Artifact (Spartan Ops)/Pelican Down

Pelican Down is the fourth chapter of Spartan Ops ' second episode, Artifact.

Summary
While en route to Gagarin team's last known location, the Pelican carrying Fireteam Crimson is shot down by Covenant anti-air defenses. Spartan Jared Miller comes online and reveals that there are several anti-air turrets hidden near Crimson's crash site. In order to avoid any more casualties, Commander Palmer orders Robert Dalton to redirect all Infinity air-traffic away from the area. Miller then discovers that Crimson has survived the crash when their IFF tags register on-screen. Crimson is then contacted by Commander Palmer to locate and destroy the anti-aircraft guns that shot them down. While doing so, large Covenant drop pods, including several individual insertion pods carrying Sangheili Zealots and Warriors, reinforce the local Covenant garrison, who are swiftly taken out by the Spartans. After disabling both anti-aircraft batteries, Crimson eliminates the rest of the remaining Covenant in the area. Palmer, with the help of Miller, discovers a nearby Forerunner transit-system Crimson can use to locate Science Team Gagarin. With the area secured, Fireteam Crimson continue on with their previous mission.

Transcript
{Cutscene}

''The camera pans over a box canyon. At the far end smoke rises into the air. A Kig-Yar Sniper stands on a rocky outcropping. It screeches silently and points at something offscreen. A Kig-Yar Heavy jumps off the to pursue the target.''


 * Palmer: "What the hell brought them down?"


 * Miller: "AA guns in the area."


 * Palmer: "Sitrep Miller! Is anyone alive down there?"

{Gameplay}


 * Miller: "All Crimson IFF tags are active. They're in one piece, Commander Palmer. But they've got bad guys inbound!"


 * Palmer: "Hold back all other air traffic near Crimson's coordinates until they can take down those guns. Gagarin will have to wait."


 * Dalton: "Consider it done."

''As the player approaches the path through the rocks a drop pod descends and deposits more Covenant troops. As the player turns a corner several snipers open fire.''


 * Miller: "Sniper!"

or


 * Miller: "Sniper fire!"

or


 * Miller: "Commander! Snipers!"


 * Palmer: "I think Crimson has noticed, Miller!"

or


 * Palmer: "Sniper! Keep your heads down, Crimson!"

As the player pushes on.


 * Palmer: "Looks like you've got drop pods headed your way!"

or


 * Miller: "Crimson, drop pods in the sky!"

''The player kills those Covenant. An individual drop pod descends and deposits an Elite wielding a sword and using active camo. Once the player kills it:''


 * Palmer: "Miller, paint the target for Crimson."


 * Miller: "Closest gun to their position is lit."


 * Palmer: "Get moving, Crimson. Take down those AA guns."

As the player approaches the ramp either Palmer or Miller will issue one of the above warnings about snipers.


 * Palmer: "Dalton, Crimson could use some resupply."


 * Dalton: "You got it, Commander."

or


 * Palmer: "Send Crimson some resupply, Dalton."


 * Dalton: "Already on its way, Commander."

A sniper rifle drops beside the ramp.


 * Miller: "There we go!"

The player reaches the first gun.


 * Miller: "Crimson has reached the first gun, Commander."


 * Palmer: "Shut it down, Crimson."

The player deactivates the gun.


 * Palmer: "That's one gun down. Move on to the next one, Crimson."

Two drop pods land and deposit heavily-armed Elites.


 * Miller: "Commander, I've got a lock on a second gun near Crimson's position."


 * Palmer: "Paint it, Miller."

A waypoint appears on the player's HUD.


 * Miller: "Done."

The player moves forward.


 * Miller: "More Covies inbound on Crimson's position."

As the player draws close.


 * Palmer: "There's your second AA gun, Crimson."

The player deactivates it.


 * Miller: "Target destroyed, Commander."


 * Palmer: "Excellent. Dalton, the air corridor is open again."


 * Dalton: "Thanks, Commander."


 * Palmer: "Crimson, let's get you moving in Gagarin's direction."

A Phantom lands and deploys more Covenant.


 * Miller: "More Covenant inbound, Crimson. Not that I want to belabor the obvious, mind you."


 * Palmer: "Miller, your attention to detail's one of the few things I truly like about you. Never stop."

After the player kills about half of the Covenant reinforcements.


 * Palmer: "Halfway done. Clean out the stragglers, Crimson. No reason to leave anybody behind."

''Markers appear on the remaining Covenant. The player kills them all.''


 * Miller: "Crimson's in the clear, Commander. Still no word from Gagarin team."


 * Palmer: "They're also reasonably close to a transit tunnel if I'm reading this map right."


 * Miller: "Yes, Commander. They could hoof it from here to the Science Team's last known locale pretty easily."


 * Palmer: "There it is then, Crimson. Off you go."

The player enters the tunnel.

"CHAPTER COMPLETE"

Level ends.

Trivia
This chapter's name may be a reference to Mark Bowden's historical biography Black Hawk Down, or more likely the film adaptation by Ridley Scott.