The seeds of contradiction that lay at the heart of the Soviet-American alliance are bearing their final fruit. Soon they will rip the Codomminium apart—and Earth will die. In the face of that inevitability the fate of humanity lies with the Colony Worlds—a few of which are equipped for more than barest survival. Thrown upon their own resources, their futures seem as limited as their pasts. They—and humanity—have one hope: that somehow, someone will have both the vision and the strength to grasp the tattered remnants of civilization and weld them into a single galaxy-spanning society.

For a century, the Americans and Soviets had maintained an uneasy alliance based on the CoDominium, a world order in which no other power or combination of powers could threaten their mutual hegemony. Thus did the Americans and Russians learn to live at peace with each other. But nothing lasts forever, the CoDominium's energies are nearly spent, and internal conflicts are ripping it apart. The future belongs to colony worlds like Sparta—if they can survive the death-throes of Earth's civilization. To do that they will need men who understand the art of war, men like mercenary commander John Christian Falkenberg, and Lysander, Prince of Sparta, the first Prince of Mercenaries. This is their story, as told by Jerry Pournelle, best-selling author of military science fiction.

Called upon to train the people of the colony planet Sparta in the ways of war, mercenary John Christian Falkenberg and his Legion unwittingly transform their own deadly enemies into enemies of the planet as well. Reissue.

After defeating the initial assault of Grand Senator Bronson's Helot armies, the Spartans arm themselves to fend off another Helot attack, this one designed to exterminate the Spartans as a people