Standard Earth History.
2021 SE: The International Society of Civil Engineers is established on Earth. The focus turns to cleaning the atmosphere.
2025 SE: With the atmosphere of the Earth once again pristine, the ISCE turn their focus skyward. Construction on multiple space stations begins by the major world powers.
2030 SE: New alloys allow for Luna to begin to be colonized. Space flight between the space stations and Luna become common. The ISCE turns its focus toward the other celestial bodies in the Sol system. Mars and the Jovian moons are reached.
2040 SE: The colonies on Luna, Mars, the Jovian Moons, and numerous asteroids are completed and begin to question why Earth is in charge of the entire solar system.
2050 SE: Jovian Moons Campaign Begins. Jovian secessionist attacks on United Nations Colonial Advisers on the moon Io led to three months of fighting between the Earth military and Jovian "Frieden" forces. Though this was not the first armed conflict in the Sol System, it was easily one of the bloodiest, and is generally considered to be the spark of increased friction and militarization that followed. The Jovian Moons Campaign escalated tensions, as Earth's national governments, many of which sponsored colonies within the system, began fighting proxy wars off-planet. As these continued, tensions on Earth mounted, leading to a number of armed conflicts on Earth itself.
Conflicts of particular historical importance included the Jovian Moons Campaign, The Rain Forest Wars, and a series of clashes on Mars. As overpopulation and political unrest on Earth increased, a number of new political movements formed. The most noteworthy dissident movements of the period were the "Koslovics" and the "Frieden" movement.
The Koslovics—supporters of neo-Communist hard-liner Vladimir Koslov, sought a return to the glory days of Communism and the elimination of corporate and capitalist influence, particularly in orbital facilities and off world colonies.
The Frieden movement was a resurgence of fascism, springing from anti-Koslovic sentiment that had taken root in the Jovian colonies (largely backed by Unified German Republic corporations, frequent targets of Koslovic "workers' crusades"). "Frieden" literally means "peace", in this case; they believed that peace could be achieved only once the "oppressors on Terra Firma" were eliminated.
2055 SE: The Rain Forest Wars: Armed conflict ripped through South America, as Koslovic, Frieden, and UN forces all clashed over ideological differences, sparking additional conflicts off-planet.
The Battle of Delambre is speculated to have taken place.
The United Security Acts of 2059 and Homeland Security Act of 2059 are created.
2062 SE: In a conflict that stemmed from the Rain Forest Wars, the three primary Earth factions clash again, this time on Mars. A series of lightning strikes against Koslovic forces near the Argyre Planitia marks the first extra-terrestrial deployment of Marines. The campaign was deemed an unqualified success. As a result, future military doctrines favor large contingents of Marines for ground assaults and ship-boarding actions.
The United Nations Space Command was established to eliminate the various Rebel organizations in the Sol System.
2065 SE: UN sponsored military forces begin a pattern of massive build-ups, culminating in the first real interplanetary war. After the successful Marine deployment on Mars, recruitment drives and propaganda tactics strongly bolster UNSC (United Nations Space Command) forces. UN forces defeat Koslovic (supporters of rabid Communist hard-liner Vladimir Koslov) and Frieden (a resurgence of fascism) forces on Earth, and then begin a systematic and dedicated drive to crush their remnants on the various planets they hold throughout the system. At the conclusion, Frieden and Koslovic forces are defeated, in the face of a massive, unified and very powerful UN military.
The first UNSC military bioengineering protocols are created, which would later form the basis of the ORION Project.
2070 SE: The Callisto Treaty is signed. The Frieden and Koslovics formally surrender to the UNSC, officially ending the Interplanetary War.
A Unified Earth Government is formed in the wake of the conflicts of the 2060s. Now, the victors were forced to deal with a less obvious but equally serious threat: overpopulation and a massive military that had no enemy to fight. In the post-war period there were massive population surges and the overpopulation, coupled with the destruction and famine bred by the Rain Forest Wars, threatened to destabilize the economy.
2100 SE: In April, 2100, a group of researchers headed by Tobias Shaw and Wallace Fujikawa secretly developed the Shaw-Fujikawa Slip-space Drive, a practical means of propelling spacecraft across vast interstellar distances. This new engine allowed ships to tunnel into "the Slipstream" (also called "Slip-space"). Slip-space is a domain with alternate physical laws, allowing faster-than-light travel without relativistic side effects. Faster-than-light travel is not instantaneous; "short" jumps routinely take up to two months, and "long" jumps can last six months or more. The SFTE generated a resonance field, which when coupled with the unusual physics of the Slipstream, allowed for dramatically shorter transit times between stars; however, scientists noted an odd "flexibility" to temporal flow while inside the Slipstream. Though no human scientist is sure why travel time between stars is not constant, many theorize that there are "eddies" or "currents" within the Slipstream. There is generally a five to ten percent variance in travel times between stars. This temporal inconsistency has given military tacticians and strategists fits-hampering many coordinated attacks.
2130 SE: The Earth government unveils the first in a line of colony ships; given conditions on Earth are deteriorating in the face of overpopulation, hitching a ride out to a colony becomes a highly attractive option. Additionally, the Earth government plans to attach military personnel to each colony, to help better utilize the massive (and expensive) standing fleets. Because FTL travel is still fairly new and expensive, colonists and military personnel face a stringent regimen of physical and mental testing. In theory, only the best-qualified citizens and soldiers are allowed to colonize "nearby" worlds. This is the birth of the Inner Colonies; typically, the Inner Colonials are considered the most elite, best, and brightest.
2160 SE: The Odyssey is launched. The lead ship in the colony vessels, laden with troops and Terra-forming gear, spearhead the colonization of a new world. This sparks the first wave of Human expansion beyond the confines of the Solar System.
2170 SE: Traces of a previously undiscovered element discovered around Mars colony and Pluto, element deemed worthless for ship construction and FTL generation. Element shows promise in weapon construction.
2190 SE: Human space encompasses more than 800 worlds throughout the Orion Arm of the Milky Way Galaxy (ranging from fairly well-tamed planetary strong holds to tiny hinterland settlements). Outward expansion continued, and the Inner Colonies become a political and economic stronghold, though they rely heavily on raw materials supplied by the Outer Colonies. During this period, the planet Reach (orbiting Epsilon Eridani, right on Earth's metaphorical doorstep) becomes the UNSC's primary Navy yard and training academy. Reach is a major producer of warships and colony vessels, as well as a training ground for covert operatives and Special Forces.
2210 SE: The first Rebel insurrection in the Eridanus System begins.
March 2nd: Three UNSC Destroyers confront the insurgent-controlled UNSC Callisto in the 26 Draconis System at the culmination of the Callisto Incident. It is effectively the beginning of the Insurrection.
2213 SE: The Eridanus Insurrection is defeated by UNSC forces at the cost of four destroyers. Still, this is considered a monumental victory for the rebels, as most of their forces were still active.
The Colonial Military Administration's involvement with the Eridanus Rebels goes public, and its power begins to shift toward UNSC control.
2230 SE: A very important year for the United Nations Space Command, as this marked the initiation of the SPARTAN-II program, which would eventually give birth to some of humanity's greatest heroes.
2245 SE: Ninth Age of Reclamation begins with the ascension of the High Prophets of Truth, Mercy, and Regret. They declare that the Human race destroyed a vast Forerunner reliquary and are to be exterminated, starting the Human-Covenant War with the attack on Harvest. UNSC forces receive only one message. "Your destruction is the will of the Gods. And we are their instrument."
2246 SE:
March 1: Preston Cole's Fleet reaches Harvest and the Second Battle of Harvest begins. It is a human victory, but at an enormous cost. However, the Covenant also claim victory and celebrate through fasting and prayer. The Prophet of Regret televises the executions of "those who failed their duty" at the battle. The Covenant would return to Harvest later in the year, and the UNSC would respond. This led to a five-year long series of engagements on the planet, known by the UNSC as the Harvest Campaign.
March 10: The WINTER CONTINGENCY protocol is enacted by the UNSC.
2258 SE: Some time during this year, the SPARTAN-II Program was announced to the public, and any Spartan who dies is to be listed as ether missing in action or wounded in action, to give the illusion that Spartans never die in accordance with the Office of Naval Intelligence Directive 930.
September 9: Second Battle of Arcadia. The Covenant glasses Arcadia.
November 7: Cortana is created from Dr. Catherine Halsey's flash-cloned brain.
December 15: A mandatory psychiatric reevaluation for the members of Noble Team takes place. Jun-A266 is noted as having "an unhealthy emotional detachment in regards to the consequences of his actions".
2261 SE: The siege of Reach begins. One by one, Noble team is killed off. Chief Warrant Officer Jorge-052 died to destroy a Covenant supper carrier. Lieutenant Commander Catherine-B320 was taken by a sniper round through the head. Commander Carter-A259 crashed a Pelican in to a Scarab, destroying it. Warrant Officer Emile-A239 was stabbed threw the back with a Sangheili energy sword. Lieutenant Spartan-B312 died to make sure the 'Pillar of Autumn' escapes Reach with Spartan-117 and Cortana on board. Events of Alpha Halo occur.
2262 SE: Invasion of Earth begins with the Prophet of Regret taking a super carrier in to orbit over New Membosa, Africa. A UNSC frigate the 'In Amber Clad' moves in close to the super carrier as it initiates a slip-space jump.
The events of Delta Halo occur.
2269 SE: 2269 was the penultimate year in the Human-Covenant War, during which the Humans of the United Nations Space Command nearly saw utter defeat and extinction, though the tide turned, and with the help of the Sangheili, won the Human-Covenant War. The Covenant were at the peak of their power and reach in 2260, with major assaults on the Human Inner Colonies and an invasion followed by a prolonged engagement on their home planet, Earth. During the battle at Installation 04, the galaxy found its first large outbreak of the Flood threat in over a hundred thousand years. Over two months later, an even larger outbreak occurred at Installation 05.
The war finally drew to a close at Installation 00, known more commonly as the "Ark", with the Humans and Sangheili attempting to assassinate the Prophet of Truth, before he could activate the remaining Halo Installations. The alliance was successful in their mission against the Covenant.
2272 SE: The UNSC and the Sangheili in competition to examine Forerunner artifacts, find the lie in the whole covenant religion. The evidence is accepted by the Sangheili, the Huragok, and the Lekgolo. This results in the creation of the Allied Species pact. The mutual defense and science investigation pact is developed to ensure that better technology is created for continued survival against rogue elements of the Covenant Remnant. Within a couple of months better shields, weapons and slip-space drives are created. Surviving ships of both species are recycled and roll out with equal capabilities. New ships begin construction with constantly evolving A.I. and all around abilities.
Council Era History.
500 BCE: Founding of the Citadel Council
The Citadel
The Citadel Council is formed. The asari and salarians together colonize the Citadel and establish it as a center of the galactic community, led by the Council. This year is also known as 0 GS, the beginning of the Galactic Standard (GS) time-line.
As a gesture of openness with their new asari allies, the Salarian Union opens the records of the League of One. Under threat, the League responds by assassinating every member of the Union's inner cabinet; Special Tasks Group operatives then hunt down and eliminate the League.
First contact is made with the volus. Eventually, the Citadel Council commissions the volus to draw up the Unified Banking Act, which establishes a standard galactic currency known as the credit and links all galactic economies.
The turian Unification War occurs. The increasingly isolated and xenophobic colonies on the frontiers of turian space go to war with each other. After years of fighting, the Turian Hierarchy sweeps in and pacifies the remaining factions. Animosity between turian colonies continues for decades.
200 BCE - 1 CE
The Council grants the volus the honor of being the first non-Council species with an embassy at the Citadel, rather than a Council seat.
First contact is made with the batarians. They are granted an embassy a century later.
The asari discover the elcor home system and help the elcor locate and activate their nearest mass relay. "Within one elcor lifetime" they establish a regular trade route to the Citadel and are granted an embassy.
First contact is made with the hanar and the quarians. Both races are later granted embassies.
1 CE: The Rachni Wars
A rachni soldier
The rachni, a species of highly intelligent hive-minded insects, are discovered when a Citadel expedition opens a dormant mass relay leading to their star systems. The rachni prove to be hostile and begin a war with the rest of the galaxy. Negotiation with the rachni queens is impossible because they cannot be contacted in their underground nests on the toxic rachni worlds.
80 CE
The Rachni Wars continue. The salarians make first contact with and uplift the primitive krogan, manipulating them into acting as soldiers for the Citadel Council. The krogan prove able to survive the harsh environments of the rachni worlds and pursue the rachni into their nests, systematically eradicating queens and eggs.
300 CE
The rachni are declared extinct. In gratitude for their aid during the Rachni Wars, the Council rewards the krogan a new home-world. Free of the harsh environment of Tuchanka, the krogan population explodes.
300 - 700 CE
The krogan begin to expand exponentially, colonizing many new worlds. Growing concerns about their expansion lead to the founding of the Special Tactics and Reconnaissance branch of the Citadel.
700 CE: The Krogan Rebellions
Krogan warlords leverage veterans of the Rachni Wars to annex territory from other races in Citadel space. Eventually the Council demands withdrawal from the asari colony of Lusia, but the krogan refuse. A preemptive strike is made on krogan infrastructures by the Spectres. The Krogan Rebellions begin.
The Citadel Council makes first contact with the turians. In response to the threat posed by the krogan, they declare war. After the krogan devastate turian colonies with weapons of mass destruction, the turians respond with a salarian-engineered bio-weapon known as the genophage. The krogan population starts its decline.
The turians accept the volus as a client race within the Turian Hierarchy.
800 CE
The Krogan Rebellions end, though scattered krogan insurgent actions continue for decades. The turians fill the military and peacekeeping niche left by the decimated krogan.
The Citadel Conventions are drawn up in the wake of the conflict.
900 CE
The turians are granted a seat on the Citadel Council in recognition for their service in the Krogan Rebellions.
1400 CE
Extensive and unchecked industrial expansion on the drell home-world Rakhana begins taking a significant toll on the planet's environment.
1600 CE
The first sightings of the Collectors are reported in the Terminus Systems. In Citadel space, the claims are dismissed as unsubstantiated rumors and tall tales.
1880 CE
Aria T'Loak arrives on Omega, a space station in the Terminus Systems regarded as the region's nominal capital. Aria is hired by the stations warlord as an enforcer and quickly becomes one of his most trusted lieutenants.
1895 CE: The Geth War
A geth trooper
The geth, machines created by the quarians as a source of cheap labor, become self-aware. Fearing a geth uprising, the quarians begin dismantling them. The geth revolt against their quarian masters and, in the resulting war, systematically drove the quarians from their own worlds. The surviving quarians are reduced to living as space-faring nomads aboard the Migrant Fleet. Contrary to expectations, the geth do not venture outside the former quarian systems into wider Citadel space, instead isolating them from the rest of the galaxy behind the Perseus Veil. As punishment for creating the geth, the Citadel Council closes the quarian embassy on the Citadel.
1980 CE
Aria T'Loak assumes control of Omega after defeating the space stations previous warlord in single combat. She mockingly bestows the title "Patriarch" on the broken krogan, and uses him as a reminder to her enemies of her power.
2000 CE
The drell make first contact with the hanar around this time. With their home-world Rakhana severely depleted and no spaceflight capability, the drell were poised for a massive population crash by 2025 CE. Agreeing to help, the hanar mount a large-scale rescue operation and evacuate approximately 375,000 drell to their own home-world, Kahje, over the following decade. The remaining 11 billion drell on Rakhana gradually perish, warring over the last reserves of food and water.
2125 CE
The yahg, an intelligent pre-spaceflight race, are discovered on the planet Parnack. Ambassadors representing the Citadel Council arrive on the planet and attempt to open diplomatic contact. After the ambassadors are killed by the predatory yahg, the Council ceases all contact with the yahg and declares Parnack off-limits.
Not long after the yahg are discovered, one yahg is captured for the Shadow Broker to study. With the Brokers assistance, the yahg rapidly ascends within the Brokers organization as "Operative Kechlu". Eventually, the Broker becomes wary of "Operative Kechlu" and attempts to have him terminated, but the order is sent too late. The yahg assumes the mantle of the Shadow Broker and directs the organization for the next sixty years.
Story Start.
2300 SE, 2157 CE
UNSC science ship (looks like a prowler) 'Mountain Stronghold' sat in orbit around the unknown station outside the Shanxi colony. In escort to it were the UNSC Marathon class cruiser 'Without Doubt' and the Sangheili cruiser 'Selfless Charity'. It had been a week since the discovering of the station. Due to the shape of the station, a large amount of debate on what the purpose for it had been waged between the three captains. A large amount of debate ran on what the purpose of such a massive station could possibly be. The fact that it sat out in the middle of empty space, left the purpose up to anybody's guess. A mixed team of human, huragok, and sangheili engineers were aboard the massive station trying to crack the encryption of the computer system, they were having no luck. One human had the idea of having a smart A.I. brought on board for a quick hack, but nobody wanted to risk that the station's computer having a way to reverse hack the A.I. and having sensitive information being recovered.
The ships were running in 3rd shift, minimum secondary staff just monitoring the systems. The main crew was asleep until 1st shift rolled around in a couple hours. The A.I. and the science officer of the 'Mountain Stronghold' were discussing why they hadn't gone back to Earth yet as they had no idea what the device was for and had had no luck trying to hack the systems, when the sensor officer's console started to beep. "The censors have detected eight ships approaching in an unknown form of FTL." 'Lee' informed the officer. "You should call for the senior staff, Jackson." Officer Jackson nodded, "Senior officers to the bride!"
Within minutes, on all three ships, the third shift crew had been replaced by the senior crew and everyone was ready for the ship group approaching. They waited for an hour before the alien ships dropped out of an unknown form of FTL. They looked more like massive fighters than cruisers. The standard first contact package was launched, and they waited for a response.
The bridge crew waited with an anxious air for the aliens to respond. The A.I. looked up sharply after a moment, "Captain, massive energy build up suggests weapons and shields are being brought online!" "What?" he was only stunned for a moment, "Bring shields to full charge and charge the MAC cannon and load archer pods! Bring the plasma torpedo system online! Bring all flak defense and the laser defense systems online! Target the lead ship, but don't fire until fired upon! Are the 'Without Doubt' and 'Selfless Charity' ready?" Lee looked to the side for a second, "Yes captain." "Good. Lt. Landry, hail the lead ship." the Lt. nodded. After a few moments, he looked up, "No response captain." Lee looked up, "Lead ship firing on us captain!"
The ship's shields took the round, "Shields of the 'Without Doubt' holding at 90 % captain." Ryan Holderson looked across the void to the lead enemy ship, as the other aliens also fired upon the three Allied ships. "Target the lead ship and fire first MAC round." The ship shook as the MAC launched from the bottom tube. The round flew across the void in an instant. The ship's shield blocked the round, but the shield was completely drained to nothing. Multiple torpedoes flew from the 'Selfless Charity' and slammed in to the bow of the alien ship. The torpedoes blew causing multiple secondary explosions that ultimately shattered the ship. The rest of the alien ships focused their fire on the Sangheili cruiser. "Sir the new lead ship is trying to fly up next to us." "Target him and fire the remaining MAC rounds and half the missiles from pod 1!" Lee nodded as he plotted the new attack vector. The rounds discharged with a massive thump throughout the ship. They flew at the bogie number two, but they had a better pilot then bogie number one, and managed to dodge the first round and the second scored only a glancing blow across the port side. However the MAC round is designed in such a way as to cause maximum damage with even a glancing blow, and the barrier of the ship blew all power relays for the barrier throughout the ship causing injuries and fatalities all across the ship, not that it mattered long as the archer missiles slammed into it all along the port side, obliterating the ship from existence.
Bogies three through eight targeted the 'Selfless Charity', rightly guessing that the MAC's would take a while to reload. Plasma torpedoes and beams flash across the divide, trading place with mass accelerator rounds. The 'Without Doubt' launching missiles as the 'Mountain Stronghold' was retreating so they could open a slipspace portal. Within minutes, bogies three and four were dead in the water, slowly spinning out of the engagement. However the allied side paid for it, the shields gone and damage being paid directly to the hull. Bogies five, six and seven had lost their barriers and were taking damage from the combined missile and plasma bombardment. Bogie eight swooped starboard and low, coming up and port and low of the 'Selfless Charity', hitting her with a full broadside of mass accelerator rounds. Air venting from the numerous holes across her port side, the 'Selfless Charity' began to list lazily to her starboard and up. "Captain," the weapons officer called, "the MACs are reloaded!" The captain smirked, disregarded the blood from the cut on his forehead when the ship rocked from a vicious hit, "Destroy bogies five through seven! Put the wrath of God into these worthless bastards!" 'Lee' smirked, "Attack vectors plotted captain." He nodded and turned toward the weapons officer, "Fire at will."
Three flares of fire brightened space, as three massive slugs of depleted uranium flew through space and blew through the hulls of the designated ships. They shattered after the slugs finished their journeys. Bogie eight stalled for a bit as the 'Without Doubt' pointed her bow at her enemy. Missiles flew from the Marathon class cruiser, as bogie eight pulled up and port and jumped to FLT. "Detonate those missiles, and launch SAR missions to the 'Selfless Charity'. Let's see how many of our allies still remain aboard her." He turned to the replacement comm. Officer, as Lt. Landry's head had split when another hit had knocked him from his chair. "Launch a comm. buoy letting Fleetcom know we survived and to know that we have the survivors of the 'Selfless Charity' aboard. Once they are all aboard, let's get the hell out of here and do a fatality count." She nodded, as the Marathon class licked its wounds. Sorry it took so long. I will be revising each chapter one at a time. I hope everybody likes this better. Enjoy