致遠星淪陷

Template:Disambig header Template:Battle

致遠星淪陷（因為：Fall of Reach）[2][3]，又稱致遠星之戰（英文：Battle of Reach）[4]是人類-星盟戰爭期間規模最大，傷亡人數最多的戰役之一。此次戰鬥開始於2552年7月25日，終於8月30日，交戰雙方分別是聯合國太空指揮部和星盟，主要戰鬥發生在天苑四星系的致遠星及周邊。[5]

此次戰役最初的較量發生在2552年7月23日，當時一支星盟小型部隊從長夜漫漫號超級母艦出發，在致遠星表面建立登陸點並開始搜尋先行者遺物，由於通訊受到阻礙，UNSC方面一度以為是當地叛軍作亂，因而沒能及時作出反應，直到貴族小隊——斯巴達III期的一支小型部隊——前往調查後，UNSC才得知星盟的存在，並開始發動攻勢，試圖在增援到達前將其驅離致遠星。然而，UNSC的作戰最終失敗了，由提爾·瓦達米指揮的星盟艦隊趕在先頭部隊殲滅前抵達了致遠星附近，並迅速地瓦解了UNSC防線。在UNSC不得不集結部隊撤離的同時，星盟開始進行玻璃化進程，將致遠星表面燒成一片焦土。但是，在UNSC部隊撤離後，仍有一部分人類從玻璃化中倖存下來，並繼續和星盟戰鬥，這些倖存者最後被約翰-117帶領的小型救援隊救起，並帶回了地球。

儘管UNSC在此次戰役中受到了慘痛打擊，但貴族小隊成功保護了人工智慧科塔娜與她攜帶的關鍵數據，後者指引著UNSC 秋風之墩號飛向04特區，他們在那裡和星盟展開了一次關鍵戰鬥，並引發了一系列相關聯的事件，最終導致星盟在短短數月內分崩離析，而人類也最終迎來了戰爭的勝利。

在2552年7月19日前，海軍情報辦公室根據星盟的相關動向，對戰爭走勢開展了一系列預測，根據計算結果，辦公室認為星盟在5個月內發現天苑四星系存在的可能性高達87%。辦公室主任瑪格麗特·帕蘭戈斯基海軍上將為此同麥可·斯坦福斯海軍中將進行了交流，討論要不要將致遠星作為紅旗行動的舞台，二人一致認為星球表面的大規模先行者遺蹟可能使致遠星成為星盟的重點關注對象。然而，海軍情報辦公室並未就此向相關方面發出即時的警告。[6]

在帕蘭戈斯基發出消息不到一個月後，海軍情報辦公室預演的噩夢成為了現實。儘管在西格瑪·奧克塔努斯之戰中遭受了沉重打擊，但星盟仍趁亂在UNSC 伊洛魁號上安裝了追蹤裝置，並以此來尋找人類殖民地。當伊洛魁號返回致遠星時，這座殖民地的存在立刻便暴露給了星盟。不過，星盟方面其實早已得知致遠星的存在——從西格瑪·奧克塔努斯IV星回收回來的先行者製品指出致遠星上有其他製品，一如帕蘭戈斯基和斯坦福斯的猜測——只是他們不知道這裡也有人類殖民地。

在發動大規模攻勢前，星盟派出英勇審慎艦隊作為先鋒，前往致遠星：這支艦隊包括了CSO級超級母艦長夜漫漫號與數艘SDV級重型輕護衛艦。在抵達致遠星後，艦隊暗中向致遠星的Viery Territory投放了大批地面部隊。This invasion force was cloaked from UNSC sensors by sophisticated stealth pylons deployed around it. 星盟同時還派遣了一支由向斐力狂熱者組成的突擊隊，前往維謝格拉德通訊哨站附近的發掘現場回收先行者遺物。

2552年7月23日夜晚，也就是戰鬥正式開始的兩天前，星盟從英勇審慎艦隊內調集了一支小型突擊隊，暗中滲透至維謝格拉德鎮內，破壞此處通訊陣列以中斷致遠星同外界的聯繫。[8]UNSC和海軍情報辦公室方面雖然注意到了維謝格拉德失聯的情況，但他們誤判作是當地極端叛亂分子所為，[9][7]因此只派遣了數個陸軍火力小組前往調查，但是不久後，這些火力小組都陸續與部隊失去聯繫。[7]

維謝格拉德中繼站失聯一天後，斯巴達貴族小隊接受命令前往調查，他們抵達後便開始隊周圍環境進行偵查。貴族小隊很快發現襲擊中繼站的並非叛亂分子，而是一支試圖癱瘓通訊系統的星盟尖兵部隊。在清除外圍的星盟後，貴族小隊繼續向中繼站進發，結果遭到正在搜索先行者遺物的向斐力狂熱者襲擊。不久後，致遠星發布了冬日告急指令。[11][12]

利用隱形和偽裝技術，星盟部隊鞏固了自己在致遠星上的登陸點：他們派遣大批部隊和艦艇進行支援，同時還在周圍地區設置了防空火力。

SPARTAN-B312 and Jorge-052 watch a Covenant corvette sinking after being neutralized by an orbital strike.

維謝格拉德鎮的戰鬥發生兩天後，星盟襲擊了刺刀基地，試圖靠近該基地附近的先行者建築。然而，攜帶著M71防空炮的貴族小隊擊退了星盟的攻勢，同時還恢復了當地的通訊。後撤的星盟護衛艦隨後被軌道防禦平台上安裝的電磁加速炮擊毀。[13]

UNSC ground forces charge a Covenant formation in the Battle at Szurdok Ridge.

刺刀基地遇襲兩周後，UNSC派出部隊深入星盟控制的地域偵查敵情，為接下來的反擊收集情報。在星盟部隊大部分集結於地表的情況下，聯合國太空指揮部陸軍、海軍、海軍陸戰隊發動了一次聯合作戰行動，試圖在支援到達之前殲滅星盟的地面部隊。[14]陸軍和貴族小隊在此次戰鬥中擔任了前鋒，後者還摧毀了星盟的防空武器，為長劍號和巴黎級重型護衛艦的轟炸拓平了航路。儘管在戰鬥的一開始，UNSC似乎占了優勢，但當CSO級超級母艦長夜漫漫號在戰場上空解除隱形時，他們的優勢被瞬間瓦解了，長夜漫漫號在攻擊UNSC護衛艦的同時，還不斷地向地面提供增援部隊。[14]而在前線戰事如火如荼的同時，一支星盟部隊再度襲擊了刺刀基地，並取得了成功。大約在這個時候，UNSC麾下大約六成的艦隊接到了召回命令，它們預計會在8月15日左右抵達致遠星。[15]

Long Night of Solace being destroyed.

The arrival of the supercarrier led to Operation: UPPER CUT, in which NOBLE Team used YSS-1000 Sabres and the corvette Ardent Prayer to deliver an improvised slipspace drive "bomb" to the supercarrier and destroy it.[15] 斯巴達-B312、喬治-052及一隊空軍飛行員在UNSC 稀樹草原號護衛艦的掩護下登上了Ardent Prayer 並控制了它。[15]之後，貴族五號靠犧牲自己來摧毀長夜漫漫號，然而，在超級母艦爆炸的同時，又一支星盟艦隊在致遠星軌道上退出了躍遷。[15] Despite the mission's success, the destruction of the supercarrier was an inadvertent setback for Operation: RED FLAG.[6]

在接下來的一周中，星盟不斷地向致遠星表面投放部隊，而它的艦隊則開始對重點目標進行玻璃化轟炸。然而，星球上大部分人——無論軍隊（尤其是參與紅旗行動的部隊）還是平民——此時仍被蒙在鼓裡，他們對戰鬥的具體情況一無所知。[6][17] HIGHCOM withheld major counteroffensives on the far side of the planet in the hope that a Class-5 Covenant vessel, which was needed for the operation, would be drawn in and make itself vulnerable for capture. Millions perished as a result of this relative inaction.[6]

A battle broke out in the city of New Alexandria, with large numbers of civilian evacuation transports being shot down by Covenant air and ground forces.[18][16]貴族小隊隊員幫助了當地的UNSC部隊淨空空域，並成功擊落一架星盟輕護衛艦。儘管UNSC清空了市內的敵人，但星盟艦隊也在此時開始城市進行玻璃化。在撤退過程中，貴族小隊的凱特-B320不幸中槍身亡。[16]

隨後，貴族小隊和軌道空降突擊隊組成了一支小型部隊，前往被星盟占領的刺刀基地，並準備將其摧毀[19]。途中，他們遇到了凱薩琳·哈爾西博士，後者向他們尋求幫助以保護自己位於刺刀基地內的實驗室，並阻止星盟部隊接近地下的先行者遺蹟。哈爾西指示貴族六號、卡特和埃米爾將人工智慧科塔娜的一個分身護送至UNSC 秋風之墩號上，而自己則跟著俊-A266前往致遠星上的城堡基地。[19]

8月30日結束後，一支大規模星盟混成艦隊在最高指揮官提爾·瓦達米和他的特殊正義艦隊的帶領下，浩浩蕩蕩地進入了天苑四星系的邊緣。[20] The fleet was first detected in slipspace by remote scanning outpost Fermion. The station's commander, Chief Petty Officer McRobb, 向艦隊司令部發送了緊急信息，隨後便下令空間站進入自毀程序以避免重要數據誤落敵手。幾分鐘之後，315艘星盟飛船在天苑四星系邊緣脫離了躍遷空間。[21] Admiral Roland Freemont發布了UNSC Alpha Priority Transmission 04592Z-83，命令天苑四星系內的所有飛船立刻向致遠星方向集結，準備抵禦星盟的進攻。The Covenant moved in on the orbital defenses before the UNSC fleet fully consolidated. Fifty-three belated UNSC ships,[21] including the UNSC 秋風之墩號, ran a gauntlet of screening Covenant warships as they attempted to link up with the main fleet. At this time, only about a hundred UNSC ships were readily available to defend Reach.[21]

The Epsilon Eridani Fleet engages the Covenant fleet in orbit over Reach.

The main Covenant force moved in on the orbital defenses. The initial salvo of plasma torpedoes was mostly absorbed by the sacrifice of three refit and repair stations, allowing the defenders to return fire.[22] The orbital defense platforms and four nuclear mines combined to take down a full third of the Covenant fleet. The vaporized Titanium-A armor of the refit stations also served to block incoming plasma torpedoes. However, the next Covenant salvo significantly damaged the UNSC fleet, as the Covenant maneuvered for clear shots around the titanium dust cloud and moved in for the kill. They destroyed five of the Super MAC platforms, further crippling the UNSC orbital perimeter, before retreating out of range. A previously unknown warship type, armed with a powerful energy projector, revealed itself and destroyed the Template:UNSCShip and four other ships before withdrawing temporarily. The rest of the Covenant fleet withdrew to regroup after deploying hundreds of dropships to the surface. The remaining UNSC fleet of 20 ships pursued the Covenant dropships, destroying some, but many still made it through and landed on Reach's northern and southern poles.

As the surviving dropships disgorged thousands of troops, the Covenant fleet began another attack. Some ships made pinpoint slipspace jumps, putting them within the UNSC formation. This left them vulnerable for a short time but allowed them to strike the ODPs directly. Meanwhile, the Covenant vessel returned and destroyed the Template:UNSCShip and Template:UNSCShip from beyond ODP range. The Template:UNSCShip engaged the warship, launching a Shiva nuclear device timed to explode within its shields. The detonation reverberated off the shields and disintegrated the vessel.

A CCS-class battlecruiser initiates a pinpoint slipspace jump over Reach.

Thousands of Covenant landed on Reach in an attempt to destroy the orbital defense generators, and were intercepted by Marine forces who were able to defend against the first few waves of Covenant forces while sustaining heavy casualties. The remaining Spartan-IIs who were not assigned to Reach Station Gamma were sent to Orbital Defense Generator Facility A-331 to assist in the defense of the station. Unfortunately, their Pelican transport, Bravo 001, was shot down, resulting in the deaths of four Spartans (including Malcolm-059), and some others were wounded as well. Near their crash site, the surviving Spartans discovered the shell-shocked remnants of Charlie Company.

The Spartans defend the generators from a swarm of Covenant.

Charlie Company had been assigned by Vice Admiral Danforth Whitcomb to find the prototype NOVA bombs. They were forced to help defend the orbital defense facilities on their way to their objective. Unfortunately, as the Covenant neared the orbital defense generators, someone at HIGHCOM panicked and ordered Longswords to bomb everything within 500 meters, resulting in the destruction of the Covenant ground forces in that location, but also catastrophic friendly fire: Charlie Company was reduced to four men, and its leaders: Lieutenants Jake Chapman and Buckman were cut off from their subordinates.

The Spartans, after being briefed on the situation by Charlie Company, responded to a distress call from Whitcomb, who requested immediate evacuation. 斯巴達部隊指揮官弗雷德里克-104將倖存的紅隊分成了四個小組分頭作戰：阿爾法小組（弗雷德里克-104、凱莉-087、約書亞-029）負責消滅一處可以容納10000名星盟士兵的營地及浮在其上空的巡洋艦(without doing anything that could damage the orbital defense generators as the EMP from a nuclear weapon would render them inoperative and accomplish the Covenant's objective for them)；貝塔小組負責保護軌道防禦發電機；伽馬小組（李-008、安東-044、格蕾絲-093）負責解救惠特科姆；德爾塔小組(the Charlie Company Marines and six wounded Spartans which included William-043, Isaac-039, and Vinh-030), ordered to secure the Spartans' fallback point at CASTLE Base.

Team Alpha hijacked three Banshees and approached the Covenant encampment (they were ignored by the Grunt Zawaz, who assumed they were Elites on a secret mission) and used Fury Tactical Nuclear Weapons within the shields of the Covenant ship, destroying the encampment and negating the EMP effect that would have disabled the orbital defense generators. Joshua was killed in the process by mass light weapons salvos from the 10,000 Covenant ground forces encamped around the Cruiser. The remaining Spartans of Team Alpha then fell back to CASTLE Base, blasting their way through the remaining Covenant in the area with two commandeered Wraiths. Team Gamma accomplished its mission and fell back to Camp Independence with Whitcomb, where they survived the partial glassing of the planet. Team Delta fell back to CASTLE Base, but in the process lost the remaining Charlie Company marines and every Spartan save for Vinh, Isaac, and William. When the remnants of Team Alpha and Team Delta arrived at CASTLE Base, they found Catherine Halsey there.

Team Beta was unable to stop the Covenant, who attacked in swarms of thousands. The orbital defense generators were compromised, and the Covenant, after eliminating the powerless, immobile ODPs in geosynchronous orbit around the planet, began the glassing of Reach. The planet, having been steadily weakened during the invasion throughout the prior weeks, had fallen with relative ease to the might of the Covenant invaders.[20]

The Covenant fleet bearing down on Reach.

During the space battle, the AI Doppler, controller of Reach Station Gamma, was unable to destroy the vital information onboard the Template:UNSCShip, an ONI Prowler involved in Operation: HYPODERMIC. As the Covenant deployed troops to the station, Doppler reported this violation of the Cole Protocol to the Pillar of Autumn before self-destructing himself to keep from further violation. In response, Captain Jacob Keyes sent John-117, James-005, and Linda-058 to the station. They accomplished their task and destroyed the NAV database onboard Reach Station Gamma, but at the cost of James and Linda. While onboard, they rescued some Marines onboard the station: Staff Sergeant Avery Junior Johnson and Privates Wallace Jenkins, Bisenti, and O'Brien. They were then evacuated by Pelican back to the Pillar of Autumn. Linda-058 was clinically dead, but there was still a chance of saving her, so she was placed in a cryo chamber. John-117 asked Lieutenant Hall to scan for James (who had been blown into space) but they were unable to find him.

With the battle for Reach now nearing its conclusion, the Pillar of Autumn set down at the Asźod ship breaking yards for repairs as well as to receive the fragment of Cortana that Halsey had tasked NOBLE Team with delivering to Keyes. Covenant forces soon descended on the shipyards and began landing troops. Although the docked Autumn managed to hold off the Covenant attackers, most of the facility and the surrounding area was occupied.

The remnants of NOBLE Team, consisting of Carter-A259, Emile-A239, and SPARTAN-B312, arrived on the outskirts of the facility. Carter sent Noble Six and Emile to deliver the package to Keyes. He then sacrificed himself to destroy a Scarab. Six and Emile fought their way to the shipyards, where they linked up with some surviving UNSC ground troops. Keyes then contacted the Spartans and ordered them to clear Landing Platform Delta so that he could pick up the package. Upon arriving at the platform, Emile took charge of a mass driver and used it to provide cover fire for the Autumn. Six, meanwhile, cleared the platform of Covenant troops.

The Pillar of Autumn escapes.

With the platform cleared, Captain Keyes arrived in a Pelican and personally took possession of the package from Noble Six. Just then a Template:Class appeared and started heading toward the Autumn. Keyes ordered Emile to take out the cruiser before it destroyed the Autumn. Emile, however, was attacked by a pair of Sangheili Zealots. The Spartan killed the Zealots but was also killed, leaving the mass driver cannon unmanned. With the cruiser closing in on the Autumn, Noble Six volunteered to stay behind to take charge of the gun.

凱斯帶著包裹回到了秋風之墩號號上，並準備讓飛船起飛。同時，貴族六號控制了the mass driver and destroyed several Phantoms and Banshees before the Covenant cruiser came within range. As the cruiser prepared to destroy the Autumn with its energy projector, Six fired directly into the ship's exposed glassing port. The resulting explosion crippled the cruiser.

空域安全後，秋風之墩號起飛並逃離了致遠星，進入軌道後，它立刻執行躍遷，飛往04特區（由科塔娜暗中安排）。十幾艘星盟飛船發起了追擊，而剩餘的星盟部隊則留在星球軌道上完成玻璃化過程。在船廠內，孤立無援的貴族六號繼續同星盟戰鬥，最終在向斐力人的圍攻下英勇犧牲。

Reach after its glassing.

致遠星淪陷後，UNSC失去了數以萬計的軍人和平民，以及人類在太陽系外規模最大的工業基地，還有上百艘戰艦——其中包括了像UNSC 巴斯拉號、UNSC 特拉法爾加號、UNSC 武藏號這樣短時間內難以建造的巡洋艦和超級母艦。同時，在天苑四星系落入星盟控制之下後，通往太陽系的航路上已再無險可守，有人估計人類在數周之內就會陷入全面戰敗的境地，而海軍情報辦公室則懷疑太陽系內可能存在防禦漏洞，也開始著手將一部分重工業設施和指揮系統遷移至其他星系。[25]

另一方面，儘管致遠星一役對人類而言是一次災難性的失敗，但UNSC依然發揮出了自開展以來的最好表現。在面對人數多出一倍，而且裝備、科技等各個層面都遠勝於己的對手時，他們依然給星盟製造出了巨大的傷亡，這其中有很大一部分要歸功於致遠星軌道上的20座軌道防禦平台。The ferocious defense was so effective that at least one Covenant ship outright fled the battle. The AI Cortana commandeered the fleeing Template:UNSCShip to the previously undiscovered fourth Forerunner Halo. While the Battle of Installation 04 was tangential to the main front, the containment of the initial Flood outbreak - and the experience gained - was just as critical to the survival of the UNSC.

While Reach was the Covenant armada's main target, the other colonies in Epsilon Eridani would also come under attack. Tribute was besieged by Covenant forces for several months, ending only when the Great Schism caused the Jiralhanae and Sangheili to turn on each other, ignoring the human defenders. The small colony on Beta Gabriel was destroyed when Valorous Salvation deserted the Covenant fleet and fled there; ODSTs arrived shortly thereafter and killed all the Covenant deserters without incurring losses.

在星盟開始摧毀致遠星地表的時候，一些倖存的斯巴達戰士們依然在戰鬥。Team Gamma; a Red team splinter composed of Anton-044; Grace-093 and Li-008, had managed to survive and complete their mission to rescue Vice Admiral Danforth Whitcomb from HIGHCOM. Too late to reach CASTLE base, they hid in the mountains attacking Covenant units with the use of guerrilla tactics as opposed to a conventional assault. They programmed their MJOLNIR suits to transmit the "Oly Oly Oxen Free" secret code on E-Band radio, hoping that any surviving Spartans would discover it and help them.

同時，在城堡基地的廢墟下，哈爾西博士和弗雷德、凱莉、威爾、榮、艾薩克等五名斯巴達戰士花了五天時間來徒步通過一座廢棄的鈦礦井，結果被星盟困在了廢墟迴廊中。They managed to retrieve a Forerunner crystal that the Covenant were seeking, but it emitted a burst of radiation which alerted the Covenant to their presence. Vinh and Isaac fell at the hands of overwhelming Covenant forces, and the others escaped by blowing the hallway down behind them.

After the survivors were recovered by Ascendant Justice, a Covenant Flagship captured by John-117 after the Battle of Installation 04, the ship drew a group of Covenant vessels out of the system in pursuit to Eridanus Secundus, leading to the destruction of the asteroid colony, and the destruction of the artifact and the recovery of only a small number of pieces by the Covenant. The Ascendant Justice also destroyed around sixteen Covenant warships during the escape in slipspace and at the rebel base.[26]

Reach being glassed by the Covenant.