Halo: Envoy
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| Halo: Envoy | ||||
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Scott Brick | |||
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Print[3] | |||
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416 pages[3] | |||
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| Part of Gray Team series | ||||
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Halo: Envoy is a novel set in the Halo universe by Tobias S. Buckell. It was released on April 25, 2017.[3][4] The Halo: Fractures short story Oasis, also written by Buckell, served as a quasi-prequel to Envoy, introducing the novel's central setting and conflict.[1]
Official summary[edit]
| “ | It has been six years since the end of the Covenant War...and yet on the planet Carrow, a world on the edge of the Joint Occupation Zone (JOZ), a decisive new battle suddenly erupts. Human colonists and the alien Sangheili have already been living a tension-filled co-existence in this place, with Unified Earth Government envoy Melody Azikiwe attempting to broker a lasting peace between their two species.
But as civil war now engulfs the Sangheili settlers, Melody must act on an additional covert assignment courtesy of the Office of Naval Intelligence: find a way to free the SPARTAN-IIs known as Gray Team, held in stasis since the end of the war by a cunning Elite fleetmaster consumed with vengeance. And none can anticipate the ongoing violence leading to the discovery of an even greater, unstoppable threat, hidden for eons below the surface of the planet….[3] |
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Plot synopsis[edit]
Conflict was brewing on the former Human colony of Carrow. It had been evacuated of its colonists during the Human-Covenant War due to the threat of a Covenant attack, and since the conclusion of the war, both humanity and the Sangheili had laid claim to it. The Sangheili, led by Kaidon Rojka 'Kasaan, were refugees from the Sangheili colony of Glyke, a planet that was mysteriously destroyed a short while after the peace agreement between the United Nations Space Command and the Swords of Sanghelios went into effect. These Sangheili settled in the Uldt Desert on the banks of the Astlehich River, founding the city of Rak. Sometime after, the human residents of Carrow returned, setting up residence in the city of Suraka and various smaller settlements within the Uldt. These desert settlements began to come into conflict with some Sangheili forces over various oases. Meanwhile, in Rak, a faction led by Thars 'Sarov arose that stood in opposition to the humans on the planet and Rojka, who believed in working together with the humans to thrive on Carrow. With tensions high and conflict seeming inevitable, a peace summit was arranged between the governments of Suraka and Rak, as well as a representative of the Unified Earth Government to act as a moderator. As such, Diplomatic Corps envoy Melody Azikiwe and her staff were dispatched to Carrow prior to the summit and were taken in by Rojka's forces. However, Melody was deployed with additional directives: she was tasked by the Office of Naval Intelligence to free the Spartans of Gray Team from cryostasis within Rojka's flagship. Rojka had pulled them from a lifeboat in the debris field of Glyke several weeks prior and was housing them aboard the Unwavering Discipline while he decided what to do with them. Melody asked multiple times to free the Spartans, but Rojka denied her every time.
On the day before the peace summit was scheduled, Thars took his naval forces and launched an attack on Suraka, destroying all their slipspace capable vessels and long-range communications. Rojka took his naval forces and engaged Thars, initially having the upper hand in the conflict. However, a Jiralhanae fleet joined the battle on Thars's side, turning the tide against Rojka. His forces were whittled down until the Unwavering Discipline was taking heavy fire and was about to be boarded by Thars's forces. Melody ordered her staff to evacuate the ship before arming herself and breaking into the ship's cargo hold, where Gray Team's cryo chambers were located. Rojka attempted to prevent her from releasing them, but she was able to free them despite sustaining an abdominal injury. Jai-006 and Adriana-111 recovered Melody and fought off Rojka's troops, driving off the Shipmaster. They escaped the ship in their Bumblebee escape craft they were recovered in, with Michael-120 steering them towards the surface. Rojka returned to the command bridge and, unwilling to let Gray Team escape, ordered The Unwavering Discipline to disengage from combat and pursue Gray Team into Carrow's atmosphere.
As this occurred, the Jiralhanae fleet disengaged from the battle and began an invasion of Suraka. Led by the Chieftain Hekabe, the Voice of Maardoth made landfall and began clearing a large portion of the city of buildings. The Surakans attempted to respond to the incursion, with Governor Ellis Gass and Vice-governor Lamar Edwards working with the city's military leaders to manage the response as well as addressing the growing refugee crisis. Gass's son Jeff was killed in the initial fighting, his neck broken by Hekabe. After clearing out most of the occupied zone of rubble, Hekabe used the energy projector on the Varric-pattern heavy cruiser Foebane to begin excavating the site. Upon learning that Thars was heading to Carrow's surface, Hekabe grew wary that the Sangheili would attempt to interrupt his plan and ordered his remaining warships to engage Thars's fleet.
After making landfall near an oasis in the Uldt Desert, Gray Team and Melody all survived the crash and took stock of the situation. Melody informed the Spartans about some of the events that had occurred since the end of the Human-Covenant War and recommended that the team move out to Gila Station, a secret ONI facility in the northern Uldt Desert. Meanwhile, the Jiralhanae warships devastated Thars's fleet while the Unwavering Discipline attempted to survive its descent to the surface. Only three of Thars's frigates remained in orbit, with the rest of the ships crashing into the Uldt. After his vessel's crash landing, Rojka survived an assassination attempt and set out in pursuit of Gray Team, with Thars's forces close behind.
Meanwhile, in Suraka, Ellis's tactics became more aggressive after she learns of the death of her son. The Surakan battle plan began to focus on driving the Jiralhanae force out of the city and destroying the remaining Sangheili forces in orbit, causing friction between Gass and Edwards. A decisive strike was planned against the Voice of Maardoth. Meanwhile, the Jiralhanae had concluded their excavation, uncovering a massive Forerunner spire at the center of the crater. Hekabe descended to the spire and opened the facility using the vertex, a Forerunner device that Hekabe had recovered from the depths of Installation 00 during the final battle of the Human-Covenant War. He then led some Voice of Maardoth forces down into the Sharquoi hive, traveling deeper until they reached the base of the site. Hekabe then fused the vertex with his skull, allowing it to take him and give him access to the Sharquoi that were housed there.
Gray Team finally arrived at Gila Station, where they were greeted by Commander Greg van Eekhout, the station's assigned ONI agent, and admitted into the facility. Melody was promptly admitted to an automated surgery suite and received treatment for her wounds. After she woke up, Van Eekhout informed her that her staff most likely did not survive their evacuation attempt and that the Voice of Maardoth had already uncovered the Sharquoi hive. The Spartans were resistant to accepting orders from ONI, as Gray Team was responsible for the destruction of Glyke during Operation: SUNSPEAR and that the decision was weighing on the team. At this point, Rojka and his remaining warriors reach Gila Station but were intercepted by Thars. The two Sangheili broke a deal; Rojka would enter the base and kill the Spartans while Thars would swoop in and kill Rojka, claiming that the Kaidon was a member of the Covenant remnants and hopefully avoiding any retaliation from the UNSC for the deaths of Gray Team. Assenting to fight the Sharquoi as the attack on Gila Station was launched, Gray Team escaped the facility, taking a Warthog towards Suraka in the hopes of warning them ahead of the attack. Rojka then decided to remain hidden in Gila Station, hoping to learn the location of Gray Team from Melody. Thars then entered the compound and questioned the remaining humans, killing van Eekhout before threatening and wounding Melody, who alluded to the Sharquoi in an attempt to stall for time. Rojka, hearing this warning and witnessing Thars break his end of the deal, decided to escape the facility with Melody to learn more about the Sharquoi. Gila Station then self-destructed due to Eekhout's death, but Thars was able to escape. After learning about the threat that lay under Suraka, Rojka decided to take his remaining warriors to the city to offer assistance.
Back in Suraka, Operation: BUZZHAWK succeeded and the Surakans were able to destroy the Foebane by striking it with asteroids that they launched from orbit. Believing the battle to be over, Ellis traveled to the dig site to get eyes on the situation. At this point, Hekabe, who had accepted the vertex's embrace and gained full control over the Sharquoi network, began directing the creatures towards the surface. Gray Team arrived in Suraka around this time and was detained per Ellis's orders. Sharquoi began pouring out of the mouth of the facility and laid waste to the Surakan forces present. Ellis barely escaped with her li