Editing Human-Covenant War

|date=*[[2525|February 11, 2525]]<ref>[[First Battle of Harvest]]</ref>–[[2552#December|December 11, 2552]]<ref>[[Halo 3]]</ref> {{C|[[2553#March|March 3, 2553]] ([[Voi Memorial|official ceremony]])}}

*Covenant Empire collapses{{Ref/Level|Id=The Covenant|H3|[[The Covenant (level)|The Covenant]]}}

*Human and [[Fleet of Retribution|many]] Sangheili forces [[Treaty of 2552|reconcile]]{{Ref/Level|Id=Halo|H3|[[Halo (Halo 3 level)|Halo]]}}<ref>''Halo: Glasslands'', p. 60</ref>

|side1=*{{Icon|UEG}} '''[[UEG]]'''

**{{Icon|UNSC HCW}} '''[[United Nations Space Command|UNSC]]'''

**'''[[United Rebel Front|URF]]'''

Humanity and the Covenant first came into direct contact on February 3, 2525, when a [[Kig-Yar]] [[missionary ship]], the ''[[Minor Transgression]]'', discovered [[Horn of Plenty|a human ship]] transitioning out of [[Slipstream space|slipspace]] and subsequently raided the vessel.<ref>''Halo: Contact Harvest'', p. 27</ref> The raid continued to [[This End Up|another]] unfortunate human ship.<ref>''Halo: Contact Harvest'', p. 97-100</ref> Some time after, [[Sif]], Harvest shipping operations AI, investigated the raids and reported her findings to an undercover [[Office of Naval Intelligence]] agent, [[Jilan al-Cygni]], believing that the attacks were Insurrectionist activity. The ONI agent devised a trap for the raiding parties, which resulted in a [[Skirmish Over Harvest|minor skirmish]] between [[Staff Sergeant]]s [[Nolan Byrne]] and [[Avery Johnson]], and the Kig-Yar privateers.<ref>''Halo: Contact Harvest'', p. 128-134</ref> When the Covenant returned with [[Rapid Conversion|another ship]] and a contingent of [[Jiralhanae]] and [[Yanme'e]], the UNSC proposed a meeting (via pictogram) with the intention to make amends and to trade with the alien species.<ref>''Halo: Contact Harvest'', p. 229</ref> The Covenant met the UNSC on Harvest, but were only interested in claiming the relics that the [[Luminary]] had detected on Harvest, completely oblivious that the humans were the "relics" in question. The meeting was botched after [[Osmo]], a member of the [[Harvest militia|Colonial Militia]], was attacked by a nervous [[Unggoy]] who was part of a second Covenant force sent to look for the relics. As a result, a firefight erupted between the two groups and the Covenant promptly retreated back to their ship.<ref>''Halo: Contact Harvest'', p. 213</ref>

Realizing the threat posed to humanity by the Covenant, the UNSC [[Colonial Military Authority]] gave [[Vice Admiral]] [[Preston Cole]] the command of the then-largest fleet in human history with orders to [[Second Battle of Harvest|retake Harvest]],<ref name="Genesis">'''[[Halo Wars: Genesis]]''', pages 1-10</ref> which occurred in [[2526]].<ref>'''Halo: Evolutions''', ''The Impossible Life and the Possible Death of Preston J. Cole'', pages 462-467</ref> He would then spend five years chasing the Covenant around the [[Outer Colonies]], fighting them and scoring victories at [[Alpha Aurigae System|Alpha Aurigae]], [[XI Boötis A System|XI Boötis A]], and [[Groombridge-1830]].{{Ref/Reuse|Genesis}}<ref name="battles">'''Halo: Evolutions''', ''The Impossible Life and the Possible Death of Preston J. Cole'', page 470</ref> Meanwhile, the Covenant returned to Harvest, determined to recapture the planet. This led to a five-year long [[Harvest Campaign|series of engagements]] on Harvest between the Covenant and the UNSC.<ref>'''[[Halo: The Essential Visual Guide]]''', ''page 188''</ref> Because of the threat the Covenant posed, the UNSC began deploying the [[SPARTAN-II Program|SPARTAN-II]]s on November 2nd, 2525,{{Ref/Novel|Id=hsschapter2|HSS|Chapter=2}} super soldiers originally trained to fight the [[Insurrection]]. The Spartans became one of humanity's greatest — and most celebrated — defenders, demonstrating a remarkable ability to turn the tide of battle. Their prowess was not lost on the Covenant, who came to fear the Spartans as "[[demon]]s".<ref>'''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]''', ''page 103''</ref>

From that point on, the Covenant continued to attack and destroy the humans wherever they were found, using their [[Luminary|Luminaries]] to find human worlds. Though the UNSC forces fought bravely, their inferior technology and numbers meant that even a ''close'' victory was far from guaranteed. The Covenant, fighting a war of extermination, did not need to commit to full ground invasions except in special circumstances; their ships simply needed to destroy space-borne defenses and any other threats around the planet. They would then reduce the planet's surface to glass with orbital plasma bombardment.<ref>''[[Halo Encyclopedia (2009 edition)]]'', Chapter 1, p. 33</ref> In general, human missiles and magnetic acceleration weapons were asymmetrically matched with Covenant energy shields and plasma weaponry. The few major victories achieved by the UNSC were usually due to tactical genius, extensive use of nuclear weapons, the rapid deployment of Spartan teams, or decisive ground engagements where UNSC technology and skill outmatched Covenant tactics. At the outset of the war, the UNSC employed a [[Wikipedia:defence in depth|defence in depth]] tactical doctrine, making extensive use of [[M5 Talos|automated turrets]] to delay Covenant forces.<ref name="PL Turret">''Halo Wars 2'', [[Phoenix Logs]] - Turret</ref> They were eventually forced to abandon this doctrine as the war continued to grind down human armies and industrial centres,{{Ref/Reuse|PL Turret}} learning the dangers of relying on fixed installations when employed against enemies with orbital fire support.<ref name="PL Siege">''Halo Wars 2'', [[Phoenix Logs]] - Siege Turret</ref> The UNSC began to develop a modular [[firebase]] system (based on pre-existing [[colony starter unit]]s used for colonization of planets<ref>[http://www.halowars.com/GameInfo/UNSC.aspx ''Official Halo Wars Community Site'': UNSC] (defunct, [[Archive:Halowars.com/UNSC|Archived]])</ref>) in response to pinpoint Covenant targeting of large military command and control installations with orbital strikes, and the inability of standard counter battery systems to detect, deflect, or defeat plasma-based artillery bombardment.<ref name="PL Siege"/>

In [[2531#February|February 2531]], [[Arbiter]] [[Ripa 'Moramee]], under the command of the [[Prophet of Regret]], began leading searches for [[Forerunner]] technology to aid in the Covenant war effort during the end of the [[Harvest campaign]]{{Ref/Level|HW|[[Alpha Base (Halo Wars level)|Alpha Base]]}} and the [[Battle for Arcadia]]. With the Covenant having discovered the Forerunner [[shield world]] [[Trove]] sometime prior, the Prophet of Regret intended to use a fleet of {{Class|Sojourner|dreadnought}}s docked at the [[Apex Site]] to crush humanity "quickly and with ease."{{Ref/Level|Id=HWscarab|HW|[[Scarab (Level)|Scarab]]}} With Ripa having kidnapped Professor [[Ellen Anders]] at [[Arcadia]] to use as a [[Reclaimer]] to activate the shield world, he was pursued by the {{UNSCShip|Spirit of Fire}}, leading to [[Battle of the Trove|a battle]] at the Etran Harborage. In the battle, Ripa was killed by Sergeant [[John Forge]] who subsequently sacrificed himself to destroy the Etran Harborage by causing its internal sun to go [[supernova]]. The Covenant plan was foiled, but the ''Spirit of Fire'' sacrificed its [[slipspace drive]] to cause the supernova, leaving the ship and its crew stranded in deep space.{{Ref/Level|HW|[[Escape (Halo Wars level)|Escape]]}}

After just six years of combat, space battles with the Covenant had depleted the UNSC's nuclear stockpile to almost nothing in at least one sector of space.{{Ref/Novel|GoO|Chapter=1}}

 

The Covenant suffered a costly defeat on and around [[Installation 04]]. Here, the human survivors from the [[Halcyon-class light cruiser|''Halcyon''-class cruiser]], the ''Pillar of Autumn'', managed to form an effective and surprising resistance to the Covenant. Unwilling to risk damaging the [[Halo|sacred ring]], the Covenant was forced to fight the humans on Halo's surface rather than using their usual bombardment tactics.<ref>''[[Halo: The Flood]]'', p. 187</ref> The Covenant was soundly defeated in numerous raids led by SPARTAN [[John-117]], including an attack on a grounded cruiser, the ''[[Truth and Reconciliation]]'', successfully escaping with the captain of the ''Pillar of Autumn'', Captain Jacob Keyes.<ref>''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]'', campaign level, [[The Truth and Reconciliation]]</ref> The battle on Halo then suddenly took a turn for the worst for both sides when the Covenant accidentally released an ancient and deadly parasitic race called [[the Flood]]. The Flood, having been imprisoned within Halo for many thousands of years, instinctively spread quickly throughout the ring, killing or assimilating every unsuspecting human and Covenant in their path and would become a third party in the war.<ref>''Halo: Combat Evolved'', campaign level, [[343 Guilty Spark (level)|343 Guilty Spark]]</ref>

Unfortunately for Regret, four human ships including the ''[[UNSC In Amber Clad|In Amber Clad]]'', had followed them through their own slipspace rupture to [[Installation 05|Delta Halo]].<ref>''Halo 2'', campaign level, [[Delta Halo]]</ref> Led by John-117, the humans forced their way to the Prophet himself. At that moment, ''High Charity'', having learned of Delta Halo, arrived and launched multiple waves of [[Phantom]] dropships to aid Regret. These forces were withdrawn by the Prophet of Truth as part of his plan to remove the Sangheili from power in the Covenant. However, Truth ultimately underestimated the full impact his 'reforms' would have on the Covenant's chances for military victory. The Master Chief [[Assassination of the Prophet of Regret|assassinated]] Regret, dealing a heavy blow to the Covenant's political structure. John-117 narrowly survived only to be captured by the [[Gravemind]], who had already formed a plan to prevent the Covenant from completing their Great Journey.<ref>''Halo 2'', campaign level, [[Regret (Halo 2 level)|Regret]]</ref>

Meanwhile, the majority of the human forces on ''In Amber Clad'' had traveled to Delta Halo's [[Library]] to obtain the [[Index]], which is the key to firing Halo. Covenant forces were dispatched to secure the index as well. However, the Index was stolen from the Arbiter by the [[Jiralhanae Chieftain]] [[Tartarus]], who was under the Prophets' orders to retrieve the Index and dispatch the Arbiter.<ref>''Halo 2'', campaign level, [[Quarantine Zone]]</ref> With the Index secure, the Prophets then ordered the Jiralhanae to begin eradicating the Sangheili, thus starting the [[Great Schism]]. Ultimately this led to the death of Tartarus at the hands of 'Vadamee and Johnson and a temporary alliance between the Sangheili and the human forces. Delta Halo was prevented from firing by Miranda Keyes while the Flood infected High Charity and absorbed the [[Prophet of Mercy]], leaving the Prophet of Truth firmly in control over the Covenant Empire.<ref>''Halo 2'', campaign level, [[The Great Journey (level)|The Great Journey]]</ref>