Battle of Harvest (SPQT)

The **Battle of Harvest** was one of many military confrontation between the Terran Empire and the Galactic Coalition, taking place in September of 2160. Although known as the "Battle of Harvest", it was not the first time that the Coalition attacked the planet. The first battle of Harvest was an orbital engagement, occurring 46 days prior to the ground assault on the Harvest capital city of Ossis. The first battle occurred immediately after the Fall of Reach, and was a result of the tactical retreat of the devastated 7th and 9th fleets (where the 3rd fleet was sacrificed in order to ensure success of the retreat). After they're victory, Turian-Zorah offensive chased the retreating forces into the Tiara system, where they were caught off-guard by the full force of the Imperial Armada. The shattering of the Turian-Zorah offensive boosted the morale of the Terran Empire, who subsequently recaptured the undefended Reach.

After the first battle, the armada moved on, however a courageous force led by General Augustus Sarnova stayed in case the Coalition returned. Over a month later, Harvest was visited by a Sanghelli delegation to discuss a possible alliance between the Terran Empire and the Sanghelli Hegemony. When Coalition spies caught wind of this, the Turian Hierarchy and the Zorah Empire amassed a strike force, bypassing Terran defenses using an old Batarian smuggling route and charged into Tiaran space. A Sanghelli-provided planetary shielding system defended the planet from bombardment, forcing the Coalition to engage in a ground war. As the Sanghelli delegation was rushed to safety, General Sarnova and Sanghelli Arbiter Kal'tiren rallied 7 dozen of the Sanghelli Order's finest Knights, and 12,000 Terran soldiers, who dug in to defend the shield generators and keep the delegation safe, or die trying.

A Coalition army, 90,000 strong, descended on Harvest's brave defenders. The defenders were undaunted; with no expectation of survival, they were mindful only of their duty. The over-confident Coalition leaders; namely Zorah General Javik Von'lizt and Turian General Hilar Varian, threw all their forces into direct assault, and their ground forces fell in droves. The ratio of Coalition-Terran/Sanghelli casualties was a staggering 10:1, and it was clear that the Coalition was in a losing battle, forcing them to call in reinforcements. Despite the defenders' determination, hours and hours of fighting slowly whittled away their defenses until only a handful of soldiers remained. They rallied to General Sarnova and the Arbiter for a final stand. Refusing yet another offer to surrender, the fearless defenders proceeded to fulfill their duty. Their glorious last stand of the defenders of Harvest will never be forgotten. The brave warriors fell, but not before forcing the Coalition to retreat. The Sanghelli delegation remained in hiding until the 5th fleet under Admiral Marco Nassi chased the invaders back across the Hydian Way, and rescued the Sanghelli delegation. The actions of the brave defenders of Harvest directly led to the blossoming of Human-Sanghelli relations, forging an alliance that would turn the tide of the war.