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Battle of Harvest: Difference between revisions
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{{Quote|This first encounter with the aliens is a test—for them and us. So far we have failed that test. We have to show them that we cannot be so easily defeated. We have to win no matter the cost.|Vice Admiral Preston Cole, in a personal log written on [[2525#November|November 15, 2525]]<ref name="he462">'''Halo: Evolutions''', "The Impossible Life and the Possible Death of Preston J. Cole", ''page 462''</ref>}} | {{Quote|This first encounter with the aliens is a test—for them and us. So far we have failed that test. We have to show them that we cannot be so easily defeated. We have to win no matter the cost.|Vice Admiral Preston Cole, in a personal log written on [[2525#November|November 15, 2525]]<ref name="he462">'''Halo: Evolutions''', "The Impossible Life and the Possible Death of Preston J. Cole", ''page 462''</ref>}} | ||
The '''Battle of Harvest''',<ref name="timeline">'''[[Halo Wars]]''', ''[[Halo Wars Timeline Events|Timeline]]''</ref><ref>[http://www.halowars.com/ | The '''Battle of Harvest''',<ref name="timeline">'''[[Halo Wars]]''', ''[[Halo Wars Timeline Events|Timeline]]''</ref><ref>[http://www.halowars.com/GameInfo/Timeline.aspx ''Official Halo Wars Community Site'': Timeline] (defunct, [[Archive:Halowars.com/Timeline|Archived]])</ref><ref name="cp34">'''[[Halo: The Cole Protocol]]''', ''page 34''</ref> also known as the '''Second Battle of Harvest''',<ref name="fb33">'''[[Halo: Fleet Battles]]''', ''Core Rulebook - page 33''</ref> was an engagement in the [[Human-Covenant War]] between the [[United Nations Space Command]] and the [[Covenant]], taking place in the [[Epsilon Indi system]]. Following the [[First Battle of Harvest|loss]] of the [[human]] [[Outer Colony]] of [[Harvest]] to the Covenant in [[2525]], the UNSC assembled a [[battle group]] to retake the planet on [[2526|March 1, 2526]]. Led by [[Vice Admiral]] [[Preston Cole]], UNSC [[Battle Group X-Ray]] was ultimately successful in destroying the Covenant forces due to superior numbers and a last-minute tactical maneuver, but suffered heavy casualties in the process.<ref name="Harvest"/><ref name="universe">[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/universe/locations/harvest '''Halo Waypoint''': ''Harvest'']</ref> | ||
Having lost a third of the battle group's strength against a single Covenant warship, the empire's strength was now clearly assessed to the UNSC.<ref name="mythos">'''[[Halo Mythos]]''', ''page 63''</ref> Having been promoted to [[admiral]], Cole would return to [[Epsilon Indi]] with the [[Third Fleet]] under his command, meeting the Covenant's [[Fleet of Glorious Interdiction]] at Harvest for an extended [[Harvest campaign|campaign]] over the planet.<ref name="universe"/> | Having lost a third of the battle group's strength against a single Covenant warship, the empire's strength was now clearly assessed to the UNSC.<ref name="mythos">'''[[Halo Mythos]]''', ''page 63''</ref> Having been promoted to [[admiral]], Cole would return to [[Epsilon Indi]] with the [[Third Fleet]] under his command, meeting the Covenant's [[Fleet of Glorious Interdiction]] at Harvest for an extended [[Harvest campaign|campaign]] over the planet.<ref name="universe"/> | ||
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In [[2525#February|February of 2525]], the [[Unified Earth Government]] [[Outer Colony]] of [[Harvest]] was discovered and [[First Battle of Harvest|attacked]] by the [[Covenant]]. The planet was partially [[Glassing|glassed]] by the [[Covenant cruiser]] ''[[Rapid Conversion]]'',<ref>'''[[Halo: Contact Harvest]]''', ''page 382''</ref><ref name="for117">'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''pages 117-126'' (2010)</ref> though many of Harvest's residents managed to escape their own destruction by fleeing the [[Epsilon Indi system]] aboard [[DCS light freighter|freighters]].<ref name="goo72">'''[[Halo: Ghosts of Onyx]]''', ''page 72''</ref> In response to the loss of contact with Harvest, the unarmed scout ship {{CMAShip|Argo}} was sent to the planet to investigate. When transmissions from the scout ship suddenly ended, the Harvest situation was deemed highly important and a [[Colonial Military Administration]] [[battle group]]—[[Battle Group 4]]—was dispatched to Harvest,<ref name="for117"/> fearing that [[insurrectionist]] forces had taken control of the [[agriculture world]].<ref name="mythos"/> Upon arriving at the system, Battle Group 4 was immediately attacked by ''Rapid Conversion''. Only {{CMAShip|Heracles}} was able to escape destruction and limp back to [[Reach]] in the [[Epsilon Eridani system]] several weeks later with word of the hostile alien threat.<ref name="for117"/> | In [[2525#February|February of 2525]], the [[Unified Earth Government]] [[Outer Colony]] of [[Harvest]] was discovered and [[First Battle of Harvest|attacked]] by the [[Covenant]]. The planet was partially [[Glassing|glassed]] by the [[Covenant cruiser]] ''[[Rapid Conversion]]'',<ref>'''[[Halo: Contact Harvest]]''', ''page 382''</ref><ref name="for117">'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''pages 117-126'' (2010)</ref> though many of Harvest's residents managed to escape their own destruction by fleeing the [[Epsilon Indi system]] aboard [[DCS light freighter|freighters]].<ref name="goo72">'''[[Halo: Ghosts of Onyx]]''', ''page 72''</ref> In response to the loss of contact with Harvest, the unarmed scout ship {{CMAShip|Argo}} was sent to the planet to investigate. When transmissions from the scout ship suddenly ended, the Harvest situation was deemed highly important and a [[Colonial Military Administration]] [[battle group]]—[[Battle Group 4]]—was dispatched to Harvest,<ref name="for117"/> fearing that [[insurrectionist]] forces had taken control of the [[agriculture world]].<ref name="mythos"/> Upon arriving at the system, Battle Group 4 was immediately attacked by ''Rapid Conversion''. Only {{CMAShip|Heracles}} was able to escape destruction and limp back to [[Reach]] in the [[Epsilon Eridani system]] several weeks later with word of the hostile alien threat.<ref name="for117"/> | ||
On [[2525#November|November 1, 2525]], the UEG's [[United Nations Space Command]] was ordered to full alert.<ref name="for117"/> In response to the alien threat, the UNSC's [[Central Command]] moved to create a battle group of forty [[warship]]s to retake Harvest. Retired [[Vice Admiral]] [[Preston Cole]] was selected by Central Command to lead this force; a "fallen hero" that lived a scandalous retirement, Cole served as an easy scapegoat if CENTCOM's counterattack on the Covenant failed. Additionally, Cole was considered to be a brilliant commander during the [[Insurrection]] that was willing to sacrifice himself and anyone under his command to complete his task.<ref name="he458">'''Halo: Evolutions''', "The Impossible Life and the Possible Death of Preston J. Cole", ''pages 458-460''</ref> On [[2525#November|November 2, 2525]], [[Lieutenant Commander]] [[Jack Hopper]] and [[Lieutenant]] [[Demos]] visited Cole and convinced him to lead the battle group. Reinstated as a vice admiral of the [[UNSC Navy]], Cole was given command of [[Battle Group X-Ray]] in [[2525|December of 2525]],<ref>[[Xbox.com/Halo/Timeline| | On [[2525#November|November 1, 2525]], the UEG's [[United Nations Space Command]] was ordered to full alert.<ref name="for117"/> In response to the alien threat, the UNSC's [[Central Command]] moved to create a battle group of forty [[warship]]s to retake Harvest. Retired [[Vice Admiral]] [[Preston Cole]] was selected by Central Command to lead this force; a "fallen hero" that lived a scandalous retirement, Cole served as an easy scapegoat if CENTCOM's counterattack on the Covenant failed. Additionally, Cole was considered to be a brilliant commander during the [[Insurrection]] that was willing to sacrifice himself and anyone under his command to complete his task.<ref name="he458">'''Halo: Evolutions''', "The Impossible Life and the Possible Death of Preston J. Cole", ''pages 458-460''</ref> On [[2525#November|November 2, 2525]], [[Lieutenant Commander]] [[Jack Hopper]] and [[Lieutenant]] [[Demos]] visited Cole and convinced him to lead the battle group. Reinstated as a vice admiral of the [[UNSC Navy]], Cole was given command of [[Battle Group X-Ray]] in [[2525|December of 2525]],<ref>''Xbox.com'': The Halo Timeline (defunct, [[Archive:Xbox.com/Halo/Timeline|Archived]])</ref><ref>'''Halo: Evolutions''', "The Impossible Life and the Possible Death of Preston J. Cole", ''page 461''</ref> conceived as the largest assembled fleet at that point in human history.<ref name="for117"/><ref name="enc299">'''[[Halo Encyclopedia]]''', ''page 299'' (2011)</ref><ref>'''[[Halo: The Essential Visual Guide]]''', ''page 88''</ref> By [[2525#November|November 12, 2525]], Cole begun preparing himself for the battle. He reviewed data and reports from previous encounters with the Covenant at Harvest and [[Chi Ceti IV]], and realized that Covenant [[energy shielding]] would prove to be troublesome in battle. Cole was given the {{Class|Valiant|super-heavy cruiser}} {{UNSCShip|Everest}} as his [[flagship]]. After ensuring that his crew was battle-tested and competent, he requested numerous modifications to ''Everest''.<ref name="he462"/> The [[artificial intelligence]] [[Sekmet]] was chosen as Cole's shipboard AI on ''Everest''.<ref name="he465">'''Halo: Evolutions''', "The Impossible Life and the Possible Death of Preston J. Cole", ''page 465''</ref> | ||
==The battle== | ==The battle== | ||