Editing Fall of Reach

{{Battle infobox

|name=Fall of Reach

|prev=*[[Battle of Sigma Octanus IV]]

*[[Battle of Beta Eridani]]

*[[Battle of Beta Gabriel]]

|next=[[Battle of Installation 04]]

|date=[[2552#July|July 25, 2552]] – [[2552#August|August 30, 2552]]<ref name="H3R">[[:File:ONI Plaque Right.jpg|''Halo 3: ODST'', Reference of Reach event]]</ref>{{Ref/Note|While the time stamps in ''Halo Reach'' use Reach's local time, the dates given are based on the UNSC military calendar. This is supported by the entries in [[Dr. Halsey's personal journal]].}} <br/>

*[[#Timeline|See below]]

|side1=

*{{Icon|UNSC HCW}} [[United Nations Space Command|UNSC]]

*[[Reach militia]]

|side2=

**[[Long Night of Solace|1]] {{Pattern|Sh'wada|supercarrier}}{{Ref/Reuse|lnos}}

**3+ {{Pattern|Varric|heavy cruiser}}s{{Ref/Game|Id=SC|Halo: Fleet Battles|Detail=Scenario Two to Eight campaigns}}

*[[Ministry of Resolution]]'s fleet

**A large number of ships

***At least 3 {{Class|CAS|assault carrier}}s{{Ref/Reuse|lnos}}

***At least 4 {{Pattern|Ceudar|heavy corvette}}s{{Ref/Reuse|exodus}}

*Around 315 ships {{C|August 30}}{{Ref/Reuse|FOR33}}{{Ref/Note|In Chapter 33, it is stated that 314 Covenant ships are in the system. Given the ''Pillar of Autumn'' moments earlier had destroyed one, this brings a total of 315}}{{Ref/Note|During the opening cutscene of the '''[[Halo 2]]''' level ''[[Cairo Station]]'', [[Fleet Admiral]] [[Terrence Hood]] states that the fleet that destroyed Reach was "fifty times" larger than the [[Fleet of Sacred Consecration|fifteen ship fleet]] attacking Earth; taken at face value, it would seem that Hood is speaking in hyperbole. The 2010 reissue of ''Halo: The Fall of Reach'' took this statement literally and changed the number of ships at Reach from around 300 to "over 750"; however, this change was made in only one instance, with all other statements regarding the fleet's size remaining consistent with prior versions of the novel. While the 2011 ''Definitive Edition'' removed this change, it is repeated in the comic book adaption, ''[[Halo: Fall of Reach - Invasion]]''.}}

|casual1=Catastrophic

*650,000,000 - 1,000,000,000+ casualties{{Ref/Book|Id=Enc22|Enc22|Page=42-43}}

**20 orbital defense platforms

**All refit and repair stations

|casual2=Massive

*Heavy terrestrial and exoatmospheric losses

*Majority of the Fleet of Valiant Prudence

}}

{{Quote|We knew this day would come. They have found our fortress among the stars. The [[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]].|[[Dr. Catherine Halsey]]<ref>[[Halo: Reach ViDoc: A Spartan Will Rise|''Halo: Reach'': "A Spartan Will Rise" ViDoc]]</ref>}}

Initial skirmishes began on July 23, 2552, when a [[Fleet of Valiant Prudence|small Covenant task force]] led by the {{Pattern|Sh'wada|supercarrier}} ''[[Long Night of Solace]]'' covertly established a foothold on Reach. The Covenant began to solidify their hold and began searching for Forerunner relics as the UNSC counter-attacked, attempting to drive the Covenant off the surface before reinforcements arrived. Ultimately, the UNSC was unsuccessful, and substantial Covenant reinforcements under [[Thel 'Vadam]]ee arrived in the system. After hard fighting, the Covenant breached the orbital defense grid and overran the UNSC's planetside forces. After overwhelming the defenders, the Covenant [[Glassing|glassed]] the planet. Isolated skirmishes between UNSC remnants and the Covenant forces continued until their recovery by a small rescue party led by [[John-117]].

==Background==

===Pre-invasion===

The strike force disabled the communications array at [[Visegrád]], cutting off communications from the northern parts of [[Alföld]] to the larger communications hubs further south, leaving a large portion of Reach isolated from the rest of the UNSC.<ref name="OverlookRadio">''[[Halo: Reach]]'', [[Halo: Reach radio conversations|Radio conversations]] - [[Overlook]]</ref> This operation, however, went unnoticed by the UNSC and it was surmised by the [[Office of Naval Intelligence]] that the local [[insurrectionist]] organization, an ultra-radical cell of the [[People's Occupation]],<ref name="drop2">''[[Data Drop]]'' [[Data Drop/Two|Drop #2]]</ref> was responsible for the loss of contact with the facility.{{Ref/Reuse|actual}}

===Winter Contingency===

{{Main|Battle of Visegrád}}

Following the declaration of the WINTER CONTINGENCY, several ONI field agents were given [[WINTER CONTINGENCY Declaration Supplemental Orders|supplemental orders]] to secure or - if necessary - terminate UNSC astronavigation personnel to ensure their knowledge would not fall into the hands of the Covenant.<ref name="supplemental">''Halo: The Fall of Reach'', Adjunct, [[WINTER CONTINGENCY Declaration Supplemental Orders]]</ref>

===Opening skirmishes===

{{Quote|WINTER CONTINGENCY has been declared, all units mobilized and ready.|UNSC officer}}

{{Main|Battle of Sword Base}}

{{Main|Mission to Szurdok Ridge|Battle at Szurdok Ridge|Order of battle (Viery, Reach)}}

{{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/Level|Id=tots|Game=Halo: Reach|Level=[[Tip of the Spear]]}}}}

===The battle begins===

{{Main|Operation: UPPER CUT|Operation: LEFT JAB}}

{{Quote|no=five|Air Control (COM)|AI Auntie Dot (COM)|ATC 2 (COM)|Colonel Holland (COM)|AI Auntie Dot (COM)|q1=They're everywhere!|q2=Slipspace rupture detected.|q3=Oh no, this can't be happening!|q4=Must be the whole damn Covenant fleet!|q5=Slipspace rupture detected.|The UNSC panics in horror followed by screams on the communications channel as a massive combined Covenant fleet arrives{{Ref/Reuse|lnos}}}}

[[File:Reach AssaultCarriers.jpg|thumb|260px|left|A larger Covenant fleet sent by the [[Ministry of Resolution]] enters the system, escalating the siege of the planet.]]

Noble Five then sacrificed himself to destroy ''Long Night of Solace''. However, just as the supercarrier was destroyed, the Ministry of Resolution's massive fleet of warships exited slipspace in orbit over the planet.{{Ref/Reuse|lnos}} The supercarrier's wreckage landed near [[New Alexandria (location)|New Alexandria]], killing Barutamee in the process. Shipmaster [[Kantar 'Utaralee]] assumed command of what remained of the now-splintered Fleet of Valiant Prudence, leading them once again to recover the Site 17 artifact, now relocated to a station near [[Turul]].<ref name="zulu">''Halo: Fleet Battles'', [[Scenario Eight: Rally Point Zulu]]</ref>

===Further engagements===

{{Main|Siege of New Alexandria}}

{{Quote|Your report will have to wait, Lieutenant. The Covenant are jamming all comms to Command. [[Catherine-B320|Kat]] needs your help running a counter-op.|Commander [[Carter-A259]]<ref name="alexandria">''Halo: Reach'', campaign level, [[New Alexandria]]</ref>}}

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. 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]] of the refit stations also served to block incoming plasma torpedoes. The UNSC force began to scatter, with fifty more ships falling to the trailing plasma torpedoes, while the MAC platforms were able to secure a further sixteen Covenant kills. The Covenant maneuvered for clear shots around the titanium dust cloud and moved in for the kill, with a further eighteen falling to the MAC guns, followed by yet another six. The final six were able to let loose a salvo of plasma rounds before their destruction, which were able to destroy five orbital guns. A [[Kewu-pattern battleship|previously unknown warship type]], armed with a powerful [[energy projector]], revealed itself and destroyed the {{UNSCShip|Minotaur}} and four other ships before withdrawing temporarily.{{Ref/Reuse|FOR33}}

The rest of the Covenant fleet withdrew to regroup after deploying hundreds of dropships to the surface. The opening attack had shattered the UNSC defenders, taking almost a hundred ships out and leaving only twenty ships left. Despite their surprise retreat, Captain Keyes ordered scans of the planet, realising that the Covenant had instead deployed [[dropship]]s to Reach's poles to begin invading the planet. The Super MACs and remaining fleet split into two groups - one for each pole -and fired upon the smallcraft, each MAC shot managing to destroy dozens of transports. Hundreds of dropships were able to get through and disgorged thousands of troops. The [[Fleet Command Headquarters]] was quickly attacked and destroyed by the renewed ground attack, while the Covenant fleet began another assault.{{Ref/Reuse|FOR33}}

===Attack on the orbital defense generators===

On the final day of the battle for Reach, thousands of Covenant ground forces landed on Reach in an attempt to destroy the [[orbital defense generator]]s, and were intercepted by Marine forces who were able to defend against the first few waves of Covenant forces while sustaining heavy casualties. While three Spartans (led by John-117) deployed to Gamma Station, the remaining supersoldiers were designated [[Red Team]], and deployed to [[Orbital Defense Generator Facility A-331]] to assist in the defense of the station. Their Pelican transport, ''[[Bravo 001]]'', was escorted by several [[GA-TL1 Longsword]] strikecraft, with three of the four eventually peeling off to hold off some pursuing Seraphs.<ref name="FS1">''[[Halo: First Strike]]'', Chapter 1</ref> The Pelican was advised by "[[Golden Arrow]]" to head for [[Mount Törött]], though the now badly-damaged Pelican was unlikely to be able to make its way back to the shipyard where the ''Autumn'' was docked. Bravo 001 had to explain that the Pelican was carrying Spartans, which consequently changed Golden Arrow's tone.<ref name="BreakpointRadio">''Halo: Reach'', [[Halo: Reach radio conversations|Radio conversations]], [[Breakpoint]]</ref> The Pelican was eventually shot down, however, crash-landing in the [[Military Wilderness Training Preserve]] in the [[Highland Mountains]].{{Ref/Reuse|DttE}}{{Ref/Reuse|BnetDefiant}}{{Ref/Map|Game=Halo: Reach|Map=[[Highlands]]}} The Spartans were forced to jump out of the doomed Pelican,{{Ref/Reuse|DttE}}{{Ref/Reuse|FS1}} resulting in the deaths of four Spartans (including [[Malcolm-059]]), and some others were wounded as well. Due to their familiarity with the terrain, the Spartans were able to put up a meaningful resistance against the Covenant.{{Ref/Reuse|DttE}}{{Ref/Reuse|BnetDefiant}}

The Spartans, after being briefed on the situation by Charlie Company, responded to a distress call from Whitcomb, who requested immediate evacuation. [[Frederic-104]], commander of the Spartans, split the remains of [[Red Team]] into four groups: [[Team Alpha]] ([[Frederic-104]], [[Kelly-087]], and [[Joshua-029]]), which was tasked with eliminating an encampment of 10,000 Covenant and their hovering [[Covenant cruiser at Longhorn Valley|cruiser]] (without doing anything that could damage the orbital defense generators as the EMP from a nuclear weapon would render them inoperative and accomplish the Covenant's objective for them), [[Beta-Red|Team Beta]], tasked with defense of the orbital defense generators, [[Team Gamma]] ([[Li-008]], [[Anton-044]], and [[Grace-093]]), ordered to retrieve Whitcomb, and [[Team Delta]] (the [[Charlie Company]] Marines and  six wounded Spartans which included [[William-043]], [[Isaac-039]], and [[Vinh-030]]), ordered to secure the Spartans' fallback point at [[CASTLE Base]].

Team [[Beta-Red]] were left to defend Generator A-331 alone, while [[Gamma 5]] were holed up at [[Orbital Defense Generator Facility A-412|Generator A-412]]. A-412 was attacked by two [[division]]s of Covenant, who eventually managed to destroy the facility leaving only fourteen survivors. The remnants of Gamma 5 proceeded to mount up in two Warthogs and a radio van to rendezvous with Gamma 1.<ref name="PowerhouseRadio">''Halo: Reach'', [[Halo: Reach radio conversations|Radio conversations]], [[Powerhouse]]</ref> [[Recon 43]] provided scouting for Gamma 1, initially spotting three [[Ghost]]s and twenty-four infantry. They were warned not to engage, but did so anyway upon realising that the small Covenant force was merely the advance of a massive armour convoy.<ref name="SpireRadio">''Halo: Reach'', [[Halo: Reach radio conversations|Radio conversations]], [[Spire (map)|(map)|Spire]]</ref>  

===Mission to ''Gamma Station''===

{{Main|Mission to Gamma Station}}

During the space battle, the [[Artificial intelligence|AI]] [[Doppler]], controller of [[Gamma Station|Reach Station Gamma]], was unable to destroy the vital information on board the {{UNSCShip|Circumference}}, an [[Office of Naval Intelligence|ONI]] [[UNSC prowler|Prowler]] involved in [[Operation: HYPODERMIC]]. As the Covenant deployed [[Ranger|troops]] to the station, Doppler reported this violation of the [[United Nations Space Command Emergency Priority Order 098831A-1|Cole Protocol]] to the ''Pillar of Autumn'' before self-destructing himself to keep from further violation. In response, [[Captain (Navy)|Captain]] [[Jacob Keyes]] sent [[John-117]], [[James-005]], and [[Linda-058]] to the station. They accomplished their task and destroyed the NAV database on board Reach Station Gamma, but at the cost of James and Linda. While on board, they rescued some Marines on board the station: [[Staff Sergeant]] [[Avery Junior Johnson]] and [[Private]]s [[Wallace A. Jenkins|Wallace Jenkins]], [[Bisenti]], and [[O'Brien (Marine)|O'Brien]]. They were then evacuated by Pelican back to the ''Pillar of Autumn''. Linda-058 was clinically dead, but there was still a chance of saving her, so she was placed in a [[cryo chamber]]. John-117 asked [[Lieutenant]] [[Hall]] to scan for James (who had been blown into space) but they were unable to find him.

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 [[Deutoros-pattern Scarab|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. Upon arriving at the platform, Emile took charge of a [[Mark 2488 Onager|mass driver]] and used it to provide cover fire for the ''Autumn''. Six, meanwhile, cleared the platform of Covenant troops.

Keyes returned to the ''Autumn'' with the package and prepared the ship for take off. Meanwhile, Noble Six took control of the mass driver and destroyed several Phantoms and Banshees before the Covenant cruiser came within range. As the cruiser prepared to destroy the ''Autumn'' with its [[energy projector]], Six fired directly into the ship's exposed glassing port. The resulting explosion crippled the cruiser.{{Ref/Reuse|hrpoa}}

==Aftermath==

{{Main|Aftermath of the Fall of Reach}}

{{Quote|We are not wasting a single UNSC ship to confirm what we have already seen a dozen times before: Reach is gone. Everything on it is blasted to bits, burned, glassed over, and vaporized. Everyone on Reach is dead. Dead. Dead. Dead.|[[Colonel]] [[James Ackerson]]{{Ref/Novel|Halo: First Strike|Page=104-105}}}}

==Engagements==

The UNSC engaged the Covenant across Reach over a long period of time. Battles were fought across the Vierry Territory.{{Ref/Reuse|tots}} Other engagements included fighting at [[Manassas]], [[Siófok]], and [[Quezon]].<ref>''[[Halo: Fall of Reach]]'', [[Halo: Fall of Reach - Invasion|Invasion]]</ref>

{{Engagements in the Fall of Reach}}

Several notable figures that participated include Dr. [[Catherine Halsey]], Captain [[Jacob Keyes]], [[John-117]], [[Rho 'Barutamee]], and [[Thel 'Vadam]].

==Trivia==

*[[McRobb|Chief Petty Officer McRobb]] compared the Fall of Reach to the [[Japan]]ese [[World War II|surprise attack]] on [[United States of America|Pearl Harbor]] in 1941. He noted that, like Reach, Pearl Harbor was once thought too strong to attack.{{Ref/Novel|Halo: The Fall of Reach|Page=283}}

File:HR Highlands Glassing.png|The [[Military Wilderness Training Preserve]] is glassed.

File:HaloReach - Package Intro.jpg|The ONI facilities at [[SWORD Base]] are destroyed.  

File:H2A - Autumn.jpg|The ''Pillar of Autumn'' escapes as Reach is glassed.

File:UltraMythos.jpg|A [[Sangheili Ultra]] leading troops in the battle in ''[[Halo Mythos]]''.

*''[[Halo 4]]''

**''[[Infinity Briefing Packet]]'' {{Mo}}

*''[[Halo: Broken Circle]]'' {{Im}}

*''[[Halo 2: Anniversary]]'' {{C|Flashback}}

**''[[Terminal (Halo 2: Anniversary)|Terminals]]''

*''[[Halo: New Blood]]'' {{Mo}}

*''[[Halo: Fleet Battles]]''

*''[[Halo: Shadows of Reach]]'' {{Mo}}

*''[[Halo Infinite]]'' {{Mo}}

{{Col-2}}

{{Col-end}}