Editing SWORD Base

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<center>''Were you looking for [[ONI: Sword Base|the campaign level]] or [[Sword Base (level)|the multiplayer level]]?''</center>

{{Base Infobox

|base=SWORD Base

|image=[[File:HR-ONI-Sword-Base.jpg|250px]]

|location=[[Babd Catha Ice Shelf]], [[Eposz]], [[Reach]]

|destroyed=[[2552#August|August 29, 2552]]<ref name="EVG">'''[[Halo: The Essential Visual Guide]]''', ''page '' 192</ref>

|purpose= [[Office of Naval Intelligence|Office of Naval Intelligence]] base

|usage=[[Fall of Reach]]

|section(s)=

|soldier(s)=

|commander(s)=

|era(s)=[[Human-Covenant War]]

'''SWORD Base''',<ref name="Journal">[[Dr. Halsey's personal journal]]</ref> (sometimes parsed as '''Sword Base'''),<ref name="EVG"/> was an [[Office of Naval Intelligence]] facility located near the [[Babd Catha Ice Shelf]], [[Eposz]] on the colony of [[Reach]].<ref name="ONI: SB">'''Halo: Reach''', campaign level ''[[ONI: Sword Base]]''</ref><ref name="BWU">[http://www.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?type=topnews&link=BWU_040910 '''Bungie.net''': ''Bungie Weekly Update: 04.09.10'']</ref>

==Description==

The base's interior consisted of a long and tall main atrium, with smaller rooms, walkways and staircases on both of its sides. The atrium had a ceiling of glass running along its length, which also extended down the wall on the other end of the atrium. Two specimens of [[Covenant]] [[technology]] recovered during [[Operation: GUARDIAN LANCE]] were on display in the main atrium. Outside the main complex lies a military airfield, and numerous [[M71 Anti-Aircraft Gun|M71 "Scythe" AA guns]]. A few smaller outposts, including [[Farragut Station]] and [[Airview Base]], were located near the facility. The base also has several maintenance hallways for the facility's engineers. In addition, a [[Forerunner]] [[Babd Catha Forerunner Complex|ship]] that had crashed in the area millennia earlier had become enveloped by the ice shelf deep below the facility.<ref>[https://blogs.halowaypoint.com/en-us/blogs/headlines/posts/the-halo-bulletin-4-16-14 '''Halo Waypoint''': ''The Halo Bulletin: 4.16.14'']</ref> The crashed vessel contained numerous research stations, including one of [[Catherine Halsey|Dr. Catherine Halsey's]] labs. In [[2552]], the base's head of security was [[Ádám Virág]].<ref name="Journal"/> Its air controller was known by the call sign [[Sword Control]].<ref name="ONI: SB"/>

[[File:Sword_Base_Glassing.jpg|thumb|left|250px|The Covenant occupy a ravaged SWORD Base.]]

During the [[Fall of Reach]] on [[2552#July|July 26th 2552]], Sword Base became the target of an attack by a single [[Covenant corvette]]. As the Covenant launched their assault on the base and the surrounding outposts, the base was defended by [[UNSC Army]] forces that were in the area. Soon, [[NOBLE Team]] was called in to assist the defensive forces, and ultimately managed to fend off the assault force. After the defensive, two [[GA-TL1 Longsword|Longswords]] were called in to push the corvette away from the base, and as the vessel began to depart, one of Reach's [[Orbital Defense Platform|orbital defense platforms]] destroyed it from above.<ref name="ONI: SB"/>

Shortly after, the Covenant launched a full invasion of Reach and Sword Base was invaded, resulting in the deaths of most its ONI personnel; the airfield was reduced to magma and Farragut Station was flooded by the melting ice floes nearby. The Covenant forces at the facility soon realized that the base was built on top of a Forerunner site. The Covenant reinforced the ruined facility with numerous ground forces and two [[Type-38 Anti-Aircraft Cannon|anti-air cannons]]. NOBLE Team was dispatched to destroy the site and prevent any of the facility's secrets from falling into the Covenant's hands in accordance with [[Operation: WHITE GLOVE]].<ref name="Legendary">''[[Halo: Reach Legendary Edition]]'' [[:File:Journal Contents.jpg|container manifest]]</ref> NOBLE Team was soon contacted by Dr. Halsey, who asked them to take a fragment of the AI [[Cortana]] to the {{UNSCShip|Pillar of Autumn}}. While Carter-A259 insisted that the base be destroyed, Halsey countered that others would perform the demolition. During the package's recovery, the Covenant discovered the Forerunner ship was reachable through the frozen lake near the Sword Base and began sending numerous Phantoms and Banshees to secure the site. Halsey destroyed the ship and the base with explosive charges to prevent them from falling into Covenant hands.<ref name="EVG"/> Before the base was destroyed, the Office of Naval Intelligence acquired [[Dr. Halsey's personal journal]].<ref name="Legendary"/>

{{Clear}}

==Trivia==

*A [[multiplayer]] map ''[[Sword Base (level)|Sword Base]]'' takes place inside the facility. The [[Firefight]] map ''[[Courtyard]]'' takes place in the main courtyard outside the entrance to Sword Base.

*The inner courtyard of Sword Base resembled the inside courtyard of [[Wikipedia:The Pentagon|the Pentagon]], the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense.

*The cavern where Halsey's lab was located was designated Sublevel 9. A sublevel of the same name was a central location in the [[New Mombasa Data Center]] in ''[[Halo 3: ODST]]''.

*The atrium of Sword Base resembles the main atrium of Third Echelon HQ from ''[[Wikipedia:Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction|Splinter Cell: Conviction]]''. Similarly, both are owned and operated by secret agencies, and both suffer self-detonation.

*According to concept artist [[Isaac Hannaford]], the designers of Sword Base were given considerable creative leeway due to time constraints. As a result, the design of the base drew on inspirations from a stealth fighter for the outside and a hospital for the inside to give it a very "cold and impersonal" feel.<ref>[http://www.isaachannaford.com/2011/02/onis-sword-base-and-katherine-halseys.html '''Blog of Isaac Hannaford''': ''ONI's Sword Base and Katherine Halsey's Reach hide out'']</ref>

File:HaloReach - Package Intro.jpg|SPARTAN-B312 returns to SWORD Base, reduced to flaming ruins by the Covenant glassing.

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[[Category:UNSC military bases]]