Installation 00 Citadel

The Citadel was a Forerunner supraluminal communicator building.

Introduction

It was located on one of the seven peripheral spokes of Installation 00, and was a location from which one could remotely activate all of the Halo Installations. The Citadel was defended by three shield-projecting Barrier Towers that had to be disengaged before it could be accessed.

Battle of Installation 00

Beginning

During the Battle of Installation 00 in late 2552, the Prophet of Truth landed upon Installation 00 on the Forerunner Ship, and seized the Citadel while the majority of his fleet and armies distracted the persuing United Nations Space Command/Covenant Seperatists allied forces. However, Ship Master Rtas 'Vadum "laid waste" to the Prophet of Truth's aerial fleet and SPARTAN-117 and the Arbiter led a Marine and Sangheili ground attack on the Ark's surface, pushing forth to the Brute-held Citadel. However, the Prophet of Truth activated the Barrier Towers, forcing the UNSC and the Elites to send strike teams to lower the Barrier Towers before gaining access to the Citadel. During the assault, however, Sergeant Major Avery J. Johnson was captured by the Brutes, and was taken to the Citadel, where the Prophet of Truth was sermonizing before activating the Halo array.

UNSC Assault

After the Barrier Towers were deactivated, the UNSC launched an assault on the Citadel, with one M808B Scorpion Tank, one M12 Warthog LAAV, one Mongoose, and a pair of Hornet VTOLs. However, the Covenant Loyalists defended the Citadel, landing a pair of Scarabs by an atmospheric landing, and supplemented it with one Wraith tank and a handful of Ghost and Prowler attack vehicles. Despite heavy resistance, SPARTAN-117 and the Arbiter were able to defeat the Loyalist defense, and with 343 Guilty Spark's assistance, enter the Citadel.

However, in the Ring Room of the Citadel, Truth was readying to activate the Halos, and one of his Brute Chieftains was torturing the captive Johnson. When SPARTAN-117 radioed that he was too far from Truth to prevent him from activating the Halos, Commander Miranda Keyes boldly took a Pelican Dropship and crashed it into the Citadel, landing in the midst of Truth, his attendant Brutes, and Johnson. Keyes opened fire on the Brutes, killing several before she realized that the situation was hopeless: she could not engage dozens of Brutes, then kill Truth, and then rescue Johnson. She looked to Johnson, offering to kill him in a coup de grace when Truth rose and shot her in the back with a Spiker.