Editing Mission to an unidentified moon

{{Status|Canon}}
{{Conjectural title}}
{{Battle infobox
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|name=Mission to unidentified moon
|image=[[File:HEvol - Elite SpecOps Sword.png|300px|Two enhanced [[Special Operations Sangheili]] preparing to kill [[Jonah-B283]].]]
|conflict=[[Human-Covenant War]]
|date=Before [[2552#November|November 2552]]
|place=[[Unidentified moon (Headhunters)|Unidentified moon]]
|result= Covenant victory
*All participating [[SPARTAN-III program|SPARTAN-IIIs]] killed
*[[Covenant]] outpost destroyed
|side1=[[United Nations Space Command]]
|side2=[[Covenant]]
|commanders1=Unknown
|commanders2=Unidentified [[Silent Shadow]] Sangheili†
|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=*A Silent Shadow squad
*Several Covenant ground troops
}}
During the [[Human-Covenant War]] a '''mission to an unidentified moon''' was 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>'''[[Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe]]''', ''"[[Headhunters (short story)|Headhunters]]"''</ref>

==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>'''Halo Evolutions''', ''Headhunters page 164''</ref>

On an unnamed moon,<ref>'''Halo Evolutions''', ''Headhunters page 159''</ref> ten Covenant base camps had been identified fielding crew for a [[Forerunner]] artifact dig site. Team One, consisting of Spartans Jonah and Roland,<ref>'''Halo Evolutions''', ''Headhunters page 177''</ref> 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.<ref>'''Halo Evolutions''', ''Headhunters page 162''</ref>

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.<ref>'''Halo Evolutions''', ''Headhunters page 167-168''</ref> 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|Elites]], who were smart but predictable, rather than [[Jiralhanae|Brutes]], 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.<ref>'''Halo Evolutions''', ''Headhunters page 173''</ref>

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.<ref>'''Halo Evolutions''', ''Headhunters page 175''</ref> 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.<ref>'''Halo Evolutions''', ''Headhunters page 177''</ref> Team One's attack took only ten minutes before they had seemingly wiped out all of the base's crew.<ref>'''Halo Evolutions''', ''Headhunters page 174''</ref>

However, Jonah let his guard down to taunt the last few enemies, allowing a cloaked Sangheili of the [[Silent Shadow]] to skewer Roland with his energy sword.<ref>'''Halo Evolutions''', ''Headhunters page 183''</ref> With his last breath, Roland managed to tell Jonah that the base's charges were "clear" and primed for explosion.<ref>'''Halo Evolutions''', ''Headhunters page 191''</ref> 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.<ref>'''Halo Evolutions''', ''Headhunters page 188''</ref> 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>'''Halo Evolutions''', ''Headhunters page 192''</ref> However, one Sangheili would survive the encounter, [[Jega 'Rdomnai]], who would lose his left mandibles and left arm.<ref>'''Halo Encyclopedia (2022 edition)'''</ref>

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

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

{{Human-Covenant War}}
[[Category:Covenant victories|Unidentified moon]]
[[Category:Battles of the Human-Covenant War|Unidentified moon]]
[[Category:Unidentified content]]