8,072
edits
Battle of Psi Serpentis: Difference between revisions
no edit summary
No edit summary |
|||
| Line 16: | Line 16: | ||
|side1 = *[[United Nations Space Command]] | |side1 = *[[United Nations Space Command]] | ||
*Independent [[Insurrectionist]]s | *Independent [[Insurrectionist]]s | ||
|side2 = [[Covenant | |side2 = The [[Covenant]] | ||
|commanders1 = | |commanders1 = | ||
*[[Vice Admiral|VADM]] [[Preston Jeremiah Cole|Preston Cole]]† (presumed KIA) | *[[Vice Admiral|VADM]] [[Preston Jeremiah Cole|Preston Cole]]† (presumed KIA) | ||
| Line 66: | Line 66: | ||
**Well over 300 vessels in total | **Well over 300 vessels in total | ||
}} | }} | ||
{{Quote|Listen to me, [[ | {{Quote|Listen to me, [[Covenant]]. I am Vice Admiral [[Preston Jeremiah Cole|Preston J. Cole]] commanding the human flagship, [[UNSC Everest|''Everest'']]. You claim to be the holy and glorious inheritors of the universe? I spit on your so-called holiness. You dare judge us unfit? After I have personally sent more than three hundred of your vainglorious ships to hell? After kicking your collective butts off Harvest - not once - but twice? From where I sit, we are the worthy inheritors. You think otherwise, you can come and try to prove me wrong.|One of Admiral Cole's last known transmissions directed to the Covenant fleet above Viperidae.<ref name="HE"/>}} | ||
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]] [[Preston Jeremiah Cole|Preston Cole]]. The actions of Admiral Cole and [[battle Group India|his fleet]] in the battle rival the accomplishments made by most other heroes of the war.<ref name="HE">'''[[Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe|Halo: Evolutions]]''', "[[The Impossible Life and the Possible Death of Preston J. Cole]]", ''pages 472-485''</ref> | 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]] [[Preston Jeremiah Cole|Preston Cole]]. The actions of Admiral Cole and [[battle Group India|his fleet]] in the battle rival the accomplishments made by most other heroes of the war.<ref name="HE">'''[[Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe|Halo: Evolutions]]''', "[[The Impossible Life and the Possible Death of Preston J. Cole]]", ''pages 472-485''</ref> | ||
==Prelude== | ==Prelude== | ||
Cole spent a great deal of time preparing for the battle. The Admiral ordered massive amounts of Titanium-A plating for his flagship, {{UNSCShip|Everest}}; acquired the {{UNSCShip|Io}} which had previously been damaged in the [[Battle of 18 Scorpii]]; and did extensive theoretical studies of star density and slipspace travel. The purpose of these activities were unknown to Cole's superiors and the UNSC at-large at the time.<ref name="HE"/> Cole also procured massive amounts of ordnance for the conflict, including 105 [[Shiva-class nuclear missile|Shiva-class Nuclear Missiles]], 2400 [[Archer missile|Archer Missiles]] and 45,000 blocks of [[AAA Helix gun|AAA Helix system]] ammunition.<ref name="HE"/> In addition to these actions, the [[UNSC prowler|prowler]] {{UNSCShip|Wink of an Eye}} prepared the battlefield in the [[Psi Serpentis system|Psi Serpentis System]] for a week by observing the [[ | Cole spent a great deal of time preparing for the battle. The Admiral ordered massive amounts of Titanium-A plating for his flagship, {{UNSCShip|Everest}}; acquired the {{UNSCShip|Io}} which had previously been damaged in the [[Battle of 18 Scorpii]]; and did extensive theoretical studies of star density and slipspace travel. The purpose of these activities were unknown to Cole's superiors and the UNSC at-large at the time.<ref name="HE"/> Cole also procured massive amounts of ordnance for the conflict, including 105 [[Shiva-class nuclear missile|Shiva-class Nuclear Missiles]], 2400 [[Archer missile|Archer Missiles]] and 45,000 blocks of [[AAA Helix gun|AAA Helix system]] ammunition.<ref name="HE"/> In addition to these actions, the [[UNSC prowler|prowler]] {{UNSCShip|Wink of an Eye}} prepared the battlefield in the [[Psi Serpentis system|Psi Serpentis System]] for a week by observing the [[Covenant]]'s activities in the system.<ref name="HE"/> Finally, Cole appears to have contacted his former lover and [[Insurrectionist]] [[Lyrenne Castilla]], who had recently reappeared at the Battle of 18 Scorpii, in an attempt to coordinate independent participation in the battle. | ||
==Battle== | ==Battle== | ||
| Line 83: | Line 83: | ||
==Aftermath== | ==Aftermath== | ||
In addition to the alleged death of Cole, over 300 [[ | In addition to the alleged death of Cole, over 300 [[Covenant]] vessels, two fleets, were completely destroyed when [[United Nations Space Command|UNSC]] [[Nuclear weapon|nuclear missiles]] detonated inside the atmosphere of Viperidae. However, the light show that Cole gave the Covenant, prior to the micro-nova of Viperidae is suspect. A group of Archer missiles prematurely detonated in front of ''Everest'', and seemed to mimic a slipspace rupture. Prior to the battle, Admiral Cole had 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, revealed the silhouette of another vessel, presumably the ''Io''. After another flash of light only one ship remained, and was consumed by the nova event. | ||
This has left Admiral Cole's death subject to much speculation, and [[Artificial Intelligence#Human A.I.s|AIs]] under [[Codename: SURGEON]]'s command calculated that there was an 89.7% chance that Cole had indeed escaped in an in-atmosphere slipspace jump.<ref name="HE"/> Either way, Cole's achievements in this battle alone were only rivaled by the [[Operation: FIRST STRIKE|destruction]] of the ''[[Unyielding Hierophant]]'' by UNSC AI [[Cortana]], where she initiated an overload of its 512 fusion reactors. July 28, 2543 was declared a day of mourning in the wake of Cole's apparent death. A painting depicting the battle, titled "''[[Admiral Cole's Last Stand]]''" was created, and by [[2552]] it hung on the wall of [[HIGHCOM Facility Bravo-6]] on [[Sydney]], Earth.<ref name="HE"/><ref>'''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]''', ''page 100''</ref> | This has left Admiral Cole's death subject to much speculation, and [[Artificial Intelligence#Human A.I.s|AIs]] under [[Codename: SURGEON]]'s command calculated that there was an 89.7% chance that Cole had indeed escaped in an in-atmosphere slipspace jump.<ref name="HE"/> Either way, Cole's achievements in this battle alone were only rivaled by the [[Operation: FIRST STRIKE|destruction]] of the ''[[Unyielding Hierophant]]'' by UNSC AI [[Cortana]], where she initiated an overload of its 512 fusion reactors. July 28, 2543 was declared a day of mourning in the wake of Cole's apparent death. A painting depicting the battle, titled "''[[Admiral Cole's Last Stand]]''" was created, and by [[2552]] it hung on the wall of [[HIGHCOM Facility Bravo-6]] on [[Sydney]], Earth.<ref name="HE"/><ref>'''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]''', ''page 100''</ref> | ||