Halo: The Cole Protocol

Looking for the Cole Protocol, a military law of the UNSC?

Halo: The Cole Protocol is the sixth novel based on the Halo Universe. It is written by Tobias S. Buckell. Cole Protocol is the the last novel under the contract with Tor Books and has been available to public since November 25th, 2008.

Press Release
"Halo: The Cole Protocol will be the sixth novel set in the Halo Universe. Tobias S. Buckell, author of Crystal Rain and Ragamuffin will write the novel, which reveals the location of the Spartan Gray Team and "puts readers into an unexplored conflict of the Human-Covenant War where unlikely alliances are formed and shattered..."

From The Author's Website
"Buckell continues an excellent tradition that’s now a solid aspect of the Halo novels, bringing a fresh new perspective to a limitless universe and bringing his prodigious writing talents to bear in ways that will surprise and engage fans of the series and newcomers alike."

- Frank O'Connor.

Halo: The Cole Protocol will be the sixth novel set in the Halo Universe. Tobias S. Buckell, author of Crystal Rain and Ragamuffin will pen the novel.

Bungie expatriate and Microsoft’s Franchise Development Director Frank O'Connor had this to say on the upcoming book, which is slated for release on November 25, 2008.

Plot
"...which reveals the location of the Spartan Gray Team and "takes readers into an unexplored conflict of the Human-Covenant War where unlikely alliances are formed and shattered..."

- The Cole Protocol Announcement

''In the first, desperate days of the Human-Covenant War, the UNSC has enacted the Cole Protocol to safeguard Earth and its Inner Colonies from discovery by a merciless alien foe. Many are called upon to rid the universe of lingering navigation data that would reveal the location of Earth. Among them is Navy Lieutenant Jacob Keyes. Thrust back into action after being sidelined, Keyes is saddled with a top secret mission by ONI. One that will take him deep behind enemy lines, to a corner of the universe where nothing is as it seems.''

''Out beyond the Outer Colonies lies the planet Hesiod, a gas giant surrounded by a vast asteroid belt. As the Covenant continues to glass the human occupied planets near Hesiod, many of the survivors, helped by a stronghold of human Insurrectionists, are fleeing to the asteroid belt for refuge. They have transformed the tumbling satellites into a tenuous, yet ingenious, settlement known as The Rubble–and have come face-to-face with a Covenant settlement of Kig-Yar. . . yet somehow survived.''

''News of this unlikely treaty has spread to the warring sides. Luckily for the UNSC, this uneasy alliance is in the path of the Spartan Gray Team, a three man renegade squad whose simple task is to wreak havoc from behind enemy lines in any way they see fit. But the Prophets have also sent their best—an ambitious and ruthless Elite, whose quest for nobility and rank is matched only by his brutality... and who will do anything to secure his Ascendancy and walk the Path.''

The time line of this book takes place primarily in between 2535 and 2536.

Summary
The story begins with an attack by the Jackals in the Rubble, an Insurrection asteroid base which was constructed as a refuge base during the Siege of Madrigal. The Jackals attempt to steal navigation data from Ignotius Delgado and his friend Melko. Delgado is almost killed, but the Spartan Adrianna saves him and orders him to keep Gray Team a secret.

Later, at Chi Rho, Lieutenant Jacob Keyes meets with Zheng and is transferred from teaching at the Academy to enforce the newly written Cole Protocol with the stealth frigate, the Midsummer Night. He returns to  his ship with a new pilot, and Zheng in command.

Back at the Rubble, Delgado looks for clues, suspecting that someone within the Rubble's Security Council is attempting to sell the navigation to the Jackals, which would cause the Covenant to no longer require the Insurrection. Delgado learns of the Kestrel, a ship under the command of Bonifacio, a known smuggler and also on the Security Council. He meets Adrianna again in a small bar, Eddie's in the Rocks. They are both attacked by Insurrectionists, who overhear the questioning of the Kestrel. After being saved again by Adrianna, he is taken to the Spartan's ship to meet Jai and Mike.

Jai explains that Gray Team has been working to destroy any navigation data through the Cole Protocol, and that they are causing general havoc against the Insurrectionists. As Delgado leaves, he is instructed to find out more about the Security Council leak.

Back on the Midsummer Night, Jacob Keyes attempts to enforce the Cole Protocol on a civilian frieghter. When the Lieutenant and a group of ODSTs board the freighter, the civilian captain detonates a bomb in a container, killing many ODSTs and forcing Keyes and the ODSTs to leave the ship by exiting through a hull breach. Keyes leaves first, taking the armor of a wounded ODST and jumps into space, using his rifle to maneuver. Unfortunately, Keyes leaves and is able to contact the Midsummer Night as the Insurrectionists on the civilian freighter attempt to blow up the ship to kill as many of the escaping ODSTs as possible. Keyes is eventually recovered, at the expense of many good soldiers.

Meanwhile, on Sangheilios, a Sangheili Kaidon, Thel 'Vadamee wakes from his sleep to be attacked by assassins sent by the Vadam Keeps Council to test their leader. The Kaidon easily disposes of the assassins and meets with the council, demanding to know who sent the assassins. Thel then disposes of the elite councilor, who attacks him. After the quick fight, Thel then tells his Councilmembers that he was sent by the Prophets to a human colony, Charbadyis XI.

United Nations Space Command

 * Lieutenant Jacob Keyes
 * Adriana-111
 * Jai-006
 * Mike
 * Major Akio Watanabe
 * Lieutenant Badia Campbell
 * Lieutenant Rai Li
 * Lieutenant Dante Kirtley
 * Commander Zheng
 * Lieutenant Jefferson
 * Corinthia Hansen
 * Agent Josh Smith
 * Commander Faison

Covenant

 * Kaidon Thel 'Vadamee
 * Zhar
 * Veer
 * Elder Koida 'Vadam
 * Deacon Pipit
 * Reth
 * Chur 'R-Mut
 * Lak 'Vadamee
 * Jora 'Konaree
 * Saal

Other

 * Jason Kincaide
 * Peter Bonifacio
 * Ignatio Delgado
 * Melko Hollister
 * Diego Esquival
 * Maria Esquival
 * Owen
 * Eddie Underwood
 * Juliana

Observations From Cover



 * The Spartan is wearing the Mark IV MJOLNIR armor, indicating that they have not met up with the main Spartan team for a long period of time. This is due to the fact that the Spartans of Gray Team where sent out long before the introduction of the later Mark V, which included shields, or the Mark VI.
 * The Spartan's armor is Gray, signifying the Gray Team as a seperate SPARTAN-II Group.
 * There is a piece of The Rubble in the background, and there is what appears to be an explosion is emanating from the structure, possibly a structure that Gray Team tried to destroy.

Trivia

 * Gray Team is the designation for a mysterious team of three SPARTAN-IIs that are called Adriana-111, Jai-006 and Mike. They are said to be "On battlefields too distant to be easily recalled", as said by Chief Petty Officer Mendez Halo: The Fall Of Reach.
 * Gray Team is wearing Mark IV armor because when they were deployed, the newer models had not been developed.
 * The Cole Protocol is the protocol that dictates what action ships are supposed to take in the event of a Covenant presence.
 * There are several notable differences between the original cover and the final version, such as the shoulder device, the presence of a second Spartan in the background, and the weapon the cover's main Spartan carries.
 * Amazon.co.uk released Halo: The Cole Protocol several days earlier than the official release date.
 * There are what seem to be seven thin but discernible beams of light in the background, possibly another seven reference. As with all the books the Marathon symbol is clearly visible, in the correct lighting, right in between the "a" and "l" of Halo.
 * Despite being set several years before The Fall of Reach, UNSC personel encounter Sangheili forces during their fight in the Rubble. This directly contradicts The Fall of Reach in which only vague rumors of a "field commander" caste existed within the Covenant. The Master Chief clearly had never seen an Elite before his fight with one inside the space dock orbiting Reach.
 * In chapter 11, page 103, the ODSTs say "Hoo-ah", which is an army term. Because ODSTs are Marines, they usually say "Oorah".
 * The Cole Protocol is the only Halo novel in which all Spartans directly encountered survive to the end.
 * Oddly, the Spartans do not play a large role in the story, which instead focuses more on Lieutenant Keyes and Ignatio Delgado.