“Earth… is all we have left.”
— Lord Terrence Hood to Miranda Keyes and John-117
The Battle of Earth, referred to as the Earth Sustained Defense Campaign by the UNSC, was one of the largest engagements fought between the Covenant and the United Nations Space Command, which took place on and above the planet Earth and across the Sol system from October 20, 2552 to November 17. It was one of the most significant battles of the Human-Covenant war as the fate of humanity depended on the survival of their homeworld. The battle concluded when the Prophet of Truth's Dreadnought left Earth through the Portal with the purpose of activating the Halo Array from "The Ark."
UNSC Retreat
In the aftermath of the Fall of Reach, the UNSC began to pull its forces back to Earth, with most units assigned to defend Earth's tether cities. The Marine unit E2-BAG/1/7, among many others, was relocated from Reach to defend New Mombasa.The UNSC Naval units still left were brought back to Earth. On September 5, 2552, these units reorganized into a command grouping under the UNSC Home Fleet. All aerospace units now at Sol were under the command of Fleet Admiral Harper.
The Prophets Discover Earth
After the Fall of Reach, the Prophet of Truth discovered the location of Earth but withheld knowledge of this discovery from the Covenant and other high-ranking officials. To attack the human homeworld, he ordered a Jiralhanae assault fleet to secretly assemble at Unyielding Hierophant station in the Tau Ceti System. The fleet would overwhelm Earth's defenses in a single decisive strike. This would serve as the initial stages of Truth's plan to elevate the Jiralhanae as the military command caste of the Covenant, as opposed to the Sangheili whom he believed were dangerously prone to disillusionment.The Covenant assault fleet was discovered by the UNSC AI Cortana. A preemptive strike led by Vice Admiral Danforth Whitcomb and a SPARTAN-II strike team destroyed Unyielding Hierophant and almost the entirety of the assembled fleet, some 500 ships.
Regret and Meridian
The Prophet of Regret also learned of Earth's location from a Luminary found on Meridian.[ Not being privy to Truth's information, Regret set off to uncover the artifact, not realizing that Earth was the human homeworld. Regret unknowingly led his small fleet, a mere two CAS-class assault carriers and 13 CCS-class battlecruisers, straight into Earth's formidable defenses. Truth belatedly learned of Regret's attack, and dispatched a large Jiralhanae-led fleet to reinforce the attack. They arrived just after Regret had fled.Battle
“Something's not right. The fleet that destroyed Reach was fifty times this size!”— Fleet Admiral Terrence Hood
The Fleet of Sacred Consecration was detected on its way to Earth, prompting a quiet dragging of available ships back to Earth all morning. They were later detected near Io as a series of Slipspace "whispers." Probes were sent to investigate, but shortly afterward the Covenant fleet reverted to realspace near Earth, just outside the killzone of the planet's Orbital Defense Platforms (ODPs). UNSC forces went to TACCON Alpha 2. Fleet Admiral Harper ordered his battle group to attack, but quickly received new orders from Fleet Admiral Terrence Hood to fall back and defend the ODPs. Having expected an overwhelming enemy offensive in the style of the Battle of Reach, the relative weakness of the attack puzzled the defenders.
The Assault Carriers converged on the battle cluster including Athens Station, Cairo Station and Malta Station. The ODPs opened fire as the enemy entered range. Covenant troops boarded the stations, intending to demolish them with an Antimatter Charge each. As each bomb was planted the Covenant withdrew. Athens and Malta were demolished in quick succession. Cortana, aboard Cairo, deduced the nature of the threat and John-117 was dispatched to prevent the same fate from befalling Cairo.
Cortana directed the SPARTAN-II to the bomb's location in Cairo's fire control center. En route to the bomb, John-117 rescued Commander Miranda Keyes and allowed her to board UNSC In Amber Clad. The frigate departed Cairo to join the fray.
Covenant Breakthrough
“The carriers are breaking through sir, they're headed straight for the Cairo!”— Fleet Admiral Harper
The two Assault Carriers began to break through toward Cairo. Cortana directed Cairo's MAC against Solemn Penance but the ship did not stop to engage and instead made directly for New Mombasa on the surface. Admiral Harper led the attack on Day of Jubilation and depleted its shields. Keyes volunteered to attack the carrier immediately, but Hood was unwilling to pit a single frigate against such a large target.
John-117 and Cortana managed to capture and defuse the Covenant antimatter bomb aboard Cairo. Deciding to use the device to their advantage, and with Lord Hood's approval, the Spartan leapt out of an airlock holding onto the bomb, using only the initial explosive decompression for impulse. A flight of Longsword interceptors opened a breach in the carrier's hull and allowed the Spartan to plant the charge deep within the warship. The detonation destroyed the assault carrier, with John-117 barely escaping in time. Safe in the vacuum of space due to his MJONIR armor, John-117 then 'fell' to UNSC In Amber Clad and was rescued.
Regret Escapes
“Dear humanity, we regret being alien bastards, we regret coming to Earth, and we most definitely regret the Corps just blew up our raggedy-ass fleet!”— Avery Johnson commenting on Regret's message.
Regret's carrier came to stop over New Mombasa in the East African Protectorate and deployed troops into the city and the surrounding area. UNSC high command wished to discover why the Covenant were landing only in Mombasa, and John-117 was ordered to capture Regret for interrogation. The Spartan was deployed with marines and ODSTs in a trio of Pelicans from the UNSC In Amber Clad near the city, but the dropships were shot down by a Covenant Scarab in Old Mombasa. John-117 and the survivors regrouped and pursued the walker to NM 105E, and across the bridge to New Mombasa Sector B. The Scarab was eventually trapped and destroyed at the end of a canal. Covenant forces started to withdraw to the assault carrier for slipspace departure.
In orbit the Home Fleet began deploying ODST units towards the Solemn Penance in SOEIVs, intending to aid Master Chief in an assault on the carrier. One squad, deploying from the UNSC Say My Name and led by GSgt. Buck, was diverted by ONI agent Captain Veronica Dare to secure the city's infrastructure A.I.
Regret's means of escape took the UNSC by surprise. The carrier initiated a Slipspace jump while still over the city. The UNSC In Amber Clad quickly recovered John-117 and followed in the fleeing ship's wake. The slipspace rupture severely damaged the city and generated an EMP. Many ODSTs had not yet landed when the carrier escaped and were caught in the EMP and blast. Drop pods were disabled in flight and plunged into uncontrolled freefall. They were scattered across the city.
Truth's Fleet Arrives
“The Covenant have found Earth. They own New Mombasa. Anyone that could've driven them off is dead, or gone. I'd say that makes for desperate times.”— Edward Buck
Immediately following the slipspace event, the Prophet of Truth's Jiralhanae-led reinforcements arrived. The Jiralhanae absorbed the handful of ships that remained from Regret's fleet, which by now were controlled by Regret's Jiralhanae, and deployed more troops into New Mombasa. Sangheili crews and infantry were killed as part of Truth's plan to place the Jiralhanae as the Covenant's primary warrior race.
Surviving UNSC forces in the city, aided by the New Mombasa Police Department, continued to resist, but were eventually overwhelmed. The Covenant began glassing Mombasa and the surrounding area, uncovering the Portal to the Ark. Captain Dare and Alpha-Nine managed to secure the city's infrastructure AI and escape in a stolen Phantom before the city fell to the enemy.
Covenant Occupation
The battle spread over the globe in the following weeks. The diminishing fleets of UNSC remained to contest in Earth's orbit, but the Covenant continued to raid the surface in search of Forerunner artifacts. Most Covenant forces were concentrated in East Africa.The Spartan Blue Team, consisting of SPARTAN-104, SPARTAN-058, and SPARTAN-043, were constantly engaged for the first two weeks. They repelled enemy ships in orbit in zero-g operations. On the surface they neutralized Covenant excavations, first during the Battle of Ross Island in Antarctica, and then underwater off the Yucatan Peninsula. On November 3, they participated in the Battle of Havana, where they stole the enemy destroyer Bloodied Spirit, and neutralized another destroyer and the Centennial Orbital Elevator. They subsequently redeployed aboard the stolen ship to Onyx to aid Dr. Halsey.
As the Great Schism raged throughout High Charity located above Installation 05, the Prophet of Truth prepared his departure to the Sol System. On November 3, the Prophet of Truth escaped in the Anodyne Spirit, leaving the flood to consume the rest of High Charity. The prophet sought to activate the Ark, fire the Halo rings, and begin what he thought to be the "Great Journey." Unaware to the Covenant, John-117 had stowed away aboard the ship.
Commander Miranda Keyes, Sergeant Major Avery Johnson, and Arbiter Thel 'Vadam learned of the Prophet of Truth's intentions and departed Installation 05 after the Dreadnought. Upon arrival at Earth they took up station in an old military base, Crow's Nest, near Voi, and waited for John-117's arrival.
Truth's Arrival
“Master Chief, you mind telling me what you're doing on that ship?”— Fleet Admiral Terrence Hood
“Sir, finishing this fight.”
— Master Chief
The Forerunner dreadnought arrived at Earth on the 17th of November. John-117 left the ship by leaping off during re-entry and crashing into the East-African jungle.[19][21] On the ground, the Covenant had set up heavy defenses including several AA Batteries near Voi and in the surrounding area to protect their excavation of the Portal.
Throughout the first several weeks, the fleets above Earth led by Fleet Admiral Harper fiercely fought the Jiralhanae-led covenant ships. However, on the 17th of November, Truth would arrive with the largest Covenant fleets in recorded history. Outnumbered and outgunned in every possible way the UNSC Home Fleet put up some of the fiercest resistance seen during the war. With nearly 300 ODPs and Hood's brilliant leadership, the UNSC destroyed hundreds of medium and heavy class Covenant ships, eventually reducing the massive fleet to no more than 40. In return, the UNSC fleet was entirely wiped out. Only a handful of frigates remained.
During Spartan-117's re-entry, a pair of ODSTs used a laser designator during the Battle of Sector Six in Afghanistan to track the Spartan's fall. The data made it easier for Sergeant Johnson and Thel 'Vadam to locate the Spartan. After several skirmishes with Covenant forces, Spartan-117 and the rest of the team was extracted by a dropship, and taken to Crow's Nest.
UNSC Counterattack
“Marines, the Prophet of Truth doesn't know it yet, but he's about to get kicked right off his throne. You will take our city back and drive our enemy into the grave they've been so happily digging. One final effort is all that remains.”— Admiral Terrence Hood
With UNSC ground forces now supported by John-117, Commander Keyes proposed a plan to attack the excavation site by destroying several of the Covenant anti-air defenses at Voi, allowing low-flying frigates to strike the Anodyne Spirit now stationed on the Portal. Even though Fleet Admiral Terrence Hood had only a few ships remaining, he agreed to the risky plan.
As the offensive got underway the Covenant attacked Crow's Nest. The UNSC evacuated and detonated the base as it fell to Covenant forces. John-117, having activated the bomb, barely managed to escape. The scattered UNSC forces regrouped along the Tsavo Highway headed for Voi.
The AA Guns Destruction
The Covenant AA gun was destroyed by UNSC and Separatist forces
At Voi, the UNSC successfully created a small opening in Covenant defenses. Throughout the assault John-117, with the help of Thel 'Vadam, disabled several AA Wraiths as well as one of the main AA batteries. With the way cleared, Admiral Hood ordered three frigates and multiple Longswords to attack the Anodyne Spirit. Despite direct hits from several MAC rounds, the Forerunner ship remained intact and activated the Portal. The Anodyne and the rest of the Covenant fleet departed through the resulting Slipspace portal.
The Flood on Earth
“Quickly! Let us find their ship. Make short work of this abomination!”— Thel 'Vadam
While the battle for Earth raged, the Covenant Separatist forces had been attempting to maintain a quarantine of the Flood-infested High Charity and Installation 05. The Flood-infested Indulgence of Conviction escaped and arrived at Earth as the Prophet of Truth departed through the Portal. The ship crashed in Voi and began infesting the area. John-117 and Thel 'Vadam quickly made for the crash site intending to overload the ship's reactor in the hope that the explosion would stop the Flood.
Covenant separatists ships, led by Sangheili Fleet Master Rtas 'Vadum aboard the CAS-class assault carrier Shadow of Intent, arrived in pursuit of the Flood ship. Informed by the Sangheili that Cortana was possibly on the ship, John-117 went in search for her in the crashed Flood-infested cruiser. John-117 found the small storage device containing the AI; he entrusted to 343 Guilty Spark for repairs and they were extracted by Phantom to Shadow of Intent. Meanwhile, the Flood infestation was destroyed after the Covenant Separatist fleet glassed most of East Africa.
Admiral Hood and Commander Keyes joined John-117, Thel 'Vadam, and Rtas 'Vadum aboard Shadow of Intent where 343 Guilty Spark repaired Cortana's damaged storage device. The device contained only a message from the AI; it warned the Flood-infested High Charity was en route to Earth, but that beyond the Portal there was a solution to the Flood without firing the Halo Array.
Admiral Hood was determined to make his stand against the Flood on Earth. The Sangheili believed this to be foolish for there was little hope that Earth could withstand a Flood invasion. The Sangheili decided to place faith in Cortana and journey beyond the Portal. John-117 and Keyes convinced a weary Lord Hood to allow them and a UNSC task force to accompany the Covenant Separatists.
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