- Omanisat
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- Honorable Member
Did the UNSC ever employ chemical weapons against the Covenant, and if not, why?
In everything I've read, the UNSC has focused exclusively on the nuclear side of WMD technology, but seem to forget about the other two, biological and chemical.
I believe there are numerous reasons why a biological attack against the Covenant would be pointless:The resources and time spent on developing a pathogen that was fatal to all member species of the Covenant would be incredible, the unpredictable nature of biological systems in general, the fact that a biological weapon is typically an offensive strategic weapon and the UNSC was mainly fighting a defensive tactical one
But a chemical weapon is cheap, easy to make, and is fairly predictable if you understand the basic technology.
First we need a little lesson on chemical weapons:
They can be deployed in a variety of ways. The simplest and earliest methods involved pointing cylinders filled with the gases at the enemy and opening the valve. The understanding of the weapons at that time was primitive, and it often caused the user as much trouble as the target. Today most gases are carried in various artillery munitions, or dropped by aircraft.
At their broadest they fall into two categories: Lethal and non-lethal. Non-lethal weapons include such common ones as CS, or tear gas, and pepper spray. More exotic ones include things like aerosols LSD or other hallucinogens. Typically they are employed in situation where you want to minimize damage, such as quelling riots, or they are used to cause casualties and chaos in the rear areas of an enemy's army. As such there is little chance the UNSC would employ them against the Covenant.
Lethal agents are what I would imagine the UNSC would primarily use. There are three main sub-types of lethals: Blood, blister and nerve. Blister agents are the most common, and the first type to be used in combat, on the battlefields of Europe in the 1st World War. Examples include chlorine and phosgene. They cause great damage to exposed skin, producing the blisters and chemical burns for which the type is named. If inhaled they cause severe damage to the lung tissues, causing the victim's lungs to fill with fluid, eventually causing them to drown from the inside. These gases are the least likely to be fatal, instead they are designed to cause casualties that tie up an army's resources. Seeing as every member species of the Covenant uses armour with exposed skin, and with the exception of Hunters and Drones, all breath using lungs, these weapons would likely be very effective across the board.
Blood agents are typically made from compounds including either cyanide or arsenic. They are absorbed by the lungs and enter the bloodstream. The compounds are then absorbed by the red blood cells, taking the place of the oxygen normally carried by these cells. The victims literally suffocate at the cellular level. Small concentrations can cause lightheadedness, dizziness and nausea. Large doses can be fatal in a matter of seconds. Seeing as every Covenant member species seem to breath an oxygen atmosphere like humans, it's very likely that blood agents would have a similar effect on them as it would a human. The exception to this is the Grunts, who breath a methane atmosphere and likely lack the hemoglobin that oxygen breathing species possess.
The last and most dangerous category is nerve agents, like VX, VR and Sarin. They work by interfering with the chemical processes necessary for the nervous system to function. They can enter the body either through the skin or the lungs. Skin exposure can be fatal in as little as two hours, inhalation can lead to death in minutes or less. Nerve agents also tend to be persistent, but more on that later. As
every race of the Covenant employs some form of nervous system, combined with the fact that they all either breathe or have exposed skin, makes these the ideal choice to use.
Like I said before, chemical weapons can also be classified as persistent or non-persistent. Non-persistent agents typically disperse or degrade quickly. These make them ideal for use on the battlefield, as they can be used and the territory taken from the enemy after a rather brief period. Non-persistent agents are typically oily and can remain on a surface for months if not removed. These are usually used at the strategic level on targets such as ammo dumps, motor pools, choke points and crossroads. As the UNSC was usually on the defensive, and on it's own soil, it is unlikely they would use persistent weapons.
The Covenant assault on the orbital defense generators on Reach is a perfect example. With adequate protection for the UNSC troopers stationed there, they could have easily dropped chemical weapons on the battlefield surrounding the generators, preventing the Covenant from reaching them.