Winter Contingency (level)

Winter Contingency is the second level in the campaign of Halo: Reach and the first level to feature gameplay. It immediately follows the first level Noble Actual, which includes the game's opening cinematic.

Upon completing this level on Normal, Heroic, or Legendary the player will unlock the "We're Just Getting Started" achievement and 10 Gamerscore.

Summary
In the level, Noble Team is sent to Visegrad, a remote agricultural region of the planet Reach, to investigate a disturbance in one of the communications relays responsible for the planet's communications to the rest of the UNSC, and the disappearance of the Army troopers sent in to investigate before them. Sabotage by insurrectionists is suspected, but the cause of the disruption is revealed to be a Covenant advance invasion force.

Transcript
Two UH-144 Falcons fly over a mountainous landscape.

Carter-A259 is shown from behind, looking over at the other Falcon.


 * Carter: "Listen up, Noble Team. We're looking at a downed relay outpost, fifty klicks from Visegrad. We're going to introduce ourselves to whoever took it out, then Kat's going to get it back online."


 * Kat: "Just get me under the hood, Commander."


 * Jorge: "Sir, why would rebels want to cut off Reach from the rest of the colonies?"

Carter is shown from the front.


 * Carter: "You get a chance, maybe you can ask them, Jorge."

The camera shifts to behind the two Falcons.


 * Kat: "Commander, we just lost our signal to HQ."

Cut back to the second Falcon from Carter's point of view.


 * Carter: "Backup channels?"


 * Kat: "Searching...nada. Can't say what's jamming us."

''The two Falcons are once again shown from behind, from a greater distance. They are now approaching the outpost.''


 * Carter: "You heard her. Dead zone confirmed. Command will not be keeping us company this trip."


 * Emile: "I'm lonely already."

''The Falcons bank left and hover over the outpost. Fade to black.''

''Gameplay begins. At this point, the player is free to look around the interior of the Falcon as it circles the outpost.''


 * Carter: "Shoot down attempts are likely, so keep your distance."


 * Pilot: "Yes, sir!"


 * Carter: "Let's stay focused. Watch your sectors."

The two Falcons head in opposite directions as the Comm Relay Hub comes into view.


 * Jorge: "There's the communications outpost."


 * Kat: "Aim for the distress beacon."

Six's HUD places a waypoint that reads "Distress Beacon - Investigate".


 * Carter: "Could be the missing troopers. Let's check it out."

New objective: Locate Distress Beacon.


 * Carter: "Put us down on the bluff."

The Falcon circles for a landing.


 * Carter: "Jun, I want your eyes in the sky."


 * Jun: "Sir."

The Falcons land side by side, and Carter jumps down.


 * Carter: "Let's go, Six."

''The player exits the Falcon along with Carter, Emile and Kat. Jun and Jorge remain in the Falcon to provide sniper support.''

NOBLE Team

 * Carter: "Alright, Noble Team. Spread out. Watch the approach."

''Six follows Noble Team down the hillside. Halfway down the hill, Jun calls over the radio.''


 * Jun: "Structure point 3-4, looks clear from this angle."

''Soon they come to a burning vehicle next to a small building. Emile begins inspecting a palette on the ground.''


 * Emile: "Found the beacon."

Emile tosses Kat the beacon.


 * Carter: "Make out any ID?"


 * Kat: "Negative, but it's military."

Kat drops the beacon on the ground.


 * Jorge: "So where are all the troopers?"


 * Kat: "Why are we not seeing explosives residue?"


 * Carter: "Noble Three, can you confirm any 'ex' residue in the area?"


 * Jun: "Hmmm, negative sir."


 * Emile: "Plasma, maybe."


 * Jorge: "Can't be. Not on Reach."


 * Emile: "There's a lot of blood on the ground."


 * Carter: "All right Noble, looks like there's nothing here. Let's move on."

''Noble Team heads off to another cluster of buildings. New objective: Investigate local Structures.''


 * Kat: "Smoke at the next structure, boss."


 * Carter: "Circle west and check it out. Noble Team you have permission to engage, but be selective. We don't need to telegraph our presence."

The team arrives at a house overlooking the cliffside.


 * Carter: "Noble Six, move into the house. Go in quiet. I'm right behind."

The player moves through the house.


 * Jun: "Noble Leader, I'm seeing heat sigs in the structure ahead."

''Six goes up a short flight of stairs and emerges on the other side of the house. A door opens, and a civilian male steps out. Other civilians can be seen remaining inside. Emile aims his shotgun at the man as he and Jorge question him, but he appears to only to speak in Hungarian.''


 * Emile: "On your knees, now!"


 * Jorge: "They're not rebels, they're farmers. Look at them."


 * Carter: "Ask him what they're doing here."

''Jorge asks him in Hungarian. The civilian begins talking as Jorge translates.''


 * Jorge: "Hiding, sir. Neighbors were attacked last night. He heard screams, gunfire. It stopped around sunrise. He says, something in the fields...killed his son."


 * Carter: "Something?"


 * Jun: "Commander, be advised. I'm reading heat signatures at the structure directly east from your position. Over."


 * Carter: "Copy that. Get them back inside."

''A new waypoint appears on the building in question. Emile and Jorge escort the civilian away as Kat, Carter, and Six sprint east toward the building.''

Upon entering the building.


 * Jorge: "We're moving in, Commander."

The group finds what appears to be two human corpses pinned to the wall.


 * Carter: "Damn."


 * Jun: "Fill me in Commander, what have you seen? Over."

Carter kneels down over the pools of blood and examines them.


 * Carter: "We've got military casualties. Two of them being the missing troopers. Looks like they were interrogated. It's...messy."

''Carter stands back up and signals the team to keep moving. Movement is heard on the roof, and a brief hostile contact is detected on the motion tracker.''


 * Carter: "Movement. Watch your motion trackers."

Noble Team heads outside, but the contact disappears.


 * Emile: "What the hell was that?"


 * Carter: Jun, you see anything?


 * Jun: "Negative. Thermal's clean."

Noble Team heads into a nearby building.


 * Jun: "Boss, I see movement outside your structure."


 * Carter: "Noble Two, move up to the west. We're about to be flanked."

Noble Team heads to a set of windows, where they see the contacts: Grunts and Skirmishers.


 * Carter: "Damn it!"


 * Jorge: "Covenant!"


 * Carter: "Contact, contact! Spartans, assist! They're heading into the basement. Move down to the lower levels!"

''Noble Team engages the Covenant forces. Nearby, Banshees begin to move in.''


 * Pilot: "Banshees! Heads up, Charlie One!"

''Noble Team clears out the Covenant near the farm, while the Falcon engages the Banshees. Soon, a Spirit is seen on approach.''


 * Jun: "Noble Leader, enemy drop ships inbound!"


 * Pilot: "Falcon moving to assist."

Noble Team moves across the bridge, eliminating the Covenant forces.


 * Carter: "Stand down, Noble, stand down. Contacts neutralized."


 * Jorge: "Contacts? It's the damn Covenant!"


 * Emile: "Cheer up, big man: this whole valley just turned into a free-fire zone."


 * Carter: "Kat, we've got to warn Holland. I need you at that relay outpost now."


 * Jun: "Boss, I'm showing more activity to the east!"


 * Carter: "Copy that, Jun, we're on it. Six, you've got point."

Noble Team heads across the creek to engage Ultra Elites, eventually defeating them.


 * Jun: "Commander, I'm seeing more hostile activity to the North-East."


 * Carter: "Emile, you're with Kat. Six and I will run interference on the ground. We'll meet you at the outpost."


 * Kat: "Noble Three, requesting air-lift."

Noble Six, Carter, and Jorge head to a flatbed truck, with Carter taking passenger seat and Jorge in back, using his gun as a support, while Noble Six drives.


 * Carter: "Get to work, Noble."

Rebels Don't Leave Plasma Burns
Noble Six, Carter, and Jorge drive around, eliminating all Covenant they come across.


 * Jun: "Noble Leader, I'm picking up a distress signal."


 * Travis: "Mayday, 3 Charlie Six, does anyone read? We were attacked by Covenant forces. The Covenant is on Reach. I repeat: the Covenant is on Reach."


 * Jorge: "The troopers?"


 * Carter: Let's move, Six. We've gotta find the source of that distress call.@

Noble Team reaches a Covenant landing site and get out of the truck.


 * Carter: "Noble Three, we've located the trooper squad. Request immediate evac. My coordinates."


 * Jun: Solid copy, Commander. Recalling Falcon Charlie 2. Hold that evac position."

Noble Team engages the Covenant.


 * Jun: "Noble Leader, be advised: I have visual on inbound Covenant drop ships."


 * Carter: "Evac transport, keep your distance. Six, hold this position. Clear an LZ."


 * Travis: "Spartans? Corporal Travis, 3 Charlie, sir. It's the Covenant."


 * Carter: "We know, Corporal. Let's get you out of here."

Noble Team and 3 Charlie engage the Covenant, eventually clearing them out.


 * Carter: "Transport, LZ is clear. Move in for evac."


 * Jun: "Affirmative. Transport inbound."

The Falcon lands, and Noble Team depart for the relay.


 * Carter: "Noble Two, sit rep."


 * Kat: "We're at the relay outpost. Door's locked. Mechanism's been flash-fused."


 * Carter: "Can you beat it?"


 * Kat: "I dialed up my torch, cut a way through. Going to take some time."


 * Carter: "Okay, we're en route to your location."

Noble Team reaches the relay, finding Covenant in the courtyard.


 * Pilot: "We're approaching the com outpost."


 * Carter: "Drop us in the courtyard."


 * Pilot: "LZ's a little hot, sir."


 * Carter: "Put her down, pilot. Six, break's over."

Noble Team engages the Covenant in the courtyard.


 * Carter: "How we doing, Kat?"


 * Kat: "Taking a little longer than I hoped, Commander. I've cut about halfway through the door."


 * Emile: "Contact!"


 * Carter: "Hold them off until Kat can hack the controls."

Noble Team engages the Covenant.


 * Carter: "Kat?"


 * Kat: "Just about...there! We're in!"


 * Carter: "Everybody inside! Go, go!"

Noble Team withdraws to the relay's entrance, as the door closes, keeping the Covenant out.

Skeleton Crew

 * Carter: "We need to find the control room. From there, Kat can get the relay back online. Emile, post here. If we flush any hostiles, they're yours. All right, let's do this."

Noble Team enters the dark room.


 * Carter: "Can't see a thing. Noble Six, turn on your night vision."


 * Kat: "Control room. Go easy."

Noble Six turns the corridor and sees a body.


 * Kat: "Noble Six, search that body."

Cutscene

Six begins to search the body when Noble Team find an injured trooper.


 * Carter: "Where's the rest of your unit?"


 * Corporal: "We got split. I don't think...it sounded bad on the comms."


 * Carter: "All right, Corporal, we'll get you a combat surgeon."

Noble Six finds a data crystal on the body as Kat looks at the controls.


 * Kat: "Damn. Plasma damage."


 * Noble Six: "Found something."

Kat takes the data crystal.


 * Kat: I'll take that, Six. Not your domain."


 * Jorge: "I've got a live one over here. Come on, out you come."

Jorge picks up a young female, but she continues hitting him while speaking Hungarian.


 * Jorge: "It's all right, we're not going to hurt you."


 * Carter: "Jorge."


 * Jorge: "I've got her."

Jorge puts down his weapon and grabs her by the arms.


 * Jorge: "Keep still and I'll release you."


 * Sara: "Még...Itt vannak."

''Jorge stiffens, and a Field Marshall jumps down. Jorge barely avoids the Elite's Energy Sword. The Marshall growls a challenge at the rest of Noble Team and charges, while two more Zealots jump down.''


 * Emile: "What's your status, over?"


 * Carter: "We've been engaged!"

''The Marshall nearly cuts down Kat, but Carter pushes her out of the way. Noble Six has maintained constant fire during this, and the Elite's shield finally collapses, and he knocks Noble Six down as he runs out the door.''


 * Carter: "Bad guy coming out!"

''Another Zealot grabs Noble Six by the neck and extends an Energy dagger, but Six punches him off while Carter opens fire, then kicks Six's Assault Rifle to him. The other two Zealots head for another door, one holding the shouting Corporal as a shield. Noble Team hold their fire. The civilian girl begins screaming while the Zealots head through the door, and the Corporal's screams are heard as he is killed.''


 * Emile: "That tango blew past me. Permission to pursue?"


 * Carter: "Negative, Four. Two, handle her. Five and Six, clear the hole."

Noble Six reloads, Jorge and Noble Six head into a room, which Jorge then seals shut behind them.

Gameplay

Jorge and Six clear the room, heading down a corridor into another large room.


 * Jorge: "There's more. Flush 'em out, I've got you covered."

Noble Six eliminates the two Zealots and the Grunts.


 * Jorge: "Noble Five reporting. Contacts neutralized."


 * Carter: "Kat needs you to reset a junction. Do it and get back up here."

Noble Six resets the junction, ending gameplay

Cutscene


 * Carter: "How long?"


 * Kat: "Question of my life. If the question is when will this station be back online, two weeks, earliest. This is plasma damage. All major uplink components are fried."


 * Carter: "Two minutes is too long."


 * Kat: "Which is why I'm splicing into the main overland bundle to get you a direct line to Colonel Holland...You're in my light, Commander."


 * Carter: (to Jorge, referring to the girl) "Find out what she knows."

''Jorge taps the civilian girl's shoulder, but she shoves his hand off. Emile chuckles.''


 * Jorge: What's your name? Do you live around here?"

Jorge takes his helmet off.


 * Jorge: (Hungarian) A nevem Jorge.


 * Sara: "Sara."


 * Jorge: (Hungarian) "Sára...Szép határozott név. Your accent sounds familiar. Sopron?"


 * Sara: "Tengeri."

Jorge looks at the body.


 * Jorge "Friend of yours?"


 * Sara: "Father."


 * Jorge (Hungarian) "Sajnálom. I'm sorry."


 * Sara: "Why would you be?"


 * Emile: "Big man forgets what he is sometimes."


 * Jorge: "She just lost her father." (to Carter) She needs a full psychiatric workup."


 * Emile: "She's not the only one."


 * Carter: "Lock it down, both of you! Get her on her feet...the body stays."


 * Jorge: "Thank you, sir."

Jorge walks by Emile and glares at him, then helps Sara get on her feet.


 * Kat: "Signal. It's patchy, but it's there."


 * Carter: "I'll take it."


 * Kat: "Best not touch anything. You wouldn't want to ground this place."


 * Holland: "I'm barely getting you. What's your situation, over?"


 * Carter: "Colonel, this is Noble One. There are no rebels. The Covenant are on Reach. Acknowledge?"


 * Holland: "Come again, Noble One? Did you say Covenant?"


 * Carter: "Affirmative. It's the Winter Contingency."


 * Holland: "May God help us all."

Trivia

 * The level is named after WINTER CONTINGENCY, a UNSC contingency plan that is declared in case Covenant forces have discovered a UNSC colony world. Indeed, the first evidence of Covenant ground activity on Reach is discovered in this level.
 * The Firefight map Overlook is based on a section of this level, but has different weather conditions.
 * This level marks the first appearance of Skirmishers in the Halo franchise.
 * This is the second time in the Halo franchise where the first playable level features drivable vehicles.
 * In the cinematic where Noble Six is attacked by Elites, the Assault Rifle has 7 rounds left in it, another seven reference. The Lieutenant reloads it shortly after.
 * When playing on Legendary difficulty, a cloaked SpecOps Elite will spawn near the start of the mission, fleeing from the site of the distress beacon to the bottom of the first hill. It holds a data pad, which can be accessed if you kill the Elite.