Covenant Activity on Vandros-7
Recent Intelligence and Covenant Interests
Recent intelligence reports suggest that Covenant interest in Vandros-7 has escalated significantly. The planet's history as a salvage and scrap hub for damaged ships has made it a potential target for Covenant forces, particularly due to Forerunner artifacts believed to be buried beneath the surface. While there is no confirmed presence of active Covenant military units on the planet prior to this invasion, recent Covenant movements have raised concerns among both the UEG and ONI.
Initial Sightings and Engagements
The earliest reported Covenant activity on Vandros-7 dates back to ████, when several Covenant scout vessels were sighted in low orbit, probing the surface for signs of Forerunner structures. UNSC forces engaged in a brief skirmish with a Covenant Phantom, resulting in the downing of one ship. Although the engagement was minor, it marked the first sign of a growing Covenant interest in the planet’s strategic value.
Subsequent reports from local intelligence indicate sightings of Covenant anomalies in the vicinity of the southern archipelago. These anomalies, believed to be advanced Covenant scanning devices, have been focused on areas historically linked to Forerunner activity. The Iron Star Union, which currently controls the area, has refused to provide details on their findings, adding to the tension between them and the UNSC.
Suspected Interest in Salvaged Technology
Vandros-7’s extensive salvage operations have long included the recovery of Covenant wreckage from nearby battlefields. Intelligence suggests that Covenant remnants are particularly concerned with Forerunner relics and the reverse-engineering of Covenant technology by local factions. It is believed that pirate factions and other insurgent groups on Vandros-7 have attempted to reverse-engineer energy weapons, possibly recovered from dismantled Covenant vehicles and weaponry.
ONI has flagged this activity as a significant threat, fearing that continued experimentation with Covenant tech could attract a larger-scale Covenant incursion if left unchecked. The Silent Path, a covert ONI front organization, is attempting to monitor and mitigate these threats but is struggling to counter widespread salvage operations in the region.
Covenant Deployment of Scarab Mining Platforms
Recent UNSC reconnaissance has confirmed that the Covenant have deployed Scarab mining platforms at several strategic locations on Vandros-7. These massive, walking mining platforms are believed to be targeting areas rich in Forerunner relics and valuable resources. The Scarabs are capable of rapid excavation and destruction, and their deployment signals a major escalation in the Covenant’s efforts to dominate the planet's resources.
The initial invasion force size remains unknown, but current estimates suggest that Covenant forces are near-peer in strength to our current deployment. The Covenant likely underestimated our size and ability to quickly deploy more UNSC assets to the area. This underestimation provides a potential window of opportunity to disrupt their operations before they fully consolidate their positions.