Battle of the Citadel: Difference between revisions

|result = ;Decisive [[United Nations Space Command|UNSC]]/[[Fleet of Retribution|Sangheili]] victory{{Ref/Reuse|covenant}}

|side1 = *{{Icon|UNSC HCW}} [[United Nations Space Command]]

**{{Icon|Navy}} [[UNSC Navy]]

*{{Icon|Covenant FB}} [[Covenant separatists]]

*{{Icon|Forerunner}} [[Sentinel|Forerunner constructs]]

|side2 = {{Icon|Covenant FB}} [[Covenant]]

*{{Icon|Covenant HW}} [[Covenant military]]

|commanders1 = *[[Commander|CMR]] [[Miranda Keyes]]†{{Ref/Reuse|covenant}}

*[[Sergeant Major|SGTMAJ]] [[Avery Johnson]]{{Ref/Reuse|covenant}}

*[[Master Chief Petty Officer|MCPO]] [[John-117]]{{Ref/Reuse|covenant}}

*[[Arbiter]] [[Thel 'Vadam]]{{Ref/Reuse|covenant}}

*[[Shipmaster]] / [[Fleetmaster]] [[Rtas 'Vadum]]{{Ref/Reuse|covenant}}

*[[Monitor]] [[343 Guilty Spark]]{{Ref/Reuse|covenant}}

|commanders2 = [[Prophet of Truth]]†{{Ref/Reuse|covenant}}

|commanders3 = [[Gravemind]]{{Ref/Reuse|covenant}}

|forces1 =  

**1 {{Class|CAS|assault carrier}}{{Ref/Reuse|covenant}}

**Multiple [[D77H-TCI Pelican|Pelicans]]{{Ref/Reuse|covenant}}

**Numerous [[AV-14 Hornet|Hornets]]{{Ref/Reuse|covenant}}

***2+ [[M831 Troop Transport Warthog|Troop Transport Warthogs]]

***1+ [[M12G1 Gauss Warthog|Gauss Warthog]]

**2+ [[M274 Mongoose|Mongooses]]{{Ref/Reuse|covenant}}

**1 [[SPARTAN-II Program|SPARTAN-II]]

**Multiple [[Orbital Drop Shock Troopers|ODSTs]]

**Multiple [[Sangheili]]

*[[Sentinel|Forerunner constructs]]{{Ref/Reuse|covenant}}

|forces2 =  

*Numerous air vehicles

***4+ [[Type-52 Anti-Aircraft Wraith|T-52 AA Wraiths]]{{Ref/Reuse|covenant}}

|forces3 = *[[High Charity]]{{Ref/Reuse|covenant}}

**Thousands of [[Flood dispersal pod|dispersal pods]]{{Ref/Reuse|covenant}}

**[[Pod infector|Pod infectors]]{{Ref/Reuse|covenant}}

**[[Flood combat form|Combat forms]]{{Ref/Reuse|covenant}}

**[[Flood carrier form|Carrier forms]]{{Ref/Reuse|covenant}}

**[[Flood pure form|Pure forms]]{{Ref/Reuse|covenant}}

|casual1 = Light-moderate casualties{{Ref/Reuse|covenant}}

|casual2 = Total{{Ref/Reuse|covenant}}

|casual3 = Heavy{{Ref/Reuse|covenant}}

The '''Battle of the Citadel''' was the final [[battle]] of the [[Human-Covenant War]] and a battle within the larger [[Battle of Installation 00|Ark Conflict]]. The battle was fought between the united forces of the [[United Nations Space Command]] and the [[Sangheili]] [[Fleet of Retribution]] as well as local [[Sentinel|Forerunner constructs]] against the remaining forces of the [[Covenant]], and the [[Flood]]. The battle resulted in the death of the [[High Prophet of Truth]], the final [[Hierarch]], and the dissolution of the Covenant Empire.<ref name="covenant">'''[[Halo 3]]''', campaign level, ''[[The Covenant (level)|The Covenant]]''</ref>

On [[2552#November|November 3, 2552]], the [[High Prophet of Truth]], the final remaining [[Covenant]] [[Hierarch]], departed from [[High Charity]] on board the ''[[Anodyne Spirit]]'' and took the bulk of remaining [[Covenant fleet]]s with him, as the holy city [[Fall of High Charity|fell]] to the [[Flood]] amidst the chaos of the [[Great Schism]].{{Ref/Novel|Id=hbc286|Novel=[[Halo: Broken Circle]] (Google Books)|Page=286|Quote=He has taken what is left of the Covenant fleets and is heading for the human world, Earth. He is seeking the Ark.|Quotee=[[G'torik 'Klemmee]]}} Truth intended to take the [[Keyship]], along with a very massive combined Covenant armada,{{Ref/Site|Id=dreadnought|URL=https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/universe/vehicles/dreadnought|Site=Halo Waypoint|Page=Dreadnought|D=25|M=07|Y=2021}}{{Ref/Reuse|Id=hbc286}} to [[Earth]], where he would be able to activate the [[Portal at Voi|portal]] beneath the city of [[Mombasa]] that had been excavated by [[Truth's fleet|his excavation fleet]] over the course of the previous two weeks.<ref>'''[[Halo 3: ODST]]''', campaign level, ''[[Coastal Highway]]''</ref> This would take him to [[Installation 00]], where he would be able to activate the [[Halo Array]] and begin the [[Covenant religion#The Great Journey|"Great Journey"]]. Unbeknownst to the Prophet, [[SPARTAN-II program|Spartan]] [[John-117]] had managed to make it onto the [[Keyship]] as it decoupled from High Charity's power grid by riding a [[High Charity conduit|power conduit]] connecting the ship to the city.<ref>'''[[Halo 2]]''', campaign level, ''[[High Charity (level)|High Charity]]''</ref> After arriving in the [[Sol system]] on November 8,<ref name="bnet">[http://halo.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?type=topnews&cid=16989 '''Bungie.net''': ''Bungie Weekly Update: 01/23/09 '']</ref> John-117 [[Scramble onboard Forerunner Dreadnought|attempted to kill]] the Prophet of Truth, but failed and was forced to escape from Covenant forces. The Spartan bailed from the Keyship as it entered Earth's atmosphere on November 17, landing in the jungles of [[Tanzania]].<ref>'''[[Halo 3]]''', campaign level, ''[[Arrival]]''</ref> The Keyship would ultimately land on top of the now-uncovered portal, with the survivng Covenant warships clustering around the keyship.<ref>'''[[Halo 3]]''', campaign level, ''[[Tsavo Highway]]''</ref>

 

Over the course of the same day, [[United Nations Space Command|UNSC]] forces spearheaded by the Master Chief and [[Arbiter]] [[Thel 'Vadam]] would launch an [[Battle of Voi|assault]] on Covenant forces within the nearby city of [[Voi]], with the objective of neutralizing Covenant [[Type-27 Mantis|anti-aircraft battery]] emplacements in order to allow [[UNSC starship|UNSC ships]] to attack the Keyship. While UNSC ground forces managed to destroy the emplacements, the subsequent assault on the Keyship by [[Battle Group Victory]] of the [[Seventh Fleet]] led by the {{UNSCShip|Forward Unto Dawn}} failed to destroy the Forerunner vessel. The portal then opened, and Truth fled through it with the Keyship, followed by the rest of his fleet.<ref>'''[[Halo 3]]''', campaign level, ''[[The Storm]]''</ref> The UNSC would be prevented from immediately following due to the arrival of the Flood-infested [[CCS-class battlecruiser|battlecruiser]] ''[[Indulgence of Conviction]]''. Ultimately, the Flood [[Outbreak on Earth|outbreak]] would be contained due to the arrival of a portion of the [[Sangheili]] [[Fleet of Retribution]], who ended up [[Glassing|glassing]] the city of Voi to prevent the parasite's spread. After a short meeting between UNSC and Sangheili leaders on board the ''[[Shadow of Intent]]'', the battle group of Fleet of Retribution, along with a portion of the Seventh Fleet including the ''Dawn'', entered the portal in pursuit of Truth.<ref>'''[[Halo 3]]''', campaign level, ''[[Floodgate]]''</ref>  

Upon their arrival at [[Installation 00]], the allied fleet, only composed of several dozens of ships, was immediately attacked by the Prophet of Truth's far larger fleet. Truth himself didn't partake in the battle, instead making his way to a [[Installation 00 Citadel|facility]] near the Ark's [[Foundry#Installation 00|core]] that would allow him to activate the Halo Array with the help of a [[Reclaimer|"Reclaimer"]]. Despite their overwhelming 3-to-1 numerical superiority, [[Fleetmaster]] [[Rtas 'Vadum]] confidently engaged the massive Covenant fleet with the help of the [[Commander]] [[Miranda Keyes]], the Sangheili's superior knowledge of naval warfare tipping the battle in their favor. As the two fleets battled above the Ark, a [[Battle for the Cartographer (Installation 00)|mission]] to locate the Prophet of Truth was launched: Six [[D77H-TCI Pelican|Pelicans]] containing [[UNSC Marine Corps|Marines]] and [[Orbital Drop Shock Troopers|ODSTs]] was launched by the ''Forward Unto Dawn'' towards the surface of the installation. Five of these would survive and deploy troops into the vast desert near one of the Ark's [[Cartographer#Installation 00|Cartographer]] buildings. A force of ODSTs led by John-117 managed to clear a [[Landing zone|landing zone]] allowing the ''Dawn'' to deploy armor for the ground forces. Now mobilized, the UNSC advanced on the Cartographer, destroying a battalion-sized force of Covenant protecting the building, including a [[Type-47B Scarab|Scarab]], before the Master Chief, Thel 'Vadam, [[343 Guilty Spark]] and a team of Marines moved inside. Meanwhile, the Fleet of Retribution succeeded in completely destroying the Prophet of Truth's fleet save for at least [[Foebane|one escaping heavy cruiser]], with the ''Shadow of Intent'' now descending on the Ark to support UNSC ground forces on their way to the Cartographer. Fighting their way through the facility, John-117 accessed the Cartographer, ascertaining the Prophet of Truth's location and revealing that he had triggered a barrier around the Foundry to prevent a direct assault. Ultimately, the Chief left the Cartographer on board ''[[Kilo 023]]'' after defeating [[Jiralhanae]] [[Jiralhanae Chieftain|Chieftain]] [[Cethegus]] and his [[Pack|pack]].<ref>'''[[Halo 3]]''', campaign level, ''[[The Ark (level)|The Ark]]''</ref><ref>[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/community/blog-posts/canon-fodder-brute-force '''Halo Waypoint''': ''Canon Fodder - Brute Force'']</ref>

==Battle==