Algolis Invasion: Difference between revisions

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**1+ {{Class|Banta|colony ship}}{{Ref/Reuse|prototype}}

The '''Algolis Invasion''' was a short and bloody{{Ref/Reuse|waypoint}} [[battle|engagement]] that took place and fought between the [[United Nations Space Command]] and the [[Covenant]] in the [[Wikipedia:Algol|Algol system]] during the [[Human-Covenant War]] in [[2549]].{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}} The battle on the surface of [[Algolis]] marked the formation of the [[Banished]], a violent ex-Covenant mercenery organization and [[Covenant remnants|splinter faction]] founded by the legendary [[Jiralhanae]] warrior [[Atriox]] and his second-in-command [[Decimus]] after rebelling against the Covenant, particularly [[Hierarchs]], which would rise dramatically to power after the empire's [[Great Schism|fragmentation]] in late [[2552]].{{Ref/Reuse|hroa2}}

As the swift and cruel siege on Algolis still raged on the surface while the civilians were being evacuated by Marines, a UNSC demolitions squad nicknamed the [[Hades Corps]], a team of [[UNSC Marine Corps of Engineers|combat engineers]], was tasked to [[Weapons Research Facility T12A]] to enact the [[Cole Protocol]], destroying navigation data and a [[Office of Naval Intelligence]]'s [[HRUNTING/YGGDRASIL Mark I ADS|prototypical combat exoskeleton]] and preventing them from falling into Covenant hands.{{Ref/Reuse|Id=waypoint}} The Covenant attacked the [[UNSC Marine Corps|Marines]] in full force, breaking their defensive line and pinning down the survivors, and infiltrating heavy casualties. While Covenant forces were making their final push towards the base, all UNSC ground forces on the facility were ordered by the [[Unidentified commander (Algolis)|commander]] to make a full retreat but one of them disagreed as he was unwilling to abandon the Hades Corps on the planet while another said to him that the Cole Protocol was already enacted and told him to move out.{{Ref/Reuse|Id=prototype}} In the ensuing chaos a {{Pattern|Irdnekt|Banshee}} fired its [[fuel rod cannon]] and destroyed a [[Banta-class colony ship|spacecraft]] ferrying civilian colonists off the planet, killing hundreds in the process as a Phantom reinforced the Covenant ground infantry and dropped Covenant reinforcements and a {{Pattern|Zurdo|Wraith}}.{{Ref/Reuse|Id=prototype}} At the time, the Hades Corps were at the Hanger 1030 and refused to leave until they would destroy the prototype of weapon systems in compliance with the Cole Protocol.{{Ref/Reuse|Id=prototype}} However, one fearless Marine engineer, a [[sergeant]] nicknamed "[[Ghost (Marine)|Ghost]]" who led the squad and was initially believed to went missing or left his Marines behind, went against orders in an effort to help civilians and his Marines to escape and equipped the armor slated for destruction, hoping to redeem himself as a promise to a [[Unidentified Marine (Ghost's platoon)|deceased comrade]] three years earlier.{{Ref/Reuse|prototype}}

Baird was awoken again by Mo Ye, who gave him four [[rumbledrug]]s that were similar to those used by [[Insurrectionist]]s fighting [[SPARTAN-II program|Spartans]] on [[Hellas]] and [[Fumirole]], slowly destroying the body, but making it totally impervious to pain and damage. Using these drugs, Baird made his way to the control room, where he encountered more of the boarding party, including the leader, who donned a decorative headdress. Baird dropped his carbine and said he would give them the coordinates of Earth if they let him escape in a lifeboat. As they began to raise their weapons at him, the Special Operations Sangheili roared at them to stop and communicated with the Huragok onboard. The Sangheili then agreed to let Baird do what he had to do.{{Ref/Book|Id=evolution|Book=Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe|Section=Midnight in the Heart of Midlothian|SectionLinkText=Midnight in the Heart of Midlothian}}

Instead of giving the coordinates to the boarding party, Baird ordered the Huragok to reconnect Mo Ye to the ship's systems, and removed the AI's safety protocols, allowing her to destroy the ship. Despite the AI's restored access to the ship, she notifies him that she still cannot circumvent Asimov's First Law in her current state.{{Ref/Reuse|evolution}} Baird tricked the Sangheili and punches as hard as he can, breaking his hand and the alien's jaw. He begins to taunt the alien, who responds by beheading Baird with its energy sword.{{Ref/Reuse|evolution}} With all [[human]]s onboard the ship wiped out completely, Baird's sacrifice allowed Mo Ye to destroy the ship as she is no longer bound by Asimov's Three Laws and proceeds to self-destruct the ship.{{Ref/Reuse|evolution}} ​After initiating a fake countdown of four minutes, causing the Sangheili commander to order a retreat while making eye contact, Mo Ye then said "I'm kidding.{{Ref/Reuse|evolution}} There's no need for any countdown whatsoever." She proceeded to detonate the destroyer's nuclear charges, destroying ''The Heart of Midlothian'' and the Covenant battlegroup surrounding it.{{Ref/Book|Id=evolutionp81102|Book=Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe|Section=Midnight in the Heart of Midlothian|SectionLinkText=Midnight in the Heart of Midlothian|Page=81-102}}

[[File:Hroa2 battle.png|right|250px|thumb|Over course of the Algolis Invasion, [[Atriox]] and his fellow [[Jiralhanae]] serving their [[Sangheili]] masters were sent to suicidal missions in an attempt to end their potential threats to the Covenant.]]

During the ongoing Covenant siege on Algolis, Atriox participated in a siege of an Algolis [[city]], which was ultimately devastated by the Covenant forces, allowing a {{Class|CAS|assault carrier}} to [[Glassing|glass]] the city with its ventral [[energy projector]] in the night as he left angrily the now-destroyed city as many Jiralhanae forces were killed during the engagement.{{Ref/Reuse|ANE}} While Atriox returned to the Covenant planetside base that was recently established on the planet after being dropped by a [[Phantom]]'s [[gravity lift]] as the only living veteran of a recent battle as the night is falling, the Sangheili Executioner, [[Itho 'Hesiikee]], in authority over the group of Jiralhanae to which he belonged was troubled by the cult of personality surrounding Atriox, speaking to the [[Prophet of Truth]] via remote communication and noted that he was never supposed to have survived this long.{{Ref/Reuse|hroa2}} Truth believed Atriox could still be a valuable tool of warfare and stated that he would only sanction his elimination if he was confirmed to be disloyal to the Covenant.{{Ref/Reuse|hroa2}} After Atriox rebuked the underestimation of the humans by the Covenant as they were stronger than the Covenant realized with their abilities to kill practically all of his [[pack]] but him continually, Itho 'Hesiikee reported to Truth that Atriox was an even more dangerous threat than they feared when the Jiralhanae said that pure loyalty was maybe not the path to righteousness as the Covenant taught and that his Jiralhanae brothers were likely not defending the Great Journey at uselessly dying.{{Ref/Reuse|hroa2}} The decision was made to have him killed, but it was agreed that it must be done so delicately in order to avoid martyrdom.{{Ref/Reuse|hroa2}} In an attempt to end his life, Atriox and other Jiralhanae were sent on one last mission against UNSC forces in a UNSC [[military base]] on the next day, carefully observed by their Sangheili masters and 'Hesiikee hoping for his death via [[San'Shyuum]] [[Eye]]s.{{Ref/Reuse|hroa2}} Most of Atriox compatriots died but he did not.{{Ref/Reuse|hroa2}} After a securing victory, Atriox, who was still questioning his loyalty to the Covenant, found a wounded marine, [[Michael Taylor]], and told him to run. As Taylor stumbled and fell while running, Atriox lazily followed and then killed him with his [[Type-2 gravity hammer]] while no malice toward the man,{{Ref/Reuse|hroa2}}{{Ref/Reuse|AngryAtriox}} proclaiming his frustration and hatred for the Covenant's lies to the frightened human.{{Ref/Reuse|hroa2}} Atriox faced and struck down a pious Jiralhanae who hardly challenged him for his blasphemy on the outskirts of the battlefield while in combat and desperately implore him to use reason and to see the Covenant's beliefs and strategies for what they were.{{Ref/Reuse|hroa2}}

[[File:HW2 BanishedVsCovenant.png|thumb|300px|right|Atriox and his Banished conduct attacks and raids against the [[Covenant]] after forming the Banished.]]