Halo: The Fall of Reach
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Halo: The Fall of Reach is a 2001 novel based on the video game Halo: Combat Evolved (2001). It is a prequel to the game, written by Eric Nylund, focusing on the Spartan II program, the creation of super soldiers from conscripted children possessive certain genetic markers, through the use of early military training, biological enhancements, and MJOLNIR (pronounced mee-yohl-nur) combat armor. The story also focuses on the early training of the Master Chief, whose only other name is John-117, and his growth from a very able and competitive boy to the respected leader of the Spartans. The story leads up to the initial attacks of the Covenant on outlying human colonies (such as Harvest and Jericho) up to the assault and fall of Reach, the home world and training center of the Spartans. It is worth noting that Reach was the most heavily fortified world of the UNSC, rivaled only by Earth. It concludes with the escape of the Pillar of Autumn on a "randomized" slipspace vector and the the discovery of Halo. This vector is later revealed to have been quickly generated from (possibly) Forerunner hieroglyphs by Cortana. The end of the book leads you to believe that John-117 is the last Spartan II alive after his team on Reach is overwhelmed, but it turns out Linda is in cryostasis, neither dead nor alive, on board the Pillar of Autumn.
Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo: The Flood and Halo: First Strike, two other novels, continue the story begun in The Fall of Reach.