Assault on the Warrens

"Jared Miller"

- Terry Hedge

The Assault on the Warrens was an assault conducted by UNSC forces during the Requiem Campaign on a Covenant base in the location known as the "Warrens."

Prelude
While on a mission to investigate a Covenant archeological dig site, Fireteam Switchback disappeared without a trace, leaving behind only their blank IFF tags. Unknown to the UNSC, Switchback had been captured by the Covenant and taken to the "Warrens" aside from team leader Cara Costabile who had been killed by the Covenant. Switchback eventually managed to begin broadcasting a Morse code SOS over Covenant frequencies in the hopes of being found and rescued.

While Fireteam Crimson was on a mission in "Apex," which was located close to the "Warrens," Spartan Jared Miller detected Switchback's SOS briefly before the signal disappeared. As the Covenant didn't use Morse code, Miller realized that something was up and promised to keep an eye out for the signal again. Soon after, Crimson was deployed to help Fireteam Lancer clear out the Covenant base located in the "Warrens."

Attack on the Covenant base
Fireteam Crimson was deployed to the "Warrens" to help Fireteam Lancer clear out the Covenant in the area. As they arrived, the two Pelicans dropped their Warthogs on top of two of the Unggoy guards in the area, killing them. Spartan Terry Hedge of Lancer reported that the Covenant had hooked active camouflage up to the shield generators between the landing zone and the caves, keeping the Spartans from taking the shield out until the active camouflage could be dealt with. Palmer ordered Crimson to secure the area while Miller began searching for a way to deal with the cloaked generators.

Crimson and Lancer took the Warthogs that had been dropped on the beach and moved out, facing heavy Covenant resistance including several Ghosts. As they battled with the Covenant, Miller picked up the same mysterious SOS he had previously detected. However, unless Miller had a solution to that mystery, Palmer was uninterested. An enemy Phantom deployed a Wraith and Miller finally determined that one of the Sangheili on the Wraith was controlling the cloaks on the generators. Crimson and Lancer were able to destroy the Wraith and kill the Sangheili, causing the cloak around the shield generators to drop. With the shield generators visible, Crimson and Lancer cleared out the Covenant in the area and destroyed the generators, dropping the shield wall barring their way.

With the shield down, Palmer ordered the two fireteams to proceed with Crimson taking the lead. As they approached the door to the caves, Miller determined that it was shut tight but with a lot of movement behind it. To draw their attention, Crimson and Lancer eliminated the Covenant forces guarding the door, causing the forces behind it to open the door and emerge to engage the two fireteams. Crimson and Lancer were able to eliminate the Covenant reinforcements and proceed through the door into the cave system.

As Crimson and Lancer proceeded, Miller picked up the SOS again and realized that it was coming from within the cave system itself. Inside, the Spartans engaged Covenant infantry as well as turrets and Ghosts with Phantoms deploying more reinforcements, including two Wraiths. Crimson and Lancer managed to clear out all of the Covenant forces and proceed to the Forerunner structure in the center of the cavern. As they proceeded, Miller received a call from Poker Squad who had captured a Sangheili who was willing to give up the location of a Covenant listening post that had been enabling the Covenant to keep track of the UNSC's movements in exchange for his own life. Pleased, Palmer ordered Miller to have Poker check it out and then make the deal.

Rescuing Fireteam Switchback
Reaching the Forerunner structure in the middle of the caverns, Crimson and Lancer cleared out the Covenant guarding it while Miller warned them to be prepared because they didn't know what would be on the other side of the door when they opened it. Crimson opened the structure's main doors, releasing Covenant and Promethean Watchers that attacked. Together, Crimson and Lancer managed to eliminate their attackers.

Crimson proceeded into the hallway only to find Fireteam Switchback, who had mysteriously disappeared recently, trapped behind a shield door. Spartan Bradford Gale explained that they had been sending the SOS for awhile now and reported that team leader Cara Costabile had been killed by the Covenant. With Covenant dropships approaching with reinforcements, Crimson freed Switchback from their prison in order to make an escape.

Crimson, Switchback and Lancer battled towards an outcropping nearby leading out of the cavern for extraction with Murphy aiding the fight by shooting down an enemy Phantom with the guns on his Pelican. Finally, the Spartans cleared the area of Covenant forces and Murphy extracted Crimson and Switchback as Palmer congratulated the Spartans on rescuing Switchback.

Aftermath
With Fireteam Switchback recovered and the "Warrens" secured, Fireteam Crimson were redeployed to investigate the Covenant listening post that Poker Squad had learned the location of.

List of appearances

 * Halo 4
 * Spartan Ops