Onyx

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File:Onyx .jpg

Onyx as seen in expandedbooks.com's interview with Eric Nylund.

Onyx was a planet located in the Zeta Doradus System.

The world was first discovered by the United Nations Space Command Geophysics Corps in 2491 and was already capable of sustaining human life, although there were elevated levels of background radiation. Named for its large deposits of Onyx rock it was covered in dense swamp and was home to many indigenous forms of plant and insect life.

In 2511 when archaeological expeditions uncovered massive subterranean Forerunner constructions in Zone 67. ONI immediately took control of the world, going so far as to remove the Onyx from UNSC navigational databases, and suspending any prospective colonization and terraforming attempts. However, further attempts to determine the purpose of the structures, or even to extract any usable technology, proved fruitless. In 2525 the operation was scaled down and only a minimum ONI garrison and a single AI remained. The planet's location remained secret. Regular scans continued to yield little of value.

With the onset of the Human-Covenant War, Vice Admiral Margaret O. Parangosky authorized the construction of the SPARTAN-III training base on Onyx in 2531. This base, designated [[Camp Currahee|], was constructed perilously close to Zone 67, which had been declared strictly off limits. However, during a routine exercise north of Currahee, Beta Company Team X-ray trespassed into Zone 67, entered a Forerunner structure, and disappeared without trace. An ONI investigation into the matter was inconclusive, although given the true nature of Onyx it seems likely that Team X-ray were either captured or killed by Sentinels.

In 2552 the Onyx's Sentinels were roused by the destruction of Alpha Halo, instigating the Battle of Onyx, and revealing that the entire 'world' was actually a gigantic Forerunner relic comprised of trillions of Sentinels. At the core of Onyx was the entrance to what the Forerunner called a Shield World.

At the conclusion of the battle Onyx was effectively destroyed, although not before Bloody Arrow was declared and Blue Team, Team Saber, Team Katana, Dr. Halsey, and SCPO Mendez escaped to the safety of Shield World.

Notable locations on Onyx

• Camp Currahee
• Zone 67
• Core Room Antechamber
• Shield World
• Slipspace COM Launcher
• Sentinel Production Facility