Editing Operation: WARM BLANKET

{{Status|Canon}}
{{Battle infobox
|name        = Operation: WARM BLANKET
|image       = [[File:The Package poster.jpg|300px]]
|prev        = [[Battle of Miridem]]
|conc        =
|next        = [[Operation: IRON FIST]]
|conflict    = [[Human-Covenant War]]
|date        = [[2544]]
|place       = [[Ascon]]{{Ref/Game|Id=H5GLtd|Halo 5: Guardians Limited Edition|[[Halo 5: Guardians Limited Edition dossiers#John-117|Dossier files]] - John-117}}{{Ref/Game|Halo 5: Guardians Limited Edition|[[Halo 5: Guardians Limited Edition dossiers#Kelly-087|Dossier files]] - Kelly-087}}{{Ref/Game|Halo 5: Guardians Limited Edition|[[Halo 5: Guardians Limited Edition dossiers#Frederic-104|Dossier files]] - Frederic-104}}
|result      = '''UNSC tactical victory'''
*[[Catherine Halsey]] rescued
*Covenant fleet escapes
|side1       = [[United Nations Space Command]]
|side2       = [[Covenant]]
|commanders1 =*[[Vice Admiral]] [[Berlin M. Tursk]]
*[[Captain (Navy)|Captain]] [[Lucius R. Jiron]] 
*[[Master Chief Petty Officer]] [[John-117]]
|commanders2 =*[[Supreme Commander]] [[Luro 'Taralumee]]
*[[Sangheili Major|Major]] [[Thel 'Lodamee]]
|forces1     =*5 [[SPARTAN-II program|SPARTAN-IIs]] ([[Blue Team]])
**[[Master Chief Petty Officer]] [[John-117]]
**[[Petty Officer First Class]] [[Frederic-104]]
**[[Petty Officer Second Class]] [[Kelly-087]]
**[[Solomon-069]]
**[[Arthur-079]]
*5 [[OF92 Booster Frame]]s
*1 [[prowler]]
**''[[PRO-49776]]''
|forces2     =*[[Third Fleet of Glorious Consequence]]
**[[Type-31 Seraph]]s
**{{Pattern|Ket|battlecruiser}}s
**One {{Class|CAS|assault carrier}}
***''[[Resplendent Fervor]]''
|casual1     =
*All Booster Frames
*Two SPARTAN-IIs
**Solomon-069
**Arthur-079
|casual2     =
*One ''Ket''-pattern battlecruiser
*Several Seraph squadrons
*Several ''Ket''-pattern battlecruisers moderately damaged
*Heavy assault carrier crew casualties
}}
'''Operation: WARM BLANKET'''{{Ref/Novel|Id=FOR|TFoR|Detail=Adjunct}}{{Ref/Reuse|H5GLtd}} was a [[United Nations Space Command|UNSC]] [[operation]] to recover [[Catherine Halsey|Dr. Catherine Halsey]] from [[Covenant]] captivity following the [[Battle of Miridem]] in [[2544]].{{Ref/Reuse|FOR}} [[SPARTAN-II program|SPARTAN-II]] commandos engaged the Covenant [[Third Fleet of Glorious Consequence]] on [[Open Frame 92/Extra-Vehicular Activity|OF92/EVA "Booster Frame" attack craft]] and successfully retrieved the doctor from the Covenant flagship, ''[[Resplendent Fervor]]''.

==Background==
During the [[Battle of Miridem]], Catherine Halsey was captured by the Covenant while in [[Cryonics|cryogenic suspension]] as the evacuation ship carrying her was seized by the Covenant forces, leaving Halsey as the only survivor. The [[Cryo chamber|cryo pod]] was taken aboard an [[CAS-class assault carrier|assault carrier]]. The Covenant recognized the prisoner's value and placed decoys on escorting {{Pattern|Ket|battlecruiser}}s to hamper any UNSC rescue attempts. The Covenant fleet, however, became trapped in a stellar magnetic field that prevented them from jumping to [[Slipstream space|slipspace]].

The UNSC used this to their advantage, and organized an [[Office of Naval Intelligence]]-led operation to rescue Halsey, who was an invaluable asset to the UNSC, and sent the ONI [[prowler]] [[PRO-49776]], commanded by [[Captain (Navy)|Captain]] [[Lucius R. Jiron]], to intercept the Covenant fleet. On board was a team of [[SPARTAN-II]] supersoldiers consisting of [[John-117]], [[Frederic-104]], [[Kelly-087]], [[Solomon-069]] and [[Arthur-079]]. The Spartans were each to utilize an [[OF92 Booster Frame]] to infiltrate the fleet and effect a rescue. Intelligence did not believe the Covenant were aware of Halsey's significance. Nonetheless, if the five Spartans failed the UNSC was prepared to liquidate the doctor by attacking the enemy fleet.{{Ref/Film|Id=Pack|HLeg|[[The Package (animated short)|The Package]]}}

==The operation==
===Space battle===
{{Quote|What we want is in the heart of this fleet - the flagship.|[[John-117]]}}
[[File:John 2.jpg|thumb|left|John-117 leading other Spartans on booster frames.]]
The ONI prowler briefly de-cloaked to launch the booster frames. Several ''Ket''-pattern battlecruisers immediately engaged the Spartans with [[pulse laser turret]]s, and a large inter-fleet skirmish began. The Spartans engaged and planted a scanning device on one of the ship's hulls. The first scan detected a signal matching the cryo-pod's from a cruiser.

Solomon-069 and Kelly-087 immediately vectored toward the target. The pair arrived as the cruiser was launching [[Type-31 Seraph|fighters]]. Kelly-087 advised waiting for the other Spartans, but Solomon-069 sought to board the ship while the shields were down. Kelly-087 held the shuttle bay while Solomon-069 landed and proceeded on foot. Upon arrival at the signal's location however, Solomon-069 was met with one of the decoys - a {{Pattern|Chershi|void maker|}} [[antimatter charge]]. The charge detonated, and Solomon was instantly vaporized, along the entire cruiser. John-117 thought it suspicious the scan had returned a positive match so easily but arrived only in time to warn and save Kelly-087. With scans now returning multiple decoy signatures, John-117 deduced that Halsey was on the fleet's flagship.

The Covenant [[Supreme Commander]] [[Luro 'Taralumee]] initially believed all three Spartans, instead of one, had been killed by the trap and was confident that the remainder would soon follow, but [[Sangheili Major|Major]] [[Thel 'Lodamee]] expressed the need for caution. 'Taralumee thought 'Lodamee's reputation tarnished by a previous inauspicious episode and was not receptive to the Major's counsel. Contrary to the Supreme Commander's optimism, 'Lodamee believed the Spartans would manage to board the flagship and prepared to face the enemy in close combat.{{Ref/Reuse|Pack}}

As the remaining four Spartans headed for the Assault Carrier, they were intercepted by multiple Seraph squadrons. Kelly-087's craft was severely damaged; Arthur-079 pulled back to cover them but he scraped hulls with two closely flying cruisers, lost control, and crashed. Kelly-087 abandoned her craft and took up the rear turret on Fred-104's booster frame.

The assault carrier's shields were penetrated by concentrating the fire of the booster frames' [[M92 Principle Gauss Cannon|gauss cannon]] and missiles on the ship's port aft launch bay. The Spartans abandoned the booster frames, allowing the damaged craft to ram into the launch bay, and coasted in unopposed. Covenant troops were already mustered in strength to repel the boarders. A short lull occurred as the three remaining Spartans sheltered under a [[Bubble Shield]] and prepared to sprint for the target.{{Ref/Reuse|Pack}}

===Raid===
{{Quote|no=three|q1=We got three minutes.|Kelly-087|q2=Let's sprint this, don't fall behind.|John-117|q3=Copy that.|Kelly-087 and Fred-104|Exchange between the Spartans after boarding the ''Resplendent Fervor''}}

The relentlessness of the Spartans' attack shocked the Fleet Master. They broke out of the hangar and into the corridor beyond at speed, firing at anything in the way. Fred-104 destroyed sealed hatches and bulkheads with a [[M6 Spartan Laser|Spartan Laser]].

Having overborne multiple [[Jiralhanae]], [[Kig-Yar]] and [[Unggoy]], the Spartans were ambushed by Thel 'Lodamee and two other [[Sangheili]] wielding [[Domotos-pattern energy sword|energy swords]]. Kelly-087 sprinted past the Sangheili completely. Fred-104 stabbed one in the head with a [[combat knife]] and then grappled with 'Lodamee, allowing John-117 to disengage and catch up with Kelly-087. Fred-104 remained behind with knives to delay the two remaining Sangheili.

The Fleet Master became desperate and began [[Modular Dispersal Technology|detaching]] sections of the ship to stop the enemy advance. The Spartans scrambled through zero-g and vacuum to reach the closing airlock beyond the detaching block. At the last stretch of vacuum, Kelly-087 transferred her momentum to John-117, propelling herself into space, but John-117 entered the airlock just before it closed and proceeded to the objective alone.{{Ref/Reuse|Pack}}

John-117 moved through the ship, found Halsey's cryo-tube, and enjoyed a brief reunion after thawing her out. 'Lodamee intercepted the pair as they made to leave the ship. The Major gave the Spartan an energy sword and they dueled, with the Sangheili disarming his opponent after several seconds. However, at the same time, the fleet had cleared the stellar magnetic field, and the Fleet Master was eager to jump immediately, assuming that 'Lodamee had failed his task. The Fleet Master detached and set the [[self-destruct]] for the entire ventral aft section of the ship, hoping to kill John and Halsey in the process. An incensed 'Lodamee was involuntarily lifted to safety by [[gravity lift]] before he could kill the Spartan.

John-117 and Halsey abandoned ship in a [[ren]]. Seraphs appeared to pursue the slow and unarmed pod. Kelly-087 and Fred-104 escaped in commandeered Seraphs and covered the pod. The ''PRO-49776'' returned to drive off the remaining pursuers and recover Halsey and the Spartans.{{Ref/Reuse|Pack}}

===Aftermath===
Back on ''PRO-49776'', John-117 lamented the loss of Solomon-069 and Arthur-079 and noted Thel 'Lodamee's abilities. Halsey agreed improvement was necessary and predicted the war was far from over.{{Ref/Reuse|Pack}} 

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Corridor Attack.jpg|John-117, Kelly-087 and Fred-104 in combat on the assault carrier.
File:Halsey n' John.jpg|Halsey and John face 'Lodamee on the assault carrier.
</gallery>

==List of appearances==
*''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]''
**''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach#2010 bonus content|Adjunct]]'' {{Mo}}
*''[[Halo Legends]]''
**''[[The Package (animated short)|The Package]]'' {{1st}}
*''[[Halo: Mortal Dictata]]'' {{Im}}
*''[[Halo 5: Guardians]]''
**''[[Halo 5: Guardians Limited Edition dossiers|Limited Edition dossiers]]'' {{Mo}}

==Sources==
{{Ref/Sources}}

{{Human-Covenant War}}
[[Category:Battles of the Human-Covenant War|WARM BLANKET]]
[[Category:UNSC victories|WARM BLANKET]]
[[Category:Operations|WARM BLANKET]]