After 27 years of genocidal war that saw billions killed, the most destructive conflict in human history that pushed us to the brink of extinction ends. One month prior in February, Fleet Admiral Lord Terrance Hood met with Arbiter Thel 'Vadam and both parties agreed to a ceasefire that would go into effect in March. The ceasefire detailed an end of hostilities between UNSC and Sangheili military forces, the establishment of a 500 light-second exclusion zone around Threshold, and the establishment of Joint-Occupation Zones where UEG and Sangheili territory intersect. With nearly all species' societies in ruin, they must all begin the task of rebuilding their civilizations in a turbulent and unstable time.