The 10,000 year rule of the Shaa is over. But the death by ritual suicide of Anticipation of Victory, the last of the Shaa, has left the galaxy leaderless. The many races of the empire, once united under the aegis of The Praxis, now find themselves paranoid and divided, and the attempt by the Naxids to assume control of the empire has led to civil war on an unprecedented scale. After ten millennia of peace, so begins the tale of the dread empire's fall . . .
The alien Naxids have won a shattering victory at Magaria, a victory that clears the way for an advance on the loyalist capital, Zanshaa. To help save Zanshaa comes Lord Gareth Martinez, formerly a despised provincial officer, now, in the aftermath of a brilliant victory, a celebrated war hero. But no sooner does Martinez arrive at the capital than he finds himself entangled in intrigue, first by political enemies intending to deprive him of command, then by his own brother Roland, who wants to use him to further the ambitions of a Martinez dynasty.
Destiny also waits for Martinez, in the form of the mysterious survivor Caroline Sula, a woman whose beautiful face conceals a deadly secret, and whose brilliant mind holds the key to victory over the Naxids. But, having thrown the two young officers together, fate capriciously tears them apart before they can submit their daring plan to the military high command. With the destiny of the empire in the balance, Martinez has little option but to present the plan as his own.
Although there are grave misgivings from the hidebound Fleet Control Board, approval is given to test the boldly unorthodox strategy in the searing crucible of battle. While Martinez prepares to engage an enemy fleet that has long been prepared for his assault, Sula is put in command of a guerrilla force that must engage the enemy in a desperate, dirty war fought in the teeming slums of Zanshaa.
The Empire of the Shaa has been torn asunder. Both sides claim the legitimacy of the Praxis, but the very real danger exists that there will be nothing left for the victors to rule . . .
