One man's determination is the only thing standing between the galaxy and total annihilation.

Johnathan Altross is a freak of nature—a 'fadeskin' blemish on the record of the supposedly infallible Messiah Kings. He is a man with an unknowable past, loathed by the very empire that created him. Yet, inexplicably, Babylon needs him.

When Altross is summoned to a gore-filled celebration in Victory Hall, he fears his execution may finally be at hand. Instead, he is handed a death sentence of a different kind: an impossible trek across the stars.

Thrust into the heart of an ancient conflict, Altross is tasked by God Himself to undo the sins of the past. Enslaved to a sadistic regime and beset by a nightmare existence, he must face a harrowing choice: spill his own blood—and the blood of those he loves—or watch the Covenant fail.

As darkness descends upon the galaxy, Altross must strive for the salvation of mankind. But in a universe defined by death, can he conquer all he has suffered and find the true meaning of his existence?