Epsilon Eridani Fleet: Difference between revisions

Following the aftermath of the [[Battle of Sigma Octanus IV]], the Covenant had discovered the location of Reach and soon attacked the planet, sparking the [[Fall of Reach]]. On July 24, the ''[[Fleet of Valiant Prudence]]'', a Covenant advance force consisting of a few {{Class|SDV|heavy corvette}}s and the {{Class|CSO|supercarrier}} ''[[Long Night of Solace]]'', made an incursion on the planet. There were few vessels available to engage the Covenant in this timeframe; sixty percent of the fleet had to be recalled to Reach on August 13, with the reinforcements not expected to arrive for two days. This delay led Spartan [[NOBLE Team]] and the {{UNSCShip|Savannah}} to attack the supercarrier in [[Operation: UPPER CUT]], which destroyed the both ''Long Night of Solace'' and the corvette ''[[Ardent Prayer]]''.{{Ref/Level|Halo: Reach|Level=[[Long Night of Solace (level)|Long Night of Solace]]}}

Despite the colossal battle being waged throughout the [[Viery Territory]], the [[Office of Naval Intelligence]] kept the invasion secret from military personnel and civilians on the far side of the planet.<ref>[[Data Drop]] 5</ref> The Covenant's [[Fleet of Particular Justice|final invasion force]] was first detected by [[Fermion]] [[Remote scanning outpost|Remote Scanning Outpost]], which continued to warn all UNSC forces in-system of the new threat.{{Ref/Novel|[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]|Chapter=31}} There were only about 100 ships at Reach at the time, which moved into defensive positions to defend the planet; the 52 vessels remaining elsewhere in the system (likely engaged at [[Tribute]]) were recalled to Reach.{{Ref/Novel|Id=pages295-297|[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]|Page=295-297}} A large nuclear mine field had been set up to detonate the Covenant fleet, which destroyed roughly one hundred enemy ships.{{Ref/Reuse|pages295-297}} The opening salvo of Covenant plasma rounds were mostly blocked by three [[refit station]]s, letting the fleet fire their first [[Magnetic Accelerator Cannon|MAC]] salvo unharmed. When the Covenant fired again however, a crushing 80 UNSC ships were destroyed.{{Ref/Reuse|pages295-297}}