Editing Battle of Rangiren

{{Status|Canon}}
{{New content|[[Halo: Edge of Dawn]]}}
{{Conjectural title}}
{{Battle infobox
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|name=Mission to Rangiren
|image=[[File:HEvol - Elite SpecOps Sword.png|300px|Two enhanced [[Special Operations Sangheili]] preparing to kill [[Jonah-B283]].]]
|conflict=[[Human-Covenant War]]
|date=Between [[2549#March|March 28, 2549]]—[[2552#October|October 2552]]{{Ref/Note|Id=date|See [[Algolis Invasion#Notes|Algolis Invasion's Notes section]]}}
|place=[[Rangiren]]
|result='''Covenant victory'''
*All participating [[SPARTAN-III program|SPARTAN-IIIs]] killed
*[[Covenant]] outpost destroyed
|side1={{Icon|UNSC HCW}} [[United Nations Space Command]]
*{{Icon|ONI}} [[Office of Naval Intelligence]]
|side2={{Icon|Covenant FB}} [[Covenant]]
|commanders1=Unknown
|commanders2=[[Blademaster]] [[Jega 'Rdomnai]]{{Ref/Novel|Id=EOD10|EOD|Chapter=10}}
|forces1=*Four [[SPARTAN-III program|SPARTAN-IIIs]]
|forces2=*Multiple [[Sangheili]] [[Sangheili Minor|Minor]]s
*Multiple [[Unggoy]] [[Unggoy Minor|Minor]]s
*Multiple [[Kig-Yar]]
|casual1=*[[Roland-B210]]
*[[Jonah-B283]]
*Two other SPARTAN-IIIs Headhunters
|casual2=*Five Silent Shadow operatives
*Several Covenant ground troops
}}
The '''Battle of Rangiren''' was a conflict on the moon of [[Rangiren]], executed by four [[SPARTAN-III program|SPARTAN-III]] [[Headhunters]], two of them [[Jonah-B283]] and [[Roland-B210]]. The mission had the objective to destroy several [[Covenant]] base camps before the [[United Nations Space Command|UNSC]] forces would begin a full-scale assault. The mission was ultimately a failure, however, as both SPARTAN-III teams were killed in a trap laid by an [[Silent Shadow|unknown class]] of [[Special Operations Sangheili]], although they were able to destroy several base camps and eliminate a large contingent of enemies.{{Ref/Anthology|Id=Headhunters|Evo|Story=[[Headhunters (short story)|Headhunters]]}}

==The mission==
[[File:Halo Waypoint Banner Headhunters.png|thumb|250px|left|A top-down map of the mission.]]
The Headhunters were two-man SPARTAN-III teams assigned to special ops deep behind enemy lines. They were also granted more advanced equipment than most Spartan-IIIs, including [[Energy shields|shielding]], [[VISR]], and experimental [[active camouflage]].{{Ref/Reuse|Headhunters}}

On [[Rangiren]],{{Ref/Reuse|EOD10}} ten Covenant base camps had been identified fielding crew for a [[Forerunner]] artifact dig site. Team One, consisting of Spartans Jonah and Roland, was commissioned with destroying six of the bases while another team would take out the other four. After all the dig sites were destroyed, the UNSC would send in a full-scale assault, made up of a dozen S-III fireteams and orbital backup firepower.

The two teams were deployed on the planet more than twenty miles away from enemy lines. While this gave them a greater chance of not being noticed by the enemy upon arrival, it also meant that Spartans had to trek for [[seven]] days to reach their target. Jonah and Roland's team eventually encountered their first hostile, a [[Kig-Yar sniper]] perched on a treetop platform. Uncertain about killing him immediately and possible missing or setting off an alarm, the two Spartans hid explosive charges at the base of the lookout tree then proceeded sneaking to the dig site.

Thirty minutes later, Team One had their first visual of a base camp, three hundred meters away and below them in a wide valley. Jonah and Roland surveyed the site, estimating that there were roughly twenty to thirty infantry in the camp and that it was being led by [[Sangheili]], who were smart but predictable, rather than [[Jiralhanae]], who could be too chaotic to outsmart. They continued to observe the base for the next two days, identifying patrol routes, high-ranking enemies, and important control sites.

On the third day, the two initiated their attack. Roland went into active camouflage, giving him roughly four minutes to plant charges around the base's four reactor cores. When he gave a signal (the explosives at the base of the sniper lookout), Jonah used an [[energy disruptor]] and flares to storm the Covenant barracks, singlehandedly wiping out all the enemy troops inside. During the battle, Roland noticed an explosion across the valley and considered it might've been Team Two, also responding to his go-signal by initiating their own attack. Team One's attack took only ten minutes before they had seemingly wiped out all of the base's crew.

However, Jonah let his guard down to taunt the last few enemies,{{Ref/Reuse|Headhunters}} allowing [[Jega 'Rdomnai]], a cloaked Sangheili of the [[Silent Shadow]], to skewer Roland with his energy sword.{{Ref/Reuse|EOD10}} With his last breath, Roland managed to tell Jonah that the base's charges were "clear" and primed for explosion. Jonah made an attempt to kill Roland's murderer, but switching on his VISR to find the cloaked attacker revealed that there were in fact five more cloaked Elites surrounding him. The Elites taunted Jonah, saying that they had also killed Team Two, but Jonah noted to himself that these enemies hadn't bothered to kill him while cloaked even though they had the opportunity to do so. Since they clearly intended to capture him, Jonah goaded the Elites into chasing him, luring them close to his energy disruptor. When their shields and weapons were down, Jonah pressed the detonator, killing himself and nearly all the Elites.{{Ref/Reuse|Headhunters}}

==Aftermath==
However, Jega 'Rdomnai would survive the encounter, losing his left mandibles and left arm; he was eventually rescued by the [[Banished]].{{Ref/Book|Enc22|Page=454}} 'Rdomnai continued to be haunted by the memory of the encounter which drove his hatred for Spartans and need for vengeance.{{Ref/Reuse|EOD10}}

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Roland's Death.jpg|Jega killing Roland.
File:Headhunters - SS confront.png|A Silent Shadow member holding Jonah.
File:Headhunters - SS doom.png|The Silent Shadow watching the explosion.
</gallery>

==List of appearances==
*''[[Halo: Evolutions]]''
**''[[Headhunters (story)|Headhunters]]'' {{1st}}
*''[[Halo: Edge of Dawn]]''

==Notes==
{{Ref/Notes}}

==Sources==
{{Ref/Sources}}

{{Human-Covenant War}}
[[Category:Covenant victories|Rangiren]]
[[Category:Battles of the Human-Covenant War|Rangiren]]