Editing Battle of Circinius IV

{{Status|Canon}}
{{Battle infobox
|prev=[[Battle of Biko]], [[Operation: SILENT STORM]]
|conc=
|next=[[Battle of Mesra]]
|name=Battle of Circinius IV
|image=[[File:CirciniusIV attacked1.jpg|300px]]
|conflict=[[Human-Covenant War]]
|date=[[2526|April 26, 2526]]<ref>[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/forums/db05ce78845f4120b062c50816008e5d/topics/learn-what-happened-today-in-halo/9e7159ac-143a-4e71-bcfd-622db8f7c3a3/posts?page=4#post65 '''Halo Waypoint Forums''' - ''Today in Halo'']</ref>
|place=[[Circinius IV]], [[Circinius system]]
|result=Covenant victory
*Almost all UNSC personnel and civilians killed
*Corbulo Academy and Circinius IV glassed
*Spartan Blue Team successfully retrieves three survivors  
|side1=[[United Nations Space Command]]
|side2=[[Covenant]]
|commanders1=*[[Black|General Daniel Black]] †
*[[K.L. Mehaffey|Colonel Kennedy Mehaffey]] †
*[[John-117|Spartan John-117]]
*[[April Orenski|Senior Cadet April Orenski]]
|commanders2=*Unknown Covenant [[Fleet Master]]
*[[Unidentified Sangheili Zealot|Unknown]] [[Sangheili Zealot]] †
|forces1=*Unknown number of UNSC vessels 
*1 [[M12 Chaingun Warthog]]
*[[SPARTAN-II program|Spartan]] [[Blue Team]]
*[[Orbital Drop Shock Troopers]]
*[[UNSC Marine Corps|Marine]] garrison
*Corbulo Academy staff and cadets 
**[[Hastati Squad]]
|forces2=*At least 4 [[Covenant cruiser|cruisers]]
*At least 3 {{Pattern|Ceudar|heavy corvette}}s
*[[Mgalekgolo]]
*[[Sangheili]]
*[[Kig-Yar]]
*[[Unggoy]] 
|casual1=*Near-total annihilation of Corbulo Academy's cadet corps and staff
*Entire Marine garrison and ODST response force
*Near-total annihilation of the population of Circinius IV
|casual2=*At least one Sangheili
*Several Kig-Yar
*At least two Mgalekgolo
}}
{{Quote|multi=more|q1=You're the only survivors.|John-117|q2=In the school?|Michael Sullivan|q3=On the planet.|John-117|John-117 notifying the cadets of the planet's near-total fatalities.}} 
The '''Battle of Circinius IV''' was an engagement between [[United Nations Space Command|UNSC]] and [[Covenant]] forces on the colony of [[Circinius IV]] in mid-[[2526]]. It was not only one of the first battles of the [[Human-Covenant War]], but also one of the first deployments of [[SPARTAN-II Program|Spartan-IIs]].<ref name="FUD 3">'''Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn''', ''Part 3''</ref>

==Prelude==
After the [[First Battle of Harvest|first engagements]] on [[Harvest]], [[Office of Naval Intelligence|ONI Section II]] kept the Covenant invasion secret from the general population. This encompassed the denizens of Circinius IV (including the staff and cadets of the [[Corbulo Academy of Military Science]]) in what was likely the first application of the recently introduced [[WINTER CONTINGENCY (protocol)|WINTER CONTINGENCY]]. However, the academy's superintendent, [[Black|General Black]], was informed. As preparation for a possible attack, Black discreetly increased the readiness of the [[UNSC Marine Corps|UNSC Marine]] garrison posted in the academy and authorized limited communications blackouts under the guise of routine maintenance procedures.  Unfortunately, these preparations would prove ineffective against the Covenant.

==Battle==
On April 26, 2526, the Covenant launched a surprise attack on Circinius IV. Three {{Pattern|Ceudar|heavy corvette}}s entered the atmosphere and attacked Corbulo Academy. Locally stationed Marines provided an initial defense of the academy and the evacuation of the cadets via the school's [[space elevator]] was begun immediately. Orbiting UNSC vessels soon deployed [[Orbital Drop Shock Troopers]] directly onto the campus. However, one of the Covenant corvettes fired on the elevator, causing it to collapse on the school and halt the evacuation. Since all the cadets and staff had converged near the elevator for evacuation, the collapse of the elevator killed many members of the academy. Moments later, the survivors came under attack by [[Sangheili]] and [[Kig-Yar]] troops.{{Ref/Reuse|FUD 3}}

Corbulo's officer cadets were caught off-guard by this attack. General Black was killed within minutes of the attack; [[Colonel]] [[K.L. Mehaffey]] attempted to organize the surviving cadets inside the tunnels, though she too was quickly killed. Covenant forces soon overwhelmed the ODSTs and Marines, and proceeded to annihilate the planet's entire population, with only four Cadets [[April Orenski]], [[Thomas Lasky]], [[Chyler Silva]], and [[Michael Sullivan]] left alive.  SPARTAN-II [[Blue Team]] were then subsequently deployed in response to the cadets' distress beacon. Spartan [[John-117]] infiltrated the besieged school and arrived just in time to rescue the surviving cadets from a [[Unidentified Sangheili Zealot|Sangheili Zealot]]. After contacting Kelly-087 and arranging for a Pelican extraction, John-117 broke open the cadets' weapons lockers and allowed the cadets to arm themselves.<ref name="part4">'''Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn''', ''Part 4''</ref>

The Spartan led the survivors to the academy's exterior, where they were ambushed by [[Kig-Yar Sniper]]s. Cadet Sullivan was wounded during the firefight, but survived.  After dispatching the snipers, they retreated from the combat zone in General Black's personal [[M12 Light Reconnaissance Vehicle|Warthog]].{{Ref/Reuse|part4}} During the drive, however, they came under heavy fire from more Kig-Yar and were eventually forced to abandon their vehicle.  Silva was killed by a [[Type-33 Guided Munitions Launcher|needler]] round, and the rest of the group was attacked by a pair of [[Mgalekgolo]]. John-117 depleted all his ammunition killing one of the Mgalekgolo, leaving him with only a single grenade.  He decided to take on the remaining Mgalekgolo alone, buying the surviving cadets time to escape. However, Cadet Lasky volunteered to distract the alien while John-117 got into position.  Lasky successfully drew the Mgalekgolo's fire, allowing John to plant the grenade under its armor. The resulting detonation blew the Mgalekgolo to pieces. 

As morning arrived, the survivors reached Blue Team's Pelican just as the Covenant began glassing the planet. Impressed by Lasky's actions, John-117 gave him [[keepsake|a fragment]] of the Mgalekgolo's armor.<ref name="part5">'''Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn''', ''Part 5''</ref>

==Aftermath==
Presumably following the battle, Marines (including [[Edward Buck]]) conducted [[Operation: ABLE SENTRY]], a force reconnaissance mission that paved the way for [[Operation: PHALANX]].<ref name="H5GLtd">'''[[Halo 5: Guardians Limited Edition]]''', ''Spartan Locke's Classified Orders''</ref> The exact nature and chronology of these operations are unknown, but likely couldn't have occurred prior to the Covenant's surprise attack.

While the academy and virtually the entire planet's population were wiped out, the battle would have a lasting impact on [[Thomas Lasky]], who, inspired by John-117, decided to stay in the UNSC, eventually rising to the rank of [[Commander]] within the Navy. Following the war's end, Lasky became the executive officer of the {{UNSCShip|Infinity}}. In 2557, 31 years after Lasky first met John-117, he would be reunited with the SPARTAN on the Forerunner shield world known as [[Requiem]]. Once again, they would work together, this time to save Earth from the [[Ur-Didact|Didact]] during which time Lasky achieved the rank of [[Captain]] and was given command of the ''Infinity'' after Fleet Command was displeased with [[Andrew Del Rio]]'s decision to abandon the Master Chief on Requiem as opposed to Lasky helping him.<ref>'''[[Halo 4]]''', level ''[[Midnight]]''</ref>

==Trivia==
A [[SPARTAN-IV program|Spartan-IV]] NPC at the beginning of the ''Halo 4'' campaign level ''[[Shutdown]]'' may occasionally refer to the Circinius IV conflict. He claims that the anniversary of the battle occurred "just last week", despite the level being set in late July.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1appHwo4MbU '''YouTube''' - ''Halo 4: Shit Marines Say'']</ref> While this is likely to be a simple oversight, it is possible that the battle for the planet was prolonged due to a UNSC reprisal (much like the [[Harvest campaign|extended campaign]] to reclaim [[Harvest]]) and continued well into July.

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:H4 FUD SDV-corvette.jpg|Three Covenant corvettes descending toward Corbulo.
File:H4_FUD_Zealot.jpg|A Sangheili Zealot leads the ground assault on Corbulo. 
File:UNSC Forces on Corbulo.png|UNSC forces fighting the Covenant at Corbulo Academy.
File:Corbulo attack.png|UNSC ground forces are slaughtered in the ensuing attack.
File:FUD-Corbulo-Glassed.jpg|The Covenant glass Circinius IV, beginning with Corbulo Academy.
File:FUD_John-117_Corbulo_5.jpg|John-117 surveys the wreckage of Corbulo.
File:FUD_-_ChiefHastati_1.jpg|John-117 leads the surviving cadets away from the destroyed Academy.
File:H4FUD-MasterChief-M41LAAG.jpg|John-117 fires the Warthog's turret at Covenant troops.
</gallery>

==List of appearances==
*''[[Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn]]'' {{1st}}
*''[[Halo 4]]'' {{Mo}}
*''[[Halo 2: Anniversary]]'' {{C|Poster only}}
*''[[Halo 5: Guardians]]'' {{Mo}}
*''[[Halo: Oblivion]]'' {{Mo}}

==Sources==
{{Ref/Sources}}

{{Human-Covenant War}}

[[Category:Battles of the Human-Covenant War|Corbulo Academy]]
[[Category:Covenant victories|Circinius IV]]