Harvest campaign: Difference between revisions

|next        = [[Battle for Arcadia]]

|name        = Harvest campaign

|conflict    = [[Human-Covenant War]]

|date        = [[2526]] to early [[2531]]

**Unidentified [[UNSC prowler|prowler]]

|forces2    =*[[Fleet of Glorious Interdiction]]

*Land forces

**Thousands of ground troops

*Unknown number of Marines

|casual2    =*Heavy casualties

}}

{{Quote|At first it was going well. Then setback after setback - loss after loss - made what was going to be a quick and decisive win into five years of hell.|[[Captain (Navy)|Captain]] [[James Cutter]]}}

The UEG colony world of Harvest was founded in [[2468]] by colonists aboard the {{UNSCShip|Skidbladnir}}, and was one of the farthest colonies from [[Earth]]. By [[2525]], Harvest had become the major agricultural center of the UEG. However, during the same year, there were reports of an [[Minor Transgression|unidentified vessel]] near the planet, and all contact with Harvest ceased soon afterwards. Only several thousand [[civilian]]s of the planet's population of 300,000 were evacuated; they told their rescuers of a nearly unstoppable alien ship.<ref>'''[[Halo: Contact Harvest]]'''</ref>

===UNSC counterattack===

===The Covenant strike back===

Following the Covenant's victories in space, their vessels began to glass even more of Harvest, killing helpless UNSC forces on the surface. More Covenant ships began to arrive at Harvest and deployed additional troops on the ground, eradicating almost all human presence on the planet. UNSC forces were battered and forced to retreat across the planet, leaving the Covenant free to scour the planet for the [[Forerunner]] [[Relic (location)|artifact]] they sought.{{Ref/Reuse|wayP}}{{Ref/Reuse|HW}} At some point during the Harvest campaign, UNSC forces including [[Edward Buck]] carried out [[Operation: ASTUTE TIGER]], planting numerous area-denial munitions (ADMs) in Covenant landing zones, prior to UNSC evacuation.{{Ref/Game|Id=H5GLtd|Halo 5: Guardians Limited Edition|[[Halo 5: Guardians Limited Edition dossiers#Edward Buck|Dossier files]] - Edward Buck}}

Upon their arrival, [[Serina]], ''Spirit of Fire''{{'}}s onboard [[artificial intelligence]], analyzed the ''Prophecy'' and reported that the ship's nuclear reactor was damaged and was releasing a harmful level of radiation throughout the ship. The ''Spirit of Fire'' attempted to draw the Covenant away from the ''Prophecy'' by using its MAC and [[HAVOK tactical nuclear weapon|HAVOK nuclear warheads]] upon enemy craft. A Covenant capital ship and several dropships were destroyed, though the rest gathered behind the ''Prophecy'' to avoid being fired upon.{{Ref/Reuse|Gen}}

[[Fire Team Lima]], commanded by [[Sergeant]] [[John Forge]], was transported to the ship, but their [[D77-TC Pelican|Pelican]] was fired upon and made a crash landing on the ''Prophecy''. The landing resulted in the death of [[Chris (Marine)|one of the Marines]] and forced the survivors to use torches to cut their way into the ship. The team split up, with Forge heading for the navigation room and the rest of the fireteam searching for survivors. Serina noted to Forge that the ship's AI, [[FitzGibbon]], may act "peculiar" due to elevated radiation levels. Forge was initially denied access to the navigation room by FitzGibbon due to multiple counts of misconduct in the former's service record. After Forge reminded the AI of the Covenant boarders and stated that his actions were in compliance with the nascent [[Cole Protocol]], FitzGibbon allowed the sergeant entrance into the navigation room to purge the data. FitzGibbon then activated a three-minute self destruct timer and informed Forge that his team was in Bay 2. Upon his arrival at Bay 2, the team quickly evacuated with some of the ''Prophecy'''s crew. After arriving back on the ''Spirit of Fire'', the survivors were taken to the medical bay, where Serina informed Forge that the radiation poisoning that the crew sustained was too severe and that they would certainly die.{{Ref/Reuse|Gen}}

===Ground battle===

During the coming ground battle, [[Alpha Base (Harvest)|Alpha Base]] served as a staging point for Forge's reconnaissance patrol near the Forerunner structure in the northern polar region. In the combat's early stages, Anders redirected a squadron of [[AV-14 Hornet]]s on their way to [[Rally Point Baker]] near Alpha Base to investigate activity readings on [[Quadrant 4]], where they discovered a significant concentration of Covenant forces. Sergeant Forge was sent to investigate further, but the Covenant had already moved on. During this time, Alpha Base was destroyed and was occupied by the Covenant while the UNSC forces in the area were scattered.{{Ref/Reuse|IS}}

==Aftermath==

The information the Covenant gained from the Forerunner structure led them to the UEG colony on [[Arcadia]]. Anders was drawn to the same planet after examining the artifact. The Covenant [[Battle for Arcadia|attacked]] Arcadia on February 9, 2531, closely followed by ''Spirit of Fire''.<ref>'''Halo Wars''', campaign level ''[[Arcadia City]]''</ref>

Overall, the campaign was one of the UNSC's earliest and greatest victories. Despite sustaining heavy casualties, the UNSC had managed to retake Harvest, which, although devastated, held important strategic value. The victory boosted morale immensely across the colonies, proving that the Covenant were not invincible and could be beaten. However, as the Covenant began to destroy the Outer Colonies and move in on the [[Inner Colonies]], Harvest lost its strategic value, and the UNSC began pulling back to protect more important worlds such as [[Earth]] and [[Reach]].{{Ref/Reuse|HW}}

==Participants==

{{Human-Covenant War}}

[[Category:Battles of the Human-Covenant War]]