Editing Raid on the Threshold gas mine

{{Era|HCW}}
{{triple battle infobox
|prev = [[Operation: FIRST STRIKE]]
|conc = [[Battle of Earth]]
|next = [[Battle of Installation 05]]
|name = Battle of the Threshold gas mine
|image = [[Image:Gas Mine.jpg|300px]]
|conflict = Isolated battle
|date = Exact date unknown; between [[2552#October|October 20]] and [[2552#November|November 2, 2552]]
|place = Forerunner gas mine, Threshold
|result = Decisive Covenant victory
*All heretic forces annihilated 
*All Flood forms and gas mine destroyed
|side1 = [[Covenant Empire]]
|side2 = [[Heretics|'Refumee's heretics]] and [[Forerunner]] constructs
|side3 = [[The Flood|Flood]]
|commanders1 = *[[Thel 'Vadam]]ee
*[[Rtas 'Vadum]]ee
*[[Tartarus]]
|commanders2 = *[[Sesa 'Refumee]]†
*[[343 Guilty Spark]]
|commanders3 = None (Feral stage)
|forces1 = *Thel 'Vadamee
*[[Rtas 'Vadum]]ee
*[[Special Operations Sangheili|Sangheili Special Operations officers]]
*[[Special Operations Sangheili]] 
*[[Special Operations Unggoy]] 
*[[Unggoy Ultra]]s
*[[Type-52 Troop Carrier|Phantom drophsips]]
|forces2 = *Sesa 'Refumee
*[[Heretic Sangheili]]
*[[Heretic Unggoy]]
*[[Sentinel]]s
*[[Type-26 Ground Support Aircraft|Banshees]]
*One [[Type-31 Exoatmospheric Multi-role Fighter|Seraph fighter]]
*[[Shade]]s
|forces3 = *[[Flood combat form|Combat forms]]
*[[Flood carrier form|Carrier forms]]
*[[Flood infection form|Infection forms]]
|casual1 = Light casualties
|casual2 = *Sesa 'Refumee
*All heretics killed
*All Sentinels destroyed
*343 Guilty Spark captured
|casual3 = All Flood forms killed
}}
{{Quote|Be silent and swift, and we shall quell this heresy without incident.|[[Rtas 'Vadum]]ee}}
The '''Battle of the Threshold gas mine''' was an internal conflict during the [[Ages of Reclamation|Ninth Age of Reclamation]] between the forces of the [[Covenant Empire|Covenant]], under the command of [[Arbiter]] [[Thel 'Vadam]]ee and [[Covenant Special Operations|Special Operations]] [[Special Operations Commander of the Covenant|Commander]] [[Rtas 'Vadum]]ee, and the [[Heretics|heretical movement]] led by [[Sesa 'Refumee]]. It took place on a [[Forerunner]] gas mine over the planet [[Threshold]], near the ruins of [[Halo Array|Halo]] [[Installation 04]]. The Covenant force's objective was to assassinate 'Refumee, whom the [[Hierarchs]] saw as a threat and offense to the Covenant.<ref name="Arbiter">'''Halo 2''', campaign level ''[[The Arbiter]]''</ref><ref name="Oracle">'''Halo 2''', campaign level ''[[The  Oracle]]''</ref>

[[Sentinel]] forces on the installation, under the command of [[343 Guilty Spark]], the [[monitor]] of Halo Installation 04, sided with the heretic forces.

Later in the battle, many [[The Flood|Flood]] specimens that were contained on the gas mine were released, either due to the carelessness of the heretics or to hold the Covenant forces at bay.

==Prelude==
During the [[Battle of Installation 04]], the [[Prophet of Stewardship]] sent an team led by [[Sesa 'Refumee]] and [[Loka 'Bandolee]] to the gas mine to recover [[Forerunner]] artifacts.<ref>'''[[Halo: The Flood]]''' (2010), ''Adjunct''</ref> When the ring was destroyed by [[SPARTAN-II Program|SPARTAN]] [[John-117]], this artifact retrieval team survived aboard the gas mine. Some time later, 343 Guilty Spark, the monitor of Installation 04, arrived at the gas mine. The monitor, whom the Covenant forces regarded as an "Oracle", informed them of the true nature of the Halo array: the rings would not propel the Covenant's faithful along the [[Covenant religion|Great Journey]], but would instead kill all sentient life in [[milky Way|the galaxy]]. This inspired 'Refumee and most, if not all the retrieval team, to refute the Great Journey. They soon began using the installation's technology to broadcast their message and to denounce the [[San 'Shyuum|Prophets]] as liars.<ref name="Arbiter"/><ref name="Oracle"/>

The team fortified their hold of the gas mine, establishing several [[Shade]] turrets on the outside of the mine's various structures, as well as patrolling the premises with [[Type-26 Ground Support Aircraft|Banshees]]. In defiance to the Covenant, they dressed in armor reminiscent of that traditionally worn by the [[Sangheili]] on their [[Sanghelios|homeworld]]. 343 Guilty Spark reinforced these defenses with the gas mine's [[Sentinel]]s.

The [[Hierarchs]] [[Prophet of Truth|Truth]] and [[Prophet of Mercy|Mercy]] viewed these separatists as a threat to the Covenant and an offense to their religion, thus declaring them "heretics". Against the wishes of the [[High Council]], Truth promoted [[Thel 'Vadam]]ee, the disgraced former [[Supreme Commander]] of the ''[[Fleet of Particular Justice]]'' to the rank of [[Arbiter]]. The Hierarchs then sent 'Vadamee and a [[Covenant Special Operations|Special Operations]] led by [[Special Operations Commander of the Covenant|Special Operations Commander]] [[Rtas 'Vadum]]ee team to destroy the heretics.<ref name="Arbiter"/>

==The battle==
With a heavy storm on [[Threshold]] masking their approach, the team silently entered the structure with the element of surprise, encountering only minor resistance from the heretic soldiers. After battling their way to the hangar bay, they discovered that the mine's [[Sentinel]]s were allied with the heretics. After clearing the landing bay and eliminating the heretic reinforcements, Rtas 'Vadumee sent in a second [[lance]] of Covenant troops. With their forces bolstered, the Arbiter and the Special Operations team ventured farther into the facility.<ref name="Arbiter"/>

Later, after encountering heavy resistance, the Arbiter was forced to proceed by Banshee. With assistance from a [[Type-52 Troop Carrier|Phantom dropship]], 'Vadamee cleared the outside of the facility of enemy soldiers and Banshees. After landing, the Arbiter and another squad of Special Operations Sangheili, including Rtas 'Vadumee, moved inside and pushed toward the center of the facility.<ref name="Arbiter"/><ref name="Oracle"/>

When they entered the structure, the Covenant team encountered numerous [[The Flood|Flood]] forms. After fighting through both the Flood and the gas mine's Sentinels, the Arbiter encountered the leader of the heretics, Sesa 'Refumee. However, 'Refumee escaped by activating a [[hard light]] shield over a blast door leading to the heart of the facility. 'Vadamee decided to cut the cable that connected the gas mine to a larger installation above, which was designed to be severed in the event of a Flood outbreak; this prompted the rest of the Covenant forces to depart. Eventually, the Arbiter successfully cut the cables, causing the station to fall out of orbit over Threshold. The Arbiter then chased 'Refumee to his Banshee and followed him to a hangar bay where 'Refumee planned to escape aboard a [[Type-31 Exoatmospheric Multi-role Fighter|Seraph fighter]]. The Arbiter urged 'Refumee to surrender, though the latter refused; the leader of the heretics insisted that the Sangheili were oblivious to the machinations of the Prophets. The two then fought, with 'Vadamee emerging victorious.<ref name="Oracle"/>

==Outcome==
After 'Refumee's death, 343 Guilty Spark was captured by [[Tartarus]], the [[Chieftain of the Jiralhanae|Chieftain of the]] [[Jiralhanae]] and was taken before the [[High Council]]. Any surviving heretics and Flood forms were certainly killed when the station fell deeper into Threshold's atmosphere after the Arbiter cut the main cable. However, it is likely that some heretics survived in a makeshift compound on Threshold's moon, [[Basis]].<ref>'''Halo 2''', level ''[[Burial Mounds]]''</ref> Other heretics may have remained elsewhere in the galaxy, although without 'Refumee, their influence is probably negligible. It is possible they joined the [[Covenant Separatists]] when the [[Great Schism]] began and the Covenant was fragmented.

==List of appearances==
*''[[Halo 2]]'' {{1st}}

==Sources==
<references/>
[[Category:Battle|Gas Mine]]
[[Category:Covenant Victories]]