Suban

Suban is the more massive of Sanghelios' two moons.

History
Important to Sangheili astronomy and mythology dating back tens of millennia, Suban is the oldest Sangheili space colony, with its first settlers having arrived in the earliest days of Sangheili space travel long prior to the Skyfall.

Orbital decay
An ongoing cause of concern and public debate regarding Suban is the moon's decaying orbit around Sanghelios. Since the effect was first documented by astronomers in the centuries following the Skyfall, it is commonly attributed to the destruction of the Shard of Heaven, the Forerunner satellite supposedly having maintained the stability of the moon's orbit. However, some prehistoric Sangheili astronomical codices are recorded as having observed the moon's irregular orbit even long prior to the Skyfall. Whatever the case, tidal effects on the planet have been slowly increasing over the last three millennia, and the moon is expected to hit the Roche limit in less than 100,000 years. Without intervention, Suban will be disintegrated by tidal forces, with subsequent apocalyptic tidal effects on Sanghelios rendering the planet uninhabitable long before the moon directly collides with the planet. Various efforts have sought to stabilize Suban's orbit, but even with the Covenant's exotic drive technology, the moon is far too massive for their drives to make a difference. A brute-force solution involving the construction of a vast reaction engine has been proposed, but the scale and cost of such an undertaking has meant the idea has not, as of yet, left the planning stage. Instead, many Sangheili hope salvation will come in the form of an extraordinarily powerful Forerunner engine, and multiple Sanghelian statesmen throughout history have sponsored expeditions to find such a relic. So far, these efforts have not born fruit.

Topography
While arid, Suban is habitable to Sangheili, something commonly attributed to Forerunner terraforming in ancient times.

The moon is most notably the source of the Subanese crystals used in Covenant shard weaponry. The production and harvesting of the crystals is monopolized under the Subanite Brotherhood, which holds enormous wealth due to the importance of their export and acts as the de facto government of the moon.

Locations

 * Spire of Miatistina