Humanity stands on a dangerous threshold. Desperate, cornered, hiding, they must ally themselves with anyone willing to fight back against the alien aggression that cost them their homeworld. To that end, an ambassador is sent to speak with the Zitha, a culture well known for raiding others like Vikings of old. Can they be swayed to assist? Or will they be just as much of a danger as the threat already in motion? Meanwhile, Commander Weston and his ragtag crew set course for the last place any of them wants to go. The colony where it all started in search of a cipher to unlock vital intelligence to the war. What they find there might challenge their understanding of the enemy while putting their lives at risk. Even with advanced technology, they find themselves outgunned by their opponents who seem desperate to find some hidden secret in the rubble.