User:Sgt.T.N.Biscuits/Battle of New Jerusalem (Elysium Timeline)

The Battle of New Jerusalem (also reffered to as the Fall of Cyngus and New Jerusalem Campaign) was a major conflict during the Human-Covenant War fought between the United Nations Space Command and Covenant Empire. The intial battle was fought between UNSC defensive forces and the Covenant invading force from June 12th to July 2nd of 2552. Despite heavy intial casualities, the Covenant won the battle after fighting for over twenty days. During this time period, almost all of the planet's civilian population remained in hiding or fighting alongside the military for the majoirty of the fighting. Those who managed to escape attempted to reach other UNSC systems to report the attack, but failed to do so before the Covenant's victory in early July.

Due to the loss of several Inner Colonies, including the military stronghold of Reach, earlier that year, the UNSC High Command planned for a massive offensive mission to retake the planet and retrieve any survivors. A Rapid Reaction Picket consisting of the 26th Marine Expenditionary Force and UNSC Second Fleet was activated.