Trove
From Halopedia, the Halo wiki
| Trove | |
|---|---|
 | |
| General overview | |
Description: | Hollow planetary shell with terrestrial inner and outer surfaces |
Location: | Korinth Prior system, fourth major body,Cygnus Arm[1] |
| Operation overview | |
Type: | |
Function: | Fortress world and conservation facility |
Attached AI(s): | |
Date of construction: | During or before theForerunner-Flood war |
Date of destruction: | February 25, 2531(Shield world)[3] |
| Structural information | |
Diameter: | 2,875 kilometers (1,786 mi)[5] |
Gravity: | 0.998 G (approx)[5] |
Surface temperature: | 10°C to 31°C (50°F to 87°F)[5] |
Atmospheric composition: | |
- "So...am I the only one freaked out by the fact that we're inside the planet?"
- —Serina
Trove (Shield World 0459) was a shield installation constructed by theForerunners, located in theKorinth Prior system.[2] In formal cadence, Trove was known as theEtran Harborage,[6] owing to theApex Site housed within which served as a port for a fleet ofSojourner-class dreadnoughts and their docking battle stations.[2][7] In addition to these functions, Trove served as a conservation sphere, and was intended to protect sentient lifeforms from the effects of theHalo Array and theFlood.[5]
Despite shield worlds being created as a haven from the Halos and the Flood, the external surface was heavily infested with Flood biomass, with forms of various types freely roaming across the surface.Sentinels were a rarity on the outside, but this changed within the center, where the many Forerunner constructs worked to prevent the Flood from claiming the interior as well.[8][9][3]
Trove was discovered by theCovenant sometime prior to2531. February that year during theHuman-Covenant War saw its destruction by theUnited Nations Space Command at the end of abattle.[3] A debris field persisted for26 years, at which point a UNSC fleet cleared it on June 29 following its discovery in order to keep it out of the hands ofGek 'Lhar,Jul 'Mdama's Covenant, and anyone else who would try to exploit the surviving technologies for their own benefit.[4]
Overview[edit]
Astronomical features[edit]
Trove was a miniatureDyson sphere with a radius significantly smaller than that of Earth.[5] At its core was its own miniaturizedartificial sun for power and illumination.[3]
Environmental features[edit]
The shield world's structure consisted of an outer surface, a series of tunnels and maintenance access system inside the artificial "crust" superstructure, and an interior concave surface. Both the interior and exterior were terraformed and supported life.
Exterior[edit]
The exterior environment was an arid, rocky wasteland with large bodies of water.[10][11] The atmosphere was thick with dust, which may have been a defensive measure to disable starships and prevent them from carrying the Flood off-world.[12] Parts of the superstructure could be seen on the surface, with chasms reaching deep down into the interior. The surface of Trove had multiple access portals, which could be used to gain access to the interior of the planet. Most of them were likely hidden; for example, the portal through which theUNSCSpirit of Fire entered the interior was covered under a large body of water.The AI in control of these access portals would activate docking sequence when a ship passed over one, forcibly dragging the vessel inside by way of a series of field-projecting pylons on the outer surface.[11]
Access tunnels[edit]
The hollow structures of the outer shell allowed access to the shield world's interior through vast tunnels which funneled arriving ships through a series of cleansing systems and maintenance access-ways forSentinels and other Forerunner constructs. The cleansing system prevented the Flood from entering the interior. This quarantine system consisted of several "cleansing rings", which generated energy fields within their diameter, which would destroy any Flood biomass on a passing ship.[13] On the interior, these portals had six interlocks that needed to be opened in order to unlock the access to the tunnel, and like other significant systems on the installation, they could be operated only by aReclaimer.[3] However, these interlocks only appeared to be triggered by the presence of the Flood nearby as the Covenant were able to enter and exit the interior shield world at will.
Interior[edit]
The interior featured different types of Forerunner structures, ranging from spires to various walls or embankments and rifts leading into the superstructure. Its surface seemed to be divided into variousRefugia, similar to those found on theArk, with large bodies of water and mountain ranges. Like many other Forerunner installations, Trove possessed atranslocation grid in the form of a network ofteleporters.[8]
Locations[edit]
Ecology[edit]
Exterior[edit]
The outer surface, as well as parts of the superstructure, were largely infested with Flood forms. Dead trees, bushes, and grass existed on the surface, likely starved by the Flood infestation.[10] Somexerophytic organisms seem to have survived alongside the Flood infestation, such as small yucca-like plants[11] and long grasses.[14]
A large,pachyderm-like species could be found on the planet, possessing muscular, ape-like forearms, a spiny vertebral ridge, a cranial dome,[15] and a curved horn protruding from its lower jaw. By the time theSpirit of Fire arrived on the planet, these creatures were only encountered in theirFlood-infected form, where they were utilized in a largely anti-vehicle role.[16] Predatory avian creatures with membranous, bat-like wings were likewise turned intoaerial combat forms that attacked in large flocks.[15] A pseudo-cephalopod species was utilized by the Flood as aairborne bomber form.[15]
Interior[edit]
The inner Dyson shell was completely terraformed and full of plant and animal life, much like theHalo installations orthe Ark. It showed abundant growth of coniferous trees, stalky plants similar to banana plants with a waxy leaf texture, palm-like trees with a yucca-like crown and a highly twisted trunk structure (possibly suggesting environmental stresses during growth), small trees withpinnate compound leaves, small ground plants similar tolamb's ear, ivies, and numerous species that were very similar to others found onArcadia, such as climbing vines, broadleaf plants, ground plants with white and orange flowers, ferns, grasses, and fungi with large orange fruiting bodies. Cryptogam growth was present on many rocks and Forerunner structures of the interior.[8]
Birds could be found in the interior of the shield world,[17] as well as small species oflepidoptera.[18] Numerous insect and animal calls, some similar to frog vocalizations, could be heard.[9]
Some of the Flood had reached the interior of the world through openings such as vents and possibly as a result of Covenant interference, but because of the larger numbers of Sentinels, never managed to fully infest it before its destruction.
History[edit]
Forerunner-Flood War[edit]
Trove was constructed during or prior to theForerunner-Flood war to serve as both a military outpost to combat the Flood, and to preserve the lifeforms within from the Halo Array's pulse. The shield world was fitted with a fleet ofSojourner-class dreadnaughts, ready to be used to raze the inner surface in case of breach by Flood forces or as an exploratory emergence group to be used following theGreat Purification. During the height of the war, the shield world was attacked and its surface overrun by Flood forces, an event which was able to severely damage the installation'sMonitor,295 Harken Watch. ThreePrometheans,Animus-To-Remain,Malice-Begets-Demise andHabit-To-Sever, stayed behind on the shield world's surface and gave their lives to defend the Monitor from encroaching Flood - ultimately allowing the Monitor to escape and seal the shield world's interior off.[2]
The Flood contamination on the shield world's exterior remained present for millennia following the firing of theHalo Array. However, a later UNSC expedition to the shield world's ruins suspected the outbreak to be relatively recently as of the 26th century.[6]
Human-Covenant War[edit]
- "This world shall be the birthplace for an invasion fleet beyond imagining!"
- — Prophet of Regret
Trove was discovered by the Covenant several years before 2531, but then-current Covenant technology could not unlock its secrets. At the outset of the war withhumanity, the Covenant expedited the need to unlock the planet's secrets as to amass a great fleet. They were soon able to break into the interior of the shield world and seal it, though the external Flood infection were noted as persistent. TheProphet of Regret sentArbiterRipa 'Moramee to the planetHarvest to investigate aForerunner relic there that could have held the key.[19]
With the Human-Covenant War ongoing, the Covenant hoped to use the shield world's stored warships to crush the UNSC quickly, rather than wage the protracted war. However, they soon discovered that while they were able to access the installation, they were unable to reactivate the fleet.[20]
After the Covenant had observedProfessor Ellen Anders activating theForerunner relic onHarvest, the Prophet of Regret ordered the Arbiter to go to Arcadia and capture her, as she seemed to have valuable knowledge about the Forerunners. The Arbiter returned to Arcadia on February 10, captured Anders and brought her to the shield world.Captain James Cutter, commanding officer of theUNSCSpirit of Fire, to which Anders had been assigned, ordered immediate pursuit out-system.[21]
- Main article:Battle of Trove
Spirit of Fire arrived in orbit over the shield world, which appeared to be a normal, albeit desolate planet, on February 23. Ground forces were dispatched to the surface, where they discovered the Flood. Many of the reconnaissance teams were infected and it was discovered that Anders' transponder signal was being duplicated by aProto-Gravemind; eventually, the Proto-Gravemind was killed in a concerted attack.[10] A few hours later, theSpirit's shipboard AISerina scanned the planet for the professor's signal, which seemed to be originating from an ocean; the ship was suddenly pulled into the shield world's internal docking mechanism. After passing the tunnels inside the installation's superstructure, theSpirit of Fire emerged within the internalDyson sphere.
Some time later, the Arbiter used Anders, who had been kept prisoner at the Apex Site, to activate the fleet of Forerunner ships. However, as the awestruckSangheili watched the fleet's activation, Anders managed to escape via the installation's teleportation grid and regroup with the other humans.[8] She then created a plan to prevent the Covenant from using the Forerunner fleet which involved transporting the reactor of theSpirit of Fire'sShaw-Fujikawa Translight Engine to the Apex Site and from there into Trove'sartificial sun.[9] Once theSpirit of Fire opened thedoor interlocks blocking theSpirit of Fire from exiting the shield world,SergeantJohn Forge detonated the reactor inside the sun, causing it to gosupernova. The supernova obliterated the Dyson sphere and caused the outer planet to blow up in an immense explosion that left a massive debris cloud.
The destruction of Trove destroyed the Flood and Covenant forces on the planet as well as the Forerunner fleet, depriving the Covenant of their planned advantage over the humans using the ships. However, using their Slipspace drive to destroy the planet resulted in theSpirit of Fire being stranded far from human space with no way home.[3]
Remnants[edit]
After hijacking theUNSCRubicon in2554,343 Guilty Spark intended to take the ship to Trove to obtain anupgrade seed in order to better prepare the ship for his planned mission to find theLibrarian. However, the ship was destroyed before he could complete the journey and Spark had been unable to connect with the shield world'sancilla,295 Harken Watch, for some time, leaving him unaware that the planet had been destroyed.[22]
The debris field that was left by Trove's destruction was eventually rediscovered by theAce of Spades in2557 with the ship's captain,Rion Forge, searching for theUNSCSpirit of Fire and her missing fatherJohn Forge. The ship was able to recoverLittle Bit, a fragment of the shield world's AI and learn of what had happened.[23] The crew was later forced to turn over what it had learned toONI along with Little Bit.[24]343 Guilty Spark andNiko eventually managed to extract a copy of Little Bit from his projections on where theSpirit of Fire had gone after leaving the shield world and fully repair him. Little Bit would go on to become theAce of Spades AI.[25]
- Main article:Mission to the Korinth Prior system
Using the data from theAce of Spades and Little Bit, theprowlerUNSCTaurokado embarked upon a mission to the debris field where it encountered a Covenant battlegroup led byGek 'Lhar. TheTaurokado retreated from the system following the encounter while the Covenant forces began harvesting the remnants for their own usage.
At the same time, in order to complete his mission, Spark brought theAce of Spades back to Trove to get anupgrade seed for the ship, unaware that the planet had been destroyed. As further incentive for the crew to help him, Spark offered access to the wealth of Forerunner technology within as much needed salvage. As the salvage ship struggled to evade the Covenant, a massive UNSC fleet emerged from slipspace and opened fire on the debris field withnuclear weapons to deny its assets to the Covenant. The nuclear weapons would blow the debris to bits and disrupt its gravity around the system's dwarf star. Whatever survived would likely be pulled into the star itself, completely eradicating the shield world. The Covenant fleet retreated into slipspace to avoid being destroyed while Spark managed to get theAce of Spades into slipspace in time to avoid destruction as well.[4]
This section needs expansion. You can help Halopedia byexpanding it.
Trivia[edit]
- While in the pre-rendered cinematics the lines on the inner surface of the shield world are latitudinal, they are longitudinal in-game in the levelRepairs. The appearance of the surface is also different, which is likely due to the disparity between the in-game graphics engine and the pre-rendered cutscenes.
Gallery[edit]
Concept art of theApex Site's docking towers on the inner surface.
Concept art for the entrance to the shield world.
UNSCSpirit of Fire inside the shield world.
Panorama of the outer surface.
Surface panorama.
Structures on the inner surface.
TheSpirit of Fire emerges from an access tunnel.
The shield world's inner surface.
The shield world's internal star, before going supernova.
The portal theSpirit of Fire escaped through.
The Apex control center.
The Flood swarm form, an infected predatory avian creature.
Numerous Flood forms found on the planet, including an infected pseudo-cephalopod.
Trove inHalo Mythos.
TheUNSCTaurokado traversing the shield world's debris field in2557.
List of appearances[edit]
- Halo Wars(First appearance)
- Halo Mythos
- Halo: Tales from Slipspace
- Something Has Happened(Mentioned only)
- Halo: Smoke and Shadow(Fragments only)
- Halo Wars 2(Mentioned only)
- Halo: Renegades(Fragments only)
- Halo: Point of Light(Mentioned only)
- Halo: Fireside(Mentioned only)
Sources[edit]
- ^Halo: Warfleet, page 12
- ^abcdHalo Encyclopedia (2022 edition), page 358
- ^abcdefHalo Wars, campaign levelEscape
- ^abcHalo: Renegades, chapter 24
- ^abcdefHalo: The Essential Visual Guide, page 174
- ^abHalo Legendary Crate,Data Drop #4
- ^Halo Wars: Campaign
- ^abcdHalo Wars, campaign levelBeachhead
- ^abcHalo Wars, campaign levelReactor
- ^abcHalo Wars, campaign levelAnders' Signal
- ^abcHalo Wars, campaign levelShield World
- ^Halo Wars,Timeline Events: Cutter's Log, 25 February 2531
- ^Halo Wars, campaign levelCleansing
- ^Halo Wars, multiplayer mapCrevice
- ^abcHalo Encyclopedia (2022 edition), page 409
- ^Halo Wars, Gameplay
- ^Halo Wars, campaign levelRepairs
- ^Halo Wars, campaign levelEscape
- ^Halo Wars: Official Strategy Guide -The Day Before
- ^Halo Waypoint marketing,Lost with All Hands: The Shield World
- ^Halo Wars, campaign levelScarab
- ^Halo: Renegades, page 142-143
- ^Halo: Smoke and Shadow
- ^Halo: Renegades
- ^Halo: Point of Light
