Pious Rampage
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2,118 metres (6,950 ft)[4] |
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746 metres (2,450 ft)[5] |
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Pious Rampage was a CAS-class assault carrier serving the Covenant and flagship of the Fleet of Inexorable Obedience near the start of the Human-Covenant War. It was commanded by then-Fleetmaster Nizat 'Kvarosee.[1]
History
Razing Etalan
- Main article: Attack on Etalan
When the Pious Rampage and the rest of the Fleet of Inexorable Obedience arrived in the Igdras system in March 2526, Fleetmaster Nizat 'Kvarosee set his sights on the human colony of Etalan, facing little to no resistance. By March 8, 2526, fleet was methodically glassing the world, taking care to destroy Etalan's sole spaceport before any civilians could evacuate.[7][1] Due to the fact that Etalan's population was thinly spread between one hundred thousand nomadic villages, the process of cleansing each settlement would take a while to complete. Over a week later, only 47,912 of these settlements had been glassed. The Minor Minister of Artifact Survey, who had been overseeing the planet's destruction from aboard the Pious Rampage, began to tire of the slow pace. To expedite the destruction, 'Kvarosee suggested that they target Etalan's enormous shield volcano that rested near its equator. Such an action could trigger an eruption large enough to fill the planet's skies with smoke and ash, slowing suffocating the remaining colonists in the resulting nuclear winter. Liking this plan, the San'Shyuum gave the order and the volcano was bombarded.[1]
As 'Kvarosee and the Minor Minister were observing the destruction from the Pious Rampage, First Blade Tel 'Szatulai of the Silent Shadow approached the fleetmaster with a message from General Harper Garvin of the United Rebel Front. Garvin revealed that Spartan-IIs were responsible for the mysterious loss of two of his ships, and that they intended to destroy 'Kvarosee's fleet at Biko, further proposing to help eliminate the Spartans if the Covenant left their worlds alone. 'Kvarosee had 'Szatulai assemble a kai'd to hunt down the Spartans and meet with Garvin on Biko's moon of Seoba.[1]
The Pious Rampage and the Fleet of Inexorable Obedience then moved to the nearby Kolaqoa system, leaving its logistics fleet of fifteen support vessels at Etalan where 'Kvarosee believed they would be safe. As had been intended, the plasma bombardment caused the volcano to violently erupt and cover the planet in clouds of ash. By March 26, all that was left of the volcano was an immense lake of lava.[8]
Assault on Biko
- Main article: Battle of Biko
On March 20, 2526, the Fleet of Inexorable Obedience arrived at Biko. From the bridge of the Pious Rampage, Nizat 'Kvarosee directed his fleet to approach the planet and engage its meager defense forces. Following attacks made by the Spartan-IIs over Netherop and Chi Ceti IV, the 'Kvarosee elected to use the fleet's fighter complements to maintain a tight picket around the capital ships rather than attack the enemy, in an effort to prevent the UNSC from boarding their ships and planting nuclear weapons aboard them.[9] During the five-day battle, the UNSC prowler force managed to deliver Orbital Drop Shock Troopers of the 21st Space Assault Battalion onto the Purifying Flame. However, they were captured before they could destroy the vessel. Ultimately, the planet's defense forces were obliterated and the fleet began glassing Biko.[10]
As Nizat 'Kvarosee and the Minor Minister of Artifact Survey watched the carnage from one of the Pious Rampage's observation blisters, the San'Shyuum suggested that it may be wise to suspend the glassing to preserve carrier gas, given the Spartans' recent attack on their logistics flotilla at Etalan. Tel 'Szatulai stepped into the observation blister as they were discussing and stated that he believed the Minor Minister was worried about a counterattack. The San'Shyuum berated 'Szatulai, asking why 'Kvarosee would trust the First Blade and stating that he was beginning to doubt that the Spartans even exist, as 'Szatulai had yet been able to provide proof of their existence. Since the fleet was beginning to run low on carrier gas for their plasma weapons, 'Kvarosee had called forward from Zhoist a new logistics flotilla that was already at Etalan, gathering the vessels that had survived the Spartans' attack. Upon hearing this, 'Szatulai revealed to 'Kvarosee that the humans had recovered a kelguid from the bridge of one of his intrusion corvettes after it was shot down on Seoba. With this in their possession, Task Force Yama could potentially identify the exact locations of the fleet's supply lines and critical support nodes. The Minor Minister worried that the humans would use the kelguid to find and attack High Charity, but 'Szatulai and 'Kvarosee insisted that Zhoist was the much more likely target. Fleetmaster 'Kvarosee thusly gave the order for the Pious Rampage and the rest of the fleet to set course for Zhoist.[10]
Defense of Zhoist
- Main article: Battle of Zhoist
At 'Kvarosee's order, Pious Rampage and the fleet returned to Zhoist following the successful UNSC counterattack at Etalan. Pious Rampage led the Covenant defense of Zhoist, but was ultimately unable to prevent the destruction of the Ring of Mighty Abundance and Ten Cities of Edification.[11] The Pious Rampage was one of the few vessels to survive the Battle of Zhoist which decimated the Fleet of Inexorable Obedience.[12]
List of appearances
- Halo: Silent Storm (First appearance)
- Halo: Oblivion
Sources
- ^ a b c d e Halo: Silent Storm, chapter 9
- ^ Halo: The Essential Visual Guide, page 28
- ^ HBO image that demonstrates the size and scale of starships in the Halo Universe
- ^ a b Halo Encyclopedia (2009 edition), page 264; page 276 (2011 edition)
- ^ Halo Waypoint: Song of Retribution
- ^ a b c Halo: The Essential Visual Guide, page 180
- ^ Halo: Silent Storm, chapter 5
- ^ Halo: Silent Storm, chapter 20
- ^ Halo: Silent Storm, chapter 17
- ^ a b Halo: Silent Storm, chapter 21
- ^ Halo: Silent Storm, Epilogue
- ^ Halo: Oblivion
