Assault on Cyclone

"Majestic, hang tight. We’re about to deal with your artillery trouble."

- Sarah Palmer

The Assault on Cyclone was an assault during the Requiem Campaign conducted by Fireteam Crimson and Fireteam Kodiak on the location known as "Cyclone" in order to save Fireteam Majestic from the Covenant artillery that was attacking them from there.

Prelude
During a mission in "the Cauldron," Fireteam Crimson were able to retrieve a mysterious Forerunner artifact that they transported back to the. While examining the artifact, Doctor Henry Glassman accidentally activated it and was pulled in. Glassman was transported to Requiem's surface where he was captured by Covenant forces. In exchange for his life being spared, Glassman agreed to help Jul 'Mdama access the shrine at "Librarian's Rest" to gain access to the imprint of the Librarian stored within. Glassman was forced to work with inadequate equipment, but eventually succeeded in activating a protective shield around the shrine, albeit without knowing exactly what he had accomplished.

Due to Glassman's disappearance, Doctor Catherine Halsey was brought in to help examine the artifact. Jul contacted her in secret, offering Halsey information about the Prometheans. After Fireteam Crimson and Fireteam Majestic retrieved "the Didact's Gift," it was revealed to be the "soul" of a Promethean Knight, a human digitized by the Composer during the New Phoenix Incident six months earlier. As Halsey communicated with Jul about the discovery, she was found out by Commander Sarah Palmer and arrested for her actions. Spartan Gabriel Thorne, confused by the appearance of the artifact in the memories revealed in "the Didact's Gift," inadvertently activated it and was transported to "the Cauldron." Despite putting up a fight, Thorne was ultimately captured by two Sangheili Storm and taken to "Librarian's Rest" which was eventually detected by Roland.

Thorne managed to esacpe with Glassman, chased by Gek 'Lhar. The two were eventually rescued by the rest of Fireteam Majestic who killed Gek and looted his body. Shortly thereafter, team leader Paul DeMarco contacted the Infinity for help as Majestic was under fire from Covenant heavy artillery. Commander Sarah Palmer redeployed Fireteam Crimson, who had just finished a mission at "Apex," to assist them.

Destroying the artillery
Fireteam Crimson and Fireteam Kodiak were deployed to "Cyclone" in two Pelicans, one piloted by Lieutenant TJ Murphy, to deal with the heavy Covenant artillery attacking Fireteam Majestic. Commander Sarah Palmer assured Spartan Paul DeMarco that they were about to deal with his artillery trouble, but Spartan Jared Miller was worried by the fact that the Covenant almost seemed to know that they were coming. However, Palmer dismissed Miller's concerns as him being paranoid.

The two Pelicans deployed Crimson, Kodiak and two Warthogs at "Cyclone," but Kodiak's Pelican was shot down moments later. Miller quickly ordered Murphy to withdraw until Crimson called for pickup which he did. Fighting their way through the Covenant forces in the area, Crimson and Kodiak managed to reach the first artillery piece, but found it too well shielded for their fire to penetrate. Noticing an energy conduit nearby that heated up whenever the gun fired, Miller and Palmer had Crimson target that instead. From the gun's reaction to the attack, Miller realized that without the conduits to cool off the gun, it would overload. Crimson destroyed the first conduit, causing the gun to begin to destabilize. Crimson destroyed the second conduit, causing the gun to overload and explode when it fired again, killing any remaining Covenant too close to its base.

With the first gun destroyed, Crimson moved onto the second with the Covenant falling back to defend it. Crimson managed to fight through the Covenant forces and destroy the conduits for the second gun, resulting in its destruction as well. Palmer reassured DeMarco that they only needed to destroy one more gun as the remaining Covenant began massing at the final artillery. As Crimson made their way to the final gun, Miller noted that just a second after he directed Crimson to it, the Covenant had moved to it as well as if they had known where Crimson was going. Convinced that it wasn't a coincidence, Miller promised to keep an eye on it while Phantoms dropped reinforcements, including Hunters. Crimson succeeded in clearing out the Covenant resistance around the last gun and destroyed it, saving Fireteam Majestic from the artillery bombardment that they had been suffering.

Clearing the area
With the artillery destroyed, Fireteam Crimson was ordered to fall back and help Fireteam Kodiak clear the landing zone so that they could be extracted by Murphy's Pelican. Working together, the two Spartan fireteams secured the LZ and Murphy was ordered to pick them up.

However, before the Spartans could be extracted, Murphy warned that they had Phantoms in the area which dropped more reinforcements, including more Hunters and a Wraith. Miller had Robert Dalton drop them supplies to help take out the Covenant reinforcements with Promethean Watchers also translocating in to help the Covenant forces. A Covenant Phantom made an attack run, resulting in it accidentally or on purpose crashing into a canyon wall near Crimson and Kodiak's position, destroying the enemy dropship but causing no harm to the Spartans. Finally, Crimson and Kodiak succeeded in clearing out all of the Covenant forces in the area.

Aftermath
As Murphy's Pelican arrived to extract Fireteam Crimson and Fireteam Kodiak, Fireteam Lancer contacted the Infinity for help with clearing out a Covenant nest in the hills near "Apex." Palmer decided to redeploy Crimson to help and during the mission, a Covenant prisoner captured by Poker Squad revealed the location of a listening post the Covenant had been using to spy on UNSC operations which was how they had anticipated Crimson and Kodiak's actions at "Cyclone."

List of appearances

 * Halo 4
 * Spartan Ops