THE ALLIANCE FORCES ARE SPENT. The Human-Lycian Alliance has won a great battle over invading hordes of Sahiradin warriors, though it cost them dearly, and victory was not gained by their strength alone. The defenders were saved from certain defeat by the intervention of strange new warriors, the Chacksu, created in secret by the Dhurlan Syndicate to fight the fearsome Sahiradin on their own, brutal terms. Now Veiju Dhurlan is dedicating all his syndicate's resources to producing more Chacksu in a desperate gamble to quickly strike at the heart of the Sahiradin Empire and ensure Dhurlan dominance over the galaxy for generations to come.
As the Lycians tally their losses and cast a wary eye on Dhurlan ambitions, Earth prepares for invasion. With the Alliance’s forces depleted and the Dhurlan Syndicate indifferent to the fate of humanity, Earth faces the grim prospect of resisting Khadiem's wrath alone. But soldiers and ships are not the only means to win a war. Even in the face of disastrous odds, forces are at work that may yet defeat both the Empress and ancient sinister powers.
