Battle of Havana

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Concurrent:	Battle of Installation 05
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Battle of Havana
Conflict:	Human-Covenant War Battle for Earth
Date:	November 3, 2552
Location:	Havana, Cuba, Earth, Sol system
Outcome:	UNSC victory Centennial Orbital Elevator destroyed
Details Belligerents United Nations Space Command UNSC Navy Covenant Commanders FADM Terrence Hood SCPO Frederic-104 Unknown Strength 1 corvette (late in battle) Pelicans 3 SPARTAN-II (late in battle) Numerous UNSC Navy and Marine forces 5 warships 2 Sinaris-pattern heavy destroyers 3 other capital ships Numerous ground and air forces Numerous Spirits Numerous Banshees 1 Scarab Numerous Wraiths Numerous ground troops Jiralhanae Kig-Yar Unggoy Casualties Unconfirmed number of casualties Station Wayward Rest All Covenant forces near the Centennial Orbital Elevator 1 Scarab 1 CPV-class destroyer Bloodied Spirit captured

The Battle of Havana was a major engagement during the Battle for Earth between the United Nations Space Command and the Covenant in Cuba's capital, Havana. Numerous Marine forces, and later three SPARTAN-IIs from Blue Team, were sent to retake Havana and its Centennial Orbital Elevator. They succeeded in reclaiming the elevator, though it was destroyed shortly afterward.

Background

After the disappearance of John-117 and the Mombasa Slipspace event on October 20, numerous Covenant occupation fleets continued to arrive at Earth, attacking targets worldwide. The SPARTAN-II Blue Team, now consisting of Frederic-104, William-043 and Linda-058, were deployed to repel the invaders and their starships in numerous battles on and around the planet during the two weeks after the initial Covenant invasion. In orbit, the Covenant fleets constantly fought the UNSC Home Fleet during many major skirmishes, including the Second, Seventh, and Sixteenth Fleets.

Immediately before the Great Schism could began and following the assasination of the Prophet of Regret during the Battle of Installation 05, the Jiralhanae would continue to replace many Sangheili masters on Earth in order to take the total command of Covenant forces and their fleets as it would be the same case for the Sangheili Honor Guardsmans in preparation for the eventual Covenant genocidal conflict against them and the rest of Sangheili. This preparation was informed to the Chieftain of the Jiralhanae Tartarus by the Prophet of Truth shortly after Jiralhanae successfully took the control of Covenant forces on Earth.

The constant fighting had depleted the UNSC nuclear weapon stockpile, and all that was left were older, low-yield FENRIS nuclear warheads originally intended to be converted to peaceful purposes. These nukes had been transported to Havana, Cuba, where the Covenant had recently inserted forces.

Battle

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Ground battle

There had been scattered reports that the Covenant had invaded the Centennial Orbital Elevator in Havana, before all contact with COE Control had been lost. Marines had been sent to Havana to retake the elevator, but they had not succeeded.

Operating from Base Segundo Terra, Blue Team was deployed to Havana on a D77H-TCI Pelican piloted by Sergeant Laura Tanner with Jim Higgins as its crew chief. Three Covenant capital ships hung in low orbit above Havana, and Banshee patrols circled around the orbital elevator. Spotting a hole in a Banshee patrol pattern, the Pelican dropped the team down into the jungle. They moved out northeast, towards the space elevator where the jungle ended at the warehouse complex of the COE.

Upon arriving at the edge of the jungle, the team discovered a Scarab walking through the warehouse complex nearby. Observing the area through her sniper rifle scope, Linda spotted a group of dead Marines and a dozen Jiralhanae moving in groups of four towards the space elevator, carrying cargo pods containing the nukes. The Spartans made a plan; they would part ways, with Will and Fred moving to opposite directions while Linda would provide cover for the team with her sniper rifle. In one of the garages, there was a massive tank truck full of explosive fuel which Will would use to disable the Scarab, while Fred would move to the elevator's base and secure the ascent car.

As Fred advanced, Linda provided him cover, killing Jiralhanae patrols headed his way. As Fred sprinted closer to the elevator, he ran into a single Jiralhanae. After Fred had neutralized the alien, he took its weapon. Meanwhile, Will crashed the huge tanker out of a garage, through a gate, and straight to the Scarab. The explosion engulfed the walker, destroyed its core and completely obliterated it.

Fred moved towards the orbital elevator, where the Jiralhanae were already loading the nukes into the car and shutting its doors. Fred stormed into the car, engaged the Covenant there with his Brute Shot but was nearly overwhelmed before the rest of the team arrived. They secured the car and the twelve nuclear warheads inside. As soon as they got the car moving, Wraith tanks, Banshees and large amounts of ground forces began to converge on their position.

Orbital battle

During their way up, Fleet Admiral Terrence Hood contacted the team from Cairo Station. Hood told them they had a new mission, and a prowler was dispatched to extract them. Hood then relayed a message f