Frederic-104: Difference between revisions

In [[2553#May|May 2553]], Blue Team was attached to ONI's [[717th Xeno-Materials Exploitation Battalion]]. The research [[battalion]] was [[Operation: JOVIAN WHISTLE|deployed]] to the [[Outer Colony]] of [[Gao]] to search for Forerunner [[ancilla]] [[Intrepid Eye]], an {{Class|archeon|ancilla}} that had been detected on the planet by the battalion's [[Commander]] [[Murtag Nelson]]. The UNSC's presence on the planet was largely undesired by the traditionally independent Gao.<ref name="ll27">'''Halo: Last Light''', ''pages 27-30''</ref> Upon learning of the UNSC's intent to capture her, Intrepid Eye began murdering Gao citizens in the [[Montero Cave System]] in an effort to create distrust and discord throughout Gao. The [[Gao Ministry of Protection]] was tasked with finding the murderer and Nelson had members of Blue Team aid [[Special inspector|Special Inspector]] [[Veta Lopis]] in her efforts to allow the UNSC to return searching for the ancilla without Gao interference.<ref name="ll8">'''Halo: Last Light''', ''pages 8-15''</ref> During the investigation, Lopis became certain that the murderer was one of the Spartans and often pestered Fred for details on the battalion's mission, much to the Spartan's annoyance.<ref name="ll27"/> On [[2553#July|July 4, 2553]], Fred, Ash, Olivia, and Mark were exploring the Montero Cave System alongside Lopis and her partner [[Cirilo]], where they discovered the bodies of [[Major]] [[Ira Halal]] and [[Private]] [[Hayes]], who had been murdered by Intrepid Eye. As they moved deeper into the cave system, eventually emerging into a larger cavern, the last four remaining Sentinels attacked the humans while Intrepid Eye watched nearby. Though the Spartans were able to destroy the Sentinels, Cirilo was killed and Olivia was wounded.<ref name="ll104">'''Halo: Last Light''', ''pages 104-30''</ref> Ordering the others to stay put, Fred left to investigate a nearby cave-in.<ref name="ll126">'''Halo: Last Light''', ''pages 126-128''</ref>

Descending into a pit in the cavern's floor, Fred discovered Intrepid Eye's damaged [[Covert Support Base 4276]]. When Fred approached the facility's corrupted [[vacuum energy]] extractor, he was caught inside a space-time anomaly; while over two hours had elapsed on the outside, Fred had only felt the passing of ten minutes. Wary of exploring the mysterious facility alone, he left to regroup with the rest of his team to return to the surface and report to Nelson, along with the recently discovered [[Lifeworker]] Huragok [[Roams Alone]].<ref name="ll141">'''Halo: Last Light''', ''pages 141-145''</ref> While the group continued towards Gao's surface, the battalion's encampments at the [[Montero Vitality Center]] and at the village of [[Wendosa]] were attacked by [[insurrectionist]]s and the [[Keepers of the One Freedom]], who sought to take Gao's ancilla for themselves. Meanwhile, the Gamma Company Spartan-IIIs had run out of their "Smoothers", drugs that controlled their more unpredictable [[Project CHRYSANTHEMUM|augmentations]]. After having lost contact with Mark who was supposed to scout the area ahead, Fred, Ash, and Roams Alone departed to look for him.<ref name="ll170">'''Halo: Last Light''', ''pages 170-173''</ref> The three soon encountered dead Keeper forces killed by Mark. Meanwhile, Mark had returned to Olivia's and Lopis' position, helping the two fight off hostile forces.<ref name="ll179">'''Halo: Last Light''', ''pages 179-181''</ref>

Once the team regrouped, they fought their way past Keeper forces as they attempted to return to the surface. Seeking to be caught in order to gain access to UNSC communications, Intrepid Eye revealed herself to Fred in her [[inspection drone]] shell and allowed him to capture her with a [[scramble grenade]]. Finally returning to the surface at Wendosa, Fred created a plan to attack the Keepers and aid the battalion and the rest of Blue Team under attack at the village.<ref name="ll213">'''Halo: Last Light''', ''pages 213-226''</ref> In the ensuing firefight, Intrepid Eye convinced Roams Alone to free her and she escaped, jamming all communications on the planet. Fred pursued the ancilla and recaptured her, only to find Mark—now paranoid and aggressive without his Smoothers—holding a knife to [[Nguyen|a Marine sergeant]]. After coaxing Mark to release the Marine, the sergeant informed Fred that he was to return to the Vitality Center with the ancilla. Reluctantly boarding a [[UH-144 Falcon|Falcon]], Fred departed for the center, but the aircraft was shot down by Keeper forces.<ref name="ll243">'''Halo: Last Light''', ''pages 243-261''</ref> While Keeper forces attacked the crash-site to retrieve Intrepid Eye, Fred's armor's mechanical joints locked up, preventing him from moving. Blue Team and Lopis arrived at the crash and, with the eventual help of [[Alpha Company (717th)|Alpha Company]], fended off the Keepers.<ref name="ll279">'''Halo: Last Light''', ''pages 279-284''</ref> Fred and the other injured Spartans were later brought to the Vitality Center to recover. Meanwhile, the [[Gao Republic]]'s militia attempted to forcefully remove the UNSC from the planet by attacking the battalion.<ref name="ll294">'''Halo: Last Light''', ''pages 294-299''</ref>

While the UNSC was preparing to evacuate, Intrepid Eye murdered Nelson and attempted to kill Lopis, but the ancilla was disabled by [[A. Gallo|a Marine]] and Fred rescued Lopis.<ref name="ll333">'''Halo: Last Light''', ''pages 333-335''</ref> Determined to prevent the support base from falling into the hands of Gao rebels, Blue Team, Lopis, and Roams Alone embarked to destroy the facility with a HAVOK nuclear warhead, while the rest of the battalion evacuated. Pursued by [[Gao battle-jumpers]] and [[Wyvern]]s, the team traveled to the support base's entrance at the [[Well of Echoes]] in Warthogs. During the battle, Roams Alone departed from the rest of the team to tend to Gao's wildlife, while Intrepid Eye managed to take control of Fred's armor and attempted to kill Lopis. However, Lopis detonated a small charge she had earlier placed in Fred's armor in case he was the Gao murderer, leaving the armor powerless and forcing Fred to abandon it.<ref name="ll348">'''Halo: Last Light''', ''pages 348-361''</ref> Finally arriving at the Well of Echoes, the team boarded the [[Owl]] [[UNSC Silent Claw|''Silent Claw'']], commanded by Osman, and dropped the HAVOK into the Well of Echoes, destroying the Forerunner base as they fled the planet.<ref name="ll373">'''Halo: Last Light''', ''pages 373-380''</ref> With Intrepid Eye successfully captured, the UNSC left Gao. To avoid the public finding out about the dangers of the Gamma Company Spartan-IIIs' augmentations, Osman had Ash, Mark, and Olivia officially marked as [[killed in action]] and transferred to a classified "[[Ferret]]" covert operations team of which she gave command of to Lopis, much to the rest of Blue Team's initial reluctance.<ref name="ll384">'''Halo: Last Light''', ''pages 384-390''</ref> Shortly after, Tom and Lucy were transferred from Blue Team to the emerging [[Spartan Operations|Spartan branch]], leaving Blue Team once again composed of only Spartan-IIs.<ref>[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/forums/db05ce78845f4120b062c50816008e5d/topics/catalog-interaction/4c3e1c6f-6519-4ee0-83a4-4bac13bf07a3/posts?page=38#post745 '''Halo Waypoint''': ''Catalog Interaction'']</ref>