The Laredo Resistance fought the Bactrian invaders to a standstill, but shattered itself in the process. Through battle, bloodshed and murder, Dave Carson became President of Laredo's Government-in-Exile. Now he must dodge assassination attempts by his enemies while fighting the war on new fronts - with a little unorthodox help from Steve Maxwell of the Lancastrian Commonwealth Fleet. Gloria Aldred, former head of the Resistance, has plans that run counter to everything Dave's trying to achieve - and she's not about to ask his permission to pursue them. Satrap Rostam is trying to cut Bactria's losses and rebuild his exhausted planet, but his generals and nobles have lots of guilty secrets to hide - and they don't mind burying him right along with them if necessary. They're all looking for a critical advantage... until the forgotten survivors of Laredo's Resistance surprise them all. The battle's in space and on the ground, with everything at stake.