- Watson 203
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- Exalted Member
Straight from the wandering mind of Watson 203
Poll: Would Operation: RED FLAG have succeeded? [closed]
Total Votes: 22
First things first, if you don't know what Operation: RED FLAG is, it's a plan of last resort, thought up by ONI Section III to try and end the Human-Covenant War if the worst came to the worst.
The gist of the op was to capture a Hierarch, one of the 3 San 'Shyuum, (Prophets), that lead the Covenant. Then by using the captured Hierarch as leverage the UNSC/ONI would try to negotiate the end of the war by forcing the Covenant into a truce. However It was never actually carried out due to the fall of reach and the UNSC's retreat to Earth.
A more detailed description can be found here.
My question is this, If Operation: RED FLAG was actually put into action, do you think it would've worked? Would it have failed during one of the four phases? Or would a captured Hierarch not be enough leverage to force the Covenant into a truce?
I think it would've failed when the UNSC/ONI attempted to barter with the Hierarch. If the deployed team of SPARTAN II's did manage to capture one I doubt the Covenant would've agreed to a truce.
I think a new age, (Possibly an Age of Doubt), would have been declared, renouncing the captured San 'Shyuum of it's position as a Hierarch, bringing 3 new Hierarch's in. Then the Covenant's genocidal campaign against humanity would've continued.
I imagine this could've been accomplished by some of the more powerful San 'Shyuum lying and blackmailing their way into power, such as how the three Hierarchs at the time of the Halo trilogy, (Truth, Regret & Mercy), did so. If you're want more about this, read Contact Harvest or look it up on the wiki.
The problem with what I'm thinking is that the Covenant are, (at the time of RED FLAG's proposal), in an Age of Reclamation, where their main aim is to actively seek out the Halo's and so they are likely to find them.
Because of the importance of this age, I'm not sure whether the Covenant would simply stop it to deal with the captured Hierarch and possibly not start another Age of Reclamation for a long time.
Here's more on the Covenant's ages/history