Editing Skirmish at Theta Ursae Majoris

{{Era|UNSC}}
{{Disambig header|the naval action involving the ''Bellicose'' in 2501|the engagement involving the ''Bellicose'' in 2504|Battle of Theta Ursae Majoris}}
{{Battle infobox
|prev=[[Siege of Aethia]]
|conc=
|next=[[Operation: KALEIDOSCOPE]]
|name=Skirmish at Theta Ursae Majoris System
|image=
|conflict=[[Insurrection]]
|date= June 2, [[2501]]
|place= [[Theta Ursae Majoris System]]
|result= Draw
|side1=[[UNSC]]
|side2=[[Insurrectionists]]
|commanders1=[[Preston Cole]]
|commanders2=[[Lyrenne Castilla]]
|forces1= {{UNSCShip|Gorgon}}
|forces2= ''[[Bellicose]]''
|casual1=
|casual2=
}}

The '''Skirmish at Theta Ursae Majoris System''' was an engagement in the [[Theta Ursae Majoris System]] during the [[Insurrection]].<ref>'''[[Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe]]''', "[[The Impossible Life and the Possible Death of Preston J. Cole]]", ''page 448''</ref> It was fought by the ''[[Bellicose]]'', a captured UNSC frigate fighting on the [[Insurrectionist]] side, and the first UNSC ship of [[Unidentified UNSC heavy destroyer class|its class]] to be armed with a [[Magnetic Accelerator Cannon]], the {{UNSCShip|Gorgon}}. The ''Gorgon'' was commanded by [[Captain (Navy)|Captain]] [[Preston Cole]], an officer whom the UNSC Navy was actively promoting as a hero. The ''Bellicose'' was commanded by [[Lyrenne Castilla]], whose civilian identity was as yet unknown to the UNSC.

==Background==
Prior to the skirmish, the ''Gorgon'' and the ''Bellicose'' had met twice in battle, and on both occasions the Insurrectionist frigate managed to escape.

When they met for the third time on June 2, [[2501]] the ''Gorgon'' had engaged in two battles in the past seventy-two hours, and as such had severely depleted munitions and a weary crew.

Upon encountering one another the two ships battled for 34.7 minutes, peppering one another with [[Archer missile]]s, until the ''Gorgon'' slung around a planetoid to come around for a killing shot with its MAC, a weapon which no ship had yet evaded.<ref>'''Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe''', "The Impossible Life and the Possible Death of Preston J. Cole", ''page 449''</ref> As the ''Gorgon'' fired its last tungsten slug, the ''Bellicose'' fired the last of its missiles and detonated them prematurely, pushing the frigate out of the path of the slug.

Both vessels were left nearly or completely out of offensive ordnance. As the two ships drifted in space, their commanders engaged in a text message-only tête à tête. Castilla was aware of Cole's identity, but he was unaware of hers. With no hope of defeating each other, the two ships went their separate ways. Cole remained confident that the two ships would meet again.

==Aftermath==
Later that year Cole met Castilla while on leave on the UNSC colony of [[Roost]] in the [[Lambda Aurigae system]]. After a romance lasting more than a year the two were married in November [[2502]]. However in June [[2503]] Lyrenne Castilla's identity as a high-ranking member of the insurgency was discovered by the UNSC. Cole was given a chance to bring her in himself, however when he returned to their home on Roost he found only a printout from the text-only exchange from their skirmish more than two years before, revealing that she was the captain of the ''Bellicose''.

==List of appearances==
*''[[Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe]]''
**''[[The Impossible Life and the Possible Death of Preston J. Cole]]'' {{1st}}

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

{{Insurrection}}
[[Category:Battles]]
[[Category:Insurrection]]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Theta Ursae Majoris}}