Staithe
From Halopedia, the Halo wiki
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"A few kilometers in every direction"[1] |
Staithe is a township on Venezia, and one of the satellite towns located near the city of New Tyne. The town was notably host to High Lord Dovo Nesto, of the Order of Restoration, throughout the post-Covenant War period until his forced relocation in November 2559.
Overview[edit]
Staithe is a relatively small settlement, dominated by the hulking silhouette of a landed and drydocked UNSC frigate. The frigate is the most notable feature of the town's skyline alongside a number of Cheru-pattern Tyrant anti-aerospace guns. Surrounding the central frigate are a collection of scattered buildings which stretch for "a few" kilometers in every direction, arranged in a discordant manner and constructed such that the town reminded Severan more of a scrapheap than an organised settlement. Large cables attach the frigate to the buildings surrounding it for either sending power either to or from the ship to the surroundings. The buildings in the town include warehouses, shops, and private residences.[1]
At the town's edge are a number of docking platforms for spacecraft, which are capable of hosting ships of both human and Covenant origin.[1]
The docked frigate at the centre of the township served as the base of operations for High Lord Dovo Nesto from c.2557 to November 2559. The frigate can be accessed in a small and relatively unassuming stone hovel at the base of the hill at the town's centre. The hill is lined with various buildings that range up to three or four storeys tall; these all form a complex dug into the hill that eventually leads up into the frigate itself, allowing the base's owner significant protection from attack. The interior of the frigate contained Honor Guardsmen, while the exterior had T'vaoan sentries that appeared more akin to common mercenaries.[1]
History[edit]
After the Human-Covenant War concluded, Staithe's population grew in size, though was still relatively small compared to New Tyne by 2559. The town become home to Dovo Nesto and his operations after his retreat from Feldokra c.2557.[1]
On November 21, 2559, Staithe hosted the warlord Sali 'Nyon, who was working for Nesto. The same day, the town was visited by both War Chief Severan of the Banished and a combined United Nations Space Command-Swords of Sanghelios strike team; both parties were interested in finding Nesto, Severan so that he could consult with him and the allied forces so that they could capture the High Lord. As such, the two came into an inevitable confrontation which resulted in Severan and his forces extracting Nesto via a Trespasser dropship. While the trespasser was followed by the allies' own dropships, they were unable to prevent Nesto from escaping into space, resulting in a clash between a Banished fleet of seven warships taking on UNSC Victory of Samothrace and Shadow of Intent. While Victory and Shadow inflicted heavy losses on the Banished ships, Nesto-allied forces on Staithe lifted from the ground to join the battle and harass the allied warships - these ultimately contributed to the allies' decision to evacuate the battlefield.[2]
Government and society[edit]
Staithe has a multi-species population consisting of individuals from both the human and Covenant spheres; its docking platforms host spacecraft of human, Covenant, Kig-Yar, Sangheili, and Banished origin. To keep the peace in such a potentially volatile environment, the town has regular security checkpoints dotting its streets. To land at Staithe, a ship must submit to a security evaluation and provide appropriate docking codes - for air defence the town is protected by numerous Covenant Cheru-pattern Tyrant anti-aerospace guns. These defences gave Severan the impression of the town being more akin to a military fortress than a settlement.[1]
The peace kept in Staithe is for a number of reasons: many of the residents of the town are criminals or war criminals, and all parties present wish to maintain a low profile as to avoid attracting attention from the United Nations Space Command or the Created. Severan also noted in his brief visit to Staithe that the township had a constant air of tension, and that one wrong move could bring a bloodbath immediately - this fact makes the town's visitors careful as to avoid attracting tension. Despite the security checkpoints, most visitors to Staithe carry firearms of some kind: Jiralhanae carrying Manglers or shock rifles is a common sight.[1]
However, in addition to the above factors, for around two years in the postwar era Staithe was dominated by High Lord Dovo Nesto, leader of the Order of Restoration. Nesto retreated to Staithe after being forced to abandon his fortress on Feldokra and took up residence in the ship at the heart of the settlement, citing the world's unlikely condition as to why it was an ideal hideout for him.[1] Whether Nesto directly or indirectly ruled Staithe is unknown, though he employed dozens of guards throughout the settlement both inside and outside of his base; were his base to be attacked, guards outside the frigate could intentionally push attackers inside the ship as to let them be ambushed from within.[3]
List of appearances[edit]
- Halo: Empty Throne (First appearance)
