Covenant spy probes are small, softball or baseball-sized automaton machines used by the Covenant for reconnaissance and intelligence roles.
Overview
These machines have a single photo eye for data collection. Over a number of days, it slowly builds up a charge as it collects data and information. Once it reaches critical energy, a tiny sliver of thallium nitride memory crystal is ejected at the speed of light, surrounded by a miniature slipspace field. The sliver is directed toward precise Slipspace coordinates where a waiting Covenant entity will recover it and the data it contains.[1]
During the Human-Covenant War probes were colored dark gray so they can blend into the hull of UNSC vessels, instead of the standard lavender color of Covenant alloys.[1]
Operational use
An example use of the probe was at the Battle of Sigma Octanus IV where a probe attached to the UNSC Iroquois and revealed the human presence at Reach. This culminated in the Fall of Reach.[1]
Trivia
The spy probe is similar in function to the UNSC's telemetry probe.
List of appearances
- Halo: The Fall of Reach (First appearance)
- Halo: Fall of Reach
- Halo: Escalation
Sources
- ^ a b c Halo: The Fall of Reach, pages 215-216