For alien commander Arid Ricimer there was no going home. His species waswinning the war with Earth, but the civilization he had fought for was gone,destroyed from within by ideologues and bureaucrats. So he does the only thingthat makes sense to a person of integrity — he attempts to defect to Earthwith his officers and an entire spaceship, a vessel that mounts a superweapon ofalmost unimaginable power. Hot on his heels is his former fleet, a force thathas already devastated Earth once, and is poised to wipe humanity from existenceforever, ready to do almost anything to deny Earth a chance. To the defenders ofEarth he is an enigma — and potentially a Trojan horse. Yet after years ofbattling back from the brink of destruction, the U.S. space navy has thewar-tested heroes to rise to the challenge Ricimer represents — and thedanger that follows him — if only those in charge will listen. The playersare in motion and the greatest confrontation this sector of the galaxy has everwitnessed is at hand. Now all depends on the courage of an honorable alienwarrior and the intelligence and daring of his human allies.