So... I was wondering if anyone can explain something to me. Or if I've missed something.
Because in Spartan Ops, what the hell are the UNSC and Covenant fleets doing around Requiem? The history of UNSC/Covenant engagements is that, actually, ground operations don't matter very much, despite the games. Things tend to be decided in orbit in fleet battles, and without winning them it's hard to win on the ground. And fleet battles are quick.
But clearly, forces from the UNSC are able to come and go through Requiem's portal at will. So are the Covernant fleet also outside? And if so, why don't they appear to be shooting at each other? Are we supposed to believe they're at stalemate and just keeping at arms length? But if so why don't either side shoot at the others while they're entering or existing Requiem's portal? I find it hard to believe that the Infinity would ignore a carrier entering there, without so much as a few Mac rounds.
If such a stalemate occoured, how? And why did the Spartan teams dive in so quickly in Episode 1 if it wouldn't be required?
The best explanation I've been able to come up with is completely headcannon: that the Infinity won. Super won, and the Covenant forces were forced to retreat to inside Requiem with their remaining ships. The Infinity for obvious reasons doesn't want to go inside as it presents them as a single target for all the Covenant with no manuverability, so they're sending in ships, and ultimately while the Covenant forces inside Requiem are quite significant, they're cut off.
This would still lead a problem of why the Covenant isn't watching the door, and shooting anything that comes through, but you could write that away in several ways. Maybe the initial insertion lead to UNSC forces capturing key defenses around the portal, and they can then use shields and weapons in those to protect anything going through the portal, and scare the Covenant ships away from the door.
And I'd like to have seen that, because it would be interesting, rather than me having to make it up. It could have actually made quite a good mission even.
Anyone have any other thoughts?