Operation: HOT GATES

UNSC PRIORITY TRANSMISSION 1132267/SIERRA-PAPA-OSCAR-PAPA-SIERRA

ENCRYPTION CODE: RED MERCURY                                             

FROM: Codename: PALADIN

TO: Codename: OZYMANDIAS

SENT: 18.09.2549 / ε Eridani FTL-COMSAT 1132267/ALPHA

RECEIVED: 24.10.2549 / Sol FTL-COMSAT 4786493/FOXTROT

SUBJECT: Operation: HOT GATES (proposal)

DOCUMENTATION: Project TEMERITY; Project EXCALIBUR; Project NOVA; Operation HELLSCAPE; CAA File ALPHA CANIS MINORIS/MINORCA; {Excerpt} UNSC UniCom/NavCom Field Manual (2548 edition); Recommended Personnel Roster.

CLASSIFICATION: TOP SECRET / NOVEMBER BLACK (BGX Directive)

SECURITY OVERRIDE: GAMMA-III

GHOST SEVER FILE PROTOCOL (EXACTION): TRUE

AI-TOUCH PROTOCOL: FALSE

             

ALERT! Security Breach Detected!

//INITIATING PRIMARY SECURITY SCAN JULIET-ALPHA 4492// //14 DATA COURRUPTIONS DETECTED// //INITIATING CORRUPT DATA PURGE// //FIREWALL BREACH DETECTED//     //INFILTRATING TERMINAL IDENTIFIED: JULIET ALPHA-20101// //TERMINAL TAGGED AS HOSTILE//       //UPLOADING MIL.VIR.3442A “WIDOW-MAKER”// //UPLOAD COMPLETE// //HOSTILE INTRUDER ATTEMPTING TO PURGE// //PURGE FAILED// //FIREWALL BUFFER ENHANCED PER {ONI.SEC.PROG.333/7B “ENIGMA”}// //NO FURTHER SECURITY BREACHES DETECTED// //SECURITY BREACH FORWARDED TO UNSC OFFICE OF INVESTIGATIONS//

// START FILE //

Please forgive the additional security measures. It’s a little something we’ve borrowed from EXCALIBUR to prevent unauthorised access. From what TEMERITY have been able to scrape together, we’ve been able to assemble a limited look at potential Covenant electronic warfare capability, and while the Covenant seem to have hardware that’s well advanced beyond ours their software is, frankly, less than impressive. Their understanding of logarithms in particular leaves much to be desired. For the present, it seems, the greatest threats to UNSC security are the internal ones, like this Ackerson, and even his pettiness isn’t enough to jeopardise our projects. I dare say he’ll eventually find a way around our security measures, but by then we’ll have BLACK WIDOW online. I’ve been told it is unbreakable, but if it isn’t then it comes damn close. I don’t recommend pressing charges – Section Zero is running at least three separate investigations on the man, all for much worse offences. Besides, his Special Warfare projects are too valuable…for the moment.

I understand why my initial proposal for THERMOPYLAE was denied, but this submission differs substantially in many places from the previous draft, and I’ve had the resources and time of TEMERITY to help me with accuracy and content. Likewise, I have no doubt it will require at least some alterations in the future, and have taken pains to accommodate any modifications that are necessary, making it compatible with the overall intent of the operation. For background reading purposes, I have enclosed relevant files on subjects that I have limited time to go into, such as outlines of TEMRITY and EXCALIBUR, a status update from [ULYSSES] at NOVA, and background information on the Procyon system. These will be deleted after viewing this document, so please do so while reading this document first. As per standard procedure, they have been edited for brevity and relevance – full reports are available from ONI Section III at your request if needed.

 

1.)    BACKGROUND

1.1.    Project TEMERITY:

Hoping to capitalise on the possible military applications of the Zeta Doradus / Onyx ruins, TEMERITY was originally formed in 2490 to assist in the excavation and analysis of any possible technologies recovered by the xenoarcheological dig team, consisting of both military personnel and civilian consultants. The gradual loss of interest in the Onyx ruins meant that TEMERITY was practically on the verge of collapse when the Covenant attacked Harvest. Now repurposed by ONI to recover and analyse any alien technology, for the past twenty four years worked on studying captured or recovered alien technology and reverse engineering these for UNSC applications. Though certainly not the only operating Project working on such applications, it has had the most success – improvements in directed energy weapons, solid light barriers, holographic emitters and a wide variety of useful equipment have all been derived from TEMERITY.

1.2.    Project EXCALIBUR:

By 2535, it was readily apparent that the UNSC’s then-current arsenal was woefully inadequate to deal with such a technologically advanced and numerically superior opponent such as the Covenant. In order to remedy this, Project EXCALIBUR was set up by the office of Naval Intelligence in order to develop equipment for the Navy and Marine Corps, and even the Army in some limited cases of inter-branch cooperation, intended to modernise the UNSCDF to compete against superior Covenant ships and weapons using improvements developed by TEMERITY. The results of EXCALIBUR have been varied – many were not adopted for cost reasons, or because of safety concerns, while others have been outstanding successes. EXCALIBUR’s experiments in starship modernisation would eventually produce ships like the Pillar of Autumn and Aeneas, and would introduce a range of missile, kinetic, and directed energy weapons into service. Through its operative span, EXCALIBUR has cooperated with a number of other projects, such as VAJRA-II, NAEGLING and ARONDIGHT to improve combat infantry survivability and development of powered armour.

 

1.3.    Project NOVA:

Initiated by Vice Admiral Danforth Whitcomb, NOVA was intended to develop a super weapon to level the playing field against the Covenant in the orbital theatres of combat, where the UNSC has traditionally been at its weakest. Consisting of nine hafnium warheads contained within a tritium case, the blast yield of a single NOVA is sufficient to devastate significant portions of a planet, and to destroy small planetoids. It was hoped that NOVA could be used in an offensive capacity, aimed at Covenant worlds in order to bring them to the negotiation table at last, but here I intend to use it in a defensive application. NOVA is currently still in the prototype and testing stages, but [ULYSSES] assures me that he can have a bomb ready by early 2553.

 

1.4.    Covenant Battle Tactics

Excerpt from UNSC UniCom/NavCom Combat Field Manual (2548 Ed.)

Planetary:

Covenant weaponry differs dramatically from UNSC standard equipment, in most cases firing a form of superheated ionised gas, “plasma” guiding and containing this plasma via a controlled electromagnetic field. These types of weapons seem to be the most common in the Covenant’s arsenal, used as offensive weaponry on vehicles, aircraft and starships, and as handheld firearms by infantry. These weapons also seem to have an effect on electronic equipment, likely the influence of the electromagnetic field. Most common weapons to use this type are the Plasma Pistol, Plasma Rifle, and Plasma Repeater. Other weaponry, such as the Needler and Needle Rifle, use crystalline ammunition that tracks and embeds in biological targets, exploding with significant force. Multiple needles embedded in the same target will produce a chain reaction, equivalent to a HE-DP Fragmentation Grenade with approximately equivalent force and area of effect. Still other weapons, such as the Carbine and the Fuel Rod Cannon, use irradiated projectiles, with similar penetration and operation to UNSC weaponry but with the added hazard of irradiation of the target and, reportedly, the user. Brute weaponry is much more primitive than other Covenant, or even UNSC, technology, and is still be based on accelerated metal projectiles, though Brutes seem to prefer large, bulky fletchettes or grenade launchers. Naturally, until further research can be performed, all Covenant equipment and weaponry is to be treated with caution and collected at any and all opportune moments

Covenant ground forces in general seem to prefer to use sheer firepower and overwhelming numbers to eliminate groundside threats, rather than invest effort into tactically and strategically effective manoeuvres. Some exceptions can be found – Elite and Brute units are far more capable than other Covenant units, and require extreme caution when dealing with, and special operations units exist – but in general, the Covenant reserve their most elite units for desperate situations, of which there have been scarce few. Covenant forces use a colour-based ranking system, differing between species.

Grunts: Grunts are the most common infantry among the Covenant armed forces, and exemplify their military philosophy – generally regarded as less skilled (or at least less well trained) than their human equivalents, Grunts are nevertheless bred and fielded in sufficient numbers to more than compensate for their deficiencies. Often found in squads, either led by a high-ranking Grunt or by an Elite or Brute, Grunts are often poorly armed and possess little effective armour beyond a simple harness to carry their gas tanks and to ensure limited modesty. Possess a dependency on methane, which they carry strapped to their backs outside of specially designed environments, and which can erupt with explosive force. In small numbers, Grunts are among the lowest threats presented by the Covenant.

Jackals: though far more skilled than their Grunt counterparts, Jackals are present in lesser numbers. Possessing both reptilian and avian characteristics, Jackals are well known for using durable arm-mounted energy shields for defence, though these shields can be circumvented by precision weaponry by weapons with parabolic trajectories, such as grenades, or overloaded by explosives or EMP devices. Jackals possess keen senses of sight, smell and sound, and use these to great effect in sniper/sharpshooter/scout roles. Most often found individually or in teams of two. Of the Covenant’s infantry forces, Jackals are regarded as the most equivalent to UNSC forces. WARNING: Jackals are known to execute and battlefield survivors, civilian or military, and butcher them. Treat with caution.

Drones: encountered comparatively recently, Drones are an intelligent hive-minded arthropod species used by the Covenant as menial workers and technicians. Deployed in swarms of sufficient size, Drones can present a significant airborne threat, circumventing UNSC ground defences and attacking from unexpected directions, but possess no protection beyond a naturally tough exoskeleton.

Engineers: far more proficient than Drones in technical expertise, Engineers are rarely deployed and even more rarely observed by UNSC forces. They appear to be mostly harmless unless threatened, ignoring even the closest UNSC forces until obstructed. Potentially neutral in this conflict – standing orders are to attempt to capture one alive if possible.

Hunters: deployed like heavy demolitions equipment, Hunters serve as heavy shock troops, using their massive hulking form and thick armour to engage enemy units at close range. One arm is equipped with a powerful Fuel Rod Cannon, while the other carries a thick and durable shield of unknown material. Limited weak spots presented on the back and neck areas, otherwise vulnerable only to heavy weaponry, such as grenades and other explosives.

Brutes: Brutes are tactically skilled warriors, often fielded leading squads of Grunts and/or Jackals, or in purely Brute squads, deployed as heavy infantry in combat. Possess limited energy shield technology, but compensate with naturally thick hide and distributed nervous system, making them extremely difficult to bring down. Highest-ranking brutes wield large hammers in combat, charging to close in on and engage an enemy. Physically powerful and fast, Brutes are to be regarded with extreme caution on the battlefield. NOTE: Brutes appear to have a rivalry with the higher-ranking Elites for dominance, perhaps explaining Elite reluctance to deploy them among their forces. This may be able to be exploited to cause tension among the Covenant’s internal hierarchy.

Elites: Elites are the most capable warriors among the Covenant, tactical and strategic skill, physical strength and speed, proficient in most forms of Covenant weaponry and possessing recharging energy shields. Lower-ranking Elites are deployed as squad leaders, heading units consisting of Grunts and/or Jackals, but are sufficiently tough enemy units on their own to warrant caution. The highest ranks serve as battlefield leaders, equivalent to generals or admirals. Seem to take pride in hand-to-hand combat ability, using energy swords to this effect.

Prophets: so far only engaged at extreme range and in a limited capacity, Prophets are the leaders of the Covenant, and normally take no part in military operations. Frail and dependent on technology to move, Prophets are little threat on their own but are normally surrounded by large numbers of bodyguards, all of whom are selected based on skill and dedication.

Covenant vehicles and aircraft invariably use anti-gravity propulsion of a type still being analysed by ONI. Lighter vehicles are swift, making use of their anti-gravity propulsion for speed and efficient thrust-vectoring capability, but may lack manoeuvrability. Covenant aircraft use their anti-gravity propulsion systems in a similar way, usually using them for attaining extreme high velocity, but also for thrust-vectoring and vertical movement. Almost all Covenant vehicles are equipped with plasma weaponry of some sort, either light plasma cannons or heavier versions for anti-vehicle support. Heavier vehicles, such as the Type-52 Assault Gun Carriage (Wraith), carry either a Plasma Mortar or a number of Type-52 Light Anti-Aircraft Weapons for engaging vehicles or aircraft at range, with a lighter Type-42 Directed Energy Support Weapon for anti-infantry support. Covenant aircraft, such as the Type-26 Ground Support Vehicle (Banshee), Type-52 Troop Transport (Phantom), Type-42 Troop Transport (Spirit) and Seraph Fighter are able to operate in both atmospheric and exoatmospheric environments, though fighters have comparatively short ranges compared to dropships. All aircraft carry plasma cannons for offense and defence, but the Banshee carries a Fuel Rod Cannon and the Seraph carries a plasma torpedo launcher for attacking heavier targets.

Orbital: In orbital combat against UNSC space forces, Covenant forces have had little cause to develop any sophisticated tactics and strategies, relying on their technological superiority. Covenant warships use drives that are fast and accurate, allowing extremely rapid transit through Slipspace to make pinpoint precision jumps; directed energy weapons, consisting of a mixture of chemical lasers, plasma torpedo launchers, and particle beam weapons; and electromagnetic fields providing shielding from UNSC weaponry. This advantage in precision formation, firepower, and defence means that the UNSC must usually enjoy a numerical advantage of 3:1 for a level playing field, and more if a victory is to be achieved. Covenant ships are usually crewed by Elites, though Jackals have been known to field small, agile but lightly armed and defended ships for piracy operations. Brutes have also been known to crew ships, usually outdated Covenant models and rarely deployed. Most warships larger than frigate class carry at least a small complement of Seraph fighters for point defence and interception, and carriers can carry up to three hundred fighters. Typically, Covenant warships engage all targets at hand, eliminating any threat that might be presented to them methodically and ruthlessly, especially targeting Orbital Tethers that might be used for escaping colonists or military personnel. After all orbital threats have been removed, regardless of whether UNSC ground forces remain, the Covenant will them bombard the planet from orbit using their plasma weaponry in a criss-crossing grid pattern, designed to melt the surface of the entire planet to render it uninhabitable. Intelligence indicates this to be partly religious in function, and partly practical, denying the UNSC the chance to re-colonise these worlds. No Covenant warships have ever been observed agreeing to surrender regardless of how badly damaged the ship, and UNSC boarding parties have encountered stiff resistance, to the extent that the Covenant will destroy their ship rather than let it fall into our hands.

 

1.5.    CAA File Alpha Canis Minoris / Procyon (Minorca)

Star System: Alpha Canis Minoris (Procyon) [~11.9 light-years from Sol]

Planet Type: inner star system terrestrial planet

Natural History: evidence of inhabitation by native (endemic?)  fauna and flora between the Late Cretaceous and Late Pleistocene eras. Planetary extinction caused by unknown environmental catastrophe (possibly interstellar, coinciding with extinctions in the fossil records dozens of other planets.)

Colonial History: Discovered in 2492, after colonisation of Arcadia in same system, investigated by Terra Invictus Mining Corporation for abundant alluvial and mineral deposits. Established as a mining colony in 2507, a site of Insurrectionist activity from 2511 through to 2524. Abandoned by civilians in 2531 after first invasion of Arcadia, full military withdrawal in 2542. No known inhabitants, unable to exclude possibility of remnant Insurrectionist activity.

Planetary Characteristics: tectonically active, several volcanic mountain ranges along the equator. Evidence of terrestrial impact by orbital debris throughout the past 16 million years. Atmosphere consists of oxygen-nitrogen mix, with traced of hydrogen, helium, and other Earth-natural elements. Land is concentrated in one supercontinent, Avalon, with surface area dominated by 75% water in super-ocean, Marina. Biospheres are separated into polar icecaps, northern and southern temperate zones, and equatorial tropical zone.

Orbital Characteristics: occupying habitable field around Procyon. Possesses one satellite, Juno, approximately 1/5 planetary mass. Surrounded by a thick asteroid belt, only accessible by a narrow tunnel devoid of debris known as the “Juno Corridor.”

               

 

1.6.    Operation: HELLSCAPE

PLNB TRANSMISSION 74562F-Z-33

ENCRYPTON CODE: GAMMA-THREE-ZULU

PUBLIC KEY: FILE VICTOR-FOXTROT-FIVE-ZERO-SIX

FROM: UNSC MIL-AI GLRN-224/G [GLAURUNG]

TO: Colonel Verdani Forrester [Service Number: 66465-12371-VF]

SUBJECT: AFTER-ACTION REPORT (DELTA PAVONIS THEATRE)

CLASSIFICATION: SECRET (BGX Directive)

// START FILE //                                   

The full after-action report has been uploaded to your CNI now, Colonel. This is merely a summary, included for the sake of brevity and clarity, requested by Rear Admiral Reichmuth. The battle for this colony has drawn a surprising amount of interest – I’m getting inquiries from ONI Sections I and III, HIGHCOM, and a number of subdivisions. Everyone seems to want to know what happened here – so naturally, I’m happy to oblige.

·         17.09.2549 [23.59.22] : UNSC colony Pavo Prime declares Winter Contingency.

·         20.09.2549 [13.33.11]: Most of Taskforce Pericles are destroyed by Covenant fire. No enemy casualties.

·         24.09.2549 [15.44.12]: Covenant Battlegroup begins invasion, hitting main cities from orbit and launching dropships and fighters.

·         24.09.2549 [22.09.51]: UNSC Battlegroup Ark Royal is deployed from Earth in response to declaration of Winter Contingency.

·         29.09.2549 [01.29.42]: Most surviving civilians have drawn back into the labyrinth of mining tunnels within the planetoid, escorted by local UNSC Army and Colonial Militia, suffering heavy casualties.

·         01.10.2549 [02.36.24]: Covenant platoons attempt to flush the colonists out. The Colonists counter-attack by using the mining equipment and well-placed explosives, selectively collapsing tunnels on the Covenant. Covenant forces occupy the position outside the exit, expecting to simply confine the colonists within until they can bombard the colony.

·         04.10.2549 [22.09.42]: Battlegroup Ark Royal arrives in-system at the local Safe Slipspace Exit Point.

·         04.10.2549 [23.33.36]: Battlegroup Ark Royal engages the Covenant Battlegroup at extreme long range, uses planetary objects as cover as it moves in-system.

·         04.10.2549 [23.58.16]: Covenant Battlegroup withdraws under UNSC MAC and missile fire, losing seven warships in the process. No UNSC casualties.

·         05.10.2549 [01.11.21]: Battlegroup Ark Royal deploys Marine terrestrial forces by dropship, landing craft or SOEIV.

·         05.10.2549 [03.47.13]: Troopers from the 506^th ODST Force Recon Battalion are the first boots on the ground, securing a landing zone for dropships and landing craft.

·         05.10.2549 [08.33.23]: 687^th and 88^th Marine Regiments begin assault on Covenant-occupied cities, taking heavy casualties from artillery and aircraft until reinforced by the 427^th Marine Regiment.

·         06.10.2549 [16.37.31]: SPARTAN-II Indigo Team is launched from the UNSC Hunters Arrow, landing on the battlefield. Indigo fight their way through a company of Brutes to reach the entrance of the mining complex, allowing the 34^th Marine Regiment to secure it.

·         07.10.2549 [11.01.22]: Dropships and landing craft are deployed to evacuate the surviving civilians, as the 34^th and 427^th Marine Regiments and Indigo Team hold off a Covenant armoured attack.

·         07.10.2549 [17.35.55]: 506^th ODST Battalion attack and capture a Covenant supply base, redirecting enemy reinforcements into a trap. The UNSC Aeneas’ THOR Weapon System is used to wipe out more than a division-strength of Covenant.

·         08.10.2549 [10.44.43]: Orbital position becomes tenuous as the Covenant Battlegroup moves in again to engage UNSC forces. UNSC Frigates Lycopolis and Paris Spring and Destroyer Colossus are destroyed. Four enemy warships are destroyed before they retreat again.

·         08.10.2549 [11.02.31]: Indigo Team and elements of the 506^th ODST Force Recon Battalion attack a Covenant dig site, destroying a Scarab and a significant number of Covenant infantry and armour, managing to recover the object of their interest – a small non-Covenant alien artefact.

·         08.10.2549 [12.33.17]: Rear Admiral Reichmuth declares a retreat. Evacuation of Marine personnel begins.

·         08.10.2549 [12.34.56]: Indigo Team appropriates a Phantom dropship as a Covenant cruiser attempts to glass the dig site from orbit to deny it to the UNSC. The Phantom takes significant fire from pulse lasers, narrowly avoiding plasma torpedoes, until UNSC destroyers Heliopolis, Never Surrender and Jingo engage the cruiser, allowing them to crash-land in UNSC Aeneas docking bay.

·         08.10.2549 [13.59.22]: UNSC Battlegroup withdraws to local Safe Slipspace Entry Point

·         09.10.2549 [15.23.02]: Covenant forces destroy the asteroid, bombarding it with plasma torpedoes until it shatters.

Individual personnel and unit files provide a more detailed picture, but this is a time-accurate overview of the overall battle from beginning to end.

As the timeline indicates, Covenant forces entered the system at 12.22.11 on September 17th at a point just beyond the SSEP. An hour later, the colony declared Winter Contingency, mobilising its local defences – a UNSC Army battalion, irregular Colonial Militia units, and the three frigates assigned to protect it. These frigates are destroyed relatively quickly by the Covenant Battlegroup, which deploys dropships and landing craft of its own to invade the planet. Army and Militia units evacuated the cities quickly, and attempted to hold off the Covenant advance – when that failed, they withdrew to the relative safety of the labyrinth of tunnels that riddled the colony from mining corporations. Covenant forces attempted to follow, but were driven off by ingenious application of local knowledge – many of the survivors were miners or former minters, and were able to activate the drilling equipment, generating cave-ins in tactically vital positions, or simply stopped pumping air into them, suffocating the Covenant invaders. Better still, Army personnel had already planned for this eventuality, and had planted explosives at specific points, not only trapping the Covenant but destroying the entrance, allowing them to bide their time as they waited for a UNSC reaction force. The Covenant, in turn, occupied the mine entrance, expecting to simply contain the colonists until they could bombard the colony, destroying it and killing them anyway.

The declaration of Winter Contingency arrived at HIGHCOM after seven days, and after two days personnel recall, resupply and rearmament the UNSC Battlegroup Ark Royal was deployed to respond to the situation. The Battlegroup had been finishing its testing at Misriah Armouries for several upgrades to its MAC systems and missile armaments, and had been assigned the UNSC Aeneas, a prototype next-generation warship. Arriving in-system at the SSEP, the arrival of the Battlegroup was obscured by the system’s debris from its asteroid belt, allowing them to close on enemy without even alerting them to their arrival. Destroying seven Covenant frigates in the first MAC volley, Battlegroup Ark Royal closed and engaged the remaining ships, eventually driving them from the colony. With their orbital position secure, they turned to the terrestrial position, deploying Marine and ODST forces.

As you are no doubt well aware of, Colonel, the 506^th ODST Force Recon Battalion was the first unit to make landfall, engaging Covenant Brute forces and securing an LZ for the rest of the reaction force. Reinforced by Pelican gunships, the 506^th stayed for the arrival of the first three regiments before moving out again, engaging enemy forces to the north, while the 698^th and 34^th Marine Regiments assaulted the occupied capital city. At the same time, the Prowler UNSC Hunters Arrow deployed an IRIS-II SPYSAT network to provide local intelligence on Covenant positions and movements, the state of local infrastructure, and search for the colonists. Finding no evidence of survivors, it was only a chance radio broadcast by an underground militiaman that alerted the Battlegroup to their whereabouts and position. The Hunters Arrow moved in close to the colony, launching SPARTAN-II Indigo Team.

You may not like the Spartans, Colonel, but even you can’t deny the results. In the space of three hours, three men (or women) mowed through an entire company of Covenant, and Brutes at that, reaching and securing the mine entrance as the colonists used drilling equipment to bore an escape route. With Army and Militia personnel supporting Indigo Team, the local defenders were able to fend off a Covenant counter-attack long enough for the 34^th Marine Regiment to arrive to reinforce the position and evacuate the now weakened colonists. Three hours later, the 427^th Marine Regiment arrived to provide further aid. Dropships and landing craft were deployed by the Ark Royal and Aeneas to evacuate the survivors, treating them in their medical bays for cases of malnutrition, dehydration and inhalation of toxic substances. On the ground, the mine entrance defending forces were attacked by a renewed Covenant assault.

Reacting quickly, the 506^th attacked and captured a small Covenant supply base, falsifying and transmitting trod coordination reports over the Covenant Battle-Network, sending the bulk of their forces to the wrong position, where an orbital strike from the UNSC Aeneas’ THORWS obliterated almost a third of their force. Losing momentum, the Covenant attack was forced to withdraw as the UNSC held their positions, now caught between the hammer and the anvil – more orbital strikes by the Aeneas would destroy the equivalent of two divisions.

Now unable to be reinforced and resupplied, the Covenant attack lost momentum and was forced to withdraw to a safer location, abandoning the attack on the evacuation effort to regroup. Now free from Covenant attack, the local defenders were able to speed up the evacuation as Indigo were redeployed to support the now besieged 506^th. You may disagree that it was necessary, but they managed to take out the Covenant artillery from behind before they could react, allowing us a reprieve from the bombardment and saving lives. From there, both Indigo and a platoon of our ODST’s packed and loaded the captured equipment from the supply base for analysis by ONI – I’ll admit that I take some pride that after all these years, it was ODST troopers who captured the largest ever haul of intact Covenant equipment.

At that point, Admiral Reichmuth had sounded the alert for planetary withdrawal. The Covenant Battlegroup had attempted to move back in-system, engaging the fleet – we won, but at the cost of two frigates and a destroyer, more than Reichmuth was willing to risk. Unfortunately, we had yet to receive the order, and had already begun the attack on a second Covenant groundside position further north, a dig site. By the time we received the order, we had already closed and engaged with the Covenant – orbital fire support from the Aeneas managed to bring down four anti-aircraft guns and a Scarab, while Indigo Team brought down a second Scarab and the ODST’s stormed the lightly defended camp. Resistance was minimal, mostly consisting of badly prepared Grunts workers and Jackal guards, quickly and easily put down. From this dig site, we managed to retrieve the artefact the Covenant had been searching for – a non-Covenant alien object buried under the surface of the colony. At this point, the Covenant Battlegroup broke through the UNSC’s position, launching more dropships and bombers to reinforce the ground position. Enduring a Covenant Seraph bombing run, Indigo Team appropriated the artefact and commandeered a captured Spirit dropship, luring the Seraph squadron out of range of the ODST’s. Dodging past a cruiser, taking heavy damage from pulse laser shots meant to cripple the dropship, Indigo was saved at the last minute by the intervention of the frigates UNSC Heliopolis, UNSC Never Surrender, and UNSC Jingo, allowing it to crash-land in the Aeneas’ docking bay. With all personnel secure, and the Covenant increasingly destabilising their position, the fleet withdrew back to the SSEP and, enacting the Cole Protocol, jumped away on random vectors, reorienting, and jumping back to Reach.

ONI has not responded to my inquiries about the artefacts we recovered at great risk, and I doubt they ever will. As for Indigo Team, they’ve once again dropped off the grid – a fact I have dutifully forwarded to ONI Section Zero. The recipient, a codename: SHOGUN seemed very interested in the ramifications. Your ODST’s have been given shore leave – I can only hope that the bars and clubs of Reach can survive two weeks with them out on the town. Families of those wounded or killed in action have been notified. That seems to be all that can be said on the matter.

 

 

2.    PROPOSAL

Since the beginning of this war against the Covenant for the survival of the human race, the UNSC has faced an enemy that is both technologically and numerically superior. On the ground, military victories are made possible by our superior grasp and implementation of tactical and strategic manoeuvres, as well as intimate understanding of the local terrain and infrastructure. In orbit, victories have been made possible only by overwhelming numbers, and have been the deciding factor in nearly every UNSC-Covenant engagement throughout this war. With the Covenant’s offensive and defensive superiority in space combat, the UNSC has been unable to hold onto the Outer Colonies, the last of which was conquered in 2531, and has been steadily losing ground among the Inner Colonies since then, despite attempts to confuse and misdirect the Covenant. Victories have been small and rare, and defeats all too common.

These events have, in turn, had a devastating impact on morale, among both the military and civilian populations, exacerbated by the UNSC’s strict control of interstellar communications channels and news outlets. While the general populace believes the situation for the UNSC is bad, they have no idea just how dire the situation is for humanity as a whole. At the same time, the Covenant is slowly conquering and glassing the remaining colonies left to humanity. Projects TEMERITY, EXCALIBUR and NOVA are developing equipment intended to at least level the playing field in combat against the Covenant, but the implementation of this equipment will not be fast, and time must be bought, time which we may not have, during which the UNSC will lose civilian and military personnel to the Covenant. The last chance the UNSC – and humanity – has is a victory, stalling the Covenant long enough for some of these technologies to be introduced among the defence forces and to have an effect. Such a victory can also be used as a major propaganda victory by the Office of Naval Intelligence.

To achieve these goals, I propose Operation HOT GATES.

While the Covenant attacked Arcadia in 2531, and then returned to finally conquer the planet in 2542, intercepted communications transmissions from the time indicate a total ignorance of the existence of Minorca, the second colony in the star system. This ignorance has persisted until earlier this year, when the Covenant invaded the Delta Pavonis system, attacking the asteroid colonies and establishing several dig sites. During the UNSC counter-offensive (Operation: HELLSCAPE), a number of alien artefacts of non-Covenant origin were recovered from these dig sites, with astrological locations inscribed on them. Many of the locations have been previously visited by the Covenant, either in Covenant territory or during their conquest of the Outer Colonies. Alpha Canis Minoris is among these locations, and it is reasonable to assume that, since the Covenant found nothing on Arcadia during 2531 and 2542, they will return to the star system to conduct a more thorough search for whatever artefacts they are searching for. Recently intercepted communications, courtesy of Operation HYPODERMIC, have confirmed Covenant interest in the system, and indications are that a small fleet is being assembled to spearhead the investigation. Preliminary projections ONI estimate force readiness within the next year, during either the second or third quarters.

I propose that Minorca is the ideal ambush location against a Covenant invading force. It possesses all factors necessary for such an operation; we know that the Covenant intends to deploy a force there, and we know approximately when; we have the advantage of local navigational data that is unavailable to the Covenant, detailing the astrography for exploitation; the location itself prohibits effective Covenant assault, forcing them into a position of vulnerability; and the position is sufficiently important enough to the Covenant that they will persist in their assault, allowing prolonged exploitation.

Minorca is surrounded by an asteroid belt, mostly consisting of magnetised ferrous material, emitting an electromagnetic field that interferes with electronic systems. Access to Minorca is enabled only by a narrow tunnel, the Juno Corridor, passing through the debris of the asteroid belt - it was this corridor that initially prevented large-scale colonisation. This tunnel serves two major advantages for a UNSC defending force: firstly, it forces the Covenant through this electromagnetic field, interfering with their slipstream drives, energy shields and weaponry; secondly, it forces the Covenant force into a tight bottleneck, limiting the number of warships they can present at a time regardless of total force strength. These forces, rendered vulnerable by their of temporary lack of shields and weaponry, can be quickly dispatched by a UNSC ambush force located well outside of the EM field for as long as personnel and equipment are available. ONI estimates more than 34% casualties for the Covenant in the initial salvo, with more ships able to be destroyed as they enter our firing range. It is likely that at least some Covenant warships will be able to break through, raising their shields and activating their weapons once out of range of the Juno Corridor, but these can be dealt with by the UNSC’s overwhelming numerical superiority.

ONI also estimates that the Covenant will be able to deploy a significant planetary invasion force via dropship or insertion pod, in order to secure whatever relics they believe to be located on Minorca. Even these forces serve to further draw the Covenant into HOT GATES – committing a sizeable ground force to a potentially lucrative discovery, the Covenant will be obliged to support this effort with further materiel and personnel, sending a follow-up force to reinforce their Minorca attack force within a few weeks or months. Efforts must thus be taken to reinforce our own position, with additional ships and personnel – while the Covenant will be expecting the ambush, they will have no way to gauge our force strength. This pattern of reinforcement and engagement can be repeated ad infinitum – the Juno Corridor ensures that the Covenant force will always be vulnerable, and tightly concentrated enough for UNSC firepower to wreak devastating damage.

There are other factors that will allow a UNSC force an unprecedented advantage, not least of which are the products of Projects TEMERITY, EXCALIBUR and NOVA. TEMERITY has experience in recovering and studying Covenant equipment, an opportunity that HOT GATES is not intended to produce but is nevertheless a beneficial by-product. At the same time, developments by EXCALIBUR are intended to begin to enter military service within the next three years, and initial production models and prototypes have proven effective, especially the improvements it has produced for UNSC Navy warships, especially the range of electronic warfare, conventional and nuclear missiles that have already been introduced in a limited capacity. Their deployment at Minorca should both improve the UNSC’s effectiveness in combat, and be an unexpected obstacle to the Covenant.

This campaign is imagined as a primarily naval one, perhaps necessarily, but the battle for the planet’s surface is also an integral factor in its success. Firstly, committing ground forces to the campaign obliges the Covenant to resupply, support and/or recover these forces, forcing them to send a second force to be engaged by the naval force stationed around the exit of the Juno Corridor. Secondly, Covenant forces possess detection technology used in the recovery of alien artefacts that are not available to the UNSC. While ONI knows that there are valuable relics on Minorca, all geological, topographic, and other studies have produced no evidence as to their locations. With the ground force pinpointing the location of the relics, an interception force can be sent to eliminate the Covenant occupiers and recover these relics for the UNSC. Presumably, these relics will then be examined and studied by Project TEMERITY for any further advantage that can be gained.

2.1.    Aims:

HOT GATES is intended to achieve a number of high-impact objectives designed to weaken the Covenant military offensive against the UNSC and to strengthen the UNSC’s defensive position, buying further time.

1.)     To force the Covenant into a long-term engagement, that will divert vital resources and personnel from their conquest of other colonies, slowing their rate of conquest.

2.)     To force the Covenant into a combat theatre where the UNSC forces are in a highly defensible position, and in which the attacking Covenant forces are sufficiently weakened to bring the two sides to at least combat parity.

3.)     To deploy technologies co-developed by Projects TEMERITY and EXCALIBUR on the battlefield, demonstrating their effectiveness in combat.

4.)     To provide an effective psychological blow against the Covenant’s morale with a major military defeat, and to boost the morale of humanity with a major military victory.

Each of these aims, on its own, is sufficient reason to warrant at least consideration. The advance of the Covenant has been slowed by the implementation of the Cole Protocol, and the introduction of EXCALIBUR equipment will hopefully improve the UNSC’s ability to fight the Covenant, but it will still take time that we do not have. By forcing the Covenant to commit to a prolonged campaign at Minorca, we force them to divert resources, materiel and personnel that would otherwise be spent searching for our remaining Inner Colonies. The situation of Minorca means that the planet allows a defending force an overwhelming advantage, regardless of the Covenant’s technological superiority, giving the UNSC better odds in one battle than it has had at any point throughout this war. Such a victory, on such a scale, would be a significant propaganda victory, improving morale not only on the home front but among the rank and file as well, and if we are lucky it will have a debilitating effect on Covenant morale as well.

The exact method this operation will take has been expressly designed for modularity and flexibility, able to accommodate new occurrences and new mission parameters.

2.2.    Method:

Phase Zero: Operation: PUNCTURE - Phase Zero consists of a number of Prowler-type ships deployed into Shaw-Fujikawa Space and Covenant territory, broadcasting semi-encrypted transmissions near points known to be near Covenant interception outposts. These broadcasts are to contain falsified stellar cartography details, troop movements, and increase in what the Covenant considers to be “relics”. All of these are to give the false impression that the UNSC has discovered a significant xenoarcheological site on a world that is easily accessible, and is present only in limited numbers. With such false information, the initial Covenant force will expect to run into a small protection force and plan accordingly.

Phase One: FORTIFICATION – the establishment of a defence group over and on Minorca prior to the arrival of the Covenant is paramount. Orbital element possessed positional advantages that can be exploited – the bottleneck created by the Juno Corridor, as well as the orbit of Juno itself providing cover directly in front of the corridor opening, or even serving as a base of fire for Orbital Defence Platforms and moon-based mass drivers, coilguns and railguns. Orbital element is recommended to consist predominantly of heavy warships, with a number of support ships to assist the ground engagement as needed. Ground element is recommended to consist of several divisions of combined UNCC Army and Marine Corps infantry and cavalry units, Air Force aerial support, and Naval logistical support units. Introduction of EXCALIBUR equipment among ground forces, and refitting of naval element with improvements, to improve the effectiveness of the units and field-test the equipment.

Phase Two: CONFRONTATION – initial engagement with the Covenant. Using the element of surprise, local astrological hazards, and newly deployed technologies, victory is calculated to be 78% likely, far higher than any other campaign.

Phase Three: ENGAGEMENT – prolonged engagement. Covenant forces must be permitted to land on the planet, in order for the Covenant to committing itself to supporting them. By drawing their military attention to Minorca, where UNSC defenders hold a defensible position better than any other in past battles, the Covenant should expend supplies, equipment and personnel that would otherwise be used elsewhere. This phase consists of both orbital and planetary theatres of combat, and with the latter will consist of infantry, armoured and aerial engagements with Covenant planetary forces. Established colonial infrastructure should prove relatively easy to militarise, including establishment of firebases and command posts. The planet’s only city, New London, can serve as the UNSC’s link to orbital forces, serving as both headquarters for regional commanding officers and as a spaceport. Space Elevator may still function. This phase obviously cannot be kept up indefinitely, but leads to Phase IV.

Phase IV: SCORCHED EARTH – withdrawal. This stage of Operation: HOT GATES is to be enacted in the event of a UNSC withdrawal from the planet, either due to overwhelming Covenant forces or because FLEETCOM has ordered a withdrawal for some other reason. After the planet has been evacuated and the fleet deployed to Earth, a NOVA Bomb is to be launched and detonated to destroy the planet. The launch of the NOVA bomb serves three purposes – firstly, it denies the Covenant a potentially valuable resource, the relics beneath Minorca’s surface. Secondly, it annihilates any remaining Covenant forces, including orbiting warships.

The destruction of a planet to deny it to the enemy may seem like an extreme measure, but it is no less than what the Covenant are doing to our own worlds. It is true that the worlds themselves still remain, but the orbital plasma bombardment has destroyed their surfaces and allowed their atmosphere to escape into space, rendering them uninhabitable and unable to be terraformed. For all intents and purposes, they may as well have been destroyed. My discussions with ULYSSES have informed me that ONI had intended to deploy the NOVA against Covenant targets, using it to bring the Covenant to the negotiating table – I have always expressed my reservations of such a plan, especially in the implementation phase and in its effects. The defence networks of past targets, like 51 Pegasi d, or Sierra/Juliet-Echo-72627664b, preclude the NOVA even reaching the planet unless through a massive invasion to support it. Even if a successful detonation can be achieved, and a Covenant world destroyed, there is no guarantee that they will recognise it as a threat – our early assassination operations against Prophet targets was meant to make them more cautious, and instead enraged them, accelerating their push into the colonies. The destruction of a planet may only have a similar effect. I feel that using the NOVA in a “scorched earth” capacity is a more likely and beneficial use of such firepower. ULYSSES assured me that his department is about to conduct a test detonation at the OSIRIS-II Test Site, and a full demonstration of the weapon’s effectiveness will be proven.

 

3.     REQUIREMENTS

3.1.    SECRECY

Security for an operation on this scale is paramount, and must be maintained at all costs. We’ve already noted leaks within some of the upper echelons of CENTCOM and HIGHCOM, resulting in Insurrectionist sympathisers transmitting classified material to insurrectionist paramilitary groups or even the civilian media. In the latter case, the PR disaster we had trying to fix the damage they did on the Coral Incident tied up ONI Section II for months, a successful distraction tactic. In the former, it resulted in Covenant forces intercepting coordinates for no less than four Outer Colonies, and the deaths of seven millions, most of whom were ironically pro-Insurrectionist. I don’t know if the Insurrection is still a force to be reckoned with anymore – I leave that to others. We haven’t been back to Minorca since 2542, though, and there is the possibility that an Insurrectionist force has used it, or is still using it. It may even have been resettled by rogue colonists, who have historically not taken kindly to the arrival of UNSC management.

Personnel rosters for UNSC Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps personnel involved should be deemed CLASSIFIED, codeword clearance “CHIHUAHUA FIFTEEN.” Material on Projects TEMERITY and EXCALIBUR is already classified TOP SECRET – NOVEMBER BLACK, a state that I have no intention of altering, but material on the Procyon system, Arcadia, Minorca, and other planets, planetoids and satellites in the system should also be classified TOP SECRET. We cannot afford for this information to reach the Covenant – even if they only had a rough overview of the tactical situation, it would still change the probability of victory drastically. At worst, they might devise calculations to bypass the Juno Corridor entirely, removing any advantage that would be gained by using the bottleneck.

MIL.VIR.3442A “WIDOW-MAKER” has proven its ability to safely, securely, and secretly delete relevant files, removing all links and erasing   . MIL.VIR.4425X “BLACK-WIDOW” is scheduled to come online soon, using a semi-sapient matrix to prevent remote infiltration and provide dynamic and adaptive responses to threats. Naturally, I recommend that these two programs be implemented to ensure the security of Operation: HOT GATES, working in tandem.

3.2.    PERSONNEL

o    Space Forces

§  Combat Element: Given the average number of Covenant ships deployed in attacks on low-priority targets, a force of approximately a dozen warships should be sufficient to deal with the initial exploratory element. A second combat element will be deployed, probably within a few weeks, but more likely between one and two months after this to respond, ready to engage the original force – by which point we must have quadrupled our defence fleet. After this point, the number of ships the Covenant sends is irrelevant – as long as the UNSC defence fleet maintains a steady supply of ammunition, fuel, and supplies for personnel, we can hold them off indefinitely, exploiting the Juno Corridor as a bottleneck rendering them vulnerable. If available, I would recommend the 30^th Fleet – they just had the Aeneas assigned to them from EXCALIBUR, and VOLUND’s boys have wanted to introduce their improvements on a larger scale. Using them in HOT GATES will not only improve our combat effectiveness (VOLUND tells me by 300%), but will also serve as a field test for further introduction throughout the fleet.

§  Orbital Support Element: Providing the ground combat element with fire support from orbit, I recommend THORWS equipped ships and at least two Prowlers to establish an intelligence gathering satellite network and to coordinate its dissemination. The ONI presence will also be used if UNSC forces manage to discover anything of interest on the planet – if we can capture it, ONI can analyse it. If we can’t, then it should be destroyed by orbital bombardment. If it can be arranged, and if they can be spared, I would also ask for at least a pair of Orbital Defence Platforms, equipped with the new Mk. XX “Super” MAC systems that the Reach Orbital Defence Grid is using.

§  Resupply Element: For such a long-term campaign, the supply chain for involved personnel will be long and complex – ammunition, fuel, food and water for the ships and ground forces. The Juno Corridor will be blocked off, but measures can be taken – Admiral Cole left a lot behind when he disappeared, and his Slipspace calculations. Tinuviel tells me she can reverse-extrapolate a set of high-precision Slipspace jumps, bringing the supply convoy within the asteroid belt, completely bypassing the Juno Corridor – she also tells me that it will take some time for a ship to enter Slipspace this way. I also recommend stockpiling as many supplies as we can before hand, in the event that this method should fail, at least enough to supply an evacuation and withdrawal. See below for further details.

o    Planetary Forces

§  Infantry/Cavalry: engaging Covenant forces, occupying strategic points and recapturing those captured by the enemy. I recommend the 427^th to take part – I had some good experienced with them during my days in VAJRA-I. Given the size of the planet, the sparse colonial infrastructure, and the density of the jungle, I recommend seven Army or Marine Corps divisions, with perhaps another two on standby on Reach if needed.

§  Marine: with the extensive orbital presence, I doubt that any terrestrial “wet” Navy forces are needed. Perhaps a handful of aircraft carriers, or some amphibious assault craft, but no battleships or destroyers – if the Covenant wants to take the fight to the water, then we can use our aerial forces. If that fails, then orbital bombardment is always available.

§  Aerial: I recommend at least three divisions of Army or Air Force gunships and close attack aircraft, a division of dropships or utility helicopters (I would very much like to see the Falcon in action), two divisions of Naval dropships for logistics support, as well as another division of reconnaissance aircraft. While the SPYSAT network laid by the Prowlers will be useful, getting a close-in look at anything of interest will provide us with better intelligence.

§  Special Forces: I don’t know about the Army, but Marine Special Forces would be an asset in this theatre – given the unpredictable nature of the ground campaign compared to the orbital campaign, its best to plan ahead before you need it. ODST forces should also be available from orbital launch platforms, either via troopship or frigate, further improving our flexible response options. There’s also the 506^th ODST Force Recon Battalion – besides being an independent and self-sufficient force, they have experience in artefact recovery, either Covenant wreckage and debris or “other” kinds of valuable field assets. ORPHEUS tells me that he can have a few S-II and III teams ready if we require them, and I would certainly feel safer with them available – I’m not entirely sure about the quality of the III’s, but the II’s, I am assured, are fully operational and equipped. VOLUND over in TEMERITY tells me he’s worked with Indigo Team before, so that is always a plus.

3.3.    LOGISTICS

Given the sheer number of personnel required to take part, as well as the duration this operation is intended to extend through, keeping our ground and orbital forces fully supplied will be a monumental task. Naturally, the difficulties presented by Minorca – namely the Juno Corridor – are as much a hindrance to our own forces as they are to the Covenant – keeping a supply route through the Corridor would render our own weaknesses vulnerable to Covenant exploitation. At the same time, however, VOLUND informs me that improvements to the Shaw-Fujikawa drives are scheduled to be introduced soon, dramatically improving both transit duration through, and accuracy of entry and exit into, Shaw-Fujikawa Space. If we are to make full use of this opportunity, then these improvements may need to be hastened and introduced to our fleet sooner than previously scheduled – with such accuracy, it may be possible to make an in-system jump within the asteroid field, bypassing the Corridor completely. Naturally, this is precisely what we want to prevent the Covenant from achieving, but they do not have the advantage of quantum sensor outposts in the system, or detailed astrographical charts to plot courses. With the constant interaction of the debris field, making a jump would more likely than not simply land a ship between two colliding asteroids, or in a shower of shrapnel inflicting catastrophic damage. Our own ships, however, can enter the system at the points I have indicated on the PROCYON starchart attached to the Minorca file.

o    Orbital: at least fifty medium- or heavy-tonnage freighters for external resupply, with frigate or destroyer escorts in the event of Covenant attack during resupply. These resupply operations can be staggered to minimise the risk of Covenant attack while they are present, but combat elements should be on alert during their presence nevertheless. I would also recommend keeping at least one Repair Ship close, allowing local forces to restore combat effectiveness relatively quickly after repelling a Covenant attack.

o    Planetary: supply storage facilities should be constructed months in advance, with significant stockpiles present already. If the resupply element is compromised in any way, the ground forces will need supplies enough for a planetary evacuation effort. Additional hydroponics and water refinery facilities should be established as well, to minimise our dependence on resupply efforts and to bolster our ability to remain semi-autonomous. Ammunition storehouses for the warships in orbit, as well as maintenance staff for mechanised cavalry, aircraft, and starship repair and upkeep should be present as well.

3.4.    COOPERATION

The importance of HOT GATES' success will require the cooperation of a number of necessary projects, in terms of equipment and personnel. Naturally, I have asked the individual Project leaders their thoughts – their discretion, I believe, is beyond doubt. Project outlines are available at the start of the brief, and I trust that you have already read them. HEPHAESTUS has assured me that mutual cooperation is in both of our best interests, and is eager to use the resources at my disposal to implement his upgrades. The Aeneas has been a successful test case, and he’d like to have a lot more successes. Wouldn’t we all? VOLUND also assures me that his cooperation will be total – the opportunity to study unprecedented amounts of alien technology was quite a tempting lure. I have already been able to make extensive use of his resources in setting out this mission brief, especially in terms of logistics and astrography. ULYSSES has proven more troublesome – I think he has doubts about our chances of success. I only had time (and information available) to provide a rough outline, and from that even I wouldn’t give us a snowballs chance. But once I can show him the proper mission brief, I think he’ll come around – it means accelerating his own project, something that everyone wants. Even if the Covenant manage to eventually break through our defences and glass the planet, it may prove a tactical defeat but a strategic victory – accelerating the introduction of so much equipment and testing them in the field will still buy us months, perhaps years if Section III has its calculations correct.

 

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