Operation:ARTIFACT

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Operation:ARTIFACT was the spearheading ONI Operation behind the UNSC Blockade of Venezia in 2559.

In 2559, the UNSC would employ a blockade surrounding the Sovereign Planet of Venezia in early December. While officially, the reason for this blockade was to restrict the colony's trade with Anti-UEG terrorist groups, the unofficial truth was much more significant. The ONI sub-division of Retrieval and Acquisitions took notice of a Forerunner temple located on the planet, one that had been used as a site of worship for the planet's hefty ex-Covenant population. However, with the UNSC in the prime of their reverse-engineering stage, Retrieval and Acquisitions quickly gained interest in studying the site.On December 7th, 2559, the Valiant-class Command Cruiser, Mother of Intervention, deployed a fireteam of Spartans to the surface of the planet. Fireteam Poseidon, consisting of Allison-D298, Jay-B327, Dan-B225, Anna-B144, Samuel-B097, and Shane-078, arrived at a developing research site and planetside base of operations, where they began their two and a half kilometer hike to the temple. The Fireteam was accompanied by a squad of UEG-supporting Venetian infantry. In order to disassociate UNSC involvement in the event that the UEG-supporting Venetians were overt, they were equipped with dated equipment, such as the MA37, the 2319-model Z12 Warthog, the AV-13 Attack VTOL, and many others.

Upon arriving at the temple, the team was spotted and engaged by Venetian F-99 Wombats, their position strafed, and the local QRF alerted. While no positive ID on the Spartans was made, the Venetians were well aware that the UNSC would be coming planetside soon, and were prepared. The Venetians deployed the Demon Slayers in an attempt to capture one of the Spartans and use them for information, as well as a bargaining chip in negotiations. In a strafing run from one of the F-99 Wombats, Allison-D298 was severely injured, and with an approaching QRF force of motorized infantry, Poseidon made the difficult decision of hiding her as best they could, before leaving. Unfortunately for them, the Demon Slayers found Allison with little issue, and she was treated and taken into Venetian custody.