Battle of New Century

The Battle of New Century was a battle during the  that was fought between the  and the  from November 1st till December 10 2545.  The battle saw the loss of the spartan fireteam Bravo Team and the destruction of the UNSC Hamlet.
== Background ==
The colony of New Century was a middle colony and acted as a trading and economic hub for nearby human colonies.  The planet was also considered an agricultural world with its vast ecosystem and resources to use.    
The planet was of special interest to the Covenant for containing a possible relic within the Southern Ice Plains nearby the planet's south pole.    
== The Battle ==
=== First Day ===
On November 1st 2545, an unnamed Covenant Fleet arrived at New Century.  With only a small orbital fleet to defend the planet, the is issued and reinforcements are requested.  The Covenant fleet is able to break through the defense fleet and the enter the planet with the on high alert.  Several military units are called into battle and attack the incoming Covenant forces. 
General Lewis Meriwether began to mobilize his forces against the incoming Covenant troops.  The Covenant forces opened fire on the capital of New London, prompting a quick UNSC response.  Meriwether deployed several arial response teams to combat the Covenant threat as he and other advisers led UNSC evacuation efforts of the city.  
Covenant land teams began to engage UNSC troops and outpost lining the city.  Due to overwhelming response, Meriwether ordered an evacuation effort.  However, due to the large Covenant presence already in the city, several outpost and barracks were left behind still holding troops.  
=== Alpha-Zulu Response ===
The following day, the UNSC Hamlet arrived with other UNSC frigates and destroyers.  Captain James T. Avery and General Meriwether begin to discuss possible solutions to the recapture of New London.  Captain Roderick-A207 and LTJG Benjamin-B300 suggest and drop led by Spartans.  Operation: DIVE BOMB is given the green light.  
On November 3, Bravo Team, Echo Team, Foxtrot Team and Gamma Team are deployed to different locations of New London with ODSTs and issued to recapture the city.  The spartans deployed and were able to capture a majority of the city, leading up towards New Dawn Base, a UNSC army base within the city.  The spartans were successful, and thus Alpha Team deployed to Next Dawn Base along with Delta Team to prepare their next assault in OPERATION Red Rover. Far into the night, Delta Leader reported the operation a failure as several marines laid dead and soon, Delta went dark. Roderick would send Bravo to save Delta with both teams made it back alive.
=== Operation: PHEONIX ===
After the success of Operation: DIVE BOMB, General Meriwether was given permission to use the Alpha-Zulu Corps for planetary defense.  As a result, he sent Juliet and Sierra Teams to Kronos Square to take out a Covenant dig site on a mountain there. 
Sierra Team took command and lead Juliet to ridge lines and Covenant mine fields. Sophia-A335 and Otto-A444 were sent to a ridge to prove cover while the rest of the spartans were sent to the site. Once at the site, Sierra's Hoffman went into the Covenant systems while Juliet explored the area. Discovering the site was found by codes from Crowe Research Facility, both teams of spartans retreated the area and set charges around the site in hopes of destroying the artifact. 
After returning to the Hamlet, it was learned that the artifact was not even scratched and that the Covenant launched more ships to uncover the rest of the artifact. Redeploying back to Kronos, Juliet found a pathway down to the artifact and cleared out the local Covenant resistance. After clearing out the local Covenant forces, the spartans placed around the artifact, but before they left a  came to the area and began to study the artifact. 
Contacting command, the spartans were ordered to kill the prophet and set of the nukes. Sophia and Otto successfully killed the prophet and regrouped with the rest of the spartans and called in a evac. Once at a far enough distance, Ace-A220 detonated the nukes and destroyed the artifact, burying it under 40,000 tons of rock.
=== Operation: SANDSTORM ===
Afterwards the Covenant captured the Lapus Desert and Gorge, forcing Roderick and Avery devised Operation: SANDSTORM. Spartan Teams Alpha, Bravo, Echo, Yankee, and Zulu were deployed each attacking three massive Covenant stating areas in the Lapus Desert. During the attack, George-A255 and William-B303 found and hijacked a and began to use it to aid the spartans. Bravo Team then joined in as Julius-B301 managed the weapons while Benjamin-B300 provided outside fire. Echo Team would join Bravo and hijack but only after one of their own died by a wraith blast.
As one successful unit, the spartans made their way to three massive stating areas in Lapus Desert. Willian-B303 and George-A255 used the scarab they hijacked to obliterate the center area while Benji, Julius and Echo Team cleared the far east area about four klicks out. Alpha Yankee and Zulu were then tasked with eliminating the area to the west about 10 klicks away from the central area. After four hours of battle, Roderick reported the operation as a success despite the heavy air force causalities and the single dead spartan.
=== Attacks on New London ===
Just six days after the recapture of the Lapus Desert, New London was hit hard by multiple Covenant ships. Benjamin then deployed Bravo Team to assist with civilian evacuation and UNSC retreat to somewhere either off world or to the Lapus Desert. On the 24th the Covenant began to attack Next Dawn Base with Bravo being deployed to secure the area. While Julius and George stayed at the base to drive off a , Benji and Will went to the surrounding buildings to rearm several around the facility. Successfully driving the Covenant away from the base, Bravo Team gave the go on using orbital rounds, said rounds destroyed the corvette. 
=== Battle of Argo City ===
Deploying to Argo City, Juliet Team was paired with Garret Rogers' squad dubbed the Renegade Commandos. Once at the city, the commandos took point while the spartans went on recon and provided cover fire for the marines. After a few minutes of ground work, the teams encountered Covenant and stored away on a spirit by hijacking a . After arriving at a Covenant , the teams cleared out the hanger bay and divided and conquered. Mia, Meredith, Jackson, Rogers and Bazin attacked the bridge while Anna, Sophia and the rest of the commandos covered Lucas and provided a distraction. 
After clearing the bridge, the spartans took command of the ship and began to glass some other Covenant cruisers and , but it was not enough. The ship was shot down by a carrier and crashed beyond Argo City. After waking up from the landing, the humans discovered the city was glassed and were evacuated to the UNSC Altman via .
=== Battle of the Southern Ice Plains ===
Acting as Sierra's first ever classified operation by , the spartans were assigned to guard the head scientist, Dr. Matthew Willson of Project: ICON, to the Southern Ice Plains where a suspected artifact was located. Moving through the terrain, the group was meet with Covenant forces who began to race the UNSC to the artifact's location which was already in Human hands. Arriving just a few minutes after the Covenant, the spartans were able to link up with Whiskey Team and help defend the facility. 
While Doctor Willson began to take scans and prepare data for transport, the spartans defended the outside permitter from the Covenant. However, a group of broken through the facility and killed the scientist and allowed Covenant into the building. Within time, the spartans became surrounded and soon almost over ran if it was not for Foxtrot and Xavier Teams saving them. Before leaving, Xavier placed several beacons around the facility and once the group was cleared, bombed the station, burying the artifact and Covenant. After the blast, the spartans were redeployed to the UNSC Altman and escaped the planet.
=== New Stellic City ===
On November 29th 2545, Covenant forces invaded New Stellic City, and turned it into a dark zone.  Alpha Team along with Bravo and Foxtrot move into the Covenant dark zone which contained the whole city, in order to get a full read on New Stellic. Moving into the city at 23:30 hours, the spartans made their way through, silencing all Covenant they found.
By 1 o'clock in the morning, Benji and Steven-A231 had found the Covenant command center. Benji along with Foxtrot Team were deployed to the center and easily took it over. Clearing the skies for an opening for the Hamlet, Benjamin-B300 contacted Captain Avery stating the mission was a success. Roderick and Bravo were then deployed to New Stellic's beachhead East Defense facility when Captain Avery ordered all members of the Alpha-Zulu Corps onto the UNSC Altman including Roderick. Knowing that the beachhead was far to important, Bravo stayed behind and sacrificed themselves so that the Altman could escape with Roderick onboard.
Bravo Team then defend the facility against waves of Covenant forces, but soon George-A255 was killed by an in his spine. Now deploying brutes, the Covenant sent another ship to combat the Hamlet. Within five minutes, Julius-B301 was wounded and his skull crushed by a . Soon, the Covenant won the skies and shot down Avery, killing him in the process. At 11:24 that morning, William-B303 was then beheaded by an elite. Running out of ammo, Benji then charged down several grunts, taking their weapons, but was no match as a spec-ops elite split his thought. Benjamin-B300 was dead along with Bravo Team.
However, UNSC reinforcements arrived led by Admiral O’Henry and destroyed the looming Covenant ships over the city.  Meriwether rendezvoused with the reinforcements and began to formulate the final strike after the loss of the Alpha-Zulu Corps.
=== Operation: DOUBLEFRONT ===
O’Henry began to lead the naval front with his small fleet while Meriwether and Sargent Major led the ground defense.  The three leaders create Operation: DOUBLE FRONT and attack a major Covenant site on December 7th nearby New Stellic City.  The attack was against a Covenant Spire as Meriwether and Johnson led the ground invasion and O’ Henry led naval deployments across the territory.  
However, another Covenant fleet entered the planet’s orbit.  O’Henry issued a planetary wide evacuation.  Johnson and a majority of the marines left with O’Henry quickly as glassing began to fill the planet.
=== Battle of Raven's Pass ===
Meriwether led remaining UNSC ground forces to the former ONI base, Raven’s Pass.  The general issued a mandatory ordnance use, leading to a mass number of , , and to be deployed around the base and to be established.  As a wave of Covenant fighters came into the permitter of the base, ground forces opened fire and was able to ward off the squadrons with minimal casualties. 
The Covenant then launched a ground assault against the base which forced Scorpions and Warthogs into action.  Meriwether led from the front lines as some of his special operations troops raided labs for weaponry.  Finding a and using it, Covenant armament was crushed and several drop ships were brought down.  An additional third and fourth wave entered into the attack and tripled the all ready massive Covenant numbers.  Within minutes, the UNSC heavy armament was nearly destroyed. 
Meriwether issued evacuation efforts to the base, realizing it as a lost cause.  Allowing Pelicans and Falcons to guide the transport ships, Meriwether stayed behind to ward off any attack with automatic AA guns.  Other troops stayed with the general and together fended off additional waves of Covenant troops.  
Three ships escaped the planet as the others were shot with glassing ports and Meriwether was killed in combat.  After the UNSC fleet left the planet, the Covenant forces continued to glass the planet. 
== Aftermath ==
=== High Command ===
Following the battle, the once again questions the ability of the Alpha-Zulu Corps and what good it could truly do for the UNSC. A shut down of the program was suggested by as the over use of the Spartan programs could render more dead than alive. However, Daniel Tarkin, and argued in favor of the program as it allowed the super-soldiers the ability to be deployed where they believe was necessary. 
=== Alpha-Zulu Corps ===
After the Corps retreated, a memorial service was held for the fallen members of the program, namely Captain James T. Avery and Bravo Team. Daniel Tarkin took command of the organization following the battle and was approved by and . Both Tarkin and Roderick-A207 agreed that, like many legends, the organization shall never have another Bravo Team to honor the memory of the first group. 
A vocal law was also passed for the Corps that no spartan shall ever be replaced if they had fallen in battle, or teams if an entire squad also fell in battle. 
== Timeline ==
=== November ===
==== First ====
* An unnamed fleet arrives over New Century, with orbital defense coming into aid with the becoming active.  
* The orbital defense fleet is destroyed and Covenant forces invade the planet.  
* The Covenant invade New London and captures half the city within the day. 
==== Second ====
* UNSC Hamlet and other UNSC naval vessels enter the orbit of New Century.  
* General Lewis Meriwether, Captain James T. Avery, Captain Roderick-A207, and LTJG Benjamin-B300 devise Operation: DIVE BOMB to recapture the city. 
==== Third ====
* Operation DIVE BOMB begins with Spartan Teams Bravo, Echo, Foxtrot and Gamma deploying into the city with .  
* After several hours, half of the city is recaptured and UNSC deployments are sent inside of support.  
* Delta Team is assigned to Operation: RED ROVER and deploys into a Covenant dark zone in the cover of night. 
==== Fourth ====
* Bravo Team is deployed to assist Delta Team after the spartans went MIA after hours of the operation.  
* The spartans are are successful and both Bravo and Delta team return to UNSC ground with no casualties. 
==== Sixth ====
* Spartan Teams Sierra and Juliet deploy for Operation: PHOENIX are sent to Kronos Square to take out a Covenant dig site on a mountain.  
* The teams were able to find codes of an ancient artifact and return them to UNSC Command. 
==== Seventh ====
* Sierra and Juliet Teams returned to the site and destroyed the artifact along with killing a prophet.  
==== Fourteenth ====
* Captain Avery and Captain Roderick-A207 conduct Operation: SANDSTORM.  
* Spartan Teams Alpha, Bravo, Echo, Yankee, and Zulu are deployed to the Lapus Desert and Gorge to combat three Covenant spires along with army and air force troops.  
* The operation is a success as the three spires fall to the ground.  
==== Twentieth ====
* Covenant reinforcements attack New London defenses.  
* Bravo Team is deployed to evacuate civilians along with Kilo Team.  
==== Twenty-Fourth ====
* Covenant invade New Dawn Base.  
* Bravo Team responses and is able to drive off a Covenant Corvette and destroy it with orbital rounds.  
* Covenant begin glassing the city of New London.
==== Twenty-Fifith ====
* Juliet Team and the Renegade Commandos are deployed to Argo City to combat Covenant convoys and supply depots.  
* The two squads board and capture a and begin to use its weapons against other Covenant ships, destroying three.  
* The cruiser is soon shot down and the two squads escape alive. 
==== Twenty-Sixith ====
* Sierra Team is sent to the Southern Ice Plains to guard Dr. Matthew Willson of Project: ICON, a suspected Forerunner artifact. 
* Dr. Willson dies due to elites.  
* Sierra, Whiskey, Foxtrot and Xavier Teams all plant explosives around the Forerunner artifact and destroy it.  
==== Twenty-Ninth ====
* Covenant forces invade New Stellic City.  A
* Alpha, Bravo and Foxtrot Teams are deployed into a Covenant dark zone at 23:00 hours.
==== Thirtieth ====
* The Spartans locate Covenant command center and destroy it allowing the UNSC Hamlet into the city.  
* Captain James T. Avery orders the Alpha-Zulu Corps onto the UNSC Altman for evacuation.  
* Bravo Team stays behind to defend the city along with Avery.  
* Avery is shot down and dies in the crash.  
* Bravo Team dies minutes later.  
* Admiral Tucker O’Henry arrives at New Century and supplies UNSC forces with reinforcements and retook New Stellic City. 
=== December ===
==== Seventh ====
* Operation: DOUBLE FRONT begins.  
* While the Covenant suffers heavy losses, additional Covenant forces arrive and pelt UNSC troops.  
* Both General Meriwether and Admiral O’Henry issue a retreat.  
==== Ninth ====
* escapes the planet along with O’Henry and the remnants of his fleet. 
==== Tenth ====
* Covenant invade the final UNSC stronghold, Raven’s Pass.  
* General Lewis Meriwether is killed by a glassing port.  
* Only three UNSC transports escape the planet.  
* Covenant claim victory over the planet. 
== Combatants ==
======
====Space Assets ====
* New Century Defense Fleet
** Four 
** Three 
** 43rd Naval Squadron
** 733rd Naval Squadron
** 2 Orbital Defense Platforms
* UNSC Hamlet
* Additional and 
* UNSC Altman
==== Units ====
* New Century Local Militia
* 877th Infantry Division
** 445th Infantry Battalion
* 822nd Armament Battalion
* 67th Infantry Division
* Renegade Commandos
* Alpha-Zulu Corps
** UNSC Hamlet
** Alpha Team
** Bravo Team
** Sierra Team
** Juliet Team
** Delta Team
** Echo Team
** Foxtrot Team
** Gamma Team
** Kilo Team
** Whiskey Team
** Xavier Team
** Yankee Team
** Zulu Team
==== Personnel (Named) ====
* Lewis Meriwether
* Tucker O'Henry (Late Battle)
* James T. Avery
* Daniel Tarkin (Late Battle)
*Alpha Team
** Roderick-A207
** Steven-A231
** Stewart-A210
** James-A208
** Elizabeth-A221
** Edward-B234
*Bravo Team
** Benjamin-B300
** William-B303
** Julius-B301
** George-A255
*Sierra Team
** Ace-A220
**Lance-A342
** Otto-A444
** Rufus-A291
** Martin-A426
** Hunter-A427
*Juliet Team
** Mia-A371
** Meredith-A377
** Sophia-A335
** Anna-A378
** Jackson-A379
** Lucas-A380
*Echo Team (Known members)
** Jackson-A295
** Louis-A292
**Four other Unknown Spartans
*Foxtrot Team
** Cody-B314
** Rex-B324
** Leonard-B334
** Liam-B310
*Renegade Commandos
** Garret Rogers
** Duncan Zimmermann
** Madelyn Smith
** Abigail Drakken 
** Francis Bazin
** Lucas Frenan
** Danielle Reele
* (Late Battle)
======
====Space Assets ====
* Unnamed Covenant Fleet
** Two 
** Seven 
** Four 
* Three 
* Several 
==== Units ====
* Numerous Covenant infantry
* Numerous Covenant armaments
* 
==== Personnel ====
* Unnamed 
* Unnamed 
* Unnamed 
Category:BEN THE BESTverse
Category:Battles
Category:Battles of the Human-Covenant War