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 this level, Noble Team is sent to Visegrad, a remote agricultural region on the planet Reach, to investigate a disturbance in one of the communications relays 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 was suspected, but the cause of the disruption turned out to be a Covenant advance invasion force.

Transcript
Two UH-144 Falcons fly over a mountainous landscape.

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


 * Carter: "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."


 * Kat: "Just get me under the hood, Commander."


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

Carter is shown from the front.


 * Carter: "You get a chance, maybe you can ask them, Jorge."

The camera shifts to behind the two Falcons.


 * Kat: "Commander, we just lost our signal to HQ."

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


 * Carter: "Backup channels?"


 * Kat: "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: "You heard her. Deadzone confirmed. Command will not be keeping us company this trip."


 * Emile: "I'm lonely already."

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

''Gameplay begins. At this point, the player is free to look around the interior of the Falcon as it circles the outpost.''


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


 * Pilot: "Yes, sir!"


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

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


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


 * Kat: "Aim for the distress beacon."

Six's HUD places a waypoint that reads "Distress Beacon - Investigate".


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

New objective: Locate Distress Beacon.


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

The Falcon circles for a landing.


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


 * Jun: "Sir."

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


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

''The player exits the Falcon along with Carter, Emile, Jorge, and Kat. Jun remains in the Falcon to provide sniper support.''


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

''Six follows Noble Team down the hillside. Halfway down the hill, Jun calls over the radio.''


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

''Soon they come to a burning vehicle next to a small building. Emile begins inspecting a palette on the ground.''


 * Emile: "Found the beacon."

Emile tosses Kat the beacon.


 * Carter: "Make out any ID?"


 * Kat: "Negative, but it's military."

Kat drops the beacon on the ground.


 * Jorge: "So where are all the troopers?"


 * Kat: "Why are we not seeing explosives residue?"
 * Carter: "Noble Three, can you confirm any 'ex' residue in the area?"
 * Jun: "Hmmm, negative sir."
 * Emile: "Plasma, maybe."
 * Jorge: "Can't be. Not on Reach."
 * Emile: "There's a lot of blood on the ground."
 * Carter: "All right Noble, looks like there's nothing here. Let's move on."

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


 * Kat: "Smoke at the next structure, boss."


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

The player moves through the house.


 * Jun: "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. A door opens, and a civilian male steps out. Other civilans can be seen remaining inside. Emile aims his shotgun at the man as he and Jorge question him, but he appears to only to speak in Hungarian dialect.''


 * Emile: "On your knees, now!"


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


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

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


 * Jorge: "Hiding, sir. Neighbors were attacked last night, he heard screams, gunfire. It stopped around sunrise. He says, something in the fields . . . killed his son."
 * Carter: "Something?"


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


 * Carter: "Copy that. Get them back inside."

''A new waypoint appears on the building in question. Emile and Jorge escort the civilian away as Kat, Carter, and Six sprint east toward the building.''

Upon entering the building.


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

The group finds what appears to be two human corpses pinned to the wall.


 * Carter: "Damn."


 * Jun: "Fill me in Commander, what have you seen? Over."

Carter kneels down over the pools of blood and examines them.


 * Carter: "We've got military casualties. Two of them being the missing troopers. Looks like they were interrogated, it's messy."

Carter stands back up and signals the team to keep moving.

Trivia

 * 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 the 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.