Arcadian War

The Arcadian war was a campaign of conquest against the rebel army known as the New Arcadian Republic or NAR. The conflict was fought between the NAR, a small force of UNSC Marines and the mercenary army from Monarch Solutions who was funded and supported by the secretive Project X. 
==Occupation==
Following the UNSC victory against the covenant during the first battle of Arcadia in 2531, the UNSC felt the planet was no longer strategically vital to the war effort and all but abandoned the planet. The major population centers were all evacuated. While many colonists went with the UNSC to the inner colonies, many more stayed behind. Traveling away from Pirth, the ruined capital city, and created a new farm based community called Abaskun. Though the colonists survived, they had no set government and only a small militia kept the peace and order. While they suffered attacks from bands of raiders, the colony suffered at its own hands. Neighborhoods banded together to form clans to assist each other economically and harm rival families and prevent trading with them. For a while the Militia tried to halt these blocks of trade, and prevent any aggressive actions. However after seven years, many of the militia squads turned into mercenaries for hire.
While the colonists continued to fight amongst each other, the major cities were left to the will of the wild life. Although these cities were not evacuated, many of them were still largely intact. With the UNSC occupied with fighting the covenant, survivors of the insurrectionists, who remained from the first battle of Arcadia, reached out to other cells. It was not long before thousands of rebels discovered the largely intact and abandoned world. With these cells came the charismatic Walter Tyler. An old military commander for the CMA, he rallied the rebel cells under one banner, the New Arcadian Republic. With supplies being brought in from cells all over the sector and neighboring sectors, the rebels quickly repopulated the abandoned cities as their new bases. The first city established was the former capital of Pirth. With the cities space port back in service, it provided an access point for more troops, and supplies to arrive. 
To keep the local colonists happy and quiet, the new General Tyler, brokered a trade with the Community of Abaskun. With the orbit capabilities the NAR had and the large farms the civilians had they would be able to provide for each other. The community was quick to join the rebel's cause as they still held a bitter opinion of the UNSC after they abandoned them.
Since most of the planet is covered by dense jungles, much of the planet still remained undiscovered. Curious about his new home, General Tyler had patrols sent out into the wilderness to look for anything unique. For a year and a half the NAR conducted these operations. During an early patrol in the first six months, the rebels located a UNSC military storage facility. Inside they found UNSC military gear made for the Arcadian defense troops. The base was located near the edge of explored territory and its still unsure what the gear was doing so far away from the population centers or any other location of value. Inside they found a dozen M808B Scorpion MBTs, forty eight M12 Warthogs. as well as UNSC weapons and infantry combat armor, enough to equip seven hundred men. 
In the span of the eighteen months of exploring, the NAR discovered and established outposts at numerous UNSC military installations and six other cities across all the continents. The NAR also took over three ONI bases. Though nothing was found in the ONI stations, although the heavy concrete bunkers provided excellent protection from UNSC reprisal which arrived in 2542.
==Arcadia Discovered==
After years of no activity, the UNSC detected extra ship movements going to Arcadia. When they tried to reach the planet with long range communications, they received nothing in return. Curious, the UNSC sent one of their prowler class recon vessels to observe what kind of activity was going on. When the ship arrived, they found scores of pirate and rebel ships coming and going from the planet and its surface. Hacking into the communication network on the surface they discovered the planet had turned into a rebel stronghold. Word was sent back to HIGHCOM about the development. Unfortunately with the covenant advancing closer towards the inner colonies, the UNSC could not spare the resources needed to recapture the entire world. 
It is still unclear how the intelligence was leaked out but somehow director Wolf of Project X heard about the Arcadia situation. Hating to see a human world still intact be ignored by the UNSC, Director Wolf offered his services to the UNSC. Allowing the UNSC to use his troops and resources as the back bone of the counter attack. It took ONI HIGHCOM a week to decide but ultimately agreed upon some still hidden deal between the two. Director Wolf immediately ordered his flagship the SDSRV Nightingale to the system. Once they arrived in February of that year, the team met with the ONI prowler crew. The ship didn't have any operatives to deploy to the surface to get eyes on the ground. This severely limited the UNSC's ability to observe the full extent of the rebels numbers and defenses. Wolf wasted no time deploying two of his agents to the surface to act as forward recon. 
===Forward Recon===
After a week on the surface, agents Joseph and Ellie discovered all the population centers on the surface are in the hands of the rebels, and must have been for some time. They reported that each city was heavily fortified with walls, concrete barriers and bunkers. They did also note that the community of civilians who remained after the first attack in 2531 had established a town of their own called Abaskun. These people though not directly in the fighting are certainly supporters of the rebels. Though the agents were unsure if this was optional for them or not. They informed command that the town was lightly defended, however eight kilometers to the south east was a UNSC rebel held base with a rapid reaction force of nearly a hundred troops with light armor support. The data was sent back to ONI HIGHCOM who prepared their response. The invasion force would arrive in three weeks. During that time, Director Wolf had all eleven of his agents deploy to the surface and begin insurgency operations. 
For three weeks the agents took out roaming patrols, ambushed supply convoys, and set up IEDs for the rebel occupiers. They also conducted numerous force recon missions to locate areas of importance for the invasion force to capture or destroy. The agents were even able to capture and kill several of General Tyler's lieutenants. It was from one of these interrogations that the agents and director learned that there were several outposts the rebels recovered that were rumored to be observing forerunner artifacts. With most of the planet still unexplored, the possibility for more artifacts and hidden technology to be out in the jungle was immense. Director Wolf immediately dictated that all intelligence that the Agents of Project X receive is to be filtered through STAN before being passed on to the UNSC. Once the invasion force arrived, this order went to the mercenaries as well. 
==UNSC Response==
On March 3rd 2542, the UEG invasion force arrived. Three thousand UNSC Marines under the command of Strike Commander Mitchell arrived aboard a pair of Stalwart class Frigates. Arriving a few hours later was the backbone of the force, ten thousand private military contractors from Monarch Solutions' private army. The men brought with them light fighting vehicles and armor personnel carriers apart of Monarch's warehouse. The force arrived in one of the three Phoenix Class colony ships Monarch Solutions bought for their private navy. Over the next five months, the phoenix colony ships deployed reinforcements from Monarch for a total deployment of a hundred thousand contractors. 
===Landfall===
With the first wave of their troops arrived in the first week of March, the UNSC made an immediate deployment. Strike Commander Mitchell ordered five hundred of his marines to deploy and take over the farming community of Abaskun. If they could keep the civilians secure, they would be able to more easily fight and identify the rebel forces. While the Marines deployed around the town, the agents of Project X were given the mission to take out a nearby NAR base that held the quick reaction force or QRF covering the town. The base was manned by two hundred rebel troops with light recon vehicles as support. Project X deployed five agents to destroy the threat. Prior to the UNSC deployment, agent's Joseph, Carolyn, Allison, Wade, and Peter. The agents were able to infiltrate the base's perimeter and engaged the defenders in a major fire fight which occupied the rebels as the UNSC drop ships deployed in and around the town. 
During the fight, the agents encountered many of the rebels were equipped with UNSC body armor and assault weapons. At the end of the engagement the agents managed to secure and interrogate three rebel soldiers. After thorough interrogation tactics were used upon them, they were told were the rebels found the gear. An old UNSC base found near the border of the north west jungles. Agent's Allison and Wade transported the prisoners back to the Nightingale's brig for further questioning. The security of the outpost was turned over to UNSC marines units that arrived to relieve the agents. 
With the alliance base set up by the end of the second week on the surface, the Marines began conducting house searches to make sure their home base was really as safe as they think. While the UNSC forces were occupied with counter insurgent operations, the Monarch Solutions' troops were left with doing most of the offensive fighting.
===Tensions Rise===
Though the PMCs and Marines were supposed to work together, Strike Commander Mitchell didn't trust the leaders of Project X and the employers of the mercenaries. Upon hearing that the rebels had access to several UNSC military outposts, STAN attempted to locate files on their locations. However they were all sealed in UNSC secured data banks aboard the frigates. Unable to get the data themselves, director Wolf asked the UNSC to share the base locations with him and his force so they might be able to deploy and secure them. Thus denying the enemy their own weapons. Strike Commander Mitchell flatly refused, informing him that they would handle the UNSC bases and securing them. Director Wolf tried to argue the point that with his superior numbers he would be more suited to assist and they could quickly secure all the locations simultaneously. Mitchell still refused and went about his business of commanding the invasion. 
Angered by the UNSC's incompetence, and already having the one base location, Wolf ordered the agents to launch a direct assault on the facility with the orders to secure it, any data and any knowledge about where the missing gear was sent. Nine agents were selected for the operation, deployed in two teams. Team one would be the main assault force, Agent's Allison, Wade, Victor, Drake and Ellie would be the first in. Agents Joseph, Jonathan, Logan and Peter made up the reinforcements set on standby. A third force made up of sixty mercenaries from Monarch Solutions were on stand by to occupy the base and secure it once the main threats were dealt with. 
The agents attacked and took over the outpost in under an hour. With the primary defenses destroyed, the PMCs and second wave of agents arrived to search the remains of the base and look for any clues or useful technology. Inside they found almost all of the equipment was relocated save for some heavy exo-suits for maintenance. A terminal within the base held ghost files of several other known UNSC outpost locations but the files were transferred to another source. They did learn that there were some sort of prototype equipment being stored there, but was unaccounted for when the agents retook the base. 
A week later, a UNSC marine platoon was approaching the base via a jungle road aboard warthogs and trucks. As they came within five hundred meters of the base, they were ambushed and all thirty six marines were killed. The aggressors were the sixty PMCs who held the base, and under the orders to kill any non Project X force that approached the base. The mercenaries made the attack appear like a rebel ambush. Later director wolf informed Strike Commander Mitchell that his forces had found the platoon's column as well as the base and had secured it. Mitchell was outraged by the event and demanded Wolf's men hand the base over to UNSC personnel to which director Wolf refused, demanding Mitchell's cooperative support at fighting the war.
While director Wolf was aboard the UNSC Adventurer, agents Carolyn and Kevin accompanied the director, while aboard they managed to insert the A.I Oracle into the ship's systems and recover the locations of the UNSC facilities on the planet. With the diplomatic solutions failed between the director and the commander, the Project X members left the ship and returned to the Nightingale. 
===Counter Attack=== 
With the locations of the UNSC facilities found, and more mercenaries arriving from Monarch Solutions arriving, the members of Project X began to launch strategic attacks on the facilities. Each assault was met with heavy resistance but was ultimately over taken by the agents and the mercenary forces. As more and more facilities fell back into the hands of the alliance, they discovered the UNSC had numerous prototype weapon and armor systems being tested on the planet that somehow fell beneath the nose of the UNSC when they evacuated. 
In the early months of the invasion, the alliance agreed they needed to retake Pirth and secure the space port located there. In July, while most of the marines were still conducting counter insurgent operations in Abaskun. The Marines and Mercenaries conducted the first joint assault of the war. Supported by two hundred marines, eight hundred mercenaries prepared to launch the full scale assault into Pirth.
UNSC Marines prepare to assault..jpg|UNSC Marines prepare to assault the city of Pirth.
Merc city fight.jpg|Monarch Solution Mercenaries clear out buildings in Pirth.
alliance_soldiers_moving_by_bacurok-d5zwqhw.jpg|NAR Forces fight to defend the former Captial city of Pirth.
With the PMCs covering the entrance into the city, the Marines led the charge into the former capital. Moving in to secure specific target locations, the mercenaries pushed in clearing out ruined buildings room by room, while other forces advanced on the space port. Resistance in the ruins was heavy, especially around the space port due to its advantageous defensive structures. Despite being defended by only seven hundred NAR soldiers, the technology and knowledge they possessed dragged the alliance attack on for a two month long battle. Despite the space port falling within the first two days due to the direct intervention of Project X agents, the rest of the city was crawling with hidden ambush points. The battle finally ended when the last seventy rebels made a last stand in their make shift command tent with the NAR commanding officer. The forces were crushed by a company of UNSC marines. Despite being outnumbered the rebels caused the deaths of forty six marines, and three hundred and twelve mercenary contractors, plus countless wounded warriors. 
While the alliance forces fought over the former capital, Project X under the orders of Director Wolf, began launching counter insurgent operations against the NAR by assaulting the stolen UNSC outposts. With the bulk of the UNSC forces busy in the occupation of Abaskun and the assault on Pirth, the director had opportunities to conduct his missions unopposed by Strike Commander Mitchell. By the time Pirth was retake, Project X had recaptured two UNSC outposts, plus destroyed over a dozen rebel rallying positions and rest camps.
In the week following the victory of recovering Pirth, the troops of Project X located one of the ONI bases through an intact terminal at a UNSC forward base. With the assistance of STAN, they were able to back track several linked communications between the forward base and the ONI secure site. Unfortunately the data was corrupted and what exactly was said was lost, however the data was enough for STAN to locate a general area the ONI site would be in. Against the will of the UNSC, mercenary scout teams were sent to locate the ONI base. It only took two days to locate the facility. Rebel troops ambushed a scout team when they ventured too close to the perimeter walls. When quick reaction forces rushed in to assist the scouts, a major fire fight ensued between the rebels and mercenaries. After a two hour battle, the ONI facility fell the PMC with the arrival of two Project X agents. The agents encountered fierce resistance from the rebels who they found were heavily armed and armored in never before seen heavy combat gear. The two agents, Carolyn and Wade, eliminated the last of the guards, and claimed the base secure when a team of seven heavily armored rebel elite troops engaged them. Their armored suits supported cloaking fields, jet packs, and magnetic shields around them. The rebel troops were outfitted with previously unseen high powered rifles that punched through light armor. Though unable to penetrate the MJOLNIR power armor, it caused severe damage to the suits. After killing four of the rebels, the last three fled into the jungle with their cloak fields activated. The Agents and mercenaries occupied the ONI bunker as a recon barracks for scouting missions into rebel held territory. While the mercenaries worked on the base, the Project X agents brought the bodies of the four elite rebel shock troopers they killed to the Nightingale for investigation on their new suits. 
== Hunting Season ==
Determined to locate where the rebel forces where hiding the stolen ONI equipment to outfit their armies, the alliance forces began scouring the forests with thermals and sonar scans to try and find the trail of the escaped soldiers. While the mercenaries, the UNSC marines and air force units tried to track down, and scout out the rebel stronghold in the area. The scientists of Project X began to attempt to reverse engineer the recovered ONU power suits they rebels were equipped with. While the rebels were being hunted by the recon drones and ground teams, the UNSC redeployed its base to the capital city of Pirth to set up a main base of operations and to secure the space port. This left the town of Abaskun in the rule of Project X and the security troopers of Monarch Solutions. For the next month while allied troops sought out the next rebel stronghold, and the UNSC was reestablishing a presence in the capital city, the rebels launched small sporadic attacks on the invaders. Light machine guns would pin down a check point, or RPGs would fall into a camp. Attacks on UNSC supporters and IEDs would kill dozens in the main town. During all of this the mercenaries were on patrol to try and stop them. Specialized EOD teams patrolled the city looing for possible bombs to dispose, while security fire teams patrolled the outer edges to try and keep potential hostiles out.