The Astral Force mission to Centauri was a success, and the colonial rebellion was crushed. But victory came at a great cost to the Earth, and the individuals who fought in the war.
Lieutenant Katja Emmes is dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder as the result of her part in the war, and with internal politics that threaten to tear her family apart. Lieutenant Commander Thomas Kane has been given a pivotal mission—one that may prove a valuable stepping-stone, as long as he retains the support of his political patron. And Sublieutenant Jack Mallory has been rebuilt by surgeons, having nearly died in combat.
Kane and Mallory are assigned to the research station that is developing the Dark Bomb, Terra’s newest weapon, nicknamed “The Peacemaker.” But the greatest threat won’t come from outside of the solar system. For a Centauri agent has been planted on Earth, with a mission that will lead to widespread death and destruction. But Kete Obadele watched as his entire family was killed in the assault on Centauri, and he is determined to avenge the deaths that haunt his nightmares.