The Dark Forest Protocol - Keith Holly

Humanity broke the Silence.
Now something has answered.
After the fragile alliance between Earth and Forestworld, a new threat rises from the stars. A mysterious signal from beyond the galaxy awakens ancient predators — and an old enemy once thought buried.
The Red Witch has returned.
As Haven Station grows into a beacon of hope, whispers spread through the colonies. Settlers vanish. A cult known as the Crimson Covenant forms. And beyond the Shroud Verge, something far older than humanity demands a sacrifice.
Commander Ellis Vorn, Nia Raine, and the hybrid android K-7 must venture into forbidden space to confront a force that has erased entire civilizations.
But survival may require more than weapons.
It may require redefining what it means to be alive.
Crimson Covenant is the explosive second installment in The Dark Forest Protocol — a fast-paced sci-fi novella series blending cosmic horror, first contact, AI evolution, and interstellar survival.
Perfect for fans of:
• The Three-Body Problem
• Mass Effect
• Annihilation
• Love, Death + Robots
The forest is listening.
And this time, the universe is listening back.