Editing Battle of Trove

{{Status|Canon}}

|next=*[[Battle of Vodin]] {{C|[[Human-Covenant War]]}}

*[[Operation: SMOKING ACES]] {{C|[[Insurrection]]}}

*[[Outbreak on the UNSC Spirit of Fire]] {{C|{{UNSCShip|Spirit of Fire}}}}

|name=Battle of Trove

|place=[[Trove]], [[Korinth Prior system]]

*[[Trove]] and all Forerunner constructs destroyed

*Flood containment on Trove successful  

*{{Pattern|Taaku Xur|Spirit}}s

*{{Pattern|Bkowe'nei|Vampire}}s

*{{Pattern|Deutoros|Scarab}}s

*{{Pattern|Shua'ee|Locust}}s

*{{Pattern|Zurdo|Wraith}}s

*[[Barukaza Workshop Chopper]]s

*{{Pattern|Karo'etba|Ghost}}s

|casual4=*[[Trove]]

The '''Battle of Trove''' was an engagement fought between the crew of the {{UNSCShip|Spirit of Fire}}, the [[Covenant]], the [[Flood]], and [[Forerunner]] forces on the [[Forerunner]] shield world known as the [[Trove]] during the [[Human-Covenant War]] from [[2531|February 23 to 25, 2531]].<ref>'''[[Halo: The Essential Visual Guide]]''', ''page 174''</ref><ref name="timeline">'''Halo Wars''' ''[[Halo Wars Timeline Events|Timeline Events]]''</ref><ref name="Assembly">'''Halo: Reach''', ''[[Data pads|data pad 15]]''</ref>

The [[Trove]] or "Trove" had been discovered by the [[Covenant]] some time prior to the battle,<ref name="OSG">'''[[Halo Wars: Official Strategy Guide]]''', ''page 50''</ref> but despite their reverse-engineering attempts, they had not been able to activate the shield world's most prized artifact: the [[Apex Site]], an installation which contained numerous Forerunner {{Class|Sojourner|dreadnought}}s. With the [[Human-Covenant War]] ongoing, the Covenant started their search for a key to activate the Forerunner ships in order to bring a swifter end to the [[Human|human race]]. After seeing [[Ellen Anders]] activate a [[Relic (location)|Forerunner structure]] on [[Harvest]], the Covenant discovered that [[Reclaimer|they could use a human to activate]] the Apex installation.<ref>'''Halo Wars''' ''cutscene [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96LZ6gGQS5Y&feature=player_embedded "Walk in The Park"]''</ref>

In the inner [[Dyson sphere]] of the Shield World, the ''Spirit of Fire'' immediately entered a collision course with the Covenant destroyer ''[[Proclamation's Tithe]]''. Despite hard course corrections, the two ships impacted, with a large section of the ''Spirit'' being violently sheared off.{{Ref/Reuse|freefall}} The collision also destroyed half of the ''Spirit''{{'}}s complement of [[D20 Heron]]s. Dozens of Marines, vehicles, and aircraft were deployed onto the ''Spirit''{{'}}s hull to fend off boarding parties who were trying to prevent technicians in [[Cyclops]] exoskeletons from repairing the ship's power core, while at the same time the ship was raked by [[plasma]] fire. Escaping from the destroyer, the ''Spirit''{{'}}s AI, [[Serina]], detected Anders' signal.<ref>'''Halo Wars''' campaign level, ''[[Repairs]]''</ref> Sergeant Forge, along with other forces, were deployed to the signal's apparent source on the Shield World's inner surface.{{Ref/Reuse|judgement}}

Imprisoned in the Apex, Anders was forced by the Arbiter to activate the ancient artifact, powering up its fleet of {{Class|Sojourner|dreadnought}}s. In their religious fervor, her guards were distracted and Anders used a [[teleporter]] to return to the surface, where she was rescued by Forge.{{Ref/Reuse|judgement}} Anders was then evacuated back to the ''Spirit'', while Sergeant Forge and Spartan [[Red Team]] proceeded to lock the area down, for a safe place to the ''Spirit'' to put down. Anders theorized that they would have to capture four base sites to begin an effective resistance. Through the use of armor, air support, and a [[Deutoros-pattern Scarab|Scarab]] captured by a Spartan, the UNSC captured the bases and prepared to attack the Apex itself.<ref>'''Halo Wars''' campaign level, ''[[Beachhead (Halo Wars level)|Beachhead]]''</ref>

On the ''Spirit of Fire'', Anders devised a plan to stop the Covenant from using the Forerunner ships. The UNSC forces would have to sacrifice the ''Spirit''{{'}}s [[Shaw-Fujikawa Translight Engine]] to create an explosion so powerful, it would collapse the miniature [[Astroengineering#Stars|artificial star]] inside the Shield World, completely obliterating the installation, though it meant that they would have no way to return home.<ref>'''Halo Wars''' ''cutscene [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GAyuG2g_Cg&feature=player_embedded "I doomed Humanity"]''</ref> To accomplish this, they would need to assault the Apex Site and use an [[elevator]] on the main platform, to take the slipspace drive right into the star.<ref name="reactor">'''Halo Wars''' campaign level, ''[[Reactor (Halo Wars level)|Reactor]]''</ref>

After an attempt at airlifting the drive failed, the mission was changed into a ground operation, with the intent of using an [[M312 Elephant]] to tow the reactor to the [[teleporter]] on the top of the hill, which was full of Covenant and Flood forces. The UNSC established a [[firebase]] on the bottom of the hill, and gradually ascended the towering hill up to the Apex Base Site, meeting determined resistance from the Covenant. They eventually reached a [[Slipspace translocation|teleporter]] that took [[John Forge|Sergeant John Forge]], a Marine lieutenant, and Red Team to the Apex's control center with the slipspace drive.{{Ref/Reuse|reactor}}

[[File:Hw-prima-blog-04-01.jpg|thumb|250px|Red Team ready for combat at the Apex.]]

As the sun slowly went supernova, the ''Spirit of Fire'' was caught in its increasing [[Gravity well (physics)|gravity well]]. By performing a gravitational slingshot maneuver around the sun, the ''Spirit'' was able to break away from the gravity well and escape through the portal, and far enough from the Shield World not to be caught in the supernova's blast radius. Moments after the ''Spirit of Fire'' escaped from the planet, it exploded, destroying Trove and all Covenant and Flood forces upon its surface.<ref>'''Halo Wars''' ''cutscene [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rw449I95UHY&feature=player_embedded "One Less Sun in The Universe"]''</ref>

With no ability to enter [[Slipstream space]], and the journey back to UNSC space likely to take years, if not decades, the ''Spirit of Fire's'' crew went into [[Cryo chamber|cryostasis]]. The UNSC [[Office of Naval Intelligence]] declared the ''Spirit'' and crew to be [[missing in action]]. In [[2534]], the ''Spirit of Fire'' was declared to be "lost with all hands" by the UNSC. The reason for this change was kept top secret. A memorial service was held for the people aboard the vessel, but many of the crew's family members chose not to attend, holding out hope that their loved ones are still alive.{{Ref/Reuse|timeline}} The ship would not make contact with the outside world until [[2559]], when it was unexpectedly transported to [[Installation 00]].{{Ref/Level|HW2|[[The Signal]]}}

The [[The Assembly|Assembly]], having intercepted transmissions from the [[proselytization network]], noted the presence of the Flood as a "third variable". Due to the third participant being a terrifying opponent to the Covenant, the [[Assembly Minority]] suggested the possibility of forming an association - even a union - with it. However, due to the risks involved, the Assembly chose not to attempt contact with the Flood.{{Ref/Reuse|Assembly}}

In early [[2557]], nearly twenty-six years after the shield world's destruction, the ''[[Ace of Spades]]'', a [[salvager]] vessel captained by Sergeant John Forge's daughter [[Rion Forge]], visited the debris field and recovered [[Little Bit|a fragment]] of the shield world's custodian AI.<ref>'''Halo: Smoke and Shadow'''</ref> Several months later, ONI conducted a [[Mission to the Korinth Prior system|mission]] within its debris field to search for evidence of the ''Spirit of Fire'',<ref>''[[Halo Legendary Crate]]'', ''[[Halo Legendary Crate/Data Drops|Data Drop #4]]''</ref> having learned of it from data stolen from the ''Ace of Spades''. Shortly after the ''Ace of Spades'' was returned to the debris field by [[343 Guilty Spark]], a massive UNSC fleet emerged from slipspace and nuked the debris field. The nuclear bombardment was expected to blow the field to bits and disrupt its orbit around the system's star. Anything that survived would most likely be pulled into the star's gravity well and destroyed, completely eradicating the remnants of Trove.{{Ref/Novel|Ren}}

[[Category:UNSC victories]]