"It was the beginning...of the end." Second Earth, the site of the worst massacre of the Great Galactic War half a decade ago, loomed large before the supercarrier Rhea. A beautiful gemstone against the backdrop of the endless, star-filled void, the planet beckoned the Sector Command carrier and her intrepid crew as a parent would to its long-departed child. But all was not as it seemed. What was expected to be a barren, war-ravaged planet was in fact a life-sustaining body, with far less damage than both the Office of Special Intelligence and the Unified Council had previously reported. Adding to the mystery was the fact that the orbiting defensive satellites--put in place to protect the riddles of the world--were mysteriously missing. Ordered to bring a contingent of Unified Marines down to the surface to investigate, Lieutenant Commander Shawn Kestrel is about to uncover the very secret that the Unified Government tried so desperately to hide. Unfortunately, it may already be too late. When a mysterious and powerful alien vessel appears in orbit around Second Earth, it heralds the one thing Shawn and Melissa Graves hoped they would never experience again... War.

With a war against the Meltranians a forgone conclusion, the Unified Collaboration of Systems has agreed to a temporary truce with their once-hated enemies, the Kafarans. But, with both sides dangerously short on manpower and vessels, one more ally is required before the new threat can be pushed back into The Darkness—a nearly lifeless void of space on the far side of the Kafaran Empire. Under direct orders from the Unified Council, and with no official backup to support him, newly promoted Commander Shawn Kestrel must ferry a brash yet charismatic Unified ambassador to Rugor, a planetary system governed by the same ruthless pirates that have plundering the sector for years. Making matters even worse, and Shawn’s mission all the less enjoyable, is a high-ranking Kafaran officer who has also been dispatched with the small team—a Colonel with a particular dislike of Sector Command and all they stand for. Finding himself at odds with every turn their mission takes them, and with uncertainty looming around every corner, Shawn must learn to put the past behind him in order to ensure that humanity has a future.   

There is a traitor in their midst, and Shawn Kestrel believes he’s figured out who it is. But, before he can confront them, an unfortunate series of events takes him out of the cockpit and places him behind a desk—possibly for all time. Determined to bring the culprit to justice, Shawn will risk everything he’s accomplished so far, including the affections of Melissa Graves, in order to safeguard the lives of thousands. On a world-hopping journey that will take Shawn and Melissa deep into Meltranian space, what they uncover will alter the course of the war against the Meltranians. But Meltranian territory holds many secrets, and only with the help of his allies and former enemies will Shawn be able to decipher the mysteries of the dark space before it’s too late.

Intelligence reports have begun to filter in from the former Outer Sphere: the Kafaran hordes are rearming, aligning themselves and their past allies into a new force known as The Army of Light. Half a decade ago, the Unified Collaboration of Systems barely managed to defeat them, and the cost had been grievously high. With Unified Sector Command fleet strength down to perilous levels, it is anyone’s guess who will come out the victor this time. Shawn Kestrel, former civilian cargo pilot, has been mysteriously recruited back into Sector Command. Even more baffling is that he is ordered to take command of an elite squadron of advanced starfighters, incorporating technological improvements beyond anything he’s ever seen before. However, before Shawn has a chance to immerse himself in his new role, a derelict ship from a missing fleet suddenly appears, and the questions it raises have dire consequences that will reverberate throughout the entire galaxy. Working alongside the striking intelligence agent Melissa Graves, Shawn must uncover the truth behind the fate of the Icarus before it’s too late.