Fall of Reach: Difference between revisions

|side2      = [[Covenant Empire|Covenant]]

*[[Admiral]] [[Hieronymus Michael Stanforth|Michael Stanforth]]†

****[[Orbital Drop Shock Trooper]]s

{{Quote|We knew this day would come. They have found our fortress among the stars. The [[Covenant Empire|Covenant]] are on Reach. They will burn this planet, kill millions, and when Reach falls—and fall it will—there will be nothing left to stand between them...and [[Earth]].|[[Catherine Elizabeth Halsey|Catherine Halsey]]<ref>[[Halo: Reach ViDoc: A Spartan Will Rise|'''Halo: Reach''': ''"A Spartan Will Rise" ViDoc'']]</ref>}}

The '''Fall of Reach''',<ref>'''[[Halo Encyclopedia]]''', ''page 198''</ref><ref>[http://halo.xbox.com/en-us/abouthalo/timeline '''Waypoint''': ''Halo Official Timeline'']</ref> also known as the '''Battle of Reach''',<ref>[http://www.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?type=topnews&cid=30646 '''Bungie.net:''' ''Defiant Map Pack'']</ref> was one of the largest engagements in the [[Human-Covenant War]]. It was fought on and around the human colony world of [[Reach]] between the [[UNSC Defense Force]] and the [[Covenant Empire|Covenant]] from [[2552|July 25 to August 30, 2552]],<ref name="H3R"/> though isolated skirmishes were fought on the planet before and after the official beginning and end of the invasion.

At some point before July 19, 2552, the [[Office of Naval Intelligence]] ran a series of calculations that predicted the future movement of the Covenant force sweeping throughout [[Milky Way|the galaxy]]. Based on these calculations, ONI determined that there was an 87% probability that the Epsilon Eridani system would be discovered by the Covenant within five months. [[Margaret Orlenda Parangosky|Admiral Margaret Parangosky]], the head of ONI, debated with [[Hieronymus Michael Stanforth|Vice Admiral Hieronymus Stanforth]] about using Reach as the stage for the planned [[Operation: RED FLAG]]; the pair considered that the presence of large-scale [[Forerunner]] artifacts on the planet would be a source of Covenant interest in the planet. The rest of the UNSC, however, was given no warning of the predicted attack.<ref name="Drops">'''[[Data Drop]]'''</ref>

The day after the Visegrád Relay was disabled, [[SPARTAN Program|SPARTAN]] [[NOBLE Team]] was sent to investigate the disturbance, in lieu of the missing Army fireteams. Upon landing in Visegrád and scouting the surrounding countryside, NOBLE Team quickly discovered that insurrectionists were not responsible for the attack; a small Covenant advance force had found Reach and landed at Visegrád, with the intent of disabling Reach's communications with other UNSC colonies.<ref name="winter"/> After wiping out the advance force, NOBLE Team proceeded to the relay station, where they were ambushed by a group of [[Sangheili Zealot]]s, a team sent to hunt down vital data on a [[Forerunner]] artifact. [[WINTER CONTINGENCY]] was then declared on Reach.<ref name="EDGE">[http://www.edge-online.com/ '''EDGE Magazine''', ''February 2010'']</ref><ref name="GI">[http://gameinformer.com/mag/haloreach.aspx '''GameInformer''', ''February 2010'']</ref>

{{Quote|...we are now under attack across the Viery territory, including orbital defenses. As per the WINTER CONTINGENCY, we are countering on every front.|[[Auntie Dot]]<ref name="tots">'''Halo: Reach''', campaign level ''[[Tip of the Spear]]''</ref>}}

Over two weeks after the defense of SWORD Base, the UNSC sent reconnaissance teams into Covenant-controlled territory in preparation for a counterattack and to investigate the enemy positions and forces they would be facing. With a Covenant staging ground on Reach, the [[UNSC Army]], [[UNSC Marine Corps|Marine Corps]], and [[UNSC Navy|Navy]] launched a joint offensive in an attempt to defeat the Covenant forces before reinforcements could arrive.<ref name="tots"/> The assault was spearheaded by the Army and NOBLE Team, who attacked Covenant [[Type-38 Anti-Aircraft Cannon|anti-air weapons]] to make way for [[GA-TL1 Longsword]]s and [[UNSC frigate|frigates]] to make bombing runs. The attack, though initially successful, was thwarted when a cloaked {{Class|CSO|supercarrier}}, ''[[Long Night of Solace]]'', appeared over the area, attacking the UNSC frigates and reinforcing the Covenant troops.<ref name="tots"/> Meanwhile, Covenant forces made another strike on SWORD Base, this time with much greater success.<ref name="lnos"/>

Redeployed, NOBLE Team and a small force of [[Orbital Drop Shock Trooper]]s were ordered to destroy the Covenant-occupied SWORD Base in a "torch-and-burn" operation.<ref name="thepackage">'''Halo: Reach''', campaign level ''[[The Package (level)|The Package]]''</ref> Proceeding into the base, the team encountered [[Catherine Elizabeth Halsey|Dr. Catherine Halsey]], who enlisted their help in defending her laboratory amid the ruins of a Forerunner [[Babd Catha Forerunner complex|complex]] from advancing Covenant forces. Halsey ordered Noble Six, Carter, and Emile to transport a fragment of the AI [[Cortana]] to the {{UNSCShip|Pillar of Autumn}}, while [[Jun-A266]] escorted her to [[CASTLE Base]] elsewhere on Reach.<ref name="thepackage"/>

As August 30th dawned, a massive Covenant fleet, the [[Fleet of Particular Justice]], was detected exiting [[slipstream space]] on the edge of the system.<ref name="THC">[http://halo.xbox.com/en-us/Universe/Detail/the-halo-conflict-1/871ebdfd-0500-49e6-b1c3-137b909aac73 '''Halo Waypoint:''' ''The Halo Conflict, Part 1'']</ref> The fleet was first detected in slipspace by [[remote scanning outpost]] ''[[Fermion]]''. The station's commander, [[Chief Petty Officer]] [[McRobb]], sent an emergency message to [[UNSC Fleet Command|FLEETCOM]] and ordered self-destruct to prevent the station's data from falling into enemy hands. A few minutes later, 315 Covenant ships exited slipspace at the edge of the [[Epsilon Eridani system]].<ref name="TFoR 343"/> [[Admiral]] [[Roland Freemont]] issued [[UNSC Alpha Priority Transmission 04592Z-83]], ordering all ships in the Epsilon Eridani system<ref name="TFoR 343"/> to rendezvous at Reach in preparation for the coming assault. The Covenant moved in on the orbital defenses before the UNSC fleet fully consolidated. Fifty-three late-arriving UNSC ships,<ref name="TFoR 343"/> including the {{UNSCShip|Pillar of Autumn}}, ran a gauntlet of screening Covenant warships as they attempted to link up with the main fleet. At this time, only about a hundred UNSC ships were readily available to defend Reach.<ref name="TFoR 343"/>

The main Covenant force moved in on the orbital defenses. The initial salvo of [[plasma turret|plasma torpedoes]] was mostly absorbed by the sacrifice of three refit and repair stations, allowing the defenders to return fire.<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach Definitive Edition''', ''page 354''</ref> The [[orbital defense platform]]s and four nuclear mines combined to take down a full third of the Covenant fleet. The vaporized [[titanium-A armor|titanium-A]] of the refit stations also served to block incoming plasma torpedoes. However, the next Covenant salvo significantly damaged the UNSC fleet, as the Covenant maneuvered for clear shots around the titanium dust cloud and moved in for the kill. They destroyed five of the Super MAC platforms, further crippling the UNSC orbital perimeter, before retreating out of range. A previously unknown warship type, the [[Covenant supercruiser]], carrying a powerful [[energy projector]], revealed itself and destroyed the {{UNSCShip|Minotaur}} and four other ships before withdrawing temporarily. The rest of the Covenant fleet withdrew to regroup after deploying hundreds of dropships to the surface. The remaining UNSC fleet of twenty ships pursued the Covenant dropships, destroying some, but many still made it through and landed on Reach's northern and southern poles.

As the surviving dropships disgorged thousands of troops, the Covenant fleet began another attack. Some ships made pinpoint slipspace jumps, putting them within the UNSC formation. This left them vulnerable for a short time but allowed them to strike the ODPs directly. Meanwhile, the Covenant supercruiser returned and destroyed the {{UNSCShip|Herodotus}} and {{UNSCShip|Musashi}} from beyond ODP range. The {{UNSCShip|Pillar of Autumn}} engaged and destroyed the supercruiser, detonating a Shiva nuclear device inside the Covenant warship's shields. The detonation reverberated off the shield and disintegrated the supercruiser.

{{Quote|There are thousands of them. Grunts, Jackals and their warrior Elites. They have [[type-26 Assault Gun Carriage|tanks]] and [[type-26 Ground Support Aircraft|fliers]]. Christ, they've breached the perimeter. Fall back! Fall back! If anyone can hear this: the Covenant is ground-side. Massing near the armory!|UNSC marine<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''page 300''</ref>}}

Charlie Company had been assigned by [[Vice Admiral]] [[Danforth Whitcomb]] to find the prototype [[NOVA Bomb]]s. They were forced to help defend the orbital defense facilities on their way to their objective. Unfortunately, as the Covenant neared the orbital defense generators, someone at [[UNSC High Command|HIGHCOM]] panicked and ordered [[GA-TL1 Longsword|Longswords]] to bomb everything within 500 meters, resulting in the destruction of the Covenant ground forces in that location, but also catastrophic friendly fire: Charlie Company was reduced to four men, and its leaders: [[Lieutenant]]s [[Jake Chapman]] and [[Buckman]] were killed.  

With the battle for Reach now nearing its conclusion, the ''Pillar of Autumn'' set down at the [[Aszod ship breaking yards]] for repairs as well as to receive the fragment of [[Cortana]] that Halsey had tasked [[Noble Team]] with delivering to Keyes. Covenant forces soon descended on the shipyards and began landing troops. Although the docked ''Autumn'' managed to hold off the Covenant attackers, most of the facility and the surrounding area was occupied.

The remnants of Noble Team, consisting of [[Carter-A259]], [[Emile-A239]], and [[SPARTAN-B312]], arrived on the outskirts of the facility. Carter sent Noble Six and Emile to deliver the package to Keyes. He then sacrificed himself to destroy a [[Type-47 Ultra Heavy Assault Platform|Scarab]]. Six and Emile fought their way to the shipyards, where they linked up with some surviving UNSC ground troops. Keyes then contacted the SPARTANs and ordered them to clear Landing Platform Delta so that he could pick up the package. Emile took charge of a [[mark 2488 Magnetic Accelerator Cannon|mass driver]] and used it to provide cover fire for the ''Autumn''. Six, meanwhile, cleared the platform of Covenant troops.

With the platform cleared, Captain Keyes arrived in a Pelican and personally took possession of the package from Noble Six. Just then a [[CCS-class battlecruiser]] appeared and started heading towards the ''Autumn''. Keyes ordered Emile to take out the cruiser before it destroyed the ''Autumn.'' Emile, however, was attacked by a pair of [[Sangheili]] [[Sangheili Zealot|Zealots]]. The SPARTAN killed the Zealots but was also killed, leaving the mass driver cannon unmanned. With the cruiser closing in on the ''Autumn'', Noble Six volunteered to stay behind to take charge of the gun.

With the skies cleared of hostiles, the ''Autumn'' took off and escaped Reach. Once in space, it made a slipspace jump to [[Installation 04]] (secretly arranged by Cortana). A dozen Covenant ships pursued, while the remaining vessels stayed behind to finish glassing Reach. Back at the shipyards, the stranded Noble Six continued fighting against the Covenant invaders. Eventually, the lone SPARTAN was overwhelmed and killed by a swarm of Sangheili warriors.

At the same time, despite such a devastating defeat the UNSC still fared better than in previous battles. Even against the militarily and technologically superior Fleet of Particular Justice, outnumbered 2:1, they still managed to inflict disproportionate losses to the Covenant, due largely to the twenty orbital defense platforms orbiting Reach. The ferocious defense was so effective that at least [[Valorous Salvation|one Covenant ship]] outright fled the battle. The [[Artificial intelligence|AI]] [[Cortana]] commandeered the fleeing {{UNSCShip|Pillar of Autumn}} to the previously undiscovered [[Installation 04|fourth]] [[Forerunner]] [[Halo Array|Halo]]. While the [[Battle of Installation 04]] was tangential to the main front, the containment of the initial [[The Flood|Flood]] outbreak-and the experience gained-was just as critical to the survival of the UNSC.

Meanwhile underneath the ruins of CASTLE base, Dr. Halsey and 5 SPARTANs (Fred; Kelly; Will; Vinh and Issac) had spent 5 days combing the remains of a Forerunner structure and an additional 5 days trapped in a hallway inside the ruins by Covenant forces. They managed to retrieve a [[Forerunner crystal]] that the Covenant were seeking, but it emitted a burst of radiation which alerted the Covenant to their presence. Vinh and Issac fell at the hands of overwhelming Covenant forces, and the others escaped by blowing the hallway down behind them.

After the survivors were recovered by ''[[Ascendant Justice]]'', a Covenant Flagship captured by [[John-117]] after the [[Battle of Installation 04]], the ship drew a group of Covenant vessels out of the system in pursuit to [[Eridanus Secundus]], leading to the [[Massacre at Eridanus Secundus|destruction of the asteroid colony]], and the destruction of the artifact and the recovery of a small number of pieces by the Covenant.  Also, the ''Ascendant Justice'' destroyed around sixteen Covenant warships during the escape in Slipspace and at the rebel base. <ref>'''Halo: First Strike''', ''page 339''</ref>

*'''0517 Hours:''' [[Roland Freemont|Admiral Roland Freemont]] (FLEETCOM Sector One Commander) issues a general order to all vessels in the [[Reach]], Jericho, and [[Tantalus]] systems.<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''page 289''</ref> All vessels and stations initiate the [[United Nations Space Command Emergency Priority Order 098831A-1|Cole Protocol]] and rush to Rally Point ZULU.

*'''0545 Hours:''' The Covenant vessels begin a frontal assault. As the Covenant and human fleets engage above Reach, it seems to be a stalemate, as Covenant ships take out UNSC ships, while the UNSC ships and MAC cannons take out an equal number. The first salvo by the UNSC vessels destroys a third of the remaining Covenant fleet. A [[Covenant supercruiser]] arrives and destroys several UNSC ships while outside human weapons range.

<!--:*{{UNSCShip|Commonwealth}} has been removed. Please note that the Commonwealth was already in the process of scrappage and so cannot be included as a participant.-->

*[[Petty Officer Second Class]] [[Frederic-104]]

*[[Petty Officer Second Class]] [[William-043]]

*[[Staff Sergeant]] [[Avery Junior Johnson|Avery Johnson]]