Mission to the Korinth Prior system

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Mission to the Korinth Prior system
Conflict:	Post-Covenant War conflicts
Date:	June 8, 2557
Location:	Etran Harborage debris field, Korinth Prior system
Outcome:	UNSC victory Evidence of UNSC Spirit of Fire recovered Debris field later nuked
Details Belligerents United Nations Space Command Jul 'Mdama's Covenant Commanders Captain Karah Gek 'Lhar Strength UNSC Taurokado Several F-41 Broadswords Fireteam Apollo Covenant remnant battlegroup Several Seraphs Casualties None Several Seraphs

The Mission to the Korinth Prior system was a United Nations Space Command mission to locate the missing UNSC Spirit of Fire.

Prelude

Main article: Battle of the Etran Harborage

The mission

In 2557, the UNSC Taurokado was dispatched by the Office of Naval Intelligence to search for evidence of the UNSC Spirit of Fire, with Spartan Fireteam Apollo embarked. At 0221 hours (MST) on June 8, it arrived in the Korinth Prior system. There, it encountered a debris field in orbit around a K-type dwarf star. Taurokado conducted scans which showed that this debris field was composed of 94% naturally-occurring materials and 4% Forerunner materials, with 2% untraceable, and that of detritus size, 9% neared the scale of small lunar satellites while 84% were the size of the ship or smaller. Taurokado's sensors also revealed that low-level shielding sporadically surrounded structures of Forerunner origins.

At 0924 hours (MST), Taurokado commenced site surveys of identified Forerunner structures. Fireteam Apollo was deployed to investigate a number of these structures. At one, designated "Site 012", Apollo uncovered configurations matching the Sarcophagus at Onyx. At "Site 042" they confirmed that the debris had formerly been a shield world. Apollo also found evidence of Forerunner Sojourner-class dreadnoughts and a Flood infestation at "Site 029" and "Site 021", respectively. At "Site 037", Apollo recovered identifiable human materials. Analysis confirmed that these had belonged to the Spirit of Fire, including war materiel and Titanium-A battleplating. However, no evidence of survivors was detected by either Apollo or Taurokado.

At 1642 hours (MST), Taurokado made contact with a hostile Covenant remnant battle group. Fireteam Apollo was distaptched in F-41 Broadsword fighters to intercept the enemy. After dispatching two waves of Type-31 Seraph fighters, Apollo fell back to the Taurokado. At 1714 hours (MST), the Taurokado released sensor buoy "B89-7" and slipped from the system, in accordance with protocol.

Aftermath

Roughly two weeks later, AI Turkish compiled Taurokado’s mission log into an after-action report for Hugo Barton, recommending an asset-denial or counter force operation in the system to deny the Covenant access to any Forerunner technology found there.

A massive UNSC fleet later returned to the system on June 29 as the Ace of Spades had been brought back by 343 Guilty Spark. The fleet nuked the debris field, blowing it to bits and disrupting its gravity around the dwarf star. Whatever was not totally destroyed would most likely have been pulled into the star, eradicating the remnants of the shield world. Gek 'Lhar and his battlegroup quickly retreated while 343 Guilty Spark got the Ace of Spades into slipspace just in time.

List of appearances

• Halo: Renegades (First appearance)