Battle of the Mortal Reverie

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Battle of the Mortal Reverie
The valley where the UNSC built fortifications to defend the Mortal Reverie four months after the battle, circa May 2560
Conflict:	Post-Covenant War conflicts Battle for Zeta Halo
Date:	January 31–February 2, 2560
Location:	UNSC Mortal Reverie wreckage, Installation 07
Outcome:	Decisive Banished victory UNSC Mortal Reverie wreckage claimed by the Banished and turned into Outpost Tremonius Effective end of any major UNSC resistance in the local region Scattering of the UNSC survivors
Details Belligerents UNSC Banished Commanders Commander Etana Hensler Spartan Bertold Vettel Jiralhanae Chieftain Tremonius Jiralhanae Captain Arthoc Strength UNSC Army UNSC Marine Corps Orbital Drop Shock Troopers At least 18 Spartan-IVs Bertold Vettel Nina Kovan Vedrana Makovich Theodore Sorel Bonita Stone Infinity support staff At least 2 M9 Wolverines Warthogs Scorpions Jiralhanae Sangheili Kig-Yar Unggoy Mgalekgolo Choppers Ghosts Wraiths Casualties Heavy Moderate

Lucas Browning: "Was a bloodbath. The Banished, they outnumbered us a hundred to one. We didn't stand a chance. We never did."

Hudson Griffin: "And the Spartans?"

Lucas Browning: "Fought like hell. Never seen anything like it. I don't know... Saw a lot of them die. Have no idea how many."

— Lucas Browning describing the battle of the Mortal Reverie to Hudson Griffin.

The battle of the Mortal Reverie was an assault by Banished forces on the UNSC base located in the wreckage of the UNSC Mortal Reverie during the Battle for Zeta Halo.

Background

"...we can't change what's already happened and running away from Reverie isn't viable—we both know that. If they can't dig in and fight here, there’s no way they'd survive out there. We face the enemy's attack head-on and we do it from Reverie. There’s no other option."

— Spartan Nina Kovan to Lieutenant TJ Murphy.

On December 12, 2559, the UNSC Infinity traveled to Installation 07 in order to deploy the Weapon and stop Cortana. However, the Infinity and her fleet were ambushed by Banished forces, resulting in the apparent destruction of the supercarrier, forcing the survivors to evacuate to Zeta Halo's surface. On December 15, Spartan Vedrana Makovich discovered the wreckage of the UNSC Mortal Reverie and determined it to be a viable location for the UNSC's base of operations. Commander Etana Hensler, with Spartan Hudson Griffin of Fireteam Taurus, became the ad hoc leaders of the UNSC forces gathered at the Mortal Reverie. Numerous survivors from the Infinity gathered at the crash site, including naval personnel, army troopers, marines, ODSTs, and Spartans; however, the remaining half of the survivors held no prior combat experience, being Unified Earth Government personnel, scientists, retail specialists, and support staff. Lieutenant TJ Murphy was put in charge of providing military training to supply staff and non-military personnel.

On January 23, 2560, Spartan Griffin led Spartans Panago, Malik, and Sarkar on an assassination mission on Escharum. Griffin left Bertold Vettel in charge of the Spartans at Reverie. However, Escharum anticipated Griffin's actions. His forces ambushed the Spartan team, killing the other three and leaving Griffin badly wounded. Escharum taunted Griffin, letting him know that he'd sent most of his forces to assault the Reverie. Griffin managed to send an encrypted message to warn the Reverie before Escharum captured and handed him over to Chak 'Lok for torture. Under the combined leadership of Vettel and the Commander Hensler, the UNSC forces at the Reverie braced for the Banished's attack.

On January 31, Jiralhanae Chieftain Tremonius and Captain Arthoc gathered a massive Banished assault force at Riven Gate. Spartan Stone and Boulder Squad conducted a recon sweep at Riven Gate. Stone reported her findings to Mortal Reverie, and warned the Reverie that the Banished would arrive by nightfall. The UNSC survivors at the Mortal Reverie prepared for the Banished assault. That evening, Spartans Makovich and Vettel acknowledged that they may lose the upcoming battle and discussed their dwindling options for the future.

Two barricades were established in the pass towards the Reverie, with additional fortifications set up at key positions around the exterior of the ship, where there were ammo and resupply runners at the ready. All support staff teams were stationed with an experienced squad. The secondary barricade—the one closer towards the Reverie—consisted of two mixed units of marines, army troopers, ODSTs, and six Spartans, including Spartans Makovich and Theodore Sorel. Two M9 Wolverines were stationed in front of the barricade. The primary barricade was composed of a similar force, albeit including a larger Spartan presence with three Spartan teams of four. A minefield was deployed beyond the primary barricade. Additional units, including Spartans, a handful of Warthogs, and Scorpions occupied the ridgelines along the pass. Gunners manned what remained of the ship's M870 Rampart 50mm point defense guns to provide air support. The UNSC was aware that the survivors at the Mortal Reverie were ill-prepared, but the crash site served as a solid foothold for the survivors, and the alternative—running away from the Reverie and surviving in small groups in the wilderness—was not a viable option.

Battle

On the evening of January 31, a large Banished force led by Chieftain Tremonius, composed of ground and air forces, commenced its assault on the wreckage of the Reverie. Although the minefield deterred the Banished front line, a group of Choppers quickly breached one edge of the primary barricade while a unit of Unggoy and Kig-Yar charged down the ridgeline towards the vehicles. The Rampart guns on the Reverie proved to be key to the battle, protecting the UNSC ground forces from the Banished air units.

By February 2, the Banished had breached the primary barricade, bringing the frontline to the secondary barricade; Banished infantry and armor were pouring into the valley by the hundreds. UNSC forces at the secondary barricade were bombarded by a barrage of plasma mortars while Banished Sangheili, Jiralhanae Berserkers, and Choppers charged at the barricade. However, after a day and a half of fighting, the starboard side of the Reverie—the side facing the pass and the Banished forces—exploded after sustaining heavy damage. With the Rampart artillery disabled, the Banished air units quickly overwhelmed the UNSC ground forces; survivors were cut down, run over by Choppers and Wraiths, or herded off the edge of the cliff by force—some leaping by choice.

Spartan Vettel was reluctant to abandon the Reverie, knowing that if they lose the Reverie, they would lose everything that they had left. However, completely overwhelmed by the sheer number of Banished forces, Spartans Nina Kovan and Vedrana Makovich convinced Vettel that they had no other choice; and Vettel ordered the surviving UNSC personnel to abandon the Reverie, leaving it to the Banished.

Aftermath

The new tunnel entrance excavated by the Banished.

Nina Kovan: "Area is starting to cool down. We'll lie low here until morning, and then we move."

TJ Murphy: "To where? Is there a rally point?"

Nina Kovan: "No. There is no rally point, Lieutenant. There's no one to rally with. We're completely on our own now."

— Nina Kovan and TJ Murphy after the battle.

Pursued by small Banished parties, UNSC survivors scattered and fled into mountains or the surrounding area. Escharum ordered Banished troops to capture human survivors and collect dead Spartans from the battlefield—making it impossible for escapees to scavenge gear from their dead comrades. Prisoners of war were taken to the Redoubt of Sundering for processing, and some were then taken to the Tower for interrogation or torture. Many were transported to the House of Reckoning, where they went through the Trials of Atriox, in which they defend a large room from multiple waves of Banished troops. If they survived, they were fed food and water, then went through the trial again on the next day.

Following the battle, the mountain pass where the Banished attacked the UNSC forces became a site of charred trees, loose stone, and detritus, which made traversal nearly impossible. The crash site surrounding the ship was converted into a Banished outpost. As a reward for Tremonius' victory, Escharum had the outpost named after Tremonius. The Banished tossed most of the ship's supplies into the chasm, and deployed their prefabricated outpost structures around the far side of the broken UNSC vessel, adding a heavily fortified landing platform. They have also excavated new egress points below the mountain for access from one side of the crash site to the other. The loss of the Reverie, followed by the last of the Forward Operating Bases on the fragmented section of the ring on March 3, saw the end of all major UNSC resistance on the fragmented section of Zeta Halo.

On May 28, John-117 was rescued by Echo 216 from the debris field around the installation. While retrieving the Weapon from the ring's foundations, the Master Chief killed Tremonius, then retook Outpost Tremonius for the UNSC for the first time since the fall of the Mortal Reverie.

List of appearances

• Halo Infinite (First mentioned)
• Halo: The Rubicon Protocol (First appearance)
• Halo: Trial of Reckoning (Mentioned only)