Reach

Located in the Epsilon Eridani system in FLEETCOM Sector One, Reach was one of the headquarters for the UNSC and the main supplier of military and civilian spacecraft. Located there was the military installation where the Spartans were trained. Originally colonized for its rich titanium deposits, Reach had mines throughout it running thousands of meters deep. HIGHCOM, FLEETCOM and the Marine Corps had headquarters on Reach, as well as many primary ONI bases, which include CASTLE Base. It was the most populated planet after Earth in the UNSC.

Orbiting around reach were 20 Super-MAC guns, or 'big sticks'. these were destroyed during the Invasion of Reach, or were disabled by ground troops by destroying their power source.

CASTLE base was located on Reach underneath Menachite Mountain. This facility is where the Spartans first began their training. The facility was destroyed after the planet's fall to the Covenant. A secret area beneath Reach's surface contained a Forerunner artifact that was highly desired by the Covenant. The fact that this artifact was so valuable to them is perhaps the main reason anyone survived Reach at all, as the Covenant were fearful of destroying it.

After the Battle of Reach, the planet was completely uninhabited and mostly razed. When UNSC forces finally abandoned the planet, a small Covenant occupation fleet remained in the system.

Battle of Reach
The Covenant discovered the location of Reach from a Forerunner artifact recovered at the previous Battle of Sigma Octanus IV. That artifact disclosed its locality. Reach was to be the location of yet another artifact. Coincidentally the Human presence on Reach was revealed when the returned to Reach ensuing the battle, unaware that a Covenant spy drone was attached to her hull. As such the Covenant were aware of the defenders strength prior to the assault.

The UNSC had made a plan to hi-jack a Covenant ship, head to their home planet acting as Covenant, take the High-Ranked Prophet, and take him back for questioning. The Spartans were on the Pillar of Autumn in space with Captain Keyes and his crew. They were just about to leave for their mission when a signal came saying the Covenant were attacking Reach with a large fleet. The bunch of MAC's (Magentic Accelerated Cannon) and about 150 UNSC Warships covering Reach were holding off the Covenant while the Spartans were ordered a new mission.

The Covenant could not find Earth by any means necessary, and there were information on an UNSC ship that held the coordinates to Earth. The Spartans were ordered to defend the ship and destroy the information (The coordinates were held in a cube-shaped hologram).

Master Cheif chose Linda and James to go on the ship with him while everyone else went down to Reach to defend off the Covenant that were dropped off from their dropships.

The three Spartans made it to the ship before the Covenant did, but they came and sent different kinds of troops at them. The Spartan's held them off, but unfortunately Jame's thruster pack was shot and was hurled through space, and was never heard from again.

Master Cheif and Linda were being pushed back into the ship when they found a group of marines that were being attacked by Covenant troops. The Spartans saved them, but were again pushed back from the Covenant.

The two Spartans finally found the hologram containing the coordinates to Earth. Master Cheif destroyed it and then found a Pelican. Everyone boarded it except for Linda who went to open the airlock doors. She opened them, but when she was coming back to the Pelican she was ambushed with Plasma fire and fell down. Master Cheif headed out of the Pelican and carried her back to it.

Linda was sill conscious, but was dying. Master Cheif then headed out of the ship and flew back to the Pillar of Autumn. When he got there, he handed Linda to the medics and reported to Captain Keyes. Keyes then informed Master Cheif that all the Spartans on Reach were overunned by the Covenant. Master Cheif tried to search for James, but there were no signs of him. Linda couldn't live any longer and died.

Master Cheif was shocked and realized he was the only Spartan left. He stared at Reach as the remaining Covenant ships glassed the last and most important UNSC planet as the Pillar of Autumn entered Slip-Space, heading away from Reach.

Ground Locations

 * Highland Mountains
 * Menachite Mountain
 * CASTLE Base
 * Camp Hathcock
 * Camp Independence
 * Longhorn Valley
 * Fairchild Field
 * HighCom Armory Omega
 * Military Reservation 01478-B
 * Military Wilderness Training Preserve
 * ODG Facility A-331
 * Olympic Tower
 * Reach Naval Academy

Orbital Locations

 * ONI Medical Facility
 * Reach's Station Gamma
 * Orbital Defense Platforms