Operation: FIRST STRIKE

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Operation: FIRST STRIKE
Conflict:	Human-Covenant War
Date:	September 13, 2552
Location:	Tau Ceti system
Outcome:	UNSC victory Covenant armada destroyed Covenant invasion of the Sol system delayed
Details Belligerents United Nations Space Command Covenant Commanders VADM Danforth Whitcomb† MCPO John-117 Prophet of Truth Chieftain of the Jiralhanae Tartarus Strength Hybrid vessel Gettysburg-Ascendant Justice SPARTAN-II Blue Team: John-117 Frederic-104 Linda-058 Grace-093† William-043 LT Haverson† VADM Danforth Whitcomb† SGTMAJ Avery Johnson UNSC AI Cortana Unyielding Hierophant Over 500 vessels (various classes) Unggoy Kig-Yar Mgalekgolo Sangheili Jiralhanae Casualties VADM Danforth Whitcomb LT Elias Haverson One SPARTAN-II Grace-093 Ascendant Justice All but approximately 12 vessels Unyielding Hierophant

"We're going to take this fight to the Covenant. We're going to launch a first strike."

— John-117

Operation: FIRST STRIKE was a raid by survivors of the Battle of Installation 04 and the Fall of Reach on the Covenant space station Unyielding Hierophant on September 13, 2552. It was the largest UNSC victory since the Battle of Sigma Octanus IV, and the most decisive since Admiral Preston Cole's last stand at the Battle of Psi Serpentis.

Background

Having discovered the location of Earth, Covenant forces under the command of the Prophet of Truth were building a massive invasion fleet, consisting of about five hundred ships to invade humanity's homeworld. Truth kept his knowledge of Earth's location hidden from his fellow Hierarchs, Regret and Mercy. The assembly of the fleet, which was led entirely by the Jiralhanae, also remained secret; Truth planned to have the Jiralhanae usurp the Sangheili as the Prophets' protectors, simultaneously eliminating his fellow Hierarchs.

After discovering Truth's plan, and the location of Unyielding Hierophant in the Tau Ceti system, from a piggybacked transmission, the AI Cortana and SPARTAN John-117 formulated a counter plan that would result in either a massive victory or the deaths of the remaining active SPARTAN-IIs.