Editing Operation: TORPEDO

{{Era|HCW}}
{{Ratings}}
{{battle
|prev=[[Battle of the Unnamed Star System]]
|conc=
|next=[[Battle of Skopje]]
|name=Battle of Pegasi Delta
|image=
|conflict=[[Human-Covenant War]]
|date=July 3, [[2545]]
|place=[[Target Area Apache]], [[Pegasi Delta]], [[51 Pegasi System]]
|result=UNSC strategic victory
|side1=[[United Nations Space Command]]
|side2=[[Covenant]]
|commanders1=Unknown
|commanders2=Unknown
|forces1=*1 [[UNSC Carrier]]
**{{UNSCShip|All Under Heaven}}
*[[SPARTAN-III Beta Company|Beta Company]] (300 [[SPARTAN-III]]s)
*8 {{Class|Black Cat|Subprowler}}s
*300 [[Long Range Stealth Orbital Insertion Pod]]s
|forces2=*7 [[Covenant Cruiser]]s
*Several squadrons of [[Seraph]]s
*Thousands of soldiers
**[[Elite]]s
**[[Jackal]]s
**[[Grunt]]s
|casual1=*298 [[SPARTAN-III]]s
*7 {{Class|Black Cat|Subprowler}}s unaccounted for
*300 [[Long Range Stealth Orbital Insertion Pod]]s destroyed during use
|casual2=*Several squadrons of [[Seraph]]s
*Thousands of soldiers
**Many [[Elite]]s
**Many [[Jackal]]s
**Many [[Grunt]]s
*7 [[Covenant Cruiser]]s
}}

'''Operation: TORPEDO''' was an [[UNSC]] operation to eliminate a [[Covenant Empire|Covenant]] refinery on the [[Moon|inhabited moon]] [[Pegasi Delta]], orbiting [[51 Pegasi B]], in the [[51 Pegasi System]]. The engagement took place on July 3, [[2545]].

== Background ==
The aim of Operation: TORPEDO was to destroy a Covenant deuterium/tritium refinery, on the planet [[Pegasi Delta]]. These chemicals were used in the Covenant's [[plasma]] reactors, therefore making this refinery an excellent refueling plant for Covenant ships, right on the edge of UNSC space. The destruction of this supply point would triple the length of Covenant resupply and buy the UNSC valuable time to recover from the ravages of war. This time would be spent regrouping in the wake of numerous crushing defeats at the hands of the [[Covenant Navy]].

Long range nuclear bombardments were met with failure as the Covenant ships shot the weapons out of the sky, and neither a regular invasion nor an [[ODST]] insertion were considered worth the attempt. The operation was then assigned to the newly commissioned [[Spartan-III]] [[Beta Company]], attached to the {{UNSCShip|All Under Heaven}}. 

The outcome was a Beta Company victory, but at great cost. All [[Spartan III]]s, with the exception [[Tom-B292]] and [[Lucy-B091]], were killed. However, all Covenant forces groundside as well as several Covenant ships were also eliminated.

==History==
At 1135, the 300 SPARTAN-IIIs of Beta Company landed on the planet, Pegasi Delta, via [[Long Range Stealth Orbital Insertion Pod]]s. Nine SPARTANs hadn't survived, either killed by the impact or by Covenant forces. At first, initial resistance was light, as the Covenant had not yet realized how big the force was. Soon, however, Covenant Seraphs began their strafing runs, prompting the hiding SPARTANs to abandon their stealth and rush to the factory for safety. As more Seraphs appeared, a few SPARTANs attempted to hold them back with missile launchers, and succeeded in destroying two, forcing the remaining Seraphs to cancel their runs.

The Seraphs, instead, began bombing the SPARTANs, killing dozens of them. Thousands of [[Jackals]] and [[Elites]] joined the assault. In response, the surviving SPARTANs charged, their speed and reflexes helping them kill hundreds of Covenant soldiers until "the field ran with rivers of gore and blue blood".<ref>'''[[Halo: Ghosts of Onyx]]''', page 21</ref>

Suddenly, [[seven]] [[Covenant Cruiser]]s landed, and with them, were thousands of Elites. Half of the remaining Beta Company turned to face the new threat in an attempt to buy time for their fellow soldiers. Team Foxtrot rushed to the factory, their only solution. [[Adam-B004]] was mortally wounded, but stayed back to hold off the Covenant forces so his team could rush ahead. When the remaining members arrived, they immediately began to set explosive charges on the core. [[Min-B174]] was setting his timer when the EM field triggered his charge, vaporizing him.

The last two of Team Foxtrot, [[Tom-B292]] and [[Lucy-B091]], then jumped off a cliff and into the ocean to escape from the explosion of the core. The two nearly drowned, but managed to swim ashore, where they found that everything else had been vaporized, including the cruisers. Eventually, they made it to the Black Cat prowler, and were extracted from the planet.

==Aftermath==
Although the UNSC won strategically, they lost almost all of Beta Company. The Covenant suffered a heavy blow that would prevent them from refueling close to UNSC space.

Additionally, Lucy would suffer from "post-traumatic vocal disarticulation" for the rest of her life, preventing her from speaking.<ref>'''Halo: Ghosts of Onyx''', page 27</ref>

==Timeline==
===July 3, [[2545]]===
*0435 Hours: The three hundred Spartan-IIIs of Beta Company are dropped out of [[Slipspace]] by UNSC ''All Under Heaven'' in [[Long Range Stealth Orbital Insertion Pod]]s.

*Eight {{Class|Black Cat|Subprowler}}s are landed in strategic locations around the target and one [[STARS]] is dropped to orbit the planet. 

*1135 Hours: 291 Spartan-IIIs land on the surface of [[Pegasi Delta]] within drop pods. Nine Spartan-IIIs unaccounted for and are presumed dead. 

*[[Spartan-III]]s regroup into fireteams. Covenant [[Seraph]] fighters begin strafing runs, killing dozens.

*Surviving Spartan-IIIs begin frontal charge of refinery-city. Strafing continues.<ref>'''Halo: Ghosts of Onyx''', page 16</ref> 

*[[Sniper Jackal]]s fire on charging Spartan-III's. Spartan-III's reduced to 200 active soldiers.<ref>'''Halo: Ghosts of Onyx''', page 17</ref> Several Spartan-IIIs with M19-B missile launchers destroy multiple strafing Seraphs with a Bravo maneuver, discouraging remaining fighters. <ref>'''Halo: Ghosts of Onyx''', page 20</ref>

*Thousands of [[Jackals]] and [[Elites]] rush from cover within the factory to face the two hundred remaining Spartan-III's.

*The attacked Spartans panic and declare code [[Omega Three]]. Seven [[Covenant Cruiser]]s descend from above the factory. <ref>'''Halo: Ghosts of Onyx''', page 22</ref>

*[[Covenant]] Cruisers launch dropships and deliver troops to the surface via [[Gravity Lift]]s. Forces engage remaining Spartan-IIIs.

*[[Team Foxtrot]] arrives at the facility core. [[Adam-B004]] is shot while holding off pursuing Covenant forces and [[Min-B174]] is killed by a premature charge explosion. Last two remaining Spartan-IIIs, [[Tom-B292]] and [[Lucy-B091]], successfully overload the core and escape over a cliff into the ocean.

*Survivors of [[Beta Company]] are slaughtered. Facility explodes, destroying all [[Covenant]] forces within range, including the seven [[Covenant Cruiser]]s.<ref>'''Halo: Ghosts of Onyx''', page 25-26</ref>

*[[Tom-B292]] and [[Lucy-B091]] retreat aboard one of the pre-inserted ''Black Cat'' subprowlers and fall back to [[UNSC]] controlled space.<ref>'''Halo: Ghosts of Onyx''', page 27</ref>

==Trivia==
*The date, July 3, is possibly a reference to [[wikipedia:Pickett's Charge|Pickett's Charge]], a Confederate infantry assault on the Union lines that occurred on July 3, 1863 and was the climax of the Battle of Gettysburg during the American Civil War.
*In the [[Halo: Reach Video Games Awards Trailer|''Halo: Reach'' VGA trailer]], [[SPARTAN-B312]] was said to have survived Operation: TORPEDO, though the SPARTAN was taken out of Beta Company immediately before TORPEDO commenced. However, this line was removed from the final game.
*This battle bears a great resemblance to the [[wikipedia:Battle of Thermopylae|Battle of Thermopylae]], where 300 Spartans stood against thousands of enemies, with no Spartan survivors.

==Sources==
<references/>

{{Human-Covenant War}}
[[Category:Human-Covenant War|Pegasi Delta]]
[[Category:UNSC Victories]]
[[Category:Operations]]