Battle of Draetheus V

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Battle of Draetheus V
Conflict:	Post-Covenant War conflicts
Date:	2554
Location:	Draetheus V and X50
Outcome:	Pyrrhic UNSC victory Covenant forces repelled Draetheus V disintegrated and X50 sabotaged
Details Belligerents United Nations Space Command Merg Vol's Covenant Commanders Sarah Palmer Edward Davis† Shipmaster Merg Vol† Parg Vol Strength Two SPARTAN-IVs UNSC Army 23rd Armored Cavalry (86 vehicles) UNSC Marine Corps 21st Scout platoon 3rd Helljumper Platoon UNSC Eminent Domain Several Strident-class heavy frigates AV-14 Hornets AV-22 Sparrowhawks D77H-TCI Pelicans M312 Elephants M313 Elephants M808C Scorpions M850 Grizzlies M9 Wolverines Ground forces Unggoy Yanme'e Sangheili Jiralhanae Kig-Yar Several CAS-class assault carriers Several Ket-pattern battlecruisers Taaku Xur-pattern Spirits Dextro Xur-pattern Spirits Type-26 Banshees Zurdo-pattern Wraiths Karo'etba-pattern Ghosts Ogab'd-pattern anti-aircraft Wraiths Ru'swum-pattern Phantoms At least one R'shwupa-pattern Phantom Casualties UNSC Eminent Domain Numerous Marines One SPARTAN-IV Several civilians 78 vehicles (23rd Armored Cavalry) Numerous Covenant forces Jiralhanae Kig-Yar Sangheili Merg Vol Unggoy Yanme'e Several T-25 Spirits Several T-26 Banshees Several T-26 Wraiths Several T-32 Ghosts Several T-52 AA Wraiths Several T-52 Phantoms

"The fighting started when a splinter sect of Covenant ignored the Ceasefire of 2552 and attacked UNSC forces. By the time the fighting was done... Well, it didn't end well for the UNSC and Covenant, either one."

— Roland

The Battle of Draetheus V was an isolated military engagement fought between the United Nations Space Command against a new Covenant faction on the UNSC research colony of Draetheus V and its moon X50, after the Human-Covenant War in 2554. This Covenant faction came to seize a dormant Forerunner artifact, igniting one of the first conflicts in the post-war era with the UNSC.

The battle

Merg Vol's Covenant arrives

"Spartans Davis and Palmer were both stationed on Draetheus V's moon at the time of the first attack."

— Roland

Merg Vol's Covenant forces invade X50.

A Covenant fleet unexpectedly appeared in orbit over Draetheus V and deployed numerous Taaku Xur-pattern Spirit dropships bound for its moon, X50. Spartan Edward Davis was deployed to support the security force of a research project in a location designated CF-32 in the northern continent of X50. After thwarting the initial assault, Davis moved to secure the UNSC's Research Facility Alpha and the Forerunner artifact located therein, which appeared to be Merg Vol's Covenant's main target.

However, Vol's Covenant resumed their assault and the UNSC feared Research Facility Alpha would soon be crushed. Spartan Sarah Palmer, with a Marine detachment, infiltrated artillery positions Vol's Covenant had set up and destroyed them. Spartan Davis later noticed Vol's Covenant's heavy reliance on dropship insertion. Davis realized they would be vulnerable to focused anti-aircraft fire, so, using M9 Wolverines, he began establishing air defenses west of the facility at a location designated Glacial Perch.

While Spartan Davis was successful in slowing the enemy advance, Merg Vol's Covenant forces were too overwhelming. Sarah Palmer began fighting her way upstream through the invasion in an attempt to reach one of the northern outposts. Her plan was to destroy Covenant air support and give the AV-14 Hornets a chance to land near the outposts. The ultimate goal was to get off X50 and warn Draetheus V of Vol's Covenant invasion. Within an hour of their arrival at X50, Vol's Covenant owned the moon. Despite the ferocity of the assault on X50, the UNSC forces on Draetheus V had no idea anything was going on because the planet's unique magnetic resonance frequently made off-world communication nearly impossible.

Defense of Draetheus V

"As Spartan Davis continued fighting on the moon, Spartan Palmer and a handful of UNSC troops redeployed to the surface of Draetheus V to fend off the invaders there."

— Roland

Spartan Davis fought to hold the line on X50, while Sarah Palmer executed a plan to depart for Draetheus V and warn them of the incoming Covenant invasion of the colony. Palmer ordered the Marines in the area to fall back to the Hornet landing zones. Only six Marines made it there alive. They held out against an overwhelming Covenant force until Palmer managed to escape. Spartan Palmer was successful in warning Draetheus V of the coming attack, which soon hit the colonies' defenses like a tidal wave. Draetheus V's main outpost, Faraday Base, was located on the border of an expanse of dense vegetation to the north and an enormous rock plateau to the south.