Operation: SOMME

== Overview ==
IN 2552 after the fall of Reach, the UNSC knew it wouldn't be long before they found Earth and Earth needed every minute it could get. The UNSC organized an Operation to draw a large contingent of Covenant forces away from the Sol system to give Earth more time to prepare its defenses. ONI conscripted members of the newly graduated Spartan III Gamma company to carry out this operation. 
== Discovery ==
ONI begins to have suspicions of the planet known as Chu'ot after knowing of the planet's existence for 25 years. In 2539 ONI sends in a Headhunter recon team to explore the area. When the team returned in 2540 ONI was not expecting to discover one of the Moons of Chu'ot is in fact Eayn, the home world of the Kig Yar. With this new information the UNSC has a valid region to target for a counter attack into Covenant space. Unfortunately with the rate that the Inner Colonies are collapsing, the UNSC cannot spare the resources to create an invasion force. 
== Insertion ==
In 2552 with the Destruction of Reach ONI was desperate to keep the Covenant away from Earth any way they could. With the Spartan IIIs of Gamma Company ready for combat deployments, the UNSC had troops that could hit the Covenant where it hurt. Though not able to gather a full invasion force, ONI felt a small team of Spartans could infiltrate and cause sabotage attacks against Covenant forces and installations as well as gather as much information about the Covenant, mostly other significant locations within Covenant space.
In September a team of 60 Spartan IIIs were selected to join ONI recon team 57. The two units would board the UNSC Prowler "Shadow Runner" ran by a skeleton crew to infiltrate the Covenant space. Based on the system defenses of the planet, the crew knew they would never be able to get close enough to the surface to deploy the team. 
Knowing that the Kig Yar are mostly a race of pirates, Recon team 57 commissioned a human freighter and placed the abandoned and disabled ship near the Covenant space. The task force only had to wait a week and a half before a Kig Yar Corvette pulled in alongside the ship. Three dozen jackals entered the freighter to search for goods surely stashed aboard the ship. 
While nearly a third of the Corvette's crew was aboard the freighter, a team of five Spartan IIIs managed to infiltrate the Corvette via the boarding tube connected to the freighter. The five Spartans moved quickly and took out the hanger crew. Leaving two Spartans to guard the hanger, the three others pushed forwards to take the bridge. The Spartans were successful, though a counter attack by a jackal team did cause the death of one of the Spartans. However with communications and the hanger in Spartan hands, another fifteen Spartans boarded the ship using EVA packs and assisted in clearing out the rest of the ship's crew. With the ship in Spartan hands, they disconnected the boarding tube and joined alongside the Prowler. Once the Corvette was a safe distance away, team Darkblade detonated the explosives stored on board the freighter. 
With their insertion craft secured, the remaining Spartans joined aboard the corvette and brought the A.I Muninn, an ONI "Dumb" A.I whose the twin of Huginn, the "Dumb" A.I running the UNSC Shadow Runner. With their means of insertion clear, the Spartans flew into the Covenant controlled space, while the ONI prowler remained just inside the system to help coordinate the Spartan attack. The corvette was able to easily enter the Eayn atmosphere as Kig Yar ships don't have many security protocols. The Spartans boarded two of the Corvette's three spirit drop ships and deployed to an abandoned area on the surface of the world. The ONI AIs, after monitoring Covenant radio traffic located the site of the primary Covenant base. The Spartans were also informed that two high value targets were located inside the base.
== The Truth of Harmony and Reclamation ==
The Prophet of Reclamation, named for his zealousness to finding Forerunner relics, leads his personal Fleet of Preservation across the Kig Yar space to find such relics and analyzing those already found. At an old Forerunner installation on an abandoned asteroid near the very edge of the system, the Prophet uncovers communications between unidentified forerunners. In the conversation held, Reclamation learns that the forerunners did not get propelled into god hood by the Halo rings. Instead he learns that the Halos' were built to wipe out all sentient life to starve out an ancient alien life form called the flood. Though unsure what the Halo rings look like exactly, the message was clear, the Great Journey was a lie. Devastated by this discovery, the Prophet remains on the satellite with his body guards for four days in an isolated room. On the fifth day he decides to leave. Upon returning to his Reverence class cruiser, he returns to the rest of his fleet stationed above Eayn. Reclamation deploys to the surface of Eayn to speak with the senior prophet and his close friend, the Prophet of Harmony. 
While Reclamation's role is to find Forerunner artifacts and indulge in their role and meaning, he is given personal fleet command with a full contingent of ground forces so he may cleanse any world needed to gain these artifacts. The prophet of Harmony's role is to travel to each species' home world within the Covenant and ensure all is well. Such political power and diplomacy also means Harmony has vast insight in the meaning and word of the Hierarchs, being one of their most trusted instruments. 
== Assault ==
When the Spartans were in sight of the Covenant fort in an open area of jungle, they found a well defended location. Outside the main gate several turrets were set up along with sniper towers. Deployable walls for cover surrounded either side of the entrance. At the center was the citadel, where the Covenant command center is and the quarters for any high ranking leader. Attached on eight sides were the barracks, temples, air factories, power generators and refineries. With preliminary recon and data gathered by Muninn, there were close to three hundred Covenant troops with supporting armor in the base. Knowing going in with a frontal assault was suicidal, Spartan Chris G067 split the team in two.
Chris would lead twenty nine of the Spartans around the back side of the fort and breach through the security wall near one of the power generators. Once inside they'll destroy the generator and push on to the citadel, drawing in Covenant troops and find the prophet. Meanwhile Spartan Rob G122 will lead the thirty other Spartans in a assault on the front gate. With the frontal assault drawing out as many of the Covenant ground troops as they can to make the Covenant believe that is where the main attack is taking place. 
Once the assault begins, Spartan G122's team immediately takes out the heavy turrets with placed explosives, while Spartan lasers knock out the sniper towers. Spartan sharp shooters kill the initial guards before swarms of reinforcements push out of the front entrance. As the fight goes on for ten minutes, the Spartans with Chris blast through one of the rear walls. Wasting no time they destroy the power generator. The base's shields and defenses drop and are forced to reset for four minutes. As the Spartans pushed further into and up the Citadel, seven of the Spartans broke off and deployed mines near the access ways leading from the barracks. Once the task was completed they turned around and pushed towards the front of the base to assist Rob's team. 
As the assault outside progressed, the Covenant deployed heavier firepower and more troops the Spartans took three casualties and numerous wounded which forced them to seek cover and become pinned down. With multiple attacks to try and close the distance to finish off the weakened Spartans failing horrendously. Elite Commanders call for air support. They are pleased when a Kig Yar ship deploys a Phantom gunship to their aid almost immediately. As the Phantom and its two banshee escorts arrive, the ships open fire. On the Covenant. Before they are able to react, the gun ship's triple plasma cannons destroy two wraiths and almost two scores of ground troops. While the banshee escorts take out two more wraiths and dozens of infantry. The air craft turn around and make another pass as Covenant heavy weapons begin to target them. It is then that it becomes apparent to the Spartans that it was the men of recon team Darkblade that came to their assistance. With another five wraiths destroyed and almost a hundred Covenant infantry dead, the men of team Darkblade retreat into the dense jungle to hide their craft from retaliation. 
With the Covenant defenders reeling from the air strike, the Spartans charge the front gate. After launching a trio of rockets into the door, the Spartans finish off many of the dazed aliens caught outside, while others inside who survived the blast retreated deeper into the citadel. These survivors ended up running straight into the guns of the seven Spartans coming to support Rob's team. As the two Spartan groups meet up, the mines laid by the barracks go off signaling more reinforcements are on the way. Rob leaves five members to hold the entrance while the twenty two Spartans of Rob's team and the Seven from Chris' return to the barracks.
When they arrive they find the Covenant are trying to gain access to the command area. The aliens are caught off guard by the hail of bullets tearing into them from the approaching Spartans. With the last fifty Covenant dead and another twenty five killed by the mines, all goes quiet on the main floors. Rob informs Chris of the situation and is ordered to secure their exits and keep a lookout for any reinforcements.
In the upper levels of the Covenant Citadel, Chris 067 and his team had found the prophet of Harmony barricaded in his chambers. After killing the guards, the Spartans quickly assassinated the prophet. With the room clear, the Spartans began digging through the consoles and data crystals to find any intelligence that might aid in the war effort. After several minutes the team found what they were looking for and more. In addition to locating the exact galactic locations of Sanghelios, Balaho, Te, and Diosac, the Spartans also learn of the prophet of Reclamation being branded a heretic by the High Council and find the exact data logs that proves the Hierarchs are lying about the Halo rings. Upon hearing the orders for Harmony to hand Reclamation over to the prophet of Truth, and finding the appointed location. Chris leads the Spartans back into the woods to prepare for the meeting to take place between the Covenant. Deciding this prophet of Reclamation could be of valuable use to cause havoc amongst the Covenant, the Spartans set to rescue Reclamation and help spread the truth he has found.
== Civil War ==
== All out War ==