Editing Battle of Zhoist

{{Status|Canon}}
{{Stub}}
{{Battle infobox
|prev=[[Battle over Etalan]]
|conc=[[Battle of Circinius IV]]
|next=
|name=Battle of Zhoist
|image=
|conflict=[[Human-Covenant War]]
*[[Operation: SILENT STORM]]
|date=[[2526#April|April 15, 2526]]{{Ref/Novel|Id=ss24|SS|Chapter=24}}
|place=[[Zhoist]], [[Buta system]]
|result='''UNSC victory'''
*Destruction of Covenant assets including the [[Ring of Mighty Abundance]], ''[[Hammer of Faith]]'' [[Covenant carrier|supercarrier]], two of the [[Ten Cities of Edification]],{{Ref/Novel|Id=oblv5|Oblv|Chapter=5}}{{Ref/Novel|Id=ssepi|SS|Chapter=Epilogue}} and a [[Luminal Beacon]].{{Ref/Reuse|oblv5}}
*Decimation of the Fleet of Inexorable Obedience{{Ref/Reuse|oblv5}}
*Defection of Ghost Flight to the Insurrectionists{{Ref/Novel|Id=ss25|SS|Chapter=25}}
|side1=*{{Icon|UNSC HCW}} [[UNSC]]
**{{Icon|Navy}} [[UNSC Navy|Navy]]
**{{Icon|Marine Corps}} [[UNSC Marine Corps|Marine Corps]]
|side2=*{{Icon|Covenant HW}} [[Covenant]]
|side3=*{{Icon|Insurrectionist}} [[Insurrectionist]]
|commanders1=*[[Colonel|COL]] [[Marmon Crowther]]†
*[[Lieutenant Commander|LCDR]] [[Hector Nyeto]] {{C|Defected}}
*[[Petty Officer First Class|PO1]] [[John-117]]
|commanders2=*[[Fleetmaster]] [[Nizat 'Kvarosee]]
*[[Sangheili First Blade officer|First Blade]] [[Tel 'Szatulai]]
*[[Minor Minister of Artifact Survey]]†
|commanders3=*LCDR [[Hector Nyeto]]
|forces1=
*[[Task Force Yama]]
**[[Dagger Force]]
**[[Sierra Force]]
**[[Ghost Flight]] {{C|Defected}}
***{{UNSCShip|Ghost Song}} {{C|Defected}}
|forces2=*[[Fleet of Inexorable Obedience]]
**''[[Sacred Whisper]]''†
**''[[Almighty Persuasion]]''†
|forces3=*[[Ghost Flight]]
**{{UNSCShip|Ghost Song}}
|casual1=Heavy
|casual2=Heavy
*Minor Minister of Artifact Survey
|casual3=Light
|civilian1=
|civilian2=
}}
The '''Battle of Zhoist'''{{Ref/Novel|Out|Chapter=20}} was the final engagement between the [[UNSC]] [[UNSC Navy|Navy]]'s [[Task Force Yama]] and the [[Covenant]] in [[Operation: SILENT STORM]] that took place on [[2526#April|April 15, 2526]] at the Covenant relic world of [[Zhoist]], both in orbit and on the ground.{{Ref/Reuse|ss24}}{{Ref/Reuse|ss25}}

==Background==
===SILENT STORM===
{{Main|Operation: SILENT STORM}}
In [[2526#March|March 2526]], the [[UNSC]] enacted [[Operation: SILENT STORM]] with the goal of slowing the [[Covenant]]'s [[Massacre of the Outer Colonies|advance]] through the [[Outer Colonies|Outer]] [[Human colonies|Colonies]]. For this operation, [[Task Force Yama]] was split from [[Battle Group X-Ray]] and managed to deduce that the Covenant's [[Fleet of Inexorable Obedience]] was planning to [[Battle of Biko|attack]] [[Biko]].{{Ref/Novel|Id=HSS5|HSS|Chapter=5}} Task Force Yama travelled to Biko's [[Natural satellite|moon]] of [[Seoba]] where they planned to lie in wait for the Covenant, ambushing them and [[Naval boarding|boarding]] their ships to destroy them from within. However, due to an [[Insurrectionist]] presence on the moon, a [[Bloodstar Flotilla|flotilla]] of Covenant [[intrusion corvette]]s discovered that the UNSC were using it as a staging ground and [[Battle of Seoba|attacked]].{{Ref/Novel|Id=HSS14|HSS|Chapter=14}}{{Ref/Novel|Id=HSS15|HSS|Chapter=15}} After the fighting on Seoba had subsided, UNSC recovered a ''[[kelguid]]'' from the wreckage of [[Worthy Silence|one]] of the intrusion corvettes.{{Ref/Novel|Id=HSS16|HSS|Chapter=16}}

===Counterattack at Etalan===
{{Main|Battle over Etalan}}
Shortly after the battle on Seoba, the Fleet of Inexorable Obedience arrived at Biko. As the human defense forces tried in vain to beat back the Covenant,{{Ref/Novel|Id=HSS17|HSS|Chapter=17}} a detachment from Task Force Yama was sent to the nearby colony of [[Etalan]], which had been [[glassing|glassed]] a few days earlier.{{Ref/Novel|Id=HSS19|HSS|Chapter=19}} Here, the detachment, led by the [[Spartan-II]]s of [[Blue Team|Blue]], [[Gold Team|Gold]], and [[Green Team]]s, decimated the logistics flotilla serving the Fleet of Inexorable Obedience.{{Ref/Novel|Id=HSS20|HSS|Chapter=20}}

===Glassing of Biko===
Five days after originally arriving at Biko, the human defense forces had been obliterated and Task Force Yama had been forced to withdraw. At this point, the Fleet of Inexorable Obedience began to glass the planet, despite the fact that they were beginning to run low on carrier gas for their [[plasma]] weaponry due to the attack on their logistics vessels at Etalan. To this end, [[Fleetmaster]] [[Nizat 'Kvarosee]] called for another logistics convoy from the relic world of [[Zhoist]]. However, he soon learned that the humans had recovered a ''kelguid'' from one of his ships and he realized his mistake. If the UNSC were able to decipher the ''kelguid'', they could use it combined with the knowledge of the replacement convoy's arrival to deduce the location of Zhoist. Fearing an attack on the vital world, 'Kvarosee ordered the Fleet of Inexorable Obedience to fall back and prepare for its defense.{{Ref/Novel|Id=HSS21|HSS|Chapter=21}} 

===UNSC preparations===
{{Expand-section}}
==Battle==
===Betrayal===
{{Expand-section}}
==Aftermath==
===Meeting with the Hierarchs===
With the destruction of so many assets, including Forerunner artifacts, 'Kvarosee was summoned to ''[[High Charity]]'' to meet with the [[Hierarchs]]. During the slipspace journey there, he isolated himself, eating no food, and gazed out at the void, believing himself to be on the [[Covenant religion|Path of Oblivion]].{{Ref/Reuse|oblv5}}
{{Expand-section}}
==List of appearances==
*''[[Halo: Silent Storm]]'' {{1st}}
*''[[Halo: Oblivion]]'' {{Mo}}
*''[[Halo: Outcasts]]'' {{Mo}}

==Sources==
{{Ref/List}}
{{Human-Covenant War}}
[[Category:UNSC victories]]