Editing Battle of the beacon tower

|name=Battle of the beacon tower

|image=[[File:HINF ConservatoryBeaconTower 2.png|350px]]

|prev= [[Battle of the Mortal Reverie|Battle of the ''Mortal Reverie'']]

|date= [[2560#May|May 14, 2560]]{{Ref/Novel|Id=rp35|RP|Chapter=35}}

|place= Beacon tower, [[Installation 07]]{{Ref/Reuse|rp35}}

*[[First Lieutenant]] [[TJ Murphy]]†

*[[Gorian]]†

*[['Ahtulai Workshop Banshee|Banshees]]

*[[Eklon'Dal Workshop Phantom|Banished Phantoms]]

|casual1  =

*[[TJ Murphy]]

*[[Isaiah Cameron]]

The '''battle of the beacon tower''' was a battle fought on [[2560#May|May 14, 2560]] during the [[Battle for Zeta Halo]] between the [[UNSC]] guerilla team dubbed the [[boat crew]] and the [[Banished]] at a [[beacon tower]] on [[Installation 07]].{{Ref/Reuse|rp35}} The boat crew sought to broadcast a supraliminal transmission, which contains the current galactic coordinates of the ring, from the beacon tower to human-occupied space.{{Ref/Novel|Id=rp34|RP|Chapter=34}}

 

During the Battle for Zeta Halo on [[2560#April|April 26, 2560]], [[Gorian]] and [[Jega 'Rdomnai]] forced a [[human]] [[prisoner of war]] to [[Reclaimer|interface]] with a console at a [[Conspectus network]] hub; they retrieved a sylloge node containing data on the ring's defensive systems and location. Shortly after, [[SPARTAN-IV program|Spartan]] [[Bonita Stone]] ambushed the duo and stole the data node. Although her [[personal AI]] [[Ouco]] copied the data and corrupted the node itself, during her escape, Stone was killed by Jega 'Rdomnai, who retrieved the corrupted node.{{Ref/Novel|RP|28}} The next day, the boat crew found Stone's body. Spartan [[Nina Kovan]] retrieved Stone's VISR data chip, which contained the data that she had stolen from the Banished. The boat crew learned from [[Submonitor]] [[091 Adjutant Veridity]] that the data chip contained information on the ring, including its current coordinates; the humans decided to transmit the data to UNSC in hopes of reinforcements being sent.{{Ref/Novel|RP|30}}

Veridity led the boat crew, joined by Spartan [[Tomas Horvath]], to the [[Conservatory (location)|Conservatory]] where they were able to free [[Monitor]] [[117649 Despondent Pyre]] from the energy barrier that [[Cortana]] had trapped her in. After learning of the release of The [[Harbinger]], the Monitor agreed to help use one of Zeta Halo's beacon towers to broadcast a message to the UNSC for reinforcements and provided the team with a data key that would perform a security override and instruct the tower to broadcast a message into human-occupied space with [[Installation 07]]'s current galactic coordinates and the site's pertinent information. However, Despondent Pyre refused to allow Veridity to assist the humans further, unwilling to risk one of her submonitors with the Harbinger on the loose. Instead, Despondent Pyre provided Kovan with a path out of the Conservatory.{{Ref/Novel|RP|34}}

As Horvath engaged the guards outside, Kovan, Murphy and Bender were able to slip inside the tower where they found two [[Sangheili Enforcer]]s right inside. The three managed to kill one, but the other one rolled into the left corridor as Murphy threw a grenade and activated its [[active camouflage]]. Bender threw a smoke grenade down the corridor and Kovan went after the Sangheili. In the corridor were two more Sangheili whose energy shields had taken damage from Murphy's grenade and were probably disorientated. Bender took one down with a headshot and Murphy grabbed its Mangler and used the weapon to kill the other Sangheili. After checking that the right corridor was clear, the two men went after Kovan who took out two more Sangheili and reached the central plinth.

Kovan inserted the data key and the two men took up guarding positions as the energy began building up to send the superluminal message. Kovan warned that they had to hold their position until the sequence was completed and the message sent as Banished reinforcements came down both corridors. Murphy and Bender opened fire, eventually throwing fragmentation grenades down the corridors. However, a Sangheili was able to avoid Murphy's grenade and attacked him from behind, grabbing Murphy and throwing him down the corridor. As Kovan engaged another Sangheili, Murphy's attacker swung at him with an [[Energy sword (fiction)|energy sword]] which he managed to dodge, draw an M6 pistol and run towards Kovan, firing at their attackers. With Bender having run out of ammo, Murphy slid him a plasma rifle from a dead Sangheili and Kovan tossed Murphy her own assault rifle, switching to her blade and Sidekick instead. Suddenly, Kovan's opponent disappeared as the energy in the chamber began to pulse and compress while red plasma bolts streaked through the air from the left corridor, just missing the console. Murphy realized that the next round might hit the console while Bender was forced to stop firing and remove his chest plate after getting struck by a plasma blast that ate through the plating.

As Kovan protected the console with her body, scanning the corridor for the Sangheili that had disappeared, Murphy saw the other Sangheili appear in Bender's former position and take aim at the console with a pulse carbine. Knowing that the Sangheili wouldn't miss this time, Murphy jumped in front of the blasts and was mortally wounded, sacrificing himself to stop the console from being hit. The gathering energy shot into space as the message was successfully sent and Kovan relentlessly fired into the Sangheili's face until it was dead. As Murphy died content in the knowledge that they had succeeded in their mission, Dimik's explosives went off outside.{{Ref/Reuse|rp35}}

Outside, Horvath tracked Cam and Dimik's progress after they detonated the pass and was warned of aerial contacts by [[Elfie]] just before a couple of [['Ahtulai Workshop Banshee]]s appeared and attacked. Horvath killed the last Kig-Yar guard and took its forearm shield and plasma pistol before running for the mounted plasma cannon. Horvath fired the cannon at the Banshees, taking one out while the other banked and flew away. An [[Eklon'Dal Workshop Phantom]] then arrived carrying [[Gorian]], armed with a [[Type-25 Brute Shot]]. Despite Elfie's warnings that he was in no shape to fight the [[Jiralhanae]], Horvath knew that their only options were to fight or surrender and he wasn't willing to surrender. Kovan and Bender emerged from the tower and Kovan promised to hold the Banished off as Horvath went after Gorian, knowing that they were in a no-win situation with Gorian bearing down at them and reinforcements making their way around the destroyed pass with aerial support at their beck and call. Both Spartans agreed that there would be no mercy, anticipating a last stand, but knowing that they had done what they had set out to do and could now only take out as many Banished as they could.

Drawing his carbine, Horvath shot each Kig-Yar in the head twice before tossing away the hot, unvented weapon, intended to take his dead enemies' weapons. However, Gorian reached the overlook at that moment and charged him. Turning, Horvath grabbed the energy sword that Bender had tossed to him earlier as the Jiralhanae's massive shoulder hit him in the gut, lifting Horvath high. Horvath punched the hilt into Gorian's ribcage and activated it, sending the blade through the Bloodstar's bone, tissue and organs, and coming out the other side, killing Gorian. Landing on the translocation pad, Horvath was pinned down by the dead weight of Gorian's corpse and could only watch as Dimik, running back to the others, was hit in the shoulder by enemy fire and Bender went to her aid. Suddenly, the pad activated and teleported both Horvath and Gorian away{{Ref/Novel|RP|36}} moments before it was destroyed by a Thrasher missile, preventing any chance of the others using it to escape or later returning to find out where Horvath had gone.

After being teleported to safety, the survivors of the [[boat crew]] spent the next four days mending their wounds and repairing their equipment, Kovan's armor being easily the most damaged and challenging to rectify. The battle left Dimik with a plasma wound to the shoulder and a few other superficial wounds that Kovan treated with [[biofoam]] while Bender was left with a nasty stab wound to his side, a broken nose and a couple of cracked ribs. The boat crew were left to hope that their message had been received and that the UNSC would send much-needed reinforcements to Zeta Halo. Kovan decided that their next move after recovering would be to try to rescue [[Lucas Browning]] from the [[Tower]].{{Ref/Reuse|RP38}}