Great Schism: Difference between revisions

|image=[[File:War.jpg|260px]]Covenant loyalist and separatist fleets battle over High Charity near [[Installation 05]]

|date= [[2552#November|November 2, 2552]]<ref group="note">The massacre of the Sangheili on Earth on October 20, 2552 (witnessed in ''Halo 3: ODST'') is regarded as an isolated incident leading up to the Schism, whereas the conflict at large is considered to have begun with the Sangheili's banishment from the Honor Guard and the subsequent outbreak of all-out hostilities within ''High Charity'' and its fleets on November 2.</ref> - Ongoing as of [[2559]]<ref name="Evolutions">'''[[Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe]]'''</ref>

The '''Great Schism''',<ref name="GoO">'''Halo: Ghosts of Onyx''', ''page 240''</ref> also known as the '''Covenant Schism''',<ref name="GoO245">'''Halo: Ghosts of Onyx''', ''page 245''</ref> or the '''Great Betrayal''' among the [[Sangheili]],<ref>'''Halo: Evolutions''', ''The Return'', ''page ???''</ref> was a major conflict between the forces loyal to the [[Covenant]] and [[Thel 'Vadam's Covenant faction|an association of separatists]], which split apart between [[2552|October 2552 and November 2552]]. During the Schism, three major factions fought for victory: [[human]]s and their Sangheili-led separatist allies; the remnants of the Covenant, led by the [[San 'Shyuum]] and the [[Jiralhanae]]; and the [[Flood]], which took over the Covenant holy city of [[High Charity]] in an effort to assimilate the other warring factions. The Schism marked both the end of the Covenant and the partition of its client species for a thousand years.<ref name="GoO245"/>

On November 17, the devastated [[UNSC Home Fleet]] attempted a last-ditch assault on the Prophet of Truth's [[Forerunner Dreadnought]], which had integrated with [[Portal at Voi|the Forerunner artifact]] that Regret had discovered nearly a month prior. This attack failed and a [[Unidentified Flood-captured battlecruiser|Flood-controlled battlecruiser]] crashed in [[Voi]] only moments after Truth's fleet entered the [[Slipspace portal|portal]] generated by the artifact. However, the separatist [[Fleet of Retribution]], led by [[Shipmaster]] [[Rtas 'Vadum]], arrived in pursuit of the cruiser; as the fleet glassed the city and its environs, the Sangheili and UNSC agreed to follow Truth beyond the portal.

*[[Installation 04]] is destroyed by [[United Nations Space Command|UNSC]] forces. Its [[Monitor]], [[343 Guilty Spark]], escapes to [[Threshold]]. The ''[[Fleet of Particular Justice]]'' is wiped out. The Fleet's secondary flagship, the ''[[Ascendant Justice]]'', is captured by humans.<ref>'''[[Halo: First Strike]]''', ''page ??''</ref>

*A [[Covenant]] artifact retrieval team led by [[Sesa 'Refumee]] is investigating a [[Threshold gas mine|Forerunner gas mine]] in Threshold's atmosphere when he encounters 343 Guilty Spark. Inspired by Spark's words, 'Refumee and his team [[Sesa 'Refumee's heretic faction|go into open rebellion]] against the [[Hierarchs|High Prophets]] of the Covenant.

*[[Thel 'Vadam|Thel 'Vadamee]], the Supreme Commander of the Fleet of Particular Justice, is tried before the [[High Council]] and sentenced to death. However, the [[Prophet of Truth|High Prophet of Truth]] overrides the Council and makes the Supreme Commander an [[Arbiter]] of the Covenant. Truth then sends him to kill Sesa 'Refumee and destroy his rebellion, which they dub "[[heretic|heresy]]".

*Moments after Regret's withdrawal, Jiralhanae within the Covenant forces quickly kill all Sangheili and seize control of the Covenant forces on Earth under secret orders of the Prophet of Truth.<ref>'''[[Halo Waypoint]]''', ''"Ten Twenty" history article''</ref>

*The Arbiter and a Spec Ops Commander, [[Rtas 'Vadum]]ee lead a team of [[Covenant Special Operations|Special Operations]] forces to Threshold, where they kill Sesa 'Refumee and successfully crush his rebellion.

 

*The Prophet of Truth's Jiralhanae-led reinforcement fleet arrives at Earth and starts the excavation of the [[Portal at Voi|Ark Portal]].<ref>'''Halo 3: ODST''', campaign level, ''[[Coastal Highway]]''</ref>

 

*''[[High Charity]]'' and its [[High Charity defense fleet|defense fleet]] arrive at Installation 05. Witnessing the assassination of the Prophet of Regret, the Prophet of Truth [[Changing of the Guard|replaces]] the [[Honor Guard]] [[Sangheili]] with [[Jiralhanae]]. Insulted, the Sangheili [[Councilor]]s threaten to resign from the High Council.

 

*The Arbiter and Tartarus are sent to retrieve Installation 05's [[Activation Index]]. The Arbiter successfully takes the Index, but Tartarus tries to kill him and takes the Index from him, having been secretly ordered to do so by the Prophet of Truth.

*Most of the Sangheili [[Councilor]]s are taken to the surface of Installation 05 where they are murdered by the [[Jiralhanae]].

*The Prophet of Truth transfers command of the [[Covenant fleet]]s to the Jiralhanae, while Tartarus declares war on the Sangheili, and the [[Battle of High Charity]] begins. Fighting between Sangheili and Jiralhanae forces breaks out all over High Charity. As word spreads, fighting takes place throughout the fleet, as Sangheili and Jiralhanae controlled ships attack one another.

*The [[Flood]] invade ''High Charity'' during the battle, entering the city's dome via precision [[Slipstream space|slipspace]] jump aboard {{UNSCship|In Amber Clad}} and its embarked [[D77-TC Pelican|Pelicans]]. The [[Prophet of Mercy|High Prophet of Mercy]] is attacked by an [[Flood infection form|infection form]] and abandoned by the Prophet of Truth, who now reigns as the Covenant's sole leader.

*Tartarus attempts to activate [[Installation 05|Halo]] by forcing Commander Keyes to insert the Index into the Control Room's [[The Core|Core]].

*The [[UNSC prowler]] ''[[UNSC Dusk|Dusk]]'' witnesses the battle between Sangheili and Jiralhanae held ships above [[Installation 05|Delta Halo]], both fighting each other pausing only to escalate an immediate outbreak of the [[Flood]] from the ringworld. Dusk subsequently flees the battle and links up with [[Patterson's battle group]] at Earth.

*[[Sangheili Major]] [[Voro Nar 'Mantakree|Voro 'Mantakree]] kills his [[Shipmaster]], [[Tano 'Inanraree]], while he is attempting to allow the [[Flood]] to enter the ship. He then assumes command of the ship, the ''[[Incorruptible]]'', and becomes the ''de facto'' leader of the ''[[Second Fleet of Homogeneous Clarity]]''. He leads his new forces to ''[[Joyous Exultation]]'', pursued by the [[Jiralhanae]] [[Gargantum]] and his ships.

*[[Imperial Admiral]] [[Xytan 'Jar Wattinree]] plans to lure the [[Jiralhanae]] leadership to the Sangheili base world [[Joyous Exultation]] and plans an ambush for them. He deploys the newly-promoted [[Fleet Master]] [[Voro Nar 'Mantakree]] to [[Onyx]] to recover the [[Forerunner]] technologies there and prevent the UNSC forces there from claiming it themselves. A [[NOVA bomb]] captured by the [[CSO-class supercarrier|supercarrier]] ''[[Sublime Transcendence]]'' devastates the planet moments after Mantakree's forces leave, the survivors joining Mantakree at Onyx.<ref name="GoO244">'''Halo: Ghosts of Onyx''', ''pages 244-245''</ref>

 

*The Forerunner Dreadnought enters [[Earth]]'s atmosphere. [[John-117]] ejects from the ship upon reentry, landing in the jungles near [[Mount Kilimanjaro]].<ref name="bnet"/>

*[[Battle of Voi]]. The Prophet of Truth uses the Forerunner Dreadnought to activate the Portal, and his loyalist fleet follows it through the portal. The [[Flood]]-infested Voi, only to be contained by the [[Fleet of Retribution|Sangheili fleet]].

*News spreads wide through Sangheili fleets, who take in some instances up arms against their Prophet escorts and, more widely, against the Jiralhanae.

*[[Battle of Installation 00]]: Truth and his loyalists arrive at the Ark, pursued by the Sangheili [[Fleet of Retribution]]. All of Truth's vessels are eventually destroyed over the Ark by the Sangheili fleet.

*[[Battle of the Citadel]]: The Prophet of Truth, the last Hierarch of the Covenant, is executed by Thel 'Vadam with help from the Flood. The Master Chief stops the Ark from firing the Halo rings.

*[[Raid on High Charity]]: High Charity is destroyed by the Master Chief after he overloads the city's main reactors causing them to detonate.

*[[Rtas 'Vadum]] evacuates all humans and Sangheili via the ''[[Shadow of Intent]]'', back to Earth.

*[[Raid on Installation 04B]]: Arbiter Thel 'Vadam, SPARTAN-117 and [[Avery Johnson|Sergeant Johnson]] battle to the [[control room]] of [[Installation 04B]]. Guilty Spark runs [[Rampancy|rampant]], killing Johnson before being subsequently destroyed by John-117. Installation 04B's Sentinels turn on the Master Chief, Thel 'Vadam, and the Sangheili. The unfinished Installation 04 is activated, devastating the Ark and destroying the entire local Flood infestation including the [[Gravemind]]. These final events ended the Human-Covenant War.

*The Master Chief, Cortana, and Thel 'Vadam escape the Ark. With their escape vessel, {{UNSCShip|Forward Unto Dawn}} cut in half upon slipspace transition, only Thel 'Vadam gets back to Earth.<ref name="Memorial">'''[[Halo 3]]''', campaign level, ''[[Halo (Halo 3 Level)#Eulogy|Halo]]''</ref>

*'''March 3''': [[Voi Memorial]]: the [[human]]s and the [[Sangheili]] make a memorial in [[Voi]] near [[Mount Kilimanjaro]] on planet Earth to commemorate those who were lost in the final battle at the Ark, while also serving as a small memorial for those lost in the rest of the war.

*Revolting Jiralhanae dissidents detonate an explosive in the state of [[Ontom]] on Sanghelios. Their attacks are quelled by the local militia. In the wake of this uprising, the [[Servants of the Abiding Truth]] attempt to overthrow the Arbiter. Their assault on the state of [[Vadam]] ignites a [[Sangheili civil war|brief civil war]] on the planet.  

*Shipmaster [[Jul 'Mdama]] establishes a [[Jul 'Mdama's Covenant faction|Covenant revival faction]] on [[Hesduros]]. Significant in strength, this remnant vehemently continues and pursues the work of the former Covenant's religion; worship, discovery and possession of [[Forerunner]] artifacts.

*'''March 5:''' Arbiter Thel 'Vadam and an elder [[Jiralhanae Chieftain]] called [[Lydus]] attempt to reach a peace agreement, but they are [[Battle of Ealen IV|attacked]] by [[Vata 'Gajat's mercenary group|a Covenant splinter group]] on [[Ealen IV]].<ref name="escalation1"/>

*A [[Unidentified Sangheili Shipmaster (The Return)|Sangheili Shipmaster]] returns to the partially-glassed human colony of [[Kholo]].<ref name="Evolutions" />