Sometimes war isn’t a matter of victory, it’s a matter of survival. A year ago, Captain Abner Fortis led a dangerous mission to kill the leader of the Maltaani insurgency, a mission that almost cost the life of his best friend, Gunnery Sergeant Petr Ystremski. Since then, he’s been assigned to a research and development project while Ystremski recovered from his wounds. The United Nations of Terra (UNT) transformed the mission on Maltaan from military occupation to reconstruction and development, and the Military Assistance Command – Maltaani (MAC-M) was drawn down to a skeleton force. When an unknown fleet of ships arrives in the Maduro Sector and destroys the fleet supporting the Terrans on Maltaan, the UNT government is slow to react. General Nils Anders is deployed aboard the unarmed reconnaissance ship Eclipse Wonder to gather intelligence on the situation, and he’s accompanied by Captain Fortis, Gunny Ystremski, and the newly designated India Company. When Fortis leads India Company back to Maltaan, the Space Marines are forced to deal with an uncertain mission and little support. Outnumbered and outgunned, they do the only thing they Fight like hell.