Halo 5: Beyond the Pale Horizon is an alternate-universe Halo novel-length story and the first installment in the Emergence trilogy. Presented as an alternate storyline to the events of Halo 5: Guardians, Beyond the Pale Horizon takes place primarily from the perspectives of John-117, Jameson Locke, Catherine Halsey, and the Ur-Didact as tensions build and new threats emerge in a rapidly destabilizing galaxy. Two arcs of Halo: Escalation - The Next 72 Hours and Absolute Record, along with the second season of Hunt the Truth, are discounted from established canon, while the first season of Hunt the Truth, in particular, has significant ties to the plot.