I just wanted to add one point, even though I agree with you almost completely, the covenant could have easily had wiped out the spaces forces above reach if you consider that it was the largest covenant force the UNSC has seen up to that point and we also have to consider the technology the UNSC and the Covenant had at the time. Lets think of this step by step, covenant force spontaneously slips in and the UNSC is suddenly under attack. The space battle above reach would have to first mobilize while the SMAC or MAC stations are potentially unguarded considering the Covenant already have scouted ahead of time, because we don't know the lengths the covenant has gone to take reach, leaving little room to actually moblize the entire space force. Already at a disadvantage of the surprise space battle the covenant probably were sending their invading forces towards the planet while the covenant forces setup a defensive position outside orbit. And lets not add that covenant can most likely scan the planet for any forerunner signal and immediately bomb it from orbit. The Covenant were superior in space combat, its one of the main reason the UNSC was losing. I believe the cole protcol expressed how bad the UNSC was at space fights the best, but it does leave some debate about how much was exaggerated in that story was. Considering ground battles I would like to say the Covenant sent troops to search for forerunner tech which eventually lead to the glassing of the planet so in reguards with Reach I would have to say that maybe they went to key military bases that they could find in orbit then glassing the planet, not necessarily destroying everything. When it comes down to glassing the planet I think the covenant actually made the planet inhabitable not completely glassing it. I read and posted before that it would take 17-27 years to glass the entire planet of reach which correct me if I'm wrong they did but not completely since that would be a waste of time. Now is Halo Reach or is The Fall of Reach more canon? I don't know. What I do know is that this halo story bible how can we be soo sure that it actually exists or even if it does, how can we be so sure that it lists EVERYTHING the halo universe has. This bible, this halo bible, what if it just lists the history from precursor to forerunner and bungie is just making it as it goes. I don't know, but it keeps me up at night. (Post note: excuse all my spelling. I was just trying to add some spins and my own thoughts. Thanks.)