View source for Halo: The Fall of Reach

===Section II: Boot===
The plot then goes on to show, in detail, the brutal indoctrination and [[SPARTAN-II training|training regime]] that John and his fellow Spartans are put through. [[Chief Petty Officer]] [[Franklin Mendez|Mendez]] trains the Spartan-IIs, showing them the many necessary virtues of a soldier (e.g. courage, teamwork, skill, etc.) whilst the [[Dumb AI|AI]] [[Déjà]] teaches them history, mathematics, and physics. After a daring training mission in [[Military Wilderness Training Preserve|the wilds]] of [[Reach]] — where the young Spartans regroup, construct a map of the area from separate pieces, and steal a dropship back to [[Reach FLEETCOM Military Complex|base]] — John-117 is made squad leader of the Spartans. When the Spartans are fourteen, they undergo [[SPARTAN-II augmentation procedures|intense biological enhancements]] that effectively triple their strength, drastically decrease their reaction times, make their bones practically indestructible, and increase blood flow to their eyes so that they can almost see in the dark, among various other improvements. However, of the 75 Spartans, less than half emerge still fit for combat; the rest wash out and die during the operations or are horribly injured by the augmentation process. While recovering on the ''[[UNSC Atlas|Atlas]]'', John gets into a fight with a group of [[Orbital Drop Shock Trooper]]s, but ends up accidentally killing two of them. The speedy arrival of Chief Mendez leads John to suspect that the incident may have been arranged.

After returning to Reach, the Spartans quickly prove that the augmentations have surpassed all expectations, and their cohesion in battle is amazing. The Spartans are then issued orders to capture [[Robert Watts|Colonel Robert Watts]], an [[Insurrectionist]] leader in the Eridanus asteroid belt. John leads a small team, consisting of [[Samuel-034]], [[Linda-058]], [[Kelly-087]], and [[Frederic-104]], which manages to infiltrate the Insurrectionists' [[Eridanus Secundus|asteroid base]] and capture Watts in [[Operation: TALON]]. John is wounded during this mission and is subsequently awarded a [[Purple Heart]].

On [[2525#February|February 3, 2525]], first contact is made with an alliance of alien races that refers to itself as the [[Covenant]]. [[Rapid Conversion|A single Covenant warship]] exterminates the entire surface population of the [[Outer Colonies|Outer Colony]] [[Harvest]]. Three UNSC warships — the destroyer ''[[CMA Heracles|Heracles]]'' and the frigates ''[[CMA Arabia|Arabia]]'' and ''[[CMA Vostok|Vostok]]'' — are sent to investigate this incident and initiate first engagement protocols. They attempt contact, engage the Covenant ship in battle, and are subsequently routed. Only the ''Heracles'' manages to return to Reach, having been badly damaged. By December of the same year, the UNSC has mobilized a [[Battle Group X-Ray|massive fleet]] under the command of famed war hero [[Vice Admiral]] [[Preston Jeremiah Cole|Preston Cole]], with orders to reclaim the Harvest colony and stop the Covenant advance.

In response to the emergence of the Covenant, the Spartans' graduation occurs earlier than anticipated, while Chief Mendez leaves to train the next class of Spartans, giving John some advice before returning the coin Dr. Halsey gave him years earlier. Dr. Halsey takes the Spartans to [[Chi Ceti IV]] to retrieve Project: MJOLNIR. Upon arriving in the system, the ''[[UNSC Commonwealth|Commonwealth]]'' — the [[UNSC frigate|frigate]] carrying the Spartans — is attacked by [[Unrelenting|a Covenant ship]]. The ''Commonwealth'' engages the Covenant ship and is able to drive it off, but sustains significant damage. Heading to the [[Damascus Testing Facility]], Dr. Halsey introduces the Spartans to the [[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor/Mark IV|MJOLNIR power armor]], which further enhances the Spartans' already significant strength and speed. While returning to the ''Commonwealth'', John comes up with the idea to go [[Extra-vehicular activity|EVA]], [[Naval boarding|board]] the Covenant vessel, and destroy it using [[Anvil-II air-to-surface missile|Anvil missiles]]. Only three Spartans — John, Sam, and Kelly — manage to board the ship. They fight their way past the crew, a birdlike race later dubbed [[Kig-Yar|Jackals]], and are able to make their way to a reactor, but Sam's armor is penetrated and he is forced to stay behind or die upon exposure to vacuum. John and Kelly are able to escape as the Covenant ship is destroyed.