Editing UNSC Pillar of Autumn

{{Era|UNSC|HCW|FA}}
{{Title|UNSC ''Pillar of Autumn''}}
<center>'''''Pillar of Autumn''' redirects here. For more articles of the same name, see [[The Pillar of Autumn|Pillar of Autumn (disambiguation)]].''</center>
{{Individual Ship Infobox
|name={{UNSCShip|Pillar of Autumn}}
|image=[[File:PoA Reach.jpg|400px]]
|manufacturer=[[Reyes-McLees Shipyards]]
|model={{Class|Halcyon|light cruiser}}
|role=Warship
|engine=*[[Fusion drive]]s
**'''Pre-refit''': [[Fusion drive#Mark II Hanley-Messer DFR|Mark II Hanley-Messer DFR]] (3)<ref name= "data drop">[http://halo.xbox.com/Content/assets/en-us/ONI/577839090903298928/DDR-A340024-1115-08-27-52.pdf '''Halo Waypoint''': ''Data Drop 5'']</ref>
**'''Post-refit''': Experimental reactor set (1 primary, 2 secondary)<ref name="for274">'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''page 274''</ref><ref group="note">On page 274 of ''Halo: The Fall of Reach'', it is stated that ''Pillar of Autumn''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s refit power plant consists of a single main reactor linked to two secondary ones; this arrangement is referenced again later on when Cortana gives a damage assessment of the ship to Captain Keyes. However, in ''Halo: Combat Evolved'', it is implied that each of the four exhaust manifolds is linked to an individual fusion reactor, each of which is destroyed by John-117 in the [[The Maw|final level]]. This page follows the information given in ''Halo: The Fall of Reach'', as the novel describes the reactor system in more detail.</ref>
*[[R7 thrust coupling‎]]s (8)
|slipspace drive=[[Shaw-Fujikawa Translight Engine#CODEN series|Series V CODEN/SFTE]]<ref name= "data drop"/>
|hull=[[Titanium-A armor|Titanium-A battleplate]] <small>(2 meters thick)</small>
|length= {{Convert|1171|m|ft|sp=us}}<ref name= "data drop"/>
|width= {{Convert|352|m|ft|sp=us}}<ref name= "data drop"/>
|height= {{Convert|398|m|ft|sp=us}}<ref name="Warfleet">Halo: Warfleet, pg. 25</ref>
|armament=
*1 [[Magnetic Accelerator Cannon#Specialized and modified versions|Mark II, Light Coil - 56A2D4/MAC]]<ref name="waypointarticle">[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/universe/vehicles/pillar-of-autumn '''Halo Waypoint''': ''Pillar of Autumn'']</ref>
*4 [[Shiva-class nuclear missile]]s mounting 30 megaton [[HAVOK tactical nuclear weapon|HAVOK warhead]]s
*32 [[Archer missile#M58 Archer|M58 Archer missile pods]]<ref name="Warfleet"/>
*18 [[M910 Rampart point defense network|M910 Rampart point defense guns]]<ref name= "Warfleet></ref>
*8 [[Mark 33 Spitfire naval coil gun batteries]]<ref name="Warfleet"></ref>
*6 [[M66 Sentry autocannon]] turrets<ref name="Warfleet"></ref>
|complement-title=Complement and crew
|complement=
*5 [[GA-TL1 Longsword]] fighters<ref name="Warfleet"></ref> 
*12 [[D77-TC Pelican]]s<ref name="Warfleet"></ref>
*2 [[D96-TCE Albatross]]<ref name="Warfleet"></ref>
*20 [[M808B Scorpion]]s<ref name="Warfleet"></ref>
*60 [[M12 Warthog]]s<ref name="Warfleet"></ref>
*9+ [[M145D Rhino]]s <small>(previously)</small> 
*18+ [[Class-3 Bumblebee]]s
*216 [[Single Occupant Exoatmospheric Insertion Vehicle|M8823 SOEIV]] drop pods<ref name="Warfleet"></ref>
*1000 Naval personnel<ref name="Warfleet"></ref>
*800 Marines<ref name="Warfleet"></ref>
**400 ODSTs<ref name="Warfleet"></ref>
*[[79th Infantry Battalion]]
*Army personnel (unknown complement)<ref>'''Halo: Reach''', campaign level ''The Pillar of Autumn''</ref>
|firstuse-title=First sighted
|firstuse=[[Battle for Arcadia]] (February 2531)<ref name="first sighted">'''Halo Wars''', campaign level ''[[Arcadia City]]''</ref>
|commission-title=Launch
|commission= December 1, 2510 <ref name= "data drop"/> 
|lastsight= [[2552#September|September 22, 2552]]
|destroyed= [[Battle of Installation 04]] (2552) 
|battles=
;[[Human-Covenant War]]
*[[Battle for Arcadia]]
*[[Fall of Reach]]
*[[Battle of Installation 04]]
|fleet=
|namedcrew=See ''[[#Crew|Crew]]''
|captains-title=Known captains
|captains=[[UNSC rank structure#Officer ranks|Captain]] [[Jacob Keyes]]
|affiliation=[[UNSC Navy]]
}}

{{Quote|multi=more|q1=There was only one ship.|[[Thel 'Vadam]]ee|q2=One? Are you sure?|[[Prophet of Truth]]|q3=Yes. They called it the ''Pillar of Autumn''.|Thel 'Vadamee|Conversation between 'Vadamee and the High Prophet of Truth.<ref name="Heretic">'''[[Halo 2]]''', campaign level ''[[The Heretic]]''</ref>}}

'''UNSC ''Pillar of Autumn''''', ([[hull classification symbol]] '''C-709'''),<ref name="HCESGuide">'''[[Halo: Combat Evolved: Sybex Official Strategies & Secrets]]''', ''page 60''</ref><ref>[http://www.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?type=topnews&link=BWU_012910 '''Bungie.net''': ''Bungie Weekly Update 01.29.10'']</ref> was a {{Class|Halcyon|light cruiser}} in the [[UNSC Navy]]. It was informally referred to as the ''Autumn'', and, in some cases, the ''Pillar''.<ref>'''Halo: The Flood''', ''page 13''</ref><ref>'''Halo: Reach''', campaign level ''[[The Pillar of Autumn (Halo: Reach level)|The Pillar of Autumn]]'' (objective description)</ref><ref>'''Halo: First Strike''', ''page 103''</ref> It was the sister ship of {{UNSCShip|Dawn Under Heaven}}<ref name="interview">[http://www.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?type=topnews&cid=6 '''Bungie.net''': ''Jason Jones Interviewed By You'' (12/18/2001)]</ref> and {{UNSCShip|Toulouse}}.<ref name="canon fodder">[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/news/rockin-railin '''Halo Waypoint''': ''Halo Community Update - Rockin' & Railin<nowiki>'</nowiki>'']</ref>

Prior to the [[Fall of Reach]] ''Pillar of Autumn'' was selected to support [[Operation: RED FLAG]], a [[SPARTAN-II program|SPARTAN-II]] mission to capture [[Covenant]] [[Hierarchs|leaders]]. [[UNSC rank structure#Officer ranks|Captain]] [[Jacob Keyes]] was placed in command. The operation was forestalled by the Covenant assault on Reach; the cruiser carried some of the few UNSC survivors and fled the system having lost most of its intended SPARTAN-II passengers.

The cruiser was guided to the [[Soell system]] by the [[smart AI]] [[Cortana]]. There it was engaged by a Covenant fleet guarding [[Installation 04]]. Keyes crash-landed the ship on the installation where the surviving crew continued the battle against the Covenant, and later, the [[Flood]]. The ship's sole remaining combat-effective SPARTAN-II, [[John-117]], was forced to destabilize the ''Autumn''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s fusion reactor, destroying both the ship and the ringworld, to prevent the Installation from being fired. 

==History==
===Human-Covenant War===
UNSC ''Pillar of Autumn'' was constructed at the [[Reyes-McLees Shipyards]] on [[Mars]]. The ship began construction in [[2507]],<ref>'''[[Halo Mythos]]''', ''page 95''</ref>, was completed in [[2509]], and was launched on [[2510|December 1, 2510]].<ref name= "data drop"/>

During the [[Battle for Arcadia]] in [[2531|February 2531]], ''Pillar of Autumn'' engaged two {{class|CCS|battlecruiser}}s alongside {{UNSCShip|Belfast}}, {{UNSCShip|Texas}} and {{UNSCShip|Armstrong}}. Along with the other three ships, ''Pillar of Autumn'' destroyed the battlecruiser designated ''[[CCS-U321]]'' after catching it with its shields down, but the battlecruiser designated ''[[CCS-U624]]'' was able to make it to the surface of [[Arcadia]]. In the battle between the UNSC and Covenant forces, ''Pillar of Autumn'' was badly damaged along with ''Armstrong'' while ''Texas'' and ''Belfast'' were destroyed. Upon the arrival of the {{UNSCShip|Spirit of Fire}}, the [[smart AI]] [[Serina]] reported on these events to Captain [[James Cutter]].<ref name="first sighted"/> Later in the battle, at the request of ''Spirit of Fire'', ''Pillar of Autumn'' contributed several [[M145D Rhino]]s to the ground battle, enabling ''Spirit of Fire's'' forces to take down a Covenant energy shield.<ref name="H:W_DomeOfLight">'''Halo Wars''', level ''[[Dome of Light]]''</ref>

The cruiser was decommissioned with the remaining {{class|Halcyon|light cruiser}}s, but was reactivated as the war worsened. ''Pillar of Autumn'' was  pulled from long-term storage and was refitted in [[2550]] to serve as an emergency support ship in a conflict near [[Zeta Doradus]].<ref name="for238">'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', page 238</ref><ref name="HCESGuide"/>

===A chariot for Spartans===
By [[2552]], it was obvious to the UNSC that the war could not be ended with conventional military action. A desperate plan, known as [[Operation: RED FLAG]] was conceived to end the war by capturing Covenant leaders and forcing the enemy to the negotiating table. [[Reach|A colony world]] would be sacrificed to the Covenant to allow SPARTAN-II commandos to board and disable a Covenant ship, locate the Covenant [[High Charity|homeworld]], and abduct the targets. ''Pillar of Autumn'' was selected on August 25 by the AI Cortana to disable an enemy ship and deliver the Spartans aboard; the ship was selected for the ''Halcyon''-class's durability, despite its class's usual lack-luster offensive capabilities.<ref>'''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]''', page 238 (''"...At the time, deemed unnecessarily over massed and costly due to series of cross-bracing and interstitial honeycombs... Halcyon-class ships, however, have a reputation for being virtually indestructible. Reports indicate these ships being operational even after sustaining breaches to all compartments and losing ninety percent of their armor."'')</ref> Command of the ship was given to [[Jacob Keyes|Captain Jacob Keyes]].

The cruiser received another refit designed by Senior Engineer Adam Crokett for the new mission, including a state-of-the-art fusion power plant and improved weaponry.<ref name="for238"/> Furthermore the command bridge was upgraded with a Tier III datacore to house Cortana and the drop pod bays were significantly expanded.<ref name="Warfleet"></ref> After the refit, Cortana was transferred to handle the shakedown.

===Fall of Reach===
{{main|Fall of Reach}}
[[File:HM-PoA-escape.jpg|300px|right|thumb|''Pillar of Autumn'' pushes through the Covenant blockade and escapes Reach.]]
''Pillar of Autumn'' was prepared to deploy on August 30. However, before it could depart the [[Epsilon Eridani system]] it was recalled to Reach; the UNSC fleet was mustering in preparation for an imminent Covenant attack on the planet. However, Cortana remained in control as the ship's normally assigned AI was not yet operational.

It was hoped an opportunity to capture an enemy ship would present itself, however the course of the battle forced the Spartans to deploy on other missions. [[Blue Team]] went to Reach's [[Gamma Station]] to enforce the [[United Nations Space Command Emergency Priority Order 098831A-1|Cole Protocol]], while [[Red Team]] went planetside to reinforce the [[orbital defense generator]]s. While the cruiser performed well, the battle was lost as the [[orbital defense platform]]s fell silent. There was only time to recover the remnants of Blue Team (John-117 and the clinically dead [[Linda-058]]) and a Marine fireteam led by [[Avery Johnson]] that was also onboard Gamma Station, before the ship was forced to flee the system.

During the battle over Reach, ''Pillar of Autumn'' attacked and destroyed a [[Unidentified Covenant warship|Covenant "sniper ship"]] in single combat. This prototype vessel was responsible for the destruction of many powerful UNSC warships. The unlikely victory of the ''Autumn'', for a brief moment, left her as one of the most successful and resilient ships in the Navy. However, the ship was heavily damaged in the fight and its main reactor was rendered inoperable.

At some point during the conflict, ''Pillar of Autumn'' returned to drydock at the Aszod ship-breaking facility to rescue any survivors on the planet and retrieve [[Cortana|a package]]. Shortly before the ship fled the system, the remnants of [[NOBLE Team]] were tasked with delivering a fragment of Cortana's data chip to the ''Autumn''. The ship left drydock immediately afterward. It was nearly destroyed by [[CCS-class battlecruiser at Asźod|a Covenant battlecruiser]] before it could take off, but the Covenant ship was destroyed by [[SPARTAN-B312]] with an [[Mark 2488 Magnetic Accelerator Cannon|Onager mass driver]].

[[File:H2A - Autumn.jpg|300px|left|thumb|''Pillar of Autumn'' prior to making a slipspace jump.]]
''Pillar of Autumn'' was supposed to have made a random [[Slipstream space|Slipspace]] jump in accordance with the Cole Protocol. However, Cortana surreptitiously guided the ship to the [[Soell]] system and, ultimately, to [[Installation 04]] instead. The AI used coordinates obtained from two [[Forerunner]] artifacts: [[Sigma Octanus IV artifact|one]] on [[Sigma Octanus IV]],<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', Epilogue, page 336</ref> and [[Babd Catha Forerunner complex|one]] underneath [[Reach]]. The Covenant pursued along the cruiser's exit vector and arrived at Soell first with a battle group of {{Class|CCS|battlecruiser}}s.

{{clear}}

===Battle of Installation 04===
[[File:Autumn_Arrival.png|right|250px|thumb|''Pillar of Autumn'' approaches Halo [[Installation 04]].]]
{{main|Battle of Installation 04}}
''Pillar of Autumn'' was almost immediately engaged upon arriving at Threshold. The [[Prophet of Stewardship]], who feared stray [[plasma turret|plasma torpedo]] fire might damage the holy artifact, ordered the boarding and capture of the cruiser. Fleet Master [[Thel 'Vadamee]] ignored this order and returned fire aggressively. Even so, the ''Autumn'' was able to destroy four ships and damage ''[[Truth and Reconciliation]]'' before boarders disabled its [[Magnetic Accelerator Cannon]] with an [[antimatter charge]].

Captain Keyes ordered the crew to abandon ship. John-117 was given Cortana for safekeeping, and ordered to keep the AI out of enemy hands. The crew left the ship for the ring in whatever craft were available and the [[cryo-chamber|cryo pods]] were jettisoned. Keyes directed ''Pillar of Autumn'' on a course to crash land on the ring. The Covenant finally began hitting the ship with plasma torpedoes, but the cruiser survived the landing reasonably intact, though damaged beyond repair. The survivors transferred supplies from the ship to [[Alpha Base (Installation 04)|Alpha Base]].

[[File:AutumnMawCEA.jpg|thumb|left|250px|The ''Autumn''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s final resting place, shortly before its destruction.]] 

The release of the Flood added an unexpected dimension to the battle. [[Monitor]] [[343 Guilty Spark]] was preparing to fire the Installation in response to the outbreak; in conjunction with the entire [[Halo Array]] this would wipe out all sentient life in the galaxy. John-117 and Cortana returned to ''Pillar of Autumn'' to destroy the ring by detonating the still-functioning fusion reactors. An attempt to activate the cruiser's self-destruct from the bridge failed due to 343 Guilty Spark's interference. The Spartan was forced to manually destabilize the reactors with tactical ordnance.

John-117 and Cortana escaped the subsequent detonation and the ring aboard a [[GA-TL1 Longsword|Longsword fighter]] still docked in [[Launch Bay 7]]. ''Pillar of Autumn'' exploded moments after their escape, blowing up a segment of the ring causing the entire Halo to fall apart; ultimately destroying Installation 04.
{{Clear}}

===Legacy===
[[File:H2A-AlphaHaloDestruction.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Installation 04 breaks apart as a result of the ''Autumn''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s detonation.]]
The {{Class|Autumn|heavy cruiser}}, which entered service as the replacement for the {{Class|Marathon|heavy cruiser|}} after the Covenant War, was partially designed after the refitted ''Pillar of Autumn''. Due to the instrumental role the ''Autumn'' played in the war, the lead ship of the new class was named {{UNSCShip|Pillar of Autumn II}} in honor of the original.<ref name="VIS">'''[[Halo 4: The Essential Visual Guide]]''', ''page 191''</ref>

[[Alpha Shard|A segment of the ring]] that was blown off from the destruction of the ''Autumn'' became the location of an [[Office of Naval Intelligence|ONI]] investigation 6 years later. ONI forces [[Mission to Alpha Shard|engaged]] [[Thanolekgolo]] on the remnants of the ring.
{{Clear}}

==Specifications==
''Pillar of Autumn'' was roughly 43 years old at the time of its escape from Reach and later destruction on Installation 04. It was a cruiser of the ''Halcyon''-class, the smallest cruisers in the UNSC Fleet.<ref name="page238">'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', page 238, (''"The Pillar of Autumn is forty-three years old," Cortana said. "''Halcyon''-class ships were the smallest vessel ever to receive the cruiser designation. It is approximately one-third the tonnage of the ''[[Marathon-class heavy cruiser|Marathon''-class]] cruiser currently in service."''</ref> 

The internal superstructure of ''Pillar of Autumn'' was designed by [[Robert_McLees_(ship_designer)|Doctor Robert McLees]], though it was deemed unnecessarily over-massed and costly due to a series of cross-bracings and interstitial honeycombs. This led to the design being dropped from future models of ''Halcyon''-class ships. ''Pillar of Autumn'' and 10 others out of 50 were built with this type of superstructure. The internal bracing structure allowed the ship to function even after sustaining critical levels of damage.<ref name="HCESGuide"/> Furthermore the ship was fitted with an intraship transit system, which consisted of a network of lifts, stairs and mag-rail platforms. This allowed personnel to quickly travel through the ship. <ref name="Warfleet"></ref>

===Power plant===
[[File:POA_Panorama.jpg|right|thumb|250px|The refitted ''Pillar of Autumn''.]]
Prior to being refit for the Spartan mission, ''Pillar of Autumn'' was equipped with Mark II Hanley-Messer deuterium [[Fusion drive|fusion engines]], which supplied only 10% the power of the standard [[2552]] UNSC Navy reactor. ''Pillar of Autumn'' was refitted with a set of improved nuclear fusion engines that featured two smaller reactors around a larger one, which were capable of boosting the overall power output by 300% for a short time if needed.<ref name="for274"/>

Fusion reactors generate extreme heat which must be removed in order for them to remain active without overheating. The Autumn's overhauled reactors were an especially severe case of this. Usually, the excess heat was conducted to a chemical agent which would then vent into space. However, the ''Autumn''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s upgraded specifications also included an upgraded cooling system, which featured a "laser-induced optical slurry of ions chilled to near-absolute zero", which was far more efficient than the typical method and removed the reliance on expendable chemical temperature-control substances. In essence, the amount of excess heat removed by the new system increased as the reactors' output did. This self-regulating and self-cooling power plant was critical in combat since it virtually eliminated a commander's concerns about overheating and slagging a ship's engines.<ref name="for274"/>

''Pillar of Autumn''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s reactors were able to be [[Fusion_drive#Use_as_improvised_weapons|overloaded by explosives]], either grenades or rockets, destroying the vulnerable vent cores. Once these were destroyed, the reactors began to go critical, resulting in temperatures of over 100,000,000 degrees and a thermonuclear explosion large enough to tear apart a Halo installation.<ref>'''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]''', level ''[[The Maw (Level)|The Maw]]''</ref>

===Armament===
Prior to being refit for the Spartan mission, ''Pillar of Autumn'' had just one regular MAC gun and six Archer missile pods.<ref name="page238"/> The upgraded ''Pillar of Autumn'' received extensive refits, including several to its weapons systems. Eventually, it was host to a very powerful armament; far in excess of the original ''Halcyon''-class ships. 

*With extra power capacitors and power recycling systems, ''Pillar of Autumn's'' MAC gun could fire three consecutive shots per charge.
*The [[Magnetic Accelerator Cannon|Mark II, Light Coil - 56A2D4/MAC gun]]<ref name="waypointarticle"/> fired lighter projectiles compared to most ship grade MACs, but these rounds worked much like [[shredder round]]s. Each charge was able to fire 3 rounds.
*300 '''[[Archer missile#M58 Archer|M58 Archer missile]] pods''' which were arranged in thirty columns and ten rows. Each pod contained 26 individual devices, equaling 7800 missiles<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', pages 274-275 (''"[[Captain Keyes]] mentions performing a fly-by inspection of the starboard shuttle bay and counting Archer missile pods thirty across and ten down, making for 300 Archer Missile Pods. The next sentence then reads "Each pod held dozens of missiles."'')</ref>
*Four '''[[Shiva-class nuclear missile]]''', one loaded onto a remote-controlled Longsword interceptor, and three ship-launched.<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', Chapter 29, page 275 (''"In response to [[Captain Keyes]]' question about the small single ships in the launch bay, [[Lieutenant]] [[Aki Hikowa|Hikowa]] states, "Yes Sir. One of the Longswords is equipped with a [[Shiva-class nuclear missile]]; it can be remote piloted. We also have three HAVOC Warheads on board"'').</ref>
*Forty '''[[M910 Rampart point defense network|M910 point defense gun]]s''' with overlapping fields of fire for point defense against single ships. Two of these cannons were later salvaged by the surviving UNSC personnel for [[Alpha Base (Installation 04)|Alpha Base]].<ref>'''Halo: The Flood''' (2010), ''page 233''</ref>

===Engine room===
{{main|Fusion drive}}
''Pillar of Autumn''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s engine room was a large, three-deck high chamber allowing access to the fusion engine core. Side passages allowed for movement from the bottom deck all the way up to the catwalks on the third. The manifolds into the cores were suspended above the second deck. Controls on the third retracted these manifolds, exposing a vent that led directly into the core. It was using this method to expose the core via the vents that the John-117 ultimately destroyed the ship and Installation 04. This room is the largest room in ''Pillar of Autumn'' with the exception of the hangar bay and the "leap of faith" room.

===Airlocks===
:'''Airlock 31, 32''': Lifeboats destroyed by the Covenant to make way for boarding craft.
:'''Airlock 51''': Lifeboat destroyed as it departed from the airlock.
:'''Airlock 52, 53, 61, 62, 63''': Lifeboats escaped from the vessel.

==Units==
*830 [[UNSC Marine Corps|Marine]]s-1 ODST Battalion, 1 Marine Battalion ([[79th Infantry Battalion|79th Infantry]])
*[[Combat Team Alpha]]
*[[Combat Team November]]
*[[Combat Team Sierra]]
*[[Combat Team Victor]]
*[[Fire Team Charlie]]
*[[Fire Team Zulu]]
*[[Fifth Platoon]]
*[[Fourteenth Platoon]]
*[[Twenty-Second Tactical]]

==Crew==
{{scroll box
|content=
===Pillar of Autumn Command===
*[[Jacob Keyes|Captain Jacob Keyes]] — ''Commanding officer'' (August 2552 - September 2552)
*[[Cortana]] — ''Temporary shipboard AI''

===Officers===
*[[Lieutenant]] [[Dominique]] — ''Communications officer'' 
*[[Aki Hikowa|Lieutenant Aki Hikowa]] — ''Weapons officer'' 
*[[Hall|Lieutenant Hall]] — ''Operations officer''
*[[Ensign]] [[William Lovell]] — ''Navigation officer'' 
*[[Ellen Dowski|Ensign Ellen Dowski]] — ''Junior bridge officer''
*[[Lieutenant Commander]] [[Gail Purdy]] — ''Chief engineer''

===Office of Naval Intelligence===
*[[Elias Haverson|Lieutenant Elias Haverson]]

===Crewmen===
*[[Thom Shepard|Chief Petty Officer Thom Shephard]] — ''Cryogenics Technician''
*[[Mary Murphy|Petty Officer First Class Mary Murphy]] — ''Air Traffic Technician''
*[[Samuel N. Marcus|Petty Officer Third Class Samuel N. Marcus]] — ''Technicians Officer''
*[[Pauley|Petty Officer Third Class Pauley]] — ''Radio Technician''
*[[Cho (Navy technician)|Petty Officer Third Class Xaing Cho]] — ''Radio Technician''
*[[R. Abiad]] — ''[[Coda]]'' shuttle pod copilot
*[[Wang (crewman)|Wang]]
*[[Singh]]

===Other Naval Personnel===
*[[Carol Rawley|Captain Carol Rawley]] — ''Flight officer, 23rd Naval Air Squadron'' (Pelican Pilot - Echo 419)
*[[Peterson|Lieutenant Peterson]] — ''Flight officer, 23rd Naval Air Squadron'' (Pelican Pilot - Echo 136)
*[[Rick Hale|Lieutenant Rick Hale]] — ''Flight officer, 23rd Naval Air Squadron'' (Pelican Pilot)
*[[Frye|Lieutenant Frye]] — Pelican Co-Pilot
*[[Sheila Polaski|Warrant Officer Shiela Polaski]] — ''Flight officer'' (Pelican Pilot) 
*[[Mitchell]] — ''Flight officer'' (Pelican Pilot)
*[[Cullen|Crew Chief Cullen]] — Communications Officer

===Spartans===
*[[John-117|Master Chief Petty Officer John-117]] 
*[[Linda-058|Petty Officer Second Class Linda-058]] 

===Marines===
*[[Avery Junior Johnson|Staff Sergeant Avery Junior Johnson]]
*[[Marvin Mobuto|Staff Sergeant Marvin Mobuto]]
*[[Stacker|Staff Sergeant Stacker]]
*[[Lovik|Corporal Lovik]]
*[[Wilkins|Corporal Wilkins]]
*[[M. Fitzgerald|Private First Class M. Fitzgerald]]
*[[Chips Dubbo|Private First Class Chips Dubbo]]
*[[Wallace A. Jenkins|Private First Class Wallace A. Jenkins]]
*[[Bisenti|Private Bisenti]]
*[[Kappus|Private Kappus]]
*[[Manuel Mendoza|Private Manuel Mendoza]]
*[[O'Brien (Marine)|Private O'Brien]]
*[[Riley|Private Riley]]
*[[Unidentified private]]

====ODSTs====
*[[Antonio Silva|Major Antonio Silva]] — ''Commanding officer, ODST Battalion''
*[[Melissa McKay|First Lieutenant Melissa McKay]] — ''Executive officer, ODST Battalion''
*[["Doc" Valdez|Valdez]] - ''Hospital corpsman''
*[[Dalu|Second Lieutenant Dalu]] — Supply officer; formerly platoon commander (replaced by Lister)
*[[Oros|Second Lieutenant Oros]] — ''Platoon commander''
*[[Master Sergeant]] [[Lister (Marine)|Lister]] — ''Platoon commander'' (replaced Dalu)
*[[Tink Carter|First Sergeant Tink Carter]] ''Company sergeant, ODST Battalion''
*[[Waller|Gunnery Sergeant Waller]]
*[[Corly|Sergeant Corly]]
*[[Parker|Sergeant Parker]]
*[["Snaky" Jones|Lance Corporal Jones]]
*[[Locklear|Corporal Locklear]]
*[[Unidentified corporal]]
*[[Hosky|Private First Class Hosky]]
*[[Marie Postly|Private Marie Postly]]
*[[Satha|Private Satha]]
*[[Al-Thani]]
*[[Dawkins]]
*[[Suzuki]]
}}

==Trivia==
===Behind the scenes===
*When designing the ship, [[Lorraine McLees]] took inspiration from the [[MA5B assault rifle]] and from images of ''[[wikipedia:Mobile Suit Gundam|Mobile Suit Gundam]]''. She described the ''Autumn'' as being "essentially a big gun with engines".<ref>'''Halo: The Great Journey: The Art of Building Worlds''', ''page 140''</ref>
*''Pillar of Autumn'' was modeled by former Bungie employee Adam Crokett.<ref>[http://www.adamcrockett.com/resume.html '''Adam Crockett''': ''Resume'']</ref>

===Miscellaneous===
[[File:Bulletin board compare.jpg|right|thumb|200px|The Bulletin Board on the ''Autumn's'' bridge in both ''[[Halo Combat Evolved]]'' and ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary|Anniversary]]''.]]
*In ''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]'', the description of ''Pillar of Autumn'' is considerably different from its ''Halo: Combat Evolved'' incarnation. The bridge is described as having a command chair and a curved viewport; in ''Halo: Combat Evolved'', this chair is absent and the window consists of several flat sections. The novel also describes the bridge as being extremely cramped, with only a meter of space between the command chair and the other stations,<ref name="for277">'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''page 277''</ref> while in the game, the bridge is clearly more spacious. According to the novel, there is also an elevator leading directly from the engine room to the bridge.<ref name="for277"/> In the game, the engineering and the bridge are on the same level, and there are no doors which may belong to an elevator adjoining the bridge. In addition, the engine room is described as being "hexagonal", while in the game,<ref name="for274"/> it consists of two vaguely rectangular chambers with the engine core in the middle. The ship is also described as having rotating centrifuges to generate [[artificial gravity]];<ref name="for274"/> no rotating sections are present in the game, unless they are located within the hull.
*''Pillar of Autumn''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s was approximately 1.17 km long, a reference to John-117.<ref>[http://nikon.bungie.org/misc/sloftus_poaconundrum '''halo.bungie.org''': ''The Pillar of Autumn Conundrum'']</ref> The ship's length is exaggerated in the final level of ''Halo: Combat Evolved'' to a length of three kilometers, likely to add urgency and suspense to the escape sequence.
*In ''Halo: Combat Evolved'', the ship's [[Ship emblem|emblem]] is the ''[[Marathon]]'' logo. In ''Halo: Reach'', the ship's emblem is retconned into the Seventh Column logo. In ''Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary'', the Seventh Column emblem is replaced by a similar-looking gear, since the Seventh Column is an affiliate of Bungie. 
*The [[bulletin board]] just outside the bridge of the ship contains a number of amusing clips, some throwbacks to ''Marathon''. These can be examined on the first level of ''Halo: Combat Evolved''. The board has a flier for a missing cat called [[Jonesy]]. This is a reference to the ''Alien'' movies, where the cat's name was Jonesy. The board also has a flier telling Marines to [[Keep It Clean (Trailer)|'Keep it Clean']], a quote later used in ''[[Halo 3: ODST]].''
**The re-textured bulletin board in ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary]]'' includes a classic Internet gag image of a "cat found" poster mistaking an opossum for a cat, as well as a poster labelled "Dark Planetoid Rising", featuring the Forerunner planet [[Requiem]] as it appeared in the Legendary ending to ''[[Halo 3]]''.
*During the brief cutscene in ''[[Halo 2]]'' where ''Pillar of Autumn'' escapes, it is portrayed by a ''Marathon''-class heavy cruiser, rather than a ''Halcyon''-class light cruiser; this is because the ''Halcyon'' was not coded into the game for the sake of saving resources; this error is rectified in ''Halo 2: Anniversary''. 
*In its appearance in ''[[Halo: Reach]]'', the ship went through many changes, including that the Marathon symbol is replaced by the Seventh Column symbol, and the bridge has been shrunken to a smaller scale.
*''Pillar of Autumn'' is available as a prop for [[Avatar (Xbox 360)|Xbox 360 Avatars]].<ref>[http://halo.xbox.com/blogs/Headlines/post/2012/01/18/Halo-Avatar-Collection-January.aspx '''Halo: Waypoint:''' ''Halo Avatar Collection - January'']</ref>
*''Pillar of Autumn'' plays a role in ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]'', ''[[Halo Reach]]'' and ''[[Halo Wars]]''. In the first two, the player has to deal with various objectives surrounding the ship and crew. In ''Halo Wars'', ''Pillar of Autumn'' contributes to the [[Battle for Arcadia]] before the {{UNSCShip|Spirit of Fire}} arrives and then provides the player with support during the battle in the form of experimental [[M145D Rhino|Rhinos]].

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:HCE-PillarOfAutumnSide.png|Profile view of ''Pillar of Autumn'' in ''Halo: Combat Evolved''.
File:The Pillar of Autumn.jpg|''Pillar of Autumn'' approaching Installation 04.
File:HCE-PillarOfAutumnAngle.png|Another view of the ''Autumn'' near Installation 04.
File:POA-InterdeckStructure.jpg|Speculative internal schematic by Stephen Loftus of the Pillar of Autumn's honeycomb-like bracing structures.   
File:POA-Full-Int-Ext.jpg|The outline of ''Halo Combat Evolved''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s [[The Maw]] level.   
File:POA-Full-Int-Ext-pers2.jpg|A closer look of the outline of the final level.   
File:PoaVending321.jpg|The vending machines in the Cafeteria aboard the ''Autumn''. Note that water is listed twice in "Drinks".   
File:Cortana on Autumn.jpg|Cortana, the AI assigned to the Pillar of Autumn.     
File:Autumn Legends.jpg|''Pillar of Autumn'' in an asteroid field near Reach, moments before a Covenant ship exits Slipspace and attacks in ''[[Halo Legends]]'': ''[[Origins]]''.
File:HaloCE-PoA-Damaged.jpg|''Pillar of Autumn'' taking plasma impacts at the [[Battle of Installation 04]].
File:HaloCE-Maw-PoA-Fore-Crash.jpg|The crashed ''Autumn'' in the desert of Alpha Halo, seen in the level ''[[The Maw]]''.   
File:HaloCE-Maw-PoA-Critical.png|''Pillar of Autumn''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s fusion reactors go critical.   
File:PoA logo.png|''Pillar of Autumn''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s [[ship emblem]] as seen in ''Halo: Combat Evolved''. In ''Halo: Reach'', the emblem was replaced by the Seventh Column logo.
File:Poa wreckage.JPG|A piece of wreckage from the Pillar of Autumn floating in Installation 04's debris field in ''[[The Mona Lisa]]''.
File:Reach-Concept-Autumn-Depart.jpg|Concept art of ''Pillar of Autumn'' in ''[[Halo: Reach]]''.
File:PoAReachConcept.jpg|Concept art of the ''Autumn'' taking off from the Aszod drydock in ''Halo: Reach''.
File:Reach 3889544 Full.jpg|''Pillar of Autumn'' dry-docked in Aszod.
File:HaloReach - PoA.png|''Pillar of Autumn'' taking off from Reach during the Fall of Reach.
File:HR-UNSCPillarOfAutumn-Side.png|Right-side view of the ''Halcyon''-class light cruiser ''Pillar of Autumn'' in ''Halo: Reach''.
File:HReach-PillarofAutumnCruiser.png|An angled view of ''Pillar of Autumn''  in ''Halo: Reach''.
File:Reach 3893592 Full.jpg|Hull-classification information on the ''Autumn''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s outer hull. The Seventh Column symbol is also visible. 
File:HMCC - Dear Diary achievement.jpg|Concept art of the crashed ''Pillar of Autumn'' for ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary]]''.
File:2817468-gallery.jpg|''Pillar of Autumn''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s bridge, as seen in ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary]]''.
File:AutumnDamagedCEA.png|''Pillar of Autumn'' under attack.
File:H5POAHolo.png|A hologram of ''Pillar of Autumn'' on the ''[[Halo 5: Guardians]]'' multiplayer map [[Truth]].
File:HFB-EpochPOA&Paris.jpg|''Pillar of Autumn'' in formation with an ''Epoch'' and several ''Paris''-class frigates in ''Halo: Fleet Battles''. 
</gallery>
{{Linkbox|gallery=yes}}
{{Clear}}

==List of appearances==
{{col-begin}}
{{col-3}}
*''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]'' {{1st}}
**''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach#2010 bonus content|Adjunct]]'' {{Mo}}
*''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]'' 
*''[[Halo: The Flood]]''
*''[[Halo: First Strike]]''
*''[[Halo 2]]'' {{C|Flashback}}
*''[[Halo Wars: Genesis]]''
*''[[Halo Wars]]''
*''[[Halo Legends]]''
**''[[Origins]]''
**''[[Odd One Out]]'' {{C|Non-canon appearance}}
{{col-3}}
*''[[Halo: Evolutions]]''
**''[[The Mona Lisa]]'' {{C|motion comic only}}
*''[[Halo: Reach]]''
*''[[Halo: Fall of Reach]]''
**''[[Halo: Fall of Reach - Invasion|Invasion]]''
*''[[Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary]]''
**''[[Terminal/Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary|Terminals]]''
*''[[Halo 4]]'' {{mo}}
*''[[Halo: Broken Circle]]'' {{Im}}
*''[[Halo 2: Anniversary]]'' {{C|Flashback}}
*''[[Halo: Fleet Battles]]''<ref name="orders">[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/community/blog-posts/canon-fodder-taking-orders '''Halo Waypoint''': ''Canon Fodder - Taking Orders'']</ref>
{{col-3}}
*''[[Halo 5: Guardians]]'' {{C|Hologram}}
*''[[Halo Mythos]]''
{{col-end}}

==Notes==
<references group="note"/>

==Sources==
<references/>

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pillar of Autumn}}
[[Category:Halcyon-class light cruisers]]
[[Category:United Nations Space Command ships]]