Editing Battle of Sigma Octanus IV

{{Era|HCW}}
{{Battle
|prev=[[Massacre of Troy]]
|conc=
|next=[[Fall of Reach]]
|name=Battle of Sigma Octanus IV
|image=[[File:SO-HM.png|300px]]
|conflict=[[Human-Covenant War]]
|date=July 17, 2552 - July 18, 2552
|place=[[Sigma Octanus IV]], [[Sigma Octanus system]] 
|result=[[United Nations Space Command|UNSC]] tactical victory
*Covenant successfully repelled
Covenant strategic victory
*[[Forerunner]] [[Sigma Octanus IV artifact|artifact]] retrieved
*Locations of [[Installation 04]]<ref name="for376">'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''page 376''</ref> and [[Reach]] learned
|battles=
|side1=[[United Nations Space Command]]
|side2=[[Covenant]]
|commanders1=
*[[Vice Admiral]] [[Michael Stanforth]]
*[[General]] [[Kits]]&dagger; (presumed)
*[[Captain (Navy)|Captain]] [[Jacob Keyes]]
*[[Corporal]] [[Harland]]
*[[Master Chief Petty Officer|MCPO]] [[John-117]]
|commanders2=
*Unknown
|forces1=
[[Battle Group Leviathan]]
*48 vessels
**2 [[UNSC carrier|Carriers]]<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''page 155''</ref>
**1 [[Marathon-class cruiser|Cruiser]] 
***{{UNSCShip|Leviathan}}
**15 [[UNSC destroyer|Destroyers]]<ref group="note">The ships fired a salvo of 63 MAC rounds (''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach|Halo: The Fall Of Reach]]'', page 193), thus 15 ships must have had 2 MAC guns.</ref>
***{{UNSCShip|Iroquois}}
***{{UNSCShip|Lancelot}}
**30 [[UNSC frigate|Frigates]]<ref group="note">48 -15 -2 -1 = 30</ref>
***{{UNSCShip|Gettysburg}}
***{{UNSCShip|Allegiance}}
***{{UNSCShip|Fair Weather}}
*1 repair-refitting station
**{{UNSCShip|Cradle}}
*12 [[SPARTAN-II program|SPARTAN-II]]s
**[[Blue Team]]
**[[Red Team]]
**[[Green Team]]
*1600 [[UNSC Marine Corps|Marines]]
*1 [[Spartan-III]]<ref>'''[[Halo: Fractures]]''', "[[Breaking Strain]]", ''page 57''</ref>
[[Colonial Militia]]<ref name="ground command">'''[[Halo: Ground Command]]''', ''Core Rulebook - page 8''</ref>
|forces2=
[[Second Fleet of Solemn Accord]]<ref>'''[[Halo Mythos]]''', ''page 82''</ref>
*24 vessels
**2 {{Class|CAS|assault carrier}}s
**1 {{Class|DDS|carrier}}
**{{Class|CPV|heavy destroyer}}s
**[[Covenant frigate|Covenant Frigates]]
**1 [[covenant stealth ship|stealth ship]]
**{{Class|CCS|battlecruiser}}s
**{{Class|SDV|heavy corvette}}s
*Legions of ground troops
**[[Huragok]]
**[[Mgalekgolo]]
**[[Kig-Yar]]
**[[Unggoy]]
**[[Sangheili]]
|casual1=
*25 ships destroyed (12 ships severely crippled)
**{{UNSCShip|Cradle}}
*1,000 [[UNSC Navy|Naval]] Personnel killed
*1,586 [[UNSC Marine Corps|Marine]] Personnel killed
**[[General (rank)|General]] [[Kits]] (presumed)
**[[Lieutenant]] [[McCasky]]
**[[Devesh Bhasin]] 
*300,000 civilians killed
*1 [[SPARTAN-II Program|SPARTAN-II]] wounded
**[[James-005]]
|casual2=
*All forces in [[Côte d'Azur]], presumably all forces on planet surface
*18 ships destroyed}}
{{Quote|We've come to take [[Sigma Octanus IV]] back from the Covenant. To do that, we're going to kill every last one of them.|[[John-117]] to [[Corporal]] [[Harland]]}}

The '''Battle of Sigma Octanus IV''' was fought between the [[United Nations Space Command]] and the [[Covenant]] in mid-[[2552]]. Despite taking heavy losses, the UNSC successfully repelled the Covenant force from the [[Sigma Octanus system]], gaining a victory. However, multiple Covenant objectives were achieved, as they succeeded in retrieving a [[Forerunner]] artifact leading them to [[Installation 04]], as well as finding out the location of the human stronghold planet [[Reach]].<ref name="for376"/>

==The battle==
===Opening actions===
{{Main|Keyes Loop}}

On July 17, 2552, [[Ensign]] [[William Lovell]] logged a large gravitational anomaly inside [[Slipstream space]]. Deciding that it could not be any form of Covenant starship based on its immense size, Lovell passed it off as an asteroid, sent his hourly report, and thought nothing more of it.<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''pages 137-138''</ref>

However, over [[Sigma Octanus IV]], [[Commander (UNSC)|Commander]] [[Jacob Keyes]], commanding officer of the [[UNSC destroyer|UNSC Destroyer]] [[UNSC Iroquois|''Iroquois'']], realized that the large mass was in fact a [[battle group]] of Covenant ships after reading [[UNSC Astrophysics Journal 034-23-01|a report]] by [[Fhajad-084]].<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''page 141''</ref> The Covenant ships were flying in close formation; large masses bend slipspace more easily than in real space, creating the illusion of a single large mass when there are in fact several. Keyes concluded that the mass was comprised of four [[Covenant frigate|Covenant Frigates]]. However, when the Covenant battlegroup exited slipspace, the ''Iroquois'' found itself outmatched by the arrival of not four frigates but one {{Class|DDS|carrier}}, one [[Covenant destroyer|destroyer]], and two [[Covenant frigate|frigates]].<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''page 170''</ref>
[[File:HM SigmaOctanus.jpg|thumb|left|200px|The ''Iroqouis'' prepares to engage the inbound Covenant fleet.]]
Despite the hopeless tactical situation, Commander Keyes resolved to attack. The ''Iroquois'' set a collision course for the destroyer at emergency acceleration while launching a nuclear warhead in what seemed to be the wrong direction. The two escorting frigates proceeded to launch a salvo of [[plasma]], but the ''Iroquois'' managed to evade by utilizing the emergency thruster. Having missed their target, the plasma came about and continued to track and home in on the [[United Nations Space Command|UNSC]] warship.<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''page 174''</ref>

The trailing plasma was to prove critical to the success of [[Keyes Loop|Keyes' strategy]]. A last minute course correction allowed the ''Iroquois'' to merely "graze" the destroyer's shields rather than smash directly into the ship properly, resulting in the destruction of a large portion of the ''Iroquois''' armor (Keyes had torn through 2 meters of titanium and had breached every bottom deck of the ''Iroquois''). However, the tracking plasma was unable to correct for the sudden maneuver of their target and, in consequence, impacted on the destroyer instead. A heavy salvo of [[Archer missile]]s sent the remaining Covenant warship to its destruction.<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''pages 176-177''</ref>

With the momentum built up during the first phase, the ''Iroquois'' performed a slingshot maneuver around the planet. Once safely away, the nuclear warhead deployed earlier, was detonated, completely draining the shields on the two frigates. Having completed its orbit, the ''Iroquois'' resumed its attack and destroyed the two frigates with two heavy [[Magnetic Accelerator Cannon|MAC]] rounds and hundreds of [[Archer missile]]s.<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''page 179''</ref>

Its escorts destroyed, the carrier then disengaged and escaped out system but not before leaving 34 dropships and a small ship to continue the ground assault.<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''page 180''</ref>

===Ground battle===
[[File:FoR - d'Azur.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Harland's fireteam overlooking the besieged city of Côte d'Azur.]]
With thousands of Covenant soldiers deployed on the ground, and the city of [[Côte d'Azur]] in their hands, 1600 [[UNSC Marine Corps|Marines]] under [[General]] [[Kits]] were sent in. A small deployment of [[Orbital Drop Shock Trooper]]s dropped alongside the Marine force, but did not participate separately from the marines; [[Devesh Bhasin]] died during the drop due to malfunctions in his [[Single Occupant Exoatmospheric Insertion Vehicle]].<ref>[http://cdn.haloodst.xbox.com/odst/index.html '''ONI Candidate Assessment Program V5.02A'''], ''"Search terms", under "D"''</ref>

Upon landing, the Marines set up their command center, [[Alpha Headquarters]] and a forward base, [[Firebase Bravo]]. The troopers were forced to operate with little intelligence of the surrounding area. Satellite scans were rendered useless by the fog and jungle canopy. Kits failed to realize that the Covenant had established a strong presence in the jungle, including [[Mgalekgolo]]. [[Lieutenant]] [[McCasky]] was ordered to take his platoon to observe Covenant activity in [[Sigma Octanus IV/Grid 13 x 24|Grid 13 x 24]]. They traveled to the area by [[M12 Force Application Vehicle|Warthog]], but almost the entire platoon was wiped out by Mgalekgolo save for [[Corporal]] [[Harland]], [[Private]]s [[Fincher]], [[Walker]] and [[Cochran]].<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''page 191''</ref> Harland ordered a retreat as soon as he clearly saw the Mgalekgolo, but despite this Cochran was still wounded by a [[Type-33 Guided Munitions Launcher|Needler]].<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''page 197''</ref> Although hounded by [[Type-26 Ground Support Aircraft|Banshees]], the fireteam managed to destroy all pursuing Covenant and fall back safely. They found that [[Firebase Bravo]] had been completely overrun by Covenant forces and its survivors were systematically being hunted down and slaughtered. When they made it back to [[Alpha Headquarters]], they found that that had also been mostly destroyed, with only fourteen enlisted men surviving on the planet's surface. Corporal Harland was forced to assume command.<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''pages 198-202''</ref>

===Operation: OCEAN BREAKER===
With the failure of the Marine strike team, the [[SPARTAN-II program|Spartan-IIs]] were sent in as part of an [[operation]] designated OCEAN BREAKER.<ref>'''[[Halo 5: Guardians]]''' ''Limited Edition - Spartan Locke's classified orders''</ref> Arriving at the destroyed H.Q., the squad, consisting of [[John-117]], [[Frederic-104]], [[James-005]], [[Kelly-087]], [[Joshua-029]], [[Linda-058]], and six others quickly secured the base. After they arrived, Spartan 117 broke them into three four-man teams and personally assumed command of [[Blue Team]]. He sent [[Red Team|Red]] and [[Green Team|Green]] teams on their missions, then slogged through the jungle, arriving at Côte d'Azur. Entering the storm drains, [[Blue Team]] discovered several [[Huragok]].<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''page 204''</ref> Investigating Covenant activity in the [[Côte d'Azur Museum of Natural History]], Blue Team discovered that the Covenant were scanning what appeared to be a simple piece of igneous rock, and sending the information to a ship in orbit. The team entered a protracted firefight with two Mgalekgolo, which was a victory at the expense of James' arm, recovered the rock, and escaped.<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''pages 205-209''</ref>

With a group of surviving civilians evacuated, the SPARTANs returned to H.Q. and detonated a [[HAVOK Tactical Nuclear Weapon|HAVOK nuclear warhead]], destroying Côte d'Azur and removing the Covenant presence on the planet.<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''page 230''</ref> Other cities on the planet would be destroyed, such as [[Caracas]], [[Huiren]], [[Silma]] and [[Enfield]], either due to similar Covenant invasion or to preemptive destruction by the UNSC to deny the Covenant the objects they sought.<ref name=BRAVADO>[[Halo Waypoint]] - [http://www.halo.xbox.com/Content/assets/en-us/ONI/239409409548923768/DDR-A340021-2300-07-18-52.pdf Data Drop Two]</ref>

===Second space battle===
[[File:Battle of Sigma Octanus 4.jpeg|thumb|right|200px|The UNSC fleet engaging the opposing Covenant fleet over Sigma Octanus IV.]]
With the ground battle continuing, more UNSC ships arrived in orbit over Sigma Octanus IV. At 0625 hours, a fleet of Covenant vessels were detected on the edge of the system. The 48 available UNSC warships, including the ''Iroquois ''and Stanforth's flagship, the ''Marathon''-class cruiser ''Leviathan'', formed a tight "checkerboard" formation that allowed for them to fire all their [[Magnetic Accelerator Cannon|MAC]] guns simultaneously at the Covenant fleet with a single massive volley. However, this restricted the mobility of the UNSC fleet, and left them unable to evade the extremely accurate Covenant plasma torpedoes. When the battle commenced, the Covenant fleet took a severe beating from the UNSC's opening MAC salvo, but promptly returned fire with a salvo of plasma torpedoes. The repair station ''[[UNSC Cradle|Cradle]]'' moved in front of the UNSC formation, acting as a sacrificial shield, and absorbed the Covenant fleet's first salvo, at the cost of the station and its entire crew. This allowed the UNSC ships to dedicate all the power from their reactors to recharging their MAC guns, and the UNSC ships were thus quickly able to fire a second salvo after the destroyed ''Cradle'' drifted away.<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''page 222''</ref>

After this salvo, only eight Covenant vessels remained: cruisers and destroyers. The UNSC fleet then scattered and proceeded to engage the Covenant fleet, which responded by releasing its [[Seraph]] fighters and opening heavy fire on the UNSC ships. The ''Iroquois'' spotted a small Covenant [[Covenant stealth ship|stealth craft]] in orbit above the planet and attempted to destroy it with a barrage of Archer missiles, but the attack was foiled when the stealth ship jammed the missiles' guidance locks, causing them to miss. In response, ''Iroquois ''simply rammed the ship, stopping the Covenant from gaining planetside data. The remaining Covenant vessels soon fled the system.<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''page 226''</ref>

==Aftermath==
{{Main|Operation: BRAVADO}}
The battle was one of the few major victories that the UNSC had in space (despite major losses; less than ten ships remained intact after the battle) since [[Harvest]] was retaken. Admiral Stanforth had especially planned this battle to be a much needed victory and morale boost for humanity.<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''page 160''</ref> It introduced the tactic of using a refit station to protect UNSC ships. The Covenant, however, had only come for the data retrieved from the Forerunner [[Sigma Octanus IV artifact|crystal]] transmitted from the planet, which revealed to them the location of [[Installation 04]].<ref name="for376"/>

A spy probe attached to the destroyer ''Iroquois'' led the Covenant to [[Reach]], which they attacked a few days later.<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''page 247''</ref> It later transpired that the Covenant had learned the location of one of the Halos from the transmission, which they planned to activate to begin the [[Covenant religion|Great Journey]].{{citation needed}}

As a result of the battle, there were much debris left in orbit around Sigma Octanus IV. [[HAZMAT]] teams swept the area but the area around the planet would remain a navigational hazard for the next decade.<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''page 242''</ref>

==Timeline==
===July 17, 2552===
*'''0000 Hours:''' [[William Lovell|Ensign William Lovell]], aboard the [[United Nations Space Command|UNSC]] [[Remote scanning outpost|Remote Scanning Outpost]] ''[[Archimedes]]'', reports to Sigma Octanus IV concerning a large silhouette in [[Slipstream space|Slipspace]] heading for the system. It is suspected to be a group of Covenant ships but it could also be an asteroid.
*'''0300 Hours:''' The {{UNSCShip|Iroquois}} arrives in system on patrol. The vessel's Commanding Officer, [[Jacob Keyes|Commander Jacob Keyes]], receives the sensor information and realizes it is a Covenant threat. He contacts [[UNSC Fleet Command|FLEETCOM]] and informs them of the situation.
*'''0320 Hours:''' 4 Covenant ships consisting of 1 ''DDS''-carrier, 1 [[Covenant destroyer|destroyer]] and 2 [[Covenant frigate|frigates]] arrive in the system. The UNSC ''Iroquois'' engages the enemy and requests reinforcements. The {{UNSCShip|Gettysburg}} and {{UNSCShip|Allegiance}} respond and begin heading for Sigma Octanus.
*'''0330 Hours:''' The ''Iroquois'' destroys all Covenant vessels save for the carrier using a maneuver later known as the [[Keyes Loop]]. The carrier launches landing craft toward Sigma Octanus IV, then retreats into slipspace.
*'''0345 Hours:''' Covenant ground forces invade the city of [[Côte d'Azur]] on the planet.
*'''0400 Hours:''' 47 additional UNSC vessels arrive in the system. Admiral Michael Stanforth, aboard the {{UNSCShip|Leviathan}}, takes command.
*'''0420 Hours:''' Reinforcements of 1600 marines, led by [[Kits|General Kits]], begin landing around Côte d'Azur
*'''0600 Hours:''' Covenant forces ambush and obliterate all marine forces on the ground. Only 14 enlisted men survive. [[Harland|Corporal Harland]] assumes tactical command.
*'''0625 Hours:''' Covenant vessels begin appearing on the far edge of the system.
*'''0650 Hours:''' [[SPARTAN-II Program|SPARTAN-IIs]] arrive on the surface to reinforce surviving marines.
*'''0900 Hours:''' Spartans assume tactical command on the ground.
*'''1800 Hours:''' Spartans and marines begin a counterattack on Côte d'Azur.
*'''2010 Hours:''' Spartans arm nuclear device below Côte d'Azur.
*'''2039 Hours:''' Nuclear warhead destroys all Covenant ground forces at Côte d'Azur.
*'''2120 Hours:''' General quarters is sounded aboard ships and the opposing [[Fleet]]s close to engage.
*'''2130 Hours:''' Repair station ''[[UNSC Cradle|Cradle]]'' moves to protect UNSC Fleet. First salvos are fired by Covenant vessels.

===July 18, 2552===
*'''0500 Hours:''' All Covenant vessels either retreat or are destroyed. Battle concludes.

== Participants ==
=== Ships ===
*{{UNSCShip|Iroquois}}
*{{UNSCShip|Leviathan}}
*{{UNSCShip|Gettysburg}}
*{{UNSCShip|Allegiance}}
*{{UNSCShip|Lancelot}}
*{{UNSCShip|Cradle}}
*[[Remote scanning outpost|Remote Scanning Outpost]] ''[[Archimedes]]''
*{{UNSCShip|Fair Weather}}
*{{UNSCShip|Coenwulf}}

=== Personnel ===
*[[Commander (UNSC)|Commander]]/[[Captain (Navy)|Captain]] [[Jacob Keyes]]
*[[Admiral]] [[Hieronymus Michael Stanforth|Michael Stanforth]]
*[[General (rank)|General]] [[Kits]]
*[[Lieutenant]] [[Dominique]]
*[[Lieutenant]] [[Hall]]
*[[Lieutenant]] [[Aki Hikowa|Hikowa]]
*[[Lieutenant]] [[Jaggers]]
*[[Lieutenant]] [[McCasky]]
*[[Ensign]] [[William Lovell]]
*[[John-117]]
*[[Frederic-104]]
*[[James-005]]
*[[Kelly-087]]
*[[Joshua-029]]
*[[Linda-058]]
*6 unidentified SPARTAN-IIs
*[[Corporal]] [[Harland]]
*[[Private]] [[Fincher]]
*[[Private]] [[Walker]]
*[[Private]] [[Cochran]]
*[[Devesh Bhasin]]
*[[Kevin-A282]]

==Production notes==
===Discrepancies===
*There is a discrepancy over the timing of the battle in ''Halo: The Fall of Reach'': Chapter 19 begins at 0600 hours while Chapter 20 begins at 1800, yet there seems to be no significant lapse of time between them. Chapter 22 Begins at 2010 hours and Chapter 23 begins at 0500 hours. Despite this, all four chapters are stated to occur on July 17. This may have been a typographical error, with Chapter 23 meant to be on July 18 or, perhaps, to serve as a flashback of sorts. Chapter 19 clearly begins much later than 0600, since the marines were deployed at 0600; even if their bases were set up almost instantly, they still took "a couple hours" to get from the firebase to grid 13x24.
*Page 156 of ''Halo: The Fall of Reach'' states that ''Cradle'' was over a square kilometer and that three destroyers could be eclipsed by its shadow. Exactly how it could cover the entire UNSC fleet present is not made clear. The UNSC ships may have positioned themselves behind the ''Cradle'' in a specific formation for maximum protection. It is also possible that repair and refit stations are larger than one square kilometer, as stated in the novel.
*Early copies of the first edition of ''Halo: The Fall of Reach'' state that the Battle of Sigma Octanus IV and the Fall of Reach both occurred in 2542. However, this was soon confirmed to be a typographical error and fixed in later copies. However, as the 2010 re-issue used an older copy as basis, several errors, this included, were re-entered into circulation. This error was again fixed in the ''Definitive Edition'' released in 2011.

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Cradle1.png|The UNSC Fleet bears down on the attacking Covenant, supported by the ''Cradle'' as it moves to shield the human ships from attack.
File:Covenant-4.jpg|The ''UNSC Iroquois'' unleashes a volley of Archer missiles against the Covenant stealth ship. 
File:Iroquois collision.jpg|The ''Iroquois'' rams the Covenant stealth vessel.
File:Sigma Octanus battle.jpg|UNSC and Covenant ships battle.
</gallery>

==List of appearances==
*''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]'' {{1st}}
*''[[i love bees]]'' {{Im}}
*''[[Halo: Fall of Reach]]''
**''[[Halo: Fall of Reach - Covenant|Covenant]]''
*''[[Halo: Fleet Battles]]''
*''[[Halo 5: Guardians]]''
**''[[Halo 5: Guardians Limited Edition|Limited Edition]]'' {{Mo}}
*''[[Halo: Ground Command]]'' {{Mo}}
*''[[Halo Mythos]]''
*''[[Halo: Fractures]]''
**''[[Breaking Strain]]'' {{Mo}}
*''[[Halo: Official Spartan Field Manual]]'' {{Mo}}

==Notes==
<references group="note"/>

== Sources ==
{{Reflist|2}}

{{Human-Covenant War}}
[[Category:UNSC Victories]]