Editing Battle of Earth (2555)

{{Status|Canon}}
{{Disambig header|the Sentinel invasion in 2555|other battles of Earth|Battle of Earth (disambiguation)}}
{{Conjectural title}}
{{Battle infobox
|prev=*[[Battle of Draetheus V]]
*[[Draco III rebellion]] <small>([[insurrection]])</small>
|conc=[[Operation: FAR STORM]]
|next=[[Operation: COALPEPPER]]
|image=
|conflict=[[Post-Covenant War conflicts]]
|date= [[2555|March 2555]]
|place=[[Kenya]], [[Africa]], [[Earth]]
|result='''[[UNSC]] victory'''
*[[UNSC Home Fleet]] reduced to no more than a dozen ships.{{Ref/Reuse|Atropos}}
|side1=*{{Icon|UNSC Post}} [[United Nations Space Command]]
*{{Icon|SoS}} [[Swords of Sanghelios]]
|side2=*{{Icon|Forerunner}} [[Sentinel|Forerunner constructs]]
|commanders1=Unknown
|commanders2={{Icon|Forerunner}} [[000 Tragic Solitude]]
|forces1=*Dozens of ships
**At least 1 {{Class|Strident|heavy frigate}}{{Ref/Reuse|Atropos}}
**{{UNSCShip|Lamplighter}}{{Ref/Reuse|Atropos}}
*[[AV-22 Sparrowhawk]]s
*[[F99 Wombat]]s
|forces2=Thousands of [[Retriever Sentinel|Retrievers]]
|casual1=10+ ships
**At least 1 ''Strident''
|casual2=Numerous Retriever Sentinels
}}

This '''attempted invasion''' of [[Earth]] was launched in [[2555]] by [[000 Tragic Solitude]], the [[monitor]] of [[Installation 00]].

==Background==
In response to the destruction done to [[the Ark]] during the [[Battle of Installation 00]], the installation's monitor, [[000 Tragic Solitude]], sought to destroy humanity for the role they played.{{Ref/Novel|Id=hitd14|HitD|Chapter=14}}

Around [[2553|December 2553]], when the {{UNSCShip|Rubicon}} crew was kidnapped by [[343 Guilty Spark]], Tragic Solitude enlisted the aid of [[Bobby Kodiak]], a mortally wounded UNSC soldier from one of the [[remote contact team|RCT]]s deployed by the ship, in his plan to repair the Ark. Solitude planned to use Kodiak to initiate the activation of the Halo Array in order to get Earth's side of the portal open. This would allow Solitude to dispatch [[Retriever Sentinel]]s to mine resources he needed to repair his installation, as well as wipe out any humans they encountered.{{Ref/Novel|HitD}}

In [[2555|March 2555]], renowned scientist and historian, [[Luther Mann]] along with [[Henry Lamb]] discovered a Forerunner timer on [[Installation 07]] that they concluded was counting down to the [[Halo Array|Halo Array's]] activation in five weeks.{{ref/Novel|Id=hitd1|HitD|Chapter=1}}

==Battle==
With the portal repaired, Solitude sent thousands of Retrievers to Earth to mine its resources. Hundreds of Retrievers began mining around the portal, the UNSC ships in the area immediately engaged the sentinels firing everything they had. Soon after these Retrievers came under attack, weaponized-Retrievers engaged the UNSC ships. While the Retrievers were easily destroyed, they greatly outnumbered and outgunned the human ships. In mere seconds ten human ships are destroyed, either exploding in midair or detonating upon impact with the planet's surface.{{Ref/Novel|Id=hitd16|HitD|Chapter=16}}

As the Retrievers attacked, the [[Captain]] of the {{UNSCShip|Lamplighter}} froze and failed to order his subordinates. A {{Class|Strident|heavy frigate}} would be ripped apart by the [[sentinel]]s. The executive officer (XO) of the ''Lamplighter'', [[Pedro Alvarez]], staged a mutiny against the ship's captain.{{Ref/Novel|Id=Atropos|Halo: Ascension on Atropos}}

More and more Retrievers continued to stream through the portal, some joined together to form larger machines. Eventually there were only a dozen human ships left, these ships charged into the Retrievers in a last defense of Earth. Suddenly, all the Retrievers began to retreat through the portal until none were left.{{Ref/Novel|Id=hitd17|HitD|Chapter=17}}

During the invasion, Tragic Solitude's data array's were attacked by a joint [[UNSC]]-[[Swords of Sanghelios]] taskforce. Solitude agreed to recall the Retrievers once they ceased fire.{{Ref/Reuse|hitd17}}

==Aftermath==
===The Ark===
After the attack it was decided that reinforcements should be sent through to the Ark to investigate the source of the attack. A fleet of ships soon arrived at the Ark. The {{UNSCShip|Witness}} soon located the damaged [[Sangheili]] ship ''[[Mayhem]]'' and retrieved it.{{Ref/Novel|Id=hitd19|HitD|Chapter=19}}

Soon after arriving, the fleet began the colonization and repair of the Ark, in order to prevent the Installation from reactivating the Halos.{{Ref/Reuse|hitd19}}

===Other===
Pedro Alvarez would be given a [[Bronze Star]], for not just surviving the attack, but also for his actions in mutinying against the inactive Captain. He was also given a promotion to Captain of the {{UNSCShip|Saturn}}, as well as a bottle of [[Titan Smoke]].{{Ref/Reuse|Atropos}}

The amount of destruction brought to the UNSC Navy in the invasion would leave the UNSC Home Fleet standing at no more than a dozen ships.{{Ref/Reuse|Atropos}}

==List of appearances==
*''[[Halo: Hunters in the Dark]]'' {{1st}}
*''[[Halo Mythos]]'' {{Mo}}
*''[[Halo: Renegades]]'' {{Mo}}
*''[[Halo: Saturn Devouring His Son]]'' {{Mo}}
*''[[Halo: Empty Throne]]'' {{Mo}}
*''[[Halo: Ascension on Atropos]]''

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

{{Post-Covenant War conflicts}}

[[Category:Post-Covenant War conflicts]]
[[Category:UNSC victories]]