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Site Novem

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Revision as of 11:23, January 26, 2022 by TheArb1ter117 (talk | contribs) (The audio logs do not imply that Durakkus directly oversaw Site Novem, just that he made a report on Site Novem. They instead imply that Durakkus commands the Forge of Teash.)
Site Novem
Site Novem from a distance

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 security of 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 ridge on the opposite side of the Conservatory's "true" entrance. Its main feature, a giant mining laser, called a flame-bore by the Banished,[2] which had been modified by the Harbinger, was mounted atop a large central control structure accessible via a gravity lift. Armories, troop barracks, and other smaller support buildings surrounded this central structure. The laser itself required two external power regulators to prevent overheating. Each power regulator was itself regulated by a pair of cooling pylons. Though the Banished primarily used the mining laser to pierce the Halo's surface, they also utilized other excavation machines at Site Novem. First Lieutenant Floyd believed that Site Novem was large enough to be seen from orbit.[3] 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 operations.[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.[4][5] 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.[6][7] In order to achieve both objectives, the Silent Auditorium 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 Forerunner facility called the Conservatory, so Escharum ordered the establishment of Site Novem for the purposes of circumventing the Conservatory's defenses, breaching the facility, and ultimately capturing the Monitor.[8]

Uncovering the Conservatory

Chieftain Bassus oversaw security at Site Novem as the personnel there worked to gain access to the Conservatory. Meanwhile, the maintenance depots Ransom Keep[9] and the Forge of Teash[10] were tasked with supplying the site with the necessary excavation equipment. The Banished at Ransom Keep even stripped captured UNSC vehicles and other hardware for spare parts to maintain the equipment. On April 23, 2560, Escharum ordered over half of the troops at Outpost Tremonius to reinforce Site Novem.[11] At one point, Commander Durakkus at the Forge of Teash made a report on Site Novem, particularly the hollows beneath the excavation site, and sent his findings to Escharum. The War Chief considered his findings promising, sharing them with the Harbinger herself. She agreed, but was skeptical of the Banished's methods in accessing the Conservatory. As such, the Harbinger wished to inspect the site.[2] During her visit, she modified the flame-bore, 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.[3] On April 24, 2560,[8] 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.[12] By May 15, 2560, the Banished had used their modified mining laser to successfully breach the Conservatory.[13] Sorel and Makovich followed the Banished into the Conservatory but were ambushed by Sangheili Blademaster Jega 'Rdomnai.[14] 'Rdomnai killed Makovich and wounded Sorel, and a short time later, the Jiralhanae Spartan Killers Hyperius and Tovarus finished off Sorel.[15]

The Master Chief arrives

On May 28, 2560, Master Chief John-117, acting on information provided by the late Spartan Griffin,[12] traveled to 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 Encephalon, which she would later use to start the Reformation.[16]

Trivia

"Novem" means "nine" in Latin, effectively meaning that "Site Novem" translates to "Site Nine." The use of Latin fits with common Jiralhanae naming schemes.

List of appearances

Sources

  1. ^ a b c d Halo Infinite, campaign level Excavation Site
  2. ^ a b Halo Infinite, Banished Audio log: Outpost Intel #06 - Secrets Below
  3. ^ a b Halo Infinite, UNSC Audio log: Outpost Intel #06 - Digging Deeper
  4. ^ Halo Infinite, Banished Audio log: Escharum's Testimony #02 - Cylix
  5. ^ Halo Infinite, Banished Audio log: Escharum's Testimony #03 - Harbinger
  6. ^ 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
  7. ^ Halo Infinite, campaign mission Endless: Silent Auditorium: "If Halo cannot end them, it must imprison them." - Grand Edict, Legendary ending post-credits
  8. ^ a b Halo Infinite, Spartan Audio log: Scattered #04 - The Prize
  9. ^ Halo Infinite, campaign mission Lockdown (Halo Infinite): Ransom Keep
  10. ^ Halo Infinite, campaign mission Connections: Forge of Teash
  11. ^ Halo Infinite, Spartan Audio log: Scattered #02 - What Lies Beneath
  12. ^ a b Halo Infinite, campaign level The Tower
  13. ^ Halo Infinite, Spartan Audio log: Scattered #07 - Infiltration
  14. ^ Halo Infinite, Spartan Audio log: Scattered #08 - The Assassin
  15. ^ Halo Infinite, Spartan Audio log: Scattered #09 - Killers
  16. ^ Halo Infinite, campaign level Conservatory
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