What was Master Chief doing during the events of Halo Reach?

Question

I'm just wondering what exactly Master Chief was doing during the exploits of Noble team in the game Halo Reach. I'm well aware of the Master Chief easter egg in the ending scene aboard the Pillar of Autumn but I'm wondering what he was doing before cryo-sleep on the ship? Was he already in cryo-sleep when the attack started? Why wasn't he fighting and why didn't we get the chance to play as him? I understand there's a novel Halo: Fall of Reach but I haven't read it and I'm not sure if it's considered canonical or not. I always assumed he was not present on Reach and that is why the player assumes the role of Noble 6 but this is not true if he's snoozing away on the Pillar.

Answer 1

The events of Halo Reach do not directly correspond to the book Fall of Reach.



For example (and this may inadvertently answer your question indirectly), the PILLAR OF AUTUMN was on the ground in Halo Reach well after the Covenant started attacking. In the book, the PILLAR OF AUTUMN was just beginning a mission for a surgical strike in Covenant territory to capture a Prophet and was HEADED OUT OF THE REACH SYSTEM and about to enter Slipspace or so when it got the call that the Covenant were attacking Reach.



In the book, the Pillar of Autumn goes back and helps the fleet try to defend Reach but a decision is made for it to leave the system. It enters Slipspace and then comes out at Halo's location in the first game.



So no one can really answer your question of what Master Chief was doing during the exploits of Noble Team in the game because the game and the book don't line up. The Pillar of Autumn never set down on Reach after it got the call in the book so seeing the Pillar of Autumn on Reach in the game means a different storyline.



By the way, according to the events of the Halo storyline before the introduction of Halo Reach, he wasn't in cryo-sleep. He was preparing for the mission to kidnap a Prophet. He went into cryo-sleep on the Pillar of Autumn after their journey had already started.

Answer 2

Halo Reach Pillar Of Autumn

Answer 3

That is just it Chief is asleep on the pillar during Reach which Reach goes on to explain how john and cortona met.