Editing Invasion of Draco III

{{Status|Canon}}
{{Battle infobox
|prev=
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|name=Invasion of Draco III
|image=
|conflict=[[Human-Covenant War]]
|date=[[2545|January 2545]]<ref name="TiH">[https://twitter.com/bsangel/status/686229527857504259 '''Jessica Shea's Twitter''': ''Today in Halo 1/10/2045'']</ref><ref name="EVG">'''[[Halo: The Essential Visual Guide]]''', ''page 26''</ref>
|place=[[Draco III]]
|result=;Tactical UNSC victory
*Most Draconians slaughtered<ref name="nb16">'''[[Halo: New Blood]]''', ''pages 16-18'' (Google Play edition)</ref>
*Covenant forces wiped out
|battles=
|side1=[[United Nations Space Command]]
|side2=[[Covenant]]
|commanders1=
|commanders2=
|forces1=*UNSC defense forces{{Ref/Reuse|nb16}}
*[[SPARTAN-II program|Spartan-IIs]]
|forces2=*[[Kig-Yar]]
*[[Unggoy]]
|casual1=Heavy, most civilians{{Ref/Reuse|nb16}}
|casual2=All ground forces
}}
{{Quote|The UNSC sent Spartans to Draco III to fight the Covenant, but they arrived too late to do any of the people there any good. They couldn't save anyone—only avenge them.|Spartan [[Edward Buck]]<ref>'''Halo: New Blood''', ''page 18'' (Google Play edition)</ref>}}

The '''Invasion of Draco III'''<ref name="enc300">'''[[Halo Encyclopedia (2009 edition)]]''', ''page 300'' (2011)</ref> was an engagement of the [[Human-Covenant War]] between [[Covenant]] and [[United Nations Space Command]] forces fought on the [[human]] [[Human colonies|colony]] world [[Draco III]] in [[2545]].{{Ref/Reuse|EVG}}

==The battle==
{{Quote|No survivors… just like Draco Three. We're too late.|[[Linda-058]] during the [[Battle of Sigma Octanus IV|Battle]] of [[Sigma Octanus IV]], recalling the Draco III invasion<ref name="TFoR">'''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]''', ''pages 184-185'' (2001); ''page 212'' (2010)</ref>}}
After arriving in the Draco system on [[2545|January 10, 2545]],{{Ref/Reuse|TiH}} the Covenant quickly defeated the [[United Nations Space Command|UNSC]] forces defending the planet.{{Ref/Reuse|nb16}} The Covenant then gathered much of the planet's civilian population and allowed them to be massacred by starving [[Unggoy]] and [[Kig-Yar]].{{Ref/Reuse|EVG}} The planet was only partially [[Glassing|glassed]], as the Covenant chose to use the world as a hunting ground.<ref name="nb19">'''Halo: New Blood''', ''pages 19-20'' (Google Play edition)</ref> Certain houses and streets were bombed, and piles of corpses were burned.<ref>'''Halo: New Blood''', ''page 97'' (Google Play edition)</ref> Several [[SPARTAN-II program|Spartan-IIs]], including [[John-117]] and [[Linda-058]], witnessed this slaughter via satellite uplink and were then deployed to rescue any survivors, though none remained. The enraged Spartans then defeated the invaders in a retaliatory action, resulting in a tactical victory for the UNSC. The civilian massacre psychologically scarred John-117.{{Ref/Reuse|TFoR}}

After the battle, Draco III continued to remain under UNSC control, though the planet was left uninhabited for the remainder of the [[Human-Covenant War]].{{Ref/Reuse|enc300}}

==Aftermath==
[[UNSC Marine Corps|UNSC Marine]] [[Edward Buck]] regretted being unable to participate in the battle for his homeworld,<ref name="waypoint">[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/universe/characters/buck '''Halo Waypoint''': ''Buck'']</ref> and was inspired to join the [[Orbital Drop Shock Troopers]] to avenge the deaths of his family.{{Ref/Reuse|nb16}} After the Covenant War ended in late [[2552]], a few groups of human [[asylum seeker]]s and Draconians that had survived the battle resettled on Draco III. While the resettlement of the planet was authorized by the [[Unified Earth Government]], the government was indifferent to who settled where on the world. Draco III proved to hold strategic importance in the UEG's resettlement effort of its abandoned [[Human colonies|colonies]].{{Ref/Reuse|nb19}}

==List of appearances==
*''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]'' {{Fm}}
*''[[Halo: New Blood]]'' {{Mo}}

==Sources==
{{Ref/Sources}}

{{Human-Covenant War}}

[[Category:Battles of the Human-Covenant War|Draco III]]
[[Category:UNSC victories|Draco III]]