Operation: PROMETHEUS

Summary
DATE: July 27, 2537 - August 2, 2537

LOCATION: Unknown system, above the asteroid K7-49.

Involved: UNSC, Spartan-III's, and Covenant forces.

The battle was a suicide mission ordered by the ONI Brass. However, it was not in vain, because it was necessary for the survival of the UNSC. It took place on K7-49, a volcanic asteroid which also served as a Covenant shipyard that was only a 2 week Slipspace journey from UNSC space. The mission was to destroy its plasma reactors, thus causing the metal to cool and harden, halting Covenant ship construction. The success of the mission would save countless lives.

The outcome was Alpha Company succeeding, but at a great cost. All 300 of the Spartan-III's died in the battle.

Military Forces
UNSC

300 Spartans-III from Alpha Company

Covenant

Force strength unknown. Number above 1000 ground troops and 10 Covenant cruisers.

July 27, 2537:

 * 300 Spartan-IIIs of Alpha Company landed on K7-49 at 0700.

July 28, 2537:

 * The Spartan-III's manage to disable 7 of the reactors on the surface.


 * The Covenant responds with the first heavy wave of troops. The first wave contains legions of Jackals.

July 31, 2537:

 * The Spartan-III's have disabled 20 of the 30 reactors.


 * The Covenant responds with a second heavy wave of troops. This time, groups of Elites and Banshees.

August 2, 2537:

 * 27 of the 30 reactors are disabled. The Spartan-IIIs have fulfilled their mission.


 * A third heavy wave of Covenant troops arrive, containing Elites and Hunters.


 * The Spartan-III's are cut off from their Calypso-class Exfiltration Craft. The remaining Spartans are eventually overrun and killed.

Losses
All Spartan-III's from Alpha Company are killed. An unknown number of Covenant troops and vessels are destroyed.

Historical Significance
This is most likely an allusion to the Battle of Thermopylae. There were 300 Spartans at both battles, both were a suicide mission, both were fought in order to slow the enemy down enough for their sides to prepare and survive longer, and in both all the Spartans died.

Trivia

 * According to Ghosts of Onyx, Hunters were first seen by humans during this operation, although all of the participating Spartan-IIIs were killed. However, Hunters are prominently featured in Halo Wars, which takes place in 2531, six years prior.
 * Prometheus was the son of Iapetus who was one of the Titans. He is a rebel god.

Links

 * Spartan-Shane
 * Spartan-Robert
 * Spartan-Jane