2525

• Humanity comes into contact with the Covenant for the first time.
• The 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 therefore to be exterminated, starting the Human-Covenant war.^[1]

• Antonio Silva is assigned to command an ODST platoon on board the UNSC Atlas.^[2]

• Biko is glassed by the Covenant sometime during this year.^[3]

• Miranda Keyes is born to Catherine Halsey and Jacob Keyes.^[4]
• Rookie is born in Crisium City, Naniwa, Luna.

Events

January

2nd

Staff Sergeants Avery Johnson and Nolan Byrne, along with Captain Ponder, begin training Harvest's Colonial Militia.^[5]

16th

The militia goes on another march, this time with 25 kg rucksacks. In the aftermath, Johnson and Ponder attend Harvest's Solstice Celebration. Johnson is briefed by Jilan al-Cygni as to why he and Byrne are here; to prevent Insurrectionist attacks on UNSC freighters.^[6]

17th

• The Kig-Yar vessel Minor Transgression attacks another human agricultural vessel, the Bulk Discount,  unaware it is a sting operation supported by the UNSC Walk of Shame.^[7]
• Colonial Militia trainees Wallace Jenkins, Forsell, Wick and Andersen begin target practice.^[8]

• The Ministry of Fortitude holds a logistics meeting. The Minister of Fortitude utilizes recreational stimulants to aid him through the ordeal.^[9]

18th

• Fortitude wakes up, the hangover effect of the stimulants taking hold. The Vice Minister of Tranquility alerts him to the Luminary detections made by Minor Transgression. They resolve to use them to usher in an Age of Reclamation and secure their position as the next trio of Hierarchs.^[10]

• Walk of Shame is dispatched to Reach to request that FLEETCOM send a battle group in the event of first contact escalating into bloodshed.^[11]

19th

Johnson regains consciousness and is debriefed by Nils Thune and al-Cygni. Johnson resolves to accelerate the militia's training.^[12]

February

3rd

Harvest's Tiara makes long-range radar contact with the Covenant cruiser Rapid Conversion. Contact is lost with Harvest soon after.

9th:

The Rookie is born in Crisium City, Naniwa, Luna.

11th

• First formal contact between the Covenant and humans on Harvest. Communications go awry and the Human-Covenant war begins.^[13]

• Jilan al-Cygni deploys a RQ-XII drone.^[14]

23rd

• The evacuation of Harvest begins. In the process, 22-23,000 civilians are killed.

• Loki destroys the Tiara.

March

6th

ONI declares Onyx classified after the discovery of Forerunner relics.^[15]

9th

Spartan-IIs undergo rigorous chemical, physical and biological augmentations. Thirty three Spartans successfully pass the alterations. Thirty subjects die, and twelve are permanently disabled.^[16]

30th

Funeral service for those who died undergoing augmentations in the SPARTAN-II Program.^[17]

April

20th

The Argo, a scoutship for the Colonial Military Administration, arrives in the Epsilon Indi system to investigate the ceasation of any contact from Harvest. The vessel transmits a confirmation of arrival.

21st

Mack detects the UNSC Argo in orbit and attempts to make contact to warn it off; he fails to warn the Argo in time and it is destroyed.^[18]

22nd

John-117 kills three soldiers and severely wounds another from the 105th Shock Troops Division in a scuffle aboard the UNSC Atlas.^[19]

May

11th

Preston Cole's liver fails from cirrhosis, and is subsequently replaced - as are his damaged heart and endocrine system - with flash-cloned transplants.^[20]

July

1st

Mack begins burying the maglev strands of the Tiara.^[21]

10th

• Battlegroup 4, composed of the CMA Heracles, the CMA Arabia and the CMA Vostok enters the Epsilon Indi system and make contact with a Covenant ship. The Covenant ship destroys the Vostok and the Arabia with only the badly damaged Heracles escaping.^[22]

• The Covenant ship broadcasts the following message: "Your destruction is the will of the Gods...and we are their instrument" in complete English, showing that the Covenant have been studying Humanity for some time.^[23]

September

11th

Spartan-IIs train with Mjolnir armor in the Reach UNSC Military Complex. Dr. Halsey determines the soldiers are ready for their first mission.^[24]

12th

• Spartan-IIs are briefed on their first mission aboard the destroyer UNSC Pioneer.^[25]

• John-117 is promoted to Petty Officer Third Class.^[26]

14th

Colonel Robert Watts is captured by a Spartan-II team in an asteroid base in the Eridanus system.^[27]

November

1st

UNSC is put on full-alert for the Covenant.^[28]

2nd

• Office of Naval Intelligence agents Lieutenant Commander Jack Hopper and Lieutenant Demos convince Vice Admiral Preston Cole to come out of retirement and lead a fleet to retake Harvest.^[29]

• The Spartan-IIs are informed of hostile contact with the Covenant and the fate of Harvest. They are introduced to Project MJOLNIR.^[30]

27th

• The Battle of Chi Ceti.
  • The Spartan-IIs are attacked by a Covenant ship while aboard the UNSC Commonwealth above Chi Ceti IV. The Spartans escape to the surface of the planet.^[31]
  • Within the UNSC Damascus Materials Testing Facility, the Spartan-IIs are introduced and fitted with the Mjolnir Mk. IV armor.^[32]
  • The Spartan-IIs board the Covenant ship. They plant explosives at the ship's reactor and detonate them, destroying the ship.^[33]
  • Samuel-034 dies during the destruction of the Covenant ship.^[34]

Engagements and Events

• Skirmish over Harvest
• First Battle of Harvest
• Destruction of Biko
• Destruction of Second Base
• Battle of Chi Ceti

Losses and Deaths

Human

• Captain Ponder
• Captain Hank Gibson
• Private Osmo
• Cadmon Lasky^{[citation needed]}
• Harvest Attorney General Rol Pedersen
• Wick
• Habel
• Jepsen
• Vallen
• Samuel-034

Covenant

Jiralhanae

• Chieftain of the Jiralhanae Maccabeus
• Vorenus
• Licinus
• Ritul

Unggoy

• Deacon Dadab

Kig-yar

• Shipmistress Chur'R-Yar
• Zhar

Huragok

• Lighter Than Some

List of Ships

Human

• CMA Arabia - Destroyed by the Covenant ship holding position over Harvest.
• CMA Argo - Destroyed by the Covenent cruiser Rapid Conversion during the First Battle of Harvest.
• CMA Heracles - Status unknown. Last seen escaping the Epsilon Indi system after being badly damaged at the hands of Covenant ship holding position over Harvest. It was later seen during the Second Battle of Harvest in 2526.
• CMA Vostok - Destroyed by Covenant ship holding position over Harvest.
• UNSC Atlas - Status unknown. Last seen patrolling the Lambda Serpentis system.
• UNSC Commonwealth - Severely damaged during the Battle of Chi Ceti, but managed to make it to Reach for repairs. Instead, the ship was decommissioned at the Aszod ship breaking yards.
• UNSC Pioneer - Status unknown. Last seen in the Eridanus system.
• UNSC Walk of Shame - Status unknown. Last seen exiting the Epsilon Indi system following the conclusion of the First Battle of Harvest with vectors bound for Reach.
• Bulk Discount - Status unknown. Last seen in orbit over Harvest during the first contact with the Covenant; badly damaged during the engagement against the Covenant.
• This End Up - Destroyed by the Kig-Yar ship Minor Transgression.

Covenant

• Minor Transgression - Destroyed when Shipmistress Chur'R-Yar ignited the Methane meant for Unggoy life-support in attempt to kill Staff Sergeant Avery Johnson.
• Rapid Conversion - Status unknown. Last seen in orbit above Harvest, glassing the planet, and eventually engaging the CMA Argo.

Sources