"The legacy of legends is written in blood and sweat. In each generation, courage and freedom duel against fear and tyranny, fighting to become the standard of the new age. Heroes and villains clash like the beating of waves upon a rocky shore. In every nation, city, and home, there are not only stewards and guardians, but also thieves and murderers: two sides of the same coin called humanity." The darkness is spreading. As people spread out into the stars, the empires of Earth and its rival, Kievan Ceti, are at the brink of total war. When Marcus Theathos, the son of Earth's prime minister, survives a terrorist attack and hears of a plot to ignite a conflict between the two nations, he must travel to the edge of explored space--and beyond--to defeat a dark power that threatens to destroy all of mankind. His journey will plunge him into orbital battles, haunted space stations, and mysterious worlds. And in the midst of these adventures, Marcus will face both good and evil, experience both hatred and love, and learn in the midst of it all what courage, humility, and sacrifice mean.