The new life of brigade general Dean continues. Now he is cadet Igor Lavrov—a man who managed to defeat a fatal illness, enter the military school of a planetary assault, and survive a battle on a planet occupied by the enemy. While he is still far from completing the mission assigned to him by command back in his previous life, he nevertheless moves steadily toward his goal, despite intrigues and behind-the-scenes games unfolding before him, and despite a large-scale offensive by hostile forces that threatens to destroy the Earth Federation much sooner than Dean can accomplish his task.