Massacre at Eridanus Secundus
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The Massacre at Eridanus Secundus was a minor event in the Human-Covenant War that ultimately resulted in the destruction of the Eridanus rebels. It is most notable for the involvement of the Gettysburg-Ascendant Justice and Dr. Halsey's kidnapping of Kelly-087.[2]
Background[edit]
Spartans and Colonel Watts[edit]
- Main article: Assault on Eridanus Secundus
In 2525, the Spartan-II unit's first assignment was to infiltrate the Eridanus rebels' base, Eridanus Secundus, and capture their leader, Colonel Robert Watts.[3] The extraction component of the mission did not go smoothly and the Spartans were forced to destroy the base's hangar, killing large numbers of both rebel combatants and non-combatants.[4] Of the 5 members of the team that were involved in that mission, 4 participated in this battle including John-117.[1]
Raid of Reach and Earth[edit]
- Main articles: Raid of Reach, Earth
During the Raid of Reach, Cortana intercepted transmissions between Covenant forces that indicated that the Covenant were planning on attacking Earth. They intended to rendezvous at the Unyielding Hierophant before finally attacking the human homeworld.[5]
However, the Raid of Reach[6] and the subsequent battle in the slipspace anomaly[7][8][9] took them well beyond UNSC controlled space and severely damaged the Gettysburg-Ascendant Justice.[9] Looking for a place to acquire repairs, John-117 recalled his earlier mission to the rebel base and suggested it.[10]
The crystal[edit]
The Forerunner crystal that was found on Reach[11] and caused the slipspace anomaly[6] posed a problem. While most slipspace movement could go undetected, the crystal sent out large doses of radiation that could be detected by the Covenant, effectively allowing them to track its movements.[10] As such, the arrival of the Gettysburg-Ascendant Justice in the outer reaches of the Eridanus system spelled the doom of the Eridanus rebel base.
The battle[edit]
Scouting patrol[edit]
After negotiating a meeting, which involved Vice Admiral Danforth Whitcomb blowing up another asteroid that was similar to the rebel base to force Governor Jacob Jiles to allow him and his staff entry to the base, Whitcomb warned Jiles that the crystal meant that the Covenant would soon be arriving. Governor Jiles had just asked for proof of this claim when a Covenant cruiser emerged from slipspace.[1] After quickly assessing that both sides didn't have nearly the armed capabilities that they initially thought, Vice Admiral Whitcomb tried the only solution available to him - the firing of a plasma turret. However, the plasma cannon's magnetic coil failed, making the plasma blast shoot straight into the Gettysburg's hull rather than at the Covenant warship.[12]