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Subject: Timeline for the Battle of Reach

Expressing my strong liberal views without shame. Favorite quotes below:

"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the the universe."
"One starts to live when he can live outside himself."

- Albert Einstein

In this thread, with the help of the community, I'm hoping to unify the events of the book and the game. While there are certain aspects of the original novel that have been retconned, I find that most of the novel's canon is left in tact.

Note italicized portions are speculation. Also, feel free to add to this timeline and make corrections.

Timeline for the Battle of Reach
July 24, 07:28 Hours: NOBLE Team is sent to investigate a disruption in communications with Visegrad relay on Reach after trooper fire teams sent earlier are declared MIA. The Covenant are discovered, a data module of Professor Sorvad is found, and Winter Contingency is declared.

July 26, 11:52 Hours: Covenant Corvette attacks SWORD Base on the northern part of the planet. NOBLE is deployed to activate anti-air defenses, reestablish communications, and take back the Base so that an orbital strike takes out the Corvette.

NOBLE meets Halsey, and the data module is given to her.

On August 11, 26:30 Hours, Noble 3 and Noble 6 go behind enemy lines and plant charges on a pylon blocking UNSC instruments.

August 12, 08:00 Hours: UNSC Army launches an attack on the Viery territory. NOBLE takes down an EMP emitting tower, only to find out it was cloaking the supercarrier Long Night of Solace.

August 12, 20:07 Hours: NOBLE starts developing a plan to take out Covenant supercarrier.

August 14, 12:48 Hours: NOBLE assaults Sabre Launch facility, and takes slipspace bomb to Covenant Corvette Ardent Prayer, setting it on a refueling track with the supercarrier, thereby destroying it. Jorge 052 is KIA. Second invasion force arrives in the Epsilon Eridani system.

Sword Base taken by Covenant forces, Halsey presumed dead.

August 23, Spartan teams Gauntlet, Red, and Echo are assigned to civilian evacuation ops. Red consists of Spartan IIs, and Echo/Gauntlet teams may consist of either IIs or IIIs.

August 23, 15:34 Hours: Covenant starts glassing parts of Reach, and a battle breaks out in New Alexandria, where Noble 6 aids in the evacuation of civilian transports

August 23, 18:57 Hours: N6 regroups with the rest of NOBLE. Three jammers are taken out in New Alexandria while the city is being glassed to allow for evacuation from ONI HQ. Noble 2 is killed in action by sniper fire, and NOBLE is ordered to a "torch and burn op" on Sword Base.

August 26:Remnants of NOBLE are picked up in New Alexandria by a Pelican.

August 27: All surviving Spartan IIs, except for Gray Team, are assembled on a military complex on Reach for a briefing by Dr. Halsey on Operation Red Flag (Red Team taken out of action from their operation four days prior)

August 29, 26:16 Hours: NOBLE redeployed to Sword Base

August 29: AI/MJOLNIR test with John 117, Halsey supervising.

Halsey, between the 29 and 30, but before Noble's arrival to the underground facility, moves from testing range to ONI SWORD Base

August 30: NOBLE retrieves vital data from Halsey

August 30, 04:47 Hours: The Remote Scanning Outpost Fermion detects more incoming Covenant vessels. An emergency message is relayed to FLEETCOM. The outpost then self-destructs per the Cole Protocol due to an unsecured science library and nearby Covenant forces.

August 30, 05:00 Hours: 314 Covenant vessels appear on the edge of the Epsilon Eridani system, the last, and largest invasion force.

August 30, 06:16 Hours: Spartan II Blue Team deployed to Gamma Station to destroy navigational data which failed to self-eradicate by the station AI.

August 30, 06:31 Hours: Red Team Pelican shot down

August 30, 06:37 Hours: John, clinically dead Linda board Pillar of Autumn after completing mission.

Pillar of Autumn lands on Aszod between 06:47 hours and 16:00 hours.

August 30, 07:20 Hours: Remaining SMACs disabled/destroyed

Halsey escorted to CASTLE Base by Jun before 16:52 hours, but on August 30

August 30, 16:52 Hours: Surviving members of Noble Team deliver fragment of Cortana to the Pillar of Autumn, and it takes off and leaves the system. Noble 1 and Noble 4 KIA.

August 30, 20:00 Hours: N6 last remaining Spartan. Dies in a last stand.

Sources
Halo: Reach
Dr. Halsey's Journal
Halo Wiki (corroborated everything from books, used only for dates)
Human Speculation



[Edited on 07.14.2011 7:25 PM PDT]

  • 07.12.2011 2:55 PM PDT

One question. How would Halsey be able to return to sword base? It was taken on the 14th. She would of had to slip in by foot due to the anti aircraft placements and pass multiple squads, patrols, ect. There were no marines/troopers with her when NOBLE found her so either they all died getting in or she took the same route the phantoms took when they attempted to kill NOBLE and her. Due to the anti aircraft placements this seems very unlikely.

  • 07.12.2011 3:06 PM PDT
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Not bad. Only thing I don;t like is that all Spartans II's are called away from the Covie invasion to do some testing. Not to mention John is harming some ODST's which could be fighting Covies.

  • 07.12.2011 3:06 PM PDT
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Wow. Even more canon breaches.

  • 07.12.2011 3:06 PM PDT

Expressing my strong liberal views without shame. Favorite quotes below:

"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the the universe."
"One starts to live when he can live outside himself."

- Albert Einstein

Posted by: Sniffy66
One question. How would Halsey be able to return to sword base? It was taken on the 14th. She would of had to slip in by foot due to the anti aircraft placements and pass multiple squads, patrols, ect. There were no marines/troopers with her when NOBLE found her so either they all died getting in or she took the same route the phantoms took when they attempted to kill NOBLE and her. Due to the anti aircraft placements this seems very unlikely.

Recall that the Covenant were defending for a major strike, not a small infiltration team. The huge mass of Covenant did not arrive on Reach until several hours after NOBLE was redeployed. If that doesn't satisfy, then she could have gotten to the lab underground, seeing as Reach used to be a mining facility and there's undoubtedly caves and tunnels.

  • 07.12.2011 3:09 PM PDT


Posted by: Plasma Prestige
Posted by: Sniffy66
One question. How would Halsey be able to return to sword base? It was taken on the 14th. She would of had to slip in by foot due to the anti aircraft placements and pass multiple squads, patrols, ect. There were no marines/troopers with her when NOBLE found her so either they all died getting in or she took the same route the phantoms took when they attempted to kill NOBLE and her. Due to the anti aircraft placements this seems very unlikely.

Recall that the Covenant were defending for a major strike, not a small infiltration team. The huge mass of Covenant did not arrive on Reach until several hours after NOBLE was redeployed. If that doesn't satisfy, then she could have gotten to the lab underground, seeing as Reach used to be a mining facility and there's undoubtedly caves and tunnels.
True. Let's just go with she went through the caves. I doubt the covenant were smart enough to check for any caves when they occupied it or place any infantry there.

Also nice work with this. This seems to clear up most of the problems people had with the canon.

[Edited on 07.12.2011 3:12 PM PDT]

  • 07.12.2011 3:10 PM PDT

Expressing my strong liberal views without shame. Favorite quotes below:

"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the the universe."
"One starts to live when he can live outside himself."

- Albert Einstein

Posted by: Onyx81
Not bad. Only thing I don;t like is that all Spartans II's are called away from the Covie invasion to do some testing. Not to mention John is harming some ODST's which could be fighting Covies.

But remember, the Covenant invasion force wasn't very big until August 30! That's a crucial point. Spartan Red Team was deployed a couple days earlier, but were called back for an undeniably super important mission.

Ackerson was unstable from the beginning. He was willing to discredit Halsey even if Earth was under attack. He despised her Spartan II program immensely.

  • 07.12.2011 3:10 PM PDT
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  • Veteran Legendary Member

Don't be stupid like I was! Check to see what that Forum Ninja is saying to you!

"I may not like what you say, but I will defend your right to the death to say it!"

"Tolerance is a virtue, and virtue builds character."
-Onyx81


Posted by: Plasma Prestige
Posted by: Sniffy66
One question. How would Halsey be able to return to sword base? It was taken on the 14th. She would of had to slip in by foot due to the anti aircraft placements and pass multiple squads, patrols, ect. There were no marines/troopers with her when NOBLE found her so either they all died getting in or she took the same route the phantoms took when they attempted to kill NOBLE and her. Due to the anti aircraft placements this seems very unlikely.

Recall that the Covenant were defending for a major strike, not a small infiltration team. The huge mass of Covenant did not arrive on Reach until several hours after NOBLE was redeployed. If that doesn't satisfy, then she could have gotten to the lab underground, seeing as Reach used to be a mining facility and there's undoubtedly caves and tunnels.
That is true. Look at Breakpoint. Also, how does the Covies preparing for a big strike somehow make it easy for Noble Team to get in.

  • 07.12.2011 3:11 PM PDT

Expressing my strong liberal views without shame. Favorite quotes below:

"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the the universe."
"One starts to live when he can live outside himself."

- Albert Einstein

Posted by: Onyx81
Wow. Even more canon breaches.

Yes, the novel was retconned in certain areas, but I'd say there are less canon breaches than initially suspected. Bungie was pretty sly with the dates in the game.

  • 07.12.2011 3:12 PM PDT


Posted by: Sniffy66
One question. How would Halsey be able to return to sword base? It was taken on the 14th. She would of had to slip in by foot due to the anti aircraft placements and pass multiple squads, patrols, ect. There were no marines/troopers with her when NOBLE found her so either they all died getting in or she took the same route the phantoms took when they attempted to kill NOBLE and her. Due to the anti aircraft placements this seems very unlikely.


The same way Noble and Halsey got out at the end of the level "The Package". The landing zone behind the lab/Forerunner Artifact was not easily accessible and the Covenant obviously had no knowledge of its presence, I see no real problem with Halsey stealthily coming and going as she pleases.

  • 07.12.2011 3:12 PM PDT
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  • Veteran Legendary Member

Don't be stupid like I was! Check to see what that Forum Ninja is saying to you!

"I may not like what you say, but I will defend your right to the death to say it!"

"Tolerance is a virtue, and virtue builds character."
-Onyx81


Posted by: Plasma Prestige
Posted by: Onyx81
Not bad. Only thing I don;t like is that all Spartans II's are called away from the Covie invasion to do some testing. Not to mention John is harming some ODST's which could be fighting Covies.

But remember, the Covenant invasion force wasn't very big until August 30! That's a crucial point. Spartan Red Team was deployed a couple days earlier, but were called back for an undeniably super important mission.

Ackerson was unstable from the beginning. He was willing to discredit Halsey even if Earth was under attack. He despised her Spartan II program immensely.
It just seems weird to me that the Covenant are at one of the most crucial human planets ever, and we only send part of our forces. I would be like, "Deploy everything!"

  • 07.12.2011 3:12 PM PDT

Brains beats brawn get used to it

Fear the Red Comet

Variety is the spice of life.
Long live games.
Death to all fanboys.


Posted by: Sniffy66
One question. How would Halsey be able to return to sword base? It was taken on the 14th. She would of had to slip in by foot due to the anti aircraft placements and pass multiple squads, patrols, ect. There were no marines/troopers with her when NOBLE found her so either they all died getting in or she took the same route the phantoms took when they attempted to kill NOBLE and her. Due to the anti aircraft placements this seems very unlikely.


The only explanation given the evidence at hand is that she got in the same way Noble eventually would have while under the protection of a trooper squad.

I say this because of the bodies found right outside the secret door. There's no reason for the troopers to be guarding that doorway due to the nature of how well blended in the area is from the get go. The only reason they would be guarding that area is if they had just slipped someone in there, and then had to defend themselves/stall any pursuers.

Of course it doesn't explain how they got into the base in the first place with all those defenses up.

On the other hand she could've just went in through the back door where the Pelican bay was, but it then negates the reasoning with having the troopers needlessly guarding the front. Not to mention Halsey's journal seems to imply that she got caught and stuck in Sword Base when the Covenant attack it, which doesn't quite make sense at all...

Bit tricky explaining that off when all is said and done.

  • 07.12.2011 3:12 PM PDT

The Ban Hammer is all that was and all that will be! The Ban Hammer is time and space, life and death! The Ban Hammer can see into your mind! The Ban Hammer can see into your soouull....

Halsey makes it back to Sword Base using the underground passage way. If you listen you find out where halsey is held up is 15kliqs away and underground, and when they leave they walk out without any problems to two pelicans....soooo halsey flies back under radar, and goes in that way.

as there were TWO pelicans. Meaning halsey came with troops the back way. They setup defense turrets, and tried to take back sword base from the inside. But ended up overwhelmed so they just took the door and tried to protect it as long as possible

[Edited on 07.12.2011 3:16 PM PDT]

  • 07.12.2011 3:13 PM PDT
  •  | 
  • Veteran Legendary Member

Don't be stupid like I was! Check to see what that Forum Ninja is saying to you!

"I may not like what you say, but I will defend your right to the death to say it!"

"Tolerance is a virtue, and virtue builds character."
-Onyx81


Posted by: Plasma Prestige
Posted by: Onyx81
Wow. Even more canon breaches.

Yes, the novel was retconned in certain areas, but I'd say there are less canon breaches than initially suspected. Bungie was pretty sly with the dates in the game.
Yeah.

  • 07.12.2011 3:13 PM PDT

Expressing my strong liberal views without shame. Favorite quotes below:

"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the the universe."
"One starts to live when he can live outside himself."

- Albert Einstein

Also, how does the Covies preparing for a big strike somehow make it easy for Noble Team to get in.
Well, I'll give you a more realistic example.

The US military wants to capture a high value terrorist. However, if the military sends 40,000 troops to capture him, the terrorists will likely move the leader to a safe location and have the appropriate defenses.

However, if a special forces unit tried to take the leader out, it would be more successful (raid on Osama Bin Laden lol).

Kind of a random example, but similar principles.

  • 07.12.2011 3:14 PM PDT

Brains beats brawn get used to it

Fear the Red Comet

Variety is the spice of life.
Long live games.
Death to all fanboys.


Posted by: Billy Vandergaw
Halsey makes it back to Sword Base using the underground passage way. If you listen you find out where halsey is held up is 15kliqs away and underground, and when they leave they walk out without any problems to two pelicans....soooo halsey flies back under radar, and goes in that way.


Here's one issue that's a bit of food for thought. How is it that the Forerunner artifact's actual location (which is right next to the landing pad if that explosion is any indication) eluded the Covenant for so long, and how did they manage to find it conveniently when Noble Team got there? No one was exactly around to follow them.

  • 07.12.2011 3:17 PM PDT

@accordingto343

Your one stop shop for all of 343's fabulous errors and ridiculous notions in the Halo lore.

Posted by: StealthSlasher2

Posted by: Billy Vandergaw
Halsey makes it back to Sword Base using the underground passage way. If you listen you find out where halsey is held up is 15kliqs away and underground, and when they leave they walk out without any problems to two pelicans....soooo halsey flies back under radar, and goes in that way.


Here's one issue that's a bit of food for thought. How is it that the Forerunner artifact's actual location (which is right next to the landing pad if that explosion is any indication) eluded the Covenant for so long, and how did they manage to find it conveniently when Noble Team got there? No one was exactly around to follow them.


Perhaps they were tracking Noble and Halsey's communications and pinpointed the artifact?

[Edited on 07.12.2011 3:20 PM PDT]

  • 07.12.2011 3:20 PM PDT

Expressing my strong liberal views without shame. Favorite quotes below:

"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the the universe."
"One starts to live when he can live outside himself."

- Albert Einstein


Posted by: StealthSlasher2

Posted by: Billy Vandergaw
Halsey makes it back to Sword Base using the underground passage way. If you listen you find out where halsey is held up is 15kliqs away and underground, and when they leave they walk out without any problems to two pelicans....soooo halsey flies back under radar, and goes in that way.


Here's one issue that's a bit of food for thought. How is it that the Forerunner artifact's actual location (which is right next to the landing pad if that explosion is any indication) eluded the Covenant for so long, and how did they manage to find it conveniently when Noble Team got there? No one was exactly around to follow them.

The first question I would ask is what is the cartographic relation between SWORD Base and the shipbreaking yards in Aszod.

  • 07.12.2011 3:24 PM PDT

The Ban Hammer is all that was and all that will be! The Ban Hammer is time and space, life and death! The Ban Hammer can see into your mind! The Ban Hammer can see into your soouull....


Posted by: DecepticonCobra
Posted by: StealthSlasher2

Posted by: Billy Vandergaw
Halsey makes it back to Sword Base using the underground passage way. If you listen you find out where halsey is held up is 15kliqs away and underground, and when they leave they walk out without any problems to two pelicans....soooo halsey flies back under radar, and goes in that way.


Here's one issue that's a bit of food for thought. How is it that the Forerunner artifact's actual location (which is right next to the landing pad if that explosion is any indication) eluded the Covenant for so long, and how did they manage to find it conveniently when Noble Team got there? No one was exactly around to follow them.


Perhaps they were tracking Noble and Halsey's communications and pinpointed the artifact?


The covenant have technology that let's them see and pinpoint AI and AI classed devices like forerunner technology. It also let's them see symbols for human life, which the prophets called RECLAIMERS and denounced them as demons and devils/scum. They can pinpoint radios yes, but the covenant were coming from the glacier above, so they were blasting through and down into the structure.

  • 07.12.2011 3:26 PM PDT

#1 Legendary ODST Firefight Highscore

[UNINTELLIGIBLE > INSUBORDINATION(?)]

N6s death at that time is speculated.

  • 07.12.2011 3:27 PM PDT

The Ban Hammer is all that was and all that will be! The Ban Hammer is time and space, life and death! The Ban Hammer can see into your mind! The Ban Hammer can see into your soouull....


Posted by: Plasma Prestige

Posted by: StealthSlasher2

Posted by: Billy Vandergaw
Halsey makes it back to Sword Base using the underground passage way. If you listen you find out where halsey is held up is 15kliqs away and underground, and when they leave they walk out without any problems to two pelicans....soooo halsey flies back under radar, and goes in that way.


Here's one issue that's a bit of food for thought. How is it that the Forerunner artifact's actual location (which is right next to the landing pad if that explosion is any indication) eluded the Covenant for so long, and how did they manage to find it conveniently when Noble Team got there? No one was exactly around to follow them.

The first question I would ask is what is the cartographic relation between SWORD Base and the shipbreaking yards in Aszod.


Map of Reach

Sword Base is at the Top. It's the SWO. Castle base is CAS label in the middle. Azod is probably just the (A)

  • 07.12.2011 3:29 PM PDT

Fortune favors the Bold


Posted by: Onyx81

Posted by: Plasma Prestige
Posted by: Onyx81
Not bad. Only thing I don;t like is that all Spartans II's are called away from the Covie invasion to do some testing. Not to mention John is harming some ODST's which could be fighting Covies.

But remember, the Covenant invasion force wasn't very big until August 30! That's a crucial point. Spartan Red Team was deployed a couple days earlier, but were called back for an undeniably super important mission.

Ackerson was unstable from the beginning. He was willing to discredit Halsey even if Earth was under attack. He despised her Spartan II program immensely.
It just seems weird to me that the Covenant are at one of the most crucial human planets ever, and we only send part of our forces. I would be like, "Deploy everything!"

Thats how I feel too. If there was any covenant at all anywhere near reach, I would have started preparing for that big invasion. By having any covenant on reach that means that the covenant know where reach is so it would only be a mtter of time before the big invasion. I would have started getting everything ready. Put everyone on high alert. In the book it seems pretty much the opposite. If covenant are on reach I would not send my best soldier away. They knew the attack was coming and they ended up scrapping the spartan IIs mission when the full invasion happened so why wouldnt they have just scrapped it in the first place?

  • 07.12.2011 3:32 PM PDT

Expressing my strong liberal views without shame. Favorite quotes below:

"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the the universe."
"One starts to live when he can live outside himself."

- Albert Einstein


Posted by: Billy Vandergaw

Posted by: Plasma Prestige

Posted by: StealthSlasher2

Posted by: Billy Vandergaw
Halsey makes it back to Sword Base using the underground passage way. If you listen you find out where halsey is held up is 15kliqs away and underground, and when they leave they walk out without any problems to two pelicans....soooo halsey flies back under radar, and goes in that way.


Here's one issue that's a bit of food for thought. How is it that the Forerunner artifact's actual location (which is right next to the landing pad if that explosion is any indication) eluded the Covenant for so long, and how did they manage to find it conveniently when Noble Team got there? No one was exactly around to follow them.

The first question I would ask is what is the cartographic relation between SWORD Base and the shipbreaking yards in Aszod.


Map of Reach

Sword Base is at the Top. It's the SWO. Castle base is CAS label in the middle. Azod is probably just the (A)

Thanks for the map (I'm too lazy to get mine out lol). So yeah, Sword Base and Aszod (I think it wouldn't be unreasonable to assume the A is Aszod given the geography of the area on the continental location on the map) are very far apart. The Covenant started chasing the Pelican after they were well into the continent on which Aszod is located.

  • 07.12.2011 3:33 PM PDT

Expressing my strong liberal views without shame. Favorite quotes below:

"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the the universe."
"One starts to live when he can live outside himself."

- Albert Einstein

Thats how I feel too. If there was any covenant at all anywhere near reach, I would have started preparing for that big invasion. By having any covenant on reach that means that the covenant know where reach is so it would only be a mtter of time before the big invasion. I would have started getting everything ready. Put everyone on high alert. In the book it seems pretty much the opposite. If covenant are on reach I would not send my best soldier away. They knew the attack was coming and they ended up scrapping the spartan IIs mission when the full invasion happened so why wouldnt they have just scrapped it in the first place?
The Covenant was horrible at figuring out whether certain human colonies were important to the UNSC. They just glassed any planet they saw. In the case of Reach, they were looking for Forerunner artifacts, so it makes sense to send a lithe strike team to find data stealthily, and not launch a full invasion, Plus, I doubt they knew the importance of Reach to the humans at the time.

  • 07.12.2011 3:35 PM PDT

The Ban Hammer is all that was and all that will be! The Ban Hammer is time and space, life and death! The Ban Hammer can see into your mind! The Ban Hammer can see into your soouull....

Exactly. That's why halsey was pissed at Carter for not stopping the Zealot's that attacked Visegard relay station in Winter Contingency. Th Zealots usually sneak in, steal the artifacts and get out. Once out, the main fleet flies in and glasses the planet.

But you have to realize, UNSC and ONI believed Reach was kept secret. they had no idea covies had found it. And it was a military secret because of all it's weapons research and ship building yards. But covenant knew where reach was, as well had known about Earth a long time. What they were really after were forerunner technology that let the covenant use the Dreadnaught ship in High Charity to open the gate to the ARK. That's what the prophets wanted, and the best way to get that is to find data to the first halo. Get the Oracle (Guilty Spark 343) from Halo and it will lead them to the ARK. etc etc.


[Edited on 07.12.2011 3:46 PM PDT]

  • 07.12.2011 3:42 PM PDT

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