Harvest

Harvest was a new colony world in the outer reaches of UNSC space, in the Harvest System. Harvest was one of the UNSC's more productive and peaceful colonies. The original population of Harvest was three million, but it was destroyed by the Covenant in 2525.

The surface of Harvest was grasslands and forests, lush fields and rolling hills, and a thousand lakes swarming with schools of fish. At night bats were known to frequent the skies.

In 2502, Sergeant Johnson was involved in the assassination of Jerald Mulkey Ander, the head of the People's Occupation Government on Harvest as part of Project: ORION's Operation: KALEIDOSCOPE.

Harvest was the first colony to be attacked by the Covenant and the first human world to be glassed. It was also the first time humanity had made contact with the Covenant. Obviously, the resulting war has created less than desirable relations with the alien superpower.

During the attack some UNSC ships managed to escape the planet. It was said only one in six had actually made it to safety. On these ships were some of the first members of the Spartan-III project.

Vice Admiral Preston Cole fought in and barely won the Battle of Harvest in 2531, six years later. This battle was the single most titanic battle ever fought by the two opposing forces before the Fall of Reach in 2552, and resulted in the creation and implementation of the Cole Protocol.