Attack on UNSC Mekong

The Attack on UNSC Peking occurred on February 26 2496, when a rebel-piloted GA-TL1 Longsword attacked and fired anti-ship missiles at the UNSC Peking.

Incident
The UNSC Peking, under the command of Captain Rebecca Elaine, was part of a naval task force assigned to patrol the Epsilon Eridani asteroid belt near Epsilon Eridani IV.

The ship’s Tactical Officer was the first to detect an unidentified GA-TL1 Longsword on an approach path for the ship. Initially believing the fighter to be from a nearby patrol and therefore no reason for alarm, the ship’s captain followed protocol and ordered the craft to identify itself. The unidentified craft did not respond and continued its approach. The Captain ordered a second message to be sent, but again there was no reply and the craft was on a direct course for them. Suspicious now, Captain Elaine ordered the ship on combat alert beta. It was at this moment the captain was informed that the unknown craft had targeted her ship. The now-hostile Longsword fired two Exolance anti-ship missiles at the ship before the pilot had broken off and withdrew into the asteroid belt.

Reacting quickly the ship went into full combat alert alpha and began to spin up its point defense guns. The ship’s point defense guns managed to destroy the first missile before it could accelerate into kill-speed, but not the second one. The second missile locked on to ship’s hangar and fired its secondary booster. The missile struck the port side hangar of the Peking and penetrated the bay doors before it detonated inside. A total of thirty-four crewmen were killed in the attack, twenty-four in the initial explosion. Ten more would die of their injuries.