| Long Night of Solace | |
|---|---|
| |
| Production information | |
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Manufacturer: |
Covenant |
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Class: |
CSO-class supercarrier |
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Role: |
Assault flagship |
| Specifications | |
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Length: |
28,960 meters (95,014 ft)[1] |
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Engine: |
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Slipspace drive: |
Yes |
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Hull: |
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Armament: |
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| Service information | |
|
Last sighted: |
Fall of Reach |
|
Destroyed: |
August 14, 2552 |
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Fleet: |
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Known commanders: |
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Affiliation: |
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Long Night of Solace was a Covenant CSO-class supercarrier and the flagship of the Fleet of Valiant Prudence, which served as an advance invasion force on the planet Reach during the Fall of Reach in the summer of 2552.[2] It was destroyed by UNSC personnel during Operation: UPPER CUT.[3] Its Shipmaster was Rho 'Barutamee.[1]
Operational history
On or prior to July 23, 2552, the fleet, cloaked by Long Night of Solace, made landfall on Reach.[1] The fleet then deployed a network of teleportation spires and stealth pylons to covertly land an advance ground force. Long Night of Solace served as the flagship for the advance force, which was comprised of the supercarrier and at least five SDV-class heavy corvettes.
On August 12, the UNSC launched an attack on the Covenant base in Viery. After Spire One was destroyed, the Solace decloaked and engaged the UNSC. Immediately after its position was compromised, Long Night of Solace destroyed the UNSC Grafton and lay waste to several other UNSC deployments. It then retreated to Covenant-held space in orbit above the planet.[4]
During Operation: UPPER CUT, an operation designed to destroy the ship, UNSC EVA teams boarded the Covenant corvette Ardent Prayer, which was on a refueling run with the supercarrier, and transported a Shaw-Fujikawa Translight Engine onto the corvette. During the battle aboard the ship, the detonation controls of the improvised bomb were damaged, forcing SPARTAN Jorge-052 to sacrifice himself by activating the drive manually. The unrestricted slipspace rift teleported the middle half of the supercarrier's hull into slipspace, destroying Long Night of Solace. The remains of Long Night of Solace then crashed into a mountain range on the surface of Reach as a larger Covenant fleet jumped out of slipspace over the planet.[3][5]
On August 27, Vice Admiral Hieronymus Stanforth stated that Long Night of Solace would have been a prime candidate for use in Operation: RED FLAG. However, with the vessel destroyed, the Navy was forced to wait to enact the operation until the Covenant arrived in force days later.[6]
Trivia
In early development phases, the Long Night of Solace was simply known as the "Black Ship".[7]
Gallery
Concept art of the Long Night of Solace.
- Solace Destroyed.jpg
Concept art of the Solace's destruction.
- Reach - Supercarrier 02.png
A render of the Solace, ventral view.
- Reach - Supercarrier.png
A render of the Solace, dorsal view.
A visual and size comparison between the Long Night of Solace and a CAS-class assault carrier.<ref> HBO Forum Analysis
A size comparison between the Solace and a UNSC frigate.
The Solace in Reach orbit.
The decloaked Solace.
The remains of the Solace on a Reach mountain range.
The Long Night of Solace in Halo: Fleet Battles.
List of appearances
- Halo: Reach (First appearance)
- Halo: Fleet Battles
Sources
- ^ a b c d e Halo: The Essential Visual Guide, page 111
- ^ Halo: Reach Legendary Edition commentary
- ^ a b Halo: Reach, campaign level Long Night of Solace
- ^ Halo: Reach, campaign level Tip of the Spear
- ^ Halo: Reach, campaign level Exodus
- ^ Halo Waypoint: Data Drop 5
- ^ Halo: The Great Journey: The Art of Building Worlds, page 68