Battle of Draetheus V: Difference between revisions

|name        = Battle of Draetheus V

|image      = [[File:HSA-Cinematic-Plummet.jpg|350px]]

**[[Kig-Yar]]

*Several {{Class|CAS|assault carrier}}s

*[[Type-26 Banshee]]s

|casual1    =  

*{{UNSCShip|Eminent Domain}}

{{Quote|The fighting started when a splinter sect of Covenant ignored the Ceasefire of 2552 and attacked UNSC forces. By the time the fighting was done... Well, it didn't end well for the UNSC and Covenant, either one.|[[Roland]]<ref name="umbra">'''[[Halo: Spartan Assault]]''' - ''[[Operation A: Umbra]]''</ref>}}

==The battle==

===Merg Vol's Covenant arrives===

[[File:Assault on CF-32.png|thumb|left|250px|Merg Vol's Covenant forces invade X50.]]

However, Vol's Covenant resumed their assault and the UNSC feared Research Facility Alpha would soon be crushed. Spartan [[Sarah Palmer]], with a Marine detachment, infiltrated artillery positions Vol's Covenant had set up and destroyed them.<ref>'''Halo: Spartan Assault''', ''[[Mission 2: The Mirror Mantle Counter-Assault|The Mirror Mantle Counter-Assault]]''</ref> Spartan Davis later noticed Vol's Covenant's heavy reliance on dropship insertion. Davis realized they would be vulnerable to focused anti-aircraft fire, so, using [[M9 Wolverine]]s, he began establishing air defenses west of the facility at a location designated Glacial Perch.<ref>'''Halo: Spartan Assault''', ''[[Mission 3: Reinforcement of the Perch|Reinforcement of the Perch]]''</ref>

After Faraday Base's defense were stabilized Spartan Palmer began trying to establish the location of Merg Vol's Covenant officers leading the invasion. After taking significant losses, Marines of the [[21st Scout platoon]] had managed to uncover a set of promising coordinates. These commanders' locations were well hidden by Draetheus V's unique magnetic signatures. Without Palmer, the officers might have remained hidden for days. She found them within 30 minutes and eliminated them quickly.<ref>'''Halo: Spartan Assault''', ''[[Mission 8: Hunt for the Sangheili Command|Hunt for the Sangheili Command]]''</ref>

With Vol's Covenant's southern forces exposed, Spartan Palmer and the 23rd Armored Cavalry's massive column of [[M808 Scorpion]]s and [[M850 Grizzly|M850 Grizzlies]] rushed across the Red Slate plateau on a collision course with several Covenant tank battalions. Only a UNSC counter-offensive would prevent Faraday from being crushed between the northern and southern front. The 23rd had brought eighty-six vehicles to Draetheus V. After the battle at Red Slate, there were only eight functioning vehicles left.<ref>'''Halo: Spartan Assault''', ''[[Mission 10: Battle at Red Slate|Battle at Red Slate]]''</ref>

===X50's activation===

{{Quote|Even through the battle was going in the Spartan's favor, Draetheus V had a surprise in store. Its moon wasn't a moon at all. It was a Forerunner creation, designed to build and destroy entire planets. Nobody knew about this... until the Covenant cult leader found a way to reactivate the old Forerunner tech... and start disassembling Draetheus V.|Roland<ref>'''Halo: Spartan Assault''' - ''[[Operation C: Monolith]]''</ref>}}

In a stroke of luck, the {{UNSCShip|Eminent Domain}} was able to outmaneuver Covenant forces in orbit over the moon and offer some support by deploying marines to the southern Mirror Flats. The [[3rd Helljumper Platoon]] was the first to land on Draetheus V's moon. Their drop zone was less than a mile from Alpha facility but the landing scattered them across the razor sharp rock face of the mountain range called Glacial Perch. They were quickly surrounded by Covenant infantry and taking heavy losses. Spartan Davis, having held out against a constant stream of Unggoy and [[Sangheili]] for a full day, quickly set out to clear the landing zone for the second wave of drop pods.<ref>'''Halo: Spartan Assault''', ''[[Mission 11: Descend from the Perch|Descend from the Perch]]''</ref>

Covenant forces established a mile wide defense perimeter around the Forerunner structure. To protect the technicians, UNSC command had deployed snipers among the Marine reinforcements. They would provide suppressing fire from the higher ground around the structure. However, the area they were deploying to was swarming with [[Stealth Sangheili]]. Spartan Davis escorted several sniper teams to their locations and cleared the area of any distractors in the process. Without his support, the sniper squads would not have had a chance to make it safely to their assignments.<ref>'''Halo: Spartan Assault''', ''[[Mission 14: Infiltration of the Covenant Perimeter|Infiltration of the Covenant Perimeter]]''</ref>

===Evacuation of Draetheus V===

Despite the chaos, much of Merg Vol's Covenant force remained rooted in strategic locations within the area around Faraday Base. The few surviving Marines and base staff had set up defensive positions in the western sector of the facility, preparing for a last stand against the increasing influx of Covenant. Palmer arrived at the base's perimeter moments before the Marines would be overrun. Around the base, Palmer managed to secure several [[M312 Elephant|Elephants]]. She then needed to relieve the besieged Marines and get them out of their predicament. She was able to rescue several groups of Marines and escort them to the extraction zone.<ref>'''Halo: Spartan Assault''', ''[[Mission 17: Liberation of Faraday|Liberation of Faraday]]''</ref>

[[File:Assault on the Covenant Landing Zones.png|thumb|left|250px|Grizzly tanks during the assault on the Covenant landing zones.]]

Strategic location at the Epsilon Expanse had been hard won, and a rear guard was established at each of the bridge's exit points to cover the convoy of Elephants taking the evacuees south. Spartan Palmer knew that taking a slow-moving pack of transport vehicles across a quickly degenerating warzone was not going to be easy. While earlier operations at the Epsilon Expanse had secured access to the Red Slate Plateau, hordes of Covenant were overrunning the area, also trying to get to their ships in the south. These forces quickly diverted their attention to the fleeing Elephants. Palmer with the help of several Marines was able to defend the Elephants.<ref>'''Halo: Spartan Assault''', ''[[Mission 19: Escape from Faraday|Escape from Faraday]]''</ref>

===Hunt for Merg Vol===

Parg Vol's camp was easily defensible, but Spartan Palmer neutralized the perimeter guard and moved in. The real challenge would be in accessing Parg Vol's Phantom. While a combat technician was bypassing the Phantom's security protocols, Parg Vol made his return. When he realized Palmer's intent, he ordered a full frontal assault on her position. With heavy plasma artillery raining down from a platoon of Wraiths, Palmer held off the infantry just long enough for the technician to succeed.<ref>'''Halo: Spartan Assault''', ''[[Mission 22: The Scorching of the Thicket|The Scorching of the Thicket]]''</ref>

In the hours since launching their attack, Vol's Covenant cultists had established themselves in a long ice-covered gorge between Merg Vol's camp and the Forerunner structure, setting up an almost-impregnable position. With Merg Vol's camp neutralized, Spartan Palmer made her way to the Forerunner structure. Vol's Covenant troops there were Merg Vol's most devout followers and threw themselves at her mercilessly. Palmer would have to battle her way through heavy opposition, and before she could confront Merg Vol himself, she first needed to deal with his lieutenants. After facing heavy resistance, Palmer was able to eliminate Merg Vol's lieutenants.<ref>'''Halo: Spartan Assault''', ''[[Mission 24: Hunt for the Cult Leader|Hunt for the Cult Leader]]''</ref>

Merg Vol was convinced he had been chosen by his gods to wield the power contained within the Forerunner structure. Having spent considerable resources to unlock its secrets, Vol managed to activate the structure's emergency defenses. With the deadly defenses at his command, Vol had become extremely dangerous. Unable to contact Spartan Davis since landing on Draetheus V's moon, Palmer prepared to battle Vol on her own. Vol's exact location had not been difficult to find: the direct area at the foot of the Forerunner structure was littered with a trail of dead UNSC soldiers. After facing Merg Vol's final forces and Forerunner [[beam turret]]s, she engaged Merg Vol himself. Despite a difficult fight, Palmer was able to overtake Vol and executed him with her [[M6H Personal Defense Weapon System|M6H magnum]].<ref>'''Halo: Spartan Assault''', ''[[Mission 25: Battle for the Moon|Battle for the Moon]]''</ref>

===Operation: HYDRA===

[[File:Breach of the Bulwark.png|thumb|250px|Pelican dropships during Operation: HYDRA on X50.]]

With Merg Vol's Covenant defeated and most UNSC forces evacuated from Draetheus V and X50, the battle appeared to be over. However, the UNSC soon detected a looping transmission of low-frequency static, identified by UNSC analysts as a string of Forerunner code, emanating from X50. Spartan Palmer returned to X50 to discern the origin of this signal, only to discover that Vol's Covenant had also returned.<ref>'''Halo: Spartan Assault''' - ''[[Mission 26: Battle at the Arid Sea|Battle at the Arid Sea]]''</ref> Vol's Covenant believed that one of their gods was speaking to them and were intent on preventing the humans from intercepting the message. Once Spartan Palmer secured a landing zone, UNSC forces were re-deployed to X50's surface in a constant stream, as part of Operation: HYDRA.<ref name="m27">'''Halo: Spartan Assault''' - ''[[Mission 27: Breach of the Bulwark|Breach of the Bulwark]]''</ref><ref>'''Halo Waypoint''': [[Catalog/Archive|Catalog]]: "''Analysis of Human OPERATION HYDRA security forces combat data [ref: Spartan Assault] indicate application of unknown [sublimation] device.''"</ref>

The disintegration of Draetheus V caused large chunks of the planet's crust to crash into X50's surface. The impact of the collisions revealed sections of a Forerunner structure that were previously hidden under the moon's ice. The structure was enormous in scale, stretching for miles in all directions. It was deduced that this structure was the origin of the Forerunner message. With the main line of Vol's Covenant defenses breached, Spartan Palmer moved to locate the source of the Forerunner transmission. The terrain of X50 was too challenging for the battalion to pass, so Palmer continued on foot towards the Forerunner signal.<ref>'''Halo: Spartan Assault''' - ''[[Mission 28: Superstructure Assault|Superstructure Assault]]''</ref>

===Goodbye to a friend===

{{Quote|The transmission was Davis's call for help, just before he died. That planet was made to build things out of galactic material. And it tried to build something out of was left of Davis. I shut it down.|Palmer mourning Davis' death<ref name="hydra">'''Halo: Spartan Assault''' - ''[[Operation F: Hydra]]''</ref>}}

After defeating Merg Vol's Covenant forces at the [[light bridge]] at the entrance to a series of caverns, Spartan Palmer entered a cave UNSC Command designated the [[Cistern]]. Palmer advanced forward, encountering and dispatching the large numbers of stealth Sangheili forces in the area. Deep within the Cistern she found the structure's entrance; large [[blast door]]s of Forerunner design, and from behind the doors, the origin of the signal. At this time, UNSC scientists decoded the first part of the Forerunner transmission, which was a single word: "Palmer." They warned the Spartan that the structure seemed to know her name.<ref>'''Halo: Spartan Assault''' - ''[[Mission 29: Infiltration of the Cistern|Infiltration of the Cistern]]''</ref>

==Aftermath==

With the Forerunner device sabotaged and Merg Vol dead, his Covenant were unable to achieve their goal. While numerous human lives were lost over the course of the battle, many more deaths were avoided thanks to the efforts of the Spartans.

Although [[Merg Vol's Covenant]] dissolved in the wake of the battle, some went on to join other [[Covenant remnants]] including [[Parg Vol]] who joined up with [[Jul 'Mdama's Covenant]]. However, Parg Vol was later [[Assassination of Parg Vol|assassinated]] by [[Fireteam Crimson]] in [[2558#February|February 2558]] during the [[Requiem Campaign]].<ref>'''Spartan Ops''', [[Catherine/Hunting Trip|S1E03 ''Hunting Trip'']]</ref>

File:Descend from the Perch.png|The Third Helljumper Platoon deploying on X50.

File:Hunt for the Sangheli Command.png|An Unggoy-operated Shade turret on Draetheus V.

File:Assault on the Supply Lines.png|An anti-air Wraith defending Vol's Covenant supply lines.

File:Defense of the Enemies' Airbase.png|Spirits over Draetheus V.

File:Hunt for the Phantom.png|UNSC Hornets taking off during the mission to capture Parg Vol's Phantom.

==List of appearances==

*''[[Halo: Spartan Assault]]'' {{1st}}

==Sources==