its surface. Two low-salinity seas covered the remainder of the planet, [[Hugin Sea|Hugin]] to the north, and [[Munin Sea|Munin]] to the south.{{Ref/Novel|Halo: Contact Harvest|Page=74}} Almost 86% of Edda is within 500 meters of sea level, the only major change in elevation is the [[Bifrost]], an escarpment that "cuts" Edda in half.
Harvest's surface was once beautiful, covered in grassland and forests, lush fields and rolling hills, and a thousand lakes swarming with fish. The orchards were filled with luscious crops. [[Starling]]s and [[bat]]s were among the introduced species.{{Ref/Novel|[[Halo: Ghosts of Onyx]]|Page=75}}
After being glassed, however, the surface was reduced to a layer of melted glass, the destruction visible from orbit.{{Ref/Novel|Halo: The Fall of Reach|Chapter=??}} The environment suffered a catastrophic blow as a result, the once glorious landscape turning into a nearly frozen tundra, causing most species to quickly go extinct. Soon, all that remained of Harvest's original ecosystem were the scavengers, feeding off the rotting remains of the planet's once abundant wildlife, and even they perished before long. Now, the planet is submerged in nuclear winter, with no life on the surface. But, even after all of this, there are still several Forerunner complexes, surviving deep in the planet's mantle.{{Ref/Book|[[Halo: Warfleet]]|Page=22}} [[Harvest bird|One species of bird]] was known to survive the glassing to [[2531]].{{Ref/Level|Halo Wars|[[Alpha Base (Halo Wars level)|Alpha Base]]}}
====Locations====
*[[Edda]]
**[[Bifrost]]
**[[Vigrond Highlands]]
***[[Mimir River]]
**[[Utgard]]
***[[Harvest Botanical Gardens]] (outskirts)
***[[Harvest Parliament Building]]
***[[Utgard Highway]]
***[[Utgard Mall]]
***[[Utgard Memorial Hospital]]
***[[Utgard Spaceport]]
**[[Plains of Ida]]
**[[Gladsheim]]
***[[Dry Creek Road]]
***[[Gladsheim Highway]]
***[[Gladsheim Main Street]]
***[[Nobel Avenue]]
**[[Tigard]]
**[[Slidr River]]
**[[Harvest reactor complex|Harvest Reactor Complex]]
**[[Hugin Sea]]
**[[Munin Sea]]
**[[Alpha Base (Harvest)|Alpha Base]]
**[[Epsilon Base]]
**[[Rally Point Baker]]
**[[Quadrant 4]]
**[[Relic (location)|Forerunner Relic]]
*[[Newton Armory]]
===Known residents===
*[[Orenski family]]
**[[April Orenski]] - Surviving cadet of [[Corbulo Academy of Military Science]]
*[[Wallace Jenkins]] - [[UNSC Marine Corps]] [[Private]]
*[[Nils Thune]] - Last [[Governor]] of the planet's government (Immigrated from [[Earth]])
*[[Rol Pedersen]] - Last [[Attorney General]] of the planet's government
*[[Critchley]] - Colonial militiaman
*[[Gage Yevgenny]] - [[Orbital Drop Shock Trooper]]
*[[Dass]] - Colonial militiaman


==History==
==History==
===Prehistory===
===Ancient history===
Harvest was known to the [[Forerunner]]s approximately 100,000 years [[97,445 BCE|prior]] to the Human-Covenant War. The planet was a relatively minor asset in the Forerunners' vast [[Ecumene|empire]] and was utilized as a [[conservation sphere]] waystation. The [[Relic (location)|waystation facility]] included a subsidiary [[Flood]] [[Flood research facility|research]] and [[Flood containment facility|containment]] center,{{Ref/Reuse|catalog}} as well as administrative nodes that directed Forerunner defenses in the surrounding systems.{{Ref/Reuse|universe}} The structure housed a [[holography|holographic]] stellar [[cartographer]] that pointed the way to another star system, [[Procyon system|Procyon]].
Harvest was known to the [[Forerunner]]s approximately 100,000 years [[97,445 BCE|prior]] to the Human-Covenant War. The planet was a relatively minor asset in the Forerunners' vast [[Ecumene|empire]] and was utilized as a [[conservation sphere]] waystation. The [[Relic (location)|waystation facility]] included a subsidiary [[Flood]] [[Flood research facility|research]] and [[Flood containment facility|containment]] center,{{Ref/Reuse|catalog}} as well as administrative nodes that directed Forerunner defenses in the surrounding systems.{{Ref/Reuse|universe}} The structure housed a [[holography|holographic]] stellar [[cartographer]] that pointed the way to another star system, [[Procyon system|Procyon]].


===Human colonization===
===Rise of humanity===
[[File:Harvest2.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Harvest before the Covenant assault.]]
[[File:Harvest2.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Harvest before the Covenant assault.]]
Harvest was founded in [[2468]] when the {{UNSCShip|Skidbladnir}} arrived transporting colonists, then dismantled to form the core of Utgard. One of the furthest and most isolated colonies to be founded by the UEG,{{Ref/NoteReuse|17th}} the population was still small when Sergeant [[Avery Johnson|Avery J. Johnson]] engaged in his first mission on the planet. Harvest was settled by [[Religion|Lutheran]] [[United States of America|Americans]] of [[Germany|Germanic]] descent.<ref>''[[Halo Encyclopedia: The Definitive Guide to the Halo Universe]]'', Human Colonies, p. 286-287 (2009); p. 298-299 (2011 edition)</ref> Most locations on Harvest were named for elements of Norse mythology, as were its primary AIs, [[Sif]] and [[Loki]]/Mack this is because many of Harvest's settlers were of [[Scandinavia]]n ancestry.
Harvest was founded in [[2468]] when the {{UNSCShip|Skidbladnir}} arrived transporting colonists, then dismantled to form the core of Utgard. One of the furthest and most isolated colonies to be founded by the UEG,{{Ref/NoteReuse|17th}} the population was still small when Sergeant [[Avery Johnson|Avery J. Johnson]] engaged in his first mission on the planet. Harvest was settled by [[Religion|Lutheran]] [[United States of America|Americans]] of [[Germany|Germanic]] descent.<ref>''[[Halo Encyclopedia: The Definitive Guide to the Halo Universe]]'', Human Colonies, p. 286-287 (2009); p. 298-299 (2011 edition)</ref> Most locations on Harvest were named for elements of Norse mythology, as were its primary AIs, [[Sif]] and [[Loki]]/Mack this is because many of Harvest's settlers were of [[Scandinavia]]n ancestry.
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By the time he returned in 2525, the population of Utgard alone had doubled.
By the time he returned in 2525, the population of Utgard alone had doubled.


===UNSC breadbasket===
====Insurrection====
In [[2502]], various secessionist and [[Insurrectionist]] groups were active on Harvest, including the [[People's Occupation Government]], [[Harvest for Harvesters]] and the [[Secessionist Union]], whose leader, [[Jerald Mulkey Ander]], was assassinated by [[Avery Johnson]] as part of the [[ORION Project]]'s [[Operation: KALEIDOSCOPE]].{{Ref/Comic|Halo Graphic Novel|Page=[[Halo Graphic Novel, Page 122|122]]}}
In [[2502]], various secessionist and [[Insurrectionist]] groups were active on Harvest, including the [[People's Occupation Government]], [[Harvest for Harvesters]] and the [[Secessionist Union]], whose leader, [[Jerald Mulkey Ander]], was assassinated by [[Avery Johnson]] as part of the [[ORION Project]]'s [[Operation: KALEIDOSCOPE]].{{Ref/Comic|Halo Graphic Novel|Page=[[Halo Graphic Novel, Page 122|122]]}}


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On [[2525#February|February 3, 2525]], the Harvest orbital platform, the [[Tiara]], made long-range radar and spectroscopic contact with ''[[Rapid Conversion]]''. Contact with Harvest was lost thereafter.
On [[2525#February|February 3, 2525]], the Harvest orbital platform, the [[Tiara]], made long-range radar and spectroscopic contact with ''[[Rapid Conversion]]''. Contact with Harvest was lost thereafter.
===Human-Covenant War===
===Human-Covenant War===
The citizens of Harvest soon found themselves in the middle of the first battle between the [[Covenant]] and [[human]]ity, using their newly trained Militia to herd hundreds of thousands of civilian survivors from [[Gladsheim]], Vigrond and other locations to the [[Utgard]] [[space elevator]]s to escape the planet.
The citizens of Harvest soon found themselves in the middle of the first battle between the [[Covenant]] and [[human]]ity, using their newly trained Militia to herd hundreds of thousands of civilian survivors from [[Gladsheim]], Vigrond and other locations to the [[Utgard]] [[space elevator]]s to escape the planet.


=====Escape from Harvest=====
=====First Battle of Harvest=====
[[File:Harvest Plasma Glassed.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Harvest, partially [[glassed]] by the Covenant.]]
[[File:Harvest Plasma Glassed.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Harvest, partially [[glassed]] by the Covenant.]]
{{Main|First Battle of Harvest}}
{{Main|First Battle of Harvest}}
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After the destruction of the Tiara, the now rampant AI [[Mack]] buried its strands in a form of a funerary ritual for the AI [[Sif]].
After the destruction of the Tiara, the now rampant AI [[Mack]] buried its strands in a form of a funerary ritual for the AI [[Sif]].


The discovery of humans on Harvest was the catalyst for the attempted Covenant genocide of the human race, due to a mistranslation of Forerunner glyphs by the [[San'Shyuum|Prophets]], as seen on many writs and machines amid Covenant technologies.  The mistranslation itself was harmless as they simply mistook the glyph for "Reclaimer" for "Reclamation".  The problem lay in what happened when the Prophets sought clarity from a fragment of Mendicant Bias.  He corrected their translation, which unfortunately then lead to him explaining that the Reclaimers are Forerunners/Children of the Forerunners and their heirs.  This is what resulted in the Prophets, or at least a small cabal of their leadership, lying by claiming the humans had desecrated holy relics and had blasphemously fooled the Covenant's replica Luminaries, which were the sacred devices that had marked the humans on Harvest with the Reclamation glyph instead of Reclaimer due to being poor imitations of true Forerunner Luminaries.  Since it was a central Covenant belief that "Luminaries do not lie" the Prophets could not admit that the Luminaries' glyph was incorrect and a mistranslation as that would then mean the Prophets were not infallible and the Covenant would ultimately implode.
The discovery of humans on Harvest was the catalyst for the attempted Covenant genocide of the human race, due to a mistranslation of the Forerunner glyph for "Reclaimer", for "Reclamation".


=====Space Battle=====
[[File:Outcome of Second Battle of Harvest.png|left|thumb|250px|Cole's victory in the [[Second Battle of Harvest]].]]
[[File:Outcome of Second Battle of Harvest.png|left|thumb|250px|Cole's victory in the [[Second Battle of Harvest]].]]
By April 20, the [[Colonial Military Administration]] sent the scout ship {{CMAShip|Argo}} to investigate. Other then confirming its arrival at Epsilon Indi no other transmissions were sent, and the ''Argo'' was presumed MIA.
By April 20, the [[Colonial Military Administration]] sent the scout ship {{CMAShip|Argo}} to investigate. Other then confirming its arrival at Epsilon Indi no other transmissions were sent, and the ''Argo'' was presumed MIA.
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On October 7, [[UNSC Fleet Command|Fleet Command]] assembled [[Battle Group 4]] to investigate, due to the fact that the Harvest situation was deemed to have become serious. The battle group consisted of the destroyer {{CMAShip|Heracles}}, commanded by Captain [[Maribeau Veredi|Veredi]], as well as the frigates {{CMAShip|Arabia}} and {{CMAShip|Vostok}}. They entered the Harvest system only to find the planet's surface almost entirely melted down to [[Glassing|glass]]. While there, the battle group encountered a [[Covenant super-destroyer]]. This vessel immediately fired on the inferior human vessels, and the ''Vostok'' and ''Arabia'' were lost with all hands. The ''Heracles'' managed to jump out of the system, but took several weeks to return to Reach due to damage sustained in the battle. Upon hearing Veredi's report and realizing the scale of the threat, the UNSC was placed on full alert and a fleet was assembled to meet the threat.{{Ref/Novel|[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]|Page=113|Detail=Definitive Edition}}{{clear}}
On October 7, [[UNSC Fleet Command|Fleet Command]] assembled [[Battle Group 4]] to investigate, due to the fact that the Harvest situation was deemed to have become serious. The battle group consisted of the destroyer {{CMAShip|Heracles}}, commanded by Captain [[Maribeau Veredi|Veredi]], as well as the frigates {{CMAShip|Arabia}} and {{CMAShip|Vostok}}. They entered the Harvest system only to find the planet's surface almost entirely melted down to [[Glassing|glass]]. While there, the battle group encountered a [[Covenant super-destroyer]]. This vessel immediately fired on the inferior human vessels, and the ''Vostok'' and ''Arabia'' were lost with all hands. The ''Heracles'' managed to jump out of the system, but took several weeks to return to Reach due to damage sustained in the battle. Upon hearing Veredi's report and realizing the scale of the threat, the UNSC was placed on full alert and a fleet was assembled to meet the threat.{{Ref/Novel|[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]|Page=113|Detail=Definitive Edition}}{{clear}}


=====The Battle for Harvest=====
=====Harvest campaign=====
[[File:HW_Trailer_Battle.jpg|250px|thumb|Marine forces battle the Covenant in the frozen remnants of the formerly-lush planet.]]
[[File:HW_Trailer_Battle.jpg|250px|thumb|Marine forces battle the Covenant in the frozen remnants of the formerly-lush planet.]]
[[Vice Admiral]] [[Preston J. Cole]] fought and barely won the [[Second Battle of Harvest]] in [[2526]]. The [[United Nations Space Command|UNSC]] was able to retake the planet but with the loss of 2/3 of their fleet, even when they had outnumbered the single [[Covenant starship|Covenant ship]] in Harvest orbit.<ref>''[[Halo Wars]]'', [[Halo Wars Timeline Events|Timeline]]</ref> Harvest would continue to be contested in the following years, as not long after, the Covenant attacked again. The [[Harvest campaign|battle for control of the planet]] lasted for five years until 2531, when Admiral Cole led a group of ships, including the {{UNSCShip|Spirit of Fire}} into the system and neutralized the Covenant force. They later discovered that the Covenant had established a presence on the planet's surface, and more shockingly, had uncovered the previously unknown [[Forerunner]] relic which lead the ''Spirit'' to [[Arcadia]],{{Ref/Level|[[Halo Wars]]|Level=[[Relic Interior]]}} where the Covenant then led them to a [[Shield World 0459|shield world]] where they were able to stop a major Covenant threat.{{clear}}
[[Vice Admiral]] [[Preston J. Cole]] fought and barely won the [[Second Battle of Harvest]] in [[2526]]. The [[United Nations Space Command|UNSC]] was able to retake the planet but with the loss of 2/3 of their fleet, even when they had outnumbered the single [[Covenant starship|Covenant ship]] in Harvest orbit.<ref>''[[Halo Wars]]'', [[Halo Wars Timeline Events|Timeline]]</ref> Harvest would continue to be contested in the following years, as not long after, the Covenant attacked again. The [[Harvest campaign|battle for control of the planet]] lasted for five years until 2531, when Admiral Cole led a group of ships, including the {{UNSCShip|Spirit of Fire}} into the system and neutralized the Covenant force. They later discovered that the Covenant had established a presence on the planet's surface, and more shockingly, had uncovered the previously unknown [[Forerunner]] relic which lead the ''Spirit'' to [[Arcadia]],{{Ref/Level|[[Halo Wars]]|Level=[[Relic Interior]]}} where the Covenant then led them to a [[Shield World 0459|shield world]] where they were able to stop a major Covenant threat.{{clear}}
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===Post-War===
===Post-War===
{{expand-section}}
{{expand-section}}
==Topography==
[[File:Halo_wars_Ice_02_by_JJasso-1-.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Panorama of Harvest's landscape.]]
Harvest was a small planet, approximately one-third the size of [[Earth]] with an equatorial diameter of slightly more than 4,000 kilometers (2,484 miles), making Harvest slightly smaller than the [[Sol system|Sol]] planet [[Mercury]].{{Ref/Novel|Id=pg33|[[Halo: Contact Harvest]]|age=33}} In terms of surface area, Harvest possessed ~50 million km², roughly one-tenth the surface area of Earth. Harvest orbited [[Epsilon Indi system|Epsilon Indi]] extremely quickly, much faster than most other UNSC colonies, at roughly 150,000 km/h, or ~41km/sec (by comparison, Earth orbits Sol at roughly 30 km/sec). Harvest had no natural satellites. Harvest also has a day/night cycle only 17.5 Earth hours long. Out of a total of five planets in the Epsilon Indi system, Harvest was the only habitable planet, as well as being fertile for farming. The super-continent [[Edda]] dominated the planet, taking up roughly 67% of its surface. Two low-salinity seas covered the remainder of the planet, [[Hugin Sea|Hugin]] to the north, and [[Munin Sea|Munin]] to the south.{{Ref/Novel|Halo: Contact Harvest|Page=74}} Almost 86% of Edda is within 500 meters of sea level, the only major change in elevation is the [[Bifrost]], an escarpment that "cuts" Edda in half.
Harvest's surface was once beautiful, covered in grassland and forests, lush fields and rolling hills, and a thousand lakes swarming with fish. The orchards were filled with luscious crops. [[Starling]]s and [[bat]]s were among the introduced species.{{Ref/Novel|[[Halo: Ghosts of Onyx]]|Page=75}}
After being glassed, however, the surface was reduced to a layer of melted glass, the destruction visible from orbit.{{Ref/Novel|Halo: The Fall of Reach|Chapter=??}} The environment suffered a catastrophic blow as a result, the once glorious landscape turning into a nearly frozen tundra, causing most species to quickly go extinct. Soon, all that remained of Harvest's original ecosystem were the scavengers, feeding off the rotting remains of the planet's once abundant wildlife, and even they perished before long. Now, the planet is submerged in nuclear winter, with no life on the surface. But, even after all of this, there are still several Forerunner complexes, surviving deep in the planet's mantle.{{Ref/Book|[[Halo: Warfleet]]|Page=22}} [[Harvest bird|One species of bird]] was known to survive the glassing to [[2531]].{{Ref/Level|Halo Wars|[[Alpha Base (Halo Wars level)|Alpha Base]]}}
===Locations===
*[[Edda]]
**[[Bifrost]]
**[[Vigrond Highlands]]
***[[Mimir River]]
**[[Utgard]]
***[[Harvest Botanical Gardens]] (outskirts)
***[[Harvest Parliament Building]]
***[[Utgard Highway]]
***[[Utgard Mall]]
***[[Utgard Memorial Hospital]]
***[[Utgard Spaceport]]
**[[Plains of Ida]]
**[[Gladsheim]]
***[[Dry Creek Road]]
***[[Gladsheim Highway]]
***[[Gladsheim Main Street]]
***[[Nobel Avenue]]
**[[Tigard]]
**[[Slidr River]]
**[[Harvest reactor complex|Harvest Reactor Complex]]
**[[Hugin Sea]]
**[[Munin Sea]]
**[[Alpha Base (Harvest)|Alpha Base]]
**[[Epsilon Base]]
**[[Rally Point Baker]]
**[[Quadrant 4]]
**[[Relic (location)|Forerunner Relic]]
*[[Newton Armory]]


==Government and society==
==Government and society==
[[File:FoRBootCamp - HarvestTown.png|thumb|250px|A settlement on Harvest.]]
[[File:FoRBootCamp - HarvestTown.png|thumb|250px|A settlement on Harvest.]]
Harvest was one of the [[Unified Earth Government]]'s more productive and peaceful colonies. Within two decades of its founding, it had the highest per capita agricultural manufacture of any outer colony. Major crops, such as [[list of food and drinks|corn]]; [[list of food and drinks|wheat]]; [[list of food and drinks|watermelons]]; [[list of food and drinks|peaches]]; [[list of food and drinks|apples]]; [[list of food and drinks|grapes]], and numerous other foodstuffs nourished the inhabitants of more than half a dozen other colonies.
Harvest was one of the [[Unified Earth Government]]'s more productive and peaceful colonies.  
 
The senior government official on Harvest was the [[Governor]]. The position was held by [[Nils Thune]] at the time of the planet's fall.{{Ref/Novel|Halo: Contact Harvest|Page=115}} The [[Parliament of Harvest]] was also involved in the planet's governance. It met in a [[Harvest Parliament Building|Parliament Building]] in [[Utgard]].{{Ref/Novel|Halo: Contact Harvest|Page=79}} One of its positions was the [[Wikipedia:Attorney general|Attorney General]], which was held by [[Rol Pedersen]] when the planet fell.


By 2524 the population of Harvest was 3,000,000,{{Ref/NoteReuse|population}} some of whom escaped during the initial Covenant attack. The [[city|capital city]] and its largest population center was [[Utgard]], also home to Harvest's [[seven]] [[harvest space elevators|space elevators]] connected to the orbital space station, [[Tiara]].
By 2524 the population of Harvest was 3,000,000,{{Ref/NoteReuse|population}} some of whom escaped during the initial Covenant attack. The [[city|capital city]] and its largest population center was [[Utgard]], also home to Harvest's [[seven]] [[harvest space elevators|space elevators]] connected to the orbital space station, [[Tiara]].


The senior government official on Harvest was the [[Governor]]. The position was held by [[Nils Thune]] at the time of the planet's fall.{{Ref/Novel|Halo: Contact Harvest|Page=115}} The [[Parliament of Harvest]] was also involved in the planet's governance. It met in a [[Harvest Parliament Building|Parliament Building]] in [[Utgard]].{{Ref/Novel|Halo: Contact Harvest|Page=79}} One of its positions was the [[Wikipedia:Attorney general|Attorney General]], which was held by [[Rol Pedersen]] when the planet fell.
===Defenses===
The only functional defensive force on Harvest at the time of the Covenant attack was [[Harvest militia|its planetary branch]] of [[Colonial Militia]], consisting of two [[platoon]]s.{{Ref/Novel|Halo: Contact Harvest|Page=121}} Utgard also had its own [[law enforcement]] agency, the [[Utgard Constabulary]].{{Ref/Novel|Halo: Contact Harvest|Page=168}}
 
===Economy===
Within two decades of its founding, it had the highest per capita agricultural manufacture of any outer colony. Major crops, such as [[list of food and drinks|corn]]; [[list of food and drinks|wheat]]; [[list of food and drinks|watermelons]]; [[list of food and drinks|peaches]]; [[list of food and drinks|apples]]; [[list of food and drinks|grapes]], and numerous other foodstuffs nourished the inhabitants of more than half a dozen other colonies.


===Culture===
Harvest had its own [[Planetary anthem of Harvest|planetary anthem]] and an official planetary introduction narrated by the agricultural operations AI Mack. This introduction was played to visitors travelling to the planet via the Tiara's space elevators.{{Ref/Novel|Halo: Contact Harvest|Page=73-74}}
Harvest had its own [[Planetary anthem of Harvest|planetary anthem]] and an official planetary introduction narrated by the agricultural operations AI Mack. This introduction was played to visitors travelling to the planet via the Tiara's space elevators.{{Ref/Novel|Halo: Contact Harvest|Page=73-74}}
The only functional defensive force on Harvest at the time of the Covenant attack was [[Harvest militia|its planetary branch]] of [[Colonial Militia]], consisting of two [[platoon]]s.{{Ref/Novel|Halo: Contact Harvest|Page=121}} Utgard also had its own [[law enforcement]] agency, the [[Utgard Constabulary]].{{Ref/Novel|Halo: Contact Harvest|Page=168}}


Residents of Harvest were known to partake in the [[Solstice Celebration]].{{Ref/Novel|Halo: Contact Harvest|Page=117}}
Residents of Harvest were known to partake in the [[Solstice Celebration]].{{Ref/Novel|Halo: Contact Harvest|Page=117}}

Revision as of 02:10, April 26, 2021

This article is about the human colony world. Were you looking for the multiplayer map Harvest from Halo 4?
Harvest
Harvest pre-glassing.png
Astrographical

System:

Epsilon Indi system[1][2]

Orbiting:

Epsilon Indi[1][2]

Orbital position:

Fourth planet[1][2]

Moon(s):

None[2]

Physical

Diameter:

4,012 kilometres (2,493 mi)[1][2]

Gravity:

0.998 G[1][2]

Length of day:

17.5 hours[2]

Atmosphere:

1.02 (N2, O2)[1][2]

Surface temperature:

-19°C to 42°C (-2°F to 108°F)[1][2]

Societal

Species:

Human

Population:

  • Approximately 3,000,000[Note 1]
  • 0 (modern)

Colonized:

2468[1][2]

Government:

 

Harvest, also known as Epsilon Indi IV,[3] designated CE-309-8 d by the Forerunners,[2][4] was a human Outer Colony world founded as a "breadbasket" world. Founded in 2468 by the UNSC Skidbladnir, the colony was the most remote at the time of its founding.[5][Note 2] Located in the Epsilon Indi system,[6] the planet had the unfortunate distinction of being the first human planet discovered and destroyed by the Covenant. After a disastrous first contact, the planet was subsequently glassed by the Covenant, but most of its population managed to escape in freighters.[7]

Overview

Topography

File:Halo wars Ice 02 by JJasso-1-.jpg
Panorama of Harvest's landscape.

Harvest was a small planet, approximately one-third the size of Earth with an equatorial diameter of slightly more than 4,000 kilometers (2,484 miles), making Harvest slightly smaller than the Sol planet Mercury.[8] In terms of surface area, Harvest possessed ~50 million km², roughly one-tenth the surface area of Earth. Harvest orbited Epsilon Indi extremely quickly, much faster than most other UNSC colonies, at roughly 150,000 km/h, or ~41km/sec (by comparison, Earth orbits Sol at roughly 30 km/sec). Harvest had no natural satellites. Harvest also has a day/night cycle only 17.5 Earth hours long. Out of a total of five planets in the Epsilon Indi system, Harvest was the only habitable planet, as well as being fertile for farming. The super-continent Edda dominated the planet, taking up roughly 67% of its surface. Two low-salinity seas covered the remainder of the planet, Hugin to the north, and Munin to the south.[9] Almost 86% of Edda is within 500 meters of sea level, the only major change in elevation is the Bifrost, an escarpment that "cuts" Edda in half.

Harvest's surface was once beautiful, covered in grassland and forests, lush fields and rolling hills, and a thousand lakes swarming with fish. The orchards were filled with luscious crops. Starlings and bats were among the introduced species.[10]

After being glassed, however, the surface was reduced to a layer of melted glass, the destruction visible from orbit.[11] The environment suffered a catastrophic blow as a result, the once glorious landscape turning into a nearly frozen tundra, causing most species to quickly go extinct. Soon, all that remained of Harvest's original ecosystem were the scavengers, feeding off the rotting remains of the planet's once abundant wildlife, and even they perished before long. Now, the planet is submerged in nuclear winter, with no life on the surface. But, even after all of this, there are still several Forerunner complexes, surviving deep in the planet's mantle.[12] One species of bird was known to survive the glassing to 2531.[13]

Locations

Known residents

History

Ancient history

Harvest was known to the Forerunners approximately 100,000 years prior to the Human-Covenant War. The planet was a relatively minor asset in the Forerunners' vast empire and was utilized as a conservation sphere waystation. The waystation facility included a subsidiary Flood research and containment center,[4] as well as administrative nodes that directed Forerunner defenses in the surrounding systems.[2] The structure housed a holographic stellar cartographer that pointed the way to another star system, Procyon.

Rise of humanity

Harvest before the Covenant assault.

Harvest was founded in 2468 when the UNSC Skidbladnir arrived transporting colonists, then dismantled to form the core of Utgard. One of the furthest and most isolated colonies to be founded by the UEG,[Note 2] the population was still small when Sergeant Avery J. Johnson engaged in his first mission on the planet. Harvest was settled by Lutheran Americans of Germanic descent.[14] Most locations on Harvest were named for elements of Norse mythology, as were its primary AIs, Sif and Loki/Mack this is because many of Harvest's settlers were of Scandinavian ancestry.

By the time he returned in 2525, the population of Utgard alone had doubled.

Insurrection

In 2502, various secessionist and Insurrectionist groups were active on Harvest, including the People's Occupation Government, Harvest for Harvesters and the Secessionist Union, whose leader, Jerald Mulkey Ander, was assassinated by Avery Johnson as part of the ORION Project's Operation: KALEIDOSCOPE.[15]

Harvest was the first colony to be attacked by the Covenant and the first human world to be glassed. It was also the first place humanity officially made contact with the Covenant, after the incidents on This End Up and Minor Transgression.

In 2524, Staff Sergeant Johnson returned to Harvest along with Staff Sergeant Byrne and Captain Ponder, all survivors of Operation: TREBUCHET. They were to train a Colonial Militia and, unbeknownst to them, fend off what UNSC had believed to be Insurrectionist attacks on ships in the system.

On February 3, 2525, the Harvest orbital platform, the Tiara, made long-range radar and spectroscopic contact with Rapid Conversion. Contact with Harvest was lost thereafter.

Human-Covenant War

The citizens of Harvest soon found themselves in the middle of the first battle between the Covenant and humanity, using their newly trained Militia to herd hundreds of thousands of civilian survivors from Gladsheim, Vigrond and other locations to the Utgard space elevators to escape the planet.

First Battle of Harvest
Harvest, partially glassed by the Covenant.
Main article: First Battle of Harvest

During the first Covenant attack on Harvest about 250,000+ humans managed to escape the planet by packing into 236 freight containers which were then loaded into seven elevator depots in Utgard. Every five to seven minutes, seven pairs of freight containers were loaded into the space elevator. Loaded ahead of these freight containers were seven "grease buckets", maintenance containers, two which were loaded with Johnson's men and Jilan al-Cygni. The other five were decoys rigged with claymore mines which were used to soften the Brutes, Grunts and Drones which had boarded and taken control of Tiara.[16] While the other two "grease buckets" holding Johnson and Co. stopped and they were fighting off the Covenant, the number seven strand of the space elevator snapped a few thousand kilometers above its anchor due to the stress caused by the load becoming unbalanced. There were 11 pairs of freight containers on the strand when it snapped, killing around 20,000 people.[17] The remaining freight containers carrying the survivors of Harvest continued up the elevator, out into space, where they met up with propulsion pods that Sif had placed previously. Once Johnson and Co. finished fighting the Covenant on the Tiara, they joined the survivors and used the propulsion pods to enter Slipspace.[18]

At the time of these occurrences, the first prototypes of the Brute Chopper was made by a Huragok named Lighter Than Some. However, these were destroyed by JOTUNs commanded by the AI Mack.

After the destruction of the Tiara, the now rampant AI Mack buried its strands in a form of a funerary ritual for the AI Sif.

The discovery of humans on Harvest was the catalyst for the attempted Covenant genocide of the human race, due to a mistranslation of the Forerunner glyph for "Reclaimer", for "Reclamation".

File:Outcome of Second Battle of Harvest.png
Cole's victory in the Second Battle of Harvest.

By April 20, the Colonial Military Administration sent the scout ship CMA Argo to investigate. Other then confirming its arrival at Epsilon Indi no other transmissions were sent, and the Argo was presumed MIA.

On October 7, Fleet Command assembled Battle Group 4 to investigate, due to the fact that the Harvest situation was deemed to have become serious. The battle group consisted of the destroyer CMA Heracles, commanded by Captain Veredi, as well as the frigates CMA Arabia and CMA Vostok. They entered the Harvest system only to find the planet's surface almost entirely melted down to glass. While there, the battle group encountered a Covenant super-destroyer. This vessel immediately fired on the inferior human vessels, and the Vostok and Arabia were lost with all hands. The Heracles managed to jump out of the system, but took several weeks to return to Reach due to damage sustained in the battle. Upon hearing Veredi's report and realizing the scale of the threat, the UNSC was placed on full alert and a fleet was assembled to meet the threat.[19]

Harvest campaign
Marine forces battle the Covenant in the frozen remnants of the formerly-lush planet.

Vice Admiral Preston J. Cole fought and barely won the Second Battle of Harvest in 2526. The UNSC was able to retake the planet but with the loss of 2/3 of their fleet, even when they had outnumbered the single Covenant ship in Harvest orbit.[20] Harvest would continue to be contested in the following years, as not long after, the Covenant attacked again. The battle for control of the planet lasted for five years until 2531, when Admiral Cole led a group of ships, including the UNSC Spirit of Fire into the system and neutralized the Covenant force. They later discovered that the Covenant had established a presence on the planet's surface, and more shockingly, had uncovered the previously unknown Forerunner relic which lead the Spirit to Arcadia,[21] where the Covenant then led them to a shield world where they were able to stop a major Covenant threat.

Post-War

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Government and society

A settlement on Harvest.

Harvest was one of the Unified Earth Government's more productive and peaceful colonies.

The senior government official on Harvest was the Governor. The position was held by Nils Thune at the time of the planet's fall.[22] The Parliament of Harvest was also involved in the planet's governance. It met in a Parliament Building in Utgard.[23] One of its positions was the Attorney General, which was held by Rol Pedersen when the planet fell.

By 2524 the population of Harvest was 3,000,000,[Note 1] some of whom escaped during the initial Covenant attack. The capital city and its largest population center was Utgard, also home to Harvest's seven space elevators connected to the orbital space station, Tiara.

Defenses

The only functional defensive force on Harvest at the time of the Covenant attack was its planetary branch of Colonial Militia, consisting of two platoons.[24] Utgard also had its own law enforcement agency, the Utgard Constabulary.[25]

Economy

Within two decades of its founding, it had the highest per capita agricultural manufacture of any outer colony. Major crops, such as corn; wheat; watermelons; peaches; apples; grapes, and numerous other foodstuffs nourished the inhabitants of more than half a dozen other colonies.

Culture

Harvest had its own planetary anthem and an official planetary introduction narrated by the agricultural operations AI Mack. This introduction was played to visitors travelling to the planet via the Tiara's space elevators.[26]

Residents of Harvest were known to partake in the Solstice Celebration.[27]

Gameplay

Halo Wars

Main article: Halo Wars

Several campaign levels in Halo Wars take place on Harvest, including Alpha Base, Relic Approach, and Relic Interior.

  • Alpha Base

    Alpha Base

  • Relic Approach

    Relic Approach

  • Relic Interior

    Relic Interior

Halo 4

Main article: Halo 4

Only one multiplayer map in Halo 4 takes place on the planet, Harvest.

  • Harvest

    Harvest

Gallery

  • Concept art of Harvest for Halo Wars.

    Concept art of Harvest for Halo Wars.

  • Concept art of a half-melted surface of Harvest for Halo Wars.

    Concept art of a half-melted surface of Harvest for Halo Wars.

  • Halo Wars concept art for Harvest's surface, now in nuclear winter.

    Halo Wars concept art for Harvest's surface, now in nuclear winter.

  • Halo Wars concept art for Harvest's surface, now in nuclear winter.

    Halo Wars concept art for Harvest's surface, now in nuclear winter.

  • Halo Wars concept art for Harvest's surface, now in nuclear winter.

    Halo Wars concept art for Harvest's surface, now in nuclear winter.

  • Halo Wars concept art for Harvest's surface, now in nuclear winter.

    Halo Wars concept art for Harvest's surface, now in nuclear winter.

  • Halo Wars concept art for Harvest's surface, now in nuclear winter.

    Halo Wars concept art for Harvest's surface, now in nuclear winter.

  • Halo Wars concept art for Harvest's surface, now in nuclear winter.

    Halo Wars concept art for Harvest's surface, now in nuclear winter.

  • One side of a glassed Harvest, with frozen poles as a result of the "nuclear winter" effect caused by the Covenant's glassing.

    One side of a glassed Harvest, with frozen poles as a result of the "nuclear winter" effect caused by the Covenant's glassing.

  • Another side of glassed Harvest as seen on the Halo Wars Launch Site.

    Another side of glassed Harvest as seen on the Halo Wars Launch Site.

  • Map of Harvest's northern polar region with key Covenant locations on it on the Halo Wars Launch site.

    Map of Harvest's northern polar region with key Covenant locations on it on the Halo Wars Launch site.

  • Six of the seven space elevators linking the planet Harvest to the Tiara.

    Six of the seven space elevators linking the planet Harvest to the Tiara.

  • Planet Harvest before its glassing.

    Planet Harvest before its glassing.

  • The glassed surface of Harvest.

    The glassed surface of Harvest.

  • A glassed city on Harvest.

    A glassed city on Harvest.

  • Harvest (third from top row) compared in size to other planets in the known galaxy.

    Harvest (third from top row) compared in size to other planets in the known galaxy.

  • Harvest after its glassing.

    Harvest after its glassing.

  • A UNSC Marine Corps ad in 2552 featuring Marines on the planet.

    A UNSC Marine Corps ad in 2552 featuring Marines on the planet.

Main-Superintendent.png Browse more images in this article's gallery page.

List of appearances

Notes

  1. ^ a b According to Halo: The Fall of Reach, Halo: Fall of Reach - Boot Camp, and Halo: The Essential Visual Guide, Harvest had a population of approximately three million. However, Halo: Contact Harvest consistently states that Harvest had a population of around 300,000, and that roughly 250,000 civilians, who constituted most of the planet's population, escaped before the planet was glassed.
  2. ^ a b According to Halo: Contact Harvest, Harvest was the latest of humanity's seventeen colonies to be settled. The claim of humanity having a mere seventeen colony worlds has been ignored in later material, which instead appear to adhere to the more lenient figure of 800 worlds presented in the original Halo timeline. Given that the timeline also states that 210 Inner Colonies had been settled before 2390, it is unlikely that the notion of Harvest being the seventeenth colony is considered canonical. This is further evidenced by the "Story So Far" documentary on the Halo: Legends DVD giving the number of human worlds the same as the original timeline.

Sources

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Halo: The Essential Visual Guide, page 91
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Halo Waypoint, Harvest (Retrieved on Jun 1, 2020) [archive]
  3. ^ Halo Channel: Encyclopedia
  4. ^ a b Halo Waypoint, Catalog Interaction page 14 (Retrieved on Jun 1, 2020) [archive]
  5. ^ Official Halo Wars Community Site - Timeline (defunct, Archive)
  6. ^ Halo: Contact Harvest, page 32
  7. ^ Halo: Contact Harvest, page 387
  8. ^ Halo: Contact Harvest
  9. ^ Halo: Contact Harvest, page 74
  10. ^ Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, page 75
  11. ^ Halo: The Fall of Reach, ??
  12. ^ Halo: Warfleet, page 22
  13. ^ Halo Wars, campaign level Alpha Base
  14. ^ Halo Encyclopedia: The Definitive Guide to the Halo Universe, Human Colonies, p. 286-287 (2009); p. 298-299 (2011 edition)
  15. ^ Halo Graphic Novel, page 122
  16. ^ Halo: Contact Harvest, page 351-352
  17. ^ Halo: Contact Harvest, page 372
  18. ^ Halo: Contact Harvest, page 352
  19. ^ Halo: The Fall of Reach, page 113: Definitive Edition
  20. ^ Halo Wars, Timeline
  21. ^ Halo Wars, campaign level Relic Interior
  22. ^ Halo: Contact Harvest, page 115
  23. ^ Halo: Contact Harvest, page 79
  24. ^ Halo: Contact Harvest, page 121
  25. ^ Halo: Contact Harvest, page 168
  26. ^ Halo: Contact Harvest, page 73-74
  27. ^ Halo: Contact Harvest, page 117
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