Editing Halo: The Fall of Reach

{{Era|RW}}

|image=<div class="tabcontainer">

<div class="tabbox"><div class="tab">Definitive Edition</div>

[[File:Fall-o-reach.jpg|300px]]

<div class="tabbox"><div class="tab">Original</div>

[[File:Fallofreach.jpg|300px]]

|publisher=[[Del Rey Books]]<br>[[Tor Books]] (2010 edition)

|publication=October 30, 2001 (original)<br>August 3, 2010 (2010 edition)<br>June 28, 2011 (definitive edition)

|media=Print (Paperback)

|length=340 pages (2001 edition)<br>416 pages (2010 edition)

'''''Halo: The Fall of Reach''''' is a [[Halo novels|''Halo'' novel]] written by [[Eric Nylund]] published on [[2001|October 30, 2001]]. The first ''Halo'' novel to be published, it serves as a prequel to ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]''.<ref name=xbox.com2>[http://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/h/halo/spotlight.htm '''Xbox.com''': ''Game Worlds in Written Words'']</ref> The novel was reportedly finished in seven weeks,<ref name="xbox.com2"/> eventually becoming a ''Publisher's Weekly'' bestseller with nearly 200,000 copies sold in the United States and United Kingdom.<ref name=xbox.com3>[http://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/h/halo2/spotlight2.htm '''Xbox.com''': ''First Strike Author Eric Nylund Q&A'']</ref>

''The Fall of Reach'' was reissued on [[2010|August 3, 2010]] by [[Tor Books]], with the new reissued version including some content updates and additional content;<ref>[http://kotaku.com/5543023/halo-novel-trilogy-to-be-republished-with-updates-new-content '''Kotaku''': ''Halo Novel Trilogy to be Republished with Updates, New Content'']</ref> on [[2011|June 28, 2011]], Tor released the "Definitive Edition" of the novel, which fixes many of the errors introduced in the 2010 reissue.<ref>[http://www.amazon.com/Halo-Fall-Reach-Eric-Nylund/dp/0765367297/ref=tmm_mmp_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1315400359&sr=8-1 '''Amazon.com''' - ''Halo: The Fall of Reach Definitive Edition'']</ref>

A comic book adaptation series titled ''[[Halo: Fall of Reach]]'', comprising of three story arcs was published by [[Marvel Comics]] and [[343 Industries]], starting with ''[[Halo: Fall of Reach - Boot Camp|Boot Camp]]'' on September 14, 2010. It is followed by ''[[Halo: Fall of Reach - Covenant|Covenant]]'' and ''[[Halo: Fall of Reach - Invasion|Invasion]]''.<ref>[http://halo.xbox.com/en-us/transmissions/article/2010-06-22--Marvel-Comics-to-Adapt-The-Fall-of-Reach-This-September '''Halo Waypoint''': Marvel Comics to Adapt ''The Fall of Reach'' this September]</ref> In addition, the novel was adapted into [[Halo: The Fall of Reach – Animated Series|an animated series]] which was shipped with the Limited and Limited Collector's Editions of ''[[Halo 5: Guardians]]''.<ref>[http://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/halo-5-guardians/buy-now '''Xbox.com''': ''Halo 5: Guardians'']</ref> The animated series was later released on Blu-ray and DVD.<ref>[http://www.amazon.com/Halo-Blu-ray-Anthony-Del-Rio/dp/B014L2Y7EW/ref=sr_1_2?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1455796899&sr=1-2&keywords=halo+the+fall+of+reach '''Amazon.com''': ''Halo: The Fall of Reach (Blu-ray)'']</ref>

==Official summary (Tor revised edition)==

{{Article Quote|The Definitive Edition to the First and Bestselling Halo Novel, Including Twenty-seven Pages of New Material

Excerpts of Office of Naval Intelligence interrogations of the Covenant.

Missives and mandates issued by the Covenant

Declassified transmissions regarding the defense of Reach

A personal insight into the Spartan program

The Official Evacuation Order for all inhabitants of Reach.

Five sketches of cover art by 343 Industries artist, Robogabo.}}

{{Spoiler}}

The prologue takes place on the planet [[Jericho VII]] on [[2535|February 12, 2535]], and introduces the Spartans and their purpose. As the seemingly unstoppable Covenant war machine moves into place to [[glassing|glass]] Jericho VII, Spartan [[Red Team|Red]] and [[Blue Team|Blue]] teams are sent to prevent the destruction of the planet. The Spartans manage to kill a thousand [[Unggoy|Grunts]] and even destroy a Covenant air strike with [[fougasse]]s. However, soon the situation in space deteriorates, and the Spartans are forced to retreat before the surface of Jericho VII is glassed.  

The story itself begins with [[Catherine Halsey|Dr. Catherine Halsey]] and Lieutenant, Junior Grade [[Jacob Keyes]] on board the ''[[Han]]'', a [[United Nations Space Command|UNSC]] [[diplomatic shuttle]]. Traveling to the colony world [[Eridanus II]], their mission is to identify a potential candidate, [[John-117|John]], for Halsey's [[SPARTAN-II program]]. Dr. Halsey finds John in a [[Elysium City Primary Education Facility Number 119|school]] playground in [[Elysium City]], where she determines his suitability for the program. Using [[Quarter|a coin]], she tests John's reflexes by flipping the coin in the air and having him identify the side it will land on. John catches it and correctly identifies the side: the eagle. During this time, Halsey gives John the coin, which is later taken from him.

The plot then goes on to show in detail the brutal indoctrination and [[SPARTAN-II training|training regime]] that John and his fellow Spartans are put through. [[Chief Petty Officer]] [[Franklin Mendez|Mendez]] trains the Spartan-IIs, showing them the many necessary virtues of a soldier (e.g. courage, teamwork, skill, etc.) while AI [[Déjà]] teaches them history, mathematics, and physics. After a daring training mission in [[Military Wilderness Training Preserve|the wilds]] of [[Reach]], where the young Spartans regroup and escape with pieces of a map that they all put together and steal a dropship back to [[Reach FLEETCOM Military Complex|base]], where John-117 is made squad leader of the remaining Spartans. When the Spartans are fourteen, they undergo [[SPARTAN-II augmentation procedures|intense biological enhancements]], such as effectively increasing their strength by three times, drastically decreasing reaction times, making their bones practically indestructible, increasing blood flow to the eyes so that they can almost see in the dark, and other various improvements. However, of the 75 Spartans, less than half emerge still fit for combat; the rest washed out (died during the operations) or were horribly injured by the augmentation progress. While recovering on the ''[[UNSC Atlas|Atlas]]'', John gets into a fight with a group of [[Orbital Drop Shock Trooper]]s, killing two of them easily. The speedy arrival of Chief Mendez leads John to suspect that the incident may have been arranged.

After returning to Reach, the Spartans quickly prove that the augmentations have surpassed all expectations, and their cohesion in battle is amazing. The Spartans are then issued orders to capture [[Robert Watts|Colonel Robert Watts]], an [[Insurrectionist]] leader in the Eridanus asteroid belt. John leads [[Blue Team|a small team]] consisting of [[Samuel-034]], [[Linda-058]], [[Kelly-087]], and [[Frederic-104]], which manages to infiltrate the Insurrectionists' [[Eridanus Secundus|asteroid base]] and capture Watts. John is wounded during this mission and is subsequently awarded a [[Purple Heart]].

On [[2525#February|February 3, 2525]], first contact is made with an alliance of alien races that refers to itself as the [[Covenant]]. [[Rapid Conversion|A single Covenant warship]] exterminates the entire surface population of the [[Outer Colonies|Outer Colony]] [[Harvest]]. Three UNSC warships, the destroyer ''[[CMA Heracles|Heracles]]'' and the frigates ''[[CMA Arabia|Arabia]]'' and the ''[[CMA Vostok|Vostok]]'', are sent to investigate this incident, initiate first engagement protocols, and attempted contact, engage the Covenant ship in battle, and are subsequently routed. Only the ''Heracles'' manages to return to Reach, having been badly damaged. By December of the same year, the UNSC has mobilized a [[Battle Group X-Ray|massive fleet]] under the command of famed war hero [[Vice Admiral]] [[Preston Jeremiah Cole|Preston Cole]], with orders to reclaim the Harvest colony and stop the Covenant advance.

In response to the emergence of the Covenant, the Spartans' graduation occurs earlier than anticipated, while Chief Mendez leaves to train the next class of Spartans, giving John some advice before and returning the coin Dr. Halsey gave him years earlier. Dr. Halsey takes the Spartans to [[Chi Ceti IV]] to begin Project: MJOLNIR. Upon arriving in the system, the ''[[UNSC Commonwealth|Commonwealth]]'', the [[UNSC frigate|frigate]] carrying the Spartans, is attacked by [[Unrelenting|a Covenant ship]]. The ''Commonwealth'' engages the Covenant ship and is able to drive it off, but with significant damage. Heading to the [[Damascus Testing Facility]], Dr. Halsey introduces the Spartans to the [[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor/Mark IV|MJOLNIR power armor]], which enhances the Spartans' already significant strength and speed even more. While returning to the ''Commonwealth'', John comes up with the idea to go [[Extra-vehicular activity|EVA]] and [[Boarding|board]] the Covenant vessel and destroy it using [[HAVOK Tactical Nuclear Weapon|HAVOK nuclear weapons]] on the Pelican. Only three Spartans — John, Sam, and Kelly — manage to board the ship. They fight their way past the crew, a birdlike race later dubbed [[Kig-Yar|Jackals]], and are able to make their way to a reactor, but Sam's armor is penetrated and he is forced to stay behind or die from upon exposure to vacuum. John and Kelly are able to escape as the Covenant ship is destroyed.

Admiral Cole's fleet manages a [[Second Battle of Harvest|victory at Harvest]], but at a high cost: two-thirds of his ships are destroyed. Despite significant tactical brilliance on the part of human commanders, the superior technology possessed by the Covenant gives the latter a crucial advantage in the war. One by one, the Outer Colonies fall to the onslaught and, by 2536, virtually all have been destroyed.

To protect the location of [[Earth]], Vice Admiral Cole establishes the emergency order commonly known as the [[Cole Protocol]]: if any Covenant forces are present, selective purges of databases on all ship-based and planetary data networks are to be activated. When human forces are forced into retreat, they must not execute a [[Slipstream space|slipspace]] jump in the direction of Earth, or any major population center, even if this forces them to jump without the necessary navigational calculations (a "blind jump"). If such a jump is not possible, and if capture is imminent, the commanding officer must order a [[self-destruct]]. The on-board ship [[artificial intelligence]] construct, normally imperative to navigation and tactical decisions, must either be destroyed or removed.

Due to the shortage of effective officers, Jacob Keyes is promoted to Commander and assumes command of the [[UNSC Iroquois|UNSC ''Iroquois'']]. In [[2552]], he foresees a Covenant attack on [[Sigma Octanus IV]] thanks to a paper by Spartan [[Fhajad-084]]. His actions result in the destruction of a [[Covenant destroyer]] and two [[Covenant frigate|frigates]] as well as the routing of a {{Class|DDS|carrier}} with a daring maneuver dubbed the "[[Keyes Loop]]". This unprecedented victory against a Covenant force earns him a promotion to Captain and helps him to become recognized by the entire UNSC. Keyes and the ''Iroquois'' remain in the [[Sigma Octanus system]] to partake in the [[Battle of Sigma Octanus IV]].  

On the ground, the Marine force is slaughtered save a small group of survivors, so Spartan Blue, [[Red Team|Red]], and [[Green Team]]s are sent to destroy a Covenant occupation force in the city of [[Côte d'Azur]] with a nuclear bomb. In the city, they find the Covenant has occupied [[Côte d'Azur Museum of Natural History|a museum]] and discover a new race called [[Huragok|Engineers]]. While Green and Red Teams escort a group of civilian survivors to the landing zone, Blue Team — John, Kelly, Fred, and [[James-005]] — enter the museum and discover two massive aliens — [[Mgalekgolo|Hunters]]. They have a [[Sigma Octanus IV artifact|rock]] which is being scanned, the contents of the scan transmitted to [[Covenant stealth ship|a stealth ship]] discovered and destroyed by Captain Keyes. The Spartans are able neutralize the Hunters, acquire the rock, and escape to the landing zone, where they detonate the bomb and eliminate the Covenant presence. Keyes later returns to Reach, inadvertently disclosing the location of the planet to the Covenant via a [[Covenant spy probe|homing beacon]] attached to the ''Iroquois''. He is debriefed by an [[Office of Naval Intelligence|ONI]] committee. Here he meets John-117 once again. Scans of the rock produce a set of [[forerunner symbols|alien symbols]] that do not match any Covenant dialect. Dr. Halsey concludes that the artifact is from a [[Forerunner|separate race]] from the Covenant.

By [[2552]], many of humanity's [[Inner Colonies]] have been destroyed by the Covenant. In a move of desperation, ONI Section 3 orders the execution of [[Operation: RED FLAG|a secret plan]] to capture a Covenant ship using the Spartans. The ship would be taken to the Covenant [[High Charity|home world]] in order to capture a [[San'Shyuum|Prophet]], one of the aliens' religious leaders, and then use the Prophet as a bargaining chip to negotiate a truce.

To aid the Spartans in this mission, an AI, [[Cortana]], is created from Dr. Halsey's cloned brain. John is introduced to Cortana during a live-fire mission to test their capabilities working together, and they perform spectacularly. With Cortana's aid, John manages to overpower a full squad of [[Orbital Drop Shock Trooper]]s, pick his way through a minefield, destroy automated chain guns, and even evade an air strike from a [[SkyHawk|SkyHawk fighter]], all of which are using live rounds. These were authorized by [[Colonel]] [[James Ackerson]], Dr. Halsey's main rival for NAVSPECWEP funding. In a move of revenge, Cortana arranges for a substantial amount of the Colonel's private funds to be sent to a brothel and forges a request to be reassigned to front line duty.

''Autumn''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s mission is interrupted when a [[Fleet of Particular Justice|massive fleet]] of 315 Covenant ships enters the [[Epsilon Eridani system]]. Captain Keyes orders the ''Pillar of Autumn'' back towards Reach, but the Master Chief convinces him to allow the Spartans to continue their mission by finding a damaged Covenant ship to capture and take to Covenant space. [[Epsilon Eridani Fleet|Reach's fleet]], with about a hundred ships and twenty [[orbital defense platform]]s on hand, engages the Covenant fleet, but takes massive losses. However, the Super MAC platforms manage to repulse the initial Covenant assault.

The Covenant return and land troops on Reach with the objective of destroying the [[Orbital defense generator|generators]] for the Super MACs, the only things which are stopping the Covenant. At the same time, the UNSC realizes that the ''[[UNSC Circumference|Circumference]]'', a [[ONI prowler|prowler]], is still docked at a station orbiting the planet of Reach just before its fall and has not initiated the Cole Protocol. John takes [[Linda-058]] and [[James-005]] to deal with the ''Circumference'', while the rest of the Spartans are sent down under Fred to the planet to defend the MACs' power generators.

[[File:H2A - Autumn.jpg|thumb|250px|The [[UNSC Pillar of Autumn|UNSC ''Pillar of Autumn'']] flees from [[Reach]].]]

 

The surface of Reach is also overrun. The Spartans who John sent to the surface are presumed by the ''Autumn'' crew to be overrun and all slaughtered. Without the generators, the Super MACs fall silent and are destroyed by the Covenant, who soon begin glassing the planet. The remaining UNSC ships are all destroyed, except for the ''Pillar of Autumn'', as Cortana plots an exit vector in compliance with the Cole Protocol, though not completely at random. A comment by the Master Chief leads Cortana to reinterpret the alien symbols from the artifact as star charts. The NAV coordinates lead the ''Pillar of Autumn'' to what the Covenant had been searching for: [[Installation 04|Halo]], an extremely sacred artifact to the Covenant. The book ends with Captain Keyes looking through view screens at the ring, asking Cortana to identify the object.

<center>''As this is the first released piece of media in the Halo universe, all of the following are first appearances.''</center>

*[[H.T. Ward]]

*[[Toran]]

****[[UNSC Marine Corps]]

*****[[Fireteam]]

******[[Corporal Harland's fireteam]]

*****[[Platoon]]

******[[105th Drop Jet Platoon]] {{Fm}}

****[[UNSC Naval Command]]

*****[[UNSC Navy]]

*******[[Battle Group 4]]

*******[[Battle Group Leviathan]]

******[[Longsword Squadron Delta]]

*******[[Epsilon Eridani Fleet]]

******[[Fleet Command]]

*******[[Orbital Defense Command]]

******[[UNSC Special Forces|Naval Special Warfare Command]]

*******[[SPARTAN-II Program]]

******[[Office of Naval Intelligence]]

*******[[Materials Group]]

****[[Fleet Security]]

***[[Sparta]] {{Mo}}

*[[Battle of Thermopylae]]

*[[Human-Covenant war]]

*Covenant Corvette

**[[SDV-class heavy corvette]] {{Fm}}

**[[RPV-class light destroyer]]

*[[Diplomatic shuttle]]

*[[Cruiser|UNSC Cruiser]]

*[[UNSC Frigate]]

*[[40mm chain gun]]

***[[M118 Full Metal Jacket Armor-Piercing]]

*[[Sangheili combat harness]]

***[[Oracle N-variant scope]]

==2010 bonus content==

<center>''See [[List of changes in Halo: The Fall of Reach rereleases|here]] for a list of changes in the Tor Books edition of the novel.''</center>

*[[WINTER CONTINGENCY Declaration Supplemental Orders]], an ONI directive containing orders for field agents on Reach in the event of a [[WINTER CONTINGENCY]] declaration.

*An excerpt from this book, along with excerpts from ''Halo: The Flood'' and ''Halo: First Strike'', is included in a directory on ''[[Halo PC]]''. It is found in the "Goodies" section of the disk.

*Bungie considered cancelling the book to allow players to see the Master Chief as a blank slate, and because of concerns that the book would not sell enough units to be worth the effort. Nylund's editor, [[Eric S. Trautmann]] convinced Bungie to approve the book, and it carried a dedication to him until it was reissued in 2010 by a different publisher.<ref>[http://scifishow.libsyn.com/005-dc-reboot-trautmann-interview-round-2-of-our-quiz '''The Sci Fi Show''': ''Episode 005: DC Reboot/Eric Trautmann'']</ref><ref>[http://ericnylund.com/?p=1256 '''Eric Nylund''': ''Unsung Hero of the HALO Franchise'']</ref>

File:Fallofreach.jpg|The original book cover, used from 2001 to 2010.

File:TFoR_2010.png|The full cover art of the 2010 and 2011 Tor Books reissues.

File:FoR-343var.png|A full picture of the Tor Books reissue of the novel.

<references/>

*[http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0345451325/ref=sib_dp_pt/102-6002849-0256936 Read the first chapter of ''Halo: The Fall Of Reach''.]

{{Literature}}