The 10,000 year rule of the Shaa is over. But their passing has left the galaxy leaderless. The many races of the empire now find themselves paranoid and fractious, facing civil war on an unprecedented scale. After ten millennia of peace, so begins the tale of a dread empire's fall . . .
The alien Naxids have won a shattering victory, and the way is clear for an advance on the loyalist capital. To help save the city comes Lord Gareth Martinez, formerly a despised provincial officer, now a celebrated war hero. But three types of enemy await Martinez. The first are rivals in the service. The second are the intrigues of his brother. And the third is a 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.
Both sides claim the legitimacy, but as battle is joined, the very real danger exists that there will be nothing left for the victors to rule . . .
