Reach (Planet)

Located in the Epsilon Eridani star system, Reach was the headquarters for the UNSC, and the main supplier of military and civilian spacecraft. Originally colonized for its rich titanium deposits, Reach has mines throughout it running thousands of meters deep. HIGHCOM, FLEETCOM and the Marine Corps had headquarters on Reach, as well as many primary ONI bases, which include CASTLE Base. CASTLE base was located on Reach underneath the Menachite Mountain range. This facility is where the Spartans first began their training. The facility was destroyed after the planet's fall to the Covenant. A secret area beneath Reach's surface contained a Forerunner artifact that was highly desired by the Covenant. The fact that this artifact was so valuable to them is perhaps the main reason anyone survived Reach at all, because the Covenant were fearful of destroying it.

The Covenant discovered the location of Reach during the battle of Sigma Octanus IV. A Forerunner artifact pointed toward Reach as a location of another Forerunner artifact. Coincidentally, the Covenant attatched a spy drone onto the UNSC Iroquois after the battle which allowed them to know the amount of forces around Reach.

Reach was defended by more than a hundred UNSC ships, including the UNSC's flagship Leviathan, the Hannibal, and the Pillar of Autumn. In addition to the fleet, Reach was defended by 20 Mark V Orbital MAC satellites. Though the defenses were enormous, they couldn't hold back the Covenant onslaught.