Site Novem was a Banished-controlled dig site established on Zeta Halo during the Installation 07 conflict. The site's main purpose was to pierce the Ring's superstructure and give the Banished access to the Conservatory. The Jiralhanae Chieftain Bassus oversaw the operation until his death at the hands of Master Chief John-117 on May 28, 2560.[1]
Layout
Site Novem was established inside a large crater at the base of a mountain. Its main feature, a giant mining laser, which had been modified by the Harbinger, was mounted atop a large central control structure. Armories, troop barracks, and other smaller support buildings surrounded the central structure. Though the Banished primarily used their modified mining laser to drill into Halo's surface, they also made use of large automated drilling devices and other excavation equipment. First Lieutenant Floyd believed that Site Novem was large enough to be seen from orbit.[2] By the time the Master Chief arrived on May 28, 2560, the Banished had stripped all natural resources from the area around Site Novem to fuel the site's operation.[1]
History
Background
Following the apparent demise of Atriox when Cortana sacrificed herself to destroy the Silent Auditorium and disable the Ring, his second-in-command and old mentor, War Chief Escharum, assumed his place as leader of the Banished and set out to fulfill Atriox's goal of seizing control of the Ring. As part of this plan, Escharum located and freed the Harbinger from her Cylix.[3][4] The Harbinger agreed to help the Banished take control of the Ring in exchange for their help in locating and freeing her people, the Endless, who had been imprisoned by the remaining Forerunners due to the former having inexplicably survived the Halo array's firing.[5][6] In order to achieve both objectives, the Ring had to be repaired first - a process known as the Reformation. Only the Monitor of Zeta Halo, Despondent Pyre had the ability to initiate the Reformation. Despondent Pyre resided in an underground facility called the Conservatory, so Escharum ordered Site Novem established with the purpose of breaching the Conservatory and capturing the Monitor.[7]
Uncovering the Conservatory
Escharum placed Chieftain Bassus in charge of operations at Site Novem. He also tasked the maintenance depots Ransom Keep[8] and the Forge of Teash[9] with supplying the site with the necessary excavation equipment. The Banished at these two facilities even stripped captured UNSC vehicles and other hardware for spare parts to maintain the equipment. At one point, the Harbinger herself inspected Site Novem.[10] She modified a Banished mining laser, enabling it to pierce the Ring's Forerunner alloy.[1]
The Banished devoted extraordinary amounts of resources and excavation equipment to Site Novem, a fact that did not go unnoticed by the UNSC resistance on the Ring.[2] On April 24, 2560,[7] surviving Spartans Theodore Sorel and Vedrana Makovich deduced the Banished's true goal at Site Novem, and began forming a plan to stop the Banished from obtaining the Monitor. Spartan Hudson Griffin also became aware of the dig site and the Conservatory - though not the Banished's intentions, but was captured before he could do anything to sabotage the operation.[11] By May 15, 2560, the Banished had used their modified mining laser to successfully breach the Conservatory.[12] Sorel and Makovich followed the Banished into the Conservatory but were ambushed by Blademaster Jega 'Rdomnai.[13] 'Rdomnai killed Makovich and wounded Sorel, and a short time later, the Jiralhanae Spartan Killers Hyperius and Tovarus finished off Sorel.[14]
The Master Chief arrives
On May 28, 2560, Master Chief John-117, acting on information provided by the late Spartan Griffin, arrived at Site Novem, intent on discovering what the Banished wanted with the Conservatory. Before he could enter the Conservatory, the Banished reactivated their mining laser and blocked the entrance tunnel. The Chief, however, destroyed the mining laser's power regulators and then entered the central structure that controlled the laser. Inside, he fought and defeated Bassus, after which his Smart AI companion, a copy of Cortana known as The Weapon, hacked the controls and caused the laser to overload. With the laser destroyed, the Chief entered the Conservatory.[1] Despite the Chief's arrival, however, the Harbinger managed to capture Despondent Pyre. She subsequently extracted the Monitor's core, which she would later use to start the Reformation.[15]
Sources
- ^ a b c d Halo Infinite, campaign level Excavation Site
- ^ a b Halo Infinite, UNSC Audio log: Outpost Intel #06 - Digging Deeper
- ^ Halo Infinite, Banished Audio log: Escharum's Testimony #02 - Cylix
- ^ Halo Infinite, Banished Audio log: Escharum's Testimony #03 - Harbinger
- ^ Halo Infinite, campaign mission Graveyard: Pelican Down (Halo Infinite level): "When the Endless are found. And when you have your Ring. Then you will never question my worth and I will never question your judgment." - The Harbinger
- ^ Halo Infinite, campaign mission Endless: Silent Auditorium: "If Halo cannot end them, it must imprison them." - Grand Edict, Legendary ending post-credits
- ^ a b Halo Infinite, Spartan Audio log: Scattered #04 - The Prize
- ^ Halo Infinite, campaign mission Lockdown (Halo Infinite): Ransom Keep
- ^ Halo Infinite, campaign mission Connections: Forge of Teash
- ^ Halo Infinite, Banished Audio log: Outpost Intel #06 - Secrets Below
- ^ Halo Infinite, campaign level The Tower
- ^ Halo Infinite, Spartan Audio log: Scattered #07 - Infiltration
- ^ Halo Infinite, Spartan Audio log: Scattered #08 - The Assassin
- ^ Halo Infinite, Spartan Audio log: Scattered #09 - Killers
- ^ Halo Infinite, campaign level Conservatory