In a world that has come to abhor war, the "duelists"—a guild of professional killers—keeps the peace, but when aliens threaten invasion, they must take the lead in waging war. Original.

Branded a criminal, teenager Simon Barrow is sent to the asteroid Mercator, an infamous prison for the condemned, and there, among anarchists, thieves, and murderers, Barrow creates a force of elite combat troops, the first Duelists.

The Duelists are the finest warriors mankind ever produced. To be accepted for training, a rookie named John, who at over seven feet tall and more than 500 pounds is considered a freak on his home planet of Janus, will have to suffer a grueling series of tests—with the price of failure being death.