“Unwilling to yield, the Banished fought hard against Cortana and her forces, uniting the Brute clans across the surface of Doisac and its moons. But as the AI’s patience had worn thin, she issued a final ultimatum to Atriox, ordering him to cede power and put an end to the bloodshed. When he refused, Cortana chose to make an example out of their kind.”
So I was wrong about that cutscene being set right after Halo 5. There’s a massive war in which the Brutes join the Banished and fight Cortana in a conventional war across Doisac. Her forces, I assume, somehow, weren’t able to defeat the Brutes with Prometheans or Guardian EMP. So she didn’t just destroy Doisac to spite one man. It’s monstrous but it’s not Alderaan. He picked that fight.
As an aside it’s also mentioned that Doisac was the main base of the Banished and they had huge foundries churning out capital ships. So yeah, not sure how that went under the radar and no elites or humans decided to Nuke them.
Ruling Doisac and its moons is pretty much that. If the Brutes of the homeworld rally to the Banished cause (12.5 billion monsters) why wouldn’t those on other colonies? They could have made it ambivalent but it seems like outside of Covenant Remnants; your typical Brute is a flag carrying member of the Banished.
Of course, he’s Warmaster, not Emperor.
As an aside, there’s a fair bit more about the Banished/Atriox motivation. He’s an ultra nationalist who wants to ensure Brute Hegemony in the Galaxy. This is why he goes to take the Ark. He’s simply okay with using other species to accomplish that goal. They go along with this because he’s winning and this gives them power.
Plus Cortana saved humanity the trouble of killing those brutes. 12.5 billion less Banished for one USB Device which we backed up anyway.
One more thing. The book repeatedly brings up how the Brutes and Atriox are full of vengeance and rage. I just find that spectacularly hypocritical. That species has destroyed entire worlds, committed massacres of innocents and has an agenda of conquering the Galaxy. Atrioxes rage shouldn’t hold a candle to humanities hatred for his species after what they have done. I can’t tell if that’s the point or just 343 trying to characterise the Banished as powerful.
Doisac wasn’t just home to the banished. Not every brute is a part of the Banished. I’d call emperor a bit of a stretch there. He does what he does for power mostly. I don’t think his goal is to become emperor so much as I don’t think he wants to rule the universe. Just plunder it.
“Atriox was convinced that by securing the installation (Ark), he could forever solidify the Banisheds place in the galactic power structure - the great foundry of Halo held nearly limitless strategic advantages”
Page 420
“At its founding, Atriox envisioned the Banished as a means to free his people from their oppressive captivity to the Covenant, empowering them to pursue their own destinies and carve out a new path into the stars, taking what he believed rightly belonged to the strong.”
Page 420
“Atriox sought to unite the disparate packs and clans of Doisac under a single banner for the sake of Brute pride and unity; challenging those who were under his watch to be more than they ever thought possible.”
That’s got very little to do with loot. This is about Imperialism and power. He’s a Brute Nationalist with dreams of Empire with a fascist world view. He also is stated to want to rule all the Brutes.
The only explanation I can see is that the UNSC and the Sword of Sangheillos were to busy by the covenant of Jul Mdama, then by Requiem and the Prometheans. Otherwise, it’s just a big incoherence in the story because 343 wanted so hard to make them a big threat
Not only is it implied that Cortana destroyed Doisac because all the other methods weren’t working. That EMP apparently doesn’t do what it did in Halo 5. But, her army was defeated at Zeta Halo by the Banished. Atriox wasn’t expecting the UNSC to show up. He was there for the rings secrets and to kill Cortana.
They have actually wrote that Atriox backhands the UNSC with one hand and backhands Cortana with the other.
Considering he’s attacking Cortana, with access to the Halo Arrays weapons (which I am sure 343 teased ages ago in a vid), but also at least one Guardian. I have to call bull on that. I’d only accept that if he had a shard of Mendicant Bias with him or something like that.
Although I will say I have complained a little in other topics about how the Endless are going to end up serving Atriox. Yeah…it’s really heavily implied he’s Pandora clutching at a vessel he doesn’t understand. Meaning 343 do seems okay with saying he’s a fool for seeking out that kind of power. So hopefully the Banished get what’s coming to them and we don’t have an “oh we need to work together Spartan”.
It says he united Brute clans, not all the Brute clans. On the next page in the encyclopedia, it mentions the moon Warial and how its Brutes did not join the Banished. It states how Atriox was not successful there.
So “uniting the Brute clans across the surface of Doisac and its moons” does not apply to all of Doisac and all its moons.
I’ll have to read that bit when I get back. Were they Covenant on Teash?
Still it’s not painting a picture of the Brutes being these peace loving folk who just wanted to be left alone before evil AI shows up. It’s a lot closer to the Helghast from Killzone and frankly with a vastly less sympathetic reason.
I also meant to say Warial, not Teash. It states Warial still has Brute clans fighting each other and didn’t like the Banished, so Atriox wasn’t successful in getting them to join.
But, her army was defeated at Zeta Halo by the Banished. Atriox wasn’t expecting the UNSC to show up. He was there for the rings secrets and to kill Cortana.
in other topics about how the Endless are going to end up serving Atriox. Yeah…it’s really heavily implied he’s Pandora clutching at a vessel he doesn’t understand. Meaning 343 do seems okay with saying he’s a fool for seeking out that kind of power. So hopefully the Banished get what’s coming to them and we don’t have an “oh we need to work together Spartan”.