Beta Taurius II Campaign/AAO

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The Beta Taurius II Campaign was a large-scale engagement during the Human-Covenant War that lasted well over a year. Beta Taurius II became one of the last of the to be glassed by the Covenant, and its destruction was key for allowing the Covenant into the Inner Colonies and ever closer to  fortress worlds such as  and.

The Beta Taurius II Campaign was a harsh and unforgiving bloodbath, with enormous casualties inflicted on all sides. It eventually devolved into a conflict of attrition, becoming a contest to strategically deplete and deprive resources. The UNSC and the Covenant quickly became locked in a bitter stalemate, drawing out the conflict for roughly 18 months. The UNSC fought the Covenant invaders tooth-and-nail for weeks on end over even the smallest pieces of land, in a manner similar to the brutal trench warfare that was characteristic of the First World War, sans the namesake trenches in most cases.

Blockade
By late 2537, the Covenant had thoroughly ravaged the Outer Colonies, and was now continuing its path of destruction into the Inner Colonies. However, a few surviving outer colonies had pooled their military resources to blockade the Inner Colonies and carefully monitor activity, in a desperate effort to impede the Covenant's progress. This made it difficult for the Covenant to support their attacks on the Inner Colonies, and when fell to SPARTAN-III Alpha Company, it became even harder to do so.

The Covenant Prepares to Attack the Beta Taurius System
The Covenant needed to punch a hole in the blockade in order to effectively continue their genocidal campaign against humanity. They set their sights on Beta Taurius II, an isolated colony near located directly in the middle of the blockade. The Fleet of Odious Mirth, a sub-fleet of the Fleet of Glorious Interdiction, dispatched a small group of ships led by the  Meager Offerings of Wisdom to set up bases and fortifications on Beta Taurius II and several of its moons. Once this had been completed, a portion of the Fleet of Glorious Interdiction led by Supreme Commander Wira Jur 'Nofatinee and the High Prophet of Regret headed to the Beta Taurius system.

The Invasion Begins
The assault force arrived near Beta Taurius II on the morning of November 30, 2537. The UNSC was immediately alerted to their presence thanks to the enormous slipspace rupture, but they were soon overwhelmed by Covenant ground forces teleported to the surface via deployed by the Meager Offerings of Wisdom.

For two months the vastly outnumbered human forces on Beta Taurius II attempted to fend off the invaders, but by February the planet was nearly lost.

Admiral Cole Takes Command
On February 27, 2538, UNSC reinforcements finally arrived in the Beta Taurius system, headed by none other than Admiral Preston J. Cole. Admiral Cole quickly managed to secure a foothold in orbit over Beta Taurius II, and by February 28 fresh UNSC troops began landing on the surface of the colony. Vice Admiral Edward Ralstone of the Beta Taurius Defense Fleet handed over command of UNSC forces in the Beta Taurius system to Admiral Cole, and by early March UNSC forces had managed to take back much of Beta Taurius II form the Covenant.

Covenant Reinforcements
"My fleet lies in ruins, Commander 'Arodee. I have failed, and in doing so I have poisoned my bloodline with the dishonor of my failure. I am in no position to be asking for favors, Commander, but if you are willing to be merciful, let me die by your blade now, rather than live to return home and see the shame that I have brought upon my kin."

- Supreme Commander Wira Jur 'Nofatinee's last words.

Now outnumbered five-to-one in space and losing ground quickly following the arrival of Admiral Cole's fleet, Supreme Commander Wira Jur 'Nofatinee of the Fleet of Glorious Interdiction requested that another fleet be diverted to the Beta Taurius system. The granted 'Nofatinee's request.

On April 16, 2538, the Fourth Overseeing Fleet of Indistinct Solidarity, commanded by Supreme Commander Xora Wom 'Arodee, arrived in the Beta Taurius system to assist the Fleet of Glorious Interdiction. By this time, the feared fleet which had once been led by  was in its death throes. 'Arodee summoned 'Nofatinee aboard his flagship, the Solemn Pledge of Servitude, to relieve him of command of his fleet. On board, 'Nofatinee pleaded for 'Arodee to kill him on the bridge of the ship, to which 'Arodee complied.

Now in control of both his own fleet and the remnants of the Fleet of Glorious Interdiction, 'Arodee quickly set to work planning how to complete the invasion and destruction of Beta Taurius II.

Arctic Campaign



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