Editing Battle for Arcadia

|next= [[Battle of Trove]]

|date= [[2531|February 9–10, 2531]]{{Ref/Game|Id=HWTE|HW|Halo Wars Timeline Events|Timeline Events}}

**2 {{Pattern|Ket|battlecruiser}}s

**5 {{Pattern|Sinaris|heavy destroyer}}s{{Ref/Comic|Id=esc5|HEsc|Issue=5}}

*{{Pattern|Dextro Xur|Spirit}}s

*1 {{Pattern|R'awuw|Scarab}}

*{{Pattern|Shua'ee|Locust}}s

*{{Pattern|Zurdo|Wraith}}s

*{{Pattern|Karo'etba|Ghost}}s

*One {{Pattern|R'awuw|Scarab}}

The '''Battle for Arcadia'''{{Ref/YouTube|Id=halo101|dBpnVngCeu8|Halo|Halo 101: The Battle for Arcadia|D=10|M=6|Y=2016}} 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/Level|Id=city|HW|Arcadia City}}

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 (location)|artifact]] buried under [[Harvest]]'s north pole. Professor [[Ellen Anders]] briefly examined the artifact and learned that it pointed in the direction of another planetary system. At her suggestion, and with permission from [[Preston Cole|Admiral Preston Cole]], the {{UNSCShip|Spirit of Fire}} followed the [[Covenant fleet]] in hot pursuit.{{Ref/Reuse|city}}

Upon reaching Arcadia, two [[Covenant]] {{Pattern|Ket|battlecruiser}}s exited slipspace. The {{UNSCShip|Spirit of Fire}} arrived soon after. The {{UNSCShip|Belfast}}, {{UNSCShip|Texas}}, {{UNSCShip|Pillar of Autumn}}, and {{UNSCShip|Armstrong}} engaged the two battlecruisers immediately, catching one of them, designated ''[[CCS-U321]]'', 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. After disabling the remaining UNSC vessels, the second battlecruiser, designated ''[[CCS-U624]]'', moved towards Arcadia. Meanwhile, the ''Autumn'' and the ''Armstrong'' were assisted by the ''Spirit of Fire''.{{Ref/Reuse|city}}

At some point in the battle, [[Preston Cole|Admiral Preston Cole]] and his fleet arrived at Arcadia and engaged the Covenant forces.{{Ref/Game|Id=journal|HR|Dr. Halsey's personal journal}} 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 the {{Pattern|Sinaris|heavy destroyer}} ''[[Radiant Perception]]''. Overwhelmed, Hood was forced to retreat. Consequently, the ''Spirit of Fire's'' log buoy was not recovered and Hood would view himself as responsible for the ''Spirit of Fire's'' disappearance.{{Ref/Reuse|esc5}} The log buoy was recovered by the ''Radiant Perception'', but the ship was shot down on [[Laconia]] during the battle.{{Ref/Novel|SaS}} The space engagement ended with the destruction of most Covenant vessels, with the remaining ones fleeing from the system.{{Ref/Reuse|journal}}

{{Quote|It's a blood bath here! We need some cover now!|An [[Arcadian Patrol]] officer{{Ref/Reuse|city}}}}

Shortly after the first space engagement, the second Covenant vessel, ''CCS-U624'', was engaged in "surface activity" on Arcadia, attacking [[civilian]] targets and [[Pirth City]], Arcadia's capital.{{Ref/Reuse|city}} The initial Covenant attack heavily damaged the planetary tram system; intact tram stations instead served as temporary shelters for refugees.{{Ref/Level|HW|Arcadia City|Detail=Tram System Station - Console description|Quote=A planetary network of high-speed rails, the Arcadian tram system was heavily damaged in the initial Covenant assault. Intact tram stations are serving as temporary shelters for evacuating refugees.}} The [[Arcadian Patrol]], the primary police force of Arcadia, was deployed to counter the Covenant invaders but, being a civilian force, was easily overwhelmed. As the Arcadian Patrol was evacuating civilians in Pirth City's [[spaceport]]s, Covenant forces began to move in on them in an attempt to deny the civilians' escape. [[Red Team|SPARTAN Red Team]] and forces under the command of [[Sergeant]] [[John Forge]] assisted in rescuing civilians, evacuating hundreds to several [[Banta-class transport|civilian transports]] abandoning the city. The Covenant, unfortunately, were successful in destroying several of these transports, resulting in massive civilian casualties.{{Ref/Reuse|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. After a majority of the Covenant forces were eliminated around Pirth City, Team Omega departed and Forge was ordered to return to the bridge of the ''Spirit of Fire''.{{Ref/Level|HW|Arcadia Outskirts}} During the Covenant's assault on Pirth City, all other major population centers on the planet were discovered and destroyed by Covenant forces.{{Ref/Reuse|journal}}

Following this, the UNSC forces established a base of operations at a [[Arcadia ONI facility|deserted ONI base]] in a jungle on the far side of Arcadia.{{Ref/Site|URL=https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/universe/characters/alice-130|Site=Halo Waypoint|Page=Alice-130|D=28|M=10|Y=2021}} Anders aboard the ''Spirit of Fire'' discovered a massive dome-shaped Covenant [[Energy shielding#Covenant energy shielding|energy barrier]] on the planet. Determined to find out what the Covenant were after, the ''Spirit of Fire'' attacked the shield dome with [[M145D Rhino]]s supplied by the ''Pillar of Autumn''. The UNSC forces became constantly harassed by Covenant air patrols, but were successful in repelling them. After the shield dome was partially disabled by the Rhinos, the ''Spirit of Fire'' barraged the area with several MAC round blasts to take out the shield's generators.{{Ref/Level|HW|Dome of Light}}

Under the shield dome, the UNSC forces found a series of [[Arcadia Forerunner ruins|Forerunner ruins]] guarded by an incomplete {{Pattern|R'awuw|Scarab}} the Covenant were upgrading with technology from the ruins.{{Ref/Reuse|halo101}} The ''Spirit of Fire's'' forces then advanced on the Scarab's construction site, taking cover behind the Forerunner ruins as the Scarab fired on them. However, the Scarab was only partially operational and only its "head" was active. After a considerable effort on the part of the UNSC, they destroyed the Scarab and proceeded to investigate the site.{{Ref/Level|HW|Scarab (level)|Scarab}}

Under orders from the [[Prophet of Regret]], [[Arbiter]] [[Ripa 'Moramee]] traveled back to Arcadia and captured [[Ellen Anders|Professor Ellen Anders]] while she was investigating the ruins of the Scarab the next day.{{Ref/Reuse|HWTE}} After a brief fight with Forge, 'Moramee captured Anders and fled the system.{{Ref/Level|Id=signal|HW|Anders' Signal}}

Despite the victory, the UNSC suffered a major setback as it investigated the Forerunner ruins on Arcadia. With Anders captured by Arbiter Ripa 'Moramee, he delivered her to the Prophet of Regret with the intention of using her to unlock the [[Sojourner-class dreadnought|Forerunner dreadnought]]s held at the [[Apex Site]]. The ''Spirit of Fire'' was able to follow his ship to [[Trove]], beginning the [[Battle of Trove]].{{Ref/Reuse|signal}}

After the battle, out of guilt, [[Terrence Hood|Captain 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/Reuse|esc5}}

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/Reuse|HWTE}}