First Battle of Earth

Summary
DATE: October 20, 2552

LOCATION: Sol System, above planet Earth.

Involved: UNSC, Covenant forces.

Synopsis: This battle was somewhat unexpected. Fortunately the UNSC was more than prepared to repel the Covenant's assault. The more important task now is defending the planet during The Second Battle of Earth.

Outcome: UNSC successfully repels the invading Covenant but all of New Mombasa is destroyed.

UNSC
Commander: Fleet Admiral Lord Terrence Hood

300 Orbital Super MAC Cannon Platforms.

8 Cruisers (possibly ALL Marathon Class)

67 Frigates

4 SPARTAN-II supersoldiers, including SPARTAN-117

1 Possible Spartan-I soldier: Sergeant Avery Johnson

The Covenant
Commander: The High Prophet of Regret

2 Assault Carriers

13 CAR-class Battle Cruisers

Timeline

 * For more detailed information, see the Battle of New Mombasa.

No official timeline is given, however the events of Halo 2 sum up the basic attack. Lord Hood, SPARTAN-117, Sergeant Johnson and Miranda Keyes are in an awards ceremony on the Cairo Station when the Covenant task force exits slipspace just beyond the range of the MAC satellites. Fleet Admiral Harper, in charge of the Earth defense fleet, prepares to engage the Covenant, however he is overriden. The Covenant launch boarding craft at the vessels and stations. Several vessels and stations are destroyed by boarding Covenant forces. When they feel they have made enough damage, the Covenant punch a hole through the Human defense and land at New Mombasa, Kenya. SPARTAN-117 pursues the Covenant forces, who have dropped a Scarab on the ground. After it is destroyed, the Prophet of Regret and his Assault Carrier enter Slipspace inside the city. New Mombassa is destroyed, but the UNSC In Amber Clad follows the carrier through Slipspace, ariving at Installation 05. The remaining Covenant vessels around Earth either disperse or are destroyed.

0140 hours- Slipspace whisper heard by Io. Minutes later, the Covenant fleet arrives with about 15 capital ships.

Between 0140 and 0150 hours-Fleet Admiral Harper assembles the fleet. Covenant start sending small boarding craft to Cairo, Athens, Malta MAC gun stations to destroy them. Malta, unaware of the presence of a bomb, happily reports Covenant boarding parties fleeing. A few seconds later, Malta is destroyed by the bomb, followed by Athens shortly thereafter. Cairo is then granted permission to open fire on the Covenant fleet and Lord Hood sends the Master Chief to disarm the bomb.

Between 0150 and 01630 hours-Covenant start deploying forces in the area, including a Scarab for heavy armor. Sergeant Johnson and Master Chief's Pelican is shot down by the Scarab and hunker down at an isolated position to wait for extraction. Gunnery Sergeant Pete Stacker and a ODST squad move up the beach to Hotel Zanzibar and set up a bunker, wiping out several Covenant units along the way. Sergent Johnson is extracted to help with armored units entering the city while pinned down units in Hotel Zanzibar are saved by Spartan 117. Units at the bridge are decimated as the Scarab blows through any and all UNSC forces. Spartan 117 arrives at bridge to assess situation and reinforcments are sent, including a Scorpion Battle tank. The 405th out of Diego Garcia make landfall at the city square and are quickly surrounded by Covenant troops. The 105th ODST unit, lead by Spartan 117, are called to city square for a last defense. Scarab is single-handedly taken down by the Master Chief as the Prophet of Regret flees.

UNSC

 * Malta Station
 * Cairo Station
 * Athens Station
 * UNSC Dusk
 * UNSC Coral Sea
 * UNSC In Amber Clad
 * UNSC Paris
 * UNSC Redoubtable

Covenant

 * Pious Inquisitor

UNSC

 * Fleet Admiral Sir Terrence Hood
 * Fleet Admiral Harper
 * Commander Miranda Keyes
 * Major Easley
 * Master Chief Petty Officer John SPARTAN-117
 * Sergeant Major A.J. Johnson
 * Gunnery Sergeant Pete Stacker
 * Staff Sergeant Marcus Banks
 * Corporal Perez
 * Private McKenzie

Covenant

 * High Prophet of Regret