The Cacas have been driven out of human space, or at least the space that the Empire knows of. On the other side of the Ca'cadasan Empire another power fights against the huge aliens. A mission has been sent to contact this other power, to find an ally against the Cacas. Three enormous exploration vessels, led by Commodore Natasha Sung, travel the thirty thousand light years to the home of this power. What they find is a shock. A power that has been fighting the Cacas for decades, a seemingly ideal partner in the war. But this power holds a dark secret, one which may sabotage the alliance before it starts. Sean is presented with a dilemma. The Empire needs this ally to survive, and the other power needs the Empire. But will he sell the soul of the Empire in order to have a chance at victory?