The Battle of Somnus IX

The Battle of Somnus IX was a major battle in the Great War. The UNSC listening outpost on Somnus IX had been able to learn of the incoming Covenant Battlegroup and re-purposed all available ships in the area to it's defence. After a brief naval battle on November the 22nd 2531 the UNSC set up Mass Accelerator Cannons on the planet. Covenant ground forces landed and fought the UNSC on the ground. They were able to destroy the MACs, although they lost a large amount of forces doing so. The UNSC retreated from the system on March the 8th 2532, and Somnus IX was glassed.
==History==
===Covenant Detected===
On November the 21st 2531 the UNSC listening outpost on Somnus IX detected a Covenant fleet en route for it. The commander of the outpost, Lieutenant Elton sent out a distress signal.
===UNSC Response===
The UNSC quickly responded by sending in a battlegroup of 1 Battleship, 4 Destroyers, 4 Frigates and 3 War Carriers to assist. Knowing they would not be able to defeat the Covenant fleet in space, they took several planetary MACs and deployed them on the surface. Soon after, the Covenant fleet arrived in system.
===Naval Battle===
The UNSC Fleet engaged in battle, sending all combat ships (except three Frigates) into a head on assault. While the Covenant were distracted, the three Frigates not in the battle flanked around behind the Covenant and opened up on them. The Covenant lost 3 Battlecruisers and 1 more was damaged before the UNSC took heavy losses and retreated to atmosphere and the cover of the MAC guns.
===Ground Battle===
The Covenant sent down landing craft to deploy forces whose job was to destroy the MAC guns. The 203rd Battalion Marines were sent to ambush landing sites. Almost a third of the Covenant landing force was destroyed, and the Marines pulled back to the MAC gun closest to the landing zone. The Covenant launched an attack which the Marines beat back, but another landing force arrived and attacked, with backup from three Scarabs. The Marines destroyed the Scarabs but were forced to retreat and the MAC gun was destroyed.
The UNSC retreated to the next MAC gun, but by the time they got there Covenant Spec Ops Elites were already there. The Marines defeated them but by that time the Covenant arrived before defenses were set up. With only two MACs left, the UNSC airlifted them to the same place. The Covenant's Assault Carrier, miscalculating the safe distance, flew into range of the pair of MACS and was shot out of the sky.
Furious at the loss of his flagship, the Covenant's leader, Fleet Master Asco 'Alfatee, lead a charge with a huge amount of forces. The UNSC was overwhelmed and defeated. The survivors retreated while the Covenant were recovering from the damage they took and managed to escape before the remaining Covenant attacked the non defenceless surviving UNSC ships. 
===Glassing===
The planet's glassing began slowly and systematically, but with the arrival of another dozen Covenant ships quickly sped up, leaving the planet a glassy wasteland with no atmosphere.
Category:FAT