Editing Outbreak on the UNSC Spirit of Fire

{{Status|Canon}}
{{Battle infobox
|name= Outbreak on the UNSC Spirit of Fire 
|image= [[File:TFS-Jeromekick.png|300px]]
|prev= [[Battle of Trove]]
|conc= 
|next= [[Second Ark Conflict]] 
|conflict= 
|date= [[2537#January|January 1–4, 2537]]
|place= {{UNSCShip|Spirit of Fire}}, adrift in space
|result=Decisive [[United Nations Space Command|UNSC]] victory
*Containment of the Flood successful
|side1    = [[United Nations Space Command]]
|side2    = [[Flood]]
|commanders1    =*[[Ellen Anders]]
*[[Smart AI]] [[Serina]] 
|commanders2    = *None
|forces1  = [[Jerome-092]]
|forces2  =
*[[Pod infector]]s
*[[Flood Carrier Form]]s
*[[Flood Combat Form]]s
|casual1  =*Some UNSC Naval personnel
**[[Violeta Maldini]]
|casual2  =
*All Flood
}}
In January 2537, there was a [[Flood]] '''[[Flood outbreak|outbreak]]'''  on the {{UNSCShip|Spirit of Fire}}.<ref name="SHH">'''[[Halo: Tales from Slipspace]]''', ''[[Something Has Happened]]''</ref>

==Background==
On [[2531|February 23, 2531]], the {{UNSCShip|Spirit of Fire}} arrived at [[Trove]], a [[Forerunner]] [[shield world]], in pursuit of the [[Covenant]], who had captured one of its crew, Professor [[Ellen Anders]]. Upon landing on the surface of the shield world, the ''Spirit of Fire's'' forces were attacked by the [[Flood]], making them the first known humans to encounter the parasite. Early in the battle, the Flood attempted to board the ''Spirit of Fire'', but were repelled by the ship's Marines.<ref>'''[[Halo Wars]]''', campaign level ''[[Cleansing]]''</ref> Despite [[Battle of the Trove|facing attacks]] from both the Flood and Covenant, the UNSC forces were able to destroy the shield world by using the ''Spirit of Fire''{{'}}s [[Shaw-Fujikawa Translight Engine]] as a makeshift bomb to send the shield world's star into supernova, apparently wiping out all Flood forms on the world as well.

Surviving the battle, the ''Spirit of Fire'', left without a slipspace drive, began its slow return journey to human space at sublight speeds.

Despite sterilization measures imposed by Chief Medical Officer [[O'Neil]], at least one [[Pod infector]] managed to evade detection and infiltrate the ship.<ref>''Halo: Escalation Issue 6''</ref> 

==Outbreak==
Six years after the battle, on [[2537|January 1, 2537]], the ''Spirit of Fire's'' AI, [[Serina]], awakened ship engineer [[Violeta Maldini]] to perform routine maintenance. The pod infector came into contact with Maldini, infecting her and turning her into a [[Flood combat form|combat form]]. Suffering from the early stages of [[rampancy]], Serina locked the combat form in a cryo bay, intending to study it. Over the next three days, Serina observed as the combat form eventually changed into a [[Flood carrier form|carrier form]], producing more Pod infectors. Seeking insight, Serina woke Professor Anders from cryosleep.<ref name="SHH" /> 

In the meantime, however, using Maldini's knowledge of the cryo-chamber codes, the Flood awakened the other crew members in the bay and infected them. After infecting Lieutenant [[Kwan]], the Flood gained knowledge of codes required to override Serina's quarantine, putting the entire ship at risk of infection.  

In the same bay, [[SPARTAN-II program|SPARTAN-II]] [[Jerome-092]] was awakened by a subroutine he had programmed to awaken him if Anders was awoken. Taking stock of the situation, Jerome armed himself and began fighting his way through the Flood forms.

Eventually, only one Flood form remained. When Jerome confronted it, however, it turned out to actually be several Pod infectors riding on the back of a combat form, to conceal its numbers. In the ensuing struggle, Serina vented out the bay they were in, causing the Flood forms to be thrown into space, while Jerome managed to hang on. 

==Aftermath==
Following the incident, Jerome and Anders returned to cryo-sleep, while Serina composed a final status report that was to be left to Captain Cutter before self-terminating.<ref name="SHH" /> 

==Gallery==
<Gallery>
Flood infector Spirit of Fire.jpg|A Flood [[Pod infector]] lurks in the Spirit's cryo-bays.
TASRepro.png|The infected Maldini mutates into a [[Flood carrier form]], violently spawning Pod infectors.
HTfS Kwan2.png|[[Jerome-092]] kills the infected Lieutenant [[Kwan]].
HTfS Kwan.png|Lieutenant Kwan in an advanced state of infection. 
TFS-Sadface.png|With the containment of the Flood, Serina self-terminates for her part in the outbreak. 
</Gallery>

==List of appearances==
*''[[Halo: Escalation]]'' {{1st}}
*''[[Halo: Tales from Slipspace]]''
**''[[Something Has Happened]]''
==Sources==
{{Ref/Sources}}

{{Human-Covenant War}}
[[Category:Battles of the Human-Covenant War|Spirit of Fire]]
[[Category:UNSC victories|Spirit of Fire]]
[[Category:Flood outbreaks]]