Operation: FIRST STRIKE

Summary
DATE: September 13, 2552

LOCATION: Deep Space

Involved: UNSC, Covenant forces.

Synopsis: This operation is among the UNSC's most incredible raids, conducted by only a handful of Marines and Spartans. The mission recalled that the Spartans made the nuclear reactors on the Covenant combat station, to blow up. And even with the odds been on the Covenant side the infiltration forces do sucess. Only months later the Covenant sweep aside all of the UNSC defenses and attack the most prized of all planets... Earth.

Outcome: Massive Covenant armada is destroyed by the team

UNSC
Commander: Vice Admiral Stanforth Whitcomb

1 Hybrid vessel (The Gettysburg-Ascendant Justice)

5 Spartan soldiers

The Covenant
Commander: Unknown

1 Refit battle station (The Unyielding Hierophant)

500 Vessels (Various Classes)

Timeline

 * O510 Hours: SPARTAN-117 officially presents the plan to the crew of the Gettysburg-Ascendant Justice. After much hesitation, Admiral Whitcomb approves.
 * 0530 Hours: The hybrid vessel passes through the Covenant armada in slipspace. They are undetected, however a single Apparition dropship launches from a hangar in the vessel. The Apparition contains SPARTAN-117, SPARTAN-104, SPARTAN-058, SPARTAN-093, and SPARTAN-043. The dropship is undetected by the covenant forces. The G-AJ hides behind a nearby moon.
 * 0610 Hours: The Dropship docks aboard the Unyielding Hierophant.
 * 0751 Hours: The Spartan team enters a temple inside the station. They are ambushed by a group of Brutes.
 * 0755 Hours: SPARTAN-093 is killed by Plasma Grenades thrown by the Brutes.
 * 0800 Hours: The Spartan team plants a Nova bomb on the fusion reactors of the battle station.
 * 1810 Hours: The Gettysburg and Ascendant Justice unlink. The Justice heads into the covenant fleet, hoping to draw more Covenant vessels close to the station as it is detonating. Aboard are Admiral Whitcomb and Lieutenant Haverson.
 * 1820 Hours: The Spartan team uses Banshee fliers to escape the station.
 * 1825 Hours: The Unyielding Hierophant explodes, destroying 488 of the 500 vessels in the area.
 * 1830 Hours: The Gettysburg heads to earth, carring The only four spartans confirmed alive, along with Sergeant Johnson.