Raid on Verge

Previous:	Battle of Sigma Octanus IV
Concurrent:	Battle of Tribute, Fall of Reach
Next:	Operation: BLOWBACK
Raid on Verge
Black-Two rescuing Black-Three on Verge
Conflict:	Human-Covenant War
Date:	Between July 24 and late August, 2552
Location:	Ciudad de Arias, Verge
Outcome:	UNSC victory Beacon destroyed
Details Belligerents United Nations Space Command Covenant Covenant convicts Commanders Margaret-053 Unknown None Strength Spartan Black Team Margaret-053 Roma-143 Otto-031 Victor-101 Several Mgalekgolo Kig-Yar guards Yanme'e Unmutuals Hopalong Casualties None All prison guards Almost all prisoners

The Raid on Verge was an engagement that took place on the human colony world of Verge between the United Nations Space Command and the Covenant in mid-2552.

Background

The UNSC colony of Verge had been invaded by the Covenant some months prior, and the rich helium-3 deposits in its mantle were now being strip-mined by a Covenant Beacon, a mobile mining and refinery facility. The Beacon converted the helium into energy and sent it to a network of orbiting satellites, which then transmitted the energy to Covenant ships assaulting the colony of Tribute in the Epsilon Eridani system. The Beacon was operated by a penal colony of Yanme'e workers, excluded from their hives due to their various personality disorders, overseen by Kig-Yar and Mgalekgolo guards.

The UNSC managed to locate the source of the energy and sent Spartan Black Team to destroy the Beacon in order to disrupt the Covenant's supply of fuel.

The raid

After Black Team made planetfall, they made their way past ten square kilometers of heavily fortified anti-aircraft emplacements around the ruined city of Ciudad de Arias, where the Beacon was currently situated. After making their way to one of the skyscrapers, they assessed the enemy defenses around the Beacon. Roma-143 ("Black-Two") then found an injured, apparently non-hostile Yanme'e. The Drone, which she nicknamed "Hopalong", told them of an alternate, hidden route to the Beacon. While the rest of the team were suspicious, they decided to trust the Yanme'e due to the opportunity to catch the enemy by surprise.

In the next morning, after getting some sleep, the team moved to the Beacon through the tunnels, led by Hopalong. After reaching the main cavern close to the Beacon, each Spartan would go separate ways and plant C-12 shaped charges on the Beacon's four anti-gravity pylons. After a ten-minute countdown, the team engaged the guards near the pylons and planted the charges.

However, Hopalong had obtained a device from one of the guards that allowed him to free the entire penal colony of their shackles. The Yanme'e then started attacking their guards, as well as the Spartans. Margaret-053 ("Black-One") ordered the team to return to the rally point at the tunnel entrance, but Roma discovered a better means of escape: an intact underground train. However, as the team proceeded to move out to the train, Otto-031 ("Black-Three") was not responding. Against Margaret's orders, Roma decided to rescue Otto, who was wounded. After finding Otto, Roma threw him over her shoulder and they escaped past swarms of Yanme'e. While on their way to the train, Roma blew the charges on the Beacon's pylon, bringing the machine crashing down. Everyone managed to get onboard and they escaped the city as the tunnels caved in under the collapsing Beacon, and headed to a Pelican dropship for exfiltration.

List of appearances

• Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe
  • Blunt Instruments (First appearance)
• Halo: Blood Line (Flashback)