Chapter Summaries

Umbrella tested the Personal Halo, confirmed it could clear an entire star system, and began producing the weapons for use against Covenant remnants. The chapter then detailed the UNSC and Umbrella fleet modernization plans, including the Dreadnought deployment and the forces assigned to defend the Solar System.

• The Dawn scanned the JG-234 system after the Personal Halo test and found no surviving intelligent lifeforms apart from a small number of Engineers.
• William Russell ordered small-scale Personal Halo production and restricted ownership and use to Umbrella’s senior personnel; by the second quarter of 2042, Umbrella had 1,117 Personal Halos and had used twelve against Covenant remnants.
• Umbrella and the UNSC upgraded existing ships and shielded units to resist Halo Pulse Waves, while postponing comprehensive fleet replacement until humanity controlled more of the Milky Way.
• Umbrella distributed forty-four remotely operated Dreadnought Warships among its six fleets, and their assistance helped Admiral Mike O'Donohue’s Great Expedition advance smoothly.
• Fleet Zero, the Containment Fleet, four UNSC fleets, and Enzo Saum’s elite Sangheili fleet were assigned to defend the Solar System; the Sangheili fleet received shield upgrades and prepared to operate jointly with Fleet Zero.

Umbrella advanced its colonization methods from slow, risky Dome Cities and atmospheric modification to full planetary terraforming using Forerunner technology. By 2030, it transformed Venus into a habitable planet in four months, and the chapter leaves Umbrella able to terraform planets at the cost of building a Fortress Colony City.

• Umbrella relied on Dome Cities or Atmospheric Modification Devices to colonize planets, while its disinfection measures caused large-scale losses of native species and sparked public controversy over Reach.
• After acquiring technology from the Ark and Shield Worlds, Umbrella made planetary terraforming a priority in 2028 and completed the technology by 2030.
• Umbrella began its first terraforming trial on Venus, using beam mining to reach the core and technology from the Ark Event to restart its rotation and generate a magnetic field.
• Umbrella deployed reusable propulsion devices to restore Venus's rotation to a twenty-four-hour cycle, then modified its atmosphere for human survival.
• Umbrella made Venus habitable in four months at a cost comparable to constructing a Fortress Colony City.

By 2042, Umbrella’s society had grown more prosperous and less prejudiced as its AI-supported education system developed. At Russell Manor, the chapter recounted Ivan’s marriage to Megan, the expansion of Artificial Intelligence rights, and Ivan’s gradual takeover of Umbrella, while William remained influential behind the scenes.

• A report on developments from 2027 to 2042 noted that Umbrella had upgraded education and that younger generations had largely abandoned racial prejudice.
• William rejected Ivan’s proposal to move, then had Wang Zhaofeng lead the renovation of Russell Manor into a palace with three hundred rooms.
• Ivan married Megan in 2031, becoming the first human to marry an Artificial Intelligence, after which Umbrella allowed residents to marry AI and Social AI grew more popular.
• Ivan began taking over Umbrella’s decision-making duties on May 30, 2040, while William stepped back from the front lines and Andre and Mike remained in their posts.
• William announced that Umbrella’s biotechnology had extended Andre and Mike’s lifespans, then sold wealthy visitors costly nano-treatments that improved their health and extended their lives.

The chapter recounted the changes among the Russell Family and Umbrella’s forces over fifteen years, then introduced Arthur Russell, William and Halsey’s second son. It ended with two maids trying to wake the teenage Arthur for school before William returned.

• Mikhail Victor became Andre’s deputy, while Michel Victor and Johnny Rico took senior roles under Mike and Ivan.
• Hunk, Kent, and Achilles supplied more than thirty thousand Astartes, expanding several legions and establishing battle groups across the territories.
• Li Lie became a senior agent, married Yelena in 2034, and moved into Russell Manor, though his work kept him away from home.
• The chapter described Arthur Russell’s lavish bedroom and gaming equipment in Russell Palace.
• Two maids entered Arthur’s room and tried to wake him for school.

Arthur woke late after gaming until four in the morning and harassed two maids while they helped him dress. Ivan arrived with Ghost Agents and Megan, caught Arthur teasing Jona, and angrily confronted him.

• Two maids woke Arthur at nearly nine twenty, and he blamed his late night gaming session with FuckoffCult for oversleeping.
• Arthur grabbed Jona and tried to flirt with her, but she and the other maid refused his advances.
• The maids helped Arthur dress, and he continued teasing Jona by claiming his feelings for her were unique.
• Ivan entered Arthur's bedroom with several Ghost Agents and Megan, and the maids respectfully greeted him as head of the family.
• Ivan scolded Arthur for his behavior while their parents were away.

Ivan confronted Arthur for skipping school and warned that he needed to build friendships and connections, but Yelena defended her younger brother. Ivan had Arthur taken to the military for experience after William and Halsey approved the decision.

• Ivan scolded Arthur for missing school and asked whether he had bothered Jona and the other maids, and Jona confirmed that he had not done anything improper.
• Ivan urged Arthur to attend school and make useful friends, but Arthur said he had no interest in the Russell family or company leadership and called FuckoffCult his friend.
• Yelena arrived and backed Arthur, telling him he could skip school and inviting him out with her.
• Ivan ordered Ghost Agents to carry Arthur away and told Yelena he was sending him to the military because he kept avoiding school.
• Ivan said William and Halsey had approved the plan, then had the maids prepare clothes for Arthur before leaving with Megan and his entourage.

Ivan took Arthur from Russell Palace to the fleet, deciding to send his troublesome younger brother into the military for a while. At the Phantom, he entrusted Arthur to Carl for protection during the extermination operation.

• Megan worried that Yelena might plead to keep Arthur at the palace, but Ivan said Yelena understood the consequences of Arthur's behavior.
• Ivan and Megan boarded a modified Pelican with Arthur, who lamented leaving his games and maids behind.
• Arthur joked that rich women would still be interested in him, so Ivan punched him unconscious and said the incident strengthened his resolve to send him into the military.
• The Pelican left the palace and docked in the Phantom's hangar within Fleet Zero.
• Carl greeted Ivan, and he asked her to protect Arthur during the extermination operation with the Blood Raven Battle Group.

Ivan sent Arthur with Carl to join the Blood Raven Battle Group, which had been assigned to eliminate the Star Alliance’s remnants. Arthur woke aboard the Observer far from home and greeted Carl, who teased him about his reputation with women.

• Ivan arranged for Carl and Arthur to travel aboard the Phantom to the Blood Raven Battle Group, and Carl promised to look after Arthur.
• Mylon called to check on Arthur, then panicked when Halsey and William threatened to punish him for his remarks about the former chairman.
• Megan used four Dreadnought Warships to open a portal, and the Phantom carried Carl, Arthur, and other personnel to the Blood Raven Battle Group’s sector.
• The Phantom transferred the personnel and equipment to the Observer, then returned through the portal as it closed behind the fleet.
• Arthur woke in a Marine Corps dormitory aboard the Observer, wondered where he was, and eagerly greeted Carl when she entered.

Arthur changed into a military uniform and followed Carl to the Observer’s bridge, where she ordered him to join the operation despite his protests about his age and inexperience. Gabriel briefed Carl that the Exiles planned to raid the MSS-45 colony, and the Blood Ravens’ mission was to destroy them.

• Arthur changed into a black military uniform and followed Carl toward the orbital train station.
• Carl rebuked Arthur for making excuses, reminded him of his family’s abilities, and said she would train him after he experienced the upcoming operation.
• Carl brought Arthur to the Observer’s bridge, where Macha and Gabriel were discussing battle strategy.
• Gabriel showed Carl a star chart of MSS-45 and reported that the Exiles planned to invade the United Government colony for its resources.
• Gabriel stated that the Blood Ravens’ mission was to annihilate the Exiles.

Carl and Arthur prepared to face the Exiles fleet, with Carl planning to lead a Blood Raven boarding operation and teach Arthur firsthand. The chapter ended with Carl donning her Primarch Power Armor while Arthur watched.

• Macha briefed Carl and Arthur on the plan to use Quantum Bombs and hydrogen bombs to destroy most of the Exiles fleet, leaving one cruiser for a boarding operation.
• Arthur questioned the need for boarding, and Macha explained that the Astartes’ upgraded equipment made casualties unlikely while boarding would damage enemy morale.
• Carl decided to lead the Blood Ravens in person and said she would teach Arthur during the operation.
• Carl took Arthur to the Observer Aircraft Carrier’s equipment area, where he asked if he would receive Power Armor and she said he would not.
• Carl changed into her Primarch Power Armor with the technicians’ help while Arthur watched.

Arthur reluctantly accepted Marine Corps equipment instead of Power Armor as Carl prepared him for boarding operations. Meanwhile, the Blood Raven Battle Group ambushed the Exiles Fleet, destroyed its flagship and two CCS-class ships with upgraded weapons, and left the remaining fleet in chaos.

• Carl refused Arthur’s request for better armor and ordered technicians to outfit him with the Marine Corps’ new Individual Equipment.
• Arthur was fitted with an undersuit, Individual Equipment, and a Mechanical Skeleton.
• The Blood Raven Battle Group waited at the MSS-45 system’s slipspace exit and opened fire as the Exiles Fleet emerged.
• The upgraded Yamato Cannon and Electromagnetic Cannons destroyed the Exiles’ CAS-class flagship and two CCS-class ships, killing Atriox aboard the flagship.
• The Exiles Fleet fell into disarray, and some CRS-class Light Cruisers began opening slipspace portals to flee.

Macha destroyed the Exiles Fleet and sent a Blood Ravens boarding party to capture the surviving CCS-class Cruiser. Carl and Arthur led the assault as the Blood Ravens charged into the ship and began fighting its Brute defenders.

• Macha ordered Quantum Bombs to destroy two groups of Exiles ships, then had the battleship disable the remaining CCS-class Cruiser and the frigates destroy the other vessels.
• Macha confirmed the fleet was no longer a threat and ordered the boarding party to launch, leaving the Grunt informant aboard the surviving cruiser.
• Carl, Arthur, and the Blood Ravens rode a Falcon to the CCS-class Cruiser, then rushed out when the cabin doors opened.
• The Grunts fled as the Blood Ravens emerged, while the Brutes charged them with plasma weapons, ballistic weapons, and kinetic hammers.
• Carl killed two Brutes with her Bolter Pistols and asked Arthur whether he was scared.

Carl and Arthur led the Blood Ravens to defeat the Exiles and capture numerous prisoners, while Arthur asked Carl to train him. As the CCS-class Cruiser prepared to return to the Observer Aircraft Carrier, a spatial vortex appeared and pulled the powerless ship inside.

• Arthur overcame his shock, killed Brute creatures, and helped the Blood Ravens suppress the enemy.
• Carl led more than a hundred Blood Ravens in a boarding operation that annihilated the Brute forces and captured Gnolls, Grunts, Bingfengs, and two Engineers.
• After the battle, Arthur pretended to be troubled by the killing and asked Carl to train him long-term; Carl agreed to teach him.
• The CCS-class Cruiser shook violently as a spatial distortion formed nearby and a vortex sucked the ship inside.

Macha led the Blood Raven Battle Group through a shrinking Vortex Tunnel to protect Carl and Arthur, leaving their destination unknown. On the Ark, William and Catherine enjoyed a quiet afternoon with their granddaughters Naga and Kerrigan.

• A Vortex Tunnel appeared amid the Exiles Fleet wreckage and began pulling in the CCS-class Cruiser carrying Carl and Arthur, along with the approaching transport formation.
• Macha ordered the Blood Raven Battle Group to enter the tunnel before it vanished and told her crew to notify the boss and chairman of what had happened.
• The Blood Raven Battle Group and the Exiles disappeared when the Vortex Tunnel closed after about five minutes.
• On the Ark near Jupiter, Catherine told Naga and Kerrigan stories about the Ancient Humans and ancient gods while William watched them.
• Serena called out to William as he relaxed at the lakeside villa.

Serena told William that Arthur and the Blood Raven Battle Group had vanished through an unknown passage, and William learned from the system that they were in the 2012 Marvel Cinematic Universe. He reassured Halsey that the passage would reopen in five months, then asked her how an Astartes would fare against Captain America.

• Serena reported that Arthur and the Observer Aircraft Carrier had disappeared after a passage appeared during the battle with the Exiles.
• The system told William that Arthur and the Blood Raven Battle Group were in the Solar System in 2012, during The Avengers 1, and that a passage would reopen in five months.
• Halsey hurried to William and urged him to go to Fleet Zero so she could find a way to reach Arthur.
• William explained the situation to Halsey, who relaxed after learning the passage would reopen in five months.
• William asked Halsey to compare an Astartes with Captain America, and she laughed before explaining that the Astartes would have the advantage.

William ordered Serena to recall Fleet Zero while Macha’s fleet discovered it had arrived in a new parallel universe without contact with the Main Universe. With the fleet hiding in the Asteroid Belt, Arthur proposed using a Quantum Bomb to create another unstable tunnel and possibly return home.

• William asked Halsey how Thor compared to Athena, then ordered Serena to tell Ivan to return Fleet Zero to the Solar System and resume company affairs.
• Macha learned that the Observer Aircraft Carrier had arrived in a Solar System without Umbrella’s colonies and could not contact the Ark or Fleet Zero.
• Macha concluded that the fleet was in a new parallel universe and ordered the transports to retrieve Arthur and Carl before the fleet hid in the Asteroid Belt.
• The transport formation brought Arthur, Carl, Gabriel, Blood Raven Astartes, and captured races aboard the Observer Aircraft Carrier.
• Arthur suggested that detonating a Quantum Bomb between approaching universe bubbles might create another unstable tunnel.

Arthur calculated that the universes would connect in four to six months, but the fleet's supplies would run out sooner, so the commanders planned to gather provisions on Earth. Arthur proposed covert reconnaissance first to identify the universe, and the fleet prepared to travel to the Moon's far side while readying for possible threats.

• Arthur used the Quantum Bomb explosions and the passage's spatial distortion to calculate that a stable connection between the universes would form in four to six months.
• Macha noted that the fleet had only three months of living provisions and proposed trading with Earth's United Nations for supplies.
• Arthur suggested sending covert reconnaissance teams to Earth first to determine whether their universe came from a known movie or game.
• Macha approved the plan, and Carl agreed to accompany Arthur and protect him; Vadim offered to join, but Gabriel mocked his conspicuous appearance.
• Arthur recommended that the fleet use Warp travel to reach the Back of the Moon and asked Gabriel and Vadim to prepare for battle.
• Macha ordered the crew to activate the Warp channels, while Gabriel and Vadim agreed to prepare for possible threats on Earth.

The Blood Raven Battle Group arrived at the Moon and sent agents to Earth to scout its surface. Arthur and Carl landed near Washington D.C. with their team and set out through the forest to find a vehicle.

• The Blood Raven Battle Group emerged from jump channels near the Back of the Moon and used an electromagnetic pulse to disable nearby human satellites.
• Three Pelicans carried agents toward Earth, with Arthur and Carl joining the team bound for North America.
• The Pelican reached Washington D.C. and landed in a forested river valley, where the agents concealed it beneath a camouflage covering.
• Arthur asked the pilot to avoid unnecessary killings, then led Carl and the agents south through the forest to begin their reconnaissance.

Arthur, Carl, and the agents needed local identities and money for their investigation, so Sergeant Agent led them into a wealthy Washington-area home and used the agents’ equipment to make counterfeit documents and cash. The family remained anesthetized as the group prepared to leave with four cars and compensation in gold coins.

• Arthur warned Sergeant Agent that the group needed local identification and money, and he led them to a secluded villa.
• The agents surrounded the villa, broke in, and anesthetized its five residents without killing them.
• Sergeant Agent explained that the agents had disabled the alarm and that the villa lacked street surveillance, while Arthur questioned their blatant robbery.
• The agents found identification documents, cash, and four car keys, then used a 3D Printer to create counterfeit IDs and money.
• Sergeant Agent left seventy Chamber of Commerce Gold Coins on the coffee table as compensation and took the car keys.

Arthur and Carl drove northeast from Washington and stopped at a motel near Philadelphia after Arthur became exhausted. They checked in for a room, and Arthur hurried Carl away from the receptionist’s suggestive offer.

• The robbed family contacted the police, who took their report but had no clear descriptions of the agents and left without pursuing the case.
• Arthur and Carl continued toward Philadelphia in a Mini, with Arthur driving and Carl navigating on her Personal Computer.
• After five hours on the road, Arthur grew drowsy, and Carl found a motel where they could rest.
• Arthur and Carl arrived at Cowboy Night and paid cash for a double room without the receptionist checking their fake ID.
• The receptionist teased Arthur and offered Carl a product to help him handle her, so Arthur grabbed Carl and rushed toward the stairs.