Battle of Shield 0459

The Battle of the Flood-controlled Shield World was an engagement fought between the Marines of the Spirit of Fire and the Covenant on the Flood-controlled Shield World during the Human-Covenant War on February 23rd, 2531.

Background
When the Arbiter kidnapped Anders and took her to the Flood-controlled Shield World to activate the Forerunner ships within the Shield World. The UNSC Spirit of Fire followed in close pursuit. Upon entering the system they followed Anders' transponder single the best that they could. Captain Cutter launched Sergeant John Forge to begin surface operations to locate Professor Anders.

The battle
Recon Teams Echo and India deployed on the planet's surface, along with a small force led by Forge. Using Elephant's and Marine infantry, together with air support from Shortsword-class Bombers and help from SPARTAN Red Team, Forge's force cleared an area around a beacon, awaiting the arrival of reinforcements and the Recon Teams.

Shortly after this, however, the force recieved an ominous message from Echo Team, stating that they were under attack from "things," before dropping out of contact. India Team sent a similar message before dropping out of contact.

Forge's team and the SPARTANs moved to investigate, encountering the Flood for the first time, including dozens of Infection Forms that resulted in a large number of Marines being lost. However, they successfully recovered both team's Elephants and retreated back to the Firebase being constructed at the beacon site.

Red Team discovered that a Proto-Gravemind was coordinating the Flood forces and was also jamming Ander's transponder signal. However, before they could destroy the Gravemind, their Warthog was overturned and they had to be rescued by Forge's Marines. After contending with Flood Swarms and Thrasher Forms, the Marines were able to rescue the SPARTAN's and destroy the Gravemind.

After destroying the Gravemind, the Spirit of Fire's A.I Serina located Anders' signal, which was apparently in the middle of a giant sea. While the Spirit was hovering over the sea, however, it split open and several Foreunner Sentinels flew out. The Spirit inexplicably began to fall into the rift, and forces on the Shield World's surface had less than twenty minutes to fight their way past hundreds of Flood forms before being airlifted back to the Spirit of Fire. The firebase was abandoned to the Flood.