Winter Contingency

Winter Contingency is the second level in the campaign of Halo: Reach and the first level to feature gameplay. It immediately follows the first level Noble Actual, which includes the game's opening cinematic.

Upon completing this level on Normal, Heroic, or Legendary the player will unlock the "We're Just Getting Started" achievement and 10 Gamerscore.

Summary
In the level, Noble Team is sent to Visegrad, a remote agricultural region of the planet Reach, to investigate a disturbance in the communications relay responsible for the planet's communications to the rest of the UNSC, and the disappearance of the Army troopers sent in to investigate before them. Sabotage by insurrectionists is suspected, but the cause of the disruption is revealed to be a Covenant advance infiltration force. At the Visegrad relay, Noble Team finds the corpse of a researcher alongside his surviving daughter. Shortly after, several Elite Zealots attack the Spartans, and after a brief scuffle they retreat deeper into the facility. Eventually Noble Team brings the relay back online, and contact Colonel Holland, declaring Winter Contingency.

Transcript
{Cutscene}

Two UH-144 Falcons fly over a mountainous landscape.

Carter-A259 is shown from behind, looking over at the other Falcon.


 * Carter-A259: "Listen up, Noble Team. We're looking at a downed relay outpost, fifty klicks from Visegrad. We're going to introduce ourselves to whoever took it out, then Kat's going to get it back online."


 * Catherine-B320: "Just get me under the hood, Commander."


 * Jorge-052: "Sir, why would rebels want to cut off Reach from the rest of the colonies?"

Carter is shown from the front.


 * Carter-A259: "You get a chance, maybe you can ask 'em, Jorge."

The camera shifts to behind the two Falcons.


 * Catherine-B320: "Commander, we just lost our signal with HQ."

Cut back to the second Falcon from Carter's point of view.


 * Carter-A259: "Backup channels?"


 * Catherine-B320: "Searching... Nada. Can't say what's jamming us."

''The two Falcons are once again shown from behind, from a greater distance. They are now approaching the outpost.''


 * Carter-A259: "You heard her. Dead zone confirmed. Command will not be keeping us company this trip."


 * Emile-A239: "I'm lonely already."

''The Falcons bank left and hover over the outpost. Fade to black.''

{Gameplay}


 * Carter-A259: "Shoot down attempts are likely, so keep your distance."


 * Pilot: "Yes, sir!"


 * Carter-A259: "Let's stay focused. Watch your sectors."

The two Falcons head in opposite directions as the Comm Relay Hub comes into view.


 * Jorge-052: "There's the communications outpost."


 * Catherine-B320: "Reading a distress beacon."


 * Carter-A259: "Could be the missing troopers. Let's check it out."


 * Carter-A259: "Put us down on the bluff."

The Falcon circles for a landing.


 * Carter-A259: "Jun, I want your eyes in the sky."


 * Jun-A266: "Sir."

The Falcons land side by side, and Carter jumps down.


 * Carter-A259: "Let's go, Six."

''Noble Six exits the Falcon along with Carter, Emile, and Kat. Jun and Jorge remain in their respective Falcons to provide sniper support.''

NOBLE Team

 * Carter-A259: "Alright, Noble Team. Spread out. Watch the approach."

Six follows Noble Team down the hillside.


 * Emile-A239: "Structure point 3-4, looks clear from this angle."

''Soon they come to a burning vehicle next to a small building. There are blood spatters on the ground nearby the wreckage. Emile begins inspecting a broken pallet on the ground and removes a red object from it.''


 * Emile-A239: "Found the beacon."

Emile tosses the beacon to Kat.


 * Carter-A259: "Make out any ID?"


 * Catherine-B320: "Negative, but it's military."

Kat drops the beacon on the ground.


 * Jorge-052 (COM): "So, where are all the troopers?"


 * Catherine-B320: "Why are we not seeing explosives residue?"


 * Carter-A259: "Noble Three, can you confirm any 'ex residue in the area?"


 * Jun-A266 (COM): "Hmm... Negative, sir."


 * Emile-A239: "Plasma, maybe."


 * Jorge-052 (COM): "Can't be. Not on Reach."


 * Emile-A239: "There's a lot of blood on the ground."


 * Carter-A259: "All right, Noble, looks like there's nothing here. Let's move on."

If Noble Six shoots at the gas tank nearby, detonating it:


 * Carter-A259: "Stand down, Noble Six!"

''Noble Team heads off to another cluster of buildings. New objective: Investigate local Structures.''


 * Catherine-B320: "Smoke at the next structure, boss."


 * Carter-A259: "Circle west and check it out. Noble Team: you have permission to engage, but be selective. We don't need to telegraph our presence."

The team arrives at a house overlooking the cliffside.


 * Carter-A259: "Noble Six, move into the house. Go in quiet. I'm right behind you."

Noble Six moves through the house.


 * Jun-A266 (COM): "Noble Leader, I'm seeing heat-sigs in the structure ahead."

''Six goes up a short flight of stairs and emerges on the other side of the house. The second Falcon lands in the courtyard long enough to drop Jorge off, then takes off. A door in the house opens, and a civilian male steps out. Other civilians can be seen remaining inside.''


 * Farmer: (Hungarian) "Én nem csináltam semmit!" (I didn't do anything!)

Emile aims his shotgun at the man as he and Jorge question him, but he appears to speak only in Hungarian.


 * Emile-A239: "On your knees, now!"


 * Farmer: (Panicked, Hungarian) "Ne lőjön! Ne lőjön!" (Don't shoot! Don't shoot!)


 * Jorge-052: "They're not rebels, they're farmers. Look at them."


 * Carter-A259: "Ask him what they're doing here."

''Jorge questions him in Hungarian. The civilian begins talking as Jorge translates.''


 * Jorge-052: (Hungarian) "Mit kerestek itt?" (What are you doing here?)


 * Farmer: (Hungarian) "Csak nem akartunk meghalni." (We just didn't want to die.)


 * Jorge-052: "Hiding, sir. Neighbors were attacked last night. He heard screams, gunfire. It stopped around sunrise."


 * Farmer: (Hungarian) "Valami megölte a fiamat." (Something killed my son.)


 * Jorge-052: "He says something in the fields...killed his son."


 * Carter-A259: "Something?"


 * Jun-A266 (COM): "Commander, be advised. I'm reading heat signatures at the structure directly east from your position. Over."


 * Carter-A259: "Copy that. (to Jorge) Get them back inside."


 * Jorge-052: (Hungarian) "Azt mondtam, befelé!" (I said get in! Get in!)


 * Carter-A259: "Noble Team, double-time it."

''A new waypoint appears on the building in question. The farmer get back inside as Noble Team sprint east toward the building.''


 * Jorge-052: "We're moving in, Commander."

''The Spartans find several human corpses, including two uniformed ones hanging from pegs on the wall. The ground is covered with blood.''


 * Carter-A259: "Damn..."


 * Jun-A266 (COM): "Fill me in, Commander, what are you seeing? Over."

''Carter kneels down over the pools of blood and examines them. Avian footprints can be seen in the blood, moving across the floor.''


 * Carter-A259: "We've got military casualties, two of the missing troopers. Looks like they were interrogated... It's messy."

''Carter stands back up and signals the team to keep moving. They enter an adjacent room with another dead body. Movement is suddenly heard on the roof, and a brief hostile contact is detected on the motion tracker.''


 * Carter-A259: "Movement. Watch your motion trackers."

Noble Team heads outside, but the contact disappears.


 * Emile-A239: "What the hell was that?"


 * Carter-A259: "Jun, you see anything?"


 * Jun-A266 (COM): "Negative. Thermal's clean."

Noble Team heads into a nearby building.


 * Jun-A266 (COM): "Boss, I see movement, outside your structure!"


 * Carter-A259: "Noble Two, move up to the west. We're about to be flanked."

''Noble Team moves to a set of windows, where they see the contacts: Grunts and Skirmishers. One of the Skirmishers sees Noble Team and begins squawking in alarm.''


 * Carter-A259: "Damn it!"


 * Jorge-052: "Covenant!"


 * Carter-A259: "Contact, contact! Spartans, assist!"


 * Jorge-052: "Here we go!"


 * Emile-A239: "Damn it!"


 * Carter-A259: "They're heading into the basement. Move down to the lower levels!"

''Noble Team engages the Covenant forces. Several Banshees begin to move in and are engaged by the Falcon.''


 * Pilot (COM): "Banshees! Heads up, Charlie One!"

''Noble Team clears out the Covenant near the farm, while the Falcon shoots down the Banshees. A Spirit dropship touches down across a nearby bridge and begins deploying troops.''


 * Jun-A266 (COM): "Noble Leader, enemy dropships inbound!"


 * Pilot (COM): "Falcon moving to assist."

Noble Team moves across the bridge, eliminating the Covenant forces.


 * Carter-A259: "Stand down, Noble, stand down. Contacts neutralized."


 * Jorge-052: "Contacts? It's the damn Covenant!"


 * Emile-A239: "Cheer up, big man: this whole valley just turned into a free-fire zone."


 * Carter-A259: "Kat, we've got to warn Holland. I need you at that relay outpost now."


 * Jun-A266 (COM): "Boss, I'm showing more activity to the east!"


 * Carter-A259: "Copy that, Jun, we're on it. Six, you've got point."

Noble Team heads across the creek to engage Ultra Elites, eventually defeating them.


 * Jun-A266 (COM): "Commander, I'm seeing more hostile activity to the north-east."


 * Carter-A259: "Emile, you're with Kat. Six and I will run interference on the ground. We'll meet you at the outpost."


 * Catherine-B320: "Noble Three, requesting air-lift."

''Noble Six, Carter, and Jorge head to a flatbed truck, with Carter taking the passenger seat and Jorge standing in the truck bed, using his gun as a makeshift turret. Noble Six drives.''


 * Carter-A259: "Get to work, Noble."

Rebels Don't Leave Plasma Burns
Noble Six, Carter, and Jorge drive around, eliminating all Covenant they come across.


 * Jun-A266 (COM): "Noble Leader: I'm picking up a distress signal."


 * Travis (COM): "Mayday! 3 Charlie Six, does anyone read? We were attacked by Covenant forces. The Covenant is on Reach. I repeat: the Covenant is on Reach."


 * Jorge-052: "The troopers?"


 * Carter-A259: "Let's move, Six. We've gotta find the source of that distress call."


 * Jun-A266 (COM): "No disrespect, but don't we have better things to do than round up strays?"


 * Carter-A259: "We don't leave people behind. You see those troopers, you let me know."

If Six takes time finding the Troopers:


 * Jun-A266 (COM): "Noble Leader: I'm seeing possible friendly forces under attack, north-east of your position, over!"


 * Travis (COM): "We're under attack! I repeat: mayday, mayday! 3 Charlie Six, we're under attack by the Covenant! I've got wounded - cannot hold this position!"


 * Carter-A259: "We need to find those Troopers, now!"

''Six, Carter, and Jorge spot gunfire and explosions from a Covenant landing site. Several Army troopers are pinned down by the Covenant forces. The three Spartans move to intervene and get out of the truck.''


 * Carter-A259: "Noble Three, we've located the trooper squad. Request immediate evac - my coordinates."


 * Jun-A266 (COM): Solid copy, Commander. Recalling Falcon Charlie 2. Hold that evac position."

Noble Team and the troopers engage the Covenant.


 * Jun-A266 (COM): "Noble Leader, be advised: I have visual on inbound Covenant dropships."


 * Carter-A259: "Evac transport, keep your distance! Six, hold this position. Clear an LZ."


 * Travis: "Spartans? Corporal Travis, 3 Charlie, sir. It's the Covenant..."


 * Carter-A259: "We know, Corporal. Let's get you out of here."

Noble Team and 3 Charlie engage the Covenant, eventually clearing them out.


 * Carter-A259: "Transport, LZ is clear. Move in for evac."


 * Jun-A266 (COM): "Affirmative. Transport inbound."


 * Carter-A259: "Troopers, board that bird on the double! Pilot, stay close - watch for hostile air."


 * Carter-A259: "Six, Jun - let's go!"

If Six stalls:


 * Carter-A259: "On the Falcon, Six - now!"

If Six further stalls:


 * Carter-A259: "Lieutenant, mount up! That's an order!"

''Two Falcons land. The troopers get into one and fly away, and Noble Team departs for the relay in the other.''


 * Carter-A259: "Noble Two, sit-rep."


 * Catherine-B320 (COM): "We're at the relay outpost. Door's locked. Mechanism's been flash-fused."


 * Carter-A259: "Can you beat it?"


 * Catherine-B320 (COM): "I dialed up my torch, cut a way through. Going to take some time."


 * Carter-A259: "Okay, we're en route to your location."

''Noble Team reaches the relay, finding Covenant in the courtyard. Kat and Emile are pinned down inside the outpost.''


 * Pilot: "We're approaching the com outpost."


 * Carter-A259: "Drop us in the courtyard."


 * Pilot: "LZ's a little hot, sir-"


 * Carter-A259: "Put her down, pilot. Six, break's over."

Noble Team engages the Covenant in the courtyard.


 * Carter-A259: "How we doing, Kat?"


 * Catherine-B320: "Taking a little longer than I hoped, Commander. I've cut about halfway through the door."


 * Emile-A239: "Contact!"


 * Carter-A259: "Hold them off until Kat can hack the controls."

Noble Team engage Covenant infantry, but more and more troops are dropped in via Spirit dropships.


 * Carter-A259: "Kat?"


 * Catherine-B320: "Just about...there! We're in!"


 * Carter-A259: "Everybody inside! Go, go, go!"

Noble Team withdraws to the relay's entrance as the door closes, shutting the Covenant out.

Skeleton Crew

 * Carter-A259: "We need to find the control room. From there, Kat can get the relay back online. Emile, post here. If we flush any hostiles, they're yours. All right, let's do this."

Noble Team enters the dark room.


 * Carter-A259: "Can't see a thing... Noble Six, turn on your night vision."


 * Catherine-B320: "Control room. Go easy."

Noble Six turns the corridor and finds a body.


 * Catherine-B320: "Noble Six, search that body."

If Six stalls:


 * Catherine-B320: "Lieutenant, check that body for ID!"

{Cutscene}

''Six begins to search the body. Carter attends a wounded trooper leaning against the wall.''


 * Carter-A259: "Where's the rest of your unit?"


 * Corporal: "We got split. I don't think they... It sounded bad on the comms."


 * Carter-A259: "All right, Corporal, stay put. We'll get you a combat surgeon."

Noble Six finds a data module on the corpse as Kat looks at the controls and picks it up.


 * Catherine-B320: "Damn. Plasma damage!"


 * Noble Six: "Found something..."

Kat snatches the data module from Six's hand.


 * Catherine-B320: I'll take that, Six. Not your domain."


 * Jorge-052: "I've got a live one over here! Come on, out you come."

Jorge drags out a young female civilian, but she struggles to escape, repeatedly hitting him while speaking frantic Hungarian.


 * Jorge-052: "It's all right, we're not going to hurt you."


 * Carter-A259: "Jorge..."


 * Jorge-052: "I've got her."

''Jorge puts down his weapon and grabs her by both arms, easily restraining her. She stops struggling.''


 * Jorge-052: "Keep still, and I'll release you."


 * Civilian: (Hungarian) "Még... Itt vannak." (There's more...)

''Jorge stiffens in alarm just as a Field Marshall jumps down from an upper floor and ignites its Energy Sword. The Elite slashes at Jorge, but he dodges the strike, pulling the civilian to the ground and covering her with his body. The Marshall growls a challenge at the rest of Noble Team and charges. Two more Zealots jump down to support the Marshall.''


 * Emile-A239: "What's your status, over?!"


 * Carter-A259: "We've been engaged!"

''Carter and Noble Six fire their Assault Rifles at the charging Elite, but his shield absorbs the fire. The Marshall slashes at Kat, slicing through the monitors on the wall, but Carter knocks her out of the way just in time. The Field Marshall's shields collapse under the sustained fire of Noble Six. The Elite charges Noble Six and, unable to bring his sword to bear, knocks the Spartan over before running towards the exit.''


 * Carter-A259: "Bad guy coming out!"

''One of the Zealots grabs the fallen Noble Six by the neck and extends an Energy Dagger. The Zealot attempts to stab Noble Six, but Six blocks the strike and punches the Zealot across the face, stunning him momentarily. The Zealot recovers and roars in Six's face, but Carter kicks him off and Kat opens fire with her pistol. The Elite's shields flash and it scrambles back to escape. Carter then kicks an assault rifle to Six. The two Zealots head for another door leading deeper into the facility, one holding the wounded Corporal as a shield and forcing Noble Team to hold their fire. The civilian girl begins screaming while the Zealots head through the door, taking the Corporal with them. The Corporal tries to grab the doorjamb in a desperate attempt to break free, but the Zealot holding him easily drags him out of sight.''


 * Emile-A239: "That tango blew past me. Permission to pursue?"


 * Carter-A259: "Negative, Four, stay on the entrance! Two, handle her! Five and Six, clear the hole!"

Noble Six reloads, Jorge and Noble Six head into a room, which Jorge then seals shut behind them.

{Gameplay}

Jorge and Six clear the room, heading down a corridor into another large room.


 * Jorge-052: "There's more. Flush 'em out, I've got you covered."

''Noble Six eliminates one of the Zealots and Grunts and Jackals accompanying it. The second Zealot charges Six with an Energy Sword. Six kills this Zealot as well.''


 * Jorge-052: "Noble Five reporting. Contacts neutralized."


 * Carter-A259 (COM): "Kat needs you to reset a junction. Do it and get back up here."

Noble Six resets the junction. {Cutscene}


 * Carter-A259: "How long?"


 * Catherine-B320: "Question of my life. If the question is when will this station be back online, two weeks, earliest. This is plasma damage. All major uplink components are fried."


 * Carter-A259: "Two minutes is too long."


 * Catherine-B320: "Which is why I'm splicing into the main overland bundle to get you a direct line to Colonel Holland... You're in my light, Commander."

Carter turns to Jorge.


 * Carter-A259: "Find out what she knows."

''Jorge taps the civilian girl's shoulder, but she shoves his hand off. Emile chuckles.''


 * Jorge-052: What's your name? Do you live around here?"

Jorge takes his helmet off.


 * Jorge-052: (Hungarian) A nevem Jorge. (My name's Jorge.)


 * Sára: "Sára."


 * Jorge-052: (Hungarian) "Sára... Szép határozott név. (...You're pretty strong.) Your accent sounds familiar. Sopron?"


 * Sára: "Tengeri."

Jorge looks at the body.


 * Jorge-052 "Friend of yours?"


 * Sára: "Father."


 * Jorge-052 (Hungarian) "Sajnálom. I'm sorry."


 * Sára: "Why would you be?"


 * Emile-A239: (to Six) "Big man forgets what he is sometimes."


 * Jorge-052: (to Emile) "She just lost her father." (to Carter) She needs a full psychiatric workup."


 * Emile-A239: "She's not the only one..."

Jorge turns furiously to Emile, but Carter intervenes.


 * Carter-A259: "Lock it down, both of you! Get her on her feet...the body stays here."


 * Jorge-052: "Thank you, sir."

Jorge walks by Emile and glares at him, then helps Sára get on her feet.


 * Catherine-B320: "Signal! It's patchy, but it's there."


 * Carter-A259: "I'll take it."


 * Catherine-B320: "Best not touch anything. You wouldn't want to ground this place."

Holland's image appears on the screen.


 * Holland: "...I'm barely getting you. What's your situation, over?"


 * Carter: "Colonel, this is Noble One. There are no rebels. The Covenant are on Reach. Acknowledge?"


 * Holland: "Come again, Noble One? Did you say Covenant?"


 * Carter-A259: "Affirmative. It's the Winter Contingency."


 * Holland: "May God help us all."

Fade to black.

Level ends.

Mistakes

 * In the opening cutscene, both Falcons are armed with side mounted machine gun turrets. However, during gameplay, the Falcons are only armed with forward mounted turrets.
 * Several seconds before the player exits the Falcon (at the beginning of the level), if he/she keeps on looking left they will notice that the Falcon flies right through the trees.
 * When gameplay begins, the player can see that Jorge is not inside the second Falcon, despite him being there in the opening cutscene.
 * Upon exiting the abandoned building at the beginning of the level, the player can hear an Elite growl. However, if the player manages to catch a glimpse of the fleeing Covenant, it is revealed that it is actually a Skirmisher. This can easily be seen in Theater mode.
 * When Jorge tells the farmer to get back inside, the player can block the door (which would automatically close regardless), preventing him from entering. He would now speak in English when touched or shot at like a normal civilian, despite appearing to only speak Hungarian previously.
 * Many of the Banshees that appear during the level have no pilots; this was likely done to conserve memory for gameplay.
 * If the player manages to steal a Falcon from a glitch, its altimeter will show that the player is anywhere between 300 to 20 meters below sea level, despite the level taking place on a mountain range.

Glitches

 * Just after Rally Point Alpha, the player can use a Plasma Pistol to easily disable and steal Jun's Falcon, holding position above a hill. This appears to require the Cowbell Skull to be active. The invisible "driver" of the Falcon will be ejected when it is upside down (an Assault Rifle will drop out of the cockpit). The player can then fly the Falcon around the level, but numerous invisible barriers will make travel difficult. If the player does not dismount before rescuing the Troopers, the player will be stuck inside the Falcon (the player wasn't supposed to exit the Falcon until it has reached the relay outpost). Because only an AI driver could bypass invisible barriers, the player must restart to proceed. Alternatively, they may continue until the dropships are assaulting the troops, and park the Falcon in the energy field in between the drop ship's prongs. Eventually, the ship will fly away, taking the Falcon with it. About five seconds after the dropship moves past the ruined bridge, the player is now past the invisible wall. They can then release themselves from the dropship and fly to the Relay Station by following the road, continuing the mission normally.
 * It is possible to prevent Carter from getting into the Falcon after rescuing the troopers by parking the jeep on the Falcon's landing site. Jorge seems to be able to climb in regardless. If the Falcon is rammed at the right time neither of them will get in and they appear at the outpost alongside Emile and Kat. Carter and Emile will be eqquiped with evade instead of armor lock. Carter and Jorge will no longer have service tags for the remainder of the mission including the final segment after the cutscene. Carter will not be heard responding to other NPC's dialogue, and sometimes reappears at the relay outpost.

Miscellaneous

 * The level is named after WINTER CONTINGENCY, a UNSC contingency plan that is declared in case Covenant forces have discovered a UNSC colony world. Indeed, the first evidence of Covenant ground activity on Reach is discovered in this level.
 * The Firefight map Overlook is based on a section of this level, but has different weather conditions.
 * This level marks the first appearance of Skirmishers in the Halo franchise.
 * This is the second time in the Halo series where the first playable level features drivable vehicles.
 * When playing on Legendary difficulty, a cloaked SpecOps Elite will spawn near the start of the mission, fleeing from the site of the distress beacon to the bottom of the first hill. It holds a data pad, which can be accessed if you kill the Elite.
 * This is the first of the four levels (the others being ONI: Sword Base, Tip of the Spear, and The Pillar of Autumn) where the assault rifle Six starts with has more than the usual 288 rounds. In this case, it carries 600 rounds. This could be a possible homage to the assault rifle from Halo: Combat Evolved, which also had a capacity of 600 rounds.
 * If the player were to kill the farmer while he was being interrogated, the player will die instantly.
 * It is possible to kill the Skirmisher that is seen early in the level if the player runs out quickly and fires on it with their pistol. Noble Team may even react to this kill with combat dialog (e.g. Good shot, Six!) that severely contradicts the fact that they are unaware of the Covenant presence.
 * One of the Zealots can be seen fiddling with the junction that the player later has to reset.