: I think that the Long Night of Solace and her fleet were loaded to the gills
: with Forerunner artefacts, which also explains where that teleportation
: technology comes from. The camouflage was probably Dazzler technology. The
: relics that created the dazzling effect initially hid the Long Night of
: Solace as it entered Reach's atmosphere, and then they were transferred to
: the teleportation spires to create the army hiding canopy. That's why LNoS
: only appeared after at least one of the spires was taken out.

: The scheme with the dazzlers and the army hiding canopies is overkill against
: UNSC forces, but I always thought that the LNoS was meant to hide from
: other Covenant forces. I think that the whole fleet was assembled by one
: of the Hierarchs to steal artefacts out from under the noses of the other
: two.

Actually, you're not too far off. Because of the whole issue with Reach's story and Fall of Reach not matching up the LNoS and her fleet are now canonically a special covert op set up to secure the forerunner artifacts of Reach before the planet was completely glassed by the fleet of Particular Justice. Obviously, the LNoS didn't succeed and the plan was most likely scuttled or swept under the rug to hide the fact that the most powerful ship in the Covenant armada was destroyed by a single UNSC frigate and a stolen corvette.