Editing Bliss

{{Status|Canon}}
{{Planet infobox
|name=Bliss
|image=
|system=[[Faelith system]]{{Ref/Book|Id=Enc22|Enc22|Page=50}}
|body=
|position=
|moon(s)=[[Aires]]{{Ref/Generic|Id=journal|[[Dr. Halsey's personal journal]]|Subheading=The [[:File:Accra Log 1.jpg|Accra]] [[:File:Accra Log 2.jpg|Incident]]}}
|diameter=
|gravity=
|daylength=
|yearlength=
|atmosphere=
|composition=
|temperature=
|demonym=
|species=[[Human]] {{C|Non-native}}
|population=500 million {{c|estimated, pre-[[2526]]}}{{Ref/Generic|Id=intersystem|Heading=[[Dr. Halsey's personal journal]]|Subheading=[[Intersystem News]]}}
|colonized=[[2440]]{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}}
|government=[[Unified Earth Government]]
}}
 
'''Bliss''' was a [[human]] [[Outer Colonies|Outer]] [[Human colonies|colony]] [[world]]{{Ref/Note|Id=date|Only the Outer Colonies were [[Siege of the Inner Colonies|attacked]] pre-[[2536]].}} governed by the [[Unified Earth Government]] in the [[Faelith system]].{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}} Its [[city|capital]] was [[Manikata]].{{Ref/Reuse|intersystem}} Bliss was orbited by at least one [[natural satellite]], [[Aires]].{{Ref/Reuse|journal}}
==Overview==
===Environmental features===
Thirty-two years after Bliss was glassed by the Covenant, its surface was a hazardous slog of [[lechatelierite]] glasslands, with jutting fragments capable of cutting through bone and violent storms kicking up black walls of particulates that required prospectors and terraformers to shelter-in-place multiple times per week. The fine ash suspended in its atmosphere prevented ecosystem recovery. It's climate was exceptionally dry, with constant water breaks doing little to stave off thirst for humans traveling the surface by foot.{{Ref/Reuse|htt11}}

===Ecology===
Bright blue and red desert plants had begun to push through the glass by [[2558]].{{Ref/Reuse|htt11}}

The only non-human life reported on the planet thirty-two years after its glassing was a species of crow, picking through landfills around the remaining settlements.{{Ref/Reuse|htt11}}

====Locations====
*[[Manikata]]

==History==
===Human-Covenant War===
{{Main|Battle of Bliss}}
On [[2526|February 13, 2526]], a [[fleet]] of 45 [[Covenant]] [[Covenant starship|vessels]], including five [[CAS-class assault carrier|assault carriers]], 23 [[Ket-pattern battlecruiser|battlecruisers]], and 17 [[Covenant destroyer|destroyers]], entered the planet's system.<ref>'''Dr. Halsey's personal journal''' "''The Accra Incident''": "''Unknown ships positively identified as alien warships comprising what appear to be five assault carriers, twenty-three battlecruisers, and seventeen destroyers.''"</ref> [[Office of Naval Intelligence]] operatives on Bliss had apparently learned of the Covenant's inevitable assault and fled the planet. Although the agents of the planet's [[communications relay]] took all items of value from the facility with them, they left behind an active communications server, likely assuming the entire station would be destroyed.{{Ref/Reuse|htt11}} Three [[United Nations Space Command|UNSC]] [[UNSC starship|ships]], including the [[UNSC cruiser|heavy cruisers]] {{UNSCShip|Weeping Willows}} and {{UNSCShip|Matador}}, as well as the [[UNSC frigate|frigate]] {{UNSCShip|Purpose}}, [[Battle of Bliss|engaged]] the [[Covenant fleet]]. The [[battle]] lasted about three minutes and resulted in the [[glassing]] of the colony.{{Ref/Reuse|journal}} 

The destruction of Bliss later led to dissident leaders among the [[Outer Colonies]] agreeing to peace with the UNSC.{{Ref/Generic|[[Halo: Reach Limited Edition]]|[[Dr. Halsey's personal journal|Dr. Halsey's Personal Journal]], April 28, 2526}}

Professor [[Ellen Anders]] of [[Rishard University]] on [[Arcadia]] noted that Bliss, [[Cote d'Azure]], and [[Onyx]] had "large-scale engineered features", suggesting the presence of [[Forerunner]] structures on the planet.{{Ref/Comic|[[Halo Wars: Genesis]]}}

===Post-war===
[[File:HtT - BXR 1774.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Site #1744, formerly Manikata.]]
After the [[Human-Covenant War]], a [[Wikipedia:Silicate|silicate]] mining settlement was established on Bliss, surrounded by numerous quarries.{{Ref/Reuse|htt11}} 

By [[2558]], Bliss had not yet been [[Terraforming|reterraformed]] by [[human]]ity and was now charted in a [[sector]] on the outskirts of human space. In that year, a signal emanated from Bliss. The signal was picked up by a source of reporter [[Petra Janecek]]'s, whom then instructed journalist [[Benjamin Giraud]] to discover the signal's source before it was detected by the [[Unified Earth Government]].<ref>'''Hunt the Truth''', ''Episode 10: GAG ORDER''</ref> Gaining passage aboard a mining [[freighter]], Giraud traveled to Bliss and ventured out into the planet's glasslands. He eventually came across the relatively intact communications relay station that had survived the glassing of Bliss. Inside the facility, he discovered the active communications server that had recorded all ONI records over the years. Taking files from the server, Giraud intended to use them to bring down ONI.{{Ref/Reuse|htt11}}
{{Clear}}
==Government and society==
The planet and its system was protected by the [[Bliss Defense Fleet]].{{Ref/Reuse|journal}} Bliss was home to an [[Office of Naval Intelligence]] subspace [[communications relay]] that allowed for [[superluminal communications]].<ref name="htt11">'''[[Hunt the Truth]]''', ''Episode 11: DOWN TO THE BONE''</ref>

==Trivia==
[[Intersystem News]] reported that an estimated 500 million people were feared dead after the glassing of Bliss. This contradicts the [[data pads]] in ''Halo: Reach'', which put ''all'' human casualties in the [[Human-Covenant War]] by [[2530]] at 62,154,022.

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Intersystem News Bliss.jpg|An [[Intersystem News]] report on the [[Battle of Bliss]]
File:HtT - Buried Secrets.jpg|An ONI subspace communication station on Bliss.
</gallery>

==List of appearances==
*''[[Halo Wars: Genesis]]'' {{1st}}
*''[[Halo: Reach]]''
**''[[Data pads]]'' {{Mo}}
**''[[Dr. Halsey's personal journal]]'' {{Mo}}
*''[[Hunt the Truth]]''

==Notes==
{{Ref/Notes}}

==Sources==
{{Ref/Sources}}

[[Category:Human colonies]]