Editing Skirmish on Infinite Succor

{{Title|Skirmish on ''Infinite Succor''}}
{{Status|Canon}}
{{Battle infobox
|prev=[[Assault on the Control Room (conflict)|Assault on the Control Room]]
|conc=
|next=[[Raid on the Library]]
|name=Skirmish on ''Infinite Succor''
|image=[[File:InfectedKusovai.jpg|300px]]
|conflict=[[Human-Covenant War]]
*[[Battle of Installation 04]]
|date=[[2552#September|September 21, 2552]]
|place=[[Infinite Succor]], over [[Installation 04]]
|result='''Covenant Pyrrhic victory'''
*Flood outbreak successfully contained 
*''[[Infinite Succor]]'' destroyed
*Most of the Covenant force lost
|side1=*[[Covenant]] 
|side2=*[[Flood]]
|side3=
|side4=
|commanders1=*[[Supreme Commander]] [[Thel 'Vadam]]ee
*[[Special Operations Commander]] [[Rtas 'Vadum]]ee
*[[Bero 'Kusovai|Sub-Commander Bero 'Kusovai]] †
*[[Minister of Etiology]] †
|commanders2=*[[Proto-Gravemind]] †
|commanders3=
|commanders4=
|forces1=*Multiple [[Special Operations Sangheili]]
*Multiple [[Special Operations Unggoy]]
*Unknown number of [[Huragok]]
|forces2= *[[Flood combat form]]s
*[[Pod infector]]s
*1 {{Pattern|Mjern|agricultural support ship}}
**''[[Infinite Succor]]''
|forces3=
|forces4=
|casual1=*All Unggoy
*All Sangheili except for Rtas 'Vadumee
**[[Bero 'Kusovai]]
*All Huragok
*[[Minister of Etiology]]
|casual2=*Total
|casual3=
|casual4=
}}
{{Quote|What is happening, Legate? What are these creatures?"<br>"I see you never studied, Commander. They are the Flood, one of the many tests and obstacles we must pass to activate the holy rings and begin the Great Journey.|[[Rtas 'Vadum]]ee and the [[Minister of Etiology]]}}
The '''Skirmish on ''Infinite Succor''''' was an engagement of the [[Battle of Installation 04]] aboard the [[Covenant]] {{Pattern|Mjern|agricultural support ship}} ''[[Infinite Succor]]'' on [[2552#September|September 21, 2552]]. After being overrun by a [[Flood]] infestation which came from within [[Installation 04]], the ''Infinite Succor'' was boarded by a ill-fated [[Covenant Special Operations|Special Operations]] team in order to discover the source of the ''Succor's'' emergency beacon activation.

==Prelude==
{{Quote|Help! ''Infinite Succor'' has been boarded! They've got human weapons, but they're not-|Distress message sent by an Unggoy crewmember}}
''Infinite Succor'' was one of many supply ships of the [[Fleet of Particular Justice]], providing food for its crews during their battles at Alpha Halo. Shortly after the Flood broke loose inside one of the ring's [[Flood containment facility|Flood containment facilities]], the [[Type-25 Spirit|Spirit]] dropship ''[[Brilliant Gift]]'' escaped and flew into orbit with numerous Flood-infected aboard. The dropship crashed into the ''Succor's'' hangar and spread throughout the ship, killing and infecting the crew and livestock aboard.<ref>'''Halo Graphic Novel''', ''page 7-9''</ref> Though containment protocols activated to keep the boarders in the hangar, they only kept the crew stuck inside until the Flood killed them and then overpowered the security doors. A distress signal managed to be sent just before the crew was overwhelmed, but it had no solid information on who the attackers were.<ref>'''Halo Graphic Novel''', ''page 10-11''</ref> Suspecting that [[John-117|"the Demon"]] might be aboard, Supreme Commander [[Thel 'Vadam]]ee commissioned a Sangheili and Unggoy special operations unit, led [[Rtas 'Vadum]]ee, to reclaim the ship, kill its boarders, and rescue any survivors. They were given command codes and a map of the ship, codes that would allow access to all areas unless overriden by the ''Succor's'' commander, the [[Minister of Etiology]].<ref>'''Halo Graphic Novel''', ''page 15''</ref>

==The mission==
The special ops team of Elites and Grunts were deployed by the [[Kez'katu-pattern Phantom|Phantom]] ''[[Glorious Advance]]'' into the ''Succor's'' hangar bay. When searching it, the warriors found a trail of Unggoy and Huragok blood leading to the ''Succor's'' hunting preserve. The team followed the trail in hopes of finding the ship's attackers. When scans of the preserve indicated an approaching lifeform, the team split in two, one squad with Elites and the Grunts to flank, the other to draw the attacker's attention from the front.<ref>'''Halo Graphic Novel''', ''page 19''</ref> At that moment, many Flood-infected creatures swarmed the Covenant warriors, killing some of the Grunts and an Elite while the others fended them off with energy swords. When the hordes grew too great, the warriors retreated as fast as they could to the command bridge, locking the door with their command codes.

Inside the bridge, commander 'Vadumee ordered the ''Succor's'' [[self-destruct]] initiated, along with a radio warning to the fleet to destroy the ship themselves if necessary. However, the warriors found that both the radios and the ship's self-destruct were offline. The ship's sole survivor, the Minister of Etiology, then contacted them to say that he had disabled the ''Infinite Succor's'' primary systems so as to not let the Flood access them. Despite the warriors' insistence to let them set the self-destruct, the Minister refused as it risked the Flood taking control of the other systems if they were infected and ordered them to head to the medical bay so that they could confirm that they were not infected.<ref>'''Halo Graphic Novel''', ''page 29''</ref> The Flood broke through the bridge's door controls immediately then, with Rtas and his warriors battling through them out of the bridge. The Elites went first while the Unggoy held back to provide covering fire and to destroy the bridge so that the Flood could not make use of it.<ref>'''Halo Graphic Novel''', ''page 31''</ref>

Fleeing to the medical bay through the Blue Deck, Rtas had his men go first while he created a trap with a [[plasma turret]]. Overloading its charge to dangerous levels, he drew the Flood's attention and then evacuated the room just before the turret's battery exploded, creating a hull breach and killing any other Flood pursuing them.<ref>'''Halo Graphic Novel''', ''page 34''</ref> The warriors then regrouped and rearmed themselves with weapons from a nearby locker, though the battery's explosion had shorted out some of their communication equipment, meaning they would have to contact their pickup dropship visually. At the medical bay, the warriors scanned themselves and demonstrated to the Minister that they were not infected. They then went down via grav lift to the next floor, where the Minister awaited them in the hydroponics deck.<ref>'''Halo Graphic Novel''', ''page 36''</ref>

Inside, the Minister explained to them about the Flood and of its evolving nature. Now that they had spread throughout most of the ship, the Flood forms were growing more organized, assembling a [[Proto-Gravemind]] and setting up guard in the engineering bay, looking for a way to activate the ship's [[slipspace drive]] in order to spread to other planets.<ref>'''Halo Graphic Novel''', ''page 38-39''</ref> The Minister and 'Vadumee then conferred as to what their plan for destroying the Flood and escaping should be. Depressurizing the ship's deck into vacuum was out of the question, because there were no vacuum suits aboard and the Minister had limited pressurization control. The Minister claimed they should evacuate immediately and have the fleet destroy the ''Succor'' with their weapons, but 'Vadumee retorted that it would take nearly half an hour for them to escape then open fire, giving the Flood plenty of time to take control of the slipspace engine. Instead he ordered Sub-Commander 'Kusovai to take three Elites and the remaining Unggoy with the Minister while Rtas and the other four Elites took control of the slipspace engine and plotted a course into [[Soell system|the local sun]]. 'Kusovai's unit would then contact the Phantom with plasma grenades as flares and leave if Rtas' group did not return within five minutes. When the Minister protested out of concern for his safety, Rtas, furious over the previous trials the San'Shyuum had sent them through, attacked him, demanding that he leave and give him his command codes.<ref>'''Halo Graphic Novel''', ''page 40-41''</ref>

The party then split and left the hydroponics deck to their assorted tasks. Going into Engineering, Rtas' unit blasted their way through the guarded hallway with plasma grenades, then using their swords to avoid damaging the local systems with their weapons.<ref>'''Halo Graphic Novel''', ''page 43''</ref> But in reaching the engineering control center, most of Rtas' warriors were killed, as were Kusovai's unit as well.<ref>'''Halo Graphic Novel''', ''page 49''</ref> While 'Vadumee input coordinates for the ''Succor'', he was attacked by the infected corpse of 'Kusovai. The two Sangheili dueled with energy swords, Rtas eventually killing him at the cost of his left mandibles.<ref>'''Halo Graphic Novel''', ''page 53''</ref> With ''Succor's'' destruction assured, Rtas left engineering and returned to the fleet via Phantom.<ref>'''Halo Graphic Novel''', ''page 54''</ref>

==Aftermath==
{{Quote|That stench...I've smelled it before.|Rtas 'Vadumee during the [[Raid on the Threshold gas mine]].<ref name="Oracle">'''Halo 2''', campaign level ''[[The Oracle]]''</ref>}}

Two minutes after 'Vadumee's evacuation, ''Infinite Succor'' flew into Soell and killed every Flood onboard.

Rtas' encounter with the Flood, as well as the loss of 'Kusovai and his mandibles deeply affected Rtas. As one of the few survivors of the [[Battle of Installation 04]] who had battled the Flood, 'Vadumee knew of the Flood's capabilities and extremely dangerous nature, and for this was prepared for his next encounter with the parasite in the [[Threshold gas mine]].{{Ref/Reuse|Oracle}} Knowing of the Flood's power, he made quarantine efforts on both ''[[High Charity]]'' and [[Installation 05]], and then [[Earth]] at the ruins of [[Voi]].

==List of appearances==
*''[[Halo 2]]'' {{Im}}
*''[[Halo Graphic Novel]]''
**''[[The Last Voyage of the Infinite Succor]]'' {{1st}}
*''[[Halo: Shadow of Intent]]'' {{Im}}

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

{{Engagements in the Battle of Installation 04}}
[[Category:Engagements in the Battle of Installation 04|Infinite Succor]]
[[Category:Covenant victories|Infinite Succor]]