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It is simply a matter of being out-gunned, as Covenant kill ratios tend to top three to one in ship-to-ship combat. By 2535, virtually all of the Outer Colony worlds have been destroyed by the Covenant. The Cole Protocol is established by military order: all human vessels must ensure that Covenant forces do not find Earth. Human ships must-when forced to withdraw-not move on to an Earth bound vector, even if that means jumping without proper navigational calculations. If blind jumps are not possible, the ship's captain must order self-destruction if capture is imminent. In addition, it is also imperative that the powerful ship A.I. data cores not fall into Covenant hands, so part of this protocol involves either the removal or destruction of the ship's A.I. in extreme situations.
Also in the year 2535, the Scarab is introduced into battle for the first time.
February
9th
- Battle of Jericho VII begins. [1]
12th
- Battle of Jericho VII ends.
- Jericho VII is glassed by the Covenant. John-117 and the SPARTANS escape aboard the UNSC Resolute. [2]
Sources
- ^ Halo: The Fall of Reach, Pg 6: They jogged double-quick up the ten kilometers of the beach, and returned to their drop-ship—a Pelican, scuffed and dented from three days' hard fighting.
- ^ Halo: The Fall of Reach, Pg 8: Their lateral lines brightened with plasma—then discharged and rained fire down upon Jericho VII.