Halo: Shadows of Reach

Halo: Shadows of Reach - A Master Chief Story is a Halo novel written by Troy Denning, originally set to be released on September 22, 2020 but later delayed to October 20, 2020. It is the fourth installment of the A Master Chief Story project. Limited-edition copies exclusive to Wal-Mart contains an additional short story, Sacrifice.

On October 15, 2020, a short excerpt of the story was released on YouTube, narrated by Steve Downes - the voice actor for John-117 in the Halo games.

Plot synopsis
Shadows of Reach opens with the Master Chief and blue team aboard a UNSC stealth insertion craft en route to the surface of the Covenant plasma glassed ex-military planet, Reach. Blue team has been given an order to retrieve potential war altering cargo from within Castle base, which is hidden deep under the mountains of Reach. Delivery of blue team and their excavation equipment to the planet is tasked to a small flight crew of three of the UNSCs best remaining operatives. Blue team and crew shortly find that their simple snatch and grab mission is going to be a lot more involved than they anticipate. Narrowly making it to the ground, the crew and blue team realize that multiple factions of alien and human forces are inhabiting the planet and competing for its resources. Out of the air and back on solid ground, blue team isn't given much time to recoup and reorganize before alien incoming makes them dance. John, Kelly, Fred, and Linda are forced into a desperate defensive hold while attempting to unload their cargo and crew to safety and on with their mission. After briefly gaining control of the situation, John notices something on a damaged enemy craft that leaves him worried about the current inhabitants of their home training world. They finally get clear of their LZ and start heading toward their mission point. Not long after they get moving another wave of alien forces are quick to move in. With very little in the way of cover and distractions on the surface of the planet (everything has been burned away since the plasma bombardment), blue team is soon forced under the glassed ground in an attempt to loose their pursuing pests and extend their lives. After a few hit and miss engagements with the local aliens blue team and crew hit a snag and are forced apart. Shortly there after, John, Kelly, and Fred come into contact with the local human resistance force attempting to thrive on the planet despite the alien presence. John soon finds that the aliens on Reach are of competing factions but oddly enough are working together.

John soon learns that most of the humans remaining on Reach are from families and former employed inhabitants of the planet before the Covenant catastrophe. The humans are initially hesitate to work with the Spartans because they are not convinced they are not against them. John tries to alert the humans that blue team is not on Reach to help the resistance fighters, but their leadership doesn't pay attention at first. Eventually John gets through to their leader saying that they have other obligations beyond helping the humans fight and that their mission takes precedence over all other situations, even fighting for their home planet. Ultimately, John realizes that the only way to get his team back on the move towards their objective is to help the resistance fighters with their dilemmas. Once in agreement, the survivors and blue team organize and implement a strategy to destroy as many aliens as possible and get them closer toward their goal, Castle base.

Once the major battle is nearing its conclusion blue team and crew make a break for Castle base. They quickly note that the aliens on Reach are also digging in the same area of the mountains that Castle base resides in. Initially believing that the aliens are after the same thing as they are, blue team picks up the pace and rushes to the location of Castle base. Upon closer inspection of the pre-entrance to Castle base, blue team sees the aliens already doing their work for them by unearthing the entrance. John allows the aliens to continue their work while he and blue team take out the surrounding guards and attacking opposition. Blue team eventually fights their way through the alien excavators and their defense to make their dissent into Castle base.

Descending thousands of meters into Castle base, blue team soon realizes that the aliens are not after Castle base at all, but something else much further down under Castle base, in an ancient forerunner tomb. As the team descends they find many unwanted guests waiting for them. A close quarters battle ensues as John, Fred, and Kelly drop into the planets innards. They finally reach the door to Castle base after an awkwardly fierce battle with some jetpacking jiralhanae. Then they realize there is another alien operation going on down past the door to Castle base. John and Fred narrowly escape destruction with Kelly's help and they drop to the bottom of the excavation shaft to eliminate the attending aliens. They find another corridor leading away from the main shaft. John and Kelly go back up and enter what is left of the collapsed Castle base in search of the objective. Fred is sent further down the alien corridor.

John and Kelly creep and crawl their way through the tight packed wreckage of Castle base towards Halsey's lab. They cautiously make it to the lab door, then John is left to support the ceiling from collapsing as Kelly slithers her way into the lab and returns with all of the containers they were dispatched to retrieve. Fred stealthily creeps down the passage in hopes to find out what the aliens are up to before they call for an evac. Almost to the end of the tunnel Fred encounters an unknown foe that momentarily gets the best of him. He quickly realizes, to his own disbelief, the foes are actually old friends posing as enemies. Fred meets back up with John and Kelly and they leave the fortified Castle base and head back to the surface of the planet for extraction.

Synopsis by RR

Appearances
{{Featurelist|secondcolumn=title-6|title-1=Characters|

Artificial intelligence

 * 343 Guilty Spark
 * Cortana
 * Intrepid Eye
 * Kalmiya

Human

 * Ash-G099
 * Avery Johnson
 * Bella Disztl
 * Catherine Halsey
 * Darda Tabori
 * Dimka
 * Doi
 * Edward Buck
 * Eznik Van Houte
 * Ferenc Kisvárda
 * Frederic-104
 * Griffin
 * Halima Ascot
 * Hector Nyeto
 * Isaac-039
 * Istvan Erdei
 * James Ackerson
 * John-117
 * Kelemen
 * Kelly-087
 * Laszlo
 * Linda-058
 * Maks Chapov
 * Margaret Parangosky
 * Mark-G313
 * Marmon Crowther
 * Miranda Keyes
 * Olivia-G291
 * Oshiro
 * Quinby Okpara
 * Rendor Borbély
 * Samuel-034
 * Sarah Palmer
 * Sasa Boldisar
 * Serin Osman
 * Somogy
 * Stella Mukai
 * Tag Meoquanee
 * Teslenko
 * Thomas Lasky
 * Veronica Dare
 * Veta Lopis
 * Vettel
 * Vidor
 * Vinh-030
 * William-043

Forerunner

 * Ur-Didact

Jiralhanae

 * Atriox
 * Ballas
 * Balkarus
 * Castor
 * Deukalion
 * Escharum
 * Feodruz
 * Krelis
 * Orsun
 * Tartarus
 * Zeretus

Kig-Yar

 * Toati

Sangheili

 * Inslaan 'Gadogai
 * Jato 'Ratum

San'Shyuum

 * Prophet of Truth


 * title-2=Species|
 * Flood
 * Gravemind
 * Forerunner
 * Human
 * Jiralhanae
 * Kig-Yar
 * T'vaoan
 * Sangheili
 * San'Shyuum
 * Unggoy


 * title-3=Organizations|
 * Covenant
 * Covenant Special Operations
 * Silent Shadow
 * Covenant remnants
 * Banished
 * Legion of the Corpse-Moon
 * Ravaged Tusks
 * Jul 'Mdama's Covenant
 * Keepers of the One Freedom
 * Servants of the Abiding Truth
 * Created
 * Eposz Reclamation Collective
 * Kerepes Agricultural
 * Kisvárda Metals
 * Misriah Armory
 * Unified Earth Government
 * Diplomatic Corps
 * United Nations Space Command
 * UNSC Armed Forces
 * Colonial Militia
 * Viery Militia
 * Training Battalion Ács
 * Bicske Battalion
 * Érd Battalion
 * Spartan Operations
 * SPARTAN-IV program
 * Fireteam Osiris
 * Fireteam Taurus
 * Fireteam Intrepid
 * UNSC Army
 * Special Warfare Group Three
 * NOBLE Team
 * UNSC Marine Corps
 * Orbital Drop Shock Troopers
 * UNSC Navy
 * Naval Special Warfare Command
 * Naval Special Weapons
 * SPARTAN-II program
 * Blue Team
 * Office of Naval Intelligence
 * 717th Xeno-Materials Exploitation Battalion
 * Ferret


 * title-4=Locations|
 * Doisac
 * Soirapt
 * Gao
 * Montero
 * Montero Vitality Center
 * Wendosa
 * High Charity
 * Sanctum of the Hierarchs
 * Installation 00
 * Installation 04
 * Orion Arm
 * Meridian
 * Newsaka
 * Umagena
 * Epsilon Eridani system
 * Tantalus
 * Reach
 * Big Crater Bay
 * Black Iron Gorge
 * Csodaszarvas
 * Erőd
 * Rajtom Facility
 * Fenyot Basin
 * Figyelő Point
 * Koldus Canyon
 * New Miskolc
 * Rejtett Valley
 * Szarvas Regeneration and Salvage Facility
 * Tárnoc Falls
 * Turul
 * Viery Territory
 * Eposz
 * Észac Plain
 * Dombräd Springs
 * Kisköre Base
 * Kisköre Canal
 * Lapos River
 * Vadász Dombok
 * Babd Catha Ice Shelf
 * SWORD Base
 * Arany Basin
 * Bük Burn Cavity
 * Logistics Base Gödöllő
 * Gödöllő Steppe
 * Juh Mező Aqueduct
 * Dél Eléri
 * Végtelen Mászás
 * Mohács/New Mohács
 * Highland Mountains
 * Menachite Mountain
 * Csongrád Region
 * CASTLE Base
 * Lébény district
 * Gönc Canyon
 * Gönc Drifts
 * Scheelite Workings
 * The Portal under the Mountain
 * Military Reservation 01478-B
 * Military Wilderness Training Preserve
 * Reach FLEETCOM Military Complex
 * Szurdok Ridge
 * Omeiite Mountain
 * Vanadinite Mountain
 * Eridanus system
 * Eridanus Secundus
 * Sol system
 * Earth
 * United Republic of North America
 * New Phoenix


 * title-5=Events|
 * War
 * Created conflict
 * The Reclamation
 * Operation: WOLFE
 * Human-Covenant War
 * Operation: SILENT STORM
 * Fall of Reach
 * Battle of Installation 04
 * Operation: FIRST STRIKE
 * Great Schism
 * Post-Covenant War conflicts
 * Operation: JOVIAN WHISTLE
 * New Phoenix Incident
 * Requiem Campaign
 * Second Ark Conflict
 * Raid on Anodyne Spirit
 * Battle of New Mohács
 * Martian Olympics
 * Tantalus 10,000


 * title-6=Vehicles|
 * Banshee
 * Banished Banshee
 * Chopper
 * Banished Chopper
 * Covenant starship
 * Covenant destroyer
 * Covenant carrier
 * Enduring Conviction
 * Covenant corvette
 * Intrusion corvette
 * D96-TCE Albatross
 * F-41 Broadsword
 * Forerunner starship
 * Babd Catha Forerunner vessel
 * Keyship
 * Anodyne Spirit
 * Mantle's Approach
 * GA-TL1 Longsword
 * Great Light
 * Ghost
 * Banished Ghost
 * Griever fighter-bomber
 * Karve
 * Marauder
 * Mongoose
 * M274R Mongoose
 * Owl
 * Pelican
 * D77H-TCI Pelican
 * Phantom
 * Banished Phantom
 * Reaver
 * Seraph
 * Morsam-pattern Seraph
 * Shadow
 * Single Occupant Exoatmospheric Insertion Vehicle
 * Spirit
 * Banished Spirit
 * Type-52 Prowler
 * Type-56 Lich
 * Banished Lich
 * UNSC starship
 * UNSC frigate
 * Prowler
 * UNSC carrier
 * Warthog
 * M12 Warthog
 * M12 Chaingun Warthog
 * M12R Rocket Warthog
 * Wraith
 * Banished Wraith
 * Type-52 Anti-Aircraft Wraith
 * Z-1800 Phaeton
 * Warthog
 * M12 Warthog
 * M12 Chaingun Warthog
 * M12R Rocket Warthog
 * Wraith
 * Banished Wraith
 * Type-52 Anti-Aircraft Wraith
 * Z-1800 Phaeton
 * Z-1800 Phaeton


 * title-7=Weapons|
 * Anaconda surface-to-air missile
 * Argent V missile
 * ASGM-15 missile
 * Blamex
 * BR75 battle rifle
 * C10 charge
 * Desert Eagle
 * Gravity Axe
 * HAVOK tactical nuclear weapon
 * Mark 2550 MFDD
 * Lotus anti-tank mine
 * M19 missile
 * M356 detonator
 * M41 SPNKR
 * M41 Vulcan
 * M45 shotgun
 * M45E shotgun
 * Oathsworn
 * M57 Pilum
 * M6 series
 * M6H magnum
 * M7 SMG
 * M71 Scythe
 * M79 rocket launcher
 * M9 fragmentation grenade
 * M95 Lance
 * MA series
 * MA2B assault rifle
 * MA37 assault rifle
 * MA40 assault rifle
 * MA5B assault rifle
 * Machine-linked autocannon
 * M1075 ASW/AC 35mm
 * Mangler
 * Octadart
 * Octanitrocubane
 * Pulse carbine
 * Ravager
 * Shock rifle
 * Skewer
 * SRS99 series
 * SRS99-S5 AM sniper rifle
 * Nornfang
 * ST/Medusa missile
 * M6088 ST/MMP
 * Type-1 energy sword
 * Type-2 gravity hammer
 * Type-25 Spiker
 * Type-52 Mauler


 * title-8=Technology and equipment|
 * Artificial intelligence
 * Smart AI
 * Dumb AI
 * Artificial limb
 * Composer
 * Cryptum
 * Dimdots
 * Domain
 * Gelignite
 * Grappleshot
 * Gravity lift
 * Guardian Custode
 * Halo Array
 * Holography
 * Plasma drill
 * Portable Spartan Support Module
 * MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor
 * MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor [GEN1]
 * Mark IV
 * MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor (GEN3)
 * Mark VI
 * Night vision device
 * Slipspace flake
 * Menachite Forerunner crystal
 * Spoofer
 * Stim-Pack
 * Waypoint

}}
 * title-9=Miscellaneous|
 * Missing in action
 * Psalm of the Journey
 * Unified Interstellar Law
 * Uniform Code of Military Justice

Production notes

 * Troy Denning began work on Halo: Shadows of Reach in 2019, and, before its delay, ended up having 130,000 words. In the first draft of the novel in the first chapter, Troy Denning had Kelly-087 listening to the song Killer Queen, however it was removed before he sent in the draft due to copyright infringement fears. Still, an allusion to this was included in the fourteenth chapter where John-117 notices that Kelly-087 is listening to an old song about "a killer queen."
 * The cover art was illustrated by Chris McGrath, who also illustrated the earlier cover of Halo: Silent Storm. The composition of the artwork echoes the original release cover art of Halo: The Fall of Reach.