Halo: The Third Life

"The Third Life" redirects here. For the similarly-named Hunt the Truth episode, see Episode 05: Where the Third Life Shines.

Halo: The Third Life
Attribution information
Author(s):	Alex Wakeford Jeff Easterling
Cover artist(s):	William Cameron
Audio book narrator(s):	Alex Wakeford
Publication information
Publisher:	343 Industries
Publication date:	May 8, 2024
Media type:	Short story
Series information
Series:	Halo Waypoint Chronicles
Halo: Fireside Halo: The Third Life Halo: Anvil Accord

"Spartans have often been thought of as incorruptible symbols of virtue, but that’s just the official story. Some names are known as examples of Spartans having gone rogue, pledging themselves to a variety of causes, and one former-Spartan in particular finds herself on a new path altogether..."

— Teaser

Halo: The Third Life is a short story in the Halo Waypoint Chronicle series published by 343 Industries on May 8, 2024. The story is set immediately following the end of Season 2 of Hunt the Truth, and is focused on the rogue Spartan supersoldier Ilsa Zane.

The short, and its theme of Banished-aligned Spartans, were written and released in conjunction with the Banished Honor update for Halo Infinite. The story acts as a follow-up on characters and themes established in the Halo: Evolutions short story Stomping on the Heels of a Fuss, the comic series Halo: Initiation, and the aforementioned Season 2 of Hunt the Truth.

Official synopsis

“

October 2558. After being taken prisoner by the Banished as chaos erupts across the galaxy, Ilsa Zane's hunt for the truth leads her to a new stage of life she never expected...

”

Summary

Ilsa Zane, filled with anger and betrayal, confronts with a gun to their head a person from her past. Once, she had dedicated everything to their cause, but now sees them for who they truly are. Before killing them, she wants to recount her story as a "mad Spartan"-turned-traitor aligned with the New Colonial Alliance and her hunt for the truth that had led her back to this moment.

Zane, living by the mantra "Nobody kills Ilsa Zane," recalls her tumultuous life up to October 28, 2558 on Laika III—from losing everyone and everything when the Covenant destroyed Kholo to her exploitation in the SPARTAN-IV program. On that day, as the NCA prepared to launch a war against the United Nations Space Command, their plans were jeopardized by FERO, an undercover Office of Naval Intelligence agent. After a catastrophic event at Conrad's Point, where a massive construct emerged and jumped into slipspace, Zane managed to rally the rebels despite FERO's infiltration and the subsequent UNSC airstrike.

Zane tracked FERO to Laika III, intending to kill her and harness the new anomalous power. However, FERO found refuge with a cult called Triad, led by dodgy conman Dasc Gevadim, who claimed these events signaled divine transcendence. The situation became even more chaotic when ONI arrived in force just as another awakening event caused the ground to collapse and Triad followers suspended in the air by gravitational anomalies. Amidst this chaos, Zane took advantage of the UNSC troops' confusion, attacking them brutally with her bare hands until she lost consciousness during the event; she feared her mantra could ironically be her last gasp of thought.

Zane awakened in a makeshift prison, surrounded by humans, including some from her own rebel forces and UNSC troops. A Jiralhanae warrior, over 8.5 feet tall, with light gray skin and crimson-colored armor, loomed over her, intimidating her. A low voice warned her not to look the creature in the eyes. The speaker, Gevadim, explains their dire situation: The Guardian construct, now controlled by an AI, had declared a new order of peace across the galaxy. However, Zane saw this order as unbelievable as the Triad, so instead focused on her surroundings and fellow captives, too terrified to act.

Gevadim revealed that they were now prisoners of the Banished, a mercenary faction that Zane had only heard rumors about. Agreeing that they cannot wait three days for Zane's tracker to prompt NCA rescue—the amount of time without reports before such action—he proposed a deal with Zane, offering to teach her how to survive the Brutes in exchange for his freedom once her NCA rescue team arrived. Zane reluctantly considered his offer, noting that her implanted tracker should soon alert the NCA to her presence on Laika III. The Jiralhanae returned, and Zane made a bold move by directly challenging the beast much to Gevadim's shock, then attacked it right after it roared, using her unique Spartan augmentations—yet another half-truth on par with the Triad and the Created—to crush its windpipe and bludgeon it to death with its own armor.

She enjoyed the beatdown to the point of maniacal laughter, to the horror of the other prisoners, and dragged the corpse to the wooden gate as a stunt. The six other Jiralhanae, led by a chieftain, witnessed her victory over their dead brother—Amatus as identified. Despite the others' chants for revenge, the chieftain, impressed by Zane's strength, offered her a boon: Dine with them and choose another prisoner to be fed to the pack in her place. Zane, recognizing her weak odds and the danger of leaving Gevadim alive, selected him to die, much to his shock.

After Gevadim's screams faded, Zane recounted how the NCA never came to rescue her within three days; instead, she became part of the Banished, surviving by choosing who would die each day, imagining them with the face of Admiral Mattius Drake, the NCA leader. In countless days, she eventually earned the respect of the Banished and made a deal with Escharum, their War Chief, when he landed in a size-proportionate ship on-planet, ensuring her survival.

On May 8, 2559 aboard the NCA D'artagnan in the Edolas system, Zane turns Admiral Drake's command chair to face a viewscreen showing the arrival of a Banished intrusion corvette, the Admiral revealed to be the person at the story's opening. As the vessel approaches, Drake panics. Zane addresses the NCA fleet, declaring a "change in management," denouncing Drake's leadership as weak and cowardly after years of inaction, therefore a square peg in their ideals' round hole.

Escharum steps onto the bridge, the scene revealing a few ensigns dead in their seats and Admiral Drake bound to his command chair. Zane unholsters her pistol and executes Admiral Drake, and declares that the NCA, with its extensive resources—including fleets and agents—and a fervent desire for independence, is now pledged to serve the Banished. Escharum, though not as enamored with humanity as Atriox, acknowledges the strategic advantage of uniting with willing allies like the NCA, so welcomes them into the Banished's fold, promising them a future of hunting, plundering, and never again bowing in submission.

Zane reflects on her actions, feeling no regret for killing Drake, to whom she once owed her life, believing that the NCA's survival depends on eliminating weakness. Finding some truth in Gevadim's sham Triad religion—about the linkage of three internal lives—she contemplates her transformation from an orphan during the Human-Covenant War to an expendable tool for UNSC propaganda and finally the "Banished Spartan." Escharum quickly sets them to a mission to prove their worth. Zane, now armed with new armor from a slain Spartan, prepares for the challenges ahead, driven by a list of names and a readiness for new hunts in the vast galaxy.

Appearances

Characters Artificial intelligence Cortana (Indirect mention) Human Dasc Gevadim Hieu Dinh (Mentioned only) Ilsa Zane Mattius Drake (First appearance) Maya Sankar (Mentioned only) Musa Ghanem (Mentioned only) Sarah Palmer (Mentioned only) Jiralhanae Amatus (First appearance) Atriox (Mentioned only) Escharum Kig-Yar Tek (Mentioned only) Others Kree'yat (First mentioned) Species Human Jiralhanae Kig-Yar T'vaoan Organizations Covenant remnants Banished Vata 'Gajat's mercenary group (Mentioned only) Insurrectionists New Colonial Alliance Unified Earth Government (Mentioned only) United Nations Space Command Office of Naval Intelligence (Mentioned only) Spartan Operations SPARTAN-IV program UNSC Marine Corps Triad Locations Edolas system (First appearance) Kholo (Mentioned only) Laika system Laika III Mesker system Conrad's Point (Mentioned only)

Events Human-Covenant War Battle of Beta Gabriel (Mentioned only) Battle of Kholo (Mentioned only) Created uprising Skirmish on Conrad's Point Skirmish on Laika III Cortana Event Weapons Gravity hammer Vehicles Human Human starship NCA D'artagnan (First appearance) Corvettes Light frigates Covenant Covenant starship Intrusion corvette Phantom Space station Technology and equipment CHAMPION-class armor Guardian Custode MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor (GEN3)

Gallery

• 

  Ilsa Zane standing in front of fire and Banished banners.

• 

  Keyart used for the story.

External links

• Halo: The Third Life- The official Waypoint post in which the short story was released for free.
• Official Halo: The Third Life PDF - The PDF of the short story released on Halo Waypoint (Archived copyMedia:The Third Life.pdf).
• Halo: The Third Life | Audiobook - The audiobook narrated by Alex Wakeford.