Canon

Operation: BUMRUSH

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This article is about the UNSC operation during Battle for Earth. For the corvette of the same name that took part in Operation: TREBUCHET, see UNSC Bum Rush.

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Operation: WINDOW PANE

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Battle of Installation 05

Operation: BUMRUSH
H3ODST PrepareToDrop Loadscreen.png

Conflict:

Date:

October 20, 2552, 1602 hours[1]

Location:

Low Earth orbit, New Mombasa, Kenya

Outcome:

Tactical Covenant victory
  • UNSC operation foiled
  • Covenant flees the city unscathed
Details
Belligerents

United Nations Space Command

Covenant

Commanders
Strength
Casualties

Nearly all ODSTs

None

 

Lance Corporal Kojo "Romeo" Agu: "Just saying, Dutch -- they missed one."
Corporal Taylor "Dutch" Miles: "No. They left it for us."
— Members of Alpha-Nine discussing the impending mission.[3]

Operation: BUMRUSH was an operation as UNSC attempt to infiltrate and force down the Prophet of Regret's flagship, Solemn Penance, during the Battle of Mombasa as part of the nascent Battle for Earth on October 20, 2552.[1][3]

Background[edit]

Mombasa in Halo 2 Anniversary.
Regret's carrier holding position over the city.

During the opening stages of the Battle for Earth, the Penance blew past UNSC defenses in orbit and set course for the African mega-city of New Mombasa, settling over the Uplift Nature Reserve and deploying massive numbers of ground infantry and heavy equipment with the intent to drive the UNSC out of the area to begin its excavation effort for the supposed Forerunner Ark.[4][5][6] Realizing that they were at a tactical disadvantage, all Covenant forces eventually began retreating to Prophet of Regret's carrier.

As the battle on the ground intensified, FLEETCOM issued an unexpected order: several vessels of the Fifth Fleet were to launch a force of ODSTs onto the carrier to breach its hull and force the ship down by gaining access to the interior.[7]

The Drop[edit]

Promotional image for Halo 3: ODST featuring Jonathan Doherty's heads-up display inside an M8900 drop pod on campaign level Prepare To Drop.
View from Jonathan Doherty's pod during the drop.

At 1602 hours, Operation: BUMRUSH was greenlit and these vessels, among them the cruiser Say My Name, deployed their respective contingents of troopers into Earth's atmosphere above the city via M8900 SOEIV. At 1603 hours, one minute into the drop, the Penance suddenly initiated an in-atmosphere slipspace jump, creating a massive electromagnetic pulse that fried the safety and navigational systems of the troopers' drop pods, sending them all free-falling to near-certain death and effectively terminating the operation.[3]

Aftermath[edit]

Alpha-Nine, having diverted their trajectory at the last minute, is the only squad known to survive the drop, albeit scattering its troopers across the city. After regrouping, Alpha-Nine was able to escape the city in a stolen Phantom before it was glassed by a Covenant reinforced and excavation fleet. Regret, having entered slipspace to escape the city, arrived at Halo Installation 05 about two weeks later, precipitating the Battle of Installation 05 and his eventual death at the hands of Spartan-II John-117. The ultimate fate of the Penance is unknown.[8]

Gallery[edit]

List of appearances[edit]

Sources[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d Halo Legendary Crate, Data Drop #2
  2. ^ Halo: The Essential Visual Guide, p. 180
  3. ^ a b c Halo 3: ODST, campaign level, Prepare to Drop
  4. ^ Halo 2, campaign level, Outskirts
  5. ^ Halo 2, campaign level, Metropolis
  6. ^ Halo 3: ODST, campaign level, Uplift Reserve
  7. ^ Halo Waypoint: Into Hell 1
  8. ^ Halo 2, campaign level Regret