Armadas of mysterious ships, in fierce battles, destroy Union flotillas. Prime—the capital of the Union—desperately resists enemy attacks, but no one is in a hurry to come to its aid. The other states understand: no matter who wins this battle, the world will change forever and will never be the same as before.
The crew of a smuggler, seeking help from representatives of the mysterious race of Ataahuans, is forced to wander around the outskirts of civilized worlds—where in bars gunfire erupts during the division of artifacts, and piracy is the norm. But is the cost going to be too high for fragments of information that are needed so badly? The crew of Prime’s military mission investigates ruins and the remnants of states already conquered by a ruthless invader, trying to learn what the enemy’s secret is. Alone, without help or support, relying only on themselves, experienced scouts in the darkness of space come across things that chill their blood. The curtain of the enemy’s mystery begins to lift, and it seems there’s no salvation. But each of the heroes is ready to go forward all the way to the very end.