Inhabited by humans and aliens together, the star system of Chimera was a symbol of peace between humanity and the non-humans called Reezh. But now, that system has been conquered by the remnants of their old empire and its imperialist church. The Protectorate of Mars will rebuild their fleets, but alone, it will take years for them to be able to retake Chimera, let alone challenge the heart of their enemy. But the war is far from over. To Ambassador Connor O’Hannagain, deeply entangled with Chimera’s fate, weakness means they need new allies. With a powerful Navy escort, he sets off into the deep void to find the other side of the civil war that broke the Reezh empire. Even if he finds the enemy of his enemy, Connor must convince them to stand with Mars. And when faces the dark secrets of a shattered empire, Connor must decide if he even can ally with those who must sacrifice innocents to fuel the warships he needs…