Battle of the Unyielding Heirophant

Summary
Date: September 13, 2552

Duration: 0510 hours (5:10 A.M.)-1825 hours (6:25 P.M.)

Synopsis: This was perhaps the UNSC's most succesful raid, having ambushed the Covenant by going in on a captured Spirit. It only involved 5 Spartans, Lieutenant Haverson, and Vice Admiral Whitcomb leading the charge. The Master Chief set off Unyielding Hierophant's fusion reactors while he and Blue Team escapes via Banshee.

Outcome: UNSC victory, Unyielding Hierophant destroyed.

Timeline

 * O510: SPARTAN-117 officially presents the plan to the crew of the Gettysburg-Ascendant Justice. After much hesitation, Admiral Whitcomb approves.
 * 0530: The hybrid vessel passes through the Covenant armada in slipspace. They are undetected, however a single Spirit launches from a hangar in the vessel. The dropship contains SPARTAN-117, SPARTAN-104, SPARTAN-058, SPARTAN-093, and SPARTAN-043. The dropship is undetected by the Covenant forces. The hybrid ship hides behind a nearby moon.
 * 0610: The dropship docks aboard the Unyielding Hierophant The Spartans make their way through access pipes and conduits.
 * 1551: The Spartan team enters a temple inside the station. They are ambushed by a group of Brutes. First encounter of Brutes in combat situation.   * 1555: SPARTAN-093 is killed by Brute Shot fired by the Brutes.
 * 1600: The Spartan team fights into the reactor room, where Cortana's copy initiates an overload of all 512 fusion reactors.
 * 1610: 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.
 * 1620: The Spartan team uses Banshee fliers to escape the station.
 * 1625: The Unyielding Hierophant explodes, destroying 488 of the 500 vessels in the area and heavily damaging the remainder.
 * 1630: The Gettysburg heads to earth, carring The only four spartans confirmed alive, along with Sergeant Johnson and the surviving Covenant Engineers. The Gettysburg was outfitted with a Covenant ship's (Ascendant Justice) slipspace equipment, making it the fastest ship in the UNSC.