Thanks to Lawson Sawyer and the ancient mech known as the Archetype, the threat of the alien Ravennox has been averted—for now. Because the Ravennox are still out there. But thanks to Darius Spann and the Superba, Lawson and the other forces of the newly-restored Cygnus Realm face another, far more immediate threat. Spann and his Superba allies still hold sway over a huge swath of human territory, declaring it all Imperial space. Humanity is split, the Realm on one side, the Empire on the other, both claiming to be led by the Messenger. With neither able to land a decisive blow to knock out the other, a cold war now simmers between these two competing visions for the future. Philosophies clash. Border skirmishes flare and fade. Schemes and intrigues abound. People die. But Spann is determined to break the stalemate and reunite humanity under the iron grip of Superba rule, with him as its leader. To do that, he will travel into the spinward reaches of the Milky Way's Sagittarius Arm, seeking new and powerful allies. First, though, he resolves to recover some of the ancient war machines of the enigmatic Unseen, powerful mechs each nearly as mighty as the Archetype itself—or die trying. Meanwhile, to Lawson and the Cygnus Realm, it is only too clear that the Ravennox threat is far from ended, and that they desperately need to learn more about these mysterious aliens. But they must also counter Spann's efforts to recruit new alien allies of his own, who themselves could pose as profound a threat to a divided humanity as do the Ravennox. They must mount their own spinward expedition. As the two factions jockey for power and prepare to launch themselves into the vast galactic unknown, one thing is starkly clear. Only one of them can prevail. Will humanity be governed as envisioned by the First Messenger and the Unseen, with egalitarian wisdom, or will it be ruled by ambitious powermongers who see themselves as humankind's "better" future? The survival of humanity itself in the face of implacable alien threats hinges on the answer to this, the most important question ever posed.

Terror has fallen like a dark shroud on the Cygnus Realm. Darius Spann has returned, his mech, the Pulsar, dramatically empowered by the terrifying technology of the enigmatic alien Khitsos. Declaring the Cygnus Realm dissolved, the Cygnus Empire restored, and him as its Autarch and the Champion of all of humankind, Spann is determined to lead humanity to what he sees as its great destiny among the stars. He even envisions ruling the galaxy itself—but paranoia and unchecked ambition cause him to see enemies all around him. All too soon, Spann unleashes a campaign of tyrannical oppression to solidify his grip on humanity—and no one seems able to stop him. Meanwhile, one of the few who could possibly challenge him, Lawson Sawyer aboard the mighty mech known as the Archetype, is trapped with Task Force Cygnus in the Large Magellanic Cloud. Thousands of light-years and centuries of flight-time away from the Milky Way, Lawson desperately tries to lead the Task Force home. But the Large Magellanic Cloud is home to mysteries, wonders and horrors of its own. Can Lawson and the Task Force overcome and survive them? Will they ever see their homes and loved ones again? And even if they do, what then? Can Lawson and his friends and followers find a way to confront Darius Spann and defeat not only him, but the powerful Khitsos who are enabling his tyrannical reign? Can they stop Darius Spann before he destroys humankind itself?