A battle is coming, the greatest the Rim has seen in ten thousand years, a fight for freedom, for the future, for the very survival of all humanity holds dear. Tyler Barron and his comrades are ready for their greatest test, but even as they prepare to hold the line at Fortress Striker, to turn back the Highborn’s imminent attack, the enemy have opened another front, one far to the rear. Before Barron and his spacers can face their own ordeal, a ragtag force must hold another fortress, an older one that has seen many battles, but has long been neglected and allowed to fall into decay. If they fail, Barron and his vast fleet will face enemies to their front and to the rear…and any chance of victory will be lost. Meanwhile, Andi Lafarge and her small crew scour the depths of the Badlands, searching for the secret weapon the empire used to defeat the Highborn three centuries before…and possibly the only real hope for victory in the current war. The greatest struggle humanity has faced is nearing its climax. Warriors struggle and die, giant warships clash, worlds burn…but will the suffering lead to a new hope for humanity…or the endless dark age that has been feared since the fall of the empire? Read by Jeffrey Kafer.