The alien Naga tried to destroy all life on Earth, but what doesn't kill us makes us stronger. Six months ago we fought a short but devastating war against the invaders. Our ships burned, and whole cities were annihilated, but we defeated them. Now out of the ashes rises a new Space Force, led by the heroes from that final terrible battle. Beth Wynn wants nothing more from life than to retreat back into the design and invention she's always loved most. But Earth needs her mind and leadership now more than ever. Because not all the ashes are cold and dead. Even in the calm after the fires have gone out, danger lurks close to home. A team sent to the abandoned lunar base vanishes without a trace. Security forces guarding one of the captured Naga starships go silent. Enemies close in, and our very survival will rest on a knife's edge. In this game of interstellar survival of the fittest, Earth's heroes will need to put all their courage and brilliance into play to win.