The first novel of the Kilo-Five Trilogy by #1 New York Times bestselling author Karen Travissâpart of the expanded universe based on the award-winning video game series Halo!
2553. The theocratic military alliance known as the Covenant has collapsed after a long, brutal war with humanity that saw billions slaughtered on Earth and its colonies. For the first time in thirty years, however, peace finally seems possible. But though the fighting has stopped, the war is far from over: itâs just gone underground. The United Nations Space Commandâs feared and secretive Office of Naval Intelligence recruits Kilo-Fiveâa clandestine team of Orbital Drop Shock Troopers, a Spartan super-soldier, and a diabolical AIâto accelerate the insurrection within the Covenantâs warrior species, the Sangheili, even as their notable defector-turned-leader Thel âVadamâthe Arbiterâstruggles to stave off civil war among his divided people.
Across the galaxy, a woman thought to have died in the Covenant attack on the planet Reach is actually very much alive. Chief scientist Dr. Catherine Halsey broke every law in the book to create the Spartan program, and now sheâs broken some more rules to save them. Marooned with Senior Chief Petty Officer Franklin Mendez and a Spartan team in a Forerunner slipspace bubble hidden in the destroyed planet Onyx, Halsey finds that this place has been guarding an ancient secretâa treasure trove of Forerunner technology that will change everything for the UNSC and mankind. As Kilo-Five joins the hunt for Halsey, humanityâs violent past begins to catch up with all of them as the disgruntled colony Venezia has been biding its time to strike at EarthâŚand its most dangerous terrorist has an old, painful link with both Halsey and Kilo-Five that will test everyoneâs loyalty to the limit.