Editing Siege of New Alexandria

{{Status|Canon}}

|image = [[File:HaloReach - Glassing.jpg|300px]]

*[[Lieutenant Commander]] [[Catherine-B320]]†

**2 {{Pattern|Ket|battlecruiser}}s

**4 {{Pattern|Ceudar|heavy corvette}}s

The '''Siege of New Alexandria''' was a major engagement between the [[United Nations Space Command]] and the [[Covenant]] within the city of [[New Alexandria (location)|New Alexandria]] on [[Reach]] that occurred from [[2552#August|August 18 to August 23, 2552]]. Major evacuations of civilians took place as part of '''Operation: SWORD 52'''.{{Ref/Game|Id=H5GLtd|Halo 5: Guardians Limited Edition|[[Halo 5: Guardians Limited Edition dossiers#Edward Buck|Dossier files]] - Edward Buck}} The raid ended with the [[glassing]] of the city. At least 5,000 civilians and soldiers were successfully evacuated out of the city; however, hundreds more were killed as they tried to escape.{{Ref/Reuse|Id=Exodus}}{{Ref/Reuse|Id=NA}}

Though the [[Sh'wada-pattern supercarrier|supercarrier]] ''[[Long Night of Solace]]'' had been destroyed by UNSC forces during [[Operation: UPPER CUT]], the near-immediate arrival of Covenant reinforcements in the [[Epsilon Eridani system]] ensured the initiative remained with the Covenant. On August 18, they dispatched a large [[Jiralhanae]]-led raiding force to the city of New Alexandria. Heavy fighting raged on the ground and many civilians were killed. Furthermore, the fighting in orbit had scattered the [[Epsilon Eridani Fleet]] and allowed the Covenant to support the ground operation in New Alexandria with naval forces.{{Ref/Reuse|Id=Exodus}}

By August 23, the situation in New Alexandria had reached crisis point. The battle had raged for five days, as the human defenders fought fiercely against the Covenant advance. However, since the fight in orbit had scattered the UNSC fleet, the Covenant managed to punch through the UNSC's orbital line and support the assault on New Alexandria with four {{Pattern|Ceudar|heavy corvette}}s, which dominated the sky over the city, turning the battle in the Covenant's favor. The UNSC was attempting to evacuate civilians from Traxus Tower to the starport, but Covenant forces had blocked their efforts. On the afternoon of August 23, [[SPARTAN-B312|Noble Six]] of [[NOBLE Team]] entered the city after surviving the destruction of ''Long Night of Solace''. UNSC troopers escorting a group of civilians were engaged by Jiralhanae forces when Noble Six intervened. Led by the Spartan, the troopers managed to overcome the Covenant opposition to secure an elevator leading to the cargo port and Traxus Tower. Before Noble Six could arrive, however, one of the Corvettes demolished the tower. A local executive landing pad provided the only accessible evacuation point, but the structure of the city made it difficult to reach. [[Orbital Drop Shock Trooper|ODST]] specialists, the "[[Bullfrogs]]", equipped with jet packs, were preparing to secure the executive landing pad when Noble Six arrived at the cargo port. The ODSTs accepted the help of the Spartan immediately, and the group began battling their way across the city. The elite team cut their way through the Covenant forces in possession of the landing pad and cleared the way for Pelicans to pick up evacuating civilians.{{Ref/Reuse|Id=Exodus}}

{{quote|I know we're losing. I want to know if we've lost.|[[Catherine-B320]] to [[Carter-A259]]{{Ref/Reuse|Id=NA}}}}

By nightfall on August 23, the situation had deteriorated further for the UNSC forces, as the Covenant had placed [[Covenant communications jammer|communication jammers]] on numerous buildings throughout the city (including [[New Alexandria Hospital]], [[SinoViet Center]], and [[Vyrant Telecom Tower]]), severing communications between the surviving UNSC troops and HIGHCOM. As a part of the counter-operation led and coordinated by Kat-B320, numerous UNSC military units have been dispatched to search for these jammers. Noble Six was tasked with air support as well as destroying the jammers in spite of the now-overwhelming Covenant air superiority. Noble Six eliminated all jammers and aided other UNSC troops trapped in the ruined city. However, two {{Pattern|Ket|battlecruiser}}s arrived during this time and began glassing sections of the city. At the same time, the Covenant has discovered the [[Office of Naval Intelligence]]'s headquarters, the [[Olympic Tower]], as the source of Kat-B320's signal and the command of local UNSC forces. They launched a large aerial attack force on Olympic Tower using [[Is'belox-pattern Banshee|Banshees]] as well as [[Kez'katu-pattern Phantom|Phantoms]], and even deployed numerous [[Type-26 Shade#Anti-Air Shade|anti-aircraft Shade turrets]] on the surrounding buildings to prevent air evacuations.{{Ref/Reuse|Id=NA}}

As the two conversed, Jun-A266 observed Covenant vehicles vacating the area around the tower, alarming Emile-A239, who observed that the Covenant rarely retreated for no good reason. Suddenly, a massive radiation flare swept through the area, and resulting atomic excitement scrambled the communications signal between Carter and Holland. The reason for the Covenant ground evacuation and the radiation flare was made clear seconds later: one of the battlecruisers had moved into position over the area and opened fire, beginning to glass the sector. Noble Team fled for the elevators, hoping to escape to a fallout bunker underneath the building, while Carter informed the Spartans that they were being redeployed to [[SWORD Base]] for a torch and burn operation. The elevator carrying Jun-A266, Carter-A259, and Emile-A239 arrived first and the three Spartans sprinted across an open area to get to the bunker. The elevator carrying [[Catherine-B320]] and Noble Six arrived seconds later.{{Ref/Reuse|Id=NA}}

*[[Catherine-B320]]

File:HR SixAttacksBanshee.jpg|Noble Six firing a Falcon's mounted machine gun at a {{Pattern|Is'belox|Banshee}}.

**''[[Halo 5: Guardians Limited Edition dossiers|Limited Edition dossiers]]'' {{Mo}}