In addition to the odd edit that I may do, there's some other things concerning Halo that I've done;
Fiction
Among other fandoms I've posted some Halo fics on ff.net, my profile being here. There's also a timeline that I've done (see below), albeit for personal reference only. Anyway, here's said fics;
Oneshot: Pushed all the way back to the Ark and faced with extinction, two Forerunners ask the Flood a simple, yet pressing question...why?
Status: Complete
Hope: A world of shadows hiding secrets. A world that betrays its namesake. A world whose shadows must be confronted if humanity and the Covenant are to uncover its secrets...the shadows of their own nature.
Status: In progress
Last Updated: 2007-12-15
Oneshot: In the depths of the Ark, Adjutant Reflex had time...time to wander the paths of fate, to see the end of the universe as it reeled at the hands of the Flood...and see that which mattered most...
Status: Complete
Oneshot: Curiosity has always been part of the human psyche. If someone loses it, do they become less human? Can they regain it? Oneshot, based loosely on the Halo 3 ad of the same name.
Status: Complete
Oneshot: Was sacrificing 42 Spartans for 33 worth it? Some answers can only be created rather than delivered.
Status: Complete
Timeline
I'd create a specific page for this but it was deleted. Anyway, this is for personal reference and direction, providing easier access to dates and events than the current timeline template does. All fanon events are denoted by {}.
Forerunner-Flood War
-101,300 BCE (approx.): The Forerunners make first contact with the Flood, an extra-galactic race of parasites. It bites deep into their empire. The Maginot Line is established, billions of planets being on the wrong side of it. Work begins on the Halos as a last resort weapon, capable of eradicating all sentient life in the galaxy. However, they hope it won’t come to that. The indexing of sentient species for preservation begins.
-101,217 BCE: The AI known as 343 Guilty Spark is installed as the Monitor of Installation 04 (Alpha Halo).
-101,146 BCE (approx.): The AI Mendicant Bias is created to observe the Flood and find a solution to defeat them.
-101,110 BCE (approx.): Mendicant Bias crosses the Maginot Line to observe the Flood.
-101,107 BCE (approx.): An extensive ground action occurs on LP 656-38 e, a Forerunner world. Most of the Forerunners barricade themselves in the central government building-9,045 against more than 1,572,034,315 Flood. It’s estimated that they can hold out for 173 hours. Numerous smaller groups are in similar straits across the planet. It’s estimated that they can hold out for 9 hours on average.
-A Forerunner naval group engages Flood controlled ships near DM-3-1123. Although they succeed in destroying them, one ship makes landfall quickly gaining numerical superiority. After 32 hours of unabated ground combat, the fleet commences total destruction of the biosphere. Flood losses are total. Forerunner survivors come at .0006% of the original population.
-Didect contacts Librarian, the former involved in the indexing of species for preservation should the Halos be fired. While Didect urges Librarian to come back over the Maginot Line, Librarian stands firm, claiming that they’re close to preserving the galaxy’s sentient life.
-Bias observes a Flood/Forerunner naval engagement over CE-10-2165-d. Ill prepared to deal with the invading Flood forces, the Forerunner navy bombards the planet, eradicating its biosphere. Bias wonders where the nobility in this is and voices its thoughts. It realizes that something is speaking through it, some kind of sentient annomoly. It proceeds to investigate.
-101,106 BCE (approx.): Mendicant Bias makes a report that the half measures that the Forerunners are employing to stop the Flood are not sufficient to prevent their spread.
-A memoriam is sent to all Forerunner naval forces, detailing appropriate responses for various scenarios.
-Librarian urges Didect to activate the Halos, knowing that delaying such an action bears great risk. Didect refuses to carry out such genocide, maintaining that they can hold their own against the Flood, not to mention that their vow to protect life (the Guardianship/Mantle) still holds.
-Bias makes contact with LF.Xx.3273; the Flood Super Cell, a type of Compound Mind. It reveals that it has sent messages to the Forerunner before, but Bias has been the only one which responded. They begin negotions as to how the conflict between the Flood and Forerunners could be averted without violence.
-101,105 BCE (approx.): Didect contacts Librarian, saying that they’ve discovered the Compound Mind, how the Flood reacts to protect it. If they can draw the Flood out in the correct fashion, Bias can assault the creature when it’s vulnerable.
-101,104 BCE (approx.): A security breach occurs at Alpha site.
-The Compound Mind convinces Bias that the Flood are merely the product of universal evolution; as atoms form stars, chemical processes give rise to life. Simply part of a natural cycle in the cosmic order.
-Librarian comes across Earth and finds humanity. Construction on a portal to the Ark begins.
-The Cradle of Life occurs.
-101,103 BCE (approx.): Another memoriam is sent across the Forerunner fleet.
-Bias comes to the conclusion that the Flood is an irresistable force and that the Forerunners standing against the “inevitable progression of nature” is wrong. It commits itself to the Flood cause.
-The Flood no longer begin expanding in a wide radius but begin heading straight for the Ark. Librarian, having completed the portal, destroys the Keyships under his/her command. While Librarian can no longer reach the Ark via the portals, neither can the Flood.
-101,102 BCE (approx.): A Forerunner report concludes that their current Keyship strategy can only be maintained for another 75 years, the projected stalemate with the Flood lasting much longer. It suggests cutting fire breaks into the core worlds (eradicating their biospheres) could delay the Flood advance for 8 years. In addition, if they begin evacuation of their species to shelter complexes (eg. Onyx) now, this could be done within 65.25 years, give or take 2.5 years. Upon conclusion of the report, Mendicant Bias sends a message to Forerunner high command, mocking their civilisation and threatening them with imminant destruction.
-Librarian sends one final message to Didect, explaining that the portal to the Ark on Earth has been hidden. He reflects on the beauty of the planet.
-101,101 BCE (approx.): A Pioneer group is sent to explore a mysterious planet in the halo star region. All contact is lost shortly afterwards, probably due to Mendicant Bias. Its report establishes that the planet has no flora or fauna of any kind.
-101,100 BCE (approx.): The Flood and Forerunner fleets, commanded by Mendicant Bias and a new AI, Offensive Bias respectively, engage in one final engagement, the Flood desperate to stop the Ark (Installation 00) from remotely activating the Halos and the Forerunner determined to ensure that it comes to pass. Although the Flood outnumber the Forerunners 100s:1, their vessels are mostly civilian ships while the Forerunners have actual warships. Wave after wave is launched, the Forerunners holding their ground.
-Didect writes a final farewell to Librarian, reflecting bitterly how if they had perhaps taken a firmer stance against the Flood it may not have come to this last resort. The Halos are then activated, eradicating all sentient life in the galaxy.
-After twelve hours of combat the Forerunners have successfully held the line, though have lost many ships, many of them captured, while the Flood fleet is still at 79.96% combat effective. However, it’s at this point that the Halo wave reaches them, stripping both sides of their biological constructs. To top it off, Offensive Bias detonates the his ships that the Flood captured, further reducing the Flood’s combat effectiveness. Brought to relatively equal numbers, the two AIs begin one last battle of no quarter asked or given. Offensive Bias eventually succeeds, bringing its counterpart to the Ark for study.
-100,000 BCE (approx.): The indexed species are returned to their planets, At some point humans are designated as Reclaimers, intended to ‘reclaim’ the Forerunner’s legacy, the only species capable of using devices such as the Halos. However, the idea is never fully activated upon, the Forerunners realising that their time has come to an end, that it’s best that their legacy be forgotten. As Librarian once said in the Forerunner/Flood War, “we’ve been irresistable and immovable for too long. Maybe it is our turn to give.” They seemingly become extinct. The result is that while the Monitors believe humans to be aware of the Forerunners’ legacy, the reality is that they aren’t.
-Humans begin moving out of Africa to the continents of Europe and Asia.
-The San ‘Shyuum misinterpret the firing of the Halos as something to propel the Forerunners into an afterlife. They begin seeking ways to follow the “gods”’ footseps by locating and activating the “Seven Sacred Rings.”
Aftermath
-57,488 BCE (approx.): A meteor bearing Forerunner caligraphy crash lands on the world that will become known as Sigma Octanus IV.
-648 BCE: San 'Shyuum Reformers barricade themselves in the Forerunner dreadnaught on their homeworld, much to the chargrin of the Stoics. They depart from the planet, taking a significant portion of it with them. However, they have a very limited gene pool and as such, begin selective breeding. In time, the story that they fled when their planet's sun went nova becomes the accepted story.
-480 BCE: The Battle of Thermopylae occurs. An alliance of Greek city-states battles the invading Persian Empire at the pass of Thermopylae in central Greece. Vastly outnumbered, the Greeks hold back the Persians for three days in what will become known as one of history’s greatest last stands.
-1552: The San ‘Shyuum begin developing technologies that can increase their life spans.
-1945: The United Nations (UN) is formed.
-2004: The Haunted Apiary (past) occurs.
-Dead or Alive (past) occurs.
Iris
-2007, June 11: Adjutant Reflex, a “compound intelligence,” infiltrates Bungie forums by force, although claims that it has no hostile intent. This begins the Iris viral campaign.
-June 12: Adjutant Reflex creates a thread titled ‘Archive/Resource Estimate,’ with will be compiled in approximately 38 hours.
-June 13: Adjutant Reflex updates its thread with the text “tick tock.”
-June 14: Shortly after the deadline, Adjutant Reflex posts a cryptic poem titled “Look for the Signs, Keepers of the Flame.” A mysterious glyph is attatched to it.
-June 15: Society of the Ancients (SOTA) members, a group who look for ‘evidence’ of extraterrestrial activity on Earth, begin handing out flyers in New York, application forms including an email address. However, on the internet at least, the group seemingly doesn’t exist.
-June 16: SOTA members are spotted in Vancouver and London.
-June 17: Adjutant Reflex posts another threat titled “Macbeth”, stating that it has been attacked somehow. It announces that it will be able to deflect assault for 22 hours, giving a deadline.
-June 18: Reflex posts another thread, stating that someone stronger than him is going to defeat him.
-June 19: Reflex posts one last time (“HELP ME”) before announcing that security is failing and peril is near. References to the other entity are made, claiming how he’s a better machine. Suddenly, the messages cut off, the entity claiming that it has commandeered the matrix and “everything is within protocol.”
-June 20: A transmission is received on the forums, making reference to keys opening up “secrets of the past”, along with references to the Halos.
-June 21: AR’s symbol adorns the server, a transmission being made that hints of the Halos’ activation, even giving a transcript of the final moments before said activation.
-June 28: AR, now under the alias of Pulse (seemingly the new entity) makes a new post, referencing something “beating in the heart of the universe.”
-June 29: AR makes another post, seemingly announcing that he has no regrets. Seven minutes later, another post is made, stating “Adjutant Reflex is ended. This is a convenient matrix. For now.”
-July 4: Another glyph appears on the server, similar to AR’s one.
-July 6: Numerous adds appear on Google for a company called ‘Flood Containment Control.’ Attempts to access the links generate a recording of a phone conversation.
-July 7: The call number of ‘Flood Containment Control’ changes. A link is attatched that references ‘Flood Cleanup and the Air in your Home.’ A new recording is up.
-July 8: The number and recording change again.
-July 10: New servers open up, displaying a message hinting at the Flood’s intelligence. It warns that the fate that “we” lived is one that “you” may relive.
-July 26: A 'Star Image' and other symbols appear on the server, along with a text file titled "content_overwrite."
-August 2: The thumbnail for the Spartan Laser appears on the website. Upon clicking on it, it demands that it is waiting for sound output from the “initiate.”
-August 9: Server 4 opens on the site. There’s a recording of a conversation of the Flood’s biology, an image of a DNA sample thought to originate from a Chinese alligator, a star image that shows the “artifact location” and an image of the Boomerang Nebula, possibly where the Flood “came from.”
-August 10: A message is sent to the site, its origin claiming to be in the year 2552. It consists of both Latin and English words. The Latin words translate into “I lead humans doom of my own.” The first letter of each English word spells out GRAVEMIND.
-August 17: Server 5 opens, with a transcript concerning the uniqueness of what appears to be Earth and its inhabitants, two bi-sections of Earth, one of which appears to show the super-continent of Pangea, a Forerunner glyph and a message from something titled MB05032, claiming that it and all the answers lie in something called the Ark.
-Late August: An MSN claims that the Iris viral campaign has come to an end.
Conflict
-Mid 21st century: The first "smart" AI is developed.
-Early 22nd century: Vladimir Koslov is born. He will become an advocate of returning to communism.
-22nd century: Tensions begin to mount on Earth due to overpopulation. A number of new movements form, most notably the Koslovics (supporters of Vladmir Koslov, who sought to return to the glory days of communism and eradicate capitalist influence) and the Jovian Frieden, a group supporting neo-facism that had sprung up in opposition to the communist movement.
The Koslovics gain ground on the Jovian moons, having the backing of the United German Republic (due to ‘worker crusades’).
-Early 2142: The Unggoy are conscripted into the Covenant.
-2160, March: The Jovian Moons campaign begins, with Jovian secessionists attacking colonial advisors stationed on Io. Three way fighting begins between the Koslovics, Friedens and UN forces. With many of Earth’s nations sponsoring these colonies, fighting spreads to Earth with many proxy battles being fought.
-June: The Jovian Moons campaign ends.
-2162: The Rain Forest Wars begin, the largest conflict since WWII. UN, Jovian and Koslovic forces battle across South America, causing widespread famine. The conflict sparks smaller ones off-planet.
-2163, December: The Argyre Plantia Campaign begins, one of the many stem-offs from the Rain Forest wars. UN, Jovian and Koslovic forces clash on Mars. It marks the first extra-terrestial deployment of marines, resulting in unprecedented success for the UN. It’s likely that at this point the UNSC (United Nations Space Command) is formed, specialising in interplanetary operations.
-2164: The beginning of what will become known as the Interplanetary War. The UN begins a massive build up of their forces as well as increasing propaganda. UNSC forces systamaticly crush all Koslovic and Jovian forces on Earth and then defeat them systematicly throughout the solar system.
-The classic military novel A Soldier’s Tale: Rainforest Wars is published.
-2170: The war ends, the result being UN victory. All of Earth’s nations are brought under its leadership, resulting in a central world authority and government. In the aftermath of the war however, there’s a surge in population growth (post war ‘baby boom’) and South America is sufferring from widespread famine and a crippled infrastructure.
Expansion
-2291: A group of military researchers develop the Shaw-Fujikawa Slipspace Drive, providing practical means for humans to travel astronomical distances at faster than light travel without side effects (eg time dilution).
-2310: The Slipspace drive is revealed to the public for the first time, installed in the first line of colony ships. Given that conditions on Earth have been deteriorating due to overpopulation, hitching a ride out of the Solar System becomes an attractive option and there were many volunteers. The military is assigned to oversee the eager colonists, as their lack of activity is allowing funding to go to waste.
-2362, January 1: The Odyssey is launched, the first ship sent to colonise planets outside the Solar System. Many other ships follow in its wake. Colonists begin to terraform numerous planets.
-2390: The colonization of the Inner Colonies is fully underway. There are 210 human-occupied worlds in various stages of terraforming. The population burden is largely stabilized.
-25th Century: A series of absurdist dialetic plays are produced by the Cosmic Commedia Cooperative.
-2418: The Phoenix-class Cruiser-Carrier is designed.
-Late 2450s: Nils Thune is born.
-2460s: The soil productivity of the American Midwest begins to lower significantly. It applies pressure for the settlement of Harvest.
-2461: Margaret O. Parangosky is born.
-2468: The planet of Harvest is established as the 17th human colony, the Skidblandir transporting the first colonists. The ship, under the guidance of Loki, remains in the system to keep an eye on the establishment of infrastructure.
-2469: The Skidblandir departs from the system.
-2470s: Avery J. Johnson is born.
-Mid to late 2470s: At the age of six, Johnson loses his parents. He's taken under the care of his Aunt Marcille.
-Late 25th Century: The East African Protectorate makes an attempt at re-nationalisation.
-Early 2480s: Michael Stanforth is born.
-2488: By this stage Harvest has the highest per capita agricultural productivity rate of any colony.
-2490: By this stage, 800 worlds had been colonised by humanity situated through the Orion Arm and the Milky Way. Two distinct groups of planets form; the Inner Colonies (the earliest settlements and economic and political strongholds) and the Outer Colonies (less populated and the main sources of raw materials). It is in this period that the planet Reach becomes the UNSC’s primary naval yard and training academy.
The New Age
-Early 2490s: Catherine Elizabeth Halsey is born.
-2491: Rich is born.
-The planet Onyx is discovered, with high marks of approval for colonization.
-January: The Orion Project, the first part of the Spartan I program is initiated.
-2492: Franklin Mendez is born.
-2494: The Eridanus System experiences a rebel insurrection.
-2495: The UNSC takes control of the station Hopeful and adds fusion reactors and a Shaw-Fujukawa Slipspace Drive, turning the craft into the largest mobile battlefield hospital in history.
-Mid 2490s: Jacob Keyes is born.
-2496: The UNSC beats down the Eridanus rebellion at the cost of four destroyers. The rebels’ base is never found and piracy continues.
-2503: Jake Courage is born.
-2505: Operation: KALEIDOSCOPE, the assassination of Jarald Mulkey Ander, occurs without a hitch.
-Mid 2500s: At the age of 15, Halsey writes her third doctoral thesis paper.
-2509: The Pillar of Autumn is constructed over Mars.
-{2510: Mina Harwood is born}.
-Early 2510s: Some of the children who will be entered into the Spartan II Program are born.
-2511: John is born
-On Onyx, Forerunner artifacts are found during routine excavations in Zone 67. ONI take imidiate interest in the planet, classify its existence and shut it off from all outsiders.
-2512: A geological survey team on Sigma Octanus IV finds rocks with odd compositions-these were introduced from meteor impacts roughly 60,000 years earlier.
-2513: The second insurrection in the Eridanus System, led by Colonel Robert Watts, is surpressed by the UNSC in Operation: Trebuchet. Watts is then driven into the local asteroid belt.
-Colonel Ponder leads a force into Elysium City to retrieve an 'Innie'. A confrontation develops and due to an over-eager sniper, a grenade his detonated, losing his arm and rank to Captain.
-Brain mutations are outlawed by the UNSC Med Corps.
-{2515: Ardo Izira is born}.
-2516: Jacob Keyes enlists in the Luna OCS Academy.
-{Tara Izira is born}.
-2517: Keyes’ CO performs a test to make slipspace jumps more accurate. Due to over-eagerness and poor mathamatics it goes awry, costing the lives of fourteen Ensigns and putting Keyes in rehabilitation for plasma burns. Despite overwhelming evidence, he refuses to testify. The lieutenant is still court-martialed just the same though.
-Early July: Jacob Keyes graduates from the OCS.
-Early August: Much against his will, John is forced to play chess. He easily beats every opponent that comes his way.
-August 17: Lieutenant Jr. Grade Jacob Keyes is awakened by AI Toran from cryogenic sleep along with Dr. Catherine Halsey onboard the Han in the Eridanus System. Halsey and Keyes descend to the surface of Eridanus II to meet John in a playground in Elysium City. He’s given a simple test to determine whether he will be one of 75 out of 150 possible candidates to become a Spartan II. He passes with flying colours.
-September: Keyes begins to gain insight into the nature of Halsey’s work. He’s therefore transferred to the UNSC Magellan with a promotion to Lieutenant for his trouble.
-September 23: Project: SPARTAN II begins on Reach with 75 conscripts. This is part of an effort to develop an effective, surgical military team in order to prevent rebellion in the Outer Colonies. The children are briefed by Halsey and sent to bed, fatigued from slipspace travel.
-September 24: Training begins for the Spartan II recruits under Chief Petty Officer Mendez. The day includes runs and excercises with Mendez and Deja letting the children view the Battle of Thermopolye. In the game ‘Ring the Bell’ John-117 is paired up with Samuel-034 and Kelly-087. Due to John’s lack of teamwork they come last in the exercise and are denied dinner.
-September 25: Training progresses much the same way. Deja shows the children some (holographic) wolves stalking and bringing down a moose. ‘Ring the Bell’ is played again. John, Kelly and Sam grasp the concept of teamwork and finish third.
-2519, July 12: The Spartan IIs embark on an exercise of navigation, having to find their way to a dropship which will take them back to base. The last one to make it however, will be left behind. John is determined that this won’t happen.
The Spartans link up and march towards the extraction point. They reach it and find the dropship, guarded by two ununiformed soldiers. Given their lack of identification, John and the other Spartans think that they’re rebels. They knock them out and all fly off in the dropship.
-John is debriefed by Mendez and Halsey. Although Mendez is pissed at his actions, Halsey is impressed with his innovation. He’s made Squad Leader.
-2520s: Work begins on the Sparrowhawk.
-Mid 2523: Courtesy of increasing Insurrection activity, Jilian al-Cyngi's workload begins to shoot up.
Contact Harvest
-2524, Mid June: Insurrectionists hit the luxury liner National Holiday above Reach, detonating explosives against its hull. The ship plummets into Reach's atmosphere, burning up via re-entry. ONI manages to portray it as a tragic accident.
-June 16: A Marine force launches a raid against Insurrectionist forces on Tribute. Although the rebels are neutralised, the bombs they planeted are not, resulting in civilian and Marine casualties.
-August 7: Marcille passes away.
-August 10: Avery Johnson arrives in Chicago, Earth, after the botched operation on Tribute. He goes to visit his aunt Marcille, only to find that she passed away three days ago. In grief, he goes on a drinking spree.
-September 2: The UNSC Horn of Plenty emerges from slipspace in error, courtesy of a radiation leak and sends out a distress beacon. It is all for nothing however, the ship being attacked and captured by a Covenant vessel.
-September 3: The ship's navigation box is retrieved by the Covenant forces, its contents analyzed by the Huragok Lighter than Some. It finds the vessel's point of origin. The Covenant ship (Minor Transgression) heads off to obtain more spoils.
-September 16: Horn of Plenty's' signal reaches Harvest, being recieved by the AI Sif.
-December 21: The UNSC Two for Flinching, carrying Johnson and many others, arrives at the Epsilon Indi System. Simultaniously, al-Cyngi is briefed by the AIs Sif and Mack.
-Late December: Minor Transgression launches a raid on the freighter This End Up, killing its captain Henry Gibson. Awhile later, Sif reports the attack to al-Cyngi, both realising that it was the only ship in the area with a human crew.
-2525: Antonio Silva joins the UNSC Marine Corps. He’s given the rank of a commissioned officer and placed in command of an ODST platoon.
-Early January: The Prophet of Restraint impregnates a female San 'Shyuum, despite his defective genes not allowing him to do so. With the mother refusing an abortion, a scandal starts brewing over the issue.
-January 2: Johnson and co. begin training Harvest's Colonial Militia.
-January 16: The militia goes on another march, this time with 25kg rucksacks. In the aftermath, Johnson and Ponder attend Harvest's Solstice Celebration. Johnson is briefed by al-Cygni as to why he and Byrne are here; to prevent Insurrection attacks on UNSC freighters.
-January 17: The Minor Transgression attacks another human ship (the Bulk Discount), said human ship having the Walk of Shame in support and hosting not only Johnson and Byrne but also an arsenal of weapons. The aliens are repelled (though Johnson recieves a fractured skull) and the ship destroyed, though Dadab and Lighter Than Some are able to escape in a escape pod after making a report on the relics they've found.
-Jenkins, Forsell, Wick and Andersen begin target practice.
-The Ministry of Fortitude holds a statistic-based meeting. The Minister of Fortitude takes stimulants to help him through the ordeal.
-January 18: Fortitude wakes up, the 'hangover effect' of the stimulants taking hold. The Vice Minister of Tranquility alerts him to the Luminary detections made by Minor Transgression. They resolve to use them to usher in an Age of Reclamation and secure their position as the next trio of Heirarchs.
-The Walk of Shame is sent to Reach to request that FLEETCOM send a battle group in the case of first contact escalating into bloodshed.
-January 19: Johnson regains conciousness and is debriefed by Thune and al-Cygni. Johnson resolves to accelerate the militia's training.
-January 20: Sif analyses what she knows concerning what's happened in the last four days. Mack answers the questions for her, informing her as to his true nature in regards to the AI Loki.
-Late January: Dadab and Lighter Than Some are picked up by the Brute controlled Rapid Conversion.
-February 3: One of Harvest's orbital platforms detects an object of unknown origin ( possibly the Rapid Conversion) entering the system. All contact is lost soon after. After failing to re-establish contact, the Colonial Military Administration sends the Argo, a UNSC scout ship, to investigate.
-Feburary 9: Just after the militia finishes a training excercise, Rapid Conversion arrives at the planet. It scans symbols on a freighter, interpreting them correctly as a peace offerring. They accept it, glyphs indicating the presence of an Oracle on the planet.
-At the militia's victory dinner, Ponder informs them of the recent events of first contact and how they are to deal with it if necessary.
-Feburary 11: The Jiralhanae meet with the delegation Thune's provided. Despite the difficulties of communication, it's made clear that the aliens want the planet ceded to them so that they may obtain the relics detected. With automatic fire suddenly ringing out, events get out of hand, both sides opening fire at each other. The battle breaks off, Maccabeus sending a message to High Charity.
Human-Covenant War
-March 6: Onyx is declared “classified” by ONI.
-March 9: The Spartan IIs undergo a radical series of biological, neurological and psychological augmentations. 30 die, 12 are permanently disabled, 33 successfully adapt to the alterations.
-March 30: Onboard the UNSC Atlas, the surviving Spartans hold a memorial service for those who died in augmentation.
-April 1: Onboard the Atlas the surviving Spartans begin a daily routine of stretching, isometric exercises, light sparring, drills and lots of eating, having to consume five high-protein meals per day.
-April 20: The Argo’s last transmission confirms that it entered the system that Harvest. All contact is lost soon after. The CMA then sends a battle group to investigate.
-April 22: While exercising in the gym of the Atlas John is attacked by four ODSTs as part of an exercise to test his new abilities. He ends up inadvertently killing them.
-September 11: At Reach, Mendez shows Halsey take on a squad of soldiers wearing Mark I MJOLNIR armour in a Capture the Flag Scenario. They’re successful, like many other occasions. Their augmentations have made them stronger than anticipated. Halsey determines that it’s time for their first real mission.
-September 12: The Spartans receive their first “official” mission; to infiltrate the rebel base in the Eridanus asteroid belt and capture Colonel Robert Watts. John is promoted to the rank of Petty Officer Third Class and selects Sam, Linda, Kelly and Fred to join him on the mission.
-September 14: John and his team successfully infiltrate the rebel base. Dispatching anyone who gets in their way, they successfully find Watts, eliminate his guards and sedate him, although John is wounded in the process. They escape with Watts in a Pelican as Sam detonates some C-12 charges, exposing the base to the vacuum of space.
-October 7: The UNSC battle group enters the system and discovers that the once lush world of Harvest has become a cratered, barren desert with presumably all 3 million lives lost. They find the Covenant ship responsible for the colony’s destruction, which engages them. The Arabia and Vostok are quickly destroyed. Only the badly damaged Heracles escapes. It bears a pre-translated message from the Covenant; “Your destruction is the will of the gods and we are their instrument.”
-November 1: The UNSC is ordered to full alert. Vice Admiral Preston Cole begins massing the largest space fleet in human history to retake Harvest.
-November 2: Admiral Stanforth briefs the Spartans on the attack of the Covenant at Harvest, thus accelerating the implementation of Project: MJOLNIR. Mendez leaves to train another group of Spartans, he and John giving their final farwells.
-November 12: En route to the Damascus Materials Testing Facility on Chi Ceti IV to receive MJOLNIR on the UNSC Commonwealth, the Spartans begin on numerous minor missions. These include putting down rebel factions on Jericho VII and removing a black market bazaar near the Roosevelt military base.
-November 26: The Spartans learn the location of their destination.
-November 27: En route to the testing facility, the Commonwealth is attacked by a Covenant ship. Both ships open fire, although while the Covenant ship’s pulse lasers succeed in doing damage, the Commonwealth’s Archer Missiles are completely ineffective against the enemy’s shield. The MAC Cannon is deployed but while it damages the Covenant ship it fails to destroy it, allowing them to respond with guided plasma. As a last ditch effort Longsword fighters deploy a timed nuke, damaging the ship enough to force it to retreat.
-The Spartans receive MJOLNIR Mark IV armour and begin training, their senses and movements radically augmented. However, the Covenant ship returns, cutting the training short. With the Commonwealth’s weapon systems down, John proposes that they destroy it from the inside. Suiting up in Mark IV EVA variant suits, he, Sam and Kelly successfully board the Covenant ship, carrying an Anvil-II-air-to-surface missile. Dispatching Jackels that get in their way (although Sam is injured). They set it to detonate at the ship’s reactor. Sam stays behind to ensure its detonation; his suit having been breached, he’d die from decompression in the vacuum of space. John and Kelly escape before the ship is destroyed, taking Sam along with it.
-John, Kelly and Sam destroy a Covenant ship by carrying an Anvil-II air-to-surface missile and detonate it inside the ship’s engine room, destroying the ship. Due to damage sustained to his armour, Sam is unable to escape, thus volunteering to stay behind and detonate the warheads.
-2526: Work begins on the MJOLNIR Mark V armour.
-{The existence of the Covenant is publically acknowledged}.
-Late 2520s: Colonel James Ackerson is transferred to ONI.
-2527: Jane is born.
-March 20: Benjamin N. Nunez is born.
-2528: Construction Platform 966A is decommissioned.
-The MJOLNIR Mark V(m) variant (aka “Security Armour”) enters production.
-2530: Eridanus II is glassed by the Covenant.
-Rani Sobeck is born.
-2531: Vice Admiral Cole’s fleet engages the Covenant forces at Harvest. He succeeds but it costs him two thirds of his fleet despite outnumbering the Covenant 3:1. Upon his return to Earth and promotion to Admiral, Cole learns that a number of outlying colonies have been destroyed, leaving no survivors. He therefore turns his fleet around, trying to intercept the invaders.
-Halo Wars occurs.
-{Harwood graduates from uni with a degree in biotechnology. She’s ‘recruited’ by ONI}.
-May 1: Spartan II Blue Team attack Camp New Hope, a United Rebel Front base located on Victoria in the 111 Tauri System, killing rebel leader General Howard Graves.
-November 7: Spartans Kurt-051, Kelly-087 and Fred-104 are dispatched to investigate Construction Platform 966A for potential rebel activity. The mission is a ruse and Kurt is abducted by ONI to lead the Spartan III project. Kurt is declared MIA.
-December 19: Nicole is born.
-December 27: 497 recruits arrive at Camp Currahee on Onyx, beginning the Spartan III program under the command of Lieutenant Ambrose (Kurt-051). Many of these recruits will go on to form Alpha Company.
-2533: Tom and Lucy are born.
-{Late December: Subject SR-048 becomes “problematic.”}
-{2534, December 25: Christmas comes to Hope. For the scientists on the Aeros, Santa Claus is stingy}.
-{December 29: Shadows of Hope begins}.
-2535: By this stage, virtually all of the Outer Colonies have been annihilated, Cole’s fleet being outgunned. The Cole Protocol is established by military order.
-The UNSC begins to rely on private firms to produce war material.
-Febuary 9: John-117 and his team of Spartans deploy in a Pelican dropship to fight against Covenant ground forces on Jericho VII.
-February 12: Despite overwhelming success on the ground, the UNSC forces in orbit take heavy losses and retreat. Jericho VII falls. John-117, safely onboard the UNSC destroyer Resolute under Captain de Blanc, is allowed to watch as the Covenant fleet glasses the planet. -2536: The Covenant begins to swarm into the Inner Colonies.
-Project: HAYABUSA concludes with the development of the Hayabusa Powered Armour variant; an answer to the issue of self-contained power in the MJOLNIR series.
-2537: An insurrection occurs on Mamore. Spartan III Alpha Company puts it down.
-The Battle of New Constantinople is fought.
-Actions take place in the Bonanza Asteroid Belt.
-Operation: PROMETHEUS occurs. Spartan III Alpha Company wipes out a Covenant shipyard but suffers 100% casualties. In response, Spartan III Beta Company is authorised.
-The Brute Spiker (Type-25 Carbine) is issued.
-2539: Spartan III Beta Company training begins.
- 2540, May: Fhajad, now employed by ONI, writes a paper on dimensional mass compressions in slipspace.
-2541: The UNSC abandons Emerald Cove due to the danger of the Covenant.
-2545: Operation: TORPEDO takes place. Spartan III Beta Company disables a Covenant shipyard, at the cost of 298 casualties out of the original 300. Only Tom-B292 and Lucy-B091 survive, with post-traumatic stress disorder rendering Lucy mute. -February 9: John-117 and his team of Spartans deploy in a Pelican dropship to fight against Covenant ground forces on Jericho VII. -February 12: Despite overwhelming success on the ground, the UNSC forces in orbit take heavy losses and retreat. Jericho VII falls. John-117, safely onboard the UNSC destroyer Resolute under Captain de Blanc, is allowed to watch as the Covenant fleet glasses the planet. -2546: Tom and Lucy join the team of trainers for the upcoming Spartan III Gamma Company.
-Late 2540s: Cortana comes online.
-2548: Roland Huffman joins the UNSC Marine Corps.
-June 6: Nunez joins the UNSC Marine Corps.
-2549: The Covenant lays siege to Paris IV.
-2550: The Pillar of Autumn is refit to serve near the Zeta Doradus System.
-Cortana and Solipsil have a conversation as to the nature of the Spartans when compared to their own.
-2551: Pawel Czernek joins the UNSC Marine Corps.
-Ensign William Lovell is assigned to the UNSC Remote Scanning Outpost Archimides, situated in the Sigma Octanus System.
-February 20: Spartan III Gamma Company undergoes augmentations on the UNSC Hopeful.
-Ensign William Lovell is assigned to the UNSC Remote Scanning Outpost Archimides, situated in the Sigma Octanus System.
-Early 2552: Spartan II Gamma Company receives its orders.
The Beginning of the End
-July 17, 2552: The Battle of Sigma Octanus IV begins.
-July 18: The UNSC defeats the Covenant at Sigma Octanus IV. Having played an instrumental role in its initial defence, Commander Jacob Keyes is promoted to the rank of Captain. However, the Covenant have secretly planted a tracker on the UNSC Iroquois.
-August 12: John-117 and Corporal Harland are debriefed by ONI at Camp Hathcock, Reach, concerning the events at Cote D’Azur during the battle of Sigma Octanus IV.
-August 25: Dr. Halsey and Cortana choose the UNSC Pillar of Autumn with Captain Keyes as its commander for a secret mission that Halsey is planning.
-August 27: All the remaining active Spartan IIs (apart from Grey Team) gather at the FLEETCOM Military Complex on Reach, where they learn of their next mission; to acquire a Covenant vessel, navigate to the Covenant homeworld and capture a member of their leadership caste so that a truce can be negotiated.
-August 29: John-117 receives a neural interface upgrade, Mark V MJOLNIR armour and is introduced to Cortana.
-August 30: The Covenant arrives at Reach and the Battle of Reach begins. Despite taking heavy losses from the 150+ UNSC ships, along with the 20 orbital defence platforms, the Covenant are able to send teams to the surface, taking the guns offline and thus ensuring victory. The bulk of the Spartans are killed in the action, although John-117 and the Pillar of Autumn escape. On the surface, Frederic-104 leads the remnants of Red Team, although it’s separated into two groups; one group links up with Dr. Halsey in CASTLE Base while the others rescue Vice Admiral Whitcomb. Those with Halsey receive aspects of the Mark V armour upgrade (effectively Mark 4.5).
Cortana follows the star chart from the crystal recovered from Sigma Octanus and sets the course to the destination planned. As it’s not a direct violation of the Cole Protocol, she’s able to execute it. Meanwhile, Halsey learns of a plan of Ackerson that involves the Spartan IIs, giving the coordinates for Onyx.
-September 4: Lieutenant Wagner arrives on Earth and makes his report on Reach’s destruction.
-September 7: Dr. Halsey and members of Red Team discover an enigmatic shard in a Forerunner installation below CASTLE Base. Covenant forces besiege them.
The Time/Date Record Anomaly of September 23 rejoins the timeline.
-September 12: The Gettysberg/Ascendent Justice arrives for refit and provisioning in the Eridanus System and meet with the system’s rebels. Halsey sedates Kelly-087 and sets off in Governor Jiles’ personal ship for Onyx. Before doing so, she gives the shard to Corporal Locklear with implicit orders to destroy it.
-September 13: The UNSC wins the Battle of the Unyielding Hierophant, destroying the bulk of the Covenant fleet poised to assault Earth. The survivors, set off for Earth to warn of the impeding Covenant invasion, knowing that they’ve only delayed the inevitable.
-September 19: The Flood begins.
-September 20: Breaking Quarantine occurs.
-The Last Voyage of the Infinite Succor occurs.
-September 21: The Flood ends.
-September 22: John-117 and Cortana, onboard a Longsword in the debris field of the destroyed Halo, find one remaining Pelican containing Sergeant Johnson, Lieutenant Haverson, Warrant Officer Polaski, Corporal Locklear and a set of cryo-tubes containing Linda-058.
-September 23: The group capture the Covenant ship Ascendant Justice for Reach. A Date/Time Anomaly begins here, resolved above on September 7.
-September 25: The survivors of the Gettysburg arrive at Earth.
-Early October: The Haunted Apiary (present) begins.
-Armour Testing occurs.
-October 20: The Haunted Apiary (present) ends.
-The First Battle of Earth occurs, ending with UNSC victory, although New Mombassa is completely destroyed. In Amber Clad pursues the Prophet of Regret.
-Second Sunrise over New Mombassa occurs.
-Late October: The base known as High Ground is reactivated.
-October 21: Led by the Arbiter, Covenant forces quash a group of heretics, recovering 343 Guilty Spark.
-Late October: Work begins on a number of Mark VI MJOLNIR variants.
-October 29: The Battle of Delta Halo occurs, resulting with the Prophet of Regret’s assassination.
-The Arbiter retrieves the Index, but is betrayed by Tartarus. Keyes and Johnson are captured.
-October 30: High Charity is overrun by the Flood, but the Prophet of Truth and John-117 escape in a Forerunner ship. Cortana is left in the city. Meanwhile, Tartarus tries to activate Installation 05 but is stopped by Keyes, the Arbiter and Johnson. However, the interrupted firing sequence places all other installations on standby status, ready for remote activation from the Ark.
-October 31: The Battle of Onyx begins.
-Early November: The (Forerunner?) Beastiarium is written.
-The C (CQB), V (EVA), EOD, Hayabusa, S (Scout), A (Rogue) and R (Recon) variants of Mark VI MJOLNIR armour are produced.
-November 3: The Battle of Onyx ends.
-November 4: Uprising begins.
-November 5: Uprising ends.
-Landfall occurs.
-November 6: Halo 3 begins.
-2553, January 6: The Battle of the Ark occurs.
-January 7: John awakens in what remains of the frigate, beholding the aftermath of the destroyed ship, how, along with the remains of the Halo ring, it’s stuck in slipspace. Installing Cortana in the ship’s mainframe he goes into cryo-sleep, telling Cortana to “wake me when you need me.”
-March 3: The Arbiter arrives back on Earth in his part of the frigate, the Human-Covenant War ending. Those who died in the war are honoured, a memorial being established near the site of the Ark. The Elites return to their homeworld in the aftermath, leaving humanity to rebuild.
Rebuilding
-2555: Tomas Navarro joins the UNSC Marine Corps.
-2556, September 25: The musical event Believe takes place in the UNSC Symphony Hall. Performed by the UNSC Symphony Orchestra, it honours John-117 and his service to the UNSC.
-2567: Navarro retires from the Marine Corps with the rank of Sergeant.
-2573: Huffman retires from the Marine Corps with the rank of Major.
-2581: Czernek retires from the Marine Corps with the rank of Major.
-2607: Work begins on a diorama which commemorates the Human-Covenant War.
-2610: The diorama is completed, being placed in the Museum of Humanity.
-27th Century: Chronicles occurs.