Editing Battle for Arcadia

{{Era|HCW}}

{{Cleanup}}

|name       = Battle of Arcadia

|image       = [[File:Arcadiaoutskirts.png|350px]]

|prev       =[[Harvest campaign]]

|conc       =

|next       = [[Battle of Shield World 0459]]

|conflict   = [[Human-Covenant War]]

|date       = [[2531|February 9th, 2531]]

|place       = [[Arcadia]], [[Procyon system]]

|result     = *UNSC strategic victory

**Covenant Forces successfully repelled

*Covenant tactical victory  

**Professor [[Ellen Anders]] abducted

|side1       = [[United Nations Space Command]]

|side2       = [[Covenant]]

|commanders1 =

*[[Captain (Navy)|Captain]] [[James Gregory Cutter|James Cutter]]

*[[Sergeant]] [[John Forge]]

*[[Jerome-092]]

*Captain [[Terrence Hood]] (later in battle)

|commanders2 = [[Arbiter]] [[Ripa 'Moramee]] (later in battle)

|forces1     =

*UNSC Navy

|forces2     =  

*[[Fleet of Glorious Interdiction]]

**2 {{Class|CCS|battlecruiser}}s

**5 {{Class|CPV|heavy destroyer}}s<ref>'''[[Halo: Escalation]]''', ''Issue #5''</ref>

*[[Type-25 Spirit]]s

*[[Type-29 Vampire]]s

*1 [[Type-36 Scarab]]

*[[Type-30 Locust]]s

*[[Type-26 Wraith]]s

*[[Type-32 Ghost]]s

|casual1     =  

*2 UNSC ships

|casual2     =

*''[[CCS-U321]]''

*One Type-36 Ultra Heavy Assault Platform

The '''Battle of Arcadia''' was a military engagement fought between the [[United Nations Space Command]] and the [[Covenant]] on the human colony world of [[Arcadia]] during the [[Human-Covenant War]] in [[2531]].<ref name="city">'''[[Halo Wars]]''', campaign level, ''[[Arcadia City]]''</ref>

==The battle==  

Shortly after one of the last battles of the [[Harvest campaign]], [[Arbiter]] [[Ripa 'Moramee]] and his ships quickly left the system after learning the location of Arcadia from a [[Forerunner]] [[relic|artifact]] buried under [[Harvest]]'s north pole. Under the suggestion of Professor [[Ellen Anders]] and permission from [[Preston J. Cole|Admiral Cole]], the {{UNSCShip|Spirit of Fire}} followed in hot pursuit.<ref name="point">'''Halo Wars''' ''cutscene [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erPDrK3CBP8 "All it Did Was Point"]''</ref>

Upon reaching Arcadia, two [[Covenant]] [[CCS-class battlecruiser]]s exited Slipspace. The ''Spirit of Fire'' arrived soon after. The {{UNSCship|Belfast}}, {{UNSCship|Texas}}, {{UNSCship|Pillar of Autumn}}, and {{UNSCship|Armstrong}} engaged the two ships immediately, catching one of them with its shields down and destroying it. However, the UNSC force suffered for its part in the battle. The ''Texas'' and ''Belfast'' were both destroyed, the ''Armstrong'' was venting atmosphere due to damage, and the ''Autumn'' suffered severe damage before being assisted by the ''Spirit of Fire''.<ref name="point"/>

The second Covenant vessel was engaged in "surface activity" on Arcadia, attacking [[civilian]] targets and [[Pirth City]], Arcadia's capital. The [[Arcadian Patrol]], the primary police force of Arcadia, was deployed to counter the Covenant invaders but, being a civilian force, was easily overwhelmed. [[Red Team|SPARTAN Red Team]] and forces under the command of [[Sergeant]] [[John Forge]] assisted in rescuing civilians, evacuating hundreds to several [[unidentified civilian cargo ship|civilian transports]] abandoning the city. The Covenant, unfortunately, were successful in destroying several of these transports, resulting in massive civilian casualties.<ref name="city"/> However, despite several repeated assaults, the UNSC was successful in saving at least a portion of the population before being forced to retreat to the city's outskirts, where they were reinforced by [[Team Omega|SPARTAN Team Omega]]. Forge's team fortified the outskirts and linked up with several groups of stragglers. These forces, led by the Spartans, teamed up to destroy a Covenant field base, from which the UNSC survivors suffered several assault attempts by the Covenant.<ref>'''Halo Wars''', campaign level, ''[[Arcadia Outskirts]]''</ref>

Following this, the UNSC forces established a base of operations at a [[Arcadia ONI facility|deserted ONI base]] in the jungle. They used experimental [[M-145D Rhino|Rhinos]] to break through a massive dome-shaped Covenant [[Energy shielding#Covenant energy shielding|energy barrier]] concealing several [[Arcadia Forerunner ruins|Forerunner ruins]] with technology the Covenant were using to upgrade an incomplete [[Type-36 Ultra Heavy Assault Platform|Super Scarab]].<ref>'''[[Halo Waypoint]]''', ''Battle for Arcadia''</ref> The UNSC forces were constantly harassed by Covenant air patrols, but were successful in repelling them. After the shield dome was disabled, the Spirit of Fire barraged the area with several MAC round blasts then advanced on the Scarab's construction site, taking cover behind the Forerunner ruins as the Scarab fired on them. After a considerable effort on the part of the UNSC, they destroyed the Scarab and proceeded to investigate the site.<ref>'''Halo Wars''', campaign level, ''[[Scarab (level)|Scarab]]''</ref>

Despite the victory, the UNSC suffered a major setback as it investigated the Forerunner ruins on Arcadia. Under orders from the [[Prophet of Regret]], [[Arbiter]] [[Ripa 'Moramee]] traveled back to Arcadia and captured [[Ellen Anders|Professor Ellen Anders]], with the intention of using her to unlock the [[Forerunner dreadnought]]s held at the [[Apex Site]]. The ''Spirit of Fire'' chased his ship to [[Shield World 0459]].

Before the ''Spirit of Fire'' left the Procyon system, it dropped a log buoy which [[Terrence Hood]], captain of the {{UNSCShip|Roman Blue}}, was assigned to recover. However, as the colony was already deemed lost by UNSC command, ''Roman Blue'' was also ordered to withhold from engaging the enemy in combat. Hood, enraged by the massive losses the Covenant had already inflicted on humanity, ordered his crew to attack a {{Class|CPV|heavy destroyer}}. Overwhelmed, Hood was forced to retreat. Consequently, the ''Spirit of Fire''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s log buoy was not recovered and Hood would view himself as responsible for the ''Spirit of Fire'''s disappearance. After the battle, Hood provided financial support for both Cutter's legitimate family (his apparent widow [[Mary Cutter|Mary]] and [[Cutter's daughter|their daughter]]) and his secret one, supporting [[Daniel Clayton]]'s mother for years.<ref name="HE5">'''Halo: Escalation''', ''Issue #5''</ref>

The UNSC regained control of the planet, but now that its location was known to the Covenant, most of its inhabitants abandoned the colony. A small number of colonists remained, establishing the settlement of [[Abaskun]] on the [[Mu]] continent, which supplied the UNSC with much-needed foodstuffs until the Covenant [[Fall of Arcadia|returned]] to the colony in 2549, [[glassing]] it.<ref>'''[[Halo Wars Timeline Events]]''', ''2549''</ref>

{{reflist}}

[[Category:UNSC Victories]]

[[Category:Covenant Victories]]