The war between the Confederation of Systems and the Primans is still mired in stalemate. With the crew of Avenger and a handful of others as the only ones who know the truth about the compromised Confederation leadership's backroom deal with the conquering Primans, Admiral Bak sends Avenger on a secret mission into the galactic core to discover the truth about how the Primans were defeated a thousand years ago. The Admiral hopes Avenger will find answers, a weapon, maybe even allies. Loren Stone, XO of Avenger, finds much more than he bargained for.The Primans know Avenger is out there looking as well, and launch their own efforts to remove the troublesome Confed ship and crew from consideration for good.