Chapter Summaries

Hunk, Kent, and Achilles prepared a force of trainees and Umbrella troops to attack Hozette Corporation’s headquarters in the Malay Archipelago after evidence of its crimes caused public outrage and its stock to collapse. The First Fleet headed toward the islands, while Umbrella secretly manipulated public opinion and planned to arrest Hozette’s leadership.

• Hunk and Kent discussed the risks of sending the trainees into battle, and Achilles promised to protect them and fight alongside them.
• Hunk, Kent, and Achilles gave the trainees a brief pre-battle speech before 3,500 trainees and troops boarded First Fleet ships.
• Umbrella released evidence of Hozette’s illegal experiments, triggering public condemnation and a sharp fall in the company’s stock price.
• Umbrella concealed the bribery of a UNSC garrison commander and used its Artificial Intelligences to delete Hozette’s response and steer public opinion.
• The First Fleet openly sailed toward the Malay Archipelago as Umbrella prepared to arrest Hozette’s executives and take on its private army.

Umbrella attacked Hozette Corporation’s island stronghold, destroying its western coastal defenses with a Particle Beam Cannon and landing its forces. Hunk, Kent, and Achilles led the trainees into covert operations and a frontal assault across the island.

• Hozette Corporation’s troops prepared their island defenses as Umbrella’s fleet approached, while the company’s attempts to contact the outside world failed.
• Umbrella’s fleet fired a coordinated Particle Beam Cannon volley that destroyed the western coastal defense line and glassified the beach.
• Hozette soldiers trapped and wounded on the beach died when their neck chips detonated, horrifying the newly landed trainees.
• Hunk told the trainees to endure the battlefield’s horrors and ordered them to follow the established plan.
• Hunk and Kent led more than one thousand candidates into covert reconnaissance, sabotage, and assassination missions using Optical Camouflage.
• Achilles led the Astartes aspirants in a frontal assault toward the island’s center.

The First Fleet and Umbrella forces secured Hozette Corporation’s island chain while the reserve cadets seized its research facility. At Hozette’s headquarters, Achilles faced the corporation’s enhanced soldiers alone, demonstrating why he was regarded as a battlefield force multiplier.

• James Carter and Mike O'Donahue watched the operation and praised the reserve cadets, especially Hunk and Kent, for capturing Hozette’s research facility and its secrets.
• Mike connected the bridge to a Vulture Gunship so he and James could watch the fighting near headquarters.
• Achilles ordered the Adapted cadets to hold back after spotting enhanced soldiers guarding Hozette’s headquarters.
• Achilles hurled his Golden War Spear through the lobby’s bulletproof glass, killing one enhanced soldier, then endured the soldiers’ gunfire without injury.
• Achilles charged into the lobby, kicked one soldier away, retrieved his spear, and challenged the remaining soldiers to fight.

Umbrella defeated Hozette Corporation, rescued the cadets, and seized its research and executives. A collection of recovered files revealed how Hozette created and lost control of the Xenomorphs, while the cadets returned to Minos Island to prepare for their future Astartes modifications.

• Umbrella's Recovery Unit secured Hozette's research, and its Engineering Team began restoring the island facilities as the fleet remained overhead.
• Mike addressed the cadets in Hangar Bay Four, while the Bulwark Guard sailed toward Minos Island with escort ships and Hozette's captured executives aboard.
• Hunk, Kent, and Achilles returned the cadets to Minos Island, and the Bulwark Guard carried the prisoners to North America for a public trial.
• Recovered records showed that miners discovered the Engineer spacecraft and Facehugger eggs on Sirius-4, after which Hozette experimented on civilians and bred a Xenomorph Empress.
• The files revealed that the Empress enabled the Xenomorphs to escape and cause the Sirius-4 infestation, and classified them as Keter or Exafanistei depending on their numbers and opportunity to spread.

Umbrella completed an Alien Research Center beneath Pluto and William visited it with Robert, Evreny, and Mylon. The chapter ended as their Pelican landed inside the facility and the group prepared to disembark.

• Dr. Catherine Russell, Dr. Rebecca Chambers, and Containment Object 049 began studying the Alien to strengthen the connection between Spartan Primarchs and Astartes and to recreate the Reverse Strain Alien.
• The Alien outbreak killed an estimated 1.7 million people on Sirius-4, and the UNSC and Umbrella confiscated Hozette Corporation's assets to rebuild the planet under UNSC control.
• Wang Zhaofeng's Engineering Team completed the Alien Research Center beneath Pluto in January 2020, after Umbrella relocated the Engineer spacecraft there.
• On February 14, 2020, William, Mylon, Robert, and Evreny flew from the Phantom to Pluto's Research Center aboard a Pelican.
• The Pelican passed through the facility's airtight gates and landed, while Mylon slept through the short flight.

William learned that Halsey and Rebecca had created a controllable Alien Empress using Elizabeth Green’s cloned tissue, and he approved further research into Aliens as potential Biological Weapons. After requiring a demonstration of their combat ability and obedience, he turned to the surgery that would make five candidates into Primarchs.

• Halsey explained that Green’s blood and genes had helped her and Rebecca create a humanoid clone, which a Facehugger used to produce the New Reverse Strain Alien Empress.
• Rebecca said the Empress carried an original virus strain that let Green control her and the Aliens she produced.
• Halsey described how Aliens might serve as cheaper, more obedient Biological Weapons than T103 Tyrants and trackers.
• William approved continuing the Alien project, conditional on testing the Aliens’ combat ability and obedience to Green.
• William told Halsey and Rebecca that it was time to make the five candidates into true Primarchs.

Umbrella tested its Xenomorphs against 288 D-class personnel in a simulated desert town on Pluto. The personnel’s defenses collapsed after the Xenomorphs broke through, leaving the D-boys to be slaughtered.

• Umbrella deployed 288 armed D-class personnel to defend four entrances in the simulated town, without telling them what they would face.
• Four gates opened, releasing waves of dark-red Drones, powerful Beast Forms, and fast Messenger Xenomorphs created with Green’s original strain.
• The D-boys opened fire, killing several Beast Forms and many Drones, but struggled to hit the agile Messengers.
• The Messengers leapt into the defensive positions, where one D-boy died after a Messenger’s corrosive blood ate through his visor.
• The Xenomorphs overwhelmed the entrances and killed the D-boys, including those who begged for mercy.

Elizabeth Green led her alien forces into the trial town and hid them before calling John. John arrived with his Astartes, while he and four others were revealed to have become Primarchs after undergoing a second surgery.

• Elizabeth Green entered the trial town with six Alien Praetorians and five Reverse Strain Aliens, then ordered the other aliens to hide.
• Elizabeth Green called John, and he replied before his forces arrived at the town.
• John and his soldiers encircled the town in Power Armor, armed with Bolters and Heavy Bolters.
• The soldiers were revealed to be Astartes created from candidates modified with John's genes.
• John had undergone a second surgery with Carl, Mylon, Robert, and Kolax, becoming a Primarch; the Primarchs wore specially built Primarch Armor.

John led one hundred Astartes through a live-fire test against xenos in a town, while Elizabeth Green and her forces observed. After the Astartes cleared the town and Green departed, John declared them true warriors, as William and Halsey watched from the observation room.

• John ordered the Astartes to attack the xenos, sparing Elizabeth Green, her Abominations, and her Honor Guard.
• The Astartes charged into the town and killed the xenos, while John fought through the swarm with his Bolter Rifle and Chainsword.
• After five minutes, John and the Astartes gathered at the town crossroads around Green and her forces.
• John thanked Green for helping them test their simulated battle against the Tyranids, and she left with her Abominations and Honor Guard.
• John congratulated the Astartes on becoming warriors who protected Umbrella and humanity, while William and Halsey observed the trial from above.

William praised Halsey for the progress on the Spartan Primarch, Astartes, and alien army projects, then agreed to stop using Green’s alien children as training targets after she told him their deaths caused her pain. Halsey planned to return to Hafa after finishing preparations, while Doctor 049 remained to supervise the aliens.

• William praised Halsey’s research and discussed the aliens’ rapid life cycle, variant strains, and the shortage of D-Class personnel.
• Halsey explained that unconscious clones could serve as alien hosts and that Green’s viral strain was essential to controlling the swarm.
• William and Halsey reflected on the kidnapping of John and the other children, and William urged her to return to Hafa to see Yelena and Ivan.
• Halsey planned to leave Doctor 049 at the Pluto facility as supervisor before she and Rebecca returned to Hafa.
• Green told William that the aliens were her children and that their deaths during experiments and training caused her to suffer their pain.
• William promised Green that he would no longer have the Astartes use her children for training, while allowing normal experiments and research to continue.

William returned to the Phantom and read Serena’s files on Project Kevin, an anomalous microorganism found on Barnard b by a civilian expedition. The report traced the organism’s discovery and early growth, leaving its investigation ongoing.

• Green thanked William after he agreed to help, then left.
• William returned from Pluto to the Phantom and chose to rest before his meeting with UNSC officials.
• William opened Serena’s files and read the report on the Seek Origin expedition to Barnard b.
• The expedition discovered microorganisms in soil samples collected from a ravine on January 24, 2020.
• The researchers awakened Project Kevin and found that its cells could each perform multiple functions, forming an organism that acted as muscle, brain, and eye.

When Kevin's incubator malfunctioned at the research station on Barnard b, Umbrella agent Reynolds watched the researchers try to revive the dormant organism. Kevin awakened violently, crushed a biologist's hand, and broke through the incubator glove while Reynolds held the others at gunpoint.

• The incubator malfunctioned and left Kevin dormant, prompting researchers and security personnel to gather at the Biological Laboratory.
• Reynolds forced his way to the isolation wall and asked the Black Biologist about Kevin's condition.
• After the Black Biologist shocked Kevin twice, Kevin sprang up and crushed the biologist's right hand.
• Reynolds drew his pistol and stopped the crowd from opening the isolation hatch to rescue the biologist.
• Kevin released the unconscious biologist, snapped the shock baton, and pierced the incubator glove with its sharp end.

Reynolds prevented the Research Station staff from opening the containment gate and took control of the security guards by revealing he had used Umbrella's Black Tyrant Enhancement Serum. He ordered the containment room incinerated, killing the Black Biologist and burning the project to ashes.

• Reynolds refused to let anyone open the gate while the project searched for a way out of containment.
• The project snapped the unconscious Black Biologist's left index finger and used him as a hostage to pressure the humans outside.
• The female director tried to persuade Reynolds to stand down, but he refused and the security guards began reaching for their pistols.
• Reynolds revealed he had injected himself with Black Tyrant and offered the guards twice the director's pay, convincing them to follow his orders.
• Reynolds ordered a guard to activate the incineration procedure, which burned the Black Biologist and the project to ashes.

Reynolds contained the Kevin organism on Barnard b, and Umbrella later destroyed the planet’s surface with a hydrogen-bomb test. After reading the file aboard the Phantom, William reflected on how following containment procedures had prevented the creature from escaping.

• Reynolds took control of the Research Station, destroyed Kevin, and returned the expedition team to the Colony Ship after copying the research data.
• Reynolds contacted Tina for decontamination support, and the expedition team underwent memory wipes while the assisting security personnel received their promised double pay.
• Dr. Catherine Russell approved a test of the Hector Type 2 Hydrogen Bomb on Barnard b to destroy Kevin.
• On February 14, 2020, Umbrella detonated sixty-six hydrogen-bomb warheads over Barnard b, while warning that organisms might still survive deep underground.
• William read the file aboard the Phantom and concluded that Reynolds had saved the expedition by following containment procedures and incinerating the anomaly.

William inspected the Hector Type 2 Hydrogen Bomb and considered humanity’s limits in developing weapons powerful enough to destroy a planet. Serena arranged a meeting with UNSC and non-UNSC delegations at Moon City, and William returned to the Infinity to prepare to receive them.

• William reviewed the Hector Type 2 Hydrogen Bomb’s supplementary files and noted its maximum yield of 1.7 billion tons.
• William reflected that Umbrella could not yet make Proton Bombs because it could not preserve antiprotons.
• Serena told William that delegations from the UNSC and nations outside it would arrive at Moon City in two hours.
• William ordered the Phantom to end its voyage and warp back to Fleet Zero so he could prepare for the meeting.
• William left the Phantom and met Serena at the Infinity’s hangar.
• Serena admitted she had browsed William’s browsing history to choose her outfit, and William told her not to do so again without permission.

William resisted Serena’s attempts to seduce him and prepared to meet delegations from groups that had refused to join the UNSC. He arrived at Moon City with Serena and his Shadow Team to receive them.

• Serena offered to satisfy William’s physical needs and promised to conceal their affair, but William refused and went to change for the meeting.
• William put on his specially tailored military uniform and departed the Infinity aboard a Pelican with Serena.
• Eight Second Batch Spartans from the Shadow Team exited the Pelican ahead of William and Serena at Moon City’s Spaceport.
• William admired Moon City’s artificial landscapes before following Serena through the skybridge toward the VIP waiting area.

William and Serena waited at Moon City Spaceport to receive delegations for a meeting on colony security and UNSC membership. Representatives from countries outside the UNSC arrived after years of isolation and disaster had forced India and its allies to reconsider joining.

• William and Serena watched a show in the VIP lounge until Serena warned him that the delegation's plane was about to arrive.
• Serena reminded William that the meeting would shape colony security and could persuade non-UNSC countries to join.
• William and Serena greeted UNSC officials and military officers as Special Services Bureau agents and Spartans secured the hall.
• Umbrella Marines escorted representatives from countries that had not joined the UNSC into the hall.
• India and its allies attended after behemoth attacks and years of isolation left them struggling to recover, forcing India to set aside its pride.

William welcomed representatives from India and other countries that had not joined the UNSC, rebuked Sharma’s boasts about New Delhi, and announced a meeting on UNSC membership and colony security. The representatives traveled under Umbrella’s escort to Colony City, where the city’s prosperity impressed the visitors and strengthened their interest in joining the UNSC.

• Serena mocked the Indian representatives privately, and William reminded her to speak carefully as his secretary.
• William traded barbed remarks with Sharma about New Delhi and the Ganges, then corrected Sharma’s name and his own.
• William invited the representatives to discuss UNSC membership and colony security before a tour and hotel reception.
• Umbrella Marines escorted the representatives, including a reluctant Sharma, to a convoy of black SUVs.
• The convoy reached Colony City, and representatives from countries outside the UNSC were impressed by its greenery, technology, and prosperity.

William asked the non-UNSC nations to join the UNSC under Umbrella’s alliance, making clear they would have to follow its rules and contribute most of their militaries. After showing the representatives footage of Xenomorphs and Kevin, he proposed sending Super Soldiers to their colonies to handle unexpected threats.

• William asked the non-UNSC representatives to raise their hands if they accepted joining the UNSC, and they all agreed, including Sharma of India.
• Sharma asked whether India could buy Umbrella weapons, and William said it could if India followed UNSC rules and contributed seventy percent of its military to fleets and colonies.
• William warned that the UNSC and Umbrella would attack any member state that violated the charter, and Sharma said India would obey the rules.
• Serena showed footage of Robert and the Limit Team fighting Xenomorphs on Sirius-4, followed by information about Kevin, which shocked the representatives.
• William argued that humanity needed to unite against hostile alien life, then proposed deploying Super Soldiers to the representatives’ colonies to respond to unexpected threats.

William proposed deploying Astartes squads to the colonies as a buffer against disasters and extraterrestrial threats until reinforcements arrived, and the representatives approved. After the meeting, William left for his suite with Serena and prepared for the banquet.

• William explained that colonies could face disasters before fleets arrived and proposed stationing Astartes on each colony planet.
• The representatives agreed to the deployments after William promised the Astartes would not interfere in colony military affairs.
• William ended the meeting and was surrounded by representatives who discussed arms orders and long-term plans with him.
• William left the conference hall with Shadow Team and Serena, then sent Shadow Team to rest after they reached the upper floors.
• Serena confirmed William's suit was ready, then returned to her room, leaving William alone in his suite to wonder whether she was flirting with him.