Editing Second Fall of Arcadia

{{Status|Canon}}

|prev=[[Algolis Invasion]]

|date=[[2549#September|September 9, 2549]]{{Ref/Reuse|timeline}}

|place=[[Arcadia]], [[Procyon system]]{{Ref/Reuse|timeline}}

|result=*[[Covenant]] victory{{Ref/Reuse|timeline}}

|side1=Arcadians{{Ref/Reuse|timeline}}

|side2=[[Covenant]]{{Ref/Reuse|timeline}}

|forces2=*One massive [[fleet]]{{Ref/Reuse|journal}}

*{{Pattern|Wuzum|Spectre}}s<ref>'''[[Halo: Fractures]]''', "[[Oasis]]", ''page 375''</ref>

*Nearly all Arcadians{{Ref/Reuse|journal}}

{{Quote|It's so easy for them to destroy us.|Doctor Catherine Halsey, after Arcadia's fall{{Ref/Reuse|journal}}}}

The '''Second Fall of Arcadia'''{{Ref/Reuse|timeline}} was the loss of the [[human]] [[Outer Colony]] of [[Arcadia]] in the [[Procyon system]], on [[2549#September|September 9, 2549]] during the [[Human-Covenant War]]. Although Arcadia survived the [[Covenant]]'s [[Battle for Arcadia|first attack]] in [[2531#February|February 2531]], the colony's major population centers were destroyed and most Arcadians evacuated the planet. However, over the intervening years, many Arcadians returned to their homeworld{{Ref/Reuse|journal}} and rebuilt around [[Abaskun]], a farming community.{{Ref/Reuse|timeline}}

However, the Covenant returned to the planet in September 2549, where a massive [[fleet]] [[Glassing|glassed]] Arcadia from orbit. Only a handful of Arcadians managed to evacuate the colony aboard transport [[shuttle]]s.{{Ref/Reuse|journal}}

{{Quote|It's rare that anyone returns to a world once left in ruin by the Covenant. Very rare. Arcadia became a symbol of humanity's resilience.|Doctor Catherine Halsey{{Ref/Reuse|journal}}}}

[[Arcadia]] was a prosperous [[Outer Colony]] of the [[Unified Earth Government]], until the [[Covenant]] [[Battle for Arcadia|attacked]] the planet in [[2531#February|February 2531]] during the [[Human-Covenant War]].<ref name="vis">'''[[Halo: The Essential Visual Guide]]''', ''page 12''</ref> During the Battle for Arcadia, the Covenant's [[Fleet of Glorious Interdiction]] destroyed the colony's major population centers and several orbital facilities. However, the Covenant fleet was eventually repelled by [[Admiral]] [[Preston Cole]] and the [[Third Fleet]].{{Ref/Reuse|journal}} During this time, the Covenant explored [[Arcadia Forerunner ruins|a series of Forerunner ruins]] on the planet, but were repelled by the forces of the [[UNSC Spirit of Fire|UNSC ''Spirit of Fire'']]<ref>''''Halo Wars''', '''Scarab'''</ref> which aided the planet's inhabitants during the early part of the battle.<ref>'''Halo Wars''', '''Arcadia City'''</ref>

After the Covenant left the planet, Arcadia was initially left alone by the empire. Most Arcadians had evacuated from their homeworld, leaving the capital of [[Pirth City]] and other cities to be overgrown with nature.{{Ref/Reuse|timeline}}<ref name="waypoint">[http://halo.xbox.com/en-us/intel/theuniverse/locations/gallery/arcadia/3c9e9ac6-f13f-4712-ae1b-24d9c0e5504b '''Halo Waypoint''': ''Arcadia''] (defunct, backup on [https://web.archive.org/web/20111008060744/http://halo.xbox.com/en-us/intel/theuniverse/locations/gallery/arcadia/3c9e9ac6-f13f-4712-ae1b-24d9c0e5504b Archive.org])</ref> However, some defiantly chose to remain behind.<ref name="gaines">[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/universe/characters/jordan-gaines '''Halo Waypoint''': ''Jordan Gaines'']</ref> In the wake of the Covenant's attack, Arcadia was thrown into chaos and its surviving population fell into a state of anarchy. However, over the following years, Arcadians slowly returned to the planet and rebuilt their civilization{{Ref/Reuse|journal}} with the small, rural farming community of [[Abaskun]], a rich farmland area on the continent of [[Mu]]. Although Abaskun was largely lawless,{{Ref/Reuse|timeline}} the settlement continued to provide much needed foodstuffs for the [[United Nations Space Command]] and [[Inner Colonies]].{{Ref/Reuse|waypoint}}

{{Quote|It was terrible. So much power, for so much death.|Doctor Catherine Halsey, after watching Arcadia's destruction{{Ref/Reuse|journal}}}}

On [[2549#September|September 9, 2549]],{{Ref/Reuse|timeline}} the Covenant returned to Arcadia with a massive [[fleet]], one significantly larger than what was typically deployed to eradicate [[human colonies]] of Arcadia's size.{{Ref/Reuse|journal}} Tasked to obliterate whatever remained of the [[human]] presence on Arcadia, the fleet was taken back to find that flora had overgrown the colony's cities while the remaining human settlers at Abaskun were living in a bizarre state of lawlessness and anarchy.{{Ref/Reuse|waypoint}}

Shortly after exiting [[slipstream space]], the Covenant fleet began [[Orbital bombardment|bombarding]] Arcadia's surface with [[plasma]]. Arcadia's population attempted to evacuate the surface aboard [[civilian]] transport [[shuttle]]s,{{Ref/Reuse|journal}} though some Arcadians were left trapped on the planet unable to escape.{{Ref/Reuse|gaines}} The Covenant fleet took particular care in [[glassing]] every vital part of the planet, incinerating Abaskun and all major urban areas.{{Ref/Reuse|gaines}} The fleeing Arcadians attempted to evacuate aboard hundreds of transport shuttles, though the Covenant fleet shifted their main plasma beams to catch the shuttles' outbound trajectories, broiling the ships in orbit before they had a chance to even reach slipspace.{{Ref/Reuse|journal}} Only a handful of shuttles escaped destruction.{{Ref/Reuse|gaines}} Several {{Class|Stalwart|light frigate}}s took part in the fighting including the {{UNSCShip|In Amber Clad}}, eventually conducting a fighting retreat.{{Ref/Reuse|WF36}}

 

The glassing of Arcadia was made public knowledge in the evening, with reports on the event from the Outer Colonies being sent to civilian news organisations.{{Ref/Generic|Id=ProjectMagnes|Heading=[[Become]]|Subheading=[[UNSC Archives]]|Detail=[[Project Magnes (trailer)|Project Mages]]}}

The surviving Arcadians fled to [[refugee]] camps in the Inner Colonies, and then eventually to [[Mars]] in the [[Sol system]],{{Ref/Reuse|gaines}}<ref name="oasis">'''Halo: Fractures''', "Oasis", ''page 298'' (Google Play edition)</ref> resettling in cramped huts in the UEG's reserve camps spread across the southern dunes of [[Terra Cimmeria]].<ref name="envoy">'''[[Halo: Envoy]]''', ''page 73'' (Google Play edition)</ref> Some of these Arcadians would later resettle the abandoned colony of [[Carrow]] following the end of the Covenant War.{{Ref/Reuse|oasis}}{{Ref/Reuse|envoy}}

Doctor [[Catherine Halsey]] watched the destruction of Arcadia from cameras mounted on a meteorological satellite. She noticed that the Covenant attacked the planet with much more ferocity than was their norm, wondering if Arcadia posed some sort of threat or religious or political value to the Covenant. The satellite was destroyed before the glassing operation was completed. Halsey was greatly distraught by the sight of Arcadia's destruction.{{Ref/Reuse|journal}}

==Production notes==

First mentioned in the [[Halo Wars Timeline Events|timeline]] of ''[[Halo Wars]]'', the Second Fall of Arcadia is established to have taken place on [[2549#September|September 9, 2549]].{{Ref/Reuse|timeline}} However, [[Dr. Halsey's personal journal]], included with certain editions of ''[[Halo: Reach]]'', claims that the event occurred "''several weeks ago''" on a journal entry dated for September 9, 2549.{{Ref/Reuse|journal}} This inconsistency is ignored, as the journal has several errors in regard to entry dates.

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