Operation: SILENT STORM

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Concurrent:	Operation: ICE DANCE, Battle of Biko
Next:	Battle of Circinius IV
Operation: SILENT STORM
Conflict:	Human-Covenant War (Massacre of the Outer Colonies), Insurrection
Date:	March 8 - April 15, 2526
Location:	Seoba, Biko, Kolaqoa system Etalan, Igdras system Zhoist, Buta system
Outcome:	UNSC Victory Hector Nyeto exposed as a traitor Biko glassed Destruction of the Ring of Mighty Abundance Destruction of two of the Ten Cities of Edification Decimation of the Fleet of Inexorable Obedience
Details Belligerents United Nations Space Command Covenant Insurrectionists United Rebel Front Gao Liberation Force Biko Independence Army People's Occupation Venezian Militia Commanders VADM Preston Cole VADM Michael Stanforth CAPT Halima Ascot† LCDR Hector Nyeto (Traitor) COL Marmon Crowther† MCPO John-117 Minor Minister of Artifact Survey† Fleetmaster Nizat 'Kvarosee First Blade Tel 'Szatulai† General Harper Garvin Petora Zoyas Strength UNSC Navy Battle Group X-Ray Task Force Yama SPARTAN-IIs Blue Team Green Team Gold Team UNSC Marine Corps Orbital Drop Shock Troopers 21st Space Assault Battalion Fleet of Inexorable Obedience Casualties Several Prowlers Heavy ODST losses Several Covenant starships Three Intrusion corvettes Hammer of Faith Two of the Ten Cities of Edification Ring of Mighty Abundance Most of the Fleet of Inexorable Obedience Tel 'Szatulai Minor Minister of Artifact Survey

Operation: SILENT STORM was a UNSC Operation against the Covenant early in the Human-Covenant War aimed at buying humanity time to develop effective countermeasures against Covenant technology. It was comprised of a series of engagements featuring mainly the SPARTAN-IIs and 21st Space Assault Battalion.

Background

Attack on Harvest

Main articles: First Battle of Harvest, Battle of Harvest

In 2525, the Covenant declared war on humanity for supposed heresy and defilement of Forerunner relics. The first engagements took place on the colony world Harvest, with Sergeant Avery Johnson leading Colonial Militia forces against the Jiralhanae of Maccabeus' clan. During the engagement, Sergeant Johnson led a boarding action of the Kig-Yar vessel Minor Transgression. The resulting skirmish led to the Marines boarding and almost capturing the vessel prior to its self-destruct.

Following this first attack on Harvest, Vice Admiral Preston Cole led a massive attack aimed at recapturing the world from the aliens. Using the largest-ever assembled fleet in human history, the Admiral won victorious over the aliens, but at extremely heavy losses. This battle was soon followed by more Covenant attacks at other colony worlds including Chi Ceti IV and Alpha Corvi II, and the start of the five-year Harvest campaign.

UNSC Planning

With the initial reconquest of Harvest successful at a high price, it became clear to UNSC command that the war was unlikely to be won through sheer naval superiority due to the aliens' vastly superior technology. Realising the UNSC needed time to fully mobilise for war and to develop technology sufficient of fighting the new threat, Vice Admiral Cole convened a meeting to devise Operation: SILENT STORM. Inspired by Sergeant Johnson's successful boarding of Minor Transgression and the successful boardings of Unrelenting and Radiant Arrow by SPARTAN-IIs the year prior, Cole intended to use the SPARTANs supplemented by an ODST space assault battalion to infiltrate and plant nuclear weapons on Covenant vessels and staging points behind enemy lines - disrupting the enemy supply lines and invasion while the UNSC could prepare.

The plan called for three teams of SPARTAN-IIs - Blue, Gold and Green - to lead the 400-strong 21st Space Assault Battalion in boarding as many Covenant vessels as possible. The operation would be enabled by a task force of Prowlers - Task Force Yama. Using the stealth craft, the operation was given free reign to approach its goals however it saw fit, operating within enemy territory without support or communications. To assist the SPARTANs in working alongside UNSC personnel and to provide advice and assistance, Sergeant Johnson was additionally brought onto the operation in an advisory role.

Following the predicted enemy attack patterns, the UNSC estimated that the next colony world in the Covenant conquest would be Biko. Task Force Yama would covertly infiltrate Bikon airspace and land in a deserted ice quarry on the moon of Seoba and wait until the Covenant had engaged regular defensive forces in orbit before infiltrating unnoticed amidst the chaos. Depending on the outcome, the distracted Covenant fleet would then be beset upon by Cole's Battle Group X-Ray or destroyed by the SPARTAN infiltration.

Insurrectionist plot

With the Covenant invasion of the outer colonies strong, the Insurrectionists hoped to spare their worlds by aligning with the aliens to fight against the UNSC - unaware of the aliens' genocidal intent. Lyrenne Castilla called for a conference aboard her frigate Bellicose, consisting of the leaders of a number of rebel cells. The groups invited to the conference included the