""I'm done with the UESF. I'm done with ships, and space, and fighting wars I'm done." " For John Thompson, space holds no mystique. The unforgiving void stole his wife, his daughter, his soul. Once a top UESF fleet commander, John is now living a life of self-imposed solitude as a university professor. But when an old war-buddy-turned-politician begs for help uncovering the truth behind disturbing rumours, John must choose: standby as humanity is plunged into a war it can't possbily win, or take up the mantle he abandoned on the battlefield decades earlier. Surrounded by hidden enemies--and unrecognized friends--John must find the alien agent who sent the warning before it is too late. "One conspiracy, two reluctant heroes, and a meeting destined to alter the fate of billions of lives."