Massacre of the Outer Colonies
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The Massacre of the Outer Colonies,[3] was the series of engagements taking place in humanity's Outer colonies that made up the early Human-Covenant War.[4]
Background
Insurrection
- Main article: Insurrection
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Battle
Early battles
- "We had hoped that contact with a new race would be peaceful. Obviously, this was not the case—the alien vessel did not open fire until our task force attempted to initiate communications."
- — Vice Admiral Michael Stanforth to SPARTAN-II trainees.[5]
CMA Argo was tasked with investigating the silence of Harvest, but signals with it were soon lost too. The Colonial Military Authority sent Battle Group 4 to investigate the escalating situation. Arriving on October 7, 2525, the Battle group was attacked. Only the CMA Heracles managed to escape. The Heracles returned to Reach[5] on October 31, relaying what had happened and a message: "Your destruction is the will of the gods, and we are their instrument."[6][5]
The following day, on November 1, 2525, the Unified Earth Government began mobilized the UNSC, the CMA and other military services.[6] The UNSC now on full alert[5] stripped the CMA of its forces, giving them to NAVCOM and UNICOM.[1] On November 2, the SPARTAN-IIs were deployed.[6]
At some point immediately after the attack on Harvest, Green Hills and Second Base were attacked by the Covenant.[7] On the 27th of November, Chi Ceti IV was assaulted by a Covenant ship at the same time SPARTAN-II forces were receiving their MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor. Almost immediately after in December, the SPARTANs were reassigned to fight the Covenant at Alpha Corvi II.[8]
The first year
The beginning of 2526 saw the destruction of Bliss.[9] Soon after on March 1, Preston Cole in charge of UNSC Battle Group X-Ray fought the Covenant off over Harvest.[10] Seven days later, Cole as well as others would devise Operation: SILENT STORM, part of which would involve laying a trap at Biko using Task Force Yama.[11] At this point in time, the Covenant were only operating in the Polona Sector, Vevina sector, and Grenadi sectors.[12] The colony of Etalan, with roughly 10 million people was also attacked during this time.[11]
As part of SILENT STORM, the UNSC moved to position themselves at Seoba, over Biko and discovered an Insurrectionist plot to overthrow the Bikon Chancellor. This would require the UNSC to go on the offensive before they would fight the Covenant.[13] The Insurrectionists were driven back, but not before the Covenant arrived and attacked the planet.[14]
Almost a month after, the prestigious Corbulo Academy of Military Science on Circinius IV was destroyed, leaving only 3 survivors. Parts of the planet were also glassed.[15]
Only two days after Circinius IV, ONI projects were refocused to solely counter the Covenant. As well, ONI Section Two sent emissaries to Outer Colony leaders to warn them of the Covenant and give them an offer: end hostilities with the UNSC and receive protection. Initially, they laughed at the prospect, until they witnessed footage of Bliss.[16]
Planets began falling two or three a week. The Office of Naval Intelligence was unable to collate intelligence at the rate of the Covenant incursion. UNSC Fleet Command was unable to plan out grand strategies and thus granted operational autonomy to UNSC naval units.[17]
In the summer, UNSC forces along with forces from the Children of Mesra fought the Covenant on Mesra.[17]
At the end of the year, the UNSC and Covenant fought a large battle in the Alpha Aurigae system.[7] Capella and Origami would be attacked but not glassed.[18]
Pressing inward
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During the first five years of the war, Red Team would outperform most other groundside units as they were sent from world to world in the outer colonies to try and slow the Covenant.[19] Orion-class assault carriers were also used as flagships in desperate rearguard actions trying to buy time for evacuees to flee to the Inner Colonies.[20]
Despite having attempted to attack the world years earlier, the Covenant would glass Chi Ceti IV in 2527.[18] In 2528, the UNSC continued to counter the Covenant at the Battle of XI Boötis A[7] but Madrigal fell later in the year.[21]
Two years later in 2530, Eridanus II was glassed and the UNSC abandoned the planet.[22] On December 24 of 2530, the UNSC and Covenant clashed at the Battle of the Great Bear. The battle would lead to the formation of the Cole Protocol.[7]
As the Outer Colonies fell, the UEG spent considerable resources building up Cascade in order to replace accumulating losses elsewhere. Evacuated skilled technical and engineering personnel also ended up on the world resulting in the UNSC building a naval depot there in 2530.[23]
The Arbiter
In February 2531, Arbiter Ripa 'Moramee, under the command of the Prophet of Regret, began leading searches for Forerunner technology to aid in the Covenant war effort during the end of the Harvest campaign and the Battle for Arcadia. With the Covenant having discovered the Forerunner shield world Trove sometime prior, the Prophet of Regret intended to use a fleet of Sojourner-class dreadnoughts docked at the Apex Site to crush humanity "quickly and with ease." With Ripa having kidnapped Professor Ellen Anders at Arcadia to use as a Reclaimer to activate the shield world, he was pursued by the UNSC Spirit of Fire, leading to a battle at the Etran Harborage. In the battle, Ripa was killed by Sergeant John Forge who subsequently sacrificed himself to destroy the Etran Harborage by causing its internal sun to go supernova. The Covenant plan was foiled, but the Spirit of Fire sacrificed its slipspace drive to cause the supernova, leaving the ship and its crew stranded in deep space.[24]
By the same year, fighting with the Covenant had reduced the amount of UNSC fissile material in the sector containing the 111 Tauri system to virtually none.[25]
Further battles
Despite the loss of Trove, the Covenant would continue to press forward. In 2532, the colony of Vodin would be attacked but would survive.[18][26]
Hat Yai and Paradise Falls, however, would end up being glassed in 2533. Harvest would be glassed again in 2534.[18]
Aftermath
Loss of the Outer Colonies
With the fall of the Outer Colonies, the UNSC called upon private industry to manufacture previously classified war materiel. The result of this would be the GEN1 ROGUE-class Mjolnir.[27]
By 2535, a number of Outer Colonies had been lost and refugees were beginning to pour into the Inner Colonies, such as on Chi Rho.[28]
The losses of various Outer Colonies would also create some of the orphans who would make up the SPARTAN-III program. This includes but is not limited to; Carter-A259 following Biko,[29] Rosenda-A344 after Vodin,[30] and Emile-A239 following Eridanus II.[31]
The Inner Colonies
- Main article: Siege of the Inner Colonies
On June 1, 2536, the Covenant had finally broken into the Inner Colonies.[1] This would be the beginning of a multi-year siege of the most inner worlds of humanity.
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Continuing losses in the Outer Colonies
Other Outer Colonies also fell even after the Inner Colonies were being attacked. Meridian, came under siege for three years late into the war. So too were Alluvion and Concord. As well, Arcadia was attacked a second time.
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Timeline
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2525
- The Battle of Chi Ceti takes place.
- The Battle of Alpha Corvi II takes place.[8]
- Redstow VI is glassed.[18]
2526
- Bliss is attacked and glassed by the Covenant.[32]
- The Second Battle of Harvest begins, and the largest UNSC fleet then-ever assembled arrives to begin the process of retaking Harvest.
- The Battle over Seoba takes place with the Covenant.[33]
- Biko is attacked and glassed by the Covenant shortly after Seoba.[33]
- Etalan is attacked by the Covenant.[11]
- Circinius IV and Corbulo Academy of Military Science are attacked and destroyed.[15]
- The Covenant attacked Mesra.[17]
- A battle over Netherop takes place between the UNSC and Covenant.[34]
- A naval engagement in Alpha Aurigae system takes place, resulting in a rare UNSC victory over the Covenant.[35]
2527
- Chi Ceti IV is glassed.[18]
2528
- The Battle of XI Boötis A takes place.[7]
- The Fall of Madrigal takes place.
2529
2530
- Endymion is glassed.[18]
- Dwarka is glassed.[18]
- Eridanus II is glassed.[18]
- Lostwithiel is glassed.[18]
- Battle of the Great Bear takes place, leading to the creation of the Cole Protocol.[7]
2531
- Harvest campaign - In early February, the five year long Harvest campaign comes to an end following the Covenant failure to destroy the relic.
- Battle for Arcadia - Having learned the location of the Outer Colony Arcadia from the Relic on Harvest, ships from the Fleet of Valiant Prudence attack Arcadia. Defending ships manage to destroy one of the two initial attackers while the UNSC Spirit of Fire helps repel ground forces. Later reinforcements end the battle in a human victory, though not with massive loss of life. Professor Ellen Anders is kidnapped by Arbiter Ripa 'Moramee.
- Battle of Trove - Battle between the UNSC Spirit of Fire and forces of the Fleet of Valiant Prudence attempting to gain access to the fleet of Forerunner Sojourner-class dreadnoughts on the shield world Trove which would give the Covenant a massive tactical advantage. Death of Arbiter Ripa 'Moramee and the destruction of the Etran Harborage at the cost of Spirit of Fire's slipspace drive.
2532
2533
- Hat Yai is glassed.[18]
- Paradise Falls is glassed.[18]
2534
- Harvest is glassed again.[18]
Gallery
Fighting in the Alpha Corvi II city Black Reef.
Fighting in the Alpha Aurigae system.
Sources
- ^ a b c Halo Wars, Timeline: 2536
- ^ Halo: Reach: Data Pad 14
- ^ Halo Mythos, page 74-75
- ^ Xbox.com, Halo Storyline: (Additional copy on HBO Forums) (Retrieved on Apr 24, 2008) [local archive] [external archive]
- ^ a b c d Halo: The Fall of Reach, chapter 11
- ^ a b c Halo: Silent Storm, chapter 2
- ^ a b c d e f Halo Wars: Genesis
- ^ a b Halo: Collateral Damage, issue 1
- ^ Halo: Reach, Dr. Halsey's Personal Journal, Excerpt From Accra Log Page 1
- ^ Halo: Silent Storm - Historian's Note
- ^ a b c Halo: Silent Storm, chapter 5
- ^ Halo: Silent Storm, chapter 6
- ^ Halo: Silent Storm, chapter 7
- ^ Halo: Silent Storm
- ^ a b Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn
- ^ Halo: Reach, Dr. Halsey's Personal Journal, April 28, 2526
- ^ a b c Halo: Oblivion, chapter 1
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Halo Encyclopedia (2022 edition), page 50 & 51
- ^ Halo Encyclopedia (2022 edition), page 95
- ^ Halo Encyclopedia (2022 edition), page 127
- ^ Halo: The Cole Protocol, page 72
- ^ Halo: First Strike, page 240
- ^ Halo Encyclopedia (2022 edition), page 45
- ^ Halo Wars, Campaign
- ^ Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, chapter 1
- ^ a b Halo Waypoint, Randall Aiken
- ^ Halo 3, ROGUE-class Mjolnir description
- ^ Halo: The Cole Protocol, page 25
- ^ Halo Waypoint, Carter-A259
- ^ Halo Waypoint, Canon Fodder - Phoenix Blog (Retrieved on Feb 22, 2023) [archive]
- ^ Halo Waypoint, Emile-A239 (Retrieved on Oct 16, 2021) [archive]
- ^ Halo: Reach: Dr. Halsey's Personal Journal, "The Accra Incident" "Unknown ships positively identified as alien warships comprising what appear to be five assault carriers, twenty-three battlecruisers, and seventeen destroyers."
- ^ a b Halo: Silent Storm
- ^ Halo: Oblivion
- ^ Halo: Evolutions - The Impossible Life and the Possible Death of Preston J. Cole
