Editing Skirmish on Minor Transgression

{{Title|Skirmish on ''Minor Transgression''}}
{{Status|Canon}}
{{Battle infobox
|prev =[[Jericho VII|Jericho VII rebellion]]
|conc =
|next = [[First Battle of Harvest]]
|name = Skirmish on ''Minor Transgression''
|conflict = Isolated battle
*Led to the [[Human-Covenant War]]
|date = [[2525#January|January 17th]], [[2525]]
|place = [[Epsilon Indi system]], near [[Harvest]]
|result = UNSC victory
|side1 = *{{Icon|UNSC HCW}} [[United Nations Space Command]]
|side2 = *{{Icon|Covenant FB}} [[Covenant]]
|commanders1 = *[[Jilan al-Cygni]]
|commanders2 = *[[Chur'R-Yar]]†
|forces1 = *Two [[UNSC Marine Corps|Marines]]
**[[Nolan Byrne]]
**[[Avery Junior Johnson]]
|forces2 = *Four [[Kig-Yar]]
**[[Zhar (Kig-yar)|Zhar]]
**[[Chur'R-Yar]]
*''[[Minor Transgression]]''
|casual1 = *Byrne and Johnson lightly wounded
|casual2 = *''Minor Transgression'' and its entire crew save for [[Lighter Than Some]] and [[Dadab]]
}}

The '''Skirmish on ''Minor Transgression''''' was the disastrous first contact between the [[Covenant]] and [[human]]ity. It took place on a human [[freighter]], ''[[Bulk Discount]]'' and the Covenant vessel ''[[Minor Transgression]]'' in the [[Epsilon Indi system]] near [[Harvest]] on [[2525#January|January 17th, 2525]].

==Background==
Over a short amount of time, the Covenant had boarded several unmanned human [[freighter]]s in the Epsilon Indi system. At the same time, [[insurrectionist]]s bombed ''[[National Holiday]]'' over [[Reach]], resulting in over a thousand deaths, and the [[United Nations Space Command]] decided they would not allow the insurrectionists any more victories. After the disappearance of the [[Henry Gibson|manned]] freighter ''[[This End Up]]'', the [[Office of Naval Intelligence]] authorized an investigation into the matters, expecting that [[insurrection]]ists were the boarders.<ref>'''[[Halo: Contact Harvest]]''', ''page 127''</ref>

==The skirmish==
[[Jilan al-Cygni]], an ONI agent, set up a trap for the boarders: lure them to an unmanned freighter over Harvest and ambush them. Two UNSC Marines, [[Staff Sergeant]]s [[Avery Junior Johnson]] and [[Nolan Byrne]], both of whom stationed at Harvest to train Colonial Militiamen, were to ambush the expected Insurrectionists. Al-Cygni had an arsenal of weapons onboard her ship, the {{UNSCShip|Walk of Shame}}, including some prototypical [[XBR55 Battle Rifle]]s. ''Walk of Shame'' itself was armed with one [[Archer Missile]].<ref>'''Halo: Contact Harvest''', ''page 131''</ref>

Johnson and Byrne, armed with XBR55s and outfitted with [[vacuum suit]]s, moved into position but quickly saw that the boarders were not insurrectionists: they were four [[Kig-Yar]]. Johnson asked for further orders, and Al-Cygni ordered that they continue to engage them, but they should try to capture one, and under no circumstances should any be allowed to escape.<ref>'''Halo: Contact Harvest''', ''page 128''</ref> The two Marines engaged the aliens: Byrne wounded one, but was wounded by another Kig-Yar armed with an [[energy cutlass]]. Johnson shot [[Zhar (Kig-Yar)|another]] and killed it with its own blade. Johnson tended to Byrne's wounds and finished off the wounded Kig-yar. [[Shipmaster|Shipmistress]] [[Chur'R-Yar]], retreated onto the ''Minor Transgression''; Johnson followed her and then killed her. He then left ''Minor Transgression'', which was destroyed by Chur'R-Yar in an attempt to cause to ship to self-destruct. Only two crew members survived the blast: the [[Deacon]] [[Dadab]] and the [[Huragok]] [[Lighter Than Some]], who fled the ship in an [[Covenant escape pod|escape pod]].<ref>'''Halo: Contact Harvest''', ''page 135''</ref>

===Aftermath===
After the battle, the UNSC tried to make peace with the Covenant through pictograms. However, this failed when the Covenant leadership learned that the humans were somehow connected to the [[Forerunner]]s. Thus, the new triumvirate of [[Hierarchs]] soon decreed that humanity must be exterminated in order to preserve the foundation of the Covenant.<ref>'''Halo: Contact Harvest''', ''page 233''</ref>

==List of appearances==
*''[[Halo: Contact Harvest]]'' {{1st}}

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

{{Human-Covenant War}}
[[Category:UNSC victories|Minor Transgression]]
[[Category:Battles of the Human-Covenant War|Minor Transgression]]