Editing Operation: OFFSET EYE

{{Status|Canon}}
{{Battle infobox
|prev=*[[Operation: GYPSUM]]
*[[Operation: SHARP ANGLE]]
|conc=
|next=[[Operation: FIRESIDE]]
|name= '''Operation: OFFSET EYE'''
|image=[[File:HINF - NobleIntention Header.jpg|300px]]
|conflict=[[Human-Covenant War]]
*[[Defense of Concord]]
|date=[[2551#December|December 12, 2551]]{{Ref/Novel|Id=WC|Halo: Winter Contention}}
|place=Outskirts of [[Skathi]], [[Hinterlands region]], [[Concord]]{{Ref/Reuse|WC}}
|result=
'''Decisive UNSC victory'''
*Covenant contingent obliterated{{Ref/Reuse|WC}}
|side1=[[United Nations Space Command]]
|side2=[[Covenant]]
|commanders1=
*[[Colonel|COL]] [[Urban Holland]]{{Ref/Reuse|WC}}
*[[Commander|CDR]] [[Carter-A259|Carter-A259]]{{Ref/Reuse|WC}}
|commanders2=Unknown
|forces1=
*[[UNSC Army]]
**[[Special Warfare Group Three]]
***[[Noble Team]]{{Ref/Reuse|WC}}
*1 [[M862 Arctic Warthog]]{{Ref/Reuse|WC}}
|forces2=
*1 {{Pattern|Zashk|Draugr}}{{Ref/Reuse|WC}}
*2 {{Pattern|Zurdo|Wraith}}s{{Ref/Reuse|WC}}
*6 {{Pattern|Karo'etba|Ghost}}s{{Ref/Reuse|WC}}
*Several [[Banshee]]s{{Ref/Reuse|WC}}
*Several [[Unggoy]]{{Ref/Reuse|WC}}
*Several [[Kig-Yar]]{{Ref/Reuse|WC}}
|casual1=
None
|casual2=
*1 {{Pattern|Zashk|Draugr}} {{C|captured}}{{Ref/Reuse|WC}}
*2 {{Pattern|Zurdo|Wraith}}s{{Ref/Reuse|WC}}
*6 {{Pattern|Karo'etba|Ghost}}s {{C|one Ghost captured}}{{Ref/Reuse|WC}}
*Several [[Banshee]]s{{Ref/Reuse|WC}}
*The entire infantry force of [[Unggoy]] and [[Kig-Yar]]{{Ref/Reuse|WC}}
}}

'''Operation: OFFSET EYE''' was a [[United Nations Space Command|UNSC]] [[UNSC Army|Army]] operation undertaken by [[NOBLE Team]] on [[2551#December|December 12, 2551]] in which they defended the [[Hinterlands region|hinterland]] town of [[Skathi]], [[Concord]] from a contingent of [[Covenant]] ground forces.{{Ref/Reuse|WC}}

==Background==
When the [[Covenant]] [[Defense of Concord|attacked]] the [[Human colonies|colony]] of [[Concord]] in early [[2551#December|December 2551]],{{Ref/Site|Id=S2StoryHub|URL=https://www.halowaypoint.com/halo-infinite|Site=Halo Waypoint|Page=Halo Infinite|Detail=Season 02 Lone Wolves - Story & Intel|D=11|M=02|Y=2023}} [[NOBLE Team]] was sent to the planet to aid in its defense. By December 12, a joint effort between the [[UNSC]] [[UNSC Army Rangers|Army Rangers]] and the [[Concordian militia]] had denied the Covenant air superiority using [[M9 Wolverine]] anti-aircraft tanks and [[S-14 Baselard]]s. Following this, the alien invasion forces were driven from the major cities and the unusually small number of Covenant [[Covenant starship|warship]]s in orbit were neutralized by the planets [[mass driver]]s 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 [[Spartan]]s made their way to the town of [[Skathi]], which was under imminent threat from a contingent of Covenant ground forces.{{Ref/Reuse|WC}}

[[File:WinterContention BansheeScout.jpg|thumb|275px|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 {{Pattern|Zashk|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.{{Ref/Reuse|WC}}

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 {{Pattern|Karo'etba|Ghost}}s and mortar fire from two {{Pattern|Zurdo|Wraith}}s. 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 cannon]]s 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]].{{Ref/Reuse|WC}}

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 [[Etilka|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.{{Ref/Reuse|WC}}

==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 [[Battle of Fumirole|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.{{Ref/Reuse|WC}}

==List of appearances==
*''[[Halo Infinite]]''
**''[[Noble Intention]]'' {{Fm}}
*''[[Halo: Winter Contention]]'' {{1st}}

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

{{Human-Covenant War}}
[[Category:Operations]]
[[Category:UNSC victories]]
{{DEFAULTSORT:OFFSET EYE}}