SWORD Base

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Sword Base, also parsed as SWORD Base was an Office of Naval Intelligence facility located near the Babd Catha Ice Shelf, Eposz on the colony of Reach. Located near the base were several smaller outposts, including Farragut Station and Airview Base.

Description
The base's interior consisted of a long and tall main atrium, with smaller rooms, walkways and staircases on both of its sides. The atrium had a ceiling of glass running along its length, which also extended down the wall on the other end of the atrium. Two specimens of Covenant technology recovered during Operation: GUARDIAN LANCE were on display in the main atrium. Outside the main complex lies a military airfield, and numerous automated anti-aircraft guns. The base also has several maintenance hallways for the facility's engineers. In addition, a Forerunner ruin was located deep below the facility. The Forerunner ruin contained numerous research stations, including one of Dr. Halsey's labs. The air control of Sword Base was known by the call sign Sword Control.

History
During the Fall of Reach on July 26th 2552, Sword Base became the target of an attack by a single Covenant corvette. As the Covenant launched their assault on the base and the surrounding outposts, the base was defended by UNSC Army forces that were in the area. Soon, Noble Team was called in to assist the defensive forces, and ultimately managed to fend off the assault force. After the defensive, two Longswords were called in to push the corvette away from the base, and as the vessel began to depart, one of Reach's orbital MAC guns destroyed it from above.

Shortly after, the Covenant launched a full invasion on Reach, Sword Base was ultimately invaded resulting in the deaths of most its ONI personnel. The Covenant forces at the facility soon realized that the base was built on top of a Forerunner site. The Covenant reinforced the ruined facility with numerous ground forces and two anti-air cannons. Noble Team was dispatched to destroy the site and prevent any of the facility's secrets from falling into the Covenant's hands. Noble Team was soon contacted by Dr. Halsey who asked them to take a package from her to the. During the package's recovery, the Covenant discovered the Forerunner ruin was actually reachable through the frozen lake near the Sword Base and began sending numerous Phantoms and Banshees to secure the site. Both Sword Base and the Forerunner ruin were ultimately destroyed by an explosive charge in order to prevent them from falling into Covenant hands.

Trivia

 * A multiplayer map of the same name in Halo: Reach takes place in the facility.
 * The Firefight map Courtyard takes place outside of Sword Base.
 * While shooting at the Phantoms and Banshees at the end of the level if you look down you can see that the inside courtyard of Sword Base resembles the inside courtyard of the Pentagon, which is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense.
 * On the level "The Package" one can see the airfield that was once in front of Sword Base has been glassed and reduced to magma.
 * The cavern where Halsey's lab is located is designated Sublevel 9. A sublevel of the same name was a central location in the New Mombasa Data Center in Halo 3: ODST.
 * The main atrium of sword base resembles the main atrium of Third Echelon HQ from Splinter Cell: Conviction. Similarly, both are owned and operated by secret agencies, and both suffer self-detonation.
 * According to concept artist Isaac Hannaford, the designers of Sword Base were given considerable creative leeway due to time constraints. As a result, the design of the base drew on inspirations from a stealth fighter for the outside and a hospital for the inside to give it a very "cold and impersonal" feel.