The origin story of the C.I.A.’s covert drone war, which began with the 2004 killing of a Pashtun militant, the result of a secret deal for access to Pakistani airspace.

The debate over autonomous lethal drones.

The emotional toll on drone pilots.

Drone strikes and their consequences.

How killing by remote control has changed the way we fight.

A behind-the-scenes look at a U.S. attack against civilians near Khod: “the high-tech wizardry would fail in its most elemental purpose: to tell the difference between friend and foe.”