The Halcyon Wars

“The Halcyon Wars,” was a HMC conflict primarily waged between the **National Reikist Imperium** and **Clan Orta**. Tensions between the two organizations would explode into war on December 2nd, 2017. This conflict represented a schism within the late foundation movement. Following its conclusion, lingering resentment would exist between both Ortarian and Halcyon people.

Prior to the NRI terminating the alliance with Clan Orta on July 11th, 2017, tensions would begin to rise. Territorial disputes, as well as the NRI's desire to usurp Orta as the dominant power within the foundation movement, would lead to Orta eventually issuing a challenge against the NRI.

On December 2nd 2017, an official, scheduled engagement between Clan Orta and the NRI would commence. Ortarian forces were deployed to confront the Halcyons on Fort Geneva.

Upon the conclusion of this engagement, an announcement followed. Jointly the NRI and **Divine Angels** declared a state of war against Clan Orta and **THL**. Citing espionage and violation of the ROE as their reasoning, both DA and NRI would attempt to declare the battle to also be a NRI victory. On the contrary, THL would contest the results which were as well debated in the community. Recognizing the war declaration, Clan Orta mobilized its troops with the goal of the neutralizing the NRI as a threat. The stage had been set. The NRI attempted to involve outside factions in what would be known as the "Ortarian-front." But ultimately, the war would be waged between the NRI and Orta.

## Chapter 01: The Winter Offensive

**NRI Declares War**

Upon the conclusion of this engagement, an announcement followed. Jointly the NRI and **Divine Angels** declared a state of war against Clan Orta and THL. Citing espionage and violation of the ROE as their reasoning, both would declare the battle to also be a NRI victory. On the contrary, THL would contest the results which were as well debated in the community. Recognizing the war declaration, Clan Orta mobilized its troops with the goal of neutralizing the NRI as a threat.

The stage had been set. The NRI attempted to involve outside factions in what would be known as the "Ortarian-front." But ultimately, the war would be waged between the NRI and Orta.

**Defense of Galladine**

On 12/3/17, the Halcyon aggressors would find themselves at the foot of the towering Fort Galladine. Confident in their resolve, the Halcyons would make a bid to seize the facility. However, these attempts would prove to be fruitless. The gate of Galladine closed, the Halcyons slammed out and forced into a retreat.

Following this engagement, the Halcyon Regime, steadfast in the face of their defeat, would press for new ROE negotiations. However, after several attempts at negotiations, both parties fail to compromise. As a result, Orta would then resort to more aggressive measures.

**Assault on Camp Terricide**

On 12/17/17, Camp Terricide would fall to an unforeseen assault. The first of many surprise attacks would begin.

Camp Terricide was the foundation of the NRI military industrial complex. This cultural center of the Halcyon Regime was the backbone of the NRI's troop production. For these very reasons, it was designated as a critical target by the Ortarian high command. Imperial Agents deployed by Clan Orta would be instrumental in orchestrating the attack. The Ortarian Strike team deployed. Pressed for time against Halcyon reinforcements, the Strike Team would need to act fast to seize the facility. Chaos erupted. During the initial stages of the assault, the Ortarian Strike team had been stalled. Halcyon snipers, positioned in the mountains, surrounded the base. Meanwhile, the NRI Regime would deploy a large relief force, under the Chairman's orders. However, they would arrive too late.

Ortarians would establish air superiority, eliminating the snipers. Then through six grueling hours of fighting, Terricide would fall under the iron grip of Ortarian people. The Halcyon holdouts fought to the bitter end. This crushing defeat would bring the NRI military production to a grinding halt. The Chairman would restrict any further military activities without Reikist Guard supervision. With a lack of fresh troops coming, what remained would soon fall to paranoia.

Further attacks followed, each cultivating further distrust and escalating the measures taken to address them. The string of defeats would soon lead to Fortress Warden.

**The Battle of Fortress Warden**

In late December, the NRI found itself in a state of disarray. Halcyon loyalists burrowed themselves within the concrete walls of Stronghold Warden. Warden had been intended to be a power piece against the NRI's enemies. Realizing the importance of this facility, **Imperial Agents** would delicately assist in crafting the invasion plans.

On the final days of December, the Ortarians would launch surprise attack on the crown jewel of Halcyon Regime's installations. Ortarian troops deployed, confronted by the **Reikist Corps** officers and **military loyalists**. The grueling battle had commenced, with the NRI hinging on the outcome.

During the intense fighting, reports started flooding the **Imperial Intelligence Network**. All military communications across the Regime had been cut. The only exception would be a select few Halcyons. This surprising event would mark the beginning of a shocking **purge** within the NRI military. Those at Warden found themselves abandoned and surrounded by the Ortarians. This time there wouldn’t be any reinforcements.

On the six-hour mark, the battle would conclude. Silence would begin its reign over the NRI. Only a lone Halcyon youth remained, surrendering himself to the Ortarian forces. For now, the NRI would be a broken regime. What few remained sulked into the shadows. This would conclude the Winter Offensive in favor of Clan Orta.

However, this would not be the end of the Halcyon Wars...

## Chapter 02: The Spring Offensive

**Pre-Spring Offensive**

After Visari purged the entire regime's population. The remaining Halcyons would regroup, conspiring and working to rebuild their regime from the scars of the **Winter Offensive**. Clan Orta would send Imperial Agents to assist the Halcyons in their efforts, in order to draw them out once again. The militarization commenced, increasingly large numbers of Halcyon soldiers and cultivated. The enemy's forces gathered. Facilities of concrete and metal were erected, guarding new Strongholds and holdouts. The reconstructed NRI worked forward, with revenge against Orta and turning the war around as its guiding purpose.

Clan Orta prepared, again for another surgically strategic offensive to disable the Halcyon military. At the beginning of spring, another calculated strike on the NRI would commence.

**The Spring Offensive**

Following the destruction of the first half of the war in winter of 2017, the NRI emerged again in 2018. Rebuilt upon its searing contempt towards Clan Orta, this new NRI set out with the goal of revenge and conquest over the community. However, from within, those who had helped build the NRI in reality primed it for another round of espionage. Orta would continue its campaign, dubbing it the “Spring Offensive.”

**Surprise Attack on Fort Radec**

On 4/28/18, a calculated attack on Fort Radec commenced. The few Halcyons present were abandoned by their leadership. NRI soldiers would lose Fort Radec in minutes. Intent on taking their base back, the battle would ensue for 6 hours. Soon, the survivors would abandon the fortification, leaving it to the Ortarians. Unprepared to deal with this strategy again, the NRI would proceed to lose more facilities in the future.

**Ambush at Stronghold Centauri**

Word of more surprise raids spread amongst the Halcyon soldiers. On 5/02/18, Stronghold Centauri would be attacked by a joint assault group consisting of: **THL**, **ISA Forces**, **Imperial Agents**, and Ortarian Knights. This brief battle proved to be a decisive victory for Clan Orta.

**Resignation of HalcyonVisari**

During the Spring Offensive, HalcyonVisari would resign as Chairman. HalcyonCentauri would assume the position as Chairman of the NRI. This would serve to hasten the decay of the Halcyon Regime, further brewing infighting within the NRI.

**Treachery at Fortress Vekta**

To address the situation, a security meeting was to be held on the impregnable NRI Fortress Vekta. However, a Halcyon officer, contemptuous towards Centauri, would reach out to Clan Orta. Now informed of this meeting, Orta's Knights, reinforced by Stygian personnel set by **THL**, would prepare another attack.

Ortarian and **Stygian** troops set foot onto the rocky terrain around Fortress Vekta on May 17th, 2018. The NRI resistance had been promptly subdued. The Ortarian banner flew above the fallen NRI triad, torn down following the carnage.

This outcome would result in Ortarian acquisition of all **NRSB** files and servers.

**Attack on Stronghold Gyre**

NRI territory would be scorched bare, cleansed of its Halcyon occupants. Throughout the war, Orta would pressure the NRI to surrender, with the Divine Angels even warning against continuing. Nonetheless, the NRI's insistence to continue would amount to the total abandonment of Halo 5. What remained, fled to GTA-V.

**End of Halcyon Wars**

On 5/19/18, Clan Orta would claim a victory. This would bring the Halcyon Wars to an end, but the scars it left remained permanent.

## **Post War Aftermath**

Subsequent sudo-generations of the NRI would be built on the foundational reasoning of destroying Orta. As such, they would be directed towards this end. All of these attempts were met with varying degrees of failures.

The NRI would be widely criticized for its practices, including its betrayal of standards. Notably however, was the Halcyon Partisans desire to continue an already lost war. When the NRI proved unable to touch Orta, which at the time withdrew into isolation, the remaining Partisans instead searched for help. Mere association, even if suspected, was enough in the eyes of the Halcyon Radicals to warrant being targeted.

**Operation Shadow Fall**

A joint Ortarian-Stygian strike force was assembled to surprise attack Firebase Visari. However, the partisans retreated on the eve of the invasion.

In order to impose its views onto others, the NRI would attempt to rise as a dominant power within the community again in 2019. This would be short lived, as following the GRA war, the NRI was gutted by Sentinel. In an ironic twist, the NRI would approach Orta attempting to involve Orta against Sentinel, but Clan Orta would refuse.

**Blockade on the Neo-Halcyons**

At one point, the Neo-Halcyon Partisans would be subject to a blockade headed by Clan Orta and other organizations.

**Neo-Halcyon Uprising**

In 2020, several territories across the community would become war zones as Neo-Halcyons clashed against the Ortarians. Orta would crush the Halcyons in the majority of the engagements. As such, the disheartened Neo-Halcyons would once again collapse, several followers convinced of the futility of the conflict.

**Breaking The Meta**

It should be noted that following the outcome of the Halcyon Wars, the NRI would begin to radicalize. This radicalization would eventually bleed into actual political extremism. In the summer of 2021, the now dubbed “Neo-Halcyons” were exposed for using their platform as a means to spread extremist political ideology. This exposure was detailed in a rebellion that occurred from within.