Editing Operation: SPEARBREAKER

{{Status|Canon}}

{{Disambig header|the in-universe operation|the ''[[Halo Wars 2]]'' expansion|Halo Wars 2: Operation: SPEARBREAKER}}

|prev=[[Battle of Installation 09]]

|conc=

|next=[[Outbreak on Installation 00]]

|conflict=[[Post-Covenant War conflicts]]

|date=[[2559#May|May 2559]]{{Ref/Note|The [[Phoenix Logs|Phoenix Log]] "[[Phoenix Logs/Campaign Logs/Beyond the Edge|Beyond the Edge]]" clarifies the final mission of ''Halo Wars 2'' as taking place on April 2, 2559. Gatecrashers takes place a month after this event, indicating that Operation: SPEARBREAKER could take place any time between May 2559 and ''Awakening the Nightmare''{{'}}s timeline of June 2559.}}

|side1=*{{Icon|UNSC Post}} [[United Nations Space Command]]

|side2=*{{Icon|Banished}} [[Banished]]

|side3=*{{Icon|Forerunner}} [[Sentinel|Forerunner constructs]]

|commanders1=[[Major]] [[Elijah Vaughan]]

|commanders2=[[Swarmlord]] [[Colony]]

*[[HRUNTING Mark III (B) Cyclops]]

*{{Pattern|Dextro Xur|Spirit}}s

*[[Gydrozka Workshop Blisterback]]s

*[[Barukaza Workshop Locust]]s

*[[Eklon'Dal Workshop Wraith]]s

*[[Eklon'Dal Workshop Marauder]]s

*[[Barukaza Workshop Chopper]]s

*[[Zaagokelu Workshop Ghost]]s

*[[Klavrig Workshop Skitterer]]s

'''Operation: SPEARBREAKER''' was a UNSC operation during the Banished occupation of Installation 00 to keep Colony's forces from capturing a Forerunner fighter.{{Ref/Level|Id=Gate|HW2|Gatecrashers}}{{Ref/Level|Id=Watch|HW2|Not on My Watch}}

In 2559, the long-lost {{UNSCShip|Spirit of Fire}} arrived at [[Installation 00]] via unknown means, encountering [[Banished]] forces led by [[Atriox]]. The two groups began a long campaign for control of the [[Forerunner]] megastructure, ultimately ending with the assassination of Atriox's lieutenant [[Decimus]], the destruction of the [[CAS-class assault carrier]] ''[[Enduring Conviction]]'' and the release of a [[Halo Array|Halo ring]], [[Installation 09]], intended to request help for the UNSC forces stranded on the Ark. With ''Spirit of Fire'' lacking a [[Shaw-Fujikawa Translight Engine|slipspace drive]] and the Banished's forces now completely stranded on the installation, many months away from potential reinforcements, both sides begun a long and brutal campaign for control of the Ark.

To Atriox's end, he tasked many of his officers and overseers with seeking out and securing caches of Forerunner and former-[[Covenant]] technology that would help bring an advantage in the conflict. One such leader, the [[Mgalekgolo]] [[Swarmlord]] known simply as "[[Colony]]", would seek out and begin the recovery process of restoring a Forerunner {{Class|Despair|fighter}}, a powerful weapon that could be potentially utilised to destroy the ''Spirit of Fire'' or call for Banished reinforcements back in the [[Milky Way]] galaxy.{{Ref/Game|HW2|Phoenix Logs|Detail=A New Commander}}{{Ref/Game|HW2|Phoenix Logs|Detail=Floats Low But Steady}}

With Banished forces led by Colony setting up around the launch site of the fighter, Colony was quick to establish a [[Cloaking]] field utilising Forerunner technology as to not draw attention to activity on the site. At 02:47 hours, ''Spirit of Fire'' drones would pick up activity of the Banished's [[Huragok]] and become alerted to the presence of the cloaking field. Needing to find out what the cloaking field was hiding, ''Spirit of Fire'' authorised the deployment of [[Boomerang Company]] to investigate. 1.8 miles from the cloaking field, [[ODST]] squad [[Sunray 1-1]] would perform reconnaissance, confirming the presence of Banished forces, encountering more Banished at 1.2 miles from the target. In response to this, ''Spirit'' command deployed [[India Company]] to reinforce Sunray, including [[Hellbringers]] and [[M9 Wolverine]]s. Sunray 1-1 would proceed through the terrain, linking up disparate elements of India company, before encountering an as-yet unknown variant of [[Sentinel]] - the [[Controller Sentinel]]. Like the [[Enforcer]]s of [[Installation 05]], these Sentinels had shields protecting their front side, requiring a multi-directional strike to hit them from behind.{{Ref/Reuse|Gate}}

The UNSC forces would eventually stumble upon a Banished camp, encountering a transmission from a [[Jiralhanae Warlord]], confirming that Banished Engineers had taken control of Forerunner control towers, and were using them to cloak the site. With the control towers under siege by Sentinel forces, Banished were falling back to defend the control towers until Colony's plan could be followed to fruition. Upon encountering a Controller Sentinel distracted by one of these hologram transmissions, ''Spirit of Fire'' would authorize the deployment of [[Holography|hologram decoy]] packages to assist India and Boomerang company forces. Eventually, the attack force would encounter a Banished [[Banished outpost]], and successfully level the structure, clearing the way for the deployment of a [[Firebase]]. While waiting for the [[D81-LRT Condor|Condor]] to deliver the payload, Sunray would discover and capture two Forerunner [[Control Tower]]s in the base's vicinity. During the fighting, Sunray would come across a new type of Banished vehicle, similar in appearance to the [[Barukaza Workshop Locust]] - the [[Klavrig Workshop Skitterer]] - and later, the [[Goliath]], an amalgamation of the usual two [[Mgalekgolo]] colonies. During the fighting, Sunray would rescue stranded India Company [[EV-44 Nightingale]]s and Wolverines, further bolstering their ranks.{{Ref/Reuse|Gate}}

Upon capturing all five control towers, the field was successfully brought offline, revealing the Sentinel response to this incursion; a [[Retriever Sentinel]]. The massive construct was successfully destroyed, however, freeing up the UNSC forces to make an assault on the construction site.{{Ref/Reuse|Gate}}

With the path to the fighter launch site open, UNSC forces attempted an air strike via the deployment of a Condor gunship. During the strike, Banished forces seemingly ignored the craft, before it was destroyed by a large [[electromagnetic pulse]] strike. Thanks to data recovered from the Condor prior to its destruction, however, UNSC forces were able to learn that the pulse came from four [[charging column]]s, which were also facilitating the construction of the craft. With this came one complication; the fighter would be complete in fifteen minutes. Upon coming across the first of these columns, Sunray 1-1 quickly learned that their firepower wasn't enough to seriously damage it; instead, a [[HRUNTING/YGGDRASIL Mark II (J) Colossus]] was requisitioned to "stomp" the pad. With the column down, the ship's launch was delayed by ten minutes, allowing Sunray the time they needed to further disable the remaining three charging columns, fighting Sentinels and Banished along the way. Eventually, UNSC forces rallied for one final assault on the launch site to permanently bring the fighter offline, encountering a [[Mgalekgolo Captain]] deployed to prevent the attack from succeeding. The assault force was able to damage the captain, resulting in it retreating to be healed by Goliaths. The captain was eventually brought down, allowing the UNSC forces to send in a final wing of [[AV-14 Hornet]]s, destroying the Forerunner fighter by dropping [[Satchel charge]]s into the construction site from above.{{Ref/Reuse|Watch}}

With the ''Despair''-class fighter destroyed, neither Banished nor UNSC would be able to employ it for their purposes. Instead, Atriox would seek out other means of advancing his campaign on the Ark, tasking warlords [[Pavium]] and [[Voridus]] with salvaging the wreckage of the Covenant holy city [[High Charity]], which had crash-landed on the Ark in the [[Battle of Installation 00]] at the climax of the [[Human-Covenant War]]. This excursion would result in the release of the [[Flood]] from its quarantine zone, forcing Atriox to abandon several of his fortifications to contain the parasite.{{Ref/Level|Id=Manifestation|HW2|Manifestation}}

*''[[Halo Wars 2]]''

**''[[Halo Wars 2: Operation: SPEARBREAKER]]'' {{1st}}

 

 

{{Ref/Sources}}

 

{{Engagements in the Second Ark Conflict}}