Battle of Installation 04: Difference between revisions

{{Era|HCW}}{{Status|Featured}}

|prev= [[Fall of Reach]]

|conc=

|result= '''Pyrrhic [[United Nations Space Command|UNSC]] victory'''

*All UNSC forces, except for a few survivors, perish

*[[Shipmaster]] [[Orna 'Fulsamee]]

**Roughly 6 other [[CCS-class battlecruiser|ships]]<ref>''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]'', campaign level [[The Pillar of Autumn (Halo: Combat Evolved level)|The Pillar of Autumn]] - ''"A dozen Covenant superior battleships against a single Halcyon-class light cruiser. Given those odds I'm content with three...make that four kills."'', Cortana.</ref>

By the late stages of the [[Human-Covenant War]], it was clear that the UNSC were on the losing foot of the war. To try and force an end to the conflict, the [[Office of Naval Intelligence]] devised Operation: RED FLAG. Using the fortress world of [[Reach]] as bait, the operation would use a specially-modified ship to forcibly board a Covenant capital ship, steal it, capture a [[Hierarchs|Hierarch]] and use the hostage as negotiating leverage to end the war.  

The ''Autumn'' and the approximately 1,100 humans on it arrived in orbit above the planet [[Threshold]] at 01:20 hours on September 19, [[2552]].{{Ref/Level|HR|Epilogue (Halo: Reach level)|Epilogue}} At some point after this time, Captain Keyes made a [[Anniversary Campaign Trailer|transmission]] that would later be picked up by [[NAVCOM]].<ref>''[[Anniversary Campaign Trailer]]''</ref> By this time, at least twelve Covenant vessels were already in station, with four battlegroups consisting of three {{Class|CCS|battlecruiser}}s per group, the [[Covenant destroyer|destroyer]] ''[[Blameless Conceit]]'', the {{Class|DSC|support ship}} ''[[Infinite Succor]]'', the {{Class|DDS|carrier}} ''[[Ascendant Justice]]'' and the {{Class|CAS|assault carrier}} ''Seeker of Truth''. The Covenant additionally established a series of recon pickets around the ring's orbit, which were promptly engaged by the ''Autumn's'' [[GA-TL1 Longsword]] escort.{{Ref/Reuse|CE:TPOA}}

While the Covenant fleet was initially hesistant to open fire on the ''Autumn'', the humans had no such qualms and Cortana was able to estimate three or four kills on Covenant ships before the ''Autumn'' could be taken out.{{Ref/Reuse|CE:TPOA}} The ''[[Truth and Reconciliation]]'' was one such vessel, forced to retreat to ground to make repairs, later becoming the new HQ for the Covenant ground forces. Meanwhile, the ''Pillar of Autumn'' was sent wave after wave of [[Type-27 Banshee|Banshees]], [[Morsam-pattern Seraph|''Morsam''-pattern Seraphs]]{{Ref/Reuse|FT:E}} and [[Unidentified boarding craft|boarding craft]]{{Ref/Reuse|CE:TPOA}} to force the humans out of their shell.{{Ref/Reuse|flood1}}

As Covenant forces began boarding the ''Autumn'', Captain Jacob Keyes ordered [[Chief Petty Officer]] [[Thom Shephard]] and [[Petty Officer Third Class]] [[Samuel N. Marcus]] to release [[Master Chief Petty Officer]] [[John-117]] from his [[cryo-chamber]]. Both officers were killed by Covenant invasion forces while preparing the SPARTAN-II for immediate combat. Shortly thereafter, the ''Autumn''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s [[Magnetic Accelerator Cannon]] was sabotaged by the Covenant boarding teams and rendered inoperable.{{Ref/Reuse|CE:TPOA}}{{Ref/Reuse|flood1}}

[[File:KeyesChipCEA.png|thumb|left|right|The Cole Protocol stipulated that preventing the destruction or capture of a shipboard A.I. by the Covenant was of paramount importance.{{Ref/Reuse|CE:TPOA}}{{Ref/Reuse|flood1}}]]

[[File:HCEA_PillarOfAutumn_CorridorBattle_Concept.jpg|thumb|right|UNSC Marines fend off Covenant boarders.]]

The ODSTs battalion under Major Silva made landing on the ring via orbital insertion, in an area roughly three kilometers in diameter. They were quick to organize, meeting up with Silva and Lt. McKay to establish a temporary base of operations. Relying on data provided the [[Artificial intelligence|AI]] [[Wellsley]], Silva instructed [[Lieutenant]] [[Melissa McKay]] to take the battalion's [[B Company (Pillar of Autumn)|B Company]] and capture [[Alpha Base (Installation 04)|a Covenant-held butte]] to gain a tactical advantage in fighting off Covenant forces. The group had also received word of a group of Pelican pilots who had landed their craft some distance away, and [[C Company (Pillar of Autumn)|C Company]] was sent to meet them and prepare for aerial insertion to reinforce McKay. The remaining [[A Company (Pillar of Autumn)|A Company]] and [[D Company (Pillar of Autumn)|D Company]] remained under the command of Silva directly, and took some time to reinforce their temporary foothold and get some rest. This peace would not last long as the temporary base of operations was assaulted by Covenant ground forces consisting of 50 [[Sangheili]], 100 [[Type-32 Ghost]]s and, later, [[Type-26 Banshee]]s. The defending ODSTs managed to fend off the assault but suffered a loss of 23 ODSTs killed and 16 ODSTs wounded.{{Ref/Novel|Id=flood2|TF|Chapter=2}}

[[File:HM-JohnI04-full.jpg|thumb|right|250px| John-117 exiting a [[Lima Foxtrot Alpha 43|Bumblebee lifeboat]] that crashed onto the valleys of Halo.]]

After successfully rescuing the survivors from all three lifepods, Cortana informed everyone of her findings after hacking into the [[Covenant battle network|Covenant battlenet]]; Captain Keyes and a number of personnel survived the landing on the Installation, but have been captured by Covenant forces. The survivors eventually returned to [[Alpha Base (Installation 04)|Alpha Base]] to devise a rescue plan for the Captain.{{Ref/Reuse|flood2}}{{Ref/Reuse|CEHalo}}

Not all of the troops, however, were able to make landfall and regroup swiftly, with at least one known group able to make landfall in a [[Ridgeline|forested region]] of the ring overlooking a large Forerunner relay structure and forming a staging area there. Unfortunately, they were soon wiped out by the Covenant.<ref name="ridgeline">''[[Halo: Reach]]'', multiplayer map [[Ridgeline]] - map description</ref><ref name="info">[http://blogs.halowaypoint.com/Headlines/post/2011/11/09/The-Halo-Bulletin-11911-.aspx ''Halo Waypoint'': The Halo Bulletin: 11/9/11] ([https://web.archive.org/web/20130430191758/http://blogs.halowaypoint.com/Headlines/post/2011/11/09/The-Halo-Bulletin-11911-.aspx Archived copy])</ref><ref name="maps">[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/games/haloreach/maps ''Halo Waypoint'': Halo: Reach maps - Ridgeline] (defunct, [[Archive:Halo Waypoint/2009 to 2014/Games/Halo: Reach|Archive]])</ref><ref name="nelson">[http://majornelson.com/2011/08/26/news-from-halo-fest/ ''Xbox Live's Major Nelson: News From Halo Fest''] ([https://web.archive.org/web/20110909143312/https://majornelson.com/2011/08/26/news-from-halo-fest/ Archive])</ref> Another group of ODSTs were able to land on the ring near a [[beam emitter]] tower, holding off the Covenant until rescue finally came.{{Ref/Reuse|info}}{{Ref/Reuse|nelson}}<ref>''Halo: Reach'', [[Firefight]] level [[Installation 04 (map)|Installation 04]]</ref>  Fireteam Raven were able to make landfall on the ring, separated from other UNSC forces. Under the guidance of Wellsley through a mobile communication link, they made their way across the installation's surface.{{Ref/Reuse|That's So Raven}}

The surviving human personnel launched a mission to recover Captain Keyes, who was being held aboard the {{Class|CCS|battlecruiser}} ''[[Truth and Reconciliation]]''. Under the cover of night, John-117 and a fireteam of ODSTs boarded the ship via its gravity lift.{{Ref/Novel|TF|Page=122 (2010 edition)}} After several brief engagements aboard the ship, the rescue team managed to establish a secure control of the ship's command center. John-117 went ahead and freed Captain Keyes and several other captured Marines. When they returned to the command center, they found out that the ODSTs had been slaughtered by [[Stealth Sangheili]]. Furthermore, Echo 419 was unable to retrieve the rescue party due to Covenant air patrols. Following Cortana's suggestion, Captain Keyes manned a Covenant dropship and returned everyone to Alpha Base.

While Covenant forces were distracted by the ongoing battle at the ''Truth and Reconciliation'', ODST Lieutenant McKay was ordered to stage a raid on the crashed ''Pillar of Autumn'', in order to gain extra supplies to finance the battle effort. The raid was successful; the UNSC forces managed to salvage several of the ship's [[Warthogs]], trailers and four [[M808B Main Battle Tank|Scorpion tanks]] along with food supplies and ammunitions. However, when returning the salvaged vehicles to Alpha Base, the convoy was ambushed by Covenant forces led by [[Noga 'Putumee]] using [[Type-26 Wraith|Wraiths]], Banshees and Ghosts. Despite sizeable Covenant opposition, the UNSC forces managed to withhold the ambush and inflict greater damage on the Covenant forces. During the raid, Fireteam Raven was able to link up with friendly UNSC forces for the first time since landing on the ring twenty-eight hours earlier, and contributed to the raid by manning the mounted machine guns on the convoy's Warthogs.{{Ref/Level|Id=HFR Rubble|FTR|Rubble}}

[[File:HLC Halo Conflict.png|thumb|right|250px|The Master Chief aboard [[Echo 419]] approaching the Cartographer.]]

[[File:ScorpionControlRoom.png|thumb|right|250px|John-117 leading the assault in a [[M808 Main Battle Tank|Scorpion]].]]

[[File:HCEA-Concept-Chief-Flood.jpg|thumb|right|250px|John-117 encounters the released Flood in a containment facility]]

[[File:Infinite Succor.jpg|thumb|right|''Brilliant Gift'' collides with ''Infinite Succor''.]]

Covenant forces around the Flood containment facility were in disarray due to the release of the Flood. Several dropships were shut down with some captured by the Flood. One particular dropship, the ''[[Brilliant Gift]]'', was manned by the Flood towards the Covenant fleet currently hovering over the Installation.{{Ref/Novel|Id=HGN|HGN|[[The Last Voyage of the Infinite Succor]]}} The dropship eventually crash-landed on the [[DSC-class support ship|agricultural support ship]] ''[[Infinite Succor]]'' and infected its personnel, unbeknownst to those around the ''Infinite Succor''. [[Supreme Commander]] [[Thel 'Vadam]]ee responded by deploying a [[Covenant Special Operations|Special Operations]] unit led by [[Special Operations Commander]] [[Rtas 'Vadum]]ee.{{Ref/Reuse|HGN}} The Special Operations unit [[Infinite Succor#Battle on the Infinite Succor|engaged with its invading aggressor]], eventually leaving the injured 'Vadumee as the only survivor of the engagement.{{Ref/Reuse|HGN}} The presence of the Flood and its potential of being space-borne was reported to Supreme Commander 'Vadamee.

The air insertion was quickly discovered by the human forces on Alpha Base, who flooded the Pelican dropship with jet fuel before igniting it, killing twenty-four Sangheili. The six Sangheili managed to escape into the base, neutralizing the human control rooms and liberated the captured Covenant soldiers. However, the MLA auto-cannons and various other defense systems employed by the human forces managed to destroy several incoming Spirit dropships. A large amount of Covenant troops were able to make it into the base, however, including Hunters and Grunts, thanks to the deployment of the [[Type-56 Lich]] ''[[Upright Chalice]]''.<ref name="That's So Raven">[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/news/thats-so-raven ''Halo Waypoint:'' Canon Fodder - That's So Raven]</ref>{{Ref/Level|Id=HFR Alpha Base|FTR|Alpha Base (Halo: Fireteam Raven level)|Alpha Base}} The Covenant forces landing on the butte were soon either killed or captured, and the assault on Alpha Base stalled. During the midst of the fighting, Fireteam Raven were recalled to the ice canyons near the Installation's control room to assist John-117 in fighting a new threat near the Installation's Control Room.{{Ref/Reuse|That's So Raven}}{{Ref/Reuse|HFR Alpha Base}}

[[File:TwoBetrayalsAnniversary.png|thumb|right|250px|Cortana revealing Halo's true nature to John-117 as Guilty Spark looks on.]]

[[File:HFR RavenDown Fighting.png|thumb|right|350px|Fireteam Raven fight off Covenant forces inside the Forerunner structure.]]

[[File:Protograve.png|thumb|right|250px|The assimilated Keyes is discovered by John-117.]]

Having been extracted from the war between the Covenant and Flood, Fireteam Raven were deployed via [[M12B Warthog]] with a new mission; assist a convoy of UNSC Marine forces making one final assault on the ''Pillar of Autumn''. The assault consisted of a handful of Falcon gunships, Warthogs and Pelicans attempting to distract Covenant forces to buy time for John-117 to complete his mission. The convoy fought through heavy Covenant resistance, including Phantoms and Wraiths before being alerted to the arrival of the Spartan in a Banshee commandeered from the ''Truth and Reconciliation''.{{Ref/Reuse|HFR Last Stand}} Although the Covenant aircraft largely ignored the Banshee - thinking it one of their own{{Ref/Reuse|flood12}} - the [[Type-47B Scarab]] in the region began to bear down on it, chased by Fireteam Raven.{{Ref/Reuse|HFR Last Stand}}

During the battle aboard the ''Autumn'', the few remaining UNSC survivors rallied for a final defensive action around the crash site to prevent the Covenant or the Flood from interfering with the Chief's mission, having learned of his intentions to destroy the ring. The Covenant sent a [[Type-47B Scarab]] to destroy the UNSC forces and then to ambush the Chief aboard the cruiser, but this assault was thwarted by the ODSTs of [[Fireteam Raven]]. The remaining Marine forces were then overrun and all survivors in the immediate vicinity were left at the mercy of the ''Autumn's'' imminent detonation.{{Ref/Reuse|That's So Raven}}{{Ref/Level|Id=HFR Last Stand|FTR|Last Stand (Halo Wars 2 level)|Last Stand}}

[[File:PoADestructionCEA.jpg|thumb|right|250px|The ''Autumn's'' engines detonate, destroying the Halo Installation.]]

[[File:Installation04destroyed.png|thumb|right|250px|The breakup of Installation 04.]]

[[File:TML - Ring.jpg|thumb|right|The ''Mona Lisa'' amongst the remains of the ringworld.]]

[[File:H5-Truth-Ships.png|thumb|right|The simulated Fleet of Particular Justice on "Truth".]]

During the return journey home, Cortana would write a [[Halo 2 Manual#Secret Transmission .2B Master Chief Section|report]] on the conflict,<ref>''[[Halo 2 Manual]]''</ref> while also using the downtime to begin collating the data recovered from being in the Forerunner and Covenant networks.{{Ref/Reuse|First Strike}} The AI kept control of the Installation's [[Activation index]], unbeknownst to everyone including John-117.<ref name="LC9">''Halo Legendary Crate'', [[Halo Legendary Crate/Data Drops|Data Drop #9]]</ref> This experience would be one of the major factors later assuring the AI's descent into [[rampancy]], and attributed to as the cause of a number of [[Character interludes|believed-software glitches]] that would later display in John-117's MJOLNIR armor during the later Battle of Earth.{{Ref/Reuse|LC9}} Nonetheless, the data recovered by Cortana and the Master Chief - including his recording of the mysterious [[Terminal (Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary)|Terminals]] - would become later known to [[ONI Section Three]], and later used to assist in unlocking further Forerunner mysteries.<ref name="ARG-1">[https://forums.halowaypoint.com/yaf_postst135464_CLASSIFIED---HYDRAI-THREAD---GLYPH-CODES.aspx ''Halo Waypoint forums'': CLASSIFIED - HYDRAI THREAD - GLYPH CODES] - ''" PREVIOUSLY, SPARTAN 117 CAME ACROSS A SET OF CURIOUS TERMINALS WHEN FIGHTING HIS WAY THROUGH ALPHA HALO. EACH TERMINAL CONTAINED A VIDEO TRANSMISSION WITH INCREDIBLY VALUABLE INTEL."'' (defunct, [http://web.archive.org/web/20141013002126/https://forums.halowaypoint.com/yaf_postst135464_CLASSIFIED---HYDRAI-THREAD---GLYPH-CODES.aspx Archive.org] )</ref><ref name="ARG-2">[https://forums.halowaypoint.com/yaf_postst151938p15_--CLASSIFIED--SECTION-3-DECODING-CENTER.aspx ''Halo Waypoint forums'': //CLASSIFIED//SECTION 3 DECODING CENTER//] - ''" OVER FOUR YEARS AGO, ONI RESEARCHERS DISCOVERED A NEW WAY TO UNLOCK HIGHLY ENCRYPTED DATA, USING A SUBSET OF ARCANE FORERUNNER SYMBOLS. THIS DISCOVERY CAME AFTER ANALYSIS OF VIDEO TRANSMISSIONS UNCOVERED ON ALPHA HALO BY SPARTAN 117."'' (defunct, [http://web.archive.org/web/20141014023353/https://forums.halowaypoint.com/yaf_postst151938p15_--CLASSIFIED--SECTION-3-DECODING-CENTER.aspx Archive.org] )</ref> By October 20, news of the destruction of Installation 04 had reached the civilian populace of Earth, and a ceremony was held to honor the Spartan.<ref>''[[I love bees]]'', [[Axon Clips]], [[Axon Clips Chapter 12|Chapter 12]] - "Explanation"</ref> Naval intelligence AIs continued to disagree on the Covenant's motives on the ring, with some falsely believing that the Covenant had already found the ring and wanted to prevent humanity from find it also.{{Ref/Reuse|jason}} As part of public awareness campaigns conducted by the [[ONI Section Two]] including initiatives like [[Outpost Discovery]], the Battle of Installation 04 was one of many subjects covered by Director [[Schaefer]] in [[File CHELAN 20200303]].<ref>''[[ONI Archive – Conflict Evolved - Halo: CE Anniversary]]''</ref> A recount of the battle was later included in the UNSC's [[Official Spartan Field Manual]].{{Ref/Reuse|OSFM}}

[[Category:UNSC Victories|Installation 04]]