Expendable/Crystal Ball

Crystal Ball is the fourth chapter of Spartan Ops ' eighth episode, Expendable.

Summary
Crimson is sent to Lockup to deactivate a Covenant listening post located in the last chapter. After deactivating several jammers in the area, they find the Covenant were using a captured Army Pelican to listen in on UNSC communications. After eliminating the Covenant forces in the area, Dalton orders a strike to destroy the Pelican.

Transcript
{Cutscene}

''Fade in to outside the Covenant-occupied Forerunner structure where Crimson and Icebreaker were held earlier. A pair of Unggoy are conversing on a landing platform. They do not notice the Pelican approaching their position until it is too late. The Pelican swoops down and shoots two of the three Unggoy guards. The third tries to flee but is also gunned down as well.''


 * Commander Sarah Palmer: “All right, Crimson: A captured Elite offered up the crystal ball they’ve been using to track us and it’s in there somewhere.”

{Gameplay}

Fireteam Crimson and Marines are deployed.


 * Palmer: “Weapons hot!”


 * Spartan Jared Miller: “Movement from the structure! More bad guys inbound, Spartans!”

Crimson presses forward and enters the structure.


 * Palmer: “Neutralize all targets.”

Crimson clears out the structure.


 * Miller: “Area’s clear, Commander.”


 * Palmer: “Textbook example of kicking ass! Well done, Crimson.”


 * Miller: “Tagging the door controls for you now.”

Door controls are marked on player’s HUD.


 * Miller: “Commander, I’m getting some interference around Crimson’s uplink. Could explain why drones have been unreliable in that location.”


 * Palmer: “So add jammers to the list of things we might be looking for.”

Crimson opens the door and moves further into the structure.


 * Miller: “Crimson, watch out!”

''A cloaked Elite with an energy sword attacks Crimson. The Spartans kill him.''


 * Miller: “Tagging the door controls for you now.”

Crimson opens the second door and moves out into a large open area where they encounter heavy Covenant resistance, including Wraiths.


 * Miller: “There we go. I’ve got three energy signatures matching known Covenant signal jammers.”

The three jammers are marked on the HUD.

First jammer is destroyed:


 * Miller: “One down. Two to go.”


 * Palmer: “Crimson! Phantom inbound!”

Second jammer is destroyed:


 * Miller: “One more to go. Great work!”

Third jammer is destroyed:


 * Miller: “That did it!”


 * Miller: “Oh boy. Crimson!  Phantom inbound!”

Phantom arrives and deploys more enemy troops, plus another Wraith.

When most Covenant are down:


 * Miller: “Still a few Covenant in your area, Crimson. Marking them for you now.”

After Crimson finishes off the last Covenant in the area, they suddenly receive a garbled transmission of unknown origin.


 * Miller: “UNSC transponder! In the chamber adjacent to Crimson’s position! Marking it now!”

''Crimson opens the designated door. On the other side they discover a captured UNSC Pelican. The dropship is suspended in the air by energy beams.''


 * Miller: “Commander, do you see this?”


 * Palmer: “The hell? The Covies have one of our birds!”


 * Miller: “It’s an Army ride. Shot down near Cauldron Base. Assumed destroyed.”


 * Palmer: “Assumed wrong.”


 * Palmer: “Nobody left standing. Got it, Crimson?”

Crimson engages the Covenant guarding the Pelican.


 * Palmer: “Phantom on approach.”

Phantom deploys additional enemy troops.


 * Miller: “Drop pod incoming!”

Covenant drop pod deploys more enemy troops.


 * Palmer: “More target practice coming your way.”

Another Phantom drops off more enemies.

Once most Covenant are down:


 * Miller: “Still a few Covenant in your area, Crimson. Marking them for you now.”

Once all the Covenant are defeated:


 * Miller: “Those energy tethers are tied into the Pelican’s comm systems. Break them!”

Four consoles are highlighted on the HUD.


 * Miller: “Uh oh! Phantom inbound!”

When two consoles are activated:


 * Miller: “That’s two.”

Third console is activated:


 * Miller: “One to go.”

''Fourth console is activated. The Covenant’s link to the Pelican’s comm systems is broken.''


 * Miller: “Dalton, Crimson needs a ride. And I could use some explosives to erase a problem.”


 * Spartan Robert Dalton: “Happy to oblige on both counts. Inbound on Crimson’s position now.”


 * Palmer: “Just a minute more, Dalton. Crimson’s on the job.”

Phantom deploys additional enemy troops, including four Hunters.


 * UNSC AI Roland: “Spartans! Hunters have entered the area!”

After Hunters and any remaining Covenant are defeated:


 * Miller: “Dalton, ground’s clear and Crimson’s ready for evac!”


 * Dalton: “Roger that, Miller.”

''Pelican arrives. Crimson gets on board.''

{Cutscene}

Crimson’s Pelican lifts off.


 * Miller: “Spartans are clear.”


 * Dalton: “Explosives deployed.”


 * Palmer: “Thanks, Dalton. It’ll be nice to have the element of surprise again.”

Crimson’s Pelican clears the area as the orbital strike commences.

CHAPTER COMPLETE

Level ends.