Battle of Meridian

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Concurrent:	Algolis Invasion Siege of Paris IV Second Fall of Arcadia Battle of Minab Battle of Ballast Battle of Gamma Pavonis VII
Next:	Operation: DEVIL FREEDOM Defense of Concord
Battle of Meridian
Conflict:	Human-Covenant War
Date:	2548–2551
Location:	Meridian, Hestia system
Outcome:	Covenant victory Meridian is Glassed Covenant later unknowingly locate Earth in 2552
Details Belligerents United Nations Space Command Covenant Commanders Captain Edmund Persie High Prophet of Regret (Second stage) Unidentified Sangheili commander Strength UNSC Armed Forces UNSC Air Force UNSC Navy At least one UNSC cruiser UNSC Sparrow Orbital defense grid At least one Mark IX Mantis ADS Spartan-IIIs Owen-B096 Meridian military Meridian Air Force At least one Prowler Sundered Legion Prowler At least one Ceudar-pattern heavy corvette 18 Skar'wa-pattern Mantis At least six Shua'ee-pattern Locusts Type-26 Banshees Reinforced Covenant fleet (Second stage) At least three CAS-class assault carriers Solemn Penance Heavy Covenant infantry Sangheili Jiralhanae Kig-Yar Unggoy Mgalekgolo Yanme'e Casualties Most vessels Heavy infantry casualties 18 Type-27 Mantis Heavy infantry casualties

"Almost immediately after Meridian was recaptured by the UEG, the Covenant arrived. Captain Edmund Persie of the UNSC Sevenfold Gates fought to the last, but was forced to order what few ships remained to fall back to the edge of the Hestia system. Within five hours of Captain Persie's retreat, Meridian was glassed, and all life there was eradicated."

— The History of Meridian, presented by the Free Frontier Education

The Battle of Meridian was an engagement of the Human-Covenant War between the United Nations Space Command and Covenant at the human Outer Colony of Meridian in the Hestia system. Beginning in 2548, the Battle of Meridian continued for three years as the Covenant attempted to diminish the UNSC's strong resistance on the world. Ultimately, Meridian was glassed by the Covenant in 2551.

Prelude

Meridian was a major human Outer Colony with a robust economy and a large United Nations Space Command presence, home to several major military contractors that provided the UNSC with equipment, including Chalybs Defense Solutions. Within the final years of the Human-Covenant War, most of Meridian's population had believed they had somehow survived the Covenant's onslaught throughout the Outer Colonies. However, the Covenant had discovered the world in 2548 and, realizing Meridian's value to the rest of the UNSC, sought to blockade Meridian.

The battle

First stage

Space battle

Meridian was discovered by the Covenant in 2548, and the moon quickly came under siege as the Covenant attempted to cut off supply lines from Meridian to other fronts in the war. However, the United Nations Space Command fiercely fought against the Covenant invaders, with Meridian's impressive UNSC Air Force garrisons and extensive orbital defense grid. The initial battle lasted for a week out near Hestia's moons, aided by the fact that the attacking Covenant fleet was smaller than usual. However, the Covenant eventually broke through and began surface operations.

Despite the Covenant breaking through, the human defenses were able to continue to bottle up most of the Covenant forces in orbit. The Covenant were also impeded by the presence of the Forerunner artifact in Brume-sur-Mer which kept them from glassing Meridian due to their reverence for Forerunner artifacts and unwillingness to harm them. The fighting in and around Meridian's atmosphere caused atmosphere disturbances that caused heavier than usual rain storms, even for Meridian's rainy season.

Ground battle

The first prototype for the HRUNTING/YGGDRASIL Mark IX "Mantis" ADS engaged in an action known as the "Cherbourg Run", in which it successfully engaged eighteen heavily guarded Skar'wa-pattern Mantis anti-aircraft cannons. The success of the prototype in the "Cherbourg Run" is one of the theories of why the walker was eventually called "M