Bombing of Philadelphia

"Save me Diana!"

- Simon-G294, inadvertently initiating the Bombing of Philadelphia

The Bombing of Philadelphia was an attack on the city of Philadelphia that took place in June of. During a raid on an facility located within the metropolis, a hijacked  fired its  and  at dozens of points throughout the city before being destroyed by a hasty counter-strike. The resulting damage from the initial bombardment and the detonation of the frigate's fusion reactor took the lives of thousands of civilians and resulted in a city-wide evacuation and quarantine. The official report on the tragedy blamed it on terrorists and singled out two participants in the raid, Simon-G294 and Gavin Dunn, as being the perpetrators. The duo was subsequently placed at the top of every public enemy list throughout human space.

Prelude
"I'm not like you. I'm no traitor. But she isn't like you, either. She doesn't deserve to be treated like a criminal. If I kill you here, I'm going to do everything I can to get her out. But if you pull off the impossible and actually take me down, well... I guess it's up to you, then. Last I heard, they're taking her to Earth. Site Hotel-Three. You're pet AI can figure out the rest. Not that you're going anywhere after I'm through with you..."

- Ralph-G299 prior to his fight with Simon-G294

In early 2556, the launched a series of initiatives intended to field test the burgeoning  through punitive strikes against both  and  targets. One such initiative was Operation: MAD DOG, a joint action between ONI and Spartan branch personnel that aimed to eliminate SPARTAN-G294. A, Simon-G294 had earned himself ONI's lasting enmity when he emerged as an Insurrectionist fighter after being declared missing in action during a counter-insurgency operation on  near the end of the. The first Spartan ever to participate in armed insurgency against the UNSC, Simon was considered an active threat by the Office of Naval intelligence, particularly after he kidnapped fellow Spartan Cassandra-G006 during his escape from Mamore in 2554. Neither Spartan had been seen since their vessel disappeared into Slipspace, but when ONI agents confirmed sightings of them on ONI director  put together a task force to eliminate Simon and recover Cassandra. The task force, headed by Spartan branch commander, set out to Talitsa to track down the rogue Spartan. There, they were surprised to find that Cassandra was not being held under duress. Palmer became convinced that Simon was manipulating his captive and became even more determined to take him down; however Ralph-G299, a former Spartan-III and teammate of Simon and Cassandra's, did not share his commander's conclusion. Ralph, who had known both Simon and Cassandra as sub-par combatants, was surprised when the two fugitives escaped the initial attack and fled off-world. Unbeknownst to the task force, their targets were being aided by Diana, a rogue smart AI who had allied herself with Simon during his time in the Insurrection.

Palmer's task force tracked the renegade Spartans to the planet. There, they assaulted a smuggling compound where Simon and Cassandra had taken refuge and drove them into Reach's. As they hunted the Spartans through the mountains' network of underground caverns, the task force encountered a large Forerunner artifact buried in the rubble. Their quarry had already encountered the artifact and upon accessing it Simon was teleported out of the cavern. Cassandra was apprehended before she could follow, but the task force's naval liaison cut Palmer's pursuit of Simon short when he cited standing ONI directives regarding the discovery of Forerunner technology. Foregoing standard protocol due to the presence of criminal elements in the Highland region, the task force helped excavate the artifact and departed Reach to take both it and their Spartan captive back to Earth. Palmer ordered Ralph-G299 and a small detachment of ONI agents to continue the hunt for Simon. Infuriated by the capture of Cassandra, Simon engaged and killed the ONI team when they pursued him before coming face to face with his former teammate in Reach's glasslands. Though Ralph was loyal to the UNSC he was troubled by Cassandra's arrest. Before the two Spartans fought, Ralph divulged the task force's Earthbound destination, an ONI military installation within the North American city of Philadelphia. Simon killed Ralph in the ensuing battle and, against Diana's objections, made plans to go to Earth and free Cassandra.

Artifact and Alliance
Although Ralph-G299 had assumed that ONI was using Cassandra as a lure for Simon, neither the intelligence officers nor Palmer and her Spartans expected him to pursue them. Though standard protocols were strictly against bringing unknown Forerunner technology to Earth or any major colony, the strange artifact was brought to the Hotel-Three complex inside Philadelphia where it could be studied by professionals while also being guarded by Earth's defenses in case criminal or rebel elements really were hoping to acquire it. Cassandra, whom Commander Palmer had become convinced was suffering from Stockholm Syndrome, was also detained at Site Hotel-Three. Palmer was firmly against the decision to bring the artifact to Earth; during the journey to Earth several of her Spartans had reported feeling strangely when in close proximity to the artifact. When one of the researchers assigned to conduct a preliminary study of the artifact unexpectedly committed suicide, the device was quarantined in the bowels of Site Hotel-Three while ONI determined a more remote location where it could be observed and researched. When news of Ralph's death reached Earth, Palmer immediately requested permission to resume her pursuit of Simon but was delayed by orders that all personnel who had been in contact with the artifact remain on-site for a full debriefing.

Meanwhile, Simon—who blamed himself for Cassandra's capture—made plans to raid Earth and rescue the girl whose life he felt responsible for ruining. Knowing that any attack on the well-defended Earth was tantamount to suicide, the rogue Spartan made contact with elements of the Insurrectionist. Meeting with the UNSC defector, herself a renegade SPARTAN-IV whom Simon had met during his time on Mamore, Simon struck a deal: in exchange for help in rescuing his friend, he would help the NCA steal the Forerunner artifact from Site Hotel-Three. Unbeknownst to Zane and her compatriots, Simon had little intention of honoring the agreement; despising the Insurrection almost as much as he did the UNSC, Simon simply planned to use the NCA fighters as a disposable distraction for Palmer and her Spartans. Simon also made contact with Tuka 'Refum, a Sangheili warrior he had encountered following his escape from Mamore. Tuka, who owed his life to both Simon and Cassandra, agreed to participate in the raid despite discomfort from Zane and her fellow rebels at fighting alongside an alien. With Diana agreeing to provide cyber-warfare support, the band of renegades approached Gavin Dunn, one of Simon's former commanders from Mamore. Simon and Zane blackmailed the rebel-turned-smuggler into ferrying them to Earth aboard his ship, the Chancer IV.

None of the conspirators were aware that Diana had her own priorities. A member of the shadowy AI collective known as "the Assembly," Diana had received instructions to coordinate with fellow Assembly member Diarmuid in order to ascertain the true nature of the Reach artifact and prevent it from harming Earth if it turned out to be malignant. Diarmuid was already on-site at Hotel-Three, masquerading as a "dumb" AI under ONI's control. Diana had previously been ordered to abandon Simon but had persuaded the Assembly to allow her to remain with the rogue Spartan by claiming she was grooming him to become one of the Assembly's few organic agents. The raid, she proposed, would distract ONI's security long enough for Diarmuid to obtain access to the artifact while also providing a suitable "field test" for Simon's capabilities as an agent. The other Assembly members reluctantly agreed with the caveat that Diana do what she could to limit the raid's casualties.

Infiltration
Using the Chancer IV's registry tag as a private freighter to gain access to one of the many civilian dry-docks orbiting Earth, the band of renegades smuggled themselves past the naval patrols and prepared to make planetfall. Diana's coordination with Diarmuid meant that she already knew the location of Site Hotel-Three; however, rather than disclosing her inside source she had Simon plug her into the dry-dock's network. From there she tapped into Earth's immense tapestry of networked systems, using her specialty as an attack program to slip past the UNSC's firewalls and defense AIs and hack undetected into classified military channels. With Diana subtly clearing military patrols away from the Eastern North American region around Philadelphia, the renegades made their way to the planet's surface aboard the Chancer IV using directions and landing clearances provided by Diana. After disembarking, Simon, Tuka, and the NCA detachment approached the ONI facility. They were unknowingly aided by Diarmuid, who had hacked into Philadelphia's surveillance network and prevented their movement from attracting the attention of security forces. While Simon, Zane, and the NCA fighters followed Diana's remote guidance and infiltrated Site Hotel-Three's underground complex, Tuka caused a public disturbance on the far side of the city and stirred up ONI paranoia that rather than human rebels were the real threat to Hotel-Three's security. Palmer dispatched half of her SPARTAN-IV contingent to assist in Tuka's capture and interrogation while she and the rest of her soldiers remained behind to secure the facility alongside ONI's security personnel.

Having bypassed the first level of Hotel-Three's security, Simon intended to continue with a stealthy approach in the hopes of avoiding a battle with the ONI security forces. But Zane and her soldiers, eager to secure the Forerunner "weapon", deviated from the plan and launched an all-out assault within the facility. As the firefight began to spread throughout the complex, Simon abandoned the NCA troops and hurried ahead on his own in the hopes that Zane's unexpected violence would at least distract ONI so that he could reach Cassandra. Meanwhile, Tuka evaded capture and made his way towards another one of Hotel-Three's entrances. As reports of a Covenant incursion spread to FLEETCOM, Diana used her embedded position within the military network to issue falsified orders for the frigate UNSC Sogdia to move into the lower atmosphere to provide on-site support against waves of Covenant attackers that panicked security personnel feared might appear at any moment. Interrupted in the middle of a refit, the Sogdia was not equipped with an onboard AI and as such the crew had no way of knowing that their frigate was currently playing host to Diana's consciousness as it headed for Philadelphia.

The Battle of Hotel-Three
Although outnumbered and outgunned by the UNSC forces, Zane and her NCA contingent nonetheless managed to push closer to to the artifact's quarantined holding facility. The rebels cut a bloody swath through the security fire teams that stood in their way until they were cut off from their goal by multiple teams of SPARTAN-IVs. Unwilling to accept another defeat at the hands of the Spartans, Zane rallied her soldiers and led them in a last ditch effort to break through to the artifact. Although Zane herself killed two of the IVs she was unable to fight past the armored supersoldiers and the rest of her troops were quickly cut down. As a wounded Zane fled into Hotel-Three's maintenance corridors, Tuka arrived at the facility and used the confusion of the fighting within to slip inside unnoticed. Coordinating with the Philadelphia police, UNSC reinforcements evacuated the blocks surrounding Hotel-Three and established a tight cordon; the surviving infiltrators were effectively trapped inside the facility.

"I shouldn't have trusted you."

- Ilsa Zane

"Yeah. That was your mistake."

- Simon-G294

"No. No, I chose this. I can rest now, but you... you have to go on. Amber, I'm so sorry..."

- Ilsa Zane

With the help of Diana's fragment, Simon hacked Hotel-Three's internal network and located Cassandra in of one the facility's brigs. Before he could move further, he was surprised and held at gunpoint by Ilsa Zane, who had tracked him down following her escape from the Spartans. Made unstable by both side-effects from her augmentations and the loss of her contingent, Zane blamed Simon for the loss of her comrades and would have killed him if they had not been discovered by Tuka. Before the renegades' alliance could collapse further, a fire team of SPARTAN-IVs and several squads of ONI troopers burst into the room and opened fire. In the ensuing firefight, Zane was shot repeatedly by the Spartans. Despite her earlier attempt on his life, Zane stepped between Simon and a Spartan sharpshooter and was critically wounded. Simon used her body as a shield as he and Tuka retreated from the security forces and Zane died shortly after they had made their escape.

Now the last of the infiltrators, Simon and Tuka resolved to reach Cassandra at all costs. Plotting two routes to the brig, the rogue Spartan and his Sangheili friend split up in order to throw off their pursuers and ensure that at least one of them made it to Cassandra. Simon headed for Hotel-Three's lower levels in order to use a service lift that would take him up behind the brig while Tuka opted to take a route through the quarantined section surrounding the Forerunner artifact. By this time, the Sogdia had reached Philadelphia and FLEETCOM was alerted to the fact that one of its warships had made an unauthorized sojourn into Earth's atmosphere. Diana prevented the fleet's transmissions from reaching the Sogdia's bridge and stalled FLEETCOM with falsified messages from the ship's captain as she communed with Diarmuid regarding the progress of the infiltration. Within Hotel-Three, Diana's overworked fragment unraveled as it hid Simon and Tuka's movements from the battered security forces. On his way to to the quarantine zone, Tuka was cut off by more SPARTAN-IVs and engaged them in close combat. Simon descended to Hotel-Three's maintenance level, where he was confronted by Commander Sarah Palmer, who had anticipated his movements and come alone to stop him.

Simon quickly deduced that Palmer cared more about eliminating him than defending either Cassandra or the artifact. Although outmatched by the SPARTAN-IV's shielded, the renegade Spartan resolved to face Palmer directly in order to keep her occupied and allow Tuka a chance to reach Cassandra. Injecting himself with a specialized strain of, Simon engaged Palmer in single combat on the maintenance level. As the two Spartans clashed below, Tuka managed to cut down his attackers and entered the quarantine sector. His belief that the works of the Forerunners were divine got the better of him and he attempted to interact with the enigmatic artifact. Upon touching it, the young Sangheili was inflicted with a crippling migraine that prevented him from advancing any further. At this time, Diarmuid took stock of the situation and realized that the rescue attempt was doomed to failure. Although his instructions from the Assembly were to remain a neutral observer, Diarmuid sympathized with the renegades and chose to intervene by revealing himself to Cassandra and releasing her from her cell. After helping her retrieve her armor, Diarmuid advised Cassandra to use the opportunity presented by the attack in order to make her escape. Cassandra surprised him by refusing to abandon her would-be rescuers and instead hurrying towards the quarantine lab.

Meanwhile Simon and Palmer fought a destructive battle amidst the power hubs and computer servers on the maintenance sub-level. Confident that she could easily defeat Gamma Company's "failure Spartan," Palmer had come lightly armed and unaccompanied by any of her fellow Spartans. Although clad in his inferior, Simon sported an impressive array of weaponry ranging from a , , and to various grenades, plastic explosives, and knives. The combat between a SPARTAN-III and the best of the IVs meant to supplant his kind leveled the maintanence level and saw both fighters severely injured in their efforts to bring each other down. Exhausting his arsenal and driven into a near-feral state by repeated injections of rumbledrugs, Simon eventually entered close combat with Palmer and surprised her by holding his own despite the IV's advantage in armor and augmentations. The combat drove the determined III beyond the limits of endurance and upon realizing that he would not survive against Palmer in an even fight Simon instead chose to end the battle by using the last of his explosives to blast apart the ceiling and bringing an avalanche of shattered concrete down on both himself and Palmer.

Trivia

 * As the had not been made public, ONI arranged for Simon-G294 to be listed under his birth name of Onegin. Background information provided for him stated that he was a  terrorist from the same rebel cell as Dunn.