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Human-Covenant War: Difference between revisions
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(Covenant glassing procedures were use extensively enough on human colony worlds render some uninhabitable and others to undergo environmental changes equivalent to nuclear winter.) |
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{{Era|HCW}} | {{Era|HCW}} | ||
{{References}} | {{References}} | ||
{{Battle Infobox | {{Battle Infobox | ||
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|casual1= | |casual1= | ||
;Human population reduced considerably | ;Human population reduced considerably | ||
*Approximately 23 billion civilian and military casualties by October 20, 2552;<ref name=HE:PH>'''[[Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe|Halo: Evolutions]]''', "[[Palace Hotel (short story)|Palace Hotel]]", ''page 351''</ref> billions more during invasion of Earth<ref>'''Halo: Glasslands'''. ''page | *Approximately 23 billion civilian and military casualties by October 20, 2552;<ref name=HE:PH>'''[[Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe|Halo: Evolutions]]''', "[[Palace Hotel (short story)|Palace Hotel]]", ''page 351''</ref> billions more during invasion of Earth<ref>'''Halo: Glasslands'''. ''page 151''</ref> | ||
*Widespread infrastructure, structural, and environmental damage to UEG colonies | *Widespread infrastructure, structural, and environmental damage to UEG colonies | ||
;Presumably moderate separatist casualties | ;Presumably moderate separatist casualties | ||
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*High Charity destroyed | *High Charity destroyed | ||
}} | }} | ||
{{Quote|Your destruction is the will of the Gods... and we are their instrument.|The Covenant's declaration of war.<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''page 98'' (2001)</ref>}} | |||
The '''Human-Covenant War''',<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach (2001)''', ''back cover description''</ref><ref>'''Halo: The Flood (2001)''', ''back cover description''</ref> also known as the '''Covenant War'''<ref>'''[[Halo: The Essential Visual Guide]]''', ''pages 19, 74, 75, 92, 95, 98, 105, 112, 113, 120''</ref><ref>'''Halo Waypoint''': [http://halo.xbox.com/en-us/intel/featured/video/headhunters-1/c3d2dcb3-ac3d-4771-a270-e55e33ae118b ''Headhunters'' Part 1], [http://halo.xbox.com/en-us/intel/featured/video/herocourage/c2ada678-e9ce-4db9-9ce9-1864070bd198 ''Hero - Courage'']</ref><ref name="title" group="notes">The name "Covenant War" is most often used by media from [[343 Industries]]. However, the less common "Human-Covenant War" is more descriptive and is therefore used by ''Halopedia''.</ref> and the '''Great War''',<ref>'''Halo: First Strike''' (2010), ''[[Petra]]''</ref> was a major interstellar conflict pitting the [[Unified Earth Government]] and its [[United Nations Space Command]] against the [[Covenant]] during the mid-26<sup>th</sup> century between [[2525#February|February 11, 2525]] and [[2553|March 3, 2553]]. There were two additional factions sporadically involved in the conflict: 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 November 2552. | The '''Human-Covenant War''',<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach (2001)''', ''back cover description''</ref><ref>'''Halo: The Flood (2001)''', ''back cover description''</ref> also known as the '''Covenant War'''<ref>'''[[Halo: The Essential Visual Guide]]''', ''pages 19, 74, 75, 92, 95, 98, 105, 112, 113, 120''</ref><ref>'''Halo Waypoint''': [http://halo.xbox.com/en-us/intel/featured/video/headhunters-1/c3d2dcb3-ac3d-4771-a270-e55e33ae118b ''Headhunters'' Part 1], [http://halo.xbox.com/en-us/intel/featured/video/herocourage/c2ada678-e9ce-4db9-9ce9-1864070bd198 ''Hero - Courage'']</ref><ref name="title" group="notes">The name "Covenant War" is most often used by media from [[343 Industries]]. However, the less common "Human-Covenant War" is more descriptive and is therefore used by ''Halopedia''.</ref> and the '''Great War''',<ref>'''Halo: First Strike''' (2010), ''[[Petra]]''</ref> was a major interstellar conflict pitting the [[Unified Earth Government]] and its [[United Nations Space Command]] against the [[Covenant]] during the mid-26<sup>th</sup> century between [[2525#February|February 11, 2525]] and [[2553|March 3, 2553]]. There were two additional factions sporadically involved in the conflict: 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 November 2552. | ||
The war was instigated by the Covenant whose [[Hierarchs|High Prophets]] made a discovery which led them to believe that humans were directly related to the Forerunners, contradicting their ancient religion. Seeking to keep various political and religious orders intact, a war of genocide was declared against the human race. Over the next few decades the Covenant with superior firepower, numbers and technology, would repeatedly overpower the UNSC across hundreds of worlds, including heavily defended strongholds such as [[Reach]] and even [[Earth]]. Humanity would win only scattered and costly victories. | The war was instigated by the Covenant whose [[Hierarchs|High Prophets]] made a discovery which led them to believe that humans were directly related to the Forerunners, contradicting their ancient religion. Seeking to keep various political and religious orders intact, a war of genocide was declared against the human race. Over the next few decades the Covenant with superior firepower, numbers and technology, would repeatedly overpower the UNSC across hundreds of worlds, including heavily defended strongholds such as [[Reach]] and even [[Earth]]. Humanity would win only scattered and costly victories. | ||
The conflict was also the cause of the [[Great Schism]] within the Covenant. Forced to fight a war on two fronts, the formerly monolithic empire was torn apart. While the [[Battle of Installation 00|deciding battle]] of the war was fought on [[2552#December|December 11, 2552]],<ref name="fortitude">[http://halo.xbox.com/en-us/intel/featured/video/herofortitude/bfe5038b-314a-4f17-a6be-f7613e0e3788 '''Halo Waypoint''', ''Hero-Fortitude'']</ref> an informal ceasefire was not agreed upon until [[2553#February|February 2553]].<ref name="ceasefire"/> The official cessation of hostilities was declared on [[2553#March|March 3, 2553]].<ref name="Dr. Iqbal"/> The war was incredibly costly to both sides, with over twenty-three billion humans and billions of Covenant individuals killed during the hostilities. An outbreak of the virulent parasite known as the Flood almost consumed both factions near the war's end. The conflict lasted for a total of twenty-eight years. | The conflict was also the cause of the [[Great Schism]] within the Covenant. Forced to fight a war on two fronts, the formerly monolithic empire was torn apart. While the [[Battle of Installation 00|deciding battle]] of the war was fought on [[2552#December|December 11, 2552]],<ref name="fortitude">[http://halo.xbox.com/en-us/intel/featured/video/herofortitude/bfe5038b-314a-4f17-a6be-f7613e0e3788 '''Halo Waypoint''', ''Hero-Fortitude'']</ref> an informal ceasefire was not agreed upon until [[2553#February|February 2553]].<ref name="ceasefire">'''Halo: Glasslands''', ''pages 358-361''</ref> The official cessation of hostilities was declared on [[2553#March|March 3, 2553]].<ref name="Dr. Iqbal"/> The war was incredibly costly to both sides, with over twenty-three billion humans and billions of Covenant individuals killed during the hostilities. An outbreak of the virulent parasite known as the Flood almost consumed both factions near the war's end. The conflict lasted for a total of twenty-eight years. | ||
After the ceasefire was declared, the Great Schism continued as late as [[2559]], albeit with a greatly diminished scope and scale.<ref>'''Halo: Evolutions''', ''The Return''</ref> Concurrent to this, the Sangheili species fell into [[Sangheili civil war|civil war]], as did the Jiralhanae. [[Shipmaster]] [[Jul 'Mdama]] manipulated the disarray following the war to [[Covenant remnant|reform the Covenant]] in 2553. This reborn Covenant would eventually spark a [[ | After the ceasefire was declared, the Great Schism continued as late as [[2559]], albeit with a greatly diminished scope and scale.<ref>'''Halo: Evolutions''', ''The Return''</ref> Concurrent to this, the Sangheili species fell into [[Sangheili civil war|civil war]], as did the Jiralhanae. [[Shipmaster]] [[Jul 'Mdama]] manipulated the disarray following the war to [[Covenant remnant|reform the Covenant]] in 2553. This reborn Covenant would eventually spark a [[Reclamation conflict|new conflict with humanity]] that would be fought at least through [[2558|February 2558]].<ref name="Reed">[http://blogs.halowaypoint.com/Headlines/post/2013/06/03/Halo-Initiation-Writer-Interview.aspx '''Halo Waypoint''' - ''Halo Initiation Writer Interview''] ''("Experience a new war with the Covenant ...")''</ref> | ||
==History== | ==History== | ||
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A few weeks after this defeat, the [[Prophet of Regret]] discovered the location of a significant Forerunner artifact on his own. Without knowledge of the fact the planet housing this artifact was the human homeworld, Regret led a small fleet of fifteen ships to Earth, in order to locate [[The Portal|a portal]] to an installation known as "[[Installation 00|the Ark]]".<ref name="tentwenty"/> Though hopelessly outgunned by the UNSC's new orbital defense grid of MAC guns, the Prophet of Regret's [[Solemn Penance|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 resulted in their swift defeat. With his fleet burning in orbit, Regret was forced to retreat. His carrier jumped into slipspace from within the city, damaging it severely. Directly following Regret's jump, a reinforcement force sent by the Prophet of Truth arrived, resulting in a month-long constant engagement on Earth.<ref name="tentwenty"/> | A few weeks after this defeat, the [[Prophet of Regret]] discovered the location of a significant Forerunner artifact on his own. Without knowledge of the fact the planet housing this artifact was the human homeworld, Regret led a small fleet of fifteen ships to Earth, in order to locate [[The Portal|a portal]] to an installation known as "[[Installation 00|the Ark]]".<ref name="tentwenty"/> Though hopelessly outgunned by the UNSC's new orbital defense grid of MAC guns, the Prophet of Regret's [[Solemn Penance|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 resulted in their swift defeat. With his fleet burning in orbit, Regret was forced to retreat. His carrier jumped into slipspace from within the city, damaging it severely. Directly following Regret's jump, a reinforcement force sent by the Prophet of Truth arrived, resulting in a month-long constant engagement on Earth.<ref name="tentwenty"/> | ||
Unfortunately for Regret, four human ships, the ''[[UNSC In Amber Clad|In Amber Clad]]'' among them, had followed them through their own slipspace rupture to [[Installation 05|Delta Halo]]. With the orders "Find out why he came to Earth; why he came here," John-117 was hard-dropped with a complement of [[Orbital Drop Shock Trooper|ODSTs]] to Delta Halo's surface. Led by John-117, the humans forced their way through Regret's forces until they had reached the Prophet himself. At that moment, ''High Charity'', having learned of Delta Halo, arrived and launched multiple waves of [[Phantom]] dropships to aid Regret. These forces were withdrawn by the Prophet of Truth as part of his plan to remove the Sangheili from power in the Covenant. However, Truth ultimately underestimated the full impact his 'reforms' would have on the Covenant's chances for military victory. The Master Chief assassinated Regret, dealing a heavy blow to the | Unfortunately for Regret, four human ships, the ''[[UNSC In Amber Clad|In Amber Clad]]'' among them, had followed them through their own slipspace rupture to [[Installation 05|Delta Halo]]. With the orders "Find out why he came to Earth; why he came here," John-117 was hard-dropped with a complement of [[Orbital Drop Shock Trooper|ODSTs]] to Delta Halo's surface. Led by John-117, the humans forced their way through Regret's forces until they had reached the Prophet himself. At that moment, ''High Charity'', having learned of Delta Halo, arrived and launched multiple waves of [[Phantom]] dropships to aid Regret. These forces were withdrawn by the Prophet of Truth as part of his plan to remove the Sangheili from power in the Covenant. However, Truth ultimately underestimated the full impact his 'reforms' would have on the Covenant's chances for military victory. The Master Chief assassinated Regret, dealing a heavy blow to the Covenant's political structure. The Prophet of Truth then gave the order to glass the temple in which Regret resided. John-117 narrowly survived only to be captured by the [[Gravemind]], who had already formed a plan to prevent the Covenant from completing their Great Journey. | ||
[[File:War.jpg|thumb|right|250px|The Great Schism begins.]] | [[File:War.jpg|thumb|right|250px|The Great Schism begins.]] | ||