Editing Covenant cruiser at Longhorn Valley

{{Status|Canon}}
{{Articlename}}
{{Individual ship infobox
|name=
|manufacturer=
|line=
|model=
|class=[[Covenant cruiser|Unidentified cruiser class]]
|length=
|width=
|height=
|max accel=
|mglt=
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|engine=[[Repulsor engine]]s
|slipspace drive=Yes
|hdsystem=
|poweroutput=
|power=
|shield gen=
|hull=Covenant hull material
|sensor=
|target=
|navigation=[[Navigation computer]]
|avionics=
|countermeasures=
|armament=*[[Plasma turret]]s (5)
*Laterally-mounted [[Pulse laser turret]]s
|complement= +10,000<ref name=pg21/>
*3 [[Type-26 Ground Support Aircraft|Type-26 Banshee]] squadrons<ref name=pg21/>
*Dozens of [[Type-26 Wraith]]s<ref name=pg21/>
*[[Sangheili]]<ref name=pg26-27/>
*[[Mgalekgolo]]
*[[Kig-Yar]]
*[[Unggoy]]<ref name=pg26-27/>
|destroyed=[[2552#August|August 30, 2552]]<ref name=pg31/>
|crew=
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|role=Support
|era=
|affiliation=[[Covenant]]
}}
{{Quote|A tiny picture appeared on Fred's heads-up-display, and he saw what Joshua had sighted through his sniper scope: a Covenant cruiser hovered thirty meters off the ground. The ship bristled with energy weapons and plasma artillery. His Spartans couldn't get within weapons range of that thing without being roasted.|[[Frederic-104]]'s tactical assessment of the Covenant cruiser.}}

This '''Covenant cruiser''' was a [[warship]] in the [[Covenant]] [[Covenant fleet|fleet]] which took part in the [[Fall of Reach]].

==Operational use==
===Fall of Reach===
{{Main|Fall of Reach}}
After entering the [[Epsilon Eridani system]], and after the initial attack against the [[UNSC]] forces in orbit, the cruiser was one of many that entered [[Reach]]'s atmosphere, coming to rest over [[Longhorn Valley]] in the [[Highland Mountains]], where it landed tens of thousands of troops on the planet surface. Hovering thirty meters above the ground, it was protected by [[legion]]s of ground forces, dozens of [[Type-26 Wraith|Wraiths]], anti-air emplacements, and three squadrons of [[Type-26 Ground Support Aircraft|Banshees]] conducting air patrols.<ref name=pg21>'''[[Halo: First Strike]]''', ''page 21''</ref>

A team of three [[SPARTAN-II Program|Spartan-IIs]], designated [[Red Team#Fall of Reach splinter arrangement|Alpha Team]], used captured Covenant Banshee fighters to fly past the patrols and anti-air emplacements.<ref>'''Halo: First Strike''', ''page 24-25''</ref> At least one Unggoy, [[Zawaz]], detected the Banshees on a scanner, but did not bother to report them, fearing punishment from his Sangheili superior officers.<ref name=pg26-27>'''Halo: First Strike''', ''page 26-27''</ref> As the Covenant grew suspicious of these new Banshees, they demanded proper codeword clearance - the Spartans, unable to translate the messages and not knowing the codewords, ignored them.<ref>'''Halo: First Strike''', ''page 28''</ref> One Spartan, [[Joshua-029]], was shot down while the other two, [[Frederic-104]] and [[Kelly-087]], reached the cruiser's [[gravity lift]], throwing a [[Fury tactical nuclear weapon]] into the ship and retreating behind a nearby mountain ridge.<ref>'''Halo: First Strike''', ''page 29''</ref>

The ship was destroyed, its own shields absorbing the [[electromagnetic pulse]] from the weapon, preventing it from damaging the nearby [[orbital defense generator]]s. It also leveled the nearby forest and mountain, vaporizing the ground forces. However, its loss did little to save the reactors - another three cruisers descended from orbit to replace it.<ref name=pg31>'''Halo: First Strike''', ''page 31''</ref>

==List of appearances==
*''[[Halo: First Strike]]'' {{1st}}

==Sources==
{{Ref/Sources}}

[[Category:Cruisers]]
[[Category:Covenant ships]]

[[Category:Unidentified content]]