Fireteam Caliber

Fireteam Caliber is a Spartan Operations team made up of Spartan-IV operators pulled from the ranks of various military branches. Created on January 17, 2558 for the Requiem Campaign, the team lasted long after, engaging in multiple missions in the Joint-Occupaton Zone against Covenant remnants ranging from scouting to breakthrough ops. They continued in this manner until the began, seeing them stuck on the as it narrowly escaped a Created Guardian.
== History ==
=== Formation ===
Fireteam Caliber was officially formed on January 17, 2558. Developed as part of a movement sweeping through Spartan Operations, it was one of several teams created specifically for the UNSC's preparation to return to the Covenant-held Foreruner shield world of Requiem. Put together by Spartan Handler Timothy Court, the team's initial briefing was aboard the UNSC Infinity.
Having pulled five separate Spartan-IVs from across UNSC space, Court intended for Caliber to excel in all areas of combat with its unique array of traits. Spartans Cade Williams and Julia Demos were put as Caliber One and Two due to the former's role as a squad leader and the fact that both previously operated in another Spartan fireteam together. Spartans Jacques Dubois and Liana Martin were put as Caliber Three and Four for their specialized combat capabilities. The final member, Samson Kago, was put as Caliber Five as he could adapt to a variety of combat scenarios.
While already well-versed in military tactics, Fireteam Caliber spent roughly a month training in War Games simulations in order to form cohesion as a team. While initially rough, Cade managed to group the Spartans under a single banner of objectiveness, eventually encompassing Samson, who had previously failed to integrate within the fireteam due to his former status as a lone operator out on the frontier.
By early February, the team was deemed suitable for combat and placed aboard the Infinity. Alongside Fireteams Crimson, Majestic, Castle, and various others, they were given a final brief on what to expect of their mission by Commander Sarah Palmer in the ship's Spartan bay. As the speech was given, the supercarrier entered slipspace.
=== Requiem Campaign ===
==== Blowthrough Operations ====
Upon exiting slipspace the Infinity was immediately beset by multiple ships from the local Covenant fleet. While Strident-class heavy frigates and Broadsword fighters were deployed to deal with them, Fireteam Caliber and Marine Squads Sledgehammer and Rapier traveled to the surface in a pair of Pelican dropships. Avoiding Covenant air patrols, the craft settled down and made camp in a ravine several kilometers away from the Covenant-held site called "Quarry," which Fireteam Crimson eventually cleared out hours later.
Given a series of three blowthrough ops by Palmer to complete, Fireteam Caliber and its Marine entourage was given leniency in the fact that they were allowed to complete the ops in any order. Choosing the easiest target, Caliber opted to destroy a Covenant shield encompassing a nearby outpost called "Riverbed." Sledgehammer and Rapier Squad launched an assault on February 9, utilizing a Pelican gunship to eliminate outer Covenant patrols and distract the majority of the enemy forces. After luring them out into the surrounding canyon, Spartans Liana and Samson deployed in a second Pelican dropship, easily taking down the shield's generator from outside.
With the shield down, the Marines' Pelican cut off its antics, flying into the site. The Covenant's base lay in the middle of the bordering river, preventing anyone on foot from getting to it. Employing the same tactics from before, the Pelican gunship bombed the outer walls of the base, luring out its complement of Banshees, while Spartans Jacques, Julia, and Cade deployed from the second Pelican into the base. Fighting the remaining Covenant guards within the structure, Fireteam Caliber set up a series of explosive devices, returning to their Pelican.
With the objective planted, Fireteam Caliber and the Marine squads retreated as the base was successfully destroyed. With their first op completed, Fireteam Caliber set their sights on their next target: a Covenant-occupied Forerunner fortress built into the side of an imposing mountain range dubbed "Snow Peak." This location rested much further away, requiring Fireteam Caliber to scout out the area. However, a recent influx of Covenant activity near their campsite forced the Spartan team to remain at their camp on stand-by. Replacing them was Rapier Squad, which was chosen to do the scouting instead.
On February 13, the remnants of Rapier Squad returned from their scouting mission, having lost most of their troopers to Covenant sharpshooters stationed around the base. However, they had not died in vain; the remainder of the squad had discovered an entrance on the other side of the mountain peak that could potentially lead into the fortress. Not wanting to risk any more Marine casualties, Fireteam Caliber contacted the Infinity for reinforcements. Their handler, Timothy Court, approved for three Pelican gunships to be sent for the heavy lifting.
The next day, Fireteam Caliber deployed from the Pelicans on the far side of Snow Peak, beginning their trek up to the hidden entrance. The Pelicans in the meantime flew around to the other side of Snow Peak, shooting down several patrol Banshees to gain the Covenant's attention. As Fireteam Caliber ascended, they were beset on by several Kig-Yar Snipers, who had since reinforced the seemingly abandoned slope. However, Julia and Samson worked in tandem to eliminate the threat, leaving the rest of Caliber's hike relatively uneventful. After reaching the entrance, they discovered that it led into a network of tunnels burrowing into the mountain, contrasting from Rapier Squad's report.
Adamant to complete their mission, Caliber journeyed into the corridors, using the Pelicans' transponders to set their course. As they progressed, the team had its first encounter with the digital Forerunner warriors known as Prometheans. A hulking Knight caught the team by surprise, splitting them up. Hordes of quadrupedal Crawlers and flying Watchers arrived to pursue the Spartans, chasing them through the tunnel system. Only by complete chance did the two halves reunite at the exit, locking the constructs in the cave behind them. Reestablishing contact with the Pelican group, they discovered that two of the gunships had been downed by Shade turrets.
Now that they were in, Cade called for the sole remaining Pelican to break off. The pilot obeyed, leaving Caliber alone in Snow Peak. With Jacques taking the lead, the team methodically fought their way through the fortress's chambers. After having eliminated the Sangheili Commander in the stronghold as well as the Shade emplacements, Julia realized that the Prometheans that they were unable to kill could just teleport in fresh troops after they were gone. Faced with this dilemma, Cade contacted Timothy Court, asking for support to destroy the fortress. Minutes later, the Spartans had evacuated in the Pelican as a Strident-class heavy frigate arrived on site to obliterate Snow Peak with a MAC.
Returning to camp, Julia and Cade immediately decided to read up on the last op together. The Covenant forces under Jul 'Mdama had set up up a teleportation spire in a woodland area known as "Redwood." For the past week, the Infinity's Captain Thomas Lasky had been preparing to send a frigate to destroy the spire using a MAC round, but the Covenant air defenses proved to strong for the vessel to break through. The rest of the team was informed, and it was agreed with Spartan Timothy that the frigate would be on stand-by to attack the site on February 17.
On the described date, Fireteam Caliber arrived to Redwood along with Sledgehammer Squad. The Spartans had split a pair of Warthog reconnaissance vehicles, while Sledgehammer had taken custody of a Scorpion tank. While initially quite, the group began encountering heavy resistance as they neared the spire. Destroying the handful of Ghost and Wraith vehicles guarding the base of the spire, Jacques and Samson took to the gravity lifts to rise to the spire's control room, where they could complete their objective: to lure in the Covenant aircraft to give the UNSC frigate a clean shot on the spire. Once reaching the top, Jacques and Samson set to work on the Covenant infantry in the control center, even eliminating a ranking Sangheili Zealot.
Julia followed the duo up to the top, using her understanding of Covenant tech to send out a message recalling all Covenant air ships to the spire. With only minutes to escape before the Covenant realized their plot, Fireteam Caliber saddled up in their Warthogs to escape. Unfortunately, a pair of Banshee fighters had arrived early, taking the opportunity to demolish Sledgehammer Squad and their Scorpion. Fireteam Caliber narrowly escaped, giving the UNSC frigate the opportunity it needed to destroy the spire.
Departing from Redwood, Caliber found themselves out in the open and able to observe the Covenant aircraft pursuing the frigate. However, the ship escaped, leaving Caliber as the only viable targets. Now beset by several Banshees and a Phantom that had broken off from the rest, the Spartans barely evaded a painful demise by taking refuge in a nearby cave. With the majority of the Banshees desroyed by Cade and Liana, who had been using the gunner turrets to great effect, the remaining Covenant ships retreated to recuperate their losses.
==== Loss of Samson Kago ====
Taking a full day to return to their encampment, the Spartans were displeased to learn that they had to undertake yet another mission immediately. Marine Rooster Squad had been cornered in an undesignated valley by forces from the Zog'fee Imperial Legion, a notorious regiment comprised of Covenant veterans. The legion, led by Zealot Field Master Grono 'Yendam, had been winning major victories on the far side of Requiem and making life difficult for several fellow Spartan-IV teams stationed there. The two previous rescue teams had been shot down by Zog'fee Banshees that circled around the area, leaving Timothy with only Spartans available to root them out.
On February 19, Fireteam Caliber and a sleek rescue Pelican were deployed to the area to save Rooster Squad. Initially, the operation was going well, with the Covenant forces rearing back in surprise at the sight of Spartans. Samson and Liana were tasked with making a hole in the Covenant's lines to allow the Marines to slip through. They were successful in breaking through, but as they retreated with Rooster in tow, the Zog'fee seemed to surge back with force. Half of the Marines were killed in the strike, but Samson and Liana held the line as Cade herded the survivors onto the Pelican. With Sangheili and Kig-Yar forces closing in on them, Liana boarded the Pelican. Samson moved to follow, only to be struck down as a Sangheili Commander impaled him with an Energy Sword.
Despite shots fired by Liana and Jacques, the Commander evaded them, blending back into the crowd with Samson's helmet in tow as a trophy. The Pelican was forced to retreat as the Zog'fee Banshees rained fire upon it, and the mood was somber when Caliber returned to base. With Liana breaking down at the death of Samson, Timothy opted to evaluate each member of Fireteam Caliber individually. Recalled to the Infinity the following day, Fireteam Caliber was taken out of the field because Samson's death had affected them too much. Cade and Jacques resigned themselves to drinking in the Spartan bar, as well as practicing in War games. Julia stuck to reading up on the news of the ongoing campaign, while Liana barricaded herself in her dorm. Fireteam Caliber was in ruins.
=== Operation: WARHUNT ===
==== Addition of Caliber Five ====
By late July, Fireteam Caliber's members had endured the pain of Samson Kago's death enough, and had returned to their former selves, with the exception of Liana. Rather, she was fueled by an intense desire for revenge that few could match. This was put to use in the constant War Games simulations that Caliber had mastered in their downtime, thus leading to the team being known as the "Sim Masters" for their dedication and little time spent in the field anymore.
Timothy Court had by this time found a suitable replacement for Samson Kago; A reclusive but skilled Spartan-IV pulled from the ranks of the Marine Corps. Only known by his callsign of Caliber Five, the new Spartan had served through a plethora of campaigns, rivaling the combat record of Cade himself. Introduced to the rest of Fireteam Caliber with lukewarm responses from the team besides Cade, Five's integration into the team began with a mission into a brand new War Games simulation designated "Takedown."
The Spartans deployed into a seemingly endless desert where a mock-up Covenant outpost consisting of multiple barracks, a pair of AA guns, and a massive Spire rested. Fighting their way through the simulated Covenant troops, the Spartans held the spire until a Covenant cruiser was put inside, the simulation, forcing them to hold off against multiple waves of enemy aircraft before the cruiser annihilated the outpost with its missiles.
With the simulation having ended, Fireteam Caliber was greeted by Commander Sarah Palmer, who congratulated them on setting a new record for survival time in Takedown. Having decided that simulations wouldn't cut it, Palmer announced her intent to put Caliber back in the field.
ONI Spartan Team Osage had discovered the presence of a stock of Prometheans being held by Covenant forces under Jul 'Mdama on the lush planet of Kalincton. The constructs had only recently been created by use of a mysterious Forerunner artifact known as the Producer. As of July 28, their Sangheili spy stationed on Kalincton, Uchuo 'Kalam, had been identified as MIA.
Because of this, Palmer decided that it was the perfect time to put Fireteam Caliber back in the field, along with their new member, Caliber Five. Deployed to the system via a Pelican, Five accidentally angered Liana through his unintended ignorance about Samson's death. This caused a rift between the two that would last over the next few weeks. Landing in the jungles surrounding a Covenant command post, the Spartans advanced through the foliage, eliminating swaths of Covenant defenses. Reaching the plateau where the base lay, Caliber contined to progress, splitting up once they had entered the interior.
Jacques took Five with him into the structure's western wing, and Cade and Julia entered the central area while Liana ventured into the western wing alone. All found very little Covenant actually inside the structure, but Julia was able to access the Covenant databanks. Discovering that the Promethean forces on the planet had been moved off-world, she also gleamed that the Covenant commander in charge of the planet was none other than Sangheili Field Master Grono 'Yendam, the leader of the Zog'fee Legion that had claimed the life of Samson Kago.
Meanwhile, Jacques and Five uncovered the grisly remains of Uchuo 'Kalam, as well as a hidden stock of Prometheans that were promptly dealt with. The team fought their way back to the LZ, quickly making an escape in their Pelican and returning to the Infinity to share their gathered information with Palmer.
==== Battle of Righteous Cause ====
Upon returning to the Infinity, Fireteam Caliber submitted their information to Palmer, who recognized Grono 'Yendam and his war crimes. Conveniently, on station was a Field Master from the Swords of Sanghelios, an alliance of Sangheili dedicated to fighting the Covenant. The Field Master in question was Nak 'Yendam, a member of Grono's clan and once a former friend of his. Nak had come to request human help on the neutral world of Righteous Cause. The Swords of Sanghelios envoys there had recently been slaughtered by a new legion of Prometheans from Kalincton, sent there by Grono.
The Covenant forces had used this as an opportunity to seize the planet, crushing any rebellion. Despite Fireteam Caliber's primary objective to hunt down Grono 'Yendam, capturing the Covenant leader on Righteous Cause might give them valuable insight to Grono's location and other information on Jul 'Mdama's Covenant. The Covenant commander was identified as Shipmaster Kyro 'Dezan, a former Sangheili Ultra from the deceased Covenant Empire. Plans were arranged to capture him, and liberate Righteous Cause, and Fireteam Caliber boarded a Lich gunboat with Nak and his personal file to exfil to the captured colony.
When they arrived at Righteous Cause, the Lich traveled to the capital city of Garuk, where the primary concentration of Covenant troops were located. Nak and a Sword strike team planned to infiltrate a monument called Ortnuk Tower, where Kyro's lieutenant had taken residence, while Fireteam Caliber and the rest of the Sword teams would deploy into the streets. After destroying several Covenant air patrols, Nak's personal pilot Souzou 'Calot dropped off the Spartans and Sangheili at the outskirts of the city. As the joint-team made their way through the streets, they liberated a group of civilians from Covenant guards, protecting them as they destroyed a large enemy convoy.
At this point Nak contacted Cade, requesting for him to deactivate the generator creating a shield around Ortnuk Tower. Complying, Cade took Five with him in a Warthog to the generator, which was housed in a Covenant spire. Eliminating the defenses, the two Spartans deactivated the generator.
As soon as the shield went down, undercover Swords of Sanghelios around the city began making their presence known. A wing of aircraft assaulted Ortnuk Tower, while a Sword Phantom picked up Cade and Five. The two manned the gunship's turrets to assist in destroying Covenant forces while the rest of Fireteam Caliber evacuated civilians. With the help of Souzou 'Calot, Ortnuk Tower was taken, and Covenant convoys fleeing the city were halted. With Kyro's lieutenant dead, Nak 'Yendam and the Spartans began plans to take the fight to the Shipmaster himself.
The next day, a wing of Swords of Sanghelios aircraft traveled to Kyro's palace, hellbent on ending the fight for Righteous Cause. As they neared the fortress, Covenant defenses came out to meet them, ensuing in large losses from both sides. Spartans Cade, Julia, and Liana deployed from Nak's Lich into the lower levels of the palace, while Souzou 'Calot flew the gunboat closer to the top. However, Kyro's personal CRS-class light cruiser Universal Resonance damaged the Lich's engine, causing it to crash on one of the mid-tier platforms halfway up. Souzou and the Sword strike teams within were killed, with Nak 'Yendam and Spartans Jacques and Five being the only survivors.
Quick to rise, they fought off Covenant inspecting the crash site before Jacques boarded an enemy Banshee to assist the rest of Fireteam Caliber below. Nak and Five subsequently climbed up the palace's levels, assisting the Swords of Sanghelios in driving out Covenant squatters. Eventually, the Covenant forces had sustained enough casualties that the Universal Resonance retreated into slipspace, leaving Kyro and his few remaining forces behind. Nak and Five finally entered the palace's throne room, quickly taking out Kyro's two guards and his newly appointed lieutenant before facing off with the Shipmaster himself.
Kyro used his domineering strength to easily sweep Nak aside, before using a pair of Forerunner devices to strengthen his overshield. Despite this, Five was able to slay the deranged Sangheili, ending his tyranny. Fireteam Caliber and the Swords of Sanghelios promptly returned to Garuk with the remaining Covenant forces in tow as prisoners, where Cade was informed that a tracking device placed on the Universal Resonance had tracked it back to Kalincton, and that a joint UNSC-Swords of Sanghelios task force had been assembled to travel there. Shortly after, an Autumn-class heavy cruiser named the Horus arrived, extracting Caliber while the Swords of Sanghelios began to reorganize Righteous Cause.
==== Battle of Kalincton ====
===== Invasion =====
Aboard the Horus, Fireteam Caliber acquainted themselves with the commanding officer, Captain Ryan Brooks, as well as fellow Spartan-IV Fireteam Titanium. Upon dropping out of slipspace, the Spartan Fireteams and Marine Titan Company deployed in several Pelican dropships as the Horus drew fire from the newly implemented Covenant defense flotilla. Entering the atmosphere, four of Titan Company's dropships split up to set up a forward base on the coast, while the Spartans' two Pelicans and the Pelican of Master Sergeant Walter Burns travelled to the heart of the jungle.
Their flight was interrupted by the emergence of a Scarab assault mech, shooting down both Caliber's and Titanium's Pelicans, before setting its sights on Sergeant Burns. Caliber survived the crash, and utilized the Scorpion tank they had been carrying. Travelling through the jungle, they pushed their way past Covenant forces, even passing through a large debris field made by the Scarab. Eventually, they reach a gulch where Fireteam Titanium had crashed, and assisted the fellow Spartans in fending off Covenant reinforcements.
The Spartans then received a distress signal from Sergeant Burns, who was still being pursued by the Scarab. Following the Pelican's transponder, they had to destroy a Covenant AA gun along the way, before exiting their vehicles to enter a Forerunner structure. Within, they discovered a Covenant communications jammer defended by a Sangheili strike team, but dealt with them promptly. Exiting the structure, the Spartans finally linked up with Burns and his surviving men, helping them fight off Covenant scouts in a large canyon.
Upon saving the Marines, the group was met with heavy resistance as the Scarab returned, accompanied by multiple Covenant Ghosts and Wraiths further up the canyon. Utilizing a pair of Mongooses and a Warthog Burns' Pelican had been carrying, the Spartans dealt with the smaller vehicles, before Pelican-536 arrived on site to assist them. Dropping off a Rockethog and heavy ordinance at the far end of the canyon, the dropship then went on to distract the Scarab long enough for Caliber to disable it.
Caliber Five then boarded the fallen mech, neutralizing the Sangheili Zealot commanding it and destroying the Scarab's core, leaping to safety as it exploded. Burns and his squad then evacuated on five-three-six, while Fireteams Caliber and Titanium entered another Forerunner complex, fighting their way through more infantry before exiting out near the gravity lift Caliber had previously used to access the Covenant command post.
While the gravity lift had been deactivated, there was a manual Forerunner cargo elevator built into the cliff nearby, prompting Caliber to take it while Titanium stayed behind to fight off Covenant reinforcements. Five-three-six returned, dropping off a Mantis mech that Five commandeered as the elevator began to rise. Multiple groups of Covenant Rangers began to board the elevator, but Caliber fought them off, before a Lich arrived, damaging the elevator.
Five, Julia, and Liana boarded the gunboat while Cade and Jacques stayed behind to battle a Sangheili Zealot and two Mgalekgolo. Eliminating the command crew, Five subsequently took control of the Lich, while Julia and Liana manned two of its turrets. Contected by Captain Brooks requesting help, the Lich departed the jungle canopy while Jacques and Cade resumed their attempt to climb up the cliff.
===== Reinforcements =====
The hijacked Lich would clear the skies of Covenant aircraft, as the Swords of Sanghelios support fleet finally arrived. Faced with assisting the newcomers, Five piloted the Lich into orbit around Kalincton, joining the battle above the planet as UNSC forces under the command of Captain Brooks and Swords of Sanghelios forces led by Fleet Master Oln 'Parvam battled Covenant defenses. While losing a Sword cruiser to the onslaught, a majority of the Covenant ships in orbit were destroyed, leaving the enemies' defenses wide open for an insertion.
Caliber's Lich returned to the surface of Kalincton, with the Covenant command post as their destination. However, upon arrival, a Tyrant AA gun damaged the gunboat's engines, causing it to crash into the landing platform. The Spartans survived and eliminated the Covenant guards, before Cade contacted the three, ordering them to infiltrate the base to complete their original objective.
Advancing into the structure, Julia, Liana, and Five cleared out the two hangars filled with Covenant aircraft, easing the tension on UNSC and Swords of Sanghelios airships outside. Encountering Prometheans once more, they continued through the winding halls as Oln 'Parvam's cruiser Ventral Fury began its assault on the outer defenses. The team even freed a squad of captured Marines from the facility's brig, providing a greater infiltration force until they arrived at coupler to the heart of the base.
Set upon by a large horde of Promethean Knights, the Spartans barely managed to outrun them, being unable to save the Marines who were massacred by the horde. The event triggered some of Liana's memories about their former teammate Samson, but Five's encouraging words inspired them to press on. Entering a chamber called the Producer's Shrine, their search for Grono had lead them to another quarry: The Producer, a Forerunner artifact used to supply the Covenant with new Promethean soldiers.
Sights set on destroying the device to bring an end to the Promethean threat, Caliber was interrupted by a pair of Promethean Knights that blocked their progress. Introducing themselves as Zevezin and Chravezin, the two Knight Commandos were the tasked guardians of the Producer. After their introduction, the dastardly duo summoned a group of lesser Prometheans to end the Spartans' quest. After a hard-fought battle, Caliber came out on top, defeating the Commandos and destroying the Producer.
Upon its destruction, all of the Promethean combatants ceased to be, excluding the two wounded Knight Commandos. When pressured by Liana, they revealed that all Promethean carapaces constructed by the Producer had been destroyed along with it, but that they were of different origins and exempt from this fate. Liana prepared to finish off the two Prometheans, but they used the last of their power to teleport away.
Retracing their steps, Fireteam Caliber assisted joint UNSC-Sword infantry in eliminating the last bastion of the Covenant defenses on the planet. With the conflict over, Five, Julia, and Liana reunited with Cade and Jacques, before returning to the Horus as Oln 'Parvam and his fleet departed from the system.
==== Finishing the Fight ====
Shortly after the departure of Oln 'Parvam's fleet, Kyro 'Dezan's cruiser Universal Resonance arrived in the system, having passed into the hands of Grono 'Yendam. After announcing his intentions, the Field Master's flotilla sprang forth, dealing a major blow to the Horus before its crew could react. As the local UNSC spacecraft were fighting a losing battle against overwhelming odds, and Fireteam Titanium was sent to covertly infiltrate Grono's cruiser, Fireteam Caliber and the forces of Titan Company went to explicit locations around the ship to purge Covenant boarders.
After clearing out the initial wave, Sergeant Burns requested help from Fireteam Caliber. Covenant EVA forces had begun to seize the service corridors atop the Horus, pushing back Burns and a special contingent of EVA Marines. Heading up assist him, Caliber commandeered multiple Mantises and Warthogs to clear out Covenant Rangers and heavy vehicles. After the vacuum battle had ended, the Spartans traveled to a hangar to commandeer a squadron of Broadsword fighters.
To counter their advance, a pair of Mgalekgolo confronted the team, splitting Caliber Five apart from his fellow Spartans. With Five being the only one to reach the hangar, he helped a small force of Marines clear out Covenant hostiles before manning a Broadsword. Flying out into the midst of a catastrophic space battle, the Spartan assisted fellow Broadsword and Pelican pilots in fighting off multiple waves of Covenant Banshees, Phantoms, and Liches.
Meanwhile, the rest of Fireteam Caliber had dispatched the Hunters with minimal difficulty, only to be ambushed by yet more Covenant boarders. By the time they had squirmed out of the situation, Five had returned to the hangar. They then traversed to the cruiser's engine room, where Burns had relocated his men to defend from a Promethean strike team. After helping clear out the combatants, the team received a distress call from Fireteam Titanium, which had been discovered aboard the Universal Resonance during their attempt to assassinate Grono 'Yendam. Ordered by Brooks to suit up, the combined force of Spartans and Marines hurried to the nearest hangar.
Upon reaching their destination, the UNSC troops were halted by the sudden return of the Knight Commandos, now in full fighting shape once more. Summoning a horde of minions to assist them, the Commandos threw all they had against the Marines of Titan Company. Fireteam Titanium's situation was growing more dire by the second, so Sergeant Burns offered the Spartans the chance to escape while he held off the Prometheans with his men. Despite this, only a damaged Pelican remained in the hangar. Spartan Julia remedied this with a solution: Leaping into the vacuum of space to hijack Banshee fighters.
The Spartans maneuvered their way past space debris and reached a squadron of Banshees, successfully killing the Sangheili pilots before taking control of them. Flying in a tight formation, they entered the hangar of the Universal Resonance unnoticed and cleared it of Covenant guards. Losing contact with Titanium, the Spartans fought tooth and nail throughout the ship until they reached an abandoned cargo bay, finding the marred corpses of Fireteam Titanium.
Distraught and devastated that their mission had been a failure and that a fellow Spartan team had been massacred, the squad was ordered by Captain Brooks to pull out so a Longsword squadron could bomb the Covenant cruiser. Refusing to leave Titanium's deaths in vain, Cade decided that he would stay behind to kill Grono 'Yendam for this atrocity. However, the rest of the team refused to lose their commander, until Five volunteered himself to go after the Field Master.
When questioned by Cade on his decision, the Spartan declared that his inexperience with the team meant he wasn't a vital member and that they could still operate without him. Hesitantly, Cade acknowledged this and allowed his subordinate to stay behind, before departing for the hangar along with Julia, Jacques, and Liana.
Five covertly made his way to the central chamber of the ship, eavesdropping on the Field Master himself and a Sangheili Commander named Rach 'Iltuk. Unbeknownst to the Spartan, Rach was the very Sangheili that had murdered his predecessor Samson Kago in cold blood. During the conversation between the two Sangheili, Grono revealed that it was he who slaughtered Fireteam Titanium personally, angering Five. After Rach 'Iltuk departed from the vicinity, Five confronted 'Yendam, stating his intention to avenge all of the deaths Grono had caused. The Field Master was up to the challenge and summoned his personal bodyguards to fight the Spartan, intending to kill him quickly.
However, Five was more resourceful than the Sangheili thought and not only managed to eliminate his bodyguards, but even disarm the Field Master. Faced with death, Grono fought back hard, gaining the upper hand once more before they both staggered as the ship rumbled. The bombing runs from the Longsword squadron had begun. Summoning a file of reinforcements, Grono resumed his goal to kill Five, but the Spartan realized the odds against him and retreated.
As Five retreated, the rest of Caliber returned to the Horus in their Banshees, fearing the worst for their teammate. As the Universal Resonance began to collapse, Five barely managed to commandeer his Banshee, escaping the crumbling ship as it retreated into slipspace. Crashing his damaged fighter into one of the hangars aboard the Horus, Five was welcomed back with open arms by his fellow Spartans and Marines.
With the fight finished, and the Field Master's Zog'fee Legion in shambles, Fireteam Caliber departed from Kalincton in a Prowler while the Horus remained to oversee a science operation on the planet.
=== Memorial ===
Two weeks later, the Spartans of Fireteam Caliber had returned to the Infinity. Upon arrival, a memorial service was immediately set up to commemorate the deaths of Fireteam Titanium. Fireteam Caliber, several other groups of Spartans, and close family and friends to the members of Titanium participated, gathering around a holographic tribute to the deceased Spartans. After the service, Fireteam Caliber met up personally with Palmer to discuss the aftermath of Operation: WARHUNT.
While they had failed to eliminate Grono 'Yendam himself, they had dispatched Kyro 'Dezan and left the majority of the Zog'fee Imperial Legion in ruins, which more than made up for Titanium's demise. Palmer even speculated that a loss this great would be a bad impression for the Field Master and would surely make him lose his high standing among Jul 'Mdama.
Palmer congratulated the team and departed, leaving Fireteam Caliber with another successful operation under their belt and a return to form. While they didn't have another mission available, they decided to make the most of their newfound downtime and further integrate Caliber Five into the team.
=== Created Conflict ===
Only a few short months later, a faction of AIs calling themselves the Created came into being, utilizing powerful Forerunner constructs known as Guardians to conquer systems in the name of their "Eternal peace." The Infinity was one of few UNSC capital ships to escape the onslaught, performing random slipspace jumps to outmaneuver their new foes. During this time Fireteam Caliber stayed on station and ready to deploy, if the time came. For the next year and a half, Fireteam Caliber was relegated to combat exercises aboard the Infinity until February 4, 2560, when they were transferred back to the UNSC Horus as a part of the UNSC Battlegroup Sahara, part of a joint-task force with the Swords of Sanghelios Fleet of Swift Retaliation.
Alongside the Swords of Sanghelios fleet, which served as the new command for Fleet Master Oln 'Parvam, Battlegroup Sahara, under the command of veteran officer Admiral Jin Lee, required a Spartan team to conduct special operations in a looming battle. Unexpectedly, rather than a fight against the technologically-superior Created forces, the conflict to come would be against an emerging powerhouse faction known as the , a Covenant Remnant that Fireteam Caliber had heard of, but never encountered before in the field. After successfully transferring from the Infinity to Battlegroup Sahara and the Fleet of Swift Retaliation, Fireteam Caliber began making preparations for what would come to be known as the Versis Campaign.
=== Versis Campaign ===
== Members ==
===CALIBER ONE===
(as of January 17, 2558)
thumb|250px
CADE
SPARTAN 
*FULL NAME: WILLIAMS, CADE 
*UNIT: SPARTAN OPERATIONS/SPARTAN-IV PROGRAM/FIRETEAM CALIBER
*ENLISTMENT DATE: APRIL 3, 2547 
*LOCATION: [REDACTED] 
*STATUS: ACTIVE 
*GENDER: M 
*BIRTPLACE: ODYSSEY CITY, CARCHAR 
*BIRTH DATE: 2/16/2526
 EVALUATION: CALIBER'S MOST VETERAN MEMBER, CALIBER ONE IS THE MOST OBVIOUS CHOICES AS ITS LEADER. HE HAS SERVED THROUGH THE LARGEST NUMBER OF CAMPAIGNS ON HIS TEAM (BEFORE THE ATTACHMENT OF CALIBER FIVE [CURRENT]) AND ATTAINED THE MOST TENURE. HE INSPIRES CONFIDENCE IN THOSE AROUND HIM AND IS WELL-VERSED IN MAKING REVISIONS TO PLANS WHEN SOMETHING GOES AFOOT. HOWEVER, HIS TACTICS HAVE BECOME NOTABLY MORE CAUTIOUS SINCE THE DEATH OF CALIBER FIVE (FORMER). ASIDE FROM LEADERSHIP CAPABILITY, HE EXCELS AS A RIFLEMAN IN COMBAT SCENARIOS GROUNDSIDE. HAVING TAKEN INSPIRATION FROM SIERRA-117, HE USES A GEN2 CONFIGURATION OF THE FAMOUS MARK VI SUIT. 
===CALIBER TWO===
(as of January 17, 2558)
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JULIA
SPARTAN 
*FULL NAME: DEMOS, JULIA 
*UNIT: SPARTAN OPERATIONS/SPARTAN-IV PROGRAM/FIRETEAM CALIBER
*ENLISTMENT DATE: MARCH 21, 2550 
*LOCATION: [REDACTED] 
*STATUS: ACTIVE 
*GENDER: F 
*BIRTPLACE: COTE D'AZUR, SIGMA OCTANUS IV 
*BIRTH DATE: 5/13/2528
 EVALUATION: CALIBER TWO FULFILLS A MULTITUDE OF ROLES ON THE TEAM, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO SCOUTING, OPERATING COMS, TAPPING INTO ENEMY SYSTEMS, AND REPAIRING DAMAGED TECHNICAL ASSETS. NOT AS OUTSPOKEN AS CALIBER ONE AND THREE, BUT MORE TALKATIVE THAN CALIBER FOUR AND FIVE (CURRENT), SHE OFTEN SPEAKS ONLY WHEN NEEDED. SHE STAYS IN LINE AND IS FIRM ON HER NEED-TO-KNOW BASIS, AND IS PROBABLY THE MOST LEVEL-HEADED OF THE TEAM ASIDE FROM CALIBER FIVE (CURRENT). HER DEDICATION TO HER MISSIONS HAS LANDED HER A SPOT AS CALIBER ONE'S SECOND-IN-COMMAND. AFTER A SERIES OF EXOATMOSPHERIC OPERATIONS DURING THE ASSAULT ON THE UNSC INFINITY, SHE HAS ODDLY CHOSEN THE ORBITAL ARMOR SET AS HER STANDARD HARNESS, EVEN WHEN GROUNDSIDE. 
===CALIBER THREE===
(as of January 17, 2558)
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JACQUES
SPARTAN 
*FULL NAME: DUBOIS, JACQUES 
*UNIT: SPARTAN OPERATIONS/SPARTAN-IV PROGRAM/FIRETEAM CALIBER
*ENLISTMENT DATE: JULY 14, 2549 
*LOCATION: [REDACTED] 
*STATUS: ACTIVE 
*GENDER: M 
*BIRTPLACE: LYON, EARTH 
*BIRTH DATE: 12/9/2530
 EVALUATION: PERHAPS THE MOST VIBRANT OF THE TEAM, THIS CAN BE ATTRIBUTED TO CALIBER THREE'S BIRTHPLACE ON EARTH, THUS NEVER LEADING TO THE LOVED ONES. HE IS PRIMARILY CALIBER'S CQC SPECIALIST, BUT IS LICENSED TO PILOT VTOL AND EXOATMOSPHERIC VEHICLES. DESPITE HIS CHEERINESS, CALIBER THREE SEEMS TO HOLD AN INNATE DISLIKE FOR FORMER COVENANT SPECIES, ESPECIALLY SANGHEILI. IN HIS PSYCH EVAL ON 1/10/2555, CALIBER THREE REPORTED THIS STIGMA DUE TO THE MASSACRE OF HIS ENTIRE PLATOON BY A SILENT SHADOW UNIT ON ENCOMIUM III BACK IN 2552. CALIBER THREE IS CLOSE FRIENDS WITH CALIBER FIVE (FORMER) AND TO A SLIGHTLY LESSER DEGREE, CALIBER FIVE (CURRENT). HE ADORNS HIMSELF IN AN AVIATOR HELMET SUITED TO PILOTING AIRCRAFT, BUT WEARS A SOLDIER HARNESS TO EXCEL IN CLOSE QUARTERS ON MISSIONS IN FOREIGN TERRITORY. 
===CALIBER FOUR===
(as of January 17, 2558)
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LIANA
SPARTAN 
*FULL NAME: MARTIN, LIANA 
*UNIT: SPARTAN OPERATIONS/SPARTAN-IV PROGRAM/FIRETEAM CALIBER
*ENLISTMENT DATE: AUGUST 23, 2548 
*LOCATION: [REDACTED] 
*STATUS: ACTIVE 
*GENDER: F 
*BIRTPLACE: NEW ALEXANDRIA, REACH 
*BIRTH DATE: 10/24/2528
 EVALUATION: FIRETEAM CALIBER'S MOST BALLISTIC MEMBER, CALIBER FOUR IS A LETHAL ASSET IN THE FIELD. IN IRONIC ACCORDANCE WITH HER PERSONALITY, CALIBER FOUR SERVES AS THE TEAM'S "HEAVY WEAPON'S GAL," BUT OPERATES AS A DEMOLITION AND HEAVY WEAPONS EXPERT. HER AFFINITY WITH EXPLOSIVES IS ONE TO BE NOTED. THE MOST CONCERNING PART OF CALIBER FOUR'S FILE IS HER MENTAL HEALTH. DIAGNOSED WITH PTSD AND SUBJECT TO EXTREME ANGER, SHE IS A WILD CARD IN THE FIELD. HER MENTAL CONDITION CAN BE TRACKED BACK TO 8/21/2552, DURING THE COVENANT SIEGE OF NEW ALEXANDRIA. UP UNTIL HER PSYCHE EVAL ON 1/10/2557, SHE REFUSED TO RELATE HER CONDITION TO NEW ALEXANDRIA. IT IS NOW KNOWN THAT SHE WATCHED HER FAMILY DIE DURING THE ATTACK. THIS WAS WORSENED ON 2/21/2558, WHEN CALIBER FIVE (FORMER) WAS KILLED IN ACTION BY COVENANT REMNANT COMBATANTS. CALIBER FOUR SEEMS TO HAVE DEVELOPED A CLOSE RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM AND WAS SUBSEQUENTLY AFFECTED BY THE LOSS. DESPITE REPEATED RECOMMENDATIONS TO REMOVE HER FROM THE FIELD DUE TO THESE OVERARCHING PROBLEMS, REQUESTS HAVE BEEN IGNORED. CALIBER FOUR WEARS A GEN2 GUNGNIR HELMET THAT CAN QUICKLY LINK WITH THE TARGETING SYSTEMS OF HER MANY WEAPONS, AND AN INDOMITABLE CHESTPLATE FOR MAXIMUM PROTECTION. 
===CALIBER FIVE (FORMER)===
(as of January 17, 2558/repealed as of February 21, 2558)
SAMSON
SPARTAN 
*FULL NAME: KAGO, SAMSON 
*UNIT: SPARTAN OPERATIONS/SPARTAN-IV PROGRAM/FIRETEAM CALIBER
*ENLISTMENT DATE: SEPTEMBER 14, 2547 
*LOCATION: N/A 
*STATUS: KIA 
*GENDER: M 
*BIRTPLACE: CASBAH, TRIBUTE 
*BIRTH DATE: 6/12/2527
 EVALUATION: PROBABLY THE MOST EFFECTIVE MEMBER OF THE TEAM AND THE CLOSEST ONE TO THE LEVEL OF THE SPARTAN-II PROGRAM. CALIBER FIVE (FORMER) WAS THE TEAM'S SPECIAL OPERATOR, AND COULD ADAPT TO A VARIETY OF COMBAT SCENARIOS. WHILE NOT ONE FOR LEADERSHIP, HE WAS A DECORATED SOLDIER OF HIS RANK EVEN BEFORE BEING INDUCTED INTO THE SPARTAN-IV PROGRAM. HIS POSITION ON COVENANT AFFAIRS WAS MODERATE AFTER THE WAR, BUT HE OPENLY CONDEMNED BOTH THE INSURRECTIONIST MOVEMENTS AND THE UNSC'S TACTICS USED TO QUELL THEM. CALIBER FIVE (FORMER) WAS KILLED IN ACTION DURING THE REQUIEM CAMPAIGN, UNFORTUNATELY. HIS DEATH RESONATES WITHIN THE TEAM, NOTABLY CALIBER FOUR. I CAN SAY I'M MORE THAN DISPLEASED THAT IT TOOK OVER FIVE MONTHS FOR A VIABLE REPLACEMENT TO BE FOUND. WHAT IS PLEASING IS THAT THE SANGHEILI COMMANDER WHO KILLED HIM WAS ID'ED AS RACH 'ILTUK - THE RIGHT-HAND MAN OF GRONO 'YENDAM, A TIER 3 TARGET WHO WAS THE FOCUS OF OPERATION: WARHUNT THROUGHOUT EARLY AUGUST. AS OF 10/27/2558, WE CAN CONFIRM THAT 'ILTUK IS KIA. CALIBER FIVE (FORMER) HAS BEEN AVENGED. 
===CALIBER FIVE (CURRENT)===
(as of JULY 28, 2558)
[REDACTED]
SPARTAN 
*FULL NAME: [REDACTED] 
*UNIT: SPARTAN OPERATIONS/SPARTAN-IV PROGRAM/FIRETEAM CALIBER
*ENLISTMENT DATE: [REDACTED] 
*LOCATION: [REDACTED] 
*STATUS: ACTIVE 
*GENDER: M 
*BIRTHPLACE: [REDACTED] 
*BIRTH DATE: [REDACTED] 
 EVALUATION: A HEAP OF BLACK INK. DESPITE ORIGINALLY BEING A JUNIOR ENLISTED MEMBER OF THE MARINE CORPS IN THE DELTA-6 DIVISION, CALIBER FIVE (CURRENT) HAS OPERATED ON ENOUGH MISSIONS TO BE WARRANTED AN NCO RANK. A LETHAL ASSET IN THE FIELD, MORE SO THAN ANY OTHER MEMBER OF THE TEAM, CALIBER FIVE (CURRENT) IS EXTRAORDINARILY INEXPERIENCED WITH LEADERSHIP BUT WELL-VERSED IN ALMOST ALL FORMS OF COMBAT. WITH PRACTICAL EFFICIENCY IN MIND, HE HAS OPTED FOR THE CAVALLINO HARNESS UTILIZED FOR DEFAULT MJOLNIR ARMORS. 
== Equipment ==
<tabber>
|-|
Cade Williams =
=== Weapons ===
Weapon Name	Description
 	A solid addition to the arsenal of Fireteam Caliber, the MA5D Assault Rifle is used to great effect by Cade in close to mid-range engagements.
 	A powerful sidearm used by the majority of the team, it makes for a prominent backup weapon in Cade's hands.
|-|
Julia Deimos =
=== Weapons ===
Weapon Name	Description
 	Spartan Julia's preferred method of combat is to fire at enemies from a medium to long distance using her Designated Marksmen's Rifle.
 	When unable to use her DMR, or in close quarters, Julia often opts to use her Magnum sidearm.
|-|
Jacques Dubois =
=== Weapons ===
Weapon Name	Description
 	Spartan Jacques' personal tool of death is the M45 Tactical Shotgun, an ideal close range weapon.
 	When face with more enemies than his shotgun can handle, Jacques Dubois can easily mow down hordes of enemies using his Squad Automatic Weapon.
|-|
Liana Martin =
=== Weapons ===
Weapon Name	Description
 	Spartan Liana Martin is the team's heavy weapons specialist, and has her powerful M57 Pilum Rocket Launcher to show for it. She often uses it as an anti-vehicle weapon, but is not object to using it against heavy infantry.
 	Unlike most Spartans, Liana uses the MA5D as a mere secondary weapon in the event that her main method of brutal explosions fails.
|-|
Samson Kago =
=== Weapons ===
Weapon Name	Description
 	A compact weapon with the best features of both the DMR and Assault Rifle, it poses little question why this was Samson Kago's weapon of choice.
 	Samson tended to use his M739 SAW in tandem with his Battle Rifle rather than as a secondary weapon.
|-|
Caliber Five =
=== Weapons ===
Weapon Name	Description
 	Similar to team leader Cade, Caliber Five uses an MA5D Assault rifle as his weapon of choice.
 	The Magnum is a lethal tool in the hands of Caliber Five.
</tabber>
== Non-Canon Sources ==
Caliber Five participated in Survival of the Fittest Season 8.
During Season 8, Caliber Five was portrayed in his GEN 3 CAVALLINO-class Mjolnir. He was a part of Fireteam Blue-Kilo, and his teammates were 's Dylan Park, 's Too Variable to Measure, and 's Rtanis 'Daelahm. They quickly traversed to the top of a nearby Forerunner beam tower, where they encountered Fireteam Red-Charlie. Despite attempts from 's Amy-G094 to negotiate, Caliber Five convinced the rest of his team to attack. The Spartan-IV dueled his Spartan-III foe, resulting in her shattering his visor and injuring him. Before Amy could deliver the final blow, she was promptly crushed by a chunk of the beam tower dropped on her by Too Variable. Caliber Five was then thrown off the tower by an explosion from a plasma grenade thrown by 's Tuka 'Refum. Down below, he proceeded to fight 's Takra 'Ravakrae, and successfully disarmed the Banished Sangheili before crushing his head with his boot. Immediately after, Caliber Five was attacked yet again by Tuka, who finished him off with a decapitation from his energy sword. Tuka would suffer his own death not too long after at the hands of Dylan Park. Caliber Five finished in 72nd place.
== List of Appearances ==
* Halo: Warhunt
=== Non-Canon ===
* Survival of the Fittest
** Season 8 (Fireteam Blue-Kilo, Top 72)