Operation: OFFSET EYE

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Operation: OFFSET EYE
Conflict:	Human-Covenant War Defense of Concord
Date:	December 12, 2551
Location:	Outskirts of Skathi, Hinterlands region, Concord
Outcome:	Decisive UNSC victory Covenant contingent obliterated
Details Belligerents United Nations Space Command Covenant Commanders COL Urban Holland CDR Carter-A259 Unknown Strength UNSC Army Special Warfare Group Three Noble Team 1 M862 Arctic Warthog 1 Zashk-pattern Draugr 2 Zurdo-pattern Wraiths 6 Karo'etba-pattern Ghosts Several Banshees Several Unggoy Several Kig-Yar Casualties None 1 Zashk-pattern Draugr (captured) 2 Zurdo-pattern Wraiths 6 Karo'etba-pattern Ghosts (one Ghost captured) Several Banshees The entire infantry force of Unggoy and Kig-Yar

Operation: OFFSET EYE was a UNSC Army operation undertaken by NOBLE Team on December 12, 2551 in which they defended the hinterland town of Skathi, Concord from a contingent of Covenant ground forces.

Background

When the Covenant attacked the colony of Concord in early December 2551, NOBLE Team was sent to the planet to aid in its defense. By December 12, a joint effort between the UNSC Army Rangers and the Concordian militia had denied the Covenant air superiority using M9 Wolverine anti-aircraft tanks and S-14 Baselards. Following this, the alien invasion forces were driven from the major cities and the unusually small number of Covenant warships in orbit were neutralized by the planets mass drivers and a UNSC strike group. After being rerouted from one of the cities, NOBLE Team's Pelican was downed in the mountains of the Hinterlands region in the midst of a particularly brutal snowstorm. As a lone Covenant Banshee scouted for their crash site, the Spartans made their way to the town of Skathi, which was under imminent threat from a contingent of Covenant ground forces.

A lone Banshee scouts the Hinterlands for the wreckage of NOBLE Team's Pelican.

The operation

NOBLE Team found that Skathi's citizens were already preparing to defend their town, so Jorge-052 got to work collecting ammunition with them while Jun-A266 found an elevated position to watch for the Covenant's arrival. Kat-B320 informed Carter-A259 that their only operational asset in the town was a single M862 Arctic Warthog and that air support and evacuation were still hours away. Once he had a clear look at the approaching Covenant force, Jun informed the rest of his team that a Zashk-pattern Draugr siege platform was leading the charge. Formulating a plan, Kat had Rosenda-A344 and Thom-A293 join her in their M862 Arctic Warthog while the rest of NOBLE stayed in town as a rear guard.

After entering the driver's seat, Kat-B320 drove the Warthog straight at the approaching convoy, attracting the attention of the Draugr's escort of six Karo'etba-pattern Ghosts and mortar fire from two Zurdo-pattern Wraiths. The Ghosts began to flank the Spartans' Warthog, leading to Rosenda flinging open her gullwing door and firing her assault rifle in short controlled bursts. Her expertly placed shots killed the Unggoy drivers of the first three Ghosts and ruptured the fuel cell of the fourth, causing the vehicle to violently detonate. As the Warthog neared one of the approaching Ghosts, Thom leapt to the vehicle and took it for himself once he killed the driver. Realizing that keeping their distance from the siege engine would be a deadly mistake, Kat directed Thom to draw the fire of the Draugr as she and Rosenda prepared to board the siege engine. Thom began to flank one of the Draugr's Wraith escorts, forcing the siege vehicle redirect its focus cannons to cover its escort's blind spot. With the Draugr's attention focused on Thom's Ghost, Kat drove up and nearby rocky outcropping, landing the Warthog into the lower troop bay of the Draugr. As soon as their vehicle came to a rest, Rosenda launched from her seat and killed multiple Kig-Yar with her combat knife.

With the immediate threat eliminated, Kat got to work opening the Draugr's forward loading ramp so that Thom could get inside as well. Once the ramp was lowered, Thom drove his Ghost up unto the belly of the Draugr. After closing the forward ramp, Kat used the siege engine's own focus cannons to obliterate the remaining Ghosts and Wraiths while Thom and Rosenda covered her. Upon realizing that the Draugr was already compromised, the convoy's accompanying Banshees moved ahead to attack Skathi. However, the rest of NOBLE Team—particularly Jorge-052 with his M247H machine gun and Jun-A266 with his SRS99-AM sniper rifle—were waiting for them. Knowing that the remaining Covenant infantry would attempt to reclaim the Draugr, Kat reopened the loading ramp and the three Spartans prepared to ambush the boarders. Ultimately, the entire enemy infantry force was eliminated.

Aftermath

The Spartans brought the captured Draugr back to the outskirts of Skathi, where a pair of Pelicans land a few hours later to retrieve NOBLE Team and deliver supplies to the citizens of the town. As NOBLE team was busy offloading supply crates, Carter-A259 gathered the Spartans for a situation update, where he stated that Colonel Urban Holland was sending them to Fumirole, which was expected to be attacked in short order. Carter also informed Rosenda that she was being reassigned. NOBLE exchanged formal goodbyes and saluted before they boarded their Pelicans—Rosenda in one of the dropships alone, and the rest of NOBLE in the other. Then, the two dropships lifted off, each going in opposite directions.

List of appearances

• Halo Infinite
  • Noble Intention (First mentioned)
• Halo: Winter Contention (First appearance)