Jakob Bryce is the Empire's spy. His mission sends him to Maritinia, a far-flung world of little value. Hardly anybody has heard of this ocean planet or its mysterious cult until it did the unthinkable. It rebelled.Now Jakob, accompanied only by his political officer, an intelligence that lives inside his head, must infiltrate the fledgling government of Maritinia by assuming the life of Colonel Drake Kell, the hero of Maritinia's unlikely revolution. Donning the traitor's uniform, Jakob enters a world of misdirection and deception, where danger lurks behind every shadow.The Empire is coming back...if Jakob can live that long. The Empire's attack force is unbeatable...if Jakob can sabotage Maritinia's defenses. The Empire's will is inevitable...if Jakob remains oblivious to who his true enemies are.