Editing Mission to Szurdok Ridge

{{Status|Canon}}
{{Battle infobox
|prev= [[Battle of Sword Base]]
|conc= 
|next= [[Battle at Szurdok Ridge]]
|name= '''Mission to Szurdok Ridge'''
|image=[[File:Nightfall3.jpg|300px]]
|conflict= [[Human-Covenant War]]
*[[Fall of Reach]]
|date= [[2552#August|August 11, 2552]]
|place= [[Szurdok Ridge]], [[Reach]]
|result=
'''Strategic UNSC victory'''
*Discovery of Covenant [[stealth pylon]]
*Discovery of [[Covenant]] landing zone and [[Fleet of Valiant Prudence]] on [[Reach]]
|side1=[[File:Halopedia Era UNSC.png|25px]] [[United Nations Space Command]]
----
[[Reach militia]]
|side2=[[File:H5Covenant Logo2.png|25px]] [[Covenant]]
|commanders1=
*[[Lieutenant Commander]] [[Catherine-B320]]
|commanders2=*[[Supreme Commander]] [[Rho 'Barutamee]]
|forces1=
*[[UNSC Army]]
**[[Special Warfare Group Three]]
***[[NOBLE Team]]
****[[Recon Team Alpha]]
****[[Recon Team Bravo]]
|forces2=*[[Covenant military]]
**[[Unggoy]]
**[[Kig-Yar]]
***[[T'vaoan|T'vaoan Skirmishers]]
**[[Sangheili]]
**[[Mgalekgolo]]
**[[Fleet of Valiant Prudence]]
***Three {{Pattern|Ceudar|heavy corvette}}s
***{{Pattern|Ru'swum|Phantom}}s
|casual1=*Light
|casual2=*Heavy
}}
{{Quote|no=three|Kat-B320|Jun-A266|Kat-B320|q1=Recon Bravo, the sector ahead is dark to electronic surveillance.|q2=Covenant can block our instruments?|q3=So it would seem, and Command wants to know what they're hiding.|Command and Recon Bravo discussing the mission.{{Ref/Level|Id=nightfall|HR|Nightfall}}}}
The '''Mission to Szurdok Ridge''' was a reconnaissance mission undertaken by elements of [[Noble Team]] during the [[Fall of Reach]] to explore a Covenant dark zone at [[Szurdok Ridge]].
==Prelude==
On or prior to the night of [[2552#July|July 23, 2552]], the [[Covenant]] [[Fleet of Valiant Prudence]] arrived at the human [[Inner Colony]] of [[Reach]] undetected by its defending forces. A small strike, including artifact-hunting [[Sangheili Zealot]]s from the [[Devoted Sentries]], was dispatched to the [[Visegrád Relay]] in [[Visegrád]] to cut off communications between Reach and other [[Unified Earth Government|UEG]] colonies. The [[Office of Naval Intelligence]] assumed that the communications blackout was caused by local [[Insurrectionist]]s; in response, [[Colonel]] [[Urban Holland]] dispatched several [[UNSC Army|Army]] fireteams to the relay. After losing contact with the troopers, [[SPARTAN Program|SPARTAN]] [[NOBLE Team]] was sent to investigate.{{Ref/Level|HR|Noble Actual}} The team [[Battle of Visegrád|discovered]] the Covenant presence on [[Reach]] and reported back to [[Central Command|CENTCOM]], killing two of the Zealots in the process. [[WINTER CONTINGENCY (protocol)|WINTER CONTINGENCY]] was declared on Reach while [[Lieutenant Commander]] [[Catherine-B320]] retrieved a [[data module]] from the corpse of Doctor [[Laszlo Sorvad]].{{Ref/Level|HR|Winter Contingency}} The Covenant subsequently [[Battle of Sword Base|attacked]] ONI's [[SWORD Base]], but were repelled by the defending forces with the help of Noble Team and an [[orbital defense platform|orbital]] [[Super MAC]] platform.{{Ref/Level|HR|ONI: Sword Base}}

By the night of [[2552#August|August 11]], the Covenant had established a dark zone at [[Szurdok Ridge]] in the [[Viery Territory]] using [[stealth pylon]]s. This dark zone, which blocked out the UNSC's ability to detect what was inside, held a secret landing zone for an invasion force. Concerned about what the Covenant were hiding, ONI decided to send in Noble Team on a reconnaissance mission to investigate.{{Ref/Reuse|Id=nightfall}}

==Battle==
===Initial engagements===
By 26:30 hours, [[Recon Team Bravo]], made up of [[Jun-A266]] and [[SPARTAN-B312|Noble Six]], were beginning to close in on the Covenant dark zone. [[Lieutenant Commander]] [[Catherine-B320]], who was commanding the mission, ordered them to report on any Covenant structures or devices and warned that direct action might be necessary. As they continued on, Kat informed the two Spartans that the area ahead of them was dark to electronic surveillance and Command wanted to know what the Covenant were hiding. Spotting an inattentive [[Sangheili]] and several sleeping [[Unggoy]], Noble Six quietly assassinated them and avoided Covenant detection.{{Ref/Reuse|Id=nightfall}}

A short distance later, the two encountered the Covenant patrolling a settlement. However, Kat warned that it was not what they were looking for as it was too small, and they were not yet in the dark zone. Jun and Noble Six engaged the patrolling Covenant, which were soon backed up by forces dropped by a [[Kez'katu-pattern Phantom|Phantom]]. Eliminating all resistance, the Spartans proceeded deeper into the complex where they eliminated more Covenant, including a [[Pek-pattern plasma cannon|plasma cannon]].{{Ref/Reuse|Id=nightfall}}

Jun and Noble Six continued down a trail guarded by more Covenant troops and discovered the Covenant struggling with two [[Gúta]], some of [[Reach]]'s native lifeforms. After the Gúta eliminated the Covenant troops, the Spartans managed to kill the two creatures before the Gúta could kill them.{{Ref/Reuse|Id=nightfall}}

===Skirmish at the pumping station===
Continuing through the rocks to a pumping station, Jun and Noble Six discovered outnumbered local [[Reach militia|colonial militia]] forces engaging Covenant troops. Kat ordered the two Spartans to assist the militia, as they might have information the Spartans would need. Working together, the Spartans and the militia were able to eliminate the Covenant at the pumping station and one trooper explained that they didn't like the idea of relying on anyone else to protect their homes and revealed briefcases containing UNSC contraband - stolen heavy weapons.{{Ref/Reuse|Id=nightfall}}

The Covenant sent in multiple waves of Phantom to drop in more troops to assault the pumping station. With the help of the heavy weapons, the Spartans and troopers were able to repel the Covenant attack. One of the troopers explained that the road led to [[Ütközet hydroelectric power plant|a hydroelectric power plant]], but the gate didn't work. However, the locals used the dried-up riverbed to smuggle UNSC contraband, which could act as an alternate route.{{Ref/Reuse|Id=nightfall}}{{Ref/Note|If the player fails to save any of the militiamen, Kat will instead check in with [[Jorge-052]] on [[Recon Team Alpha]] and direct the Spartans to use the riverbed.}}

===Fight at the hydroelectric dam===
[[File:Stealth pylon.jpg|thumb|250px|The Covenant stealth pylon at the dam.]]
Moving along the riverbed, the Spartans and militiamen were able to avoid detection by a passing Phantom and eventually reached [[Ütközet hydroelectric power plant|the hydroelectric power plant]]. At the plant, they discovered a [[Covenant]] [[stealth pylon]], which Kat confirmed to be the source of the dark zone. Though Jun intended to destroy it, Kat instead ordered him to plant [[Unidentified UNSC explosive|a remote det charge]] on the pylon as Command was planning [[Battle at Szurdok Ridge|something big]] and stated that the pylon tied it down.{{Ref/Reuse|Id=nightfall}}

Working together, the Spartans and militiamen were able to clear the Covenant out of the area, and Jun began planting the explosive in the pylon's power core. However, the Covenant sent in reinforcements in the form of a pair of [[Mgalekgolo|Hunters]] and a [[Sangheili]] Spec-Ops team. Noble Six and the militiamen fended off the Covenant, allowing Jun to successfully plant the explosive.{{Ref/Reuse|Id=nightfall}}

===A terrible discovery===
With the [[stealth pylon]] rigged to blow, Kat ordered the team to push into the dark zone in order to discover what the Covenant were hiding. Moving through a gate at the southeast of the hydro plant, the Spartans and surviving militiamen engaged heavy Covenant forces, which included multiple [[Rizsheda-pattern Shade|Shade turrets]]. As they pushed on, the recon team spotted a Covenant {{Pattern|Ceudar|heavy corvette}} hovering nearby. Finally, the Spartans and local militia succeeded in clearing out all the Covenant in the area.{{Ref/Reuse|Id=nightfall}}

Moving onto a nearby cliff edge, Jun and Noble Six discovered a massive Covenant landing zone with two landed corvettes, a nearby [[Cheru-pattern Tyrant|Tyrant]] and [[deployment spire]]s. Transmitting the visual to Kat, Jun realized that they were dealing with an invading army and not a strike force, and they needed to go in hard and fast to smoother it. With the mission successful, Kat recalled all reconnaissance teams.{{Ref/Reuse|Id=nightfall}}

==Aftermath==
It was discovered that [[Recon Team Bravo]]'s discovery was not an anomaly, and the UNSC came under attack from large Covenant deployments that had previously remained undetected across the [[Viery Territory]]. In response and in accordance with the [[WINTER CONTINGENCY (protocol)|WINTER CONTINGENCY]], the UNSC launched [[Battle at Szurdok Ridge|a massive counterattack]] the next morning, with [[Catherine-B320]] destroying the [[stealth pylon]] [[Jun-A266]] had planted the explosive in during the reconnaissance mission.{{Ref/Level|HR|Tip of the Spear}}

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:HR ReconBravoPhantom.jpg|Recon Team Bravo sneaking up on a Covenant outpost.
File:HR PylonReveal.jpg|Jun and Six discover the Covenant stealth pylon.
File:HR Bravo&MilitaBattle.jpg|Recon Team Bravo and Reach militiamen in combat.
File:HR Bravo&Pylon.jpg|Jun plants an explosive charge on the Covenant stealth pylon.
File:HR Jun&Hunters.jpg|Jun prepares to fight a pair of Mgalekgolo.
File:Staging area.png|Jun and Six observing the Covenant landing zone.
</gallery>

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

==Notes==
{{Ref/Notes}}

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

{{Engagements in the Fall of Reach}}
[[Category:UNSC victories]]