Battle of Sword Base

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Battle of Sword Base
Conflict:	Human-Covenant War Fall of Reach
Date:	July 26, 2552
Location:	SWORD Base, Babd Catha Ice Shelf, Eposz
Outcome:	Decisive UNSC victory SWORD Base successfully retaken All Covenant forces destroyed
Details Belligerents United Nations Space Command Covenant Commanders COL Urban Holland CDR Carter-A259 Supreme Commander Rho 'Barutamee Strength UNSC Army 3 Echo Special Warfare Group Three Noble Team UNSC Air Force UH-144 Falcons Kilo 33 Kilo 34 D77 Pelicans GA-TL1 Longswords (2) M831 Troop Transport Warthogs M12 Chaingun Warthogs M12G1 Gauss Warthog (1) Orbital defense platform (1) Covenant military Zurdo-pattern Wraith (2) Rizvum-pattern Revenants Karo'etba-pattern Ghosts Unggoy Kig-Yar Skirmishers Sangheili Mgalekgolo Fleet of Valiant Prudence Ceudar-pattern heavy corvette (1) Ru'swum-pattern Phantoms Dextro Xur-pattern Spirits Is'belox-pattern Banshees Casualties 3 Echo Unknown number of Army troopers Unknown number of vehicle losses Total

The Battle of Sword Base was an engagement between the forces of the United Nations Space Command and the Covenant at the Office of Naval Intelligence research facility known as SWORD Base occurring on July 26, 2552.

Background

On or prior to the night of July 23, 2552, the Covenant Fleet of Valiant Prudence arrived at the human Inner Colony of Reach undetected by its defending forces. A small strike, including artifact-hunting Sangheili Zealots from the Devoted Sentries, was dispatched to the Visegrád Relay in Visegrád to cut off communications between Reach and other UEG colonies. The Office of Naval Intelligence assumed that the communications blackout was caused by local Insurrectionists; in response, Colonel Urban Holland dispatched several Army fireteams to the relay. After losing contact with the troopers, SPARTAN Noble Team was sent to investigate. The team discovered the Covenant presence on Reach and reported back to CENTCOM, killing two of the Zealots in the process. WINTER CONTINGENCY was declared on Reach while Lieutenant Commander Catherine-B320 retrieved a data module from the corpse of Doctor Laszlo Sorvad.

Battle

On July 26, 2552, Sword Base came under siege by Covenant forces from the Fleet of Valiant Prudence led by a Ceudar-pattern heavy corvette. Due to the sensitive nature of the facility, orbital MAC rounds are prohibited from being used to destroy the corvette. With current defensive forces insufficient to repel the attack, ONI requests the help of NOBLE Team.

Clearing the main gate

With their landing zone hot, Lieutenant Commander Catherine-B320 and Lieutenant Noble Six are dropped into the Sword Base courtyard, immediately under fire from Covenant troops. Aided by UNSC Army troopers, the two Spartans clear the courtyard and are ordered by Sword Control to clear the main gate with a promise to be briefed as they go. The Spartans find a Target Locator and are promised that they will be provided with what limited artillery support is available.

As the soldiers emerge from the main gate, the corvette opens fire on Sword Base and a M831 Troop Transport carrying 3 Echo comes under attack from two Zurdo-pattern Wraiths which destroys the squad. Using the Target Locator, B312 destroys the Wraiths and the troops wipe out any remaining Covenant forces in the immediate area. A Pelican then drops off a Warthog for the use of Six and Kat.

Farragut Station

In order to get back online with Command, Kat, Six and an Army trooper head east to the old Farragut Station which has its own comms array. At the station, the two Spartans discover it protected by multiple Covenant forces, including a Revenant. Together, the three manage to eliminate the Covenant forces in the area and activate the station's generator. Once the generator is online, a