Editing Malta Station

{{Title|''Malta Station''}}
{{Era|HCW}}
{{Base infobox
|base=Malta Orbital Defense Platform
|image= [[File:H2A-Malta Station.png|300px|Malta Station just before its destruction.]]
|location= [[Geosynchronous orbit]] over [[Earth]]
|built=
|destroyed= [[2552#October|October 20, 2552]]
|purpose= Defense of [[Earth]]
|defence=*[[Durasteel]] armor{{Ref/Reuse|Warfleet}}
*[[UNSC Marine Corps|UNSC Marines]]
|armament=*1 [[Magnetic Accelerator Cannon#"Super" Magnetic Accelerator Cannon|14D4A1 Magnetic Accelerator Cannon]]<ref name="Warfleet">'''[[Halo Warfleet]]''', ''Cairo Station'', ''p. 30-31''</ref>
*7 [[M606 Goalkeeper point defense gun]]s{{Ref/Reuse|Warfleet}}
|equipment=
|vehicles=[[GA-TL1 Longsword]]s{{Ref/Reuse|Warfleet}}
|soldier(s)=
|commander(s)=
|era(s)= [[Human-Covenant War]]
|notable=
|affiliation= [[United Nations Space Command|UNSC]]
}}
{{Quote|no=two
|1=[[Cortana]]
|q1=Malta, what is your status, over?
|2=Malta Station
|q2=I don't believe it! They're retreating, we've won!
|3=Conversation between Cortana and a defense coordinator aboard the Malta Station, moments before the station's violent destruction.<ref name="ref1">'''Halo 2''', campaign level, ''[[Cairo Station]]''</ref>}}

'''''Malta Station''''', [[hull classification symbol]] '''OWP-143''', was a UNSC [[Moncton-class orbital weapon platform|''Moncton''-class]] [[orbital defense platform]] in [[Earth]] orbit. It was in the same battle cluster as ''[[Athens Station]]'' and ''[[Cairo Station (station)|Cairo Station]]''.{{Ref/Reuse|ref1}} Unlike its sister stations, the ''Malta<nowiki>s</nowiki>'' hangars were equipped with [[GA-TL1 Longsword]] interceptors.<ref>'''[[Halo: Warfleet]]''', p. 30</ref>

==History==
During the [[Battle of Earth]], the station was destroyed by a {{Pattern|Chershi|antimatter charge|}} [[antimatter charge]] placed by [[Covenant]] [[Naval boarding|boarders]]. Unaware of the invader's true intent, the withdrawal of the boarders was misinterpreted by some of the station's crew members as a full retreat by the Covenant. The destruction of ''Malta'' occurred shortly before that of ''Athens'', allowing the ''[[Solemn Penance]]'' to break through the orbital defenses to the [[Battle of Mombasa|surface]] of Earth. The wreckage of the ''Malta'' formed a debris field, which was shattered when the Prophet of Regret's assault carrier flew through it.{{Ref/Reuse|ref1}}

By [[2560]], both ''Athens'' and ''Malta'' Stations were replaced by newly fabricated orbital platforms.{{Ref/Book|Enc22|Page=37}}

==Trivia==
Based on the name of the station, it has been theorized that it held geosynchronous orbit over [[Wikipedia:Malta|Malta]]. By the looks of the station's location through the Cairo Station's windows, however, it appears to be much further south than Malta really is. Additionally, the ''Cairo'', ''Athens'' and ''Malta'' stations are in visible distances of one another whereas their Earth namesakes are hundreds of kilometers apart.

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Maltastation.jpg|''Malta Station'' in ''Halo 2''.
File:H2A-Malta Destruction.png|''Malta Station'' violently explodes moments after the Covenant boarders retreat from the station.
</gallery>

==List of appearances==
*''[[Halo 2]]'' {{1st}}
*''[[Halo 2: Anniversary]]''
*''[[Halo: Warfleet]] {{mo}}

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

[[Category:Earth]]
[[Category:Orbital defense platforms]]