Editing Battle of Cleveland

{{Status|Canon}}
{{Battle infobox
|prev = *[[Battle of Mare Erythraeum]]
*[[Battle of Havana]] {{c|[[Battle for Earth]]}}
|conc = [[Scramble onboard Forerunner Dreadnought]]
|next = [[Battle of Sector Six]]
|name = Battle of Cleveland
|image = [[File:Cleveland in 2552.PNG|300px]]
|conflict = *[[Human-Covenant War]]
**[[Battle for Earth]]
|date = c. [[2552#November|November 16–17, 2552]]{{Ref/Note|Id=date|Text=See [[Battle for Earth#Notes|Battle for Earth's Notes section]] though the Battle of Cleveland most likely took place on the morning of November 16 by regarding part of ''Halo: Uprising'' comic.}}
|place = [[Cleveland]], [[Ohio]], [[United Republic of North America]], [[Earth]]
|result = '''UNSC victory'''{{Ref/Reuse|Id=Issue 4}}
*[[Covenant]] forces repelled
*Remaining [[civilian]]s evacuated
*Much of Covenant occupation of [[Earth]] successfully delayed
|side1 = *{{Icon|UNSC HCW}} [[United Nations Space Command|UNSC]]
**[[UNSC Marine Corps]]
**[[UNSC Air Force]]
*[[Civilians]]
|side2 = *{{Icon|Covenant FB}} [[Covenant]]
|commanders1 =
*[[Sergeant|SGT]] [[Twyker]]{{Ref/Reuse|Id=Issue 4}}
*[[Intel Operations Manager|IOM]] [[Wesley]]{{Ref/Reuse|Id=Issue 4}}
|commanders2 = *[[Minister of Inquisition]]†{{Ref/Reuse|Id=Issue 4}}
*[[Shipmaster]] [[Lepidus]]{{Ref/Reuse|Id=Issue 1}}
|forces1 = 
*1+ [[Orbital Drop Shock Trooper|ODST]] [[Fireteam]]{{Ref/Reuse|Id=Issue 3}}
*[[M12 Chaingun Warthog]]s{{Ref/Reuse|Id=Issue 1}}
*[[M12G1 Gauss Warthog]]s{{Ref/Reuse|Id=Issue 1}}
*[[M831 Troop Transport Warthog]]s{{Ref/Reuse|Id=Issue 3}}
*[[AV-14 Hornet]]s{{Ref/Reuse|Id=Issue 3}}
*[[D77H-TCI Pelican]]s{{Ref/Reuse|Id=Issue 1}}
*1 {{Class|Moncton|orbital weapon platform}}{{Ref/Reuse|Id=Issue 4}}
*Armed [[civilian]]s{{Ref/Reuse|Id=Issue 1}}
|forces2 = 
*1+ {{Pattern|Ket|battlecruiser}}{{Ref/Reuse|Id=Issue 1}}
*Numerous [[Kez'katu-pattern Phantom|T-52 Phantoms]]{{Ref/Reuse|Id=Issue 1}}
*Numerous [[Oghal-pattern Banshee|T-26A Banshees]]{{Ref/Reuse|Id=Issue 1}}
*Numerous [[Irdnekt-pattern Banshee|T-26C Banshees]]{{Ref/Reuse|Id=Issue 1}}
*[[Ruwaa-pattern Shadow|T-29 Shadows]]{{Ref/Reuse|Id=Issue 1}}
*1+ [[Deutoros-pattern Scarab|T-47B Scarab]]{{Ref/Reuse|Id=Issue 2}}
*Many ground forces{{Ref/Reuse|Id=Issue 1}}
**[[Jiralhanae]]
**[[Unggoy]]
**[[Kig-Yar]]
**[[Mgalekgolo]]
|casual1 = *[[Colonel|COL]] [[James Ackerson]]{{Ref/Reuse|Id=Issue 4}}
*[[Ruwan Ackerson]]{{Ref/Reuse|Id=Issue 4}}
*Heavy infantry casualties{{Ref/Reuse|Id=Issue 2}}
*Many civilians{{Ref/Reuse|Id=Issue 2}}
*Much of Cleveland destroyed{{Ref/Reuse|Id=Issue 3}}
|casual2 = *Heavy ground casualties
*''Harbinger of Piety''{{Ref/Reuse|Id=Issue 4}}
**[[Minister of Inquisition]]{{Ref/Reuse|Id=Issue 4}}
}}
{{Quote|I gotta know... how much of your [[Battle for Earth|Earth campaign]] did you lose trying to find it? Come on, I really want to know... how many of you idiots did it take to screw in an imaginary lightbulb?|[[Colonel]] [[James Ackerson]] on the Covenant's defeat shortly after the Battle of Cleveland.{{Ref/Reuse|Issue 4}}}}

The '''Battle of Cleveland''' was an [[Battle|engagement]] between the [[United Nations Space Command]] and the [[Covenant]] that took place in [[Cleveland]], [[Ohio]], on [[Earth]] during the [[Battle for Earth]] around between [[2552#November|November 16 and 17, 2552]].{{Ref/NoteReuse|date}} [[Civilians]] notably were a significant part of the war effort against the Covenant in this conflict.{{Ref/Comic|Id=Issue 1|HU|Issue=1}} This battle was a turning point of the Battle for Earth and ultimately delayed the Covenant from pressing their overrunning onslaught of Earth but at cost of the UNSC's [[UNSC Home Fleet|Home Fleet]] over Earth and most of surviving UNSC planetside forces being already routed by the [[Prophet of Truth]]'s [[Truth's fleet|final overwhelming invasion forces]] despite particularly hard fighting.{{Ref/Reuse|Id=Issue 3}}{{Ref/Reuse|Id=Issue 4}}{{Ref/Site|Id=mars|URL=https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/universe/locations/mars|Site=Halo Waypoint|Page=Mars|Y=2021|D=14|M=06}}{{Ref/Level|Id=H3CN|Game=Halo 3|Level=Crow's Nest}}

==Background==
{{Quote|no=three|Colonel James Ackerson|Shipmaster Lepidus|Colonel James Ackerson|q1=Good luck... you won't stand a chance.|q2=We're having our way with it. Right now. And you will be executed as part of the victory ceremony.|q3=If you idiots...rrr...attack Earth... you will never find the [[Key of Osanalan|Key]].|[[Colonel]] [[James Ackerson]] and the [[Shipmaster]] [[Lepidus]].{{Ref/Reuse|Issue 1}}}}
Following the loss of [[Mars]] at the hands of the [[Covenant]] [[Fleet of Furious Redemption]], the Covenant, now under command of the [[Prophet of Truth]] and [[Jiralhanae]] as of the beginning of the [[Great Schism]], began to concentrate more of their forces on Earth, resulting in a dramatic increase of ground and naval deployments on the [[planet]].{{Ref/Reuse|Issue 3}} At some point before the assault on Cleveland, [[Australia]], particularly [[Sydney]], was assaulted by the Covenant and much of the country or the continent was brutally destroyed by the Covenant [[orbital bombardment|bombardment]].{{Ref/Comic|Id=australia|HU|Issue=1|Quote=Did you see what they did to [[Mombasa]]? Or--or Australia?|Detail=This quote from [[Ruwan Ackerson]] could indicate that the Covenant bombardment on Sydney may have taken place before the Battle of Cleveland.}}{{Ref/Book|Id=ENC|Enc09|Page=284-285}}

Aboard one of the ''Furious Redemption'' [[Covenant starship|vessels]], ''[[Triumphant Declaration]]'',  [[Colonel]] [[James Ackerson]] was captured aboard the [[Ket-pattern battlecruiser|battlecruiser]] after the [[Battle of Mare Erythraeum]], where he was about to be executed by [[Lepidus]], the Jiralhanae [[Shipmaster]] of the ship, in celebration of the defeat of Mars and Earth.{{Ref/Reuse|Issue 1}} However, after [[Colonel]] [[James Ackerson]] told them about the [[Key of Osanalan]], a supposed [[Forerunner]] artifact that was apparently hidden in Cleveland, while under interrogation after his capture at the [[Battle of Mare Erythraeum]].{{Ref/Reuse|Issue 1}} Ackerson said that the Covenant will not find the Key if they are continuing to destroy remaining Earth cities, and that the Key was a necessary component for the firing sequence of the [[Halo Array]].{{Ref/Reuse|Issue 1}} However, Ackerson told the Covenant about the Key of Osanalan only in order to confuse the Covenant and to save his brother, [[Ruwan Ackerson|Ruwan]]; the Key was actually an imaginary object the brothers pretended to quest for when they were children.{{Ref/Reuse|Issue 1}}{{Ref/Reuse|Id=Issue 3}} Confused and worried by the now unconscious Colonel, the Covenant assaulted Cleveland around morning of November 16 or evening of November 15 but would not [[Glassing|destroy]] the city before getting the Key, and Ruwan's knowledge of the Key would help him and others escape.{{Ref/Reuse|Issue 1}}

==Battle==
===Fight for the Key of Osanalan===
[[File:HU ClevelandBattle.png|thumb|left|250px|Covenant forces assaulting the UNSC in the middle of the city.]]
{{Quote|This came!! '''That's''' what came!!! This is it? '''This??''' Why are they here?? Look at all the stuff they have!! Why do they '''need''' to do this?? Blowing up a fancy hotel?? Taking over a '''hotel??''' You came halfway across whatever to take over a resort city?? '''I don't understand!! We weren't bothering anybody!!'''|[[Civilian]] [[Ruwan Ackerson]] when the Covenant began their assault on Cleveland.{{Ref/Reuse|Id=Issue 1}}}}
The Covenant quickly assaulted Cleveland, taking light casualties as they battled [[UNSC Marine Corps|Marines]] and armed [[civilian]]s. However, during the battle, the Covenant did not make any attempt to destroy the city or kill any civilians. At this time, [[Ruwan Ackerson]] who worked as a hotel concierge meet [[Myras Tyla]], a famous [[styllight]] player, in an attacked hotel. After successfully securing most of the city, the Covenant [[Prisoner of war|captured]] many civilians and brought them to the [[Old Cleveland]] stadium in order to question them about the Key of Osanalan. Among the civilians, Ruwan Ackerson stated to Myras Tyla that he knew what the Covenant were looking.{{Ref/Reuse|Issue 1}}

Soon after the civilians were incarcerated, a [[fireteam]] of [[Orbital Drop Shock Troopers]] dropped off from [[AV-14 Hornet]]s attacked the stadium and swiftly killed most of the Covenant forces, allowing everyone to flee, and Ruwan and Myras Tyla escaped as well and drove a [[M831 Troop Transport Warthog|M831 Warthog]] to safety after taking two fallen [[Type-25 plasma pistol]]s. Tyla blamed her ex-boyfriend, [[Philip]], for having left her behind in the city while thinking of spending a new life with Ruwan. They headed to a safe section of the city, where Myras killed off a trio of [[Unggoy Minor]]s with an overcharged bolt strike from her plasma pistol. They helped themselves to some supplies on the Warthog, and set up a little camp for themselves. Furthermore, they chatted a while, and almost kissed just when the ground started to shake and chunking sounds were from a {{Pattern|Deutoros|Scarab}} that appeared, forcing them to run to relative safety.{{Ref/Comic|Id=Issue 2|HU|Issue=2}} 

Then, after riding the Warthog again despite encountering several Jiralhanae resistances, Ruwan and Myra arrived at a [[D77H-TCI Pelican]] used as an evacuation transport for civilian to meet a team of Marines in attempt to find Ruwan's colonel brother, [[James Ackerson|James]], just when a {{Pattern|Ruwaa|Shadow}} violently crashed on the area, causing a large explosion in the city. However, Ruwan and Tyla and other civilians survived the crash and were later saved by the team and escaped the city in the Pelican, where the two formers tell the Marines what the Key of Osanalan is.{{Ref/Comic|Id=Issue 3|HU|Issue=3}}

===Luring the Covenant forces===
Ruwan Ackerson, Myras Tyla, and the squad were brought in the Cleveland sewers.{{Ref/Reuse|Issue 4}} By the time, the [[Forerunner Dreadnought]] carrying the [[Prophet of Truth]], still [[Scramble onboard Forerunner Dreadnought|scrambled]] by the [[SPARTAN-II program|SPARTAN-II]] [[Master Chief Petty Officer]] [[John-117]], arrived over Earth on November 17 in early morning where the [[UNSC Home Fleet]] was now practically decimated by the fighting in high Earth orbit against Truth's [[Truth's fleet|final and massive Covenant armada]],{{Ref/Reuse|Issue 4}} which let the fleet to finish it off by beginning to [[Orbital bombardment|bombard]] the rest of the planet, resulting massive human casualties.{{Ref/Reuse|H3CN}} Ruwan, Tyla and the squad eventually end up in a secret underground UNSC base to meet with the leader of the remaining UNSC forces in the area, [[Sergeant]] [[Twyker]]. There, Ruwan explains to the marines how he and his brother made up the Key of Osanalan when they were boys.{{Ref/Reuse|Issue 4}}

Although they were initially hostile to Ruwan, Twyker and Intelligence Operations Manager [[Wesley]] soon realized the importance of the Key of Osanalan. They contacted the Covenant to inform them that they had the Key and requested a meeting to deliver it to the Covenant. Ruwan volunteered to partake in the meeting and was injected with [[Tykos 30]], an organic tracking material. Meanwhile, Tyla and other civilians were evacuated.{{Ref/Reuse|Issue 4}}

He then was taken to [[Chagrin Falls]], where a [[Jiralhanae Chieftain|Jiralhanae chieftain]] demanded that Ackerson relinquish the Key of Osanalan and surrounded him with an army of Jiralhanae. Ruwan told them that ''he'' was the Key. Confused, the Covenant brought him aboard an orbiting {{Pattern|Ket|battlecruiser}} in mid-low Earth orbit and near the [[Forerunner Dreadnought]], ''[[Harbinger of Piety]]'', before the [[San'Shyuum]] [[Minister of Inquisition]], who questioned him about the [[Halo Array]], but the civilian was confused. Then again, he vowed to spare Earth from the Covenant assault in exchange for knowledge of Ruwan. The Minister of Inquisition then revealed he knew about the tracking material inside Ackerson and presumed that it was a homing beacon for rescue. Ruwan corrected him, stating it was a targeting vector for the [[Moncton-class orbital weapon platform|orbital defense platform]] ''[[Nassau Station|Nassau]]'' to fire on the ship. ''Nassau Station'' then fired its [[Magnetic Accelerator Cannon]], destroying the ship and killing everyone aboard.{{Ref/Comic|Id=Issue 4|HU|Issue=4}}

After hearing of the destruction of ''Harbinger of Piety'', Ackerson began to openly mock the Covenant, saying that their pompous arrogance would cost them the war. He was then beheaded by [[Lepidus]] who claimed that the Covenant's blind fervor will lead to their victory.{{Ref/Reuse|Issue 4}}

==Aftermath==
{{stub|section=yes}}
The refugees were evacuated to a relief camp in [[Akron]].{{Ref/Reuse|Id=Issue 4}}

Because of their gullibility, the Covenant lost many soldiers and ships, as well as an important [[Minister (title)|minister]], in the search for the nonexistent Key of Osanalan. However, this victory came at a cost: Cleveland was catastrophically damaged as a result of the furious urban combat that took place, and a large percentage of its civilian population were killed in the sudden invasion.{{Ref/Reuse|Id=Issue 4}}

==Participants==
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
===UNSC===
===Naval assets===
====Space stations====
{| class="wikitable sortable " style="width: 75%;" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="1" border="0"
|-
! Class
! Name
! Status<!--This refers to their status after the battle, not their overall status-->
|-
|{{Class|Moncton|orbital weapon platform}}
|''[[Nassau Station]]''
|Survived
|}

====Personnel====
{| class="wikitable sortable " style="width: 75%;" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="1" border="0"
|-
! Branch
! Rank
! Name
! Status<!--This refers to their status after the battle, not their overall status-->
|-
| rowspan="2" |[[UNSC Marine Corps]]
|[[Sergeant]]
|[[Twyker]]
|Survived
|-
|[[Intelligence Operations Manager]]
|[[Wesley]]
|Survived
|}
===Units===
====Ground forces====
*[[UNSC Marine Corps]]

===Civilians===
====People====
{| class="wikitable sortable " style="width: 75%;" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="1" border="0"
|-
! Name
! Status<!--This refers to their status after the battle, not their overall status-->
|-
|[[Ruwan Ackerson]]
|KIA
|-
|[[Myras Tyla]]
|Survived
|}
{{col-2}}

===Covenant===
===Naval assets===
====Starships====
{| class="wikitable sortable " style="width: 75%;" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="1" border="0"
|-
! Tactical grouping
! Class
! Name
! Status<!--This refers to their status after the battle, not their overall status-->
|-
|Unknown
|{{Pattern|Ket|battlecruiser}}
|''[[Harbinger of Piety]]''
|Destroyed
|}

====Personnel====
{| class="wikitable sortable " style="width: 75%;" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="1" border="0"
|-
! Branch
! Rank
! Name
! Status<!--This refers to their status after the battle, not their overall status-->
|-
| rowspan="2" |Unknown
|[[Minister (title)|Minister]]
|[[Minister of Inquisition]]
|KIA
|-
|[[Shipmaster]]
|[[Lepidus]]
|Survived
|}

{{col-end}}

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:HU Shadows.png|Covenant herding civilians in a stadium.
</gallery>

==List of appearances==
*''[[Halo: Uprising]]'' {{1st}}

==Notes==
{{Ref/Notes}}
==Sources==
{{Ref/Sources}}

{{Engagements in the Battle for Earth}}