Editing Skirmish on Infinite Succor

{{Era|HCW}}

|prev=[[Fall of Reach]]

|conc=[[Battle of Installation 04]]

|next=[[Skirmish over Threshold]]

|date=[[2552|September 21, 2552]]

|result=Covenant Pyrrhic victory

|side1=[[Covenant]]  

|side2=[[Flood]]

|commanders2=[[Proto-Gravemind]] †

*1 [[DSC-class support ship]]

 

|casual2=All Flood

{{Quote|What is this?<br>I see you never studied Commander. They are the Flood, one of the many test and obstacles we must pass to activate the holy rings and begin the Great Journey.|[[Rtas 'Vadum|Rtas 'Vadumee]] and the [[Minister of Etiology]]}}

The '''Skirmish on ''Infinite Succor''''' was an engagement of the [[Battle of Installation 04]] aboard the [[Covenant]] [[DSC-class 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.

 

''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''<nowiki>'</nowiki>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 were the attackers.<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''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s commander the [[Minister of Etiology]].<ref>'''Halo Graphic Novel''', ''page 15''</ref>

The special ops team of Elites and Grunts were deployed by the [[Type-52 Phantom|Phantom]] ''[[Glorious Advance]]'' into the ''Succor''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s hangar bay. When searching it, the warriors found a trail of Unggoy and Huragok blood leading to the ''Succor''<nowiki>'</nowiki>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 their radios and the ship's systems were offline. The ship's sole survivor, the Minister of Etiology, then contacted them to say he had disabled the systems so as to not let the Flood access them. Despite the warriors' insistence to let them retake control of the ship, the Minister refused and told them to head to the medical bay so they could confirm 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 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 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 they had spread through most of the ship, the Flood forms were growing more organized, assembling a [[Proto-Gravemind]] and setting up guard in the engineering by, looking for a way to activate the ship's [[slipspace drive]] and so 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 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 of his safety, Rtas, furious over the previous trials the San'Shyuum had sent them through, attacked him and demanding 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 inputted 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>

{{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>}}

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 name="Oracle"/> Knowing of the Flood's power he made quarantine efforts on both ''[[High Charity]]'', [[Installation 05]], and then [[Earth]] at the ruins of [[Voi]].

**''[[The Last Voyage of the Infinite Succor]] {{1st}}

<references/>

[[Category:Covenant Victories|Infinite Succor]]

[[Category:Engagements in the Battle of Installation 04]]