When the Martians—our former colonists - attacked the Earth Empire in 2231, they triggered a war that reshaped the solar system. In this first volume of his reminiscences, Defense Command 'hero' Admiral the Lord Ken Barron begins to set the record straight about that Martian War, and its impact on our Earth Empire. Relying both on his own recollections and those of his friends and comrades, he deftly guides readers through the dark humor, the tragedy, and the triumph of 2231. With his caustic humor and his unique point of view, he sheds light on the harder truths of that pivotal year, and tells parts of the story often overlooked by popular history.

Before Earth was even aware of the outbreak of hostilities with Mars, a political duel between the Emperor and the Prime Minister was dividing our home planet. Dubbed the 'almost coup' by contemporary media, this clash put the entire Empire at great risk during the opening days of the Martian War... and created divisions that would lead to spectacular political chaos after the conflict. In this second volume of his reminiscences, Admiral the Lord Ken Barron grants readers a unique perspective on this disastrous moment in Imperial political and military history... and explains exactly how he and Karen McMaster harnessed the power of daytime TV to thwart the Emperor's plot.

As the Earth Empire scrambled to find its war footing, then-Commodore Ken Barron was dispatched to the neighboring Hawke Protectorate, to warn Lord Ian Hawke of the crisis. At the same time, Martian and pirate forces began attacking friendly asteroid colonies, forcing both Barron and then-Captain Christian Mikaelsen to rally Defense Command's local forces for a response. In this volume of reminiscences, Barron explores those chaotic early weeks of war, relying on his usual clear and engaging prose... and at least one reference to Lia Hawke's infamous sock puppets.

While the end of 2233 saw the cessation of hostilities between Mars and the Earth Empire, the war had not in fact ended. Achieving peace through diplomacy would be the first great challenge confronting the Empire in 2234, and it would be complicated by the fact that the Martian people, fueled by years of lies fed to them by their totalitarian government, were wary of what peace might cost. Laying the groundwork for the famous Mars Convention was thus a dangerous undertaking, and it put Ken Barron, his remaining elite officers, and Imperial Foreign Minister Craig B. Macdonald in a very difficult situation...

The first phase of the humanitarian crisis on Egesta was examined in the fourth book of the Martian War series, The Independent Squadron. Now Ken Barron completes that story, explaining what took place on the asteroid during the rest of the war. After receiving intelligence from his friend Charlie Peters, Barron travels to Egesta with Belt Squadron veterans Karen McMaster, Wes Pellew, Andrea Kiley and Matt Baxter. What they uncover is both profoundly tragic and politically explosive, and has the power to change many aspects of the Empire - from the way it is governed to the structure of Defense Command itself.

Few people realize the greatest threat faced by the Earth Empire during the period of the Martian War came not from without, but within. As efforts at peace led towards the signing of an official treaty with Mars, political operators loyal to Emperor Luther Gregory III began to make moves to displace the elected government, and to discredit Defense Command. Second Lord of the Admiralty Daragh Ryan, Rear Admiral Ken Barron, and Commodores Marshal Samuels and Karen McMaster had to block these moves... without starting a coup that could destroy the Empire before the long-awaited 'Pax Terra' could begin.

With war officially ended, one major question continued to loom over the Earth Empire: what would become of the institution of the throne? Fearful of the danger to the Articles of Empire, both the Venusian Lords and the elected government recognized that compromise was necessary, but what solution could satisfy the wildly divergent expectations of those two groups? Facing such an unprecedented constitutional crisis, popular heroes like Daragh Ryan would be asked to make unthinkable sacrifices in order to protect the future of the Empire they had fought to save during the Martian War.

Grant Merger's assault on the celebratory ball held by new Emperor Daragh Ryan was part of the villain's master plan. As Ken Barron and the rest of the Empire reel from the shock, preparations must be quickly made to track both the attackers, and Merger himself. But with Merger pulling strings to further his ultimate agenda, can any agents working on behalf of the Empire truly be certain that they are not, in fact, helping the enemy of the Empire succeed in his aims?