User:XW3 AR3 L3GION/Operation: DROUGHT

Operation: DROUGHT is a counter-intelligence operation instigated by the UNSC Military Intelligence Division, also known as the Office of Naval Intelligence, regarding the relatively unknown and unsuccessful Flood invasion of Earth on the African contintent.

The operation included a public and media blackout of the entire incident, since the majority of the human population on Earth was hidden in huge underground vaults, and later from reports from surviving military personnel who encountered the Flood, the parasite was claimed to be a Jiralhanae bio-weapon deployed during the UNSC counter-attack on the Portal to neutralize humanity surprise advantage.

While the Sangheili who "glassed" and fought in Northern Africa were outside ONI's jurisdiction, the Sangheili Intelligence Division (the Sangheili counter-part to the UNSC Military Intelligence Division), understood humanities wish to keep the Flood parasite as unknown as possible and followed similar protocols.

DROUGHT last almost three hundred years until the discovery of the Sixth Halo Ring where a Human A.I. caused an entire Federal Taskforce to lose power and remain adift for two days before reinforcements could be contacted and sent. Then the existance of the Flood was known, creating an almost galactic-wide panic.