The Triumvirate. Three clones of Gavin Stark who survived their evil master's destruction. Now they have cheated death again, downloading their minds into an alien intelligence, a relic of the First Imperium. For three decades they have worked, silently, diligently, preparing their forces for the day that would launch the final assault. Vali, a secret planet, home of the Triumvirate. A hidden and haunted world covered entirely with factories and fortifications, worked by legions of slaves, the kidnapped and forgotten of a thousand worlds. Erik Cain, the legendary hero of the Marines Corps, the man who killed the real Stark. For years he was a prisoner of the triumvirate's minions, held in brutal captivity on a dark world. Now he is free, battered by his long nightmare but never bowed, ready for the final struggle. Darius Cain, Erik's son, dread warrior and commander of the feared Black Eagles, the greatest of the mercenary Companies. Darius and his forces freed Erik Cain, and together with his father and his long-estranged twin brother, he is ready to rally the free forces of human space. Augustus Garret. A legendary admiral, the victor of more battles than are easily counted. Garret is long retired. But within him still beats the same heart of old, and he will stand with Erik Cain and his sons, fight alongside his old ally one last time. From the barren ruins of shattered Earth to the farthest reaches of human habitation in the galaxy, the final battle has begun. The Cains and their comrades are outnumbered, but the blood of warriors flows in their veins, and they will never stop, no matter what the cost...not until the battle is won. Massive fleets are on the move, armies fight great battles. Worlds burn, and the cataclysmic struggle for the future of mankind reaches its terrifying climax.