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{{Status|Canon}}
{{Era|HCW}}
{{References}}
{{Ratings}}
{{Battle infobox
{{battle
|prev=[[Massacre at Eridanus Secundus]]
|prev=[[Massacre at Eridanus Secundus]]
|conc=
|conc=
|next=[[Battle of October 10]]
|next=[[Battle of Earth]]
|name= Operation: FIRST STRIKE
|name= {{PAGENAME}}
|image=[[File:FS cover full.jpg|300px]]
|image=[[File:FS cover full.jpg|300px]]
|conflict=[[Human-Covenant War]]
|conflict=[[Human-Covenant War]]
|date= [[2552#September|September 13, 2552]]
|date= [[2552#September|September 13]], [[2552]]
|place=[[Tau Ceti system]]
|place=[[Tau Ceti System|Tau Ceti system, inside the Oort cloud]]
|result='''Decisive UNSC victory'''
|result=Decisive UNSC victory
*[[Truth's fleet|Covenant]] armada destroyed
*Covenant armada destroyed
*Covenant invasion of the [[Sol system]] delayed
*Temporary Covenant delay into the [[Sol System]] and [[Inner Colonies]]
|side1=*{{Icon|UNSC HCW}} [[United Nations Space Command]]
|side1=[[United Nations Space Command]]
|side2=*{{Icon|Covenant FB}} [[Covenant Empire|Covenant]]
|side2=[[Covenant Empire|Covenant]]
|commanders1=*[[Vice Admiral]] [[Danforth Whitcomb]]†
|commanders1=*[[Vice Admiral Danforth Whitcomb]]†
*[[Master Chief Petty Officer]] [[John-117]]
*[[Master Chief Petty Officer|Master Chief]] [[John-117]]
*[[Cortana]]
|commanders2=*[[Prophet of Truth]]
|commanders2=*[[Prophet of Truth]]
*[[Chieftain of the Jiralhanae]] [[Tartarus]]
*[[Tartarus]]
|forces1=*Hybrid vessel ''[[Gettysburg]]-[[Ascendant Justice]]''
|forces1=*Hybrid vessel ''[[Gettysburg]]-[[Ascendant Justice]]''
*[[SPARTAN-II Program|SPARTAN-IIs]] [[Blue Team]]:
*5 [[Spartan-II]]s:
**[[John-117]]
**[[John-117]]
**[[Frederic-104]]
**[[Fred-104]]
**[[Linda-058]]
**[[Linda-058]]
**[[Grace-093]]
**[[Grace-093]]
**[[William-043]]
**[[Will-043]]
*[[Lieutenant Haverson]]
*[[Lieutenant Haverson]]
*[[Vice Admiral Danforth Whitcomb]]
*[[Vice Admiral Danforth Whitcomb]]
*[[Sergeant Major]] [[Avery Junior Johnson]]
*[[Sergeant Major]] [[Avery Junior Johnson]]
*[[UNSC]] [[AI]] [[Cortana]]
|forces2=*Refit battle station, the ''[[Unyielding Hierophant]]''
|forces2=*''[[Unyielding Hierophant]]''
*Over 500 vessels (various classes)
*[[Truth's fleet|Over 500 vessels]] {{C|various classes}}
*[[Unggoy]], [[Kig-yar]], [[Mgalekgolo]], [[Sangheili]], [[Jiralhanae]]
*[[Unggoy]]
*[[Kig-Yar]]
*[[Mgalekgolo]]
*[[Sangheili]]
*[[Jiralhanae]]
|casual1=  
|casual1=  
*Vice Admiral Danforth Whitcomb  
*Vice Admiral Danforth Whitcomb  
*Lieutenant Elias Haverson  
*Lieutenant Haverson  
*One SPARTAN-II
*1 Spartan-II
**[[Grace-093]]
**[[Grace-093]]
*''Ascendant Justice''
*''Ascendant Justice''
|casual2=All but approximately 12 vessels
|casual2=*Approximately 488 vessels
*''Unyielding Hierophant''
*The ''Unyielding Hierophant''
}}
}}
{{Quote|We're going to take this fight to the Covenant. We're going to launch a first strike.|[[John-117]]}}


'''Operation: FIRST STRIKE''' was a raid by survivors of the [[Battle of Installation 04]] and the [[Fall of Reach]] on the [[Covenant Empire|Covenant]] space station ''[[Unyielding Hierophant]]'' on [[2552#September|September 13, 2552]]. It was the largest UNSC victory since the [[Battle of Sigma Octanus IV]],{{Ref/Reuse|Alamo}} and the most decisive since [[Admiral]] [[Preston Jeremiah Cole|Preston Cole's]] last stand at the [[Battle of Psi Serpentis]].<ref>'''[[Halo: Evolutions]]''' - '''[[The Impossible Life and the Possible Death of Preston J. Cole]]'''</ref>
{{Quote|We're going to take this fight to the Covenant. We're going to launch a first strike.|John-117}}
 
'''Operation: FIRST STRIKE''' was a raid by the survivors of the [[Battle of Installation 04]] on the Covenant space station ''[[Unyielding Hierophant]]''. It was the largest UNSC victory since the [[Battle of Sigma Octanus IV]], and the most decisive since [[Preston Cole|Admiral Cole's]] [[Admiral Cole's Last Stand|last stand]] at the [[Battle of Psi Serpentis]].<ref>'''[[Halo: Evolutions]]''' - '''[[The Impossible Life and the Possible Death of Preston J. Cole]]''', Codename: SURGEON mentions Cole's record (especially in light of Psi Serpentis) rivals that of any SPARTAN-II.</ref>


==History==
==History==
===Background===
===Background===
Having discovered the location of [[Earth]], Covenant forces under the command of the [[Prophet of Truth]] were building a [[Truth's fleet|massive invasion fleet]], consisting of about five hundred ships to invade humanity's homeworld. Truth kept his knowledge of Earth's location hidden from his fellow [[Hierarchs]], [[Prophet of Regret|Regret]] and [[Prophet of Mercy|Mercy]]. The assembly of the fleet, which was led entirely by the [[Jiralhanae]], also remained secret; Truth planned to have the Jiralhanae [[Changing of the Guard|usurp]] the [[Sangheili]] as the [[San'Shyuum|Prophets]]' protectors, simultaneously eliminating his fellow Hierarchs.<ref>[http://halo.xbox.com/en-us/intel/theuniverse/events/complex/ten-twenty/f4adbef8-e9bc-44f8-aefa-d8e9b69f7139 '''Halo Waypoint''', ''Ten Twenty'']</ref>
Having discovered the location of [[Earth]], the Covenant were building up a massive invasion fleet of over five hundred ships strong to assault their target. This fleet was assembled by the [[Prophet of Truth]] in secrecy from the rest of the [[Hierarchs]] and the Covenant, and was commanded exclusively by the Jiralhanae instead of the [[Sangheili]].<ref>'''[[Halo Waypoint]]''', ''"Ten Twenty" history entry''</ref>


After discovering Truth's plan, and the location of ''Unyielding Hierophant'' in the [[Tau Ceti system]], from a piggybacked transmission, the [[Artificial intelligence|AI]] [[Cortana]] and [[SPARTAN-II Program|SPARTAN]] [[John-117]] formulated a counter plan that would result in either a massive victory or the deaths of the remaining active SPARTAN-IIs.
After discovering the plan from a piggyback transmission, [[Cortana]] and John-117 formulated a counter-plan that would result in either a massive victory or the deaths of the remaining active [[SPARTAN-II|SPARTAN-IIs]].


===The raid===
===The Raid===
[[File:HM-UnyieldingHierophant.jpg|thumb|left|260px|Blue Team's commandeered Spirit dropship approaching ''Unyielding Hierophant''.]]
In a desperate attempt to stop a massive Covenant armada heading for Earth, five Spartans infiltrated the Covenant battle station ''[[Unyielding Hierophant]]'' on-board a captured [[Spirit]] dropship. This was one of the first Spartan encounters with the [[Jiralhanae|Brutes]], who guarded a temple in an atrium-like structure in the battle station. One of the [[Spartan-II]]s, [[Grace-093]], was killed by a [[Brute Shot]] through COM triangulation tactics. John-117 then rigged Grace's suit to execute a fail-safe fusion reactor overload, killing all Covenant in a ten-meter radius (among which were a dozen Grunts and four Elites).<ref name="alamo">'''[[Halo: First Strike]]''', pages 328-333</ref> The Spartans fought their way to a reactor room and set the generators to overload. Once the reactors were set to overload, the Spartans returned to the atrium, opened the airlocks, and blew out a heavily enforced window that enclosed the atrium with hijacked [[Banshee]]s, sucking all Covenant forces inside the atrium out to space. One of [[Cortana]]'s clones was taken along and had to open the airlocks for the Spartans. Her copy of a copy in the Covenant network was discovered and forced to make hundreds of copies to protect herself. She successfully opened the airlocks and tied up the Covenant's communication by repeating error messages on their COM systems endlessly. The Spartans then traveled to the far side of a nearby moon and unexpectedly met the ''[[UNSC Gettysburg]]'', now separated from the ''Ascendant Justice''. [[Vice Admiral]] [[Danforth Whitcomb]] and [[Lieutenant]] [[Elias Haverson]] took the ''[[Ascendant Justice]]'' and crashed straight into the ''Unyielding Hierophant''. Using a hologram, Whitcomb pretended to have the [[Forerunner Crystal]] on board the ship and challenged all Covenant forces in the system to try and take it from him. The Covenant battleships all gathered around the ''Ascendant Justice'' and the overloading battle station, attempting to take the Crystal from Whitcomb. The battle station then overloaded and exploded, killing the Vice Admiral and Lieutenant, destroying most of the Covenant fleet, and saving [[Earth]] from an unexpected attack.<ref name="alamo"/>
In a desperate attempt to stop the massive Covenant armada from invading Earth, the five Spartans aboard the hybrid vessel [[UNSC Gettysburg|''Gettysburg'']]-''[[Ascendant Justice]]'' - John-117, [[Frederic-104]], [[Linda-058]], [[William-043]], and [[Grace-093]] - infiltrated the Covenant repair and refit station ''Unyielding Hierophant'' via a captured [[Dextro Xur-pattern Spirit|Spirit dropship]]. After landing in a vast hangar, the Spartans began to sneak through maintenance access and ventilation tunnels until they found the station's [[Pinch fusion reactor|reactor core]].{{Ref/Reuse|Alamo}}


As the Spartans approached a large temple-like atrium, they were ambushed by Jiralhanae guards. During this ambush, Grace was killed when the Covenant tracked her [[COM]] signals; after the immediate threat was eliminated, John activated Grace's [[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor/Mark V|MJOLNIR suit's]] [[fail-safe detonation system]], killing the investigating Covenant soldiers.<ref name="Alamo">'''Halo: First Strike''', ''pages 328-333''</ref> The Spartans then fought their way to a reactor room and set the generators to overload. Once the reactors were set to overload, the Spartans returned to the atrium, opened the [[airlock]]s, and blew out a heavily enforced window that enclosed the atrium with hijacked [[Type-26 Banshee|Banshees]], sucking all Covenant forces inside the atrium into space.{{Ref/Reuse|Alamo}}
The outcome and historical result of the battle was noteworthy as the Covenant did not yet know the strategic importance of their intended target, Earth. Thus, their actual first entrance into the [[Sol System]] was with a much smaller force than the [[Fall of Reach|ill-fated]] [[Epsilon Eridani System]]. This was crucial to the survival of the [[human]] home world and the significant UNSC presence on Earth.
 
Around this time, Cortana's attempts to hack the [[proselytization network]] was discovered and she was forced to make hundreds of copies to protect herself. She successfully opened the airlocks and interfered with the Covenant's communications by repeating error messages on their COM systems endlessly. The Spartans then traveled to the far side of a nearby moon and unexpectedly met the {{UNSCShip|Gettysburg}}, now separated from ''Ascendant Justice'', which [[Vice Admiral]] [[Danforth Whitcomb]] and [[Lieutenant]] [[Elias Haverson]] had taken to the system's [[Oort cloud]] to gather intelligence from a distance. Having realized that destroying the station would not be enough to stop the threat to Earth, Whitcomb had ''Ascendant Justice's'' [[slipspace]] drive mounted on the ''Gettysburg'' while he and Lieutenant Haverson used the ''Ascendant Justice'' to lure the Covenant fleet into a trap.
 
Vice Admiral Whitcomb and Lieutenant Haverson then took the ''Ascendant Justice'' and crashed straight into the ''Unyielding Hierophant''. Using a hologram, Whitcomb pretended to have the [[Forerunner]] [[Menachite Forerunner crystal|crystal]], which had been found beneath [[CASTLE Base]] on [[Reach]], aboard the ship and challenged all Covenant forces in the system to try and take it from him. The Covenant battleships all gathered around the ''Ascendant Justice'' and the overloading battle station, attempting to take the crystal from Whitcomb. The station then overloaded and exploded, killing Whitcomb and Haverson, destroying most of the Covenant fleet, and saving Earth from impending invasion.{{Ref/Reuse|Alamo}}


===Aftermath===
===Aftermath===
After using a spy drone to view what remained of the fleet, the crew of the ''Gettysburg'' made a random [[Slipstream space|slipspace]] jump away from the battlefield and then finally to Earth using the ''Ascendant Justice's'' slipspace drive, which had been fitted to the human ship. The crew then warned Earth of the Covenant's intent to invade the planet.
After using a spy drone to view what was left of the fleet, the ''Gettysburg'' made a random jump away from the battlefield and then finally to Earth using the ''Ascendant Justice's'' Slipspace drive.  There, the crew was finally able to warn Earth of the impending attack which was weaker than it would've been had this operation never taken place.
 
Meanwhile, on ''[[High Charity]]'', [[Tartarus]], the [[Chieftain of the Jiralhanae]], informed the Prophet of Truth of the armada's destruction. Truth was disturbed by the disaster but otherwise regarded it as a minor setback. He told Tartarus to have the surviving ships rendezvous at their designated coordinates. These ships would later reinforce the [[Prophet of Regret]]'s [[Fleet of Sacred Consecration|forces]] during the Covenant's [[Battle for Earth|initial attack]] on Earth [[Battle of Mombasa|at]] [[New Mombasa]].
 
Covenant pilots also recovered three tiny shards of the Forerunner crystal from the debris. Tartarus presented these shards to Truth, who instructed Tartarus to reward the pilots, then quietly eliminate them in order to ensure that his plans were kept hidden from the rest of the Covenant.


Years later in [[2559]], a warlord from a [[Covenant remnants|Covenant splinter faction]] was running a salvage operation in the Tau Ceti system, presumably recovering materiel from the destruction of the Covenant armada.{{Ref/Site|Id=CF159|URL=https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/canon-fodder-coming-of-age|Site=Halo Waypoint|Page=Canon Fodder - Coming of Age|D=13|M=11|Y=2024|LocalArchive=Armory Infinitum#MA5K Avenger}}
Meanwhile, on ''High Charity'', the [[Prophet of Truth]] was informed of the destruction of the armada by the Brute Chieftain [[Tartarus]].  Truth was disturbed but otherwise regarded it as a minor setback. He ordered Tartarus to quietly eliminate those pilots with knowledge of the disaster, so as to ensure his plans were kept hidden from the rest of the Covenant.


==Timeline==
==Timeline==
*'''0510 Hours:''' John-117 presents the plan to the crew of the ''Gettysburg'' - ''Ascendant Justice''. After much hesitation, Vice Admiral Whitcomb approves.
*'''0510 Hours:''' Master Chief officially presents the plan to the crew of the ''Gettysburg-Ascendant Justice''. After much hesitation, Vice Admiral Whitcomb approves.
*'''0530 Hours:''' The hybrid vessel passes through the Covenant armada in slipspace and launches a single Spirit dropship. The dropship contains the SPARTAN-IIs: John-117, Fred-104, Linda-058, Grace-093, and Will-043. The dropship is undetected by the Covenant forces. The hybrid ship then hides behind a nearby moon.
*'''0530 Hours:''' The hybrid vessel passes through the Covenant armada in [[Slipspace]]. They are undetected, however a single [[Spirit]] launches from a hangar in the vessel. The dropship contains the SPARTAN-IIs: John-117, [[Fred-104]], [[Linda-058]], [[Grace-093]], and [[Will-043]]. The dropship is undetected by the Covenant forces. The hybrid ship hides behind a nearby moon.
*'''0610 Hours:''' The dropship docks aboard the ''Unyielding Hierophant''. The Spartans make their way through access pipes and conduits.
*'''0610 Hours:''' The dropship docks aboard the ''Unyielding Hierophant''. The Spartans make their way through access pipes and conduits.
*'''1551 Hours:''' The Spartan team enters a temple inside the station. They are ambushed by a group of Jiralhanae temple guards.
*'''1551 Hours:''' The Spartan team enters a temple inside the station. They are ambushed by a group of [[Jiralhanae]]
*'''1555 Hours:''' Grace-093 is killed when the guards triangulate her location by intercepting her COM transmissions. John detonates Grace's armor, killing the investigating Covenant troops.
*'''1555 Hours:''' Grace-093 is killed by a Brute Shot fired by a pack.
*'''1600 Hours:''' The Spartan team fights into the reactor room, where Cortana's copy initiates an overload of all 512 fusion reactors.
*'''1600 Hours:''' The Spartan team fights into the reactor room, where Cortana's copy initiates an overload of all 512 fusion reactors.
*'''1610 Hours:''' ''Gettysburg'' and ''Ascendant Justice'' de-link. ''Ascendant Justice'' heads into the midst of the Covenant fleet, hoping to draw more Covenant vessels close to the station as it is detonating. Aboard are Vice Admiral Whitcomb and Lieutenant Haverson.
*'''1610 Hours:''' The ''Gettysburg'' and ''Ascendant Justice'' unlink. The ''Ascendant Justice'' heads into the Covenant fleet, hoping to draw more Covenant vessels close to the station as it is detonating. Aboard are Vice Admiral Whitcomb and Lieutenant Haverson.
*'''1620 Hours:''' The Spartan team uses Banshees to escape the station.
*'''1620 Hours:''' The Spartan team uses [[Banshee]] fliers to escape the station.
*'''1625 Hours:''' ''Unyielding Hierophant'' explodes, destroying approximately 488 of the 500 vessels in the area and heavily damaging the remainder.{{Ref/Reuse|Alamo}}
*'''1625 Hours:''' The ''Unyielding Hierophant'' explodes, destroying approximately 488 of the 500 vessels in the area and heavily damaging the remainder.<ref name="alamo"/>
*'''1630 Hours:''' The human survivors, including the remaining Spartans, [[Staff Sergeant]] [[Avery Junior Johnson|Avery Johnson]], and Cortana, as well as many [[Huragok]], return to Earth aboard the ''Gettysburg''. ''Gettysburg'' is outfitted with ''Ascendant Justice''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s slipspace drive, allowing better precision in slipspace calculations.{{Ref/Reuse|Alamo}}
*'''1630 Hours:''' The ''Gettysburg'' heads to Earth, carrying with it the only four Spartans actively in combat and confirmed alive, besides [[Gray Team]] and [[Maria-062]], along with [[Staff Sergeant]] [[Avery J. Johnson]] and the surviving [[Huragok]]. The ''Gettysburg'' is outfitted with the Slipspace equipment from the ''Ascendant Justice'', allowing better precision in slipspace calculations.<ref name="alamo"/>


==List of appearances==
== Sources ==
*''[[Halo: First Strike]]'' {{1st}}
<references/>
*''[[Halo 2: Anniversary]]''
**''[[Terminal (Halo 2: Anniversary)|Terminals]]'' {{Mo}}
*''[[Halo 5: Guardians]]''
**''[[Halo 5: Guardians Limited Edition dossiers|Limited Edition dossiers]]'' {{Mo}}
*''[[Halo Mythos]]''
*''[[Halo: Shadows of Reach]]'' {{Mo}}


==Sources==
==See Also==
{{Ref/Sources}}
* ''[[Ascendant Justice]]''
* {{UNSCShip|Gettysburg}}
* ''[[Unyielding Hierophant]]''


{{Human-Covenant War}}
{{Human-Covenant War}}
[[Category:Battles of the Human-Covenant War|First Strike]]
[[Category:Human-Covenant War|First Strike]]
[[Category:UNSC victories|First Strike]]
[[Category:UNSC Victories]]
[[Category:Operations|First Strike]]
[[Category:Operations]]

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