“Oh, but what I would not give to have even a single company of Prometheans here right now.”
— Monitor 343 Guilty Spark
The Battle of Installation 04 was the name given to a series of skirmishes between the UNSC and the Covenant on the surface of the Forerunner construct Installation 04.
Background
Following the UNSC's disastrous defeat at Reach and the loss of a third of her tech staff, the UNSC Pillar of Autumn made an apparently blind jump through Slipspace from where they would then make their way to Earth. In reality it was planned by the AI Cortana, using coordinates found in an artifact found on Sigma Octanus IV.
The Autumn and the approximately 1,100 humans on it were followed through the slipspace jump. Upon arriving in orbit above the planet Threshold on September 19, 2552, they were intercepted by the pursuing Covenant vessels which had arrived before it.
Space Battle
“Cortana, all I need to know is did we lose them?”
— Captain Jacob Keyes
“I think we both know the answer to that.”
— Cortana
The Prophet of Stewardship ordered the vessels Undiminished Entelechy and the Purity of Spirit, to conduct short range scans of Ring once the Autumn was there. The Undiminished took aboard several Forerunner constructs and a wealth of knowledge from Installation 04's outlying archives. The Supreme Commander Thel 'Vadamee ordered the ship be torched as the Flood boarded the ship, posing a serious threat to the rest of the fleet.
The Undiminished crashed on the ring and the crew ended up dead. The Ring's damage control system and environmental remediation systems quickly caused plant growth to take over the ship.
The Autumn managed to destroy four of the Covenant vessels and forced one, the Truth and Reconciliation to retreat for repairs. As Covenant forces began boarding the ship, Captain Jacob Keyes ordered Thom Shephard to release Master Chief Petty Officer John-117 from his Cryo-chamber. Shephard was later killed by a conduit explosion. His friend, Sam Marcus, was working in the observation tower overlooking the Cryo-chamber when he was killed by a Sangheili Major.
John-117 then proceeded to the Bridge of the Pillar of Autumn, where he was joined with the shipboard AI Cortana. After the MAC cannon was disabled due to an anti-matter charge, Keyes initiated Cole Protocol Article 2, and evacuated the ship. Carrying Cortana, John fought his way through the rapidly decaying Pillar of Autumn. He then evacuated to the recently discovered Installation 04 aboard the Bumblebee lifepod Lima Foxtrot Alpha 43. The pod's descent systems failed in mid-flight and the following impact killed all of the Marines on board, except for John-117.
The dropship pilots, led by Foe Hammer, decided to take their Pelicans down instead of evacuating in the lifeboats. After dealing with a few Covenant hostiles, they successfully reached their ships and escaped the Pillar of Autumn.
Captain Keyes flew the Autumn most of the way to the ring manually and then abandoned the ship to crash on Halo, leaving it under the control of some subroutines Cortana left behind for that very purpose. Unknown to him and his bridge crew, they were followed by a cloaked Sangheili that planned to capture him, but Keyes detected the Sangheili on the way down and killed it personally by pulling a corporal's pistol out of his holster and firing on sight, leaving every bridge crew member in the pod speechless. The rest of the Covenant boarders abandoned the Pillar of Autumn as it went down. The ship crash landed in a desert on Halo mostly in one piece but was damaged beyond repair and with no hope of ever taking off again.
Seizure of Alpha Base
Meanwhile, a battalion of ODSTs and Marines led by Major Antonio Silva and Lieutenant Melissa McKay "helljumped" to Halo in their Human Entry Vehicles. Once on the ground, the ODSTs made contact with Major Silva and established a temporary headquarters. Silva then instructed McKay to capture a Covenant-held butte that Silva's AI had projected during his descent. The rest of the battalion stayed at the headquarters' established landing zones, allowing Pelican Dropships to pick up troops for the aerial assault on the butte. The Covenant then staged an assault on the Helljumpers, sending hundreds of Ghosts and later, Banshees. The Marines fended off the attack, killing more than 50 Sangheili, including a Zealot, but suffered twenty-three killed and sixteen wounded. McKay lost only one Marine, while the fourth company lost a few more performing an aerial assault on the butte.
Under orders from Major Silva, Melissa McKay led her team of ODSTs in an assault on Alpha Base. They fought their way up a ramp spiraling up the butte, while the Covenant attempted to eliminate the humans by raining plasma grenades on them. Meanwhile, Silva began loading troops onto the Pelicans for an aerial insertion onto the butte, halted briefly by the Covenant attack.
After fighting their way up the butte, McKay's team was halted by a rockfall. However, a door set into the side of the butte allowed access, and McKay used a rocket launcher to detonate a large number of Covenant explosives, wiping out any Covenant inside. Once inside, they rode a lift up to the surface, where they found that Silva had arrived and had eliminated the remaining Covenant.
Betrayal
Upon arrival on the ring, Captain Jacob Keyes, a Marine fire team led by Corporal Wilkins and the surviving command crew were able to fend off Covenant troops, who were attempting to capture them. However, one officer, Ensign Ellen Dowski was beginning to crack, and wanted to surrender to the Covenant. Believing that she might stir up similar thoughts in the Marine fire team, the team tied her up and left her to surrender to the Covenant herself. However, upon discovering that the gulch they landed in was a box canyon the humans were captured and executed by the Covenant, save for Captain Keyes, who was taken for interrogation.
Rescue of Stranded Survivors
“It's a mess, sir. We're scattered all over this valley. We called for evac, but until you showed up, I thought we were cooked.”
— Staff Sergeant Johnson to John-117
After crash-landing on the ring, John-117 found that he and Cortana were the only survivors of his life pod. John headed out to get away from Covenant patrols, and after a brief skirmish with one of the small Covenant patrol, he found a group of survivors under attack in a nearby structure. John killed off the Covenant attackers and helped the survivors, including Sergeant Johnson, fend off three more waves of Covenant forces before Echo 419 Foe Hammer finally arrived to pick them up. Witnessing three more lifepods flying overhead, Cortana had Foe Hammer disengage her Warthog for John to find the survivors. He was joined by PFC Fitzgerald who manned the gun and a Marine in the passenger seat.
After making his way through an underground forerunner structure and another brief skirmish with Covenant forces, John found another lifepod abandoned and with no sign of survivors or bodies. However, in the nearby forerunner structure at the of a cliff, John-117 found the missing survivors under attack by Covenant. After clearing out the structure, Echo 419 went to picked up the survivors.
After an encounter with two Covenant Banshees, John-117 found another group of survivors at the top of a hill fending off Covenant attackers. With the help of John-117, the marines killed off the Covenant forces, including those that were dropped off by another Spirit Dropship. After the fight, Echo 419 managed to land her Pelican and to pick up the survivors.
John located the last group of marines hiding in a rock formation and helped them fend off several waves of Covenant forces. With the area secured, Echo 419 picked up the marines as well as John. At the same time, Cortana, having hacked into the Covenant Battlenet, discovered that Captain Keyes was alive but had been captured by the Covenant. Chief and the survivors returned to Alpha Base to plan a rescue mission for the captain.
Raids on the Truth and Reconciliation
“The enemy has captured Captain Keyes, and are holding him aboard one of their cruisers, the Truth and Reconciliation.”
— Cortana
The UNSC launched a mission to recover their captured leader, Keyes, who was being held aboard the CCS-class battlecruiser the Truth and Reconciliation. Under the cover of night, John-117 and a squad of ODSTs boarded the ship via its gravity lift. After fighting through the maze-like corridors, the team captured the ship's command center. The ODSTs stayed behind while John-117 went ahead and freed Captain Keyes and several other Marines. When they returned to the bridge, however, they found that the ODSTs had been slaughtered by Stealth Sangheili. Furthermore, Echo 419 was under attack from Covenant air patrols and was unable to pick them up. In order to escape, John and Keyes hijacked a Covenant dropship and used it to return to Alpha Base.
Battle of the Silent Cartographer
The following day, a Marine assault group led by John-117 launched an attack on the Silent Cartographer island in their attempt to uncover the location of the ring's Control Room. Fighting their way through the heavily defended Covenant positions, John-117 and a handful of Marines, supported by Echo 419 and Bravo 22, discovered the location of Alpha-Halo's Control Room. However, a pair of Covenant Dropships landed and engaged the Marines defending the LZ killing most of the Marine assault group.
The Dropship 77-Troop Carrier, abbreviated D77-TC, or more commonly known as the Pelican, is an extremely versatile aircraft used by the UNSC. Used mainly for medium-lift operations of various personnel, vehicles and equipment, it can also be used as a powerful support gunship.
Class History
Sometime before 2501, the D77 was commissioned.
Human-Covenant war
The D77's usage during the Human-Covenant war was as early as the Harvest Campaign. More would appear during the Battle of Arcadia,[8] and the Battle of Shield 0459.
Design
The D77-TC Pelican is mainly used for the rapid insertion and extraction of ground troops. They may deliver vehicles and vital equipment to the battlefield when required. The D77-TC has been in service for over fifty years, and is the primary tactical support aircraft of the UNSC. The Pelican is a multi-role aircraft; it is fully capable of atmospheric flight and can land almost anywhere without difficulty.
The Pelican is also capable of limited spaceflight, which the UNSC uses as a primary method of delivering troops to the surface from orbit. Standard armament consists of one Class III externally powered projectile weapon at the bow of the craft, and one Class I gas-operated projectile weapon mounted at the rear, in the extended crew area. More heavily armed variants do exist, with multiple and more powerful weapons.
The D77-TC also features motion trackers
Armament
Standard armament consists of a chin-mounted 40mm rotary cannon which was common prior to 2525, but was later superseded by a 70mm chaingun. These weapons are usually controlled by the pilot's helmet so that it would aim in the direction of the pilot's view, similar to the 21st-century TADS/PNVS found on Apache gunships or the HUD system in a SPARTAN's armor. Some dropships boasted twin chainguns firing depleted uranium rounds.
Missile pods, each holding eight ANVIL-II ASMs, can be mounted under each wing to engage more maneuverable or better protected targets. Fire control is typically delegated to the copilot, who is assisted by a helmet-mounted display. An M247 GPMG or a 25mm grenade launcher can be mounted facing out of the rear cargo hatch; the weapons can be folded flat against the roof of the internal bay when not in use by the crew chief or a passenger.
Propulsion
The main engines are mounted in pairs in four nacelles, one on each wing and two at the rear. The nacelles can articulate independently, thus altering (i.e. vectoring) the direction of thrust and improving the dropship's low altitude maneuverability. Six ventral thrusters, two on each wing nacelle and one on each aft nacelle, allow the Pelican to land and take off vertically. These engines are capable of both space and atmospheric operation. The D77, although fully capable of orbital insertion, is too small to be equipped with a Shaw-Fujikawa Translight Engine, and thus is incapable of slipspace travel.
The wings mounted on a Pelican seem extremely small, too small to support the weight of dropship and payload alone. It is speculated that it incorporates at least some lifting body principles, its own hull providing most of the lift necessary.
Payloads
The Pelican is capable of carrying passengers and cargo using a combination of internal and external methods.
The large aft overhang gives an attachment point for additional cargo and ordnance. Possible payloads include a Troop Deployment Pod, a Scorpion Tank, a Warthog, eight Resupply Canister Type-B Capsules, or a Portable bridge.
D77s are not rated to carry combat vehicles in whole from space to the surface of planets. Instead, if they are needed to make such deliveries, they must carry down crated portions of the vehicles and reassembled near the operational area.
Capacity
The main compartment of the Pelican (sometimes called the "Blood Tray") has capacity for 15 people (10 sitting, 5 standing). Other variants have displayed the ability to hold considerably more as demonstrated. For example, the SPARTAN-II's were assigned a specialized Pelican, which was able to hold an entire team of twenty five, as well as fitting cutting gear to board a Covenant warship. Three Pelicans used for the SPARTAN-III Program carried 300 children, though this may have been because of numerous trips back and forth from the surface.
The maximum payload of a Pelican is seventy tons.
Variants
- H3 - D77H-TCI - D77H-TCI Pelican Dropship: In many ways the D77H-TCI is similar in appearance to the plain D77, except for being more angular. Internally, though, the craft has been renovated and it can store equipment in overhead netting. The cockpit has been altered, and instead of the side-by-side positioning of the pilot and copilot, the pilot now sits at the fore of the dropship, with the co-pilot behind him/her, and at a higher position, in tandem.
- D77C-NMPD Pelican Dropship - D77C Dropship: A paramilitary variant for use in urban areas.
- D77C-NMPD Pelican Dropship: A variant of the D77C, operated by the New Mombasa Police Department, it is differentiated from its military counterpart by a black and white colour scheme, "POLICE" replacing the traditional "MARINES" on the external hull, and a noted lack of armament. Under the craft's chin, where a machine gun turret or autocannon would normally be installed, are various interchangeable sensors used by the police for aerial surveillance and crowd control.
- HW2 Blitz PelicanGunship G77S Gunship: A combat oriented gunship design present on the UNSC Spirit of Fire in 2559.
Naming
Pelicans receive serial numbers to be identified by during radio transmissions, particularly in combat situations. Each serial number consists of a letter from the Phonetic Alphabet followed by a number. Though a few Pelicans have this number inscribed on their cargo bays, most have no distinguishing mark on their exteriors. It is unclear how the numbers are chosen, but with their spread across the alphabet and numerals, it can be inferred that a very large number of Pelicans are in service, perhaps as many as 26,000.
“Cortana, what exactly am I looking at?”
— Commander Miranda Keyes
“That… is another Halo.”
— Cortana
Installation 05, also known as Delta Halo to humanity, is one of the seven massive Halo fortress worlds built by the Forerunners. It is also the third Halo installation to be discovered by Humanity. Installation 05 orbits the gas giant Substance in the Coelest system, and was managed by its Monitor, 2401 Penitent Tangent.
Summary
The purpose of Installation 05, along with its brethren, was to preclude and stop the parasite forms known as the Flood from consuming all sentient life in the galaxy. In the event of a Flood outbreak, one of the seven installations could be triggered to annihilate all sentient life within 25,000 light years. Once one ring is set off all remaining rings would activate. All seven rings could be fired at once if need be.
The climate of Installation 05 is similar to that of Installation 04, with varying weather conditions in different areas. Its terrain includes lakes and jungles, as well as the ice and snow-filled Quarantine Zone.
History
“This installation has a successful utilization record of 1.2 trillion simulated and one actual. It is ready to fire on demand.”
— 2401 Penitent Tangent
It is assumed that Installation 05 was built around the same time as Installation 04, circa 100,000 years before the events of 2552. It was activated shortly thereafter by the Forerunners, eradicating all sentient life in the galaxy and, presumably, destroying the Flood as well, with the exception of those specimens kept in the Halos for research. As of 2552, it had a record of 1.2 trillion simulated firings and one actual activation. At some point after the ring's construction, a monument was erected on a secluded island. It was dedicated to the Warrior-Servants who fought in the final siege of Forerunner colonies by prehistoric humans.
Flood Outbreak
About 200 years prior to 2552, the Flood on Installation 05 escaped and evaded containment due to negligence on the part of the installation's Monitor, Penitent Tangent. The Flood quickly grew out of control around the area of the Installation's Library. The Flood were kept contained by a Sentinel Wall built around the Library, but 2401 Penitent Tangent was captured. Without it, the Sentinels of the Halo lacked a controlling intelligence and so many of the structures around Installation 05 fell into horrible conditions, and most of the Installation came to look like a jungle strewn with ruins.
At the time of the Human-Covenant War, a Gravemind was holding 2401 Penitent Tangent captive. Even with the addition of Forerunner Sentinel Majors and Enforcers, the Flood were able to remain loose, albeit contained within the Quarantine Zone by the Sentinel Wall. This stalemate is believed to be the cause of the slow decline into the horrible condition of the structures of the Installation. The Gravemind itself resided in the chamber directly below the Index Chamber in the center of the Library. A battle record has been shown on:
REPORT: CONTAINMENT FAILURE
LF.Xx.3273 research and containment facility; [delta site] has experienced catastrophic specimen containment failure. All apertures into the facility will be locked until further notice. Atmosphere evacuation and [reduction of ambient temperature] protocols have already been enacted. Request maintenance and security detail [at earliest opportunity]. [8 minutes] elapsed since initial containment failure. REPORT: CONTAINMENT FAILURE
Waiting for maintenance and security detail. [32 minutes, 9 seconds] elapsed since request. REPORT: CONTAINMENT FAILURE
Still waiting for maintenance and security detail. [24 hours] elapsed since request. REPORT: SECURITY BREACH
LF.Xx.3273 research and containment facility; [delta site] has experienced a security breach via emergency [slip stream space] transportation conduits. Emergency [slip stream space] transportation conduits have been placed in recursive mode to contain unauthorized hostile life forms. Request emergency security detail. Still waiting for primary maintenance and security detail. [2512332 hours, 14 minutes, 6 seconds]elapsed since initial request.
REPORT: DERELICTION OF DUTY
2401 [PENITENT TANGENT] has been lax in the areas of maintenance and security.
LOG: QUERIED ADJACENT FACILITIES
LF.Xx.3273 research and containment facility [alpha, beta, gamma, epsilon, zeta, and kappa sites] have all replied [systems normal] within expected constraints. This would tend to signify that the containment failure was purely mechanical in nature; perhaps a manufacturing flaw. As no [outside agent] has accessed [delta site] in the past [874068942 hours, 4 minutes, 46 seconds]—[allowing for a 61360-hour, 54, minute, 2-second margin of error]—sabotage would seem unlikely.
LOG: REQUEST UNANSWERED
LF.Xx.3273 research and containment facility; [delta site] is currently being held at [.01 atm] / [184K]. Local maintenance and security hubs have failed to reply within expected constraints. [Bumping maintenance and security request up] to [quadrant oversight].
LOG: REQUEST UNANSWERED
LF.Xx.3273 research and containment facility; [delta site] is currently being held at [1 atm] / [278K] as atmospheric seals were showing signs of stress. [Quadrant oversight] has failed to reply within expected constraints. [Bumping maintenance and security request all the way up] to 2401 [PENITENT TANGENT].
LOG: UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS TO FACILITIES
LF.Xx.3273 research and containment facility; [delta site] emergency [slip stream space] transportation conduits have been accessed by unauthorized parties.
LOG: FILED COMPLAINT TO INSTALLATION 00
2401 [PENITENT TANGENT], monitor of Installation 05, has been lax in the areas of maintenance and security. Requests for aid in said areas have gone unanswered by both 2401 and [subservient] systems well beyond expected constraints.
Discovery
In 2552, the High Prophet of Regret discovered the location of Installation 05 during the Battle of Earth. He made a slipspace jump from Earth to the Installation, followed closely by Commander Miranda Keyes' ship UNSC In Amber Clad.
After evaluating their situation, Miranda Keyes ordered John-117 to capture and interrogate the Prophet of Regret about the Installation. After fighting the Covenant in various locations, John-117 and Cortana overheard Regret talking about activating the Installation which, according to the High Prophet, would start the "Great Journey." Keyes then ordered John-117 to locate and eliminate Regret, while she and her Marines aboard the In Amber Clad proceed towards the Library of the Installation to retrieve the Index, both operations aimed to prevent the High Prophet from activating the Installation.
After fighting hordes of Covenant forces, John-117 finally located Regret in a huge temple over a crater lake. John-117 successfully eliminated the High Prophet and proceeded to be exfiltrated. However, at the same time, the Covenant's holy city, High Charity, arrived and sent a Covenant CCS-class battlecruiser to destroy the temple. John-117 escaped the destruction by jumping off into the crater lake, only to be captured by the Gravemind.
The Battle
After the Covenant had arrived, the Prophet of Truth ordered the Arbiter Thel 'Vadamee to go on the Installation's surface and retrieve the sacred icon to enable the start of the Great Journey. On the surface, the Arbiter was tasked by the Jiralhanae Chieftain, Tartarus, to shut down the Sentinel Wall to allow Covenant forces to be deployed and assist the cause.
The Arbiter then proceeded beyond the Wall, only to be troubled with the Flood throughout his journey in the Quarantine Zone to the Installation's Library, and later assisted by Rtas 'Vadumee and his officers. In the Library, the Arbiter assaulted Commander Miranda Keyes and Sgt. Johnson. After neutralizing the pair, the Arbiter retrieved the Index but was later betrayed and cast into the depths of the Index Chamber by Tartarus who acted under the orders of the High Prophets.
The Arbiter was then saved by the Gravemind from death and brought to a chamber where the Gravemind rests. Within the chamber, the Arbiter met John-117, the infected High Prophet of Regret, 2401 Penitent Tangent and the Gravemind. The five proceeded into the discussion of Halo's true purpose. Through the Installation's Teleportation Grid, the Gravemind sent John-117 to High Charity, and the Arbiter to the Installation's Control Center, both of which to search for the Index and prevent it from activating the Halo Array. The Arbiter's presence sparked the start of the Great Schism, a civil war which would soon split the Covenant into the Loyalist and the Separatist.
After navigating throughout the whole of High Charity, the In Amber Clad made a slipspace jump inside the Covenant holy city and crashed into one of the Covenant structures. It was apparent that the Flood had successfully penetrated the Covenant's defenses and managed to spread its infection throughout the whole city. Fighting his way through the Flood and Covenant forces, John-117 found himself unsuccessful in retrieving the Index. The Jiralhanae Chieftain Tartarus and the High Prophet of Truth, along with Miranda Keyes and Johnson held captive, left the site while leaving the High Prophet of Mercy being infected slowly by an Infection form. Cortana instructed John-117 to hunt down the Prophet of Truth while she begins the detonation of In Amber Clads engines to prevent the activation of Halo.
At the same time, the Arbiter managed to gather enough Sangheili and Unggoy support to engage the Jiralhanae and the Kig-yar. He met Rtas 'Vadum once again on a cliff overlooking the Control Center, with Tartarus arriving shortly at the entrance of the Control Center. The Arbiter, assisted by Rtas 'Vadum, rallied more Sangheili and Unggoy to support their operation to take over and commandeer a Scarab. The Arbiter 'rescued' Johnson from his captors and agreed to escort him in a Banshee to the Control Center. Johnson, piloting the Scarab, destroyed the entrance of the Control Center, allowing the Arbiter to enter the structure.
At the same time, John-117 was sent into the Forerunner Dreadnought to follow the Prophet of Truth by Cortana using the power conduit. Cortana left behind, faced Gravemind who had gained complete control over High Charity. Meanwhile, in space over the Installation, the Defense Fleet of High Charity commanded by Sangheili and Jiralhanae shipmasters engaged one another as a result of the expanded Civil War of the Covenant. With the threat of the Flood escaping the Installation, both sides focused a small number of their ships to the burning of any ships trying to escape Halo.
The Arbiter delayed the activation of the Installation with the help of Johnson. Impatient and unsatisfied with the heresy told by the Arbiter, Tartarus enabled the firing sequence and engaged the Arbiter. The Arbiter successfully killed the Jiralhanae Chieftain with the support of Johnson and Miranda Keyes hastily pulled the Index out of its chamber. The firing sequence was put on standby mode, ready for remote activation through the Ark.
Aftermath
When Installation 05 was last seen, the Flood were seen having complete control over High Charity and several ships of the surrounding fleet, one of which would break through quarantine and eventually arrive at Earth. The Great Schism, a civil war between Covenant species, split the empire into Loyalist and Separatist factions. After the battle, the Sangheili fleet glassed the surface of Installation 05 to prevent any further escapes by the Flood. The hologram in the Citadel on Installation 00 shows Installation 05's surface as completely barren. After the Human-Covenant war, UNSC Infinity would establish Lisbon Station to study what was left of the ring and recover useful artifacts.
Architecture
“You know, I think the Forerunners built these new structures around the old, to protect them, to honor them.”
— Cortana, commenting on some of the structures on Delta Halo.
The architecture of structures on Installation 05 follows the general Forerunner aesthetic (i.e. angular design, and same basic functional structures), but has a clearly distinct style from some other installations such as Installation 00 or 04, an example being Installation 05's Control Room having similarity to Installation 04's Control Room in purpose, but with a different look, including a spherical shape at the center of the building. This is different from both versions of Installation 04, which look almost exactly the same (being of the same style) and have the same surroundings. In addition, many structures on Installation 05 including the Temple appear to be more weathered than those on other installations, having a slightly brown-tinted gray color.
A curious feature on Installation 05 is some of its ruins. While visibly consistent with Forerunner architecture, the ruins seem clearly older and more primitive than most Forerunner structures. They are also made of stone, as opposed to the metallic material seen on the majority of Forerunner constructs. This brings up the question of whether these are Forerunner structures at all, or if they were built by an even more ancient civilization or the Forerunners themselves long time before the construction of the Halo installations, and later moved to the ring for unknown reasons. Still, only a fraction of the installation's structures represent the older variety, as most of them are in a similar condition as on other known installations. It has also been suggested that some of the newer structures were built around the older ones to support and protect them.
Forerunner stone ruins are not exclusive to Installation 05 however. A complex of ruins in an unknown location holds similar structures. Much like some of the ruins on Installation 05, this ruin complex is also surrounded by newer structures.
“I am Truth! The voice of the Covenant!”
— Truth's last words
The High Prophet of Truth, born Ord Casto, and formerly known as the Minister of Fortitude, was the leader of the three Prophet Hierarchs that led the Covenant High Council during the Ninth Age of Reclamation, the central antagonist in Halo 2 and 3, and one of the main instigators of the war against humanity. In 2552, he plotted the ousting of the Sangheili from the Covenant, and replaced them with the Jiralhanae after the death of the High Prophet of Regret on Installation 05. After the demise of the High Prophet of Mercy on High Charity, he became the de facto leader of the Covenant, from which position he lead their forces to the Artifact in Africa, and eventually to the Ark in an attempt to activate the Halo Array, where he was later killed by Thel 'Vadam.
As a character, he is widely considered to be the main antagonist of Halo 2 and Halo 3, and the main enemy of Thel 'Vadam.
23rd Age of DoubtEdit
Ord Casto began his political career as a junior staffer in the Ministry of Concert. During his time in the Ministry, he unearthed a conspiracy by several Kig-Yar Shipmasters to poison Infusions, recreational narcotics often enjoyed by Unggoy. The Kig-Yar planned to render the Unggoy infertile, as petty revenge for the displacement of Kig-Yar nests caused by a recent boom in Unggoy population. Although Casto recommended stiff penalties, the Minister of Concert decided to simply fine the Kig-Yar involved. Casto lodged a formal complaint, but was rebuffed by his superiors. However, the Infusion Incident quickly escalated into a bloody skirmish known as the Unggoy Rebellion, bringing about the 39th Age of Conflict. After the Unggoy were pacified and brought back into the Covenant, the 23rd Age of Doubt began, and Casto was promoted to Minister of Fortitude. Throughout his service in this position, Fortitude worked hard to see that Forerunner technology was evenly distributed among the member races to prevent another Age of Conflict. Fortitude was on the Roll of Celibates, a list of San'Shyuum not allowed to breed due to their weak genes. This did not, however, particularly bother him. As the Minister of Fortitude, he was fond of smoking, yet he rarely used the hookah tobaccos favored by his senior staff.
In 2525, according to the UNSC Military Calendar, Fortitude found himself involved in a conspiracy when the Vice Minister of Tranquility, later known as the Prophet of Regret, informed him of the massive trove of "Forerunner artifacts" (which was actually the human population of Harvest) that a Luminary had discovered on that planet. Tranquility planned to use these artifacts to spring himself into a position of high power, as a Hierarch of the Covenant, and offered the same for Fortitude. This marked the first alliance between the Prophets and the Jiralhanae, as Tranquility wisely decided to use them to retrieve these artifacts, rather than upset the fine balance of power by allowing the Sangheili to gain the treasures.
In order to push the three current Hierarchs, Tolerance, Obligation and Restraint from their positions, Fortitude utilized blackmail against the Prophet of Restraint. Tranquility had shown himself as a sympathizer for those blacklisted from reproducing due to inborn genes, after being urged to do so by Fortitude who was aware that Restraint had illegitimately fathered two children. The Prophet of Restraint offered Tranquility a high position if he would adopt the children, but the scheming Prophets instead used this to their advantage, blackmailing him and forcing the Prophet to step down or have his scandalous affair made public.
Before their coup, the Prophets visited an "Oracle" within the Forerunner dreadnought, an ancient AI known as 032 Mendicant Bias, that had stored itself in the ship and had not spoken for several hundred years. When the Luminations of Harvest were inserted into its matrix, it suddenly reactivated and revealed that the symbols had been misinterpreted - that humans stood as equals to the Forerunners, that the hallowed "Reclamation" glyph actually meant "Reclaimer," and that the Covenant had been mistaken in their beliefs that all of the Forerunners had transcended when they initiated the Great Journey. This was a massive revelation with great implications for the whole Covenant: If humans were the chosen successors of the Forerunners (or were surviving Forerunners themselves) yet had not transcended when the Sacred Rings were last activated, then that meant that the Halos would not necessarily provide godhood to all who walked the divine path. This knowledge, if revealed to the masses of Covenant followers, would lead to revolt, the collapse of the entire Covenant Hierarchy, and the Prophets being deposed as divine leaders; the Prophets' age-old promise was that none would be left behind when the Great Journey began.
The Oracle tried to launch the Dreadnought from High Charity to find and bring the humans to The Ark, but before it could succeed, the Lekgolo worms that were tasked with exploring the Dreadnought's inner regions short-circuited the connection, and the two co-conspirators, along with the Philologist (leader of the ascetic priests and later the Prophet of Mercy), disconnected the Oracle from the ship. When Fortitude realized the implications of what the Oracle had told them, he and the other two Hierarchs-to-be agreed not to tell the masses of their discovery and decided that the humans must be eradicated once and for all before any of the Covenant could learn the truth.
The three Prophets successfully implemented their plan and became the new rulers of the Covenant which heralded the beginning of the Ninth Age of Reclamation. Fortitude chose the name "Truth" as a reminder to himself of the truths he must never tell and the lies he would have to spin in order to prevent the Covenant from fragmenting.
“The Warthog is as much a part of the UNSC as boots, guns, and tasteless coffee.”
— Halo Encyclopedia
The M12 Force Application Vehicle, more commonly known as the Warthog, or simply the Hog, was a line of United Nations Space Command light ground vehicles.
Class History
The first set of Warthogs were produced in 2319 in prototype form. These vehicles were known known as the "Z-12". These prototype vehicles quickly established themselves through a well crafted advertising campaign that showcased the vehicle in the outlands of Luna and Mars.
Human-Covenant war
Numerous M12 Warthog variants were used by UNSC forces to help John-117 escape Crow's Nest and traverse the Tsavo Highway.
Post-war
By 2558, the UNSC forces working with the Swords of Sanghelios developed new Warthog variants using their technology. One was called the "Vespin Rocket Warthog", an M12R1 that had been upgraded with technologies from Sanghelios' past. Another variant was the "Sword Needler Warthog", an M12 LRV upgraded with shields and a minigun that fired Subanese crystals.
Design
The M12 FAV Warthog is the UNSC's primary ground vehicle, used for its scouting and reconnaissance capacity, or as an integral part of a mechanized infantry unit; the M12 has been a part of the UNSC's armored vehicle fleet for two centuries, and is the most recognizable vehicle in their arsenal. It is a highly mobile, all-wheel-drive, all-wheel-steering, ICE-powered (Internal combustion engine) vehicle equipped with a continuously-variable transmission.
The M12 is a four-wheel all-terrain vehicle capable of going over any obstacle without much difficulty; under the hood is a forward-housed low-profile liquid-cooled hydrogen-injected ICE I/C plant, coupled with an infinitely variable transmission (IVT). According to a marine's quote, it has a 36-inch ground clearance, however if you look at it ingame, it appears to be only about a foot tall. However, it could mean that with the massive expansion size, as when in mid-air, the suspension extends to 36-inches. The hydrogen fuel is burned at very high temperature with a synthetic carbon/silicon catalyst to achieve even better fuel consumption. This hydrogen engine is the standard among all UNSC ground based vehicles, having replaced the use of fossil fuel-based engines some 400 years ago.
The M12 features a Graf/Hauptman Solar/Saline Actuator, and will convert up to twelve liters of fresh, brackish or salt water into hydrogen on the fly, detritus is compacted on board, this allows the Warthog to travel 790 kilometers or 490 miles before it needs to be refueled. Inexperienced drivers can find the M12 to be a huge and unwieldy vehicle, but it is actually very fast and highly maneuverable in the hands of a skilled driver. With proper application of the hand, or "e-brake" the M12 can actually turn on a dime. Massive disc brakes and its automatic braking systems allow the vehicle to come to a near immediate, but controlled, stop, should the driver be ejected or choose to leave the vehicle. The Warthog's tires have moved away from previous inert-gas pocket inflation with equally burst-proof single unit nanotube skeletons. They provide the buoyancy and ride of gas-pocket tires, but are nigh-indestructible. The relatively massive tires are a joint project between Michelin-Vance and AMG.
The M12's design places it into the jeep family of vehicles; it has no doors and has a total seating of two or three. The M12's description as a reconnaissance vehicle is, at best, an understatement; the M12 has both offensive and defensive capabilities. The M12 can be configured to become a troop carrier, armament carrier, ambulance, reconnaissance vehicle, or communications vehicle. All M12-based vehicles are designed to travel both on and off-road, in all weather conditions.
Advantages
The M12 is the workhorse of light infantry ground vehicles; it is adaptable to almost any situation, maneuverable, and is arguably the most customizable vehicle with the most variants in the military's fleet, similar to the older jeeps used in the 20th century. It is able to reach top speeds of 125 km/h (78 MPH) and, more importantly, swings around rapidly to allow the gunner a better angle on a prospective target. The mounted M41 chain gun can cut down heavily armored infantry within seconds, this also applies to shielded infantry as well. With enough controlled fire from the 12.7X99mm armor-piercing rounds, the M41 can easily rip through the armor of a Covenant Ghost and destroy it. The Warthog's titanium armor, though light, is tough enough to take at least one fragmentation grenade and keep rolling and can withstand small amounts of energy weapon fire. It also makes for an impervious recon and transportation vehicle, able to make a smooth getaway or rapid infiltration if necessary. It can run on pure water, or urine if necessary, allowing it to be deployed in many different environments, while maintaining the vehicle's fuel is less of an issue.
Disadvantages
Due in part to its speed, the M12 is prone to roll over. It is vital that the driver can get in and out of dangerous situations without flipping the hard-to-right vehicle. The open nature of the Warthog always puts its driver and passengers at risk as a good marksman can easily take down the driver or passengers of the M12. A well thrown frag grenade can flip a Warthog, which will knock the driver and passenger out of the vehicle. Although the armor of the M12 is tough, a couple of direct hits from grenades or a well placed rocket will destroy it immediately. Covenant energy weapons are the biggest threat to the Warthog; a short burst from a Banshee's light plasma cannons is deadly, able to melt and punch through the armor with ease. The Warthog is also vulnerable to the Banshee's Fuel Rod Gun which can reduce the vehicle to twisted charred metal with one strike. Infantry plasma weapons can inflict moderate damage, and, like all vehicles, is rendered temporarily inoperable by a hit from an overcharged Plasma Pistol. Therefore, it is essential that the driver take advantage of the Warthog's speed to avoid enemy fire.
Variants
The M12 Warthog can be configured for various roles including the M831 TT which eliminates the support weapon in favor of four side-facing passenger seats, the M864A with an enclosed passenger compartment and treads in place of wheels, the M914 RV equipped with a towing winch and a heavy duty motor and gear system, armament carrier, ambulance, or communications vehicle. All M12-based vehicles in service with the UNSC are designed to travel both on and off-road, in all weather conditions.
Biography
Locke was born on March 15, 2529, on Jericho VII. When he was six years old, Jericho VII fell to the Covenant Empire and Locke was evacuated. His parents were killed during the assault.[
Locke eventually joined the UNSC and became an ONI Acquisitions Specialist, reaching the rank of Lieutenant Commander.
On September 26, 2552, Locke compiled a target profile report regarding Thel 'Vadam's personal history during the war, including the Fall of Reach, the Battle of Installation 04, and the Great Schism.
Sedra Crisis
After the Human-Covenant war, Locke was part of a unit sent by the UNSC to investigate Covenant activity on Sedra. During a covert operation, Locke and a team of ONI agents attempted to prevent a rogue Sangheili from detonating an unidentified weapon. Locke's efforts failed, which resulted in the deployment of a biological weapon that only affected humans.Locke's investigation into the source of the biological weapon led ONI to a fragment of Installation 04. Working with Colonel Randall Aiken and a small team of Sedra militia members, Locke and his team landed on the fragment. The joint strike team captured two human smugglers, but only Locke and Macer were able to escape the Halo fragment before Aiken detonated the nuclear device, destroying the fragment.
Becoming a SPARTAN-IV
Some time after the Sedra crisis, Locke underwent SPARTAN-IV augmentations and used the Hunter GEN2 Armor variant. Eventually he would be assigned to Fireteam Osiris and lead them into battle at Kamchatka.
Searching for Blue Team
Following Blue Team's disappearance from the UNSC Argent Moon, Locke and Osiris would focus on hunting down the SPARTAN-II team. They began their search on Meridian, a place that John had said Cortana might be.
Personality
Locke is a competent soldier who approaches combat situations with caution and logic and inspires loyalty in those under his command. However, he is troubled by some aspects of the organization he serves under.
Gameplay
In Halo 5: Guardians, Locke is one of 8 playable characters in the campaign. He is always played by player one in Fireteam Osiris levels. His unique attributes are a faster thruster pack recharge, slower stabilizer descent and the ability to carry one extra frag grenade.
“The Arbiter has united the keeps and formed a new alliance! The Swords of Sanghelios!”
— Mahkee 'Chava
The Swords of Sanghelios were a break-away faction of the former Covenant Separatists composed predominantly of Sangheili. The Covenant Separatist movement was originally founded as a rebellion against the San'Shyuum-led Covenant, after the Sangheili learned of the true nature of the Halo Installations near the end of the Battle of Installation 05 in November 2552. Following the end of the Human-Covenant war and the destruction of the Covenant, the Swords of Sanghelios was officially formed. The government rapidly grew in scope and influence, eventually taking control of Sanghelios and the majority of the Sangheili inner colonies. The Swords of Sanghelios are also one of a very select few breakaway Covenant factions to maintain diplomatic relations with humanity following the end of the war.
By March 2553 Thel 'Vadam had become the de facto leader of the Swords of Sanghelios and was still in power as of 2559. While the Swords of Sanghelios maintained a solid following, they met resistance from numerous conservative factions which held true to the Covenant religion or to the religion of ancient Sangheili.
Origins of the Faction
The Swords of Sanghelios originated as an ancient alliance of Kaidons dedicated to the overthrow of a tyrannical Arbiter that was in control of the continent Qivro in the time before the Sangheili became a spacefaring race. They also assisted in making the rest of the Sangheili fall in line under the Writ of Union.
Formation
In 2552 during the Human-Covenant war, the Prophet of Truth initiated a great betrayal on the Sangheili. This eventually lead them to work with the Humans, ending the Covenant Empire and the war once and for all. A group named the Fleet of Retribution returned to Sanghelios.
After returning to Sanghelios, the Arbiter Thel 'Vadam attempted to unite the Sangheili. Not every Sangheili wanted peace though, leading to an attack on the Arbiter himself in March of 2553. Sometime following the assault, the Arbiter would consolidate several Clans under the banner of the ancient order, the Swords of Sanghelios.
Continued Conflicts
At an unknown point after the Siege at Kolaar, the Swords struck the State of Panom on Hesduros in retaliation for the activities of Jul 'Mdama's Covenant.
On March 5, 2558, the Swords of Sanghelios with the help of the Unified Earth Government (UEG) attempted to broker a lasting peace with a Jiralhanae faction lead by Chieftain Lydus. The peace talks fell apart when a mercenary group attacked.
“Today the Covenant will fall! Sanghelios will be free!”
— Thel 'Vadam prior to the Battle of Sunaion
In late 2558 the Swords would trade final blows with Jul 'Mdama's Covenant. Following the death of Jul 'Mdama, his forces would stage a daring assault on Swords forces in Nuusra, Sanghelios. With the help of Fireteam Osiris, the attack would fail. Later that same day, the Swords would engage the remnant of his forces at Sunaion, destroying them.
The Reclamation
During The Reclamation, the UNSC reinforced the Swords of Sanghelios and helped patrol for Covenant remnants and Created scouts.
Jurisdiction
The Swords of Sanghelios control the majority of Sangheili colonies.
Religion
Unlike most other Covenant splinter groups, the Swords of Sanghelios are a secular government rejecting the Covenant religion and questions the traditional faith. However, many Sangheili still continues to worship the Forerunners, with some factions opposing the Swords of Sanghelios following the end of the Human-Covenant war.
