The Battle of The Capital was a major conflict that took place on and around the capital, the political center of the Forerunner ecumene.
Battle
Around 100,043 BCE, the Contender-class artificial intelligence Mendicant Bias had been assigned to a mission to locate and attack the Flood Gravemind. As part of this mission, he was given control of a Halo installation and was charged with conducting the first test of such a weapon. After the test, however, Mendicant Bias disappeared with the ring and was not seen for decades.
Forty-three years later, Bias unexpectedly returned with the Halo to the Forerunner capital, having been led into rampancy by the Gravemind and driven toward the destruction of the Forerunner race. He infiltrated the capital's defense systems, deactivated all present ancillas and security constructs, and held the Ecumene Council hostage by overriding their armor and rendering them immobile.[1]
Bias was temporarily deactivated by Bornstellar Makes Eternal Lasting, who was host to the memories of the Didact and issued a verbal failsafe code. The capital was released from Mendicant's control, and began activating its defensive systems.[2]
Despite losing control of the capital, Mendicant Bias could still exert control over five of the twelve Halos in orbit around the capital. These installations immediately began charging their main weapons and positioning themselves around the capital in preparation to attack.[3][notes 1]
With the capital still recovering and the Council metarchy collapsed, the Forerunner defense fleet responded to the threat with lethal force. All ships in the area began attack runs on the stolen Halos. The monitors in charge of the Halo installations, programmed to respond to any threat to their installations regardless of their source, engaged in a counterattack.[4] Two of the Halos were destroyed due the heavy bombardment of the Forerunner fleet and the tidal forces of the capital.
The seven Halos still under Forerunner control were ordered to travel through a nearby slipspace portal and return to the greater Ark. One of them successfully made it through the portal intact, but was severely damaged by the stress of the transition.[5] The second in line was destroyed upon the arrival of a third fortress ship, just as it began to enter the portal.[6]
Aftermath
The outcome of the battle is largely unknown, as little information exists on events following Bornstellar's escape. It is known that at least one of the five Halos under Mendicant Bias' control was destroyed,[7] but it is unknown whether any of the remaining four were successfully fired. Of the seven Halos that attempted to escape, only one successfully entered the portal. There it joined another array of installations under the control of the Librarian.[8]
First Councilor and First Observer of the Court Splendid Dust of Ancient Suns was rescued from the capital by Warrior-Servant Glory of a Far Dawn, along with Bornstellar.[9] Bornstellar, now in possession of the Didact's memories and personality, went on to assume his role as the supreme commander of the Forerunner military.[10] Although the extent of the damage to the capital or the Council remains unknown, it has been mentioned that the Council was reconstituted shortly after the attack.[11]
Mendicant Bias survived the battle intact by retreating into a distant system aboard the Halo installation under its command. However, the Halo was later intercepted and seized by the Didact's forces. Mendicant Bias was captured and was subsequently forced to undergo a process to "correct" its rampancy.[12] However, it can be assumed that this effort was unsuccessful or Bias fell into rampancy again, as Mendicant Bias would later launch an assault on the Maginot sphere.[13]
List of appearances
- The Forerunner Saga
- Halo: Cryptum (First appearance)
- Halo: Primordium
Notes
- ^ Although any one of the five Halos could single-handedly have destroyed all Forerunner resistance, it can be assumed that by charging all of them at once, Bias intended to ensure that at least one of the rings successfully fired if the rest were destroyed.
Sources
- ^ Halo: Cryptum, page 300
- ^ Halo: Cryptum, page 303
- ^ Halo: Cryptum, page 307
- ^ Halo: Cryptum, page 313
- ^ Halo: Cryptum, page 316
- ^ Halo: Cryptum, page 320
- ^ Halo: Cryptum, page 314
- ^ Halo: Cryptum, page 335
- ^ Halo: Cryptum, page 304
- ^ Halo: Primordium, page 348
- ^ Halo: Primordium, page 374
- ^ Halo: Primordium, page 356
- ^ Halo 3, Terminal 6
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