Desperation mounts as the resistance stands betrayed. Their two leaders, Queen Avania in exile and General Atalis are taken hostage by a former ally. Captain Warren Miller rushes to their rescue, beginning an investigation as to where they might’ve been taken. If they fail, they may well doom their burgeoning rebellion. The clock is ticking as every second puts the prisoners further out of reach. But another side is on the case. Prin Garinta and her small band need a way to join the rebels. The only way they believe they can be trusted is if they return the people to their rightful place. Using their own resources, they head out, risking everything in a gamble that could well cost them their liberty if not their very lives. All the while, trouble brews on the imperial home world as the investigation continues into the attempted assassination of King Malnik and his fiancé. With no one to trust and his only ally recovering from her injuries, Mal finds himself in the unenviable position of relying solely on himself to move forward. But can he uncover the threat to the throne while keeping track of everything else threatening his position?