User:Imperial Misanthrope/First Battle of the Tala System

The First Battle of the Tala system was a completely naval engagement between the UNSC Beta Force Fleet, ISE Fleet of Profound Realization, and the Unggoy Defence Force against the Marionette Fleet of Particular Decision. It took place in 2594CE, the 1st Age of Realization, in the Unggoy home system. It is considered one of the more significant battles in the Accidental War

Battle Specifications
Date: 23rd March, 2594CE

Area: Tala System (Unggoy home system)

Forces
Combined Human-Sangheili-Unggoy forces (Total 179 vessels)


 * Sangheili Fleet of Profound Realization:
 * 13 Assault Carriers
 * 34 CCS-Battlecruisers
 * 22 Destroyers
 * 13 cruisers


 * Human Beta Force Fleet:
 * 15 Marathon-Class Cruisers
 * 45 UNSC Frigates
 * 2 UNSC Prowlers
 * 16 UNSC Adapters


 * Balaho Defence Force:
 * 1 Assault Carrier
 * 5 CCS-Battlecruisers
 * 13 Cruisers


 * Marionette Fleet of Particular Decision (Total approximated 350 ships)
 * 100 Hollow-Class Carriers
 * 200 Enlightened-Class Destroyers

Commanders
Sangheili: Supreme Commander Yimr ‘Watronir

Human: Admiral Geoffrey Whitcomb

Unggoy: Captain Gipgid

Marionette: Mind Uphemia Him

Outcome
Marionette Victory, Human-Sangheili-Unggoy retreat

The Battle
The Battle in and on itself was initially an accident. Following the reports of one of the unknown fleets reappearing by the Unggoy homeworld of Balaho, a Combined Fleet of Humans, Sangheili and a small Unggoy force set out to scout the nearby planets. At 09:57, standard Greenwich Earth time, on the 23rd of March, the UNSC Beta Force Fleet intercepted a lone Enlightened-Class Destroyer. The Destroyer quickly attacked, crushing the UNSC Frigate Armour Plated, destroying it instantly.

The Destroyer was engaged and destroyed, but to the horror of the human Fleet, the remaining Fleet sped to the battlefield from a nearby moon. Calling for help, the Fleet of Profound Realization and the Unggoy Defence Force exited Slipspace in the battlefield, and led a coordinated spearhead maneuver to the still forming up Fleet of Particular Decision.

The Battle ended in just under 2 hours; realizing the superior numbers of the Marionette forces, the Sangheili and Human Fleet escaped into Slipspace after the Sangheili Fleet Master ordered a tactical retreat as his Flagship, the Honourable Decision, rammed itself into a Marionette Hollow-Class Carrier. The Flagship had upon it a human nuclear bomb, not as potent as the NOVA bomb, but still it should have annihilated a force of several hundred ships. As the remnants of the Combined Fleet exited Slipspace over a specified rendezvous vector in a former human colonial system, they believed the enemy Fleet to have been destroyed. Unfortunately they were direly mistaken. A single human Marathon-Class Cruiser exited Slipspace in the same vector just a few minutes after the main body of the Fleet did. Apparently it had been internally disabled and drifted away from the main battle, however it managed to re-link the Slipspace drive and make it to the rendezvous point. It relayed a disturbing truth; the Marionette fleet had survived the nuclear blast with seemingly no casualties, merely a number of charred armour.

The Marionettes had lost a total of 31 casualties, unknown numbers destroyed or damaged.

The Combined Fleet had lost a total of 46 ships, 14 destroyed, including the Sangheili Flagship Honourable Decision before the hasty retreat.

No communications had taken place from either side to the other had taken place during the battle.