Battle of New Tharsis

The Battle of New Tharsis was a minor but strategically-significant battle of the Human-Covenant War.

Background
When the UNSC recaptured Harvest in 2526 and fought to hold it for the next five years, most of war material, manpower, and ships needed to contest it were funneled there via the long Primary Librae Route, which connected the planet to a number of important industrial centers in the Mid-Rim. This allowed the colony to remain a thorn in the Covenant's side, allowing raids deep into enemy space and give reinforcements a second angle of approach into the Centaurus Region. However, its discovery by the Covenant could allow an invasion fleet to bypass most of the UNSC's defenses and hit their soft industrial underbelly. And perhaps, if a good fleetmaster recognized the opportunity, even continue straight on into the very core of the Human Sphere.

In late 2527, the Harvest Campaign suffered a major setback when the Covenant's Fleet of Valorous Consecration decisively defeated the orbiting UNSC battle group, thereby establishing space supremacy over the entire Heimdall system. During the fighting, they managed to attach a probe onto the hull of the destroyer as it escaped from the system, which promptly traveled down the Primary Librae Route for emergency repairs. With the route's discovery now known to him, Fleetmaster Soeu 'Nar Ireetanee immediately sought reinforcements and the blessing from Imperial Admiral Xytan 'Jar Wattinree to carry out an attack so far behind enemy lines. It took over a month to convince 'Wattinree to authorize the attack, and a second month to receive the reinforcements and supply ships he needed for his success.

'Nar Ireetanee led his fleet against Madrigal in February 2528, easily overwhelming the light defenses and glassing the colony. However, his campaign quickly came to a halt when he clashed with Vice Admiral Preston Cole's Third Fleet, losing most of his fleet in the process. The only way he was able to salvage it was to feint a retreat back to Harvest, fooling Cole into pursuing. Damaged and with only a dozen warships remaining, 'Nar Ireetanee nevertheless decided to regroup and attack the next target on his list - New Tharsis.