Human-Forerunner war

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“Ten thousand years ago, humans had fought a war against Forerunners—and lost. The centers of human civilization had been dismantled and the humans themselves devolved and shattered into many forms, some said as punishment—but more likely because they were a naturally violent species.”

— Bornstellar, c. 100,000 BCE

Concurrent	Human-Flood war
Next	Forerunner-Flood war
Human-Forerunner war
Date	c. 110,000 B.C.
Location	Orion Arm of the Milky Way galaxy
Outcome	Forerunner victory Human empire dissolved. Human-San'Shyuum alliance dissolved. Human forces completely annihilated, civilization wiped from the galaxy. Many Humans executed in retaliation for instigating the conflict following the end of the war. San'Shyuum homeworld placed under quarantine. Flood cure destroyed.
Belligerents
Forerunner Ecumene
Human-San'Shyuum alliance
Commanders
Forerunner Fleet Command, Ur-Didact
Forthencho (Lord of Admirals) Yprin Yprikushma (Political and Morale Commander)
Strength
Unknown
Unknown
Casualties
Heavy Loss of at least 50 star systems
Heavy Loss of at least 1,000 star systems

The Human-Forerunner war was a conflict between Forerunners and Human-San'Shyuum alliance c. 110,000 BCE in the Orion Arm of the Milky Way galaxy. It was fought against overwhelming fleets and armies of the Forerunners.

Background

During the Human-Flood war, the Humans invaded a world in Forerunner territory and eradicated life in order to stop the spread of the Flood. While they succeeded in driving the Flood back, the Forerunners misunderstood this act of aggression and retaliated against the Humans with war. Already weakened from fighting the Flood, the war the Humans were ensnared in was a losing one, and the numerically and technologically superior Forerunners pushed the Humans to Charum Hakkor and defeated them.

Human technology

Before the war, Humanity had reached Tier 1 technology on the Technological Achievement Tiers scale similar to those of the Forerunners. When Bornstellar obtained the Didact's memories, he gained insights into Charum Hakkor at the height of its powers. He described the implacable Precursor ruins of Charum Hakkor studded with Human constructs, like ivy growing on great trees: vast cities, energy towers and defense platforms operating at geosynchronous orbit and equigravitation, only a little less sophisticated than Forerunner ships, platforms and stations. Finally, he concludes that humans had been a great power, a worthy adversary—technologically.

Battle of Charum Hakkor and Humanity's collapse

Although Humanity was successful in its early conquest of the alien worlds which the forerunners resettled species on, they were forced to deploy the majority of their military against the Flood. By the time the Flood had been defeated, the Human military had been exhausted. Even the capital of Charum Hakkor had been cut off from the rest of the empire by the Didact's naval fleets. On Charum Hakkor, Humanity had incorporated precursor technology and constructed formidable fortifications capable of standing out against even the strongest fleets. Among them were unbending filaments that link their orbital platforms defenses similar in concepts to the Orbital Defense Platform on Earth and Reach.

Charum Hakkor orbit after the planet fell.

Despite having the combined Forerunner military at his disposal, it took the Didact great efforts to defeat the Human resistance and capture the capital. Among the casualties were all of the Didact's children. Although cut-off and unable to receive reinforcements from the San'Shyuum, the Humans held off continuous attacks for fifty years. When the planet finally fell significant numbers of Humans and San'Shyuum committed suicide rather than being taken prisoner. Although Humanity was completely and utterly defeated, the tragedies of the war convinced the Didact to oppose and forestall the construction of the Halo Array seeing it would violate the Mantle as the destruction of Humanity proved similarly, a task that he succeeded for thousands of years.

Aftermath

The defeat was disastrous for both Humanity and the San'Shyuum. The victorious Forerunners decided to dismantle almost every piece of pre-historic human civilization. In addition, they executed many Humans for starting the conflict, viewing them as naturally violent and aggressive. Because of this cataclysmic event, the race was splintered into many subraces, such as the Florians. This was noted as being a "punishment" by the young Forerunner pre-Builder Manipular, Bornstellar-Makes-Eternal-Lasting, ten thousand years later.

Humanity's defeat affirmed Forerunner hegemony over the entire galaxy, as they were one of the few powers capable of competing against them. However, the destruction of Humanity set the stage for the return of the Flood and the disastrous Forerunner-Flood war, as the Forerunners proved totally inadequate in containing the renewed threat. The Didact later regretted the complete destruction of Humanity, since he was unaware the Flood was the reason for Humanity's aggression during the Human-Flood war.

The San'Shyuum homeworld was placed under quarantine, with a Forerunner military fortress orbiting the planet. When The Librarian attempted to index the San'Shyuum during the early stages of the Forerunner-Flood war, the San'Shyuum mistook her intentions and rose in revolt against the Forerunners. The Master Builder took this opportunity to test Halo's effects on the San'Shyuum homeworld; it surpassed all expectations. This genocidal act led to the near extinction of the San'Shyuum species, and Faber's removal from power and subsequent trial on charges of treason-against-the-Mantle.

Appearances

• Halo: Cryptum (First appearance)
• Halo: Primordium
• Halo 4
  • Terminals

See also

Internal

• Humans
• Forerunners
• Erde-Tyrene

External

• Tor.com — Halo: Cryptum chapter one excerpt