One war is over—but more danger lurks in the galaxy. After a surprising victory, Carter Ash finds himself leading a large civilization during a tumultuous time. But there’s no time to rest—The remnants of his former enemies still threaten his people’s stability, while an old foe grows ever stronger. The only way to survive is to keep building the United Interplanetary Republic. With the help of a flirtatious scientist’s eager experiments, he struggles against increasingly bleak odds.