Battle of Psi Serpentis

Background
The Battle of Psi Serpentis was a battle fought toward the latter half of the Human-Covenant War in 2543 and had become colloquially known as Admiral Cole's Last Stand due to the presumed death of Admiral Cole. Cole spent a great deal of time preparing for the battle, he ordered massive amount of Titanium-A plating for his flagship Everest, and acquired the Io which had previously been damaged, and did extensive theoretical studies of star density and slipspace travel. While the massive preparations were of unknown purpose at the time, the events of the battle rival the accomplishments made by most other heroes of the war.

UNSC Arrival
Battlegroup India jumps into the Psi Serpentis system as a single unit, the resulting wave of radiation rippled through the system and encompassed the three nearest planets. This was a clear warning sign to the waiting Covenant fleet, which swiftly moved to engage Cole's forces. The UNSC battlegroup then preformed a, previously unheard of, in-system jump to the gas giant Viperidae. A dozen ships limp behind the main task force and are picked off by the Covenant. However, The majority of the fleet brings their guns to bear on the Covenant fleet. Cole's forces inflict heavy damage on the the hundred or so Covenant vessels, only to be outnumbered by the arrival of a massive Covenant fleet.

The Insurectionist Intervention
As the Covenant fleet bears down on Battlegroup India, Cole divides the fleet into two groups, they arc around Viperidae to cut into the waiting Covenant force. As the ships come around, a group of Insurrectionist vessels emerge from slipspace. Led by the heavily modified Bellicose they open fire on the Covenant, losing a quarter of their number. Once they attack they smash through the Covenant formation and proceed out of the system. Cole himself moves the Everest deeper into Viperidae's gravity well while the UNSC fleet proceeds to leave the system. He issues a broadcast to the oncoming Covenant ships, boasting his achievements while scoffing at their claim to righteousness. Sensing the challenge the Covenant move to attack the Everest, but their plasma is deflected by the magnetosphere of the planet.

Admiral Cole's Last Stand
Cole moves the Everest past the point of no return, and launches a barrage of missiles at the lead cruiser in the Covenant formation. Nuclear fire destroys the ship but there is little damage done to the rest of the fleet. Unknown to them, Cole launches one hundred Shiva warheads into Viperidae's unstable core. The resulting fission event causes the planet to briefly nova into a brown dwarf. The resulting shock wave obliterates all of the Covenant Ships, reduces Viperidae to a smoldering rock, and presumably destroys the Everest.

Aftermath
In addition to the alleged death of Cole over 300 Covenant vessels were completely destroyed when UNSC nuclear missiles detonated inside the atmosphere of Viperidae. However, the light show that Cole gives the Covenant, prior to the micro-nova of Viperidae is suspect. A group of archer missiles prematurely detonate in front of the Everest, and seem to mimic a slipspace rupture. Cole had also done extensive research into slipstream travel which, when reviewed, appeared to be the calculations for an in atmosphere jump. The next shot of the cruiser, captured by the retreating battlegroup, reveals the silhouette of another vessel, presumably the Io. After another flash of light only one ship remains, and is consumed by the nova event. This leaves Cole's death suspect to speculation. Either way, Cole's achievements in this battle alone are only rivaled by the destruction of the Unyielding Heirophant and the actions of Spartan-117 throughout the course of the war.