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{{Era|HCW}}
{{Status|Canon}}
{{Battle
{{Battle infobox
|prev = [[Battle of Chi Ceti]]
|prev = [[Battle of Seoba]]
|conc = [[Operation: SILENT STORM]]
|conc = [[Operation: SILENT STORM]]
|next = [[Battle of Bliss]]
|next = [[Battle over Etalan]]
|name = Battle of Biko
|name = Battle of Biko
|image =  
|image =  
|conflict = [[Human-Covenant War]]
|conflict = [[Human-Covenant War]]
|date = [[2526]]<ref name="xeno">'''[[Hunt the Truth]]''', ''Xenophobia''</ref>
|date = [[2526#March|March 20–25, 2526]]{{Ref/Novel|Id=HSS17|HSS|Chapter=17}}{{Ref/Novel|Id=HSS21|HSS|Chapter=21}}
|place = [[Biko]]
|place = [[Biko]]
|result = Covenant victory
|result = Covenant victory
*Glassing of Biko
*Glassing of Biko
|side1 = [[UNSC Navy]]  
|side1 = *[[United Nations Space Command]]
|side2 = [[Covenant fleet]]
**[[UNSC Navy]]
*[[Chancellor's Guards]]
|side2 = *[[Covenant]]
**[[Covenant fleet]]
|commanders1 = Unknown
|commanders1 = Unknown
|commanders2 = [[Fleetmaster]] [[Nizat 'Kvarosee]]
|commanders2 = [[Fleetmaster]] [[Nizat 'Kvarosee]]
|forces1 = Around fifty ships
|forces1 = *Biko defense fleet (approximately 50 ships){{Ref/Reuse|HSS17}}
**Patrol frigates{{Ref/Reuse|HSS17}}
*{{Class|Marathon|heavy cruiser}}s
*{{Class|Marathon|heavy cruiser}}s
**{{UNSCShip|Dresden}}
**{{UNSCShip|Dresden}}
*Dozens of patrol frigates
*[[Task Force Yama]]
|forces2 = [[Fleet of Inexorable Obedience]] (100+ ships)
**[[21st Space Assault Battalion|Black Daggers]]
**[[Ghost Flight]]
**{{UNSCShip|Vanishing Point}}{{Ref/Reuse|HSS17}}
|forces2 = [[Fleet of Inexorable Obedience]] (100+ ships){{Ref/Reuse|HSS17}}
*Multiple [[Covenant cruiser]]s
*Multiple [[Covenant cruiser]]s
*Multiple {{Class|CAS|assault carrier}}s
*Multiple {{Class|CAS|assault carrier}}s
**''[[Pious Rampage]]''
**''[[Pious Rampage]]''
*''[[Purifying Flame]]''
|casual1 = Heavy
|casual1 = Heavy
|casual2 = Five cruisers
*Heavy [[21st Space Assault Battalion|Black Dagger]] losses
*Five [[prowler]]s
*Heavy if not total Biko defense fleet losses
|casual2 = Five cruisers{{Ref/Reuse|HSS21}}
}}
}}


The '''Battle of Biko''' was a short engagement between the [[United Nations Space Command]] and the [[Covenant]] [[Fleet of Inexorable Obedience]] in [[2526]] during the [[Human-Covenant War]] at the [[human]] [[Outer Colony]] of [[Biko]]. It occurred concurrently with [[Operation: SILENT STORM]].
The '''Battle of Biko''' was a short engagement between the [[United Nations Space Command]] and the [[Covenant]] [[Fleet of Inexorable Obedience]] in [[2526]] during the [[Human-Covenant War]] at the [[human]] [[Outer Colony]] of [[Biko]]. It occurred concurrently with [[Operation: SILENT STORM]].{{Ref/Reuse|HSS17}}


==Background==
==Background==
As their human colonies fell, the [[UNSC]] decided to launch [[Operation: SILENT STORM]] to counterattack the Covenant and buy humanity some time to develop countermeasures against Covenant technology. At the same time, [[Insurrectionist]]s desired to forge an alliance with the Covenant and to protect Biko. To this end, they plotted to overthrow [[Biko]]'s government while making a deal with the Covenant for the Covenant to help them take control of the planet. Their planned meeting on [[Seoba]] happened to take place at the same time as [[Task Force Yama]] was performing training exercises, leading to [[Operation: ICE DANCE]] which ended the Insurrectionist plot on Seoba, though the Insurrectionists managed to escape with the help of [[Lieutenant Commander]] [[Hector Nyeto]] during the [[Battle of Seoba]]. As part of his original message to the Covenant, General [[Harper Garvin]] warned that the Spartans were responsible for the destruction of the ''[[Unrelenting]]'' and the ''[[Radiant Arrow]]'', causing the Covenant to realize that the most likely explanation was a boarding action and with Garvin's warning that the Spartans planned to do the same to the [[Fleet of Inexorable Obedience]], plan to prevent against such a thing happening again.<ref name="Silent Storm">'''[[Halo: Silent Storm]]'''</ref>
As the [[Outer Colonies]] began to [[Massacre of the Outer Colonies|fall one by one]], the [[UNSC]] decided to launch [[Operation: SILENT STORM]] to counterattack the Covenant and buy humanity some time to develop countermeasures against Covenant technology.{{Ref/Novel|Id=HSS5|HSS|Chapter=5}} At the same time, [[Insurrectionist]]s desired to forge an alliance with the Covenant and to protect Biko. To this end, they plotted to overthrow [[Biko]]'s government while making a deal with the Covenant for the Covenant to help them take control of the planet.{{Ref/Novel|Id=HSS6|HSS|Chapter=6}} Their planned meeting on [[Seoba]] happened to take place at the same time as [[Task Force Yama]] was performing training exercises, leading to [[Operation: ICE DANCE]] which ended the Insurrectionist plot on Seoba, though the Insurrectionists managed to escape with the help of [[Lieutenant Commander]] [[Hector Nyeto]] during the [[Battle of Seoba|skirmish]]. As part of his original message to the Covenant, General [[Harper Garvin]] warned that the Spartans were responsible for the destruction of the ''[[Unrelenting]]'' and the ''[[Radiant Arrow]]'', causing the Covenant to realize that the most likely explanation was a boarding action, and with Garvin's warning that the Spartans planned to do the same to the [[Fleet of Inexorable Obedience]], they planned to prevent against such a thing from happening again.{{Ref/Novel|Id=HSS9|HSS|Chapter=9}}


==Battle==
==Battle==
On March 26, [[2526]], the [[Fleet of Inexorable Obedience]] arrived at [[Biko]].<ref name="Silent Storm" /> Directly before their assault on Biko, the Covenant transmitted a message to the human colonists on its surface that stated "Your world will burn until its surface is but glass".<ref name="pad">'''[[Halo: Reach]]''', ''[[Data pads|Data pad #10]]''</ref>
On [[2526#March|March 20, 2526]], the [[Fleet of Inexorable Obedience]] arrived at [[Biko]].{{Ref/Reuse|HSS17}} Directly before their assault on Biko, the Covenant transmitted a message to the human colonists on its surface that stated "Your world will burn until its surface is but glass".<ref name="pad">'''[[Halo: Reach]]''', ''[[Data pads|Data pad #10]]''</ref>


Taking heed of the warning given by General [[Harper Garvin]], the Covenant fleet kept their fighter screen in close to prevent the Spartans from boarding their ships and destroying them from the inside. Biko's small space navy, mostly about fifty patrol frigates designed to disable smuggling ships, gathered on the dark side of the planet and attacked the Covenant force. Watching the battle from the {{Class|Point Blank|stealth cruiser}} {{UNSCShip|Vanishing Point}}, [[Fred-104]], [[Kelly-087]], [[Linda-058]] and [[John-117]] were confused by the choice in tactics as the Covenant fleet accelerated towards the human fleet rather than trying to send their fighters to break up the human formation before it could swarm the capital ships. The Covenant fighters kept a tight but brittle defensive shell around the capital ships that even a couple of frigates could break. While the move could blow through the human defense, they would lose more than a few ships doing it despite mainly having [[Covenant cruiser]]s and {{Class|CAS|assault carrier}}s that could take a half-dozen salvos without their shields even flickering.
Taking heed of the warning given by General [[Harper Garvin]], the Covenant fleet kept their fighter screen in close to prevent the Spartans from boarding their ships and destroying them from the inside. Biko's small space navy, mostly about fifty patrol frigates designed to disable smuggling ships, gathered on the dark side of the planet and attacked the Covenant force. Watching the battle from the {{Class|Point Blank|prowler}} {{UNSCShip|Vanishing Point}}, [[Frederic-104]], [[Kelly-087]], [[Linda-058]] and [[John-117]] were confused by the choice in tactics as the Covenant fleet accelerated towards the human fleet rather than trying to send their fighters to break up the human formation before it could swarm the capital ships. The Covenant fighters kept a tight but brittle defensive shell around the capital ships that even a couple of frigates could break. While the move could blow through the human defense, they would lose more than a few ships doing it despite mainly having [[Covenant cruiser]]s and {{Class|CAS|assault carrier}}s that could take a half-dozen salvos without their shields even flickering.{{Ref/Reuse|HSS17}}


As the Spartans realized that the Covenant likely knew about the planned boarding action and were protecting against it, the two sides began exchanging fire with the capital ships continuing to cocoon themselves in a screen of their fighters. As the two fleets tore into each other, evacuation ships began to launch from Biko and the Covenant fleet made no move to intercept, possibly because they could only evacuate a small percentage of Biko's population. Even as the two fleets engaged in close combat, the Covenant struggled to keep their fighter screen in place, continuing to worry about potential boarders.<ref name="SSC17">'''[[Halo: Silent Storm]]''', ''chapter 17''</ref>
As the Spartans realized that the Covenant likely knew about the planned boarding action and were protecting against it, the two sides began exchanging fire with the capital ships continuing to cocoon themselves in a screen of their fighters. As the two fleets tore into each other, evacuation ships began to launch from Biko and the Covenant fleet made no move to intercept, possibly because they could only evacuate a small percentage of Biko's population. Even as the two fleets engaged in close combat, the Covenant struggled to keep their fighter screen in place, continuing to worry about potential boarders.<ref name="SSC17">'''[[Halo: Silent Storm]]''', ''chapter 17''</ref>


As the battle continued to rage, [[First Blade]] [[Tel 'Szatulai]] met with the [[Insurrectionist]]s on the {{Class|Banta|transport}} ''[[Emmeline]]'' where Commandant [[Erland Booth]] attempted to threaten him into calling off the attack with a [[HAVOK tactical nuclear weapon]]. 'Szatulai killed Booth instead and the Insurrectionists attempted to negotiate with him for the Covenant's help in taking Biko, offering the HAVOK and the plans to the [[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor/Mark IV|Spartans' armor]]. 'Szatulai decided to pretend to agree, in reality using the rebels to gain more intelligence upon the Spartans in order to be able to destroy them.<ref>'''[[Halo: Silent Storm]]''', ''chapter 18''</ref>
As the battle continued to rage, [[First Blade]] [[Tel 'Szatulai]] met with the [[Insurrectionist]]s on the {{Class|Banta|transport}} ''[[Emmeline]]'' where Commandant [[Erland Booth]] attempted to threaten him into calling off the attack with a [[HAVOK tactical nuclear weapon]]. 'Szatulai killed Booth instead and the Insurrectionists attempted to negotiate with him for the Covenant's help in taking Biko, offering the HAVOK and the plans to the [[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor/Mark IV|Spartans' armor]]. 'Szatulai decided to pretend to agree, in reality using the rebels to gain more intelligence upon the Spartans in order to be able to destroy them.{{Ref/Novel|Id=HSS18|HSS|Chapter=18}} During the battle, Task Force Yama also lost five [[prowler]]s and the [[21st Space Assault Battalion|Black Daggers]] suffered heavy losses as well.<ref>'''[[Halo: Silent Storm]]''', ''pages 301-302''</ref>{{Ref/Note|On page 301 of ''[[Halo: Silent Storm]]'', its stated that [[Task Force Yama]] lost seven [[Prowler]]s and over four hundred Black Daggers at the battles of [[Seoba]] and Biko. Only the {{UNSCShip|Starry Night}} and {{UNSCShip|Ghost Star}} were lost at Seoba in terms of ships and one hundred and twenty seven Black Daggers were lost at Seoba, but an exact figure for the losses at Biko is not given, just that cumulatively it was over four hundred Black Daggers.}} The [[ODST]]s attempted to board and destroy the ''[[Purifying Flame]]'', though the attempt was foiled. The ODSTs that survived the boarding action were captured and later [[Tossers|tortured]] by [[Castor]] and [[Orsun]], two [[Jiralhanae]] [[Bloodstars]].{{Ref/Reuse|HSS21}}


After five days of battle, the Fleet of Inexorable Obedience defeated Biko's defenders, but lost five cruisers in the process. In addition, Biko's defenders destroyed the planet's orbital shipbuilding stations that [[Fleetmaster]] [[Nizat 'Kvarosee]] had hoped to take control of for his own fleet's usage. With Biko's defenses gone, the Covenant turned to [[glassing]] the planet.<ref name="SSC21">'''[[Halo: Silent Storm]]''', ''chapter 21''</ref>
After five days of battle, the Fleet of Inexorable Obedience defeated Biko's defenders, but lost five cruisers in the process. In addition, Biko's defenders destroyed the planet's orbital shipbuilding stations that [[Fleetmaster]] [[Nizat 'Kvarosee]] had hoped to take control of for his own fleet's usage. With Biko's defenses gone, the Covenant turned to [[glassing]] the planet. After 'Kvarosee ordered mass plasma strikes on Biko's capital city, the planet's atmosphere combusted, resulting in a blanket of flame that spread across the entire world.{{Ref/Reuse|HSS21}}


==Aftermath==
==Aftermath==
During the battle, part of [[Task Force Yama]] split off to destroy the [[Fleet of Inexorable Obedience]]'s logistics fleet at [[Etalan]].<ref name="SSC17" /> As a result of the successful destruction of most of the logistics fleet, the Covenant fleet was left low on carrier gas for their plasma without the ability to resupply, leaving the fleet vulnerable. To counter this, [[Fleetmaster]] [[Nizat 'Kvarosee]] called forth a new logistics fleet from the planet [[Zhoist]] while continuing the [[glassing]] to keep up the appearance that the fleet was unhindered.<ref name="SSC21" /> However, Nizat summoning the second logistics fleet along with the ''[[kelguid]]'' recovered from the wreckage of the {{Class|Intrusion|corvette}} ''[[Worthy Silence]]'' allowed Doctor [[Catherine Halsey]] to determine the location of Zhoist for Task Force Yama to attack.<ref>'''[[Halo: Silent Storm]]''', ''chapter 22''</ref> Realizing this, [[First Blade]] [[Tel 'Szatulai]] successfully urged Nizat to take the Fleet of Inexorable Obedience to Zhoist to help defend the planet.<ref name="SSC21" />
During the battle, part of Task Force Yama split off a detached that was sent to destroy the [[Fleet of Inexorable Obedience]]'s logistics fleet at [[Etalan]].{{Ref/Reuse|SSC17}} As a result of the successful destruction of most of the logistics fleet, the Covenant fleet was left low on carrier gas for their plasma without the ability to resupply, leaving the fleet vulnerable. To counter this, [[Fleetmaster]] [[Nizat 'Kvarosee]] called forth a new logistics fleet from the planet [[Zhoist]] while continuing the [[glassing]] to keep up the appearance that the fleet was unhindered.{{Ref/Reuse|HSS21}} However, Nizat summoning the second logistics fleet along with the ''[[kelguid]]'' recovered from the wreckage of the [[intrusion corvette]] ''[[Worthy Silence]]'' allowed Doctor [[Catherine Halsey]] to determine the location of Zhoist for Task Force Yama to attack.<ref>'''[[Halo: Silent Storm]]''', ''chapter 22''</ref> Realizing this, [[First Blade]] [[Tel 'Szatulai]] urged Nizat to take the Fleet of Inexorable Obedience to Zhoist to help defend the planet.{{Ref/Reuse|HSS21}}


After the battle over the planet, the debris field of human vessels was pushed over Biko's northern pole by the Covenant to allow their fleet to proceed [[glassing]] the planet unobstructed. Following the Human-Covenant War, a [[Fetching|fetcher]], [[Oliver Birch]] visited the debris field over Biko, to retrieve a [[saddle box|"saddle box" slipspace engine]] from the {{UNSCShip|Dresden}}, one of the {{Class|Marathon|heavy cruiser}}s that had participated in the engagement years prior.<ref name="tug">'''[[Halo: First Strike|Halo First Strike (2010)]]''', ''[[Tug o' War]]''</ref>
After the battle over Biko, the debris field of human vessels was pushed over Biko's northern pole by the Covenant to allow their fleet to proceed [[glassing]] the planet unobstructed. Following the Human-Covenant War, a [[Fetching|fetcher]], [[Oliver Birch]] visited the debris field over Biko, to retrieve a [[saddle box|"saddle box" slipspace engine]] from the {{UNSCShip|Dresden}}, one of the {{Class|Marathon|heavy cruiser}}s that had participated in the engagement years prior.<ref name="tug">'''[[Halo: First Strike|Halo First Strike (2010)]]''', ''[[Tug o' War]]''</ref>


After the battle, the AI collective known as the [[Assembly]] conducted an analysis of the Covenant's capability to glass a planet. While they concluded that the aliens could not possess firepower to literally melt the entirety of a planet's surface based on the firepower their warships demonstrated in [[Space warfare|space engagements]], they believed that introducing the term "glassing" to common parlance would more effectively stress the severity of the Covenant threat.<ref name="pad"/> The planet was later [[Terraforming|reterraformed]] by the [[Unified Earth Government]] by [[2558]].<ref name="HTT">'''Hunt the Truth''', ''Episode 08''</ref>
Sometime later, the AI collective known as the [[The Assembly|Assembly]] conducted an analysis of the Covenant's capability to glass a planet. While they concluded that the aliens could not possess firepower to literally melt the entirety of a planet's surface based on the firepower their warships demonstrated in [[Space warfare|space engagements]], they believed that introducing the term "glassing" to common parlance would more effectively stress the severity of the Covenant threat.{{Ref/Reuse|pad}} The planet was later [[Terraforming|reterraformed]] by the [[Unified Earth Government]] and was habitable by [[2558]].<ref name="HTT">'''Hunt the Truth''', ''Episode 08''</ref>
 
Some of the future [[SPARTAN-III]]s of [[SPARTAN-III Alpha Company|Alpha Company]], including [[Carter-A259]], were orphaned in the battle.<ref>'''[[Halo: Ghosts of Onyx]]''', ''page 70''</ref>
 
==Trivia==
*If it hadn't been for the [[Insurrectionist]] warning about [[Task Force Yama]]'s boarding strategy, the battle could've gone far worse for the Covenant. Because of the warning, the Covenant were able to adjust their tactics to compensate. While contemplating the battle and arguing with the [[Minor Minister of Artifact Survey]], [[Fleetmaster]] [[Nizat 'Kvarosee]] reflected that the warning may have saved the entire fleet from destruction while also arguing to the minor minister that they could've lost fifty ships instead of five.<ref>'''[[Halo: Silent Storm]]''', ''pages 279-280''</ref> As a result, if the Insurrectionists hadn't warned the Covenant, the UNSC might've been able to win the battle and save [[Biko]].


==List of appearances==
==List of appearances==
Line 64: Line 70:
*''[[Hunt the Truth]]'' {{Mo}}
*''[[Hunt the Truth]]'' {{Mo}}
*''[[Halo: Silent Storm]]'' {{1st}}
*''[[Halo: Silent Storm]]'' {{1st}}
*''[[Halo: Outpost Discovery]]'' {{Mo}}
==Notes==
{{Ref/Notes}}


==Sources==
==Sources==
<references/>
{{Ref/Sources}}


{{Human-Covenant War}}
{{Human-Covenant War}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Biko}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Biko}}
[[Category:Covenant Victories]]
[[Category:Battles of the Human-Covenant War|Biko]]
[[Category:Covenant victories|Biko]]

Latest revision as of 15:06, February 5, 2024

Previous:

Battle of Seoba

Concurrent:

Operation: SILENT STORM

Next:

Battle over Etalan

Battle of Biko

Conflict:

Human-Covenant War

Date:

March 20–25, 2526[1][2]

Location:

Biko

Outcome:

Covenant victory

  • Glassing of Biko
Details
Belligerents
Commanders

Unknown

Fleetmaster Nizat 'Kvarosee

Strength

Fleet of Inexorable Obedience (100+ ships)[1]

Casualties

Heavy

Five cruisers[2]

 

The Battle of Biko was a short engagement between the United Nations Space Command and the Covenant Fleet of Inexorable Obedience in 2526 during the Human-Covenant War at the human Outer Colony of Biko. It occurred concurrently with Operation: SILENT STORM.[1]

Background[edit]

As the Outer Colonies began to fall one by one, the UNSC decided to launch Operation: SILENT STORM to counterattack the Covenant and buy humanity some time to develop countermeasures against Covenant technology.[3] At the same time, Insurrectionists desired to forge an alliance with the Covenant and to protect Biko. To this end, they plotted to overthrow Biko's government while making a deal with the Covenant for the Covenant to help them take control of the planet.[4] Their planned meeting on Seoba happened to take place at the same time as Task Force Yama was performing training exercises, leading to Operation: ICE DANCE which ended the Insurrectionist plot on Seoba, though the Insurrectionists managed to escape with the help of Lieutenant Commander Hector Nyeto during the skirmish. As part of his original message to the Covenant, General Harper Garvin warned that the Spartans were responsible for the destruction of the Unrelenting and the Radiant Arrow, causing the Covenant to realize that the most likely explanation was a boarding action, and with Garvin's warning that the Spartans planned to do the same to the Fleet of Inexorable Obedience, they planned to prevent against such a thing from happening again.[5]

Battle[edit]

On March 20, 2526, the Fleet of Inexorable Obedience arrived at Biko.[1] Directly before their assault on Biko, the Covenant transmitted a message to the human colonists on its surface that stated "Your world will burn until its surface is but glass".[6]

Taking heed of the warning given by General Harper Garvin, the Covenant fleet kept their fighter screen in close to prevent the Spartans from boarding their ships and destroying them from the inside. Biko's small space navy, mostly about fifty patrol frigates designed to disable smuggling ships, gathered on the dark side of the planet and attacked the Covenant force. Watching the battle from the Point Blank-class prowler UNSC Vanishing Point, Frederic-104, Kelly-087, Linda-058 and John-117 were confused by the choice in tactics as the Covenant fleet accelerated towards the human fleet rather than trying to send their fighters to break up the human formation before it could swarm the capital ships. The Covenant fighters kept a tight but brittle defensive shell around the capital ships that even a couple of frigates could break. While the move could blow through the human defense, they would lose more than a few ships doing it despite mainly having Covenant cruisers and CAS-class assault carriers that could take a half-dozen salvos without their shields even flickering.[1]

As the Spartans realized that the Covenant likely knew about the planned boarding action and were protecting against it, the two sides began exchanging fire with the capital ships continuing to cocoon themselves in a screen of their fighters. As the two fleets tore into each other, evacuation ships began to launch from Biko and the Covenant fleet made no move to intercept, possibly because they could only evacuate a small percentage of Biko's population. Even as the two fleets engaged in close combat, the Covenant struggled to keep their fighter screen in place, continuing to worry about potential boarders.[7]

As the battle continued to rage, First Blade Tel 'Szatulai met with the Insurrectionists on the Banta-class transport Emmeline where Commandant Erland Booth attempted to threaten him into calling off the attack with a HAVOK tactical nuclear weapon. 'Szatulai killed Booth instead and the Insurrectionists attempted to negotiate with him for the Covenant's help in taking Biko, offering the HAVOK and the plans to the Spartans' armor. 'Szatulai decided to pretend to agree, in reality using the rebels to gain more intelligence upon the Spartans in order to be able to destroy them.[8] During the battle, Task Force Yama also lost five prowlers and the Black Daggers suffered heavy losses as well.[9][Note 1] The ODSTs attempted to board and destroy the Purifying Flame, though the attempt was foiled. The ODSTs that survived the boarding action were captured and later tortured by Castor and Orsun, two Jiralhanae Bloodstars.[2]

After five days of battle, the Fleet of Inexorable Obedience defeated Biko's defenders, but lost five cruisers in the process. In addition, Biko's defenders destroyed the planet's orbital shipbuilding stations that Fleetmaster Nizat 'Kvarosee had hoped to take control of for his own fleet's usage. With Biko's defenses gone, the Covenant turned to glassing the planet. After 'Kvarosee ordered mass plasma strikes on Biko's capital city, the planet's atmosphere combusted, resulting in a blanket of flame that spread across the entire world.[2]

Aftermath[edit]

During the battle, part of Task Force Yama split off a detached that was sent to destroy the Fleet of Inexorable Obedience's logistics fleet at Etalan.[7] As a result of the successful destruction of most of the logistics fleet, the Covenant fleet was left low on carrier gas for their plasma without the ability to resupply, leaving the fleet vulnerable. To counter this, Fleetmaster Nizat 'Kvarosee called forth a new logistics fleet from the planet Zhoist while continuing the glassing to keep up the appearance that the fleet was unhindered.[2] However, Nizat summoning the second logistics fleet along with the kelguid recovered from the wreckage of the intrusion corvette Worthy Silence allowed Doctor Catherine Halsey to determine the location of Zhoist for Task Force Yama to attack.[10] Realizing this, First Blade Tel 'Szatulai urged Nizat to take the Fleet of Inexorable Obedience to Zhoist to help defend the planet.[2]

After the battle over Biko, the debris field of human vessels was pushed over Biko's northern pole by the Covenant to allow their fleet to proceed glassing the planet unobstructed. Following the Human-Covenant War, a fetcher, Oliver Birch visited the debris field over Biko, to retrieve a "saddle box" slipspace engine from the UNSC Dresden, one of the Marathon-class heavy cruisers that had participated in the engagement years prior.[11]

Sometime later, the AI collective known as the Assembly conducted an analysis of the Covenant's capability to glass a planet. While they concluded that the aliens could not possess firepower to literally melt the entirety of a planet's surface based on the firepower their warships demonstrated in space engagements, they believed that introducing the term "glassing" to common parlance would more effectively stress the severity of the Covenant threat.[6] The planet was later reterraformed by the Unified Earth Government and was habitable by 2558.[12]

List of appearances[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ On page 301 of Halo: Silent Storm, its stated that Task Force Yama lost seven Prowlers and over four hundred Black Daggers at the battles of Seoba and Biko. Only the UNSC Starry Night and UNSC Ghost Star were lost at Seoba in terms of ships and one hundred and twenty seven Black Daggers were lost at Seoba, but an exact figure for the losses at Biko is not given, just that cumulatively it was over four hundred Black Daggers.

Sources[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Halo: Silent Storm, chapter 17
  2. ^ a b c d e f Halo: Silent Storm, chapter 21
  3. ^ Halo: Silent Storm, chapter 5
  4. ^ Halo: Silent Storm, chapter 6
  5. ^ Halo: Silent Storm, chapter 9
  6. ^ a b Halo: Reach, Data pad #10
  7. ^ a b Halo: Silent Storm, chapter 17
  8. ^ Halo: Silent Storm, chapter 18
  9. ^ Halo: Silent Storm, pages 301-302
  10. ^ Halo: Silent Storm, chapter 22
  11. ^ Halo First Strike (2010), Tug o' War
  12. ^ Hunt the Truth, Episode 08

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