Battle of Earth (2559)

This article is about the 2559 attack by the Banished. For other battles on and around Earth, see Battle of Earth (disambiguation).

Previous:	Battle of Venezia
Concurrent:	Battle over Installation 07
Next:	Battle of Boundary
Battle of Earth (2559)
Conflict:	Created uprising
Date:	December 12, 2559
Location:	Orbit of Earth, Sol system
Outcome:	Indeterminate
Details Belligerents United Nations Space Command Banished Created Commanders FADM Lord Terrence Hood ADM Serin Osman CAPT Abigail Cole War Chief Severan The Eight Chieftain Gathgor Chieftain Ectorius Chieftain V'leria Chieftain Cassius Chieftain Eru'thbok Chieftain Kaladus Kaidon Dreka 'Xulsam War-Queen Cao'mar Strength UNSC Home Fleet 282 starships and orbital defense platforms Over 200 clans Beohk Norkala Cruxguard of Phenthrop Maakra Sunbreakers Nwari Wastewalkers Sclera of Chu'ot Vanguard of Zaladon Warkeepers of Qabik 1328 spacecraft 3 Guardian Custodes

"The artificial construct your species created—the one you call Cortana—has destroyed my people's homeworld. She washed away all that we had built, all that we had fought centuries for. I have been given orders to return this kindness."

— War Chief Severan, delivering his omen of destruction to UNSC Victory of Samothrace during the battle of Venezia.

The battle of Earth was a large-scale engagement fought between the United Nations Space Command and Banished over the human homeworld Earth on December 12, 2559. The battle was declared in reprisal by the Banished as vengeance for the Razing of Oth Sonin, and the destruction of the Jiralhanae homeworld Doisac the previous month by Cortana. The Banished blamed Cortana and her Created on humanity and thus sought to enact an equal trade. Although the Banished steadily outnumbered the defending UNSC Home Fleet, the large-scale eruption of hostilities resulted in the activation of the Sol system's attendant Guardian Custodes which sought to enforce peace by force.

Midway through the engagement, however, the Guardians went inactive thanks to a simultaneous engagement being fought in space over Zeta Halo, which brought Cortana and all of her constructs offline. As such, the Banished made an early retreat despite their initial successes, instead moving to secure the colony world of Boundary in an effort to be the first to lay claim to Cortana's now-vacant throne in the Domain.

Background

Main article: Razing of Oth Sonin

On November 8, 2559, a force of Guardian constructs destroyed the Jiralhanae homeworld Doisac under directive from Cortana, Archon of the Created. This act was done by Cortana due to the refusal of Atriox to bring his Banished, or his species, to heel under the thumb of the Created and their hold of the galaxy. At this time, Atriox and his lieutenant Escharum were making preparations to recover a superweapon that Atriox believed would be key to breaking free from Cortana's grip on the galaxy. As such, they granted stewardship of all of the remaining Banished naval assets not involved in their plans to attack Zeta Halo to War Chief Severan, leader of the Vanguard of Zaladon, under orders to prevent any enemies of the Banished from cementing their own foothold over the galaxy once Cortana was defeated.

Severan was on his clan's home of Warial (a moon of Doisac) at the time of Doisac's destruction, finalising preparations to rally his forces at a rallying point beyond the Created's reach when the Guardians came, and almost immediately after recieved a new directive from Escharum:

“

Severan, by the time you recieve this, you will see what the AI has done. She intended to subjugate our people and Atriox refused. The destruction of our homeworld was her response. And we will respond in kind. Once we move on the Halo ring, there wiill be nothing left for humanity to capture when we are finished with her. Severan, we must hold what the Apparition has done to humanity's account. Rally the Banished fleets that survive and raze their homeworld Earth to ashes. Their world for ours. Do not leave anything alive. The blood of the Jiralhanae is on their hands. Make them pay, Severan.

”

While Severan had not expected to be ordered to lay siege to Earth, he saw its value as both an act of retribution and a strategic decision; by attacking Earth, the Banished would draw the eyes of both the UNSC and the Created away from Zeta Halo and give Atriox a better chance to succeed in bringing down Cortana there. Severan then ordered all of his forces (including the Eight) to rally at their predetermined rally point after evacuating Doisac's moons. However, while en route Severan himself made a detour to Venezia in order to seek advice from his daskalo, or mentor, High Lord Dovo Nesto. Unbeknownst to the Banished, Severan was secretly working for Nesto and his Order of Restoration, and thus sought the High Lord's advice over his conflicted feelings about the order. However, Nesto encouraged Severan to proceed with the attack despite his own surprise at the decision. Their meeting was interrupted by the arrival of a small UNSC-Swords of Sanghelios task force consisting of Valiant-class super-heavy cruiser UNSC Victory of Samothrace and Kerel-pattern assault carrier Shadow of Intent, themselves intent on assassinating Dovo Nesto. In the ensuing battle, Severan evacuated Nesto aboard his flagship Heart of Malice before engaging the allied duo. While the two cut down several Banished ships, towards the end of the battle, Severan made a transmission to Victo