Via Casilina Trade Route

The Via Casilina Trade Route is an interstellar trade route through slipstream space that arose in the aftermath of the Human-Covenant War. The trade route connects the Orso, Cordoba, Shaps, Elduros, and Sverdlovsk systems, systems that lie along the frontier of humanity's Outer Colonies, all with varying degrees of independence from the Unified Earth Government and little United Nations Space Command presence.

Description
Located on the edge of the Outer Colonies close to what was once Covenant space, the Via Casilina Trade Route cuts through slipstream space to connect the Orso, Cordoba, Shaps, Elduros, and Sverdlovsk systems.

Beginning in the Isbanola sector, the route commences at the Oros system, home to Venezia, a major interspecies trade hub. From Orso, the Via Casilina continues on to the nearby Gao in the Cordoba system. 8.7 light-years away in realspace, the route moves on to the Shaps system, home to the uninhabited Shaps III, as well as the moons Taram and Myer's Moon. The route then connects the Elduros system, home to the desolate and impoverished mining colony of Aleria. From Aleria, the Via Casilina terminates in the Sverdlovsk system, the location of the moons Talitsa and Komoya, the latter holding the reputation of the junkyard of the Via Casilina.

While traveling along the Via Casilina, the distance from the Cordoba system to the Sverdlovsk system was less than an hour trip via slipspace by human standards.

History
The trade route was moderately new, having risen in the wake of the Human-Covenant War. The Via Casilina was heavily utilized by salvagers, such as Rion Forge and the crew of Ace of Spades, seeking profit among the remains of the Outer Colonies. In turn, the salvagers were preyed upon by marauders and remnants of the Covenant looking to steal their loot. In 2556, three notable salvaging crews of the Via Casilina had gone missing, captured by Gek 'Lhar.

Fueled by the success of the salvagers, Nor Fel, owner of a prosperous clearing house on Venezia, became one of the preeminent dealers of salvaged goods and military surplus along the Via Casilina Trade Route, maintaining informants across the entire trade route. Walter Hahn of the Office of Naval Intelligence served as a counter-contraband agent specializing in acquiring Forerunner artifacts from salvage and informant handling across the Via Casilina.

Behind the scenes
The trade route was likely named after the Via Casilina, a medieval road that connected Rome to Capua.

List of appearances

 * Halo: Fractures
 * Into the Fire
 * Halo: Smoke and Shadow
 * Halo: Renegades