Editing Raid on High Charity

{{Status|Canon}}

{{References}}

{{Battle infobox

|prev=[[Battle of the Citadel]]

|next=[[Raid on Installation 08]]                                                   

|name=Raid on High Charity

|image= [[File:H3 Cortana Concept 2.jpg|300px]]

|conflict=*[[Human-Covenant War]]

**[[Battle of Installation 00]]

|date=[[2552#December|December 11, 2552]]<ref name="Fortitude">[http://halo.xbox.com/en-us/intel/featured/video/herofortitude/bfe5038b-314a-4f17-a6be-f7613e0e3788 '''Halo Waypoint''', ''Hero-Fortitude'']</ref>

|place=Infested [[Covenant]] holy city of [[High Charity]]

|result='''Decisive [[UNSC]] - [[Sangheili]] victory

*Flood hive destroyed

*[[Covenant separatists]]

**[[Fleet of Retribution]]

|forces2= *Many [[Pod infector]]s

*Many [[Flood pure form]]s

The '''Raid on High Charity''' was a small and personal, but significant engagement, between [[Master Chief Petty Officer]] [[John-117]] against [[the Flood]] in late [[2552]] on the crashed planetoid ship [[High Charity]] upon the surface of [[Installation 00]].<ref>'''[[Halo 3]]''', [[campaign]] level ''[[Cortana (level)|Cortana]]''</ref>

Prior to the raid, [[the Flood]] had seized the Covenant mobile home planetoid of High Charity from the divided Covenant during the [[Battle of Installation 05]] and the onset of the [[Great Schism]]. A small UNSC force was present during the [[Fall of High Charity]], and although many UNSC personnel fell to the Flood, [[SPARTAN-II]] supersoldier [[John-117]] managed to escape, although the UNSC [[artificial intelligence]] Cortana was left behind during the operation.

The Flood significantly Flood-formed High Charity, initially spreading metastasizing tendrils and biological growths throughout the planetoid and cutting power while spreading spores into the air, but later, after a short period, completely remodeled the planetoid. The doors were largely replaced with biological [[porta]]s and the walls were covered with infested biomass with [[Flood blister]]s and fleshy growths. It was no longer recognizable as a Covenant installation, but rather a [[Flood hive]]. All remaining Covenant on the planetoid were killed and/or infected. Cortana surrendered to the Flood for her own safety<ref>'''Halo 3''', campaign level ''[[The Covenant (level)|The Covenant]]''</ref> and was tortured for information, almost succumbing.

The Gravemind, with its newly found space station and billions of Flood forms, planned to attack Earth, the UNSC/Covenant separatist stronghold, and infest it with Flood. However, upon arrival at the [[Sol system]] it found a [[Portal at Voi|Forerunner Portal]] which led from Earth to [[Installation 00]]: the Ark, a center from which all the [[Halo Array|Halo installations]] could be simultaneously and remotely fired. Sensing that the Ark was the greater threat, the Gravemind slipped High Charity straight to the Ark via a desperate ''ad hoc'' transit measure,<ref name="Bulletin924">[https://blogs.halowaypoint.com/en-us/blogs/headlines/posts/the-halo-bulletin-9-24-14 '''Halo Waypoint''' - The Halo Bulletin: 9.24.14'']</ref> sparing Earth by committing all its forces to the Ark. High Charity emerged in the fray of the [[Battle of Installation 00]], with parts of it crashing into the [[Fleet of Retribution|Sangheili]] [[assault carrier]] ''[[Shadow of Intent]]'', crippling it. High Charity then crashed onto Installation 00's surface due to damage from the Slipspace transition.{{Ref/Reuse|Bulletin924}} While Flood exited and spread across the Ark, infesting the [[Installation 00 Citadel|Citadel]], large amounts of Flood still took residence within the crashed hulk.

John-117 entered the crashed High Charity through a hole in the planetoid's surface in the western part of the station,<ref>'''[[Halo 3: The Official Strategy Guide]]'''</ref> and then proceeded inwards to the center to find Cortana. At first, he met only light resistance, with only the [[Pod infector]]s attacking. However, the Flood began to take notice of his intrusion, sending waves of [[stalker form|stalker pure forms]] to search for him<ref>'''Halo 3: The Official Strategy Guide''', ''"Extras" Appendix''</ref> and then deploying [[combat form]]s and [[tank form|tank pure forms]] to assail him, with [[carrier form]]s lumbering behind and [[ranged form|ranged pure forms]] on the walls opening fire on the SPARTAN while closer-ranged Flood attacked him directly. The strife began to intensify because of the numbers of [[Sangheili]] and [[Jiralhanae]] corpses scattered on the ground, which were easy targets for reanimation from the massive numbers of Pod infectors, and also because of the closely-packed claustrophobic tight quarters, whose walls were pulsing with Flood biomass.

 

 

However, moving his way inwards, John-117 managed to navigate a tall infested chamber, reaching the top and making it to one of High Charity's secondary reactor rooms.

{{Quote|You found me. But so much of me is wrong, out of place. You might be too late.|Cortana}}

Upon reaching the next room the Master Chief encountered Cortana, who was trapped in a Stasis Field. He broke the field, finally keeping his promise to her to come back for her after he finished with the Prophet of Truth. She also still had the Index that they needed. Cortana then re-entered the Data Chip that she existed in when she was with the Master Chief, finally escaping High Charity's systems. The two then made their way back to the Reactor Room, where Cortana told the Master Chief to destroy High Charity to buy them more time to activate the [[Installation 08|replacement Halo]]. The Master Chief then destroyed the Reactor Pylons causing High Charity's reactor to overload. The Chief made his way through the exploding city and encountered the Arbiter, who had come to help. The Chief, Cortana, and the Arbiter escaped in a crashed but intact Pelican as High Charity's reactors detonated, destroying the city and all the Flood on it. Unfortunately, the Gravemind survived by escaping to the replacement Halo and began rebuilding itself.

Despite High Charity's destruction, Installation 08 was able to be successfully fired and the Flood defeated. Three days after [[Battle of Installation 00]], the installation's Sentinels set up a [[containment shield]] to quarantine High Charity's wreckage.<ref>'''Halo Wars 2:''' ''[[Phoenix Logs]] - Idle Hands II''</ref> For seven years, this [[quarantine zone]] would successfully contain the Flood contagion while the Ark rebuilt and repaired itself. In [[2559]], however, the site would become the site of scouting missions by [[Atriox]]'s [[Banished]] and the forces of the {{UNSCShip|Spirit of Fire}}. During one of these excursions, the quarantine would be breached and the Flood unleashed on the Ark. The Banished would once again contain the threat following the reactivation of Sentinel defense network and defeat of the newly-formed [[Proto-Gravemind]].<ref>'''[[Halo Wars 2: Awakening the Nightmare]]'''</ref>

==Gallery==

File:H3 Cortana Reactor Concept.jpg|Concept art of the Chief arriving in the reactor room.

File:H3 ChiefVsFloodCombatForms.png|John-117 fighting Flood combat forms.

File:H3 ChiefThrowingFirebomb.png|The Master Chief throwing a Firebomb grenade at a Flood tank form.

File:CortanaIndex-large.jpg|The Master Chief reunites with Cortana.

File:Lithograph.jpg|A lithograph by Todd McFarlane and Greg Capullo, depicting the Chief and the Arbiter.

==List of appearances==

{{Engagements in the Battle of Installation 00}}

[[Category:High Charity]]

[[Category:UNSC victories]]