Operation: TALON: Difference between revisions

[[Colonel]] [[Robert Watts]] was once a decorated and highly regarded commander of the [[UNSC Marine Corps]]. However, as the [[Insurrection]] began in the [[Outer Colonies]], Watts began disillusioned with the [[United Nations Space Command]] and joined the emerging [[insurrectionist]] factions.<ref name="universe watts"/> In [[2495]], Watts led a takeover of the Outer Colony of [[Eridanus II]] in the [[Eridanus system]] from the [[Eridanus Government]] and [[Unified Earth Government]]. The UNSC responded harshly in [[2496]] through [[Operation: CHARLEMAGNE]], in which a [[battle group]] of [[warship]]s eliminated most of Watts' forces and retook Eridanus II.<ref name="enc34">'''Halo Encyclopedia''', ''pages 34-35'' (2011)</ref>

Eventually, Watts realigned the surviving insurgent factions in the Outer Colonies and took command of them. These forces eventually unified under the [[United Rebel Front]]. Watts and the URF continued to prove a threat to the UNSC as the insurgent colonel waged many battles against the UNSC and [[Colonial Military Administration]] on a number of worlds throughout the Insurrection.<ref name="enc44"/><ref name="universe watts"/> Watts and the United Rebel Front eventually re-accumulated enough strength to attempt to overthrow the Eridanus Government once again, as Watts hoped to use Eridanus II as a base of operations for the URF and drag the CMA into a costly guerrilla war.<ref name="universe watts"/> In [[2513]], Watts initiated another armed uprising on Eridanus II. Having anticipated the attack, the UNSC engaged United Rebel Front forces as part of [[Operation: TREBUCHET]]. A UNSC [[fleet]] of [[carrier]]s, [[cruiser]]s, and [[destroyer]]s attacked Watts' own fleet of roughly one hundred smaller spaceships, while ground engagements waged across Eridanus II's surface.<ref name="for96">'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''pages 96-98'' (2010)</ref> Ultimately, the United Rebel Front's forces were routed and defeated by the UNSC before they could properly establish a presence on Eridanus II.<ref name="universe watts"/> Watts called for the exodus of URF forces from the planet and the faction eventually fled Eridanus II through [[slipstream space]].<ref name="bc1">'''[[Halo: Fall of Reach - Boot Camp]]''', ''Issue #1''</ref>

===The first test===

{{Quote|We're taking them on a mission ONI has been saving for the right crew and the right time. This is it.|Doctor Catherine Halsey, to Chief Petty Officer Franklin Mendez<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''page 94'' (2010)</ref>}}

The [[UNSC Navy]]'s [[Office of Naval Intelligence]] was aware that the URF was taking shelter in the extensive asteroid belt, though they did not know Eridanus Secundus' location and knew very little about their strength. After initially assuming the rebel forces were largely unorganized, ONI realized that they had remained unified under the URF and Watts' leadership. Meanwhile, [[UNSC Fleet Command]] discovered that rebel sympathizers among its ranks were leaking valuable information to the URF.<ref name="for96"/> Furthermore, by [[2525]], ONI had learned that Watts intended to launch an attack against medical satellites throughout the Outer Colonies. In that same year, a member of the URF approached the UNSC and offered to make a deal with ONI. The rebel was not aware of the exact coordinates of Eridanus Secundus, though he revealed to ONI that the {{Class|Parabola|freighter}} ''[[Laden]]'' was a URF supply vessel.<ref name="for as act2">'''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach - The Animated Series]]''', ''Act Two''</ref> Further investigation proved that ''Laden'' was indeed captained by a thought-to-be-dead URF officer and was stocked with enough food and water to supply a small city. With a way to reach Eridanus Secundus in sight, ONI decided to wait until they had the right team and time to enact the operation.<ref name="for96"/>

==The operation==

{{Quote|Stop! My men are coming. You think I'm alone? You're all dead. Drop your weapons.|Colonel Robert Watts to Blue Team, seconds before his capture<ref name="for112">'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''page 112'' (2010)</ref>}}

On [[2525#September|September 14, 2525]], UNSC ''Pioneer'' had deployed Blue Team to the Eridanus II space docks, where ''Laden'' was undergoing a routine engine re-certification. By 1210 hours, Blue Team had infiltrated the [[freighter]] by slipping past a lone guard, while disguised as members of the crew. Sam rigged the fill sensor on the freighter's water reservoir to prevent the storage tank from filling any further, allowing the Spartans to hide among the reservoir's upper girders while resting in a web of support nets Blue Team had set up. The water in the tank masked the Spartans' heat signatures, while also blocking any motion sensors. Having ten hours to spare, Blue Team took rotating sleep patterns. Easily accessing the freighter's systems, Kelly learned that ''Laden'' was to reach her destination within the Eridanus asteroid belt in ten hours. Viewing the contents of the freighter, Kelly noticed many luxury goods among ''Laden<nowiki>'</nowiki>''s otherwise unnoteworthy items, including [[Sweet William cigars]] and [[Procyon system|Procyon]] champagne. Locating the luxury items within a crate, Blue Team determined that the crate was headed to either Watts himself or his officers. The Spartans tagged the crate with a [[NAV marker transmitter]], allowing them to follow the crate to its destination once they reached the asteroid.<ref name="for102"/> When ''Laden'' arrived at Eridanus Secundus' docking bay, Blue Team left the water tank and traveled to the freighter's cargo bay. Once the freighter's crew began moving about, Blue Team left ''Laden'' and traversed through Eridanus Secundus' docking bay. Moving into the far end of the docking bays, John led Blue Team to the public showers, and decided that it would be their fallback point if something went wrong.<ref name="for106"/>

===A successful mission===

{{Quote|Don't be spoiled, don't start a fight. Always be careful, here at night. Because the Spartans might come, in suits that weigh half a ton. And they'll steal from you all you gots, just like they did from Colonel Watts.|A children's rhyme created after the operation<ref name="cp69">'''[[Halo: The Cole Protocol]]''', ''page 69''</ref>}}

After Blue Team returned to the UNSC at [[Reach]], Watts was imprisoned by the Office of Naval Intelligence.<ref name="enc79">'''Halo Encyclopedia''', ''page 79'' (2011)</ref> During his imprisonment, Watts was interrogated by ONI operatives, though his fate following the interrogations was classified as top-secret and was yet to have been revealed as of [[2552]].<ref name="enc44"/> The Office of Naval Intelligence's "propaganda machine" spread word across the [[human colonies]] that Watts had been arrested by the UNSC, though did not specify who had captured him and led to some individuals presuming the [[Orbital Drop Shock Troopers]] were responsible for his capture.<ref>'''[[Halo: Evolutions]]''', "[[Dirt]]", ''page 118''</ref> Watts' capture essentially severed the head of the United Rebel Front, at least temporarily.<ref name="universe watts"/> After Watts' capture, the United Rebel Front's entire network desperately scrambled to find a new replacement leader. Additionally, as Spartans became more known to the general public in the following years due to the Covenant War, some insurrectionists correctly concluded that the supersoldiers were responsible for the colonel's capture.<ref name="cp69"/> Eventually, insurgent [[Jacob Jiles]] ascended to a leadership position and replaced Watts as [[governor]] of Eridanus Secundus.<ref name="enc79"/> By [[2531]], the United Rebel Front was led by a triumvirate of men, including [[General]] [[Howard Graves]].<ref name="goo37">'''[[Halo: Ghosts of Onyx]]''', ''page 37''</ref>

==Gallery==

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