Editing Operation: GREY VEIL

{{Status|Canon}}
{{Battle infobox
|prev=[[Battle of Psi Serpentis]]
|conc=[[Battle of Miridem]]{{Ref/Site|Id=S4Intel|URL=https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/infection-intel|Site=Halo Waypoint|Page=Halo Infinite - Infection Intel|LocalArchive=Halo Infinite Story & Intel|D=12|M=09|Y=2023}}
|next=[[Operation: WARM BLANKET]]{{Ref/Reuse|S4Intel}}
|name=Operation: GREY VEIL
|image=[[File:Raid on Heian Main.png|300px|The assassination team observes the Covenant outpost from their sniper position.]]
|conflict=[[Human-Covenant War]]
|date=[[2544]]{{Ref/Site|Id=CFShocks|URL=https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/canon-fodder-system-shocks|Site=Halo Waypoint|Page=Canon Fodder - System Shocks|D=30|M=06|Y=2023}}
|place=[[Heian]]
|result=UNSC victory
*[[Unidentified Prophet (Heian)|Target San'Shyuum]] assassinated
|side1=[[United Nations Space Command]]
|side2=[[Covenant]]
|commanders1=*[[Unidentified ONI officer]]
*[[Master Sergeant|MSgt]] [[Cortez]]
|commanders2=*[[Unidentified Prophet (Heian)|Unidentified Prophet]]†
*[[Unidentified Jiralhanae chieftain (Heian)|Unidentified Jiralhanae Chieftain]]†
|forces1=*Four [[Orbital Drop Shock Troopers]]
*One [[Spartan-II]]
|forces2=*[[Jiralhanae]]
*Multiple [[Sangheili Honor Guard]]s
*Multiple [[Unggoy]]
|casual1=*[[Checkman]]
*[[Cal-141]]
|casual2=*Unidentified San'Shyuum
*Unidentified Jiralhanae Chieftain
*Several Unggoy
}}
'''Operation: GREY VEIL'''{{Ref/Site|Id=CF100|URL=https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/news/sweet-centennial|Site=Halo Waypoint|Page=Canon Fodder - Sweet Centennial|D=24|M=09|Y=2021}} was an [[Office of Naval Intelligence]] assassination mission on the planet [[Heian]] in [[2544]].{{Ref/Reuse|CFShocks}}. The operation saw death of a [[Unidentified Prophet (Heian)|Covenant Minor Prophet]], as well as the discovery of a series of [[Heian#Ruins|prehistoric ruins]] that were of particular scientific interest.{{Ref/Film|Id=baby|HLeg|Story=The Babysitter}}

==Prelude==
Heian was the site of an important [[Covenant]] logistics base from which supplies were delivered to the rest of the planets in the system, as well as the entire sector. The [[United Nations Space Command]]'s Office of Naval Intelligence had discovered that a Covenant Prophet was on the planet, and that his death would compromise Covenant logistics operations in the sector, giving the UNSC a strategic advantage. In addition, the planet possessed a series of ruins that predated both the Covenant and the UNSC. In addition to killing the Prophet, the assault team had the secondary objective of documenting these ruins.{{Ref/Reuse|baby}}

A team of four [[Orbital Drop Shock Troopers]] led by [[Master Sergeant]] [[Cortez]] was ordered to carry out the mission. However, the assassination was to be carried out by [[SPARTAN-II program|Spartan]] [[Cal-141]]. This caused some resentment among the ODSTs that remained throughout the mission.{{Ref/Reuse|baby}}

==The raid==
The team was deployed via [[M8900 drop pod|M8900]] [[SOEIV]] from the [[Diligence-class light destroyer|destroyer]] {{UNSCShip|Kronstadt}}. Entering the planet's atmosphere under cover of a meteor shower, one ODST, [[Checkman]], was killed after his pod entered the planet's atmosphere at a bad angle. The surviving pods landed in close proximity to each other, but one ODST, [[O'Brien (Heian)|O'Brien]], landed in a swamp. Cal saved O'Brien from drowning as the latter's pod began to sink. However, as Cal had replaced him as sniper for the mission, O'Brien's contempt for the Spartan increased.{{Ref/Reuse|baby}}

The team moved north through the ruins to gain a vantage point, taking photographs as they moved. Contact was made with a patrol of [[Unggoy]] led by an [[Unidentified Jiralhanae chieftain (Heian)|unidentified]] [[Jiralhanae Chieftain]]. Though the Unggoy were successfully neutralized, O'Brien was nearly killed and had to be saved by Cal. The Brute was thrown over a waterfall and presumed dead, but in fact survived and followed the team to their sniping position.{{Ref/Reuse|baby}}

The team arrived at the sniping point with only two minutes before the Prophet arrived to inspect the ruins. However, they were ambushed by the chieftain and Cal was mortally wounded before she could fire on the Prophet. Despite his initial hesitation, O'Brien killed the Prophet with a single shot to the head from over two miles away.{{Ref/Reuse|baby}}

==Aftermath==
Cal died shortly after the Prophet's death,{{Ref/Reuse|S4Intel}} giving Cortez the recordings of the ruins on a [[data crystal chip]]. These sparked interest within the scientific community after the [[Human-Covenant War]], and the [[Department of Xenoarchaeological Studies]] at the [[University of Edinburgh]] was commissioned by ONI to research the ruins.{{Ref/Anthology|Evo|From the Office of Dr. William Arthur Iqbal}} Shortly after the battle's conclusion, Doctor [[Catherine Halsey]] was able to review footage of the Heian ruins recovered by the surviving ODSTs - and immediately reasoned them to predate any [[Earth]] civilisation. However, with the Covenant's presence on the planet still strong and the [[Battle of Miridem]] raging on, she figured that the UNSC would be unable to spare any resources to follow-up investigations in the near future.{{Ref/Reuse|S4Intel}} Despite this, [[Project BOOKWORM]] would later establish a research presence on Heian in the [[Post-Covenant War conflicts|post-war years]].{{Ref/Reuse|CFShocks}}

Cal's actions during the mission and her saving O'Brien's life many times until the loss of her own changed the team's thoughts and opinions on the Spartans. Upon their return to ''Kronstadt'', the surviving ODSTs reacted aggressively to an [[Berger|Army specialist]] who suggested the Spartans were inferior to them based on Cal's death.{{Ref/Reuse|baby}} 

Many years later, GREY VEIL's success had become well-known throughout the UNSC; during the [[Second Ark Conflict]] in mid-late [[2559]], after-action reports of O'Brien's sniper shot were studied by [[Lance Corporal]] [[Devon Sparks]] of [[Sunray 1-1]] and their tactics put to use some time following [[Operation: SPEARBREAKER]] to assassinate a [[Jiralhanae]] [[Captain (Covenant)|Captain]] of the [[Banished]]. This sniper shot has ultimately become legendary throughout the [[Sniper|marksmen]] contingent aboard {{UNSCShip|Spirit of Fire}}.{{Ref/Reuse|CF100}}

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:HLeg TheBabysitter SOIEVDeployment.png|The ''Kronstadt'' deploying its SOIEV complement.
File:HLeg CalSavesObrien.png|Cal-141 pulls O'Brien's SOEIV out of the swamp.
File:HLeg CalAndODSTS.png|Cal and the ODSTs after O'Brien is saved.
File:HLeg CalSavesObrien2.png|Cal catches the Jiralhanae Chieftain's gravity hammer before it hits O'Brien.
File:HLeg CalholdsObrien.png|Cal assists O'Brien.
File:HLeg GreyVeil.png|The ODSTs plan their next move as Cal-141 stands watch.
File:HLeg CalSniper.png|Cal sets up her [[SRS99C-S2 AM sniper rifle]].
File:HL-Babysitter-SniperScope1.jpg|Cal-141 scans over the Covenant forces through the scope of her sniper rifle.
File:HL-Babysitter-SniperScope2.jpg|Cal zooms in on one of the [[Sangheili]] guards.
File:HL-Babysitter-SniperScope3.jpg|Cal tracks the Minor Prophet's {{Pattern|Ru'swum|Phantom}}.
File:HL-Babysitter-SniperScope4.jpg|O'Brien spies the Minor Prophet through the scope of the sniper rifle.
File:HL-Babysitter-SniperScope5.jpg|O'Brien's perspective immediately before taking the shot.
File:HLeg DyingCal.png|The ODSTs try in vain to tend to Cal's injuries.
File:HLeg GiveMeThatChip.png|Cal gives Cortez the data crystal chip.
</gallery>

==List of appearances==
*''[[Halo Legends]]''
**''[[The Babysitter]]'' {{1st}}
*''[[Halo Infinite]]''
**''[[Season 04: Infection]]'' {{Mo}}

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

{{Human-Covenant War}}

[[Category:Battles of the Human-Covenant War|Heian]]
[[Category:UNSC victories|Heian]]
[[Category:Operations|GREY VEIL]]