Post by Sisho on Jul 29, 2009 11:07:12 GMT -5
Originally colonized for its rich titanium deposits, Reach had mines throughout it running thousands of meters deep. ONI's secret CASTLE base was located in one of these mines underneath Menachite Mountain. ONI commandeered the mine after it breached a secret area beneath Reach's surface containing 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 the aftermath of the Battle of Reach at all, as the Covenant were afraid of destroying it. This facility was also the birthplace of the legendary SPARTAN-II Program. The planet is now almost completely glassed, devoid of almost any life.