Action of 17 January 2525

The Action of 17 January 2525 was a brief, informal engagement between forces of the Covenant Empire and of the United Nations Space Command, occurring on January 17, 2525. 
==Background==
In the final months of 2524, several human space freighters conveying cargoes to and from the colony world of Harvest had been intercepted and destroyed by forces unknown. Following the transfer of marine personnel to Harvest, the Office of Naval Intelligence dispatched an armed sloop and officer to prepare a trap, believing freighter losses to be the work of one insurrectionist organization or another. Marine sergeants Bryne and Johnson, both special warfare operators with significant combat experience, were placed aboard a dummy freighter, with the sloop Walk of Shame not far off. 
==Engagement==
However, the attacks were the work of one , a missionary ship of the Covenant Empire, a large religious hegemony of several alien species. The predominantly crew, a species piratical by instinct, the undefended freighters had been an irresistible target for easy looting, despite the vocal protest of a , the sole Unggoy crew member present. They attacked the dummy freighter, holing the hull and disabling as many systems as possible before linking and boarding the vessel. 
After the initial surprise of the identity of their attackers, both marines engaged the boarders; caught off guard, the Kig-Yar only managed to wound one human soldier before the entire boarding party - save Ship Mistress Chur'R-Yar, who retreated back to the Minor Transgression - was gunned down.
==Order of battle==
===United Nations Space Command===
*UNSC Walk of Shame, interstellar sloop
*Bulk Discount, DCS interstellar cargo freighter 
===Covenant Empire===
*Minor Transgression, missionary ship
Action of 2525 01 17