The Armageddon Protocol

Moren bids a fond, action- and personality-packed farewell to operative Simon Kovalic, pilot Eli Brody, and the rest of the Commonwealth Special Projects Team in his final Galactic Cold War adventure (after The Nova Incident). Accused of treason by up-and-coming agency leader Aidan Kester, Kovalic and General Adaj go fugitive. To clear their names, they must draw on their wits and old connections to find the Illyrian mole hidden in Commonwealth Intelligence. Meanwhile, the rest of the team, having received Kovalic’s coded message to get off Nova, end up coerced into executing a train heist for crime lord Ofeibia Xi, which provides them an opportunity to stick it to the Illyrians as well. Moren gives each team member a moment in the spotlight, demonstrating their individual skills, styles, and quirks, while still showcasing the mutual and near-familial commitment among them through plenty of satisfyingly coordinated action sequences. The two subplots run in parallel until the very end, when Moren ties things up in a way that feels both plausible and rewarding. Series fans will leave with a solid sense of closure. (Sept.)