Battle of Bivec

"The outpost has fallen. The battle for our home has only just begun. Reach will be next.  I suggest the deployment of Spartan teams at once.  Who knows when the Covenant will arrive."

- Gary-009 The Battle of Bivec was a battle during the    that was fought between the    and the . The battle lasted from November 25th, 2551 till January 2 2552, and led into a probable cause towards the.

Background
The colony world of Bivec was considered a military powerhouse close to the inner colonies, namely, humanity’s fortress among the stars. The planet served as an outpost almost for Reach and as a barrier for and Covenant forces. As a resort, the colony was a prime candidate for a possible invasion.

Battle over Bivec
On November 25, 2551, the Fleet of Lost Crusade made its way to Bivec and prepared for an invasion. Bivec Defense Fleet mobilized itself and engaged Covenant forces over the planet in a great naval conflict. A few Covenant corvettes were brought down by UNSC carriers while several ships were destroyed by Covenant  and. The, UNSC Vanguard, and the , UNSC Candle of Hope, opened all weapons upon a Covenant carrier, Grand Designer.

The two ships moved along the port and starboard sides of the ship and rained fire down on the Covenant. While firing at the Covenant, the UNSC took heavy fire from the carrier, quickly over powering the two ships. The Vanguard was shot down and destroyed while the Candle of Hope rounded around the carrier and shot the engines. However, enough fire from Covenant carrier was able to bring down the UNSC carrier.

Despite the carrier falling, the commander of the ship navigated the carrier towards the upper hull of the Grand Designer and crashed into it. Both carriers came down as more Covenant were able to cut through the remaining UNSC defenses. was engaged and a UNSC wide communications of the distress went out.

UNSC naval squadrons were deployed by the two orbiting platforms Bivec had. The platforms were able to punch holes clean through two Covenant cruisers but boarding parties from the invaders were able to plant explosives and destroyed the defense stations. were able to negate Covenant and  as well as weaken or damage ships all together. However, Covenant forces were too great in number and punched through UNSC defenses and directed themselves towards Fort Jefferson along the planet’s equator.

UNSC operations till persisted over the planet as more UNSC ships engaged Covenant naval forces in ship to ship combat. Eventually, due to the large Covenant presence over the UNSC, humans were forced to retreat to the far side of the planet. As they did, UNSC reinforcements arrived and used through the remains of the UNSC defense fleet towards Jefferson, including the UNSC Typhoon.

Invasion of Fort Jefferson
When the Covenant originally landed at Bivec, the area was placed on high alert as a Covenant and two Covenant   arrived and began to bombard the surrounding areas. UNSC returned fire with and fighters to shake off the encroaching attack. Covenant forces were able to evade fire and land troops and armament around the permitter of the fort.

With wraiths and ghosts on the ground, UNSC troops were then preoccupied by the double front. However, UNSC troops were over run and with the constant bombardments from banshees, several more were wounded in the fighting. Troops were forced back inside the main compound of the fort while more Covenant armament landed and continued to push towards the fort.

As the Covenant invaded Fort Jefferson, Purple Team was deployed from the UNSC Typhoon. Once landed, the Covenant deployed around the fort, cutting off air support. While Gary-009, Owen-022, and Jane-105 try to bring down the wraiths, Roman-071, Cassie-119, and Nichole-077 defend the entrance of the fort. The three defending the base moved towards the interior and began to move the wounded to a landing platform. The remaining members of Purple Team mobilized outside the hijacked two ghosts from Covenant forces. Taking the ghost, the three attacked Covenant infantry and other ghosts.

The three finally reached the wraiths again and opened fire upon them. While the spartans were attacking, marines took up arms and began to assist them. Fireteams were led by Corporal Victoria Hawthorne who guided the troops towards the armory and into the field of battle. Using a longsword for cover, the squads opened fire onto Covenant forces. After taking a couple of and heavy armaments, numerous Covenant ground forces were over run. Once the wraiths were destroyed, pelicans came to retrieve saviors including Purple. After the destruction of Fort Jefferson, Twilight Base was outfitted with AA’s to combat the Covenant fleet around the fort.

Battle of Twilight Cove
A Covenant scouting force deployed itself to the outskirts of Twilight Base, Twilight Cove for a quick assault. A corvette deployed troops down towards the base and opened fire on the outposts surrounding the area. LT Colonel Kylie Brown, leader of the Sky Strikers were deployed to combat the Covenant fighters. From the ground, Sargent Major Jacob Edwards and Corporal Victoria Hawthorne led ground forces against Covenant troops. Hawthorne and her troops used a recon team to take down squads. The troops then hijacked the revenants and began to use them against Covenant armament while the recon teams and Edwards focused on infantry. After raiding the coast line for recapturing UNSC communications from Covenant forces, Hawthorne had requested the fortification of the area. As support came in, the Sky Strikers circled around the base and fired at the corvette from the under belly.

The Strikers were able to destroy the hangers and support crews. While in battle, an additional UNSC fleet commanded by Admiral Wade Jackson entered the planet and split off in two offenses. Jackson and his ship moved towards the cove and prepared to fire orbital rounds against it. Regular naval forces engaged coast line Covenant and assisted Hawthorne and Edwards in recapturing the territory. Jackson then ordered all UNSC forces to retreat back to Colonel Mathias Hoffman’s location and prepare for engagement.

The Sky Strikers guided the corvette away from the base and coastline as Jackson fired at the ship and destroyed it. Following that, Jackson went down to the surface to met with both Hoffman and Senior Chief Petty Officer Gary-009.

Operation: SPEARHEAD
Meeting with one another at Twilight Base, Jackson, Hoffman and Gary devised Operation: SPEARHEAD to act as a counter attack against Covenant forces discovered by Cassie-119 and Owen-022 on the 28th. Jane and Roman were assigned to be apart of the Sky Strikers unit to provide air support while Gary and the rest of Purple Team and Hoffman command the ground forces.

The ground forces had amassed a large force and engaged the Covenant head on into a fire fight. teams were sent into as a scouting party but were quickly attacked by and. However, began to open fire across the Vemal mountains to hit and shoot down the incoming Covenant forces. But within minutes after the operation had begun, a Covenant cruiser dropped a into battlefield, scattering UNSC forces. Roman had then disobeyed orders and personally engaged the scarab and hijacked it. After disposing of a large Covenant platoon, Roman came and picked up Purple Team in the scarab and attacked the. Jackson moved two of his ships closer towards the spire and opened fire on Covenant along the ground to clear a path for the spartans. LT Colonel Brown and Jane-105 called the around and began to take out surrounding Covenant outposts and fortifications to have additional UNSC troops land nearby. The rest of Purple Team breached the defense shield of the spire which caused their scarab to shut down. Moving along on foot and eliminating all Covenant forces under the spire, the squad was able to shut down the shields and called a destruction and evacuation of the area. Calling off the Sky Strikers, Purple Team had destroyed the Spire and secured the Vemal Mountains.

Battle of Mortis
On November 30, the Covenant invaded the capital city of Bivec of Mortis, prompting a quick UNSC response against the Covenant forces. Colonel Hoffman led the ground defense of the city with additional army and marine services present. Hoffman commanded troops from the front lines with a line of scorpion tanks and opened fire against incoming wraiths. The Covenant established anti personnel and vehicle defense turrets and began to fire down towards the remaining troops. began to deploy troops to different high rises and assisted in arial support for Hoffman. However, banshees intercepted some of the Falcon squads and shot them all down while others were shot down but survived.

Turrets from the armament deployed cut Covenant infantry down while phantoms did the same for UNSC troops. Hoffman issued a retreat to the subways of the city but banshees and phantoms flew over the city and engaged a bombing run against the city, killing hundreds including Hoffman. From there, the remaining UNSC troops began to fall back. Falcon squads landed along the outskirts of the battlefield and retrieved the troops while pelicans began to bomb the incoming Covenant ships.

Operation: SECERT SANTA
After the initial attacks on Mortis, Gary, and Jackson create Operation: SECERT SANTA and deployed on December 3 with Gary, Owen, and Jane dropping behind enemy lines. Purple-2 (Roman, Cassie, and Nichole) push up the front with marine teams and scorpions. Soon, Cassie is injured by Jackal snipers and forced to be evacuated, giving Purple-2 no cover. Purple-1 has was able to secure a Covenant LZ and board a corvette crashing it into a staging area.

The spartans moved throughout the city and were able to locate the landing zone which was a large parkway within the heart of the city. The spartans were also successful and boarded the ship, took out the hanger crew and primed Covenant explosives to detonate upon landing. The three then moved towards the bridge but were cut off by Brute squads. The three then chose to forget the bridge and moved to the engine room. Gary, Owen and Jane planted explosives and destroyed the engine room and brought the ship down.

The three ran to the hanger and used banshees to escape the ship and land nearby for evacuation. The corvette was brought down and destroyed a Covenant staging area and took out a great deal of Covenant forces on the planet.

Battle of Twilight Base
On December 5, three and a  arrived at Twilight Base to conclude the job of the corvette that was destroyed earlier. Purple Team returned to the base and began to assist local UNSC forces. Jane returned to serve under LT Colonel Brown as the rest of her team went to the ground Sargent Major Edwards and Gunnery Sargent Hawthorne along the permitter of the base as more Covenant forces arrived at the doorsteps.

The UNSC Typhoon and Crimson Tornado arrived at the base and began to engage the Covenant naval forces. Engaging in ship to ship combat, the two UNSC frigates bombarded the cruisers from above with support of the Sky Strikers. On the ground, Admiral Jackson had called Purple Team back to the base to met with the base’s commanders. Once there, the spartans were given the task of destroying the carrier with three in three key location.

The team located a Covenant LZ and hijacked a and traveled to the carrier. Once on the carrier, the teams spread off into pairs and planted the explosives around the ship and detonated them all after gaining access to a phantom and escaping the carrier. With that, the carrier crashed into two of the cruiser and carried them all into the mountains and destroyed them all. The final cruiser then departed while still taking heavy fire from the remaining UNSC forces which was able to severally damage the ship.

Invasion of Juniper City
On December 8th, Jane and Cassie were sent to a scouting mission to a unresponsive city named Juniper City but soon report that the Covenant are using the city as a fortress and has no survivors. With Jane and Cassie extracted, Battlegroups 13-15 and the Typhoon and Crimson Tornado were deployed to the city.

The Sky Strikers returned to combat and began to conduct arial raids against Covenant forces while Gary-009, Owen-022, Roman-071 and Nichole-077 led the ground excursion with Jane-105 and Cassie-119 coordinating from the air with the Sky Strikers and Falcons respectively. As the UNSC force closed on the Covenant landing zone, the Covenant detected the incoming attack and opened fire, hammering the advancing UNSC force with long range plasma mortar fire, supplemented by, which preformed strafing runs.

The UNSC pushed into the city with several different land squads to attack Covenant held streets. While moving through the city, Roman and Owen were tasked with destroying Covenant armories and heavy weaponry throughout the territory. The Sky Strikers would move to assist in capturing the command post but the Covenant held air superiority with their.

During the engagement, the remaining ships of the invading Covenant fleet descended to the city including its flagship, the Decade Sun. The force of the remaining 8 ships bombarded the UNSC stiff advancement and forced several ships to take evasive actions, diverting some out of the city in its entirety. The and other naval squadrons and air force fighters were able to break the shields of one of the cruisers that descended into the battlefield. Quickly, Jackson and his right hand, Leonardo Williams opened fire with against the ship, destroying it.

On the ground, the UNSC troops were forced into a stalemate with Covenant forces that not even Purple Team could break. Cassie-119 led a team of snipers across the roof tops to engage Covenant forces. Army soldiers were able to break through the Covenant line with the support and cross into enemy territory. However, the constant rain of fire from both sides above and the falling ships forced each side to fall back in order to live.

Throughout the fighting, Battlegroup 14 was scattered and soon shot down and destroyed, crashing around the city or even into parts of the city and taking out Covenant ground forces. As more ships went down, the captain of the Crimson Tornado believed best to ram the frigate into the flagship to bring it down to the ground. Agreeing with the idea, Admiral Jackson ordered the evacuation of both the Crimson Tornado and Typhoon as he would ram the latter into the starboard side of the carrier while the Tornado would hit it the port side. However, the Crimson Tornado was hit with heavy fire and brought down into the city, killing thousands. Continuing with the plan, Jackson evacuated the Typhoon and moved towards the Decade Sun. Battlegroup 14 and 15, half of 13 and Crimson Tornado are all destroyed forcing Admiral Jackson to use the UNSC Typhoon to suicide bomb the Covenant Flagship and the crew evacuated. The plan succeed, and the flagship crashed into the city. Vice Admiral Williams orders an orbital bombardment to be planted by Purple in the heart of the fortress. Once placed, Purple and the rest of Battlegroup 13 escape and the fortress destroyed.

Battle of Voa Jungle
Five days after the siege, the Convent moved to invade the Voa Jungle on along the southern side of the planet’s equator. While invading, the Covenant captured a hydro station which held UNSC codes. Desperate to get them back, the UNSC deployed Purple Team to retrieve the codes while the UNSC Phantom responds to the Covenant bombing Ulysses City nearby. As the two groups conduct their missions, battlegroups 6, 16, 22, 35, and 77 arrive at Bivec, but not far behind is the Covenant Fleet of Prophet’s Guard engaging Battlegroups 6, 22, and 35. After Purple recaptures the station and the codes, LT Colonel Brown arrives at the site to evacuate the spartans and recruit Jane again for the Sky Strikers to launch an attack against the new Covenant threat.

Invasion of Prophet's Guard
Once the Prophet’s Guard arrived at Bivec, all Covenant forces pulled resources together and attacked the remaining UNSC ships in orbit around the planet. The Sky Strikers were called back up to orbit and assisted with the planetary defense. Vice Admiral Williams deployed countless other squads and barding parties towards Covenant capital ships. One squad was led by Sargent Major Jacob Edwards and Gunnery Sargent Victoria Hawthorne.

The marines were tasked with eliminating the Covenant and taking over the bridge to guide it towards other Covenant capital ships. However, the new Covenant ships were well defended on the inside as well as outside and the squad was killed before they even left the hanger. Several more squads were destroyed before they could even land on the ships as more and more fire rained down from the Covenant. As a result from the heavy fire, over 40 UNSC ships and 18 Covenant ships were destroyed and the UNSC forced themselves back to the surface.

Mission to the Nuclear Station
The Covenant then captured a UNSC nuclear station with with Purple team striking back. Once recapturing the station, Purple Team uses the codes from the hydro station and attacked surrounding Covenant ships, namely, 12 and 2. From the attack, all cruisers are brought down while the remaining carriers are all heavily damaged. A day later, Gary, Cassie and Nichole with Marine fire team 3877 are sent to investigate a down Covenant finding Covenant teach to be used.

Desperate Attacks
While the stolen Covenant tech was sent off world back to, Purple Team is sent with the updated ship and Battlegroups 16 and 77 to attack Covenant convoy. The convoy is destroyed but with three UNSC ships shot down and destroyed. In response, the Covenant glass Mortis, and destroy the Arkham and Battlegroup 77. In a response to the attack, Battlegroup 16 and Purple strike against the Covenant destroying 4 ships leaving 32 left. Vice Admiral Williams then orders a planet wide evacuation. The Sky Strikers mobilized to intercept incoming Covenant forces and allowed other UNSC transports to escape. While in the battle, the Covenant destroyed the last orbital battle station fell to the Covenant as did many Strikers. Vice Admiral Williams recalled the Sky Strikers back to the Levi and prepare to evacuate the planet. While being deployed back to the Levi, LT Colonel Brown sacrificed herself to the enemy to save the rest of her troops by flying into the engine room of a cruiser to destroy it and give a pathway for the UNSC.

UNSC Benjamin, and Levi arrive to save the Bethlehem and Purple from Covenant forces. A distress signal comes in from the Starkiller Base in the north pole with Purple team sent to secure it. The base is evacuated and eventually glassed as well as Twilight base. The Bethlehem and Levi attack two cruisers surrounding Starkiller base, but only with the Levi surviving and returning to the Benjamin. Both leaders of ships agreed to leave Bivec and the Covenant conquers the planet.

Aftermath
After the battle was over, the UNSC lost one of its major military strongholds outside of and the. The UNSC also lost over 500 million troops, over 100 ships, and a large number of civilians killed by Covenant forces in urbanized raids against major civilian centers. The fall of Bivec left Reach open as a possible attack point and thus additional UNSC forces were deployed to the.

However, the UNSC was able to inflict heavy Covenant damages and lost, almost wiping out an entire fleet and half of another before their defeat. As a result, some moral was low while others rained in high due to the considerable Covenant losses.

Twenty-Fifth

 * The Covenant fleet of Lost Crusade arrives at Bivec.
 * UNSC response fleet is sent out and engages Covenant head on.
 * is declared and two UNSC ships are brought down while attacking the Grand Designer.
 * Covenant forces punch through and enter the planet’s surface and attack Fort Jefferson.
 * The UNSC Typhoon arrives at Bivec with Purple Team and three more UNSC ships.
 * Purple Team is deployed to Fort Jefferson and assist in evacuation efforts.
 * Fort Jefferson is secured and the Covenant and UNSC falling back to respective space.

Twenty-Sixth

 * Covenant deploy a to Twilight Base.
 * UNSC forces respond and are able to drive the ship away and destroy it with Admiral Jackson.

Twenty-Eighth

 * Owen-022 and Cassie-119 are sent to the Vemal mountains for a recon mission and find a Covenant spire.

Twenty-Ninth

 * UNSC launch Operation: SPEARHEAD against Covenant forces.
 * UNSC suffers heavy losses although, Covenant casualties are almost doubled due to Purple Team efforts.

Thirtieth

 * Covenant invade Mortis and crush a majority of UNSC centers.
 * Colonel Mathias Hoffman is killed in defense of the city.

Third

 * Operation: SECERT SANTA begins.
 * Cassie-119 is injured in the fight.
 * Purple Team boards a corvette and crashes it down into a staging area.

Fifth

 * The Covenant attacks Twilight Base to conclude the original mission of the corvette.
 * Purple Team is deployed to the base and is given the task to destroy the Covenant carrier with a.
 * The Purple Team destroys the, taking two with it.
 * The fourth Covenant cruiser attempts to escape but is shot down by the Crimson Tornado and the Typhoon.

Eighth

 * Jane-105 and Cassie-119 are sent to investigate the silence of Juniper City and find a massive Covenant fortress instead.

Ninth

 * UNSC launches a large attack force against the fortress from air and land.
 * The rest of the Lost Crusade fleet descends down to the city to engage human forces.
 * Battlegroup 15 is destroyed.

Tenth

 * Battlegroup 14 is destroyed by Covenant forces.
 * Admiral Jackson orders a ramming of the Covenant flagship, Decade Sun.
 * The UNSC Crimson Tornado is shot down and destroyed.
 * UNSC falls back from Juniper.
 * Admiral Wade Jackson dies after ramming the UNSC Typhoon into the Decade Sun.
 * Command falls to Vice Admiral Leonardo Williams.

Fifteenth

 * Covenant invades the Voa Jungle and capture a hydro station containing codes to a nuclear arsenal.
 * The Covenant also bomb Ulysses City.
 * Purple Team is deployed to recapture the hydro station while the UNSC Phantom attacks the Covenant at the city.
 * Battlegroups 6, 16, 22, 35 and 77 arrive at Bivec for reinforcements.
 * The Covenant fleet of Prophet’s Guard arrives at Bivec and attacks the UNSC.
 * Purple Team is successful in recapturing the hydro station and Jane-105 is called up by the to defend the outer atmosphere of the planet.
 * Prophet’s Guard and Lost Crusade link up and over power UNSC naval strength.

Seventeenth

 * Covenant captures a UNSC nuclear station.
 * Purple Team is sent and is successful in recapturing the station.
 * The spartans use the nukes to destroy 12 Covenant cruisers.

Eighteenth

 * Gary-009, Cassie-119 and Nichole-077 are sent with marines to a crashed corvette.
 * They find Covenant technology and send it off world to.

Nineteenth

 * The UNSC outfit the UNSC Arkham with Covenant cloaking technology and with Battlegroups 16 and 77, attack a Covenant convoy.
 * The attack is successful but 3 UNSC ships go down in the process.

Twenty-First

 * The Covenant glass Mortis and destroy Battlegroup 77.

Twenty-Fifth

 * Battlegroup 16 and Purple Team attack the Covenant in an act of desperation.
 * Vice Admiral Williams orders the remaining UNSC ships (Benjamin, Levi, Bethlehem, Phantom) to begin evacuation efforts.
 * After Battlegroup 16’s sacrifice, only 30 Covenant ships remain.

Twenty-Ninth

 * Satrkiller Base is attacked by Covenant forces.
 * Purple Team is deployed to the base and leads the evacuation efforts.
 * After the base is cleared, Covenant cruisers glass the base and its surroundings.
 * Twilight Base is also glassed.

Thirtieth

 * UNSC Levi and Bethlehem engage a Covenant carrier.
 * The UNSC Bethlehem is shot down and the Levi returns to the Phantom and Benjamin.

First

 * All UNSC crews prepare to evacuate the planet.

Second

 * The UNSC Benjamin Phantom and Levi leave the planet.
 * Covenant conquers Bivec.