The third novel in the Gates of Antares series of books. Captain of
the Carmine Canotila, Nacen Byzantia, arrives in what he believes to be
friendly Freeborn space only to find his homefleet in ruins.
Captain of the Carmine Canotila, Nacen Byzantia, arrives in what he
believes to be friendly Freeborn space only to find his homefleet in
ruins. His family's ships have been annihilated by the Concord Combined
Command, suspecting they harbor a secret weapon acquired from the
unknown reaches of the gates. However, hope remains as a small segment
of the fleet drives deep into Concord space to escape the clutches of
the enemy navy. Meanwhile, Nacen and his crew must make unexpected
allies and undertake desperate gambits to locate the endangered
survivors. When they finally reunite in the crucible of battle, Nacen
discovers the situation has changed drastically, with the fate of family
and worlds in the balance.