Fall of Reach (TheAussie)

The Fall of Reach was a significant military engagement that marked the beginning of the end of the . Fought mere days after the decisive victory at , the battle, and later glassing of Reach, would be a catastrophic blow to the military capability of humanity, in their desperate defence against the ever-encroaching Covenant offence. Found via Covenant luminaries in mid-2552, a small fleet would be dispatched to find Forerunner artefacts, and in doing so uncover the UNSC's presence in the star system. In July the Covenant fleet would grow bold enough to begin mounting operations on the surface of Reach, which would be discovered and countered with significant UNSC forces, mostly drawn from the .
These skirmishes would be continued for several weeks, until a Covenant supercarrier made its presence known. In response, the UNSC would launch several operations to entrap and destroy the supercarrier. Whilst successful, almost immediately afterwards a Covenant fleet would jump in-system, forcing the UNSC back onto the backfoot. Whilst Reach's formidable defensive fortifications took a heavy toll on the Covenant warships, they nevertheless battered their way through the UNSC's forces to the planet's surface, where they reinforced the Covenant forces already on the planet. 
By this point, the battle was as good as lost for the UNSC. Despite the deployment of several SPARTAN teams to the planet, they simply weren't enough to turn the tide, as UNSC evacuation efforts reached their climax. As the Covenant began to systematically glass the surface, the few remaining defenders were killed by Covenant hunting parties, or the plasma beams radiating from the Covenant's warships. Barely any ships escaped Reach, with most being intercepted and destroyed by the Covenant as they hunted down any last trace of the UNSC. Several holdouts would remain, as the Covenant investigated Forerunner ruins underneath the surface, however they would either be evacuated or killed in the weeks to follow.
The Fall of Reach set the stage for the Battle of Earth, as there were no other human stronghold worlds remaining between the Sol System and the genocidal Covenant. It was also the catalyst for the crucial Battle of Installation 04, and began the series of events that would end the Human-Covenant War after 27 long years. Despite the serious loss to the UNSC, without the Fall of Reach happening as it did, the UNSC, and by extension humanity, would have been totally destroyed.
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==Background==
===Covenant Artefact-Hunting===
Despite the huge amount of resources required to maintain the war effort against the UNSC, the had a huge obsession with locating and examining ancient artefacts, and as such refused to divert any materials from the program to the destruction of the UNSC. As such, it became a regular occurence during the Human-Covenant War for small fleets of Covenant vessels to encounter human worlds that that a large amount of Forerunner equipment and artefacts on them. These fleets would often decimate the little resistance these colonies could offer, and move forward with their excavations.
One of the more famous Covenant fleets was the . Operating under the and commanded by the competent and well-liked Supreme Commander , it was composed of the one CSO-class supercarrier, the , and eight SDV-class heavy corvettes, which carried with them the 35th Field Intercession Army, an army geared towards artefact-hunting and special warfare. Most notably it contained several Sangheili lances, led by Field Marshal Irro 'Taramee, and even a rare company of . 
The Fleet of Valiant Prudence would discover and the in mid-July 2552, after the fleet's Luminary devices led it to the region. There they discovered the huge UNSC presence, and its formidable defences. Almost immediately, 'Barutamee dispatched several lances of Zealots and Rangers to cut off communications from the planet, whilst he split his fleet. One half would journey into the star system's large , which the fleet's luminaries said contained several Forerunner relics, and the other half would attempt to bypass the planet's defences and sneak into the atmosphere, to begin setting up an operational headquarters on the planet.
===The Battle of Sigma Octanus IV===
As 'Barutamee attempted to infiltrate Reach's defences, a Covenant offensive was taking place in the nearby system. A squadron of one CAS-class assault carrier, one CPV-class heavy destroyer and two CAR-class frigates jumped in-system, where they would be greeted by the lone human destroyer UNSC Iroquois, commanded by . Whilst transitioning from slipspace to real-space, the group of ships had been detected by the in the system, which had been logged and sent to the Iroquois. 
The odds were decisively not in the Iroquois' favour. Up until that point in the war, most naval engagements required the UNSC to maintain a 3:1 advantage over Covenant fleets. As such, a single destroyer arrayed against four Covenant vessels, including two capital ships, was far from an ideal situation. However, despite the odds, Keyes devised a daring plan, now known as the . This plan resulted in the destruction of the two frigates and escorting destroyer, as the Covenant carrier was forced to withdraw, but not before releasing several squadrons of dropships to capture the planet.
The transmission Keyes made before the battle would be acted on, as a large portion of the Epsilon Eridani Fleet (48 ships) would reinforce the Iroquois and deploy forces to retake Sigma Octanus IV. This action would be followed by a second Covenant fleet jumping into the system, made up of 24 ships. In a , 25 of the UNSC's ships would be lost in exchange for 18 Covenant vessels and the withdrawal of their forces from the system. The remaining Covenant forces on the planet's surface would be dealt with by the deployment of several fireteams, which would secure a Forerunner crystal in the process.
However, the Covenant forces had left behind several , one of which would attach itself to the hull of the Iroquois as it left the system. This probe would then transmit its data back to the Covenant, revealing the location of Reach to the military arm of the alien empire. The Covenant would then begin to prepare a large fleet to send to the Epsilon Eridani System, to destroy the human presence in the system.
==First Phase==
===Visegrád Relay & Opening Actions ===
On the night of the 23rd of July 2552, Sangheili Zealot teams began operating across the surface of Reach. given direct orders by 'Barutamee, these lances targeted UNSC communications installations, with the goal of cutting off the planet from the rest of the UNSC. The most significant of these installations was the , positioned in the outback of the . The area was a hotspot of human activity, and as such it had a significant UNSC presence in the form of a UNSC Army company and several researchers. The Zealots would wipe out the entire company, and begin systematically clearing out smaller humans settlements around the station. 
As this occurred, other Covenant forces were targeting other communication stations, to varying degrees of success. The relay station near the city of was an especially hard-fought battle, as the understrength company of UNSC soldiers held out for several hours before being all but wiped out by the Sangheili Zealot teams. Other attacks were not as successful, however. At the Debrecen Research Facility, the Covenant infiltration team, made up of Sangheili and Unggoy Rangers, were detected as they were landing, resulting in an ambush that killed the special ops aliens. However, the DRF garrison was unable report in the engagement to due to a region-wide comms blackout, courtesy of several Covenant jamming spires and scattered around their main encampment in the Viery Territory.
At Visegrád, on the morning of the 24th a UNSC Army team was dispatched to investigate the sudden drop-off in communications. This team made landfall near the station, and were immediately engaged by regular Covenant forces, that destroyed their and pinned them down in a small cluster of buildings. After several hours, was suspicious of the lack of communications, and Colonel , commander of the UNSC Army's , received permission to dispatch a team to investigate. , under the command of , would be sent in, and would promptly find and deal with the Covenant forces surrounding the encircled UNSC Army team.
Upon mounting up in Falcons, the team would then rush to the relay station, where they engaged with a Zealot team, killing two of the members and forcing the third, Field Marshal Irro 'Taramee, to withdraw along with the remaining Covenant forces. Upon reestablishing communications with the UNSC, NOBLE Team alerted Colonel Holland to the presence of the Covenant on Reach, whereupon the was activated, and all UNSC forces within the Viery Territory were placed on a war footing.
The UNSC Army's 30th Defence Group was activated from reserve status, to join the and 71st Mobile Detachment in defending much of the Viery Territory's urban regions. Furthermore, the 12th and 23rd Army Component Commands were activated, to defend the provinces of and , respectively. In total, 9.5 million members of the UNSC Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps were placed under theatre command of General Sarah Davis in defending the area of Reach targeted by the Covenant. However, this was but a fraction of the total manpower available to the UNSC. The total amount of manpower on Reach and in orbit was in excess of 380 million, over half of the planet's civilian population. However, due to the necessity of keeping the Covenant's discovery of Reach under lock and key, most of these soldiers would not be mobilised until the final stages of the battle.
===Divine Prosperity Offensive===
Upon the failure of his lances to entirely cut off UNSC communications on Reach, 'Barutamee then turned to decisive force as his main method of destruction. On the 25th, eighteen battalions of , and soldiers were unleashed upon key defensive installations across the Viery Territory, as part of the Divine Prosperity Offensive. The first phase of this offensive targeted sites near or on Forerunner relics, as well as stations identified as extremely significant to the UNSC's capability to reinforce and counterattack. 
They launched their surprise attacks in tandem at 0300 New Alexandria Time, catching many UNSC garrisons unaware. Many key locations, such as Camp Engadine near and Dracov Airfield near , would fall within hours, whilst other, more defensible locations, such as and the Dawes Supply Depot, would prove tougher fortified positions. 
The importance of SWORD Base to the UNSC and its continued defence was paramount. 'Barutamee recognised this, and as such had devoted substantial resources to its capture, including the corvette Warden of Faith. His decision was completely justified, as in addition to holding records of every single UNSC world including Earth, SWORD Base also sat above a large Forerunner installation, that was later discovered to be a slipspace gate. Doctor , along with other ONI researchers, had refused to evacuate and leave their work, and this, along with a multitude of other factors, led to the deployment of NOBLE Team on July 26th to repel the attackers.
After a fierce battle that led to the destruction of the Warden of Faith via one of the in orbit, SWORD Base was declared secure, and NOBLE Team was authorised to aid in the defence of other locations on the Eposz continent. In the meantime, fighting still raged around Dawes Supply Depot and Dracov Airfield, as the Covenant, now fortified in the positions of the previous defenders, refused to give an inch to the UNSC Army assault troopers that now attempted to storm the strategically vital locations. The Covenant was also beginning to heavily reinforce their new gains, with the extra deployment of pairs and Sangheili to the field, along with aerial support from fighter-bombers.
In response, the UNSC deployed several fighter squadrons, and the SPARTAN-III , who were able to take Dracov Airfield back from the Covenant forces. However, Dawes Supply Depot was a lost cause, as the Covenant began a steady advance from the perimeter of the depot, and consolidated their gains in a 2,543 km² zone on the Eposz continent. However, this was not the only area Covenant forces controlled. In the wilderness of the Viery Territory, only 60 kilometres from Visegrád Relay, a large headquarters had been set up by the Fleet of Valiant Prudence. 
Containing weapons depots, vehicle workshops, air defences and even several corvettes, the entire area was protected by several electro-magnetic jamming spires covering the entire martialing area, and a dozen more , capable of providing both electro-magnetic 'bubble' shields to the troops below it, and cloaking capability for any ships above. This would be where 'Barutamee would then recall his forces from the Oort Cloud, and moor the Long Night of Solace in the orbit of Reach, with the UNSC none the wiser. He also put in a request to be joined at Reach by another fleet from the Ministry of Fervent Intercession, but this would take time to reach . As such, he had to make do with what he had for the time being.
===The Grinding Advance===
Over the course of the 27th, 28th and 29th of July, small Covenant assaults would drive back UNSC forces around Dawes Supply Depot. A strike mission by a team of Sangheili and Mgalekgolo allowed an air corridor to be opened between 'Barutamee's hidden base in Viery and the alien exclave. Despite this, the heavily-guarded convoys made no attempts to reveal where they were originating from, as UNSC analysts scrambled to discover where the Covenant's main base was. 
On the 30th, Covenant offensives halted, and 'Barutamee settled in to a new approach to the conflict. Whilst the fast, decisive offensives were working, they were costing a lot of equipment and manpower, which was something he needed to conserve in order to fight a long, protracted campaign. As such, he ended the Divine Prosperity Offensive, and began the Vehement Subjugation Offensive. These series of offensives would be more focused on a slow, methodical advance through the bushland of Eposz. Heavy fighting ensued around as the Covenant advanced into the , but a counterattack led by forced alien forces to dig in at the base of the range.
Sangheili raids also increased in activity, as they were dispatched to raid UNSC locations and cause general terror among the populace. This was mostly kept under control by ONI, who would police communications around the areas of the terror raids. They successfully localised all Covenant raids to an area within the , although at a terrible cost to local UNSC units and civilians. One of the more infamous incidents was when several units of Unggoy shocktroopers massacred the populace of the town of Brazena, some 15,000 people. 
On the 5th of August, it was finally recognised that a large communications blackout zone existed over a large swathe of the Viery wilderness after a squadron of UNSCAF lost contact with their airfield at New Alexandria, and went missing. As such, a company of were dispatched to investigate the dark zone, and report back to UNICOM on their findings. They would enter the zone on the 7th, with all contact lost with them since. After three days, UNICOM gave up hope, and authorised Colonel Holland to use SPARTANs to conduct a reconnaissance mission into the territory.
On the 11th of August, two SPARTAN-IIIs of NOBLE Team ( and ) were deployed into the blackout zone. There, they discovered the significant Covenant presence, and the communication jamming spires. Planting on the command jammer, they would then journey further into the zone, where they would discover the huge defensive array set up by 'Barutamee. By this point, all of the Fleet's vessels had relocated to the zone under cloaking devices, and 'Barutamee was plotting his next move. News of the SPARTAN incursion troubled 'Barutamee, however he correctly anticipated that a UNSC counteroffensive would follow, and as such prepared his forces to meet them in battle the next day.
=== The Battle of Viery===
The first major counteroffensive of the UNSC during the Battle of Reach, had the goal of routing Covenant forces near their headquarters on in the Viery Territory, and pushing back the large enclave around Dawes. Involving five separate UNSC Army corps, two battalions of ODSTs, several wings of and Pelicans, and even the UNSC Navy's Viery Defence Squadron, ROUNDHOUSE was meant to be the first in a wave of attacks that would force the Covenant force to completely withdraw from Reach.
On the 12th of August, the operation began. ROUNDHOUSE saw the mass deployment of SPARTANs, with all three of Special Warfare Group Three's SPARTAN teams (NOBLE, GAUNTLET & ECHO) being deployed. Whilst ECHO Team would be deployed against the Covenant pocket near Dawes, GAUNTLET and NOBLE would act as the spearhead for UNSC forces around the strategically important Szurdok Ridge, which needed to be taken in order to secure aerial superiority. The Covenant had established several emplacements along the ridgeline, guarded by regular line infantry and . Despite heavy losses, the UNSC Army and NOBLE Team would destroy the AA guns, whilst GAUNTLET would aid UNSC mobile forces in enveloping several Covenant strongpoints throughout the Radetzky Plateau. 
GAUNTLET would run into issues when they encountered the first units to be deployed, losing a SPARTAN to a . However, heavy support from the frigate allowed them to continue onwards, this time with the support of Longswords and . The fighting around Dawes was the fiercest, as the Covenant had taken the time to fortify all of their gains with tanks, turrets, bunkers and a large series of inter-connecting trenches. Through the use of , the UNSC was able to secure a breakthrough in several areas, however a lack of aerial superiority saw the advance turn into a grueling slog, with the momentum gained mostly being lost by the end of the day. 
At the Radetzky Plateau, part of NOBLE Team began the assault on one of the Covenant's shield and cloaking spires. Despite their Falcon going down, they successfully fought their way to the spire and disabled it, allowing the frigate to utilise its to destroy the spire. However, the tide of the battle turned as the supercarrier Long Night of Solace was revealed, destroying the Grafton and making for orbit. From there, the UNSC's momentum was lost, and ROUNDHOUSE stalled in its entirety as the supercarrier deployed dozens of new units to the battlefield. In some areas, the Covenant were even able to push the UNSC back, as Szurdok Ridge was taken back by .
GAUNTLET and NOBLE Teams were forced to withdraw, as they retreated towards a series of caves bypassed by Covenant troops. Whilst behind the frontline, it was a safe area to allow them to rest and recuperate before they could be evacuated elsewhere. ECHO Team, still engaged in fighting around Dawes, would be forced to retreat along with other UNSC forces when the Long Night of Solace deployed a squad of to take back lost ground. 
What was a large counteroffensive turned into a rout. The Covenant, utilising their heavier assault equipment, had begun the process of retaking lost ground and then some, overrunning UNSC positions and encircling thousands of stranded soldiers and marines. Entire brigades were lost as the once-orderly withdrawal turned into a scrambled jumble of different units and ad-hoc groups moving in every direction but towards the ever-approaching frontline. The 597th ODST Battalion, better known as the 'Rattlesnakes', made their last stand at Hill 238, sacrificing their lives to save the large, cumbersome field hospitals filled to the brim with UNSC servicemen from destruction. 
ROUNDHOUSE had been a disaster. Whilst the offensive had started off successful, the intervention of 'Barutamee's flagship had completely halted any momentum the UNSC had gained, as they scrambled to mount an effective defence against the new wave of Covenant assaults. The Long Night of Solace then escaped Reach's atmosphere, despite the attempts of the Viery Defence Squadron and the larger to halt the supercarrier. It was followed into space by several corvettes, who had gorged their own complement of soldiers onto the surface. It was a formidable force to attempt to take on in open battle, even if the Epsilon Eridani Fleet outnumbered them 25:1. The UNSC would have to find a new way to combat, and potentially destroy, the Long Night of Solace. 
===Operations LEFT JAB & UPPERCUT===
For the UNSC, the 13th of August was spent recuperating after the calamity of the day before. Civilian and military casualty estimates for the day before were as high as 900,000, as the Covenant continued their steady advance from the day before. However, some success was had by the UNSC forces surrounding the Dawes enclave, as the Covenant's assault weapons were mostly destroyed or disabled by close-in bombing runs from of the 111th Naval Support Wing. This break allowed the soldiers to gain some respite, and allowed reinforcements to flow to the now-static front, in the form of the 34th Mobile Expeditionary Unit. 
Reinvigorated, ECHO Team would lead the fresh faces in a brave and unexpected counterattack that shattered Covenant lines, with columns of racing through the rear areas of the alien occupied territory, destroying ammunition dumps and vehicle depots. This chaos led to the commander of the forces in the enclave, General Kil 'Moramee, to call a withdrawal in the direction of the Radetzky Plateau, where Covenant armoured columns were approaching rapidly. The fighting retreat almost certainly saved the Covenant forces from annihilation, as they managed to reach the vanguard elements of the main force before sunset.
This success however could not overshadow the serious losses of the day before. Fortunately for UNICOM, NOBLE Team had formulated a potential operation to neutralise the Long Night of Solace. Devised by , it involved the use of the classified and a . The Sabre fighters would provide escort to an extensively-modified Pelican, which would carry the slipspace drive to a Covenant corvette. After the Sabres had destroyed the corvette's weapons, the pilots would then board and secure a landing zone in the hangar for the Pelican. They would then hijack the ship, and send it on a collision course into the Long Night of Solace, whereupon the slipspace engine would be detonated, destroying the supercarrier and giving the UNSC a fighting chance to win the battle. 
However, to do this required a distraction. It was dictated that boarding and capturing a Covenant vessel in a squadron wouldn't be possible, and as such the need to catch one alone was considered vital. As such, the second part of the operation, codenamed , was devised. it involved the use of the Viery Defence Squadron to occupy several Covenant corvettes in fighting above Reach, in order to prevent them from aiding the target of once it came under attack.
The operation was approved by Colonel Holland and General Davis, and so NOBLE Team was evacuated from their hideout in the caves near the Radetzky Plateau, and airlifted to the at , which was under a substantial Covenant assault. After NOBLE Team and the UNSC garrison cleared the facility of hostiles, and Six launched, along with several other Sabre fighters. 
From there, they regrouped at the , and joined with the frigate . As this occurred, Anchor 9 came under attack from Covenant single shipcraft and boarding vessels, which the Savannah and Sabres destroyed. Then they went off and designated their target: the corvette . By this time, LEFT JAB had begun, with the Viery Defence Squadron engaging four corvettes in space combat. This engagement went well, with all four corvettes destroyed for the loss of three frigates. However, this battle left certain areas of Reach unprotected, which allowed several Covenant corvettes not engaged in battle to glass these areas. Notably, the city of was destroyed via glassing, and SWORD Base was a target of a Covenant corvette, melting the ice caps surrounding it and destroying the exterior of the facility. 
As LEFT JAB was ongoing, UPPERCUT was progressing. The Ardent Prayer was caught with a relatively small combat air patrol, and that was dealt with quickly. The Sabres then took out the of the corvette, slowing it considerably and allowing them to dock on the top of the fuselage. Led by Noble Six, the Sabre pilots then cleared the ship's hangar for the Pelican to land in. Unfortunately, as this was occurring, the Savannah was bracketed by a salvo of plasma torpedoes from the Ardent Prayer, which destroyed the frigate with all hands. As the Pelican crew and Noble Five held the hangar, Six and the pilots made their way to the bridge, where they killed the crew and set the corvette on a collision course with the Long Night of Solace. However, upon returning to the hangar, it was discovered that the detonation timers for the slipspace engine had failed, meaning that a manual detonation was required. Noble Five then sacrificed himself, throwing Noble Six off the ship to the surface below. 
The mission was a success. The Ardent Prayer proceeded on its course, and the engine detonated, taking with it a large part of the supercarrier. 'Barutamee was killed instantly, as were the remaining reserve forces on the Long Night of Solace preparing to deploy. Command of the Fleet of Valiant Prudence then passed to 'Barutamee's second-in-command, . As the remains of the Covenant capital ship fell to the surface of Reach, there was hope that the UNSC could win the battle with the Long Night of Solace destroyed. However, this was not to be. 
Almost immediately, the Covenant entered the system. Containing several vaunted assault carriers, fifteen battlecruisers and a significant flotilla of corvettes, the Fleet had been dispatched as soon as 'Barutamee had called for assistance. This fleet wreaked havoc on the Viery Defence Squadron, destroying all but one ship, and proceeded to engorge even more forces onto the surface of the planet. 
It is still not known why the rest of the Epsilon Eridani Fleet was not alerted to the Covenant's presence, as the documents concerning that are still classified by ONI. However, what is known is that the UNSC did activate another thirty UNSC Army divisions and four UNSC Marine Corps MEUs after the Fleet of Holy Respite's appearance, which were deployed to the sites of Covenant landings. The Fall of Reach had just entered its second phase. 
==Second Phase==
===Falling Back===
Between the 14th and 18th of August, the UNSC bought time with blood to fortify the most populous regions of Reach in preparation for a Covenant attack. Entire divisions were sacrificed to give them just another few hours to build up the defences around , , and other cities across the planet. As this occurred, the Covenant continued their steady advance, with fresh new troops, equipment and leaders. Jiralhanae warpacks would take the initiative within the Covenant's main shocktroops, tearing through redoubts and destroying UNSC installations.
As the Covenant blitzed through UNSC defences, more and more units were activated and thrown into combat to stem the tide. Over the span of the 15th and 16th of August, 19 million UNSC personnel were called to duty from leave or reserve status, and deployed in combat or support roles, as Sangheili Rangers and forces began a war behind the lines, targeting officers and supply dumps. This still continued even as UNSC forces were pushed out of Quezon, suffering 250,000 casualties in the process of defending the city. Three separate counterattacks could not repel the brutal Jiralhanae defence, as they engaged in a campaign of butchery and murder within the city. Of the city's pre-invasion population of 7 million, only 20,000 would escape the conquest of the city and the glassing of the surface.
This was also when the UNSC actively began considering beginning evacuation efforts for the planet. Until then, UNSC wounded and important personnel had been shipped off planet for 'advanced medical care' or a 'reshuffling of job positions', which had managed to get over 150,000 servicemen and women off the planet. However, as the Covenant continued their advance, the evacuation of non-essential personnel and civilians became a hotly-debated topic. 
Finally, Vice Admiral , who had been arguing about the need for transparency in terms of the Covenant on Reach, almost came to physical blows with Colonel Holland, who insisted there was no need for an evacuation. Stanforth's outburst would convince UNICOM, and civilians began to be evacuated from large population centers in a quiet and organised manner. The official reason given to civilians was a catastrophic fusion reactor meltdown in the city of (which had already been destroyed), however upon reaching orbit and seeing parts of Reach's surface that had been glassed, along with the large, destroyed hulks of Covenant and UNSC ships, it was evident to all the evacuees that the Covenant had found Reach.
The Epsilon Eridani Fleet would spend a significant amount of time shepherding convoys away from Reach until they reached the slipspace transit points, whereupon they would turn back and undertake the same duty once again. These escorting operations would splinter the fleet, and so when the would jump in-system, they would be caught scattered across the Epsilon Eridani System.
===The Fall of New Alexandria===
On the 18th of August, Covenant forces would reach . The city, home to over 14 million residents, was still undergoing evacuation as the alien units reached the outskirts. Defended by the 54th Mobile Defence Corps and elements of the 32nd ODST Division, they would take heavy casualties in the opening engagements, as Sangheili General Lho 'Itarmee would dispatch waves of Unggoy penal battalions, armed only with energy daggers and plasma grenades. These waves would then be followed up with a large force of Jiralhanae bloodthirsters, wielding their signature . The UNSC would break in several locations, forcing all units to abandon the suburbs, and retreat to New Alexandria's central business district and the high-rise skyscrapers. 
On the 19th, Jiralhanae packs would try to break the newly-erected UNSC defence line, but would be beaten back as the UNSC had reinforced its line with the tanks of the 177th Armoured Brigade. New Alexandria was also the only city under attack that the UNSC could contest air superiority in, with dozens of squadrons of Pelicans, Longswords and Falcons. There were also an extreme amount of anti-aircraft weapons within the city, ranging from to the larger , with even a commercial being pressed into service. 
By the end of the 19th, Covenant forces had not broken through the new line, a fact which frustrated 'Itarmee severely. Other Covenant forces were having no trouble pushing aside relatively-weak UNSC defences elsewhere on Reach, however here he was being bested. As such, he called in a favour from the commander of the Fleet of Holy Respite, Fleetmaster Hal 'Duramee, who dispatched three corvettes to aid in the city's subjugation. These corvettes, whilst helpful, would be kept at arm's length by the repurposed mass driver, meaning that 'Itarmee would have to use other measures to take the mass driver out.
On the 20th, more Jiralhanae packs would be thrown against the by now well-entrenched UNSC positions, to no avail. For his failure, 'Itarmee was executed, and replaced by the Jiralhanae War Chieftain Romulus. Romulus would change tactics, instead sending the numerous battalions of Unggoy suicide soldiers in waves condensed at one single point in the UNSC line, then following up with a mechanised Jiralhanae assault, supported by and mortar tanks.
On the evening of the 20th, the attack went in. This time, instead of breaking, the Covenant assault decimated the UNSC forces arrayed against them, penetrating the line and spreading out through the rear-area. The fear of envelopment caused the frontline commander, Major General Thomas Harrison, to order all units to fall back to secondary positions inside the central business district, or buildings considered 'fortress structures'. The units that would retreat into the reinforced skyscrapers would then fight a tooth-and-nail battle, retreating ever upwards as Covenant forces would fight them in brutal room-to-room combat. Many of the UNSC personnel trapped in these structures would be killed, as the promised evacuation never came as UNSC aircraft losses skyrocketed.
On the 21st, New Alexandria had become a mess of evacuation points, UNSC safe-zones and Covenant-controlled suburbs. There was no longer a coherent frontline, rather a jumbled mess of adhoc UNSC fireteams and crazed, brutal Jiralhanae warpacks. Attempts to reinforce the city with larger-level units was given up, with FLEETCOM instead preferring to dispatch reinforcements in the form of the and NOBLE Team via drop pod. These fresh fighters gave the UNSC forces in the city some much-needed help, as clear lines of evacuation and communication were established, and air corridors cleared for evacuating transports. The spaceport in the south of the city was still fully-operational, and was airlifting civilians out of the city as fast as possible. Repeated assaults on the facilities resulted in heavy UNSC losses, however the perimeter was held and the Covenant driven back.
The 23rd of August was the turning point. A team of Sangheili Zealots had managed to neutralise the mass driver, allowing for the corvettes to move in, and begin firing at the evacuation ships. Chieftain Romulus himself joined battle, leading several strike teams to capture several evacuation points and massacre civilians and UNSC forces alike heading to them. By this time the streets themselves were fully-controlled by the Covenant, with the UNSC only occupying the terraces and buildings above the ground. The battle had turned from a clear engagement into a desperate defence for the humans, as they awaited evacuation.
By the afternoon, the UNSC's position was crumbling. With the aid of NOBLE Team and ECHO Team, air defences taken offline earlier in the battle were reactivated, driving off the Covenant's corvettes for a short time and allowing more transports to escape. However, by the evening, all UNSC forces left in the city were either trapped in high-rise buildings, or awaiting evacuation as the Covenant came ever closer. Evacuations continued well into the night, until Covenant forces withdrew, and several Covenant battlecruisers moved in. Some of the UNSC units remaining were able to make it to bunkers scattered across the city, which miraculously survived the glassing. They would leave them on the 25th, to be evacuated by what little airlift capability the UNSC could spare.
New Alexandria had been utterly devastated, first by the battle and then the glassing. The UNSC forces defending the city had been annihilated, with a total of 3,500 soldiers capable of combat upon the battle's end. However, there goal had largely been a success. They were able to evacuate over 5 million people from the city, which was a huge morale boost for the remaining defenders. Yet they were still losing, and would continue to lose more as the fight continued.
===Battle of Manassas===
On the 21st of August, as the was reaching new heights, the Battle of Manassas began. The task of defending the city mostly fell to an assortment of UNSC Marine Corps units, the bulk of which came from the 47th Marine Expeditionary Unit. The Covenant's 901st Heavy Decimation Army was tasked with the destruction of the city, however most of its mobile support of and had been transferred away from the army, leaving it up to the infantry units and several heavy assault detachments to take Manassas. 
The first assault began in the night of the 21st, with several waves of Kig-Yar skirmishers and Unggoy battalions clearing the way for Sangheili infantry. Fierce fighting took place across the frontline, with the UNSC augmented with light to pin down Covenant units in the suburbs. However, the Covenant did manage to secure several breakthroughs, which slowly pushed UNSC forces backwards. A strongpoint of UNSC defence, Eastern Manassas Secondary School, had been surrounded and cut off by the Covenant, with the 2nd Battalion, trapped within. These marines would hold out at the school for over a week, running out of ammunition on the 27th and being forced to fight in hand-to-hand combat, scrounging Covenant weapons from the dead to continue fighting. They would only be vanquished when the Covenant withdrew, and began their glassing campaign. 
On the 23rd, as New Alexandria fell, the Covenant continued to push onwards, supplemented by several battalions of Yan'me split off from Chieftain Romulus' forces. The Covenant attempted to launch a drop-pod offensive from the battlecruiser Undaunted Zeal, however would be halted from launching these operations by the UNSC Centaur and Hyena, which destroyed the corvette and supplemented UNSC forces with the deployment of the . These badly-needed reinforcements helped stemmed the tide of Covenant infantry, which had broken UNSC lines to the north of the city. This assault was halted at the Shiloh River by the newly-arrived ODSTs, 
The 24th and 25th were days of withdrawal for the UNSC in Manassas. The commander of all forces within the city, Colonel Harry Waters, ordered a new frontline be arranged along the south and east bank of the Shiloh River, where positions would be fortified. Scorpion tanks were quite literally buried with only their turret uncovered, as and Scythe AA turrets were repurposed from air defence to impromptu anti-armour weapons. This ingenuity was a decisive factor in the destruction of three separate Covenant attacks along the Shiloh, resulting in the reduction of the 901st Heavy Decimation Army to a combat strength of 60%. 
It was then that the army was reinforced with Chieftain Romulus' 43rd Zealous Abrogation Army, which took up positions to the south of the city, within the Shiloh Wildlife Reserve. Romulus began a scorched earth offensive, burning the forest to clear the way for his armoured vehicles and remove a lot of the defensive advantage the forests gave the UNSC. Whilst several Marine Raider battalions were dispatched to delay the Jiralhanae's torch-and-burn operation, they were dealt with by the 43rd's Sangheili Rangers. 
On the 26th, the main Covenant offensive on Manassas was launched. Spearheaded by mortar tanks and Zealot lances, this offensive destroyed the UNSC line, which had begun to run dangerously low on ammunition for their heavy weapons. Whilst the UNSC attempted to hold them back as Manassas was slowly evacuated, their last stand could not stem the tide for long enough, as Unggoy and Jiralhanae bloodpacks burst into the evacuation zones, and slaughtered the thousands of civilians waiting for transport. 
Manassas would be declared lost on the 28th, with the majority of its civilians having perished when the Covenant broke through the UNSC lines. The Centaur and Hyena attempted to stay and provide support, however would be forced to withdraw after fire from heavy anti-aircraft turrets. After its capture, Chieftain Romulus was ordered to take his troops to a point near , where he would prepare an assault on the formidable UNSC garrison in the mountains protecting . 
===The Great Escape===
The Great Escape is the term generally used to describe the UNSC's retreat to the only remaining secure strategic points they held across the Viery Territory. This operation, for all of the chaos surrounding the Fall of Reach, was possibly the single-greatest administrative feat conducted by the UNSC, as they moved over 40 million UNSCDF members and civilians to evacuation points across the continent. This was combined with several dozen different military black operations conducted by Special Warfare Group Three and the , to destroy classified documents and key military installations. 
ECHO Team would be redirected from assisting evacuation efforts around Dawes to CASTLE Base, where they would prepare the facility for remote detonation, to be conducted by ONI's designated personnel meant to stay behind. NOBLE Team would be directed to the remnants of SWORD Base for a , and the collection of an ONI , whilst GAUNTLET would be deployed as a quick-reaction force to any part of the large frontline that was now rapidly shrinking, as the perimeter tightened. They would all be successful in their goals, and would attempt to make it towards the rapidly closing UNSC pocket as they desperately tried to evacuate as many soldiers and sailors as possible. ECHO and GAUNTLET would be held back, and would instead journey to Rally Point Omega to set up defences and await rescue. 
The 29th of August was the climax of the evacuation operations, with approximately 2.1 million members of the UNSC lifted off-world, with constant attacks from the Fleet of Holy Respite as the Epsilon Eridani Fleet fought tooth and nail to defend them. In a brilliant case of admiralship, Admiral would utilise three battlecruisers to ambush a cluster of nine Covenant cruisers and carriers, destroying six and forcing the other three to flee with heavy damage. This gave the convoys some respite, as the Covenant warships backed away from any naval engagements until the 30th. However, incessant Covenant attacks meant that the only secure evacuation point away from the planet was at the , with an ever-shrinking perimeter. 
By this time the UNSC had completely lost aerial superiority over Reach. Whilst a small area covering the was contested, Covenant fighters ran amok above Reach, strafing UNSC columns and destroying key infrastructure. ONI's secretive was also greenlit, with cruiser cleared to begin its operation with a contingent of 25 supersoldiers aboard. However, they would never get the chance to fulfil their objectives, as on the 30th of August, the Covenant and arrived in system, to begin the final subjugation of Reach. 
===The Naval Battle of Reach ===
The Fleet of Particular Justice was a well-known and despised Covenant fleet, led by . It contained over two-hundred vessels, and was responsible for the glassing of several planets, including and . 'Vadamee was a competent commander, and had jumped in-system with his fleet in a tight formation, so as to avoid any over-extension. Leading from the assault carrier , 'Vadamee would call the remaining ships of the Fleets of Valiant Prudence and Holy Respite to his force, supplementing his fleet with the battle-hardened ships that had in some cases spent an entire month fighting the UNSC at Reach. The smaller but capable Fleet of Righteous Vigilance accompanying the Fleet of Particular Justice would be ordered by 'Vadamee to engage all UNSC forces making their way to the UNSC's main fleet concentration, .
Upon the Fleet of Particular Justice's arrival, Admiral Freemont recalled all ships within the to Rally Point Zulu, to reorganise and counter the Covenant attack. Many in the fleet thought this was the first Covenant force to arrive at Reach, however others knew otherwise. Whilst it was hard to ignore the sunk wrecks of Covenant and UNSC warships alike, ONI task forces had shepherded most of the wrecks to a point far away from prying UNSC eyes, attempting to maintain some form of secrecy. 'Vadamee's strategy to use the Fleet of Righteous Vigilance as a blocking force was a winning doctrine, as they engaged and destroyed many UNSC vessels. Only a handful of ships, including the Pillar of Autumn, would make it through, destroying several Covenant vessels in the process.
The remainder of the Epsilon Eridani Fleet, some 152 ships, would meet at Rally Point Zulu, led by Admiral Roland Freemont in the pride of the UNSC's fleet, the . There they would link with Reach's twenty ODP platforms, which were capable of destroying a Covenant ship with a single salvo. Many in the fleet expected this to be their final stand, however Freemont and Vice Admiral Stanforth had several tricks up their sleeve - even if they weren't going to win, they would make the Covenant pay for their victory.
As the Fleet of Particular Justice approached, they sailed right into a trap placed by Stanforth and the numerous ONI stationed around Reach: A . They were detonated as the first MAC salvo from the fleet and orbital platforms reached the fleet, decimating their number. Fully a third of the Covenant force had been completely neutralised, either dead in the water or totally destroyed. However, they still had teeth, and loosed a salvo in response.
This was when the UNSC's second trick was revealed. Three , which were travelling with the fleet, would suddenly accelerate towards the front, turning themselves front-on to the Covenant plasma barrage, tanking dozens of to save the fleet at the cost of themselves. This bought the Epsilon Eridani Fleet enough time to loose yet another MAC salvo in conjunction with the orbital platforms, destroying many more Covenant warships. Despite the casualties, 'Vadamee was undeterred, and maneuvered his fleet around the wreckage of the repair stations to fire at the fleet and defence platforms. They managed to destroy five of the SMAC stations, and deal some considerable damage to the UNSC forces, before deploying hundreds of dropships to the surface and retreating to the outer edge of the system.
The dropships deployed were focused around attacking the generators of the defence platforms, and despite their best efforts, were held back with considerable UNSC casualties. At this time, the SPARTAN-IIs assigned to RED FLAG were redeployed to either destroy a navigational device on an , or to the surface to defend the orbital generators. In these actions, most would be killed, with the rest withdrawing into several defensible positions in the Highland Mountains. Only one would make it back to the Pillar of Autumn. As these actions occurred, the Covenant fleet returned for another attack.
Several of the Covenant ships made pinpoint slipspace jumps near the fleet, which, whilst leaving them vulnerable for a short period, allowed them to get in close and destroy more of the orbital platforms. The Covenant then made quick work of the remaining ships, using a powerful to fire plasma lances at large targets from long range, such as the carriers and cruisers of the fleet. The last carrier standing for the UNSC was the flagship Trafalgar, as Admiral Freemont and the crew fought a desperate last stand against a wave of Covenant battlecruisers.
The few ships not destroyed had already made their escape, leaving the Pillar of Autumn as one of the few remaining vessels not destroyed. Running the gauntlet, the ship would conduct a landing at the Asźod Shipbreaking Yards, where it would remain as it waited for a package to be delivered by NOBLE Team. The Naval Battle of Reach had been lost quite convincingly. Whilst they had managed to destroy hundreds of Covenant warships, it wasn't enough, and Reach's fate was sealed.
===The Last Actions===
The last few battles on the surface of Reach were sporadic yet fierce. The last evacuation point on the planet, Asźod Shipbreaking Yards, would act as a last refuge for all those hoping to get off the planet. The remnants NOBLE Team would arrive with a package meant for the Pillar of Autumn later in the afternoon, and successfully delivered it into the hands of Captain Jacob Keyes. They would then hoping to destroy the UNSC cruiser, until only one SPARTAN remained, and the Pillar of Autumn had made its escape. 
The Covenant would begin their total that day, scorching almost the entire surface of the planet, except for one area; the terrain around ONI's CASTLE Base was left intact, as large units Covenant ground forces were dispatched there to excavate the area. Elements of SPARTAN teams , and would survive and hinder their efforts, before retreating into the tunnels under the base to fight a guerrilla war against the Covenant. They would later be evacuated and form a part of the task force involved in . 
The remaining UNSC forces on the surface attempted to reach , the last bastion of UNSC defence on the planet. Most didn't make it, and the few that did were quickly cut down by the massed Covenant forces. As the last warrior fell, and the Covenant withdrew, it was over. Reach had fallen.
==Aftermath==
The Fall of Reach was certainly a colossal disaster for the UNSC. With almost one billion military personnel and civilians killed in the action, it was the most catastrophic defeat ever suffered by the UNSC. The loss of the Epsilon Eridani Fleet, millions of UNSC personnel and the huge shipbuilding facilities of the system would further degrade the UNSC's ability to wage war against its foes. Reach's glassing dropped ONI's estimated reports of the UNSC's survival from months down to mere weeks. 
However, the Fall of Reach was the catalyst that would lead to the discovery of , a created by the Forerunners. Found by the crew of the Pillar of Autumn, in a , the ring would be destroyed after both sides discovered the existence of the , which began to expand across the Halo ring rapidly. A small group of UNSC survivors, led by , would hijack a Covenant and take it to Reach, where they evacuated surviving UNSC personnel and extracted a that had mysterious slipspace capabilities. The hijacked ship - amalgamated with a - would be used as part of - a preemptive operation against a amassing to destroy the last UNSC bastion of . 
Using the captured Covenant capital ship as bait to draw in the fleet, the UNSC forces launched a daring operation into the fleet's , where they set the station's shield generators to overload and take the surrounding ships with it in the eventual explosion. The plan succeeded and most of the fleet was destroyed, as the UNSC survivors retreated to Earth to warn the UNSC of the coming danger, and the new technologies discovered during the ordeal. The actions of the UNSC forces involved would undeniably affect the war's conclusion, as the events on Reach, Installation 04 and FIRST STRIKE would lead to the , , , and the : culminating in the in what was a Pyrrhic victory for the UNSC. Yet humanity would live on, and enter a new age of remembrance, reconstruction and reconciliation.
Category:Battles
Category:Battles of the Human-Covenant War
Category:Events